#at least i can still support them in their respective groups :')

[forty-servants-free-readings]

Pick a card

Will your future spouse be wealthy?

Pick a group to find out, your reading is under the cut. If you're interested in a short, free oracle reading - feel free to send question to my askbox, anon is on. Answers are extremely slow due to demand and busy personal life, from time to time I go on hiatus. There is also paid offer, explained in my pinned post - those readings will be prioritised. If you want to support me there is a PayPal link in my bio.

Pick a pile masterlist

Group 1 - The Opposer

Your future spouse never had it easy in life. They might have started from the bad position to begin with - poor family or sick relatives. They are very ambitious and work very hard to get well financially, but at the moment you will meet them they will still struggle a little bit. Lower to middle class but surely not a beggar or living out of public money. They have perspectives for the future.

Group 2 - The Saint

While they aren't overly rich in terms of money (tho they are far from poor), their true wealth lies in both their exceptional life wisdom and the fact that they know plenty of useful people. They can get you many things way cheaper than in shop. They also know how to get on people's good side so they can always find or change a job easily or make the seller lower the price. I think they will be middle class.

Group 3 - The Media, The Conductor

This might be a wealthy individual. This person has certain level of influence and control over other people. Some of them might work directly under your future spouse's watch, or even for his business, big or small. They have authority and people's respect. At least upper middle class.

Group 4 - The Dancer

They are going through some rainy days in life occasionally but they take it with grace and know how to deal with it. If things get wrong financially they don't sit and cry but do their best to get better while also trying to not let despair overtake them. Normally they have a very stable situation but from time to time when it's time to spend a bit more money, they have to save up for some time. I'd say lower middle class, rather normal.

[simplyhansel]

So I just finished my second watch of k-pop demon hunters

And I have a theory. I saw someone point out that the Saja Boys names are based on who they are: Abs is muscular, Mystery is mysterious, Baby is youthful, Romance is a chick magnet, and Jinu's name means "true"

But I don't think their names JUST represent what they are. I think it represents what turned them into a demon in the first place. As Jinu puts it, their shame. First things first: I think there are two types of demons. Demons born in the demon world, and demons that used to be humans.

Outside of the Saja boys, we can see a few other demons in the background who have very similar outfits, most notably the hats. These are the demons that were once human, turned into demons by Gwi-Ma. The other demons with more exaggerated features were born in the demon world.

Starting with Abs. Strength, muscles, looking manly; that's his schtick. There are a few ways he can go. 1) it's possible that he wanted to be stronger to protect someone he loved, but I don't think that is the case. 2) Abby was weak and being weak made his life worse "you are weak, no one will ever respect you. but I can make you strong." this, or some variation of it, is the one I think is most likely. 3) Abs was born appearing very fem (transgender or genetics, take your pick) and Gwi-Ma made him manly and muscular.

up next, we have Mystery. He kind of stumped me at first (which is honestly kind of fitting tbh) but then I rewatched the scene where Jinu pitched the band to Gwi-Ma. during the small transition scene, we see slight shifts in Romance, Mystery, and Baby. Of all the boys though, Mystery's is the most interesting.

Mystery is the only one of them to have exaggerated demonic features, specifically his teeth. I believe that Mystery is half human, half demon, just like Rumi. "but Han!" I hear you say, "Jinu was surprised that a human had demon blood!" but to that I say; no he wasn't. He was surprised that a HUNTER had demon blood. he says specifically "A hunter who is part demon?" This implies, however loosely, that half demon/half human hybrids aren't unheard of. Mystery was ashamed of his heritage, wanted to hide it, be free from the scrutiny. I also think this can be supported by the way he acts during the joint signing. He quite literally barks and growls at the fans at one point lmao. Even if he isn't actually half demon, I think it would still be safe to assume he was born with some sort of physical defect or oddity, more than likely something that affects his eyes.

I feel like Baby is pretty self explanatory. He was made eternally youthful, to the point that he basically looks like a 5 year old. My guess is that he looked older than he was, and he was self conscious, or mocked, or something to that effect. Maybe his wife left him cause he was old looking? idk. In any case, this is what makes the most sense to me.

Romance is somewhat self explanatory, but there are still a few ways it could have gone. 1) He wanted to be able to have anyone he wanted, so Gwi-Ma granted him the ability to charm any and everyone. 2) He had an unrequited love. Gwi-Ma made his love fall for him, but it ended terribly in some way, shape or form. I can honestly see either, as both are fairly self-serving.

Last but not least, Jinu. He is the only member with a normal sounding name, but that doesn't mean we cant infer anything from it. Jinu in Korean means "genuine" or "true" and I think in this case, it symbolizes that he was the only one in the group that had good intentions with his actions. He did legitimately want to help his family, and I believe Gwi-Ma prevented him from doing so. Even if his family wasn't allowed into the palace or wherever, I think he had full intentions to send his mother the money he made. He was never able to, though; Gwi-Ma sent excuses and opportunities to squander away his money, then kept whispering in his ear that he was abandoning them. Don't get me wrong, he did abandon them. But I also understand that when the voice of doubt has you in a strong grip, it's well and truly paralyzing. Gwi-Ma accuses Jinu of being self-serving, but he is arguably the only one in the group who was trying to do the correct thing for the people he cared about the most.

Anyway I really fucking loved this movie: the visuals were stunning, the symbolism was spot on, and that soundtrack was KILLER! If anyone has other ideas or theories Id love to hear them! Thanks for coming to my ted talk.

[xjulixred45x]

For me while reading the au I imagined yuu to be abt 17-19 like most of the boys so I was wondering what you think the boys reactions (or at least the Housewarden + Jamil) would think/react to finding out Yuu is pregnant!

TW: Sensitive topics (implied)

Honestly, at first, most people are a little worried about Yuu, mostly about whether the baby is unwanted or not (or how the baby was conceived...) and they want to be 100% sure that Yuu truly wants to be a mother so young above all else, that it's HER decision and no one else's.

If Yuu comes from a bad background, the dorm leaders will act as support for her and try to be safe spaces in their own way. The same goes for the first-years.

Riddle continues to act protectively toward Yuu, but at the same time he demands academically (without going overboard, obviously; he's much softer with Yuu than with the other Heartsabyul students), precisely because he believes that if Yuu is going to have a baby, he has to give it a good future from a young age. The further along the pregnancy progresses, the more anxious he becomes and the less strict he is. He definitely doesn't take lightly the harassment/bullying Yuu might receive for being a teenage mother; any transgression of that kind gets immediately a "Off with your head!"

When the baby is born, Riddle probably personally talks to the teachers about getting Yuu off homework for a couple of weeks. He has two doctor parents, and he KNOWS the effects of giving birth. He's still tense about baby Sheila (as I decided to name the baby) but isn't opposed to keeping an eye on her so Yuu can study properly. Riddle is definitely the type of person who talks to babies like adults; it's funny (Cater has the Riddle and Sheila "conversations" on video for everyone's enjoyment).

Leona is worried, even if he doesn't show it. Did you see when she meets Yuu in the greenhouse? He probably realized she was pregnant at that moment and left right away. He may be an idiot, but not an jackass. After the events of Book 3, he probably has Ruggie or Jack check in on Yuu from time to time (either by helping her with homework, bringing her snacks, or something like that).

Leona isn't one to pry into Yuu's personal life, and if she continues with the pregnancy, it's because she wants the baby. He respects that, so, surprisingly, he can get quite defensive of Yuu (in the "only I can make fun of them (affectionately)" kind of way), even when Sheila is born—or rather, ESPECIALLY when Sheila is born. He'll definitely criticize Yuu more for being impulsive now that she's a mother. Shouldn't he be thinking more about her daughter? Gosh…

Azul would feel a little bad about trying to take a dorm away from a pregnant teenager, yes, but at least he's not heartless enough to not give her another option. He doesn't ask questions about the baby, but he makes certain assumptions based on what Yuu tells him and builds a mental picture from there (both good and bad). It takes him a ridiculous amount of time to convince Yuu to eat at Monstre Louge (for free) as her pregnancy progresses.

When Sheila is born healthy and Yuu recovers well, Azul is quite relieved (he was definitely very stressed seeing the mortality rate of teenage pregnancies in humans), and on more than one occasion he offers to let Yuu study in the VIP lounge while Floyd and Jade take care of Shayla (or "mini Shrimpy"), of course, constantly checking that everything is okay, he wouldn't trust a baby to the twins for too long either...

Kalim doesn't really treat Yuu any differently if she were an adult or if she were his age. He continues to bring the baby a ton of gifts, gives advice that helped his mother when she was pregnant, and continues to offer help at Ramshackle if she needs it. The only difference is that he also offers to form a study group so that Yuu doesn't miss any classes once she starts missing due to her advanced pregnancy.

Jamil, on the other hand, is a bit more cautious. He's more aware that in this scenario, Yuu might not have wanted the baby at such a young age, so he's quite surprised to see her excitement about becoming a mother; it's almost contagious. Along with Riddle, he's the one who offers to prepare bentos or nutritious meals for the pregnancy, and he also tries to prevent Kalim from overdoing it with gifts or things that might harm Yuu/the baby.

Vil is mostly shocked when he realizes Yuu is pregnant, but he doesn't comment on it; he's unusually reserved around her, actually. The truth is that Vil, on the one hand, doesn't understand why Yuu would want to be a mother so young, while on the other hand, he admires that she still wants to continue her studies, being perseverant and enjoying the things that make her happy. He respects her greatly.

When Sheila is eventually born, it's a MUST that the members of Pomefiore take care of her. She ends up with several new onesies, a tiara, three plushies, among many other things, just for being adorable. Meanwhile, Yuu gets a skincare routine for the first time in weeks, much to Vil's delight.

Idia doesn't interact differently with Yuu if she's an adult or a teenager. He still believes he's going to ruin the baby somehow because "that's just how he is," but he's willing to help her with things like ultrasound equipment, medicine, using Ortho to check on the baby, etc. He was definitely super scared when he heard the screams on ramshackle. He genuinely thought Yuu was going to die and almost fainted from relief when they told him she and Sheila were okay.

Would Malleus even notice the difference between a teenage Yuu and an adult Yuu? Regardless, Malleus is protective of his pregnant daughter of men, no matter how old she is. He'll view any sudden or unwanted approach as a potential threat. Want to take Yuu by surprise? BOOM! Electrocuted. Want to touch Yuu's pregnant belly without asking? Electrocuted! Want to wake Yuu up after a sleepless night of kicking? Guess what happens :)

Malleus is extremely careful with Sheila once she's born. He holds her with both hands and looks her in the eyes VERY DIRECTLY while talking about the same topics he used to talk about while she was still in the womb, as if resuming a conversation.

In general, they're a little more cautious about the subject, but just as encouraging and supportive.

___________

(ESPAÑOL)

TW: temas sensibles (implícito)

Sinceramente, al principio la mayoría se preocupa un poco por Yuu, mas que nada por si el bebe es deseado o no (o como fue que el bebe fue concebido…) y querrían asegurarse al cien por ciento de que Yuu realmente quiera ser madre tan joven por encima de todo, que sea decisión de ELLA y de nadie más.

Si Yuu viene de un mal entorno, los líderes de dormitorio actuaran como soporte para ella y trataran de ser espacios seguros a sus maneras. Lo mismo con los de primer año.

Riddle sigue actuando de forma protectora con Yuu, pero al mismo tiempo le exige en el ámbito académico (sin sobrepasarse obviamente, es mucho más blando con Yuu que con los otros estudiantes de Heartsabyul), justamente porque cree que, si Yuu va a tener un bebe, tiene que darle un buen futuro desde joven. Mientras más avanza el embarazo, mas ansioso se vuelve y menos estricto es. Definitivamente no se toma a la ligera el acoso/Bullying que Yuu podría llegar a recibir por ser madre adolecente, cualquier transgresión de ese estilo es fuera con sus cabezas en el acto.

Cuando el bebe nace, Riddle probablemente habla personalmente con los profesores para que Yuu sea exenta de tarea durante un par de semanas, el tiene dos padres médicos, SABE los efectos de dar a luz. Sigue siendo tenso con la beba Sheila (como decidí ponerle a la beba) pero no se opone a vigilarla para que Yuu pueda estudiar adecuadamente. Riddle definitivamente es el tipo de persona que le habla a los bebes como adultos, es gracioso (Cater tiene las “conversaciones” de Riddle y Sheila en video para el disfrute de todos).

Leona esta preocupado, aun si no lo demuestra ¿viste cuando conoce a Yuu en el invernadero? Probablemente se dio cuenta en ese momento que estaba embarazada y directamente se fue, será un idiota, pero no un imbécil. Después de los eventos del libro 3, probablemente hace que Ruggie o Jack chequen a Yuu de vez en cuando (ya sea ayudándole con la tarea, trayéndole snacks, cosas por el estilo).

Leona no es de indagar en la vida personal de Yuu, y si ella continua con el embarazo es porque ella quiere al bebe, el respeta eso, por lo mismo, sorprendentemente, puede ponerse bastante a la defensiva de Yuu (del tipo “solo yo puedo burlarme de ellos (afectuosamente)”), incluso cuando Sheila nace, o mejor dicho, ESPECIALMENTE cuando Sheila nace. Definitivamente criticara más a Yuu por ser impulsiva ahora que es madre ¿no debería pensar más en su hija? Cielos…

Azul se sentiría un poco mal de intentar quitarle el dormitorio a una adolecente embaraza, sí, pero al menos no es lo suficientemente desalmado como para no darle otra opción de domicilio. El no hace preguntas con respecto al bebe, pero hace ciertas conjeturas basadas en lo que Yuu le llega a contar y se arma una imagen mental a partir de ahí (tanto para bien como para mal). Le toma una estúpida cantidad de tiempo convencer a Yuu de comer en el Monstre Louge (gratis) cuando su embarazo avanza.

Cuando Sheila nace sana y Yuu se recupera bien, Azul está bastante aliviado (definitivamente estuvo muy estresado al ver la tasa de mortalidad de embarazos adolescentes en humanos), y en más de una ocasión ofrece que Yuu estudie en la sala VIP mientras que Floyd y Jade cuidan de Shayla (o “mini Shrimpy”) claro, checando que todo este bien constantemente, el tampoco confiaría un bebe demasiado tiempo a los gemelos…

Kalim realmente no trata de forma diferente a Yuu si es que fuera una adulta o si fuera de su edad, le sigue trayendo un monton de regalos al bebe, da consejos que le ayudaron a su mama cuando estuvo embarazada, le sigue ofreciendo ayuda en Ramshackle si es que la necesita, la única diferencia es que tambien ofrece hacer un grupo de estudio para que Yuu no se pierda de ninguna clase una vez que ella empieza a faltar debido al embarazo avanzado.

Jamil, por otro lado, es un poco más cuidadoso, es más consciente de que en este escenario Yuu podría no haber querido al bebe siendo tan joven, por lo que se sorprende bastante al ver la emoción que tiene al ser madre, es casi contagioso. Junto a Riddle, es quien ofrece preparar bentos o comidas nutritivas para el embarazo, también trata de evitar que Kalim se exceda con los regalos o las cosas que puedan dañar a Yuu/El bebe.

Vil esta principalmente shockeado cuando se da cuenta de que Yuu está embarazada, pero no comenta al respecto, esta inusualmente reservado cuando está cerca de ella en realidad. La verdad es que Vil por una parte no entiende porque Yuu querría ser madre tan joven, mientras que por otro lado admira que aun así quiera continuar con los estudios, siendo perseverante y disfrutando las cosas que la hacen feliz, la respeta mucho.

Cuando eventualmente Sheila nace, es una NECESIDAD que los miembros de Pomefiore la cuiden, termina con varios onesies nuevos, una tiara, tres peluches, entre muchas cosas más, solo por ser adorable. Mientras tanto Yuu se hace una rutina de cuidado de la piel por primera vez en semanas, para la alegría de Vil.

Idia no interactúa de forma diferente con Yuu si es adulta o adolecente, sigue creyendo que va a arruinar a su bebe de alguna forma porque “él es así”, pero está dispuesto a ayudarla con cosas como equipo para el ultrasonido, medicinas, usar a Ortho para checar al bebe, etc. Definitivamente estaba super asustado cuando escucho los gritos en ramshackle, pensó genuinamente que Yuu iba a morir y casi se desmaya del alivio cuando le dijeron que ella y Sheila estaban bien.

¿Malleus siquiera notaria la diferencia si es una Yuu adolecente o una Yuu adulta? Indiferentemente de eso, Malleus es protector con su hija de hombre embarazada, no importa la edad que tenga, tomara cualquier acercamiento repentino o indeseado como una posible amenaza ¿quieres tomar por sorpresa a Yuu? BOOM electrocutado ¿quieres tocar la panza de embarazada de Yuu sin pedir permiso? ¡electrocutado! ¿quieres despertar a Yuu despues de una noche de insomnio por culpa de las pataditas? Adivina que pasa 

Malleus es super cuidadoso con Sheila una vez que nace, la sostiene con ambas manos y le mira a los ojos MUY FIJAMENTE mientras le habla de los temas que solia hablar cuando estaba en la panza, como si estuviera retomando una conversación.

En general, son un poco mas cuidadosos con el tema, pero igual de alentadores y solidarios.

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[kiame-sama]

Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x Fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 29

(Art of Bakeneko Che'nya made by the talented @twisted-desires )

Warnings; yandere, multiple yanderes, platonic intentioned yanderes and romantic intentioned yanderes, yandere poachers, sit-down talk with guard yanderes, general boundaries being set, surprisingly rational yanderes, irrational yanderes, facing yandere poachers, tough on yandere poachers, use of the word 'rape' against poachers, emotional harming and manipulation, emotional moments, Harpies, Merfolk, Nemean Lion, Gnoll, Drider, Unicorn, Nymphs, Various Fae Species, Kelpie, Werewolf, Naga, Genie,

Extra Note: I will be adding more Royal Sword Academy students and RSA will continue to play a part in the story I just need to decide a few things for them (Names and Species) if y'all feel like sharing ideas, I am open to hear them.

~~~~~~~~

You looked outside at the group of gathered males and sighed to yourself. It had been a full two days of this lock-in since Malleus had decided to take up post and the Dragon had yet to move from where he settled. Crowley stayed with you in the dorm while the other professors went to teach their respective classes. Thankfully Idia had passed off a tablet to Vargas who then brought it to you in your dorm and you were able to virtual attend the classes you had that day.

Part of you worried that Malleus had not gone to his classes, but you had to remember he and Lilia were not at Night Raven to learn the material like the other students. They were present for Malleus to learn how to interact with others outside of his castle and learn how to deal with others who were unlike him. Naturally, the Diasomnia guarding group also switched out and several had pitched tents outside of your dorm to switch who slept, who went to classes, and who guarded. Clearly the Diasomnia group believed in Malleus and were willing to support whatever he decided to do.

Crowley had decided your scent was no longer that strong pheromone of ovulation and was moving away from that part of your cycle. As your cycle continued that meant you were going to have to call Malleus back to your side as you had promised the Dragon. Still, you wanted a moment of peace before calling upon the Dragon.

There was no way you were going to let things continue on as they have been, and serious changes needed to be made. Dealing with the past three days taught you that much.

First, you had to have a sit down with all of your guards, currently assigned or not, and have a conversation with them about the inappropriate behavior of trying to break into your dorm. Second, you would have to lay boundaries and you knew Malleus would like them least of all. Finally, you knew you would have to deal with those Fae poachers as they continued to refuse to speak to anyone other than you. Though you didn't want to speak to any of them, you would have to in order to ensure Erikír didn't get a simple slap on the wrist for his behavior.

There was so much you needed to do and you hoped vaguely that you would be able to keep the staff as your guards for the week before having another dorm selected. Being around them was an incredibly domestic feeling and it gave you so much peace of mind to have the nest to yourself for even the small amount of time. Setting boundaries would likely be difficult, given the clear disparity over what was considered appropriate to these beast men versus what you considered appropriate.

For now, you needed to tell Malleus you were no longer ovulating and uphold your promise. You would likely have to let him cuddle and hold you but you also figured Crowley could call the others counted among your guards to have this boundary setting conversation with them. All you could do was hope they listened and received the information well.

"Headmage?"

"Yes, my little bird?"

"I think it may be time to talk to everyone about this situation and what I am thinking going forward. Can you tell them all to meet here?"

"Yes, but are you sure you want to invite them in? It still may be too soon."

"My scent is no longer what it was when I was ovulating, right?"

"Correct."

"Then it should be fine. I have a few choice words to say to them, but first I need to tell Malleus. I did promise him, after all."

The Crow nodded, stepping away and tapping at his phone with a serious expression. Luckily, all of the professors were already back after their classes which meant they would all be present for this meeting as well. It made you feel a little more at peace with the idea of the extra protection given what the topic of conversation was supposed to be.

You opened the large front door and noticed the way the Dragon sitting a short distance away didn't even turn his head. He had no reason to as the sound could only be someone leaving seeing as he refused to allow anyone other than the staff entry into the dorm and no one was willing to challenge the Dragon. A few students had apparently tried several times, but Malleus sent them fleeing rather quickly.

"Tsuno?"

Your voice caused an extreme change in the Dragon, his large head immediately whipping around to stare at you with wide green eyes. As soon as he saw it was in fact you he easily rose to his feet and began a quick trotting pace to where you stood. You could feel his purr rumbling through the earth before you could hear it as the Dragon bowed his head and paused just short of touching you. His tongue flicked out slowly, retracting and telling his instinctual mind your season was over for now.

He was quick to return to his humanoid form, wrapping his arms, wings, and tail around your body as he nuzzled against your neck. Others standing nearby were quick to notice his change in behavior and you recognized several of those that had joined ranks and were keeping guard among the Diasomnia students. Naturally, the Hoard was quick to run over and join Malleus as they were all clearly overjoyed to see you again and have the Hoard be complete once more.

You had seen Lilia more recently than the others, but it was clear they all were almost stressed by the lack of time spent with you. Despite this fact that there has been distance between the Hoard, they were clearly happy to be around you once again. The memory of these beasts and their growing addictions flashed to the front of your mind but you were quick to push it to the side for the time being. If you were going to survive long enough in this world to escape it, you would need to use that affection and addiction of theirs to your benefit.

"Thank you all for guarding me these past few days. I'm probably going to have to make all of Diasomnia something yummy to say my thanks seeing as it looks like the whole dorm showed up."

"Not just Diasomnia, Mademoiselle Trickster."

You glanced over to see Rook, Epel, Vil, Jade, Floyd, Jack, Trey, Kalim, and Jamil also approaching. Malleus let out a low growl but didn't try to stop the approaching students who knew well enough to pause just beyond the Dragon's reach. Vil was first to hold up his phone, as if showing Malleus the screen was going to calm him.

"Relax, Dragon. The Headmage just sent out a group message asking all guards- current and prospective- to come to Ramshackle. Apparently (Y/n) wants to talk to all of us. You can stop growling at us now."

Some part of you wondered if Vil was so bold to talk to Malleus because he knew the Dragon wouldn't act out while holding you or because he didn't fear the intimidating beast. Still, Malleus seemed to begrudgingly accept the Harpy's words as truth while he continued to softly purr and growl in his mixture of joy to hold you and anger at the nearby monster men. Despite him continuing to growl, Vil seemed to accept this well enough and approached the doors to the building to enter.

"What are you up to, Schoenheit?"

"I'm going inside. If we were all called to meet here, I'm getting a seat while I can. Not all of us enjoy standing all the time."

With that, the Harpy slid inside and past the Dragon as the others began to hesitantly follow suit.

~•§•~

You sat facing the group with Grim laying on your lap, perched neatly atop one of the chairs you had dragged away from the dining table nearby. Everyone who was a guard or was going to be one of your guards had shown up to hear what you had to say and even several Royal Sword Academy students were called to this meeting. They all sat in silence as you regarded them one by one, even Malleus chose to sit among the others with his Hoard standing around him.

"As you all likely know by now, I have been at the whims of my cycle these past few days and have willingly sequestered myself from everyone other than the staff and Grim for my own safety. I am aware a certain- shall we say- mob formed outside of my dorm a few days back."

The silence was palpable as you spoke and judging from the way a few of the others glanced away from you, you could tell a few of them had been part of that mob. Still, you tried not to linger on the thought for too long as you continued to speak.

"I won't ask who here was among that mob. I don't truly want to know. What I do want to make clear is this; though I don't know who among you took part, I am extremely disappointed in everyone who had any part in that mob. None of you- I will say it again- NONE of you are allowed to choose my fate for me or use my cycle as an excuse for your own motivations. Now, I understand not all of you fully comprehend my cycle or what it means for me going through it. I intend to clear up that and quite a bit else about Humans and myself during this."

You saw the way Riddle seemed to lower his head somewhat, refusing to meet your gaze and you knew Vargas had to remove Riddle from Ramshackle several times. The way Rook glanced away from you as you spoke told him he likely regretted his actions attempting to scale the walls of the building to get in. Even Leona seemed to be taking your words like they were vinegar he was being forced to drink.

"My cycle is abnormal for many species, even where I come from, Humans had an unusual cycle compared to the other species. Our cycles are monthly and continue until we are no longer fertile. Each new cycle beginning again marks another loss in overall fertility until I am no longer able to reproduce. My overall fertility is nowhere near over and it will likely be years until that happens."

You noticed the way Malleus almost seemed to become distressed at this news and it unsettled him to think you could have a limit to your fertility. Lilia was equally distressed by this news as he secretly hoped for you to bear more than a few young and that just out a time limit. Jack seemed somewhat thrown off by this and his ears visibly drooped somewhat.

"Humans don't have a heat. We ovulate. It means increased fertility, not increased need to mate. We don't need to mate if we don't want to even during ovulation. I understand this may be different for other species that do have heats and can die if they are not bred. Humans are not one of those species, so get that thought out of your minds right now. There is no justification for acting like I am a slab of meat to be claimed because I sure as hell am NOT. Any who treat me as such going forward will no longer be permitted to be one of my guards. That does mean anyone."

You glanced pointedly at all Housewardens when you said this just to ensure you got your point across that they were not exempt either. Most refused to meet your gaze.

"If I am seeking a mate for the peak of these cycles or for general company, I will say so. If I don't say anything about it, then I am not seeking a mate and will not look favorably upon those trying to offer themselves as such. I understand there is a bit of a territorial dispute taking place among the various dorms regarding me, so I will say this now; I am not territory. I am thankful you all are willing to guard me, that does not mean any of you get to try and fuck me unless I ask. Again, if I am seeking a mate, I will say so. I am not currently seeking a mate. This is subject to be changed only by my wishes."

Ruggie's ears visibly flattened at this, but he did not argue with your words. Interestingly, Vil seemed to be nodding along almost eagerly and seemed quite content with your words. The staff- including Ambrose, who arrived with the Royal Sword Academy students- also seemed to be in agreement with your words.

"Now, that doesn't mean there aren't any of you who have caught my interest. There are several," you noticed Malleus tense out of the corner of your eye, "but even if I do choose to seek a mate, I will choose to progress that relationship slowly, so don't think my interest or me starting a relationship is a free pass to try and breed or mate me. It is not. I understand that what I consider acceptable and appropriate interaction is not the same as what is considered acceptable or appropriate here and vice versa. I would like to know what assumptions you all have about Humans and either lay these myths to bed or give a more detailed explanation to their accuracy."

You glanced around at them and they quickly realized you were waiting for one of them to speak. Naturally, Lilia was the fastest to think of something and was eager to begin this dialogue.

"It is believed Humans consider touches to their stomach to be sexual in nature."

"This is false. It is strange, but not typically considered sexual. I would rather no one touch me without my permission but I understand communal scent, grooming, and physical contact is a key part of socialization here. I just ask that my chest and between my legs remains a no-touching zone. I can concede to social grooming so long as it remains purely social. Anything else?"

Several more ideas were thrown out and you spent your time debunking these theories and proving them to be false or true. Even Riddle's question about the Queen's rules regarding Humans and their breeding patterns was brought up, despite how nervous it made the Unicorn. Theory after theory and question after question was asked by the group and you did what you could to answer them while also making your own stance on these situations clear in how they pertained to you.

Some questions were not really questions about Humans as a whole, but more questions about you personally and you still attempted to answer them accurately. Even as the group turned from shameful after your scolding to curious and interested, you kept going until they ran out of preconceived notions and questions. Eventually there was only one question left, and Malleus was the one to ask it.

"Now that the peak of your cycle has passed, are you going to choose other guards for the remainder of this week?"

"No. I think the staff are doing a wonderful job and I am enjoying my personal space."

"... Will myself and the rest of the Hoard be allowed in your nest again?"

"Yes and no. I would like to talk about the apparent lack of personal space I am given on a daily basis. I understand that I need to be guarded due to the poaching activity, though that need is not as high in here thanks to Idia's upgrades. I also understand it is rather normal here for beds to be shared and that the Hoard's presence helps you rest peacefully, but that doesn't mean I want bedfellows every day. Can you agree to sharing the nest every few days instead of every day? That way you get the comfort of your Hoard and I get to sleep alone some nights."

Though you would rather get your nest exclusively for yourself and Grim, you also understood that it was a wise idea to keep Malleus close. If he was your strongest ally, it would be better to keep him endeared and keep him close even if you wanted space for yourself. If anything, it would be wise to see if you can have a more in depth conversation with Malleus about the Hoard so you can both abide by the rules it has and keep the Dragon contained in a state of calm.

"... Will it make you happy if I agree?"

"Yes."

"This is... Amenable. Very well. I can agree to these terms."

"Wonderful, now to address the situation at hand, these Fae poachers, what still needs to be done with them?"

~•§•~

You sighed and tried to calm yourself as you were flanked by the three you had asked to join you. Naturally, others were accompanying you as well but would wait outside of the holding cells to ensure they could intervene if needed. Malleus, Lilia, and Crowley all agreed to simply be present but to allow you to talk to these Fae as it was their only condition to their cooperation.

The first one you planned to speak with was an almost visibly nervous Boar beast that waited anxiously for you to arrive. His pig nose twitched every few seconds as he idly scraped his tusks on the table in front of him, one leg bouncing as if he were trying to work out the stress he felt. Apparently, this was a familiar Fae to Lilia as he had fought alongside this Boar a several centuries ago before Humans died out. You had figured Lilia or Crowley would recognize several of these Fae from their own pasts and you hoped their presence would make the Fae more agreeable.

Still, they were here to see you and talk to you, so you knew you would be asking them most of the questions.

The Boar Fae tried to stand when the door opened and you walked in, his hands chained to the table in front of him so he couldn't rise to meet you the way he wanted to. It was clear the lack of mobility was bothering the Boar as he almost seemed to pull and struggle against the chain that kept him in place. All of that fight and struggle died when Lilia joined you, the Bat standing over your shoulder with his arms crossed as you sat across from the Boar man.

The Boar Fae stared at Lilia for a long moment, refusing to look away from the frowning Bat before you spoke and his eyes locked onto you. It was clear he was trying to figure out who it was he wanted to focus on, the Human he desperately wanted to see or the Bat he went through hell with.

"You wanted to be questioned by me, so here I am. I do expect you to answer honestly when I ask you questions. Understood?"

"..."

The Boar stared for a moment before letting out a soft sound that oddly registered to your mind, as if he were speaking another language but you could still somehow understand him. His noise was much like a chittering hiss but you still heard words among the almost garbled sound despite how you felt like you weren't supposed to be able to understand him.

"Finally... A Human. Beautiful, soft, little Human..!"

His hands reached out to you but the chain stopped him once more and he let out a distressed noise. It was odd to you to hear his words among the garbled noise and you vaguely wondered if it was normal to understand what he was saying. Perhaps it was some slightly different dialect that allowed you to understand what the Boar was saying.

"Yes, I am Human. No, you can't touch me. You've done enough harm by siding with that moron Erikír. Now, do you understand I expect you to be honest or did I make a mistake choosing to speak with you?"

"You... You can understand me?"

"Yes. I still expect an answer."

"... Yes. I will answer your questions honestly. I... I'm so sorry for what I agreed to."

You stared in silence for a moment before wordlessly opening a notebook you brought with you, writing down the assumed species of the Fae man and information that Lilia had once fought alongside him. Were this any other circumstance, you would have comforted the Fae who was clearly distraught and ashamed, but this Fae planned to allow Erikír to put his webbed hands on you and you couldn't forgive that. It didn't matter if he apologized, he was still willing to see you be enslaved by that fish-dick prince for his own gain.

"What exactly did Erikír promise you?"

"A half-Human half-Merfolk egg to raise as my own."

"And were the others promised the same?"

"Yes. We were all promised our own child for our aiding his endeavors."

"Did you feel even the slightest bit of guilt, knowing you were taking away my freedoms and imprisoning me for a man who planned to rape me so you could get this egg?"

"..."

The Fae went silent, his gaze looking away from you and his head bowing. You could see how his nostrils flared and he breathed heavier through his snout as if upset by your words. It was your intent for being so direct with him in the first place.

"Did you or did you not feel guilt for what you knew would happen to me?"

"Yes. I knew it was wrong and I did feel guilt. ... I just wanted my child back."

"What child?"

"My Human child. She- I found her in the arms of her dead mother, so trusting and helpless. Looking to me for guidance and protection. I just want my baby to come back to me."

You felt a twinge of pity for a moment but pushed it aside, knowing that you could show no mercy to these Fae. Just because they were hurting didn't mean they were justified with their abominable actions. Taking a moment to write down his answer and gather your thoughts.

You said you wanted to break their fragile hearts and minds for what they did to you, it would be remiss to back down now.

"Your baby is gone. You know this. Replacing her with a child borne of force and abuse is in no respect a good way to honor the memory of your child."

"But I-"

"You wanted a child so badly you were willing to imprison and sell that child's true mother into slavery to be raped and used as an infant factory. How would your daughter feel knowing you were willing to do such a thing?"

"I..."

"Furthermore, what if someone had done that to your daughter? Took her from you and raped her to give others her children?"

"... It's different-"

"How? How is it different? Because it is being done to you?"

"..."

The Fae was visibly upset and trembling at this point, your words cutting him deeply as he began to sob, his head falling to the table. He seemed to be trying to hold himself together as he gasped and shook, trying to stop himself from screaming in pain. You stood slowly and he reached out quickly, grabbing your wrist as he continued to sob and tried to pull your hand to his face for comfort.

With a quick twist of your wrist, you freed yourself from his grasp and he cried out, trying to reach you again. It was clear he was in mental distress as he sobbed so heavily and tried again to seek comfort from you.

"Wait-! Please don't go! I'm sorry! I'm-!"

"Would your daughter be proud of the man you have become?"

He went silent even as his tears streaked down his face, his hands falling limply to the table as he stared at you and watched you leave. The three followed you out of the room and you had to stop to lean against the wall, trying not to cry as well despite knowing you were still angry at the Fae. You felt such pity for him even with everything he did and it hurt you to be so painfully harsh to the man despite it all.

"(Y/n), you don't have to do this-"

"Yes. I do. All of them need to know their actions have consequences and that their selfishness has caused me pain. They can feel my pain and agony for what they chose to do to me."

Lilia cuddled up to your side in an attempt to soothe you, resting his head on your shoulder and wrapping a wing over you. The Bat was a wonderful comfort and you were surprised to feel feathery wings also wrap around you to hold you as Crowley mimicked Lilia's actions. It was soothing in ways you didn't know how to fully articulate despite it all.

"I didn't know you could speak Fae."

"What?"

"He was speaking the language of the Fae. Most non-Fae species can't understand Fae language. But you could."

"It just sounded like words to me."

"Something to figure out later. For now, are you ready to question the next one?"

[certifiablyinsanez]

Mammon is great ace representation: an essay on aphobia in the Hellaverse fandom

I’m seeing a lot of people be mad about Mammon having a thing for Leviathan. And I’m going to need the fandom to step back and examine these issues, because they are 100% rooted in aphobia. I have been out as an oriented aroace person for over 10 years if you want to doubt my credentials, rather than listen to my analysis, lived experience and reflect.

So. Tell me Hellaverse fandom; why, when it comes to Alastor, who is a character who very clearly has zero interest in others, it is always a chorus of people saying “aces can have sex”, “aces can enjoy sex”, “it’s not harmful to the ace community to use Alastor for shipping material, he isn’t real and asexuality and aromanticism is a huge spectrum”, “Aroace people can still date and have sex”?

But when it comes to Mammon, he is “bad asexual representation”, he “clearly experiences sexual attraction”, “he can’t be demisexual”, etc.

No genuinely, why is this? I want you to examine this, think on it from a place of neutral examination and come to your own conclusions. Because this is a worrisome double standard. This can for starters, be an instance of fat phobia. Because out of the two of them, Alastor is thin, and therefore closer to the beauty standard, which is hysterical considering that Alastor canonically has horrible hygiene, and I don’t think I know a single person who thinks that stank ass body and breath is attractive. Mammon, as seen from the slovenly way he eats, can potentially be assumed to have poor hygiene as well, but it has a very different connotation because of his weight. [Research the connection between thin privilege and body odor/hygiene. It’s very real].

I can spend a lot of time and energy going into the shipping dynamics between the shows, as well as how Alastor is a more “shippable” character in comparison to Mammon, but I honestly don’t find this as interesting or as compelling as to what I’m about to say next.

Because aphobia in the real world is still very alive and well today. In my 10+ years of being in the ace community, I have genuinely spent a lot of emotional energy, time, knowledge, experience, and compassion, just fighting for the right to even be acknowledged as queer. I have vivid memories from when I was first out of the closet at the age of 16, telling ace people across apps and forums that they were valid, that they weren’t broken, that they were deserving of love, respect, and a place in the queer community. I was telling people, younger, my age, and older that they shouldn’t kill themselves, that they had worth beyond what they could do in the bedroom for others. I had to convince people that they didn’t owe anyone sex, and that they were in fact being sexually abused by their partners. I was on the phone with people in tears. I spent HOURS of my life in these DMs at an age where I was a suffering, mentally ill queer child that was also being victimized by aphobia. Still to this day people think the “A” stands for ally. And still to this day people have discord about our community as a whole. I have had to sit and watch as people went from loudly proclaiming with their whole chest that asexual people didn’t exist, or at the very least weren’t queer. Then years went by and it became less and less okay to say things like that, because asexual people finally had fought long enough and had supported each other enough that we discovered our voices and began to use them. So people were finally facing the consequences of saying bigoted shit.

And now that they can’t say that asexuals aren’t queer, they moved on to another group. Demisexuals. Demisexuals by far have it roughest, because while there are many micro labels in our community to explain our diverse range of experiences, demisexual is probably the most well known one. And every handful of months or so I have to use my voice once again to stand up for my people, because an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us, and people on the internet have made it clear that they have no qualms of attacking us. The asexual and aromantic community have made extremely valuable contributions to the queer community that are entirely overlooked because we are not valued in it.

And this is why I have been an outspoken proponent of my displeasure over Alastor being a character that is the most shipped with others, and my disdain for the fanbase has grown even wider after Mammons appearance in Mastermind. It is a painful reminder of all the discrimination I’ve faced over the years, that my community still goes through. Because people are contrarians. Alastor is canonically asexual, and other aspects of his character are reflective of aromanticism as well. Well, the fanbase doesn’t like this so much. If you genuinely pay attention, you’ll notice this is a trend with a lot of other aroace characters. My favorite example is Peridot from Steven Universe, a canonical aroace character. In the show, Peridot goes through a lot of unlearning and growth. The scene where she tries to fuse with Garnet has massive implications for a few reasons. Because one, she is genuine in her desire to understand Garnet, and fusion better. And two, fusion while forbidden on Homeworld, is commonplace and normal in the Crystal Gems. As a Crystal Gem, she feels this is what is now expected of her. This is a major experience in the aspec community, as living in a cis heteronormative society means that sex, marriage and children are all things expected of each individual, which is dangerous and harmful ideology to everyone, asexual/aromantic people as well. Peridot couldn’t go through with the fusion, but that didn’t stop the fandom salivating, and foaming at the mouth over a potential Lapis/Peridot fusion. People were genuinely mad at Rebecca Sugar for never making that pairing canon, when they had absolutely no right to behave the way they did. Let’s not forget how the fans also misgendered Rebecca Sugar constantly. It was absolutely bigoted.

This is happening with Alastor. Fans feel entitled to ship him with whomever, an entitlement that is not seen with other characters. When people ship Vaggie with Angel, there is backlash, and for good reason. Because people understand that despite the fact that Vivienne Medrano said people can ship whatever, shipping a gay man with a woman and a gay woman with a man is…gross. It is wrong, it is disrespectful of their identities, and is forcing heteronormativity onto characters that are strict in their sexualities. Most people are able to recognize the thinly veiled homophobia. But Alastor does not receive the same treatment, and in fact receives the opposite treatment. I don’t know what I could say to convince you that the aroace coded character in a show being the #1 most shipped is thinly veiled aphobia the same way Vaggie x Angel is thinly veiled homophobia.

Now what does that have to do with Mammon? Mammon seems to not be aroace coded like Alastor, and for some reason, that has thoroughly pissed people off. Because Mammon is not the “acceptable” caricature of an asexual person. Most allosexual (non-asexual and/or aromantic people) view being asexual as being synonymous with being aromantic, which shows a painful lack of understanding and at times respect for the diversity of our community. Alastor fits this category, so he’s an “acceptable asexual”, while also essentially being a toy for shippers. But Mammon, with his clear attraction to Leviathan, is a “bastardization” of the asexual image. When we aren’t being viewed as broken, we’re often being viewed as chaste, virginal, and innocent with attachments to infantilization. But Mammon, with his aggressive and even icky approach to flirting with Leviathan, is seen as a subversion of this, which for people who don’t understand our community, hate. And these people are blaming Vivienne for having “terrible ace rep” when in actuality, having multiple ace characters having very little in common is actually fantastic rep. Because there are many labels in our community that Mammon can fit into as an asexual. To me, he looks like a sex-positive, high libido, demisexual. He’s known Leviathan for thousands of years, of course it makes sense that he would be into her, but not into anyone else which would explain why his “posse” are just female robots. This could also be because of his classism, but I genuinely think that he’s just demisexual. And you already know how people feel about demisexuals.

If you’ve read this far and have genuinely set aside your biases and personal feelings like I requested in the beginning, I appreciate that. Because from my own lived experience, the double standard between Alastor and Mammon doesn’t annoy me; it frightens me.

Because what the fandom is actually saying when they do these things is this:

“We see you as a homogenous group. Your voices go in one ear and out the other. If you don’t conform to our values and standards, we won’t give you the respect or recognition you deserve. If you don’t conform to my view of your group, you lose my “allyship”. We do not see your identity as a sexuality in its own right, but rather a literary device we can play with. I do not care to learn more about your community, your culture, or your struggles. I barely (if at all) acknowledge you as your own sexual minority and marginalized group. I barely acknowledge (if at all) that you are queer at all. I do not care about your feelings about societal biases that I might carry, I don’t care about how you’ve lived it, because it takes away my fun and fantasies. Because I devalue your group as a whole, your voices mean little. Your narrative is mine to do with as I please.”

I really hope you can see my perspective and understand the sincere place this comes from. Thanks for reading.

[raysrays]

Fatal Attraction Chapter One (NSFW)

18+ MDNI‼️

CW for the entire story: Breeding, Size Difference,Size Kink, Jealousy, Scent Marking, Age Difference, Vaginal Sex, Possessive Behavior, Angst, Twisted, Creampie, Angry Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Hair-pulling, Biting, Master/Pet, Light Dom/sub, Violence, Knotting.

Content disclaimer: This story is inspired by the amazing artist @PammyJammy117 on Twitter/X. I in absolutely no way own or claim the idea of the “Cryptid Rengoku” character. Please give credit to the original artist who inspired the story.

Y/N Perspective.

It's early, too early. I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. For weeks now, I've followed the same routine: waking up, wandering the forest surrounding my village, and searching. Every day, I look for a sign that something, or someone, is out there. Yet somehow, I always come up empty-handed. It's not just me, though. My entire group is burnt out on this whole thing.

Searching for monsters has never been a passion of mine, but when you're down to your last cent and someone offers you free food and board in exchange for your help, how can you say no?

I still remember when Miss Tamayo approached me. It was snowing hard up in the mountains, and she saw how badly I was struggling in the cold. She was kind, took me in, and talked to me at length about the mystical monsters and beings her group had been studying and searching for. I'll admit, it was interesting, but I didn't believe any of it was real.

We've all heard the tales—the stories of the creatures we now call the Hashira, the terrifying monsters that once protected their respective villages and residents. While they made for nice campfire stories, there was simply no way these beings existed. Even if they did, why would they stay hidden? Wouldn't they seek revenge on the villagers who used them and then cast them out? None of it made any sense to me.

Despite voicing my concerns and disbelief to Miss Tamayo, she still wanted to help me, as long as I was willing to help her. And that's why I'm here now.

I'm in the middle of this forest. The sky is grey and cloudy, with rain surely on the way. It's foggy, and visibility is poor. Since I'm new and have only been working with these monster hunters for a few weeks, they've given me a basic route—one that minimizes the risk of encountering a real threat. Tamayo wanted me to look for a special flower that supposedly grows around here, but I haven't had any luck yet.

If I can't even find a flower, I don't feel like I'll make a promising monster hunter. At least, that's what Yushiro, one of Tamayo's most relentless supporters, thinks. Though we are civil to each other's faces, he openly voices his concerns about having me around. He says it's a waste of time to bring along someone who doesn't even "believe in the cause."

I suppose I can't argue with him too much. I've walked this same route every day for a few weeks now and still haven't come across the flower Tamayo sent me to find. Maybe it really is a waste of time—

My thoughts are interrupted by a rustling sound in the distance. My body immediately tenses up. I glance around, but the thick fog makes it hard to see. All this talk and thinking about monsters and mythical creatures is starting to get to me.

What was that? Did I lose the path? No, that's just me overthinking it, thanks to Tamayo and Yushiro filling my head with stories. I'm just being paranoid.

The rustling resumes, this time from the opposite direction. I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Tamayo? Yushiro? Is that you?" I call out into the fog.

I wait for their reply, but none comes. Adding to the unease, the air feels hotter now, and a strange clicking noise echoes through the area, growing closer and closer.

What should I do? Should I run?

As the clicking grew louder, I made up my mind and began to sprint through the fog, knocking branches and anything else in my path aside. At some point, I lost my footing. The trail must have ended, and I twisted my ankle on a tree root protruding from the ground.

My ears were filled with the sound of my own breathing, and it felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. This can't be happening. I was sent on an easy route to fetch a flower, not to be chased by some crazy monster.

I tried to stand, but the pain in my ankle was too much. I strained to stay silent and listened for the clicking sounds; they were faint but still there. I had to get out of here.

Grabbing onto the trunk of the tree I had tripped over, I pulled myself up. It hurt, but the adrenaline rush made it barely bearable.

The fog was finally starting to lift, and I could see the path I usually followed. I must have accidentally stepped off it while running. As long as I could get back, Tamayo would be able to help me with my ankle.

As I started to move slowly, a red light in the distance suddenly caught my attention. Squinting, I tried to make out what it could be and then realized it was two red lights, gradually moving closer to me.

Eyes.

Panic surged through me as I scrambled to move, trying to go as fast as my injured ankle would allow, grabbing onto anything I could for support.

This can't be happening. I refuse to believe any of this is real. How could all those stupid campfire stories be true? And why, out of all the monster hunters in Tamayo's group, did I have to be the unlucky one?

I wanted to scream and yell for help, but I was so deep in this forest nobody from the safe house would hear me.

It hurts. It hurts so much. It feels like my body is going to give out any minute, but my mind is racing, forcing me to keep moving.

The clicking is now accompanied by a deep growling, making it sound all the more intense. Whatever this thing was, it sounded terrifying. And those deep red eyes didn’t really help with my imagination.

Then it happened. I had to take a knee. The strain on my ankle kept getting worse the more I moved. I'm done for. Whatever this thing is, it's going to kill me.

At least Yushiro can look at my corpse and say, "I told you so."

As the clicking and growling got even closer, there was a small thump to the ground as whatever was about to kill me approached. I shut my eyes and prepared for whatever my fate was.

I felt it stop a few feet behind me. This monster is just staring at me. I’m too afraid to face it. I don’t want the last thing I see to be those glowing red eyes.

"What are you doing? Why did you run away?"

My heart nearly stopped. That voice—it was deep, loud, and had an eerie, echoing effect. Was this monster talking to me?

I took a deep breath. What should I say? Should I beg for my life?

"I asked you a question, human. Why are you running away?"

I could hear a hint of annoyance in its tone. The last thing I wanted was to anger a mythical being. I slowly turned my body. The sight that met me made speaking even more difficult.

It was tall. He was tall—about eight and a half feet.

He had blonde fur and a long mane of hair with red accents scattered throughout, tall pointed ears, and those glowing red eyes.

My lips parted. I wanted to answer, to beg for my life and apologize for intruding. But his appearance was so intimidating, so... enchanting.

I froze as he moved closer.

"Can you not speak, human? Are you afraid of me?" He chuckled. His laugh was as intense as his voice.

"I can speak," I managed to choke out.

His eyes seemed to light up, and he smiled.

Dear God. Those teeth. Long and sharp. If he wasn’t terrifying before, he definitely was now. I felt my heart beating rapidly. I knew I was done for, but this was all too much.

"What is your name, human? I've seen you walk this path for days now. I deserve to know who intrudes on my territory daily." Instead of anger, his tone was oddly amused.

"My name is Y/N L/N." I tried to keep the nervousness out of my voice but didn’t do a great job.

"Well then, Y/N L/N. You wandered away from your usual trail as soon as I got close to you. Why did you run away? Aren't you supposed to be looking for me?" He laughed, a mocking sound.

"You are a 'monster hunter,' aren't you?"

I didn't know what to say. He was right. I was supposed to be looking for him. That was the whole point of Tamayo taking me on, but I hadn’t expected it all to be so real.

"I didn’t believe in monsters. I was sent to look for a specific flower," I mumbled.

"Didn't believe?" He moved closer, towering over me. "Tell me then, Y/N L/N, do you believe now?" He smiled, those sharp teeth gleaming.

I felt my body run cold. He was terrifying, not just in appearance but in his entire demeanor.

“Yes, I do.”

For a moment, silence filled the air, broken only by the sound of the wind and his slight clicking.

“What is your name?” I asked.

“I am Kyojuro Rengoku, the protector of this land and its residents.” The echo in his voice cemented my assumptions.

There was no mistaking it—I had run into one of the Hashira.

I’d heard the stories, the legends of Rengoku, the fierce protector of this area. He was kind until he wasn’t. Then, humans saw him as a threat and banished him to the forest.

He kneeled down in front of me, still on the ground.

“You don’t seem too surprised. Have you heard of me?” His ear twitched, and I noticed the massive tail behind him curl around his body.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ve heard the stories. You’re the Hashira associated with fire.”

He perked up at my response.

“So, my legends live on! How amusing!” He laughed.

His voice was so loud, it was almost funny.

Why is he acting like this? I thought he would have killed me by now.

“You’re hurt,” he said, gesturing to my ankle.

“Yeah... I sprained it,” I replied, shifting awkwardly.

“Yes, I know. From running away from me.” His tail flicked slightly, and a smirk formed on his face.

I didn’t know what to say or do. I was completely at a loss. Here I was, casually having a conversation with one of the scariest and deadliest creatures to walk the earth.

“What are you going to do with me? If you’re going to kill me, can’t you just get it over with?”

He looked at me, a mix of confusion and amusement in his eyes.

“Why are you so desperate to die so soon? Do you not enjoy my company?” His voice echoed with a chuckle.

Is he being serious right now?

“No— I’m just... confused. Why are you still talking to me? I’m a monster hunter, not a very good one, but still a monster hunter. Shouldn’t you just kill me and get it over with?” I was desperate for an answer, needing to know if I should prepare to die or not.

He stared at me for a moment, as if deep in thought, his ears twitching slightly.

“No, I don’t think I’ll kill you,” he said plainly. “However, only on the condition that you continue to return here. Tell no one of your kind about me and continue to come see me.”

I sat there, dumbfounded. This terrifying creature was willing to spare my life as long as I returned for his company?

“Why would you want to see me again?” I asked.

He smiled, baring his long, sharp teeth, his ears perking up.

“Because, Y/N L/N, you are the first person to talk to me in a long time. To be quite honest, something inside me is telling me that you and I are really going to like each other.”

His tone shifted, becoming more sinister. What did this creature have planned for me?

And why was I excited to find out?

Next>>

[linkemon]

About some things Jing Yuan likes (Jing Yuan x Reader)

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ᴀ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ (ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ) ɪɴ ᴊɪɴɢ ʏᴜᴀɴ'ꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇ, ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ]…

Jing Yuan likes challenges

— I asked to not disturb me! — [Reader] shook her head at the papers. 

— Yes, but…— the employee began with an impatient expression on her face. 

— Who is it this time? — The woman ran her hand over her face. 

Was it that hard to block the doors of a respected guild? Leave her alone with a stack of Xianzhou Alliance documents? She didn't feel like breathing in the dust for the rest of the day but someone had to take care of the deliveries. Even if it meant dealing with the grumpy merchants who came here to air their grievances. 

— It's the general... 

— Jing Yuan — [Reader] finished, not very enthusiastically, seeing the man on the doorstep. 

The general seemed full of energy. An unusual sight, considering his sleepy nickname. This time he was not dozing off at all, approaching her desk with a flourish. She could do nothing but sigh theatrically, for the umpteenth time that tiring day. Especially since she saw a handful of employees casually peeking through the large doors and small windows. They listened, pretending to concentrate. Thirsty for gossip, as always. 

— To what do I owe this visit? 

Jing Yuan smiled in his usual way. He looked like a child ready to commit a mischief here and now. His white hair fell unruly over his forehead. 

— You haven’t responded to my proposal — he said, frowning. 

He didn't look like someone who hadn't expected this. Quite the opposite. Like the fun had just begun. 

[Reader] could have sworn her employees' ears grew in seconds. They were going to love this show. She was sure of it. 

—I'm used to serious proposals being made face to face. — She made a pyramid of her fingers and rested her chin on them. 

The letter from the general sat quietly in her desk drawer. She had read it several times but she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. At least not right away. Although she had to admit that it was a set of incredibly charming words. It was hard not to melt when reading about her virtues on elegant, coated paper. Especially when the envelope still seemed to smell like its original owner. 

— How serious is a marriage proposal? — The man narrowed his eyes. 

The group of people behind them looked like they had just seen a ghost. One of the workers grabbed her closest colleague by the arm and let out something like a quiet, barely suppressed squeal. 

— I understand you’re here to fix your mistake? — [Reader] asked teasingly. 

— I’m ready for anything — he said, looking her straight in the eye. 

— Oh, yeah? It's dangerous to say things like that when you're one of the arbiter-generals... 

The employees rolled their eyes as if watching a wildly interesting game of chess. The crowd seemed to be getting thicker, people from other departments were arriving. They had long since outgrown the massive doors. 

— I will beg on my knees — saying this, Jing Yuan lowered himself to the floor. 

He didn't look like someone who wanted forgiveness. Or someone who had given up. More like someone who had just made an attack and was waiting for his opponent to respond. The general was having fun. 

— Apology accepted but if you thought it would be that easy, you're sorely mistaken. I'm giving you — she put her finger to her cheek, feigning thoughtfulness — three dates. Convince me it's worth it and I'll consider your offer.

Mischievous sparks danced in his golden eyes. 

— Your wish is my command. — The general took her hand, kissed it gently and moved back toward the door. 

— Get back to work! — The crowd dispersed immediately. 

The building filled with loud discussions. 

Jing Yuan likes chess and Yanqing

The separate part of the headquarters was located far from the watchful eyes of prying politicians. The tiny garden was surrounded by walls separating it from the rest of the world. People without direct connection to general rarely visited it. Therefore, the surprise of the young adept was all the greater. 

— Think about defense or you’ll lose in the next ten moves. — Yanqing turned at the sound of a familiar voice. [Reader] was standing behind him. — Eyes on the board or the general will eat your pieces when you’re not looking! — she added. 

Jing Yuan let out a low, deep laugh. The boy knew him well enough to know that it was sincere. Different from the ones the master gave certain people who sought his favour. It was mostly done for political reasons, which must have been tiring. Yanqing understood why it was important but it didn't change the fact that he himself never wanted to be in such a situation. Perfecting his martial art and cutting through the air with new blades was much more interesting. Not to mention how lonely the life of a general seemed to him once he got to know him better. Surrounded by people but at the end of the day used for specific purposes by everyone around him, including Yanqing himself. That was why when the rumors of an alleged marriage proposal reached the adept's ears, which had shaken several offices, including the headquarters, he wanted to laugh. He figured it had to be some kind of set up. Something that would bring tangible political benefits or allow him to catch some threat to the Xianzhou Alliance. He changed his mind only when a familiar name appeared on the lips of one of the employees. [Reader]. If anyone could truly turn the general's head around without any strings attached, it could only be her. The woman standing behind him now, at the sight of whom the teacher made something called googly eyes. Liquid gold laughed along with his lips. 

— You can join us. You’ll see that I’m an honest man — Jing Yuan gestured the guest to the red, ornate cushions. 

— You are an honest man but you definitely don’t play fair. — Saying this, [Reader] sat down next to Yanqing. 

The general nodded. He began pouring the recently brewed tea. The silence was broken by the sipping from three hand-decorated cups. The game was still going on. 

[Reader] whispered something in the ear of the apprentice, who withdrew his hand thoughtfully. Eventually, he made a move with a completely different piece. The situation repeated itself a few more times. General watched the funny conspiracy of turning around and trying to escape his gaze. He had to admit that it was incredibly funny and very unfair of them but at the same time enjoyable. Perhaps that was why he didn't feel any anger at seeing his defeat. But was it a real defeat if he gave them a head start? Yanqing seemed unaware but [Reader] gave him a look that suggested she saw through him. If they were playing alone, he would have heard a good talk by now. However, the woman looked at the young apprentice sitting right next to him and rejoiced with him at his victory. Even if she knew it wasn't real. 

— I can't believe I finally made it. — The boy looked at the board as if he was seeing it for the first time in his life. 

— The moral of the next lesson is that cooperation is extremely important — Jing Yuan said. 

The adept, however, was no longer listening to him. He gathered himself in the blink of an eye and ran, as he suspected, towards the training ground. 

— He’s a good boy — [Reader] said, following him with her gaze. — Ready for some real competition?

— Of course. 

Jing Yuan likes animals

[Reader] glanced around the room. Her eyes scanned the room for anything of interest. The guards at the door had been informed that she was coming and they had silently left her in one of the many vast rooms belonging to the arbiter-general. Her gaze swept over the rows of gilt-framed paintings that lined the long hallway. Here and there, she spotted antiques but overall, Jing Yuan wasn’t exactly a sentimental man. Even along the way, she didn’t see any personal items. She could have expected that from someone who had erased their memories to avoid the influence of the mara but there was something slightly sad about it. 

In a split second, something warm and wet appeared under [Reader]'s hand. She screamed and jumped back as if scalded. The heavy body pinned her to the ground. It smelled of meat. Whiteness covered her world for a moment. She heard something about a snow lion amidst the smacking. Only after a loud sigh did she hear Jing Yuan's clear voice: 

— Mimi!

The lioness moved away reluctantly. 

From under the drooling face, [Reader] could finally see the culprit of all the commotion. Up until now, she had only heard stories about her. Wave Treading Snow Lion — that was the full name of the giant cat. At least, that was what she seemed to be when Jing Yuan was tricked at a young age. The vendor swore that she was a real grimalkin but little Mimi grew and grew. The boy could barely cover the cost of meat for her. They even started calling him a Gluttonous General, thinking that he ate everything himself. Over time, the cat's name stopped fitting. However, that didn't mean that she reacted the same way to the new one. If he really wanted to get her attention, he had to use the old one. 

— I apologize for her. She hasn't met anyone new in a long time. — The General offered her his hand. 

His hand left a pleasant warmth behind. He held it a second longer than befits a gentleman. The thought alone made her want to smile but the wicked smile on his face made her stop. He knew exactly what he was doing. He liked to play games like that. 

— You’re doing a better job of raising Yanqing than her — she joked, standing up. 

— It's hard to disagree — he said, handing her a hand-embroidered handkerchief. — Come with me. I'll show you the garden.

The lioness wouldn't give up. She nudged her owner with her nose. Blue eyes stared pleadingly at the general. He stopped and lowered himself to her level. After a moment, the white fur became one with Jing Yuan's hair. With his outfit, it was hard to tell where the animal began and the human ended. Until the pink tongue went straight to meet the familiar face. 

— We make a good team. Now we can be covered with saliva together. — She handed him the tissue back. 

She almost screamed for the second time that day. A new shade appeared among the ubiquitous white and a very mobile one at that. The finch poked its head out from just above the man's head. 

— How many more animals do you have? — [Reader] asked, petting Mimi, who looked at the bird enviously. 

— I am not an owner if that's what you're asking. The finches come here from time to time, when they feel like it. — The bird hopped onto the general's shoulder. 

— And you let them walk all over you? — she asked. 

It seemed as if the animals were climbing on Jing Yuan's head not only metaphorically but literally. 

— They’ve been trying to build nests but so far I’m doing okay. — The finch tilted its head, just like the general.

— Then let's go to the garden with your... menagerie — she finished uncertainly. 

Jing Yuan likes [Reader]

— What are you talking about? — Jing Yuan asked in disbelief. 

— That's it! She's been kidnapped — Fu Xuan said irritably. 

The woman sighed loudly. Why did she have to deliver such news? She wasn't some errand boy. She had other things to do. Including predicting what would happen to the entire nation and taking the place of the general when he abdicated (she couldn't wait for that to happen). In the meantime, she was forced to watch as the pillar of the Xianzhou Alliance melted before her eyes. In a few seconds, however, he straightened up and moved with a spring in his step towards the door. His walk turned into a run in the blink of an eye. Fu Xuan managed to hear something about the guards being called. From the balcony, she saw a group of knights running out to meet their doom. It was unlike Jing Yuan to be so hot-headed. If only he had listened to the end, he wouldn't have run like a fool. The crisis had been averted. 

She strained her ears. The conversation from the courtyard could be heard quite well despite the city noise. 

— You were kidnapped and I’m just finding out now? — Jing Yuan’s voice was slightly offended. 

The remark was not directed at anyone in particular. He blamed himself most of all. 

— I just got back. — [Reader] gestured to the small group of workers trotting along behind her. — Most of them need a doctor.  

A shadow of disbelief passed through the general's eyes. They set off towards the infirmary. On the way, he was given a brief report, although technically the matter was in no way under his jurisdiction. The guilds would deal with it. 

They were all kidnapped because of the merchants' dissatisfaction. Kidnappers went to the first office they saw, although further investigation will show whether it's true. The hostages escaped because one of the kidnappers didn't close the window properly enough. The employee who managed to get out of it notified the nearest knights' unit. The rest was just a matter of time. The whole thing was over in just a few hours, so no one even had time to make official demands. 

Jing Yuan watched [Reader] closely. This wasn't the Dozing General. This was another side of him. The one which acted when the need demanded it. Giving orders to those around him and organizing them. 

The medics began to bustle among the patients. 

— Apart from a few bruises, I’m fine — she replied, feeling his intense gaze on her. 

— Maybe someone should check it. — Jing Yuan didn’t seem convinced. 

— You can kiss it better. It'll probably go away faster that way — [Reader] joked before he could call over any of the medics. 

The eyes turned to liquid gold for a moment. She recognized the mischievous sparks that danced in them. The white locks of hair moved dangerously close. [Reader] felt Jing Yuan's warm breath on her face. He looked like a snow lion. Ready to play and pounce at the same time. The general's gaze shifted to her lips. 

— I meant my bruises — she added, more quietly than before. 

— Of course you did — he replied. 

He didn't look convinced. Eventually, though, hesitantly, he cupped her cheek and placed a gentle kiss on it. 

— As far as I know, I’m completely healthy here — she replied sarcastically. 

— You have a giant scratch here — Jing Yuan assured. 

— Let's say I believe you. 

She looked around the room. Most of the workers had already received medical care. She breathed a sigh of relief. 

— You know this is our third meeting since you took the bet? — The general changed the subject. 

He looked like he wanted to ask another question but ultimately refrained. 

— That's a coincidence, which means it doesn't count at all. We'll have to continue to make it fair — [Reader] said. 

—Well, if you say so, I guess I can’t argue. — A familiar smile appeared on Jing Yuan’s face. 

[cowboyjen68]

hi jen - im a college student who has known i like girls since i was a kid but i still can't pick up the courage to tell my parents. they're not virulently homophobic or anything and i know for a 100% fact that they love me unconditionally, but i also know they'd be much happier if i was straight. they're older and the culture they were raised in just doesn't really understand or accommodate anything else, though they are always respectful towards lgbt people they know.

i am completely secure in the knowledge that they love me so much they'd come to an understanding of it eventually, but i know at least at first it would cause a lot of turmoil and worry for them and a lot of really uncomfortable questions and explanations for me.

i know i can't keep it a secret forever and i don't want to live a lie all my life to the people i love and value most. and i know they wouldn't want that for me either. but the thought of sitting them down and telling them is the most terrifying thing in the world. i just can't do it. i'm too scared to rock the boat. do you have any advice?

I was in a very similar situation when I was your age. I was pretty sure they would continue to love and support me but also knew mom would be sad and worried and I wondered if dad would feel hurt. I waited until after college when I had a job that provided a living wage, health insurance and stability without their financial help. I made dinner plans with them and showed up with Chinese take out from Dad's favorite place. We sat down and I could immediately feel my ears burning and my face get hot. I looked over at them from behind the giant glass of milk mom poured each of us and realized I was in my "childhood" seat and they were in the same spot as always except now I was 23. They clearly saw me as the "baby" still. I was the youngest, probably the easiest kid to raise. I did my homework, did my chores and played without them entertaining me.

Immediately the worst case scenario ran through my head. "what if they kick me out", "what if they yell" "what if they tell me I am bad or gross or just mistaken". I had to really push all that aside at look at them as the mom and dad who had always been there for me. I reminded myself that I had my friend group, my sister, my best friend on my side and I would be okay. BUT loosing mom and dad would be horrible. I remember my exact words "Mom, Dad, Jen (my girlfriend at the time) is not just my friend. I am gay and we are together. Mom started crying and Dad looked at her surprised. "Doris. We already knew this" and she said "I know but it just means life is going to be harder for her. At that point my dad responded with words that chanced my life. He said "This is Jippy (my nickname) we are talking about. She will be just fine".

I guess my point is they might say some dumb stuff, ask stupid or even mean sounding questions but give them the benefit of the doubt that it comes from love. They don't need to understand to love you but bonus points to them if they want to or try to understand more by asking or having a conversation. It is okay for you and for them to set boundaries. They might ask for a head up before you bring a girlfriend to dinner or they might request no physical affection until they can process. Give them the grace to work through things. You have been thinking about this for years. They might have just had their entire life plan / dream for you upended. OR most likely they knew it already but hearing it confirmed can be hard.

Don't take abuse or bullying. You can also set your boundaries. Be prepared to be independent but allow them mistakes and missteps without harsh consequences if you sense they are trying.

You can start the conversation with "i love you and you both mean a lot to me so I want to be honest with you about something important to me. I am a lesbian. Let them know they are important and you trust them right up front.

I hope this helps and keep in mind, You don't HAVE to tell them until you are ready .

[ateez-himari]

BILLBOARD ; INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

Q ; The first 4th generation idol to be promoted to full membership and now the most credited idol producer throughout generations...I think the first question that viewers are dying to learn the answer to is ; what made you start producing?

"Many people believe it was my older brother that inspired me, but in truth it was to secure my place in the group. The contestants were incredible so the only way for me to succeed was to prove myself invaluable. It became a passion very quickly, but it truly was out of desperation initially."

Q ; I don't believe you've spoken on this before so tell us, were your family members supportive of your career choice?

"Unfortunately not...despite my brother's success our parents were still firmly against this path, especially since I seemed to be on track to following the footsteps of my biological father - who was a neurologist. My oldest brother was encouraging but there was always some doubt there, some hesitation, and he would often ask me whether I was sure about this choice. Yoongi oppa knew what the industry was like and attempted to hold me back, he was scared for me and I can't hold a grudge for him trying to protect me...but it still hurt, not having his support. Hanzo nii-chan took their side...the accident did something to the both of us, way past grieving or physical scars, and he didn't want me to have to suffer to live a peaceful life, he had heard what it was like and truly did his best to dissuade me."

Q ; From my understanding ATEEZ came from nothing and you from even less since you've had to fight for your place even after the survival show, so what does this achievement truly mean to you?

"It means nothing and everything at the same time. When looking back at the way things were in our group's earlier years, sitting down to talk about the story behind becoming the most credited idol producer seems almost surreal, it's everything that younger me looked up to and worked to achieve. On the other hand the amount of credits you have don't determine what you're worth as an artist, they don't make you better than anybody else and it's not something you can define a producer by."

Q ; Many people are wondering why you decided to confront Hybe Corporation during a press conference rather than a trial.

"The entire objective to a trial in this situation is gaining some form of monetary compensation, which they unfortunately have plenty of, so the only way to attain some justice was through humiliation, to back them into a corner with concrete evidence so that they can no longer deny what they did to me. It was my artistry being paraded around as their own throughout the media, tracks that took time, frustration and creativity...money can't repair how much this took away."

Q ; Bowing is an essential part of Korean culture to demonstrate respect to others, why did you decide to refuse this to certain people despite the backlash?

"The utmost disrespect to an artist is taking their work and they seem to have done this without second thoughts, so they will never see so much as my head lower in front of them. Unfortunately in this situation the output of netizens removed from the situation hold no importance, because if these people truly had done nothing wrong, why do they bow ninety degrees in front of me yet half of that in front of others?"

Q ; Certain rumors state that 'Sungyo' was produced on a whim, is that true?

"Those rumors are true, yes. Releasing 'Insomniac' was meant to be a very soft debut into solo projects so I was not planning on making another extended play until at least one year later, except the one in collaboration with Sleep Token. It was the HYBE Chairman's response to the theft allegations that made it happen. Originally I wanted to just make some statements here and there through my lives but seeing the point that their excuses reached I decided that informing them through tracks that could not be erased, taken out of context or proven as some form of defamation would be much more appropriate. Overall I think it took...a week, maybe a week and a half, to produce all of this whilst on tour."

Q ; You're known to have an angelic singing voice, even now as I speak with you it's almost melodic, so why did you choose to release extended plays as a rapper?

"That's very kind of you to say. The tracks released thus far center around intense emotions relating to events that have happened in the past, so I wanted to mirror the true feelings experienced during those moments. 'Insomniac' and 'Shadow' were painful to write, let alone to perform, because the memories were so dark that my heart was almost shattering every time I thought back to them. It's this sense of breakage that I wanted listeners to experience, the rawness of a voice that has screamed, cried, begged...suffered. 'Sungyo' on the other hand holds an intense desire to tear apart everything that was built by others from my own blood, it's meant so sound like a string of threats, a conversation to warn them that soon enough everyone will know."

Q ; You've been somewhat open previously regarding the impacts of only having 55% of your original hearing, but how does it affect your line of work specifically? Does constantly producing music worsen the side effects?

"The key in mixing music is the positioning of sound, which we call panning, and even with a hearing aid there are uneven sonar inputs, so unfortunately that part often has to be worked out with someone else since it's very complicated to hear how it will be perceived in a 3 dimensional space, for example on stage. When working with more complex arrangements overlapping sounds are often harder to distinguish, same with the isolating of certain instruments, so the track can begin to feel messy. Hearing aids also don't restore natural hearing, so things such as high frequency clarity, tone balance and subtle dynamics are harder to pick up on. While I wouldn't say it worsened the side effects, there was definitely a lot of internal fighting that had to be done for me to continue down the producing path...it's genuinely physically painful at times."

Q ; How did you adapt to those difficulties?

"I use lots of visualizing tools like waveform displays, frequency analyzers, stereo imagers, visual equalizers, dynamic range tools, etc. When it comes to guiding recording sessions I usually monitor the artists through headphones like most producers, but also by looking at our soundwaves side by side to catch the small auditory differences. They can also be used during performances actually, the staff often replaces certain lyric prompters with projections of the song's soundwaves so I can pace myself according to them if the crowd begins to get too loud."

Q ; Some members have said that you use vibrations as guides in both music and everyday life as well, it's quite the impressive skill, how did you come to master it?

"The members took some time to adjust when it came to my disability so they would simply walk into the room and touch me to get my attention, but it used to scare me so much that I almost became paranoid. It started with learning their footstep patterns on the ground, looking for even the smallest vibration that would indicate that someone was entering the room and over time it became the only indicator of rhythm when outside noises would filter through the in-ears, so reading where everyone was moving, how they were moving and at what speed was crucial to keep myself on track."

Q ; As a producer, are there any specific types of songs you refuse to write?

"Tracks where the sole purpose of the lyrics is to paint the artist to be above everyone else, so anywhere the lines can be simplified to 'I'm so great, my haters are just jealous they can't be me, they're all trying to copy me', etc., it's just so pointlessly vapid. If the singer themself are genuinely this successful then there is no need to try and convince the world, they'll come to the realization on their own. There's also something that I've told the younger groups I produce for ; as artists there is nothing for you to brag about, if you don't live out your career with humility then you will finish it in shame."

Q ; Now there are a lot of speculations regarding the amount of credits you have as a ghostwriter, with most guesses being around 70...how far off is that number?

"Uhm...in reality those credits are much closer to 150, perhaps more, I don't really keep track of everything since it's not something that really matters in the long run, but these are from the past 2-3 years-ish...so I think 250 would be a better guess."

Q ; Let's get slightly more into the darker details. Your captain talked briefly about how much you sacrificed over time in the industry...what exactly is he referring to?

"My life. I gave my whole life to reach this point, in more ways than one. The accident felt like a reset, forcing me to work back to being whole again, and even then most of that new life was spent training, learning to make music, fighting for my place in the group even after out debut...I spent so many nights awake thinking about what sound would make us successful without erasing us. Then I gave my life to performing and unfortunately that time it was literal, Tokyo was kind of...an event that made me open my eyes to how badly all the hate had affected me."

Q ; Well thank you so much for sitting down with us today, it was an honor to have you in the studio. One more question to finish off our interview...how does it feel?

"Thank you for inviting me! It genuinely feels like an illusion...I've had artists that I look up to reaching out to me through social media to congratulate me, I keep seeing articles about myself, even announcements on electronic billboards at times...I never thought I would get this famous. Taking a few steps back from the situation though, over 240 songs at the age of 23 does seem pretty insane...maybe I need to rest a little bit and stop living in my studio."

🎞️ Reposted by xxxibgdrgn, xoalsox, agustd, woozico0914 and 3,201,221 others

Taglist ; @prbywoo

[reccyls]

Victor's Main Route: Chapter 4 + Premium Story

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(Am I going to make it in time?)

As I ran all the way from the office to where the meeting was supposed to take place, I realized that the only location I knew how to get to in the royal palace was Victor’s office.

(At least I was able to ask directions from a palace guard that I’d seen before, but…)

Although I had received permission to walk around the palace since I was the queen’s guest, I hadn’t ever really used it. So although I knew the name of the meeting location, I had no idea how to get there. 

(It should be around this corner…)

Following the directions I had been given, I proceeded towards the garden. But just then, I overheard someone speaking.

Middle-Aged Parliament Member: Do you know why the meeting was pushed back?

Glasses-Wearing Parliament Member: Apparently it was on Her Majesty’s request. We weren’t informed of why.

Middle-Aged Parliament Member: Is it Her Majesty’s request, or her aide’s?

Glasses-Wearing Parliament Member: When it comes to that man, who can tell?

(So the meeting got delayed. Thank goodness, that means I’ll make it in time.)

Reassured by what I heard, I was about to start walking again, when…

Glasses-Wearing Parliament Member: Be careful of what you say, unless you want to be accused of treason.

Middle-Aged Parliament Member: My word! As if I would ever support republicanism!

(“Republicanism.”)

The word caused me to stop in my tracks. The men’s voices gradually grew distant.

This country is a constitutional monarchy ruled over by Her Majesty. The ruler, our queen, stands as a symbol while the parliament holds governmental power. “The monarch reigns, but does not rule.” As the adage suggests, true power is held by the nobility that make up the parliament. To contrast, in republicanism, the monarch holds no power whatsoever and all governmental power is in the hands of the people.

(Why are they talking about that, though?)

The roots of England’s constitutional monarchy stretch back to the Glorious Revolution of the 17th century.

(But that all happened way before I was born.)

The country now was one where the royal family were symbols of power. Of course, from here on, Her Majesty would continue to be revered. As I thought of Her Majesty, I started walking again.

(Queen Victoria was 18 years old when she came to power.) (She originally was not supposed to be the queen.) (However, everyone else who had a stronger claim to the throne ended up dying one by one.)

I recalled my school lessons about the royal family from when I was a child. The England of today is a country that has overcome all manner of hardships including war and famine. And at the center of it all was the royal family, as my history lessons went. Queen Victoria had not been in line for the throne, but ended up ascending. This was because the other members of the royal family in the line of succession passed away due to illness and other factors. However, ever since Her Majesty came to power, the economy has flourished and industry advanced rapidly. And so England came to be known as the country where the sun never sets. This was all due to Queen Victoria. When I was working at the post office, a lot of my female colleagues greatly respected her.

(Now that I think about it, being part of a group created by Her Majesty is actually incredible.) (And I’m even working with Victor, Her Majesty’s personal aide.) (No normal person would believe it if I told them.)

Ever since I’d become the Fairytale Keeper, I’d only ever spoken with Crown members, or other people associated with them. I took a look around me once more, this time really taking in exactly what kind of place I found myself in.

(If I was still working at the post office, walking around the palace like this would get me arrested immediately.) (I’d never be able to look for Victor in those circumstances)

The beautiful gardens, historic buildings, and atmosphere of elegance and sophistication could not be found anywhere else but here. It made me feel quite touched.

Kate: Ah-

In the corridor that led out to the gardens, I could see the fluttering of long black hair. There was only one person with such striking features and jet black clothes in the palace.

(Found him.)

I raised my hand to wave to him and call out, but.

Kate: Vic-

Victor: The decision was already made yesterday. Is there anything else?

Fearful Parliament Member: No, but the budget–

Victor: The national budget was allocated at the beginning of this year. Victor: Unless you can demonstrate an actual problem, you will not be getting any additional funding. Victor: Raising taxes to get more revenue from the citizens is out of the question. Victor: Is that all, or did you need anything else?

At Victor’s icy glare and sharp mannerisms, I stopped in my tracks.

Fearful Parliament Member: …No, nothing else. Pardon me.

The man bowed his head and scurried away. The profile of the Victor that let out a sigh and began walking was completely different to the Victor I knew.

(It’s like he’s a stranger…)

As I was still trying to come to terms with what I had seen, something falling in front of me made me unintentionally raise my voice.

Kate: Ack!

Victor: …Kate?

It was just a leaf that had blown into my face.  But startled, I reflexively backed away, and the sound of my feet hitting the ground rang out in the hallway. Victor’s jewel-like eyes widened as he realized I was there.

Victor: What are you doing here?

He was back to being the Victor I knew.

Kate: I think you took the wrong envelope with you earlier.

Victor: Hm? …Oh, you’re right!

He frowned as he looked between the envelope he was carrying and the one I had brought.

Victor: I’m sorry you had to come all this way.

Kate: I’m just glad I managed to get them to you in time.

As I passed the papers over to Victor, I couldn’t help but stare at him. I still couldn’t believe my eyes about the Victor I had seen earlier.

Victor: Kate? Is something the matter?

Kate: …It’s nothing.

His head tilted in confusion, his soft expression, and eyes filled with kindness… All of that was part of the Victor I knew.

(But then what was that…?)

Victor: I would escort you back to the office, but unfortunately the meeting…

Kate: It’s okay, I can go back myself. Kate: Good luck with the meeting.

He gently took my right hand and pressed a kiss to it.

Victor: Thank you. I’ll be off now.

I was rooted to the spot as the warmth on the back of my hand faded, watching his broad back disappear.

-----

(It’s pretty late…)

After that, I returned to the office, but I couldn’t concentrate on work. Before I knew it, night had fallen.

(Victor never made it back.)

William: Oh? You’re later than usual.

Kate: I couldn’t finish my work on time, so I had to stay longer.

William was walking down the stairs so I looked up.

William: Did Victor shove all his work at you?

He sounded amused.

I couldn’t concentrate on work… (+4/+4)

It wasn’t his fault.

Yeah…

Kate: No, it was because I couldn’t concentrate properly. I didn’t realize how late it was. Kate: It’s not that there was that much work to do…

William: Then you must have been quite distracted. William: And so? What had our dear robin so worked up she couldn’t concentrate?

I couldn’t stop my gaze from dropping to the ground.

Kate: Earlier today, Victor took the wrong materials for his meeting so I went to give him the right ones. Kate: When I saw him, he was acting like a completely different person. It surprised me.

The sound of William descending the stairs continued, and soon I could see his shoes stop before me.

Kate: The Victor I know is always cheerful and kind. And sometimes he can be a little teasing. But he’s always reliable. Kate: But when I saw him today, he was so cold, and he had a totally different expression on his face. Kate: I guess I suddenly feel like there’s a huge gap between us…

Maybe it was also because of what Harrison told me earlier. I’d never seen Victor act like that before. In addition to shock, I also felt a little lonely because of that gap.

(Victor is like a guardian figure for all of Crown.)

Because of that, maybe Victor thought of me as someone who was only to be protected. It felt as though a line had been drawn between us.

William: A person wears many different faces.

I raised my head to look at William. His expression was uncharacteristically serious.

William: The face you show to your friends, the face you wear at work, the face that only your lover may see. William: Without conscious thought, we use all these different faces so that we can be a part of society. William: You and I do the same.

This was something that everyone did. Not deliberately, or at least not always deliberately.

William: But when it comes to Victor, I think he’s stronger than the average person for it.

Kate: How do you mean?

William: The queen’s aide, Crown’s leader, the Reaper of the Palace… Just for work, he already has so many faces to wear. William: Kindness in itself is not enough for him to speak out regarding the happenings of the royal palace. William: Especially not if he speaks for Her Majesty.

(That is true.)

In a constitutional monarchy, the queen’s word alone is not absolute.

(The parliament also has control over the government.)

So if there were any disagreement among the parliament, it was possible that the queen’s wishes may not be respected.

(That’s probably happened a lot, actually.)

The cold face that Victor wore could then be a necessary resource for someone in the position of the queen’s aide.

William: But I think the face Victor lets you see is a special one.

Kate: What?

William’s eyes narrowed in amusement, and he lifted my chin with one finger.

William: You say you feel like there’s a gap between you and Victor. But he never lets anyone stay in his office, you know. William: I’ve never stayed there longer than a few minutes, for example.

Kate: That… that doesn’t mean it’s special, does it? Maybe there just wasn’t ever a reason to…

William: I think that even if there was a reason, he wouldn’t let it happen. William: At any rate, I’ve never seen him let anyone stay there for hours and hours every day.

The finger on my chin slid along my jaw, then withdrew.

William: Doesn’t that sound special enough?

William’s captivating smile deepened.

Kate: I… don’t know…

William: Haha, that’s fine. William: But even if you feel as though there was a gap between you, just know that he has let you in when he hasn’t ever done the same for others, and that he does value your company.  William: Of course, we all value you too.

Throwing on his cape, William headed out, but I couldn’t watch him leave.

-----

Kate: Special, huh…

Warm sunlight streamed in through my window. Today the weather was unusually good for London, with not a single cloud in the sky. As soon as I woke up, William’s words from yesterday continued to echo in my mind. I couldn’t quite stop myself from whispering them under my breath.

(So many things have changed ever since I came here.)

It wasn’t only the obvious things, but also in the discovery of things that I’d never known before. Every day passed by just like that.

(No one outside my family had ever called me special before.)

For William to say that Crown valued me… Even though I knew my stay with them was limited, being accepted by them filled me with happiness. And, for Victor…

Kate: …Now that I think about it, I think someone did call me special a long time ago…

I searched through my memories as if I were pulling clothes out of a drawer, and as always, my thoughts returned to a particular childhood memory.

As the sound of a music box played in the background, someone whose face I couldn’t remember spoke. ???: You are… special… Their words were cut off, like always. But I know that when I heard those words, I smiled.

A knock at my door pulled me away from the world of memory.

Kate: Yes?

As I quickly climbed out of bed, Victor’s voice floated through the door.

Victor: Good morning, Kate.

As I was about to open the door, I remembered that I was in my sleepwear. I opened the door just a crack so only my face would be visible.

Victor: …Did you just wake up?

Kate: …Yeah.

As he blinked in surprise, I averted my gaze.

Victor: My deepest apologies for calling on a lady before she’s ready. I’ll be back later.

Kate: Huh? Wait!

He was already turning to leave so I called out to him in a panic.

Kate: One minute!

Victor: Hm?

Victor turned back around, looking flabbergasted.

Kate: Just give me one minute to get ready! Wait right there!

Victor: …Haha.

At my declaration, a bright smile rose to his lips.

…

Kate: Sorry to make you wait.

Victor: One minute on the dot! Amazing, Kate!

Victor burst into applause when I finished getting ready in a single minute, as I said I would.

Kate: I think that’s faster than I’ve ever gotten ready in my life… Kate: So did you need something from me?

When I asked why he was looking for me, he grinned.

Victor: Her Majesty has asked you to take the day off.

Kate: Oh, okay. I can help with th-

Victor: So, Kate…

He took my hand in his.

Victor: Let’s go out together.

Premium Story: Memories and Music Boxes

Victor: That outfit looks like it’ll suit you perfectly, let’s get that too!

Kate: …Victor.

Victor: And those shoes are beautiful, they’d be just right. And–

Kate: Victor!

A few hours ago…

Victor: As your reward, let’s go shopping for the day!

Kate: A reward? For what?

I tilted my head in confusion.

Victor: It’s been some time since you became Crown’s Fairytale Keeper, and you’ve also started helping me with my work. Victor: All your hard work can’t go unpaid.

Kate: You’ve already done so much for me, I can’t accept a reward too…

My clothing, accommodation, and meals were all covered for as long as I was staying at Crown’s castle. And I could work without any delays or difficulties.

Victor: Even so, this is Her Majesty’s order. Victor: “Be sure to reward your hardworking Fairytale Keeper,” she said.

Victor snapped his fingers and winked, then smiled.

Victor: So today, we’re buying anything you want.

…

And that was what happened.

Victor: …Sorry. I just couldn’t help myself because everything looked like it’d be perfect for you…

It was like Victor physically couldn’t stop himself from ordering every single thing that caught his eye for me. He kept going back and forth to all sorts of stores saying that whatever he picked up would look great on me.

(This is definitely too much.)

Although his apology was very adorable and it did make me want to forgive him…

(If I let him off the hook, there’s not going to be any more space in my room tomorrow!)

As he tried to head back into the store he just came out of, I grabbed his arm and shook his head.

Kate: No more ordering until I find something I actually want.

Victor: But-!

His look of shock and betrayal hit me right in the heart. But I couldn’t give in!

(Victor, I’m doing this for your wallet’s sake!)

Victor: Just a little more, one more store, I promise!

Kate: If you’re not going to listen to me, then I’m not going to like you anymore!

He stopped immediately.

Kate: Victor?

Without a word, he turned back around and dropped his head on my shoulder.

Victor: …Fine… If you’ll hate me, I’ll stop…

His faint voice was muffled by my shoulder. His hair tickled at my neck, and when I shifted, my nose caught a scent not unlike that of a cool night. It didn’t take long for me to realize it was his scent.

(...Now that’s not fair.)

Even though he reacted so cutely to me saying I’d hate him,  Everything else about him–the touch of his hair, his scent, his hands–reminded me that he was a man.

Kate: Hold on until I find something, okay?

His expression brightened, and he took my hand in his.

Victor: Then you have to let me know immediately if anything catches your eye!

(I need to find something quick.)

I glanced over the rows of shops, hoping to find something that would catch my interest. My gaze lingered at one windowfront, and I came to a stop.

Victor: Kate?

The glittering sight beyond the glass reminded me of my childhood.

Victor: Let’s go in.

Noticing that this particular store had drawn my attention, Victor pulled open the door.

Elderly Owner: Welcome.

Standing within the store was a man who appeared to be the owner, wearing neat clothes.

Elderly Owner: If there’s anything you’re interested in, feel free to play them.

Kate: Really!?

Elderly Owner: Of course. Listen as much as you want.

I bowed my head to the store owner, who smiled brightly at me, and then I carefully reached for a music box.

Victor: Is this the one you’re interested in?

Kate: Yes. It’s incredibly beautiful. And…

Victor: Hm?

Kate: I have a memory about a music box.

There was a special cylinder inserted into the beautifully crafted music box.

Victor: I have a music box myself that also plays this song.

Kate: Do you?

The melody that poured from this music box felt similar to the one that I distantly recalled.

Victor: I do. But the cylinder was unfortunately damaged, so it can’t be played anymore.

The delicate pins of the rotating cylinder were the notes, plucking the teeth of the comb to play their song. Without the cylinder, there was no music. Victor gazed at the music box with eyes full of nostalgia, though it seemed there were other emotions mixed into his gaze. Without fully realizing why, I grabbed his sleeve. When Victor noticed, he turned to smile at me, his expression full of his usual gentleness.

Victor: So is this what you want?

Kate: But…

A music box like this would be far too expensive for me to afford.

Victor: Don’t worry about the price. It’s supposed to be a gift for you, after all. Victor: And the work that you do is worth far more than the price of one single music box.

Victor took the music box from my hands and handed it to the owner.

Elderly Owner: Would you like to replace the cylinder with a different one?

(That means the music box will play a different song.)

Kate: No, I’d like this one.

I refused the owner’s offer, because I knew Victor had a music box that played the same song. Taking the packaged music box from the owner, I gave Victor my gratitude.

Kate: Thank you for such a wonderful gift.

Victor: Do you think you can keep working hard tomorrow?

Kate: Definitely.

Victor looked to the box holding the music box, then suddenly spoke.

Victor: You said earlier that you have a memory about a music box?

Kate: When I was a lot younger, someone played a music box for me when I was crying.

The sound of the music box was patchy in my memories.

Kate: I don’t remember what that person looked or sounded like, or what we talked about. Or even what the song was like. Kate: But, it’s still an important memory to me.

Victor: …Memories are like magic. A protective spell, so we can continue to live on.

There was something wistful in his expression, so I asked him a question.

Kate: Do you also have an important memory like that?

Victor: I do.

Victor gently ran his finger across the music box.

Victor: When I think back over that memory, it gives me the strength to face forward and keep going. Victor: It’s the greatest magic I know.

The tenderness in every word was a match for the soft melody of the music box.

Kate: That’s wonderful.

I could only imagine how precious of a memory it could be. Victor, still smiling softly, said nothing more. I closed my eyes, feeling as if the cut-off melody of my memories was being pieced back together. That melody still lived on, even now.

[dandylovesturtles]

this is a brain worm that spawned as soon as I read the second injury prompt, bad future timeline, from the prospective of someone outside the family (civilian, fellow resistance fighter, etc), where one of the brothers/april/or either of the casey’s are injured, “Someone get the medic. Get the medic!” and the medic is leo, unknowingly responding to a gravely injured loved one

shit this is a good prompt anon, thanks

credit to @promptsbytaurie for the injury ask meme!

cw: ROTTMNT bad timeline, mentions of blood and injury

———

He finds her leaned against some rubble, the carcasses of four krang hounds strewn around her. They don’t bleed like earth creatures, but the stringy bits of their mutilated bodies are strewn across the ground, and all he can think is, Good.

There is blood, though: her blood, gushing from a set of lacerations in her side. She’s so still that he thinks, for one awful minute, that she’s dead.

Then she shifts and groans and he stumbles quickly to her side, dropping to his knees and putting pressure on the wound, the way he was taught in ROTC a million years ago.

She sucks in a breath, gritting her teeth, and then her eyes open. They rove the battlefield with a dazed confusion, and he wonders if that’s a concussion or just the blood loss. Or both.

“Commander O’Neil,” he says urgently. “We need to move you.”

Her head turns and her searching eyes find his face. She blinks rapidly and squints at his face.

“Who…?”

He smiles, because it’s a kindness he can give her. Kids in school used to make fun of his buck teeth. Weird how an alien invasion makes some things easier. “Jake West. I joined your squad last week.”

“Oh, right.” She grunts and starts to shift. “New guy. Help me up, will you?”

Jake shakes his head. “I don’t think you can walk with that wound.”

“Well, I’m not letting you carry me out of here like some damsel in distress,” she says stubbornly. She slings an arm over his shoulders, gritting her teeth. Her brow is sweating, but she repeats, “Help me up.”

Jake’s only been part of this resistance colony for two weeks, since the tattered remnants of his last group was found by one of their scouting parties, but he already has a lot of respect for O’Neil. She’s a foot shorter than him, but she embodies toughness in the set of her shoulders and her refusal to back down. She’s more fearsome than most of the old military guys Jake’s ever met.

So he helps her up.

She stumbles when she’s on her feet, and he moves in to keep supporting her. The blood drips down her side, and she hisses when she sees it.

“Can’t believe I let those hounds get a piece of me. Dee’s gonna be insufferable.”

Jake wonders who “Dee” is, but doesn’t ask. They have to get out of here - the onslaught may have calmed for the moment, but the krang always come back.

O’Neil can’t move very quickly - Jake finds himself dragging her more than he helps her walk. He suggests carrying her again and she turns it down, though only with a shake of her head this time. They stumble through the rubble in mostly silence, making for the base’s hidden entrance.

Above their heads, there is a noise like a sonic boom, a streak of orange lighting up the sky as it goes past, latching onto an approaching krang drone ship and pulling it out of the sky.

“There goes Mikey,” says O’Neil, without even looking up.

Right; Master Michelangelo, one of the turtles. Jake had felt a little trepidation, when he had first learned this resistance group was full of - and even run by - inhuman mutants.

Then he’d seen what they could do, and that feeling faded fast.

He hasn’t actually met the turtles, only ever seen them in passing. He’s heard from those have been here longer that they’re actually really friendly, or at least all of them but Master Donatello are. More importantly, they put their lives on the line every day for what remains of the people of earth. Jake hasn’t needed to be here more than a few weeks to see that.

They fight like they have everything to lose. Jake respects that.

Master Michelangelo’s cover makes the trip back to the base easier, even as O’Neil flags more and more against his side. By the end he’s carrying her whether she wants it or not, draped half across his back in a fireman’s hold. She’s too out of it now to object. He hopes that doesn’t mean he’s too late. He’s so tired of losing people, even those he hasn’t known long. He likes Commander O’Neil.

He stumbles through the tunnel and into the bright synthetic lights of the entry checkpoint. Most combatants have already returned by now, but there are still people milling around, checking for any signs of krang infection in those coming back.

“Someone get the medic!” he hollers as he enters. “Get the medic!”

There’s a few echoing shouts, and then a door flings open and out walks Master Leonardo himself. He’s wearing a makeshift surgical apron, covered in blood, gloves, and a mask hanging loose around his neck. Jake’s never seen him this close, and now he’s a little taken aback, the way the turtle towers over everyone, moving so lithely despite the bulk of his shell, a commanding but easy air to his presence that seems to demand respect but also offer reassurance to everyone else in the room.

Every time Jake’s seen him from afar, he’s been grinning, laughing, smiling. He isn’t now.

“Don’t yell unless someone’s dying,” he says, eyes scanning the room until his gaze locks with Jake’s. He sees the body slumped across Jake’s back and grimaces. “I need to learn to keep my mouth shut.”

He crosses the room and directs Jake toward one of the cots. “Alright, put ‘em on the triage bed and let’s see what we’re working with.”

“Lacerations, sir,” says Jake, as he lowers O’Neil to the cot. “She was conscious when I found her, but she’s lost a lot of blood. Maybe a concussion.”

He trails off as he turns back and sees Master Leonardo’s state. His eyes are locked on O’Neil’s face, like he’s only just recognized who it is on the cot. His mouth hangs slightly open, and there’s an open, vulnerable devastation, a naked fear on his face. One Jake recognizes too well.

Even the mutants, with all their powers and all their strength, can be afraid.

Then, just like that, he pulls it together again for a fleeting glimpse Jake saw Leonardo, but now the Master is back, and barking orders.

“Marta!” he calls, turning his head to address a woman standing at the inspection line. “Prep OR now! And get us ready for a blood transfusion- B positive if we have it.”

“On it,” says Marta, and she’s gone just like that. Jake turns his attention back to Leonardo, who has taken O’Neil’s wrist in his, feeling for a pulse.

He’s quiet for several seconds, then he nods to himself and starts asking questions.

“Any idea what did this?”

“It was hounds, sir. I found her with several dead ones.”

“Sounds about right.” Master Leonardo sounds almost amused, though he doesn’t stop his work. “Any sign of infection?”

“No. She was talking and able to walk most of the way.”

Krang infections take over the host so quickly, they would know by now, with a wound like that.

“Hounds can only infect with their bites, and these look like scratches from claws.” Leonardo comes out again, as he reaches for O’Neil’s hand and gives it a squeeze. “Knew you wouldn’t let them get a bite in.”

The way he looks at O’Neil is so tender. They clearly know each other, and not just as fellow resistance commanders. Jake can’t help but wonder how they know each other; how a human and a mutant came to have a bond this close.

He doesn’t have time to ask, of course. Seconds later, O’Neil is being moved to OR, and Leonardo is making to follow them.

“Sir!” Jake calls after him. “Is there anything else I can do to help the commander?”

Master Leonardo barely pauses. “Get yourself checked for infection, and donate blood if you can. Then get some rest. You’ve done enough today.” He glances over his shoulder. “And stop calling me ‘sir’. Makes me feel so old.”

Then he’s gone.

Jake watches the door Leonardo just disappeared through for a second, then moves to do as he was told. He thinks about the way Master Leonardo looked at Commander O’Neil. Like she was part of what he was fighting not to lose.

And he thinks, maybe, that they’re lucky here. That this just might be the resistance that saves the world.

[respectthepetty]

The Loyal Pin - Finale

I've waited two weeks for this finale, so I'm jumping straight in because I need three things out of it: a happy ending, Anin wearing pink, and Patricia apologizing to Pin, WHICH IT THE FIRST THING TO HAPPEN!

Pat, who finally gets her name back, is wearing Pink Person Pin's color and giving the best apologizing to Pin who still doesn't fully have her color back.

And now Anin's mom is pawning off the jewelry in case the girls have to go to England, and I have never appreciated fictional color-coded women more in my life.

OUR ALLY! OUR KING! OUR BEST BOY!

As much as Pin was upsetting me with that marriage business, she always shows up for her girl, and no man would EVER get on the floor and beg for mercy like this! THIS IS THE MOMENT!

One thing about Anin is she is always going to be a Blue Beauty regardless of what is happening.

WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?! NO!!!! WE AIN'T GOING OUT LIKE THIS! PIN FINALLY GOT HER COLOR BACK AND HER AUNT/MOM/WHATEVS IS ON HER SIDE NOW! NOOOO!

Wait, a damn minute! What the hell is this all about?

What did this Blue Bitc--Beauty do? Annette, ANSWER ME?!

It's a prank?! What in the MTV's Jackass is this bullshit about?!

AND EVERYONE WAS IN ON IT?!

Anan, on God, you are the only royal I respect in this house because you have been PFLAG's Ally of the Year, and I appreciate you trying to convince your father, but what in the Sam Hill was your sister thinking?!

Pin, beat her! At least slap Annette once. She hasn't worn pink yet, and now this?! I know she is a princess, but if this was French Revolution, Annette would be on thin ice. I'm not saying kill her, but she needs to be scared the same way she keeps scaring you BY KIDNAPPING YOU!

Or give her a ring for her birthday because you love her special brand of crazy. Sure! That works too!

And the whole group is in blue for the Blue Beauty with some pops of pink. Everyone supports her special brand of crazy. Got it!

This feels like a baby shower, so it being a rich lesbian's birthday is making this so pleasurable!

Now, Pat! You just got your name back, and now I want to snatch it away again! What is this, mama? Desserts are your specialty, not decorations. Stick to your strengths, girl, cause this ain't it! AND WHY IS ANIN IN GREEN?! This green has haunted me the entire second half of the show! And now the green AND that little figurine will haunt me forever.

I know I should be happy homegirl is pregnant, but since Anan dropped the fact that he didn't get to marry who he loved, I feel bad for both of them.

They will make this work, but as Anin's mom would say, I'm being really western about this marriage of conventionality.

Alin, were you the Green Girl I was waiting for all along to take this darn color that has haunted me?!

Everyone's cute and in their colors. Alin looks more like Anin and Pin's daughter, and I love that for us.

Pat, I'm still salty toward you, but I'm glad I don't want to fight you anymore because you look so good in your color, and I hate being attracted to people who piss me off. I was never not attracted to you, but it's nice to know I actually like you again too.

Annette, just because you have incorporated more florals and dots into your outfits as a sign that you love Pin doesn't mean you are off the hook for not wearing pink, but I'm going to ignore it right now because MY BABYGIRL IS FREE!!! She can live her life as the bright and beautiful Yellow Yal she was meant to be without a man tying her down! I actually hope Aon is well too.

I don't know how Kuea's wife made the same mistake twice, but more power to that woman for giving that triflin' man two kids.

They are adorable wives, and Pin giving Anin lunch in a pink gingham checkered cloth is adorable, BUT WHERE IS YOUR PINK, ANNETTE?!

Prik, you and Pia were the real ones putting up with these lesbians over DECADES ACROSS CONTINENTS! I hope Annette taught you how to play tennis and drive, so you can run her errands in style.

SHE IS WEARING PINK! ANNETTE IS WEARING PINK! IT'S HAPPENING AND I'M SCREAMING!!!!!

Leave it up to Idol Factory to wait until the last possible minute, literally, to give me the color exchange! Congratulations, everyone got their name back this episode. Good job, Anin!

Pushing the horrible prank aside, the finale was worth the wait and the hour and half runtime. I enjoyed every single episode, and the colors were coloring until the very end (damn you, Idol Factory!), so I do hope it gets the credit it deserves for being the most each episode and doing most of it amazingly well.

Everyone got the ended they needed including our color-coded girls in love.

And I love that.

[somewherewithouttaxes]

Bleeding Light (pt. 1)

Nightcrawler x reader

because I'm feral and no one can stop me :)

This has been festering rotting in my brain for a week. This reads like a whole story (and a long one, because I have a lot of thoughts), but my brain spouts better as bullets. So it's bullets. But as a story. Enjoy :))

(also I totally may write out a proper story later. But you get the lore right now)

the Pining.

let it be known that it was mutual. And it was mutual for a Long Time

You were already with someone else when you two met. With his never-ending charm, wit, and kindness, it didn't take long for you to hit it off as good friends.

this soon became a close friendship, often closer emotionally than you were with your partner. You were a mutant, unbeknownst to your partner (out of shame). You trusted them, and they respected mutants, but by the time you gained the courage to tell them, you felt it was too late to risk losing their trust over such a crucial lie. So you maintained this front, masterfully, for over a year

with Kurt, you didn't feel the need to hide. He understood. With him, you could bond and relate life stories in ways you could never with your long-term partner.

it was soon that you began to realize your feelings for Kurt were stretching farther than any other friendship before. And that you liked Kurt more than you ever loved your partner

this tore you up, and you became wracked with guilt. You didn't know how to end it with your partner, though you knew it had to be done. You still loved and cherished the person you spent the last year with, but it wasn't fair to them

over the last several months you two had planned a future together. It was a critical time of your life to gain independence, move out of home, and start your own journeys of life. For so long, you wanted to start this new life with them. It wasn't so simple as breaking up. Their, and your, near future was built upon the assumption that you would marry, as you did love them.

but not as much as you liked Kurt.

Your choice was made when you finally sat down with them and revealed your mutation. One thin cut was made on your hand. Light poured from the skin, igniting both of your faces in shock and fear. As the white blood trickled down your palm, your partner demanded why. Why could you keep this from them? Why did you withhold such an important part of you for so long?

when you could provide no answer they deserved, they walked out.

with your future with them obliterated, you had nowhere to turn. Nowhere to go to escape the psychological torture (and emotional abuse) of your parents' failed marriage. When you turned to Kurt for a deep shoulder to cry on, he provided an answer. An answer he knew would be best for you, and cursed himself that he was more excited about what it could mean for him. The X-Mansion

it only took mere days before you packed everything of value and were stationed at the mansion. It didn't take long for Kurt to convince the professor to let you stay, at least for as long as it took you to get on your feet on your own (and he wanted you to stay because... reasons).

you were more than happy to suggest doing your part as a teacher for the school

settling into the flow of the school, and life so close to people just like you, was a struggle eased by Kurt. He was the new kid before, and just as he had Rogue, you had him.

soon you built your own social circle and support group of friends, fitting perfectly into the puzzle that is the X-Men family. Soon, you were able to grieve your lost love and move on with the world you were always meant for.

...it did not take long for everyone to notice the brighter smiles you offered Kurt. The glances you sent him after making your witty, slightly dirty comments. How he was the first person you sat with during movie night, resting your head on his shoulder as you both grew tired. How you distracted yourself during end-of-the-day classes, searching for him in the hall through the window in your classroom door. How he was the only one you didn't hide the blinding paper cuts and golden scraped knees from.

and it did not take long for everyone to notice the way his tail whipped more excitedly the instant you entered the room. The way he recalled you explaining your day so enthusiastically as if you were the brightest, most wise creature to grace the planet. The way he was always the first to appear by your side after a more gruesome training session, examining every inch of your visible body more thoroughly than Beast. The way when he would let you down after a piggyback ride, his smile faltered ever so slightly to stop touching you.

so Rogue and Gambit formed a plan. Because that's what good friends do

she worked on whittling you down to admit it to yourself. He was happy to encourage Kurt to take more forward action with you. Jubilee soon joined in the plan, and soon there was a whole network of friends conspiring to get you two together because GOD WE ALL SEE IT. THE STUDENTS SEE IT. THE PIGEONS SEE IT. CHARLES AND JEAN HAVE TO SEE IT IN YOUR MINDS EVERY DAMN DAY. GET A ROOM.

and it works

Rogue got it out of you quickly. She was able to help you sort out your feelings and stop feeling so guilty about the past. You did what had to be done, and you never would have been truly happy with your old partner living a life of lies. But you can't lie to Kurt. He knew you deeper than anyone without even trying, and you wished to God he could know you a little better.

it took a month before Gambit was finally able to convince Kurt that you were struggling just the same. Because as much as the man flirted, teased, and worked himself into our attention by any means possible, he could not shake the dreaded pit feeling that you were still someone else's. You were still just out of his reach, and he would never know the feeling of your beautiful lips; your hands beyond high fives and thumb wrestling matches. Never have the honor to show the world everything he wished he could have with you

Kurt met you on the mansion roof. You were minding your business; reading a book and playing with light over the shadows. You didn't want to come inside. And if you were on the roof, that's where Kurt was gonna make himself comfortable. He would hang by the cell tower by just his tail if it meant you would talk to him. Anything if it meant he could tell you the truth.

it started with you looking over at him in a moment of silence, when you truly had no inclination to think he was there with any ulterior motive. Just one thought on the tip of your tongue

"You're so beautiful."

kurt.exe has stopped working

neither of you left the roof. The night wrapped with your head on his chest and his hand in your hair, him wondering where the absolute Hell it all went wrong.

you did wake up around 2 a.m. Sitting up abruptly at the surprise of your position, you were met with Kurt's golden eyes already awake and on you. No one beyond you two knows what happened on the roof that night, but your relationship changed. No more hiding.

when you returned to your lives the next morning, the others didn't need to be told that the mission was successful. Your smiles and bright eyes shared the whole story

[khruschevshoe]

Three Guys On A Sofa: Try Guys, Watcher, Values, and Cognitive Dissonance

Listen, as someone who has no real emotional investment in Watcher but all the emotional investment in the last "three guys on the sofa" internet scandal (Try Guys were MY long-standing Buzzfeed emotional support dude-group), what has kind of amazed me is the difference in reaction to the two scandals.

Watcher's video was built up for a week as a positive announcement but immediately cratered their reputation, revealed the cracks in their handling of business/lack of forethought in ALL THREE FOUNDERS, and, thanks to them not responding quickly to fan reactions, is now cementing their negative perception in a way they might never recover from.

On the other hand, the Try Guys' video was possibly one of the best apology videos/reactions to scandal I've ever seen. It seemed like a quick response to the breaking scandal but was well-thought out (and as was discussed in podcasts, had been extensively thought-out/planned for at least a month, with all three of the remaining Try Guys heavily invested in the investigation/handling of the problem), reinforced audience sympathies because the problem had been dealt with, and most importantly reinforced the idea that the audience's faith in the remaining Try Guys was warranted.

The Watcher video revealed the massive gap between the ideals that the Watcher Guys (all three of them) had purported to hold for years (authenticity, "eat the rich," a strong personal/parasocial connection to their audience) and what was being executed in practice, while the Try Guys' video showed that the ideals that Keith, Eugene, and Zach had held (non-toxic masculinity, respect for women, healthy working environments, a strong passion/belief in supporting their staff) still seemed as genuine as can be.

TLDR; I think that the Try Guys were able to recover from the Ned of it all in a way that Watcher won't be able to because while their apology video showed quick action and reinforced/proved that they stood by the same values they'd always had, Watcher's video and fan response has only shown that they don't seem to hold the values THEY preach, fundamentally betraying their audience.

[fancyfeathers]

So I am "burn it all down" number 1 stan actually.

I just think it so special and unique, and the way that you write the story, it just works.

Honestly, I thought there was some potential chemistry between Zataras son and Bruce's daughter, but I'm still the number 1 throuple supporter 😭

The whole thing with Diana's son being the heir to a Greek throne is so Jsjsksksksk! I'm holding out hope for King Diana's son, and he's tryna run the kingdom, and he's doing it quite successfully, but his wives rule his life! TELL ME THAT ISN'T PERFECT 😔 They hate when you serve supportive husband.

He's like a KING too so he can marry them both and it's just JDJDJDJ.

He's in an important meeting, and one of his advisers demands to know where the Queens are, and he's literally willing his eye not to twitch cause they are both stopping an extraterrestrial threat 😭

I am also a clove stan so I hope she's still alive and well 😭

Do you think that oliver and dinah were trying to replace their child with reader?

Ra's is back?! AGAIN?! bro he's actually obsessed I can't 😳 😭

I am just so intrigued and in love with the entire thing, like it's perfect.

I have more thoughts, honestly, but this is a lot for one ask 😭

Thank you for having passion for your stories because I genuinely enjoy reading them all 💜💜

Lmao, Bruce’s daughter being a little flirt and having chemistry with anyone she meets, a natural born flirt, it’s cause it was so taboo for her to date anyone growing up. Now she was engaged once before to a person who turned out to be a psychopath, but still.

But Diana’s son being so down bad for Supergirl and Songbird, like him and Songbird are the team leaders of their group but the moment either of his girlfriends asks him to do something, he would get on his knees for them. He was raised by a bunch of women, he knows how to respect women. But like one day when he does return to his ancestral home and take up the mantle that he was born for and reestablishes Ithaca as it’s own kingdom and nation again, I don’t think he would publicly show off his relationship, respecting his partners’ privacy.

ALSO YES! I am so happy someone caught the reference to the old team from my other series. I will say Clove is alive, in fact she is the one getting the surgery done that was mentioned in chapter five. Now not everyone on that old team is fine, Henbane and Clove are fine and they got married to each other, but Foxglove and Nettle… not so much.

Without spoiling too much, Dinah and Oliver were sort of trying to replace their child with Bruce’s daughter (Songbird), but more so full that void, thinking their actual child is dead, but we will cover that in a later chapter.

And yes, Ra’s is back, but I will say in a way he has Bruce’s daughter’s best interest in mind, at least a way to keep her safe, but I am not going to say much else because that will give too much away. There are bigger things to worry about that are going to come up in the story… wait and see…

[sandersstudies]

I’ve recently started teaching a weekly musical theatre class for elementary aged students. I was wondering if you have any classroom management tips? Specifically about getting kids to listen when someone else is speaking (which is obviously important when you’re acting lol)

I (typically) focus on older age groups so feel free to adjust these as appropriate. I like to open each class with four values, and if I’m introducing them for the first time we discuss them as a group. Here’s a very brief summary of the parts relevant to your question.

1) Kindness (hopefully self-explanatory)

2) Respect (How do we respect each other? We listen when others talk, and they listen when we talk. When it is my turn to talk, even the teacher follows this rule and listens to me. It might be helpful for younger kids to have a token to hold to indicate whose turn it is to speak. Sometimes I give kids a quiet or silent motion to do to indicate “I agree” or “good choice.” Snapping fingers, thumbs up, so they can participate without interrupting. Discuss why this is important in a theatre space. )

3) Chivalry (I call it “chivalry” because I’m drawing from a text I quote in class; you can call it “teamwork” or another word. Sometimes we have to give up our ideas for other people’s ideas. Even if it’s a good idea! We all have to work together and that means sometimes we don’t get our own way. We play “Alien, Tiger, Cow,” which I’m sure you can find the rules for elsewhere, to teach this value. Discuss why this is important in a theatre space.)

4) Bravery (Bravery comes last not because it is least important, but because it “supports” our other values. It’s brave to make good choices even when it’s hard! If your friend is distracting you and it’s important to pay attention, it’s a brave and good choice to remind them to wait their turn. If you see a classmate being unkind, it’s brave to remind them that that’s not okay. (It’s also brave to be on a stage and perform etc. but for the sake of this context we will skim over that.))

The key is to get the kids to lock in with these at the beginning of every class and AGREE that they’re important. We all want our friends and classmates to act this way, so we agree to act this way too. This can be harder with smaller kids who are less good at remembering rules and also abstract thought, but it’s a starting point to return to.

I also model these ideas as much as possible. I listen when it’s not my turn. I give up my ideas when somebody else has a good idea. I’ve intervened when it would be easy to ignore. I don’t know how often my kids notice it, but I let them know I’m still trying to do better at these things, and sometimes it’s hard for me too, but we’re here to help each other do our best.