#i’ll commit heinous acts

[uc1wa]

wyd if you wake up in bed next to jason

slutting him out

[snufflesw]

The Reader learns about Aqua's newest plan to destroy his father.

Aquamarine Hoshino x Reader (gender neutral) One Shot. Word Count { 1241 } Spoilers for Chapter 148!

You're So Crazy, Manipulate Me. Title is lyrics derived from the song "Ecstacy" by SUICIDAL-IDOL .

You traversed the sparse wooden area. The summer wind was warm against your bare arms and the smell of the sea filled your nostrils. The seawater clung to your hair after swimming. Now, however, completely dry to search for the person who’d suddenly disappeared from the beach.

    The boy sat near the edge of a cliff, watching the sun as it was beginning to set.

    ”There you are”, you said, loud enough for Aqua to hear, and walked up to him.

    He looked up at you and his blue eyes met yours for a second.

    ”What are you doing here?” he said as you sat down next to him. You wrapped your arms around your legs and hugged them close to your chest.

    ”I noticed you left and went to find you”, you said and wiggled your toes to take off the sandals irritating your feet.

    Aqua looked back to the sunset.

    ”Just needed some time to think, that's all”, he said.

    You could almost see the cogwheels turning in Aquamarine Hoshino’s head as the sun reflected in his eyes. His expression was similar to that day the two of you first met; lost in thought. Scheming.

    You sighed and rested your head on your knees, ”We’re close now. The movie’s almost finished and we’ll have him. He’ll be ruined, once and for all. You’ll have your revenge.”

    Aqua bit his lip, ”But what if that’s not enough? What if the movie’s not enough?”

    You raised an eyebrow at his statement. He’d been so certain before, almost to a horrifying degree, that the movie would be the thing to put Hikaru Kamiki in an early grave; his scheming and heinous acts would be revealed for the whole world to see. He’d have to disappear; go incognito.

    ”What do you mean?” you asked.

    ”Ruining his status wouldn’t be enough to keep him from committing another crime”, Aqua said through gritted teeth. ”We cannot have another Ai-incident happen. His punishment shall be permanent. I want him to be removed completely.”

    Aqua turned slowly towards you as he said the last sentence. His eyes were wide, stars apparent in both despite his fringe covering most of his left eye. It was the eyes of someone who’d had enough; someone who was willing to go to any length to make sure his revenge be executed wholeheartedly. He looked maniacal, insane, beyond repair… and you thought he’d never looked more handsome.

    You chuckled. Aqua’s gaze softened at the reaction.

    ”You’re quite bold by actually telling someone of your desire to kill, Aquamarine”, you couldn’t help but grin.

    Aqua scoffed, ”I believe you of all people should know. You’ve helped me thus far.”

    ”It was our agreement, was it not? You helped me flawlessly exact revenge on my former life’s pathetic excuse for a husband. In return, I vowed to make Aqua Hoshino’s father pay for what he’d done”, the grin curled on your lips. ”So… of course. If you’ve changed the plan to instead kill Hikaru Kamiki, then I’ll happily follow your lead.”

    Aqua stared at you sitting beside him. All he could do was stare at the grin on your lips. The same grin you had on your face once your own revenge had finally been executed. You looked calm, but the grin curling at your lips told another story. It always did.

    He let out a chuckle. Your face was the one to soften this time by the reaction. There was no sign whatsoever of the maniacal grin plastered on your lips a mere second ago.

    ”I’ve never seen that expression from you before”, you raised an eyebrow. ”Only when you’re acting.”

    The genuine smile didn’t leave Aqua’s lips once he stopped chuckling. The residue of laughter was apparent on those lips who had just told you about his plan to murder.

    ”How fortunate I’ve been to find a partner in crime who wouldn’t think twice when it comes to abandoning morals”, he said,

    You blinked.

    ”Akane plans to stop me”, Aqua continued and looked down at the ground. ”Despite everything he’s done.”

    You snorted, ”Her and what army? Last I checked, she’s the only one who even knows the basics of what’s truly going on. I’d like to see her try to stop us.”

    Aqua stared once again at you beside him. Awe, was how he’d explain it. You thought like none he’d ever met before. You were intelligent beyond adequate measures. To have someone going through the same thing; someone to once again be reborn into a younger; someone who wasn’t his sister; someone who wasn’t afraid to get their hands a little bloody. It was as if the Gods had answered his prayers.

    He placed his finger underneath your chin. You looked at him with a brow raised. He gently stroked your chin with his thumb, looking into your unfazed eyes. A small sparkle. He could feel your breath sharply against his lips. You’d mastered the way your eyes worked, but the rest of your body still reacted in the way of a teenager. Featherlight touches did the trick.

    You stared intently into his eyes, never once averting your gaze. He wondered what you saw every time those eyes looked into his. Perhaps you could see his wants, his needs, his desires. You’d seen almost all of them before. Almost.

    Aqua closed the gap between your lips. A jolt of electricity soaring through his body at the connection of your mouths. You tasted like saltwater, and smelled like it too. But underneath the salt lay something addicting. Another scent adorned by your lips on his.

    You didn’t push him away. Instead, you tilted your head to give him the ability to move more freely. His lips grazed over yours and you felt the stinge of what was Aqua Hoshino. His lips were chapped, but they reminded you of the taste of coffee. A bitter taste incredibly difficult to swallow; but one with the power to have someone energised for hours.

    Aqua cupped your cheeks with his hands. Your hair tangled in between his fingers, curled like the grip you were holding on his lips. 

    Breathing was secondary, especially when your cold hands touched the base of his neck. An electric shock. You felt it in your fingertips as you touched the bare skin of his neck. Slowly grazing over his adam’s apple. He shuddered. It wasn’t even cold outside.

    Slowly, but surely, your lungs were greeted by the blissful feeling of oxygen entering your suffocating bodies. Your lips parting from one another’s, panting heavily by the lack of air for who knows how long. Time seemed to have stood still; the sun slowly setting in the horizon.

    You felt Aqua’s heavy breaths on your lips. His forehead rested gently against yours. Your hair was still tangled between his delicate fingers. Intertwined.

    ”That was very out of character of you”, you said in between breaths, grinning ear to ear. ”Are you sure you’re not acting?”

    Aqua’s face was flushed. Yours wasn’t any better.

    ”I’m not an actor”, Aqua said and forced you to come closer with the help of his fingers curled in between the locks of your hair. ”You just make me feel… so many things.”

    You smiled.

    ”All because I said I was going to help you kill your father?”

    Aqua nodded against your forehead, ”Yes.”

    ”How romantic of you, Aquamarine Hoshino.”

It was psychopathic, really. You were both psychopaths.

https://snufflesw.fandom.com/wiki/Home

[nightghoul381]

Robin Doesn't Know the Evil Hiding in the Shadows ~ Ellis Twilight ~ Premium End

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Villains. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

CW: Contains themes of suicide

Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

Ellis: “…There he is.”

I found the culprit in a corner of the event venue.

Haggard man: “Ah, it’s you…”

The man took out a bottle from his bag and showed it to me.

Haggard man: “This bottle contains a highly volatile and deadly poison.”

Haggard man: “If the bottle is dropped or broken, the poison will spread throughout the air…and everyone in this venue will die.”

(…If that’s the case, I can’t just grab him carelessly.)

(If I don’t take the bottle from the man’s hand…)

Ellis: “…Why are you doing this?”

Haggard man: “If you’re here, you probably know most of the situation.”

Ellis: “But I still want to hear it from you.”

Haggard man: “…”

Haggard man: “The motive for my crime was… to get revenge for the fact that they exhumed my wife’s body to use for anatomy classes.”

Haggard man: “My wife was supposed to finally be free from the pain of her illness and be able to rest in peace!”

Haggard man: “And then, she was exposed to the eyes of so many students…”

Haggard man: “Everyone was looking at her corpse as if she were a laboratory animal…”

Ellis: “But, you killed the medical students that hired the company, didn’t you?”

Ellis: “Your revenge has already been achieved…so why do you need to kill so many innocent people?”

Haggard man: “There’s a simple reason.”

Haggard man: “If there are no bodies to dissect and outlaws are robbing graves, then we should just make more bodies.”

Haggard man: “I want my wife’s resting place to never be disturbed again… I need a body.”

Ellis: “If you’re that determined…”

Ellis: “…Why did you leave a warning message after your last murder?”

Haggard man: “It was because of the piece of cake this morning.”

Haggard man: “You might be thinking ‘what’s the big deal?’ But to me, that piece of cake reminded me of the fun times I spend with my wife.”

Haggard man: “Since you gave me the cake, I thought I’d give you a hint if you were investigating the case.”

Ellis: “If that was the case…I don’t think…”

Ellis: “I believe that everyone lives with pain and joy that only they can understand.”

Ellis: “…I don’t want to say anything without knowing anything.”

(…I might feel similar.)

(The wishes of this man… and my own are surely very close.)

He wanted her to be happy, to be free from pain and suffering.

If reality was so harsh, He wished she would at least be sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face…

They had violated the sleep of his loved one.

(If the same thing happened to Kate…)

(I’d probably do the same thing as him.)

No matter how many times I was told it was wrong, no matter how many times Crown tried to stop me,

I would surely be consumed by rage and commit a heinous act to exact my revenge.

Haggard man: “…You’re trying to buy time with your conversation right now.”

Haggard man: “Is it because someone important to you is at the venue?”

Ellis: “…”

Haggard man: “In that case… let me show you how to protect the people at the venue.”

Without letting go of the bottle, the man used his other hand to pull out a powder from his pocket.

Haggard man: “This is the poison I was carrying with me to kill myself after I had completed my crime.”

Haggard man: “If you consume this… I will refrain from killing the people in the venue out of respect for your love.”

Haggard man: “You said you would protect her before she got hurt.”

Haggard man: “…Now, show me you can protect her.”

(If I take the powder, I’ll die.)

(If I don’t take it, the poison in the bottle will kill Kate.)

I suddenly shifted my gaze to the center of the venue and spotted Kate among the crowd of people.

Kate was so engrossed in the presentations at the venue, laughing, being surprised… her eyes lit up.

(If the only choice is between me dying and Kate dying…)

(…Obviously, I choose to die.)

Ellis: “…I’ll take the poison.”

Ellis: “My life and Kate’s are both precious, but…”

Ellis: “If it’s a matter of two dying or one dying, it’s better that only one dies.”

Haggard man: “…Two? Only one will die either way.”

Ellis: “I don’t think I can find happiness in a world without Kate.”

Ellis: “If Kate dies, I’ll definitely follow her.”

Ellis: “So it’s either two people who die, or one.”

Haggard man: “…Well, whatever. If you’re that determined, the go ahead and do what you want.”

The man tossed me the powder, which I picked up and, without hesitation, consumed in one gulp.

Ellis: “Ugh…! Gh, Aaah…ngh!!”

My knees buckled and I collapsed to the ground.

Haggard man: “You really would take poison.”

I heard a man’s voice, and the sound of something being placed next to me as I collapsed.

Haggard man: “In honor of your love, I will leave the bottle here, unused.”

Roger: “…Don’t move! That’s enough.”

Jude: “Just follow me obediently.”

Haggard man: “Yeah. I’ll follow you.”

Jude: “…Really, how long’re ya gonna sleep so carefree, Ellis?”

Ellis: “Mm…Sorry.”

When I sat up, the man Roger was restraining had a look of shock on his face.

Haggard man: “Wh-Why are you alive…!?”

Ellis: “I was learning some magic tricks. I’d pretend to consume things I shouldn’t, like poison…and then let it go down my sleeve.”

I flapped my sleeve and the powder I hadn’t taken flew into the air.

(I never thought the skills Victor taught me would come in handy in a situation like this.)

Roger: “Ellis, that’s important evidence you know?”

Ellis: “Ah…Sorry. I have some in my other sleeve too, so I thought that would be enough.”

Haggard man: “Were you deceiving me…? Was your love a lie…?”

Ellis: “My love for Kate is not a lie.”

Ellis: “I still haven’t made Kate happy enough… so I couldn’t let either of us die.”

(If only one of us can survive, me or Kate, then I want Kate to live,)

(…But, there’s no need to choose that option.)

Even if I reversed the options presented to me, I want to be happy tomorrow with Kate.

Ellis: “Besides—One day it will be me who kills Kate. Not you.”

Haggard man: “What the… you…”

Jude: “…Yer still crazy as ever.”

And so, before night fell—in the twilight, the incident came to an end.

Kate: “Ellis, I’m back!”

Ellis: “Welcome back, Kate.”

Ellis: “You must be tired after being out all day aren’t you? I’ll go make some tea, so wait for me in my room.”

Kate: “I’ll take you up on that offer, thank you.”

I prepared tea and cake and brought it to the room.

It’s late at night, but tonight is special.

Ellis: “So, how was your event?”

Kate: “It was awesome! At the end of the event, they announced something really big! It was—”

With sparkling eyes, Kate spoke with joy.

(…I’m glad I was able to protect Kate’s happy day.)

If even one thing about today’s events had gone wrong…

I might not have been able to exchange words with Kate tonight.

(I want to continue to protect this daily routine.)

(But… I wonder if ‘that’s all’ is enough.)

Kate: “Whew…. I’ve finished talking…! Ellis, you’re such a good listener.”

Ellis: “Really? Maybe it seems that way because listening to your stories is fun.”

Kate: “When someone says that to me, I get carried away and end up talking too much…”

Ellis: “Fufu…that’s good. I want to hear more about your day.”

Kate: “Enough about me! …Now can I hear about your day, Ellis?”

Ellis: “Mine…?”

Ellis: “My story is boring. I just did a little mission with Jude and Roger—”

Not wanting to ruin Kate’s fun, I tried to hide it.

Kate: “…Really? You look like something’s happened, so I’m curious…”

As she said this, Kate had a worried look on her face.

(…I can’t beat Kate.)

I told Kate everything that happened today.

Kate: “So that’s what happened…”

Kate: “Thank you, Ellis. For protecting my peace of mind.”

Ellis: “No, thank you.”

Ellis: “Hearing that you enjoyed the event today made me even happier that we were able to solve the problem.”

After I said that, Kate looked at me in silence for a moment.

Ellis: “…What’s wrong?”

Kate: “Ellis, you seem a bit depressed. Is it because of the grave robber?”

(Really… I can’t hide anything from Kate.)

Ellis: “…Yeah. This incident got me imagining things a little bit.”

Ellis: “Like, what if, after we fall asleep happily… someone hurts you?”

Ellis: “I was worried that our eternity would be shattered…”

Kate: “Hmm…”

Kate: “…Oh, I’ve got a great idea.”

Kate: “Maybe we should build a grave for both of us somewhere far out in the country?”

Ellis: “A grave… in the countryside?”

Kate: “Yes. With the sunlight shining down beautifully, and lots of flowers blooming…”

Kate: “…Let’s sleep together like we’re taking a nap in the countryside, surrounded by nature.”

Kate: “Grave robbers are only doing it for money, right?”

Kate: “If that’s the case, then why would they come all the way out there to dig up our graves?”

Ellis: “…That’s a great idea. I agree.”

Kate: “Really? Well then, let’s do it!”

Ellis: “Fufu, but… that’s a bit strange.”

Ellis: “We’re not married yet, we don’t have a house, we don’t have kids… we don’t have any plans for the rest of our lives.”

Ellis: “I can’t believe we’re thinking about the two of us being buried together.”

Kate: “Oh, that’s true… But if there’s a happy ending planned, doesn’t that make everything more fun?”

Ellis: “…Yeah it does.”

Ellis: “I’m looking forward to going to the grave with you more and more.”

And so, we continue to protect and accumulate happiness towards a happy ending.

Today, tomorrow, the day after, and every day after that—.

(…But, I still want something a little more reassuring.)

(If you were to ask me… ‘she’s’ the only one.)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Bitter End | Premium End | Epilogue

[a-romantics-guide-to-life]

⋆ ₊☽˚𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼˚☾₊ ⋆ 

𝓼𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 : you and coryo had gone through hell and back, you've been together and far apart yet you could never find the courage to say how you truly feel for him. so, you wrote them into letter form, but you never sent them. and so what happens when one mr. snow finds each and every letter only to realize that it's too late?

𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 : written in letter form from the readers perspective, talks of jealousy and sad feelings, r is definitely from the capitol, self blame, kinda sorta depression, angst, deceit, suicide, coryo finally responds

𝓪/𝓷 : so here’s part three!! I’m ngl I cried writing this and I KNOW people were asking for a happy ending but I’m just gonna tell y’all now that this is angst NO/VERY LITTLE COMFORT! I just had to do it so here ya go! enjoy 😊!

𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽 | 𝓷𝓮𝔁𝓽 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽

⋆ ₊ ☽ ·˚𓍲⋆ 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮: 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓯𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 ⋆𓍲˚· ☾ ₊ ⋆ Dear Coriolanus,

Time ticks on and on as does life; but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt and it certainly doesn't mean that pain fades away with each passing day.

I heard from Mrs.Plinth that Sejanus was killed out in the districts. It must be so saddening knowing that your young son who had his whole life ahead of him died out in the districts all by himself. 

I wonder if you saw him die, what were his last words? 

Mrs.Plinth didn’t share much only saying that it was out in the districts and that she was very grateful that you were there for him. 

Yet it also hurts knowing that you upended the trajectory of your life all for Lucy Gray. 

What could she give you that I couldn’t?

People experience pain in such different ways. I remember when you got a cut when we were climbing trees in my backyard and you were stone faced acting like you were okay when I knew you weren’t. You hate blood and you especially hate pain and I know that. 

All of us do really, I too was only eight when the war ended. We all went through the pain of hunger every single day, some even committed heinous acts to survive that will haunt them forever. 

Some cower in terror and pain yet some rise above the pain. Some use that pain and anguish as a motivator to push forward and persevere. 

Like you. 

You know me, the runt of the litter. The forgotten one. Yet not by you, I know you would never forget me. 

Just like I’ll never forget you. 

Which is why it hurts so much to know that you still chose Lucy Gray over me. It still kills me when I think about my best friend, my first and forever love, who I’ve been through so much with choose a girl he’s just met over someone who's been on your side since day one. 

What did I do wrong? Was it something I said? What could she have that I don’t?

Life has quieted down I guess, school is the same old same old, just the same boring day one after another. The Capitol just seems so dreary and dull, there is constant gloom plaguing the sky.

I like to think it’s because you’re not here. My sun, my moon illuminating the dark dark sky, shining brightly amongst the stars that have long burned out.

I really do miss you Coryo,

Yours Truly

Coriolanus,

I heard from Tigiris you’re finally on your way home.

Is Lucy Gray with you?

I wonder if she’s holding your hand at the very second, comforting you about coming back to the home you call hell. Have you told her about your life in the Capitol, I wonder?

Is she truly your home now, Coriolanus?

It seems everyone around me is finding what their lives were missing. Money, power, glory. Yet there is this hole in my heart and my life in the shape of you. 

I will never find home.

Many people say that home is where the heart is or that home is a person or idea rather than a physical place and they’re right.

Because my home will forever be you, Coriolanus.

And it rips my chest apart to know that I will never be able to go home because a pretty little bird has decided to peck her way into my home and build a fragile little nest. It hurts even more to know that you protected that nest.

Are there little birdies tweeting in that nest now?

I wonder if you have Sejanus’ stuff. You really were that boy's best friend, you know that Coriolanus?

Just like how you were my best friend. Before the war, before Celmensia, before Sejanus, before Lucy Gray.

But hey, you’re finally on the way back to the Capitol, right?

You’re finally coming back home to me.

I truly do hope I am the first one you call.

Love,

Your Darling awaiting your call

To Coriolanus Snow,

My grave has been long set for I dug it. I have made my bed now, I must lie in it.

By the time you read this I will have already been long dead. The ache in my chest drove me to it, the numbing hole that consumed my being was no longer tolerable.

My head was drowning in anger, sadness, love. All for you my dearest Coriolanus. 

I find myself writing as if there is tomorrow yet I truly do know that there won’t be a future for me. 

I’ve reread every single unsent letter I have written for you and the gaping hole in my chest grows larger with every word I read for I know deep in my soul that I will never be able to go back in time and tell myself that it’s all worth it because I’m ow that it isn’t. 

It’s ruining my life, Coriolanus, please do not think less of me for it. 

My body has been battered and bruised all my by my hand, my mind plaguing my sanity, my memories, with fields of death and despair. I find now that I find solace and comfort in the thought.

I have dropped out of school, not that anyone would have noticed. I stopped sketching too, you know. It’s just that whenever my pencil touches the page all my hand seems to be able to draw is your face. My sketchbook has been filled with sketches of your face, your eyes, you at that reaping ceremony, you when you went to visit Lucy Gray in the Capitol zoo. All you.

I cant take it anymore Coryo, my heart can’t take it anymore. 

My mind is plagued with images of your beautiful face, your smug smiles, your laughs where you hide those gorgeous hydrangea blue eyes of yours, the look on your face when I hugged you for the last time. 

I replay that moment in my head, constantly. I seemingly can’t stop thinking back on that moment and think about what I could have said or could have given you to make you stay. 

I would have done anything to have you stay, to have you be mine. 

To have you love me back. 

It’s a fickle thing, love. Fragile, yet powerful. It can make one go mad yet it can also ground you. It can drive you to murder for someone yet it can also motivate you to step in front of a bullet for someone. 

It can also motivate you to live or cause you to die.

Some find love a nessecity to live while some find it the reason for their demise. 

My dearest Coriolanus, I’m so terribly sorry. Yet I cannot help but akin love to a hardship. A pain, a pain that no matter how many dates I go on or how many men I flirt with that this pain will not go away. 

I really tried, Coryo, I really did. I tried so hard to move on, to love someone else even when I know a hole is where my heart is and you and only you hold that missing piece. 

I love you Coriolanus Snow. 

I love you Coryo. 

I love you. 

I’ve loved you every minute of every single day of every single month of every single year ever since we were young. It may have been youthful play love but it shifted as the moons do. 

I love you in every memory, every letter, and every dream that we meet. I love you in every minute and my love will forever live on in the velvety petals of pure white roses and pillowy hydrangeas. 

I’ll love you, no matter what, every day, every hour, every minute, every year, for the rest of my life.

I’ll forever love you, even when I’m no longer here.

I forgive you my love, forever and always. 

My only hope that you’ll forgive me.

My last wish is that you finally receive all those letters I wrote to you as a naive and young girl and look back that even now, I’m still me.

I’ll love you forever,

Your Dearest Darling Dead

tagging! @lonely-dreamer

thanks so much for the support and love on this series, it really does mean a lot to me and I hope to see you on the epilogue!

[snitchcrimsonwrites]

Maybe pt. 8

Pairing: Norm MacLean X Female Reader or OC if you squint

Former friends to a relationship?

Life is pretty easy in Vault 33 until you're trying to rekindle a former friendship and Raiders attack. Now, our main characters are trying to navigate newfound feelings, all while undercovering the mysteries of Vault 33. Stay tuned. Follows the main storyline of season 1; some events may be reordered for plot.

Following the council meeting and Norm's reassignment, the two of you are enjoying a quiet evening together when a single question threatens to dredge up a whirlwind of emotions.

Part 1 Here. Part 6 Here Part 12 Here

Part 2 Here Part 7 Here

Part 3 Here Part 9 Here

Part 4 Here Part 10 Here

Part 5 Here Part 11 Here

Norm was convinced you thought he was a lunatic. 

 One minute, the two of you were relaxing on the sofa. Norm‘s head resting against your lap while you read. The occasional brush of your fingers through his hair threatens to lull him to sleep. The next, he found himself unable to stop ranting and raving, all because of a simple question. How did everything go today? The book you were reading was long since discarded to the side as you gave him your full attention. He went on detailing the events of his day, from his “reassignment” at the council meeting to his first interaction with the raiders locked in the vault reading room. You didn’t interrupt, though he wasn’t sure he could have stopped even if you had. His frustrations with the council and whatever happened in the Vaults were not subtle. Norm always appreciated the candor you two shared when it came to communication. Still, he couldn’t help feeling some unease divulging all of these feelings, unsure of how you’d respond. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, putting his hand on his forehead and moving to sit upright. “Seeing how we treated them today, with food and kindness, just sent me over the edge.” Nothing about this situation with the Raiders felt right to him. Four square meals a day and a soft bed weren’t exactly punishment; how was no one else seeing it? 

“Cause it feels like the opposite of justice…” you validated after listening to everything he had to say about his punishment from the council and the situation he experienced with the Raiders. 

“Yes,” his tone laced with utmost seriousness. “We watched people commit some of the most heinous acts we could imagine, and now we’re expected to be the bigger person and move on?” 

You felt the weight of the shared resentment settles between you, the reality of the situation pressing heavily on your shoulders. Memories of recent events resurfaced with a vengeance, emotions that had been buried away over the last few days trying to escape. You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself, but the feelings of pain and anger were already seeping out uncontrolled. 

“For god’s sake, I had to kill a man with a pipe wrench the other day, and the council just wants to…” you stopped short, your words hanging before you like a poison in the air. You had avoided saying it out loud since that night, hopeful it would help you forget having to come to terms with the actions you took. 

Norm’s eyes widened with surprise. You had implied what had happened after the two of you were separated down Vault 32’s corridor, but he never pressed you for details you weren’t ready to share. He figured you were still processing your actions from the night of the raid but taking another life to save your own- a decision forced on you because of someone else's actions. He knew this was your nightmare scenario. Of course, you both had been reeling this entire time; how had he not noticed until now? He copied your gesture from the days before, offering his hand and intertwining it with yours with a squeeze. You took another deep breath, your eyes locking with Norm’s, raw with shared pain and anger. 

“You shouldn’t have been there alone, and I’ll always hate that part of myself for that.” 

“Don’t, you know full well how rushing into that situation would have gone. We’re here now.” You leaned in, pressing your forehead against Norm’s, a gesture of solidarity and unspoken promise. “We’ll get through this, Norm. One step at a time, together.”

The two of you continued this way throughout the evening, seamlessly shifting between playful banter and serious discussions. There were moments of shared laughter and tears, with deep emotions surfacing. As the hours passed, you both gradually moved from the couch to sprawling across the living room floor. Norm ended up lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, while you found a comfortable spot on your stomach.

“Your turn,” Norm says, encouraging another round of the question game you’ve been playing.

“Hmmm, if you could go back to before and experience one thing, what would it be?”

“Come on,” Norm groans, “there’s no point in...”

“Oh, please. At least try to be a little fun,” you tease.

He laughs and puts his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine.” He couldn’t help but give in to you. Norm ponders for a minute. “Maybe getting to experience an arcade or comic shop in their heyday, the way they’re portrayed in movies at least. Atomic Command on the Pip-Boy is only so entertaining; something new would be fun. Plus a day to do something I enjoy, with no obligations, maybe meet people who like the same things as me. What about you?”

“The national parks,” you answer immediately, without needing to think. “All of them, any one of them, wouldn’t matter. Even just sitting there to experience them with all my senses, that would be my day,” you say, conjuring up images from the picture books you read as a kid.” It’s heartbreaking seeing how we just squandered... never mind, we don’t need to end tonight on a sour note.”

Norm nods, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Yeah, well, at least we’ve got these moments now. I guess that counts for something.”

You smile, feeling a sense of connection. “Yeah, it really does.”  You stretch and move to stand while announcing, “It’s getting late; I should probably head out.”

“I’ll walk you you back.” 

“Such a gentleman,” you gush, heading out the door. Norm laughs. “I think that’s a sentiment only you and my mom would share.” 

“Well, your mom and I have excellent taste,” you reply with a wink. “Aside from your wit and charm, you’re incredibly thoughtful and caring, Norm. One of the many reasons I enjoy spending time with you.”

He grins a hint of bashfulness in his eyes. “Thanks. You know, you’re pretty amazing yourself. You have this way of making even the simplest moments feel special.”

You feel a warmth spread through you at his words. “That means a lot, Norm.” 

As you both reach the door of your living quarters, you turn to face Norm, a smile resting on your lips.

“Well, here we are,” you say softly.

“Yeah,” Norm replies, a hint of nervousness in his voice. He hesitates for a moment, then takes a deep breath. “Can I... can I kiss you?”

Your heart flutters at his question. “I’d like that,” you whisper, your voice barely audible.

Norm steps closer, his eyes searching yours for any sign of hesitation. Seeing none, he gently cups your face with his hands and leans in. The world seems to slow down as his lips meet yours in a tender, lingering kiss. It's soft and sweet, filled with the promise of more shared moments.

As you pull back, you both smile, your foreheads resting against each other for the second time this evening. “That was nice,” you say, your voice filled with warmth.

“Yeah, it was,” Norm agrees, his eyes shining with happiness. “Goodnight, (Y/N).”

“Goodnight, Norm,” you reply, feeling a contented glow as you watch him walk away. 

—------------------------

Norm is lost in thought, walking home with a faint smile on his face. He rounds the corner of the hallway leading back to his living quarters and nearly collides with Betty Pearson.

“Whoa, Norm! Didn’t see you there,” Betty exclaims, steadying herself.

“Sorry, Betty,” Norm replies, snapping back to reality. “I didn’t see you either.”

She raises an eyebrow and glances at her Pip-Boy. “It’s pretty late to be out for a walk, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I was just, uh, walking a friend home,” Norm says, trying to sound casual as a faint blush creeps up his cheeks.

Betty’s eyes narrow slightly, a knowing look crossing her face. “I’ve noticed you and (Y/N)  have been spending quite a bit of time together lately.”

Norm shifts uncomfortably, not wanting to reveal too much. “Yeah, we’ve been hanging out. She’s good company.”

Betty smiles, but there’s a hint of something more in her expression. “That’s nice to hear. It’s important to find good company these days. Just remember, people are always watching. It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re with someone special.”

“Thanks, Betty. I’ll keep that in mind,” Norm replies, feeling a bit uneasy as he continues down the hallway, Betty’s words lingering in his mind.

[writing-for-life]

Hob Gadling’s Involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade between the 16th and 19th Century

The Fallacy of (clumsily written) Racial Reconciliation or: Is show/Hob really different from comics!Hob

I originally wrote this a while back as a reply to someone else’s post, but since we’ve been discussing “Men of Good Fortune” (comics) and “The Sound of Her Wings” (Netflix) in our community over the past weeks, I’ve expanded on a few points of my original thoughts.

This post discusses difficult topics, systemic racism, questions of social (in)justice and problematic angles in writing. If that’s not your thing, this is the exit sign…

A question that comes up quite frequently is the following:

Is show!Hob different from comics!Hob?

Hob’s conversation with Dream in 1789 (and not just 1789) in the show has been significantly altered (compared to the comics), and it makes it tempting to believe this somehow makes him different regarding the more problematic side of his character.

In the comics, we have a bit of dialogue in 1789 that shows how deeply involved in the slave trade Hob was: “I sort of started it,” said with a hint of, dare I say, pride? And then brushing off Dream’s concerns by saying, “It’s a living.” Twice.

(They changed this to, “It’s just how it’s done”, and a shrug in the show.)

And it’s true: If this had been integrated into the show, it would have painted him in an even worse light. However, I personally think it was the wrong move to leave it out (Ferdinand Kingsley carefully voiced something along those lines as well btw). Because now the show pushed Hob’s whole involvement in the slave trade much more into the direction of, “Oopsie.”

Can we truly take leaving out the above dialogue as a hint that Hob might be a better person in the show? I’d like to really reflect on that--leaving out those comments can’t make him a better person. Even if we change his arc slightly and he “wasn’t that involved.” You’re involved, or you aren’t. There is no, “I tried a bit of slave trading and decided it wasn’t for me.” One could even argue it makes the angle of the show more problematic because it makes the slave trade a “little blip” in his timeline. Things like that can’t be a blip. I personally think the writers made a mistake here, but that’s obviously just my opinion.

If there wasn’t enough space in the show to expand on it (which I get for a side character), I feel they should have left out the slavery arc completely instead of keeping, but then minimising it (that might sound contradictory, but it only does if you don’t look at it too closely). It already didn't sit right with me 30 years ago to use slavery as a side note for showing a white person’s character development without properly examining the damage caused, and it still doesn't sit right with me now. It makes the plight of PoC a plot vehicle to centre white people’s guilt, and I always thought that’s a blind spot only white people have (and I’m white myself, to get that out of the road straightaway).

I’m not saying it couldn’t or shouldn’t have been used narratively. Or that you can’t show remorse and atonement/redemption for the most heinous acts (that’s not the same as forgiveness—I’ll get to that). Or that characters who have committed said acts are irredeemable. But it would have needed to be fleshed out instead of making it a comment in passing. Many books and movies do exactly that. But the point is that it’s never been fleshed out.

“But they had to shorten and streamline it…”—just no. Because to me (and ofc people are free to disagree), that exactly proves the point—centring the white guy while sidelining the people who suffer. I am a bit doubtful we’ll get anything remotely appropriate in the show after what we’ve already seen. Only time will tell, so I’m withholding final judgment at this point. Fact is: It is uncomfortable to watch for people with any sensitivity on the matter.

And yet, there is a lot of focus on leaving out Hob voicing his regret in 1889, since that (again) “would have painted him in a better light.”

While simultaneously regularly failing to mention that he proudly proclaimed he “invented” the triangle trade. Can we really pick and choose his traits like that? Hob is a materialistic opportunist who also has some regrets. That doesn’t mean he can’t exist as a character, or that we’re not allowed to like him (morally grey characters are often the most compelling ones). We don’t need to sanitise him though, or try to erase his problematic traits from canon. The same goes for other characters (yes, I’m looking at you, Dream, and I’m sure we’ll get to that very soon—in fact, we’re possibly starting tomorrow 🫣). If we are talking about Hob’s remorse, we are probably mostly thinking about Sunday Mourning, so I need to bring in issue #73 at this point (this is your spoiler warning if you don’t want to read ahead).

The Fallacy of Racial Reconciliation

Very plainly:

A black woman is used as a vehicle to forgive Hob. And said black woman has been written by a white male author for that sole purpose without giving her anything else to do. I personally think NG got that wrong. It was clumsy and insensitive to POC, and I really hope they change this for the show. It’s a fact that he really wasn’t good with writing black female characters in the whole run—they all get fridged in one way or another, and he even admits it in the Sandman Companion. And then turns around and basically implies that it's all okay now because “nothing bad” happens to Gwen once Morpheus is dead. She is allowed to be a vehicle for the character development of a white guy though. It’s just really insensitive, and I sincerely hope they don't put it in the show this way. And I’m glad that we're seeing hints it might not happen--at least the casting in the show hints at it (from Lucienne, Death and Rose to very likely turning Carla into a white man—we already met Carl, and that’s who he is IMHO).

There is also the not so small fact that Hob is, even in his guilt and shame (shame is always about yourself, and that’s actually very in keeping with his character), not honest with Gwen. The thing about him basically inventing the triangle trade, which he so proudly proclaimed in 1789?

The English who were so good at it? The “Jack” Hawkins he talked about in 1789? That’s actually this dude:

And Hob funded him 200 years before 1789, and enabled Hawkins. Hob was involved in what became the transatlantic slave trade well before 1789–he already funded it when he had money in the 1500s.

He carried that mindset around with him for literal hundreds of years and saw nothing wrong with it until at least (! more about that in a sec) 1789. Dream had to rub his nose in it, otherwise it wouldn’t even have occurred to him (or did it, and he just chose to ignore it--see below).

Hob has been written as a stand-in for humanity, British Imperialism and England over the centuries—with all that entails.

So how honest is he with Gwen? And how long, even after 1789, was he still involved, even after abolition in England (Somerset vs. Stewart declared slavery unlawful in England in 1772, but that wasn't true for the rest of the British Empire. Buying and selling slaves was only made illegal in 1807, while owning slaves only became unlawful with the Abolition Act of 1833, and it took another year to buy out slave owners to actually make it happen)? Because there’s still this:

“It got worse when they did [outlaw the slave trade]. You only needed one voyage in three to make a profit. You could afford to dump your cargo if… you spotted a British Man o’ War.” How does he know? Why does he have these nightmares? We can take a guess…

That’s not someone who tried it for a couple of weeks and then thought, “Sorry, my bad.” That’s someone who has been opportunistically involved from the 1500s and potentially until after slavery was unlawful in England, which it already was when he talked to Dream in 1789. So does his feigned ignorance of, "It's a living/It's how it's done?" really hold? Especially if he potentially kept going, even after that convo with Dream? When I wrote "between the 16th and 19th Century" in the header, that's exactly what I meant...

Guilt and Shame

Yes, what we see above and in all the other panels is guilt and shame. And it reminded me of this:

And I’d encourage everyone to really listen to what Jasper has to say, and sit with the feelings it brings up. Because I can still remember watching this in the George Floyd aftermath for the first time, and how deeply uncomfortable it made me—because he’s right.

Black people/PoC do not need to forgive and absolve white people from their guilt. They can if they wish to, but that’s their choice, not ours. It’s not for white people to absolve other white people from their guilt around the oppression of PoC. And that’s why it could be argued it’s not for white people to write a black character to do that in their stead either (they can of course, but then they need to live with the fact that people will call them tone-deaf). It could also be argued it is something that cannot be forgiven retrospectively, and white people need to be okay with that. It can only be worked on in the present with a view to the future. And as Jasper also so rightly points out:

The guilt is not even helpful (at least Gwen has the right sentiment there, but it’s still falls incredibly flat over all), and shame only centres ourselves.

Forgiveness vs Redemption

Hob Gadling's regrets don't make everything he did forgivable. I think it actually does the story a disservice if that’s our main takeaway, because this is truly one of the bits of The Sandman that’s written in an extremely tone-deaf manner. NG isn’t the first author who did this, but we can take something good and helpful from this, and that’s engaging with these questions instead of brushing them under the carpet—because that’s what literary analysis is about.

It should be clear that I do see Hob Gadling as narratively important because I see him as a stand-in for humanity, and more specifically, English history. And there is really so much to learn from that.

Writers can get things narratively right but still be emotionally tone-deaf due to their own blind-spots. We don’t need to assume malice, but we also don’t need to leave it entirely unchallenged.

And because of that, we can certainly see Hob as someone who has to live with his conscience, and the consequences of his actions, for the rest of his life and struggles with that (as he should). And maybe we can see him as someone who is now, finally, trying to do the work. Because that is what atonement and redemption actually mean:

Taking action to rectify past wrongs. Actively working against the harm once caused, and preventing it from ever happening again. And I hope that’s what he does, and the signs are there (but there are also still signs that he values covering up his immortality higher than e.g. telling Gwen the truth. And we can find a million excuses for why that is, but ultimately, none of them truly matter).

However, it is not the same as forgiveness from the people we have wronged. Forgiveness is not a prerequisite to redemption, although it can be a part of it if the person who has been wronged chooses to extend it. But the people Hob wronged are dead, while their descendants still need to live with the pain people like Hob caused to this very day. So while I don’t see him as irredeemable, I don’t think he needs to, or even can, be forgiven—especially not by black people (unless they choose to. But it is also fine if they don’t, and again, we need to be okay with that). And we could say, “But Gwen chose to.” To that, I say:

I wonder what Gwen would have said if he had been truly honest with her (which he wasn’t, see below panels). That wouldn’t have been an embrace is my guess…

[cosmicluci]

Weird rant-y post, because I was just thinking about it.

But you know International Crimes? They’ve been a sadly very recent topic, showing up on the news a lot. They appear in fiction all the time. People talk about them.

They are Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, and Crimes of Aggression. They’re also the crimes tried by the International Criminal Court, and defined in the Rome Statute. We’ve all heard about them.

The thing that annoys and concerns me is that a whole lot of people tend to mix them up, and I think it’s important to know the differences.

First, Crimes of Aggression are basically starting a war. One country attacking another country. That’s different from War Crimes, but I’ll talk about those later.

Big confusion people make is between Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity:

Genocide is acts taken purposefully to destroy in whole or in part a group. The international definition lists National, Ethnic, Racial, and Religious groups, but based on a consideration made during one of the trials in the ICTR all the way back in 1998, about the spirit of that law, it’s reasonable to consider it as encompassing any group that is similarly “Stable and Permanent”. This means it does necessarily include, say, regional groups, disabled people, and any part or all of the LGBTQ+ community. But it is purposefully about destroying a group, and it is always directed and specific.

Crimes Against Humanity, on the other hand, is about widespread and/or systematic attacks directed at a civilian population. This doesn’t always require specific intent, and it can be a lot more generalized. It also includes political persecution, and group persecution that isn’t necessarily about destruction. Apartheid is a Crime Against Humanity.

An important detail is that in no way is a Crime Against Humanity less severe, less heinous, less serious, than a Genocide. They’re both heinous. They’re often at equal levels of horror. Heck, a Crime Against Humanity can often have its own special types of cruelty. This is where you most commonly (though not exclusively) get state-sanctioned torture, or oppression lasting for decades or even hundreds of years. So let’s also not treat this as a lesser crime. It’s super duper not.

The next big difference is that Genocide and CAH are not War Crimes. I’ve seen a lot of people calling them that, or saying that people convicted for Genocide and CAH were convicted for war crimes. This one is troubling because it also creates the mistaken impression that those things happen in war, or that they’re always tied to war. That’s a HUGE mistake. As much as they’re often covered up with war, or people use war as an opportunity or justification to commit those crimes, they can just as much happen when there’s no war. And even when there is a war, those crimes don’t favor or are necessary for a war effort (of course, the perpetrators do like framing it as such, but we really shouldn’t put a lot of trust into what perpetrators say to justify their atrocities).

War Crimes are acts committed in violation of the rules about means and methods, and about protected persons, places, and objects, in a context of armed conflict. That’s a specific set of rules. This is also different from starting the war. A country can technically start an aggressive war (Crime of Aggression) and not commit war crimes, just as a country can take part in a war legally (for example, in self defense), but take actions that constitute War Crimes.

Another quick detail is that an act can be more than one thing. And similar acts taken in different contexts can be different crimes.

I doubt anyone will read this post, or read it this far. But if someone does, keep all of this in mind when looking at real world news. Israel, for example, hasn’t committed a Crime of Aggression against Palestine, but is committing Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes, and Genocide. Some of those for way longer than the current conflict. Russia, on the other hand, committed a Crime of Aggression, and I’d argue all the others as well (long story about Genocide. We don’t usually hear about that, or about the hate rhetoric coming from Russia about Ukraine. Won’t go into it now. But there’s some troubling evidence that there very much is also a Genocide there).

Also think about it when we see it in fiction! Thanos in the MCU didn’t commit a genocide. His attack was generalized, unspecific, and undirected. He killed indiscriminately. It’s a Crime Against Humanity (or, I guess, in that case, not humanity? Maybe a Crime Against Sentiency. Not a Genocide, though).

In Star Wars, the Empire commits multiple genocides (in that case, a planetary group can be considered), as well as Crimes Against Sentiency in its oppression of populations. The Jedi Purge was a genocide as well. Meanwhile, we see Republic forces committing War Crimes (such as when they use the tactic of false surrender to lull CIS forces into a massacre, or the use of an enslaved army, or the recruitment of children), and even Genocide against the Geonosians. We do also have CIS forces committing international (or…interplanetary?) crimes, mind you. Especially Crimes Against Sentiency, attacking and oppressing civilian populations, or War Crimes as they use torture.

In Star Trek DS9, when the Cardassians enact a systematic and widespread oppression of the Bajorans, that’s a Crime Against Sentiency. But when they decide they should exterminate them, that’s Genocide. The Dominion trying to exterminate Cardassians is also Genocide. And when the Romulans hid weapons in their hospital base, that’s a War Crime.

[catindabag]

TBOSAS on Crack short take (69)

*Code names are for losers*

Festus: Yo, guys-

Lysistrata: Not now, Creed.

Festus: Just hear me out.

Sejanus: Bro, be quiet. Someone might hear us.

Festus: It’s very important.

Coryo: No. We’re going to do our history homework today-

Festus: Really, Coryo? Inside the school gymnasium?

Coryo: Unfortunately.

Festus: But you could always finish that stupid paper tomorrow-

Coryo: Professor Demigloss said that whoever passes their homework first gets a day off from school.

Festus: But it’s the middle of the night and we are about to commit a crime against Dr. Gaul!

Coryo: Creed, calm down. It’s not the end of the world. We’re just here to steal that crazy woman’s plans for this year’s Hunger Games.

Festus: Which is a crime! A dangerous crime!

Coryo: That we’ve all agreed to commit together.

Sejanus: And forever.😍

Io: I’m so excited! This is my first time committing such a heinous act! I feel so rebellious-

Vipsania: Don’t say that word. It’s forbidden.

Io: Rebellious.☺️

Vipsania: *gasp* She said it again!

Coryo: We’ll be fine.

Festus: But still!

Coryo: I don’t care. I’m getting that day off with my boyfriend.

Sejanus: Me and Coryo are going to go on a super secret romantic date. Afterwards, we’re going to-

Lysistrata: F*ck.

Sejanus: Obviously.

Coryo: This is why we shouldn’t finish each other’s sentences.

Festus: You two are going on a secret romantic date without me?!

Coryo: Fortunately.

Festus: But I want to go on that date too!

Hilarius: Can I join? I wanna take some cute candid photos of Coryo-

Coryo: Ew. No. Go away.

Hilarius: I’ll give you 20 bucks.

Coryo: Not enough.

Festus: How about we all go on a double date instead!

Coryo: A double date with who?

Festus: With me and Percy-

Hilarius: And me!😀

Sejanus: No! My Snowy and I need our ✨alone time✨ too!

Coryo: We’re going to-

Felix: F*ck. We know.

Festus: But I wanna go on a date with you guys!😫

Felix: Bro, lower your voice. No one knows we’re here, remember?

Festus: But-

Androcles: Shhhh! Do you hear that?

Coryo: Hear what?

Androcles: I think I heard someone or something squeaking-

Festus: That’s just my precious Odysseus.

Androcles: Who’s Odysseus?

Festus: My freaky pet rat.

Vipsania: Creed, I told you not to bring your ugly fat rat to school!

Festus: Sickle, my bro, don’t be like that. My Ody just wanted to run around and get some fresh air. That’s all.

Vipsania: Not inside the school gymnasium! I workout, eat, and sleep here for Panem’s sake!

Felix: Ney Ney, why do you even live here? Last time I checked, you and your super buff family live in a huge luxurious house that looks like a gym.

Vipsania: Yeah. However, my very competitive and delusion mother kicked me out last year.😞

Felix: Why? What did you do?

Vipsania: She thinks that I’m an enemy of the state for having more track and field medals than her. So she kicked me out.

Gaius: That’s wild, bro.

Domitia: Girl, your mother’s insane.

Hilarius: My parents kicked me out too. Now I live in a dumpster with Creed and his rats.😊

Festus: You don’t even pay rent.😒

Hilarius: I will. . . Someday.

Pup: How the mighty have fallen.

Florus: Sorrows and prayers.

Hilarius: Thanks-

Florus: Not you, Heavensbee. I’m giving my condolences to Ney Ney.

Vipsania: I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I still have my auntie Sickle.

Festus: Anyways-

Coryo: Babe, what’s the answer to question 7?

Sejanus: Read it for me, my love.😍

Coryo: Who is the current mayor of District 2?

Sejanus: Mr. Rocky Rock O’Rolly.

Coryo: Thanks, Babe.

Lysistrata: Is he a good person?

Sejanus: Mr. O’Rolly is not even a person. He’s just a piece of rock.

Lysistrata: Like literally?

Sejanus: He’s very solid.

Lysistrata: So a piece of rock is currently the mayor of District 2.

Sejanus: He’s been the mayor since we were in grade school.

Gaius: And nobody said anything?!

Dennis: Bro, where did your people even find Mr. Rocky Rock O’Rolly?

Sejanus: A random hobo found him “sitting” inside a cave 4 days before the election.

Urban: Who the f*ck would vote for a piece of rock?

Sejanus: Don’t judge my District! They’re trying their best!

Urban: To ruin their lives!

Coryo: Canville, shut up. We don’t have the right to judge them.

Urban: I can judge whoever I want!

Coryo: We literally voted a fluffy fat cat to be our official Capitol Mayor a few months ago.

Urban: But to be fair, Boa Bell is a good Mayor.

Sejanus: Mr. Rocky Rock O’Rolly is also a good Mayor, Ban Ban!

Urban: Is he cute?

Sejanus: No. He’s an ugly rock.

Urban: Can he respond back to you?

Sejanus: No.😞

Urban: That’s what I thought.

Pup: But don’t forget, the true leaders of Panem are a bunch of dogs.

Felix: They’re not just an ordinary bunch of dogs though. They’re-

Pup: A “sacred” pack of Bichon Frisé puppies. We get it.

Clemensia: Pup, does it bother you that your father is taking orders from a literal fur baby?

Pup: No. He loves it.

Festus: But seriously, guys-

Everyone: Creed, no.

Festus: Creed, yes!

Coryo: Ugh. Fine! Fire away.

Festus: Yey! So I was thinking-

Persephone: We’re now thinking?

Festus: No, not really. But since we’re going to stop the Hunger Games forever and save our Tributes from killing each other, we should start with creating our ✨code names✨.

Coryo: Code names?

Festus: Yeah! Code names like Class Pres-

Felix: “Class Pres” is not a code name, Creed. It’s short for Class President.

Festus: Yeah, right. Whatever you say, Class Pres.

Io: I’m with Creed on this one. Having code names are fun!

Juno: For what?

Io: For ✨Operation Felix✨!

Livia: Ew. Code names are for losers. I’m going with ✨Sparkly Sparkly 123✨.

Festus: That’s too long. Make it shorter.

Livia: Fine.🙄 I’m ✨Hot Pink✨.

Palmyra: I’m Monty-

Festus: No. you can’t have “obvious” code names.

Palmyra: Ok. I’m Palmyra-

Festus: Ugh! You guys are so bad at this.

Palmyra: But I’m Palmyra Monty-

Festus: I’ve decided that I’ll be the one to give you guys your code names.

Felix: That’s not fair-

Festus: Felix, you’ll be Hello Kitty.

Felix: I do love Hello Kitty.

Festus: Coryo, you’re Cabbage Soup.

Coryo: What?!

Festus: Sejanus, you’ll be Sugar Daddy.

Sejanus: Coryo’s sugar daddy.🥰

Festus: Palmyra, you’ll be Deadly Pie.

Palmyra: I’m Monty-

Festus: Livia, we all know you’re Hot Pink.

Livia: Obviously.

Festus: Florus, you can be Introvert John.

Florus: That- that actually makes sense.

Festus: Jasper, you’ll be Nuclear Lover.

Io: Ok!😊

Festus: Urban-

Urban: No.

Festus: You’re Anger Issues.

Urban: F*ck you.

Festus: Percy, you’re-

Persephone: Cannibal.☺️

Festus: No.

Coryo: She’s Cannibal, Creed. Deal with it.

Festus: Fine. Dennis, you’ll be Illegal Man Juan.

Dennis: Nice!

Festus: Iphigenia, you’re Super Mart.

Iphigenia: Isn’t that obvious?

Festus: Fine. You can be Skeletor.

Iphigenia: But-

Festus: Apollo, you’ll be Sunshine Valley.

Apollo: Yey!

Festus: Diana-

Diana: I’m Moony!

Festus: Ok. Ney Ney, you’re Buff Baby.

Vipsania: I can live with that.

Festus: Pup, you’ll be Commando Sleeper.

Pup: Cool.

Festus: Juno, you’re-

Juno: Princess Peach.

Festus: Princess B*tch?

Juno: Princess Peach, dumbass!

Festus: Fine! You’re Princess Witch! Happy?!

Juno: Like I care.🙄

Festus: Hilari, you’re-

Hilarius: Queen Bee! I’ll be Queen Bee!

Festus: Fine. Gaius, you’ll be-

Gaius: Zoolander!

Felix: That doesn’t make sense.

Gaius: My family owns the zoo.

Felix: That still doesn’t make sense-

Festus: Zoolander it is.

Gaius: That’s right!

Festus: Andie, you’ll be Catch Me If You Can.

Androcles: Nice!

Festus: Tia, you’re-

Domitia: Cheese Maiden!

Festus: Why?

Domitia: My family sells cheese.

Festus: Your family sells milk-

Domitia: And the best cheese.

Festus: Right. Arachne, you’re- Where’s Arachne?

Coryo: She’s asleep.

Festus: Good. She’ll be Spoon On My Nose.

Clemensia: She won’t like that-

Festus: She’s Spoon On My Nose. End of story.

Clemensia: She’ll kill you.

Festus: She won’t. Clemmie, you’ll be Blood Orange.

Clemensia: I rather be-

Festus: Blood Orange, do you copy?

Clemensia: Copy?

Festus: Good! Lizzie, you’ll be Droug Deleour-

Lysistrata: That��s too obvious! Call me something else.

Festus: Drug Delecour?

Lysistrata: Let’s stick with Droug Deleour. I’m Droug Deleour.

Felix: How about you, Creed? What’s your code name?

Festus: I’m-

Livia: Garbage?

Juno: Dumbass!

Dennis: Rat Boy!

Coryo: Cheesecake!

Sejanus: Burger!

Festus: No! I’m Eagle One!

Everyone: Heck, no!

Festus: Fine. I’ll go with Garbage Man 123.😔

[tvlipsandbread]

My take on church hurt as a Christian: there’s this guy on TikTok, and all his videos have #exchristian, and his bio states “agnostic- atheist” so you can guess what his videos are about. He posted something that I lowk agreed with and I went to the comments, someone said “bro’s entire personality is being an exchristian” as an insult which is crazy to me. Do we realize that when this happens we’re partially, if not fully at fault?. Imagine your entire being is used to hate something or someone that you don’t even believe in, there must be a lot of hurt for that to happen. We hurt him, we hurt them. “You worship God not the people in the church” I agree, but it’s obvious that the people in the church play a huge role, it’s obvious that if there’s a judgmental, toxic environment that person will pull away, if you disagree don’t even bother to say anything because you don’t have the level iq needed for basic reasoning. God literally sent Jesus (a human!!) to act as a bridge between Him and us. I’m really tired, like really sick and tired of seeing this happen. When was spreading the gospel ever meant to be discrediting someone’s beliefs in order enforce yours? Never! That’s not what we’re supposed to do, does that not sound like dictatorship??. All we can do is share our beliefs and faith, not aggressively shove it down a throat, live by example, whether someone decides to convert or accept our beliefs is not our problem, it’s theirs and God’s. I’ll forever remember the time a close friend of mine shared why they pulled away from the religion, and just religion in general, the way she was treated, treated like?? Like she was dirty and needed cleansing, treated like she committed the most heinous crime and needed the sin beat out of her, all because she just doesn’t like boys the way I do😐. Glad to say that she hasn’t seen anyone from that congregation in two years. Time for us to be better

[violetlunette]

How most writers write redemption arcs (namely males in romance): I know he’s a murderer, a tyrant, a possible rapist, and more, but you have to understand that he was sad in the past. Therefore, I will make the protagonist a sweet, naive young thing whose purity and love make him act lovingly to her alone. And once he admits he cares about her, we’ll just forget all those nasty little things he did. At most, I'll have him do little things like not kicking a puppy to show he's "changed." And if anyone calls him out or tries to hold him accountable, I’ll have the story treat them as a villain and try to make them worse than the hero. Happy ending for the couple/family!

OR

Okay, this guy is horrible, but I like him. Therefore, I’ll make him an asshole, but I’ll play up his love for the protagonist and have him do the awful things he does for her, so it’ll all be okay. We'll just hand wave that nasty stuff that any sane person would go to an abuse hotline for.

How I write redemption arcs: Yeah, this fucker has work to do. His past will explain why he did the shit he did and will show where he needs to change and how. It will NOT be used as an excuse or justification for what he did. He will be held accountable for his actions and will have to face them head-on and realize what ass he was. HE will have to make amends. HE will have to do the work to make up for his crimes. (And I mean WORK. None of that bare minimum crap.) And no, no one will be considered an asshole for calling out the bastard for the shit he did. And the protagonist will NOT be the one solely responsible for his change. That is NOT her job, especially if she is a child. She may choose to guide him, and if he strays, she will not tolerate it or go, “Oh, poor baby’s past made him commit heinous crimes.” Nor will she go, “If I act cute, maybe he’ll love me,” as that is a horrible lesson to present about abusers. And loving just the protagonist will NOT be enough as he has to come to care for people in general. The lead will just be the first to open the door. This person WILL change and, while he may not get the fairy tale happily ever after and may even die, he will be a better person by the end.

OR

Fuck it, I like him as an amoral guy. However, I won’t waste everyone’s time pretending he’s not. His actions will be shown as heinous and that, even if he loves the protagonist, he’s not a good person. Speaking of the protagonist, if she falls into the trap of thinking she can change him by being supportive even when he’s awful without consequences I will write her as a tragic person unable to see the red flags or escape. Or I will show how her willful ignorance and unwillingness to do something is wrong. Regardless, this romance will NOT be glorified in any way.

[pinktwingirl]

Hi. I’m Israeli, I saw a few of your posts and I would like to share my perspective with you.

You talk a lot about Zionism as an ideology, but I think it’s important to distinguish between the ideology itself and what is being done today.

Zionism is an ideology that states that Jews have a right for self determination in their own state. A lot of it is rooted in religion, but a large part of it was a response to Jewish persecution in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Being a minority you are essentially helpless when people decide to pillage you or treat you like a second class citizen (and yes, that also happened to Jews in North Africa and the Middle East) when you have your own state, you can at least defend yourself.

Just like any other group of people can strive for self determination (including Palestinians) so can Jews. It’s not just a matter of being secluded from others, or being elitist, it’s a matter of insuring your own security as much as you can as a people.

Zionism is not an evil ideology. You can maybe argue that the way it was achieving its goal is evil, but by that logic you can also argue that Palestinians are evil since they had also committed heinous acts against Jews in this land way before the invention of Zionism and even before they defined themselves as Palestinians.

Zionism is also very tied to Judaism. The longing for returning to “the homeland” is referenced throughout countless Jewish texts in the diaspora, again, way before the invention of Zionism.

There are some sects of Judaism that are against it, but saying “hey, Judaism and Zionism are completely detached!” Is I’d say… incorrect. Like to a point where the overwhelming majority of practicing Jews have some sort of Zionist views.

So about the situation today. in an ideal world, I believe that Palestinians have a right for self determination as much as we do. Saying Zionism is just like this evil, western colonial power, whose sole purpose is to harm and torture Palestinians is very very incorrect.

Thanks for reading, have a nice day 🙏🏽

This is gonna take me a whole essay to respond to so I’m gonna do y’all a favor and put a cut below feel free to read more if you want

If Zionism were purely about “Jewish self-determination”, that would be one thing. However, the reality is that the ideology of Zionism is inseparable from anti-Arab racism and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The argument you are making only works if you are operating under the assumption that Palestine was an empty piece of land before it was settled by Israelis, which is a notion that many Zionists have tried to push, hence the Zionist slogan: “A land without a people for a people without a land.” However, this is not true. There were always people living in Palestine, and there is no way that an exclusively Jewish state could have existed there without systematically murdering them and expelling them from their land. If you go back and read the texts of the original Zionist leaders, they make it explicitly clear that this was their objective from the very beginning. Ilan Pappe’s book “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” documents this extensively. I’ll include a few excerpts here. This is Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion’s second in command Moshe Sharett explaining how he wanted to pay off villagers to leave in order to “reduce the number of Arabs” in Palestine:

This is the description of “Plan Dalet”, which was explicitly designed to drive out Palestinians and murder whoever remained:

This is David Ben-Gurion explicitly saying that even 40% “non-Jews” (aka Arabs) in Palestine was unacceptable:

This is an example of how Plan Dalet was carried out in the village of Deir Yassin (tw: murder, sexual assault, this is extremely graphic)

While to some, Zionism might seem like a nice idea, in practice, it requires murder and systematic cruelty towards the Palestinian population that is continuing to this day. This is why people are opposed to it. It has nothing to do with religion or antisemitism; it is because people can very plainly see that the occupation and genocide it has caused is morally wrong. To quote Dr. Gabor Mate on why he is no longer a Zionist: “Yes, we created this beautiful dream, but we created a nightmare for somebody else.”

I don’t know what percentage of the Jewish population are Zionists, but I think the fact that there is such a strong Jewish anti-Zionist community is proof enough that Zionism should not be linked to Judaism. In fact, you could even argue that saying so is antisemitic because it implies that every single Jewish person is complicit in Israel’s war crimes, which is not true. Furthermore, I strongly believe that many Jewish Zionists subscribe to the ideology because they have been told lies and propaganda about the creation of Israel. It is very evident that Israel is going out of its way to cover up its crimes against Palestinians (i.e. outlawing mentioning the Nakba, planting trees over destroyed Palestinian villages to make it look like nothing was ever there, etc.) I think more Jewish people would have second thoughts about Zionism if they knew the truth behind the ideology.

As for the notion that the military occupation and apartheid of Palestinians is somehow “necessary” for Jewish safety, I would say that this is not only untrue but also makes no sense. Violence is inherently necessary to run a military state and keep a population under an occupation, and violence is always going to beget more violence, which is the exact opposite of the “safe utopia” that Israel strives to depict itself as. Think about it: if you were in a Palestinian’s shoes, would you not do exactly what they are doing? If you were born under a military occupation where you were routinely at risk of being bombed and having your home stolen by settlers, would you not resist by any means necessary, even if it meant resorting to violence? At the end of the day, the only difference between you and a Palestinian is luck in where you were born - that’s it. Safety is not achieved by oppressing others. Safety is achieved with peace and respect for others. I am not against Israelis living in Palestine. But there is no reason why Palestinians need to be ethnically cleansed for that to happen. People of different religions coexisted in Palestine before Israel; there is no reason why that can’t happen again. The more Israelis that realize ending the occupation is in their best interest, the faster the violence will end. It really is that simple.

[palfriendpatine66]

Do you like watching/ reading about true crime? Or do you find it disrespectful?

This feels leading considering my current wip is a serial killer au but I’ll bite.

I hope you came expecting an en promptu lecture based on the time your Pal spent (wasted) studying Criminal Justice, based solely on my general knowledge from the time and not drawing from specific sources. Buckle up!

True Crime as a genre comes out of the average person’s fascination/horror of acts of violence as they seek to understand how these events happen and why. That’s a pretty natural reaction to “unfathomable” acts - trying to make sense out of it, seeking the details of what has happened and why. The following is not any condemnation of that reaction or desire or anyone who does consume true crime content.

It’s my opinion that media turns that need/desire into an entertainment factor that doesn’t help anyone*. Not victims and families, not relatives of perpetrators or suspects, not the general public in any way. It’s actually the opposite of helpful: it’s dangerous in that it gives others (killers/potential killers/criminals/the very alienated and disenfranchised) the message “Look - people will remember you. They will remember what you did. They will be in awe and fear of you and talk about you for years to come.” This isn’t a huge factor/motivator for all serial killers, but can be for some, and has proven to be very influential in mass shootings (think: American school shootings)

*extremely notable difference being America’s Most Wanted, which didn’t focus on the dramatic retelling of events but presented facts of open cases and the information authorities had on those wanted in connection with the crimes, asking viewers to call their tip lines with any information they had on fugitives, that led to over one thousand arrests.

THAT BEING SAID I consume and enjoy crime dramas. While the prevalence of graphic violence leading to desensitization is a whole other thing - I personally feel like exploring these dark themes through fiction is much different than watching real people interviewed about the details of real cases. I think that exploring how people can come to the point where they commit heinous acts belongs in fiction, and it’s okay to channel the interest and fascination and fear and horror and everything else that’s rolled up in it in works of fiction. It’s also where some people can feel better about the dangers of the world by siding with the “heroes” of the stories there to solve clues and crack the case and put the bad guys away, to stand between us regular folks and the scary criminals that, yeah, exist out in the real world for sure but also are a stand in for our own collective fears and horrors.

Um, I’m sorry for the long winded answer but also not really sure how to respond more succinctly. Does this answer your question? I’ll respond to good faith questions about how these feelings relate to me writing about serial killer obikin if desired, but I’ll also leave a friendly reminder that if you (anyone) find this type of story disrespectful than please don’t read it.

[insanepoll]

harrowhark nonagesimus propaganda masterpost! i’ll update after each round

[ID: white slide with a picture of harrowhark nonagesimus on the centre. on top of her, reads, “she gave herself a diy lobotomy and the whole second book is us being gaslit about what we read in the first book because she is narrating and she is insane,” and, “What do you do when you, from a young age, regularly hallucinate the tortured soul of the Earth given physical form and occasionally forget your own name when the Earth’s soul fronts in your intricate DID system and then you commit the most heinous act of blasphemy conceivable? Well. You become a tragic goth lesbian and give yourself a lobotomy.” /End ID.]

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

Throughout the month of December, I’m going to be making several Exile Arc essays to explore my favourite arc in all of media, ever, and as a celebration of its two year anniversary! This essay is about hypothesising what Dream wanted Tommy as an ally for. Obviously, everything here is to do with the RP characters. Discussion of abuse in detail is inevitable, along with suicide, kidnapping, torture, mental health issues, and self harm, so be warned. And without further adieu, onto the essay!

——

While Exile Arc as a whole is a massively impactful part of Dream and Tommy's stories, and one that can’t be overstated, it’s also a very mysterious one to some degree. What happened is common knowledge, and easily accessible by watching the streams, but something that isn’t is motivation.

Even Tommy himself is somewhat unclear here, and an unreliable narrator to himself, denying his own feelings and making errors due to stress, but that’s something that can easily be seen through. But as for Dream… his motives for committing such a heinous, calculated, and prolonged act remain somewhat a mystery.

We know, through confirmation on Twitter, that Dream enjoyed the power trip it gave him, and that he wanted Tommy to think of him as a friend so he could use him as an ally. We see signs that Exile was planned weeks in advance, Dream framing Tommy for crimes, exaggerating the damage on George's house, and pushing for an exile only he seemed to want even before the Spirit thing. So why was Dream so insistent? What did he need Tommy for?

Well, that’s not something I can answer in full without this essay getting extremely long, and I do have something else planned about why Dream targets Tommy specifically and the complexity of their relationship that often goes overlooked. But I do have a theory on what Dream needed an ally for. Actually, I have a few, but there’s one I believe to be the most likely as of the finale streams, and I’ll be exploring my conclusions, the evidence for them, and what I believe this says about Dream, Tommy, Exile, and their arcs as a whole today!

Theories about the purpose of Exile have been floating around since the event itself, and there’s many common ones that have proven to be inaccurate. Some believed it was to get Tommy out of the way or dispose of him, but the fact Dream explicitly wanted him on his side and conditioned him into dependence renders that improbable- why would he make Tommy rely on him if he wanted Tommy out of the way? Others assumed it was for sheer cruelty, but while Exile was cruel and cruelty was part of the point, it was calculated for a goal.

Before the reveal of the Staged Finale, the hypothesis that seemed the most supported was that Dream was going to eventually move Tommy to the prison, due to him seeing him as the key to the server and a useful tool. While the latter bit isn’t entirely inaccurate- I'll be exploring how Dream as a character tends to reveal truths about his worldview accidentally in his lies in a later essay- it has become clear that, at least by the time of the Disc Finale the prison wasn’t for Tommy.

I don’t think it's impossible that Dream considered putting him in there at some point- the fact that the prison was built around the same time as Exile and it containing many of Tommy's known triggers seems a bit too much of a happy accident to be entirely coincidental. Still, I think this is an unlikely reasoning for Exile with the knowledge we have now, though it certainly has more evidence than the first three theories I brought up.

However, once the Staged Finale was revealed, along with confirmation that Dream intended on making Tommy an ally, I started to develop a new theory. Specifically, that Dream wanted Tommy to serve as a spy on the outside while he was in prison. Punz is a good warrior, but is fairly solitary, while Tommy has close ties to the majority of the server and is incredibly perceptive and surprisingly intelligent even if he’s not book smart.

If Tommy played along with the Staged Finale, both he and Punz would have a lot of suspicion off their back, and Tommy would likely be able to influence Sam into making the prison conditions less harsh, along with visiting frequently. Plus, any injuries and damage from Exile- which almost certainly existed, which is something else I plan to cover at some point- would only serve to make the server trust him more, and see him as harmless in a way Punz couldn’t be. If Punz was to be Dream's sword, Tommy would be the dagger.

However, this theory also has problems. Namely, the idea of Dream going through with the Staged Finale if one of the most important variables he needed wasn’t under control like he planned. Dream is often a surprisingly impulsive and reckless character- he's a lot like Tommy, actually!- but he’s also a clever schemer, and would know better than to risk so much when the plan had basically already unravelled at the seams. It’s still not impossible, after all, anyone can make mistakes and it certainly would explain Dream specifically focusing so hard on making Tommy trust him and rely on him, but as of the finale I don’t believe this to be the most likely motivation at this point.

No, what I think Dream wanted is for Tommy to join him on the revival experiments.

You might wonder why I believe that if Punz is already an ally there, but I have several reasons. For one, Punz is in a fairly risky job, and even if he wasn’t there’s safety in redundancy. If there’s two of them, all it takes is two bad accidents to undo everything they’ve done- with three, that’s much less unlikely. In addition, it’d allow them further research that can’t be done with two people- how would their limbos interact? Could they revive each other while in limbo? The possibilities are expanded a great deal, and each one brings them closer to immortality. And, well- Punz is there of his own free will. If he wanted to leave, he could. Meanwhile, Dream had tried to completely erode Tommy's free will in exile. It’d ensure he'd have no way to turn the power against him like Punz theoretically could, and as such Dream could guarantee no matter what he’d always have someone to bring him back.

Now that I’ve established that, what’s the evidence? Well, for one, I think the amount of times Dream's specifically offered Tommy immortality is definitely suspect. While, of course, these are also to torment him, the fact that Dream has used that against him more than anything makes me think it’s more than an idle threat. Specifically, it was Dream and Punz's wording on how they’d kill everyone on the server except those who joined them that made me think this was, in some way, a genuine offer. As later, that whole plan was presumably proven to be a lie (unless Dream didn’t care about destroying the universe if it got him friends), the only reason to say that was specifically to allow Clingyduo a chance to join them.

Secondly, there’s the way Dream treated Tommy's lives. He was uncaring when Tommy took damage, but he was furious at the idea of Tommy taking his own life. The latter reason is obvious- as Tommy stated, Dream doesn’t want him dead for many complicated reasons- but the former is interesting, as it heavily implies that Dream may have been planning to use the revive book if/when Tommy died in exile, which would be a perfect opportunity to hold it over his head as a saviour and to introduce the concept of the experiments to him. Something that wouldn’t work if Tommy WANTED to be dead.

Additionally, this would mesh very logically with the aforementioned Staged Finale theory! It’d be less risky to go ahead with the plan if he was intending on inducting Tommy when he was trapped in lockdown with him due to the prison bombing, though he underestimated how Tommy wouldn't simply fall back into his Exile-era subservience. It’d also mesh with him perhaps staging the finale to make sure eyes were off Punz- both he and Tommy wouldn’t be under suspicion, and they could continue the experiments safely for as long as they needed. And since the prison was used as a lab for these experiments before, it’d make sense if that was part of it the whole time!

While I plan on leaving the impacts of exile on both Dream and Tommy to two separate essays for each of them- because I could go on for hundreds of paragraphs- I think this essay would be incomplete without a small examination of what this theory- if true- would impact their characters.

Dream's very much a character who operates off twisted compassion, and he's basically what could happen if an all-loving hero was warped into something twisted and evil, and I think this would compliment it quite well. Immortality is something he sees as a gift, and as an intensely curious man knowledge is it’s own reward. In his head, “allowing” Tommy into his circle of Gods might seem an act of compassion- but like most of Dream's attempts at helping, it simply causes more pain and suffering.

Meanwhile, Tommy would be facing an even worse fate than expected. After all, Tommy would never want to become a God. He's deeply religious towards Church Prime, and would likely view such a thing as blasphemy- and even if he didn’t, Tommy HATES being in the spotlight. Being important is a curse that has been foisted upon his shoulders, and he’d much rather be invisible than a hero. Being immortal itself as an idea broke Tommy to the point he grew addicted to potions and hid underground for months- but being forced into Godhood, into commiting and being the subject of cruel experiments… there isn’t anything he’d despise more, I don’t think.

Anyway, what are your thoughts? Feel free to share- I love talking about Exile in any context and I’d love to hear other peoples opinions! I hope you enjoyed me talking about my special interest haha.

[sailforvalinor]

At the Residence:

Thiago: *shoveling chocolate ice cream into his mouth* “Soledad left me and I don’t know why…”

Helena: “I’m so sorry…” *silently pining*

Manuel: *pacing the floor* “My dad is alive???”

Bia: *busts down the front door* “Can I please stay here? Please? My parents won’t let me see Manuel and they won’t listen to my point of view and I just cannot STAND being around them anymore.”

Daisy: *trying to work up the courage to confess her feelings* “Um…Pietro? I need to talk to you about something…important…” *chickens out* “What are we having for dinner?”

Pietro: *muttering to himself* “I have this all-consuming belief that everything I’ll try to do will go up in flames and every time I want to do something important I commit a heinous act of self-sabotage just because of my own insecurities, but being aware of my own insecurities isn’t helping, I can’t stop listening to that voice in my head that says I’m going to fail—“

Luan, sitting on the couch and FaceTiming Pixie: *mouths* “help”

[darkcloud-kcalifornia]

Alrighty, finished the first volume of Daemons of the Shadow Realm. This one certainly has an interesting premise, with a boy named Yuru in a rural village in feudal Japan finding out it is not, in fact, feudal times when his village gets slaughtered by paramilitary goons in helicopters. So yeah, modern times. As in “one of the antagonists passes time by playing on their Switch” modern. But that’s not the only traumatic revelation that day. There’s also how his twin sister Asa has been an imposter for the last ten years. And that the real Asa is one of the people attacking the village to try and get him out of there. Oh, and he winds up awakening and gaining command over a pair of spirits called Daemons to protect him from another Daemon user who commands a gigantic set of teeth.

So, you know, he’s having a day.

Still, having the main character not have a clue what’s going on is a classic way of having the audience accept that they don’t know what’s going on either. And it’s not like Yuru is stupid, which I usually find annoying in a protagonist, he’s just ignorant. But rather critically he knows that he’s ignorant about a lot more than he ever thought existed, and at least is trying to figure things out. And I’ll give him credit for realizing he can’t trust the people who took him in, as they’re connected to the village that kept him isolated and ignorant with constant lies all his life, but at the same time he knows he needs somebody to show him how the outside world works and he can’t exactly trust the antagonists either even if one of them is his sister as they’ve shown themselves willing to commit some pretty heinous acts like killing a whole lot of people who probably didn’t deserve it.

So yeah, pretty interesting situation, will probably continue this series at some point.