#and people who want to use her as a weapon

[systlin]

ooooo summarize the one where tarl gets called bosk by a mean lady and it rewrites his brain chemistry

Oh, Telima! The Mean Domme! LMAO it's so funny.

So Tarl is boating down the Big Fuckass River to Port Kar where a dude he wants to meet up with lives. Port Kar is a notorious hive of scum and villainy but has far fewer Han Solos to shoot douchebags in the face unfortunately.

We get like, ten pages of Tarl talking about how longbows are good at killing people, because duh of course they are. However, for some fuckass reason Goreans usually consider it a low class and disgraceful weapon, and Tarl is considered weird for liking it. I will give Norm credit for Tarl, raised an Englishman, having a favorable view of the longbow even in a society that views them as dishonorable. Reluctantly. Anyway.

He's in the Vosk delta, which is a vast labyrinth of swamp mostly covered in a reed called Rence, which is used to make paper and also parts are edible. It's inhabited by Rence Growers, who are actually kinda cool?

They make like, floating boat towns, and hunt and fish the marshes, and they take in fled slaves sometimes and let them live as free women. Like. They kinda rock actually?

Instead of any actual plot for a bit, we get like twenty pages here of Norm outlining Rence, how it grows, how it's harvested, how things are made from it, ect ect. This completely derails the story for a jarring length of time, and it will not be the last time such a thing happens. Norm loves his annoying and dumb infodumps.

Anyway, Tarl is in their territory, and happens upon a free woman fishing in the marshes. He is, predictably, what he thinks is polite but from her POV is intrusive and annoying, and her village takes him captive.

THEN we get to the wild shit.

 

A Sorp is a turtle, btw. And legit this is like, one of the 3 reasonable dudes we get on Gor. Ho Hak you're a king love you bro.

Champion shit.

ANYWAY.

This, in the hands of a better writer, could have been the moment when Tarl realized that, oh, shit, yeah okay in this situation he will act just like the women he's enslaved before who complied rather than be beaten or killed. It could have been a watershed moment.

It will not be.

ANYWAY, Tarl is taken slave, and Telima absolutely rearranges his whole brain with ONE SINGLE NIGHT OF BEING A MEAN DOMME.

He will go by this name FOR THE ENTIRE NEXT THIRTY BOOKS LIKE GIRL JESUS CHRIST.

He's chasing this high for the entire rest of the series. He never gets over this. Like holy shit. Fuck.

Anyway so some Port Kar slavers raid the place and take some people captive, whatever, there's not actually any plot in this book it's just here to get Tarl topped and get him to Port Kar. He fights the knowledge that he can be enslaved like he's enslaved women this whole time, and again somehow manages to do no actual growth or introspection. It's really incredible.

The only thing of note here is that there is a dude named Clitus, which is inexpressibly funny to me. I bet no one can find him.

Tarl becomes a Captain of Port Kar by killing one of the other Captains. There's like, a war with Cos and Tyros, which are also naval powers, and we are supposed to root for Port Kar but honestly I do not give a single shit. It's mostly so that Norm can jerk himself off to pictures of Greek war galleys and Charlton Heston as Ben Hur, tbh.

How TF Tarl knows without trying how to captain a war galley, you ask? And is somehow so good at it that all the other captains are in awe? Well because he's a Speshul Boy, of course.

Of course Tarl wins the war and shit, it's pointless, I don't give a single shit about Port Kar vs Cos Vs Tyros and I want Tarl dead.

Anyway, Tarl hooks up with Samos, but not the way Tarl would really like. Stupid PK vs Kurii plot shit is droned on about for like fifty pages. It's all stupid, the end.

[niwaart]

omegaverse x batfam

Bruce wanted a solution to his family's problems, he always wondered how other families were happy and even if their family was big their problems weren't many, but looking at his children, problems happen every day if not every hour, for example Damian and Tim are trying to prove their worth by killing each other... not literally but close to it... and also Jason who refuses to go home even after things between them became good and better than before, but he is still stubborn to the core, he refuses to leave the weapons even after several lectures from Bruce and Alfred, the biggest problem is that he refuses to return to the pack or even smell him! This hurts Bruce's feelings... a little. As for Dick... he is fine and not fine, he tries to help everyone and forget his problems, he can't even settle in a relationship without ruining it. As for Cass, she has a problem getting to know new people, or even communicating with others, this doesn't make Bruce happy, he wants his daughter to go out with friends, and enjoy life, it's good that Stephanie is helping her and this really makes Bruce happy, but he still wants his daughter to be able to make her own decisions and think about her future. As for Duke, he was shy, there was nothing wrong with him, he was perfectly fine, he just needed some confidence and enthusiasm, his breakup with his girlfriend had made him sad so Bruce wanted to give him new confidence and determination, but he didn't know how. Bruce didn't want to burden Alfred any more, he was getting old, he couldn't keep up with all the family's problems, so Bruce had to find a solution, a quick and good solution for the long term, and luckily for him he finally found the answer, his flock needed an omega! There had never been an omega in his Pack before, he used to hear at his parties that all the families had an omega to take care of their Pack, so Bruce decided to look for the perfect omega for his family, and he found a perfect omega..

"I wonder why Bruce gathered us here and not in the cave, Bruce only gathers us when it's dangerous.." Dick said as he sat between Damian and Tim so they wouldn't fight.

"It better not be something silly." Jason said, examining the furniture in the room.

"Maybe Father decided to kick Tim out of the family." Damian said thinking about how to stab Tim after Tim fed Titus extra food…

"Or maybe he wants to punish Damian by not being Robin." Tim said as he still remembered his room filled with fish and water.

Dick sighed in disgust at Damian and Tim's actions while Stephanie and Duke laughed. "Maybe he wants to bring us a surprise, maybe gifts? What do you think Cass?" Stephanie said cheerfully as she looked at Cassandra who shrugged her shoulders not caring as long as it wasn't anything serious.

"Oh he's here!" Duke said as he looked at the opening door.

Everyone turned to the door immediately expecting Bruce, and yes it was Bruce but there was someone else with him, a short and still young person.

Everyone looked curiously at the stranger. "Well old man, why did you gather us?" Jason said impatiently.

Bruce smiled at his children, "I'm glad to see everyone is here today. I want to introduce you to the Omega of the Pack."

Everyone looked at Bruce in shock, including Dick who was about to faint from what he heard, Jason who was about to suffocate, Stephanie who didn't believe Bruce's words, Tim who was analyzing Bruce's features to know if this was a joke or not, Damian who was a little confused, why would his father bring an omega to the house? Aren't they weak? And Duke who had an expression of shock like Stephanie. And Cass who was strangely calm..

Dick tried to speak without stuttering, "Bruce... what are you saying now?"

"What's wrong with what I said? I told you I brought Omega for the pack. Is there a problem?" Bruce looked suspiciously at his sons, he didn't expect their reaction to be like this.

Everyone was looking at Y/N who was standing silently next to Bruce. "Don’t you have anything to say?" Jason said angrily, he wasted his precious time for Omega!

Y/N looked at everyone and then said, "He kidnapped me."

Everyone except Bruce and Cass "What?!?!"

Everyone turns to Bruce who smiles innocently.

[clearancecreedwatersurvival]

‘It’s different from the books’ sure it’s different but are you judging elements based on how they fit within the new transformative narrative that the show adaptation is presenting? Or are you purely judging each element based on how different it is from the books?

Does the new narrative that the show is telling have cohesive arcs and structure that work within its specific logic? Do the elements present, intentionally different or inspired or lifted directly from the books, work together to tell a story that shares most of the same overall themes and important story beats as the entire book series? Are they setting up the long term development of character arcs well?

Or are you just mad your favorite character isn’t just saying all their lines from the book directly and we need to have the ‘characters aren’t people regardless of our parasocial attachment to them, they’re storytelling tools that fill roles within a narrative conflict’ conversation again? Like, neither the author(s) nor the book characters themselves are gonna fuck you, just so we’re clear.

Mat having a weakness for helping and protecting children, Perrin being traumatized about using the axe as a weapon and worried about harming people he loves, Rand wanting to help men who can channel, everything about Egwene’s late stage character arc, Nynaeve’s innate potential and her constant early struggle with her unconsciously blocking that immense power away from herself have all been set up extremely well in the show, and all by making some pretty distinct changes from the books.

And every wot fan agrees that the books are not perfect in various ways, rearranging and tightening of the plot was always going to be necessary in an adaptation, let alone in one that is only allowed to span 8 seasons. But the main beats of the story are all there, and individual changes to characterization and the specific roles that characters play for certain bits of the narrative are not bad just because they’re different and I simply can’t take any criticism of the show that doesn’t account for that seriously.

Also like. Can we stop blaming the writers for stuff that is fully the producers’ fault. Season 1 episode 1 and episode 8 both got fucked over on rewrites and/or covid restrictions during filming, so the pacing and execution is kinda fucky there, but that’s not on the writing team. The rest of season one the pacing is better and better yet in season two, which honestly was kind of a banger start to finish.

The development in s2 of all the themes around channelers losing access to the power or autonomy over their channeling and the griefs of outliving your loved ones were explored so well, and all those ideas are very important for the rest of the plot from later in the books. And the choice to introduce all the forsaken sooner and develop them more than is present in the early books was brilliant, they’re incredibly effective and engaging villains and the show is utilizing them to full effect. Shit rules. I’m stoked for s3 for a lot of reasons but especially for more forsaken shenanigans.

When I want to reread the books I’ll reread the books. I’m doing that right now and having a great time. But I’m glad the show is different in a lot of ways and I like the way they’re reading the original text, including by changing the stuff that makes wot one of those book series you can’t really recommend without an asterisk because RJ’s grasp on feminism and queerness and gender theory was. Loose at best.

Idk man, just treat adaptations of books you love as really high budget fanfiction produced by a team of people who all care about the original text but are also of course gonna put their spin on it, and you might have a more enjoyable time watching them.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Miyazaki? Fanfiction.

NBC Hannibal? Gay Fanfiction.

The Wheel of Time on Prime? That’s right, it’s increasingly higher budget fantasy fanfiction with less gender essentialism, extra emphasis on all the milfy magical politics, and queer subtext made text, hell yeah.

[stradakiev]

Ok I’ll talk about it

I love this idea and agree with it soooooooo much and it’s my favorite Martha take ever

From Martha’s first story Smith and Jones she is figuring things out as if the doctor would without first seeing the doctor do it. She talks about how the windows aren’t exactly air tight and that there must be something keeping the air in. She figures out the genetic transfer, gets the Jadoon to catch the plasmavore, and brings the doctor back so he can fix the scanner. If you want to dig deeper with this episode the doctor is not introduced as his character he is John smith and Martha is studying to be a doctor. Foreshadowing she will play his role at the end of the season.

We don’t see much of this in the second episode because it her out of here element for real this time and she’s taking it in but still a very active character in the story.

Gridlock we get to see Martha separated from the doctor and kidnapped onto the highway. Martha is the one descending to the lower lanes and learning the stories of the sounds at the bottoms and putting the pieces together. It’s her quick thinking to turn the engines off to save them until the city was open by the doctor and they could drive up.

Daleks take manhattan and evolution of the daleks is when we see Martha start to boss the doctor around. Unlike other companions we’ve seem Martha spends a lot of her initial time traveling with the doctor actually away from him. When the doctor wants to just go off and see why the daleks changed their minds she asks if he’s just going to leave Hooverville to die. She is the one thinking of how to keep people alive like a doctor like the doctor. I like to think that the doctor hiding from the daleks behind Martha is symbolic of the doctor hiding from his grief and in many ways responsibilities and becoming more reckless while Martha holds things together.

The Lazarus experiment- the only part of this episode I want to focus on is the ending. The doctor suggests “one more trip” and she tells him she’s not going to keep doing it like that and that it’s either a full time passenger or good bye and the doctor agrees to it. Her being the one to have the power to chose to travel with him and be a full time companion makes her fulfill the role of the doctor as she decides who will be traveling in the tardis and he agrees like a companion typically does to an invitation.

42 her and the doctor are again apart for most of the episode and once the doctor has saved Martha he is possessed for the rest of the time while Martha cools his temperature and ejects the fuel from the sun saving both the day and the doctors life. So again companion doctor reversal once the doctor has saved her from imminent death.

Human nature and the family of blood- do I need to go into it? The doctor literally turns into a human and leaves everything up to Martha so she is the doctor for the episode and is the only one using the tardis (we’ve never seen her touch the console this much).

Blink- my man isn’t processing his grief with rose and now is separated from his ship. I can only imagine how much he was struggling. Martha was keeping them afloat with her job in the shop.

Utopia and the sound of drums!!! You can see Martha this whole episode just process more and more how poorly she’s been treated by the doctor by the way he interacts with jack and the stories of rose. She moves the story around narratively with the watch which. From here to where he family is kidnapped in the next episode (and we get the iconic scene of her yelling at the doctor) she is transforming herself through her actions until when she finally uses the vortex manipulator (the first type of time travel she has used by herself) she becomes the doctor.

Last of the time lords Martha is fully acting in the doctor role walking the whole worlds by herself without a weapon spreading a message of home. Her message is the doctor but in that moment she is the doctor. She embodies everything he is while he is removed from having control in the story.

I think the sound of drums/last of the time lords is Martha’s version of dark water/death in heaven. Martha is a lot more emotionally healthy than Clara and also has a live she has dreams for on earth so she chooses to leave. Martha has to cope with the consequences of becoming the doctor so she becomes a unit soldier I think to cope with how she has changed fundamentally but it also nicely brings those two lives together for our successful Queen. Whereas Clara becomes the doctor and no longer has anything or any dreams connecting her to earth to she toxically spirals out until she dies and then becomes not human so we love our toxic queen too

So basically I like to call season 3 the season the doctor was numbing his grief with reckless decisions, straight up not existing, and he’s classic running from it with adventures bc they have a savior complex. He got away with falling apart this much for a whole season bc Martha is a queen and held shit together.

Clara becomes the Doctor but can we talk about how Martha is also the Doctor. Besides being an actual doctor, she also becomes a soldier and tries to justify it to herself. She went through hell and saved the earth and bore that weight alone, and was never thanked for it. In the Doctors Daughter she is forced to watch as her Hath "companion" sacrifices themself for her and dies horribly, and she has to leave them behind. Is this thing on

[causeimhappinesss]

Rome's Devotion (part 12)

Warnings: Emperors Geta & Caracalla are warnings themselves, (slight?) blasphemy, slight non-con/dub-con, misogyny (Ancient Rome, so…)

Pairing: Geta x Christian!reader x Caracalla

Words: 4,3k

Disclaimer: English isn’t my native language (I’m french), so you can correct me if you spot some mistakes :)

Masterlist

-

Days later

The Colosseum hums with the fevered energy of tens of thousands of souls, each voice adding to the deafening storm of sound that crashes against my ears. The scent of bodies pressed together, of spilled wine and perfumed oils. My fingers brush the silk of my stola, embroidered so finely it feels like liquid against my skin, yet the weight of it, the opulence, suffocates me. It is not my own. It belongs to them. At that moment, Geta stands at the edge of the balcony, wrapped in white and gold, the embodiment of imperial grace. The sun catches in his hair, turning the curls to bright copper, and the laurel on his head gleams with the weight of power. Below him, the Colosseum swells with voices, a sea of hands lifted toward their emperor, their devotion so easily given in exchange for the promise of bloodshed.

I stay beside him, on his left, my movements careful, deliberate. Around me, those granted the honor of these seats settle into place, such as Lucilla, draped in silks so sheer they are almost scandalous, offers me a brief glance, a flicker of acknowledgment before she returns to her idle conversation with her husband: General Acacius. The soldier’s face remains unreadable, his scars catching the light like old battle relics. Behind us, with Acacius and Lucilla, Macrinus watches everything with the sharp eyes of a man who trusts no one.

The Colosseum’s arena, transformed into a vast lake, glistens beneath the sun. The sight steals my breath. A feat of engineering so impossible it feels like magic. An entire battlefield drowned, turned into an ocean fit for war. On its surface, miniature warships rock with the motion of the water, the men aboard them nothing more than figures waiting to be swallowed by history.

The people chant, hungry for the violence they have been promised. They don’t care for the spectacle of the water itself. They don’t marvel at its creation. They only want to see it turn red.

A pulse beats at the base of my throat. How can such cruel game exists? Why people are so entranced? Life is too precious and none of them seem to realize this…

“You’re amazed.”

Caracalla’s voice, smooth and dark, cuts through the noise like a blade.

I refuse to turn my head, to grant him the satisfaction of my attention.

“How could I not be?” I half lie.

Of course, the Colosseum, filled with water, is splendid. However, I hate the idea of war so close to me…

His laughter barely carries, a low, amused thing meant only for me. He leans in, his breath warm against my temple.

“There are sharks in the water.”

The words crawl down my spine. I blink and focus on the shadows beneath the surface. They glide with unnatural ease, dark shapes slipping between the wavering reflections of the ships. A sharp taste rises in my throat.

“You’re lying…”

Caracalla shifts closer. I can feel the heat of him, the power coiled beneath his skin like a lion at rest.

“Am I?” He chuckles, his gold tooth shining under the sun.

I don’t know. That’s what unsettles me most.

A trumpet sounds, slicing through the chaos, and the entire Colosseum stills. Quickly, I sit on my eat, next to Geta’s one. The crowd holds its breath as if the gods themselves demand silence. The gates at either end groan open, and the combatants appear, stepping onto their assigned ships, their armor gleaming, their weapons ready. Some of them are slaves. Others, condemned men with nothing left to lose. None of them will leave unchanged. If they leave at all.

Geta lifts a hand, and the hush deepens.

My chest tightens.

He is going to announce it. My betrothal. My fate. My future, decided without my consent.

The crowd waits, eager for his words.

And all I can think about are the sharks in the water.

The cheers are deafening. The Colosseum, already a sea of restless bodies, erupts into a frenzy of shouts, stomping feet, and clashing fists against wooden benches. The people love a spectacle, and today, I am the center of it.

My breath catches in my throat as Geta rises from his own seat, the sun striking his golden tunic, the red fabric flowing like the robes of a god. His presence commands silence before he even speaks. His hand lifts, and the roar of the crowd quiets, not out of obedience, but in anticipation. They wait for him to give them something, a promise, a reason to continue their feverish adoration.

He gives them Rome. He gives them the future.

“Rome stands eternal,” he declares, his voice strong and unyielding, carrying over the vast amphitheater. “An empire that stretches beyond the edges of the known world. A force that will not falter, that will not crumble, but only grow.”

The people erupt again, fists pumping in the air, the echoes of their shouts rolling through the arena like a storm over the Tiber.

Geta waits, unshaken, allowing them their moment before raising his hand once more. Silence descends again, tense and expectant.

“No ruler, no empire, stands alone. Strength lies in blood. Strength lies in legacy. And I will give you that legacy.”

His fingers tighten into a fist. A murmur spreads through the senators seated in their reserved places. The equites lean in, their whispers barely audible over the distant clang of preparations for the naval battle below. The people catch on slower, but soon, the Colosseum vibrates with excitement, hands clapping, voices shouting their approval.

My blood turns cold.

I know what he is about to say before he says it.

“I will take a wife.” Geta announces, turning to me. “Rome will have an empress.”

A fresh wave of cheers erupts. A name passes through the mouths of the people before he even speaks it.

“Aurelia!” they chant. “Aurelia!”

My stomach twists. Geta’s hand reaches for mine. He doesn’t hesitate or ask. The world blurs for a moment as he pulls me to my feet, the weight of thousands of eyes pressing down on me, their scrutiny stripping me bare despite the silks and gold draped over my body. His fingers enclose mine, firm, possessive, unyielding.

“Lady Aurelia, daughter of Senator Aurelius! Your future empress!”

The ground seems to shift beneath me. The walls of the Colosseum feel impossibly high, the sheer number of people suffocating. The roar of their approval crashes over me like a wave, drowning out my own thoughts, my own voice. I am no longer a person to them. I am a name, a symbol, a decision already made. I force myself to stand tall, to keep my shoulders squared even as my heart hammers against my ribs. Lucilla moves first, stepping forward in a rustle of expensive fabric, her expression carefully composed. She reaches for my hands, her grip cool and deliberate. Her lips curl into a smile, but her eyes remain sharp, searching, assessing.

“The gods smile on you,” she says smoothly, her voice meant for the ears of the crowd as much as for mine. “And on Rome.”

There is something in her tone, an unspoken warning. I barely have time to process it before General Acacius approaches. His armor gleams under the sun, his posture rigid with military discipline. He inclines his head in deference to Geta before turning to me.

“A wise choice.” he remarks. He studies me for a moment, then adds, “An emperor needs an empress who can endure.”

Endure.

The word settles over me like a weight.

Macrinus follows, his expression unreadable, though something flickers in his gaze, something calculating. His mouth curves into what might be amusement. Or something colder.

“May the Fates weave you a strong future, Lady Aurelia.”

The applause swells again, louder than before, a deafening thunder that makes my pulse pound in my ears. I stand beside Geta, my hand still locked in his. I don’t smile. I do not bow my head. I meet the eyes of the people, the senators, the warriors, the men who will decide the course of my life from this moment forward. I don’t let them see how my hands shake.

When I turn my head towards Caracalla, this one is still seating, his legs shaking, while he bites his lower lips, his darkening blue eyes on me. At that very moment, I know he’s thinking what the wedding will grant him: access to my body, as his mind creeps into mine.

The horn’s blare reverberates through the Colosseum, a sound so deep it feels as though the stone itself hums beneath us. The crowd surges to its feet, their cries of anticipation rolling like thunder. Beneath the open sky, the great amphitheater is alive, a beast of marble and bloodlust. The arena, turned into a shimmering lake, reflects the golden light of the afternoon sun. Warships, their wooden hulls adorned with snarling sea creatures, glide into position, oars cutting through the surface in perfect rhythm. The men aboard, clad in gleaming armor, prepare for battle, gripping their weapons with grim determination. The scent of damp wood and burning oil mingles with the sweat of thousands of bodies packed together. Excitement thickens the air, stifling, suffocating. I shift in my seat, my silken robes heavy against my skin, my pulse hammering beneath layers of gold-threaded fabric.

Geta sits beside me, his posture relaxed, the white and gold of his tunic pristine despite the dust that clings to everything. His expression remains impassive as he watches the scene unfold. He seems utterly at ease amid the chaos, as though he were born to preside over such violence. The second horn sounds.

A brief silence falls over the Colosseum, a hush filled with bated breath.

Then, the battle erupts.

The first clash of metal against metal rings through the air. Arrows streak across the water, slicing through the sunlight like falling stars. The warships collide, sending up sprays of water as soldiers leap from deck to deck, swords flashing. A man lets out a guttural cry as he is struck across the chest, his blood fanning out in a bright arc before he tumbles into the water. I stiffen, my breath stuck in my throat, as my fingers grab the armchair.

Another warrior is shoved overboard, his arms thrashing wildly. The crowd roars with approval, fists pounding against wooden benches. Some chant for their favored side, others laugh at the doomed men struggling in the depths. A third man, young, no older than myself, is struck down, his helmet rolling across the deck before his body crumples lifelessly beside it.

My stomach twists.

I lower my gaze, hands clenched in my lap, but the vision of death lingers behind my eyes. The water, once pristine, darkens with spilled blood.

“Are you well, little lamb?” Geta asks with his smooth voice, edged with amusement.

I swallow, forcing myself to meet his gaze. His dark eyes flicker with something unreadable, as though he finds my discomfort… endearing. Or perhaps simply expected.

“I…” My throat tightens. I nod, though the motion feels unnatural, stiff.

The corner of his mouth curves, showing he doesn’t believe me at all.

“You will have to grow accustomed to this, it is part of the empress’ role.” he murmurs, fingers brushing idly against the gold cuff at his wrist.

A wave of heat rushes over me, though it has nothing to do with the sun. Another scream shatters the air, high and strangled. A man, wounded and desperate, attempts to hoist himself onto the wreckage of a shattered ship; he doesn’t get the chance. The water beneath him churns violently. Then, in the space of a breath, he’s gone. A song of whispers spreads through the crowd, a mix of delight and awe. Caracalla leans towards me with a huge smile on his face.

“These sharks are doing a good job.”

My body goes rigid as the ginger man chuckles softly, pleased by my reaction, and leans back in his seat. Geta, still watching me, merely tilts his head, as though curious to see what I will do. Instead of flinching, I stay still, I don’t allow the horror to twist my guts are enough me to show on my face. Unfortunately, my hands shake against my lap, and deep within me, something fragile cracks. I press my lips together. Then, with as much composure as I can summon, I fold my hands tighter and cast my eyes toward the heavens.

The people of Rome delight in this carnage.

But I won’t.

I offer a silent prayer to a God they don’t know, for the souls of the men slaughtered at their feet.

The Colosseum keeps pulsing with energy, the air thick with sweat, heat, and the stench of blood. The games are still raging when the change comes, subtle at first. The rhythm of the crowd falters, their cheers turning to something more uncertain.

Then, a sharp whistle cuts through the din.

Before I can react, the arrow strikes.

It buries itself into the carved wooden balustrade just behind the emperors, right between them. The force of impact sends splinters flying. My breath catches in my throat.

For the briefest of moments, everything stills.

Geta and Caracalla turn their heads, their expressions twisting from boredom to something utter fear. Their eyes meet, then flick to the arrow quivering between them. They yell and quickly moves. Everything happens really fast.

The Praetorian Guard surges forward, armor clanking, blades flashing. A hand seizes my wrist. Geta.

“We must move.”

Everything happens too fast.

Lucilla is already standing, her expression sharp and unreadable. Macrinus and Acacius bark orders, his voice lost beneath the roar of the chaos. A shield rises in front of Geta, another in front of Caracalla and another one in front of me. Strong hands guide us back, pushing us toward the safety of the inner corridors. The passage beneath the Colosseum is cool, damp, the scent of smoke and earth thick in my nose. The flickering torches cast jagged shadows against the stone walls. My heart pounds, my pulse a frantic rhythm in my ears.

Then Geta exhales, almost amused.

“I do believe someone just tried to kill us, brother.”

Caracalla leans forward, elbows on his knees, lips curling into something too close to a grin.

“Or perhaps they meant to warn us.” His fingers trace the polished wood, stopping just shy of the arrow’s shaft. “A bold statement, wouldn’t you say?”

A scream erupts from below. Then another. Panic spreads through the arena like wildfire. People shove against one another, spilling out of their seats, hands raised in desperate gestures. Dust kicks up, choking the air. Caracalla is the first to break the silence.

“I want that man found.” His commands, his voice low, laced with something dangerous.

His hand full of golden rings flexes at his side.

“Alive, if possible. But I won’t grieve if he arrives in pieces.”

A guard bows his head.

“It will be done, my Emperor.”

Geta exhales, brushing dust from his tunic.

“It could have been anyone. A poor shot. Or a message.”

His gaze slides to me, lingering.

“You’re quiet.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight as I blink, not sure what I should answer.

“Would you rather I scream? I didn’t know it’s what you’re expecting from your future Empress.”

If his lips twitch, he doesn’t answer, while his twin laugh, applauding me for being bold with Geta. Lucilla choses this moment to step closer, before she clears her throat.

“The people saw.”

Caracalla licks his lips, scoffs and shrugs.

“Let them.”

His eyes gleam in the torchlight, his smirk sharp enough to cut.

“Rome forgets quickly.”

*

The morning light spills gently through the windows and casts a soft glow over the room. The seamstresses are already busy, their hands move with practiced precision as they arrange fabrics across the long wooden table. The smell of fresh linen and wool fills the air, mixing with the faint scent of lavender from the small vase beside me. I sit at the edge of the table, as my fingers shake slightly while I take in the array of choices before me.

The tunica recta is to be my wedding garment, the most sacred of all the attires a Roman bride could wear. White wool, simple yet elegant, the embodiment of purity and chastity. It seems such a small thing, this simple dress, but it feels like the weight of the Empire itself rests upon my shoulders as I sift through the fabrics. I touch each one, testing its weight, its texture, until I find the perfect piece: a soft, almost ethereal wool that will sit lightly against my skin.

Beside it, the saffron-colored flammeum catches my eye. The veil. It will cover my hair, hide my face from the gaze of the crowd, a symbol of my transition into something more. Something the people will watch. It’s so delicate, the fabric like sunlight, almost translucent but still holding a subtle strength in its color. The pale yellow hue is the color of fire, of burning passion and sacrifice. It is fitting.

But it’s not just the garments I must choose. My heart sinks a little as I reach for the Hercules knot, a reminder of the role I am about to assume. A symbol of my fidelity to Geta, to Rome. The knot is intricate, woven with delicate strands of golden thread. It will hold the fabric of my tunica together, but it will also bind me. Bind me in ways I’m not sure if I’m ready for.

I pick it up and my fingers brush the smooth, silky strands. The room feels suddenly too warm. Too small. The weight of what I’m about to become presses down on me like a stone. The door opens behind me, and I barely have time to look up before Geta steps inside, his presence filling the room like a storm. The seamstresses immediately bow their heads, offering him their deference. He pays them little mind, his focus entirely on me.

“Ah, there you are!” He comments with a smile, his voice low and rich.

It’s the same voice that’s been haunting my dreams, the one that holds the promise of power and control.

“Are these your choices?” His words are easy, but his gaze is sharp.

As soon as he asks that question, he moves toward me and presses a hand lightly on my shoulder. His touch feels warm, familiar. I nod, not trusting myself to speak, not trusting my voice to remain steady. He looks over my choices with care, his eyes scanning the fabrics. The tunica, the veil, the knot. His approval is clear in his expression, though it doesn’t feel as reassuring as it should.

“Good taste, just like me. The tunica is simple. It speaks of grace, of purity. And the veil…”

He pauses as his fingers brush lightly against the edge of the saffron fabric.

“It will suit you. You will be perfect.”

His eyes catch mine then, and I see a flicker of something in them. Something I can’t name.

I swallow hard. The fabric beneath my fingers feels suddenly too heavy.

“And the knot?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. I don’t know why I ask it. I know it must be part of the ensemble. But there’s something about it, the knot, an element that feels like a chain I can’t undo. He looks at the knot and his eyes suddenly gleam.

“It is a symbol of our bond, a reminder of what is to come, what we are about to begin. It looks perfect to me.”

I glance down at it, then back up at him, unsure how to respond. His gaze doesn’t leave mine. There is something unsettling about it.

“I have no doubts you will wear it beautifully.” He adds, as though it’s already decided, as though it’s already written in stone.

I force myself to nod, but it feels like I’m being led into something I can’t escape.

Geta turns toward the table where the jewelry is laid out. There are necklaces of gold and silver, bracelets set with precious stones, rings gleaming with emeralds and sapphires. All of them are exquisite, all of them are meant for someone who belongs to the Empire. And yet, as I walk toward the table, it all feels like another world. A world I’ve never truly known.

“These will look well on you.” Geta says, picking up a delicate bracelet from the table.

The gold gleams in the soft light, and I can’t help but reach out to touch it. He’s right. It would look beautiful, resting against my skin. But it feels too much. Too heavy. He turns to me, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that makes me want to pull away. But I don’t.

“The golden hue will complement the white and saffron.” He explains, his voice smooth, so smooth it’s a privilege. “It will show everyone who you are. What you are becoming.”

I nod again, though I don’t feel like I’m becoming anything at all. I feel as though I’m betraying other people, servants, but also God. He places the bracelet down and picks up a necklace, one with a gold chain and bright green emeralds, their deep color reflecting the light in a way that makes them seem almost alive.

“What do you think of this?” He asks, turning toward me with the necklace in his hands.

I look at it, the way it catches the light. The way it would rest against my neck, marking me, claiming me.

“It’s beautiful.” I admit with a shy smile.

He smiles too, though there’s a glint in his eyes that makes me feel small, vulnerable.

“It is beautiful because it is meant to be worn by you, the most beautiful woman of Rome.” He declares, his words low, almost a whisper. “It is meant to mark you as mine.”

I feel a chill run through me. I don’t know how to respond to that.

I look away, my gaze falling to the floor. The weight of what I’m about to become, of what I’m about to do, presses down on me. It’s not a future I chose, but one that’s been thrust upon me.

Let’s hope I’ll be able to use my power to help other people, to soften these cruel Emperors…

“You will shine. Everyone will see your radiance. And they will know who you are.”

Unfortunately, I don’t feel radiant, most like I’m about to be swallowed whole. With these words, he presses a soft kiss on my forehead, his soft lips so warm against my burning skin. My heart hammers wildly in my chest. A sigh escapes my mouth, as it feels too good, too kind, to be true. Is he able to love someone else? Except his mother and his brother?

“Follows, I want to walk with you.”

Soon, the warm sun in the garden warm my skin, the kind of warmth that feels both comforting and unsettling all at once. The gardens stretch before us, a riot of color and scent, but it’s almost too much. Too bright. Too perfect. It only reminds me of how little I belong here, how little I understand what is happening. Geta walks beside me, his pace steady and confident, as if everything is exactly as it should be. His arm brushes mine, but it’s a casual touch, probably meant to reassure me. I look at him, at his face, but there’s nothing there that tells me what he’s thinking.

“You don’t have to worry about anything else, you know.” He suddenly says. “A month’s time, that’s when we’ll be married, after the Kalends.”

A month.

Right after a religious celebration dedicated to the gods and the coming month’s prosperity. It was also a day for settling debts.

I can’t even wrap my mind around it. A month until my life changes forever, until I am no longer just Y/N, a servant, but something else entirely. Something that belongs to Rome. The weight of that responsibility is heavy on my shoulders, and though I try not to let it show, I feel the pressure building inside me, crushing me little by little. The words are still heavy in the air, hanging between us like a barrier, and I can’t stand it any longer.

“Days ago, I forgot to ask… What about the Senate? Has the Senate actually validated our marriage?”

At the sound of my voice, Geta stops walking. I can hear his shoes scuff against the gravel path, his figure pausing just ahead of me. For the briefest of moments, I think he might be irritated by my question, but then he turns to me, a slight smile curling the edges of his lips.

“Of course, my heart. Two days before the naval battle.” He explains with a casual shrug, as if it’s nothing at all. “I submitted my plan to them. They had no choice but to accept. What else could they do? It was done, and they couldn’t argue with it. Not after everything that’s happened.”

He tilts his head slightly, looking at me with something like amusement.

“And anyway, you’ve become the perfect candidate. The daughter of a senator. The people love that. The Senate has no reason to deny it.”

The words hit me like a slap, and I have to force myself to breathe. The perfect candidate. That’s all I am in his eyes, in the Senate’s eyes. A piece of the puzzle, a move in the game. His smile is so easy, so practiced, like he’s made peace with all of it. But me? I’m not sure if I can.

-

I hope you enjoy this chapter! I know not much is happening, but I’ve been dealing with nonstop migraines lately, which has really impacted my writing. On top of that, I’ve decided to focus on writing the upcoming smut scenes before Lent (it’s my first time doing this, and I don’t want to fail)! I absolutely have to finish before midnight tomorrow… Wish me luck! lol

That's why the next chapter may take a little longer to come.

My AO3: BetrayedWriter

-

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Ask to be added in the list! (or to be deleted)

[rosiewitchescottage]

This is easily my favourite depiction of Morgana.

And she's fascinating because of how deeply down the wrong path she went.

See her at the beginning of the story, she's wonderful. She loves and wants to help the people of Camelot.

Gwen is technically her servant but she's even more her friend as well.

And when Morgana realises that not only does she have the magical powers that King Uther and KIng Arthur both outlaw, but that Arthur's servant Merlin has them too. The two are immediately in cahoots, they have each other's backs.

And they want to help protect the other magical people of the kingdom, those who shouldn't be outlaws, because they don't use their magic for evil.

This makes it even more heart rending when Merlin responds to the ever present danger in one way and Morgana in another.

Merlin decides to just be what he is, use magic to help the kingdom, even though only 3 or 4 people and a dragon know what he's doing, and he won't get recognition.

Morgana goes down the other path. She decides that if magic is going to be seen as a dangerous weapon, then that's what she'll use it as.

She's afraid, of course she is.and despite her high social standing she feels powerless.

But whereas Merlin responds to this by using his innate skills to help in secret, because he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he used them to deliberately cause harm.

Morgana takes all the brakes off and uses magic to dominate. Perhaps she thinks that by attacking everyone, even those who truly are powerless will make her less vulnerable.

It's sad to witness the way she goes, because we got to see what she could have been.

She and Merlin could have continued to have each others backs, helped the kingdom secretly, because they and other magic people would have known that they weren't what Uther and Arthur feared they were.

Sadly, Morgana becomes exactly what they believe magic to be. And she chooses to do so freely. It's tragic.

What if I'm the monster?

[spitfirerose]

Been looking at PLZA theories and speculations, so here's my own two cents.

Buckle up, kids. In this essay, I will...

Explain that you can't have a game set in Kalos feat. AZ & Floette without the Ultimate Weapon. Let's say the Urban Redevelopment Project is being used by our potential villain(s) to accomplish their goals under the radar. Do they want to become immortal by being within its radius? Bring back someone from the dead? Or perhaps wish to wipe an entire region off the map? Are they working alone, or is someone else manipulating them and using their power and influence to get what *they* want, since they wouldn't be able to on their own?

Whichever the case, the Ultimate Weapon *needs* Pokémon as a power source. *A lot* of Pokémon. It sure would be convenient to have a full supply of "wild" Pokémon available in the City to harvest at their leisure. No one would notice them missing. They're meant to be captured, after all. Perhaps these strange disappearances are investigated by Looker & Emma, especially if people's Pokémon begin to vanish as well (the aforementioned "incidents" occurring in the City). And hey, if those Pokémon aren't enough, there's always that peculiar Floette said to have lived for thousands of years. She could probably recharge the Ultimate Weapon as many times as desired. All the villain(s) need to do is lure her away from AZ. They could do it themselves, or enlist the aid of a certain rival that just happens to live and work there, and is just so, so happy to support their boss with whatever he needs.

Secret villain Urbain/Taunie and my life is yours. Seriously, their names are literally a reference to the Project. It is time, GameFreak. Everyone and their mothers suspect Jett & Vinnie, it would be perfect.

Anyway.

You may be wondering what purpose will Xerneas and Yvetal serve in the meantime? In X and Y, the Legendaries were used by Team Flare to start up the Ultimate Weapon (unlike AZ who didn't need them). There's any number of ways for them to return (Hoopa shenanigans, XY Protag released them, there's more than one, etc.), and since this is a Legends game, both will be available. If one villain wishes to revive a beloved companion, they may be after Xerneas. The other wishing for death and destruction will have their sights on Yvetal. Just like with deciding to team up with the Diamond/Pearl Clan to ultimately determine if Dialga or Palkia are caught first, it will be up to the player to decide what order they want to rescue the Legendaries in.

It doesn't really matter though, since the lives of people and Pokémon will be at stake regardless of player choice. That's where Zygarde comes in, except this time Squishy is not our friend. All of Lumiose City *will* be destroyed if Complete Form Zygarde isn't stopped from trying to clean up the true villain's mess (by creating an even bigger one, of course). It's up to you, the player, to deform Voltron and save the day. Maybe with a little villain redemption while everyone takes shelter in Hotel Z....as a treat.

As a bonus, it's revealed that the reason Zygarde took an interest to you at the start (aside from being the Chosen One™️) is that you remind them of the XY Protag aka your half-sibling. I see you, Sycamore and Grace. I see you.

Anyway that concludes this essay. It's too cool of a concept to be canon because they're all cowards, but damn if it wouldn't be incredible, game-of-the-year material.

[familiarscars]

Drive You Insane | Noah Sebastian 06

adult content | minors do NOT interact.

⋆ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆. Noah Sebastian X psychiatrist!Reader.

⋆ 𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒. A mysterious new patient arrives at the Grimshade sanatorium and you have been tasked with taking care of his case.

⋆ 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆(𝐒). disturbing environment, violence, unconventional treatments, manipulation, questionable relationships, explicit sex and profanity.

I really need your reblog! On Tumblr, the content reaches more views and is delivered more through reblog and I really wanted more people to be able to read what I write. I'm counting on you from now on, ok?

"If you wanted to take me on a romantic date, you should’ve at least picked a better place," he grumbled, as always.

With your head feeling as heavy as if it were made of lead, you tried to sit up, but the weakness in your body sent you right back onto the bed. Holding your temple, you took in your surroundings and, judging by the equipment and the movement in the hallway, realized you were in a hospital room.

"What the hell happened to you?" Travis asked, settling into the chair beside you. "Do you have some sort of fixation on doing everything the opposite way? I told you to take a walk, and that did not include calling me out of my patients' charts to come pick you up at the hospital!"

"I was in the fraternity meeting room talking to some guy named Patrick, and suddenly everything went black," you murmured. With great effort, you sat up in bed and took a deep breath, gradually adjusting to the daylight again.

Memories of the conversation started flooding back, bringing with them a suffocating unease, as if you were still in that room, facing Patrick. Her eyes, her hair, her smile, the small dimple on her cheek—she looked so much like you, with only a few differences.

"Why didn’t you tell me Rachel and I look alike?"

Rune stopped eating the grape jelly the nurse had brought him and shifted his gaze to you, raising his hands as if he didn’t understand the question.

"I didn’t think it was relevant. A lot of people look alike," he said. "I look like any average blonde, blue-eyed heartthrob. Don’t flatter yourself."

“It wouldn’t be relevant if I didn’t look like my patient’s ex-girlfriend – that guy who hates me and supposedly murdered her!”

"Well, when you put it like that..."

You were restless, not realizing that this could still unsettle you even more. With your eyes fixed on the hospital bed sheets, you mulled over how you could turn this situation to your advantage instead of tormenting yourself over something beyond your control.

Noah had spoken to you after you had irritated him at Hidden. Now, you understood that your presence was a trigger for him—something that infuriated him, made him lose control, made him avoid you at all costs. But it also made him act on impulse, especially when your safety was at stake, triggering his protective instincts.

You had figured everything out up to this point.

Or almost everything.

You desperately needed to know more about Rachel, needed to use her as a weapon, no matter how dirty that plan was. But deep down, you were behaving just like him.

"I need him to be my patient again!" you declared, determined, clenching your fists over your thighs.

"THAT’S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR!" Travis responded with an enthusiastic tone.

At the sanatorium, you had to answer a few questions since all your coworkers had heard that you had fallen ill and been hospitalized. You felt fine—really fine—with no pain or lingering strange sensations. The only thing about to consume you was curiosity.

Everything about that man seemed to mess with your once impeccable judgment. It was as if he took pleasure in seeing a question mark permanently stamped on your face, and you hated that he was so damn handsome. You realized you struggled to distinguish his wicked nature when looking at a body that seemed sculpted by the devil himself.

Despite all of this, you were still a psychiatrist, and you needed to work.

Dr. Steve had organized a group therapy session and, upon your return to duty, asked you to lead it alongside the patients. You were, of course, nervous—you had never done this before. Being alone with so many patients, still a novice, trying to earn their respect, was a daunting task. But the director gave you a false sense of security by promising that a guard would be there to support you.

The room was dim, the fluorescent light flickering slightly as usual, creating an almost claustrophobic atmosphere. The patients sat in mismatched chairs, arranged in a circle that, no matter how open it seemed, felt like it was closing in with each movement. You felt Noah’s gaze on you immediately, like a weight pressing down on your shoulders. His stare was intense, as if he were waiting for you to slip up, hanging onto your every word. The rest of the room felt oppressive, but Noah—with his silence, his unspoken irony—filled the space with palpable tension.

You tried to focus, to avoid looking at him. Not to give him the power to shake you.

"Well... everyone," you began, your voice steadier than you felt, "today, we’re going to work together to understand a little more about how we deal with... the emotions that afflict us."

Trying to maintain composure, you started leading the session, your voice firm, though inside, you were still afraid—afraid of losing control of the room, and especially of losing control over him.

"How about today we talk about an emotion common to all of you, one that is often the greatest enemy of your minds?" you started, trying to keep your tone calm. "Hatred."

The silence in the room was heavy. The other patients seemed lost in their own reflections, while he remained steadfast in his mission to unsettle you—and succeeding. His eyes were piercing, challenging, sending warmth creeping up your neck in an unfamiliar sensation.

"Would anyone like to start?" you asked, running your fingers through your hair, tucking it behind your ear, trying to ease the tension. But you already knew—they were all waiting for your next move.

Then Brady, his gaze distant and his tone melancholic, broke the silence.

"I hate how people judge me before even knowing me, how they decide to hate me for no reason," the murderer declared.

You gave a small nod, encouraging him to continue.

"Yes, Brady. Hatred rarely appears out of nowhere. Like a plant, it needs roots, a place to grow. When it emerges without reason, it's at the very least... unfair, don’t you think?" You posed the question as your eyes scanned the room, pausing fleetingly on Noah’s. "This destructive feeling doesn’t just consume the one who feels it—it spreads, like radioactive fallout."

"I don’t think I deserve to be hated," the murderer replied again, puffing out his chest.

"Alright then, Brady. Does anyone else have something to say?"

The session continued, but while the others spoke, you could still feel Noah there, silent, his presence lingering in the room like a shadow, making the discomfort grow.

He wasn’t engaging in the discussion, wasn’t trying to be part of the group. Instead, he simply observed, challenged—like all of this was some kind of joke. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes… his eyes were saturated with sarcasm. It was as if he knew none of this would make a difference, that his presence here was just another distraction.

"I don’t care about hatred," Mariane said, breaking the silence again. "I hate, and that’s it. Honestly, I think this conversation is pathetic and completely useless if I’m not even willing to change."

You were about to respond, but Noah’s eyes never left yours. They were challenging, as if silently telling you he didn’t believe in a single word you said. You tried to focus on the session, but your mind kept drifting back to him. With every word the others spoke, you could feel Noah draining your energy, getting under your skin in a way you couldn’t control.

"And why aren’t you willing to change?" you replied, trying to maintain control.

That’s when Noah’s stare intensified again. He still wasn’t speaking, but everything about him—his tense body, his unwavering gaze, the almost imperceptible smirk—was saying more than words ever could. It was like he was enjoying watching you try to maintain order. The room felt smaller, the tension thickening.

"Because no matter how much I ‘show growth,’ whether it’s real or just an act, nothing will change my sentence," Mariane shouted, voice breaking. "And it sure as hell won’t change the fact that I have to look at your face every day until I finally manage to slit my wrists!"

You shifted in your chair.

This was even harder than you had imagined, and none of them were offering even the slightest bit of mercy for your nervousness.

"It’s hard to believe me when I say I understand you. After all, I’m not the one locked in a place like this, stripped of the most precious thing a human being can have: their freedom. I’m not the one abandoned by those I love, discarded by society, seen as nothing more than an animal. I’m not the one whose body feels weak from the excess of medication or who watches my own reflection deteriorate after being trapped in this unhealthy environment for so long."

For a moment, you let go of the rigid posture of a doctor, of the absolute authority in the room. For a few seconds, you were just... you.

"But I am here. In this horrible place, by the way. I miss my home too, my parents, seeing a beautiful sky without feeling cold, being with my friends, not being surrounded by constant noise, eating something that doesn’t taste like ash. I feel sad, too. I want to go silent for days, too. I feel hatred, too."

That approach was certainly not the most appropriate. But something shifted in each face present in the room.

For a moment, they saw familiarity. They saw themselves as nothing more than human.

"Wearing a white coat doesn’t change the fact that I’m also made of flesh and bone. Feeling emotions like these is normal for anyone. No one deserves more or less, no one suffers more or less. If you’re breathing, feeling is your right."

With your fists clenched on your thighs, you turned your gaze to them.

"Here, all of you are the same. You’ve all committed crimes, you all have questionable conduct. There’s not a single one of you who stands out. So, as a homework assignment, see yourselves as human beings who can, yes, feel hatred and be hated, but above all, try to find the root of that feeling… if it really exists."

The room fell silent once more, but now the atmosphere had changed. It was no longer just about hatred, nor about therapy. Now, there was a silent battle between you and Noah. But he didn’t yield. His almost invisible smile appeared again, like a silent challenge. All the patients stood up when the session was officially over and began slowly heading toward the exit, except for him. You finally breathed a little easier as you watched the room empty, even though you were still in the presence of the tattooed demon.

With slow, snake-like steps, he rose from his seat and started walking toward the door, but you used your anger as fuel and moved quickly, blocking his path. The tall, apathetic man stared down at you as if his irises could pierce your body in half, and his only reaction was to take a shallow breath.

"You can’t just pretend that night never happened, Noah!" Your voice came out low, but filled with firmness as you stared at him with a sharp gaze. "You can’t stay silent and let them blame me for something I didn’t do!"

His words felt like a challenge, and Noah clearly didn’t like being pressed. With a swift motion, his hand grabbed your arm, twisting your bodies until your position was vulnerable against the wall. He leaned in slowly, reducing the distance between you until his brown eyes, now alight with a restless fire, were aligned with yours. For a moment, he simply stayed there, absorbing your broken breath as if it were a pleasant melody.

"And what are you going to do about it, doctor?" His voice was like poison wrapped in challenge as his finger idly played with a strand of your hair.

The way he delicately brought the strand to his nose and inhaled its scent disturbed you deeply.

"Your brilliant plan is to prove that I spoke to you?" He raised an eyebrow, a crooked smile forming. "But did I really speak? I have a feeling that, soon, you’ll be the last person in here whose word will hold any weight."

"What does that mean?"

"Did anyone tell you what happened to the last psychiatrist who sat in this same chair before you?"

"He resigned."

Noah laughed. A laugh full of something dangerous, but it was the gleam of his perfectly aligned teeth that, for a second, distracted you from the real danger he posed.

"Yes," he nodded, still smiling. "He resigned because he became a patient."

A chilling shiver ran down your spine.

"Your hatred for me, to the point where you want to drive me insane, makes no sense. Not when, since I got here, all I’ve tried to do is help you… try to be better than Dr. Rune." Your voice was firm, laden with a conviction that didn’t seem to shake Noah. He just tilted his head, evaluating your words.

"The problem is I didn’t ask for your help." His response came in an impatient growl. "I don’t care if you’re different from Rune. You’re all the same, and I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to tell my version, I don’t want to reopen my case, and I sure as hell don’t want to hear another diagnosis that’s just going to keep me far from the electric chair." His eyes burned with a venomous fervor. "What I want is for you to shut up, stay away from me, and stop acting like I’m the only patient in this damn place!"

"Is all of this because I remind you of her?"

Noah froze for a moment before letting out a sigh and rolling his eyes.

"Sweetheart…" The word came laced with sarcasm. "You definitely don’t remind me of her. And take that as the first and last compliment you’ll ever get from me."

Your brow furrowed. You couldn’t tell whether that was a relief or a new provocation.

"You seem resentful when you mention Rachel. Quite different from what I heard about your relationship with her…"

The shift in his expression from indifference to rage was immediate.

"Stop analyzing me." The words came out between clenched teeth, and you saw, from the corner of your eye, how his fists clenched.

"If you won’t talk to me, I’ll investigate and analyze you anyway, Noah. That’s my job, whether you cooperate or not. And your attempt to drive me insane?" You leaned your face in closer, keeping your gaze fixed on his. "It won’t work if I decide to dismantle your case piece by piece… just for the pleasure of doing it until I reach what you call your mind."

The silence between you two thickened.

"You don’t know me."

"And who said I'm the one who's going to drive you insane, doctor?" Noah's voice came laced with a delicate, almost amused tone. "You're already in the worst of hells. This place is cursed—it will drain your mind, blur the line between reality and illusion… You'll go mad all on your own, just by being here. If you love playing detective so much, why have you never read about the legend of Grimshade?"

"You're trying to change the subject." You cut him off, adjusting your posture, feeling your throat dry up.

"I'm giving you a warning. I'm the least of your problems here, babygirl."

Noah blinked slowly before lifting a strand of your hair to his nose, inhaling your scent one last time before letting it slip from his fingers. Then, he stepped away, walking toward the door with his usual arrogant confidence—until he stopped abruptly.

The air around him seemed to shift.

The relaxed posture vanished, his shoulders stiffened, and his feet seemed rooted to the ground as a blond man, about his height, appeared in the hallway. His glasses reflected the cold light of the environment, but it was the wide, calculated smile that truly shattered Noah’s trance.

"How are you, Noah?" Dr. Rune’s voice came with a disturbingly smooth tone.

Noah didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Before he could react, one of the guards grabbed his arm, forcing him to follow the other patients down the corridor.

The psychiatrist didn’t even glance back. He simply tilted his chin slightly in your direction, a brief, almost casual gesture.

"How about a coffee?"

In the cafeteria, a few curious gazes still lingered on you, and for a moment, you wished you knew what kind of gossip and absurd rumors must have been circulating about you. Rune ordered a black coffee, and you a hot chocolate. He led you to an empty table, yet it seemed impossible to shake off the last few minutes from your mind.

That man was the real curse, not Grimshade.

"How was the group session?" Rune asked, placing his cup on the table with a controlled gesture. "Since it was your first time, I should have assisted you, but I was caught up with a case."

"It was a disaster. If Dr. Steve wanted to punish me, he played his best card."

"So the doctor has social anxiety..."

The remark came accompanied by an analytical gaze, as if he had just extracted a diagnosis in mere five minutes of conversation. That was the worst part of being constantly surrounded by professionals in the field—always ready to categorize any perceptible trait. And ironically, you were no different.

"No, of course not!" You rushed to deny it.

Rune merely tilted his head, as if he had just confirmed his suspicion.

"Understandable. Handling patients inside a closed office is one thing, speaking to them in public is another. Steve might have been testing your composure… Since it was a disaster, maybe it’s better to stick to what you’re used to."

Always so encouraging.

"At university, I dealt with less reactive patients. Here, every word I choose could be a death sentence—one slip, and I might end up with a pencil lodged in my jugular." You blinked slowly, feeling the weight of your own words.

Rune didn’t show any surprise. He simply traced the rim of his cup with his index finger, his eyes assessing you as if he were dissecting a predictable puzzle.

"You settled for handling less complex dilemmas because you're afraid of facing real challenges." The statement was cold, unwavering. "You're insecure enough to come across as… lazy, yet easily intimidated. You have little autonomy in decision-making, and I’d bet even the topic of your final thesis wasn’t chosen by you."

You opened your mouth to respond, but he continued, relentless.

"Overprotective mother. The only time you left home was for university, where you barely made any friends. You struggle to fit into social circles, which explains why you haven’t built any relationships here. The need to speak in public suffocates and embarrasses you. And even the slightest sensation of danger is something new to you—so new that it becomes fascinating. In time, that fascination will turn into obsession."

He lifted his gaze, as if he had already reached his conclusion.

"Am I wrong?"

You smiled, shaking your head slowly from side to side, mirroring Rune's gesture as you narrowed your eyes. Audacious, arrogant, and ridiculously rude. He was everything you weren’t when confidence filled him to the core.

"You're giving me space to analyze you too, Dr. Rune."

He raised an eyebrow slightly, an almost challenging smirk playing on his lips.

"I'm looking forward to it."

You tilted your head, taking in every detail of him before speaking.

"You would have an enviable confidence… if it weren’t so clearly the result of forced maturity." You paused, observing the subtle way he inhaled, as if bracing his mind to dismantle your analysis before even hearing it. "You felt abandoned to the point of building your own armor. You have no friends because you struggle to trust even your own shadow. Your sharp tongue and calculated posture are nothing but a mask to hide the silent hatred burning in your blue eyes."

Rune didn’t smile this time.

"You feel a constant need to prove yourself exceptional at what you do—like every achievement is an answer to an absence." You leaned forward slightly. "Possibly, your inner child still bleeds from the lack of recognition from your parents. It made you self-sufficient, but deep down, you still nurture the secret desire to make them proud in some way."

You watched him for a moment before finishing:

"Am I wrong?"

For the first time since you arrived at Grimshade, you accomplished the unthinkable: you left Travis Rune in silence.

He didn’t deny it, didn’t roll his eyes, didn’t immediately counter with a sharp analysis. He just stood there, motionless, processing every word you had thrown at him.

Then, after a few seconds that seemed to stretch on, he pulled the corner of his lips into a tight, almost forced smile.

"Interesting…" His voice was low but still carried his usual tone. "You’d make an excellent psychiatrist."

"Thanks." You shrugged.

No awkwardness settled between you—on the contrary. The conversation continued without tension, almost naturally, as if the verbal clash in the cafeteria had established a new dynamic between you two.

When you left the cafeteria, Rune surprisingly allowed you to accompany him on a few visits to medium-risk patients. For most of the afternoon, you walked the corridors of Grimshade together.

"You never did tell me if your little moment alone with Noah led to anything."

The remark was casual, but you caught the curiosity hidden beneath it.

"He clearly did what he did to push me away from the case. He doesn’t want treatment, which explains the vow of silence he’s been keeping." You paused for a second, furrowing your brows. "But one thing stood out to me. He said, word for word, that I definitely don’t resemble Rachel. What did he mean by that?"

You cast a glance at Rune, who simply shrugged.

"You two share some subtle physical similarities, but your personalities might be completely different. When you visited the fraternity, did you find anything relevant about her?"

"Just that their relationship was happy. And that she cared about him..."

Travis’s low chuckle cut your sentence short.

"If it was happy, he wouldn’t have killed her."

That was a hard point to ignore.

You wetted your lips, recalling Noah’s expression.

"You should’ve seen him. When I mentioned Rachel, he completely changed..." You hesitated, trying to put into words what you had felt. "It was so different from what Patrick told me at the fraternity. It’s like… talking about Rachel transforms him."

"Well, I think you have the perfect opportunity in your hands." Travis tapped his index finger against his temple, a crooked smile forming on his lips. "Make a deal: drop your obsession with his case, and in return, he clears your ass of Tom Harrow’s murder. Simple."

You frowned.

"But..."

"But nothing, doctor!" He cut you off firmly. "I understand that his case might trigger your sense of justice, but life isn’t always a movie where the protagonist is wrongly accused of something they didn’t do. Digging into this won’t change anything for you. He’s here for a reason, he has a diagnosis, and at the end of the day, he’s just another patient."

Travis leaned slightly toward you, his voice lower but just as incisive.

"Get rid of him."

Your eyes met for a few seconds. Rune was impossible to read. His expression was cold and neutral, but something was off. It was too convenient for him that you’d just drop the case.

Since arriving at Grimshade, Travis had been hiding things from you—about your resemblance to Rachel, about the real reason the former psychiatrist was dismissed. He wasn’t as trustworthy as he made himself seem.

You took a deep breath, crossing your fingers over your chest as if sealing a silent promise.

"One last question, Dr. Rune."

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"Of course."

"Who was the psychiatrist who signed Noah’s diagnosis report?"

The same report you knew had been bought by his family.

Travis didn’t hesitate.

"Me."

Your stomach sank.

"Right."

You nodded, keeping your posture indifferent, and continued walking down the corridor. As you descended the stairs, you could feel the invisible weight of Rune’s gaze on your back.

But your mind hammered on a single certainty.

That diagnosis hadn’t been fabricated overnight just to shove Noah in there.

It had already existed.

And it had been altered.

⭑ @bloody-spades ; @iluvmewwwww75 ; @anarchydomainglory ; @foliosgirl ; @lacy1986 ; @chey-h ; @supersquirrel1996 ; @zozaline​ ; @just-randomm-stuff ; @do-it-jakey-baby ; @flowery-mess

[nanamineedstherapy]

Ooga Booga Suguwu gets mated to Female Mowgli after Neanderthal BL Betrayal

Previous Chapter: Ooga Booga Toji gets Hunted (Tumblr/Ao3)

Summary: Prehistoric, period-accurate Neanderthal JJK daddies courting you with grunts, rocks, & zero verbal communication. Just prehistoric buffoonery. A/N: Okay. Listen, cave gremlins. Someone said, "I can’t see Toji as a househusband." And to that, I say: There are no gender roles in this fic. This is a Neanderthal AU. There are no caveman podcasts telling people what they can & cannot do. Nobody is saying "A man provides & a woman nurtures," because they are all too busy fighting mammoths & eating dirt. Neanderthals did not have fixed gender roles. Archaeological evidence suggests that both men & women hunted, gathered, & took care of children when needed. They did what made sense for survival—which means if your mate was out there biting buffaloes to death like an unhinged animal, you might stay back & make sure she doesn’t turn into a full-blown cannibal. Some sources that actually explain this: Harvard University & Cambridge Study on Neanderthal Diets & Roles Smithsonian on Neanderthal Social Structures Science.org on How Neanderthals Had No Strict Gender Roles Toji is not a “househusband.” Toji hunts when necessary. He just also cooks & cleans, because if he didn’t, his feral wife would eat a person. He is a retired hunter, not a stay-at-cave husband. The term "house-husband" was used for comedy, so you could imagine this absolute weapon of a man trying to keep his mate from killing people while also making sure the fire doesn’t go out. If you still don’t believe me, that’s fine. Just know that in this AU, I am god. And in this world, Toji cooks, Gojo steals instead of hunts, Suguru runs a cult, Sukuna is submissive when breeding, & Choso is Neanderthal Nick Cannon. If this still upsets you, then I encourage you to simply hallucinate a different reality. No hate, just bonk yourself gently & move on. :) Now for this chapter: Have you ever wondered what would happen if Suguru met you—a feral, unwashed, tree-dwelling Female Mowgli who has never heard of laws, hygiene, or personal space? And what if you chased him down like prey, kidnapped him, & forcefully domesticated yourself?Ya, me neither. I promise you, this fic is 90% brain rot, 10% caveman BL betrayal, & 100% historically inaccurate. If you ever wanted to see Suguru suffer like a Regency novel heroine but in Neanderthal times, welcome. As usual, => This is a different reader, but the same Suguru—unfortunately for him. => No suggestive bits in this one. => This is Suguru’s chapter, but Gojo, Sukuna, Toji & Nanami are also here. The other guys are getting their solo stories, with guest appearances in each other’s on a regular. So I recommend reading all of them, but I can’t force you to make good life choices.

Suguru is sulking.

Gojo has abandoned him.

Not forever. Not in a way that makes Suguru want to throw himself into the nearest tar pit.

But in a way that makes his chest ache with betrayal. Because Gojo—his best friend, his brother, his hunting partner—has a mate now.

A crazy mate. A mate that throws rocks at Suguru for existing near her mate and makes Gojo do stupid couple things instead of hunting mammoths with Suguru. (Suguru refuses to believe that it’s Gojo making her do those things, because that would be to much for history’s first BL.)

Suguru crosses his arms, scowling as he stomps through the dense forest.

Gojo used to care. Used to hunt with him.

Used to challenge him to pointless fights that ended in mutual near-death experiences.

Now?

Now he makes baby noises at his mate, carries her food and lets her steal his shiny rocks like some weakling.

It is disgusting.

Suguru is disgusted.

Disgusted and alone.

He grunts, dragging his spear along the ground, staring at the trees.

(Gojo stupid. Gojo weak. Gojo—)

Twig snap!!!

Suguru stills.

The hairs on the back of his neck rise.

He is being watched.

Slowly, cautiously, he turns his head—

And sees you.

High up in the trees.

Crouched like some horrible, unwashed baboon.

Eyes sharp.

Teeth sharp.

Naked.

Watching him.

Unblinking.

Grinning.

Suguru stares.

You stare back.

For a long, long moment.

And then—

You scratch your ass.

Suguru gags.

Suguru does not know what he has found.

It is not human.

It is not beast.

It is something worse.

A feral woman.

A woman who does not live in a tribe.

A woman who does not have a mate.

A woman who does not bathe.

A woman who lives in trees like some accursed monkey.

Suguru recoils, nostrils flaring. He has never smelled anything so foul. Not even the rotting mammoth corpse he found last summer.

(That mammoth was a more acceptable mate than this.)

And yet—

You grin at him.

Like you like him.

Like you want him.

Suguru takes a step back.

You tilt your head, squinting, then—

Drop from the tree.

Land on all fours.

Starts crawling towards him.

Suguru panics.

(Oh no. Oh no. Oh no no no no—)

He turns.

He runs.

You chase.

You are fast.

You move like an animal, zigzagging through the trees, sniffing the air, following his scent.

Suguru curses, dodging branches, jumping over rocks.

You laugh, a raspy, unhinged sound, like you haven’t used your voice in years.

(Mate!) you suddenly grunt.

Suguru screams.

You pounce.

---

When Suguru wakes up, he is not in his tribe.

He is in a tree.

Tied to a thick branch with vines.

Suspended over a shallow river.

He blinks, confused, groggy.

Then—

A smell hits him.

A horrible, vile smell.

The smell of death.

The smell of you.

Suguru stiffens.

Turns his head.

And sees you.

Squatting on another branch.

Watching him.

Grinning.

Suguru stares.

You scratch your ass again.

He gags again.

You tilt your head. (Mate not happy?)

Suguru's eye twitches. (I am not mate.)

You frown. (Then why you here?)

Suguru growls, (You kidnapped me, you foul, disgusting, forest woman!)

You blink. Considers this. Then shrug. (Sassy mate. Wide mate. I take.)

Suguru breathes deeply through his nose.

Exhales.

---

After a lot of bargaining (begging), you let him go back to his tribe.

But you insist on following him there.

After a while of trying to sho you away, he gives up.

He lets you tag along. (He wants to make Gojo jealous.)

But not before Suguru fixes you.

Not out of kindness.

Not out of duty.

Out of self-preservation.

Because you are horrible.

He drags you to the river.

You fight.

You bite him.

He bites back.

You hiss.

He dunks you underwater.

You scream.

He holds you down.

The forest echoes with your suffering.

But Suguru does not stop.

Not until the grime is gone.

Not until the sticks are out of your hair.

Not until you no longer smell like dead things.

When he finally releases you, you gasps, clawing at the riverbank reflection.

Suguru crosses his arms, smug. (See? Clean.)

You pant, soaked, furious. Turn to snarl at him—

And pause.

Eyes widening.

Mouth parting.

Suguru furrows his brows. (What—)

You grab his face.

Yank him close.

Narrows your eyes. (You.)

Suguru blinks. (Me...?)

You shove your face next to his.

Compares features.

Your hair—now washed—falls long around your shoulders.

Your face—now clean—looks...

Looks...

Suguru feels a horrible, creeping realization crawl up his spine.

You look like him.

The same, but female.

He bluescreens.

You grin. (Mate very pretty.)

Suguru malfunctions.

---

Now, Suguru has a problem.

Because the forest woman is obsessed with him.

You follow him everywhere.

You copy him.

You steal his food.

You try to groom his hair (he does not let you).

And worst of all—

Worst of all—

The tribe loves you.

After one (1) hunt, you become legendary.

You jump onto a buffalo’s back.

Bites its neck.

Kills it with your teeth.

Suguru watches in horror as the tribe worships you.

(Strongest huntress!)

(Wild goddess!)

(Suguru lucky! Suguru mate strong!)

Suguru despairs.

Because now—

Now you have a cult.

---

Suguru is being courted.

It is horrifying.

His mate—the feral, tree-dwelling, bone-gnawing goblin woman—has decided that you will woo him.

He does not want this.

And yet, it is happening.

The first attempt? A gift.

Suguru wakes up to a severed wolf head in his lap.

It is fresh.

It is bleeding.

It is staring at him.

He grunts, staring at the horrifying offering. (What this?)

You squat in front of him, grinning. (Gift! For mate!)

Suguru exhales. (Why.)

You puff out your chest. (Kill with hands. Strong. Good mate.)

Suguru drags a hand down his face. (Could give... normal gift.)

You blink. Tilts your head. (Like what?)

Suguru gestures vaguely. (Meat. Spear. Fur.)

You pause, considering. Then nod. (Okay.)

Suguru breathes a sigh of relief. Finally, you will—

The next day, you bring him a whole deer carcass.

You do not drag it.

You do not carry it.

You throw it over your shoulders like a sack of potatoes and drop it at his feet with a loud thud.

Suguru despairs.

Because the tribe is watching.

And they cheer.

Suguru dies inside.

---

The second attempt? Public displays of affection.

Suguru is a private man. A dignified man.

He does not like attention.

His mate?

You like to lick him in front of everyone.

One day, you grab his arm, drag your tongue from wrist to shoulder, and bite down.

Suguru screams.

You grin. (Mark mate. Now other women know.)

Suguru clutches his arm, scowling. (NO WOMEN WANT ME. YOU SCARE THEM ALL AWAY.)

You tilt your head, confused. (Why mate angry? Mate should commit happy.)

Suguru grits his teeth. (Mates do not bite in public.)

You squint. (Not? Then how they mark?)

Suguru pinches his nose, exhales. (They do this.)

Then he leans forward and kisses your forehead.

Just a small peck.

Civilized. Gentle.

Like a normal man showing affection.

You freeze.

Eyes wide.

Breath held.

Suguru smirks. (See? Better than bite.)

You malfunction.

You stare at him like he just reinvented fire.

Then—

You screech.

Pounce.

Pins him to the ground.

(Do again.)

Suguru realizes he has made a mistake.

---

The third attempt? Building a home.

Suguru is trying to civilize you.

You live in trees.

This is not acceptable.

So he decorates his cave and makes it comfortable for you.

Draws paintings on walls. Adds soft fur bed. A proper fire pit.

You hate it.

You refuse to go inside.

You climb onto the roof and sleep there instead.

Suguru drags you inside. (Cave good. Tree bad.)

You huff. Crosses arms. (No like cave.)

Suguru scowls. (Why.)

You grin. (Cave no fun. Tree fun. Can watch prey. Jump on prey.)

Suguru closes his eyes. (You do not need to jump on prey. Can hunt normally.)

You stare at him like he is speaking witchcraft.

(But… jump fun.)

Suguru facepalms.

His mate is incapable of being civilized.

---

And yet—

And yet—

Suguru wants you.

You are horrible.

You are disgusting.

You are wild and untamed.

But you want him like no one else ever has.

Like he is the best thing you have ever seen.

Like he is your greatest hunt.

Like he is worthy.

And something deep, deep in Suguru’s primal brain likes that.

So one night, when you are crouched by the fire, gnawing on bones, he does it first.

He licks your cheek.

You freeze.

Drop the bone.

Turn.

Slowly.

Staring.

Suguru smirks. (Mate now.)

Your eyes widen.

Then—

You tackle him.

Pin him.

Bite his neck.

And grin. (Mate now.)

Suguru grins back.

He has been caught.

And he does not want to escape.

---

Suguru has made a mistake.

A huge mistake.

A horrible, irreversible, life-changing mistake.

Because now?

Now his feral mate has decided it is mating time.

It starts with gifts.

Not normal gifts.

Not civilized gifts.

Not furs, beads, or food like any normal person in the tribe would give their mate.

No.

You bring him bones.

So many bones.

Some from animals.

Some from... he does not want to ask what.

You dump them all in the cave, proudly grunting. (Nest for mate.)

Suguru stares at the horrifying pile of skulls, ribs, and femurs that now decorates your and his home.

(We not live like this.)

You tilt your head. (Why not?)

(We civilized.)

You scratch your ass. (What mean 'civilized'?)

Suguru exhales deeply.

It is fine.

He will fix you.

Then came the dancing.

You think mating requires dancing.

You watched others do it (Gojo)—slow, swaying, seductive movements by the fire. (It was not seductive, because collective Nanami, Sukuna, Toji and Suguru and his own mate were throwing bones at him.)

You decide to try.

But you do not know how to dance like that.

So you squat.

Bend your knees.

And start violently shaking your ass.

Suguru chokes on his own spit.

You are not dancing.

You are glitching.

You look possessed.

He grabs your shoulders. (Stop.)

You stop. Blink up at him. (Good dance?)

Suguru rubs his temples. (No.)

(He will not tell you that you did not invent twirking, but the first aneurysm.)

You frown.

Consider.

Then drop onto all fours and start crawling in circles around him like a deranged crab.

Suguru panics.

(WHAT DOING?)

You grin. (Mating dance. Scare rival women away. My lion mother do it.)

Suguru despairs.

There are no rival women.

There is only him, suffering.

Then, you try to bite him again.

Suguru stops you.

Grabs your face. Stares into your soul.

(We do not bite for mating.)

You frown. (Then... how?)

Suguru squints.

Realizes.

Oh.

Oh no.

You do not know.

You—grown, feral, unhinged person—have no idea how actual mating works.

You are just winging it.

Suguru exhales. Deeply. (Come here.)

You crawl into his lap immediately.

He drags a hand down his face. (No. Sit normal.)

You sit like a frog.

Suguru ignores it.

(Okay. Listen.) He places a hand on your stomach. (Mating... make baby.)

You blink. (Yes. That why we mate.)

Suguru nods. (Right. But we do not do it by... throwing bones or crab-walking around the fire.)

You pout. (Then how?)

Suguru sighs. Leans in. Whispers.

Explains.

In detail.

Your eyes go wide.

Your mouth falls open.

You freeze completely.

Suguru smirks. (Understand now?)

You slowly nod.

Then—

You grab his face.

Eyes sharp.

Expression dead serious.

(You say... I must sit on you? And you hold me? And we move?)

Suguru stares. (Yes.)

You grin.

Lunge.

Tackle him.

Immediately try to climb him like a tree.

Suguru yells.

Suguru is dying.

He is being smothered.

You—his feral, unhinged, terrifying mate—are treating mating like a wrestling match.

You are too strong.

Too enthusiastic.

Too feral.

You lick his jaw. (This good?)

Suguru pants.

Shakes his head. (Slower.)

You grunt. (Why?)

Suguru grips your waist. (Because I said so.)

You grin.

(Suguru leader in cave. Suguru tell me what do.)

Suguru nods. (Yes.)

Your eyes sparkle.

(Suguru... alpha.)

Suguru stops breathing. You are treating this like monkey mating, but he doesn’t care; he’s neanderthal.

Your pupils dilate.

Suguru realizes he has made a second, irreversible mistake.

Because now?

You are obsessed.

---

The next day, the tribe knows.

They see Suguru leave the cave, covered in bites and claw marks.

They see you following behind him, grinning smugly when Nanami and Toji’s mates give you a thumbs up.

They see you cling to his back and lick his neck in front of everyone.

Suguru grunts.

Ignores it.

Walks to the river.

You follow, still attached to him like a damn leech.

You turn to the women. Grin. (Suguru alpha.)

The women gasp. (Mainly Gojo’s because she always thought Suguru was after her mate.)

The men nod in approval.

Nanami passes by. Smirks. (Alpha, huh?)

Suguru glares at him. Contemplates murder.

Gojo appears. Sees the chaos.

Sees Suguru’s state.

Sees you licking his jaw.

Gojo wheezes.

(Suguru. Bro. You got tamed?)

Suguru does not answer.

Suguru does not speak.

Suguru simply accepts his fate.

Because this is life now.

This is his new reality.

He is alpha.

You are his mate.

And you will never leave him alone again.

---

That evening, Suguru sits by the tribe fire.

Sulking.

Mourning his old life.

Mourning his sanity.

Gojo sits next to him, smug. (You understand now.)

Suguru grunts. (Yes.)

Gojo pats his shoulder. (She strong, though.)

Suguru exhales. (She feral, though.)

Across the fire, his mate is crouched like Mowgli, gnawing on a bone.

Your cult is cheering.

Suguru puts his face in his hands.

He used to be normal.

Now he is simply...

Husband.

Gojo’s suffering suddenly makes sense.

---

Suguru has ascended.

Something in him has snapped.

It happened slowly.

At first, he fought it.

Fought you.

Fought the fact that his mate was a lawless, uncivilized, bone-hoarding gremlin of the forest who did not know how mating worked and thought biting was a love language.

But then—

Then he saw the truth.

His tribe worshipped you.

They admired your strength.

They copied your ways.

They offered you food, furs, weapons, praying that you would bless their hunts.

And something inside Suguru cracked open like a mammoth skull under a club.

He understood now.

You were more than just a person.

You were a divine force of nature.

A living legend.

A feral, tree-dwelling deity who crawled in circles and hunted with your teeth.

And if his people wanted to worship you—

Then Suguru would lead them.

So he did what any genocidal c-word leader would do. (You can decide if it’s Cunty or Cultist.)

Called the first sermon.

The tribe gathers.

Suguru stands before them, arms crossed, towering over his people like a true prophet.

You sit behind him on a large rock, gnawing on a raw deer leg like a wolf.

He turns to his people.

Eyes serious.

Voice deep.

(We were blind.)

The tribe nods solemnly.

(We did not see. We did not know.)

The tribe grumbles in agreement.

But now—now they understand.

Now they see your power.

The Huntress.

The Wild One.

The Unwashed.

The Bringer of Bones.

You pause your gnawing. Blink. Tilt your head. (…Huh?)

Suguru ignores you.

(Our hunts are greater. Our strength has grown. Our enemies fear us. Because of you.)

The tribe cheers.

You scratch your ear with your foot like a dog.

Suguru nods sagely. (Yes. Witness your divinity.)

The people weep.

---

The tribe transforms overnight.

They copy you.

They crawl on all fours before hunting.

They eat raw meat.

They hoard bones.

Suguru preaches your teachings.

(Do not fear hunger. Hunt like the goddess—silent, deadly, with your hands.)

The people nod reverently.

(Do not waste food. The goddess eats all—bone, flesh, even eyeballs.)

The people wail in agreement.

(Do not bathe—)

Suguru pauses.

Then glances at you, who are currently biting your own toenails.

(…No. Bathe. The goddess was reborn through water. Follow this path.)

The people cheer.

You grumble. (Water stupid.)

Suguru ignores you.

You do not need to understand.

You only need to exist.

The people will worship.

And he?

He will lead.

---

But there are a few traitors.

Gojo, Toji, Sukuna, and Nanami do not believe.

Neither do their mates.

They watch in horror as their people lose their minds.

Toji glares at Suguru. (You serious?)

Suguru crosses his arms. (Yes.)

Gojo wheezes. (Bro. Bro. You started a cult around your Mowgli cave-wife.)

Suguru nods solemnly. (Yes, she divine.)

Sukuna bares his teeth. (She bit me last week.)

Suguru smirks. (She was testing you. You failed.)

Sukuna sputters. (FAILED? FAILED WHAT? I AM KING.)

Suguru shrugs. (Not her king.)

Sukuna almost explodes.

Nanami scoffs. (She’s are just a person.)

Suguru laughs.

Laughs darkly.

(She is more than a person. She is a force. A legend. A living god.)

Nanami pinches the bridge of his nose.

Gojo shakes his head. (You’ve lost it. You’re done, bro.)

Suguru simply grins.

(I have seen the light.)

Toji points at you, who are currently chasing a chicken with Suguru’s old loincloth.

(This? This is the light?)

Suguru nods.

(The brightest.)

The doubters sigh.

They know they cannot convince him.

He is gone.

Too deep.

Too devoted.

Too in love.

---

The final moment of devotion comes when Suguru declares—

(A great offering must be made. A true shrine must be built.)

The tribe agrees.

They gather bones.

They carve a giant statue of you.

They bring forth gifts of raw meat, spears, and animal pelts.

You tilt your head. Blink. (Why?)

Suguru kneels before you.

(Because you are our goddess.)

You scratch your chin.

(But I just... live here.)

Suguru nods reverently.

(Yes. Exactly.)

You squint. (This normal?)

Suguru smiles.

(Nothing about you is normal.)

You grin.

Then pounce on him.

Suguru laughs, accepting his fate.

The people cheer.

Gojo, Toji, Sukuna, and Nanami watch in horror.

The cult has won.

---

Suguru is furious.

Not normal furious.

Not mild annoyance.

Not Gojo-stole-my-food-again angry.

No.

Real anger. Primal anger.

Because Gojo has challenged him.

Because his mate is being ogled.

Because Gojo is the reason for both.

It happened during the Great Gathering—a time when all the strongest tribes meet, trade, and flex their best fighters like mating peacocks.

Suguru’s feral goddess is, unfortunately, a spectacle.

You are naked. Always.

Not because you want to be seen, but because you do not believe in clothes.

(You tried wearing fur once. Said it felt like a dead rat on your back. Bit it. Threw it in the fire. Refused to wear anything since.)

Suguru accepts this.

The tribe worships this.

Other men?

They stare.

And Suguru sees red.

---

Gojo, as always, is the problem.

Gojo grins. (Your mate famous, huh?)

Suguru grunts. (Of course. She divine.)

Gojo tilts his head. (Divine… and naked.)

Suguru growls.

Gojo snickers. (Just saying. Maybe mate should wear something.)

Suguru glares. (Why? Fear your power? Feel inferior? Her loin hair longer than yours?)

Gojo snorts. (No. I just think you’re mad because men look at her.)

Suguru’s eye twitches.

Gojo grins wider. (Oh. So that’s it.)

Suguru’s grip tightens on his spear. (You challenge me?)

Gojo laughs. (I breathe, and you take it as a challenge.)

Suguru throws his spear at him.

It is a battle of gods.

The two strongest men in the valley.

The two greatest hunters.

The two biggest dumbasses.

They charge.

Gojo swings his club—Suguru dodges.

Suguru throws a rock—Gojo catches it in his teeth and spits it back.

They clash, grunt, snarl, and headbutt like savage beasts.

Men cheer.

Women bet furs.

Children chant.

Their mates?

They watch.

You crouch on a rock, chewing on bark.

Gojo’s mate sits nearby, fixing his fur pelt.

She sighs. (They do this every time.)

You grunt. (Why?)

Gojo’s mate shrugs. (Suguru mad. Gojo dumb.)

You tilt your head. (Gojo mate smart. Why take dumb mate?)

Gojo’s mate smirks. (Because he strong and smart but not smarter than me.)

You grin, eyes sparkling. (Yes. Best.)

You both chuckle in agreement.

Gojo and Suguru?

Still fighting.

Gojo finally pins Suguru down.

Leans over. Smirks.

(Say it. Say I win.)

Suguru snarls. (Never.)

Gojo leans closer. Mocking.

(Just admit I’m—)

And then—

A rock flies out of nowhere.

Hits Gojo square in the head.

Everyone stops.

Silence.

Gojo blinks.

Looks up.

Sees you.

Crouched on a ledge.

Grinning.

Holding another rock.

You cock your arm back.

Gojo’s eyes widen. (WAIT—)

BONK!!!

Gojo goes down.

Flat.

Suguru grins. (My mate best.)

The crowd roars. (Toji grones; he lost chicken over this bet.)

---

Suguru sits by the fire.

He is sore.

He is bleeding.

But he is victorious.

You sit beside him, preening like a smug cat.

Gojo?

Gojo is lying face-down in the dirt, still twitching.

Toji, Nanami, and Sukuna stand over him.

Toji pokes him with a stick. (He dead?)

Nanami sighs. (No. He just stupid.)

Sukuna shrugs. (Should’ve fought better.)

Gojo’s mate comes over, making baby noises at him.

He makes a crying face and shoves his face in her breasts.

She coos to him, and Gojo smirks smugly at the men around him when she’s not looking.

Suguru exhales.

Gojo will live.

But his victory is secured.

You are his.

His tribe is strong.

His cult thrives.

And as the fire crackles, and you bite his shoulder in affection, Suguru knows one thing for certain.

He is the luckiest bastard alive.

---

A/N: Drop your answer in the comments, or I swear, I will make Choso explain his mating techniques in full detail next chapter. (Next up,, I'm thinking of doing Choso next; what do you guys think?)

All Works Masterlist

[isetfiretomyself]

Yandere Fem Villain X Hero Reader (G/N)

Damn! At it again with another non male Yandere 🙏 Ik they don't get as many likes but I like them and my blog is just a lil bit fun for me! I'm just being silly fr :3 But the next two fics will be ones requested!!!! A little bit of a clue but ones a pt2 🤫

Trigger warnings! Violence, Obsessive behaviour, Yandere behaviour, Rather specific but Reader thinks the Yandere is their responsibility. I don't condone toxic behaviour irl!

💥Yandere Villain who's always hated Heros. From a young age the system let her down and she'll never forgive them.

💥Yandere Villain who was beaten half to death by a hero, only surviving because he got distracted. (Yandere Hero crossover, anyone?:>)Her face was completely numb from pain. She was slipping in and out of consciousness and fully didn't expect to wake back up. That was fine, she'd accepted that death was going to be the only thing that was kind to her so she embraces with open arms.

💥 What Yandere Villain didn't expect was for you to turn up. Her archenemies! You had some great battles over the years, you must be there to see her last moments. Hero's and their dramatic behaviour.

💥Yandere Villain Who didn't expect you to drag her to safety and do your best to patch her up.

"What are you doing hero?" She groans trying to push you away. "Stop moving you're going to swallow blood just lean forward!" You say trying to remain calm. "Why...why are you doing this?" "I can't loose you! I hate everyone! I hate other heros, I hate villains, they all think the same! You're the only one who seems to have a shred of morals and you're blowing stuff up!" You let out a sigh, not realising you had so much pent up emotions. What you didn't know is Yandere Villain saw this as a confession. I mean you hate everyone but saved her, you must love her right!

💥Yandere Villain who refused to let you fight others anymore. You didn't like them anyway! It doesn't matter heros, hell even other villains she'll take on anyone for your sake.

💥Yandere Villain who even finds you out of the costume. Don't even worry about it! She's just here for you!

"Why are you here?" You say trying to close your curtains as quick as possible. "Can I not be?" "You keep protecting me, I've got people breathing down my neck because of this! They think we're together!" "Are we not?" "..." "..."

💥Yandere Villain who thought you guys were together! She was absolutely distraught when she realised they aren't.

"What!? Why not!? Please, please, please give me a shot!" You had been looking for a reason to retire but dating a villain isn't exactly the reason you wanted.

💥Yandere Villain who refused to give up on you. She even killed off petty criminals to make your job easier! Isn't she considerate? That's a great trait in a partner!

💥Yandere Villain who wanted to be a photographer before everything went down so now she takes photos of you all the time! When you think you see a flash in your home, you're not dumb. You know it's her but at least she's not being destructive.You feel like you owe it to society to keep her distracted.

💥Yandere Villain who sees this as you liking her and maybe you do have a soft spot for her a little.

💥Yandere Villain who bought all your merch! Listen a villain with connections can be quite wealthy and she used to spend that on weapons but now it's all on you! She even got you guys matching knifes! (You had to convince her that matching scars were a bad idea)

💥Yandere Villain who was furious when she saw you on the news fighting some newbie villain! Not only fighting her hero but trying to take her spot as the top villain in the city!

💥Yandere Villain who hadn't committed much crime in a while but soon made up for it. It doesn't matter how much power that Villain had it wasn't anything compared to her rage.

💥Yandere Villain who steps closer to you , absolute covered in blood.

"Are you okay? That filth didn't hurt you ,right? I should of broken more of their bones..." She holds your shoulders and keeps asking you if you're okay but you don't respond. Completely stunned you just stare at the blood on the floor. Maybe you shouldn't of let get so bad?

[kaleidoscopeau]

✦ Bornite ✦

I've technically posted this on Instagram, but I'm really unsure if I want to stay posting there, for a variety of reasons. But that's neither here nor there.

Anyways, here's Bornite! She's the newest member of the Resistance, purely by coincidence. She's pretty similar to Amethyst, in that she incubated in the ground too long and was picked up by the rebels after her Kindergarten had been abandoned.

Standard Bornites are Homeworld elites, with the power to command and control other gems. They're used to keep Homeworld gems in line and "rehabilitate" rebelling gems into serving the Diamonds again.

Bornite has this ability as well, but she doesn't like using it. Because she's a sweetheart, and she doesn't like manipulating people.

She's pretty naive, and doesn't have much of the stigma and biases that the other gems have from their time on Homeworld. Very much a "pure of heart" type character. She spends most of her time with her friend, Angelite (who you can see in the second imagine (design is subject to change)), and trying to prove the two of them are just as useful as the older members of the group.

She's the only one who can use the titular "Kaleidoscope" which I will post about eventually. It's sort of like Lapis's mirror, being an artifact with a gem attached to it. Only Bornite can use it, so she's been allowed to hold onto it until they can figure out what it's deal is.

Aside from the Kaleidoscope, her "weapon" is a big megaphone. It just increases the range of her powers, which she doesn't use so it's basically just a prop.

Next up will probably be Angelite! I'm hoping to get the designs for the main gems done so I can start making their fusions!

[dragon-susceptible]

Do you have any casual headcanons about the assassins? Not big, life-changing stuff but little things like their favorite food, what they do in their free time, do they have any weird party tricks, etc.

Bless you for giving me an opportunity to talk about them. Absolutely yes.

Ram is a nerd. An absolute fucking nerd about the nature of magic and the moon arcanum and their people's history. He bonded with Runaan over studying assassin histories (an oral record kept with extremely strict accuracy) and comparing them to the histories and artifacts kept by the Keepers like his father. He's very "religious", in a sense, very aware of the spirituality of the moon arcanum, and even knows basically where the Moon Nexus is despite having never been there. He'd be a powerful mage if he bothered to hone the skill, but for him it's not about using the arcanum, he just wants to understand their people's nature and history better. He and Rayla are united on that front, as she also enjoys learning about Ancient Draconic (he's fluent in it) and the biological effects of magic, though her interest is broader to Primal Magic in general rather than their own arcanum. He's also blue-yellow color blind as a standard, which he discovered when he first achieved Moonshadow Form and nothing changed. (Moonshadow Form trades some color vision for light perception). His favorite color is red.

Andromeda loves kids. She's bisexual and genuinely does not really understand having exclusive interests, but part of the reason that her husband Elyrin got preferential treatment when he was courting her was because the Tab A Slot B biology of it makes children an easier prospect. They're both musicians (a shade that looks like Andromeda plays the harp in Lujanne's illusions), but it's Elyrin's whole career to be one; he's a bard and a teacher. They have an arrangement, they're both allowed to flirt outside of their marriage, though taking anyone to bed needs cleared with both of them first. Andromeda also likes to sing, though she's self-conscious about doing it around Skor sometimes as she's aware he used to and can't anymore. She's a good baker but sucks at cooking actual food, which is a constant rivalry between her and Runaan (who can Cook, but sucks at baking). She has a younger brother named Sirius who's about Rayla's age, and she took a few rotations as their Pride Leader before they got old enough that they didn't need one. She encouraged their nonsense, much to the chagrin of the older adults in the Silvergrove. Her favorite color is purple, and her husband wears a purple feather in his hair to match.

Skor also loves kids, to this day, though he doesn't take rotations with the cubs anymore because he'd need help to talk to some of them. While singing is painful now, he still writes songs and poetry and keeps them in a book similar to Callum's spellbook. He's a good cook and a good baker, which he hangs over both Runaan and Andromeda when they start to bicker too much, and provides snacks for the other assassins. He has unique signs for each of the other assassins in shadow sign - Runaan's is Master of Blades, but with his hand in the shape of an R for the word master. Rayla's is Little Blade, which is derived halfway from Runaan's nickname for her and halfway because she is the daughter of the master of blades. Ram he just uses the sign for "Goat", which made Ram sigh the first time, so he's kept doing it because it amuses him to be a Mild Annoyance. Andromeda's is "Sparkles", because her jewelry and other ornamentation makes her Moonshadow form so bright and colorful. It's a combination of affectionate term and warning. The one he usually uses for Callisto is "The Glaive", as it's a fairly unique weapon among assassins, more suited to outright combat than assassination, but in private he's been known to use "love". He's pansexual and autistic, and his favorite color is orange - coincidentally, Callisto's eye color. Callisto has not noticed this. Baking and making food for his friends is a hobby of Skor's. He cultivates a vibe of being cool, collected, kind, sometimes distant when at work but warm at home, and then his sense of humor is people's shock after he delivers a searing roast.

Callisto didn't get along with other kids when they were a kid, and finds it awkward as an adult, but they do think children are cute and want the best for them. Despite being pretty much on their own since they were old enough to live alone, they can't cook for shit, and Skor and Runaan regularly just take their food away and hand them something better. They have a broad sense of humor that covers everything from Dry Gay Humor to stupid dad jokes, and they like to laugh. They wouldn't specify it like this, because these terms don't exist in their world, but they're genderflux between masculine and nonbinary, using both 'he' and 'they' as needed. They're also demisexual, and were genuinely startled by the attraction to Skor starting up in their mid-twenties. They use a glaive out of sheer spite because someone told them it wasn't practical when they were a teenager. They're an introvert who genuinely doesn't need all that much social interaction and tends to avoid large gatherings unless they're allowed to keep to the fringes, but despite their own insecurities about it, their awkwardness and humor make them a big hit with the kids of the village when they're on guard duty. They don't really have a favorite color - "I couldn't even pick a gender, why do you expect me to pick a color" - and the fact that their earrings have a tiny gold inset has absolutely nothing to do with Skor's yellow eyes.

Ram's favorite food is roasted ruby potatoes, and he Will fight over the last of them with the energy of a neglected middle child despite having no siblings.

Andromeda makes an excellent Moonberry Surprise, but her favorite is actually starseed biscuits, especially with dewflower jelly.

Skor just likes food, frankly, but he's fond of star plums without anything done to them, and loves the summer months when he can actually get them.

Callisto doesn't tend to like food all that much, hence why they still suck at cooking, but they enjoy anything Skor gives them and most things Runaan does (look, the man really sucks at baking). Their favorite is probably just Xadian oranges, though, for the ease of eating them.

Ram is one of the fastest assassins the Silvergrove's ever seen, and he used to run races with other kids in the grove. It frustrated him when Rayla started matching his speed at 15, but he grudgingly admires her for it.

Andromeda taught Rayla how to climb using her butterfly blades, as her sickles can be used the same way. She's fond of curved blades.

While Callisto is quite strong, they're mostly lean and don't have all that much weight behind their glaive for their size, and they tend to use it to keep a distance from their targets.

Skor isn't much taller than Callisto (it's debatable, depends on their horns mostly) but is significantly stronger and heavier, and throws his weight around with as much savagery as his blades. He doesn't like the convertible weapon nonsense that most Moonshadow elves use, as he doesn't trust the mechanisms to stay sound to allow the conversion in tight spots. Swords are swords.

Of them all, Callisto has the foulest mouth, and sometimes reminds Runaan of Tiadrin with it.

Ram is a catty bitch who likes to criticize people for fun, and he and Rayla are an absolutely savage duo when they're judging the same person together. Runaan suffers from this combination regularly.

Skor has complicated feelings about Rayla's parents, because he knows they didn't have a choice about leaving her, but he can't imagine being willing to leave his own child behind and never even visit her - he landed solidly on the opinion that Runaan and Ethari should just claim parenthood officially when Runaan had to stand in for Lain at her coming of age ceremony.

Callisto didn't think much of it, in contrast, as the head of the assassins' guild stood in for their late parents at their coming of age.

Andromeda doesn't really do nicknames based off of her name - Skor's "sparkles" is fine with her, but no shortening of Andromeda really passes the vibe check. Elyrin calls her "moonlight".

Callisto also doesn't really do nicknames, but isn't close enough to most people to bother with them.

Ram's name is Ram, there's really no shortening it, but he's been called "Speedy" by his pride growing up.

Skor's name is also too short to bother with nicknames.

There's more I'm sure I'm forgetting, but here's a little bit of it lmao

[witchingwithscissors]

Agathario AU | After five years away, Rio returns to find Agatha raising a son with her eyes + I’m 🍃

Agatha could never quite recall what made her notice Rio that night.

It might have been the way she leaned against the wall, dark curls falling over her eyes, looking both bored and ready for trouble. It might have been the slight tilt of her head, like she knew exactly how many people were watching and didn’t mind at all. Or it might have been something else, some instinct pulling Agatha’s gaze toward her despite every warning bell going off in her head.

She’d spent years learning to be cautious.

Growing up with a mother who sneered whenever Agatha showed a spark of independence had taught her that safety was never guaranteed, that loving someone often meant handing them a weapon they could use against you. But Rio made her forget all that. She made her forget every scar and cautionary tale.

They met in a bar, and the moment Rio walked up, Agatha felt a thrum under her skin, a tension too sharp to ignore. Rio teased her with slow smiles and half-lidded eyes, acting as though she’d already decided something Agatha couldn’t see yet. It was the first time in a long while that Agatha let herself be reckless. She kissed Rio hard, tasting the salt of her skin and the heady promise of someone who might be willing to stay. The next morning, Agatha woke to find Rio in her kitchen, wearing her favorite Yale shirt and rummaging for coffee with a familiarity that should have startled her. Instead, she felt something unlock inside her chest, something akin to hope.

In those early days, Agatha told herself not to get attached.

Rio was too confident, too secretive, too everything. Yet she spoiled Agatha in quiet ways. She’d slip a new novel onto Agatha’s bedside table because Agatha had once mentioned loving the author. She’d whisper in Spanish, half words Agatha didn’t understand, half sweet endearments that made her shiver. She’d surprise her with small gifts: a diamond bracelet, an unexpected bouquet of tulips, a ring that wasn’t for marriage but felt like a promise all the same. Each time, Agatha told her she didn’t need those gifts. Each time, Rio would shrug and say, “You deserve nice things,” like it was the most obvious truth in the world.

It wasn’t perfect. Agatha noticed Rio’s bruised knuckles, the phone calls she’d take in hushed tones. She noticed the tension in Rio’s shoulders after disappearing for nights at a time. She sometimes woke to find drips of blood on the nightstand, next to the keys Rio always forgot to put away. Those things terrified Agatha in a way she couldn’t quite name, but whenever she confronted Rio, Rio would pull her into a slow, languid kiss and say, “I’m just protecting us.” For a while, Agatha believed it. Love made it easy to ignore the danger. She told herself that if Rio ever wanted out, she could leave her shady connections behind. Agatha never realized that leaving would require cutting ties so deeply it might break them both.

The night Rio vanished, she kissed Agatha with a surprising gentleness, like she was memorizing her taste. Then Agatha woke to a single text: I’ll be back soon. Don’t wait up. She waited anyway. Weeks became months. Months stretched into a year, then two, then more. Eventually, it felt like standing in the aftermath of a storm that had robbed her of everything she thought she knew. Agatha was left with echoes: the indentation on the pillow where Rio used to sleep, the faint smell of leather lingering in the closet, her vinyl collecting dust on the shelf. She never stopped longing for answers. What she got instead was emptiness.

Alone and aching, Agatha made a decision she never thought she’d make on her own. She found a donor whose features reminded her of Rio—dark hair, warm brown eyes, a certain kindness in his smile. Some part of her refused to let go of Rio entirely, as if by choosing those traits, she was tethering herself to the woman who’d left. Nicky was born two and a half years ago, and the first time Agatha held him, she whispered, “Your Mami would have loved you.” She meant every word. She never told him stories about a woman who used to kiss her breathless, who could light up a room with just her presence, who promised her everything but left her with nothing. She raised him to be strong, to be brave, to be seen. And in the quiet moments, she let herself believe that being a single mom was better than waiting for someone who wasn’t coming back.

But then Rio did come back.

Agatha got a call from a number she didn’t recognize, and her heart thundered the moment she heard that low, familiar voice. A meeting at a roadside diner on the edge of town felt fitting. It was somewhere half-forgotten by the world and a place where neither of them truly belonged. Rio walked in wearing a navy and nearly see-through dress that clung to her frame as though it was a second skin, her hair framing a face aglow with something Agatha couldn’t read. And Agatha hated that she still felt that pull, still wanted to close the distance between them and taste the salt on Rio’s lips. To touch her skin. To pull her hair.

Agatha took a deep breath and slid a crayon drawing on cream construction paper across the table before Rio even had a chance to say hello. A thick green sun, a tall purple stick figure with long, straight hair, and a smaller, bright green stick figure.

“He’s two and a half,” Agatha said, voice clipped, arms folded tight against her body.

She saw Rio’s composure crack for the first time in their entire history. Her eyes flicked from the drawing to Agatha’s face, then back again, as if piecing together a puzzle she hadn’t realized even existed. Her jaw tightened, and for a moment, she looked almost lost.

When she finally spoke, her voice was hollow. “I had to keep you safe,” she said, explaining that one massive job had taken longer than she ever intended, that sending letters would have led the mob straight to Agatha’s door. She finally explained everything. Her secret life. Her words tumbled out: how she wrote confessions by flickering motel lamps, how she carried a ring in her jacket for months, how she bought a run-down house and tried to fix it up, imagining Agatha’s laughter echoing in the hallways. Then, with trembling hands, she placed a bundle of worn letters onto the table. Pages stained with what looked like coffee rings and regret. Unsent. Unread. Unopened.

Agatha stood and grabbed them before she could change her mind, storming out of the shitty diner. Rio followed, frantic, calling her name. Outside, in the parking lot, Agatha opened the letters one by one, reading the heartbreak scrawled in messy ink. The stories of near-misses, of bribes, of close calls that almost ended Rio’s life. The confessions of how she hated herself for ever leaving. The vow that when it was over, she’d place that ring on Agatha’s finger and build them both a future that wasn’t tainted by fear. She still loved Agatha. She still wanted Agatha. She truly needed Agatha. By the time Agatha finished, tears blurred her vision, and she thought of all the nights she had cried alone, believing Rio never cared enough to return.

She turned to find Rio watching her, a tremor in her hands as if she was ready to catch Agatha if she collapsed from the weight of those words. Agatha could hardly speak, every emotion colliding inside her: love, fury, longing, grief. She pressed the letters against her chest and took a shaky breath.

“I waited for you,” she whispered. “I really waited. But you never came. I had to move on. I had to live.”

Rio looked away, eyes shining. “I’m sorry,” she said, voice cracking. “I know it’s not enough.”

Agatha thought of Nicky, of the beautiful boy who reminded her every day of the woman she both loved and hated. “You left me with nothing,” she said. “And I had to become a mother on my own. I did it without you.”

Rio stepped forward, tension radiating from her, but she stopped just shy of touching. “I can’t fix what I broke. But I swear to you, I’m not leaving again. I want to know him. I want to help. Let me earn my place in your heart again, please.”

Agatha weighed the letters in her hands, felt their fragility. She saw the bruises of regret beneath Rio’s bravado. For a single moment, she let herself remember how Rio smelled in the morning, how she laughed with her whole face, how she whispered in Spanish when she was on the brink of losing control. Then she swallowed hard and said, “If you walk away this time, I’ll never forgive you. Nicky can’t handle that. I can’t.”

Rio’s voice wavered. “I won’t. I promise.”

Agatha gazed shifted as she thought of everything she’d done to survive Rio’s disappearance. She thought of how her heart still squeezed at the sight of that face, how the letters told her a truth she’d never imagined. A tear slipped down her cheek as she turned back to Rio. “I’m still angry,” she whispered. “And I’m not saying I’ll trust you right away. But… he deserves to know you, and maybe… I do too.”

Rio nodded, stepping in, not quite touching her but close enough that Agatha could feel the warmth of her body. “I’ll show you I’m done running.”

One Year Later…

The rain tapped softly against the windows, a gentle reminder of how much had changed and how much still remained the same. The old house smelled of new paint and warm meals. Outside, puddles dotted the driveway, but inside, everything felt safe.

Nicky’s laughter filled the living room. Rio sat on the floor, cross-legged, letting him clamber into her lap with a picture book. She was a natural with him—patient, playful, attentive. Her dark curls bounced when she tilted her head to catch his eye, and she wore the softest smile whenever he started babbling about dinosaurs or spaceships or whatever else had captured his toddler imagination that day.

“You so silly, Mami,” Nicky said. His tiny fingers poked the dimple in Rio’s cheek while she feigned a gasp of surprise.

“I’m silly? You’re the one who thinks Tyrannosaurus Rex could beat a pirate ship in a race to the moon,” Rio countered, laughter thick in her voice. She opened the book and began reading, her Spanish slipping in now and then. Nicky leaned against her, enraptured by her playful tones and animated expressions.

Agatha stood in the doorway, watching them. A year ago, she never would have believed Rio could be so gentle and yet so instinctively protective of their little boy, as if she had always been part of Nicky’s life. But here she was, reading silly stories and kissing the top of his head when he giggled at her cartoonish voices. Agatha felt warmth unfurl in her chest at the sight of them together, a deeper kind of love than she ever thought she’d know.

Nicky yawned, and Rio closed the book gently, lifting him into her arms. “Bedtime, chiquito,” she said. “We can read the rest tomorrow.”

He clung to her, nuzzling his face into her shoulder as she carried him upstairs. The entire way, she whispered about the fun they’d have the next day, promising him pancakes and more stories. Agatha followed quietly, a soft ache in her heart. Every time she saw Rio holding their son like he was the center of the universe, she found herself inexplicably turned on, wanting her even more for being exactly what Nicky needed.

When Nicky was tucked into bed, he reached out for Rio’s hand. “Stay ‘til I sleep?” he asked, voice already drifting into drowsiness.

Rio smiled, stroking his curls. “Of course, mijo. I’m right here.” She glanced at Agatha in the warm glow of the night-light, eyes filled with a devotion that made Agatha’s pulse skip.

By the time Rio joined her in the hallway, Agatha could hardly keep her hands off her. She pulled Rio close, tangling her fingers into those dark curls, pressing her body against hers with a fierceness that hadn’t faded despite the year of domestic bliss they’d built. She kissed her like she’d been waiting all day because, in a way, she had.

“You know,” Agatha murmured between kisses, “watching you… it drives me crazy.”

Rio chuckled, sliding her hands under Agatha’s sweater, fingertips grazing warm skin. “Yeah?”

Agatha nodded, eyes dark with longing. “You have no idea.”

Rio kissed her again, slower this time, savoring the shiver that ran through Agatha’s body. “Let’s go to bed,” she whispered. “I can show you how good crazy can get, mi amor.”

They made it halfway to the bedroom before they started stripping each other’s clothes off in the hallway, giggling when they nearly tripped over a stray toy car. Once inside, Rio pressed Agatha to the bed, her gaze hot and possessive. Agatha’s breath caught, and she arched into Rio’s touch, her skin flushed with anticipation.

Rio moved over her with a languid purpose, leaving a trail of kisses down her throat, her collarbone, then lower. Every brush of her lips and tongue was a deliberate promise, a reminder of how much she had to give and how far she’d come to be here. Agatha let her head fall back, gasping softly when Rio slid lower, hands parting her thighs with tender ease.

“You’re so beautiful,” Rio murmured, voice husky. “I never get over it.”

Agatha groaned in response, heat coiling in her core as Rio’s mouth found exactly where she needed it. The rhythm was slow at first, building, drawing out every breathy moan. The softness of Rio’s tongue alternated with gentle pressure that made Agatha’s fingers curl into the sheets. She murmured Rio’s name like a mantra, and Rio responded by going deeper, hungrier, the devotion in her eyes enough to make Agatha’s heart clench.

When Agatha finally broke, she cried out Rio’s name, her body trembling as waves of pleasure rolled through her. Rio held on, riding it out with her, pressing soft kisses to Agatha’s thighs, her stomach, her lips. They ended up tangled in the sheets, chests heaving, cheeks flushed with satisfaction.

Agatha breathed in the scent of rain and Rio’s familiar warmth. Her voice was still shaky when she spoke. “I mean it. I love watching you with him,” she said, bringing a hand to cup Rio’s cheek. “You’re… you’re so perfect with him.”

Rio’s gaze softened. “He makes it easy. Everything about us makes me want to be better.”

Agatha’s heart twisted at that. She brushed a strand of hair away from Rio’s forehead, letting her fingers linger. “You already are.”

They lay together, the steady rhythm of their breathing filling the silence. The sound of raindrops against the window lulled the house into a peaceful hush. As Rio’s hand found its way back to Agatha’s waist, pulling her closer, Agatha closed her eyes and let herself feel safe, cherished, and utterly, irrevocably in love.

She thought of Nicky, asleep just down the hall, and smiled against Rio’s lips, whispering, “Don’t ever leave.”

Rio’s hold tightened. “Never again,” she promised.

And this time, Agatha believed her. They drifted off with the taste of each other still lingering, secure in the knowledge that tomorrow would be just as bright, and just as safe, in the home they’d finally built together.

[thedawningofthehour]

Unfortunately for Leo, the government knows who he is. I'm still on the fence about how long they've known, but they haven't exactly kept a low profile in the past two years.

(this is off-topic, but I really do love the subtle storytelling of the turtles slowly dropping their secrecy act as time goes on and more people get mutated, because New Yorkers just don't give a shit)

Gale also didn't built nukes, that is slander from Leo's side. Draxum doesn't think weapons of mass destruction should exist (his logic is that you're also screwing yourself since weapons of that caliber can't be controlled and then you inherit the ashes, not to mention it doesn't distinguish between enemies and civilians) and if he has to threaten mutually-assured destruction to not lose, he's already lost. Now, Gale has made lasers that can preemptively detonate a nuclear warhead, so the effect is somewhat similar to if Draxum was sitting on a nuke like a hen incubating a very radioactive egg-the US launches a nuke at Gale, a nuke will blow up somewhere other than NYC. Gale plans to do so over a national forest in Pennsylvania to minimize casualties, if it's ever necessary, but the EPF doesn't know that. Now that I'm thinking about it, they 100% don't know for certain that Draxum doesn't have WMDs, and I mean-the US has literally gone to war over imaginary WMDs before, there's precedent for this to the tune of $8 trillion and 4.7 million people dead, they would absolutely treat Gale like the weapon of mass destruction he is.

#Sure Gale is more valuable than Leo to them so he might get treated better#but#I am pretty sure that Gale is getting all types of medical shit done to him#…#on the other hand#if Leo IS put in a concentration camp or something he is very fucked#Like Auschwitz had over 800 people who tried to escape; some of them insanely clever#but of those only around 140 made it#did u know they wouldn’t separate children from their mothers in auschwitz#that would have been too much forceful work so they just told the mothers they would need baths#and send them with their kids together in the gaß chambers#my sisters class also had to visit the crematory and her friend got in trouble for puking#ok I mean Doth is very dark sometimes but I don‘t think you will go Joseph Mengle with it right?#Like the guy who experimented on Tiger Claw as a kid but that wasn’t graphically shown; just told from TC as a memory#oh I remember Mengle had an obsession with experimenting on twins#given that Leo and Gale couldn’t be further from twinship rn I doubt that’s relevant#Idk how you will write Bishop but the 2003 version is very pragmatic#but yeah no Gale is in for a horrific time#with Leo it depends I think#I wanted to ramble more but I looked up articles about Mengle and now I feel sick#I‘m going to watch cat videos now#love u fai#where ever you take the boys I‘m excited to read your writing

From my understanding, Mengele was only interested in identical twins. (or at least twins that looked identical-I don't think they knew the difference between monozygotic and dizygotic twins in the 30s and 40s, they just knew sometimes they looked alike and sometimes they didn't) He liked to experiment on them because one would serve as the perfect 'control' while he did horrible experiments on the other, and then he'd kill them both to do the autopsies and compare. Though I feel like I remember one instance where he took a male-female pair of twins and tried to graft the brother's genitals onto his sister, but that might have been the Japanese who did that. (the shit the Japanese did during WWII and the Cambodian genocide, reading about those subjects marked two of the very rare times I've ever read something and gone "okay, I mentally cannot handle any more of this today.")

But yeah, even if Leo and Donnie were the same species from the same clutch and could therefore be considered twins with only a bit of stretching the definition, they'd still be fraternal twins so that wouldn't apply. It is interesting that you mentioned it though.

Yeah I'm probably not going to put in an equivalent to Mengele, I haven't wanted to spoil much about Bishop but one thing I think is really important in this story is that all the warmongers have understandable motives. Because that's overwhelmingly how it is in real life. I feel like the constant dehumanization of Nazis and harping on only the most evil, horrible aspects of the genocide has been more counterproductive than anything else, because we end up distancing ourselves from the reality of it all and the choices that went into it. You can't relate to a man like Mengele. He's too horrifically evil, his sadism and complete lack of humanity is just incomprehensible to most people. The things he did, it's hard to wrap your head around the level of suffering and cruelty, it almost doesn't feel real at times. It's too hard to conceptualize.

We focus on the monsters like Mengele because-well, let's be real, partly morbid fascination, but also because he is an easy figure to hate. He was an intrinsically evil person, there's no debating that. His own son wouldn't accept his remains and refused to bring them back to Germany. It's easy to denounce him, because there's nothing about him that would hit close to home.

The vast majority of Nazis were not Mengele. They did not wake up one day and suddenly go "I hate Jews because they're smelly and I'm going to kill them now." Yes, there was an antisemitism problem in Germany already, but not like that. There were plenty of people who weren't antisemitic before Hitler rose to power. Hell, there were Jewish Nazis. They were some of the first people loaded up on trains, incidentally. (tokens get spent, after all) Nobody flipped a switch and turned these people into frothing antisemitic monsters overnight, it was a long process of exploiting people's fears, scapegoating 'others' and manufacturing hatred, eventually conditioning people to accept and even aid in increasing levels of violence against them.

And for total clarify, fuck these guys. I'm not trying to sympathize with fucking Nazis here. They did terrible shit, they deserved what they got in return, and they deserve to have their names dragged through the mud. They were horrible, depraved murderers. But most of them weren't born that way. They were radicalized. And that matters because the same methods that were used to radicalize them can be used to radicalize again.

To me, Mengele is not representative of the horrors of Nazism. Nazism didn't make him evil. He was already like that. He was an intrinsically evil man on the Nazi side, just as there were 100% intrinsically evil men on the Allied side. The difference was that Nazism gave Mengele the platform to carry out his evil and supplied him with victims. That's what makes movements like Nazism evil, not because evil people exist within them but because it allows evil people to flourish, encourages neutral people to do evil, and keeps good people from stopping them. Nobody reads about Mengele and learns how not to be Mengele. They need to read about the father of three who became a Nazi because he feared for the future of his children and Nazism told him there was an easy solution to all his problems. They need to read about that because that's going to be the thing that clicks and makes them go "I need to have a fucking talk with my dad about his attitude towards immigrants."

There are definitely people like Mengele in the EPF. I don't foresee myself writing about them. There is nothing to learn from them.

[delicatebluebirdruins]

Mia and Evie (Alan and the Bakers)

transportation and creation of bioweapons is inherently bad especially considering the t virus doesn't kill it's victims they look dead but aren't actually dead. They're simply rabid the researchers will is a file you find in RE1 that says something to that affect i think

Graves Diary I had thoughts about it and its in the tags mostly and the last line of the Scientists dying message from RE3R put it down word for word and in Not A Hero Blue Umbrella is made from old Umbrella employees

i have no idea what this is mostly a collection of dialogue and files that cover these characters in relations to each other with a little bit of analysis thrown in for spice. this is purely self indulgent rambles of things that made me go *blink* (I swear I will try to keep the repetition to a minimum so forgive the amount of links to my own posts and the wiki). Needless to say its my own thoughts and if you have a problem make your own post don't clown on mine (hint if you want to comment would you say the same thing in person?)

RE7 wasn't really focused on story but rather bringing back the gameplay of survival horror? with the franchise as a whole the game did not have the means and ways to dive into the pyshcology of Mia and Evie and everyone really. this is also a soft reboot and everyone can see the similarities of the game with the RE1 hd remaster the same one that introduced 14 year old Lisa Trevor and her family that were kidnapped and used in experiments (her parents were considered failed experiments and died but Lisa survived all the way until the mansion incident 1998 some researchers were volunteered to pretend to be Lisa's mum and it did not go well... and when we defeat her as Chris we get an achievement called "an end to the poor girls misery")

I probably missed some dialogue bits oh well (RIP gaming scripts wiki)

beginning: all we can do is speculate how Alan and more importantly Mia got given the very important and not doomed from the start job of transporting Evie and heck started working for the connections to begin with (btw it adds a flavor to my thoughts that Evie's sales pitch was to end all wars and think of the context of the re universe just in games let alone everything else. And I said this in the tags of my graves diary post but what organisation airs their criminal exploits of the bat?)

thing of note in the official paid for guide book for RE7 has Mia down as starting to work for the connections in 2010 early on but working with Evie herself in 2014 and Evie needing to be moved quickly (and without packing what she needs to not go off the rails) was in October 2014. Take this with a grain of salt because the guide is in japanese.

daughters

giving the clothes to Evie (well trying to) Zoe: "Alright, little girl. Let's get you cleaned up." Eveline: "They're mine now."

mine meaning: belonging to or connected to me. in this usage I would say both because Evie has started taking control of them and also they are connected to her through the mold

finding Marguerite over the bath: "Zoe? Come look. Come see her gift. Look at all the pretties my little girl has given me!"

we don't get to see how Evie see's her powers but as we see Marge viewing them as a gift it is safe to say that Evie does as well

thing i wrote before was jack's saying "i have to show her how devoted I am" but more things (and one repeat I so badly want to know WHEN Miranda decided Evie wasn't good enough for her)

Zoe: "Daddy? Stop it!" Jack: "Don't you worry. It's a whole lot worse than it looks. Cleanliness is next to godliness and your mother's pretty fucking close to meeting him right now. She wants me to do this. I have to show her how devoted I am. She wants us all to show her our love." Zoe: "Daddy…" Jack: "You don't wanna disappoint her now, do ya? We can't do that." Zoe: "Who are you talking about?" Jack: "Your new sister Evie!"

expectations and what Evie wants from the Bakers fulfilling her purpose

path to the bad ending: Marguerite "Zoe! "I'm so sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me." Zoe: "Mama..." Marguerite: "Stay away! Don't touch her! Don't hurt my family!" Zoe: "I don't understand, Mama—what's going on?" Marguerite: "Here, take it. Take it! Go!" Zoe: "Don't worry, Mama. I'll go get help."

I love the call back like Mia echoing what Alan and Jack said to Ethan. Marge is telling Evie to stay away from Zoe trying to protect her but it doesn't work Marge joins in hunting Zoe soon after.

Jack "shut up you ain't real hysterical laughter" this makes me sad for a few reasons but mostly because he is fighting Evie mentally but can't stop himself physically (stabbing himself further with the broken bottle)

Bad ending of Daughters: Jack: "What? You're just gonna up and leave us?" Marguerite: "Don't you wanna meet your little sister?" Jack: "Now you're just being rude! And I... cannot... abide... by... rudeness!"

last moment of this is brutal. that's all i can say

good ending: the only thing I have to say about the cutscene for this is Evie calling Zoe "sister" twice at the start and at the end. its the letter from Mia that makes it interesting (second post)

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

loving message and the warning (comparison of the partial one and the full version of the warning):

1 Mia: "Hey baby! I just wanted to send a quick "hello" and "I love you". Oh! Good news! I'm gonna be coming home soon! Yay! I cannot wait to be done with this babysitting job—And come home to my loving husband. I miss you. I gotta get back to work. I love you, Ethan. I miss you so much. I'm sending tons of kisses. Bye baby!"... Mia: "Ethan… You were right. I did lie to you. I shouldn't have, but—All I can say is that if you get this… Stay away."

again I wonder how long this not doomed to fail babysitting job was supposed to be done. and wondering where she did it because there should be a little sway right? And I wonder the gap between this video and the warning. How much did Ethan know or was told? And Mia wasn't sure that it was going to get through to Ethan (a fair enough assumption because I don't think sending things from a boat in the middle of a storm would lead to a good connection you know?)

2 on the road... Friend: "Oh hey, you alright? You just disappeared the other night." Ethan: "Yeah, yeah. No, I'm good, I'm good. It's Mia. She's not dead, she's alive. She's back." Friend: "They found her? How? What happened?" Ethan: "I don't know. I don't know how, but she's back, she's back somehow. Maybe it's a prank. She wants me to come and get her." Friend: "Where is she?" Ethan: "Dulvey. Dulvey, Louisiana." Friend: "Dude, it's been three years!" Ethan: "I know, I know. But what if it is her? I have to find out what happened."

Ethan was out with the guys when he got the email and left straight away. A lot of faith Ethan is putting in a email (we don't know its a email at this point we find it in the inventory when we start the game and I would not trust it much to be honest) "maybe its a prank" I wonder if there had been false alarms before or people coming in wanting 15 seconds of fame pretending to be her (because this made the news we see it at the start of Daughters like imagine if they had waited imagine if they had called the authorities and decided to not wait to go into town with Mia/ Evie/ both. I wonder how much the media had to play in the inital invesitagtion when Mia was just MIA and not considered dead, because they thought she was dead!)

3 Ethan arrives: "accept her gift"

4 finding Mia:

Ethan: "Mia! Thank God I found you. It's me. It's Ethan!" Mia: "Ethan? Ethan!" Ethan: "Are you alright?" Mia: "You shouldn't be here." Ethan: "What do you mean? You contacted me." Mia: "No, no. I wouldn't. Did I? Did anyone see you? Did he see you?" Ethan: "He? Who else is here? What's going on?" Mia: "Daddy's coming. We need to go." Ethan: "Daddy?" Mia: "We need to go—now!"

immediate confusion upon waking quickly turning into concern for Ethan and if Evie through Jack saw him (he did in the swamp and then Jack vanished). Also Mia grabbed his hand and led him out of the cell.

eta 17th July "where are you taking me?" Mia: "someplace safe"... Carlos says "lets get you someplace safe" to Jill when they first meet in RE3R

4 "we're going to be a family now that you're here" a little bit of evie peeking through there (side note i love the voice acctress for how she differentiates the different modes of Mia's la la land when Evie is in her head- I can't believe its taken me until this most recent playthough who am i?) Also Evie was talking about that Ethan being the most pivotal piece of having Mia fall into line and accept her)

5 Mia attacks

a first: Mia: "I can hear her… I can feel her clawing her way back inside of me. Get out! Leave me alone! I've been bad. I deserve this." Ethan: "What the fuck are you, Mia?"

I wonder how long Evie was whispering in Mia's head before completely taking her over and attacking Ethan the first time. I love the use of "clawing" because the word itself is violent in relation to animals but also desperate and with difficulty

b second: Mia doesn't say much but what she says is important Mia: "Leave me! Go!" like it shows the two sides of her the part that Evie is controlling and the part of Mia that is still herself because she is trying to not drag Ethan down with her (she was trying the entire time but Evie/ Lucas interefered) and "shouldn't have come Ethan now you have to be dead too" as I have said Mia drowned in the Annabelle (moment of confusion if you think of the post with @mushroomwithsomeink many moons ago)

side note: Zoe's first call is showing the hive mind because how would she know? i doubt there is CCTV cameras everywhere and like think of how Jack knew of the people Zoe was trying to help and where they got too.

c. chainsaw: Mia: "Ethan! It's OK. It's OK, it's me. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. But you shouldn't have done that! It fucking hurt! Now let's see what you feel." and when it goes to Ethan cradling his stump "... "Its my job. must burn it all down"

99% Evie at this point (as we can see her holding the screwdriver behind her) the entire reason Mia was in the cell from late 2015 in the first place is because she got violent. And this last playthrough I heard her say that and because of the colour of the subtitles and Ethan's distorted hearing I don't know exactly what she says but its fun right? (also as I'm writing this 16th July um its really funny that Nimona has Ambrosious from Nimona idk how to spell says cutting someones arm off is not a love language and yeah humor)

d and third (best place to get this dialogue is in madhouse because you are running scared most of it) "leave me please..." and "I don't want your help (Ethan)" and "what are you hiding Ethan? what don't you want me to know?" and "go back home" and "everyone is relying on me"... "the core must be destroyed" and "must contain outbreak"

we don't know Ethan's past how he gets Chris Redfield on his case and we all know Ethan knew something was off with Mias job and we know he would have wanted to help her before all she went missing and now he wants to help her but also on the back foot (and everyone's relying on me the bakers are puppets for lack of a better term they're aware but can't quite control themselves and they can't quite make any concrete plans because the others would see it in their heads)... "core must be destroyed" in this instance its Evie but consider what the thing is in Village core is a synonym of root. and when you're playing as Chris tossing the detonator into the fungus there is a achievement for it called "the root of the matter"

16th July 2023 putting Jack down for sleepy time when's stalking you and watching him get up again he says things "dozed off there for a minute" and "okay back on my feet" and if you attack him again "cut it out" (only attempt this with infinite ammo I do have screenshots)

6 Mia tape:

starts with Mia saying "Ethan, if you find this—I know I can't expect anything from you1. Not after what happened. After what I did. But I just want you to know that wasn't me. I don't know what happened. There's so much that you need to know."

looking at that first line and again I wonder about the relationship at the start and whenever she started working for the connections. the last line always confused me a little but thinking on it now

gameplay: "over here Mummy" calling the mold a gift and Marge being somewhat privy to what Mia and Zoe had planned specfically for Ethan though I wonder if that applies to the others Zoe tried to help. Marges line I haven't thought more on it so here we are.

"I don't understand you at all. this is a gift" Marge and Evie I think Evie has been trying to get Mia to accept her for three years and can't understand why she wouldn't

"this house has seen more than you can imagine and it knows" no thoughts just Hill House

"I know you and zoe are plotting. I know you are scheming. you think i don't know what you want to do with that boy Ethan"... they can't outright plan or do anything because Evie will interfere (Zoe tries to help people but can't fully leaving cryptic help and clues around and on the phone is the best she can do)

"you think little Evie is going to put up with your shit forever bitch?" the first time bitch is used in this game (I think?) speculation that this is Marge warning Mia that Evie's going to grow tired of her

"there are known unknowns here and you are not paying fucking attention" this is a really good line and I have no idea what to make of it

7 hide and seek (name from the wiki alternate name totally not rehashed in village... honestly one of the things I was not expecting was the similarities between Jack and Moreau but here we other similarities in the boathouse Jack calls out for Marguerite AND he also says a few times "nobody loves me")

Jack: "I was gonna be her father. But now she says he will be her father. No-no-no-no-no-no-no. I will find him and I will make him suffer. And you my friend will help me."

thoughts: rejection is a strong emotion and Jack has been Evie's father for years and now he (and Marge though she never thinks of it) are being replaced by Ethan and Mia (much like in Village Rose replaced the lords as a stand in for Eva)

8 zoe call 4: Zoe: "Yes, now listen carefully, Ethan. My family and I… our bodies are contaminated. I can't leave the property unless I get it out. Same goes for Mia." Ethan: "Is there a way to get it out?" Zoe: "We need the serum. It should clear whatever this stuff is out of the body. As long as you're not too far gone."

ahem as I have said before this serum its a basic bitch ass serum that works best when you are just infected not having lived with it for three years or (or died at anytime during that because Mia drowned and it partially worked but well we all know what happened to zoe) it has a expiry date or both

9 brief reunion Mia: "Ethan?" Ethan." Ethan: "No more bullshit, Mia. I want some answers." Mia: "I know. I know. You're right. And I always wanted to tell you—but, I just—I can only remember a little and the rest is just gone!" Lucas: "Daddy, right? You mind if I borrow Mommy for a little bit? Well, don't just stand there—do something! Mia: "Ethan! Help!"

always wanted to tell you but I just...? this is interesting as we well everyone who reads my thoughts know that I have said many times that Ethan already suspected Mia was up to something but didn't know what. And I have also wondered if the connections didn't trust Mia (okay what criminal organisation would trust anyone 100% especially someone who has family outside of the organisation) and that's part of the why they put on Eveline's team in the hopes of Evie imprinting on her and possibly taking out a future thorn in their side (when they disappeared I doubt they left Ethan alone at the same time the police did).

I wonder what she remembers at this point her attacking him or the last moments on the tanker or very random flashes that no one would be able to piece together?

Ethan: "Haven't found any, but I did find out what we need to make one. A D-series head and an arm. This can't be right…" Zoe: "A head? I think I have that around here somewhere." thought which is sarcastic "I wonder why you have the head near you"

10 Marge fight: "mess with my family" and I missed the rest I am sorry but the general gist is protective mamma bear (mama bug?) mode

Marge actually says a lot in the greenhouse but only once mentions Evie "poor little Evie is going to be heartbroken"

11 note "somethings wrong with her" who wrote this and why "Evie: "stay away" genuine warning not out of concern but to stop Ethan messing with things. also the writing on the wall after you grab the d series arm the only bit I can make out is "daddy I will not..."

12 Lucas: "That's family business, Ethan, and not your concern, understand?" Now, if you want the head, feel free to come on by anytime. I'll give it to ya! But only if you participate in a little… activity I've put together—just for you... Ethan. E-than. Ethan, Ethan—hold on, hold on, hold on. I got something for you. Looky, looky what I got. You know what this is for? You know what Zoe wants to do with this? She thinks this thing is special. No, Ethan, that ain't special. This—this right here is special. You see, Ethan, not everybody wants to turn back the clock. What? What, Eveline? I'm just trying to show him. I'm just trying to show him that not everybody wants to go back to how things were. Zoe's a stupid bitch! She doesn't understand that I don't wanna go back to how things were before my father found y'all. Not everybody wants to turn back the clock. So—so, Ethan. Ethan? You can, uh—you can, um, crawl around underneath that filthy, rotten house all you want looking for them ingredients, but you ain't gonna find a goddamn thing, Ethan. You wanna make that serum? Ooh, baby. You're gonna have to come through me. You hear? Well, come on, Ethan. What do you say?"

It is hard to put on a scale who is most loyal to Evie at any given time like it changes. with Jack we see flashes of concern and him saying "stop" before laughing hysterically. Marge we don't see that at all she only knows one thing and that is protect what was put under her care. Mia is somewhere between Marge and Jack. (Zoe is the most normal as I don't think she got put on the same level of infection of the others which is huge physical trauma) .Lucas is just interesting we don't know yet how horrible Lucas really is but we'll get to it as time goes on Lucas is essentally putting on a front for Evie and the connections. He is not under Evie's control but still infected and with that we know he is watching Ethan take out his parents and the other molded and compiling and selling the data for unkown third party. And simply put Lucas enjoys all of this he enjoys the power and being able to experiment. Also what was Evie saying to Lucas when he yells at her

barn fight: Lucas "how you deal with hardships in life is what makes you a man ethan" this is Lucas quoting Jack at some point in the past. their relationship before Evie wasn't good (Lucas having a fuck you list)

13 meeting: Ethan: "Right here. This should be enough, right?" Zoe: "If we make 'em fast enough. My father and Lucas aren't far away." Mia: "He's coming. Daddy's coming." Zoe: "Good, there's enough for two." Ethan: "So, after we make the serum, what's next?" Zoe: "There's a boat outside. We'll take it through the swamp. But neither of us'll get very far without the serum.

Mia has a better grasp on where Jack is as she is closer to his level of infection. Zoe can feel him as well but isn't as accurate. Also combining a head and arm into a serum would not be as easy as it looks I wonder where (we know where Mia) more importantly when taught her this (and the importance of the watch). Also I would love to know what Ethan was going to say before Zoe interupts

14 Jack appears and his fatherly side comes out briefly when scolding Zoe ("get your ass back to the house I will deal with you later"). but in the fight itself he mourns Marge and says "no one loves me"

15 Choosing Mia (partially wrote on this) Zoe: "It's fine. It was foolish thinking I could escape." Mia: "But Zoe—" Zoe: "Go. Both of you just go!" Mia: "Come with us. I'm sure there's someone who can help—" Zoe: "This is my home. Apparently, I belong here."

I would love to know what Mia was about to say to Zoe before she cut her off (damn it zoe we're missing out here)

16 on the boat: Mia: "Ethan, thank you." Ethan: "Who the hell else was I going to choose?" Mia: "Ethan!" Ethan: "Mia, I know you've been through a lot. But we need to talk. You had something to do with all of this, didn't you? Look, I just wanna know the truth." Mia: "Ethan, I honestly don't remember." Ethan: "Try! Is that the boat? How the fuck did that get here? You're OK. What the hell was that?..."

I love this bit as there is element of expectations in your spouse and Ethan again asking for answers and getting nothing really

17 Evie leading the way again "Mummy this way". Mia being surprised at the flashes inside the wrecked ship. writing on the wall from ship workers "she's inside me" and "she is not my child" the latter is interesting as it implies Evie refers to mutliple people as parental figures

Evie: Are you remembering? Mia: what are you?

Mia is still not there yet but she knows that little girl is powerful to some capcity and Evie is still luring her deeper into the ship

18 "you said we could be a family... you said" Mia: "wait" Evie running off again saying "I am tired of waiting" Evie has been wanting Mia to be her mother for 3 years and Evie thinks she has got the piece (Ethan) to make Mia comply with her desires (it doesn't it backfires)

Evie asking Mia to watch the tape: "you need to remember so we can be a family"

19 the Tanker tape (going to skip a little over this as I already wrote about it here its the Mia and Alan post)

Mia: "Alan, you're getting worse." Alan: "She must have infected me during the attack. And I'm too far gone anyway. But it serves me right. It's my fault she got out." Mia: "Yeah, it is your fault. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you die." Alan: "She didn't attack you?" Mia: "It's part of her imprinting protocol. I can't believe this is happening." Alan: "Here, take it. It has her tissue samples. You find her—you fix this." Mia: "OK, Evie. Where are you?"

what kind of attack? its the vomiting (which is where the molded spawn from they describe that action as vomiting again in not a hero in the evie obersvation log). How do they mean Evie got out? like the picture from before Mia gets on the boat has Evie holding her arm and that's all we get and of couse at some point Jim see's Evie so they're not keeping to themselves in their quarters (the only image I can think of is Evie wearing a toddler harness and wriggling her way lose)

(considering this picture and what Evie and Mia are wearing and the picture we find in Village I am fairly confident in saying Miranda decided Evie wasn't good enough just before she left- said it before and I'll say it again i want to fight Miranda for so many people Clarke Griffin as she never really got true vengence on her cult leader Donna, Evie, Mia, Rose, Ethan the villagers who trusted her. Eva herself because she had to have watched this all unfold)

20 mid scene: Evie: "are you mad at me mummy". " Mia: "no Evie I'm not mad. Wait what did you call me?" Evie: "I don't want to live at the lab anymore. i want a house and I want you to be my mummy" Mia: "okay Evie I'll be your mummy. come back with me right now" Evie runs off and the sirens start blaring

1 never make a impossible promise especially to a child 2 Mia and Alan were caretakers for Evie on this titanic endeavour and this is seems to have been the first time Evie called Mia mummy as Mia is suprised by it.

21 death of Alan: "Where's Evie?" Mia: "She's out of control. Without the treatments, she's deteriorating."... Alan: "She trusts you. That little bitch, she never—No, Evie, I—Evie—I didn't mean to call you that, Evie." Mia: "Alan, listen! She's trying to take control. You have to fight her. Eveline, stop! Stop right now!" Alan: "Don't touch me!"

this is when Mia gets infected when Alan was coughing Mia reached out to support him and that's all it took. and we can tell how Alan really feels about Evie at this point and he should never have worked with kids because he talks about Evie trusting Mia then calling her a bitch then he gets cut off "she never" what? trusted Alan? kids aren't dumb and can tell how people feel about them right? Evie knew that he saw her as monster (I do want to know what he was going to say after that though part of me thinks that this would have been a great time to mention Miranda)

calm before the storm/opening message part 2 (Ethan knew Mia was lying to him) Mia: "Ethan… You were right. I did lie to you. I shouldn't have, but—All I can say is that if you get this… Stay away. Forget that you ever knew me. Have a good life Also I am not sure how the message would have got to Ethan during a storm and then the tanker got destroyed both of those things can't lead to get a good connection

tanker: Eveline: "We'll be together forever."- tanker is destroyed Mia drowns

after tape finishes: Eveline: "Now do you remember?" Mia: "Yes, Eveline, I remember." Eveline: "Can we be a family like before?" Mia: "No, Evie. We can't be a family. We were never a family. We will never be a family." Eveline: "Then I don't need you anymore."

Mia remembers the important things and as I said this backfires on Evie. Evie hurt/killed/turned people despite being asked by Mia to not to do that to come back (yes Evie is a child in a environment that didn't teach her anything at all and then the connections also let people who knew nothing about kids and how to handle them transport her), caused Mia to drown, and caused the suffering of many more people for three years. And then dragged Ethan into Mia's hell. Which got him hurt and infected. It's no wonder Mia completely rejected her after all of this happened and stopped trying to placate her.

interacting with the cameras and finding where Ethan is: Evie "liar" Mia: "fucking hallucinations where is she?" the projections of young Evie gets around and i wonder why she chose this moment to interact with Mia and grabbing her arm (old Evie gets weeled around by the molded wearing birthday hats from Jacks bday)

arriving at the mold: Evie "he's waiting"... "I need you to do something for me" Mia: "Ethan"

the "he's waiting" always makes me twitch on the two occasions I played the bad ending as I had watched this game first then played it myself and it just has the image of helpless prey.

the sad truth (love this scene)

Jack: "Ethan. Ethan... I know, I know—I'm not going to hurt you. Hell, I never would have if I could have helped it." Ethan: "What do you mean?" Jack: "I'm no killer, son. Neither is Marguerite, nor my boy, Lucas. Or even Zoe here. That girl, Eveline. She did this." Ethan: "What the hell is she? Now what did she do to you?" Jack: "She infected us with her gift. That's what she calls it. I found her near a busted-out tanker in the bayou. Everything changed after that." Ethan: "So she infects you, and then she takes control?" Jack: "No, not exactly, son. She just--she forces her way into your mind and your soul and… you can't fight back. You are connected to her, and you can't resist the urge to… You're a different person after that. Ethan: "Just like Mia. So Mia sent me that message because of Eveline." Jack: "Listen, the girl just wants a family of her own. She's the key, alright? You find her and you stop her. Ethan, free my family—please."

I wonder how long Ethan was sitting in this room with Jack waiting for him to wake up. I wonder what Jack was thinking and what he was choosing to say (was Evie listening in) Evie does think of her powers as a gift and because of that it makes me wonder how she came to feel like that (Miranda? probably i so want to fight her can you tell? yes part is because of the 100 and what they did to Clarke but the similarities are there and they are horrible when you think about it) the perspective Jack has on being taken over by Evie and wanting to show her how devoted he was makes me so sad. And the moment of sympathy from Jack about Evie wanting a family but he wants to protect his family so he asks Ethan to "free them" I wonder if Jack does genuinely consider Evie family despite what she did to them and others. Jack was in the army and he knows that you can feel for others as much as you want but when they are actively causing a shit load of harm they have to be taken out (they got lucky that Evie didn't want grow her family more than she did what if she decided she wanted to go into town? or a city?) also I really wish Jack was the one to talk to Ethan about him being dead

Mia: "Eveline, stay away from him." Eveline: "Why? He doesn't love you. I can make him love you." Mia: "Don't—Don't hurt him." Eveline: "Silly—I told you. I'm not going to hurt him." Mia: "Don't you dare." Eveline: "Or, what? You're not my mommy—remember."/// Mia: "There's no time. You have to get out of here and find her. Here, take this." Ethan: "What? Wait—wait—what are you doing? What are you doing?" Mia: "Saving your life. You need to go. I won't be able to resist for much longer." Ethan: "No—" Mia: "Now, go kill that little bitch." Ethan: "No—no. Mia—no!"

cracks knucles: Evie naturally misunderstanding Ethan and thinking love is control and another attempt on her part to get Mia to do what she wants outright using Ethan as bargaining chip?. Mia thinking Evie will hurt him in doing so and I wonder how much worse can this be? Ethan has already lost a hand and gotten his head curb stomped... the final time someone says "find" Evie. Alan was somewhat resigned, Jack pleading and Mia desperate because she was on the edge of a cliff about to drop. Also Mia has the tissue samples that she hands to Ethan the entire time the moment you wake up at the ship you will find that in her inventory. I doubt Evie knew its significance as why would she leave it be unless she didn't know. Mia's use of little bitch is purely baiting Evie (also in the scene you can see Evie to the side) the last time someone called her that died Mia was fully expecting to die here I think and buying Ethan time

writing on the wall "all your fault" this hits hard on bad ending route but still on either route you read this and you wonder what exactly your fault is the death of the Bakers? or Mia specifically I am considering it to be the latter

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bad ending notes:

choosing: Ethan: "I'm sorry. I really am. But Zoe will be able to guide the two of us to safety, and then I can come back for you." Mia: "Go. I don't wanna hear it. Both of you just go!" Ethan: "Mia." Mia: "Go! My place is here—with her." Ethan: "Don't be ridiculous." Mia: "You forget. I still have a job to do."

world of difference here between Mia resigning herself to being left behind with Ethan saying he himself will come for her (I don't know how a 100% normal civilian would be able to go back into the danger zone- he would Chris would try to stop him but alas that never comes to be does it?)... and the "You forget. I still have a job to do" is a badass line and I am mad at capcom for putting it in the bad ending

zoe dies: Ethan: "I wanna know what all of this is about. Starting with Mia." Zoe: "Mia came here with Eveline. That's how it started." Ethan: "Eveline… the kid. I knew Mia was hiding something." Zoe: "That—there's the boat that Mia came with Eveline on." Ethan: "What the…? They came on that? Let's go take a look." Zoe: "I'm not going back there." Ethan: "I gotta know what Mia was up to. What the hell?" Zoe: "It's her. Eveline doesn't want us to leave. No—No! Evie—Please, Evie! I'll be good. I promise." Ethan: "Zoe?? Zoe!! What the fuck?!"

Ethan doesn't see Evie at this point (not at that stage of infection) but he does hear her.

mia attacks

midway through Mia says 2 things (and Evie in the back ground going "kill him")

1 did you and that slut have a good time?

jealousy and insecurity

2 I thought you loved me

3 I can't believe you picked her over me

misunderstanding and the most Evie- like things to say in my opinion

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SALT MINE end is in sight good god radio in the shack before the mine itself

"if you see eveline your orders are shoot to kill"

self explanatory really but I wonder who was using it to listen in before Ethan ultimately did

(well after it because other than "die" no one says anything)

floating in between

Mia: "Ethan! It's OK. It's OK, it's me. I know you didn't mean to hurt me." 1 Eveline: "Kill him, Mommy." Mia: "But you shouldn't have done that! It fucking hurt!" 2 Eveline: "He doesn't want to be my Daddy? 3 Then he can die. Now it's Mommy's turn to kill you."

1 Evie is provoking Mia. 2 Ethan has no idea what happening so how would he be able to decide to agree to a surprise adoption? 3 its the last part that interests me as look at it. It could be a translation error. It could be that Ethan is already dead (through shock also fun thing of note in some instances after Mia slashes his hands his blood looks black) or on his way and this will finish him off (if you go back into the room with secret compartment to ladder that is blocked off and you can't go back that way- it could be a way to funnel you where they want but also the ladder Ethan falls off is sizeable)

2 Eveline: "You're gonna be one of us. Then maybe you'll play nicely." Ethan: "I'm not playing." Eveline: "No! Get that away from me!"

at this point Ethan is 100% infected (first he heard her then he saw her) and Eveline doesn't think of that and thinks if he were then maybe he will be more willing to play

so if you go upstairs in the guest house before the Evie fight we hear Mia say "Ethan, help me" what I only found out today however (19/07/23) after showing Evie the serum (Mia said "leave me to die" I waited a bit and she said that) I went back into the living room to get a screenshot of the bed infront of the little door. This time halluncination Mia was lying on it then jumped up and attack and she said somethings

"I don't want to hurt you" and "I don't need your pity" this one I am not entirely sure where we are but heres the screenshot. And my thoughts the first one is her wanting to keep him safe. The second is a matter of pride. And it is Mia was good enough to be chosen to transport Evie (you all know my feelings about the mission but you know she was trusted with a very important mission) but not good enough to convince her to stand down and keep Ethan and everyone safe (pity means: Sympathy and sorrow aroused by the misfortune or suffering of another. A matter of regret.). and finally "you don't understand" this is interesting and it was the last thing i heard from Mia (Idk if there was anything more) so I wonder what the context is here. as we don't know anything other than these are echoes of what happened? before as she is actively attacking us with the chainsaw so it was interesting my brain is mush I might have something more to say on it later

3 "why does everyone hate me" after injecting her with serum: she is a child and doesn't grasp that controlling people and then being freed from that control doesn't instill good feelings. "I just wanted a family" a simple wish she couldn't have gone around it in a better way at all

Chris appears more speculation and a little analysis

Chris: "I'm Redfield. I'm glad we found you." Ethan: "The fuck took you guys so long?"

after picking up Mia I wonder what that was like? was she guarded or on her own? partially dying? not in good shape considering how out of it she is in the heliocopter.

why was Ethan expecting the gang to turn up and clear up? because going in he didn't know exactly what he was getting into (he was expecting something but those expectatiosn got tossed so far out the window they currently in space) and it takes awhile to mobilise the troops and its either Chris is there because he knows Ethan/ Mia is there and what Mia was up too (the events could be happening concurrently and the radio message we over hear lends to that and Ethan's reaction is part of his personality shining through?) honestly I think its a little of both

ending reunited

Mia: "Ethan?" Ethan: "Mia—You made it. I'm glad." Mia: "Did I?"

Ethan (narrating): "They say that when one door closes, another opens. Well, a door closed tonight. And what a long night it was—but not just for me. Mia and I weren't the only victims here. So were the Bakers. It was that… thing, Eveline, who made them that way. But now Eveline's dead. And these guys are here to clean up the mess. I had just come to terms with losing Mia. But now she's back and wants to start over—put all of this behind us. Maybe this is where the next door opens."

I love how simple it is and Mia being confused and not sure "did I?"

Ethan's narration: "i had just come to terms with losing Mia" he's not wearing a wedding ring. "she's back and wants to start over" that conversation went fast (ride or die... ride and die?)

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if you read all of this have a cookie or cookies (on my behalf as I can't have cookies or anything crunchy right now) and a rest

the files from the game and not a hero and end of zoe and cutscenes from not a hero and end of zoe will come sooner or later

[demaparbat-hp]

YOOOO DEMA YOU LIKE ARCANE???!! omg who's your favorite character??? and favorite moment(s) from s1??? (and fav ship too 👀 👀) will you draw for Arcane in the future???? (peak show with peak art =perfection, just saying)

Anon, you have the. Best. Timing. Ever. I literally just finished an Arcane artstyle study with Katara of the Undercity as a subject!

My favorite Arcane character is and forever shall be Ekko (best boy). Other faves are Viktor (chronic illness baby) and Jinx (trauma gremlin).

As for the S1 scene... Besides the finale and that breathtaking Guns for Hire sequence? The Ekko/Jinx fight from ep 7. It broke me. (And turned me into a Timebomb shipper. Which was arguably worse.)