#i don't know and will spend at least one week watching a lot of theory videos

[rypnami]

The Yule Ball

happy christmas everyone! this is the last part for now of my yule ball posts for @leaping-toadstool-caps 's event. as mentioned in my headcanons post (found here), leander spends most of the night working up the courage to ask his sebastian to dance. i decided for my christmas post, i should write what happens next. enjoy!

this is not proofread at all and is a bit of a mess but its fine we ball

(outfit post here)

word count: a lot probably i didn't actually count

mentioned mcs: phillip prewett (mine), jaimsen hisui @leaping-toadstool-caps odysseus carrow @saibugslegacy amberlyn salters @ps-cactus

Leander isn't sure why he came to the ball.

He thinks he must look like the biggest knob alive, coming without a date, loitering around as a third wheel to his older brother and his boyfriend, and then going to hide in the corner and stuff his face with chocolate frogs. Surrounded by happy couples, or groups of friends who came to have a good time, he feels even worse. Last week, he had almost gotten it together to ask Sebastian to go with him, but had gotten too anxious and practically run away.

Unwrapping another chocolate frog, he hardly glances at the card as he drops it in the pile and shoves the whole thing in his mouth head-first. If he's going to be a lonely bastard, at least he's doing so with sweets. The decorations around the Great Hall are brilliant, too. Tall, icy trees, enchanted snow falling gently from the ceiling, which looks like a winter sky, and baubles galore along the walls. Jaimsen really outdid himself, setting this all up. At least there is something to look at other than all the couples dancing.

"You!"

Leander jumps.

Jaimsen comes up to him, arms crossed. "No being sad at my ball!"

"I'm not sad-"

"Don't lie to me, Prewett."

"Not my fault," Leander protests, even though it most certainly is. "You know, it's statistically proven that depression is worse around the holidays, so naturally at leas one person here would be-"

"Spare us all the lecture. I'm begging." Phillip seems to materialise beside them, Odysseus in tow, and throws his arm over Leander's shoulders.

"I'm right, though."

"If you're truly that distraught about it, why not ask him to dance?" Odysseus says.

Jaimsen nods. "That's an excellent idea."

Leander shrugs Phillip's arm off and takes a step away. "I- what- who are you... talking about?" They can't know, can they?

The other three boys seem to roll their eyes in unison. "Sebastian, of course," Phillip says, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world.

He might die from humiliation. "Why- what- why- why would I ask Sebastian to dance?!" He stammers.

"Everyone knows you fancy him."

"You follow him everywhere. You're like a puppy."

"Whenever he's around, whatever minimal braincells you have seem to evaporate."

"You almost cried when that rumour about him coming with Adair was going around."

"And-"

"That's quite enough!" Leander cuts them all off, his face almost as red as his dress robes. "You've all made your point!"

"So ask him!" Phillip says. "Stop pouting in the corner."

"How?"

"Like this." Odysseus stands on his toes to match Leander's height and starts doing an awful impression of his voice. "Sebastian, would you like to dance with me?" He drops back down to his normal height. "Easy."

"Very easy," Jaimsen agrees.

Well, fine, it sounds easy in theory, but so had asking Sebastian to be his date, and that had not gone well. Excuse. Excuse. Think of an excuse why you can't.

"I would, but... Sebastian is busy. With Ominis." Although he's been trying not to, every time Leander has searched through the crowd for Sebastian, he's been talking to Ominis. He is definitely not jealous and is not watching in case someone else should ask him to dance.

"It's your lucky day, then," Phillip points across the hall. Sebastian is standing just to the side of the dance floor, watching as Ominis takes Amberlyn Salters by the arm and leads her out to dance. "It seems Mr Gaunt is occupied."

"Oh. Yay."

"So go talk to him."

Before he can protest, the trio is practically dragging him across the floor, Leander stammering half-formed excuses the entire way. Phillip shoves Leander in Sebastian's direction, then the three scamper off, giggling.

"Leander, hello!" Sebastian says as Leander almost trips into him. "I was just wondering if you were here."

Leander is at a loss for words. From far away, it was hard to see, but up close he feels like he can't breathe. Sebastian is wearing a dark green velvet tuxedo jacket and matching dress pants. His typically unruly brown hair is combed and must have a gallon of product in it to keep it down, but there are still a few strands sticking out here and there.

He looks positively gorgeous.

Next to him, Leander must look like a toad wearing a suit.

"Er, yes, I've been, you know, with my brother and his boyfriend..." He hopes there's no chocolate smudged on his face... too late to worry about that now.

"No dancing?"

"No. I came without a date." Saying it out loud feels like an exercise in humiliation, honestly. “No one asked me… and I dunno, asking someone was…”

“Intimidating?” Sebastian suggests.

Leander nods. “I… suppose so, yes.”

“I didn’t come with anyone, either.”

“You didn’t ask someone?” What’s more surprising to Leander is that no one asked Sebastian. He’s easily the prettiest boy in school (in his opinion, anyway) and he’s well-liked by most everyone. With that suit on, too, it’s a wonder half the students here aren’t tripping over themselves to dance with him.

"I didn't. I was asked by a few people, but I turned them down. I was rather hoping someone specific would invite me. They never did." Sebastian absently picks at his silver cufflinks, seeming to get lost in thought.

"Then they're an idiot." Leander says simply.

"Think so?"

Leander snorts. "Of course. Anyone would be lucky to go to a ball with you." Was that too forward? That was too forward, wasn't it..

"You flatter me," Sebastian sighs and mock swoons.

He has no idea why he was so petrified at the idea of talking to Sebastian- they are friends, and even with the 'my-brother-and-his-friends-are-peer-pressuring-me-into-asking-him-to-dance' thing, it's no different from when they chat in class, or study together in the library. Perhaps asking for a dance will be okay. At the least, it won't be the end of the world... right?

“Sebastian. I-“ I really like you. I've always really liked you. No, that's too much. I'm letting the silence go on too long. Say something say something SAY SOMETHING.

“Yes?”

"I. I. Um."

Sebastian raises his eyebrows and tilts his head. "Are you feeling quite alright? You look a bit flush."

"Y-yes, I'm grand. Um." Sweat drips down Leander's temples. Sebastian will laugh at him, he'll look a fool, everyone will know what a failure he is... "Um." Merlin's beard, Prewett, just say the damn words! “Since neither of us… has a date…”

A few paces behind Sebastian, Phillip is watching the disaster. He smiles and gives Leander two thumbs up.

"Doyouwanttodancewithme?"

"...I'm sorry?" Sebastian says. “What?”

That's that. Leander wants to crawl into a hole and die. Of course Sebastian would never want to dance with him, of all people.

"N-no, I'm sorry, stupid idea. Sorry."

"Wait." Sebastian puts his hand on Leander's shoulder before he can walk away. "Don't be sorry, I simply didn't hear what you said."

"O-Oh."

Sebastian looks at him expectantly. No way to back out now.

"I, er, I was wondering if... I- no pressure, or anything, but it looks like it's the last dance of the evening, so I thought... um, perhaps you'd like to dance... with... me?"

A beat of silence that couldn't be more than a second, but feels like a century.

A grin spreads across Sebastian's face. "I was beginning to think you'd never ask."

A new song starts, and Sebastian offers his hand. "Shall we?" Leander takes it, blushing.

Sebastian's hands are warm, and he's got a firm grip. There are callouses on his palms, likely from how many firey spells he uses. Leander desperately tries not to focus on just how well Sebastian's suit jacket fits him, or how he smells a bit like lavender and bergamot. He hopes his own palms aren't sweating.

Silently, he thanks his mum for being willing to teach him how to waltz. If he hadn't spent the past several weeks practising relentlessly, he's certain he'd be stepping all over Sebastian's toes right now.

Sebastian puts his hand on Leander's waist as the dance starts, and he almost blacks out. Everything around them is like background noise- they might as well be the only people in the world as they sway across the dance floor.

"I- wanted to ask you to come as my date," Leander admits, smiling awkwardly. "Last week, after Charms. I was going to, but, uh..."

Sebastian chuckles, and the sound of it warms Leander's body more than even the strongest Butterbeer. "Is that why you ran off? Merlin, I thought you just really needed the loo."

Blood rushes to Leander's face again. "I see."

"Were you truly that nervous to ask me?"

“How could I not be?” They’re close enough now that he can almost count the freckles on Sebastian’s face, a welcome distraction from making direct eye contact. “You’re cute, and smart, and brilliant at magic." Leander chews his lip. "I'm not... any of that, so I suppose I didn't think I had a chance?"

"I was waiting for you to ask."

"You wanted- Me?"

Sebastian really laughs now, and the way the bridge of his nose crinkles as he does is so cute Leander almost has to physically fight the urge to kiss him right there. "Did you really not know? I've been dropping hints for ages!"

Oh. Honestly, that makes a lot of sense. "I... I suppose I wasn't paying close enough attention." Translation- I hoped you felt the same, but I didn't think I was good enough for you.

"Merlin, you're as thick as it gets." Sebastian teases.

Leander rolls his eyes. "Well perhaps you were unclear!" But he starts to laugh, too. He can't believe he had been so scared to do this not 15 minutes ago. In fact, now he's wishing he'd manned up sooner and asked Sebastian earlier in the night, so they could have more dances, and more time to talk about... whatever might be between them, now.

The music slowly comes to an end, and with it the dance. As they step apart, Sebastian bows low with a slight smirk. "Thank you for the dance, Mr Prewett."

"Thank you, Mr Sallow." Leander mirrors him. He hesitates for a moment. This is his first formal ball, and he's not really sure what he's supposed to do now. Walk him back to his dorm? Dance again? Get them something to drink? Before he can overthink too much-

"Would you look at that." Sebastian is pointing up.

Dangling above their heads is a sprig of mistletoe. A sprig of mistletoe that was definitely not there a moment ago. Leander swears he can head Phillip snickering nearby. Busybody.

"You know, I've heard that if you don't kiss under the mistletoe, it's bad luck," says Sebastian conversationally. "I'd normally say I don't believe it and go about my evening, but we've got a Potions exam coming up, and I dunno if I want to risk it."

"With my marks in Potions, I don't think I can risk a stroke of bad luck right now, either..."

Neither of them mention, of course, that said exam is almost two months away, and any superstitious bad luck would surely have worn off by then. Sebastian leans in and gently presses his lips to Leander's. It's quick, so much so that if you blinked you might miss it, but it is easily the highlight of Leander's evening.

Perhaps it's a good thing he came to the ball after all.

[myrefugeblog]

Hey @cygnusdoesthings I finished the game!

I am sad because I wasn't prepared to what happens on the end.

This scene makes me cry.

I have so many questions, but I'm happy that there isn't (at least it isn't show) a big mind behind the problems. I really hope that after the end of the game the robots can resolve their problems.

[ms-spkhd]

It's not like there's anything inherently wrong with Steve. Just...weird. Odd. A wealth of other various synonyms to describe his decidedly bizarre behavior.

Well, Bizarre's a strong word.

But Eddie's point still stands! Steve's a little to the left and it makes Eddie feel endlessly awkward for noticing. The fact that he's uncomfortable about it compounds his unease over it.

"Wanna talk about it, then?" Jeff asks, riffling idly through the record crate. Of course, the one day off they spend window-shopping in Indianapolis results in Eddie getting the fucking 'let's discuss our feelings about things' talk from Jeff. He wonders how the man isn't green with sickness from therapizing all the goddamn time.

Eddie rolls his eyes. "I'd look like an idiot."

"Would the idiot keep running or confront his problems head-on?"

"This feels like a trap."

"Oh yeah," Jeff says simply.

"Like the ones with the cardboard box and the stick."

"Pre-cisely."

Eddie's shoulders slump in defeat. Better the idiot who speaks, he supposes. "He's very smiley about me being gay."

"Smiley."

"Smiley. As in he's acting like I vomit flowers and shit rainbows." Eddie shakes his head in frustration. "I'm not opposed to the support and everything...it's just that. He's like an octave higher than usual about it."

Jeff purses his lips in thought. "Like, his voice?"

"No--like...like, he's very enthusiastic about my sexuality."

Eddie leans back against the shelf behind him. Steve's a nice guy, really, but the way he goes about his support of Eddie feels like he's trying to compensate for something. A lack of empathy when he was younger, perhaps.

"He always asks if I have a boyfriend, or if I've been hooking up with any guys lately--which, hello, does he not know that queer metalhead nerd isn't a very hot item here?"

Jeff pulls a face but nods in understanding.

"And when I tell him obviously no, he says he can hook me up with his, what? Fucking father's brother's cousin's former roommate? It's like he's begging for a double date with him and his new squeeze, it's goddamn ridiculous." "New squeeze?"

"I'm hyperbolizing." Eddie blows a raspberry and shrugs. "He says it's sad that I don't have someone for how good-looking I am. You're making the face again."'

Jeff snaps out of whatever trance he's in, his drawn eyebrows shooting up to his hairline in surprise. After his gawking mouth clacks shut, he cautiously gestures at Eddie to continue.

"It's stupid," Eddie concedes, "but I really don't understand what changed, y'know? He used to be this cool, confident guy with a dorky side, but now he's just so...I don't know."

Jeff smiles lightly and knocks Eddie's shoulder with his. "I have a theory."

"Go on."

"I think Steve isn't being supportive."

"Uh-huh."

"Far from it, actually."

"Yeah. Whatever you say, chief."

"He isn't smothering you," Jeff points out. "He wants to fuck you."

Eddie blinks. Takes a moment to access and really take in what Jeff just said. "What?"

"Or at least, he wants you in an entirely non-friendly and possibly even carnal way."

"Excuse me?"

"Biblically."

"Dude," Eddie insists. "What. The. Fuck."

Jeff raises his hands placatingly. "Steve clearly likes you. A lot. He probably sees you being gay as an in for him."

"Okay, well, I don't understand. He tries to set me up with randos he knows all the time."

"He called you good-looking."

"While he was trying to set me up with said rando!"

"Guys like him have a really backward way of doing things." Eddie crosses his arms sternly. "Or he's straight," he says.

"Again," Jeff asserts. "Good. Looking. Dude, he's fucking obsessed with you! You said he's an octave higher around you now, right?"

"Because he's a well-meaning friend?"

"Eddie, remember when he crashed band practice last week?"

Oh yeah, Eddie remembers that. The man of the hour randomly parked in Gareth's driveway, leaned against his Beemer with his arms crossed, and watched Eddie play like he fucking hung the moon. Afterward, he'd sung his praises for the band and gave Eddie a yellow guitar pick attached to a sparkling silver chain. "Found the pick a couple of towns south with Robin the other day. Reminded me of you," he said softly. "Since you lost your last one."

It went unspoken where Eddie lost 'the last one'.

Eddie remembers smiling back at Steve with the force of a thousand supernovas, and thinking later in the night that it felt like a scene from a romance movie. Steve's favorite color is yellow, isn't it? It was like he wanted a piece of himself with Eddie at all times, right next to his heart.

Eddie didn't want to give himself that stupid hope. That Steve Harrington wanted in on his heart.

It doesn't feel so stupid anymore.

He looks back at Jeff and says, "Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

[wings-of-ink]

Ask Guidelines

For the sake of streamlining my inbox, please follow the guidelines below when submitting Asks. I appreciate all your questions, but I simply find that I lack enough free time to spend with them. Some weeks are busier than others for my inbox, but I personally feel it's a bit unfair to those of you who may be waiting a long time for a response. Plus, I do need some "me" time now and again, no matter how much I love sailing around on here.

*UPDATED 12/22/24

Reaction/Response-style Asks must remain paired down. These are lots of fun for all of us, but they take up a majority of the time I spend on the inbox. When you submit a request like this, please only specify up to 2 characters (ROs, side characters, etc…) you want to know the answer for (I will throw in some or all of the other characters if I have time and/or can answer quickly). If you do not specify, I will pick for you based on how quickly I can answer.

Please do not submit multiple Asks with the same question for the other characters. This will just eat up my time, and I do not want to delete them, but I will have to.

If your question has been asked before, I will try to find a link to it for you (most of these I have tracked in a document so it doesn't take long). I haven't yet put together an FAQ since I really don't get a ton of repeats for the same questions. One day, I may make a searchable document with them.

*NEW* "Spoiler" Asks. I am trying my hardest to limit spoilers for readers. Some things are going to spill with the nature of a work like this, but I want to keep that to a minimum. This is for the benefit of old readers who still want to experience things in-story and for the new who may have recently started following.

It is still okay to send these questions in – and theories too! I love seeing where your head is at on events and where you think it may be going. I just may not be able to answer certain things and in some cases, I may not be able to post a response. It just really depends on the content.

I will make determinations on these on a question-by-question basis. Sometimes the question itself contains a spoiler (even if it's just a name) that might affect a new reader's experience.

I will make tags to warn when I answer things that may have info others don't want to see.

I'm going to try something new to get the best of both worlds in this. I will compile these asks and make one big new post to address them every so often (weekly/monthly). This will enable me to fully control what is immediately viewable. I will tag up and note what potential spoilers will be on these so you know if it's safe to click to read more. The downside is that my Anonymous Askers won't get notified and will need to watch for this post. Because of this, I may work out a proper schedule to drop these.

Comments are still very much welcomed. If you by chance do not want a response posted, please simply let me know if that is what you prefer. I generally like to post at least a little response to these for you, but if that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know in the Ask.

Music suggestions are welcome (for instance if a song makes you think of a particular character).

Art suggestions are welcome (if an art piece makes you think of a character and such).

Story theories are welcome too!

Error Reports are still welcome with some guidelines.

Game-breaking errors of course are super appreciated so I can address these ASAP.

Coding mishaps (you can see code in the text or something is clearly not coded correctly) can go either to the Asks or to the Google Form, but the Google Form is preferred due to frequent repeats to the Inbox. Reports on Tumblr are tagged as "gc whoopsies" so you can check if the issue you found has already been addressed here.

Typos and grammar issues – please send these in using the Google form linked in the game and on the pinned post. It's been handy getting these in my inbox since I can fix them right away in my main Twine file, but there are a lot of errors in GC, and they're going to fill my inbox and I have no control over repeats.

Asks that are long/wordy are still okay, as long as they meet the other Ask criteria. I don't mind reading a lot since I can still do that fairly fast (and I totally understand the need for context or if you have several comments to make). I can be wordy myself, so I get it, sometimes you just want those details in there. You may not get a super long response in return, but I read every word.

Try to space out your Asks in general. I will leave this to your discretion and trust that you to not submit several in a short window of time.

NSFW Asks are totally okay with me. There is not much outside of my comfort zone. If something is too far, in my opinion, for a public response - I will simply delete it and pop a courtesy post out to try and signal to you that it is one I cannot answer.

I was hoping to avoid placing any rules on my inbox, but I never anticipated this many followers or that anyone would have quite so many questions or comments about my work. This is to ensure that I keep myself controlled more so than any of you. I have so much fun chatting with you and answering questions, that the IF writing and planning ends up delayed. Since that's why we're here, I need most of my free time to go to the IF(s) and any extras.

I will make updates to this post as needed. There will be a link to at the very end of the Pinned Post too. If the inbox gets a bit crazy or is too much to juggle during crunch times, I will continue to pause it during those so I can catch up.

Take care, everyone! ^_^

~Lunan

[meraki-yao]

What do you think of the relationship between Taylor and Nicholas? Are they really good friends or as they think in many simple acquaintances who can't stand each other? I honestly don't understand where certain theories come from... just why don't they interact publicly? or because they believe certain statements to be true and are unable to go further? I thank you if you answer me!

I feel like I've said all I have to say on this subject, but you sound genuinely worried and sweet, so I'll summarize what I think really quickly:

I genuinely believe Taylor and Nick are great friends, and my opinion is supported by the following evidence:

1, During the rwrb interview for Cinamag, they both say it's a delight to work together, implying they like each other and work well together

2, In September or October (I can't remember), a fan asked Taylor if he and Nick still talk, Taylor said yes, and said that they are great friends. This is Taylor confirming that they are great friends and they keep in contact.

3, In recent video interviews, Nick said multiple times that he thinks good things of Taylor (authentic, kind, fun etc), and that he made a great friend in Taylor. So this is Nick confirming that he and Taylor are friends.

4, The Teen Vogue Editorial and the GQ Editorial on the two of them both describe how well and natural their dynamic and chemistry is:

The interviewer/writer only met them this one time, and this was before the movie was out so there's no such thing as "projecting Alex and Henry onto Taylor and Nick". A stranger spends like half an hour with them and sees this dynamic.

5, Matthew and Aneesh both mentioned how well and fun the boys get along. So their director and cast mate, who worked with them on the project and thus spent a lot of time with them also saw this dynamic.

6, Taylor drawing on Nick's face and Nick laughing it off while signing on Taylor's face. Doing stupid but funny little things like this shows that they're close enough to make jokes about each other, especially since the other one isn't present. You wouldn't do something like that to someone you're not close with or someone you hate. You only do that to the people you're close with, because you know for sure they won't get mad. So this shows that Taylor and Nick are close.

All these things that I mentioned are actual things that happened and all point towards at the very least, a fairly close friendship.

I absolutely don't believe they hate each other, nothing they've done can concretely prove that.

It's not that they don't interact in public, it's that they don't go to the same events. The three times they did, for GQ MOTY (oh I have a candy from that writing this note to remind myself to include it) Nick left early because he was tired; for Milan, although they were both there for fashion week, they went to different shows so time might have clashed; but for the Academy Museum Gala, they were photographed together multiple times, at the very least, three times by official/professional photographer. I wrote this in my part 1 candies post, but basically with how photography worked that night and the time on Taylor's watch, they spent most of the event together.

So yeah. They're great friends.

[russellsppttemplates]

Hey Inês, I hope you had a good weekend🥰 I’ve been thinking a lot about driver’s sister x Lando (or Charles or George) and being delivered to her brothers house drunk out of her mind but her brother isn’t there and who better to look after her than his best friend who she has a huge crush on

Note: reader is George's sister and best friends with Mick as I don't write for Lando

Tw: mentions alcohol consumption

"Y/N, don't you think you should go home?", Mick asked as he walked up to the booth, handing you the bottle of water he got at the counter.

"Oh, George is going to be mad, isn't he?", you said after taking a few sips, "he said that I should drink responsibly, but in my defense, I trusted Lily and Alex, and look where it has brought me?", you gestured to your state. At least you recognised the situation, Mick thought, and that had to be a good sign, right? Despite the drunkenness, you were still alert enough to understand his commands and walk with him to call Alex and Lily so you could all leave.

"Is George going to be mad at me too? Are you going to tell him?", Alex asked as he looked at you in the passenger seat, "Alex, stay back on the seat. How did you even get the seat belt to stretch that much?", Mick checked him in the rear view mirror, seeing Lily pull her boyfriend so his back hit the carseat.

"We're just parking up to his house, maybe you can tell him", Mick said. Despite knowing you would be able to look after yourself, Mick still thought it would be better to check if George or Carmen were home. While some renovations were being done at your new place, George insisted you spent the three weeks with him and Carmen, not seeing the need to go somewhere else and sering the opportunity to spend more time with you and so that Carmen could have company when he travelled for races.

A quick ring for your brother's phone and a text from Carmen were all Mick needed to make his decision, "Carmen says that George's phone ran out of battery as he tried to return the call, and she asks if everything is okay and that they won't be home for the night", you made sense of the words Carmen texted you, "tell her that you're fine and that you'll be spending the night with me then", Mick asked gently, looking at your phone screen and making sure you were typing correctly. "Sleepover time!", you said excitedly, seeing Mick make his way back on the road to drop Alex and Lily.

Arriving at Mick's was quick and in comfortable silence, "are you sure you don't mind me staying?", you asked, taking your shoes off, "of course not. I know you're starting to sober up, but I still prefer having you here", he smiled charmingly, handing you an ibuprofen and a glass of water.

After you changed into one of Mick's t-shirts and a pair of shorts, you walked back to living room. Stopping when you saw your reflection on one of the hallway mirrors, you couldn't help but think about how you were wearing Mick's clothes. You had a crush on him as soon as you met him on his first season in F1, and it only built up when he started working for Mercedes, as well as your relationship. You often watched the races together whenever you travelled to them or whenever he stayed back, and when you found out you trained in the same gym, it all seemed to align.

"You're feeling good?", Mick asked, catching your attention as you walked to meet him, "yes, I'm coming to my senses now", you blushed, "thanks, by the way", you gestured, "most people would not have minded to leave me alone, even though I'm okay".

"I'm not 'most people', am I?", Mick asked as you both sat down on the sofa, "you said it yourself, unless you have an 'unbelievable crush' on other people", he smirked, deciding to lay the subject off until the morning, "are you in a Friends mood or The Big Bang Theory mood?", he asked as he grabbed the remote.

(Thank you for submitting an ask 🤍)

[ryuichirou]

OruVil HCs

Anonymous asked:

i know you don't play the game, but have you watched the new years event (the with vil)? i've recently been into your oruvil stuff and the way he dotes on and so clearly favors ortho made me think of that hehe. do you have any hcs for them? fluffy, spicy, or otherwise? (hope you're having a good day) :D

Anonymous asked:

Any thoughts on human Ortho with Vil?

Sorry for the wait, Anons, it took me some time to reply…

First of all! That New Year’s Event Vil card lives in my head not only rent-free, I pay it with my mental currency so it stays there forever. We haven’t watched this New Year’s Event (only the one with Kalim and Deuce), but we’re definitely going to do it one day. This year’s lineup is bonkers, and Sebek’s design was also great… But of course Vil is the queen lol

The fact that Vil keeps favouring Ortho and doting on him!! Thank you for lettins us know, Anon, this is the best. It makes me happy…

Alight, headcanons! Two versions, although the first bunch could work with either version of Ortho, to be honest. Maybe there was no reason to separate these two lists…

Regular Ortho

Vil really helps Ortho with his emotional development, both with the way he expresses himself and with his feelings in general. They talk about Ortho’s feelings a lot, sometimes it’s almost like Vil is both Ortho’s mentor and therapist lol But whenever Ortho suddenly starts talking about how much he likes spending time with Vil and how he wants to be closer to him, it’s always very unexpected and makes Vil’s heart beat faster.

It’s very unusual for Ortho to watch movies at the cinema and watch theatre performances, and he experienced both of these things with Vil. And while he can’t really feel pinpoint what makes the atmosphere so different and special (to him it’s all the same – just the environment is different), he has a lot of tropes in his head that he borrowed from the movies. So he’ll definitely at some point try holding Vil’s hand or even get clingy with him while watching a movie.

When Ortho got his own room, he was so excited that he invited Vil over to see it, which felt at the same time very childish and very sus of him: “let me show you my room” could have very conflicting connotations… Vil just wanted to treat him, so of course he agreed. Needless to say, the nerd den that is Ignihyde was shook to the core that day, because no one expected to see a gorgeous looking and amazingly smelling Pomefiore housewarden so up-close... the virgin igni boys got so STRESSED over the fact that Ortho brought him over, the theories ran wild for at least a week after that. Did they fuck? Did SOMEONE FUCK in THEIR DORM? The Virgin den?! Ortho, you’re such a fuckboy..!

Ortho blocks Mira sometimes. Vil doesn’t use her when Ortho is around anyway, but Ortho still doesn’t really like Mira lol Sometimes it’s almost like they have this weird rivalry.

Human Ortho

Ortho loves it when Vil styles him: wardrobe really transformed with Vil’s influence. They talk about clothes and shoes a lot, and spend a lot of time shopping together. A lot of times Vil spoils Ortho by buying him cool sneakers and jackets, but Ortho surprised Vil with designer clothes too: he’s kind of much richer than Vil anyway, so it’s only fair… and it made Vil happy…

Ortho is very clingy. Compared to the regular robot!Ortho, human!Ortho hugs Vil all the time. And it pisses everyone off, because Ortho could just sneak in, hug Vil from behind, rest his chin on Vil’s shoulder and stand like this while Vil’s explaining something to rest of the film research club. Even when Vil pushes Ortho away, he always does it in a weirdly gentle way: he scratches his head a little and then pushes him like a cat would do. While still explaining stuff to the rest of the film research club…

Ortho adores roleplay. Not only in a sexy way, but even just regularly: the moment he learned what improv was, he started to do it all the time with Vil. Of course, Vil doesn’t play along all the time, because there is time and place for everything, but he actually enjoys Ortho’s spontaneous nature when it comes to acting. Whenever Vil feels playful and gives him a “yes, and…”, Ortho gets very excited. They could play for hours… well, could’ve, but Vil is too busy for that :(

Ortho was lucky enough to receive a blowjob from Vil once, it was his birthday present (well, one of, there is no way Vil wouldn’t gifted him something else). And despite being “the hornier of two Shrouds”, it never even occurred to him how Vil would look with a dick in his mouth before. He was so happy… and way too smug afterwards lol

Despite the fact that Vil is more experienced, Ortho kind of overwhelms him when it comes to sex. He is a very fast learner, very enthusiastic, energetic and eager. Vil has a good stamina, but Ortho still leaves him absolutely exhausted after sex.

[clockwork-stars]

[ask game] Hi!!!!!

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! get to know your mutuals and followers <3

Okay I can't promise that I will put in 10 people askbox because I am scared to bother but I am answering because it's fun

Movies. I don't talk about it often on Tumblr for some unknown reasons but I currently have an obsession with movies that is making me deeply happy. I am watching too much movie for my own well being but it is fun and it feels nice so who am I to tell myself to stop (lastly I have seen Mutt that was really nice!)

Books and reading in general. (Not so) ancient bookworm here that used to read multiple books a week and that is now happy when they end more than 2 books in a month. As much as I don't read as many books as I did before, reading makes me happy. Truly. Mostly fantasy, I am not gonna lie but reading truly feels magical

Okay this one is weird but trust me on it: Notion. Being able to do organisation in my life, having so many Notion page or Excel sheet for so many thing (I might have at least 4 different systems/place where I report the movies I watch/things about them). It just feels nice to do so, to be able to do statistics with it (yes I am weird) to have pretty notion pages to motivate me to things.

Uni. Yes I had at least 4 anxiety crisis that were uni related this week but still I love it so much??? I am absolutely fascinated by what I am studying I just always want more and if I listened to myself (and that capitalism wasn’t a thing) I would just spend the 10 next years studying in multiple fields.

Being in fandom related space. On Twitter but also on tumblr lately, interacting with people, consuming fan made content, going to convention, watching new content with theories and random pieces of content all over my mind. No matter the fandom, no matter my implication in it (there are those fandom where I am barely liking some tumblr post then there is this where I am managing the Twitter jail account, and then in the middle those where I read fanfictions as if my life depended on it without ever interacting with this fandom on social media. I have a lot of types of interactions). Fandom life and fandom interactions just make me feel good and make me happy. And seeing people happy to be there or happy to have new content often make me love the original work even more (typically doctor who) because of how much it makes others people happy.

I could continue but the ask was for 5 things so here we are 🫡

(Apparently I am unable to just list things and feel the need to always explain so sorry and take this freaking long answer-)

[douglysium]

Episode 6 TMP Quick Thoughts

Housekeeping and Prologue

Hello, this is Douglysium and you might not know me as that guy who wrote over 100 pages of analysis on the Eye (which can be read on Tumblr here (https://douglysium.tumblr.com/post/735599414228484097/the-relationships-between-the-dread-powers-the) or Google Docs here (The Relationships Between the Dread Powers: The Eye- Knowledge is Fear and Ignorance is Bliss)) or as that guy who wrote an article on the Extinction (which can be read on Tumblr here(https://douglysium.tumblr.com/post/717929126195003392/what-would-avatars-of-the-extinction-be-like-a) and Google Docs here(​What would Avatars of the Extinction be like?: A TMA Speculation)). Suffice to say I might be a bit of a TMA fan. Also, spoilers for TMP up until episode 4. You can read my ramblings on the last episode here (TMP Quick Thoughts 5).

However, Protocol offers a very unique opportunity and experience for me because I didn’t actually get into TMA until after it was over and I binged all of it. So this is my first time experiencing something even remotely similar to what the original TMA fans probably experienced when waiting for each episode week by week and slowly having to put everything together with the limited information they had. So I decided to throw my hat into the ring since this might be my only chance to do something similar. However, I’m working on some longer form TMA content so I can’t spend as much time on these articles giving a bunch of super detailed thoughts. I will try to keep these short and that inevitably might mean some could have questions about why I think or predict certain things and in those cases I would probably recommend you read at least some of the two articles I mentioned above to get a better idea of where I’m coming from. This also means I won’t be giving you a play-by-play of every single thing that happens in the episode so I encourage you to listen to or read them yourselves and feel free to comment if you feel something is important.

These reviews are probably going to end up focusing mostly on the Entities and their manifestations as they are what I have thought about the most and spent the most time interpreting and there’s been a lot of… interesting theories floating around about how the Entities are manifesting that I want to go over.

Finally, I’m just going to say it right now, spoiler warning for all of The Magnus Archives. I know that Jon and co said one could start with Protocol and be fine, and while that’s probably true, media like this tends to be made in conversation with or take into consideration what came before it in the irl chronology in order to connect them. While I’m sure you could skip The Magnus Archives, I don't really see the point of skipping over it when we are already getting characters from TMA showing up in TMP in Protocol. So to me it’s pretty clear that if we want to understand the full picture of TMP and all the things it is trying to say then we can’t just try to pretend TMA doesn’t exist or scrub it away. Just because you could understand what’s happening without the context in broad strokes doesn’t mean you're getting all the nuances.

These articles are meant to be quick and short so sorry if there’s typos and if I don’t address every possible question or possibility. I don’t want to repeat myself too much in this series outside of the prologue so be sure to skim some of my other articles.

Episode 6 “Introductions”

Like usual, we are perceiving the scene through a device (a computer in this case) to let us know something is watching the characters. It’s very obvious that with Sam’s talk of coffee and the commentary on getting curtains that this job at the O.I.A.R. has a lot of work hours at very odd or long stretches of time. The way Alice talks implies that she’s been in similar situations at this job, so it doesn’t seem like the extreme exhaustion Sam is experiencing is completely unusual or unheard of. Sam is so tired that he is struggling to stay awake and has dozed off at least once at his desk. Highlighting the O.I.A.R.’s stressful work conditions we hear of a new hire and Alice says “...but this job has kind of a high turnover rate, so Lena likes to hire a couple of replacements when an old-timer leaves.” This also contextualizes Sam’s hire a bit since it would imply that Sam was hired because a previous employee left. 

Whether they left simply due to stress and terrible working conditions or potentially something even more sinister and possibly even supernatural I cannot say. In TMA it wasn’t unheard of for Archival assistants (like Sasha and some of Gertrude’s assistants) to get killed or seriously wounded after some encounter with the supernatural due to the nature of their job. Even Michael ended with the terrible fate of somehow being merged with The Distortion and potentially also dying in a way in the process. However, based on how Sam’s job has been going so far there haven’t been any direct encounters with the supernatural due to the O.I.A.R. and we have yet to hear if the organization has some dangerous artifact storage and testing facility like the Magnus Institute did.

ALICE 

“Oh Sam. The sun is the enemy. It rules the world of light but we who dwell in darkness feel only its wrath. Get the curtains.”

And

ALICE 

“Then we draw lots and one of you gets eaten at the Christmas party.”

These do sound like concepts that could relate to The Dark and The Flesh so it’s possible that this could be some weird foreshadowing or dramatic irony or Alice is coping with vague concepts she’s heard before in statements by joking about them. But even I feel like this is really REALLY reaching here and I don’t think Alice is an Avatar or some secret double agent. There’s also nothing to suggest she is particularly aware of the possibility of Entities and if anything she is sort of in denial about the statements or believes them to not be real so I don’t think Alice knows what The Flesh is or something.

When Gwen is asked about the new hire she seems pretty confident that they aren’t sticking around which points to how stressful, possibly unhealthy, or potentially even dangerous, the O.I.A.R.’s job actually is.

The statement we get in this episode is interesting because it’s another one where the computers themselves aren’t reading the statements. This time it’s audio from an emergency hotline between an operator and someone the transcripts dub as “Needles.”

Describing what happened here is actually going to be a bit difficult but Needles calls the emergency line (999) and we are quickly made aware that Needles is with someone else. When asked for details about the situation Needles says “You’ll have to forgive him, he’s full of needles at the moment.” At first this sounds like Needles was just torturing this poor guy but we later hear

POLICE OPERATOR 

“Are you in any danger?��� 

NEEDLES 

“(Amused) Me? Gosh no! No. I suspect he thought I was at first though. The way he postured and pulled out his little knife”

Which seems to imply that in actuality it was Needles who was attacked first. However, it is very clear that they are enjoying the torment of his assailant at this point and when they realize that calling the line didn’t immediately give away their location they say “Wonderful! I have longer than I thought. In that case, we’ll have a little natter at our end and call you back once we come to a decision about which service.”

After a weird and quick conversation Needles requests to get transferred to the police line and begins talking with a police operator. The description of what happened here is purposefully a bit confusing and vague. The way Needles puts it, the man postured and pulled out a knife (so Needles was probably being robbed or attacked) but they also say “Although I really wouldn’t go so far as to call him an attacker. In fact, in many ways it was an act of affection by the end. An embrace. A cuddle, even! Ha! Yes, let’s call it a cuddle.”

After being asked if they are in any pain Needles says “Of course it hurts, how couldn’t it? But I’ve come to rather enjoy the pain by now. All those teeny tiny holes bright and sharp… ” And when asked about the state of the man that attacked Needles we get.

NEEDLES 

“I doubt he’s going anywhere ever again.”

POLICE OPERATOR 

“Is he breathing? Does he need an ambulance?”

NEEDLES 

“Absolutely, but that isn’t the real question, is it?”

When Needles is asked for a location so that an ambulance can be dispatched we get-

NEEDLES 

“I know exactly where I am. I grew up here, you know. It was a decent place back then. Nice people lived here, you understand? Not like now. Now it’s a dreadful place. Not safe to walk at night. I take some pride in that, actually.”

POLICE OPERATOR 

“Sir, I need an address or a landmark. Tell me where you are.”

NEEDLES 

“Oh the land is definitely marked now, same as me, and it feels good. It satisfies in a way I never really thought anything would. It fills that hollow, lonely hole inside quite nicely. It’s not sadism, or masochism, I tried both of those already. I think it’s the fear, the look in their eyes once they realize their mistake, it just makes me want to hold them close, so I do.”

There’s been a common theory going around that the Entities are based on desire now instead of fear but Needles saying “It’s not sadism, or masochism, I tried both of those already. I think it’s the fear, the look in their eyes once they realize their mistake...” I think basically confirms that it is still the fear that is most important since if it was merely desire than sadism or masochism probably would have worked according to Needles. Additionally, we later see Needles trying to scare the police operator and get this exchange. 

NEEDLES 

“Do I frighten you? Mr. Operator.”

POLICE OPERATOR 

“Is that why you called? To try and scare whoever picked up?”

NEEDLES 

“Call it desert. But you’re not afraid are you? Unsettled, off-balance but nothing more. Why is that?”

POLICE OPERATOR 

“I guess I’m just not scared of needles. “

NEEDLES 

“(irritated) Not sca- This isn’t some poxy blood test, some little pinprick, this is hundreds, thousands of razor sharp points pushing into your flesh. We’re talking about the embrace of an iron maiden, an excruciating agony formed from a thousand tiny hurts.”

This isn’t any different than all the various Avatars from TMA harvesting fear for their Entities and draws comparisons to when Simon Fairchild asked Martin if he was afraid of rollercoasters for example. 

If we go back to the first quote, I mentioned that the comment about the land being marked is interesting. Usually, phrases like “marked” are used to refer to people who have been marked by one or more Entities due to an encounter or marking them as a target. However, there is a precedent for Entities having a strong connection to places. The Domains are an obvious example but there’s also the way Smirke’s architecture can interact with the Entities and the Entities themselves often physically manifest as places. It is possible to physically enter The Lonely or Buried through various means. We also know that The Web spent a lot of time around Hilltop Road making the gap in reality bigger and bigger. Maybe the place Needles is referring to has been marked as some sort of “hunting ground” for the Entities or maybe it is near the gap in reality / where the Entities emerged from in this universe. Assumedly, just because the Entities were pulled through the gap that wouldn’t mean it magically close.

Between the first and last interactions I mentioned the police operator tries to pass this situation off to his supervisor but Needles says “(suddenly sharp) If you leave this call I shall embrace him again and I sincerely doubt he would survive. (returning to jocular) You know what? I’d like to change my answer. I did stab him, yes. I certainly repositioned myself to 

make sure he got some in his face. In his eyes. Does that count? He keeps touching them like he’s going to be able to pull all the metal out but I told him it will only drive them deeper. It won’t last too long, thankfully, he’ll finish bleeding out any minute now, but in the meantime that fear wafting off him as he lies there, half afraid of death and half afraid of living with what has happened to him. It’s quite delightful. And it drowns out the aftershave nicely.”

With this Needles finally seems to manage to get a little bit of fear out of the police officer.

NEEDLES

“You don’t believe me. Yes, I suppose that makes sense. It is somewhat outlandish and that’s only exacerbated by the distancing effect of the phone. Yes, the more I think on it the more obvious it is that this call was never going to give me what I was after. I wonder, though, which of the police contact centres you’re hiding in Hendon? Lambeth?”

POLICE OPERATOR 

“Excuse me?”

NEEDLES 

“Lambeth, then and I am sure I could recognize your voice now.”

NEEDLES CONT’D 

“Ah, there it is. There’s the fear. Not much, just a little prick but we found it in the end, didn’t we?”

POLICE OPERATOR 

“I’m transferring you to my supervisor now.”

NEEDLES 

“Then I’ll be going. I’ve no interest in speaking to them, and besides, we agreed that if you left the call my friend here would have a last little cuddle before I go. I do hope speak again soon Mr. operator, see if we can’t find some other frightful little pinpricks we can explore together…”

And the victim of Needles is presumably left to his fate.

So what actually happened here? I don’t think we are going to get any straight concrete answers for a while but it seems like the gist of what happened is that someone tried to rob or attack Needles with a knife and somehow (in a rather confusing event) the assailant ended up hurt instead of Needles. Well, actually it does sound like Needles could’ve been stabbed since they say “Of course it hurts, how couldn’t it? But I’ve come to rather enjoy the pain by now. All those teeny tiny holes bright and sharp… ” However, there’s a bit of word play going on here so Needles could be talking about the knife sure but more likely it seems they are potentially talking about the Needles.

The two main possibilities I think is that Needles is referring to the pain the man is in or they are referring to somehow inserting the needles into themselves or experiencing it. They do mention that masochism doesn’t seem to have the result they were looking for (implying they may have tried it) and masochism is defined as “the tendency to derive pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from one's own pain or humiliation.” and “(in general use) the enjoyment of what appears to be painful or tiresome.” Masochism tends to refer to inflicting pain on one’s self so could it be that Needles is implying that they have experimented with inserting needles into their own flesh?

Either way it ends with Needles hugging the man and sticking him with a bunch of needles. I don’t know if Needles became connected to one or more Entities in the moment of the attack or was somehow messing with the supernatural before this event via something like an artifact, encounter, specific ability, etc. and just now realized that fear was the key or if Needles gained the ability during the attack and was experimenting with how it worked as he tortured the man. Needles does say “Now it’s a dreadful place. Not safe to walk at night. I take some pride in that, actually” which could imply he might have something to do with the night becoming less safe. Maybe he was attacking people in the night and experimenting with either his abilities or something else?

I’ve been a pretty big advocate for the theory that Smirke’s 14 (with the potential addition of the Extinction but that is more up in the air) are still around to some capacity and most if not all their fears are still applicable to all of the statements up until this point but this is by far the vaguest encounter so far. Needles shares many traits that could apply to multiple Entities for different reasons. The needles could easily be the influence of a fear like The Slaughter or even Desolation, and how confused everyone seems could point to The Spiral while Needles’ ability to magically know the police operator’s location resembles The Eye and Avatars like Jonah and Jon’s ability to magically know things. If this event is taking place at night The Dark could be at play and Needles mentions “Now it’s a dreadful place. Not safe to walk at night. I take some pride in that, actually.” even though the time and area at which this encounter is taking place seems unclear. There’s a possibility for The Flesh with themes of body horror. Needles notes that the needles dig deeper into the man whenever he tries to pull them out, which is probably the needles reacting to the fear present or trying to draw as much fear as possible out of the man desperately trying to pull them out.

Is Needles some kind of Avatar? Maybe, but it’s hard to say. As Jon in TMA pointed out the term Avatar, Monster, etc. in TMA can be extremely vague and nebulous and bleed into each other as they aren’t perfect little boxes. An Avatar seems to be a person who grows close to an Entity and becomes favored by them and is thus granted various abilities at the cost of being tied to the Entity. They tend to be stronger than the normal person but grow weaker if they don’t feed their Entities with the proper fear for a long period of time. Some might even die from “starving.” Jude Perry describes it as being akin to the idea of “Feed it, fearlessly and without hesitation, or it will feed on you.” Becoming an Avatar is stated to require an active choice and some sort of death be it literal or symbolic (so like an ego death I assume?). It’s also clear that while becoming an Avatar requires a choice it doesn’t need to be a well informed choice. That is to say it’s not like the Avatar needs to know what Entity they are signing up for or even that the Entities exist. Not to mention they don’t need to know exactly what an Avatar is. So it’s possible to become an Avatar without realizing it.

Monsters are basically actually part of a specific Entity. They are kind of like an Entity’s “fingers” or some other body part if those parts were actually sentient. The difference between an Avatar and Monster is that Avatars tend to be more like people empowered by and addicted to / reliant on an Entity while Monsters are actually an aspect of their respective Entity. 

Someone who is marked by an Entity is usually someone who has basically been marked as prey or had some sort of direct encounter or contact with the Entities.

Being aligned with an Entity seems to just refer to someone one or more Entities like or favor (as seen with Martin being favored by both The Eye and The Lonely. So much so that he got his own Domain tied to both Entities in the Post-Change world) and in the case of monsters and artifacts it just refers to the Entities they are tied to or come from. This can also get weird since while we usually only think of Avatars, Monsters, and Artifacts as having powers Martin was able to gain abilities from The Lonely despite not being an Avatar. Additionally, the position of Archivist grants a person in that position a specific set of powers whether or not they are an Avatar. For example, Gertrude was not an Avatar and still had powers granted to her by The Eye (even if she didn’t like to use them) and Jon had some powers even before he became an Avatar.

Of course, the lines between these concepts can get vague and debatable. Especially since some Monsters can take the form of humans or show human emotions (such as the Distortion) and when Anabelle transforms into a spider she seems to be more like what many would think of as a Monster, and The Web is presumably the only thing keeping her alive (since apparently the skull of her human form was caved in). There’s also certain characters like Agnes who would technically seem like an Avatar or person but becoming an Avatar requires a choice and it seems like Agnes was granted her state via a ritual from the Cult of the Lightless Flame and the choice of her mother not herself. However, we see with characters like Martin and Gertrude it is possible to have powers without being an Avatar. We also see with Jon that you can have powers due to being aligned with an Entity and then become an Avatar later. So in all likelihood Agnes became an Avatar later in life after she was born aligned with or favored by The Desolation. In fact there’s a pretty good argument for this when you consider that Agnes and Jon both have similar roles as being the lynchpin for the rituals of their respective Entities and Jon didn’t start out as an Avatar either.

I was originally going to have a segment where I go over what Entities Needles most likely belong to but I’m drawing a bit of a blank. If I was forced to choose I would probably say something like The Spiral, The Flesh, or Slaughter. Is Needles just someone aligned with multiple Entities or is it just some weird overlap multiple Entities share? Maybe trying to view this interaction through the Entities is itself an act of hubris but it also wouldn’t be the first time a more nebulous manifestation has happened. I would go as far as to say that if there was one encounter that could debunk all my previous points it would probably be this one, but like I said before I would personally argue that it isn’t any more or less vague than what we have seen of the Entities in TMA. 

Is it possible Needles is somehow connected to every Entity? I mean theoretically that’s not impossible? In order for Jonah’s ritual to work he needed every Entity in it (including the seemingly clashing ones like The Vast and Buried / Eye and Stranger so while it might be tempting to say that it’s not possible for them to coexist in such an alignment we know that even seemingly clashing fears can have more overlapping or synergistic aspects with each other). However, this is kind of a reach given the information we have since there’s nothing to suggest The Vast even if you could maybe argue The Buried with the idea of feeling trapped depending on where the man is and maybe the needles prevent him from moving or something. Still seems like kind of a leap with so little information though and I’m not sold on the idea.

When Sam notes that the case seems like it just sort of ends and questions Alice on what the deal with that is she says “I barely hear my own. You tune them out after a while.” Which points to the whole “ignorance is bliss” themeing I’ve come back to over and over and a philosophy Alice seems to take to heart. One of the themes of the Eye I have pointed out previously is the idea of “seeing too much” and how this can drive you mad or otherwise endanger you and potentially harm you mentally. Something that I don’t thibk I’ve done a good job explaining is that when I point these out I am not saying that Sam and Alice are secretly Avatars aligned with The Eye or something. What I am arguing is that the O.I.A.R. is probably somehow connected to The Eye and that in TMA the Eye and The Magnus Institute seemed to attract people with certain qualities or personality quirks (like how someone who tends towards violence is more likely to fall to The Slaughter). What I am arguing is that Alice and Sam might unknowingly end up in The Eye’s clutches in the same way Jon ended up becoming aligned with The Eye via becoming the Archivist.

We are finally introduced to the new employee Celia and both she and Sam bond over how weird the interview is. Something we heard in one of the protocol trailers was Lena asking if Sam had any previous supernatural encounters. Celia mentions “I’ll be honest, I thought there’d be more people working here given the size of the building?” Which makes me wonder if more people used to work for the O.I.A.R. at some point or if they were expecting more people. It could also just be some weird ominous stuff or other parts of the building are being used for some other (probably shady) purpose(s). Maybe they have their own artifact storage somewhere? Maybe there are other people working there but they are somehow isolated from each other? Who knows.

Sam says that it’s just him, Gwen, Alice, and the IT manager (Colin) to which Celia responds “Four weirdos in a basement reading scary stories. Dream job.” Which is a funny description and one that could probably also apply pretty well to the Archives of the Magnus Institute (at least with Jon being a weirdo reading scary stories in a (possible) basement along with his handful of coworkers).

ALICE 

“Yeah, you got that hardened killer look in your eyes.” 

CELIA 

“Damn, and here I thought I’d hidden it behind a sweet and bubbly demeanor. Anyway, I’d better go.”

I get the gut feeling that this interaction between Alice and Celia was some sort of ominous foreshadowing I don’t yet understand considering how… shady Celia seems later but I try not to skip ahead too much when talking about an episode. 

We get some of the nosier parts of Sam’s personality when he reveals to Celia that he knows about Alice’s secret stash of biscuits (a cookie for us Americans) and Alice even questions how Sam would know this. Normally, I would go on a talk about Sam’s parallels with The Eye via curiosity and knowledge and all that but the answer is a much more mundane “It’s literally the same place you did when we were students – back of the top shelf in the upper leftmost cabinet. Where you think people won’t be tall enough to see them.” Alice does warn him not to tell other people but with how much she’s joking it’s hard to take the warning that seriously and I don’t think she cares that much.

Conclusion

Yeah, idk, definitely one of the weirder episodes so Feel free to leave any comments or corrections and I may say if I agree or disagree with them and why.

[crmsnmth-journal]

10/23/2024 10:27 PM

Let's not ignore the extremely difficult reading my last entry gave at the end. Kind of neat to see my sleeping meds and the melatonin seem to kick in as I was typing. I have no idea what the fuck I was talking about. Just rambling because I'm sick of being that guy that just bitches and whines about my life. So, let's do it some more.

So, it's a pretty known fact that I'm paranoid. It's part of the deal with my mental health stuff. And for the last week or so, maybe longer, it's been sky rocketing. So the base line right now is paranoid. That feeling of something looming in the future. It doesn't help that for the past month or so there's been weird shit going on that I never pieced together until today's weird and dangerous thing happened. I'll start from the first thing that happened…at least I think it's the first. It's where I start.

Couple weeks ago, maybe a month or so, I was out on my porch at like 2:30, 3:00 in the morning, smoking a cigarette. I sit on the steps of the porch which provides a view of the garage, and the shed farther back. I sat and smoked an entire cigarette, just staring off into space because I left my phone upstairs. There were no lights coming from the open door, other than reflection of the porch light. I finished my cigarette and went up to my room, which has a window that looks out to the shed. And there was what looked like a flashlight beam in the shed. Just holding space. I watched it for ten to fifteen minutes and it never once moved. It freaked me out, but I thought maybe I just missed the light while I was out there. My youngest brother spends a lot of time in there, has he uses the shed as a shop. That was the first weird incident. About a week after that, I saw the same light, this time on the outside of the shed, sitting on one of the middle one of three cars my brother is working on. Once again, I thought nothing of it and thought maybe he left a flashlight sitting on a hood or something. That is, until it vanished without anyone being outside. And last week, early in the morning our dogs went nuts. Now they go nuts all the time over coyotes or cars on the road. But they never growl, and they were growling at the door itself. I looked outside and saw nothing. I even let the dogs out, and has soon has the got outside they were fine. Relaxed even. It makes me wonder if the movements I keep seeing out of the corner of my eyes are not just made by badly firing neurons and messed up chemicals in my brain. Today was the weirdest and extremely dangerous though. We have a big bonfire pit in our back yard. And I mean big, at least a 12 foot circle of burnable junk. We usually light it once a year. It was last lit a month and a half ago, when my brother cleaned out the far back of the shed. There was a bunch of old tables and other wooden furniture, so they burnt it. A month and half ago. I didn't leave this house until 2:15-2:30. That bonfire pit was fine. There was nothing coming from it that I saw, and I even looked at it as I untangled the lead of one of the dog's. There was no smoke. My brother gets here around 6:00 and when he did he called me. I didn't answer right away, but when I called him back, he asked me if I had been messing with the fire pit. Apparently, it was lit when he got home. A small little spot, about the size of an average campfire. I'm trying to tell myself that somehow some ember was able to keep burning for six weeks, but even I know that is fucking insane. There is one theory that could very well be. (person), the one family problem right now, may very well be coming here during the day. To get their stuff, they store it here. Maybe (person) is just doing things because of what they are doing. I'm not going to clear that up. Personal stuff that I don't need to share with the world. So maybe my paranoia's major spike was my subconscious telling me to stop ignoring what's right in front of me. Or maybe my paranoia is the reason I'm seeing unrelated things have connections. Either way, I don't feel good.

[anotherghoul666]

12, 18, 37! I hope you're having a good night!

Hi Trouble!! ❤️❤️ Thank you for the ask!

12. Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? Yes. Multiple times. Because of a variety of reasons. I recall having done that a good handful of times in my university years, especially during exam weeks and finals. I'd have a normal day then stay up to study, then loose track of time, spend overnight at the library, ride out the fatigue-induced delirium by watching the sunrise at the top of the hill my university was on, overlooking the city, listening to 70s prog rock and crying, then walk into one more day of exams, do my whole day, hit my second wind and be unable to sleep after that XD I've also had to do that a few times in the past few years. Isomnia is a thing. I work night shifts but sometimes I have to flip myself on a day shift for formations or meetings or family activities or trips so 30-ish hours is something semi-usual for me. When I got covid last summer I coughed so much I was completely unable to sleep for almost three days until my pharmacist found a syrup that finally stopped my coughing spasm and then I slept for an entire 24 hours at once to recover. It happens XD

18. Are you scared of spiders? So. On one hand spiders fascinate me. I like the concept of the creature. I think they look rad. I like them in theory. In practice, it's the skittering man. I can't deal with how fast they walk and how they crawl up walls, I feel spiders outsmart us humans routinely and it makes me uncomfortable to see them walk. That's probably a very primitive, lizard brain response that I haven't been able to outgrow yet. Spiders skittering spike my adrenaline. I like spiders outside of my house, I love them in nature, I watch them make their webs and shit and they're such architects, I'd never hurt one in nature. But I feel like, dude, if you're INSIDE MY HOME you're tresspassing and I have a right to defend myself and my people / pets, you know? XD

37. Is it easier to forgive or forget? Oooooh hitting with the deep shit are we! I like this! I feel like both are difficult for me. My neurodivergent brain registers and preserves strong painful moments in my life like an archive, like a damn museum. If a situation or a person ellicits a strong negative emotion in me, it's like a mark, it will stay there forever. I can recall entire conversations word for word from years and years back, from when I was a kid even, and it blows people's minds how accurate my memory is. I wish I could uninstall that function honestly, or have that level of memory for positive things at least, but I don't. Positive moments I have to actively produce physical memories from like pictures and videos or else I will 100% forget about them. I don't know which kind of trauma response that is, but that's how my brain functions and I gotta deal with it XD So like, I don't forget. I can make myself not think of the thing, I can think of other stuff, it's not like every negative memory I've ever had pops out in my mind constantly otherwise I would not function. But the archive is always there and it's pristine. On the other hand, I'm also a person that's sometimes fueled by spite and I motivate myself via anger lots. I am a spiteful motherfucker, I hold grudges. I've put a lot of work into deconstructing the anger in therapy over the years, but part of it is also to accept that this is how I am and it's ok. I vibe with acceptance therapy a lot. So. I hold on to grudges. It's weirdly comfortable. It's a comfort zone to begrudge. Sometimes I just don't want to forgive cause I loose the fire and the motivation to do better or maintain distance with someone toxic. I have boundaries, but what gives me the strength to hold them up proudly and say, no more, never doing that again / letting someone do that to me again, it's the grudge sometimes. Forgiveness is a strange beast. I'll forgive when the anger doesn't serve me anymore. I forgive once I'm done using something as fuel, once it drains more evergy than it provides. I don't forgive for others, I forgive for myself, and that's a process that's not the easiest. tl;dr they're both hard as fuck for me XD woops!

Those were super interesting to jump into, thanks Trouble! :D

[amoeba03]

Time for more info for the 0 people that follow me. So things have been going a *lot* better, thankfully. Last week we went to the mall to just look around and get ideas for Christmas gifts. It went great! We held hands the entire time (which is a big thing for me personally. Physical contact means a lot), and when she let go to look at something, she always grabbed my hand again after

A few days ago we went to a Mexican restaurant that she likes that I've never been to. Honestly, I didn't love the food, but it was great being there with her. She was concerned about me spending too much on dinner, which was really sweet of her IMO. Afterward, we went to a park near her house that we go to after most of our dates. We decided to watch a few episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. She showed me the first episode last week and it was cool. She reciprocated when I touched her hand, and at one point that night she took mine first. She also did this little thing I sometimes do where I use my thumb to just rub back and forth on her hand. Idk why I do it, but she did it once that night and it made me feel better than I have for just about my whole life

She had previously introduced me to Epic the Musical, which obviously is emotionally devastating. Now she's showing me FMA: Brotherhood, and that's emotional torture right off the bat, especially like the 4th and 5th episodes with the little girl and the dog. While holding her hand at one point, I (jokingly) was like "Why do I keep agreeing to watch this stuff with you?" and she responded with "Because y-", she kind of cut herself off, and then in like a half joking half flirty voice, said "Because you love me."

And like. That threw my mind and emotions into an industrial cement mixer because a few things happened. The first was that I realized that honestly... I do love her. Or at least I could very easily if I let myself. The reason I haven't let myself and haven't told her I love her is that we agreed a few weeks ago that, due to her upcoming mission at the end of January, we were going to kind of keep our relationship at the same level it's been at, and I don't want her to think I didn't take that relationship devision seriously or that I'm trying to force her into anything

But when she said that, it became a whole lot harder. I couldn't process it and think of a good way to respond, so I just squeezed her hand tighter, and she squeezed back. We watched a few episodes, then she showed me some clips of another anime (I think it was called RWBY but idk) on YouTube, and then I said that my brain was going to be trying to process FMA all night, and that it was going to be trying to theorize about it.

She asked to hear some of my theories, and I told her a few (I don't think their mom ever died, I don't think Alphonse will get his body back but I do think he'll change form, I think their dad is going to play a much bigger role than they make it seem, I think the deadly sins won't play as big a role, or at least there'll be a villain much bigger than them), and she kept doing this cute "okay, mmhmm, I see" thing while I explained my theories, while refusing to tell me if I was anywhere near correct.

The whole time though, I was also thinking about when she said "Because you love me." I don't know what that means. I don't think it was just a random comment because she started to say it, stopped herself, and then said it anyway. Does she love me? Is she having these exact same thoughts that I am? When she hugged me on her doorstep, it felt more... sincere than usual, if that makes sense. I know we're going to be broken up by the end of January but whatever pain comes with it will definitely be worth being allowed to love her, and it'll be even more worth it if she loves me

Hey guys (not that I have any followers but idc), I've been dating this girl and I really like her but I don't know if I'm officially her boyfriend yet, but her parents invited me over for dinner tonight and I'm super nervous because I don't want to mess this up but I'm potentially the most socially awkward person that's ever lived. Anyway wish me luck please

[spaghettificationandpretzels]

The Reaper and the Death Angel Part 19

The Nazis are going to be the big bads for what would have been the first two seasons, I want to do more with Alvarez and the Mayans that didn't involve conflict. The timeline is quite different but it's almost canon. My life's a bit of a mess right now so expect less frequent but longer chapters from now on.

Part 18

Series Masterlist

Contains: Smut ( M masturbation, mentions of sex toys) sexism, Jax is so in love, shooting a Nazi. If I missed any, please let me know.

4.7K Words

Comment if you want to be tagged.

Jax enjoys a show.

"Are you at my place or yours?" Jax got your text at 10pm, still hoping you'd be home so you could finish what you were doing.

"Your place. I told you, your mattress is the best, I'm never sleeping in the dorm again." You laughed to yourself, at least he would be there if you got home tonight.

"You should head to bed, you have that big vote in the morning. I don't know when I'll be home." Oh right, the vote for peace with the Mayans. While Clay wasn't happy about you stepping in, there's no way he would complain to anyone else, considering that they were singing your praises.

He knew you were right, Darby would rear his ugly head the moment Alvarez ended their partnership. He thought back to what you said to him after you killed those Nazis in the barn.

"Something is going on with him, how does a small-town meth cooker get so much power behind him? He's got backing for somewhere Jax, please be careful."

Juice did some looking into your theory and all he found were regular tickets to The League of American Nationalists rallies. You had told him it was a small but violent white supremacist group and then handed Juice another mysterious manilla folder, but once they looked into the leader, they realised it was probably a dead end.

"Be safe" He could see you were texting him back.

"Will do. Love you xx."

****

Jax heard you come home at around one, he could tell you were trying to be quiet to avoid waking him up but he couldn't sleep alone anyway, so he spent the last few hours watching TV.

"You're up, I thought I told you to go to bed?" Jax sat up a little bit more and watched you as you got ready for a shower, you leaving the door open so you two could talk.

"I couldn't sleep in this huge bed without you. What was so urgent that you had to go back to work?"

Jax heard you clunking around the bathroom, "it looks like a local factory owner covered up a huge indecent. A worker was killed servicing machinery and rather than report the fifth workplace injury that month, he killed the guy and dumped his body at the tip."

Jax heard the shower turn on and you were speaking a little louder of the noise of the stream, "I spent the last few hours on the phone with the French manufacturer to ensure the killer couldn't use the machine as an excuse. I've had it, I'm taking tomorrow off and I'll do the paperwork here."

He thought for a moment, "you can speak French?"

There was a pause before you replied, "yes, you can file that away for later too, if you like."

Jax thought you sounded tired, "oh, by the way, thanks for getting your last two STD tests, I'm really happy you're on top of your health."

Jax was shocked at your surprise when he told you he got tested every two months, "I have to say the whole 'kind sober and fully dressed' thing has made life a lot easier."

He couldn't see you but he imagined you were rolling your eyes, "of course it is Jackson, isn't better to have a long and slightly uncomfortable conversation rather than spend weeks working things out? And this way, we avoid all the trouble of finding out we're not compatible."

You came out of the bathroom in a T-shirt and underwear before going into the closet to get your mat, Jax was a lot more focused this time around. He noticed you were a lot closer to the bed this time as well, and you were facing him rather than the wall.

"You're more than welcome to enjoy the show, if that's what you want."

Jax's eyes went wide, did you mean…? By the way you were looking him up and down, it was clear you did.

"I'm the luckiest man in the world. I don't know what I did in my last life to deserve you but it must have been some good deed."

You huffed, "you're very sweet Jackson. The key for the top drawer is under the lamp, I'm sure you can find something that will make your fun more interesting."

Jax practically shot over to your side of the bed, retrieving the key and opening the top drawer. He was greeted by a sight that almost made his heart stop, various sex toys, lubes, condoms, and other stuff he didn't recognise.

"You're killing me here y/n." You smiled at him all innocent, then started stretching. Jax lasted till you bent you back in a way that made your ass stick out just so and then his hand was moving down his body.

There was something different about watching you act normal while knowing what he was doing. It brought a strange sense of acceptance, he wanted to get off and you were willing to provide the entertainment. He fully admitted to himself years ago that he was a whore, he liked women and he liked sex. It's not like he even had a type, if she was available, he was up for it.

It wasn't that he didn't like the Club girls or the way they looked, or how their bodies moved, it was that looking at you was different. His first reaction at looking at your body move wasn't attraction, it was awe. You held yourself like you were so sure in your skin, capable and efficient. The more he got to know you and see you in action, the more grateful that he was you always looked at him with love rather than cool indifference.

You glanced over at him, eyes landing on his exposed cock. He watched your eyes linger, "see something you like Darlin."

You rolled your eyes at him, "I'm a clinical sexologist you insufferable man, I've seen thousands on penises. Yours just happens to be quite nice."

He smirked at you like a hungry wolf, his eyes drifted to your legs as you sunk down into another position. Jax prided himself on his stamina but you bent in a way he hadn't seen before and there were two loud cracks before you let out a moan that sounded downright orgasmic.

"Sorry, that was involuntary. It just felt really good." He thought the brief break pulled him from the edge but you did it on the other side and moaned just a bit louder and he was spilling over his hand.

You stood up, walking just a bit straighter than when you started and walked over to him. Reaching a hand out, you swiped a bit of cum off his hand and lifted a finger to your lips, "may I?"

Jax was in physical pain now, his body trying to push blood back to his cock. You smiled at him one last time before sucking the finger into your mouth and then leaning down to kiss him.

"I'll go get you something to clean up with." you ran into the bathroom and he could hear the tap running, a few seconds later, you came back with the warm damp cloth and the hamper. You put the hamper down next to him and handed him the cloth, "I need to check the house alarms before bed, I'll be back in five."

You were back in three, stopping to get a drink before climbing into bed, "what about you?"

You brushed his lips with yours, "I told you, it's late. Plus, we have a bet going and I want to give you a fighting chance. It takes me a lot to beg and I want you to be at your best before you give it a go."

Yep, you were going to kill him.

"Good night Darlin, I love you."

"Bonne nuit, Bien-Aimé."

****

Jax was already awake when your alarm went off.

"Good morning beloved. You're already up, is something on your mind?" The look on his face said it all.

"It's it Opie? I know you've been worried about him getting involved in the Club again." Jax nodded, tugging you so he could curl into your side.

"Yeah, he's been wanted to get back in for weeks. I just don't know if it's right for him, for his family." You thought for a minute.

"You love Opie and you love the Club. If Opie wants back in, it's not your place to say yes or no. All you can do is be there for him so he can make the best decision for him and his family." Jax squeezed you a little harder.

"Kenny and Ellie loved the fair, tell Opie they can come for a day at the museum and he and Donna can spend the day together. Give him the day with his wife to decide if staying with the Club is what he wants."

You felt Jax relax, "I don't know what I'd do without you. I was thinking, maybe you could do your paperwork at T-M, I'm sure a lot of the guys would like to meet you after everything you've done." You pulled back a bit, looking at Jax in surprise.

"You want me there, you're going to tell them this was my idea? That's going to go down great, 'my girlfriend of two days and not only meddled in Club business but walked our greatest enemy into the mother charter's Clubhouse,' Yes Jackson, that will go over great." He smiled at your and shook his head.

"More like, 'my amazing genius old lady is the only reason we're ending this war.' We're not as backward as you think we are y/n, everyone is going to be really grateful for what you did." You pressed your lips together in disbelief.

"Ok then, I bet that it will go tits up. If I'm right, you admit that maybe the Club doesn't see women the way you think they do, and if you're right, I will admit that I miss judged the Club. How does that sound?"

He looked at you with that smug smirk, "You're on Darlin."

****

You were in the office helping Gemma get supplies for the party later tonight, you have been on the phone to the liquor store for thirty minutes.

"No, I need 2 kegs of beer. Dude, it's not that hard, just charge the card and be done with it. I don't want to hear about your kraft selections and if you suggest getting wine instead one more time, I'm going to lose it with you. Stop being a sexist and give me my products or I'll report you for treating your women consumers differently." You slammed the phone down when he went to correct you.

"Is it always this bad? I don't know how you can put up with it."

Gemma shook her head in understanding, "you'll get used to it. I know why you're really so on edge, the guys are going to like you just fine. There's no reason to be worried, this isn't the 60s, we don't treat women like shit anymore." She could tell by the look you gave her that you didn't believe her.

****

"it's simple. If we agree to this, Alvarez won't expand his drug business, won't work with the Nords anymore and the war between out club will be over." The room was packed but no one made a sound, then another president piped up.

"You made this decision without telling us?" Piney turned around and glared at the man standing right behind him, Jax and Clay shared a look, then Jax stepped in.

"It didn't really go down like that. One of his guys tried to kidnap my old lady, she dragged Alvarez here a gunpoint, and told him in front of everyone that if things weren't fixed she would shoot him."

There was a silence followed by some murmurs, a man in the back shouted out, "the short one that's with Gemma? She doesn't look like she could fight a puppy."

Sam laughed, "I'm sure that's what the guy that tried to kidnap her thought too."

There were more murmurs, this time a little louder. Clay lifted the gavel, "all in favour?" All but three hands went up.

Bang

"Well gents, let's go ring in the new era."

"It looks like they're done. I hope it went well."

Gemma was already getting up and walking out the office door, "I'm sure it went fine, look, Jax is coming over here now." Sure enough, Jax was walking over to the office with a skip in his step.

"How did it go?"

Jax was concerned about the apprehension in your voice, "it went great y/n. Clay is calling Alvarez now. It's over, I'll tell you more tonight, yeah?"

You nodded and he leaned down to kiss you, "come on, the guys want to meet you."

*****

Your reception was a surprise. Hugs, sincere thank-yous, hearty back slaps, "see Darlin, they love and your meddling."

You shook your head, "don't count your chickens just yet, it's only mid-day."

"Is Alvarez coming here?"

Jax tilted his head, confused at your question, "Yeah, he'll probably stop by later today. Why?"

You looked at Jax like you knew something he didn't, "I just want to talk to him one last time, I have a feeling but I don't have enough to back it up, yet."

He looked at you sideways, he didn't know whether he wanted to know what went on in your head for you to be able to always know about these things.

"Miss, miss."

You turned around to be greeted by a man standing right next to you, "yes good sir, how can I help you." He smiled at you, reaching a hand out to lay it on your shoulder.

"I just wanted to meet the women who has finally stolen Teller's heart, you're just as scary as your brother said you were. I can see why Alvarez did what you told him to." Ahhhh, he was there when you dislocated that prospect arm.

"I do my best. If you don't do anything wrong, then you have nothing to worry about. I'm quite nice, I promise." He smiled at you again and left to talk with Juice. Jax looked down at you with that arrogant smile.

"You're insufferable Teller."

****

Jax was with you in the garage working on his bike while you watched, "you have amazing tactile dexterity My Love, you should have become an engineer."

Jax shook his head warmly at you, "you know I only have a GED right?"

You went up to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek, "yes dearest, that doesn't mean you're not smart. I wish you could see what I see when I look at you, you're far more brilliant than you give yourself credit."

Jax put a grease covered finger under your chin and lifted it up to kiss you, "science hippy."

You giggled at him through the kiss and pulled away, "I'm immune to your charms Mr Teller."

You sat down on the bench while Jax kept working on his bike, "I'm thinking of going to see Otto, with all the stuff going on with ATF, I think he could use a friendly face. I'll bring him some nice stuff, it might help him hold out until his parol.

Jax smirked at you, "don't worry y/n, he blabbed that you were going to see him once a month when we went to get Chucky." You shook your head in disappointment.

"I asked him not to say anything, I didn't want anyone to think I was doing stuff for him to get in good with the club." Jax wiped his hands on a rag and walked up to you, cupping your face in his hands.

"I don't think anyone would think that y/n. Otto really appreciates everything you've done for him, we all do." He leaned down and kissed you, one of his hands moving down to grip our waist.

"Oh, before we have lunch, I have something for you." Jax looked at you a little confused while you ran off to your car, waving at him to follow you into his dorm. You locked the door and sat down on the bed, passing the package to Jax.

"Well, open it." Jax unwarped the brown wrapping paper and looked over the brown leather pouch, unravelling it slowly in curiosity. He then turned to the glass jar and the little glass bottle with a dropper.

"Thank you Darlin, but I'm a little lost." You smiled at him, kissing the tip of his nose, "I've been pretty upfront with how much I like your hands, but there's no way they're going inside me in that condition."

Jax looked over them, he could see that they were a bit of a mess, "this will last you your whole life, there's a number engraved on the back that will replace the tools as they fail. The bottles have hand cream and nail oil in them, it takes me ten muinets to make and the bottles should last you a little while." You took his hand and led him into the bathroom.

"I'll show you how to do it the first time, after that, if you want to touch me, they have to be in good condition." He sat down on the closed toilet and you put a towel down so you could kneel comfortably to get the best angle.

"These three are the most important. This is a cleaner, you run it under your nails to get the gunk out. This is a nail file so they're not sharp, and this is a clipper." You took one of his hands on yours, "do I have your consent to show you how to do it?"

He nodded and you the cleaner under one of his nails, "just like that, it shouldn't hurt. It's best if you do it under running water while washing your hands."

You ran a fingertip on the end of nails, checking if they're sharp. "You shouldn't really need to use the clippers as long as your nails don't extend past your fingers tips. See?" You showed him how your nails were short, then took his thumb and passed it back and forth over your nail.

"See how it doesn't catch on your skin, I need to keep mine like this because of how much time I spend in gloves but yours are a little rough so you need to file them."

You took the file, showing him how to do it properly. Jax watched and listened intently, asking questions whenever he was confused.

"The other tools are a cuticle stick and a cuticle cutter. Only use the cuticle cutter on hangnails because broken skin and other people's insides don't really like each other. Your cuticles are in decent condition so I'll just show you how to push them back."

You picked up the little bottle and put a drop of oil along his critical before rubbing it in, "use the flat side and in small movements push this thin layer of skin back towards your finger, if it hurts a little, give the oil time to soak."

You directed Jax to the sink so he could do his other hand while you guided him. "You don't have to do your nails every time you wash your hands, but from now on, not just for me but also for yours, wash them like this, for at least twenty seconds, making sure you get every nook and cranny." Jax nodded, repeating your movements, "your hands will get dry, that's where the cream comes in. You only need a little, and rub it on the same way you would the soap."

Jax opened the jar and gave it a sniff, "it doesn't smell like anything."

You shook your head warmly, "it doesn't need to. If you're in doubt just run your nail tips and tops over the inside of your cheek, if anything hurts it will hurt me too."

He looked down at his nice clean hands, "if they guys say anything about your new routine, please tell them why. They shouldn't shame you for not wanting to hurt me, or worse, give me some kind of infection."

Jax swagged the two steps towards you, running his thumb over your cheek, "I think for all that work, you deserve a reward. Let me thank you for going to so much trouble."

You smiled at him a looked down at your feet, "you don't need to do that Jackson, I did it for you, not to get anything out of it."

He pulled you into a kiss while his hand drifted down your body, "I want to. Plus, I have a bet to win." His lips drifted from your face to your neck, "can you show me how you liked to be touch?" He briefly took his hand off your face to guide one of your hands over the one moving into your pants.

"Thank you." He looked strangely at you, "for not just jumping in. I'm grateful that you've asked instead of just assuming."

His jaw clenched, "you don't have to thank me for being a decent person." You went back to pushing his hand under your belt.

Knock knock.

Jax's forehead fell against yours, "The Mayans are here." fucking Clay.

"Shall we pick this up later?"

Jax smirked at you, "hell fucking yeah gorgeous."

****

There weren't many Mayans, just Alvarez and some of his higher-ups. Jax kept his arm over your shoulder, watching you scope the room.

"They're armed, not heavily but I don't think they want to start anything."

Jax pressed a kiss to your ears, "if you think something's going to go down, let us know, yeah?"

You turned your head to kiss him, "of course my love."

Alvarez wandered over to you, "Jackson, it's good to see you under better circumstances."

He offered his hand, which Jax took, "I hear you're his old lady now."

You looked over at Jax, who nodded like a man who just caught a prize fish, "judging but Jackson response guess I am."

You turned to Jax put a hand on his chest, "Dearest, I would like five minutes with Mr Alvarez alone please." He looked at you, concerned but pecked you on the lips and walked away.

"Marcus, I think I need to reiterate my point about you and who you spend your time with. If you ever associate with Nazis, neo or otherwise again, I will know and I will kill you with my bare hands. You may have ended your relationship with Darby but I expect you to do the same with Mr Zobelle also." He looked at you like you were the most terrifying thing on the planet.

"Yes, I know about Zobelle. He's bad news Marcus, if you side with them to take the Sons down, he will turn on your next."

He ground his jaw, "I'm guessing if something happens to you, I'll be the first place they look?"

You slapped him hard on the chest, "now you're finally getting it."

****

The night was surprisingly quiet, most the guys went home after the vote. By the time you were ready to go home, the Clubhouse was almost empty. You were sitting with Jax in the corner facing the door when a man walked in. He was white, shaven head, wearing a bomber jacket. Sam spotted him at the same time you did, when you met his eye he tapped his left side and your hand drifted to your gun.

"Jax, get ready to hit the deck." The man shifted just slightly and you were aiming your gun at his head, "HANDS, I WANT TO SEE YOUR HANDS." The man looked at you with rage on his face, then moved to pull something out of his coat.

BANG

His head snapped back and he dropped to the ground, Sam was racing over to him to push the assault rifle away before checking the man's pulse.

"Nice shot y/n."

Everyone was sitting there in stunned silence, "are you all just going to stand there? Help with the body or call the pigs."

That seemed to snap them out of their stupor, Happy going to move the body, you turned to Alvarez, "see, Mr Alvarez. I told you your Nazi friends aren't to be trusted, or are you stupid enough to believe they weren't gunning for you as well?" He glanced at you, saying something to the Mayan standing next to him before walking up to Clay.

"Well then, I think we need each other more than ever now."

****

You were helping wipe up the blood with Juice, there was no way you were going home anytime soon. Clay and Alvarez were talking in the chapel, trying to figure out what to do about their shared Nazi problem.

"That was totally badass y/n, like, no one even saw him come in."

You put a gloved hand over Juice's, "it was nothing. I just hope no one hates me after all this. I'm the one who set the wheels in motion." Juice looked at you sadly.

"Clay and Tig might take some time to come around, but the other guys are really grateful. You've saved our asses so many times in the last few months, Jax is really lucky to have you."

You smiled at him, "thank you Juicy, you always know what to say. But I have to disagree, I'm the one who's lucky to have Jax."

****

It was early morning by the time you and Jax got home, "you're not mad at me?"

He looked at you like you had ten heads, "why would I be mad at you? You're the only reason we're alive."

You pulled him into your arms, "it's not that simple, Jax. By forcing Alvarez to make peace with the Club, I've caused all this, I…" Jax cut you off.

"No, you didn't. You did what you had to do, you were protecting us and now the biggest danger to the Club is indebted to you. If any of the guys say different, I'll set them straight." you lifted a hand to his face.

"That's not what I mean, I know how the Club and the outlaw motorcycle culture as a whole, sees women. I am to be seen and not heard, an old lady running rampant is going to make you look weak. I don't want people to lose respect for you."

Jax directed you to sit on the couch, "something tells me they'll learn fast that they're wrong. Today made it pretty clear that you and Sam are on a different level to the rest of us. Can I ask you a question? "

You nodded, "you weren't just a forensic anthropology when you were overseas, were you?" You put a hand on his leg.

"All I can legally tell you is no, and that I stopped doing whatever it was before I settled in Charming. But, I understand if this revelation changes things." Jax pulled you into him, pressing his forehead into yours.

"It's changed nothing, and for what it's worth, no one else shares my suspicion." He felt you relax against him, "it's late Darlin. I think we should call it a night." he stood up and took you with him, walking into your bedroom together.

"I'll let you shower in here, I use another bathroom." You craned your head and put a kiss on his chin, 'thanks Jax."

It didn't take either of you long to be in bed, you crawling into Jax's arm, "you know Darlin, all this build-up is going to make it even sweeter when I finally get to have you." You chuckled, leaning in to kiss his neck, "sure Teller." He gentle grabbed your head, kissing you softly.

"Good night Beloved, thank you for being so wonderful."

"Good night y/n, I love you."

****

The morning had started a lot slower than normal. Jax was sitting at the bench, enjoying his toast when you put a smoothy in front of him.

"What's this Darlin?" You smiled at, sitting down on his lap.

"I'm plan to get on my knees and suck your dick tonight, the smoothy will make it a bit more pleasant for me."

His eyes went wide and he took a gulp from the glass, "this is really good."

You nodded, and he licked his lower lip. You straddled him, kissing him deeply while his hands moved down to grip your ass. You pulled away just as he started to grind you down onto him.

"See you tonight my love."

Part 20

This took forever to get out, as I said before long chapters that come out once or twice a week will be my new posting schedule.

[yamuraiiha]

HI JAY UM . i'd like to hear about aro suzie q :000!

HI BASIL!!! :D I am MORE than happy to talk abt her omg, I've had this little hc floating around since I first watched battle Tendency last September and it's one of my faves ^^

I hc Joseph as gay which plays a pretty big part in all this too btw

So honestly this hc has to do with the lack of romance/chemistry between Joseph and Suzie throughout part 2. The only times we see them interact properly are when Esidisi is possessing/transferring to Suzie after Joseph defeats him. The scene is supposed to hint at their budding relationship, but it really doesn't feel romantic to me lol. Joseph is a known flirt and likes winding people up, and the things he says to Suzie ("If we were ever to fall madly in love with each other, you could kiss [my lips] all you'd like") come off as more playful and teasing rather than genuine. And her reactions are even less convincing, since she calls him weird and ugly straight to his face. She does blush when she walks away, but to me that only really adds to the forced-ness of the whole thing.

The other scene is when the main trio are off to Switzerland and Joseph makes them turn the car around so he can yell back as Suzie. But again, he just calls her ugly!! And we're supposed to believe she's blushing and falling for that? Honestly, they're genuinely the least romantic scenes for a canon pair I've ever seen lmao.

And them getting married after spending 2 weeks together (after the most traumatic days of Joseph's life btw) was just silly. I know there's the theory that they got married early bc Suzie got pregnant with Holly, but I just don't buy that tbh.

To me, I think it makes a lot more sense that Joseph proposed to Suzie because he was still processing his grief and trauma from the pillarmen. She has some resemblance to Caesar (Blonde, Italian, talking shit about Joseph to his face, plus they were close before Joseph met them) so instead of taking the time to process how he was feeling and what had happened, he basically uses Suzie as a scapegoat to reflect his feelings for Caesar (and men in general) onto instead.

Suzie knows exactly what he's doing; AND THIS IS WHERE MY HC COMES IN. I think Suzie's struggled with her lack of attraction for most of her life. She took a job on the island with Lisa Lisa because then she could escape all the questions from friends and family about boys or marriage or children, because Lisa Lisa certainly doesn't care, and there's no boys or marriage or children on the island. But now the Pillarmen are defeated and there's no need for anyone to stay on the island, so Suzie has to go back to her old life. But suddenly a rich, handsome Englishman who she now considers a good friend is offering her an escape from everything again, this time through marriage. She says yes because she knows she'll never get a better offer. She knows Joseph doesn't love her like that. But also, I think she does it a bit as a way to process Caesar's death too, they find comfort in each other's grief because they know what they're both going through.

And with the whole "Cheating" situation, I know people say it's ooc for Joseph but I disagree, if only because I don't think he ever actually loved Suzie. He probably had multiple affairs as well, and Suzie probably knew. Joseph isn't subtle, after all. But honestly? She's glad he is, because it means she doesn't have to pretend she loves him anymore, and they both get what they want. By this point they definitely have a strong platonic relationship, and that's what keeps them going as a pair. Basically they're in an open marriage lol.

The only reason she's so mad abt Josuke is because now everyone knows he's "cheating" instead of it being between them, which leads to newspaper headlines and public embarrasment for Suzie.

[eirikaanemo]

Can You Keep A Secret?

Warnings: imprisonment, mentions of starvation and sickness

Note: I haven't actually played Dvalin's quest but I tried to keep it as close to canon as possible. Feel free to leave a comment or message me if you see something wrong.

Venti x GN!Reader

1.9k Words

Your soulmate is secretly Barbatos... now what?

Everyone has a soulmate. And everyone is born knowing your soulmate's biggest secret. For most people it’s really unhelpful, but for some people it helps them find their soulmate. You’re in the latter group, because yours gives you a name.

You've known your whole life that your soulmate is secretly Barbatos. It's… interesting, to say the least. Of course you'd never dare to tell anyone. Thankfully, asking someone what their soulmate’s secret is isn’t very common. It’s considered to be very rude, so no one asks you what your secret is. They'd think you're crazy!

Barbatos hasn't been around for centuries and you're a mortal. This is the sort of thing you would read about in trashy romance novels! But even though it’s crazy and kind of overwhelming, you know it's true. You don't know if he'd ever accept you or want to be with you, in fact, you’re pretty sure he won’t, but you want to try.

Once that’s settled, you just have to find him. If he's anywhere, it's probably the city of Mondstadt. That’s where he seems to have shown up the most in the past, after all. So you move to Mondstadt. It’s a nice place and the people are friendly. Finding a job with the Knights of Favonius was fairly easy and it paid pretty well.

Unfortunately, the 'Storm-terror' problem starts shortly after you move. He throws the whole city into chaos the first time, and then proceeds to keep doing it regularly. The fear is all encompassing, but that's fine, you try to convince yourself. It will all be worth it when you find him. ‘If you find him’, your traitorous mind whispers.

It's been months, a year even, and you're starting to lose hope. How were you expecting to find Barbatos anyway? Shout from the rooftops for him to reveal himself and whisk you away? He hasn't been around for a long time and you knew that. And to be honest, at this point you've given up.

Going home is the logical thing to do, it’s where your family is after all. But you stay because you made yourself a home here. You have friends: Jean, Lisa, and Kaeya. You have come to love the city: music, freedom, and camaraderie. Well, you love the city except for the 'Storm-terror' attacks. Those aren't very lovable.

What concerns you the most though is that 'Storm-terror' is a dragon. And dragons trend to be important (like, archon important). But no one seems to remember this one. So you research. You visit the cathedral and speak with some nuns. You dedicate some time to listening to bard’s tales, asking them if they know any songs about dragons. One does, and it's surprisingly informational. You spend time at the library, pouring through book after book. And after all this investigation, you've come to the conclusion that 'Storm-terror' is actually Dvalin of the Four Winds. Not that anyone actually believes you

It didn't stop you from telling people your theory though, and being more respectful in how you refer to him, despite all the damage he's caused. Eventually they do start considering it and the city starts catching on. If you keep doing this, you may be able to change the city's perspective of and reaction to Dvalin.

The abyss mage catches on to this, and he just can't let that happen. It could compromise the whole plan. So one day he has Dvalin abduct you and locks you up. And true to your luck, this happens out of the blue while you’re taking a walk that you’d finally convinced Jean to go on with you. Which, of course, reverses all your progress and makes the situation even worse than it was before. Incidentally, this also does the exact opposite of what you’d been trying to do by stressing out poor Jean more.

The abyss mage doesn’t care about anything other than making sure you’re not able to go back to Mondstadt. The mage does not care about human necessities. Who cares if you die? Not him. He hates humans. It's kind of part of his job description.

Your prison is where Dvalin retreats to when not attacking. And the mage has to go report to someone else sometimes, giving you opportunities to speak with Dvalin. He never responds to you, but you can tell he eventually starts listening. You start by rambling about various subjects; then talking about how you know he's Dvalin, and that you're sorry he was being treated like he was, once you know he is listening. Because while you don’t know the whole situation, you know that he feels hurt by how humans have treated him.

After several days of talking to him, he slowly starts warming up to you. It’s a strange sort of bond that grows stronger as time goes on. He starts responding and the two of you actually have conversations instead of just you talking. Eventually you even mention how you know your soulmate is actually Barbatos and that you've kind of given up finding him.

He gives a thoughtful hum, lets you vent out your feelings, tries to think of an appropriate response, then allows you to drop the subject once you’ve worn yourself out emotionally. It’s becoming obvious that your health, physical, mental, and emotional, is degrading faster as time goes on.

One day Dvalin and the mage both disappear for longer than usual. After the mage makes sure you won’t be able to escape, of course. It’s not like you would’ve been able to leave anyway. At that point you’re not able to do much at all.

Little did you know that only Dvalin would be returning. They ended up facing the traveler and their companions in battle, and Dvalin was freed from the mage’s influence. The first thing Dvalin does is take them to help "the one decent human, that he actually cares about". You're in bad shape at this point, starving, sick, and weak. But you’re aware enough to hear Jean call your name and feel someone gather you in their arms before blacking out.

When you wake up you're at the cathedral and are feeling much better. Certainly you are not fully recovered, that will take weeks. That one bard who was able to play you a song about Dvalin is always there. You vaguely remember him being there when you were found. He doesn’t really interact with you much, he’s just kind of there, but he does play peaceful music that helps you fall asleep when you’re struggling to rest.

Then the day comes for you to go home. They’ve done all they can for you and you’re past the worst of it. But you’re well enough to be out and about. “Now you take care of yourself,” Barbara lectures you. “Don’t push yourself, get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and eat three square meals a day, got it?”

“Got it,” you confirm. “Thank you for taking care of me, I really appreciate your help.” She smiles, wishes you well, and returns to the cathedral. You take a moment to breathe and just appreciate being back home, free of your prison and the small cathedral room they’d kept you in while treating you.

Taking a deep breathe you start on your way home. “Hey!” You hear someone exclaim behind you. “Could you hold on a second?” Turning around, you see the bard quickly excusing himself from a street performance before running to catch up to you. Once he’s caught up, he gives you a smile.

“Hi! I’m Venti the bard! Would you be willing to speak with me about something? It’s kind of private so we would need to go to windrise or something, but you’ll want to hear this, I promise.” He says. “Alright,” you agree, “but I can’t make it all the way to windrise. Would my home do? I live alone so we’ll have privacy.” He nods, “that’ll work great!”

The walk home is quiet but comfortable. The bard’s content to hum a tune as he follows you through the streets. Soon you’re home, unlocking the door to let you and your guest in. You lead him over to the couch where you both sit down. “So,” you say, “what did you want to talk about?”

“Well, I was talking with Dvalin a day or so after we freed both of you and he said you mentioned you came to Mondstadt searching for your soulmate. And that you said your soulmate’s biggest secret, the one that you know, is that they’re Barbatos,” he explains. You feel a pang of betrayal at Dvalin’s actions and some guilt for sharing your soulmate’s secret in the first place.

It probably showed on your face because he quickly spoke up again. “He didn’t just tell me for no reason though. You see, I am Barbatos. I’m your soulmate.” Your head, which had been drooping with the weight of your emotions suddenly shot up as you fumbled for a response.

Apparently that showed too because he continued, “And I’m sorry I made it so hard for you to find me. I’m sorry I almost made you give up on me. Most of my waking time is spent incognito so I can watch over everyone while not being put in a position of authority. I didn’t anticipate meeting you ”

There’s a moment or two of silence as you gather your thoughts. “It’s okay,” you assure him. “I understand why you did what you did and I’ll never hold it against you. How were you supposed to know I was even born yet, not to mention that I’ve been in the area searching for you.”

You take another moment or two to gather your wits. “I will also understand if you don’t want to do anything about this,” you state. “I don’t want you to feel forced into having a relationship with me if you don’t want to. The last thing I’d want to do is be responsible for making you miserable. And that’s not to mention how you’re an archon and I’m just a mortal.”

Your talking speeds up as you start rambling, losing control of the conversation as you feel more and more nervous. Once you realize you’re rambling you shut your mouth with a click. “Sorry about that,” you mutter. “I do that sometimes when I’m nervous.”

When you chance a glance at him, he honestly looks a little offended but mostly just really sad. “Is- is that really what you think I think about this?” He asks softly. “Because it’s not. I absolutely want this. I absolutely want you. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for millenia and I wouldn’t give this up for the world.”

He reaches over and slowly, hesitantly, so as to give you time to escape if you want, gathers you into his arms. You realize that he’s the one who picked you up to bring you home. Your ear rests against his chest as lean against him, and his heart skips a beat as you gently grab one of his hands and kiss it. “I’m glad,” you breathe. “I’m glad too,” he voices softly.

You yawn, feeling the exhaustion from your journey home and the rest of the day hit you. He pulls you close and whispers in your ear, “Sleep well, my cecilia, I’ll be here when the sun comes up and when you wake up.” You fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

[dilucslittleangel]

𝐀 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐥 𝐃𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

Hello!! Usually I wanted to write this same thing with Scaramouche until unfortunately his canon past came out and I had to delete the whole thing- so now, while Dottore will sure take some time to appear in the game, I'm taking my chance to write how I think his past maybe looked like.

Some sentences towards the end have been taken off his artifact!

Word count: 1584

I'd like to say this may or may not fit into canon!! (however I wouldn't mind if this became canon)

So. Where to we begin?

I like to think Dottore had a golden child syndrome from a young age.

Most parents want to see their children thrive and flourish. In fact, the desire to see your child succeed is a normal desire of parenting. Moreover, even good parents sometimes have unrealistic expectations for their children.

But good child syndrome can happen when a child consistently reinforces their parent’s desires for them. These children don’t just want to satisfy their parents- they feel obligated and responsible for doing so. It becomes a significant part of their identity, meaning it affects their overall development. Either one or two of the parent role, are naracisstic.

A healthy child usually wants to succeed and make their parents proud. Golden children take it up a few notches. They may present as anxious children early in life. Similarly, they experience immense anxiety and guilt when they fail to meet certain expectations.

Despite how a golden child syndrome usually develops in a child, it was a little different in this case.

Dottore's father did not give him lots of attention at all. Just like the insane, crazy doctor / scientist he is himself now, so was his father. His father was a mad man, a man who's experiments are more important to him than his own family.

The young boy often watched his father, watching experiments a young boy like him should not see. All his father's attention went to the experiments, did he have to do the same?

The young lad did various of things, but they all were helpless. Nothing made his father even look at him, heck not even at the dinner table they talked. However he didn't want to stop trying. He had to keep on going, so he thought.

His mother? Dottore was just 7 years old when his mother started to feel worse and worse everyday. So worse even she had no other choice but to rest in bed, having a doctor visit every week as her husband was no doctor, just a scientist who couldn't care less. Why did they even marry?

Dottore brought his mother meals every day - at least whenever a helpful aunt came over. Dottore pretty much looked up to the doctor that came over every week. Did he also become so clever and brilliant to maybe help his mother? He sure thought so.

Day and night the young boy spend hours of looking into medical books, learning anything he possibly could. Often would he fall asleep on the ground, all exhausted from studying. He wanted to help his mother.

Besides studying medical stuff and trying to do anything that would make his father give any attention, he'd also spend other day and nights to get the best of grades, always did he bring good ones home. Never would you see anything below 95 points. Dottore didn't even think about having friends, they only were in his way and annoying. He had no time for friends, he only had himself.

Everytime he brought good grades home, he would bring the paper to his mother. She was more than proud of him. „One day you'll be such a handsome man, helping out so many people.. You make your mother really proud..”the sweet voice spoke. He couldn't let his mothers expactions down now could he?

More and more years have passed. Years of studying, years of writing good grades, years of wanting his father to also be proud of him. Dottore was under a pressure of making his parents be nothing, he didn't want to be a good-for-nothing, - a pressure he put himself under. He just wanted to mean something to both of his parents. He wanted to be worth living. Something cracked in the mind of his.

One day, the boy came home in the cold times of the years but he had great news, he scored the best once more in a big test, wanting to share the great news to his mother. He hadn't seen his mother since yesterday, he was happy to see his mother again. „Mother! Mother! Look!”he said proudly as he ran upstairs, he didn't even put his backpack down. „..Mother?”he asked as he entered the room. He walked over to the bed and looked at his mother. Her eyes were closed, chest not rising nor sleeping. „...?” he gently shook his mother, having his hand on the mother's arm, he felt the coldness. The heater was on, how could she get so cold? It got him worried.

„Mother??”he asked loudly, keeping on shaking her till he heard it knock on the door. He put his test paper on the bed and walked downstairs. He opened the door, looking at who was knocking. It was the doctor, wanting to check on the mother as always. „Uhm Doctor.. I don't think mother is feeling well.... She's quiet and so cold..” he spoke. The doctor looked at him. „..?..”the doctor quickly walked upstairs, of course did the boy walk after him. Dottore stood at the door frame, watching the man.

The doctor stood there silently for a few seconds, shrugging a bit together as he suddenly left the room, walking downstairs. „Where's your father kid??” he asked. „I..don't know. He was suddenly gone one day 2 years ago or so..”he answered. „..what?? Then where's your aunt, let me call her, boy.”

Dottore didn't quite understand what was going on but he knew nothing good happen. He looked back at his mother. He walked up to her, climbing onto the bed and hugging his beloved mother. He brushed away the long dark blue hair. Silently, he sank his head on the mothers chest, closing those pure red eyes. He widened his eyes a little as he heard no heartbeat. „...Mother..”. What a shame, he was just supposed to turn 14 in a few days.

Many many more years have passed. While he grew up along his aunt, Dottore had not given up what he did before. Now he had to make his aunt all proud, now that he's the oh so poor failure that couldn't save his mother hm? At least he thought that way, again.

Now being proud 20 years, living on his own in a old lab, doing various of experiments no one would like to recall. He'd just become the madman his father once was. The word "failure" does not exist for him. He cannot be a failure once more, after all.. He's such a big genius. How could a hardworking child with a great smile go to a madman with a short temper who's plans cannot go wrong?

So judgemental the god of his homeland Fontaine, so the people. Fontaine's people were disgusted of the man, afraid of him, they wanted him gone.

Chased away with pitchforks, clubs and angry words, he took fled to the all famous Sumeru Academia where he continued his crazy studies and experiments. He had so many logical theories, yet no one wanted to hear them. One would not even like to look at him. He truly was sick of everyone, of everything.

Years later again, once more the man took fled. Next day awoken, the social reject's legs have given up. Falling into the sand, with a little lake aside, he took a look at his reflection. Half of his face had gotten burn scars, had the man's charm left his side too? Hand covering half the man's face, he remembered it all.

A night of a harmless experiment with potions and fire had kept the man awake. Yet, the man had been tired. Sitting at the table, where he rest his head on his palm, the man closed his eyes. Dottore silently listened to the liquid heating up under the hottest flames. Maybe him closing his eyes was a terrible mistake which he soon got to suffer for.

The liquid had been heated up too much, the man should've turned off the fire by now but he soon was about to reach the beautiful dream realm. Glass exploding and hot liquid splashing against half his face awoke the man. Quickly the man stood up and pressed the towel against his face, sharp breaths escaping, silent cries filling the room, free hand turning off the fire.

How foolish of him, hm?

The man shook his head and closed his eyes. A grip on his shoulder made the man turn around. „..Fatui?”

"Merely an enhanced human? If your great nation can furnish me with sufficient resources and ample time, I could even manufacture that which you would call a god. What say you?"

True indeed. First of the fatui has tracked him down. In the desert that shone bright like liquid gold, he inquired of the Snezhnayan diplomat:

"Will you treat me like the Academia did? Will you call me a monster, a madman?"

"Or will you treat me as my hometown did, and chase me away with pitchforks and clubs...?"

...

"Good. Then, we are now in partnership."

"As for the matter of your title — what do you say to this..."

Taken completely by surprise by the sheer irony of the title he was given, the young man burst into hysterical laughter.

If you'd know ask the man about his theories and experiments, shall you see a sparkle of excitement...

...

(Drawing of Dottore in the age of four. From right to left -> "Daddy" "That's me!" "Mommy")