#did anybody else start shipping them immediately

[righteouscookiedough]

just your average bi goth girl and her greasy loner boyfriend

[arcaneauthor]

Skz reacting to you kissing them in front of the other members

Warnings: um some kissing ig? Nothing else really

Tags: established relationships, kissing, so much fluff, seungmin being a little menace like always, I think that’s it

A/n: have this while you wait for my long hyunjin one shot! Also I just started writing skz and don’t fully know how to write their personalities yet so pls be kind🙏

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Chan:

I kinda feel like this would be a normal thing for y’all?

Like you would frequently come by the studio while skz is recording to visit him

And you’d always end up giving him a little hello and goodbye kiss

It was always just a peck but you’d think you two were full on groping each other by the way the members start gagging and groaning

They honestly should be used to it by now but they just can’t help but tease their dad leader

Mainly seungmin

“Ew you like kissing old men?”

But Chan’s used to it by now and just rolls his eyes and focuses back on his work

But he can’t hide the smile on his face

He kinda likes when the members tease him, it really makes them feel like family

Minho:

Would definitely turn it into a spectacle

Ik he doesn’t normally like skin ship from the other member that much so many people think he wouldn’t like pda from the reader but I think it’d be quite the opposite

Like I feel like he’d be the type that would grab you and pull you in closer when you try to just give him a peck in the dorm

Like we’re talking turning it into a full on make out session

And he’s fully aware the members are there, that’s partly why he does it

He thinks it’s kinda funny to get a reaction out of them

I feel like there’d be a mix array of both groaning an wolf whistling from the others

Either way he’d just throw a middle finger to the members over his shoulder as he smirks into the kiss

Changbin:

I actually kinda feel like changbin would be a little embarrassed

Like at first he’d kinda forget the other members are there and kinda get into it

And then when he’d hear the reaction from the members he’d pull away with a little blush on his cheeks

Would have that cute little embarrassed smile that he does as he lowers his head a little as he murmurs a “shut up” to the members

(If you’re a stay I feel like you definitely know which smile I’m talking about)

Would totally never admit to anybody that he was blushing

Like the other members maybe Chan would tease him like “aw binnies embarrassed”

And changbin being his loud self would be like “HUH? YOU THINK ID GET EMBARRASSED OVER SOMETHING LIKE THIS?”

Like my mind immediately went to that men in colorful pants vlive he did with Chan and Han when he was yelling at chan for calling him out on rapping his line too fast and he was like “YOU THINK I RAPPED FAST CAUSE I WAS NERVOUS?” Lol

Just imagine him saying it like that if you’ve seen that live

Jisung:

This man would be SHOOK

Like I’m talking about pulling away like he’s been BURNED

Quokka cheeks are flaming red

Why do I almost feel like this man would let out a surprised yelp as if you’ve just attacked him lmao

Looks between you and the members with wide eyes like “did that really just happen?”

unlike with the others I feel like the members wouldn’t make teasing comments towards you guys

They’d just be on the floor ROLLING at Han for getting so flustered

And even though you were the cause of it he’d still hide his face behind you to escape his embarrassment

Hyunjin:

Feel like he wouldn’t get too into the kiss knowing the others are there

But also would definitely lean into you a bit

For some reason I just feel like hyunjin would be an amazing kisser

I mean have you seen those luscious lips??

Anyways that’s a story for another fic lol I’m getting distracted

like Chan I’d feel like he’d get his sassy eye roll going on when the members made a comment

With how much it seems that hyunjin and seungmin play around with each other seungmin would definitely tease the shit out of him

And hyunjin would give him that signature bombastic side eye

I feel like seungmin would keep it going to the point of hyunjin just eventually standing up to literally pounce on him

Seungmin would just be laughing like a maniac the whole time

Felix:

I actually feel like Felix wouldn’t be as embarrassed as you’d think

Like Ik he’s a smol bean but down deep I feel like Felix is actually pretty confident

Not in a cocky way but like he’s sure of himself yk?

Like I feel like he’d just smile into it

Turns it into a bit of a longer but still soft and sweet kiss

Just completely ignoring the noises from the members in the background

Like I think he’d just be in his own little world with you

After y’all pull away he just pulls you to sit facing forward on his lap and hugs you from behind

Has THE brightest smile on his face as he does it

Seungmin:

I kinda feel like seungmin wouldn’t like you giving him pda

Not like to the point of getting angry or anything

But I kinda feel like he’d pull an “ew” face lol

(And I don’t mean this as being bad or anything, I myself don’t really love pda so I get it lol)

But you probably do it to just playfully annoy him

Which is why you’d probably be giggling with the members at him

“I hate you guys” but he’d say it with a smile on his face so you knew he wasn’t actually upset about it

He’d probably give you a long kiss later in his room to make up for it

Jeongin:

He wouldn’t go as far as to immediately yank away like jisung

But he’d definitely be a shy baby

Ik he looks all grown up and stuff these days but I feel like little baby bread is still under there somewhere lol

Like his eyes would widen mid kiss when he really processes that you’re kissing him in front of everyone

The members wouldn’t so much as tease him like with the others as they would moan and groan about seeing their little maknae doing “adult stuff” lol

Poor thing would definitely turn red, covering his face with his hands as he sunk down

Would honestly be wishing the couch would just swallow him up

Probably wouldn’t make eye contact with you for the rest of the night because he’d just start immediately blushing lol

Also would probably keep his distance cause anytime your hands so much as touched the members would tease him about y’all making sure you weren’t “moving too fast”

End notes: well I officially finished this at 5am lmao. Guess I better head to bed🫡

[twoidiotwriters1]

With Luffy!? (Monkey D. Luffy x fem! reader)

A/N: I just need more inspiration! send requests! - Val

Words: 1,130

A normal day at the Sunny is about to change when it lands on a new mysterious island. Y/N and Zoro are the first to go to the town to get supplies. 

Before the rest could leave the ship, a little boy runs through the low deck. The kid giggles and runs everywhere until he stops in front of the crew and waves his little hand. 

Nami, Usopp, Robin and Chopper stop and stay still as their eyes follow him. 

“Hi!” He smiles and runs again. 

“A kid?” Chopper asks. 

“How?” Then Usopp. 

“Doesn't he look..?” Nami starts. 

“Like Luffy!” Robin smiles. 

*** 

They start with some questions when they catch him. 

“What’s your name, sweetie?” Nami asks with a smile. 

The boy giggles. “You know my name, Auntie Nami.” 

“Where are your parents?” Usopp says next. 

“I dunno,” he shrugs. 

“Are you sick or hurt?” Chopper asks. 

“No needles!” He screams and runs again. 

Now, he enters the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, Sanji exits the kitchen with the kid in his arms. The boy has a bottle of water. 

“Does anybody know where Joy’s parents are?” He asks the others. 

“Joy?” 

“Yeah, that’s his name.” 

Eventually, the others get together, and they all fall in love with the charming boy. Franky decides to make a highchair and immediately, baby-proof the Sunny. Brook starts to play his violin to him and makes funny songs. 

“I can’t help it, he’s really cute!” Nami squeals hugging Joy and pushes him to be cheek against cheek as he giggles. 

“Pretty Auntie Nami,” Joy points at her. 

“And so smart!” 

“Wait,” Usopp says walking to them. “She’s your auntie?” He points at Nami and Joy nods. “Who is she?” Usopp points to Robin. 

“Auntie Lobin.” 

“Okay so, the mother’s not here and we can’t ask where he came from or his birthday.” 

“Am fou,” Joy says raising four fingers. 

“Oi, Sanji! I’m hungry!” Luffy yells jumping and landing on deck. 

“Dadda!” Joy squirms in Nami’s arms to run to his dad. The kid holds Luffy’s leg and giggles “Hi, dadda!” 

“Uh—hi?” 

“I’ve never thought to live long enough to see Luffy with his son… Even though I’m already dead!” Brook laughs. 

“My what!?” 

The kitchen’s full of laughs from the crew and the little boy as Luffy keeps making silly faces, stretching his face, and playing with his food to make Joy laugh too. Of course, Joy loves his dad’s and crew’s attention. After a while, little Joy boy yawns and scratches his eyes.  

“I sleepy,” he pouts. “Wan’ my Mommy.” 

The crew share a tense look not knowing what to do. 

“Dad,” Luffy looks at him. “Wers Mamma?” 

“Uh—she’s...” 

“We’ve arrived!” You yell from outside. 

Joy turns his head to the door and squirms trying to get out of the highchair. Luffy frowns and helps him. 

“Mamma?” He says leaving the kitchen. The crew follow him. When the kid sees you, he smiles and runs to you raising his little arms. “Mamma!” You frown down at him as he keeps jumping “Up! Up! Pwease!” You let down the shopping bags and carry the strange kid.  

He holds you by the neck, leans to rest his head on your shoulder as he sucks his thumb and closes his tired eyes. 

“Awwww,” the crew sing at the cute scene. 

You look at them confused. 

“We leave you alone and you kidnap a kid?” Zoro asks completely lost. “And...” He leans to see the peaceful kid. “One that looks like Luffy?” 

“It’s a long story,” Robin says. 

“Has anybody else heard Joy say ‘mamma’ to Y/N?” Usopp asks carefully. 

“Joy?” You ask. 

“Hmm?” The boy leans back to look at you.  

“Oh,” You understand it. 

“Night-night?” He asks. 

“Uh—okay” You look at the crew waiting for an answer, but they all shrug. “Fine, I’ll put him to bed,” You walk to your shared room. “Wait, did you call me mamma?” 

*** 

“All right, he’s asleep. Now, explain,” you point at the others. 

“Luffy's son and mine!?” You squeal. “What? How? Why? When?” You look at Luffy and he only smiles. 

When Joy wakes up again, he says he wants to play with his uncles. More specific, with Zozo, Uso, Faky, Saji, Book and Fluffy (Chopper). Luffy pouts when Joy doesn’t mention him, but you take the chance to talk to him. 

“Why aren’t you freaking out? 

“‘Cuz I like him,” he smiles. 

“Luffy, please. You need to think about this. He’s a little boy, our little boy.” 

“Yeah, I know that. And I think it’s awesome,” he points to the low deck, where Joy’s playing tag with his uncles. “I know he looks like me, but he also does the scrunchy nose thing when he smiles, like you do.” 

“What?” 

“Yeah, and he looks like you when he pouts. Oh! He caresses my cheek like you do when we’re alone and I think you two have the same eyes.” 

The truth is that when you joined the crew, you couldn’t help but think about your captain differently. But the time showed you that Luffy doesn’t care or think about having a relationship beyond crew mate with anybody. 

Besides, that was a long time ago. 

That’s why you can’t believe (if Joy’s from the future) that you’ll have a kid with Luffy. But his words did affect you and moved so many things inside you, and, of course, you can’t deny that your kid is the most beautiful boy you’ve ever seen. 

“Luffy?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Do you know how to make a baby?” 

He frowns. “Uh… yeah. Why? 

“Just curious,” You walk away with a blush on your cheeks. 

“Les go night-night again!” Joy says holding Luffy’s hand. 

“Joy, wait. Dad has to sleep in his own room,” You stop him when he guides both of you to your room. 

“Good night, kiddo’,” Luffy says and walks away, but the cry of his son makes him stop in his tracks. 

You quickly carry him in your arms. “What’s wrong?” You ask him. 

“Dadda come night-night with mommy an me!” He yells pointing at Luffy. 

*** 

“Good night, Kiddo” 

“Night-night, Dadda, night-night Mommy.” 

“Sweet dreams, baby,” you kiss his cheek. 

You had to move Nami’s bed and put it next to yours so that all three could fit in. Although Luffy and Joy are fast asleep, for you it takes more time. You watch them as the moonlight shines through the room. 

You smile as Luffy moves and groans in his sleep, facing you and Joy. His arm moves and stretches enough to hug both of you closer to him. It’s quite crazy knowing that you’ll have a kid with Luffy, but you can’t deny that you could get used to it… anytime. 

[cokou]

Could you write about OP men realizing they’ve fallen in love with you? I was thinking Ace, Law, and Zoro 👀

—OP MEN REALIZING THEY HAVE FALLEN FOR YOU <3

༄ ғᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ ➢ One Piece ༄ ғᴇᴀᴛᴜʀɪɴɢ ➢ Ace x Reader; Law x Reader; Zoro x Reader ༄ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ ➢ SFW // Fluff ༄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴅɪsᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇʀ ➢ Two idiots inlove, nothing much <3 ༄ ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ ➢ 1495 Words, 8125 Characters ༄ ᴀ|ɴ ➢ You ask, you get! Enjoy <33 // Do not transfer my works to any other platforms // this is my only account, will not be cross posted to any other sites or apps! <3

ᴀᴄᴇ (566 words, 3,072 characters)

—You joined the whitebeard pirates not too long ago, and with them, you finally found the happiness you once sought for.

You had been working under the 2nd Divisions commander, Portgas D. Ace. You two were awfully close to each other unlike anybody else. You recalled that almost everyday you would crack jokes to each other and laugh like wild hyena's instead of actually doing the work you were told to.

Either way, work couldn't even separated you two's bond with each other, it either ends with the two of you working together or else one would cause more trouble to the crew, which doesn't make sense, at all.

"I can't comprehend with your dumbasses anymore! Get outta here and do your work before we decide to officially throw you two off the ship!" —Thatch kicked your asses off into an Island and left you two there, you two were standing and was particularly looking at each other confused.

"WHAT was that about?!" You asked Ace with a dumbfounded look.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW?!" Ace looked at you with a more dumbfounded look.

(You two just stormed off trying to figure out what to do.)

It's been hours since you've been kicked onto this Island with Ace, and you two haven't made any progress at all! It's turning night time soon and yet, you still haven't understood a word coming out of Ace's mouth.

"WHAT?!" You screeched at him, "I DID not understand anything!" At this point you felt like giving up with him by your side.

"I SAID, get the logs, we need them to make fire! OR freeze to death!" He was scratching this temple, clearly giving out with your screeches. (bro you're the flame user idk make fire?)

Eventually you two figured out what to do and settled down to make a little sleeping ground, and burned things.

"PUT IT OUT!" You screamed as the weeds get caught on fire, obviously he did eventually put it out and you two settled down near the fire.

"Did we even do anything other than be asses the whole day?" ...Great question, you two did nothing. It's finally night time and you promised that by tomorrow you will be having a huge amount of progress. You only hoped he'd be more serious then.

The silence was ringing and you were staring empty at the fire, and eventually Ace was looking at you, he didn't realize it at all until you asked him if he was okay.

"You okay?" You're shooting me glances like I did something unforgettable" For a second you catched a glimpse of him blushing, and it immediately faded.

"It's just quite cold?" . "You're literally made of fire."

Dumb excuse, and you eventually got bored and drifted to sleep on his shoulder.

—Maybe then, that was how he realized that all the feelings he was experiencing when he saw you, was that he was falling for you. He always believed that he was just a little unusual, but now he realized that he had love you, he doesn't regret it, and he never will. Maybe one day he'd tell you how much he loves you. But for now, he just hopes that this feeling stays with him. He really just wants to be you, it doesn't matter what dumb excuses he makes, just as long as he gets to be with you, alone.

ʟᴀᴡ (510 words, 2,778 characters)

—You may or may not have been close to him because of work..(you did) You had started working into the library with Law that day, that's how you two got close, but unlike him, you actually knew your limits and when you needed to step out of business.

You usually end up telling him that he needs to stop overworking himself and pay some attention on his own mental health, but repeatedly he only responses in cold 'no's'.

"Hey, I'm leaving work early today." Everyday you update him on literally everything that you think will happen to you that day.

In response, he only gave you a nod and didn't even pay attention to what you were saying, his eyes were glued onto the paper work he had obviously been working on. The thing about him that ticks you most of the time is he was dead serious with all the work and doesn't lay any mistakes at all.

You sat a few tables away from him and laid your eyes on your table, it's full of tons of papers, again...Unexpectedly, a while ago you had entered quite late, which made you pretty near on break time.

The silence lingering across the library is making you feel nervous, it's cold and it doesn't fit your type of temperature, so you decided to move place and sat next to the table Law was working on, and you finally got his glance on you.

"Hi, uhm, moving cause it's too cold"

.

"Whatever makes you do your work." His voice added more anxious depth into the cold library. You couldn't take it anymore so you just decided to try and strike a conversation with him.

"soo, what are you planning to do on break?" There was a hint of awkwardness in your voice.

"work" He answered nonchalantly just after you finished asking.

"I mean you should totally like, rest, right?" It's either you think this guy is a magical creature for taking in too much work or he's just severely workaholic.

He ignored your words, staring blankly into the paper, he isn't even reading it, his eyes are particularly drilling holes into it. "No." He continued writing things down.

"Why not? You should just maybe take some time off, with me?" You poured all your nervousness on that 'with me' on your sentence. "..Maybe next time." Your nervousness finally fading as he replied, which made you feel better other than hearing a simple 'no' from him.

"Okay! You promised that!" You rushed towards the exit ready to go on with your break time.

—Law caught himself smiling at the thought of you exiting the room happily and being worried for him. He just doesn't realize that he is happy because he'd be able to have more time with you. His mind forces him, but he simply pushes it away. He doesn't even realize that he loves you. And he probably will resist the feelings until he can't bare it anymore, but for now, he's happy that you're with him, even if it's tables apart.

ᴢᴏʀᴏ (419 Words, 2,275 Characters)

—It all started when you two were children. Zoro kept telling you that he'll beat Kuina and be the worlds strongest swordsman. It had been his dream since then, and you support him even then. You'd watch him do all kinds of training just to be strong, but he just ends up too tired.

"Just watch! I'll be the strongest swordsman ever!"

Practically, You and Zoro had been close friends for about a decade now. You made new friends along the way and had been introduced into the Straw hat Pirates with Zoro. He still had his dream and doesn't look like he'll give up anytime soon.

Just now, you and the whole crew had headed into an Island you discovered, it was a small town filled with houses and buildings. Any how, an hour into talking to Zoro of what benefits you could have from such a small town, you lost track of time and eventually, your steps.

"This is your fault for not paying attention!!" you were yelling at him from the top of your lungs.

"How is it my fault?! You were the one who wouldn't shut up!" You were balling each other with crazy words and eventually stopped when you realized you won't go anywhere with all these fightings.

"How did we manage to get even more lost?!" You asked him looking defeated when you realize you had been circling around the town. In the end, you two ended up asking a local for directions and finally settled onto the deck the ship was.

"WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?!" Nami stormed and smacked Zoro in the head while screeching that they had been waiting for the two for almost 2 hours on deck.

"We would've left you two if you weren't useful." she stormed off clapping her hands.

"How come I'm the only one she hit?!" . "She loves me" You said flipping your hair.

—Honestly, with you, Zoro feels contented, he knows his heart longs for even if it's the most stupid reasons. It's basically a date but imagine being crazy together, seems nice right? Either way you enjoy each others company and would catch glimpses of each of you looking at each other with the most light blush. It's just two idiots in love without being aware, it's complicated but for sure being together and fooling each other is a date planned between the two of you. Besides, he doesn't know since when he developed these feelings for you. Just take care of him, please.

Cokou 2024, all works belong to me.

[love-and-monsters]

The Ship and the Alien

5,486 words, GN reader X M alien.

Humanity sends the last of their species in hibernation pods to the stars. When you wake up an unknown amount of time later, you are on a different ship. Surrounded by aliens.

Content warnings: mentions of death and discussions of medical procedures and illness.

The Ship never had a name. People tried to give it one quite a lot. There was a naming contest first, which was a bad idea. You’d think the bigwigs would learn not to give this kind of power to the internet, but it never seems to occur to them until the two top names are ‘SaveyMcSaviorface’ and ‘The Biggest Dick Ever’ and they have to scrap the whole thing. ‘Eden’ was an idea they tossed around, but there were people who said it wasn’t inclusive of other religions and a bunch of Christians who didn’t believe in the concept at all who were pissed about the connotations of the name, so that didn’t work. ‘Destiny’ was another idea, as were ‘Eternal’ and ‘Onward.’ In the end, by the time anyone had even started to come to a conclusion on the name, everyone had started getting used to calling it ‘The Ship’ and no one was willing to change that for whatever sappy shit they engraved on the side.

Maybe they did eventually name it. I don’t know. I don’t know if it mattered, really. Anybody aboard The Ship wasn’t going to be calling it anything on account of being in stasis, and anybody outside The Ship wasn’t going to be calling it anything on account of being dead very soon. So. The Ship was a fine name to me.

The Ship was not actually one ship, at the time- it was technically seven ships, six stationed on different continents and one stationed at the north pole. They were designed to all lock together in one massive structure, but to be able to function independently, in case of a system failure. There were redundancies, ways to transfer assets between different ships if necessary, and about a billion other things that I never understood, but were probably very important for a metal tube hurtling through space. In all honesty, I didn’t pay much attention to its construction. Crushing despair combined with a vicious fight for survival every day takes precedence, you know.

You don’t know how you ended up on The Ship. You know the basics- engineers, designers, and construction workers all got immediate entry. That took up a few thousand slots. Then were the ‘important people,’ the sorts you would want if you were setting up a colony. Doctors, agriculturalists, building designers, all the big thinkers who can make sure that things run smoothly and work like they’re supposed to. Quite a few military members as well. After that, there was some debate as to who else could come on. Limited number of slots, after all. You heard a lot of very right people tried to pay their way on the ship, but it didn’t work so well. Money’s useless to anyone on the ship, and will be useless to anyone left on Earth. Some people traded favors and influence to secure their spots, but a decent chunk of people couldn’t do that and had to subject themselves to the same system as everyone else.

The way they picked candidates for the civilian slots on the ship was the same way anyone picks anything they want to be at least somewhat random: they made a computer do it. All civilians who put their names in a hat, basically, and the computer system drew them. No one could accuse it of cheating, because it was a computer. Well, people could, and they did, but the idea was that at least less people would accuse it of being impartial than if a human picked.

You were one of the picks. Placed into section 3, chamber 2, pod 3247. You didn’t tell anyone- you’d been asked not to, out of fear of retaliation from those who hadn’t been picked. You just left the shelter you’d been living in and headed to the launch site.

There was a brief physical, involving being stripped, shoved onto and into a ton of machinery, drinking some kind of gross shit that purged your body of what felt like everything you’d ever eaten, getting your head shaved, and an IV port implanted into your arm. You saw other people on occasion, going through the same thing before they were whisked away again. There were no opportunities to talk. Everything was brutally efficient.

You were allowed to sleep for a few hours on a hospital-style cot. You ended up just lying there and staring up at the ceiling. There were other people there, also trying to sleep and failing, but nobody talked. Everyone just waited.

In the morning, you were all herded into the body of the ship. It was massive, bigger than any building you’d ever been in, and still quite cramped when you walked into it. The room was cylindrical, with pods lining the whole thing. The walls rotated, allowing the pods to be lowered to the ground, people to be strapped in and put to sleep, then rotated up to the ceiling, ferris-wheel-style.

You were toward the back, so you got a good view of the people in front of you being placed into the pods, injected with the combination of fluids that would knock them out, hooked into the machinery, and then sent into ‘hibernation mode.’ On your turn, you were pushed into the pod, the fluid-filled bags that supported your body adjusting automatically. The fluid was administered through your IV port and the chill of it made your eyelids droop almost immediately. Your eyelids drooped. The world grew colder and colder as the pod lid closed round you and you were left in the pitch blackness of the pod. You couldn’t tell the difference between your eyes being closed and open, but you must have closed them at some point, because you did drift into the dreamless hibernation of spaceflight.

It wasn’t quite like falling asleep. It was more like closing your eyes for a couple seconds and suddenly everything felt like garbage. Your muscles cramped, your mouth was dry as a bone, your arm throbbed where the IV port had been attached, and your eyes couldn’t open. You coughed furiously as soon as you took your first breath.

The air that touched your skin was horribly cold, but your body couldn’t shiver. Despite having basically nothing in your stomach, your body kept trying to retch. Your limbs were locked up, barely able to move from the slightly-uncomfortable position you’d been forced into in the pod.

Something touched your arm and you screamed. Or tried to- your lungs forced the air out with a sound more like a grating huff. The touch was warm, blazing against your bare skin, and even the texture of it was unbearable. Being without sensation for so long seemed to have magnified your senses a thousandfold.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed before moving became tolerable. You tried to open your eyes a few times, but even once you could physically do so, the room was too bright to look at. You flopped helplessly on your back, squeaking and complaining whenever you were touched.

As your brain grew used to processing sensory input once more, you got better at figuring out what was happening to you. You were lying in some sort of thick liquid, with your head supported so your face was free of it. The thing that kept touching you was alive, presumably, because it was moving. It felt like you were being gently massaged. Kind of the massage used to help encourage blood flow in a limb.

You tried your eyes again. They cracked open, just barely. The light wasn’t so bad this time. Not good, but not bad, either. It stung. You could see someone, probably a person, moving around you, although you could barely even make out the silhouette. It was mostly a blur.

The massage was nice. It was sort of a more pleasant awakening than you thought you’d have. They’d briefed you on the awakening procedures- the pods would gradually warm up so you woke up slowly before ejecting everyone all at once. No one should be awake to care for you.  Maybe something had gone wrong? But not so wrong that you’d died, so it couldn’t be something you needed to worry about too much.

You took your time to come back to yourself, slowly warming up to your body again. It still felt like you’d spent a week and a half completely sick with the flu, but you were otherwise not so bad.

The room was slowly drifting into focus around you. It was actually quite dim, you realized. There were a couple of pale blue lights set into the ceiling far above you providing illumination for the whole room, so everything was dark and shadowy. There was still the silhouette moving around you, but they were sort of dark and it was hard to make anything out about them.

The silhouette moved closer, still backlit too much to make out features. There was something slightly off about the shape of it, with the head and the shoulders or something, but maybe that was some weird eye effect of the hibernation. Hallucinations sometimes happened after hibernation, they’d said. Nothing to worry about.

And then the silhouette spoke. At least, you thought it was speaking. It wasn’t using words, though. It made a low, sort of thrumming noise with the occasional pop or creak. They weren’t quite noises a human could make, or at least, not without great effort.

You froze. That was… weird. More hallucinations, maybe? Had the hibernation fucked with your brain so bad you’d forgotten how words worked? That wasn’t good- maybe that’s why you were getting woken up separately?

Before you had a moment to ponder that any longer, there was a mechanical click and a voice, sort of neutral and male, said… something. You still couldn’t understand what it was saying, but there was some confirmation that it was, actually, saying something because you recognized the language: Chinese.

There was a pause. The mechanical click repeated, and then the voice spoke again, in English. “Are you conscious and able to respond? Please raise an arm if you can understand what I’m saying to you.”

You raised your arm automatically, though it was a struggle to lift it out of the thick substance you were submerged in. The thrumming and popping noise started up again, followed quickly by a mechanical click and a voice in English. It reminded you of when they dubbed over someone on the news while they were still talking. “Please remain calm. You suffered some injuries to your extremities, as well as hibernation sickness. We’re attempting to stabilize you, but you’re in a delicate condition.”

You tried to talk, but your mouth was so dry your tongue was trying to glue itself to the roof of your mouth. If the person was bothered by that, they didn’t show it. They moved closer to your head, walking alongside the tub you were resting in. Your eyes tracked them. They were moving weirdly. Were they hurt, maybe? Alarm bells kept going off in your head, the uncanny sense that something was wrong, but nothing in your conscious brain could put together what it was.

The person moved so they were in one of the brighter section of the room. You could see more than just their vague shape. Your heart stopped.

They were not a person.

That was why their shape was wrong. You could see their torso, from their head to nearly their waist, and it was human only in the vaguest of shapes. Sort of a vaguely oval head, with a sort of human-like face, except it was flatter, with pointed, almost horse-like ears. Their eyes were a little deeper-set and rounder. Their coloration reminded you of a Doberman, almost, with black across the top of their face and a paler color underneath. Their torso was longer and more slender than a human’s with narrower, more sloped shoulders and long arms that folded up close to their chest. They made a sort of humming or purring noise as they leaned over you.

You struggled to sit up or scramble away, but you couldn’t move much. You couldn’t even scream, just sort of moan helplessly. One of your legs managed to kick out sideways and connect with the side of the tank. It wasn’t much of a hit, but that, combined with you straining the rest of your pathetic muscles to get away from the thing next to you, meant that you partially slid off whatever was keeping your head supported and your face went under the water.

It was thicker than water, but not by too much, so your head slid under it with disconcerting slowness. It was then that you discovered another disadvantage of your weak muscles- the substance was just thick enough to make moving through it, even just enough to lift your head out of the water, impossible.

You thrashed, but not really, since you couldn’t move. There was only about two seconds of panic, though, before hands locked around you and pulled your head out back out. You sputtered as the hands placed your head back on the little platform.

“Stay still.” Something was beeping frantically in the background, and you could both hear and see the creature shifting around to check on some machines. “The fluid is warming you back to proper temperature. You need to remain still and calm to avoid going into shock.”

There was no way you were not going into shock. But you’d used up all your energy in your near-drowning, so you couldn’t do much but lie there. The creature seemed to relax.

“I understand that you’re frightened. I promise, I’m trying to help you.” When you didn’t move, just watched them, they relaxed further. “Remain still. I will conclude the treatment.”

They fussed around for a little while longer, checking on whatever monitors were giving readouts for your condition. You weren’t sure what indicated that your treatment was over, since you didn’t feel much better, but eventually, they pressed a button somewhere and the fluid drained out of the tub. It was cold after the fluid was gone, and you were completely nude and shivering, resting on some pads at the bottom of the tub. The creature, thankfully, offered you warm cloths that you could bury yourself underneath.

Before you could even properly enjoy the warmth, there was the sound of footsteps approaching. A lot of footsteps. Summoning all your strength, you heaved yourself up and looked over the edge of the tub.

There were more of them. Only three, not including your creature, which didn’t seem to match up with the amount of footsteps you’d heard. And then you looked down a little more and realized why.

They were centaurs.

Sort of- their limbs weren’t hooved, and they weren’t really like paws, either. A bit more like bird talons, if birds rested mostly on their fingertips. Talontips. Whatever. They walked with their torsos bent further forward than centaurs, too, and they had long tails. A couple of them had horns, pointing back off their heads. They were wearing clothes that were relatively close-fitting, like most spacesuits you’d seen.

The one in front, with the largest horns and a sort of fancy marker around its neck, stepped froward. “On behalf of the First Branch of the Agrenier, we would like to officially greet your species. And offer our condolences.” This one also had their words picked up by the machine and recited in a language you could understand, though the voice the machine used was different, a little more feminine. Maybe this one was a woman?

The blankets hadn’t really calmed your shivering, but you managed to speak in a semi-steady voice. “Condolences?”

She scuffed one of her forelimbs, her ears lowering to the sides of her head. “Your ship was found drifting, nearly without power. There was some sort of error with major mechanical functions in the ship, which caused serious damage to the inner workings. Upon investigation of the craft, we discovered several hibernation pods, the vast majority of which were damaged.” She paused, still tapping a forelimb against the ground. “Two contained living members of your species, but you were the only one to survive the initial reawakening process. You have our deepest condolences.”             You opened your mouth, but you couldn’t think of anything to say. Your brain struggled to process anything. Two pods with living people. Only one survived the reawakening. That was- that had to be you, right? You were- the only-

Dimly, you were aware of the robot speaking again. It seemed to be rapidly switching between two agitated voices. People were having an argument, maybe? You didn’t care. You buried yourself under the blankets and hid in the warm cocoon until everything was dark and floaty and your brain didn’t have any thoughts in it at all.

Someone tried to tug the blanket away. You weren’t sure how long it had been, but it was quieter and your limbs were stiff from being in the same position. You tried to keep the blanket over your body, but there was another firm tug and you lost your grip. Your muscles were pathetic. And, as embarrassing as it was, you couldn’t help but crying out when the blanket was taken away. It was the one thing you had in the world and you couldn’t even hold onto it.

“I’m sorry.” The other voice, the one from your centaur, came again from the robot. It did a very good job at adding emotion to the voices- it sounded anguished. “You’re overheating, I need to take it, but I’m sorry.” You curled up on the bottom of the tub, unmoving. The centaur patted your head. It was a small gesture, but you leaned into it. What else did you have?

The centaur patted your head a few more times before moving on. “I know you’re probably scared, but we’re not going to hurt you. I’m going to help you. Your hibernation pod was the least damaged of all of them, but it still had some minor malfunctions. It was hard to wake you up, and you’re not going to be all there for a little while.”

You racked your brains. It was easier to think about facts. When you’d gotten on the ship, there had been a big disclaimer about the dangers of hibernation pods. They were designed to keep a human in a state of suspended animation, with body functions slowed down to the bare minimum. The upper estimate was that it could keep a human asleep and alive for over half a million years. Not that anyone had ever tested them before you. But they were also risky- even minor malfunctions could lead to an early awakening, damage to the body, or the hibernation process just killing a person outright. Even when they’d gone over that part, though, no one had left. Why would they? Between a one hundred percent chance of death and a twenty percent chance, who would take the former?

So the malfunction had probably been in the sleep-wake system, the part that regulated how the machine knocked people out and woke them back up. It was supposed to run through a wakeup cycle on its own when the main computer signaled it was time, but if that system failed, it could be manually activated, and if the waking system failed entirely, there were ways to safely bring a person out of the hibernation without machine intervention. They were always riskier, though, and even if everything was done perfectly, it didn’t guarantee a successful revival.

That must have been what happened to the other person, the one in the other surviving pod. They’d tried to wake them up and…

Nope. Focus on facts. You took a deep breath. “What happened to the ship?”

“We boarded and searched it, and transferred the central computer system over to ours, as well as the supplies we could budget the space for,” the centaur said. “I’m afraid I don’t know any more specifics than that. I’m sorry.”

“How was it damaged? You said it was damaged.”

“An impact, I think?”

“That doesn’t make any sense. The ship was designed with rotator shields and plating and redundancies to keep everything secure. It was safe. It couldn’t be-” You paused. “How many people were on the ship?”

The centaur paused, then turned to one of the machines and tapped something in. “About 45,000 hibernation pods were recorded to be on the ship.”

That was too few for the main ship, but it had been designed with redundancies. If the impact had left a portion of the ship crippled, it was designed to eject the damaged portion and continue on without it.

Which meant your portion had been spit out and left to drift while the rest of the ship continued on toward its destination.

So everyone on the ship wasn’t dead. They were just continuing on to their destination. Without you.

That should make you feel better, right? That they weren’t dead? But you just felt very, very… lonely.

“I’m sorry about your fellow passengers,” the centaur said. He was leaning over the edge of the tub, sort of draped over it so he was resting his arm and his chin there. “For now, you should rest.” He glanced toward the door and his lips lifted into a bared-teeth expression. “Before our first officer comes back.”

He lifted your arm and slipped a tube into the shunt. It took only a few minutes before liquid sleep was coursing through your veins and you fell into a deep sleep.

The awakenings happened on a more or less regular schedule, at least from what you would tell. Often they would happen in that warm bath again, with your centaur rubbing your limbs to encourage bloodflow. Sometimes there was the other centaur there as well, the female one. You were pretty sure she and your centaur didn’t get along. The robot didn’t often translate for their conversations, but they had the tenor of arguments, and your centaur was always huffy and quiet after speaking with her. You ended up keeping time by the awakenings.

After two awakenings, your centaur gave you food. It was all prepackaged meal sludge, which was designed for people who had awoken from hibernation recently, and it made your stomach cramp, but you ate it. After four awakenings, the cramps stopped and you could move on to a combination of meal sludge and broth. Whenever you could, you engaged your centaur in conversation.

“How’d you know what medicines and foods to use?” you asked as he pulled the line administering some sort of medication out of your arm and closed the shunt.

“We transferred the existing data of your ship’s computer over to ours. I’m using your ship’s guide, translated into our own language, and improvising with our own equipment where yours was damaged- the hibernation pod you’ve been staying in is one of ours.”

“It seems too small to fit you,” you said. You weren’t a small person- you were actually pretty average- but the pod was only a bit too big for you to comfortably rest in. The centaurs were bigger than you by a pretty big margin, even your centaur, and he seemed to be the smallest one you’d seen so far.

“Oh, yes, that one’s for children.”

“You put children in hibernation?” You tried not to make the statement accusatory, but it came out like that anyway. There had been no children on The Ship, for multiple reasons. First was practicality- having a population that could breed and work right away upon making planetfall was paramount, and children wouldn’t be able to do either. The second was that no one knew how hibernation pods would affect children. Would it damage their bodies? Their ability to age properly? Hibernation had only been tested on adults- it was hard to convince people to put children in pods that might kill or cripple them, even when the same people had no issue with adults, especially prisoner populations.

Your centaur seemed unbothered. “For medical purposes. That’s what hibernation pods are used for. Slowing the spread of disease until the person can receive medical attention. It’s highly risky to use hibernation pods for long term space travel.” His ears flicked. “Though under your circumstances, I can’t say I can judge you.”

Ah. If they had the computer’s logs, they all knew what’s happening to Earth. What had probably already happened. The planet had a scant few years left by the time The Ship left, and if you’d traveled far enough to come across real aliens, then you’d been traveling for a while.

The centaur walked around the pod as the entire thing shifted from a horizontal position to a nearly vertical one. “I’m going to unlock the restraints,” he said. There was a faint click and the straps that were holding you in place retracted.

Your legs wobbled. It took all your strength to keep your body upright. It was a strain to stand, to walk, even to sit up sometimes. But your centaur insisted on making you move around.

“Hands in mine,” he said, extending his arms. You placed your hands in his and stepped out of the pod. He supported most of your weight with barely a tremble as you took a few shaky steps. His hands enveloped yours, though that was partially because of their strange shape. Unlike human hands, his were six-fingered and bilaterally symmetrical, with four ‘fingers’ and two ‘thumbs, both of which were positioned closer toward the wrist and pointed further backward than human thumbs. Despite their alien shape, holding his hands felt remarkably similar to just holding a human hand. It was a comfort.

Just as you were completing your second circuit of the room, your legs trembling like a baby deer’s, the door opened. Your centaur glanced up and his ears lowered instantly. The centaur that walked in was the first officer, the female that you’d seen when you’d first awoken.

“Officer,” your centaur said. The machine that translated everything was apparently quite accurate with tone, so you could tell that he was being both polite and annoyed. “Good to see you.” He was not happy about seeing her. “I am in the middle of something, so if this is not a pressing issue, perhaps we could continue this at a later date?” Please, please fuck off.

The veneer of politeness he was using didn’t let her be outright annoyed, but the machine’s tone when it spoke for her suggested she wasn’t very happy either. “It concerns our guest,” she said, turning her gaze to you. “And it is somewhat pressing.”

Your centaur shuffled his back legs and swung his tail. “Very well. Let’s get you back to the pod.” He ignored her, focusing his gaze on you as he assisted you back to the pod. You let out a sigh of relief as soon as you were in it. Your centaur rotated the pod back into the horizontal position and started to fill it with the thick fluid that let you float comfortably.

The first officer approached, claws clicking softly against the floor as she did so. “The human will want to be awake for this,” she said. “It’s important.”

Your centaur huffed a bit, but he didn’t move to put the sleeping drugs back in your system and just folded his arms up to his chest, in a way reminiscent of a praying mantis, and waited for her to speak.

She cleared her throat and turned her gaze to you. “We’re coming across one of our stations. You will be placed on a shuttle to the station, and then sent on another ship back to Tenso-bara.”

You blinked. What was Tenso-bara?

“In my opinion, that’s not a good idea,” your centaur said. His ears were still flattened, his lips curling back from his teeth just a little. “The hibernation causes weakness and sickness, so it may not be a good idea for travel at this point in the-”

“We are not going to come across another station for several-” The translation stuttered here, blocking the word out. “And we are not in compliance with the endangered species accords. We’re required to send endangered species to occupied worlds that hold to the accords for proper categorization and preservation.”

“Those accords aren’t for fellow intelligent species!” your centaur huffed.

“They were initially designed for non-sapient life, yes, but they do not exclude sapient species. Given what we know, we may be sheparding the last member of the human species.”

“There might be others!” you said. The first officer paused, her gaze going piercing-sharp. “The Ship was designed to separate damaged segments to protect the undamaged parts. The part of the ship I was on was only a small portion of the full thing! There are probably others!”

The first officer paused. “How many others?”

“Um. I think there were around two hundred and fifty thousand. Maybe as many as three hundred thousand? I’m not sure- they were trying to add additional pods at the end, but I was put to sleep before that happened.”

“But there is no guarantee that these other people did survive. Nor do you have any idea where the ship is now.” The first officer’s voice wasn’t cold or cruel, but it wasn’t gentle, either. You drooped a little.

“No. There might be information on the computer about where we were when the impact happened, but if it’s not there, then I don’t know where the ship could be.”

“Then I apologize, but unless we have other living members of the species or some confirmation that the others are alive, then you are under the accords and cannot stay on this ship. It is required for you to be returned to a planet.” She stamped her two front feet in a motion you assumed was like a shrug. “There is nothing I can do.”

“If that’s the case, then I want to make a request,” your centaur said. He stepped forward, practically shielding you from the first officer. “I would like to request a transfer.”

The first officer swung her tail back and forth across the floor, making a soft schff, schff, schff sound. “You wish to go with the human.”             Your centaur’s ears twitched and he rubbed his wrists together. Maybe he was embarrassed at having been so obvious. “Ah, well. Yes. I think it would be a good idea to stay, since I’m already aware of the medical conditions and-”

The first officer stomped one of her feet firmly against the ground. “I will submit the request. But I cannot guarantee it will be approved.” She turned back to you, expression neutral. That you could tell, anyway. Their faces didn’t seem as expressive as a human’s. Or maybe you just couldn’t understand their expressions as well. “You will be transferred in two days.”

Without another word, she left the room. Your centaur made a noise somewhere between a relieved sigh and an irritated huff. Then he turned back toward you. “I apologize about her.”

“What was she talking about?” you asked. He picked up an IV line of sleeping meds and for a moment you thought that he was going to knock you out so he wouldn’t have to answer your questions. But he just fiddled with it for a moment before speaking.

“There are many species in the known universe, and the gradual colonization of these planets has left many of these species  in critical danger, which led to environmental accords. Severely endangered species have laws regarding their transport in space and species in critical danger need to be taken to preserves in order to breed them back to proper levels. Or just keep them until their species naturally goes extinct. Whichever.”

“I’m going to be put on a nature preserve?” you said, trying to sit up. Your centaur immediately tried to usher you to lie back down.

“Probably not for long. I’m sure they’ll work to give you freedom and self-determination and all that. We’re just… required to follow regulations.” He rubbed his wrists together again. “I do want to advocate for you, though, hence why I elected to come with you. And to give you medical care.” He made a series of thumping noises in rapid succession, which the robot apparently interpreted as laughing. “I didn’t get my xenobiologist degree just to hand a medically delicate specimen over to some idiot government worker.” His voice got softer as he continued. “You’re going to be okay.”

It was comforting to hear that reassurance. He slipped the line into the shunt in your arm and you closed your eyes, feeling an unusually peaceful sleep drift over you.

Part 2 here.

[mxmeiyun]

(Kristina comes on around the 3:42 mark.)

Do you see the edits? "I do see the edits. I don't see all of them, but I've seen quite a few. Sometimes I watch these things and I'm like, I was there. I did the scene. I did the scene ten times. Why am I crying?"

When asked about the Mother Superion and Jillian ship: "God knows that, well. Both of them need somebody to love and to love them... Like Mommy, I mean mother, I mean."

"The saddest part is we don't know when we'll see each other again." 😭

Is Beatrice a tea or coffee person? "Tea. I feel she'll know how to prepare every single type of tea and she'll she'll be very anal about how to do that. And she'd probably yell at Ava for doing her tea wrong or whatever."

Is Beatrice really royalty? "No, I don't believe so."

On following ice hockey: "Yeah, the only thing you need to know is don't whack people with the stick no matter how much you want to."

On Beatrice's name: "Sally's gonna haunt me forever. I'll hear it in my dreams, softly whispering in my ear. Sally. Sally. I'll wake up in cold sweats, screaming."

About who's the big spoon: "I think they spoon interchangeably. Take that as you will."

Obviously you're aware of how much of an impact the character Beatrice has had on so many people. But how has she personally impacted you, and what have you taken away from her that you would like to bring to your own life? "Decorum." "I think there's a there's a sense of confidence, even if you are not. Confident in all of yourself, you can still be confident in the parts that you are secure in, and you know your skills. If you're not ready to be completely open and live your truth in full honesty, then it doesn't mean that you still can't have integrity and confidence and stand up for yourself. And integrity of character and belief in my skills that Beatrice has cultivated already, and that I definitely, when I started playing her, I was like, I am an imposter. I'm gonna get fired from the show immediately." "But like you get that feeling when you go to work or whatever. You go to school. You're like, I do not know any of the things that I know and then you slowly start to realize that you do know, and then you're like, OK, I can hold on to that and make that my my backbone for now until I'm ready to face all the other things that I know to be true about myself, but I'm not ready to project into the world or or represent in the in openly in the world."

If you could spend a day with any of the characters, who would it be and why? "I think I'd have a pretty good time with Ava."

Do you think you're more like Ava or Beatrice? "It just kind of depends on the situation. I feel like if you just talk to me and we're like really good friends for a long time, I might come off more like Ava. But I feel like if I'm not really that close to you, I might come off more as a Beatrice."

How are you taking care of yourself in light of today's news? "Well, first of all, thank you. I'm doing fine. I am in therapy. Therapy great, guys." "It certainly feels like a massive hit to the community, and to us, as well. It's important to take those feelings that are coming up now and try to cultivate them into how you can- I'm just speaking for myself, I can't speak for anybody else- but for me it's about how can I turn these feelings into something useful for me going forward rather than languishing in it for too long. Obviously, your feelings are valid and should be felt to their fullest extent, but don't let them consume you, because then that's not doing anyone service." "Someone taught me a method in acting school, my improv teacher, and he said, 'Whenever something bad happens in your life, pretend you're going into this helicopter. The further up you go in that helicopter, the smaller the problem is, the more you can see around you and the more you can see how that problem does or does not affect everything else around your helicopter. And put into context of how you can affect change positively once you come back to the ground, once you're in the midst of it rather than staying too close to the to the issue at hand and and not actually realizing all the other things that are going on." "I think that's that thinking has helped me a lot whenever something kind of goes wrong or things are not going the way I want them to. But take time for self-care. That's like the most important. If you feel like things are overwhelming then it's always important to look at the things to reprioritize um and always prioritize yourself. Spend your own health and your own wellbeing." "Because anything in life, even if it seems like a little thing like this show got cancelled and now you're upset, you know it might seem to some people like a little thing, but their opinion is not a priority. Your wellbeing is a priority, so always keep that in mind." "And HYDRATE."

Responding to a comment about Beatrice really resonating with a lot of fans and praise of her performance, time, and energy: "Thank you... Beatrice launched my career so she's one that i'm definitely going to hold to heart for many many years to come."

Reflecting on her increased visibility: "You know, at this point, it's not a burden. At this point, I can do this with you guys and it's completely fine. It's the same thing with anything; when something new starts happening, you learn to deal with it and where your boundaries are. I've been so lucky that you guys are all so respectful, and I really, really appreciate that from all of you. It's definitely not the norm for every fandom, so it's incredibly special what you have made this to be. So I commend all of you and I'm so grateful."

Were you shocked by the broad reach of the show, or was it something you anticipated? "Definitely. I was surprised when the first season came out, it was so globally successful. I mean, that just goes to show that some subject matter is felt all around the world. And a beauty of Warrior Nun is that there are so many characters everywhere around the world you can definitely find one that you can root for."

Responding to one fan whose wife has recently passed, and with whom she watched the show with love: "Oh my God, you're gonna make me cry. First of all, so sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine how that must be, and I applaud your courage. Thank you. I'm glad this show can be a good memory for you guys and continuing forward. That there's something you can always remember with a warm heart."

Responding to love from Brazil: "I fear if I ever go to Brazil."

"Fear not the bowl of rice, 'tis but a bowl of rice."

Responding to one of the APOP producers wanting to make sure none of their tweets made her uncomfortable: "I'm, like, fully aware of what I've gotten myself into." Do you see all those, Christina? Like, I know there's a joke that you have a burner account, but. "No, I don't. This is my only account."

"I feel like if the pope joins this conversation, he'll no longer be able to call himself His Holiness." Did you see the Warrior Nun stan that recommended the show to the Pope? "No?! Nice... Yeah, somebody just has to tell him to skip that episode, you know?"

*Records an alarm sound for a fan named Janina with increasing intensity*

Wait, Kristina, can you say gay rights? "Wait, what about it?" Just the phrase. "Gay rights." *awkward cheers* "Really lukewarm cheers from the crowd."

Kristina, to Ange Hall: "Well, actually, and I have a question for you. Tell me again, what was the progression of the dickwaffle conversation?" "I feel like Netflix being harassed by penis waffles- someone needs to draw the art of." "Make it rain dickwaffles. No, I mean, obviously, do it respectfully. But like, respectfully make it rain dickwaffles. For legal reasons this is completely a joke. But also, you can't really get mad at dickwaffles. Like, come on."

[cringefaecompilation]

okay actual serious ep80 thoughts now

first things first: "tHeY didn’t LeArN aNyThInG" feels like it’s really reductive. i think people came into this expecting all of their communication problems to be insta-fixed so that they can be a perfect cute little found family and that's just not how bh rolls. i do think that it was a much needed diversion from them constantly forcing themselves into third gear (along with the wok sledding, everyone forgets the wok sledding) to stop the bad guys. other people have pointed out that if not given any instructions they’ll be fine with opening up to each other and being genuine, but they froze and immediately started getting antsy the moment they were told to. i just think that’s funny.

i don’t think imogen and laudna are hypocrites. rather they’re very much stuck with their own traumas and assume that their experiences are universal. imogen thinks she was born cursed and that everything in her life has just been set up to punish her for something she inherently deserves. there’s an abusive cunt off the port bow trapped in laudna’s head that she literally had to force herself to walk away from (and make saving throws to stop) to not be forced into hoovering up that shard without her consent.

they both saw fearne shrug off dozens of times she could have died horribly or faced terrible consequences and get off scott-free and missed the forest for the trees. they want her to take power because she can actively consent to it rather than be slapped with insane power at a young age and then forced to course-correct, which probably explains why they got so angry at ashton for "tricking" her: they saw it as them taking something she could use to better herself.

and on that note, laudna telling fearne she’s glad she could make her choice didn’t feel like it was backhanded, envious, bitter, none of that. i think she genuinely does see this as fearne making a choice on her own behalf in a way that she is incapable of.

the whole kerfuffle with callowmoore didn’t make me hate the ship, but it did make me even less fond of the fans of it given the shippers who turned on ashton saying all kindsa nasty shit that got disproved in the 4sd. i’ve always preferred the idea of a slowburn with these two because ashley has said fearne is unsure of how she would handle love or a relationship herself and now taliesin has said that ashton finds themselves unlovable.

as much as i joke and bitch, i don’t think that everyone’s been "forcing the ship" so much as they’ve been assuming that the constant flirtations between the two of them will make them more comfortable with taking the shard and meeting in the middle. the two of them deciding to be friends for the moment is far superior and makes the slow burn way more likable because now it’s something on their own terms rather than them getting together because they were told to.

irregardless of it stays platonic or develops into romance "callowmoore is abusive" is a terrible take no matter if you like the ship or hate it and i hate that it got blown so far out of proportion anditmademelegithateanothershipbutlikethatsnotimportantrightnowandidontwantpeopletogetmadatmeokay.

and yet! there’s always going to be this huge discomfort of the fact that fearne was always unsure about taking it, didn’t explain why she was unsure to anybody expect for chetney (and orym should have fucking said something), and then just decided to take it just so people would stop hassling her about it. she wasn’t forced into taking it but she certainly was backed into a corner about it. she did not ever want it but she saw that it was making everyone really upset and took it because hey, might as well.

"we all might as well" is something everyone’s been saying and while everyone else has their reasons for making the best out of a terrible situation, fearne notably did not have the exact same problem that most of them shared (i have this insane power inside me threatening to blow at any given second that i just have to live with on a daily basis). she wasn’t even aware of the raw deal she had been saddled in her existence with until it was pointed out to her!

long story short the main problem it seems that bh has to get over is just assuming they know what's best for each other. it should’ve been fcg and i will die on that hill. let ashton have a robot sister.

[moondrop-writes]

Can you write Jason x Daughter of Hecate? Both of them are on the Argo 2 btw. Jason is dating Piper but he starts to fall in love with the reader who already likes him? She also has a bestie who is a daughter of Hermes. Reader is a recrenation of Helen of Troy, who is put into an endless cycle of heartbreak but when she meets Jason the cycle gets broken. But she is really afraid of falling in love. Sorry if I am being to specific 😭😭

i mean...i can certainly try! sorry this took a while! i wanted to make it good but then i got caught up with other things. enjoy!

You rested your hand on the ship's railing, the wind blowing against your sweat-slicked skin as you looked across the vast ocean sea where it met the skyline in a burst of orange and pink hues.

The air tasted of salt and a slight tinge of iron from the battle just an hour prior. Water sloshed against the ship's edge, and you could hear Coach Hedge complain about a lack of ambrosia squares. You blinked, your brows furrowing, and you covered a slowly oozing cut on your palm from a vicious fight with harpies.

Sucking in a breath, your hands left the side of the desk, and latched onto the mirror attached to your belt next to your prized dagger.

You held it up to your face, catching your haggard look in the reflection. The mirror was a gift from your mother, Hecate, when you both discovered you'd been a reincarnation of one of Greek mythologies most beautiful mortals. You'd never really felt a connection to your past self, other than this deep unsettling feeling of being miserable in every relationship you've ever been in.

Taking in a deep breath, you whispered into the air, "Show me Alice Miyazawa."

The mirror bubbled, and suddenly you had a view of your best friend from camp.

Alice sat in bed, frowning as she tinkered with undoubtedly some kind of pranking device. "Alice?" you asked, your voice coming out filtered. You cringed when you heard yourself on the other side, but laughed when she snapped her head up, a guilty look on her face.

"Huh? What? Oh, shit, Y/N! It's been forever, what's up?"

You knew Alice couldn't see you, the mirrors magic didn't extend itself that far, but Alice always pretended like she could. If anybody else saw her, she'd probably look weird staring off into space, but she always managed to look directly at the direction of the mirror.

Ungracefully, Alice stuffed whatever the device she was tinkering with under her pillow. Giggling, you responded, "nothing much. Same old, same old. A lot of water, a lot of annoying monsters. We're headed towards the House of Hades though! It's progress, at least."

Alice tilted her head, a sympathetic smile on her lips. "Hey, you're getting somewhere, can't say the same for the rest of us. We've just been here like sitting ducks."

You sigh, "don't say that. You're protecting Camp, no matter how small of a task it may seem at the moment."

Alice hums, like she doesn't really believe you, and shrugs.

"Anyways, Connor just did the stupidest--" Alice begins, but she's cut off by a shout.

"Y/N!" the voice is deep and rich, and you know who it is immediately. You whip around, finding him at the base of the stairs, eyes bright with excitement. "C'mon!"

Jason.

Blinking, you stutter to get out words. What was going on? Was everybody alright?

Alice smirks, her grin entirely catlike. "Go get your man, girl."

Blushing furiously, you will away Alice's image, and tuck your mirror back into its slot at your belt.

You run over, and the two of you keep an even pace as you head below deck. "What's wrong?" you ask, pulling your hair back from your face.

He furrows his brow, "Did you forget?"

You shrug, "yes? I wouldn't have asked If I hadn't," you huffed, crossing your arms. You both stop short of the dining room.

He smiles, an easy thing that has your head feel light. Your heart beats, and you push it down and away from your mind. You have no right to go falling for stupid, handsome, Jason Grace.

"Movie night, Y/N. We needed a break, you know that well enough."

"Right," you said, nodding. Movie night. Just the thing you needed. Even though Percy and Annabeth were currently walking through Tartarus, we were watching movies. Makes total sense, right? No. You hated the idea. But you also understood. Breaks were a neccesary evil.

You both entered the room, and Piper's eyes draw to you. You notice she isn't looking at Jason but you. Her gaze is searching, and catches at your mirror at your hip before floating to the dagger she was twirling between her fingers.

It was the famous dagger of Helen of Troy. Rumors used to say that Helen used it to sneak Paris into the castle so they could escape off into the night outside of the her husband, and the guards vision. Now, it belonged to Piper, and she wasn't even sure how to yield it's magical properties. You felt bad for her because of it. Willing the magic in your mirror had been so easy for you, yet it took intense bouts of concentration for it to even give her a glimpse.

You frowned, and your hand hovered over your mirror before retreating back into your pocket. Maybe it was easier for you because your mother was the goddess of magic, or because as Helen that dagger had been your own. Either way, Piper had denied the offers you'd made to help her out. Was she scared you were going to try and take the dagger from her? You didn't know. But what you did know is that Piper was as stubborn as a mule.

It's kind of what you liked about her.

You wondered if that's what Jason liked about her too.

He smiled, though not as easy as the one he'd given you beforehand, and took his spot next to Piper. The projector flickered to life on the wall. Leo was at the side, tinkering with Annabeth's laptop in order to play the movie. When Jason noticed that you hadn't moved from the door, he patted the spot next to him on the floor, where a pile of blankets and pillows had been scattered about.

Slowly, you walked over and sat down. You were so clearly awkward, but Jason paid it no mind. With one arm around Piper, he nudged your shoulder and smiled.

You felt your vision blur, and you looked away with a huff as your cheeks tinged red.

Stupid Jason Grace with his stupid smile and stupid gorgeous eyes. You didn't need his crap anymore. You didn't need anybody's crap, no matter how pretty they were.

--

You looked over to Hazel, who was chewing on her lip nervously. Her eyes flit to you and shrugged. Beside her, Nico and Frank sat tense, just as awkward as you had been only a few hours ago.

Jason and Piper were fighting. Or well, what they called "talking". Thankfully, they'd traveled down the hall, Leo following hesitantly.

Now, the three of you were just waiting, listening to Piper's huffs and groans, Jason's rising temper, and Leo's quiet attempts at diffusing the situation as Hedge's TV blared from his room. All the sounds jumbled about, and you slid a little closer to Hazel.

"Internal fighting is the source of the issue," she whispered to you, and you tugged on one of her girls. It bounced right back into place. "I mean, it's the whole reason the war exists. The gods fighting with their own kin, and what not. Sometimes I wished people realized that."

You nodded your agreement. She was right. Discomfort within the group would just cause them to go backwards. Nico shifted beside her and looked at you. Out of all of the seven, you knew Nico the best. You'd met Annabeth and Percy first, but Nico had been the one you'd truly talked with and bonded to. He was the whole reason you'd even agreed to getting on the damn ship.

While Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were out saving the world and stuff, you and Nico had been bonding over your statuses. Him as the son of Hades, you as a myth reincarnation. Both of you made people uncomfortable for different reasons. They thought he was dangerous, they thought you were a sign from the gods.

It was annoying to no end.

"We aren't going to get to Percy and Annabeth if they keep doing this," he says, voice low and quiet. His eyes are narrowed, and beside him, Frank shivers.

"You have to let them diffuse it on their own though. There's nothing we can do other than be supportive," Frank points out, and when Nico cuts him a glance he shrinks back. You give him a smile, hoping it would ease his nerves.

Leo stepped back into the room, rubbing at his elbow, a gloomy Piper at his side.

"Jason's gone off to blow off some steam. He'll be back," Leo says, glancing over to Piper who silently retakes her seat. Without Jason between you, your arms are pressed up against one another.

The group falls back into silence, though now tense, and Leo un-pauses the movie. Soon the only sounds are the shifting of blankets and the movie's audio. You turn to Piper and lower your voice.

"Everything okay?"

She looks at you, her gaze a lot harsher than it'd been before. Then something dawns on her, and she shakes her head. She runs a hand through her hair, and nods. "Yeah, we're fine. Jason's fine. I'm fine. Thanks."

"Uh, okay," you say, and you look back to the screen.

It's like that for a little longer, until your mirror brushes her dagger.

You feel the effects before you seem them. A spark runs up your body, and both of you straighten. A bout of static electricity bounces between you and you barely get the chance to look at each other before your vision is being taken from you.

Piper's face is set hard in your vision, and her fists are balled up against Jason's chest. He's frowning, and electricity is dancing across his knuckles. Leo looks between to the two of them, hands raised.

"Admit it!" Piper screams, pushing Jason back against the wall. He groans when he makes contact and pulls her wrists from his chest. She yelps and yanks her hand back. Her fingers are twitching with energy from where his lightning-touched hands had zapped hers.

"What is there to say?" he growls out, advancing. Piper doesn't back down, and steps forward too. She isn't nearly as tall as him, but she's getting there, and her eyes meet his.

"You're pathetic, Jason. You need to step out of this stupid label you've put yourself in. You like her, admit it! I've accepted it so why can't you?"

Jason falters, and Leo coughs. "Uh, Pipes, maybe we should--"

She snaps at him, teeth pulled back in a snarl, "No Leo, we should have this conversation! I'm tired of being his pretty little security net because he's scared of his own feelings. She's perfect for you Jason, so go!"

"I don't want to lose her, Piper!"

Piper's eyes flash, and her skin seems to grow a bit more vibrant, and her hair a lot more luscious. Passion screams in all of her being.

You watch in third person as realization dawns in Leo and Jason's eyes.

The blessing of Aphrodite.

"You're going to lose her to war. She's going to die one day without you, married off to someone else because you were too much of a coward to say you love her. Admit it. You love her. It's clear as day."

Piper was passionate about this, and Aphrodite must've been too. The goddess of love was trying to help Piper get her point across in the only way she knew how. Beauty.

"When she's gone, don't come crawling back to me, Grace," she spits, and walks off. Leo stands there, eyes cautiously hovering over Jason. His hands clench around air.

"Jason--"

"I'll be back...I've got---I've got to get all this energy out," he holds up a fist covered in bright electric lightning to emphasize his point. Leo nods, and pivots on his foot to follow after Piper.

Your vision comes back, and you find Hazel standing by you, one hand on your back, the other brushing your hair from your sweaty forehead. You glance over to find Leo doing the same thing to a recovering Piper.

She'd seen it too. She'd felt it. She'd lived it.

Piper looks over and the message is clear as day.

"Don't say anything," her eyes scream.

You nod softly.

[sindirimba]

🧩🍓🥑

🧩 what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately? as far as grammar and whatnot i'm pretty forgiving usually. but one thing that will always make me give up are giant unbroken paragraphs purely because i just can't physically read them. a lot of tumblr posts are no gos for the same reason. use a damn paragraph break!!!

otherwise, egregiously out of character actions are a big one. common answer but it's true. i like the characters, that's why i'm reading about them, obviously. also, 'character centric' stories that aren't actually about the character but are actually about the fandom preferred characters instead and the other one is just there as audience stand in. aka the nile problem in TOG fandom.

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction?  i answered this properly here but i'll be cheeky and ramble more. i lost my interest in fandom for like almost a decade. i would occasionally watch something and then glance at ao3 but nothing really captured my interest. and then i started seeing gifsets for TOG floating around on tumblr and was like, oh nile looks cool. canon m/m couple, that's nice. well it's now valentine's day 2021 and i've got nothing else to do on this night, i'm going to watch that movie tumblr keeps showing me evidence of. and after watching it i was like 1) wow i loved that 2) i want to know mooooore and 3) are people shipping nile and booker because 👀 and here i am. fun story i guess.

🥑 you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help? my first thought was @gaal-dornick because she could maybe help me go on the lam in brazil. maybe @nevermindirah because i think they're the closest person i live near (and still not very close, mind, but) and could help with body burial perhaps. or @rob-anybody or @bossymarmalade who could also help me escape to canada, as another option. i have too many connections. i'm so going to jail, fuck.

thank you 🖤

[cyber-streak-2]

May I please ask for Headcannons for the Scavengers finding a human child reader as a sole surviver damaged abandoned space ship?

(IDW1/MTMTE) Scavengers (Krok, Misfire, & Fulcrum) with a Human Child Reader as the only survivor on a space-ship:

Fulcrum

{He’d accompanied the group when they found a damaged space-ship and decided to take a look around. They didn’t find anything all that useful inside, nor did they find anybody... except you.}

{Fulcrum is actually the one to find you... after already finding a lot of deceased humans that he had to walk past.}

{You notice him pretty quickly, but by then, he’s already leaving to get back to the others—much to Fulcrum’s disgust, you’re following him and grab at him a couple of times—he seems to shiver every time you touch him.}

{The group decides to take you back to the WAP in the end, and Misfire wants to take you—who, is still right by Fulcrum and hugging his leg—despite him trying to move you, you just keep doing it. You don’t react that well to Misfire, and immediately move back to Fulcrum.}

{The decision is made to make Fulcrum over you- mainly since you seem to like him the most, and since it doesn’t seem like you really want to leave him—much to the mech’s horror.}

{He tries to give you anything you need. They don’t just have food on the ship that’s acceptable for humans, so whenever the group stops on a Planet, he has to try and find anything for you.}

{As time goes on, Fulcrum starts to realize that you really aren’t that bad, and does care for you, and enjoys taking care of you with the other Scav’s.}

{He’ll let you watch him work on whatever he may be doing at the moment, and sometimes bring you along for the little jobs he has to do around the ship.}

Misfire

{He wandered off in the abandoned space ship by himself, and immediately found you—in the corner, terrified. Not of him, but of everything else that had happened before the Scavengers showed up.}

{It had been half an hour since the others last saw Misfire—so when Fulcrum shows up to find his friend, he’s unpleasantly surprised to discover that he’s with a live human—which Misfire puts you so up close to him.}

{When the decision is made to keep you/take you, Misfire immediately decides to do it, before already taking you on a tour, and showing you to Grimlock.}

{There’s a lot of talking between the two of you, and bits of chaos that the two of you get into, as-well.}

{He doesn’t know too much about humans- so whenever you need something, like food, he just gathers a bunch with the other Scav’s, hoping that at least something will be edible.}

{You’ve got a caring Jet & his Dinobot buddy to watch over you, as well as the others.}

Krok

{He hears sobbing, and goes to the source—where he finds you, hugging the body of an older human who you sort of resemble—it must be a parent. And... he feels bad.}

{You hear him, and hurry over to him—just wanting somebody. He ends up picking you up and talking to you, while going to find the rest of his crew to get their input.}

{Krok is the mech that you stick with the most/watches over you the most, but you do still get watched over by the others—even if it took a little while for some of them. Krok is probably the best, though.}

{He tries his best to comfort you if you ever start talking about the others who died on the space-ship—he knows what it’s like to lose people close to him.}

{He can be protective over you- especially with how their typical adventures can go.}

{Food & water is a bit of a problem, but he tries to get enough edible stuff for you- and if you ever mention a favorite, he tries to get that.}

[just-antithings]

I found this rant in my notes from, like June of 2021. I have no idea what it was in response to, but I thought y'all might appreciate it, so here goes:

So, the anti-shipping movement is closely entwined with--although not identical to--the anti-kink movement. (Both are subsidiaries of the radfem poison that's been creeping through society and fandom as of late, but that's a discussion for another time.) For the uninitiated, anti-kinksters oppose basically any "unconventional" sexual activities such as BDSM, DDLG, furry stuff, and all sorts of other shit consenting adults do in their bedrooms (or sex dungeons).

Now, these fuckers are just wild to me. I think anti-shipping is bonkers, but I at least get the idea behind it: Namely, that people can be bullied out of--publicly, at least--shipping certain things. Making ship fic/art is a relatively niche hobby, and fandoms are ephemeral. So if you can make it socially unacceptable to write about Ship A for, say, five years, you may have eliminated that ship altogether. You don't need to keep doing it forever because a fandom's popularity will eventually wane.

Kink does not work this way. Sexual fetishes have existed for all of human history. Many of them are, if not innate, formed in early childhood. You can't keep people from being kinky. Even if the human race started over tomorrow with no memory of anything that came before, people would immediately start trying to find newer and weirder ways to fuck, because that's just sort of what people do.

So... what the fuck do anti-kinksters want, exactly? You can't stop people from having these desires. Do they want people to stop acting on these desires with other consenting adults? What possible good could that do anyone? How would you decide what counts as kink? How could you ever enforce that? Sure, there's always shame, but a) there's already a good deal of shame associated with many kinks b) if there's one thing I've learned from true crime podcasts, it's that somebody who's shamed for their sexual interests is one head injury away from being a serial killer.

Do they just want kinksters to stop making porn? I reiterate: Fucking why? You're an adult, you can hit the back button if you see something you don't like. I do it every single day. It's easy, I promise.

Of course, antis of every variety like to whinge about "the children." It will traumatize the children or make them vulnerable to pedophiles or whatever (which, holy shit, way to blame the victim). To which I say: Why the fuck are your kids in any position to see porn of any kind, and how is this anybody else's problem? Complaining that your kid saw porn on the internet is like complaining that you gave your kid enough money for a ticket, dropped them off at the theater alone, and returned to find out they'd watched an R-rated movie. Like, no shit, Sherlock, what did you think was going to happen?

Nobody made you give your kid internet access. Nobody made you fail to supervise them. Nobody made you be too lazy to set up parental controls, or forget to teach them basic internet safety protocols, or avoid giving them the talk and just hope their school would take care of it. That shit's on you. Maybe, depending on the circumstances, the platform your kid was using is at fault for not having good filtering, or the content creators were at fault for failing to tag stuff properly. At no point in the equation is it the fault of some random dude who just happens to be into balloons or raw pizza dough or whatever.

So... this was a very long rant about anti-kinksters that may not even belong here. In conclusion, parent your fucking kids.

[httyddragonfox]

The horror of Season 5 episode 8

Hoo boy, here we go... Let's actually start with episode 7. So they saved the baitlings, just enjoying their trip to the sea of the cast out getting into some shenanigans along the way. They then realize they are being followed by the Pirate King. Easy enough to lose him, right? Let's just zip through some fog, they won't be able to follow us, especially if we're going to fast for them.

Apparently they are able to still trail them. Okay...let's just make them stop, then we'll be able to get away. Apparently, that doesn't stop them either, they just switch to manual. Last option here, let's navigate ourselves through some jagged rocks. With a ship that big they won't be able to follow us through there.

Turns out the ship is a giant hermit crab...so jagged rocks aren't really a problem. Okay, so we were doomed from the start then. The ship is portrayed like a super persistent predator, that will never stop hunting them. No wonder they gave up.

Earlier, they were told he flips a coin to decide the fate of his captives. Heads you're killed, Tails you'll be wishing you were dead. Of course, it turns up tails. You're in for the long haul...

First thing that happens is that the group is seperated, not only from their animal friends, but they took a human friend too...Callum. They'd be pacing their cell with worry over what was happening to him.

Callum immediately demands to know where his friends are, and then learns one is already gone (Oh no!), she flew off (Phew). Finnegran tells Callum he go free if he tells him what he wants to know, a dark magic spell. Normally this would be no issue, for anybody else. Callum doesn't want to hurt anybody or anything, which dark magic usually does and requires you to do. It'd be worse if Finnegran expected Callum to perform it, but none the less, Callum wants nothing to do with it and certainly won't help the man who was going to kill baitlings and locked up his friends. Also, I'd like to note; Finnegran mentioned Callum could go free, but I don't think he mentioned his friends could go free. If Callum I would never abandon them, of course Finnegran might just toss my friend's freedom into the mix to sweeten the deal. My reaction:

"Aww...still no. I won't help you hurt anyone."

Then comes the torture...Callum is punched with electric fish. We don't see it, but we hear it. Callum's actually pretty tough, letting out a small grunt or tiny yell whenever punched. If I were him, mine would be a little stronger than that.

Finnegran gets Callum to confess he actually did use dark magic once upon a time, turning chains into snakes to save his friends, and that he actually researched dark magic spells (To know about, not to use). Finnegran then confesses he wants the spell to kill the archdragon Domina Profundis, the spell that killed the dragon king. Not only does Callum have regrets over the fact his father took part in that spell, but Callum is super against murder, he will not be complicit in it. When Finnegran explains why he wants the dragon dead, Callum calls him out on his desire for control. Finnegran, hating being called out, decides to make Callum suffer by also giving him the illusion of control.

Callum is forced on deck, as are his friends who see how much Callum has suffered under Finnegran so far. The Draggang is probably scared of what might happen next, seeing as they haven't gotten the 'tails' deal yet. Finnegran says that Callum will decide whose hand will be chopped off for stealing the baitlings. That is a cruel decision, crippling one of his friends, of course Callum would refuse to decide. Finnegran tells him he has no choice but to decide, or they'll all suffer. His friends then decide to decide for him, offering themselves up for the punishment so no one else would have to, and that way Callum doesn't have to suffer with the burden of the choice. Ezran, the naive child, believes Finnegran just wants justice, but I believe it was apparent he was trying to make Callum suffer. If I was one of the Draggang I'd be wondering why was he choosing to torture Callum like this. I'd want to ease the burden too.

Finnegran doesn't understand this, also it's not as fun if they are all offering. Callum points out this is because they love each other and they'll always protect each other, so he can't get to them like that and control them. Finnegran calls out the notion, saying loyalty enslaves a person to others, where their own self doesn't even matter. He then tries to prove it by getting Callum to release his friends with dark magic, if he's so loyal it wouldn't matter how dark the deed was, his friend's freedom is worth it, right? Callum is now in a conundrum. If he doesn't release them, they'll still be imprisioned and tortured and he'll be a bad friend who could've saved them. Of course if he does save them, he'll have to use dark magic again, something he swore not to do, something that made him vulnerable to Aaravos in the first place. Betray his friends, or betray himself, another sadistic choice. Yet he does love his friends more than anything...

Seeing him actually consider this, his friends beg him not to go through with it. They know it's tearing him apart, they are basically saying we'll continue to take this imprisonment and torture than have you betray yourself. Rayla then escapes her bindings to try to tell Callum he doesn't need to free them, she can free them. Tries to give him a third option. Of course before she can attack Finnegran and save Callum he freezes her blood.

He never mentioned he could do that! So much for what he was saying before that if Callum freed them they'd be free to go, they were never free and never could be no matter what Callum did! He would have dirtied himself for nothing! Not only that, but Finnegran's sadistic choices are what led to this, to Rayla being tortured.

Imagine what it'd feel like to have your blood freeze. The body works by having the blood constantly move around your body, and then suddenly it stops. Not just stops...gets hard in your veins...not just hard, it's ice, and do you know how sharp ice flecks could be? Your body is not only cold and not functioning properly, but as your blood freezes it would probably feel as if your veins are being stabbed with a punch of tiny knifes.

Callum would hate that Finnegran has trapped them like this, that he's torturing them like this; not just him, but the girl he loves. Seeing it before him, would make him snap.

I've snapped before; caused by anger and fear, it's an anxiety thing. Funny enough I also did it when I was 17. Of course, when I snapped all I did was shriek, and run from the room holding my ears. When you snap, you only have a little bit of control over yourself. I felt sorta possessed when it happened. The shrieking I couldn't control; I could only control where I was running, but not the fact that I ran. Fight or flight, never freeze, that's what happens when you snap. Either you react with violence, or you just run. The only reason I didn't attack those who caused it was because i conditioned myself to not resort to violence. If I didn't have problems with my class for years, I might have attacked them, especially if I knew where they were.

So, how would Callum have felt here? He probably felt that Rayla continue to suffer unless he did something. He knew who was causing it, he just had to act. So he attacked him, and punched him square in the nose. Of course, now Finnegran is mad. Callum defied him in front of his crew. Shaking his foundation of total control.

Callum is knocked out. Don't try to punch someone out, they may not live to tell the tale. I would be fearing for Callum's life here if I was one of his friends. He wakes up chained up in the captain's cabin again, and Bait is in a different cage now. Finnegran is pointing out that Callum can easily lose himself due to his loyalty. He assures Callum that Bait is just bait, but he won't die, Rayla will though. He probably knows how much Callum cares about her at this point. Finnegran seems to know how to hurt a person. Callum is desperate here, as he can't do anything chained up, he can't fight him. He would do anything to save Rayla, even give up a spell that would take a dragon's life. He tells him the spell components, I probably would have told him the incantation backwards that was needed as well, but to each their own. Of course, like before, Finnegran informs Callum that his actions won't save anyone.

Callum is heartbroken, he probably cries a little understanding the hopelessness of the situation. Rayla is going to die, and there is nothing he can do to save her...unless.

So he manages to get out in time to save Rayla with two consecutive Sky spells. Finnegran is not sure how Callum got out, but he won't let him defy him. He starts freezing his blood. Callum is not so agonized as Rayla was, probably because he's already been through a lot. Electricution, being pummeled, and then dark magic making him feel all icky. He's able to keep calm through the pain, and bring his thoughts together.

He knows about trust, he trusts Rayla unconditionally. To love is to know this, the tides are true as the ocean is deep. The tides cannot be stopped, the ocean is so deep it's unknowable. There is never full control of the ocean, never full knowledge of it. You have to trust in the power of the tides, trust in the endless depth of the ocean. Akiyuu, whilst telling him to shut up, did say "your mind should listen when you feel it should speak,"... that's trust. Callum's felt very powerless this whole time, unable to do anything, despite his agency he had a lack of control. Lastly, Finnegran wants control, so obviously he knows he doesn't have it entirely.

Putting your trust in the power of the ocean and working with it, that's the ocean Arcanum. So Callum allows the power to return to the fluids in his body. Callum then explains what he knows, there are things you can't know, and things you can't control. He calls out Finnegran, saying he's terrified of what he can't control. Finnegran, who hates being called out, moreso in front of his crew, decides to make an example of Callum and has 'Deadwood' start choking him out. He wants to kill Callum!

Rayla is about to jump in and help again, but Soren takes a stand for her. He shows empathy to Elmer and gets him to stand up to his abusive captain. In the process though, he gets pummeled a few times. This guy hits hard, so they were probably afraid this guy was going to kill him if he didn't stand down. Callum was going to jump in and help him despite being strangled a moment ago. Soren tells him no, and Callum trusts his friend enough to stay down. He was probably still terrified at what might happen. Soren refuses to back down though, inspiring Elmer to fight back. Elmer than tosses that Control freak captain into the monster's mouth.

After which, the obviously grateful crew allow Villads to be the new captain, and set all their animal friends free.

However, Callum is processing everything that has happened,now that the fight's over. He's defeated and broken. In a way, Finnegran did win, because Callum did use dark magic again. He is a bit more vulnerable now. He proved that dark magic isn't off the table for him, as well as made himself more open for Aaravos' control.

Yes, destiny is a book you write yourself, but there are also things more powerful than you that you can't control. Knowing that would be scary. Callum probably realized that in way...he is helpless.

[anuninterestingperson]

Isiloop?

(ask meme here) fullgame isat spoilers including two hats below the cut

ok so. a fun fact about why i started playing isat specifically when i did lol. is that i was planning on playing it, but in that nebulous adhd sort of 'i want to play this, who knows when it will happen though!' way, and what actually gave me the motivation to start last november was that i saw a post implying that loop was gay for sif. i played the prologue right before isat, so i knew isa had a thing for sif and i shipped it immediately, but i also always had an eyes emoji set loop's way.....just in case, y'know.......and loop says SO many vaguely fruity things about sif lol. but i was like ok isafrin canon, i'll write something for that. but i couldn't think of anything until somebody on isatcord (i think jokingly) mentioned isa/sif/loop and at first i was like 'yeah sure haha' and then i was like. wait. no. no that works. that works very well actually. oh my god that works SO well. and i have been lost in the sauce ever since

my favorite thing about sif and loop together is that they are the people who uniquely have the most power to hurt each other but also the most power to help. like that moment in the touch therapy sequence where loop reaches out to sif when nobody else can, when sif tells loop that they don't need to talk they can just sit together and then they sit silently....it's such a good dynamic.....sif and isa are obvious, they're both so sweet and they can do so much for each other. help each other know that they are both loved no matter what! and then loop and isa, god there's so much angst there because loop knows the isa they shared everything with is gone but isa is still isa, and isa has so much love to give and would have so much to give to loop in particular....all together i just think they would heal each other so much you know? sif and loop know each other and their circumstances better than anybody else can, isa loves them both, and they both love isa enough to help him with knowing that he deserves that no matter who he is or how he changes or doesn't change. head in hands there's just so much love there it makes me emotional

apparently 'sloopis is a shitty shipname' is an unpopular opinion now???? what have i done. /hj ummmm idk what else might there be 🤔 idk! i think it's a new enough ship it hasn't had much of a chance to accrue a lot of bad opinions hahaha

[mrawkweird]

I finally got see Scooby Doo Mystery Inc, and much like Spectacular Spiderman it lived up hype. It really does feel like it's everything what other bigger bolder Scooby projects tried to do and fails. It's more mature but not overbearing, has a very solid and subtle crossover with other Hanna Barbera series like Blue Falcon and Johnny Quest and a over arching story. Plus shit's just mad funny. I think the only downside is the romance specifically the one with Shag and Velma, it's focused on so much but they're both very unlikable during it, Velma for being overbearing and controlling and Shaggy for being so passive and refusing to commit plus Scooby being mad jealous for no reason. Later he has no problem with Shaggy dating the one china girl and Scoob himself get's a girlfriend so I can't see the problem.

Also from what I heard about Hot Dog Water I would assume she was in way more episodes be she's in so little that personally I find her big ship with Velma unearned.

Also I hate her chicken legs, like she looks like her legs should immediately break just by standing up

For me Mystery Incorporated will always be my favorite Scooby-Doo series because they really took the typical formula and asked "What if Scooby-Doo had an arc?". They took it to a new level and they didn't lose sight of the characters and what makes Scooby-Doo, well, Scooby-Fucking-Doo. You know, unlike certain things that fell off 4 episodes after my first initial half praise.

I honestly just use this series to push me to get back into drawing now.

Also, if I had to compare the whole Shaggy/Velma/Scooby thing to something I would definitely say it was their Troy/Britta/Abed moment from Season 4 of Community. The writers created a situation to show why they thought the pairing wouldn't work out but in my heart I'll always know what could have been if handled better. Fortunately like Community it's just a minor stumble that doesn't bring down the whole series.

They did also feed my years of Shaggy X Daphne curiosity so that brought the points back up.

And the thing about Velma and Hot Dog Water is that I wouldn't necessarily say it's unearned but more so that people did a little too much hyping it up for what we got. That sort of hype personally drives me crazy these days because it's like, if this is supposed to be natural then treat it naturally. Let's not start bouncing off the walls making it seem like an anomaly just occurred in front of our faces anytime a show or movie does this. I say "these days" but this was back in 2013 so I guess I can give it something of a pass because they touched on the possibility of Velma canonically being into women in anything before anybody else. Now fast forward to last year where everybody went "OMG; Velma's gay in the latest movie" . When I tell you this was one of the least breaking news things I ever heard. Like "Congratulations on finding out Velma likes every candy in the store. We been here".

Needless to say Mystery Incorporated is something I feel a lot of people who are into Scooby-Doo should experience. Especially if they're looking for something a little more mature than they're used to. Between this and Scoobynatural they won't need what HBO Max is pushing. We would have gotten more with them but just like Spectacular Spider-Man they got cancelled out their plans for a third season. Thankfully unlike Spectacular they were able to end in a way that can feel like a definite series ending. RIP to them chicken legs. May they be getting worn out somewhere.

[clintbeifong]

@hollygl125 thanks for the ask!

The West Wing

The first character I first fell in love with: CJ. I was waiting to fall for Josh or Donna, but then oops the six foot tall disaster bisexual stole my heart.

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Leo! I don’t usually go for the grumpy old man trope but damn I love that grumpy old man.

The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Abbey Bartlet.

The character I love that everyone else hates: Danny Concannon. I’ve gotten the sense that he brings up strong feelings over whether he should have ended up with CJ. He had me at “goldfish.”

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: Will. Started interesting; turned into a prick.

The character I would totally smooch: CJ

The character I’d want to be like: Joey Lucas. She’s so on top of things.

The character I’d slap: Josh in season 6-7 when he just can’t get on the same page with Santos.

A pairing that I love: CJ/Danny

A pairing that I despise: Despise is a strong word, but I never cared much about Zoey and Charlie.

CSI

The first character I first fell in love with: Grissom! The first scene of CSI I ever saw was Grissom’s interrogation at the end of 3x15 “Lady Heather’s Box.” I was immediately enthralled with how collected (and not quite smug but...something?) he was and I needed to see more of this show STAT! (I did.)

The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Lady Heather

 The character everyone else loves that I don’t: Nick maybe? I mean he’s fine I just don’t always find him all that interesting.

The character I love that everyone else hates forgets: The funky little mortician with the casket-reselling scam that the gang consults every once in a while in the early seasons. That’s like Pushing Daisies shit, I love it.

The character I used to love but don’t any longer: I don’t think I liked anybody less since I’ve gotten back into the show. (I only truly watched through season 8 though).

The character I would totally smooch: would rather watch Grissom and Sara smooch each other, but Sara if necessary

The character I’d want to be like: Grissom

The character I’d slap: I would not slap Grissom but I would like to shake him vigorously by the shoulders during season 4. Would slap Ecklie.

A pairing that I love: GSR!

A pairing that I despise: I don’t care about an other CSI ships enough to despise them including Grissom x Heather! I think their dynamic only makes both characters and GSR more fascinating and I do not care if they slept together during Lady Heather’s Box.

[blackicephantom]

Genshin Impact - Wrath of a God 4

One more to go, I promise!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Through the rest of the time they kept their silence, enjoying the last few precious moments they’ve got with each other. It was…. comfortable, something that Childe wasn’t all that often outside of a battlefield. But with every passing minute, a pit opened up in his stomach. He knew his Queen. And yet he wasn’t sure what his punishment would be, because weakness is always punished, no matter the circumstances.

What felt like a small eternity later their small bubble was busted by a loud knock on the door. It was Aether. “They’ve reached the Harbour.” Nothing else was needed before Tartaglia went through the pain of getting dressed. First the shirt followed by the jacket and scarf, then his boots and his mask. The last piece of clothing left were his gloves….Before he pulled them on he looked up at the older man, locked eyes with him and kissed the geo symbol on his hand gently. After that they waited for the inevitable. 

Minutes later the door flew open and a group of five entered, immediately surrounding the Harbinger. The apparent leader stepped forward and held out what looked like a letter, intended for Zhongli. “We are here on her Majesty's orders to retrieve the 11th Harbinger and bring him back to Snezhnaya.” The brunette took the paper and just nodded, stepping back from them and from Childe.

Without another word everyone moved, Tartaglia in the middle of the guards. As if anybody or anything would be stupid enough to harm him, but the poor men had orders. Orders they would follow to a T.

Once outside it seemed as if all of Liyue had gathered. There were people everywhere! Ajax saw quite a few familiar faces among the masses: Restaurant owners, merchants, visitors of the bank. Even Xianling and her friends….But he just looked ahead, because if he looked at them they would be in danger too. And he put these people through enough already. The ship was in sight and the pit in his belly just kept growing. Something just felt off…….But he just couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was. 

`Ten more steps, then I’m on my way home….Nine, eight, seven, six, five…….four, three…..two……one.´  With that last step the ginger finally turned around and gasped. There, high up on the cliff, were Liyue’s  Adepti. And right at their helm was Rex Lapis, lips pulled into a frown and eyes narrowed with his arms at his back. Right beside him crouched Xiao, spear in hand and ready to jump at one single command. This united front took his breath away, because it was one last massage they were to take back with them. Liyue will not fall, because Rex Lapis was ready and not afraid. “She will not keep you away from me.”

The hand with the Geo Archons emblem unconsciously fisted his shirt right where his heart is sitting, beating strong and wild at this picture. A breeze caught in the sails and Childe gave it one last massage of his own, hopeful that it will carry it back to the one it is intended for. One last forlorn smile and a short whisper, that’s all. “I’ll be waiting in the Tsaritsa’s frozen lands, Lord of Geo.”  And maybe it was a trick of the light, maybe it was his own imagination, but it looked as if Xiao had spoken to his lord and Zhongli’s answer was a single nod. With that Childe retreated under deck, already pensive and tired.

No one disturbed him during the whole trip back, not a single soul and his unease refused to be soothed. There was something wrong, Childe just didn't know what it was. His thoughts circled and circled but nothing really came up. He knew what was waiting for him, of course he did, yet there was something else….  When did he start to feel afraid he wondered? Did he fear his punishment? Or was it the separation from Liyue’s bright sun and her people? `No, that’s not it either.´  No matter what he thought about, he just couldn’t shake this strange wrongness. It was as if he was walking straight into a very obvious trap, his instinct telling him to walk away. But he was still the Tsarita’s Vanguard. The first on the battlefield and ready for about every challenge one could imagine. For archon's sake, he was ready to fight against Rex Lapis! Utterly lost blue eyes looked through the small window, out onto the sea, letting the waves calm him at least a little bit.

Hours ticked by, day turned to night, and slowly everything felt colder. 

The sunlit sky was replaced by thick gray clouds and the smooth sailing was interrupted by the slowly approaching ice that signaled they were close to home. 

After Childe caught sight of the first snowflakes he changed into his formal Vanguard uniform. First a new shirt followed by a black military jacket with polished silver buttons and red accents, that he closed all the way up. Then he changed his usual pants and boots against pristine white dress pants and knee high combat boots. Next came the red scarf, thicker than his favorite one, more suited for Snezhnaya’s harsh winds and the palace's icy environment. Last was the thick white coat with the black fur rimming at the top, decorated with thin gold chains  and a single red gem, not unlike his earring, on the right side, which was left open. No matter how often he wore it, it still felt strange, out of place…. Checking one last time Childe noticed that he forgot the gloves that came with the uniform and hesitated. For a single second. Then he clenched his fists, peeled the old ones from his hands and grabbed the new ones. First he pulled on the left one and then paused. The geo emblem was still pulsing in tune with his own heartbeat and he couldn’t help himself when he gave it a single reverent stroke before pulling on the second glove. Giving one last deep sigh Tartaglia, the 11th Harbinger, pulled his red mask over his face and stepped out of his cabin. He ignored his wounds, ignored his longing and pushed aside everything that was not Fatui. It was time to be a soldier again. Battlehardned and coldblooded.

On deck a resonating `Lord Tartaglia!´ greeted him and he just had to smile. A little bit at least. Out of respect he saluted the crew with a friendly “At ease comrades.”

And right there on the horizon was his homeland in all its frozen glory. This was the Tsaritsa’s domain, without any question. And as they slowly closed in on the docks he saw the rows of Fatui agents. And just as he saw this, the guards were back at his side as well. But this time they kept a certain distance from him, maybe because of the uniform. Now everyone could see that he was a harbinger, the Queens bloodhound. The youngest… The fool.

The moment they were off their ship he was herded swiftly away and right into a carriage with her Majesty’s cryo emblem. When the door closed behind him he buried the lower half of his face in his scarf, waiting, all alone. Somehow his hand hurt…..

The ride back to Zapolyarny Palace was way shorter than Tartaglia remembered, but it HAS been months since he was last here. And time in Liyue just seemed to flow differently with her bright and warm days. When the carriage slowed he steeled himself. His Queen will not be on good terms with him. On the contrary, even. She will be furious. At this thought golden eyes flashed in his mind, probably just as furious as the cold and icy storm he was walking into. Outside of the vessel the guards awaited him, keeping close to him to make absolutely sure he could not run, even if he wanted to. They brought him right into the great foyer and then spread through the room, leaving him alone now that he was almost there. Only the long staircase was standing between him and his beloved Archon. So he moved, slow yet steady. He ignored the almost translucent decorations, the lanterns that were more icicle than lightsource, the beautifully flashing lights. But most of all he tried to banish the bitter cold that started to crawl up his beaten body, still way too spoiled by the sunny weather of the Geo Lords land.  Still: he soldiered on. Up the stairs and around the corner, following the plush dark blue carpet until he found himself standing right in front of the imposing doors of the throne room. `Come on Ajax, let’s get it over with.´

He doesn’t need to knock, he knows, so he goes down on one knee, head bowed deep, and waits. And it doesn’t take long till the great doors open for him, yet he stays right where he is. For no one is allowed to look at her Majesty, unless they’ve been given permission.

“Rise your eyes, Tartaglia.” came her melodious voice. Slowly he lifts his head and takes a look at his Archon. Like always she sits on her frozen throne, her light blue battle dress pristine like the first snow in winter, her glistering veil in front of her stoic face, her crown unmoved on her head, right on her silvery hair. But there was a certain chill in the already cold air, the Tsaritsa’s way of showing her displeasure.

This was nothing more than formalities. Just a show. So he played his part.

“I have returned, my Queen.” Instead of answering, the archon just looked at him, tried to observe even the most minimal show of weakness, anything to make this even longer, to make him feel the cold and bitter frost that is now covering him. Then she moves and beckons him closer, yet he stays right where he is. He already knows this trap and will not fall for it. That makes her smile, just a little uptick of her pale lips. “Come closer, my Eleventh. Let me look at you.”

He moves almost without a conscious thought. Pushing himself up to stand Tartaglia knows that this is more her Majesty's influence than his own decision. This is her domain and everyone will do as she says, no matter who they are. Only when he stood right in front of her throne was he freed of this compulsive feeling and stood at parade rest, waiting for her judgment. Because now? Now came the hard part. Only speak when spoken to, always give the most satisfactory answers, don’t fail and don’t flinch.

“Signora told me that you did a wonderful job in your last battle. But it seems that the land of Geo is not quite ready yet.” Straining under that cold gaze he forced himself not to react. “Tell me Tartaglia, what has Morax done to you?” Her voice was almost worried, real close to it even, but he knew almost better than anyone else that it was nothing but false. The former Goddess of Love has none left of it. And as one of her favorites he knows it best. Her own, twisted, form of affection. Looking just past her ear he answered. “I’m afraid that he did nothing, my Queen. That last battle was not fought with the Lord of Geo, but with the mysterious traveler.” He has to be careful here. He can’t tell her that he knows of the deception on her part. Is not allowed to show that he knows the truth of this whole play. And she seems surprised at his answer. “So it was that Traveler that did this to you?” Bowing his head he answered again. “Yes, my Lady.”

A moment of silence before she spoke up again. “My dear Tartaglia, my lovely Vanguard……You are hiding something.” 

Now dread crept up his throat. Yet he stood still. Resettling herself she commanded him. “Come.” So he did. On steady legs he stepped right up to her, close enough that she could touch him. And surprisingly, she did. She reached for his hand, the right one, and cradled it carefully in her icy grasp. Then she started to pull down his glove and his heart started to hammer away in his chest. It was the hand that Zhongli had marked. The further the leather slid down, the harder it became not to pull away.

`Don’t let her see. Don’t let her see. Don’t let her see.´

The creaking cloth was already at his wrist, when the Tsaritsa suddenly….stopped. Childe waited for what should be inevitable, but it didn’t come. Her pale lips were pulled into a saccharin smile and she let go of his limb.  “I feel generous today, so keep your secret.” Then her cold hand slid upward and cupped his almost frostbitten cheek and he braced himself. Swift as an oncoming snowstorm his head snapped to the left and his ginger locks were pulled back with a sharp tuck. “But you better remember just how fast I can change my mind, Tartaglia.”

Even with the pull at his hairline, Childe just breathed for a moment. This, this is exactly what the Tsaritsa’s love looks like. This is his Queen’s way to show her very warped affection. The more she likes you, the more brutal and violent she will become. It’s part of the reason he’s so resistant to pain: he is her youngest Harbinger, her FAVORITE. He’s been through this more than once and knows this is just the beginning. So he closed his eyes. “Of course, my Queen.”  The deep coldness of the room let slightly up and the hand in his hair did too. “Good boy. Now, off to the medical wing with you. I’ve already called for Il Dottore, so he should be waiting for you.” Blue eyes widened for just a second, before he closed them again, resigning himself to his very cruel fate. If the Second is to conduct his treatment then it’s going to be more pain than relief. But just as he was starting to raise, the Archon before him pushed another frozen knife into his soul. “And I have demanded a full medical exam. I want to be absolutely sure that my dearest Tartaglia is in good health.” 

Cold sweat started to gather on his forehead, yet he pulled himself up and stepped back down from the ice covered throne, before kneeling back down. “I’m honored and thankful for her Majesty’s worry and foresight.” He was surprised that he got that sentence out without stuttering or choking. A full medical exam was just another way to say that the Doctor had her permission to experiment with and ON him. Or better: on his Foul Legacy…..

After being dismissed from the throne room and starting to walk in the direction of the medical wing, a bout of hysteria started to set in. It was an ugly and strange feeling. With everything he knew now, it wasn’t even that surprising that he was made a plaything for the crazy scientist. The Cryo Archon was well aware that he hated Dottore and his unhealthy fascination for his Abyssal form.

`So this is my punishment…. Torture and pain in the care of the Doctor.´

First a chuckle, then a laugh. Everything slowly built up inside of him to the point he didn’t even notice the slowly gathering tears. The frozen halls were empty, not even a single guard in sight. The Tsaritsa had him back in her clinging cold grasps, why should someone observe him? Hysteria gently changed itself to sorrow, a feeling so well known to the 11th it feels like an old friend. Taking one step after another Ajax let his tears fall. For just these few moments he was just that, a lost boy on his way to a forbidden and very dark place, knowing and yet suppressing what is to come.

The closer he got to the cursed door, the further away he felt from his body, his mind already trying to shut down in preparation for his `treatment´. After drying his face and just breathing, he closed his hand around the handle. His last thought before entering the torture chamber was a desperate one. `Please don’t let me wait too long Morax. Or you won’t have anything left of me.´

And so time crept onward.

The first few days swam into each other, memories hazy and body almost numb. He remembers shadows, different instruments and concoctions. Tartaglia knows that he screamed. Knows that he thrashed around and tried to break free more than once.

Then a whole week was over.

 He arched everywhere. Not even a single muscle could be moved without monstrous effort. The ginger can still hear the Second’s maniac crackling, his inhuman joy. And at this point he lost count how many times he was forced to transform or how often he just blacked out. But even amidst the pain and the never ending agony one thought remains, his only sliver of hope. The golden glow of the Geo Lord’s emblem.

Two weeks were over.

Childe was no longer down in the dungeon but he was on absolute bed rest. The Tsaritsa had shown a very rare case of mercy but only because his body had started to fail him. And if he wasn’t able to scream and shout, Dottore had no interest in playing with him…. So now the famous 11th Harbinger felt like a used and broken doll, even worse then after the defeat at the Golden House. Yet his mind refused to be broken. The moment his tired eyes gazed at his right hand something shifted inside of him. `Zhongli will come…. He promised…..´

Something changed after week three.

He was allowed outside of his private chambers and didn’t require an escort, when his Queen called for him. To his dismay it was none other than Signora that brought him the massage and from her bright menacing grin she took great joy in doing so.

“Her Majesty got the results of Dottores exam and wishes to talk to you about them.”

A shudder rattled through his whole body and he had to keep himself in check or else he would vomit on this horrid woman's expensive shoes. `Would be funny tho´

Still snickering to himself he followed his colleague back to the throne room. He had a pretty good idea of what the Tsaritsa wanted to talk about. There was only one thing that he had kept hidden, after all. And during…..his treatment….nothing could be denied. Il Dottore has definitely said something to their Archon. Because the back of his right hand was the only place on his poor body, the Second Harbinger could not break nor wound in any way. Even if the youngest was bloodied beyond recognition, his right hand would remain flawless. And when connected  to the place he was retrieved from….. Well, there were very few explanations.

Once they had arrived, both Harbingers got down on one knee and waited. And it didn’t take long for the former Love Goddess to start talking. “Rise, both of you.” As commanded, they stood up and Childe noticed that her Majesty looked rather bored, maybe even indifferent, but that certain downpull of the right corner of her closed mouth told a whole other story. The Queen of their icy land was very, very displeased. “Tartaglia, do you remember what I told you the day you were returned to my side?” His body tensed ever so slightly, but his head stayed bowed. “Of course, my Queen.” Another chill crawled slowly through the room and even the usually stoic Lohefalter had to fight down goosebumps. In response to his answer she beckoned  him closer and just like the last time, he was powerless but to follow.

And just like the last time she took his hand, her grip tight and her eyes only on the fabric of his glove. But unlike the last time she didn’t stop. You could say the cold blooded Archon ripped his glove from his hand, throwing it on the cold floor.

Tartaglia stood still, blue eyes focused on the slow pulse of soft gold. Silence wasn’t unusual in the palace, but this one brought a certain heaviness along. 

He stood still even as the other Harbinger was called closer. “Tell me Signora. Was this blamish already on him when you left Liyue?” Signora gulped when she looked upon the younger one's pale hand. Things have turned really bad in very little time.

“He was wearing his usual gloves, my Queen. But I’m most certain that it wasn’t there when I left.” Her voice was even, so the Cryo Archon continued. “That would mean that you lied to me, Tartaglia.” For a tense second he said nothing, knew that there was no way out of this one. Then he closed his slowly dimming eyes and answered truthfully. “But my Lady, all I’ve told you, was that the last battle was not against Morax. And during this fight he did absolutely nothing. After La Signora left, I blacked out due to my wounds. When I woke up, I was in Morax’ care. I’m not even aware how long I was out in the first place.” And that’s not even a lie. He really never asked how long he was unconscious. Rather shameful for such a seasoned soldier, but he had other things to worry about. Yet this was not enough for his Archon. “That doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me about it.” Her delicate looking hand tightened once more and the ginger suppressed a wince. “ I was unsure of what it was, my Lady. And I worried it could endanger you.” Not the best excuse there was, considering she is an Archon, but it was the best he came up with at the moment. And that….. that has to be enough.

Seconds ticked by, when that veil covered face looked up at him.

A supple tremble crawled up his spine and the temperature sank further down around them. Slowly translucent blue started to appear on his hand and all feeling left his fingers. He watched, part horrified and part fascinated as the Tsaritsa began to freeze his hand with her very own cryo energy, It almost felt as if she wanted to overwrite the other gods claim on him, willing to sacrifice the hand it sits upon, one of the things that makes him such a perfect weapon, such a great soldier and warrior. 

They watched as the ice continued to spread, climbing from her own fingers down to his and further to the back. But, just before this cruel cold could take hold of the rest, the Geo symbol started to pulse faster than before, almost as if it had a pulse of its own. And shortly after, the ice started cracking, before crumbling away in little flakes.

Warmth bloomed in his rotten chest, a part he thought was lost forever in the depth of the Abyss. But he also knew that this would have consequences. And right before the Tsaritsa gave the order, he prayed.

`Please, Zhongli. Morax. Rex Lapis. Whatever you want to be called. If you don’t hurry, she will freeze more than just my hand. She will take EVERYTHING.´

“My decision is final. He will be retrained! I will personally train him this time and make sure that something like this will NOT happen again!”

Outside of the palace a blizzard tore through the land and all of the citizens asked themselves just what could have enraged their beloved Archon so.

In three days time, Tartaglia of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, would be retrained, or rather reconditioned, by their Queen, the Cryo Archon. None who were trained by her stayed the same. Most either didn’t survive or became her very own personal guards, so she could keep them as close to her as possible.

Every night since then, Tartaglia cried.

Every night since then, Childe remembered his family.

Every night since then, Ajax hoped and prayed.

It was on the third day, just as the sun was rising that everything came down to a boiling point.

For Ajax it felt as if the whole world stood still, even though he could see the steady climb of the sun. For the Tsaritsa it felt like Christmas, for she would finally have her favorite Harbinger all to herself. He would stay here, right beside her throne, for the rest of eternity. And she just couldn’t wait. But first, she had to break her brilliant hound. It hurt her deeply, knowing just what she was about to put him through. But her wish to keep him safe overshadowed this hurt.

Childe felt like a lowly prisoner as he was led towards the training facilities. The very same ones that Morax had destroyed all these years ago. With every step further his heart sank lower. With every step closer to that hell, his hope diminished. 

But then something strange happened.

Outside the palace walls the wind picked up, but without the usual snowstorm or blizzard. And if Tartaglia looked close enough he swore he could see dark, teal colored streaks. But what caught EVERYONE off guard, was the starting tremble of the very ground they stood on. At first it was almost unnoticeable, but the longer they stood there the stronger it got, until it was a full grown earthquake. Even the veteran guards were surprised. “An earthquake? Here in Snezhnaya?!” 

The whole palace shook and their Queen felt an ugly fear grip her frozen heart. “No.” she whispered. She grabbed her Eleventh and ordered everyone to hurry, but it was too late. A storm was brewing and the chilled glass of the decorative windows could no longer withstand its raging howls. And now that the windows were bursting, one after another, Childe was sure about that strange darkness that this mighty storm was carrying. He still hadn’t had the honor of a battle, but that stifling feeling was hard to misplace. “La Signora!” Without delay the 8th Harbinger stepped forward, but before she could build even a single wall of ice, a single figure stood on the window sill. And this single Adeptus let the hope inside the ginger haired male flare up.

Teal hair and golden, cat-like eyes. Jade spear in one and mask in the other hand.

For the first time since he arrived in Liyue, Childe saw the Yaksha for what he was.

Said Adeptus looked at him, just a quick up and down, before focusing on the other people around him. First a single breeze blew by before he addressed his Queen. “Greetings, Queen Tsaritsa. My name is Xiao and I have come to bring you a massage.” But said Queen wouldn’t have any of it. “I know who you are, Yaksha. And I don’t want to hear it. Leave!" Quick as the element he commands, the young looking male leaps up and away from the frosty hands that wanted to grab him.

Cool and collected he jumped around while he continued to speak. “My Lord, Rex Lapis, demands that you return what is rightfully his, as was stated in the contract that you had signed with ice and blood.” Another try at getting the lithe body to stand still the Archon raged. “Your precious Lord of Geo stated it himself, that our contract was no more!” 

Both Harbingers have never seen their Lady this out of control. Her fair features were starting to lose their pale color and her armor and dress were starting to look a little strange. Yet the Yaksha still danced around her as if this was nothing more than childsplay to him. “Yes, but the reason for this lies in your own hands. The first rule: Tell him his duty so no one gets unreasonably endangered. The second: Release him into our Lord's hands. You did neither. Thus you alone went against the divine agreement.”

The quaking was coming to a stop and the guards were starting to find their footing again. But before they could move even a single finger, a hail of arrows rained down on them from somewhere. And Tartaglia had to say: he’s impressed. They were inside a building, in the hall right in front of the great ballroom. Yet not even a single arrow hit the windows or the door. It seems it’s exactly what Signora needed to come back to herself. Forcing herself to focus, she blasted an icicle path in the teal haired male's direction, but Xiao once again jumped away. She took that single moment to call out to the Tsaritsa and push him inside the ballroom. The Archon followed with the grace of Snezhnayas wildest and deadliest storms.  “Not on my watch!”

Right before the female Harbinger could enter the room herself, the Yaksha had her in his sights. With his mask secure on his face he rushed her and pushed her out of the way. When the remaining guards called for reinforcements, a pale glistering orb appeared in their mids. And just as it appeared it started to almost dance around them, continuously shooting knife sharp ice shards at them, keeping them more than just in check. Now Childe knows who the mysteries shooter is. He has seen this orb, this pearl before, when Ganyu was fighting alongside the traveler.

Whilst the female Archon stood there panting and flushed an unhealthy shade between red and blue, Ajax did a little math. `If Xiao and Ganyu are here, two of Liyue’s proud  and noble Adepti…. Than that means….!´ Just as that thought entered his head the Queen of this castle decided it was more than enough.

In a fit of rage the Tsaritsa growled and turned to her 11th, who stood still even in the face of the approaching danger. He watched her closely. But even now, close to insanity, she was a warrior. Her steps were as sure as her possessive claws on his throat. “I will not share you, dear Tartaglia. From the moment I set my eyes upon you, I saw the perfect little monster, my perfect little bloodhound. You were fierce, skilled, ambitious and yet loyal. But from the moment you saw  Morax, something changed.” Her claws dug deeper into his skin and numbness started to spread once again. He wanted to do something, wanted to fight back! But the rules of Her Majesty forbade everyone under her rule exactly that. She made sure that everyone that was under her command wouldn’t be able to turn on her. So he could do nothing but feel as the everlasting cold of his Archon crept slowly down his neck, freezing his voice. 

This was such a strange image of the usually poised Cryo Archon. Ajax wasn’t even sure what it was that had gotten to her in the end. Was it really simple rage? Was it the long buried insanity that had festered inside of her frozen body? Or was it plain old jealousy? He wanted to laugh. If it really was the thought of losing him to another Archon, to Morax, then he felt kinda sorry for her. Because in her deranged state she has missed the great shadow that had started to circle the palace.

Before the ice could fully mute him, he had something important to say.

Swallowing as best as he could he gathered what strength he had. “Thank…..you, my Queen. But I’m…….sorry.”

Deep blue locked on the surprised azure of the Goddess. Then everything went silent. 

The next moment the floor started to vibrate, quake and crumble. First there were just some stones breaking loose, but soon after cracks were ripping through the ice covered floor and walls. From just outside the room resonated a terrifying sound, deep and almost bone shattering. Startled, she finally let go of him and took a few steps away from him. While he tried his best to clear his airways and just fucking breath, the Goddess before him looked around like a wild animal. 

And like all of this was not enough, the golden glow of the Geo element slowly began to take over the pale blue of the Cryo all around them. Only then, did the other God decide to show himself. A rhythmic tremble, not unlike simple steps, brought him inside. Each time his feet hit the ground, it was as if a wave went through the building. And each step left behind a dent, like the floor itself was afraid.

Zhongli still wore his three tailed coat, black gloves, pants and boots. But the whole atmosphere around him was just plain different. Ginger hair was swept away by the still slightly raging wind and breathing was still almost too hard for him, but for a completely different reason. Cor Lapis' eyes, known to be gentle and understanding, were slitted, cold, calculating. Their glow so bright that he almost had to look away. The dark hair, still bound by the diamond shaped hair tie, also dancing in the wind, their tip just as bright as those captivating eyes. The Geo Lords steps were measured and precise. A long perfected technique of intimidation that still seems to work. To top everything off his trusty weapon was already on hand, the Vortex Vanquisher’s glow just as captivating as its master.

“It seems that you really have forgotten, Tsaritsa, just who I am.”