#besides y'all are not as unbiased as you think you are

[gwandas]

I love the people that are like "Nesta stans are so biased and ignore all her flaws" like yeah... obviously. Does this look like a fucking courtroom to you? I'm not a judge I don't need to be impartial

[egg-emperor]

Game canon Eggman is pure evil y'all, rest assured to my fellow evil Eggman enjoyers. He's never acted for any reason that wasn't fueled by his evil/selfish intentions. I've carefully analyzed him in all of his scenes for hours and hours for years and years. I don't need to theorize, speculate, or insist on personal interpretations to get to this conclusion because I specifically go by what the games tell and show me undeniably.

I analyze very literally, not abstract or based on how I feel about it, only literally what I can see and hear. I feel this avoids a lot of unnecessary confusion and complication and it can actually be this way and yet still have a lot of depth to it to explore despite this. I don't see appeal in straying too far with the what ifs rather than the literals that are deliberately blatantly presented because the former is when bias can seep in.

But I know some probably think, "If you think I'm biased because I don't like pure evil Eggman so I don't want to see him as such, why aren't you biased for not liking less than pure evil Eggman? What if you're just seeing what you want to see?" But with the way I only go by what's blatantly there to see and hear in the games themselves in bold explicit forms, I feel I avoid any chance of bias.

I don't like to admit this but when I was younger, I had some incorrect interpretations about Eggman. Yes, even me. XD I never thought he was this completely good and caring guy but I definitely didn't have the most accurate understanding of who he was, how he'd act in certain situations, and what he is or isn't likely to say or do. A lot of my own personal biases at the time were to blame.

Years of heavy studying and analysis got me to where I am now. And I realized he said or did the exact opposite in the games to what I thought he'd do or wrote in my silly private fanfics back then. So I started to look at him neutral and unbiased, without expecting or wanting anything specific and letting it influence my perception. Only exactly what I could hear him say and see him do instead.

I rebuilt my understanding into what it is now and ever since, it has stayed completely consistent. Every new piece of media just reaffirms it or gives me new stuff to add that tracks and doesn't contradict the old in the slightest. I'm still having new revelations, discoveries and eyes opened to new things about him but they only further prove, develop, and strengthen my understanding now.

This was all done by me just shutting off these biased parts of my mind and letting the game canon show me who he was, not by my own personal desires and influences. Then I realized I was such a big fan of what I understood him to be, all of my desires turned into loving game canon Eggman for exactly who he was and wanting him to stay the funny pure evil bastard he is. And he does! 💜

But yeah because of that, even though my old perception years ago certainly wasn't the same level as those that spread misinformation of him being way nicer, softer, and morally good than he is in the games, I know what it's like for bias to influence me in some ways. And those little things I believed then are far different from what I know now, so this isn't an example of me being biased lol

I'm very happy that I came to fully recognize, embrace, and appreciate his funny but very much pure evil self! And one of the main goals of my blog besides expressing my passion, is to help people learn more about him and understand him too because I swear, your enjoyment and appreciation of him can grow so much stronger when you do. I love when I'm told I've helped with that!

But if you really don't like that he's pure evil because it makes you uncomfortable, that's fine. But there's a difference between not wanting to see it because you don't like it and what happens in the games. And if you don't like game canon Eggman like that, I have a lot of respect for you if you admit that and just do something different in your fan stuff, without claiming it to be fact.

But game canon Eggman canonically being a funny silly but very evil and threatening bastard man personally fills me with immense joy and it's why I adore him so much. It's endless fun and entertainment! 🥰💜

[selvesdiscovery]

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This blog is dedicated to helping individual headmates in plural systems live their best, most authentic lives. Feel free to send an ask looking for advice or validation.

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edit: personal boundaries and introduction below the cut

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[clatoera]

Do you think Cato and Clove also have hint of / tendency toward romantic relationship? Or just platonic / district partner thing?

What do you think about their thoughts when the rule change that 2 victors from the same district being announced?

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

OH BESTIE I AM THE WRONG PERSON TO ASK THIS QUESTION L M A O

See that URL. Clato era baby. Not platonic clato and clove. CLATO FOR THE WIN BESTIE. I am EXCEEDINGLY Biased. I am NOT an unbiased source here. Naturally I read into this and im like oh yes. My ship. the actual star crossed lovers in my heart.

If Clato has 1000 fans I am one of them. If Clato has 10 fans I am one of them. If Clato has ONE fan it is me. IF Clato has no fans I am no longer on this earth. If the world is against Clato the world is against ME FR.

All that to say, for me it was in the book when she calls for him at the cornucopia and he ACTUALLY comes running and calls back for her. And when he does so, Katniss hears pain in his voice. When she turns around sees him kneel beside her, spear in hand, begging her to stay with him in a moment he will realize its futile??? Yeah. 14 year old me said oh thats love. Why else would he care so much. I choose to believe that why he holds her as she dies, begs her not to leave, and proceeds to put himself in harms way by sitting with her. And in the books CATO is the one who goes after Thresh. CATO kills him, and Katniss even knew it. She knew Cato was going to follow Thresh, not her.

There was one single night in all of the games where they thought they had a chance to go home together. Imagine the fucking JOY and the fucking PRIDE. The camera was on Katniss and Peeta, and the story is in her perspective, but i'd give just about anything to know how they reacted and that night from their perspective. Like years of training and mental prep to kill each other (which they knew going in, because they BOTH VOLUNTEERED. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Cato and Clove BOTH volunteered for the games with the intention to win. They probably had an agreement that they were the only one allowed to kill the other, and it would have to be a good show), all of a sudden they can just go home together. They can finish the games and go home.

And then fucking Thresh has to fuck shit up. Nah. Also let me have that scene, let me see Cato fucking DESTROY him, because I know it was bloody and brutal and glorious.

Fr. Team Clato Forever. I could talk about them for years. I have 20k words written on them just in 3 chapters. I am a Clato stan before I am a human being. I am proverbially shaking screaming throwing up violently about Clato at any given moment.

The wrong person to ask, the wrong tree to bark up if y'all wanted me to say platonic/district partners LOL.

XOXO

ClatoEra (Clato life)

Thank you @curiousnonny ❤️❤️❤️

[sweetestpopcorn]

genuine question:

how has your fandom experience been after [derogatory] show?

I'm asking because there has been such a huge wave of fans and content and given how the show has been nothing like the book it feels a bit lonely for those who crave content more similar to canon.

So, how do you cope?

Hi there!

Oh wow. That pretty much sums it up.

I have made no secret of my absolute distaste towards redacted and as such, I have spared myself, my eyes, brain, basic intelligence... the punishment of subjecting myself to any of it.

I have the tags blocked and I unfollowed anyone showing THAT any support. It was pretty funny to see people do a turn on their convictions all because of shiny dragons that look more like Jurasic Park (lol), more likes for their posts, and... I don't know trying to look "smart" while they try to find sense in one of the dumbest shows in existence.

If I had gotten my will I would know nothing of it. Alas... I got sent a lot. How much? Yes. So unfortunately I have to live with the fact that I know what happens there and WOW. WOW.

My friend @xenonwitch can attest to the fact that we read all the spoilers and STILL got surprised at sh:t. We legit laughed at a couple of things like:

1- Droopy dying of leprosy which is a disease that does not exist in the asoiaf universe -> the asoiaf version of leprosy is greyscale. Y'all besties are welcome <3

2- Lenny staying alive and Renada and Matt's marriage being a sham and the two of them consciously making their children bastards -> s_ck on that notAegon and notViserys! You thought only the Weak children were illegitimate?! Now you are as well so there!

personally my favourite 3- Dracaryssice by Lana.

I remember when Fae told me of Lana I was so excited. It was so ridiculous that I was like I wanted it to be true... but I was afraid I was getting my hopes up and would be disappointed... but then it happened and I was more joyful than I could say like ❤️🥰 #YASS

4 - Almond Milk accidentally killing Loserys

I will give a honourable mention to Matt chocking Renada while she was pregnant because like with Lana I prayed this was true ❤️ and then it was <3 and the scene was so ridiculous!

I am so happy because I saw so-called "Daemyra" shippers acting all smug defending this trash because the show portrayed Matt like a loser simp going after the girlboss who doesn't give 2 flying f_cks about him -> because women having toxic masculinity traits and men being emasculated is today's modern media version of a "good" story - being proved wrong when haha Matt chocked Renada. And on that note, that was the only scene I liked Matt because honestly F_CK THAT CHICK. She's this weird version of seasons 7 and 8 showArya mixed with Cersei mixed with... I don't know, but she's DEFINITELY not bookRhaenyra! Gods what a joke!

Ok moving on, and before I do, I would like to share me and Fae are thinking of doing a podcast tearing this f_cking sh_t apart. I won't watch the show but she will - #pray4fae2022 - and then we will have fun in the show. And get angry. And pull out the books and compared them to the "unbiased true telling" of HAHAHAHAHAHAHA LOL no it's redacted. It's only redacted. Show canon and book canon are not the same honeys, Turtle sell out said it, Elio and Linda said it, people interviewing said sell out said it. Ryan is as delusional as Trump. Someone get him help. Someone brave. Because his characters can't stay in character from one scene to the next let alone in between episodes and everything out of the actors' mouths in interviews is like "What?!" But whatever, enough rant.

For the most part besides being a tad angry at people defending this trash - I mostly avoid things but still have things sent to me - was getting a lot of new readers and attention to the point I struggle to get back to people. I received this with a mixture of happiness because many of these people are amazing and genuinely like my story and opened their eyes to what trash redacted is, but also sadness because of how it got there.

As for the content I wouldn't be able to tell you because even before redacted I don't search for Dance content sorry 🤷🏽‍♀️

I've said it before, will again. I have been a part of other fandoms as a consumer -> HP, Twilight (lol sue me b:tches), etc -> and I can tell you the asoiaf fandom - for me personally - does not have that many good fanfictions. Honest to god I have read them since like 10 years ago? And to this date I can count on my hand how many of them I was blown away by. Now, comparing that to the HP fandom, literally in two pages I will find at least one that will blow my freaking mind. But this isn't a big surprise for me since this fandom has some of the most insane takes (and people) I have ever seen.

Dance related fics... oh boy!

Anon, when I read Fire and Blood I wanted a fic like the one I wrote and I searched for it. There was nothing, Daemon/Rhaenyra as a pairing were like a sidenote in fics that existed and even so there was what? One page in AO3 I read them and like.... what? There were more fics of her and Criscel and I am just like... did we read the same book?

After I started writing a few others things started showing up slowly (veeeeeeerryyyyyy slowly) but when I read them it was just... No. It was just a No. 

So much trash from Daemon r@ping Rhaenyra to Rhaenyra acting like a sociopathic Lolita in almost every story to... I will stop myself right here. So for the longest time I have stopped searching for anything. I am just setting myself up for disappointment. 

If something is good I trust it will eventually be sent my way, if not... sorry but I rather miss it than go over the tags because 🤢

I think one of the most important lessons I learned from my time in the fandom is: If you want something and it doesn’t exist don’t complain, do it yourself. So this is what I do. I write what I want to read and if I want art, because I can’t draw lol I search for an artist I like and commission them to do something I want to see. I take control and do it myself as opposed for waiting for others to do something that fits into what I want. And if I can share I am made SO HAPPY for it. 

So on that regard redacted has not changed my experience because I have long ago gave up on finding things at random. On that note, however, I don’t think some people realise that I have a home, I work a full time very demanding job, and I have friends and family. I have very limited free time for me alone, and my fic takes HUGE amounts of work and effort from me, so even if I wanted I wouldn’t have the time to read others fics. Eventually I might if it gets sent my way or something, but usually I am busy doing something else. 

Like... I currently have 100 asks here. More than 100 comments to reply to on AO3, tons of fics to update. People asking me to update this and that... I just... 

Lonely though I don’t feel. I made tons of friends throughout the year with GOOD taste and love of logic. And it was the best thing writing fanfiction ever gave me <3 other people to nerd out about my fav characters with <3 and that’s everything. 

This was too long already. Long live the books, and dracarys (accidentally dracarys 😏) the show(S)!

PS: Would you like to hear me and Fae just tearing redacted apart? I will bring my ratty copy of Fire and Blood to it!

[nicoleheichou]

Now All I See Is Color - chapter 30: don't know what to do

♡ masterlist ♡ 《 previous | next 》

In a world where soulmates exist, it's uncommon for most people to find theirs. A lot of them going their whole lives never experiencing the world in color because they've never met their soulmate. But that all changes for y/n when she becomes MSBY Jackals player, Miya Atsumu's assistant. They're about to experience the world in color together. But what does that mean for y/n when both her and Atsumu are in committed relationships?

Earlier you received a text from Semi asking if you wanted to sit with him during the game, which of course you did. He promised to save you a seat, so now you were trying to find him in the crowd of people.

You spot him, surrounded by what you assume to be some of his fangirls. He immediately notices you and motions for you to make your way over, excusing himself from the fangirls. "Semi!" He pulls you into a hug and you can't help but laugh. "How have you been kitten?" Pulling away you get a good look at him. "I'm good! And I really like your outfit Sem, the colors go well together."

"You can see colors y/n?" He questions. Shrugging, you turn to look down at the court with both teams warming up. "That's one of the things I want to discuss with you and Ushi tonight. So let's save it for then. 'Kay?" Not saying a word, the male just nods.

You get the feeling that you're being watched, so you look around for the culprit and your eyes land on none other than Atsumu. He gives you a small smile which you reciprocate. Trying your best to ignore the butterflies in your stomach you turn your attention to Semi. "So what have you been up to?" You spend the rest of the time before the game distracting yourself from the feeling in your stomach by talking with the gray haired male beside you.

You sit in the stands with Semi, waiting for people to clear out and just killing time before you meet up with Ushijima. Your phone vibrates and you see a text from the male, telling you that he's done and waiting for you and Semi by the back exit.

"Come on Sem!" Grabbing his hand you lead him to the back exit. Passing by the restrooms you notice a group blocking your way. You can't help but let out a sigh. "What are you guys doing by the restrooms? And why are you all crowding Sho?"

Atsumu is the first to speak up. "They're ganging up on my wing spiker!" The look of confusion on your face prompts Sakusa to speak up. "Don't listen to Atsumu, they're just saying hi." Finally noticing you, Hoshiumi practically tackles you into a hug. "It's been so long since I've seen you in person y/n." He says while burying his face in your hair.

"Sorry Kou. I've been so busy." You say while reaching up to pat his head. Semi clears his throat beside you, reminding you of what you were supposed to be doing. "Oh yeah! Good game tonight guys! And it was nice seeing you Kou, but I have to get going. Text me?" And with that you excuse yourself and finally head to the exit.

You notice a figure leaning against the wall and you can't help but smile. You could recognize him anywhere, what with how he towers over everyone and just by the way he's built, definitely bigger than the others. "Y/n." He's the first to speak up. "Toshi." You say with a smile before pulling him into a hug. "We got distracted, that little shrimp was having his usual run in with everyone by the restrooms again."

"So what was it that you wanted to talk to us about y/n?" Semi questions as he shoves a spoonful of the curry into his mouth. "I feel like you're the only ones I can talk to about this. I can't go to Suna or my friends, I want an unbiased opinion because I really don't know what to do anymore." You notice that both men have stopped eating to give you your full attention.

Ushijima is the first to speak up. "What do you mean y/n?" Letting out a shaky breath, you decide to start from the beginning. "So I've met my soulmate. I can see colors now." You pause waiting for a reaction. "Holy shit! Really? What's it like? Wait. No. Who's your soulmate? What does Suna think about this? Are you going to leave Suna?" Semi fires out every thought that pops into his head, not bothering to filter any of it.

You bury your face in your hands. "I don't know what to do. My soulmate is Atsumu. And as of right now I have no intentions of breaking up with Rin but...I feel like the more time I spend with Atsumu the more I can picture myself with him." You feel someone rubbing soothing circles into your back, it's only then do you realize that you're crying. "It's okay. You don't have to make a decision right now sweetheart." Looking up you see Ushijima, his olive eyes staring back at you. There was something about his eyes, even before you could see color that almost always immediately comforted you.

"I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm going to hurt Rin. Or that I'm going to hurt Atsumu. I don't know if he remembers but one night he got drunk and told me that he's falling in love with me." It's Semi's turn to comfort you, thumbs swiping at the tears. "Kitten, it's normal to feel what you're feeling. You always put others before yourself, it's okay to be selfish sometimes, you know?"

Was it really okay to be selfish for once? "Well how do you feel about Atsumu? Just because you're soulmates doesn't mean you'll work out. You have to put in the effort like any other relationship." The olive haired male says. People always had the perception of Ushijima being a dumb jock but that was far from it. He just didn't like to talk if he didn't need to.

How do you feel about Atsumu? You've been so focused on his drunken confession that you never really got to focus on your feelings for him. "Sometimes he'll do something or say something meant just for me and I'll get butterflies. I enjoy the time we spend together. When he's hurting, I can't help but feel the same way. I don't think of being his assistant as a job because I like being able to be there for him. But I can't help but think what if I'm just thinking I feel this way because we're soulmates? What if I'm subconsciously trying to make things work because we are soulmates and not because I actually love him?"

"Well how do you feel about Suna?" Semi questions. You let out a sigh. You know your feelings for Suna. "Where do I even start? I love him. I love him so much. And I'm not saying this because I feel guilty or anything. I get excited to see his good morning texts, I look forward to our phone calls, I miss him whenever we're apart, I'm constantly thinking about him. I can see a future with him. That's why I can't help but feel guilty whenever I have these thoughts about Atsumu. They're both amazing, but I don't know what I should do. I don't want to hurt either of them."

"I think it would be best to let both of them know. They have a right to know what your feelings are for the both of them, because they're both part of it too." Although he was a man of few words, whenever Ushijima did speak, it was always exactly what you needed to hear even if you didn't want to. "You don't have to go at this alone, Suna and Atsumu are also there for you." The gray haired male gives you a quick pinch on the cheek. "And if you ever need to talk about it...we're here." He motions between himself and Ushijima. "Did you ever think of being in a relationship with both of them? I mean it worked out for the three of us."

You can't help but chuckle before playfully shoving Semi. "I think I want to be in a monogamous relationship now. It was exhausting having two boyfriends." You tease. But it was an interesting thought, could you really be with both of them? "But really, if you feel like you don't have anyone to talk to about this, we're here y/n." Ushijima broke you out of your thoughts and hearing him comforting you and telling you that you can rely on the both of them, that brought on a fresh set of tears. What did you do to deserve such amazing people in your life?

Bonus:

so i really had Semi joking about a poly relationship in the drafts before y'all suggested it. lol.

the google form is still up if you haven't answered it! i'll probably keep it up for a few days so everyone has a chance to answer it. ☺

comment or message me if you want to be added to the taglist!

it's a crime that all the japan men's vball games are at 4:40am for me but will i be watching them? yes. 🥴

and have a fun weekend! stay safe & hydrated!

oh yeah sleepover is next chapter & it's pretty much a filler. but one of my faves idk.

Taglist [open]: @bakugouswh0r3 @youidiot91 @koffyee @kyomihann @szeonn @chantalkate16 @onlyonew @ntimacy @underratedmage @90s-belladonna @simpletype @toshikamo @todomaniac @sumebreaks @sammistry @pansexualproblemchild @kozuelle @roselleviennesstuff @erensnubs @fantasycantasy @choozari @starsabove-me @halesandy @encrytpta @youraggedybitch @pablopascal @qualitygiantshoepsychic @iheartkuroorin @curiouslilbeast @cannibalcuriosity @fandomsgotmefucked @xhyunjinbbyx

[young-dumb-and-vaccinated]

The Cult Girl (Hannibal x Female!Reader) pt. 7

Sorry this took so long y'all. This chapter was difficult to write. Hannibal invites Theresa for dinner and y/n finally confronts her.

Trigger warning: mentions of suicide, child sex abuse; graphic descriptions of violence; confronting an abuser; body-shaming

The stitches in your cut hadn't even dissolved before Theresa intruded on your life again. Before you stormed out, Hannibal did in fact invite her to dinner. Polite society would rule the invitation null and void after that confrontation, but Theresa felt herself exempt from the laws of politeness. Like Evangelicals or craisins, Theresa loved to insert herself where she was clearly not wanted.

Of course, you were peeved at Hannibal for upholding the invitation when she called. But you could tell he had something planned. He was intrigued by her audacity and wanted to see how far it would take her. You couldn't begrudge him professional curiosity, as you too wondered what the fuck her problem was.

In truth, you saw what he did to your grandma, and you wanted to see him do it to Theresa. You wanted her subject to the same psychological torment that she put you through. And that, you realized, was why he honored that invitation. He wanted to vindicate you. And that was the sexiest damn thing you could possibly imagine.

Theresa showed up alone. That was her first mistake.

"Thank you for having me, Dr. Lecter." Theresa greeted, shedding her long coat and dropping it to the ground. "Will [F/N] be joining us?"

"[F/N] will most certainly be joining us." Hannibal said, his voice hardening. He noticed her coat in a pile on the floor and something in his head clicked.

"I hope I'm not overdressed." Theresa tossed her hair over her shoulders. 

She was. And you knew even before she showed up that she'd wear that green evening dress with the plunging neckline. It was the same one she wore to prom. She kept it as a memento all these years to memorialize the day she completely fucked you over. 

She was here to make history repeat itself. 

"Not all, Ms. [L/N]," Hannibal grinned, glancing at the staircase. "[F/N] is just touching up her makeup.”

“That sounds like [F/N].” Theresa laughed. “She always took the most time getting ready in the morning. And she was always the ugliest. It was quite sad, really.”  

Hannibal reminded himself what he had in store for Theresa before letting himself get angry. “If you could join me in the kitchen, I could use a little help with the appetizers.” 

Theresa took the bait and followed him through the threshold into the massive kitchen. 

“Could I trouble you for some psychological advice, Doctor Lecter?” She said, leaning against the island.

“That depends.” He answered, though the tone of his voice connoted a firm ‘no’. “Are you going to be honest with me?” 

Theresa mounted herself on top of the island and crossed her legs. “I’ve just been having quite a bit of trouble in my marriage.”

"Please get off my counter." Hannibal politely demanded. "I just sterilized it this morning."

“My husband just isn’t so excited by me anymore.” She pouted like a child. “He just doesn’t seem interested in... well, any of the things I have to offer him.” 

“Have you considered the possibility that you have nothing to offer?” You said. You approached them with purpose, the skirt of your purple dress fluttering behind you. Your favorite pair of strappy heels clacked against the tile and echoed through the room with every step. 

“[F/N] makes a valid point.” Hannibal agreed, taking you under his arm. “You’re an abusive narcissist, a serial adulterer, and you’re quite horrible at flirting. I certainly don’t understand what you could possibly have to offer.” 

“Nice to see you again, [F/N].” Theresa said, resigned to her defeat. “I didn’t want to say anything at the wedding, but you look like you’ve gained a few pounds.” 

You almost laughed. Growing up, Grandma had subjected you to every form of body-shaming known to man. Nothing Theresa could say would have any effect on you. 

“Really? Because I’ve never felt better in my life.” You smiled, knowing it to be true. “Hannibal is an amazing cook. You’d probably gain weight too if you were eating so well.” 

"Well, I have appearances to keep up." She refuted. "Gideon and I both have very busy schedules. Besides, he finds the kitchen more of a woman's domain."

"Unfortunate for you." Hannibal threw a dish towel over his shoulder and picked up a wine bottle by the neck. He kept his hands busy by pouring three glasses of wine. "That Gideon does not put in the time to keep you well-fed and fulfilled. Might I suggest not molesting children as a remedy?"

You snickered as he handed you a glass. You migrated to the dining table, where the trial was set to take place.

"Did you invite me here just to gang up on me?" Theresa leaned back in her chair. "Because if so, that's really mature."

"Of course not." You said, Hannibal pulling your chair out for you. You placed your napkin in your lap. "Well, maybe a little."

Theresa took a long sip of wine. "You're not going to get an apology if that's what you're after."

"Oh no." You shook your head. "I've stopped expecting basic human decency from you years ago."

"Good." Theresa huffed. "Since that's clearly what you want me to be, that's what I'll be."

"Don't give me that shit." You sighed. "I know what gaslighting is and you're not as good at it as you think."

"Y'know I never asked to be a parent figure to you and Anna." She crossed her arms.

"You may not have asked for it but you sure as hell enjoyed it." You countered, furrowing your brow. "Don't act like you weren't the dictator's right-hand man. You sucked up to grandma and always got preferential treatment."

"I was a kid." She shrugged. "You're really gonna blame me for the shit I did before my skull fully hardened?"

"Well, it exposes a way larger pattern of behavior." You explained. "You're a megalomaniac that wants power without responsibility. So you attach yourself to someone with power, probably another narcissist who's too self-involved to see what a leech you really are. It's what you did with grandma and it's what you're doing with Gideon."

Dressing Theresa down like that gave you a rush. It made you feel alive. But more importantly, it made her look small. It stripped her of her power.

"Well done, Sherlock." Theresa taunted. "But you're forgetting one thing. If I were a megalomaniac, why would I waste my time beating up on you? Some nobody with no power to speak of?"

"Because I'm a living reminder of your past." You narrowed your eyes. "I remind you that you can't just beat everyone into submission."

"Ladies," Hannibal interrupted, holding three bowls. He placed one in front of you, the savory broth enticing your nose. "This is pot-au-feu. It is a simple French stew made from beef, vegetables and potatoes. I added a marrow-bone for extra richness. It's the perfect combination of simplicity and substance."

You couldn't even wait for Hannibal to sit down. You'd been so hungry all day. Smelling the meat slowly braise over the course of the day was torturous. You went straight for the marrow, which was a recent favorite of yours.

Theresa picked the bone up between two fingers and dropped it onto the table, her face wrapped with disgust. "I think I'll pass. I'm not a dog."

"You are not." Hannibal said, spearing a piece of meat on his fork. "I find dogs much better company."

Theresa tented her fingers and glared at Hannibal. "So you're just going to let her rip into me? Aren't you supposed to be the professional here?"

"Don't discount [F/N]'s analysis just because she is a student." Hannibal glared back at her. "From what I know about you, she's dead on."

"Isn't this entire interaction a professional conflict of interest?" Theresa folded her arms. "I don't trust her to analyze me because she hates me."

Hannibal put his utensils down. Anger flashed across his face. "I don't think you quite understand what this interaction is. You are not owed an unbiased psychological profile, especially not from me. You are not my patient. You are [F/N]'s abuser."

Theresa narrowed her eyes and leaned over the table. "So if you understand that, why am I here?"

"You think very highly of your intelligence, Theresa." Hannibal glanced down at his dish. "Perhaps you can figure that one out yourself."

You coughed, narrowly avoiding choking on your food.

"Darling, please pace yourself." Hannibal instructed, though he seemed pleased with how enthusiastically you inhaled your meal. "You're going to make yourself sick if you eat too fast."

"I'm sorry." You said after taking a long sip of water. "I don't know why, I'm just so hungry today."

Hannibal dropped his eyebrows, looking worried. "Did you take your medicine this morning?"

"I think so." You nodded.

Theresa smiled and reached for her phone. The movement caught Hannibal's attention, and he could tell what she was up to right away.

"Theresa, it's very rude to text at the dinner table." He scolded, taking a sip of wine. "Surely, anything you're saying to your grandmother and Anna, you can say to us."

Theresa, too proud to back down, slipped her phone into her purse and met your eyes. "You're pregnant."

"Brilliant fucking deductive reasoning." You rolled your eyes. "A woman gains a little weight and has a healthy appetite? That's the only logical conclusion I would draw."

"Well, aren’t we defensive?" Theresa taunted. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Theresa, stop it." You gritted your teeth, trying not to convey how pissed you were.

"You're going to need to drop out of school to take care of the baby full time." Theresa sneered.

You knew exactly where she was taking this and you wanted more than anything to just disappear. You reached for the wine bottle and refilled your glass. "Shut up, Theresa. Shut the fuck up before you say something you'll regret."

Her face lit up from the satisfaction of finally making you angry. "And someday you'll blow your brains out just like your mother!"

This time, she would regret it. You chucked the empty wine bottle across the table. It hit her directly in the face with a deafening crunch before ricocheting off the table and shattering on the ground.

Theresa brought her finger to her nose, noticing the stream of blood trickling from her nostril. She stood up, stabilizing herself with the back of the chair.

"I didn't think you had it in you." She jabbed before collapsing to the ground.

You went silent, too afraid to look at Hannibal.

"For what it's worth, darling." Hannibal piped up. "I always knew that you did."

[luciimarii]

i find you in sad songs and sad children (ch. 1)

Shouto goes missing when he is four years old. Touya becomes a pro hero.

Ten years later, there's an attack on the USJ, and Touya is hired to bodyguard class 1-A. He doesn't expect to find his brother while he's at it.

(or: todobros roleswap.)

words: 2,784

ao3 link here

At first, Touya doesn't notice Shouto is missing.

It's not like Shouto is a very loud presence in the house, not like Natsuo or Dad or Touya himself. Shouto sticks to the shadows. He is every bit quiet and reserved a four year old should not be, but Touya tries not to think too hard about that, lest he start smoking in his rage.

So when he comes homes for the first time in a few days from one of his usual sneak outs, he doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary. It's just as silent as it always is, just as tense and suffocating. Sometimes in this house Touya has to struggle to breathe just because the air is so thick with his father's dumbassery.

He pads as silently as he can down the hall. His throat is dry from nights on the streets, and he needs water. But he stops short outside the kitchen when his ears catch on a too familiar sound - Fuyumi's muffled sobs.

"Yumi?" Touya asks quietly as he steps into the room, flinching at the state his twin is in. She's hunched over the kitchen table, head in her hands. The landline behind her is dangling from it's cable, nearly touching the floor, and she's still in her pajamas at three in the afternoon. She jolts when he enters, looking up at him with big, terrified eyes.

"Where the hell have you been? " She asks, just as quietly as him, because in this home children speak quietly.

Touya doesn't quite understand the question. It's been a long time since she asked him that, long since used to his periodic disappearances. "Around," he says, sitting down next to her but not touching her. "What's going on?"

"Mom," she starts, then breaks off into a choked sob, "Mom took Sho. They're gone. "

----------

Ten years later, Touya stands frozen in the middle of his living room.

The screen shows yesterday's attack on UA. His phone dangles in his limp hand. Nezu's words ring in his ears.

We need another low profile hero to stay with Class 1-A at all times. Will you do it?  

Touya's mouth had opened, the word no had been poised on his tongue. But he'd caught Keigo's raised eyebrows, and his little brother's face had flashed in his mind, and somehow, inexplicably, he found himself saying yes.

Excellent! You start Monday.  

"Holy shit," Touya says quietly. He closes his eyes, bringing one scarred hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I don't know how to deal with children."

He hears Keigo snort from the couch, and the channel change from the USJ Attack to some reality show. Touya fucking hates the shitty reality shows Keigo watches, but at least he doesn't have to hear about the USJ again. It's all he's heard about for the last twenty four hours.

"They're teenagers," Keigo says, "They can't be that hard."

----------

They were, in fact, that hard.

Within minutes, Touya finds himself bombarded by what he can only assume are toddlers disguised as teenagers - he reminds himself that he is not that much older than them, nor is he truthfully that much more mature. He also reminds himself of his own boyfriend, who is most likely also a toddler disguised as a pro hero.

His own former teacher, Aizawa, raises a hand as he activates his quirk. Even through the bandages, the man is terrifying. It's been a few years since Touya was on the recieving end of that red eyed glare, but he still has to fight the urge to shout Sorry, Sensei! and scramble back to his seat. The students react in much the same way, the ones that had been shouting excited questions at him now plopped back down in their seats. The pink skinned girl gives him an apologetic smile, and he nods back at her solemnly.

"Now," Aizawa says, "As I was saying. This is Hephaestus, an underground hero, and for extra security he will be joining us on our day to day. You can call him Todoroki-san-"

"Todoroki-san?!" The aforementioned very loud, very excited pink skinned girl shouts, half-standing from her seat, "Like, Endeavor Todoroki?!"

"No," Touya cuts in, lip curling, "Like Hephaestus Todoroki. No one else."

And he must say it a little too harshly, because silence ripples across the room for the first time since he stepped in. Except for the scratching of a pen on paper and quiet muttering - a green haired boy is frantically scribbling something in a notebook. Touya spares him a sideways glance. The blonde boy behind him smacks him upside the head and hisses Shut up!, and Touya figures the problem is dealt with for now.

"As Aizawa-Se - Aizawa said, I'll be accompanying you all from now on. Our goal is to keep a disaster like the USJ from happening again. Any questions?" He crosses his arms, sweeping his gaze across the room. Besides the purple haired boy in the back who seems half asleep, the green haired boy still scribbling in his notebook, and the blonde boy who is glaring at him so furiously Touya thinks he must have done something horrible to him in his past life, the class seems more than a little scared shitless. They stay eerily silent.

"I guess not. Well, then, I look forward to working with you all."

----------

Eighty percent of the time, chaperoning a gaggle of hero wannabes is not nearly as exciting or interesting as Touya expected it to be.

Instead, it's more comparable to having an office job. Touya used to imagine having an office job, just because he knew it would piss off his father, and he supposes now he basically has that. It's a lot of sitting in the back of the classroom while teachers drone on and on and on about things he either already knows or that he forgot as soon as he left school and has no interest in relearning. He spends a lot of time having hushed conversations with Shinsou and Tokoyami, who are both subdued and not-annoying enough that Touya can actually stand to be around them.

Shinsou's an interesting kid. He's the opposite of Touya, in that he was always told he could never be a hero. All Touya was ever told was that he was made to be one. But Shinsou is maybe one of the most heroic kids in the class, if you can get past his offstandish demeanor. Touya can see the heart of gold beneath the glares and eye bags.

He also ends up spending a lot of time analyzing the rest of the class. Like Iida Tenya - Touya swears he met him and his big brothers at all those Pro Hero balls his father dragged him to as a kid. Or Aoyama Yuuga and Midoriya Izuku, with their self destructive quirks that Touya can one hundred percent relate to. He takes special note of them even before Aizawa pulls him aside to specifically tell him about them. Maybe he can teach them a thing or too. He takes note of Bakugou Katsuki, too - with his destructive quirk and quick temper, he reminds Touya too much of what he himself was like at that age. Touya had gotten far too close to going down a very dangerous path because of his temper, and he doesn't want to watch Bakugou go down that same route.

The job isn't always boring, though. The other twenty percent of the time, Touya gets to deal with shenanigans.

Like one morning about a week into his job. For once, he gets to UA early, and he's not sure whether or not that's a good thing. Because Aizawa isn't here yet - nor is half the class - and there is a boy tied up in the middle of the room. Or rather, taped.

Touya stops in the doorway. He doesn't say much at first, instead just watching. A few slightly-singed desks have been shoved aside to leave a rough circle in the middle of the room, where a blonde boy (Touya thinks he recognizes him from the other hero class) is struggling on the floor and restrained with tape. A glance around the room reveals Bakugou has also been taped securely to the wall. Sero stands in between the two, panting and red faced. Midoriya is stood frozen and wide eyed next to Bakugou - a lock of his bangs is black and the rancid smell of burnt hair fills the room. The rest of the present students, who Touya knows as the remainder of the self proclaimed Bakusquad along with Shinsou, are spectating from the other side of the classroom. They all hold varying degrees of "What The Fuck" expressions.

Finally, Touya gives a long sigh. "What the hell? " And about ten different voices start shouting at him all at once.

He holds up a blue hand. "One at a time!" He snaps, and they go quiet. Pointing to the blonde boy, he asks. "Who is that?" Midoriya seems like the most unbiased source in all this, so Touya casts his gaze to him.

Midoriya squeaks at the attention. "Monoma Neito, sir," he says, "From 1-B. Sir."

Ah, one of those kids from the gaggle that had come to interrogate 1-A the other day. They'd all crowded around the door and, truly, been annoying - not that 1-A had reacted much better. Touya hums. "Why the tape? And drop the sir, kid."

"He and Kacchan got in a fight," Midoriya says, which prompts Bakugou to start screaming something so full of profanity that Touya can't keep up.

"Woah, okay, calm the fuck down," Touya says, "Why?"

From the other side of the room, Shinsou gives a tired sigh. "It's Monoma," he says, "And Bakugou. That's the explanation." Touya doesn't know Monoma very well, but he figures that tracks.

"Monoma started it, honestly," Midoriya elaborates. "He called Kacchan a villain, and made fun of some of our quirks..." He doesn't say who, which Touya figures is probably to save the kids' dignity. Touya can respect that, but he still notices the glances Midoriya sends Kaminari and Kirishima.

Touya shrugs. "Well, if that's the case, y'all better clean this place up before Aizawa gets here."

The room erupts into anarchy as the kids scramble to shove the desks back into place. Touya watches, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. A few more students enter and get roped into helping despite not even knowing what happened. Ashido leaves and comes back with a 1-B girl who drags Monoma off to his own class.

"The desks! " Kaminari wails, "They're burnt! "

There is a collective glare at Bakugou.

"So's my hair," Midoriya says very quietly, and Kirishima smacks Bakugou upside the head.

As Uraraka, who'd arrived in the midst of the chaos, works with Midoriya to coax his hair into some short of weird braid/ponytail to hide the burnt locks, Yaoyorozu makes the mistake of arriving to class. All eyes turn to her.

"Uhm," Yaoyorozu says, "Why are the desks burnt?"

"That's not important!" Kaminari says very quickly, "But can you make new ones? "

Yaoyorozu looks to Touya, who sighs. She sighs, too, which is very common in this classroom, then opens her lunchbox and downs three Capri-Suns. "I can try."

So, Touya won't lie. His job isn't the most exciting ever - but it's not boring. These kids are...

Alright, he'll admit it, these kids are growing on him. Like a fungus.

----------

"Admit it," Keigo says one night when he's laying on top of and suffocating Touya on the couch, "You love them." In the background, a woman in one of his reality shows throws a bottle at her sister in law.

"I don't, "  Touya snaps. Despite his harsh tone he runs his hands gently over Keigo's feathers. Keigo hums and tucks his face against his neck.

"You so do. You're a total softie and you love them. Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying," Touya yawns, "They're just... some stupid kids." The conversation lulls there as the two of them doze off, curled together on the couch.

The next day, Touya does not realize there is a feather in his hair when he comes into work. This is the first in a series of unfortunate events that lead to Touya's doom.

----------

In fact, Touya comes to work with feathers on his person on more than one occasion. Then there's a picture taken of underground hero Hephaestus walking with number three hero Hawks. Then Midnight sneaks a glance over Touya's shoulder in the teacher's lounge and spots "Bird Brain" with a black heart emoji next to it, and her and Mic's two brain cells clink together just enough to figure it out.

Which is how Touya ends up with the entire UA staff knowing he's dating Keigo. And is also how he ends up immediately vacating the teacher's lounge to eat with the students.

He seats himself at the self-titled Dekusquad's table with no preamble, because they seem the least likely to A) interrogate him or B) yell at him. Plus, Shinsou's there, and Shinsou's a pretty chill kid.

Still, when he sits down the kids go eerily silent for a moment before Iida gathers himself and says, "Hephaestus-san! Why are you eating with the students and not the teachers, sir? Has there been an emergency?" He swings his arms about in that sharp way he always does as he talks, and his classmates, long used to it, dodge effortlessly.

"The emergency is that your teachers are idiots," Touya says after a long sip of Coca-Cola, "And that I am not allowed to have alcohol on campus."

Iida splutters over that statement for a long time before he cuts off at a startled squeak from Midoriya. The boy looks wide eyed down at his phone, and Touya watches with dread as tears form. He doesn't even chide the boy for having his phone out at school.

"Is everything okay, Deku?" Uraraka asks softly, placing a gentle hand on his upper arm. He flinches away, hiding his phone screen against his chest.

"It's fine," Midoriya says, and Touya takes note of the sudden speed to his breath. "I just - I need to use the bathroom. I'll be right back." Shinsou glares after him as he rushes away. Then, he turns to Touya.

"You gonna talk to him?" Shinsou asks, as though that's the obvious solution.

Eloquently, Touya says, "What?"

"You are the responsible adult."

"Shit," Touya realizes, "You're right." And he rushes to follow after Midoriya.

He finds the kid sitting in the corner of an accessible stall, his grip on his phone white-knuckled and head tucked against his knees. Touya doesn't enter the stall, instead seating himself in the entrance. Midoriya turns his head a little and winces when he spots him, pushing himself closer to the wall. There are so many sirens going off in Touya's head.

"Talk to me, kid," Touya says, "I know I ain't the nicest, but I can try to help."

Midoriya turns his head back to his knees. Touya doesn't judge him - the kid cries a lot, but that doesn't mean he wants anyone to see, and Touya gets that. He doesn't answer for a long time. But Touya doesn't press. He's comforted his siblings enough to sort of understand how to properly talk to a distressed child.

Finally, Midoriya whispers, "Mom said Dad's coming home."

Touya goes very, very still. Then, he asks, "What's your dad like, kid?"

"He's a Pro Hero."

Touya closes his eyes. "Kid..." he starts, then pauses to consider. Fuck it, he thinks, Someone shoulda done this for us. Then he says, "Do you want my number?"

"Huh?" Midoriya asks incredulously, and Touya realizes that's not something you ask your student. He sighs.

" Don't text me for stupid shit," he says, holding out his hand for the phone. "Just - if you need help. I'll come."

Maybe Keigo was right about him going soft. Midoriya holds the phone out and Touya leans forward to take it, not commenting on the way the boy's hands tremble, and he plugs in his number. He's going to keep an eye on Midoriya from now on, that's for sure. And maybe have a word with Aizawa.

Touya watches his phone like a hawk for days after. The Sports Festival comes and goes, and he receives no messages. But on days he knows Midoriya's father is home (he works mostly in America, he discovers), he barely breathes when Midoriya isn't in his sight. He waits for a message, and isn't sure whether or not he ever wants it to come.

Then, when Hosu is on fire, the message comes.

[moxy-fruitbat]

Muriel. Is not. Illiterate.

Warning: long post, wizard swears, some talks about racism

Ok. So I've made this mistake before and this is me calling myself and others out. Muriel knows how to read.

First off, he can write you god damn post cards in heart hunters. Jfc of course he's fucking literate!

So let me talk to y'all about literacy. I'm an educator, and I'm sitting with another of my teacher friends (who is not part of this fandom and is unbiased) as I'm writing this, and she has a reading endorsement and is fact checking me.

(Note: I'm speaking from a very western point of view, here. Things vary in different places and every reader is different.)

First off, there's a difference between being "illiterate" and being "functionally illiterate".

Illiteracy is not being able to read or write.

Functional Illiteracy is when you cannot manage tasks in your daily life due to the level of your reading and writing skills. For modern adult in the United States (again, speaking from being an educator here), this includes comprehending leases and other paperwork, writing and reading at an appropriate level.

It is increasingly difficult to learn to read and write as you get older, once you get past a certain age. That's why you learn to read in kindergarten, or even earlier. This has been backed up by a lot of research and is why it's important to read to babies when they're little.

History time

It wasn't until the widespread practice of public schools that literacy was common. Reading and writing were taught by private tutors in wealthy homes. The ability to read and write was what separated the rich from the poor and kept them in these social classes.

(And even then, segregation in the United States kept people of color poorly educated as a form of systematic oppression. Socioeconomic (read: mostly poc) prejudice is still a problem in today's schools here. It's a very big issue that many don't realize exists.)

Now, about my beautiful sweet boy. Muriel grew up homeless and literally is the definition of a street urchin. I can almost guarantee you he was not taught to read as a child. There is no way, unless someone taught him the basics before he left the South (and I think he would have been too young at the time? PLEASE someone correct me if I'm wrong.)

Even today, functional illiteracy in homeless youth is a problem. (Links here and here)

I believe Asra re-taught MC how to read and, like many have said, he would not have let his best friend stay illiterate. HOWEVER, because he was taught at a later age, his reading level was limited. At the very latest, if he was taught to read at the age his is present-day in the story, he would probably be at a 2nd grade reading level (says my teacher friend). If he was taught around the age at which he met Asra? It would be even higher, if they had access to reading material at the proper level (which Asra did, once he started working for the Count and/or had access to the magic shop, though Muriel was kept basically a prisoner for combat, at that time)

So Muriel is not illiterate, though he would probably be considered functionally illiterate by today's standards.

But here's the thing.

MC is probably functionally illiterate by modern standards, too.

So are the Devoraks.

SO IS LUCIO and he's the god damn Count.

The other important thing to note here is how valued these skills would be in the community. How much does the community value reading and writing skills?

Pirates? Historically didn't place reading and writing as high priority. Julian and Portia were most likely not taught until they were adults.

Barbarian tribes? Historically didn't care either. Lucio probably didn't learn to read until he became a mercenary or even until he was the Count. Look at Morga and tell me if she taught her son to read.

Do the people of Vesuvia value literacy? If we're looking at this historically - probably not. And even if they did, they don't have schools to teach people. Like we said earlier, unless you could afford a private tutor, you probably weren't taught much besides what your parents could teach you. People learned what they needed to get by, and that was about it. That was their standards for functional literacy.

(For MC, I would classify "dying and coming back to life and having to re-learn everything" in the same category as having to re-learn things after having a stroke. Strokes often produce reading difficulties. Here is a link for that)

In conclusion:

- Basically everyone in Vesuvia is functionally illiterate by today's standards.

- But by Vesuvia's standards, Muriel is functionally literate. He is just fine.

- Can he read scientific articles? Probably not. Half the time I can't either, tbh. Can he order some god damn smoked eel from the salesman or read a map? Yes. He can.

If you think Muriel is the ONLY ONE who is illiterate, you need to check your racial bias.

P.S. Just because someone is functionally illiterate doesn't mean they are not smart. I work with teens who fall into this category all the time, and they're not fucking stupid. Muriel knows his shit and now - so do you.

(I want to thank @apprenticeofcups for bringing this hc to my attention for the first time. This is a topic I feel very strongly about. Obvs.)

[staytheb]

Formal

Pairing: SKZ’s Chan x OC [Jyongri] || SKZ’s Hyunjin x OC [Nayoung] Genre: school!au, slice of life, slight fluff Word Count: 3,649 Summary: Chan and Hyunjin find out that their crushes like them back, but Jyongri and Nayoung don’t plan on confirming this and run away instead.

Warning: none... i think. maybe swear words. i honestly forgot. lol

yeah, bang chan pops up a lot. lol other than that, my sister does have a top 3, but still leaves me wondering who i should write her with. lol as for the title it’s another double meaning. Formal as in Winter Formal which is like a dance and then the other Formal of being recognized and validated. lol i hope that makes sense, but anyways, happy reading and kthxbai, Admin Lia~

revised. 9.10.20

"Just confess already." Jyongri told Nayoung as the duo were outside the dance room.

"I'll confess if you confess, too." Nayoung countered.

The two best friends were hanging out after school and stopped by the dance room to see the people inside dancing. More in particular it was so that Nayoung could watch her crush from a distance while he danced with his seven friends.

"You're the one that's way more obvious than me." Jyongri remarked. "Besides I think Chan's dating Sana so there's no point in confessing to him."

"They're not together."

"How do you know?"

"Jisung." Nayoung smirked.

"I don't trust anything that comes out of that squirrel's mouth."

"Don't be mean. He doesn't look that much like a squirrel."

"Have you seen his mouth full of food?"

"No."

"Just wait until you do."

"Whatever. Anyways, if you confess to Chan, then I'll confess to Hyunjin."

"I already told you I won't confess because he's already dating someone else."

"I just told you that Jisung said that they weren't."

"And I ain't gonna trust shit from that damn idiot."

In the midst of their bantering the best friends didn't notice the door opening revealing two people.

"Oh, hey. Are you guys here to see me?" Minho asked with a smirk.

"No." The girls chorused as Changbin laughed. "They're probably here for you know who, Minho."

"No we're not." They chimed once again at the same time.

"Oh really?" Minho mused before smirking wider. "We're taking a break and so have time to hangout."

"No thanks." Nayoung answered as Jyongri agreed. "Yeah. We're good."

"Oh, yeah?" Minho confirmed with a mischievous expression. "So you won't do anything if I tell them that you like them?"

"No." The girls deadpanned with a neutral expression not believing the male.

"Okay! Changbin, help me!"

Changbin took a hold of Jyongri while Minho took a hold of Nayoung and the boys pulled the girls inside the dance room with them.

"Hey, Hyunjin! Nayoung likes you!" Minho exclaimed mischievously as Changbin did the same thing. "And Chan, Jyongri likes you!"

"Minho's just joking! Don't listen to him!" Nayoung denied as she pulled her arm from his grip.

"Yeah, Changbin's doesn't know what he's talking about either." Jyongri added with a laugh while pushing Changbin away from her. "Uh, bye!"

Jyongri ran out of the room leaving Nayoung behind.

"This girl." Nayoung muttered before feeling Minho's elbowing her side. "What?"

"Hyunjin's coming this way."

"I hate you."

Nayoung shoved Minho away, too, as she high-tail out of the room just like Jyongri.

"Aww, this time I thought you two would actually get their confession." Jisung said with a pout. "I had such high hopes."

"Hmm, I mean, the girls don't have to confess. These two could just do it, too." Jeongin suggested while looking at his friends. "Right?"

"They could, but it depends if these two have the courage to do so." Seungmin said while pointing at Chan and Hyunjin with a smile.

"Was this like some big secret that you're all telling us this stuff now?" Chan asked while looking at his friends. "Because I hope it's not a joke."

"It's not a joke, Chan." Jisung replied. "Those two have a crush on you guys since forever, but they're in denial and just play it off as y'all being cute even as friends."

"Yeah, I have to agree." Changbin confirmed with a nod. "It's kinda weird."

"Well, it's not like we'll be able to find them now since they ran off." Hyunjin reasoned with a shrug. "There's no point in chasing them if they ran off in the first place."

"Jyongri's usually spends a lot of time in the library even during her free time. She probably hiding over there since I think she thinks that Chan isn't the reading type because of his athleticism." Seungmin informed the group with a laugh. "It's kinda stereotypical, but she mentioned it this one time when she had to do a project with this girl, but the girl kept making excuses about basketball practices."

"I go to the library, some times." Chan pouted, but no one agreed or disagree with him as they just laughed instead.

"And Nayoung's probably at 3RACHA since she helps run the store with Ms. Ahn." Felix added. "I know she's always there during lunch time since she's the main person that runs 3RACHA when Ms. Ahn isn't there."

"Good. Maybe you guys can ask them out for Winter Formal." Minho smiled. "Now go before I ask them instead to make the both of y'all jealous."

"Actually, I have a plan or two that can make it a little more fun." Jisung smiled wide as his eyes sparkled.

~~~~~~~~

Jyongri did go to the library. She was on the second floor finishing her homework before going home. Jyongri would have done it at home, but she was always interrupted by her niece ever since her older brother and sister-in-law separated since the summer and her brother had custody of the child. She was in the midst of a math problem when she heard the two chairs besides her scraped against the floor and she looked up to see two of her friends, Yugyeom and BamBam.

"Um, what are you guys doing here?" Jyongri asked them with a suspicious look.

"Can't we come to the library and read, Riri?" BamBam asked with a hurt face as Jyongri rolled her eyes before answering. "Y'all don't even read and I'm surprised you even found me up here."

"Well, it's not hard to miss that blonde and pink hair of yours." Yugyeom reasoned with a laugh before pouting. "And we know how to navigate the school. The library is just as important."

"Mmhmm." Jyongri closed her books while putting them away and speaking at the same time. "So, what do you guys want from me?"

"We need you to settle a bet between the two of us." The males chorused as she cast them a suspicious look. "Why me?"

"Because you're unbiased and the only one that's free." Yugyeom reasoned.

"No, I'm not. I was finishing homework."

"You can do that at home. That's why it's homework." BamBam stated.

"Doesn't matter." Jyongri dismissed them. "What kind of bet is it?"

"You have to judge us on our basketball skills at the gym." BamBam informed her and Jyongri scoffed. "Y'all don't even play basketball. Heck, y'all don't even play any type of sports. So why would you guys make a bet about that?"

"If I win, BamBam has to buy me all of the Chris Brown's album." Yugyeom said as BamBam added his. "And if I win, then Yugyeom has to buy me two pet cats."

"Y'all are stupid with your bets."

"If you come, then we'll buy you any bubble tea drink you want for the rest of the school year." Both males suggested as Jyongri contemplated the idea.

~~~~~~~~

"Thanks for being such a dear, Nayoung." Ms. Ahn thanked her student as Nayoung was putting away the last bits of the supplies in their respective places.

"No worries, Ms. Ahn. I love to help out 3RACHA." Nayoung said with a smile. "It'll definitely help me out when I go to college and major in business."

"Lovely. I'll make sure to put in a good word so just let me know."

"Will do! Is there anything else you would like me to do before I go?"

"Just organize everything and make sure everything's ready for tomorrow. I'll be back after a market run. I forgot to pick up some more muffins and cup noodles. Don't worry about locking up. I'll make sure to do that as I leave in a bit." Ms. Ahn informed Nayoung as Nayoung gave her the OK sign.

While Nayoung's back was to the door she didn't notice that another student, Chanyoung, had slipped into the classroom just as Ms. Ahn was leaving it at the same time. She greeted the male student before leaving and Chanyoung quietly creeped up behind Nayoung.

"Boo!" Chanyoung scared Nayoung as she jerked forward before turning around to smack whoever had spook her.

"Ahh, Chanyoung! You're so annoying." Nayoung commented as the male just laughed at her reaction.

Nayoung smacked him until he finally backed away from her and quieted down his laughter.

"Why are you here, Chanyoung?" Nayoung asked him as she went back to finish what she was doing.

Chanyoung stood to the side of her so that he could still be in her line of sight before asking her a question. "Did you forget what today was?"

"It's a Wednesday."

"Yes, but you were supposed to watch me practice my dance routine."

"When did I say that?"

"Last week."

"I don't remember."

"I messaged you about it and you said you would come."

"Probably missed it."

"Wow. What a great friend you are."

"I know right. Besides, don't you have your other friends to watch you? Like Jeongseung or Dylan?"

"Nah. They have their own thing to do today."

"Why do I need to watch you today, anyways? Can't I like do it tomorrow?"

"No. Because I'll be performing it in dance class and so there's no use for you to watch me tomorrow."

"Oh, I see."

"So, will you or not?" Chanyoung asked once again before a knowing smile graced his lips. "Or do I gotta convince you with food?"

~~~~~~~~

Jyongri agreed to help Yugyeom and BamBam as a boba a day was worth it. It wasn't until she got shoved into the gym and locked in by her two friends as she thought she was supposed to help them with their bet. She tried to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge. She knew they were holding it in place so that she couldn't get out.

"I knew it was a set-up. Why did I second guess my gut feeling? Ugh, this is what happens when you're easily bribed by yummy goodness." Jyongri grumbled as she turned away from the door and scanned the empty gym except for several basketballs scattered about the court.

Jyongri tried again to open the doors, but no use and so headed towards the balls instead knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to leave although she wondered why there was only two doors to exit the gym and not several more like she's seen in other places. Jyongri dumped her backpack by one of the bleachers and went to observed the balls since they should have been cleaned up and put on the rack instead of laying about. Might as well shoot some hoops while she was stuck in the gym until they decided to let her leave. When she picked up one she noticed that there was some markings on it and realized that someone had written on it.

"A question mark?" Jyongri said with furrowed eyebrows before glancing at another ball and walked towards it, picked it up, and read the word on it. "To."

"I swear, if this is another trick, BamBam and Yugyeom are gonna wish they didn't send me here." Jyongri mumbled although she was low-key curious as to what the sentence would be once she figured it out.

Soon enough she began to gathered the other six balls, read each word on them, and then started rearranging them to make a question that would make sense. When she was done within several minutes did she take a few steps back to admire her work and read out the words on the basketballs out loud.

"Will you go to formal with me?"

"Yes or no?"

Jyongri heard a male voice suddenly asked from behind her. When Jyongri turned around she came face to face with Chan who was holding a basketball in each hand with 'yes' written on one and the other written with 'no'.

"Ahh, so this is the real reason." Jyongri said with an awkward laugh before looking up to hide any embarrassment that might have surfaced upon her face while muttering the last bits to herself. "Those two will suffer for setting me up though."

"Um, yeah." Chan confirmed with a sheepish laugh before apologizing. "Sorry about BamBam and Yugyeom. I asked them to help me with this since Jisung was the one that came up with this idea."

"Of course, Jisung would be involved, too." She said with a shake of her head before she muttered the last bit more to herself. "That nosy and busy-body squirrel."

"So will that be a yes or no?" Chan asked while feeling a bit unsteady as Jyongri hadn't given him an answer yet.

"Do you have one that says maybe on it?" Jyongri asked hopefully although she wasn't sure why she was running away from this since it seemed her crush liked her back, too.

"Sorry, no. I do not." Chan laughed before letting out a sad and heavy sigh. "You can just say no, Jyongri. You don't have to go with me to formal just because I asked you by kinda trapping you in the gym to do so."

"No, Chan, it's not that. I do want to go to formal with you, but it's weird how this just came to be." Jyongri admitted with a shy look. "That's all."

"Oh, so that's a yes?" Chan held up his right hand that had the ball with 'yes' written on it.

Jyongri was about to deny it, but realized that she had just admitted her feelings to her crush just a few seconds ago. It finally clicked that he wanted to go to formal with her even though the way he asked her was somewhat of a set-up. Anyways, Jyongri nodded in confirmation as Chan let out a quiet yes while tossing the ball in his left hand behind him. He dribbled the ball in his right hand while coolly walking closer to Jyongri and when he reached her he coolly shot the ball towards the hoop, but it hit the rim and bounced out of bounds instead.

"Smooth, Chan, very smooth." Jyongri teased as Chan faced her like nothing had happened with the ball. "I hope that even though you didn't make the shot, you're still gonna take me to formal, right?"

"Why thank you, Jyongri, and yes I still wanna take you to formal." He thanked her with a wide grin before it turned into a sheepish look a second later. "Now that we're still gonna go to formal together I have to confess something."

"What's that?"

"I like you." Chan confessed with an adorable expression on his face.

"So Nayoung was right that you weren't dating Sana."

"No, we're not dating. We're just friends."

"Alright, embarrassing, but whatever." Jyongri rolled her eyes at her own dumb self before giving Chan a shy look. "Since you already said it, I like you, too, Chan."

Chan let out a relieved breath while making a fist in a victory like pose.

"Okay, good. Because it would haven totally been awkward if you said no and if you didn't like me back. I really thought the boys were messing with me."

"Well, now you know the truth. I'll see you tomorrow because I'm gonna go home."

"How about I walk with you home?"

"You live on this side of town so there's no point in you double tracking."

"What if I don't mind double tracking?"

"What if I just don't want you to walk me home?"

"Then, I'll be sad, but respect your decisions."

"You're sweet."

"Uh, thanks?"

Chan said in a questioningly like tone as Jyongri let out a chuckle before remembering the basketballs.

"Um, you won't get in trouble for destroying school property, right?"

She indicated at the balls as Chan looked at them, too.

"Um, maybe a little, but if I just put them away, no one may know who's the real culprit."

"Ohh, I like that idea. Let's hurry and put them away and then you can take me home."

Jyongri suggested while she turned around to began picking up the ball as Chan followed suit.

"I thought you didn't want me to walk you home?"

"I lied, but don't ponder on that too much, just help me put away the balls so that you won't get in trouble and we can't go to formal together."

"Gotcha." Chan obeyed with a laugh as helped Jyongri put away the basketballs.

~~~~~~~~

"Just wait for me here. I forgot something and need it for my performance." Chanyoung informed Nayoung as he opened the door for her to enter. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay." Nayoung replied while entering the dance room.

Not really looking around the room or the person within it, Nayoung sat herself down against the wall and pulled out her phone as she waited for Chanyoung's return. Hyunjin frowned upon being ignored unintentionally by Nayoung as she hadn't noticed him upon entering the room. Although he was standing in the center of the room while carrying a stuffed animal in each hand despite feeling a bit ridiculous as time ticked by.

"What's taking Chanyoung so long to come back?" Nayoung muttered in annoyance as she turned her head to look at the door. "He better not be playing with me."

When Nayoung's eyes actually scanned the room to pass the time she finally noticed the other person in the room. Even though Hyunjin was her crush Nayoung wasn't  gonna let him get away with mad-dogging her. From her position she spoke out to him instead of standing up and going over to him.

"Why are you mean-mugging me?"

"I'm not." Hyunjin responded while trying to fix his expression, but it wasn't working.

"Yeah you are. You're basically glaring at me and I don't know why. What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing, Nayoung. You didn't do anything." Hyunjin answered with an apologetic expression, before shooting her a look. "And I was not glaring at you."

"Okay, Hyunjin. Whatever you say." Nayoung dismissed the topic and switching to another. "Why are you just standing there and holding stuffed animals?"

"Well, Nayoung, I was gonna ask you to formal, but it seems like you're not interested." Hyunjin said with a heavy sigh as he dropped his hands to his side with the plushies still held tightly in his grip.

"What makes you think I'm not interested?"

"You didn't acknowledged me when you came inside."

"So, basically, you're salty that I didn't notice you and that's why you were mad-dogging me earlier?"

"Yes, I mean no." Hyunjin admitted before correcting himself to seem like it didn't bother him.

Nayoung chuckled at his behavior before realizing something.

"Chanyoung doesn't have a dance thing does he?"

"No." Hyunjin answered with a slight smile.

"Which means he's not coming back, right?"

"Yes."

"Seriously, y'all play too much."

Nayoung stood up while adjusting her backpack onto her back. Hyunjin slightly panicked believing that Nayoung was just gonna leave without giving him an answer and he rushed towards her.

"Wait. Where are you going?"

"Nowhere. I'm just stretching my legs."

Nayoung gave him a weird look while giving him a once over.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just thought you were gonna ignore me again without giving me an answer about formal."

"You never asked me about formal, Hyunjin."

"I thought I did."

"No. You were too busy being salty." Nayoung teased as Hyunjin rolled his eyes before asking her the question. "Will you go to formal with me?"

"Well, that depends. Will I get to keep both of them?" Nayoung asked while pointing at the grey and blue koala plush dolls in his hold.

"If you say, yes, then you can have both." Hyunjin answered with a smile while holding them up and out towards Nayoung.

Upon closer inspection Nayoung tilted her head as they looked quite familiar despite the words 'yes' and 'no' being written on their tummies.

"These look like the ones I've been missing for a few weeks except for the words written on them."

Hyunjin shrugged. "I dunno. Jisung gave them to me earlier."

"That little brat. He was the one that stole them in the first place even when I asked him about it. Wow. He even wrote on them, too! What a brat."

"Well, here you go." Hyunjin smiled returning the stuffed animals to their rightful owner.

"I haven't said yes yet."

"Oh, then should I take them back?"

Hyunjin teased as he took back the plushies and raised them above his head.

"Hey, no fair!" Nayoung exclaimed with a pout as she tried to reach for her toys, but Hyunjin had really long arms despite her own tall height as well.

Hyunjin glanced down at her with a playful look. "Say yes and I'll give it back to you."

"Are you trying to bribe me in going to formal with you?"

"Technically, yes, but I now know that you want to go with me so I'm also trying to get you to confess that you like me, too."

Nayoung stopped trying to reach for her dolls and gave Hyunjin a neutral look.

"Okay, Hyunjin, so I do like you. So what?"

"I like you, too, Nayoung."

"Oh, I see."

She suddenly became shy as Hyunjin laughed, brought down her koala bears, and returned them to her.

"Thanks." Nayoung thanked him before staring at their stomachs. "I wonder how long it'll take to wash out the marker."

"We can find out right now. Mr. Seo should still be in the art room."

"Is this you trying to help me or an excuse to spend more time together?"

"Um, both?"

"That's cute." Nayoung chuckled before handing him the grey koala with the word 'no' on it. "You're responsible for him."

She held up the blue koala with 'yes' on it. "I'll take care of him."

Hyunjin smiled finally getting the answer he wanted.

[searchingff-blog]

Chapter 6: Slipping

“You’re going to stop trying to get me pregnant too.” Cassi giggled as soft kisses were being placed on her plump behind.

It was early in the morning and the couple just finished making love. Well for her it was more like sex, but for Saint he was connecting with her physically and mentally. She had a way with her body that no other female he came in contact with had. To make matters worse Cassi knew what she was doing. When it was just the two of them she made him feel godly, and like what he had between his legs was magic, black magic that sent secret messages to her brain. It was all apart of the game she played, and he had no idea about it.

“I can’t help it. The pussy be soooo gewd a nigga be forgetting I’m hitting it raw.” He chuckled,  taking an open palm to her ass.

“When I put that ass on child support you better be singing the same tune.” She laughed, letting him roll her over on her back and sliding between her legs.

“You trying to get me pregnant now and I don’t have a ring on this finger.” She raised her hand, and moved her ring finger back and forth. “How I know it’s real?”

“I don’t take care of you? I don’t treat you like a queen?” His face was more serious than his voice.

Cassi laid there quiet.

“Aight then. Better stop playing with me girl.” Her silence was the only answer he needed. They both knew what he did for her, and the pedestal she sat comfortably on. Saint leaned down, and pecked her lips. “I’m hungry.”

“You want your favorite?” She caressed his face.

“You already know I do.”

They connected lips once more, and then he rolled on his side of the bed.

Cassi slid off the bed, and grabbed her robe out of the closet. She walked out the room, and headed down the hall to the kitchen to whip up loaded french toast, eggs, and hot sausage.

TEN MINUTES LATER

The aroma from the kitchen was traveling into the room, and only made Saint hungrier. He knew that the food had to be nearly finished by now, but was going to stay in bed until she called him. It was still early, and nothing entertaining was on TV besides reruns that he didn’t feel like watching, so the TV ended up on some random movie. His undivided attention was on the movie until the bed started vibrating. At first he thought it was his phone, but when he found the rose gold IPhone he saw that it wasn’t his.  

Zeus 😄: Good morning beautiful

Zeus 😄: You miss me?

“What the fuck?” He whispered to himself.

Saint could feel his blood boiling. He knew the two of them were friends, but to text her that early in the morning as if Cassi was his girl infuriated him. The angel on his shoulder was telling him to calm down, but he couldn’t. He jumped out of bed, and glided down the hall.

“Good morning beautiful, you miss me?” His face emotionless.

“It hasn’t been that long.” She chuckled, facing the opposite direction.

“Nah, I ain’t the one missing you. It’s this nigga Zeus texting sweet shit in the fucking morning.”

The moment his name collided with her eardrum she was cursing herself out in her head. How could she be stupid enough to leave her phone in the bed? She needed to gain her composure quick.

“First calm down, and second I’m sure he meant to send that to someone else.” She turned the stove off and faced him.

“Fuck all that shit he know who he texting. Open your phone, and let me see the thread.” He offered the phone towards her.

“I’m not doing that. You don’t trust me? Really Saint?” Playing the victim was her go to plan, because what was inside that thread he wasn’t going to be able to handle.

“Open the damn phone and i’ll tell you.” He stared her down.

Most of the time it was hard for him to put his foot down with her, but he knew how Zeus operated from what Azure went through.

“You can tell me now because i’m not doing that shit.”

Cassi not opening her phone was making him more suspicious.

“What the fuck you got to hide? Something obviously with this gay ass smiley emoji next to his name. You got me fucked up Cassi.” He placed the phone down on the counter.

Saint wanted to trust her, but something wasn’t sitting right with him. If it was nothing he had no problem apologizing once she proved to him that it wasn’t nothing. Instead she let his suspicions heighten.

“The food is done asshole.” She rolled her eyes, turning back around to make plates.  

“I lost my appetite. Go feed it to the nigga that misses your ass.” He made his way back to the to the room.

“Are you serious right now?”

Her response was the bedroom door being slammed.  Cassie dropped the spoonful of eggs and picked up her phone.

Cass 👅: Why the fuck would you text me that.  Saint seen that shit, and now he’s pissed. Thanks a lot asshole.

After she sent that text she erased the thread, and blocked his number. There was too much evidence in those messages. The bedroom door opened back up, and Saint came around the corner fully dressed.

“Where you going?” She questioned, looking him over.

“To go get something to eat. I need some fresh air.” He grabbed his keys off the coffee table.

“Bye.” She said carefree. Arguing with him this early in the morning wasn’t on her agenda

As much as he wanted what she cooked he needed to teach her a lesson. Hopefully she was going to get it.

——————————–

It was around two in the afternoon when Hazel pulled up to Razor Cutz, the barbershop Zeus worked at, with food and a couple things she needed to get off her chest. Zeus was like her brother, so when she needed somebody to talk to about Roman she went to him for advice. He was an unbiased and neutral ear that would tell her if she was wrong in the situation. However,  Azure was her blood sister and what happened to her the other night at the club was unacceptable. Things, women, baby mommas, hoes needed to be put in place and he was the one who needed to do it.

“Hey yall.” She waved and smiled at the other barbers in the shop. “Not you tho. We got some shit that needs to be handled and addressed.” She pointed at Zeus.

“What this clown do now?” One of the barbers joked.

“Mane, shut ya ass up.” Zeus laughed, motioning for her to come to the back with him.

The two walked to the back of the barbershop, and he closed the door behind them. He knew what she was coming to chew him out about, and even though he handled it already he was going to take it like a man.

“Curry goat, rice and peas?” He took the bag of food.

“Yeah, my momma still be looking out for you.” She rolled her eyes.

“She a saint forreal.” He opened the container, and let the aroma fill his nostrils up.

After everything that had happened between Zeus and Azure, her mom still made sure he was taken care of. They’d been together so long he had become apart of the family.

“You know who’s not a saint, Azure. You need to get your baby mother in check because shit like that can’t happen again. It won’t happen again.” Her voice was stern, and the emotion her face portrayed was severe.

“You’re right, and that’s why I took care of it already. AZ won’t have to worry about her anymore.” He said reassuringly.

“Good, because come time for my dinner I don’t need any drama to pour out onto the table.”

“What’s this big dinner for again?” He asked before stuffing his face.

“It’s a surprise.”

In reality the dinner was put in place to be the night they revealed that they were pregnant.  Hazel wanted to cancel it after the miscarriage, but Roman suggested they still did it to have a good time. It took a minute for her to agree, but she finally did. Now they were using the dinner as the time to reveal the new house. She prayed and hoped that they were on good terms that day. Things had been chaotic in their household, and she wasn’t sure how they were going to recover after this. Marriages weren’t easy and they took some fighting to stay afloat, but this seemed like it was either going to make or break them.

“Also, Azure will be there and she already said she doesn’t want no parts of you, so don’t go thinking you’re going to weasel your way back in, because it ain’t happening. Your baby mom’s fucked that up for you.” That was one of the reasons why she invited the both of them, and her plan had already failed.

“I wasn’t going to mess with her regardless. I’m just going to apologize, and keep it pushing.” He lied, knowing he planned on seeing if she’d do dinner or a movie with him.

“Nope, I’ll let her know because you stay doing other shit.” She chuckled, reaching in her black leather MK bag for her phone.

A couple weeks back Hazel started to get these weird text messages regarding her husband. The first time she didn’t pay it any mind, because she just thought somebody was playing on her phone. It didn’t become a pressing matter for her until they started sending pictures of him. She couldn’t wrap her mind around the riddle, or figure out the encoded message behind it.

“Look at this.” She pulled up a message, and handed him the phone.

Unknown Number: Is your husband as ride or die as you think? You might want to question him about some of the company he keeps.

Zeus furrowed his brows at the message. He had no idea what the person could have been talking about.

“What you think they talkin about?”

“That he’s cheating. What else could it be?”

Zeus laughed, and shook his head. “Women always go straight for cheating. Trust me, that man loves you and he aint fucking no other bitch.”

“I don’t know, we been at odds for a minute now.”

“About what?” He looked at her with confusion. They seemed to have the perfect relationship.

“Family stuff.”  She thought about bringing him in on the miscarriage information, but didn’t want to deal with those emotions again. Everything about the situation she was still healing from, and each time she brought it up she broke down.

“Ohhh, mane you talkin like it’s deep shit that y'all can’t get passed. You two will work it out.”

Zeus always congratulated Roman on being able to stick with one woman, and be faithful to her. He wanted that for himself, but the one he wanted didn’t want anything to do with him. When he was with Azure he had it good. She was everything that he ever wanted in a women, but he let temptation shatter it, and didn’t realize it until after jail. Jail turned him into a new man, and he wasn’t going to give up on her just yet. He had a couple things up his sleeve.

“I hope you’re right, but you good?” She asked, standing up. Hazel had some work errands to run.

“Yeah, go handle your business sis.” He assured her she was good to go.

“Alright, stay outta trouble.” She walked by him, and patted his shoulder.

“Ya know I’m a feign for it.” He laughed, finishing off the rest of the food.

———————————

Cassi’s day had been horrible, and it was all because a man got comfortable. Zeus was a good lay, but it seemed like he let that cloud his judgement this morning. She hadn’t been able to reach Saint all day, and that was something she wasn’t used to. Usually he would throw a fit,  and come home, or call her within thirty minutes. This wasn’t like him, and it made her feel uneasy. All she wanted to do was tear a hole into the side of Zeus’ face with her words of fury.  

She drove into the city just for him. Knowing him he was the last person in the shop, so interrupting his business wasn’t going to be a factor. When she pulled up she sat out front to make sure nobody else was inside. Everything looked good, so she exited the car with anger plastered on her face.

“Nigga are you dumb, or just fucking stupid?” She walked into the shop with no positive introduction.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He looked at her, taken back by her approach.

“You know exactly what the fuck I’m talking about. Why text me some shit like that knowing damn well I have a man? You’re a pro at cheating and being a fucking side nigga so you should know the damn rules.” She wasn’t aware of how furious she actually was.

“Hold the fuck up. Don’t bring your thot ass up in here talking crazy at me, because your dumb ass was sloppy with your shit.” He was irritated.

“Thot? Who the fu-”

“You bitch, fuck else I’m talking to and go ahead and say some more reckless shit so I can hurt your feelings some more.” He stared down at her with the intent of doing so already. “You can play this shit with that scrub, but dont bring your ass in here talking to me out the side of ya neck like I won’t violate.”

“Fuck you Zeus.” She was surprised by what he was saying.

“Your hoe ass already did that. How you fix your lips to talk about anybody being a pro cheater? Your whole relationship is a fucking cheat. That nigga was the first to wife you up instead of passing you along to the next, and you too dumb to realize it, so niggas like me come and catch a nut because the pussy is decent, and the head is good. You fucked around, and let him see the message that’s on your ass. You forget the shit I did for your ass?” He paused to stare her down to let the question sink in.

“Yeah…” He voice was as tiny as a mouse.

“Yeah! I killed for your ass, and fucked up my life and didn’t snitch on you. So if I want to text you, call you, hell even pull up and tell you to bring ya ass outside I can do that. Because wasn’t nobody else gonna handle that nigga after he put you in the hospital, and almost killed ya ass.”

Cassi was the reason Juan was dead. She was dating him, and sleeping with Zeus at the same time. When she ended up in the hospital, face rearranged, in a coma, somebody had to do something and he stepped up to the plate. When she finally woke up she set him up, and instead of meeting her he met the end of Zeus’ barrel. That wasn’t his main chick, but he had a soft spot for her. There were multiple times he regretted doing what he did, but right now was the icing on the cake and it showed him that she didn’t appreciate what he did for her.

“Take ya ass the fuck home.” He waved her off, and went back to cleaning up the shop.

Cassi was shocked at the verbal abuse she received. Her body was numb and she couldnt move until he told her so. On her way out the door tears streamed down her face. She hadn’t felt this low in a long time, and didn’t think she could ever feel this way again. Her hand was shaking as she tried to place the key in the ignition. Finally, she started the car and sped off almost hitting a car coming from behind her.

The car wasn’t the only thing she missed. The man in all black who heard their entire conversation was missed as well. He’d been following her for some days now.

“Yeah, Lena I think you might have to pick up his old girl.”

[velvetjongseong]

you got something against my babies, Haylijah?

I’m guessing this must be in reference to my comment in my tags re: the 4x01 plot description. I’ll quote it so we’re all on the same page: “#it would’ve been better if it was just ‘revive the slumbering mikaelsons’ but i ain’t gon tell y'all how to write your summaries”

First off, anyone who knows me knows where my priorities lie with this show: the Mikaelson family. I’m one of the most unbiased people when it comes to the ships on this show because I see pros and cons for all of them. I’ve never been either K/lamille or K/layley, and my shipping of HE has always been a wildly casual business, a step above inflamed crackshipping.

I’ve always liked HE aesthetically. I think Daniel and Phoebe work very well together and have great chemistry. I have shipped HE since the beginning. I certainly don’t ‘got something against’ them.

So let’s circle back around to what I said about my priorities for the show. The Mikaelson family will always surmount anything else on this show for me. Their relationships with each other will always matter more than their romantic relationships with anyone outside of the family. I could watch this show with no romantic ships at all, just a story about the family itself, and be perfectly happy. That doesn’t mean I don’t ship some things romantically (or have reasons not to ship other things), but ultimately, the family and their interpersonal relationships matter to me far more.

That being said, I think the episode description would’ve been better written if it had brought around the entire family since they’re what the show is actually about. Besides, Hayley didn’t spend 4x01 trying to awaken just Elijah anyway (and that wouldn’t have been productive/wise/beneficial). She had to wake up Freya first so that Freya could make the cures for her siblings. That’s what I mean when I say the episode description could have been written better.

[ineedrelationshipadvice]

An ethical problem...

Hey y'all. I'm back, and I could really really use some blunt, honest, good advice. First off thanks for all you do. It's pretty incredible, and a helluva lot better than r/relationships.

My (seemingly simple) question: Should I or should I not date my best friend?

But - life being as it is, it's not that simple, unfortunately. I met my best friend because she was dating a good friend of mine. When they were dating we'd hang out all the time, but it was never inappropriate and I never had feelings for her. At the time I was pining for someone who had me on a leash for just about a whole year.

Well, about a month and a half ago, my friend (let's call him S) broke up with my best friend (let's call her L). According to L, he had told her that he had fallen in love with someone else, and from what I've heard he has been making advances on this other person even though she's seeing someone and she has cut off communication with him. Well, L hates S now, you know - I guess understandably. But as someone with a really rough past, I tend to expect people to mess up and almost always will forgive someone if they show remorse.

When I got the chance to talk to S, he told me about how difficult the break up was, and even cried in front of me. S hurt L, yes. But he was very remorseful when I got the chance to talk to him and I forgive him, even if she doesn't. He was one of my first friends in Uni and introduced me to almost all of my friends I have today.

Even though S acted like an asshole when they first broke up, he has been a lot better since I got to talk to him. When L got drunk and sent him a bunch of angry drunk snapchats, he didn't respond to them. When she sent an apology text the next day, he replied "you don't ever have to apologize for anything. I'm always here to talk".

Basically I've been trying to not take sides, and I've been trying to keep both of my friends because they're both very very close to me. Now things are complicated because I have a strong suspicion that L is interested in me, which is a suspicion supported by my flatmate who's unbiased. For instance, when we hang out now she plays with my hair, and when I go for a high five she holds my hand for a bit instead, and also tries to play footsie with me. In addition to this, she once sent me a drunk Snapchat from a party with the caption "it's so hot in here".

In addition to this, she now teases me about the girl I was crushing on a few weeks ago, which is something she'd never done before. However the biggest reason for my suspicion, is that when we were at a party this guy was hitting on her, and he even came up to me and asked if I'd try to ask how she felt about him. When I did, she said "I like someone else". Now, I hope I'm not crazy in thinking this, but if it was anyone other than me, why wouldn't she tell me who she liked? We share basically everything together. She even tells me about her periods sometimes (completely unsolicited) and other very personal things.

If I'm right, this presents a very large ethical dilemma for me. Maybe for someone else it isn't, after all, S broke up with L, leaving her for another girl. (Even though the first girl didn't work out, he's started dating someone else). But I'm not like everyone else. My whole life, people have left me. Friends and family. There's nothing I value more than loyalty. It's why my best friend back home is a guy who I don't have much in common with besides our sense of humor. Because he's always been the most fiercely loyal person to me and I've always appreciated that. Every part of me is telling me that to start dating L is a bad idea. And it always makes sense when I'm not with her. And my conviction is very strong. But when it's just us two... every part of me wants to hold her forever and not let go. It's an attraction i haven't felt in nearly 6 years. In a perfect world, I genuinely believe we would have met before she met S and that we would be dating. But at the same time it's not a perfect world. And dating L - despite being pretty much perfect for me, despite her being gorgeous and sexy and smart and everything else, despite all this, - dating L to me means losing my integrity. It means losing friends. It means S will hate me, and it means some of our mutual friends will hate me too. I'm torn in half and I don't see a way out.

So do you think my ethical conviction is correct? Is dating L immoral? Or should I risk it all for the person who I think - in a perfect world I'd marry? Thanks for helping out :/ sorry that it's so long.

I feel as though I should mention that despite the argument my flatmate gave me (that in 20 years I might still be with L, but I probably wouldn't even speak with S anymore) I don't believe that consequentialism is a valid life strategy or ethical ethos (philosophy nerd - sorry). Instead, i believe that because I don't know whether or not I will die tomorrow, or if I get cancer, or if I become paralyzed, then the decisions I make ought to be constrained within a present context (no more than a year at the most [this is ethically, of course. I don't mean financially or career-wise.])

REPLY

Welcome back! Always good to see folks I’ve helped in the past. And yeah, /r/relationships is a really great resource. I’ve dropped by their on occasion. The difference is that there, you get unsolicited opinions from random, anonymous folks. While that can be useful sometimes, it’s the exact reason I fostered a non-biased, consistent sort of advice formula here. I hope people see the shit I do and see that it works. Because I think it’s some of the best advice, or at least the best I can offer.

Yeah yeah, blabber blabber, get to the advice already.

Okay, so let’s clear some stuff up first.

Most important to mention from the outset here is your evidence for L potentially liking you. While you definitely do have the best handle on your situation and on L - you know how L tends to speak, act, and communicate in a way that I’ll never know - I think your evidence for her feelings is shaky at best.

You mention that she sent a text message with the caption “It’s hot in here.” To you, this is A SIGN, but to me as an outside observer, this could mean LITERALLY ANYTHING. She could have legitimately felt hot, and not known what to put for a caption, so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. A second example you gave is her dodging a guy who was hitting on her by insisting she isn’t interested and “likes someone else.” I know you hope that this person she likes is you, but objectively, she could have meant MANY things by this statement. Maybe she meant that she does like you. Maybe she meant she likes someone else who is NOT you. Maybe she just wanted to get out of the situation, and that seemed like a convenient manner. Maybe she just straight up lied to toy with the guy. Who knows. Your last example is that she’s teasing you about a crush, but although she has not done it in the past, this doesn’t mean that anything with regards to her feelings has changed; maybe she just feels comfortable teasing you, maybe she just thought it would be funny; there is no inherent link to this teasing compared to her feelings, whatever they might be.

It’s important to get all this out of the way to break down your expectations. I know you’re really invested in this, and you really want this to work. But I can’t view the situation first hand, meaning that if I’m going to give you good advice, I have to be the skeptical one since you’re biased in this situation. And in this skepticism, the results aren’t looking hot. You not ending up with L would be unfortunate, so I want to at least try to get it into your head that it’s entirely possible that she’s not interested in you at all, and that you’ve completely constructed any feelings she might have for you. Even if I seem to be overemphasizing this, and you don’t mean to suggest that she has strong feelings for you - that you know you’ll have to work your way up from the ground floor - take any expectations you have and throw them out of the moving car. If you move forward in this situation with expectations of something happening, and that thing doesn’t happen, you’ll feel VERY disappointed. It’ll be a huge confidence buster, and this isn’t worth that. Try your best to understand this, and understand that the odds of her reply to you - after we’re all done - and saying that she’s completely uninterested and you mixed up feelings is VERY HIGH. Start assuming that despite your feelings, this will be a DIFFICULT scenario for you, and that you’ll have to work extremely hard for this. If you prepare to climb a hill, put on your hiking shoes; I’m  just saying, prepare to climb Everest just in case, because I think you’re minimizing the gravity of the entire scenario due to your bias.

Okay, preface over. WHAT DO?

One of your main concerns is this ethical dilemma. And while I think this is a valid concern, I also think you’re blowing some of the proportions out of whack here, and that there are easy ways that are hassle free to deal with this issue that work with your ethical convictions.

To the point that you might be blowing things out of proportion, you are concerned with S immediately hating you. Although this could be true, in your description, you didn’t mention anything that would be a REASON for him to hold these feelings for you. Is he the jealous type, or the possessive type? Does he has as many ethical concerns as you - any sort of “bro code” mentality - or is he actually pretty relaxed and wouldn’t judge?

It’s just a thing to think about. It’s good to have ethical conviction, but it’s important to remember that most people don’t. And it’s entirely possible that while you fret over this issue, S would be completely unconcerned. This may not be the case, but it’s also to help you understand that you COULD be blowing things out of proportion.

Yeah yeah, BUT WHAT DO, right?

The key to a situation like this - to make sure you’re not stepping on toes when you’re doing something that you feel might be stepping on toes - is through proper communication of your intentions to ALL parties involved. S and L are your friends, and in the same way that you need to clear with L whether she likes and wants to date you or not, if you’re concerned about how this decision you’re making will affect S, you should consult him too.

So you need to have a nice, sit down conversation with S, ideally while you are both together and in a good mood. If you can sit him down, mention that you have feelings for L. You could make it short and sweet or give him your whole spiel like you did me. The way you explain things to him is not the point. At the end of this discussion, you need to lay out your intentions in completely uncomplicated terms. “I like L a lot. And I’m thinking of asking her out. But I don’t want to hurt you in the process. Would doing romantic stuff with L upset you in any way?”

It’s a simple question that benefits him to answer in simple terms. If this sort of things DOES upset him and will bother him in the future, then he has no reason to not tell you the truth. And if he doesn’t give a shit at all, then why would he not just state this? The only reason he has to not tell the truth in this scenario is if he is actively trying to undermine your friendship by getting you to do something that will give him a reason to destroy the friendship later. And let’s be honest, almost nobody thinks this way; it’s not a normal way to conduct oneself.

Ask if this would bother him. Then make your decision about what to do next based on that decision.

If S takes offense to you and L being together, you now know that yes, this does violate your personal ethical code. This lets you know that continuing down this route, you will wound S. And given what you’ve said here, you don’t seem to have interest in doing that, which can let you know that your friendships with S and L are more important than your romantic feelings for L. It sucks if that’s the way things go down, but hey, that’s why you’re talking to me in the first place. Better to end up in the sucky scenario you expected in a way that doesn’t accidentally hurt someone than jumping straight into the deep end of the pool before realizing you can’t swim.

If S doesn’t take offense to this, then AWESOME. Him not being concerned in the scenario - him saying he has moved on, has no relationship, or otherwise doesn’t care what you do - means you have free reign to do as you please. You can immediately move on to asking L out, because he has essentially given you his blessing, relieving any ethical concerns.

If he’s not sure how he feels after you ask the question - if there are lingering feelings, or it violates a “bro code” type of things, or if he otherwise would find things uncomfortable - you should spend some time trying to hash things out with him. This is the perfect time for your spiel, letting him know that this romance is important to you, and that you really want his input. Ask him stuff, like what would be holding him back from giving his blessing, or why this upsets him? Get all his opinions. When he gives them all, then you’ll have to make the ethical choice moving forward. With all the information he provides, is that enough to go against his potential feelings and date L? Or would you prefer to put the friendships before the relationship. That’s a choice nobody can make but you.

Assuming you do get your blessing, and your ethical conundrum is solved, the rest is pretty simple! Approach L, let her know your feelings, and see if she accepts. The rest is that straightforward.

I know this situation can seem complex. But it’s all in your head. And while a lot of it may be well meant and important to consider - a thing that most people fail to consider in these sorts of situations - you have to do your best to restrain yourself from perceptions that are biased by your own emotions. It’s possible that you’re not breaking your ethical code by liking L, and that S totally supports your decision. It’s entirely possible that you’ve blown L’s feelings completely out of proportion, and that she doesn’t actually like you.

The key to stopping all these silly thoughts is by making them reality. Stop letting them brew and go talk to S. Get his blessing by laying out all the facts. If he gives his blessing, you can ask L out, and see where that trip carries you.

[johnnyscoronavivor]

Immunity Challenge #5 Results - Day 12

Alright, let’s get to the Results! First off, let’s get to our judges! I grabbed four of my VERY close friends who I’ve played games with/dominate music videos whenever they roll around, so here we go:

Ali:

hi i'm ali! im a brit and normally lose in music video challenges so am super qualified to judge. frats seem legit terrifying, but im a johnny fan so will tough it out! excited to watch your videos and good luck!

Asya:

I’m the girl in the examples and y’all actually did a great job. I’m surprisingly impressed

Sammy:

Hey y’all what’s up I’m sammy. I’m pretty well known for winning music videos in the org community so I was happy to help judge!! Also I’m in a frat too, so I couldn’t miss out

Nicole:

hello I’m nicole and I supplied Johnny with his biggest blindside EVER, broke his heart in the final eight and now we’re best friends! I’m unbiased even though I’ve been to Applebee’s with one of you that’s all I have to say really good luck dude bros

And now to the videos, first is Arakaka:

Ali (Ali forgot to judge composition for both tribes, so it’s gonna be out of 40):

Theme: 10 Creativity: 8 Effort: 8 Entertainment Value: 7

Comments: this one's theme and concept was so clear which I really really liked! I also loved some of the small touches, like the saluting with photos of them on top and the broom sweeping away your winning chances! I just think it started to get a little bit repetitive, and would’ve loved if you found a way to shake up the formula a bit halfway thru? that's the only reason why entertainment value suffered a bit

Total: 33/40

Asya:

Theme: 9/10

Creativity: 5/10

Effort: 8/10

Composition: 9/10

Entertainment Value: 4/10

Comments: it was just very slow without much going on. 

Total: 35/50

Sammy:

Theme: 7/10. Your theme was nice it was a sad song but like I could see what y’all were doin with the paper and stuff. I am glad the intro was interesting that first dude made it a good start. Also Ryan was in the video so extra points. Not gonna lie tho it was hard for me to be entertained the entire time just because it was like the same thing the entire time so I would have loved to see like a little bit more differences with every person! Also the guy with the broom LMAO.

Creativity: 7/10. I feel like it could have been more creative but I think you had a solid plan that you stuck with throughout. Again would have liked to see some more parts that hit more on the humorous just to like keep my attention!

Effort: 8/10. Props to the editor, I don’t even care if it would have been bad. The editor has the hardest part and I can see they tried. I liked the overlays and whatnot would maybe have liked to see some more experimenting with the editing side but overall it was done in a way that looked like you spent some level of time on it in general.

Composition: 8/10. It was a slow paced song and your actions were slow so I felt as if they played hand in hand. Would have liked to see some lip syncing just cause but it’s a music video so can’t be too mad. Also…why did some of y’all not film horizontally….Ryan u should know better.

Entertainment Value: 7/10. Like I said…I lost interest throughout parts of it and only a few people really stood out to me but I think I can remember almost everyone….Ryan, crying dude, cigarette dude, can dude, shower dude, fast food dude? If I didn’t mention you I am sorry I just remember those. So overall it was good but I think if the song would have been more upbeat I would have stayed more engaged. For example you could have done like “Another one bites the dust” but still got the same ideas across as if you were losing more people? Good job overall tho!

Total: 37/50

Nicole:

Theme: 9 Creativity: 9 Effort: 8 Composition: 8 Entertainment Value: 9 Comments: it got a bit repetitive in parts but, I appreciated the consistent theme throughout

Total: 43/50

Sum Total: 148/190.

Now for Hosororo’s Video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jrBi9ekB6uO2036M86pa7LZoKTevXZRz/view

Ali (Ali forgot to judge composition for both tribes, so it’s gonna be out of 40):

Theme: 9 Creativity: 10 Effort: 10 Entertainment Value: 10

Comments: this one... was so so good, whenever it seemed to start to get stale y'all switched it up. my highlights include: bobble head johnny, the guy drowning in the bathtub and the guy KILLING it with the TV remote microphone (with the two ghostie background singers). one of the best org music videos I've ever seen

Total: 39/40

Asya:

Theme: 7/10

Creativity: 8/10

Effort: 10/10

Composition: 10/10. the editing for this one really stood out. the singalong thing was cute. 

Entertainment Value: 9/10. it was fun to watch because it seemed fun to make. 

Total: 44/50

Sammy:

Theme: 9/10. Your theme was so fun haha. I liked the sing along aspect with it being Johnny. It was fun and you guys all pretty much committed. I enjoyed the upbeat song and I felt very engaged!

Creativity: 8/10. Most of the things you guys did were super fun and engaging! I think some people could have gone as far as the bath dude. I liked the content tho and the Tik Tok dance was a nice addition! Y’all should all just join the org community?

Effort: 9/10. LOL @ THE GUY IN THE BATH TUB!!! I AM DEAD…The effort was there and everyone matched the energy of the song so well done!! I also love the editing especially the intro it was a nice touch that I think really added into the overall content. Props to the editor because I know how much time it can be to make these.

Composition: 9/10. Some of the lip syncing is off and also some of y’all made choices by filming….vertically…but overall I think the editing was fun and the little background singer popup section was a nice touch!

Entertainment Value: 9/10. Sorry I keep saying this but…. THE GUY IN THE BATH TUB LMAO!! You guys had me engaged and I didn’t get bored at all so props to you guys!

Total: 44/50

Nicole:

Theme: 7 Creativity: 10 Effort: 8 Composition: 9 Entertainment Value: 9

Comments: I don’t appreciate you copied a dance off of TikTok but besides that editing was A+, I liked the sing along at the bottom of the screen. 

Total: 43/50

Sum Total: 170/190.

Which MEANS by a score of 170 to 148, Hosororo wins immunity! Congratulations, and I know I said it in your tribe chat, but both groups put in WAY more effort than I would’ve expected when giving out this challenge. I hop you guys enjoyed your short rest with a 48 hour challenge (I know one tribe needed it), but Arakaka, you guys have a date with me at tribal council tomorrow night, where one of you is going to be the ninth person voted out of the game.

Also, Bobby and Aviles, for submitting the music video for their tribes, will be receiving an idol clue in their host chat at some point tonight. Good Job to both of the work you guys did on editing!

Tribal Council will take place tomorrow night in your Skype chat at 8pm. See y’all there!