#episode 12 release at least

[rimeiii]

When an Arknights Doctor meets the WHB MC...

Summary: With tensions in Hell growing ever higher and the demons fighting from a disadvantage, even the descendant of Solomon Ryeomae finds herself desperate for a way to help. Her first aid lessons with Marbas have been going well and has proved to be valuable in a pinch, yet she feels it still isn't enough.

So when Leviathan somehow managed to pull three odd people from his coffin, one of them being a tactical commander, Ryeomae decides to take the opportunity to learn from them.

A question, though: How come Leviathan summoned an angel, a demon, and a little boy from what are usually worlds with Eldritch-like beings?

CW: Crossover with Arknights, purely self-indulgent. Potentially OOC. A product of malding over 12-20 Adverse as well as IS3 Ending 4, and a way to unwind before malding over Hortus de Escapismo's EX stages and the main story's H stages (need to clear those from Episode 8 onwards, end me now), because what do you mean the Damazti Cluster is in 3/4 of Episode 12's H stages.

For context, the enemy description:

As Uncle Kukki put it best: "Bro! Year 4 Arknights is fucked! What is this?!"

Back to the topic!

Using my own AK docsona (Dr. Requiescat) and WHB MC (Ryeomae). Suggestive themes up ahead considering WHB is an 18+ game, though nothing explicit is described. Regardless, please exercise caution.

Also, spoiler warnings for:

Arknights: Main story (up until chapter 12), revelations about the true nature of the Sankta, brief hints for Ending 4 of IS3 (Mizuki and Caerula Arbor)

WHB: Main story (up until chapter 4)

Waking up to yelling in Hades of all places was not something Ryeomae expected.

Leviathan's land has always struck the human as a refined one, after all. Never really outwardly violent and boisterous like other regions such as Gehenna, she always pegged Hades as the land of devotion towards its ruler, always maintaining the veneer of politeness that he always seems to exhibit. Restrained politeness it may be, as they are driven by envy, but politeness all the same.

Besides, the last time she heard panicked screaming was during their first aid operation when Leviathan was drenched by angel blood...

Oh, shit.

Bolting upwards from her bed (and ignoring the ache in her thighs), she immediately gets dressed before making her way towards the throne room, where she is certain Leviathan would be. She had half a mind to immediately go to the source of all that screaming, but she quickly reminded herself that she still doesn't know the castle's layout well enough to do so without getting hopelessly lost. Reporting to Leviathan would be the sanest course of action.

Walking briskly towards the demon king's throne room and giving customary polite smiles towards all the other demons passing by, Ryeomae wonders just how much work Leviathan is handling on his own. While it is true that demons in general have much more stamina compared to humans (how else would Leviathan still be awake while tending to her after multiple rounds with her), she still wonders how he still has the mental energy to complete paperwork - especially with the war against Heaven still going on.

It's probably just a demon king thing. Specifically Leviathan. Ryeomae concludes with a shrug. Best not to question it...hm?

Lost in her thoughts, Ryeomae now finds herself in front of Leviathan's throne room, her hands subconsciously already holding the doorknob. The imposing double doors, deep obsidian in color, never fails to send shivers down her spine - yet her trepidation immediately dissipates into thin air the moment she heard commotion beyond the door.

"Tell me. What other dimensions have you conquered, angel?"

"Oh for crying out loud-"

"At ease, Doctor. And technically speaking, she is not an angel, sir."

"And you're the one who summoned us, right?"

Ah. A summoning session gone wrong.

Yet something about all this seems off. Ryeomae can sense the aggression in Leviathan's voice, what with the low growl embedded in his normally silky smooth voice and the curt tone embedded in his speech. Which is weird - normally he is amiable with the Eldritch beings he summons into battle. What's making him be at odds with this group in particular?

No matter. Three sharp knocks on the door, and an announcement of her presence. "Leviathan, love, is everything alright in there?"

A beat of silence, before Leviathan's voice emerged once more. "Ryeo, go back to our room. I'll tend to you personally after I deal with them."

Wait, deal with them?!

"Leviathan, what's going on?!" Gone was the pretense of relative calm, with Ryeomae now desperately pushing against the double doors of the throne room. It inches forward bit by bit, which is the tiniest relief in what amounts to an emergency situation for her. "I'm coming in!"

"Ryeo, no! There's an angel-"

"What angel?! I'm a Sankta, Mr. Sarkaz sir!"

A lull, as everyone fully takes in the female's voice. An angel- no, Sankta, apparently. A term that even Ryeomae is unfamiliar with, coming from Earth, and a term she never heard any demon mention during her stay in Hell.

Ignoring Leviathan's bewildered response of "Sarkaz? What is that? I'm a demon king, miss," Ryeomae takes the opportunity to open the door fully, and freezes.

She comes face-to-face with the so-called Sankta - a young woman with a dark halo and similarly dark shards of light resembling wings extending from her back. Her hair, tied into a neat braid, is chestnut brown save for a stray tuft of black hair along her bangs - with a black cap covering the top of her head. Her eyes, hidden behind a pair of glasses, are blood red, resembling Satan's eyes without the inverted crosses as well as the constant anger and lust burning in his eyes. The sight of angels in Hell has conditioned Ryeomae to recoil somewhat at the mere sighting of a halo, but that wasn't even the scariest part about the Sankta.

What's perhaps most terrifying about her, in fact, are the shards of black crystals emerging from her skin. They extend from her collarbone, dark lesions peeking from beneath her shirt, extending upwards up her neck before dispersing into tiny crystals on her left cheek.

All of a sudden, Ryeomae is reminded of the screams and wails spilling from Ppung's mouth. The angelification process, while still being much more horrific than these crystals, still proves to her that having unnatural objects burst from beneath your skin is a terrifyingly painful experience. And this Sankta lady must have been living with it...

Ryeomae's healer instincts kick in, and she immediately starts barking out orders.

"Miss! Stay still, I'll get medical aid your way! Your Majesty Leviathan, the first aid kit, ASAP! Contact someone to help us take her to Paradise Lost as well!"

"Eh- huh?!"

"Ryeo-"

"Shush, Leviathan! Something's wrong with her-"

"Calm down, miss-"

"What do you mean, kid-"

"Deep breaths, miss. I am Logos, and as the Doctor's closest confidant, I shall explain everything."

~

Doctor. A title that holds so much meaning in Rhodes Island (and not the place on Earth, but a pharmaceutical company in another world called Terra), but one that only retains its dictionary meaning elsewhere. A concept that Logos, a Sarkaz of the Banshee bloodline, feels the need to explain to the demons and human before him.

Dr. Requiescat is not only a neuroscientist affiliated with Rhodes Island working to find the cure for Oripathy, a fatal illness originating from the world they came from that even she contracted herself, she is also the tactical commander for all of Rhodes Island's on-field operative work. The dark ores Ryeomae sees on the Doctor are physical signs of Oripathy, and she's on medication to curb the disease's development. A medication that Mizuki, the young boy that arrived with them, gently reminded the Doctor to take, the Sankta asking for a glass of water to down the few tablets of medication.

The Doctor is a Sankta, not an angel. Sarkaz who were chosen by the Law to live according to it, and thusly viewed as a traitor to their own bloodline by many a Sarkaz. A legacy long forgotten by the Sanktas themselves, and one that the Doctor had to relearn through Logos as well.

"And you, Logos? You're a Sarkaz, right? You're not bothered by it?" Barbatos asks, eyes widening in awe. At some point, Leviathan's nobles have showed up in the throne room at their king's behest, and as a result there are now an additional four demons getting to know the three newcomers.

Logos shakes his head, his gaze softening as a faint smile paints his lips. "The Doctor has always been someone I can talk to easily, even before the Chernobog incident. Harsh in the battlefield she may be, moreso before the Chernobog incident, but she is still merciful and kind outside of battle."

Leviathan's pale eyes narrow, still not willing to completely believe the Banshee King's words. But the Doctor, already sensing the demon king's doubts, heaves a heavy sigh.

"I know I can't prove anything to you, sir. You just give off that...vibe, I suppose, is the word." Dr. Requiescat murmurs eventually. "But give us a reason why you can't fully trust us, if not just me, at the very least."

Barbatos, once again, is the one who answers them, an apologetic smile adorning his bright features. "We're in the middle of a war against the angels, miss. And our angels are very cruel, needlessly cruel even. You'll have to forgive us for not being able to trust you easily, miss."

The Doctor shrugs, taking Barbatos's words in stride. "Fair. Not all Sanktas are good either way - I think Federico mentioned something about going after someone, most likely Lateranian."

Logos nods in affirmation. "To my knowledge, he did. And on the other hand, the situation with the Sarkaz is quite complicated. It would take a long discussion of Terran politics and history to explain to people unfamiliar with it, but all you need to know is that we have had...conflicts regarding our ideals-"

"Your Majesty Leviathan! Angels have launched an attack on the city square!" A lesser demon barges into the throne room, panting and out of breath. He pauses to collect himself, before noticing the three newcomers in the room. "Your Majesty, who-"

"People you do not need to worry about." Leviathan replies curtly, motioning for everyone within the room to follow him. "Now come, all of you - get ready to fight."

He then turns to face the Sankta properly, his eyes narrowed menacingly.

"And you. This is your only chance to earn my trust, miss battlefield commander."

Yet the Sankta remains unfazed, her gaze hardening at the mention of a battlefield. "Copy that, demon king."

~

Having a seasoned battlefield commander helping to organize the demons' forces worked wonders in keeping everyone as safe as possible while ensuring their angelic enemies were all eliminated. And Ryeomae had to admit, she may have started to have a little crush on the Sankta for the near effortless way she directs Hades's forces. Easily directing them towards the main enemy forces, executing flawless pincer attacks against the angels, utilizing enemy blind spots and the terrain for sneak attacks...it was enough for her to earn the trust of the human, Leviathan, and his demons alike.

"The key to issuing effective battlefield commands is information control." Dr. Requiescat explains when Ryeomae asked the Doctor for any battlefield command tips. The pair, perched inside the top floor of an abandoned building, enjoyed a relatively expansive view of the battlefield - much wider than her usual position behind the brunt of the fighting. Logos and Mizuki were loitering around the area, the duo being tasked to protect Ryeomae and the Doctor from any sudden attacks, especially after the human mentioned how she was marked by Gabriel, making her a prime target for the angels. "How do you scout for information about the enemy while keeping your own forces in hiding until absolutely necessary? Such a skill is necessary while fighting off large hordes of enemies with a limited fighting force of your own."

In the Doctor's hands is her tablet, transmitting footage from the surveillance drones she had launched during the start of the operation. She points out one particular screen, where Ryeomae could see Heaven's forces getting ready to attack the area where Glasyalabolas was stationed in. "Look here. They may be getting ready to attack that small shop, but their formation is messy. Take out the leader and their entire group falls - Glasyalabolas, enemies inbound at 10 o'clock! Leader at the front!"

"I see them. Engaging the enemies." Glasyalabolas's deep voice reverbs from Ryeomae's earpiece, and soon after, his large and imposing frame already has his coffin out, now engaging with the enemy leader. His own forces focus on picking off any other angels trying to get him off the enemy leader.

Ryeomae watches in awe as the angels' formation crumbles upon the enemy leader's defeat. This was far from the first time she saw the Doctor effortlessly dismantle a group of enemies, yet it never fails to impress her. Taking notes of the Doctor's tactics, Ryeomae figures she'd be able to apply them later on, in case she is needed to help command the demons.

"It helps that these angels are...sloppy." The Doctor snorts, a tiny smirk on her features. "Even Reunion's forces are much more organized than them - no offense to Patriot and FrostNova whatsoever, since their forces are actually pretty organized. And here I thought angels were supposed to be the organized forces..."

Ryeomae scoffs. "You'd be surprised, Doctor. But that means you're used to fighting in disadvantageous situations like this?"

Surprisingly, the Doctor's expression softens considerably, gaining an almost melancholic tone to it. "Yeah. In Chernobog, Lungmen, and now Victoria, we were always on the back foot. And down in the future, should the Seaborn invasion happen, we will always remain on the back foot. You...get used to it, eventually."

Seaborn...?

"Something that you shouldn't worry about, Ms. Ryeomae." Mizuki chimes in, a bright smile on his youthful features as he no doubt notices the confusion etched onto Ryeomae's expression. He then approaches the Doctor and pats her shoulder comfortingly. "And something that you also shouldn't worry about, Doctor. I have faith we won't stumble upon that terrifying future!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mizuki." Dr. Requiescat smiles faintly, before diverting her attention to Ryeomae once more. "Anyways, it does help that most of these angels don't use a lot of different modes of attack. Most of our forces have long-ranged modes of attack to snipe their forces down as well, so..."

Ryeomae smirks, reminded of a certain fluffy-haired demon king of wrath. "If you thought this was long-ranged, you'd love seeing what the demons of Gehenna are capable of."

The Doctor shrugs, completely unperturbed, and Ryeomae finds it in herself to be offended in Gehenna's behalf. "We have people able to command drones that can attack at any point in the battlefield. And apart from that, we have snipers like Ambriel and Fartooth, able to hit the most unexpected of places. Fun fact: one of our drone users, Goldenglow, is a hairdresser."

Now it's Ryeomae's turn to fall completely silent, before erupting into confused yelling. "What do you mean, hairdresser?! I-"

"Get down, Doctor, miss!" Mizuki yells, summoning his tentacles to strike at something attempting to crash into the window in front of them. The Doctor curses under her breath, pushing Ryeomae behind her as she shields the human with her body. Logos is immediately beside her, his incantation Arts causing trails of light to flutter around them both.

But this 'something' manages to evade Mizuki's tentacles, deftly maneuvering around the neurotoxin-laden appendages. It forces its way into the building, coming face-to-face with Logos. Thankfully, the Banshee has already finished charging up his attack, launching it towards the infiltrator and sending him careening into the wall opposite them.

When the dust settles, Ryeomae could see that the crumpled-up angel had short white hair, bangs covering the right side of his face, his one visible eye sending her a murderous glare.

Ryeomae feels a chill run down her spine. Gabriel.

Her grip on the Doctor's shoulders unconsciously tightens, and she shrinks into herself, attempting to make herself as scarce as possible. Were it be any of the other demon kings who's with her right now, Gabriel likely wouldn't be targeting her, purely because of the sheer strength the demon kings have. Mizuki and Logos are strong, yes, but she's not sure if they're as strong as any of the demon kings.

And yet, the three newcomers to Hell are as unperturbed as ever.

"Huh. I can see why you hate the angels now. Reckless and violent little shits, aren't they?" The Doctor comments, frowning as she stares at the recovering Gabriel. "Still, though. Neither tact nor strategy. None whatsoever. Divebombing without a care, really? Who is he, Kevin?"

"Doctor..." Logos sighs, tapping the Sankta's shoulder blade insistently. "Focus. Please."

The Doctor had the decency to look the slightest bit abashed, at the very least. "Sorry, Logos. Force of habit."

Logos nods once in acknowledgement as he diverts his attention back towards Gabriel. Without missing a beat, he charges up another spell, allowing his Arts to form streams of light encircling them all. A shield of sorts, if you will.

And perfect timing, too, as Gabriel whips out his scythe and slashes forwards, the blade clashing with Logos's shield.

Gabriel's eyes are murderous as he holds the Doctor's gaze, boring holes into the Sankta's head. She keeps her cool and stares back at the furious angel, however. The lack of fear in the Doctor's eyes must have set Gabriel off even more as he growls menacingly, his arms applying even more pressure on the barrier Logos erected between them, muscles straining beneath his pristine shirt. Logos's Arts shield starts to emit sparks, causing anxiety to shoot up Ryeomae's spine - what if it breaks?

Yet the Doctor remains calm, stoic - unimpressed, almost.

And loathe as Ryeomae is to admit it, that scares the living shit out of her - even more than the potential of the Arts shield breaking, even more than Gabriel's presence in front of her.

"You are an angel, no?" Gabriel growls out, the darkness and malice in his voice unlike any Sankta the Doctor must've been familiar with, considering how one of her eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Yet he doesn't seem to notice her reaction, continuing on what he believes must be a righteous tirade. "Why, then, are you siding with these demons?"

Dr. Requiescat heaves a heavy sigh as her fingers twitch, desperately fighting off the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration - a bad habit she had described to Ryeomae during their downtime between angel attacks. "How many times do I have to explain to you all?! I'm a Sankta, not an angel!"

Gabriel doesn't seem to be too keen to inquire upon the unfamiliar term that confused the residents of Hades only a few hours ago. Instead, his growl grows even more murderous, pressing his scythe downwards even more. Logos narrows his eyes, his Arts struggling against the force Gabriel is applying onto the barrier.

And yet, as sudden as Gabriel's attack was, so was his sudden collapse at the hands of Mizuki's neurotoxin-laden tentacles.

The angel's mouth hangs open, a scream of pain lodged in his throat as he feels his body seize up involuntarily, muscles contracting so painfully it practically paralyzed him completely and inadvertently causing him to drop his scythe with a dull clatter. Amid the angel's fixation on the Sankta and Sarkaz duo, the young boy had managed to slip away unnoticed, stabbing Gabriel's body with his tentacles and injecting a paralyzing neurotoxin into the angel's flesh. He retreated his tentacles the moment he saw Gabriel go down, a smile on his boyish features as he looks down on his downed adversary.

"Get away from them, please."

Ryeomae can feel the shiver that ran through Gabriel's back at the threat, and even she feels terrified of the boy right in front of her.

Not just that. The calm yet eerie smile on Mizuki's features, the way the light seems to cast his face in an unsettling shadow, the gentle and borderline pacifying tone of his voice despite the damage he has done all on his own - all a sharp contrast to the seemingly bright and innocent boy he seemed to be mere moments earlier. She could've sworn she saw the silhouette of what seemed to be a large, jellyfish-like abomination eclipsing Mizuki for a brief second, but maybe that's just her fear talking.

"I would suggest listening to Mizuki." The Doctor replied, maintaining her cool facade. But Ryeomae could hear the slight change in the inflections of her voice, the slightest tremors creeping its way into her words - a sort of threatening contralto. "Wouldn't want him to completely destroy you now, do we?"

And it was at this moment that Ryeomae realized:

Perhaps these people's struggles were infinitely harsher than her own.

~

Not long after the skirmish, Leviathan found a way to transport the Terrans back to their home world - a revelation that brought much relief to the Terran trio. As far as the demons and the human were concerned, the three Rhodes Island personnel had their own wars to fight, most if not all requiring the assistance of the Doctor. With many unfamiliar terms such as "Seaborn threat", "Londinium Crisis", "the Damazti Cluster's spies", and more, Ryeomae can't help but wonder just how the Doctor was able to handle everything without breaking down.

It made her feel insignificant, in a way. Here she was, a defenseless human, whose only value she actively provides for the demons is the ability to break the pacts her late ancestor had formed with them. Sure, sometimes the demon kings defer to her to organize attacks, but even then she tended to lose sight of most sneak attacks. Dr. Requiescat's tips were necessary for her to be able to control the battlefield, she believes, but the fact that she even needed those tips in the first place...

It didn't help that the trio revealed several more bombshells about Dr. Requiescat after their skirmish with Gabriel, quickly leaving the area while the angel was still immobilized. She's an amnesiac, for one, and she was immediately forced into a commander role the moment she awakened from a coma. When the Doctor was out of earshot, Logos revealed, rather regretfully, that he never wanted to see the Doctor enter the battlefield, didn't want her to walk the bloody path of war ever again. But the reality still stands that she never had a choice to begin with, and he's infinitely grateful that her memories were locked behind the amnesia.

"I do not think she would be able to forgive herself if she were to remember the atrocities she had to commit prior to her amnesia." Logos smiled wryly, sadly gazing at the Doctor as she inspected the portal that would take the three Rhodes Island personnel back to Terra.

Ryeomae counts herself lucky that her life hadn't been filled with such cruelty and bloodshed. And ironically, unbeknownst to Logos, the statement eased the feeling of insignificance in her heart - her life was relatively more peaceful prior to everything, so it's perfectly fine to not be as prolific as the Doctor. Because the Doctor, despite her medical background, had her hand forced to become what seemed to be a truly despicable figure, all in order to achieve the things she and her faction sought to achieve.

Ryeomae should have been disgusted, yet she feels nothing but sympathy for Logos and the Doctor.

Not long after the two were reacquainted, Logos gave the Doctor a bottle of his own hand-crafted aromatics, made for her and only her. She uses it sparingly, keeping the bottle close to her at all times. He had already given several bottles to her prior to her amnesia, he revealed with a tiny, yet melancholic smile on his lips.

Ryeomae couldn't help the feeling that the Doctor meant so much more to the Banshee than she initially believed, with the reverse holding true if the Doctor's tiny gestures of affection were to be believed. A gentle hand on his shoulders, the subtlest hints of fondness as she gazes at him. Even in her amnesiac state, she still remembers the emotions, the affections she held for Logos.

It's as beautiful as it is tragic.

So, Logos's parting words for Ryeomae are this: for her to cherish the people she loves and the time as well as memories she has with them, as you do not know if they'll be ripped away from you without any prior notice. Ryeomae's eyes linger at Leviathan at his reminder, recalling the twisted yet somehow endearing methods he employed to get her to stay by his side - the initial threats and kidnapping, turning into her gradual acclimation towards Hades and the demon king of envy.

But deep inside, her heart lies with the man who became her lifeline after her parents' untimely deaths - Kim Minhyeok, who was surely waiting for her back on Earth, who was still worrying his ass off over her despite being worlds away from her.

With Minhyeok in mind, she decides to take Logos's parting words to heart.

Mizuki remains a mystery to Ryeomae, but one thing remains certain - the kid must've been some sort of Eldritch being from the deep sea, which would explain how Leviathan was able to access his world in the process. Yet nothing about how Mizuki normally carries himself reminds her of a monster, what with his bright smiles and genuine care for the Doctor. His constant reminders for the Doctor to take her medicine, making sure the Doctor is away from most harm, fighting beside Logos to keep her safe...perhaps he has seen the Doctor as an elder sister figure, someone who he wants to keep safe and well. Again, something that Ryeomae wouldn't even dare to expect from an Eldritch being, seeing as most of her experiences with Eldritch beings come from the monsters Leviathan summons from his coffins - terrifying, savage beasts capable of ripping through enemies with impunity. His parting words were a bright and energetic reminder to keep fighting for what is right, yet another confusing part about the boy. Of course, she would take his words to heart, but how can an Eldritch being be such a paragon of justice?

She doesn't feel like it's necessary to question it, however.

And finally, the Doctor, who already feels like an elder sister to her. All gentle smiles and knowing looks, she ruffles Ryeomae's hair affectionately and tells her to keep her advice close to her. That Ryeomae will succeed, and she will return to Earth all safe and sound, because she has good and strong allies that are willing to fight for what they believe is right. All they need is a gentle push from her, and they can achieve what they set out to achieve in the first place, whatever it may be.

"You have influence here. Use it well." The Doctor nods in the demons' direction. Barbatos catches her gaze, and he grins brightly in her direction. Seems like he enjoys the Doctor's more laidback personality, and Ryeomae had the same sentiments as him. "You told me you have someone to return to, and that the demons all genuinely do care for you. So fight for them, to complete your deal and repay their care for you. Fight, and return to the one you want to return to. Your home."

Ryeomae has to wonder if, truly, the Doctor really was an amnesiac. The way she talked had weight, a flicker of seniority despite her seemingly youthful features. Yet she was easygoing - certainly not to the point of abandoning her post like Beelzebub, but easygoing nonetheless. She seemed a lot like Satan, in a sense, yet she was always in full control of her emotions, masterfully wielding them to her own gain. There is simply no way someone who had so few memories of their life could speak in such a way, behave in such a manner.

Oh well. No time to ponder, as Leviathan announces that the portal is ready. Mizuki beams as he rushes over towards the portal, while both Logos and Dr. Requiescat trail behind him, all quiet murmurs and gentle smiles. The young boy turns around and waves goodbye enthusiastically, while Logos and Ryeomae say their farewells in a much more reserved manner.

"Bye, everyone!"

"Thank you for your hospitality."

"Who knows - there's a chance we might meet again in the future!"

Leviathan, at the very least, doesn't seem too opposed to the idea - a rare sight, considering how he's usually so prone to jealousy. Though perhaps, seeing just how much of an asset the Terrans were to Hades convinced him far more than words could ever serve to do. "So long as you come in support of Hades, we will welcome you with open arms."

The Doctor grins widely before turning towards Logos and Mizuki. "Ready, you two?"

"Ready!"

"Lead the way, Doctor."

Ah, they're really going now- huh?!

For the briefest of moments, while the Terrans hop into the portal, the Doctor's cap lifted from the top of her head, exposing a tiny pair of demon horns. And at the exact same time, a similarly dark, slim demon tail slipped out from beneath her shirt - so well-hidden after all this time.

But before she could call the Doctor back, the portal closed off completely, leaving Ryeomae, Leviathan, Foras, Barbatos, and Glasyalabolas in a shocked stupor.

Barbatos is the first one to recover. "Well...that might explain why she was so willing to help us."

Leviathan collects himself next, frowning contemplatively. "Maybe. Maybe not."

"I agree with His Majesty Leviathan." Foras speaks up next. "The Doctor was a mysterious person, and while she did help us, we never really knew of her true intentions. Was it out of duty? Kindness? Or perhaps, the threat from His Majesty?"

"And don't forget, their land doesn't recognize 'angels' and 'demons' like we do. She's a Sankta, and that Logos person was a Sarkaz." Glasyalabolas added, earning affirmative responses from everyone in the room.

All the while, Ryeomae is silent.

She does feel the kindness emanating from the Doctor throughout the skirmish against Gabriel and his forces, that much is true. It was easy to latch on to the Doctor as a figure worthy to look up to, as the mature yet laid-back Sankta she was. Easily commanding the battlefield, like a chessmaster thinking many steps ahead - yet laid-back when necessary, joking around with everyone around her. Shielding Ryeomae behind her despite not looking like she wields any sort of weapon for self defense.

But the demons have a point, and the Doctor herself is still shrouded in mystery. Sure, she may have acted off the goodness of her own heart, but doesn't that come into odds with how Logos described her, prior to her amnesia? Yet Logos still believes that the Doctor is kind at heart - was he blinded by his emotions, or was he truly being objective? And sure, she may have said she was a Sankta, but weren't demon horns and demon tails the signature features of Sarkaz? Shards of light for wings and a halo, with demon horns and a demon tail...both sets of features on the same person?

Just...who are you, really, Dr. Requiescat?

~

BONUS: a visual representation and brief description of the Doctor and Ryeomae! (neka link here)

1. Dr. Requiescat (Arknights Docsona, real name Luciel. Halo, wings, tail, and Originium crystals not pictured)

Doctor of Rhodes Island, presents herself as a Fallen Sankta due to a lingering sense of guilt, of having wronged someone she cared about back before the sarcophagus. Despite the sarcophagus seemingly resetting her body, in turn clearing her memories and healing her wounds, her Oripathy still remains - nobody knows why. She acts kind and upbeat, but she still questions if that's really her, especially as more and more revelations of her past comes into light. But, after the revelations about her identity (as revealed in Lone Trail), she holds a phrase close to her heart: I am me, just as I always have been.

2. Ryeomae

Solomon's descendant, a 24-year-old young woman who has a degree in literature and is currently working part-time as a barista while looking for a more permanent employment. She lives with Minhyeok, her childhood friend. They both secretly harbor feelings for each other - something her bandmate, friend, and ex Hana-chan easily takes notice of, considering he always sets them up. Both craves and is uncomfortable with the demons' overwhelming care and attention towards her.

(honestly they could really pass off as twins if not for the fallen sankta features the doctor has and their different colored eyes)

[oh-meow-swirls]

canonically the yo-kai watch timeline seems to have 1 and 2 in the same summer, then blasters in the school year after, then 3 in the summer after. not sure on blasters 2 or 4 but nate's canonically 12 there. but despite the fact that logically, given the year gap between 1/2 and 3, nate should be 12 in 3. he's still 11 i'm pretty sure??? i don't think his age is ever stated in 3 (i think the only time nate/katie says they're 11 is in 2 when they visit their grandma) but he's in the same class in the same school and everything. so???

[randomositycat]

I'm begging yall to stop leaking shit

[occidentalavian]

Full map of Exandria, 2024 update!

Map images and Wonderdraft file download [HERE]

Hi everyone! It's been about 4 years since my last map. In that time more of Exandria has revealed itself to us, and while it is still not a complete picture, we now have enough that I felt it was time to make an update.

The biggest change from my previous map is that I am no longer using the Elven Tower Cartography assets. This is because previously I installed them incorrectly, in a way that meant that people who downloaded the map file were unable to see the assets unless they installed it in the same weird way that I did. Rather than fixing this, I instead opted to use the default Wonderdraft assets, that way it can be viewed out of the box without having to download something else first!

As before, Tal'Dorei and Wildemount are the most accurate to official maps, and we also have an official map of at least one arrangement of the Shattered Teeth, which is re-created here. We have a portion of Marquet via the Oderan Wilds and Hellcatch Valley maps, but the rest, including all of Issylra is still mostly made up, based loosely on a very old and tiny map briefly shown on screen by Sam in episode 103 of Campaign 1! Naturally when any new maps come out, this map will (eventually) be updated to reflect them.

There are some locations that are new to this map as well, such as the Demithore Valley in Issylra from Campaign 3 and all the towns visited in The Re-Slayer's Take up to episode 10, these being Himblewood, Josgren's Hollow, Shoresight Isle, and the Hug Hive. Ta'Dorei has a few new towns, Mooren and Heldenfaire, which were mentioned in Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, as well as a few unnamed village clusters, the Foramere and Vues'dal villages. For these and the Mornset Countryside I included some non-canonical paths connecting them to the main roadways. Also included in Mornset is Roch Mar, the village that Vox Moronica visited all the way back in Episode 12 of Campaign 1, before Critical Role even did separate numbering for one-shots and thus included this unrelated episode in the campaign. This town isn't officially confirmed to actually exist in Exandria, so consider it my headcanon and a paper town. Moving on to Wildemount, Vo Village got upgraded to proper town status, and I've also included Yardel from The Nine Eyes of Lucien, Ghostwall from The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen, and Galgarad from the Dark Star adventure on DnDBeyond!

I want to give a special thanks to Don Farland for his original fan map of Exandria, created all the way before the release of Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, upon which I originally based my map of the Shattered Teeth. Incidentally, I believe that this depiction of those islands was the basis upon which the official map by Andy Law is based upon. I would also like to thank Niko Vanhala for his fan-made maps of Marquet and Issylra, upon which I have loosely based my maps of those continents. And of course thank you to Andy Law and Deven Rue for the official cartography of Exandria!

[g4rvez-r3id]

I’m Here, Now

Post Prison! Spencer Reid x Girlfriend!Fem Reader

Synopsis: Your boyfriend, Spencer gets released from prison and you’re his first stop after dealing with Cat Adams and her schemes. And all he wants to do is see you and love you.

Category: Smut, Fluff

Warnings: 18+ MDNI established relationship, prison arc, spoilers of season 12 of Criminal Minds, it’s a lil sad tbh but it only lasts for a second, reader’s in disbelief, spencer and reader being cutesy, crying, kissing, mentions of bruises, threats, sappy speeches, fluffy ending, lowkey not true to 12x22/13x01 so this could be an au! smut warnings: soft!dom spencer (firm believer here🙋‍♀️), a lil body worship from reader to spencer, oral sex (m receiving & reader receiving), facefucking, cum swallowing, “good girl”, riding, unprotected sex, mentions of masturbation, creampie, overstimulation, spencer lowkey being a munch- that should cover it 😃

Author’s Note: hey lovelies, i can’t stop writing smutty oneshots ahhhh i can’t help it, i just love my man 🤭 i hope y’all enjoy this because i’ve had my mind on prison arc reid bc i’m watching s12 rn and oooo he so fine in 12a and in 12b 😩 anyways hope y’all like this <3

You worried that maybe he’d never come back. Upon hearing he was in jail in Mexico, you worried you’d never see Spencer again.

If your past self could tell you that your boyfriend, Dr. Spencer Reid, who was a nerd at heart, who spent his free time playing chess and reading and watching Doctor Who with you under your fluffy blankets and wore mismatched socks because he believed it was good luck, that he would one day end up being framed and sent to prison, you would’ve laughed in your face.

You never would’ve expected this to happen. But then you heard why. He was framed for murdering a woman named Nadie Ramos, who was helping him get his mother medicine that seemed to calm her from her episodes. If there was anyone he would’ve risked everything for besides you, it was his mother.

And to be honest, you were a little mad at him for lying to you. He told you that he was going to Houston to talk to some of his mom’s doctors. You’d been together four years now and not once did he ever lie to you until now. When he got transferred to the Milburn Correctional Facility, due to overcrowding, he’d requested to see you and only you.

It wasn’t until Spencer wrote you a letter, practically begging you to come and see you. The first time you’d gone to see him, you actually didn’t even recognize him, skipping over him and almost staring at him in confusion when he walked over to the other side of your plexiglass.

And you tried to play it off like you expected him, even while looking like he did, but he knew deep down you didn’t recognize him. He chose not to acknowledge it but you both knew.

And you visited him frequently, until he decided to cut you from the visitor log with no warning. You were hurt, to say the least. And you ended up avoiding everyone after that. You even ignored the many fruit baskets Garcia kept sending over but you kept sending them back.

But then a miracle happened.

They proved his innocence. And he was out.

You would’ve found that out if you’d checked your phone but you spent the entire day in bed, away from society and sobbing at the fact that he was gone and he wasn’t here, comforting you like he did so well.

You hated him, you hated him for putting you in this position, for making you deal with the aftermath, for pushing you away. But you loved him. You would never stop loving him, no matter how much you hated him right now.

You’d been laying in bed, tossing and turning all day as the TV played some random sitcom you watched every now and again. And you’d heard something. A soft knock coming from your front door.

You almost missed it but it was faint. And you heard it. Choosing to finally get out of bed, you opened your room door and walked to the front door. You opened it without checking the peephole, because at this point you’d had enough and just wanted death to get you over with already.

But death may have stopped your heart only for a moment when you open the door.

Because standing there, in the suit he’d gotten arrested in when his bail was denied, his hair outgrown and his stubble framed nicely on his face — was your boyfriend, Spencer Reid, in the flesh.

You gasped softly as you backed away from the door and stared at him, almost as if you were disbelief. You’d had a dream like this before. Where he came back and promised he was here to stay. (But it was another one of God’s cruel jokes and you cried when you woke up the following day).

He walked in and closed the door right behind him, standing tall in front of you. You noticed the bruises on his face, how his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and stared at you.

“Hi.” He said softly and all you can do is stare at him. “Am I dreaming?” You find yourself asking out loud and his heart breaks. He can see that you’re scared. Scared that if you go up to him, he’ll disappear like smoke. And he hates that.

“No.” Spencer shakes his head and he waits for you to approach him and you do, walking slowly towards him as the floorboard creaks beneath your socked feet.

He waits as you first grab his hands, and interlock your fingers together. When that seems not to be enough for you, your hands move to his face. You caress the sharp new grown stubble on his face and drag your index finger to his plump lips and stare into his hazel eyes and they’re full of wonder and love.

You don’t even register the tears until you hold him in your arms and you hold onto him for dear life. He holds you tightly in his arms as you find yourself wrapping around him like a koala and all he can do is hold you back. And it grounds him, you ground him.

Your head moves towards his and you kiss his lips, like you’ve longed to do for three months. And part of you still couldn’t believe this, that he was here, holding you like you were going to break.

You kiss him a few more times before you pull back and ask with tears in your eyes, “Are you okay?” Spencer nods toward your forehead, “I’m okay, now that I’m here.”

“You’re here, now.” You look him in the eyes as you say this and he nods at your words, repeating them to himself. “I’m here, now.” It’s as if he’s reminding himself that he’s here with you because he’s worried he’s gonna wake up any minute and he’ll be back in that cell. You weren’t the only one who had a hard time believing this was real.

Spencer’s lips catch yours and he pushes into the kiss and you get back on the ground, your hands (or mouth) not leaving him for a second and making their way up to his hair and pulling. You whine into his lips as he you pull him by his belt and walk backwards to your bedroom with him following you.

With your strength, you twirl the two of you around and straddle him as you continue to kiss him. You rock your hips into his growing bulge and he moans into your mouth and you smirk in the middle of the kiss.

You begin to unbutton his suit and successfully get his blazer off and now next is his dress shirt but he’s quick to grab your hands and you look at him with wide eyes.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” You ask, willing to put a stop to this if he wasn’t ready. “Nothing, I just…” Spencer looks down as he lets go of your hands and seemingly now growing insecure all of a sudden.

He stands up from the bed and you look up at him as he holds his arms over his stomach. “I just… I got hurt pretty bad in there. You’re gonna see some bruises. I just don’t want you to freak out. He admits and your heart breaks, “You don’t have to take your shirt off. Or we can just stop entirely and—”

Spencer shakes his head, “No, it’s okay. You’re gonna see them eventually.” With that, he begins to unbutton his dress shirt and you give him all the time in the world to do so, not wanting to rush this at all.

When he takes off his dress shirt successfully, you finally see it. He has bruises everywhere on his ribs and some near his belly button and on his stomach. Some are still in the process of healing with yellow and gray hues and some are purple and mucus green.

“Oh, my love…” You whisper to yourself as you stand up and you turns him around and find more on his back and there’s just too many of them. You find yourself tearing up but you know you need to keep it together for him. Who could hurt your sweet boy? Was this why he didn’t want you to see him anymore while he was still in there? How long did this go on for?

It’s then that you register the bruise near his eye. You thought that it was due to the lack of sleep he’d been getting and assumed it was the bags under his eyes he so often got but it was a bruise. How did you miss that when he walked in?

He almost wants to hide himself, like a turtle under its’ shell and you look down at his body. “Baby…” You start but he shakes his head. “I’m so sorry.”

He looks at you as you guide him towards the bed and he lays back and you go back to straddling him, but this time, you’re careful as you hover over him.

You kiss his lips before making your way down to his neck and then to his body and it takes a second for him to register that you’re not just kissing his body, you’re kissing the bruises.

He feels himself getting choked up as you kiss every visible one and his heart swells for you. What did he did to deserve you?

You begin to unbuckle his belt but he rests his elbows on the bed and looks down at you. “You—You don’t have to…” He trails off but you quickly shake your head. “I know. But I want to. It’s your first night back. This is about you tonight, baby.”

Spencer doesn’t interfere, just stares as you unbuckle his belt and pull out his cock through the hole in his underwear and it springs into action, dripping pre-cum from the head. “Oh, my sweet boy. You must be so pent up.”

You kiss the tip of his dick and he shuts his eyes tightly as if he’s trying to hold back from already cumming. You lick up his shaft and fit his cock inside your mouth and he curses to himself as he grips your bedsheets as tight as he can.

You notice this, grabbing his hand and interlocking your fingers together, as if you’re telling him and giving him permission to touch you as you bob your head up and down.

He takes this opportunity to caress your face as you take him into your mouth. He ties your hair into a makeshift ponytail as he pushes deeper onto his cock and even lifts his hips to ensure that you’re taking all of him until you’re gagging.

“Let me know if it’s too much, okay?” Spencer tells you and you nod to the best of your ability until you begins to fuck your throat, using your mouth for his pent up pleasure. “Fuck… God, you’re so good at that. Letting me fuck your throat like the good girl you are.”

His words could make you cum on the spot without him even laying a finger on you. He rarely cursed in your domestic setting but he did it often when you two were in bed.

All you can do is take it as deep as it can go in your mouth. He whines into the ceiling as he says your name until you feel his hot cum dribble down your throat and your nose is buried into his crotch as he holds you there and makes you take all his cum into your mouth.

He pants as he releases your head from his cock and you swallow the rest of his cum. He looks at you with worried eyes, concerned that maybe he’d gone too far. “I’m sorry, baby. Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” He asks, like he didn’t just cum into your mouth and call you a “good girl”.

You shake your head at him with a small smile. “That was just about the hottest thing you’ve ever done.” (And everything he did was always hot). He blushes and crooks a smile.

“Are you willing to keep going?” You ask him and he nods with an immediate answer, “Absolutely.” He’d never let you go to bed without making you cum at least twice.

You climb on top of him with a smirk and look deeply into his eyes. They’re filled with lust, love and adoration for you and for you only. “You’re so beautiful.” You say to him in a whisper but Spencer chuckles a bit, “I should be saying that to you.”

You look down as your pussy catches the tip of his cock and you sink down into him carefully. He moans at the feeling and you gasp. He fits perfectly.

“God, I missed you. Missed this…” Spencer catches his breath. “Perfect pussy.” You chuckle and looks into his eyes as you rock back and forth. “It was so lonely without you, Spencer.” You whine. “I missed you so much.”

You lean down as you kiss him on the lips. “Did you…” He pauses, not wanting to be crude even while he was inside of you. “While I was away?” It took a second to figure out what he was talking about. And then you realized that he was asking if you’d masturbated while he was away.

“A few times,” You admitted shyly, despite suffocating him with your pussy. “I thought about you every time. It just wasn’t the same. Missed your body.”

Spencer smiles darkly, “Maybe I should punish you for that.” He says, half-joking. You lean forward as you smirk, “I’d like to see you try.”

And without a second thought, it was as if a switch flipped as Spencer was quick to flip your bodies over and he hovers over you, both hands on either side of your head, gripping the pillows. “You really wanna test that theory?”

You bite your lip and smirk once more as you pull him in for another kiss and he glides himself into you and you gasp at the feeling of his dick inside of your pussy. It’d been such a long time since you felt him like this, here, in your arms. God, you love him.

He rocks his hips, thrusting deeply into your body as leans his head in your shoulder, mumbling sweet obscenities and how good your pussy feels and how responsive you were. He dreamt of the day he’d have you like this. And since being in prison, he longed for it more.

He reached down in between your legs as he found your clit without even looking down and staring deeply into your eyes and your moans reverberate through the walls as keeps his eyes on you and you only.

“Baby, I’m sorry, I need to cum— where? Where?” He asks and you shut your eyes tightly as you shout, “Inside! Oh, god, inside!”

He pushes himself hard into you as you finally cum, your legs shaking as you moan his name into the ceiling and he collapses on your body, still sheathed inside of you.

You both lay there, panting and reveling in the feeling of each other. Eventually, Spencer does pull out of you and you feel as he lowers himself, eyeing your pussy up close and you look down at him sleepily. “Baby, you don’t have to. This was about you.” You assure.

“Nonsense,” Spencer tells. “I need to clean up my mess and even the score, might as well kill two birds with one stone.” He jokes, diving face first into your pussy and you whimper at the contact he makes, especially with the way his stubble is rubbing against your thighs, cleaning his own cum out of your pussy and relishing in the way you both taste.

His mouth captures your clit and he twists his tongue around the bud in that delicious way you love and he moans into your pussy. “We taste so good together, baby. Cum again on my tongue, this time.”

You tug at his messy hair as you hold his head to you pussy and you use him, rocking your hips into his mouth. You feel as your legs shake once more and you let go of his head for him to take a breather.

That breather lasts only a second before he dives back in and you whine at the contact. “Spence… baby, I’m sen—sensitive.”

“You can take one more, baby. I know you can. You can cum again.” Spencer says, his pupils are blown as he looks at you and he’s commanding you to cum again. “Just one more, baby.”

You nod at him and Spencer grabs your hands. “Here,” He interlocks your fingers with his and somehow, the pleasure is so much and yet not at all as makes you cum for a third time tonight. If he could spend forever eating your pussy, he would.

You close your eyes for a moment and when you finally open them, he’s right next to you and holding you. (He’d cleaned you up properly with a warm rag and left your favorite snack and water bottle on the desk next to your bed whenever you were ready to wake up). You remembered the loving words he whispered to you as you drifted off into a heavy slumber.

And you’ve finally woken up. You look up at him, still in awe of him being here. You take the chance to check the time. It’s already 5am and the sun is still shy away from rising but it doesn’t matter. None of it matters because you have your boyfriend right next to you, holding you for dear life and loving you the way you deserve to be loved.

You worry that he’s still up, but you figure that after all those months in prison, maybe he has trouble sleeping every now and again. You find yourself holding him tighter as you look down at the bruise near your head. You can’t believe he was hurt. How did he manage to survive in there? You’re still wondering why he’d taken you off the visitor’s log.

“Spencer?” You ask and he looks down at you, your voice surprising him. “Yeah?” You sit up and look at him, face to face, swallowing the lump in your throat. “Why did you take me off the visitor’s list?” You decide to ask.

He’s about to respond and you don’t want to hear another lie. You’d been through plenty of those already. “I mean, I didn’t even want to see you at first and then you begged me to and then all of a sudden, I wasn’t allowed to. I feel like I have the right to know.”

“No, no, you do,” Spencer knows that much. He hates the fact that he’s lied to you and has forced you to deal with this when all you deserved was the best from him. He sits up next to you he knows he’s gonna need to tell you, even though he doesn’t want to.

“The last time after you came to visit me,” Spencer started. “I got cornered in my cell. A lot of the guys there were asking about you. And they said that it’d be a shame if something happened to you when you came to visit again.” You look down as he talks about it. “And I didn’t want to risk that. And I wanted to tell you, really, I did.” He grabs your hand assuringly. “But I didn’t have any way to. And I didn’t want you to get hurt. I would’ve died if something happened to you and I didn’t do everything in my power to stop it. I’m sorry it went down like it did.”

You shake your head. And you finally understand. Because if the roles were reversed, you would’ve taken him off the visitor’s list, too. If it meant protecting him. “You were just trying to protect me, I understand.”

“I just…” Spencer looks at you, holding your face in his hands. “I love you, so much.” He looks deeply into your eyes. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He reveals and your eyes widen. “What?”

Spencer closes his eyes and holds his index finger up. “One second.” He stands up and grabs his blazer from off the floor and digs into one of the inside pockets and pulls out a red velvet box.

Your eyes widen as you cover your body with the sheet and he kneels down on one knee in his boxers and opens the velvet box to reveal a ring. “I didn’t want to do it like this but I’d rather do it now than wait for the right time to.” Your eyes glance down at the box for a mere second and then to the love of your life.

“I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You make my days better, hell, you’ve made my life better. And no matter what we’ve gone through, you’ve stayed by my side and you never ran. I love that you sing off-key, I love that your nose twitches when you get mad, I love that you like… pineapple on pizza, oddly enough.” You chuckle at this. “I love everything about you. And I have no idea what I’ve done to deserve you. But… but true love, it fosters a connection that goes beyond the superficial. It's a bond that often involves understanding each other's core values, beliefs, and life goals. And you’ve made me believe in true love.“

You stare at him in disbelief as he continues, “Will you marry me?” You feel tears spring into your eyes as you nod vehemently, “Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes!” You smile widely and he smiles at you, slipping the ring onto your ring finger as you continue to mutter a million yeses.

When you finally get the ring on, you pull him in for another kiss and he holds you to his heart’s content. It wasn’t the way he envisioned it going, but with you, you knew you didn’t want big and bold ways of him saying he loved you and wanted to marry you, you were content with something small and sweet because it was coming from him and that was the biggest gift of all. You were one for grand gestures, you liked it just the way it was. It was perfect. He was perfect. And you’d spend the rest of your life reminding him he was.

So, you laid back in your bed with your fiancé and talked and talked about sweet nothings until the sun came up. And all of the ache you felt the night before, the pain you endured was long gone and now replaced with something beautiful and sweet.

[yourfavoritehouseplant]

I watched James Somerton's final video, and all I got was this 6 page document

As soon as I learned his final unreleased video was on Revolutionary Girl Utena, I knew I had to hate watch it. I didn't know that I'd spend the following 4 hours making a comprehensive doc on everything I hated about it. But here we are.

The TLDR (is this too long to be a TLDR?)

The intro section, as well as Part 2, are directly plagiarized from wikipedia. The rest is unclear.

He makes a “haha this show is so weird right guys” joke 10 different times

He reads Anthy as so emotionally stunted she literally has to be taught how to think for herself, and believes that being the rose bride makes her feel good

He says that his reading is ‘vastly different” from the rest of the community, before boldly stating that this is because he sees it as a “deeply allegorical and symbolic story”

He sees the sexual abuse as “not to be taken literally”

Insists that the show be separated into parts that are strictly literal and strictly allegorical for the entirety of parts 3 and 4, before making the contradictory move of analyzing characters as allegories during part 5

The only characters that get dedicated sections are Akio and Dios, who he doesn’t believe are the same person. 

He says Dios gets his powers by “deflowering women”

He calls Akio, known child predator, a chaotic bisexual

Uses 14 year old SA survivor Anthy’s passive personality to make a joke about her being a bottom

His final point is that Utena was the real prince all along

There are no citations

Anyway, full version for people who hate themselves under the cut. With time codes, because I cite my sources.

Part 1: Intro

This entire section is almost exclusively quoted from the Wikipedia article for Revolutionary Girl Utena. Words have been changed, but the order at which certain topics come up is not. Highlights include:

0:56 In his introduction of Be-Papas, lists the founding members in literally the exact same order as Wikipedia.

1:40-2:00 His list of Be-Papas previous works is lifted entirely from wikipedia, only with the words changed. This leads to a strange moment at 1:52 where he claims Be-papas ‘lent their talents to’ Neon Genesis Evangelion, a show which started production at least a year before Be-papas was founded. On the wikipedia article for Utena, this is instead referring to the previous work of Shinya Hasegawa and Yōji Enokido

4:23 he uses a quote by Yūichirō Oguro describing the production as a “tug of war”. He seems to have lifted this in its entirety from Wikipedia, as he does not cite the actual source it is from (the box set companion book, btw)

As for James Somerton originals, at 0:44 he claims that out of all magical girl series,”none to my knowledge have been more discussed and dissected than the 1997 series Revolutionary Girl Utena” He will go back on this at 5:05, where he states that “Sailor Moon takes the lion’s share of discussion” in regard to influential magical girl anime

Part 2: Part 1

(At least I know I’m not funny, unlike James Somerton)

Speaking of which. Here is every single time he makes a “wow this show is sooooo weird you guys” joke: 6:00, 8:50, 10:40, 10:58, 13:46, 17:07, 24:16, 30:34, 41:19, 48:01

Here’s every time the punchline to the joke is the existence of Nanami, a character who he otherwise completely disregards: 10:56, 12:05, 16:22, 42:40

6:16 Claims that the “Apocalypse saga” and “Akio Ohtori saga’ are two names for the same several episodes, depending on the release. This is untrue. Instead, different releases either only have the Apocalypse saga, or split the episodes into an Akio Ohtori saga and then the Apocalypse saga. 

7:58 Claims Utena intervening on Anthy’s behalf begins the first duel. While this happens in the movie, Touga intervenes in the scene he uses clips from (like literally right after the shot he uses in the video). Utena only gets drawn into the duels when Wakaba’s love note to Saionji is posted. Youtuber Noralities’ Utena video also gets this wrong, which makes me wonder if this was copied.

9:09 Claims Akio’s “End of the World” moniker is actually more closely translated to “Apocalypse”. In reality, the translation moves away from a more apocalyptic reading, with 世界の果て (Sekai no hate) apparently translating closer to “the furthest reach of a known world” or “edge of the world”. (Love the implications of this translation, but I digress)

9:10 As can be assumed from the previous point, this means I can’t find any sources that point to them not using the title “apocalypse” for religious reasons

10:10 Uses Anthy’s extreme passivity under her Rose bride persona to make a top/bottom joke. I’m gonna repeat this in case you’re just skimming. He uses a trait that likely stems from years of abuse, (possibly exaggerated by the persona Anthy uses to manipulate people), and uses it to call her a bottom. 

He also just doesn’t seem to understand how the whole point of Utena constantly telling Anthy that she's just a normal girl who should make more friends is framed as Utena imposing her will on Anthy, just as much as the previous Engaged have done. 

11:54 Apologies in advance for my most “um, actually!” point yet, but technically his statement that Anthy stops being host to the Sword of Dios is wrong. Akio literally pulls a sword out of her chest in the final duel. It's a more evil-looking sword of Dios, granted.

13:02 !!! CANTARELLA SCENE ALERT !!! He interprets it as them fighting over Akio?? Which like. I will allow people to have their own interpretations of vague and symbolic scenes. I will. I swear. This is not technically incorrect. It just makes me want to eat my own intestines.

14:44 Bad Anthy take #1: He states Anthy “is emotionally stunted to the point where she needs people to make decisions for her because she does not know how to think for herself” This ignores several moments of Anthy clearly making her own choices throughout the show, including the suicide attempt Somerton mentions about a minute prior. This also strips Anthy of what little agency she has throughout the story, usually exerted through messing with Utena or Nanami. (The fact that she repeatedly makes choices that contribute to her own abuse is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting parts of her character, and it's a shame that Summerton’s ‘reading’ of the story completely disregards that)

Additionally, he once again reads Utena ‘urging Anthy to think for herself” in the first arc as an unambiguously good move, and not as something critiqued in the show.

14:52 Summerton reads the Swords of hatred as symbolizing men’s hatred specifically. Again, I’m trying not to completely disregard differing interpretations to a show like Utena, but this feels very simplistic, especially considering the harm we see aimed towards Anthy by other women

16:42 Here he claims that his reading of the story seems to be “vastly different” from the bulk of Utena discourse. What is this reading? That the show shouldn’t be read literally. Or, in his words, “[we can interpret] Revolutionary Girl Utena as a deeply allegorical and symbolic story about the struggles of coming of age amidst widespread institutional corruption in a high school and which describes a passive culture of inaction in regard to brazen instances of domestic exploitation in which there is not only a question about the caporeality of the events transpiring but also which events can be taken for granted and which events are meant to signify abstract sociological institutions.” The idea that he believes this is in any way a new reading of the material honestly baffles me.

Part 3: Part 2

17:48 through 18:50 differently quotes the Wikipedia article for postmodernism. He even makes a joke at 17:55 about Wikipedia. Please kill me. 

The first three themes he lists at 19:11 are just the three main themes listed on the Revolutionary Girl Utena Wikipedia page. What was that about a “vastly different” reading, James?

You’re gonna have to take my word for it, but this section is so short because it's just him talking about the various ways the story can’t be taken literally. He does, ironically, call this a hot take.

Part 4: Part 3

Here’s where the reading falls apart folks

At 23:15, he states that some things in Utena are allegorically coded, while others are to be taken literally. This is true. However, he seems to take this to mean that some parts of the show are Strictly Literal, while others are Strictly Allegorical for things going on in the Literal World. 

This is apparently why he prefers the Anime to the Movie, where there basically is no separation between the Literal and Allegorical

This take is bizarre to me for several reasons, but here is my favorite. At several points, he mentions how Revolutionary Girl Utena is a work of Magical Realism. Magical Realism is literally defined by its blending of the “literal” and “allegorical”, the mix of fantastical elements in a mundane, realistic setting. This idea of the impossibility of a blurred line, that Utena must either have lore where the magic is all real and means nothing, or dedicated allegory segments quarantined from the rest of the story, is contrary to the very idea of Magical Realism.

I can’t help but wonder if Somerton took his mentions of Magical realism from a previous work, due to how little it is consistent with his final argument. Either way, this section suggests a great lack of creativity in his analysis, a shame for such a creative work.

24:36: Shiori slander, for those who care

After this he gets really worked up about people assuming symbolism in everything, even when the author ‘doesn’t make it clear something is symbolic’. He shuts down a reading of a shot in the Lord of the Rings. Miley Cyrus is there? Very The Curtains Were Blue of him. 

28:22 Claims that Wakaba is the key to telling where the Strictly Literal segments end and the Strictly Allegorical segments begin. He states that, under this lens, deeply personal moments of character suffering such as all of the sexual abuse and Anthy’s suicide attempt (which he literally cites) should be read as symbolic and be “approached with uncertainty rather than confusion”. (28:24-29:13)

This also somewhat falls apart when you consider Wakaba is the jeep in the movie's car chase

And then he rants about people not liking his Attack on Titan video for a bit. Since its potential symbolism also doesn't follow hard enough rules to be symbolism. Once again, the separation of “fact vs allegory” I haven’t watched AOT, so that's all I’ll say.

Part 5: Part 4

Thank god this part is short. Much like Dios’ on-screen presence.

32:55 Makes the extremely bold claim that Dios is not Akio. As in, never even became Akio. because Dios is Strictly Allegorical.

Just to be a pedant, this is pretty explicitly disproven in the show

Confusingly, both earlier and later he will address these two as the same character. 

33:04 he also explains the root of Akio’s name in a tone that suggests this is supplemental information and not like. Literally something he explains out loud in the show?

Part 6: Part 5

This section is nearly entirely about Akio Ohtori. I would like to note that him and Dios are the only characters with dedicated segments.

38:30 The part where he states that Dios gets his powers from deflowering women.

38:46 Claims, once again, that Akio’s abuse of Anthy “may not be literal”. 

38:59 “the instance of exploitation here is used because assault has deep roots as indicating that akio's gender is the source of his imbalance”  THE ASSAULT IS ABOUT AKIO NOW???

39:45 Bad Anthy take #2: “Anthy’s conformity to the Rose bride is based around the fact that she feels good being subservient because this is the only thing in her life that has ever brought her any kind of positive reward”. This is a direct quote. Anyway, I can’t think of any instances in the show where Anthy’s subservience gives her a positive reward, except maybe when she’s intentionally using it to manipulate others. As for her feeling good being the rose bride. She tries to commit suicide. Dude.

Side tangent, but isn’t this exactly what Akio says during the final 2 episodes? That Anthy enjoys being a witch? Is the main villain, who consistently says things during that very episode that are blatantly false, our source of information for this take? I guess so, since this is the dedicated Akio section.

At 40:20 he decides to introduce the concept of Anthy, Akio, and Utena as stand-ins for wider concepts, which is antithetical to his approach in analysis beforehand

Part 7: Part 6

42:40 he finally acknowledges that he’s been spending too much time talking about Akio, and literally no time on characters like Nanami

46:10 states that Utena’s exclusive motivation “is to protect Anthy from the predatorial intentions of the other dualists”, which disregards the fact, which she states herself, that she was largely participating in the duels and protecting Anthy to feel like a prince

48:04 The part where he says that Akio has ‘chaotic Bi vibes’ in regards to him sleeping with Touga, who is 17 and implied to be a long-term victim

Part 8: Part 7

54:01: His concluding point is that Utena was the real prince all along. 

In true Somerton fashion, the video then ends over a scrolling wall of patrons, with not a single citation in sight.

[httpsserene]

𝖍𝖙𝖙𝖕𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖊'𝖘 2𝖐 𝖘𝖕𝖊𝖈𝖎𝖆𝖑

welcome to the table of contents for my two-thousand followers special !

i am actually shocked that i reached this milestone, considering my writing managed to convince people to follow me even though i have not been active on this account. you all bolstered me to 2k through two hiatus' that i did not announce, and that i do sincerely apologize for. the next time i plan to disappear off the face of tumblr, i'll give you guys a heads up: no more ghosting :) but seriously, thank you guys for the never ending support, and i will make sure i return the gratitude by being more present on tumblr, and writing more often!

as previously requested and mentioned, this special event is the daniel ricciardo edition. i believe a majority of you wanted a part-two of the overstimulation with daniel ricciardo / max verstappen x black!reader from my f1 kinktober series, which will be included in this special. i also promised a few dr3 fics to some of you that requested--so all in all, all of the daniel ricciardo thirst that YOU ALL requested is listed below the cut. i hope this is enough of a peace offering, and i hope you all enjoy xxx

if you would like to be added to this special's taglist, send me an ask or leave a reply. all episode upload times are at 12 PM EST on their release date. posts tagged as # httpss :// 2k special. all works can be found in my table of contents (m.list).

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: it's his one-man show. you ask for danny ric, and he will always over-deliver. 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: daniel ricciardo x fem!black!reader 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: assorted oneshots.

view playlist? ↴

Pilot: Over-Stimulation Kink w/ Daniel Ricciardo & Max Verstappen

You can't remember the last time you've gotten to spend more than three days at a time with both of your boyfriends. You understand how demanding their job is but, you just can't remember the last time they really exhausted you...pleasurably. And then winter break comes around, and they have all the time they need to make you lose your mind.

Episode Two: Say, "Cheese!" | facial | 5/31/24

The day she gets her braces off will be the best day of her life. Maybe all the years she dealt with insults, underhanded compliments, and men who wouldn’t date her because of them, would be worth it when she sees her perfectly straight teeth. Of course, it sucks that she has insecurities stemming from her braces; her boyfriend, Daniel, says that they “add to her beauty.” If she believed him, she probably wouldn’t hide her mouth behind her hand when she grins or laughs. Don’t worry—Daniel has an idea of how to make that smile of hers…shine.

requested! insecure!reader. soft!dom daniel. oral sex (male receiving). serene's fave.

Episode Three: Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss | fake orgasm | 6/5/24

When Daniel isn’t feeling well, it’s no hardship for her to take of him. Except this time, he broke his hand and is proceeding to be an absolute nightmare to take care of. They haven’t had sex since before the accident in Zandvoort because she’s afraid that somehow she’ll end up aggravating his injury. Daniel, however, has convinced himself that he only exists to bring her pleasure. So, she comes up with a plan to soothe his service dom tendencies. Enter, Operation Fake Orgasm. How hard can it be? Spoiler alert: she’s a terrible actress.

requested! servicedom!daniel. vaginal sex. hurt/comfort. attempt at humor.

Episode Four: Tomorrow 2 | body worship | 6/7/24

She’s the least favorite Formula One WAG. At first, she was optimistic, the fans would eventually start liking her—but that was a pretty naive thought. She’s constantly compared to Daniel’s ex-girlfriend—she’s not as pretty as her, she’s not as supportive as her, etc. Unfortunately, in a moment of low self-esteem—she breaks and thinks maybe the fans are right. Daniel comes home and sees you gathering every belonging of yours that’s migrated to his apartment like you’re breaking up with him. He tries to change your mind with his words, but that doesn’t quite reassure you completely; so he has no choice but to do it with his actions, too.

requested! insecure!reader. light angst. multiple orgasms. manhandling.

Episode Five: TSA | soft yandere | 6/13/24

She’s too pure for him. She hasn’t been damaged by life like he has and he hopes she never will be. So, that’s why Daniel can never allow himself to be with her. He knows she’s convinced herself that she can fix him, but he knows the longer he sticks around, the more he’s ruining her. He finds it cynical: their relationship (or lack of one) reads like one of the books she’s obsessed with: right person wrong time or forbidden love. Daniel learns that it might be a little darker of a trope—like one of her books that she never allows him to see a page of.

requested! possessive!reader. mild angst. happy ending. morally grey.

Finale: K.O. ! | over-stimulation | 6/25/24

Okay, Daniel may have won the first round. He cleared her dry spell with no problem and used Max to do it, too. That’s completely fine, she will never complain about experiencing some of the best orgasms of her life. But, Max (the man unable to not have the last word) coerces her into giving Daniel a taste of his own medicine.  As soon as they can manage to walk on two feet, without a wobble. Mark their fucking words. 

requested! part-two of the pilot fic. multiple orgasms. polyamory. bondage.

current taglist:  @saintslewis @cherry2stems @lorarri @inloveallthetime @mindless-rock @biancathecool @barnestatic @my-ylenia @katekipshidze @darleneslane @lovingaphroditesworld @smoothopz @vetteltea @tallrock35 @iloveyou3000morgan @smartstupyd @spideybv28 @lh383 @loomiscorpse @hiireadstuff @namgification @gg-trini @whatamidoingwithmylife-ramdom @multi-fandom-rando @dreamingofautopia @jayswifee @megatrilss1885 @nanamilkbread @sophia12345678 @benstormy @userlandonorris @xxniallxxsworld @starfusionsworld @hangmandruigandmav @spicybagel14 @itsmiamalfoy @ineedafictionalman @everythingabby101 @valent1na-ferrari @vetteltea @dark-night-sky-99 @svinzlec @angelfreckless

© httpsserene2024

[psych-is-the-name]

SUMMARY OF EVERY LEAK RELATED TO FUTURE POKÉMON PROJECTS

[ Video games ]

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

- Originally planned to release in 2024

- Will feature Mega Zygarde, Mega Zeraora

- In development for current Switch

Pokémon Gaia (codename)

- Gen 10

- Two versions: K and N (Japanese names)

- The main theme will be island exploring in an archipelago

- In development for Switch 2, but a version for Switch 1 is also being tested

Pokémon Synapse (codename)

- New multiplayer Pokémon game

- Collaboration between ILCA and Game Freak

- Has been described as Splatoon-like

- NOT an MMO

[ TV & Film ]

Project Bauer

- Movie 24

- In development hell since 2021, current status unclear

- Will be a fresh start for the movie universe, with a new protagonist

- Set in Kanto, only the original 151 Pokémon will appear

- Main Mythical of the movie will be Mew

- Directed by Kobun Shizuno

Project Reload

- New original TV anime

- 12 episodes of 21 minutes

- Animated by Studio Colorido

- In development since at least 2022, current status unclear

The Great Detective Pikachu

- Sequel to the Detective Pikachu movie

- In development since 2021

- Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts

- Current status unclear, unknown if cancelled

Project Discovery

- Netflix live-action

- 8 episodes for the first season, up to 5 seasons are being considered

- No more details available

[sarawritestories]

Unwavering Presence Chapter 10

Cassian X Archeron Sister (Reader)

Summary:

Content Warning: MINORS DNI 18+ Whipping, degradation (not by Cassian), BJ, Not proofread

A/N PLEASE READ: Okay, this episode does get heavy, though we will be ending on a happier note. But after Chapter 11 and probably 12, the story is going to take a dark turn as we get closer to the impending war in Hybern. I just want you guys to be aware.

Also if the ending feels a little rushed I'm sorry. I wanted you guys to get this as quickly as possible which meant that i needed to cut some stuff to use for the next chapter.

Word Count: 7.9K (Oops)

Unwavering Masterlist Chapter 9

I slowly rose to my feet, “What are you doing here?”

Xavier was the one to answer his lips pursed as if I repulsed him, “Word travels fast in small villages, Doll.” He took a step forward and I could hear Cassian’s instructions in my head; Never turn your back on an opponent. You leave yourself vulnerable. I angled my body, facing both men and having my back toward the wall. His instructions from our training continued, check for exits. Your human body is frailer than mine so if you have the chance to run take it. The window by the bed and the door are blocked with no easy exit. “We heard the Archeron twins had returned. We had to see for ourselves if it was true. We stopped by the manor, and before we could emerge from the forest, you bolted out like a doe on a hunt. We followed.”

Graysen took a step forward I refused to take one back, I lifted my chin, he grips it and yanks it down. “There was a time she was as obedient as a doll.” He pinched where he had his hold on me, and I snarled and swatted his hand and he chuckled. “Now she has a bite.”

“She always had it.” I glanced over to Xavier, “Why did you think I wanted her so badly?” A smirk I once thought was mischievous and handsome, was something darker and threatening. I blinked and suddenly his hand gripped the back of my neck, “I wanted to break her.” He squeezed.

I gripped his arm and twisted his arm until he was pushed on the wall. A steel blade hidden in a sheath on my thigh, a gift from Cassian before we left for the human realms this morning. I pressed the blade to his throat, “What do you both want?” I grit out.

The cold bite of steel was against my own throat, “We want you back in the human lands where you belong. I know my soon to be bride would like at least one of her sisters back home” I dropped the knife. “Glad you see things-“

I turned quickly and punched Graysen in the nose. Lifted my skirt and ran out the door only for multiple hands to grab me. As I thrashed Graysen and Xavier exiting the cottage, blood trickled down the former’s nose.  A hand gripped my hair and yanked forcing my head up, and I cry out in pain. “Cry out all you want, no one can hear you.” Xavier comes close and my chest heaves, as his leather clad finger grazed my cheek, taking advantage of my mouth being parted slid his digit in my mouth pressing down on my tongue as I pressed. “You know what to do.” His eyes were distant and violent.

I leveled him with a glare and bit his finger and felt hands gripping me tightened around my arms as Xavier yelled. In a rapid movement, he smacked my face. “Maybe the fae men, that have been keeping you have been too soft.” He gripped my neck and squeezed. “I think its time to remind you what you are and where you belong.” He squeezed tighter and I gasped, air refusing to reach my lungs before releasing me. “Strip her.” He turned and walked back toward his friend as the sound of fabric tearing was met with the cold bite of air on my bare skin. My body began to tremble as I lowered my shields and screamed out for help hoping Rhys would hear me. Hoped Cassian would find me.

Children’s laughter wafted through my ears as I walked through a village next to mine. I had just gotten done looking for a job. Feyre came home for the second time with no game, and I couldn’t just sit by and watch our family starve. I woke up early and headed into town. Unfortunately, no one had work or conveniently were capped out on people. I sat at the edge of the fountain and pressed my palm into my eyes.

“Now why is a pretty girl like you crying.” I looked up and found a handsome man in uniform his blonde hair down and his eyes were as blue as an ice sculpture.

“It’s nothing and its not kind to lie, Sir,” I sniffled, and rose, “I also should get going. My family needs me.”

A hand gripped my wrist halting me, I turned to him and was acutely aware of him rubbing his thumb against my pulse. “I am not lying. You are beautiful.” His hand moved up from my wrist to grip my fingers. He presses his lips over my knuckles and excitement pools in my belly. “Forgive me, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Xavier. What’s yours beautiful?”

Heat crept into my cheeks as I averted his gaze, “Y/N.”

He hummed, “Well, Y/N, I’ve never seen you around before. What brings you down to our humble village.”

I bit my lip, “I’m trying to find work.” No need to mention how poor we were, that was evident in my appearance.

“Well, it just so happens,” Another voice I turned and a brown-haired man in fine attire stepped forward. “I’m in need of a new maid.”

I bowed my head and curtsied, “It would be an honor to serve my lord.”

Xavier chuckled behind me, “Believe me, baby the honor will be ours.

Cassian’s POV

Calling out for Y/N, the front door slammed, and the house fell into an uncomfortable silence. Nesta had already left for her room and Feyre reached out and grabbed my hand as Elain sat up placing her hand on the edge of the table smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. “Feyre, did she ever mention Graysen to you at all?” My eyebrow lifts in question.

Feyre’s brow also goes up surprised by the question, “No, why do you ask?”

Elain frowns, “He said he knows her well, they used to be friendly. He said his best friend and her were smitten. Then she just disappeared and never spoke to them again. I almost didn’t want to believe him, but he looked so devastated by the fact that she was gone and had been taken,” She paused wrinkling her nose not liking the word and it was similar thing her baby sister had done, but she corrected, “staying in the fae lands. He insisted that we would get her back and she would be where she belonged.”

“Does she belong here?” All heads turned to me as I voiced the question. I rose from my chair and watched as the middle Archeron’s sister eyes widened. “From just the brief stories both of your sisters had shared with me. She has felt more at home in my court than she has ever has under your care.” She flinched at the words, and I couldn’t bring myself to care. “She is no one’s property, and no one is allowed to make decisions on where she belongs, Y/N is the only one who makes that decision.”

Elain raised her chin at me, “You’re right, General. Now go get her.” She pointed to the door, a fierceness in her doe eyes, there appeared to be more than what people assume of this Archeron Sister. and walked toward the stairs most likely to find Nesta.

There was a long pause, “I’m going to go get her.”

Azriel rose from his seat, “Cass, we have to be smart about this.”

I glared at him, “She could be in danger.”

Azriel returned the glare with one of his own, “She could be perfectly fine. If we barge into places trying to find her, we could run the risk of breaking the treaty. Then we lose all leverage of working with the human queens.”

I gritted my teeth, “I could care less about the damn treaty.”

Rhys rose with his palms up, as if he was approaching a wild animal, “Listen I know you want to go after her, but Az is right we need to be-“ Feyre’s painful scream caused him to pause. I rounded the corner to her as Rhys placed a gentle hand behind her neck as Feyre covered her ears. “Feyre Darling, what is it?”

“Rhys, make it stop. I can hear her voice in my head. Make it stop.” Feyre whimpered and I laced my hand into hers and she gripped my hand tightly, Az moved closer as well his shadows swirling and moved around Feyre trying to provide comfort.

Rhys and I exchange a look, “Who do you hear Feyre?” He wiped the tears from her face with his thumb and then moved her hands from her ears.

The Archeron twin squeezed my hand, “She is calling for you Rhys,” her eyes met mine, “She’s screaming for you, Cassian.”

I took a deep breath, “Say her name, Feyre.”

Rhys’ hissed as he reached for his wrist, the one that mirrors Y/N’s. “Y/N.” Feyre whispered.

Azriel was the one to speak, “Rhys?”

Rhys’ eyes flared with anger, “Let’s go get out girl back.”

Feyre stood and Rhys released his grip on her, “I’m coming with.”

Rhys smirked, “That was a given. She is your twin. I would never separate you.”

Feyre turned to me anger in her blue grey eyes, “General, Go get my sister back.”

I kissed her cheek and give her a smirk, “It would be my pleasure.”

Reader POV

They shackled my hands the chain that was being pulled by Xavier and dragged me into the forest. “Please don’t do this.” I whispered; my breathing labored from his unrelenting pace. “Please I’m begging.”

Xavier stopped between two trees that were evenly that had low hanging branches ropes tied to them already.  I tried stepping back but a hand collided with my ass causing me to step forward Graysen chuckled. Bastard.  Xavier yanked the chain of my wrists and gripped my waist pressing me flush against his chest. “Stop squirming, Doll.” Xavier whispered in my ear. “It’s not going to help you.” He kissed my cheek, and I dodged my head. His free hand gripped my face. “You are being so naughty.” I tracked two guards walking up to us. I could feel his smirk against my skin, and I wanted to vomit. “We’re going to fix that. Get you back to how I like you.”

The guards unlock my shackles and are quick to grab my wrists. “Get off me!” The two men tightened their grip, I dragged my feet, The two men didn’t miss a step and got me to the middle of the trees where two other guards handed them the ropes.  I kept hearing Cassian’s voice Fight, Princess, Fight!  Though when both guards tightened the knots on my wrist tightly to the point of me yelping in pain, fighting seemed pointless. My arms were spread, and the ropes were looped around my ankles spread my legs apart.

Xavier walked around with a smirk on his face, a familiar leather bite in his hands. “If you apologize, we could lesson your punishment.”

I spat at him, “Go fuck yourself.”

He sighed, “Suit yourself. 10 lashes for abruptly leaving me, 10 lashes for going to the Fae realm, 20 for punching Graysen in the face, and 10 for your foul mouth.” He was about to shove the bit in my mouth then paused, “You will count each strike. Stop counting, or stumble over we start from the beginning.”  He gripped my corset, took a dagger, and sliced the fabric and it drifted to the ground exposing my back. “Do you understand?”

I lifted my chin and kept my mouth shut in defiance and quirked a brow at him.  He tsked and looked passed me giving him with a nod. The sound of the whip cracking and pain laced my back, and I clenched my jaw. “Answer him, Y/N.” Graysen sounded behind me.

I kept my lips closed. Whack. I closed my eyes as the pain burned into my skin tears slid down my cheeks. Whack. I gripped the ropes binding me and I refused to cry in front of them. “Get the Barbed whip Graysen.”

My eyes shot open; I shook my head, tugging my bonds the rope beginning to chafe my skin,“No, please. I understand, sir. I understand. Please.” Xavier held his hand up. I whimpered, “Please, Sir.”

“Alright, Alright,” He cups my cheek and presses his lips to mine and my brain screamed, Wrong, wrong, wrong. “My good little slut.” I nodded as tears fell down my face. “Say it. Say you are my good little slut.”

I hang my head down low, my shoulders drooping. “I’m your good little slut.”

“Count.” Xavier ordered with that cold tone.

Whack! The bite of the barbed whip dug into my skin; I screamed as Graysen pulled the whip back. I gritted my teeth. “One”

Whack! Another blood curdling scream escaped my lips, my skin felt like it was on fire as he pulled the whip back. Tears trailed down my face as the warmth of blood trickled down my back. “Two.” I whispered. Xavier chuckled as he wiped my tears.

Whack! My whole body jolted, and my arms began to quiver as the whip landed on of the open wounds. “Please.” I couldn’t control the waiver in my voice, “Stop, please.” I whimpered as Xavier gripped my face.

He gives my cheek a few pats. “That wasn’t a number, Doll.” My eyes widened. “Take it from the top.”

I shook my head, “No, no it was three,” Panic settles in as Xavier stepped back, “No please!” Whack! I cried out my body completely shaking as my back felt like it was being shredded. I hung my head down as sobs racked out my body. My lips were chapped from dehydration, “One,” I croaked.

Xaviers fingers grazed my neck and as the next blow hit, he squeezed my throat so I couldn’t scream and more importantly I couldn’t count.

Blood was pooling at my feet clinging to my heels. “Looks like someone is not playing fair.” Stars specked my visions as I looked up and sobbed. Cassian was leaning against a tree with a lethal grace. His eyes flicked to mine for a moment, his gaze trailing down to see the blood pooling, his eyes darkened and his jaw clenched as he pushed off the tree. “I suggest you release my princess.”

Xavier puffed out his chest and laughed squeezing my neck, eliciting a whimper to slip past my lips. Cassian snarled, “Princess?” My ex looked at me as my vision was blackening around the edging my vision and he let me go as I gasped for air.  “A pleasure whore at best.” He looked at Cassian’s wings, “Or maybe the Fae’s who-“

Swiftly Cassian’s blade met his neck, “Care to finish that sentence?” Cassian’s grin was terrifying gone was the gentle male and in his place: The General of the Night Court’s Armies. Through clenched teeth he said, “Cut. Her. Down. Now.”

Xavier smirked, “Or what?”

The sound of an arrow taking flight and taking purchase in a body followed by a low grunt and thud. I sob mixed with a laugh escaped me. Feyre was here. Against Cassian’s hues of Cobalt blue brightens his face. Azriel. I could barely keep my head up when Cassian answered. “You’ll find yourself at the mercy of her twin.”

Xavier walked behind me, the sound of arrows whirling and screaming flooding my ears.  Keeping my eyes open was becoming difficult as one hand was cut free, my leg was next, he moved to the other leg. Before he cut the rope on my wrist, he leaned close in my ear. “I’ll see you again doll,” He licked my ear he speared two fingers in one of the wounds on my back. Stars banked my vision as I unleashed a strained scream that was closer to a howl, and I collapsed before my body could crumple to the floor, warm calloused hands caught me, and darkness pulled me under.

Cassian’s POV

This fucker wanted to die. Feyre and Az took out the rest of the guards, the other finely dressed human had fled, Y/N’s tormentor following suit with him. I was about to pass Y/N to Rhys to go after him, but he stopped. “We have more pressing issues then them.” Rhys said looking down at his mate’s twin. I looked down at my sweet girl who was unconscious in my arms acutely aware that her blood was soaking through my hands, her breathing was shallow.

Feyre and Azriel ran over to us, Feyre falling to her knees as looked at her sister. She stroked her paled cheek, “We need to get her to healer.” Az said. “I can get her back to Madja.” I looked at my brother, his eyes had grown distant, no doubt thinking about the scars on his hands and how her screams sounded familiar to him.

“No.” I whispered, Az met my gaze, “Winnow me to edge, then come back here.”

“Do it now!” Rhys grated out, “She doesn’t have a lot of time.” He reached down and grabbed Feyre, “Cassian will take good care of her, Darling.”

Feyre looked at me, “Promise?”

I nodded, “She will be well cared for.” Feyre leaned into Rhys as silver lined her eyes. I looked to Az who grabbed my arm as I held Y/N close in my arms.

Shadows enveloped up and once we came back two, we were on the boarder of the Night Court. Azriel looked at Y/N, He gently swiped her cheek. “In the House of Wind, there is a salve in my drawer for scars it helps numb the pain and helps when the scars are healed. Put it on her when she comes to. She’ll need it.”

I nodded and stretched my wings, “Thanks, brother.” Azriel nodded and he was enveloped in his shadows as I took to the skies. My siphons flared as I created a shield around us to keep the wind from pressing her naked form. I pushed harder than I have in getting to Velaris. Once in town I pounded on Madja’s door.

She opened grumbling about being woken up and met my ears before she opened the door. “You better have a good reason for-“ Madja opened the door and saw that the blood pooling at her front step. “Come on, hurry.” I stepped inside and she instructed me to the home office, “Place her face down.” I laid her on the cot and gently flipped her on her stomach and my heart broke, her back was marred up with deep gashes but past the blood pale raised skin raised on her back as if this wasn’t the first time she had endured the end of a whip.

She groaned and my heart wretched, her eyes opened slightly, and she groaned. “Ca-“she coughed. I knelt in front of her and pushed some of her hair that was clinging to her forehead.

“Shhh, don’t try to speak,” I ran my fingers through her hair, “We’re getting you all fixed up.” Y/N nodded, and she moved her arm wincing in pain as she did as Madja began working. She held out her hand palm up, a silent question; stay with me? I lace my hand with hers, “I’m not going anywhere.” She was fighting to keep her eyes open I pressed my forehead to hers, “Close your eyes, Princess. I’ll be here when you wake.” At that she closed her eyes still clutching my hand.

Madja held her hands over her back, “I can’t guarantee I can heal this without their being scars.”  She tsked, “Who would do something like this?” I pulled her hand closer to me and placed a featherlight kiss. “I don’t know, Madja. She didn’t deserve this.”

Xavier’s POV

I stormed into Graysen’s office and threw the first thing in my sight which was a decanter of whiskey. “Will you calm down?” Graysen voice rang out as he shut the door behind him.

“We had her! Those Fae Bastards.” I punched his wall, my fist breaking through the drywall. “I hate them.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I’m going to meet with the human queens let them know they broke the treaty.” Graysen with an unsettling calm.

“Fuck the treaty. I want my toy back.”

Graysen leveled me with a cold stare, “Find a new toy. I mean there is one last Archeron sister you can have.”

“I. don’t. want. Her. I want Y/N.” My mind trailed back where she was on her knees looking up at me with the upmost obedience as I defiled her face, never breaking eye contact. “She is mine and those fae monsters will not take her from me,” I straightened my back and dusted myself off. A plan forming in my head. “Don’t contact the queens they don’t give a damn about that treaty. Also, it interferes with my plan.”

Graysen’s back went ramrod, “What are you plotting, Xavier?”

I smirked, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later, Gray.” I walked out of his office with a smile on my face and a plan to get my girl.

Reader POV

My eyes creaked open and I was in my room in Rhys’ townhome. I sat up and winced as my back throbbed. The shuffling beside me caused me to jolt as I turned my head to find Cassian in a chair asleep. The blanket he was using had draped down to his waist exposing his bare chest tattoos climbing up his arms meeting at the center of his clavicle. I took a moment to admire him, his head was leaning against the chair, his hair was down, and a few strands were in his face. So, at peace and beautiful when he slept. I leaned over to move his hair out of his face when his eye opened and I snapped my hand back. “I could feel you watching me sleep, Princess.” I averted my gaze heat climbing my gaze.

Memories flooded to the surface, I bit my lip, and I lowered my head in shame. I felt a dip in the bed his warm fingers gently guiding my face to look at him, “How are you feeling?”

“It hurts. Physically. Emotionally.” I swallowed down the tears, “I tried to fight.” I whispered, not realizing I was leaning into his touch. “Tried putting all that training to use. Doesn’t work when there is a swarm of men waiting for you.” I looked down at my oversized shirt that met my knees, I furrowed my brow confused, “Um.”

Cassian held his one hand up, “Madja changed you after doing what she could for your back. I didn’t want to go through your things so.” He gestured to his shirtless body.

Something tightened in my chest, and I could feel the heat searing in my cheeks. “You gave me your shirt?” He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you, Princess.” Cassian smiled though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Madja, was able to heal most of your back some of the wounds but there were a few that were deep that she could only partially heal. She was able to stop their bleeding and stitched you up but those are going to have to heal on your own. You’ll be tender for a few days.” He tucked his hair behind his ear, and it was his turn to look away clearing his throat, “I should have gotten their sooner.”

I grabbed his hand, and he met my stare again, maintaining eye contact I lifted his hand and kissed his palm. “What happened to me wasn’t your fault, Cassian. I may not look it right now, but I’m just happy you found me when you did.”  I heard him intake a breath sharply, as I began to press my thumbs into his palms, needing to do something. Massaging his hand, I watched his eyes flutter close, and a hum of approval moved passed his lips. His eyes opened again; his pupils blown out; he leveled me with a stare. “What?” I blinked and paused my hands.

“Why are you massaging my hand?” his voice cracked slightly.

I gave him a small smile and shrugged, “You’re a fighter, your hands hold a lot of tension, this will help.”

I was about to continue when his other hand covered mine, “Princess, that’s not what I’m asking.”

I sighed and moved his hand, so I could continue massaging the one in my lap. “I need to do something as a thank you. Also, if it’s something that pleases you, I want to do it.”

Cassian gently pulled his hand away from mine, so I was forced to look at him, “You don’t need to thank me or please me. Who the fuck made you think that you need to please those that help you when you need.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, and a tear slipped down my cheek. “Xavier.” Cassian’s face softened. “He said whores should be grateful and thank them for pulling them out of bad situations.” I looked down, “He always liked me on my knees for him when he did something for me. I like pleasing and caring for others, and I am aware that he took advantage of that.”

Cassian growled and I flinched, he must have realized because he got up, “Scoot forward a bit for me,” I did as he asked and he slid behind me, “Lean back if you’d like,” I scooted back and leaned back and was met with his warm chest against my aching back. He leaned his head on his shoulder and his arm gripped my middle, “You will never have to thank me for anything. You owe me nothing. I helped you because the idea of you being in danger makes me ill. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you, and I couldn’t be there to stop it. That’s how much I care for you. My care for you will never need to be paid by you. Ever!” His nose grazed my neck, and I angled my head, so he had better access, and he pressed a chaste kiss at my pulse point. “Do you understand, Princess?”

Tears were in a free fall, and I was so tired of crying, “I understand, Cassian.” I paused and leaned my head against his, “I care for you too, Cass.” I yank of his hand from my waist, “Your hands are full of tension will you please let me do this. Because I want to.”

He chuckled and the sound was music to my ears. “Sure, Princess.” I proceeded to massage his hand working out the knots on each finger, Cassian groaned, and I paused. “Don’t stop. It feels good.” I smiled and continued as he went on, “I should be giving you a massage.”

Rubbing down his wrist, I shrugged, “I’ll hold you to that at a later date. Right now, I want to take care of you.” Before he could open his mouth, I cut him off, “I am acutely aware that I need to take care of myself. You can take care of me when I’m done, okay?” I sighed, “Just let me do this, please.”

“One hour, then its back to me taking care of you.” I nodded but he nudged his head against mine, and moaned in my ear as I reached a tender spot. Heat pooled in my stomach, “When did you get so good at this?”

Placing his arm back around my waist his fingers squeezed my stomach and another wave of heat of arousal hit my core. He inhaled and then quickly lightened his grip, as I picked up his other hand, “I would massage my father’s leg after it was shattered. He would wince in pain constantly, especially with the seasons changing. I hated seeing him in pain, so I started massaging his leg. Hoping that if I eased the pain, it would be enough for him to get back to working.” I shook my head, “It’s in the past.” Cassian only hummed in answer. “When does Feyre, Rhys, and Az come home?”

“Later tonight, Rhys wants to make sure another ambush doesn’t happen at your sister’s manor.” I nodded kneading his calloused flesh. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I shook my head, “No.” I closed my eyes for a moment the crack of the whip ringing in my ears followed by screams and tears, “I haven’t fully processed that last night was real and not a nightmare.” I patted his hand, “You’re done.”

Cassian remained quiet and wrapped his other arm around my torso. I leaned into him, my head laying on his chest. He leaned his head against mine, “You hungry?”

My stomach grumbled in response, “Does that answer your question, General?”

Cassian flicked my nose, “Come on, let’s go get some food.” Cassian slid off the bed and held out his hand for me to take. Accepting his offering he gently helped me up and chuckled as his shirt hung right above my knees. “You look so cute.”

I blushed, “You’re a giant you know that?” He led me down to the kitchen not bothering to put on a shirt. He released my hand and gripped my hips hoisting me up onto the kitchen counter next to the stove. I giggled, “What you don’t want my help?”

Cassian rolled his eyes, “No I want you to sit right there and let me take care of you.” He kissed my forehead.  “Okay.”

I realized that I don’t have to look up and meet his eyes and then look around the kitchen, “Huh.”

“What?” He scrunched his nose looking around trying to see what I was staring at.

“This is what it feels like to be gigantic.” I looked at Cassian with my most innocent smile. “Fascinating.”

He clenched his hands into fist and placed both arms on either side of me, his face getting closer to mine, his face intense as he leans into my ear and blows lightly against the shell of it causing me to shiver. “I personally prefer the view under me.” A light nip, and I bit my lip to suppress a moan, “My wings aren’t the only thing that are gigantic about me, Princess.”

I was beginning to get lightheaded as his nose grazed my neck. “Cassian.” I moaned and quickly covered my mouth in embarrassment.

He pulled my hand from my mouth and kissed my knuckles “A natural reaction, Sweetheart. Though I do love my name on your lips.” Cassian’s voice sounded strained then he winked at me and made butterflies flutter in my stomach. He rolled his shoulders and pulled away from me, he grabbed ingredients from various places. He laid out his ingredients and pulling a knife from the drawer he began to cut vegetables strategically angling his body to shield what he was doing.

I leaned closer and twisted my body to see what he was doing and there was a burning sensation pulsing on my back and I winced. Cassian’s head turned to me immediately halting chopping to see what was wrong. He took in my posture, “Sit up straight, you won’t put as much strain on your back.” I did as he instructed as he continued his prepping.

“Who taught you how to cook?” I asked kicking my dangling feet lightly. Watching his muscles flex as he used the steel to chop down the vegetables in bite size pieces. His back flexed with the motions, even the most mundane of tasks were fascinating so long as he was

“Rhys’ mother taught all three of us, how to cook. She told us that it was an important skill to have,” He paused and grinned at me, “I miss her.”

I smile, “She sounds lovely.” I said tucking my hands under my bare thighs.

“She was.” He sighed and proceeded, “She would have loved you. His sister too. They would have said that you and Feyre were a breath of fresh air that we needed here.”

“You remind me of someone I knew long ago, she would have loved you.”

I furrowed my brows, “Cassian, Rhys said once I reminded him of someone he knew long ago.” His muscles tensed, “Was he talking about his sister?”

“Cassian smiled, “You have her fighting spirit. You are about as good as listening as she was too.” I laughed, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he saw a lot of her in you. I see her in you.”

“Did you love her?” I throat bobbed at the question.

Cassian walked over to me slotting himself in between my legs causing them to spread myself to him, and my breath hitched, my chest was rising and falling at a rapid pace. “As one would love a sibling. I never knew what the feeling of love was like, before.” He lifted his hand, his thumb grazing my slightly parted bottom lip.

“And now?” I sighed, as his hand lowered and wrapped around the back of my neck.

He tilted his head, his chest heaving making his tattoos move like entrancing black flames. “Now,” he pulls me closer to his leather and sandalwood scent overwhelming. He angled my head and my eyes fluttered shut. His voice a low whispered, “Now I-“

“Oh, I didn’t know you two came home early.”  Mor’s voice filled the kitchen and he pulled away from me. My eyes slowly opened, and disappointment washed over me. Mor greeted us with a jolly grin on her face as Cassian pecked the top of her head and turned to resume chopping. I hopped down from the counter as Mor pulled me into her arms, her grip tight and her nails dug into my back, I whimpered.

“Morrigan!” Cassian roared, causing her to jump away from me as I fought the tears burning. Cassian wings flared in front of me, “For fuck’s sake she’s hurt.” I peaked past Cassian’s wing and saw Mor’s face fall slightly.

Her mouth opened, “I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”

I waved her off and moved to stand next to Cassian, “It’s fine.” I croak out.

“It’s not,” Cassian growled as he turned me and lifted my shirt to check my wounds. “Shit, you’re bleeding again. Damnit Mor.” Cassian leveled her with a lethal glare, causing her to take a step back. “Be more careful.”

I placed my hand over his heart, “She didn’t know, Cass. I’m not really hungry anymore.” He sighed and hoisted me up like I weighed nothing. Then without giving her a glance he took me back to my room and into the bathroom. I looked in the mirror and my eyes widened. Bruises kissed my neck from where Xavier’s fingers clamped down. Cassian muttered, “She knew what she was doing.”

He applied salve to my wounds and drew me a bath. Once I was done my night gown was next to my towel along with some clean undergarments. Walking back to my room Cassian was sitting on my bed with two trays of food so we could have a meal together. Then exhaustion waned on me, and I fell into a deep slumber in Cassian’s arms.

Feyre’s POV

Rhys looped my arm around when we finally made it back to the town house, “Do you think Y/N’s okay.” I asked Rhys as we reached her bedroom door.

Rhys shrugged, “Only one way to find out, Feyre Darling.” He opened my sister’s door and he smiled, “Take a look.”

I looked at him with a furrowed brow and my gaze moved into the room to find Y/N wrapped in the General’s arms his wing tucked over her like an extra blanket, his head pressed on top of hers. Her hand splayed out on his bare chest.

If I were painting this moment, I would call it “The General and His Princess.”

Rhys snorted, A perfect title for them.

Get out of my head, you prick.

Make me, Darling. I pushed him out of my mind and put my shields up.

Cassian POV

Four days later

“We have gotten word back from the Summer Court.” Rhys announced while we were all at the breakfast court. I grumbled and continued eating. Y/N wearing a black lightweight sweater and a red bow, pulling her softly curled hair back, giggled and nudged me. I couldn’t help but smile, the bruise was fading around her neck though she hadn’t talked about what happened. She’s been trying to keep a smile on her face, and her smile is contagious. I winked at her, and she blushed.  “Y/N, did you want to join Feyre, Amren and I to the Summer Court.” Rhys asked.

“Why isn’t Cassian and Azriel coming with?”

Az was the one to respond to Y/N, “I have business in another court and Cassian has been banned from the summer court.” Her head whipped at me.

I rolled my eyes, “You level one building, and you are suddenly the most dangerous person to the court.” She tilted her head at me, “I’m going to be in Windhaven while, they are in the Summer Court.”

Her eyes lit up, “Could I join you?”

I looked at Rhys, “That’s your territory brother, if you would like to show Y/N, our home in the mountains makes no difference to me.”

I looked back at her, “How do you feel about snow?” She beamed and my heart leapt at the light in her eyes.

Reader’s POV

Feyre and Rhys had already left by the time I was packing up my bag when there was a knock at my door. “Come in.”

Mor stepped in. Leaning against the door, “How are you feeling?”

I smiled at her, “I’m doing alright. Thanks for checking on me.” I paused. “You know I’m not mad, it was an accident.”

Mor sauntered into my room, “Of course.” She smiled but the smile didn’t shake the uneasiness unraveling in my gut. She kissed my forehead, “I am still very sorry.” Her eyes grew distant as she looked at my faded bruise. “You know, I must be honest about something. I’m happy to see Cassian is moving on.”

I tilted my head, “Moving on from what?”

She shrugged, “Cassian did me a favor once, to help me get out of a bad marriage, he took my virginity. It wasn’t easy for either of us to move on.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, “Hold on, why are you telling me this? Also why do I feel like you hate me?”

Mor blinked her eyes widening, “I don’t hate you! I’m just saying its nice that Cassian found a new plaything.” I cringed at her verbiage.

Xavier groped my breast as I was trying to clean, “Xavier,” I warned.

He smacked my ass, “Remember you’re nothing but a toy. My own plaything.” He pinched my perked nipples tightly; I screamed out. “Actually, sounds like you could use a reminder. Strip.” He ordered.

“Yes Sir.” I stripped down and folded my clothes, he grabbed my panties as knelt in front of him He unbuckled and began to stroke himself. “Open.”

I opened my mouth, and he rammed his dick into my mouth. I moaned when it reached the back of my throat. “Hmm good little toy.” He gripped my hair and rutted into my mouth. His pace became erratic and before I knew it, he pulled out of my mouth as cum shot out and landing on my face and my chest. Once he was empty, he lifted my chin, wiped the surrounding mess with his finger and slid it in my mouth. I sucked and when it was clean he removed his finger and kissed me passionately. “I love you, Doll.”

I smiled, “I love you too.”

He kissed the top of my head, “No cleaning your self up until your chores are done. And with that he left, and I began work as usual not bothering putting my uniform back on

Mor waved a hand in my face, “Are you alright?”

I smiled, “Fine. Are you taking us to Windhaven?”

She nodded, “I really am glad Cassian found you, Y/N. Even if its for your short lifespan.” With that she left as the reality of her words sunk into my chest causing it to ache.

Cassian’s POV

Mor skipped her way into the room with a grin on her face, Y/N not far behind with a dimmed contorted look on her face even in her snow gear for the mountains she still looked beautiful. Mor had kept her distance from me after the incident with Y/N’s injuries and began clinging on to Azriel more. I could see him feeling uncomfortable with the touching, but his eyes longed for her. I walked up and grabbed the suitcase Y/N was carrying, “Allow me, Princess,” she nodded and gave me a smile that didn’t make her eyes sparkle like they usually did when she was happy. “Let’s get out of here, shall we?”

She nodded and Mor held out her hands. We both grabbed her hands and then we were greeted with the cold bite of the mountains.  “Rhys will come get you guys when they return from the Summer court.” She waved and the next moment she was gone.

I nudged Y/N who had watched Mor leave and she looked at me, her nose beginning to turn pink. “Follow me, Princess.”

I guided her to the Cabin and let her step in. Dropping the bags and shutting the door. I watched as she stared at the modest cabin in wonder. “What’s going on with you?” I ask breaking her out of her reverie.”

She crossed her arms, something she does when she is ready to get on the defensive. “What makes you think something is wrong?”

“You’ve been avoiding my gaze. Your smile has dimmed since breakfast.” I stepped closer to her, “Talk to me.”

Y/N sighed, “You and Mor slept together.” Son. Of. A Bitch.

I nodded, “We did. It was a one-time thing that I have no interest repeating.” She nodded her head, her expression lightened slightly. She moved from her arms to wringing her hands, “Did she say something?”

“Just that it was nice that you were finally over her and” she looked at the floor, “Had a new plaything.” She cringed as she said the word. Her eyes went distant as if a memory was trying to consume her and she was fighting it. Come back to me, Sweetheart I thought to myself and her eyes met mine.

Blood boiled in me as I knelt in front of Y/N and cupped this beautiful woman’s face in my hands. “I have no interest in Mor. I never have. I don’t have a ‘Plaything.’ I swear she is becoming more like her father with the terms she uses. You aren’t a toy, Princess, not a plaything you are a beautiful, kind woman anyone who makes you feel less, can come see me,” Her eyes lightened and she smiled, “I don’t know what made Mor believe she was the most knowledgeable in my love life and I’m sorry she said something to you that was so crass. But if you want to know the full story, I’ll happily tell you.

“How bout while we unpack for our stay.” She offered tugging at my wrist to get up. I rose to my feet and chuckled at how she had to look up. “It’s annoying how tall you are, General.”

I chuckled and grabbed our bags, and as we unpacked, I told her the story of how Mor was engaged to Eris and she didn’t want to be tied to him and be in a loveless marriage. How she was left out on the border of the Autumn court to die and how Eris found her but did nothing to help. When it was done it we both agreed that it would stay in the past and there was no future. She simply nodded along and then said she was going to get comfortable, kissed my cheek and shut the door I pressed my hand to my cheek and went to finish up my own unpacking.

***

I made us dinner and we ate in a comfortable silence We sat on the couch lounging in front of the fireplace Y/N sat on the opposite end of the couch the tea I made her in hand as she had her knees to her chest. The socks she was wearing stopped right at her thigh and her gray oversized sweater, that drooped over her should, rose revealing. Her hair was in a simple plait over her should and with the soft glow of the fireplace she looked serene and peaceful, especially with the content smile on her face.

What I wouldn't have done to wrap my hand around that braid and tug it to expose her neck to me. To have her lips on mine, to have her in my bed with nothing but those damned socks. She turned her head, catching me staring and her smile broadened. I gave her a smile in return and looked back at the fire, willing myself to calm down I tapped my fingers on my thigh.

I can feel her staring now, her eyes racking over me, "So," she starts causing me to look back at her and I realized she put her tea down and was on her knees on the couch and I internally groaned, she's going to be the death of me. She tilts her head, "What do you have planned for us in general?"

I turned to face her, "I'll show you the camps, and the town of Windhaven if you'd like and I'll have to do some work while i'm here but then we have the day to do whatever."

Y/N bit her lip and her eyes widened as I took my thumb and pulled her lip from her teeth. Her heartbeat quickens and I notice the rise and fall of her full chest. I remove my hand and place both of them on her hips and yank her to me. She shrieked and instinctively wrapped her arms around my neck. Her scent washes over me and something tugs at my chest at her Jasmine, Vanilla, and lilac scent. I began massaging her thigh and she buried her head in my neck, "Flying" she said and if I didn't know better it came out as a moan against my pulse. I move my hands lower to her calves and she does let out a moan as I work through the knots there. "I want go on a flight with you. For fun."

I smiled, "Consider it done, Princess."

She pulled her legs and straddled me, placing her hands on my chest. My hands hovered over her hips, “Cassian,” she breathed her chest heaving, “There is something else I want.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, “What would that be?” She pressed her lips in a tight line as she pushed my hair behind my ears, my wings twitched in response to the gesture. Her eyes were blown out; her hand moved from ear to cheek, her eyes focused on my lips. She slowly leaned in and paused. I gripped her hips, “Come here, Princess.” I yanked her closer, and her lips molded into mine as I held her close, and my brain kept repeating the same word.

Mine. Mine. Mine. She’s Mine.

To be continued..

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[cienie-isengardu]

Sokka's sexism

Sokka’s sexism from the earliest episodes is an interesting case, because the Southern Water Tribe, at least from what was presented to us on screen, doesn’t seem to operate that much on gender roles? Especially when compared to the Northern Water Tribe?

I mean, yeah, warriors (men) went to war, while women, children and the elders stayed at home. But as Hama’s story shows, when Fire Nation attacked Southern Water Tribe, both female and male benders were fighting against invaders arm to arm and it seems like they were the actual first line of defense there, not the non-bender warriors.

In contrast, during siege of North Pole, in the final of Book 1: Water, we don’t see any female bender helping defend their home except Katara, who was involved in protecting Aang when he was in Spirit World.

Since all the waterbenders were captured from the Southern Tribe, it makes sense that non-bender warriors stepped in and got involved with war, while the kids and elders were left under women’s care.

Another example comes from “a ceremonial test of wisdom, bravery and trust”, known as ice dodging. As Bato explained, it is a rite of passage for young Water Tribe members and in their village “done by weaving a boat through a field of icebergs.” When a child turns 14, their father was supposed to take them to ice dodging, so they could earn their mark. Though the episode itself was focused on Sokka’s ceremony, Bato never specified it as something that boys alone should do and not only Katara (girl) but also Aang (outsider) is allowed to take part in the ritual. Once Sokka proved himself, everyone of their group got a mark, as a sign they passed the test. Interesting thing to note, since Bato did not specify it is a rite of passage for boys alone, it suggests girls were expected to know how to sail in boats of the Southern Water Tribe. Of course, again, war didn’t allow to continue this tradition as men (Hakoda, in case of Sokka & Katara) left to fight against Fire Nation.

Later, when Sokka and Katara reunited with their father, Hakoda did not try to send away Katara nor relegate her to just a medic job during the invasion. In Northern Water Tribe episodes, we learned that teaching for waterbenders there was defined by gender - women were allowed to learn only how to heal, while men how to use their bending in fight. Hakoda, nor Bato nor other of their warriors even for a moment questioned Katara’s presence on the battlefield nor the presence of women in the ranks of their allies like a blind, 12 years old Toph or the female water benders from Swamps or female(?) soldier from Earth Kingdom

And during battle, Katara did not fight in rank with other soldiers, she first alone secured Appa during submarine attack, then alongside her brother and father took down guardhouses - Hakoda himself told her and Sokka to attack one when he took down the other one

showing how much he trusted his 15 years old son and 14 years old daughter while ordering them attack on Fire Nation adult soldiers hidden in well guarder place.

Later, when Hakoda got seriously injured and Sokka temporary took the command of their forces, we could see that Hakoda relied on Katara to follow his troops and not ever once tried to send her back “to safety” or argued she should leave him behind, as often it happens with heroic (male) figures. Quite the opposite. When Katara offered him to “wait here if you want”, Hakoda firmly said “I want to press forward with the others”, which meant his daughter needed to come with him directly into an already ongoing fight (even if they stayed more at the rear of their army, they were still on battlefield).

She and her brother, alongside with the youngest members of Invasion, were forced to flee on Appa once the battle was lost, but no other adult woman was included. During Zuko’s coronation, when all war prisoners were released, in the background we could again see the female character(s) from Swamps.

And let's not forget how impressive Hakoda was by Suki when she single-handedly captured the warden at Boiling Rock prison and did not try to stop her from fighting against Ty Lee alongside Zuko and Sokka against Azula.

Understandably, we have no idea how the Southern Water Tribe and its culture looked like before the war, even arguably, the characters themselves may not have a clear idea due to growing up in dire times. But my point is, Hakoda and Bato, the two main adult Southern Water Tribe’s warriors that Avatar: The Last Airbender allowed us to know more about, have never shown any direct sexism toward Katara or other female characters. And though Sokka was the oldest boy at their village, there is no reason to think women did not hunt in absence of men, because one person would not be able to provide for a whole community 24/7. Also, as Hama proved, the Southern Water Tribe’s waterbenders were capable of fighting and their gender did not play any vital role the way it happened in their sister tribe at North Pole. 

Of course, Fire Nation’s repeated attacks affected residents of South Pole and their living conditions but from the little bits the show gave us, I think it is correct to assume if Sokka grew up with Hakoda around to guide him as he should, his behavior would be different from the sexism and dismissive attitude toward Katara or Kyoshi Warriors. For one, logically thinking Southern Water Tribe’s warriors need to do all the cooking, sewing and keeping their camp clean all on their own during war so it is not a “girly job” but a vital part of a warriors skills to survive and ensure their equipment is in the best condition. But Sokka doesn’t know it, because there is no one to teach him the importance of those skills. All Sokka had was father’s farewell words to cling to - and I’m not sure if Hakoda truly expected his son to be able to protect Katara and the village in his absence, or he just tried to make Sokka feel a bit less depressed about being left behind. You know, by giving him purpose and a Big Important Job to focus on and to feel needed and trusted. 

Which leads me to think that Sokka’s sexism is not rooted in Southern Water Tribe’s culture itself, but in his own insecurity and pressure of being the oldest boy in the village. If girls could be warriors - and be better than him - it would put into question all his self-worth, purpose and the trust given by father. Once Sokka met Kyoshi Warriors and later all the skilled girls, it challenged him on a very personal level, but he accepted the truth and moved on and alongside, finally became a true warrior and a man. 

And I find it indeed an interesting case, as Sokka’s sexism and dismissal of girls is not necessarily stemming from the culture he is part of, but rather is the effect of not knowing said culture & pre-war history of his Tribe. And of course, from his own insecurity. 

[mxcottonsocks]

Reading Like A Victorian

A while ago, I discovered the website 'Reading Like a Victorian', a digital humanities project from The Ohio State University and collaborators.

Since tumblr's been going through a bit of a serial-literature revival, I thought I would share...

Here are some extracts from the website's 'About Us':

RLV is an interactive timeline of the Victorian period. It focuses on serialized novels [...] and adds volume-format publications for context. 

When we read Victorian novels today, we do not read them in the form in which they originally came out. Most Victorian novels appeared either as “triple deckers,” three volumes released at one time, or as serials published monthly or weekly in periodicals or in pamphlet form. Serialized novels’ regularly timed, intermittent appearance made for a reading experience resembling what we do when we are awaiting the next weekly episode of Game of Thrones, watching installments of other TV serials in the meantime. Whenever we pick up a Penguin or Oxford paperback of a Victorian novel today, we are engaged in the equivalent of binge-watching a series that has already reached its broadcast ending [and is] a very different experience from what Victorian audiences were doing with novels. Reading Like a Victorian reproduces the “serial moment” experienced by Victorian readers [...]

More info and screenshots and so on below the cut:

[...] if reading serial installments at their original pace is valuable, it is even more valuable to read them alongside parts of novels and of other kinds of texts that Victorian readers could have been following at the same time [...] [...] a reader who, in 1847, had been following the part issues of both Dickens’s Dombey and Son and Thackeray’s Vanity Fair and then picked up Jane Eyre, published in volume form in October of that year, might notice in Florence Dombey, Becky Sharp, and Jane Eyre a pattern of motherless or orphaned girls trying to negotiate a hostile world on their own. While this figure is well known to be a character type in Victorian fiction perfectly embodied by Jane Eyre and Florence Dombey, Becky Sharp does not often emerge among the heroines who fit that type; reading the novels simultaneously foregrounds parallels between Becky, Florence, and Jane that are not at all obvious if their storylines are experienced separately

I find that, for browsing, the website is easier to use on a computer or tablet than a phone, but it's ok on phone to search for something specific.

The timeline:

Here's what the timeline looks like:

It shows 12 months at a time, and using the left and right arrows will move you back or forward by a month. You can use the 'Jump To Date' function to navigate to a different twelve-month period. Or you can use the 'Author Search' function to navigate to particular works if you know the author's name.

In the above screenshot of the timeline, which shows the period January to December 1852, there are several works shown, including:

ongoing serialised works which had at least one installment published prior to 1852;

works which began serialisation during 1852;

works published in three-volume format during 1852;

other works published during 1852

Details about each work:

You can click on the bar that represents a book's publication to get a drop-down that provides information about that book, its publication, and links to help you read the relevant serial parts.

Here's what happens if you click on Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford:

On the left of the drop-down, there's some general information about the work, its publication history, and how to use the links.

On the right, there's information and links to help you experience the book in its serial parts: it separates out the parts, indicates the month and the year they were published, and what chapters of the work were published in that part. It also provides notes on each part where helpful. There is a scroll-bar at the right of the drop-down, so you can scroll down to the later installments of the work.

[I chose Cranford as an example as it helps demonstrate the value of the Reading Like a Victorian website... From what I understand, Gaskell initially wrote 'Our Society at Cranford' as a standalone piece of short fiction, but was encouraged to write more, so further pieces also set in the fictional town of Cranford were published intermittently in the same magazine over the next year or so. While a particularly dedicated Gaskell fan who wanted to 'read along' with Cranford following the original publication could probably search 1.5-years-worth of a weekly magazine to find the 9 issues which included the material which would later be published as Cranford, the Reading Like a Victorian website has already done that work for them... and also for anyone else who might be interested, but not quite that interested.]

The links

You can then click on an individual chapter to get links to various places to read it online:

When available / where possible, the website tends to include links to:

a facsimile copy of either the relevant serial part in the original publication, or in an 'annual' or similar volume collecting together the content of that publication, or a volume-form edition of that work if the work was not published serially or if facsimile copies of the original serialised publication are not available. [Most of the facsimiles are hosted by either the Internet Archive or the Hathi Trust Digital Library, but some are hosted as part of smaller, more specific collections, such as - in the case of Cranford - Dickens Journals Online which provides online access to the journals/magazines edited by Charles Dickens);

the text, usually on Project Gutenberg (this is usually the volume-form text, so the exact content and chapter breaks and so on may be different than originally published in serial parts; the Reading Like A Victorian website will generally explain when this is the case);

audio recordings, usually volunteer recordings from Librivox (again, the recordings are usually based on the volume-form text, so the exact content and chapter breaks and so on may be slightly different than originally published in the serial parts).

So yeah, I just thought it was a cool website and worth sharing. I believe the website is already used as a resource by some University courses and for academic research, but it can also be used by book clubs and to aid personal reading, etc. I'm using it to inform a personal reading project for 2024-26 where I follow along with six or seven novels serialised in 1864-66.

To save a scroll to the top, here's the link to the RLV website again: Reading Like A Victorian (osu.edu)

[If you want to join an already-planned read-along based on the original serialisation schedule, @dickensdaily will be doing Charles Dickens's historical novel Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty from mid-February 2024 to late-November 2024, to follow along with the original weekly publication of the novel in Master Humphreys Clock from February 1841 to November 1841. I personally found Barnaby Rudge a really engaging, thought-provoking read, and I'm really looking forward to reading it again. (Anyone with particular triggers or other reasons to be wary of the content or language used in older books may find it helpful to look up content warnings for the book before making a decision to read it.)]

[darkfictionjude]

They say that small towns hide the darkest secrets. At least that’s what your mother always said about this one. You thought she meant how Father Simmons has a well-known drinking problem, how Mrs. Gladstone’s son looks more like his uncle than his father or that the mayor has been in power for 15 years because of voting fraud. Things everyone knows. Human Things.

But now as partially eaten bodies have been left in alarmingly rates all over this small town the world has no record of, you now know she meant something else.

Play as peculiar and disturbed individual surnamed Crown after the very town your ancestor founded, returning after a traumatic event two years prior that landed you in a psychiatric hospital. As your comeback coincides with a rapid increase of disappearances you find yourself embroiled in a town conspiracy, a past that’s more alive than ever and the ever shifting self interested motives of those who claim to be your allies.

Who can you trust? What’s the truth behind your family? What are things that you see in the dark?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell what shapes monsters come in.

Customize your MC from looks to gender

Reveal your sister’s disappearance

Rely on a group of complimentary polar opposites to find out the mystery and save your life

Befriend or romance a choice of three from enemies to lovers, childhood friends or an eternal admirer

Rating: 18+

Crown - Playlist

You. A person with some personal issues, some family issues and some murder issues.

Imre Duran - Playlist

Quintessential good-boy-next-door. The most most-liked teenager in town. As son of the mayor and pageant queen, Imre has an image cultivated by him and maintained through his status which is why his back door activities are his cherished secrets. He is rather eager to help you… isn’t he?

Nia Mir - Playlist

In the very real and present high school hierarchy Nia would be one of the nobles. As a wannabe doctor with a loathed father and an absent mother her dream is to leave behind this backwater town and all it’s weird phenomena that she doesn’t care to know more of. She liked you, once.

Lorcan Stark - Playlist

Every town needs its bad boy and so Lorcan has aimed to be as every bit worthy of that title. The shunned son of a murderer and his victim, he is not really thought of as having a future beyond prison and petty crime especially in a town like this. You don’t remember a time when he didn’t hate you.

Salvatore Crown

Your brother. The heir to whatever fortune your family has left and the only one of the family who seems to like you.

Orla Crown - Playlist

Your sister. No one ever knew what she thinking, a closed box full of unknowns. You knew she kept things, especially from you.

Mayor Duran

Seems like every other politician. Oddly enough no one ever really sees him, an entity watching over the town.

Mother

She never acted like one to any of her children. She’s never sober anymore.

Mrs. Mir

Disappeared years ago without a trance. No one remembers her first name. Was thought to have been clinically insane.

Demo (updated 12/01) | Spotify | Patreon

6 of 13 episodes released

[zoe-oneesama]

Less of a question and more of a comment? But your most recent ask about your Angelic Layer AU. which I love btw big AL fan, reminded me just how jarring the choices between the anime and manga were, that honestly, the anime probably gave the series a better boost in popularity overall just by way of HOW it handled everything, including the juggling relationships, because the way the manga pairs everyone off it strange

It was baffling to behold...uuuuuntil I looked at the manga vs anime release dates. Then it made sense. The manga started first...then then anime caught up but the manga wasn't done...so the anime went off and did it's own thing.

And it's own thing was insane. 🙃

I guess I get it because in most anime when they catch up to source material they'll add in tons of filler so the manga can make more material, but that only really works if the anime and manga are...popular. And Angelic Layer is most decidedly not. Though hilariously that didn't stop them from trying with stuff like a beach episode. A BEACH episode with MIDDLE schoolers and their dolls.

Now You might not like the way the middle schoolers got paired off at the end (seriously, who saw Tamayo dating the pervert high schooler who guesses people's underwear prints, like, wut?) but at least Misaki and Kotaro had build up. Boring, milktoast build up, but build up.

The anime's decision to go along with that build up, catch up to the manga, and then completely ditch all that to suddenly make Misaki oblivious to Kotaro despite for like 12 episode having a clear crush on him, give Ohjiro a crush on Misaki's mother just to turn around and pair him with Misaki, making Ichiro ALSO have a crush on Misaki's mother, and then suddenly reframe all of Tamayo's endless beatings on Kotaro and teasing him about his feelings for Misaki be a sign that she had a crush all this time...

Yeah big yikes. I usually root for the childhood friend in anime, so, way to go Angelic Layer for breaking that rule for me.

Not to say all the changes were bad. I liked the expansion on the game, including the kinda team/pit crew idea they threw in for the National Tournament, and the longer episodes made all the upgrades that were introduced to the game feel better paced and more monumental than they did in the manga. I definitely felt the tension and drama much better between Misaki and her mother in the anime. It was the only time I cried watching and the first time Misaki felt like a rounded dimensional character. And while I took a jab at Icchan getting a crush on Mama Shuko, with their backstory and the way it directly effected the development of Angelic Layer the game, I was kinda into it in the vacuum of the show.

(Though my Chobits loving heart kept shouting about how he has a WHOLE ASS WIFE-!)

[lol-jackles]

https://www.tvinsider.com/1147848/fire-country-season-3-jared-padalecki-camden-bode-preview/

“We’re so excited,” executive producer Tia Napolitano tells TV Insider. “The part was written for Jared, very specifically. Jared and Max are buddies, so that helped.”

Ooo so they wrote the part specifically for Jared! I would say this lends more credence to the idea that he got a second holding deal. Would you also say this makes the spinoff a more sure thing? I mean why write a part specifically for someone you want to do a spinoff with if there isn’t at least something in the works?

I also saw a theory that makes sense given this info too - that CBS was planning this cameo before Walker was even cancelled since everyone could see the writing on CW’s walls and they wanted to make sure they wouldn’t lose him. Get things started with the cameo and by the time his spinoff was really underway Walker could have probably even done another season had they been renewed before he’d be needed for his new show. Would Fire Country have already been started being written before Walker was cancelled? It’s been filming for a little bit now and it’s been less than 3 months since the cancellation.

Link. Yup, to me the first press release means that the spinoff for Jared was already in the works. Although at the time I think CBS thought Walker would have a 5th and final season and then they would slide Jared right into Fire Country 3.0 a few months later in fall of 2025 or spring 2026, either for broadcast or for streaming on Paramount+.

So your take jives with my own, Fire Country was renewed for the 3rd season on March 12 and Jared's character's arc was being mapped out before Walker's untimely cancellation two months later in May. April and May are when showrunners read submitted scripts and interview prospective writers. Then writers are hired after Upfronts are done and then it’s straight into the writers room.

This latest article reiterates that Jared's Camden's purpose is to help Bode claim his family legacy, which is a pretty big deal because it sounds like it goes against what everybody else thinks or wants (I've only seen season 1 and was pretty burnt out by the finale. Haha, "burnt out".)

My guess is Max Thieriot will co-write and direct the pilot episode of the third spinoff and it wouldn't surprise me if he has an uncredited writing role for the 3-episode arc since it's part of an important journey arc for his own character.

[chaifootsteps]

Season 2 of HB took 2.5 years to finish airing and it is impressive how compoundingly soul crushing it became with every passing episode. We all remember the complete disbelief in 2022 after the release of The Circus, along with a more vocal fandom disappointment following Exs and Ohs, but even then most fans were chalking it up to a rough start and were hopeful for the rest of the season. Alas, here we are with all that hope wasted after ~29 months with 12 episodes as mediocre as the first.

It's been a very slow motion train wreck. At least we can look forward to a reprieve from the next however many episodes that are as mediocre as the first.

[babacontainsmultitudes]

I'm not the first person to bring this up but, I do feel that the general response to the gun range scene has mostly failed to acknowledge the context that would call for such extreme levels of self-defense training in the first place. We know from episode 23 that even just a few years after the release of the doodler (when Lark and Sparrow themselves are still just teens) things are already pretty bad (to the extent that in Lark's case the stress of it all has already begun to take a physical toll on him- don't forget that he and Sparrow too were once kids who had the world placed on their shoulders), and one need only look at how quickly the situation with the mayor has degraded to imagine how bad things would have gotten by the time Hero was 12. Training your six-year-old to use a gun in a normal or at least mostly normal world? Batshit crazy. Training your six-year-old to use a gun in a world overrun by an eldritch horror where danger, death, and the possibility of corruption from said eldritch horror are around every corner? Still intense but, much easier to understand the reasoning behind.

oh oops it's a long post woops woops woops

In Sparrow's case in particular, we know that he behaves quite differently under alternative circumstances, and that Normal (Hero too for that matter) lives a pretty different life in a post code purple world:

Not that it hasn't been Sparrow's intent and priority to mitigate the extent to which Normal was caught up in everything from the get-go, as evidenced by his namesake. Recall what he had to say on the matter:

In some ways this extreme self-defense training is a "two sides of the same coin" sort of deal vis-a-vis Grant's extreme isolation of Lincoln for his protection, a major difference being that Lincoln still deals with this in a post code purple world (to the extent that he literally had to pretend to starve himself to get his dad to let him go to public school), whereas Normal and Hero get the chance to live mostly normal lives and do as they please (the disapproving words of a drunken and partially-doodlerized Sparrow aside), now removed from the immediate threat of the doodler.

Hero's case is, at least from what we currently know about the prophecy, more complicated than Norm's. It is easy to reprimand Lark and Sparrow as being the worst parents (and/or uncles) whilst forgetting that their circumstances are fundamentally different from the other kiddads. The first half of this lying in their shared responsibility (and guilt) in releasing the doodler. Grant and Nicky can retreat to their respective homes on the basis that this is the best they can do, resolving to put their energy into protecting their closest ones first and foremost. At the end of the day, they aren't really any more responsible for dealing with the doodler than any other bystander. The same cannot be said of Lark and Sparrow, who can't exactly look away from the fact that they were the ones who brought the doodler into the world. At least from their perspectives- of course Lark (and Sparrow by extension) in reality was a child that was manipulated into doing what he did, which as some people have pointed out is not dissimilar to what happened to Normal at the end of this episode (and if Sparrow felt the need to rid Normal of his memories of this event in particular, perhaps it was to spare his child from feeling guilty about it for the rest of his life).

The second half of what differentiates them is, of course, the prophecy (right- now we can actually get to Hero lol). We must remember that, as far as the twins knew, the only way to actually "defeat" the doodler permanently was through the chosen one, i.e. Hero (probably- after last episode I'm starting to think that Norm may be more directly involved in the prophecy than previously thought, but that's a tangent). "Continue to let the being you released into the world kill and torture millions (very likely billions) of people, which could wind up including both of your children, or put your ill-fated child through very intense and ultimately traumatizing training to put an end to it, potentially losing her in the process", is essentially the choice the twins were given. Hero isn't made to kill a deer with her bare hands for the hell of it, she goes through what she does because Lark (who likely did not see the same thing that Normal did on the throne- or at the very least interpreted things very differently) and Sparrow had no reason to believe that there was any other possibility. This certainly does not negate or undermine the extent to which Hero was deeply traumatized by it all, but it's not exactly a detail that you can choose to ignore when discussing the ethics of Lark and Sparrow's decision-making.

And yet, despite it all, Sparrow and Lark do ultimately chose saving their children over saving the world. Not before significant damage has already been done (to Hero that is), but they do decide to go through with the one plan that allows both of their children to (hopefully) live a doodler-free life: code purple. Code purple, which ultimately reduces to a trolley problem with a presumably near-equal number of people on both tracks, with the important difference of sparing their own children in one case, and likely not the other. And if we want to talk about Henry's ethical stance in the matter and how it compares to the twins, we need to consider what it says about him if he was *not* in favor of code purple, with all of this in mind. Not to come to any hasty conclusions about Henry either- I think there remains too many unknowns on that front to assume much and... Ultimately it's a complicated matter! But that's kind of my point.

Even post code purple, Lark and Sparrow (and the rest of the kiddads) try to pursue that which they believe (or at least hope) will both put an end to the doodler without involving their children and without the enactment of the prophecy. Is blowing up an entire world with the sun to save all the others a plan I'm gonna sit here and defend? I don't think so lol, but you can't exactly look at it and pretend that Lark and Sparrow don't care about protecting their fucking kids.

My point isn't that Lark and Sparrow haven't made a lot of mistakes and questionable decisions, my point is that their circumstances are so much less black and white than the majority of the takes I see on them make them out to be, and a lot of the conclusions I see people jump to when it comes to the twins' feelings and intentions strike me as... Pretty odd? Tangentially-related: if you don't think Sparrow is someone who is affectionate with and deeply loves his kids despite his flaws, I don't really think we're listening to the same podcast. But even in Lark's case, yes he's more subtle about it and yes, Lark can be quick to anger (not that I personally read him yelling in the last episode as anger so much as panic but all the same), but affection can be sewing bulletproof material into your nephew's mascot costume, or secretly taking him out for pizza, or pretending to be his dad so that you can tell him you're proud of him, or putting your gun down when he asks you to. The twins are anything but perfect but, fuck if they aren't trying (and changing, and improving). And yes, they deserve some damn nuance.

Also, okay, I couldn't really find a neat way to bring this up in the above but, speaking of no-nuance and bad faith takes, can we talk about the locks? Or lack thereof, rather. "How could they be so stupid as to leave the door unlocked?" you're right, that does seem odd, and Anthony made a point to explain that every other door was very thoroughly locked, and Normal seemed to have practically been moved into opening the door against his own will so... Hear me out, maybe, just maybe, the door usually *is* locked??? And something fishy or unusual is afoot? I also wouldn't take their immediate, knee-jerk reactions to a dangerous flesh monster being released to come to any conclusions on whether or not Lark and Sparrow "blame" six-year-old Normal for it. In Sparrow's case, I struggle to even imagine it. In Lark's case, though I wouldn't put him above getting angry over it, my doubts on his deeper feelings are still high. Conversely, if he actually did place some of the blame on Normal, at the very least there is an interesting discussion to be had on how this relates to Lark's own guilt over what Willy manipulated him into doing, and subsequently being denied the catharsis of punishment. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Like I said, a lot of important things are yet unknown.

*breathes* okay end of overdue ramble [insert proper conclusion paragraph here lol], thank you.