#and to be fair. if she had ANY idea about the reality of the situation especially when it comes to the STUPID MC SERVER DRAMA i don't think

[kqutie]

EPIC: THE FAIR MAIDEN (not so platonic ver.)

CHAPTER TWO : THE FAVOURABLE CIRCUMSTANCE

relations. : platonic various epic characters/reader -- platonic odysseus/reader ; polites/reader ; platonic eurylochus/reader ; platonic elpenor/reader ; platonic perimedes/reader ; platonic odysseus' crew/reader

chpt. sum. : you feed the rest of Odysseus' fleet and earn the trust and love of all 600 men. You even come to an agreement with a certain, goddess of wisdom.

tags. : reader is a disney princess ; female reader ; pure comfort ; reader helps ody get home ; animal crossing new horizons game mechanics ; the crew are lowkey simping ; elpenor and perimedes make the best duo! ; athena makes an appearance ; isekai and transmigration ; fix it fic ; characters know their future ; happy ending for everyone!

length. : 5.2k

a/n : i took advantage of my bursts of inspiration and current obsession for EPIC: The Musical to get this out, hopefully it's a good read. A third chapter is guaranteed to come! I'm thinking of making this a 4-5 part mini series -- just pure fluff and comfort! Enjoy my loves!

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The crew were dehydrated and hungry. This is the price they had to pay to avoid the Cyclops and, at first, they felt it was worth it. However, now that their stomachs were constantly aching, a heavy and painful reminder of their ravenous hunger, they were beginning to second-guess themselves. Growing weaker by the day, they left their oars, slowing their journey home considerably. There also weren’t any reliable winds to push them home. The gods were determined not to influence their journey home in this altered reality but that too had become a major drawback. They couldn’t see an end to it; their spirits were dwindling and the idea of stepping on Ithaca’s sands was now a distant dream.

It wasn’t until the flag was raised by their Captain’s ship that the crewmen dared to feel an ounce of hope. With what little strength they had left, they aligned their boats and set up the slim bridge across, connecting the two vessels. They recognised the first person to traverse the bridge: Polites, their optimist of a third commander. They also recognised the second person to come across: Eurylochus, their hardened second in command. It was the third person that they didn’t recognise, however. 

“Who is that second commander?” Lycaon asks, approaching the tall, sword-wielding Eurylochus but is unable to remain standing in his weakened state. He envied the commanders who could still stand so tall despite their harrowing situation.

“She is the fair maiden,” he answers simply. 

“Does she have no name?” 

“She cannot speak, but she is a blessing to us all,” Polites cut in with a grin, his eyes remaining on you as you cautiously cross the bridge, your long, flowing white dress dancing with the weak sea breeze. “Come now, I assure you it’s safe,” the headband-wearing third commander urges in a gentle and kind voice, softly pulling you to safety with his sweetness. “That’s it, good girl,” he praises as soon as you make it close enough to hold his outstretched hand. He gently guides you to the boat’s perimeter and reaches up to hold your waist, where he then proceeds to lower you down with ease. If Polites was shocked at the amount of energy and strength your food had given him, he didn’t let it show but Eurylochus certainly did. Never before had he seen his gentle third commander display such brawn; perhaps it was his willingness to be a gentleman in the presence of a lady that helped aid his sudden show of burliness.

You smile at Polites in gratitude but are slightly warm in the cheeks from his praise. For a gentle-mannered man to call you so sweetly and smile as if he hadn't just made your heart skip a beat whilst effortlessly lifting and lowering you safely to the ground was something you had never experienced before. Though, admittedly, in the short time you've had to think about it, you won't be complaining if you ever experience it again.

Taking the chance to look around, you’re saddened by the appearance of these war-torn soldiers and crewmen. They had fought for ten long years and came out victorious but it appears as though they aren’t meant to stop fighting just yet. Now they were faced with the most formidable foe, Mother Nature and the seas ruled by one of the cruellest gods you think you’ve ever witnessed. In an attempt to soothe them, you offer a kind smile to which their sunken features are somewhat startled but not unpleasantly. It’s been a long while since they’ve been in the presence of feminine beauty quite like yours. And in their touch-starved, hungry and aching states, you appear before them as a miracle, a mercy upon their blurring visions before they succumb to hunger and their eventual deaths. 

“We call her the fair maiden, she is a very important guest of the Captain,” Polites announces with a smile, making the starved crew tilt their heads in question, slow to comprehend his words. Their third in command was the singular shining optimist of their entire fleet but they couldn’t believe how happy he was in such dire times. And why was he glowing and not sunken? Did you have something to do with it? “She is here to offer us help,” Polites turns to you, silently asking for a demonstration of your blessing while Eurylochus protectively stands behind you. He knows the desperate actions starved men will attempt in the face of the one thing they desire most, his Captain was also aware of this and both agreed that he be the one to protect you across the eleven black boats of his fleet. 

Nodding once, you walk forward and approach Lycaon. The starved man pushes back his chestnut locks so that he can observe you without the shadows of his overgrown and messy hair. Admiring your appearance, there’s something about you that's reassuring, he already feels safe and taken care of under the warm smile on your lips. 

“Good day, m’lady,” he bows his head in politeness after manoeuvring himself into taking a knee before you. If you were an important guest of their Captain, you were to be treated as equal to the Captain. Several of the other crew members who still have the strength to move, mirrored his actions. Soon enough, a majority of the men on board were taking a knee and bowing their heads to you. It made you a little shy and tuck your chin in bashfully, an endearing action to those who were able to witness it. 

Gently, you raise Lycaon’s head with your soft fingers under his chin, giving him a warm look before reaching for your inventory and materialising a fresh basket of bread and a deep bowl of minestrone soup before him. With a gasp and wide eyes, Lycaon looks between you and the food several times before finally meeting eyes with the second and third commanders.

Was this a dream?

Polites laughs and Lycaon realises he had spoken aloud, “It is not a dream, my friend. The fair maiden is here to bless us with food, enough food to feed us all!” Polites then turns to the antsy crewmen looking ready to pounce from a distance, his eyes sharpening uncharacteristically at their savage appearance, “She has plenty to go around so I advise you all to wait patiently…” Polites lets his words sink in, only continuing when the men visibly reel back, ashamed, “If any harm comes to her because of your impatience and greed, you will be severely punished.  Understood?!” Eurylochus looked openly impressed from where he stood, nodding in approval behind his usually sweet friend. 

“Form groups of ten now and we will make the rounds,” Eurylochus’ firm command was immediately followed. The first group, composed of those who gravitated towards Lycaon, bowed their heads in gratitude and jumped at filling their stomachs the instant you returned the gesture. It was as if they had asked for silent permission and pounced when you finally gave it; they wouldn’t dare sabotage their chance at finally being able to eat a full meal. Before you could move on to the next group, however, Lycaon gently takes your hands with his calloused, and shaking ones to press a grateful kiss against your knuckles. 

“Thank you, my lady,” unable to speak, you convey your assurance by taking the hand he kissed and petting his head, softly trailing your hand down to cup his cheek and smiling when he leans into your touch. His tired but assured olive eyes flutter close to savour your softness and warmth. You’re surprised at the tears that fall from his long lashes but smile when you see his smiling lips littered with crumbs. 

You make the rounds with the rest of the groups and happily watch as they all have their fill. Thank goodness the animal crossing portion sizes are as unrealistically big as in the game; everyone could have their fill without having to deprive another of their portion. It was also helpful that when all the food was gone, the cutlery and tableware it came with also disappeared — no waste!

Just as the first group was finishing up their meal, you returned to offer them several large, perfectly round, and juicy oranges as dessert. They cheer in delight and awe at your airy giggle. Despite being unable to speak, you manage to sound the sweetest, twinkling laugh they’ve ever heard. To be provided with delicious food on such hard times was already such a blessing but to receive it from a beautifully fair and kind maiden was an entirely new blessing atop that. Their hearts and minds can be at ease now, their stomachs full and their nights no longer filled with restless tossing and turning from the discomfort of hunger. 

After receiving the gratitude of the 50 men on this boat, you make the same trip to the rest of the 10 black boats left in Odysseus’ fleet. The experience was relatively the same, beginning with weary eyes and ending with cheers, sighs of contentment and endless gratitude. You can’t count the amount of crew members who have kissed your hand or cried tears of relief before you.

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

For another day or two, you repeat the same routine of feeding the crew a hearty meal you cook up on the kitchenette summoned on Odysseus’ ship, right beside your storage shed for easy access to ingredients. Thinking ahead, you make a bunch of bread baskets, from normal bread to the savoury and snack bread baskets and offer those with jams on your morning deliveries to each ship. That allows the crew to have some sustenance while you prepare their bigger meal later on in the day. You feel bad for being unable to offer more food but Odysseus assures you that you’re doing more for them than what is needed. 

“I can have my crew survive on just one meal a day, they wouldn’t dare complain after the hunger they’ve had to endure until you arrived,” Odysseus assures with a kind smile after seeing your anxious expression. However, you immediately throw up your hands and wave them about in protest, causing the Captain to look at you perplexed. 

“I don’t think she approves of that, Captain,” Polites laughs and claps his friend on the shoulder. Odysseus shakes his head and chuckles in light humour. 

“Then let me express my thanks for helping my crew. You are truly a blessing and have the biggest heart,” Odysseus bows at the waist like he did the first day you arrived and Polite quickly follows. Even Eurylochus bows from where he's stationed guarding your shed. It flusters you and you reach out to lightly tap their shoulders in assurance, as if to say, ‘It’s alright, please raise your heads,’.

“Those coconuts you gave out are also really helpful,” Polites nods towards the pile of coconuts on one end of the ship, “They’re a great way to quench our thirst. I’d say they’re more hydrating than water,” you clap in happiness and nod eagerly, your eyes closed as you smile and it escapes you how all three— the captain and his commanders —soften their gazes at the sight. They can only truly believe in Polites’ ‘open arms’ belief because of your boundless kindness and eagerness to help. 

On the second day aboard Odysseus’ ship, you cook up a treat by making the three pizza recipes available to you from Animal Crossing. The Margherita, mushroom and seafood pizzas were very well received by the crew along with the peaches you gave for dessert. They were eager to request more pizzas in the future if you were willing. On the third day, you made a bunch of Seabass pies (many of the men adored the fish design you put on top, they called it ‘charming’) and apples for dessert.

For many, it was their first time having pizza and Seabass pie so it was really fun to see them, not only, satiate their hunger, but also openly react to something they were tasting for the first time. There were many satisfactory hums and excited, contagious gossip about what they liked most about a particular dish. They found pizzas fun and easy to eat while the pie was a wonderful layer of mashed potato, fish filling and golden crust goodness — a combination they had never encountered before but acquired an instant taste for.

While you were sipping on a coconut milk drink between cooking sessions, some of the crew were eying you curiously but tried to make it seem as though they weren’t blatantly staring. It was quite endearing actually. You gestured to a particularly starry-eyed crew member and kindly motioned him over. Elpenor with his fluffy brunette hair, cacao eyes and bronze skin approaches with a small, shy smile, closely followed by his slightly taller friend, who sported wavy blonde hair that came down to his chin and greyish-blue eyes. 

“I go by Elpenor, fair maiden,” the broad-shouldered brunette introduces with a bow when he comes to stand before your curiously tilted head. You remember him as the one who unfortunately died after getting drunk and falling off of Circe’s palace in the musical. It was your guess that the man who followed him was his friend Perimedes. 

“And they call me Perimedes,” the musical portrayed Perimedes as a man who hides his true emotions, appearing nonchalant and jovial despite his depressed disposition. You can't help but feel an aching pinch in your heart for the man. Before you could realise it, your hand reaches up and cups his cheek, softly stroking your thumb over his stumble comfortingly. Perimedes’ grey-blue eyes widen and he frantically looks to Elpenor who grins widely at him, happy to see his friend be treated softly. “U-Umm… is everything well, fair maiden?” Perimedes asks, looking uncomfortable at your touch, but doesn’t pull away; rather, you feel him tilt his head towards your touch. You suppose his bad habit of hiding his true feelings persists and Elpenor, being his closest friend, remains close to him as a result. Both have become each other’s rock.

Shaking your head, you smile assuringly and slowly bring your hand back, giggling with Elpenor at the unknowing whine the taller blonde let out from the loss of your touch. Quickly, you offer the two your large glass of coconut milk and giggle when their eyes comically bulge in surprise.

“Are you offering it to us?” Elpenor asks with wide eyes, hesitant to proceed. Surely accepting would be crossing the line. But you nod eagerly and softly thrust the drink towards him and Perimedes once again. 

“W-we can’t accept,“ Perimedes begins as Elpenor nods along, stepping back with his friend. Both are unable to stomach the sad look in your eyes and the pout that plays on your lips when you see them back away, and they look to the side in shame. Why was it so painful to watch you frown because of them? “That was your drink, fair maiden,” both sides continue to insist on their stance and it would have continued if it weren’t for Eurylochus walking up from where he was observing the scene with Odysseus and Polites, both of whom wanted to laugh at the situation. 

“You two have no authority to refuse the fair maiden’s kindness,” Eurylochus’ booming voice begins, making the two freeze up, “if she sees it fit to share with you, then you must accept. It’s rude to do otherwise,” you smile gratefully at Eurylochus who’s hard expression softens considerably in return and brings up a hand to pat your head. You’re much shorter than him and he finds that the difference has influenced the large feeling of responsibility and protectiveness he feels over you. “Well?!” his hard expression returns when he faces a slack-jawed Elpenor and Perimedes. 

“Then we kindly accept,” Perimedes begins, bowing at the waist with Elpenor quickly following. The large glass, even though you’ve already had your fill still had enough for both of them and you seemed happy to hand it over. Perimedes offers it to Elpenor who takes the first sip and immediately takes a liking to it. The bronze-skinned youth eagerly offers the drink to his taller friend before he’s even formed the words to praise such a refreshing, milky drink. 

“…It’s delicious! Go ahead and try it, my friend!” 

You and Eurylochus watch in satisfaction as the two don’t stop at just sharing with each other but move to their crew members so that they can have a sip too. Seeing what would happen next, you go about making more coconut milk drinks and hand one to Eurylochus to take back and share with Odysseus and Polites just as Elpenor returns asking for more on behalf of the other crew members. Looking over his shoulder, you smile at the crew members’ eager eyes but shy demeanours. These hardened men could act rather cute if they wanted to. 

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

In the days that you have been on the ship, excited rumours about your potential association with the gods have yet to stop circulating, which was beginning to worry Odysseus. You’re mainly associated with Demeter, Dionysus and even his great-grandfather, Hermes, who was rumoured to have delivered you as divine intervention. You were adamant at denying all rumours and Odysseus did his best to suppress the talk but it wasn’t very effective. The rumours haven’t caused any response from the gods but Odysseus knew that it would only be a matter of time. 

As the sun set on the horizon, a chill took to the air and raised goosebumps across your exposed arms but you couldn’t get over how beautiful the ocean looked with the setting sun. You were undeterred. Now that all the men were fed for the day, you took the alone time to enjoy the scenery and plan for what you should cook tomorrow based on the ingredients you had in your storage. You weren’t anxious about the supply; your endless gameplay had kept you well stocked, and you were happy to share the food with the men who truly needed it for a safe and smooth journey home. Looking into the distance, your eyes squint at a growing speck as it floats in front of the setting sun and its vermillion rays. 

A bird? Did that mean land was close by? How come it was alone?

As the speck got closer, you could make out its majestic wings and smooth body, flying through the air so silently, you’re certain you would be oblivious to its approach if it didn’t catch your eye when it was still a speck in the distance. When the bird was close enough, your eyes widened in shock when you realised that it wasn’t just an ordinary bird. Perched on the sails before you was an elegant snow owl. There’s only one owl you know of in EPIC: the musical.

“Athena!” your voice comes out easily and you gasp. It’s been so long since you’ve last spoken or heard your own voice but you were happy to have it back. Observing your surroundings, you quickly gather that you’re in the goddess’s time dimension. 

“Explain yourself, mortal,” Athena doesn’t waste time and, although her tall stature and piercing eyes are intimidating, you’re only filled with awe, “rumours of your association with the gods have reached Olympus and it’s causing quite the stir. Are you plotting against my champion?” 

She begins to raise her sword, aiming for your neck but you step away with your hands raised in surrender, quick to defend yourself, “No no! You misunderstand! I only want to help everyone get home safely,” The goddess eyes you with suspicion for a moment. She feels no malice in your voice or stance and, satisfied that you mean no real harm, she lowers her sword in an act of trust. 

“What is this talk of you having powers of a god? If you continue to cause a fuss, you will draw too much attention and endanger Odysseus’ journey home. This was his chance at a better future, avoiding the original entirely — I will not allow you to get in the way,” 

“I understand,” you nod and smile kindly despite her glare, “I’m happy Odysseus has you guiding him still,” the goddess arches a curious brow at you. She has her suspicions about your powers but to think you were knowledgeable of recent events too was quite alarming. How much do you know? “I promise that I have no ulterior motives. I sincerely wish to help Odysseus and his crew get home safely. I admire the King very much, he deserves to be happy, he deserves to return to his wife and son without delay,” 

“Who are you?” Athena has yet to feel a drop of deceit from your exchange and her self-reflections following the viewing of a potential future have led her to trust in her champion more. The goddess has also learned to be more lenient regarding his human characteristics. As a goddess, she is ignorant of such shortcomings but owes him the consideration. She was ashamed for the way she acted towards someone she had blessed, abandoning him when he needed her most, staying only for when he did her bidding.

When Athena had watched herself fight for her former champion and the friend she had found in his son— all so that Odysseus may escape Calypso’s island —the goddess was left unsatisfied. It wasn’t enough of a redemption for her. With this new chance, she has sworn to balance being a better friend to Odysseus with being his mentor — she dares not narrow-mindedly renounce their relationship. Ever. And this means confronting the potential threat he had invited onto his ship. 

“I am a normal person who wants to do the right thing and help her favourite characters get their happy endings,” the oddity of your statement slips your mind and Athena, being the goddess of wisdom, urges you to elaborate, seeking to understand your unusual blend of words. So you inform her of all you know, omitting some things so that your explanation doesn’t become too complicated with the saturation of unnecessary embellishments. 

“You mean to say you come from another universe entirely?” Athena hums to herself as you nod along, “And you say you’ve brought with you the skills you had acquired through long hours of work from that other world?” That was certainly one way of putting it but it’ll do. “And that this world only exists as fiction in yours, hence why you know what may happen…”

“Yes,”

“Then answer me this, how did you manage to get here?”

You shrug, “I’m afraid I don’t know, Goddess Athena,”

“If you do not know how you got here, you won’t know how to get back,” her words make you face a reality you had been hiding from ever since your arrival. Admittedly, cooking and feeding the crew had been your way of avoiding the obvious problem you didn’t want to confront. It filled you with a deep sense of dread and an uncomfortable restlessness you couldn’t shake. You don’t know how to get home and that uncertainty makes it difficult to envision a future where you can return home again.

“…I suppose I’ll be staying here until I find a way home then,” you laugh to yourself humourlessly, adopting Polites’ optimism and earning a sigh from Athena.

“As long as you don’t bring harm to Odysseus, I will ensure that the gods don’t get too curious,” her words make you smile and nod happily. That was an assurance you will eagerly accept.

“Thank you so much,” Athena offers a kind smile and bows to peer down at you more intimately. 

“No need for thanks; we share a similar objective, mortal,” you nod with determination swimming in your eyes and you can slightly trace the goddess' smile in the shadow of her helmet, “get Odysseus home safely,”

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

Early the next day, just as you’re finishing up your morning food deliveries to the other ships, you spot something in the distance. An island. When Polites and Eurylochus carefully escort you back to Odysseus’ primary ship, you go straight to the Captain, who appears to have already spotted the island on the horizon. 

“I’m tempted to dock on that island to see if we can replenish some supplies,” you nod beside him, “oh, so you agree?” you nod again, smiling brightly and tugging on his robes in your eagerness. The closer you sail to the island, the more you recognise it. Rather, you recognise the carefully planned terraforming you had mapped out before commencing your revamp, evacuating your villagers’ homes to the sandy beaches but it appears as though their homes no longer exist there. The island’s structures remain, however. You remember the trees you had carefully placed, the crop fields you had set up and were about to fence, the beaten paths you charted, the lake and rivers you shovelled, and the elevated areas you had dotted with vines for easy climbing access. You wonder, if not your villagers’ homes, if your home would be there too…

“Are we anchoring at that island Captain?” Eurylochus asks, having spotted your island too. 

“Yes, we are,” Odysseus looks at you with eyes full of certainty. If you were confident to anchor at the island, he was willing to trust your judgement, “give the orders, full speed ahead,”

“Yes Sir!” Eurylochus turns to the crew and orders them to the oars, directing their rowing towards the lush island ahead. Odysseus offers his hand, which you readily take and he leads you to the front of the ship, and you observe the island’s fast approach. 

“I wonder why you are so eager to anchor there,” he eyes you with playful suspicion, “is it a trap? Do you have an ulterior motive after all?” you pull an offended look and lightly slap his shoulder, waving your finger in his face as he laughs brightly. “Alright! I trust you, I trust you,” he takes a step back and bows to you once more. Odysseus has bowed to you many times out of gratitude but never has he once kissed your hand like many other crew members. It just shows his devotion to his wife and your admiration for him grows from the thought. 

Polites soon joins the two of you and jokes with Odysseus for a moment, the both of them happy to finally set foot on stable ground. It was nice to see Polites alive and thriving and to see Odysseus not being pushed into becoming a monster. They both deserved better than the original timeline, and you were privileged enough to have a front-row seat, playing an active role in ensuring that they returned to Ithaca safely. 

“I have a feeling that this island is special to you somehow,” Polites notes. Out of the three, he’s been the one with the most sense of understanding your intentions wordlessly. It made his company and presence a huge comfort to you. Seeing your eager nod, Polites grins, “I see! The island is special to you! Is it your home? Is it your island?” you nod again and the two give a curious look, both wondering how you got from your island to their ship via your wooden storage thing. But they don’t press for answers, content in their trust for you. You’ve given them no reason to be distrustful so following in your directions feels natural. 

It isn’t long before Odysseus’ ship finally anchors at the humble pier permanently affixed to your island, usually occupied by Kapp’n but the turtle creature is nowhere to be found. Having become attached to you, Elpenor and Perimedes readily volunteer to help you down after all the men have made their inelegant jump from the ship’s elevated deck floor. Elpenor jumps down first and outstretches his arms to catch you. For being the youngest crew member, he was rather muscly and robust, similar to Odysseus’ strong build but his physique had yet to mature into Odysseus’ equal. 

“Are you ready, fair maiden?” Perimedes asks, his smile coming across much easier and with little to hide. You wonder if it had something to do with his new love of pizza and coconut milk. Nodding, you place your hands on his shoulders while he grips your waist and lifts you with ease. He settles you on the ledge first and joins you again before guiding your arms around his neck as he holds you up from your back and under your knees, dangling you over the edge as Elpenor frantically positions himself beneath you. However, the bashful youth is quick to shut his eyes when he realises he’s able to look up your skirt. His friend’s misplaced arm has allowed the lower part of your skirt to fall open to those below. “Don’t close your eyes! Are you an idiot?!” Perimedes scolds as you both giggle at his flustered friend below. 

“I would be seeing a very private view of our fair maiden. I dare not open my eyes and violate her so!” Elpenor moves about nervously but quickly follows Perimedes’ direction when he guides him to stand in the perfect position to catch you. 

“That’s perfect, now stretch out your arms and be ready to catch our fair maiden! She’s our precious cargo! Handle her with care!” Elpenor does as he’s told and nervously anticipates your fall into his arms as Perimedes counts down from three.

The two have caused such a fuss that several crew members begin to watch nervously, and the number of spectators has grown to a considerable amount as more and more ships anchor at your island’s shores. Even Odysseus, Eurylochus and Polites were watching, all three shaking their heads at the ridiculous antics the two were doing, Polites, however, were more nervous than the first two. He’s grown very fond of you in the short few days you’ve been abroad the ship and he shudders to think of you ever becoming injured. Aware of all the eyes watching you, you tuck your chin in sheepishly.

After reaching one on his countdown, Perimedes lets you go and you fall effortlessly directly into Elpenor’s arms. It was an exhilarating trip down and, in your excitement and princess-type treatment, you kiss Elpenor’s cheek as a ‘job well done’ when he begins to set you down. His laugh of relief immediately stops at the affectionate gesture and he blushes a ruby red as you walk along the pier, oblivious to the shocked expression of the other crew members who watched the whole thing. Odysseus was laughing into his hand, amused by the flustered look on Elpenor’s face and the jealous expression on the surrounding men. Eurylochus, in his amusement, tried to suppress a grin and Polites shook his head, sighing good-naturedly. Everyone was then a witness to the most endearing image they’ve seen of you. 

You had spotted the way you looked in the water and, seeing your custom dress design in real life was so fun that you picked up your dress skirt and leaned forward to admire your handiwork. Everyone can see your beautiful smile and the delight in your swaying movements, you even do a twirl with a light giggle and it’s clear everyone’s grown enamoured by you. 

“Maybe she’s actually a descendant of Aphrodite?” Odysseus jokes, making Eurylochus laugh while Polites nods in agreement. 

“I don’t think that’s too far from the truth,”

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next | three. the new island →

a/n : that final scene is inspired by Disney Cinderella where she’s magicked her new dress and looks at herself in the well – reader is a fair maiden meaning she is now a disney princess! Also, I know that there are some mixed interpretations of Elpenor and Perimedis and this is my interpretation of them. I did my best to keep talk of their looks not so detailed but you are free to imagine them however you like. (I think I was influenced by Neal Illustrations’ Apollo in God Games for Perimedes though… and Elpenor is kinda based on Ximena Natzel’s Odysseus in Appetite… so do with that what you will)

Thank you also to everyone who has expressed their love and support for this unserious fanfic, I adore you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

[jingyichickenwings]

This is less of a Deep Cut and more of a case of schadenfreude, but I love when various members of a creative team are messy in public about their high budget group project. Reality TV for nerds. It speaks to a profound lack of media training or fucks given. You guys realize that future employers can Google you, right? Unintentionally hilarious.

Linke and Yee were told in no uncertain terms that their season 1 storyboard was shit, so they hired Overton, who hired half a dozen actual writers, and they did basically a full overhaul. The script was objectively much better. But this was Linke's baby, and several years later you still see signs that he is Big Mad that he didn't get his way, and that he doesn't know or care about what actually became season 1 canon. I'm sorry that your Jewish stereotype villain didn't get to be a pedophile, I guess? Idk. Yes, yes, I am sure your version of Svengali is really innovative. Maybe someday, buddy.

Meanwhile they start writing season 2 in early 2020, while the season 1 air date isn't until November of 2021. So, they don't have public feedback on the script yet, just, yanno, actual writing professionals. Anyway, according to Overton, they needed to fire the non-management part of the writing team because of the pandemic?! Lmao babygirl you do your best and I respect commitment to the official PR excuse but nobody sensible believes this. Netflix writers average 110k/year, and you needed six or so from season 1. That is not a big part of the overall budget. Also, y'all could have saved money with Zoom meetings.

So the very thing that saved the season 1 script got line-itemed "because of the pandemic". That sounds like an extremely convenient excuse for Linke to be like, no, fuck you all, we are going back to Plan A, the rough draft of season 2 based on his shitty version of season 1. Honey. That ship has sailed. You already lost this argument.

So presumably some combination of Linke/Yee/Riot/Netflix was like, it's important that we have at least one actual grown adult writer on staff. So Overton gets to keep her job.

Now, I want to preface this by saying that season 2 would have been even worse without Overton. That being said, there is a reason they needed a deeper bench of writing staff. Overton and Linke over-connect with the characters Caitlyn and Jayce respectively, to a degree that they frequently forgot to evaluate how other characters would likely behave in certain situations. It led to contrivances, plot holes, etc. There is a lot I could add here but tbh go read any of the meta already out there.

In addition to the Mary Sue type behavior, Overton thought it would be Neat to make the writing more like Avengers, like multiverse time travel fuckery is a shiny beach pebble and not narrative napalm. What in the ADHD was she thinking? Even if they had the run time to world build enough for this, there was nothing in season 1 to even suggest this as an option. And let's be fucking honest, multiverse a lot of why Marvel is on a downward spiral. If Viktor can go to Build-A-Bear Workshop and 3-D print a million Jayces, why should I give a shit about his kill count? He can just be kind, rewind, and try again. Actions are decoupled from consequences.

Anyway, moving back to the topic at hand of the Arcane team. Apparently, Overton, Linke and Yee only half-wrote season 2?! Linke said something about how they "extensively collaborated with Fortiche on the story"? Which, it's not inherently a bad idea to get creative feedback from your art team, but ummm, maybe the writers and Fortiche should have worked to a point of agreement on basic story beats. Based on a lot of what Fortiche has said, the art for season 2 passive aggressively advances what they wanted the writing to be against Linke's wishes. They literally have just been straight up disagreeing with Linke and getting paid for it. Which, to be fair, I respect the sheer pettiness! Linke can't write his own damn show but wants to slow down the very expensive art team? When the actual writers that got fired "because of the pandemic" would have caught a lot of the season 2 issues?

So post airing of season 2, Overton is all about that girlboss copaganda, Linke is having multiple public meltdowns and getting fired by Riot(?), and multiple voice actors and artists at Fortiche are being like "yeah, we actually wanted something else so there are now multiple competing narratives for season 2". Which is hilarious. The way in which the show is messy is the same way in which the creators are messy. These bitches are a cautionary tale about hubris and the need to engage in team-building.

(EDIT MARCH 11: the fired rumors seem to be old/inaccurate, see comments for details)

[suzukiblu]

Sorry for the delay on this, but here's the first 1k of the 5k of "the Last Son of Krypton meets Hypertime Kon" I promised y'all back in February behind the cut! content warnings/notes: Mild internalized toxic masculinity in a very performative teenage boy who doesn't entirely understand his own feelings about sex/gender/sexuality and several related topics. Also, this Clark has no idea what age Knockout is/was and is just assuming hers based on Kon's. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“Oh,” Kon says, and looks so . . . lost about that idea. Clark represses a frown at that reaction, a little concerned by it. “Uh–I mean, anyway–yeah, the other realities did get kind of weird. Like, the Super-Boy Wonder, for starters, and then there was a Supergrrrl, too, she was a whole trip. Thought I was biting her style, I guess, which: fair, considering. She had a cool haircut, though. Had this whole real long braid thing going, kinda. Dunno how it didn’t get snagged on literally everything ever but I guess she coulda just TTK-ed it, actually, so . . . yeah.” 

Clark–pauses, for a moment, and wonders . . . was that lost look about the idea of helping Black Zero, or . . . 

That just wasn’t a particularly graceful switch back to the topic of “weird” realities, is all. 

“Sorry,” he goes with after a moment, and smiles at Kon again. “I’ve just been assuming, actually, but are you a boy? Or was just . . . ah, Super’grrrl’ trans? Or . . . not trans, I guess, I’m not actually certain how that’d work in a cloning situation, admittedly, especially if your DNA is already blended anyway.” 

Kon stares blankly at him, then looks mortified. 

“I–that–her whole reality was like that, okay, they had a Superwoman over there!” he sputters in embarrassment as he waves his hands between them emphatically, his face gone bright red. “I mean like she was some blonde chick, not–look, I wasn’t–I'm not–!” 

Clark did not, perhaps, pick the correct option to “go with” here. 

“Oh, I see,” he says, then gives Kon another smile. “I don’t know much about alternate realities, honestly, but they really do vary a lot, don’t they?” 

“I, uh . . . most of ‘em, I guess,” Kon says, hands stopping mid-wave and expression looking–hesitant, a little. “That’s–like, their whole reality was flipped or whatever, like that. Like–literally everybody, from what I could tell. So like, she was only technically another ‘Superboy’, really she was more like–look, not the point, just she was the clone they made outta their ‘Superwoman’, I guess. Well, actually I think maybe she was ‘Supergirl’, at least at some point, ‘cuz otherwise clone-girl goin’ with ‘grrrl’ doesn’t make much–whatever! Not the point. Uh. You’re like, an extremely laid-back dude, huh.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Clark says wryly, because saying you’re probably just getting that impression because you’re too inexperienced with social interactions to notice me constantly repressing the urge to grab you and never let you go would pretty roundly defeat the purpose of constantly repressing the urge to grab him and never let him go. “I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t calling you anything you didn’t want to be called.” 

Kon bites the inside of his cheek, the indentation just barely visible, and then shrugs and looks away, putting his hands flat on the couch cushions and flexing them restlessly against them. Clark is not in any way discouraged from wanting to grab the kid, even if only to try and reassure him. He’s assuming Kon was uncomfortable with him asking about his gender because he has some unfortunate biases to work through, but he doesn’t know exactly what those biases amount to or if any of them are self-directed, so . . . well, self-directed biases would require a different approach than external ones, obviously. 

He wishes he knew the kid well enough to know what he needed either way, though also he just wishes he knew the kid at all. Just . . . 

There’s so many things he wants to know about this kid. 

“I mean, not like she was the weirdest chick I met in Hypertime,” Kon says awkwardly, clearly wanting to change the subject. Clark isn't going to press him on it right now either way. “My ex-situationship was both the exact same person while also being a way better person, so like . . . my fuckup there, I guess.” 

“Your–what?” Clark blinks, then just barely frowns. “What do you mean by that?” 

“Oh, uh–so like, there’s this chick Knockout I used to, like, sometimes fight with and sometimes fight with, take that very meaningful tone as it’s very much meant, and like, my Knockout, I tried to like . . . I dunno.” Kon shrugs again; flexes his hands against the cushions again. “She helped me figure out some shit about my powers. Helped me get, like–stronger, and shit like that. Well, like–better at fighting, anyway. But she wasn’t, like . . . a good person, and she was a lot badder of a bad guy than I actually thought, and uh . . . and anyway, the super-dead Superboy, his Knockout–he convinced her that she could be, like . . . better, I guess. They were both in it against Black Zero. Like–they were in the resistance together, I mean. Real ride-or-die types, I guess. Uh–she died, in . . . like. She died too. But she was–she wanted to be better, and she said it was because of him. And she was. Like–way better. My Knockout was, uh–not that. Actually my Knockout just wanted me worse, so . . . yeah.” 

“She died?” Clark asks, keeping the question quiet and gentle. “Would you like to talk about it?” 

“Uh, I mean . . .” Kon looks awkward; glances away towards the wall and flattens his hands even more against the cushions. It seems like an odd reflex, physically-speaking. Clark would expect clenched fists, usually, or to see his fingers curl and dig in. “She wasn’t my Knockout. And anyway, my Knockout isn’t even, like–‘mine’, or whatever. Mine’s a fucking–a fucking asshole. A total fucking asshole.” 

“Is that actually a reason you wouldn’t want to talk about her?” Clark asks, and keeps his voice just as quiet and gentle for it. Kon’s face–twists, a little. Like he’s said something painful. 

Which, well–he has, Clark’s sure.

[murderbot-moodboard]

Whew! Murderbot Episode 8. What a ride! As has become tradition, below the cut are assorted thoughts about the episode, which I typed up during my second watch. I've since consolidated them for clarity, if not brevity—fair warning that this is definitely a long post. I've divided the episode into sections and added headers to hopefully help with readability.

In/Around the Hopper:

- The Sanctuary Moon opener was interesting, because we finally see one of the infamous examples in media of a bot going rogue and killing everyone. But in this instance, it seems like NavBot 7 could be responding to some kind of betrayal, so it may not be completely unwarranted. I'm curious whether the bot will actually kill Officer Hordööp-Sklanch or not, and whether that's something we'll find out later.

- In the first scene with Murderbot, Mensah is showing outer signs that she's having another panic attack, and we get to see how she manages it when she's not in a situation where she feels she can just openly panic. Interestingly, Murderbot doesn't comment on it this time. Ratthi, sadly, has apparently learned nothing from his dismal track record with weapons. I do like that they incorporated the drone plot element from the first book by saying SecUnit was having its surveillance cameras send data to its transponder.

- GrayCris has at least three more SecUnits of "the kind that kicked SecUnit’s ass." (Wow, don't beat around the bush, Pin-Lee.) Ratthi's right, Pin-Lee is good at... whatever they did to identify the GrayCris logo. Also, it's interesting that all the stuff GrayCris is attributing to PresAux was stuff that Murderbot did independently. Murderbot and the rest of PresAux remember the fight very differently, but at least PresAux listened to Murderbot's reality checking. And I laughed out loud that Murderbot is already telling Ratthi to stay in the hopper!

In the Habitat:

- I thought it was interesting that when Murderbot checks the habitat, the shot comes to focus for a moment on LeeBeeBee's blood on the wall. Maybe as a reminder of what's at stake, and how GrayCris has tried to fuck them over so far? Or of the violence Murderbot has already committed?

- Let's do surgery! I'm not a medical expert and I'm going to ignore the question of how realistic any of this is in favor of its impact on the plot. It's cool to see all of PresAux present to support Gurathin and help Bharadwaj however they can. Bharadwaj continues to be badass throughout this whole scene. This seems to be her own time to step up and fill the role she's needed for, even when it's not something she's necessarily an expert at. (She is much better at this than at combat-style stone throwing.) Ratthi is also attempting to step up and be comforting, but although his efforts are endearing and well meant, um, that's about it, lol.

- And we get right into the angst with Gurathin refusing painkillers despite the rest of the team's protests. When Mensah won't listen he calls her Dr. Mensah, which is I think the first time he's called her that when speaking to her (iirc the rest of the time it's either "Mensah" or "Ayda"). “This is how it started.” That makes so much sense, especially considering how callous the Corporation Rim is about human safety and mental health. It's so easy to imagine Gurathin getting injured and receiving pain killers, then continuing to crave the relief/escape they bring from a completely shitty daily life and a lack of emotional support.

- Gurathin and Murderbot had the same thought at the same time! I really love how the show is playing up the parallels between them. I'm hoping we get some kind of payoff for it by the end, but we'll see. Also love that apparently Mensah has Murderbot figured out well enough to suspect it didn't “do this before” but rather got its idea from a TV show. 😂 The question is, where did Gurathin get the idea from? Or did he come up with it all on his own?

- “It wasn't so long ago you plugged into me.” “Let's hope you still remember after this is over.” Murderbot woke up and chose violence to threaten Gurathin like Gurathin threatened it when he was the one with the power. Now that the balance has shifted, Murderbot isn't being cruel to him, but it is being a petty little shit, and I love that for it tbh

- Omigosh this is amazing!!! They're mind melding through the augments!!!!! Mind-sharing is my absolute favorite scifi trope, and it's a big part of why I enjoy Murderbot Diaries fanfic that has Murderbot and other characters connecting through the feed and interacting with each other's systems. The fact that they're not only introducing it as a plot point this early in the larger TMBD storyline, but also visualizing it and having Murderbot describe it for us, makes me absolutely feral with excitement for what they might do with it in the future!

- Mensah holding Gurathin's hand. That is all. 🥹

- Murderbot seems to be pulling out its MedCenter Argala surgeon persona again. “By the way I wasn't doing this to be nice. It was just preferable to hearing Gurathin scream.” Suuuure, Murderbot, keep telling yourself that. Then it says going into Gurathin's data after Gurathin went into its data “was only fair.” Methinks it doth protest too much and might actually feel a little guilty about it.

- We're actually getting to see what it's like to interface with an augmented human mind!!!!! And apparently getting a glimpse of a visual memory and Gurathin's thoughts, it seems like. Gurathin loves the others “as one loves their own children” but he loves Mensah “as an equal; as my better.” Someone on the New Tideland server suggested that this could mean Gurathin thinks the others are all naive and Mensah is the only one who understands things the way Gurathin does. There was also discussion of whether he was even referring to the rest of PresAux or not. I don't have any answers but I'm hoping we'll find out more at some point.

- Holy shit, Murderbot, don't get lost in Gurathin's mind and start blabbing all his secrets! 😂 And then it pulls out the surgeon persona again. Also interesting that Gurathin thought he might've said something, maybe not only because these are his thoughts, but also because of how their minds are connected through the link?

- Was Gurathin working his way into Murderbot's systems the whole time? Damn. Love, love, love the handling of this scene. And Murderbot can't handle how disappointed they look, especially Mensah—it's after she turns away from it that it puts up its helmet and walks out. It's really come to care about being liked and accepted by PresAux and respected by Mensah. Feeling like it's lost that really, really hurts. (Relatable.)

After Murderbot Walks Out

- Bharadwaj seems like she may be rethinking her view of Murderbot. At least, she's admitted she would be dead without it. She seems to have reached a place where she can hold both that truth and the truth of how she felt about LeeBeeBee's death.

- Mensah's decision to change the subject seems to be partly a tactical decision, but her brief outburst at Ratthi shows that it's partly because she's having her own emotions, and she knows they don't have time for that right now. But then a few moments later, she puts her hand comfortingly on Ratthi's arm, as if in apology for her anger and acknowledging the emotions he's feeling. Also I like how all of PresAux is being insightful and figuring stuff out together in this scene. They're not supersoldiers, but they are intelligent people who work well together.

- “There was no governor module forcing me to protect them.” “I was screwed too. There was no way off this planet without my clients. It was pretty clear that I revolted them.” It's good to have these reminders of Murderbot's perspective. It still can't trust anyone except itself will look out for it or prioritize its survival. Love that we got to see it watching its favorite episodes to self soothe. "Murderbot and Its Selfish, Ungrateful Hippie Clients" sounds like a crack in the fourth wall to me, lol.

- I laughed about the throuple conversation going completely different than planned. 😂 I'll be interested to see whether Pin-Lee and Ratthi end up in a relationship separate from Arada and Pin-Lee's relationship, which would still be a legitimate poly arrangement. It's good to see that they're finally trying to be more honest about their feelings; that will make a big difference in whether they can potentially find an arrangement that works for all of them.

- Okay, re: the ending, obviously it's supposed to sound like Murderbot is thinking of betraying Preservation Aux. But I think the wording is key here—“I could write my own story: The Rogue SecUnit Who Betrayed Its Clients.” I think Murderbot's plan is going to have something to do with teaming up with PresAux to make it look to GrayCris like Murderbot turned on PresAux in some way (which could look similar to or completely different from the events that happen in the book).

- Also, the ending was quite funny to me. Murderbot, you gotta work on your entrances. And alas, Gurathin's hopes of never seeing it again are dashed, lol.

***

All right! If you made it to the end, you are an amazing person and I hope you're having a great day! You've been scrolling for a while, so you might consider drinking some water and stretching at this point. (Or don't, totally up to you.) Either way, thanks for coming with me on this exploration of Murderbot. With two episodes left, I think the best is yet to come.

[anotherblinder]

Not Your Fault

Summary || Thomas finds her alone in the rain Word count || 689 Pairing || Thomas Shelby x Reader Warnings || Angst, loss of friendship Notes || It's been a long time since I posted. Over a year,things have just been up and down. This fic is pure self indulgent, i apologize for that. Lately things have been rough with me considering my bff. I'm coming to terms to most likely loosing this friendship because I'm tired of feeling like a second thought and only contacted when they need something or to talk about their daughter. I'm sure I'm not alone in this situation but it doesn't hurt any less. Everything in here is true to what I've been experiencing for years with this friend. I was hesitant to post it but I don't see why not as they have no idea i have this blog. I'll talk to them again at some point but rn I'm just tired. I hope you enjoy this fic if you decide to read it. probably ooc so be fair warned. -Jay

Regret, that’s what she felt. It only grew with every step she took. Droplets of water dripped from her hair and face as she walked on. The rain coming down in buckets. Only picking up as she continued to walk home. How could she be so stupid? This always happened, how naïve could she have been. Her best friend, so maybe so she thought, once again pulling away for a boyfriend. It was unconsciously of course, but regardless, it still hurt. As it always happened when they got in a relationship. After a breakup they’d come crawling back, spending time, talking, like nothing ever happened. It would be good, felt like they were friends again, only for the cycle to happen again when they got a new boyfriend. Only hearing from her friend when she needed something or to talk about her young daughter.  

The woman had talked to her friend about this and how she felt. She swore she’d do better but, like she thought, they grew distant again. Feeling like a second thought and only a friend of convince once again. The friend she’d knew since they were five. Always doing everything for them but feeling as though they get nothing in return. It stung, it hurt and burned. Longing for that friendship they never seemed to have in the first place. All of it sinking in as she walked home from her friend's house that night. Feeling numb and hollow at how long it’s taken her to realize it. 

She gasped as she left a hand grab her bicep. Too lost in her own thoughts to hear the steps and voice of the person calling out to them. Instinct taking over, her other hand swinging around to hit the person who had grabbed her. But they were prepared for it, catching her wrist and pulling it to their chest to prevent her from hitting them. Calling her name as she struggled. 

“Stop! It’s me Tommy!” Thomas yelled over the rain 

“Tommy?” She questioned 

The panic leaving her system to see it was Thomas Shelby. Letting out a big sigh as the tension left her. Thomas let her go as she stopped struggling. Gently he placed his hands on her arms as he looked at her in concern.  

“What are you doing out here? You’re fucking freezing.” 

It was a valid question, one that made her jump back to reality. Feeling the cold that soaked into her skin, the sound of the heavy rain all around her. The way her soaked clothing clung to her skin. How she had forgotten her coat earlier that evening. Even with all that, there was only one thought on her mind. One she voiced as she watched Thomas struggle to get his coat off.  

“Am I a bad friend, Tommy?”  

He froze at her sudden question. It was laughable to him, if he didn’t realize she was serious. Finally taking a good look at her to see her puffy eyes and red nose, not caused by the rain. With a soft sigh he was finally able to get his coat off and wrap it around her shoulders. Taking time to fix it in the front so she stayed warm and cupped her cheeks. 

“No. You are the best friend anyone could ask for.” 

“Then why does my best friend prioritize her boyfriend more than me? I’m nothing but a second thought to them it feels. Even after I've voiced my feelings about this to them. Nothing changed.” 

“Because they don’t know what they’re fucking missing. If this isn’t the first time, then nothing will change. That’s when you say fuck’em and move on.” 

“And if it’s too hard?” She asked with tears in her eyes 

“It will be hard, but you shouldn’t try to fix something that remains broken. It’s not your fault, it’s theirs for not trying. The pain will heal over time with the right people by your side. It's better to let go than struggle on.” 

Thomas grabbed her hand and lead her away to a warmer place. Making sure to mend her broken heart along the way. 

[igotanidea]

The perfect story: Dick Grayson x reader

requested by @fullbelieverheart (thank you! <#)

summary: Dick waking up alone for the third time this week because his beloved girlfriend/fiancee is away promoting her book (she's a successful writer) and he can't accompany her because of his duties as vigilante.

warnings: LIGHT SMUT, MDNI.

***

Dick groaned in his sleep and rolled on the side, instinctively reaching out to Y/N’s side of the bed. Though Instead of meeting with her soft warm flesh, that would ground him in reality, helping ease whatever burden was haunting his mind, his hands met with emptiness.

Third time this week.

He should have known better.

It’s been like that since she published another book, which obviously became another market success, reaching a dizzying number of copies sold. There was no denying his girlfriend was a literary genius and he was proud but it also made him …

Lonely.

If waking up at 4 am feeling your entire body tense from touch starvation is not loneliness then what is?

He was doing everything to ease it.

Clutching her pillow.

Taking off his sleeping shirt and holding himself.

Running his hands on his skin imagining her soft caresses.

Nothing helped.

It was like he could just tear his own skin off from all the tension and need to feel.

Feel her hands on his body.

Feel the warmth of her embrace.

Her skin against his.

Not in a sexual way. Not at all. More like - tender way. Just being close.

He craved physical affection and her presence.

Meanwhile, even her scent on the sheets has almost evaporated and he could not recall the last time she spent the evening or the night with him. Just being there, both mind and body. He yearned for her desperately, but doing all in his capacity to hold those feelings back, knowing it would bring her down from her success high.

Instead, he settled on listening to her interviews on the radio, reading her stories (books with dedications after all) and watching her on the breakfast TV.

Lonely.

Sighing in both frustration and resignation he sat up in bed, running hands over his face, hoping to wipe his emotions away. If only he could be there with her. If only his nightwing duties weren’t keeping him glued to Gotham and Bludhaven. If only he could just travel with his fiancée, without worrying about the future of their relationship.

Cause it was pretty obvious that given their lines of work, situations like that were to happen more often than not.

And losing her for the books and writing started to become his biggest fear, and a threat worse than any villain could pose. At this point it seemed like she had more in common with Jason, constantly babbling about the authors, publishers, plot twists and book characters, of which Dick had only vague ideas.

“Dickie…”

His head snapped to the doors, where she was standing. Still in her pretty party dress, with stilettos in hands, slightly tipsy with weariness on her face. The light coming from the hallway illuminated her silhouette making the contours of her body blur. An angel or a demon.

“I’m sorry…” her tone was sincere, almost pleading as she carefully came inside, perching on the bed, reaching for his hand.

“It’s 4 am Y/N…”

“I know. And I’m sorry…”

So lonely.

“I miss you.”

“Dickie…”

“What?” he raised his head, meeting her eyes, unable to hide the longing and pain. “What’s more there to say? I miss you. That’s it. There’s nothing you could say to make it stop.”

“I’m sorry…” a few tears brimmed in her eyes

“You said it.”

“The party—”

“Did you at least have fun?” he cut her off, not wanting to hear about another fancy banquet where she was the star. Even from her words he could imagine the looks men must have given her and how most of them would love to just whisk her away.

“I—”

“You know what, just forget it.”

“Please don’t be like that…”

“Do you even still love me?”

“Hey, that’s not fair! It’s my work, Dick. The same kind of work as yours, when you are absent the whole night, patrolling on the streets. Just because you are taking some sort of break and are here doesn’t change it.”

“This is not about me—”

“No, this is about us. Us, Dick. You and me. So how could you even ask me that?”

He sighed in frustration, running hand through his hair. This was not how this conversation was going in his head. She was finally here, and all he did was pout and act like a moody five year old.

“Don’t worry babe. Once the press starts digging into my personal life once more you’ll get all the paparazzi and journalists in your pretty face.” She teased, sensing his unease, trying to soothe the atmosphere.

“The only thing I want in my face are your lips.” He smirked, picking up the tone, taking a chance to diffuse the tension.

“Finally you’re making sense.” she smiled, rolling up her dress and climbing on the bed next to him, capturing his lips in hers for just a second, before pulling away. 

“Don’t you dare-“ he placed hand on the back of her head pulling her back to him.

“I’m tired-“

“Don’t worry, I’ll do all the work. You just have to lay down and look pretty for me…”

He tangled fingers in her hair, capably messing up the elegant updo she was sporting letting the curls flow down, symbolically freeing her not only from the hairstyle, but also from the work mask. Right now, she was the home version.

His home version.

The one that didn’t require much stuff and definitely nothing on her.

“I missed this…” he caught onto her hips, sliding the material of her dress even higher, up to her waist and over her head.

“Me too…” she responded laying on her back, giving him full access to her skin, almost fully exposed.

“Why are you wearing such pretty underwear for an official party?” Dick hummed, trailing a path down her chest and between her breast with his nose. Her smell was intoxicating and he was going to make sure it stayed with him longer this time. “This little thing is supposed to be only for my eyes.”

“I thought you only liked not seeing my lingerie?”

“But yet, removing it is only my job…” he whispered, playing with the clasp of her bra. “Did you put that front fastened one on purpose, pumpkin?”

“I'll take the fifth on that…”

“Whatever, it doesn’t really matter much now.”

His touch was like fire, showing off the inferno inside him. Fueled by their time apart, but still fought off bravely to avoid premature ending of this sweet reunion of two lovers lost amongst the sea of everyday duties.

Lips met lips, body brushed over body, skin touched skin, covering with goosebumps.

Intensity of the movements causing the cover to fall onto the floor, incapable of standing up against the naked passion.

“Dick…”

“Yeah, keep saying my name, baby …” he grabbed the back of her thighs, caressing them only adding to the sensation of being fully embraced by him. “Isn’t that better than your books?”

It was so much better.

No description could ever give justice to everything she was feeling now. The divide between heaven when he was thrusting forwards and hell when he was pulling back. The fire burning her to the core, leaving nothing but an immortal soul melting into his.

Carnal pleasure bellied by the explosion of the spirit, finding a way home. To the place where it belonged.  

How could she even put into words all the longing, all the need, the want to both keep him like that forever and let go in his arms?

To be possessed, dominated and loved like this till the end of all time?

“Dick…”

His body under her fingertips, his muscles clenching in time with each movement and stroke.

‘Y/N….”

Her softness and warmth, her eagerness and finally the feeling of him being complete.

In time Dick started becoming a little rough and possessive, purposefully moving slower and deeper, relishing each breathless moan and spasm contorting her face. Pressing thumbs into the undersides of her breast, before moving them to cup her ass, pressing her core more into him. 

Developing the urge to ruin her but also to keep her safe and protected.

“You’re mine…” he groaned, connecting their foreheads, intensifying the thrusts.

“I’m yours.” She moaned, letting him bite her neck to leave a mark for everyone to see.

“Mine!””

“Yours!”

The grip on her waist tightened, the digging of nails on his back left crescent marks.

His mouth was on her breast, licking, nibbling and kissing.

“Yes!”

Her hands pulled at his hair, arching to his ministrations.

Neither of them broke the pace of the thrusting, almost grasping the peak of the mountain. Just within reach.

“Dick!”

“Y/N!”

Falling into the abyss in the best possible way, knowing that this descent will undeniably end right here.

In this bed, in between the crumpled sheets with the loved one by the side.

Reality has never been sweeter.

***

“How much longer till the promotional tour’s over?” he asked some time later. His back was against the headboard, but this time Y/n was right next to him, with head on his shoulder, with legs hooked over his lap.

They were exchanging soft, lazy kisses, speaking volumes about the depth of their connection.

“I hope the hype on my writings never stop-“

“Y/N!” he pinched her side, causing a gasp of surprise and pain. “Come on, it was not that hard.”

“Maybe, but someone made my body sensitive!”

“And I’m gonna brag about it.” He kissed her again. “But seriously, when will I have you all to myself again?”

“In a few weeks—”

“FEW WEEKS!?”

“There’s really no need to shout about it. I could—”

“You could end up tied to the bedpost.”

“Dick!”

“Okay, fine, we can work with chairs too.” He raised hands in surrender, agreeing to another piece of furniture as if that was calming her down.

“You really have to stop watching Netflix shows labelled as voluptuous. You’re getting ideas.”

“I’m sorry? I’m getting them all by myself, thank you very much! Besides, you weren’t complaining fifteen minutes ago, cumming happily.”

“I need to enjoy you for a long time…” she sighed.

“Wish I could go with you-“

“You could. But we both know you won’t.”

He sighed, and for a second they just sat there in silence holding onto each other, with interlaced fingers and heavy hearts.

“Promise to call me. Skype me. Text me. Whatever. Just don’t leave me hanging.”

“Promise. You will be sick of my voice when I come back.”

“When you’re back after those weeks, it won't be your voice that I’ll be interested in” he teased.

“Want to remind me what exactly you’ll be longing for?” her lips found a way to his.

“Since you asked so nicely—” he pulled her on top of him, reciprocating eagerly.

In a few hours, she would have to get up and finally pack her suitcase, but for now – it was just them two.

[bonefall]

I've never understood why people wholly blame Maple for making the clan think her kits were Birchface's. I mean, I'll admit it's been AGES since I read MV (or any actual WC book lmao) but I swear she did nothing to start it? Frecklewish just Assumed they were Birchface's for whatever reason and Mapleshade just didn't confirm or deny. A lie by omission, if still a big one. But people act like its some vile, actively manupulative lie from Maple alone??? like yeah its manipulative but A. who cares let her girlboss and B. it entirely started with Frecklewish assuming??? it wasn't even Mapleshade's idea in the first place???????

You're correct; it was a lie of omission, completely suggested by Frecklewish. Mapleshade didn't fabricate this lie.

In fact, something often left out of discussions about Mapleshade's Vengeance is that it decided she was VERY pious. In the early half of MV, she believes that it's StarClan that's providing all these opportunities for her.

She thinks she's special, that her kittens are destined to bring peace to their two halves, and that the code applies more loosely to her because she so strongly believes she's right and that her love is beautiful. I think it's meant to come across as Mapleshade being "delusional" and disconnected with reality, but I can't help but feel like a fair amount of it is naivety.

Mapleshade is quiet, and Frecklewish rolls into a long, earnest monologue, thanking her for giving her hope with her brother's kittens. It reads to me like Frecki was in a depression after Birchface's death, and being able to help raise her nespring is like being given a new purpose in life.

It's gutwrenching on both ends, for me. Mapleshade is actually super uncomfortable several times around her "in-laws" during these lies, like she knows that she's in a dangerous position, and never really wanted them around to begin with. She clearly doesn't like Frecklewish very much and is actively intimidated by Oakstar. She doesn't WANT to have to lie forever, she eventually wants it to be known they're halfclan.

(and... why shouldn't she want that? This law SUCKS and it SHOULD be challenged. I'll go to bat for Silverstream and I'll go to bat for Mapleshade too.)

But meanwhile, Frecklewish in particular is being mislead. This means everything to her, it gave her a purpose when her brother had been taken from her, she thinks Birchface is living on and that Mapleshade shares in her grief. But it's a lie, Mapleshade doesn't want her anywhere near her children, and at the end of the day her love of these kittens is being exploited for their safety.

So... yes. It is manipulative, but the alternative was to actively tell Frecklewish NO and open up more questions about who the possible father was. Mapleshade is in a dangerous situation and she interpreted the opportunity as StarClan providing a way for her kittens to become accepted by their Clanmates.

I just find this situation is compelling. And they're both neat

[ilikekidsshows]

You know what annoys me currently? That Marinette fans are excusing Marinette just straight up watching Adrien isolate himself from the group hug at the end of Ivan's episode after Ivan specifically pointed HIM out to be one of the people who could never understand the pain he's going through, on top of Marinette then also watching Adrien blame himself for not having reached out enough to his father in the end,

By just saying "poor pure Marinette 🥺 she's trying everything she can to protect Adrien from becoming the evil villain if he were to read that awful letter 🥺 she can't bare the thought of losing him to villainy, so she's selflessly becoming a martyr by shielding Adrien from that fate by bearing all those burden by herself 😔"

I wished it was just Marinette fan's delusional audacity that pissed me off, but unfortunately, I can perfectly see it happening that the show actually meant for that to be part of her writing at the end of the episode.

That we're supposed to watch Marinette for yet another couple of seasons project everything onto Adrichat in particular while going back on everything she allegedly learnt or knew because it's just too much to ask of her to not treat any little negative possibility she hears as the truth and take it out in everyone else.

In the s5 finale she replied to Gabriel saying that Adrien would do the same as him if he knew with "Adrien would NEVER do that!". I can easily see the show going back on that right away, now that it's not just a battle comeback to tell the villain how wrong he is about everything and she knows best, now that idea is put in Marinette's head and that means rationality can't ever be expected of her anymore. Because it never is. Marinette is never asked to stop treating any worst case thought she has as the ultimate truth until proven otherwise.

Marinette does that in EVERY conflict and is never asked to grow out of it already because she instead has to be coddled and soothed out of the harm she's causing by everyone else having to do the work and absolving her of almost all blame.

"Ladybug will tell the world what the truth is" indeed. That has been in-character for her for seasons now.

And I'm so upset at that. That any random asshole can walk up to Marinette and say something that stresses her or validates her and then we're just expected to nod our heads at Marinette thinking her every little whim and thought that cross her mind now get to be treated as full blown reality until the situation either goes to hell or everyone else had to make the effort of getting her back into reality.

Marinette had no business treating random ass Catwalker as the deciding voice in the Ladynoir conflict, and yet she did even though from her perspective he knows nothing of Ladynoir and never even MET Chat Noir.

And Marinette had no business treating memory-wiped Alya invalidating her own previous emotions, she doesn't even know she had, as validation that Marinette herself actually did nothing wrong and Alya would never under any circumstances have valid negative emotions towards her. So battle Alya was just irrational and wrong about everything she said. How FAIR of Marinette to just withhold all information and context from mind-wiped Alya and merely whimper "I'm afraid you would hate me if I did something wrong 🥺😞" as if anything Alya replies to that can possibly negate what she said in the previous situation. But that's how Marinette is being written. She thinks manipulating Alya (the same way she does Chat Noir for 500 seasons now) into validating her by withholding information or straight up deceiving them means all is good now, because they learned their lesson that she has feelings and that's all that matters.

I'll stop here cause I could write down more examples but that would take forever.

I'm just UPSET that the show consistently writes Marinette's, well, DELUSIONS as something that's not bad of her to live her life by. That girl is getting more and more detached from reality as the seasons go by and all the show says is that anything Marinette feels and thinks must be treated as at least somewhat valid. When no, that's not how this works. That's a HORRIBLE message!

Marinette said to Gabriel that she doesn't believe that Adrien would ever become a villain like Gabriel and yet her treating that as a truly possible outcome that she fears is the only through-line that makes sense.

It doesn't matter that she just saw Ivan dealing with a similar problem and getting help for it. Ivan's situation has nothing to do with HER so she doesn't have to stress about the negative consequences possibly biting HER in the ass.

But the mere thought of Adrien turning evil being put in her head is supposed to justify her TREATING it as reality now. Because that's affecting HER and that's a risk she cant bear taking, so support her harmful delusion please. It doesn't matter that Adrien would never turn evil as Gabriel said and Marinette knew that, there is a 0.000000000001% chance so clearly she's justified in punishing Adrien for it to sooth her mind.

Or even worse. Marinette knows EXACTLY that Adrien would have every reason to dislike her when he finds out the truth and that SHE could possibly be perceived as the bad guy in this, so she's cowardly projecting that onto Adrien by latching onto any random excuse she can treat as reality for why HE would become the bad guy in this if he were to find out the truth.

Same as with Chat Noir, Marinette will apparently always choose to believe every awful thing about Adrien instead of facing that SHE could be the bad guy in something. Funny how that's actually something she has been doing since s1. Fear the very worst of Adrien (and others) and that causes her to wreck havoc. It's almost like she shouldn't have been validated for doing that as often as she is cause it would have lead to CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!

She's even adding Alya to that list now. She rather believes mind-wiped Alya's uninformed validation, making battle Alya into the irrational one and entirely in the wrong, instead of facing that she, MARINETTE, is the unfair and wrong one in this. She waves off any chance of personal growth because whimpering for the people she lies to to instead tell her how she shouldn't ever believe that anything bad she does matters was more important.

I'm so upset that I can perfectly see it happening that Marinette fans delusions are now the actual canon explanation. Marinette let the harmful ending of Ivan's episode happening to Adrien because the idea was put in her head that he'll turn evil and now that delusion has to be treated as valid 🙄

---

Yeah, like, as if it’s not enough that the show is treating Marinette’s miscomfortort as the most important thing in conflicts where Marinette being uncomfy caused her to lash out and ruin the day of anyone in her vicinity, we’re at the level of treating her doom spiral fantasies as actual, realistic and understandable fears. I remember when Marinette accidentally going on a fantasy mind cruise over Adrien being secretly Hawk Moth was used as a joke, but now we’re expected to treat it as completely serious when Marinette keeps Gabriel’s letter from Adrien because otherwise he might get upset or end up becoming like Gabriel.

Like, if Marinette was actually suffering from delusions, that should be taken seriously and she should get help for dealing with that, but that’s not what’s going on. We’re supposed to listen to Marinette ramble in a way that used to be presented as nonsense, and then nod our heads and go: “yeah, that’s a reasonable concern, go wild, queen,” because, if that’s not the intended reaction, what justification does she have for her behavior? Because that’s how Sublimation went, too, we were expected to take Marinette worrying that Adrien would dump her if she failed to befriend Sublime both as a joke, but also as a serious concern and cheer when she succeeded at the end.

Never mind how becoming like his father would be antithetical to literally everything established about Adrien’s character, if the writers want that to be a genuine concern then by golly, Adrien is one letter away from wiping out the whole world and only Marinette’s selfless act of gaslighting him is keeping everyone else safe from his monstrousness. But, like, even if that ends up not being a genuine threat and the crew has at least that much grasp on Adrien’s supposed characterization, Marinette thinking the worst of him will still be presented as totally valid and not an insult. The relationship is totally healthy even when Marinette can go on a paranoid witch hunt to stop Adrien from destroying the world because she totally loves him and trusts him despite fully believing him capable of that.

I want off this amusement park ride. It’s broken.

[camilaxmartin]

Good morning (technically, it's like 1am for me rn) but could I request Carmilla and Rosie (separately) with a reader that's like one of those friends that are shy for a bit but then open up after a bit when they're singing with friends or something (I'm not great at explaining stuff so sorry about that). You don't have to right this if you don't want to, but thanks if you decide too. :)

not so shy after all

navigation // rules // masterlist

summary: *request*

warnings: none i think! NOT PROOF READ THO!

notes: just a quick drabble cause that’s what came to my mind!:) hope you’ll like it!

requests: closed!!

୨ৎ | okay so for me personally carmilla would adore your shy personality. i mean? a partner of hers who is calm and doesn’t disturb her in any way? perfection.

୨ৎ | i think she would also adore how you’d just listen to her and not interrupt her or just calmly sit through all the overlords meetings like she doesn’t have to shush you or get mad at you? could you be any more perfect?

୨ৎ | she would also tease you a lot and enjoy how flustered you get while not being able to respond to her. her ego would get massive. and it’d be a nice change to her daughters cause i can’t believe odette and clara are calm little kittens around her

୨ৎ | in conclusion, i think she would adore having a calm and shy partner

୨ৎ | let’s get into the more brave side now

୨ৎ | she would be so shocked the first time you show your more open side and don’t get me wrong, it’s awake something in her

୨ৎ | at first, she would just watch you from distance and enjoy how relaxed you seem chuckling to herself that she haven’t had an idea you had it in you

୨ৎ | and when you’d start singing and be even more yourself (i just went with this form the request) she would chuckle more openly and wait for you to notice her starring

୨ৎ | when you do, she would come over to you and hug you letting you go rather quickly not to stop your relaxing and singing

୨ৎ | i can see her even joining you after some time when she feels more comfortable as well cause for me personally, she’s just like that as well

୨ৎ | give her some time and then the two of you will be singing and dancing to taylor swift (or whatever you like to listen!) at 2am in her kitchen making your own eras tour

୨ৎ | clara and odette would accidentally walk on on you two having fun as they were woken up by you just having fun and as much as clara would giggle and join you almost instantly, odette would just roll her eyes and sit somewhere watching you all having fun together, humming the songs herself, she’s not that strong-

୨ৎ | carmilla would enjoy your brave side but i wouldn’t say she would prefer it more than the shy one just… she’s be happy with whatever you give her to be fair

୨ৎ | when that side would come out on the meetings and actually interrupt her somehow she would send you a warning glance but you’d just roll your eyes at her and that would have her IN SHOOCK

୨ৎ | she would try to compose herself and just get on with the meeting trying to keep calm as much as she possibly could

୨ৎ | after it she would somehow scold you for your ‘outrageous’ behaviour but in reality she would be chuckling to herself all the time while doing so and then tell you to keep that side of you for later when the two of you are alone

୨ৎ | and then, depending on what you’d do, depends the next situation

୨ৎ | if you’d just get flustered and all shy again she’d chuckle once again and wink at you leaving the room and going to her office

୨ৎ | but if your brave side would take over you, probably the two of you would end up aggressively making out in her office as she tries her best to scold you more and doing whatever she has in her power to make it sound like she’s actually scolding you and not just teasing you (no matter how much it turns her on)

୨ৎ | after all, carmilla would be amazing with a partner who’s shy at first cause she isn’t her full self at first as well, and she knows better than anyone what’s it like to let you be yourself and enjoy that side of you:) giving her a solid 10/10 what can i do

❀ | okay so i feel like rosie would be SO interested in you just because you’re all shy

❀ | like i imagine her meeting you for the first time at the overlords meeting and her interest would just flow straight out of the roof

❀ | she’d be like “oh who’s that? and why are they so silent and not doing anything?” she would have her eyes on you ALL THE TIME and i mean REALLY all the time

❀ | after a few times you’d notice her gaze and stare at her too but in a more subtle way just looking at her when she’s not looking or so you think

❀ | many meetings later she would straight up come over to you and ask you out and as you’d get all flustered she’d smile to herself and wait patiently for your response

❀ | you’d nod your head agreeing and she would literally clap her hands in happiness telling you to come over to her place whenever you feel like it

❀ | after a lot of doubting yourself you’d find yourself walking around the cannibal town looking for her house and gently knocking on her door

❀ | she would be all bubbly letting you in and already pouring you tea she’s made earlier

❀ | at first your dates would look exactly like that and exactly the same, just gossiping over tea and her trying to dig deeper and deeper into your personality

❀ | don’t get me wrong, she adores your shyness but there has to be something more there, right?

❀ | and finally when you’d stay the night at her place and feel comfortable enough to be yourself more, rosie would catch you singing in her bedroom when she was supposed to be showering

❀ | she would just watch you from the door adoring how relaxed and comfortable you look just having fun when you think no one’s watching you or just that you can actually act like that in her house

❀ | after a quick moment she would clap her hands when the song ends and you’d turn your head towards her immediately and feel your cheeks blush slightly

❀ | but what she didn’t expect was you coming over to her with your hands out asking her to dance and sing with you

❀ | rosie would be stunned at first but quickly shake it off, grabbing your hands and letting you swing her however you want

❀ | the two of you would have so much fun together that you forget she was supposed to be showering and that’s it’s night already and you should rather calm down than getting it on

❀ | but rosie wouldn’t mind that, she would love that side of you and do anything she can to bring it out more often and even in public

❀ | at the same time she would understand that you just let it come out when you’re comfortable and then she would stop pressuring you to be like that among other people

❀ | but still it’s in her nature to try and bring your authentic side whenever she can however she can

❀ | after the whole dance play in her bedroom she would fall onto her bed while laughing and breathing deeply being tired from all of it

❀ | you’d giggle and lay down next to her as she cups your cheek with her hand stroking it softly and giving your forehead a soft peck, smiling to you and doing it even wider than usual

❀ | after all i don’t think she would mind a shy partner but also would adore your more open side as she is very open and confident herself

❀ | i’d give her a solid 9/10 for the bit of her trying to bring it out rather more than she should

[jimpagne]

When does an Idol's apology work?

So, I saw the whole thing with Jungkook's hat situation and how people have been responding to it, and before I make this post, I want to clarify that I thought what he did was quite ignorant... but at the same time, it had me thinking, when does an idol's apology work?

I want to preface that I don't necessarily agree with the ARMYs who say that he never should have apologized, I actually think it's good and commendable that he recognized how he might've/could've hurt people and immediately took accountability. That's incredibly important and shows that Jungkook wanted to shut down any narrative surrounding him immediately.

WARNING: Long post ahead

I'm going to compare both Aespa Karina's scandal and Jungkook's. When Karina apologized for her alleged PPP support post, it appeared that many people did not receive it well, and I think that was for a myriad of reasons, some of which were not fair, but some of which raised pretty concerning red flags. However, with Jungkook's, it seems that more people were willing to forgive him despite these issues being political in nature.

I want to preface that I am not accusing nor defending these idols.

In the case of Karina:

Karina's occurred around their Korea's critical snap elections, and it was a time where it seemed that everyone in the public eye in was willing to stop regular hand gestures or stop wearing certain colors to avoid to be associated with any of the major parties. Karina is a Korean, she works in Korea, and she probably knows its history and political system very well, making it seem impossible that she wouldn't know what is going on. Also, the PPP president had literally just been impeached, so sentiments surrounding the party had soured in the press.

Additionally, Karina's post included three nods to the PPP (the color, the number, and other correlating symbols), and she indirectly apologized on a paid app, which I think made the situation a bit worse. Making an apology locked behind an exclusive service can come off the wrong way to a lot of people, even if the sentiment behind it was genuine. Some people were also upset because it appeared that more 'effort' went into her apology for dating... which in my humblest opinion, she should have never made an apology for that in the first place.

Also, although some try to argue against it, it is true that some were willing to be harsher to Karina on the basis of gender. Misogyny always hits, and it hits hard. But I'm not defending nor am I accusing Karina of doing anything, and I honestly do hate when the misogyny card is played when a woman receives valid criticism. I still thought it was an important point to bring up since it is our current reality.

Another thing is that some said it made sense for her to be a PPP supporter on the basis of her faith, trying to directly tie Catholicism to conservatism, which isn't exactly a fair play, especially in a country where Catholicism is a minority religion (at only 11%). I think many western Kpop stans view Korean politics similarly to how they would view their own country, and many of these comments came from people from the US, where religion and politics are HEAVILY intertwined. But in a majority atheistic country like Korea, tying religion to politics is not always as black and white as it seems.

I think the biggest factor that contributed to the negative reception of her apology is the overall reach of the initial incident, as Karina's Instagram post had escaped its initial circle and found itself being scrutinized by the public and the press almost immediately, whereas in Jungkook's case, when he issued the apology, even many fans themselves had no idea what he was talking about in the first place.

In the case of Jungkook:

Jungkook wore a "Make Tokyo Great Again" hat, which is a direct tie to the MAGA slogan heavily used by the current and controversial American president, Donald Trump. However, it's quite common to see people parody this slogan or make satirical merchandise off it (Make America Gay Again, etc...) Some of the most left-leaning people might wear something that uses the slogan satirically. However, the slogan itself is STILL politically charged, so many Americans did feel a bit perturbed even though the slogan is talking about Tokyo. But also, some Americans didn't take issue to it because they understand that some people make satirical pieces using it all the time. Jungkook is not an American, no, no one can expect him to be an expert in what's going on in a foreign country, especially since he's been in the military for the past 18 months. BUT, Korea is heavily intertwined with the United States politically, and Trump has been in the political sphere since 2016, well before he ever enlisted. However, in Jungkook's Weverse apology, he was explicit in addressing the political discomfort surrounding it and immediately said he would discard the hat altogether.

However, the hat itself says "Tokyo", and many people were quick to point out the tense relationships between Korea and Japan, and how their history has been a brutal one. I think it's incredibly important for us to understand exactly what happened and how the Japanese subjugated Korea and its people. But at the same time, it is also important to note that not all modern-day Koreans and Japanese people hate each other, and that the younger generations in both countries have taken a keen interest in one another. Many young Koreans enjoy Japanese pop culture, and Japan is a popular travel destination for many Koreans. It's the same the other way around. Korea is no longer in an era where it censors everything from Japan or hates any cultural export from them (but censorship in Japan... well, that's another story). But it could still be considered tone deaf in the grand scheme of things and as a public figure he should've been more careful about how that might've come across to the general Korean public, especially since similarly, Jimin's Korean Liberation Day t-shirt carried consequences in Japan before. However, Jungkook also has multiple tattoos regarding Korean nationalism and culture, so many find it hard to believe that he'd support Japanese imperialism. (I also want to point out that I have Korean friends whose parents are completely fine with Japanese cultural imports/exports, and some Korean friends where their parents boycott any Japanese product entirely. It's a mixed bag. Also, I formally took some Japanese courses, and my Japanese professor talked about how loved Korean culture is by the youth there, his own wife taking Korean lessons and watching K-dramas. I am also well acquainted with a Japanese family who had their daughter live in Korea for special job training, and they are big fans of the country.)

Jungkook recently took a trip to Tokyo with Jimin, so some assumed that he probably got it as a souvenir while he was there. The hat itself also comes from a Japanese streetwear brand, so it's entirely possible that he picked it up. Is it a great souvenir? In my opinion, not really. But Jungkook has said multiple times on camera and in writings that Japan and Tokyo are one of his favorite places to visit and vacation to. He had a private vacation in 2017 with Jimin to Tokyo, and then in 2023, he and Jimin again went to Sapporo and stopped briefly in Tokyo as well. This is why some people might be more lenient since the hat itself says Tokyo rather than all of Japan itself.

BTS themselves also have a long and intricate history with politics and resistance to conservative bodies. BTS risked being blacklisted after making songs/statements that challenged the GNP (a conservative party in Korea) and Park Geunhye's administration. They also made several statements being in favor of queer rights and gender identities, have strong connections/relationships to those in the LGBTQIA community, have made strong national sentiments about Korea and have expressed anti-imperial Japan views (namely about Dokdo and not working with an imperialist producer), and they also worked closely with the democratic/left-leaning party in Korea, and removed themselves from direct government collaboration when the PPP candidate got into office (except for YTC in Busan event, where the gov proceeded to neglect member payouts of 5M USD). Although this is also controversial, I do think it's worth mentioning that BTS met with American leader Joe Biden, a direct opponent and apparent 'enemy' of Donald Trump. They also made a hefty donation to BLM in 2020, directly going against the sentiments and outcries of Trump, who was president at that time. Jungkook himself had also made donations to local hospitals in Korea after it was announced that the conservative government would be cutting funding.

I think their past decade of philanthropy/overall message as a group has made people more willing to accept Jungkook's apology and view it as an act of ignorance rather than an act of support for Japanese Imperialism and Trumplicans. But I do think it's also worth mentioning that many people could easily spin these displays of liberalism as being performative rather than genuine (especially since 7 in 10 Korean men in their 20s voted for the PPP, and at the end of the day, we really don't know our idols) but that's a whole other can of worms.

But overall, I think the actions of both Jungkook and Karina were ignorant at best, but this is why I think some people were more willing to accept one apology over the other. If I remember quickly, I think they both posted their apologies quickly, so I don't think the speed in which they took accountability impacted the reception of their statements all that much. Also, I would like to point out that I'm not entirely familiar with aespa's philanthropy, so I'm not entirely sure how/if that could've impacted the overall reception of Karina's apology.

edit: the brand themselves also posted an apology and expressed that the original intention of the design was not to send a political message, but rather to express optimism/hope for a thriving future for Tokyo. Again, it doesn't really matter what the intention is, if someone is hurt by it, it is good to apologize at the end of the day.

But these are just my thoughts!

[oplishin]

I really love the way RF Kuang wrote Rin's relationship to her culture because it's fucking terrible and cruel.

Rin is the last Speerly, and that puts a soul-crushing, unbelievably unfair amount of responsibility on her. She has to be the one to preserve her culture because there is literally no one else. After her, her people will be dead, and they'll be unable to represent or speak for themselves. All that will exist of Speer is other people's interpretations of it, of what they want Speer to be, how they want it to serve their own cultural narrative.

But, god, how could she possibly represent her people? She has no relationship to her culture, any representation she gives it is inherently from an outside, colonized view. Her culture was robbed from her, but she's still burdened with the responsibility of preserving it. She's woefully inadequate for the job, and she knows it. She's literally, physically unable to continue her people because of a choice she made before she knew she was the last of anything. But, even if she had known, it should've NEVER been her responsibility to continue anything, to boil herself down to a reproductive device for a people she owes nothing and everything to.

Rin doesn't dwell on this very often because, oh my god, there's a war happening, and all her friends are dying, and she'll die too if she doesn't keep going, and these lofty ideas of culture and colonialism are for people who don't have to live in a messy, war-torn reality, people have time to think about anything. R F Kuang does a great job of using Rin as an unreliable narrator here. It's clear that she's fucked up about this, but that she will not allow herself to think about it. She's One person, situated and trapped in her One life. She can't be expected to speak for a whole people. So, she pushes her culture aside. She has to live with the fact that this is it, she's the end.

Then, she dies, and Speer dies, and nothing is fair.

[putschki1969]

Hi Puts, I saw dramas news. TBH i'm totally disagree with all of those idea about "sides" "betrayal" etc concepts. From my perspective as an asian there's big difference in culture stuffs. Everyone of them, YKJ as well are just one musician. (Being able to live without messing with JP train rush hour are blessing enough LOL). they pursue nothing more than Arts. I think they has much less "self" concept nor "possession". I believe YKJ expect Kalafina's songs to be 気働き as well. :D

Hi there!!

I am not sure I completely understand what you want to convey with your message but I think I am getting the gist of it so I can hopefully provide a suitable response.

I also received a reply from @toshiroukajiura on THIS POST. It's very similar in nature to the above ask so I thought I'd include it here and just answer both in one go.

Your assumption with Yuki is so sad. Yuki kajiura is not a manager. Remember that. Hikaru is under a different management. And Kajiura invited Hikaru a lot of times. Kajiura is a soundtrack composer. Remember that.

All right, let's go...〈(•ˇ‿ˇ•)-→

All of this sounds like the two of you are trying to make excuses for Yuki. I don't know why you would "disagree" or consider it "sad" when I am simply pointing out the reality of things. Despite me saying that I wasn't sure if I could be unbiased, I think I've actually made quite fair assessments of the situation, especially in the above post. I tried my best to remain rational and look at everything from an objective point of view. Yuki Kajiura is not infallible and certainly not exempt from criticism, there's nothing wrong about pointing out certain problematic behaviours.

Common themes among those coming to Yuki's defense seem to be

that this is just a cultural thing that cannot be changed and is horribly misunderstood.

that Yuki wouldn't ever do anything petty like this because all she cares about is her art/music.

that she couldn't possibly be pulling the strings because she is in no position to do that.

I would argue that you are mistaken on all three accounts.

Re 1) Yes, their actions are indeed heavily influenced by cultural peculiarities, there's no doubt about that. None of the things we see them do are out of the ordinary for the Japanese entertainment industry. But just because these things are rooted in culture, doesn't automatically make them okay or provide an excuse. The non-confrontational approach with an emphasis on shunning, avoidance and denial, the continuous attempts at keeping things under wraps and sweeping all possible issues under the rug, the passive-aggressive behaviour towards each other with no direct insults but lots of subtle and targeted mini-attacks. Basically mean-girl tactics up to eleven. Very toxic, unhealthy and counterproductive.

This is the essence of the feud between Team Space Craft and Team Yuki. And yes, I keep calling it a "feud" for a reason. It is not a natural thing that should just be shrugged off as harmless. It is a long-lasting dispute between two parties fueled by wounded pride and fragile sensibilities. I have no doubt that Team Yuki was wronged at some point in all of this and I am sure that Team Space Craft has also felt slighted on multiple occasions but throughout all these years, both parties have just stubbornly kept this feud alive, unwilling to make any concessions that would finally resolve it. So yeah, even though I wish it wasn't the case, there are clearly "sides" in this feud and certain associations are seen as "betrayal" and get reprimanded as such. To deny this would just be ignorant.

Re 2) I used to think that Yuki prioritised her craft beyond anything else but recent events (in combination with some of her past decisions) have led me to believe otherwise. She basically abandoned Kalafina (arguably her best artistic project) all those years ago when she decided to leave Space Craft and follow Mori. Was it her prerogative to leave? Of course, she surely had her own interests in mind and thought it was for the best (it probably was, at least for her personally) but the fact remains that Kalafina and its members have had to bear the brunt of this decision and their interests have mostly been ignored. It must have been very obvious to Yuki that her departure would mean an end to Kalafina. With the girls not willing to continue the group without her but also unable to just follow her and revive Kalafina under Yuki's new management, they were faced with a dead-end and forced to make very hard decisions. So we know that the Kalafina project and its members did not mean enough to Yuki to try and arrange herself with the higher-ups at Space Craft. If we assume that all the rumours from back in the day contain at least a grain of truth, then Mori and Yuki did not leave because of some inconceivable or unforgivable thing being done to them, it was mostly petty stuff. For this reason, it is still baffling to me that they couldn't have found a way to navigate around their issues. While I would not expect the execs at Space Craft to have art and the interests of their employees as their first priority, I had hoped that Yuki at least would've felt a stronger commitment to those things, especially considering that the Kalafina project was her baby and the girls gave everything to bring her vision to life. But alas, that wasn't the case.

And even now when she claims that she's tried so much to make a Kalafina reunion possible but sadly with no success, I cannot help but wonder what exactly it was that she could have tried. It probably wasn't a proper attempt at reconciliation. Because let's be real here, I am sure Space Craft are difficult to deal with and they certainly have a bunch of outrageous demands but what could they possibly want that Yuki wouldn't be able to give them? They used to work together just fine with shared rights, shared revenues, etc. I find it hard to believe that something similar can't be recreated now (with different parameters and a little effort from both sides). Yuki is at the top of her career whereas Space Craft have pretty much reached the bottom of the barrel. Why not just be the better person, take pity on the petty old guys at Space Craft and give them what they want? There's no way that Space Craft aren't willing to negotiate something, I mean, at this point they have no other choice. They are probably not smart enough to know that they shouldn't be greedy with their demands in their lousy position but then again, their future existence is most likely contingent on Yuki making large concessions so I kinda understand that they would have rather audacious demands. My interpretation of all of this is that Yuki deliberately decides not to reach out to Space Craft due to being petty herself. If your pride is wounded, you will do a lot of things out of spite, even going as far as to sacrifice your own project.

After Keiko's exclusion from YKL, one has to once again wonder, what is more important to Yuki. Her craft and the quality of her music or her wounded pride? As I have explained in previous posts, I believe that this was mostly Yuki's decision and just a natural progression of the usual shunning process. I am willing to be proven wrong on the matter, maybe it turns out that Space Craft actually have entrapped Keiko in a super restrictive contract but for the time being, more signs point towards Yuki being behind this exclusion. Meaning, she would rather let go of the backbone of her music, instead of finding a solution with Space Craft.

By the way, I was never trying to insinuate that Yuki was completely indifferent to the members' problems. I think she does care about them, at least to some extent. We've seen her provide support on some occasions to Keiko as well as Hikaru and she has given them work opportunities but most of that was actually in her own interest so make of that whatever you will.

Re 3) I think some people may be underestimating the power she currently holds. Even back in her Space Craft days, she was left to her own devices and was pretty much given free creative rein by her manager Mori. She may not have been in charge of all organisational decisions but aside from that, she didn't have to deal with any restrictions. After leaving Space Craft, she founded "Fiction Junction Music", her very own management company. She is the head of this company so in a way, she is in fact a manager and more or less her own boss. Looking at the credit pages, FictionJunction Music is always listed as Yuki's management alongside Highway Star so we can assume they have some sort of shared management arrangement. When you check the Highway Star homepage, you'll notice that Yuki isn't listed under their regular clients, she is listed as "partner artist", this implies a peer to peer relationship. It's fair to come to the conclusion that she is the one who calls the shots when it comes to her activities and that the agency is merely there to help with formalities or to find some new jobs for her. Do they get a say in her decisions, yeah, probably but Mori strikes me as the type of guy who would gladly support Yuki's wish to exclude Keiko for aligning herself with Space Craft.

[drowninginblox]

Logging off

Pt: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Sighing into darkness became Kurt's newest pastime as feelings clouded his judgment. What can be made of a situation like this?

It's been a long time since Kurt had contemplated his feelings for someone else, and this may be the first time someone else confessed to him. He's typically the one pinning or flirting with only hopes in his heart, not the other way around. To have the ball in his court is leaving him frozen mid-play with the highest stakes on the line- his friendship with you.

He's never considered you in this light before. That isnt to say it's a bad thing, far from it! Yet, he can't stop pacing back and forth along any and all surfaces to even attempt to understand how to decipher this. Pros and Cons are the only things he can trust since the waters of his mind are murky.

"... it wouldn't be a bad thing. Would anything really change?" He mumbled. The thought of kissing them when they think no one is looking has crossed his mind before, and cuddling together in the depths of the night has... lingered from time to time.

Telling each other things no one else would ever know is a common thing they do but... would it be more intimate even though it would be under the covers and not on top of them? Learning everything about them and worshiping all of it as it culminated in one of the most radiant beings he's seen. With eyes of raw hope and a smile that he could- no- would die for...

He finds himself in the middle of his room, his wide gaze stuck to the floor. "Mein gott..." his eyes widened slightly as a hand held his forehead. For a moment, the solution is clear. Y/n was just down the hall- he could just-

Yet when he impacted from the ceiling onto the floor, reality set him straight. "No no- Wir dürfen nicht voreilig sein, Wagner. Das kann kein Gewinn sein, denn wenn das… was auch immer das ist! Auf Gefühle zu reagieren, die wir gerade bekommen haben, wäre ihnen gegenüber nicht fair." He quietly scolds himself. A beat passes as he contemplates this more. Factors he never considered bounced around his mind until he ultimately sighed. The only way he could make sure of this was to test it with time, although how Y/n reacted to his plea would be crucial.

Kurt returned to his pacing as ideas on how to tell them weighed him down with each step.

He waited a few days, just to be sure of himself.

Eventually, he caught you on your lunch break. Your door was cracked open, revealing you hunched over your desk grading some papers. “Hey, Y/n?” You raised your head, giving Kurt a surprised smile. “Hey, Kurt! Whatcha need?” He takes a breath “Can I talk to you?” You nod, already cleaning up your desk “I’m guessing this is a door closed conversation?” Kurt chuckles as she steps inside “Ja, very much so.” You nod and get a spare chair from close by as Kurt closes the door behind him. “Is it about the elephant or something else?” Kurt cocks a brow before realizing what you meant “Oh! The elephant being the post?” You sigh a little “Y-yeah…” he nods a little as he holds the back of his neck.

You only motion to the chair and sit back in your own. “Any verdict?” You sigh as you take out a bag from your desk drawer. Kurt smiles slightly as he sees your gummy bears “Honestly, I’m lost Y/n.” Your eyes catch his just as he looks up to you.

What attempts you make to play cool was interrupted by the bag breaking open, starting the both of you. A pause follows before you chuckle awkwardly “Sorry, um… I don’t mean to pry but, would it be okay for me to ask for elaboration?” You say while offering the bag. He smiles sightly and holds out his hand. A few bears fall into his palm before you retracted the sweets. Kurt popped one onto his mouth and chewed while considering the question. All the while you occupied yourself by sorting your palm- sized selection by color.

“I… I don’t want to get your hopes up,” you look at him, his gaze fixated on the desk rather than you. “…but I also don’t want to drag you along.” You can only slump at that. You didn’t know what you were expecting. Part of you wanted a confession that rivaled that of fanfiction or maybe an outright refusal like you’ve gotten so many times in the past. I hurt a little, but this was your life.

“So… what do you want to do?” You leaned a little into the question. “I… I don’t know, Liebling. Truly.” You looked away for a moment before returning to him. “Do you think going back to being friends would be easier for you? For us?” He leaned over himself, his elbows propped onto his knees for support. His eyes look into your own for a long time, yet he too broke away “I… I don’t know. I’ve never had a friend confess to me before…” he chuckled dryly. “It’s usually me taking a chance on strangers, or friends if I’ve really pined long enough… but this is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.” A hand holds his forehead. “And the worst part is that the feelings aren’t lost on me.” You tilt your head at that. “Kurt, do you feel the same?” His head rises, yet the only thing to be seen in his honey eyes is uncertainty. “Yes, but I know that I wouldn’t have gotten these before. I didn’t have feelings like these towards you until after you… this experience. And I know that acting on it isn’t fair to you.”

He keeps his eyes on you and you for him. An even yet uncertain gaze meets one equally steady, mixed with hope and controlled admiration. You eventually break the stare, turning away from him. “Y/n, I’m sorry…” he starts but you immediately interrupt him. “No- don’t you dare.” You say a little louder than you thought you would as he watches your face. Your throat slowly, but surely tightened. Your unexpected outburst of sorts managed to shut them up for at least a few moments as you took a breath. A breath to at least try to find the words.

Eventually, you turn back to him, he’s a little startled now. you almost falter. Almost.

“Do you remember when we first met?” He furrowed his brows “Ja, of course I do. Germany, that one December,” You nod “What was the first thing you told me?” He blinked at that, straightening a little as he racked his memory for that moment. It’s found though, making him sober “Never apologize for your emotions froline.” You nod. “Take a page out of your own book.” You sit up a little as he sits on that.

A moment passes before you continue. "Never force yourself to feel the feelings that I have for you, Kurt. Please. That would be worse than rejection. Rejection I can move past from.” You offer with a small smile. He only sighs “But I feel these things for you now…” you swallow “And?”

Confusion washes over his face. “Say we both do like each other after some time, would our dynamics change? Yeah of course I hope we would kiss and do other shit but the bear bones of our relationship- would that change?” The question eases the tension in his shoulders and back “No…Nein, I don’t think so.” You smile “Then let’s just continue as we are.” You offer. “ I know myself. And if you say you have the same feelings now… then I’ll wait for you. Just keep me updated. Okay?” You ask, a hope in your voice. He looks at you, amazed by how simple of an answer this was “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, Kurt you forget who you’re talking to.” You chuckle “I knew what I was getting into when I made that post. I knew what I was getting to if you ever realized or if I ever got the nerve to tell you. I thought about this a lot. This situation- admittedly, not as much…” he laughs “It’s better to have clarity on where we are than to just stumble in the dark.” You pop a few more bears into your mouth “Besides you’re still my best friend. I'm happy that baseline hasn't changed."

He finds himself sighing in relief only to follow up "Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to hurt you more Y/n." You shake your head. "Kurt, above everything else, I want to stay your friend. You are one of the best things that happened to me, and I want to keep you in my life for as long as whatever forces let it." He smiles and sits up. "Thank you, Y/n." They nod. "Just keep me in the loop Kurt. I won't pry, but I'd appreciate it." He nods and offers a hand for you to get up. You chuckle and take it. His grasp on your forearm is firm but warm. Sturdy and safe. "I promise you, I won't leave you in the dark. You can only smile at him. "So, are we back to watching all those live actions?" You smirk. He only groans through a smile. "Why? Why the Fox Docu-movies? Warum die Fox-Doku-Filme? Die sind so scheiße und sie charakterisieren mich so falsch! Und Rouge ist nicht mal meine Schwester-!"

You only laugh as life returns to a normal you can live with.

[theonlyonesora]

Chapter 18: Different Paths

The soft hum of chatter filled the upscale restaurant as Yuna and Nanami sat at a quiet corner table. A flickering candle cast a warm glow over their meal, but the atmosphere between them was anything but warm. Nanami had been unusually quiet all evening, his gaze distant.

“Are you okay?” Yuna finally asked, her voice gentle yet tinged with concern. “You’re quieter than usual. Is something bothering you?”

Nanami set down his fork, his movements deliberate as he took a deep breath. “I don’t think this is going to work out.”

Yuna’s expression softened with understanding, though her heart sank. “By that, you mean us, I imagine.”

“Yes,” he said simply, his voice calm but resolute.

She leaned back slightly, her brows furrowing. “Are you going to tell me why, or will I have to guess?”

Nanami hesitated for a moment before meeting her gaze. “I thought I was okay when you said you were helping Gojo with the kids, but it’s not just help, is it?”

Yuna’s heart tightened at his words. She nodded slowly, her voice steady despite the heaviness in her chest. “It really isn’t. But you don’t need to worry. You won’t have any work with them. The children are my responsibility with Satoru.”

“That’s the problem,” Nanami said, his voice edged with frustration. “I think it’s him I can’t deal with. This whole situation—it’s too much.”

Her eyes widened slightly, confusion flickering across her face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t think I want to have Gojo so deeply in my life,” he admitted, his tone sincere but firm.

Yuna’s stomach churned as his words settled over her. “Nanami, Satoru isn’t a part of this… us. He’s part of my past and the children’s present, but it doesn’t have to mean he defines my future.”

“I understand that, but the reality is that he’s always going to be there,” Nanami countered. “And I don’t think I can handle that dynamic. It’s not fair to you, to me, or to anyone.”

The conversation grew tense as they continued to unpack the complexities of their relationship. Yuna explained how she never expected Nanami to take responsibility for the children or compete with Satoru’s presence in her life. But Nanami’s concerns ran deeper. He admitted that the idea of navigating such an entangled situation wasn’t the life he envisioned for himself.

By the end of the evening, their understanding of each other brought clarity, though it was bittersweet.

“I don’t blame you, Nanami,” Yuna said softly as they walked out of the restaurant together. “We’re from different places, with different visions for our lives. It’s better this way.”

Nanami nodded, his expression calm but tinged with regret. “You deserve someone who can give you what you need, Yuna. And I hope you find that.”

The night ended quietly. What they had barely begun had now come to an end, and though the parting was mutual and without anger, it left an ache in Yuna’s heart.

As she returned home, Yuna reflected on how their paths had diverged. She didn’t blame Nanami, nor did she regret the time they had shared. She knew now, more than ever, that her life was filled with complexities that not everyone could embrace.

Even so, she couldn’t help but wonder if there was someone out there who could navigate those complexities with her—someone who could share in her joys and burdens, unafraid of the life she had built.

The late afternoon sun cast warm hues across the pavement as Yuna and Satoru walked side by side toward the school to pick up Megumi and Tsumiki. The air between them was calm, a rare reprieve amidst the chaos of their usual lives.

“How have you been this week? Are the kids giving you a hard time?” Yuna asked, glancing at him with a faint smile.

Satoru sighed, his hands resting in his pockets. “I’m fine, I guess. The kids are definitely keeping me busy, but I wouldn’t say they’re giving me a lot of work. It’s a different kind of challenge, you know? What about you, Yuna? How have you been?”

“I’m fine,” she replied, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “But I have a lot of missions right now. I miss the kids, and oh… I got dumped by Nanami.”

Satoru stopped mid-step, his jaw dropping. “Wait, what? He dumped you? Is he crazy?”

Yuna laughed lightly, shaking her head. “I guess the kids were too much for him. But it’s okay.”

“What? What an idiot,” Satoru exclaimed, his tone a mix of disbelief and frustration. “He can’t handle kids? Seriously?”

“It’s okay, Satoru,” Yuna said calmly. “It’s no big deal. These things happen, and I already knew this kind of thing could happen.”

Satoru’s expression softened as they reached the school and waited for the children to come out. “You know, it’s been a while since we’ve gone out together. Why don’t we do something, just the two of us? Like in the old days.”

Yuna raised a brow, intrigued. “It’ll be nice. I think Shoko and Utahime can survive with the kids for a few hours for us.”

Satoru chuckled, his carefree laugh easing the tension. “Absolutely! Those two can handle the chaos just fine. We deserve some time to ourselves. So, is it a date? This weekend, we’ll get together and have some fun.”

“Just like old times,” Yuna replied, a flicker of nostalgia lighting up her face.

Satoru nodded, his chest tightening with the warmth of shared memories. “Yeah, just like old times. We’ve had some memorable experiences together, haven’t we?”

Before Yuna could respond, a joyful shout interrupted their moment.

“Mom!!! You came!” Megumi squealed, running to hug Yuna’s legs.

Yuna crouched down to hug him back, her smile radiant. “Hello, Megs. It’s good to see you too.”

Satoru watched the exchange with a fond smile. “Wow, Megumi, did you miss Yuna that much?”

Megumi nodded enthusiastically, clinging to Yuna as if he hadn’t seen her in years.

“Come on, let’s go home,” Satoru said, holding out his hands for Megumi and Tsumiki.

The walk back was filled with laughter and lighthearted conversation, the children chattering excitedly about their day. Tsumiki added her own anecdotes, drawing smiles from everyone.

As they arrived home, Satoru glanced at Yuna, his expression softer than usual. “Yuna always has a way of bringing people together, doesn’t she?”

Yuna met his gaze, her smile gentle but knowing. “We’re family,” she said simply, her voice carrying a depth that resonated beyond words.

Satoru’s eyes lingered on hers, something unspoken passing between them. “Yes, we are,” he murmured, his voice low and warm. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The moment stretched, charged with an intimacy neither could fully name. Satoru felt his chest tighten, a swirl of emotions he couldn’t quite articulate.

“I’m going to put them to bed, okay?” Yuna said, her attention shifting to the children.

Satoru nodded, watching her as she guided the kids inside. Even as the door closed behind her, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between them.

As he leaned back against the wall, he whispered to himself, “I wonder if she feels it too… Maybe it’s just my imagination running wild.” But deep down, Satoru knew that whatever this was, it wasn’t something he could ignore for much longer.

[suzukiblu]

gotham

Kon's in Gotham, which would be less of a problem if it were the right Gotham.

Possibly his reality doesn't exist anymore, is the thing. He's trying very, very hard not to concentrate on that fact until he gets more information, though.

Currently, he's standing in the middle of an emergency triage center with a few hundred more refugees from varying dimensions, and he can't do anything actually superhero-ish or even too noticeably useful because he's wearing a fucking gala-quality bespoke suit that Tim bought him. So, like, way too nicely dressed for a refugee situation or really just any damn normal situation.

If he had to end up in another reality, at least he could've been wearing his superhero costume or his work clothes from the farm, but no, this particular interdimensional crisis just had to pop up during "suffer through another ridiculously fancy Wayne gala on Tim's arm in the name of charity" date night.

Why not, right?

So yes, Kon's in a triage center, waiting to get "processed" as a refugee and hoping to high hell that the local Batman doesn't hate Supers and isn't a supervillain. He'd considered sneaking out of the center altogether to go and get a better idea of what's going on firsthand, but people in the crowd keep randomly freaking out and everyone's tense as hell and he's a little bit concerned that something might be about to go down. Like, it's Gotham, and this whole setup seems like a very tempting target for people with dubious morals to swoop in and start shit.

As far as Kon knows, he's the only refugee in this specific center who's not a standard civilian, and it's hard to just clear out and leave everyone here to the tender mercies of whatever random assholes feel like making trouble for no good reason. There's just so many older people and so many kids, is the thing. Kon is . . . well, physiologically twenty-two, at least, and is a very clear outlier in the group. Mostly it's people over sixty and kids under twelve, for whatever reason. And a whole lot of the kids keep crying on and off and the older people are all clearly stressed as fuck.

Which is fair, since again, possibly all their realities are gone.

. . . technically he probably does count as under twelve, come to think.

Hm.

Eh, whatever.

Kon has spent a whole hell of a lot of time cheering up frightened little kids and soothing panicked adults in the four hours he's been in this triage center and it has been fucking exhausting. At this point, if any Gotham rogue shows their face and even looks at a single one of these people, Kon's going to just fucking deck them. Like, fuck whatever the local Batman's rules about metas and vigilantes are, Kon does not have the patience for anything else.

Right now, though, he's currently just focused on the very distressed pair of identical little girls on either side of him who are not twins and are absolutely terrified of each other.

"Hey, it's okay, Mallory," he says gently, and the girls sniffle in perfect unison.

"But she's scary!" they both blurt, and then they both whimper in fright, and then they both start crying.

Not ideal, Kon thinks. The local version of Mallory is in the awkward position of having had two alternates of herself pop up from two different realities and both land in her family's apartment, and the local versions of her parents are currently arguing with the aid workers about not separating them from their alternate daughters. Kon's half-eavesdropping–they're not that far away, the workers couldn't convince them to break line of sight–and they're both insisting on at least one of them being allowed to stay in the refugee center with the Mallorys. The local Mallory looks a little worried about things, but not as much as her displaced alternates do.

Well, she's the one currently with her actual parents and still in her own definitely-not-destroyed reality, so yeah, that makes sense. The other two Mallorys are just hiding from their other selves on either side of Kon, who can't keep his damn nose out of anything.

Really, actually, Mallory is a pretty lucky kid. Kon didn't even get this good a reception to showing up unexpectedly in his home dimension, and he's heard a lot of horror stories about people getting attacked or chased off by freaked-out locals already today.

Kon had just popped up alone in the middle of an empty ballroom, himself. He'd had to talk to a couple of security guards, but they'd had the news on already and the emergency broadcast had explained what the fuck was going on pretty quick. One of them had given him a water bottle and a candy bar while the other'd called the emergency hotline listed on the TV to figure out where to send him and they'd really both just rolled with the whole situation. That'd been pretty nice of them, Kon had thought.

People are awful, sometimes, but also amazing sometimes.

"Listen," he says reassuringly, dropping into a crouch between the Mallorys, who both clutch anxiously at his weird fancy Tim-chosen jacket as he puts a hand on both of their backs. "It really is okay. I know it's scary, but your parents are gonna make sure you get taken care of, and the aid workers are gonna help them out."

"But–" they both start, and then both make frightened noises again and cover their mouths with their free hands. Whatever realities they happen to be from, they are clearly very similar ones. The local Mallory wasn't talking in unison with either of them, but they keep overlapping each other without meaning to, and she's wearing a pink corduroy dress but they're both in the same black denim overalls. Different shirts, at least, but their hair's identically braided and beaded where hers is in afro puffs.

"This is weird and crazy, but you're not alone," Kon says firmly, patting their backs. "Your mom and dad have your backs."

He wonders what that would be like, having not only parents but parents who'd just roll with alternate dimension versions of you to the point that they wouldn't leave them in a government-sponsored refugee center, but quickly shoves the thought aside to focus on the actual issue.

Maybe Ma and Pa would come get him if they knew, he thinks for a moment, the thought slipping through the cracks, and then feels like an idiot. He's not a teenager anymore. Was never even a kid, technically. And also he's a literal superhero anyway.

That'd be stupid, for them to bother doing that for an alternate version of the guy who spent a couple years crashing in their real kid's old room before running off to San Francisco.

Hell, for all he knows, this reality's version of them doesn't even know him at all.

Seems likelier than not.

[jadoue1999]

Kaleidoscope

Next parts: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23

Summary: Billy is proving to be a difficult prisoner; good thing she has just the trick to make him behave.

Chapter 2: Binding

Agatha decides to cut the chase right here and there and flicks her wrist in his direction. Restraints wrap around his wrists and ankles and he is lifted off the ground. Billy grunts in discomfort, clearly not ready for the sudden movement, but she finds it poetic. After all, Wanda had been in that very same position barely three years ago when she had tried to figure out who exactly she was. 

He glares at her, looking so much like his mother. “Let me go.”

She hums as she pretends to consider his request. “No.”

Fear flashes across his face for a split second before a mask of confidence hides everything else. “People are going to notice that I’m gone.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time a witch disappeared after seeking me,” she dismisses with a cruel grin. “It wouldn’t even be the hundredth time.”

Agatha delights in the way his body seizes in fear. She’s always loved the way her victims looked when they realized that there was no way out; when they realized just how hopeless the situation really is. Billy struggles against the restraints but despite how powerful he is, he doesn’t know how to wield it. Plus she’s just siphoned quite a bit of his magick so he must be drained as well. She simply watches him squirming like a worm on a string until he eventually gives up. 

“What are you going to do to me?” He asks, voice tired and resigned. 

She takes her time to let her eyes drag around the room, briefly looking at each of the dead witches on the floor. She knows he’s watching her every move and she loves it; the anticipation. 

“Oh I don’t know,” she hums, barely hiding her delight. She circles him, feeding off his anxiety and the uncertainty of the situation. “I could simply kill you and be done with it, or I could drain you until the very last drop.”

Billy gulps loudly, and she cackles.

“Think about it,” she whispers in his ear. “Your mother took every bit of power I worked for over the centuries, it only seems fair that her son gives it back to me.”

His terror is palpable, and she drinks every last bit of it. Clearly, the baby witch had no idea about the danger he was walking into. She had suspected that his fanboy attitude was a front, and while it might very well be, it’s clear that he had assumed that he’d be safe. 

“But then again, just draining you wouldn’t be any fun now would it? It wouldn’t equate to everything Wanda put me through.”

Teen is scared, yes, but there’s a layer of anger that she just wants to pry out of him. She’s always loved seeing so-called ‘pure hearted’ witches lean into their darker sides. Agatha glances at the spot concealing the door Billy created. She decides that some taunting is in order.

“Do you know how I guessed who you were?”

He glares down at her. “How?”

She waves her hand and the illusion dissolves, revealing the door he created. The room is bathed in blue and she delights in the confusion in his face. “Because of this.”

“The Road opened? But— but—”

“There was no chance that the Road could have opened because the Road doesn't exist.” Billy’s face is a mix of emotions as he tries to grapple with what she just revealed. She decides to add another layer to his confusion. “It opened because you were so desperate for it to be real.”

His brows are furrowed and his eyes look helpless as he looks at her. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, you see, when you Maximoffs want something desperately enough, reality bends to your will.”

The teen looks at the door with a mix of emotions that she can’t quite grasp. She loves to see him struggling to come to terms with the situation. 

“So gathering the coven, singing the sacred chant…”

She chuckles. “All a ruse to gather powers. It’s thanks to you, really.”

“Me?” He frowns, disgusted with the implication. Oh, she can’t wait to break whatever innocence he has left. 

She hooks two fingers under his chin and lifts his face. “You broke the spell keeping me trapped, you begged me to take you to the road and you helped me gather the coven. They’d all still be alive if it weren’t for you.” Tears fill his eyes and she grins. “The truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

Billy doesn’t say anything and Agatha can see that he’s clearly overwhelmed with guilt. She knows he won’t react to her taunts until he has a moment to recover, so she decides to give him just that. She supposes that he’s safely contained for now so she leaves him be and goes back upstairs. Her broken front door is still lying against the wall so she decides to fix it with her magick, she doesn’t need people to come investigate now. Not with three bodies plus the son of the Scarlet Witch held captive in her basement. 

Agatha decides that she’s not going to kill Billy, not immediately anyway. She’s always loved power and powerful entities and it’s her chance to study him the way she had wanted to study Wanda before she got away. She won’t leave things up to chance this time, she has to prepare better. She doesn’t have the Darkhold anymore but she has other spellbooks and her own memory to rely on. She goes into her room to find something she can use for what she has in mind. The jewelry box Billy snooped through isn’t the only place where she’s stored jewelry and thankfully Wanda’s spell hasn’t affected any of them. Agatha goes through her bangles and metal cuffs that she bought at least 50 years ago. She finds one that she likes and holds it up to better observe it. The metal is heavy and cool to the touch, with vines and leaves embossed in the bronze. It’s perfect for what she has in mind.

She climbs back down the stairs and takes a few moments to admire her handiwork. The three witches lying dead on the ground, stripped of every bit of power they had as well as the teenager hovering over the ground with purple bindings clasped around his wrists and ankles. Curiously, he’s not really struggling, a little, sure, but he’s strangely subdued. Maybe the fear of the unknown has paralyzed him. She prefers when her victims are mouthy but she’ll have her fun either way; it wouldn’t be her first monologue. 

“Aw, don’t look so down,” she teases as she enters the basement. “We have a lot to do.”

His head snaps in her direction, distrust in his eyes. “We?”

She walks past him, straight to her work table, formerly her altar, without sparing him a glance. “Figure of speech. The Scarlet Witch and what she’s capable of is explained extensively in the Darkhold, but I’m afraid I wasn’t able to test just how true it was.” She creeps towards him, a grin splitting her face. “We’ll see if the same applies to her son.”

Terror fills him and even though he must know it’s useless, he still tries to back away from her. “I’m not going to be your guinea pig.”

She raises her eyebrows in amusement. “I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice here.”

His breath hitches and he truly starts to struggle. At first, she’s not worried, she knows the restraints will hold, like they held Wanda who was considerably more in control of her abilities. But soon Billy starts to collect himself and focus. The air around them starts vibrating, like it did earlier with the Salem Seven and she decides to stop it before he can free himself. With a swift hand gesture, she slams him against the wall, breaking his concentration. He cries out in pain and she sees how dazed he is. 

Good. 

A stunned witch is a contained witch.

Once Billy has gathered his wits, he turns to her, obviously shocked at what she just did. He’s got a split lip from the impact and his cheek is cut open, there might even be a light concussion too. She’s not too worried though, his magick should fix him right up. Magick is the lifeblood of a witch after all and he’s got plenty of it. 

Agatha smirks at his disbelief. “What? You think I’m just going to let you escape?”

“You better hope I don’t,” he grits through clenched teeth. 

“Oh, I’m so scared,” she mocks him. “You’d need to be able to control your powers to have a chance at beating me. But do feel free to blast me if you want, I could use some more powers.”

“You’re never getting a drop from me again,” he snaps. 

She shrugs. “I’ll find a way to make you.”

Agatha goes back to her work table to grab a tissue to wipe the blood from his face. Billy tries to move away but he doesn’t have much grip. 

“What are you doing?”

“I’m sure you know that you need either hair or blood from a person if you want to cast a spell on said person?”

He tries to flinch away but again, there’s not much he can do. She walks back to her altar and attempts to recall the specific spell she has in mind. She had seen it a couple of times during her lifetime, it was a spell that bound a person to the caster. It didn’t hinder their magick per se, it simply prevented them from using their powers against them. She just has to tweak it a little so Billy is able to blast her, it’s a useless spell if she can’t drain his magick every once in a while. She rummages through some storage boxes to find some candles and string. Had she had her old basement, she would have used some vines but she can’t have everything, unfortunately. 

Agatha makes a circle with the lit candle and places the metal cuffs she has chosen earlier right in the middle. The bloodied tissue is placed over the jewelry and she takes a deep breath, clearing her mind as she recites the spell. 

‘In ferro te ad me ligo,’ she chants as she ties the string around the cuffs. 

She repeats herself as the string is wrapped around and over a few more times until it’s too short to do another loop. The cuffs don’t look any different, but she can feel the power radiating from them. The string is removed and the candles are blown out. She picks up the bracelets and turns to Billy with a triumphant smile.

“Agatha, Agatha please don’t,” he immediately starts begging. He has to know that it’s futile.

She ignores him as she lifts his sleeves and clasps the jewelry around each of his wrists. The size is perfect, thanks to a little magick and she uses a magick lock so that no one but her can open or remove them. 

She waves her hand and the purple binds vanish. Billy falls to the ground and doesn’t waste a moment before inspecting the cuffs on his arms. He frantically tries to remove them and Agatha simply waits for him to tire himself out.

“What did you do?!” He cries out, clearly panicking.

“Relax, it’s not hurting you,” she explains. “It’s just making sure that you can’t escape me unless I let you go.”

Billy scoffs. “What?”

She points to the cuffs. “You’re not leaving this basement unless I want you to.”

“You can’t do this.”

“I just did,” Agatha chuckles. He looks at her, mouth open in disbelief. “Come on, you can’t be that surprised. There are plenty of stories about witches kidnapping children, didn’t you heed the warnings?”

***

Next time: Billy is not having a good time and a special guest joins the duo!

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