#but while doing it I was thinking specifically about the people who binds too much

[maekyart]

Drawing silly stuff to understand the clothing of the Witch Hat Atelier characters (so many layers!!) so have this poor Olu

[cruyuu]

The proof of sukuita's soul resonance and their oneness. Yuuji is shown without two fingers and cannot salvage them, considering how the person responsible for him losing those fingers (the missing piece) is dead and gone.

Fitting, no?

Let's talk about it.

Yuuji lost both his ring and pinky finger.

The pinky one (representing promises– pinky swear) was torn by Sukuna and used to overtake Megumi, symbolically representing Yuuji's failure to keep his promise- keep Megumi away from Sukuna and, in general, protect Megumi. In the beginning, Yuuji was shown as someone incapable of defending and keeping people alive despite the fact that he very much wished to. You could say Sukuna reminded him of that by taking over the very person that saved his life in the first place by postponing his execution.

The pinky remained in Megumi (because that's how Sukuna got to Megumi) until Yuuji tore it away- tore Sukuna away- and then spoke to him, leading to Blobkuna and Sukuna's passing. Of course, knowing Gege's love for everything sukuita, they fittingly made Sukuna the one to rip that finger away to be in someone else and conveniently not return it by instead choosing to die.

Mind you, the reason why this happened was because Yuuji didn't place a condition in the Binding Vow (the one he doesn't nor will ever even remember making) that he cannot be hurt when Sukuna has control which is, again, an insane thing because it implies he trusts him not to cause harm to himself or truly doesn't care what happens to him after he's "dead to the world" (kinda like Sukuna who doesn't care what happens to his body after his death).

So that's for the pinky. Yuuji also never got the ring finger back.

Now, Sukuna believed that his finger was eaten by Rika, but that wasn't the case. It was revealed to us that the finger Rika ate was Yuuji's, and according to Yuta, anything she eats cannot be salvaged by RCT. It cannot be healed and I'm crazy over the symbolism of Yuuji losing his ring finger because of the general, well-known meaning of the ring finger. He gave up that finger because of Sukuna (giving up his love in order for his downfall) and, conveniently, we're shown a single finger that remains of Sukuna. I also truly do wonder why the location of Sukuna's finger (for some reason) was fitting with the location of the music video for that one song.

Yuuji never got back the ring finger in form of a person who he had also asked (twice) to return. Who he could live with no matter what he had done. Who he would accept no matter what. Who he thinks back on fondly while looking at his lost fingers. He gave up that finger for him and that one finger (one person) remains in the Stevenson shed- right where he found him.

Through symbolism, the implications are insane because love and commitment (the ring finger) remains with Sukuna.

If you want more insanity, well... Remember what I said about the pinky? That it was how (basically) Yuuji lost Sukuna? Well, Sukuna didn't return to Yuuji (no matter if Yuuji wanted him to) and hence Yuuji couldn't truly get that finger back.

The fact is that Yuuji was supposed to be the only vessel (specifically made for him, so much so that he inherits his techniques and cursed energy like come on, you couldn't get more perfect than that, he even has his face!) for Sukuna and one made intently for the purpose of his true return and yet... Sukuna chose another one and reincarnated via that one. Lost because of that very choice.

So it's basically the fact that these two were practically perfectly made for each other (spelled out by the story), but unlike their mirrors (Yuta/Rika, Hana/Angel), they never acknowledged it nor chose to accept one another.

Yuuji only accepts Sukuna when it's over, during 268. Fittingly, Sukuna "accepts" Yuuji in the afterlife and to Mahito's face (which is hilarious because Yuuji hated Mahito's guts and Sukuna *of all curses* telling him off too was just chef's kiss).

If you think about it, if Sukuna ever reincarnates (and it's highly probable because of how the door to the shed is open, quite literally open for return), perhaps he'd stumble upon that finger in the Stevenson shed and that is so awfully romantic to me. Considering the placement of the finger being near Yuuji's high school, you could also say that's Yuuji leaving a clue for Sukuna to find him, should he ever reincarnate in this lifetime while he's still alive. If he doesn't, well, at least it could serve as a reminder (to jog his memory if he doesn't remember).

Yuuji got his permanent reminder of Sukuna- right there on his left hand. Hell, he can't even get married because of him (wedding rings are worn on the left hand in Japan and I'm cackling because oh the implications lmfao).

[butterflydm]

rings of power, s2 eps 1-2

So there are things I know about how this season will end (specifically, I know a couple of pretty significant deaths), and that will definitely impact my thoughts during my watch of the season, so I'll set those out now.

spoilers below through s2 of rop and probably some lotr spoilers

Things I know will happen by the end of the season: Celebrimbor will die; Adar will die; and Sauron is going to stab Galadriel with a black crown (Morgoth's crown, I think). I also know we're gonna get blonde elf Sauron who goes by the name Annatar.

I have also been thinking about what Galadriel said a couple of times in s1 -- thirst cannot be quenched with seawater (paraphrased). It feels significant in a way that I'm not quite certain of, in the same way that Adar saying 'only blood can bind' feels significant. So I'm just going to place it here for me to think about. It was used by Galadriel to essentially mean that an inferior substitute cannot replace what you really need, mostly in the context of revenge, iirc, but yeah. It's sticking in my head for some reason.

episode 1: I enjoyed Gandalf with Nori (and I am glad that Poppy joined them!!) and it's intriguing and I'm interested in seeing more.

I like the Harfoot stuff but never seem to have much to say about it.

Now, Sauron, I can apparently talk about forever.

I love how ep1 of season 1 was us learning Galadriel's fateful road to meeting Sauron and now we see the other side of the story! We watch Sauron's road to meeting Galadriel!

Starting with his encounter with Adar and the orcs. Now, I am spoiled about how Adar dies, so I know that the season is going to bookend between Adar killing Sauron at the start, and then Sauron killing Adar in a very similar way at the end. Knowing that... I mean, you can see the murder in Sauron's eyes when he's forced to kneel and place his feet by Adar's feet. Even if Sauron didn't already plan on killing him (he did), that moment would have sealed Adar's fate (just as the old Sauron loyalist sealed his own fate by being an asshole to the imprisoned Halbrand).

I do find it very interesting that Sauron, while being Halbrand here, is also still doing good by his people -- he arranged for the enslaved Southlanders to be freed as part of his deal with Adar.

I really liked seeing that whole backstory, because we really got to the heart of why Sauron failed to redeem himself -- being good is not a single act (he is fully capable of doing singular acts of goodness -- he does one here by getting Adar to free the enslaved Southlanders as part of his bargain) but a choice that must be made over and over "until it becomes your nature". Arondir talks about this too, when the Southlanders were considering surrendering to Adar (and some of them did) -- that going to Adar and submitting to him turns back all of the progress that their people have made over the centuries to rid themselves of Morgoth's influence. Falling prey to the temptations of power makes it more difficult to unwind that temptation from yourself later on.

The Sauron and Adar scenes were so good. First, we had original recipe Sauron's failure to convince Adar to go along with his plan (because it was obviously selfish and putting Sauron and his desires over everyone else's) vs Halbrand's success at getting Adar to go along with his plan (because he was able to frame it in a way that meant he was going to be meeting Adar's desires and helping Adar destroy his old source of fear -- by using "Sauron" as bait, which was hilarious)!

Sauron really paid attention to the cost of his original failure with Adar & the orcs. And learned how to manipulate him better this time around.

We also saw his first meeting with Galadriel from his PoV and, yeah. He definitely saw something in her from the very start. I don't think he knew what -- I stand by what I said about Sauron in my s1 wrapup -- he's an opportunist. He took the pouch of the King of the Southlands because it might be useful someday. And I think he could see something intriguing in Galadriel and was curious about it. I don't think he had any particularly concrete plans at that time. Given his conversations with the old man (Diamand?), he was interested in the concept of redemption for himself, but I think the actual day-to-day hard work of it was something that he found daunting.

We also finally really got to see more hints of him using his powers. First, there was that huge blast of power when his body 'died' -- creating a frozen wasteland at that fortress location that is still there all these years later (that's the frozen fortress that Galadriel visited in s1e01!). Holy shit, he was holding a lot of power inside his form. Brings back all the shit that the wizard ladies were telling "Sauron" (Gandalf) that he was capable of at the end of last season. Plus the actual rebuilding of a different mortal form for himself, by consuming life along the way (that poor random girl). He really is something akin to a demigod and we got to see it in this episode.

We also appeared to see him commune with beasts twice -- it seemed like he was talking to that giant sea monster (also, it seems like there's no reason to worry about Sauron ever drowning, because bro did not seem to have any worries about being sunk down in the water for a while) and he communicated with and befriended the wolf that he then used to kill the old Sauron loyalist (no, I never bothered to learn the man's name. And now I don't need to know!).

In the Elven rings storyline: Elrond was absolutely right. The rings were whispering to people from the second they were completed. The rings actively resisted being thrown into the waters and seduced Cirdan into putting one of them on instead. The rings are dangerous. Maybe a portion of Gil-galad's point is correct, now that they have come to this turning point -- if Sauron had not come back to Middle-Earth, if the mountain hadn't blown, then Gil-galad might be arguing here that they should let the matter of the rings go and leave Middle-Earth. But now that he does believe that Sauron is here, he believes they are obligated to stay to fight him (aka exactly Galadriel's reasoning for refusing to leave in 1x01!).

That one of the Rings leapt out to choose its owner (Galadriel) and called to her to put it on... that is One Ring bullshit if I've ever seen it. The Rings want to be worn. They want to be used. They promise everything that your heart desires... through them. And that's the same damn promise that Sauron gives everyone. "I can give you the power to solve your problems. Just... listen to me. I have the answers and I am willing to give them to you. Let me rule you fix it for you." And he tailors that pitch so well to the person listening, if he's had a chance to get to know them (and isn't distracted by thoughts of his upcoming glory, lol).

I noticed that Galadriel didn't confess to who Halbrand truly was until she was cornered and essentially had no choice. I understand why she hesitated -- she knew that Sauron wasn't wrong when he said that she would be blamed for bringing him back. "How will they react when they learn that Sauron lives because of you?" She knows how they'll react. And that's why she didn't tell.

He was counting on that. That if she wouldn't come to his side, she at least wouldn't want to reveal how badly she'd miscalculated in trusting him. And in doing so, she enabled him to continue his plans.

And now that the rings exist, they resist being lost. They whisper a thousand promises of power to their bearer. The elven rings may not be touched by Sauron's hand, but his promise lives in them.

In the end, not even Frodo could bear to actually destroy the One Ring. When it came to the final moment, he decided to keep it. It was only his earlier actions that created the situation that led to its destruction.

Great opener! Looking forward to the rest of the season.

My mom's big takeaway was being awed/horrified over how Sauron was able to reconstitute himself from just the blood/goo that had been left behind, and she kinda despaired/marveled at how difficult someone like that is to truly defeat. We've decided we're probably going to rewatch the LotR movies after we've caught up with s2 of RoP.

episode 2: Okay, I'll tackle Gandalf's storyline first. Once again, it's good but pretty straight-forward, so not a lot to say. I do think it's important to have on-screen, because Gandalf is the rising foil to Sauron, the Maia that we can contrast against each other. Sauron is of many names and Gandalf the Stranger is currently of none.

I think part of what we have here is the continuing paralleling of the growth between their powers as well -- Gandalf calls a duststorm but cannot control it; Sauron calls a rainstorm and controls it to perfection.

The other parts of the story are all about the continuing rise of Sauron and how he is putting pieces together to create what he views as his masterwork.

Trouble in the dwarven mountains, trouble that was caused by the volcano erupting in what used to be the Southlands. A problem has been created for the dwarves. A fear has been created.

Now... now Sauron needs to make himself the solution to that new fear that the dwarves have. He needs to make his rings the solution to their deepest fears, just like he did for the elves when he learned that they were fading.

The family plotline that we had going on with the two stubborn Durins was good, and I continue to love Durin (III) and Disa's relationship. <3

With the elves, it becomes even more clear to me how connected the elven rings are to Sauron, even if he wasn't the one who crafted them (check out Halbrand's look of joy when he's telling Celebrimbor that the elven rings have "worked wonders" -- he is thrilled that the elven rings are being used). Galadriel touches the her ring and is distracted by visions about Sauron. Gil-galad hides his own ring from sight at the implication that the rings could be dangerous. And Cirdan attempts to make the argument that limitless power is fine in the hands of the trusted and the wise... an argument that the elves are sadly aware is incorrect by the time of the LotR. The rings are dangerous because the rings are Sauron's realized promise to save the elves from fading from Middle-Earth. They are his.

Elrond is the only one we've seen so far who resisted the call of the rings. He continues to have so much moral integrity - stands up to his friends, stands up to his king, keeps his oaths, and is wary of incredible power even if it rests in trusted hands.

I note that Gil-galad is careful to redirect any... failings of falling for Sauron's deceptions to Galadriel's feet. He hides his ring when the subject comes up. It's Galadriel who is a risk, not the rings. Never the rings. This section here was also set-up for how Halbrand manipulates Celebrimbor later on -- we learn in this conversation that it's said that once Sauron deceives you fully, then he can make you see and feel what he wants. That is what he does to Celebrimbor in this episode.

Gil-galad and Galadriel are both being granted visions by the rings. Where are the visions coming from? We didn't see Gil-galad's vision but we saw Galadriel's.

In her vision, she was granted access into Sauron's plans. Seven rings for the dwarf lords. Nine rings for the mortal men. And Celebrimbor... the Celebrimbor in her vision... he blamed her for Sauron's rise. Or gave her the credit. Depending on how you look at it. In her other, shorter vision, she was shown Halbrand in Eregion. Who is showing her this? Is it truly something that her ring has unlocked inside her, as Gil-galad suggests?

We also got to see how the memory of what she shared with Halbrand still preys on her heart. "He never left," Elrond says. So, yeah, heartbroken and ashamed and certain that it must be her destiny to kill Sauron (because only that way can she prove to herself that he isn't still in her heart?).

So, you know. Galadriel is going through it right now.

Over with our boy the Deceiver... continues to be doing the most at all times. He tried to make it work as Halbrand for quite a long time, honestly. He tried to elicit sympathy and understanding and he got it... to a certain extent. But then he hit the wall of Celebrimbor's arrogance about elven superiority vs men or dwarves (but especially "corruptible" mortal men).

And so Halbrand becomes Annatar in the most over the top way anyone could imagine, holy shit. That's what Celebrimbor wants. Not a collaboration with a lowly mortal smith or king of Men. He wants to believe that the Valar, that the gods themselves think that he's the best fucking artist in the world. So good that they sent a personal envoy to give him instructions.

The way that Sauron crafts himself to fit into what his audience most desires of him is... impressive and, you know, I should say terrifying, but honestly, it's kinda hot. Fictional con artists are very attractive to me. And Sauron defaults to being a con artist before he picks violence. He prefers manipulation. He's very good at it.

My mom's feelings: she feels like he looks "more evil" as Annatar and is relieved about it, lol.

[katoska]

Theory why Betelgeuse left Lydia's side to "go to the little boys' room" and took over for Richard at his booth for a bit:

Yes, he could have dealt with Jeremy without playing dress-up and taking over Richard's job, and didn't have to enable Richy to get a little more family time in the process. They could have saved Astrid just fine without that, so it seems unnecessary, for him to do that. OOC, even. Except

2) Richard wouldn't owe Betelgeuse a big favor for said taking over of his job and enabling the extra family time with Lydia and Astrid. Also, ofc, for saving his daughter from trading places with Jeremy. Betelgeuse did all that at great cost to himself: A Code 699 violation (see screenshot of transcript from reddit below) gets you extra time working as a civil servant, it gets your topside privileges revoked, and it voids any marriage you entered into, so his contract for payment from/marriage to Lydia was meaningless (well, if it had been a marriage certificate rather than just an agreement to get married in the future. and if he'd actually signed it. and then possibly only if he'd signed it before entering the Netherworld so there'd be a marriage TO void, rather than... not signing it at all... *sigh* he totally burned that half-signed and not-yet-binding contract himself bc he understood she wasn't ready to marry him yet, is what I'm saying, but I digress).

1) Lydia wouldn't have gotten closure for her ex's death without it. Closure which she sorely needed, because the fact that Richard's body was never found plus her seeming inability to see his ghost (Richard: "I know you two can't see me, but I check in on you all the time") add up to her having been in denial of his death. She couldn't see his ghost because she really really did not want to see proof that he was dead. So now she gets to move on from him. Which is very convenient for B. Especially as Richard is unlikely to be able to visit her anytime soon even now that Lydia has accepted his death and should be able to see him again, but I'm getting to that.

Still 2): Anyway, B doesn't do favors. He does business. If people are allowed to take over for others at their jobs in the afterlife, but those jobs are also a form of punishment where you have to "do time" at them for a specific duration, then those work hours are a currency that you can give away or trade. You can, if you find someone who is willing, get someone to do your time for you (hell, you can even get a naive Breather to trade their actual Life for your afterlife existence).

So yeah, I don't think Betelgeuse took over Richard's booth just out of the goodness of his heart. I think they made a deal, one that means that B will be topside again much sooner than the Deetz' will expect so he can get back to trying to seduce Richard's ex (hey, Richard always supported lost causes, so... 😆), while Richard will be stuck at work, unable to visit the Living for a long and unspecified amount of time. Not that his family's gonna notice, bc they never used to see him visit them, anyway.

And yeah, according to someone from reddit who decyphered that page in the Handbook, there's a bit about how the Deceased who violated Code 699 has to cease Trading, if applicable.

But I think that only goes for post-conviction of the crime, not as an automatic consequence of the crime, as B was also still able to visit the Living World to attempt the church wedding. Which, actually, is yet more evidence that this latest marriage attempt was more for the sake of declaring his feelings and testing the waters (and showing off, and getting rid at the competition) than him trying to actually get, and stay, married. Cause the church wedding would have been voided by a conviction, too.

Anyway, that's my theory on B's incredibly considerate, and therefore incredibly suspicious, detour to Richard's booth and letting Richard have his heroic moment.

And tbf, Lydia and Astrid are Richard's family. So it wouldn't even be unreasonable to expect Richard to pay for the legal trouble B got into from saving them. Like, I'm sure he'd have done it anyway, but if B can pass on that buck then ofc he's gonna.

[redjadethewriter]

Which Arcane Lady Is Girlfriend or Wife Material?

The women in Arcane League of Legends are some of the best developed animated characters I’ve seen in a long time, specifically designed for adults to watch. Unlike animated characters aimed at children, they cater to an older audience. As someone who enjoys animation and appreciates the quality of storytelling it offers, I want to explore something fun in this blog: using the female characters as an example. My focus will be on whether they would make compatible companions for me. To illustrate this, I’ll draw from my own preferences and experiences, particularly when discussing the qualities of each character. Ultimately, I’ll be determining who fits my standards of being girlfriend material and who doesn’t.

Before I dive in, I want to point out, in the series, Caitlyn and Violet stood out as the more explicit couple. However, Jayce’s relationship with Mel was not as clear-cut. While they hooked up, they were not explicitly a couple. On the other hand, Jayce and Viktor had a stronger, more established connection.

In my opinion, Viktor and Jayce are actually a compatible couple. It’s clear that they were into each other. Although the writers didn’t explicitly state it, Jayce seemed to be attracted to Viktor and displayed a bisexual inclination.

Viktor, on the other hand, is an enigma. He was never interested in Sky. Actually, for a second, I thought Viktor was asexual. However, I soon realized he had a soft spot for Jayce. Viktor probably is Asexual, but it’s important to note that Asexuals can love and be in a healthy relationship as well. But who really knows what Viktor’s sexuality truly is?

But come on, who spends their lifetime trying to get Jayce to save his version of Viktor by convincing him of his beauty, imperfections, and all? It’s worth mentioning that Jayce, in season one, wanted to un-alive himself, and guess who stopped him? Viktor. Throughout seasons one and two, Jayce constantly thinks about Viktor, even during the sex scene with Mel. That’s not just bro love, that’s love-love. It’s a love shared between companions.

However, when it comes to Cait and Vi, in reality, their relationship would never work. Their communication with each other is not the best. And let’s not forget that Cait looks down on the people from Zaun. As for Vi, she herself holds no allegiance to any nation or people. Her love is conditional, not unconditional. That’s why the two women in her life went through a growth phase and changed into people she didn’t like. Vi was judgmental and lacked acceptance. How can two judgmental people be together romantically? They can’t. That’s why Arcane is fiction. Furthermore, Cait completely ignores the fact that Vi is a lower-class citizen from Zaun.

Can you imagine your romantic partner ignoring your heritage, culture, and where you come from, only seeing you as an exception because of their desire for you? This imbalance of chemistry ruling the mind too much and reason too little is problematic. Both individuals are allowing chemistry to guide their decisions, despite underlying issues that would not work in reality. It’s similar to what Vi mentioned to Cait in season one - they are like oil and water. From my perspective, I can confidently state that the composition of oil cannot be changed. While oil and water can temporarily bind with certain tools, they will eventually separate. Cait and Vi, in reality, form a toxic mix. In the show, they serve as red flags to be mindful of. Although they are both attractive characters and share chemistry, these factors alone do not sustain a long-term relationship. Thus, I believe Jayce and Viktor serve as a better example of a compatible couple in the story compared to Vi and Cait.

Now that I have finished explaining my thoughts on the better couple, let’s shift our focus to the characters who I believe are capable of building a lasting romantic relationship. Additionally, I will discuss the reasons for considering these characters and also highlight the ones that should be avoided without any exceptions.

Ambessa

Regardless of how anyone chooses to frame it, Ambessa is a woman to be avoided. Once I discovered the inspiration behind her character, I realized she’s someone we can learn a great deal from. It’s important to be cautious of anyone who finds themselves attracted to her persona. In essence, Ambessa is the female equivalent of Niccolò Machiavelli. The writers were quite clever in their portrayal. They had Ambessa teach Mel about embodying both the Fox and the Wolf, while Machiavelli spoke of being both the Fox and the Lion. Though the terminology differs, the underlying mentality remains the same. The aim is to disable enemies enough so they won’t feel compelled to get revenge. That’s why Ambessa is merciless toward civilians of an empire she takes over. Manipulation is the focal point. Ambessa and Machiavelli share traits such as violence, deceit, treachery, and using others to their advantage. Ambessa passed on these characteristics to her daughter as well.

Now this moves on to Mel.

Mel is another red flag for the very reason I mention her mother as someone to stay away from. While she may have a caring side to some degree, in reality, she’s manipulative. Nonetheless, there are positive traits that can help redeem her negative qualities, allowing her to use them for good. However, I wouldn’t risk myself on that notion unless there was a clear sign it would end up okay.

On the one hand, she can change and not be like her mother. But on the other hand, in the series, it’s something I wouldn’t count on too much. I do give her praise for helping fight Ambessa, but I would still tread cautiously in a romantic relationship with this character. She can swing in either direction, depending on the influences.

Therefore, Mel is a gamble at this point. Getting involved with her could potentially lead her partners into terrible circumstances, both mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Next on this following, the no-compatible trend is Violet/Vi.

The only good thing about Vi as a character, based on my preferences and opinions, is her strength and protective nature. While some may find her attractive, her personality is lackluster. She uses humor as a coping mechanism, but it’s clear that she’s struggling with her own problems. As I mentioned earlier, she’s conditional, meaning she can’t accept her partner changing or evolving. This reminds me of people who resist change and hold onto toxic fantasies and memories, leading to disastrous situations. For instance, Powder, also known as Jinx, wouldn’t have had to save Vi if she had accepted that Vander was gone. Furthermore, Vi lacks loyalty. Her transformation into an enforcer for Piltover exemplifies her chameleon-like nature, lacking a solid individuality. You know those people who change their looks to fit their partner’s tastes? Vi acts like them. Many celebrities engage in this behavior, altering their appearances and personalities according to their partners, but it’s not healthy. Additionally, Vi is not a good listener. Although she is comfortable talking about herself and being vulnerable with certain people, she is oblivious to her partner’s issues. Unfortunately, Vi is too mundane to keep me interested. Her interests revolve around fighting and being tough, lacking the complexities that make a character intriguing. It’s no surprise that Cait told her she was becoming predictable. I can’t help but think, “Cait, she’s been predictable since season one. She is the most transparent character in Arcane.” I have to be honest about this. Vi is just not a mystery, and some people, like myself, enjoy unraveling the complexities of a romantic interest. So, what happens if there’s none of that? Well, there’s only sex. While some people may solely be interested in the physical aspect, that’s not me.

Next on this list is Sevika.

If there’s one goon worthy of falling in love with, it would undoubtedly be Sevika. Despite her involvement in illegal activities, particularly under Silco’s command, she embodies the true meaning of loyalty. Sevika’s allegiance has always been unwavering towards her nation and its people. She aligns herself with leaders who prioritize this quality, such as Vander, until she discovered his lack of loyalty to the community. Sevika, on the other hand, takes immense pride in her work. Even though Silco held the reins of power, she efficiently managed the lanes, ensuring that everything ran smoothly for him. She was the driving force behind the functioning of businesses and the well-being of the people. Despite tempting offers from the power-hungry chembarons, Sevika remained loyal to Silco. In season two, when the chembarons sought to hand Jinx over to Piltover, Sevika stood firm in her belief to never betray their own. Additionally, Sevika possesses a softer side. Her concern for Isha was clear when she and Jinx searched the prison block for her. Sevika’s help in helping Jinx infiltrate Stillwater prison to rescue Isha showcases her compassion. It’s worth noting that their primary aim was to find Isha, with freeing the others being an added bonus. Sevika is not only a protector, but also someone who speaks her mind. Her bluntness stems from a genuine desire to do what is right. Despite her interest in gambling and fighting, she remains a complex and captivating character because of her grounded nature and unwavering principles. For me, Sevika is a dependable partner, someone who can smoothly navigate everyday life. The best part is that I wouldn’t expect anything less from her. She is resolute and unswayed by others, and her loyalty is an incredibly attractive quality. With Sevika, there would be no insecurity or fear of infidelity. She would stand by her partner’s side, no matter what.

Now let us move on to Caitlyn, aka Cait.

You would think that I would place Cait after Vi or before Sevika, considering I talked some trash about her. I mean, Cait is a character who tends to look down on others when unfortunate events challenge her perspective. However, I attribute this primarily to her sheltered life and the naiveness that resulted from her mother not teaching her the harsh realities of the world. I have to admit, Cait’s mother never instilled in her the importance of holding a higher position in life to effect change. The elites hold power over the lower class. So, when Cait was disgusted by how the Undercity residents lived, she failed to realize that it was the upper-crust of Piltover who was responsible for their plight. Instead, when she witnessed the consequences of inequality and the oppression faced by these people, her mind automatically labeled them as animals. Consequently, she dehumanized them. In season 2, she even resorted to using biological warfare tactics in her pursuit of Jinx in the Undercity, disregarding the well-being of innocent citizens. I’m fairly certain there were casualties resulting from her use of the grey. So, when you really think about it, she may have caused more deaths than Jinx. Now, why would I mention Cait, after praising Sevika’s admirable qualities? Well, despite Cait’s transformation into a dictator, there are certain positive aspects about her that I cannot overlook. One of them being her empathy and capacity for compassion when she gains a deeper understanding of things. Her world was shattered in season one, having been betrayed by a citizen of the Undercity for shimmer and taken captive by Jinx in her most vulnerable state. That’s a lot of trauma to endure. Furthermore, she witnessed Jinx launching a rocket at the council. However, in season two, Jinx confessed to Cait that she had no idea her mother was there. This goes to show that Cait is not immune to narrow-minded thinking.

Cait is known for being super analytical and her ability to read people. She pays close attention to those around her, unless she’s consumed with thoughts of revenge. Unfortunately, this obsession blinds her to those who manipulate her, which ultimately led to her letting Maddie and Ambessa into her home. On the other hand, when Cait is not seeking revenge, she genuinely cares about the people close to her and is willing to help them, even if it means sacrificing material things.

One person Cait has a good understanding of is Vi. She can predict Vi’s actions, showing just how observant she is. Cait is not only attentive to her partner, but she also acts as a protector in her own unique way. While she may not possess Vi’s brute force, she adapts and learns new techniques to become a more efficient fighter and protector. She even goes as far as sacrificing her own eye to ensure Mel’s victory over Ambessa.

Like Cait, I can relate to making tough decisions and doing whatever it takes to accomplish goals. Cait maintains a stoic demeanor, but she let her guard down with the people she trusts. Additionally, Cait’s intellect might actually make her a captivating conversationalist, despite her privileged upbringing, which I like that. Her marksmanship skills and classy demeanor add to her appeal. It’s worth noting that in season one, Cait went through a rebellious phase as she sought to find her own path outside of her elite status. This quality is truly admirable. Actually, it’s cute.

Cait handles challenges exceptionally well, especially when faced with skepticism and lack of support. She takes initiative and is willing to take risks to achieve her objectives, refusing to let anyone stand in her way. While it’s unclear if Cait is capable of loving someone unconditionally, her love for Vi suggests that she is. However, Cait needs to acknowledge and embrace Vi’s background, understanding that Zaun and the Undercity have both good and bad individuals, just like Piltover. Cait’s ability to love someone less fortunate than herself is a testament to her character.

I must admit, I have a soft spot for characters like Cait.

Now let us move on to Powder, aka Jinx.

I love both Powder/Jinx. Although they are the same person, my love for them is unconditional. It’s not surprising that Ekko had a crush on Powder when they were kids. Powder is incredibly creative and practically a scientist and engineer, as she creates her own weapons. For instance, she designed her own grenades and crafted guns that perfectly suit her fighting style. Whether she goes by Powder or Jinx, she always likes to make a grand entrance. Even in the alternate universe, Powder showcased her true character - caring, thoughtful, loving, compassionate, and empathetic. There’s just so much to adore about her. Despite her possessiveness, it stems from her fear of abandonment. She simply wants to be useful to those around her. Unfortunately, Vi never really nurtured this side of Powder, and allowing others to bully her didn’t help either. It’s disheartening that we had to witness an alternate universe where Vi is no longer alive to see Powder rise and become the leader. In that reality, she became a solid foundation for her brothers, Mylo and Claggor, and they no longer belittle her, as shown. She even prevented Mylo from embarrassing himself in front of a girl. It’s a stark contrast to the world where Vi is still present. Powder is a vibrant individual with excellent taste in music. She embraces her quirkiness, loudness, and expressiveness. Her thoughtfulness and adorableness shine through when she customized an arm for Sevika based on her gambling habits. Powder pays attention to people and their interests. She even drew in Ekko’s journal, similar to how someone in love would leave love notes for their partner, except hers were cute doodles with hearts. Although she is young in this series, Powder, also known as Jinx, possesses many qualities that could lead to a fulfilling long-term relationship.

Despite the trauma and everything else going on with Piltover versus Zaun, the qualities are still there. Jinx, in particular, exhibits selflessness when the situation demands it. She has shown her willingness to protect those in need, which is commendable. In fact, she offers more positive support than Vi ever did, as evidenced by her actions towards Isha. When Isha had a memory flashback, similar to the one Jinx experienced in Season one, Jinx jumped alongside her, holding her hand. It is clear that Jinx can use her past experiences to forge stronger connections with others in the future. She strives to do things that were not done for her in the past, seeking to provide the support she longed for. This growth from past mistakes shows her commitment to personal development.

Furthermore, Jinx possesses a unique way of being a protector. While she may not have the physical strength of Vi, she compensates with her craftiness and agility. Using her skills as an intuitive gunslinger, she leverages speed and precision to her advantage. This is why I believed that Jinx and Caitlyn would have been a better match as a long-term couple. They complement each other perfectly. Caitlyn desires someone who will stand beside her, and Jinx has that persona to be that person. Not to mention the loyalty factor. Jinx yearns to be useful, always ready to lend a hand to those who appreciate her presence.

Moreover, let’s not forget that Powder can be quite the gangster. Her entrance with the balloon blasting her music was absolutely hilarious. The expressions on Ambessa’s and Caitlyn’s faces were priceless. We should be grateful for her stylish, yet badass persona.

Conclusion:

Who is the better romantic partner, based on my preferences? Well, considering that I relate more to Jinx’s persona, Caitlyn or Sevika might actually be a more grounding partner. However, Caitlyn is a lot less blunt, so I might be leaning towards her. I really admire the discipline she has in her life. On the other hand, Powder’s persona is also quite appealing. I’m not sure, to be honest. Oops.

[makingfanfictionstosleep]

My First But Not My Last.

Pairing : Gojo x Femreader, Geto x Femreader

Setting : Started from Pre-Cult Suguru Geto // Some folks will not die // Modified that Kenjaku will not totally take over Geto's subconscious later on // Girl bff Shoko, Mei Mei & Utahime, Strong sorcerer reader // Death, Murder Spree, Romance, Lemons.

Rating : M || m i n o r s d o n o t i n t e r a c t

Part 7 : Residuals

<< Previous ...... Next >>

"Can you tell me again why I shouldn't kill that kid?" Suguru said while drying his damp hair with a towel, "He has broken a lot of rules, had a binding vow with Mahito & Pseudo-Suguru, worst of all, he placed you in great danger."

You sighed as you stepped out of the shower, began to dry your body with a fresh towel as you listened to your boyfriend rant on why he should or shouldn't kill Kokichi Muta. You knew that his heart is in the right place, however when it comes to killing people off, you're just to wary because he has this certain level of feral living inside of him. He could kill anybody easily if he'd go all out. You heard a rumor that a non-sorcerer would not even last millisdeconds inside his domain so that's something. You could somewhat counter his ability as you are his natural enemy. Ironic, right?

You feel fresh now that you have taken a bath in Meimei's luxurious guest room with a very spacious, hotel-caliber bath, complete with jacuzzi, shower & tub. That woman is all about luxury, not that she doesn't deserve it.

"He's just a kid who wanted to have a normal body to be with the woman he fancies," you remarked as you entered your room, "I don't agree with his ways, but that's his intentions. Plus I don't think he would put us all in harm. I think he tried to find a way to break into their system, but it would have been better if he came to us. We could have helped him out," you answered.

Anything that came out of your mouth was thrown out of the window the moment you emerged from the bathroom because Satoru was not listening at all.

"Satoru?"

"Hmm."

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Huh?"

Nope. He wasn't listening at all because you were wearing nothing except his t-shirt.

For this specific situation, you all had agreed to leave clothes at each other's houses, but you have already maxed out yours since you visited Meimei the most so you have taken all the dirty clothes back home. Only Utahime & Satoru had extra clothes in Meimei's house, but you opted for Satoru's because they're more comfortable to sleep in.

Satoru couldn't even make out whatever you were trying to say because his focus was on how his shirt looks so good on you.

You realized what was happening & gave up. You sauntered your way to the bed & straddled him, his hands automatically grabbing your thighs.

"Did you even hear what I said?" You whispered breathily against his ear.

"Not even a word," he admitted, "I was distracted."

"By what?" You rocked your hips against his, directly pushing your center to his already rock hard member, "Do tell."

"By a lot of things, 6 eyes remember?" He answered through his gritted teeth, painfully aware that you were not wearing any underwear as he groped your ass, his shirt hiked up revealing your creamy skin underneath.

"You're killing me here," He panted, "Damn princess," then he slapped your ass playfully.

"Not too loud, or Meimei would kick us out," you scolded him half-heartedly, "Seriously, Satoru."

"You should have thought that through before wearing my shirt," he mumbled before capturing your lips in a hot kiss.

And that's the reason Meimei ensured to have all the walls sound-proofed because she couldn't bear another sleepless night because of your bedroom activities with Satoru Gojo. God knows she had lots of those back in highschool or during missions but not in her own home.

Morning came & Utahime was always the first to wake up, much to her annoyance, because she's always the adult one in the circle. However, upon entering the kitchen, she smelled a familiar scent of nicotine & she immediately rushed & was happy to see the other adult in her circle - Ieri Shoko.

"Yo," Shoko greeted coolly while cooking eggs in the pan.

"Shooooko!" Utahimi squealed in delight, "I'm so relieved you are here!"

"Ui Ui flew me in," Shoko explained as she turned the heat off & transferred the eggs to a plate, "Now you have to fill me in."

Utahime filled Shoko in the events & even gave her the same warning that Satoru had given them. Shoko has always been the neutral one of all. She also understood why Satoru wanted to keep this to themselves as they don't know who amongst the higher ups are with them or against them. This is also to protect the welfare of the students who are innocent & are only following orders from their teachers or the principal.

"I think Y/N can nullify the prison realm, but we have to do more research to make sure that it won't do damage to her," Shoko said as she drank the coffee Utahime made for them.

"Why the fuck are we talking about this early in the morning?" You grumbled sleepily, dragging your feet to the counter, grabbing Utahime's mug, "Can't we have a normal morning where we talk about girl stuff?"

"Like how Satoru kept you up all night?" Shoko dully commented, making Utahime blush deep red.

"Something like that," you agreed sleepily as Utahime smacked your arms.

"S-shut up! You're supposed to be embarrassed by that & you," she pointed at Shoko, "should not be encouraging her!"

"Satoru's not that discreet, you all know that," Meimei yawned as she joined the rest of them, "They're the reason this whole unit is soundproofed as I want to sleep soundly at night if ever there's a need for us to be in one roof like last night."

"But that doesn't mean we can't hear their movements!" Utahime shrieked, face still blushing from the memory of last night.

"Well, Satoru had a lot of energy given that he was mad," you rambled on, "But we did not break anything, I assure you Meimei."

"Thanks, that's all that matters," Meimei answered as she stole Utahime's mug from her hands, "Fuck all you want just don't break anything. As long as I don't hear your moans I can sleep alright."

"I need normal friends," Utahime said in a dramatic, defeated tone, "None of you are normal."

"I can be your normal friend," Satoru chimed in with his usual energy, "Good to see you here, Shoko."

"You're the opposite of normal, Satoru," Shoko greeted as she handed him a fork.

"I take it you're here for Muta?" Satoru asked as ate one of the eggs on the plate, "Want to study the kid's body?"

"Mhmm. I bet there are residuals all over his body," Shoko answered with an unusual glint of excitement in her eyes, "I'd love to see how it happened & if it'd have effects on his heavenly restriction."

"No effects, but he's all yours," Utahime answered uncheerfully, "Just don't kill him."

[ludcake]

I've been chatting with beloved mutual @amethyinst and recently found a way better way of like, articulating my thoughts on the Others and the whole Fire and Ice thing.

I've written one or two pieces of meta on the Others before and I am a strong believer that they're people and not evil ice demons and that they have some cognition, society and that the books won't end with them just getting all destroyed and murdered in a big war - for a lot of reasons, including the fact that I think that would go very much against the overarching theme of the books, both in the sense that I disbelieve the idea that the Others are the big threat we have to pay attention but are too concerned with our own small, petty issues (I think that it would do an immense disservice to the struggles that these characters endure to ultimately frame them as pointless) and because I disbelieve that the ultimate, overarching conflict will be a big war in a display of violence.

The thing is, obviously, the Others are Ice - and we have the dragons, on the opposite corner, as Fire. Martin's mentioned a couple of times that fire, and the dragons, represent passion, and they represent life, and that's part of why they're associated with Dany's position as mother and breaker of chains... And he's also mentioned a couple of times that the Others are "ice sidhe", that they can do things with ice that are incredible, but I'm going to focus on that idea of them as sidhe - as fey beings, as counter to fire, but also as spirits and bound by spells.

To me, it's difficult to accept the idea that the dragons, and fire, is wholly positive - we've seen how "fire consumes until there's nothing left" is a theme through Thoros and Berric, and we've seen how dragons were used by the Targaryens and the Valyrians to keep a vast tyrannical empire that oppressed several peoples and kept them as slaves, the same system that Dany now uses her dragons to destroy. There's clearly a greater theme here, at play, that dragons aren't universally positive - and throughout A Dance With Dragons, specifically, we see Martin use the dragons, in particular Drogon, to represent Dany's desire for freedom, to escape politics, to escape Meereen, to fly and burn and end peace and crush the slavers.

And frankly, I don't think that the ultimate answer is that it's a necessarily good instinct. It's not a bad one either.

There's been a few pieces written about the Others that go at length about their role - a few ones that link their appearance to the sacking of the barrows beyond the Wall, or the idea that the ancient Pact has been broken, or the idea of the Wall and the Night's Watch as ultimately institutions of separation, and of course, linking the 7000ft tall wall of ice to the ice guys. And I think there's a point to be made here... There's few times where we see the Others themselves, but it has always fascinated me how in A Game of Thrones' Prologue, the Others ambushing Ser Waymar Royce accept his request for a fair and just duel, and fight against him in his own terms.

I think that if dragons are passion, and freedom, and warmth, then the Others are oaths, and laws, and the cold. The Others are not evil, but they are duty - and the dragons are love. Love is the death of duty, duty is the death of love - the Others are a slowly marching force, that moves ever onwards, and they will have their ultimate reckoning, and they will bind people to oaths and laws. They are Ned Stark executing a poor boy who was running for his life. They are Robb Stark executing the father of his friends for treason. They are Ser Barristan Selmy standing by while King Aerys ruled tyrannically. They are Duncan the Tall standing up and keeping to his oath of knighthood. They are Prince Baelor Targaryen defending Duncan. They are Stannis marching onwards for duty. They are every law and every oath and every rule, just or unjust, whether it upholds ideals or not - they are the ice sidhe, they are what you swear upon, they are the Old Gods of the North which look through the weirwoods and tell whether you've said a lie. They are cold, harsh, unforgiving truth.

And the dragons, of course, are that opposite. They are Maegor the Cruel destroying every rule of the realm, every demand of the Faith, because he rides Balerion. They are Daenerys destroying slavery and breaking the wheel, because she is the mother of dragons. They are passion and they are love, they are the impulse for freedom, they are might-makes-right and the breaking of chains, they are the Valyrians destroying every rule of society because they have dragons, they are Daenaerys making a better world because she has dragons, they are Aegon V seeing glimpses of a world where the smallfolk would not toil so much because he'd have dragons, they are Aerys the Mad burning his victims because he is a dragon. They are tyranny, and they are freedom - they are the fact that you are beholden to nothing but yourself.

And that can be used for good, and for ill; just as oaths can be good, or bad.

And that's what ice and fire are; they may both end the world, and they may both uphold it, but they are duty and love. The human heart in conflict with itself.

Is this a definitive analysis? Not at all. I'd love to see people counter argue or add onto it! It's just my brief thoughts on the bilaterality of ice and fire, and how that dichotomy is often presented, I think; I might write up something longer with proper references to the books sometime. But it is A Thought I've Had, and I think it's worth writing out.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Just wanted to say I adore all your au's but the idea of Tora and Shisui are sending me my two favorite boys interacting

They'd be so fun together!! I honestly think they'd have really good chemistry

I see them as one of those dynamics where people take turns looking at them and going "oh ok so HE'S the sane one, right?" but switching who they're talking about depending on the hour of the day. (The catch is neither of them is normal they're just so good at acting it that they've managed to trick even themselves)

They have to take turns being in charge in the trio with Itachi bc if either one of them is left in charge for long periods of time it inevitably goes to shit

They have a lot of genuine respect for each other (which is somewhat rare coming from Tora, who, while gives a lot of surface level respect to people bc ettiquite, doesn't actually tend to really respect a lot of people)

They have the perfect personalities to play off eachother as the "straight man" and point out when the other is being insane or just plain weird

Meanwhile, Itachi is looking at their individual crazy going "this is a perfectly normal idea told by two perfectly normal upstanding members of the community and I have no issues with anything u are saying right now"

<- which also makes Itachi the perfect tie breaker/in-between for them bc he is blind to any crazy they may say and will take them very seriously no matter how stupid or outlandish the idea proposed

I think Tora existing and kind of dragging Shisui into this dual partnership for "who's in charge" between the three of them also eases a lot of stress off of Itachi. He just has to sit there and eat his applesauce in the back seat of the car as Tora and Shisui argue ab how to take care of any given problem and occasionally ask if he has any ideas.

Personal take here: I don't think Itachi likes being in charge! That boy is a born, built, and bred shinobi who follows what he is told to a perfect T, no matter how blatantly horrifically awful the order is! Even if hates it with all of his heart! He'll still fucking do it! And then only blame himself for it and not the guy who fucking ordered it! Because he'll still obey that guy after!

Which also adds another fun layer of irony bc hes supposed to be clan head one day!

To me, Itachi is a fascinating subject of having an unshakable, unbreakable iron will— and also having absoloutley no spine

To be fair tho was also like. Fuckin 13. He was fucked up and was tricked at a very, very young age and unfortunatley that one mistake came to chain him to that one specific way of thinking. If he came to grow out of that way of thinking, he'd first have to admit he'd made a mistake, which wasn't gonna happen bc it was too late for regrets.

But anyways:

With Tora here Itachi has another "voice of reason" to help steer him away from other voices who might otherwise bind him. There isn't as much pressure on only him + Shisui to here and now choose what they (and only they) will choose to do to save the entire clan or Konoha

Tora is a natural leader and quick to take charge, and Itachi is ok with that. When Itachi chooses to speak, he is listened to carefully and his opinions are taken seriously, which is all he can ask for tbh. Otherwise he's allowed to sit there and look pretty till given a nice, neatly wrapped plan approved by 2 people he can really, truly trust.

So he's doing a bit better mentally than canon

Anyways, in this AU I think Itachi should actually get to semi-retire as a shinobi and actually Sasuke gets to be clan head bc his brother ain't built for it. Plus it can play more into the stuff I was talking ab earlier about Sasuke struggling a lot more than those around him to learn different stuff (sealing especially) only to come out as one of the most terrifying in what he eventually masters.

Let the second son inherit!! Let Sasuke have a defining character moment where he decides he wants to help guide the clan, and he's forced to kind of get over his brother worship to confront Itachi to say he doesn't think he'd make the best clan head. And Itachi let's out this sigh of relief he did not know he has been holding for his entire life and tells Sasuke he's proud of him.

Fuck right sorry we were talking about Tora and Shisui let's get back to that—

They're a terrifying, hyper competent duo who are here to get shit done. I've been thinking about Tora's chakra affinities latley, thinking it's mostly wind with a weak water affinity (and boy do I have thoughts about the implications of him having lost that strong connection to water in this life but that's for a different post) so his wind moves can feed into and off of Shisui's fire for some cool combo attacks. Just them fighting together really well in general is fun to think ab tbh

Tora has a decent (honestly kind of mean) sense of humor, but when he makes jokes he says it with a totally straight face. (Itachi is similar so when they're joking with eachother no one can ever tell bc neither are even laughing about it as they banter w dead faces)

But Shisui, having grown up with Itachi, can totally tell when he's joking and thinks he's funny. He's a pretty upbeat, smiley guy, but he always seems to be laughing about something around Tora for some reason (the reason is that Tora is funny you just can't tell)

Shisui is in general just really good at reading him. He catches on to what he's thinking really fast and will sometimes react to Tora's plans before he even explains them. Or he'll see some scattered clues to something and go "Hmm. This means nothing to me but it feels like something Tora would notice, so I'll make note of it"

I think over time both Shisui and Itachi would start to make similar expressions to Tora

(I love when friends subconsciously pick up on eachothers expressions and vocabulary)

Tora catches Shisui's "I'm going to cause problems on purpose" smile and Shisui catches his in turn. Tora catches Itachi's quietly smug gleam in his eye and Itachi gets his own (very punchable) smug smirk

Funny scene where Shisui makes the exact expression Tora always makes before declaring something terrifying and Kakashi instinctivley slaps him upside the head bc of it. Shisui goes ?????? What the fuck was that for ????? As Kakashi apologizes and stares at his own hand in confusion

Tora and Shisui are a comedy duo you can't change my mind

[pattons-second-cookie-v2]

Relationship Map for The Blood That Binds- A Sanders Sides X Vampire the Masquerade AU

There's a title now!!! From now on, posts under this project be titled and tagged with The Blood That Binds.

2 weeks ago I posted a poll asking if people would like to see Character Profiles or a Relationship Map first. The results showed a majority rule for the Relationship Map, which I am sharing today! But! I will be uploading the Character Profiles as well some time between now and the publishing of Chapter 1 (which I do still plan to release on Halloween).

Anyway, I've rambled enough- HERE'S THE MAP

So I know this is an absolute mess to look at so let me further explain how it's set up. Each character has their own color (I am aware of the shade similarity between Patton/Logan and Roman/Thomas but I genuinely couldn't think what other colors to use). The symbols next to most characters are their Clan Symbol- which I will further explain in the Character Profiles.

Characters connected by solid lines have interacted directly at least once. Characters connected by arrows have not interacted, but will interact in the beginnings of the tale. Below the cut, I've included some further explanations of the relationships.

Patton and Virgil

This is the dynamic that made me want to write this story in the first place. In this AU, Patton is Virgil's biological father. Through a misfortune that will be explained later on, Patton became a vampire when Virgil was still a baby (late 90s). Virgil grew up in the city believing his father to have passed away, all while Patton has been silently observing him from the shadows. At the time where our story takes place, Virgil has returned to the city after a little over 6 years away. And Patton is going to have a totally normal and rational reaction to seeing his son again.

Roman and Thomas

I knew I wanted to toy around with the supernatural power dynamic of a Sire Bond. And I knew I wanted Thomas specifically to be someone's Sire. In the context of the story, Roman was once Thomas' love, and was given the gift of immortality as a means to stay together forever. Thomas himself was still quite new to vampirism, and he quickly grew to regret making Roman. In the modern day, Roman is more like a lackey to Thomas. Following his beck and call in hopes of earning his favor once again. It has been over 70 years, and still Roman very much has the desperate hero vibes about him.

Roman and Virgil

Roman has spotted Virgil, and where the story picks up, he's beginning to close in. The only issue is he can't decide what exactly he'll do once he gets close to Virgil. He could make him a mindless Blood Slave. He could string him out as a forlorn lover. He could recruit him to his vampiric faction, as either a Bonded Ghoul or a fledgling vampire. His decision will drastically reform the dynamics of all those around him. But he's a little too lovestruck to realize the potential damage he could cause.

Logan and Patton

A healthy relationship?? In my toxic vampire romance? Yes, actually. Logan found Patton as a terrified fledgling who'd been abandoned by his Sire. Having roughly two decades of vampiric knowledge to rely on, Logan was quick to lend his talents to guide Patton. It became rather apparent that Patton did not take well to vampirism, and Logan's levelheadedness eased him into his new existence. In the modern nights, the two are inseparable. This is mostly at Patton's request, as he begins to grow paranoid in Logan's absence.

Janus and Remus

Janus is power-hungry and Remus is easily controlled. Janus has a few years of seniority over Remus, which he is quick to remind him of. Remus is also the only character who is beginning the story already Blood Bound. He has been Janus' thrall for since the 80s, and after spending over 30 years unbound, he just feels grateful to be noticed. He thinks being close to Janus gets him closer to Roman gets him closer to the command and power he truly craves. He views his Bond as a necessary evil. Janus views it as a means of controlling a scary guard dog.

Janus and Thomas

These two are both members of the Inner Circle, a sort of Sect within the Sect of the Camarilla. Those in the Inner Circle often interact directly with the Prince of the city (or whoever is in command) as well as following out any jurisdiction placed by the Prince. Janus and Thomas entered the Camarilla at roughly the same time, as well as being welcomed to the Inner Circle during the same night of Elysium. Their specific roles within the inner circle will be explained later.

Janus has always viewed Thomas as a potential adversary, believing that their power and influence combined could be immensely beneficial to the Camarilla. Thomas, on the other hand, is extremely jealous of Janus. He believes that their parallel rise to power is building up to an ultimate showdown where one of them will be forced to overtake the other. And he does not intend for Janus to have the advantage.

Remus and Logan

Remus has a 20 year advantage on Logan. At the time of their meeting, they were both strays who were not bound to any vampiric Sect. Remus viewed Logan as a fellow outcast, someone with skill and poise that could prove a useful asset in his major goals. Logan viewed himself as superior to Remus, believing his pragmatic approach to vampirism made him more appealing. They had a messy breakup, to put it lightly, and neither of them have made any attempt to reconnect.

Roman and Remus

These two are still canonically twin brothers. There's a lot to explain, which I will cover in better detail in each of their Character Profiles. But to summarize here: Roman became a vampire first, and has believed Remus to have passed away after being deployed during WWII. However, Remus did return home after the war, and had heard whispers of his brother joining a "secret society". Efforts to find Roman ultimately lead to Remus becoming a vampire himself. Rather than wallow over what had become his fate, Remus has instead spent the last few decades working to use his abilities as a means of finding Roman and taking all that he is.

Characters who have NOT interacted together!

Patton and Roman

Logan and Roman

Logan and Janus

Janus and Patton

Janus and Roman

Remus and Patton

Remus and Thomas

Logan and Thomas

Virgil and EVERYBODY

I believe that covers everything for now. My goal is to have a Character Profile posted every Friday between now and Halloween, and then posting Chapter One on Halloween as a way to enjoy the spooky evening. As always, if you wish to be tagged in this project, reply on this post or send me a DM.

Tag List: @sethlost @thearomanticsnake

Above board for a moment, I do want to thank everyone who has been encouraging this story. It's been a long while since I've written any major works, and I'm really excited to be worldbuilding again. So just- thanks for the kind words and the sharing and the support. Its really means a lot <3

-🍪

[gelly-fsh]

Doing that Dr. Who scene but with Jegulus because I remembered I have hands and free will

TW: mentions of torture

___________________/////___________________

When James was suddenly captured while finishing an errand for the Order, he knew he was going to die.

It was a bitter truth, but a truth nonetheless. The Order of the Phoenix didn't do rescue missions, they did not have the enough manpower to even consider it, so even if his friends and family begged Dumbledore on their knees, he knew it would be futile, so now the only thing he could do was to wait for his demise.

It was strange, if he thinks about it. The errand was an insignificant one, he was not supposed to encounter any Death Eaters because he just needed to take some documents to the Ministry, but before he could put a foot in the building, someone stunned him from behind, and then everything went black for a while.

Now that he's awake, confused about how much time has passed, he is trying to make sense of where he was left in. It was clearly a study, but it was pulsating constantly with the dark magic that came off all the cursed objects that were neatly piled in the shelfs beside him. The body bind he was still on didn't let him see much, but he had little time to wonder about anything else as he heard multiple footsteps entering the room.

"Finally, it seems you're awake now" even if he couldn't see him, James recognized the haughty and embarrassingly nasal voice of one if his captors.

"Snivellius, I'm not glad to see you" James replied

"The sentiment is mutual Potter, believe me"

"Lets get this started Severus" a man said, and when he stood in front of James, he could identify him as Rodolphus Lestrange.

"Who are you?" Rodolphus asked

"Go fuck yourself" James replied fiercely. Rodolphus remained unfazed, but when he looked at someone behind James, he felt the hairs of his neck stand in alert, and then he felt it.

"Crucio!"

The pain was blinding. Sirius and even Regulus once told him how it felt to withstand the pain of this unforgivable, how you feel like you have been stabbed and electrocuted in all places at the same time, but no amount of descriptions would have prepared him for the real thing.

It was like that for a while. James refused to answer questions, and the crucioed him, until Rodolphus apparently grew bored of his suffering and just ordered Snape to make him chug down a clear liquid.

"Your name" Rodolphus asked again

"James Potter" he said easily, way too easily, and that when it hit him. Veritaserum.

"Where is Regulus Black now?" Now that question was weird, because Regulus? Why would they inquire specifically about his whereabouts? He is on their side no?

"I haven't the faintest idea" he gritted out, his voice a bit raw from his screaming

"Is that credible?"

"Well, it's true isn't it?" James answered plainly

"Did he leave any objects with you recently?" Snape asked next

"No he didn't" he replied easily again, did Regulus robbed these people or something?

"You're the man he loves no?" Now that question hurted a lot

"No I'm not" saying it now was not easier than saying it a year ago, when the realization was still fresh, but instead of a bleeding cut, James just feels the throbbing pain he has become accostumed between the space of his ribs, constant but familiar.

"He is lying!" Snape snarled, looking at Rodolphus, as if he was trying to wordlessly explain his mistake

"Regulus Black does not, and has never, loved me" James was almost glad for the Veritaserum, as it made all the information come out more easily, his mind unable to keep up with the truths his tongue spilled.

It doesn't mean the echoes of his truth didn't scratch the scab that was slowly covering his heart, leaving the wound bleeding and raw, just the exact same way Regulus left it the night he walked out of his life for good.

"You know I'm not lying, you know I am incapable to do so right now" James doesn't know how wise it is to talk back this much to his captors, but he knew he was getting killed anyways, so he would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him cower.

"This is some kind of trick then, there is no way"

"There is no trick" James replied

"My information is correct. I know for a fact you are the man who loves Regulus Black" Snape was getting desperate, James could see it in his eyes, but the answer he searched for would not come from James.

"Yes I am, I've never denied it" James said simply, because even after everything, that was one of the only parts James knew he would never change about himself, no matter how hard he tried "But who told you he ever loved me back Snape?" He breathed, and he loved Regulus. He would die soon, loving him still.

"He is Regulus Black" James knew he was getting overworked over this, but this would be the last chance he had to talk about this, so he decided to take it "He doesn't go around falling in love with people. And if you think he would fall so low to be swayed for something like that, you are never getting whatever he took from you back"

"Sir, I assure you he is the perfect bait! If Black finds out he is in danger, he will come to his aid" Snape started to ramble, but James was started to get tired of all this charade.

"Oh, you are but a bloody moron" James sneered "He will not come, you're wasting your time"

"I can assure you Sir, that perhaps he is inside the mansion right now, looking for an opportunity to strike" Snape added

"Well go on and scan the whole bloody mansion then!" James raged "you will find nothing because he is not here"

"Merlin knows where he is right now. But I promise you, he is doing whatever the hell he planned and not giving a single damn about me!" James words flowed out like a stream of water, it flooded his senses, his emotions, he was drowning in the love he had for Regulus that he didnt want to receive or to give back, and everything just felt too much all over again.

"He will not come for me, and I'm fine with that" he sighed, feeling exhausted and defeated, the crucios and the thought of Regulus slowly draining all the fight and bravado he had left

"When you love Regulus, it's like loving the stars themselves! You don't expect a sunset to admire you back" he growled furiously, with hot tears threatening to spill off his eyes "And if I happened to find myself in danger like now, let me tell you Regulus is not stupid enough or sentimental enough-" he needed to take a breath, or a hundred "and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me!"

"This has gotten utterly ridiculous. Snape, you will be punished later for waisting my time, but right now let's just put an end to this quickly, ge doesnt know anything and he admitted to being useless" James could see Rodolphus' distaste in his eyes, how they scanned James as if he were a dirty bug "Dolohov, raise him a little, let's finish this quickly"

He was easily manhandled into the correct position so his whole chest was exposed, James didn't even fight it, afraid that if he did they would not let him die peacefully otherwise.

Even with all the mental preparation, James was not ready to die. At that moment he realized how young and truly inexperienced he really was, a pawn in in a war he didn't cause that was deprived of all the things he should have rightfully lived before, all all the things he had still to live but wouldn't be able to anymore.

Even after everything, even while knowing that Regulus' lack of love for him was part of the reason his life was gonna get cut short, James did not had in within himself to regret it, to regret him.

A million years or just one second could pass, and James would never regret loving that boy.

With him mind set and his conscience at peace, he set his chin high and threw a challenging stare at Rodolphus Lestrange, not moving an inch but quickly closing his eyes afterwards.

"Im sorry" he whispered, and he didnt know to who he was apologizing at all.

His last thought would be Regulus smile.

"Avada -" Suddlenly, Rodolphus started to make a gargled sound before it stopped, and James heard a loud thud falling in the carpet that made him open his eyes in pure astonishment.

Before him was Rodolphus, and he was dead.

"What in Salazar's name-" Dolohov started, just to quickly start doing the same frantic noises Rodolphus made before dropping on the floor too. Snape had a terrified expression while he looked behind James, almost like he had seen a ghost for the first time.

"Please, spare me, Re-" Snape couldn't even finish his begging, because suddenly his head was turned in a funny angle before falling on the floor too.

James didn't want to see, even if a part of him felt a sense of vindictive justice over the fact that his captors were all dead, he didnt know who the culprit was, so James just prepared himself to be murdered by a different hand now.

Until he heard a voice

"Hello, Mon Soleil"

Mon Soleil, that was a nickname he hasn't heard in a while, more than a year if he wanted to be more precise. That nickname took him back to happier times, to happier memories, and it inevitably took him back to the boy that was the reason for it. James opened his eyes at last.

"What are you doing here?" James asked, feeling a bit breathless at the sight of Regulus crouched in front of him "You're not supposed to be here"

"You were in danger, so I came" Regulus was raising his hand, seemingly to cup James face, but even if James yearned to feel Regulus touch against his skin, the piercing pain in his heart and his whole body made him flinch away from his hand

"Why would you do that?" James was not understanding anything at the moment, everything was a blurry of emotions and Veritaserum and so so much confusion that he was sure he sounded pathetic. Nonetheless, Regulus' gaze turned into something softer, and to James surprise, something filled with regret.

"You would never do that, at least certainly not for me" James followed, his whole body was trembling between the pain of the curses and the heartbreak. "I was thinking about you before I died, so maybe I did die and youre just here to make afterlife easier" James muttered, trembling, trembling, trembling.

"James, look at me." The Regulus-thats-not-Regulus said, expression pained "It is me. I came here for you, just for you mon Soleil" it was too much, and nothing was making any sense at all

"STOP!" James screamed "don't use that name. He used to call me that. Don't use that name. Don't-"

"Jamie, I'm so sorry" Regulus said desperately "I'm so so sorry, I will answer all of your questions when we are safe, but we need to leave right now, we need to go"

James eyes tried to concentrate on this Regulus' face, on the soft curls he threaded his hands on multiple times, the eyes that he lost himself in, the freckles that marred his porcelain skin, everything he could. He knew he looked crazy, but he was trying to absorb all of Regulus that he missed the year they were apart. Even if common sense told him to not go with him, that there was no way Regulus was actually there, all sense of reason always left him whenever he was near, so he slowly reached to take Regulus extended hand, and when their palms united, James felt complete again after so long of being left half empty.

Regulus took his palm with a softness that felt familiar and foreign at the same time as he slowly rised it to him lips, kissing his knuckles softly with a heartfelt "Im sorry" to accompany it.

"Im going to need more than that" James said, his whole arm burned but his mind was clearing from the panicked fog by the second "but that shall wait, let's go"

They had a lot to talk about, Regulus had a lot to explain, but they had to get out of here first.

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC's Lucien Binding Knot Date English Translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT!! ⚠️

This post contains a detailed spoiler for a date that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

She told me that a person's life is too short. In the blink of an eye, it's five years, and then another blink, it's ten years.

That's how she and her husband lived their lives, bickering and muddling through, and they ended up spending their whole lifetime together.

Looking back, the bumps in the road and trivial matters along the way don't hold much significance compared to being able to harmoniously live together for a lifetime.

Translation under the cut~

[Notes from Lux: Here's the CN video link if anyone want to follow along his Voice Acting. VERY recommended to re-read S1 chapter 9 and his Chinese Wedding SP Bound By Love/A Love Not in Vain because this date specifically references these two stories. AND perhaps Sacred Mountain Date regarding his belief in God(s)]

-

[Part 1]

Lucien: Today is Saturday. Didn't we agree not to work?

Lucien places a bowl of freshly washed blueberries on the coffee table and casually feeds me a few. I sit on the sofa, engrossed in the documents on my laptop.

MC: Kiki has sorted the photography registration form; I need to quickly finish reviewing it so that I can contact them earlier.

Recently, our company launched a charity project called "Taking Family Portraits for One Hundred Elderly People." After the announcement was made, we received dozens of registration forms in just two days.

MC: By the way, Lucien, if any professors from Loveland University are interested in this project, you can invite them as well.

MC: We've rented the best photography studio, and the photographers are top-notch, so you can rest assured about the photo quality.

Lucien: With so many people applying, I think we should try to avoid giving slots to people we know, right?

MC: Don't worry. Even though we're promoting it as a hundred people externally, we've discussed it internally and will try to accommodate as many as possible.

MC: We're willing to help strangers, let alone the people we know.

Lucien: In that case... I do have an idea.

Lucien points to the peace knot hanging on my wall- a knot that Grandma Wen taught me to weave, and it still hangs on one side of Lucien's bookshelf.

MC: Are you talking about Grandma Wen?

Grandma Wen is an elderly person who lives alone. Lucien and I have a close relationship with her. We've learned how to weave knots from her and even borrowed wedding attire. So, we visit her whenever we have free time.

She is also very hospitable to us, always arranging snacks for us to enjoy. She also advises us young people not to focus only on work but to remember to take care of ourselves.

MC: Actually, I did consider inviting her at first, but Grandma Wen's husband has already passed away, and having her take a family portrait alone might be a bit…

Lucien: Are you worried that it might make her uncomfortable?

Seeing me nod, Lucien leans back on the sofa, tilts his head, and smiles slightly.

Lucien: [chuckles] I think she won't mind at all.

Lucien: How about we ask her? One never knows.

After a lengthy discussion, we decided to call Grandma Wen. I carefully choose my words and extend the invitation, but Grandma Wen laughs heartily and readily accepts.

We finalize the shooting schedule. Lucien and I will pick her up together when the time comes.

However, Grandma Wen suggests she'd like to bring her cat, Baby, along for the photoshoot.

-

[Part 2]

On the agreed-upon morning, we arrive punctually at Grandma Wen's doorstep. While Lucien parks the car, I take the initiative to go and knock on the door.

The black-and-white spotted little cat lies under the eaves, rolling around playfully and occasionally pawing at something in the air, looking quite content.

MC: Baby~ Come here kitty for a hug~

But the little kitty pays no attention to me, completely engrossed in rolling on the ground. It rolls several times and ends up a meter away from me.

Lucien: (gently calls the kitty) Baby, come here.

Just as Lucien approaches, Baby suddenly gets up, takes two steps, and runs to Lucien's feet. It raises its paw and paw at the cuff of Lucien's pants, meowing incessantly.

MC: That's quite a contrast in treatment!

MC: Although I've played with it plenty of times before, it still prefers you. That's unfair!

Lucien lowers his gaze and sighs at the cat.

Lucien: [chuckles] You see, I didn't do anything, but she's angry just because you like me more.

Lucien: If you could talk, I'm sure you'd also think this is even more unfair to me, right?

Lucien crouches down and strokes the cat's head, using his fingers to rub its cheek gently.

Lucien: Please remember to be a little more coquettish with her later. Otherwise, I'll be in a tough spot.

MC: ...Hmph, you're not in a tough spot at all!

Lucien can't resist laughing and takes out a sealed bag of cat treats from his pocket, feeding them to Baby.

Lucien: Baby is actually relatively easy to please. Just give it some treats a few more times, and it will be circling around you.

Grandma Wen: MC, you're here…

I turn around and see that Grandma Wen is already standing at the door.

MC: Grandma! You look so beautiful today!

Grandma Wen is wearing a short jacket with a standing collar and a diagonal button today. It's evident at a glance that the craftsmanship is exquisite.

The satin fabric is smooth and lustrous, while the embroidery is lifelike with intricate stitching.

Grandma Wen sheepishly waves her hand.

Grandma Wen: These are old clothes I haven't worn in seven or eight years. It's rare that I've taken them out.

MC: Old clothes? I can't tell. They look just like new…

MC: Is the embroidery on the hem here the Lotus Pond? Each lotus is transitioned with several colors... It's really beautiful!

MC: Did you embroider this yourself, Grandma?

Grandma Wen touches the hem, smoothing the embroidered threads of the lotus leaves.

Grandma Wen: My husband made this for me when he was still alive.

Grandma Wen: From pattern drafting to embroidery, he did every step himself, insisting that his craftsmanship was better than mine.

Grandma Wen: These embroideries used to be even more beautiful, but unfortunately, the thread colors have faded over time.

MC: I can't tell that the thread colors have faded. I think it looks incredibly beautiful.

MC: Your complexion looks great today. When it's time for the photo shoot, we'll have a hairstylist do your hair. We must create a hairstyle that compliments this dress perfectly.

Lucien walks over carrying a cat carrier and lets Grandma Wen check Baby's condition.

Lucien: I used some cat treats to coax it into the carrier, and it didn't make any fuss and was very well-behaved.

Grandma Wen: Baby~ Baby, today we're going out for a photoshoot. After we get in the car, you must be good and not cause any trouble for your brothers and sisters, okay?

Grandma Wen claps her hands toward the cat inside the carrier, and Baby starts to scratch the carrier, about to meow. But Lucien offers a cat treat, and it immediately quiets down.

I give Lucien a thumbs up - only he can do it.

Lucien: How about you sit in the back with Grandma Wen later? If Baby wants to come out, you can feed it some cat treats.

MC: Mm, no problem~

Grandma Wen: Is it time to leave? Let me grab a few things.

Grandma Wen goes back inside and returns with a Chángshān covered in a dustproof cover. I have a vague idea of who the owner of this robe might be.

Grandma Wen: I made this Chángshān for my husband when I was young. It was his favorite outfit. I'll bring it along for the photoshoot. So, it's as if he's also accompanying me.

Lucien takes a half step forward, probably thinking that the gown in the bag is not light and wanting to help Grandma Wen get it into the car. However, when he catches my gaze, he takes a step back.

Lucien: Let's get in the car, Grandma.

Lucien opens both car doors, assists Grandma Wen into the car, helps her fasten the seatbelt, and then checks that the cat carrier on my lap is secure before closing the car doors.

-

[Part 3]

After arriving at the photography studio, the makeup artist has to apply makeup and do the hair for Grandma Wen.

I'm worried that Grandma Wen might hesitate to communicate her needs with the makeup artist, so I am constantly accompanying her, talking to her, and helping her with her makeup.

Lucien is responsible for taking care of Baby, who starts running around as soon as they enter the photography studio.

Grandma Wen: When we first found Baby in the wild, it was only as big as the palm of a human hand. I made a nest for it with a towel, and it slept under the dining table.

Grandma Wen: In the blink of an eye, it has grown so big.

Grandma Wen: When it was little, it wasn't this mischievous. It used to lie in the corner every day obediently and didn't let anyone approach. As soon as someone got close, it would run away.

Grandma Wen: Now, it plays with birds, teases dogs, and does all sorts of daring things. There's nothing it's afraid to do.

Grandma Wen gently squeezes my hand and says.

Grandma Wen: You should go outside and take a look. It's not easy for Professor Lucien to keep an eye on Baby all by himself. There are machines everywhere here. Don't let that smelly cat cause any trouble for you.

I nod and walk out of the makeup room.

In the living room of the photography studio, there is a bright lounge area. Lucien is holding a cat teaser toy, playing with Baby as it pounces back and forth on the sofa.

MC: You even brought a cat teaser wand?

Lucien: Not just that, I also have a cat jingle bell ball and a laser pointer in the trunk.

Lucien: I consulted my colleagues who have pets, and they said that if you want your pets to behave well for photos, you need to let them play for a good hour beforehand.

Lucien: Once they get tired from playing, they can cooperate more.

I walk over and sit down on the sofa, gently petting Baby's head. It doesn't resist and tilts its head up, allowing me to scratch its chin.

Lucien finds a moment to rest and casually picks up a book from the bookshelf, leaning back on the sofa.

MC: (smiles) It seems like this method is working. It's already behaving quite well now.

Lucien: It's probably just temporarily tired from playing. After a short rest, it will be jumping around again.

Lucien: After all, it's the most mischievous kitten I've ever seen.

Lucien gently taps the top of the Baby's head, and the kitten raises its front paw, quickly grabbing his finger.

Lucien: It climbs trees, catches birds, and even fights with stray cats... When it's full of energy, there's no stopping it.

I recall not too long ago when Baby went missing again. When we found it, it was in the middle of a fight with a stray cat outside, and its face was scratched up.

We were afraid that Grandma Wen would worry if she saw its condition, so we didn't return it directly. Instead, we told her that we were taking it to the hospital for a check-up and would bring it back once it recovered.

MC: (smiles softly) Do you remember what you said the last time we took Baby to the hospital?

Lucien: Hm?

MC: You said that despite its many escapades, Grandma Wen never considered keeping it indoors and always let it go out to play.

Lucien: I remember, if it were up to me, I wouldn't let this little cat run wild everywhere.

I pick up the cat teaser toy and start playing with the little cat, swinging it on and off.

MC: As soon as we mentioned taking a family photo, Grandma Wen immediately thought of bringing the cat along.

MC: It's clear that in Grandma Wen's heart, it's her most important family member.

MC: That's how it is among family members. No matter how worried or concerned we are, we still want the other person to be happy and do what they want to do.

Lucien: ….Our Great Producer has something to say and found a good way to start the conversation.

Noticing that I had a hidden agenda, Lucien had already guessed what it was.

Lucien: Grandma Wen already told you, didn't she?

MC: Right before the makeup session, Grandma Wen pulled me aside in a corner to talk.

MC: She said that you've been to the Matchmaker's Temple alone several times before and also visited her along the way.

I sigh meaningfully.

MC: Professor Lucien, have you encountered a problem that materialism* can't solve?

-

[T/N: Materialism in this context is more of a philosophical belief that only physical matter exists and that everything can be explained through the physical world and natural laws.]

-

Lucien leans back leisurely on the sofa, wearing only a light smile.

Baby rolls over under his palm, purring contentedly.

Lucien: Gods don't solve problems. I'm a researcher, and I still have to uphold certain principles.

Lucien: But when it comes to matters of the heart, it's just too complicated... variables abound, and there's no optimal solution.

Lucien: So, I often wonder if a certain little fool occasionally worries about me or gets angry for me. Is it because I haven't done well enough?

He lifts the corner of his eyebrows, seeming not to be troubled by this matter, just candidly sharing his feelings.

The unbridled sunlight streams through the curtains, illuminating the tenderness in his eyes with exceptional clarity.

Lucien: Questions without answers are better left to metaphysics.

Lucien: Even if the problem doesn't get solved, you can still find some comfort in it to some extent.

As Lucien speaks, he no longer plays with Baby. The cat feels neglected and keeps nudging Lucien's palm with its head.

I stroke its fluffy head and realize that it's been a very long time since the first time I saw this cat with Lucien in the wheat field.

Some things probably don't have answers in either science or metaphysics; the experiences of life are what will eventually reveal the truth.

MC: Lucien, do you know what Grandma Wen just said to me?

Lucien: Tell me.

MC: She told me that a person's life is too short. In the blink of an eye, it's five years, and then another blink, it's ten years.

MC: That's how she and her husband lived their lives, bickering and muddling through, and they ended up spending their whole lifetime together.

MC: Looking back, the bumps in the road and trivial matters along the way don't hold much significance compared to being able to harmoniously live together for a lifetime.

Lucien straightens up, seeing that there's no one around, and then suddenly leans down to place a kiss on my forehead.

The warm sunshine reflects in his eyes as he looks at me. He smiles a little and casually picks up the kitty, holding it in his arms as if nothing happened.

Lucien: Grandma Wen is right.

-

[Part 4]

After the lighting technician adjusts the lighting, Lucien and I stand in the corner of the photography studio.

Grandma Wen sits on the mahogany bench, spreading her husband's Chángshān flat across her lap. The photographer holds Baby and places it on the Chángshān.

The naturally mischievous cat is being incredibly well-behaved at this moment. No matter how the photographer handles it, it's willing to cooperate and even knows how to look at the camera.

Photographer: Grandma, please reach out your hand and gently touch the cat's head—yes, that's right, just a natural touch will do.

Photographer: This cat is so well-behaved, cooperative and calm.

Grandma Wen: Good Baby, I'll make you some fish to eat when we get back tonight.

Photographer: Grandma, let's maintain this pose and take two more shots.

Lucien gazes at the scene before him, momentarily lost in thought.

Lucien: From the first time we entered her house, I noticed that there were no photos of her and her husband displayed in her home.

Lucien: Upon careful inquiry, I discovered that they had indeed never taken any photos together.

Lucien: ...Two people spending a lifetime together is something worth commemorating. They should have had a photo together.

After he says that, he turns his head slightly and whispers in my ear.

Lucien: Thanks to the producer's help, at least Grandma Wen has a family portrait now, regardless of the circumstances.

For a moment, I'm unsure of what to say.

He's truly humble for someone who has doubted his understanding of love.

—--------------------------------------------------------

After the shoot, Lucien and I accompanied Grandma Wen back the same way we came.

Grandma Wen: Stay for dinner. You two don't be so polite…

Grandma Wen: I feel bad that both of you have been busy all day. Having a meal together is no big deal, just a few extra pairs of chopsticks.

We don't want her to have to deal with cooking after a long day of photoshoots, so we politely decline.

Lucien: Grandma, it's still early. MC and I plan to visit the Matchmaker Temple, so we won't stay.

Lucien: You've had a long day today. Remember to rest well.

MC: Yes, Grandma. After the photos are developed, I'll bring them to you right away. We'll have the meal you promised then.

Grandma Wen didn't insist on keeping us any longer, but she promised that the next time we visit, we must stay for a meal. We quickly nodded in agreement.

—--------------------------------------------------------

On the way to the Matchmaker Temple, the sun gradually sets, casting a beautiful array of evening colors between the trees and stone steps. It's hard for anyone walking through this scenery not to feel relaxed.

MC: It's quite rare for this place to be this peaceful.

Lucien: Festivals have yet to happen recently, so there are very few tourists. The Matchmaker God can take a break too.

MC: With no incense burning at the Matchmaker Temple, does it mean that everyone hasn't been facing relationship difficulties? It seems like a good thing, doesn't it?

Lucien: (shushes and whispers) Shhh... with a troubling view like that, you might upset the Matchmaker God. Be careful not to displease him.

I can't help but laugh at his teasing, and I also find his words reasonable. I quickly pull Lucien to pay respects to the Matchmaker and offer incense.

I hope that the Matchmaker is understanding and doesn't take my words to heart.

After offering incense and making a donation, Lucien and I found a couple of chairs inside the temple and sat down. We plan to watch the sunset for a while and leave when the temple closes.

The faint scent of sandalwood here blends with the natural aroma of the forest, creating a tranquil and enduring atmosphere that instantly soothes the heart. I lean closer to Lucien and ask softly.

MC: Lucien, what wishes did you make when you came here alone before? Have any of them come true?

Lucien bends slightly, brushing away a cluster of dandelion seeds that accidentally caught onto his shirt cuff. He then leisurely curves his lips into a smile.

Lucien: I don't even remember the specific wishes I made anymore.

Lucien: They were probably just about small things, like planning to meet up but then having something come up at the research institute, causing me to break the appointment.

Lucien: Another example is when I promise to sleep well, but then accidentally stay up for a few nights and get caught by you.

Lucien: (laughs softly)....

Lucien: Now that I think about it, they were indeed all trivial matters, and you've always been very understanding.

Lucien lifts his gaze, meeting my eyes.

Lucien: Although we quickly forget these minor disagreements.

Lucien: But occasionally, I do pay attention to these little disagreements that fill our lives. After all, even the smallest things have their own meaning.

I can't help but let my lips curl up slowly, and Lucien lifts his chin, revealing a somewhat helpless expression.

Lucien: It's evident that the Great Producer is very pleased with my introspection.

MC: …..Pfft, not exactly 'very'.

MC: I'm just marveling at how Professor Lucien sets such astonishingly high standards for himself.

MC: It seems like I don't reflect on my actions much when I make you angry... But from today on, I'll try to change that.

Lucien: [chuckles] It's okay.

Lucien changes the topic, and a smile spreads in his eyes.

Lucien: Now that I think about it, these little bumps and trivial matters aren't really that important.

He takes a knot from his pocket and hands it to me. The way the knot is tied resembles the peace knot that Grandma Wen had taught me before, but the weaving method seems more intricate.

Lucien: This is a knot that Grandma Wen taught me to weave as a special thank you for us.

Lucien: She also said that the name of this knot is yí shì yíjiā (宜室宜家).

Lucien: Today, it seems like I have a clearer understanding of the meaning of this word.

-

[T/N: 宜室宜家 is a Chinese idiom that means "live harmoniously; make a harmonious and orderly home." It is often used as a congratulatory message on a wedding. The idiom comes from a line in the poem "Tao Yao" in the Book of Songs, which reads, "之子于归，宜其室家" (the son is returning home, where he should live harmoniously with his wife and make a harmonious and orderly home). And it fits with the date theme of living harmoniously together for a lifetime despite all the small bumps🥺.]

-

Suddenly, my heart feels soft, and I take a small step closer to Lucien's shoulder. I pick up my phone and open the front camera.

I put both of us in the frame.

The setting sun casts a gentle glow behind us, and the breeze is light, creating a tranquil and beautiful atmosphere.

MC: The sunset today looks beautiful. Let's take a photo together.

MC: 3, 2, 1–

My trailing voice fades away in the warm breath as Lucien lowers his head and kisses me.

----------------------------------------------------------

[Bonus Call - "Family Portrait"]

Lucien: Hello, it's me. I have some good news to tell you.

MC: What is it?

Lucien: Didn't you put Grandma Wen's family portrait photo on the company's public social media account?

MC: Um... Grandma Wen said it was okay, so I posted it. What's the matter?

Lucien: A professor from the university recognized Grandma Wen's clothes and said he had seen the person in the photo before, right at the West Moon Street intersection.

Lucien: This professor was a photography enthusiast when he was younger, and at the time, he noticed Grandma Wen's well-dressed appearance and couldn't resist taking a photo.

Lucien: Later on, he always wanted to give the photo to Grandma Wen, but he went to West Moon Street a few times and never encountered them again.

MC: "Them?"

Lucien: Mm, that's the good news I wanted to share. The photo the professor took is a picture of Grandma Wen and her husband.

MC: That's quite a coincidence!

Lucien: There's an even greater coincidence.

Lucien: I just got my hands on this photo, and in it, Grandma Wen is holding a tiny kitten the size of her palm.

MC: Is it Baby?

Lucien: Judging by its patterns, it seems so.

Lucien: Although the photo is quite old, I've contacted a professional photo restoration expert, and if all goes well, it should be restored within about a week.

MC: So, we can bring this photo to Grandma Wen next weekend?

Lucien: Exactly. They're real family portraits, and I hope it can truly make up for her regrets.

MC: ...It's really amazing, it feels like there's something guiding us in all of this.

Lucien: Who knows, maybe it really is.

Lucien: Let's go together to get the photo restored later. I know you're eager to see it as soon as possible.

MC: Um—I'll finish up what I'm doing, and then I'll come find you right away!

--------------------------------------------------------

[Lux's Short Rambles]

I didn't expect this date to be this good huhu. It's far better than last pet date where it feels like a plot that got way longer than it should 😂. It's also nice to see old NPCs getting mentioned again. The story of Grandma Wen with her husband is touching.

The theme of spending a lifetime together, despite how short life is, never fails got my heart clenched. And I love how this date highlights what a sensitive person Lucien is (in a good way, well, most of the time). He doesn't mind her getting angry at him because he knows that she does it because she cares about him. But he also genuinely fears that she might not be happy; so he goes to the Matchmaker's Temple alone and cares about these small conflicts, believing that they also have meaning :". But in the end, such trivial things and bumps on the road don't matter compared to being able to live their whole lives together, so rather than getting caught up in minor conflicts or trivial matters along the way it's better to priotize living together harmoniously for a lifetime.

He also noticed the smallest things, like how Grandma Wen and her husband never had their photo taken together since the very first time he and MC met Grandma Wen back in S1 Chapter 9. To quote MC, for someone who claimed he doesn't understand what love is, he's truly humble; perhaps back then, he already understands what love is in his heart by loving MC.

[siriannatan]

Wings

All the games I play keep updating, and I have had a bit less free time recently so my writing has slowed down a bit :{

And I might have some more ZZZ brain rot I need to let out...

Scott was refusing to look up. Why? He didn't need to see fWhip's stupid triumphant smirks. Didn't need to see the bastard sitting on his brother's throne in the Rivendell palace. Scott was fully aware he'd lost the war. But he had no clue where Xornoth might be. Did he manage to escape? But why? He said he would never run away. Did he really leave Scott alone with their old allies? Allies they betrayed. Well, Scott didn't participate in any discussions or planning. He just followed his brother's orders like a good general should. They didn't seem to harm Rivendell.

"So, your brother ran away," fWhip hummed after a long silence of Scott refusing to look at him. All leaders of Wither Rose Alliance were sat in the room but others were so far mostly silent. Scott could hear others shift and huff occasionally even as he stared at the ground.

His knees were starting to hurt from kneeling on the hard stone tiles. Wounds itching from lack of attention. His wings were long stiff in their bindings. Not like it was needed. He couldn't fly away if he wanted to. His true self forced out.

"According to what I know about elven law," Gem, fWhip's twin sister, Headmistress of Crystal Cliffs Academy, spoke up. A shiver of dread ran down Scott's spine. Did she know… "Xornoth can be considered an exile, meaning Scott is now the king," she did know. Of course, she knew. She figured out Scott was a half-dragon even with all the magic he used to hide it.

fWhip hummed. "Is that so," he chuckled and Scott heard him stand up. Followed by his boots on the tile. Then he could see fWhip's damned combat boots. "Then I might have an idea what we can do with Scott," suddenly a warm even through thick gloves hand grabbed one of Scott's horns and made him look at fWhip. "And maybe even annoy the cod lovers in the process," fWhip's grin was far too wide. He was enjoying his plan far too much for Scott. "You were supposed to marry Jimmy for the sake of alliance with Lizzie, no?" he smirked and suddenly seats were scraping against the floor.

"fWhip you better not say what I think you're about to say," Gem suddenly protested. Likely guessing the same thing Scott was guessing fWhip was about to say.

"Why? Isn't it about time I get married? Might as well use it to piss some people off," fWhip laughed, barely glancing at his sister. Scott glanced in her direction as well. She looked pissed. Fists clenched. Pearl hovering nearby. Sausage was just sitting causally. Likely didn't really care who fWhip married as long as their leader didn't turn on the rest of them. fWhip held the most military power in the whole alliance after all. "Come on Gem, it'll be just for politics. Right, fWhip?" Pearl tried her best to stop the siblings from fighting. "Right?"

fWhip stared at Scott in complete silence for a while. "Yeeah, sure, just politics," he hummed but Scott wasn't convinced the other dragon-hybrid was honest. He definitely had other things on his mind. Very physical things. "Make Rivendell a sovereign state to Grimlands, seal it with a nice little wedding so no one can challenge my claim," he added with a nod and a toothy grin.

He was absolutely planning to consummate the marriage. Would likely have some tradition or law ready as an excuse. To justify it to his sister.

Somehow Gem accepted the excuse and a couple of guards soon dragged Scott away. To a room where he was locked after being told fWhip will come and collect him later. Of course, he wouldn't be left alone in Rivendell. Of course, fWhip would be dragging him along to Grimlands. 

At least he wasn't chained anymore. Even if there was no window. Somehow fWhip found one room with none in the whole castle. Sadly it had to be a certain specific room.

Being half dragon Scott was seen as unstable and dangerous when young. He did have an explosive temper back then, yes. But was it the dragon part or the part told off for any, even the smallest, deviation from what was expected of him? The part who got locked in a room with no windows whenever he wasn't hiding his draconic traits. Whenever he tried flying. 

With a deep, shaking breath Scott curled up on the cot. Hiding in his wings like he did as a child when he failed his lessons on hiding what he was. He could not hate Xornoth for escaping. He didn't hate Scott for what he was. Even if did still had to hide it from the public. Even if he was in fWhip's claws. 

So he sat there, curled up. He wasn't crying. Just fighting the urge to hide his wings and horns and tail and scales. To hide it and pretend it wasn't what he was. To push away any memories of being jealous of fWhip and his freedom to be himself. To not hide anything. And he did feel it many times when younger. When his parents brought him to ruler's parties instead of leaving him at home.

He would see fWhip and Gem being normal siblings allowed to walk around together, without their parents constantly around them. He would see fWhip's horns wings tail and scales out in public. And back at home would ask why fWhip could just walk around like that. His parents would just say it was because he behaved well. So Scott tried his best to behave.

But he never behaved well enough. fWhip became this beacon of what he wanted to be. Or at least who he thought fWhip was.

And then he met fWhip. When Xornoth was discussing alliance matters with him. And the reality was different. Real fWhip was a menace and explosion gremlin far too eager to help blast tunnels through the mountains. Looking down at anyone and everyone but his sister. Speaking casually and dismissively even when he wasn't the one sitting on a throne.

Real fWhip was the exact opposite of what Scott thought he was.

Hearing the door open Scott curled up tighter. He did not want to see fWhip. He knew he had no choice. But he could try to delay it.

"Scott? You having a nap?" fWhip asked, painfully gently petting Scott's wing. His hands were bare. Rough from tinkering. "Come on, I didn't have a good chance to really look at you like this. I was honestly quite shocked Gem was right about you. I never saw someone like me before."

Shaking slightly, just the room and memories of it, nothing to do with fWhip he told himself. And glared at the other half-dragon. That had fWhip grinning widely hands instantly on Scott's face. Petting stray, stress-induced scales. Gently petting the base of his horns.

Scott stayed silent. Biting his lips, clenching his fists to not push fWhip away. He didn't need to provoke him. Or to respond in any way. Maybe once his curiosity was satisfied fWhip would leave. He just had to sit and bear with it. No reacting, no pushing away. No snide remarks. 

"What was this room even for?" fWhip hummed as he inspected Scott's left wing.

"Me," Scott said shortly. No annoying fWhip, he told himself.

"Why?" fWhip's hands froze as his attention focused on Scott's face.

"I was put here if I misbehaved," Scott said plainly, wishing fWhip would just drop it. "Wasn't here in a long while," he shrugged, not really caring anymore. 

"Misbehave how?" fWhip continued asking, annoying Scott further. 

He wants to know. Fine. Scott will tell him. "Talking back. Talking when not asked to. Leaving my room with any dragon parts visible," Scott listed off, keeping his voice as steady and monotone as he possibly could. He was quite proud of how calm he managed to sound. And of the expression on fWhip's face

fWhip looked angry as he suddenly stood up. When did he even get into Scott's lap? Suddenly Scott was being pulled up to his feet and out of the room. fWhip growled out orders in Grimlands language and then pulled away. To a carriage. fWhip was muttering to himself all the way. "In, I can't stand this place, I was planning to stay the night but no more," fWhip rambled as his allies ran out to see what was going on. "I'm leaving, it's damn cold here," he told them as he pushed Scott into the carriage. Slamming the door as soon as he had him in.

Scott sat down. Still shocked by fWhip's reaction. Was he angry for Scott's sake or about the situation in general? Not that Scott cared in particular. With a sigh, he glanced out. It looked like fWhip was arguing with Gem. Pearl was likely trying to calm them down. Sausage was just standing next to his sister, looking tired of it all. With a huff Scott sat back and closed his eyes. Maybe he could try to sleep.

The carriage started moving as soon as fWhip got in. Scott didn't open his eyes. Pretending to sleep sounded like a good way to avoid any more questions. fWhip didn't say anything but Scott felt that he sat next to him. Mostly by his warmth. fWhip was half-fire dragon after all. And Scott always had an affinity for ice.   He almost broke the act when suddenly one of fWhip's hand rested on his. It was really warm. But not unpleasantly. And still bare of gloves. Scott did manage to keep pretending to sleep even when fWhip gently tangled their fingers. It almost felt like a loving gesture. Not that Scott knew much about those. Having spent his whole life closely monitored and controlled.

Just sitting in silence with fWhip holding his hand quickly became too awkward for Scott so he pretended to wake up the moment the carriage shook a bit more.

"*yawn* wha..." Scott mumbled blinking and yawning. fWhip quickly retreated his hand. Interesting. Scott thought. 

"Your damn castle's too cold, we're going home," fWhip announced as if they didn't have that conversation. Quickly wrapping himself in his coat and wings. Scott nodded and yawned again, stretching a bit for good measure. "No hiding them," he warned and Scott nodded.

"Does it bother you that much? What I said in that room?" Scott asked, leaning more into the corner.

fWhip was silently staring ahead for a moment. "I don't like not understanding things, and I don't get how can anyone lock a member of their family in a room like that," he huffed, slumping slightly and looked at Scott. Eyebrows drawn together. Face twisted in something Scott couldn't name. "It just makes no sense to me. Why? Why make you hide and lock you in a room?"

Scott shrugged. He was shocked fWhip was so shocked about his childhood. "No idea, I was just put there after being told I misbehaved, and that I should be more like f...." Scott sighed, to him the whole conversation should have been done when he said exactly what the room was for. And barely caught himself before admitting who he was supposed to be more like. Hoping fWhip missed it in his bewilderment.

He did not. "More like who?" fWhip asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Whoever fit them at the moment," Scott dodged the actual answer. That it was fWhip he had to be more like. That would fry his brain with the contradiction.

fWhip hummed, eyes narrowing. "Weren't you about to say a name?" he poked.

"No," Scott shook his head. "My parents just didn't like that I'm a half-dragon so they did whatever they could to squash that," he sighed. He was really tired of fWhip's obsession with the topic. 

fWhip sighed and sat back. "I can see you don't want to talk about this now, I apologize for pushing that hard," Scott was a bit shocked by the apology. Who what this guy? Where was real fWhip? "I... When my traits manifested my parents got people researching it to make me as comfortable with it as possible. Gem's still constantly looking through Cliff's libraries for more info," he carried on. "What I mean is... I know a lot about who we are and if you want to know anything just ask..."

Scott nodded. Of course, fWhip would be shocked if that's how his family reacted. "What do you think I should know the most?" Scott asked, just to satisfy whatever urged fWhip to offer answers.

"We technically have two genders," fWhip said after a short while, cheeks dusted with pink. Scott blinked. Two? "I'm guessing you have no clue what yours is or had first cycle. With how much they repressed that side of yours," fWhip sighed and slumped against his seat. 

"What cycle?" Scott asked, a bit scared of what he might hear.

"Heat in my case since... since I'm an omega," fWhip said the last part pretty fast and quiet. Scott barely caught it. "If you turn out to be an alpha you'll go into rut."

"And the difference is?" Scott could feel his face heating up. He vaguely understood what that would entail. Being incredibly horny. 

fWhip's face was practically matching his hair as he spoke. "I want to be pushed down and taken and stuff. I suppose alpha would be the opposite... And I think you might be one... Dragon side of my brain likes your scent," he rambled pretty quickly.

"Oh..." Scott managed. His own senses felt so dull at the moment. Was it due to constantly hiding? Possibly. "If my senses are supposed to be sharper than a normal person's then I think concealing messed them up," he said, just to swap the topic. Would fWhip, or some part of him, expect his assistance during his heat? More than likely.

fWhip hummed. "That really sucks," he sighed and... sneezed. "Why is it so cold here," he huffed.

"Might be me, I always ran a bit cold. It got even worse with the whole dragon thing," Scott theorised. But as he looked at fWhip, his brain oh so helpfully supplied the thought that fWhip looked quite cute all bundled up. He did try to make some more distance, pushing himself against the wall of the carriage.

fWhip had none of it and cuddled up to Scott. "Take some damn responsibility then," he huffed before closing his eyes. Scott blinked. Was this guy for real?

With a sigh, he relaxed and soon, with the help of fWhip's soft snoring and warmth, also fell asleep.

When he woke up the carriage was not moving. Did they take a break? Nice, his bones felt stiff. And there was no fWhip inside. So he slowly stepped out.

They have stopped in a small space by the mountain roads. He easily spotted fWhip. Bundled in yet another coat. Chastising some of his staff. Yawning, Scott stretched. His wings were rather awkward after this long without hiding. fWhip quickly was done with his chastising and turned. Quickly approaching Scott. He looked angry. 

"You should have waited inside," he huffed out with a puff of smoke. 

"Don't worry, I can't fly," Scott chuckled, stretching again. For some reason, he still felt damn stiff. 

fWhip sighed. "Stretch your wings too," he said, stretching his own. Scott sighed, if only fWhip let him use his concealment he'd be all fine. But mimicked fWhip's movements. And annoyingly it did feel better.

"Is it really that cold?" Scott asked. He himself was fine with just one coat and his uniform. And just then he remembered he was still in his military uniform and with his wounds not checked. "I think we should check my wounds," he said, a bit awkwardly."

fWhip's eyes went wide and he instantly jumped into getting a healer that accompanied them to look at Scott.

With his wounds fixed, and a bit comfier sitting position the rest of the journey was a bit more bearable. fWhip stayed mostly quiet, either sleeping or looking over papers crows delivered to him. Scott asked a few small questions here and there. Like if scales bothered fWhip. They didn't even if Scott was immensely bothered by his.

Once they crossed the border fWhip slept less, bundled up less, and grew touchy. And Scott grew indifferent to fWhip's bare hands on his arms, caressing random scales. And on what fWhip said was the last full day on the road the topic of their cycles came up again. 

"I've been thinking about something," fWhip hummed. Scott learned that the scary fWhip was a mask he put on to be a more respectable ruler. 'being an omega comes with some insecurities' fWhip said when Scott pointed out how much softer he was when they were alone. "About our cycles..."

Scott stiffened slightly. He didn't expect they'd be talking about this ever again. "What about our cycles?" he asked glancing at fWhip. Despite a slowly blossoming blush, he seemed serious.

"Well, I won't force you or anything like that but I think it would be best if we spend it together... Especially you first. I spent mine alone and it was terrible," fWhip said quickly, snappy, to the point.

"Together as in... like have sex?" Scott asked, part of him was freaking excited.

"Yes," fWhip practically squeaked out. His face was redder than his hair. Scott once more thought it was cute. Wasn't he technically a prisoner? Shouldn't he hate fWhip? But how can he with how cute fWhip was? Especially when rambling about something that interested him. Like when he explained his time-telling device. How it told time went totally above Scott's head but fWhip's face as he explained it was adorable.

Finding fWhip cute was one thing. But sleeping with him? Having sex with him? That was another thing. "I'll think about it?" was the best he could offer.

fWhip nodded. "That's fine, I can have a potion that mellows out the effects of it ready but I'm not sure it's a good idea for a first rut... especially considering your unique circumstances," he said, a bit less stiffly. 

Scott hummed and yawned. It was evening, sometime next morning they'd be arriving at fWhip's manor. So he leaned into his corner, relaxed and decided to try and sleep through as much of the rest of the ride as possible. Something seemed to push fWhip to do something he hadn't done before. The terrifying, explosion-loving, half-dragon Count of Grimlands curled up on the carriage bench and lay his head in Scott's lap. At first, Scott was shocked, but then he relaxed again and even started absently petting fWhip's hair. He was mindful of his horns. Based on his own limited experience the base of horns was a rather sensitive area.

The next morning Scott woke up to fWhip gently shaking him. "We there?" Scott asked, yawning, tempted to hug fWhip.

"Almost, just a couple more hours," fWhip hummed, sitting back. He had his usual heavy coat on. He did look really good in it, Scott thought as he yawned and blinked the last of his sleep away. Breakfast not on the road sounded really nice.

"Breakfast at home?" he asked, rolling his shoulders. Hopefully, Grimlands liked sweet things. 

"Sure," fWhip chuckled. "Anything specific? I'll be sending a message for everything to be readied," he asked with an amused smirk.

"Something sweet," Scott sighed. Might as well say it, he really wanted something sweet after rather bland on-the-road food.

fWhip laughed. Confusing Scott. What was so funny about him wanting sweets? "The scary General Scott of Rivendell wants sweets?" fWhip chuckled as Scott glared. 

"All elves like sweets," Scott huffed out in a poor attempt to defend himself. fWhip didn't comment more, instead turning Scott's attention to the views outside.

They were approaching a settlement. Rolling hills were slowly being replaced by fields and small villages and hamlets. It was all pretty nice and expected. Out of the Wither Rose Alliance, fWhip and Pearl's empires were known for farming. But Grimlands was also known for technology, explosives and mining. He could see something that looked like smoke in the distance as well. Could it be Grimlands capital, Eastvale? Possibly, they were going in vaguely that direction.

Another nice thing about Grimlands was... roads. The ride down the mountain peaks on which Scott's people lived was a shaky and relatively dangerous experience. fWhip was already planning on how to improve it. Pretty impressive actually. In Grimlands the ride was smooth over a paved main road through the whole empire. Yes, whole. Now that was really impressive. It had to take so many resources, manpower and gold to achieve. And yet fWhip was casually planning to make something like that up a mountain.

"It's quite picturesque, isn't it? Not what most people imagine an empire ran by me would look like," fWhip chuckled as Scott looked out wide-eyed. And he was right. Scott expected more mines and explosions and less... potato fields? "Grimlands isn't really known for our potatoes anymore. Just wait until you see the train. Sadly Gem and Pearl are a bit apprehensive about me connecting train tracks to them, they say it's a disaster waiting to happen and..."

Scott half listened to fWhip ramble about the absolute safety of his trains. Should he really be enjoying fWhip's voice and rambling this much? Should it bother him that he does? fWhip seemed to really care about his well-being. Not just his strategies, and skill with a sword. That was a nice change from his life so far. So with the slightest smile he kept looking at the rolling fields and listening to fWhip ramble about trains.

Scott listened to fWhip talk about Grimlands and all that changed since he became the Count. It all made little sense to Scott. All he knew about was warfare after all. Their arrival in Eastvale was also something new for Scott. In Rivendell, no one ever greeted him when he returned from campaigns. Victorious or not. Well, he was in a carriage with fWhip so it was him the citizens were greeting. But it still felt nice to see children run out of the nice houses lining the street. Dressed cleanly, some with messy hair. Followed by their mothers. Waving at the carriage. Throwing flowers.

"I wish they'd just ignore my carriage when I pass through," fWhip sighed, pushing as far back into his seat as he could. Scott chuckled. He could at least to himself admit he found fWhip cute. Saying it out loud was different. 

"Become elven Chief General then," Scott joked, still glancing out the window. Some children caught sight of him and stared with wide eyes.

"Scott... Really? You won their wars and no one even thanked you?" fWhip whined, clearly annoyed.

"I was told I did good, just wasn't greeted by crowds as soon as I returned. There were feasts to celebrate too," Scott shrugged and fell silent. He saw the biggest house in town. He knew fWhip didn't live or even have a castle. But his house was still pretty big. And pretty. Dark roof, light walls with dark shutters on the windows. Surrounded by a wall and flowers. And beyond the gate flowering hedges of black and red roses.

"Home sweet home," fWhip sighed as the gate closed behind them.

He wasted no time leaving the carriage as soon as it stopped. Scott following closely. He could fully understand fWhip's excitement to be done travelling for the time being. The staff were outside ready to greet their Count. His council as well. fWhip quickly jumped into being a responsible ruler and started catching up.

"Marriage? With..." one advisor gasped and Scott gave him a toothy grin. Everyone seemed a bit stiff at his presence. So fWhip didn't send a warning that he'd be bringing a future political husband along.

Scott looked about as fWhip argued with the advisors, clearly threatening them. Adorable. When something that could not be a usual occurrence caught his attention in the corner of his eye. He moved before he even fully processed what it was. Blocking a blade aimed at fWhip's throat with a summoned rune blade. The sound of steel clashing with magical ice had fWhip turn around. Eyes wide. 

"Scott!!!" fWhip's shout grounded Scott's brain. He just casually stopped an assassination attempt. And the only thing stopping him from killing the restrained by the guards would-be assassin was fWhip's arms wrapped around him. With a slow breath, Scott lowered his blade. His eyes remained on the assassin as they were being dragged away. fWhip's fast and snappy orders helped him calm down further. Just what has possessed him? "Where did you even get a sword from?"

"Rune knights can summon their blades at will," Scott shrugged, his heart was still beating so fast. To prove it he dismissed his blade and to gently, without really realising it check fWhip for any wounds.

"Stop it, I'm fine," fWhip huffed slapping Scott's hands away. "How can you just... Magic," fWhip grumbled. "Let's have breakfast, I'm hungry," he decided dragging Scott along.

Scott gladly let himself be dragged. Looking smugly at the advisors. Why? He had no clue, just felt like it. The bigger question was... Was his tail really wagging? He'd think about it later. When he wasn't busy staring at fWhip's hand, sadly back in his gloves, holding his wrist.

So busy he barely registered the interior of the mansion until he was pushed into a comfy chair upholstered with red and gold brocade. NIce contrast to dark woods and deep forest greens of the floors and wallpapers. A golden chandelier hung low over a table set with food. The last few maids set tea on it before retreating and leaving them alone. Scott was more than a bit miffed fWhip sat on the other side of the table. And tempted to move closer.

"What was that out in the courtyard?" fWhip asked with a heavy glare.

"No clue. One moment I was just standing there and the next blocking a blade, aimed at you mind you," Scott hummed looking over the food. It was quite a selection. Pastries, breads, cheeses, fruits, meats. And pancakes. And fruit. "As a rune knight I can't really be separated from my weapons," he added as fWhip continued glaring.

"Grand. Anything else I should know?" he asked, angrily buttering up a slice of bread.

Scott hummed. "I can use ice magic, all elves have some magic though," Scott hummed going instantly for the pancakes, whipped cream and berries. "And we all like sweets, Xor's the weirdo who's different," he added at the amused smirk fWhip's frown turned to.

"If you say so," he mused slowly peeling an egg. "Try the powdered sugar," he pointed to a container with a dainty sieve on top.

fWhip was right. He should have tried powdered sugar ages ago. It was amazing on his pancakes. The rest of the food was good as well. Especially everything sweet. Scott didn't expect Grimlands to have good desserts but fWhip's staff shocked him. Well, he didn't expect farmland as well.

"Is us just sharing a room too..." fWhip hummed and stopped, not sure what to name it.

"It's fine by me," Scott shrugged. He really didn't mind fWhip's company anymore. What wonders being locked in a carriage together for a few days can do? "We're getting married anyway," he half-joked. 

"Fine then, I have some stuff to do but I'll take you there, just rest for now," fWhip hummed, stretching as maids cleaned up the table.

"A bath maybe... Though I don't really have anything, you did decide to leave rather suddenly," Scott hummed. Nap in a proper bed sounded really nice.

"Just borrow my stuff for now," fWhip sighed as he stood up. Would it even fit? Scott wondered but didn't mention how different their statures were. "I'll take you to my tailor once I'm caught up on politics," he added leading Scott out the breakfast room - fWhip himself called it that.

fWhip's room was all nice and comfy, a bath as well. But after three days of not leaving it much Scott was beginning to feel a bit antsy. He was allowed to roam around the manor but not to leave it. And to not go to the basement workshop. Just to be safe and calm the council, fWhip said. Scott really didn't feel like a prisoner. Maids and kitchen staff were more than happy to provide him with cookies and drinks whenever he asked. He read a lot in fWhip's library. 

On the seventh day, Scott woke up feeling a weird warmth in the pit of his stomach. He instantly sat up to look for fWhip. Just to ask if it might be a dragon thing... like his rut.

fWhip was already up, struggling with a robe. Smelling really nice, his brain supplied. "fWhip... come back to the bed," Scott asked, instantly forgetting any and all questions he had. He had the biggest urge to just stay in bed with fWhip. Cuddling.

"Are you sure? I think my heat started, I don't want to force you if you..." fWhip mumbled, he sounded like he was in pain.

"Just come here... I think my rut's started too, I feel weirdly warm and want to cuddle you specifically," Scott confessed. Anything to get fWhip back in the bed. "Like really warm," Scott added, removing his sleep shirt. He was warm and it felt uncomfortable on his damned scales. And there were more of those than normal.

He missed fWhip giving up on the rope and just getting back into the bed. He didn't miss fWhip' hands on him. Gingerly tracing scales as he slowly cradled Scott's face. "Is it okay if I want you to kiss me?" the count asked but was already guiding Scott closer to his face. 

Scott was not in the right place to overthink so he just kissed fWhip. It was messy, rushed and inexperienced. And maybe Scott's first kiss ever. But it was the best first kiss he could ask for. Especially with fWhip instantly clinging to him, hands in his hair. Scott's hands around fWhip's waist.

Their kissing was interrupted by a knock on the door. fWhip whined hearing it, Scott growled. "One moment," fWhip grumbled, giving Scott a small kiss on the cheek and after wrapping himself in a blanket went to request their food is brought to them and that they be otherwise undisturbed for a few days.

 Scott could not tear his eyes off of fWhip. Growing strangely irritated with every second there was no distance between them. With whoever fWhip was talking to taking a whole lot of time to leave Scott left the bed, wrapped himself in a blanket and sneaked up on fWhip. "fWhip..." he whined just slightly as he wrapped himself around the count as well as he could. Glaring at the guard and advisor who dared take up fWhip's time.

His glare was enough to have them apologising and bowing and leaving while assuring everything would be handled while fWhip was indisposed. And Scott finally had fWhip all to himself and a good excuse to touch him a whole lot.

[theinfernalsanctuary]

Greetings All,

Once you have gained significant favor with a specific devil, or even decent status with a hierarchy, it can be difficult to know where to go from there, or if there are any steps that one can take to show their devotion. While there are a few options for the beginner, for those who have taken their time to foster a relationship with a devil, and have no doubt in their minds of their own intentions, an alignment may be the way to go.

An alignment, for lack of a better term, is a pact. An official binding agreement between a devil and a devotee, only to be sought out by those who have gained significant favor with a specific devil and are pure in their faith. This is a permanent binding of the soul to the devil, not a transaction (there was no sale), where a devotee swears their loyalty to a devil during a formal ritual. Some have reported the development of a “nexus mind” in the wake of their alignment, where a devil and devotee can regularly commune without the need of an official summoning, linking the thoughts and abilities of a devil to the human for the human’s gain. The devil in question assures your commitment to them and in turn you reap abilities far beyond your usual scope. 

These are not pacts made lightly or in haste, one must fully think this through before they commit themselves to something they do not fully grasp, therefore, you should not attempt to commit yourself to too many devils through an alignment. You may have more than one alignment, but if you perform too many, you will be seen as arrogant and thoughtless which will greatly harm your favor with any devil. This is especially true because of the fact that an alignment is not mandatory or even expected, this is something that you must seek out of your own accord and not something that will ever be offered to you because of its permanence and strength. 

Please make all decisions regarding alignments carefully and with a level head, it is far too easy for people to find out about binding yourself to a devil in this manner and immediately take it as “selling your soul.” I hesitated in even sharing this information because I know that at least one person is going to attempt an alignment without thinking and damage their favor and status irreparably, but unfortunately there is not much I can do about that other than to leave you with this final warning. No devil is going to ask you to sell your soul, no devil is going to ask you to perform an alignment, and (thank Satan) if they deem you to be unprepared for such an act will refuse it entirely (though as I stated before you may damage your reputation beyond repair. This is “banishment” worthy.) and while I don’t wish that on anyone, it is unavoidable. Be safe, be respectful, and most importantly be smart. 

May Lord Satan's light guide you even in the darkest of times!

Ave Satanas!

[pretty-weird-ideas]

Xehanort and Friendship

I’m such a big fan of the concept that Xehanort and explicitly Terranort do think that his friends are his power. But more specifically him abusing his friends is what gives him power. 

Because when you look throughout Xehanort’s story and how far he’s gotten you see how his power is built by taking the good will, love, and acceptance that others have given him and using it for the power of evil. It’s not that he doesn’t use the power of friendship. He just doesn’t give his ”admirers” (and those that worship him out of fear) much in return.

His friend’s being his power is why he consistently is seen rubbing shoulders with others. Why he calls the organization his “Friends”, why he choses to hunt those who he has connected with in the past. He didn’t kill, maim, and later puppet around random “Nobodies” (unintended pun). He chose to hunt for people he knew intimately for years. The people he had known since he was a baby(Ventus, Marluxia, Larxene), the children he saw grow up (Riku, Ienzo), he didn’t just chose the guys next door. He chose people that cared for him too much to hurt him at first. He chose those whose hearts he could see into.

Xehanort’s dynamic with Eraqus in BBS (and the 23 year old timeskip in DR) and Terranort’s speech in KH3 was so important to his character. In KH3 quite literally says, “The chains of your friendship is what binds you” while using chains to bash them into the floor in the KH3 climax. He knows that they care too much to hurt him when he’s in BBS and Terranort. His ability to hurt them is because of how close he is to them.

In BBS, Eraqus is hopeful that he can “fix Xehanort” but Xehanort’s aware that Eraqus is attempting to do so. He completely takes advantage of Eraqus’ willingness to accept Xehanort. Eraqus’ hope for better, his savior complex is a part of his plan. I could go on for hours about how Eraqus’ savior complex and self-confidence that he will essentially talk-no-jutsu Xehanort out of his issues is how Xehanort and Eraqus end up where they are in BBS. Eraqus thinks that he can just hug the problems out of Xehanort. In fact, Xehanort barely hides his evils for a second around Eraqus, and yet Eraqus still forgives him unflinchingly. He has literally admitted to great villainy while Eraqus makes googly eyes at him at age 82! That’s some commitment to the “I can fix him” ideology.

This issue is brought to light even further in DR where Xehanort and Eraqus fight over Vor thinking about leaving the group. Eraqus tells Vor that it’s best that friends remain friends forever, while Xehanort mocks this idea wholesale and verbally tells Vor to ignore him and leave. Here, Xehanort questions the idea if being close with Eraqus is as “good” as a deal as he advertises. Eraqus sees himself and friendship as a whole, as a permanent and neverending good. Something that can fix every issue, heal all wounds. And Xehanort disagrees, seeing friendship as something that changes, and also something that can be unhealthy. He sees a neverending friendship with Eraqus as a trap, even when he is currently friends with Eraqus. When Eraqus  pitches a fit over Vor drifting away as a friend, Xehanort gets very snippy, and equates being his friend as a type of imprisonment of sorts. He confronts the idea that Eraqus’ savior complex in it’s early stages is an ends up controlling and trapping his friends. (This later becomes deeply hypocritical as Xehanort quickly veers into literally turning his friends into meat puppets... but ya know). But this is where Xehanort’s opinions of friendship being a tool rather than being an emotional relationship becomes apparent.

(Don’t get me started on how the MoM quite literally talks to Xehanort about how people can love you as a type of darkness to cast doubt on Eraqus’ relationship with Xehanort, while also forshadowing Xehanort manipulating Eraqus in return. The MoM names things like jealousy, possessiveness, and attachment issues, as things that are soon to follow in their friendship.).

Xehanort, especially since his powers hinge on other’s hearts, sees love and friendship as transactional. It’s all about what he can get out of it. Sora is using the power of friendship, Xehanort is abusing it. He’s aware that these people would kill for him, die for him, even become him. He simply doesn’t care. Xehanort is very convinced of the power of friendship. He’s just selfish and knows that people can give him power, and he can give nothing in return. That’s a huge part of his martyr/God complex mess he has going on. 

He is quite literally the: “I would die for you,” “You will” interaction personified.

[yellowocaballero]

please tell me about untitled document gravity falls transcendence au. what?

The minute I saw this from Ami I was like "omfg of course you can have it queen <3" and the minute I saw it from you I was like "wouldn't you like to know, weatherboy."

Anyway, I really loved the Transcendence AU when I was younger and looking back it really was (and still is! people still write for it!) a beautiful thing to exist. The setting itself was so expansive and ripe for worldbuilding. The basic rules of the universe were so simple - 'the near future, with supernatural creatures and demons and magic!' - and opened up so much room for creativity and fun. The timeline was on such an expansive scale literally everybody could have an OC and they didn't even need to rub shoulders. Reincarnation topics meant that everybody got to write their favorite character AND make them an OC. The big creators made such great OCs that they became part of the universe and lore of the series. And for me, specifically, it was SO GEN and very family and worldbuilding oriented with almost NO shipping. I think at least some of the mods were ace and it was just the most ace-friendly fandom I'd ever seen. Haven't found that again lately.

I reread 'Return Rebirth Rewrite' and got nostalgic. I always had a mental image of how Lionel's deal with Alcor went, and then I decided to experience the absolute joy of finally having the skill to put to paper something that's always been in your head.

If you HAVE read RRR it's been a while, so TL;DR in a way that preserves the fun of the story underneath- RRR is about a normal twelve year old kid Dipper living with his reincarnated sister and loving father and discovering that he was actually a demon named Alcor in a past life.

Very short transcendentally self-indulgent fic under the cut. Hey, as it turns out, Alcor is FUCKING HARD to write.

Was it fate?

One class taken to satisfy a college requirement, chosen because it didn’t conflict with his Book-Binding class, spiraled into a certification. A high school ex-boyfriend that bought her cigarettes and induced a lifelong habit. Parents were dead - nobody to talk him out of it. Maybe it was a storm of factors that blew one decision into motion, a decision that would have stayed unmoving and silent if he’d taken the nurse’s advice and gotten some rest. Or maybe Lionel was just the sort of person who would always end up here, crouched in a motel room far from home, summoning a demon. Maybe he was weak.

Maya would have said that the love was too strong. But Maya was gone, and an oak tree grown too large collapsed under its own weight.

Lionel bought the supplies from the occult store in a daze. The past two hours had been a blur - he barely even remembered making the decision. A certification to archive the occult meant that he’d read dozens of books on demon summoning. He could do it in his sleep, and was practically doing so. He chose the best demon for the job with a distant, unaffected logic, and borrowed the motel office printer to print out a reference picture for a summoning circle. 

This was the stupidest possible thing to do, but he wasn’t stupid. It was a good summoning. He chose the best demon. An informed insanity. The only thing he didn’t do was write down his script for the deal. No need. It wasn’t exactly complicated. And writing it down would have made it real, and he couldn’t afford for anything to be real right now, so the resolution would have to stay in the making.

The summoning circle was drawn with a steady hand. The candles were lit with a decisive lighter tab. The summoning invocation was recited in a clear, firm tone. Passive voice. Dr. Gomez would have taken points off this essay. Would have taken points from his brain. Was he insane? Was he going insane? Was this insanity?

Lionel only really snapped back to reality once he was confronted with it. The candles flickered, then extinguished. Shadows bubbled and rose, snapping free of their outlines and leaking forward in pure blackness. Sulfur blew into the room on a gust of cold wind, as if standing by the shores of the sea. Lionel opened a portal and brought a demon into reality, and brought his own mind with it. 

He only properly realized what he had done once Alcor the Dreambender loomed before him. Maybe that was the first cruelty of a demon. Now he was going to bargain away his soul knowing exactly what he was doing.

Alcor was black and gold, a humanoid figure of shadow latticed with blocks of gold thread. Imprints of wings patterned the motel wall behind him, extending his presence in the room until he was almost crowding out Lionel. The top hat floating above his head was, incongruously, a regular top hat. Maybe? Lionel had only read about the top hat. Was that what top hats looked like? Why not a powdered wig? 

“Who dares summon Alcor the Dreambender?”

A desperate man, Lionel thought frantically. But he couldn’t exactly say that. 

Power stances, seem in control, take a stand. But Lionel wasn’t in the mood to pretend he was fooling everybody. His legs gave out from under him, and he slumped to his knees. Alcor angled his head downwards, somehow visibly unimpressed and bored. 

He should have prepared a script, but he would have forgotten it instantly. Lionel ended up speaking from the heart. The books said Alcor liked that sort of thing, but it wasn’t really a calculated move. He didn’t know how to do anything differently.

“Maya’s dead,” Lionel said plainly. “Maya’s - she’s my wife. Dead. Um - the baby.” 

Alcor’s unimpressed air tripled. Lionel couldn’t even muster shame. 

“The baby’s not going to make it. Respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary hemorrhage. Respiratory failure, soon. I need - I need your help. Alcor. Please save my baby, Alcor.”

Alcor was unmoved. He crossed his arms and sighed, like a particularly exhausted doctor who had seen one too many desperate patients that day and honestly couldn’t give a shit anymore. “Another day, another little sob story. Let me guess, you’ll do anything?” His tone turned a little nasally and mocking. “You’ll even sell your soul, Mister Demon, just save my special little baby?”

The pointless mockery jolted Lionel back down to earth. Every piece of literature warned about demonic games and cruelty. Was this cruelty? It just sounded like somebody who didn’t even care. 

“Yes,” Lionel said. He wasn’t the kind of person who took the bait. Used to drive Maya mad during arguments. “Heal my baby. Make her strong and healthy and never sick. And - let me live the rest of my natural life, then take my soul. That’s my terms.”

Bored, Alcor said, “I can give you ten years of life before taking your soul.”

Lionel’s head snapped up, and he met Alcor’s eyes for the first time. At a certain point, the demon had crossed his legs and began floating in midair, one elbow propped on a folded knee and chin buried in his hand. His shadows had lightened somewhat, and now he appeared only like a man covered in shadow. “I can’t do that. Ten is too young to lose a father.”

“That’s your issue?” Alcor tilted his head, dark eyebrows arching upwards. “Not ‘thirty five is too young to die?’”

“Am I here because I give a shit about myself?” Lionel cried. Wasn’t that obvious? If the worst moment of Lionel’s life was tedious to Alcor, shouldn’t this be obvious? “I can’t leave her without anybody to love her. She won’t have anybody else. Please, come on - I know you don’t - don’t understand, but I can’t leave her alone.”

“Trust me,” Alcor said, flat and bored, “if there’s one thing I understand, it’s parents abandoning their kids. See it all the time. Your little girl would get along fine without a father.”

Demonic negotiations weren’t supposed to go like this. Lionel was too emotional, too confused. And despite Alcor’s boredom and distance, the topic seemed oddly - personal? Could that possibly be correct?

“That’s not what I want for her! I’m giving up my soul for her life, I want - I want it to be perfect. I want to tell her how much we wanted her every day. I want her to grow up with a dog. I want swimming lessons and birthday parties and vacations and - and all of it, Alcor. I have to be there.” Lionel took in a deep, shuddering breath. “Thirty years. That’s the maximum I’ll give. The life I want for her needs me in it. It’s already missing Maya. I won’t take any more from her.”

Alcor was silent for a second, long enough to make Lionel’s heart leap in his chest, before he finally sighed. “You’re one of those people who loves too much, aren’t you? People like you always lead unhappy lives.” He straightened, dropping down onto the floor and walking forward. The shadows slowly receded, and a man’s face began to emerge within Alcor. “Fine. Let me see the baby first before we shake on anything. An angelic act like this takes up a lot of energy. I’m not being hard on the price just to be mean, you know.”

Lionel stepped backwards. He knew that binding circles didn’t work on Alcor, but it was another thing to see him casually step outside of it. He was wearing the same antiquated clothing as in the illustrations, like a mannequin from a museum come to life. Like a haunted piece of the history Lionel loved so much, pulled from its rightful place by his sheer desperation.

He looked like anybody else. A complexion like Lionel’s own, mud brown hair gravity defying and framing a young face. He looked as old as Lionel. It put his exhaustion into sharp perspective - not an ancient demon wearing the form of a human, but just an old man seeming much younger. Or a young man grown too old.

It was even worse to look up at him now, and Lionel scrambled to his feet. He looked around the hotel room, as if the baby was about to roll out from underneath a bed. “She’s not here. She’s in the NICU. Please don’t teleport into the NICU, you’ll cause a panic.” 

“Bossy. Don’t worry, this is perfectly safe.” Alcor held out his hands in front of him, like a child waiting for a treat. “And…tah-dah!”

Lionel’s baby dropped from midair into Alcor’s arms. He almost screamed.

They said she’d die without intubation. Her tiny presence in Alcor’s arms should kill her. But Alcor quickly pressed a blunt finger onto her forehead, and a warm blue glow wrapped itself around her body. She slept soundly, swaddled in thin blankets, so tiny and skinny and red that she could barely be mistaken for a human baby at all. Lionel looked at her and saw a premature animal that would never grow up and become a person - a life form that would never even wake up. Seeing her in Alcor’s arms was stressful, but in a sideways way she seemed to fit.

“Let’s see the damage,” Alcor muttered to her. Bizarrely, he held her carefully and well. “You’re like a can of beans, you know that? Few hundred years ago you would have been DOA. Now look at you. Wrinkly cutie -”

Alcor halted. The last of his shadows fell away, and his eyes widened.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alcor whispered.

The only thing worse than a premature baby at death’s door was a premature baby at death’s door that surprised a demon. Lionel stepped forward, hand half-outreached. “What? What’s wrong?”

Alcor didn’t respond. He just stared at the baby, eyes wide and frozen still. His lips mouthed something, but Lionel couldn’t make it out.

“Alcor?” Lionel asked hesitantly. “Is there something wrong with her?”

That jolted Alcor back into awareness. He looked between Lionel and the baby several times, shoulders drawn back, almost with new eyes. Suddenly and strangely, he seemed a lot more human. “Do you believe in fate, Lionel Sterling?”’

There was only one way to answer that question truthfully - with any sort of certainty. “If this is fate, I must have done something horrible in my past life.”

“Not how that works.” Alcor’s eyes were locked on the baby, as if he couldn’t tear himself away. He seemed almost dizzy. “Lionel. You really want her to live a long and healthy life?”

“I - of course.” 

“You’ll be the best father you can?” Alcor held the baby a little closer to his chest. “She’ll be the happiest kid in the world?”

“That’s what I want,” Lionel said helplessly. “I want that more than anything.”

“How nice.” Something heavy and frantic was churning in Alcor, and Lionel began to have the worst possible feeling. “I’ve been bored, you know. So bored. So bored I’ve been pretty depressed. Things just seem meaningless, you know? My last friend died years ago. I’m not really close with anybody right now, not even family. I’ve been wondering what to do about it. When I get bored I get a little weird. Maybe I’m a little weird right now.” Alcor looked up at Lionel for the first time, and Lionel realized with a cold shock that his eyes were just as wild as Lionel’s. “I feel so far beyond weird right now it’s almost funny. But it’s not boring, so it feels like a good idea.”

“Can you give me back my baby?” Lionel asked quietly.

“New deal.” Alcor’s face split into a grin, wild and insane and light. “I’ll heal your baby. Perfect health guaranteed. And! She will have certified, bona-fide Alcor protection her entire life. Nothing lethally unfortunate will ever happen to her or to you. Protection for both of you and good luck for all. Double and! You’ll keep your soul. Hell, you’ll definitely live longer.” 

For a second of complete stupidity, the deal seemed fantastic. The deal sounded amazing. Any deal that didn’t include losing his life or his soul was better than their first arrangement. But Lionel was desperate, not stupid. “What’s the catch?”

Alcor looked down at the baby, rubbing his thumb against her forehead. Quietly, he said, “I’m going to reinvent reality to give her a twin brother. Your end of the deal is to take care of him like you take care of her. Raise him as if he was your own son. That’s it. Easy.” Alcor paused a beat. “Well, not that taking care of kids is easy, and I can guarantee that this one will be a bit of a brat, but probably easier than dying. Dying’s pretty easy too, actually -”

“Like a changeling?” Lionel asked, alarmed. “You’re not taking her away, you’re just - adding a child?”

“Yup. Like a buy one, get one free sort of thing. I guess it’s like a changeling!”

“That’s it?” That still sounded too good to be true. “Will the child be evil or anything? Will it hurt the baby? What species will it be?”

“Who cares! This is a sweet deal and you know it. You can’t afford to say no and we both know that too.” Alcor shifted the baby into one arm and extended his other hand, wreathing it in blue flames. “So do we have a deal?”

Alcor was right. The extra child situation was bizarre, but two sets of diapers was infinitely better than a ten year lifespan. This was probably the best deal anybody had ever gotten for such a big favor. He couldn’t afford to press it.

“Is this going to fuck me over?”

“Lionel,” Alcor said, and for some reason he seemed dead serious, “I’m trusting you here. More than I’ve trusted anybody in hundreds of years. You’re a good person. I promise you’ll only regret this a little.”

And Lionel knew that was the best he was ever going to get, so he reached out and shook on it.

The blue flames enveloped him, a brief second of white-hot chill, before they extinguished. Lionel shuddered, and he felt something strange deep in his soul - as if something and hooked a chain around it, or bolted it to a surface and let it squirm. 

Alcor unceremoniously tossed the baby in the air, letting her blink out of existence and hopefully back into the NICU. He clapped his sparking hands, grinning maniacally and remarkably human. 

“Time to wrap up my affairs! Better write a goodbye note to Mike, leave a few emergency charms for little Alice - oh, give them Lucy Ann’s contact information for emergencies, let her know where I’m going too. She hovers. The Flock bleat and bitch if I don’t tell them where I am, so I better elect a president or something and let them self-govern. This is going to be fun! And bizarre! Don’t worry about a thing on your end, Lionel. Get some rest, and your reality and memories should be completely rewritten by the time you wake up in the morning.” Alcor reached out and clapped a reassuring hand on Lionel’s shoulder, as if the reassurance would actually make him feel better instead of a lot worse. “Trust me, you don’t want to remember this. It’ll make your life a living hell. Unless you like that sort of thing?”

Inanely, Lionel could only say, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight.” 

“Really? I’m a Dream Demon, I can help! I want to be nice to you.” Nobody who actually wanted to be nice to somebody said that. “Here, close your eyes. I’ll knock you out. You’ll sleep right through the restructuring of the universe, promise!”

“Wait,” Lionel said, “on second thought, I really -”

“Night night!”

A soft index finger pressed against Lionel’s forehead, and all went dark.

[leportraitducadavre]

I think canon did the Yamanaka, and thus Ino, dirty by necessity tbh. I don't like it, but also the show is mostly focused on front line combat and training for it. Which is the opposite of Yamanaka strengths, as a clan focused on spying, interrogation, conversion, and (in more gritty/dark fanon) seduction and subtle poison. If a Yamanaka is in a position where their skill is compared to a front line assault ninja, they've already failed, yknow? Their targets shouldn't even comprehend they're near a ninja. And I get why the show didn't focus on that, it was NARUTO Shippuden not INO Shippuden. But on that basis alone it's an unfair and futile comparison to set Ino up as Sakura's long term rival. If anyone it should've been Shizune, or more realistically Kabuto (and she ISNT Kabuto's equal, imo)

Hi there, I’m not at the moment replying asks and this might be unfair to some people that send me questions that I haven’t replied before (apologies), but I wanted to tackle this specific subject (Ino), as I don’t get that many asks about her.

I think canon did the Yamanaka, and thus Ino, dirty by necessity tbh. I don't like it, but also the show is mostly focused on front line combat and training for it. Which is the opposite of Yamanaka strengths, as a clan focused on spying, interrogation, conversion, and (in more gritty/dark fanon) seduction and subtle poison.

I apologize, but I have to disagree with you, not on the fact that two-thirds of Team 7 focuses on frontal attacks (Naruto and Sakura -Sasuke, as Uchiha and a prodigy who also knows kenjutsu, can tackle pretty much any range of attack), and as the team with the most panel time they get pretty much highlighted throw out the series. Still, this manner of attack isn’t the story's primary focus.

The story in itself is about political warfare and the overall cruelties of the system, Sasuke -as an antagonist, it’s the main plot driver of the show (as are Obito, Nagato, and Orochimaru), and the main character that the narrative establishes as “the good ones” are reactors rather than causers.

Once this is established, I do agree that the show focuses mostly on front-line attacks as those are the ones the main duo (and some other fan favorites) possess, however, this manner of combat isn’t as relevant in the overall structure: Itachi and Nagato, for instance, rely on either genjutsu or upon their rinnegan and vast amount of chakra to control other people and perform their binding. Deidara fought against Sasuke while putting distance between them through his secret technique, and so on. 

The relevance of such a style of combat is well established during the Chünin Exams: this type of approach is the most “spectacle-friendly” as it allows viewers to witness true carnage and visible consequences, cementing before the audience the overall military power of a village or a character –which is similar, if not equal, of how a shönen works for its audience.

However, it’s constantly highlighted, albeit secretly (as this portion of the tests isn’t shown to the rest of the civilian population as it lacks the “thrill” that combats possess and I’ll say some readers skipped it as they, too, liked to see displayed raw physical power, as that’s how most mainstream heroes are depicted, not having to think around their power shall it be more complicated than a powerful punch); the relevance of Information gathering skills, having an entire test dedicated to it: such exam, Sakura failed, as she never realized what the test was actually for. Ino-Shika-Chö passes it because Ino was the only one out of the three of them shown to have understood it and has the perfect technique for it, here.

There are, however, other mentions of such specialty relevance during the second stage as well, here and here –of course, this specific portion of the “information gathering” skills are to be more rudimentary as they’re more focused upon the shinobi’s survival rather than sharpening their spy qualities, but they are necessary to guarantee the success of a mission.

Obito specifically targeted the Intelligence Division where Inoichi and Shukaku were to guarantee his success as they worked quickly with the information they received of the battlefield to send specific teams to different locations to warrant the enemy’s defeat (like when they sent Team 10 to support Kumo and fight the Gold and Silver Brothers, or how they also asked them to defeat Asuma); Hashirama specifically asked for a Yamanaka to spread amongst the shinobi forces the information he had and Shikamaru’s strategy. 

Sasuke and Naruto (or even Hashirama and Madara), are people whose strength isn’t the usual norm, as they’re particularly strong even amongst those considered “the strongest” in the military population (Kages), so them not having to rely on prior information to win a battle (despite them coming up with strategies all the time upon seeing how their enemies work –something Sakura isn’t shown doing, as she either relies on other people (Chiyo) or fails, as she did against Dosu) it’s an off the norm occurrence, only to be applied to them.

People's preference around which techniques are best or more "spectacle-friendly" -something necessary for a manga that relies on visual story-telling, doesn't dispute the overall value of Yamanaka clan's techniques inside the plot and structure Kishimoto established (they, after the UCM, became the clan with the most information-gathering relevance, as they were the only non-Sharingan users that could control their target and read their mind, and while the Saiko Denshin it's a T&I jutsu and not a Yamanaka one, it's clear by Ino's recollection of it that it's at least taught at its most basic form).

If a Yamanaka is in a position where their skill is compared to a front line assault ninja, they've already failed, yknow? Their targets shouldn't even comprehend they're near a ninja. And I get why the show didn't focus on that, it was NARUTO Shippuden not INO Shippuden. 

I agree that Ino isn’t a specialized combater, although she did fight Asuma while controlling two Zetsu (I speak a little about the possibility of it being a technique she came up with here), so her taijutsu is -at least, better than Shikamaru’s who stood back as support; her family’s technique and her medical training taught her to stay out of conflict (as she did when vs. Hidan and Kakuzu) in order to be able to attend those wounded (the only ones able to fight are those that mastered Mitrocondrial Regeneration, as they are able to heal without using signs and have more chakra to spare since they stored it, x and x), as medics are also main targets during combats (x).

[If you are more interested in Medical skills, here’s a little post about it: x]

However, I’ll say that, as a secondary character, she got more panel time and development than many other characters who were pushed aside shortly after their introduction (Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Kurenai -to name some of Konoha’s). She was able to help discern, albeit with her father and an ANBU, Nagato’s location when sharing information about her mind-body switch control, she also realized one of the Paths used a similar technique to Inoichi’s (Saiko Denshin) and was given a few very powerful moments during the war, which is more than other fandoms were given.

But on that basis alone it's an unfair and futile comparison to set Ino up as Sakura's long term rival. If anyone it should've been Shizune, or more realistically Kabuto (and she ISNT Kabuto's equal, imo) 

Do you mean, unfair for Ino to be Sakura's rival or the other way around? Kabuto is a far better medic than any of them, and Sakura, while impressive, didn’t surpass Tsunade at this stage –as she improved not Tsunade’s techniques, being solely able to master them prior in age to her mentor as Tsunade created them and had to experiment with her own body in order to use it and teach it afterward. Kabuto invented his own version of Mitochondrial Regeneration (x), which is the reason why Orochimaru chose him. He’s the only one who Tsunade considers surpassed her during her prime (x, x).

Sakura and Ino’s rivalry has less to do with their overall techniques and more to do with their attraction to Sasuke, which is the main focus Sakura puts upon their rivalry. Asuma claimed during his last speech to Ino that she mustn't lose either Ninjutsu or love, but the bars they both have about their techniques are completely different –Sakura, medical-wise, possesses a natural advantage that Ino doesn’t, which is natural delicate chakra control, something inherently necessary to learn the Yin Seal; while Ino’s medical skills (likely taught to her through Shizune), are rudimentary at best in order to do something else for her team while on a mission that doesn’t require her technique, in order to guarantee her safety.

Now, you might wonder, why does she have to be safe? Canonically speaking, besides collecting information, the team must guarantee at least one survivor who can pass on the knowledge (or, at least, a way to communicate the information). No other team is expected to ensure such a thing (x). 

In that sense, Team 7, Team 8, and Team Gai are mostly viewed as expendable** (I am aware that all of the soldiers are viewed in such light, I’m specifically referring to such an idea when already inside that “disposable spectrum”). Only those front-lines combateurs that have techniques with enough power to defy even shinobi standards (Naruto, Hashirama, Tobirama, and some others –and I’m not putting Uchiha there as they are able to cover multiple ranges), are highlighted and rewarded with the Hokage title, the rest are sent to die or to distract the enemy in order to open space for teams more specialized in gathering the enemy’s secrets or strategies.

[Minato, also considered amongst the best, relied on other front-liners to plant his special kunais upon his targets and to take care of a big portion of the enemies, as he killed the rest. Saving the small group of survivors.]

Being rivals has nothing to do with having similar techniques, but either opposed goals (Sasuke vs. Naruto) or the same goal (Sasuke’s love reciprocation when it comes to Sakura and Ino).

Inside the manga itself, the notion of rivalry is shown to be deeply intertwined with shinobi culture, as they encourage such a mindset so shinobi would push each other to new highs of their respective techniques in order to win their competitions as long as they don’t put Konoha’s stability in jeopardy: Madara/Hashirama, Danzo/Hiruzen, Kakashi/Obito, Naruto/Sasuke, Sakura/Ino.

[**Sakura, as a front-line fighter, is expendable, as a medic-nin, slightly less, as she is expected to die, if doing so, last of all. Not to return alive, as Team 10].

In case you’re interested, I have some other post regarding kunoichi:

The infinite “who’s strongest Kunoichi” debate and the sexist erasure/degradation of female characters and an addition

Yamanaka clan techniques

Posts of my Naruto re-read