#but on that same note it's like. if i can get proper treatment then maybe i can be as good as i possibly can be

[eclaire-went-bam]

cluster b tumblr how do i bring up to a therapist or anyone really looking into personality disorders

i've been working with people for the past 11 years and nothing has been working and nobody knows what's wrong with me or how to treat/support me. not to mention i have such a problem with continuing to mask in therapy and such to the point where it's liiike highkey comical ??

i've bought it up to my therapist before but she really quickly shut it down, saying she doesn't like labels like that, but i'm getting a new therapist soon and i want this to be a priority just upfront. i'm really sick of the cycles i find myself in

[scekrex]

How about Overlord!Sinner reader who has been in Hell for a long ass time, enough to built a sizeble powerbase to keep himself safe & comfortable and more than enough time to get sick of the kind of filth that land in Hell, saw an opertunity & made off wth barely alive Adam. Taking care of him like one would a frighten animal, getting him use to gentle touches and cuddling. After all, an angel should be treated with care, especially if you're keeping it in Hell

Okay so I wrote something similar in the past, I'll make this one the second part of it. You can read it as an oneshot though, the first part includes how reader found Adam.

Bird of Hell's Paradise

When you meet my eyes, we both know that you're mine

pairing: Adam x male!reader

warnings: language & sexual tension

note: not beta read bc fuck you I don't have beta readers

Adam never experienced gentle touches. He had experienced sexual touches, he had experienced painful touches. But gentle? Maybe in Eden. Back when things had been okay, when all he had to worry about was how he'd spend the day. Before women had shattered his heart and tore his trust to pieces.

So when you provided the most gentle touch he had ever felt on his warm skin he was confused. He knew you had taken care of him before, back when you had found him, picked him up and decided to keep him. Yet the brunette had never been trapped, you had always offered him freedom. But Adam wasn't stupid, he knew the sinners down there would tear him apart within seconds. So he stayed at your place. And he even grew to like it. The mansion was huge, something that wouldn't bore Adam easily, the garden you had built was pretty, pretty and pure looking enough to remind Adam of the early days of earth. How was hell able to provide something so divine looking? It felt like it wasn't right, like that garden of yours didn't belong. And yet it fit in so perfectly.

The first man had been unconscious for most of his wound treatment, he had only woken up near the end of it and yet he remembered your gentle touch so well, remembered how careful your fingertips had touched his roughed up skin. You hadn't had any intentions to hurt him, not in the past and neither in the present. And dear god, how was Adam supposed to deny your touch when your hand felt so good against his skin? So right, so safe? It made him feel alive, the feeling of your fingers gently gliding up and down his side. He and you were still laying in bed, it was already noon but neither of you could bring themselves to leave the warm sheets. Adam's back was turned towards you, one of his wings was wrapped around the first man, the other one was slightly lifted so that he could feel your touch. While touching his body was okay, touching his wings was off the table, they were way too sensitive for that.

“Adam?” your voice sounded just as gentle as your touch felt, a low vibration that lulled Adam in within an instant, he simply hummed in response, not in the mood to give you a proper answer. “We should eat,” oh Adam knew that and his empty stomach definitely agreed with you. Yet the former angel couldn’t bring himself to leave the bed, to be apart from you and not feel your touch on him for only a second. So he simply grumbled something inaudible at you, causing you to chuckle softly. “Adam dear,” you closed the gap between your bodies, your chest was now resting against his back and the first man was quick to tense up and pull away from you. Having your hands on him was different, it felt less real, something he could easily brush off. But having your body pressed against his? Even in your gentle way? It felt realer, more serious, especially because that involved your body touching his wings. And there was no one in this world who would ever touch his wings. Not even Lute was allowed to touch the glossy golden feathers of his, so he surely wouldn’t let you touch them. And at the same time he wanted nothing more than for you to pet his wings, to softly stroke through the big golden feathers. He wanted to watch you doing so too, wanted to see every emotion your eyes would offer him in the process. It was risky though, given how sensitive they were and Adam was not ready to take that risk just yet. “I’m sorry,” your voice continued to sound like a warm, comfortable blanket that wrapped itself around Adam’s body, “Can I continue to touch your skin though?” Adam silently adored you for asking for consent, it seemed like no big deal and yet you not only apologized for invading his personal space a little too much, but you also made sure he gave you permission to continue. “I might kill you if you fucking stop touching me,” his words were empty, there was no bite behind them and the both of you were aware of that. Yet Adam felt like he had to make sure you knew who you were messing with. The former angel had fallen, had lost his chances to get back into heaven a long time ago, but he still knew how to defend himself. His moves were a little rusty because of the chest pain that came with sudden movements, but you had promised to train with him once his condition was stable enough. For now Adam had to settle with playful fights every now and then.

You were about to roll yourself out of bed in order to prepare something to eat for the both of you but Adam caught onto your plans quickly, he turned around and without thinking about it twice he pulled you close against his chest and closed his wings around your body, leaving no escape. “Fuck no,” the first man mumbled as he buried his face in your hair, your face was pressed against Adam’s naked chest. A habit the former angel had formed ever since he had grown to like your touch, he walked around shirtless, sometimes even in nothing more but boxershorts. “You’re staying,” the brunette demanded, his grip around you tightened. You hummed in agreement as your fingers went back to caressing his side. From his hip up to his chest and from there back down to his hip, stopping slightly above the hem of his underwear.

You felt the first man inhaling deeply, felt how his tense body relaxed once he was convinced you’d stay for a little longer. The former angel had issues, you had been quick to figure that out. He wasn’t taking abandonment well, it only made sense considering his past. He also grew to be quite clingy. There was no reputation to hold up, no act he needed to continue to play. For the first time since his creation Adam was able to truly relax and let himself go, to fall. Because when he fell for the first time, you caught him and he was convinced you’d catch him again. And again. And again.

And maybe that was the reason why he grabbed your wrist and guided your hand to his wing, then he waited. Your fingertips felt cool against them yet he didn’t feel like pulling away. You carefully tested the water by only rubbing small circles against the golden feathers and when Adam sighed in relief you continued. The brunette leaned into your touch almost immediately and you placed a gentle kiss on his chest. That made the first man shudder, “Don’t fucking try to make me horny, we’re not gonna fuck.” You pulled away from his skin a little, looking him in his golden eyes as you spoke, “Who said anything about having sex?” Adam huffed at your response, he seemed to dislike something about it. “You get all touchy and kissy, bitches do that when they wanna fuck.” That made you realize that he seemed to connect gentle touches with sex and sex only. It seemed no one had ever kissed his body to simply appreciate it. “Darling,” you watched as Adam’s eyes widened at the pet name, you knew he liked all the pet names that came from your lips and were directed at him, he wouldn’t admit it but he liked them. “I’m not trying to get you worked up,” your hand stopped petting his wing to prove your point, “I’m simply appreciating the privilege of being allowed to touch your divine looking body, my dear.”

The brunette remained silent for a long moment, he seemed to consider how true your words were. “Keep fucking going, then,” he grumbled and while he wanted his words to come out in a tone of annoyance, you noticed the relief and adorement they were holding for you. The first man seemed to be genuinely thankful that you would continue to touch him in such delicious ways without ruining the mood by popping a boner - or worse: forcing him to pop one.

You had his respect for that.

[missscarletrosesett]

Can I ask for Yandere Tokito twins hc? If not just Yandere Muichiro! Thanks if you do

Summary: Yandere Tokito twins and Yandere Muichiro Hcs.

Warnings: Mentions of blood, death, emotional abuse, obsessive and possessive behaviour, and forms of manipulation.

Note: Here’s another overdue one. I'm sorry it took so long. I hope you don't mind if I did both.

Tokito twins

(In this they both live and Muichiro keeps his memories)

You three are childhood friends and have a very close bond. You were the glue that held them together.

Your guys’ parents think you three were so cute together. I mean who wouldn't?

Whenever they would squabble, it would always somehow end up with you getting in the middle of them while trying to calm them down.

Mainly Yuichiro.

Time skip to when the demon finds the cabin and attacks you and the twins.

Yuichiro jumped in front of Muichiro in order to protect him, but that resulted him in the loss of his arm.

While you? You just sat that petrified of the scene in front of you.

After help arrived things seemed to get better.

With the help of your care and the Ubuyashiki’s, Yuichiro was going to live.

After Yuichiro made a full and healthy recovery, he decided it was best to stay on the sidelines. (As much as he hated it) and watched as Muichiro trained his hardest to become a Demon Slayer.

You and Yuichiro cheered him on from the sidelines.

Not long after that Muichiro became a Hashira.

Speaking of Yuichiro and Muichiro. You've noticed that they've become more possessive over you, and never let you stray far from their sight.

At first, you thought it seemed from the worry of losing you because you three thought of each other as family.

Oh how wrong you were.

At first, it started out as wholesome worry.

Then it turned into guilt-tripping, restriction to the outside world, and more.

They would try and coax you with small little acts of affection and gifts, trying to make you see there was no reason to go outside.

Simple but sweet things.

Do not get me started if they catch you trying to escape.

If Yuichiro catches you trying to escape, he will drag you back with him and start emotionally abusing you.

He would call you unflattering names, calling you ungrateful and so on.

He would leave you alone for days without the proper care and nutrients you needed to live.

Then he would come back and start acting all sweet with you.

If Muichiro found you trying to escape, at first he’ll gently try to coax you into no trying to escape, but if that doesn't work, it'll get harder than it already needs to be.

He’ll threaten you and yell at you much like Yuichiro, even giving you the silent treatment.

But he won't even last a few hours before begging for your forgiveness.

Poor baby

He can't stand the thought of you being scared or angry with him.

If you do somehow manage to escape, it won't be very far

The farthest you'll get is maybe close to a small town, before being dragged back by most likely Muichiro.

That's when you realized you were never going to leave their line of sight.

“Come on, let's get you home, where it's safe.”

Muichiro

We all love him, but he is ruthless as a yandere.

RUTHLESS.

Same scenario as for the twins, you were childhood friends with the twins.

After the Demon attacked you guys, you and Muichiro were the only survivors, having Yuichiro sacrifice his life in order to protect you two.

Muichiro experienced Memory loss but for some strange reason he remembered you

You were happy that your best friend remembered you, of course, but you couldn't shake the feeling that he changed somehow.

He felt different, and not the good kind.

After he became a Hashira, he invited you to his estate, which you happily accepted.

As time went on, you noticed that your visits became longer and longer, sometimes even you having to stay the night, until you couldn't even step foot outside his estate.

You couldn't even remember what the outside world looked like.

He would act like his old-normal self around you, but if you ever did something he didn't like or approve of, he would revert to his cold-hearted, ruthless self.

And if you try escaping, good luck, getting caught will be your worst nightmare

He couldn't care how much begging and pleasing you were doing. He would drill it into your head.

You would stay by his side, like old times.

He would achieve his goal no matter what, even if he has to spill your own blood.

“Why do you insist on escaping? How troublesome. Seems like you still haven't learned.”

[ohbo-ohno]

Can't get over how fucking puppy shaped Johnny is. And how everyone can see it. Us, Ghost, the 141, his co's before them. That man is just begging for a good boy (and a belly rub!) and any excuse to get on his knees for his superiors. Like fuck, but for all his healthy disrespect of authority, Soap was made to take orders.

Just imagine that Simon isn't the first co to get handsy with Johnny, that he isn't the first to push the boundaries of what is proper. Ghost is all satisfied how well Soap is taking his slow puppyfication. Meanwhile Soap is so used to his co's giving him pats on the head, making him eat from their fingers, kneel between their legs and making dehumanizing comments about him that he doesn't even register what Ghost is doing as anything abnormal.

Just. Puppy!Soap where everyone and their mother knows that that was not supposed to be a human and treating him accordingly.

oh my GOD i just recently read a fic where soap (or maybe ghost) had had a previous CO take advantage of him sexually under the guise of "punishment" and he went to price (or maybe ghost) after he fucked up, expecting the same treatment, and instead of telling him "that's wrong, report that freak" price/ghost just takes advantage of him in the same way and 🥴🥴🥴 if someone here recognizes it PLEASE link it i need to reexperience it

anyways thinking about johnny obviously being completely puppy shaped, but because everyone sees that and treats him accordingly he becomes even more puppy shaped. like he becomes more obedient (and well trained) once people start to occasionally treat him like he's a dog :(

like CO's will write little notes in his file specifically about how he needs verbal praise (multiple literally wrote the words "good boy" or "good sergeant") and there are a couple notes about physical touch - punishment or congratulatory - work best to get his attention. CO's read those notes, take one look at johnny, and go Oh Alright and act accordingly. price and ghost are no different

price is more "talking to you like you're a K9 because it's what makes you most effective in the field" and ghost is more "talking to you like the mutt i just brought home who hasn't been trained yet because i want you to think of nothing but pleasing me", yk?

(it turns out that ghost's biggest problem isn't getting johnny to behave, it's getting everyone else to stop fucking touching him like only ghost should be)

[doctorvictoria10]

A stressful admission: Part 2

Tags - ED admission, nervous patient, slight cardio, slight ageplay, medical trauma, comfort.

It felt like her heart jumped out of her chest. A flash of different emotions quickly cycled through her, firstly fear, then shock, and then embarrassment.

“Um, yeah, come in.” She spoke timidly, unsure of who was on the other side of the door. There were several doctors she worked with who she definitely didn’t want it and to be, only maybe one or two that she would actually feel comfortable with. Maybe this was all a terrible idea and she should’ve stuck with the rushed ED doctor. A tall, broad figure poked his head around the curtain and she was so surprised - it wasn’t who she was expecting at all.

“Chloe!” The familiar voice called out gently. “I’m sorry you’ve been waiting so long. I only just got the call to ask if I could come and assess you. All of the OB doctors were busy - a few are off sick so they’re covering each others clinics too! I know we don’t know each other that well but we cross paths every now and then don’t we!” He spoke cheerily.

It took Chloe a while to take it all in. Doctor Jack Canning, a pediatrician, stood before her. She’d been at emergencies where he was there before, he liased closely with her department as there was often an overlap between their professions. He was always smiling, calm and composed, but she’d never really had a proper chat with him before, or gotten to know him.

“Oh, hi. Um, thanks for coming!” She spoke timidly.

He took in her anxious energy and worried expression, she didn’t look her normal self at all. “Are you okay?” He asked seeming genuinely concerned.

She let out a light laugh “Yeah, apart from a case of extreme embarrassment at this whole situation, I’m fine. I just, I collapsed and got brought in. And then I woke up and two people were planning to poke me with needles, and I really hate being a patient, it all got too much and I guess I freaked out.” She admitted shyly, trying to explain why he’d been called out of his day looking after babies to deal with his 26 year old, definitely not a baby, coworker in ED.

He nodded slowly. “May I sit?” He gestured to the bed. Chloe nodded her consent. “Chloe, you don’t need to be embarrassed. I read your notes, I saw you told the doctor before that you had medical trauma from when you were a child. Your reaction to waking up and hearing plans of IV’s and finger pricks and all sorts is completely understandable. It’s scary for someone who hasn’t had the experiences you’ve had, let alone someone who’s also worked in the medical field and knows that not all professionals are kind and patient like we are.” He spoke seriously, and it made her feel validated in the strangest way. She nodded slowly, agreeing with everything he was saying, and she let her fake smile she’d forced herself to wear to downplay the situation slide away. And left was a scared little girl who was terrified of being put in the same situation as she was in seventeen years ago when she was rushed to emergency surgery in agony and fear.

Jack let her sit with that for a moment. Then he continued in a serious but gentle voice. “I agree with the plan the ED doctor has made, the tests and treatments he wants done. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept them, you have a choice, if you let me look after you or not. If you let me look after you, we can take it slow, do it at your pace. We can see how we can maybe make things easier for you. If you won’t let me look after you, I can get you a self discharge against medical advice form and you can sign that and leave whenever you want. It’s up to you, but I’d strongly advise the former option, and I think you know it’s for the best.” He spoke, so gently it was almost soothing. His words resonated with her and seemed to calm her right down. This was her choice, she was an adult now, not a little girl, she could leave whenever she wanted. Jack saw all these thoughts running through her head, her eyes focused.

“I can see you're getting lost in your own head there. Come back to me.” He said quietly. Her eyes met his and she was snapped out of her chaotic thoughts about the situation.

“Isn’t this weird for you? I’m sorry I’ve pulled you away from your work, you must think I’m really weird and silly. You work with babies and kids, and I’m just an adult who’s stressing out about something that I really should be able to deal with.”

Chloe blurted out, blushing in frustration at herself and her inability to keep her anxiety under control.

He pondered what she’d said, and then began slowly. “Looking after babies, they need constant attention and kindness. Precision and accuracy is imperative. I care for them, make them better and I nurture them. And I’d love to do the same for you if you’d let me.” He held her gaze.

Chloe looked at him shyly, she felt herself retreating inwards again, feeling cared for wasn’t a feeling she was used to, her cheeks felt like they were on fire. She felt so embarrassed at the situation she was in. He sensed her embarrassment and hesitation, so he continued.

“Don’t you think this is a little too unlikely? You’re here, sick. You have medical trauma from an emergency surgery when you were critically unwell as a child, and now you’re sitting here with another pediatrician who wants to help you not only in the present, but maybe I can help you heal that inner child, that scared little girl at the same time too.” He smiled gently.

She thought for a moment, this wasn’t a likely situation, and he did seem to genuinely care. The knowledge that she could leave at any time felt safe and reassuring. Slowly she nodded. “Okay. Yeah, if you think it’ll be okay.”

“I think it’s a great idea, and I’m really glad I can look after you and hopefully get you feeling better. Just keep communicating with me okay? I’m not going to do anything without your consent, so you let me know if you’re not feeling comfy and we can reassess together.” He promised.

Chloe nodded at him, and he nodded back.

“Okay then. Let’s get started!” He lightly clapped his hands together. “Can you undress and put this gown on for me?” He held up a pale blue hospital gown. Jack sensed her apprehension, “I’ll need to run some cardiac tests, and palpate your abdomen, this’ll make it easier for us both!” He explained.

Chloe slowly and groggily reached for the gown. She felt so weak still. She dropped it beside her on the bed and started trying to shimmy out of her dress.

“Would you like me to help you?” Jack asked her, seeing her struggle with the fabric in her feeble state.

He was going to see her top half bare anyway, if it was now or in five minutes, did it really matter? Chloe internally questioned herself. “Yes please.” She spoke quietly, lifting her arms up for Jack to assist lifting the dress over her head. He quickly had her in the gown and she was laying back against the pillows soon enough.

“You feel cold Chloe, can I get you a blanket?”

“That would be great, it’s freezing in here!” She rubbed her arms. With a gentle smile and nod, Jack was heading out of the room. He returned quickly with two beige blankets in his arms.

“These are from the warmer!” He draped one around her shoulders and one over her body. The warmth felt so comforting and she felt herself relax into the bed. “Now Chloe, where would you like to start?” He asked carefully. When she didn’t reply and just stared at him with wide eyes he offered, “If you’re happy for me to take the lead, I’d like to get an IV in so we can take bloods and get the results processing whilst we do the rest of the exam. I can also be giving you some fluids and if you like, a relaxant for your nerves?”

Chloe nodded slightly, eyes still wide. He watched her, concerned but also interested.

“Chloe, I can see you’re retreating into yourself, and that’s completely okay, but I’m going to need a verbal confirmation before I do this. I’m going to put in an IV, take bloods, start fluids and give you a relaxant medication. Once you’re relaxed, I’m going to check your blood sugar, assess your heart and feel your tummy. I’m going to look after you throughout, I’m not going to cause you any unnecessary discomfort or upset, I’m going to be as gentle with you as I can. Can you say ‘Yes, that’s okay’?” He looked at her for a long moment.

“Yes, that’s okay” Chloe spoke quietly, in a voice that wasn’t quite her own. It sounded childlike, vulnerable. Her little space caught her off guard. It was usually controllable, she could choose when to drop and when not to, but this situation and Jack were pulling it out of her.

Jack gave her a knowing look and smiled softly. “Okay then, let’s begin.” 🖤

[skaruresonic]

I'm reminded of the split opinion on whether Sonic Gens and Mania are suitable "first games" for people who want to approach the series.

I personally don't think so, because the appeal of those games is precisely revisiting old levels in a new format, with a new design: you're not going to get the subtle jokes as a newcomer (and Mania can get very obscure with it). But some do think they're nice pastiches for newcomers to at least get an idea of Sonic's history as a franchise, and it helps that they're both solid games.

I assumed Shadow Gens would be the same, but you make a good point, because this game has an actual story. For veterans, it's more of the same thing, if you know Shadow's story this adds very little new, and it's mostly a repeat of what he already went through in ShTH. But newcomers who want to learn more about the cool black hedgehog from the new movie would still be confused: why did Shadow become a hero? Who is Black Doom, why is he obsessed with Shadow, why does Shadow hate him? Let's not even talk about things like Mephiles' boss fight lol. (although personally I find Gerald's mention of the time portals of '06 rather cute)

So I guess this game is for veterans who just want to soak in the Shadow vibes once more, but this time with Good Writing™

If you based your knowledge only on the information provided by SxS Gens - so no supplementary material, no Dark Beginnings, no manga, no movie, no paratext - you would learn the vaguest and broadest strokes of maybe two games, SA2 and ShTH, at most. But nothing specific.

Everything else would just come off as garbled nonsense. Hell, it appeared that way to me and I've been a Sonic fan for (checks notes) 22 years. God I'm old.

I approached this game not with my purist hardhat on (though that wasn't always the case given some lines here and there lmao) but from the perspective of a newcomer who knew nothing about Shadow's past. If everyone was going to argue that this game's existence is necessary on that basis, I thought, how well would it perform as an introductory piece?

From that perspective, I don't think the game does a very good job in giving us a crash course on Shadow's history. Gerald and Maria do nothing - I hate to say it but they're ultimately window-dressing. They don't accomplish anything that, for instance, a posthumous diary or recording could have just as easily provided.

(Tbf, the NPCs in Gens also pretty much did nothing but cheer Sonic on, but it's not like, given this sheer gravitas as seeing your dead loved ones return to life via the power of timey-wimey shenanigans.)

I was actually surprised at how little plot progression there is, given my previous expectations of there being, you know, a coherent story. The plot doesn't really kick in until you've completed 4 out of the 6 available levels, and by then you've pretty much halfway done lol.

Shit happens in weird, patchwork, nonsensical ways. We get boss fights for characters that don't matter but not a boss fight against Sonic, AKA the guy we play as in Gens proper and in a context that echoes a game dynamic where we get to fight each character as the opponent. Shadow is the ultimate life form who gets his ass handily kicked by Sonic. Maria has a delayed response at the news of Shadow's heritage; she's not instantly shocked the first time, but when Gerald says it for a second time she suddenly becomes distressed. Omega claims they showed Metal "mercy" at the end of Heroes, despite questioning whether he should destroy Metal or Sonic to prove his strength. We have to fight Mephiles even though he doesn't matter because reasons.

Characters appear who aren't relevant to the plot, but are given the screen treatment as though the game expects the player to know who they are and why they might (or might not) be relevant.

---

Who is Black Doom, why is he obsessed with Shadow, why does Shadow hate him?

>>gets Silent Hill 3 flashbacks as Black Doom waxes poetic about "possessing" Shadow

---

Let's not even talk about things like Mephiles' boss fight lol.

No. Let's. :P

Mephiles' boss is one great big time-wasting in-joke that amounts to an MCU-esque "Well, that just happened." I can easily see newcomers mistaking him for one of Black Doom's minions or something, especially given that his boss arena is found in a cave under Chaos Island and not in Kingdom Valley. Because the latter is where you find Metal Overlord instead.

Yeah, this would definitely confuse newcomers.

As I've said before, the game does the "don't think about a polar bear" thing by bringing up the matter of Shadow's blood, only to backpedal immediately afterwards with "his blood doesn't matter, I swear." At times I felt like I was playing Parasite Eve with talk of mutations and what-not.

And like, sure, the game does stress that Shadow determines his own destiny, but if that's the case, why bring up his blood eighty million times? Why turn it into a friggin' gameplay mechanic? The guy turns into a squid FFS

Oh, and I forgot to mention: the light of God that shone down on IDW!Sonic during his Sermon on the Rock also shines down on Maria when she tells Shadow the reason she gave him his name. Just in case you couldn't get The Symbolism. Very subtle, much cinematic, felt like I was playing SA2 all over again.

[kirawaswrong]

ocean wave blues come

summary: Things at work have been hectic, but you and Chuuya can find solace even in the smallest moments.

pairing: chuuya nakahara x gn! reader

genre: fluff, comfort

word count: 1.4k (A shorty, but a goody!)

warnings: Language, slightly suggestive at one point

note: Hello! Thank you so much for your support on my other fics. This is just a little sweet idea that kind of came out of nowhere and I had to get out. Also maybe next I’ll write a proper smut fic. Hope you enjoy!

Working for the Port Mafia had its perks. There was notoriety, the pay was good, and everyone in Yokohama knew not to fuck with you. The job also had its downsides. Every day, the violence you faced would be enough to make most grown men cower in fear. Your safety was never guaranteed. It was hard to get close to coworkers, as they may not live to see another day. But as hard as those conditions were to endure, they became part of the job.

The past few weeks had been particularly tough. Many goods were being traded at once. The exasperating ADA kept interloping on mafia turf. And, within the organization, traitors had to be dealt with on a daily basis. 

While you and your peers were being run ragged, you could only imagine the stress Chuuya was under.

Chuuya Nakahara was an executive of the Port Mafia. He had to a short fuse, could come off as abrasive, and was a threat to any enemies that crossed his path. And he was also your boyfriend.

He’d been your trainer, which was why you were so good at hand-to-hand combat. The two of you became close and began dating shortly after training ended. 

It was important for both of you to separate your work and romantic relationships. Chuuya was still your superior, and you gained no special treatment from dating him. Though you were friendly during working hours, you showed no displays of affection. Per your mutual request, Mori seldom sent you on missions together. 

This made the last few weeks hell for your relationship.

At the end of a long workday, Chuuya would often give you a ride back to his place. He’d open up an expensive bottle of red wine and pour two glasses. You’d overlook the city in his penthouse and talk about your day. Bitching about work and how stupid some people were often help you both feel better. If that didn’t work, taking things to the bedroom often did. His heavy-lidded blue eyes peeked from between your thighs. He did unspeakable things to you with his fingers and his tongue. It was hard to remember your worries when he scrambled your mind.

Those nights were nonexistent now. You rarely got off of work at the same time. When you did, you were both so exhausted that you went to your own homes and passed out.

On a busy Wednesday morning before work, Chuuya texted you. He invited you to have lunch in his office. This was something you’d never done before.

Part of what made the chaotic weeks so difficult was that you saw Chuuya at work all the time. He headed a meeting at least once a week. You’d walk by him in the halls, going in separate directions. Sometimes, he was the one who ordered you to go on missions. Getting to see him as a coworker and not as your partner somehow made it worse.

The proposition of lunch meant at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted time together. It felt like a life raft entering the vast sea when you’d been treading water for days.

As you limped back from dealing with a vendor who tried to refuse to pay up, you noticed Chuuya’s office was empty. A weapons trade was falling through and he had to go deal with it in person. Work had once again snatched the life raft away. Before you had time to be too upset, you were off on another mission.

At long last, the day was over. The moon hung low in the dark sky. Hardly anyone remained at the base. You knew you should consider yourself lucky, as others would be working until day broke once more. The thought of showering and crashing into your bed was heavenly. As you collected your things, a light at the end of the hall kept your attention. Chuuya’s office.

You had been under a lot of pressure, but you wondered how much more Chuuya must be under. Were the past few weeks even that difficult for him? He’d been at the job much longer than you. His strength and perseverance were admirable, but how did he do it? 

Before you could stop yourself, you were knocking on the oak of his office door. 

“Yeah?” he called out.

For a millisecond, you regretted it. Not out of fear, of course. The days of finding Chuuya intimidating were far behind you. You worried that bothering him may have been the last thing that he needed. What if he wanted to be alone?

With all this in mind, still you peeked inside. 

His office was tidy as usual. An original piece of artwork hung on the wall. His coat and hat hung on a rack by the door. The maroon pillows sat just so on the velvet settee. The anomaly was the mahogany desk, which hid beneath stacks of paper and manila envelopes. Chuuya slouched over the mess, pen in hand. He looked up after receiving no verbal response. The edge in his eyes disappeared and a crooked grin replaced his scowl.

“Hey,” he said. “Come on in.”

Entering his office, shutting the door behind you. Dark circles underlined his eyes, but the brightness in them warmed your heart. 

You leaned against the wall. “Long day?” 

“That’s one way to put it,” he sighed. “Heading home?”

“I was about to. When are you off?”

He glanced at the chaos that was his desk. “At least two more hours.”

“Damn,” you said. “That sucks.”

He chuckled at your bluntness. “All in a day’s work.”

You tried to chuckle along with him.

“Listen,” he said, “I’m sorry I missed lunch.”

You shook your head. “It’s fine. Did the trade go through?”

“As well as it could,” he said. “What’d you end up eating?”

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips. “A burger and fries from downtown.”

“Again?”

“Yes, again!” You laughed. “It’s tasty, okay?”

“Wouldn’t kill you to eat a vegetable every now and then, you know?”

“Chuuya,” you trailed off with a playful eye roll. 

“You’re the one that complains about how junk food makes you tired,” he said. 

“Yeah, yeah. Guess I won’t tell you I had a milkshake too then.” 

He made a show of shaking his head at your unhealthy eating habits before checking his watch. “Getting pretty late. Need me to walk you to your car?”

You looked at this man, with his rust-colored hair. The man most of Yokohama knew to fear. The man who cared so much for you, in his curmudgeonly way. Though neither of you said the words “I love you” often, they showed in every action you took toward each other. 

“Actually,” you said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Shrugging off your coat, you put your bag on his couch to emphasize your point. 

“Babe,” he said in a soft tone of voice only you had the privilege to hear, “We can’t do anything. I gotta get this shit done.”

You gave a wave of your hand. “I know.”

His eyes trailed you as you retrieved a book from your bag. You took one of the chairs from the front of his desk and placed it next to him. After sitting down, you guested to the stapled sheets in front of him.

“Please, continue.”

“I won’t be good company,” he protested.

“I’m okay with that,” you said. 

He leaned back, raising an eyebrow. “You’re really gonna sit there for two hours?”

You sighed. “Yeah. I don’t give a shit what you’re doing. As long as I can just be here with you. But, if you want me to leave, I will.”

He blinked, mentally going over what you said. Then the grin reappeared. “Nah, I don’t want you to leave. Sit there and stare all you want.”

You snorted and lifted your book. “I’ll stick to reading, but thank you.”

Chuuya resumed his work, focusing hard on the papers before him. His eyes followed the inky words before he signed the dotted lines with a flourish. 

A few moments into reading your book, warmth and calluses encased your hand. Glancing over, you saw his eyes still raked over the papers. Without missing a beat, he raised the top of your hand to his lips. The tender kiss he pressed to it was the only affection he’d ever given you at work. 

“I’ve missed you, you know,” he murmured, eyes still on the sheaths of paper. 

You squeezed his hand. “Missed you too.”

He nodded and gave a slight smirk. He lowered your entwined hands to the desk and continued working. 

An hour later, you drifted off to sleep. When Chuuya finally finished his work, he drove you home.

[nonuggetshere]

Some small AU specific headcanons let's a go

The Palelight family is one of these families that hug and kiss each other's cheeks as a greeting and goodbye. The kids also get hugs and kisses for goodnight, and yes that includes the adult ones, they're not escaping this (if they want to, of course, no show of affection is forced). Generally, in Hallownest, kissing on the cheek is a fairly common greeting amongst family members. Hornet is less than thrilled about thos 50% of the time, she's not the most physically affectionate person out there.

Flower prefers head bonks though and it's what they do with Hornet and PK. WL gets a proper greeting and a hug, maybe a gentle bonk or a nuzzle with a purr. With PK they just bonk their heads together like cats, and it's no gentle baby bonk either but a proper skull slamming. WL can hear the dull thud from across the room and wonders how either of them can just laugh about it and not even wince or get knocked back. She sometimes jokes that one of these days they're going to give each other concussions or get their horns stuck together. Hornet and Flower are similar, their bonks range from sensible ones to at this point I'm pretty sure they're just trying to see who gets knocked out first.

When WL gets comfortable with somebody she will just. Pick them up and move them while saying excuse me instead of asking them to move. She mostly does it with her kids (this includes Hornet) and PK.

The first time Petunia and Lummis get moved they don't know how to feel about it. Flower reassures them it means she likes them.

Idk if I even mentioned it, but when Flower was being taught all the necessary things to be an heir and shadowing PK while he worked Petunia also joined them, wanting to be an active part and supporter of Flower if they ever had to take up the throne (spoiler alert, unfortunately they do). Lummis joined them for a while but came to the conclusion that it wasn't for him. Of course, some nobles will get up in arms about a commoner joining their meetings but they quickly learn that's not gonna fly.

And Petunia, Flower and PK are surprisingly a fun trio for me to write. PK and Flower express their love for each other through friendly bullying and Petunia is much the same so it just works, they Click. The two are giant nuisances for PK at times but he can be snarky right back. They generally enjoy each other's company, it's almost surprising how well Petunia and PK get along considering she hated his guts just a few years before that.

Circling back to the nobles, it's worth noting that thanks to PK's and WL's...unique treatment of Flower for most of their life, there's some wild gossip about who they are. Considering their resemblance to their parents yet the way they were treated, the most popular one is that they're an affair baby of either PK or WL (nobody can agree whose they are). Unfortunately, this perception that they're a bastard holds on in some circles and affects how they're treated by them. Not all of them are bad, naturally, but there are groups that are and even think of Flower as lesser simply because of their former roles/not always being an heir.

Similarly, some of them are upset about Flower choosing to be with commoners. The nobles are a mixed group with different outlooks but there are certainly ones who are very classist and look down on Petunia and Lummis (and any court members, which includes 3/5 great knights also) for coming from humbler origins.

Some if Hallownest's nobility are downright obsessed with procreation, seeing as passing down their family names is very important to them they view bloodlines in ways that aren't always the most progressive, if you will. There is definitely a small subset of nobles who believe commoners being let into the royal family is a disgrace and tainting the king's bloodline, and an even smaller subset that believe this + the rumour of Flower being a bastard have an even lower opinion of Petunia and Lummis being part of that family. This gets even worse when Petunia falls pregnant before they're married, some of them even made comments about "less than half-bred" since they're the children of a bastard and a commoner, before very quickly learning that these sorts of comments will not fly around the king.

By all means not every noble is like this, but the ones that are are...very vocal. Now that the infection is long gone and PK gets a first hand look at how they treat people they perceive as lesser than them maybe it's time for some reforms.

Heading in a completely different direction. Genderfuckery.

Flower primarily uses they/them but they also don't mind any pronouns

They've also been trying out it/its in a reclaiming it way, but only allow these closest to them to use it

PK and WL avoid using it for obvious reasons though and Flower completely understands. They tried it for a bit but it left very bad taste in their mouths, Flower is just happy they gave it a go in the first place - they completely understand why people involved in their life when they were a vessel wouldn't be fully comfy with it so it's something mostly their partners and friends use. Still sporadically though, they prefer they/them 9 time out of 10

As for gendered terms, Flower doesn't mind any of them, though their preferences lean towards gender neutral and feminine terms. Their children call them mama, they go by heir, prince, princess, what have you, in court.

In Hallownest "king" is a gender neutral term used dor the primary ruler (Sting is next in line and she will too use the title king despite very much not being a man). Flower uses both it and sometimes monarch, with an occassional queen thrown in there.

Higher beings don't really have the same concept of gender as mortals (Flower and Hornet are kind of an exception since they were raised amonsts mortals), and neither PK nor WL exactly have a gender and simply rolled with the terms their followers came up with for them. After retiring (against his will) PK decides to try out more gender neutral and feminine pronouns and terms (I call PK "they" half of the time by accident anyway so why the hell not).

And lastly, a small idea I had. Before taking on a smaller form to be with her husband and becoming the queen of Hallownest, White Lady wad originally known to her followers as Mother Tree. Now this title very much remains unused and near forgotten, at most appearing in some history books and archives.

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Chapter 22- Part 17

“The circumstances of his arrival”...okay, I think I'm starting to understand what that “anonymous party” note meant. Maybe Noel and Anna were left at the orphanage by their parents, and nobody could figure out who their parents actually were, hence the “Doe” surname. I mean, that name is usually used in cases of people with unknown identities- John Doe and Jane Doe, that sorta thing.

Ah, that's where electricity comes into play. ECT, electroconvulsive therapy. I properly learned about it for the first time not too long ago, in a class I took in my final semester of college; I knew what it was beforehand, but in more of a vague or general sense. 

The thing about it is that it's supposed to be used (with consent) only in extreme cases of certain, specific mental illnesses (like unmanageable depression) where all other treatments aren't working. There's been a lot of research about the efficacy of ECT for a lot of other disorders as well, and the technology has been improved in modern times compared to when it was first being used. Generally speaking, a lot of research claims it does have positive effects in certain cases, but at the same time there's tons of dispute about side effects, relapses, and how it can be used in more abusive ways. 

Because of these issues, ECT is still a very debated treatment. This isn't helped by the way media often portrays ECT as a means of punishment or behavior/mind control instead of a legitimate (if not controversial) type of psychiatric procedure. Besides, there's more modern research about the potential of TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) as a similar but distinct alternative to ECT, since it's less invasive than the latter, which is always good. 

Its portrayal here, so far…seems to be a bit of both? Because it is being used as a psychiatric treatment, but not properly- way too liberally for one, too violently for another, and without proper consent for third. But given there are cases where ECT has been used in inappropriate ways, I don't think the negative portrayal here is as inaccurate as more egregious examples- at least it's somewhat more based in reality.

Anyways, apologies for the impromptu science lesson, let's get back to reading these files.

There's that note again- so yeah, I think the twins' parents just sorta…abandoned them or something, as I explained before.

Ugh- sure, Connal, because you're enough of an expert at psychology to identify attention-seeking behavior, clearly.

Previous

Next

[izzylumalee]

FNaF Security Breach: The Daycare Attendant Mistreatment Theory

it's clear from various in-game details and hints that the Daycare Attendant doesn't receive the same treatment as the other characters at the Pizzaplex.

the first thing i noticed is when you're about to switch off the lights in the playground, Sun says this:

"New friend, this- this area is area is off-limits! You’re gonna get us in trouble..." 

notice the "us" here. Sun mentions getting “in trouble” with a tone of dread - as if it’s something that’s happened to him before, and he’s really not looking forward to it again.

“us” might not even mean Sun and Gregory. it might mean Sun and Moon.

this whole exchange implies that Sun (and most likely Moon too) get reprimanded and punished often, even for something as simple as entering an area they're not supposed to. overall, Sun seems extremely anxious and high-strung - which, at the time, is partially because he knows there's something wrong with Moon - but other than that, it seems ingrained into his personality. both Sun and Moon panic when you make a mess, and immediately drop whatever they're doing to frantically clean it up - which could mean they get punished for allowing the Daycare to be messy (or even just not pristine). you could even say that Moon's constant repetition of stuff about punishment (”Bad children must be punished,” “Bad children must be found,” “It’s past your bedtime, you must be punished!”) is some kind of projection, reflecting the punishment and treatment that he and Sun receive. in a similar vein, Sun seems to be obsessed with rules and reprimands you for being a “rule breaker”.

Moon also rarely says “Hidey hide, hide away,” which obviously is meant to make it feel like the dark and scary version of hide-and-seek - but could also imply, if the projection idea is true, that Moon (and maybe Sun too) have tried hiding in fear when they were going to be “punished”. the Daycare Attendant's room is absolute garbage - littered with trash, cobwebs everywhere, and clutter taking up most of the room. both Sun and Moon are impulsive cleaners, so it's highly unlikely that they WANT it to be that way. 

based on the fact that there are S.T.A.F.F. Bot parts, various toys, and a whole arcade machine in their room, it seems like their room is also being used as a storage room - or, more likely, it originally WAS a storage room, and only now doubles as the Daycare Attendant’s room.

this especially makes sense considering how the room is also connected to the theater, it’s small with an odd layout, it’s about as plain and dull as it gets, and it isn’t themed around the characters at all.

now compare that to the vibrantly colorful, character-themed, cushy and comfy rooms the Glamrock characters live in. considering how absolutely fantastic everything in the Pizzaplex is, the Daycare Attendant’s lack of a proper room can only be out of pure neglect.

despite considering every other animatronic character a friend, Freddy refers to the Daycare Attendant as an “it”:

“We are almost out of time. We need to get to a recharge station immediately. Every hour, the power is diverted to the recharge stations. When that happens the lights go out, and when that happens the Daycare Attendant is free to roam the building. It will find you.”

“Gregory, good news! It is almost 6 o’clock. You will be safe now if you find an exit. But hurry! The Daycare Attendant is loose one last time.”

as if calling the Daycare Attendant an “it” wasn’t enough to show his disdain, Freddy also says “loose” as if he’s talking about a wild animal.

also note that Freddy makes it clear that when the lights go out during the power diversion, aka the last 10 minutes of each hour between 12 AM and 6 AM, is the only time the Daycare Attendant is free to roam the building - meaning that at all other times, they are bound to the Daycare and not allowed to leave, unlike all the other characters who have free roam of the building (well, except maybe DJ Music Man cause... yeah). both Sun and Moon are noticeably very creaky when they move, implying lack of proper maintenance. look at the exposed mechanical parts on their joints and the back(s) of their head(s).

notice how their faces clearly don’t match the much cuter, less uncanny designs shown on their posters and merchandise - for example, in all his merchandise, Sun has pupils instead of pure-white eyes (however, the color of his eyes varies across different representations of him - maybe they were just too lazy to decide on a final design?)

Sun and Moon may have just not been finished, and nothing in the game implies they’re still being worked on. either that, or they deteriorated over time and never received proper repairs - or maybe both.

and on top of all this? i can’t find or think of a single reason that the Daycare Attendant would receive such poor treatment.

i guess it’s just Fazbear Entertainment being Fazbear Entertainment.

...and then, on the other hand, we have DJ Music Man - who, despite Freddy seemingly being good buddies with and calling him "such a nice fellow", has zero merchandise, posters, or promotion to be found anywhere in the Pizzaplex... though i guess that’s probably cause they didn’t wanna spoil his reveal in-game.

[theomnicode]

Burning fever

Archive of our own

-*-

Heroes all around the cities are falling mysteriously ill to the ever present flu. No one is certain what kind of viral infection would affect just the heroes. Some intelligent monsters have been scouting around and seen that there’s far less heroes to actually handle them than usual, so they’ve begun to attack people en masse. Even the fabled Q-city seems to be overrun by monsters. Genos attempts to pull triple duty by taking down as many monsters as possible, as he is not affected by the mysterious viral infection.

One monster, while not a dragon level threat, manages to incapacitate Genos with electromagnetic pulses. Genos internally berates himself for not thinking about protecting himself from electromagnetism. What a massive oversight on his part. 

However, when the monster attempts to finish him off, Saitama jumps into the fray in pyjamas and punches it sluggishly, exploding it into copper and wire particles on the spot. 

“Man, can you guys make less noise right outside my house…I can’t sleep with all that ruckus,” Saitama complains, nose stuffed and looking feverish. “Especially when my head feels so fuzzy…”

Genos looks at Saitama’s sweating form with concern. “I’m very sorry, Saitama-sensei, I was not prepared for the enemy to have electromagnetism. I will—”

Saitama starts to wave off Genos’ long winded apology, but coughs hard instead, almost bowling Genos over in the process and shivers so much that the pavement cracks apart.

“Man, it’s so hot and cold at the same time,” he holds himself as he shivers, “I don’t remember ever feeling this awful…” 

Saitama wavers, trying to stand upright but failing miserably. “Now I feel even worse after I punched it, I wonder why…” he manages to utter out, then faints on the spot.

“SAITAMA-SENSEI!” 

Genos catches him onto his arms quickly before Saitama can actually fall down flat on his face on the pavement and takes note of his actual temperature, noting with distress that it's dangerously high and that Saitama-sensei must’ve exerted himself too much, despite it not being even miniscule amount of effort he normally needs to dispose such monsters. Genos curses the circumstances once more, for inadvertently putting his sensei in danger and begins to rush him to the nearest hospital.

Genos can't for the life of him believe that feverish man in his arms is his master, the same man he deemed invincible, downed by a mere cold. It shouldn't be happening, logically there is no way Saitama-sensei would be able to get sick like this but here he is, carrying his prone, vulnerable master to the hospital for treatment. Perhaps he miscalculated somewhere, maybe common sickness can still affect even the strongest man on earth, but it still feels surreal...

He looks down at the man in his arms and distractedly notes Saitama-sensei is trying to grasp at his clothes weakly, delirious but coherent enough to realize he's being carried at fast speed and his hearing registers sensei mumbling his name. Genos tries to keep calm when he re-scans for elevated heart rate, sensei’s dangerously high temperature and the shivers–-correction, muscle tremors that rock his body. He's lucky that his stabilizers correct his grip, else Saitama-sensei would tremble right out of his arms.

“Do not worry sensei, I am en route towards the nearest hospital for urgent care. I have notified the staff of an incoming patient,” Genos' voice is serious, but soothing. He would carry Saitama-sensei to a proper treatment facility asap.

“Do I...really need hospital? That bad, huh…” Saitama croaks and violently sneezes, which Genos angles away from his head but an unfortunate lamp post still bends from the air pressure.

“Yes sensei, your body temperature is dangerously high for humans and you're experiencing muscle spasms, dehydration and elevated heart rate,” Genos recites his medical condition at a fast rate. “Hyperpyrexia is considered medical emergency, as it may indicate serious underlying condition or lead to severe morbidity or to—”

A sudden finger on his chin and his lower lip interrupts his rambling.

“20 words or less, Genos…”

“Yes sensei. I am sorry, I will stop rambling now. What I mean is, you need urgent medical attention for your extremely high fever.”

“Ok…” Saitama mumbles quietly. “I’m tired, ‘m gonna sleep…” He mutters weakly, then goes out like a light.

Genos starts running even faster.

[butchviking]

I didn't call it a slippery slope, I called it a wedge argument. The difference being there are people actively trying to drive that wedge further, and there are, and it's irresponsible to act like there aren't. "First they came for the communists" isn't a cautionary statement on the dangers of wet hills.

And you absolutely did draw conclusions for me. I mentioned my family's history, and you responded:

"so then at least we can perhaps see eye to eye on admitting that the current system is not doing right by trans or dysphoric people either. gives negligent care, sweeps mistakes under the rug, does not necessarily have the best interests of the patients at heart. something should be done about that. what would you propose?"

While I can agree the current system isn't doing right by trans and dysphoric people, I'm afraid it's in the opposite direction to you. My country has a long history of gatekeeping all manner of care to marginalized people, and often presumes to know better than those seeking it, more often than not in error.

Ultimately though, if you don't trust the institutions that trained and cleared these surgeons to practice, what makes you think appealing to that same body to gatekeep these procedures will do exactly?

If the incentive to allow these procedures is monetary, the hurdles to access will be further monetized. If the hurdles are based in cognitive ability, the results will be skewed along a bias of race, class, and gender. If they're designed to judge mental stability, the results will be skewed along just about any societal bias you can think of.

you said that nazis who wanted to hurt your family "started right here". very solidly implying that having the belief that psychological treatment should be offered and evaluations carried out before letting people risk their lives to change things they don't like about themselves is something that can lead to beliefs like "humanity is divided into races and some are less human than others and should be hurt and eradicated". no slope or wedge or anything is ever going to drive me to a belief like that. ive been charitable to your points and tried to assume the best of you. you could do the same for me.

i didn't draw conclusions about your family history. i noted that you clearly distrust the authority of doctors and seem unhappy with the current state of transitonal care, so i tried to find some common ground and suggest something we might agree on. my response there had nothing to do with your family.

i think our biggest problem here is you see psychological evaluation & therapy as gatekeeping. i see it as help. i know a lot of people who would have benefited from proper evaluation, therapy, and even proper information about what they were getting themselves in for. ive never suggested outright denying anyone transional care, but if you do a psych eval of a young female who hates their body and feels disconnected from it and wants to change it, maybe you should discuss if there's any big obvious reason they might feel that way - abuse, eating disorders, societal misogyny. and then maybe you should help them talk about that and find ways to cope with it and come to terms with it. and then maybe you should check in how they feel about the steps they wanted to take, and if they still want to take those steps. im not advocating for making people jump through random hoops, pay money or pass some sort of cognitive test.. im advocating for things that i KNOW would have helped very real people who were not given that kind of consideration. maybe you coud benefit from getting to know more detransitioned people.

[idwsonicshowdown]

Deciding the 64 Character Line-up

Hi Nermies and Normies! So, there are a lot of characters in IDW and I intend to narrow them down to 64 characters in order to run the “proper” tournament that I can make a graphic for. There are some characters who will get in automatically based on their prominence and others who’ll we’ll run smaller polls where they can battle it out for their slots. A few notes about that:

- Characters who have both a Classic & Modern version shown in IDW will first have their Classic & Modern version battle to see who gets through. This list includes Amy, Eggman, Knuckles, Sonic and Tails. - For the sake of this tournament, I’m counting the Classic & Modern versions of Nite the Owl as a single character, as it felt like splitting hairs at that point. - Metal Knuckles (Classic) and Mecha Knuckles (Scrapnik Island) will compete against each other for a slot. - Metal Sonic (Classic), Metal Sonic (Modern) and Mecha Sonic (Scrapnik Island) will compete against each other for a slot. - The four Hard Boiled Heavies will compete against each other for a slot. - The three original Diamond Cutters (Claire Voyance, Slinger and Smithy) will compete against each other for a slot. Mimic and Whisper will each get their own slots due to being active characters. - Shadow and the Shadow Androids will compete against each other for a slot (again, maybe going overboard here, but I wanted to include as many options as possible and they do appear on an upcoming cover). - Nine named background characters will be competing against each other for a single slot. These characters are: Ashe, Elder Scruffy, Gala, Gardon, Mach, Max, Sharps, Ron and Chief Mechanic (all right, that last one isn’t named, but I just like the Chief Mechanic guy). - Cheese, Chocola and Omochao will be competing against each other for a single slot. - 24 of the background Scrapniks will be competing against each other in groups of 4 to fight for 6 slots. Sigma will be getting its own slot due to its prominence as a character. - A few Scrapniks I couldn’t find images for were skipped out, but I do think 24 of them is plenty. - Motobud, Orbot, Cubot, Tails Doll, Omega and Gemerl are all included in their own slots. I’m not including any other badniks because there are just too many of them, I’m afraid. Please check out the wonderful @sonicseriesroboshowdown for more robots who might not be included in this tournament (though I do think we still have a good amount competing here). The Scrapniks are getting special treatment because they’re mostly unique to IDW. - I’m afraid I’m not including Wisps for the same reason as badniks. The three chao got in because there are less of them, basically. Sorry Wisps :( Maybe someone will do a Wisp Tournament one day ...With all that said, the intended line-up will be shared in a separate post shortly. :D

[ew-selfish-art]

I just keep thinking about it so... Continued:

The reason it was a proper Tea time instead of like, Snack time, was because Alfred caught wind of the fact that Danny’s guests weren’t just random shades from Gotham. Of course, the Butler would be the first to realize that Danny was the Ghost King and that he was occasionally holding his court meetings from one of the spare bedrooms.

Alfred never scolded him, but the change of scenery to the west wing’s formal office and the suddenly sophisticated snacks... Danny knew he’d been had.

Danny was also fairly certain that Duke was able to see more than he let on, something about the way the shadows moved around him unnaturally told Danny to be careful around him. Duke seems to also want his distance, though he’s always very nice to Danny and still tries to ask him if he needs help with his homework.

The youngest Wayne is certainly going to put Danny into new grave- The little guy was so freaking haunted and no amount of sticky-note wards that Danny stuck to him seemed to help.

Tim also received the sticky note treatment, but at least he had the realization that he was super haunted and had the self preservation to keep the note on him at all times. He also kept bringing Danny the most random names imaginable, but sure enough, ghosts would show up when they heard their old names from the voice of their king. Danny was trying to help people pass on, that’s why he started this whole nonsense, so he might as well indulge Tim. That being said, The dude is sloppy as all get out tho- fr, Danny learns a name, invites a ghost over and then the next day a cold case is solved?

The guy was totally a nark, and Danny didn’t fuck with police. So, despite Tim trying to use this shared hobby as a way to become friends, Danny wasn’t gunna have it.

Bruce seemed distressed, and for a guy with very few ghosts hanging around him in turmoil (lots that revered him for some reason), the dude looked haunted behind the eyes. Danny refuses any and all requests he makes but never gets kicked out. Annoying.

It only took Danny catching Jazz “I Can Fix You” Fenton making out with one Jason “Totally Never Died” Todd to make Danny decide that the guy was not going to be his friend. Yuck.

Steph, Babs and Cass that all randomly came around would do the same thing as Tim, asking him for random names, but sometimes the names were clearly personal. Danny always felt awkward when they thanked him for the information- He makes a mental note to never try to become a Medium. Not even as a gag. Grief was just, just, way too heavy.

Dick is the one that finally gets him to break and accept that living at the Manor with the Waynes wasn’t the worst. Who could get mad at a guy who had a literal ghost Elephant trailing behind him!? She was so stinking cute!!

Well, that and when Dani shows up and the family is apparently super pro-clone rights, he figures maybe they’re not all bad.

Dpxdc Au: As Danny gets more comfortable as a “long term roomie” in Wayne Manor, he starts to have freinds over. Aka psychopomp AU

Danny decided to take Batman’s deal upon the JL shut down of the GIW and Fenton Labs. He’d been working with the various heroes for a minute while they pursued the illegal government branch and his mad scientist parents- when it was clear he wasn’t going to have a home to return to, the Bat said he had a civilian contact that could help him and Jazz.

Jazz was honestly so relieved that they wouldn’t have to start from zero in her college town- how could Danny possibly say no when it took so much stress off of his sisters plate? Begrudgingly, he gets back to the Big Bad Bat and gets the contact info for one Bruce Wayne. Adoption is refused but, Jazz and Danny are invited to stay for how ever long they need to get their feet under them.

Danny keeps a lot of distance between himself and the other kids in the house, only coming to the meals that Jazz also attends. She’s pretty busy with classes during the day but it’s becoming clear that she’s also spending “quality time” with one of the older guys that stops by for dinner. Jazz advocates that he start to integrate himself or find a local community and after months of being a shit about it- Danny agrees to make new friends. He never said they would be alive tho.

Thus, Danny becomes Gothams local psychopomp. He just starts inviting the Shades of the unavenged for tea time in the west wing gardens. Alfred is always happy to supply tea and snacks, Danny doesn’t understand how the man doesn’t have more questions but is going to push his luck by asking. Wayne Manor is high key becoming the most haunted spot in the city and it’s starting to show.

Tim is the first to notice the changes in the Manor- he’s always been the smartest detective- and joins Danny at one of his tea times. What he hears Danny and the vague shape of a man talk about… is an old cold case. Holy shit, he’s got a break through.

Jason is the next to show up, but not because of the flickering lights or cold air, because he’s just maybe the teensiest bit interested in Jazz. Danny initially ignores him but seeing as the shades are all quivering in fear, Danny sighs and ultimately tries to figure out this dudes “whole undead deal”. Jason just wants to know what her favorite meal is but Danny will only exchange information for information. Jason gives him an abridged version of his death and rebirth- He walks away knowing Jazz’s preferred take out orders, favorite brand of tea and the cafe she likes to study at.

It’s going well honestly- Danny is having quality time with the ghosts in the city, the city is repaying him in good karma and Jazz is too occupied with the zombie to get on his case about not making human friends.

Then one of the batkids gets overshadowed and it results in… reveals? Drama? Friendship? Actual brotherly bonding?

[the-firebird69]

And there's some changes happening and there are new people in jobs and their pseudo empire and they are representing. They are also pulling in these people and arresting them.

-today there's a court case going on no there's like five and those are trials and there's 10 courthouses the other courthouses are used for new court cases that they're going to hear they're hearing a lot of cases and they're putting a lot of it out there maybe they're telling their people what they're doing there is a shift in the paradigm towards the pseudo empire and it is a serious hard shift they are taking over jobs left and right they're smarter they look better they sound better and they're not anywhere near as cranky. In many cases her son probably won't notice much he's been abused for a long time some of them want to put in the hospital but they're not planning on doing that and he won't have too much more stuff and it's still going to be ridiculous but they're not really allowed to do it because of the empire and they're thinking of using these people and our son says boy that would be some idea that's what you've been doing the whole time it's finally said boy that's a good idea they smiled and said it so that is one thing that is going to start happening

-there are a few things that they've already gotten done they can lay claim to cable TV is one the mattress they got him FEMA money and several other things that are theirs it was no easy task they said these people were added the whole time and they're a bunch of bums and they're bare mineral and minimalists and they're using extortion so people are going after them now

-there are a few more things that are actually happening right now they are going through people's notes records and finding things about themselves and they are tossing it down and they're going after them the pseudo empire is not in fighting as hard as it sounds they always do the stuff like that but this fight here is real and it's a lot more harsh these people have gone over the line so many times with them and us and others it's it's gross

-they're advancing and they're taking territory they're taking a lot of it in Florida and they're taking area that we were thinking of taking we're not just letting it go but it is by force and we are realizing that and we have to adjust accordingly there are several areas that we cannot give up and we're making a note of it and we will develop it to make sure people understand it

-there's more on the horizon and it will be a more positive experience for our son and he is change the words from the lifestyle or something to experience so I do understand that we're going to probably speak softer because the screaming and shouting hasn't helped anybody and it is quite awful but be more like demanded believe it or not there for it to happen and their crafts people but they've done is ridiculous but expected I guess by some and planned on by the empire proper and they did that kind of junk and they're not afraid of even and all this other stuff so we are getting ready to go into combat here with Mac morlock which people like bja trumpsters and they're getting a real beating okay they are getting a beat down and last night they had 40 go out again and 30 came back and 10 are gone and those are households and they are people that are known here and they were doing duties and Judy's elsewhere and they will not be performing those duties usually they get harmed because they no longer have areas and these are no exception they lost their areas around the world and it became weak and they did not claim areas in Australia and our son knew two people announced dead earlier and he is not pseudo empire and he was spying on them and they hated him a lot and he was out there and they spotted him and they trapped him on purpose and they did erase him around a bit they were trying to harm him and it was disastrous they drove around very fast and exposed others to the same type of treatment and as they're driving around they could see the vehicles they drove by exploding into flames and really got sad and the sun-dried the salvage them but the way these trucks are wiping out it's not really that possible and they knew about it and almost said don't bother but they wanted to see if he could do something and it didn't work and they weren't stepped on but it was gross so now we have a couple people gone and he got along with and he worked with and they weren't the problem and those people are dwindling God knows why they're going out there and we do know why so it's not a good day and their people who are sad

We're going to publish now there's a memorial service today for both of them in town

Thor Freya

Olympus

It's okay it's on his site and is having is putting it up there and they were putting it up and we okay it

Tommy a

Boy this is terrible this boy is doing a good job and now we're in trouble again

Trump

We do have mistakes we made and keep making and they're very big and horrible and it shows out there that we can't keep it together and we crash into things and it's terrible they're trying to zoom around and the others didn't see it it was too late we need to train or do something different

Jason

We have a few minutes to explain things and we don't have to but this is going to be treacherous people are thinking of releasing the bugs and Tommy f will be forced to intervene and we do not want that and the empire is not ready to stop him they're not close enough and they can't get here the pseudo empire would have to move in and it would be disastrous both of them don't have control over themselves so we need a presence here that's much stronger

Olympus

[starryocean]

realized there's still books i havent got to talking about yet that ive finished forever ago. whoops. here they are now.

1 - Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

as I expected, it was incredibly edgy. I kept thinking of Jorg as some 13-year-old dA boy's first ever fantasy OC. And he talked as if he felt the same way, too--really believing that he was the coolest shit ever, can do whatever he wants, fuck his dad and fuck the kingdom. nothing personnel, kid.

To Mark's credit, Jorg is also literally 14. I think. 14-15. Either way he's a teenager and has trauma and very much acts like it. I think that's a pretty important thing to state with regards to Jorg's narration. However, it also makes some things he pulled off in his backstory statistically impossible for a...I think 10? 11? year old to do. But there's also some weird magic shit going on, and the weird magic shit is explicitly confirmed to have played a role in at least one of those statistically impossible incidents, so I guess I can believe that maybe there was meddling there as well. idk.

Anyway. Let's talk about what I liked.

The "twist" with regards to the background of the setting as a whole was fairly interesting and properly foreshadowed from the start--even the map was pointing to it. However, it was also the only thing that really kept me reading. I did not like Jorg, even if I thought his narration was hilariously edgy, but somehow I did end up rooting for him to win the last battle at least a little? So I guess some of the reviews didn't lie to me in that that would happen.

So that's another thing I liked. Mark Lawrence is a competent storyteller if he was able to get me invested enough in Jorg--even with Jorg being unlikable as he is--to root for him at all at the very end. Let me be clear that I can't see him ever being truly a "hero" by any definition of the word. But he grew on me. That's the important thing. He grew on me, and it's honestly a sign of good writing that he was able to grow on me at all.

Thirdly: I think it's very, VERY funny that the only reason everyone didn't die half-way through the book is because one guy spoke up about not using every bomb available in order to destroy this one place. This guy saved the fucking world from being annihilated by nukes (yet again, cuz oops spoilers that's the twist it's set in post-nuclear apocalypse Europe) and then nobody even knows it but Jorg and his little group of bandit shitheads. And it's all because he didn't think it was necessary to go all out for one stupid fortress and told Jorg he had to tone it down a bit.

Comedy gold.

Now, what I didn't like:

Jorg. I've already mentioned he's a shithead. Massively so. Literally the book starts with him slaughtering a whole village for no reason, among other things. Literally the only reason I could find myself rooting for him is because the other guys were worse. So since I've already talked a lot about how much I don't like Jorg, I'm moving on.

The treatment of women is also very annoying. it's not as bad as having literally every female character get raped, but the only one who's given any development is the step-daughter of the king (jorg's dad) from his marriage to another woman after the first queen got murdered horribly. The only other woman of note I can think of is the dead queen and a sex worker that is treated like an idiot the whole time she's on screen. She and Jorg end up having sex anyway. It's gross.

Also. Racism. The only Black character is never given a real name and is consistently referred to by his race alone. He dies part way through the book (although he's still relevant a good while after) and is never given a proper name. And of course he was a slave and bandit and he's notable because apparently there aren't many other Black people in post-apoc Europe that aren't slaves??? Utterly bizarre. Do you have any idea how many Muslims live in France, as an example? Especially Black Muslims? Are you seriously telling me there wouldn't be ANY descendants of those people living as commoners in post-apoc Europe, even if not in what was once France specifically? Like, let's be generous and pretend that there aren't any Black nobility either because people are just THAT racist after the end of the world. Are you seriously saying there'd still be little to no free Black people around, at all? Are you stupid?

The fucking Asian character is treated better than this, and he's also a fucking slave whose been forced to be the wise old elder trying to teach Jorg about stuff and "put him on the right path" or w/e bs. But he at least has a name.

So overall I did not like this one, tbh. Even if there were a few things I did like a lot, there wasn't enough to keep me going other than the interesting setting twist and wanting to see how it ended. 3edgy5me, or whatever the meme was back in the late 2000s-early 2010s.

Would not rec.

2 - The Cat Who Saved Books by Sousuke Natsukawa

I liked this one a lot. 200+ pages, very short, but lots of warm feel-good with fantasy aspects to it as well. The different "worlds" where books were being treated badly were very interesting, and the different ways they were being treated badly was some good commentary on how people consume media. There were a lot of Western literary references which I didn't expect, but also since this was a translation and the author is Japanese I can see way, as part of the atmosphere of the book and playing into the protag's tastes and circumstances.

I was really interested in trying to learn what that last story the protag needed to confront was, because I wasn't sure who she was meant to represent, but it was probably more obvious in the original text and just couldn't be carried over to English well. I did like the whole "friends from past adventures coming to help the protag in his time of need" even if its a cliche, and there was just a lot of coziness to this one that I needed at the time I read it.

Loved this book. Would recommend.

3 - All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue

I admit, I picked this one up because it was from a publisher/imprint I'd never seen in store before and wanted to know what kind of stuff they published. The pretty art was also a selling point, as the setting in contemporary Ireand with Tarot stuff going on.

I wasn't sure if I'd like the protag at first, but I really did. Even with the rift between her and her childhood friend at the beginning and how it happened, I could really see why she did what she did, because I know that sort of thought process she had as she got older and wanted to "fit in" in her upper-class school. The fact she also ended up having to confront her privilege with how her family has far more means than most people was also a good part of her arc. I was also quite happy that she and her friend didn't make up right away at the end once the friend was saved, and that it was clear there was a long way to go between them.

The lore with the weird creepy card that started this whole mess was interesting, too. The fact that the spell the protag did was actually mutual on both her and her friend's part was an interesting touch I didn't expect--but it also makes sense? Especially with the foreshadowing that came after the incident with her having been seen willingly going with that manifestation of said card. The backstory about that other girl who stumbled upon that power but died without any help, and the fact that the nun(?) lady had all those news clippings in her car in the first place...those were good. The latter was touching, too, especially given the whole conflict against the religious cult.

Speaking of. Said religious cult. When the blurb says that this book touches on queer revolution, it's not joking around--this book goes fucking hard on the harm of anti-queer politics and what that religious cult is doing. The fact that the cult leader has magic also makes it even worse, considering he's manipulating people both with mundane tactics and literal fucking magic.

So uh. I wasn't in a great place to be reading that sort of thing when I got this, and with current politics I don't think I'll be able to read the next book any time soon either. But I did like this one a lot. Bonus points for the nonbinary character being amab, because--while I'm sure there's stuff out there--there's such a prevailing attitude of nonbinary being "femme lite" that it's so hard for me to find actual amab nonbinary rep. It's such a breath of fresh air. Like it shouldn't even be a thing that matters but...god, I need more amab nonbinary characters. Please.

Anyway. Great book. Goes hard. Would love to read the next one when I'm in a better headspace for it. Would recommend if you're in a good headspace for it.

4 - Never Coming Home by Kate Williams

It's And Then There Were None but if Fyre Festival. I was sold as soon as I read the blurb. I fucking love that idea and the And Then There Were None kind of mystery is like catnip to me. I loved that book when I first read it and I've been really into Agatha Christie-style mysteries in general. The recent Death on the Nile movie was loads of fun. I need to read more of her books and this helped scratch that murder-mystery itch I've been getting more into lately.

It's also good that the one actual big influencer was sus on everything from the start, precisely because most of these people were nobodies even in their own niche, by varying degrees from their helpfully-listed follower count in the beginning. Frankie Rus(s)h (the actual big influencer) only knows like, one person from an event they were both at and is very protective of her. Even so, she's still quite clearly flawed, and even a little selfish, and I like that.

The POVs all vary from chapter to chapter, as fitting the story its paying homage to. The way everyone's being taunted while they're trapped there at the same time they're getting picked off one-by-one is also nice psychological horror for those characters. Especially with the fact that the account for the event is updating with pictures of people that couldn't have been taken by any of them with riddle-like messages about who'll die next and how.

I also like that there was a character who was upfront about the thing they're guilty of right away. He knew he was the reason it happened, he did his time over it iirc, he made peace with his guilt and is fine with letting people know if it'll help figure out this mess. That's really good emotional maturity even if not everyone was as honest about their crimes as he was. Good stuff.

Now. Some problems.

That same character I don't feel was handled as great as he could've been. His whole thing is that he's a DJ, or at least was trying to make it as one, but ended up as more or less a drug dealer instead. I feel this would be fine if he were like, any other race but latino. Just...the drug dealer stereotype is too prevalent, especially with current politics, but I do applaud that the author tried to handle it as maturely as possible and made him far more nuanced than just a "druggie." He also didn't die first, and in fact lasted for a good while.

The alternating POVs between him and one other person right before his death was also good. Unreliable narrator clearly on display, with both of them being sure the other is the culprit in all of this. Tragic as all hell and really helps with the gut punch. Especially with how that other person died right after.

The only thing I was super confused about was the "explanation" part of the ending. It was framed as people theorizing online about it all (on reddit actually, I think) but I still didn't feel quite clear about the culprit's motivation for all of it. I might have to reread later to see if I can understand it better, but I do also know that scene was of the culprit literally trolling in order to try and dissuade people from thinking it was them.

Because they're still a public presence at the end and their family has been monetizing the shit out of the tragedy.

Yeah. Oof.

Still. Very good book. Loved it and it did the concept and homage justice. Would rec.

5 - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

Very interesting mystery, tbh. Contemporary/historical, with some people apparently having very YMMV feeling on how it was done. Personally I liked it a lot, the style and narration felt fitting. I really liked the emotional arcs of the characters, as well as the whole concept of an old herbalist going against her teachings in order to provide poison to women so that they can kill their husbands in an era where women didn't really have the ability to either divorce or else stop such people at all.

The relationship between the herbalist and the young girl was fun, and I really liked how the lady the girl was working for loved her like family. Enough to kill her husband so that he couldn't hurt the girl at all. The story with the modern-day historian was...less interesting tbh, mostly because for much of it I was worried it'd be more focused on the relationship drama with her cheating husband and their collapsing marriage more than it actually was. I wasn't super into the pregnancy scare plot either. But I did end up liking her side of the story more as the novel got further in.

It wasn't a super long novel either. Also in the 200+ page range. But the mystery/historical aspect was good, the modern characters not being able to get a full, conclusive idea of what happened in the past was good, and it was really fun watching the modern day historian do some breaking and entering in her search. fuck yeah, lady. trespass on private property to cope! fuck the police! lmao

Would recommend.

6 - So I'm a Spider, So What? #16 by Okina Baba

I liked most of it, up until the very end. The end ended up retroactively souring the rest of the book for me, if not the whole series. It was too abrupt, and the "epilogue" of 1-2 sentence paragraphs describing what happened to every character only made it worse. Especially given the fact that Sue is implied to be the one who "won" with Shun in the end, even though both volumes 15 and 16 make it explicitly clear she's not supposed to be seen in a good light with regards to her actions--starting from her rape attempt against Shun to how she selfishly inserts herself into the party of people meeting with the Demon Lord, and how that could very well have ended the world right then and there.

Like, Sue is not meant to be seen in anywhere near a positive light in volumes 15 and 16. She even keeps taking advantage of Shun's kindness even though he very firmly set boundaries with her, which is also presented as something negative, and yet she...somehow wins? Like, yeah, sure I am biased towards Katia. But Katia has also been pretty explicitly built-up as the "main" romantic interest for Shun since volume 1. Given the way Sue is treated/presented in the last few volumes, how she's been barely relevant for a majority of the series since volume 5, and with Katia being the obvious choice? It feels like a deliberate "fuck you." And it hurts. And it's honestly made me not want to go back and reread any of the series anymore for the parts I at least liked.

I've been wanting to write out a snippet/one-shot that sums up my feeling as to what should have been done with Sue since I had a chance to sit and process volume 16, but I can't even get myself to do that because of how sour it feels to even think about the ending. Even though I feel like it'd be cathartic to write such a fic. But I can't fucking get myself to do it. I knew people were saying the ending was bad, but I was really hoping it was people complaining for similar reasons as to why people didn't like vol 11-12 (aka, their reasoning was stupid).

But...no. They were right. The ending sucked. And I don't even know how to feel about the stupid series anymore. I don't even know if I want to have anything to do with it anymore.

And it hurts.

That's all I can say about this one.

7 - Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

Loved this one. The way it was written, most people being genuinely nice and good, the possessed/haunted kid not being demonized? It was so good. It was something I needed when I picked it up. It took me a while to actually finish it, but the ending made me so happy I did. This book is horror, I should also mention, and the drawings periodically inserted into the story was a great touch.

As a side note: I was thinking to myself a few days ago how most of my experience with horror media has been indie games,* how a majority modern video games have an inherently visual element to them, and how House of Leaves--the only adult horror novel I'd read before picking up Hidden Pictures--also had a kind of visual element to it that most books lack. Obviously, most novels make up for the lack of visuals by invoking images in your head as you read the prose, such that you can still "see" things happening. House of Leaves, however, ends up taking it a step further by making the text itself a visual component, not just leaving it as "text" and relying on the reader's imagination.

I think, considering my tastes in horror media, it's not a surprise that the two adult horror books I've picked up--and loved--have had a visual component to them. I mean, the narratives themselves are compelling, don't get me wrong. The prose and story of both are phenomenal. I loved reading them as much as I enjoyed the "visual" aspects. But I noted that it was an interesting trend, considering.

But anyway. Loved Hidden Pictures. 100% would rec--especially to those who want something accessible to try and get into the horror genre with.

(*I also read a lot of horror manga/webtoons, but the sentence was long enough so I elected to include that down here. Either way, my point still stands re:my tastes in horror having a bent towards including some sort of visual aspect to the storytelling)

8 - My Next Life as a Villainess #6 by Satoru Yamaguchi

I tried getting back into Bakarina as a way of helping me out of a reading slump, wanting to read something easier to help ease me into reading in general (which worked, and was what helped me finish Hidden Pictures). I also bought another LN that I'll go on about down below to help with this. I liked...some of this one. But I was also feeling kind of sour by the end of it due to the way a certain character was handled.

To put it simply: there's a side character who is described in a way that more or less makes them a trans caricature. Super muscular, wears pretty dresses/frilly clothes, wants to be called by a feminine name, acts super feminine despite being repeatedly referred to as looking hypermasculine, etc. To top it off, her coworker insists in referring to her by her deadname. Everyone else treats her as a woman (including Katarina's narration), but this one guy doesn't. Consistently. To top it off, everyone's kind of creeped out and wary around this transwoman character, at least at first.

I will say, at the very least, in comparison to that male coworker who deadnames her the trans character is at least portrayed as competent at her job. She takes things seriously and is good at what she does. She also doesn't act creepy to the other characters, it's the other characters being creeped out by default and eventually warming up (which, isn't much better, but the bar is so low that it's still a step up). She's also very caring towards the other characters and wants to keep everyone safe. At the end, a different viewpoint character who the transwoman is giving a report to also takes her seriously and treats her as a woman, trusting her and knowing she's one of the better people in their organization (iirc. It's been a while since I've read all of these).

But none of this fully washed away the bitter taste I got from the way this character's appearance is so obviously meant as a joke/caricature. Especially in a time where I was already feeling down, and combined with how Kumoko's ending went it sucks even worse. Bakarina was/is another series I really enjoy--I've been keeping up with the fan translations of the manga releases and it's been nice to read something so comfy and light when I see there's been a new update. But now that I've read this volume, and now that the fan translation is getting into the content of this volume, it's been made sour for me too.

The plot was okay, I guess. I wasn't super fond of how mean one of the characters was to Katarina, although I understand why given his backstory. I liked Pochi getting a power-up and the others freaking out about it. But I felt thoroughly "meh" on basically everything and was disappointed with the stuff regarding that transwoman character.

I don't have anything super nice to say about this one, sorry. Moving on.

9 - I'm the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire #1 by Yomu Mishima

Opposite to Bakarina, this one started out in a way that had me REALLY not want to read it, expecting the worst, and then turned my opinion around to a complete 180 as it went on.

I want to let you know, I've rarely ever had that happen to me. So I want to stress that this was actually good and funny, despite starting off on such an awful note. Like, I cannot understate how catastrophically the novel started out with regards to my expectations. I spotted a trope I don't like right away in the Table of Contents as one of the chapter titles, the full-color pages at the start being super super fanservicey, and the first chapter going into detail about how the reincarnated protagonist commissioned a big-tittied robot that had sexual capabilities programmed when he was a small child. And from there proceeding to grope said robot when she arrived, while still a small child.

And yet, it managed to redeem itself so well that I now consider it a favorite. I'm probably not going to buy any other volumes in the series, but I was actually laughing at some of the jokes at points. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a isekai manga that's actually funny? This LN started off so badly, but it managed to make me laugh. THIS KIND OF 108 NEVER. HAPPENS.

If you're wondering how it did that, then let me explain: first, it acknowledged several tropes common in isekai works (i.e., slave harems) as being a bad thing that will get people hating you and wanting you dead. The bar is so low but with the amount of works that don't manage to cross it, this was notable and improved my opinion just on its own. Then, the whole thing with the protag learning how to fight from a fraud because his brain is on anime and how what the guy was teaching him shouldn't actually be possible was incredibly funny. Failing upwards, and all that.

Then, this one older character being portrayed as incredibly pathetic and embarrassing for trying to do the honeypot thing. Too often, male teenage protags end up leaning into the gross pervert trope and let themselves go along with creepy fanservice no matter who it comes from. But this lady trying to seduce someone younger than her is shown as being embarrassing on her part, even humiliating that someone would even go that far. Again, this shouldn't be notable, but the fact that this LN was able to make such a point helped improve my opinion, because there's so many novels out there that can't even say that.

Then, when rescuing a bunch of people who've been held prisoner and traumatized (with heavy sexual connotations, even though nothing on-screen or outright is shown), the protag instead chooses to help them recover and even help them find places/jobs/etc. in his society instead of "mercy killing" them (which is something that happens far too often to victims of rape (or in this case, implied rape) in webnovels and such).

The fact that the bar is soooo fucking low but this novel manages to get all these things right? While managing to be actually funny at points alongside that? I genuinely can't believe the story pulled it off. It's insane.

Of course, the LN is not without its problems--there's still the way it started out, for instance. And there's other moments of unnecessary fanservice that doesn't happen to make a point like how that one scene with the honeypot does about it being dumb/pathetic/creepy/etc. There's also a bonus chapter in the back I felt was iffy, among other things.

But the fact it managed to turn my opinion around by this much? I think that counts for something. This one very much depends on whether or not you'll see the story the way I do by the end of it, so I can't give it a blanket rec, but if you're interested in trying it out? I'd say go for it. Just be aware that there's still stuff that's very much not great. I don't think people who aren't used to Weeb Ass Shit appearing in their anime/manga will like this one at all. So YMMV.

10 & 11 - Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree & Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Putting these two together because it's been long enough I only have a few thoughts for each.

Legends and Lattes was nice and cozy. The stakes where actually higher than I expected re: the mafia thing or whatever, but that did get resolved without too much struggle, so that was nice. People being nice to each other and working together to make coffee and pastries. It's something I needed, and I'm glad I read it. Would rec.

Elantris was very obviously a debut novel. It didn't read as well as Mistborn did, the plot moved way too slowly for my tastes, and it hit kind of hard in places that I didn't want to be hit hard in. I get that it was setting up a sequel hook at the end, but for a standalone there were too many questions left unsolved. I get why, but even so, I wasn't super fond of this one. I remember wanting to see the noble ladies actually get to use the sword skills they were being taught but I feel like I remember that not happening. Would have to reread to double check.

I did at least like the political maneuvering, and I liked that the prince was able to reunite with his wife. I liked the organizing and faction conflict within the walled-off Elantris, too. But everything else was kind of...aggressively meh. I will say it treated its characters of color better than Prince of Thorns, though. They at least all get names and are treated as equals.

I think that's all the reviews. This took forever to sit down and write up but I got it done at least?

Currently reading Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, am planning to read The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie after. Beyond that? We'll see.