#he continues to trust her with absolutely no reason to and it feeds into her own ruthless efficiency by making him her Guinea out of sorts

[makotonaegiunderstander]

do you ever go do autism crazy for something you can feel it in ur chest. like it’s hard to breathe almost it’s making you gasp for breath and jump around physically. got an adrenaline rush thinking abt Kirigiri.

[tomezatos]

so like basically in the REIGEN manga tome tries so desperately to throw herself into the center of this literal Superhuman world she sees and play the role of the eager young protagonist and its so endearing but in the end reigen has to come clean and she can’t keep using the spiritual premise as a crutch. not because she was wrong to have her whimsical interests, but because the fantasy of specialness can often be an escape from the isolation a person feels due to being unable to live up to societal ideals of normalcy, and yet in the end the fantasy can itself end up feeding directly into the isolation by obscuring your view of the other people in your life. you cannot prioritize the idea of being unique or special alone and that is the reason that the power structures in the story (as represented by roshuuto in REIGEN) so frequently fail short; because actually EVERYONE is a Pathetic Freak Weirdo Nerd Loser, from the handsome, popular rich boy, to the pretentious Dark!Reigen foil who takes himself too seriously, to all of the mundane teenage girls who the audience is initially tricked into dismissing as shallow, but also by the same token EVERYONE deserves to be loved and feel supported. 

because actually bonds with other people are the most important thing, and centrally this is also why REIGEN relies so heavily on bonds with others as something to create horror. the evil spirit mimics the voices of the ones you love and lures you in and when you’re at your most lost and scared and in need, that’s when you turn around and the face of the person you trust betrays you. tome only contracts the fatal curse in the first place because she cared about reigen and went back to make amends with him. because that’s the most horrifying, most terrifying thing, the thing that renders you absolutely helpless, isn’t it? it’s letting yourself rely on others and trust them to the point that it leaves you vulnerable, isn’t it? but you have to do it, if you want to achieve true connection then you can’t continue keeping up a veneer of Specialness and posturing as someone you’re not no matter how afraid you are of being seen as your true self. that’s the idea that really connects tome and reigen above all else. you have to be who you really are and you have to trust that you’ll be loved for it. and that’s horrifying! that’s an unimaginable, Forbidden terror! but it’s necessary. 

and also I think it’s so clever how REIGEN conveys this by only bringing in shigeo kageyama, the protagonist and most recognizable character who the reader has so many preconceived notions of, in at the last moment as a terrifying ghost who is impersonating him. I mean also it’s partially because shigeo can easily be made to look scary lol, because let’s be real, he can be pretty goddamn scary /hj BUT MOSTLY it’s to have him in his uniform, in his most recognizable and iconic form that the reader will cling to, and then have it be blown away by the post-canon shigeo, the real shigeo, the shigeo who has grown and changed and is no longer stuck in the role he once was. because to be vulnerable with others you have to grow and change and do away with old pretenses and dynamics that you’ve become dependent on. it can be scary to stop playing roles after you’ve grown use to them for so long, but you don’t need them - your most honest self will be the most loved. and also I love how just like tome could tell that it was the real reigen bcause he immediately ran into a spiderweb and yelled, you can tell that it’s the real shigeo because he’s immediately rude as fuck and he and reigen literally instantly go into their mean pithy little affectionate banter lol ok sorry anyway.

and also because you cannot really be any more or less special than anyone else and you need bonds with others, it’s true both that you have to rely on other people, but also that you owe it to them to be kind. reigen is literally a normal person working in the spirit business, so he has to rely on other people with the necessary abilities, such as dimple the spirit and serizawa the psychic, yes, but he also does his part to take care of the people who matter to him. roshuuto is so focused on appearances and power - as shown by how he goes on and on about connections - but when it comes down to it, he was not willing to save others (leaving hoshido in Reliance), and so nobody bothered trying to save him in turn. he only abandoned, and was abandoned. this is shown most acutely in the end by how roshuuto “has no other option” but to pass his curse on to someone else to save himself, while reigen “has no other option” to take on a curse to save someone else. reigen and serizawa accepting their responsibility as adults to protect the children around them is an extension of the idea that you are equal to everyone and are obligated to be kind to your loved ones and recieve kindness in turn. anyway mutual trust and communication is all that matters and tome kurata is The protagonist of all time Sorry,

[lunarflux]

x: Thomas Shelby found his match in an information bookie who has eluded the grasp of the Peaky Blinders long enough to crumble their power over Birmingham. But at last, he found you. The ghost he'd been chasing was finally in front of him, but you were trickier than he expected. Dangerous, cunning - and a bit too much like himself. To buy your loyalty, he would have to sell his in equal measure. Loyalty for loyalty - blood for blood - how much were either of you willing to spill before the game changed entirely?

a/n: this is honestly my favorite chapter. when i imagine feminine rage, i imagine a room full of glass shattering. in the same breath, absolute agony and pain feeding the rage is just ugh poetic as hell

part 21: in sadness, she walks (in silence, she screams)

word count: 1,859 tag: @bruhidkjustwannaread | @rubyxx16 | @bellabarnes1378 | @johnmurphys-sass

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The tension in the room was thick as Arthur stood by the mantle at Arrow House, swirling the whiskey in his glass. You sat stiffly on the sofa, hands clenched in your lap. Tommy leaned over the sofa just beside you like he wanted to make sure you were ready for whatever you were about to hear. He watched Arthur with an unblinking stare. Michael and Finn sat at a small table with their hands in their pockets. John perched on the arm of a chair, while Polly stood by the window, her expression unreadable.

Arthur hadn’t spoken yet, letting the weight of his silence build. Your gaze was fixed on the floor, your usual composure showing cracks that only those close to you would notice.

“You’d best start talkin’, Arthur,” John finally said, breaking the silence.

Arthur sighed, setting his glass down with a heavy thud. “Made a trip to London yesterday,” he said, his voice rough. He didn’t look at you as he began. Instead, he stared into the fire, as though the flames could help him piece the story together.

“Went to see Ezra's father, Frank,” Arthur continued. “Man’s been livin’ in his own little hell since Ezra died. Grief’ll do that to you, you know that. He told me what happened that night. Why he told y/n to leave.”

Your eyes snapped up to Arthur, but you didn't speak.

He turned to face you, his gaze steady but filled with something softer than pity. “He said... an old family friend—a man he trusted named Alfred Bingham told him that you pushed Ezra too far. That you were the reason he had the seizure.”

You stared at Arthur, but he saw the shadow of those old accusations in your eyes.

“And he believed him,” Arthur said, his voice quieter. “Frank believed every bloody word.”

Your lips parted, but no words came out.

“Bingham twisted him up good,” Arthur went on. “But Frank wasn’t just angry at you. He was angry at himself. At Ezra. At the whole damn situation. I think all of us in this room know that sometimes we will find any reason to blame anyone but ourselves. We also know, all too well, that when we grieve... We make terrible decisions. I think, now, Mr. Hargreaves knows the weight of his mistake.”

Tommy’s voice cut through the quiet like a blade. “What about Ezra?”

Arthur’s gaze shifted to Tommy, and his expression darkened. “Spoke to the doctor who was there when it happened. He said Ezra had a moment where he came out of it. He was awake but weak. And then he said,” Arthur hesitated, then looked back at you. “In his last moments, he asked for you. Said your name, not out of anger—out of love.”

The room went still. You didn’t move, didn’t speak. It was as if Arthur’s words had frozen you in place. Polly took a step closer, concern etched into her face, but you raised a hand to stop her.

Arthur pressed on. “He wanted to say goodbye. Poor bastard must've known his time was up. Ezra loved you, y/n. Right to the end. And the doctor made it clear—saw it with my own eyes that even he remembered what the room felt like. He felt Ezra's desperation for you. None of this was your fault.”

Then, with an abruptness that startled even Tommy, you stood. The sofa scraped against the floor, the sound jarring in the heavy silence.

“Is that all?” you asked, your voice unnervingly calm.

Arthur frowned. “y/n—”

“Is that all?” you repeated, louder this time. You didn't wait for a response as you headed towards the door.

“y/n,” Polly called after you, concern laced in her voice.

Finn stepped forward, but you slammed the door, the echo reverberating through the room. Tommy placed his hand on Finn's shoulder with a squeeze, silently telling him to stay there.

Tommy sighed, tossing his cigarette into an ashtray. “I’ll handle it.”

✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒

The cold air hit you like a slap, but you barely noticed. You marched into the gardens, your breath coming in sharp, shallow bursts. Your hands trembled as she gripped the edge of your blouse, your knuckles turning white as you twisted and tore at the fabric.

This was what it felt like—of the many moments where you thought the walls were caving in, this was so much worse. It wasn't just the walls. The air turned to ash and soot gathering at the bottom of your lungs until breathing turned painful. Hornets crawled up your neck, a thousand pricks of memories—of moments you wasted feeling nothing. The firm hand of guilt, the hand of what you thought was an old friend, turned into a cruel stranger, ready to squeeze your throat until you screamed.

Tommy found you seconds later, his footsteps soft against the gravel. He stayed back for a moment, watching as you struggled to catch your breath, your chest rising and falling in rapid, uneven movements.

“y/n,” he said gently, approaching you cautiously.

“Don’t,” you snapped, your voice shrill and unsteady. You held up your head in a silent threat. “Don’t come any closer.”

Tommy ignored you, stepping closer. “You’re having a panic attack,” he said calmly. “Breathe. Slowly. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”

“Don't fucking touch me!” you wailed, eyes shutting tight as you shook your head. “I can’t… Tommy, I—”

“Use it,” he said firmly, his hand settling on your shoulder.

“What the hell does that even mean?” you snapped.

“Use it,” he repeated, his tone sharper. “The anger. The guilt. The sadness. All of it. Stop fucking fighting it, and use it.”

You shook your head violently again, turning away from him. “You don’t understand. You don’t—”

“Use it,” Tommy interrupted, his voice cutting through your resistance.

Your chest tightened. You opened your eyes, gleaming with tears and bloodshot scars “I can’t,” you whispered, your voice trembling.

“You can,” he said, stepping closer again.

Your body trembled, your defenses cracking under the weight of his words. You felt the rage and grief clawing their way to the surface, demanding to be acknowledged.

But you resisted. “No,” you whispered, shaking your head again, you voice tight and strained.

“You have to. Or it's never going to stop.”

Tommy's words shattered the last of your control. You could only think to describe what happened next as a window shattering—but not from a bullet. It was a grenade. First the glass, and then the explosion, a room engulfed in blue flames. Only in this case, you didn't know if you were the window or the grenade.

A raw, guttural scream tore from your throat, the sound ripping through the still night air. You bent over to expel every last drip of sound from your lungs, your hands clawing at your chest as if trying to tear the pain out of your body. Your legs gave out, but Tommy was there before you could hit the ground. He caught you, his arms steady and unrelenting, holding you as you sobbed.

The anger poured out of you in waves—screams that dissolved into gasping sobs, your fists pounding weakly against Tommy’s chest before falling limp. Through it all, Tommy stayed silent, solid as a rock, his presence grounding you as you let the storm rage on.

When the last of your screams faded into quiet, broken breaths, you sagged against him, your face buried in his coat. You trembled in his arms, exhausted and empty.

“I didn’t mourn him,” you said finally, your voice barely above a whisper. “Not properly. I couldn’t. I—I was too angry. Too guilty. It hurt too much, so I just… locked it all away.”

Tommy crouched beside you, his piercing blue eyes meeting yours. “And now it’s catching up with you.”

You nodded, your fingers clutching at the fabric of his coat. “I didn’t let myself feel it. Not any of it. And now…” You let out a bitter laugh.

“And now, you let it go,” Tommy said without hesitation. “You felt it all at once. Now, it's time.”

You looked at him, eyes swimming with tears. “You sound like you're speaking from experience.”

“I’ve carried guilt like that,” Tommy said simply. “And I know it doesn’t do anyone any good—not you, not him. Ezra wanted you to live. He wanted you safe. That’s why he called for you.”

You let out a shaky breath, your face dropping into your hands. For a long moment, you said nothing, the only sound the distant rustle of leaves in the wind.

Finally, you looked up at him, your expression raw and vulnerable. “What now?”

“Now, you live,” Tommy said softly. “In whatever way you know how.”

✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒✒

Arthur stood by the door, his eyes flitting between you and Tommy, silently taking in the way you stayed together on the ground, intertwined and coiled together. There was an unspoken rhythm between you, a quiet understanding that spoke volumes. Arthur knew Tommy well—had for years—and even though Tommy’s shoulders were tense and his jaw tight, there was something unshakable in his face. The way his eyes never left you when you spoke. The way the tension in his body began to melt, slowly, at your presence.

Michael, leaning against the far wall, let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He watched you two more than he wanted to. You weren’t just with Tommy—you were in Tommy’s world, with all its grit, its violence, its uncertainty. And Tommy welcomed you with open arms. It was clear to Michael now, more than it had ever been, that you weren't someone Tommy was willing to lose. You were something else to him, something deeper than any of them had fully grasped.

Even John, who had seen more of Tommy than anyone, felt the shift. He wasn’t close enough to hear the words exchanged between you two, but he’d watched the way Tommy held your gaze, the intensity in it. And when you moved closer, the fraction of space between them closing in a way that wasn’t about proximity—it was about something felt through a means other than touch. He saw Tommy’s chest rise and fall, almost like a man finally able to breathe after being suffocated for far too long.

Arthur crossed his arms, his gaze hardening slightly as he considered the way the two of you were. “Christ, they're something else,” he murmured, mostly to himself, though Michael nodded in quiet agreement. He didn’t need to say more; the two of them had been through a lot, together and apart. Arthur understood the weight that came with being part of Tommy’s world, but this—this was something else entirely.

“They’re bound by more than blood and money,” Michael said, his voice low. “I don’t know how much longer Tommy’s going to be able to keep it under wraps. She’s... everything to him. And she knows it.”

Polly slowly walked up to the door, standing between Arthur and Michael. There was a melancholy smile on her face as she looked out to you and Tommy.

"That's love, gentleman," she nodded to Michael. "It's not blood and money. That, right there, is the willing, equal exchange of power between a King and his Queen. They share the throne. And God help any man who tries to take that away from them."

[toon-topaz]

The vampire if how overprotective does the rest of the cast get when they find out Subaru's not a vampire like one to ten scale

Oh boyyy this is gonna be fun Scale is gonna be from 1 (Doesn't give a fuck) to 10 (keep him on a leash at all times good god)

Emilia - Emilia found out at the beginning of arc 2, once she brought Subaru in for Beatrice to heal him. She then spends the entire series horrified at the lengths he will go to to protect her, or prove himself or whatever the hell he's trying to do. Especially after he got mauled by the Ulgarm, her worry for him increased tenfold, and then another tenfold after he challenged Julius. Her reasoning for leaving him behind in arc 3 is in part because she sincerely believes herself to be a bad omen, because of Subaru's continued offers for her to bite him (he thinks it'll be romantic and doesn't understand how weird that is), she thinks he might have some kind of brain damage after what Julius did to him. She believes she may actually end up getting him killed (little does she know, it's already happened, a lot), but also that she might lose control one day because damn, his blood smells nice. By arc 4, she understands his reasoning a bit more, but still hates to see him constantly putting himself in harm's way, and considers it extremely important for him to continue hiding his true identity. Despite not being the best liar herself, she's dedicated to keeping him safe, but will usually just avoid talking about it. In a way she feels kinship with him, as they both need to be careful about going out in public, due to her identity as a Witch of Envy lookalike, and his identity as what's essentially a talking prey animal. 8/10

Beatrice - Beatrice also knew the moment she met him, her ability to read Mana coming in handy for this. At first, she finds him more annoying and stupid, and even when she starts to like him more, her reluctance to exit her shell and bare her vulnerabilities prevent her from being too involved in what he's doing. After their contract, she's about as protective of him as in canon. Beatrice isn't a vampire, she's a spirit, and so she doesn't have any reason to be scared of herself losing control and attacking him. He's her contractor, she cares for him and his safety and will protect him with her life, but she also trusts him to take care of himself. She knows he may be reckless, but he's not stupid. 5/10

Rem - Rem finds out in arc 2, once it has to be explained to the staff that they need to somehow find a food source just to feed this one guy. Needless to say, she finds it incredibly suspicious, especially when in earlier loops Subaru keeps tailing Emilia and casually suggesting they have a taste of his blood. He has to be up to something. Not to mention, there's not only a ridiculously sweet scent wafting off of him whenever he accidentally cuts himself, but there's also constantly the smell of the Witch on him. She's fully convinced he's a Witch Cult plant, some kind of fabricated existence meant to be as tempting as possible. She does actually end up biting him, in the loops where she kills him, to punish him for daring to step foot in her sister's home. After the Ulgarm fight, she becomes one of his most fervent protectors, while also passively encouraging his reckless behavior. His weakness is also a strength in her eyes, as it gives him a unique kind of bravery she's absolutely in love with. She won't stop him from getting into trouble, but she will without hesitation kill anybody who dares attempt to harm her Subaru-kun. He could walk into Hell and she would follow him unflinchingly. Rem is hard to categorize, because her protectiveness of him is filtered through her view of him as her hero. She doesn't want to stifle him, but in the process enables a lot of his bad habits, opting to take action to defend him in the moment, rather than preventing him from getting into danger in the first place. It helps that she knew the moment she met him. 7?/10

Ram - Ram also knows right off the bat, and she's initially a bit wary, like her sister. Depending on how suspicious Rem is of him, her own concerns vary. She's a lot quicker to understand that he's just kinda stupid however. Ram does care for him, but holds no small amount of exaggerated disdain, usually teasing him for his weakness and taunting him with his status as food, with such charming nicknames as "cattle", "pig", and "snack". It's all in good fun, but it's also a subtle warning to him to not get careless. Sometimes she brings him grass, for their "livestock", and he responds to the jab by shoving it in his mouth while maintaining full eye contact. 4/10

Otto - Otto genuinely has no idea until, like, Subaru's knighting ceremony at the end of arc 4. He's absolutely piss drunk when he finds out, and it sends him into a goddamn crisis. He feels like a fucking idiot for not realizing his incredibly fragile best friend is not in fact, a vampire with a chronic health problem, but apparently he's been a whole other species this entire time. He's starting to wonder if Subaru technically counts as an animal, and the only reason they're able to get along so well is because of Otto's Divine Protection. Knowing this now, he sees how Subaru never seems to eat the same meals as everybody else, he's never shared a glass of blood with anyone, and no, that sweet smell is not just Otto's imagination. Otto's dedication is second only to Emilia's with helping Subaru keep his secret from everybody else, and he's a much better liar than her. He essentially crafts Subaru a whole fake backstory, makes it absolutely fucking airtight, and all but forbids him from speaking to strangers without at least one bug tailing him to report back to Otto. If he could he'd ground him to his room forever. About half the paperwork he does now involves forging Subaru's legal documents (which he apparently didn't have for a whole two-ish months??? He's lucky nobody bothered to check), birth certificate, Lugunican citizenship, etc. Poor Otto is about to have an aneurysm every time Subaru goes anywhere. 9/10

Garfiel - Garfiel thinks this is the coolest ever actually. He finds out while fighting Elsa, and at first he's pissed cuz y'know, she hurt his Captain, but once the dust settles he's actually thrilled to find out that the dude he looks up to is part of a long extinct legendary species he's read about in all his favorite stories. A lot of the heroes of legend were human, and he really admires Subaru's tenacity despite his weakness. Everyone's a little fragile to Garf after all, so the most he'll do is offer to train Subaru to fight or dodge better, and act as his bodyguard when he goes out in public. Alas, he's bad at keeping a secret. He will punch anyone who fucks with the Captain though. 5/10

Frederica and Petra - Frederica learns when she comes back to maid duty, and Petra needs to be informed once she gets hired. I don't have much to say about them, but Frederica makes sure Subaru gets proper nourishment, and Petra is a little weirded out that she can lift Subaru up with ease, but she's mostly chill about it. Sometimes they team up with Otto to keep an eye on him. 6/10

Roswaal - This fucking guy knew before Subaru even got here. He's been growing orchards in his backyard in preparation for the day his favorite little pawn would show up. His sacrificial lamb. He's been doing everything he can to put Subaru in harm's way, knowing he can just try again if things go wrong. He fully believes in him to pull through somehow, even as he actively throws him to the wolves. Not only that, but Roswaal is one of the only vampires alive who was once human 400 years ago, so he knows how it feels to be preyed upon, and yet he could not give less of a shit as long as Subaru helps him achieve his goal. 0/10

Part 1/2

[scoonsalicious]

Unwanted: Chapter 28, Unwanted - Pt. 1

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader

Summary: When your FWB relationship with your best friend Bucky Barnes turns into something more, you couldn’t be happier. That is, however, until a new Avenger sets her sights on your super soldier and he inadvertently breaks your heart. You take on a mission you might not be prepared for to put some distance between the two of you and open yourself up to past traumas. Too bad the only one who can help you heal is the one person you can no longer trust.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, violence, death

Word Count: 861

Previously On...: You're boyfriend's back and Jade's gonna be in trouble. Hey na, hey na...

A/N: THREE MORE CHAPTERS LEFT OMG HOW DID WE GET HERE?!

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Banner By: The absolutely amazing @mrsbuckybarnes1917!

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

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Jade was dragging you through the hallways of the base by your hair as she frantically searched for an exit that would keep her out of Bucky’s reach. At first, you tried to keep track of the path you took, making note of turns and counting doorways as you were pulled down long corridors in case the opportunity to escape presented itself and you had to retrace your steps, but the route was so convoluted, and your head so battered, that you quickly lost track of where you were going, and any sense of direction you’d been able to hold onto. 

“I need eyes,” Jade said, more to herself than to you, and soon she was shifting directions. Within moments, she was throwing open a metal door that appeared to lead to a security center. Tossing you unceremoniously inside, she bolted the door behind her and heaved a heavy breath.

“What’s the matter?” you asked, your tone dangerously mocking. “If he loves you as much as you think he does, you shouldn’t have any reason to run from him.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up,” Jade chanted. She moved over to the row of security monitors and began quickly cycling through the screens. “Gotta find an exit,” she murmured to herself. “There has to be a way out where he won’t see.”

You took the opportunity her distraction provided to study the rest of the monitors, hoping to find some subtle way to contact Bucky, to let him know where you were or, at the very least, to try and find an escape route of your own. 

“How did he know where to find you?” Jade muttered as she continued to flip through the feeds.

You opted not to answer; you’d be a fucking idiot to reveal your distress bangle now. If you could keep it a secret from Jade, you’d ensure that Bucky would have the ability to find you, no matter where she ended up taking you. It would also let him know you were still alive.

You scanned the rest of the monitors, instead, and were shocked by what you saw: Room after room was littered in corpses; bloody, mangled, bodies where there had once been Hydra agents. Your eyes landed on a monitor in the far left corner of the room, and you saw him. Bucky was covered head to toe in the blood of his enemies, dual guns raised in the air as he opened fire on anyone who stood in his way. Though you couldn’t hear the words coming from his mouth, you could read his lips well enough to know he was screaming your name, searching for you as he tore through the facility, slaughtering every Hydra operative that crossed his path.

You had never seen him so enraged before. Yes, you knew that, as the Winter Soldier, he’d been capable of immense violence– you’d seen video footage of him in action, after all, but this? This was so much worse than that. Because Soldat complied. And Bucky Barnes? He was out for blood.*

You should have been frightened by the blatant display of absolute brutality, should have been repulsed by it. But instead, it excited you. It thrilled you, because you knew that he was doing this for you. To get you back, to keep you safe. He was willing to damn his soul to hell to protect you when you needed him. You should have been disgusted, but you’d never been more turned on by him in your life.

“Gotcha!” Jade exclaimed, drawing your attention back to her. She’d stopped her cycling through the security feeds on a non-descript door that, so far, seemed to have been spared from the ongoing carnage. Moving to a locker beside the desk, Jade reached inside and pulled out a handgun and several clips of ammo, tucking them snuggly into her belt.

“Come on,” she said, reaching out and grabbing your hair once more. “You’re my human shield for getting out of here.” She dragged you back out of the security station and into the hallway, looking both ways before turning left and sprinting down the corridor. It was all you could do to keep up; you had no doubt that if you faltered, she’d drag you across the floor behind her without a second thought. 

In minutes, you were at the door you’d seen in the feed. Jade let go of your hair and trained her gun on your head. “Open it,” she commanded. 

You winced in pain as you yanked on the door with your right hand, the left dangling limply and uselessly at your side. “Hurry up!” Jade shouted at you.

“I’m trying,” you grunted as you pulled. “The door’s fucking heavy, and in case you forgot, I’m down an arm because of you.”

“Jesus Christ,” Jade grumbled, reaching around you to yank the door open, herself. “Do I have to do fucking everything around here?” She jabbed the barrel of her gun into your back. “Go,” she urged.

You stepped into the darkness of the open tunnel and, doing your best not to stumble or jostle your ruined arm, began to walk.

<- Previous Chapter / Next Part ->

[genichisojo]

Chihiro's Age and Being the Perfect 18 Year Old Protagonist

Today I will be breaking down Kagurabachi's Chihiro’s age and why he’s a great 18 yr old protagonist and acts his age. Please forgive if my current DC brain rot bleeds into this.

I think Chihiro’s core can attributed to growing up being loved and respected by his parents. One of the first conversations is Kunishige telling Chihiro that if he wants to be a blacksmith like him and carry the burden of the role’s consequences, “…If that’s how you feel, all that’s left, is for me to believe in you.”

I think when you grow up with a loving parent like that, that loving voice is always in your head. He reminds me of that joke that the reason Superman is so good is because both of his parents loved him unconditionally. But who do we get when you have loving parents who get killed in a traumatic way in front of you? Batman, hi! Hi, Batman! Hi! AKA “that nut from Gotham city” and Chihiro already has such a reputation. Not as a psycho, but he’s deemed dangerous and strong. He’s someone to keep an eye out for now. He’s been underestimated before this arc because of his age.

I personally think that had Kunishige never been murdered, Chihiro wouldn’t had ever chosen to wield a blade unless it came to a time of war. But he adapted to the idea easily because he’s been preparing himself his whole life to be responsible for deaths as a blacksmith. What’s the difference anyways when you’re the wielder? Probably a lot, but you’re a teenager and want one thing, and it’s the right thing in your mind so let’s just start moving.

He has assigned himself the responsibility to get the katanas back and get revenge, and he’s very set on it in a one track, 18 yr old way. When Char got taken, his mind was on getting her back. When Sojo was doing his shit, his mind was on taking him down. Then he immediately moves back into getting back the katanas, not really taking time to process literally losing a limb after already not fully healing from a hospital visit. He’s reckless with his physical health- typical for his age.

Older characters around him also treat him his age. Shiba doesn’t really leave him out of his sight if we’re real about it. He lets him fight on his own and trusts that Chihiro has a handle on things because he knows him and probably trained him. He would’ve gone in during the first fight with Sojo had Azami not stopped him. He is willing to hop in when things get bad, and he will always be there to catch him, but overall, he knows he’s old enough to handle physical strain. Still, there’s that famous moment in the train at the beginning where Shiba does warn Chihiro all the hatred he’s been carrying is “…gonna break you.”

Chihiro asks in return, “So you wanna stop me?” And neither of them says anything and continue to go about their mission. Shiba respects Chihiro and his choices, understands he’s an adult and this is what he wants, but he looks out for him because at the end of the day, he’s still eighteen. And his best friend’s baby.

We also have Azami who summoned the Kamunabi because although he he’s been told Chihiro can fight, he also knew that he had never fought another enchanted blade wielder before and knew the city damage could get crazy. In a way, I think it was also a way to keep an eye on him because he doesn’t want him to get hurt, either. Azami has been proven to be sentimental with his phone lockscreen. He kept Chihiro’s existence a secret because until KB’s starting point, he was a child. He’s barely an adult, and Azami who hadn’t seen him in a while, is still like I guess he can handle it, if Shiba says and then absolutely not.

My final point is that Chihiro treats children well. He talks to children in a way kids like to be talked to- like real people. Kids say crazy things, but he still took time to feed and talk to Char and take her seriously even before they were attacked. The same thing occurs with Mr. Inazuma. He gets down to their level, listens to them in the way his father listened to him, and he goes along with what they want while making sure they’re not going to die.

Chihiro was shown to have been a responsible child and he had to grow up quick to be able to accomplish his goals. In a way, an indirect goal of his is to protect the innocent- children. He knows what it’s like to be a defenseless child and to have nobody run to your aid, so he acts the most rational when other people’s lives are on the line. And when it all falls on his life, he lets himself get a little bit reckless because that’s just what allegedly blood thirsty 18 yr old boys do. I’ll come back to the allegedly later.

[ya-bug-boy]

Please do a part 2 this has me on the edge of my seat!

Warden Ingo x Demon Reader Part Two

As much as you wanted to depart right this minute, you looked at the state of the warden before you. Sunken eyes and thin. With an annoyed breath, you order him to follow you back to your cabin. He hesitates until you point out how weak he has become. You can tell by just looking at him that he hasn't rested nor eaten, his coat and clothes are drenched with river water, demanding next that he follows your orders until you can make a proper plan to find Akari. Begrudgingly, he follows you, wary mercury eyes watching the Zoroarks eyeing him.

Your cabin was nicer than he expected but it's because you had been living here for some time. He asks how you made it and you tell him plainly that you stole the cabin materials from Jubilife Vilage before they had made that gate. He's baffled at that.

As irritated as you are, you provide for the human. You make a fire, give him jerky and water to drink. Then you start a game of questions with him. You answer one of his questions and vice versa.

First question. "What involvement do you have with Akari?" Ingo says first. You roll your eyes and tell him plainly that you have no ill intent with the child. She seeks refuge in your forest from time to time when she's doing survey work. You clean her wounds, feed her, and let her rest under your pack's protection.

Second question, you ask him, "Who are you?" He then says that he's a warden of the Pearl Clan...and would consider himself to be an associate of Akari's. With that said, you start to list names of the Pearl Clan Wardens, watching his reaction when you say his name. When he asks how you knew it, you tell him, "Akari tells me everything. Including how the leaders force a young girl to do the most dangerous tasks that should be left for experts." You watch him shrink in size.

"Are you responsible for the sky turning red?" "Obviously NOT, human. And I'm absolutely certain that neither is she."

". . . so what is?" You close your eyes and huff, "I don't know. And I don't know where she could be either, if that was your next question."

And with that, Ingo looks defeated. You have no reason to trust him yet but he was the only link you had to Akari.

Your pack returns, one of them howling and clawing at the door. You open to look at them.

One of them is clutching Akari's hankerchief, the one she wears on her head. You're filled with dread. "Can you follow the scent?" you ask your pack. The one that presented you the cloth, closes its eyes and nods its head.

You look at him coldly, your tall form dwarfing him as you get close to his face. "I have no interest in the other humans EXCEPT for Akari. She is the only friend I have. . . and I see her almost as my daughter. If you care for her at all, you will either join me in my quest to find her or go back to the village." Before Ingo can interject you continue, "You will follow my exact orders. You will follow my orders to eat. Sleep. Rest. If Akari is important to you, then most certainly you are to her as well and I will not be held responsible for your death. Do I make myself clear."

Putting his hat back on his head, Ingo gives you a firm look. "I will not be a distraction. I swear to you."

You stare him down. He doesn't back down.

"We leave at dawn. Get rest."

[idontplaytrack]

The ten-day window

Janis ‘Imi’ike x fem! reader

Warnings: hospital settings, sickness

A race against the clock… | Other parts to the series here.

“Hey, baby.” Regina answered the call, sounding slightly sleepy.

“So, um, I know it’s late I’m sorry.” You swallowed thickly.

“It’s okay, what’s the matter?” Regina assured.

“Kalia’s been having a fever for like, three days so we took her to the doctor and the fever goes away but comes back no matter what we’re trying and I just— I don’t think that— that’s okay.”

“Is she feeding?” Regina asked, more awake now knowing the topic of the conversation.

“At first, she was but then now she’s just irritable and always in tears. Janis is working late and I’m alone.”

“Are aunty and uncle home?”

“Yeah, but they’re asleep, I mean…”

“Baby, wake them if you need help.” Regina said back, “If she’s not feeding, she’s going to be dehydrated so try again to get something in her system. But y/n, trust your gut. If you think she has to be seen again by a doctor, go.”

“Yeah…” You sighed, “Three days of a fever is a good reason to get another opinion.”

“If you need anything at all, call me.” Regina said, “Okay? Anytime.”

“Thanks, Reg. Good night.”

Once you hung up, Akoni opened up the bedroom door and peeked inside. “Hi, sweetheart.” He whispered, “How’s the fever?”

“It’s not going down.” You looked at him, helpless, “Why are her lips so red?”

“And her eyes.” Akoni squinted in the dimly lit room to take a better look.

You exhaled deeply, “Will you drive us to the hospital?”

“Certainly, sweetheart. Come on.”

During the drive to a different paediatric hospital, Akoni sends Janis a voice message to let her know where the three of you were. You held the squirmy one and a half year old in your arms while she was screaming and crying her head off. You bounced her lightly and rubbed her back, but it doesn’t work like it usually would.

You were going to cry yourself.

Eventually, you arrived at the hospital and Kalia was fortunately seen pretty quickly due to her high temperature. But, the doctor was an absolute disaster.

“I think it’s just a normal cold or flu. It’s a common thing for kids, with their weaker immune system and all, you know?”

“It’s…not just a cold or the flu.” You replied, “Are you looking at the same child I am, doctor?”

Before the doctor could respond, Janis got here too and saw how distraught you were.

“I think three days of a high fever that doesn’t break warrants a more indepth check.” Janis said firmly, “She’s not eating, she’s screaming her head off.”

“So that’s a tantrum.” The doctor chuckled.

“I know my child’s tantrums better than you do, doctor.” You spat, “She has a rash, her fever isn’t going down, her lips are red, so is her tongue and her eyes. In what world does a ‘normal’ viral infection look like that?!” You yelled.

Lack of sleep, frustration and worry balled into one does that to you.

“Calm down, Mrs…’Imi’ike.” The doctor squints, unsure.

“Do not tell me to calm down.” You snapped, “I have been awake for two days trying to take care of my baby. Do you think I would be here in this cesspool for a bacterial infection if I didn’t need to be?”

Kalia was crying the whole time, and the doctor was too okay with what he was seeing. No worry, no nothing. Just a stupid smile on his face that he thinks would make everything better.

“A rash?” The doctor nearly scoffed, “Big deal. So it’s HFMD then. Another common thing I see in kiddos.”

“Excuse me?” Janis arched a brow at the young doctor.

“Hand foot mouth disease.” He crossed his arms on his chest, “Take her home, try and get her to drink and feed. Over the next two days, she’ll be all good again.”

“She hasn’t had a proper feed since she got the fever.” Akoni chimed in.

“Because she’s sick, hence poorer appetite.” The doctor continued, all full of himself.

“You know what? It’s 2 in the morning and I am so damn exhausted. So if you say we’re going home, we’re going home. Because it seems like we’re not gonna get any more help from you. But don’t be surprised if you see us in the halls again, doc.” You stood up from the seat and just left. Janis and Akoni followed right behind you. While you made your exit, a few pairs of worried eyes followed your movement. Kalia crying so much was definitely annoying others, but nothing you did so far stopped her from it.

Janis took her from you to give you a little break. Still, she was crying and crying, and crying. Only just slightly calmer when either of you were holding her. The worst part was when you put her down in her crib, because the crying was worse. You figured she was just feeling more comforted while being in the arms of her parents. But shit, you were exhausted.

And so continued the shift-style caring for Kalia. Akoni was up first, looking after her while you napped. Janis showered and tried to convince you to do the same, but you immediately fell asleep instead so she didn’t push you. You needed the sleep. You woke up around sunrise to Janis trying to feed Kalia, but she flat out refused. “Mamaaa.” Once she saw you, she was crying for you and that shit broke your heart every damn time. Janis handed her to you, you took her quickly. “Hi, baby girl.” You stroked her cheek, looking at her face.

“Janis?” You narrowed your eyes at what you were seeing.

“Yeah?”

“Her neck.” You stated, “It’s swollen.”

Janis stood up and took a closer look, “Yeah that doctor was wrong. So fucking wrong, we’re going back. Come on.”

“Yeah, let’s—”

Your phone rang and it was an unknown number so you just carried on with leaving the house. Janis was damn near speeding and pissing off everyone else on the road but she didn’t give a shit and neither did you.

“Yeah, we’re gonna need to see another doctor—” Janis spoke to the front desk.

“We called— we were expecting you.”

“What?”

“Like half hour ago.” The nurse said, handing Janis the sign in sheet. “Just head right in to consult room 4. The doctor’s waiting for you.”

Janis knocked, then the three of you walked into the room. “I’m Dr. Santiago.” He began, “I overheard the conversation you had early this morning with a doctor on my team. You two were right, he was wrong about the diagnoses. I’m almost certain your daughter has Kawasaki Disease.”

“She’s exhibiting the symptoms: the rash, persistent fever, red eyes and lips, swollen glands so swollen neck…I want to do some tests quickly to be certain then start the treatment.”

“Usually the disease can cause cardiovascular problems, but you’re on day three, day four so we’re quite early on in the 10-day window. I’m gonna order an echocardiogram, a blood and urine tests to rule out or confirm any conditions.”

This doctor explained as he worked, so as jarring as everything was, you were glad Kalia was finally getting the help she needed. All her test results were expedited because Dr. Santiago put the word in on the suspected diagnosis. And that disease, was a race against the clock.

“I need one of you to sign the hospitalisation paperwork. Kalia will need to be admitted. We’re getting started on the IVIG, this essentially tries to normalise her immune system to counter the disease.”

“Okay, yeah.” You nodded.

“Come with me.” A nurse led you to a different area to settle the paperwork. Janis stayed with Kalia in the meantime.

“It’s not contagious, but because it causes inflammation, in the walls of small to medium-sized blood vessels that carry blood throughout the body...the kids are crying and uncomfortable. Kawasaki disease most often affects the heart arteries in children, but is highly treatable.”

The treatment’s been started now, but you and Janis were still on edge, hearts racing and all. The last hour alone was insanity.

“I’ll check in on her regularly to make sure she’s responding to the treatment, but until then, you and your wife just take a breather.”

“What— what is the cause?”

“The cause is unknown but with her being under five and being of pacific islander descent puts her at higher risk.”

“Oh.” Janis exhaled.

“As of now, blood tests show an elevated white blood cell count, and the echocardiogram doesn’t show anything of concern. But she’s taken care of. Calming down some.” Dr. Santiago noted, “While she rests and get the treatment…you and your wife need to take care of yourselves. Eat, drink, take naps.”

“We’re trying, doc. Thank you, oh my God.” Janis almost burst into tears from the relief.

“I’ll be back in about half an hour. In the meantime, any questions?”

“No, I— I don’t even know what to ask. I’m just glad she’s getting the help she needs right now.”

“Nurses’ station is right out there so if you need anything, let them know. I’ll see you later.”

Janis calmed herself down while Dr. Santiago leaves, texting her Dad to update him. Now she was just watching Kalia properly sleep for the first time in three days while waiting for you. And her Dad— who just replied saying that he was on his way.

“Janis.” You walked in quietly. She looks up from the hospital bed, “Hi, honey.” Smiling softly, she held out her arm to let you grab her hand.

“I uh, walked by this sandwich vending machine on my way back from the registration place. Here. It’s hot.” You handed her a sandwich.

“Thank you.” She kissed your cheek, pulling you in by the waist and just hugged you like that, “You eat up, too, okay? Sit down.” Janis guided you onto her lap, and you didn’t fight it. You were just glad to be able to sit down, now somewhat at ease.

After you finished your sandwich, you got the time to check your phone. You then realised you hadn’t had the chance to keep Regina in the loop. Or anyone else, for that matter. So, you shot a text in the groupchat with all your friends and Regina to give them an update too.

You were still sleepy, Janis on the other hand was more awake. Because while you had to take time off work to take care of Kalia, Janis had been going to work so she still tried to get some sleep at night. Also, she was just used to staying up longer than you were. Always been that way. “Go take a nap on that couch.”

You shook your head, “So I take two naps and you take none?”

“I’m not tired.” Janis rubbed your back, “If you need it, take it. Kalia’s sleeping too.” You eventually sat down on the couch in the room and promptly proceeded to nod off once again. You didn’t want to lie down on a hospital couch, so you fell asleep while sitting. Even then, you didn’t sleep for too long and you knew that because you saw Santiago checking on Kalia when you opened your eyes. Janis was putting her phone down. “She’s responding to the IVIG, and she seems to be in a way better mood, so I have a very good feeling.” Dr. Santiago said, “Fever’s coming down too so that is definitely a good sign.”

“That’s amazing.” You let out a sigh of relief, “Thanks, Doctor.”

“Just doing my job.” Santiago smiled slightly, “Later on in the treatment, we’ll do another scan of the heart just to keep track. But, nothing to worry about right now. Aukai’s her paediatrician?”

“Yeah.” Janis confirmed.

“She’s been updated as well. But we’ve put everything into the system. Including the other doctor’s dismissal of your concerns.”

After Santiago stepped out, Akoni came into the room. “Oh, you’re up. Hi, sweetheart.” Akoni gave you a hug. “Brought some food that Carl and Grace cooked today for you guys.”

“Smells delicious, Dad. Thanks for bringing it for us.”

“Of course.” He sat down on the couch while you moved back to the chair to be closer to Kalia. She was just awake and looking around, no longer fussing or crying. “Hi, baby.” You leaned closer, stroking her cheek. Kalia smiled, you laughed at the spit bubbles in her mouth as she smiled at you. You’ve missed this smile lately. “Gave mama quite the scare, didn't you?”

Right on cue, Regina arrived as well. “Hi, baby.” Regina hugged you eagerly, “Oh, I’m so glad to see you.”

“Hey, Reg.” You hugged her back, still seated in the chair.

“And you, oh I’m so glad to see you being your smiley self again.” Regina gasped softly, palm lightly caressing Kalia’s tummy. The baby cooed and kicked her legs. “Hi, Janis.”

“Heyyy.” Janis chuckled, “Good to see you too, been awhile.”

————

Akoni went home after hanging around for a bit, leaving you and Janis alone with Regina and Kalia. You were leaning onto Janis while she caressed your back. After a stressful day or period of time, you really tended to need and like physical touch and affection. It just comforted you more than you actually realised. Plus, it’s become like second nature for Janis to be more affectionate over the years. She’s learnt to do that, and you too, have learnt to just…enjoy it. It calmed you down when you feel like you couldn’t.

“Are you guys seriously making out behind me right now?”

Janis sulked, “Hey. I was only kissing her for a little bit. But there’s also something called a quickie.”

“Not interested, babe.” You laughed quietly.

“I know.” She pouted and you knew she was jokingly doing that, but it gave you a much needed laugh after all.

Regina was just chilling with Kalia, talking to her and stuff like that. Though Kalia sure was seeming like she could understand some of it. Which was endearing.

“Your moms are horny people.”

“Shush.” You seethed. Janis chortled, “Is she wrong, though?”

“She’s worse.” You retorted.

“Look at you in a better mood, can’t say I’m mad because I’m honestly so happy you’re feeling better too.”

“Oh, don’t speak too soon. The guilt is bubbling up.” You scoffed.

“Honey, you stood up against that tiny head doctor. That took guts.” Janis pointed out.

“What?” Regina bit back a laugh at the nickname. “But hell yeah, good on you for standing up against that incompetent dickhead. You did more than enough.”

“I let her scream bloody murder for three days.” You sighed, hiding your face in your palms.

“You quite literally tried everything you could to help her. Calm her down, make her stop crying. That’s not on you. None of this is on you, you took charge. You took charge…when I was at work, because you screamed at dickhead, Santiago could hear you. You did what was best for Kalia.” Janis held onto your hand, squeezing it, “Even you flashing her a tit didn’t work, so you know…”

“Janis.” Your eyes widened, “I was trying to feed— you know what?” You laughed, “You’re right. I’m just overwhelmed and tired, and going through a lot. It’s been a hell of a week so far.”

“You did everything for her, and now she’s fine. She’s resting, not a care in the world.” Regina chimed in, “Feeling guilt is not something I’m stranger to. But you need to know and remind yourself that you’ve done your best with what you were given, and sometimes more. Motherhood is not easy and you two are doing a fantastic job at raising Kalia, giving her the best. But never forget that you two deserve the best too— to take care of yourselves. It’s easy to prioritise your kid, but once she’s taken care of, you need some TLC too, baby.”

You gave Regina a hug, “I know. Thanks, Reg. Sometimes I just get so busy with life that I forget about myself and I beat myself up but I’m only human. I’m doing the best I can.”

“Yeah, you are. You are doing your damn best and I am so proud of you.”

It was a waiting game now, with each check by the nurses and doctors, you were only hoping for one thing— more progress, no deterioration. And thankfully, things went your way.

Plus, Regina stayed with you guys through it all, all five days in the hospital. Kalia’s symptoms went away about two days after treatment and she was really beginning to seem like her usual self, but more clingy now. You didn’t care about anything else but the fact that she was okay again, and that you all got to go home. “Who’s driving?” Janis asked.

“I’ll drive.” Regina offered, “You two just be with Kalia.” Regina took the keys and took a look at Kalia, gently squeezing her cheek, “You’re going home~”

You bounced Kalia in your arm, tickling her tummy, she laughed, “Let’s go homeeee.” You got in the back first, then Janis did, settling down in the seat next to yours. “Yeah, feels good to be out of that room, doesn’t it, baby girl?” You chuckled, kissing Kalia’s cheek. She giggles, as though agreeing with you.

“When are you going home?” Janis leaned forward to ask your sister.

“I don’t know, really. Maybe a couple more days? It’s been nice to get to spend time with y/n again. And you.” Regina answered, “It’s been stressful but I’m glad I could be here.”

“Honestly it’s great that you’re here. I would’ve been in a terrible way if you weren’t.” You admitted, Janis held onto your hand. You gave her a smile, “I’m okay.”

Janis mouthed, “I know.” Thumb brushing over your knuckles.

While you held Kalia, Janis just played with her during the drive, keeping her laughing and entertained until you all got home. You were so ready to be in the comfort of your own bed. But it would seem that your sister had other plans. Because when the front door opened, you were not only met with Carl and Grace but all. your. friends. Given the nature of the recent events, your emotions were a little out of whack, so your first reaction was to cry. Well, you didn’t wail or anything…but tears were shed, The whole gang came up to you, Janis and Kalia to give you all a hug.

“Oh, my God.” You sniffled, “Wow I look like shit but thank you for coming all the way here, what the hell. Regina?”

“What?” She asked, feigning innocence.

“Hi, bestie.” Damian looked at Janis.

“Hey, dude.” Janis chuckled, trying not to tear up. Then she hugged him. “I’ve missed you.”

“Glad to be here, my friend.” Damian hugged her back, nearly picking her up off the ground. “Holy shit, she definitely looks like you.”

“Yeah, how nice after I was the one who went through a shit ton carrying her for 39 weeks.” You joked. Damian snorted, Janis chuckled, and Kalia? She thought whatever you said was hilarious. “Yeah, she definitely takes after this one.” Damian confirmed, waving at the baby, “Hi hi.” Then everyone took turns to say hi to Kalia. She loved the attention. You? Not so much.

“Aaand that’s my cue to take over.” Janis teased, “C’mon, hand her to me.”

“I just need a minute.” You frowned.

“I get that, go.” Janis took Kalia from you, carrying her with one arm. Her free hand caresses your lower back and she pressed a kiss to your lips.

While you got a fresh set of clothes and headed to the bathroom to take a shower, you hear Janis chatting with the group and Kalia babbling and laughing. A bit of FOMO, but you needed to have a minute to yourself and take a shower. You were starting to feel irritated after a busy few days surrounded by medical staff or just people in general. At least Kalia wasn’t crying for you, because that would make you feel terrible for stepping away.

When you were done with your shower, everyone was eating. Akoni, Carl and Grace were home too. The grownups were happy to see you after so long as well. They didn’t say it, but you could feel their sense of pride. Janis must’ve told them how you stood up against that chicken-brained doctor. “Here, eat up. I’ll get you a plate.” Grace urged you to sit down at the table. Cady, Aaron and Regine were already sitting there with Jace to eat.

“Wow, Aaron.” You glanced at him, “You are…tanned.”

“I know, it’s awesome.” He shrugged, “Never thought I was actually able to. At least I don’t look pink after spending time in the sun.”

“Good for you.” You said, then turned to say thanks to Grace for your food.

“No problem, sweetie. Eat well.” She smiled, kissing the top of your head.

“Speaking of pink, why is everyone in— oh God, is it Wednesday today?” Regina’s eyes widened in realisation.

“Yeah, it is.” Cady confirmed.

“My God.” Regina was in disbelief, “Can’t believe we’re doing this again after so many years.”

“Who said we ever stopped?” Gretchen walked over, “Wednesday’s always going to be pink day.”

“Yeah.” Karen chimed in, “Rules are rules, Regina. How can you forget?”

“I didn’t forg— yeah, maybe I did.” Regina laughed, “Happy to be here with everyone.”

“So…is it true you and Azalea are engaged?” Regina mentioned. Aaron’s eyes almost popped out of his head. “What?”

“Are you or are you not?” Regina asks, in true Regina fashion.

“What was that?” Janis’ ears perked up at the name of her cousin, she walked over too, standing behind you, “Who got engaged?”

“I talked to Azalea, they are apparently engaged.” Regina tilted her head towards Aaron.

“Damn!” Damian gasped, “Were we just not gonna know, then?”

“I was going to tell everyone, but then…stuff happened and I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to. But now everyone knows, right?”

“Congrats, Aaron.” You flashed him a smile then quietly continued eating, knowing clear and well that the ‘stuff’ he referred to was Kalia’s hospitalisation.

“Thank you.” Aaron smiled back at you, but it was filled with sympathy, knowing the hell of a week you had. “Guys, can I hold her now? You guys are hogging her.”

Cady and Regina laughed as Aaron watched Karen walk over with Kalia in her arms, unwillingly handing her over to the former jock. “Hey, you.” Aaron greeted the child, who only sulked at him. “What is this? He hates guys too, like you guys?”

“Hey now.” Damian joked, “Not me.”

You all laughed.

“Kidding, kidding.” He continued, then stroked her cheek, “Oh, you’re tiny.”

“I know.” Janis groaned.

“I did not say that was a bad thing.” Aaron tried not to laugh. “I mean, y/n’s shorter than you are so really…”

“You better watch your mouth, Samuels.” You warned.

“Ooh, feisty.” Aaron laughed again, tickling Kalia to try and get a laugh, “Okay, fine. I’m her least favourite. I’ll admit it now.”

“You don’t like uncle Aaron?” Regina poked her tummy lightly, speaking in an airy tone. She laughs.

“See?” Aaron said back, exasperated. The rest of the gang found it to be the most hilarious thing ever.

“Hey, she lets you hold her.” Janis pointed out.

“Good point.” Aaron grinned, “So you’re just chilling then?”

He holds her for a few minutes then she decided that she’s had enough and wanted you now. Kalia sulked, turning to face you, “Mama.” She was pouting, and teary-eyed. All that combined was guaranteed to make you want to hold her immediately. Even if you were just a second slower, she began squirming to get out of Aaron’s arms. You put down your cutlery and quickly took her from the guy. “Not a moment of peace with you, huh.” You set her down on your knee, then you proceeded to try and continue eating but she was extremely interested in your food. So…you pushed your plate away. “I can take her.” Janis said, “You gotta eat.”

“Does she look like she’s not gonna scream her head off if I hand her to you or anyone else?” You sigh, bouncing your leg. Kalia began to giggle, entertained by the simple tactic.

“I’ll feed—”

“No, you’re not doing that.” You laughed, “What do you want from meeee?”

Kalia was just amused. You smooched her on the cheek, “I wanna eat. Will you let me eat while mommy holds you? I’m right here~”

You gave that a shot, handing the 1.5 year old to Janis. And surprisingly, she let you. “Aw.” Janis cooed, putting Kalia down on her lap so that she was face to face with her. Janis held her hands and clapped them together, “Look at you being a good girl letting mama have her lunch. Christ, you are so cute. y/n I think she wants her lunch after you’re done.”

“Don’t need to repeat that in front of everyone while you’re staring at my tits.” You spoke through gritted teeth.

“Can I watch TV, mommy?” You heard Jace asked Regina.

“Of course, you finished your lunch. And I promised.” Regina replied, “Go ahead.”

“Yayyy.” He excitedly got out of the chair and went to the living room instead, but not before he stopped next to Kalia for a quick round of peekaboo that gave her a loud belly laugh. While Karen and Gretchen watched cartoons with Jace, Damian took this time to come over. He sits in the empty chair that Jace had just got out of. “So…crazy week?”

“Insane.” You told him, “I don’t think I’ve even cried this much when that fuckass doctor cut me open.”

“I hear you.” He nodded, “But look at you, look at Janis…look at Kalia. All of you are here, home. Just like I knew you all would be. No matter what.”

“You’re overestimating me, Damian.” You chuckled wryly, finishing off your plate then putting it in the sink.

“I don’t think I am, you always get through it. And come out stronger than ever.” His eyes followed you as you walked, returning to your chair. Once Kalia saw you sit down, she was reaching over for you. So you held her again and debated if you wanted to leave this conversation to feed her or just do it here. You decided on the latter even though you knew your friends wouldn’t mind…but you didn’t want to ‘flash the grownups’.

“I’ll be back.” You excused yourself, “Duty calls.” You half expected Janis to follow after you, but she didn’t. She stayed at the table chatting with your friends, but she did give you a kiss so you were happy either way. Once Kalia was fed and happy, you put her down for a nap. Then you realised…the room’s been cleaned and tidied, and the sheets— including the one for Kalia’s crib, were also changed. You weren’t sure who did all that, but you sure were grateful. “Sleep tight, princess.”

“I think you two deserve some alone time.” Gretchen mentioned once you were back in the living area. Janis pulls you onto her lap naturally. The gang was now on the couch. Jace was now on the floor by the coffee table colouring with Carl and Grace.

“We have time alone.”

“You know what I mean.” Gretchen continued.

“Kalia needs low-dose aspirin daily. For six weeks.” You pointed out.

“I know. We know.” Gretchen answered, “But R&R is important.”

“I’ve gotten plenty of R&R.” You retorted, “I really appreciate the thought but not right now, Gretchen. I just can’t be away from Kalia right now.”

“Okay.” Gretchen nodded in understanding, “How about a nice dinner tomorrow night? We can babysit for a couple hours.”

You and Janis shared a look, then agreed to that suggestion. “Then it’s settled.” Gretchen grinned, “You two big kids get to enjoy a nice dinner, we get some time with Kalia.”

🏷️Tag list:

@ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @ludoesartandstuff @pda128

💭A/N:

Ending soon😭😭

[aurguries]

if i do what you tell me, will you love me?

pairing: heimdall x reader author's note: i always thought it would be interesting to write a little something with the concept of childhood sweethearts in terms of heimdall's character, especially since he has a hard time trusting people. but with someone he's known since he was a kid? he's a bit putty in her hands heh.

Your arrival is abrupt and abrasive all at once, involving an irritating combination of the door to his room being thrown open, and you striding in soon after, cheeks flushed, tone impatient. 

"We need to talk."

He remains unfazed, fingers leisurely flipping to the next page of the book he had been in the midst of reading before you barged in, feet still kicked up on his desk, all while you continue to seethe for reasons yet to be made known to him.

"And what seems to be the problem now?" he drawls out.

"Well, you wouldn't know unless you stop reading and look at me," comes your sour response as the door shuts behind you with a loud thud. 

Heimdall sets the book away with a sigh, lowers his feet back down to the ground, violet gaze now trailing after you as you march across the room to plant yourself on his bed with a loud huff. 

He eyes you with a tinge of amusement. "Or you could always just tell me. You can still ... speak, can't you?"

Your gaze flickers to his, tone cutting. "And you can still read minds, can't you? 

His mouth lifts into a smirk. 

"Now that you've kicked up such a fuss, that would be too easy — me poking around in that pretty, little head of yours while you sit there doing absolutely nothing. You know, I think I'd rather hear it from you, dearest. Go on then, form the words."

Heimdall watches as your eyes narrow into slits. 

"I'm not in the mood for whatever this is."

He hums and reaches for his book. 

"Well, neither am I. Come back some other time, then. Goodbye."

A moment creeps by.

Heimdall slides his gaze over to you. 

You remain seated, as he knew you would, arms crossed, lips pursed, still glowering at him. 

The sight of you like this, in so petulant a mood, brings him back lifetimes — to a different room, a narrower bed, and a smaller, sullener version of you sitting on top of it, pouting away, arms crossed, your little feet dangling above the ground. 

In some ways, you are still that same girl, and this is still that same dance.

"Shut the door on your way out, will you?" he mentions tauntingly. "Or, dare I ask, have you actually decided to stay?"

You relent with a roll of your eyes. "You're so difficult sometimes."

"Likewise, sulky."

As soon as the words leave him, he sees your lips curl into a strange, little smile, ire seemingly forgotten. His brows crease, your eyes gleam. By the time he's decided to delve into the depths of your somewhat depraved mind, it's too late.

"You know, I much prefer what you called me earlier," you sigh, tone coy and teasing. "Were you intending on trying something new or did it just ... slip out?" 

You suddenly seem far more exasperating than usual. 

"I have no idea what you're going on about."

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Please stop feeding your delusions."

"Make me." You smirk. "Dearest."

Annoyance seeps into his tone. "Do you actually have a problem you'd like to discuss or are you just here to waste my time?"

"You tell me," you say almost cheerfully, tone light, seemingly back in high spirits. "So, still want me to tell you what's bothering me, or would you rather just read my mind?"

"Or I could just throw you out."

You make a face at this suggestion. 

"I suppose you ... could. For now, at least. But given how we are soon to live together, I suggest you think of more creative ways to be mean to me. Can't exactly throw me out when we share a room, can you?"

You level your gaze at him challengingly. 

"Or is that the best you can do?"

Heimdall feigns a laugh. "You really still believe that?" 

This gives you pause. 

"Believe what?"

"That we are, soon to live together, as you so eloquently put it." He mock frowns. "You do seem rather ... unsure."

You huff. "So, you do know what's bothering me."

He scoffs, voice deadpan as he laments, "Your thoughts have been stuck on the same thing for weeks, haunting me at every waking moment. Only an idiot wouldn't know what's bothering you."

"And it's only just gotten worse," you tell him now, tone insistent. "Look into my eyes, tell me I'm not overreacting."

Heimdall stands, pretends to mull over your request before relenting with a sigh, making his way over to you. 

"Alright then. Now don't look away, hold it right there — let me concentrate — oh, I see — now that's interesting. You're very clearly ... overreacting."

You glare up at him. 

"This isn't funny. They're here, with her, in the All-Father's court. Why else except to try and wed their only daughter to the scion of the Aesir."

The corners of his mouth twitch. "My, my, I wasn't aware you held me in such high regard."

You lift your chin. "It is a mere fact. Nothing more."

"And so, so, eager to make me yours."

A rosy hue descends on your cheeks as you scoff. "That's not the point. Aren't you the least bit worried you might actually have to call her your wife instead?"

"Not in the slightest," he answers breezily with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The All-Father would never let me be bound to someone of such ... standing. I am, after all, his son, and as you so conveniently mentioned, the scion of the Aesir. So, as you can see, sulky, all that worrying of yours is really for naught."

And so are his words, it seems, because the look on your face hasn't changed. Except now — now you turn away, arms crossed, childishly refusing to look at him. 

Heimdall releases an exaggerated sigh, feels the bed dip as he takes a seat next to you.

"But, I suppose if it makes you feel any better, I did only agree to marry you, didn't I?"

The corners of your mouth begin to lift. 

"And?"

His brows crease. "And?"

You smirk. 

"Tell me how much you love me. Tell me you'd rather die than continue to live lifetimes without me. Tell me I'm who you love most."

He snorts. "What?"

You turn, gaze locking with his, eyes glittering deviously. 

"You want to make me feel better, don't you, dearest?" you purr, tone sickly-sweet. "So, read my mind and tell me what I want to hear."

What you want to hear. 

What do you want to hear? 

It isn't always an easy thing, sifting through the recesses of your mind. 

Your thoughts, they often greet him how a lover would — how you would — coyly leading him astray, teasing him, toying with him. Tugging, pulling, bending him towards your will, sometimes even tainting whatever it is in him that claims to be all-seeing, all-knowing. 

He sees you reach for him, feels you reach for him. 

"Won't you do it? For me?" you murmur as you gaze up at him through half-lidded eyes, body pressed close, grip tightening around the fabric of his tunic, effectively creasing it. 

"Won't you tell me you've loved me since forever?"

He feels your breath on his heated skin with every persistent plea, and foolishly allows his senses to give in to you, be overcome by you, thoughts and all, lulling him to do as you please. 

Heimdall hums, fingers tracing your spine. "And if I let you have your way, if I do what you tell me?"

He sees your lips curl into that strange, little smile once more as you lean in to place them at his ear, your voice a hushed whisper, and your words, all that he's yearned to hear. 

In some ways, he is still that same boy who sat across that smaller, sullener version of you, his own little feet dangling above the ground, longing to make you smile.

In some ways, this is still that same dance. 

[hello-god-its-me-sara]

and then i got brainrot

I’m just saying Jon randomly running into batcow bc she wandered a little far out or he’s unknowingly a little more close to the massive Wayne estate than he realized seeing a cow and getting a little homesick (he grew up around farms, rip it from my dead cold dead hands) feeding her his lunch or something and then receiving affection from her

Jon who was not received affection from anyone or anything (it seems) his entire life chalking it up to feeding her, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you of course

And for whatever reason he keeps coming back regularly and of course he brings food every time and bat-cow is very appreciative of it sometimes it’s the only food he has but it’s okay because he can take care of himself

At this point Batman knows what up

Well kinda

He’s definitely found Crane feeding bat-cow and giving her pets, either bc he followed her out or him and he can’t really figure out what’s going on but it doesn’t seem to be hurting anyone so he leaves it be

I mean probably on more than one occasion Jonathan has dropped whatever he was doing to feed bat-cow because they have a schedule now and he can’t be late or miss a day

So Bruce knows and probably use it to keep tabs on Crane Bat-cow trusts him so that means something right?

And one day for some reason Jon can’t bring food He doesn’t have any and can’t get any in time and so he shows up and he doesn’t have food for her

And he just starts crying because he can’t feed her not that bat-cow cares, she wants his company more anyways

So she just nuzzles at him

Meanwhile Jon starts crying harder because he can’t feed her and he she’s rubbing at him because she expects food and he doesn’t have food and what happens when she realizes that he doesn’t have food? she’s just a cow

how’s she supposed to know he isn’t randomly withholding food all of a sudden? what if she thinks it’s her fault? what if she stops trusting him after this? and she just keeps nuzzling at him and he keeps feeling worse and worse

At this point he’s spiraling because as far as he’s concerned this is a random cow he’s been feeding more weeks- months now he doesn’t know who owns her or who takes care of her so of course he feels responsible for her at this point, something he’s never felt before and as far as he’s concerned she might rely on him for food, which is why he started prioritizing feeding her because when you’re responsible for something, when they rely on you, wouldn’t you give them your last bite of food? and now he can’t even feed her and she keeps rubbing at him

And that’s how Bruce finds Crane sobbing and apologizing profusely to bat-cow about not having food while she’s trying to comfort him and is confused why rubbing against him isn’t working

shut up don’t psychoanalyze this this means absolutely nothing

In case it wasn’t clear the reason Jonathan is crying over the cow is not just because he can’t feed her he is convinced the only reason she’s giving him affection is because she expects food he’s Pavlovian trained her to expect food from him

So the other half of it is later, after Batman gets involved because he panics, Jonathan just cannot accept that bat-cow could like him and give affection and not expect food from him

The idea that anyone or anything could like him is absurd thus bat-cow can’t just give him affection

No the cow doesn’t like him what are you talking about he just feeds her, she wants food

And he continues to try to justify any further affection she gives him

Oh she won’t eat because she’s just fed but she’s still nosing at him? she wants pets she’s a cow of course she wants pets, what animal doesn’t want pets, no that doesn’t mean she likes him, it’s purely transactional what don’t you get about that why would you think that she likes him

Batman doesn’t know what to do about this denial

Because Crane obviously likes bat-cow

Bat-cow obviously likes him back regardless of what Crane thinks

And now he has a rouge with an unstable emotional attachment to his /c o w/

Unstable as in Jon goes error 404 if anyone insists that the cow likes him back

I mean what’s Bruce supposed to do with this new information force Crane into therapy? not do anything and ignore that Crane has a 50% chance of crying if bat-cow moos at him?

Jon is completely fine if you ask him (he is not) there’s nothing wrong with his attachment to bat-cow

[danceofthephilos]

Theory: Did Tadashi call the police on S?

The first beef between Langa and Adam gets famously interrupted by a police raid. It's the only time the police interfere with S specifically in the whole series and the plot thread is not followed up on, leaving this raid as a bit of an oddity.

What I'm proposing here is nothing but a theory - I consider it possible that this is intentional subtext woven into the show, but I would not be able to confirm it one way or another.

My proposition is that Tadashi called the police at this juncture, and that this is completely in line with how he expresses his concern for Adam throughout the whole series. Let's dive in!

Almost immediately preceding the police raid is this reaction shot of Tadashi looking stunned by Adam standing motionlessly under the flickering streetlight. It's when Adam decides that Langa not only could be but definitely is his Eve - even from a distance, observing through the live feed from the drones, Tadashi can tell that Adam is deeply affected by this.

When the episode aired and we didn't yet know a lot about Tadashi, I thought that this shot's inclusion was doubtlessly meant to imply that he is the one who put a stop to the race. With Kiriko's further involvement and the slow reveals about Tadashi's devotion to Adam, this could seem like it was a red herring. But... was it?

Let's dissect this bit by bit!

As I said before, this is the only time in the series that the police messes with S. But not only that! It is also the only time that S has been on the police's radar in recent memory of the characters:

So: why now? Why at this exact point in time? Is that really just some insane coincidence? Is it Kiriko? (It's not, we'll get to that.)

It's noteworthy that the S system shuts down immediately. As the police usually doesn't bother with S, this is not routine. It's a very swift response to something that is completely unusual if not unprecedented. It could be that Tadashi just has very quick response skills, but... It's undeniable that shutting everything off on time would be far easier for him to accomplish if he knew this would happen.

This is further supported by the way Tadashi just casually rolls up to pick up Adam, not stressed in the slightest by the unusual threat to their little operation (and Tadashi does stress about anything that could threaten Adam's reputation, we see it often.)

Adam also immediately points out the strangeness of this event, while we as the viewer are treated to a foreground shot of Tadashi's impassive, unconcerned face.

It is then Tadashi who looks into the matter. It is his word we have to trust if we want to blame the police raid on Kiriko. But... should we?

We know Kiriko as incredibly persistent in her pursuit of Adam. Would she really discover that Ainosuke Shindo walled off a whole area from police patrol, and then quietly accept it as that same area is removed from patrol once again? That should be raising huge red flags for her!

If Kiriko had a hunch of Ainosuke Shindo doing something illegal at the abandoned mine out of town, that should be her absolute first priority to investigate! It's her best bet at getting him to court!

But Kiriko herself never once mentions the abandoned mine, altered police patrol routes, or anything of the likes. To her, this is about perjury. She's only ever seen following the perjury and collusion trail; never once does she discuss anything adjacent to S. Even presuming that she's merely suspicious about the abandoned mine in general, without any reason to connect it to Ainosuke Shindo, the person whom Adam is in contact with to assure S's continued protection is the chief of police.

Kiriko is working with Chief Matsumura throughout the rest of the season, and until he intervenes to prevent her investigating the Shindo estate and sends her back to Tokyo in the finale, there's no indication that she distrusts him, nor anyone within the Naha police, at all. If Tadashi's account of events is correct, Kiriko grew suspicious of illegal activities at the abandoned mine, thought it had been removed from the patrol route by someone higher in the chain of command, and had it raided... only for her to think nothing of it when it was removed from the patrols again, and continue to completely trust the person who would have authority over these decisions without so much as following up with him about what happened.

If Kiriko is meant to be the culprit behind the raid, this is a huge plot hole. She should, by all means, have become a threat to S itself.

However! The only person who ever implicates her in this is Tadashi. If Tadashi was the one who called the police, Kiriko would have been an incredibly convenient scapegoat for him.

So then... isn't Tadashi a loyal dog? Why would he go against his master like this, so early in the show? Let me explain!

First off, it's important to remember that at the start of the show, Adam hasn't been attending S in years. People there treat him as a legend and many have never seen him. Recently, Adam has been focused on furthering his career and only consumed S passively via videos - no skater interested him enough to go out personally.

Tadashi supports this. Over and over we see him concerned for Adam's career and reputation. He believes that a 'normal' successful life is what is genuinely best for the man.

For years now, Tadashi has blamed skateboarding (and himself) for everything wrong with Adam's life. He believes that he led Adam astray and he is desperate to fix his 'mistake'.

Tadashi is not an outsider to the value system of the Shindo clan. As the child of a generations-long servant family, he grew up on the estate as well. He too spent his whole life internalizing the 'life lessons' taught by the Shindo adults. As Aiichiro's secretary, he might have spent more time with Adam's father than Adam himself ever did. Tadashi definitely listened to his views over and over and over.

And because of that, what Tadashi regrets about Aiichiro burning Adam's board is not that he didn't stop it or that he didn't stand up for Adam... It's that he taught Adam skateboarding in the first place and thus led to him 'needing to be punished'.

As such, it's no surprise that he opposes Adam's initial return to S. He wants to 'make up' for his 'mistake' by leading Adam into a normal life. Participation in S is to the direct detriment of that.

Tadashi feels no disdain for Adam, of course. On the contrary, he feels endless love and affection. He genuinely wants what's best for him. Well, what he thinks is best for him...

Which means that Tadashi is a product of the Shindo clan through-and-through.

And all of that wraps us back around to where we started:

After years of Adam doing well in Tadashi's eyes (no hospitalizations, yay!), this happens. Adam is affected in a way he's never been before - he's had objects of affection in the past, but none of them made him stop dead in his tracks like this.

Tadashi knows Adam. And he knows Adam is about to be obsessed.

So he panics and tries to rip Adam and Langa apart as soon as humanly possible. He wants to nip this obsession in the bud so Adam won't be distracted from work. So Adam will be able to live the perfect life that everyone wants for him.

It's even possible that Tadashi didn't stop at calling the police.

At the start of the tournament, we encounter a group of masked skaters who are hellbent on getting Langa out of the race. The way they talk about Joe here is dismissive. When they say to let him have the win they use the form くれてやれ which is rather rude and dismissive - they're not doing this for Joe's sake, they just don't care if he wins. It's Langa they're after.

Now, it's possible that they just want to take an arrogant rookie down a peg. That seems like something thugs would do. But there is one person who has a vested interest in Langa falling short of Adam's expectations and not making it to the finale - that person is Tadashi.

The assault on Langa in this race is a similar oddity as the police raid - it's never addressed before or after it happens, standing isolated as a momentary obstacle that doesn't contribute to the overall plot of SK8. Being 'out of place' ties these two incidents together - and thus may tie them to Tadashi.

It might not be coincidence that Tadashi enters the tournament as Snake only after the assault team fails to take out Langa.

Entering the tournament shows that Tadashi is not afraid to go behind Adam's back if he thinks it serves Adam's best interests. But becoming 'Snake' means alerting Adam of his betrayals - to me, that seems like a drastic final measure after the sneakier ones failed.

The tragedy of it all is that even though Tadashi is deciding over Adam's head, going behind his back, and generally repeating his family's abusive mantra at him over and over.... Even though Tadashi does all these things, he genuinely loves Adam. Everything he does is for Adam's sake. Unlike the aunts or Aiichiro, he does not see Adam as a representative of his own power. He just loves him, but he expresses his love in the only way he's ever learned to do it:

By forcing him to fit the mold.

[thehauntingofharrenhouse]

SIGHING the age difference between margaery and sansa is p big for teenagers! margaery is closer to jon and robb's age than sansa's. margaery and her family actively pursued an interest in elevating her to queen from at least the first book if not longer, tywin was actively trying to arrange a marriage between cersei and rhaegar before the maggy scene, which takes place when cersei was younger than sansa is at the beginning of the series. ned and catelyn had barely discussed sansa's options before joffrey shows up; they might have thought of it later or they might have chosen someone else. the wealthy southern houses are ambitious, but starks rarely send their daughters south to marry. sansa has talent and big dreams, and cat would at least think to take that into account. likely cat was expecting to marry her into another great house, but we know cat wanted her kids to be happy?? and be children?? for as long as they can. she was surprised and a little upset that robb was wearing live steel, even tho he's nearly an adult by westerosi standards and competent enough to manage winterfell when she understandably neglects her duties while bran is in his coma.

this is not a bad thing!! this is reasonable!! and cat did teach sansa how to be a lady the same way ned taught robb and jon to be a lord, through example and demonstration. all highborn girls have lessons with a septa, not least to occupy them while the boys are practicing hitting each other with swords. sansa and arya were also given lessons with maester luwin, which is a significant advantage that not all highborn girls get. and honestly this solid foundation gave sansa and arya the tools they needed to survive thus far!!

catelyn was expecting sansa (and arya!) to continue her education at court, under the supervision of ned and with the help of septa mordane. and cersei did try to educate her in her own terrible way––catelyn could not have known how incompetent cersei was (honestly cersei had robert killed in an incredibly sophisticated way that would still be hard to prove in real court, she is a lot more together in the first book). ned resolved to end the betrothal as soon as he saw what joffrey was like, he definitely believed revealing joffrey's parentage would make this easy.

margaery came to king's landing with an army at her back, knowing there was a possibility, however slim, of the lannisters rejecting an alliance. she knew she was entering a city her family had been starving out for months!! she brought food!!! she was prepared. she knew exactly what she was getting into!! loras had almost definitely been feeding the tyrells information about the court for years, if only so they'd know what was going on lol.

the tyrells are absolutely the lannisters' foils, I think that's pretty clear? margaery is the political powerhouse cersei wants to be, and she has the support and respect cersei craves. loras is the new Best Tourney Knight who mostly lives up to the ideals jaime strives for without really trying, and his relationship actually is unfairly discriminated against instead of just creepy (affectionate). willas is the scholarly heir trusted absolutely, like his claim is so rock solid he is just left with the castle, and he has a more 'socially acceptable' disability (in tyrion's mind especially!). like they are both engaged to sansa even. and olenna is who tywin thinks he is, except she also has the power of being a reasonable adult who would prefer that people (not joffrey) didn't get hurt. then garlan is just a good guy, all the lannisters wish they had a garlan

for the record, also, sansa tried to 'talk up' joffrey because she was terrified. she does not like anything about joffrey at this point and is desperately trying to think of things to say that won't get her killed?? what olenna and margaery do so well, and what is indicative of their strength as politicians and the power of being nice to people, is put sansa at ease enough that she's willing to tell them the truth. like yes sansa was fully deluding herself at one point, accepting joffrey's apology for lady's death, but she starts to hate him as soon as he has ned arrested (and their household killed??). how many of us can say we have not gone a little delusional over a crush in middle school regardless of what our parents taught us. lmao.

cat and ned may not have prepared sansa to be queen but they are the reason alayne is still kind, and that is why she inspires the kind of loyalty littlefinger can't, which will prove to be her greatest weapon.

[kata-sans]

Raising Stripe

Chapter 17

Tweek and Craig were waiting anxiously in a pediatric waiting room. Butters had called them and given them the address to a reliable doctor that has been briefed on the situation. They jumped up as soon as the nurse called their name.

The nurse took the baby from Tweek's arms and began to measure and weigh him. She assured the couple that Stripe’s weight was healthy. She checked his heartbeat and fever. She wrote down all the baby's vitals and escorted the family into a room to wait for the doctor.

After five minutes the door opens to reveal Butters’ trusted doctor. They were equally shocked and relieved to see Nichole Daniels. “Hey guys, it's been awhile. I heard your baby is sick. Let me have a look.” Nichole said as she checked the chart the nurse had filled in. “Let's see, vitals are all good. Baby does still have a slight fever. Tweek can you set Stevie on the table and undress him.”

“His name is Stripe actually.” Tweek responded as he guided Stripe's arm out of his onesie.

Nichole giggled, “I should have known. He was Craig's guinea pig. Now let's see what's going on with Stripe.” She grabbed her stethoscope and placed it against the baby's chest. Stripe whined and pushed against Nicole's hand. “Aww I know baby, you don't feel good, but this is for your own good.”

She pulled out a special tool to check Stripe's nose and ears. Stripe was not having it, he was squirming and crying out. He was familiar with check ups, they usually ended with a sharp needle poking him. Finally she squeezed Stripe's belly and he curled up in pain.

“Well it looks like he caught a stomach bug. Luckily it's not serious. I'll write a prescription to help with the symptoms. Make sure to buy him pedialyte to keep him hydrated.” She handed Craig the note. “Now, I need to ask a couple questions. I understand that you guys are still new to parenting, have you guys considered vaccinations for Stripe.”

“We honestly didn't think about it but we always want what's best for Stripe. So yeah that's fine.” Craig answered honestly.

Nichole nodded, “I will have my receptionist schedule you an appointment next week when he's fully recovered. I read over the questions you answered about Stripe's milestones, he seems to be healthy in terms of development. I also noticed that Stripe's diet is strictly formula, is there a reason?”

“I th-thought he was still too young to eat solid food. Is there a list of foods I can feed him?” Tweek asked.

“Absolutely! Stripe is developing like a healthy baby so you need to reintroduce foods to him like a baby. Start with one solid meal each day. You can introduce baby cereal or a puree. Here is a pamphlet on how to introduce solids. If you have any questions just call me and I'll do my best to walk you through it.”

Stripe was growing tired of waiting as the adults talked. He sat up feeling dizzy. He wanted to be held and cuddled. “MA-MA!...DA-DA!” Stripe cried out before sobbing. Tweek quickly picked him up and began to console him. Craig rubbed Stripe's back trying to soothe him.

Nichole who was watching the scene awkwardly spoke, “I uh think you guys are good to go. Stripe is definitely ready to go home. Maggie in the front will set up your next appointment.”

The couple nodded as they continued to soothe the baby. Stripe clung tightly to his mama. He enjoyed the back rubs, it reminds him of when he was a guinea pig. His sobbing diminished into little hiccups and soon Stripe fell asleep.

Ch16

Ch18

[gascon-en-exil]

Do you believe there are any circumstances in which Hubert would turn away from Edelgard (ie. a cause he just couldn't get behind) or do you feel he'd be able to rationalize following basically any pursuit she had as "serving his Lady?"

Wow, it's been quite some time since I've had an ask for FE16.

Hubert has absolutely no moral qualms about anything, ever, but we know from his supports with Ferdinand that he will go behind Edelgard's back and even directly contradict her orders if he feels that it's in her best interest. This feeds well into the incel/Nice Guy interpretation of his character: that he's never truly respected her in the first place, and believes he knows what's best for her better than she does.

He would never ally with any of the game's other factions so long as Edelgard is alive though, and even after she's dead I can only see him doing so out of a spiteful desire for revenge...and since everyone in Fódlan has ample reason to not trust Hubert any farther than they can throw him, that's not happening. At most I can see him quietly asserting his position more as the true power behind the Empire in CF's postgame, especially if he's being goaded into it by Ferdinand both out of his continued envy of Edelgard and his desire to get his kicks as a horny villainfucker. Hubert would never do anything like outright betrayal - but he would leave his lady to her frolicking with Byleth while also jerking off to them having sex while he establishes his own Manfroy-esque grip on the continent behind the scenes.

[toastiecakes]

An Introduction to Ivilia NPCs

(aka this is the master post for my silly little ocs)

I'm going to put most of this under a read more just because there will be pictures and I wouldn't wanna clog up y'all's feeds with the sheer amount of stuff.

I'll make a small list of characters I really want to get into, at least so that I can remember to talk more about them myself aha.

In this post you'll find information about:

-Magnus and Magan Deyvet

-Lockeland, Kitril, and Cedith Puckett

-Lucien Ancrum and Milo Ancrum-Buckley

-Helios the Bard

-Christopher and Loulouche Sunsinger

-Raiden the Wanderer

-Ghost

-Knox Odikonn the Mad Wizard

-The Glazastov Family

Continue reading at your own risk I suppose?

Okay so. Starting off strong with the twins.

Magnus Deyvet

Pronouns: he/him

An asshole to put it plainly. This little rat bastard will ruin your day he's such a a little shit oh my god. He used to be worse but I can apparently Not Make Sympathetic Villains so I'm just sitting here with a kind mean little bastard boy who's also immortal and can't stay dead so yeah that's fun! He's old and tired and wants to be left alone kinda sorta but he also wants to be in everyone's business. How dare you NOT let him be in your business you MUST tell him all the things. An aggressively gay little man. Absolutely can and will bite. Also he's a changeling so he can shapeshift too and that's cool I guess. Did I say who awful he is

Magan Deyvet

Pronouns: he/she/they

My silly little BLORBO. He is my little bean my precious dogboy the BEST EVER. NOTHING like their brother nope not at ALL. In reality she's actually probably just as bad, but his moral code is far more defined than Maggie's is I suppose. He's a fairly friendly person, she spends a lot of her time working on their prosthetics and stuff like that. Big robot nerd basically aha

Lockeland Puckett

Pronouns: they/them

Scribgly scrimblo!!!! My screembl. My little BASTARD!! I love them y'all I can't understated how much they rotate around in my brain with their funny little accent! Just a silly guy they're so traumatized it's so much fun dude. They're missing an eye btw!! And an ear and half their tongue ahahaha. But they have a cat and three dogs and a silly accent so it's okay :)

Kitril and Cedith Puckett

Pronouns: he/him and they/them respectively

Locke’s father and auncle respectively, they hate each other for some reason I haven't quite determined why lol. But they're both silly old fey and I like them a lot. If I had to describe each in short terms I'd say Kit is a crazy cat man and Cedith is a bog witch. Great little guys. You should definitely trust them with your name

Lucien Ancrum

Pronouns: he/they

The guy ever!! He's so soft and big and sweet and will give everyone hugs. This man loves everyone he's literally just here for the hugs. He will become ur dad he will let you lay on a fluffy highland cow. He is just the best, I have no complaints he is so pure and good. What a man

Milo Ancrum-Buckley

Pronouns: she/her

Lucien's sister! She got the "short" end of the straw in genetics because she looks way more human than her brother but that's ok. She's strong and also big and will beat up anyone that misgenders u. She also owns and runs a tavern!!! Pretty sure she's a lesbian too but I haven't given her a proper love interest so if you have suggestions please tell them at me

Helios the Bard

Pronouns: he/him

Clown ahh MF. This man is goofy as hell but he's also the organizer behind 99% of the riots and strikes in one of the primary cities so there's that I guess. He has a wife he loves VERY much dude he's so so SO dedicated to her. Literally just hanging off her every word. But he's a lot smarter than he presents, he's just gotta keep it silly or he'll be consumed by the narrative

Christopher Sunsinger

Pronouns: he/him

Literally gay as hell. Gayest man I know. He's short and gay and gay. He's also strong as hell and could throw a person. He's completely blind but he keeps making sight-based jokes and thinks he's funny for it. Also a good therapist! Probably.

Loulouche Sunsinger

Pronouns: he/him

Angry and small. Christopher's little brother. Asshole. Highly traumatized and very very temperamental he may as well be your mortal enemy if you so much as look at him the wrong way. Kinda a space cowboy tho so that's cool! He likes to fight god

Raiden the Wanderer

Pronouns: he/him

Silly bird man who makes soup and studies ancient ruins of long lost civilisations in the desert! He doesn't have a quarrel with anyone and nobody has a quarrel with him. He knows the tunnels under the desert well and knows how to avoid sandworms. He's also a guide for lost travelers trying to make their way through a hopelessly large desert.

Ghost

Pronouns: they/them

Silly Creecher, Ghost is my little blorbo bingus. They are a cryptid and a spooky little guy and they will look at som1 and think "that is friend". Just my tall Eldritch beastie that likes to hang out with people and sit in their forest

Knox Odikonn the Mad Wizard

Pronouns: it/they/he

Really fucked up little guy. Kinda more fucked up than Maggie if I'm being honest. A real piece of work, it created a nightmarish hell-dimension called Wiz-Mart for fun and watched people actually try to utilize it as a proper grocery store. They find it HIGHLY entertaining to watch

The Glazastov Family

Pronouns: see below

I'd make individual blurbs for this family but none of them are that important aside from Vitaly, but he's also a very minor character in this (I still love him a lot though). The Glazastov Family is a (you guessed it) family of morticians and funeral directors. They are a family of five, consisting of the parents (Konstantin and Olga) and their three children (Vitaly, Sasha, and Polina). Konstantin (he/him) and Olga (she/her) are happily married and getting up there in years, but they tend not to go out much. Not very social at all. Vitaly (he/him) is the most social out of all of them and that's saying a lot. He's not very keen on speaking to others outside of work, but he has a soft spot for kids and does a lot of the talking for his family. Sasha (he/him) is an asshole. He was quickly driven out of the family home for trying to kill his brother. Polina (she/her), or Polly for short, is the youngest and very very sweet. She often plays with the children outside the morgue, and her responsibilities in the family have yet to be passed down, since she's quite young still.

___

Okay- I did it, I wrote the things down. I'm sure there will be plenty more characters and NPCs to come, I definitely haven't covered all of them, but this is the basic stuff for the moment. God it's exhausting making this long of a post how do y'all do it this took me like three days

Anyways enjoy, if you have questions my asks are open or you can just. Rb or comment or whatever idm either way. I hope you all derive much joy from my little blorbos

[calamari-minecraft-corner]

More writing time but with Spooky and Dream interacting early on uwu

“So uh- Pyre?”

“Mm?”

Dream glanced down at Spooky as they walked along the main road. Ahead of them was Cala and Fundy who were rambling about god knows what.

Spooky stared up, her yellow eyes staring up at the other as she was just examining him closely.

“I just gotta ask— why were you in that prison?”

Dream bit the inside of his cheek, letting out a sigh.

“It really doesn’t matter-“ he muttered out as he tried to walk faster to join the other two. He didn’t want to interact with Fundy but it was better than this oncoming conversation.

“Hey—“

Spooky grabbed one of the chains from his shackles and pulled him back some.

His heart stopped and he flinched hard, almost ready to strike her out of pure instinct but stopped himself.

He didn’t even realize he held his breath until exhaled loudly, noticing her tense up as she held the chain in her hand.

There was a moment of silence and Dream saw.. recognition in her eyes for a brief moment, as if she understood why he reacted that way. But it was gone before he could question it.

“Pyre, I’m not gonna hurt you,” she began, carefully letting go of the chain, “I don’t know what your whole deal is and I feel like you’re hiding stuff. However— I know one thing… and that is keeping Cala safe at all times.”

She gestured over to the halfling who was at this point petting Fundy’s pet fox named Winter. She was smiling happily and feeding them treats while Fundy was explaining something he couldn’t hear.

“I am very grateful that you saved her from getting killed as she saved you. Trust me— I am. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to know more and wanting to figure out what your goal is.”

Dream stayed quiet, about to speak before she continued, her tail flicking in annoyance,

“I love my wife to bits, but she hides a lot of her true feelings. She’s very kind and caring and so willing to help anyone, even if it hurts her and even if they use her to her advantage. She still has that bright smile besides that— and I want to make sure that she stays that way because I know first hand that the world isn’t kind… and I know you know that too. So if you hurt her in any way, if I see her cry or have a bruise because of you I will not hesitate to give you one of the nine hells.”

Dream stayed quiet, nodding as he bit his tongue not to make a snarky remark. He knew Cala was too trusting; you could tell her that a cat was in a tree and she’d be halfway climbing up before actually checking. But he also knew that she was too kind. Too civil… he wasn’t used to it. If anything maybe the reason why she was still so blissfully ignorant was because of Spooky making sure she wasn’t too damaged.

But he sighed and nodded, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes,

“I won’t hurt her. As of now we’re even— she helped me and I helped her, that’s all you need to know.”

Both of them glanced up as they saw Fundy at this point flailing at Cala, who was giggling as she was trying to teach his pet to play the kazoo.

“…I’m guessing Fundy doesn’t get the same lecture?” He asked, his his voice being bitter and laced with exhaustion.

“Oh- he absolutely gets the same lecture!” Spooky replied with a laugh. Dream raised an eyebrow down at her as she continued,

“I don’t trust both of you at all- but she trusts you! So I’m just making sure that the trust is warranted.”

Dream paused, and a bit of him eased that he wasn’t being singled out before he sighed,

“…Understandable. People are disgusting.”

“Gods you have no idea.”