#i always love a good ask about the general world map :3

[creaturefeaster]

Any tropical islands on theia??

Yes!! There's many across Theia, and maybe one day I'll have a full world map to elaborate on, but for now I can tell you about the ones localized around Stolla.

Also I hope you're ready for lore beyond their climates heehee.

There's a lot of islands littered around Stolla but the ones with tropical-like climates hang out on the south-eastern half of Stolla, which harbors the warmest and most humid climate out of the 5 vertices of the continent.

This cluster of eyots by the mouth of the Splitriver are the truest of tropical islands within Stolla. A couple are accessible via a local port, which mainly host small, low-denisty villages. Many of these eyots however are nautically inaccessible due to sheer cliff faces, or are too thick with growth & inhospitable to most humanoids of the region.

During cooler times of the year these islands are nearly always shrouded in a dense and humid fog kept in place by the cooler ocean waters below.

The sands surrounding the lower and more accessible islands are a glittery cyan color, a noteable feature almost exclusively seen along the coasts of the Irrandiant Gulf, so they're quite the spectacle for western & mid Stolla inhabitants!

Speaking of the Irradiant Gulf, all other tropical like islands sit in this gulf's surrounding waters. These very large islands are more sub-tropic, a little further away from the equator. They are still just as humid, and despite how I lazily colored in the vegetation on this map, much of the jungle within these islands actually glow and glitter vibrantly in a range of cool colors from sea-green to indigo.

The two largest islands are populated heavily along their coasts, but very few people live far inland. The largest of the islands exports many unique and unusual magical goods and ingredients to the rest of Stolla.

And finally these two small islands in the outer center of the gulf have a somewhat sub-tropical climate, but are notably less rainy and have colder winters. Any island more northern than these in this area begins to reach more temperate climates.

These islands are home to chiefdoms of Payans and Garbeators that reject trade and much contact with the rest of Stolla. Though nobody knows how they exist, these islands happen to be right on top of an ancient meteor impact site, the same one that created the gulf, and caused the great flooding of it's surrounding provinces. Also the one that brought all that glittery magic to the world in the first place ^_^.

The islands sport several sheer rock formations of varying heights laced with colorful crystals that influence the growth and behaviors of all life within their surrounding area. Many living things from these islands beyond Payans and Garbeators have more than two eyes, for reasons yet to be understood.

~☆~☆~☆~

As I mentioned previously, there are many more tropical and sub-tropical islands in the world of Theia, these are just the more relevant ones to the story-focused part of the world.

[kingthunder]

I saw a few of those "bg3 characters driving a car" headcanons and decided to do one myself for fun.

Lae'zel: She learned how to drive on the opposite side of the road from everyone else and her instincts are all wrong for her current location, but back home she's an excellent driver with a spotless driving record. She actually follows the service schedule in the car manual. She gets incensed at people who don't maintain their vehicle properly or who disobey road rules. Her car is immaculately clean. She would love to speed a motorcycle down one of those desert highways with no speed limit, but she's never gotten the opportunity and knows it's too reckless besides. But she wants to.

Karlach: She's had a motorcycle for ages and is a skilled if aggressive driver. However, she only recently learned how to drive a car. She is very enthusiastic about it and always volunteers to drive even though she's not very good yet. She's one of those people that do driving "pranks" like swerving back and forth to make people shriek/laugh, or doing "3, 2, 1 BLASTOFF" and gunning it. Could easily be provoked into an impromptu street race. Drives way too far on empty or with the check engine light on.

Shadowheart: Drives stick so that no one else can drive her car. It's a beat up old station wagon with a busted tail light and looks like shit on the outside, but inside she turned it into a goth mobile with like black velvet seat covers and stuff. She named the car but she won't tell you what. She has an air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror that smells like night orchids. She's a perfectly good boring driver with nothing to note about it UNTIL one day a cop tries to pull her over for her busted tail light and she hits the gas and pulls out all these street racing moves that you had no idea she was capable of and shakes the cop. She'll let you pick the music but if she doesn't like it her silent disapproval is so withering that you voluntarily change it to something she does like.

Astarion: Never got a driver's license and isn't about to get one now. Passenger princess who likes to control the radio but his taste in music sucks. He makes funny mean comments about other drivers and pedestrians. He'll complain if you ask him to fill the gas tank but he'll do it; you're paying for it, though. Actually pretty fun to go on a road trip with because he doesn't care about stuff like "making good time" and he's up for stopping anywhere that looks like it might be entertaining.

Gale: Never got a driver's license because he was always too busy with his studies to care and his mom drove him around and/or did all his errands for him anyway. He's real good at maps though and likes to be helpful by being the navigator. He's the smartest man in the world but he's completely stymied by a gas pump; you're better off pumping the gas yourself and sending him into the gas station for snacks. He always manages to conjure a full meal out of convenience food, somehow, and he's really good at feeding you while you drive.

Wyll: He saved up and bought his own fixer-upper car after getting kicked out of the house as a teenager. Good driver in general. People always think he would make a good designated driver, but actually he likes drinking socially and will politely decline requests to be the DD unless there's no one else available. Sometimes when he's having a bad day he blasts music really loud and finds a deserted area to just fuckin tear ass down as fast as he can go (he'll only do this alone and doesn't tell anyone about it). Never lets you pay for gas even if you offer. Will pick up hitchhikers.

Halsin: Has been driving the same car since 1973. Drives that specific car really well. If you gave him a modern car he would have no idea what anything on the dashboard does. Honestly, he prefers to walk or bike anyway.

Jaheira: Has a fuck-off huge SUV full of empty cans and wrappers from her kids. Absolute maniac of a driver who tailgates and speeds with no regard for road signs or lane markings. She is going to GET where she is GOING and gods help you if you get in the way.

Minsc: Failed the driving test three times and just gets rides from Jaheira. This does not bother him in the slightest. He tells you that Boo can drive vehicles you've never even heard of.

Minthara: Has run someone over on purpose.

[knockoffheart]

Neuman's Guard Dog (1/3)

summary: desperate times call for desperate measures. victoria neuman has procured a vial of compound V and intends to use it on you. she can't always be there to protect you.

warnings: drug coercion, hurt/comfort, graphic descriptions of bodily harm, murder, violence, blood, reader turned supe, body horror, neuman is not a good person (but we still love her), mentions of politics, general ‘The Boys’ show disclaimer, also NO SMUT (rip)

before you read: Reader is aware of Vic's blood powers. NOT aware of Vic's head explosions (ex. congress attack), relationship to Stan Edgar, The Boys (especially Hughie being involved). Sameer and Zoe do not exist in any of my AUs. Reader has been in life-threatening situations before, not a fan of them, but has been in at least two before.

Tensions are rising across the country, the world is getting more dangerous by the minute. There has already been two attempts on Victoria's life, she's made certain you are unaware of this; she's made certain you know nothing of Butcher and his "Boys". The risk of you being hurt because is far too high.

She promises she will make your relationship public after the election, but she's lying. If the world finds out about you, you're dead. Homelander, Butcher, Stan Edgar... they all have the power to kill you, they just need to see the big shiny target on your back first.

-

The hotel room you are staying at is lavish, it makes you feel like a celebrity — which is appreciated when you're really just the Vice President elect's paramour. In reality, you know you're more than that, but being sealed in this room doesn't make you feel like it. You're lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling, listening to a TV reporter cover the election in the background. You pull out your phone and check the voting map, it's more of the same. You groan and roll over, longingly awaiting Victoria's return. The monotonous voice of the reporter lulls you to sleep, only for you to be awoken shortly afterwards by Victoria’s gentle voice.

"I know I was gone longer than I said I would be," she closes the door behind her and sits next to you on the bed, "C'mere."

Victoria motions for you to lay your head in her lap and you oblige. She plays with your hair and stares at the television. Her silence causes you to turn on your back to get a better look at her face. Though her gaze is transfixed towards the screen, you notice her mind is elsewhere.

"You okay, honey?" you ask.

Victoria purses her lips and meets your eyes. Her serious expression causes you to sit up straight. Oh shit, she's gonna’ dump me. You shift uncomfortably, preparing for what's to come.

"I won't always be here to protect you. I- ... I can't deal with the thought of you getting hurt when I'm not around… I’m scared something is going to happen to you." Victoria takes your hands in hers, "I need you to do this for me."

She pulls out a capped needle full of blue liquid. You furrow your brows and gawk at her.

"W-Why do I need to... Vic, what is that?" you question.

The unnatural color of the liquid makes you uneasy. The only time you've seen that color is in TV shows about meth. Oh my god, does she want me to do meth? Your eyes widen even more. Why the fuck would she want me to do meth!?

"Compound V," she sets the needle down on the bed next to you. "It... It's what gave me my powers."

Not meth. You let out a sigh of relief, which is quickly replaced by a gasp of concern.

"Why do I need to take that!? What kind of danger am I in?" you yelp.

Victoria remains silent and looks away. You lean towards her, she's crying. Your stomach drops and you can't figure out what to say.

“Please. Just. Take. It." She places her hands on her face in an attempt to self pacify, "You'll be okay. I took it when I was a child and I'm fine. It is literally the only way for me to guarantee your safety, please." Her lip trembles.

You're speechless. She's never begged for anything before, let alone cried for it. You bounce your leg anxiously, working up the courage to do or say something. You grab her hand and pick up the needle.

"Okay. I-I will. I'll do it," you steady your voice, but your hand shakes as she takes the needle.

She sniffles and lets out an exasperated 'Thank you'. When she uncaps the needle you realize how huge it really is. Your breathing becomes more rapid and your whole body starts to tremble. You sit with your legs dangling off the front of the bed and she rolls up your shirt. You take in a deep breath and hold it, tears well up in the corners of your eyes.

"I love you," she presses a kiss into your shoulder as she injects the needle.

The second the blue fluid starts coursing through you, you feel like you should have asked a few more questions. That train of thought is cut off by a scorching pain. It feels like a wildfire is soaring through your veins. You cry out and collapse forward, supporting yourself up onto your elbows. Your whole body jerks from the pain. Victoria kneels down beside you and reaches for your arm, you pull away and stand. You sway unsteadily and stare down at her. Tears flow from her eyes but her face appears quiet, she knew how much this would hurt you. Your mixed emotions guide you to the bed and you throw yourself under the covers. You want to be mad, you want to scream and wail and kick until you see red but pain has sedated your anger. You can do nothing but sob and call for Neuman.

Victoria hurriedly joins you in bed, she pulls you close against her and pets your head. She kisses your forehead and whispers words of comfort. You choke on your cries and bury your face into her neck. You feel like you're dying. You find solace in the fact that it will be in her arms; and anguish in the fact that she will have been the one to kill you. At some point, your body gives out from exhaustion and you lie still.

-

The survival rate in adults injected with Compound V is an unsettling twenty percent. Victoria considered this, of course. She told you everyone in the company needed to submit bloodwork, for “insurance purposes”. It was a shit lie but you blindly followed her words anyway. She sent you to a Vought-owned lab and ran more in-depth tests. Your blood already contained slight traces of V, not enough for powers, but enough to give this new dose something to cling onto. This allows for a far less fatal outcome. She destroyed all evidence of the bloodwork afterwards, there's no need for you to know your own parents doped you as a newborn too. The powers you will gain can't be predicted, but she is satisfied with the guarantee of superhuman durability.

-

You wake up alone. You’re drenched in sweat but the pounding in your skull has ceased. I don’t feel any different? You slowly sit up and look around the room.

“Vic?”

You’re met with silence. You feel a pang of sorrow in your heart but chase away any forming tears. Upon getting up, you notice a water bottle and a small note.

‘ I swear I will make this up to you, I’ll be back as soon as a I can. I love you.

(If you feel up to it — counting is expected to wrap around 11, there’s an open bar!) ‘

You chug the water and drop the bottle letting bounce on the floor. You’re pissed at Vic. How much could she possibly care about my safety when she’s fully willing to abandoned my unconscious body… in a locked… fancy… You groan, she didn’t exactly leave you to the wolves but you’re feeling are still hurt. You trudge towards the bathroom, needing to wash off this whole event.

Thankfully, the shower makes you feel like a person again. You wipe the steam from the mirror and examine yourself — nothing seems different? You shrug and pat yourself dry. You find the oversized t-shirt you wore as pajamas last night and throw it on. Victoria’s red lipstick rests on the counter, it’s as sleek and polished as she is. The thought of her makes you smile, you are so quick to forgive. You pick it up to examine it but the sound of voices outside the door makes you stop abruptly.

Cautiously, you crack the door and call out for Victoria. It slams open and you’re met with two CIA agents, they stare down at you. You try to back up, but the taller man grabs your wrist and throws you into the center of the room.

Your body crashes into the floor, as you rise you notice two more people in the room; they’re hiding behind the kitchen island, a black-haired male and female in suits they appear uncomfortable in. Your attentions reverts back to your current attackers. The man who grabbed you squats in front of you.

"Care to explain what you're doing in Ms. Neuman's room?" he asks as the other man encroaches.

You remain silent and try to see what the two behind the island are trying to accomplish. A hard smack from the squatted man draws your attention back to the front. You still don't respond. He huffs and motions to his partner, who begins to draw his gun. You scramble back towards the wall, you can hear your heart beating and feel the hair on the back of your neck rise. An animalistic nature seems to be taking hold of you, all of your senses are on edge and there is a primal hunger creeping its way out of you. The click of the gun sets you off. You launch yourself off the wall and throw the armed man to the ground.

-

From behind the counter, Frenchie and Kimiko are left with their mouths agape. The harmony of feral growls and screams causes them to peer from behind the counter. They see you hunched over one of the guards covered in blood, the guards torso is torn open, rank viscera is splattered across the room. You spit out a chunk of red flesh and your eyes target the other agent. Frenchie reaches for his in-ear walkie and calls for Hughie. Kimiko watches as the remaining agent unloads his firearm into your body. Unflinching, you continue your stalk towards him.

"Hughie! It seems like Neuman has turned your little friend into some kind of junkyard mutt- SHIT!" Frenchie and Kimiko duck behind the island as a severed arm comes flying towards them. Frenchie speaks in a hushed shout, "Your time to shine, Mon ami!

-

The remaining agent is left in pieces, several of which have ended up in completely different areas. The room is quiet, aside from your panting and the shuffling in the kitchen. You stare down at your hands; they're covered in blood and you notice your nails have grown much longer and sharper. Though the room has filled with the stench of iron, you can still pick up the scent of your two intruders. You attempt to move towards them, but the lack of an immediate threat to your life (and possibly the several bullets you took) causes your adrenaline to drop - you collapse onto the floor. The pain of being thrown, beat, and shot catches up to you. You whine and dig into your wounds, trying to claw out the searing bullets. The duo stand from behind the counter and the man shouts to you.

"I would not to that if I was you!" He raises his hands out and steps towards you. You stare daggers back at the man.

Before you can shout whatever obscenities were slowly developing in your clouded mind, the door flies open. Hughie Campbell pauses in the doorway and takes in the scene around him.

"Jesus Christ..." he mutters.

"I told you, Victoria has fucked her!" Frenchie ushers Kimiko out the door and quickly follows, "Deal with this how you want, we must get back to the task at hand."

Hughie makes his way towards you and freezes when you look up at him, you are sitting on the floor like a wounded dog, blind from fear. Your eyes are completely black, your teeth resemble that of a well-fed wolf, and you’re absolutely drenched in blood. Hughie cautiously kneels down next to you and places his hand on your shoulder. He calls your name and directs your attention to his face. Slowly, you recognize the man in front of you and steady your breathing. He watches your eyes return to normal, the black slowly pooling itself into your dilated pupil.

"Hughie..." your voice is a whisper, "I-".

You finally take in the devastation around you, which stretches floor to ceiling, window to wall. The reality of the situation hits you and you burst into tears. Hughie hesitates before placing his other hand on your opposite shoulder and sighing.

"I can't believe she dragged you into this. I… I'm sorry."

"Oh my god- Hughie! I'm going to fucking prison," you whimper, "Oh fuck-“

You push away from Hughie and try to steady your breath. He backs off and stands.

"I'm actually fairly confident that won't happen," he gazes down and his face flushes red.

He turns away and offers his hand out to you, "L-Lets get you out of here, and get some pants on."

You clutch his hand and rise up, pulling the t-shirt down over yourself. He opens the drawers of the hotel's dresser and stops once he finds one with something in it. He holds out a pair of boxers, several sizes too big and extremely gaudy. You make a face and he tosses them towards you and turns around.

"They're better than nothing, okay? Everything else is fucking drenched in CIA agent…" he reasons.

He grabs a sheet from the bed and wraps it around you before heading out the door. You make your way to a utility van parked behind the hotel. Hughie slides open the door and you're met with a bearded man pointing a gun at you.

"JESUS! Butcher put that away!" Hughie bends over and catches his breath.

"No way that one is getting in here," his pistol remains focused on you, "Last thing we need is Neuman storming in here and popping all our heads."

Hughie starts to protest and Butcher cocks back the hammer. You place a hand on Hughie's chest and feed him a forced smile.

"It's okay, Hughie," you assure as you pull him into a hug. “Thank you, for getting me out of there,” you feel the barrel of Butcher's gun pressed against your temple. Your breath hitches and you pull away. Hughie hops into the van and it screeches away.

You are left alone in the parking lot and limp to a nearby alleyway. You hop around shards of broken glass and find an abandoned milk crate, you'll catch your breath here and then figure out a game plan. You sit yourself down and hear small clinking noises near the ground of the milk crate. The bullets previously lodged in you are being spit out of your skin, the craters they once resided in have filled themselves and you notice you're in a lot less pain. A sigh of relief falls from your lips and you shed the sheet wrapped around your shoulders. You feel a small prick in your neck and move your hand towards the pain, a needle resides in the crook of your neck, before you can turn around you go limp.

In your last moments of alertness, you read the lettering on the van you're being pulled in to.

'VOUGHT INTERNATIONAL'

Fuck.

|

authors note: part two is basically wrote in my mind already i just need to type it out <3 thanks for reading, after this next chapter im going to write for Maeve for a little bit and then possibly release a blank slate smut fic.. who’s to say really

[tip jar]

[souperluminal]

Hello!! I'm a huge fan of your art and I thought I would ask about your colorwork, because it's genuinely super impressive to me how all your pieces have amazing palettes and they add so so so much to the general atmosphere. Do you have any process to pick colors for pieces? Like using picture references, gradient maps, etc or do you genuinely just eyeball them? I'm super curious :]

But yea I really love what you do and love seeing every new piece!! Have a nice day! Ty for reading <3

Thanks! I very much use references, though I don't use the color picker on them, gotta train the eye. I have an ever-expanding reference folder of photos and paintings with colors that I like so that when I start a new painting and I have an idea of the color scheme I want in mind, I'll already have some reference on hand. Good reference really makes a world of difference!

I also like to bias colors a little bit away from their standard versions:

The more blue green and the more yellow green are both more interesting to me than the "just green" green. Nothing wrong with that average green though, sometimes that's exactly what you need. It's always situational.

Lastly, a fantastic color tip for digital art specifically that I got from Mike Hernandez: Use the RGB sliders instead of the HSB color selection!

By default, Photoshop gives you the HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) color picking setup which looks like this:

It's perfectly functional and has its uses, but it doesn't really feel like mixing color. On the other hand, if you use the RGB sliders:

Now you can add a little more blue if you think that's what the color needs, or you can take away red, add some green, etc. It gets you actually mixing color and thinking more about how the colors relate to each other. It can take some getting used to if you've only used the HSB setup before, but it's worth it!

[luffyvace]

Heyooo :D

Robin's anon back (ngjfnjff this is so funny to type I hope you don't mind 😭😭), could I request Robin with a male s/o who always take care of the crew ? (He's either like a big bro or a father for some of them) For example : He always makes sure Zoro sleeps in a comfortable position whenever he suddenly takes a nap after training, he always brings to Nami new inks, maps, pens..., candies for Chopper (just like Robin hehehehe), food for Luffy... but in process he kinda neglects himself because he prioritizes the crew above all.

Thank you again for your kindness and I wish you an amazing day/night. ❤️😊

OH HIII ROBIN’S ANON!! i don’t mind you addressing yourself as that at all it’s how i remember you:) 😭!

AWW male s/o sounds so sweet! of course i’ll do this request!!

anytime anyday anon💗💗 you have a wonderful day/night as well <3

YIPPIE I LOVE THIS GIF OF ROBIN<3

ENJOY YOUR HEADCANONS LOVELY ANONYMOUS!!

sooo!

your so helpful!!

“SNACKS! oh gee thanks m/n!”

-luffy

”mmmm…huh? PUT ME DOWN?! oh..hmm…zzzz”

-zoro

”come in! oh m/n, what’s up? is that for me?! thanksss m/n!! your the best! i was running out of paper actually!!….just for the record i don’t owe you any beri for this you know..😗”

-nami

”ahh! m/n! actually i need your help with something…i had usopp to build this shelf for my books only to realize it’s too high..could you get that red one down and..maybe make it lower? hahah 😅”

-chopper

”ohhh! m/n! look! it’s my latest invention!! the only problem is..i’m missing a key piece…see here? it needs something to generate it! could you go back to the island and find something for me?? thanks a lot! i knew i could count on you!”

-usopp

”MMMM/NNNNNNN!!!! MOOOORE SNAAAAAAAAACKS!!”

-luffy..again

”m/n! i’m trying to cook dinner but luffy keeps pestering me! think you could wrestle luffy to go play outside or something?!”

-sanji

”oi! m/n just in time! i need you to go help me test out this SUUUUUUPERRRRR new upgrade i’m making to the sunny! go unfurl the sails!”

-franky

”WHAT IN THE WORLD?! THE LOG POSE IS FACE A COMPLETE 180!! WERE GOING THE WRONG WAY!”

”oh! whoops! i asked m/n to unfurl the sails so i could-“

💥💥 😓 😬 😡✊

(yes this sequence again)

”M/N FIX THIS NOW”

-nami

”m/n!! how very good to see you! i’ve come up with a new song! would you like to hear it? very well—i shall play!”

-brook

you ran to the library as soon as you could and flopped into one of the chairs

a hand touched your shoulder and you wanted to just completely melt away from how tired you were

and yet you were gonna have to help another person

nope!

just robin:)

i mean you didn’t mind helping but…today’s been a long day

robin sits next to you

you air your complaints and get a lot of much needed stress off your shoulders

she sprouts two hands from your back to massage your shoulders and it felt really good

she gives you advice to start saying ‘no’ a little more and that it’s okay to take some time for yourself

she scolds you only a bit when you do this but only because she cares

and especially because she loves you

💗

robin had a hand in the bathroom preparing you a hot bath while you vented to her

after you were done she told you about the shower

and boy it was a real steamy one

just what you needed

robin always knows just what to do when your exhausted

but would prefer if you’d simply solve the problem at hand

LOL

she lectures you about this and man does it drag on

oh well you’d much rather hear her soothing voice than overexert yourself

she recommends you things like meditation and reading

and maybe even to go to chopper about it

especially if things get physical like your back or arms hurt

zoros’ heavy ok?

spawns a bunch of arms to chop your back if that’s what you need

shes the best really

brings you drinks and honestly just caters to you until your feeling better

by then your ready for a hot meal and some sleep

which is exactly what happens thankfully

you two holds hands in your sleep and cuddle a little closer that night

SO SWEET 🥲

these were shorter than my norm

it’s ok bc quality over quantity right?? you can always request more i’m just sleepy rn 😋

also this was in a slightly different writing style than usual so i hope you like!! it’s not permanent tho

[berryz-writes]

Grayson Hawthorne Headcanons- when he was younger

He took ages to sleep. Playing chess games with himself, trying to draw the world map by memory literally did anything to fall asleep faster

Sometimes when he had nightmares he would just lay in bed knowing that Jameson would come to his room first. Once he did they would talk about things (never about their nightmares) but just in general. Once he knew Jameson was asleep he would finally sleep as well

Always took care of Xander even if it meant being the uptight brother

Wanted his mothers attention so would draw her cute cards and gave her flowers that he had dug up from the gardens

When he was bored, if his grandfather was at home he would follow him around sometimes discretely to see what he did and how he acted (he wanted tips on what to do once he got the fortune)

Being super young, Grayson sometimes wondered down corridors, just so he could get lost and then maybe he would get a little attention and someone would come find him

Instead he just found his way back to his room because obvs he's extremely smart

He also made up a lot of games for him, Xander and Jameson to play when they were younger

Always asked Nash for advice before doing anything because he didn't want to do it wrong

Never or barely cried in front of everyone because he didn't want to be seen as weak

He was a quiet child in class but always put his hand up to give the answer

Liked it when Jameson joined his school because Jameson was able to make friends in a heartbeat with literally everyone

Didn't trust his friends completely but he did enjoy spending time with them

His favourite extra curricular was Photography which he had joined because he had wanted to create memories that lasted forever

He is naturally good at drawing/art.

When he was small and the boys had a maid he would tell her "Please could you style my hair so it looks neat?" Cared about his presentation when he was like 6 years old

Also was always so so polite. His teachers always complimented his manners in parent meetings

Great at sports especially cricket but he's not really a fan of how long the game is

Whenever he wanted something he would whisper it at first "Could I please have the crayon?" He had to repeat himself like twice before the other children could hear him

Wasn't necessarily a shy child but he was quiet compared to Jamie

Jamie and Gray always get compared by teachers "You sure he's your brother? He's the complete opposite"

Anytime any child made eye contact with him he would give them the sweetest smile his dimples showing.

He didn't have very close friends but everyone in the class liked him so he was voted for class president quite a few times

His uniform was always so clean like there would not be a spot of dirt on his clothes. He was a clean child.

Unlike Xander who always had paint splotches down his shirt

When Xander was super young like 4 years old, all 3 of them would go to Nash's room and make him read a bed time story on Saturday nights

Slowly this tradition changed to Grayson also getting a part in reading. Xander and Jamie would fall asleep and so whenever it was Jameson's turn to read he had fallen asleep

Nash would ask if he wanted to sleep here as well but because Grayson likes to be independent he would leave to his own room- half an hour later he would creep into Nash's room and sleep next to Xander

Also still liked spending time by himself. Finding a comfy corner in the library to read his favourite book to escape for a bit- he would usually find Jamie here as well seen as though he loves reading

When he was quite young he insisted on having an opticians appointment because he thought people with glasses were smarter. Of course he turned out to have 20-20 vision.

He is the most hot fucking person in the whole of Hawthorne house

[fanficcrow]

Catch Me

tasm peter x reader

Ok so, this one isssss technicalllyyyy dual pov, but there’s a lot more of your pov.

a/n: I found a prompt generator :3 As always, no use of y/n! also basically co-written by @petalpaw4 bc of the amount of ideas they’ve given me 💀

Warnings: Nothing really, just fluff! maybe light weirdo!peter bc he pretends he’s never met the reader before :3

please rb and comment if you like the story! your words are what help me write <3

Your POV

It all started at the gas station near your apartment.

You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You swear this stuff always happens to you, it’s like you’re a bad luck charm.

The thief’s angry yells jar you out of your state of self reflection. “I swear to god you old hag, if you don’t give me all the money in the register, I'm gonna shoot this bitch!” Suddenly he swings his gun, and now you’re staring right down the barrel.

Your heart stops, more than anything hoping for a hero to show up and save you. Is this really how I’m going to die? You think. That’s really shitty. You had just started college, haven’t even had a chance to really see the world, and now it’s all over? Fuck, this blows.

The woman at the register nearly trips over herself in her rush to get the money out of the register when suddenly, the bell on the door jingles. The thief whips his head around to see who’s there, but before he can even blink his gun shoots out of his hand.

“Woah dude, you gotta be more careful with things like this!” He said, gently tossing the gun up as he shot a web at it, sticking it to the wall. The man’s grip on you slackens, and you shove off of him before stumbling straight into Spider-man.

He catches you deftly with one arm, sending your heart racing. “Did no one ever teach you how to treat a girl? His eyes momentarily darken and you feel a shiver go through you. Apparently some things can make the notorious comedians get serious.

He glances over at you before letting go of your waist. “I’ll take care of this guy for you.” He winks…. or as close as he can get to with that mask on, which doesn’t really have the same effect.

Spider-man had the man wrapped in webs and hanging from the ceiling in a matter of moments. Really, the robber couldn’t have put up less of a fight. It’s like he gave up as soon as spiderman started walking towards him.

“I hope you don’t mind hanging out.” Spider-man said brightly with a small giggle. “Get it, get it; cause I-“ He cut off, noticing the thief’s heated glare.

He sucks in a breath. “Geez, tough crowd, huh.” He says before turning to you.

It was like fireworks. As soon as he locked eyes with you, you were sure you were in love.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

“I- uhm, I ah.” You fumble. Shit, why aren’t words coming out???! You clear your throat. “Yep, I’m just dandy!” You wince at the crack in your voice.

Spider-man laughs again and you cover your face, burning with shame.

“Well, I’m glad you’re alright, I hate seeing pretty girls cry.” He winks at you…. again.

Pretty???? Spider-man thinks I’m pretty????? You’re absolutely sure you’re about to implode when you hear him clear his throat.

“Well, I, um- I have to go! Lots of world-saving to do, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man stuff- you know how it is.” He gives you a quick smile and runs out the door, swinging away before you can even choke out a reply.

Peter’s POV

His heart beats wildly as he swings off into the night. Who would’ve thought that he’d run into her while he was out superheroing?? Just his luck that he would look good in front of the cute barista while he was in a mask. He groans. Just great.

——1 week later——

Your POV

The campus map rustles in your hands as you smooth out the creases. Ever since that run in at the gas station you’ve been more jittery, moving to a new city is stressful enough without running into danger.

Although….. danger might mean seeing him again. You think back on the robbery and how quickly Spider-Man handled the situation. It’s odd, but as soon as spider-man showed up you weren’t scared. Almost like he radiated a calming energy that affected all the people around him.

You put a pause on your daydreaming and actually try to find the class you’re supposed to get to. It’s the first day of college and you only have 2 lectures to get to, but it’s gonna take you a while to find them…

As you walk the map obscures most of your vision, so you don’t notice the boy walking down the sidewalk towards you.

Peter’s POV

Peter walks with his head down, loud music blasting in his ears. Like most of his free time, currently his head is full of plans to ask the cute barista out. He’s thinking through the ending of another fantastical plan when suddenly a girl runs into him, dropping her map.

It flutters away on a chill autumn gust and the girl curses loudly. He turns back to her, apologizing profusely, when he realizes the girl he’s been fantasizing about is standing right in front of him.

“I- I am so sorry…. oh my god..” He curses quietly to himself. “Is there any way I can pay you back?”

She looks at him, and he can’t explain it, but it seems like something briefly flickers along her expression. “It’s fine, the map wasn’t much help anyways.” She chuckles self-deprecatingly and his heart twists. “But…..” She looks up at him. “If you could show me where to find Anthropology 101 I wouldn’t mind.” She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Peter’s heart leaps. “I have that class!!” He says excitedly. “I could walk you there, since we’re going the same direction anyways.” He looks on eagerly waiting for her response.

Your POV

Your irritation fades as the boy talks, stumbling through his words. He’s so nervous it’s almost funny. “Yeah, sure.” You say. His eyes light up as you nod. “Lead the way!” You gesture vaguely around. “Otherwise we’ll be walking in circles all day.” You chuckle self-deprecatingly.

He nods and starts walking, but before he turns he calls out. “Oh, I’m Peter by the way.”

[phoenix-before-the-flame]

I’m watching one piece, and now I’m wondering do you have any hcs on the world building in the fairy tail universe ? Do you think theirs some crazy kingdom’s , advanced technology in some lands ? Love to hear your thoughts 💗

hmmmmmmmmmmm kinda a bit of a deep question tbh.

Structurally FT has good bones for its world. And that's kinda it lol

There's a fleshed out map of all the countries within the continent that fiore is found on (Ishgar, which has 16 named countries apart from fiore itself) and expanding wider than that we know that there are about 3 named continents (Ishgar to the east being a peninsula connected to the mainland that we know nothing of, Alakitasia to the west where Alavarez is and Guiltina to the north) and a fourth unnamed continent further east that exists within earthland.

But while we have all this info, nothing in particular comes into play as the series had progressed, the majority of the series' arcs all more or less take place within the same country, which for a series that has it's characters constantly travelling for missions looks particularly bad, especially when even the known locations all visually seem indistinct from each other in terms of stuff like architecture. It's a reason why I appreciate edolas in particular because it at least offered something that visually stood out and an insight into how that culture functioned. (and in Phoenix Priestess for the small montage the squad in the city of Rose Garden and showing a bit of the country Veronica)

Like it is frustrating to me whenever I think on it because the solution would be just to change the locations of where they travel to just to expand the background of the places travelled, wouldn't even have to change arc structures or anything to give some life to the named countries like:

Joya despite its small size as a country is the main manufacturers of trains and exports the majority of the transportation other countries use as well as weapons. Wizards are less found here, with treasure hunting being a more popular job choice.

Sin, despite the ironic name, is a deeply religious and faith driven country. Magics that have connection to nature and celestial bodies are particularly revered here.

Desierto mostly deals with trade, having constantly active shipping ports. Enchanted items such as brooms and carpets are popular and easy transport choices within cities and are more widely used than vehicles.

Iceberg's largely uninhabited due to the weather with most of the population sticking closer to the country's borders.

Like this is all just purely flavour text examples to just try and bring some life to these otherwise lifeless locations but you get the general gist of it.

There was clearly this effort to establish these locations by giving then names (and drawing a full on map) so it always boggled me that they were never properly used as a backdrop for the arcs within the story. (Tower of Heaven? Move that arc to Sin, Lucy's arc with Loke? Takes place in Stella, That arc with the giant village? Put it in Minstrel).

Like shifting around major arc locations would easily open up avenues to naturally expand the world as the story moves. And not even just big arcs, but smaller less grand filler arcs (which jesus christ did ft rlly need because it defs need breathing room between all the big events. It's why the story moves at such a breakneck speed without things really feeling as though they've changed in any meaningful ways) would do wonders to make earthland feel like a genuine lived in world (like how it is within the world of one piece that you cited as an inspo for this ask.)

[kittzuxp]

Intro post!!!

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About me

Hi hello, you can call me kittzu/kittz/dream/drem or dremzyzz. I use any pronouns in all languages!! Also i am greek🇬🇷🇬🇷

I am a minor‼️‼️ DONT BE WEIRD.

My fav colors are black, red and teal :3

My fav animals are cats, frogs and bats :33

Yk what. I. Am. Done with gender. Genderfluid, lesbian and aspec (probably aceflux, aegosexual and demiromantic) . If u don’t like it FUCK OFF WHAT R U DOING HERE

I can be pretty shy sometimes but always open to making new friends!! (・・;)

Dnis/ do not interacts: z00s,p3d0s, homophobes, transphobes, TERFS, MAPS, racists, xenophobes, anti-therians, anti-furries, radqueers, proshippers, 'superstarights' etc and any hate groups in general.

Also @/guess-who-69 sorry

🇵🇸🍉 FREE PALESTINE

4 more info click here

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Fandoms & interests

I like reading (warriors) and drawing, but also browsing the tube. Oh and comics can't forget about those (currently reading homestuck)

I am in a loooot of fandoms but not really active in them cuz… most of them are dead..

BUT!! I have a couple of things that are currently rotting my brain (fandoms I'm hyperfixating on + active fandoms)

Brain rot real

Stardew Valley [foams at the mouth my brain is rotting]

Twomp/ the world of mr plant

Regretevator

Mob psycho 100

Sofita / johnypeace, thanakios [IF YK THIS ONE FOLLOW ME IMMEDIATELY AND DM ME SOMI CAN FOLLOW U TOOO]

Homestuck [NEW!]

Active

Ghost eyes

Sally face

The song of achilles

Ouk an lavois para tou mi ehontos (if you know this one lets get married/j)

Lacey games

Clan gen (warriors fan game by @/officialclangen)

Tgcf

Diary of a wimpy kid [doawk fanfics: Dysfunctional perspective, Rodrick's secret on the loader diper subreddit]

Unfamiliar (comic by lavendertowne pls go read it)

OMORI

Deathnote

Webtoons(/tapas) [Jackson's diary, Castle swimmer, Your wings and mine <- go read these they're awesome]

KinitoPET

Ramshackle [The webtoon & yt series]

Inactive

Warriors

Ninjago

God troubles me!

An extremely goofy movie

The Boiled One Phenomenon (PHEN-228 is my pookie ❤❤)

Salad fingers

Minecraft (the game)

Helluva boss

South park

Deltarune & undertale

The amazing digital circus‼️

Fionna and cake

Stranger things ☹️☹️ (I'm trying to not to associate the actors with the characters as to not ruin the show 4 me. I will be boycotting s5 tho)

Sonic prime

Heartstopper

Batim

Toh

Sr pelo’s content in general [spooky month and the mokey series]

Saiki k

Good omens

YuB (a youtuber, please go sub to him he’a so silly)

Love, Sam (indie horror game)

Former yandere simulator fan. After the shit with yandev happen i don’t support any of his content anymore.

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Socials & tags

My discord is: forknifeistrash#1419

My wattpad: apersonyoudontknow7

My Ao3: Kittzuxp_the_pidgeon

My Artfight >ω<

Sideblogs: @lovrclan-gen @ask-lovechild-au-twomp

I don’t use it very often, but i’m also on the twompcord and clan gen server. I’m not active on the servers tho..

Tags i’ll use:

Kittzu's headcannons = pretty self explaintory, headcanon I made

Kittzu's Mr plant plushie = he's here!!!!

kittzu's argos plushie = i am legally forced to put this tag under the mr plant one.

kittzuxp = reblogs and posts (fast reblogs do not count)

Kittzu’s enderman plush (i have an enderman plush, if you want any related content, i’m sorry for advertising i just love ‘em so much)

Kittzu's creeper plush (i also have a creeper plush!!!)

Kittzu doodles = any of my art

Kittzu answers asks = do I need to explain?

storytime with kittzu = me sharing my memories and expiriences with the world. I want to leave a mark that i was here and that my existance is not forgotten. Philosophical much?

kittzu's ocs = working on a masterpost abt my ocs but there's this tag too

And then just general tags of any fandom i want the post to be abt

(I might tag your username if i don’t mention you in a post, so beware)

[🔼by @/oxceen]

[ganondoodle]

Hello! I hope you are doing well. I have been following your concepts on [cursed bird app] for a while now and find your stance on the totk rewrite intruiging. Since twitter ofc is never a good place to elaborate on anything lmao, I figured I would ask on here after finding out about your tumblr.

You are welcome to take as much time as you need for this, but I was very curious to hear more about why you feel totk 'fails as a sequel' in terms of writing. I can agree that the whole zonai thing did come out of left field a little, and I never did like the whole "zelda is once again separated from you for 90% of the game," bit (bc c'mon Nintendo again? Really??) but I was curious about what else you found dissatisfaction in and sought to redo

If your plan though is to do so gradually as you go with the new rewrite concepts you piece together and post, that is fine too. I just get more curious about your opinion bc you always seem to have a *lot* you want to say outside of just tag ramblings xD

Thank you for your time, ik this is a rather long ask, but your view is very vast and different, and I wish to understand the development of it more as I find it on my timeline

Thank you for this ask!

i have talked alot about the things i dislike about totk, all my general talking (not just about totk tho) is tagged with "ganondoodles talks" and all my longer rants should be tagged with "ganondoodles rants" (tho that tag is new idk if i remembered to put it everywhere) so i think it might be easier if you searched for these on my blog bc thats were all my ramblings go and, with no ill intent, have talked about it so much already i kinda dont want to spend hours writing out something that just ends up repeating myself really

somethign i can say that the main thing on why it fails as a sequel to me is .. bc its not .. a sequel really, it reuses map and models but doesnt elaborate on anything from botw (the zonau were barely even a thing in botw and now in totk their stuff looks way different and they have been here all along actually(tm) ) the shiekah stuff is basically erased despite it having been so build into the world of botw (and you could have just .. explored them more bc theres lots of cool stuff to do with them still), characters act weirdly off, stuff that was seemingly build up and was a perfect slide into a sequel either gets ignored or just straight up erased, themes dont match up at all and more

it just feels like they tested the glue mechanic for 3 years and everything else was an afterthought, i felt empty at the end, in a bad way, it felt like the game was actively mocking me for caring so much about botw at times and totk actively hurts botw too imo (with some reveals etc)

they should have just called it an alternative dimension thing like majora and half my complaints could be dismissed, but its not so im super frustrated bc i love botw a ton

if there are more specific questions you are free to ask about it again of course! this is not meant to sound dismissive but me typing out stuff can take a long time and im behind on so much work already qnq

also all development both visual and writing concepts for my rewrite are tagged with "ganondoodles rewrites totk" so you can find everything with that too :D

[narrators-journal]

Hey, I'm trying to make a Yandere Persona 3 fanfic (Which is being posted on AO3). Can you give me some advice as to how to write it as I'm having a writer's block?

(Note: The Yandere ship being Yandere SEES x Fuuka Yamagishi, though, Ken and Koromaru are Platonic Yanderes, with the rest of SEES being Romantic Yanderes.)

Okay! So, I’ll preface this with, this isn’t some step-by-step guide on how to write your story, it’s just some general advice I could think of. I’m a good writer, but my methods might not work for you, and I do not claim to know what the fuck I’m actually doing. So, keep that in mind while you read this, okay? I’m sorry if none of this advice works for you, and if you have any questions after this, or want some more clarity on these points, feel free to send in another ask, comment, anything like that and I’ll be happy to answer them!

Now, let’s get the big part of this done first. If you want to know how I personally write and manage to craft all the stories like months of tolerance, Winter is a lovely season for weddings and funerals, or any of the smut you might like to read, I...can’t really help. The best I’ve got for that is just, I tend to write what I like to think about, and that enjoyment usually leads me to filling in the details and putting in the extra effort to try and make the writing, story, and implied world around the scenarios as good as I can get them. So, if you just want a walk through on how to gain that skill, all I can offer is to simply enjoy what you write, and write what would make you happy for the story.

Alright! With that out of the way, onto how I tackle my fics! Starting with my first step, making an outline.

OUTLINING

And, trust me, I recognize that some writers hate to outline their stories, it’s boring, it can seem to take all the fun and spontenaity out of writing. But, for a full fanfiction, with something that requires plot, and consistency, an outline is very good. Especially if you’re writing anything with a large cast of characters, like you’re planning to, because an outline lets you keep track of how frequently someone appears, talks, who’s getting too much spotlight vs who isn’t getting enough, and lets you keep track of events.

Plus, it can be a good baby step to work out of a writer’s block because it’s not very taxing on the brain. You’re just taking your ideas, and trying to at least vaguely organize them. So, in that sense, an outline also can work as a pre-rough draft! Because, you’re writing down all of your big ideas and noting down ideas to flesh those bigger points out in a format that’s a lot easier to get out, edit and adjust than a full blown chapter, y’know? So, take advantage of that, and take the time to outline your entire fic before hand. It doesn’t have to be super detailed, you don’t need to fill an outline with polished prose, you just need to get down your ideas in a semi-organized fashion so that you can map out how your plot will go. For example, something like this is how I would outline a fic:

end

Maya and co. finally convince Tatsuya to join their group, booting Nanjo to the curb.

Katsuya and Tatsuya bond after an encounter with Katsuya’s shadow

S!Katsuya: Admit it! You hate your baby brother! He ruined your life!

Katsuya: No! No, I could never hate him!

Tatsuya punches Nyarlethotep in the face

As you can see, it isn’t super detailed or in-depth, it just covers the big points of how they reach the desired end, with some dialogue I thought up as I was writing. And, that leads into my next point of advice for outlines specifically: Start with the ending. If you figure out the ending first, you’ll know what to foreshadow and build in the earlier portions, so I always suggest you start by writing down your ending point.

So, tldr: Try outlining your fic before you get stuck into writing. It’ll help you catch plot holes, recall and keep track of cool dialogue you thought up, and make sure each of your cast has time to shine and some sort of impact within the plot. Especially when it comes to large groups of characters you’ll have to keep track of.

CHARACTERIZATION AND DIFFERENTIATION

This next part is another big thing I keep track of when I write my fics or scenarios, and is especially noteworthy for a group of Yanderes. My personal characterization, and how that differentiates that specific character from the others.

This is the time you work in your headcanons for character personalities or backstory, and I can’t offer any help on that front. Your takes are your takes, the only advice I can offer is to make sure to note those personalities down if you don’t feel confident innately writing that character with them yet. Like some form of cheat sheet on Junpei, or Mitsuru, or whoever you don’t feel you can portray consistently off the cuff. That way, as you write them, you can have something to refer back to for their actions. For example, if I was to write for a yandere Junpei, I’d probably write down:

Keep golden retriever energy

Possibly stand-offish to darling at first. In some circumstances

Probably doesn’t bother to hide stalker behavior.

Likely to gaslight to hide that shit instead

to try and keep him consistent.

Which, is another example of how characterization is very important for specifically yandere fics. After all, not every yandere should behave the same, and for a group those small differences are hard to keep track of in your mind alone. Like, Shinjiro is terrified of hurting those he cares about, so he’s not going to be as kidnap happy as Akihiko. Who is more likely to deem the outside world dangerous and unpredictable, so the safest place for Darling is with him at all times. Yukari has an awful track record of those important to her leaving in some fashion, so she’s going to be far more aggressive when Darling escapes than, say, Minato is. Since Minato’s lower energy, and is convinced he’s ‘normal’, and doesn’t care about anybody, so violence isn’t something he’s keen on. That’s a lot to keep straight if you’re just relying on your own memory for those good character ideas.

So, all of these things are aspects I usually note down for the yanderes I write. It lends them some variety, personality, and opens a lot more potential for Darling to have conflict and a chance. So, I suggest you think a bit about each character you want, and write down how they personally would behave as a yandere. Which, leads into what should be our second to last, major point of advice.

LET THE DARLING BE SMART

As a writer, I can tell you, favoritism is something that happens, lol. Not only in characters, but focus. Sometimes you just prefer to focus on the fun interactions, or the kidnap portion of a yandere story, and that’s fine. But, for a good, filling story, you should always make sure that you are trying to make your Darling/mc at least believably dumb, lol.

Which, transcends the strict vibes of the situation. After all, no matter if it’s overt yandere behavior, or subtle, if your Darling is obliviously a-okay with everything around her, and goes to grab a spoon to defend themself against a psycho killer covered in the bestie’s blood, it can take a reader out of your story. If done wrong, at least.

Plus, a story is better with conflict, and making sure your character is believably smart, can heighten the tension, stakes, and simply provide that friction. It lets your reader have hope that a plan will work, and feel more tense and invested when shit begins to go awry. So always try to make sure your darling has some awareness fitting your plot.

And, finally!

WRITE FOR YOURSELF

Aka, don’t get so hung up on writing the perfect, most polished, tense, believable fic that you end up killing your own joy for it. All of this advice is stuff that I, personally, use to write my full length fics. I like to think of all of the little details and make a thoroughly thought out story, but if you just want to write a lighter, less dark yandere story that’s nothing but pure self-indulgence, go for it!

Hell, I’ve done it, my Ryomina fic, Winter is a lovely season for romance and funerals, is built brick by brick off of my own enjoyment of the idea of Minato being sacrificed to Ryoji. The story was grown around that, and it probably shows lol. So, make sure that you don’t get too caught up in the planning, the consistency of the characters, or how well put together your story is. Just enjoy yourself, and you will usually find an audience who can appreciate the simple fun of your fic. Just be aware of your motivations, and try not to take your fic too seriously.

Annnnnnd that’s all I’ve got for coherent advice! I hope this is helpful, I hope it is clear, and I appreciate that you thought so highly of my writing, that you asked my advice! Again, if anything here is confusing, or you’d like advice on a specific thing I didn’t cover here, feel free to comment, send another ask, whatever! That goes for everybody who decides to read this btw, not just the asker.

[foxymoxynoona]

hi foxy! it’s been a while, i’m just here to ask for your opinion, really. but do you think a person is bad for having a crush on fictional characters who are teenagers? i am 24 and i happen to have a crush on a haikyu!! character who’s in high school, and a lot of people on tiktok said that’s weird and disgusting. what’s your take on this?

thanks! ❤️ hope you have a good day! i haven’t visited your profile in so long, i hope you’re ok with your family ❤️❤️

Oooh this is a spicy space to wander into 😂 There's so much nuance that folks try to simplify into grand sweeping generalizations but i don't want to write a novel here about it either haha but I guess here's my 2 cents.

Fictional characters are fictional. They are not being hurt by anyone of any age having a crush on them, and having a crush on teenage anime or manga characters does not mean you have inappropriate tendancies towards underage people IRL.

In fact many characters in manga/anime are created with the intention of not really being "coded" as a teenager. That's where the whole joke about "how old is this anime character" really comes from, because ages are so amorpheus. You have a 12-year-old who looks and acts 45 and a 52-year-old who looks 19 and the high schoolers rarely act like teenagers but the 20-somethings sure do! Fiction gives us pretend scenarios and people to love or loathe and freedom to play out plots we might not approve of or reflect in our real life relationships, moral boundaries, or desires.

I you're wanting to really dig into your own feelings to be reassured that liking an anime character doesn't make you a predator, consider what it is that draws you towards this specific character. Is being 16 really the defining characteristic for this character for you or are you connecting with things that are ageless? Are there ways in which connecting with them allows you to re-do or re-live what might have been a wonderful or terrible phase of your own adolescence? Is the age gap part of the fun for you or are ages ambiguous? But the only truly important question: What's the real life "action" of your feelings --are you transferring your feelings into any kind of real life harm to others? I suspect the answer to that is no :)

Are there people who sexualize underage characters in a way that does cause real world harm by fixating on age "age/innocence/powerlessness" and carrying those fantasies into inappropriate spaces or mapping them to real people or real world behaviors? Yes! Are there some things that live in a hazier space around the line where folks will continue to debate whether they are problematic or a part of safe fictional fantasies? Also yes! (Are some of those sexualized underage characters in manga or anime coming from a creator or culture that has an arguably oversexualized view of women in particular and worthy of criticital discussion? Also yes but that is a whole other conversation haha)

It doesn't sound like you are describing either of these scenarios. These conversations are of course always great to have as society evolves and our relationship to fictional works does as well! We should totally discuss social and political and psychological and emotional and narrative ethics and also not jump immediately to purity culture, poor understanding of fantasy as an improtant part of higher-brain development, poor media literacy hot takes that seem to be rolling through online spaces as well, so don't let tiktok drag you down <3

[thinking-about-writing-mm]

Chapter 13

Title: Those Evil Ways

Pairing: OT7 x Y/N (female reader)

Genre: supernatural au, slow-burn, medical, fluff, angst, smut, war

Word count: ~6 700

Characters: (Demons!BTS) Namjoon/Corson, Jin/Agares, Yoongi/Baal, Hoseok/Alastor, Jimin/Aamon, Jungkook/Mammon, Taehyung/Gaap, human reader (with special abilities later in the story)

Warnings: description of Y/N's phobia - some tension, Y/N transforms/ritual, a bit of planning for the upcoming battles, Y/N gets out of her "low", supportive and lovely Jungkook, kiss-kiss – if I have missed something please send a pigeon 😅❤️

Summary: Y/N is a third-year medical student going through life like others do. On one unfortunate night she gets in unexpected contact with otherworldly beings who drag her into their world of violence, war and fight for power.

Author’s notes: TAGLIST OPEN.

After the poll we have a winner! The majority decided that Y/N is turning... *drum and roll*... ah not telling you here 😅 You have to read and see. I'm so excited about the new possibilities that the shift will give me.

Please, enjoy! <3

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“I haven’t seen you in a while” Jimin smiled when Jungkook entered the meeting room. His hair was longer than the last time that they saw each other but the silver color was still there.

“Been busy” Mammon replied without trying to explain why. All of them knew.

At the other side of the room Noir, Alastor and Gaap were discussing something over an enormous map that was laid out on the table. When the General saw the other King he approached and the two shared a brotherly hug. “I hope things are going well” his tone was just as calm as always.

The tattooed man only nodded.

“A man of few words” Namjoon spoke without lifting his eyes from the map. “Just on time. We have to make a decision but it’s a tie so your input would be more than appreciated.”

“That’s why I came - to help.”

Taehyung felt how tense Mammon was and wondered if this combined with what he was about to hear next is going to be the perfect recipe for disaster. Gaap liked to be prepared for all kinds of situations so he got closer to Jungkook in order to stop him from pouncing on someone if that ever happened. Let's just include a short note here and say that King Mammon was not aggressive without a good reason but now considering what had happened with Y/N not so long ago the other four wondered if he could have become irrational.

Hoseok was fidgety by the table at this point and wasn't paying any attention to what Namjoon was so eager to explain. He had to keep his head high but explain the struggles he had to deal with the previous weeks.

"Can I talk to you before we start?" He asked, meeting Jungkook's sharp eyes. At this point there was no wrong or right way to say whatever - everything has gone to shit so the only option was to be as transparent as possible and hope for the best.

"Let's hear it" Mammon's smug and mocking expression was enough to put off anyone. His side smirk was laced with disgust and bitterness. "Please note that nothing you say now will be able to make up for what you've done."

Hoseok sighed softly, nodding once before he gathered the courage to begin. "Look I hate this. I don't like apologies and won't give you one but I know I've caused you pain. And… Y/N too." It was still hard to say her name. "There's nothing more I desire than to fix what my jealousy and pettiness managed to destroy."

Jungkook laughed and on the side it sounded like a whole-hearted genuine laugh but it wasn't. The other three demons were standing quietly on the side, pretending to mind their business. Taehyung could see King Alastor becoming anxious.

"You know this tale about the bear and the bad word? In one of the nations in the human world, old people use it a lot to teach the kids to mind their way of speech." There was a note of sadism in Jungkook's behavior, the man was enjoying this and wanted it to last for as long as possible. He wished for Hoseok to crawl and suffer in Y/N's place. "It goes like this - the boy saw a bear cub in the woods one day. It was struggling, stuck in a thorn bush so the boy decided that it was best to help. The mama bear somehow saw it and offered the guy a friendship and he accepted. They became close and talked for a while. One time as a goodbye the boy kissed the bear's snout. It smelled so bad and without even thinking he expressed the disgust he felt when the stench hit him. The mama bear didn't say much, just asked him to hit her with his ax on the head, as hard as he could. Even though he tried talking the bear out of it, in the end the animal threatened to eat him if the guy didn't comply with her wish. He did it and felt extremely guilty for it. For a few years after that they didn't see each other in the woods. At some point their paths crossed once again in a different place in the forest. Before he left the bear asked him to look for the wound but no matter how hard he tried nothing could be seen on the animal's skin - there wasn't even a scar. The boy was amazed by this but the bear said then that a bad wound can be healed and forgotten but a bad word can never be forgotten. It would stay with the bear until the day it died." Jungkook walked closer to the King and stared at him with cold eyes. "Do you get it now? It doesn't matter what you will say to me or to Y/N. She is in a bad place now but things are looking up. What you did to her mind is another topic though, the terrors you've put her through will never be forgotten even if she decides to forgive you."

Long silence followed after Jungkook stopped talking. No one dared to move and Alastor was trying to decide if there's a point to continue. Jimin was surprised, mildly said, to see this side of his friend. To be honest he didn't even remember if there was a time when Mammon was ever like that… "Jungkook, I hate this. This is my promise to you now - I may have been biased and quick to judge Y/N but this is in the past now. I will do everything in my power to support and keep this girl safe since she's so important to everyone. In reality she has never done anything bad to me or anyone else for that matter. Everything after a certain point was my wrongdoing and it will change in the future if she lets me… and you too."

"We will see about that. It's all up to her." There was nothing more to be said. King Mammon turned around and approached the table where the other three demons had gathered.

…

"Monica?" Y/N whined squeezing the pillow in her hands. She needed someone to hold her so badly and the feeling of being alone was simply unbearable. "When i-is Koo coming?"

"In a while m'lady" the maid rushed to the bed placing her hands over the girl's in an attempt to calm her down. "He promised a few hours right?"

"Mmh." Feeling completely worn out the young woman plopped down on her side facing Monica. "You 'ave pretty hair" she whispered. Y/N was becoming drowsy once more and a few minutes were keeping her away from the oncoming nap.

"Sleep m'lady. You will feel better when you wake up…"

…

“What?!” Jungkook spat out, his voice bubbling with anger. “How did you even reach this… this… I don't even know what to call it?”

“Decision?” Namjoon raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t get cheeky with me.”

“But it’s the best we can do” Jimin slammed his hand on the table, feeling like he had reached his limit. “If we leave the frontline unsupervised, who knows what might happen!”

Taehyung sighed and opened his mouth to speak but at the same time King Mammon began shouting, throwing his hands in the air. “Why the fuck did Taehyung trained all those sergeants if they're gonna stay here and scratch their balls?" The fact was that the military personnel was enough to cover the Northern and Eastern borders without any problem but Jimin and Hoseok doubted it would be enough. Taehyung of course trusted his men with his head and Namjoon had faith in the General's judgment. "Only two borders need protection at this point. The other two nations have nothing to do with this war so they won't interfere." Jungkook was fuming.

"Are you sure?" Alastor asked with a low voice. He knew from the beginning that the King of the North would be against this proposition so now he wondered why they were even trying to persuade him.

"A thousand percent sure" the tattooed demon gritted his teeth in the end.

"I know for a fact that Agares will join the troops no matter what our decision tonight is." This was a simple fact but Jimin felt the need to say it. The silver-haired man also knew that…

"I don't care about Agares or Baal or whoever else." Ah… so predictable. "My vote goes for us to stay here." At this point his signature involuntary action made an appearance again - when he was annoyed or angry Jungkook was poking the inside of his cheek with tongue.

This was turning out to be a disaster like their previous talk. A new idea struck Noir while he was folding the map. "Listen to me, I think I found middle ground just now. What if we take turns going to the borders?" The King smiled widely, extending his hands to the sides. The strong presence he had always came in handy especially if he needed to persuade someone. Now after all he had heard the demon saw it as convenient to have one of them with the low-class demons at all times.

"Take turns?" It was Taehyung who spoke up now, intrigued by the new suggestion. "You mean as in someone stays here and someone goes there?" This could be interesting. King Corson nodded, seeing his first supporter in the face of Gaap.

"Precisely." He clicked his fingers engulfed by excitement. Maybe this time the conversation wouldn't go to shit and everyone would be happy. "You see to some extent I agree with Jungkook and Taehyung that the soldiers are trained for a reason but also…" Namjoon smiled. "I prefer to take part and overlook the battle. It's our duty as Kings. The new abilities we got with the Sins we possess now…"

King Alastor's eyes began shining with excitement "It will be just epic. The victory can be ours if things play out nicely."

At this point this sounded like the best option for everyone - Agares would stay with the troops probably the whole time, Baal too, as for General Gaap it was a hundred percent sure. The other four - they could take turns because it wasn't a good decision to leave Doordale in the hands of the Ministry. Jungkook was still deep in thought. He couldn't stand the fact that he should leave Y/N alone for certain periods of time, the demon felt responsible for her and wanted to be there but at the same time he knew his duties very well. Also let's keep in mind that all of them were demons, higher ones at that and warfare and depravities were part of their nature.

As much as some of them wanted to run away from all that - it could never happen - you can never change those primal roots of origin.

"Fine. Let's split the "shifts"" Mammon looked tired and drained. He just wanted this to be over already. He checked his watch - he still had around an hour and a half. Even though he would be back on time the man was considering actually going to the goldsmith and getting a golden bouquet for Y/N.

"Me and Alastor will go first then" it was Jimin who took the initiative. The two Kings worked together like a well oiled machine and what one was lacking the other - was compensating. Such a nice duo.

"I will join you too" Taehyung stepped forward too. "My suggestion is that we switch every five days. No need to travel by horse - it will be most convenient to use the Wishing Well."

Jungkook frowned upon hearing those words. "That's not enough."

"In a normal battle - maybe - but now imagine that: they will start to think at some point that we've shown all there is." The General began gesturing with his beautifully sculpted hands. "At some point when the new party arrives - boom! New tactics, new leaders, new formations."

"Does this mean that whenever we switch places new soldiers will be joining us?" It hasn't occurred to Namjoon and it definitely didn't sound very practical, hearing it now.

Taehyung waved his hands in frustration. "No, no. This is very impractical. How are they gonna travel?" The demon clicked his tongue, to him all of this sounded so simple and easy to think of but apparently to the rest - not so much. The main reason Gaap had this position was because it all came naturally to him - the demon wasn't stressing out or struggling to come up with different plans and no efforts were required. "Listen now - a lot of transparent potions will be prepared. The troops responsible for carrying weapons and food will be also transporting the vials. When they reach this place" the General placed his gloved finger over the map "there's literally nothing here. Only greenery and many animal holes. The vegetation is so abundant here that it will be perfectly fine for the soldiers to hide the stash." His eyes were burning while explaining every little detail. The other four were listening patiently, memorizing each word. "Some of the troops will stay behind and begin drinking the potions. You know the effects - they will lose shape and color for five hours. The groups will be scattered around a three kilometer perimeter so if something happens they would be close enough." Jungkook was impressed - if he didn't know the General he would definitely think that the plan took weeks to be developed. "Everything clear?"

"Certainly" it was a question for all but Namjoon answered instead, as he was the core of their bond.

"Very well. We depart in three days."

…

When Jungkook entered the palace everything was just the same as when he had left earlier today. No commotion, nothing out of the ordinary, only the guards and the staff at their respective places.

"Good evening, Your Majesty" the butler bowed and reached out to get the cloak off the King's bread shoulders.

"Is everything okay with Y/N?" He asked flatly.

"Of course Sir. The maid stayed by m'lady's side the whole time, now she's asleep." The butler followed Mammon through the corridor informing him of the events that took place around the residence while he was gone. "Is there anything you would like Sir?" It was a simple question asked as per usual with a tone devoid of any emotion, just part of the protocol.

Usually Jungkook either waved a dismissive hand or immediately said what he wanted to be done but this time the demon stopped in his tracks and turned to the man. The King looked at the butler - his face was still blank, there was a scar that began from his left ear and ended in the middle of the chin. Long time ago this demon was part of Leviathan's army but after the coup he joined Mammon's household. Siwan was his name and he was the one to join the palace's staff first becoming the head of it, recruiting and taking care of the other members. "You see I need you to do something for me, it's important to be done as fast as possible because Y/N's wellbeing could depend on it."

"Certainly My Lord. Just say the word."

"Listen…"

When the King entered the bedroom Monica was sitting on the chair next to the window, reading a book. The second he opened the door she jumped to her feet and bowed to him.

"I believe things were fine?" he asked, whispering.

"Of course! Lady Y/N was anxious in the beginning but after a while she fell asleep." The maid seemed happy that the girl was recovering, even though it was a slow process.

Jungkook turned to look at the young woman - she was resting and no sign of distress could be seen on her face. Not like last time… the demon winced, feeling physically sick while thinking about the agonizing terrors Y/N had to deal with. "You're free to go now, Monica."

He removed the leather vest and his shoes, then got closer to the bed. On the nightstand there was a glass of water and another one filled with milk. Mammon left the golden bouquet there too for later when Y/N woke up. Climbing in the bed he carefully wrapped his arms around her figure, taking a deep breath - she felt so fragile and small. How could this body hold such great powers he wondered. Y/N's hair smelled like almonds probably because of the hair soap. The warmth emitting from her was enough to calm the demon down and put him to sleep. He felt dizzy and lightheaded so Jungkook closed his eyes, drifting in and out of consciousness.

…

"You got the letter right?!" Jin almost busted down the door to Yoongi's office because of the excitement. Another day gone and he was still the same old exhilarated self.

Baal turned around in his chair, swirling the liquor in his glass. He nodded with a smirk. "Sure did."

"We're leaving in three days! It's been so long!" The Master was ecstatic which was something that hasn't happened in so long, ever since the problems with Y/N started. Now he was in his element.

"Just don't break anything," his advisor laughed lightly. Both of them were dressed casually with silk shirts and black pants but Jin wanted to have a celebratory dinner and dress up for the occasion.

"Let's spoil ourselves tonight Yoongi! Let's have a drink and… no more like lots of drinks and party!" He spread his jewelry-cladded arms and the metals produced a nice jingling sound.

The other demon just continued smiling then nodded once, feeling the excitement too. But then his joy faded away just as fast as it came. "Hey, Yoongi, what's wrong? I thought you wanted this to happen?" worry surfaced on the Master's face.

"I just wish Y/N was here so we can share it with her too, you know?"

It felt like daggers were stabbing Baal's heart after saying each word. "I know…" Jin sighed and his glee also died down a bit. "But you know she will be here for the next one - we will have many other occasions to celebrate with her. Even the victory-"

"We don't know if it will be a victory" the mint-haired demon cut him off mid sentence. "Don't jinx it."

"Okay, whatever. Let's just go change and do our thing. You will feel better."

"Fine…" now what Yoongi needed was a way to pass the time until Y/N had recovered and the oncoming battles were just the right thing. Then and there the advisor made up his mind to give it his all and win.

Baal got distracted with imaginary situations - in his mind a picture appeared of how the seven of them are returning from the war victorious. Yoongi's armor - covered in blood, as well as his face and hands but when Y/N sees the demon she runs up to him and they kiss like there's no tomorrow. It was nice to dream…

"Hey Earth to Yoongi!" Jin was snapping his fingers in the other man's face. "Get it together! We have three days ahead of us to down each bottle in the residence!" The laughter that followed almost made the windows shake.

…

At one point Jungkook felt hot breath on the curve of his neck and his eyes flew open and the pupils shrunk to small dots. Without moving an inch the demon began "mapping" the parts of his body and Y/N's. He was flat on his back with one arm still wrapped around her waist and the other - supporting the demon's head. The girl was sleeping peacefully partially draped over Jungkook's body - head slightly tilted upwards and back on his shoulder while hugging the King with a knee between the man's legs.

Oh, the desire to turn around and kiss her was real. So real.

"Y/N…" Mammon gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in an attempt to center himself.

"Hnhg…" she began stirring. The demon froze immediately. What would he do when she wakes up? How to behave? "Kookie?" Y/N rasped, taking a deep breath. To her he smelled clean, like freshly cut wood and grass.

"Hey princess. I'm here" the first thing he wanted to do was give the girl her present. Carefully Jungkook tried getting up but she squeezed him and produced a whiny sound of protest. "Shh. I just want to give you something pretty" reaching out he felt for the metal and then presented the bouquet to Y/N. "I kept my promise to be back in time but still decided to give you this because you're my special one."

When the young woman saw the shiny object her eyes widened and turned glossy. She felt confusion setting in and then realization hit her - he promised to be back and did it but still wanted to surprise her. That's what responsible grown up people do. And also they thank each other - Y/N’s mind was slowly guiding her back to normality, trying to reassure and lead in the right direction. “Thank… you” she whispered, taking the gift with trembling hands. “It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you” Jungkook smiled, the lip rings hitting his teeth.

The compliment made Y/N’s face turn hot and red. It was so adorable in Jungkook’s eyes but she felt embarrassed and annoyed. “D-don’t say such things if you’re going to leave me alone again” the woman huffed and squeezed the metallic flowers to her chest.

“I will not.” Lie. Of course it was a lie but Mammon had six more days to help his precious girl recover and by then maybe it wouldn’t be necessary to leave her at all…

The next day preparations for the upcoming battle began in the capital. The armory was turned upside down, each item carefully counted and written down in the book, the swords were polished and sharpened, some of the shields - sent to the blacksmiths in order to get reinforced and so on…

Warlocks gathered in the Academy around noon so they could begin working on the potion stash. Taehyung was leading the operations, shouting orders here and there if it was needed, also giving final instructions to the soldiers and revising their strategy. Jimin and Hoseok were back to the West and South so they could take care of the local affairs before departing, while Noir stayed in the capital, having coutnless meetings with the people from the Ministry.

What everyone hoped for was for a possible comeback from Y/N so she could lend a hand if needed. Of course they all knew it was a last resort considering what she'd been through and that was the reason why they didn't even try asking Jungkook about it.

The King of the North was giving his best to reassure and help Y/N on her journey to recovery. The progress was slow but the conversations were getting better, she was becoming more confident in expressing herself and getting bolder. The key was to not pressure the girl in any way so she doesn't revert and have another breakdown. The same day while the two of them were dining a male servant knocked over a silver jug full of water. The loud sound terrified Y/N and she screamed in horror, then knocked back her chair and ran to Jungkook who hugged her and began whispering soothing words in the girl's ear. In the process the demon had thrown a cold hateful stare at the man, then tilted his head to the door signaling for him to leave the dining hall.

It was a rough period but with patience and diligence Mammon believed that everything was fixable.

On the second day Y/N woke up earlier than usual and got out of bed to look at herself in the big mirror hanging on the wall.

“My hair…” she whispered. It was a total mess, tangled and fuzzy. On a regular day the young woman would never let this pass but now was an unusual occasion. Memories of the past flooded her mind, making Y/N wince and scrunch her nose in disgust. She took a few strands between two fingers and lifted them up looking at the state of the hair. Long ago, when those episodes were happening regularly the regression period was ending usually in a few hours to a day. She was giving it to the fact that Mrs. Y/L/N was helping her, the sessions at the psychiatrist and also - the poor thing’s brain hadn’t had taken such a massive hit.

Going to the door she took a few deep breaths and pressed the handle. Going out in the hallway barefoot didn’t bother Y/N much at the moment. You know how kids walk around in the morning when they wake up - in their pajamas and no socks or slippers to speak of, then their parents would scold them that they would eventually get sick. Y/N was the same now. “Monica?” she said quietly but no one answered. Two guards stood at the end of the corridor, facing each other and heard the girl. One of them immediately vanished, heading somewhere. “Monica I need a comb…” she went on while walking on the cold marble.

“Can I help you m’lady?” It was the demon who was left standing in his place who asked.

“Where’s Monica?” the curious tilt of her head made Y/N seem like a little girl.

“In the kitchen. Should I call-“

“Y/N!” Jungkook’s voice came from the further side of the hallway. Immediately recognising the sweet comforting voice of the King she spun around on her heels and ran towards him.

“Kookie!” The girl jumped in the demon’s open arms and he lifted her up. “Let’s do something today,” the tone was joyful and his muscles relaxed. Nothing bad had happened.

“Why are you out of bed barefoot?” Looking down the King asked calmly.

“I wanted to find a comb.” Y/N explained with a pout. “My hair is terrible.”

“Your hair is fine,” he replied with a smile. “Just… oh look!” With a shocked expression Mammon pointed a finger at her. “There’s a nest with small birds inside! That’s amazing!” He ruffled the girl's hair and she began laughing.

“I don’t!”

The guards and the servants passing around heard the two of them laughing and were shocked and surprised to see and hear all of this. No one in the whole Kingdom would believe that the King of the North who was usually so cold and quiet could behave in such a way. He was notorious for acting haughty and harshly but now… there wasn’t anyone who would believe the stories of the servants telling how their King was playing and laughing with a woman.

Jungkook lifted Y/N up in the air and began walking back to her room. “Come I will brush your hair.”

“Put me down! Don’t carry me around like that! I’m not some fragile princess!” The protests fell on deaf ears.

“Oh but you are!” He closed the door behind them and the guards were left speechless in the corridor, looking at each other with wide eyes.

On the third day everything began looking almost as it was before. Y/N was serious most of the time, quieter. There were only two outbursts of laughter during the day - once when Jungkook made a disgusted face while looking at an ugly handwriting of one of the officials in a document and the second time - during lunch when he choked while swallowing a vegetable.

"It just sounded funny," Y/N said with a wide grin. The King didn't mind one bit.

Later the two were taking a stroll in the back garden and she paused in front of one big crooked tree. The girl appeared deep in thought so he didn't bother her by asking why she had decided to stop exactly at that spot.

It was a difficult time for her - she understood perfectly well this state of mind was not normal for Y/N and yet it was comfortable. Her brain was not straining or running laps like a while ago but now it was all coming together. The young woman felt ready to talk to Jungkook. "I need to tell you something."

"Sure. Tell me Y/N" he put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"First of all I want to thank you for the efforts and enormous patience you've had with me."

"But that's not needed, I did it because I care about you." Those words made Y/N blush and turn shy but she tried pushing forward despite the need to regress once more.

"Uhm… sorry, it's… you almost made me revert back." With an awkward smile she turned to look at him. From what the psychiatrist had said certain words and behavior could trigger shifts in her state of mind and it was best if the girl warned those around her about those. "I feel so much better now, almost as before. Just…" she took a deep breath trying to sound confident. "What I think is that from this certain point on you can behave like you did in the past. Of course keep in mind you have to be careful not to trigger me for a while, but I think I'm in the safe now."

Jungkook's chest began rising up rapidly, oh this thrill, the buzz of hearing this was making him want to fly. "Whatever you want Y/N" his voice rose a few octaves and with trembling hands Mammon cupped Y/N's face. The urge to envelope the young woman in a tight hug was almost unbearable and also…

"You can kiss me," she smiled kindly. "I see you want to."

Without waiting to be told twice he dived in. It was so long since the demon had felt this whole. Jungkook moved one hand to her waist and the other places behind Y/N's neck, pulling her closer. The feelings this action stirred were mutual - she was content and thankful for all the demon had done and proud because the struggles to overcome that low-point led to a happy ending in this "chapter" of her book. After a few seconds they separated and Y/N rested her forehead on the King's collarbone. "You think we can call Trophonius here so he can help me fully recover and guide me further into choosing a side?"

"We can do it now" Jungkook grabbed the girl's hand and the two ran back to the palace.

A few hours later the Oracle was there and they were escorted to one of the training rooms. Jungkook promised not to bother the two so he returned to his office to look at some war diagrams.

The sun was setting already but the white-haired man and Y/N were still talking, sitting cross-legged facing each other.

“Are you sure you want to choose the darker side? Your parents wouldn’t want you to, they were striving for the Light their whole lives.” It was irritating to listen to this but Y/N was giving her best to be rational and reasonable and listen to all the Oracle had to say.

“It’s so tiring to think of what someone would want from me or for me. It’s my choice in the end, isn’t it?” So much for the attempts not to sound like a brat… Trophonius’ lips widened ever so slightly in a small smile. This was a sign that Y/N has not given up on her free will and wanted to be in control of what was coming her way. Satisfactory enough.

“Very well child” Trophonius praised and put his hands together. The girl appeared confused for a few seconds but quickly understood that his words were just a test so she nodded with a straight face. “So how you want to go about it? There’s a way to get those abilities faster or you want to wait and help me guide you naturally to them?”

A question for a million dollars. How to do it…? She remembered that time when Mammon had explained how the demons were getting their powers and the process usually was taking decades.Y/N couldn’t wait that long. “I want the shorter way” was what she told the Oracle.

“As exprected.”

“General!” one of the soldiers saluted when he entered the meeting hall. “I have terrible news.”

“What?” Taehyung placed the pen calmly in the holder and casted his eyes up at the lower demon. “Pilwon came forty minutes ago to tell me that the check was going well.”

“We have seventeen long swords missing.”

Gaap’s ears began ringing. “How is that possible?”

“I decided to do a double check before sealing the armory and this is what I came up with” he presented a sheet of paper with the newly counted weapons. The swords that were gone were made of draconic steel and were causing severe burns if someone was cut with it.

“This is bad. Very bad… there’s still a spy among us. Fuck!” The General shouted and kicked and desk, it toppled over and sheets of paper and ink began flying everywhere. “Impossible! That’s just impossible! We checked every unit in the legions!”

The other demon stood quietly on the side, looking at the raging man. “What should we do?” He asked quietly.

“We can’t do shit now! We’re leaving in a few hours…”

Later Trophonius was ready to do his thing. He was standing straight, facing Y/N and holding hands with her. Their energies were intertwining and doing an invisible dance. “Now be ready to let go of all barriers in your head. We’re going back to the time when you first saw the markings on your face. Don’t be scared. You must let them spread all over your body and soul.”

“Is it going to hurt?” she asked the white-haired man sheepishly. The small child in her was still surfacing from time to time.

“Don’t worry to much, I will be as gentle as possible. Of course those things are not pleasant but the key is to not give up. Can you do that for me?”

Taking a deep breath there was one final request from Y/N before starting the ritual. “Can we call Jungkook too? I need him to be here…” there was shyness in her voice but Trophonius seemed unbothered. Letting go of the the young woman’s hands he nodded.

“Let’s call the King.”

Minutes later the demon appeared at the doorway, his gaze falling immediately on Y/N. “You sent for me? Is there something wrong?”

“No. Y/N wanted you to be here for the initiation.”

“Oh” King Mammon looked surprised. Closing the door he stepped closer to the two. “You’ve chosen a side then, princess?” Wide smile softened his sharp features and the man’s nose scrunched at the base. His happiness was not fake, not anymore. The demon was ready to accept whatever Y/N had chosen.

Y/N answered him with a confident smile.

“Then you should take a seat somewhere and wait patiently. Don’t interfere because our bond might be severed and I don’t know what might happen.” Jungkook turned around and slowly approached one of the chairs that were further from them.

“Now then. Take my hands” Trophonius instructed the girl. “I will tap in your memories once again and find the one we need. It will play just the way it had happened in the beginning but you need to find the precise trigger moment and change it yourself. I told you” the Oracle’s long slim fingers were wrapped around Y/N’s tightly and she could feel the soft electric surges going through her. He was already doing it. “Let it play, don’t fight it, don’t be scared. You must let the change wash over you.”

“Okay…”

And it began…

Y/N was back in the bathroom of the room she was using then. She was lazily washing her face and teeth, not paying any attention to anything. Then the girl bent over to rinse her mouth of the toothpaste and when she got up there were the markings. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the reflection. Scream was ready to escape Y/N’s lips but she took a deep breath in an attempt to ground herself, then her facial features haredened and the eyes got colder.

Raising her voice she called for King Mammon specifically this time. “Jungkook! I need you now!” The sound echoed loudly in the bathroom and seconds later the demon was standing at the door.

“What…” when he saw the scene his eyes widened. “What is going on?”

“I need your help with this.” Y/N informed him flatly and turned to the pierced demon. She placed her hands on his muscular chest and stared straight into Mammon’s eyes. “Do you know what are those weird stains?” He couldn’t take his eyes off the inky black substance sliding down the girl’s chin and neck.

“You’re a demon Y/N” the King gritted his teeth still in shock. “Those are the markings of the transformation.”

“What is their purpose?”

“To show what kind of power you will possess once you’re fully turned.”

She closed her eyes and leaned forward a bit, still touching the demon. He didn’t move one bit and even placed his hands over hers. The young woman’s throat was burning and it felt like her whole chest was on fire. Mammon looked down and saw how the black substance was spreading in thin lines through the girl’s veins. “Let it pass through you, don’t fight it love” he encouraged her and turned Y/N towards the mirror. She slowly opened her eyes and they looked muddy and unfocused.

The King lifted his hand and as if he was in trance with a single motion he smudged the mark on Y/N’s lips even more, pressing himself harder to her back. The vision was so captivating that the demon couldn’t stop.

Tears were glistening in the corners of the girl’s eyes, threatening to spill out any moment. “I feel like…” she chocked on air. “Like I’m dying. What is going on? How much longer is it going to take?”

Back in the real world Trophonius was kneeling in front of Y/N who was breathing heavily, sweat was covering every inch of skin and the hair was sticking to her face. King Mammon was on the verge of losing his mind yet again but then the marking began appearing and he realized - she’s turning into one of them.

Oh the joy…

With trembling hands Y/N leaned on the counter. The black liquid was reaching the tip of her fingers now, it was scary to look at it. On top of that shiny transparent scales began appearing on her cheeks and coming down her neck. The girl’s eyes turned transparent too, the blood vessels were visible under her new “skin”. This was the form she was going to take when shifting. The King found the new Y/N extremely beautiful and unique - he has never seen a demon with a transparent alternative form. The raw excitement triggered his change too…

After one whole agonizing hour the whole ordeal was over and the young woman collapsed on the ground completely drained and breathless.

“Congratulations Y/N” the Oracle spoke quietly “Weclome to your new life.”

Mammon was hovering over her, holding a glass of water in hand. “Hey princess, you did well” the velvet-like voice caressed the girl’s ears and she lowered her eyelids, basking in the pleasant sound. The blurry vision and vertigo were messing with her head but the demon was her anchor and Y/N was thankful for that. “Let’s take you to lie down comfortably. You should rest.”

Once in the bedroom, Jungkook continued talking to the young woman who was already drifting in and out of consciousness. “This was the most beautiful transformation I have ever seen. You will be great.” She only smiled weakly. “Now I can make you my queen for real…”

Chapter 12 / Chapter 14

Masterlist

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@princess-sunshyn @thedarkwinterrose

[187days]

Day Ninety-Four

Well, folks, it’s official: I’m no longer cool. 

There’s a dance next weekend, and I didn’t get asked to chaperon. Probably because I didn’t let the seniors throw the freshmen into the air and stuff at the last one. 

Whoops. 

My students still generally like me, though. I was jamming to The Rose’s “Cure” between blocks (I always play music during bell changes), and a bunch of them told me that was a good choice. I also got lots of compliments on my outfit today: jeans, boots, flannel, puffy vest. It’s basic Millennial style, but apparently that works on me. So yay.

And, academically, we’ve had a good opening week. Today I taught my World students how to do annotations (highlighting an article, asking questions about it, defining new vocabulary, summarizing the main ideas in the margins). We read and annotated an article about world geography together, then I showed some slides to add visual detail to what they’d read (ie- one part of the article was about climate zones, so one of my slides was a map of those). The last few slides showed areas of high poverty and areas of conflict on the map, and students were quick to notice that they tended to overlap, and that they clustered in particular parts of the world. One of my Block 3 students correctly guessed that the environment in those parts of the world played a role in that. I confirmed her guess, and added that changes to the environment- namely climate change- had an even bigger role, in many cases. Then I assigned an article for them to annotate on their own about that: practicing a skill, gaining more knowledge! 

I wanted them to have enough time to finish the annotation in class, but some of them ended up having to take it home, so I’ve made a mental note to tweak my future lessons and get my usually impeccable sense of timing back. I did do better Block 3 than Block 2 today, and it’s not like anyone left with a ton of work undone- maybe a couple paragraphs of reading and annotating, tops- but longtime readers know I love it when my lesson fit perfectly into the block.

My GOV lesson did, in fact, fit perfectly today. I lectured about the failures of the Articles of Confederation and the drafting of the Constitution. Then I had students get into groups and look at the original seven articles Constitution to identify the ways in which it establishes an elite, pluralist, or participatory model democracy (after explaining what those terms mean, of course). Both groups decided to tackle the assignment by dividing up the articles, then sharing what they’d found in whichever article(s) they’d read. It’s a good strategy, and I was pleased both by the fact that they were willing to ask me for clarification as needed (sometimes AP students are reluctant to admit they need help) and that they found more evidence- particularly for the pluralist and participatory models- than I’d had on my own notes. It’s a tough assignment, they did a great job, and we wrapped up with just enough time to put my room in order (since they’d moved the tables and chairs around to work in groups) before the bell. 

Boom. 

The other thing I did today was send emails introducing myself to all of my students’ parents. I’ve already gotten a few positive and informative replies to that, and a few that just thanked me for the introduction. In my opinion, it’s key to reach out to parents early on and establish that communication, so I’m happy to do it. 

[riverdamien]

Epiphany, 2024#

Epiphany, 2024

January 7, 2024

Matthew, 2:1-12 New Jerusalem Bible

1. After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east

2. asking, 'Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.'

3. When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem.

4. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5. They told him, 'At Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

6. And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.'

7. Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared

8. and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, 'Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.'

9. Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was.

10. The sight of the star filled them with delight,

11. and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

12. But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way.

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

Epiphany is a season in which we celebrate the revelation of Christ to the world, it is a joyous time!

The photo that leads off our article expresses the feeling of many about the institutional Church, and Jesus of Nazareth, bent, broken, and used as a tool of oppression. In many ways I often feel personally the same way!

I remember many years ago Hilary Clinton spoke:, "It takes a village to raise a child," And in reality it takes a village for each one of us to survive.

Today we are not surviving very well: drug use is rampant, divisions over race, politics, and economics, tear us a part. We see homeless and the deeply poor as the enemy.

Yet even through our societies connected by technology, the rule of law, and a global economy, our relationships are very much rooted in social media, and the internet, leaving us personally alone.

On Facebook  we are always have individuals look back at the fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties as times of connectedness. None of those eras were very romantic, but we did not have people centering their friendships, and for many all relationships on social media. One young woman recently posted: "All my friends and relationships are online, I do not feel like I belong in the outside world."

Often I feel very much alone, I try to relate to every person as unique, not belonging to any villages, but being open to every individual.

Our lifelong efforts to map our uniqueness do not defeat our collective connections. I am connected to different villages and they all reflect our social, cultural, national, spiritual, and generational identifications. I am out spoken about people being hurt, and I respect all of our political persuasions.

I believe with all of my heart that our call from Jesus is to love our neighbors, to house, feed, and care for each other, with out any thought of political persuasion, race, sexual orientation, or ethical stance--for each one of us is a child of God.

True love is counter-cultural because it is the conscious choice to love and to will the good of those who are deemed unlovable.

True love is cross-cultural because no one of any race, creed, color, sexual orientation, ability or disability can be excluded from it. True love is having the wide, embracing, redeeming, merciful love of Jesus!

Let us raise the Cross of the Cosmic Christ, the Universal One who is inclusive of all spiritual expressions of love!

Deo Gratias! Thanks be to God!

=============================

Fr. C. River Damien Sims, sfw, D.Min., D.S.T.

P.O. Box 642656

San Francisco, CA 94164

Snap Chat: "riodamien2"

pay pal can be found on www.temenos.org

If you are writing checks predate them for today!

415-305-2124

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"Our life of grace and our life of the body goes on beautifully intermingled and harmonious. "All is grace," as the dying priest whispered to his friend in 'The Diary of a Country Priest." The Little Flower also said, "All is grace" (Dorothy Day).

Let Love Ache

Father, give me the courage to keep on loving.

when others keep on hurting.

help me to live an achy love, a gritty,

persistent and emptying love;

a love that’s not afraid to flow toward the other

who has little left to offer in return.

And may I tread faithfully with heaven

through the unfinished work that surrounds me.

[climateresearch]

Chasing Coral

(source) Above is the Chasing Coral trailer picture, showing a diver underwater, a coral community, and a quote stating "What lies below reveals what lies ahead."

I recently watched an amazing documentary on Netflix called Chasing Coral (here is the link to their website). I asked myself a big question before watching: What’s going on in the ocean because of climate change… and how can humans change their negative impacts??

Chasing Coral is a documentary made by scientists, divers, and photographers in an attempt to discover what is happening to coral reef communities around the world. According to the team of filmmakers, “the film took more than 3 years to shoot and is the result of 500+ hours of underwater footage and coral bleaching submissions from volunteers in 30 countries.” This documentary starts off with a very intriguing appeal, showing divers setting up equipment to go underwater to study a reef and the animals around it. They show a beautiful sea turtle and some bright colored fish, while the narrator explains why he has always been amazed by the ocean. In the background are news reporters talking about how the team is mapping the ocean almost how Google maps out streets. The documentary also shows an emotional appeal, in that they discuss how much we rely on the ocean and how much it has changed just within 30 years. For more information on why corals are so important, click here. The documentary goes on with interviews with multiple scientists for their thoughts on coral bleaching, as well as photographers and divers to discuss how and why they decided to join this project. The project is going through the process of creating an underwater camera that can get a timelapse video of coral communities while sustaining storms and the pressure of the water, highlighting the successes and failures of it all. The documentary closes out by spreading the word about coral bleaching around the world in seminars, classrooms, and conventions. They strongly emphasize the importance of coral communities and how little we will have left if nothing is changed, but if we act now, we can still help. Some ways you can get involved, provided by the Chasing Coral team, can be found here. 

I absolutely love this documentary. I think it is such an important topic that needs to be discussed and taught more. I love how the team worked through this process and explained every step, and how they are continuing to spread the word about what is happening to the ocean. It is so upsetting to see how fast coral communities are dying, but I do have hope that the next generations can change their bad habits to change the world, but we need to act fast. Since I am majoring in marine science, I have learned about corals and how marine animals rely on them for survival. I think it is crucial that people know more about why corals are so important for life, and how fast the world is negatively changing. 

Some really interesting things I learned while watching Chasing Coral is how much of the Great Barrier Reef has died in only a couple years, the oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the heat created by greenhouse gas emissions, and how the entire world relies on coral, kind of like a food chain. To answer the big question stated above, climate change has been affecting our oceans for many many years, and it is not getting better. In the documentary, they say that corals are suffering and dying because of heat stress brought on by climate change. If we do not fix this problem, by the end of the century, all coral communities will be bleached, and animals will not be able to rely on them for their own health. So, as a partial solution, spreading the word is a good way to start. Even if you cannot physically do something yourself, telling other people this story may get them interested in helping in some way. The documentary showed the importance of teaching this in schools, education centers, Ted Talks, workplaces, and even just at family outings. One person can make a big difference. Help as much as you can, and we might be able to change the world for the better.