#i have learned how to make them see me as someone they can turn to when needing help or guidance or simply as someone fun

[help-help-i-need-an-adult]

That bit where “you can’t possibly be (fill in the thing here) because you’re so smart!” thing has made me want to fist fight adults my whole life.

They usually meant it as a compliment but it always made me see red. I still see red when I hear someone say something similar about a kid now.

I’m dyslexic and was diagnosed as such in 2nd grade. I’m also convinced I’m autistic and ADHD but haven’t bothered to get a diagnosis as an adult.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TEACHERS WERE LIKE “I never would have guessed you were dyslexic!”? BITCH, YOU’VE HAD MY IEP SINCE BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTED! DID YOU NOT READ IT?!

No. They didn’t. Not till I said something to force them to do their jobs.

The worst example was 7th grade French.

I’d been quiet about the fact that my French teacher was marking down my tests because my spelling wasn’t correct. My IEP specifically said “if it isn’t a spelling test, you can ask this kid to go back and fix it after the test, but spelling cannot count against their grade.” Anyway, I was used to it taking a few weeks before a teacher got around to reading my IEP because it was usually at the bottom of a large stack of them due to my last name being at the end of the alphabet. And one or two C’s at the beginning of the year wasn’t anything I couldn’t come back from.

Well… it never got corrected. He didn’t stop docking points for spelling.

After what I deemed was plenty of time to get his shit together, I confronted him about it.

Now, I’ll tell you, I was in an advanced French class that was designed to give gifted middle school kids a head start on their high school foreign language. We had to be recommended by name by the 5th/6th grade foreign language teacher to qualify for this class.

So I told him “you can’t lower my grade for spelling” and he said something along the lines of “that’s part of the point. It’s French.” And I was like “no, really. You can’t do this to me. I’m dyslexic.”

And guys. This grown ass man looked at a 13 year old kid and with his full chest said “I wasn’t supposed to have any of you in this class.”

Any of you.

It’s a good thing I was already mad or that would have made me cry.

I’d been othered plenty in my life up till then for being weird, clearly a baby queer, having a mom that called teachers out for not using standard English, being dyslexic, etc. This was just the first time that a teacher had been that blatant about it to my face. No attempt of being politically correct or gentle or anything. No, “I never would have guessed!” as a way to try and make it a compliment.

Just flat out “you are not supposed to be here. You are not good enough or smart enough to be here. You existing has made my life harder when you weren’t allowed to do so.”

I marched out of his class and went straight to the Special Ed teacher who’s “class” (it was really a study hall for kids who had a learning disability of some variety and needed the extra help or was at least entitled to it by the state) I had right after French. I would usually use that time to finish my homework so I wouldn’t have to do it at home. Sometimes my homework was already done so I’d help the other kids. The teacher would check in with me to make sure I didn’t need any help, but I never did.

Well, now I needed help.

She could tell I was mad because I’m not subtle and, ya know, the previous class hadn’t ended yet. She asked what was wrong and I didn’t mince words. She told me to stay put and then she marched out of the room.

I wish I’d followed her. I can only imagine the new asshole she ripped him.

Sure enough, statring the next day, every little bit of my IEP was being followed to the letter in French class. From my spelling not counting to the jerk using a microphone for my hearing and sticking me in the back of the class with the speaker instead of just turning one desk 90° and letting me sit there.

I fought for the desk instead of the microphone but he was following the IEP so I didn’t win that one. Besides, now that my needs were being met, I was getting some of the best grades in the class, and therefore belonged in the back “privileged smart kids” seats that he’d put me in.

(Yes, the man segregated his rows by your class grade. We all knew who was doing well and who wasn’t by where he sat you.)

On the bright side, I met a good friend by sitting in the back.

He wasn’t an employee at the school when I returned for 8th grade.

Anyway.

Gifted kids just get neglected because the school feels they can get away with it. They don’t react well when theres a gifted kid with an IEP and knows not to let them get away with it.

They treat those kids like shit. They tell those kids they are special and the future but also that they are a burden and shouldn’t be with the actually smart and special children.

These kids bounce back and forth between class rooms full of other neglected gifted kids and class rooms full of other neglected special needs kids. In the former they are treated like the dead weight and in the latter they are treated like the teacher’s assistant so the teacher doesn’t have to help the one kid who needs the most help in the class, because “they’ll get that kid through this group project. It’s fine.”

These children and bored to tears in one scenario and ripping their hair out from frustration in the other.

Not smart enough and too smart all at once. Out smarting the adults around you but somehow never doing well enough to get all A’s.

Constantly battling the teachers, good and bad over your needs.

Watching your friends fall through the cracks because they weren’t lucky enough to have a parent who worked in this system and taught them how to fight it. Watching some of them deem themselves stupid when they AREN’T but everything is telling them they are and they’ve stopped trying and other friends never learn the basic skills like note taking because they read in class and still get good grades.

Neither one of these friends knowing the point of school is to learn and not to pass tests because the school is telling them it’s all about grades and tests and so you watch all of your friends lack the actual knowledge they’re supposed to be gaining.

“You’re supposed to give me the multiple choice questions.” “You asked me to help you study. If you can’t answer the question without the multiple choice, you don’t know the answer.” Non of the other gifted kids at the table seeing my point and the other kids in our friend group saying “this is why I don’t bother.”

Our school system is so fucked.

That is all.

people misunderstand what ‘gifted kid’ actually means but it’s ok it’s fine it’s cool it’s good

[worstgenerationloser]

Could you please do ace, shanks and benn defending their f s/o from a misogynistic man? I had to face one at work and he gave me the absolute ICK

,, Rushing to your aid! ''

Ace, Shanks, and Beckman x F! Reader.

Summary... how would your boyfriend defend you from a misogynistic man?

Contains... misogyny, mentions of harassment, depictions of bloody violence, and some slight fluff!

A/N: IM SORRY YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT ANON💕 I hope since you sent in this ask the men have left you alone! If not I'll ward them away myself!! 🤺🤺

Portgas D. Ace

Ace doesn't register it completely, so at first he's confused on why this man is talking to you as if you were a baby (mostly because he's a dumbass)

Now, even if he wasn't aware the man was being misogynistic at first, he's still rushing towards you because there's literally a weird man talking to you the way you would to a little kid, and you definitely looked angry enough to tear off his head.

"Woah, what's happening here?" Instinctively and natural as breathing, his arm slips around your shoulders and his fingers move to gently graze your arm in an attempt to console you.

He doesn't like showing his temper much, but when people precious to him are involved, his angry heart bursts into flames. When the man speaks, his jaw drops out of pure disbelief. According to him, he was mansplaining how pirates operate to you. Which is weird, because Ace knows that you're definitely well versed in pirates... Considering you're his girlfriend.

He wanted to diffuse the situation, but it seems like this random needed a reality check.

"Hm... Good to know, but I'm sure it's irrelevant to her." His smile is wide and joyous, but the ominous shadow looming over his face is anything but.

"But she's clueless!", the man rambles on and bumbles about like a headless chicken, before he turns back to get one good look at Ace. Then it clicks in his pea-sized brain that maybe you know a bit more about pirates than him.

Ace looks a little scary when he's mad, you discover . But mostly cute.

"My girlfriend doesn't need to explain her knowledge to some random asshole who couldn't make a lasting impact on her life if he tried, you're way below her, buddy."

With gritted teeth, Ace tries to not light fire to the whole town, but only you seem to notice his body is literally smoking hot.

According to Ace, the guy ran a little too slow, and that's how he ended up naked covered in burn marks! The marines didn't believe him, though, and you two were left to flee.

"Can you believe the balls on that guy? It's not like you're unknown, either. Portgas D. Ace's kickass girlfriend! It's got a nice ring to it, eh?"

He nudges you a little too hard and sends you flying into a bush, but you appreciate the cute moments with him no matter how brief.

Red-Haired Shanks

Shanks learned many things during his time in the Roger Pirates, but one thing really stuck with him throughout the years. He can tolerate being spat on and kicked around, if his crew sees it as a threat then he's not gonna stop them from doing whatever it is they're planning, but he's not gonna ask them to go out of their way to deal with it.

But when someone disrespects his crew, and especially you?

Oh, he's pissed.

You think he doesn't realize at first, but he's keeping a very close eye on you two. He tries to keep his ass planted firmly into his chair per Beckman's request. Beckman is the mature one, and he's almost never wrong in the astute observations he makes. Despite this, Shanks has no self control and he's lobbing himself towards the bar where you sit.

Beckman shakes his head disapprovingly at his captain, because unlike him, Beck knows you can handle yourself.

The man in question harassing you seems to be a small time criminal with a bounty of 50,000... That doesn't deter Shanks, it might have egged him on even more because who does he think he is harassing you?

By the time Shanks has made his way to you, your harasser seems to have taken it upon himself to demean you for your appearance, pulling out all the classics like "bitch" "whore" , and "slut" to name a few. Shanks, of course, finds absolutely no amusement in this. I'm sure you can guess what happened next.

Your harasser tries to argue and degrade you a little more when Shanks steps up, not realizing how silent the bar has suddenly become. He didn't even realize the hundreds of eyes disappearing from him, not wanting to watch things unfold.

"You're drunk, I'll give you that one." Shanks barks out a laugh like he finds it funny, but up close you can see that gleam in his eyes.

Well... it's not like you could stop him anyways.

But you really wish he left the bar standing, at least. It certainly isn't doing good for his reputation as an emperor of the seas.

When Beckman scolds him as if he were a child on deck, he laughs like he'll forget about it in a day or two. But everyone knows Shanks will be doing it all over again in a heartbeat. He holds you extra close that night, trying to make sure your heart isn't tainted by the venomous words spat.

"I don't want anybody, big name or small, disrespecting people I hold dear to me."

His words are sweet while he whispers to you in bed... he's an odd man, but he's yours.

Benn Beckman

Two words. Broken. Bones.

Beckman does not play around with his girl, at all. He'll bash in heads day and night if someone even looks at you the wrong way, but he restrains himself because he's not a jealous young man anymore, so he likes to think.

Regarding everything else, he's cool as a cucumber, he prefers to let things wash over by themselves and only offers advice if he senses things will go astray. (as previously mentioned)

You're his girl, and a damn beautiful one, so he isn't surprised when some people try and scope you out, the same happens to him with many women, so why be so hypocritical about it? His heart is locked inside of yours for the rest of his life whether you want him or not, so he knows you won't run off with another no matter how much Shanks jokes about it.

If they're a little persistent, he might walk up to you and give you a few kisses so they get the message. But this man was definitely not "a little persistent."

Beck doesn't have a second to think of what he should do when he hears the utterances of vile comments slip from this man's mouth after you turned him down, because he's already right next to you quicker than his own head can wrap around. He's big, tall and scary, enough so to make someone shake with just a look.

"A grown man like yourself should know that ain't no way to talk to a lady." His voice is low, and he's talking nice and slow for your harassers ears only.

Beck heard it all, him hitting on you in an unceremonious way, all the way to demeaning you when you rejected him, spouting the same chewed up rhetoric that is "women are only good for bearing children" and whatnot. He can't let that pass no matter how capable you may be of handling it yourself.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" The man's words were proven to be a bad move before his lips could rest against eachother.

Following that, there was quite a sight. Somehow Beckman managed to twist the poor guy into some kind of abstract form of art, all bloody and fucked up with no more teeth left.

And of course he ushered you away after wiping his hands clean enough for you, because he's a gentleman, he didn't do it for himself, it was for you!

"M'sorry you had to see that, sugar." His whispers fill your head while he has you resting your head on his chest hours later, a few giggles coming from outside your bedroom door. Guess who?

"You know I won't let nobody disrespect you like that. You aren't mad, are you baby?" Beckman is a real sweet talker, so it's not like you could be even if you tried.

Plus, he looks super hot fighting.

END.

Likes and Reblogs are appreciated! ❤️If possible, leave a comment too!

[aninipanin1]

GLASS SHOES

Pairing: Nagi Seishiro x Reader

"In the midst of the many beautiful guests and opulent decorations, the lazy prince can only see one person - you." (Cinderella AU)

Note: I def did not imagine Nagi wearing this outfit of him in the official art lmao lmao. But anyways, midway through editing I realized Nagi's eyes were GREY and NOT BROWN which pissed me off (mandela effect is wildin) so forgive me if there are some instances I called his eyes brown.

"That boy will never learn, will he?!"

A loud bang echoed throughout the large meeting room inside the gargantuan and lavish palace. The king, who frequently received reports from his men about his only son, the crown prince was once again more than angry about the news he received.

The duke, who was with the king, cowered as His Majesty threw a small tantrum about how his son will never listen, or about how he does not take his duties seriously.

"Your m-majesty, I believe we just have to be patient-"

"I AM PATIENT, AND I HAD ALWAYS BEEN, ESPECIALLY WITH HIM!"

The old king's face turned into a comical cherry red, which got the duke a little worried for his health, patting the smaller male's back with the intent to comfort the furious and weary king.

"Sleeping in his sword fighting lessons, escaping his philosophy and politics lectures just to play in the carnivals, and now letting the Princess of Marais await him just because he did not want to get married and slept in?! Ridiculous!! Oh, how will I face that dear girl's family."

The king finally fell to his chair in exhaustion. He hated to stress himself or be mad at his beloved son, but Seishiro always did bring out the childish, unreasonable anger in him, especially since the boy had been the way he was since he was born.

Seishiro had always been the lazy kid, a characteristic no one knew where it originated. Both his parents were responsible and dignified leaders of the kingdom, something their subjects praised them for for years. The only thing that kept him from making the kingdom fall on its roots was the fact that he was a genius.

Playing the piano beautifully at the young age of 10, beating his fencing master at the age of 12, and even outsmarting his tactics mentor at the age of 15. He seemed to just get anything that was taught to him in such a short time and without any struggle too.

How befitting of the nickname the Lazy Genius Prince that most of the people in the kingdom called him.

"I just want to see him happy. For him to settle down and find someone he loves just like how I did at his age. Not wasting his time in his dreams slumbering away or playing those mindless games. I'm not getting younger, after all..."

The king let out a deep sigh, a frown on his face. Ever since his beloved wife died, it was a little harder to get through and communicate with Seishiro, seeing that she was closer to their son than he was. She always did know what to say or do just to make their Seishiro interested.

A regret that the king placed upon his shoulder is that the prince mostly grew up alone since both he and the late queen had always been busy. Slaving themselves away to make sure the kingdom was prosperous, but what they did not know is they also slaved themselves away into being close to nothing in their son's life.

And due to this, he became like this. Completely dissociated from the world.

"Oh, it's all my fault... I should have been a better father. My poor Seishiro..."

He sobbed dramatically as the duke patted his back.

"It's fine, your majesty. Perhaps we should just leave him to decide for himself-"

"Leave him alone?! Oh no, no, you see, tonight is a special night!"

The king laughed, cheering as if he was not just sobbing his heart out a few seconds ago. He sat again on his chair, grinning like an evil mastermind.

"Tonight? You mean the ball in honor of the princess-"

"No, no, NO! Not just that! But I made sure that ALL the eligible maiden in my kingdom is to attend. I'm sure he won't be interested in most of them, but he is surely to like one them isn't he?"

"But sire-"

"Oh, lighten up! HE MOST DEFINITELY WILL!"

The king started to hop around in excitement, thinking about the prospect of his only son married to a beautiful and sweet girl, along with him finally having the grandchildren he had always wanted.

"Time out, Reo..."

"C'mon, Your Highness. We just started less than 3 minutes ago."

Still, the albino prince did not listen. Slumping on the grass face first, not even minding that the dirt was tainting his pristine white uniform. No, he just continued sprawling himself on the grass and dirt, his sword left clanging on the ground.

Seishiro and his right-hand man and the heir of the duke, Lord Reo were currently training their swordsmanship. Well, mostly it was Reo taking it seriously, and Seishiro always tries to find a way to escape the training or take a long break.

Seeing as to how the white-haired prince seldom moved, Reo let out a sigh of resignation before sitting beside him on the grass.

"Fine, only a few minutes before someone sees us not training."

Seishiro did not seem to hear his companion. His grey eyes just focused on looking at the beautiful blue sky. Behind his distracted eyes were many thoughts that ran through his head, thoughts he did not want to think about and found a hassle, but he could not get off his mind no matter how hard he tried.

"You alright?"

"Hmm...Reo, do I really have to find a wife in the ball tonight?"

His words came out lazily slurred. However, there is a hint of something beneath it, something that only those who knew Seishiro well can hear. Annoyance? Disappointment? Sadness? The purple-haired lord could not decipher it, but he gave the prince a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

"Unfortunately, yes. Our kingdom needs a future queen, and well, you know that it's part of our duties as noblemen. Especially you, being the crown prince."

He nodded, turning his attention to the sky once again, still sprawling out on the grass. He let out a curious hum.

"How will I even know who to choose? It's not like I know any girl at all. Hmm...what a hassle everything is. I don't want to get married nor do I wanna be king, anyways."

"Don't be like that! You have been training for this all your life. It will be such a waste to abandon it all. And, you can always interact with them and find someone you find common grounds with."

But the concept of marriage and love still felt a big thing to the prince. He had a good example of love, his father and late mother loved each other dearly, and his father was not the same after she sadly passed. However, did he wish for that same connection with someone? No.

It felt like a hassle. A hassle to care so much about someone that you have to change the way you live to respond to them. It is a hassle to feel something so heavy, to always be cautious, so your heart can not be broken. The same way his father did just to please his own mother and vice versa, only for his heart to be broken once his beloved died of a ruthless illness.

"I don't wanna do it, Reo. Too much of a bother."

He turned and fell face first on the soft grass, which only made the duke's son sigh as he thought out loud.

"I wonder how your future fiancée will handle you, your highness. I give her all my regards and respect. Now c'mon, let's start training again."

"Nooo..."

"There will be so many beautiful dresses and decorations. Oh, I can imagine hearing the beautiful orchestral music or even seeing people dance elegantly! I can imagine the ball would be something out of a fairytale."

You wistfully imagined, dancing about the cold and dusty storage room with a broom in one hand and a duster in another. You looked out the window of the room where from a far, you can make out the tall and majestic palace.

For years, you had always been stuck in this manor. Filled with responsibility over responsibility whilst mourning the once bright atmosphere of the place. This was once a house filled with laughter and love. Love between your father, mother and you.

But, it all changed when your mother died due to her illness, and your father remarried once again after a few years. At first, you were happy for your father. He met someone who made him happy and feel loved again, and additionally to that, you will be having two sisters your age. Oh, how exciting could that be!

However, when your father also passed away, everything in the house changed. You were banished from your once cozy room into the attic, forced to do the household chores due to the fact your stepmother was not good at handling the money of your father, and consequently, lost many workers that once worked under the family manor as a form of damage control.

You never gave up hope, though. Hope that you will be free and one day have your dreams of a happy and loving life like you did before come true. But, for now, daydreams are all that you have and so, you dream.

"Welp, no time dancing around. I have to finish all of these so stepmother can allow me to go to the prince's ball."

You went back to dusting, brooming, and overall arranging the dozens of boxes in the storage room that are mostly filled with old dresses, jewelry, or other knic knacks your stepsisters bought and seldom used again.

After that, you went downstairs to prepare lunch to which you bumped into your stepfamily.

"Oh, Y/n! Polish these shoes perfectly, you hear? It has to be perfect so the prince himself can only look at me tonight!" Ai said, putting a box of shoes in the already large pile of cleaning supplies and other dresses they asked you to fix.

"No! Iron this first! It needs to be perfrctly straight and crisp! I will have the prince's attention on ME, Ai!" Chie cut off as the two started to argue again. You just heaved a sigh and walk away from them to start doing everything they asked you to, knowing you can not afford to dilly dally as the hours ticked and you still have not finished some tasks, especially now that they added a few more on your already overflowing plate.

As expected, when the coach arrived, it was just then that you finished your chores and therefore did not have any time to fix the old dress your mother passed down to you. It was a beautiful dress. However, it was old and needed a few alterations, or else some part of it would probably rip the moment you even put it on.

"Why, child. Why are you not ready yet?" You hear the dreaded voice of your stepmother, hearing the hidden satisfaction in her tone, seeing as you will not be going.

"I'm not going." You said, trying not to let the unshed tears fall or the shake in your voice be heard.

"Not going? Oh, what a shame."

"It's nothing. Please, have a wonderful night."

You headed up to your room, or if you can even call the attic, that. You looked out your window to see the rest of the kingdom, and from afar, you can see the palace as it shined bright amidst the black tint of the night sky due to probably the many chandeliers and other reflective and illuminating materials around its opulent build.

"My only chance to have something fun at least for once...it's the only time I am even a part of the demographic of a ball. Yet... yet I can not even go."

A sigh of sadness and disappointment left you. You were not an idiot and you knew that all the stalling your stepfamily did was to prevent you from ever going. But, you still could not understand why they did not want you to go. It was not like you wanted to get in their way of marrying the prince. You just wanted one night. One night of respite and fun from the hellish life you currently lived in.

Resting your head on the frame of the window, you feel your heart break a little at the thought of missing this one night of supposed fun. Well, that was until you noticed your lamp lighting up. Turning around, you found all your animal friends, those that you have taken cared of over the years of loneliness in this place, gathered up as they showed you a beautiful dress, one that was familiar enough yet altered so perfectly that it became a bit unrecognizable at first.

"It's perfect! It's so beautiful, thank you so much all of you! I owe you all!"

The mice and birds all look proud of themselves as they tweet and squeak before pointing at the dressing room, urging you to change quickly before the coach or your stepfamily left.

"Remember, girls. No slouching, arguing, pitter-pattering, or mischievous chattering. Just poise and elegance. You must attract Prince Seishiro's attention and nothing more. Understood?"

"Yes, mother." Ai and Chie said at the same time to which the elder woman nodded approvingly as the two fixed their larger than life dresses.

"Wait, please, wait for me!"

A call got them to turn to the staircase where they found you in a simple yet beautiful dress and your hair simply done. You doned no jewellery, make-up, or beautiful shoes since you did not have any, just a beautiful smile and a genuine heart.

"Well, well, it seemed you found a rather...acceptable dress to the ball, child."

"Yes. Oh, I promise I won't bother you at all. I just really want to see the palace and go out even just for tonight."

"I see, I see..." Your stepmother walked closer and closer to you, her eyebrows raised, and her eyes held no good intent as they glared at the dress from top the bottom. Her smile spoiled and bitter, the same way the glint in her eyes shone.

"However, I don't presume you think me and my daughters will be going to the ball wearing these just to have someone beside us wear...this. It's preposterous and humiliating, after all." She said snarkily, the pretend smile still on her face as she touched the sleeves as if examining it at first, before pulling it with such a force that the fragile fabric ripped.

You gasped, trying to pull back. However, you were outnumbered as Ai grabbed the skirt and pulled it so harshly that it ripped too.

"And the fabric is absolutely filthy, mother! The prince and the other nobles will certainly get sick the moment she enters in this monstrosity!"

Chie, not wanting to be left out, grabbed your hair, making the hard work you put on to fix your hair vanish as it fell down from its updo.

"And her hair us absolutely hideous, mother. We will the laughingstock of the entire palace!"

It all happened too fast. In the blink of an eye, all the hard work of your friends and the memory of your mother that all centered around this one dress was ruined. The moment the door clicked as your stepfamily left the manor, you ran out to the nearby well in the backyard of the manor and finally, the long held back tears dropped from your eyes.

All the frustrations, abuse, sadness, and insecurities that piled up throughout the years of mistreatment and enslavement under your supposed family left through warm teardrops, falling into the deep well. No formed words were needed to translate to anyone that might be seeing (including your animal friends who peeked at you) you as your sobs and tears were enough to know that you were heartbroken and had had enough of everything. That your psyche was close, if not, already falling apart.

"Why are you crying, my child?"

You hear a voice ask from behind you. Turning around, you found an old lady, soot covering her face with nothing on but a thin and old dress, keeping her supposedly warm from the cold wind of the night. You wiped your tears and swallowed the sobs that racked your throat.

"It's nothing, ma'am. Umm, are you alright? It's too cold for you to out here, especially tonight."

"Oh, I don't have anywhere to stay at. I will be fine here."

But, you knew that it was impossible. You were already shivering, what more an old lady garbed in nothing but a thin, worn-out dress? So, you did what you do best, helping her up into the stables where it was definitely warmer, giving her a blanket and a fresh cup of water straight from the well.

"You did not have to do this for me, dear."

"It's nothing, ma'am. I can't just leave you out there in the cold tonight. Sorry if the stables are a little stinky, but it's safer and warmer here. I'll clean it up tonight for you, if you want."

Just as you were about to get a rake and a bucket, her hand immediately stopped you. Her hands were nimble and wrinkly. However, it was warm and soft to the touch. She gave you a warm and kind smile before shaking her head.

"Oh no, dear. We can't have you dirtying yourself before going to the ball now, can we?"

"Huh? The ball-"

You were cut off when small sparkly butterflies and flower petals surrounded her figure. Her once dirty and worn-out clothes turned into a beautiful and magical white and blue dress, her wrinkly and soot covered face turned into one of a beautiful middle-aged woman with beautiful bouncy locks of hair.

She heaved out a few coughs, flicking her wrist and shooing the sparkly dust that fell upon her from her previous transformation.

"This is why I hate using fairy dust. Anyways! Thank you for your kindness, my dear! I am so happy to see my cute goddaughter turn into such a beautiful and kind young woman."

"Goddaughter..? Then you must be-!"

"Your Fairy Godmother, of course! I know it must be a little shocking, but I heard your cries, love. So what's the matter, hm? You can tell your lil, ol' godmother."

She cupped your face, her hands warm and loving, the opposite of your stepmother's cold and callous hold earlier when she ripped your dress. Speaking of dress, you looked down at your dress before turning to your godmother.

"It's just...I want to go to the ball, however I can't because I don't have-"

"Oh, of course! You don't have a ride there! Then you must not worry, my dear. This is why your beloved fairy godmother is here!"

She looked around for her supposed 'wand' only for her to find it inside the well's bucket? Not wanting to complicate magic in your mind, you just smiled at her as she pointed her wand at a pumpkin before turning it into a beautiful gold and silver carriage. It was something fitting for a fairytale or someone of a royal bloodline, not something you thought you deserved. Though, you cannot help the gasp and smile that escaped your lips.

"Oh, it's beautiful! Thank you, godmother!"

She just chuckled and shrugged it off, turning her head to your mice friends who were on top of a well, turning them into horses that are attached to the front of the carriage with some being left out to become the driver and the footman.

"There! Now, hurry up, my dear. It's getting late, and the ball will not be waiting."

"Oh, um thank you, but my dress-"

"Yes, it is absolutely gorg- goodness me! You can't go to the ball in that."

You gave her a smile as she walked closer to you.

"We need a simple yet beautiful dress, fitting for the shade of your eyes and the colour of your hair."

Waving her wand, dozens of golden and silver fairy dust that materialized into butterflies and flower petals surrounded your figure as a glow appeared all over your teared-up dress.

The once destroyed fabric and structure of the dress turned into a beautiful (color) ballgown. Butterflies, sparkles, and flower petals surround the dress in a minute way, yet add to the magic of the dress. It was not overwhelming to the eyes, especially the soft tone of the fabric that contrasted the night sky. Your hair was in a beautiful hairstyle that framed and fitted your face perfectly with seldom decorations and pieces of jewelry, only a small earring, a pair of gloves, and a beautiful arrangement of flowers attached to your hair.

It was simple yet ethereally beautiful, just like you. The gasp that you let out was one of awe and gratefulness as you laughed and twirled around in the dress.

"This... this is breathtaking. Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"It's nothing. You deserve it, after all. However, my dear, you must understand that by the stroke of 12 in the clock, the spell will be broken, and everything would revert back to how it once was."

She explained seriously as she watched you marvel at the dress. You took into account her warning and just smiled, nodding your head. Even with the conditions, you still felt so grateful for the few hours given to you.

"I understand, but it's so much more than I have ever hoped for."

The fairy godmother smiled at this and took you to the carriage where the mouse-turned-footman was about to help you into the carriage when she noticed your shoe that stepped unto the ladder to enter inside the carriage.

"Oh dear! Your...shoes..." She said, biting her nails. You looked at her before looking at your worn-out shoe. Its once vibrant and soft colour turned it to something more akin to black due to the soot, dust, and other dirt particles that you had to always encounter as the endentured servant of the manor.

"Oh, it's fine, godmother. It's not like anyone would see it. Besides, you already helped me with so much." You said with a wide grin, just excited to go to the ball even in your old and disintegrating pair of shoes. After all, ever since your step family took over, you were not given the luxury to buy any new pair of shoes and clothes.

You had to always be creative. Sewing the same shoes back together, or putting random clothes to cover the holes of the few dresses that you have to make it work. However, your godmother begged to differ as she flicked her wand once again.

The old shoes disappeared and were instead replaced by a pair of shining glass slippers. It reflected different colours depending on the light hitting it, with even a small delicate butterfly on the front.

"Wow...they are beautiful. And surprisingly comfortable too."

You wondered, raising your feet up a bit to look at the shoes.

"Yes, of course! You need them to be comfortable so you can dance your heart away! Now go, go! Enjoy your night, my dear!"

"Thank you so much for everything!" You waved at her as the carriage started to move through the streets to head to the palace.

"Your Highness...please stand up."

Reo sighed for the umpteenth time that night as he watched the albino-haired prince lay down on the edge of the fountain in the palace gardens. They were currently waiting for all the guests to fill in, and as always, the lazy prince left the ballroom and headed to a place where he can take his nap.

Which is why both of them were there.

"Seishiro, how long are you planning to take your nap?"

"Hmm..? Until the ball...ends..." He started to snore away, well, until he was hit on the head with a chop by Reo, to which he flinched and looked up.

"Ow...why'd you do that, Reo?"

"Because you're being an idiot. This ball is literally for you, which means you have to be there! His Majesty was kind enough not to involve you in greeting the guest when you're supposed to be there. Now let's go, the introductions are about to start, and I don't want to face His Majesty's wrath when he finds out we both aren't in the ballroom."

The purple-haired heir started to drag the prince by the collar of his uniform, being mindful to not drag him on the ground while patting off any dust or leaves stuck on his pristine, white attire. Seishiro, on the other hand, was softly frowning as his hair and clothes were being fixed by Reo. Especially his tangled hair, which the male struggled to finger comb and try to at least make presentable.

"You know what? I don't care about your stupid hair anymore. Let's go."

The ballroom was as grand and lavish as it could be. The marble and gold colors of the walls and floor matched well with the larger-than-life red curtains. The chandelier was one of the main characters of the interior design, with thousands of candles lit up on it. However, it was not the only light source inside the palace, for there were dozens of mini chandeliers on the ceilings with torches and candelabras on the ground.

To celebrate the occasion, huge arrangements of flowers surrounded the areas of the palace along with other decorative pieces that shouted royalty. The guests were as opulent as their surroundings, wearing beautiful and expensive gowns and suits, with jewelry that cost more than a house in the city. They came from different backgrounds, from the kingdom's aristocracy, a foreign monarchy family, and even some foreign aristocrats.

It was as every bit as overwhelming as it was awe-inspiring. Seishiro looked at everything with boredom. It was all too familiar to him, so where even is the element of surprise for him to be in awe of?

He shrugged it all off, returning to where he was supposed to be (or else he would be dragged by Reo if he did not do it on his own). When the announcer saw him, he started to speak. First, with a welcoming speech to everyone before calling off each and every maiden's name that were invited and have arrived.

Through it all, Seishiro just did as protocol, bowing lazily, while sneaking in a few yawns here and there. This, in turn, angered his father, who watched in anticipation from afar, hoping that his son would at least show some spark of interest in his eyes towards one maiden.

"That boy is not cooperating." He said in annoyance, the duke beside him just nodded.

"It may appear so, Your Majesty. But, I believe we must not rush Prince Seishiro. After all, we know how he can be." The two watched as he just blinked his brown eyes, uninterested at the beautiful princess that was called upon him who introduced herself, and he in return.

"Agh, am I asking for too much when I told him to find a wife? It has been a few years since he came of age, and he needs a wife. There has to be someone who can be a suitable mother and wife!"

The duke blinked in a panic, seeing the king starting to get mad. After all, the king was old, and heart problems were a thing of the monarch's past. The duke cleared his throat and tried to calm him down.

The duke, secretly, is a bit against this forcing of the prince, not seeing it as logical. After all, who falls in love with someone at first glance? No one, certainly.

"He'll be fine, Your Majesty. We just need to give him time. I can not just imagine Prince Seishiro of all people, suddenly focusing his eyes on one girl with interest. Especially if he does not know her well, and do not even get me started with a dance? That is quite impossible, Your Majesty." The duke let our a chuckle to which the king rolled his eyes, focusing his on the prince, letting the duke yap on about logical thoughts and about love.

Seishiro, who was tired and drained from the introductions, ran off as the socialization portion of the ball started. He headed out of the ballroom to the main hall, finding a spot to sit down and hopefully snore away.

Down the hall was an empty velvet couch, that served as a waiting seat for the meeting room beside it where the king sometimes resided for political visits and matters. The albino-haired prince hopped on the couch and started to snore away, hoping that maybe by the time he woke up, the whole ball would be over.

The moment you entered the palace, you were immediately lost. How could you not be? It was so much larger inside compared to how it looked outside, and it was not like you ever went to the palace before, in your life.

When it came to balls, it was only your stepfamily who attended with you being left behind in the manor to do whatever piles of chores they would throw at you that certain day.

Walking around the marble and golden halls with nothing to guide you. You tried to look for clues that will hint you where the ballroom was. Holding your dress up to prevent you from tripping, your glass shoes clicked elegantly on the floor, disturbing the quiet sound of the halls.

"Oh no, I hoped I did not go deeper into the palace. Especially, on restricted places."

Just as you turned the corner, you were ecstatic to see a man in a white uniform that mirrored of his snowy hair, laying on a velvet sofa, probably sound asleep. He was probably a guard! He must know the way around this hopeless maze.

You felt rather rude to be disturbing him. It was not his fault anyway that you got lost in the palace, but instead, it was fully yours. However, you did not want to get into deeper trouble, so with a nervous heart and an embarrassed look in your eyes, you woke him up as politely as you could.

"Um, sir? Excuse me?"

Seishiro groaned a bit in his slumber at the feeling of someone's hand poking his shoulder gently. He did feel a little annoyed with being woken up from a good nap. However, he did stand up, thinking that if he was gone for too long, his father would probably get mad at him.

When he managed to get his conscious state together, he found himself looking at a young lady, probably around his age, shyly smiling at him. She wore a beautiful (colour) ballgown with a butterfly and flower motif, her hair in an elegant hairstyle with flowes attached to it.

She was beautiful, and he won't lie about that.

"Hmm? Who are you..? What time is it?" He rubbed his eyes, muttering his words like a whisper.

"Oh, um, it is currently 8 PM, and I am just a visitor for the ball. I was wondering if you know where the ballroom is?"

You gave him a smile, one polite and warm to a degree. He just nodded, a bit dazed from his sleep, not registering your last question.

"8 PM, huh? Then, the ball is still ongoing. Hmp, I don't want to go back." He said with a frown, a bit torn between going back to the ballroom or not and risking being scolded hard by his father. You, on the other hand, were a bit confused as to how someone not enjoying the prospect of a ball.

"Really? Why don't you want to go the ball? It's supposed to be one, if not the biggest, celebration of the kingdom. Especially, since it is about the prince finding his future bride." His frown deepened at the mention of him finding a wife, before sighing begrudgingly.

"It is. But, it gets a little boring, sometimes. It's the same thing, same atmosphere and same annoying people. If it's the same thing, then why repeat it again and again? I should be just sleeping away."

You blinked at that, finding the man quite peculiar. He was very much lazy, just from the way he seemed to hate even the notion of moving or socializing eas enough for you to know that. You wondered how he became a guard with such a personality?

"I guess. You're right. If it's repetitive, it does get annoying."

"Right? And it's not like it brings any sort of entertainment anyway. Everyone in there acts the same. Too polite it makes me feel suffocated. For example, if you don't follow the trend or rules, then suddenly you are worth it to throw shade at? Hm...If I'm gonna waste my time, then they better entertain me."

You chuckled at his mini and passionless rant, watching him bury his head on the velvet throw pillow he found on the couch. You have long stopped standing up, as the mysterious man gave you space to sit down beside him as you listened to him speak.

"Right! Right! I also heard that there had been a ball where one of the marquess' got so angry at her daughter for not standing good and not flapping her fan right that her daughter got banished to a convent because of it, with the marquess deeming her hopeless to become a wife of someone."

"Hmm, yeah. Heard of it." He confirmed, closing his eyes, yet it was very much obvious he was still listening to you.

"Oh, I also heard that once a foreign prince and king visited, and the prince was beaten in a sword duel by Prince Seishiro. So the moment they went home, the prince was scarred badly by his father, who urged him to train with him in the art of sword duelling. However, the prince loved his father too much to hurt him, so he got hurt instead of a sign of humiliation."

"I guess.." He nodded away, remembering that certain prince. He did feel a bit of pity towards him, but he was kind of cocky and insulted Reo and another one of his friends and a captain of the royal guards, Isagi. So, he did it to avenge both of his friends.

A bout of silence appeared for a few seconds as you both sat next to each other, his eyes closed and resting while your eyes were focused on the starry night outside of the large glass window in front of both of you.

Turning back to face him, you started to speak again, thinking of another subject to start talking about.

"Sir, may I ask?"

"Sure.."

"Why were you sleeping here? Surely you had something to do, especially since the ball is currently happening."

Seishiro had his mouth shut for a bit before he let out a hum.

"I do. But I don't wanna...it's too much of a hassle to move or do anything. Especially as something like a stupid ball."

"Yeah, like you said earlier. But is there another reason why?"

He paused for a second, deep in thought, mouth closing and opening like a fish desperate for water before he found the right words to say.

"Hmm, I guess. I just don't like how I'm forced to practically do everything wants me to do. I have a lot of people hoping for something big from me, but I know I can't or don't want to deliver. I'm not built for a life of so many responsibilities."

"That's not true! Every human in this world is built to be able to handle any responsibility or situation thrown at them!"

He raised an eyebrow at that, it was definitely the first time he heard of this saying before, but he nodded for you to elaborate.

"Well, being human means having struggles. Struggles we don't want to face or find it hard to face, but in the end, we have to. This is how we improve as human beings, all the hardships we go through, no matter how brutal, it's there for a reason. I don't really know you, but from your personality, I can get why you don't wanna go back to the ball, but if it's your challenge, then you just have to brave it out. After all, maybe a time will come where we end up regretting not facing our struggles."

"Heh, when will that ever happen? A life without hassle is good."

"I guess. But there is a saying that goes: "It's better to suffer early in life, than later." It means, that when we suffer early on in life, we can learn so many lessons and when that problem comes again in the future, then we can counter it better because we learned in the past."

"Hmm, I guess that makes logical sense." He stopped to think about everything you brought up in the conversation. He was utterly surprised that a conversation that started out with him asking the time, turned into something so philosophical and yet, relatable that not even his philosophy teacher, who is well versed in the meaning of life, ever mentioned nor went this deep before with him.

"But, mister. You know, I feel the opposite of you. I really want to go to the ball."

"Hmm? Why? Its a hassle." He said, opening one of his eye to look at you.

"Right, maybe it is! But, it's the only time I can ever enjoy the feeling of going through a hassle. That, I have the time and opportunity to do something useless. Because, every second of my life, I have doubles and doubles of responsibility, so to experience and do something not as an obligation but because, its my choice, feels like my first taste of freedom, you know? Not like, I'm planning on escaping or anything because I can't, but I'm still so thankful tonight, even if a few hours pales in comparison to the years of hardship."

As you went on your spiel, his eyes slowly opened. This time, he did not just listen but also looked at you. From what he can tell, your current life was not easy, but the smile on your face said otherwise. It did not feel like you enjoyed the struggle, no far from it, but instead, you loved the small taste of freedom you got to experience that night.

Is this what other people who are forced to either survive but work or else have nothing, go through? Sure, he was forced, but not to the extent that he would be thrown out by his father. Even if he was lazy like this, his father always loved him still.

He looked at the smile on your face, it was full of warmth and happiness. In fact, it was too genuine that even the corners of his mouth quirked up a bit. Maybe, just maybe he can find some sort of reason to not be as lazy as he always was, especially when it came to his responsibilities.

After all, like you, he had dozens of responsibilities. But, the way you handled them? Complete opposite of him, you seemed like a hard worker and a dreamer, the opposite of him. So, he was definitely curious how he would fare if he, at least once, tried to do his duty the way you do yours? With optimism for a better future.

His future was blank in his eyes, unlike how his father and the kingdom sees it. He's the future king, he has a legacy waiting for him to be built. Yet, he had no plans on how he'll do it. How he will leave his mark into the kingdom, but now, he thinks he may have a few ideas.

This time, he would not run away. There is a time for that, a time of respite and rest. But for tonight, he will try not to run away and face the music instead. Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, your way is the missing entertainment, the missing spark in his life.

"Oh my goodness, I forgot about the ball!"

You exclaimed, which startled Seishiro a bit. He watched as you picked your dress up, before turning to him once again.

"Uh, right! I wanted to ask if you know the way to the ballroom, sir?"

He blinked before standing up from the velvet couch, before extending his hand to you in a very gentle and chivalrous way, courtesy of all the training he had to go through when it came to etiquette.

"I'll lead you there, if you'll let me."

Your cheeks warmed up a bit at the rather sweet move before nodding your head and accepting his hand and his offer as well.

"Oh, where is he! I swear if he went back to his chambers or hid somewhere in the palace just to escape his duties, I will make sure he-"

The king was stressed out, face red the moment Reo reported to the king about how it had been more than half an hour since he had been looking for the missing albino prince, to no avail. Even if the duke and his son tried, the king was searching for the young prince. The first dance had started a few minutes ago after all, and Seishiro needed to be there to find a maiden to be his first dance. But he was not even there, and if he did not come in an instant, a lot of people would start talking.

Humiliation is awaiting the monarch of the kingdom if the prince does not arrive in the next second.

However, the king's outburst stopped when the door to the ballroom opened once again, to reveal Prince Seishiro.

"That boy! I swear-"

The king stopped whatever spiel he was about to go on once more the moment his eyes stopped at the beautiful young maiden beside his son, her delicate and gloved hand on top of his as he led her to the ballroom.

"A...a girl. Oh, he's with a girl!"

The king let out an excited and hearty laugh. He turned to the orchestra and raised his hand with such fervor, signaling for them to start the waltz. The conductor raised his baton and started to conduct the orchestra who followed his lead, as the sound of the instruments harmonized into a melodic yet colorful waltz.

Seishiro sighed, before turning to face you, hand still holding yours before bowing.

"May I have this dance?"

You blinked, in a bit of a panic, knowing that you are not the best dancer there is, especially since it has been so long since you danced a waltz.

"B-but, I'm not that good-"

"You'll be fine, I got you."

He said it in a rather serious tone, his gray eyes turning a warmer shade like how a dark cloud shines brighter when the sun hides behind it. With a curtsey of your own as a sign of acceptance, you let him hold your waist, as well as tighten his hold on your hand.

You both swayed across the dance floor, almost like it was ice and you both weighed nothing. In the small instances that you would almost lose your balance or move in the opposite direction of where he was going, Seishiro would move ahead of time to catch you or guide you to the right way, as if he could predict each and every one of your movements.

In his eyes, no one in the world was left other than you and him. The background blurred, with you being the only thing clear in his eyes. The music barely registered in his mind even, his body was being pulled by an invisible force to you, like he was always destined to be near you.

He never felt this way before, never felt so distracted yet so focused at the same time. Why you of all people? Was it because he found you attractive? No, he found many people attractive, yet he would ignore them the same way he did everybody else. Or was it because he felt some sort of connection with you in the short time you two talked in the halls? Because you touched his heart even if you did unintentionally and unconsciously?

The dance continued, his eyes stuck only on you. He even noticed the nervous look in your own eyes, face moving away to avoid his stare, face warm. Not liking that you were witholding your beautiful irises from him, he let go of your waist for a second and cupped your cheeks, guiding it back to face him.

"Don't look away. Only look at me, okay?" Nodding your head, you tried your best to calm the wild beating of the heart inside your ribcage.

As the time passed, you found your feet moving on rhythmically now. The previous clumsy movement of your feet or the lack of balance in your core slowly going away, as you trusted him enough to catch you if you lose your balance.

From afar, the king pat the duke's back, laughing heartily as they watched the dance commencing between the prince and the mysterious girl. It had been a while since the king had looked genuinely happy. Meanwhile, Reo also looked down from the balcony with a nostalgic and warm smile, watching the spark in the prince's eyes. It was a look he was a bit familiar with as there were some instances where the royalty would find it in himself to enjoy something, but most of the time it would only last a few minutes before vanishing. However, now, the spark in his grey eyes was burning bright, so bright that it looked like it would never ever die.

'I'm glad you finally found something worth the hassle for, Your Highness.'

Everything was perfect, well it was perfect until the bell started to ring, the clock's hands striking twelve.

You gasped the moment you realized it was only a few minutes before it turned midnight. Your steps stopped, eyes boring on the clock.

"I-it's midnight."

At first, Seishiro was a bit taken aback when you suddenly stopped, he also turned to the clock, a little confused.

"Yeah, it is. What's wrong-"

"I have to go." You said out of nowhere, ready to bolt out the door, but the prince's hands were still connected with yours, his grip holding unto your wrist.

"Why? The ball is not done yet."

"Oh, I-I just...really need to go. Goodbye!"

You gave one last smile before taking off the ballroom door, hand clutching your skirt tight and lifting it so you can run even faster out of the palace before the magic vanished.

The rest of the crowd, as well as the duke and the king, were all wondering, a bit panicked as to why the mystery girl the prince seemed so taken with was suddenly running away.

Reo, moved fast the moment he saw the lazy Prince Seishiro bolt out of the door as well to follow you. It was something he had never seen before, especially since he had grown up with the prince ever since they were infants.

Wasting no time, the duke's heir also chased after you, even shouting for you to stop or wait.

Meanwhile, you were battling against Father Time himself, trying to outrun his hands fast enough for you to get inside the carriage. Just as you were only a few steps away from reaching the bottom of the stairs, you heard a 'clang' hit the ceramic stairs of the palace as well as the cold and rough feeling of the floor.

Looking back, you saw one of your glass slippers lying a few steps up. You stopped, thinking if you had the time to even pick it up. But, hearing the distressing sound of the bell and the figure of the mysterious man catching up, you immediately abandon it and just head straight to the carriage where all your friends are waiting for you.

The moment you hopped inside the magical carriage and it started moving, you sighed in relief. The smile on your face, however, did not vanish as you remembered everything that happened that night.

The deep conversation that established a connection between you and him, the romantic dance that made you feel like you were on the clouds, the mysterious man who was cold and uncaring at first, but had a caring and sweet personality underneath it all.

In fact, you were too dazed, eyes dreamy even after the magic vanished. The once beautiful carriage turned back into a pumpkin, your animal friends turned back into their original forms and your once beautiful gown turned into your mother's ripped dress.

To your surprise, the glass slipper was still there. It was the only thing that grounded you that everything you experienced was not a dream, but instead, reality.

"No...I won't marry anyone else, but her, Reo."

The glare definitely took the purple-haired heir aback. The pacifist prince showing emotions other than pure boredom? That was a new repertoire in the royalty's very limited facial expressions.

Raising his arms up in surrender, Reo just nodded away to his want, not wanting to know what a pissed off Prince Seishiro would say or do.

"Sorry, Your Highness. It came from His Majesty, but I suppose he would not really be against to you finding that mystery girl from last night. All he ask is for you to find a bride."

He nodded, large hands still holding tight onto the only thing that you left behind as proof that you were real and not just a figment of his dreams: the glass shoe.

It was beautiful, definitely fitted to your feet only, especially since it was glass.

That had to mean that the slipper was customized to your foot only, to the bumps, curves and size of it, meaning that this can become a lead to you.

He stood up from his position on top of the castle staircase, walking to where the horse stables are.

"Tell some of the guards that I need a few of them to come with me to search for her, Reo."

Having no say in the matter due to his lower position, Reo nodded his head almost immediately.

It was not like he had any reasons to hold the prince back anyway, especially since this was the first time he had ever been serious about something and that made the heir of the duke quite proud, to see that the prince, his best friend was slowly turning into the strong man that he and anyone can see has the potential to be.

It was so early in the morning, yet you could hear your stepmother already yelling. To your relief, it was not you who was the victim this time as she entered each of her daughters' rooms, shaking each of them up from their dreamful slumber.

Bringing up a tray of breakfast to their room, you found a rather comedic scene where your two stepsisters were lying on one bed, still dozing off while your stepmother pulled both their sleeping bonnets off, letting the sunlight hit their faces causing their eyes to open wide.

"You two, I told you! Prepare immediately, we have no time to waste! The prince along with the duke's heir will be visiting each house around the kingdom to find that girl from last night!"

Chie just yawned at her, while Ai sleepily raised an eyebrow at that, covering herself with the blankets again without a care.

"Well...it's not like we're the girl, mother. Why should we care?"

"Now, you two listen! No one knows who the girl is, not even the prince who is absolutely in love with her. The only thing left of her existence is a glass slipper, and so by royal command, every maiden in the kingdom is to try on the slipper. And, whoever the shoe fits will be the prince's bride and the future queen."

Your eyes widened at that, feeling your legs weaken a bit at the revelation. Putting the tray on the nearby bedside table, your thoughts ran back to the previous night. A glass slipper? Surely...that was not yours, right? It's not like you were the only one wearing a very rare glass slipper that was probably hard to make without magic, right? And that mysterious man who you just took into consideration had a rather opulent outfit fitting that of a prince than a guard, was not really the prince, right?

You were probably just being delusional.

Well, you were not the best at manipulating anyone, much less yourself. Heaving a deep breath, you wanted to scream out a mixture of surprise and embarrassment at the fact that you talked and danced with Prince Seishiro all night, and by God did not even recognize him even though he was famed for his snow-white hair and skin, grey eyes and tall figure.

However, your stepmother's statement made you come back to reality. He was looking for you? And, he will arrive later today. Panic and excitement rushed through your veins. If he did find you, that meant you would get to see him again. Adding to that, you will also be free from your stepfamily.

It was the best of both worlds.

You were too busy thinking and daydreaming that you did not even notice that your stepsisters were feeling the same way as you, picking up their best dresses and shoes to wear, insisting you make sure all of it was perfect and worthy that of a future princess as if they were sure they will be able to fit into the glass slipper mentioned.

Walking to your room with a dazed look still, ready to start the chores they assigned to you. However, this vulnerability made you overlook a pair of eyes filled with suspicion. Following you to the attic, your stepmother watched as you glided across your room, humming the tune of the waltz from the ball last night while combing your hair.

With her suspicions proven correct, your stepmother took the key from outside her pocket and immediately closed the door on you, locking it. The sound of the door slamming alerted you, however you were too late as by the time your hand arrived on the doorknob, you were already locked inside the cold attic.

"No! You can't do this! You can't..."

As if breaking your heart and hope last night was not enough, she did it again. Taking it from you with a cold and heartless countenance. You wept behind the door, wondering why every time freedom dangled its hand to you, fate would always be there to let it get taken away again and again.

The moment the clock rang, signaling that it was 9 AM, the family was greeted by a knock on the door. Ai and Chie ran to the windows, jumping up and down excitedly the moment their eyes landed on a few guards sitting on their horses just outside of their door, in the midst of them was Lord Reo, and most importantly of all, the Crown Prince himself, Seishiro.

"Mother! They're here! He's here!!" They squealed, to which their mother just smiled, opening the door to see it was one of the captains of the royal guards, Sir Isagi Yoichi.

"Good Morning, Mi'lady! I apologize for the intrusion, but we are here in the name of the King and of course, His Highness, Crown Prince Seishiro to do the fitting by royal decree!"

After the speech, the ravenette stepped back to make way for the albino prince to enter. Everyone bowed to him in respect, and that included your stepmother and stepsisters.

"Welcome, Your Highness. I am Lady Kana, and these are my daughters, Ai and Chio."

The two maidens bowed, giving their best impression of a genuine yet charming smile which Seishiro just fully ignored. He just turned his head to Reo and the guard who had the glass slipper in possession.

Just from looking at either of the sisters, the prince can already tell that it was neither of them. However, it was written in the decree that every maiden in the kingdom must try it on. So he had to follow it even if he was sure it was neither of them. He can never forget your face, after all, not when it was the only thing in his mind the whole time they searched for you.

He just needed a reason for his father to push through with the search, instead of abandoning it all just for his father to arrange for him to another woman. That is why he is even doing this stupid glass slipper thing, and also so that he can visit each house to look for you, and he cannot really do that without a reason, can he?

While the guard called unto Ai to try on the slipper first, Seishiro could not help but notice the matriarch of the family, her face contorted in a nervous expression as if she were a deer caught in headlights. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she put her hands in each of her pockets as if she were checking for something that was not there anymore.

It may seem like it was just something trivial, but he can feel his gut telling him something else. Something much more complex than losing something random.

"Your Highness?"

He heard Reo call out to him. Seishiro sighed and whispered to his right-hand man.

"It's not them, but continue the fitting."

As everything was happening downstairs, you were busy looking through the keyhole to see your mice friends doing everything their little bodies could to get the key which fortunately for them was captured by their leader as your stepmother was heading down the attic stairs.

"No, no! Don't grab there, grab onto the left part of the board! There's a hole there. Just one more step!"

You guided them as finally, they sneaked under the door and gave you the key. The key to your freedom, this is it. Opening the door, you hurriedly ran down the stairs to the halls, your heart pounding in your chest. Was it out of nervousness? Excitement? Even a mix of both, you did not know, and you will not be waiting around to find out.

Peeking your head through the corner, you can see that almost all of the visitors from the palace you can assume, were out of the door except for one. That familiar messy yet soft-looking albino hair, the familiar white uniform, his tall build, and soft, hazy grey eyes.

No doubt, it was him. It was the mysterious man you talked to and danced with the whole night. For a moment, you felt your voice vanish due to shock and awe that you saw him again after thinking that the feelings you felt would just remain as those, feelings. With no way to ever let it out to the person it belonged to. That you will never see him again.

But now, here you were, a few meters from him, and it seemed like he felt you too because at that moment he turned his eyes to face you.

It felt like time itself stopped for a moment. It was only a few seconds but to the both of you, it felt like forever. And then, a small rare smile appeared on his face. Climbing up a few steps, he did not even hear out the complaints and explanations of your stepfamily about how you were just a maid and nothing more.

In response, you also walked down the stairs, where you two met at the middle of it. Gently taking your hands in his, he laid his lips on top of your fingers delicately. No words were needed, the air and the beating of both your hearts were the only thing that mattered.

Until finally, you cracked a bit of a laugh when he did not drop your hand from his.

"You know, I am a maid. My hands are pretty dirty, your highness."

You jokingly said to which he just smiled at, before shaking his head.

"Hmm, I think your hand is cleaner than mine, seeing as to how I am too lazy to wash my hands sometimes, you know?"

"Really? Not very princely of you, Your Highness. I am a little bit confused as to why you did not even tell me you were the prince. I thought you were just a high-ranking guard or something."

He raised an eyebrow at that, shaking his head while a small chuckle escaped his lips.

"My fault, it's not like you told me your name either. Isn't it a little unfair, dear princess? That you now know my name, but I don't?"

Your face flushed at that, recognizing that you in fact, never gave him your name last night at all, as well. But, what got you blushing even more was the nickname he gave you. With one last breathy chuckle, he finally led you down the stairs, hand still holding yours while guiding you to sit on a chair.

As Reo signaled the guard to try the shoe on your feet, everyone gasped when the prince himself took the shoe, kneeled in front of you, and put it on your foot. It was definitely a sight to see the crown prince kneeling before a maiden dressed as a scullery maid.

It was royal protocol that other than his father or any other king, Seishiro bowed to no one. It was the opposite, everyone should bow to him due to his position and bloodline, however, to him, you are the only exception to that rule. He was ready to stay on his knees for as long as he had to, just for you.

You taught him many things in a single night, that no one before had ever done. You changed his life and answered his questions on it, the way no one ever did. You connected with his soul and heart, two places of himself that no one ever managed to.

But most importantly, you taught him love. Love for what he had, love for those around him, love for himself, and of course, love for you.

It was no surprise of course, when the shoe perfectly fits you. The moment he saw your eyes up in the stairs hiding behind the corner, he immediately knew it was you.

His chest rumbled in a small and quiet laugh, one that only you heard. Finding his laugh infectious, you burst into small fits of chuckles as well, raising your eyebrow at the sudden outburst.

"What's with the sudden laugh?"

"All my life, I never believed nor even bothered with love. Yet, here I am. And besides, don't you find it entertaining and interesting too? That I found the love of my life because of a glass shoe?"

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, THE END.

Blue Lock is WRITTEN by Kaneshiro Muneyuki and ILLUSTRATED by Nomura Yusuke. All credits to the both of them.

[notapradagurl7]

We Meet Again.

Black Fem! ReaderHairStylist! x Lamont Diggs.

Fandom: Rap Sh!t(2022-2023)🥲

Summary: When your niece, Kailey is best friends with your client's daughter that you drove to school but didn't give them right back to your sibling, you didn't expect to run in Lamont again and you didn't know that he had a crush on you, leading to more than a confession.

WC: 3,435k

A/N: I’ve been wanting to write about Lamont for a minute! He’s been fine to me since day one, and I miss rap sh!t, 😭 don't forget to leave comments, likes and reblogs are welcome to support, drop a request if you like, they're always open! ❤️🫡

Warnings: fluff, dirty talk, praise, fingering, use of AAVE, cussing, angst, mention of neglect, use of the n-word, rough sex, unprotected sex, head(fem receiving) consensual for both parties, confession, PWP, pet names, sibling rivalry.

Taglist: @megamindsecretlair @satoruya @planetblaque

@playgurlxoxo @naj-ay444

@becauseimswagman1 @jazziejax

@beenathembo @brattyfics

@hxneyclouds @henneseyhoe

@yassbishimvintage

@nahimjustfeelingit-writes @nayaesworld @ovohanna24

@novahreign @writingsbytee @avoidthings @kimuzostar @slippinninque @keyera-jackson @theblacklewinsky

@euphorichappiness10 @life-in-the-slut-house @caashmoneynae @miguelspvssy @liatreads @kaylaahisthebestest- @uniqueoutlierblog @dxddykenn

@mind-somewhere-else

@kindofaintrovert

@lady-olive-oil @23jammy @musicisme333  @saturnville @enchantedillumination  @mogul93 @theereina @uzumaki-rebellion @blyffe @fakxmbj @kumkaniudaku @ranikyani @mama-2001 @luckydaye777

—————

Your gaze drifted to your niece Kailey through the rearview mirror, where she sat in the backseat, radiating pure joy. Her bright smile lit up her face, and her raven hair was intricately styled into box braids, each adorned with colorful pink and white beads that jingled softly with every movement.

The sunlight spewed through the window, casting a warm glow on her smooth brown skin, making her look as if she was glowing with anticipation.

You chuckled lightly before almost driving when the traffic light turned red, Kailey was always so excited about going to school, learning and seeing her new best friend, Melissa.

“Someone’s excited huh?” You hummed with a grin, before your eyes flickered back to the road.

“Yeah, I get to see my best friends today, Melissa, we share cute stickers and play games, Toby and I always trade Scooby Doo fruit snacks too!” Kailey exclaimed, looking at you with a smile.

Damn, you remember those Scooby fruit snacks in middle school through high school. You made a mental note to buy a plethora of them when you went grocery shopping for you and Kailey.

Also, make a mental note to call your sister for the umpteenth time but she never picked up the damn phone. It was never “hello, how are you?” it was always “Has Kailey been fed yet?” as if her child was a pet, not a human.

“It’s good to have friends you can have fun with and trust Kai, and we get to spend the weekend together again,” You sang playfully, watching her grin.

It appeared that today's children had a tendency to cycle through best friends as easily as one might change outfits—discarding old friendships with casual indifference, treating them as if they were nothing more than disposable items.

“I like spending time with you more than Mommy, she never asked how my day was, never checked on me, nothing,” Kailey mumbled under her breath.

Your grip tightened on the steering wheel at the softness of her voice, the sadness that you wanted to destroy and let it not come near Kailey or you.

Why did Mariah have to be such a bitch? How to have a child if you were going to put her through this? Why have sex without condoms if you know that you're going to be a bad parent—-

“Green light, auntie!” Kailey exclaimed with a giggle.

Her voice brought you back into reality as you made a left turn through the highway. The faint sounds of cars beeping horns and passing through, prickled at you. Almost making your eye twitch.

In vibrant Miami, life was a balancing act; you juggled three jobs that defined your chaotic yet fulfilling routine. By day, you transformed looks as a passionate hair stylist, and by night, you served drinks and meals as a part-time waitress.

In between those roles, you played the pivotal part of chauffeur and auntie, dutifully driving your niece, Kailey, from her home to school and back again. Kailey often stayed at your house, sometimes for days, often for nights at a time.

Meanwhile, your sister, Mariah, was perpetually busy with what she claimed was a thriving career at a prestigious corporate firm, one that left little room in her life for the needs of her daughter.

Mariah’s relentless ambition drove her to prioritize her desire to climb the corporate ladder—her sights set firmly on the role of CEO—over the maternal responsibilities that came with raising a child.

In her attempts to reclaim a life unmarred by motherhood, she became increasingly neglectful of Kailey, and this deep-seated frustration gnawed at you.

You couldn't shake the looming comparisons to the character Toni Childs from the TV show *Girlfriends*: rude, manipulative, and consumed by her own desires.

Clearly, she cared for Kailey and raised her well, but it was apparent that she eagerly anticipated your arrival to take her child, allowing her some personal time. However, children are perceptive and can sense when something isn't right.

“Auntie Y/N, is mommy going to be home when I get back?” Kailey asked, her voice laced with a hint of worry.

You glanced back at her, your heart melting at her innocent expression, “No, baby. She won't be home. I can't lie to you when I tell you that she’s not doing a job, i'm making that money so we can have fun, right?”

You understood Kailey's feelings at her age because your mom acted the same way when you were young.

You supported your sister while your aunt took on the parenting role and told you both that sometimes parents can be awful and may not prioritize you. She wanted to reassure you that you weren't alone in this.

The car came to a complete stop in the elementary parking lot and you killed the engine, pressing the button, hearing the crisp clicks of the locks unlocking. You stepped out while closing the door behind yourself, opening Kailey’s door for her, grabbing her hand as she jumped out.

After letting Kailey out of the car, her tiny shoes clicked on the concrete. You quickly held out your hand out as she gripped yours tight, “Are you for school?”you asked with a smile.

“Yes, I am, I can't see my friends and hang out with you,” She replied back.

“Have a great day okay? I love you pooh bear,”

“I will, you have a great day too, Auntie Y/N!”

Kailey ran into your arms, enveloping you in a tight, warm hug, you kissed her forehead and gently put her down.

As you observed the cheerful brown-skinned girl dash off with her friends, they made their way toward the double doors that swung open, by their favorite teacher. Ms. Wilson, her skin similar to a butterscotch hard candy in your grandmother's purse.

Standing by the doors, Ms. Wilson, framed her face, her curly pixie cut was in a shade of chocolate brown. She wore a light blue collared tee, paired elegantly with a diamond-patterned pencil skirt just below her knees. Her black heels clicked softly against the floor as she moved.

With a wave of her hand and a friendly smile directed at you, she created an inviting atmosphere, prompting you to respond with a kind wave and a warm smile in return.

“Thanks for everything, Ms. Wilson!”

“Of course, dear! I'm glad to always help!”

You were happy to have the same teacher growing up and now Kailey has that, a teacher that cared.

You turned to spot a recognizable tall man with locs, his brown skin glistening in the heat. He wore a grey t-shirt and grey shorts that hung loosely around his bare legs, while his crisp white Air Forces clicked rapidly against the sidewalk.

His daughter Melissa tugged on his hand. She had her locs in pigtails, brown skinned, dressed in a pink dress and sneakers.

It had been ages since you last laid eyes on him at that vibrant cookout your family hosted five months ago.

Hearing those toxic stories about them and yours made you cringe, the back and forth between them, and honestly you remember one night when you smoked weed with him and blurted out that Mia didn't deserve him. He deserves better.

Once he heard that, he held on to what you said. Keeping it tugged in the depths of his mind like you passed him a secret love note in college, avoiding the prying gaze from your classmates and professor.

And you never heard him speak of Mia’s name ever again, as if she was Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter. He only discussed his music-producing career and his daughter, Melissa.

The sun was shining brightly, and laughter filled the air as your daughter and niece enjoyed their playdate amidst the lively cookout.

Your aunt Cassie, was also the matchmaker, had invited Lamont, knowing that the two of you had a genuine friendship that she believed could grow into something more.

Her strong disapproval of Mia was evident and has been there from the start. Only fueling her desire for a connection between you and Lamont.

That man was fine, fine.

You knew about the complicated relationship between Lamont and Mia, who have a daughter named Melissa, and you only restyled Lamont's locs; he paid you the substantial fee you asked for.

“Come on, Daddy! I don't want to be late for school,” Melissa exclaimed, tugging onto the hem of his shirt.

You hadn't seen him in a while; life had gotten busy, but this moment felt nostalgic.

He approached you, his daughter tugging at his arm impatiently. “I swear she’s gonna pull something else if I don't get there faster,”

“Tell her to take it easy, it’s just school,” You replied with a chuckle, smiling at him.

Lamont chuckled and shook his head, “Not when she’s ready to see her best friend Kaliey and Toby, also its arts and crafts,” he replied, rolling his eyes dramatically.

His eyes locked with yours again, and you felt the tension rise between you. “You know how these kids get,”

You laughed, the sound light and airy, as you watched his daughter talk lively about her plans for the day. It was hard not to notice the admiration in Lamont's eyes as he listened to her, a proud father in his element.

“Daddy!”

“Okay, okay,”

You watched them walk inside, the doors closed shut with a loud click and the bell rang immediately after, moments and moments later. You were brought back to reality by the familiar sound of sneakers scuffing against the pavement.

You turned to see Lamont walking out of the school, his tall frame striding toward you with a look of satisfaction, you felt butterflies in your stomach. That feeling you couldn't shake when you were around him.

“Y/N!” he called out, and your heart did a little flip.

“Hey, everything okay?” You asked, curiosity crept up as your eyes locked with his.

“Yeah, just wanted to catch you before you left, I was thinkin’ maybe..you could help me out with my locs,” he asked, running a hand through his locs. Y

You raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile spreading across your face, “Oh? You're asking for a hair appointment, huh? Is that your way of saying you want to spend time with me?” you asked with a head tilt.

“Well, yeah…I mean, I wouldn't mind some of some of your company today, just us?” He said nervously, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Was he that nervous around you or was it just the Miami heat?

“I wouldn't mind your company either, I can definitely retwist your locs,” you replied with a smile, keeping your tone light.

“Cool, can I ride with’chu in your car?” he asked again, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yes,” you hummed in response, leading the way to your car. You unlocked the doors, and he slid into the passenger seat with a grin as you both settled in.

As you pulled out of the parking lot, you stole a glance at him. Driving off the school and made a right turn on the street.

The luxurious houses of the neighborhood flashed by, side by side, sprawling out well-trimmed green grass and manicured gardens. Lamont gazed out the window, impressed by the level of opulence that surrounded the ambiance.

Parking into the driveway carefully, killing the engine. Unlocking the doors and stepping out. “Nice neighborhood,” Lamont commented, his eyes roaming the place.

“Yeah, my aunt left me the house after she found another place to live, it's a bit much for me, I make it work,” you replied with a shoulder shrug.

“I can see why you like it, it's peaceful,” He nodded, his eyes still scanning the area.

Both of you walked over to the front door, and you pulled out the keys. Once inside the house, you took off your shoes, and Lamont followed suit, setting his by the door.

As the two of you settled onto the couch, you grabbed the comb and twisted hair cream. Putting the soft pillow between your feet, "Sit," you said, your eyes on him.

Lamont did as you told him, you grabbing the twisting hair cream and light green comb from atop the dresser, starting to retwist his locs carefully with skill.

“How come we never took that chance?” he asked you with a soft tone.

Your eyes widened at what he was saying, you were a bit confused. “What do you mean?”

“Us, you and me,” He recited with a serious yet soft tone.

As you finished the last few locs on his head, you pondered on it deeply. You wanted to know the same thing too.

“Umm…maybe because we were busy, you were still with Mia, I've been watching over my niece since my sister doesn't want to do it, life..” You confessed to him.

Once you were done with retwisting his locs, he stood up and sat beside you on the couch, giving you a serious yet softened expression, as if he had something on his mind that he has been holding it so long.

“I really like you, I want you to be my girl and I'm sorry that I—”

“Lamont…i get it, I like you too but can we make this work? You’ve got Mia, and I’ve got Kailey, I do want this to work,”

“I believe we can, you trust me right?” Lamont asked you, his hand atop yours, his thumb swiped over your palm.

“Yes, I trust you, Lamont, you're mine right?”

“All yours, baby,”

Your heart raced as he gently laid you back on the couch, their kisses growing deeper and more urgent. Each of their clothes taken off, tossed and littered across the bedroom floor.

He positioned himself between your legs with his hands tight on your hips, and rubbing his tip against your folds, your wetness coating his dick perfectly, "L-Lamont...fuck me..please.." you whined, moving your hips with him, hearing soft squelching sounds filling the room.

Lamont grinned in response before leaning down, "A'ight, since you're direct tonight, I'll give this dick," he teased, pushing himself inside you as she wanted from him, moaning wildly. Your pussy was to die for, and Lamont is gonna kill for it.

Lamont pressed his lips back to yours, rocking his hips into you at a rough pace. The bed creaked underneath their weight with every thrust, your nails felt a trail of marks on his back, "Oh fuck! Lamont!" you mewled, tears burning through your eyelids. Your arms wrapped around his neck, kissing him again.

He hoisted you upwards to ensure that you faced him forward in his lap to ride him, Lamont hissed sharply and his eyes fluttered closed, a low 'fuck' left his lips as he watched your face contort with pleasure. Neither of them wanted the night to end yet, they wanted more rounds to make up for every day that they didn't see each other.

"Shit..right there!" you mewled loudly, the words escaping you, you swivel your hips gently against him, riding his dick with skill. You forced your eyes open, meeting his loving gaze, moving with your pace. "Right here, baby?" he hummed, hitting that sweet spot repeatedly.

"Damn, baby.." he groaned in her ear, his praise gave you an intense thrill, he utterly filled you up. You started to vigorously bounce on him, feeling waves of pleasure coursing through your body. "That feels so fuckin good, more," you whined again, your nails scratched into his skin harder as you let out increasingly inhumane moans.

His fingers tracing the stretch marks on your ass, every delicate mark was a work of art to him, and Lamont felt a rush of gratitude for the beauty before him, your fingers tangled through his locs, and he watched your essence spill all over his dick and drilling his hips upwards, "You're always this wet for me?" Lamont rasped, licking his lips.

"Y-Yes! it's..f-for y-you!" You stutteringly wails, your eyes rolled back. Lamont's hand delivered a firm smack on your ass and she hissed. "Faster.." he demanded, watching the woman bounce with his merciless pace, you only let out a plethora of unholy moans.

Every thrust felt loving, meaningful and that's what he wanted you to feel, trailing kisses along your neck, worshipping your body with every touch, kiss and stare.

"Don't stop..harder..please!" you stammered desperately, biting your lip. Your slick walls hugged tightly around him as he pushed harder, his hands gripping your asscheeks. "I won't, I missed you, you know that?" he groaned in your ear.

He withdrew and swiftly turned you onto your stomach before he finished, carefully sliding back inside as you opened your mouth silently, "Y-yes! I-i missed you so much!" you cried out, feeling him push further and his thrusts becoming more forceful with desire, he took charge as each motion drew breathy gasps from her, fingers clenching the blanket.

“I missed you more,” he said, swiveling his hips, watching her squirm underneath him, you could barely respond, but that's the part she loves.

You loved to feel every inch, so lost in the sensation of him filling you up completely. "Lamont, I-I d-don't w-wanna c-cum—-" you gasped sharply, your head fell onto the pillow, feeling the knot tighten within her stomach, his pelvis meeting her ass after every thrust, making a clapping sound similar to a gunshot.

With each stroke, he pushed her closer to the edge. His hands gripped her waist. "I know, baby, one more time for me?" Lamont grunted, you squirmed beneath him, sending jolts of pleasure through you, Back arching and his palm spanked your ass again, he watched sticky strings of your essence break between them.

"Yes...only for you, i'm-gonna cum!" you replied, your voice strained with effort. Leaving you breathless and squeezing your eyes shut. His thrusts turned sloppy, and sporadic, both of them were so close, "Fuck, me too,"

Feeling her climax gushed on him, Lamont followed suit, pulling out and his warm cum spilling forth on the couch as he groaned, "Just like that," he breathed, their bodies entwined in a blissful haze. You felt him pulse inside, as he felt your heartbeat too, They both shuddered and he pulled out after, collapsing beside her.

Their naked bodies laid side by side, Lamont pulled her close, you rested your head against his chest. Hearing his heartbeat with your, with their backs against the sheets, breathing heavily and chests raising and falling in sync, chuckling lightly.

"Lamont, you have no idea how many nights I thought about this moment." you said, kissing lips twice. Still riding the high of their connection.

"But I wanna another but I gotta pick up my niece..” you confessed, tracing shaped on his arm. Her heart swelled with love.

You stood from the couch, gathering clothes, and taking a shower. Then you and Lamont walked out of your house, settling inside your car, driving off.

Knowing that your friendship was becoming more, it was something you wanted for so long. Lamont kissed your cheek, and said “I'm all yours, don't worry,”

———-

[betweenishish]

One of my hyperfixations is various cults and I have researched subsets like men's rights activists, flat earthers, neonazis, etc. The uniting factors between the people who are drawn to this kind of thing is that they feel: -Alienated by mainstream culture in a way that sends them seeking acceptance literally anywhere. Humans are herd animals, and people who are too weird or too much or too sad to act like the rest of the herd are shoved to the edge, which makes it worse. -Normal restlessness that was turned into radicalization by the welcoming arms of these fringe groups who, by design, appear so tantalizing on their face. It is much easier to sway or convince someone who is lonely and sad that you have the answers. -Left behind by the progress and 'elitism' of the mainstream. Many MAGA are holdovers from the rural, conservative strongholds (like the one in which I was raised) that provide a legacy of suspicion and old-fashioned biases blended with a lack of higher education. This leads to a parroting of bigoted rants or antiquated economic attitudes without any sort of reflection or critical thought because the nature of conservatism is a rejection of modern evolution. -Subconsciously bitter about the raw deal anyone younger than a boomer is getting. Though their grandparents might be well enough off, chances are there is only enough familial wealth left over to keep mawmaw until she passes, but nothing to bequeath to the kids or grandkids. Most of us are starting from zero. -Unable to articulate or express their anxiety about society or economics or environmental factors in a healthy or coherent way, which leads to a wholesale rejection of the idea. Climate change makes them anxious, so therefore there cannot be climate change. Hardcore rationalization is a way to protect the mind from unpleasantness, and it is something that every human does. I'm as angry as anyone that so many of those around me looked at what is happening and said "Yes, more of that" when they cast their ballot. On bad days the schadenfreude is the only thing that gets me out of bed. But ultimately, they are human beings as well, and some of them are learning some really hard lessons that I don't envy. No matter how ugly or wrong some of these people have acted, their children do not deserve this. MY child does not deserve this. The nasty urge to reject them out of revenge is understandable, but still wrong. So be angry. Wallow in your grief at what has happened, and then look for solutions. I have been following more politics than I ever wanted to. I donate to legal groups or the food bank or the homeless shelter and I put my friend on my Costco card so our group of ladies can pool their grocery budget for bulk items. I educate my kid and feed neighbor kids if they're hungry and support my local library. Most of all, I speak up when I see something wrong. I vote against racist school board applicants. I look out for minorities in public spaces. It hasn't been necessary in a long time but I put my body where my belief is and intervene if I have to. Fighting for our principles might not be safe, but it is right, and our former MAGA neighbors really need a good example to follow moving forward. Ultimately I'm just trying to be the bigger person; not out of pride or even compassion, but because I want my kid to live in a world that's not crumbling around her.

This is an interesting thing. Looks like testimonies of people who left the MAGA movement- how they got into it and why.

Leaving a cult is really hard, so I really respect the people who are speaking from this place.

[asterafroditis]

Hey there !

Hope you have a great day/afternoon/night.

I was wondering if you could write how floyd, rook and jamil would react to a reader that is caring and playful but can be stubborn and impulsive when frustrated or angry, acting on her strong will without always thinking ahead.

You can add things if you feel like it too.

Thanks ❤️

𐔌 . ⋮ reckless resolve .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

☓┆Floyd, Rook, & Jamil x gn! reader (separate)

𓏵 823 words

ᝰ.ᐟ headcanons, no pronouns used, fluff

hope this exactly caters to your request! feel free to like, reblog, or comment!

ᝰ.ᐟ masterlist

Floyd would find your stubbornness hilarious—at least, at first. He’s the type to get a kick out of watching you dig your heels in, especially when you’re arguing with someone. If it’s a harmless situation, he’ll egg you on, adding fuel to the fire just to see how far you’ll go. He might even purposefully annoy you, pushing your buttons until you snap just because he enjoys seeing that spark of determination in your eyes.

But the second your impulsiveness leads to actual trouble? That’s when his amusement shifts to irritation. If you try to pick a fight, rush headfirst into danger, or ignore warnings, Floyd won’t hesitate to physically stop you. He’s freakishly strong, so all it takes is one arm slung around your shoulders—or throwing you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes—to completely ruin whatever reckless plan you had.

Still, Floyd isn’t the type to sit you down for a serious talk. If you’re getting too worked up, he’s more likely to distract you than lecture you, using teasing, nicknames, or even just dragging you away for a "fun detour." But if things get really bad? If you actually get hurt because you weren’t thinking ahead? His usual playful demeanor disappears, replaced by something more dangerous—something angry.

“Ehehe, Shrimpy, you’re real funny when you get all mad like that~ But if you go bitin’ off more than you can chew, I will have to step in, ‘kay?”

"Hah? You’re not listenin’ to me? Fine then~ But don’t start cryin’ when I gotta carry ya outta trouble."

─────────────────────────

Rook adores your fiery spirit. He finds beauty in the way you stand your ground, in the passion that fuels your playful and caring nature. Even when your stubbornness makes you act without thinking, he doesn’t get frustrated—rather, he sees it as another fascinating layer of your character. You remind him of a wild creature, untamed and free, and he takes great delight in observing how you handle challenges.

That being said, Rook is not blind to the dangers of impulsiveness. He knows there are times when acting on raw emotion can backfire, and when that happens, he’s always nearby—watching, waiting. He doesn’t interfere immediately. Instead, he lets you handle things on your own, stepping in only at the last possible moment to prevent catastrophe. And when he does step in, it’s always with an air of effortless grace, as if he had predicted the outcome all along.

Rather than scolding you, Rook prefers to guide you with poetic wisdom and strategic redirection. He won’t tell you outright to stop being reckless, but he will make you think about your choices, presenting them in a way that turns your own stubbornness into a strength rather than a flaw. He enjoys challenging you, pushing you to grow—not by force, but by intrigue.

“Ah, ma chérie/mon chéri, such fire! Such spirit! But do not let your passion burn so brightly that it blinds you to the dangers ahead, non?”

"Do you know what makes a true hunter? Not just passion, but patience. Strategy. Foresight. And you, my dear, have all the makings of a formidable one—if only you learn when to pause and take aim."

─────────────────────────

Jamil finds your impulsiveness exhausting. He’s spent his entire life carefully planning, always thinking two steps ahead, ensuring everything runs smoothly without drawing too much attention. So when he sees you completely disregarding consequences and diving headfirst into trouble? It stresses him out.

At first, he tries to handle it logically. He warns you, explains the risks, tries to reason with you. But the more you brush off his concerns, the more irritated he becomes. Jamil doesn’t like dealing with unnecessary problems, and your recklessness is a perfect recipe for disaster. If you insist on charging forward without thinking, he’ll force you to stop—either by physically restraining you or by outsmarting you so that you have no choice but to listen.

However, deep down, Jamil understands you more than he lets on. There’s a part of him that respects your determination, your strong will—after all, he knows what it’s like to want to break free, to refuse to be controlled. He just wishes you’d be more careful about it. He hates seeing you get hurt, even if he’d never admit how much it bothers him.

"Honestly, do you ever stop to think before jumping into things? …Tch. Fine. If you’re going to be reckless, at least let me make sure you don’t get yourself killed."

“You’re stubborn. I get that. But if you must act on impulse, at least have the sense to cover your own weaknesses. No one’s going to save you if you don’t think ahead.”

[stellar-bluelock]

until the world knows your name ☆ itoshi rin x reader

details: fluff | hurt/comfort | childhood best friends | platonic/romantic relationship | ~1.1k words | gn! reader | if there's something i wanted to tell rin after the u-20's match, this is it lmao

On the night of the U-20 vs. Blue Lock XI exhibition match, you will never forget the way everyone's jaw drops when you ask where Itoshi Rin is.

"Rin?" Someone asks in confusion. "You wanna see him?"

You hear the other members whisper, but you're not that surprised.

If Rin hasn't changed throughout his stay in Blue Lock, it makes sense for his teammates to question how confidently you request for his presence.

"Uh, he was in the locker room when I saw him last. I don't know if he's still there...or if he's in the mood to see any visitors?"

Ah. The celebrated striker of the night, Isagi Yoichi.

"That's not unlike him," you respond. "But, could anyone tell him that I'm here to see him?"

One of the blue-haired members volunteers—a quick memory of remarkable passing abilities flashes in your mind. He asks for your name before returning inside the main building.

The chilly air bites at your face as you wait. For a few moments, silence hangs heavy in the atmosphere.

Well, up until someone opens their mouth. The dam breaks.

"Are you Rin's friend?"

"A secret sibling we didn't know about?"

"Significant other?"

"Guys, don't bother them."

You chuckle, a little amused at their curiosity.

(You'll never admit it, but there's a selfish joy you feel from being someone that Rin can trust wholeheartedly.)

"Best friend."

Your answer effectively cuts off their stream of questions—for a few seconds, at most.

The concept of Rin having a best friend seems entirely foreign to them.

"You're..."

"Wait, they're looking for Rin, right? Not Sae?"

"Are you also friends with Sae?"

"What the heck happened between those two-"

Oh, that's not territory they can cross.

"I won't entertain any other questions, sorry." You smile, perhaps a little too sweetly. "But anyway, congratulations on the game."

Some of the boys pout at being denied the chance to learn juicy information about their teammate; thankfully, they don't protest.

"Thanks, it was a tough one," Isagi states and you nod.

This is the first time you've met the striker, but your gut tells you that he's Rin's newest rival—if Rin's glare at the end of the match was anything to by.

"Even I couldn't tell how it was going to end," you admit. "You all had me at the edge of my seat."

"I was lucky to be in the right spot." Isagi pauses for a moment. "But, it only happened because Rin managed to get the ball."

He smiles but it falters for a moment. "I just wish that he was a little happier about the win, but at least he seems fired up!"

"That's Rin for you."

"Are you talking about me?"

At the sound of a new voice, everyone's head simultaneously turns to the facility's entrance.

Rin's eyes are narrowed in suspicion, but you see the way they widen a fraction when they land on you.

(You're not sure if anyone ever notices, but you always do.)

"Yes. I was looking for you."

"You should've gone home. It's getting late."

A few scandalized gasps escape from the group, but a quick glare from Rin shuts them up.

"Uh, we'll leave you to it...nice meeting you!" Isagi laughs nervously, hastily pushing the rest of the team away.

You chuckle at the chaos while Rin scoffs. However, as the rest of the Blue Lock members disappear from sight, you can see his shoulders relax more.

It's just you two now.

As you look at his expression, you realize that it holds a wild mix of emotions. You can't tell what it is just yet.

So, you start with what you know.

"What did Sae tell you on the field?"

The frown is immediate.

"Piece of shit," he seethes. "Didn't even acknowledge me. Talked to me just to praise that stupid Isagi."

You click your tongue. When you were all kids, Sae was never the best with words and talking to others.

(Even then, you find yourself wondering what the hell happened to him in Spain.)

"Just because he scored that damn goal." Rin clenches his fists. "The whole team was centered around me and my attack ability. I got that ball!"

He lowers his head, shaking in frustration. "But nothing. Everyone's cheering his name. Even my shitty brother would rather talk about him."

Hesitantly, you reach a hand out to brush his bangs to the side. Out of instinct, you nearly want to tell him that everything will be okay.

That's what you used to tell him in middle school; a bad match, a bad score on a test, a scolding from his parents, a minor injury, even small arguments with Sae.

But now...those words feel empty. Not when his life has truly turned upside down, for better or for worse.

"Rin?"

He hasn't pushed your hand away, so you get a clear view of his teal eyes, round and unguarded—the very ones that have been burned into your memory for years.

"Although your team won, you have every right to feel frustrated."

He sighs. "Finally. I've had enough of them telling me to cheer up."

"They've been pestering you all these months, huh?" You chuckle lightly.

"I'm sick of it. They keep thinking we're friends. We're not. They're all rivals. It's bullshit."

You recall Isagi trying to hug Rin on the field earlier, only to fail miserably; you can only imagine his and the others' futile attempts.

"Well, whatever the case, stay true to yourself, yeah?" You punch his arm lightly. "You are Itoshi Rin."

Though he doesn't smile, something in his eyes lights up.

"I am Itoshi Rin." He says quietly. "I don't need him. I'm not Itoshi Sae's little brother."

It almost seems like he's saying it to himself instead of you, but his statement makes you sigh in relief.

It's precisely what you (and perhaps Sae) wanted him to realize all this time.

"Yeah. You were never meant to live in his shadow. You're here to make a name for yourself. Rin, do you even know how many people in the world tuned in to this match?"

He shakes his head.

"It's all over the news. It's being streamed everywhere." You smile to yourself, recalling how excited you were to finally see him again.

"But listen, Rin. You held your own throughout the game. You scored a goal. You blasted through the U-20 defense. You managed that one-on-one with Sae. There are people out there that have their eyes on you."

You take his hands into yours, squeezing them gently.

"Whatever you feel about this match today, tomorrow, a week, or months from now, you need to keep them watching. Score the next goal, keep on playing. Don't stop until the world knows your name."

[ragnarockz]

Ok but what happens when Rio asks to learn more about Nicky to feel closer to the both of them? How does our favorite detective react?

🥺

Agnes is super defensive over him and her memories of him; the little amount of time they had together

They're sitting at the kitchen table, their coffees gone cold between them as Vidal tries to break through the crack that is Nicky

Agnes does the whole 'if I can be jovial about this it'll hurt less' approach and that all lasts for about a sentence or two before her face darkens and she's sucked back into that excruciating long day at the hospital

"He got very, very sick, Vidal...it all happened so fast..."

Agnes slumps in her chair and holds her forehead, elbow to the table as if still trying to figure out how to save her son

Vidal can only sit there and embrace Agnes' pain

Her own thoughts rush in, thoughts of how she' heard whispering since coming to Westview of how Agnes' son died. How she mistreated him. How she was too young and how it was because she was a runaway with no family and no job and access to drugs. How it was because she didn't have a good man in her life. It makes Vidal want to vomit

She never tells Agnes this; she's pretty sure she's heard all these rumors herself. How many times did she lay awake at night and maybe even start to believe them? How many times did she tack them on to the ever growing list of faults?

"Did you do this all alone, Baby?"

"No, I had Alice with me."

And that crack suddenly starts to get chipped away and Vidal and breathe a little easier as Agnes starts to let her in

"You and Alice...you must have been close? Trusted each other a whole lot."

"Yeah, we were...I did. We...she took me under her wing after I left my mothers and she took care of me while I took care of Nicky."

"And you two?"

"What about us, Vidal? That's ancient history..."

"I'm not jealous! I just want...to know you. I want to know you from then. What got you to here?"

And Agnes has to stop and think because can she tell Vidal? Does she want to tell her? What difference does it make now since neither Alice nor Nicky are in her life anymore

"I was just a baby myself trying to navigate motherhood and my sexuality...I felt alone, alienated, and then Alice just... accepted me."

"You two..."

"Five years. Until...Nicky died and she went away to school, and I stayed in Eastview."

"That's a long time to be with someone at that age..."

And Agnes bites the inside of her cheek, tears pricking the corner of her eyes. Her hands are shaking, leg bouncing under the table. She can't look at Vidal, not yet

"...I had a ring picked out; kept it in my pocket for months...waiting for the right time..."

And the silence expands throughout the house. A different time and place; Agnes feels like she's suffocating

"You...never went after her?"

And Vidal's words suck Agnes back to the present, their eyes finally meeting

"I couldn't. Didn't feel right. She had so much going for her...I didn't want to tie her down to me."

And it's Vidal's turn to choke back her tears because at the end of it, that is all just so Agnes it's painful. The fear of having someone stay; asking them to stay. The fear of shared sorrow over joy. The fear of being seen. Te veo

"You should reach back out to her...I see the cards from her you bring in and hide...she still cares."

"It's pity."

"It's love, Agnes. Please. She still cares about you; she still considers you her friend."

Agnes stares down Vidal, studying the calm expression on her face. She blows out a deep exhale

"I wouldn't know where to start...does she want me back in her life like that? Does she care? Does she just send me cards because she feels just as guilty as I still do?"

Vidal bites her lip then, digging into her pocket before she takes out her own business card with a number scribbled in pen on the back of it

Agnes reaches forward timidly as if the paper is going to burst into flames; a secret she's is not allowed to know

[raayllum]

Lissa as Soren's Shadow Self

Intro

So sometime after S5 I talked about how most of the main cast had a 'shadow self' walking around—another character within the narrative that represents a bad end or dangerous/alternative path they could walk. Callum has Viren, for example, but also Finnegrin (both men are trapped in 5x08, both seek dark magic to free themselves from their perceived captors, albeit for different reasons, etc). Ezran was going to have Harrow's anger and the Orphan Queen; Rayla has Runaan's bow/duty as an assassin, and Kim'Dael, etc.

Someone who has already had a tragedy of some kind befall them versus their present day counterpart who will be twisted into repeating their choices while also, occasionally or ultimately, making better ones.

At the time, it felt like neither Soren nor Terry really had one. Claudia could suffice for both of them, to an extent; Claudia was very much repeating the cycle of use and dark magic and violence of "Viren to Claudia" to "Claudia to Terry and Sir Sparklepuff," with Terry fitting into the spot of who Claudia had been in the past: goofy, loving, non-corrupted. This is, admittedly, made more textual in S7, with Terry able to see the map whereas Claudia no longer can, contrasted parallels of the bird in 2x09 being not the first time Claudia uses someone (that'd be Callum in 2x02/2x03) but the first time she uses someone to get dark magic ingredients and earns her first white streak... vs the birds in 7x04 being what makes Terry realize he is being used, and one of the big things (symbolically) that represents and reinforces his decision to leave.

Soren also had parallels to his sister as a foil—both Viren's children, both manipulated by him, but Soren left whereas Claudia stayed—and to his father, as of arc 2. Both had their physical situations fixed without their input (Claudia healing Soren's paralysis and resurrecting Viren), leaving Claudia confused and frustrated when the situations emotionally changed them. Just as Soren had realized he was on the wrong side in arc 1, Viren was steadily learning that too, although it hadn't quite come to fruition yet.

Terry too, likewise, has very strong textual parallels to Lissa thanks to season 7. Like Lissa, he is used by his partner ("young Terrestrius has what we need" / "I needed her tears. Something so simple and easy") and leaves. In many ways, his dialogue with Claudia directly clarifies / invites insight onto Lissa's feelings ("Because you didn't trust me to make my own choice" -> "she shook her head. She said no"). Claudia most notably even frames their rationale the same way.

I think she had to leave for herself, to be happy somehow. (2x09) But he had to leave. For himself. (7x04)

Within the narrative and Soren's own family dynamic, however, Lissa being Soren's shadow self I think is still the primary usage of the device for each of them, even over Terry and Lissa.

And here's why.

The Semi Obvious

There's the obvious parallels, of course. Soren and Lissa are both blond; they both leave the family, and leave the family specifically with mind to the fact they no longer feel safe.

SOREN: I don't want to do this. (3x07)

This is different as to why Terry leaves. While all three leave to preserve a sense of identity, this motivation is only stated outright for Terry by himself ("[and if I stay] I'm not sure I can really be me anymore / but I love myself the way I am"). For Lissa it's implied, thanks to her parallel to Terry, and for Soren it's symbolic: leave, lest Viren change/turn him into a 'literal monster'. Terry too resists the idea of changing for the worst, but Lissa and Soren frame Viren (their shared 'changer,' whereas Terry has Claudia and Aaravos) in far more critical terms. Whereas Terry believes even after leaving that Claudia can be saved (is still 'good'), Lissa and Soren do not think the same.

SOREN: You've seen what's going on. You saw what Dad turned Kasef into [a monster]. What Dad turned into. (3x07) VIREN: She saw my face and she trembled. She said, "You've become a monster." [after the assault] And I knew she was right. (6x06) SOREN: That's a villain. My dad is a villain. [...] The only way to stop this is to look evil in the face and say no more. (3x08)

This turn from Viren, of course, causes all three to do the same thing: leave, even if that means leaving Claudia, but more on that in a second. First, I want to make a pit stop at what I call

Narrative Weight

Being alive and feeling things are two of the most complex things that can exist, with human existence being just a shit ton to conceptualize even just as individuals, nevermind when it comes to other people or strangers. Therefore, all stories have an aspect of condensation—condensing concepts or feelings into things we can conceptualize and understand within a fictional narrative in order to make it relatable or communicative. We go for personal details and personal relationships.

An example in TDP could be how while Janai and Amaya face a political clash of human-elf cultures in season 4, Rayla and Callum face an interpersonal one. Obviously there are going to be broader cultural differences than just mourning rites, but it's grounded in something familiar and often sacred; likewise, Callum and Rayla figuring out where they fall after that clash split apart their relationship takes centre stage in season four. Both of these couples are made up of individuals, but their relationships symbolize things—a fresh start for the Sunfire elves, the reconciliation of elves and humans and the continent.

Narrative weight.

And Soren carries Lissa's.

This is largely due to how closely interwoven the two become as we get the backstory in season 6. Lissa was violated by Viren in order to save Soren; after she left the family, Viren blamed Soren for it. In many ways, he likely felt like he'd traded her for his son, and found the balance lacking. And when tasked with Viren being presented with treating another family member as spell parts, even now with that family member's consent, he refuses.

Soren and his request/willingness provides Viren the chance to take the weight he placed on Soren over Lissa and her leaving off Soren's shoulders, narratively and symbolically. However, the two are linked not just through Viren, but also through Claudia.

First, a side note:

Inversion

The other big interesting psychological underpinning, I think, is that as of season 7 there's no way that Soren has finished processing his feelings about Viren, or Viren's apology/amends... yet he clearly believes now that his father did change and that they were effective, because illusion!Lissa repeats more than a few of them verbatim.

The choice to have illusion!Lissa's apology mirror Viren's is interesting to say the least, and a look into Soren's psyche at least partially. It shows that while some things from Viren did resonate enough for Soren to think they'd be effective with Claudia, and also possibly things Soren thinks his mother would never say otherwise.

Part of this is because, as stated, Lissa and Soren are inversions of each other. The inversion of one offering consent but being refused vs not offering and being violated. There are also smaller parallels, such as Viren routinely going after Soren's intelligence versus the one descriptor he has of his wife.

SOREN: Dad is so smart, so I figured there must be a good reason. (2x07) SOREN: Wait, I know I'm not the smartest, but I know what you said. (3x03)

Inverted parallels of staying and leaving. Of Soren being angry at his mother (and Terry) for doing—in some ways—exactly what he did to Claudia. Making her choose, and leaving her when she won't.

With that in mind, let's round back to Claudia, and how she links Soren and Lissa to one another.

Claudia

Season seven in some ways hammers home both Lissa as a representative for saving her children's relationship, and why it fell apart in the first place. Let's talk about the second facet first.

For example, one of the crucial things that Soren learned and internalized from Lissa is that Claudia doesn't make her choices.

CLAUDIA: And Soren chose Dad. How could I choose? How could I do that? Then my mom looked at my dad and she told me to stay.

This is why Soren has to wrestle with new aspects of his dynamic with Claudia in season 7 in such a difficult way. In prior seasons, he and Viren could both blame Viren for Claudia's actions and choices, and did so.

SOREN: Dad is dead, Claudia. You don't have to do what he wants anymore. (4x07) VIREN: I know I have set my sweet, brilliant daughter down the wrong path. I have led you by the hand and I have led you by my example. (6x01) VIREN: I have watched Claudia walk down such a dark path, Soren. And I set her on it. I am to blame. (6x05) SOREN: Put down the staff, Claudia. Dad's staff. (7x06)

This is why after Claudia asserts her own agency and choices ("Okay. Follow me" / "No, [the staff] is mine now") that Soren doubles down on his previous sentiments: "If you won't stop, then I will stop you" (4x07) to "we have to stop her" (7x08). It's taken a long time, but he's unlearned the idea his mother passed down, and can see Claudia is culpable and responsible for her choices — even if that strips away the defenses he still had up in regards to being unwilling to hurt her.

However, Lissa still represents / carries the narrative hope of the siblings reconciling for two clear reasons. One is the shot below, which is about as on the nose as you could possibly get.

The other is because of the contrast the broyals provide in 7x09 that also harkens back to 2x09 directly:

CALLUM: I said I hated you, and would hate you forever. And Mom said it was okay to be angry, but that I couldn't let the bad feelings stick. Because we were going to need each other. Because we're brothers. I still need you, Ezran.

CLAUDIA: And [Mom] told me to stay. She said that I had to stay with Soren, that this was my home, and that my brother and I needed each other.

Lissa is also an important tenet for Soren, because in order to confront and deal with his lingering anger towards her for abandoning them, he has to also come to terms with his own feelings and recognize Claudia's about him abandoning her. Once they work through that, they can work their way back to other from the brink, because their mother was right. They need each other, and they always will.

Because Lissa is Soren's shadow self, and in some ways, Soren is his mother and sister's light.

[theallianceofcelestials]

The comments here just make the wild ideas attack I need help

Imagine two timelines in both universes

One in the Eclipse scientist dimension where it turns out that the SCP family had one more member but since he wasn't locked up in the prison he was presumed dead due to things that happened when everyone was locked up. That would be Solar, and to Eclipse's surprise and utter confusion, he might find him by accident on some expedition where the company sends him to investigate something dangerous! While it would be a very emotional reunion for the family, I also think about the potential for angust because both Eclipse and Solar might think that Eclipse was a replacement for Solar, which obviously isn't true, but these two guys are so dumb and hate each other so much that I'm not surprised that each one ends up thinking things like that, Eclipse thinking that they only accepted him because he looks like Solar, and Solar thinking that since he wasn't around he was replaced by a physically "weaker" version but certainly smarter in some things and with more leadership attitude.

At the same time!! the version of this idea in the Solar scientist universe where Eclipse is the lost brother, there could be a kind of resentment of the family towards Eclipse because due to circumstances before the confinement, they could believe that he helped the humans to lock them up and because of that, although KC would be willing to accept his eldest son again, and perhaps Sun too, the rest would not, besides Eclipse would hate Solar for being "his replacement" much weaker, fragile, stupid and etc, things that someone who uses his ego to hide insecurities would say, when he hides that he feels pain when he thinks that his family prefers Solar for being kinder, patient and calmer. Meanwhile Solar could also suffer his moment of insecurity when he thinks that he could be kicked out of the family now that Eclipse returned, and in order not to prolong the process too much he can help Eclipse to be honest for once in his life and talk properly with his family to clarify what really happened when they were locked up.

Sorry for the long text but I needed to get this out of my brain at least in words. Have a nice day and happy belated birthday!

The angst with both of these is gold. Even if Mirror SEA fam wouldn't think Eclipse betrayed them. He made sure of that, and they all know it's only that human tribe and him. They'd think instead that he's dead.

So potentially what'd happen is Solar's walking alone in the woods, trying to get away from it all for a bit because it's too much, and he runs face to face with someone who looks creepily similar to how he used to look like in his previous body. Eclipse in this situation wouldn't be outright aggressive seeing as the guy probably has crutches or something, so he knows from the get go he's not a threat.

They may even end up befriending each other, and Solar just one day decides to take him home, and that's when he learns who Eclipse is. That's when it'd all start to go downhill, because he'd feel like a replacement and Eclipse would sure as hell attack him for being one.

So it's angsty, because this guy whom I've befriended now hates me, and rightfully so because I stole his life

Meanwhile in normal SEA Eclipse would try to fight it, but doubts would begin to creep in. He'd start questioning if they really do love him, he'd feel sideline, which he objectively understands is because they just got this long lost family back, but do they even want him? Did they ever want him? That'd probably be a really angsty way to start the second book, where he leaves before it can all be cleeared up and thus disappears just like he did back then.

I love these little scenarios if it wasn't obvious :P Also, don't worry about the length! Feel free to come talk to be about it more! I really enjoyed it myself! :D

And thanks! Even if I'm even later!

[cameoamalthea]

My partner and I were at the park today and they said that what they found relatable was the work murderbot put into passing as human which was relatable to them as a masking autistic.

This was prompted by a conversation I had with a girl I met at the park after stopping to compliment her girlfriend’s dress (a jellyfish dress she made herself with needlework I can’t spell). During the conversation, I learned they were teens at community college and told them if they wanted a mentor for college or career advice, they could ask me. I was without parents or connections in college and found mentorship valuable, and now that I have a career, I do mentorship.

It turned out one of the girls was autistic, like me, and interested in law. I walked about being a civil rights lawyer doing disability rights and being an autistic lawyer and was like, “You can learn how to interact with people in the way that persuades them to do what you want! I did a negotiation seminar duel listed at the business school’s MBA program, and they actually taught body language with horse whispering to help us learn the importance of nonverbal communication. So it social doesn’t come naturally, you can still be charismatic and persuasive when needed, like looking in people’s eyes and smiling makes them more likely to buy something you’re selling.”

And she was like “I used to struggle with eye contact and when they told me I decided not to have that problem but now I just stare and it makes people uncomfortable”

I agreed that it’s hard to learn. How to mask. How to do things that make people who aren’t autistic not be uncomfortable. And later my partner was talking about how it’s exhausting like running background programs to seem human.

So it’s like murderbot isn’t autistic (it is some sort of neurodivergent and definitely has mental illness and trauma) but it is relatable. So it would have been nice if it were played by someone who is autistic (and if actual autistic characters were played by autistic actors.

It would be nice if a character that is ‘other’ in so many ways were played by someone who had ever been othered societally in any way. Because we see ourselves in murderbot it would be nice if it was played by someone who looked like us or shared our experiences in any way. A woman or non-binary person, a poc, a neurodivergent person.

You can project yourself onto a book character more than a role played by a person, and having the role played by someone who is not like you is disappointing when most roles go to people who aren’t like you. Because there are not enough characters played by people who aren’t white men with no disabilities. Which itself adds to the societal othering of everyone who isn’t that.

I've been seeing a lot of discourse about the Murderbot casting, to the tune of "Wells says she imagined it as brown"/"the narrator of the audiobook is a man"/"the writing just sounds female, the types of things it notices and cares to mention and the way it puts its sentences together is how a woman would"/"it's canonically agender wtf"/"agender people can look masculine you asshole"/"it's supposed to look big and average that means white male"/"that's your own cultural bias in play and evidence says the average in its universe is brown"/"that's your bias in play there's no ironclad indication what the average is in the Corporation Rim"/"here's every single canon description of Murderbot it has no canon physical attributes other than Tall it could be played by literally anyone Checkmate Atheists" etc etc etc and it all just... misses the point?

No one is annoyed with Skarsgård!MB because "white dude" isn't canon.

They're annoyed because written Murderbot presents a level of identification and recognition for them that "white dude" does not.

Or, in other words: it is difficult to imagine a level of abuse more profound than not having the freedom of your own literal thoughts, consigned to a cripplingly limited and cruel social role from which any deviation is met with brutal pain. And it is all too easy to imagine a demographic who are presumed violent, hostile, and inferior, good only for labor and violence, who must be controlled and denied and unpersoned for the good of the rest. The lines aren't hard to draw, here; Murderbot is deeply relatable to many people who are not (visibly masculine) white men, specifically because they are not (visibly masculine) white men. Because they share with it the experience of oppression, marginalization, and being known on sight as wrong, being punished for the slightest deviance. Because it is not just another in the long boring line of ten thousand thousand grizzled white space marine heroman types; it is the thematic opposite of that.

And yeah duh obviously you can look like a boilerplate white dude and still suffer plenty of oppression, but film is a visual medium. Character design is a crucial part of its language, especially when a specific character is the only example of its type available to the audience. It is a shorthand that the audience will understand as a reflection on the wider setting. Which means that casting Skarsgård is, whether they meant it or not, a subtle statement that the ultimate bigotry in Murderbot's universe is against and about conventional white dudes.

Or in other other words, you cannot refute complaints about Skarsgård!MB with ~canon~ because canon has nothing to do with it. It's a thematic inconsistency, a failure to understand the not the story's text, but its subtext and its place in the wider cultural conversation of sci-fi (or at least to accurately translate those meta considerations to the satisfaction of a decent segment of the audience).

Like you can still yell about how bullshit you think that is if you want. Casting's not that deep or it's an important queer metaphor to pass and still struggle or people have no inherent 'right' to representation or whatever else. I'm not telling anyone what to say or believe. But just understand that that's what you're actually arguing with (or for, for that matter), is all I'm saying.

[stubz]

warning - bad guy wants to kill people and threatens to eat them + ship invasion

General Morbius was one an accomplished soldier. He was ruthless to his enemies, loyal to those who appreciated him, and willing to do anything. He was made for war. The coalition was not, it was made for peace and thus the general was rarely if ever used.

He had been fine with this...until he rejected as captain of the main ship. A tighalax by the name of Nox was chosen instead. Nox was not ruthless, was too hesitant to make the hard decisions, was a runt.

Morbius would not let a runt replace him.

That's when he met Sine Macula, a ruler who stood for everything the coalition did but was not afraid of getting their hands dirty to do so. Morbius respects that and so he fed him information. He got away with this for several months until found out...but not caught. There was not enough proof to charge him with treason and so he laid low. His schedule became tight and rigid, work then straight home. No dawdling or talking...well not to anyone he thought were a real threat.

The human chef from the west side cafeteria, the human who was head of sanitation, the human from the youngling centre, these were the only ones he talked to. They were the only one's who understood him and listened to him. At least that's what he thought.

He had a strange feeling about why the captain's first mate had reduced the amount of tails/watchers on him and so he did some digging. Oh how he longed to rip those filthy humans apart with his teeth...how he longed to watch the life leave their eyes as they gurgled out pleas through blood...

He let them into his home, he let them know of his thoughts and desires, he told them details and secrets, he let them meet his family-touch his family with those filthy dirty hands!!

He has calls to make.

.

The general cruelly smiles as he walks through the halls and sees his former allies escorted into the cargo bay, a temporary jail until they see who is worthy to join and who is to die.

His grin widens as he steps into the command center to see the Captain wrestled to the ground along with the first mate. A muzzle is shoved into the tighalax's mouth. A shock collar is strapped around the petronlic's neck. How lovely.

Growls and curses follow him as he turns around to continue to enjoy the show. He sees dozens of his new soldiers subdue an orc with tasers and guns loaded with rubber bullets. He hopes Fenrir will see his side and join, the orc will be a wonderful soldier.

Disgust crosses his face as he sees the ships tech supports throuple make the most offensive and crude gestures to him as they're dragged to the cargo bay. How Quip ended up Glip and Kal he'll never know.

..

"So we have everyone?"

"Not yet General, we're missing 30."

"30? How was I not made aware of 30 missing crew members??" he sneers grabbing the soldier by the shoulder.

"They weren't high priority-!"

"Well they are now since you lost them! Who did you lose?!"

"Th-the youngling centre sir!"

"...the youngling centre?" he whispers.

"Y-yes, sir."

"...you lost the youngling centre? The very centre run by the disgusting humans who betrayed me?"

"Well find them right away sir-!"

"You have two hours or I'll be using your bones as the broth for my diner tonight." he releases the soldier who sprints away to his team.

...

Kim knew she was going to die if they were found. The younglings would be most likely safe, Max too if he didn't fight back, but her? She would be killed.

When Captain asked her to spy on Morbius she did so without really thinking of the danger. She wasn't going anywhere dangerous, she would just talk to him whenever she him in the ship. Just talking, easy!

But then he actually opened up to her and that's when she realized how dangerous he actually was. The 'jokes', the wishes, the cracks that let her see who he really was...it scared her. And she couldn't do anything but grit her teeth and smile.

She was still safe though. They never met off the ship. She rarely actually talked about herself, he did all the talking, she never let anything slip.

But Morbius had still found out. He had found out, played along, and now the ship has been taken over.

They've done this before, her and Max, and therefore already had a plan. Lock the door, close the blinds, turn off the lights, hide in the supply room in the secret room and block the door. No one make a sound.

Hours pass and they do their best to keep the children quiet. Do their best to take their minds off the shouts, blasts, and shots fired with whispered stories and reassurances.

By the fifth hour, she knows because Max counted to keep himself calm, all is quiet. Kim hates it. She wants to leave, she can't breathe, her heart is too loud, she-

The tiny door opens.

Standing there before the group of 30 is a youngling. Standing between them and their fate is Morando. The General's son.

The youngling's mouth opens.

....

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Morbius roars, sirens blaring throughout the ship nearly drowning out his voice.

"Sir! There is a fire in the youngling centre!" a soldier screams directing his comrades towards the fire.

"AND WHY ARE YOU PUTTING IT OUT?! WE'RE BLOWING THIS SHIP UP THE SECOND WE LEAVE!!"

"Your son is there sir!"

General Morbius is many things. A killer, a soldier, a liar, a betrayer, but in that moment he was only a father. And fathers' love their children.

"Kill the one who was supposed to watch him. All available soldiers with me. If my son dies I will skin you all and eat you whilst you still breathe."

General Morbius loves his child and if his child dies he will kill everyone and anyone who contributed to it.

.....

General Morbius loves his child. Morbius loves his child. He would kill for him. Die for him. And in this case forgive him.

The fire was a diversion. His son was not in any danger. His son was tricked by the disgusting humans.

Morando had found them while looking in the supply room for a toy to play with after having given his escort the slip. His son had intended to alert him, call for reinforcements. But the humans had used their silver tongues to trick him.

One last meal they said. Humans were given one last meal before defeat, before death. Morando had seen no issue with this, he respected Kim and Max, they had given him much fun and amusement.

The final meal involved fire but since the centre's kitchen was partially destroyed they asked to use Fure, a fyreian. Morando agreed once again.

They cooked, involving all the younglings, even Morando. They sat down together and ate, inviting Morando, giving him his own plate. Kim begged him to let her tell one last tale before capture, he allowed.

The comradery, a warm meal, a tale catering towards his son's taste...the humans were not as foolish nor soft as he had thought.

They lulled the youngling into a false sense of security before capturing him. Tying him up, his son. Gagging him, his child. Carrying him like a sack over their shoulder, his flesh and blood. Setting the fire and leaving Morando's shawl just outside the door to make it look like he was in there, trapped, burning...a brilliant plan.

With how little soldiers there were in the cargo bay they managed to sneak in and free their crew mates. How the orcs, rextalians, tighalaxes, and other apex species fought.

It was a swift defeat. They had taken control of the ship whilst he was distracted by the fire. They had the armory now. They had called in reinforcements. They had Morando. What else could he do but surrender?

Humans are so much crueler than others give them credit for. A species who have mastered trickery to such a degree that younglings are not even safe from them.

[puppppppppy]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[artemx746]

Do people not realise that a person doesn't suddenly gain full maturity and knowledge of everything when they turn 18?

[shadesofmauve]

I want to step away from the art-vs-artist side of the Gaiman issue for a bit, and talk about, well, the rest of it. Because those emotions you're feeling would be the same without the art; the art just adds another layer.

Source: I worked with a guy who turned out to be heavily involved in an international, multi-state sex-slavery/trafficking ring.

He was really nice.

Yeah.

It hits like a dumptruck of shit. You don't feel stable in your world anymore. How could someone you interacted with, liked, also be a truly horrible person? How could your judgement be that bad? How can real people, not stylized cartoon bogeymen, be actually doing this shit?

You have to sit with the fact that you couldn't, or probably couldn't, have known. You should have no guilt as part of this horror — but guilt is almost certainly part of that mess you're feeling, because our brains do this associative thing, and somehow "I liked [the version of] the guy [that I knew]", or his creations, becomes "I made a horrible mistake and should feel guilty."

You didn't, loves, you didn't.

We're human, and we can only go by the information we have. And the information we have is only the smallest glimpse into someone else's life.

I didn't work closely with the guy I knew at work, but we chatted. He wasn't just nice; he was one of the only people outside my tiny department who seemed genuinely nice in a workplace that was rapidly becoming incredibly toxic. He loaned me a bike trainer. Occasionally he'd see me at the bus stop and give me a lift home.

Yup. I was a young woman in my twenties and rode in this guy's car. More than once.

When I tell this story that part usually makes people gasp. "You must feel so scared about what could have happened to you!" "You're so lucky nothing happened!"

No, that's not how it worked. I was never in danger. This guy targeted Korean women with little-to-no English who were coerced and powerless. A white, fluent, US citizen coworker wasn't a potential victim. I got to be a person, not prey.

Y'know that little warning bell that goes off, when you're around someone who might be a danger to you? That animal sense that says "Something is off here, watch out"?

Yeah, that doesn't ping if the preferred prey isn't around.

That's what rattled me the most about this. I liked to think of myself as willing to stand up for people with less power than me. I worked with Japanese exchange students in college and put myself bodily between them and creeps, and I sure as hell got that little alarm when some asian-schoolgirl fetishist schmoozed on them. But we were all there.

I had to learn that the alarm won't go off when the hunter isn't hunting. That it's not the solid indicator I might've thought it was. That sometimes this is what the privilege of not being prey does; it completely masks your ability to detect the horrors that are going on.

A lot of people point out that 'people like that' have amazing charisma and ability to lie and manipulate, and that's true. Anyone who's gotten away with this shit for decades is going to be way smoother than the pathetic little hangers-on I dealt with in university. But it's not just that. I seriously, deeply believe that he saw me as a person, and he did not extend personhood to his victims. We didn't have a fake coworker relationship. We had a real one. And just like I don't know the ins-and-outs of most of my coworkers lives, I had no idea that what he did on his down time was perpetrate horrors.

I know this is getting off the topic, but it's so very important. Especially as a message to cis guys: please understand that you won't recognize a creep the way you might think you will. If you're not the preferred prey, the hind-brain alarm won't go off. You have to listen to victims, not your gut feeling that the person seems perfectly nice and normal. It doesn't mean there's never a false accusation, but face the fact that it's usually real, and you don't have enough information to say otherwise.

So, yeah. It fucking sucks. Writing about this twists my insides into tense knots, and it was almost a decade ago. I was never in danger. No one I knew was hurt!

Just countless, powerless women, horrifically abused by someone who was nice to me.

You don't trust your own judgement quite the same way, after. And as utterly shitty as it is, as twisted up and unstead-in-the-world as I felt the day I found out — I don't actually think that's a bad thing.

I think we all need to question our own judgement. It makes us better people.

I don't see villains around every corner just because I knew one, once. But I do own the fact that I can't know, really know, about anyone except those closest to me. They have their own full lives. They'll go from the pinnacles of kindness to the depths of depravity — and I won't know.

It's not a failing. It's just being human. Something to remember before you slap labels on people, before you condemn them or idolize them. Think about how much you can't know, and how flawed our judgement always is.

Grieve for victims, and the feeling of betrayal. But maybe let yourself off the hook, and be a bit slower to skewer others on it.

[northwest-cryptid]

Look, I agree with you; but you're not educating them on how they can actually do something.

If someone doesn't know and they feel powerless, literally demonizing them isn't going to change their mind. It's just going to make you seem like the enemy.

I'm sorry, but I think people need to understand that just because it isn't our job to educate others; doesn't mean we shouldn't.

As a Native it's easy for me to look at the pain and suffering of my people and get upset when the average American says "well it's not like we can just give you the land back what am I actually supposed to do?" It's entirely another thing to actually sit down and answer the question.

You need to understand their viewpoint if you seek to change it; meet them in the middle; answer their call.

Answering "what do you suggest people do" and "there isn't exactly a third option right now unless you know one" with "you're a demon and I hope you die" doesn't actually answer their question; it just makes you out to be someone antagonizing and like it or not people aren't going to feel sympathetic and understanding of someone being aggressive and antagonizing. Trust me, as a fellow minority who is actively facing genocide that no one wants to take seriously I do at least somewhat understand the frustration; but leaving them in ignorance doesn't actually fix anything.

Even if you think they won't listen, educating them in the public eye may reach someone who will; and that spark might be all it takes for real action to be taken. They don't think themselves as being someone doing wrong, they believe they are doing what they can, they believe they're trying to fight the good fight. If they don't know better, and people like you who seem to have knowledge they don't won't teach them; then they're never going to learn.

I understand the want to respond with anger, it's upsetting to see someone ignorant to something you're intimately aware of. However as much as it may be easy to respond in this manner, it's important that we do what we can to educate where we can, whenever we get the chance.

Do not make enemies out of those who are trying to side with you but don't know how; educate them on how to do better and trust that they will try. It's better than telling them you don't want their aid because they didn't get it right the first time.

People are too quick to make enemies of the ignorant, as if they are ignorant on purpose; as if they intentionally want you dead and want to be uneducated. Just because they don't know doesn't mean they're staying in the dark intentionally. We cannot expect reasonably that everyone is going to know everything.

For many this is really a "firebomb the walmart" situation; and no one is realistically going to firebomb the walmart. So they either need to be given an alternative, or left to act as best they can.

That's a reasonable ask.

Don't show them that you can't be reasonable, many seek this exact type of response to show that people like us aren't worth fighting for.

Do not give your enemies free ammo.