#he is a rich brat. he's also very polite

[helianthus21]

they are so amused by him. and also fond.

[shen-jius-zoloft-prescription]

I love Shen Yuan as much as the next guy, but I think we in the fandom spaces give him a little too much credit sometimes. He's not Shen Jiu levels of absolute bastard, but he's also not great. And this is not me criticizing him!! I just think more people should love him for being the little brat that he is rather than the heroic, universally-kind saint that he decidedly is not.

He was a full-time internet troll whose main hobby outside reading web novels was going on rants in the comments. He uses slurs. Did we all just forget about the slurs? He did not grow out of that, or see the error of his message-board-harassment ways, he just lost his Internet connection. (He probably would have gotten points for being in character if he'd kept it up, though.)

He bends over backwards to protect Binghe, but he doesn't go to those lengths for literally anyone else, ever. He neglects his other students outright in favor of focusing solely on Binghe. He's not great with the disciples, he's just better comparatively enough to make you think he is.

He's amiable enough to build friendships as Shen Qingqiu, but he's not Miss Fucking Congeniality. He's just polite, and passively friendly in super normal ways. "Be nice to martial siblings," and "Don't kill that snake, it's not bothering anyone," are very normal levels of decency, and he gets SO MUCH CREDIT for it, mostly because the expectations for him were set so damn low by Shen Jiu.

I think my main evidence of "Shen Yuan is an asshole, actually" is how he continues to treat Shang Qinghua after finding out they're transmigrators together. Shang Qinghua is just as doomed by the narrative as he is, just as controlled and manipulated by the System as he is, but he's so fucking mean to Shang Qinghua about it, even though he couldn't have possibly known they would end up transmigrated and certainly wasn't responsible for putting them there. He has no empathy whatsoever for the fact that Shang Qinghua was forced to make his magnum opus into porn-riddled slop because he would otherwise have literally starved; spoiled rich boy meets his friend's "I would have starved!" explanation with a very [image of Paris Hilton wearing a shirt that says "Stop Being Poor"] energy. And he just never stops being so fucking mean all the time, about everything, to his best friend. I would not be friends with Shen Yuan if that's how I could expect him to treat me.

(side note that will get its own post: I also think the portrayal of Shang Qinghua throughout SVSSS is an example of Shen Yuan's unreliable narration.)

All this to say, he's a sheltered, spoiled rich boy with layers on layers of issues, who still managed to be exponentially better at his job than the guy who'd earned it in the first place.

And maybe that's what's fun to consider, as least for me, is that his goodness is assumed purely on the comparison between him and Shen Jiu; he was meant to be the Scum Villain, found guilty of all sorts of heinous acts, and therefore he's lauded as a perfect sweet baby angel because he settles for just being a little bit of a bitch, instead.

(Maybe the larger takeaway can be that PIDW is a horrible, wretched, unkind world, and therefore the bare minimum of kindness counts as being truly saint-like. 🤔 But that's also a different post, I think.)

[yunsound]

The Third Installment to the Oubing Saga- Yunbing

PRIOR EXPERIENCE NEEDED!

Entry ticket: reading this post and acknowledging that the following is about to be 18+. No, I'm not writing anything explicit, but it's going to be some mentions of sex. Move on.

After finishing Ne Zha 2025 (or the 2019 version if you're a real one), did you feel overcome by the gayness? Did you wonder why the fuck anyone would ever look at their best friend like that? Did shoujo anime music start playing in the back of your head?

...yeah you're not alone.

As previously mentioned, Oubing is currently China's biggest fandom ship (I stay hopeful that this wave of hype will last longer than it did in 2019). I also trust that you all understand why that is.

Seriously, I've never seen any piece of Chinese media except for straight up BL THIS gay.

Let's count on one hand how many BL tropes these movies include.

Red/blue

Soulmates

Only friend

Enemies to lovers

Friends to lovers

Oh oops, we ran out of fingers! Next hand.

Friends to enemies to friends to lovers

Forbidden romance

Demon x angel

Two halves of one... thing

...bondage? I suppose? If you know you know THE scene.

Oh wow look at that we ran out of fingers again. MOVING ON TO THE NEXT HAND-

Okay, I'll stop here. All of this makes Oubing technically a very vanilla ship (ignore the bondage that's mostly a joke. Though you WILL see a lot of art involving Ne Zha's red sash in... different usages) and very sweet. Pure love, I suppose.

Do you know about Shangmei Oubing, a variation on Oubing featuring different adaptations of Ne Zha and Ao Bing? Well now you do. Read this post to figure out what I'm talking about.

If there's a spectrum of the wholesome-ness of Oubing ships, Shangmei Oubing is in the middle. Yes, it's very toxic, but technically Ne Zha does really love Ao Bing a lot, just in the wrong ways.

On the OPPOSITE end of that spectrum, we have Yunbing.

Yunbing is the ship between Ne Zha and Ao Bing from the 2021 movie New Gods Reborn: Ne Zha. The movie itself is on Netflix- it's kind of a mid movie, I'm NGL, but the animation is pretty good.

I haven't watched the whole movie (how do I know it's mid? Because I saw some clips and they made me sigh out loud) so I'm maybe not the most reliable critic, but it's just not peak storytelling, okay?

Yunbing is 80% made TF up (headcanon ships are the best ships) because in the movies they hate each other, like TRUE hate, not gay hate. I'm talking GENERATIONAL hating.

If you ignore canon, though, (my favourite thing to do), you are left with Yunbing, which is honestly really fucking yummy.

Here's a quick overview of the background and dynamic of the ship/movie/characters without spoiling the plot of the movie.

The main character of the movie is called Li Yunxiang (remember that Ne Zha's dad is Li Jing, so technically his full name is Li Nezha prior to him fucking himself up via sashimi-ing his flesh from his bones).

Li Yunxiang is the reincarnation of Ne Zha in a modern setting in the fictional East Sea City (Donghai City). He doesn't know or remember being Ne Zha. He works as a deliveryman I think, or a smuggler or something low-paying and dangerous I think.

In East Sea City, water is in shortage due to the Dragon Clan (now a rich family business) hoarding it. The third son of this Dragon Clan (his name is De San) is, you guessed it, the reincarnated Ao Bing.

Actually I'm not sure if he's reincarnated or if he's just been here the whole time hating.

De San, unlike our polite nice Ao Bing from Ne Zha 2019/2025, or the terrified victim Ao Bing from Shangmei, is a huge bitch. He's also a girlfailure. He's not some mass-murdering psychopath, but he's a spoiled rich brat who lives and breathes capitalism and privilege.

Look at his stupid face. Isn't he punchable? No, despite the blonde hair, the director has confirmed he isn't mixed or foreign, he's just an idiot who bleached his hair.

He was supposed to be some sort of dominant playboy daddy character but the entire nation of China just immediately saw the potential for girlfailure brat bottom and I guess that's where my brain went too.

After Ne Zha pulled his tendons out, his dad paid some SERIOUS money to make him a mechanical tendon. Let me tell you I don't know why but this shot of his metal spine is SO fucking sexy

Sorry for thirsting on main, IDK what it is but it's getting to me.

De San still wants revenge on Ne Zha for pulling his fucking tendons out so he spends like 10000 hours trying his very best to kick Li Yunxiang's (confused) ass and never manages to get there, it's so funny.

See, the main reason this ship is so delicious is the dynamic, not their interactions because this is ACTUAL hate, I'm talking they'd kill each other in an instant with NO hesitation. The sexual tension is through the roof. Okay, they're both straight, but you DON'T HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THAT DOCTRINE.

Mild spoiler alert!

There's a scene in which Li Yunxiang gets one over De San by making him crash his car. As De San goes flying out of the car in intense pain, he glances over at Yunxiang, who's looking back at him.

Instead of giving him a middle finger or a thumbs down, Yunxiang fucking gives him a finger heart. IK it's supposed to be mocking but it's so funny, especially the BLATANT rage on De San's face afterwards.

The appeal of this ship is just the hate sex. This is a ship 100% meant for gooners, if you'd prefer sweet vanilla hand-holding and blushing you probably want to go back to regular Oubing.

Why does De San have such pillow princess potential? First of all, look at him. What the fuck is that waist to shoulder to leg ratio?

Second, in the Cantonese dub, he calls his father (Ao Guang) "daddy" (in English btw). Sorry, what? You are a twenty-something year old fully grown man. It is fairly common for rich Cantonese people to call their father daddy (according to my rich Cantonese friend) but it's a little much.

Third, he's such a failure it's hilarious. Spoiler alert: there's a whole scene in which his father calls him a failure and he's like "wait what". He's kind of dumb and pathetic despite being arrogant and proud.

Very princess-like. Chinese version of Drarry, basically. They also both really like cars! TBH if they weren't Ao Bing and Ne Zha's reincarnations they'd probably be really good friends.

Generations of hating each other is such gay behaviour, WHY is that other man on your mind over thousands of years??

Some of the popular headcanons for Yunbing:

Yunxiang calls De San "third princess" or "princess" because he's such a... princess

In the middle of like, fistfighting each other they somehow transition to having sex without knowing how

De San slaps Yunxiang in the face and he's like "on the other side too"

"Only I can be the one to kill him, fuck off!" *surprised look* "No that's not what I meant-"

Inappropriate usage of the metal spine (which is probably more sensitive and delicate...?)

I recommend, if you're looking for Oubing content (of the decidedly not workplace friendly variety) and if you like ENEMIES to lovers (emphasis on the enemies part) that you go through the AO3 Yunbing tag (云冰, I'll link the AO3 tag here directly).

If you want recs please ask me, I am so passionate about all three iterations of Oubing.

To quote a XHS user:

Oubing: Pure love

Shangmei Oubing: Pure fear

Yunbing: Pure hate

[siriuslyobsessedwithfiction]

Six of Crows did a great job showcasing ordinary people don't care about Grisha. (And Zoya turning into a dragon and the propaganda of new "saints" won't solve centuries of prejudice, lack of education in common folk, and capitalism taking advantage of Grisha.)

Most of the characters in SoC duology have known misfortune and discrimination in their lives. You'd think they show solidarity to Grisha, right? Wrong.

Kaz

Kaz is a businessman. No more, no less. He says so himself. Once again, the fandom is blurring the line between the canon and the fanon persona. Kaz is not a "mother hen" who would do anything for his crows but will grumble about it. If Nina and Matthias crossed him as they originally planned in Six of Crows, he'd notify the druskelle to come catch them without any regrets.

Kaz's defining trait is that he takes everything too personally. Kaz is not some vigilante who protects oppressed minorities. He couldn't give a less of a shit about Grishas' struggles, as he makes clear to Nina on more than one occasion. Kaz had no problem indenturing Grisha and giving them less than favorable terms. The only line he wouldn't cross would be selling their bodies. (His disgust of brothels and their clients, once again, comes from a personal reason of his touch aversion).

Even after everything Nina did for him and his crew, even after she took parem, he was ready to kick her off the job in CK when she protested that they needed to evacuate the Grisha from Ketterdam. The only reason he agreed is because he needed Inej for the job and Inej refused to help him unless he helped Nina.

Inej

The only reason Inej took Nina's side (in standing up to Kaz to evacuate Grisha from Ketterdam to save them in CK) is because she cared about Nina as a friend, not because she was very concerned about Grisha. Inej never directly acknowledges the injustice Grisha face even in her thoughts in her pov even though the Suli and the Grisha are both minorities, are being weirdly fetishized for profit and have not been treated particularly well by Ravkans. Moreover, she refuses to meet the Triumvirate, claiming the Ravkans have not been good to Suli in recent years, even though the Triumvirate has only been formed for two years and its members were ordinary Grisha until then. They were servants, serfs. And even after the civil war, they don't have that kind of political power, they obey the Crown. So, what do they have to do with anything? Why does Inej refuse to meet them? Is she afraid they'll be racist towards her? One of the members and the general of the second army is Suli. Who, btw, is known for her temper and pride and not tolerating disrespect. Shouldn't Inej feel proud that a Suli woman is commanding the second army? If Inej doesn't feel comfortable meeting them even with her friend Nina, is it possible Zoya never really acknowledged her Suli heritage? At least, until KoS duology, that is. In RoW, Inej suddenly remembers Zoya is Suli and tells her they don't abandon one of their own. I'm sorry, but it doesn't make much sense. There are two routes of explanations:

It's the author's mistake. Zoya was never described as Suli in the Shadow and Bone trilogy (maybe even in SoC duology? I'd have to check). She was said to have blue eyes and raven hair and that is that. She is also said to have "perfect nose", which doesn't necessarily mean she had a straight or a small nose, but it feels it's written like that. What gives me that idea? In the trilogy, the Suli aren't exactly written very respectfully, considering the two main "good guys", Alina and Mal, impersonate Suli fortunetellers (which is sacred to the Suli), very poorly imitate their accents and have a laugh about it. Zoya acts like a rich, materialistic brat in the trilogy, calls Mal's commoner mannerisms foreign and enticing and we only find out her father was Suli and she comes from an extremely poor peasant family in KoS. It seems like instead of making her own up to her mistakes and making her grow as a person, the author gave her an excuse in a form of a sad backstory.

Inej is a sixteen year old acrobat, who might not be well aware of political situations and doesn't realize what role do Grisha really have in Ravka. I don't want to diminish her intelligence or make her ignorant, but the author isn't giving me much to work with. It also might be possible that during Nikolai's father's rule, while the Suli were on the Ravkan soil, they were tested for powers and taken to the second army since the draft was mandatory and that's why Inej didn't like them.

Wylan

Wylan is a good person, and he had many, many things to deal with in CK, so I didn't expect him to start drawing a plan on how to make Grishas' life better while hiding in a tomb from his father, but it doesn't take much to spare a sentence to at least acknowledge how messed up their existence was. When they're discussing the Kherguud soldiers, they're only worried about Nina and Jesper, not the grand scheme of things. It's a whole race of people we're talking about. Idk, it just feels weird.

Matthias

Oddly enough, the only person who thinks how certain events will affect Grisha is an ex-druskelle. I cannot write his entire redemption arc here, but he definitely shows more care and concern.

Joost

Honorary mention to the boy who knew how dire the situation was and didn't shy away from it. He couldn't take a girl he liked out on a date because she was an indentured Grisha, knew he couldn't buy out her contract but wasn't planning to give up on her.

Also, he demands to know where Anya is as an authority because she should be working. So, not only the merchants and businesses who own them control them, but the Stadwatch are authorized to find them and drag them over to them if they're not at work.

Do you have to have a crush on a Grisha in order to care whether they live or perish? Grisha are an integral part of almost every profession in Grishaverse, they're written as the primary reason for technological advancements, and yet, the ordinary people never stop to think what their eradication would mean to their world.

As for KoS duology, it's a fever dream. I've read fairytales that make more sense than that. Yes, it's YA, but the author is not acting or writing like it's not supposed to be taken seriously. And once you've established a universe with certain laws, you can't throw it all to the wind, give the readers a half-baked explanation and say it makes perfect sense. The SoB trilogy showed us how Grisha were not accepted even when they fought the Kings' wars for centuries and a Grisha saint destroyed the Fold. The SoC duology told us that the civil war destroyed the second army and Ravka was bankrupt and collapsing. Since the draft wasn't mandatory, no one wanted to go fight and die for a country that has given them nothing. But suddenly, the nation of Fjerda, who has hated and hunted the Grisha for centuries, is swayed by cheap tricks to worship them as saints and Ravka will be fine because Zoya can flap her wings and burn whoever opposes her? Yeah, 'cause that went so well for the Targaryen dynasty.

P.S. I am not calling the author or the characters racist. SoC duology is one of my favorite books ever. But as LB herself wrote in this book: "You can love something and still see its flaws".

[sincerelyy-youres]

Elation

Crackfic Yandere Gojo + Slight Yandere Geto x Gender Neutral Reader

Oh, you still remember the laughter that exploded from you the moment you realized that he thought that you genuinely loved him. It was the most genuine laugh you had in a while and you were actually grateful to him for it. It was when the two of them: him and his commoner boyfriend, the one with the jet-black hair, were fucking.

You don't know the deal with Satoru.

For context: you are, well, his "beloved wife" but it was a marriage of convenience. You're rich, He's rich. Combining those two together is apparently a "power move" in a chess of businesses and political endeavors. But you know very well that the two of you are just mere pawns of a bigger scheme- and he knows that, a little too well for your liking.

Satoru has always been known for his brat personality. Egocentric, restless, rebellious. He is not going to stop until he gets what he wants-- a complete opposite of your personality; a very "submissive" one. Obedient, diligent, hardworking. Of course, you have your own share of rebellion, but you wouldn't take it into extremes-- unlike him. Atleast your submissive facade is just a facade, unlike his brutish personality...

You still remember at the day of your wedding, your mother had you all dolled up, dressed to the nines. Every single person that came to greet you was absolutely mesmerized by your beauty, and you had to fake gratitude and smiles just to leave a good impression to your father's business partners. Whereas he, with no hesitation in the world, just had the audacity to kiss some random man while you were walking down the aisle.

Not going to lie, you were quite amused at first, He looks like he isn't afraid to show the world how rebellious he can be. And you always liked to see him try to wiggle his way out of the hell hole his and your parents bought to him. Well atleast, while having to play pretend as husband and wife, you can find some entertainment in this boring endeavor

Well, atleast, you enjoyed it until he noticed that you weren't suffering.

Oh, you still remember the laughter that exploded from you the moment you realized that he thought that you genuinely loved him. It was the most genuine laugh you had in a while and you were actually grateful to him for it. It was when the two of them: him and his commoner boyfriend, the one with the jet- black hair, were fucking.

Apparently, you've gathered some information about this guy: He is Satoru's true love. His one and only. They were going on for 5 years with a very healthy relationship until his parents announced that he's going to marry you, wether you like it or not. Satoru, find the idea un-agreeable, broke every single thing in their house as a rebellion. He also engaged in a heated argument with his parents, one that he didn't win, of course. He keeps on pushing that the reason his parents didn't want him to marry his true love is that because he is poor.

And what did he expect? Isn't he the son of the founders of a trillion dollars businesses? Of course his parents wouldn't want him to marry some random, homeless, low life individual. But Satoru couldn't accept that, so he took it out on you. Funny thing is, he thought you loved him, so he wasn't very discreet with him bringing his true love in the house that you share. Sometimes you even hear them fucking while you were in the other side of the bed. Sure, it was disgusting, but entertaining nonetheless. So this is what he'd do if you really loved him? Hurt your feelings?

Anyway, it was that one night when you were retiring from paperwork when the maid calls you. "Miss, Sir Satoru requests of your prescence"-- and you were surprised. He never called you before, never needed you. So it was new. So imagine your amusement when you entered his room and see him fucking the black-haired man, whom you've come around and known as Suguru.

Then he also had the audacity to look at you as if he's looking down at some lowly life. So imagine the shock that made his face twist when you burst out laughing. The fit was even accompanied with you slapping the nearby wall continuosly because you cannot contain it. Soon after, your knees buckled, and you held your aching tummy from laughing. Satoru then stood up and covered himself, and start questioning. You explained then and there that what he's doing is, well, for nothing, because you don't like him, much less, love him.

Such a tragic realization. You guess he had it coming for him, he's an asshole after all. Thank goodness you weren't in love with him, that would make things much more worse. And the fact that you received a go signal from your father that you can now divorce Satoru when he didn't like how his parents treated him. It was heaven, you were going to leave soon, and make the most of your life which was wasted from marrying him and staying at his house doing his paperwork while you hear him moaning Suguru's name in the other room. (P/s: You had no choice: there wasn't that much to do around the house, and you pity whoever Satoru's subordinate was because of mounts of paperwork stacked in his desk)

But now? You don't know what's his deal. You've just finished packing your things less than an hour ago. You've informed your driver about your departure an hour ago, and now he's here. The only thing you had to do is to leave, and you cannot do that when Satoru is gripping your forearm tightly. And he doesn't look like he isn't letting go anytime soon. Your migraine is starting to make its way nto your forehead and you didn't like the thought of it.

"What the fuck do you want?" You spat, rubbing your temples with your free hand. You don't know what he's doing, what's this for. Is it because of your parents? But Satoru parents aren't the type to chase anyway. They can have whatever they want.

"Give me another chance" He said, almost too demanding. And he looks like he's expecting you to just accept it. To just ditch the divorce, and he'll welcome you with open arms. He'll act like the husband you want him to be.

"What chance- what?" You sighed and rolled your eyes, "look, i thought we talked about this? I don't love you. And shouldn't you be happy that I'm leaving? You can like, marry your side chick now, or whatever. I don't care"

You tried to pull you arm back from his suffocating hold, he in return didn't let go and pulled you into him, causing you to trip lightly. You groaned in annoyance.

"I get it. You're mad because I'm not giving you attention, right? I'll change. You can't just-- you don't have to leave. You won't leave"

You eye twitched, and you could feel your face get hot as you glared at him

"Go fuck yourself, Satoru"

Then you kicked him in his nuts. His grip loosened and you took it as an opportunity to hop into your car as your driver drives you away. Fuck Gojo Satoru and his astronomical ego. 10 out of 10 would not try again.

...

"What happened?" Suguru inquired as he looks down at his lover, who's kneeling in the door step, clearly in pain.

"They're gone, I-" He groaned in pain as he tried to stand up. Suguru stopped him and just ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry. I have a plan"

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Actually could we put some light on the class difference clash epel is experiencing in school. The situations looks a little weird to me. Cuz in epel's robes vignette it starts with the other pomefiore students asking him about carpet brand preference and he has no idea what to answer. They end up having a misunderstanding that never clears up. Epel proceeds to make a table manner mistake which Rook helps cover up with a lie so epel won't be embarassed (rook can probably sympatise) while vil is more strict. It is in this vignette we see that instance of vil first making epel lie about his favorite food for unclear, debated reasons.

In Epel's labwear vignette we hear some of the NPC students whisper about him and they seem to be asuming he must also be from some rich family due to the clothes he wears (which vil gave to him and makes him wear) and maybe also because he's in pomefiore. I know that it's just like vil to give people clothes he thinks will fit them best,and some of it might be so epel blends in pomefiore better, but could Epel actually be more likely to get picked on if he was perceived as from a lower class? NRC is a prestigious boarding school but it's not like he's the only character with more...average circumstances. Compared to the literal royalty and celebrity attending.

[Referencing this post!]

Mmm... I mean, aren't the mobs (in the Labwear vignettes) already bullying Epel because they perceive him to be of high social status? I don't think it would make a difference if they knew he was of a low social status since the mobs were already bullying him (again, under the impression that he's rich) to begin with. What I'm saying is that bullying would have occurred regardless of Epel's socioeconomic status. It's not necessarily nice, but it seems to be the norm for NRC students to verbally bash one another.

I don't really recall other major or frequent instances of middle class (Trey, Jack, Ace) or low-income students (Ruggie, Deuce) in the main cast being bullied. In fact, Trey and Ruggie are pretty well-liked and respected within their own dorms despite not being as wealthy as the majority of their peers are. (In this post, I go over how roughly 75% of the main cast come from at least upper middle-class backgrounds.) The bullying seems to be centered mainly on Epel, and I think that's probably because his peers perceive him as being small and cute--and therefore delicate, meek, and easy to push around. Epel just seems like the ideal target from a quick glance. Notice how B-kun comments on Epel’s face first:

I think it's also worth noting which dorms the bullies in Epel's Labwear vignettes come from: B and C are from Savanaclaw, and A is from Pomefiore. Savanaclaw mobs are notoriously belligerent and are usually the go-to mobs to pick fights with their peers for what are very minor things. The Pomefiore mob bully seems to be an outlier; most other Pomefiore mobs, at least as depicted in Epel's Ceremonial Robes vignettes, are polite and refrain from this type of behavior.

Importantly, (Savanaclaw) C is the one that calls Epel a “little rich brat” and (Pomefiore) A says Epel is “daddy’s fancy little lad”. This wording makes both sound resentful of the rich, thinking them spoiled—so it makes me think maybe A, B, and C are actually not rich themselves and are the less privileged picking on someone they think is wealthy but unable to stand up for themselves.

Now, within Pomefiore itself, it does appear that many of its students are upper class or at least sticklers for appearances. Their knowledge of brands and aesthetics itself is not damning evidence (anyone of any class could know this too; there’s also lots of non-rich people who obsess over brands). However, the fact that all of Epel’s first year peers already seemed familiar with how to handle a full set of cutlery at a formal meal does indicate high socioeconomic status, as the common man would not know how the heck a salad dork differs from the fish fork. (Most people use 1 fork or 1 spoon for the entire meal, and forget about having courses.) Buuut we shouldn’t assume that this one vignette is representative of all Pomefiore students, just as we cannot assume the one mean Pome A is a good example of all Pomefiore students, since there are limitations with the game. (Another famous game limitation is all Savanaclaw mobs being beastmen and every other dorm having zero beastmen mobs; in the manga, we see humans in Savanaclaw and beastmen in Heartslabyul. Riddle also verbally confirms that Heartslabyul has a cat beastman in the second Beans Day event.)

I think there’s definitely intersectionality at play as well. There’s something to be said for a culture clash in addition to a clash of classes. Epel is the only one in the main cast from a decidedly rural area where there isn’t much to do (ie no brand name shops) and everyone is close and casual with one another (ie there is little in the way of formalities). This likely contributes to the disconnect between Epel and his Pomefiore peers.

Now, where is this all leading to? Am I claiming that bullying based on socioeconomic status doesn't happen at NRC? Of course not! I have no doubt that it happens, but I don't think it's specifically the rich-on-poor type. In Epel's case, it seems to be the poor-on-(perceived to be) rich kind, but the opposite also occurs (in book 1, Riddle insults Yuu's pitiful education, something which is typically associated with the lower class; magic and magic education in particular is associated with the upper class). And, of course, we have the middle ground of people of similar socioeconomic status going at each other (for example, Leona and Malleus's rivalry). What's sort of sad is that the environment at NRC is conducive to animosity and no adults ever intervening because: 1) the students are so prideful, who would actually have the guts to tell an authority figure they were being picked on? and 2) the students tend to try and retaliate or get into fights instead, which only escalates the situation.

At NRC, I get the impression that class is one thing you could get bullied for, but that power and/or connections are much more important factors. Let's revisit Ruggie, who is the most impoverished of the main cast. If we assume that the less well-off students are predominantly the ones who get picked on, then shouldn't we have many examples of Ruggie being bullied? But he isn't. In fact, the big, burly Savanaclaw mobs (who are known to be combative) seem to defer to him instead of bullying him. Leona even leaves Savanaclaw in Ruggie's care while he is away in book 6, fully expecting that the mobs will listen to Ruggie. Why? Well, Ruggie is not physically or magically strong, but he has Leona's backing. It's through this association with the powerful Leona that Ruggie gains the respect and the following of the others in his dorm. This is something we consistently see in other characters, including Epel's own dorm leader. Because Vil beats him in combat, Epel agrees to listen to what he says even if Epel dislikes it. We see mob students bend the knee to the main cast once they've gotten glimpses into their power or abilities (Leona versus the Savanaclaw mobs, Idia versus the Ignihyde mobs, each in their respective Dorm Uniform vignettes).

Circling back around to the concept of Epel being bullied! Would the Pomefiore mobs turn on him if they realize he's actually not wealthy? Maybe...? We don't really know enough about the individual personalities of the mobs to judge for ourselves. If they did bully Epel for that though... I feel like those mobs would be in for an ass whooping from Vil (and Rook) for being so petty, vindictive, and disregarding decorum. Vil can rub people the wrong way with his demanding and stern attitude (I'm one of those people sometimes), but he wouldn't stand for such "ugly" behavior. It sullies the good name of the Fairest Queen and the dorm made in her image that he oversees. Those are my thoughts on the topic! I apologize if I ended up straying a little from the initial ask (I felt like I wasn't even truly talking about Epel for half this post ashdbsadlbayw).

[kissofthemis]

Hello, hello! May i ask a headcanon someone tries to flirt/harrass the nxx boys and the reader comes to save them! We love a badass reader ᕙ⁠(⁠⇀⁠‸⁠↼⁠‶⁠)⁠ᕗ

Reader to the rescue! (*≧∇≦)ﾉ

"Wow, you're a doctor?"

Immediately you felt your stomach sink as you heard the tone in which this stranger cooed at Vyn. While out and about, neither of you had expected to run into one of Vyn's patients, who politely had referred to him as "Doctor Richter."

Sometimes you forgot how shameless other people could be, until presented with situations like this one.

"Indeed," Vyn replied curtly but politely. "But I'm afraid I'm not taking new patients."

That should have been the end of the conversation. Vyn, in his eerily calm but always courteous manner, had made his point clear.

Sometimes you forgot how shameless other people could be when they refused to take a hint.

"Oh, but doctor...!" The overly exaggerated whine grated against your ears. "I've got this odd spot, you see, and I'm worried," she whimpered, following after him. "Could you take a peek... down there... for m--"

You stepped up to block her path, arms stretched wide to make sure she wouldn't sneak past you. "My supervisor is busy," you told her flatly, barely able to swallow the venom in your tone. "If it's that concerning, surely I could take a look?"

She didn't reply, just stormed off with a huff and muttering choice words under her breath. With a sigh, you turned around to follow after Vyn, only to find that he had snuck back to your side when you were distracted.

"Supervisor?" he murmured, with a small smirk creeping onto his lips. Leaning over to whisper directly in your ear, he breathed, "Don't tell me, you want to be my assistant?"

"..." You swallowed hard as you fought to regain your breath, flustered at his proximity and his teasing. "Please don't hire me unless you want us to be sued for medical malpractice."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Too much of a big shot to say hello? Didn't know Mr. CEO would turn out to be such a stuck-up prick."

Your eyes flickered nervously between Marius and the young man who was heckling him. His finely combed hair and well-tailored clothing revealed his wealthy status, but the harsh words coming from his mouth were hardly better than what one might hear in a middle school locker room.

"Marius, do you know him?" you whispered, trying to keep up with the CEO's long strides as he walked away wordlessly.

"Not really," he mumbled with a shrug. "Might have gone to high school with him, or something. He looks like a brat that would come out of that school, anyway."

A tug pulled at your heartstrings. You knew Marius was trying to act nonchalant so as not to feed the beast behind him, but you also knew that his teen years were a sensitive subject. He'd gone abroad for his studies, claiming it was solely to help further his career in art, but...

You knew he had been painfully lonely his first year of high school, in an overly sterile environment of rich heirs and dirty money that refused to befriend the youngest von Hagen.

"Awfully cocky for a guy who was second choice for his position," the former classmate continued. "I feel sorry for that brother of yours. Of course, assuming you didn't--"

Marius stiffened at your side.

Nobody brought Giann into their taunts.

Nobody.

Before Marius could say a word in his or his brother's defense, however, you stormed up to the rich brat with a fire in your eyes. "Excuse me, but if you want to keep flapping your jaw, you'd better start saying something intelligent," you snapped. "Mr. von Hagen is a very busy man, and he has a tight schedule. Time is money, and his time is very expensive." You lifted your chin and squared your shoulders, trying to make yourself look larger and more professional. "Do you know what his hourly rate is?"

The number made the young man's face drain of color.

"Now then, if you--or rather, if your daddy's wallet--can afford to schedule an hour with Mr. von Hagen, give us a call. If not, perhaps read a book or two. What a shame that you have such a big head, only full of hot air."

With that, you spun on your heel and stalked off after Marius, who had paused up ahead to wait for you.

"I'm so sorry!" you whispered as soon as the heckler was out of earshot. "I couldn't stand by and let him be such a jerk!"

"Don't apologize," Marius insisted. "Actually, it was a bit..." His voice trailed off, and instead of finishing his sentence, he checked his watch with a cough. "We're late."

"Marius, is your nose bleeding?"

"Now's not the time, Y/N!"

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Don't you look all stiff? C'mon, let's have a bit of fun."

In hindsight, you should have told Artem that the dress code for "dinner and a movie" was casual. Laid-back. Just two friends having a relaxing evening.

In your defense, however, most people wouldn't interpret "dinner and a movie" to mean "arrive in a suit and tie."

Even after coaxing Artem to take the suit jacket off, he still looked out of place in his dress shirt and slacks. The restaurant was nice enough where you weren't too concerned, and nobody could see the two of you in the dark theater, but as you walked along the city streets to find a bite of dessert....

Well, you'd attracted some unwanted attention.

"I have plans." Artem's reply was curt.

"Aww, this cutie here? C'mon, of course you're invited!" You instinctively covered your face as the reek of some sort of alcohol assaulted your senses. Wine? Vodka? Tequila? You didn't know or care. It was overpowering.

"We are not interested." Artem's tone was harsher, more insistent this time. He couldn't have been any clearer that he wanted nothing to do with this situation. "Let's hurry, now. Before the shops close."

"Aww, isn't that collar of yours so tight and hot? I can loosen you up real good, and my hours go all night lo-"

"Can't you catch a hint?" You smacked away the hand that was reaching for Artem's bicep. "He's being polite because he's considerate of your feelings, but I'm not! Go find someone else before I hook you up with Chief Darius for the night!"

That seemed to be enough to finally give you and Artem space to leave. Still fuming, you gritted your teeth as you walked a step behind Artem, eyes flicking wildly around the streets.

"I think you can relax now," Artem told you after a couple minutes. "Just one drunkard. It's still too early for most people to be in that bad of shape."

You sighed and unclenched your jaw. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for suggesting a place so close to North Stellis."

"No need to be sorry," Artem assured you, and the warmth in his voice helped you relax. "I rather like it out here. You can see the stars more clearly than you can downtown."

You turned your eyes up to the night sky, and a soft gasp left your lips as you took in the spectacle of stars and moonlight above you. "You really can! It's beautiful!"

"Yes," Artem murmured in agreement. While looking at the sky, you couldn't quite see his deep blue eyes gazing in your direction. "A captivating sight indeed."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Are you some kind of con artist? You're the worst!"

The shrill shriek from the lobby startled you so much that you almost dropped the box of bits and pieces you were carrying.

"You can take it to an appraiser for a second opinion, but I--"

"No way! Pay to have some buddy of yours lie to me, too? You're scum!"

Luke had mentioned that he'd been swarmed with customers lately, both those looking for repairs and those browsing for antiques to purchase. You had offered to lend a hand to take some of that burden off. At first, he had hesitated, but when you mentioned you wanted to hang out with him more...

His mood turned 180 degrees, and he invited you to help him organize materials and keep him company this weekend.

Initially you had thought Luke was just too proud to admit he needed help. But now, you couldn't help but wonder, "How many visitors throw fits like this woman?"

"Is everything okay over here?" you asked at last, setting the box down next to Luke's desk.

The brunet cast you a look that screamed at you to step back. But if someone was causing a ruckus, you didn't want to leave Luke to handle it alone. You had offered to help out, and you were going to stay true to your word!

"Do you work here?" The woman whipped her head around to glare at you, a harsh look full of malice and frustration. However, you sensed something else in there too: anxiety. "Are you here to call my boyfriend a liar, too?"

"I didn't say he was a liar," Luke clarified, interjecting before you could respond. "I just said--"

"You said this was a fake!" she snarled, turning her anger back onto Luke. "My boyfriend said he searched high and low to find me an authentic, vintage music box! You're spitting in the face of our love! Who do you think you are?!"

"I've been collecting and repairing antiques for quite some time--"

"As if!" she scoffed. "You're like what, 25 at most? 'Quite some time' my ass!"

Clearly, she did not want to listen to a word Luke had to say. She had already decided he was a scammer and an anti-romantic. Judging from Luke's expression, his patience was also wearing thin.

"Excuse me, miss? May I say something?"

She stomped her foot as she spun to face you, and for a moment you thought she was going to bite your head off to make a point to Luke. Luckily, your head was still on your shoulders for now, so you figured you would try to get as far as you could before one of those two snapped. "This man here is also a professional detective. He has a great eye for detail. I'm sure he has a reason for saying this box is not authentic." You saw her nose twitch, and you braced yourself for her to start spewing flames again. "Luke, why don't you point out which specific details are not 100% accurate to an authentic antique? Here, I'll bring over an extra magnifying glass."

Slowly but surely, Luke was able to point out a couple of minute differences that were hard to discern for an untrained eye. "While it's a beautiful replica, it's not a true, authentic piece," he declared finally. "Replacement parts will be easier to find for this model, as it's more modern, but... I think your boyfriend just got unlucky."

"So the seller... was the liar...." Her demeanor had changed entirely from when you first found her. She seemed dejected and remorseful, but also a little... relieved. "I thought it was off, you know. The coloring... Anyway, I kind of hoped you'd tell me I was wrong. I'm glad you were honest." She chuckled and shook her head. "I'll talk to him about it. We'll figure something out. Thank you, Mr. Luke, and sorry I called you a scumbag."

Once the door closed behind her, Luke drummed his fingers against his desk and called your name. "You didn't have to do that. I could have handled it."

"You looked like you were about to hit her."

"I would never hit a woman."

"Sorry. You looked like you were about to dislocate her arm."

He sighed. "I'm annoyed... but I'm grateful." He cast you a beaming grin, his sharp canines glinting in the half-light of the sunset. "Now help me clean off one more shelf, and then it's pizza on me!"

[beanghostprincess]

Sanji never celebrated his birthday when he was a kid, quite obviously. At least not in a regular way and not with his siblings. But he did visit his mom at the hospital, tried to make the best of cakes (because she always asked him to) and blew out the candles right in front of her wishing and wishing and wishing for her to get better. For them to have a happy ending. Sora always said that if he wished hard enough, it would come true.

It didn't. But Sanji knew, even at a young age, deep inside, that it wouldn't.

So he starts living with Zeff and his birthday is not something he sees worth celebrating. But the man asks him about it one day and the date March 2th is written all over his face when he tries to find an excuse to not tell him. And it's alright, he guesses, because at the end of the day Zeff isn't that big on birthdays either.

The kid has it rough on that day when it first comes, and Zeff doesn't know what to do. What to gift him. He doesn't know how kids his age behave and what they like. Especially since Sanji is not a regular kid. So for his 10th birthday, Zeff tells him he's going to teach him how to bake a proper cake. That makes Sanji extremely happy, somehow. He is not a normal kid, but he sure is a cook. So there isn't a party or eccentric gifts, but there is cake.

Zeff starts giving him proper gifts when he turns fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Ties and suits and shoes and every pretty thing his son has mentioned he liked ever since he saw a very rich businessman walking into the Baratie dressing like that with a woman hugging his side. "It's gentleman's attire! You wouldn't get it!" and look, if the kid wants his snob suits, Zeff won't complain. They have more than enough money for shit like that.

They have a real birthday party when he turns eighteen. And he's all grown and pissed about how he could've made the cake better in his own and acting like an ungrateful brat. But he smiles. Widely and brightly and Zeff couldn't love him more.

So it's not like Sanji hates his birthday... But he doesn't tell the crew about it. He gets sad and weird and in an on and off mode. He doesn't want them to make a big deal out of it and he knows they probably will. He won't stop thinking about his mom, either. So he avoids the crew a little bit too much on that day.

And Usopp notices he's acting weird, because how could he not? Sanji has been oddly quiet and polite to everyone in a gloomy, nostalgic way. Everybody is worried and Luffy tries to cheer him up, but it only ends up bothering Sanji more, from Usopp's perspective. The sniper tries not to be clingy because he knows his boyfriend and he knows that if he's in one of his sad moods, affection will only make him sadder. So he stays next to him, but not too close. Enough to see Sanji smile now and then.

The day goes on and it's time to go to bed, but Usopp notices Sanji is still in the kitchen and decides to change his night shift with Franky because he really, really needs to stay awake to look after him. He refuses to invade his privacy and space, so he just stays close to the kitchen in case he gets out.

But curiosity killed the cat, and he's also extremely concerned. So he decides to look inside.

He sees Sanji, sitting down at the dining table with a tiny, little cupcake and a candle. He's holding a picture Usopp knows well because Sanji keeps it in a tiny treasure chest inside his locker. His mom. And he smiles apologetically. "Sorry it couldn't be a real cake, mom. I wasn't that much in the mood? But hey! I- I improved, didn't I?" Usopp can't see his face that clearly, but he knows, from the tone of his voice, that he's probably about to cry. "I wish- I wish you were here. I'm twenty-two now! You said you liked that number, right? It does look like a duck, after all."

He keeps talking, but Usopp closes the door gently without Sanji noticing. Shit.

It might not be the best idea, but Usopp decides to leave him a little thing under the door. A note wishing him a happy birthday and some flowers. The note also has a drawing of two ducks in it.

The next day, the first thing Sanji tells him when he wakes up (Usopp noticing the flowers placed on a glass vase and the edge of his note sticking out of that same treasure chest from before) is: "Hey, love, would you- Would you like to try and bake a cake with me? It'd be fun."

And Usopp couldn't smile wider even if he tried.

[katsmtmsdoodles]

I swear, if Sword & Shield doesn't end like this, I'm gonna crash out-

(ignore Lloyd's hand. I accidentally broke it. Oops, more trauma for him, ig 🤷‍♀️)

jk, but the RBG siblings deserve a happy ending. They've been absolutely going through it this entire fic, esp Kai 😭

Anyways, I do have some questions: - I saw in the tags for ITE that Nya eventually becomes super close with Lloyd like Kai. Is that still on track for happening (please, I will give you my soul for RGB to happen)? - Also, in earlier posts, since you've mentioned the element of technology, is Sora canon in this world (not that I expect her to show up, but does she exist)? - If Sora exists, then I'm assuming Imperium exists as well. I'm a bit confused because Noble says, "[...] second highest political seat in the seven realms." Is Imperium one of these 7 realms, or are there still 16? Or did Garmadon conquer 7 realms of the 16? - Do all the realms have a time dilation with each other like the First Realm and Ninjago? - What are Skylor and Ash's opinions on Lloyd and what are his opinions on them? Do they think he's a spoiled brat like Morro? Is that the general public (Ninjago city) opinion of him? - Since Zane isn't a human but he still has an elemental power, does he have qi? How does that work (unless, it's a spoiler, ofc)? Does Pixal have qi too? - When Misako and Wu had the meeting with the ninja, they were all pretty much uncomfortable with the idea of killing Lloyd since he's a kid. However, after they "kill" Garmadon, they mark Lloyd wanted alive or dead, like with Kai. Were they really willing for Lloyd to be killed off like that? Even Misako and Wu? - Will Karloff appear (since he's an elemental master, and all)?

I'm sorry for asking so much- I'm just so curious (this has become my latest hyperfixation 😭)

Aw your art is so cute!! How idealistic of you 😀 lmao "more trauma for him" lol can I use that

This is THE "RGB go through it" fic 😭😭

I'll see what I can do for you bro

- no spoilers

- no SPOILERS

- brotha. I don't know what Imperium is. I haven't seen DR -_- everything I know about the new elementals is from reels and fandom haha

- All the Realms would have weird time differences

- Ninjago City citizens are pretty unfamiliar with Lloyd because he was kept a secret for so long, and even after he was outed, he didn't appear to the public often. Most people probably just see him as a rich kid.

Skylor disagrees with Kai's over protectiveness and thinks Lloyd is weak because of it. She doesn't respect him and she's a bit bitter that HE gets to be sheltered from the world when his dad is the center of all evil. But she still knows he's an innocent kid and would protect him because it's important to Kai.

Ash is pretty neutral to Lloyd, they haven't had a lot of interactions. Kai is very, very picky about people who get to be around Lloyd, it was Ash's first time meeting him in ITE when Kai asked him to watch him.

- Zane has qi because he has a soul. Pixal does, too.

- The ninja do not necessarily have authority in the rebellion because they are a separate entity, they're more like respected advisors and spokespeople. The "Dead or Alive" things would have been a decision of the council, not the ninja or an individual member, like Misako. But majority of the ninja found it more important to remove the threat, regardless of the morality, because of the circumstances. I will say that Cole most definitely argued against it the most.

- NO SPOILERS BLUE J 🙄

Don't apologize, I think it's fun to answer asks like these!

I hope you continue to have fun with the series!! <3

[delicatelystrangepolice]

Another thing is, I never read YR as a political/cultural commentary piece because I believe it was way subtler in the first two seasons. Maybe it was easier for me not to read into it since I watched the show without any major context in the beginning.

What I saw were just the characters in this story, behaving pretty believably in their environment, their actions logical for their context, and conflicts coming just from circumstances.

I never read Wille any other way than just a teenager – I saw people using very strong words about him, from ‘helpless damaged baby’ to ‘spoiled and selfish brat.’ Since the story was immersive enough for me to see him like a real person, I never liked the simplifications of his character. Maybe I come from very specific experiences, but partying and acting up teenagers is nothing new to me. Being dramatic, neither. Those behaviors are not exclusive to rich/privileged kids. I mostly saw him as just a little troubled, trying to orient himself in the situation he found himself in.

But there comes Simon. Now I get that people accept he was just a plot device the reason for Wille to throw away the crown, but I firmly believe he was not written that way in the beginning. Simon felt as real as Wille. He had his own huge context, his troubles and characteristics – I always saw him as a real person as well. Also, I never saw him as a victim either. Again, that’s probably both because the show was written subtly enough and because I don’t have a simplistic worldview.

Social injustice is naturally a very close matter to my heart. I keep myself hopeful about the world, despite seeing some devastating shit in my life, because I believe in change. I believe in people working together, I believe in communities and parties willing to compromise for a cause.

I can’t comment much about the monarchy aspect of it, but what I gathered is that people don’t like the very concept of it. The right to be born in the right family and so on…

Well, the realist in me knows that people will always be born into something. It doesn’t matter that it’s not written in the law – countries without monarchies have some biggest social inequalities in the world. Russia is a great example. But the USA doesn’t fall far back behind either. Nowadays the inequalities come simply from being born into money. And it’s always going to be a thing. All around the world. I wish people understood that.

Inequalities aren’t diminished by revolutions, I don’t think (pretty sure some historians would agree with me although they are very welcome to correct me) They can be reduced however by the whole community working together. By stopping multiplying divisions and starting to talk. By listening to understand and not just to argue against.

I can’t help being angry at the message from YR because Sweden is one of the most progressive and developed countries in the world. Their social system is admired around the world, I think. Even their education system is the model others can only aspire to. I’m not saying they don’t have problems, but you know, in the bigger context…

Maybe it takes someone raised in a post-communist country to see those things that way.  I just know that, deep down in my soul, destroying something is rarely the way. Building on that thing, adding to it, changing it to include – that’s how things are done to improve.

True both for countries and for worldviews.

Now, you started to read it because you thought I was talking about the show, and by the end of it you realized you were just reading my socialistic manifesto? Good. That’s how I felt watching Young Royals. But since the big media creators can do it on mainstream platforms, I figured a simple person could do it on their weird blog too.

[alectoperdita]

it would be funny if seto sparked jou into genuinely thinking about his future. he’s getting older. does he really want to settle down at some point? he’s never thought about getting married because his parents were terrible, but getting his face smashed into at 50, 60 years old to run cons isn’t the best retirement plan. should he start picking up other skills? should he stop fucking around with 20 year old brats that’ll get tired of an old man who needs to slow down?

Ahhh poor Jou 😭 As much as I go into the Seto angst in this series, there's plenty of it for Jou, too.

A huge part of it is, thanks to foreshortened future and sustained trauma, Jou never expected to still be alive at this point? Much less alive and out of the yakuza. Which creates it's own set of problem because he has a criminal record that is a permanent black mark against him. He's been scraping by in the last 2-3 years since he left but probably not by much before Yugi contacted him. He's simply not employable by polite civil society's standard, and Japan's anti-yakuza law continues to heavily penalize even those who left crime (often some find their way back into it because they have little other choice for survival).

I know I haven't focused on the jobs too much, but they do follow the Leverage formula. They're Robin Hood-type heists where they steal from the rich and the corrupt and give to the poor and rectify wrongs not handled or failed by standard law enforcement. That is a huge part of why Jou continues to do these cons. He sees it as balancing the cosmic scale, some good to make up for the many wrong and terrible things he used to do.

I think that alone can keep him doing this for a while. Beyond what might be even wise for his health, maybe.

I'm pretty sure Shizuka has been mentioned in passing in the series. They are estranged, and have been since they were kids. Jou looked her up at some point and has been keeping tabs on her (and her family, she's married and has at least one kid) since. He also sets aside a decent amount of the money he has saved for her. Has an agreement with Yugi so that if anything happened to Jou, Yugi would get the contents of a certain safety deposit box and deliver it to Shizuka.

While Jou has maybe fantasized about reconnecting with Shizuka over the years, he can't bring himself over the hurdle of his criminal status. He's afraid of tainting her by association. So he keeps watch from afar instead.

That could be one form of a retirement plan for him: reconnecting with his sister and live out the rest of his life as a family together with her. Again, Jou usually shuts that idea down because he doesn't think he deserves to reconnect with her again.

The idea of marriage is a whole bed of thorns. He's never had very enduring or consistent relationships throughout his adult life. I don't know if he's even dated anyone seriously for more than a few months at best. Marriage feels like one of those normie impossibilities. And well, look at his parents, they were mostly law-abiding folk and that worked out terribly for everyone involved.

My personal happy ending for Jou in this AU is eventually he and Seto talk for real and admit they have feelings for each other. That it goes beyond just physical attraction. They work at being a couple. It's not easy and has its ups and downs, but they love each other, and that makes it worth the effort. In another few years, they can retire from the life, get a house together and raise a big dog and a cat. Seto will have his tech cave with too many monitors. Jou will garden in their backyard and continue cultivating his cooking skills. They'll also have a playroom/dungeon in the house for their BDSM scenes. Seto probably continues making online black/white hat mischief. But he's also the one that figures out how to invest their money so they can live comfortably for a long while off some capital wealth. And once in a while, they'll come out of retirement to help one of the many allies they made while working with Yugi.

Oh and as Seto reconnects with Mokuba, Jou can be encouraged to try with Shizuka too. <3

[allthelittlecreepycrawlies]

Time again for "Things I Will Probably Never Write!"

Short Version: "Jin Guangyao is reincarnated in a position that would give him power over Nie Huaisang, but finds he can't go through with getting him back because A) Huaisang doesn't remember their past lives, and B) Huaisang's current life already sucks."

More Detailed Version: After being freed from the get-along coffin, Jin Guangyao is reborn into a slightly-to-the-left version of the world where there's still cultivation and still gentry-clan sects, but different ones from those he remembers.

And he does remember. He remembers everything.

Zhan Haoyu originally decides that he is going to stay as far away from the cultivation world as possible, but the allure of the better parts proves too strong. So he, as a teenager, takes up a job as an apprentice bookkeeper for an orphanage that a local sect frequently draws recruits from. It's a close enough position that he can get away with reusing some cultivation techniques to improve his health and such without drawing suspicion, but (mostly) disconnected from all the political bullshit.

It looks like he'll be able to build himself a comfortable, quiet, safe life, until a new child is brought to the orphanage.

It's Huaisang.

His appearance might be different, but he knows this is Huaisang.

His first immediate thought is to do something to get the kid kicked out. Whether Huaisang remembers or not, he doesn't want the boy anywhere in his general vicinity. There are two other orphanages in the town, or the brat can live on the street for all he cares.

But then he finds himself eavesdropping as the adult who brought the child in explains the situation to the matron.

Little Xie Ying had been born to a woman whose husband abandoned her during the pregnancy. She'd been lucky enough to eventually get remarried to a rich man, but when she got pregnant with his kid, he insisted on getting rid of Ying in favor of his incoming heir, and she hadn't argued with him on it. The person bringing him in is a neighbor of theirs who disapproved of the decision, but doesn't have the means to raise him.

The irony is thick enough to choke on.

The incoming half-brother has to be Mingjue, because that sounds exactly like the kind of sick punchline fate would write to their joke of a situation.

Xiao-Ying is six years old (heavens damn it, even the age difference is the same), old enough that he understands he wasn't wanted. Also, most of the orphanage's residents arrive as infants or very small toddlers, so he's immediately singled out as Other.

Watching how small and quiet and miserable he is, Zhan Haoyu finds he can't go through with any revenge ideas. He'll just avoid the kid and that's that.

Except he keeps finding xiao-Ying hiding from the other kids in the library or his office. Not only that, but little scrap paper doodles and halves of the rare treats the kids are given and shiny rocks and other "small child" gifts keep showing up on his desk.

He eventually clues in as to why xiao-Ying insists on always showing up in his shadow, remembering his previous childhood in the brothel and how a lot of the time, being ignored was a lot safer than being noticed. The boy apparently adores him just for not picking on him.

Again, the irony is almost sickening.

But... if he's being honest with himself... this is the side of Huaisang he'd missed.

He's not going to encourage it. He's not going to be this child's friend.

He's not.

The cheap little calligraphy set he leaves on the boy's pillow the day after his realization is just a practical replacement for the brushes one of the older boys had ripped all the hair out of two days ago. Nothing more.

[bokettochild]

so I noticed that you seem to have never mentioned anything about what the bad guys do in your Opera House au so I thought maybe they are just critics that have big vendettas against the chain and are always looking for things to pick on when they go to their shows? Idk random thoughts you can ignore this if you like *yeets self out of window*

-Window anon

Hmmmm...

I'm going to say that Ganon at least is a business tycoon of a rival company to Flora's father, and while, on one hand, he is actively trying to topple their company for his own gain, there is also the fact that his little sister Riju is constantly undermining him? And he can't even confront her about it because she inevitably manages to distract him with something else (like talking about boys, he is a VERY protective older brother, no you are NOT dating another loser Hylian boy, young lady!). I would't say he's evil, I just think he's rich and has power and doesn't always use it to benefit the people who need it, so it's more that the media hates his guts.

Hmmmm.....basically, if you know anything about American Politics, he's a slightly less horrible version of Trump. Like, if Trump knew that respecting women was possible and good for your health. So yeah, the entirety of the young generation makes so many memes about this guy, and he kinda deserves it.

As for the rest!

Veran and Onyx are Ganon's trusted business partners overseas. They're technically under his mothers' supervision, but they also answer to him. They're not evil, even if they have made it their personal mission between the three of them to get the notorious street artist Sheik and his(her?) little sidekick arrested, mainly just because Sheik keeps leaving street art on their buildings specifically.(Lullaby and Ganon have beef. It's not even big beef, they're just both petty.)

Onyx and Veran also have beef with Legend, not for any good reason even, they just do. He's purposefully annoying whenever he and Lullaby have to be around the three of them, and Ganon genuinely will call off a meeting if he sees Lullaby's pet brat waiting for her.

Then we have Vaati. Vaati is....well, to put it short (pfft), Four's rival. Four is the Mr. Fix-It at the opera but he also dabbles and creates in his own time. Vaati and he met at an expo where Vaati's mentor, Ezlo, took a shine to Four and thus sparked jealousy from his then-student. They're never violent, just extremely aggressively trying to one up each other all the time.

That said, Vaati's actually pretty chill to anyone who's not Four! Although he does tend to flirt with Dot whenever he sees her. His little brother is the opposite: edgy and grouchy to everyone OTHER than Four, although whether that started as a way to piss off his big brother or because he genuinely enjoyed Four's company is yet to be determined. Vaati hates it though, so, either way, mission success!

Zant is just a online troll who likes bashing successful people and tends to target the opera mostly to spite Midna, because he knows her ex and her bestie both work there. The crew actually love reading his posts online though and enjoy laughing at him. He's basically harmless, and while Midna hates it, Twilight loves reading how Zant is going to bash him on any given day.

Yuga is a really shitty art professor at Hilda's art school who likes trying to manipulate her and who Legend and Ravio kinda think is hitting on her. They hate him, she just thinks he's "strange but talented". His art is very unique though, they can't deny it. Ledge signed up to take his class just to keep an eye on him, so Yuga kinda hates his guts now, but also he can't fail him, because Ledge is actually good, so he kinda hates his guts instead and tries to make life difficult for him instead.

As for Cia? She's a fangirl. She's one of the more loud and outspoken fans that Warriors has, and slightly insane? They think? He had to take out a restraining order on her, and she violates it routinely. They don't know what, precisely, was the final straw to make him file for the order, but there is a history of drama there that only newbies don't know not to ask about.

I will say that Octavio is a musician who goes out of his way to point out every flaw or fault the opera has. He could be a critic? Maybe? He's a well regarded musician at any rate and has made his opinions very public. He doesn't damage their reputation a lot, but sometimes he gets on the team's nerves.

Malludus is the ghost that Spirit says is haunting the mechanic shop. He has no proof, he's never seen it, but he swears that it's the reason stuff is always a mess there. Wind's one of the only people who believes him, but he also believes Ravio about the ghosts that the Lorulian says haunt the opera, so....

As for Ghirahim? I'm not sure..... I'm wracking my brain, but I got nothing. Suggestions.

[incognitobobcat]

Further to my poll: “Question to all the ladies out there: which of these would you choose?” Why did you choose:

I have been working hard all my life to better myself. No matter what I do, I can’t get out of the rat race and I’m so sick of the struggle! I want to be taken care of for once!

My dad came from hardship and he’s always model how a man should take care of his family. My dad worked very hard to better himself and did all that he can to provide a comfortable life for my mom and myself (and siblings, if any) to the best of his abilities. He taught me not to expect anything less from a future partner.

My dad has witnessed either his mom and/or the female members of his family be dependent on a man only to get financially abused by the men in their lives. He’s vowed to break the curse by being financially stable and well-off. He has modelled being a healthy and stable provider to the women in his family very well. I want a partner who is like my dad.

My family came from old money, and this is how we roll 😊 I don’t expect anything less from my partner.

It is my personality to (demand), ahem, politely desire, all the pampering, allowances, and to be taken care of. I’m the baby girl of the family and an unapologetic spoiled brat 😋

I have traditional values and expect my future husband to be well-established in his career and provide a comfortable life for me, including giving me generous allowances to buy what I please, in exchange for being a traditional wife, though I know I am capable of working and have valuable skills/education/smarts.

I came from a socioeconomic class within my country where this is the norm. This is how things are supposed to be within my class, and this mentality is also endorsed by my dad/mom/both. The man always foots the bill, and his money is also my money for needs and wants.

More than one of these

Other

[marauderseraconfessions]

i *hate* when people use a character's actions when they're adults as reasons to love or hate them when they're younger

like, take this fandoms darling reggie. most canon compliant (or the ones that pretend to be, you aren't slick) fics are set when he's what 15? 16? when he's very heavily into death eater politics and hates muggleborns. too fucking often do i see 'no it's fineee to babygirlify him when he's a teenager, he hasn't done anything wrong yet' as if the fact he's basically a guy on the alt-right pipeline at that age. he didn't start having doubts until *after* most works are set (or headcanons or whatever you get it) so why should the fact he eventually turned against voldemort even matter?? when the regulus that you're thinking about is a rich evil brat who probably calls people slurs daily??

also with pete. i very much doubt he was evil when he was 15 given the betrayal happened when he was 20/21. then, he was just a kid!! the worst thing he did was not stand up to sirius and james about their bullying, but thats the same for remus.

and i fucking hate snape with a passion, but when he's a teenager, i hate him because he called his best friend (and definitely others) a slur and was part of a death eater gang that assaulted people. the fact he's an immature bully who thought he had a right to a girl who he called a slurs whole life for "saving" her (because it's implied she would be a consolation prize for him if she hadn't given her life for harry) is something i hate him for after he grows up, which quite frankly he didn't do.

this fandom annoys me sometimes. a dash of critical thinking could help you but no apparently not

ᯓ★

[chocottang]

thinking about toddy and golden knowing each other

this shit got too long for a dumb hc lmao

toddy is a regular middle class girl, but she sometimes gets invited to high class events because she's won many awards for the gorgeous clothes she makes, epsecially gowns, making some people in high society want to invest in her because they think she has potential as a fashion designer.

she feels really intimidated by this rich, prominently white world and wants to leave a good impression in order to secure her future, so she acts way more polite.

in one of these events, she meets golden. they get along almost immediately because they're virtually the only young people there that aren't spoiled brats. toddy because she's not rich and golden because he was taught to earn what he has by his grandpa through, you know, forcing him to work from a young age and all.

they talk a little about fashion and golden comments that he doesn't really love the clothes he usually wears, since they're more of a brand than a personal expression of himself. toddy promises him that one day she'll make him something beautiful that he'll like to wear. golden promises her that he'll endorse her brand and give in a good word whenever she needs it.

but... then he learns about how she has acted towards chica. it absolutely baffles him because toddy always seemed like a nice girl, but he just can't doubt his crush friend. it makes him question her character and makes him think that she approached him just for networking. he feels used

he confronts toddy about it and she feels VERY vulnerable so just says that he's right and she was just using him. in reality, she wasn't, but she can't muster up the courage to confront the reason why she bullies chica.

the reason being, she's just so goddam insecure. she puts other people down to try and feel better about herself. people she feels intimidated by, but that are weak-minded enough to fall for it, like chica. she hates chica because she sees her as confident, because chica designs what she wants regardless of what's in with high fashion. she just does what she wants, and it looks good. toddy, on the other hand, feels pressured to live up to the standards of high fashion, instead of chasing her creative vision. and the worst part is that it works. that's what has earned her awards and invitations to insane opportunities. so she can't stop, she's trapped and destined to never feel fulfilled creatively, but with prestige and reputation. she hates it, but she also loves it and it's all she's ever wanted. it's complicated, too much to confront right now, and too much to tell a guy she has seen like 3 times

golden and toddy don't talk after that. but i believe that once toddy apologizes to chica and they make up, toddy could tell the truth to golden and they can become good friends. and just absolutely talk shit about rich assholes. also, i think toddy would become a prestigious fashion designer, and once she has that status, she'll make the stuff she truly wants. it'll be controversial, but eventually, she'll be the one marking trends. also also, golden never ended up helping toddy succeed because of the drama, she did it herself, but he'll still wear her designs, because they're good as hell. and she'll make him that piece of clothing she promised him.