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one-flower-one-sword · 7 months ago

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"You came from a renowned school, an orthodox sect that never traversed the deviant path. Growing up in that sect, you were always told that ascending was the ultimate thing to strive for," Jun Wu continued. "It is very difficult to give up that sort of goal. Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act born of helplessness. Of course you cannot say you are satisfied with your position in the Ghost Realm. It was never what you wanted in the first place."

Yin Yu didn't have enough confidence to deny it. He said weakly, "Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me -"

"I know," Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit after he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

"...Yes," Yin Yu confirmed. "So whether or not I am satisfied with my current position, it's all -"

"That is dissatisfaction," Jun Wu noted. "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go. You are in denial." Yin Yu hung his head and didn't reply.

Vol 7, page 144-145

One of my favorite relationships throughout the novel, even though we get so little information about it, is Yin Yu and Hua Cheng's. Even the above tidbit is mired by the way Jun Wu is trying to manipulate Yin Yu's emotions and how Yin Yu at times responds genuinely and at others plays along to try and find a way to escape.

Once I had finished the novel, I was left wondering why there are so many fandom jokes about Yin Yu being exploited by Hua Cheng when the text seemed to paint a much different picture of what Yin Yu's life and work environment as a god was like versus as the highest ranking ghost city officer. So in this meta I try to examine and compare the two as well as try to draw conclusions about how Yin Yu felt about it all and why.

First of, I think that Yin Yu's longing to return to becoming a god is genuine, since this is what he says after he stops playing along with Jun Wu's manipulation because he's by then gotten enough spiritual energy to attack him:

"I do want to return to the heavens, I do want to be ranked in the top ten!" Yin Yu continued. "But it's completely meaningless if I don't do it on my own! I'm unlucky, I accept that! Admitting that I can't compare isn't that hard!" Vol 7 page 152

Which is interesting, considering this is what he felt like when he was still a god in heaven while Quan Yizhen hadn't yet ascended:

A good while later, [Quan Yizhen] said bluntly, "I don't like it here."

Yin Yu said nothing.

"They think I'm annoying, but I think they're even more annoying," Quan Yizhen continued. "Before, I could train at least sixteen hours a day. Now half the time is taken up by talking and listening to nonsense, by greeting and visiting people. There are people who yell at me and hit me for no good reason, without apologizing, and I can't even fight back. This isn't heaven. I don't like it here."

Yin Yu sighed. "I don't like it here either."

"Then let's go back," Quan Yizhen said.

But Yin Yu only shook his head, "Even though I don't like it here, I want to stay."

Quan Yizhen couldn't understand. "Why do want to stay if you don't like it here?"

Yin Yu was stumped, and chuckled in spite of himself. He didn't know what to say, unable to explain it to him. How could he convey to Quan Yizhen that reaching the Heavenly Capital was the dream of so many people who sought the path of cultivation, the ultimate end goal? Or just how difficult it was for someone his age to achieve ascension?

Vol 5, page 271-272

Yin Yu essentially seemed to be struggling with sunk cost fallacy, where he put his everything into ascending to heaven and so wants to stay there even though it's making him increasingly unhappy. It's interesting that Jun Wu accuses him of being in denial about his unhappiness in the Ghost Realm, when Yin Yu in the past seemed to be in denial about his unhappiness in heaven. Especially since this is what he was being treated like as soon as his power and influence were in decline:

Yin Yu and Jian Yu were seated next to the "Earth Master." Their assigned seats were considered the edge of the banquet. Yin Yu wasn't eating or talking to anyone. [...]

At the other end of the banquet, there was already a large crowd of heavenly officials fighting to greet Quan Yizhen. The surrounding crowd had completely blocked the person at the center from sight. It appeared that this was soon after Quan Yizhen ascended and established his own palace. He was at the height of his popularity in heaven, in contrast to how he was disliked by most of the present court. Although the two were both Martial Gods of the West, he was significantly more prominent than Yin Yu. The attendees all swarmed over, leaving the table where Yin Yu sat quiet and empty.

Vol 5, page 273-275

I've talked about this in my Yin Yu & Quan Yizhen meta as well, how Yin Yu tries to get by in heaven by conforming and submitting to the elitist power structures it's based on:

Quan Yizhen kept going. "They cussed at me first. I don't even know them. They said I was a low-ranking heavenly official and yelled at me for no reason, then they laughed at me and told me to scram and not to block their way [...]" "Are low-ranking heavenly officials below other people?" Quan Yizhen asked.

"No," Yin Yu replied. Was that true? It was obvious he didn't believe his own words, and Quan Yizhen noticed.

Vol 5, page 271

and how it starts to chip away at the kindness and the moral backbone he showed while still in his sect:

"Shidi, the things you're all saying aren't right." The crowd was taken aback. "I'm going to say something unpleasant," Yin Yu continued. "No matter what path we cultivate, talent truly is an incredible thing. And he is not only talented, he is willing to work hard. If you really think Shifu is playing favorites, then let's work harder to keep up with him - maybe even overtake him. And then things like training halls and supplements will naturally be open to everyone. Rather than wasting time being angry at him, your priority should be training harder. Am I right?" [...]

"You really don't need to mind them. You didn't do anything wrong. It's fine like this." Anyone with clear eyes could see that the other disciples couldn't stand Quan Yizhen. They found fault everywhere, and it wasn't because of his big appetite, or because he wasn't a morning person, or because he was inconsiderate and a poor teammate who only cared about showing off. At the end of the day, what they really couldn't stand was this: he was the last to enter the school, but he received the most. Quan Yizhen nodded. "I think so too." Yin Yu patted his shoulder. "Go train! That's what's most important. Don't think about anything unnecessary." [...]

After watching the two scenarios, Xie Lian praised Yin Yu. "San Lang, that subordinate of yours really is a rare character. What a good heart."

Vol 5, page 262 + 264

Everything Yin Yu and Quan Yizhen already struggled with in their sect - the jealousy, the bullying, the competition for resources - is even worse in heaven, which actively encourages the endless competition for devotees and subordinates as well as the exploitation and mistreatment of those of "lower rank". No matter how hard Yin Yu tries to conform to these structures, they steadily wear away at both the way others see him and also how he sees himself:

After closing the gates, Yin Yu's voice grew louder. "Don't say any more! I don't want to hear it! It's very normal for an ascended heavenly official to establish a palace, so he didn't do anything wrong. Since you get irritated just talking about him, why must you constantly bring him up?" "Please don't think that I'm speaking out of turn, but someone must remind you. Yin Yu, the west is only so big, and there are only so many devotees. He's already taken so much. That wolf yao kill should've been yours, but he stole it! Look at the state of you now - your domain's shrinking smaller and smaller. How much do you have left? Can you maintain your standing if this keeps up?" "How is what he's done theft? It's not like he's forcing anyone to worship him at knifepoint - everyone's willing. Besides, that wolf yao..." Yin Yu sighed and said frankly, "I couldn't have defeated it. It was useless praying to me, so of course they went to him." "I just... I'm worried that if this fight continues, he'll win and leave us with nothing," Jian Yu said bitterly. "Fuck, even those lower-ranking officials only care about their own advancement - each one of them coming up with empty excuses to quit and slipping away to serve under other heavenly officials. What a bunch of no-good asshats!" Yin Yu sighed again and sat down on a prayer cushion. "What fight are you talking about...? Why care for such things? Those who want to leave will always leave in the end, and those who want to stay will naturally remain. I didn't ascend to fight for power with anyone, nor squabble over domains, nor quarrel, so why can't you let this go?" Vol 5, page 277

This is a stark contrast not only to the kind of standing he had while he was still in his sect:

Yin Yu pushed them away, urging them to leave. He sighed. "You said yourself that he's insane, so why bother with him?" It was easy to see that Yin Yu's words held weight with his peers at this point in his life. Although the crowd was still upset, they left as told. Vol 5, page 257

But especially to the kind of authority and respect that his position in Ghost City offers him:

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the ghost crowd. They immediately parted, forming a path, as if someone of importance had arrived. Xie Lian came to his senses and saw a tall, black-clad figure walking straight toward him through the path created by the mob. That person yelled, "Settle down. Let him go!" The black-clad figure, like most of the ghosts on the street, wore a mask. It was a funny mask, with a face that was contorted as if it was smiling woefully. The mob muttered under their breath, "It's the Waning Moon Officer!", and they released their hold on Xie Lian at last. It seemed this black-clad figure was someone significant in Ghost City. Vol 2, page 99

It's also worth mentioning at this point that I think people forget that Yin Yu does not always necessarily work alone and has to do everything by himself but that he has his own subordinates:

After taking a moment to contact his subordinates in Ghost City, Yin Yu meticulously reported the general directions of each sighting.

Vol 7, page 48

Another very important thing to take away from the argument between Jian Yu and Yin Yu is that while still a god in the heavens, Yin Yu had no confidence that he'd be able to fight a wolf yao, yet in the amnesiac extra, he shows no signs of hesitancy or fear when Hua Cheng orders him to go after the monster that stole Xie Lian's memories:

He was still trying to process what he'd learned when he heard San Lang say, "I need to attend to him right now and can't leave. Catch that monster before tomorrow night and bring it to me." "Yes, sir. Shall I leave it one last breath?" the man in the ghost mask asked quietly. San Lang put down his brush and glanced at what he'd written, which he then crumbled up and tossed away, apparently unsatisfied. "Leave it a few. Make it spit out what it swallowed, then crush its worthless head to dust. Make it slow and painful." His tone and expression were both quite frightening, yet Xie Lian didn't find him repulsive or alarming. The man in the ghost mask acknowledged San Lang’s order and was about to take his leave, so Xie Lian quickly dodged away and hid. Vol 8, page 226-227

Which leads me to another important point - the amount of trust Hua Cheng shows Yin Yu by the kind of missions he sends him on. If he didn't have a high opinion of Yin Yu's abilities, he would never send him after something like a monster that had eaten Xie Lian's memories, given how incredibly important Xie Lian's wellbeing is to Hua Cheng. There's many other examples too - like how Hua Cheng trusted Yin Yu to help with tricking Shi Qingxuan and Xie Lian into saving "Ming Yi", or how he entrusted the Earth Master Shovel to him. But Hua Cheng also does not ask the impossible of him - when they're all trapped in heaven and Yin Yu started to dig tunnels with the Earth Master Shovel to try and free Xie Lian and the others so they could recover and become strong enough to escape, Hua Cheng cautions them against it because he correctly deduces that "you'll be seeking your own deaths if you try to break out under Jun Wu's watch." (Vol 7, page 130) Even though Yin Yu is with Xie Lian, Hua Cheng doesn't expect him to get Xie Lian out on his own, because he knows how powerful and ruthless Jun Wu is.

For extra emphasis, let's compare Hua Cheng’s regard for Yin Yu and his abilities to the way Jun Wu never even deemed to speak to Yin Yu while he was a god because he was so very much "beneath" him:

"My dear Yin Yu, I do not think I have ever chatted with you like this before. Isn't that right?"

"I guess not..." Yin Yu replied cautiously.

Even back when he was the martial god who ruled the west, his base of believers wasn't strong, his merits were few, and his rank wasn't impressive. He wasn't the lowest ranked of the heavenly officials in the Upper Court, but he was still below average, so he'd had almost no opportunities to interact with the Heavenly Emperor - the highest of the high.

Vol 7, page 142-143

Keeping all of that in mind, it's very interesting that Jun Wu tries to tempt Yin Yu to his side by offering him the position of his right-hand man:

Finally, Yin Yu asked, "In the Upper Court, I... What... would my position be?"

"Ling Wen will be my left hand, and you shall be my right," Jun Wu said. "There will be none above you besides me."

Vol 7, page 149

When that really is a position Yin Yu already holds - he's Hua Cheng's right-hand man. Now, one could argue that Yin Yu does have less power and prestige in the position of a ghost realm officer than he would have as a god - there's no believers worshipping him - but I think the point is that he doesn't answer to anyone but Hua Cheng, that there's no one else competing with him for that position, no one else among his subordinates that Hua Cheng puts this much trust in, and that there's no one else besides Hua Cheng himself who is demonstrated to hold so much authority and respect in Ghost City. And with all of the above, it's really important to keep in mind that Ghost City is the one single autonomous place in all the three realms and that its Chengzhu is the one single being whose power and influence is rivaled only by the Heavenly Emperor himself.

And said Heavenly Emperor damn well knows Yin Yu is Hua Cheng's right-hand man, which is I believe a big part of the reason he tries to flip Yin Yu by dangling this exact position in front of him. As I've talked about before in other posts, Jun Wu hates Hua Cheng deeply for various reasons. There's the whole thing where Hua Cheng is the unmistakable proof of a believer that never leaves their god, the very thing Jun Wu felt entitled to but didn't receive. But in this case I think him wanting to tempt Yin Yu away from Hua Cheng's side is about how bitter and salty Jun Wu feels about the fact that Hua Cheng holds more sway over all three realms than he does - evidenced by the way Hua Cheng doesn't just have followers in the Ghost Realm but the Human Realm as well, and even the gods, while they fear him, also can't help but admire him and strike deals with him in secret (Vol 1, page 157-160). That Yin Yu, a banished god, would (just like Xie Lian) rather be loyal to Hua Cheng than Jun Wu - that must have angered him a lot because it's something he'd take quite personally.

This is, I think, also the root of why Yin Yu has so much trouble seeing his position in the Ghost Realm for what it really is and why he still longs to be a god despite how unhappy he was in the heavens and how badly he was treated there - he can't see past the prejudices about the Ghost Realm in general and Ghost City in particular that he has internalized. Prejudices that Jun Wu actively weaponizes every time he speaks to Yin Yu, by repeatedly insinuating that being a ghost city officer is a shameful thing to be:

"Surely you do not actually like being a mere pawn in the Ghost Realm?" [...] "Falling in with the Ghost Realm was an unfortunate circumstance, an act borne of helplessness." [...] "You are bound by his grace and have nowhere else to go." [...]

Vol 7, page 144

Which makes it all the more satisfying when Yin Yu tricks Jun Wu (or attempts to, at least) and ultimately rejects both his offer and his authority, and also calls Jun Wu out on the way he tried to manipulate him:

"My Lord... My... No, not My Lord! You! Why must you keep reminding me of that?! Why do you speak like you actually understand me?!"

Vol 7, page 151

Jun Wu is deeply enraged by his defiance and rejection - in general, but also because it reminds him of Xie Lian's defiance against him:

Jun Wu turned around with a casual sweep of his hand. "Exhilarating. You and Xianle must get along well."

Vol 7, page 152

This brings me to my final point - which is that choosing kindness and righteousness even in the face of criticism and rejection, of personal loss and suffering, is what Jun Wu hates the most, and what ties Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, and Yin Yu and Hua Cheng together. Hua Cheng was drawn to Xie Lian because Xie Lian chose to treat him kindly when everyone else abused and rejected Hua Cheng and pressured Xie Lian to do the same. Similiar things can be said for Quan Yizhen and Yin Yu, since Yin Yu was the one to ask his sect's shifu to take Quan Yizhen in when he came across him as a seemingly abandoned child, and who repeatedly defended Quan Yizhen from the other sect members' judgement and bullying, even though this earned Yin Yu their ire as well. Yin Yu, too, values kindness very highly:

Yin Yu sobbed. "If I wasn't destined to be perfect, I at least wanted to be perfectly kind. But... I couldn't even manage that." (Vol 7, page 156)

Therefore, though we get very little information on their first meeting, I think kindness is also what drew Yin Yu to Hua Cheng, what made him stay loyal to him even when tempted/threatened by Jun Wu, and what made him go right back to working for him after the events of the main story. Because while we get only this one mention, I think a great deal can be gleaned from it:

"Chengzhu has shown me grace. He saved me - "

"I know" Jun Wu said. "He even helped you pacify and send off Jian Yu's vengeful spirit when he died during your banishment, am I correct?"

Vol 7, page 144

It's not just he helped me, it's he saved me. And not only that, Hua Cheng, in a sense, saved Jian Yu as well by helping him move on, which I would assume was simply because Yin Yu wished for his friend to let go of his resentment and not become stuck as a vengeful spirit. What I think is really important to keep in mind here is that not only was Hua Cheng under no obligation to save Yin Yu, he had, objectively speaking, nothing to gain from it. He Xuan was already in the heavens by then and giving Hua Cheng intel. and Hua Cheng didn't show off that he had a banished god working for him either - he let Yin Yi wear a mask, and for years, no one (except apparently Jun Wu) knew where Yin Yu was or what had happened to him, evidenced by the way Quan Yizhen kept looking and kept asking about him to no avail (Vol 5 page 235).

We don't really get Hua Cheng's side of the story but I think the fact that he doesn't speak about it speaks for itself - aside from keeping things close to his chest in general, he tends to not talk about the things he does out of kindness and/or his own sense of justice. We see this for example when Xie Lian only finds out why the group of cultivators is after Hua Cheng when he overhears them saying that Hua Cheng chose to shelter both the pig spirit and the prostitute ghost who had chosen to take revenge on humans who had used their positions of power to hurt others (Vol 5 page 28-29).

This is therefore more speculation than analysis, but I can imagine that this whole scenario - a god with a good heart who gets abandoned by the heavens with only a vengeful spirit by his side - even though the exact circumstances that led to it differed, might have held enough similarities to what Hua Cheng personally witnessed of Xie Lian's banishment that it would bring out that same urge to help and protect in Hua Cheng. The fact that Yin Yu says Hua Cheng saved him really can't be overstated in my opinion, considering that Hua Cheng, understandably, has usually nothing but feelings of either indifference or hatred for all of the gods aside from Xie Lian and the Rain Master.

To sum up - the power structures in heaven encourage workplace harassment, bullying, and endless competition for resources and support, and this causes Yin Yu not only increased stress, isolation, and unhappiness, but also puts a strain on his inherent kindness and righteousness as he starts to give in under the pressure to conform. By contrast, his position in Ghost City is dependant on nothing but his loyalty to Hua Cheng, on Yin Yu's own choice to stay with him, and offers him an unprecedented amount of respect and trust. It is heaven, really, that is repeatedly shown to mistreat and exploit its officials, especially those of lower rank, not Hua Cheng.

#tgcf #re-reading tgcf #yin yu #hua cheng #jun wu #i started working on this in february before my friend died #so if the structure is messy that's why #i kept thinking this was finished and then i and another thing'ed myself repeatedly #also i kept overthinking stuff so now i'm just gonna hit post

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illustrious-ia · 5 months ago

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# “ 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐠, 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐚𝐤 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐠𝐮𝐩 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐩 𝐓𝐚𝐧𝐩𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐮. But Unfortunately, One Cannot Live Without You. ”

⤷ 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: you were leaving Penacony in favor for a short-lived journey. how would Sunday react?

⤷ 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: yan! Sunday x gender neutral reader, yan-themed but leaned on angst side, paranoia, overthinking, mention of vomiting, unhealthy attachment, mention of guilt trip, written by non-fluent english speaker, intentional lowercase. let me know of i missed something~

⤷ 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨: 896

𝐘𝐀𝐍! 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 who was heartbroken when you told him about your wish to travel across the sea of the universe…

𝐘𝐀𝐍! 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 who can only maintain his stiff smile and continue to listen to your thoughts and fantasies about your future journey. all of that while trying to steady his now fragile facade, underneath that phony mask his mind goes haywire— was Penacony's dream wasn't as sweet as you wanted? was the environment getting too boring for you? 𝘸𝘩𝘺 would 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦?

𝐘𝐀𝐍! 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 who was perplexed. he had observed numerous people who refuse to wake up to face reality once again outside of Penacony's sweet dream… why would you want to leave… he doesn't understand…

𝐘𝐀𝐍! 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 who tried to guilt you by vaguely muttering how utterly lonely he will be when the day comes for you to roam the vast galaxies. oh also, as much as he hates to use such a pathetic face, he will definitely weaponize that 'kicked sad puppy' face whenever you bring up your traveling plan to him. only in private though, not a chance you will get a glimpse of him doing such thing in the bare eyes of the public.

𝐘𝐀𝐍! 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 who at this point is deathly attached to you. his heart aches every time you politely decline his invitation to just stroll around Penacony and spend time together as lovers should do. but instead, you opted to leave him behind to cry all alone in his office while you're off to somewhere. if this simple reckless and ignorant act of yours can hurt him this deeply, one wonders - how much damage can your absence do to this fragile dove?

but alas, even in a dream, time stops for no one.

the day of your departure has finally arrived. yet after so much persuasion and pleading from Sunday, your will is still as strong as the Architect's flawed stone.

you and him, on the reality side of the hotel lobby, chatting up a storm. sorrow and despair were visible in Sunday's eyes… too bad, you're too busy yapping nonsenses to notice.

‘𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘦𝘭.’ his heart weeps.

anxiety crept into Sunday's neck as your ship made its entrance to pick you up. His posture was somewhat rigid, as if frozen in place�� similar to how one would react to terrible, terrible news.

you bid your goodbyes to Sunday, promising to bring back souvenirs when you finally returned to his side. you spoke more words than necessary, but those sentences fell silent in your beloved's ears. hm? what's that? oh, it seems his stress has reached its peak.

nausea is building up, the little dove felt like throwing up.

the desperation, the unwillingness to let go, and the anxiety are building up in the back of his throat, threatening to slip out if there is ever a blunder from Sunday's side, but for the sake of his, the family's, and your image, he kept those unprofessional emotions bottled up somewhere inside his aching heart.

the little dove's throat weeps silently with every step you took, distancing the two of you; he attempted to call out your name several times, but not even a whisper left his quivering lips. only when you're about to set foot in your vehicle does his throat finally allow him to voice his desperation.

“ 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵! 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘺? 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦? ”

“ 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴. 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.”

his composure is faltering, as are the tears are threatening to crawl out of his eyes. he wanted to say more, but alas, he cannot go any further without making a commotion. oh, such a sight to witness the usually calm and collected man to be this... 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘺.

although you were sick with Sunday's bribery attempts, you had already acknowledged that any slightest aggressive approach on your part you would wounds him greatly. so, with the usual calm tone, adorning face with a gentlest smile you could offer, you turned your head to where Sunday was standing. Then, with a thoughtful expression, you offered your final answer:

“𝘺𝘦𝘴, Dear. 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 stands 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦. 𝘪'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦.

𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵? ”

head hung low, thus words fell silent on the poor dove's mug. taking his silence as a form of understanding, you weave your second au revoir and move forward toward your long-awaited journey.

...your ship left his sight, leaving only bitter tacit behind.

times crawled noticeably slower— excruciatingly slower. it seems as if many great Amber eras have passed for your beloved. in reality, it has only been weeks since your departure.

texts, calls, and occasional letters were sent to you to ease the little dove's stress, but all of that are no compares to your warm presence. without you, the room grows uncomfortably colder. without you, the silence is ravaging his sanity. without you, he is hollow. 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦?

what should a moon do after losing its sun? where should it search for the lost eternal light which was the sole reason why it had the strength to shine all alone in the never-ending night?

Taglist: @viinlz <3

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tojivu · 1 year ago

Text

# OFFICE HOURS ‣ GOJO SATORU

✰ — author’s note i feel so guilty bc gojo is literally the only character i write for LOL anyway this is an old draft from months ago. idk why this is so long im so horrendously down bad for this fucking snowman.

✰ — cw / tags arrogant ceo!gojo x secretary f!reader, sfw, not rly enemies to lovers bc gojo has fat feelings, gojo satoru being a billionaire playboy

✰ — playing death & taxes by daniel caesar.

✰ — word count ~3k LOL

nothing about gojo satoru really strikes you as the serious type.

even in a professional environment, your boss always has a carefree demeanour. his laugh is so nauseatingly loud that you can hear it from outside the office, and you wonder how someone as busy as him manages through his day; much less with a positive attitude. you take one look at his schedule, and you want to vomit with the way you hardly see any gaps between appointments.

you suppose you could learn that from him. it's his only good quality.

you admit that he's likeable, on surface level. there's a reason why you detest him, though: as his closest colleague, you know him way more than you would prefer. most people would think such a well to do man like satoru would have a wife by his side, but that's unfortunately not the case. you almost feel more miserable than him—because now you're forced to be the listening ear and comforting hand at his beck and call.

you think he'd be just fine if he was just a little more humble. he has a nice face. it's his fault for being so stuck up. you know how many women ask him out—painfully aware, actually.

'they just aren't suited to my taste,' he would say to you. 'i need someone that makes me feel alive.'

one time, gojo even asked you to bail him out of a date—something about the way she held her fork and knife disturbed him, and you were expected to show up at the restaurant and act as if there was an emergency.

'i'm so sorry, sweetheart. i have to go, duty calls.' his disgustingly charming tone made you want to slap him then and there.

she called him again the following week, and he completely forgot who she was. he didn't even save her number.

the sheer number of people asking him out had stroked his ego so hard that gojo firmly believes no woman is deserving enough. he rambles on and on to you about how snobby some of them seem, and it takes everything in you to bite your tongue when he does. 'takes one to know one,' you would say, if not for your job at stake.

you think gojo satoru is full of himself. you are a strong believer of that. a witness, as well—it's not like he didn't try his way with you, too. unlike the women he ranted about, you turned him down every single time.

it's been a long while since any of that has happened, though. the most recent ordeal was months ago, but that didn't inherently mean that people stopped asking him out: it just meant that he was rejecting every single offer.

it's a thursday morning when you find yourself eating a sandwich you purchased on the way to work, at your desk—wondering when the big boss will finally arrive. the clock read 9 a.m., and you're expecting an extravagant "good morning!" to surprise you any moment now.

just then, you notice mr. conceited walk in: except something is different. he has no stride in his step. there was no good morning. there was no playful teasing directed at you as he walked past your desk and into his office, not that you were complaining—it was just strange.

you stand up, a mouthful of your sandwich still being chewed. you take a big sip of water and fix your skirt and blouse, making sure your hair is presentable—before swiftly making your way into his office.

──────

"i cannot believe this." he mumbles. you're standing in front of his desk, but he's not facing your direction.

gojo's chair is turned to the giant window that overlooks the business district, and he's gazing out of it thoughtfully. you think this is the cheesiest thing you've seen him do.

you can see how disheveled his hair was, even from where you were standing. you don't want to irritate him further, in case teasing you was still on his to-do list that day.

"what is it, mr. gojo?"

he swivels his chair around, and he is a mess—just what could have he been up to?

"i woke up late today."

"you're the boss, mr. gojo. you can come in any time you want—"

"not the point." he interrupts you. "i forgot my lunch. i was in the car, with the driver, on the way here already. . . and then i realised i left my donuts at home."

gojo's face is absolutely distraught. he looks like he's gone through a divorce and had his house set on fire with how he stands up dramatically—his hands now on his desk. you open your mouth to speak, but he shuts you up by talking again.

"i didn't want to inconvenience him. i'm too thoughtful, miss y/n."

you want to scoff, but you bite your tongue and hold back.

"so i got out of the car and ran back for it," gojo recounts. "i arrived home after the treacherous journey—only to discover that my donuts are gone."

you feign an expression of shock, just to humour him; he gives you an 'i know right' look, and continues his nonsensical story.

"the maids threw them away, miss y/n."

you can't help yourself: you let a small giggle slip through your lips. you quickly use your hand to cover your mouth, thinking of a quick excuse.

you cough. you pretend to, at least—but gojo satoru is not stupid.

no, maybe a little. though, not enough to be convinced of your terrible acting.

"nothing about this is funny."

you nod, looking down at the floor. "i apologise, mr. gojo, but it's just a few donuts. i'm sure someone in the office could fetch some for you."

"yes, i agree." he says, and you shift your gaze from the marble tiling of his office to his face. his hair is a mess, yes—but he still looks revoltingly handsome. his eyes are piercing through yours, and pieces of hair cover his face in just the right places.

you're staring a little too long and gojo finds his pulse quickening with the eye contact—but the spell he has you under is soon broken when he clears his throat.

you quickly look away, embarrassed that you were caught staring at your boss, by your boss.

"you'll pick some up for me, yeah?" his smooth and silky voice echoes through the empty space of his office.

you look at him again, and there's a gentle smile on his face; one you're all too familiar with.

you're aware of satoru's charismatic nature, his playboy-ish attitude, and all sorts of tricks he uses to make women fall head over heels for him. that didn't mean you were completely resistant to them, though—you find yourself playing with the sleeves of your blouse, your ears beginning to redden. "of course," is all you manage to say.

at least you were self-aware.

your mind was rational. should gojo satoru try to hit on you for the nth time—all it took was some self discipline to say no, and you'd like to think you had plenty.

you think the conversation is done with the way he doesn't speak another word, so you turn on your heels and make your way out of the office.

just as you touch the handle of the door, your boss adds: "i'll come with you."

you turn back to him, confused. you didn't need your boss babysitting you for a donut run, you knew his favourite flavours—it's all he ever insists on buying for lunch. "there's no need for that, mr. gojo."

satoru shakes his head in disapproval. "you don't even know my favourite flavours, miss y/n."

that was a blatant lie. he knew you knew. you were his personal donut grabber for a few months up until august, and it was only october. you suppose that it would've continued on if not for your complaints about the long lines in the morning.

nevertheless, you don't argue with him. gojo satoru was the type to get what he wants, when he wants, if he really wants it.

you smile at his disregard for the months you spent as his errand runner, and how idiotic the excuse he just used was. satoru knows he's lying through his teeth, and your smile makes him more nervous than your eye contact.

so nervous, in fact, that he takes back what he just said. "unless. . . you're fine by yourself."

you're surprised that gojo's confidence is dissipating, or that it could even fade at all. you can tell with the way he's avoiding your eye contact, exactly how you evaded his earlier—the red on the tips of his ears are much too obvious in contrast to his hair.

"i don't mind," you respond a bit too quicker than appropriate. "mr. gojo."

gojo curses himself mentally, thinking about how stupid he must sound. he's usually the one making people nervous, but he doesn't know why it's different when you look at him like that.

──────

the atmosphere is deafening in gojo's favourite bakery. you always knew he had a sweet tooth, so you expected his choice to be a spectacular one—and you weren't disappointed.

you had personally visited this bakeshop before, and the confectionery was truly as good as people made it out to be; it proved evident in the amount of people crammed into this small establishment. though, you can't tell if it was for the food or for your boss, with the way most pairs of eyes are turned in his direction.

you two spend a good five seconds looking at the menu before gojo states his order, which was exactly what you thought it would be—the lady at the cashier smiles a bit too long at satoru, before asking: "eating in?"

you want to open your mouth to say something, but he beats you to it. "of course."

it was still very well your work day. he (or maybe you and him, considering you helped him plan seventy percent of his appointments) had a meeting in 3 hours to prepare for. you think this donut adventure is already unnecessary enough—but here he is, suggesting to waste even more time eating the donuts in the bakery itself.

"we have a meeting in a bit, though. you could eat it in your office."

he looks at you with a confused look, as if he forgot that there was a meeting at all—because he did forget. gojo gasps, turning back to the lady and retracting his previous statement.

──────

gojo eats his donuts agonisingly slow and no conversation is initiated.

you're alternating between staring at both your laptops and the swirls on the wooden desk, unable to say anything because you didn't plan for such an occasion: an eating donuts with your admittedly handsome boss that makes you nervous while simultaneously planning for an important meeting occasion.

"miss y/n, you should try some."

you shift your eyes from the table to gojo, and he's holding a small piece of his donut to your lips: the powdered sugar practically calling your name.

"it's fine, i ate earlier," you decline his generous offer. "you should eat."

"i'm not asking you to eat all of them, miss y/n." he smiles at you. "just a bite. it's really good, y'know."

you sigh, reaching for his hand to take it from him—but he swiftly pulls it away and shakes his head. "open your mouth."

you feel the tips of your ears burning, blood rushing to your cheeks and you wonder how the girls he takes out manage themselves when he's like this—you've worked with him for so long, yet you can't recall a time when his gaze wouldn't make you shudder.

you think you'd stutter if you spoke one more word to him, so you save yourself from the embarrassment and bare with his request.

he feeds you the piece of sugar-coated donut, and you're sure you have powder on the corners of your lips with how it's width barely fits into your mouth.

you chew and swallow, feeling the residue of sugar on your skin.

"do you have any tissues?" you ask him, a serious expression plastered onto your face.

gojo tries to suppress the chuckle itching to escape his throat—the sugar on your lips and cheeks catch him off guard, and after a few seconds he can't help but let a small laugh slip. you stand up from your chair, scanning the room for any boxes of tissues you could lay your hands on.

he stands up as well, shaking his head—still giggling.

"it's not funny," you frown, and the smile on his face only grows wider—you're too cute for your own good when you sulk. "stop laughing."

you're not sure if you want to punch him or let him giggle to himself. for some reason, seeing you embarrassed is a great cause of joy to him. you can't bring yourself to tell him to shut up; you always imagine doing just that, it's strange how you couldn't muster the courage just when you needed it most.

"it's quite funny," gojo's laughter eventually calms down.

he leans closer to you and his right hand gently holds the side of your jaw—he uses his thumb to gently wipe the sugar off your cheek, and then your lips. "i got it."

his thumb stays on your bottom lip after dusting the sugar away. his pupils are locked onto the surface of your lips, which were glossy in the harsh light of his office: they looked so soft.

before long, they trail up your face until he's looking directly into your eyes: and this time you're not nervous, you don't look away, and your heart is completely calm.

satoru's fingers are easy on your skin. he handles you like fragile glass, as if he doesn't want to break you: and it's the same for the way he looks at you. gentle.

you're reluctant to speak because the way satoru has his thumb on your bottom lip sends shivers down your spine. you feel breathless.

you don't want this feeling to leave, not just yet.

a few seconds of tension pass. his hand moves back to your jaw, and your nervousness returns when gojo satoru leans his tall figure even closer to you; his head tilting ever so slightly.

it's a random thursday morning when you discover a few more good qualities gojo satoru possesses: his lips and his hands. maybe the way he kisses, too—it's slow and precise, unlike his attitude. he tastes sickeningly sweet and it makes you want to savour this moment even more.

you promised yourself you wouldn't fall victim to gojo satoru. yet, you just can't pull away: instead finding yourself slithering your arms around his neck and your chest pressing against his.

gojo's hands are wandering down to your waist and he's desperate to have you as close to him as possible, showing in the way he tries to close the already small gap between you two.

it takes only a fraction of a second for a small thought to form in your mind: just how many women have been in this position?

you quickly forget about that thought, though—you think it's pointless to regret it now, gojo satoru kisses you too good to be full of remorse.

gojo thinks he could stay like this: kiss you all morning, afternoon and pay you overtime if it meant he could be this close to you for just a bit longer.

there's hints of neediness in gojo's touch—as if he'd been waiting for this forever, wanting to relish it before it ends. his few seconds of bliss don’t last very long though, because you're soon pulling away—gasping for air.

he sighs mockingly, his hands sliding down from your waist to your hips. "can't last longer than 10 seconds, miss y/n?"

of course he would say some cocky shit like that—you'd forgotten for a minute that this was the same, arrogant mr. gojo you always knew, and no kiss (however heavenly) was going to change that.

"i'm sorry that i don't go on dates with every man that breathes."

gojo smirks at you after you say those words. "come on. just because i go on dates with people, doesn't mean i kiss them like this."

"sure you don't." your jealousy shows a bit too much in your reply, and he finds himself smiling even harder.

"is someone jealous?" he teases you again, rubbing circles with his thumb against the flesh of your hips.

you feel flustered, knowing that you're definitely done for now—he saw right through you. "nobody is jealous, mr. gojo."

"stop it with the formality. just call me satoru."

"it's still office hours. it's only polite."

gojo rolls his eyes, sighing in the process. you grin a little at him, knowing that this was the first thing you denied him of today—complying with the donuts and the kissing was already spoiling him enough.

"then i suppose there's only after work," there's his nauseatingly charming voice again—low and smooth. he knows exactly what he's doing to you, and you know it too. "i'm off after 6."

you think long and hard about whether you want to be mean and add this to the list of things you've declined to do for him. the ratio was starting to get really unbalanced—but you remember the way his hands touch you and how his lips greet yours so lovingly: and you think that there's no point turning back now.

"my boss doesn't let me off until after 8, though." you try to poke at his buttons—you put on a fake pout, knowing you’ll accept his invitation anyway—but gojo satoru is eternally patient when it came to things he sincerely desired.

"fuck your boss." he says, "he'll be fine with it."

you laugh at his response. you never thought you would see the day gojo curses at himself, after all, he's so self-obsessed: but you suppose you've seen—and tasted—parts of him that you never knew existed.

"then i'll see you at 6, mr. gojo."

what was the harm in discovering more?

230323 — i kinda hate this but.. wtv… anyway i couldn’t be bothered to proofread have my brainrot of gojo in a suit Mmmm yumyum

#jjk fluff #jjk x reader #jjk x reader fluff #gojo x reader #gojo x reader fluff #gojo fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader fluff #jujutsu kaisen #jjk imagine #jjk imagines #gojo imagine #gojo imagines #gojo x y/n #gojo x you

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silverthehedgehogcharacteristics · 2 months ago

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Silver the Hedgehog Characteristics

Justice - Driven by a strong Sense of Justice. Very confrontational because of this(Has zero tolerance for injustices and things like breaking promises, will take on anyone to right wrongs or help his friends(Mario & Sonic 2020)). Seeks to settle scores(Sonic Forces) and get back for those that have been wronged(or himself if you mess with him). Sometimes grapples with doing the right thing. His wish is to maintain peace, not to eradicate evil(Sonic & Silver).

Hope & Optimism/Positivity - Embodies hope and does not give into despair no matter the circumstances(fought through the Iblis future in the hopes of seeing a blue sky). Believes “There’s always hope as long as you don’t give up”(JP Sonic Forces quote). Inspires hope in others in the darkest moments(Sonic 06 last episode, Sonic Forces, helping Elise through her performance anxiety in Otherworld Comedy). Has an “Honest, unpretentious and kind demeanor”(Sonic Channel Staff Column Wallpaper) and an Enchanting Smile(His smile fills Elise with trust and joy during their performance in Otherworld Comedy and a recipient he serves apple slices to can’t say no to his smile even though they're full already in Wallpaper Comedy 2022). When he is down it does not take much to bring him back up(Sonic Rivals 2). “His way of life inspires people and makes them want to watch over him and cheer him on forever”(Sonic & Silver).

Kind - Is an Altruist with a strong desire to help others. “Does not want to use his powers for himself but to help others”(Sonic Channel Otherworld Comedy). His kindness is the only thing that can make him drop his mission as he can’t say no to a sad face and will stop to help those in need(Amy in 06, Soleanna Post Office in Sonic Pict). Actively goes out and does things like serve apple slices, deliver Christmas presents, play holiday mascots and engage in Cheerful Activities(Sonic & Silver). Wants to become a hero because it means being someone that can ‘protect smiles’, wants to “protect smiles” and make people happy because he grew up in a world where everyone lived in despair(Sonic & Silver).

Peace - Lives and fights for World Peace. Greatly empathetic to the world around him so his feelings reflect the state of the environment. Destroyed environments sadden and upset him while Beautiful Scenery and places with people prospering/living happily leave him breathless(in contrast to the apocalyptic suffering, darkness and devastation he’s experienced). Blue Skies make him feel at peace and people’s Smiles make him smile. Peace, blue skies and smiles are very important to him and he is vicious to anything that threatens them. His head quills are in the shape of a Japanese Red Maple Leaf which represents peace and prosperity.

Determination - Determined to protect peace. Arguably the most determined character. Doesn’t give up easily(got exact hedgehog apple slices after 40 tries) no matter how badly he’s hurt or how hopeless the situation. Has no regard for pain/massive pain tolerance(Kept fighting undeterred after being kicked in the head by Shadow and skipped across the street like a rock by Sonic in Generations, endures "pain beyond description” caused by his powers in Sonic & Silver).

Forthright - Straightforward and Honest(Sonic & Silver) to a fault, he cannot tell a lie(Sonic and Silver) though he can change the subject(“Circumstances have changed”, ending of Rivals 2). Is direct, blunt and wears his heart on his sleeve. Like his namesake he is said to have purity(Sonic & Silver). Is straightforward, outgoing and blunt in contrast to Blaze being shy and reserved.

Brash - Described as “Young and Immature” by his creator Shun Nakamura. Is juvenile(indicated in the Japanese terms that describe him as “young”). So straightforward and honest that he’s Rude and Blunt. He has no filter and will call you an idiot to your face if he thinks you’re an idiot. So straightforward and blunt that he often manners and social customs(Sonic Rivals 1/2, how he approaches NPCs in 06, even Sonic says that he has an attitude in Sonic Rivals). Abrasive and quick to insult both enemies and competition(mocks Sonic after beating him in 06, sneers at competition in Rivals 1/2 and Riders Zero Gravity, insults everything that gets in his way in Rivals 1/2, insults Eggman after stopping the Eclipse Cannon in Wallpaper Comedy 2021). Has a snotty attitude towards anything he one ups(“Can’t you do better?”). Prone to sarcastic remarks(“What am I doing?” when traveling with Amy in 06, "They think THAT is what the future is like? Please." in Colors DS). Headstrong(Offended when treated like an amateur in Otherworld Comedy Act 8, explodes at Jet’s provocations in Mario and Sonic). Has a Mischievous Side(Commemorative Illustration Series). In Japanese he uses informal/rude impressions “Ore”(I) and “Anta”(You)(instead of the polite “Anata”), points directly at people talks to(confrontational rude gesture) and crosses his legs while sitting(roughly the Japanese equivalent to putting your feet on a table). Informal overall in contrast to the polite mannered Future Trunks.

Naive - Has a Black and White mindset/Innocent in his ideals(06). Expects people to believe him when he says he’s from the future or explains outlandish situations just because he knows them to be true(Which causes people to think he’s crazy). Can be unfamiliar with things in the past. Can sometimes take things literally(has an angry “What’s so funny?” attitude when he doesn’t understand things. Says “Yes, why?” when Espio says “you want me to believe that?”).

Sentimental - Appreciates little things and finds great beauty in nature and simple parts of the world that most people take for granted(Calls Dusty Desert beautiful, comments on the beauty of a beach in TSR). This side of him ties into his peace themes due to his ability to appreciate beauty and serenity(also what a maple leaf represents) in various forms. Enjoys sightseeing and going on journeys(Colors DS, Olympic Games, Sonic Pict) because of this. Can be Introspective/contemplative(sits paused on his mission to destroy the Iblis Trigger to think about the morality of his actions in 06, thinks heavily about his worries about Dodon Pa in TSR). Says his favorite moment in racing is “seeing everyone come together and giving their all for a single objective”(Team Vector Interview).

Emotional - High-Spirited and Hot-blooded. Emotionally immature and unregulated. Feels joy and rage loudly but sadness and contemplation quietly. can get loud and carried away when riled up(06 design docs, Mario and Sonic 2020). Puts his all into what he gets invested in(I’m giving this everything I’ve got!). Easily angered(Gets indignant when Soleanna officials don’t listen to him in Sonic & Silver)/has a vindictive temper like Blaze(he’ll twist you up if you mess with him). Needs to be calmed down/held back at times(2012, 2020 Olympic Games, why he has stoic partners like Blaze, Shadow and Espio). Dead quiet when contemplating his dilemma and the loss of Blaze in 06 or thinking about his anxious feelings in TSR. Can deal with things too head-on or take on everything himself because of the strength of his feelings(Sonic & Silver) which can make him Impulsive and Reckless(such as when he goes to fight Ifinit in Sonic Forces ). Is passionate and controlled by his emotions while Sonic and Shadow are calm and cool(Sonic & Silver).

Warrior - fought and struggled for half his lifetime in the hellish Iblis future(Sonic & Silver), constantly fighting against Iblis, Iblis monsters and putting out disasters including Flame Tornadoes to bring peace to the world(06). Shadow describes him as a Fighter in Team Sonic Racing. Enjoys Fighting and can be quick to start fights(Fights almost everyone for both in Rivals 1+2 and Infinite in Forces, almost fights Blaze in Colors DS and Otherworld Comedy and Bowser Jr and Jet in the Olympic Games). Extremely Brave(Self-sacrificial, no regard for his own safety and will sacrifice himself at a moment’s notice(Sonic Comic Pumpkin Trigger), Instant fight response when surprised in Sonic Generations, does not back down in the face powerful threats like Iblis, Infinite or large disasters, fought Iblis monsters since he was Cream’s age). Values bravery and dislikes cowardice/cowardly tactics(Rivals 1+2, Colors DS, Team Vector interview). Has high aggression, determined expressions and aggressive body Language during anything he's focused on. Often makes fists, punches things when he’s frustrated and gets up with his fists in Sonic Forces. Due to his backstory he is deeply appreciative of peace and prosperity but also has a violent personality(Colors DS).

Focused - Is Focused on saving the Future(06 design docs). Very serious and focused when it comes to his mission or dealing with potential danger(Team Sonic Racing). Calls himself a realist in the English version of Sonic Forces and rallies the Resistance to focus and move forward after Tails disappears. Very proactive in dealing with things as he was the only one actively trying to defeat Iblis and change the world(06) and the only one trying to find the truth of Dodon Pa and Eggman(TSR). Has a Straight-To-The-Point mindset(doesn't care what the plan is called, only that it works in Forces) and doesn’t like things getting in his way. Very goal focused(even during competitions, he says the Jade Wisp Ghost ability is the only item he likes because it lets him “disappear and focus on racing”(Team Vector interview)). Takes things much more seriously than Sonic and sometimes gets mad at Sonic for not taking things seriously or messing around(JP TSR, Famitsu Magazine comic). Has pointed angular shape eyes like Sonic’s other rivals which represent intensity, danger and seriousness in character design.

Can be Ruthless - “sometimes calls forth great power without mercy”(Sonic x Silver). Opens both his fights with Sonic in 06 by trying to sneak attack and snipe Sonic with psychic energy balls. Has fought dirty(Played possum to hit Sonic in 06), tried to assassinate Sonic, snuck past Soleanna guards. Mugs Tails in Sonic Rivals 2(he’s okay with stealing), has no qualms with fighting kids like Tails or Bowser Jr. Leaves his enemies to die even if they beg for life(Sonic Rivals 2/IDW Sonic). Has the pragmatic “get-it-done” mindset of Future Trunks/will do whatever it takes to save the future.

Intuitive - Solves problems by using his mind in all his major game roles including figuring out how to revive Sonic(06), being a detective(Town Mission 13), uncovering Eggman/Nega’s plots(Rivals 1+2, TSR) and solving various puzzles. Very perceptive(Sees through Eggman Nega’s disguises by noticing small details), turns his fight with Sonic into a race to collect Chao to advance his mission(Crafty). Intuits Blaze trying to control great power when seeing it for the first time(Otherworld Comedy). Not trusting(Didn’t initially believe in time travel, Immediately suspicious of Dodon Pa in TSR, questioned Mephiles’ mission even as Blaze reaffirmed it as their only option, takes time to work with others in the Rivals series). Eggman is unable to deceive him the same way he does Knuckles in Team Sonic Racing.

Challenger - Enjoys challenges and seeks out ways to test himself(Climbed Tokyo Tower, disappointed when Orbot and Cubot don’t pose a challenge). Very Competitive(Almost fights Blaze when they start one-upping each other over who could deal with Orbot and Cubot on their own in Colors DS). Self-confident and has a smug attitude about his abilities but is otherwise pretty humble(doesn’t think of himself as a hero but rather someone just trying not to mess up the timeline in Sonic & Silver, has a humble attitude when befriending Donkey Kong in Mario & Sonic). Cherishes his friends and strongly believes in/very grateful to those who help him. Regularly trains off screen like Sonic’s other rivals and is said to make Steady efforts to improve(Wallpaper Comedy 2022). Bold and undeterred by any threat(“We can take them all on!” when facing Eggman, Knuckles and Rouge in Rivals 2, “I’ll just destroy him everywhere at once” when facing Solaris). Will take on anything for what he believes in or to help his friends(threw himself at Iblis and Infinite, took on Wendy for Tails and Luigi). one of his catchphrases is “I’ll take you on”.

Curiosity - Has a certain curiosity and likes seeing new and different things(“Interesting”). Can praise or call things cool as much as he can insults others as he has no filter(Sonic Runners). Might have a weakness for cute things(Has a soft spot for/plays with Chao in Sonic Rivals 2 and an official magazine comic).

Skills - Powerful psychic with various super powers(Sonic Runners). Like Sonic’s other rivals he has various skills including car racing, acrobatics, fighting near the level of Shadow(they were both out of breath during their fight in 06), sharp shooting among the best in Soleanna’s 1500 year history(he takes offense to being treated like an amateur for a reason). Has been a detective, delivery boy, butler, top ranked ice skater and “genius” skating coach celebrity that helped taught others and helped Elise through her anxiety(Sonic Channel). Fly/Skill-type character so he specializes in more technical sports like ice skating and drives a car with high balance(TSR, Team Vector Interview). Can be sharp as he was able to turn his fight with Sonic into a race to advance his mission in Rivals 2 and is noted to be very perceptive by Eggnan Nega. Eggman fails to deceive Silver the same way he does Knuckles in Team Sonic Racing.

Polar Opposite of Eggman Nega(Blaze’s best friend, Pure, Young, Honest, Rude, Empathetic, Impulsive/Reckless, Naive, Practical/Focused, Altruistic, wears blues themed with white, desiring Peace and Happiness and willing to die to protect the world opposed to Eggman Nega being Blaze’s arch enemy, Twisted, Old, Deceitful, Polite, Psychopathic, Calculating, Sophisticated, Petty, Egoistic, wears red, themed with black, desiring Chaos and Destruction and willing to die to destroy the world)

Enhancer-Emitter - Enhancer is someone that is determined and simple, never lies, hides almost nothing, is straightforward in actions and thinking, whose words and actions are often dominated by their feelings and is very focused on their goals. Emitter is someone that is impatient, not detail-oriented and quick to react in a volatile manner but can also calm down and forget easier

Lives in the good future when not helping Sonic in the present the same way Blaze lives in her dimension. Thinks things in Sonic’s time are dated(sometimes, in Sonic Rivals and Colors DS). Often implied/shown to like apples(Ate apple flavored calorie bars in the Iblis Future according to Sonic Pict) and to live in Soleanna(He was originally going to be named Venice because he lived there, he may be Italian coded as his counterpart Galahad uses an Italian Cinquedea as a sword).

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violetdawn001 · 5 months ago

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What is with the Dreamers' Houses?!?! Part 3.0 Lurien's Spire

Okay, we can all agree that Team Cherry put a LOT of thought into crafting the backgrounds and environments of Hollow Knight. But why is nobody talking about the designs for the Dreamers' houses?! Especially compared with their base forms? Well, let's start talking about it!

The Last Dreamer, Lurien the Watcher! A.K.A. The guy who is responsible for this whole essay.

His design is the simplest among the three Dreamers.

Taken from Hollow Knight - Lurien the Watcher

A design so simple that it leaves the fans in relentless debate on what species of bug he is.

So tell me, why is HIS HOUSE the one with the most freaking complicated design!?!?!?! It's as if Lurien is living in a cathedral here!

Okay, Lurien living in a cathedral might be an exaggeration, but take a look at complicated his Spire is! Look at the floors! Notice the window designs! The hanging banners! The lanterns! And goodness gracious, the dude has wallpaper throughout his whole Spire!

Did I forget to mention the wallpaper?!?!!

The insane amount of detail!!!

And we haven't even gotten to the fact Team Cherry went out of their way to incorporate 3D into a 2D POV! You can clearly see it in this window here.

As we start the walk here…

We can't help but notice…

How the pillars framing the window "move" as we do.

Could you believe that a team of four people made all of this? Team Cherry truly wasted no detail in the Watcher's Spire, from the simplest wallpaper to the famous Telescope.

And here is the Telescope! In all its very-difficult-to-draw glory! Speaking of it, the design clearly costed tons of geo. The cost paid off, however, as the Telescope still works despite the lack of maintenance due to the Infection.

Of course, that can be easily seen by anyone who played the game in a rush. In terms of Lurien's character, the fan can see how he earned his namesake, Watcher.

Yet...has anyone stopped to consider how Lurien set up his office? In particular, how Lurien can position his Telescope anywhere in his main office? Check out all the windows!

Did you all notice it? Every single window is open, yet each window is nicely framed with the glass plane. And before you all comment, “what about this window? It's closed!”

The window design is different from the ones behind Lurien's bed…and matches up with the window where the Telescope is currently at. This implies that this window can open up at any time should Lurien wish it. As the Telescope is NOT facing that direction, there is no need to keep that window open. Lovely for us, as that window keeps Lurien's butler in. If you need proof, check out the photo where the Telescope is again.

With this in mind, what does the Telescope and open windows tell us about Lurien's character?

First, Lurien is very dedicated to his duty as the Watcher, so much so that he will spend as much money as needed to craft the best tools he needs.

Second, Lurien favors practicality as seen by how every window is either open or has hinges to open it. The Watcher must watch over the WHOLE City of Tears, not just the left side (or commoner side).

Third, Lurien loves beauty. It is not enough to have the windows open; goodness, Lurien could have not added windows at all! But he insisted on a lovely window design that framed the view into the City. And we're not even talking about the pillars and the curtains which frame it as well.

Fourth and finally, Lurien was able to get both practicality and beauty in the same window. I cannot stress this enough as Herrah and Monomon choose practicality over beauty. Yes, there are beautiful details here and there, but when push comes to shove, both ladies choose practicality with a dash of beauty on the side. This really makes Lurien stand out amongst the Dreamers.

I hope you enjoyed part 1 of Lurien's Spire. Unfortunately, I must stop here as this is merely 1/4 of Lurien's section of the essay. Please feel free to comment and reblog as much as you would like. It's fun reading your thoughts.

If you wish to read more of the Essay, click one of these links below.

Part 1.0: Herrah's Den : Here

Part 2.0: Monomon's Archives: Here

Part 3.0: Lurien's Spire (You are here.)

Part 3.25: More of Lurien's Spire : Here

Part 3.5: Lurien's Spire: Pillows and Patriotism: Here

Part 3.7 Lurien's Spire: What is wrong with Lurien's Office?! Here

Part 3.75: Even, even More of Lurien's Spire

Link to essay on Ao3: Here

#please come back for more #we are not done yet with Lurien's windows #hollow knight #lurien the watcher #herrah the beast #monomon the teacher #hk monomon #hk Lurien the Watcher's butler #hk lurien

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teaberrii · 2 years ago

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Relief

You get much more than you bargained for when you visit the newest doctor in town.

Baizhu/You

Warnings: Smut

Notes: Cross-posted on Ao3

This idea came to me so suddenly and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. So... HERE IT IS.

You are never a fan of visiting the doctor.

But after telling your friend about how bad your insomnia is getting, she “strongly recommends” you see the newest and, apparently, hottest doctor in town. You’ve heard about him. Tall. Mysterious. Handsome. Skilled. You raise an eyebrow at how she described him. He sounds like a male lead who walked out of a romance or erotic novel... and you cannot deny your curiosity. So, even though you always dread visiting the doctor’s office because of past experiences, you ultimately decide to try and see if this doctor is really as good and hot as everyone says.

As soon as you walk inside the clinic for your appointment, something about it already makes you feel at ease. Perhaps it’s the cool, calm colours of the wall. Or the soft hum of the music. Whatever it is, you’re not regretting it… so far.

“Hello.” A woman around your height walks up to you. “Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes.” Then, you give her your name.

She smiles. “Right this way.”

You follow the woman to a room at the back. She opens the door, and you see a man sitting at a desk. When he spins around, you meet a pair of snake-like eyes. He has a relaxed demeanour, something not too different from what you're expecting. Yet, despite his kind smile that unexpectedly makes your heart race, something about him feels off, and you don’t know why.

“Hello,” he says. Great. Even his voice is dripping like honey. He gestures for you to sit on the patient's bed. “Take a seat.”

As you do, the woman closes the door, and your hands start fiddling with each other. “Are you nervous?” he asks, eyes on your hands.

“Oh, um”—you stop fidgeting—“it’s a habit,” you say quietly.

“Don’t be nervous,” he chuckles. Then, he looks you in the eyes. “I won’t bite.”

His eyes are so entrancing that you forget to speak.

“So, what seems to be the problem today?”

His voice snaps you back, and you say, “I’m having trouble sleeping at night.”

“Is it stress, perhaps?”

“Well…” Your eyes land on a corner of the room.

“There are many reasons for insomnia, my dear.”

That’s a nickname you never imagined he would say.

“Stress… a poor environment… depression… have you talked to anyone else before me?”

You slowly look back and see him staring at you with that gentle smile. “No,” you say quietly. “But I’ve been looking things up online and trying different remedies, but nothing seems to work.”

“I see… What have you tried?”

So, you tell him about making tea, switching sleeping environments, changing your sleep schedule, and drinking less. But nothing has worked.

“Would you mind telling me when and how long your insomnia has been happening?”

You aren't surprised he asked this, but you wish he didn't. Well, at least you came prepared to answer the question.

"Um, well… I've been stressed lately. Both in my personal and professional life. And, I think it started when"—your face turns slightly red—"when I can't find pleasure in sex anymore." You're relieved when his expression doesn't change. Rather, he looks even more focused than before. "That has always relieved my stress and helped me sleep. But now it's just… frustrating."

“Did you have a partner?”

“My ex-boyfriend,” you say quietly.

“...I’d like to try something if you don’t mind.” You look at him curiously. “It’s a type of sensual massage.”

Did he just say… sensual massage? This is not what you signed up for. Rather, you’re expecting a doctor’s note for some medicine you probably never heard of.

“You… aren’t going to give me some weird medicine?”

He chuckles softly. “I could if that’s what you want. But my medicine tends to be quite bitter. Bitter than most. And”—he steps toward you and slightly leans forward—“I’d rather try something sweet on you.”

His low voice sends a delicious shiver down your spine. Good Lord. It’s only been fifteen minutes, and you’ve told this man more than you told your friend in weeks. You swallow thickly, your curiosity once again getting the best of you.

Then, before you can stop yourself, you say, “...Okay.”

"Of course, you're free to stop me whenever you feel uncomfortable," he reassures.

He grabs another pillow and gestures for you to lie on the bed. Once your head hits the pillow, you have one underneath your back. He puts one hand beside your head, and with that gentle, charming smile, he says, “Bend your knees, my dear.” You do so. Then, in a low whisper, “Now… open your legs for me.”

You can hear your heart hammering in your chest. Is it fear? Excitement? You can’t tell anymore. Your emotions are spinning round and round as he dims the lights. You hear his quiet footsteps approach you and feel the gentle touch of his hand brush your hair out of your face.

He moves behind you, and you close your eyes and hear him softly say, “Breathe in…” You do. “And out…” You do. "Now... close your eyes"—he once again watches you do as you're told—"and just feel."

His hands start warming up your shoulders and up to your neck. Your body is already relaxing despite the absurdity of the situation. It doesn't take long for him to move down, and you hear his footsteps beside you. You open your eyes and see he's looking at you, but his eyes are surprisingly… dark compared to the gold rim of his glasses. When his hand finds a clothed breast, you arch into his touch, getting lost in the way his fingers dance, knead, and pressure your bosom. The soft, breathy moan you let escape from those soft lips is everything he needs to hear.

You feel his other hand slide underneath your shirt. Slowly, he moves his hand up, the cool touch of his fingers sending a tingling shockwave throughout your hot body. He brings your shirt along until your bra is fully exposed in front of him. Your face grows warm, but the dark look in his eyes doesn’t change.

Instead, he leans over and asks, "May I, my dear?" As soon as you nod, he unclasps your bra from the front and puts it aside. Then, in a low voice, “You look absolutely beautiful.”

Your blush worsens when he cups your breasts in his hands and slowly moves his thumbs in opposite directions… until one of his hands gently squeezes a nipple while the other continues its gentle caress.

“Ah…” you sigh.

As he uses the pad of his thumb to circle a hardened nipple, he leans forward.

“How do you usually like it, my dear?” he asks lowly. “Soft? Or…” One hand suddenly gets needy… rough… as he squeezes…

“O-oh!”

…and fondles…

“Nngh…A-ah…!”

…like no one has before.

You feel something wet and see his tongue has replaced one of his hands. He looks up at you, his gaze almost daring you to tell him to stop. But that lustful look in your eyes is everything he needs to know. Your body arches as his tongue work wonders on your bosom.

Then, your eyes widen when you feel his hand massaging your inner thigh. A squeeze... and another... until he uses the heel of his hand to gently apply light, smooth strokes toward your pelvis. He stands upright and smiles at you as if admiring your flushed face.

As soon as you feel the pad of his thumb encircling your clothed sex, you gasp. He leans closer and closer until his face is inches from yours.

“I want you to do me a favour, my dear,” he says quietly. You allow him to take one of your hands and put it over a breast. “Touch yourself as I kiss you.”

It's then your lips are no longer yours. One kiss after another leaves you craving more… and more. You're glad you're lying down as you're sure your knees would give from the greedy, hungry kisses that show you're a woman to be desired, something your ex-boyfriend has never shown you before. As you fondle yourself while feeling the warm caress of his tongue, your other hand weaves its way into his hair, holding him in place. He gradually applies pressure on your sex, and you instinctively roll your hips into his touch.

More. You need more.

He stops kissing you as if reading your mind, and his lips curve into a slight smirk. You watch him move to stand in front of your open legs. He pulls off your bottoms, including your underwear. You hold your breath as he slowly massages your stomach and moves down until he's about to reach your sex.

You watch him oil his hands. Then, he starts with the outer lips, squeezing them gently with his thumb and index finger. You sigh in satisfaction when he moves to the inner lips and rubs them with his fingers.

As soon as he looks at you, you know he's taking it a step further.

“How do you want to be touched, my dear?” he asks. “Directly…?”

"Mmpth…" you sigh as he gently holds your clit. Then, he gives it a gentle tug, and you gasp.

“Or… indirectly?”

When you feel the tip of his finger circling your clit, your breathing turns heavy.

Clockwise.

“Ah…”

Counterclockwise.

You exhale deeply.

He goes harder.

“O-oh… yes…”

Slower.

“M-more,” you whimper.

He chuckles. “My… my dear. You’re so wet.” His dark gaze flashes toward you. “That’s a good sign.”

Slowly, he slides his middle finger inside and lightly pressures your walls at different points. As it gradually increases, you bite your bottom lip.

He smiles. “You’re too quiet. Should we fix that?”

He gently slides in his index finger and moves them in a come-hither motion at the top of your walls. Then, he applies more and more pressure until he moves his hand and arm up and down.

You've never been stimulated like this before. This feeling is as if your entire body is on fire. Then, feeling his lips on your inner thigh, you gasp and arch your body off the bed once more.

"Relax," he says softly, using his other hand to guide your body back down. "Just listen to my voice…." He flashes you a heated look as he continues working his fingers on your G-spot. "Do you know how hot you look right now, my dear? Face red… mouth open… eyes in a trance…" He slowly kisses further up your thigh. "It makes me want you… so. Fucking. Bad."

He suddenly applies so much pressure that you come on the spot. A long, loud moan leaves your lips as your sex releases the pent-up pleasure that almost feels foreign. Your body is still coming down from the high when he leans over and puts his hand over your heart.

“How do you feel now, my dear?”

You can’t find the words. You can only look at him as realization dawns upon you what had just happened. “I…”

He puts his finger on your lips. "Would you like me to show you how you made me feel?"

You allow his mouth to take you. Slow. Sensual. All those emotions you felt a moment ago come flooding back from this one kiss that feels so right that it proves every other kiss you had is wrong.

Then, he breaks away too fast, too soon. His gentle smile returns. “I hope you sleep better now, love.”

As he fully leans upright, you’re still lost in your emotions on how one visit to the doctor’s office has made you feel so wrong, so right all at once.

Tag list: @lxry-chxn @lordbugs @suoshiii @seirenspinel

#baizhu smut #baizhu x reader #baizhu x you #baizhu #genshin baizhu #baizhu x yn #baizhu x y/n #genshin impact baizhu

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hiwelcometothemonstersancturary · 9 months ago

Note

What’s it like for the older toys to have a drink for the first time?

OKAY, SO!

Angel doesn't allow anyone to drink until they have a precise confirmation of everyone's ages and medical exams come out detailing if there's anything the toys absolutely cannot eat. Everyone is fine and dandy, thankfully, so one day Angel comes back from the grocery store with a few thinks for the older toys to taste.

Poppy likes wine, and is way too knowledgeable on it since day 1. Angel asks her how she knows all of that, she shrugs it off and says she picked up from a book in Elliot Ludwig's office (which is true). She's always VERY excited to try new wines, and was 100÷ sure she couldnt get drunk until she got tipsy. Lots of "I told you"s happened that day.

Mommy Long Legs is also on the wine team, but with the addition of caipirinha and any drink that also has fruits added to it. She and Poppy act like they know everything about wine, and in the household they kinda do. MLL absolutely HATES getting even a bit tipsy, though. She's there for taste only and if she drinks too much she can and will get grumpy. She fears she'll be an aggressive kind of drunk and never tries to see if her theory is true or not, and things stay like this.

Catnap and Dogday both like it, even tho it feels like a very mature thing to do. They dont drink close to any of the younger toys unless Angel is around, though.

Crafty likes the taste and almost drinks too much. She gets instantly tipsy and that's how she finds out she cant handle much.

Kickin feels like he's a big Adult, but he's a biiiit dissapointed. All the adults he knew pre-HoJ always hyped drinking so much, and for what? He however is very excited about mixing things. Whenever they're allowed to drink he tries making something new, and he, Long Legs and Poppy have lots of talk about taste.

Miss Delight drinks one (1) cup and goes "okay thank you a lot!" and the turns starts mixing things up. She doesn't even partake on drinking, girl literally does not care, she just loves mixing things and seeing what works. She and Kickin come up with some cursed combinations for everyone to try out.

Bubba and Picky are excited at the idea of feeling like a normal-ish adult until they drink for the first time and hates it. -9999/10 who thought this was good. Why.

Hoppy is HYPED. Drinks a bit, likes it, is still SUPER HYPED. Angel has to stop her from drinking too much, and some time later on they find out it's VERY hard for her to get drunk.

Bobby finds that it's... Okay! She likes wine more than the other options, but not to the extent Poppy does. Angel makes some caipirinha later and it becomes her favorite, but again, she doesn't mind not having it. It's all just a big "oh okay!" to her.

Angel does keep some drinks in one of the fridges, but the toys hardly drink unless it's a weekend. However...

Prototype does let Catnap drink a bit more from time to time. They usually just sit outside Proto's hut and talk while drinking a bit before stopping. Catnap liked doing this because being a bit drunk would make him feel less guilty from everything.

Dogday would also drink alone sometimes in order to cope with Everything he went through. Then one day he catches Catnap leaving Proto's hut smelling like alcohol and the two stare at each other like "uh oh this doesn't feel like a good way to deal with Everything", and work together to have better coping mechanisms. After some months they completely drop the habit before it could run out of control, and are only able to do that because they're in a safe and healthy environment.

... Prototype still lets Catnap drink though. He trusts him enough.

#poppy playtime #save everyone au #poppy worldwide #ask tag #catnap #dogday #poppy playtime poppy #hoppy hopscotch #bobby bearhug #picky piggy #kickinchicken #bubba bubbaphant #craftycorn #miss delight #mommy long legs

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smallestapplin · 1 year ago

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Would you still love me, even if I was a worm?

Please note there are 3 Pokémon classified as work pokemon and they are all bug types

Wives edition (only Cynthia, Rika, and Cyllene cause my wrist cannot handle more.) pure fluff

Cynthia

“Babes?”

You look up at her as you lay across her lap.

Cynthia looks down, her uncovered grey eyes locking with yours. She can’t help but smile, you look so cute in her lap, gazing at her with such love yet curiosity.

“Yes, dear?”

“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”

Her brain stops.

She blinks once, twice, before rapidly doing so. You look at her so earnestly, like you want a genuine answer….but-

“What kind of worm would you be? It would I entirely depend as Snoms, Caterpies, and wurmples are all wildly different. And if you want to be technical burmies as well, since they are the bag worm Pokémon-“

“Cynthia.”

“Oh, yes?”

“Would you love me if I was a worm?”

“Dear, that entirely depends on which worm though!”

You watch as she rambles, listing off the logistics, and what each worm needs and how well it would do in certain environments.

She probably would, but you’ll never get an answer as her mind plays all sorts of scenarios.

Rika

She loves it when you spent time with her at work, she’s usually alone so no one is around to tell you or her off for this, and she uses every chance she can to love on you. But she notices you have something on your mind.

She hums, moving you from her lap to on top of her desk.

“Got something on your mind, doll?”

“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”

Oh you’re too cute for her heart to handle! You look so meek, so nervous, so adorable, fuck she loves you.

“Oh sweetie.” Rika places a kiss to the tip of your nose.

“I’d buy you the best fruits for your little work self to feed on, let you ride around on my shoulder just so I can still love on my buggy baby.”

Her smile grows as you giggle, covering your mouth while you do so, but she continues.

“Get you a nice big enclosure covered in pretty flowers, and with a nice branch for you to get cozy on. And of course a lot of the most how quality dirt I can get ya.”

“All for me?”

“All for you, no matter what you’re my sunshine.”

And she will be damned if anything happens to you.

Cyllene

You knew what the answer would be, at least, you thought you did. After getting injured and being sidelined until you’re fully healed, you’ve been bothering your betrothed a lot more now that you can’t leave the village.

And she’s the only one constantly around for you to lovingly bother.

You sat in her office, Abra dozing in your lap from all your comforting pets. The silence being filled with Cyllene’s pen moving across paper.

Your silence has her concerned, usually you’re more chatty or at least much closer to her, you never sit to the side like this.

“Cyllene?”

She glances over to you before looking back at her paperwork.

“Yes, dear?”

“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”

The office falls still and quiet.

Her pen to the side and she looks deep in conflicted thought.

You thought you’d get an out right ‘no’ but you never thought you’d make her spiral.

You can see her arguing with herself in her head, unsure of what to even say. On one hand she loves you dearly, you mean so much to her, on the other hand….she loathes bugs, she can’t even imagine being in the same room as a wurmple!

But the bug would be you…

But….

“Cyllene, please breathe!”

She’s snapped from her thoughts as you gently shake her, your arm around her back and your free hand on her forearm.

She takes a few deep breathes to calm herself, but you can’t escape her questioning.

“Why ask such a thing? You know I love you, correct?”

“I do, I just…thought it would be a silly thing to ask, maybe joke about it?”

You nervously laugh, feeling her steen gaze staying locked onto you.

“You truly are something else.” She sighs.

But you perk right up “But that’s why you love me!”

You’re right, but damn.

#pokemon imagines #pokemon x reader #pokemon fluff #pokemon cyllene #pokemon rika #pokemon cynthia #pokemon cyllene x reader #pokemon rika x reader #pokemon cynthia x reader

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maspers · 3 months ago

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Class 78 Approaches a Yellow Light while driving

Makoto: Tries to edge on the side of caution, but uses his best judgment to know when to slow down and when to maintain speed. Tends to approach yellow lights with improbable regularity.

Kyoko: Knows exactly how long the yellow light will last, and knows exactly how much she'd need to speed up to not run a red. Whether or not she decides to speed up depends on how illegal it would be, and how willing she is to break the law at that moment.

Byakuya: Usually has a chauffeur, but when driving himself he drives much akin to Makoto, though a lot more confident in his judgment. Never make this comparison aloud while he is present.

Chihiro: Normally he is absolutely terrified of even sitting behind the wheel, and slows to a stop the moment the light changes. But deprive him of sleep long enough and the part of him that grew up playing Need For Speed and Grand Theft Auto takes over and he blasts through the intersection at 15 over the speed limit.

Sayaka: A surprisingly aggressive driver who takes advantage of "if you're in the intersection before the light turns red you're legal" rules, often rapidly squealing into the intersection right at the last second.

Aoi: If she's far enough away that she knows she can't make it, then she'll slow down, but otherwise she floors it.

Celestia: Secretly can't drive, claims it's beneath her.

Hifumi: Absolutely would blast through intersections like a maniac, but he's acting as chauffeur for Celestia. It turns out to be a surprisingly cautious and competent driver given proper incentive, and he glides through the intersections smoothly.

Kiyotaka: Slows to a stop. Every time. Even if he absolutely could have made it, and even if he disrupts traffic.

Toko: Refrains from driving out of fear and medical reasons (irregular fainting and driving don't mix) but Genocider is a monster behind the wheel and doesn't even notice traffic lights.

Leon: Tends to try and be safer when carpooling with family and friends, but has accidentally ran red lights on more than one occasion while trying to impress a date by "beating the light".

Sakura: By far the best driver in the entire class. Makes sure to lift her foot off the accelerator the moment the light changes, then alternates between coasting and lightly braking to a stop to make sure her passengers don't get whiplash. If she's too close to stop safely then she makes sure to watch the rest of the intersection closely to ensure the other cars aren't endangered by her as she passes though.

Mondo: He and his gang are barely even aware of traffic lights to begin with, only stopping if there's a police officer nearby and the gang is trying to lie low for the time being. The rest of the class has tried to teach him why traffic lights are important but to no avail.

Yasuhiro: Cannot properly judge at ALL whether he can make the light or not, and runs reds frequently. How he still has a license is unclear, but Kyoko thinks it could be forged.

Mukuro: Used to driving different vehicles in a military environment, so when driving civilian vehicles her braking can sometimes be jerky. Practically never runs through yellows unless she absolutely has to, as it would be tactically impractical for someone to speed through an intersection in a stressed rush, possibly risking ambush.

Junko: If you can think of a reaction to a traffic light turning yellow, then she's done it, or at least attempted it. She's run a lot of reds but used her power as an influencer to escape consequences. This lasted until she went for a drive with Makoto and crashed directly into a truck, causing a five car pileup. Everyone was fine, but her license got revoked, so now she's driven around by Mukuro or a chauffeur. If Mukuro is driving and approaches a yellow light, then Junko will try and distract her to make her run a red light by accident.

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enkisstories · 2 months ago

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What's the difference?

A gingerrose sims comic created from the Halloween prompt at @gingerrose-hub. Thank you for coming up with this, that was fun to do!

34 ABY. Less than a month after the battle of Crait.

The free city state of San Myshuno on the planet Komorebi is one of the few places where members of the First Order and the Resistance can tread, even mingle. At least in theory.

In practise a high ranking officer can buy a place like Stargazer lounge for himself and the payment he has to make is a confident posture and a couple of implied threats.

General Hux has done so today, "for privacy", as the lounge's proprietor has understood. "And for a major privacy violation", the General had added, leaving little to the imagination what the pool, the bar and the couches would get used for.

Everyone has their secrets. In most cases they are secret lovers. Poe Dameron, most likely.

It is a Resistance fighter, indeed, who exits the elevator a while after the General has arrived, that much the locals have guessed correctly. But it isn't Poe, and they haven't come for a rendezvous.

"So you came. I knew you would."

"Huh?"

"I said I knew you would come investigate what I'm up to up here. Although you really shouldn’t have."

The man's typical arrogance is readily apparent in his voice, but something is different today, Rose notices. Hux stance is much more relaxed than the Resistance has ever seen him. The fury of the First Order isn't out to hunt today, the predator isn't hungry right now, and therefore allows himself to playfully claw the curtains.

(Spoilered for length)

And indeed, the man's expression that accompanies his next words is more wistful than sneering.

"Do you hear the notes in the rain? I detest it, yet I cannot deny that it offers certain benefits."

Like concealment, Rose wonders? That could get easier achieved by means that don’t come with catching a cold....

"To make it perfectly clear: You shouldn’t have come to the Supremacy, Commander Tico."

Rose approaches the General like in a trance. Just before reaching the man, she takes a seat, but she hasn't fully snapped out of her dazedness. Is leaving humans dizzy a property of Komorebi's atmosphere? Is there more to the General's words about the rain carrying a tune?

Just when Rose starts to listen, Hux changes the topic from music to folklore:

"Have you ever heard them? The scary tales of creatures biting people, turning them into the same creature? That’s not how it works for the rabid dog of the First Order."

Rose is shivering. Her throat is dry despite the rain. All this downpour, yet so little water on her skin! Where has that thought come from? Why'd she want more rain on her body?!

Hux looks at his index finger as if there were still a trace of the cut this woman's teeth had dealt him. But there isn't; the mark on his palm is from a different, more recent, accident.

The only proof that the encounter in the Supremacy's hangar has happened is not on Hux' body, but elsewhere.

"Did you ever wonder why I wear gloves most of the time? They protect the skin from minor scratches. From blood spilling into the environment. Where the vermin would sustain themselves on it."

"Stop that! I haven't come to exchange polite trash talk with you!"

"Then what do you have come here for? How did you know? Tell me, for I don't - cannot - know what it feels like! I was born... er. Anyway."

"What's happening to me, Hux? Why have I come here? Not to this place, but specifically to YOU?"

"You're dying."

The sound of an umbrella getting closed and discarded, and a coat dropped.

"Afraid? I can put an end to it."

"Put an end to YOU."

"Oof... Looks like I caught myself a carp worthy of a Life Day feast!"

Rose reaches for her backup weapon, the trusty shocker, but then hesitates. Water and electricity do not go well together. She better finds another way of taking the General out. To this end she has to escape the grapple first - Rose throws herself into the exact direction Hux is pushing her, leaving him standing by the poolside empty handed.

Of course that still ends with her going under.

*nods to himself*

Rose gasps for air, but the moment she inhales, she has to cough. Her newly acquired gills are already taking care of providing the body with oxygen filtered from the water. Breathing in too deeply only hurts.

"Huuuux...?"

But of course. While Rose's pants are drifting in the pool shredded and the vest has suffered a large tear, too, General Hux' shirt and legwear are made from a material that would quickly dissolve in water. Rose can watch it right in front of her eyes, as she can also watch Hux transform, the same change she has underwent just now. Only for the First Order General it doesn't come as a surprise. To the contrary, he moves as if shedding a disguise and donning his actual clothes.

Always prepared and always equipped with only the best of everything... It is difficult to imagine the mess of insecurities that is going on under the hood of this oh-so calculated person.

Hux resurfaces. For a few precious moments there had been calm below the surface. Now there is the pesky rain again.

But there is also… something immensely beautiful.

"The black suits you. It brings out your fierceness!"

"What did you do to me?!"

"Nothing. You brought this on yourself when you bit me."

"It's just the way it is. How things work for my kind."

"Your kind... So this isn't an affliction, but your species?"

"It's kind of both. The Resistance knows the tidbit about how my father "found" my mother "in the academy's kitchen", yes? Well, she was to be the main course at that year's graduation party! Of course things then took a different turn."

"What about "dying"?"

"That was a real risk. If you hadn't found a suitably large body of water in time, you could have dried out. And of course the bond between progenitor and fry leaves the latter confused. I'm told they ended up as meals a lot in the past."

"Confused? Sais the one merman in the galaxy, who is afraid of rain!"

"I'm not afrai... eeeeek! Cut that out!"

"Hahaha!"

"I'm not afraid! I'm APALLED by the rain. It's cold and tickly and indecisive, always going where the wind drives it, not at all like the sea!"

The image of two koi swimming together is widespread in Komorebi culture. If they could see the two visitors from outserspace now, the locals would take the sight as a sign of good fortune.

He plans ahead, she controls a situation. He knows why things work, but cannot bring them alive in the real world. She can improvise, but her lack of understanding of the theory limits her unduely. Ironically she keeps in the background, whereas he positions himself prominently, but when in doubt, she chooses to attack, be that with a weapon or words, while he prefers to stealth himself.

Each has was the other needs.

They both think about the larger world, but where she has grown up to respect others because she has received the same respect from the moment she had started breathing, he envisions an all-encompassing, feared law to stop people from hurting each other (well, him, specifically).

"So that's why the others don't respect you, no matter what you accomplish. The First Order is even more human-supremacist than the Empire was. To them you're just a fish."

There's more to it, but the Resistance (let alone the Republic) is probably not aware of the huge generational conflict between the surviving imperials and the younger officers. And him being a literal fish hasn't done Armitage's social standing any favors indeed.

Tico's sympathy - or whatever it is the insurgent is expressing here - makes the fishman bold. In an unsual bout of playfulness he replies:

"What am I to YOU?"

Rose' answer feels like the rain - cold, itching in uncomfortable ways and leading down a road he doesn't want to tread:

"A monster."

What now?! Hadn't Tico just implied that she didn't care about him being a fishmonster?

"Enlighten me - what's the difference?"

"You didn't CHOOSE to become a fish."

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

Since it would have been a spoiler at the beginning, I'll put the prompts used last: I got Stormy city, Mer-creature, You shouldn’t have come and Secret Messages, but swept the last one out for Biting.

On a sidenote, none of the imperial officers' kids (Hux, Mitaka, Trach, Kandia etc.) "chose" their path. They were all cut off from the outside world and indoctrinated from birth no less than the stormtroopers. It would have taken exceptional willpower to withstand that. Rose in my regular story understands this!

#rose tico #armitage hux #general hux #gingerrose #sims 4 #simblr

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zorciarkrildrush · 1 year ago

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Vampire hdb

So there's two DE things I keep rotating in my mind and one of them is elaborations on What Makes The Pale Wax And Wane, because I think the game and the book give us some insight we can play with and I want to add what I think on top of it, in addition to the existing wonderful essay. This one deserves a proper writeup and I'm gleefully procrastinating.

THE OTHER ONE HOWEVER WHICH I CANNOT LEAVE UNSAID AT ALL is Vampire HDB.

To be fair it started with a more general "what if there's a vampire inner layer to the RCM not a lot of people - including within the RCM, including Harry - know about, but there's good reasons people are afraid of the cops and it's not just the usual". Harry finds out, chases increasingly offputting cases where a likely suspect is a well-placed officer, and so on.

But for the past week I've been thinking of a vampire hdb. What I'm thinking is, this is something that happened around the same time as the bender. He wakes up with a classic transformation hangover. We don't even have to decide he's magically cured of brain damage and other pains - vampirism could preserve him as he is and only prevent further injury. Another option is that the curse will heal him in all ways, even neurological, but only eventually and with enough nutrition and adequate slumber and so on.

So this lead me to several fun thoughts about the game, as a vampire Harrier:

(By the way during the course of this I'm gonna refer to we and you kind of interchangeably. It just means you or I as players of the game. This is a side effect of rambling.)

We can run around in daytime as usual. Any discomfort we experience early on is attributed to the bender, so Harry doesn't think of it as very strange. Even after the reveal, the game doesn't actively stop us from going around in sunlight and only uses narrative means to dissuade us. I'm basing this on hdb being perfectly capable of running around after getting shot in the leg (and possibly the shoulder as well) - obviously there was a gameplay consideration here but hey, this is one too. There's 2-3 other points where the game encourages walking, but ZA/UM didn't feel like mechanically punishing us for running anyway and I don't feel like it either. I feel like some narrative punishments can include skill disadvantages, Kim uneasily suggesting you open an umbrella or wear shades (a classic for hangovers!), or just take it easy in general during the daytime. Also, maybe the night doesn't cap out 02:00 anymore, and the suggestions to pack it in for the night also come later than usual. Waking up is… maybe no longer at 0730? Volition will be disappointed. Then again the vow was to do so until you die, is it really truly relevant anymore?

Obviously this affects the investigation - who knows what you really are and archly hints at it? The Smoker? Evrart? Who dismisses the concept out of hand as fantasy? Joyce? Are the cryptozoologists actually extremely skeptic of the concept, and attribute it to Harry's generally confused demeanor? Is Pryce the one who turned you, hypnotizing you to forget it before sending you to Martinaise?

Are there other vampires, or different creatures of the night around Martinaise? Can we finally meet the Mysterious Eyes, when the night is darkest?

Can we finally eat the rich? Or at least say we want to, as good socialists should, and do we distress our environment with our violence a-la roughing up the lorry driver?

I also thought of a sliding scale between the desire for humanity and morals (not to be confused with moralism) vs the vampiric instinct. Obviously this is tracked in-game via a score called good vampire / bad vampire. To me this can affect the sensitivity to anti-vampiric implements - one of the approaches I like best is that the sun is harmful to vampires not because of UV, but because it's seen as a force of celestial good and illuminates the vampire's sins, of which they are so ashamed they experience physical pain. Having to be invited into places (another hilarious narrative option) also has to do with this - the vampire wants to make their victim bring disaster upon themselves with the invitation. I was thinking as you slide further into darkness, you must become less and less ashamed of what you are. With a person like hdb, where shame is already a massive issue, I can't help but wonder how this score can manifest, and how the skills will react with various scores and in different interactions. This of course brings me to -

Skills! Let's talk skills, I've been dying to talk about the skills all day. Logic, Empathy and maybe Esprit De Corps - I want to say, these stay kind of normal to begin with, but they do suffer if you slide more and more into darkness. Rhetoric, Visual Calculus, Authority, Suggestion - these always benefit from being a vampire (unless challenged with anti-vampiric implements, maybe) Drama, Inland Empire - insanely high. Off their rocker. Drama quotes deliriously from works such as The Vampire Lestat, IE is conjuring entirely new concepts of what it means to live in the garden of savage beauty that is your mind. All the motorics are higher. That one's a given. Phys. Instrument, pain threshold, and endurance - also boosted, not much to say. Vampires are strong and fast and can tolerate much more than humans, when they aren't staked through the heart.

Finally, there are 4 more skills worth mentioning. Half Light, for all intents and purposes, is your vampiric instinct to feed. The cornered beast. It hates what it's doing, but at the same time - what it wants is survival. It has to do it. When pressed by hunger or whatever else, it will push you to kill and eat. Electrochem is also deeply vampiric. To the newly formed vampire, the world is beautiful. Scents are magnetic. The taste of fresh prey is almost carnal. It wants you to partake of everything. Permission is granted. God is in his heaven.

But there's two skills who aren't as supportive of bad vampire actions. Volition is always Harry's moral support. Volition always wants Harry to do the right thing. The more Harry tiptoes into darkness, I want to say Volition grows wearier, and sadder, and Volition checks start getting worse and worse. If there's one skill that might convince us as players to steer clear of being a total monster, it will be Volition.

And there's Shivers. I think the spirit of Revachol knows what you are. I think the spirit of Revachol loves you, as it loves everyone in Revachol, but it also knows you are a blight upon it. It will try and dissuade you. It will try to humanize whoever you stalk. It will remind you you have a part to play, much grander than this. But if you disregard it, it will have to find another champion. It will blow away, and for all intents and purposes, Harry can be abandoned entirely by it.

#selfpost #disco elysium #long post

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ceeroosa · 19 days ago

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without getting specific, the comorbidities of my conditions and symptoms thereof mean that i live most of my life in a sedated state.

i use the heaviest ones for sleep, which don't stop me having nightmares but it keeps me asleep, and when i wake up it takes a good couple of hours for that shit to clear out. i'm not, like a real person before then and that's not 'haha i'm not a person before i've had my coffee' it's more like 'i don't really know who i am or what's happening for about two hours after waking up' right? ok

so when the accessible learning office books me into an accommodated exam at 8 am (and i'm not even touching the fact traffic makes the trip from my apartment to the university about 40 minutes on average, and i do not drive so my spouse has to and i am so privileged to even have that) that I'm not allowed to leave until 9:30 am, whether I'm done or not, because the rest of my class doesn't start until 9 (which is fine, anti-cheating policies are whatever, but i'm a mental patient and being told i cannot leave a space is...well. triggering as fuck. doesn't matter that it's for a sensible reason.)

like. I cannot access that. That will not happen. I cannot be anywhere at 8 am. I am chronically sedated and have spent years begging people to understand that, just to be told that "well, it's your choice to take those meds" by people who would absolutely shit themselves and cry if i came at them unmedicated.

no, I am not allowed to ask for a different time, because again anti-cheating policies - as long as my class is booked for 9, I have to take the exam near that time too.

so bottom line? i cancelled my accommodated exam and have chosen to take it with the rest of my class. i waived my right to have a distraction free environment because i cannot access it. i'm still at risk of being late. 9am is only marginally better than 8 but i have to give myself the best chance. but no matter what, i do not have the option to write this exam in an unaltered, clear-headed state.

now, tell me. does that seem equitable?

#courtney complains about stuff #im putting my mad-liberation hat on again #actually it's growing out of my skull

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silverthehedgehogcharacteristics · 3 months ago

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Silver Characteristics Part 1

Justice - Driven by a strong Sense of Justice. Very confrontational because of this, will take on anyone to right wrongs or help his friends. Has zero tolerance for injustices and things like breaking promises. Seeks to settle scores(Sonic Forces) and get back for those that have been wronged(or himself if you mess with him). Sometimes grapples with doing the right thing. His wish is to maintain peace, not to eradicate evil(Sonic & Silver).

Hope & Optimism/Positivity - Embodies hope and does not give into despair no matter the circumstances(fought through the Iblis future in the hopes of seeing a blue sky). Believes “There’s always hope as long as you don’t give up”(JP Sonic Forces quote). Inspires hope in others in the darkest moments(Sonic 06 last episode, Forces, helping Elise through her anxiety in Otherworld Comedy). Has an “Honest, unpretentious and kind demeanor”(Sonic Channel Staff Column Wallpaper) and an Enchanting Smile(His smile fills Elise with trust and joy during their performance in Otherworld Comedy and a recipient he serves apple slices to can’t say no to his smile even though they're full already in Wallpaper Comedy 2022). “His way of life inspires people and makes them want to watch over him and cheer him on forever”(Sonic & Silver).

Kind - Is an Altruist with a strong desire to help others. His kindness is the only thing that can make him drop his mission as he can’t say no to a sad face and will stop to help those in need(Amy in 06, Soleanna Post Office in Sonic Pict). Actively goes out and does things like serve apple slices, deliver Christmas presents, play holiday mascots and engage in Cheerful Activities(Sonic & Silver). Wants to become a hero because it means being someone that can ‘protect smiles’, wants to “protect smiles” and make people happy because he grew up in a world where everyone lived in despair(Sonic & Silver).

Peace - Fights for World Peace. Empathetic to the world around him so his feelings reflect the state of the environment. Destroyed environments sadden and upset him while Beautiful Scenery and places with people prospering/living happily leave him breathless(in contrast to the apocalyptic suffering, darkness and devastation he’s experienced). Blue Skies make him feel at peace and people’s Smiles make him smile. These things are very important to him and he is vicious to anything that threatens them. Hs head quills are in the shape of a Japanese Red Maple Leaf which represents peace and prosperity.

Determination - Determined to protect peace. Arguably the most determined character. Doesn’t give up easily(got exact hedgehog apple slices after 40 tries) no matter how badly he’s hurt or how hopeless the situation. Has no regard for pain/massive pain tolerance(Kept fighting after being kicked in the head by Shadow and skipped across the street like a rock by Sonic in Generations, endures "pain beyond description” caused by his powers in Sonic & Silver).

Forthright - Straightforward and Honest to a fault, he cannot tell a lie(though he can change the subject). Is direct, blunt and wears his heart on his sleeve. Like his namesake he is said to have purity(Sonic & Silver).

Brash - Described as “Young and Immature” by his creator Shun Nakamura. So straightforward and honest that he’s Rude and Blunt. He has no filter and will call you an idiot to your face if he thinks you’re an idiot. So direct that he often ignores manners and social customs(even Sonic says that he has an attitude in Rivals). Abrasive and quick to insult enemies and competition. Prone to sarcastic remarks(“What am I doing?” when traveling with Amy in 06, "They think THAT is what the future is like? Please." in Colors DS). Headstrong(Doesn’t take kindly to being treated like an amateur in Otherworld Comedy Act 8). Has a Mischievous Side(Commemorative Illustration Series). In Japanese he uses informal/rude impressions “Ore”(I) and “Anta”(You)(instead of the polite “Anata”), points directly at people as he talks to them(confrontational rude gesture) and crosses his legs while sitting(roughly the Japanese equivalent to putting your feet on a table). Has a Henery Hawk-like personality, especially in the Rivals games(He has almost everything in common with that character) Informal overall in contrast to the polite mannered Future Trunks.

Naive - Has a Black and White mindset/Innocent in his ideals. Expects people to believe him when he says he’s from the future or explains outlandish situations just because he knows them to be true. Can be unfamiliar with things in the past. Can sometimes take things literally(has an angry “What’s so funny?” attitude when he doesn’t understand things).

Sentimental - Appreciates little things and finds great beauty in nature and simple parts of the world that most people take for granted(Comments on the beauty of a beach in TSR). This side of him ties into his peace themes due to his ability to appreciate beauty and serenity(also what a maple leaf represents) in various forms. Enjoys sightseeing and going on journeys(Colors DS, Olympic Games, Sonic Pict) because of this. Can be Introspective/contemplative(sits paused on his mission to destroy the Iblis Trigger in 06, thinks heavily about his worries about Dodon Pa in TSR). Says his favorite moment in racing is “seeing everyone come together and giving their all for a single objective”(Team Vector Interview).

Emotional - High-Spirited and Hot-blooded. Emotionally immature and unregulated. Feels joy and rage loudly but sadness and contemplation quietly(can get loud and carried away when riled up). Puts his all into what he gets invested in(I’m giving this everything I’ve got!). Easily angered/has a temper like Blaze(he’ll twist you if you mess with him). Needs to be calmed down/held back at times(Olympic Games). Dead quiet when contemplating his dilemma and the loss of Blaze in 06 or thinking about his anxious feelings in TSR. Can deal with things too head-on or take on everything himself because of the strength of his feelings(Sonic & Silver) which can make him Impulsive and Reckless. Is passionate and controlled by his emotions while Sonic and Shadow are calm and cool.

#silver the hedgehog #sonic channel #sonic the hedgehog #idw sonic #sonic 06 #shadow the hedgehog #sonic

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druidx · 4 months ago

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Since this bit got cut in the plot rejig, but I'm still quite fond of the glimpse into Elo's character, I thought I'd share it. Please ignore the SPG issues - it's still raw.

The pair of them walk out and into the corridors of the City Hall. "So where are we going?" Nirric asks. "Actually," Elo says, "is there any possible way I can convince you to not follow me? The thing that I want to do is a bit of a personal situation and I'd like to do it alone, if I could." Nirric gives her a level gaze. "I'm sorry ma'am," he says. "But I like my head more than I like allowing you your privacy. I find I'm rather attached to my head, as it allows me to, you know, continue living." Elo stares. "King Storri wouldn't behead you just for letting me out of your sight for an hour!" she says. "He can, and he would. He'd do worse and all if you got into trouble while I was absent." "But… that's barbaric." "Aye, but such would be his wroth at me not performing this explicit duty. to be honest, I'd let him. I could not face my kin if I allowed myself to perform so shamefully." elo just stares at him. "Damn son," she says. "I know I have an overdeveloped sense of honour sometimes, but… yeah. damn." Nirric gives an easy shrug. "Either way, you're not getting out of losing me, even for a few minutes. so, I shall ask again, where are we going?" Elo stares at him, then sighs. "We're going to the training grounds associated with the Kord arena," she says. "Why?" "Because I want to get into trouble, in a controlled and orderly fashion." Nirric stares back at her. "Yeah. nope, you're going to have to explain that to me." he says. By this time they have gone down the elevator, and out the front doors and Elo hails a taxi for them.

"so, here's the thing," Elo says once they are safely ensconced in the taxi and on their way to the training ground outside the city limits. "I find my work restrictive sometimes. I get points where I find I cannot cope with the violence and horror I see on a daily basis, with no outlet to deal with it. I can't afford to lose my job, and so I can't afford to act on the urges I get towards some of the worst criminals we arrest – namely that is to destroy them wholly and completely. I must hold myself above and be better than the scum that we have to arrest and hope they will go 'down the river to the big house'. so to relieve myself I go to the Kord training grounds, where they have no qualms over under estimating a little girl like me, and so I can thoroughly thrash them, and get some relief from the trails of my day job." "So that's where we're going?" Nirric asks. "somewhere you can beat the living daylights out of someone in a free and safer environment. where there are clear cut rules of engagement and you can expect that no one will try and actually kill you." he nods "I think I approve of this idea. we, of course, have our own training grounds, but yes, I suppose our focus is on technique and restraint, not on how much damage one can do to another person without actually killing them." "Nirric," Elo says seriously, "you can't tell anyone about this, okay? No one living knows I come here." "Why not? It's a marvellous idea. I may have to suggest it to our instructions back home.." "Nirric, no. At least, not for a while. It can't look like you babysitting me and the idea has anything in common." He gives her a sideways look. "Are you… afraid?" he asks, surprised. "You never struck me as the sort of person that would be afraid of people thinking you were doing something to control yourself, and your urges and make you a better person." "I am not afraid," Elo states emphatically. "I… just don't want anyone to know." "Why?" "They… they might stop me coming. They might think less of me for being unable to control myself. For needing this crutch. People look up to me, did you know? It's unfair when there are so many other good officers, that I get held up as the example of good officership, but it still happens, and so I can't allow it to get out that I'm… not." Nirric quirks an eyebrow at her. "That sounds like fear to me. You're afraid to let people see you for a person with weakness like any other." "I have standards to maintain," Elo grumbles.

Nirric settles back and looks out the window as the houses outside get less grand, and then fewer and further between as the distance grows between them and the center of the city. "I think it's admirable," he says quietly. "I think you'll find that people will respect you more. You admit to having a weakness, but you can manage it. This sneaking off to let off steam and burn off the restless energy that brews from your job and the pressures from it is far more healthy than say turning to alcohol or other worse habits." he gives her that side long look again. "Perhaps, I may at least suggest it to his majesty? Some physical activity might lessen his nightmares," Nirric says quietly. Elo considers him for a moment, then looks away, out her own window. "Fine," she says, "but don't you dare let on that idea came from me. I find out you do and I will give you such an ass whooping." Nirric laughs. "You could always give me an ass whooping now, if you like," he says and gives a contemplative grin. "I quite like the sound of those bragging rights: me and the reforged blade of Toregurd met blow for blow, and though she kicked my ass to the curb like it was nothing, I still got to meet her in the arena and trade those blows." Elo lets out an indelicate snort and rolls her eyes, which makes him laugh again. "You people are ridiculous," she says. "Sure, and you're not?" he asks, to which she sticks out her tongue.

Soon enough, the taxi is crunching over the gravel car park in front of a large building. They get out, and Nirric insist on paying the cab fair, saying King Storri gave him spending money for her, and then they are walking up the steps to the building. It is a curious building, a mix of western brickwork and utilitarianism, with strong eastern influences shown in the scooping points of the roof tiles and large round windows. Nirric looks askance at her for it, and Elo gives an easy shrug. "Orock paid for part of it with profits from the plot hook. He uses it to train his students just as much as he does in the bar. Plus the federation that runs the Kord arena next to the plot hook likes to keep their own students on the edge, so the merging of disciplines helps keep both parties sharp." "How do you even know about this place then?" Nirric asks. "I trained with Orock for a spell myself," Elo says. "I had a very privileged training regime," she adds at his raised eyebrows and open mouth. "I see," he says, and then he laughs. "I bet that's had a hand in the way you obsess over the standards you have to keep up too. All those people poured all that effort and time and cash into making you the best you can be; anyone would feel churlish if they didn't replace that with being the absolute best they can be." Elo graces him with a soft smile. "Now you understand," she says. "Now you know why no one can know I come here. Standards-" "-to maintain," he finishes for her. "Yeah I think I'm getting it."

#writing #oc elowyn o'toreguarde #oc nirric theodarsson #fighting fantasy #titan fighting fantasy #wip 'her countenance was light'#modern au #wandering words

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