#as potential activities if the children were bored

[coquelicoq]

[Image description: Screenshots of tags. 1st set: #norway #24-25 2nd: #25 #norway 3rd: #it's really hard to resist the urge to make a joke about how norwegians are too stupid to quality for a job until they're 25 #16-17 #sweden 4th: #norwegians do work sooner its just that if they arent actively endagering aquatic life or drilling for oil they dont count it as work 5th: "germany #the alternative answer is that the german state considers me to have had a job since i was 10 months old #because being an orphan means you get money from the state and for unknowable reasons said money is considered as money from a job #so i am a professional orphan with over 25 years of experience #also i gave some kids extra lessons when i was 15 #but that did not feel like a job #the first real job i got was at university /end ID]

Please add in the tags where you're from too I'm very curious

[yanmuffins]

how are we feeling about a yandere! platonic! batfamily x neglected! vampire! reader with some heavy v*mpire t*e m*squer*de influece in honor of halloween season?? here's my cringefail concept that i might turn into a fic.

tw: neglect mention, non-con biting, non-con turning since reader isn't given a choice in being a vamp.

you're bruce's firstborn child who's lived in the manor for most of your life, with alfred being your primary caretaker and bruce not giving you much thought throughout your childhood - you're not fit to be robin (though he tried), you're not in the streets of gotham in danger or causing trouble - you're a well-behaved child who never gets in the way and never asks for too much. you understand when he breaks promises, when alfred shows up to special events in his stead because he's too busy with work, too busy being batman, too busy caring for troubled children who need his attention more than you do.

even as you see him make time for his other children, for his romantic affairs - even as the relationships you build with your siblings never goes beyond shallow small-talk and awkward silences, you understand. they have their own lives to worry about, their own issues, so many things they can bond over with each other but not with you. you're not a robin, you're not a vigilante, you're not athetically inclined and even as you do your best to be accomodating and warm, you can never get past their walls.

even when damian arrives and gets more familial bonding with bruce than you ever had, you lower your head and you walk away. you take his berating with a condescending smile and a disappointed sigh that makes him so irrationally angry, because he's a troubled child and he doesn't know any better.

you're ordinary, boring in comparison to them. you fade into the background with and without effort. you're just... easy to forget about. you don't require special care, or guidance, you don't go overboard trying to beat the living shit out of criminals like jason, you don't try to sneak out of the manor like damian. you don't disappoint. you don't impress. you're just... there. when bruce checks up on you, there's a signature smile you've perfected over the years you give him, telling him you're perfectly fine.

and you grow up. you grow distant. a bit of resentment, but you keep it locked deep within your heart. you are a student in gotham university, and you get intern for a big-shot from los angeles who just moved to gotham to expand their business. they shower you with praises and attention, taking you all sorts of places, introducing you to all sorts of people. because your father hid you from the public eye for most your life, the fact you're a wayne goes mostly unnoticed.

there's just one strange detail: it's a full-on night-shift. ironic, you concede, that you couldn't escape the nights of gotham by being a civilian. your family notices it, too: you don't dress like you used to, like you prefer to, there's a waver in your usually composed steps, bags under your eyes from the lack of sleep, an apparent mind-fog whenever someone asks you a question, a certain distance in your gaze. you sleep the days away, and the amount of times they've seen you entering and leaving less-than-ideal places (that one nightclub they have noticed suspicious activity on? just what are you doing there?) for a sheltered young adult to be during their patrols is starting to become concerning.

but you swear it's fine. it's all fine. you're fine. stop meddling.

and then there's the night - before any of the batsiblings start to really get a grip on what's going on with you, before bruce can give you a stern lecture on how you're exposing yourself to danger and how he's so disappointed and didn't expect this from you and force you to quit your job and just go back to how you were before - when that eccentric bigshot you're working for brings you to the VIP room at the nightclub, says you have potential, babbles on and on about how far you're gonna go, making you bubble inside with pride and happiness at finally being fawned over for a change.

and then they kill you.

draining you of all your blood, feeding you a bit of theirs before locking you up in a room where you'll be provided with proper refreshments to keep your hunger at bay until you've become a fully-embraced fledgling ready to learn the ins and outs of your new... unlife. you are a wayne, firstborn child of gotham's local billionaire, the camarilla's golden ticket to taking over gotham. they all expect much of you.

meanwhile, the text in alfred's phone says you'll be gone for a while. business trip to paris, your first ever, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity a rich girl with ample privilege and access to private jets couldn't possibly refuse. he doesn't believe it for a second, not even when you call to assure everything is just fine. he knows you're not, everyone knows you're not. there's a tracer in your phone and guess what, you're not in paris.

there is no comeuppance for your sire when the batfamily breaks you out of captivity, as they are long gone by the time the incident is ruled out as a bunch of goons targeting the wayne family for money (nevermind no ransom was ever requested). they'll come back for you, they swear, plans just got... delayed by this preposterous man wearing a bat-suit. until then, do as they taught you, keep yourself fed, don't break the masquerade.

but your newfound freedom lasts exactly a car ride to the wayne manor before you're prohibited from leaving the house for the foreseeable future. when the hunger comes, you can either tell them what happened or let yourself loose with a risk of hurting someone. when the sun shines through the windows and burns your skin, you won't be able to hide it anymore. the choice between your now overbearing family, still unsure how to help you, and the tutelage of your sire, being subjected to all the plans they have for you. the vampires are slowly crawling their way into gotham, and it's only a matter of time before batman becomes a problem.

you remember looking up at the bat signal shining in the dark skies of gotham city and feel a pang of relief in your chest, knowing it had nothing to do with you. now it just makes you feel anxious.

it's ironic, you concede, that you couldn't escape the nights of gotham by being a civilian.

[reidmarieprentiss]

Silent Echos

Summary: Y/N is unknowingly dating and unsub, will the team get to her in time?

Pairing: slight Spencer Reid x fem!reader

Category: angst, hurt, crime

Warnings/Includes: angst, hurt, danger, crime, kidnapping, murder, abuse, assault

Word count: 4.8k

a/n: sorry this is dark!! no excuses really

main masterlist

The conference room at the BAU headquarters was a somber place, its walls filled with photos and case details of the latest horrific crimes. Aaron Hotchner stood at the head of the round table, his expression as grave as ever. The rest of the team sat around, listening intently. The fluorescent lights cast a harsh glare, adding to the cold, clinical atmosphere of the room.

Hotchner cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention to the screen behind him, where images of three women were displayed side by side. Their faces bore a haunting similarity, enough to unsettle even the most seasoned agents.

"Three women," he began, his voice steady but with an edge of urgency. "All missing for several days before their bodies were discovered. Each victim was assaulted, killed, and dumped without any signs of remorse. The killer made sure their faces were left untouched, but the rest... the rest was brutal."

He clicked a button on the remote, and the screen changed to show the locations where the bodies were found. "These areas are remote, secluded. No witnesses, no CCTV footage. It's clear that this is personal for the unsub. The level of violence suggests a deep-seated rage, likely tied to someone close to him."

Emily Prentiss leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "Do we have any leads on a common connection between the victims?"

Hotchner shook his head. "Not yet. The similarities in their appearances suggest a specific type, which could mean the unsub is projecting onto these women. We need to find out who they remind him of."

Derek Morgan glanced at the photos again. "Any family or friends who fit the profile?"

"That's what we need to dig into," Hotchner replied. "Reid, anything from the victimology?"

Spencer Reid, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to attention. "All three women were in their mid-thirties, single, no children. They lived alone, and none of them had any known enemies. They worked in different fields and didn't socialize in the same circles. The only thing linking them is their appearance."

"Which means," Hotchner continued, "we're looking for someone with a specific psychological trigger. This isn't random. It's methodical, controlled. He knows what he's doing."

Penelope Garcia, the team's technical analyst, chimed in from her corner. "I've been running background checks on people in their lives, but so far, nothing stands out. No shared acquaintances or unusual activity."

Hotchner nodded. "Keep digging, Garcia. We need to find any thread that ties these women together."

The room fell silent as each member of the team absorbed the gravity of the situation. This was no ordinary case. The unsub was intelligent, careful, and driven by a dark compulsion. They had to move fast before another woman became a victim.

"We'll reconvene on the jet," Hotchner said, breaking the silence. "Let’s get to work."

As the team dispersed to their respective tasks, a sense of urgency hung in the air. They all knew the stakes. Finding the connection between these women could mean the difference between life and death for the next potential victim. And with each passing hour, the unsub grew bolder, more confident that he could continue his reign of terror unnoticed.

Hotchner stood and added, "Wheels up in 30. We're heading to Idaho." The team members exchanged determined glances, knowing that every second counted. They quickly gathered their things, preparing for another intense, high-stakes case. 

---

The jet touched down in Idaho under a cloudless sky, the landscape starkly beautiful but a harsh contrast to the dark work ahead. The team disembarked quickly, Hotchner leading the way as they made their way to the local police precinct. They were met by Detective Laura Thompson, a seasoned officer with a determined look in her eyes.

"Welcome," she greeted them briskly. "We've been expecting you. Follow me, please."

Inside the precinct, the atmosphere was tense. Officers moved with purpose, aware that time was of the essence. Detective Thompson led the team to a conference room where a young woman sat, nervously fidgeting while an artist sketched beside her. Her face was pale, eyes wide with the trauma she had endured.

Hotchner stepped forward, his demeanor calm and reassuring. "I'm Agent Hotchner, and this is my team from the BAU. We're here to help."

Detective Thompson introduced the woman. "This is Sarah Collins, the fourth victim who managed to escape. She's been incredibly brave."

Sarah looked up, a flicker of relief crossing her face. "I... I bit him. While he was tying me up. He dropped his weapon, and I just ran. I didn't look back."

Emily Prentiss leaned in, her voice gentle. "You did the right thing, Sarah. Can you tell us anything else about him? Any details that might help?"

Sarah nodded, her hands trembling slightly. "He had a tattoo on his wrist, a small black star. And he kept mumbling something about 'her'. It was like he was talking to someone, but there was no one else there."

The sketch artist paused, holding up the drawing for Sarah to review. She nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "That's him. That's the man who tried to kill me."

Hotchner took the sketch, studying it carefully. "Thank you, Sarah. You've been incredibly brave, and you've given us something to work with."

He turned to the team. "Reid, Morgan, let's get started on a geographical profile. We need to figure out where he's operating from. Prentiss, JJ, talk to Sarah more. See if there's anything else she remembers. Rossi, go over the crime scenes again. Garcia, I need you to dig into any records of men with a tattoo of a black star."

Derek Morgan and Spencer Reid moved to a map laid out on a table. Morgan began marking the locations where the bodies were found, while Reid started analyzing the patterns.

Hotchner looked back at Sarah. "We'll find him, Sarah."

As the team dispersed to their tasks, the weight of the case settled heavily on their shoulders. They had a sketch and a few leads, but they still needed to uncover the identity of the unsub and the woman who had caused him such fury. The clock was ticking, and they knew they had to work quickly to prevent another tragedy.

"JJ, I need you to go public with the sketch. We need all the help we can get to identify this unsub. The faster we get his face out there, the better chance we have of someone recognizing him," Hotchner instructed.

Jennifer "JJ" Jareau nodded, determination in her eyes. "I'll get it done."

JJ stood behind a podium outside the precinct, flanked by local law enforcement. Cameras flashed, and the murmur of reporters filled the air. She held up the sketch of the unsub, her expression serious.

"Good afternoon. We are asking for the public's help in identifying this individual," she began, her voice steady. "He is wanted in connection with multiple assaults and murders. If you recognize this man, please contact our tip line immediately. Any information, no matter how small, could be crucial in our investigation."

She paused for a moment, allowing the weight of her words to sink in before continuing. "Additionally, we urge women who bear a resemblance to these victims to be extra cautious." She gestured to the photos of the three murdered women displayed on the screen behind her. "These women were targeted because of their similar appearances. If you or someone you know looks like them, please take extra precautions and report any suspicious behavior."

---

Y/N sat in her living room, absently flipping through channels, her mind preoccupied with the mundane concerns of the day. Her heart skipped a beat when she stumbled upon the news broadcast. The urgency in JJ's voice immediately caught her attention, and she leaned forward, eyes fixed on the screen.

The sketch of the unsub appeared, and Y/N's breath hitched. The face staring back at her was disturbingly familiar. It was Daniel. Her boyfriend. The man she had trusted and loved.

As JJ continued, Y/N's eyes shifted to the photos of the victims. Her blood ran cold. Each woman had a hauntingly similar appearance to her own. The same hair color, the same features. She felt a chill run down her spine as she realized the terrifying connection.

For a moment, she was paralyzed. A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions surged through her. Could it really be him? She felt a pang of disbelief, mixed with a deep, gnawing fear. Memories of Daniel's occasional distant, angry moments flashed in her mind. She had always dismissed them as stress, convincing herself it was normal. Now, those memories took on a sinister new meaning.

Y/N's hands trembled, and she felt an overwhelming urge to do something, to take action. But she hesitated. The taught behaviors from Daniel held her back, making her question her own judgment. What if she was wrong? What if this put her in more danger?

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she clutched her phone tightly. She knew she couldn't ignore this. Her fear for her own safety was overshadowed by the need to stop Daniel from hurting anyone else. Mustering all the courage she had, she grabbed her keys and rushed out the door, heading straight for the police station.

The precinct was alive with activity and near constant phone calls when Y/N arrived, breathless and visibly shaken. She approached the front desk, her voice trembling.

"I need to speak to someone from the BAU. It's about the sketch on the news. I think... I think it's my boyfriend," she said, her words stumbling over each other in her rush.

The officer at the desk quickly notified Detective Thompson, who then led Y/N to the conference room where the team was gathered.

Hotchner looked up as they entered, his expression shifting to concern when he saw the distress on Y/N's face. "I'm Agent Hotchner. Please, have a seat."

Y/N sat down, her hands shaking. "The man in the sketch... it might be Daniel. My boyfriend. I can't believe this, but I think I recognize him. I think he might be the one you're looking for."

The room fell silent as the gravity of her words sank in. Hotchner leaned forward, his tone calm and reassuring. "You're doing the right thing by coming to us. We need to know everything you can tell us about Daniel. Any detail, no matter how small, could help us."

Hotchner focused his attention on Y/N. Her distress was evident, but she had shown remarkable courage in coming forward. Hotchner's expression was calm and composed, as he asked the crucial questions.

"Y/N, has Daniel ever hurt you?" he asked gently, his eyes searching her face for any sign of hidden pain.

Y/N took a deep breath, trying to steady herself and shook her head quickly. "He's always been kind to me, but there are moments when he gets... distant. Angry, even, but he never shows it around others. I thought it was just stress from work. But he never... he never laid a hand on me."

Despite her words, the team members exchanged knowing glances. Years of experience had taught them to read between the lines. Derek Morgan's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed her body language, the subtle flinches and the way she kept her hands tightly clasped. Emily Prentiss noticed the shadows under Y/N's eyes and the way her gaze seemed to dart around the room, unable to settle.

Hotchner continued, his tone still gentle but probing. "Sometimes, abuse isn't just physical. It can be emotional or psychological. If there's anything, anything at all, that made you uncomfortable or afraid, it's important for us to know."

Y/N looked down, her hands trembling. "I... I don't know. There were moments when he got really angry, but he always apologized afterward. I thought it was just stress. I mean, I messed up sometimes. I didn't think it was anything more."

Emily Prentiss moved closer, her expression compassionate and understanding. "Y/N, it's not your fault. Sometimes, people like Daniel can make us feel like we're to blame for their actions, but it's not true. You've been incredibly strong to come forward, and we're here to help you. You're safe now."

Y/N looked up, tears brimming in her eyes. "I just... I never thought it was abuse. I thought I was the one causing the problems."

Prentiss gently took Y/N's hand in hers. "It's a common reaction, especially when someone you care about manipulates your emotions. But you're not alone in this. We're going to figure this out together. You're doing the right thing by being here."

Hotchner turned to Garcia, who had been monitoring the conversation from her laptop. "Garcia, start digging into Daniel's background. We need everything you can find."

Garcia nodded, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "On it, Boss."

---

Emily and JJ led Y/N to a quieter room, away from the hustle and bustle of the precinct. Emily offered Y/N a seat and a cup of tea, hoping to calm her nerves.

"Thank you," Y/N said softly, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. Her eyes were wide, filled with a mix of fear and confusion.

Emily sat beside her, her demeanor warm and comforting. "You've been very brave, Y/N. I know this is difficult, but we need to learn as much as we can about Daniel. Can you tell me anything about his past? His family, his job, anything that might help us understand him better?"

Y/N thought for a moment, her brow furrowing. "I... I don't know much about his family. He never really talked about them. He said he had a difficult childhood, but he never gave details. He works in finance, I think, but he travels a lot for work. I don't even know the name of his company. I know he likes to hunt."

Emily nodded, jotting down notes. "What about friends? Did he ever introduce you to anyone he knew?"

Y/N shook her head. "No, he was always very private. We mostly spent time alone together. He said he didn't have many close friends."

As Emily continued to ask questions, it became clear that Y/N knew very little about Daniel's life outside of their relationship. The realization dawned on her slowly, bringing a new wave of fear. "I... I really don't know anything about him, do I?"

Emily reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Y/N's arm. "It's okay, Y/N. You're safe now, and we're going to find out everything we can. You're doing the right thing by helping us."

Y/N nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you. I just want to help. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

JJ, who had been quietly observing, spoke up with a gentle smile. "We won't let that happen. We'll find him, and we'll stop him. You're not alone in this."

---

Penelope Garcia's fingers flew over her keyboard as she dug into Daniel's background. Suddenly, she gasped and leaned closer to the screen, her eyes widening in shock.

"Oh my god," she muttered, quickly calling Hotchner over. "Hotch, you need to see this."

Hotchner, Derek, and Rossi gathered around Garcia's workstation. "What did you find, Garcia?" Hotchner asked, his voice tense with anticipation.

Garcia pulled up an old photograph. "This is Daniel's mother. She looks almost identical to Y/N. And get this—Daniel was taken away from her as a child due to severe abuse. It all fits. He's projecting his rage towards his mother onto these women."

Hotchner nodded grimly. "We have our guy. Now we need to find out where he's taking his victims."

Rossi spoke up. "Emily said Y/N mentioned Daniel goes hunting a lot. Maybe he has a cabin. That might be where he's taking them."

Hotchner turned to Derek. "We need to find if there is a cabin. Y/N might be able to help us narrow it down. Let's get her back in here."

---

Y/N sat in the conference room, anxiety written all over her face. When Spencer Reid entered the room, he was momentarily taken aback by her appearance. He quickly composed himself, but the initial shock lingered. Her resemblance to the victims and the photo of Daniel's mother was striking, and there was something else about her that made his heart race.

"Hi, Y/N. I'm Dr. Spencer Reid," he said, trying to sound as calm and reassuring as possible.

Y/N nodded, her eyes still wide with worry. "Hi, Dr. Reid."

Reid sat down across from her, spreading a map on the table. "We believe Daniel has a cabin where he's taking his victims. Can you help us figure out where it might be?"

Y/N took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "He goes hunting in the woods north of here. He never mentioned a cabin, but I also never went with him. He said it was his alone time."

Reid nodded, marking the area on the map. "Did he ever mention any specific landmarks or roads that could lead to the cabin?"

Y/N thought for a moment. "He talked about a river nearby. And there was an old logging road he used to get there."

Reid marked the potential routes on the map. "This helps a lot, Y/N. Thank you."

Y/N looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. "I just want to help. I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

Reid smiled gently. "You're doing a great job. We're going to find him, and we're going to stop him."

---

After the meeting with Y/N, the team regrouped to discuss their next steps. Spencer Reid was still processing his initial reaction to Y/N when Derek Morgan approached him with a teasing grin.

"Alright, what was that, pretty boy?" Derek asked, raising an eyebrow.

Spencer looked up, confused. "What was what?"

"You couldn’t even look Y/N in the eye after you saw her. Why?"

Spencer shifted uncomfortably. "I just... I wasn't expecting her to look so much like all of the victims."

Derek smirked. "You sure that's it? Don’t have a crush now, do we?"

"Morgan, inappropriate," Hotch warned, his tone stern but his eyes showing a hint of amusement.

Spencer mulled this over, his mind racing. It wasn't just that Y/N looked like the victims. There was something about her that had caught him off guard, something he couldn't quite put into words. But he pushed those thoughts aside, knowing they had more important things to focus on.

Hotchner redirected the conversation. "Let's stay focused on the case. We need to find that cabin. Reid, Morgan, you two work on pinpointing the exact location. Prentiss, JJ, continue talking to Y/N and gather any more information she might remember."

As they dispersed to their tasks, Spencer couldn't help but glance back at the conference room where Y/N was sitting. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. There was no time for distractions now. They had a job to do, and they needed to do it fast.

---

Y/N sat in the quieter room with Emily and JJ, trying to steady her nerves. As they talked, her anxiety shifted to another pressing concern.

"My dog," Y/N said suddenly, her voice trembling. "Daniel doesn't like him. I'm afraid if he goes home and sees I'm not there, he might take it out on him."

Emily and JJ exchanged concerned looks. JJ placed a comforting hand on Y/N's arm. "Y/N, it's not safe for you to go back there. We can send someone to check on your dog."

Y/N's eyes filled with tears, her breathing becoming rapid and shallow. "No, please. I need to see him. I need to make sure he's okay. I can't just stay here knowing something might happen to him."

Emily hesitated, glancing at JJ. "Y/N, we're worried about your safety. Daniel is dangerous, and we can't risk you getting hurt."

Y/N's panic escalated, her voice trembling as she cried. "Please, you don't understand. I have to go. I can't leave him there."

JJ sighed, seeing Y/N's distress. "Alright, we'll send a police escort with you. But you have to promise to stay close to the officers and let them handle everything."

Y/N nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you. I promise."

Y/N arrived at her house with the police escort, her heart pounding in her chest. The officer led the way inside, his flashlight cutting through the dim interior. Y/N called out softly for her dog, relieved to hear him barking in response from the backyard.

As they moved further into the house, the officer was suddenly struck from behind. Y/N screamed as Daniel emerged from the shadows, his face twisted with rage. Before she could react, he grabbed her, holding her tightly.

"You couldn’t keep your goddamn mouth shut?” Daniel snarled, dragging her toward the door.

Y/N struggled, trying to break free. "Let me go, Daniel! Please!"

The remaining officer quickly radioed for backup while trying to keep a safe distance, his weapon drawn but unable to get a clear shot without risking Y/N's safety. Daniel, using the chaos to his advantage, managed to overpower the officer and drag Y/N out of the house and into his car. He sped off, leaving the police and the BAU scrambling to respond.

---

The precinct was in a state of controlled chaos as the BAU regrouped. Hotchner barked orders, his tone urgent. "Garcia, I need everything you can find on Daniel's possible locations. Focus on that cabin. Reid, Morgan, get the map. We need to pinpoint exactly where he could be."

Garcia's fingers flew over the keyboard. "I'm on it, Hotch. I'm cross-referencing hunting permits, property records, and any other data that could give us a lead."

Reid and Morgan spread out the map on the table, marking the potential areas based on Y/N's descriptions. "She mentioned a river and an old logging road," Reid said, tracing the lines on the map.

JJ, her face pale but determined, joined them. "We need to move fast. Every minute counts."

Garcia's eyes lit up as she found a promising lead. "Got it! There's a cabin registered under Daniel's uncle's name. It's isolated, fits the description perfectly."

Hotchner nodded. "Good work, Garcia. Reid, you’re with me. Let's move." 

The BAU team arrived at the cabin deep in the woods, the tension palpable as they exited their vehicles. Hotchner and Spencer Reid led the charge, their hearts pounding with urgency. They reached the front door, weapons drawn, and with a swift kick, Aaron Hotchner forced it open.

Inside, the scene was horrifying. Y/N was tied to a crude crucifix, completely naked, her body trembling in fear. Daniel, the unsub, stood nearby, his eyes wild with a mix of anger and satisfaction.

"FBI! Drop your weapon!" Hotchner commanded, his gun trained on Daniel.

Daniel hesitated, but the sound of more agents entering the cabin behind Hotchner made him realize he was outnumbered. Derek Morgan and David Rossi quickly moved in, subduing Daniel and placing him in handcuffs.

Meanwhile, Spencer and Emily Prentiss rushed to Y/N. Spencer's hands shook slightly as he worked to untie the ropes that bound her. The moment she was free, Y/N collapsed against Spencer, clinging to him desperately. Her body shook with sobs, and something primal in her brain sought the safety and protection of the tall man holding her.

Spencer was momentarily aghast, unsure of what to do with a fully naked woman hugging him so tightly. He looked around helplessly, his face flushed with embarrassment and concern.

Hotchner quickly approached, removing his large FBI jacket and draping it over Y/N's shoulders. "It's okay, you're safe now," he said softly, but Y/N refused to let go of Spencer.

Outside, the awaiting medics rushed over as the team carefully escorted Y/N out of the cabin. She clung to Spencer, her grip tightening whenever he tried to step away. The medics, understanding her traumatized state, offered her a pair of scrubs and a blanket. Spencer gently helped her into the scrubs, trying to maintain her modesty as best as he could.

As Y/N was wrapped in the blanket, she continued to cling to Spencer, her eyes wide with panic and confusion. "Don't leave me," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Spencer looked at Hotchner, who nodded reassuringly. "I'm not going anywhere," Spencer promised, his voice calm and soothing. "I'll stay with you."

The medics began their preliminary checks, ensuring Y/N was physically unharmed. All the while, Spencer stayed by her side, holding her hand and offering quiet reassurances. The rest of the team kept a respectful distance, understanding the bond that had formed in Y/N’s brain during those terrifying moments.

Emily Prentiss approached, her expression one of deep empathy. "You're safe now, Y/N. We're here for you," she said softly.

Y/N nodded, tears streaming down her face as she clung to Spencer. In her panicked, traumatized state, he was her anchor, the one constant in the midst of chaos. The team knew they had a long road ahead to help her heal, but for now, she was safe, and that was what mattered most.

Once Y/N was thoroughly checked and stable, Spencer had to reluctantly leave her with the local authorities. The BAU's job was done, and it was time for them to head back to Quantico. Spencer felt a pang of guilt as he left her in the care of others, but he knew she was in good hands.

---

The team settled into their seats on the jet, the tension of the case gradually giving way to the camaraderie that came with their line of work. As they relaxed, the teasing began.

"So, pretty boy," Morgan started with a grin, "how does it feel to have a beautiful, naked woman literally throw herself at you?"

Spencer's face turned a deep shade of red. "I was just doing my job," he stammered, looking anywhere but at his teammates.

"She was beautiful, though," JJ added, smirking.

Reid shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his embarrassment evident. "I didn't even think about it like that. She was traumatized, and I just wanted to help her."

Emily, sitting across from him, pointed out a piece of paper sticking out of his pants pocket. "Spencer, what's that in your pocket?"

Spencer looked down, surprised. Before he could reach for it, Rossi deftly plucked the paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

"Hey, give that back!" Spencer protested, his face flushing even more.

Rossi raised an eyebrow and began to read aloud. "Dear Spencer, thank you for everything you did for me. I'm sorry for how things happened, but I'm so grateful you were there. If you ever want to talk, here's my number. Y/N."

The team fell silent for a moment before Morgan broke the silence with a playful grin. "Looks like you've got a new friend, Reid."

Spencer took the note back, his fingers trembling slightly. He looked at the handwriting, a mix of gratitude and something else that made his heart skip a beat.

"When did she even have time to write that?" JJ wondered aloud.

"She must have gotten paper and a pen from the medics," Emily suggested.

"But Spencer was there the whole time," JJ pointed out.

Morgan chuckled. "Ah, but young Reid was preoccupied."

Spencer's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "I was just trying to make sure she was okay."

"You gonna call her?" Emily asked, her tone more serious now.

Spencer looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "No, she’s a victim. That’s got to be breaking some rules."

Rossi nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, Spencer. We have to maintain professional boundaries. But that doesn't mean you can't be supportive from a distance."

Morgan leaned back, considering. "Yeah, maybe send a message just to let her know you're there if she needs someone to talk to. Nothing more."

Spencer nodded slowly, tucking the note away carefully. "I'll think about it. She went through a lot, and the last thing I want is to cause her any more trouble."

The team nodded at his decision, understanding the fine line they walked in their profession. As the jet continued its journey back to Quantico, Spencer leaned back in his seat, deep in thought. He couldn't shake the image of Y/N's fearful eyes and the feeling of her clinging to him for safety. Despite the rules and boundaries, he felt drawn to her in a way that he couldn't quite ignore, and didn’t quite feel professional.

[vrystalius]

Hello! Trick or treat! May I request what it would be like celebrating Halloween with Douma, as our spouse/boyfriend? You’re such a talented writer and I’m always looking forward to your posts. If not. That’s okay.

Celebrating Halloween with Douma.

It’s one of hisfavourite holidays of the year! Spending it by your side, his favourite and most lovely human was even better!

Pairing: Douma x gn!reader

Douma has always been looking forward to the spooky season— during that time, he can excuse bloodstained carpets and walls as creepy decoration and maybe use some skulls from his collection as props. He has been collecting and maintaining those things for years now, why not give them a use other than being displayed in a boring shelf?

He prepares the whole temple days before the actual Halloween night to lure in some curious children whose parents could be potential new followers, handing out candy personally ( as long the moon is out). He has no real costume, Douma uses the white robed he rarely wears and drapes them over his shoulders, over a white haori with a golden droplets pattern all over it. He is dressed as a godlike deity, as if he isn’t regarded as it already by his followers.

Also, Douma insisted you’d dress up for the children of his cult. Since he isn’t doing anything special, you should be able to put a smile on their faces! He surprisingly has a large closet of costumes. You were searching through it all, finding clothes that matched the ones of his other demon colleagues you saw once. There was also a costume that looked very similar of the person Douma described to be “Yorichi” or something like that. Supposedly a very dangerous and terrible man, but the warm colours of the yukata made you doubt your husband’s words a little. You settled with a simple demon costume, adding some horns and a spiky tail, wearing a black kimono with a blood like pattern. Your husband giggled delightfully at your choice.

��Ah, so you’re cosplaying as me? I’m flattered!”

Although you don’t look anything like him. You were cosplaying his nature, not himself. But you let him live in his bubble and let Douma believe that you were dressed up at his true nature.

Also, another one of his ideas was to throw a large banquet for all his followers. It would uplift their spirits and in return uplift his own, seeing his followers happy makes him feel content as well. You’d think he doesn’t care for them by the way the mutilates and devours them, but he does really care, and it shows. He was responsible for all the planning and received a lot of help from the elders, the cultists were left to do the decorating as they pleased and decorated the halls with pumpkins, children’s doodles and self-made spiderwebs.

Douma actually ended up stealing one of those webs and wrapping himself into those, wanting his outfit to appear a little more costume-y. One of the only things he really craves tonight is the approval of his costume from the children of his cult and being able to finally spend a little more time with you. His “demon-duties” and “friendship activities with some colleagues” (as he calls those things) really hog him away from you from time to time.

On Halloween night, you two were busy painting make-up and temporary tattoos onto his adult and children’s followers. He ended pairing his oh so beautiful eyebrows onto your face only to end up laughing at how ridiculous you look with them. Douma insisted to go collect candy together, hand in hand as some sort of angel and demon duo. Of course, the children were more than willing to give up their precious candy to their even more precious Founder and Leader of the Eternal Paradise cult. Despite him not even able to eat or digest any of the candies, he likes watching you eat and react to their sweet taste.

By the end of the evening, all the followers of his cult gathered together around a large bonfire consisting of old burning wood, wisteria incense and other kinds of herbs. Once lighting it all on fire, the children, adults and elders alike danced around the flames, singing, laughing and chanting for all the evil spirits to leave the temple and to never return.

Some followers even saw Douma tearing up, seemingly touched by the scene of all his followers being so happy and festive, but your husband just whispered into your ear how much the wisteria was burning in his eyes and nose. He sat it through he pain with a large grin and watched the blurry blobs in his eyes circle around the fire, trying to focus the imagine while also trying to heal his eyeballs faster than they could melt from the pest of a flower, while also trying to properly savour the warmth of your arm being wrapped around his own, your head resting on his shoulder.

Everyone had genuine and happy smiles on their faces that night, even the Upper Moon Two. Despite the hellish burning in Douma’s eyes.

🎃

My last post of this event! This has been a lot of fun and I thank everyone of participating and supporting me. I am glad to go back to writing requests, coning up with my own things has been incredibly exhausting for some reason XD Thank you for being patient, I hope to hold this or a similar event again next year during October! Also, thank you for requesting and your kind words, I hope you continue to look forward to my works <33

Anyways, make sure to EAT, SLEEP and DRINK enough!

Take care of yourselves and HAPPY HALLOWEEN <3

[acalamity]

I love your work and I saw that you have requests open. If you can, can you write about Gun Park with a reader who is stronger than him and he ends up falling for her. Thank you!

author's note

thank you anon! this is probably not what was expected, if anything at all. a bit of gun character study, I don't write him particularly well

to another anon who asked for jake, samuel and gun, I'm sorry but I accidentally deleted your ask thinking it'll just delete the draft (apparently not) :( but I don't write headcanons

lookism! gun park x reader. reader introduces whimsy (and peace) into gun's life

more below the wubbaboo!!

Gun Park, Shiro Oni, who comes with the doom harboured by drizzling rain, has fallen. He has fallen in more ways than one, in more ways than he thought possible. And yet, the only reason he had fallen is because of you. His ultimate demise, caused by a bright-hearted fool so unlike him.

He wonders if you realise how you changed his life; his worldview. How the very first time he saw you use your overwhelming strength was for trivial errands. How the second time he saw you use your strength, was for another errand, delivering supplies to a clinic far away. How the third time he saw your strength, it was for the numerous little children who wanted to be carried.

And how all the other times he saw your strength; it has never been for destruction. How he had turned away from someone so boring; a waste of talent— yet in the end, too was captured by you. (Nowadays, he'll know not to sneer at you for a fight, and not call your strength wasted potential).

The first time you completely overwhelmed him, he laid defeated on the ground and stared up at the sky with an odd sense of calm. Neither the excitement, attraction nor the thrill of battle he had been anticipating remained in his blood. Then, in his vision, he saw your face, concerned and worried. It was ridiculous. Someone worried for a superhuman like him? How ridiculous.

Yet not once did your concerns fade; defeat after defeat, as he laid upon the ground in utter hopelessness, with no such excitement or pumping blood, your face would pop up.

In the first time in his life, Gun Park felt humiliation. And so he laid there until a hand was given to him, "You're a bit too pathetic, you know that?"

Not even Goo Kim would say that.

— —

It made him wonder if the gentle hand upon his, capable of much more destruction than he could imagine, has influenced his own.

"Hold on!" You exclaimed, adjusting the flower crown on his head that was lowered to you. Although he wasn't sure why he was using it, nor was he certain of the purpose of the mess of scattered flowers and stems— he rather liked it, "There we go, much better."

"What's this for?" He stood back up straight, white pupils bare if his usual sunglasses staring into your soul. He watched you create another crown of flowers, intertwining their stems gently and meticulously, "Isn't it fun?"

No, Gun wanted to reply, so he says nothing instead and continued in silence. Once you were done, you handed over the second crown to him, letting him hold it with your hand over his, "Here, tie it around my head."

And so, he does, letting you turn your back to him so he could place it on, "It's ok if you don't like activities like this. But you should experience it once in your life."

You're aware of the destruction he caused, you're aware Gun Park isn't much outside of his traditions and violence. You know that he's shared a cup with another; but at least, you hope he can learn to live.

It's only when you snap a picture of the moment did Gun see the tender smile upon his own face.

[mayzi33]

*clears throat.*

(apologize in advance for any mistakes english isn't my first language)

Alright. Here we go.

Look, I haven't watched MLP in a LONGGGG time. But recently with all the stuff I missed our and since the fandom is still pretty much alive and well I decided to take peek by peek in the seasons I haven't watched.

Until I came across, these guys

And I have so much to say.

I didn't write a script for this or anything so I don't know where this rambling is going so I just ask you to bear with me for as much as you can, okay?

Look, watching the Young Six episodes I've experienced one of the things that angers me the most. SUCH. WASTED. POTENTIAL.

You're telling me we got whatever the hell is G5 when instead we could have gotten THESE GUYS???? THESE COOL, UNIQUE CHARACTERS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE AN INTERESTING STORY THAT MAKES SENSE AND HAVE SI MUCH POTENTIAL TO BE ONE OF THE SICKEST LORE ARCS IN MLP???

I homestly don't know what Hasbro WAS THINKING in giving them so little screentime. There's so much I have to say but I'll try my best to keep my thoughts organized.

First things first, we'll need to talk a little about G5 or "Make Your Mark" series or whatever. I personally enjoyed the movie, though the story didn't make much sense (we'll get to that later) the characters were pretty nice, the songs were catchy and the animation was mwah. I didn't bother to watch all of the G5 series, because- (pardon to all who enjoy it) it's so. Freaking. Boring. Like I know there's a pony girl that's supposed to be a traitor among them but then grows onto being their actual friend and there's a villainess and that whole conflict and yada yada yada. But honestly there just isn't anything I found enganging in the entire thing. I can't explain it, it just feels- off. I know I probably don't have much right to talk, cause again, only now I'm diving into the mlp again after missing out A LOT, but I just can't bring myself to like that series.

Now, the whole School Of Friendship saga in the G4 series with our beloved Young Six, I know some people had some issues with it and it didn't please everyone, and while it does have some flaws and is certainly not perfect, you can't deny there was lots of potential. (I'll try to not overuse that word I'm sorry)

I personally, really liked the concept of different creatures from different cultures coming together and forming the perfectly diverse friend group. Episodes like The Hearth's Warming Club and What Lies Beneath were particuarly really fun, it was nice to dive into their cultures and backstories while also watching the six of them be vulnerable in front of one another and grow closer. If only they had more screentime and more deep episodes like that, they could have been in the top 10 found families in cartoons.

Now, just some other reasons as to why I think they're interesting characters and should've gotten more than what was given to them.

Because

1- Their whole deal is that they're not all ponies, that they're all different species. We get to learn lots about their different cultures and customs. It would've been such a good way to teach children about acceptance and respecting differences while also being entertaining. Especially in a school enviroment.

2- We got not one, but TWO male characters in the group. It would make little boys that are interested in mlp feel more comfortable and valid for it. AND those two males also have distinct personalities and their own active roles. Gallus being sort of the leader of the group, and Sandbar being the only pony therefore the one to stand up for his friends.

3- While they're supposed to be the new represantives of the elements of harmonies, their personalities are still interesting and different from the Mane 6.

Onto that, I really like how it's implied they could be the next helders (or whatever its called) of the elements of harmony. Given their special connection to the tree, how similiar they are to the previous groups (Mane 6 and The Pillars) and how Twilight LITERALLY LIFTED THEM UP AS WELL WHILE SHE SPOKE ABOUT HOW THE ELEMENTS WILL LIVE ON, it would've been such a cool concept.

Onto that, I wanna talk a bit about each of their characters too and how I think they could've been dealt with.

Gallus is the element of magic, but unlike Twilight who's all open and confident-spoken about friendship and all, Gallus is probably the one in the group that's the most closed-off and dislikes getting all cheesy. It would've been interesting seeing his development as the helder ot the element of magic. AND ESPECIALLY since he doesn't have magic in the first place, since Twilight and Starwirl were unicorns. So maybe he could make posions? Get powers someway else? Many posibilities

Sandbar is the element of kindness, but unlike Fluttershy he's extrovert and down to making friends. His overrall personality is that he's constantly very chill-going and nothing seems to ever upset or annoy him. So it also would've been interesting to see how that pattern would break, especially because of his element.

Yona is the element of honesty. She's probably the one that has the hardest time adapting to the Equestrians among the group, and even tried to act like a pony instead of herself one episode. It would've been interesting to see how her element of honesty reflects on how she should be true to herself, especially since her Yak culture comes a lot with honor.

Ocellus is the element of genority, yet, unlike Rarity, she's a lot more like Fluttershy, being timid and insecure, while also being smart and well-read like Twilight. It would've been nice if her development with her element would be gaining confidence in herself and being generous to others that way. Especially since she has a fear of being like the old changling queen (forgot her name) so imagine if she just turned out to be the opposite of her. Instead of selfish and cruel, being generous and kind.

Smolder is the element of loyality, but also like Gallus, she's also not into getting cheesy. But what I find imteresting about her is how she tries to keep her tough, agressive persona (since thats how dragons are) yet it is revealed she's actually interested in cute, fluffy stuff like tea parties and dresses. So it would've been cool to see her growing confident in admiting her interests, therefore being more like Rainbow Dash, who's always confident on herself

And last but not least, Silverstream is the element of laughter. But what's hooking about it is the fact that Silverstream herself probably hasn't KNOWN what laughter is for a long time, having to hide under The Storm King's rule. She's very talkctive, creative and extrovert, like Pinkie Pie, but she also has her trauma that haunts and intimidates her, unlike Pinkie who usually faces her fears headfront. Another great development story.

So just hear me out, okay. I don't care if MLP is over. I don't care if there's G5.

We. Need. A. Young. Six. Spin-off. Series.

I know it sounds crazy, but I genuely think this idea could work out if it was handled well enough, and Hasbro could make some good money out of this.

Just bear with me. A spin-off series set on the timeline between season 8-9 aka, still on the School Of Friendship, focused entirely on the Young Six. We could still get the Mane 6, of course, but mostly as support characters. It doesn't have to be a particularly long series, (though maybe that could work as well IF handled with enough care) maybe just 2 seasons or so. And I'm not thinking like a slice-of-life or fun little extra kind of thing, I'm thinking of ACTUAL lore. Just more about how the tree and the elements work, and how these six students could grow into being their new helders. In each episode it becomes more and more evident to them and the Mane 6 themselves that they're going to be the next generation of the elements. So imagine once they all fully it figure out and talk about it, the Y6 suddenly feel this pressure about how they're supposed to live up to their teachers and fear that they have to be EXACTLY like them. So we see Sandbar taking extra kindness classes with Fluttershy, Yona taking extra honesty classes with Applejack and heck even Gallus is taking studies more seriously (especially since he's supposed to be the element of magic which again I find imteresting since he doesn't really have magic at least not the way Twilight and Starwirl do. ) So we could have an entire episode about the M6 getting through to them and showing they don't have to be JUST LIKE THEM nor The Pillars. They can be their own people.

Another main-plot idea would be having more villains, probably trying to test them or tear them apart (cough cough like Swift Foot from the idw comics cough cough) or maybe you could even fit someone as intense as King Sombra, or maybe even even the return of Tirek, Cozy Glow and Chrysalis in there. (I remembered her name yay)

And, of course, more onto their characters, flaws, backstories and cultures! I would love to see more about their people and customs, just as much as I would love to explore their traumas, fears, ugly sides and how they overcome it together (cough cough found family COUGH COUGH GAGS)

And another thing, I especially would've liked to explore Yona's and Sandbar's relantioship.

I MEAN LOOK AT THEM-

Don't they give massive beauty-and-the-beast vibes? I love how their colors and body types contrast with one and another, and their personalities aswell. Yona being loud, cheerful and clumsy while Sandbar is calm, thoughtful and carefree. I just love the big girl x soooorta small guy vibes and I especially loved how gentle and reassuring Sandbar was towards her in that episode. I mean, "I don't care if you're not a pony, you're the best Yona I know." SERIOUSLY? WHO WROTE THAT LINE? I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM A HUG. And also, onto the spin-off series matter, it would also be a cool topic to explore. Imagine if some ponies/yaks are judging them for having a relantioship while being different species and they learn to ignore them and live past that??? I usually don't care much for romance, (always prefered friendship and found families) but this would've been a nice little arc and episode theme to see.

Lastly, (I'm almost done I promise) to the more technical/economical part.

Like I said in the beggining, I genuely think Hasbro could make some good money out of this. Firstly because it will be using the G4 characters and lore and not...whatever mess of a plot G5 is.

And secondly because, if they took the time to give them some cool power-up designs like they did with the Mane 6, I'M SURE the toys would sell.

I mean- JUST LOOK AT THESE COOL DESIGNS I FOUND ON THE INTERNET?? (not mine, credits to whoever made it, you ate that)

DON'T THEY LOOK LIKE A TOY SET THAT WOULD CATCH THE CHILDREN'S EYES ON THE TOY AISLE? OH YES I THINK THEY WOULD.

And if anything, they could be as bold as to make an extra Equestria Girls (well, girls and boys) series with them. I know it sounds kinda dumb, especially given the fact that I'm not sure about how that would work given that when Spike went to the "human dimension" or whatever he turned to a dog... So Smolder would also be a dog? Sandbar would be the only actual human in the group?... BUT I'm sure they could come up with some excuse to make it work. Give them some cool, colorful outfits for different events and I'm sure it would sell. And ESPECIALLY since with Gallus and Sandbar in the group, it could get the attetion of young boys aswell.

Anyways. That was it.

Uhm. Conclusion: Hasbro should hire me. I know what I'm talking about. I think. At least a bit.

And I genuely think this could work if only SOMEONE gave it the time and care.

I don't know how to end ramblings so uhmmmm thank you all for coming to my pep talk.

They deserved better.

[botanicalsword]

Rising sign observations • part 1 (Aries-Virgo)

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Photo credit @le.sinex

Aries Risings

People hope to become fearless individuals who always stay true to themselves throughout their lives, but often forget this after they are born. When they become fixated on playing the role of a warrior, they feel exhausted in this life.

Having grown up in an active environment, they possess a natural sense of rhythm and enjoy various sports, displaying physical vitality. They are always active, energetic, and constantly moving, which makes them less susceptible to weight gain. Additionally, they are quick to notice and prevent any changes to their figure.

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Taurus Risings

The combination of all sensory experiences may result in them having a talent for music and art. This talent may come naturally or may be a result of growing up in an environment rich in visual, auditory, and other sensory stimuli, which made them particularly sensitive to beauty.

While having abundant resources can provide a great sense of security for Taurus risings, it can also become their cage.

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Gemini Risings

During their childhood, attention was rarely given to them by their father or family. Their home was like a social gathering place, and the focus of family activities was not on the family itself.

They all enjoy having fun, but they also spend a lot of time alone. What sets them apart is that their way of being alone is not lonely or withdrawn; they enjoy fun with themselves. This is because they often feel out of place in their environment, as they have known since they were young that they are very different from their family. They have developed a habit of enjoying their own company.

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Cancer Risings

Individuals who prefer to remain neutral may struggle in companies with complex power structures. This tendency towards neutrality is a self-protection mechanism developed during childhood, leading them to hide certain emotions. Although they tend to avoid getting involved in company politics and not taking sides, this often results in losing potential allies. Despite their efforts to avoid offending people with their attitude, their actions may still cause offense.

Their attitude towards people and things is very different. They are very gentle towards people, but they have direct expectations for their career. People would expect them to be the gentlest, most approachable, and least competitive person in the office. However, when working with them, they are found to be very persistent, decisive, and want to be in charge.

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Leo Risings

Since their youth, they have been highly valued and well-cared for, in a strong sense of self-esteem. They view themselves as unique and outstanding and feel responsible for others.

Despite possibly spending all their money, Leos typically do not end up impoverished due to their likable nature, they are willing to lend a helping hand.

Leo risings have a desire to be remembered by others and in turn, make an effort to remember others as well. They value recognition from others and hope to remember those who value them in order to remember others.

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Virgo Risings

They are well-suited for service-oriented positions, particularly those that involve fixed and repetitive tasks. They work quietly, pay close attention to detail, and are unafraid of hard work. They can perform regular tasks for extended periods without becoming bored.

Their ability to focus on details makes them well-suited for jobs that place a premium on attention to detail.

As children, Virgos often have a common characteristic - they value practicality in all their demands. They aspire to become functional when they grow up. Many rising Virgos maintain a habit of continuous learning and further education in practical skills, rather than pursuing knowledge or intellectual pursuits.

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(To be continued)

Masterlist @botanicalsword

[soapsinthebox]

character ask um sona thouughffs perhappps 😁do soba. Sona :)

Greets Gekko!! and of course, im always happy to talk about my cancelled aunt, she is my pfp after all

Favorite thing about them

Oooh this one is hard... "Favorite" is a little too wide of a definition for this, so ill narrow it down to what hits the hardest for me, and that is most definitely, the "flawed mother" angle they were going for her.

Sona isnt perfect, as much as she wants to claim otherwise, she believes in ideologies that actively put Frisks friends in danger time and time again, and as shown, is even willing to act on them in the imperfect routes, but they still love and see the good in her, because thats what theyve grown up with their whole life, and for someone who has a mom in a pretty similar situation, that hit so fucking hard for me.

Sona... they could never make me hate you Sona...

Least favorite thing about them

I dont really understand the hair motif they were going for, it feels unnecessary, out of place, and compared to all the other powers she could have had in the concept art (Doll powers, omega form, ect) just feels... idk, boring to me? i just feel there was so much more potential for her.

Favorite line

"If you dont have determination, you have to fake it!" lives rent free in my mind. its the perfect way to show off one of her main ideologies, In Sonas mind, theres just simply no thing called weakness or imperfections, and anything that is lacking can be fixed right up like a doll, who cares if itll never be as genuine as the flawed and complex human being that they used to be?

Theres also the iconic "I only take the souls of children if they disobey me!" line, which i like for a lot less complex reasons. just, out of context funny lmao.

BrOTP

The possible relationships she can have with Dalv, and her relations to integrity are both very intriguing to me.

Like, for Dalv theres this whole thing with them that they are both flawed individuals who ran away from their problems in the past, but ended up with completely different outcomes (Dalv was ripped away from society, while Sona actively got herself involved in it) but also like?? for something fluffier, i like to imagine that Dalv is good with kids, and the idea of him running an orphanage with Sona is really cute to me.

And integrity... oughh, its seen both in the no romance endings and the perfect sans route of kc that Sona really cared for integrity (their ending having the most lore, only second to Justice because...well, uty reference, her giving them flowers in that one cg), So the idea of her in a uty scenario (cough cough kcy cough cough) finding out about what they did and their fate is a REALLY interesting angle to consider for me. so many thoughts, oh so many of them.

And then last but certainly not least, theres her and Chara which i feel like i dont talk about NEARLY enough but since this section is getting long, ill just end this off on that kc shouldve had more Sona and Chara interactions.

OTP

... Its Sonaroba, is anyone surprised.

Theyre so interesting and mentally ill and evil i need to put them in a snowglobe and shake them as hard as i can. Like, you have two woman who were both wronged by the world in some capacity, and when proven wrong, are so tunnel visioned that they basically just beg for death. only that one is past that arc and has learned to grow, while the other, despite having the chance time and time again, hasnt. They're two sides of the same coin, they're two different outcomes of the same person they're they're they're-

My incoherent ramblings aside, i also really enjoy Sonanny, they're the doomed old woman yuri ever and i refuse to take any criticism /j like, theres a reason Nanny is the only adult not controlled by Sona right? IM GOING INSANE-

nOTP

... Im actually at a loss for what to put here lol. I mean, i guess theres Sona and Sans, but its just so stupidly evil and toxic that i kinda just, thrive in it now

I guess her and Starlo?? but theyre not compatible anyway so i dont really get why people would even ship it to begin with.

Random headcanon

The hat she has in the concept art right?? i imagine she actually still has that hat somewhere, and wears it on special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. its just so cute i cant help myself rahhh-

Unpopular opinion

Im actually not that familiar with what the major idea around Sona is since i only really hang out in niche spaces, maybe i should hang around Andrews community more-

But since "Sona isnt just some random racist mom and her character goes so much deeper than that" isn't really a fun answer, im gonna say that i think we (and by we i mean like, the twelve people in the kissy cutie community) Really dont explore her Mexican origins enough. theres so many fun things you can do with it like the original game does-

Song i associate with them

The main two songs i associate with her are Suburbia by Will wood and the tape worms, and ruler of everything by tally hall.

Suburbia in particular feels like her trying to fit herself and eveyone into a "generic" standard, and the ar-15 part in particular feels like Chara speaking to her like "cultures not your friend" and "Culture is more afraid of you then you are of itself", making it a duet between the Siblings?? ouggh can you see the vision.

And ruler of everything... oh ruler of everything my beloved, everything about it fits Sona so well for me, especially the chorus?? Ayaygdgyduhhuh

I actually was story boarding a ruler of everything Sona animatic, i lost interest since school started, so heres the rough beatboards

Favorite picture of them

The little full body Xan cut out lives in my mind rent free, like look at her guys shes so full of bliss and whimsy

Thanks for the ask!! sorry this got a little long lol, i am a yapper at heart

[justatalkingface]

The 'Great' MHA Read Along, Part Four (Chapters 12-21): Team Deathmatch!

So, first thing, we have a bunch of reporters creeping on kids for news. I... am not a fan of this. Like, I get that, in story, heroes are celebrities, and so UA is effectively a school about becoming famous, but I've never been a fan of this kind of paparazzi, or that kind of fame in general.

More relevantly, since this is a school to, among other things, turn these kids into celebrities...why do we never see them prepare the students for that fact? There's a bare nod to rescuing people later on (hardly enough for how important that is, and even that is in the License Exam, and it's implied 1A was never taught about that at all... for reasons, presumably the same reason Aizawa never mentioned that literally everyone is going to try and murder them in the exam... and outside of right now, where it doesn't happen, I don't think we ever see them train in that) and from there how to interact with victims, but for such a media dominated field, you'd think there'd be classes on, you know, how to talk to a reporter. And, sure, maybe there's some on later, but they've already been getting field work by that point, for years, well publicized field work, so it feels just a tad too late at that point.

Anyways, obvious focus on the UA Barrier for later, then straight to evaluations, where Aizawa tells Bakugou to stop acting like a seven year old'

...

Because, you know, that's how all seven year olds behave, I guess.

All those seven year old children, trying to murder anyone they don't like, stabbing people with knives, smashing each in the head with crowbars, you know, normal stuff. Kids being kids, amiright?

Then we turn to Izuku, and while, yes, Izuku not breaking his arm would be good.... do you, perchance, have a suggestion to help with that goal, Aizawa? You know, as his teacher? Who is supposed to teach him things?

Ah, yes, there it is: I want to see some sweat out of you. 'Work hard, Izuku, because clearly, the catastrophic, crippling injuries you've been dealing to yourself, which must be agonizing, aren't enough incentive for you to improve; clearly you're just being lazy here, and there's no other potential factors holding you back from improving beyond this disappointing performance.'

Sweet flying fuck, how in the hell did this guy train Shinsou? 'Here's the scarf, figure it out, I want to see results by tomorrow?'

And then they just move on, so... I guess only Bakugou and Midoriya get called out in class. Cool, cool.

Hmm. Alright, so we next we get some actual school shenanigans, and I... have mixed feelings about this.

On one hand, this is exactly the character developing, 'let it breath' stuff we've been wanting in MHA current for... years now, basiclly. Paying attention to characters when they're not actively fighting and what not is something essential for making them seem less like characters and more like people, which... you kinda want for a good story.

On the other hand, I just find this boring. I wasn't interested in who gets to be student president last time, and I'm not really now, either.

(As a side note, it's hyped up as being SPECIAL and HEROIC and IMPORTANT FOR DEVELOPING A HEROIC FOUNDATION, or whatever, which is why we're supposed to care about it, but all of that never happens, so... that's a lie. Also, kinda dumb? This isn't a military organization, there's no real reason to train heroes to command other heroes.)

Here's the thing: the content, itself, isn't the problem; a great story writer can make even the most boring shit seem interesting. I vividly remember a manga about farming, for example. Just farming, before anyone starts thinking of whatever farm Isekei may come to mind. On the face of it, that may sound boring, but it was engrossing all the same, because of how well it was written, how involved the characters were in process. There's shonen stories that manage to make the 'school' part of the story just as interesting as the, 'And now you and me fight' parts, but MHA... just isn't it. If I had to guess, it's probably how dismissive the story is about those parts; before we even get to that, after all, we already have Aizawa making it clear how useless and superflicious normal schooling is, and he continues that stance well into the story.

If one of the main characters of the story, here being Aizawa (AKA the teacher who is heavily emphasized in story about how 'wise' he is), is dismissive about something, and there's nothing in story to really counter that perception, then yeah, the story probably isn't going to be covering that topic in an interesting way.

TLDR: I don't think Hori doesn't give a shit about the 'Academia' part of My Hero Academia, and it shows.

Anyways, there's some pointless school drama, and the only things I'm getting out of it outside of some foundational character stuff is that: the kids are all idiots, with how they were mobbing when the alarm went off (and the teachers are alarmingly absent when said alarm went off; shouldn't a security alert be when you secure the children?), Iida is too pure for this world, and god that whiplash is going to hit hard, and finally that U.A. is way too OK with the fact that someone broke in.

(Well, that and, for all that I'm very much not a fan of pushy reporters invading things they have no right to... Present Mic literally says that this is going from illegal trespassing into villainy. How?????

Seriously, how?! The only thing they're doing, beyond the trespassing, is... ignoring them and being assholish about questions?

Why in the actual fuck is he asking permission to blow them away!? Mic???? I thought you were the good teacher! )

Anyways, Izuku dodges dealing with shyness, Iida gets promoted over Momo to be president, and Nezu gets to sound ridiculous talking about an 'element of evil'. Yeah.

Next chapter: We see All Might using his time in a far more productive way, and a nod to the fact that heroes jobs are literally built around crime happening.

That's exactly how I responded when I first heard Izuku told Bakugou about OFA, All Might! (Although, Izuku explicitly says he didn't tell his mom, so... what did he say? There's a serious conversation here that we're just not getting.)

*Snort*

'Dark forces would flow forth in legions'. I mean, he's not wrong, but All Might only barely pulls that off because he's, like I said, hammier than ham in general, but the fact all the heroes randomly have asides like that, no matter how serious they are, was always jarring about this early on stuff.

...'Trial' of Rescue? It makes it sound like your testing them on stuff they should have no way of possibly knowing; if things went differently, would you have threatened to expel the last place student here as well, Aizawa? NGL, though, feels weird that costumes are optional for this because 'they might not be adapted'. I mean... for all the shit you dump on them to force them to adapt, you'd think doing things in your costume, that you are potentially going to be wearing all the time, would be an obvious choice. Wouldn't it be better to figure out if your costume needs work now rather than later?

And why are costumes in the classroom...? I mean, they'll need to leave to change anyways, it'd make a lot more sense to just have a changing area where the costumes are stored at.

Bus time.

You know, one of the things that strikes me, here, is how everyone is acting; there is no fear, loathing or shunning of Bakugou for happened last arc, not only for the murder attempt they never properly reacted to, but to the savage beating they were begging All Might to stop the fight over... but, they're not admiring him, either. There's friendly teasing at his expense, even.

And it's like... the fight never happened, in their minds (or Bakugou attacking Izuku on Day One, for that matter). They're acting like they know Bakugou only as a competent, if abrasive, student, and are treating him accordingly. It's kinda fascinating, really, because later they'll forget all of Bakugou's sins, of course, but that's only part of it: they'll fawn over him, because they only get to see this idealized version of Bakugou. Here? They just aren't responding to the worse parts, but they're still generally treating Bakugou like you'd expect someone like Bakugou would be treated. From my perspective of the very ends of the manga, it's really interesting to see this, like an AU where Bakugou both as a person and a character was treated more seriously in the story.

Gotta love that Kaminari Truth Bomb, lol.

Also, for how short this is: the characters are all interacting with each, it's light-hearted and non-serious, the ingredients are the same as they were before, but this is a lot more interesting to read for me than the Class President stuff was. More evidence My Hero Not Academia, I guess.

And now we've arrived at the USJ proper and, again, waaaay too big; the fucking budget this one school has has to be bigger than the budget of some small countries. And... 13 created this? By herself? Yet again, UA teachers have way too much freedom in school, for no apparent reason, because the way this is phrased makes it sound like this entire, giant ass facility, is 13's facility.

All Might: saves people, rather than try (and fail) to teach.

Eraserhead: hOw IRRatiONal.

I get he was supposed to be here, and he is failing as a teacher, but acting like he's being an utter moron by doing his other actual job is a bit much; here starts the point where All Might never gets a win... ever again, really. It's not All Might if someone's not metaphorically kicking him, after all.

You know, for how much of a non-character 13 ends up being, this five seconds of her is really refreshing: this conversation she's having, about how, you know, 'Quirks are dangerous, let's all try not to hurt someone with them' is exactly the conversation you'd think would have started the school year off with; she feels like a lot more realistic teacher than anyone we've seen thus far.

I guess that why Kurogiri's coming to shut her up then, right? We can't have a teacher actually teaching in UA!

....You know, it's easy to forget how weird Tomura was drawn early on. His image is far more... stark than we get later on, more focus on his wrinkles and the shadows on his face; it gives me some Uncanny Valley vibes. Actually, I can really see all the weird-ass horror hand stuff Hori eventually ends up doing in this, because he just looks wrong in some fundamental way, like he doesn't fit in the setting properly.

I've said this before, but I never liked early Tomura, because of how dumb he felt, but if Hori had leaned into this version more, him being off instead of him being childish, it would have made him feel a lot more threatening. But... after this one of his main pieces of characterization is going to be throwing fits, so...

...

Actually, I'm hitting pause here.

So. I, among others, talk about how bad a teacher Aizawa is, but I don't think I've spelled out how dangerous that could be, beyond ruining the students education, if a man in his position was viewed as fundamentally untrustworthy by the students he's in charge of. What we have here is a perfect time to discuss that!

Let's picture the scene, everybody: a dark portal opens, and bunch of weird people rush in. Aizawa goes into Serious Mode, puts on his goggles, and leaps into action, loudly declaring that, 'THOSE ARE VILLIANS!'

Now we turn to students: they look at Aizawa, see how serious he's acting.... and then remember how serious he looked yesterday, right before he told them that the big thing they were worried about was a 'logical ruse'.

Their panic calms slightly, and they think about the situation again from a new light.

What's more likely? That a giant horde of villains have broken into UA facility, famed for how safe it is, staffed by actual heroes? Into a building that is presumably secured and closed off to the public at all times? That they knew to break in now, of all times, just when the class went on a field trip? To a training facility?

Or, that Aizawa is giving them a 'logical ruse' again, with 13 in on it this time, and all these 'villains' are actors to help them learn better? (Just to be clear, here, that's basiclly what happens in the actual License Exam later on: Gang Orca, who is canonly one of the scariest heroes around, 'breaks into' the rescue focused exam with an army of mooks and starts throwing down like he's an actual villain. The only thing that separates this theoretical situation from that actual exam is that it was clear in the exam that the 'villains' were part of the exam.) And that, once they get this little skit out of the way, they'll reveal the joke, mock you if you fall for it, again (that is if Aizawa doesn't threaten to expel you for failing his standards... again), and then everyone will get on with the training.

So, the thing is, in dangerous situations, you need to make the right choice right away; if Iida was more on the ball, for example, maybe he could have escaped the USJ before Kurogiri made his way over to them, and gotten help for everyone that much sooner.

Hesitation, in other words, leads to disaster.

Do you know what's worse than hesitation in a dangerous situation?

Thinking your teacher is punking you like you're on some hidden camera show, and acting accordingly.

Imagine what could have happened when the students were all randomly separated and dropped before packs of villains, if they thought the villains were acting? What could have happened if a bunch of kids, kids with no combat training (beyond Shoto, who had training, and Bakugou, whose trigger happy instincts would have come in handy for once instead of being a dangerous liability), were placed in front of a bunch of people out to murder them, while they treated the situation like a game?

Hell, what if the kids rushed in to fight the villains before that happened, while Eraserhead was bogged down by charging head first into the army of mooks? (Also, couldn't he have... not done that? Some kind of collaborative attack with 13, where she attacks them while Eraserhead nerfs them, maybe? For all that Eraserhead is apparently specialized in a group fight, the guy with no offensive Quirk against a small army seems... a flawed choice.) They're trying to be heroes, after all: brave, probably eager to fight and flex their Quirks some more after a lifetime of keeping them suppressed, of not being allowed to use this intrinsic part of themselves all out. Besides, fighting the 'villains' sounds like a great way to get a good grade, right?

It gets even worse when the villains explain their goals: to kill All Might.

All Might is, let me remind you, the guy who punched a bunch of slime so hard that it started to rain. While he was weakened, no less.

All Might, while he's branded as the Symbol of Peace, is more honestly the Symbol of Victory, more than Bakugou ever will be: he effortlessly crushes every obstacle before him, doing it all with a smile and a quip, throughout his entire career. The peace he is so famous for is built on the idea that he never loses, and that this is a universally acknowledged fact.

He is so strong, so overwhelmingly competent, that he has made Japan, as a nation, simultaneously safer and more willing to sit on their hands and do nothing. He is so unstoppably successful at his job that Endeavour, who is second only to All Might himself (by... whatever metric that's judged off of), gets a villainous backstory trying to keep up with him.

In MHA, before the main story happens, a bunch of randos saying that they're going to kill All Might is like me saying I'm going to beat up Mount Everest.

It's ludicrous, in other words. Anyone saying it is either actively insane... or clearly lying through their teeth.

If Shigaraki's Uncanny Valley factor was just a little weaker, just a little less alarming, if they decided Aizawa was just lying to them again, and that this was just another example of UA's extreme training philosophy, they could have been slaughtered because this man couldn't be bothered to put the effort into his actual job, which he is getting paid for, and focus on his students in any real way.

This is the problem with Aizawa, the Teacher. As a hero, sure, he's great, and him jumping right away to defending the kids is good and all, but as a teacher? He is so fucking lazy that his students could have been, and in all honesty should have been, killed because they have no reason to trust his directions, especially in a serious, unusual situation.

If you can't trust the person in charge of you to make wise decisions in times of danger, or this case communicate those decisions to you and be trusted, then they are a liability, and for a man in Aizawa's situation, with his job, his responsibility to these kids? That is unacceptable.

...

Anyways. Villains show up, Eraserhead wades in (and then Hori makes sure to have Izuku and Shigaraki talk him up! You're so cool, Eraserhead! Make sure the readers know just how awesome you are as you effortlessly plow through the mooks! And I love how he punches a guy twice his size, who is made out of rock, and sends this guy flying, somehow, and doesn't break his hand in the process), then Kurogiri rolls up, monologues like an edgelord, and yeets all the kids, but not before the Bakugou and Kirishima dynamic is founded by.... failing utterly.

*sigh*

Seriously, Mineta? You're half drowned and in serious risk of getting murdered, and now you perv? This is why he's so hated, BTW: not because he's a pervert, but because that's almost his entire characterization. Jiraiya is a creepy, spying pervert as well, sure, but he's beloved by the Naruto fandom because he does all this other stuff that isn't being a creep, that makes him seem like an interesting person. He has relationships, and develops more, that don't revolve around breasts, which gives us a good, humanizing take on him beyond that character flaw.

Mineta's second character trait after being a pervert is being a coward, and... I don't think he really has friends? It's not a good look, to say the least. And yes, I know he gets a 'brave moment' here, where he surpasses his cowardice.... that is to say, where he literally throws things from a distance, but that happens for... all of two panels, and isn't that impressive even when it does happen. Then afterwards it's right back to normal. The notes say Hori had a hard time balancing his character against Hori's natural perviness, and honestly I'm just surprised this is the balanced version?

Anyways, everyone has to fight, and we see Izuku have to deal with the situation. He forces his way past his fear, his hesitation, to the realization he has to act, and then commits to it.

He observes the situation, comes to several realizations from what he sees, from how the villains act and the environment they're in. Then he comes up with an unorthodox plan, built around using his classmates various abilities effectively, and then executes it, claiming an overwhelming victory despite the odds against him.

This, all of this? All of this is far more interesting to read than his fights have been lately. This Izuku is easier to root for, easier to be concerned about, easier to like, than when we know he's going to beat everyone else up because he's OP. He's relatable like this, and that is a magic word for keeping people involved in your story.

Then everyone else fights, and most of it isn't that interesting. One notable one is the Momo, Kaminari and Jirou fight where: they also come up with a creative plan to win, Momo gets to use her powers usefully.... and then Kiminari is literally nerfed into being an idiotic pervert (like the one we already have isn't enough?), while Momo's shirt is torn off. Because of course. Then Kiminari is beat up for the suffering the mental version of Izuku's bone breaking side effect, because he can't win anything; god, it must suck to be him.

...Do you know how surreal it feels to watch Tomura be competent? Seriously, he's in a hand to hand brawl with Eraserhead, doing well despite the fact this should be something he doesn't actually do that often, considering his Quirk, he's calculating Aizawa's weak points... this guy feels like a threat, and I don't usually have that impression of him until the Villain Arc. I... I'm genuinely wondering if he always was this threatening, far more than I remember, and that some bad takes on him became the most memorable trait of him that became his fanon characterization, or he gets nerfed after his introduction like All Might was.

Ah, the Classic Noumu. The very one that screwed up my view on every other version; god, this one is a monster. He's an impossible behemoth of a thing, easily beating every enemy he comes against, crushing Eraserhead as a brutal introduction. Great first impression, but he makes all the other versions until the High Ends show up seem bizarrely weak for all the fuss they get.

And then All Might comes in.

And he isn't smiling.

Remember in an earlier post how I mentioned that All Might acts hammy to appear non-threatening? Well, I feel validated. (You know, until he promptly loses.)

...That is Actually Bowser. There's actually a Bowser-lite character, canonly, in MHA. Huh.

Anyways, it's faced up against Serious Might that makes Noumu seem that big of a threat, the fact that Tomura takes his arrival so well makes him that much more disturbing; I keep saying this, but this arc was a damn good intro for him.

Oh, hey! Remember when the strongest warper in setting was a threat in combat? This arc does; an ability like that could be lethal if used right, and it's nice seeing that in action, when later Kurogiri is devolved in a largely passive porter for The Team.

And then Izuku charges in! And then Bakugou... 'helps', ugh. I've gotten spoiled by all the chapters where he was 'dead'; I forgot how much he used to be shoved into every possible situation, in the best possible way to make his otherwise alarming behavior look good.

Like. He's not doing the right thing here, like everyone else is (even Shoto, who feels disconnected from the situation). He's doing what he wants, and it's just happening to help everyone else, yet it's getting shown as the 'right' thing. It's just frustrating for him to get these 'hero' shots of him looking and acting unhinged, but knowing I'm supposed to find that heroic.

And here, Tomura is pointing out what I pointed out earlier: All Might's 'peace' is based on the threat of superior violence, which... is quickly ignored because he's a murder hobo. Mixed feelings about that; as a character, for where he is in the story, for who he's supposed to be, he's exactly the kind of person to act off that logic, but he does have a good point, and I don't think anyone else brings it up, really? All Might being dissed for being All Might later is based off him no longer being a hero, and society is falling apart and all that, never that the peace itself is based off the threat of him.

...That said, why the hell doesn't All Might just... grab the Noumu again? If Kurogiri isn't hard countering that kind of thing, there's nothing really stopping All Might from grabbing the Noumu's wrist and just yeeting the guy. It's a big, dramatic moment, I get it, overcoming the shock absorption with power and sheer determination, but it's also dumb.

Also, hope that Noumu doesn't land in anybody's house or anything, lol.

Eight or nine last minute saves later, and it's all over save for the All For One introduction; ah, the nostalgia of 'Sensei', plotting from the shadows. I missed him being threatening.

Minor thing, but I like that brief moment of humanizing on the previously aloof Shoto when he realized Hagakure was there when he was fighting, it's a nice touch showing that he's more than his facade without slapping us in the face with it, a good setup for later.

Oh, and here's some extra Aizawa hypocrisy for you: he goes on and on about how bad Izuku is at taking care of himself, but we got a butcher's bill about all the damage inflicted on him. Next day? He shows up mummified. Great example, there; and it's set up just to show how.... badass he is, I guess? But it's annoying that they went through all that work setting up how badly he's damaged just to gloss over it, and yet Izuku's injuries are about to be taken seriously.

Awkward end of chapter cliffhanger!

[whetstonefires]

What is your Hogwarts house?

I don't think that's considered a question in good taste anymore lmao.

And, actually, I never liked it much even as a kid, because sorting discourse did not adhere to the framework shown in the text. It consistently drifted to rigorous application of the ruleset laid out by the hat in its little song, which was blatantly called out as a convenient simplification about one page after the formula was originally presented.

Like. The fact that each cohort is broken down into four roughly equal pods and lineage is clearly a major determining factor, as is personal preference, is made clear very early. This is a cultural institution, that shapes the characters who grow within it quite as much as it's assigned based on their innate traits, and within the framework of which people actively look for identity elements to define themselves by.

People in my high school would be sorting adult fictional characters and doing elaborate balancing of their True Natures as revealed by their various plot events and defining life choices and patterns of behavior in their own generally dramatic canons and I'd be like. Okay, what do you think they were like when they were eleven though.

What were their values at eleven? What parts of their potential to be Like That were developed enough to show up on a psychic scan by a sapient hat, at eleven? What backstories are we assuming they're coming into this from; this man is a duke from fantasy medieval europe are we going to analogize him to a posh normie family, or the magic snobs, or are we dimensional-teleporting his baby self into wizard school?

Look, assigning Hogwarts houses to grown-ass adults on the basis of their adult developed identities doesn't make sense, that is very clearly not how anything works, this is a child-sorting algorithm. You have to apply it to children or it's invalid.

...also I was a Ravenclaw. I knew this. Everyone who had ever met me knew this. Any and every online quiz I was convinced to take knew this. I was so boring. I could not even make a serious case for my being one of the people who'd argue my way into another category I was minorly qualified for, or get there on family values or something, because I didn't want to not be a dumb nerd and my family is also dumb nerds. I was such an easy sort it was no fun at all, I was a walking stereotype.

It was embarrassing, is what it was. I was a flat character with no depth, rip child me. It was like if you could fail astrology by adhering precisely to your horoscope.

(My younger sisters wanted to be Gryffindor but consistently tested Hufflepuff and vice versa respectively, and I do not at this time remember which was which. The tests that gave you percentile rankings did give them minors in the ones they wanted tho.)

Anyway looking back on this in reaction to your ask, I find myself reflecting that House affiliation actually worked very much like gender, in that the way it was assigned was treated in-story as being based on absolute inherent qualities that defined a whole person, but quite clearly per the text actually worked by finding a schema you had an acceptable percent overlap with at a young age, and then setting you up to be perceived and instructed through that filter for the rest of your life.

The affiliation had meaning! But it was mostly meaning derived from the affiliation, and its social weight.

The ability of characters to find the sometimes deeply hidden Potential to live up to the person they aspired to be, thereby retroactively justifying the Sorting they had cajoled their way into, is like a major story element, you know?

I feel like this is yet another one of those places where rowling is a fairly gifted drawer of engaging caricatures; where when she was drawing on her actual lived experience (as opposed to hearsay and stereotype) to create something imitating that thing (in this case Belonging To Category) by intuition, the result would have nicely proportioned parts and some solid symbolic details, and work on an internal level more-or-less consistently, if not necessarily according to any strict logic.

Rather than being realistic it had a feeling of reality, which is in itself a perfectly reasonable way to approach light fiction. I often find myself wishing I could work in this more gestural manner sometimes, instead of drilling relentlessly down to detail.

The trouble is that things like those verisimilitudinous gaps between what people do and how they interpret their own doing, which lend the setting a great deal of dynamism, are only sometimes intentional, and the longer she extends any one bit and the more seriously she attempts to take it, the more likely she is to fall into the gaps and loudly deny that she has done any such thing, while digging herself into a pit of stupid.

[roguishcat]

conversations with a vampire, you say....?

Thanks for the ask! 💖

Conversations with a vampire is a 6/10 (atm) part long fic set pre-game with child Tav, who lives at Sharess'. She is lonely and bored, and decides that bothering Astarion is the best way to pass time. Over the years, they become friends. Well, Tav sees Astarion as a friend.

So here's a bit from chapter 7, which I have already re-written several times.

“We have been watching you, vampire. Oh, yes. I know what you are,” she said casually pouring herself some wine into a beautifully crafted gold goblet. “And if you were any less careful than you have been, you would have been dead in a ditch somewhere.”

“Is it a threat?” Astarion bristled, his hackles raised.

“A threat? Oh, no, my dear, dear frightened boy,” she said with mock concern, her fingers casually dancing over the rim of the goblet. “We all have to watch ourselves, really. This one comes from a very prominent family. An illegitimate child, of course. But potentially an important chess piece. And with no official heir still and Tav turning sixteen soon, her worth just keeps going up.”

Mamzell Amira took a sip of her wine, letting the silence stretch. It was surprisingly quiet in her quarters, considering all the activity that was going on at Sharess’. There was most definitely an enchantment of some sort. He supposed a woman as rich as Mamzell could afford the services of a good mage.

“Why hide her in a brothel, of all places?” Astarion was the first to break the silence. “Why not send her somewhere in the countryside? Somewhere far away from the vultures?”

Amira scoffed, as if she has never heard something so ridiculous.

“And have her turn out a sweet, unassuming country bumpkin? How short-sighted would that be! If she is to run with the wolves, she must know how to show her teeth. Her killing that merchant came as a surprise, I would never have guessed that she had it in her.”

She sounded proud rather than concerned.

“Besides, her father was one of the favourites at Sharess’. Shame about what happened to him, really. But these things happen when one is careless and gets mixed up with powerful people.”

So, a child of a prostitute and a noble. It wasn’t unheard of, although they had plenty of potions and spells to make sure there were no accidents. This meant that Tav’s mother wanted to have a child enough for her to choose to conceive. The fact that her father was now dead, he presumed, possibly meant that the decision was not well met. Either her mother was foolish and naïve, or wanted to get something out of it. However, lovers were disposable. Children could serve a greater purpose down the line. So, there was a very strong possibility that Tav’s family had her father killed.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Jurassic Park Daily (Third Iteration) - Control (III)

Once again, Hammond shows an almost pathological need to believe that everything is fine, that none of the problems really matter or are serious.

And we see that none of the people who are in charge of creating the dinosaurs or the systems for their containment or the automated controls - not Wu, not Arnold or his team, not Nedry - actually go into the park at all frequently to see what is happening. This is one of the potential problems with automation - it can create an artificial reality. What you know is based on the alarms or red flags that the system pops up, not on direct observation.

But even with that, Arnold knows there are problems, and he gives a clear rundown of the challenges - this is the stuff that Hammond should be listening to but isn’t.

The list of ‘glitches’ is Nedry’s system makes me feel like both he and Hammond are at fault here. Yes, building a system this complex in the dark was an impossible task. But putting a daily feeding program on a 24hr cycle irrespectuve of the day of the week should be possible without knowing the exact details. Having the light-dimming system work daily rather than every two days should be doable. Systems should have some mechanism for manual overrides when necessary.

And now Hammond has Nedry working solo in-person on the project with all his team only connected by dial-up, for goodness’ sakes - which cuts off the park’s only communication link to the mainland.

Back to the tour!

(Pet peeve: poisionous is something that’s toxic when you eat it. Venemous is something that’s toxic when it bites you. The dilophosaur is venemous, not poisonous.)

It makes me laugh that the park is failing so badly even at its primary objective, the one thing that should be easy - entertaining and instilling wonder in children. Lex is your target audience, guys! And she’s bored! I blame the automated cars and the canned narration for it in part - human guides know how to engage kids, how to respond to them. And kids like autonomy, they like to see things where and when and how they want; when they go to the zoo they want to run around. They want to make decisions. If Disneyland took you to a set 10 rides in a predetermined order it wouldn’t be remotely as popular, even if they were the 10 most popular rides, and even if the coordination resulted in shorter lineups. Now, there are security reasons why they can’t just let visitors wander arpund looking at dinosaurs when and where they like, but they seem to have put zero thought into what activities kids actually enjoy. Sitting in a car listening to a prerecorded track isn’t really one of them. (And the track, being prerecorded, also has no versatility, so - as in a previous chapter - it can say ‘look at this’ when there’s nothing there.)

[leaderpinhead]

Azul - Family Discourse

“I know this is a difficult time for us all, but you must remember one thing: mommy and daddy loves you very much, and that will never change.” 

Azul rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. “Must you sound so...dramatic?’ 

Yuu shot him a brief glare. “Do you want our child to question our affection?” 

“It’s not our child.” 

“I’m sorry. Does child support mean nothing to you?” 

Azul rolled his eyes even harder and added a sigh for emphasis. He adjusted the sheet protecting the tank from direct sunlight. He would have preferred no light—or at the very least, very dim light—but the large dust bunny protecting the wardrobe on the other side of the room was already disturbingly focused on him. Yuu’s insistence on keeping the oversized, magical vermin alive was just as disturbing. Azul had never even heard of a dust bunny colony the size of the one living in the Ramshackle Dorm. 

Yuu, completely oblivious to Azul actively avoiding eye contact with the dust bunnies, cooed in front of the tank. The tiny, neon pink cuddler octopus energetically swam circles in front of her. Yuu clapped as if the small creature had achieved some amazing feat. “Look at you swim! You’re so happy here. Much happier than in that dark, scary cave.” 

Azul aborted a snort by nudging his glasses higher up his nose. “I’m sure it was completely content in that cavern. Cuddler octopi are more comfortable when they have a place to hide, which is why I insisted on having ornaments large enough for it to comfortably hide away in.” 

Yuu lightly tapped the glass. The pink cuddler twirled closer. “Your father is so thoughtful, isn’t he, Pinku?” 

Azul couldn’t hide his snort this time. “Pinku? Is that really the name you insist on giving it? And I thought your insistence of maintaining the name Space Mostro Lounge for our second location was simply a fluke.” 

“Your father is jealous of my naming skills,” Yuu said. She never once turned away from the tank. “This is why mommy and daddy have to live apart. Octavinelle might seem like a fantastic place to live, but one day you will understand living with mommy is much better for your emotional development.” 

A light chuckle came from the direction of the doorway. Jade ducked back around the doorframe when Azul’s head snapped in his direction. Floyd loudly complained from the hallway, reminding Azul of his actual reasons for being in Ramshackle Dorm. “Now that we have finished with the tank, I need to measure the space in the attic to—.” 

Yuu’s squeal cut off Azul. “Look at her! She wants to give me a hug!” 

Yuu sprang to her full height. Before Azul could stop her, she stuck her entire forearm into the tank. Pinku—a name Azul would forever insist was incredibly plain—didn't hesitate latching onto Yuu’s pinky. Yuu’s girlish giggles didn’t match her usual deadpan demeanor. “She’s so adorable!” 

“Yes.” A light cough from the doorway made Azul shoot Jade a pointed glare. Floyd wasn’t so subtle, leaning on the doorframe in full view with a bored expression. “Sticking your entire forearm into the tank is not a great idea. It could potentially throw off the pH level of the water.” Another pointed cough made Azul second guess bringing the twins with him. “She also shouldn’t develop the habit of clinging to you.” 

“Why not?” With her arm still in the water, Yuu blinked at Azul with unmistakable inquisitiveness. “You didn’t say anything about it when we were swimming in the Coral Sea.” 

Azul sputtered a bit. There wasn’t anything really wrong with the behavior. It was why most children in the Coral Sea wanted cuddlers before the novelty of them wore off. Still, Azul felt the need to double down on his statement. “Do you want her to develop an unhealthy sense of separation anxiety? If you allow Pinku to cling to you constantly then there is a high probability she will become extremely stressed when she’s left alone.” 

“That settles it then. We will have another child.” 

Azul’s sputter was thankfully covered by Floyd’s sudden cackling. “You wanna go for another swim, Shrimpy? I know all the best grottos to find more squishies!” 

“You will need to install a much bigger tank,” Jade added. He looked absolutely overjoyed by the glare Azul shot him. “Should we hold a baby shower in advance? I’ve read in a few magazines those are highly popular amongst those living on land.” 

“It’s weird you would even suggest that.” Jade simply chuckled. Yuu slowly withdrew her arm from the tank. Pinku didn’t release her until she wiggled her pinky right beneath the surface of the water. Azul felt a bit of pride when the cuddler ducked into the hollowed driftwood tunnel he had specifically ordered. “But I agree with your first statement. We need a bigger tank for our growing family.” 

“We need to assess the attic,” Azul interjected with extra emphasis. “If we are to meet our scheduled launch date, then we will need to begin—.” 

“We should find a yellow squishy!” 

“I think a subtle green will fit nicely with Pinku’s bright shade.” 

“I will love my children no matter what color they are.” 

Azul huffed and made no attempt to hide his displeasure at being ignored. They continued to ignore him, Yuu and Floyd going so far as to leave the room, happily discussing their next trip to the Coral Sea. Jade lightly chuckled. “It would seem as if the prefect’s priorities have significantly changed since becoming a parent. It reminds me of another person who insisted on raising a plethora of cuddlers in our youth.” 

Azul didn’t bother rising to Jade’s bait, and it didn’t take long for the Leech brother to leave him with another chuckle. Azul sighed and glanced down into the tank. Pinku had emerged from the driftwood and now floated around the tank without a care for larger predators. 

Azul crouched to be at face level with the inside of the tank. Pinku twirled closer to the glass, like she could see him on the other side. A small smile twitched across his lips. “You have no reason to fear anymore. Predators like eels and larger fish can’t get you here.” 

An exaggerated cough made Azul twist too quickly on the balls of his feet, resulting in him falling over. Grim watched from the door with half-lidded eyes. A small entourage of dust bunnies half his height stared into the room with him. “Are you going to be weird and talk to all the animals too? Because I'll tell you right now, Sir Eviscerator over there only takes baby talk from Yuu.” 

Azul glanced at the giant dust bunny. The dust bunny—Sir Eviscerator—still stared at him judgmentally. Azul cleared his throat and climbed to his feet. He dusted off the back of his pants. “Don’t be ridiculous. I was merely assessing if she was comfortable in her new habitat. Now, excuse me while I go intersect Floyd before he makes his escape with the prefect.” 

Grim snorted with obvious disbelief. Azul completely ignored him and left the room with his chin held high. The cuddler was simply a pet he had helped the prefect obtain to keep her cooperation. 

Checking on Pinku before returning to Octavinelle Dorm was simply to ensure the cuddler hadn’t injured herself on anything in the tank. And perhaps to measure the empty corner for a sunken ship ornament he happened to see while checking the Mostro Lounge’s official Magicam. That big tank, he thought to himself, did have the potential to give her an extreme sense of loneliness. 

It would behoove him, if he was to humor the prefect’s farce of co-parenting, to think of finding a companion for Pinku. 

[childotkw]

Stranger Things AU (some of this is based on popular theories): Similar to canon, Tom grew up in an orphanage and was always different than the other children, with rumors of him being able to do strange things. One day he kills every single person in the orphanage, with the blame falling on one of the matrons. Unfortunately he ends up getting the attention of Dr Dumbledore, who grew interested in his abilities and brought him to a lab and used to him as a test subject to create more super-powered children. He stays years in the lab, with a microchip that seals his powers, until something happens that causes him to be able to use his powers again but is subsequently sent to the Upside Down where he was able to become even more powerful, and decided that he would shape the world to his liking. Enter Harry Potter, a similar child who was seen as different from his peers, although he actually had people who cared for him, unlike Tom, and also seems to have similar powers to him related to the UPD. Tom sees potential in him (and a lot of himself) and brings him to the UPD. Harry is able to escape at some point but he and Tom are intertwined afterwards, with both of them being able to sense each other's presence and even feelings, with Harry also being connected to the UPD and its monsters.

It's not really a full-fleshed (or even good) AU but the parallels between Tom and Harry with Henry and Will from ST were too hard to resist making an AU about.

Ooooh I like it!

Tom was born different. Wrong. It wasn't obvious from the start, no matter what the Matron had muttered when she had signed over the rights to him after The Incident.

There had been no signs, no hint of otherness to him, nothing strange. Beyond his mother dying to bring him into the world, there was nothing extraordinary about Tom's birth at all.

But in the years that followed? Oh, how that changed.

Strangeness became synonyms with Tom as he grew - inexplicable things occurring around him, to him, because of him.

Creepy, the other children whispered.

Odd, potential parents said before leaving in a rush.

Fucking Freak, Billy Stubbs had sneered a day before he and six other orphans were lifted into the air and had their limbs folded like pretzels while they bled from their eyes.

Professor Dumbledore quietly ushered Tom into his nice car before all the bodies had even been loaded into the vans and taken to the coroner.

It was at the lab that Tom learned a new word for what he was - a better word, one that made him preen and smile and go along with all the tests they had him perform.

Special.

Years passed, and eventually Tom grew bored playing obedient pet to people who stunk of fear whenever they were in the room with him. He only meant to try something new, to start a new game with the scientists that crawled over and around him like weevils.

He hadn't meant to kill the two technicians, honest, Professor Dumbledore.

The lie didn't work, and Tom learned all too quick that all the studying they had conducted on him had not just been into honing his skills but on suppression.

For the first time in his life, he was just like everyone else, and he hated it.

Hated it more when Dumbledore started to bring in other children.

When they made him a janitor of all things, trapped in the halls, doomed to just watch lest the fucking chip in his neck activate.

When they started using Tom's blood and samples and other bits of research gleaned from him to make these children, these rats, special too.

It burned, being regulated to the background - white garbs, white shoes, blending in to the white walls and floors and doors - and seeing other, unworthy brats be lauded and praised for their mediocre powers.

They called Tom 'One' in all their notes now, but no one dared to say it to his face - couldn't have their precious new experiments making the connection after all, even if they were all too stupid to realise they weren't the first.

Only one in the bunch was interesting. Only one out of all of them caught Tom's attention.

Seven.

Mousy little thing, but there was an oh so clever glint in those bright eyes that sparked at the oddest times.

Seven was small, and light-footed, and skittish - but Tom knew, knew deep in that part of himself that the chip hadn't quite numbed, that Seven had taken to Tom's abilities better than the rest.

There was a connection there, buzzing in the back of his mind, and he knew Seven felt it too because those eyes followed him whenever they passed each other in the halls. Green eyes tracking him with curiosity and wonder, only ducking away when Tom looked back.

It was Seven, and that strange connection between them, that gave Tom the opening he needed to escape. Only his escape was less an escape and more swapping one prison for another.

The world he found himself in was monstrous, twisted, cold.

He needed to get out - and there was only one person he knew who could help.

[bumirang]

wait rohans a waterbender? since when?????

Since I made it up? I dunno, I like the idea. I doubt they'll go that direction in canon (unless they HIRE ME to make some damn COMICS)

Rohan being an airbender is boring to me. It's totally expected, practically makes the kid a non-entity. It's much more interesting to make him something else and explore what that means for the family dynamic. That (likely) means non-bender or waterbender, though earthbender is a possibility since Pema's from the Earth Kingdom. I'm just going to assume that Katara wasn't bullshitting when she touched Pema's preggo belly in the very first episode and said the baby would be a bender. She just got the element wrong. It was a safe bet!

First off, it'd raise some questions about how bending is passed down. Based on what we've seen in canon, it's easy to assume that a bender only passes down their own element to their offspring, with it either manifesting or staying dormant, possibly for multiple generations. But what if it's more complicated than that? Tenzin may style himself as Mr. #1 Air Nomad, but his mother's element and culture are part of him, too, right? With the different nations intermarrying more than ever before, it creates the potential for any type of bending to pop up in any part of the world, which has many fun worldbuilding implications. It'd also make a lot of sense, considering how the new airbenders pop up the way they do. They may all have had airbenders somewhere in their ancestry, with that potential lying dormant for centuries or even millennia until it was finally activated by Harmonic Convergence. I know this isn't a groundbreaking fan theory, but whatever.

Anyway, back to Rohan.

The discovery that Rohan's a waterbender would be a surprise, maybe even a shock, and it'd give the Kataang clan a new point of conflict and introspection, particularly for Tenzin. He'd have to grapple with his kneejerk reaction being denial, followed by disappointment. Then comes the doubt...

Why does he suddenly feel more distant from Rohan? He reviews his own interactions with the boy, both before and after the discovery. Does he treat him differently now? Should he? Of course he doesn't love his son any less, but it changes their relationship, or seems like it must. Is it fair to bring him up like an Air Nomad, the way his siblings were raised? Would it be better to introduce him to more Water Tribe traditions? He realizes how little he valued his mother's culture compared to his father's. It's not that he doesn't care, but...

Is this how Aang felt about Bumi and Kya, before he was born? How did he come to terms with that? Did he feel this same ache? And knowing now how alienated Bumi and Kya felt from their Air Nomad heritage for so long, how can he stop himself from making the same mistakes? What does this mean for the future of his people? Can Rohan be an Air Nomad but not a member of the Air Nation? Is such a thing possible?

He sees himself reflected in his son's innocent, trusting eyes, his own expression one of confusion and fear. He's lost again. Nothing in his readings of Air Nomad wisdom or his memories of Aang tell him what he should do, and he's too ashamed to admit his conflicted feelings.

Finally, Tenzin's head explodes.

Plus, hey, it's a great excuse to bring Auntie Kya around for lots of fun waterbending lessons! Both she and Bumi get to say "toldja so" to Tenzin once he admits his struggle over his relationship with Rohan and what that made him finally truly understand about their childhoods, about what it meant for all three of them to be children of the last airbender.

Meanwhile, Rohan's just being this precocious kid—a lot like his sister Jinora—inventing whole new ways of bending water like it's no big deal, and all the adults are too tied up in knots to even notice. His siblings notice, though, and help him figure himself out. He's a true Cloudbaby, a perfect cinnamon roll.

In the end, they do work it all out, and the whole family is closer than ever before... until Meelo announces he's joining the United Forces and all hell breaks loose.

[imfromthemiddlekingdom]

Dark!Indis AU is so fun to write. To write her not as only a love sick fool but also a person who would do anything and everything to get the man she loves is so fun to explore. Like this AU is so out there, Feanor was born before the great journey and it wasn’t his birth that killed his mom but the second child she bore that “killed” her. But guess what!!! It wasn’t the birth that killed her but some scheme thought up by Indis!!! I love Indis as a character but I cannot wrap my head around the thought of her dooming her step child’s mother to an eternity in death because she loved his father. Sure Finwë also deserves blame but I haven’t seen many fics that depict Indis as someone who actively pursued him and was actively complicit in Míriels death. (Lalwendë is the daughter of Finwë and Míriel in this AU and Feanor has a good relationship with her but not the others since they aren’t his “true sibling”).

Like how much worse can I make the silmarilion if I made Míriels death not of natural causes but of murder??? It would make every interaction he has with his half brothers and sisters in this AU so much worse, like not only are they the children of the women who knowingly condemned his mother to an eternity in the halls but also the woman who had a hand in her death.

What if I made Rúmil one of the Unbegotten and the father of Míriel? What if I made things even worse! Like what if he refused to teach the children of Finwë’s second wife because they are the proof that his baby is never coming back??? Like the angst potential is crazy.

This also means that maybe in the halls Míriel finds out why she died and was so angry that the valar couldn’t let her out of the halls for fear of retaliation or something, like she saw the tapestries of Indis conspiring with other people to kill her and her daughter and pulled a Feanor??? We already know Feanor was his mothers replica in temperament so what if she was so angry that she literally cannot be allowed to be reembodied??? And thus the valar couldn’t consult her for permission for Finwë’s remarriage because they know she’ll never say yes and they know that indis’s line would go on to do great things so they must be allowed to be born but if they consult with Míriel she would’ve left the halls out of spite despite her healing or lack there off.

Maybe once Finwë dies and found out about the situation that led to her death he had to rethink all interactions he had with Indis, maybe once Finwë refused to be reembodied she started to reflect on her actions and maybe repents? Maybe she doesn’t since she believes that she was more worthy of his hand being of the line of Imin. What happens once all their descendants arrive in the halls and find out what happens? Like I’m sure there were many Noldor who did not approve of a Vanyar Queen and who followed Feanor and once they found out what happened to their “true” queen how mad do you think they’d be?

How mad do you think Feanor would be to finally have confirmation that he was right to be suspicious of his step mother, how would Fingolfin react to this? Would he start to understand why his brother hated his mother or would he not?