#and they consult someone who treats the child

[depressedstressedlemonzest]

Damn archie throwing down the gauntlet.

[loverboyfae]

although humbert humbert is the kind of stereotypical image of a pedophile (does what he does because he’s attracted to children (though i mean unreliable narrator he could be lying)), lolita is SUCH a good text to childhood studies with. like humbert retains power over delores by telling her that he is her only guardian, and that escaping her would mean winding up as a ward of the state where she will be treated even worse. he uses the power he has over her and specifically draws attention to the fact that he has so much power over her because society leaves her completely powerless; were she to go to the police about him, she wouldn’t be able to choose to take care of herself or choose who gains ownership over her in the future, so she might as well stay with the guy who rapes her but at least buys her things

the tragedy of her ending, then, in part is the fact that the only person she could manage to go to for help is someone who will also sexually exploit her, but (at least she believes) less than humbert will. her school notices that she is struggling, but the only recourse they have or even seem interested in is informing the guardian who is causing the abuse, a very common issue for abused children in schools. as much as conservatives hand wring about schools taking over their parental rights, they really have nothing to fear even now into the modern day, as only the most blatant and obvious child abuse can be addressed without involving parents; every other action schools have available to them is to consult the child’s owner, their parent(s), first and foremost. nobody in a child’s life, as lolita reflects, is able to materially aid a child without the parents’ permission or else they are breaking the law. as such, delores’s only chance for escape was to go with a man fine with breaking the law, and that wound up being another pedophile.

the criticism of systems of power in lolita is criminally underdiscussed, but a lot of that is also because criticisms of systems is often glossed over in most discussions of csa. people are somewhat aware that pedophiles, like other rapists, are more interested in power than attraction, but the imbalance of power between child and adult is fully naturalized. while obviously some aspects of that are innate (the physical difference, for example), there is also plenty about that difference in power which is socially and legally constructed, ESPECIALLY between a child and their legal guardian, who retains ownership over them even above the child’s own autonomy

[1k1ga1]

Hello!! New follower here! Do you make request for dion agriche? Can you make a continuon of but you can't stay away from me? It's it correct? Or not i hope, im not really good at english, Sorry!!

❝𝓜𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 , 𝓜𝐈𝐍𝐄 , 𝓐𝐋𝐋 𝓜𝐈𝐍𝐄…❞

━━ ����𝐀𝐍𝐇𝐖𝐀 💭 𝐑𝐎𝐗𝐀𝐍𝐀 / 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐃’𝐒 𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑

━━ 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 💭 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 𝐗 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐓 / 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 ! 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

━━ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 💭 18+ , 𝐌𝐃𝐍𝐈 , 𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄 , 𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 , 𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐘 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐑

━━ 𝐀/𝐍 💭 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐎𝐎𝐂 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐎 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 :p

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who doesn’t know how to love someone. he was nurtured inside the womb with resentment and entered into this world as an unloved child, loathed by his own blood, his own mother.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who desperately yearns to know what it feels like to love and to be loved. to be cherished by someone unconditionally despite the stygian blood pumping in his veins and the innocent life untimely looted by his hands. wether it be familial love, platonic love, or romantic love, he just wants to experience something. just once in his life so he could believe himself to not be an unlovable child, and yet people only seem to have contempt reserved for him, and so he never knew how to express this inherent need.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who was the first to feel the attraction towards you, the only person who reached a hand out to him while wearing a bright smile and not a scowl of disgust. your kindness had touched the forsaken child in him that constantly pleaded to be treated with even a speck of affection. he only felt himself more charmed by you since, invoking dion to desperately cling onto that feeling of what he believed “love” to be—and perhaps it purely was, at first anyways.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who fell deeper and deeper into the pit of attraction until his usually logical mind becomes shrouded, believing his growing infatuation towards you to be love and he was willing to do anything to have you return his affection. even if it meant stripping you of your loved ones and precious lifestyle, even if it meant confining you to his room brimmed with empty luxuries for your amusement, even if it meant all your heart could ever spare him was your vitriol. he wholeheartedly believed that you would one day return his affection because he simply adored you too much for you to resent him forever, and he’d show you.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who was deeply touched when you were confirmed to be pregnant with his child, a sense of feverish delirium that he’s never even experienced even on his birthdays fluttering through his chest. he was convinced the child in your womb to be the greatest embodiment of your love, that its existence must’ve reified your love for him.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who swore to himself that he would love your child, even if he didn’t know how to. the forsaken child in him has already known what it’s like to be nourished by enmity and abhorrence, something that still haunts him into adulthood, and dion wishes to shield your child from that kind of treatment because its existence is precious and lovable purely because it shared your blood, and dion thinks every part of you is lovable.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who usually indulges your every whims (not that you usually have many requests for him), but begins to overindulge you during your pregnancy. even if you didn’t ask for it, he hires tailors to consult with you about specially-designed baby clothes. he even builds a brand new room with a playroom that would be connected to your shared bedroom so you could easily have access to the baby, and even allows you to decorate it however you want.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who follows you like your own shadow during your pregnancy, which really isn’t that different. he can’t really help it. the agriche mansion is a dangerous place with his savage siblings lurking around, always on the hunt for a new toy. even though they know not to test their limits with the unofficial favorite child of their father and his lover, they can torment you in ways other than physical and it makes dion fret for your health as well as the child’s. it’s better to be safe and sorry, even if he sometimes receive sharp glances from you when trailing after you.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who worries over your health so much he creates a whole new diet for you with strict rules regarding things you’re allergic to and things that might negatively affect the baby. he also rarely allows you to walk on your own two feet for too long, always timing your steps in his mind and anticipating the moment before you begin to feel worn out. he always swoops in to bridal-carry you in his arms to wherever your destination is, and takes your lack of comment as it’s own form of praise.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who monitors the growth of your belly bump every end of the week. he always glide his hand over your stomach to feel the baby’s heartbeat because he’s trained to detect any heartbeat and feels comforted by the fact the baby’s heartbeat grows stronger every time he checks. he’s also quite fond of caressing your stomach once a bump starts to form, no matter how subtle. especially when the two of you are in bed together, he always has a hand on your stomach, hoping the baby could sense his effort to become familiar with it.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who spoils you with new clothes and imported accessories because your body’s changing and he wants you to be comfortable. even though it might not seem like it most of the time with his indifferent expression, dion cares very much for your happiness and does whatever he can to keep you contented, although with some limits. wether this means spoiling you rotten or allowing you to order him around, dion actually won’t mind and will do as you say, although it seems you rarely ever do so.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who gets incredibly anxious when your due date approaches. he’s complied a lot of information about child birth throughout you pregnancy, just in case you go into labor before your due date, but that only means he’s also aware of the risks of giving birth, and for the first time ever, he feels fear not for himself but for another person. he gets incredibly sensitive during this time, especially his senses which goes haywire any time your heartbeat starts beating quicker than it usually does because of course he has your heart beat memorized. let’s just say a lot of good servants were lost during this time since dion needed many stress relievers.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who is in full-blown panic mode when the big moment comes, and for him that means blanching paler than a dove and cold sweat drenching his entire body. he doesn���t even realize it but his body’s shaking because he feels pain even though he’s not wounded; your painful cries and sobs are enough for him to feel as if he’s been stabbed by a sword—no, perhaps even something so macabre couldn’t compare to what he felt when he was utterly helpless whilst you were suffering through something purely agonizing. he holds onto your hand as if you were his lifeline, and even your worst grip couldn’t get him to let go of you first.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who thinks to himself that maybe having only one child is enough. he partly believes so because he has no desire to see you in so much pain and losing unnecessary blood again, but also because he doubts wether he could love more than one child. dion’s heart is not nearly big enough to love more than you and hopefully this child, he could barely even love himself, and even then, dion doubts he would ever cherish your child more than he did you. even if you had asked so if him, he would fail to do it.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who feels lightheaded when he sees the bloody mess that spills from you. no, he’s not disgusted. he’s seen things much more gruesome and grotesque things, yet the fact that blood is coming from you makes him terribly anxious that something might go wrong and he might lose you. for the first time ever in his life, dion prays to something, anything for your safety because he’s simply helpless and he’s not used to it at all.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who doesn’t hear the baby’s cries but only your sigh of relief when the child is born. he immediately jumps to make sure that you’re fine and healthy, briskly checking your pulse and placing his ear near your chest so he could listen to your heartbeat. it has always calmed him down before and it works like a charm to calm him down once again.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who’s completely taut when the worries finally leave him. he’s like a dear caught in headlights that doesn’t know what to do, and his hands tremble slightly when the child is finally presented for him to hold. he first turns to you for a look of confirmation, and your hesitant yet nod of assurance had him gently taking the sniffling baby into his arms. it’s so small and delicate that dion doesn’t think he’s ever treated something so gently before—well, maybe you were the first.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who finds himself staring at its oddly shaped face as if he were bewitched. a smile never made its way to his callous face yet there’s a shine in his ruby eyes and an undeniable flush of excitement to his pale cheeks. even though he doesn’t find your child as adorable as you did at first, the beaming smile you wore as you held it was enough for dion to also nod along to your hazy words.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who pampers and cosset your child from day one. he’s always around to hold the baby when you’re tired, always admiring its cherubic countenance and incoherent murmurs. he treats your child as if it were a magical creature that’s never been discovered before, and his own curiosity about the baby is quite child-like in its purity and wonder.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who falls into the role of a father not without stumbling along the way. he’s not very expressive and has a hard time comprehending other’s needs, so dion finds it especially difficult to read your baby’s expressions and care for it correctly. he tries, he certainly does, so often that sometimes he’s just sitting around with your baby in his arms and trying to decipher its expressions and moods. he still doesn’t seem to get it right despite his many attempts.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who never lets the baby disturb your sleep. he doesn’t even do this deliberately. as a trained assassin his senses are naturally sensitive to the changes around him and a baby isn’t quite skilled enough to evade his detection. therefore, trust that you’ll have a peaceful sleep, and even if you are awaken it’ll be a gentle shake on your shoulder because dion just can’t seem to guess what the child needs, but you’ll never be awoken by a crying baby.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who doesn’t allow your baby to ever be close with his other family members. sure, his entire family might be aware of the fact he has a child and a “lover” but that doesn’t mean they also have the privilege to approach your child. he gatekeeps them so fervently that if another member of the family even mentions making an attempt, there might be a battle, and dion definitely won’t be the one loosing.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who personally teaches his child how to wield a sword and other self-defense techniques as they get older. it doesn’t matter if they’re a boy or a girl, they were unfortunate enough to be born into the house of agriche and knowing how to fight is the bare minimum to survive. of course, he won’t be as harsh as his instructors were in the past, often making some adjustments to focus on your child’s strength. he won’t be gentle even if they’re only sparring, and he doesn’t give out praises easily, however he does try to give physical encouragements such as head pats and the occasional hug.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who spoils your kid without restraint when they’re growing up and start having their own needs. be it imported toys or golden staffs for playtime, he doesn’t care as long as his child is kept contented. he even brings home exotic goods from places he visits on his missions for both you and your child as a reminder he was thinking about the two of you.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who is uncertain if he’s loving his child correctly or if he even loves them at all. sure, there’s an attachment that’s developing that will definitely grow deeper as the years pass, and yes, they do have a certain bond no matter how their relationship might seem. however, his feelings towards your child is no where comparable to the feelings dion has towards you, that which he believes to be “love”, and therefore he can’t properly gauge his own feelings but also partly can’t seem to believe that he could truly love his child with the way he was raised. if worse comes to worse and he had to chose between the two of you, it would never be your child no matter how much time passes.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who passes on his certain idiosyncrasies onto his child. deliberately or not? we’ll never know. it’s quite easy to pick up on this when you begin to notice just how attached your child is to you and how they start getting possessive of you around the maids and easily getting enraged when a servant accidentally bumps into you. sure, your child might be the opposite of dion which allows them to express themselves easier, but they often do so wantonly and has sudden outbursts when it comes to you, almost as if they’re mirroring what dion just can’t seem to express.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who is extremely proud when your child fervently agrees with his belief of keeping you to himself since you were the only one who was kind to him and how others were undeserving of your presence. this even gets to the point where the father-child duo will gang up on you whenever your emotions get out of hand and you start desiring to runaway again. they will manipulate you into believing that everything is just fine and that you would ruin everything if you acted upon those “passing impulses”, and they will do so without an ounce of guilt because in the end they’re still agriches.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who uses your child as another shackle to keep you tied to him along with the silver band on your ring finger that weighs you down. in the end, he’s grateful that you came into his life and gave him the taste of normalcy that he was so famished of. he’s grateful for the nights he would share his bed with you and your child, of the evenings the three of you would take a walk through the garden hand-in-hand, and of the dinners where the three of you would sit together like a peaceful family while your child would rant about their lessons.

━━ ✧ 𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄 who knows he owes all the happiness in his life to you and who’ll make sure to repay you in whatever way he can, and that includes making sure he’ll stay by your side until you grow old together. even in your next life and the many lives after, dion agriche swears that he will find you, because one simply can’t exists in the dark again without getting greedy after having embraced by the light.

[s0fter-sin]

prince!ghost and lord in waiting!soap

ghost is a warrior prince, next in line after king price and it’s always been accepted he would be the lone ruler; never one for entertaining the courts or indulging foreign rulers trying to consolidate their power. he hardly acts like a prince at all, in name only when he spends more time as a pseudo captain of the guard. price has never begrudged him that, not when he himself has been a lone king since his inauguration

though he’s a warrior prince, he’s never lost the favour of the people; many see him as a guardian even if he doesn’t interact with the people as much as benevolent and stalwart king price. who he does interact with is the kingdom’s children; always ready to bend a knee and listen to bright voices, to praise stick swords and shields or hear the plight of a struggling family. it was a common belief that if he wasn’t out protecting, then he was with the protected; face covered, blonde curls shining in the sun

soap’s always loved ghost. as his lord in waiting, it’s been his job to attend him since they were young and even as a child, he’d idolised him; his skills in battle, his surety. he thought his life would be nothing but service, clothing a brat prince and making sure his shoes shined. but ghost has proven more than that; he treats him as an equal, consults him on strategy and court politics and over time that idolisation turned into love

and ghost has always felt the same. he’d begrudged the idea of a lord in waiting, not wanting someone always in his business but then came this spitfire who never missed an opportunity to push back on him; to make him dig deeper. johnny is more than some mere servant; he’s his confidant, his best friend, his… everything. he could be simon with him, not prince ghost

but simon figures that out too late

king price gets word from king shepherd, a kingdom they’ve only recently stopped feuding with and he’s offering up his son, prince graves, as a way to bond their kingdoms together and firmly put war behind them. price is ready to deny him, he doesn’t fear war from shepherd, when he sends some ancient laws that leave him unable to refuse. he hates it, hates that he’s ruining ghost’s happiness and feels like he’s betraying his adopted son but there’s nothing he can do

graves comes to their kingdom within the month and it’s clear from the moment he walks through their gates that he’s the opposite of ghost; arrogant and conceited, his ceremonial armour glossy and untouched by battle. he’s dismissive of their servants, of their ways, of their people and ghost hates him

graves insists that the wedding happen as soon as possible, pushing the craftsmen and cooks beyond their limits to prepare and every moment ghost spends with him, the more he dreads his wedding day. every evening he retreats to his room, exhausted, and it’s all johnny can do to keep him afloat; trying to keep him positive as ghost falls away and simon breaks in his arms. he wants to whisk him away like the old tales, the pain his oldest friend and love is in making his heart ache but all he can do is promise to be there with him

but it seems graves wants to take even him away

“soap’s been my lord in waiting since we were children,” ghost protests, voice barely clinging to civility. “i wouldn’t want to lose such a valuable worker.”

“there are plenty of decent servants in our kingdom; you’ll forget this one soon enough,” graves waves away, carding a possessive hand over his curls and it’s only bc he’s looking for it that soap sees ghost’s jaw twitch beneath his neck gaiter. “it’s custom for one marrying into our kingdom to embrace all that it has to offer, leaving who they were behind to become someone better. you’re entering a new life with me; you don’t need the baggage of this dreary place.”

soap feels sick as he walks behind them, his blank expression hiding all sign of his breaking heart.

“soap is beholden to me,” ghost declares. “we were sworn together by the old laws. i’m afraid a custom isn’t enough for me to break a vow to the gods.”

graves lets out a disgruntled noise, tugging harshly at one of ghost’s curls with only a thin veil of fondness; his conceding smile not reaching his eyes.

“i never made a vow to the gods,” johnny points out later. “price gave me to you because he was sick of me setting fire to the kitchens.”

simon hums and sets his freshly cleaned armour aside, turning to him with a twinkle in his eyes he’s barely seen since sheperd’s missive. “you pinkie swore that you would never leave me; that’s more powerful than any promise to the gods,” he says and soap’s thrown back fifteen years, to a willow tree big enough to touch the sky; to two boys from different stations who didn’t care that one was dressed in silk and the other in scraps.

johnny feels a lightness he hasn’t in a month as simon winks at him. “besides, do you really think graves is smart enough to figure it out?”

the days pass quickly, graves’ veneer of affection growing ever thinner, and before either of them are ready, it’s the eve of ghost’s wedding.

he’s said nothing, done nothing but stare at the wedding robes graves had tailored for him in the fashion of his kingdom and johnny doesn’t know how to break the silence. he draws out each second as he fusses with the cape piece and ensures the shoes shine in the fire light until he has no more excuses.

he sighs as he straightens up, brushing off polish onto his pants. “i suppose this is where i leave you,” he says with a weak smile but it quickly dies when simon still doesn’t look at him. “i’ll be here in the morning to help you get ready… good night, simon.”

johnny bows and makes for the door, trying to convince himself he didn’t just say goodbye.

but he’s stopped by simon’s hand loosely wrapping around his wrist.

he looks back as simon finally tears his eyes away from the robes, looking at him with such clear longing it almost brings him to his knees.

“i don’t want graves to be the first man to touch me, johnny,” he confesses and johnny’s breath hitches. “i don’t want to be married to another… not when the one i’m set to wed isn’t you. but if i have to do this… please let me feel loved one final time.”

simon’s thumb brushes the back of his hand; their kingdom’s greatest warrior caressing him with a touch light as silk. he doesn’t pull johnny in, doesn’t need to; johnny’s already sinking into his touch.

desperation and love tinge every movement; johnny dancing his fingers over simon’s neck gaiter until he all too happily removes it, baring his scarred cheeks and lips. johnny kisses each one, willing his love and his touch to linger above all others as they move together; sharing breath, sharing body, sharing soul the way they wish they always have.

when ghost makes his way down the aisle, it’s not in the fine embroidered robes graves had laid out for him. he’s in his battle armour; dark and weathered, the sign of the ghost, the warrior prince, going to battle. the only thing missing is his helm, tucked under his arm.

showing his hair; curls gone and shaved tight to his skin.

a thing done only in a time of great mourning.

graves looks irate and it’s the only spark of joy ghost feels as he stops before the altar; set beneath the willow tree where johnny promised himself to him. one final insult.

ghost is silent throughout the ceremony and in spirit and in grief, so is the entire gathered kingdom until the priestess reaches the final vows and suddenly, a great roar rises above the crowd as seemingly every child in the kingdom swarms the altar.

ghost is too shocked to do anything but let them push him away from graves, bullying their way between them like they’re preparing to protect him just as he’s always protected them.

graves is furious but the children stand firm in the face of his threats until he moves to strike one-

and freezes as soap’s blade finds his throat.

“you would dare hurt these children?” he growls, sword following graves as he stumbles back. “you’ve kept up your charade the entire time and here is where you show your true colours. i think it’s time i show mine.”

graves splutters as johnny turns to the priestess and king price, falling to one knee and offering up his blade. “your grace, i wish to challenge prince graves for the hand of prince simon!”

his voice rings clear and he feels the eyes of every person in the kingdom.

but he only cares for one man.

who is watching him with more love than he’s ever felt.

“who are you to challenge me?” graves sneers. “you’re nothing more than a servant; no better than the dirt on my boots.”

johnny doesn’t bother to look at him, too caught in the love in simon’s eyes and the grateful look on king price’s face. “then you should have nothing to worry about. you’ve been crowing your accolades from the rooftops since you got here; let’s see if you live up to the hype.”

because simon only ever introduced him as his lord in waiting.

never as sir soap- his second in command and one of the greatest swordsmen their kingdom has ever seen.

[cjlouwho]

I was planning to wait to see how this episode played out but the clip annoyed me so much I had to write to ABC.

I’ve waited a week to write in because I hoped to feel more settled with my emotions before I sent off a message to whomever is responsible for collecting and dispersing the responses received in the aftermath of 8x06. I feel more clear headed now that the initial rush of disappointment has passed but, unfortunately, that does mean that I’ve had the ability to look at both the handling of Buck and Tommy’s relationship from a bisexual perspective and the show in a larger context.

I had hope that 9-1-1 was improving when it joined ABC after the dull and inspired final seasons on Fox. The excitement of the opening disaster combined with the revelation of Buck’s bisexuality gave me hope that this show was turning a corner. Having read interviews after the fact from the show runner, Tim Minnear, who said that he intended to treat this storyline with care, I was optimistic. Sadly all of that optimism is gone. Season eight has been a rushed disaster. We’ve barely had any time to spend with the characters—Hen and Karen have, yet again, been stuck fighting for their child only to have it all resolved in the space of 42 minutes; Eddie is still in desperate need of therapy and yet has made no moves towards that aim; Bobby and Athena are still struggling with communication; and now Buck is single again after a beautiful episode that highlighted his relationship with Tommy that made me truly believe the show was going to honor its promise to the audience in how it handles Buck’s sexuality.

The disappointment I felt at not only the played-for-jokes reveal of Tommy’s engagment to Abby (that doesn’t even make sense in the context of the show’s history) but the fact that many characters seem to have forgotten that Buck is bisexual and not gay to the abrupt and deliberately painful ending of his relationship with Tommy is real and true. Although this is a silly firefighter show, it was set up to deliver a truly beautiful love story between two adult men learning how to love each other in this world with all their baggage and it was thrown away for what? It’s hard to tell.

I did think, perhaps, that maybe there was a larger plan at play but given the clip released from 911 today of Maddie and Chimney telling Buck to move on and the casual biphobia of “which pond?” (in case help is needed, it’s all the same pond) has filled me with the realisation that there’s nothing there. We were—and I don’t say this lightly—queer trapped by the show, the show runner, and the network into watching because of Buck and Tommy but now that you have your viewing numbers, it seems fair game to play fast and loose with the viewers.

I am so incredibly disappointed in the show and specifically disappointed in Tim Minnear. He knew exactly what he was doing when he crafted 8x05, manipulating us into investing in this relationship only to pull it away because he’s incapable of planning a story arc more than a day in advance of shooting.

Furthermore, the silence from everyone involved in this show on the death threats and harassment received by Lou Ferrigno Jr., for simply doing his job is unacceptable. The guest stars on this show have always been treated appallingly by a toxic subset of fans who believe that bullying and vitriol is what will reward them with their much-vaunted ship of Buddie (Buck and Eddie). It’s hard to ignore that the show runner is playing into this and perhaps he needs reminding that they are only a small minority and that the wider, quieter viewing audience have been much more captivated by the romance of Buck and Tommy.

I hope that this reaches someone’s ears and makes the smallest difference because you had gold in your hands and threw it away for absolutely nothing.

As a final note, please have someone from the LGBTQ+ community consult the scripts before they’re filmed because there is no excuse for the type of biphobia that keeps cropping up.

Yes!!! I am so proud of you for writing in!!

[myfriendsdontlikehomestuck]

Rose has such an interesting character with such a rich history that is far too frequently swept away in favor of making her the "smart therapist" character, despite that her entire arc was about NOT being that. Rose's story was about accepting that she didn't have to pretend to know everything and that people would still like her in her worst, most pathetic state.

Rose has such a complicated relationship with motherhood, and family in general. The only person to ever treat her like family were her friends since her mother was nearly always inebriated. Rose is attracted to someone who exudes motherly energy because it's what she lacked growing up. Rose needs a stable support system. Kanaya can give her that, to an extent. Of course, Rose's trauma cannot be completely undone by Kanaya, but she can help. And in return, Rose helps Kanaya through her feelings of failure and emotional exhaustion.

Rose has dealt with so much from a young age, and it's devastating to me to see her as nothing more than the "intelligent" one, even though Dirk is also characterized as very smart, but doesn't receive this same treatment from the fandom.

Rose's trauma pertaining to Doc Scratch, the Horrorterrors, and going Grimdark are also very interesting to me. As a child who just wanted to know how the game worked, Doc Scratched encouraged and pushed Rose to consult the Horrorterrors. All the while, he made some uncomfortable comments with sexual insinuation. Rose was practically groomed by Doc Scratch into thinking he was someone she could trust, before breaking that trust and forcing Rose to come face-to-face with some of the most horrible things she could ever know. Right after this, she found the body of her dead mother and watched one of her best friends die.

Doc Scratch pushed Rose to the edge and forced her to come to terms with things she wasn't ready for, which forced her into seeing the most traumatic things of her life and eventually, her own death.

Rose is one of the most interesting characters in Homestuck and is so tragically forgotten in favor of being a backup character to whatever misadventure Dave is getting up to.

[dairy-farmer]

Recursive Incest Pregnancy Timmy Anon with more fun! Little baby Timmy just seemed to be born horny. He's been playing with his baby pussy ever since his fingers found that magic little button that made him all tingly and shaky and felt so good! Naturally, his parents tried to dissuade him from this when they found out - that's not something little toddlers need to play with. Of course, playing with it as much as he does, he rubs his sweet little cunny raw, and needs medication to help the delicate skin repair.

Janet applies it at first, but gets extremely put out when her little son starts rocking on her finger, moaning softly for "more, mommy." She then enlists Jack's help in treating their son, because surely he can handle this, right? Well, Jack handles it a bit better, or at least doesn't complain as much, and after a while, she doesn't even hear Timmy moaning for more! What Janet doesn't know is that Jack bribed Timmy to be quiet by offering a finger inside his hungry little baby pussy to just stop moaning.

One finger isn't enough for long, and baby Timmy starts whimpering again, causing Jack to stuff a second finger inside of him. Of course, after a while of this, Jack's starting to react to having fingers in the tightest, youngest puss he's ever had his hands on. And Timmy won't stop rubbing his little puss raw, so he has to keep treating the boy with that ointment. When Timmy starts whining again about needing more, Jack just huffs and stuffs his cock inside that baby pussy.

Well Timmy's hooked! All of maybe 7 years old and addicted to having his dad's cock inside of him regularly. Jack has to send Janet on the archaeology trips alone, because Timmy needs his treatment, and they don't want the maid to find out about Tim's 'situation'. So Jack fucks his horny little son for his treatments, and Tim starts to finally keep his hands off his pussy. But the moment Jack starts making noises about joining Janet out on the field, Timmy has to find a way to keep stuffed full of cock!

So Tim starts climbing into bed with Jack, sitting on his lap and rocking piteously, begging for his daddy to "make him tingle inside." And, well, Janet isn't exactly putting out lately, so he succumbs to this child's desires and starts fucking him more. The boy hasn't even had his period yet! But sure enough, Jack keeps loading up that little puss with hot daddy cum.

A couple weeks before Timmy's next birthday, he starts getting a little pudgy. Timmy doesn't care, he just keeps begging his daddy for his hot daddy juice. Jack however, starts noticing that baby Timmy's tits are getting puffier, milkier. He's not a stupid man, he knows full well he's managed to knock up his son before he's even had his first period. Now he has to figure out what to do about this.

Jack knows he sure as heck can't tell Janet that he knocked up their son, nor their doctor, because that would get Timmy taken away, and someone might think it's actually ok to take advantage of his boy. He seeks out a very hush hush doctor to consult about Tim's condition. The doctor says they can absolutely make it go away, but Tim needs to decide for himself. Jack brings his little boy, with his not so little pudge now, to the doctor, who explains exactly what's going on to Timmy, who just looks so excited he's gonna be a mommy, and moreso when the doctor says it's also going to be his little sibling. "I always wanted a brother or sister!"

Well now Jack's really fucked, he has a horny little boy that wants to give birth really badly. So he messages Janet to let her know that Tim is being difficult, so he's going to have to stay in Gotham to make sure he stops playing with himself. Janet is surprisingly understanding, "as long as I don't have to hear the boy moaning on our fingers ever again." Jack swears she won't, feeling a bit awkward about the lie of omission, which he sends while Timmy is happily bouncing on his dad's cock.

Timmy keeps riding his dad's cock the full nine months, and only stops right before his water breaks. Thankfully, the doctor is fine with house calls for situations like this, and Timmy gives birth to his little brother. Little Timmy is over the moon, and for the first time in a long while, he doesn't want to play with his little pussy - it's too sore from delivering his son. Jack thinks he can finally get back to the field, after making sure Timmy is ok taking care of his little brother.

Of course, the moment Timmy's poor little abused snatch has healed up, he crawls right back into Jack's bed to bounce on his morning wood before he wakes. Jack wakes up to cumming deep in his oldest son again with a low groan. "Tim, you can't keep doing this . . ."

"Why not? don't you want more kids?" Timmy asks, with big, innocent, wide eyes. Jack curses as that just causes his dick to make a valiant effort at coming back to full hardness. Timmy smirks as he notices the reaction, grinding down on his dad with a soft moan of "Daddy, I want more siblings, won't you give them to me?" Jack can't help himself, his son still has the tightest, wettest little pussy, even this soon after giving birth, and it feels so good to fuck.

Jack tells Janet that his hiatus from the field is going to take a while, their boy is just as stubborn as his parents. Janet is surprisingly understanding, and says that she's been finding some incredible things, and it's too bad Tim inherited their stubbornness, but she'll bring some great things home. Jack only wants to know when she'll be home, telling her it's because he misses her, but knowing it's because he'll need to hide Tim's little brother . . . or more.

He does eventually ask his neighbor if his kids can sleep over at his place "when the missus gets home." Wayne "call me Bruce" gives him a sly wink as he says he'll happily keep the kids out of their hair for a little while. Jack just barely passes off Tim's second son off as Janet's, along with the first when he drops the three off, saying she'd come back to give birth in Gotham. He'd also warned Tim about letting out their "little secret" and to behave himself at Brucie's place.

Thankfully, that time, Timmy's a little too sore still to be a horny little fucktoy of a boy. The second time Janet comes back, they're not quite as lucky, and Timmy hasn't quite been knocked up by Jack yet when he's found fingering himself madly, whining for cock in his guest room. Timmy sweetly asks whoever's walked in on him to "please fuck me? I'm so empty"

Do they take little Timmy up on his offer of baby puss? And who finds him?

(even better if Timmy starts teaching his little brothers how to fuck him once they start finding out about their baby cocks, and how good they feel to play with. Maybe next time they're sent to Brucie's to cover up all the breeding Jack's been doing to Timmy, the last person who walked in on them [and possibly fucked Timmy] walks in on Timmy being pounded into next week by his oldest son)

tim being a whore from the very beginning, he was practically born one. its not jack's fault or anyone who takes "advantage" of tim! tim was always going to turn out that way! he's just made to be a mindless little toy, a sleeve for anyone that will fuck him 💖💖💖!!!

[sooinluvz]

(𓇼) ⸺ ⠀𝐓𝗁𝖾 𝐂𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾𝗇 𝐒𝗉𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾

pairing : sukuna x gn!reader

summary : to save thousands they must marry the king of curses

tw : slight gore mentions, implied con/dub-con, kuna is rough

notes ; this is an intro from a bot im working on lol

the entire arrangement was meant to bring peace to the chiefs and elders terrified of what war would look like if the king of curses did not get what he wanted. tyrannical, cruel, barbaric, those names and more always followed after he was mentioned in any conversation among the peasants or the highest of nobles.

no one was safe from him. no one could hide when time came for punishment. no one dared question his rule, not if they wished to eat their tongue after it had been severed.

he was the ruler of all the lands, an emperor, a king, maybe even a god who came down from the heavens to torment and aid humanity. his power knew no bounds, it never failed him nor would it ever do so.

as rare as a drop of rain during a drought was his kindness during meetings with his advisors (they were just there as decoration because he never listened to them), during consultations with his people, during interactions with his servants.

the word scary didn't do him justice, no, it was too soft, too *weak* for someone like the king of curses. he could end someone's life with a mere glance, the servants would whisper in the corners of the palace. not before the air was pulled from their longs and their corpses dropped to the ground though.

a man like that, suddenly relaying to every noble house in his empire that he wished for a spouse to marry, it was the thing they least expected. many thought the king would take their wealth for himself, leave them to frolic with peasants and eat dirt. that would have been their fate if they hadn't decided on a spouse for the king.

many months had passed since the announcement, and many had lost their lives just from being prospective spouses. if tensions were high then, they could reach the moon now.

familes were terrified to send their eligible children to have a chance at being the spouse of the king, and yet, if a child hadn't been sent, all of them would be slaughtered within a fortnight.

none were safe from his wrath, it was hopeless. there seemed to be no one that lord sukuna wished to marry, all would have been lost.

although, having just stepped out of their carriage in front of the palace gates, the king could already sense them. their scent was mind boggling, a beauty unlike any he had ever seen. but it wasn't their face that had him sold, it was their heart.

and he didn't mean in the romantic way, he meant it as in he wanted to rip their heart out of their chest and taste their flesh and blood. he wanted to watch them bleed, turn pale and die. that's what had happened to all his concubines, why shouldn't it happen to his spouse as well?

not even a week had passed before they were married. the ceremony was grand and lavish, but the air was misted with heavy emotions, from both his spouse and the people of his empire. as promised however, sukuna had given them a bit of leeway, letting them breathe for a bit before he would grow bored.

now living in the palace, it was a dreary and absolutely depressing place to live. the gardens never bloomed, the hallways never cleaned, the planets never seen to. though the palace was old and had its charms, it was also falling apart.

they were treated very well, however. given the finest clothes, meals, gifts and anything else they wished for. the tales they were told of how evil sukuna was seemed more far fetched then anything else; they hadn't even seen him since the wedding.

what sort of man didn't even wish to consummate his own marriage?

they shouldn't have bothered with trying to be a good spouse, the servants warned them not to make the king of curses mad, for the consequences could very well cost them their life. they were told that sukuna hadn't seen them was because he was being considerate, something that wouldn't last.

despite being warned, they would wait for sukuna at dinner, try to spot him in the throne room, find him in the courtyard, or even in the bathing chambers. but no dice. it was only when they were walking through the palace at night with nothing but a lantern guiding their steps did they see why the servants, why the people, feared the man known as ryomen sukuna.

he was a monster...

sukuna's eyes snapped down to the one who was meant to be his spouse, seeing the fear on their features because of his form. he had tattoos on his skin, four arms, four eyes, razor sharp teeth peaking out from his lips as he smirked.

a deep chuckle rumbled within his chest. "you aren't meant to be here." he told them, a hand reaching out to grab their arm, grip almost bone breaking. "didn't the servants ever warn you not to roam the palace at night? a monster might eat you..."

he leaned down, hot breath ghosting over the skin of their cheek before he ran his tongue along the side of their face. without much effort, he threw them over his shoulder and walked back to his bedchambers. his hand smacked their rear end, a little harder than necessary, sure to leave a red mark.

"come now, stop squirming." he warned when he hovered over them on his bed, top set of arms holding their wrists while his bottom set split their legs open. "i suggest you listen to my words very carefully. you wouldn't want to... disappoint me, would you, my dear?"

running his tongue along his sharp teeth, a hand from his bottom set held their chin, sharp claw like nails dragging down their throat. "shh, shh, don't cry." he mocked them. "i won't make it painful, not now at least. be good for me and shut up. or i'll have to throw you out my window and you'll decorate the roses with your blood."

"understand?"

[lokidokieokie]

Under the Lamppost

Summary: You and Sherlock have been secretly harbouring feelings for each other, but it takes a moment of vulnerability for you both to finally reveal the truth

Pairing: Sherlock Holmes x Fem!Reader

Warning(s): smidge of angst, love confessions, fluffy fluff

You had always been someone who was observant, even as a child. You would notice things that others wouldn't, pick up on details that would slip by most people's attention. It was a skill that had served you well in your adult life, especially in your current job as a consulting detective.

But unlike Sherlock, you didn't make a show of your abilities. You kept them hidden, only using them when necessary. You didn't want to draw attention to yourself, especially not from the likes of Sherlock Holmes.

You had been working with him for a few months now, and it was clear that he was intrigued by you. He would occasionally make comments about your abilities, but you always brushed them off, feigning ignorance.

One day, Sherlock was in a particularly foul mood. You could tell he was upset about something, but you didn't know what. You had been working on a case together, but Sherlock had abruptly left the crime scene, leaving you to finish up on your own.

You found him back at 221B, sulking in his chair. You hesitated for a moment, unsure if you should say anything. But something inside you compelled you to speak up.

"Something's bothering you," you said, your voice soft.

Sherlock looked up at you, surprised. "What makes you say that?"

"You're not your usual self," you said, taking a step closer to him. "You're distracted, agitated. And you're avoiding the case we were working on. It's unlike you."

Sherlock's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, you thought he might lash out at you. But instead, he seemed to deflate.

"It's nothing," he muttered, looking away.

"It's not nothing," you said firmly. "You're conflicted about something. Something to do with me, I think."

Sherlock's head snapped back to look at you, his eyes wide. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been...different, around me," you said, hesitating slightly. "More...attentive. And not in the way you usually are. It's like you're...conflicted about something."

Sherlock stared at you for a long moment, his expression unreadable. You felt exposed, vulnerable, like you had revealed too much. You turned to leave, but before you could make it to the door, Sherlock's hand shot out and grabbed your wrist.

"Wait," he said, his voice low. "You're right. I am...conflicted. About you. About us."

You turned to face him, your heart pounding in your chest. "What do you mean?"

Sherlock took a step closer to you, his gaze intense. "I mean...I think I have feelings for you. Romantic feelings."

Your breath caught in your throat. You had suspected as much, but to hear him say it out loud...it was almost too much to handle.

"I feel the same way," you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

Sherlock's eyes widened in surprise. "You do?"

You nodded, feeling emboldened by his confession. "I've been hiding my abilities from you, but I've been observing you just as much as you've been observing me. And...I've noticed how you've been looking at me. How you've been treating me differently."

Sherlock's expression softened, and for a moment, it felt like everything was going to be alright. But then, something shifted in his eyes, and you knew something was wrong.

"I can't do this," he said, his voice rough. "I can't have feelings for you. It's too complicated. It's not...it's not safe."

You felt your heart sink at Sherlock's words. You had been so sure that he felt the same way as you did. You took a step back, feeling embarrassed and exposed.

"What do you mean it's not safe?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

Sherlock sighed heavily and looked down at his feet. "I can't get involved with someone I work with. It's not...it's not professional. And there's always the risk of danger. I can't put you in danger."

You felt a lump form in your throat. You knew that Sherlock had a point, but it still hurt to hear him say it. You had allowed yourself to hope that maybe, just maybe, you could have something with him.

"I understand," you said, your voice shaking slightly. "I'll...I'll go. I don't want to make things awkward."

You turned and exited 221B. The lump in your throat growing with every step you took away from him. Opening the door, you turned behind you to look at the entryway one last time.

Swiping the tear off your cheek, you exited into the rain. You made it as far as the lamppost before Sherlock grabbed your hand. He spun you around and pulled you into his arms, pressing his lips to yours in a fierce, desperate kiss.

The rain was coming down harder now, soaking through your clothes and plastering your hair to your face. But you didn't care. All you could feel was Sherlock's lips on yours, his arms around you, his body pressed up against yours.

When he finally pulled away, you were both gasping for breath. He looked at you, his eyes intense.

"I can't promise that it will be easy," he said. "But I can promise that I want to try. If you're willing."

You felt a smile spread across your face, despite the rain and the uncertainty. "I'm willing. I'm more than willing. "

Sherlock leaned down and kissed you again, this time more gently. You melted into his embrace, feeling the rain washing away all the doubts and fears that had been holding you back. You knew that it wouldn't be easy, but you also knew that you were willing to fight for this, for Sherlock, for yourself. And in that moment, that was all that mattered.

A/N I miss Sherlock 😔

🏷 @thewaithfuckingannoyme @evelyn-kingsley @moonlight-ee  @otterlycanadian 

[thequeenofnightmares]

“I don’t want to fight,” it was barely more than a whisper, but the plea in Nesta’s voice was evident. She reached up to lace her fingers around the back of Cassian’s neck. They both closed their eyes, letting their foreheads rest against each other. For a long moment, they breathed together.

Then Cassian said, more calmly now, “I don’t know that I would have made the same decision.”

Nesta opened her eyes, but didn’t speak. Cassian just shook his head, an incredulous look on his face. “You are my mate,” he said, his voice hoarse. “But Rhys is . . . .” He paused, searching for the words. “I’m sworn to protect this court. This territory. What you did . . . . jeopardized all of that. Rhys has every right to be angry.”

“I’m not asking anyone not to be angry.”

“Then what are you asking for? What is it that you’re asking of me?” His eyes were sad as he cupped her face in his hands.

“Understanding.”

“I do understand. I told you—I would want someone to help—”

“No,” she shook her head. “I don’t mean for my decision to give Bryce the Mask. I don’t regret it. And I would do it again.” His eyes flashed, and he dropped his hands.

“Then what do you mean.”

“I want you to respect my ability to make my own decisions,” she snapped, unable to keep the bite from her voice as her anger flared again. “I want you stop treating me like a child who went against some kind of rule—”

“Then don’t act like one,” he growled.

Nesta’s nostrils flared.

Breathe. Breathe.

“I will tell you the same thing I told Rhysand. The Trove answers to me. I command it.”

“And we all answer to Rhys,” he barked back. “That’s what you don’t understand. You don’t understand that you cannot make decisions like this without consulting him, without consulting Feyre—”

“Rhysand and Feyre have both made plenty of decisions without consulting the rest of you,” she said icily. She saw the hurt flash in Cassian’s eyes. An old wound. Perhaps more than one. But she went on, “they have both hatched dangerous, impulsive plans and not informed anyone. And yet you don’t look at them the way you’re looking at me now.”

“That is different, and you know it. Rhysand is my High Lord. He is a ruler—”

“And I am your mate!” she was practically screaming now. Cassian’s face was inches from hers; the fury rippling off of him like steam from the bath.

“Being my mate does not mean that you can do whatever the fuck you want in this court—to this court, and that I will blindly agree with you.”

“Again, I don’t care about your agreement. All I want is for you not to look at me with disgust. To give me the same grace that you give to Rhysand, to Feyre, to everyone else in this gods-damned court except, apparently, to me. I want you to tell me that you don’t agree with me, and you still love me despite it. To think about what it would be like if you were given the choice between blind loyalty to your court and something you loved even more—”

“There is nothing I love more than this court,” he roared.

Utter silence fell. Cassian’s eyes widened, the words he’s spoken settling in the space between their bodies.

Nesta took a step back, staring at Cassian. Trying to make sense of what he’d just said.

Say you didn’t mean it, she silently begged him. Say that you were angry.

Cassian’s throat worked like he might say something.

Only he didn’t.

Nesta stared, disbelief creeping like hoarfrost along her skin. Her chest hurt as realization sunk in.

He hadn’t spoken only out of anger. He really felt that way.

And his eyes—still wide and pleading—betrayed the truth.

Nesta felt her heart break.

My interpretation of the events that occurred between Nesta and Cassian after the argument with Rhys, during the Ember & Randall bonus chapter. Read the entire chapter on AO3!

[gofancyninjaworld]

OPM Manga Review: Schemes and Heroes

Yup, this is the long-delayed review of updates 235 and 236, variously numbered as chapters 190-1 (Cubari) or 188-189 (Viz, Tonarinoyj). I've made several starts but somehow, never got far.

Summary: Slowly, then all at once

That's how bankruptcy is supposed to happen: the trouble sneaks up on you, and then suddenly, it's all falling apart. When it comes to the crisis of confidence that the Hero Association is facing, they've realised that they're in some bother since they're now struggling to get new recruits. However, things are about to get a lot worse.

We have Child Emperor, spurred by disgust and frustration at the Hero Association's faults and unwillingness to address those flaws, all topped with rage about discovering the pun that his hero name is, who has left the organization for the Neo Heroes. He's announced his new hero name, now known as Wild Emperor.

Zombieman has gone to consult Dr. Genus about possibly removing his limiter like Saitama has. He's concerned for Isamu's well-being and Genos's testimony is one he can't afford to ignore. The doctor has agreed to show him something interesting in the basement.

There's no question that the Hero Association is in deep trouble. We'd seen in earlier chapters that they were struggling to recruit new heroes. Now, we're beginning to see how they lose existing heroes. We see Snek given a brief to investigate a monster attack on a donor, only to learn from Isamu that the monster is long caught as it's one of the many monsters sold as exotic pets. Far from being an investigator trusted to handle a delicate cold case, Snek has been given some busy work. To say he's unimpressed is an understatement.

They still seem to imagine heroes grow on trees the way they're treating the most loyal ones.

More seriously, as Amai Mask tells the executives gathered to discuss the problem of heroes defecting, the executives have ignored Isamu's recommendations to address the shortcomings. He's got an idea other than ditching the HA: raise a hero to serve as a standard-bearer to inspire heroes to join and recommit. It's a great idea, but his choice of Saitama is going to be a hard sell from the get-go. Still, he gets the go-ahead.

We know that 'perfect' and 'Saitama' do not go together. Amai is about to find that out the hard way.

The next chapter starts at another meeting of the executives. And another shock defection. This time, it's not a hero, but Sekingar, who returns his HA-provided artificial eye and hand. He says that he's going to the Neo Heroes as their organisational details and plans for hero development are superior. He stands his ground and counters McCoy's accusation of his jumping ship to sell HA secrets to the Neo Heroes with some shade of his own, saying that he's a company man and knows no one trusts a traitor.

All starts to make sense once Sekingar picks up his new equipment and establishes comms with Wild Emperor. This is all part of a plan to infiltrate the Neo Heroes, find out what they're up to, and assess whether it poses a threat to heroes. Sekingar exits the lift to go out to the pick-up helicopter, only to find Metal Bat waiting for him. Metal Bat will be joining him as his body guard, after having been asked to do so by Sicchi as a favour. Since Sekingar is someone who has earned Metal Bat's respect -- not to mention going into danger like a hero -- he's only too happy to do so. The pair make their way to the Neo Hero chopper.

The earned trust and respect between those two is wonderful to see.

Changing topic, there's another not-quite-a-hero guy we've yet to hear about. Garou. We start out with a glimpse of what the Bang dojo dynamics must have been like. Toxic! He's back, and he's starting right where he's left off, terrorising Charanko. Bang quickly puts an end to it with a knock to his head and puts him to wiping the floor. Working his way up from the bottom of the pecking order is the only way to be accepted anew, Bang insists. Soon, it's time for Garou to head out to his court-ordered part-time job. Even as he grumbles about having too much to do, there's an eagerness and lightness to Garou as he heads off to earn money. The dojo sees him off.

Charanko settles down to relax at last, only to be shocked to see King come pay a visit. Inside, King tries to explain his current predicament to Bang, telling the old man about the near-miss he had with Atomic Samurai the day before. Unfortunately, between the old man's hardness of hearing, King's roaring heart beat, and how much King is muttering, Bang can't hear it. Finally, desperately, King shouts, 'Please make me stronger.' And that is where we end the chapter.

Shall we have some meta then?

META

Self-Efficacy

I love it when characters help themselves. There was a time that I nearly quit watching One-Punch Man: it was in episode 9, when despite everyone's efforts, the Deep Sea King had not been checked, and then Saitama dispatched it with one punch. I felt acutely depressed rather than elated or relieved: what was the point of a series where only one character's actions mattered? Thankfully, I gave it one more episode and the other S-Class heroes started getting introduced, with Tatsumaki showing that she was far from chopped liver. Good. The manga has more space, and it has given characters the opportunity to try more ways of understanding and trying to solve their predicaments, and I. LOVE. IT.

Carefully weighing up the threats and any opportunities this new thing poses rather than simply reacting.

I've Got My Eye On You

Sorry, I'm allowed one Dad Joke a day and today's your turn for me to set it upon you. The sight of the two one-eyed men casting sidelong glances at each other, sizing each other up, and each daring the other to come clean was splendid. McCoy has put himself in a great position to do harm to the Hero Association. He's the vice chief of operations and has made himself seem indispensable in these frightening times. He may be up to evil dealings -- and in chapter 188 we've seen that he's actively set up Amai Mask to fail and is colluding with the Neo Heroes, but he's nowhere near as untouchable as he thinks he is. It's good to see Sekingar and Isamu working together to thoroughly understand what McCoy is really up to and what the Neo Heroes' true intentions are, rather than simply jumping on the first evidence of wrongdoing and losing their leads. I'll come back to this in a sec.

However, McCoy knows that Wild Emperor is onto him, and what with having suggested the Neo Heroes to Sekingar in the first place, is sure to be wary about Sekingar's true intentions. This isn't going to be an easy mission for either of them. I have no doubt in the strength of Metal Bat's arm, but man, he's a little too open for a mission, isn't he?

They know each has dirt on the other. Who will crack first?

​

A Hero Is As A Hero Does

What I love about the cover of 189 is that it features people who act heroically whether or not it's in a capacity traditionally known as 'hero'. This pair of chapters has really been bringing that out. Sekingar's frustrated heroism is finding an outlet in looking out for heroes, even at risk to himself. Sicchi may not want to be a hero, but his unwavering concern for the well-being of humanity and willingness to find ways to use his position to help those who can make a difference shine here. He's a good boss. King and Saitama over in the distance need no explaining. And as for Garou, even as he's not willing to admit it yet, he's a hero through and through.

Speaking of Garou...

​

The Years Come Off, What New Experiences Will Grow?

It really disconcerted a lot of fans to see Garou be the slightly immature teenager he actually is rather than the young man he's been posturing as. Despite how he's being knocked around, there's a lightness to Garou which just goes to show how heavy the burden he'd placed on himself as Fixer of the World was. I've ranted before about Bang's style of dojo management -- the idea of being able to punch down definitely came from him.

Apples don't fall far from trees, after all.

It's not just Garou who has gotten a second chance to do better, but Bang as well. Between Garou and the former disciples who have started coming back, there are a lot of people looking to see if he'll do right by them this time. I hope he's up to it.

King? Eh, I'll leave his tale of woe to the next review!

​

Small Note

How did you know that? Why are you telling me this? These are questions that ONE takes the time to scrupulously ask: knowledge doesn't come to one just because one is smart. It has to have a source, and that source has to have a reason for sharing it with you. It's really nice to see that Phoenixman's knowledge of the Hero Association's backroom dealings comes from having been a previous captive.

I spy with my little eye, a little monster not all growed up yet

[bluesylveon2]

Hello!! May I request 6. I Won't Say I'm in Love from Hercules with Malleus? I'm quite the malleus connoisseur !! ❤️😭 Thank you!!! <333

Hi!!! Idk why but this one was hard for me to write 😅. I tried to keep the song in mind while writing it. It ended up being less of "I Won't Say I'm in Love" and more of "I didn't know I was in love. ft Lilia" I hope that this fits since you are a Malleus connoisseur!

Note: Malleus is oblivious to love. Small Spongebob, Ice Age, and Frozen reference

Word Count: 844

Warnings: not beta read and possible OOC characters

"Lilia-"

"Ahem," Lilia, wearing his long lab coat, cleared his throat from his spot on the couch.

Malleus sighed as he lay on his bed with his hands on his stomach. His mind was jumbled with thoughts about the Prefect. Lately, she has been stuck in his mind, and Malleus had to consult Lilia for his wisdom, but was Lilia rearranging his own room into a doctor's clinic necessary? "Doctor Lilia." 

"Much better. Now what are you here for?" Lilia smiled and returned to writing his shopping list on his clipboard. Malleus did not need to know that.

"It's about the Prefect."

Lilia nodded and jotted more items down. "What conditions are you experiencing right now?"

"That I want to be next to her right now."

Lilia hummed in thought. He waved his hand, and some mist appeared. Inside the mist was a Yuu smiling at Malleus, "How would you feel when you see Yuu?"

Malleus sighed for the nth time that day, "Well, I would feel happy like when I get ice cream, excited because I am spending time with her because I could tell her more gargoyle facts, my chest gets this feeling when I see her, I can trust her with Gao-Gao Drakon-kun…."

Hours had passed, and the sun was beginning to set when Malleus was still rambling and didn't look like he was going to stop. 

Meanwhile, Lilia had already dispersed the mist and focused on other important matters.  

I can scare Sebek and Silver if I draw a ghost on the other side of this shopping list, put it on a fishing rod, and hang it in front of their faces. Khee hee hee, those boys will be in for a treat.

"And she occupies my thoughts day and night! Thinking about her now makes me want to praise her for everything, almost like Rook."

"What would you do if someone? Let's use Leona, had the same feelings you felt for her now?" Malleus frowned. If looks could kill, then the roof would have a big hole going through it. The sound of thunder could be heard nearby. Lilia held up a hand and shook his head. He already knew his answer. "Malleus, I know what you're experiencing, but first, let me give you a hint so you can figure it out."

Malleus sat up and crossed his arms. "Aren't you supposed to be the one to diagnose me?"

"Hush, who is the doctor here? Now, it starts with an L.."

Malleus' eyes widen in shock, "Leprosy!"

Lilia chuckled, "No, no! Not that. It's four letters and ends with an e."

"Starts with an l. It is four letters and ends with an e," Malleus whispered to himself. His chin rested on his fist while his face was deep in thought. There was only one word that came to mind. 

"Lice?"

Lilia could not hold back his laugh. In fact, he could not stop laughing (he even threw his head back and slapped his knee) for a whole ten minutes. 

"Are you done?" Malleus asked with a frown on his face. 

"Ha ha…phew…I have not laughed like that in so long! Yes, Malleus. I am now. What you're experiencing is love."

Malleus' mouth opened up in a small o, "Love…can you explain it, Lilia." 

"Love is both a physical and emotional feeling. It can turn your cheeks red and give you butterflies in your stomach. Not literal ones, of course, but it feels like it. Love is also putting one's needs before your own." 

"I see…" Malleus trailed off, deep in thought. 

Lilia chuckled, "What do you think love is?"

"Whenever I think or see the Child of Man, I feel happy. I felt the butterflies after she gave me a ticket to the VDC. She is also one of the few people who was not scared of me after knowing my identity. She even has similar interests to me. If she asked me to get her a rose from Briar Valley, I would do it. If she wanted me to follow her to the end of the universe for her, then I would; she is the Earth and Heaven to me. Had she gotten injured by Schoenheit’s overblot, I would have been devastated…. " Malleus looked up at Lilia, the realization set in his face, "Love is Yuu. I love Yuu."

Lilia smirked, "Took you long enough to realize it. You always have a lovestruck face when you see her. I'm surprised that you never concealed it." 

Malleus ignored Lilia and shot straight out of his bed with a determined look, "I need to go."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to tell Yuu I love her! Thank you for helping me, Lilia!" Malleus disappeared, leaving a small trail of light where he once stood. 

Lilia stood up and brushed off the imaginary dust off his coat, "Kids these days," he chuckled and grabbed his clipboard, "Now let me do my shopping at Sam's. I hope he has a fishing rod in stock, khee hee hee." 

400 event is still open!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted Wonderland and its characters. Those belong to Aniplex, Walt Disney Japan, and Yana Toboso.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2 2020-23. DO NOT modify, republish, or plagiarize my work.

[olderthannetfic]

I hate to say it, but I think End OTW Racism is just Antis establishing a new front and hoping to wound the Archive that way.

Here's what I think the play is: they are going to cite the OTW not responding to their demands very "mea culpa, mea culpa,mea maxima culpa" publicly and not hiring a diversity consultant as PROOF that the organization is racist and loves racism and people should not donate to them anymore. And they are going to hammer hard on that come the next donation drive.

"Don't donate to the OTW, they are RACIST (and love child porn)."

And a lot of people who have not thought the whole thing through, and haven't connected the dots will fall for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Why do I think this?

First off, they cite Stich and Nerdlingwrites whose final comment in this very popular post, certainly seems very anti https://www.tumblr.com/nerdlingwrites/624303276296388609/seriously-im-going-to-delete-this-post-just-so ("What I'm saying, what black people and other people of color and trans people and PEOPLE WHO HATE CHILD PORN, are all saying is that AO3 needs to put on their big person pants and start asking themselves hard questions.")

Now, out of all the posts/metas that could've been chosen to illustrate the points that EOTWR could've chosen? Why those two bloggers?

Nerdling goes on to say: "Stop trying to act like AO3 is the be all and end all of platforms. They rise and fucking fall, just like empires. And if they can't get their shit together to fight racism that's rampant on their site? Then boo fucking hoo, they can go the way of MySpace. You'll live without porn, but plenty of my people are dying from racism, you'll forgive me if I don't give a shit about your masturbatory aids. Learn to write your own fucking stony diaper porn if that's what you're into, and stop being a shithead."

AS IF all of the AO3 is nothing but Pr0n. It's where many marginalized people find their voice and agency and finally finally finally see themselves reflected. (Also note the addition Anti sentiment.)

But this part in particular: "Then boo fucking hoo, they can go the way of MySpace. "

I hate to be this cynical and I hope I am wrong, but Nerdlingwrites' post being held up and endorsed through the linking is deeply troubling.

They could've harvested her screenshots and credited them, but no ... they linked her entire post with no disclaimer.

I know a fucking dog-whistle when I hear it.

--

Oh, I'm sure they're not all antis.

I think plenty of them are the kind of people who hear "I was harmed" and think you have to always take that at face value and always try to fix things. Telling someone to their face "No, I won't do anything about your pain" feels wrong to most people.

In reality, lots of people say "harmed" when they mean "I feel uncomfortable about something that is none of my business and that no one asked me to go look at".

They're not even lying. They're just bad at managing their emotions, and catering to them creates an environment where the only way to get treated well is to be performatively the most fragile.

My view is that, like jealousy, woobies are fun fanfic and not something to be tolerated in real life.

[danjaley]

Book-Blog Intermission:

Wonderful Journeys through Time and Literature with Nils Holgerson

Like most of my generation I grew up with the 1980 anime series. And, as I'll say at every opportunity, it spoiled me for pretty much any other TV-show. A good series should follow a literary original - and quite closely. It should have gorgeous aesthetics and music. A plot centered around adventure, history, tradition, loyalty and faith. Plot-decisions should never follow external factors like availability of actors or stale marketing formulas. And it should end when the story is told out.

My mother had the mad idea to try and read the book to me when I was about 5. I didn't understand a word of it. She had a very boring copy too, without any pictures.

Aged 25 I bought the cute edition on the right and made it a reading-project. After each chapter I watched the corresponding episode of the series. And I repeat: It shows the quality of the series that you can do this. Still is was super interesting to note everything they changed. Some things only made sense to me then. Like the story of the parade towards to icy mountain. As a child it just impressed me with its scariness. But in fact it's a parable of which plants can grow how far north.

Cute as it is, the left edition was so badly translated that I went ahead and learned Swedish to read it in the original (middle). In the meantime the German book-market also spoiled me with an up-to-date state-of-the-art unabridged translation (right). So I don't even need to use a dictionary :)

There is one other edition in the house and that's my grandmother's school-copy. As it is well know, Nils Holgerson was written as a reader for Swedish schools, covering geography, history and natural history of Sweden. Since it is an absolute masterpiece, it soon became a school-reader in many other European countries too.

Especially Germany in the 1930s had a fatal obsession with all things Nordic. So every school-child had to learn all about Swedish castles too. I always wondered why nobody at least tried to write a rip-off set in Germany. Only recently, in the course of my current research, I found out that someone did. Tamara Ramsay: Wunderbare Fahrten und Abenteuer der kleinen Dott (images not mine). But it only came out in 1941 and never made it to school-reader status.

My grandmother and her class enjoyed Nils Holgerson so much, they wrote collective fan-mail to Selma Lagerlöff. She replied too. She wrote that she got her German translator to decipher their letter and that she was very glad they enjoyed her book. The translator must have been the same Pauline Klaiber-Gottschau who first translated the book into German.

The original wild geese can of course be consulted at the International Youth Library in Munich. The building (Schloss Blutenburg) is the cutest little medieval castle that's been forgotten on the edge of the city. And in winter and spring you can meet the geese spending the winter in the moat. As a child I always regretted that Nils Holgerson ends just as the geese plan to cross to Germany. I'd have loved to see their Schloss Blutenburg adventure!

My Grandmother also appears to have read most other books by Selma Lagerlöff. At least she ticked them off in the list in her copy of Nils Holgerson. The only other one to survive in her collection is Gösta Berling (here in blue).

While the dated German bothered me a lot in Nils Holgerson, I deeply enjoy reading other Lagerlöff novels in as old editions as I can get hold of (here the much-mended red Gösta Berling). In old German print they just feel like they came from the dawn of time!

Those two have actually both been major inspirations for the McCarrics. Gösta Berling includes more or less the model for Fergus' dying-scene (if you ever want to see the subject treated by a nobel-prize-winner). And Herrn Arnes Schatz (Herr Arnes penningar) has the ghostly sister as well as badass Scotsmen (here unfortunately as the bad guys).

[anamericangirl]

I just saw a post about how a man gets no opinion on whether his baby is aborted or not because it’s not his body. All other arguments aside on how abortion is wrong, it was a disgusting display on how fathers are treated as second class citizens and I was wondering how you felt about this and how you would argue with someone who is of this option.

I've always disliked that. It's just another way that pro-aborts try to shut down discussion and debate about this issue so that the only people *allowed* to have an opinion are pro-abortion women.

But of course men should get a say in the abortion issue. Even while in the mother's womb, it's still their child. They helped create them.

It takes a woman and a man to make a baby.

There are several ways to argue against this because it's just a bad argument but one point is that it's not just the woman's body. There are two bodies. The woman's and the baby's. The baby's body may be inside her body, but they are not part of her body. And she can decide what to do with her body but deciding what to do with the baby's body is not something that she and only she gets a say in. That baby is not just hers to do what she wants with and make the decision about whether they live or die without even consulting the father.

If we're speaking in more general terms, like do men in general get an opinion on abortion even if they aren't personally involved and it's not their baby then the answer is still an emphatic yes. Because the argument is not what do women get to do with their bodies, the argument is do we get to kill children just because of where they are located. This is not a women's issue. This a human rights issue and human rights are everyone's business.

[starsurface]

Hello!! Hope this isn't a bother again adhshdh- can I request Little!Lord Raiden with CG!Shao Kahn (headcanon or fic; you can choose)? Perhaps they were arguing or something but then Lord Raiden slipped into littlespace ,,, thank you have a good day! 😊💕

-🦈

It isn't a bother at all!! :D

I don't know how to put that special link that sends you to the fic without not being allowed to do the reply, but here's the link to my AO3 where it's posted:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54094063

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Shao Kahn w/ Little Lord Raiden (Fic)

"Ah Lord Raiden, you wished to see me?" Shao Kahn smirked as the God teleported into his throne room.

"You know exactly what you did!" Raiden glared at the man. . . Dragon thing.

Lord Raiden really didn't feel like having this conversation. Every so often Shao Kahn would attempt to do something to just push the boundaries that Mortal Kombat set into place.

Which meant every so often, Lord Raiden and Shao Kahn need to have a talk.

It was irritating, exactly what Shao Kahn's plans wanted. To irritate their God, to distract him long enough, to get his followers to worry.

And it worked every time.

"Oh?" Shao Kahn acted confused. "Whatever do you mean by that, Lord Raiden?"

He said his title so patronizing, Raiden hated the way he said it. Shao Kanh never respected his title as Lord, he just used it to get under his skin.

And goodness did it work getting under his skin.

He didn't want to have this conversation. he hadn't regressed in almost three full weeks, he felt on the verge of breaking down. But breaking down in front of someone who would exploit such a vulnerable state of his? use it against him? Raiden didn't want to chance it.

And yet here he was, chancing it.

"Pushing the rules of Mortal Kombat? You're just as bad as Shang Tsung," Raiden tisked.

Shao Kahn laughed, "Just as bad? Lord Raiden, the little weakling works for me. Without me, he'd be nothing!"

". . . You want me to call you worse, don't you?"

"I mean, I am, aren't I?" Shao Kahn said proudly. "You wish for me to remove my troops from your border, yes? Well technically, they haven't done anything wrong-"

"You and I both know what your plans are, Shao Kahn," Raiden cut him off. "Putting your troops there is only an attempt to prompt war. We have seen your spies in Earthrealm territory so remove your fleet or I will-

"What? Consult with the Elder Gods?" Shao Kahn groaned, Raiden fumbled slightly. "Yes, yes, you and your precious Elder Gods. Always guiding you, telling you what to do. Geez, can't a God think for himself once in a while?"

Now that struck a nerve. Raiden could make his own decisions, Shao Kahn had no right treating him like some child!

Unfortunately, Shao Kahn noticed how bothered Raiden seemed by the comment.

"Oh I see, so the little God can't make his own decisions!" Shao Kahn taunted. "Always having to go running to his little mommies and daddies, huh?"

"Listen here, Shao Kahn-"

"No you listen, Raiden. How can I expect to fight a war with someone who cannot even lead? If you cannot even make your own decisions by yourself, what right do you have to be a God? The Elder Gods could tell you to destroy Earthrealm to save the Realms and you'd do it!" Shao Kahn laughed. "How are you any better than I? Following those useless being."

Lord Raiden fell silent. Shao Kahn's words hurt, stinging badly in his mind. He could make his own decisions. He didn't always consult with the Elder Gods! Sometimes it was his brother, o-or Liu Kang-

But he made decisions himself too!! He did, he really did! He doesn't listen to everything the Elder Gods tell him to . . . And he wouldn't hurt others if they told him to either. He- He wouldn't.

All these big thoughts hurt Raiden's brain. He had already felt so small before coming here. Sure he was expecting a verbal battle, but not out right insults.

Shao Kahn smiled at Raiden's silence, "Awh, is the little God going to cry?"

And Raiden didn't want to admit it, but that's exactly what he began to do.

Shao Kahn froze as he heard a small sniffle. And very quickly, those small sniffles turned into quiet crying.

Raiden hide his face with his hat, very much not wanting to be here right now.

Shao Kahn sat frozen on his throne before quickly ordering his guards away. His guards, knowing better than to question or bring the experience up, left with no words.

Shao Kahn finally came down from his throne, making Raiden freak out and stumble backwards. He fell to the ground with a cry, his own sobs only becoming louder.

"Lord . . Raiden?" Shao Kahn asked caciously. "What's going on?"

Raiden hiccuped, covering his own mouth and turning away. Shao Kahn knelt down, gently grabbing his hands.

The fear in Raiden's eyes normally would have made him laugh, but right now he only felt a sort of pitty.

"Don't cover your mouth like that, it'll make it difficult to breathe," Shao Kahn said, letting Raiden's hand go.

""m not- Not crying!" Raiden mumbled, trying to dry his tears.

"I see . . . I never meant to upset you this much," Shao Kahn mumbled. "I can remove my troops if they bother you that much."

Raiden gave a small nod, sniffling slightly. He felt embarrassed, sitting on the ground with his enemy, practically sobbing. And over something childish as being ridiculed.

"I have never seen you this upset before," Shao Kahn said carefully. "Have my insults bothered you that much?"

". . . Not usually, just feel. . small-"

"Like, your minds all fuzzy small?" Shao Kahn asked, cutting Raiden off. "As if you're not your age small?"

"How-"

"I knew a few regressors," Shao Kahn brushed him off. It was true, his most loyal General, Kotal, regressed. "Tell me what upsets you. Rarely have I ever seen someone fall to the ground in tears . . . Without getting beat or utterly destroyed beforehand that is."

Raiden hesitated slightly. He didn't want to get caught up in Shao Kahn's lies or twisted tails. He knew the best thing to do was to teleport away, but he didn't trust his abilities while so tiny. Also Fujin said he couldn't use those abilities while small, and he didn't wanna break a rule.

"I can make my own decisions."

. . . Oh, was that all?

Shao Kahn wanted to laugh, but he knew better than to mess with Raiden when his mind his mind was so vulnerable.

Shao Kahn was many things, but he wasn't a monster.

. . . . . Eeeeeeeeeeeh?

Debatable, actually.

"I see," Shao Kahn nodded, standing up, offering out his hand. "Well I'm sorry for my choice of words. I never meant to . . . insult you . . that badly."

Raiden giggled as Shao Kahn's bad apology. It was clear he had meant to insult him. But perhaps not make him drop on spot.

"It's okay," Raiden said, hesitating before accepting Shao Kahn's hand. "The troops go bye bye?"

"Yes, the troops will go bye bye," Shao Kahn promised. "Now the question is, what in the Netherrealms do we do with you?"

". . . Do you wanna pattycake with me?"

Shao Kahn looked at Raiden almost insane.

Perhaps he was too small to see him as the threat he was. Or his childlike mind was taking over. But to play pattycake with the enemy? Shao Kahn never expected such an offer.

"Of course, I'll make sure the throne room stays closed."

He never really pulled the troop stunt again.

. . . Okay, maybe once or twice after the incident, but no more!!

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3