#continuing the name explanation from the name reveal in the previous post...

[fitgof]

“We both know that’s a lie, Ambrosia. I don’t like it when you lie to me.” Alouette‘s moustache covered his frowning lips, but disappointment filled his eyes. “We’ve done some fine work these years, you and I. Your parents should be pleased. And the Scholarship will be most impressed with our results once I bring it to their attention. I’ve stayed out of their business for far too long.”

When Alouette unveiled the portrait of his brother, Amy never expected to see the King with the Queen of Windflower by his side. The Delphiniums had no magic for themselves, making Alouette an outlier within the royal family but Amy couldn’t deny the resemblance between the young King’s face to Alouette’s own seeing them side by side. The councilmen on the Scholarship would have known it too and questioned Alouette’s existence. But as an old, distinguished Dianthus Larkspur… 

“Let me know when you’re ready to talk, Ambrosia.” He didn’t wait for a response and once again Amy was left alone staring at herself in the dark.

[ash-says]

Tips on how to dodge personal questions in a Professional Setting:

I know. I know. I said I will be on a break and I still stand by that but it was difficult to throw away the sudden surge of motivation so here I am.

I received a request to make a post on this long back so here is your girl serving it. Honestly I am not much of an expert at it either but I have some ways that work sometimes so here goes nothing.

1) Do not give in to the pressure.

Literally that's the starting point. Whenever someone asks us a personal question we feel obligated at some level to answer because of xyz reasons. That's why we first need to escape the pressure of answering.

2) Straightforwardly and Politely state I am not comfortable answering that.

The bulletproof method. No explanation needed.

3) If you are in a situation where the person is being really nosy and can't take a no for an answer. Try saying to them,"I don't understand how it's relevant to our topic of discussion."

4) If you are not in a position to decline at all which happens when the person asking the question is of higher authority and has influence in this situation give vague answers that lead nowhere.

Example: So are you dating anyone?

It's tough to say in particular you know the dating scene nowadays it's difficult to put a name on anything.

Or what do you do on your weekends?

Nothing just the usuals. I am an office worker after all.

This creates a sense of familiarity with the crowd but at the same time does not reveal anything in precision.

5) Turn the topic on them. One of the smartest things you can do is make them the central focus. People love to talk about themselves so it works most of the time until you come across someone truly smart.

Example: hey how's the new office? Are you liking it here?

Ans: Well I am still getting used to the environment here. What about you? How long have you been working here?

6) Another thing you can do is dance around the topic but not on the topic. You remember how you used to write a 1 mark question for 5 marks exactly like that. Tell the prequel and sequel of the question but never answer the exact question.

7) This one is kinda rude I won't suggest doing it around randomly but if you have been in the corporate space for sometime you would know that there are some people who like to ask things only to belittle you or spread gossip or to be mean. The jealous ones that don't have a life of their own.

In case they ask something or say something rude or cross a boundary just start singing a song or change the topic completely. Don't acknowledge anything they say and continue with your random talks or humming. Trust me it's the easiest way to get rid of them.

Still some are persistent and will try to get an answer. Simply say it's not worth discussing. It's boring.

8) Apart from that there are subtle things you can do which can create a persona that conveys you are not open towards personal questions. You can do it by simply detaching yourself whenever someone starts talking about their personal lives. Don't be a participant or a listener. It gives a que you are not looking to bond personally and many other similar things.

9) If you are truly in a toxic work culture where your colleagues seem to constantly bug and bully you to share personal stuff (happened with me in my previous workplace) Firmly state,"I come here to work not to make personal relations."

10) Ignore.

I hope it helps even a little there's not much we can do without offending the other person but we can be gentle and polite in our tone and gesture that's the only way.

That's all for today's show on ash-says. Stay tuned for more illegal tricks and explosive opinions.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Long COVID continues to evade diagnosis through lab tests - Published Aug 12, 2024

NEW YORK, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Blood and urine tests are ineffective for diagnosing long COVID -- a constellation of long-term symptoms such as chronic pain, brain fog, shortness of breath and intense fatigue, a new study shows.

Without a clear tool to detect and treat the lingering illness, it remains "a major public health burden," researchers noted, affecting millions of people worldwide and significantly altering quality of life.

The new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, was published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Because few large studies looked at standardized laboratory tests as a way to help diagnose long COVID, researchers decided to examine results of 25 measurements in more of than 10,000 adults enrolled in the RECOVER trial. Launched in 2021, this trial received $1.15 billion in congressional funding. At the outset, participants underwent blood tests and were deemed eligible whether or not they had a previous infection of SARS-CoV-2.

Researchers followed them with surveys every three months and laboratory samples at six, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months after infection or the date of a negative test result.

In comparing responses to questionnaires and routine test outcomes, researchers assessed whether SARS-CoV-2 resulted in repeated laboratory abnormalities regardless if participants had symptoms.

The findings basically revealed little, said the study's lead author, Dr. Kristine Erlandson, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. That's because the laboratory results were inconclusive.

However, she and co-researchers recommended in their study report that clinicians still perform routine clinical tests to rule out other treatable causes of the symptoms in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, the scientific name for long COVID.

Researchers also uncovered evidence to bolster the notion that SARS-CoV-2 could contribute to the risk of diabetes independent of long COVID -- a link found early in the pandemic.

Individuals with prior SARS-CoV-2 also had higher urine albumin to creatinine ratio. This indicator of early kidney disease has shown an association with cardiovascular conditions in other populations.

Continuing inflammation may be a possible explanation for smell and taste disruptions and post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, researchers said.

"The diversity of symptoms may be one of the reasons that we have difficulty in truly understanding why some people develop long COVID and ultimately how we can treat it," Erlandson said.

"Long COVID is a condition currently defined by symptoms and physical exam findings, not by abnormal routine laboratory measures," she added.

"Similarly, providers should certainly not dismiss a diagnosis of long COVID based on normal clinical laboratory values."

In an accompanying editorial, researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore noted that most significant unsolved enigmas of the COVID-19 pandemic pertain to the knowledge, diagnosis and treatment of long COVID.

"When [it is] severe, long COVID can be disabling, resulting in job loss or inconsistent ability to perform other roles, such as caregiving. Even in 2024, long COVID remains common," Drs. Paul Auwaerter and Annukka Antar wrote in the editorial.

"Approximately 1 in 20 U.S. adults reported persisting symptoms after COVID-19 in June 2024, with 1.4% reporting significant limitations The incidence of long COVID is 3.5% among immunized people in the Omicron era, and it can occur after reinfection."

The editorial's writers added that "importantly, acknowledging symptoms with empathy and creating a symptom management plan provides a basis for trust and hope amidst uncertainty."

Read the rest of the report at either link!

[starsreminisce]

I've been thinking more about Darcy's initial proposal to Elizabeth, and while I've covered this topic extensively in previous posts, it took me some time to delve into how Wickham fits into the equation.

In Darcy's proposal, he cited Elizabeth's family as a barrier, which he was willing to overlook against his better judgement. In response, Elizabeth brought up Wickham and his attitude towards those around him, revealing his prejudice.

It took me a while to piece this together, and it might be a bit of a stretch, but hey, it's all in good fun.

If Elain were in Darcy's role, she might bring up Lucien's family and his ties to the Spring Court as a barrier. On the other hand, if Lucien were in Elizabeth's shoes, he might discuss how Elain treats him and Azriel.

I can envision Elain having a similar reaction to Lucien as Darcy did when Elizabeth brought up Wickham because she, too, felt betrayed by Azriel, much like Darcy did with Wickham. She might wash her hands of him by the time this happens between Lucien and Elain. I wonder if SJM would go so far as to put a bigger final nail in the E/riel coffin before this, more significant (and canon lol) than what Azriel did in the BC, pushing Elain to shift her focus from her crush to her mate.

No, I don't see E/riel happening. Azriel decided to keep away from her even before the Solstice, and I believe his offenses towards her will continue to compound. She will discover that he was the main voice against her searching for the trove, and if she was willing to stand up for herself to Nesta, her desire to do more for the IC will overshadow any lingering feelings she has towards him.

She kept her engagement ring for months. She returned the necklace within hours.

I will be screaming if Elain reacted like this when Lucien brings up Azriel’s name

I do believe there are complexities that come with being Lucien's mate, and it would be a disservice if SJM doesn't provide space for Elain to acknowledge Lucien's part in her transformation into fae. This could also serve as an explanation to satisfy the skeptics. We know he had nothing to do with it; Feyre knows he had nothing to do with it; Rhys knows he had nothing to do with it. But this does remain unresolved as all we received was one line where Lucien acknowledges his part of wrong-doing.

However, this is something Lucien can't change, just like how Elizabeth can't change how her family behaves. This is something that Elain, like Darcy, would have to make peace with.

Lucien's arguments towards Elain would be about Azriel, akin to Wickham, though the reasons would be different. Whatever they had discussed in private after their reunion following Hybern's war would likely be the main focal point. Immediately after their cute reunion, we find out that Elain and Lucien have tense interactions, but she still keeps their mating bond in limbo.

Given how frequently Lucien addresses behavior towards those around him, it seems likely that he will do the same with Elain. Two years of silent treatment, combined with the sudden expectation of happiness when she accepts their bond, could prompt Lucien to confront Elain about her actions.

Elizabeth never had a specific issue with Wickham, but she did criticize how Darcy treated him, along with other mistreatments committed by Darcy against him. Similarly, Lucien might not inherently have a problem with Azriel, but he strongly values honesty. If Elain wasn't upfront with him about her feelings towards Azriel, addressing this lack of transparency could be crucial for them to overcome any issues in their relationship.

It's not necessarily about Lucien disapproving of Elain's feelings for Azriel; rather, it's about how her actions affected him. After Graysen, Azriel was the only one towards whom Lucien showed a territorial trait, even though he had not fully acted on it. I wonder if Lucien will call out that he had given her plenty of space and opportunity to reject their bond, and we can finally have a canon answer as to why it took her two years to respond.

I believe Lucien will start to open his eyes to who Elain really is, now that she's becoming more accepting of her circumstances, similar to how Elizabeth began to look past Darcy's awkwardness. Elain, in turn, would start to see Lucien's impact on those around him, especially in Spring, where he is leading rebuilding efforts, and in Autumn, where he had spent the most time among the lesser fae.

Azriel as Wickham is something they dealt with separately. Interestingly, pre-confession Wickham is what Lucien will bring up, but Lydia-arc-Wickham is what Lucien will deal with later in the series.

I admit, I am still unsure about what SJM will choose to do after this revelation, as it remains up in the air.

SJM used Tamlin for Feysand and Eris for Nessian, so it's not out of reach to assume she'll use Azriel for Elucien.

There are some possibilities: she can opt to use Azriel the same way Wickham was used to cement Elizabeth's feelings towards Darcy, but this time, it would be Darcy-as-Lucien and Elizabeth-as-Elain. Lucien doing something to Azriel, either to humble him or surprise him while trying to keep it a secret from Elain, which she finds out secondhand and solidifies that Lucien is the ideal person for her.

The other option is that SJM can save that for Az's storyline and just keep the conflict between Elain and Azriel, leaving Azriel to settle his issues towards Lucien in his POV.

It's a conflicting sentiment, as my preference is for the focus to remain on Elucien, but there's a consideration if it helps definitively close the door on the E/riel ship or establish Lucien as her concrete endgame.

In this proposal scene, Elain starts by expressing her willingness to accept the bond, but Lucien rejects it. This rejection prompts Elain to inquire why, leading to a cathartic conversation where both characters finally release their bottled-up feelings.

After this moment, Elain would find herself in the Spring or Autumn Court through one of two scenarios: either she is left in a melancholy mood, and Feyre and Nesta suggest she visit the Spring Court, assuring her that Lucien is away on a mission or Autumn Court where she can "work" to get her mind off things.

Alternatively, in my hopeful scenario, the emotional intensity of their conversation triggers a surge in their bond, leading Elain to experience a significant vision. They realize that her power is intricately connected to Lucien, and if she wishes to reconnect with her powers, she needs to reconnect with him.

[lottielovelace]

die prinzessin

(PLATONIC könig & sister!reader)

summary: So... turns out your mystery half-brother is a giant Austrian special forces operator. What now? (Catching up on two decades of sibling bonding, that's what)

originally posted on ao3 (wordcount: main version 3.1k)

Rating: T

Relationships: Platonic König & Reader, König/Horangi

Ao3 Tags: Brother-Sister Relationships / Sibling Bonding / Long Lost/Secret Relatives / reader is konig's half sister / Implied/Referenced Self-Harm (reader has scars implied to be from SH but it's ultimately left up to interpretation) / Deutsch | German / Author speaks German (as a second language) / Historical References / reading the prior installment is recommended but not required

this is a part of a series

Notes:

Possible triggers: - König teaches MC to shoot. No violence, but he gives her semi-detailed instructions on how to handle a sniper rifle. - MC talks about past mental health struggles, and König notices old scars of her. These are implied to be from SH, but I tried to leave it open-ended for anyone who doesn't want that in their reading. - König implied to have previously experienced homophobia.

Prior context: I recommend reading the previous installment in the series, but if you really don't wanna here are the truly crucial parts: Your name is Elisabeth "Elise" Linh Veidt, a medical student. You were kidnapped to serve as hostage for a half-brother (König) you've never met before, who ended up rescuing you. There's more, but it's not directly tied to this fic so I'll leave it unspoiled in case you do become interested in reading the first work in the series. I do not use Y/N. I sometimes do use "Elise" & other specific details (you'll see why it's unavoidable in this fic) but I try to—when possible—keep things vague so you can freely project onto her (ex: using "your hair" instead of "your dark hair").

About the German: I speak German as a second language. I like to assess my skill level as "I know what Genitive is, but I don't always remember to use it." As Hochdeutsch-speaking foreign civilian, my speech patterns/vocabulary are going to be pretty similar to Elise's but very different to König, a native Austrian and a hardened soldier. I tried translate as accurately as possible (lots of LEO usage), but besides maybe a "servus" or two, I made and will make no attempt to mimic the Austrian dialect because it's frankly a lost cause for me. That being said, if you are a native speaker and notice any grammatical/syntactical mistakes (or even any sentences where you go "he would not fucking say that" [ex: a term being super formal or old fashioned] please let me know!

About the legibility: This is the primary iteration of the fic. If the German really does make it impossible to read, here's a version devoid of foreign language, but if possible, I highly recommend reading this version for the fullest experience. This version is the most proofread edition and even if you don't speak the language there was linguistic nuances you can still pick up on. If there are any cultural references you don't get, I have an explanation post linked at the bottom. (also available here)

"Können wir jetzt sprechen?” [ Can we speak now? ]

“Fast,” [ Almost ], your brother answered as he continued to guide you through the complex’s winding halls. His refusal to answer questions until your surroundings were secure made the flight over to the KorTac base feel endless.

Finally he stopped at a door-lined hallway. Approaching the second on the left, he punched a combination into its keypad. It swung open, revealing a modest bedroom.

“Großes Bett” [ Big bed ], you noted. His cot was large, even for someone of his rank.

“Ich habe ein Verzicht erhalten” [ I got a waiver ], he lazily indicated at his height. You were once again reminded of your stark height difference.

You looked at him—or at least what you could see of him with the mask—again. Drawing from your bio classes, you knew you shared 25% of your DNA. Clearly none of it manifested in height. Your father had been tall, but even at his peak he was nowhere near as lofty as your brother.

“Deine Mutter muss riesig sein.” [ Your mother must be giant .]

“Sie war.” [ She was. ]

You mentally winced. Way to get off on the wrong foot.

“Meine Mutter ist auch verstorben. Früher dieses Jahres.” [ My mother also passed. Earlier this year. ]

“Entschuldigung.” [ My condolences ].

“Du weißt, dass unser Vater schon ein paar Jahren gestorben ist.” [ You know that our father died a few years ago. ]

You really hoped you weren’t the one to break the news to him.

“Ja, ich weiß. Wir haben einen Brief bekommen.” [ Yes, I know. We received a letter .]

“Gut.” [ Good .]

“Dein Name ist Elisabeth, ja?” [ Your name is Elisabeth, correct? ]

“Ja.” [ Yes. ]

You’re not surprised he knows. There’s gotta be a file on you somewhere packed with everything you’ve ever even sniffed at.

“Magst du deinen Namen?” [ Do you like your name? ]

“Wie bitte?” [ Pardon? ]

“Benutzen Sie Elisabeth oder etwas anderes?" [ Do you go by Elisabeth or something else? ]

“Elise. Und du musst nicht ‘Sie’ benutzen. Wir sind Blut.” [ Elise. And you don’t need to be so formal. We’re blood .] A beat passed. “Wie heißt du?” [ And you? What is your name? ]

“Jeder nennt mich König.” [ Everyone calls me König. ]

“König? Ist das nicht ein wenig dramatisch?” [ King? Isn’t that a bit dramatic? ]

“Wenn du so groß wie ich bin, gibt es keinen Raum für Subtilität. Auch mag ich Geburtsnamens nicht.” [ When you’re as big as me, there is no room for subtlety. Plus I’m not the biggest fan of my birth name. ]

“Darf ich fragen?” [ May I ask? ]

“Ludwig.”

“Ludwig? Wie der König? Der Verrückte?” [ Ludwig? Like the king? The mad one? ]

“Genau. Ich mag es nicht, aber möchte es noch würdigen.” [ Exactly. I don’t like it, but I do enjoy paying tribute to it in my own way.]

“Elisabeth und Ludwig. Unser Vater mochte die Wittelsbacher, ja?” [ Elisabeth and Ludwig. Our father had a fondness for the Wittelsbachers. ]

“Wenn ich der Märchenkönig bin und du die Sisi bist, bist du Kaiserin?” [ If I’m the Fairy Tale King, and you’re Sisi… wouldn’t that make you the Empress? ]

“Dann wäre ich dir überlegen.” [ I would outrank you then. ]

“Gefällt dir das als mögliches Rufzeichen?” [ Would you like that as a callsign? ]

“Was? Kaiserin? Muss ich wirklich einen?” [ What, Empress? Do I even need one? ]

“Ja. Es würde mir ein Stein vom Herzen fallen. Dein Name ist kostbar. Verrate es nicht. Zumindest nicht hier.” [ I think so. It would ease my mind. Your name is a precious thing, I don’t want you to give it away. At least not while you’re on base. ]

Your stomach twisted.

“Du hast mir gesagt, dass dieser Ort sicher sei.” [ I thought you said this place was safe. ]

“Ja voll. Aber jeder kann mithören und hacken.” [ It is. But anyone can tap into radio comms or steal files .]

“Was meinst du damit?” [ What are you implying? ]

“Es ist zusätzlicher Schutz. Bitte. Es könnte irgendetwas. Ich brauche nur, dass du eines hast.” [ It’s an extra barrier of protection. Please. You can pick whatever it is, I just want you to have one. ]

You thought about it for a moment.

“Ich möchte nicht ‘Kaiserin’ sein. Das ist zu viel Macht und Anstrengung. Die Kaiserkrone hat die echte Sisi erwürgen.” [ I don’t want to be ‘Empress’. That’s too much power and pressure. The imperial crown strangled the original Sisi, after all. ]

A smile bloomed on your face.

“Vielleicht zulasse ich ‘Prinzessin’.” [ I might be amenable to ‘Princess’ though. ]

“Prinzessin? Ich kann damit leben. Sinn für kurz?” [ Princess? I can work with that. Sinn (meaning sense/reason/mind) for short? ]

You nodded with deep gravitas, “Einer von uns muss die Intelligenz sein.” [ Someone needs to be the brains around here. ]

Something about the faux-seriousness in your tone made the two of you burst into uncontrollable laughter.

The moment is so beautiful, you almost don’t want to ruin it with the question you know you have to ask. Something ancient, the spirit of Orpheus or Pandora perhaps, urges you to look.

“Darf ich über der Maske fragen?” [ Can I ask about the mask? ]

He paused for a moment, hesitant. Then quietly he spoke:

“Ich kann es ausziehen. Du bist Familie.” [ I can take it off. For you. You’re family, after all. ]

There’s a reluctance in his voice that made your heart twinge.

“Du musst nicht wenn du nicht willst.” [ You don’t have to if you don’t want to. ]

“Nein.” [ No. ] This time his voice seems more resolved, “Ich möchte.” [ I want to. ]

He pulled off his hood. His face was ruddy, but it worked well with his light hair and eyes. You two both looked so similar yet so different.

“Du hast alle guten Gene geerbt,” [ You clearly got all the good genes, ] you joked.

He turned his head bashfully, accidentally revealing his battered side profile.

“Deine arme Nase! Was passiert?” [ Your poor nose! What happened to it? ]

“Zebrochen. Ein paarmal. Bisschen verwickelt medizinische Hilfe zu erkriegen wenn du deinem Gesicht verheimlichst.” [ Broke it. A few times. Bit hard to get medical attention when you refuse to show your face. ]

“Nächste Mal einfach ruf mich. Ich habe dein Gesicht schön gesehen.” [ Next time just come to me. I’ve already seen your face. ]

“Mit Verlaub zu sagen, wie viel kannst du hilf mit helfen?” [ No offense, but how much can you help? ]

“Ja leider. Was weiß ich?” [ You’re right. What do I know? ] you bit back. “Ich habe nur noch ein Viertel vom Medschule übrig.” [ I’m only a quarter out from graduating med school. ]

“Soll das ein Scherz sein?” [ You’re joking. ]

“Das war nicht im Bericht?” [ That didn’t make it into the file? ]

“Nein. Wann ist der Abschluss?” [ No. When’s graduation? ]

You tensed. He was beaming with pride. You hated to ruin it with the ugly truth.

“Ich weiß nicht ob ich graduiere.” [ I don’t know if I will graduate. ]

“Warum? Hast du schulische Probleme?” [ Why? Are you having troubles at school? ]

“Sozusagen. Meine Noten sind gut, aber heuer versuchte ich zu ausscheiden. Sie ließen mich nicht, so nahm ich Gewaltkur.” [ Sort of? My grades are fine but… I tried to drop out earlier this year. They wouldn’t let me so I took more… drastic measures. ]

König’s eyes drifted to your scars.

“Sie sind alt.” [ They’re old, ] you reassured. “Und danach dem ganze Entführungquatch, ich bin entschlossen zu überleben. Vetrau mir. Deshalb möchte ich nicht zurückkehren. Ich möchte leben, nicht in Schule sorgen.” [ Plus after the whole kidnapping ordeal, I’m more determined to live than ever. Trust me. That’s why I don’t want to go back. I want to live, not suffer more in school. ]

Your brother looked at you disapprovingly, “Du musst zurückgehen.” [ You need to go back. ]

“Kann ich einfach hier bleiben? Bei dir? Ich könnte Medizinerin sein.” [ Can’t I just stay here with you? I could be a medic. ]

"Medizinische Arbeit ist nicht leicht.” [ Being a medic is hard work. ]

“Fleiß ist kein fremd.” [ I’m no stranger to hard work.]

“Du wärst ein bessere Medizinerin, wenn du Schule fertigbringst.” [ You’d be a better medic if you finished school. ]

You stared at him with arms crossed, unyielding.

He tried again, “Wenn du dein Medizinstudium abschließt kannst du hier arbeiten. Und du erh��ltst eine besondere Belohnung von mir.” [ Look, if you graduate you can work here full time—and I’ll ensure you get a special reward. ]

“Was?” [ What? ]

“Eine Überraschung. Du wirst es schön wissen.” [ It’s a surprise. I won’t tell you. Yet. ]

You pursed your lips. Clearly this wasn’t an argument you were going to win.

“In Ordnung. Aber lass mich länger bleiben. Ich möchte dich kennenlernen.” [ Fine. But let me stay a little longer. I want to get to know you.]

“Natürlich.” [ Of course. ]

The tension dissipated.

“Du hast gesagt das du lasst Medical dein Gesicht nicht sehen. Erlaubst du irgendjemand?” [ You said you don’t let medical see your face. Do you let anyone else? ]

Your brother flushed. He really was quite pink under the hood.

“Einer.” [ One person .]

You mentally rolled up your sleeves. You had over two decades of little sister pestering to make up for.

“Echt?” [ Oh really? ]

“Ein Freund.” [ A friend. ]

“Ein Freund oder dein Freund?” [ A friend or your boyfriend? ]

“Ich liebe ihn.” [ I love him. ]

“Gefühl er gleichartig?” [ And does he feel the same?]

“Ja.” [ Yes. ]

“Na ja, ich muss sehen, ob er gut genug für dich ist.” [ Hmm. I’ll have to see if he’s good enough for you. ] 

He slumped in relief. With a jolt you realized he was afraid of you… rejecting him. For what? Being in a relationship with another man? No, you of all people would never do that. You silently resolved to make sure he would never have to fear that ever again.

“Du kannst ihn heute Abend in der Kantine begegen.” [ You can meet him in the mess hall tonight. ]

----------

The mess hall is awash with activity. Even here amongst allies and coworkers, people gave König a wide berth.

“Welcher ist er?” [ Which one is he? ]

König pointed to a man sitting alone at a table.

“Dieser.” [ That one. ]

“Noch ein Maskenträger? Bisschen narzisstisch, ja?” [ Another mask? Bit narcissistic of you, isn’t it?]

You felt your brother roll his eyes under his hood. The sitting man’s head jerked up at the sound of his heavy footsteps. His mask already pulled up over his mouth to eat, the man broke out into a brilliant smile.

“Das ist der Horangi.” [ This is Horangi. ] König introduced. “Klarname Kim Hong-jin.” [ Real name Kim Hong-jin. ]

“Sprecht er Deutsch?” [ Does he speak German? ]

“Ja.” [ Yes. ] Horangi responded. “Er war mein Lehrer. So wurden wir unzertrennlich. Du bist seine Schwester, ja?” [ He has been my tutor. It’s actually how we got close. You’re his sister, right? ]

“Richtig.” [ Yes. ]

“Does she speak English?” Horangi asked your brother, switching languages. You knew it was just a way to test your skills, but it irked you.

“I’m American.”

“Just because you’re American doesn’t mean you speak English. I don’t even know if half the stuff that comes out of Graves’ mouth even qualifies as human speech.”

“Graves?” you looked to your brother for explanation.

“Er ist—wie sagt man das? Yee-haw?” [ He is… how do you say it? Yee-haw? ]

“Südstaatler?” [ Southern? ]

“Geneau.” [ Exactly. ]

You crossed your arms and gave Horangi a final thorough look-over.

“I approve under one condition.”

“Yes?”

“Teach me how to fight. It’s great that I was able to meet my brother but I do not want a repeat of the kidnapping.”

Horangi cocked his head, “Wouldn’t you want to learn from your brother?”

“There are plenty of things I want to learn from him. This is not one of them. Based on size alone, we’re going to have very different strategies. I’m sure he’s a great fighter, but I have a feeling that using his technique with my frame would be… lackluster. No offense.”

“Kein Problem.” [ None taken. ]

“Very well,” Horangi relented. If this was all it took to be on the good side of his in-laws, it was a small price to pay. “I expect to see you at 7 sharp. I won’t go easy on you.”

“Perfect.”

----------

Horangi’s right. It’s not easy, but slowly and steadily—and with no small amount of tears and blood—you managed to win Horangi’s respect (and a nice set of abs).

About a week in, he makes a suggestion. You two were on a water break, your brother was sitting nearby. König had taken to watching your sparring, occasionally commentating or tagging in.

“Du verbesserst!” [ You’re improving! ] the Austrian complimented brightly.

“Und ich habe gar nichts mit es zu tun.” [ And I had absolutely nothing to do with the matter, ] Horangi muttered with mock resentment.

“Unsinn, du bist immer ein prima Lehrer.” [Nonsense, you are an excellent teacher.] König apologized with a kiss.

“Wirklich! Vielen Dank.” [ Definitely, thank you so much! ] you corroborated.

Horangi shifted. Even in training, he still wore the mask—at least while in the base’s general gym. He was more lackadaisical about it in private. Your “family dinners” with him and König had given you a good look at both of their faces. 

You’d become well versed in his facial reactions. Even with his face covered you could feel his devilish smile.

“자기야, du solltest ihr deine erste Liebe vorstellen.” [You know babe, you should introduce her to your first love.]

Your head snapped to your brother. Sans Horangi, you were probably the person on base who he felt most comfortable talking about his past with, but even then it sometimes felt like pulling teeth. You quickly learned to treasure any lore you gleaned.

“Was? Warum habe ich noch nie von das gehört?” [ What? How have I not heard of this before? ]

König raised his hands in defense.

“Das stimmt nicht. Er verhohnepipelt mich.” [ It’s not like that. He’s making fun of me. ]

“Wer ist diese erste Liebe dann?” [ Who is this first love then? ]

“Scharfschützen.” [ Sniping, ] he replied bashfully.

----------

After much cajoling, you finally got König to teach you to snipe. You had a good feeling about it. You always had a steady hand and good hand-eye coordination. Before the kidnapping, you’d even been looking into specializing in surgery (though now—whenever you’d return—you’d be taking a hard turn into emergency medicine and the other subjects required for a combat medic). Plus maybe it ran in the family.

You met at the shooting range one early morning. Horangi had recently been deployed and your brother needed to stop stressing about it.

“Ich wollte ein Heckenschütze sein.” [ I wanted to be a sniper, ] he explained as he showed you the mechanics. The assembly of the gun soundtracked his words with rhythmic clicking.

“Du bist ein Insertionsspezialist, ja? Was passiert?” [ You’re an insertion specialist, right? What happened? ]

“Zu groß. Das wird kein Problem für dich.” [ Too tall. That won’t be an issue for you. ]

You crossed your arms. Cheap shot. König didn’t notice your disapproval, eyes now trained on the target.

“Auch ich zappele.” [ And I fidget .]

“Ich habe dein Scharfschießen gesehen. Du hast eine feste Hand.” [ I’ve seen you shoot. You have a steady hand. ]

“Hände kann ich ruhen. Alles anderes, nicht so viel. Problematisch, wenn man unauffindbar sein muss. Erinnern: Drück, nicht zieh.” [ I can keep my hands steady. The rest of me, not so much. A slight issue when trying to be undetectable. Remember, squeeze don’t pull. ]

BANG

Bullseye.

“Du bist dran.” [ Your turn. ]

You approached the marked spot. This seemed so much easier before you felt the gun in your hands and witnessed your brother’s expertise first hand.

“Hol drei tief Atemzüge. Großer letzter Ausatmen. Das ist der Moment. Beacht Folgemaßnahmen, Rückstoß ist eine knifflige, besonders bei deiner Größe.” [ Take three deep breaths. Big exhale on the last. That’s when you want to shoot. And remember to follow through, recoil can be a bitch, especially at your size. ]

Even with your nervousness, you still found it in yourself to retort.

“Nennst du mich kurz?” [ Are you calling me short? ]

“Für mich seid ihr alle kurz. Das ist nichts speziell. Schussbereit!” [ You’re all short to me. There’s nothing special about that. Position! ]

The gun was heavy, but thanks to your work with Horangi not unbearable.

One.

Two.

Three. 

Even watching your brother’s demonstration hadn’t prepared you for just how loud the gunshot was.

You flinched. Hard.

The bullet went left, landing in the dirt with a small puff.

“Scheiße.” [ Shit. ]

“Gute Form. Ohne dein Zucken, wurdest du ins Schwarze treffen. Du musst nur an dem Krach passen. Probier es noch mal.” [ Good form. If it wasn’t for the flinch you would’ve got it dead on. You just need to get used to the noise. Try again. ]

You were still rattled, but your brother’s confidence in you steadied your hands.

You knew you could do it, you just had to…

Eins.

Zwei.

Drei.

There was no dust cloud this time. Only the noise of the round hitting something solid and your brother’s exhilarated whoop as he took you in his arms.

----------

Saying goodbye was rough. Both König and Horangi joined you on the ride to the airport, wanting to prolong goodbyes for as long as possible.

“Bis bald.” [ See you soon. ]

When your flight finally touched down and you returned to finish med school, it was with a few training bruises, an even steadier finger, and a determination to help your new family the only way you knew how.

An explanation of König & Reader's full names and the historical references behind them

[boinin]

Blue Lock Manga

We've been blessed by Chp 218 🙌 It's had a mixed response but I enjoyed it a lot.

Thoughts under the cut.

Previous chapter analyses

The art continues to blow me away. I didn't appreciate it as much when I was bingeing through the chapters, or when I watched the anime 🙃 but gosh it's so pretty. These are my personal favourite panels this week. The one with Barou and Isagi is so evocative. A clear visual explanation of the difference between Metavision and Predator Eye.

Isagi is data scientist AU anybody?

He's SUCH a dork, and I mean that in the kindest sense. Bro's reeling off completely fabricated terms to Niko like he's teaching a class 🥹 I love that he's so keen to pass on what he's learned. He's shown himself to be a voracious learner, going to everyone from Barou to Rin to Kunigami for tips. I want to see someone ask him for instruction!

Also - how cute are Aiku and Niko in this chp?! They're like brothers. I have a draft outline in my writing vault for an Ubers found family fluff fic featuring these two, and this isn't helping me ignore it.

Not everyone has metavision, what a shocking reveal /s It felt heavy handed in delivery, but it shows who Isagi's rivals are in terms of playmaking and predictions. No, Raichi isn't coming for Himsagi's bag yet.

Another amazing set of panels, love it any time they go nuts with the puzzle pieces. Isagi lists only four... but I think Kaneshiro's setting up Aiku to be the surprise fifth MV user. He might not consciously activate the ability as Isagi does, but he's definitely capable.

I had sight of these panels from the leaks when I was writing up the chp 217 post, so I won't rehash the BM v Ubers point. But I like how this visualises their differences. The art is grotesque but really beautiful at the same time. Look at Isagi naming himself at the top alongside Kaiser! That's ego growth for you.

On that note: who's the Game Changer this chapter's talking about? Isagi seems to think it's going to be one of him or Kaiser, or out of Ubers, Lorenzo, Barou, Aiku or Niko. Naturally, it's not likely to be any of these, cos ✨suspense✨

The chapter itself ends with a suggestion that it'll be BM that supplies it...

EMOGAMI PLEASE, DO SOMETHING WITH THAT EDGE OF YOURS, WHAT'S THE POINT OTHERWISE 😭

I'm biased towards my boy Rensuke, but I'll try to be objective here. On the subreddit, people are split 50:50 between being excited that he's getting a moment, or rolling their eyes at that edgy ball steal. I couldn't care less about whether this is an accurate depiction of soccer playing or not (it's a shounen battle manga as far as I'm concerned). But I do think Kunigami's solo run will get shut down next chapter. He hasn't had a lot to do in this match, but I think Kaneshiro will hold back on Kunigami's development for the PXG showdown.

In the last panel, you can see Kunigami's barrelling towards the goal. There's two defenders up ahead. One is Niko, who's apparently well-suited to reacting to sudden threats (i.e. him tackling Isagi). The other is not so obvious... but odds are, it's Aiku. Who's also not done a lot so far and who doesn't have a grudge against Shidou Ryuusei to milk later

My prediction? Kunigami will outmuscle Niko, but get walled by a levelled-up Aiku, leaving a free ball for Kaiser or Isagi to claim.

As for who'll be the true game changer? Said it already, but if Hiori's not getting subbed on for our newly christened royal trash!Ness in the next five chapters, I'll eat my hat. 🐑

No more commentary from me. Just signing off with a glorious narcissistic bastard entering flow 💅

[giransbunnywife]

I know I already rambled about Bunny and Chet’s ship but this is a bit more explanation of their dynamic and just random ramblings bc I literally can’t stop thinking about them. They’re like so good and fucking cute it’s not fair. But to give you a better idea of how shit goes between them (no official timeline bc I’m still figuring that out so no timeline specific discussions from the campaign).

Warning(s): self insert x canon, fluff, and slight suggestive mentions throughout

Bunny was already with the group whenever Chetney was first introduced, and like I said in the previous post it was like obvious love/infatuation at first sight. He was completely enamored by her and very obvious about that. Well… to everyone but Bunny who was jsut confused lmao. At this point she was only dating Dawn, though there was heavy hints at some connection with Fearne and Dorian at this time.

Chetney would continue to flirt with her heavily on and off pretty much from then on. There would be plenty of moments that others would see this, while Bunny remained completely and blissfully unaware. She would go on top capture the hearts of many, like Fearne and Dorian and Laudna (to name a few), and yet she would be none the wiser too his antics. Until Dawn and Imogen pointed out to her just exactly why the old gnome had always been so cheeky with her.

Everybody found her to be quite adorable and sweet, though he would be a bit... over the top with it. Nobody disrespected or talked over Bunny in his presence, even if she was in the wrong or wasn't exactly... right. It wouldn't matter. That's how far fucking gone this goddamn gnome was.

Though Bunny was not particularly reciprocating to his advances, she would respond somewhat playfully. But with a very strong insistent that it would be ��in his dreams”, though some moments suggests she definitely lusted after his wolf form. Once she caught on it was lots of cutting of her eyes at him or pushing him away, in moments that weren’t all that serious. She was very vocal that it would never happen.

Eventually this would result in yet another transition of their dynamic which I call the “make her jealous” phase, in which Chetney starts playing a little hard to get with her. Slowing his roll a little bit and seeming like he stopped the whole gag, when in reality he was just switching up his angle. And even though it got a couple teasing remarks from the others to the validity of such an approach, hilarious it seemed to fucking work.

Bunny became rather disturbed by such a change, even though they tried to hide it with a faulty façade. All the times that she would get caught up in his flirting or heavy comments, instead it was nothing short of a quip or two thrown her way. None of which the intensity that it used to be, and she didn’t like how much her body reacted to the change. How differently she felt after the attention was no longer focused on her.

This continued on (most likely even after the split) with a few people catching on to her change in tune since his new approach ended up working. Though, it might had ended up working too well considering that they ended up hooking up in the process. And this doesn't stop there, considering Bunny ends up doing this again... and again... and again.

Eventually their dynamic has yet another shift, and this is where things really kick into high gear and her feelings really come to a head. Because now that they're physical, she starts getting even more jealous than she had been before. This might have been made worse by him purposefully making her jealous bc he found it cute and amusing... which wouldn't work in his favor too well. Thus resulting in the final stage of things before everybody, including Chetney, knew that her feelings had changed.

And slowly as things are revealed more and more, their dynamic finally comes to a head once she admits that he had captured her heart. That she can't hide it anymore, and in fact, he had fucking won. Something that would make him even more insufferable with her, and the two of them would become the corny ass couple that they are now.

[sllverchariot]

Get to You (Polnareff x Reader) Chapter Ten

You're a bright eyed and ambitious Anthropology student, just setting off for the international vacation of your dreams. Just days into your trip, however, you encounter a devious and charming man who would set into motion a string of events that would change your life forever, for better or for worse. ♡ word count - 1.6k ♡ warnings - some brief mentions of previous trauma/emotional abuse/manipulation/cheating ♡ notes - this is crossposted on ao3 under the same username as here. there are currently 14 chapters written and posted over there and i'm working on posting them here as well, but if you're interested in more i suggest checking there first since updates are far more frequent on there! i'd honestly completely forgot about posting on here, but thank you to everyone who has given it a read!! ♡ this fic follows the events of stardust crusaders with some changes obviously. enjoy!!!

You all were back in the desert once more, standing around in confusion as you waited for some sort of explanation from the old man. Until a loud rumbling in the distance drew everyone’s attention to the sky. 

“Hm? Hey, do you hear that noise too?” Polnareff asked.

”They’ve arrived.” Said Joseph, as the vehicle in the air started to close in.

”It’s a helicopter!” Polnareff shouted in amazement.

”Thanks for the update, captain obvious.” Kakyoin replied flatly, which made you giggle.

The helicopter continued circling, and Joseph explained they were from the Speedwagon Foundation. The wind and sand picked up, blowing into everyone’s faces as the copter neared the ground.

It was difficult to hear much of anything over the noise, but you heard Joseph speak of  “a new ally” as the chopper prepared to land. 

Mr. Joestar and Avdol went back and forth a moment, discussing the possible cons of bringing along this new companion, and Joseph went on to explain your new ally’s stand was represented by the card of “The Fool”. 

“Wait, The Fool?” Polnareff laughed. “Sounds like a pretty stupid card if you want my opinion.” 

Avdol turned back to glare daggers at the Frenchman. “You should count your blessings that he’s on our side. You can’t beat him.”

In his usual fashion, Polnareff grew irritated at the prospect of being told what to do, about to start an argument with Avdol before Kakyoin broke things up. 

“Enough, you two. The helicopter’s here.” He said, everyone closing in on the now-quiet copter as the blades whirred to a stop. 

The doors swung open to reveal two men, everyone waiting in suspense and suspicion. The men introduced themselves to Mr. Joestar, while Jotaro grilled them on which one was the stand user. 

It was revealed that in fact, neither was the stand user, as one man opened up the back door to the chopper, revealing a seemingly empty backseat. 

Seeing such a sight, Polnareff took it upon himself to waltz up to the vehicle, leaning inside and loudly jeering at the mystery man. 

The Frenchman was quickly scolded by the Speedwagon employee and Joseph for his blasé attitude, everyone urging him to step away from the copter for fear of what the man might do.

As Polnareff turned his back to the open rear sear, a figure came barreling out, teeth bared and snarling as he leapt onto Polnareff, growling and barking as he pulled the hair straight from Polnareff’s head. 

“Don’t tell me this dog is-“ Jotaro started, only to be cut off by a sound of confirmation from the old man.

”Yes, this dog possesses the stand of ‘The Fool’. His name is Iggy, and he’s crazy about ripping chunks of hair out of people’s heads! To be honest with you, I’m not sure where he’s from. But Avdol found him in New York after none of the dog catchers could wrangle him. And it’s thanks to Avdol that he’s not roaming the streets now.” Joseph explained, and you stifled a giggle. 

“Oh, there’s probably something I should’ve mentioned.” Joseph continued, looking a little worried as he watched the scene unfolding before him. “When he’s in the middle of ripping out someone’s hair, he likes to uh-”

Avdol put his head in his hands as the chaos slowed for a moment, just long enough for Iggy to let a heinous fart rip right on Polnareff’s head.

”-pass gas in their face…” Joseph finally finished, while Polnareff twitched in horror. “It’s a disgusting habit, really.”

The dog finally leapt off of Polnareff’s head, propelling himself off as Polnareff fell on his back into the sand. You were finding it difficult to keep a straight face at this point, this new companion becoming a quick favorite of yours.

Polnareff continued to wail on the ground, summoning Silver Chariot as the dog looked on, suddenly summoning his own fearsome stand from the sand. 

Silver Chariot struggled against The Fool, and eventually the dog had Polnareff pinned on the ground again in another hair-tearing attack.

This one-sided battle continued, until Avdol retrieved Iggy’s ‘favorite snack’ from one of the Speedwagon employees. The dog was quickly distracted by the coffee-flavored gum, barreling toward Avdol and snatching the whole pack right from the man’s grip.

As the dog gnawed away at the gum, you knelt down beside him, extending your hand to him.

”Hi, good boy.” You said, as he gave you a look and lifted his head to sniff your outstretched hand. “I liked that little scene with Polnareff back there, I think you and I will get along just fine.” As if understanding every single one of your words, Iggy let out a whine and jumped into your arms, making himself comfortable as you scratched his ears.

He stayed in your arms like that while the others unpacked the helicopter, chewing away on his gum, and shooting a very pointed glare at Polnareff.

”Damn that little menace! He’s completely ruined my picturesque hair!” Polnareff moaned as he shook his fists. “(Y/n), what are you doing?! That mutt is feral!”

”Polnareff, how could you say that?! Look at his sweet face, you just provoked him!” You argued, squishing your face against Iggy’s as you held him. 

“Ugh, we’ll see how you feel when you catch rabies.” Polnareff sneered, and you rolled your eyes.

”Look sharp, everyone!” Joseph announced suddenly, turning back towards everyone as he held a camera brought by the Speedwagon Foundation. 

Everyone crowded in for a photo, sat together on the rocks jutting from the sand.

As the Polaroid developed, everyone leaned in to look at it, smiles on every face as the hot desert sun illuminated you all. 

“Fantastic, this is a perfect memento.” Said Kakyoin, passing the photo off to Jotaro.

The sweet moment was interrupted by a scream, and everyone looked up to see Polnareff running for his life from the terrier once again, shouting at Avdol to give him the coffee-flavored gum. 

“Now why in the world would I do that, when the two of you are already such good friends, Polnareff?” Avdol replied lazily.

”Aw, good boy Iggy!” You shouted in response, giggling as the two ran in circles.

A short while later, the folks from the Speedwagon Foundation prepared to set off, everyone standing by as the helicopter sprang to life once more, kicking up sand as the blades spun. 

Joseph stood and spoke with one of the employees, questioning him about his daughter’s illness, only to be informed that her health was rapidly declining. The employee explained to Mr. Joestar that Holly had maximum two weeks left if the group didn’t work quickly. 

You all just looked on in shock, everyone dismayed by the news, before the man continued. He went on to explain that a spy from the Foundation had observed a group of nine people gathered at a  place believed to be Dio’s hideout. He said how the spy was killed shortly thereafter, and the mansion was vacated.

At this news, everyone began discussing the possibility of nine new stand users, Kakyoin arguing that the only stands related to the Tarot cards that hadn’t yet been defeated was Hol Horse’s Emperor, and The World, which was assumed to be Dio’s.

”Listen, I hate to be the one to go there but we have to consider this. My stand isn’t related to the Tarot at all, which means if I’m any indication, there could be an incredible amount of stand users out there that we don’t know about. I mean, I didn’t have any idea about stands before this, and Dio still found me.” You reasoned, growing weary as you began to really consider what that could mean.

Your words didn’t have long to settle before the old man piped up, explaining how Dio’s head still hadn’t adjusted to his new body. But despite that, he’ll do anything to keep your group out of Cairo. These revelations weighed heavily on everyone.

The Speedwagon employees finally said their goodbyes, Joseph thanking them for their help as they set back off in that copter. 

-

Everyone was piled in the off-road vehicle as it rolled through the desert. Joseph and Jotaro sat up front, with Kakyoin, Avdol and Polnareff crushed in the trunk, while you sat spaciously in the backseat with Iggy.

You felt eyes on your back, as Polnareff leaned over into the backseat and glared daggers at you and the dog. Finally, the Frenchman let out a loud groan as he started to whine.

”Ugh, Mr. Joestar, why are you letting him get away with this?! It’s not fair he gets to be in the backseat while we’re stuck in the trunk! And in case you didn’t know, it’s not exactly spacious back here! I’m gonna need a chiropractor! And how come (Y/n) gets to sit with him?!” Polnareff complained, and you stifled a laugh.

”Look, I know it’s not ideal, but you’ll just have to wait until the gum runs out of flavor. When it does, throw another stick of gum into the trunk to lure him back there. Then you can all switch seats with him. And it’s not my fault he only likes (Y/n).” Joseph explained, as Polnareff tried to reach out to snatch the gum from Iggy, only to earn a harsh snarl in response.

”Alright, alright! Calm down already fleabag! Damn, you’re annoying.” The Frenchman whined, slinking back into his spot in the trunk, which earned Iggy a pat on the head from you.

Suddenly, the old man gasped from the drivers seat, slamming on the brakes hard. The sudden deceleration sent the back wheels up in the air and everyone’s bodies flying forward, particularly those in the trunk without seatbelts. 

Everyone yelled their complaints, but Joseph pointed forward to a grisly scene before you.

A few feet ahead lay a crash site, the Speedwagon Helicopter from just minutes before lying mangled and smoking in the sand.

[forwritingisdreaming]

(continued from the 1st post, from the 2nd post)

The night sky gave an embrace as wide as possible, hugging the city from one side to the other, and a beehive of lights, so bright, as if the stars had taken residence on the ground. Something so close to his heart and right out of his dreams at the same time. Halit had learned to hide his thoughts and any emotional turmoil within himself for his own sake. Observe, decide, act. Facing the wonder right in front of him, he fell short of his own expectations: a solution delayed its reveal. He turned around to give the room another glance and then examined the key he had safeguarded. There must be an explanation. Alright. This won’t do.

Putting the key back in the pocket, he picked up his coat and left the room at once in a state of habitual vigilance, taking the stairs to the foyer. The latter greeted him with its serene grandeur. Halit watched as a couple of guests came in from the street: undoubtedly, they had spent quite a few lire on alcohol. He met their curious looks and half-sneered at their loud laughter in his direction. I don’t wish to cause any trouble, or I swear I’d… The difference in their respective attires did not go unnoticed by Halit, adding to his confusion. Shortly after, the foyer fell into a deep slumber. Only the concierge peeked around the corner every now and then. Incessantly, Halit searched to identify a grain of familiarity, anything that would return his sanity to where he wanted it to be. The streets breathed freedom, and once outside, Halit swallowed air the way he did when she threw him a lifeline out of the stolen car that one day. He did not return to the hotel until the break of dawn.

The outside world had overloaded his senses and his mind, and by the time he stepped anew onto the foyer’s floor, a haze held Halit mercilessly in his grip. Too many inconsistencies and inexplicable occurrences. Discrepancies in the room, the city’s alien disguise. All of that was difficult to comprehend and even more challenging to believe. A woman passed by, and he remarked that her clothes resembled those of the person for whom he was searching: she wore something similar on the day of the ball. Little by little, Halit aligned what he saw and what he knew in order to chase the truth of what had happened to him. Appearing out of thin air, the concierge expressed his concern about the unusually dressed man’s well-being and became visibly discontent upon hearing his reply, leaving the troubled man to his own devices.

Out of the corner of his eye, Halit caught a sight of a stack of newspapers right by the entrance. He covered the distance in a matter of seconds and picked up one of them in the hopes of finding something more. The French had disappeared from it… He could not believe his eyes. Yet, what was more incredible was the date that read, “23 March 2022.” He looked for signs of the ink smudges to justify a possible mistake. However, the newspaper was pristine. On the wall, right above the stack, there were a number of photographs depicting the Pera’s glorious past, from previous patrons to new inventions and decor. Some in black and white, others in color, they captured the years without fail. His gaze traveled from one photo to another, and he was ready to leave it be when he saw a silhouette in the background of one of them. The woman’s hair was pulled back and tied in a bun, her thin and beautiful profile, and a hand outstretched to someone in a gesture to which he was used. He stared at her so intensely that he forgot to breathe. None of this made any sense, but that was she.

“Could you tell me who she is?” He called out to the concierge rather impatiently.

“Sir?” The ever-present employee overheard the request and approached the guest with now restrained politeness.

“Could you tell me who this person is? Her name... Anything you could tell me about her,” Halit insisted. Clearly, this discovery required more urgency.

“That is Peride,” an elderly woman who was on her way out unexpectedly offered him her knowledge. Halit was certain that could not be Peride, but he was not going to argue: he knew what he needed to know, and no one else had to be let in on this secret. The woman sized him up from top to bottom and permitted her curiosity to take the reins, “What could have possibly made you inquire after her?”

“Her stature,” Halit replied, looking down to suppress a chuckle that flooded his soul with warmth. Then, he continued, “There is something about her, I suppose…”

“Well, she was quite special,” the woman suggested, and the concierge left them alone, rejoicing in the fact that someone else had decided to take care of the matter. The woman smiled gently and proceeded, “She saved my life if I must tell you.”

She saved mine as well.

“How do you mean?” Halit gestured toward the chairs next to one of the large windows, hoping for a longer conversation now that his love’s trace was within his reach.

“You see, my family had to flee during a time in history when darkness, as we had never seen it, engulfed the world. We sought refuge here. She was the one to aid the most. She did her best to take such care of my parents and me. With that hair of hers and a smile, she really did seem as if she was made of sunlight,” the woman shared.

“Do you know what happened to her?” Halit inquired, anxious to find out more.

“I would not be able to say. One day, she was no more. Well, aren’t we all just guests here?” The woman caught a tear before it could land on her cheek.

[lookingforluna]

Double Edged Sword: 03 || kth

❥ Pairing: Mafia Leader! Taehyung x Reader

❥ Word Count: 2.3k

❥ Rating: M

❥ Genre: mafia!au angst, fluff, smut, violence, enemies to lovers au

❥ Warnings: swearing, angst, violence, eventual smut in the future

❥ Summary: Fate doesn’t care about your plans. Everything happens when it’s supposed to, whether or not you have control of it. You knew he was dangerous. You saw it from the very moment your paths crossed — the way he carries himself, how heads turn as he appears, and the way fear shows in the eyes of those who know him. He lives in a world surrounded by destruction and sin. He had even warned you about the darkness. The dangers. The violence. If only you had realized he was speaking of his own.  

❥ A/N: Sorry for the wait! At first I wasn’t sure if I should continue to post this series, but I decided to continue! Thank you for the love and support you all have shown this series. I plan to finish it and give you guys more! 💙

❥ Previous Chapter: Chapter 02 

You have got to be joking. What the fuck was going on? Hours ago, your life seemed completely normal, and now all of a sudden, your life is in the hands of some stranger. A stranger blessed with a god-given face but who nonetheless acts like a cocky ass bastard. Who did he think he was touching your face like that? And the way he touched your lip. Your brain is going to explode. Why do you react that way to him? You feel like you have no control over your reactions.

After revealing his identity, he just walked away from you. His heated stare was gone, suddenly leaving your body cold. His cologne left your mouth watering, the smell making you want more. He sauntered over to the fireplace with a glass of bourbon, his tongue clearing the taste of alcohol from his lips. He ignores you during the conversation, not even glancing at you, even though you were the topic of their discussion.

His words still sent chills down your spine as you recalled them,

"My name's Taehyung, and your life is now in my hands."

What could he mean by that? He didn't even give you an explanation or the slightest hint. Eric was dead, and there was nothing you could do about it. Your heart ached for your boyfriend, the one you hoped to build a future with, the one person who could comfort you in your current condition. As the memories of the two of you start to fill your mind, your body suddenly feels numb. Your breathing gets softer as the exhales of your breaths can barely be heard.

"Someone should check if she's still breathing," Yoongi says roughly, the harshness behind his voice making you wish you could disappear. But, instead, all eyes flash over to you, and the attention causes your eyes to find a sudden interest in the hardwood floor.

"We have important things to discuss now."

Your eyes land on Taehyungs' face as you notice the unreadable look that now settles across his features. However, the tone in his voice hinted that the conversation was serious. His mouth opens slightly, a breath leaving his parted lips before his voice becomes deep and throaty. 

"Jungkook, you stay here with her. The rest of you come with me."

Your throat goes dry at the thought of being stuck alone with the arrogant man you couldn't stand. You watch as they make their way into what looks like a study. Taehyung is the last one to leave, downing the glass of bourbon before he sits it down on the fireplace mantle. Unlike the others, it's still hard to pick up on his expressions. They outright make it clear if they don't like you, but there's nothing to read with him.

You watch as he retreats into the room, already accompanied by the rest of the guys. Finally, he turns around his hands, moving to close the doors and your eyes lock with his, the unreadable look still on his face. His hands push the door shut, and finally, you release a large breath of air.

"Well, that's interesting."

Your head whips around to find Jungkook leaning back in his chair, one knee folded over the other, a smirk forming at the corner of his lips. Your eyebrow lifts as you stare at him curiously. Whatever he's about to say can't be good, especially with that devilish smirk dancing on his lips.

"You seem... nervous around Taehyung," he says as his eyebrows raise in a questioning look. 

You turn your head away from his face, not liking how his gaze makes you feel. He can read your body language even if you think it's not noticeable. But, in all honesty, you forgot that Jungkook was there at that moment. Taehyung's face was the only thing you saw. 

Rolling your eyes, you choose to avoid his comment and instead get answers. "Why am I here?" You ask as you run your hands over the end of your dress, fixing the bunched-up fabric.

"For your protection."

You blink slowly, trying to understand what he meant by that. Then, squinting your eyes at him, you continue your questions. 

"Well, I'm already safe. You guys got me out of the burning building," you say, pointing out the obvious. 

Jungkook stays silent, his eyes remaining on the door of the study. Maybe he didn't hear what you said.

 "When can I leave then?" You ask, sitting up straighter as you wait for his answer.

You watch as his eyes move away from the study to look at you before they are back on the door. 

"You can't," he says, his voice hard and brows furrowing.

Your body suddenly moves forward, your expression matching his own, "What do you mean I can't leave?" 

When he provided you with no response, you continued to push further, irritated with his lack of response.

"So I can't leave because you guys say so? You expect me to listen to that when I don't even know-," before you can finish your sentence, Jungkook interrupts you.

"Stop asking so many damn questions," he shouts as he pushes himself out of his chair and is now standing before you. His breathing is heavy as he stares at you, the annoyance present in his eyes.

"Just because I'm the one watching you doesn't mean I have to put up with all of yo-, " without warning, a loud alarm sounds off, and the entire room goes red. 

Jungkook's expression suddenly changes, and he's no longer looking at you. Instead, his eyes dart around the whole room as he moves, pulling you to stand behind him.

The study door swings open, and the rest of the guys file out with alert expressions on their faces. You feel the panic start to set in, and you automatically grip the back of Jungkook's shirt, staying as close to him as possible. You notice him tense up but then relax. 

"What's going on?" you whisper, your voice sounding shaky as you look at the others.

"Intruder," Jin says, looking at you, and that's when you see it.

His stance is alert; his hands lowered at his side, and in between rests a gun. Your eyes widen at the weapon, finally understanding the severity of the situation. We were all in danger. Everyone had guns, even Jungkook, who stood before you clenched a Glock, his hands pointed out and prepared. Everyone was silent in the room; no one dared to breathe. The only sound heard was the blare of the alarm.

The sound of glass breaking caused your entire body to tense up, moving even closer to Jungkook.

"Jimin. Jin, take the east side of the house," You watch the two nod, moving silently out of the room following Taehyung's command.

"Hoseok and Yoongi, you two take the northside. Stay cautious." The two men disappear around a corner, their guns armed and ready. Your eyes scan the room as you look at the doorways.

"Jungkook," Taehyung says, causing him to turn around. 

The two lock eyes and stare at each other, a silent message spoken. Taehyung looks at Namjoon and motions his head, the two of them heading to the south entrance, sparing you one glance before he disappears, leaving you alone with Jungkook. You gulp as you realize that your safety has suddenly decreased. Jungkook must notice your uneasiness because he finally decides to speak.

"Stay close to me. Stay silent. Keep your eyes open. Got it?" His words are rigid, and his eyes hard. You nod quickly, not trusting your voice at this moment. 

You held your breath as the two of you walked through the house. Your steps were light, and you were walking on the tips of your toes. Your feet were burning with pain from all of the weight of your body. You were afraid of your heels clicking on the ground, not wanting to be the reason Jungkook and yourself ended up dead. Your eyes were wide and open, trying to spot anything unusual, but in reality, everything was unusual. This house was nothing like anything you had ever seen.

Despite the loud alarm and red lights glowing, the house was incredible. Paintings plastered the walls of the hallway, some looking particularly expensive. At the stairway, two tall lion statues stood on each side made from white marble, and they were extraordinary.

Even though your life was in danger, you couldn't help but glance at the expensive furniture and items surrounding you, taking in the extravagance. Jungkook motioned for you to stay put in the corner. Your eyes follow him as he cautiously walks over to the couch, the gun lifted, his arms stiff, and his eyes sharp. You hold your breath as he rounds the corner of the sofa, one foot in front of the other.

To say you were scared was an understatement. Jungkook could get shot, and there would be no one to protect you. The back of the couch was the only blind spot in this room. You could feel your heart pound louder with each silent step Jungkook made. He didn't look scared, his expression hard as a rock, and it made you wonder how that was possible. 

Swiftly he moves, his hands ready to pull the trigger when you hear a soft whine. Jungkook mumbles something softly under his breath before shaking his head. Your eyes furrow in confusion until you see a small dog run by, its little paws scurrying across the floor in fear.

Now you and Jungkook were in another hallway further into the house, your grip still tight on the back of his shirt and your body still shaking with fear. The further down the hall you went, the less light began to show through. The red light was nowhere in this part of the house, but the alarm could still be heard blaring. It was too dark for you even to see your own two feet, and the darkness made you feel uneasy.

How many people were in the house? What did they want? Who were they? Would they hurt you? 

At the thought of that, both of your hands gripped onto Jungkook's shirt, pulling yourself closer to his back. Of course, there was the possibility of him flipping his shit on you for touching him, but at this second, fear was the only thing on your mind. You wanted to get out of there, to run outside, but you had no idea where you were. You had no idea if you were walking away from the danger or closer to it.

Suddenly Jungkook stops, and you almost step on him in the darkness. He turns around, and you can barely see his face in the dark. His arm grips your shoulder, and you can feel the closeness of his body to yours. 

"Stay here," he hardly whispers, the warmth of his breath disappearing.

You have no idea where he went. You can't see anything in the dark, and it hits you. You're in a dangerous position. Someone could attack you from either direction. The hallway the two of you walked through felt thin, your hands being able to touch both walls if your arms were opened wide.

How would you know if the person returning was Jungkook? What if they killed you before you even realized what was happening?

It's silent in the hallway. You were barely breathing, but it felt like your breaths were echoing off the walls. That's when you heard it. Footsteps. They were light but still noticeable. Your heart rate picked up as the steps became louder, which could only mean one thing. They were getting closer.

You slip your hand over your mouth to muffle your breathing. Your eyes clench shut only to meet more darkness. You focus on the sound, but the pounding of your heartbeat overpowers it. Maybe it was Jungkook. It has to be him; he's supposed to come back. The floorboard creaks on one particular spot, and your head whips around.

Behind me. They're behind me.

Your hand is still clasped around your mouth as you push yourself further into the dark hallway. You feel tears prick at the corner of your eyes, blurring your vision, but it doesn't matter. You couldn't see anything, the darkness swallowing any light. Another step sounds in your direction, and you take three steps back. This is where it all ends. Your last moments would be you not even running but walking away in fear. Finally, your back hits a wall, and panic rushes through your body. 

This was it. This is the end. You swallow the lump forming in your throat, not wanting any sound to escape. You would die with your dignity. You wouldn't beg for your life. You slowly close your eyes as you softly slow your breathing. Finally, the pounding of your heart decreases, and you're at ease.

Maybe this is how it happens. You'll finally be with your father, your hero. You'll be with Eric again, the man your heart ached for. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. You wouldn't be alone anymore.

The steps continue getting louder. They're closer now, and you'll be found at any second. You can make them out in the darkness. Three figures are walking towards you. Your eyes squeeze shut as your teeth bite down on your lower lip.

This is it.

A tear slips down your cheek as a hand wraps around your wrist, dragging you towards a chest. A hand clamps itself around your mouth, preventing you from screaming for help. The heat from their skin lights your body on fire. Their warm breath fans itself across your neck as the person leans in closer to you. That's when it hits you. The tempting smell. The one that leaves your head in a daze and your body flustered.

It was him.

Taehyung.

"Let's go, Little Lamb. I'm here now."

Chapter 04

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[ynscrazylife]

First, i love your blog! Second, this fandom really loves angst huh! I wanted to request something along the lines of R x lena, where reader finds out/thinks kara has feelings for Lena, and that Lena will leave her once she finds out. BUT, lena doesnt, she stays and chooses R (which I feel like never happens in this angsty requests haha) thanks!!

Only You

Summary: Y/N has some insecurities after finding out that Kara likes her girlfriend, Lena. Lena is there to reassure her.

Authors Note: Thank you and thanks for requesting!

Request to be on a Taglist (or multiple) here! (Taglists are at the end of the fic)

DCEU Masterlist | Main Masterlist

PSA: Do NOT copy, steal, translate, plagiarize, republish, etc any of my works on Tumblr or any other platform. Also, do NOT claim any of my works as your own. All of works are either requests I’ve gotten that people have wanted me to write or original ideas I’ve had for works. If you happen to take inspiration from anything I’ve written and want to write something inspired by that, please a) ask me first and b) IF I say yes, credit me as inspo in your post by tagging me and link whatever work of mine that inspired you. Thanks.

header c @/benoiststuff

Y/N had been involved in the DEO after since she was little, with her father being an agent there, and throughout all her years, nothing and no one was able to throw her off course.

Until Lena came along.

As soon as she saw the tall, dark brunette with thick red lipstick, enter the room and instantly take charge, for the first time in her career, Y/N was severely distracted. Despite the paperwork she was filling out and how determined she had been to finish, Y/N found herself unable to keep her eyes locked on her computer, and instead her gaze trailed after the dashing woman.

Every time Lena neared her desk, Y/N found herself frozen in her seat, the thoughts vanishing from her head and being replaced by fluffy clouds of nothing-ness, only able to concentrate on Lena’s lovely perfume. 

It seemed that she wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding her newfound crush (not that she was actively trying to hide it), because when the DEO had Lena assemble a team of agents to help her with her research, Alex had eagerly suggested Y/N to be one of the agents in that group. 

The moment she heard her name her palms slapped down on the keyboard in surprise and her head popped up, eyes frantic to adjust to whatever she was now being involved with. “Huh?” Was her ‘elegant’ response. 

Alex did not bother to conceal her smirk. “Y/N, you’re going to be apart of Lena’s team,” she said, and when Lena gracefully turned to her, lips curling into a big smile, Y/N felt butterflies swarm her stomach, bouncing around inside. 

The rest was history: by the end of the week, Lena had asked Y/N out on a date, and by the end of the month, they were dating. Y/N had Alex to thank for their relationship and it only strengthened her already close friendship with Alex and, by extension Alex’s younger sister, Kara - also known as Supergirl. 

When Lena and Y/N had gotten more serious, Kara revealed that she was Supergirl, and the couple began going to Kara’s superfriends game nights. 

Their relationship was blooming and Y/N had never been at a happier time in her life. A wonderful, committed girlfriend, a steady job she loved, and amazing and supportive friends. Everything was going great, so when Y/N started to notice Kara hanging out with Lena more and more often, she was in a blissfully ignorant state and did not notice what was actually happening. 

Well, she didn’t notice at first, but when she was going to drop off some papers with Alex who had been training with Kara at the moment, she overheard the sisters’ conversation just before she walked into the room. 

“Alex, I just don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t do anything, Kara . . . I mean, Lena is in love with Y/N.” 

“I know, I know, it’s just so hard seeing them together! Honestly, I think I may be in love with Lena . . .” 

Y/N stopped listening at that point, and instead turning around on her heels, dropping the paperwork on Alex’s desk before sinking into her own seat. She absentmindedly checked her email, not focusing as a gloomy cloud settled in her stomach, almost causing nausea.

As she begin to recall the past couple weeks, Y/N internally facepalmed. It had been so obvious! With how Kara constantly stood next to Lena, found excuses to touch her arm or her hand, laughed at everything she said, and constantly complimented her.

How had she not noticed? And more importantly — how did Lena not notice?!

Shit, did Lena notice?

No, that was silly . . .

But she had to - it was clear as day!

Did she . . . Why didn’t she stop it?

Did she enjoy it?

Did she feel the same way?

Shit, shit, shit!

A feeling of dread overcame and smashed her previous happiness like a large and powerful wave crashing onto a beach. Y/N forced herself to take deep breaths as her mind went into a frenzy, trying and failing to come up with some other reasonable explanation for this.

But she couldn’t convince herself of any other one, so for the next couple days, her behavior had changed drastically. Y/N kept to herself, only spoke when someone was directly speaking to her, and had done her best to avoid Kara and Lena — which was difficult since she lived with Lena.

When the girlfriends were spending their weekend night at their home, Lena finally had a change to confront Y/N.

“Y/N, can I ask you something?”

Y/N’s eyes were trained on the television screen which was showing a movie they had both seen a thousand times. She made no indication of having heard her girlfriend.

“Y/N.”

It took a few moments, but finally her eyes slowly moved away from the team, yet it didn’t meet Lena’s eyes. “Sure,” she murmured.

“There’s something wrong, Y/N, I can tell. Can you tell me what it is?”

The next seconds were agonizingly slow.

“N-nothing is wrong.”

“Y/N, please, I just want to help,” Lena persisted.

Another agonizing couple of seconds.

“Please don’t leave me for her.”

A loud sob left Y/N’s parted lips as she curled forward, wrapping her arms around herself, dipping her head and trembling.

Lena had not expected this and sat up, drawing her eyebrows together. “What? For who?” She demanded, and bit her lip as she hadn’t intended to be so, well, demanding.

“K-Kara. She likes you. And she’s been showing it for weeks and you haven’t stopped her. I-I can’t compete with Supergirl,” Y/N sniffled.

Lena blinked, processing this. After a couple moments, the only sound filling the air being the dull T.V and Y/N’s sniffs, Lena moved closer to her girlfriend.

“No, Y/N, Kara cannot compete with you,” Lena corrected softly.

Y/N slowly picked her head up, and when she turned her head to face her girlfriend, the brunette saw how puffy and red her eyes were.

Lena continued. “I’m so sorry, Y/N, I didn’t notice that she liked me at all - I swear. And I don’t return her feelings. I only love you.”

Y/N’s trembles stopped. “Really?” She asked, and when Lena nodded she happily gasped and then added, “Oh, Len, I’m sorry for thinking that you would like her — I just love you so much and I don’t want to lose you.”

Lena shook her head. “Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for,” she said, before thinking and then leaning forward, locking Y/N’s lips with a kiss, which she gladly returned.

The couple continued on their night, snuggling and trying a movie that none of them had watched before. They fell asleep on the couch, Lena’s arms wrapped around Y/N.

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DCEU Taglist: @stephanieromanoff @basiclesbianbitch @hi-i-1 @mmmmokdok @acertainredhead

[player-1]

Welp, I'm back on the N:E theory dump again... Long story short-ish, when I was looking back on the previous trailers of N1 and the DLC, I noticed an interesting trend despite not showing too much about the story.

Switching out primary characters

Including/Excluding important dialogue

The prologue revealing the main character's "defeat" against the final boss

It doesn't seem like a lot, sure, it puts everything into a flashback sort of scenario to build up the tension. Then I looked back at the Extinction prologue...and it's literally framed the same way.

If you don't want to scroll through my rambling, here's a TL:DR for funsies:

You're still here? Then let the rambling begin! :)

(Putting in the clip from the official channel since it's literally copied word for word; minus the flavor text for dramatic effect)

While I don't want to completely cram the post with picture examples, the main piece of divide is Amelie's speech against the MC (ie. Luke for continuity). Here's the quick transcript from the prologue vs. the final battle:

"Luke...That boy betrayed us all! Everything that we built...Everything that we've been fighting for...[Edward: A-Amelie! We must retreat now! It's not worth it-] -SHUT UP, EDWARD!! Listen to me, and listen well! If we are to save our planet, Luke must be annihilated! Stand with me! Tall and proud, against the face of evil! Our people will rise as Luke falls! ...I will never forgive you...YOU DOOMED US ALL, LUKE! YOU ACCURSED BRAT!" ~~~ "[Edward: A-Amelie, this is beyond our control! Can't you feel it? We must retreat now! This fight is not worth it-] -Shut up, Edward! Our people shall rise as Luke falls! Annihilate him, Vados! Do not hold back!"

Of course, they cut a lot of the previous monologue since we already know the full gist of the story up to this point, but for Luke to get broadcasted Amelie's hatred for Tyrants (and later you) just before you meet her should've given him some kind of a shock. And even before that, he seems to forced to question his name and appearance from an unknown/unseen voice (Presumably multiple times just from the question "What was your name again?"). Looking back at it post-story, it's easy to see the connection between Solus and Vados as "two heroes on opposite sides" and "two Tyrants fighting for their own vision of world peace", but this could've also been the first instance of Luke doubting who he is as a Nexomon in human skin...

With that in mind, imagine his reaction when, on the very day he's supposed to go out in the world of Nexomon as a tamer, he has a "prophetic" dream where: -He doubts his name -He doubts his overall appearance -A giant fire lizard is destroying the world -A angry lady brands him a coward, traitor, a cursed brat, and practically has all of humanity turned against him as he doomed the world itself -Said angry lady (Amelie) is supposed to be his role model for the Tamer's Guild the second he steps out of the Orphanage and meets her for the very first time

He should've been nervous, deja vu going into overdrive; and after meeting Deena afterward (freezing time itself and giving him the very real warning of something dangerous north of Pinewoods), the only thing he wants is get out of this exam unscathed... And almost like in his dream, as he looks up at the afternoon sky, he sees a shining star:

Even if it was Coco doing the wishing here, it's still sad to know that Luke will never have a normal adventure up to this point...

But if that's the case, where does the whole prologue fit into the story if most of it doesn't come true? There's only so little that made it to the final showdown, and everything else was made for fear factor (in Luke's eyes tbh) And besides, how does the shooting star motif fi-

...Maybe? Of course, there's no real explanation on Byeol's powers (or anything else in that case), so let's just assume that it might have the power to send out prophetic dreams, no matter how twisted or ambiguous they are. And of course I need to look into the angel connections here, so what kind of angel fits the bill? Apparently the angel of dreams, Jeremiel, and oh boy I might've hit the gold mine.

...Now where have I seen that before?

So...Does that mean the prologue revealed Byeol talking to you? It makes sense in a way, all the Tyrants have human-like intelligence and they can talk, so Byeol seemed like the odd one out...at first. Though the only thing that confused me was the "lad" comment, though the only thing I could think of is their connection to Palmaya and there being a pirate npc/tamer on the docks nearby...Maybe they just learned pirate lingo for some reason?

BUT STILL! Even if the game didn't delve into the existential crisis Luke clearly would've gone through the moment he finds out he's a Nexomon in disguise (and Omnicron's heir/grandson), Byeol just gave him that dose on the very day he was supposed to become a Guild tamer (and also get hounded by dragons along the way wouldn't help his affirmations in the slightest). In conclusion, if this little munchkin comes back in any way in N3, I'll be happy to know that Byeol was holding back on some serious hurting behind that cheeky smile of theirs.

[dokugaholidayexchange]

SIGN UPS FOR DOKUGA HOLIDAY EXCHANGE 2021!

It's that time of year again: time for the sign-ups for the Dokuga Holiday Exchange!

Important Dates of 2021:

August 20th – September 30th: Sign ups for the Exchange

October 1 – The name of your giftee will be sent to you along with the prompt 

December 12 – Stories/Art are due by midnight EST UNLESS extension given

December 25 – December 31 - Posting of gifts will begin on the 25th and continue to the 31st until all gifts are posted. This is a tentative schedule and may be expanded if there is a very high turn out.

Guidelines

- Please use the following form when signing up:

Dokuga or A03 Username (if applicable):

Tumblr Username (if applicable):

Livejournal Username (if applicable):

Email Address:

Ratings You Are Not Willing To Write/Draw:

Ratings You Do Not Wish To Receive:

Prompts you are requesting in your work:

Are You Willing To Be A Pitch Hitter?:

Age Statement (are you 18+):

Code Word:

GUIDELINES PART II

- The whole point of this is to be a gift exchange. To get a gift, you must give a gift. If you drop out or disappear, your gift will be given to the group as a whole. Those who disappear without word will be banned from the exchange for one round.

- The story/art must be centered around the Sess/Kag pairing. It doesn’t necessarily have to be focused on romance - it can be based on first impressions, friendship, even some sort of hatred. Side pairings are fine, just as long as it focuses on the relationship between Sesshoumaru and Kagome. This is a Dokuga Holiday Exchange, after all!

- Gifted works must be new to the exchange. Sequels to previous works, new chapters to a current story, ‘deleted scenes’ from other stories, or anything related to any of your previous work isn’t allowed.

-The story/art can be any genre, though you should go by the prompts given to you to make your best judgment. If your prompts are vague, do your best to work with them. But please pay attention to what is requested to stay away from. If a platonic relationship is requested, do not give a romantic one. If you have any questions about the prompt requested, you can always ask me for clarification, and I will pass your question or concern on to the appropriate person. Please DO NOT contact your giftee directly as your giftee is not supposed to know who the gift is coming from.

-For prompts this year please pick 1 prompt from one of these two lists that you would like your gift to be based on:

1. 25 Days Christmas Romance Prompts

2. OTP Christmas Scenarios

- All ratings are welcome, but if you have a rating that you refuse to write or wouldn't like to receive, please make note of it whenever you sign up.

- When working on your piece, please keep in mind what the recipient wants. If they ask for certain things to be used or not used, please follow them. Usually, there is nothing demanding in the requests; mostly just small things like the type of relationship or universe.

- If you are new to the exchange, please provide a link to a story (in any fandom) that you’ve written that is more than 1500 words. Drabble collections do not count. You can link to a one-shot or even an incomplete epic you’re currently working on, just as long as you can prove that you can meet the word count minimum.

- There will be a three strikes policy. I simply do not have the time to go chasing after everyone who signs up for the exchange, therefore there will be a three strikes policy as far as contacts/behavior go. If you ignore/fail to answer any correspondence within one week of sending, you will have a strike against you. Three strikes, you’re gone from the exchange.

- Please add the exchange email (dokugaexchange@gmail.com) to your contacts so you can avoid anything from us hitting the spam filter.

Explanation of Age Statement:

Again I will be asking for a statement of age (example: ’I am over the age of 18’/’I am under the age of 18’). The purpose of this is to prevent minors from gifting or being gifted with works that are rated MA. The official rule on Dokuga is: ONLY users ages 18 and up may read or post MA rated work, 16+ for rated M. As this exchange is affiliated with Dokuga, I will be following the same rules on ratings as are followed at the main site. That being noted, if you falsify your age statement you will be removed from the exchange and receive an email notifying you why you were removed.

- Real life does get in the way sometimes, so if you have to drop for any reason please let me know as soon as you possibly can. I understand that you’ve got other obligations, and am not going to be angry with you should something come up. The code word is oak tree. I will be angry, however, if you’re putting things off and finally fess up after your second extension and the posting date is looming. Should you drop, with or without word, the gift prepared for you will be shared for the group as a whole.

- It is your responsibility to have your story beta read before you send it in. We are looking for stories that are in their final polished form, not something that is hot off of the press. I simply do not have the time to beta every story that comes in. If you do not have a regular beta, you can look for someone on the Dokuga Forums, or on the SessKag Discord servers.

- Should a story come in that does not meet the requirements, the mods reserve the right to reject the piece and ask you to correct it. Ignoring this request is grounds for your removal from the exchange.

- Stories should be sent to the exchange email, dokugaexchange@gmail.com. Either attach in .rtf format, as a googledoc, or add it directly into the body of the email. If anything is sent in any other format, you will be asked to send in the preferred formatting.

- No posting of stories elsewhere until after the big reveal on New Year's Day. The whole point of a secret gift exchange is to keep it a secret. I will let you know when it is clear to post your stories on your own sites.

- Keeping with the above statement, please don’t give out the name of who you are doing a gift for. Blowing the secret ruins the fun!

- As I am running the exchange, I will not be participating.

- When you send your story/art, please include the following header.

Title:

Author/Artist:

Recipient:

Rating:

Summary:

Original Prompts:

To ensure you have read and understood the rules, please send in the code word when you sign up for the exchange.

And as always, you can reach out to me with any questions on

Dokuga

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Discord (Kaoruhana (or Kaoru)#9994)Kaoruhana

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

Love of My Life

It was then Katara’s turn to stare up at the fiery sky, the multitude of clouds glowing in red and orange glory. “Aang,” she murmured, his name falling from her lips like a prayer. “Please.”

After the final battle, Katara and Aang reunite.

(Written for Day 3 of Kataang Week 2021: Missing Scenes/Post-Canon, hosted by @kataang-week. Read here on AO3, or continue reading below.)

Azula was taken away at some point, maybe by the Fire Sages, but her bloodcurdling screams and broken sobs were hardly a pinprick at the back of Katara’s mind as she kept her attention trained to the lightning wound blasted across Zuko’s solar plexus. Her hands glowed with the water she was continuously pulling from the now-burst piping system in the courtyard around them. She had no enhanced spirit water as with Aang, but fortunately Zuko’s injury was less severe and—thanks to her quick defeat of Azula—no longer life-threatening.

Zuko winced, and guilt flashed through Katara’s stomach for silently dismissing his pain. “Sorry.” She moved the water further upward on his chest, over a spot where the skin was more blistered. “Better?”

A low hiss escaped Zuko’s lips as the cool liquid skimmed the wound, and he managed a weak nod. “Thanks.” His voice was raspier than usual. To be expected. “For this, and for… and for stopping Azula.”

The urge to laugh rose in Katara’s throat, which she immediately suppressed because Tui and La, what was wrong with her? How was now an appropriate time for laughter? “Well, you’re welcome,” she said instead, giving him a weary smile, “but next time, how about you don’t taunt her about the lack of lightning, hmm?”

Zuko grimaced, and Katara knew that particular reaction had nothing to do with the wound across his chest. “Let’s just hope there will never be a next time.”

Katara couldn’t argue with that.

The following minutes were quiet as Katara slowly moved the water up, down, and around Zuko’s injury, her hands themselves hovering less than an inch above his chest. While she knew it was only a figment of her imagination, Katara could’ve sworn there was still blue lightning—Azula’s lightning—flickering across the wound, sparking at her fingertips and prickling across her skin.

Maybe, then, it was this lingering remnant of the Avatar’s slayer that had Katara so on edge. Maybe that was the reason why tension still thrummed through her body despite that she and Zuko were safe now, despite that they’d won.

“He’s going to come back.”

Zuko’s words broke the heavy silence, startling Katara so badly her concentration flew out the figurative window. The water around her hands lost its glow and splattered across Zuko’s chest like she’d emptied a full bucket on top of him. Frantic apologies spilled from her lips as she bent the water off his upper body with similar haste, but Zuko—wincing—pushed himself into a sitting position before she could begin the healing process again.

“Zuko, what are you—”

“Aang is going to come back,” he repeated, staring at Katara with an intensity that probably shouldn’t have been possible for someone in his grievously injured state. A testament to her healing skills, truly, and also to Zuko’s general stubbornness.

“I know he will,” Katara said after a pause, bending the water she’d again collected around her hands into the leather waterskin that hung at her hip. “If memory serves, I was the one telling you that on our way here.”

Zuko chuckled. “I know. Sorry. You just seemed like…” His eyes flickered across her face, searching for vulnerability Katara refused to bare. “Like you needed the reminder.”

Katara sighed, not meeting his gaze. “Look. I know Aang will come back. I know he’ll win.” Spirits, maybe he had won already. “I mean, he’s the only one who can. But I guess I’m still—” Katara cut herself off with another sigh, blinking back exhausted tears. “Fine, you’re right. I guess I’m still worried.”

Aang would return victorious, yes, there was no doubt in her mind. But at what cost? What price would he have been forced to pay? Sacrificing his body through the loss of a limb? Sacrificing his soul through the loss of that which his people valued above all else? Katara knew, she knew that if anyone could stop Ozai without killing him, it was Aang. But what she didn’t know was—was how.

Spirits, Katara wouldn’t be able to handle it if Aang returned to her broken in a way she couldn’t heal. She’d already witnessed him die once, watched his body go limp as life left it. She wasn’t ready to watch his spirit disappear, wasn’t ready to watch hope leave his heart, too.

Zuko opened his mouth, presumably to offer more words of comfort to her, but he was interrupted by Appa’s body stiffening—the sky bison was so large it was impossible not to notice the reaction. He’d originally been standing guard, for all intents and purposes, while Katara healed Zuko, but now his eyes were glued to the sky as he released a bellow that shook the stone of the courtyard beneath them.

Katara grabbed Zuko’s arm to keep him from toppling over, but instead of resettling himself, Zuko tried to stand up, as if the giant wound on his chest was nothing more than a mere papercut.

“It’s Aang!” was the only explanation he gave as Katara relented with a huff and helped him to his feet. “It has to be. What else would get Appa acting like this?”

Privately, Katara agreed with him. Hope beat in her heart so rapidly it ached. But since Zuko had wildly, unexpectedly, completely out of the blue transformed into an optimist—seriously, had the lightning gone through his brain?—well, that meant she had to be the one to temper his optimism with a little realism.

“It could be a threat,” she responded honestly, not releasing Zuko’s arm until she was certain he’d gathered his balance.

Zuko shot her a doubtful look. “You sure?” He pointed at Appa, whose tail had started shaking—okay, yes, probably with excitement, Katara would admit that much.

It was then her turn to stare up at the fiery sky, the multitude of clouds glowing in red and orange glory. “Aang,” she murmured, his name falling from her lips like a prayer. “Please.”

Seconds later, those otherworldly clouds split open to reveal a Fire Nation airship, and on the exterior Katara could see flashes of blue and green fabric—Sokka and Toph, it had to be. Spirits knew she probably should have been concerned about who was steering the balloon, but once it was clear the ship was heading steadily towards the ground and wouldn’t face a disastrous crash, Katara’s mind returned to its previous mantra.

Aang. Aang. Aang.

“Remember to breathe, Katara.”

Katara shot Zuko a mild glare at his wry tone, but exhaled, because he was right—she’d been holding her breath. In fact, she was still holding far more tension in her body than could be considered healthy, but Katara knew that overwhelming stiffness wasn’t going to ease until she saw her friends alive and well, until she felt Aang’s heartbeat in sync against her own.

Katara’s breath hitched as the airship came to a stop far from herself and Zuko, hovering above the stone ground of the courtyard. It was much larger up close—no wonder it couldn’t land properly. There was a deep rattle as a metal plank, of sorts, some kind of steel pathway lowered from the ship and scraped across the ground with an earsplitting screech. Onto it stepped—

“They’re alive!” Katara gasped, blinking back elated tears as Sokka, Aang, Toph, and Suki—and Momo atop Suki’s left shoulder—stepped out onto the platform. One of Sokka’s legs was in a splint and he had to lean onto Suki’s side for support as he hobbled along, but— “They’re all alive!”

Aang was alive.

They’d done it. A little bruised, a little broken, maybe all around worse for wear, but—

They’d done it.

“Come on,” Zuko urged, taking an unsteady step forward and immediately wincing. He didn’t let the pain stop him, though, powering another foot ahead. “Let’s meet them halfway.”

Katara rolled her eyes, ducking under Zuko’s arm to brace him against her side, careful to avoid his injury. “Idiot.” Standing on his own was one thing, but walking by himself was an entirely different matter. She could already tell Zuko was the kind of person who made a terrible patient.

But Katara walked with him all the same, slow and steady. As they got closer, she could better see the physical state her friends were in. Toph had only a few scrapes across her arms and face. Same for Suki. Sokka had clearly done a number on his leg, as he was hardly putting any weight on it despite the well-made split, and not to mention that Suki continued to brace him while he walked. Aang was—

“Appa!”

Well, Aang was getting smothered by Appa, Katara noted with silent amusement as the sky bison practically tackled Aang to the ground, nuzzling and licking him with unabashed eagerness.

“Buddy, I’m okay!” Aang managed to wheeze out amidst his laughter, giving Appa a tight hug. “I’m okay, I promise.”

He seemed to be telling the truth, at least based on what Katara could discern from afar. His orange robes were torn to oblivion, with only his Fire Nation pants remaining. She could see minor burns across his chest and one area on the left side of his ribs that looked to her like it would become a painful bruise, but overall—

“If you guys are here with no Azula,” Sokka joked as they all came to a stop, snapping Katara’s attention away from Aang, “does that mean Zuko finally gets to rule the Fire Nation?”

Katara allowed Zuko to keep some of his weight on her even as they stood still. He laughed at her brother’s comment. “Katara’s the one who technically defeated her in the Agni Kai. Maybe that makes her the Fire Lord.”

Katara groaned and rolled her eyes, ignoring the amused snickers of her friends. “Tui and La, no. I refuse. I resign. I—I abdicate. The throne is all yours, Zuko.”

She turned her attention to her brother’s injured leg as Suki began recounting the details of their battle in the air, including how they’d managed to pilfer an airship of their own. Up close, Katara was relieved to see that no bone had broken through the skin in Sokka’s shin or thigh—that would have made it much harder for her to heal. She made sure Zuko was stable on his feet before stepping away to study the injury further. But as she crouched at Sokka’s side and went to bend water out her flask for the preliminary healing process—

“Hey. That can wait.”

Katara blinked, staring up at Sokka in utter confusion. “Excuse me?” His leg was broken, she couldn’t just—

Sokka jerked his head towards Aang, who was busy freeing himself from beneath Appa’s weight. “Go greet the hero of the hour. My leg will still be here when you get back.”

Toph snorted. “Of the hour?” She shook her head. “Give him credit, Sokka—Twinkle Toes is the hero of the century.” Momo chirped before jumping from Suki’s shoulder onto Toph’s, as if agreeing with her.

Katara turned to look at Aang, her mind tuning out the rest of her friend’s teasing banter that followed. He was—Aang was more than the hero of the century, at least to her. More than the Avatar, more than an airbender, more than—

Aang must have felt her eyes on him, because he paused in petting Appa to turn around and give her a shy grin. “Hi, Katara.”

With those two words, the dam burst, and Katara sprinted over to Aang with all the speed of a roaring wave. Her arms crashed around his bare shoulders like water beating against the shore, and Aang wrapped his arms around her waist in return. Katara could only squeeze him tighter, his face pressing into her shoulder.

“You stopped him,” Katara whispered. Her words were shaky, or—spirits, maybe it was her entire body that was quivering. “Ozai. You stopped him.”

Aang nodded into her shoulder, and Katara slackened her grip just enough so he could lean back and reply. “Yep.”

Katara’s right hand instinctively rose to cup his face. She could see it in his eyes—tired, yes, but still so full of hope, the warm gray as rich as the shimmering moon. “You found another way, didn’t you?”

Aang smiled at her, laugh lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes, and spirits if that wasn’t an image Katara wanted traced into her memory for the rest of time. “Ozai is alive. But he can’t hurt anyone ever again.”

Katara had a million questions, the first being the obvious How? How did you do it? But no query fell from her lips despite her overwhelming curiosity. Instead, all she could do was stare at Aang, tears of relief sliding down her cheeks as she smiled and smiled and smiled and—

“I am so proud of you,” Katara said, the words halfway to a sob as she pulled Aang into another crushing hug, marvelling at how perfectly his body fit against hers. “I knew you would do it, Aang, I knew it. Only you could.”

Aang laughed. “Must’ve been your belief that got me through it.” His arms tightened around her, as if he, too, needed the unspoken reassurance that Katara was there, that she was real, that they had won, the same way she needed such comfort from him. “At one point, I’m not even sure I believed I’d succeed.”

“It’s a good thing I never doubted you, then,” Katara whispered, and Aang laughed again.

“Yes. Thank you.”

Katara wasn’t quite sure what Aang was thanking her for—her faith then, her presence now?—and in truth, she had a feeling Aang didn’t precisely know, either. But what did precision matter? They were here, together, alive. Beaten and bruised but not broken beyond all repair. Neither of them had lost what they couldn’t live without.

For Aang, the vestiges of his peaceful people. And for her…

Aang.

Katara hadn’t lost Aang. Not like she had before, not like she couldn’t bear to ever lose him again.

“Alright, lovebirds! That’s enough time spent hugging the life out of each other. Come tend to the wounded, please.”

Katara rolled her eyes at her brother’s obnoxious interruption, but she released Aang after a final tight squeeze. She really did want to take a look at Sokka’s leg. Besides—she and Aang now had all the time in the world. All the time in a peaceful world, at that.

Aang followed her back to the rest of their friends, and Katara had just knelt down to examine Sokka’s injury when Aang burst out into loud, unprovoked laughter. The sudden sound made her jump, and it was only thanks to some quick thinking—and inelegant bending—that she avoided spilling the water from her waterskin all over the stone courtyard for the second time in the past ten minutes.

“What’s so funny?” Zuko asked, the apparent reason for Aang’s laughter. “What did I do?”

“No—you didn’t—” Aang cut himself off with a wheeze, and Katara couldn’t stop herself from glancing behind her to see what on Earth had him in stitches.

Aang pointed at Zuko’s chest, biting down hard on his bottom lip in a clear attempt to withhold further laughter. “That. Azula shot you with lightning, right?” When Zuko nodded, he said, “And Katara healed you?”

“I did,” Katara confirmed. Sokka gave her a disapproving look, probably because she was yet to begin healing his leg, but—well, this time Katara had no real excuse beyond her own intrigue. Whoops. But it wasn’t as if his splint wasn’t holding up perfectly. The expertise with which it was secured suggested Suki had been the one to fashion it, and that meant Sokka would be fine for a quick moment longer.

Aang’s laughter returned in full force, one arm wrapped around his stomach while his free hand gestured wildly behind him. “We—We match!” He turned around, and—

“Oh, for Agni’s sake,” Zuko groaned, and Katara found herself unable to contain her laughter. In a matter of seconds, they were all laughing at Aang’s revelation. Even Zuko, once he’d gotten over himself.

Tui and La. Katara loved her friends, she loved her life, she loved being alive with her friends by her side and—

Aang.

She loved Aang.

Oh, spirits.

[ilikekidsshows]

One thing that pisses me off not just about the miraculous fandom but modern fandoms is fans inability to consume long overarching stories.

Like so many people are complaining about how long the reveal is taking or why haven't certain characters outgrown this trait yet or why is this character arc botched or abandoned. Like guys we just got the confirmation this show will be 7 seasons long PLUS like 3 tv specials. We're only roughly halfway through the series.

Once the reveal happens half the tension in the show is gone! I'm not saying leave the reveal till season 7 and make us wait 9 years this isn't HIMYM but miraculous is not a fast paced story. It's a long haul story. I just wish more fans would be patient. Miraculous is in the extremely fortunate and rare position that it will have a conclusive end and not be suddenly cancelled. That was and still is a huge problem for shows and cartoons with dedicated fans but networks pull the plug for stupid ass reasons.

So miraculous fans please chill the fuck out on things not resolving right away. We still have 78+ episodes plus the tv specials. If we get the end to certain things now it'll be so boring.

I think the concept of Instant Gratification describes the issue with many modern fandoms today. I hate to sound like I'm anti-technology, but the constant stream of quick and short bursts of entertainment allowed by the information age has made people more impatient. It's not about waiting for the climax to get a deeper sense of satisfaction, it's about getting that instant gratification right this instant. It's why one-shot fanfics are all over the place, when multi-chapter stories used to be just as common and popular, if not even more so, and it’s also why people are less willing to read a fic that’s still a work in progress. It's why people refuse to watch Youtube video essays even as they leave comments on the topic based on the title and thumbnail alone because, while they couldn't be assed to watch a 20-minute video (let alone an hour long one), they sure can spend that time calling the Youtuber names and making arguments the video actually already refutes. It's why a lot of online arguments happen only because one party read nothing but the first and maybe the last paragraph of someone's post and skipped all the explanation for their point of view (if I've ignored an counter argument for one of my posts, it was either because I missed it or because said counter argument did this. I have attention deficit issues so I do genuinely forget responses sometimes, but I'm also not writing a second essay for someone who's proven to me they won't read it).

Of course, it's only by constantly consuming only fast-paced content that you can become this impatient. People have different ideas about stories based on what stories they have encountered in the past.

Another thing that influences the Miraculous fandom in particular is that, while I love to show off exactly how much Miraculous has done to build up the overarching plotlines, Miraculous isn't really a show that's about a single story. It's easy to understand why people think it is one though: there's one main villain, we keep discovering more about the mythology, one of the main plot threads is the romantic relationship between the leads and singular episodes and plot elements tend to get payoff later. What is the purpose of a show if not to progress the story? Because the heroes aren't getting closer to defeating Gabriel or getting together, people think that the story isn't accomplishing anything.

I'll do a comparison to illustrate why these things aren't as clear-cut signs of a continuous storyline as people think. In the Spider-Man comics, you can pick any issue up and the chances are that the villain will be a part of Spider-Man's already established Rogues Gallery, who's back for more after who knows how many defeats, and those past defeats might even get referenced in callbacks to previous issues. It's also very possible that Peter and Mary Jane's relationship is the central focus with them not being together yet, having relationship problems or even having broken up (in really old issues the girl might be Gwen Stacy and short-term options have also always been available for romantic entanglements). Does this mean Spider-Man is a continuous story where the only point is that all the villains get put away for good and Peter and MJ live happily ever after? No, it doesn't. Spider-Man is designed to go on indefinitely, so there's no clear ending point. So, what is the point of Spider-Man then, if there is no Ending?

It used to be the single issue, because comic books used to have every issue be a stand-alone story about the hero and their supportive cast. These days it's more every three-to-six issues, because superhero comics are written to have short story arcs that can then be collected into trade paperbacks. A superhero series is not a single story; it's a series that functions as a story engine, meaning the series can generate several shorter stories where the hero helps fix a problem or solve a mystery.

In the superhero genre a villain will never get killed off or removed from stories permanently as long as the writers think they can still come up with stories to tell about them. The hero's romantic life will never be completely smooth sailing unless the writer is using other things to ramp up the stakes. Everything always allows for there to be another adventure.

I think the huge success of Avatar: the Last Airbender made people think that a series that is a single story is always superior to a series with multiple shorter plots. When I was liveblogging Sailor Moon, a viewer offered to give me a list of all the non-filler episodes because they genuinely thought I'd feel like I was wasting time on the show otherwise. This attitude is simply not based on fact. It's not fair to compare Miraculous Ladybug to Avatar, because they're both setting up to do completely different things. Miraculous Ladybug is trying to become a brand, like Batman or Spider-Man. It is part of the "Zag Heroes" lineup, a series of French-created superhero franchises to compete in the America-centric superhero market. This challenge is good for the genre, because Marvel and DC have started resembling each other more and more as these companies stew in their old ideas and copy everything that worked for the other one. The superhero genre needs new blood.

Also, Avatar: the Last Airbender first became popular by doing episodic plots for almost the entirety of the first season because it's actually not a wise choice to expect the audience to be willing to commit to a story that'll only give payoff later when working with an untested IP. Very often shows with longer story arcs start with the episodic format to hook people first, and sometimes the more linear plot is introduced specifically because the audience for the show is now expected to be both dedicated enough and older and capable of keeping up. Because, here's the thing: you can't expect little kids to remember every episode or even every character you've introduced in your show. I'm not sure if people are ready to hear that but I'm throwing it out there anyway. Kids are not dumb, they can understand more complex storylines, but many kids are still training their memory, so they might not remember the details of complex storylines that go on for too long.

This is why the news that Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season was going to have a recommended viewing order originally had me concerned. Miraculous is being branded for kids. The plot requiring too much skill in memorizing story details will make it less accessible to kids and might put those two additional seasons at risk. However, it seems that the "constantly changing status quo" concept of Truth, Lies and Gang of Secrets was a fluke and the evolution of the show is more subtle, so they might not be cutting the amount of episodes for those final seasons because the show is getting too complicated for kids to follow all the important details.

Regardless, Miraculous Ladybug being an adventure cartoon TV show instead of a comic book or a more cheaper-to-produce TV drama does mean that Miraculous Ladybug isn’t expected to go on for decades like a superhero comic or a soap opera. Because of this, it can have evolution and changes and even a planned ending. The show is expected to end at some point, even by the people making money off of it, mostly because making a cartoon like this indefinitely costs a lot of money, and kids’ adventure shows tend to see a decrease in returns if they go on for too long.

[tedturneriscrazy]

Another Saturday, another episode! Let's take a look at Keeping Up A-fear-ances!

(Good lord I'm starting to make myself sound like some sort of content creator)

Oh, okay, we're just starting at that level of intensity, huh?

Chest gem origins

Gwendolyn not being satisfied with managing the curse and determined to cure it? I'm sure this won't be a real world allegory in the slightest.

Oh, so Eda literally just stumbles upon the portal? I could call that contrived, but honestly it's not dissimilar to how Dipper found Journal 3. For that matter, the entirety of Lord of the Rings is predicated on an accidental discovery like this and nobody gave Tolkien shit about it.

Was the eye on the portal cracked in previous episodes? I don't remember.

Seems like Gwen is the "well-meaning but ultimately misguided" flavor of mom.

As an aside, I am now quite curious about how Eda's first trip to the human realm went. Maybe a future episode will cover it? At any rate, I smell a new favorite fic prompt.

The screaming alarms in the Demon Realm will never not be funny to me.

Also, that is a worrying number of hearts. Eda is straight up murdering these poor creatures.

For some reason the gold fang being removable never occurred to me as a possibility, and now I feel like a kid who's discovered that Santa isn't real.

Oh hey, the new outfit! I'm also impressed how close to symmetrical that tearing was.

I need to get a screencap of Luz sleeping on that stack of books because she is adorable.

Also, staying up all night researching? This season seems determined to completely eradicate the notion of Luz being dumb, and I am here for it.

I have a feeling the Hexside mug will be making its way to The Mystery Shack in the near future.

Lilith's first experience with transformation and she seems understandably horrified.

The curse acting stronger when stressed? That seems...important.

Ah, so the dismemberment is from the curse! A surprisingly useful side effect from what we've seen so far.

Can I just say that I appreciate how Eda's reaction to Lilith's first taste of transformation is immediate remedy, explanation, and reassurance? And doesn't make any snarky comments along the lines of "now you know what it's like?" Whatever happened in that week and a half must have been cathartic as hell.

"Always. Always curious." Luz is the TOH fandom.

(Also, Eda, you know she is, considering how much she went on about your "mysterious past" at the Covention)

"Magic bird tornado?!" Luz has a way with words that's just *chef's kiss*.

"Gwendolyn." Eda is already just fucking done.

"MOM?!?!" Jeez, Lilith, you're just now hearing all this?

I was charmed by how motherly Gwen was acting toward Eda, but then she kinda just...dismissed Lilith, and now I'm somehwat less charmed.

(Sweet flea as a term of endearment is kinda cute, though might have some unfortunate implications depending on how you want to interpret it)

"Who knows what they put in those nasty concoctions?" OH WE GOING FOR THE ANTI-VAXXERS NOW YESSSS

Luz and Lilith's reaction to that whole exchange is priceless.

Everyone's perspective here makes perfect sense for who they are and what they've been through.

Poor Lilith. Her cursing Eda is beginning to make more sense.

Ah, thus begins the collaboration.

"We'll be consulting someone very special." Why does that seem so...ominous?

Is there anyone who watched this episode for the first time whose bullshit detector didn't go off immediately when Gwen mentioned finding someone who promised a cure?

Heh, Palm Stings.

Nonbelievers will be blinded by the power of the tome? I'm sure they will be, Wartlop.

I must say, as something of a scientist myself (okay that's not true, I'm a QA tech for a food manufacturer, but I do have a chemistry degree), I am 100% here for the swings being taken at faith healing/"miracle" cures/anti-vaxxers in this episode

Oh, we Wile E. Coyote now, huh?

Also, interesting how much apple blood is being played up in this episode.

Lilith please you're projecting your mommy issues on a literal child

OH WE REALLY JUST WILE E. COYOTE HUH?

You're right, Luz, Gwen's bicep game is goals.

(Somewhat disappointed the scars are from questing and not beastkeeping, but eh)

Why do I get the feeling there's gonna be a future episode where everybody stages an intervention for Eda's apple blood problem?

"Those feathers mean we're driving the beast out" Gwen no

Hooty is holding the brain cell? Oh no...

If that ice cream came from the Night Market it would explain why Lilith sounds drunk.

(Side note: I can't be the only one getting flashbacks to Mermista's ice cream binge, right? Different context, but still)

"Abomi-berry" "Franken fruit" "Key slime pie" These are A+ flavor names.

Oh, there's the transformation...

I must say that whole segment kinda rubbed me the wrong way. The way King's opinion on his dad was changed seemed...I don't know how to describe it. I get that they needed a trigger for Lilith's transformation, but honestly if any part of the episode is contrived it's this.

"¡It really is that good!" So that's what an accent slip in written form looks like. (The upside down exclamation point is used in Spanish, in case anyone didn't know)

I keep half expecting Eda to say "Beep! Beep!" at this point.

Luz is finally asking questions. Took long enough.

Ah, the classic "moving the goal posts to extract more money from a desparate family member" technique.

Luz channeling Scorpion, we love to see it.

There is an exquisite irony in Eda's mom being scammed, I must say.

Ah, so that's where the elixirs went. Dammit, Gwen.

Luz is definitely thinking "Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"

Beast!Lilith is massive.

"Sweet flea?" Gwen just realized she done goofed.

"I can see you still need a little time." God Luz is so fucking smart.

The con revealed.

OH DAMN SCARY MAMA

(Also I am terrified of bees/wasps, so extra scary mama in my book)

The scam is revealed, goblins, getting back into the Wartlop disguise is kinda pointless.

She joined the Beast Keeping coven entirely to cure the curse? That's dedication. A shame you couldn't have spared some of that for Lilith.

Still, I do like badass scary mama Gwen. I'd be down to see more of that.

Owl Beast fight!

I am slayed by the fact that the portraits are now officially a recurring gag 😂

Aw, here's The Moment™️

"My turn to drive" Does this imply cars are a thing on the Boiling Isles after all?

Lilith crying almost immediately💔 She was holding onto a lot of pain.

Yes, King, she was trying to do her best. I mean, road to hell or whatever, but at least Gwen got there in the end.

WHAT?! YOU'RE BREAKING UP LULU AND HOOTCIFER?!?!?!?

Terrace, that's just cruel. (Worthless brownie points for whoever understands that reference)

No, seriously, you can't just give me my favorite inter-character relationship in the series after Lumity and just...take it away like that, come on! 😭😭😭😭😭😭

I know I should remark on how Lilith told Gwen about the circumstances of the curse, how Gwen rightfully accepted responsibility for the whole situation, and how Luz finds the big hair aspirational, but...NOOOO DON'T END THE ADVENTURES OF LULU AND HOOTCIFER WHYYYYYYYYY💔😭💔😭💔😭

"BUT I CAN'T HOLD A PEN!"

I will never emotionally recover from this.

Okay, I think I got that out of my system. Anyway...

Not the only human, huh? Cue the "Belos is a human" theorists going into maximum overdrive.

That said, a tantalizing lore dump.

We certainly do have a lot of garbage. Some of it even holds office. HEY-O!

Setting up the next episode, too. Continuity!

Camp's over, huh? That means it's been three months.

Way to misdirect with Camila, guys. That said, we have now seen Camila cry and I HATE it. (In the right way, I think)

WHAT THE FUCK

HOLY SHIT

CREEPY LUZ IS REAL WHAT

OWJEIWHQGIWWOPQ

(It's hard to keysmash on a phone, even with autocorrect off)

That wraps it up! The flaws in this episode seem more pronounced than any others in the season so far, but the good stuff was really good! Overall a solid episode! I know everybody's looking forward to library Lumity in the next one (so am I), but I'm personally eager to see what they do with Gus. His part is the A plot, after all.

Anyway, I'll be back at this next week! Still hard to believe this is a thing, but that's life, I guess.