#family lineage really hits hard on them

[crow0king]

I here show some more detailing/lore for Arden Ballard, the unfortunate (eventual) paladin.

As you (probably) know Arden is the child of Nathan Fitzgerald and Johnny Ballard; these two (as well as Opal) helped raised Arden as much as they could.... however, they all had to live back at Johnnys homeland/town back when he was pregnant with Arden. They had to do this not only to protect Johnnys relationships and his identity from the city he was living in; but also, Johnny knew that his family would eventually find out about Arden and take them; so, Johnny did what he thought would be best and go when he was pregnant.

Because of this circumstance Arden was raised a lot more by Johnnys family than Johnny thought, which led Arden to be very connected to their culture and to eventually become a high Paladin. That would unfortunately cause a big demise to Arden which would ultimately change their direction in life (I haven't reveled exactly what just yet because I'm going to talk about it later).

Arden's features are very passionate and delightful for people to see, many tradesmen and other travelers (as well as some people residing in the town/enclave) would try to flirt with them or go farther with them when Arden reach their young adult stage (and after the ceremony), Arden would always wave them off as they never really found any sort of spark or relation with them. If it wasn't Arden themself, it would be Nathan (who at Arden's young adult stage was a chimera) chasing them of when he could (and of course Johnny and co. would as well, but they gave Arden more freedoms than Nathan) .... Nathan was very protective over Arden because they were his only ever child and also Arden had some complications that occurred in their early life (I will talk about that later).

Arden has always had a knack for writing and poetry, they would always spend time either of the grand library reading/studying poetry or writing about the little things around them and then twisting their observations to fit what every little story they were writing. When Arden was younger, they would always rush to show off a little piece of poetry/writing they found or one they made to anyone that would look. they absolutely loved it when the high scholar or librarian would post them up on the front board for everyone to see.

[pascaloverx]

Moonlight

Summary: You and Edward Cullen used to have a romantic relationship. But fate seemed not to believe in the possibility of a vampire and a potential she-wolf being together. Years after your separation, you return to Forks. Edward is committed to Bella Swan, and Jacob Black has his own pack. What happens when, upon your return, you begin to transform into a she-wolf and both Edward and Jacob seem eager to revisit the past with you?

Author's Note: The characters in this fanfic do not belong to me but to Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight universe. The story blends events that happened in the Twilight saga movies with invented ones. Enjoy reading. This story will contain inappropriate language, a possible love triangle, scenes of violence, and romance.

AO3 LINK TWO

ONE

The same nightmare every night, recurring in your mind as if it were an impossible memory to forget. A large part of the Quileute tribe killed by the hands of the one you will someday love. Not that your love story with Edward Cullen was worth anything. After all, he is a vampire. You are a descendant of a lineage of shapeshifters who transform into wolves. What could go right in this story? You've been driving for about two hours to reach Forks. It's been a month since you started having nightmares involving the tribe to which you belong and your ex-boyfriend. So, you decided to return to Forks to see your friends and those who are like family to you and, if possible, stay as far away as possible from Edward Cullen.

"If you had picked up your phone, Sam, you'd know I'm almost there. But since you didn't, just know I'm entering Forks now. I'll head to La Push as soon as possible." You say, leaving a message on Sam's voicemail. He knew you'd be arriving soon but didn't know exactly when. In fact, it was his idea for you to return to Forks. As your nightmares have become more frequent, you're so sleepy that you can barely tell how you're still managing to drive.

And then, like flashbacks in your mind, your moments with Edward and the pack you were part of come to the surface. You remember how you met Edward amidst a fight between the Quileutes and the Cullen vampires. One of them had accidentally crossed the border that separated the vampires from the wolves. It was chaos. Your father, who was alive at the time, was very angry and considered killing a Cullen to show that invading Quileute territory was a bad idea. Luckily, Jacob's father was more sensible. Edward read your mind for the first time that day. He knew you were curious about what the Cullens were doing crossing the border that separated the two enemies. So later, at the border, he found you and explained. Jasper had been hunting an unknown vampire who had hurt Alice and ended up crossing over. That was the first time you wondered if a vampire was okay, and when Edward noticed your slight concern for Jasper, he believed you were different. Amidst your moment of recollection, you lose concentration. But you only realize this when your car hits someone hard. You're dazed by the impact, but as soon as you look ahead, you feel a certain relief. Edward is right in front of you, staring at you with a curious look as if he doesn't quite understand that it's really you.

"What are you doing, Cullen?" you ask in an enraged tone. Of course you're angry. He's a vampire, unscathed after the collision with your car, while your car and you have suffered some impact. I mean, you can feel blood trickling near your right eye, but the damage to your car is definitely more significant.

"It's going to sound strange. Alice had a vision that saw me doing this as soon as you arrived here. I'm not saying I did it on purpose. In fact, I am hunting. But you really are here." Edward speaks as if he still doesn't quite understand that you're actually in front of him. You take a deep breath, trying to resist the urge to kill him for what happened to your car. In reality, you're unsure whether you should get out of the car or not. You're bleeding, and that could be a challenge for Edward.

"I'm not going to attack you, don't worry. I thought you knew I would never do something like that to you. I mean…" Edward says, and you automatically get out of the car, walking toward him. Something about the proximity between you leaves both of you speechless. You always hated when Cullen listened to your thoughts, and he knows that. The courtesy of having your private thoughts respected seemed to be valid only during your relationship.

"You mean you wouldn't attack anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. I know, I know you, Edward. What surprises me is the fact that you don't seem to know me. You know I hate when you… never mind. Maybe you only respected me while we were together. Now we're strangers to each other." You say, realizing how different he seems, even though he hasn't aged a day since the last time you saw him.

"I'm still the same, Y/N. The same guy you walked away from years ago." Edward speaks softly but with a certain sadness in his words. You look at him, unsure of how to respond. Yes, you ended your brief relationship out of fear of what your father would do to him if he found out.

"Look, I didn't intend to bring the past back. I think it's better if you go your way and I go mine." You say, turning to leave and drive your somewhat damaged car. But Edward appears in front of you before you can open the door.

"Carlisle can take care of that for you. I know he'd be glad to see you again." Edward says, stepping a little closer to you. You stare at him, this time not understanding what he wants. It's obvious he's talking about the injury on your head, but you don't understand why he seems so reluctant to distance himself.

"And I should go to your father figure and ask him to help me based on what? The fact that you and I were together years ago? The fact that my tribe has no idea what happened between us? Maybe I should go ask him how he feels about seeing you about to marry a human. What do you think, Edward?" Your tone is absurdly ironic but realistic. Just the fact that you're here now with Edward could jeopardize everything. If Sam or Jacob see you here with him talking about your past relationship, it could cause a mess. Not to mention that Cullen is now committed.

"I caused this in you. Maybe you should go to Carlisle for the same reason anyone in this town would. You've had an accident, Y/N, you need to take care of this." Edward says, gently touching the area where you got hurt. You let out a soft groan of pain and then pull away.

"How do you suggest I deal with the complications that going to Carlisle would bring me?" You ask, almost grumbling. Edward smiles slightly, as if he even misses these conversations you used to have when you were together.

"Do you remember the farthest spot from here where we used to meet when we were dating? Meet Carlisle there when you can. Unfortunately, Jacob is already on his way here, and I think it's better if I'm not here when he arrives." Edward speaks, and before you can say anything in response, he's already gone.

"Your cowardice is remarkable!" You shout, hoping he hears you. As you turn around, Black is behind you. He's clearly sweaty, must have come running in his human form.

"What happened to you, Y/N?" Jacob Black asks, quickly approaching you. He must be worried because you're injured and apparently talking to yourself in the middle of the road.

"I had an accident. I hit an animal, actually. It was quite a mess. How did you know I was here?" You ask curiously as Jacob gets closer to you, analyzing and sniffing you. You wonder if you smell bad, but then remember that Edward was here just a little while ago.

"Since when did you learn to lie to me? I thought we were honest with each other." Jacob says, looking into your eyes, and you feel guilty for lying to him.

"You want to have a relationship argument here? Then it was better not to have come at all. If you could excuse me." You say, walking past Jacob and heading towards your car, but he gently grabs your hand before you can open the car door.

"I missed you," Jacob says as he gently strokes your hand. You look at him and then walk towards him, embracing him.

"I missed you too, more than you can imagine. How about you drive what's left of my car to La Push, so we can have a better conversation?" You say, hugging him tighter, as if you didn't want to let go. It's strange, but seeing him safe made you feel better. After dreaming so many times about Jacob's death, it's good to see him like this.

"I'll drive your old tin can here. You can sit comfortably in the passenger seat. And don't worry, I'm sure there will be some bandages for you there." He says, kissing your cheek and opening the passenger door for you. You get into the car and watch him enter the car and take the wheel. He starts driving, and you slowly begin to close your eyes, hoping that now that you're in Forks, your nightmares won't come true.

[bonefall]

How did palefoot make it to Starclan, I thought you needed a proper burial in order to get a fetcher? Especially since his body was hidden. Did he just happen to get lucky and they found him before he got his spirit trapped in the dark forest?

Also, him then becoming the patron of finding bodies is a bit funny, like a car crash victim becoming the patron of surviving car crashes. Then again, you can't really complain about getting prayers I guess.

Nope, BB!Cats don't need a proper burial to get to StarClan! It's just extremely disrespectful from the living, and denies the family a chance to grieve since they can't sit vigil and share tongues with their loved one. It's a deeply malicious mortal action.

Also LMAO yeah Clan cats are brutal with their ironic patrons. They love it. It's exactly like how Catholic saints become the patrons of things related to their insane deaths or just straightup insults. Like Saint Elmo who is the patron of tummy aches because they gutted him like a fish. Or how Saint Drogo who was allegedly so ugly he is now the patron saint of the unattractive (and also coffee).

Quick dribble on Fetchers;

Their basics are covered over in StarClan 101

Fetchers can be anyone. They're usually a family member, or a guardian angel, but there's no hard rules with Forest Four.

SkyClan DOES have a hard rule; Cloudstar is the "Grim Reaper" for SkyClan, in what he feels is repentance for his time as the Rat Leader. He is their only Fetcher.

They have to come down and find your spirit. Some Fetchers are better at this-- just because they have a better sense of when death is near, or they were nearby, or they were fast, or you invoked them shortly before the death, etc.

It's possible to run away from your Fetcher if you want, or hide.

BUT, Dark Forest cats can ALSO Fetch you.

In the case of cursed bloodlines like the Appledusk Lineage, very strong fetchers are sent who can fight the rival demon effectively.

Flametail was immediately dragged down to the Dark Forest because of this. That wasn't an accident; they killed him and then kidnapped his soul.

RiverClan cats believe that if your Fetcher doesn't come for you, Ripwater will find you first and bring you to the Dark Forest.

You NEED a Fetcher to get to StarClan. If you are a spirit who looks for StarClan on your own, you will find the Meadow of Young Stars first, and then the Dark Forest.

When you die, you usually get "knocked out." Your Fetcher can bring you to StarClan while you're still asleep, making it seem like you "woke up in Silverpelt"

However it IS possible to die awake. You will suddenly not feel the pain of your injury. It's extremely alarming.

So, Palefoot was able to get to StarClan. It actually did take the Fetchers a while to find him though. He was killed and buried very quickly, and it took him a while to wake up and realize he'd been shoved in a bog. He didn't realize he was dead at first, he thought he'd just been beaten up and thrown in the mud.

He wasn't really taking it in that he was kinda numb, and in spite of being in the autumn bog for a while, he wasn't cold. It wasn't until he got back to the camp that he realized no one was responding to him, and then it hit him that he didn't need to breathe anymore.

(I like to keep the rules 'loose' for situations like that, lmao)

[luvevee]

So Carmine is honestly really sweet to watch develop! She seems like she's an older teenager, maybe a junior or senior, so her coping mechanisms for her instabilities like her anger are interesting to watch.

Hands clenching and being brought to her chest because they're shaking with anger. This seems to imply she's fighting to urge to hit whatever's making her angry.

Huge firework outbursts in response to slightest pushback. It's afterwards she explains what she really meant to get across by them.

She does not like change at all + is very vocal about how much she hates outsiders in her town.

Very very loud, and very vocal with her presence.

Incredibly remorseful and emotional when apologizing for mistakes she makes.

I think the most important thing to look at in the background is that Carmine understands she has a support system, and that's what makes the hugest difference in how she copes with everything.

When we get the mask, her first thought is "take it to grandpa" with no intention of withholding information. She's not scared she'll get in trouble or thinking of hiding things from them, she knows she has to be completely transparent and she can do that with her grandparents. She trusts them, she knows they'll help even if it's something so bizarre that most people would dismiss her experience.

Adding to that is when she learns the true story of the Loyal Three and Ogerpon. Her first impulse is to run into town to shout the truth. It isn't even a "we need to avenge our family lineage" thing, it's the misinformation that destroyed the lives of her ancestor, a man who wanted to live a new and quiet life, and a pokemon that was just reacting to the death of her trainer/parent. She's angry at the town for what they did to Ogerpon and she wants them to listen. Carmine's thinking of what she wants and what should happen. Her fiery personality paired with impulsivity leads to a lot of possibilities of problems.

But then her grandpa stops her. He doesn't scold her, he just asks "what would happen if they found out the truth after so long" and lets Carmine realize the answer is most likely "get angry" without putting down her impulsive, though valiant, urge to tell everyone the truth. He understands that Carmine just wants to make history right and that she's an honest young lady, but that she's very impulsive and very aggressive with how she goes about things. And the thing is Carmine listens to him, because she knows her grandpa is trying to help her understand the situation.

Her grandparents very obviously love her and understand that she needs some extra nudging/coaching with things. They understand she has problems regulating herself, and they work with her. Carmine doesn't feel the need to lash out against them because she understands they're trying to help her, and that's helped shape how a lot of her current coping mechanisms work.

Carmine can think of the practical sides of things if she's stopped for a moment. She can redirect her anger from physically lashing out, because even though her first instinct is to hit since it's a very simple and impulsive movement she knows it's bad. She can trust that she has people to catch her if she falls, namely her grandparents.

Then the whole other ballpark of how she's very protective of Kieran. It seems like that Carmine wants him not to be her, but to feel like her. She wants her little brother to feel confident, safe, strong, but her emotional instability and typical big sibling feelings really strain the gap between them.

When Kieran pushes back, she struggles with responding appropriately and gets furious because "I'm just trying to be a good big sister" and "I'm the big sister he should listen to me" clash in her head alongside her pride. She's trying really hard to make him feel the way she does, but it ends up just making him shrink down further because of how aggressive she is. It's a cycle she accidentally perpetuates without realizing what she's doing.

And Carmine loves him so much! She wants what's best for him, she wants to be the model big sister. She cares so much about his feelings that she convinces us to stay quiet about meeting Ogerpon because she knows he'll be crushed that he wasn't there. Even though she teases him, Carmine's clearly trying to be a good big sister/trusted figure in his life. That's what hurts the most, is that she's trying.

But in her excessive worrying and outbursts about his feelings, she ends up doing more damage. She ends up yelling things that she feels on the surface level and has to explain that what came out was completely different than what she meant, but she doesn't tell Kieran that because it's the "he should understand I'm doing what's best for him" mindreading aspect.

By the end of the arc, Carmine does the one things she really can: give him space. She doesn't force him out of his room before they go back to Blueberry Academy, she just tells everyone he isn't feeling well. She's trying to protect his privacy and processing, still trying to be the wall between the turbulent world and Kieran's need for time, and it's obvious she feels adrift in this situation. Usually she can just apologize and things calm down, but it's such a huge situation that changed so much that the usual routine won't work. It's something that obviously troubles her, but she ultimately realizes all she can do is wait for Kieran to reach out to her when he's ready.

She wants so badly to help Kieran, but she's on the other side of the same wall that's making it so hard for her to truly look at him and understand what she needs to shift to be the good big sister she strives to be in his life.

Carmine's character is so amazing to watch develop as she learns to trust someone other than the people around her and how she takes in everything that happens around her, she really deserves a big hug for how hard she tries 😭

[kookslastbutton]

Love's Remedy ༓ jjk (m) l Ch. III

✑ Summary: Jungkook is a romantic. He comes from a highly intelligent family who wants him to carry out the lineage. Being this way, he goes to college to be a pharmacist but his friends say college isn't just about studying! With a little persuasion, he goes to his first frat party thinking his hat will help him pick up a girl-or woman he means.

Pairing: STEM major!virgin!jungkook x STEM major!hot girl!reader

AU/genre: angst, smut, fluff, s2l, college au, mini-series

Rating: M, 18+

Word Count: 4,378

Warnings: jk is very determined to "win" oc, jk a romantic, oc has philophobia (fear of relationships), protective!koo again, oc is an engineering student, PC Bang, jk is a king at LOL (League of Legends), jk lowkey flirts with new person, oc gets cold feet but please don't blame her 🥹, jk and oc get on level ground after hashing things through, themes of stalker-ish behavior (not oc or jk!), feat Jackson and Jae-beom, if i missed warning lmk!

Now Playing: seven, summertime sadness, she’s kerosene, angels like you+

A/N: For reference a PC Bang is: "a type of LAN gaming center and Internet cafe in South Korea, where patrons can play multiplayer computer games for an hourly fee". Also, I am not a gaming guru but I try for this chapter that means I researched haha Enjoy! 💞

<< ch. II ༓ ch. IV >> | series masterlist

A week later, Jungkook waits for you at your agreed rendezvous point; for over an hour. You promised to meet him near the campus garden at 7 pm but here it is almost 8 pm and you're a no-show.

He checks his phone for the fourteenth time since arriving–no reply.

Jungkook tries not to jump to conclusions but you broke your word and you ghosted him.

He thinks back to last week when he'd stepped between you and Jun-ho. And when you followed him back to his dorm where he told you he could love and take care of you, as you helped patch his wound. Had he come on too strong? Did you get into more trouble that he didn't know about?

He kicks a few pebbles by his feet, sending them flying in every which way, as the number of endless possibilities rattles his brain.

"Stupid," he cusses himself. "You're just so fucking stupid."

How could he believe that after two short weeks of random run-ins with you that he'd earn your interest? You told him you don't do relationships yet he still shows up, anxiously presenting himself as your knight in shining armor. Any sane person would tell him he was barking up a dead tree.

"Might as well get a head start on next week's homework." Jungkook loses hope, trotting back to the dormitory with the wind howling and mocking behind him.

"What do you mean she ditched you?" The boisterous inquisition belongs to Jackson who's looking thoroughly offended once hearing his new best friend was shown up. He isn't sure how much this woman meant to him, but either way, it makes him livid. Even if you weren't going to go out with him, you should've at least told him like a decent human being.

"I really thought she'd come," Jungkook replies with his heavy eyes. He walks alongside the blonde-haired boy, dirt crunching below his feet. "Guess she had something better to do."

"No." Jackson stops in the middle of the road. "You know who actually has better things to do? It's you. What do you say to hitting up the PC Bang downtown? Play a little League of Legends or Overwatch?"

Jungkook shrugs with less enthusiasm than a snail. "Sure…"

"Hey man," Jackson puts a hand on Jungkook's shoulder. "I'm sorry about you and __. It sucks being stood up. I've had my fair share and you just gotta take it as a blessing that nothing else happened between you both. Nine times out of ten, it didn't have anything to do with you either so don't blame yourself. Take it as a lesson and keep working on yourself until the right person shows up. They'll be the person you can truly give yourself to."

"Hard to believe you've been shown up. You're charismatic, confident, in good shape, have good facial features, and you're getting your MD." Jungkook's aware of his friend's attempt to lift his spirits but he can't fathom anyone not giving Jackson the time of day. Due looks like a pop star in the making.

"Nah, most of what you just said is me bullshitting my way through life. I'm not all that," Jackson rejects, striding forward. "I got rejected by a girl a few days ago myself."

"Had a boyfriend?"

"Nope, just didn't like me. And she doesn't go out with first -years apparently."

"Oh," Jungkook's eyebrows shoot up. "She was an upperclassman?"

"Yup, on her third year."

At this Jungkook's mouth gapes open. "No wonder she said no. What the hell are you doing trying to go out with a third-year?” The accusatory tone spins Jackson's head–he's a sad little puppy with you but a bulldog with him. What a puzzling fellow.

"Same thing you're doing trying to convince someone who doesn't want a relationship to go out with you."

Jungkook dials back his previous assertion. "We're idiots."

"Correction. we're dreamers." Jackson slaps him on the shoulder. "C'mon, let's go burn some shit up at the internet cafe."

By the time he and Jackson get to the cafe nearly all the computers are taken. It's no surprise since PC Bang's are quite a rave amongst university students like themselves. You can play the hottest games for hours while stuffing yourself full with whatever food's served on the cafe menu–all for a small fee of course.

"Let's go here." Jackson manages to grab two free id cards from the counter–guiding them to two empty PCs, side by side to each other. "How long do you want to play for?"

Jungkook sinks himself in the leather gaming chair and powers on the machine in front of him. "I'm good until 6 pm, but then I should head back to my dorm and do homework."

"Cool, same for me. We'll play for three hours then."

"What should we play?" Jungkook tosses the headset over his ears and scrolls through the game options. Jackson does the same.

"Kinda in the mood for LOL." He flips to the game's screen card. "Gonna need to join a team though."

"No problem.," Jungkook clicks the game on his own pc until the loading screen covers his view. "So many people play League of Legends. We'll be able to find one in no time."

Jackson nods and opens LOL himself. "Let's kick some ass."

"Fuck yeah," Jungkook mumbles, inaudible to everyone but himself.

An hour passes and he and Jackson have been hammering their opponents into the digital abyss. The thrill and surge of adrenaline cause him to forget previous heartaches–aka you. Plus, after finding a team of three to jump into; one member who happens to be female, Jungkook's been able to turn his attention to other prospects.

"Soomin, how long have you been playing LOL for?" Jungkook decides to learn more about his female teammate after claiming the final victory over the opposing team.

"Five years," her raspy voice comes through his headset. It sure is a unique voice, he notes.

"Same. We should play on a team more often. In fact, Jackson and I are thinking about building an official LOL team so we could use a third person. You're really good so if you want, we'd love to have you." Beside him, his friend gives him a confused look. 'We are?' he mouths silently which Jungkook ignores.

"Wait really?" She pauses a moment. "I've never been on a permanent team before. I guess that'd be cool."

"I play late at night sometimes too. Meaning if you ever wanna jump on with me shoot me a message or something."

"Alright, I'll jot down your username."

"Already got yours memorized," he says, a tad more cocky than he meant.

"Damn," she cusses. "You work fast. By the way, do you go to university?"

"Yeah, I go to Seoul National University."

"No way, what year are you? I attend there too. I'm a second-year."

"What?!" He nearly hits the ceiling once the information is disclosed. He had no idea Soomin would be this close and that he could meet her in person. call him eager but should he ask her out? No…he's already made that move with you and look where it left him. He'll ask to hang out first. "We should meet Soomin. As long as you don't mind that I'm a first-year that is," Jungkook chuckle lightly and looks over to Jackson who immediately gives him a double thumbs up.

"Well I'm kinda busy this week but how about next week? Also, if it's good with you, can my boyfriend come?"

Fuck. If this is some kinda joke he'd like to catch a break any time now. Not that he was as intrigued with Soomin as he was, or still is, with you but he definitely thought it was going somewhere!

"You're dating?" Jungkook watches Jackson lower his double thumbs up, frowny face on.

"Yeah, we've been together for a year. Met as classmates." When she giggles Jungkook has the unexpected urge to roll his eyes. Of course, you did, he mutters, just a perfectly peachy coincidence for you two.

"Well that's nice," he says bitterly.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jungkook. He's actually calling me now so I have to go but I'll talk to you soon. And message me when you want to meet. I'll tell my boyfriend about you!"

Great. Jungkook bids her goodbye and she signs off.

"Sorry about Soomin. She seemed cute." Jackson slides his headset off his ears to rest them around his neck. "But you know what? You're still a force to be reckoned with inside the virtual world. I honestly don't know how you do it."

Jungkook grins shyly and slips his headset on the desk. "I've been playing for a long time. Must be something to do with that." He throws a hand over his abdomen when his stomach rumbles at the same time. "We should order food." He browses the cafe's extensive menu on his pc. Nothing but rows and rows of tasty options flash back at him, urging him to spend fortunes.

Still, he's got to cap it at some point with only about 2,000,000 Korean won (about 1,500 USD) in his bank account. The Jeon family is wealthy but Jungkook is not. His parents are especially careful to inform him that generational wealth is not going to be given to him freely. Instead, he is to earn his own money, starting at the car wash which he worked at over the summer.

"I'm getting an order of Tteokbokki and a soju. What about you?" Jackson punches in his order, sparing a glance at Jungkook who's tapping on his keyboard with one hand while the other rests under his chin.

"The Jjajangmyeon looks good. I'll get that with a soju too." After Jungkook enters in his own order he strolls his chair out from under the gaming table. "Do you see a bathroom around here?"

"Yeah, it's all the way to that far right corner." Jackson points in that direction with his thumb.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Bathroom, bathroom, bathroom.

Jungkook repeats the simple word to himself. He scans the corner Jackson gestured towards earlier but sees nothing except a giant blank wall. Must have meant the opposite direction. He turns himself around to scout the other side of the floor.

"Excuse me sir-" a voice chimes close behind him.

"Oh sorry." He steps aside to let the young lady by and as soon as he does his whole body jerks forward in shock. "__!"

You turn around with the tray of food in your hand in what looks like a work uniform. "Yes, what can I do–Kookie?" You grip the plastic tray firmer to keep it from shaking uncontrollably, though the clamminess of your palms makes it a challenging task. Seeing Jungkook at the place you work was bound to happen being that the PC Bang is close to the university. You just weren't prepared for it to be tonight during one of your last shifts of the season.

"I didn't know you worked here."

"Yeah, only part-time." After bumping into Jungkook moments ago, you found it inevitable to avoid him further. You agreed to meet him outside once your break started. "I'm planning on leaving before the semester gets crazy. I have about a week left probably."

It dawns on Jungkook that he doesn't know what you study so with shifty eyes and clenched fists, he asks. "What are you going for?"

"Engineering." You can tell he wasn't expecting that for an answer; most don't be a woman in the field and all. "Jungkook, let's not do this. I'm sorry about what happened the other night." A sick queasy feeling settles in your gut–you're well aware you did Jungkook wrong. You're not proud of it in the slightest and him standing in front of you right now only reminds you of your guilt.

"I waited for you __. You said you come even if it was a rejection." A twinge of hurt laces behind his words and he keeps a controlled stance. He doesn't get in your face, demanding for an answer, nor does he break down and cry. He's more inquisitive than anything else. "Where were you? Why didn't you come?"

"I–" You intertwine your fingers, a nervous habit you picked up in childhood. "I panicked Kookie. I'm so sorry."

Jungkook stiffens when he hears the endearing name drop from your soft lips again. It was nice at first but now it feels like a sharp pain twisting in his side, like a thorn only for his misery. "Can you not call me that, please? It's–It's making me uncomfortable."

"Oh god," you lunge forward out of instinct but freeze when he steps back. "Jungkook I really am sorry. I was planning to see you. I had my shoes on and everything. Like I said I panicked, I'm not suited for relationships. And I'm not suited for you."

The last part stings the most.

"But–"

“There’s no buts Jungkook." You place your hand on the door of the building. " I have to get back to work."

"Wait!"Jungkook moves to face in front of you from an angle. "You say you're not suited for relationships but why did you get ready to see me? Why didn't you just say no to me? And last week when you told me you needed more time to think…was it a lie?"

"Because I like you okay? You're cute, protective, sweet, but you like me too much." you release the handle. "You don't know anything about me yet you've already got into a fistfight with an obscene jerk for me and claim you'll wait for me even when you just met me. If you love me this much now how much more will you love me later?"

" I'll love you for eternity."

"See this is it, Jeon. You saying stuff like this before anything real has happened between us–it's too much. How can you be this devoted to basically a stranger? You'll love me for eternity but have you considered that maybe I won't?"

"What are you saying?"

"What makes you think I'll love you as much as you do me?"

" I don't think like that __. I don't want a relationship so I can see what I can get. that's not how my mind works. I understand that I've been very forward with you. I should have been more conscientious about how that would make you feel but when I say that I love–"

"Please, don't drop the 'L' word. If you're saying love then you don't love me; only the idea of me."

Jungkook pauses, wordless

"Never thought of it that way huh? Guess not. Let me ask you something…do you know what I do? With men?"

He swallows and shakes his head no

"I sleep with them. A new guy a week if not twice a week. People call me a whore, and I'm spreading my legs for everyone and anyone willing. Do you want to get involved with someone like that?" You wipe away an escaped tear.

"I don't care about that at all __."

"Well, you should! This is who I am Jungkook. I can't let you be responsible for me. So unless you want a one-night stand or a friends-with-benefits relationship, I suggest you forget about me. I can't be your girlfriend."

"__!" Your manager shoves the front door open, causing you and Jungkook to jolt in surprise. " Where have you been? We have about twenty orders that need to be served."

"Sorry Manager Choi. I'll get right on it." You spare Jungkook one last glance before disappearing back inside the PC Bang. "I'm sorry," you say with a lowered head.

That night Jungkook lays on his bed, thumb hovering over your name in his contacts list. His logical side whispers for him to delete it. His heart says to call, text, or do something to–no. He remembers your pained facial expression; on the verge of tears as you explained to him that he'd been too quick in making his mind up about you. But then he replays your final words.

"…unless you want a one-night stand or a friends-with-benefits relationship, I suggest you forget about me. I can't be your girlfriend."

Well, he doesn't want the first two but if it meant he could be in your life longer–stop. His logical side intrudes. "You don't want to go down that path," he matters to himself. "It's better if you just delete the number." Jungkook moves to tap the trash can icon on your phone contact, a pang in his chest. Just as he's mustered up enough strength his phone buzzes off, screen lighting the entirety of the darkened dorm room. His roommate groans at the sound and rolls over in their bed.

"Jungkook," said roommate rubs his face. "I have an 8:15 tomorrow morning. Please speak take it in the hallway."

Jungkook quietly jumps out of bed not solely because of courtesy to his roommate but also because it's from you.

"Jungkook… can you um…"

"__?" He eases the door shut behind him and paces up and down the hallway. "Are you there?"

"Can you meet me at the bus stop near the campus library/ I'm sorry to be asking you it's just that…Jun-ho's–"

"What is it? Are you okay? What about Jun-ho?"

" I'm taking the bus back from work and he's on the same one he keeps staring at me and I'm scared of following me back to my dorm. Please Kookie-Jungkook I mean. I don't have any right to ask you, I know. He won't try anything with the bus driver here but once I get off I'll be alone. I have some pepper spray in my bag–"

"Yes, yes I'll be right there. How far are you out?" This isn't about pursuing you, impressing you, or anything like that anymore; it's about your safety. Jungkook leaps into his room, grabs his wallet, and shoves the sneakers on his feet. "__? Did you hear me?"

" I'm five minutes from the stop. Oh, he's, he's still staring at me."

"Don't look at him __. I'm walking down right now. Stay on the phone with me. I'll be waiting for you when you get there okay?"

"Thank you Kook. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. If Jun-ho's tracking you down like a wolf, it'll be his funeral." The icy tone in Jungkook's typically warm, milky tone sends a shiver up your spine.

The bus you're on pulls up in exactly five minutes, as you estimated. Jungkook frantically searches for you through the window glass, growling when he sees Jun-ho standing up a few rows behind you. He makes sure to be as close to the bus's exit doors as possible so he can grab your hand as soon as you step out.

"Hey!" He greets you loudly. "How was your shift?"

"Great! We were running around like crazy but thankfully, I didn't have to work through the night." You cling his hand tighter, slinging your other arm around his.

"That's a blessing." Jungkook and you walk faster, putting more space between you and Jun-ho. "You must be tired."

"Oh yeah, I can't wait to slee–ah!" You trip over a ledge on the sidewalk. Jungkook grips you before you completely fall flat on your behind.

"New feet?" He can't help but joke and you slap his arm. Jungkook helps straighten you back up, your hands remain interlocked. When it comes to a split in the road, you and Jungkook filter to the right side towards the female dorms. You hope to god Jun-ho takes the left.

"He's such a fucker." Jungkook curses, peering over his shoulder just enough to see Jun-ho faltering at the intersection. He burns holes at both of you so much that it makes Jungkook feel like kneeing him in the gut but he doesn't want to provoke the bastard–putting you in unpredictable danger. "I'll get you to your dorm. Which one is yours?"

"Up ahead." You gesture at the brick building with the number 318.

"We can let go of our hands now." You're the first to speak after arriving outside your dorm.

Jun-ho thankfully did not follow you any more than back at the split in the path between male and female dorms. The fact that he still attends school here makes your skin crawl. You don't exactly like calling people a mistake but Jun-ho is by far an exception. You messed around with the guy one time while you both were a bit tipsy and he keeps hounding you. If you need to, you will make him stay away from you permanently.

"Promise me you'll get a restraining order on him if this happens again or gets worse." Jungkook ignores your suggestion to release your hands. "That idiot has no right to be around you."

"I will. Thank you for coming out. I was nervous to call you being what happened earlier. I truly, from the bottom of my heart, am sorry. And I know having to go back to work left things hanging so if there's anything else you wanted to talk about or tell me, please feel free."

"Anything for you–" slips out of his mouth before he can stop it. He slaps a hand over his mouth instantly, you chuckle softly.

"It's okay Jungkook," you reassure. "I can tell you wear your heart on your sleeve. You're naturally very accommodating and flattering."

"And you're beautiful. Damnit, I did it again. I'm sorry __, but whenever I look at you I feel butterflies and I say a lot of fluffy stuff. I'm not trying to flirt or impress you by using what can be in the right context, shallow methods. But yeah, I was thinking about what happened at the cafe earlier tonight and I think get it–I've been too quick to the draw. I'm honestly not sure why I'm so attracted to you other than the fact that you're breathtakingly gorgeous in literally every way, both physical and non-physical. It makes me want to know you more. And the fact that assholes like Jun-ho won't leave you alone makes me want to be your personal bodyguard or something. I don't lift as much as him but fuck, I can keep him in his place. I'm starting to sound crazy, aren't I? It's like you said, we're strangers after all…right?"

Jungkook waits for you to respond. The cool autumn air is crisp against your cheeks, not cold enough to see your own breath, but enough to have you secretly grateful for the warmth that comes from his hand. That's right, you've been clinging onto his hand for dear life for the past fifteen or more minutes. You should probably let go now if weren't for the fact that he's also clinging onto yours just as hard.

"You really want to know me Kookie?" You brush a few strands of his hair that have blown in front of his eyes. He's incredibly handsome now…how did you not see it before? Sure he's cute with his bunny-like smile, mole on his button nose, and his adorable voice that makes you oh so soft and comfortable inside. But he's also handsome with his piercing oak tree-colored eyes, perfectly sharp jaw, and eager yet tenacious energy that always seems to show up for you.

Jungkook takes your other hand in his, swinging them between you both. "Of course," his earnest voice chippers. "It’s next to impossible for me not to want to know you. I'm sure I'll eventually move on if that's what you really want, but if there's another alternative that can avoid that I'd like to take it. You seem to be in deep thought about something…" he switches up his response when he notices you don't look as alert as you usually do. “__.”

"I'm here," you say, the tiniest bit dazed. "I was just thinking about something."

"Yeah I know, but about what?"

You swallow before replying. “…You.”

Jungkook smiles sheepishly. You're unsure if he's pleased or nervous. "Is it–is it something good or should we leave it here?"

"Are you free tomorrow?" You bite the inside of your cheek, begging yourself not to take it back. "It's Sunday so I get if you have some last-minute studying to do. Just thought maybe we could do something….together." Jungkook goes to reply, cheeks more than raised but you continue speaking before he sounds a word. "It's not a date per se. I'm being crazy annoying but I'd like to be friends first with something extra."

"You said no to friends before though. This isn't an offer to be friends with benefits is it?"

"That was when I wasn't sure what I wanted with you if anything. I didn't want to take advantage of you or anything. I want to start as friends so we can see if we can somehow be more. I'm interested in you Jungkook so no, not friends with benefits but rather, friends with the potential to be more."

"Okay," Jungkook squeezes your hands. "I can do that. What do you want to do? What time do you want to meet? What do you want me to wear?"

"First of all, if we're going to do this I'm going to need you to treat me like your bro. Wear what you want, we can meet afternoon and we'll figure it what to do along the way." You think your suggestion is fair yet it's crystal clear that it's not ideal for Jungkook, given the pout on his face.

"I don't want you to be my bro though," he whines.

"We start as bros or we're not hanging out." You're firm because you want this to work but you know yourself, and you need to take this slow.

"No wait, okay. Bro it is. You'll be the prettiest bro of mine."

"Jungkook," you snort, undignified. "That sounds weird."

He shrugs, "I'm weird when I'm with my friends. Especially when they're as pretty as you, it makes me all dumb because I can't seem to think straight anymore."

"Alright Romeo," you say, face flushing. "Save the rest for tomorrow."

<< ch. II ༓ ch. IV >> | series masterlist

A/N: This was originally going to be three chapters but it will be extended 😶 Lmk what you think and if you wanna to be tagged fill out tag form or ask 💞

Masterlist

Taglist:

@hoseokteardrop @skzthinker @igchochi @jksjx

no reposting, copying, or translating my work– © kookslastbutton

[deathmetalunicorn1]

RoR x teen Hispanic/Latino reader who will start yelling in their native language. Like the switch from their second language to their first language. The family will be confused about what teen reader has said.

Or teen reader is celebrating the day of the dead, in which they decide to make sugar skulls and treats for their biological family members that passed away. In which is they they make an alter of year on the day of the dead.

I’m going to use what Gabriel Iglesias taught me on what happens if you cut a Mexican off in traffic for this one!

-Your family knew that you had your own culture that you still practiced and celebrated, despite being adopted by them. They didn’t berate you or try to change, they actually encouraged it, and it warmed your heart when they asked you to teach them about your lineage.

-There were some oddball things, like your tolerance for spicy food was way higher than others, or that you only preferred certain foods and drinks, but you were appreciative of your family being so welcoming and open to you.

-Loki and Buddha were with you as you were at a flower shop, looking at the shipment of fresh marigolds, as you wanted to prepare your family ofrenda with the prettiest flowers you could find for Dia de los Muertos, something your new family was excited to celebrate with you.

-Buddha had helped you with making homemade Calaveras, as you wanted to try, and he went with you to get some professionally made ones as well.

-Loki held up a bright marigold to you and you smiled brightly, “It’s beautiful!” he beamed, loving your praise as you got the flowers you picked out carefully packed up and loaded into the car.

-Loki tossed the keys to you and you beamed brightly, “Really?!” he and Buddha both laughed warmly, seeing you joy, as you were recently licensed, but still practicing, but you took this chance with glee.

-Once in the car, you were slow to start off, getting out of the parking lot as Buddha nodded, “There you go- you don’t have to speed up immediately, just do it gradually.”

-You heard sirens in the distance and Loki guided you on shifting lanes over, to prepare to pull over if you needed before you heard the revving of a loud engine and a sports car immediately swung out in front of you, running from the police, cutting you off and making you hit the brakes hard.

-Instantly, you were shouting loudly in Spanish, your head going back and forth as you yelled from your chest, furious at what just happened.

-Loki and Buddha both had their jaws dropped, hearing you yelling, catching quite a few swearwords, as you had been a bit of a bad noodle and taught them some swear words, something Brunnhilde gave you a few lumps on your head for.

-As you calmed, you were panting heavily, your face red as you glared before your face flushed red in embarrassment as the two men immediately started howling with laughter, holding their stomachs as the police made it past you safely.

-Your cheeks puffed up in a pout, glaring lightly at their teasing, as they had never seen you so mad before, Buddha poking your cheek lightly, “That was pretty impressive watch you let loose- hey don’t bite!” you turned, snapping your teeth together, making him chuckle.

-Loki started laughing again as you passed the sports car, now pulled over, and the teenager who was driving it, without a license, something you found out later.

-You exhaled softly, happy to see him getting the karma that was owed to him as you continued on your way home, yelling at Loki over your shoulder after he said he was going to tell everyone that you lost your temper and you were threatening him not to.

[twilightprince101]

IN BUGS AND SNAX

I've recently been seeing more Bugsnax friendos get into In Stars and Time. Like, five different people I met via Bugsnax are now doing fanart and fanfics for it (if you know you know).

And I think it's a shame. Because that number should be SO MUCH HIGHER

So Bugsnax fans who are unaware of this lovely RPG, here's my pitch to you as to why I think you'd like In Stars and Time and would really enjoy it.

For ISAT fans who never heard of Bugsnax, read along if you wanna. This post is primarily for the opposite, but you may find something else to dip your toes into as well 0w0

Extremely cute / lovable cast that holds so much depth and complexity than meets the eye

Look at these goobers. Look at all of them having fun. They all seem like the kind of squishy chibi type OCs you would find on tumblr, right? Wholesome uwu babies?

Hahahaha

WRONG

Well, kind of yes but still WRONG

These characters have so much emotional complexity that it can be genuinely hard sometimes to pick a favorite character between them all. Odile isn't just the "mom of the group," she has her own reasons for being on this grand quest that stem all the way back to her family lineage, her relationship with her parents. And it all gets explored for every last character, just enough where you can fill in the gaps yourself, but you can still feel that there's so much more under the surface.

You know that bit at the end of Beffica's sidequests where she reveals that, despite her bitchiness, her reason for being like that is because she has a MOUNTAIN of trust issues? And that she never tells lies, but wants to unearth truths before she gets hurt? Remember how you felt when realizing that fact? That's there with ALL of the main cast here. Hope you've got your snorkel because there's so much for you to dive into.

2. Gameplay that adds to the narrative and puts you within that world/the player's shoes

This is my personal headcanon and I don't know if it's intentional on Young Horses' part, but I always felt that running around and catching all of the Bugsnax for the grumps in Snaxburg was intentionally designed to make you feel like Lizbert. You replace her role as town "therapist," you solve everyone's problems in a kind of regressive way that ends up hurting a lot of people. Despite the gameplay being fairly simple, it still added a lot to the plot, to give you that sense in the endgame of "oh. oh god, i really fucked up." You are forced into the shoes of that world/character through the gameplay and it hits much harder as a result.

That intentional and thoughtful game design is present from the moment you start up the game, all the way to the end. In Stars and Time has the best "ludonarrative harmony" I have ever seen. Ever.

The way that the game and story is paced makes you fully understand what Siffrin is going through, the constant slog through the castle (without it ever feeling grindy by the way!), zoning out through the same bits of dialogue. At any given point, no matter how dramatically Siffrin acts, you understand emotionally why he is at that point. You feel his exhaustion, his surprise, his desperate hope, his "i'm going to try fucking anything at this point" attitude. The entire way from start to finish, you feel it.

I refuse to say any more because doing so would spoil the game. But trust me when I say, if you noticed what Bugsnax was doing there with player/Lizbert parallels? You'd love this game.

3. "What is Straight?"

So you know how we all collectively agreed that Gramble is trans? and that Wambus/Triffany are the most bisexual straight couple?

How would you like those types of characters.... but have those conversations out loud?

Listen, I love this fandom as much as the next person, and I am a Transble believer at heart. But it's easy to forget that those are all just talked about in fanon, you know? (Despite gramble literally being trans flag colors listen i KNOW). We get certain bits of characters being introspective about their genders and gender roles, like Wambus being really stubborn with his farm and wanting to maintain a sustainable way of living, being "the breadwinner," for him and his wife. And Floofty feeling like an outcast for behaving in a way that is not "socially acceptable" while being nonbinary. But we never talk about those specific subjects directly, about sexuality, gender identity and the like. Not that Bugsnax NEEDS that, it's just something the writers never really thought to include.

But In Stars and Time... it scratched an itch I never knew needed scratched. Take the thirteen different pieces of character complexity and condense it into five. The discussions that the main party have in relation to their identities, both sexual and gender, are some of the most phenomenal pieces of writing I've ever seen. I've talked with asexual people who played this game who were like "finally, FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT." Finally getting some characters that resonated with them so, so well. And there is a discussion about halfway through the game with a transgender character that absolutely floored me, because so many post-transition character arcs that I see are related to dealing with transphobes and accepting your slay self queen/king/my liege. And that's good. It's cool. But I feel I've seen that so many times now I know the basic plot beats. And ISAT throws in a unique twist to it that I rarely see and the influence that their past combined with cultural pressure it's just, it's SO GOOD. You gotta see it to believe it man, I'm leaving out so much shit here you need to check it out yourself.

4. It will reach into your chest and strangle your heart with its claws

Despite how cute both games can be, they can bash the back of your head with a steel chair of emotion.

You know that feeling you get when you complete a lot of bugsnax sidequests? When you realize Triffany will never get the closure she wanted; when you've helped Wiggle chase this dream of a muse that doesn't exist, and that it was (at least partially) your fault? Well how about if that was the entire game?

This game has some of the highest highs and lowest lows, emotionally speaking. A lot of ISAT also has that same sort of emotional ambiguity Bugsnax has; certain plot points will never be resolved, because that's just life. And you're forced to sit with it, sit in that guilt and resentment because this isn't a problem that can be solved so quickly but you still tried and that arguably made things worse.

Yes, an argument could be made that because Siffrin is not a self insert like The Journalist, then there's a layer of disconnect. But remember what I said in point two: you understand every step Siffrin takes the whole way through because you play it. You sit in it. And no matter how dramatically Siffrin acts, it will be hard to deny that you wouldn't do the same in their place.

5. A big mysterious twist that will emotionally gut you and leave you to dry

Obviously I can't put much here. It'd spoil Bugsnax for ISAT fans and spoil ISAT for Bugsnax fans, more than I already have. But for the fans of each respective games, you KNOW what I'm talking about. And there is an equivalent in the other as well.

If the image of Siffrin making that face intrigues you in any way, especially compared to what I've already shown you. Then go in the game blind. The scene this is from blindsides so many people and once you hit That Face, you know the true game has begun.

----------

That's about the best pitch I can give for Bugsnax fans to play ISAT. I really do feel there's a lot of emotional overlap between these two, even if they're completely different games by nature. There's a lot to love and sink your teeth into.

If this is your first time hearing about either of these games and any of this sounds intriguing to you? Trust me. GO IN BLIND. The gameplay/story blend may not click for everyone right away, but if you let yourself sink into this game, if you let yourself connect with it, boy oh boy does it connect. There is truly nothing like In Stars and Time and/or Bugsnax, and the more people experience this game, the better. Trust the process, slink into it.

I promise you won't regret it.

Thanks for making it to the end have some silly little guys

[spacealligator]

Uzushiokagure Headcanons

I did a similar post about Kiri and a anon ask got me thinking about making one for Uzushio too! Here are some world building headcannons for Uzushiogakure:

Geography

Uzushio is located in a place with high temperatures and high humidity

likely to be hit with tropical storms, hurricanes, monsons

constant singing of the cicadas as if it's always summer

scorching sun coupled with heavy rain that doesn’t appease the heat

there are no defined seasons, it’s always hot, sunny and rainy

the seas around Uzushio are very hard do navigate, it makes it hard to get to them

the island is located close to the forests of Fire Country coast, so they also have lush green vegetation in Uzushio

Architecture

houses have to be built to withstand recurring natural disasters

subterranean shelters for the tornados, though those also get flooded during the storms sometimes

heavy building materials like stone and concrete instead of wood for example, to withstand the storms

stone also helps with cooling the temperature inside the houses

streets are not paved in anyway to help with drainage, so it's nostly grass and dirt

circular and rounded buildings as a reference to the whirpool also help them withstand the strong winds

People (the Uzumaki Clan)

big chakra reserves, great lifeforce, a lot of energy, long lifespans

they are like that because they are so close in lineage to the Sage of Six Paths

during the warring states era the Uzumaki were known as the people close to the heavens and blessed by the gods

Uzumakis are mostly extroverts and fiery, like Naruto, Kushina and Karin, but Uzumakis like Mito and Nagato, that don’t follow most stereotypes still have that fire burning inside them, they won’t settle, they know what they want, are strongwilled, strongheaded, a bit stubborn and passionate, so really, it’s not because they aren’t loud mouths that they aren’t Uzumakis where it matters

big sense of community and family

even after the massacre of Uzushio, Uzumakis tried to flee together and stick together, building their communities and helping each other wherever they went

Religion & Spirituality

since they have so much chakra and are so close to the gods and the Sage of Six Paths, they're deeply religious people

tons of temples and shrines and little altars spread around the city for a variety of gods

there are small altars inside people's homes too

a lot of rituals bring the Uzushio people together, there are seasonal festivals, parties in honor of the gods, start of harvest season banquets, offerings, weekly meetings on the temple, there are several recurring events linked to temples and gods that make up for most of their social lives

because of that the city is always decorated for some sort of festivities, it’s always very bright and colorful, and even if someone doesn't worship that particular divinity or is not involved in that event, they will still go to the event and celebrate together

Economy

since they're so isolated from a geographical standpoint, trade is not big on the region

no merchant marine or trade routes established with other countries

very closed economy, meaning they had to become self sustained

a lot of farmers between them, since the climate and soil favors tropical vegetation

even if it’s an island, their economy doesn’t revolve around fishing only, because the Uzumakis like their meat, so they also have a lot of cattle, mainly pigs, goats and chicken

they are hired by different villages and people at a very expensive price because their shinobi are very skilled, and an Uzumaki shinobi is never on low demand

shinobi activity is what drives the city's economy

in second comes money from services linked to the temples such as talismans, exorcisms, blessings, burials and others

the money from shinobi missions are reverted to the civillians too, but in general there are no conflict between what civillians want and what shinobis want

Politics

the Uzukage is always chosen by combat, they must be the strongest shinobi in the village at any given time

democratic system of sorts, since at any time anyone can challenge the Uzukage, because they should be able to hold his own, otherwise, they weren't fit to rule the village any way

the challenge is always public, always in form of a battle and always needs to be accepted or you lose by default

there are no main families or branch members like the Hyugas have, the Uzumaki stand in equal footing with each other

but of course there are different groups and parties, with people trying to connect themselves with a poweful shinobi, hoping for them to achieve the position of Uzukage and do their wish

for example, when Uzushio alligned themselves with Konoha there were people in favor and against it, at the time Mito was the second strongest shinobi in Uzushio, so she chose to help strengthen the bond by marrying Hashirama

local politics are not based on blood or lineage, only in power and political opinions

regarding international affairs, Uzushio spent a lot of time defending themselves from attackers

it's mostly an easy thing for them, since Uzumakis are strong and the way to Uzushio is long and hard but there are always constant ruckus on the borders

Culture

wear a lot of traditional clothing due to their religious traditions

people refer to others by their first name, since most of the population comes from the Uzumaki clan, and also because everybody is close and not very shy

they have great handwriting from practicing writing seals and talismans so much

very wary of spirits and respectful of the desires of the land and its creatures

not afraid of ghosts, or the dark, or haunted houses, they are very serious about leading a life in harmony with all the forces at play, including spiritual ones

big on oral tradition and not so much on the written records because: first everybody knows stuff, knowledge sharing is common and encouraged, and second, the elders and professors would live very long, so they can teach the youth themselves, instead of writing it for posterity, and that’s why after Uzushio was attacked, a lot of knowledge was lost

a lot of nursery rhymes, lullabies, supersticions, old wives' tales and popular sayings are passed down to the new generations

they also read cards, stones, tea leaves, stars, palm lines, whatever there is to draw their luck on

big eaters, all that chakra and boundless energy means they need a lot of food to fuel themselves

their cuisine is all about abundance, a lot of protein and fat, always a big volume of food, a lot of seasoning, spices, condiments, and such, loud flavors

they don't focus on veggies, fruits and baking as much as i meat, warm dishes, broth, and of course lamen

they put a lot of meaning and importance in getting together for a meal, it's a core moment for the familiar and comunal lives

the city closes during lunch so everybody can go back home to have lunch with their families and/or friends and be together in quality time

festivals often have banquets or traditional dishes linked to them, along with competitions for the biggest eater, and Uzumaki are very competitive

they're also big in games: card games, mahjong, shogi, go, dominos, bocce, drinking games and so on

there are also games that are linked with specific festivals and times of the year

they're great drinkers because of their big chakra reserves

Shinobi World

shamanism and shinobi activities blur, priests and priestesses make for great shinobi and vice versa

most of the shinobi are sensors, even some civillians are sensors

specialized in sealing

focused on research knowledge about minor gods and yokais, that's why they have things like the reaper death seal and can summon shinigamis and spiritual beings

they hunt for yokais like goddamn pokemon, and the tailed beasts were just an extention of that

when Hashirama sealed Kurama in Mito, the sealing of tailed beasts were already under research by the Uzumakis and she was the one who volunteered for it, they just needed someone like Hashirama, the god of shinobi to activate the seal

[lovingseventeen]

my random thought just suddenly wondering how it feels to have seventeen as your older brother 🥺 personally, i think seungcheol, jeonghan, woozi, hoshi, eisa and vernon radiates big bro energy jsjdhdhshsjs btw i love your writings 😻

svt as older brothers

a/n: this is totally independent from the members and their siblings irl/where they are in their actual sibling lineages lol

seungcheol:

✰ literally an additional guardian

✰ when you come home late he’s in the living room like “where were you” -_-

✰ little tough, but he’s also the person you trust the most

jeonghan:

✰ always always teases you

✰ but still manages to be sweet in the end

✰ if he annoys you too much he'll try to make it up to you by giving you a small gift

✰ sometimes it’s a bag of your favorite chips or maybe it’s a new pack of nice pens because he knows you like them

joshua:

✰ easy going and doesn’t really bother you

✰ also quite responsible so you can rely on him to help you with homework or general responsibilities

✰ although he will (lovingly) post a very cringe (in his opinion, cute) picture of you from your childhood for your birthday greetings

✰ i can’t believe y/n is so grown now, i might just cry 🥰✨🫶 *used ironically*

jun:

✰ unspoken understanding type of close

✰ he’s pretty responsible too but it’s disguised with how weird he is LMAO

✰ will make a controversial snack and always ask if you want some ???

✰ the best bro to watch stupid comedies with

hoshi:

✰ the kind of sibling that you'd bicker with a lot because of the tiger agenda and general small annoying instances

✰ the kind of menace in the sense that he’ll ruffle and mess up your hair or hang out in your room for no reason

✰ but he's also simultaneously your number one defender

✰ someone's interested in you? ohoho get ready to face the older brother interrogation

✰ expect to not be able to easily flirt with anyone, he's gonna ruin it

✰ “oh is this the guy you were giggling about last night-” right before you push him out of your conversation

✰ your s/o broke your heart? NOBODY give him their location

wonwoo:

✰ the perfect sibling to participate in parallel play LMAOO

✰ the two of you are in the same room doing completely different things and honestly, it’s a comfort

✰ the kind to send you a meme instead of just showing it to you on his phone even if you’re on the same couch

woozi:

✰ also a very responsible big bro

✰ i feel like he’d be the best to go to for any advice

✰ maybe more on the serious side but he’s always welcoming to you and sincerely listens

dokyeom:

✰ honestly the kind of sibling that will definitely do stupid shit with you

✰ the kind of brother you’d make a tiktok about bc he’s doing something equally funny and weird

✰ quite literally the most entertaining family member during karaoke sessions on holidays bc he has the voice of an angel but also the energy of a thousand suns when he feels like it

✰ even if you guys ever jokingly bicker i can't imagine him ever really getting mean so y'all don't really argue

mingyu:

✰ always prepares extra food for you

✰ if he gets up earlier than everyone and has to make breakfast for himself, best believe he's making more than one serving so you have something when you wake up too

minghao:

✰ still slightly babies you even if you’re grown

✰ in his mind you’re still his baby sibling and that he has to take care of you regardless of your age

✰ even as adults he might text you on a day that it’s raining and ask “did you bring an umbrella with you to work today?”

✰ puts in the effort for a chance to hang out with you when he can 🥺

seungkwan:

✰ why is arguing with him so funny LMAOAO

✰ go into his room to knock something small over and leave without saying anything and he's ready to throw hands

✰ will jokingly fight you but immediately apologize if he accidentally hits you too hard or he thinks he might’ve hurt you

✰ “what. is. your. problem- oh shit i’m sorry i didn’t mean that-”

vernon:

✰ the chillest older brother omg

✰ reliable in the sense that he'd probably accompany you in your shenanigans - literally goes with the flow

✰ you don't have someone to go with you to this late concert? sure he'll tell your parents he'll go with you

✰ “you wanna go see this band with me?” you ask, showing a poster on your phone

✰ “sure?”

✰ you need someone to drive you somewhere? yeah he can spare an hour, just text him when you need him to pick you up

dino:

✰ also another fun sibling to argue with

✰ it’s fun to tease him by saying he’s your little brother even when he literally isn’t

✰ “y/n i’m literally *insert the exact number of days he was born before you* days older than you”

[thebeastofblackmoor]

honest CW Drew Crew endings

Nancy: After multiple seasons spent wondering if her Hudson lineage made her a bad person, her fears are confirmed! Her soul was that of one of the original Hudsons who was the ultimate oppressor and sacrificed children to create monsters that would erase crimes from memory to defend perpetrators. Explicitly out of guilt, Nancy takes to the road alone to erase these beasts from the face of the world. She's in a distance relationship with Ace, though, so that's all we care about.

Ace: Despite being a genius computer hacker, Ace decides to get into medical examination. (Also alone and far away!) I guess the problem with getting a job in the field he was truly gifted at wasn't that he was having a hard time motivating himself or that he didn't have a good group to support him, but that he was not working with corpses! Despite having claimed in the past that he's never had a group of friends like the Drew Crew and showing no interest in the medical field before last season, he leaves them all to pursue medical examination. Except Nancy, who he's doing long distance with I guess.

Bess: After having been kicked out of no fewer than three households in her life and spending her entire childhood friendless and family-less, Bess's first actual home is burned down by an angry mob and her friends all leave town. She is explicitly devastated by this, but don't worry, this sudden and complete massively triggering abandonment is played for laughs! And she has a girlfriend, so rest assured she couldn't be happier.

George: After having been forced to work her entire life to support her sisters, George selects a notoriously difficult, stressful, and cutthroat career path. I guess she's passionate about it, although like Ace, she's never shown interest in being a lawyer for more than a season. We are informed that her mother just... got better offscreen and that her sisters are grown now! (After one in-universe year.) Rather than finally being able to settle down in her home and be cared for alongside her sisters, she also leaves Horseshoe Bay to hit the grindset far far away from her friends and family. But she's not alone! She has the most boring and random man in existence with whom she has 0 chemistry and we've almost never seen her interact with. Seriously, this is a good thing for her, trust us!!

Nick: Nick's ending is the only one that makes even a little sense, since he has had a long-established interest in tinkering and technology and had an established rapport with Tom Swift. However, the career that he got with Swift Industries is only brought up in the very last scene, presumably because the writers had to pull something out of their asses to justify him leaving Horseshoe Bay, too. He also has an eleventh-hour significant other to run off with.

Seriously, I get that the ending of everyone going their separate ways is supposed to feel "realistic" and like everyone is prioritizing their own happiness, but I am baffled by the fact that anyone in the writer's room thought these were good endings. Everyone's paths came out of nowhere and were way too sudden to feel realistic. The writers love to gripe that they weren't given the time to do the ending they really wanted to pull off, but if that's the case, then they should have adapted the ending accordingly! If they didn't have time to set up all these individual career paths, they should have worked with what they had set up. If they didn't have time to get us to love new romantic interests, just scrap that altogether; not everyone needs to be neatly paired off with someone. If they weren't able to show all the magical Horseshoe Bay adventures they wanted to, they should have left the group intact so that the audience could imagine more and the group would still feel whole rather than randomly and swiftly disbanded, especially since they only did one year of in-universe time, and that leads me to believe the Drew Crew will not keep in close contact. It's not like they're long-term friends.

The focus on everyone having a relationship and a career that trumps their friendship and established happiness in Horseshoe Bay just feels icky to me. Like the writers thought that having a high-powered career and an SO--no matter how irrelevant both are to the established character--is the only way to have happy ending and are the only things that matter.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers CHAOS LINEAGE ー Laito [09]

ー The scene starts in the entrance hall of the Violet Manor

Yui: The inside of the manor’s in a much worse state than I expected...

Laito: Ahーah, the door’s been broken. I guess we can thank Ayato-kun for that? Who’s going to fix this, I wonder? 

Yui: ( It definitely won’t be Laito-kun, that’s for sure... )

Azusa: Eve, Laito...!

Yui: Azusa-kun!

Azusa: Are both of you unscathed...? 

Yui: Yeah, we’re fine. How about you...?

Azusa: I’m alright as well...The two of them left right away once they realized that you were gone...

Yui: I see. I’m glad you’re safe and sound...

Azusa: What about you, Laito? You didn’t seem to be feeling well...

Laito: All good! Seems like the fresh air really helped.

Azusa: I see...But don’t push yourself too much, okay?

Laito: Heeh...How kind of you to look out for me like that. As to be expected of my ‘big bro’~

Yui: ( Eh? Big brother... )

Azusa: Yeah...Family is important after all...Of course I’d be worried about you...

Ah...There’s something I need to tell you two.

Laito: Yes?

Azusa: Carla and the others have returned. 

When Carla heard about Ayato-san and Kanato-san’s attack on the manor...It got him thinking. He wants all of us to gather together and hear him out.

Kou and Subaru went out to look for you two, so they’re absent right now, but I’m sure they’ll return sooner or later...

I’ll go tell Carla that the two of you made it back safely, okay...?

ー Azusa leaves again

Laito: ...I see. He really lost his memories, huh? Calling me family.

Yui: Is that why you addressed him as ‘big brother’ earlier?

Latio: Yup, exactly. I figured I’d see it for myself. By the looks of it, the others as well...

Fake brothers...Huh?

Yui: ( I wonder what he seems to be pondering about...? )

Laito: ...Say, Bitch-chan? Shall we go back to my room for now until Kou and Subaru get back?

You must be exhausted after everything that went down, no? Let’s rest up a bit.

Yui: Ah, good idea.

Monologue

As soon as we arrived at Laito-kun’s room,

we fell into a deep sleep.

For Laito-kun, it was probably the backlash,

of retrieving his memories. 

While for me, I believe it was the sense of relief,

which ended up hitting me hard.

I completely lost myself,

in the first comfortable sleep I had gotten in a long time.

ー The scene shifts to Laito’s room

Yui: Zzー... Zzー...

Laito: She’s sleeping so defenselessly. ...I guess she finally let loose.

You were trying your hardest all by yourself this whole time, weren’t you?

So, I’llーー

Monologue

After resting up in our room for a bit,

Azusa-kun came telling us to come,

in a hesitant manner.

Apparently Kou-kun and Subaru-kun,

had made their return.

After quickly making ourselves presentable,

and rushing over to the living room,

the others had already gathered there.

With a stern expression on his face,

Carla-san addressed us in a solemn toneーー 

Carla: I was aware that the Orange House had been investigating our manor, however, I did not expect them to directly attack us.

Kou: For realー I was shocked when we came back and our door had been destroyed. 

Azusa-kun was in a state of panic and both Eve and Laito-kun were nowhere to be found. 

Laito: It all happened so suddenly, running was the only thing on our mind. Right, Bitch-chan?

Yui: Y-Yeah...

Azusa: Thank god you’re both safe...

Subaru: ‘Thank god’, my ass. What if those bastards come for us again?

Carla: There were only a small number of people involved in this conflict. On top of that, they chose to attack us directly.

While it is very much possible that those two came up with the idea for an attack themselves, rather than it being a direct order from Ruki...

Either way, I take this as a declaration of war. Let us go make quick work of those nuisances of the Orange House.

Yui: No way...!

Kou: The Orange House, huh? Honestly, I think Ruki, the oldest brother, will be the most difficult to deal with.

Subaru: Don’t be pissin’ your pants now! You just gotta show them who’s boss, no matter who your opponent may be!

Azusa: Everyone...Be careful not to get hurt, okay?

Yui: ( Carla-san has decided to actually make a move... )

( I can’t watch quietly as they wage war against Ayato-kun and the others...! )

Selection

→ Convince them (🖤)

Yui: Carla-san, won’t you reconsider!? Fighting is not the correct thing to do right now!

Carla: Your opinion is irrelevant. I am the one who makes the decisions.

Yui: But...

Laito: Lay it off. Carla’s word is law after all.

Yui: Laito-kun...

( But at this rate, Ayato-kun and the others will...! )

→ Keep quiet (♡)

Yui: ( Carla-san is serious about this. He actually wants to attack them. )

( Whatever I say right now, it’d be pointless. I can only keep quiet... )

Laito: ...Your expression gives it away. Come on, you have to act normal.

Yui: ( ...! Laito-kun... )

Yui: ( Right. Laito-kun has retrieved his memories. I’m sure he’ll help me out. )

( I hope I’ll be able to ask him for advice once we’re alone... )

Kou: Hmー? Did something happen with you two?

Yui: Eh? W-Why do you ask?

Kou: I mean, you’re looking at him so passionately. 

The two of you seem awfully close as well. Did something happen when you were being attacked by the Orange House?

Yui: ( H-He’s sharp... )

Laito: ...What a sinful man I am, attracting such passionate stares from the ladies~

Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to give you my full attention later.

Yui: ( L-Laito-kun!? )

Subaru: God, could you please not spout that bullcrap? Even Eve’s disgusted by it.

Oi, in what world do those two seem close?

Kou: Huh? Did I just imagine it?

Yui: ( T-Thank god...Seems like they won’t question it any further. )

Carla: Enough with the trivial chit-chat.

I want each of you to get everything ready to launch our attack on the Orange House. 

Laito, do not let Eve out of your sight under any circumstances. 

Laito: Rogerー You can leave Eve in my hands while you guys focus on the fight with the Orange House.

Good luck kicking their ass, okay~?

Yui: Eh...?

( I can’t believe he’s saying that when their opponent is Ayato-kun and the others...Those aren’t his true feelings, right? )

ー The scene shifts to Laito’s room

Yui: Haah...I was so nervous. Thanks for earlier, Laito-kun.

Laito: Hm? What do you mean?

Yui: You know, you covered for me when Kou was suspicious of us, remember?

Laito: Rather than covering for you, I just genuinely felt happy with the passionate look you were giving me~

Some things are more exciting when you’re being watched, no?

Yui: I don’t think so, I can say that much...

Laito: Oh geez, can’t you play along? We’re finally all alone, so let’s mess around a little~

Ah, could it be...You’re waiting for me to jump you? In which case, I better live up to your expectations~

Yui: N-No! I’m not waiting for anything!

( He’s still his usual self despite everything we were just told. )

( ...No, I’m sure that deep down, he wants to do something about it as well. )

( Ayato-kun and Kanato-kun are his brothers after all. )

Laito-kun, about earlier...

Laito: That you want me to assault you? Geez! So you’re in the mood for that after all.

Yui: N-Not that one! What Carla-san told us.

At this rate, they’ll get into a conflict. ...No, they might even fight to the death.

We have to stop everyone somehow...!

Laito: Ehー? I don’t see the problem?

Yui: ...Eh?

Laito: We don’t lose anything from Carla going to attack the other Houses, right? We should just let them do their thing.

Yui: B-But...Ayato-kun and Kanato-kun are in danger as well, you know!? Subaru-kun as well!

No, if it turns into a fight with the Scarlet House as well, then even Shuu-san and Reiji-san might...

Laito: I’m sure they’ll be fine. Shuu is surprisingly strong and even Reiji or Kanato will pull through at times when it truly matters.

Ayato-kun and Subaru-kun are combat-oriented, as you should be aware of, so they’re used to getting into fights.

You’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about.

Yui: But...

Laito: Not・to・mention...We’re Vampires, remember?

It takes a lot to kill us, so it’ll be fine.

Yui: Maybe, but...

( Is Laito-kun okay with it? Even though his own brothers might get hurt... )

Laito: More importantly, right now...

 ー He approaches

*Rustle* 

Laito: I finally got my memories back, so let’s spend some quality time together.

Yui: B-But, I just can’t sit here and do nothing when a war is about to break looseーー

Laito: Ehー? You don’t like getting affectionate with me? What a shocker...

Yui: N-No...! I don’t dislike it, if anything...

( I nearly admitted it out loud... )

Laito: If anything, what? I’d love to hear it directly from your mouth?

Yui: Uu...Like I said, now’s not the time for thatーー

Laito: How do you feel about my touch?

Yui: I-I like it...

Laito: Well done~

Yui: ( I can’t, he’s messing with my head. )

( Still, he might be glad to have his memories back, but to say such things at a time like this. )

( What has gotten into you, Laito-kun...? )

Laito: I better give you a reward for actually saying it out loud.

*Rustle* 

Yui: ( Ah...He’s holding me in his arms... )

Laito: ...Say, how would you like me to reward you?

I’ll give you whatever you want, whether it’s a sweet reward or a painful, pleasurable one. 

Yui: ( His breath tickles against my ear... )

Laito: Fufu, look at you blushing and squirming around...

You really are sensitive, aren’t you? ...Phewー...

Yui: Hyaah!

Laito: Your shoulders twitched just now. Did it feel that good? 

Then I’ll do it from this side next...Phewー...

Yui: Nn...

Laito: No need to hold back like that. Let me hear your voice like you did earlier.

Your sugary sweet moans, that is...Nn...

*Smooch*

Yui: Nn...Ah...

Laito: ...Nfu~ Such lovely cries.

I wonder what kind of sounds I can get out of you if I kiss you here? ...Nn...

*Smooch*

Yui: Ah...Nnh...

( He kissed my nape next...I have to be strong now, but my head keeps spinning more and more... )

Laito: Fufu...You’re making different sounds now, nice.

But the place where you want to get kissed the most...has to be your lips, right? ...Nnh...Nn...

*Smooch*

Yui: ...Nn...Phew...

( I know we shouldn’t be doing this but...I can’t help but give in to it... )

Laito: Just surrender yourself. You don’t need to rack your pretty brain over anything, okay?

Yui: ( His voice sounds far away... )

Monologue

He showers me with kisses,

always as if he was trying to prevent me from speaking up.

I cannot get a grasp on his true intentions,

as he told me we don’t have to pay mind,

to the situation revolving Ayato-kun and Kanato-kun.

Is he certain about everyone’s safety?

Or perhaps...

He simply does not care...?

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[apricia]

For ever by your side // Aemond Targaryen x Reader // Part XII

Chapter 12 - Apologies and open hearts

She left, Alyssa left the room without him doing anything. A jolt went through his body as he looked after her. He should follow her, now!

But his mother's voice stopped him. She stepped up to him, clutching his upper arm, and Aemond saw something on her face he'd never seen when she looked at him. Disgust. Disappointment.

"Why would you say such a thing before these people?"

Aemond gritted his teeth. "I was merely expressing how proud I am of my family, Mother. Mh, though it seems my nephews aren't quite as proud of theirs." He pulled away from her, but Alicent blocked his path again.

"And what about Alyssa? Was you expressing how proud you were when you called her a bastard? A whore?" Alicent swallowed hard. She didn't even want to put the word in her mouth. "Tell me Lucerys lied, tell me you didn't wish her death, Aemond!" Alicent yelled at him. He hated it when she screamed.

Aemond swallowed hard and looked at his mother wordlessly. The queen slowly shook her head, tears of disappointment welling up in her eyes. "I can not believe it."

"Mother, I-" he grabbed her hand, but Alicent jerked himself away from him. "How could you say that to her, Aemond? To her of all people?"

"Because he's a little piece of shit," Jace yelled, ready to attack Aemond again. But he was held back by Daemon.

"Wait, wait!"

Aemonds narrowed his eyes. His uncle stepped towards him, chin raised, hands clasped, frowning at Aemond.

"You're not worthy of marrying my daughter. I hope you know that, boy."

Aemond gritted his teeth. They would see that!

He left the room without another word. His uncle's words enraged him, but the anger didn't control his body. Instead, he kept seeing the disappointed look on his mother's face. For a brief moment, Aemond thought she was going to hit him. As she often did with Aegon. But the hit hadn't come, even though Aemond deserved it. He even wished his mother would have hit him. The main thing was that the disappointment disappeared from her face.

Alyssa's words hadn't been better. She had called him a coward and she was right about that. He had said far worse things to her for which he had never apologized to her. And now everyone in his family knew what had really happened back then. He was angry with himself, almost disgusted. His otherwise iron control over himself and his actions was gone. Whenever he was reminded of the loss of his eye, of his misbehavior towards Alyssa, his patience snapped. Luke and Jace Velaryon were red rags to him. Her lineage, her demeanor, just the fact that the two boys were breathing, that they were called princes when they were nothing more than bastards, made his blood boil. When he thought of Jace touching Alyssa, how Luke snapped at her, he wanted to put his hands around his nephews' throats and squeeze. He wanted to feel the life drain from them. Out of jealousy, out of hatred.

The evening had started so well. Alyssa in her blue dress had taken his breath away. She hadn't known the dress had been a gift from him, the same shade of blue as the sapphire in his eye. But she'd liked the dress, she'd said so herself. And the fact that she was wearing - even happily wearing - what he had chosen for her pleased him. After years of isolation, absence and silence, he had been able to hold her hand. Several times that evening. They had supported each other, comforted each other. That was exactly what Aemond wanted. He wanted Alyssa, wanted everything from her. Her sorrow, her pain as well as her joy and love. He wanted to be there for her when she needed him. Wanted to dry her tears and he wanted to be the reason for her smile.

His hands clenched into fists as he thought about how the evening had ended. He stopped and punched the nearest wall. Pain shot through his wrist, but Aemond ignored it. He hadn't noticed that he had gone straight to Alyssa's chambers in his trance. He was only a few meters away from her door. Aemond swallowed. He needed to talk to her. Now or he would regret it.

Hesitantly, he went to her door, which surprisingly was not guarded. He raised his hand and knocked once. Twice

"One moment, I'm coming," Alyssa's voice came out muffled.

Was she already asleep? He could hardly imagine that, after all she had left the room only minutes before him. Did she cry? Aemond prayed that wasn't the case. He heard footsteps on the other side and then the door was opened for him. Just a crack wide.

When Alyssa saw him, she narrowed her eyes and pulled the robe she was wearing closer around her body. "What do you want here? Don't you think you've done enough tonight?"

Aemond gritted his teeth, bowed his head. "May I come in?"

"For what?" Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow. She hadn't opened the door further for him. 

"We need to talk," he said softly.

"Oh, do we have to? What a pity I don't feel like it."

Aemond sighed and shook his head. "I'm not going to apologize to you out here in the hall. We're going to have this conversation privately."

Alyssa looked at him in surprise. "That almost sounds like a threat. If we don't have the conversation just between the two of us, then we won't have it at all. Is that what you want to say?"

Aemond shook his head again. "No, I didn't mean to say that. I just want to talk to you face to face. So would you'll let me come in or not?" He could see that she would like to say no. But after a moment's hesitation, Alyssa opened the door for him. 

"You have five minutes."

This was going to be the most exhausting conversation he'd ever had. He entered her room and looked around. It had hardly changed. Six years ago he had been here often. Had sat on Alyssa's bed and missed her. Sometimes even cried when he had felt the loss of his best friend particularly strongly. But at some point he had forbidden himself to come here. The memories of Alyssa were just too present here.

Alyssa stopped in front of a small table with a wine carafe on it. "You wanted to talk, so talk." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him invitingly. Her robe reached to the floor and she clung to the fabric like she was cold. There was a pleasant warmth in the room. The fire in the hearth near the bed crackled, bathing the room in a warm glow, as did the countless candles that were burning.

Aemond's gaze drifted to the fire in the hearth. "I am sorry“, he said softly.

"What for exactly?" She made it difficult for him. On purpose and Aemond deserved nothing less.

He looked up and looked at her. Her chin was set in defiance. Her lips were drawn into a thin line and her eyes blazed with the familiar fire. "What I said to you six years ago. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Alyssa nodded. "No, you shouldn't." She said no more. Just kept looking at him expectantly. Aemond didn't know what to say or do. How to express his feelings. Where is the best place to start? How could he make her understand that he hadn't meant any of this? Would she even listen to him, after all, his apology came six years too late?

Aemond crossed his arms behind his body. "I didn't mean any of that."

Alyssa looked surprised, but then she laughed. It was not a nice laugh, not a laugh of joy. It was hard, bitter even. "Aemond, stop it. We both know you meant it exactly like you said it."

Aemond's jaw clenched. "No, I didn't. They were words spoken in anger."

Alyssa looked away and shook her head. Her arms clasped her torso. "And yet they were true. I'm a bastard and I'm a whore's daughter. Are you going to deny that now? Don't bother. We both know it's true."

She might try to act strong, like she didn't mind the words, but Aemond could see behind her mask. Words like bastard and whore nagged at her, turning her into a vulnerable little girl again. He could hardly bear the sight. He bridged the distance between them. Aemond grabbed her forearm and held her back. "Stop saying that“, he said through clenched teeth.

Alyssa looked down at his hands holding her upper arms. Then she looked up. There was a mixture of shame and sadness in it. "What? Now these words bother you, what an irony."

Did she think he cared about the words for his sake? That he would mind marrying a whore's daughter? How wrong she was. "Stop calling yourself that.“

Confusion was visible on Alyssa's face. Like it made a difference if he said those words to her or she said them to herself. "Don't be stupid. Why should I deny the truth?"

She didn't understand him. His grip tightened. „It’s not about the truth. You are more than that, Alyssa. I said that to hurt you." That was the only reason. He had believed then that she had not wanted to help him. That she had turned away from him. And he wanted to punish her for that. He had said the words he knew would hurt her. But in the moment he saw the hurt in her eyes, he regretted his words immediately.

"And you succeeded." Alyssa didn't look at him as she spoke, but he heard her voice tremble.

Aemond's chest tightened in pain. His grip on her upper arms relaxed and he gently ran his thumbs over her skin. "I know and I'm sorry about that. I never meant to hurt you. What I said was wrong. And for not coming to you straight away, too. I should have asked for your forgiveness right away, but I didn't."

It wasn't easy for him to apologize. It didn't matter with whom, it was even worse when he had really done something wrong, like now. Ever since the incident from back then, Aemond has strived to behave impeccably, not to make mistakes, and to be close to perfection. Not to do or say anything that might prompt an apology. Because he hated it! Hated having to admit a mistake.

Alyssa didn't say anything, but felt a lump form in her throat and a sob wanted to come out of it. "It does not matter anymore." She took a step away from him.

"Yes it does." He pulled her to him again and wrapped his fingers around hers. Trapped their intertwined hands between their bodies. "What I said back then... That I wish you would die the way your mother did... I didn't mean it." Aemond closed his eye and shook his head. "Just the thought of you being dead… Whether it's on the streets of Fleabottom or anywhere else, my heart is clenching and I can't breathe. I can't lose you. Just the thought of losing you drives me insane."

Over the years he had often wondered how Alyssa was doing. Was she okay, had she perhaps fallen ill? Had she been injured riding Vermithor? The insecurity, the ignorance of how she was doing had always tugged at him. But the one time Aegon had teased him that Alyssa might already be dead and he didn't know it had made Aemond incensed. He had slapped his brother in the face when he was thirteen years old and only stopped beating Aegon after Ser Criston had pulled him off his brother. It had only been a joke, a silly remark of the sort he knew from Aegon, but Alyssa's death was nothing to joke about. Aegon had to experience that first hand in that moment.

Aemond opened his eyes. Alyssa stared at him in disbelief. "Why are you saying that? Right now? After all this time?" Alyssa asked, tears running slowly down her cheeks.

"Because it's true," Aemond whispered, unclasping their hands and wiping the tears from her cheek. There was tenderness in his eyes.

"Don't," she whispered, closing her eyes as she felt Aemond's touch on her face.

But he wiped her face softly, dried her tears. "I want you to know how sorry I am for everything. You were my best friend, my only ally and I wronged you. I received my punishment for that."

Alyssa started and made a face. "Oh, did you? I think the punishment is yet to come, after all we're not married yet." She didn't move, allowing him to continue to hold her face in his hands. Aemond enjoyed the touch, enjoyed the warmth of her body.

The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile as he gently stroked her face with his thumb. "Marrying you will not be a punishment, Alyssa. That's all I ever wanted. No, my punishment was that I had to live without you for the past six years. You don't know how hard it has been." He had never been as close to his siblings as he was to her. Her absence had been clearly felt in his family. She had torn a gap in their family ties that no one could fill or mend. Aemond had known a loneliness he hadn't known existed.

Indeed, Alyssa knew exactly how hard it has been. Knew it all too well. She knew the loneliness. She'd felt the same without him by her side. But she wouldn't tell him that. Instead, she tried to break free of his grip. Aemond didn't want to let go of her, but he was afraid to push her into anything. To take away the space she might need.

Alyssa took a step back, leaving Aemond's proximity. She wrapped her arms around her body again as if she needed support. He couldn't see her face, but he was afraid of what he would see there. "Please don't hate me. I can take a lot of things, but I couldn't take it if you hated me." His voice broke at the end of the sentence. He was more vulnerable than ever.

Surprised, Alyssa raised her eyes and looked at Aemond. She wanted to hate him, wanted to tell him  that she felt nothing for him but hatred. She wanted to hurt him like he had hurt her all these years ago. But she couldn't. She would never be able to hate Aemond. She could never feel that way for him.

"I don't hate you, Aemond." Their eyes met and she saw different things in his eye. Disbelief, relief, hope, but also skepticism. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. By hating you I would only hurt myself." Her words were true and revealed her soul.

Aemond reached out and pulled her to him. Their bodies touched, Alyssa's chest pressed against his. He could probably feel her heartbeat, but Alyssa thought she could feel his. Or was it her own heart that was beating so fast? Aemond leaned forward and Alyssa caught her breath. He didn't want to kiss her now, did he? But he just leaned his forehead against hers.

"Iksan vaoreznuni. Nyke kivio bona kesan dōrī ōdrikagon ao arlī"

He was sorry and he never wanted to hurt her again? Alyssa didn't know if she could believe his words. Even if parts of her wanted to. More than anything else.

"You hurt me. A lot," she whispered.

She saw the pain on his face. „Kostilus, shijetra nyke“.

He pleaded, that she would forgive him. But did he deserve her forgiveness?

"Aemond, your words-"

His hands were on her back, slowly wandering lower and coming to rest on her hips. "I would undo all of this in an instant if I could, but I can't. Your forgiveness is all I want, all I need. Please, Alyssa."

Her heart ached. Seeing him like that broke all her walls down. Aemond broke down every wall she had built around herself and her wounded heart over the years. With just a few words he managed to pave a way into her innermost being again.

„Kostilus, ñuha jorrāelagon, ivestragī nyke prove ziry“.

Alyssa didn't know what surprised her more. That Aemond called her 'my love' or that he wanted to prove his remorse to her.

"Let me show you how sorry I am“, he continued.

"How?" She wanted to know.

"Tell me what you want in return, say it and it's yours."

Alyssa shook her head. "It doesn't work that way, Aemond, and you know it."

He nodded haltingly, swallowed. "Then tell me what I can do to make it up to you."

Alyssa considered his words. She didn't know what to do or say, what was an appropriate punishment for what he had done to her. Nor did she know what he could do to make amends. She didn't need anything from him. "I don't hate you, Aemond. But I don't trust you anymore. We're strangers after all these years, and now we’re engaged.“ She laughed hard. „Gods, this is insane.“

Aemond took a step away from her, but his hands were still on her hips. "I will regain your trust. Even if it's the last thing I do." She looked at him, he held her gaze. A determined look crossed his face and the purple in his eye brightened. Alyssa swallowed.

"Such big words. Words without action mean nothing.“

His jaws tightened. He could understand her, could understand that words alone didn't change anything, that they alone couldn't make amends. But Alyssa underestimated Aemond's willingness to win her over. "Then tell me what to do, Alyssa. Tell me now and I'll do it."

Alyssa opened her mouth, then closed it again. "There is indeed something you can do."

___________________________

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@mihrimahsultan03 @lolitaisreal @burningshewolf

[mobscene-launceston]

BASIC INFORMATION:

NAME: Erik Callaghan. AGE: 52. PLACE OF BIRTH: Launceston, Massachusetts, United States. AFFILIATION: Neutral. (Mancini Family, loosely) OCCUPATION: Former mayor. FACE CLAIM: Gabriel Macht. AVAILABILITY: TAKEN.

(Warning: Brief mention of a pregnant character's death.)

“I promise we’ll talk later.”

It was the last thing she’d ever said to him.

And where he desperately tried to cling to the memory of the gentle smile he adored, more often than not, it was the pain in her eyes that night that crept into his thoughts.

Pain that he had caused.

Erik had made so many mistakes in his life it was hard to figure out where to start. But never her. Norah had never been a mistake, even if the rest of the city seemed to decide her one on his behalf.

It’d been such a mighty fall from grace one wouldn’t have been hasty to assume his redemption impossible. Erik had come from a wealthy, much-loved Anderson Island family whose reputation somehow traversed the usual line between the upper classes and everybody else. He’d always been well-spoken, well-read, and an absolute credit to his lineage. As was expected of him, he’d attended Ivy League schools—first Yale, then Belmonte—and had been on track to become everything the city expected of somebody like him. Upon his return to Launceston, he had a new wife in tow, and a healthy ambition to change the city he adored for the better.

Things were never that easy though, were they?

Particularly not when the criminal empires that plagued Launceston were growing more powerful by the day. And changing the city for the better was not something they appreciated.

It’d always been his goal to make his way into the world of politics. All the connections he needed were already there, his last name gave him a boost that most others could only dream of, his wife was a supporting rock for his campaigns, and he was just young and hopeful enough to believe he could do some good in the world. When he eventually ended up becoming mayor a little less than two decades later, it was all he could’ve dreamed of. The public adored him. His family was so proud of him. The changes he was making really were with the best interests of the city at heart.

And that was precisely where it all came crashing down.

First, the threats were only directed toward him, and not to be deterred, he upped his security and carried on life as normal. But when the safety of his wife came into question—his two daughters, not long after—things started to become more complicated. The Russians, the Italians, the French…they all wanted him out of office, and directly into a hole in the ground. Erik had lived in Launceston long enough to know that their threats were not to be assumed empty.

Livia was so scared for the safety of her family, seeing her in pain tore at him. She pleaded with him to stop, to step down, to think about what this was doing to them. The woman barely ate, barely slept, barely left home... Ellie and Laura needed a security detail just to go to school, and even if they were too young to understand what was going on, they were astute enough to know something was wrong. Especially with their mother. Erik and Livia fought constantly because he was too stubborn to back down out of fear—he couldn’t when he was finally hitting the gangsters where it hurt—and it was utterly destroying their marriage. Some nights he didn’t even go home at all, because he couldn’t find the mental capacity to deal with everything that was going on, the stresses of work, only to be greeted by a woman who couldn’t even stand the sight of him anymore.

And that was when the affair began.

Erik wasn’t the first man to excuse his straying on marital troubles, and he wouldn’t be the last, but Norah Pierce would end up being much more than a convenient escape from his wife.

It’d started out as late nights in the office, her offering him legal counsel, as was her job, over dinner. Livia had no reason to be suspicious at first, because he’d already been sleeping there when things got really bad between them. Quickly, their relationship grew into something much more serious, though. Erik had never intended it to be anything more than a casual way to blow off some steam, but God, he loved her more than he ever thought possible. Was completely and utterly in love with her. It was stupid, and it was unprofessional, but he couldn’t help himself. She was everything he didn’t deserve, but everything he needed. For the sake of both of their careers, they were as careful as possible. One night they’d gotten brazen and headed back to her place, though, and little did he know, that one heat of the moment decision would ruin everything.

The St. Clairs were having him watched. Barely a day later, Erik had the photos on his desk.

In spite of his massive popularity during his first term, for the sake of his sanity, he didn’t intend to run for office again. But now Nicolas had leverage. Erik would run again, and he would appoint Faye St. Clair as his deputy, or the photos would hit the press and he would lose everything. His family, his career, his dignity…and Norah a reputation she’d worked so hard to build from the ground up.

Of course, he was re-elected in a landslide. Launceston loved him, and he had been so productive the first time around, they wouldn’t have wanted anybody else at the helm during one of the city’s most turbulent periods. But things would be different this time around, and his popularity would quickly plummet once he started to walk back on his anti-organised crime stances due to St. Clair’s pressure. Livia hated him more than ever—berated him for putting his family through hell only to undo it all—and filed for divorce within the year. Norah, who he had at least confided in about the truth, was scared for not only her own safety, but the safety of the man she loved. His life was in fucking shambles.

Erik started drinking. Started to push away the few people who stuck by his side, Norah included, out of guilt and shame and absolute fucking disgust at what he’d become. Until finally, he snapped.

“Leak the pictures. I don’t give a fuck, Nicolas. I’ll tell them about your daughter, the blackmail…”

And that’s a conversation he regrets to this day.

“I promise we’ll talk later.”

Norah had told him she was pregnant that morning, and they still hadn’t had time to discuss what that meant for them. The hurt in her eyes was because he still refused to acknowledge their relationship publicly. Was pushing her away, even though she was fighting so hard for him. What she didn’t realise was that he was doing it because he cared. Not about much else anymore, but he cared about her. Erik knew what was to come. Erik knew that his reputation would not survive this, no matter how it played out, and he didn’t want to drag her down with him. All he wanted to do was marry her, take her away from the mess of a city, and never look back, but it would never be that easy, even if he wanted it to be.

Erik had given a speech that night, much to the distaste of the audience. It’d been The Palace Hotel’s annual breast cancer benefit. And right as the last word left his mouth, a gunshot rang out.

A chaos the likes of which the city had never seen before ensued, but all he could see was her lifeless body on the floor. The bullet had been meant for her, but it’d been meant for him, too.

The St. Clairs weren’t to be fucked with.

Erik resigned the next morning.

Everything good in his life was gone.

Like an absolute coward, he’d departed the city shortly after, and fallen off the face of the earth for almost five years. Livia and the kids were better off without him. The few friends who had stuck by him, too. The pits of absolute depression and numbness were a welcome reprieve from the grief, in a way. Erik had no intention of ever going back to that place. Never wanted to be faced with the memories of everything he’d destroyed.

But when the news of Nicolas St. Clair’s passing reached him, something changed.

The man was fucking dead, just like he deserved.

And suddenly, he was angry instead of numb for the first time in years.

Upon returning to Launceston, the former mayor was greeted with the reception he deserved: utter disdain. But one man had thought of him differently. One man had made a point of seeking him out, and requesting an audience with the once beloved politician. Salvatore Mancini. Erik still doesn’t know, to this day, how the Italian found out about the circumstances of his relationship with Nicolas St. Clair, but he made it abundantly clear that he hated him just as much. At first, he’d scoffed at the idea. Erik didn’t care about petty fucking disputes between gangs. But when the old man told him that Nicolas St. Clair had been responsible for the murder of his wife, the mother of his children, he understood that his interest in his predicament was genuine. Because it was personal.

Erik would’ve been content to continue life as the villain if it hadn’t been for him. Mancini convinced him to tell the truth about why he had walked back on his policies. About the blackmail, and about what they’d done to Norah to punish him for even considering speaking up.

And whilst many St. Clair loyalists would be quick to condemn him for trying to tarnish the reputation of a man who could no longer defend himself, a great many more of Launceston’s citizens believed him. Supported him. Belatedly grieved for him.

Salvatore supported him every step of the way. Unlike St. Clair, however, it was unconditional. He expected nothing in return, and Erik was grateful for that. For him.

A few years have passed since he came clean, and finding his footing again has been a struggle. What has proven much harder to swallow, however, is watching Faye St. Clair in the mayoral seat, carrying on as though nothing has changed.

Eleanor O’Reilly is challenging her for her position at the next election, and although the prospect absolutely terrifies him, she has asked him to run as her deputy. With crime a more pressing issue than ever before, having someone who has not only suffered through it personally, but made great amends for the mistakes he made as a victim of it, would put an entirely different light on her campaign. One of honesty, one of strength, and one of more determination than ever to make the people responsible for causing so much pain in the city pay for their sins.

Erik doesn’t know whether he has it in him to accept the offer, whether it would even be allowed after all that’s transpired, but it would be a lie to say that he isn’t considering it. Especially after Salvatore Mancini leaked the idea to the press, and the Launcestonian public unanimously called for his return to the mayoral office once more…

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS:

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Norah Pierce (partner, deceased), Livia Callaghan (ex-wife, unplayable) FAMILY: Ellie and Laura Callaghan (daughters, unplayable) CONNECTIONS:

Eleanor O'Reilly: Good friend. Though she'd been the opposition candidate during his second campaign, even when he won the seat that she deserved, she was never bitter. It's difficult to find good people in a city like Launceston, but Eleanor is one of them, and the fact she doesn't utterly despise him after all that's happened is a certified miracle. Getting his life back on track has been an uphill struggle, but she's been at his side for all of it. Even if he doesn't deserve it, or her.

Salvatore Mancini: Friend. When Salvatore's crimes finally caught up to him and he was arrested by the FBI, Erik was more upset than he'd expected to be. Never could he have imagined mourning a mobster being put behind bars, but after everything Mancini has done for him, everything he's done to show that he's a genuinely good man, Erik can't help but be disappointed their friendship was cut short. There are few 'mobsters' he could ever imagine sympathising with, but Sal is decidedly not like the others. It seems a shame to Erik that it's him behind bars instead of a Frenchman or a Russian.

Angelo Morello: Friend. Though he was slightly less accommodating than Salvatore had been in the beginning, Angelo too hates the French with an almost unrivalled passion that Erik can relate to. It was enough for the jaded old men to bond. Whilst he has to keep any relationship with anybody who isn't strictly above board a secret after all that's happened, there is some comfort to be found in knowing a man like Angelo is in his corner.

Faye St. Clair: Dislikes. Nicolas pushed her into this life and he knows it. Erik witnessed the turmoil she went through being involved in a campaign she wanted no part of. But her father is gone now, and if she wanted to, she could come clean about all the terrible things he orchestrated. Instead, she remains in office, continuing to perpetuate the same bullshit to keep the St. Clairs on top that her father had expected of him. So if he'd ever felt sorry for her predicament before, that's sure flown out of the window now. Even if he doesn't run with Eleanor, he'll damn sure do everything he can to make sure she takes the seat next election.

[ghooostbaby]

watching everything everywhere all at once made me have so many thoughts about what it is about the connections between hua cheng and he xuan that hit me so hard. it’s this sidestepping of the importance of origins and fate. it moved me so much when it was revealed that joy just wanted her mom to be with her, to share with her the horror at the “everything”, infinity, meaninglessness. and in an inversion of that, evelyn wanted to push her daughter away from her and the nothing, void, meaninglessness of her own life, so she wouldn’t be like her. their origins from each other pulls them together in the future. and i guess they healed together, like a cycle coming back around. so much of this is because of the way evelyn fights for her daughter, and learns from her husband the tools she needs to fight - laughter, kindness...

so what if that doesn’t happen? what if those bonds just fade away, the parent doesn’t fight for their child. i think of hua cheng, unconnected to his family of origin, with his mother gone, the family he has doesn’t seem to be his people at all. the things he attaches to are outside of them - remnants of his mother who is long since gone by the time he is only ten years old, and xie lian, a complete stranger who shows him compassion. the notion of hereditary cycles and healing that is such a popular trope just falls away when it comes to him (and most people who have survived child abuse). the family you come from has nothing to do with you, there is no healing to be found there. there is no possibility of return, or desire to. (and what a queer act it is to figure yourself into a lineage, generational connection, or any deep family-like bond with someone who is not a blood relation.)

(side note this is a reason why i really resent when people insist on making jiang cheng and wei wuxian of mdzs reconcile, when the fact that wei wuxian never reconciles with the family he grew up with but DOES find healing, purpose, and love in the end with other people, particularly a group of people he had seemed completely incompatible with at the start, is one of very few stories that offers a possibility of healing for people who cannot return to their original family.)

i was reading this book studying the concept of what ‘home’ is by interviewing refugees, specifically refugees from cyprus who had been settled in the UK for decades, how they enacted the work of creating a new home in a new place after having left the original home ... and it struck me how the ocean is this non-place in between from the original home and the new home to be created when people migrate from one to the other. and to occupy the ocean as a home is to reject ‘home’ and stay in the liminal in-between space most people only come to in order to move through. which of course reminds me of he xuan, and ghosts in general, occupying the liminal space of death that most people arrive at only move on to the other side.

i get more and more interested in ghosts all the time. and how in tgcf they’re really this archetype of profound hope, desire, passion, sincerity, and goodness, contradictorily, while the gods are cynical, self-serving, small-minded, tiresome, mundane.

the pathways he xuan and hua cheng as ghosts take is so interesting for what they abandon, the way they abandon their origins and even themselves (or their original selves). they don’t move forward in a trajectory toward a resolution or return that makes sense on a scale of linear progress that is (supposedly) typical human pattern. they move into endless transformation and expansion, into other forms, other beings, becoming a something else, an other and an other and an other ... they follow a twisting path that goes nowhere in particular, as long as it follows their own desire deeper and deeper into itself, wherever that leads, whatever that is.

(gotta write something about he xuan and hua cheng’s malleable, transforming, non-stable, non-fixed bodies soon too!!)

he xuan and hua cheng are very different as well, and don’t fit perfectly, as much as they are parallel and connected by the coincidence of how they end up as similar beings. that’s what interesting to me about their connection - it’s not fated, it’s not a return. it’s something else. their bond is not something that makes sense of their past or fixes anything, it’s a complete chance that they end up in the same place at the same time, with complementary goals and skills.

unlike hua cheng, he xuan has this rootedness in his family and a sense of who he is in his connection to them, but he loses them and becomes a ghost and the way he adapts to the circumstances of the centuries, his desire and determination to stay and live and fight has him transforming and shifting away from the person he was in the past. huaxuan don’t seemed meant for each other in the sort of way that hualian has this beautiful symmetry, the way most romances have this demand for symmetry and balance, ordering something sensible and meaningful out of heartbreaks of the past that are returned to and answered for by this romance of the present/future.

it’s like the shore that meets the ocean is just land that happens to be there. at the end of a journey from a home that is no longer safe, the traveller finds a place to make a new home that is just a place that happens to be available for them that they might not necessarily like or want, it may not have poetic connections to their original home that soothe them that it will all make sense, it’s just a place that’s there that they will have to make a home out of. and i really have come across so few stories when an original home, or a foundational relationship are truly truly lost and gone forever, and it’s still ok, miraculously. and huaxuan is that story in my mind. it just seems miraculous to me to create a home out of anything, anywhere, by your choice to make it one.

[romancomicsnews]

Who should play Mr. Fantastic in the MCU?

With the upcoming MCU Fantastic Four movie set for 2025, as soon as the writer's strike comes to an end, we will likely get our cast for the film dropped. Before that time comes, I thought I would give me two cents for who should play each role, starting with our leading man.

Perhaps the most over fan casted character in the past year, Reed Richards is a particularly hard nail to hit on the head. While the characteristics are simple enough, smartest man in world, leader of the fantastic, emotionally distant, maybe a bit awkward, borderline mad scientist, all of those traits can easily be attributed to a number of different actors.

Depending on how you want to play it, there has been a number of fantastic (pun intended) options thrown around the rumor mill: Penn Badgley, John Krasinski returning, Glenn Howerton, William Jackson Harper, Adam Driver, Matt Smith, and oh so many more.

While I like a lot of these and really wouldn't be upset with most of them, I thought I'd throw my three ideas in the ring.

I will also say, my initial pick was William Jackson Harper, but twitter and one of my favorite Fan Casters Nando V Movies (go check out their YouTube channel) already casted him. But if he got it, I would be very pleased.

Finally, I'll preface, I am going for originality. There have been SO many picks for Mr. Fantastic. I tried so desperately hard to pick actors I haven't heard brought up who can do an amazing job.

First, as always, let's look back and three renditions we got:

Ioan Gruffudd

I don't have strong feelings about this particular version of the character. He hit the notes he needed to but there really wasn't alot for him or Jessica Alba to do in the film.

Gruffudd did a solid job at playing the straight man, letting Evans and Chiklis play off of him fairly well.

He was also fairly good at playing a realistic nerd. He didn't feel like someone who was on the football team, which other Fantastics lacked. We need someone who can feel believably awkward. More Maguire less Garfield.

Miles Teller

*sigh* Fan4stic is definitely a movie.

Miles Teller and the cast do what they can with what they were given, but there isn't much for me to dissect here. Teller does a good job with the awkward nerdiness, but he lacks the believable confidence to be a leader. Fantastic should be confident in his intelligence, Teller wasn't there yet.

We need someone who can believably be a leader.

John Krasinski

I think for what he is given, Krasinski does a solid job at a particular kind of Mr. Fantastic. That is to say, he is a Mr. Fantastic who has done his three movies and has learned the importance of family and connecting with people and taking care of others.

That being said, as a flawed Fantastic, he's boring. Yes he is strong, confident, and feels like a leader, but that's all I'll give him.

So clearly, we don't have a lot to work with as far as definitive versions of the character goes.

What ethnicity is Mr. Fantastic?

Mr. Fantastic does not have a particular ethnic identity in the comics. There is one piece of comic lure that I think is interesting when discussing Mr. Fantastic, particularly in the MCU.

You see one of Reed Richards descendants is Nathaniel Richards, a time travelling super-genius from the 31st century, wo becomes a supervillain warlord known as..

Kang the Conqueror.

While his lineage is sometimes questionable, I think this wrinkle puts a potential for people of color playing this role.

However, Kang could be mixed, and with the fact Mr. Fantastic isn't really any particular ethnicity, I think casting anyone is okay.

Other Stipulations

Mr. Fantastic may be one of the major leads of the MCU moving forward. We are casting the main enemy of Galactus, Doctor Doom, and maybe even Kang. We are looking for a Downey or Evans, someone great.

As the leader of the Fantastic Four, we need someone who can believably be the smartest person in the room. With his powers, his intelligence, and his borderline madness when it comes to science, Mr. Fantastic should feel like a threat to someone like Doom.

I'm looking for someone in their mid 30s to mid 40s. He needs to feel older than Johnny but young enough to keep this going for awhile.

We need someone confident who could lead the team but can be a little awkward to be around. Almost Batman like.

I'd like taller and lanky as far as look goes, and if they can grow a nice beard that's a plus. Any ethnicity is good.

As always, I'm looking for someone who hasn't played a major superhero role.

Let's get into it:

3. Dev Patel

Kicking off our list with the safest choice, Dev Patel is one of those actors you're surprised isn't already a superhero. From roles in the Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, and Modern Love, Patel is a fan favorite actor with range to compete with the big names. At 33, He is the youngest person on my list and most qualified for the job.

He has played intelligent in roles like in Chappie, has done dangerous in the Green Knight, and villains in roles like Zuko (sorry I had to bring up The Last Airbender).

My worry with Patel is he may be a little too likeable. I want a character we can warm up to, which is hard balance. He also seems like an actor who could potentially be great as a different character. Maybe even Doctor Doom.

I definitely think he has the chops and the potential to be a great lead, not just for the Fantastic Four but the MCU.

2. Zachary Quinto

When casting in Sci-Fi, it's always good to cast someone who has pull in nerd circles.

Known for roles in Star Trek, Heroes, American Horror Story and Invincible, Zachary Quinto is always a treat to watch.

He was originally my top choice to play Doctor Strange in the MCU, but I think for those same reasons, he could do an excellent Mr. Fantastic.

Zachary Quinto is great at playing characters just a little off from human. Spock is a great example of this, but I'd look closer at Robot from Invincible. He displays real emotion through a robotic voice throughout the show, and quickly became my favorite character. I think bringing a little humanity to Reed can help us follow and grow with him as the movies progress.

Quinto also has a solid background in playing villains. He has voiced Lex Luthor, and even played a superpowered serial killer, Sylar, in the hit NBC series Heroes. I think having someone who can play a villain be beneficial to Reed, as he often feels closer to a villain than a hero.

My biggest concern with Quinto is age. At 46, he feels a bit older than I would prefer. Not that that should be a problem, but a younger Reed we can see grow into Mr. Fantastic is preferred.

Quinto also isn't typically a leading man. I'm not sure if I can see him leading the MCU in the same way I see Patel.

I think it would be a curveball pick that fans could get behind and end up loving.

1. Jerrod Carmichael

If I had a nickel for every time I casted a comedian known for stand-up over acting as my leading man, I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.

Jerrod Carmichael is one of my favorite comedians and writers working today. Known for his stand-up specials, the Carmichael show, and smaller roles in The Disaster Artist, Mid90s, and Transformers the Last Knight, Carmichael really came on my radar as an actor and a writer in his amazing movie On the Count of Three.

Also Directed by Carmichael, the film centers around two friends who decide they want to kill themselves after one last day of righting wrongs and tying up loose ends. It's an incredibly bleak, well acted, and at times funny movie, full of sadness and pain.

In the film Carmichael taps into a sadness and alienation I think would be perfect for Reed. In the film, he feels dangerous and alone.

We also known Jerrod can do comedy and likeable, which could eventually translate to a more balanced Reed Richards.

He also has a talent for writing. His stand-up special Rothaniel won him an Emmy in 2022. Imagine what he could do with Fantastic Four Screenplay.

Carmichael will also be starring in Poor Things, a new movie starring Emma Stone which appears to be getting buzz. Clearly he is expanding his acting portfolio, and the MCU is a great place to start.

I think if you want a surprise pick who can act, direct, do comedy, and write, Carmichael feels like the choice that would get people talking. I think he is the type of artist who should be leading big things like the MCU, and would look damn good wearing the 4 on his chest.

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[tiredlilguy]

[Yomi Shi]|My JJK OC

a/n: enjoy my beautiful skelly boy :3 i'll be writing oneshots about him + more posts about his family soon- also apologies if this doesn't make sense; it's just a general markup of Yomi. i currently have no character design so i'd say just use your imagination

also warning for JJK SPOILERS

yomi - “land of the dead”/“underworld”; where dead souls reside in sadness and darkness

shi (written as four) - number associated with death, because it sounds like shi (written as death)

he/they; born male, but to be honest- it’s not like it really matters because he’s decaying anyways (aw… poor guy)

27, was in the same class as Nanami; attended Jujutsu High (has a lineage of sorcerers in his family [they all got techniques that are very… halloweeny], but his technique was so unusual that by the time he reached 15, they sent him off to Jujutsu High; his family does love him tho :3)

inspired by Gashadokuro (the starving skeleton yokai) [Gashadokuro]

—

special grade sorcerer; DE is extremely powerful, second to gojo’s

the Shi family is actually a family of sorcerer’s with very… strange techniques that are quite gruesome (I’ll add more explanation in another post soon); so far his close family (mother, father, older brother and younger sister) all have cursed techniques which is very rare; they’re all sorcerer’s though :) they may just be a lil creepy

rich with old money (because they’re a huge family of sorcerer’s, but not one of the three clans); his family home is a very gothic mansion, they also have a big shaggy Komondor dog (this dog is not really that important to Yomi’s lore, but I just want to paint a picture- the dog’s name is Kumo)

he uses a cursed imbued weapon that is in the shape of a cane with a skull on it (a small hand-knife is inside of the cane if pulled out, but Yomi usually doesn’t need to/doesn’t use it) - this is gifted by his family members

Cursed Technique:

Stun (Shi family technique): stuns the victim for a short amount of time (Yomi has been able to hold a victim in a stun for 10 seconds, which is longer than the rest of his family has ever done), Yomi is able to manipulate the victim’s body/use them as a puppet or make them hurt themselves|the only exceptions to Stun are Gojo Satoru and his sister (who has a body manipulation technique)

Resistance (from his curse-imbued bandages): this enhances Yomi’s defense/makes his body somewhat of a protection of steel due to his bandages; this also enhances his body and adding another layer to his normal internal strength (though it does depend on how strong his actual body is); these bandages are very hard to pull off/do not come off unless done by Yomi or if he allows someone else to; if an opposing technique involves touching, Yomi is usually unaffected unless the bandages are ripped off of him

Timer (his actual technique): in order for Yomi to land this onto someone, Yomi must aim/land a hit on the victim in some way; the victim is set a certain amount of seconds (it’s random, but it usually varies depending on strength, age, etc) the average amount being 20 seconds to exhaust their energy; the victim can fight/function/use techniques are normal, but using all of those soon start to become more and more exhausted and demanding more out of the body/the person; as the timer goes down, actions of the victim require even more energy until they use up all of their energy and die/become exorcised

Domain Expansion: SHOWTIME! - a theatre space domain where the victim, other people, and Yomi are dressed in classic formal clothing; victim is dragged from a dressing room and onto a stage by skeleton shikigami that appear passive (these shikigami usually assist Yomi in the domain, they are seen wearing a tuxedo with a bowtie); participants in the audience are skeletons/shaded figures that clap when the victim is hit (Yomi can also drag other people into the domain that aren’t his victims, they usually are seated in the audience) people who are not considered enemies are placed in the balcony in the audience; Yomi is seated at the front and forces the victim to dance to death (victim is forcefully stunted) if victim breaks out of the dance of death, they will be eaten by a large skeleton figure that is behind the curtains (quite literally gashadokuro); however, victim can also play another sequence where they are casted onto a wheel by gashadokuro and are spun to figure out whether their soul gets to be eaten by gashadokuro (quieter death) OR are eaten alive (more brutal); the two games are decided by Yomi and whether or not he chooses to spare them (also when DE is being used, Yomi’s full human face can be seen); Yomi can reside anywhere in the audience that he chooses, but he’s usually seen front and center with his usual formal attire and his cane

burdened by a Heavenly Restriction: basically a human skeleton; is slowly decaying, set to fully die at age 50; the last time he had a fully functioning face was 20 (only his family and classmates from his high school year know what his face used to look like before it became what it is now); it's hard for him to talk at his current age (27), but he will talk when he absolutely needs to

currently at 27 still has flesh in his body that’s slowly tightening around his bones, body is still somewhat in tact and he’s actually quite strong physically wise (partially because of his bandages); has been and is held together by cursed-infused bandages that are actually imbued with a very strong curse by his grandmother

Shoko is currently studying how to heal Yomi… as sometimes when healing minor injuries, his skin comes back temporarily

covered head to toe in said bandages, which makes him appear off-putting because you quite literally cannot see his face or anything (upon first appearance, he looks like a cursed spirit almost, but he has the energy of a jujutsu sorcerer)

wears a black and white suit (white button up, tie, black jacket suit over the shoulders, black slacks, leather gloves and black combat boots)

when he joined Jujutsu High… here are the following reactions:

Gojo: thought he wasn’t real, tries to take off his head bandages (Geto stopped him)

Geto: curious about Yomi’s cursed technique (at the time Yomi appeared physically weak, aka… not rly the fit for a special grade sorcerer), but also thought that Yomi was really handsome

Shoko: thought Yomi was actively dying low-key (technically he was…); avoided smoking in front of him

Nanami: indifferent, the first person to treat Yomi like a mutual human being (Yomi has had a crush ever since)

Haibara: WOAH SKELETON DUDE

Him, Gojo, and Geto are a weird trio… are usually NEVER put together, and it happened a couple times because they wanted Yomi to come along/followed Yomi on a mission out of curiosity to watch him use his technique

enjoys black and white clothing (though, it’s not like he can see anymore), sweets (habit he picked up from SatoSugu), jewelry specifically rings (likes the noises it makes when it rattles, makes contact with a hard surface), frogs (they remind him of Nanami for some reason), miso soup (because most of what he eats is liquid based-)

not a teacher, but is often at Jujutsu High/lives nearby because he can’t really walk outside into society on a normal basis due to getting weird stares and once a guy tried to rip off his bandages

will only go out in public if it’s a drastic measure (aka… Shibuya); if he’s in front of citizen’s he’ll usually wear a mask and cap to disguise himself, as well as clothes that cover his whole body and figure

originally had no clue how to answer “Why are you at Jujutsu High?” Other than “It’s the only thing I can do until I decay and die.”; until he heard Nanami striving to use sorcery to protect people, which naturally Yomi wanted to do the same (because Yomi’s a SIMP)

will on occasion sub for Gojo, very well liked by all of them (Megumi likes him)

Him and Inumaki get along very well (the whole no talking thing); the 2nd years respect him well, the 1st years think he’s interesting, the Kyoto students are afraid of him except for Miwa (because Miwa actually sparked conversation with him); Sukuna thinks that he should just decay already (what a dick)

is very good with the students, but usually doesn’t talk/or say much unless he needs to

Yomi is very kind-hearted; will give a student a candy if he senses/notices them frown; very empathetic with other’s feelings and can understand Gojo’s loneliness very well (doesn’t really view Gojo as the strongest or anyone really… he’s neutral and thinks the ranking system and the higher ups are stupid cough like Nanami cough)

sweet and quiet kind of person, but he himself is not very emotional…? In-tune with his feelings, however, but due to energy balance, he doesn’t like to waste energy on overly expressing emotions unless he absolutely needs to (aka extreme anger, grieving… being a simp for Nanami)

can overthink though; often knows people’s first thoughts on him and tends to expect that reaction on the spot (is shocked when he doesn’t receive that from other people)

Didn’t blame Nanami for leaving because he was very close with Haibara (Itadori makes Yomi feel very protective for that reason)

was very happy to hear from Gojo that Nanami was coming back (Gojo teased the shit out of him)

Him and Gojo become close after Geto defecting

Hates his birthday, or when times passes in general (he doesn’t like thinking about when Geto left/other events that happened); likes to live in the present and not think about the past or the future (because he’ll inevitably die)

Yomi values his friendships/relationships very much; it’s the entire reason why he wants to keep living life to the fullest

Has scary dog privilege though- very intimidating on the battlefield so much so that even grade 1 curses cower in fear

He likes Halloween :3 the one day he can just be himself out in public (likes to go to arcades with Gojo if he’s free or will just go by himself) (this definitely doesn't go wrong at all)

wants to confess his feelings to Nanami (which may be mutual owo) after Shibuya

aren't i such a nice creator? (im sorry atlas and yomi- i love you both very much but the angst is fun)