#if anyone asks questions i will answer it as spoiler free as possible

[cottonlemonade]

Marriage Of Convenience [Part 3]

word count: 1749 || avg. reading time: 8 mins.

pairing: post-time skip!Kuroo x chubby!Reader

genre: fluff, friends to lovers, slow burn, slice of life

warnings: spoilers

synopsis: Marriage is not a big deal, right? Anyone can do it and it comes with a whole lot of benefits! That's why your friend proposes to you one morning with all the elegance and romance of an empty pudding cup.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

The night was exhausting before it even started, but now, one air hockey match and half a wine tasting later, you felt your social battery blinking in alarm. The other couple went back and forth between bickering and focusing all their attention on you and Tetsuro in an attempt to hide their arguments. They were leaning as far away from one another as possible while also resting their elbows on the table to be closer to you, holding onto the conversation like a lifeline. It was very clear they depended on your presence to remain somewhat civil amongst themselves.

“There is this pottery class that I’ve wanted to try out for so long.”, Mrs Maeda said with an all too telling sidelong glare at her husband, “And now that we’ve found another DINK couple we can even do the 6-week course, what do you say? - I’m so happy that you two are finally official. It was so obvious you were in love. I remember telling Satoshi that I knew there was something going on between you last year.”

This was beginning to feel awfully reminiscent of the company dinner where the consensus seemed to have been divided into “never saw that coming, I didn’t even know you guys were dating” and good-natured “oh my god, you were so obvious about it! I was thinking just say it already!”. Tetsuro and you had tried your best then to be polite and not look completely confused about your colleagues and even your boss having suspected you two to be involved. You were doing the same now, but Tetsuro had other questions, “What’s a DINK couple?” He frowned in your direction, hoping you could spare him having to ask the others but Mrs Maeda had overheard and grinned and with a casual wave of her hand she said, “Double income, no kids.”

“Obviously.”, you muttered sarcastically under your breath so only he could hear and Tetsuro pressed his lips together, clearing his throat to hide a chuckle.

“Ah, I see.”

“Unless of course, you are planning to have kids. Or are pregnant already?”

Mrs Maeda looked at you and her eyes insistently flicked down to your belly that sure enough looked plush and round bulging in the sitting position like this and back up to your face as if wanting you to confess. You didn’t feel the need to point out to her that you were on your second glass of wine and chose to answer with another demonstrative sip of alcohol.

She seemed to have noticed the mistake or just didn’t care for a reply when she changed the topic, “Do you guys have pictures of your wedding?” There was no pause for you to possibly answer - she went on, ”I remember ours was so magical. We had two separate wedding singers because I just couldn’t decide and Satoshi only wanted me to have the best. We had a large buffet and a champagne tower like in the movies. Our cake was a simple vanilla sponge with fresh strawberries and a champagne buttercream…”, she trailed off, hands clutched in front of her chest while she stared at a point somewhere near the door, “I wore this elegant dress with a long train and a veil that was clipped into my hair with a tiara. I felt like a princess.”

Mr Maeda plopped an olive into his mouth, not taking part in this stroll down memory lane.

“What was your dress like?”

“We didn’t have a big wedding.”, you said, “We just went down to City Hall.”

“But… the dress…”, the other woman’s shoulders sagged in disappointment.

Luckily, her husband and the overall crumbling economy came to the rescue, “Those weddings are free, right? Very smart. Saving the money for the future and not wasting it all on one silly day.”

Mrs Maeda snapped her head to her husband, a definite twitch in her brow.

“Silly day?”

While the other relationship slowly imploded in front of your eyes, you threw a look to your left and you relaxed a little. At least you had Tetsuro there.

You hailed a taxi just as the rest of the group spilled out of the restaurant behind you, some less sure-footed than others. It was unsurprising that after Mr Maeda’s comment, the mood had turned from awkward to icy, and the last twenty minutes were spent watching two of your colleagues downing significant amounts of wine. With Tetsuro’s assistance, you helped the other couple into the car, waving uncomfortably before signaling for your own ride.

You both sighed in unison as you slid into the backseat and gave the driver your address.

“That was…”

“Yup.”, you said, really emphasizing that p.

“Did you hear, Satoshi said we should do this again as we were leaving.”

“God no!”

He chuckled, nodding.

You looked out the window onto the other cars and city lights going by, deep in thought.

“We’re not gonna be like this, right?”, you asked suddenly.

Tetsuro started, surprised at the question.

“Like what?”

“So… bitter and resentful to each other.”

He offered a small smile and squeezed your hand that rested on the empty seat between you, “Of course not. Don’t worry.”

You returned the gesture, before slipping your left hand out of his warm palm. He pulled his right back to his lap and followed your example of calmly watching the outside pass.

“Are you hungry?”, you asked after a red light, turning to him again. The “dinner” at the wine bar mostly consisted of a few pieces of cheese and olives. You had never made it to the steak course after all.

“Starving.”, he grinned.

“How about pasta? Or - ooh! - curry? Or maybe sushi? Hm, definitely taiyaki, though.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at you and asked with a playful smirk, “Pregnancy cravings?”, then had you join in his laughter when you slapped his arm.

Kuroo felt a familiar itch in his hands as he watched the practice from the sidelines. Hinata sure had grown - maybe not exactly in physical height, but in his abilities. With an almost proud expression, he watched his former rival easily receive spikes and feints his other team members threw at him and all too happily would Kuroo have taken off his suit jacket to join them. But he came with a different agenda.

“Did you see that last one?!”, Bokuto called excitedly as he and Hinata jogged over to him during a short break. The blonde setter joined them curiously, resting his arm on Hinata’s shoulder.

“I did. You’re getting more dangerous by the day.”

Bokuto flexed, very satisfied with his friend’s answer.

“So, not that we’re not pumped to see you, but what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to confirm the dates for the training camp.”

“That could have been a text, bro. Or an email if you wanted it official. Why make the trip?”

“Cause I wanted to see your face in person when I tell you I got married.”, Kuroo shrugged.

Silence.

Then, “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAH!!!” Hinata obviously short-circuited.

“You WHAT?!”, Bokuto yelled.

Kuroo was pleased - definitely worth the two and half hour trip by train.

Although he would have loved to fool his friends a bit longer and maybe even pretend to be deeply hurt that they hadn’t cared enough to come to the wedding, he told them the whole story. There wasn’t much to it other than bureaucratic gain, so they were quickly caught up.

“I didn’t know you could do that.”, Bokuto said thoughtfully, “Just marry someone like that. I thought there’d be a quiz beforehand or something, if you’re compatible and happy and stuff. And how well you know each other.”

Kuroo shook his head. “If you ever get tired of dating you should try it. Saves a lot of taxes, too. Marrying your friend is the best, I’m telling you.”

Atsumu had listened intently and began eyeing his teammates at those last words.

Bokuto and Hinata were already sizing each other up as if silently trying to decide which one of the two would be responsible for the dishes and who for the laundry. The setter turned on the spot, his eyes finally focusing on Sakusa who only stood a few meters away, water bottle in one, phone in the other hand.

He didn’t even look up when he said, “Forget it. We’re not even friends.”

The apartment was already dark when he returned that night and he was careful not to make too much noise when shrugging off his coat and putting away his bag. He flinched when his phone dinged in his pocket and the sound echoed through the hallway. It was a text from you. “Is that you? Did you just get home? Or are we being burglarized rn?”

A smile spread across his face at the thought that you waited up and he walked to your door to knock. Dim light emanated from the narrow gap at the bottom and he opened it when you called for him to enter.

“Hey, how was the trip?”, you asked, clearly tired. Tetsuro leaned in your doorway, hands in his pockets, taking in the sight of you sitting up in your bed with a book on your lap.

“Very good. Bokuto says Hi.”

“Hi back, even though we’ve never met.”

“Should rectify that these days.”, he said more to himself than to you, then added, “I brought you something.”

You sat up a little straighter, most of your fatigue gone. “Is it a puppy?”

“Close. It’s cake. I’ll put it in the fridge for you to have tomorrow.”

“Why wait?”

“You stay in bed.”

“But… but cake. It could feel abandoned, all alone and cold amongst the vegetables and fish.” Your eyes turned round, along with your pout.

“I’ll bring you a fork, alright?”

You nodded excitedly and smiled. “Share it with me?”

“Lemme take a shower first. - I’ll be quick, I promise.”, he said upon seeing more pouting, “And you have to catch me up, okay?” He pointed at the book in your hands, earning a cheerful salute.

With a towel still around his neck to catch any remaining droplets from his damp hair, Tetsuro hopped into your bed next to you, long legs on top of your comforter, cake and two forks in hand. As you detailed the current plot twists of your book between bites he thought again how this marriage thing really was the best decision he had ever made.

art: @freaka_loonyz on Instagram, X, Pinterest and TikTok

taglist: @etsuniiru @nocaffeineallowedtome @princessshart @aldebrana @grassbutneo @melimelisworld @yatoatyourservice

a/n: Thank you to @haikyu-mp4 mp4 for allowing me to talk at her about this continuously. And thank you so much to the people who have been so sweet in the comments and reblogs - it means a lot 🫶🏻

[Part 4]

[lucysarah1875]

Author ma'am please give us some MS spoilers, HCs, deleted scenes, ideas, incorrect quotes, memes, etc. Anything, any crumb, we're starving 😔🙏

Hi love HAHAHA I actually haven't written almost anything lately, I just today got down to write a little bit for the first time in months! So eh, MS Spoiler? I guess? more like a silly scene:

“How do you know so many songs?” Armin asked, almost offended at being outdone.

“It’s called being jobless,” Jean quipped, but judging by the look on her face, she didn’t find that one particularly funny.

“No,” she pouted, “I used to take art classes near the university in Stohess, and the students played a lot of the songs from the downtown bars.”

The group let out a low, unified hum of understanding. All of them being country folk, they couldn’t really compete with the kind of cultural exposure Capital kids had.

“I didn’t know you were from the Capital!” she pointed out, her eyes lighting up, eager to gather any crumbs of information about her husband.

Levi, however, shut it down flatly, “I’m not.”

She frowned, confused — a mix between a pout and a scowl.

“I thought maybe you went to those bars,” Armin picked up the conversation, sparing her the awkward moment. “We wanted to go the last time we were in the Capital, but… they ask for more age.”

That caught her attention instantly. “Oh! I always wanted to go too! The girls that come out of there have the prettiest shiny little dresses, and they’re always laughing so much! I bet they have so much fun dancing!”

There was a short, puzzled silence from Armin before he asked, “And… why didn’t you just go?”

“Oh no,” she replied with the firm resolution of someone who had never even considered the possibility, “Those places aren’t for girls like me… imagine what people would say.”

It was painfully obvious she was holding back from repeating that idea the way she’d heard it growing up. Words like “whores”, “easy”, “common” probably floated around in her household whenever those bars came up. Levi, hearing that, shot an askance glance over his shoulder to check her expression.

“But the girls I met in Trost invited me! And now that I’m married, it shouldn’t be an issue,” she added, suddenly so excited it was like the gates of heaven had opened before her. “Right, Levi?”

“Huh?” Levi half-turned in his saddle as they kept riding, raising a single eyebrow, clearly unimpressed that the question was even asked.

“That I can go to those bars now.”

Levi’s response was immediate, flat, and left no room for argument. “Don’t even dream of it.”

Her face went from bright enthusiasm to sheer indignation in a second. “And why not?!” she protested. “Are you seriously siding with my family on this?”

To be fair, using Levi’s very public disdain for her family’s political circle to her advantage was a little shady — but strategic.

“Tch.” Still leading the group, he clicked his tongue and shook his head. “It’s got nothing to do with them. I don’t care what anyone does with their free time. You’re not going because women aren’t allowed alone — and I’d have to go with you.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Like Sophia goes with Flegel. And Lina with her brother.”

“Exactly.”

A long silence followed.

“… I don’t see the problem,” she muttered under her breath.

“I’m not dragging myself to some humid, piss-stinking bar, sitting in a corner all night while drunk idiots blast music, puke on the floor, and grind on each other.”

“You could dance with me,” she offered sweetly, flashing him a bright, persuasive smile.

The look Levi shot her over his shoulder was answer enough.

“Oh, come on! Please! I really want to!”

“And I want a better salary,” Levi replied dryly. “Life’s disappointing, doll face.”

She pouted, crossing her arms. “I’ll make you change your mind,” she mumbled defiantly. “I can be very convincing.”

“Your optimism is… endearing,” Levi replied, completely deadpan.

“You don’t sound very endeared.”

“That’s because I’m not.”

At that, Jean nudged his horse a little closer, lowering his voice conspiratorially, “Hey, quick heads-up — if you domanage to soften him up, let us know, yeah? We’ve been trying to get him to ease up on the cleaning rota for years. Zero success.”

Meanwhile, Levi muttered something under his breath that only the wind caught, “… as if this shit works out like it’s supposed to, by the time we’re back for you to go to a bar, you’ll be knocked up already.” I missed these two tbh haha

[ishgard]

Presenting: An Absurdly, Stupidly Long and Wordy Warrior of Light-based Questionnaire, or as my bestie dubbed it:

30 WoL Think Thonkers

Less an ask prompt, more of a daily prompt, (though you can use it as an ask prompt if you prefer!) Answer the questions however you want: straight-forward, with stories or screens, or a mix of all.

Get any of your little brainworms out. Wax poetic, ramble off into several digressions, challenge yourself to answer in the least amount of words possible, whatever you're vibing with! (If you want to tag them #wolthinkthonkers feel free!)

This is very Warrior of Light and MSQ based. It's set from a Post-Endwalker mindframe, so there are some minor/vaguely worded spoilers.

----------------------- WARM-UP QUESTIONS

I. Where is your Warrior of Light from? What was their home like growing up and what set them out on their journey?

2. What city-state did your WoL start in? How did they feel about it then, and how do they feel about it now? (ie, did their experiences sour their perception, or make them appreciate it more?)

3. How do they feel about being Hydaelyn's chosen? (Feel free to break it down from ARR's "Champion of Eorzea" all the way to "The Savior of Etheirys" as much as you like. Have those feelings changed, or just grown more complex?)

4. What do they do in their down time? Do they have any hobbies outside of Primal-slaying and world-saving? Are these lifelong hobbies or recent interests?

5. How do they feel now that "it's all over" (the story of Hydaelyn and Zodiark)? What do they plan to do next? Or is their story finished - and if you're retiring them, what does retirement look like for them? Do you have someone else taking the stage going forward?

6. Who was their Azem? What were they like, and were they different from your WoL? Who were their family, friends? Or, if you don't care for the Azem angle or went in your own direction for their past self, how so? How does your WoL feel about their Ancient identity?

----------------------- CHANGES

7. Have they gone through any physical changes? What scars have they collected, and how do they feel about them? Did they sprout horns or other features as a result of spells or pacts gone wrong? How did light corruption impact them? Or have they walked away miraculously unscathed? Are they more peculiar for how eerily unmarred they are?

8. What is one of their biggest regrets? Has it had an effect on how they act moving forward, for better or worse?

9. The Warrior of Light has been through quite a lot, but what is a moment, big or small, that bolstered and renewed their spirit? Was it a cup of hot cocoa or a lovingly crafted sandwich? Did someone give them a few words or a gesture at just the right time that meant the world to them? (Of course, this can be a canon event or headcanon!)

10. What does home look like for them now? Do they still return to the home where they started, and if so has it changed at all? Or have they found or forged a new home? Who do they live with, if anyone? What sort of things do they keep in their personal space?

11. Despite everything, is it still you? Has the core of who they are as a person remained true through everything, or have they been changed by what they've experienced and learned, for better or worse?

13. Is there a canon moment you've drastically (or not-so-drastically) rewritten? A character death, or something that just really did not fit your WoL's character. Or just some alterations and personal touches you've added? Has that had any long-term changes on the wider story?

----------------------- STORY

12. Which canon moments shaped your Warrior of Light and impacted them the most?

14. Do you have any headcanons for what happened post-Ultima Thule? What kind of injuries did they suffer, or did they walk it off like a boss? Did they take a lengthy vacation, did you shove a time skip in there before 6.1 hit? Or was it quickly off to the next adventure?

15. What were their thoughts and feelings on the events of Myths of the Realm? How did they regard the Twelve prior, and how did the revelations impact them? Was meeting their patron particularly special to them, or not really?

16. What were their thoughts and feelings delving into Pandaemonium? How did they feel working alongside Themis and Lahabrea, after all their history? What did they think about how things ended?

17. Taking a step away from "canon", do you have any wholly unique side quests and adventures your Warrior of Light has gotten caught up in? Did they chase down ghosts of their own past, get married, open a bakery, or fix an ancient blood curse on their family line? Have they reunited with loved ones or buried old hatchets? If there's some unique story behind your character, how does it show up and how did it play out?

----------------------- COMBAT & ABILITIES

18. How do they feel about the work they do? As the Warrior of Light they're tasked with quite a lot of violence, is it something that comes naturally to them or do they resist it? Are they merciless, do they try to spare as many lives as they can, or do they fall somewhere in between?

19. While many fights are dramatic or have high stakes, are there any especially memorable or difficult fights they encountered? Outside scripted battles, were there conflicts that you thought felt better if they were tweaked for narrative or lore-based reasons, ie their first time fighting a primal? Or perhaps a more meta "You the player had a hard time so it translated into headcanon for them".

20. Are there any unique abilities that they possess outside of what's in-game? Are they actually a dragon, or do they see visions of the future? Or, is there a special way that their Echo manifests?

21. Jobs! What job is your character and why is that the route they chose? Is your WoL a Jack-of-all-Trades, or just have one (or a few) specialties? Did they start with one job and change to another? Have you 'homebrewed' their job at all, adding any unique twists or details to it?

----------------------- RELATIONSHIPS & THE WORLD

22. What are their feelings on the Scions? Who are some of their closest allies and dearest friends? Are they more of a loner, or closer to people outside the Scions? Have they kindled any romances or partnerships?

23. How do they feel about getting pulled into politics? Are they adept at navigating political intricacies, or does it go over their head? Do they appreciate getting asked to do more than punch their enemies, or would they really rather just punch their enemies? Are there any areas they like to be particularly involved in?

24. How do they feel about Hydaelyn? What was their perception of the Mothercrystal in the beginning, and how did that change by the end, if at all?

25. Do they have any particular enemies that stand out to them? Someone who inspired a lasting grudge? Our beloved and beloathed antagonists give us plenty of reasons to despise them, but are there any that particularly rubbed your WoL the wrong way? On the other hand, are there villains they can't help but sympathize with, even if it's at odds with the narrative or their allies?

26. What are their thoughts on the Ancients, their way of life, and the world they lived in? Did they sympathize at all with the Ascians, or did learning the truth not influence them in that way?

27. How well known are they? Does everyone know their name as the Warrior of Light, or have they managed to maintain some level of anonymity? Do they prefer it that way, and do they have any struggles resulting from it? (Getting stopped on street corners VS awkwardly avoiding questions.)

----------------------- WHAT'S NEXT

28. What's something they look forward to? Exploring the stars, more of a place we've already been, or somewhere we haven't? Or do they look forward to retirement, starting a business with their craft of choice, or any other little old thing?

29. How do they feel heading into Dawntrail? Excited? Exhausted? What do they think of the promises of adventure to come, and their role to play? If you're using a new character, do you have any idea how they'll end up on this path, and where is their headspace starting out?

30. What are they going to be doing while waiting for the ship to Tural?

[kokoa-la]

Prompt from @help-i-need-a-cool-username

Jason has once again snuck into Gotham University. Now, before any assumptions are made onto why the crime lord would break into a college, the reason is because he likes the library. That's it. The public library is trashed and small, barely taken care of, but Gotham U's? It's beautiful. Multiple floors, organized and in sections, taken care of, alphabetical order, it's magnificent. The chairs were a reason alone to sneak in, but the students here added an extra charm. 

He had gone to the very back of the library on the second floor. This area was  pretty well hidden and enclosed. He would come here to read without anyone questioning him, even hiding the books he wasn’t finished with yet to continue on later. Jason wasn’t expecting someone to be so close to his spot though. A few tables across stood a student, thin, tall, with pitch black hair, baggy cargo jeans, and a white t-shirt. The other hadn’t noticed him yet, so he remained quiet and just watched. He was in front of a large white board on wheels, seemingly taken from the rooms he saw down the hall. 

“That doesn’t work, goddammit.”

On the white board was lines upon lines of equations- at least he thought they were equations, with most of them being letters and symbols rather than numbers. It made the vigilante’s brain hurt. The student - assumed STEM major - just kept mumbling to himself.

“Stupid physics, won’t allow interdimensional travel”

What? Jason may have been out of school since 15, but he knew no courses were asking for the answer to traveling between dimensions. It seemed the student had a habit of talking to himself when worked up or focused, possibly why he isolated himself from the rest of the library. 

“If your parents could do it, why can’t you? Think Danny, think!”

That sentence wasn’t concerning at all, but at least Jason learned the boy’s name. Danny seemed to have a strange background, what did he mean by ‘if your parents could do it’? Had his parents managed to travel between dimensions? The other was chewing on the cap of the white board marker, his other hand resting on his hip as he swayed back and forth.

“Oh! Oh! Oh! That! The thing! That thingy!”

Jason could practically see the lightbulb go on above Danny’s head. Just then the other erased a solid portion of the whiteboard and dropped to his knees, ouch. He started frantically scribbling, fast and messy, barely cohesive. Though, Jason was sure that if it was Tim sitting where he was instead, the boy could probably understand everything on that board. He’d stick to English literature, thank you very much. 

“That’s it! Oh my ancients! I got it!”

Danny practically jumped in the air, punching the air in triumph. Jason almost felt proud of him, this complete stranger he’s been watching, wow he was being creepy, huh? Danny shot both of his arms straight up, the marker gripped tightly in his right hand fist. 

“I did it!”

He looked so happy, so excited. He began to buzz, even spinning, before stopping mid loop and turning around slowly. Shit, Jason had been caught. To be fair, Danny hadn’t exactly turned around the whole time, meaning Jason was just watching his back the whole time as he worked through his… problem? It’s such a shame, Jason was thoroughly entertained by this random kid. 

“Uhhh, hi? How long have you been there?”

Oh shit, Jason had to talk now, didn’t he?

“Not very long, but long enough to know you were trying to solve interdimensional travel before apparently succeeding.” 

The color drained from Danny’s face. Whoops?

“Uhm, no I didn’t.”

Now that he got a closer look, the student looked like someone Bruce would adopt. Black hair, clear blue eyes, tan skin, sharp features, the whole nine yards. He was actually fairly attractive, maybe even cute. 

“Really? I could have sworn that you said ‘stupid physics won’t allow interdimensional travel’”

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah sure, and I’m a student here.”

“Wait, you’re not a student here?”

“That’d only be true if you were lying.”

“Well I’m not so-”

“Uh huh, sure you’re not.”

“Look dude-”

“Jason.”

“Look Jason, there’s no way that I could solve interdimensional travel, the multiverse doesn’t exist.”

“Look Danny-”

“How do you know my name?”

“I won’t tell a single soul if you explain how you did it to me”

Curiosity won his gambit. Would he regret what he was about to say? Perhaps.

“Maybe over a coffee?”

He knew it was worth it when the marker hit the floor and Danny moved his hand to cover his red face. Well, it wasn’t the first time he’s done something he regrets, maybe this time it’d be a cute STEM major who knows the secrets to the multiverse. 

[justagalwhowrites]

Yearling - Ch. 35: Answers

You leave Jackson to find your daughters. A continuation of Yearling ch. 1-34 found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: Canon-typical violence. No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ Only 

Length: 5.4k

A/N: We are into the final arc of Yearling and we are going to see some TLOU 2 OVERLAP again. There isn't any this chapter but there will be in this arc and here's how: a character from that game will be mentioned as will the spoiler-y incident from a few chapters ago. What happens plot wise in this arc is completely separate from the game and entirely original content BUT there is that character overlap and more specific mentions of the incident and the motives behind it. If you're trying to go in blind to season 2, it might be wise to step back. Feel free to send me a DM, I'm happy to answer any and all questions!

AO3 | Chapter One | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

It was hard not to panic when the world was ending. 

You’d lived through it enough by now, you thought you’d get used to it. 

You never did. 

“Who has them, Kyle?” You asked, holding the boy’s shoulders, searching his eyes. He was still panting for breath, still looking terrified. “I need you to focus, who has them.” 

“That man, the one who was here a few months ago but left,” he said. “I can’t… He gave me so much to remember and I can’t…” 

“Cody?” You asked quickly, even though you knew you were right, your chest tight. “Does that sound right?” 

“Yeah,” he nodded quickly. “Yes, Cody, it was Cody, he has them. He sent me here, to find you. He told me to bring you and just you back, said if we came with anyone else he’d kill them. I’m so sorry, Mrs. Miller, I was just trying to help, I swear…” 

Your head spun but you didn’t have time to try to calm yourself down or even come up with a fucking plan. 

“Did he say why?” You asked, leaving the teenager hovering in your doorway as you went to your kitchen. You found a notebook and ripped a piece of paper out of it, the pen hovering over it for a moment. Like once you wrote what was going to happen there was no turning back. 

“He said you owed him,” he said. “And he that he would collect with them if it wasn’t with you. He said you’d know what that meant.” 

You held the pen a little tighter. You did know what he meant and you knew the kind of man Cody was, what he would take if you let him. 

You couldn’t let him. 

“Kyle, go in the closet by the front door,” you said, wondering how your voice wasn’t shaking. “There’s my patrol pack in there, it has my flashlight, my axe and my knife. Get them.” 

It wasn’t going to be enough but you didn’t have guns in the house and getting one would require talking to someone else, something you couldn’t risk, not when it was Savvy and Ellie on the line. You’d have to make do.

You tried to think of what to say to Joel, the man you loved more than you ever thought it was possible to love someone like that. How did you say goodbye to someone who meant that much to you when you didn’t want to leave? 

You did the best you could, signing your name - your real one - for the first time since you’d married Joel. 

“Found them,” Kyle said as you folded the paper in half and wrote Joel’s name on one side of it, leaving the note leaning against the flowers that he had picked for you before leaving town. You looked around the kitchen, at the spot on the counter where you perched as your husband cooked for you and the table where you sat with him and took a deep breath, hoping you’d see it all again. 

“You know where to go, right?” You asked. 

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I memorized it.” 

“OK,” you said, clipping your knife to your belt, thankful that you’d just fallen asleep fully clothed so you didn’t have to stop to get dressed. You were in one of Joel’s shirts. You always were, when he was outside Jackson, when he promised to come home to you. “Lead the way.” 

You followed Kyle through the dark, quiet town. Even the Tipsy Bison was silent and you realized you weren’t sure what time it was but it had to be late, at least 3 a.m. 

“We’ll have to sneak out,” Kyle said, his voice low. “It’s what we did when…” 

You couldn’t think about it. 

“Show me.” 

There was an area of the fence, covered by a woodpile and not far from the schoolhouse, that easily pried apart, leaving enough room for a person to slip outside. 

Kyle climbed through first and held it for you to follow before the two of you scrambled for the nearest tree line, hoping that you made it out of town unnoticed. 

“How far?” You asked, looking back over your shoulder, your heart pounding. 

“Three hours, I think,” he said. “I’m so sorry Mrs. Miller…” 

“Tell me all of it,” you said, ignoring his apology. It didn’t matter now. “I need to know what we’re walking into.” 

It made so much sense when he laid it out for you. 

Savvy and Ellie had snuck out of Jackson the first night Joel was gone, the friends they were hanging out with apparently slipping out regularly. They stashed some pot outside the walls and liked to go sit and smoke when they thought they wouldn’t get into trouble, where they felt like they had some freedom. It was so typical of teenagers, it was almost funny. That even in the apocalypse, in a place like Jackson, the children found ways to rebel. Kyle and Savvy had wandered off from the group. They didn’t go far, just far enough that they felt like they had some privacy. Kyle wanted to ask her to the dance that was happening in a few weeks. 

That’s where they ran into Cody. 

He’d been nice, at first. Asking after Jackson, how things had been there. How he was thinking about trying to come back. He asked for information, enough that Savvy was starting to feel skeptical. 

And then Ellie found them. 

Ellie was worried, thinking that Savvy had been off on her own with a boy a little too long, and set off to find them. But she’d snapped when she saw Cody. She was a smart girl, she didn’t leave Jackson unarmed and she put her knife to Cody’s throat. 

He’d just smiled, something in his eyes that made Kyle uneasy, more uneasy than Ellie’s knife did. 

“Should fucking kill you right now,” Ellie had said, getting in his face. “Joel never should have let you live, I don’t give a fuck what she says…” 

“Ellie!” Savvy tried to go for her but Kyle stopped her, catching her around her waist and holding her back. “You can’t just kill him, he hasn’t done anything!” 

“Should listen to your sister, little girl,” Cody smirked. “I don’t come back, there’s a whole new set of problems for that perfect little town of yours.” 

“Fuck you,” Ellie spat. 

“You that serious?” He asked. “Come and get me. Tomorrow night. Bring your mom.” He’d looked at Savvy in a way that made Kyle feel sick. “And get your sister on board. Something tells me she might not know the real reason I left Jackson.” 

Cody walked away then, Ellie’s grip still tight on the knife for a minute before she put an arm around Savvy and stalked back off toward town. Kyle couldn’t hear what they were saying. 

When they made it back as dawn was on the horizon, he still wasn’t sure what set Ellie off. He wasn’t sure when Ellie and Savvy came to him the next afternoon, either, to ask him to go with them to find Cody that night. 

“I want to have the upper hand,” Ellie had said. “And you already know about him.” 

Savvy looked different then, something set and angry on her face. Kyle tried to ask her what was wrong but she wouldn’t tell him. He just went along with their plan, Ellie and Savvy out for Cody’s blood and Kyle wanting to keep the girl he was starting to fall for safe. 

But they made a mistake. 

They were outnumbered from the start, Cody bringing a dozen men to capture them. Ellie killed one as Kyle tried to run with Savvy but they failed. 

“Thought I told you to bring your mom,” Cody had said. “But that’s OK. Sure we can work something out.” 

He hauled the three of them away, walking a few hours into the forest, before sending Kyle back to Jackson to get you.

It explained so much of what had happened over the last day. The cagey way Ellie and Savvy were talking in the mess hall, the way Savvy had hugged you - Ellie had to have told her something - like she hadn’t in months, the odd way they were acting when you checked on them that night. 

“How many men were there?” You asked. 

“A lot,” Kyle said. “I don’t know for sure. At least 12 to grab us, we met up with probably another dozen or so after that…” 

“Right,” you said, your heart clenching. You weren’t making it out of this. You tried to resign yourself to that, that the best you could hope for right now was getting the kids out in one piece. “Did he say what he wanted?” 

“Besides you?” Kyle asked. “No. I’m sorry, Mrs. Miller…” 

“It’s OK,” you said, trying to keep him calm. “You did your best, you stayed alive, that’s the important thing.” 

The two of you walked in silence for a while, your heart pounding the whole time. You focused on getting to the girls. That’s all that mattered. You tried not to think about what was waiting for you on the other side of it. 

“When we find them, let me do the talking,” you said as the sunrise tinted the horizon red. “And stay behind me. If you see a chance to get Savvy or Ellie away, do it. Otherwise, do what I tell you.” 

“Yes ma’am,” he said, a tremble in his voice. “I’m really sorry, Mrs. Miller, I didn’t mean…” 

“I know,” you said quietly. “Just get them home.” 

You caught a glimpse of someone moving in the woods then, just on the edge of your vision, your head whipping around to track the motion on instinct. It was baked into you still, moving through the forest alone, being on guard, knowing when you were being watched. You’d survived most of your life that way and years in Jackson hadn’t pulled it out of you. The second you realized it was a man and not an animal, you adjusted your grip on your axe with one hand and reached behind you with the other, shifting your body so you were between Kyle and the man. 

It took you half a second to place his familiar face, one of Mitchum’s henchmen who was low enough that he wasn’t allowed to touch you, a slow smirk spreading over his face. 

“Well ain’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he emerged from a fern and gave a long, low whistle. “Mitchum’s been lookin’ for you.” 

“Bet he’s been lookin’ for you, too,” your hold on the axe tightened. You wanted to kill him but you couldn’t, not when you didn’t know where Ellie and Savvy were. “Unless you’re still his little bitch. But I don’t think he took too kindly to you taking off on him to serve some other asshole.” 

“You always did have a mouth on you,” he said, trees and brush at your back starting to rustle. “But look where that got you.” 

“And you were up his ass for how long?” You asked. “Where’d that get you, exactly?” 

His eyes narrowed and you tracked where you were hearing movement around you, the sound drawing closer. Kyle’s shaky hand grabbed at your bicep. 

“Don’t think the boss would be too happy with you picking a fight with our biggest commodity,” a man said from behind you. Kyle gasped and you felt him jump but you kept your  eyes on the first man. “You know what he wants with her.” 

“And what’s that, exactly?” You called over your shoulder, still tracking where Kyle was with your unoccupied hand. 

“Leverage, of course,” the man came around to the front of you, smirking just like his friend. You didn’t recognize him. “Mitchum has the biggest operation around these parts and you, it seems, are the only thing he wants that he doesn’t have. Give him you on a silver platter? We get first pick of new territory.” 

He looked you up and down in a way that reminded you of inspecting livestock. Your stomach turned.

“Don’t really see what all the fuss is about but,” he shrugged. “Don’t really give a shit.” 

“You got my girls?” You asked, cutting to the chase. 

His smile grew. 

“So the boss was right,” he shook his head a little. “You women, so predictable…” 

“If they’re not in one piece, I got no reason to leave you two idiots alive,” you snapped, losing your patience. You needed to see your daughters and you needed to see them now. “So if you don’t want my axe in your goddamn chest, you’re gonna take me to them right fucking now.” 

He licked his lips. 

“Might get the fuss a little more now,” he said, stepping close to you. He knew he had you, knew that you wouldn’t do anything that would risk Savvy or Ellie. “Gonna need that axe and knife and anything else you got on you or the boy. Then we’ll see if we can’t find your girls.” 

You narrowed your eyes but surrendered your weapons anyway. 

“Mrs. Miller…” Kyle whispered but you shushed him. 

“I’ll keep you safe,” you glanced behind you toward him. “Stay calm and do what they tell you.” 

You turned your attention back to the men in front of you, more emerging from the trees now. 

“If you’ve hurt either of them, you have no idea the shit storm you just brought down on your heads.” 

“Not much of a threat without your little toys,” he looked them over. “Something tells me we can take you just fine unarmed.” 

“Cody tell you what I did to the men who tried to catch me last time I got out?” You asked, brows raised. For half a moment, there was a flash of concern on the first man’s face. You nodded to him. “He knows. Take me to my girls before you find out first hand.” 

The second man quirked his jaw before jerking his head in the direction you’d been walking. 

“Keep up.” 

You only needed to follow them another 15 minutes or so, your heart pounding the whole time. Eventually, you came upon a clearing, a fire dying at the center of it with Cody standing right behind it, watching you approach with a satisfied smirk on his face. 

“Hey there baby doll,” he said, prowling around the fire to meet you. “You don’t look too happy to see me.” 

“Where are my daughters.” 

He ignored you, like you hadn’t spoken at all. 

“You’d think that, after last time, you’d learn…” 

“Where are my daughters.” 

“…that you should at least pretend to be grateful when you see me…” 

Your patience was gone. If he didn’t have Ellie and Savvy, there was no point to this. No point to his game, no point to trying to make it out alive. You needed to see them and you needed to see them now. 

The man at your left had a handgun in a holster on his right, one he wasn’t paying close attention to, his hands on his rifle that was strapped across his body. You, on the other hand, had paid attention. 

You went for the gun, moving fast enough that he didn’t know what was happening until he felt the tug of you pulling the weapon from his side, turning to face you with a frown on his face after you freed the revolver, pulling the hammer back as you raised it and pulled the trigger. He dropped, Kyle screaming in shock at your back, and you turned the gun on Cody, pulling the hammer back again. 

“WHERE ARE MY FUCKING KIDS!” 

You could feel every gun and eye turn to you as you fought to control your breathing, the sound of birds taking flight the only sound beyond the echo of the gunshot and your scream. But you knew they wouldn’t shoot you, not when you were apparently so valuable to their boss and their boss was still breathing. And if they were smart, the wouldn’t hurt Savvy or Ellie, either.

“You know you wouldn’t make it out of here alive,” Cody said, stepping closer, until the barrel of the gun was in his chest. 

“You think that matters if they’re gone?” You asked, brows raised. “If you killed them, all that matters is that I kill as many of you as I can before you take me down and I’m a damn good shot. So. Give me my daughters or another one of these fuckers dies.” 

He gave you a cocky smirk and whistled. There was rustling somewhere you couldn’t see but, after a moment, three men brought out Savvy and Ellie, bound and gagged. You clenched your jaw but stayed still, eyes ranging over them as quickly as you could, looking for all signs of injury. They were still dressed, a good sign. Ellie had a cut at her forehead, Savvy had a bloody bandage at her arm. You clenched your fist on the revolver. 

“See?” Cody said. “All in one piece. Now, hand over the gun before we have to change that.” 

Ellie’s eyes went wide and she shook her head at you, frantic, but you ignored her.

“Untie them,” you said, gun still in his chest. 

“Gonna need a little more incentive than that,” he said. “I know how you are with people who do you favors…” 

“Untie them,” you said again, pulling your eyes away from the girls to meet his. “Let me talk to them, make sure they’re OK, then let them go with their friend. And I mean let them go, your men stay where I can fuckin’ see ‘em. You do that? I’ll do whatever you want.” 

“Whatever I want?” He asked, looking you up and down. 

Your stomach turned. 

“You heard me,” you spat. 

He mulled it over for a second before smiling, cocky. 

“Deal,” he said, jerking his head toward one of his men. They moved to untie Savvy and Ellie. “I’ll take that gun now.” 

You lowered the weapon and turned it around in your hand before holding it out to him, handle first. He took it. 

“Good as you are, don’t know if I ever thought your pussy was worth all the fuss Mitchum made over you,” he said, handing the gun to one of his henchmen. “But damn if it ain’t fun to watch you break.” 

“Mom!” Savvy was freed first, running for you and throwing her arms around your neck. You clutched onto her, clinging to her, breathing in the scent of her, floral with a hint of apple and hay and gunpowder. “I’m so sorry, Mom, I’m so sorry…” 

“It’s OK,” your voice was thick and you tried to focus on how she felt in your arms so you could hold onto that memory before stepping back from her. “Are you OK? They touch you?” 

“I’m fine,” she sniffed. “They got my arm a little but…” 

“They haven’t touched you since you’ve been here?” You asked, brows raised. “No one’s hurt you or…” 

“No,” she shook her head. “No, they tied us up but they haven’t done anything.” 

“Good,” you nodded, brushing her thick curls back from her forehead. “That’s good.” 

Ellie approached you cautiously, like she was waiting for you to yell at her but you didn’t. You didn’t even want to, there was no point to it. Instead, you pulled her into your arms and held her tight as she pressed her face into your shoulder. You tried to remember her, too, the daughter who came into your life so late and that you desperately wanted more time with. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, voice thick and wet. “I thought I could handle it, I thought…” 

“S’OK,” you said, stepping back from her and looking her over, too. Her lip was split and the blood at her forehead was dried, the cut there scabbing over. “Ellie, I need you to listen to me. You’re in charge, OK? You’re going to get Savvy and Kyle back to Jackson…” 

“But -”

“No,” you said, harsher than you really meant. “This ain’t a discussion, this is me telling you what you’re going to do, do you understand me.” 

“I can’t just leave you here!” Her eyes were wide and desperate and you forced yourself to be calm. 

“Yes, you can,” you said, taking her by the shoulders. “Ellie, the most important thing you can do right now is take care of your sister, do you understand me?” She nodded. “You get her and Kyle back to town. You’ve patrolled, you know how to do it safely. Get them there. That’s your job, they are your responsibility. Promise me you’ll get them home.” 

She looked like she wanted to argue but you held her tighter. 

“Ellie,” you said. “Promise me.” 

“But…” 

“Promise me!” You yelled it, loud enough that you saw Savvy flinch out of the corner of your eye. 

“I promise,” she said, crying now. 

It was like a weight lifted. You knew it was hours back to Jackson but, if Ellie actually kept her word, they’d make it. They would be safe. That was all that mattered. 

“Thank you,” you pulled her in for another hug, kissing her cheek as you did. “I love you so much. Take care of yourself and your dad for me, OK?” 

“I love you too,” she breathed. 

You gave her a final squeeze and went for Savvy who was fighting back tears. 

“Mom,” her voice was thick and wet. “I can’t…” 

“Yes, you can,” you said gently. “Go with Ellie, do what she tells you and you’ll get back safe. Listen to Joel, stick with school, find your place in Jackson. Have a good life, OK?” 

She shook her head. 

“I don’t want to do it without you,” she’d given up on not crying now. “I tried to before and I don’t want that, you need to be there, Mom, I need you, I…” 

“Savvy,” you said, holding her face in your hands, brushing her tear-streaked cheeks with your thumbs. “Everything I’ve done for as long as you’ve been mine has been for you but you don’t need me now. You’re all that matters. You get back safe, you have a good life with people you love. You do that and I’ll have done everything I needed to do. So give me that, OK?” 

You didn’t give her a chance to reply, just pulling her in close and holding her there, kissing her cheek as you did. 

“I love you so much, baby girl,” you whispered. 

“I love you, too,” she said. 

You stepped back and looked at them for a moment before casting a glance at Cody. 

“They need weapons.” 

“That wasn’t part of the deal.” 

You rounded on him. 

“Give them weapons,” you said through clenched teeth. “Or I’ll kill as many of your men as I can between here and Mitchum.” 

He smirked a little before jerking his head in the direction of one of his men. They surrendered knives you recognized - ones you were sure Ellie and Savvy had come here with - and your axe. 

“Better get going,” Cody said. “Before I change my mind.” 

You just nodded and watched them go, Ellie and Savvy looking back at you as long as they could, Ellie pulling Savvy along side her as they went. You kept looking at the place where they’d been long after you couldn’t see them anymore. 

“Alright Doll,” Cody said eventually, stepping forward with cuffs in his hands. “Wrists together. Not about to risk you changing your mind on that deal. You’re a little too valuable and it’s time for me to cash in.” 

***

“Joel.”

Tommy sounded desperate. Joel ignored him. 

“You can’t just take off…” 

Tommy’s hand came to Joel’s shoulder but he ripped it off, rounding on his brother, moving quickly and decisively and backing the younger, smaller man into a building. 

“You tryin’ to tell me I can’t protect my family?” Joel towered over him. “You gonna try and stop me?” 

“Can’t do shit for them if you run out there hot headed,” Tommy said, his eyes darting over Joel’s face, like he was watching a wild animal. “You can’t help them if you’re dead, you need to wait, you need a plan…” 

“I have a fuckin’ plan!” He didn’t have time for this. “Get my girls back. Don’t try to fuckin’ stop me.” 

“Joel,” Maria’s voice was behind him, calm and collected. He turned to face her, ready to go through her, too, if he had to. “We have everyone out looking for them, there are no fresh horses because we sent everyone we had as soon as we could. We’re looking for their trail but they could be anywhere. Wait until we have people back to go with you, wait until we know where they went. If you run off now, you’re only going to make it worse. You’ll waste time. Give it a few hours, Joel.” 

“A few hours?” He bit out. “You want me to sit here for a few fuckin’ hours while that monster has my wife and kids? Expect me to let him hurt them for hours while I fuckin’ wait?” 

Maria didn’t have a chance to respond, the sound of chaos at the gate sending the three of them running for it. 

Joel reached it just as three horses rode up. It took him a moment to realize they each carried more than one rider. His heart pounded. For one second - a glorious, peaceful second - he thought everything was going to be OK. That they’d found you and the girls before anything bad happened, that he was going to be able to hold the three of you close and never let you go again. 

And then he realized that you weren’t there. That you’d gotten the children you shared with him back but you hadn’t made it. 

“Joel!” Ellie jumped off her horse before it had fully stopped. “Joel, he has Bambi, we have to go get her, we have to.” 

She threw her arms around his neck and clung to him and he could feel her taking shaky breaths. 

“It’s OK Baby Girl,” he said, holding her close. “I’ve got you, you’re OK.” 

“We have to go get her,” Ellie said again, frantic as she pulled back from him. “We have to.” 

Joel, Tommy and Maria led the girls and a trembling Kyle to the clinic. Ellie and Savvy didn’t wait for the doctor to be done looking them over as they sat beside each other on the exam table, the story spilling out of them quickly. How they’d lied to you and snuck out of Jackson the first night he was gone. How they’d run into Cody in the woods. How Ellie threatened to kill him and Savvy didn’t understand why. How he told them to come back the next night with you. How Ellie had told Savvy everything she knew about what happened to you. How Savvy wanted to leave then and there to take care of it and Ellie had to make her wait, confident that they could handle him. How Ellie had killed men like him before, how she was sure she could do it again. How they got help from Kyle to be sure. How it had all gone to shit the second they were too far from Jackson to get help. How you’d come for them, how you’d sacrificed yourself to get the three of them out safely. 

How Joel knew that’s exactly what you would do. 

Because of course you would. It was exactly what he would have done. How would you have done anything else? 

“We need to get her back, Joel,” Savvy was crying, pleading. “We can’t leave her there with him, we can’t, please…” 

Joel looked between the two of them. He wanted to scream. He wanted to ask why. Why had they snuck out? Why had they tried to take matters into their own hands? Why had they put themselves in such danger? Didn’t they know, if they failed, you’d have no choice? That you would do anything for them? That he would, too? 

But yelling and questioning wouldn’t do any good. What was done was done. Taking his fear out on them would only make shit worse.

“I’m gonna get her back, Baby Girl,” Joel said. “I’m gonna bring her home.” 

He turned and gave Tommy a look, half begging for help, half daring him to stop him. Tommy just squared his jaw and gave him a single, firm nod. Joe returned it and the went to leave, but Ellie stopped them, catching them on the porch of the clinic. 

“I’m coming, too.” 

“No,” Joel shook his head. “No, you’re stayin’ here…” 

“No,” she said sharply, a fierce look in her eyes. “I’m going. I can help, I know…” 

“It don’t matter,” Joel cut her off. “Not putting you at risk…” 

“I don’t care about the risk!” She snapped. “You can’t just expect me to sit here on my ass while she’s out there…”

“You think she’d want you gettin’ hurt for her?” Joel grabbed Ellie by the shoulders and held her tighter than he should. “She took care of you by…” 

“By cleaning up a fucking mess I made!” She yelled before closing her eyes for a moment, a single tear slipping down her cheek. She took a deep, centering breath before opening her eyes again, voice calmer now. “I never had parents, Joel. I never had anyone who loved me like that until you and then she showed up and she didn’t have any fucking reason to care about me like that but she did. She’s my mom and I got her hurt because I tried to handle shit on my own. I’m not handling it on my own now, I’m handling it with you. I know what you’re capable of. I know what you’re going to do. I’m telling you that I don’t want to be here when you do it, I want to be with you. I want to get her back and I want to make him fucking pay and I can’t do that from Jackson. So are you going to let me come with you or are you going to make me sneak out and try to handle this shit on my own again?” 

Joel looked to his brother. He’d done shit like this more times than he cared to count but only twice with stakes as high as this. Every time, it was either alone or with Tommy at his side. He knew he wouldn’t be able to do what he normally did with Ellie there. He’d be worrying about her, watching for her, protecting her. 

But they were out numbered and Ellie was a strong rider who was smart and good with a gun. 

“She’s an adult, Joel,” Tommy said hesitantly. Joel could see in his eyes that he was thinking about William, if he would let his son do something so reckless if he had any say. “And she does a good job on patrol.” 

Joel took a deep breath. 

“You gotta listen,” he said. Ellie was already nodding quickly. “Do what I say so I can keep us all safe. I tell you to get back to Jackson, you do it. If you’re a liability out there, you’re makin’ things worse for her, not better. Got it?” 

“Yes.” 

“Repeat it.” 

“What you say goes,” she said, watching him closely. “I won’t fuck up, Dad. I promise.” 

In another time, another place, Joel’s heart would have soared in that moment. Just knowing that Ellie saw him the same way he saw her made him feel complete in a way he didn’t realize he was missing. 

But he wasn’t able to enjoy it. There was another vital piece of him that was gone, one he was going to get back if it was the last thing he ever did. 

“OK,” he said, looking at Ellie. “Let’s go get your mom.” 

Next Chapter

A/N: Figured we'd kick off the more feral part of this fic with some Feral!Bambi. Don't worry, Feral!Joel fans, he's up next ❤️ As always, thank you so so much for reading and for sticking it out with this fic! I know it's been a long one. I'm glad you're still here. Love you!

Taglist: @ashleymsnodgrass@planet-marz1@kalea-bane @juneswonderlust @ilovepedro @h-annahayy @starstruckmusiciansartghost @beccerjune @mumma-moonchild @netonetoneto @mellymbee @purplelye @n7cje @flugazi @evyiione @randomhoex @aliengirl99 @orcasoul @reds-ramblings @pedropascalsbbg @fupoola @tinypotatothing @knopes-waffles @lilmizmoz @ayamenimthiriel @jenispunk @panda-pascal @sarap-77 @flugazi @your-slutty-gf @daniegraceg @partyofone3413 @cumberpegg @noisynightmarepoetry. @fifia-writes @grumpygrumperton @srmacaroni @txlady37 @bigboiseason123 @ashleyfilm @arizonadreamingg

[gonzo-rella]

Headcanons: Being Married To Old Man Ray Stantz

MASTERLIST | AO3

Relationship(s): old man!Ray Stantz x gn!also old!reader (romantic)

Warnings: Possibly inaccurate science words, because I'm a simpleton. (Let me know if I need to add any)

(A/N: Here's my first Ghostbusters thing! I've got a few other Ghostbusters fics in the works, mostly Ray-based reader-inserts because I'm in love with him, but I've also got a Phoebe-centric character study in the works that's based on part of her storyline in Frozen Empire. By the way, I loved Frozen Empire! I've already seen it three times, and it's such a joy. I'll try to catch it a couple more times at least before it leaves cinemas. Anyway, I haven't included any explicit spoilers for Frozen Empire in this, so you're safe to read this if you haven't seen it yet. I'd love to write more old man Ray Stantz fics, especially something involving Phoebe. I'm really excited to write for Ghostbusters, so feel free to send in requests! I've only seen the movies, but I plan on watching the Real Ghostbusters at some point soon. Also, even though I took my mum to see Frozen Empire the other day, I still don't have anyone to talk to about this movie, so please feel free to talk to me about it!)

It’s evident that, even after all of these years, Ray is still madly in love with you.

The adoration with which he looks at you is clear as day.

Venkman has always loved to tease you both about how sickly sweet your relationship is.

He will make fake gagging when either of you are affectionate to one another when he’s around.

(He won’t admit it, but he actually finds your relationship to be kind of cute)

It’s not like either of you are overly lovey-dovey, especially now.

Ray’s naturally a very passionate and expressive guy, but he’s rarely mushy.

Still, you show one another how much you care.

I have this idea that your silent way of saying ‘I love you’ to each other is holding the other’s hand, stroking their knuckles with your thumb and smiling at them.

It just seems so cute to have this thing that you’ve been doing for your whole relationship.

Ray knows you like the back of his hand, and you know him just the same.

It’s almost scary how well you know one another.

I can imagine that there’s been a time that someone’s asked one of you a question, and the other has been able to answer it with ease.

I love the idea of Ray being with someone who’s not a scientific mind like himself.

So, if you’re not as knowledgeable about the supernatural as Ray, you’ll still have picked up on plenty of information against your will, and Ray will always be impressed with and proud of you when you manage to regurgitate or understand his ‘science-y word salad’ (as you have referred to it).

He will also find it very attractive when you talk supernatural or science to him, but he tries not to make it obvious.

His eyes still light up like he’s a kid on Christmas when he explains supernatural stuff to you or tells you about a new psychically charged item he’s bought, and you find it so endearing.

Also, I can imagine him practically forcing you to listen to Podcast’s podcast when he discovers it, and you both end up getting really into it.

As devoted as he still is to his work and his supernatural endeavours, spending time with you is his greatest priority.

He might miss being an active Ghostbuster, but the silver lining of it is that he gets more time with you than he ever used to.

Even if you both used to be Ghostbusters, it’s nice to spend time together that doesn’t involve being covered in ghost slime and shouting over nuclear accelerators.

If you’ve not got anything else to do, I think it’d be sweet if you kept him company in his store.

Phoebe and Trevor are your honorary grandkids and you and Ray are beyond proud of them, especially Phoebe, who you’re closest to of the two of them.

Phoebe will always remind the both of you of Egon, so whenever she does something particularly Egon-like, you will exchange a knowing glance, and when she’s gone you’ll end up reminiscing about your old friend.

If Phoebe or the other Spenglers ever want to hear about Egon, you’re both more than happy to talk to them about him.

Even in his golden years, Ray is still the same sweet, passionate, excitable man you married all those years ago.

Sure, the regular excitement that came with Ghostbusting is long behind you both, but you both cherish this quieter time together just as much.

[pendwelling]

hi I had a question about a section of chapter 221 in twsb

When discussing the island of pleasure (where the admiral Emma corleone is) (not too sure about the accuracy of the names from mtl),

they talk about how things like polyandry polygamy are allowed there, and how they allow morally wrong things under the principle of free love.

most importantly, they say that monogamy is deeply rooted among continental people.

however, the history of Riester as a continental nation has the taking of multiple life partners with the practice of the Emperor taking a religious and a political partner.

anyway, I am confused as to why characters we generally align with morally (duhem) refer to things like polygamy (which also implies (i think?) a disapproval within Riester of polyamory as a whole) as morally incorrect with the blatant queer undertones of the main characters, as well as among side characters.

is the author trying to highlight the religious nature of Riester and the specific and at times contradictory nature of their religion or possibly religion in general? Marriage within religion (especially Christianity) is seen primarily a unity of people in god’s eyes. We saw yeseo officiate(?) someone taking a religious partner (I believe, it was a while back) and it was similar in nature, with asking for approval from the god of this world itself to be religious partners, with it giving them the thumbs up or down with the ceremony.

the largest difference with these two is that wasnt romantic in nature. So are the rules that as long as the partners aren’t romantic in nature, then the political/religious partnership is acceptable, and romantic marriage is only acceptable among two people? If these are true, what about her majesty for example? I genuinely cannot tell you whether her, Aurelie, and alexandre were all romantically or platonically involved, which think was on purpose on the author’s part. I believe that only alexandre and frederique were married, but once alexandre died, Aurelie became Cedric’s godmother, but was she as involved as a parental unit in Cedric’s life before alexandre died? Were the three of them raising him together his whole life, or was it mainly frederique and Alexandre until he died and aurelie became more present in Cedric’s life

idk man, is author trying to point out the potential conflict of the mcs’ mix of a queer platonic and (i think?) romantic relationship, especially among the judgemental nobles?

you don’t have to answer all the questions posed here btw!!

I know you probably can’t answer every question here (especially the ones about the authors motivation) I am just curious as to what your thoughts are about this as you are an expert with twsb lore/character, if you don’t feel like answering at all that’s also totally fine lmao okay I’ll stop yapping now

"You don't have to answer all the questions posed here" WHO DO YOU THINK I AM do not underestimate the sheer depths of my insanity over this novel (/J /LHHHH)

(On a more serious note now—) haha I will for sure do my best!!!!! You actually raise some very very interesting questions and that made me quite excited to think about because there are actually quite a bit of different factors to take into account here 👀 (intersectionality, if you will). Thank you for sending your question in 🙇‍♀️ I'll do my best to answer!

I would also like to preface this by warning you (and anyone else who might be reading) that my answer will at times require that I use context from way further into the novel, thus might spoil certain revelations and big mysteries (particularly regarding the nature of QPB and TWSB's religion!!!) In other words,

BIG SPOILER WARNING!! (200+, JUST THE ENTIRE NOVEL AND EVEN ENDING)

I'm not sure if you would have rathered a more spoiler-free answer, so I apologize in advance 😭 Apologies as well for any typos that might possible arise. This took a while to write LMAO

(With that said, we should first start with the world's religion!!!)

The Church of God is a religion practiced mainly in the Divine Kingdom of Venetiaan and the Riester Empire (though more so in the former rather than the latter). A huge aspect of this religion is how it sort of influences the behaviours of its believers, particularly around the main belief that if one lives their life in an interesting/exciting enough way and endures hardships, they will one day obtain the gaze/adoration of God, which is something that the beings of this word (at least, the ones who believe or fear God) will yearn for until the day they die [295]. A sort of greeting that believers even use is actually: "May the Lord be pleased with your life ('주신께서 당신의 생애에 기뻐하시기를.')" Later on as you read, it becomes increasingly obvious that the entity that is "God" would refer to either the author themselves, or the readers (in some ways, it is both). But in the larger case, the one the people of QPB yearn for the attention of actually that of the readers, thus, YOUR gaze—or rather, the ones who would be the target audience for a Romance-Fantasy genre story like "I Quit my Job, then I Became the Princess Bride" (QPB), (and then later on, "When the Third Wheel Strikes Back").

This is where it gets kinda(?) meta. Knowing that QPB is an All-Ages, G-Rated, non-explicit novel targeted primarily toward teenage girls and young women (think, Jung Eunseo), it's only natural that a country outside of the premise of QPB (Corleone) would be free from any expectations of said God(s), and thus, will act outside of the "genre". Therefore, what's being highlighted in an understated way is that a country like the Empire of Riester where the main cast of QPB primarily act will be constricted by the conventions of an R-15/G-Rated RoFan genre—but a place like Corleone can break free from the genre and be a full-on R-19+ and more explicit than it wants.

People openly show intimacy out in the open, gamble and play games on the streets, are more promiscuous(or maybe sexually liberated is the more correct term?) and freely flirt, casually dress sensually, and commit "crimes in the name of free love"—and crimes here refer to how, with Corleone being so open with how they regard love, their going-about with relationships and marriage is different, and could lead to people, say, as they put in 220: "kidnapped, proposed to, or forced into a (arranged) marriage" etc. Though notably, these extreme worries were directed towards Yeseo, whom no one in the party at that time believed would be able to fend off the love-enthusiastic people of Corleone (they pretty much indirectly call Yeseo somewhat of a doormat/someone who innocence/inexperience could easily get him roped into trouble... 😭). And on a grander scale beyond just the main characters, this all somehow manages to be played in a somewhat comedic light haha—even though Corleone is outside of God's gaze, it still has to stick to the overall more lighthearted genre in some way, right? If not QPB's, then TWSB's wkkwkkw (this surrealism/idealism, in some way, also has some meta merit to it, too, actually.)

So while Corleone's atmosphere may seem like a harsh and rowdy place, the culture there is just... how to say. Very enthusiastic and extreme about the idea of "romance". In a sense, it's almost as if, though this is a "land abandoned by God", the importance they place on the theatrics of Romance is interesting when considering how the original setting was a Romance story itself (though a different genre of one). I think I should also highlight how this arc takes influences from the Commedia dell'arte, whose conventional plotlines included themes of sex, love, jealousy, etc (amongst others). As such, the theatrics of Corleone—inspired by elements of Italian culture (like how Riester and Venetiaan have French and Dutch influences respectively)—maybe aren't that surprising. Looking back on the Italian Renaissance, we can note the abundance of works with increasing interest in lewd subjects, attributed in some way to the emerging secularization at the time. Boccaccio’s "The Decameron" is notably a rather anti-clerical, at times erotic, and witty work about different stories involving Love, and in the context of its time (following the emergence of the Black Death in Florence) would therefore be a document of an emerging worldview: a desire to be liberated from the control of the Church and eager to explore the world on its own terms (though, it did get banned by the Church for a while for its explicit nature LMAO)(but recirculated after being revised since it was so popular). Other Italian/Tuscan poets at the time were also finding enjoyment in writing funny, satirical, or even downright insulting poems, many of which also took on sensual subject matter, some more explicit than others. ((Just noticed I'm going on a tangent wkfhjdkd sorry for bringing up what I learnt in my Italian Renaissance class out of the blue haha, but I find that it is interestingly relevant to the portrayal of the Principality of Corleone and its theatrics/sensuality.))

SO CORLEONE. Italian Renaissance, Commedia dell'arte. Romance, Sensuality. Comedy, Theatre. Satire, Anti-clericalism... anti-clericalism within this context can refer to Corleone's rejection from God's gaze. The "genre" and "rating" Corleone is presenting is not what She wishes to see, thus, is "morally incorrect" in QPB's original worldview because it doesnt align with the larger genre expectations.

Anyhow, I had to reread this arc and some others, and from what I can remember and what I've seen in this reread, I don't think Marquis François Duhem ever calls out polygamy as a whole, specifically, for being "morally incorrect"—I'm more so inclined to believe they are referring to the blatant absence of TPO (haha), and the over-the-top actions and behaviours that the freedom and enthusiasm for romance sometimes lead to, but even more specifically, the carefree and spontaneous treatment around love and marriage. I don't believe sensuality is necessarily and solely portrayed in a completely negative/puritanical/critical light in this series (there are different ways sexuality is portrayed throughout the series with different sets of characters), but in this case, I believe it might come off as a bit critical because François is directly affected by personal circumstance: after all, in this same arc, when Admiral Emma Corleone was propositioning for François (and later on Jesse) to become "partners", was not exactly doing so for pure-hearted and genuine romantic reasons, but with the underlying tone and intent of the Admiral bedding them for certain gains, and nothing more. François, of course, doesn't exactly appreciate this kind of attention from the Admiral and is openly guarded while around her, evidently not receptive to the idea of becoming her second spouse (after kicking out the rest—which speaks to how lightly she treated those relations in the first place), and thus kind of projects an additional layer of negativity to this. (And I'm assuming you might? have already read further ahead by now, but François does have some genuine reasons to feel put off by Emma, particularly because of their history, and Emma's implied interest in François stemming from the despair he wore back when the Duhems' parents passed away. I think it's understandable that one would feel apprehensive towards someone who is one-sidedly attracted to your misery haha...)

Of course, outside of these specific circumstances, that isn't to say that people don't frown upon having more than one legal spouse (in Venetiaan, this is especially the case, but Riester too), but there are just multiple different factors involved. I think it's very fair to compare it to real-life Christian morality/belief of one-spouse-only, but of course, those who aren't fervently religious and/or are more open-minded will regard polyamory/gamy in a more welcoming light. In particular, we've seen characters before who've expressed outright opposition to the idea of their spouse having another lover, but this is of course different from polygamy—in Prince Consort Werner, Queen Christanne, and Priest Michael's case, it was not a balanced relationship between three people, but an individual cheating on their legal spouse with someone whom she actually loves (their relationship is quite complicated, but we won't be getting into that now haha, but point is—)

The act of cheating and having more than one lovers is seen as bad, without a doubt, but curiously enough, the people of the Divine Kingdom of Venetiaan actually show quite a positive reaction towards the Queen's relationship with the commoner priest Michael. "The Romance of a Century", I believe it was called, and despite this Leary being a case of infidelity that resulted in a child, why isn't the Queen's infidelity seen as completely negative? Well, it can absolutely go back to religion. Despite Venetiaan being the most religious country in the story, it seems very receptive to their Queen's story, and yet simultaneously it is this very religious fervour that makes it so. After all, the child born from the Queen's extramarital relation was born with golden blond hair and purple eyes symbolic of the Lord's love and divinity, therefore the existence of this child itself can be taken as a blessing from God, Herself.

So, is cheating bad? Yes. We've seen this before with Duke Sarnez who was once caught by his own daughter and her friends while he was intimate with an Imperial attendant in an office. Yet, we also see it with Queen Christanne towards her own legal spouse, but the reaction is different, because of the "blessings from God".

So, is having multiple consenting lovers in an equal-levelled relationship, bad? No. The story does point out that the ruler of Corleone, Lorenzo Corleone, has multiple concubines, but he isn't portrayed in a negative light, either. In fact, he is actually portrayed as a typical person—"an old gentleman" [665] he is actually described as. Courteous and rather kind, both to Yeseo and other known characters such as Aurélie, and actually becomes a great supporting character during the later war. Him having multiple legal wives isn't symbolic of him being a morally bad character, nor do Riesterian character treat him poorly for his cultural differences or marital affairs, either, and it is just that—cultural differences.

So is polygamy/polyamory wrong? No, but, the cultural differences and reservations about marriage/love between different countries will illicit different reactions depending on whom you ask.

Anyway, I hope I'm getting across my thoughts properly haha bc I think I'm sounding like a convoluted mess, but I'd also like to note that there have also canonically been conversations about queer relationships in the story itself—particularly between Princess Cornelisse and her would-be religious partner Isle Roosegaarde, whom Cornelisse promised to make her consort when they're older [670]. In this conversation, Isle remarks that she can't possibly be made Cornelisse's consort because they are both girls, but Cornelisse casually retorts that not even the Royal Family has such conservative and outdated views (which I think is kind of hilarious in retrospect, because it implies in a way that Werner, despite being a horrible person, at the very least doesn't discriminate on people's sexuality to the point where his own daughter is educated with this same view)(of course, unless you're Jesse, which means that everything about you is worthy of Werner's ire LMAO). BUT ANYHOW, point is, historically it seems that more conservative/traditional values have existed at some point, but the current reality is notably much more open-minded. It is fair to say that Monogamy and Polygamy co-existing in Corleone but not in Riester or Venetiaan might have something to do with each country's respective histories, as well as how strongly each nation respectively believes in the main religion (and how it would influence their beliefs). And when you take into account the context of whom the God of this religion is, we can also assume that the typical young QPB RoFan reader would not want an explicit environment where the people (characters) you love would be existing in a setting reminiscent of gritty, sensual harem genre (there is even MORE meta to be said about this, and that involves the "Creator" (writer) or the world, and their intent toward the Gods (readers), but just know that an adult theme is definitely out of the question when it comes to what appropriate subject matter to the target audience, or more specifically, a certain target reader 👀)

Anyway, I bring up historical conservatism and the more-progressive/liberal nature of the TWSB universe because the idea of polyamory in Riester actually, in a funny way, is kind of? accepted...? it really, really just depends on context.

For example, there have been quite a few occasions, actually, of either friends of Cédric, Yeseo, and Christelle (CYC) or the general public themselves, alluding to or actively believing that the three of them are in a romantic relationship. One of these people was actually Marquis François Duhem himself, and he's funnily enough supposedly quite aware of the rumours floating around their relationship and at some point reaches a conclusion along the lines of "wow!!! so the rumours are true, you three really are like that—!" [468] (hahaha I do not think that he has any strong averse opinions on polyamory at all (Emma Corleone bugging him to be her next husband being a whole different case)). And earlier on in the story, we've even seen gossip tabloids who've placed immense interest on CYC's relationship, though this can of course either be interpreted in romantic or platonic lenses haha. Oh, and another notable person who even outright called CYC "lovers" was Jibril Diop, Cédric's 2nd cousin and a later addition to the main cast (more specifically, while talking with Yeseo, Jibril refers to Cédric and Christelle as Yeseo's lovers and asks him if he broke up with them since it's rare to find Yeseo all alone haha) [465]! But either way, it seems the opinion on having multiple lovers depends on a variety of different factors, from personal opinion, to religious beliefs, country, etc etc. Jibril Diop himself is actually someone whose character aligns more with Corleone's values and interests rather than Riester, since he's very free-spirited and loves dating and flirting and hates stuffy clothing, and is well-known in the Riesterian Beau Monde for his social affairs and activities in the different salons in the capital. He's even reportedly dated multiple people at once before, though it's unknown if these were open relationships or otherwise, so I can't really tell you any more than that haha. (If you haven't met him in the story yet, please anticipate his arrival. He's such a great character, I adore him greatly. He's sooooo fun as a new addition to the main cast hehe)

Anyhow, I'm sorry if I haven't given any clear-cut answers so far but rest assured!! It gets even more complicated!!!!!! 🙌🙌

SO!!! Knowing that different countries, cultures, and people regard Monogamy and Polygamy different, where does the Riesterian custom of having a Religious and Political Companion come into play? Well, in the first place, the tradition of choosing these two partners is solely a Riesterian custom, one that is also reserved for the Imperial Family (and collateral lines). A POLITICAL COMPANION to help the Imperial ruler politically, financially, or in any other diplomatic/transactional needs, (typically with a renowned noble family, or even a wealthy and affluent merchant family); and then a RELIGIOUS COMPANION to help guide the future ruler spiritually, an emotional and religious guide. Neither of the two roles are necessarily romantic, and the position as Political Companion does not require love—it is a political match first and foremost, though rulers such as Frédérique and her mother before her, Céline, were lucky in that they were able to marry people who they loved. The marriage is merely a formality so that the ruler could have an adequate spouse who fits all the requirements needed to support the ruler and fulfill the duties required of by a consort. Love is not a requirement, but it is still a legal marriage, thus a degree of respect for the arrangement is still expected.

So, what does that make a Religious Companion?

Religious Companionship via Covenant/Holy Contract Ceremony is special in that it requires the two individuals involved to swear their souls together and have them joined for eternity. This connection is beyond romantic or platonic love—in fact, a lot of the sentiments between the Master of the Covenant and the Patron Saint is very queerplatonic. It is metaphysical, it is something integral to the people involved, it is something only they alone can truly understand. It is hard not to regard the sharing of one's soul with another as not being romantic, as the very nature of the Holy Contract is intimate and requires, in the first place, a deep trust in the other person.

I believe the in-universe romance novel by Benjamin Giradin, "Reason, Emotion, and Divinity" (as the title is translated by the official webtoon team), displays a common trope regarding the complex arrangement of the main character (Heathcliff) who is caught up in a conflict between his Political (Jane) and Religious (Catherine) Companions [78]. It is noteworthy that, although Heathcliff is in a physical marriage to Jane, he is in a spiritual/mental marriage with Catherine and is the one whom his heart lays with. We can see, here, that this is an example of a relationship that is not equally "polygamous"—there is a lack of sincerity on one party's part towards the other, and the "spiritual marriage" is seen in a negative light as it is not fulfilling the role it should be. It's a very dramatic circumstance however and of course, is only one (fictional) example of the extent of the depths that a Religious Companionship might lead to, but we can take another example, too—this time, one from Riester's very history, told to us in Chapter 195:

Basically (recapping for anyone reading who might not know), roughly a thousand years prior to the current timeline, Empress Arianne Riester proposed that the Cardinal Phillipe (who had been her ally in unifying the fractured Empire following Venetiaan departure) become her second companion. Knowing that Arianne was already married at this point and was also not romantically in love with Philippe, the Cardinal rejected her, unwilling to take on a role similar to that of a concubine. But despite this rejection, Philippe did harbour unrequited love for Arianne, and gave in to her sincere proposal, though not without requirements. Philippe gave her tulips and said that even if they were not legally tied to each other, he was still and would still always be her ally, and the Empress wished for his formal companionship that strongly, then it would only be so if the Lord blessed their union and affirmed that it would be okay. The blessing later came in the form of the blossoming of never-before tulips. Since purple was a deeply religious symbol and tulips of that colour had never existed beforehand on the continent, the people took this as a religious sign, thus, a blessing from the Lord Herself. Thus, the two joined together and their union was the start of the tradition of the Religious Companionship in the Riester Empire for generations to come.

Interestingly, it is noted that every single Religious Companion of every Imperial Riesterian ruler to come after Arianne and Philippe, all died single [256]. In a sense, this is truly a marriage no different than a political one, and perhaps even deeper than that. While Philippe genuinely loved Arianne (one-sidedly), not all Religious Companionships are explicitly romantic, either. But again, it is undeniable that the Patron Saint in the Holy Contract is the one who holds the most power—if they do not sincerely wish to form a Covenant, it would not happen. So naturally, all Religious Companions feel strongly about their respective Master of the Covenant, and this intimacy could absolutely stem from love, or result in love.

SO, what can we make of Empress Frédérique's relationship with her Political Companion Alexandre, and her Religious Companion Aurélie?

Just like how the different examples of Political and Religious Companionship that we've seen above are different, Frédérique, Alexandre, and Aurélie (FAA) are also unique in their own way. Frédérique and Aurélie's relationship was the first to form, with Frédérique being the first to "fall for" Aurélie for the clarity of her ether and her sincerity in her tasks as an Imperial Priest. They were childhood friends following this and naturally grew very close, but the one who Frédérique later explicitly romantically falls for was Alexandre Blanquer (notably, she fell for him at first sight, similarly to how she did with Aurélie in the confessional hahaha. Frédérique is really the type of person who knows what she likes and strives to obtain them). FAA are truly special because all three of them managed to form very strong connections, not just with Frédérique, but between Aurélie and Alexandre, as well.

Frédérique and Aurélie note on numerous occasions how much Cédric's growing relationships remind them so much of their own childhoods and younger years back when Alexandre was alive, and it is very clear that they all loved each other. Perhaps this might not be the clear response you'd like from me? but I do not think it matters whether or not their relationship was romantic, sexual, or platonic.

Just the fact that they loved each other immensely, to the point of Aurélie even almost sacrificing her own life if it meant she could trade it for Alexandre's (which ultimately failed, though deteriorated her eye in the process, which is why she wears a monocle) [600]. Aurélie and Alexandre were not physically married, nor did they share souls and emotions like how Frédérique and Aurélie did, but despite this all, they managed to form deeply intertwined bonds despite at surface-level glance Frédérique being the "only link" between them. From the very start, they were all together a 3-person parental unit for Cédric the moment he was born, and Aurélie, though not his blood parent, was pretty much his second mom right from the get-go (in the official webtoon translation, he calls her "Aunt Aurélie") and naturally had been made the godmother since his parents are pretty much her partners, too. They were so close that Cédric's conception dream was actually dreamt by Aurélie—prior to his birth, she dreamt of being visited by a sun who came into her bedroom, before falling asleep together. It was reportedly a very cute dream, and I think it's very indicative of how close these three were for Aurélie to be the one to have the conception dream instead of Cédric's own parents. From the very very very start, they had always co-parented and cared for Cédric, and would have done anything for him. Their relationship is untraditional for the typical two-parent family unit, but they were true in this together right from the start, from every step of the way. During his childhood, Cédric was only awake for very short hours of the day, but whenever he was, Aurélie, without fail, always came and visited him in the mornings to read him stories, just because he liked it, and Frédérique and Alexandre would also join them for whatever small moment of family time they could get, when Cédric wasn't sleeping [600]. They raised, cared for, and loved this boy greatly, you cannot distinguish a difference in their love on the basis of whether they're Cédric's parents or not. They love him because he's their precious child, and that is that.

I like what you mentioned about how you were unable to figure out if their relationship was romantic or platonic, and how you said it was perhaps intentional on the author's part. Sookym never mentions queerplatonicism at all in their work, but the queercoding of this universe by mere virtue of the existence of all the implications brought forth by the lore and magic system itself allows for very queerplatonic/queercoded messages to saturate the work in its entirety—all due to the very nature of TWSB alone. I think QPR is the best way to describe Religious Companionship, and all the other very special and metaphysical bonds that appear between several characters throughout the entire novel. In FAA's case, it is clear that Frédérique loved Alexandre very dearly, and that their marriage was not even a necessarily political one (they practically eloped without the permission of Alexandre's family, and the Blanquers also disowned him when he went through with the marriage, so there was hardly any political gain there, other than Alexandre hinself being a 9th-Grade Mage), but it is EQUALLY CLEAR that Frédérique loves Aurélie, too. You will understand as you continue reading, but there are some incredibly intimate moments between these two that are both emotional AND physical.

The biggest example that comes immediately to mind is right after Frédérique and Aurélie had to be separated for a long time during the Riester-Venetiaan war, upon reuniting, the two of them immediately spent the night together, and the morning after has Frédérique hugging Aurélie around the waist while in bed [850], and the scene is played completely naturally, as if this is a routine that isn't unusual for them and that has probably happened before. Of course, this happened because being apart for too long is literally physically painful for Frédérique, so being physically close to Aurélie and receiving her ether in the most direct way possible would remedy that, but in the first place, if they were not incredibly close, the physical nature of their relationship would not be as crazily intimate—to the point of sharing a bed and being in semi-states of undress, and physically touchy with each other in a scene epitomizing domesticity. They love each other and that's that. They are literal soulmates and partners, and we don't need to know anymore. The love they have for each other is something only they themselves would understand, and the love they had for Alexandre is something that also belongs to them.

With all these different presentations of love, affection, and queerplatonicism between different characters, I do not think there is actually much conflict that CYC themselves would face in becoming partners. Everyone in Riester and in other nations as well understand that the bond that Empress Frédérique and Cardinal Aurélie is integral and important, and there is never any criticism there on Frédérique's intimacy with Aurélie, even when it is well known that Frédérique wildly loved Alexandre. The only issue, in fact, that arises about CYC's potential partnership, was Yeseo (as Jesse), being from Venetiaan, and then later on, was mostly internal doubt and dilemma from Yeseo himself. Outside forces never disapprove of the three of them having any sort of relationship, and whatever criticism they ever face is not because of any romantic conflict or say gender bias (like I said before, homophobia doesn't exist in the widespread view, and if it does, it happened in the past as is now seen as stupid WKJJJK), but because of the requirements that the position of Political Companion and Religious Companion require, respectively. But Christelle Rambouillet and Jung Yeseo are probably the only ones that can fit the requirements of these two symbolic and physical positions the best, with Christelle, even after discarding the ducal Sarnez name, obtaining military achievements and notable contributions to the Empire and becoming the "Star of the Navy", and her incredibly positive public image and reputation as a national hero within the Empire will undoubtedly dissuade any criticisms of her worthiness of being a Political Companion. Yeseo, meanwhile, (again, sorry if you didn't want all these spoilers in this reply 😭) is the renowned Palace Lord of Juliette, the Marquis of Sérénité, an Incarnation of God and an Angel of the Lord, and is His Holiness the Pope, himself.

Yeseo and Christelle become some of THE most accomplished people in the Empire, and anyone who tries to push their sons or daughters into the symbolic roles of Religious and Political Companions for the Crown Prince of the Great Riester Empire, will have to compete with these two reputational behemoths hahaha. At the start of the story, the conflict between CYC's potential Companionship has always been political, with the question of who could possibly fit these roles the best and aid Cédric, once he inherits the throne. Politics and schematics have always been the question here, and you could even say that emotions have very little to do with this decision—in fact, we've seen before that Cédric would have gone with anyone Frédérique and Aurélie would have chosen for him, since that's what it means to be a Crown Prince and fulfill his duties. Of course, that isn't to say that FredAu would want Cédric miserable, but it is clear that politics always take precedence, unless extraordinary circumstances arise enough to the point of being able to discard traditional political moves.

Initially, Christelle de Sarnez was the best candidate for Cédric Political Companion because not only was the Sarnez Family a (now formerly) reputable family and strong supporter of the Empress, but the marriage would also bring with it the Blessing of the Azure Ocean, which Cédric had needed at the time. Of course, this initial setting falls flat, but Ham Ga-in, as Christelle Rambouillet, later makes an enormous name for herself and becomes even more renown that she would have been as a "Duke's daughter".

As for Jesse Venetiaan, while his ether was the more noble and pure, and his divine power was incredibly notable, his biggest flaw in the eyes of Riester-Venetiaan politics was that Jesse was a foreigner from the opposing country. This flaw, however, is immediately rectified once Jung Yeseo separates from the identity of Jesse Venetiaan (and there's a LOT more context, but it'll take way too long to explain) and becomes the "Moon of the Empire", rather than that of the Divine Kingdom. Once it is made known that Yeseo's allegiances and loyalty are clearly with Riester, the political doubt, implications, and hesitation on him being Cédric's potential Religious Partner naturally fades, all most if not all Riesterians are extremely enthusiastic about their potential union (in fact, many characters are often surprised that they haven't already officialized it, or haven't done it earlier LMAO).

In short, it's always politics, politics, politics. Riesterian nobles ultimately don't place much importance about whether or not CYC are romantic, platonic, queerplatonic—what matters in their eyes is always POLITICS and if the candidates for the future Emperor's Companions will be fitting of the roles they will have to play. CYC's own feelings are their own and whether or not they, in this Companionship, become romantic or platonic, or remain heavily queerplatonically coded, is their own personal affairs, so long as each of them are able to accomplish their respective duties. Of course, there will always be an interest in the nature of their relationship because gossip and curiosity in any country is unavoidable, especially when it concerns such important people like CYC, but the nature of it, in a political lenses, has little to do with whether or not they are fitting as partners. I personally believe that in any way one can spin it, CYC will still be the perfect pairing regardless, and Cédric choosing candidates that do not understand the depths of his soul is unfathomable to me—Yeseo and Christelle are, quite literally, the only ones (in a meta sense, as well). And on the topic of politics, the question of heirs will also naturally follow, and I am very!!! glad to say that this question gets very masterfully solved by the author haha! I am very content with it and it's a bit humorously in retrospect how it happens, but ultimately was a very smart move that allows for this question to be resolved (without having any of the MCs contradict whatever we might think of them!) and allows for readers to naturally conclude whatever outcome they prefer best after the main story ends! (But if you or anyone reading this is interested in knowing more about the Heir Question, feel free to refer to this post where I go into depth about it!)

Anyway, this response has really gone on for a....... very very long time. It took me a while write this out and make sure I got all my facts right LMAO, but I hope I was able to answer, even if only in some way, your questions and help your curiosity!!! 🥹😭🙌🙌

[hollow-lime-green]

I have been meaning to ask you this for a while. It's about FIYM, of course, because the series lives rent free in my head. How did falling in love go for Satoru? We know what his initial impression was, but I'm really curious about what did him in. Was it fast? Was he aware it was happening? I really want to know, but if you'd rather keep it a mystery until later chapters, don't mind me.

Ah I'd love to answer this question! <3 I don't think it's a spoiler.

The answer to all of these things is sort of yes and sort of no. In FIYM, Satoru fell in love with Suguru almost immediately, but took a while to realize that that's what was happening. Suguru is his first in a lot of ways, so he has literally nothing to compare the experience to. Suguru is:

One of two people he perceives as on a comparable power level (Yuki being the other)

The first person to meet him without knowing the clans, and therefore sidestep the status difference

His first real gay awakening, as he wouldn't have really interacted as equals with other boys his age except Naoya (who is super homophobic - we'll get to that)

In their first year, Satoru is dealing with a confusing mix of budding feelings: mutual respect, romantic love, and concern about Suguru's powers. Because he's never felt these things before, especially together, he doesn't realize what they are, only that he has never felt so much for anyone else, ever.

Satoru knows (thinks) that what he feels is unusual and wrong. That colors a lot of their early interactions because Satoru doesn't want to be 'caught' with these feelings that he doesn't even fully understand. Now, this is a mix of internalized homophobia but also Gojo clan asceticism (which is an hc, not in text, but I think it's a good way to contrast them with Zen'ins and it fits Satoru's more direct ties to Buddhism and enlightenment).

Satoru feels so much for Suguru that he decides that Suguru can't possibly feel the same, because if he did, then how is he hiding it so well when Satoru is struggling so hard to hide his own feelings? (Answer: They're both very stupid.)

His first big inflection points would be:

Suguru's proof of powers (centipede curse flashback Ch 13 2sorcs) - woah wait this guy is really strong

Suguru telling him to fuck off when they first met (this is actually our very first scene - Ch1 Domains) - woah this guy isn't part of clan society and isn't afraid of me

The extended homoeroticism of physical training and wound care inherent to battle shonens (more specifically the first time he got to patch Suguru up - Ch 6 Domains) - woah this guy is hot oh no why do i like touching male bodies oh fuck oh f-

So it was extremely fast, and Satoru was extremely aware that something was happening. But the process of him recognizing the feeling, coming to terms with it, and allowing himself to have it has been glacially slow. I'm sure his decision to flee to Canada will really help things move along. :)

[suzukiblu]

hi! can i ask if “hereditary behaviors” is going to be a luthor/kon pairing? or is it just gen? sorry if it’s meant to be obvious or you’ve already said somewhere :]

That one's genfic; I'd tag for the pairing somehow otherwise, given the whole shared DNA/age difference/power imbalance setup there. I do my best to tag for that kind of stuff, just figure it's a more hospitable reading environment for people who either don't wanna see that kind of thing or just don't wanna get surprised by it when they're not in the mood for it. Like for example, anything Kon/Match or Clark/Kon gets at least "clonecest" attached and I def use "supercest" and "batcest" and so on whenever those seem relevant.

( tho like yeah if anyone ever has questions about content warnings or that kind of thing or even just "hey can you tell me if this plot is gonna go a way that would teigger me?", feel free to ask me anytime, I don't mind clarifying even if it's stuff I've already answered elsewhere; I do NOT expect ANYONE to read every post on this blog, hah, and I would rather make it an easier reading experience for y'all whenever possible. spoiler-ish stuff I'll just stick behind a cut so other people can scroll past as needed. )

[throneofblood-if]

Hi! I've Just read chapter four and so I wanted to ask, after listening to Cy, if MC decided to free them from the blood pact (let's assume is possible), so that they get back what they lost because of it, give them money/gems enough to live for a while, and leave them in a "witch-friendly-city" in the human world, how would Cy feel? Would they be happy? Once free of the blood pact and understood MC's intentions, would they argue/try to convince MC of letting them stay/try to find a way to stay with MC and the others? Or would they be happy to finally escape the demon's realm? If Cy would feel glad/happy/relieved to be free and once again in the human world, would they be able to live a happy life, or with time they would regret the decision (maybe feeling lonely/alone)?

Hi! Sorry for the late reply.

It's a bit difficult to explain without getting into spoiler territory but, consider this: they have now lived for so long with you to the point that they don't know anyone else outside of your castle. How would they even begin to readjust to the life outside of the demon realm? Even as a witch, there's a certain stigma attached to people who associate with demons. It may be possible, considering how resilient Cy is, but would they want to do it?

Maybe.

It all depends on your choices, really.

As said in a previous ask, there is a very real chance of your Knights leaving you if you make the wrong choices during their character development arcs.

I'm sorry if it doesn't exactly answer your question! But there's really no good way of doing it without spoilers 🎶

[two-blue-mews]

Masterpost

(This blog will be heavily inspired by the rotomblr format for questions and answers. So the resident Rotom will be taking care of asks. Anything mod related will be posted with parenthesis and tagged as such)

((Credit to @penumbramewtwos for the original idea))

(((Also, apologies for any formatting mistakes, I’m on mobile lol)))

You are currently able to “call” any of the characters and show them your memories if you want to. Worlds without the technology will just have a “screen” of sorts appear that will allow them to communicate and interact.

Rules:

1. Outside of the tumblr tos, I ask that you’re at least 14 to interact with this blog. While there will be no nsfw, there may be some PG-13 content.

2. Just be kind and patient. This is just a blog meant for fun.

3. I don’t mind if you ask multiple questions, but they may all not get answered right away

4. Fanart and character interactions are very much encouraged and will be cherished! I also will do my best to respond to them and possibly even draw my own fanart!

Just keep in mind that B-2 is around 13 years old, so please don’t be weird with her.

5. Feel free to be goofy and weird. Splice loves goofy and weird!

Links:

Toyhouse (note: contains spoilers for other stories and characters) :

Main blog: @candys-mewporium

Characters:

Zap- open for asks

Electric/Ghost - he/him - lvl. 15 - lax - “Scatters things often” - likes sour things and hates bitter tastes

Zap is the link between this world and the others. He gained strange abilities after getting attacked by a powerful pokemon. These include being connected to a multi-universal “network” that allows him to communicate with other worlds and even show the memories of others. His powers are still developing.

Question Hints:

Who is he?

Why is here in the middle of the mountains in the first place?

How in the world can he get a signal up there??

Trying giving them some food or something!

Do you have Mewtwo in this world?

What are the mew in this world like?

Bleu - open for asks

ice - she/her- lvl.35 - Lonely - “often lost in thought” - likes spicy things - dislikes sour stuff 

Question hints:

Who is she?

What kind of pokemon is she?

Does anyone else live up here?

How can we understand her?

How did she and B-2 meet?

Why is she so small compared to her sister?

Art by @mushroom-for-art

B-2 - open for asks

Art by @mushroom-for-art

she/they - ice/??? - lvl. ??? Type - rash - “strongly defiant” - likes dry foods - dislikes anything bitter

Bleu’s younger sister

Calls herself a variant on Bleus and refers to herself go a Bleutwo

Does not like to be referred to as a mew or mewtwo

Question Hints:

What kind of pokemon is she?

How old is she?

What does she like to do?

What’s her ability?

Side Characters:

auntie fern and auntie blossom

periwinkle

[reiynm]

Hello! I have been on a yandere kick for the last month, & finally got around to your game. Love it by the way! Minor spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn't done all the paths.

I am a big fan of yanderes who refuse to hurt their LI (I will live and die for yans such as Ren/Red from 14 Days with You, or Harper from Camp Willowpeak) but I also like the yanderes who don't WANT to hurt you, but will under the right circumstances. Gives a little bit more tension for the player to choose their actions more carefully.

I have a couple of SFW & NSFW questions, feel free to answer whatever ones you feel like, I will put all the NSFWs at the end so you can just skip over them if you don't feel like answering. Regardless of if you answer any of them at all, I hope you have a wonderful day, & I am excited to see what you come up with in the future!

SFW questions

1- Under the assumption that you get him to move back to the city with you, how would Logan react if MC passively started calling him "my husband" to people?

2- Would Logan ever start loosening up a bit around MC, if they start warming up to him? Like would he be more likely to crack jokes, or use playful/flirty tones with MC, ect? (without MC asking him to)

3- Logan doesn't strike me as a gamer, but if MC was interested in video games, would he give them a shot so he could play with MC, or would he rather just watch as MC plays?

NSFW questions

4- If MC decided to walk around the cabin/apartment naked, how would Logan react? How badly would that throw him off, would he not know what to do?

5- If an AFAB MC expressed wanting to be intimate with him, but didn't want kids & was afraid of getting pregnant, would he simple get contraceptives? Or would he go out of his way to get a vasectomy?

Hello! I'm glad you enjoyed my game 😊

Same!!🤝 Yanderes who are deeply devoted but refuse to harm their love interests have a special place in my heart too (and OMG Ren💕)

1. Logan would likely be quite taken aback at first, especially if he hadn’t seen it coming. The surprise might leave him momentarily speechless. Even if he doesn't show it right away, he’d be deeply moved that the MC sees him in such a meaningful and committed way.

2. Yes, although it may take some time. Nothing is impossible with a little patience x)

3. Video games don’t interest him, but if it makes the MC happy, he’ll give it a try. (Not sure he’ll enjoy it tho) He would be more of an observer than a player.

4. That’s a good question! xD He’s definitely going to lose some of his cool (that’s for sure xD). And even if the situation could quickly become…… yk ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), he would perceive it much more as a wholesome moment than a Hot one. For him, if you’re comfortable enough to show yourself that way in front of him, he’ll see it as a sign of trust and acceptance.

5. He’ll do whatever the MC prefers. (He also doesn’t wish to have children, so it’s not a problem for him.) He fully agrees with the use of contraceptives and is even open to the possibility of getting a vasectomy if that aligns with MC’s preferences.

PS: I'm not sure when there will be new updates. As you can see, I'm not the fastest creator around (even when it comes to replies ^^").

Anyway, have a wonderful day and thank you for the ask :D

[poirolivia]

Hey! Just figured I should introduce myself since I’ve been on here a little bit:

I’m @poirolivia ! Welcome to my blog!

Pronouns: She/Her

I identify as straight, but I’m an ally :)

Tumblr birthday (given to me by @hipsterslikedmymagicbeans): September 24

Blog name inspiration: The great detective Hercule Poirot created by the genius mystery writer, Agatha Christie!

PFP: My rubber duck/cow hybrid named Quoo! He says hi :) Edit: He also says he will accept asks, just let us know who you want the answer from, me or Quoo.

Fandoms:

- Sherlock (BBC)

- Good Omens (I don’t support Neil Gaiman though)

- TMA (No spoilers pls! I’m just getting into it!)

- SPN (No spoilers pls! I know some things but again am just getting into it)

- I also like Marvel, Star Wars, and Harry Potter (I don’t support JKR), but I don’t really post much about them atm.

Content:

- Weird stuff I find cool

- Announcements for my Ao3 fics (User is @poirolivia_writes) which include:

* “A Study in Moriarty”: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63775531 (completed work)

* “Have You Ever Been So Lucky”: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64078951 (wip)

* “The Adventures of an Angel, a Demon, and a Girl Who Just Wanted to Visit a Bookshop”: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65090656 (wip)

* “Experiment Gone Wrong”: https://archiveofourown.org/works/65961394

- The TMA Diagram, in which I map out my journey through TMA

- Reactions to stuff I’m reading/watching

Everyone is welcome here! Example: I’m an ally for the LGBTQIA+ community! I want to be as supportive, sensitive, respectful, and open-minded as possible to anyone and everyone who is willing to do the same for me and for everyone else in this badass community! Assholes of any but the endearing sort may kindly piss off.

Feel free to DM with any questions, comments, or concerns as long as you’re respectful and not trying to sell me anything.

See you out there!

[ask-an-innocuous-taco]

Dear reader,

Hey there! Welcome to my Inanimate Insanity-themed blog! You're in the right place if you're a fan of the show (and don't hate Taco.) Just a heads up, though: spoilers might be ahead, especially if you're not caught up with the latest episodes.

Oh, and before I forget, I'll be answering your questions and prompts mainly through text, with some headcanons thrown in for good measure. Just keep in mind that my interpretations might not always perfectly match the characters from the show, but I'll do my best to stay true to their essence.

So, a bit about me—I've been obsessed with Inanimate Insanity for a couple of years now. It's basically taken over my life, in the best possible way. And I figured, why not channel that obsession into something creative? Hence, this ask-blog.

⋅˚₊‧ ✎ ‧₊˚ ⋅﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌₊ ⊹

BLOG'S STORYLINE:

Their conversation leads to MePad introducing Taco to this thing called Tumblr, suggesting that instead of dwelling on lost connections by letters, she could try making new ones here. It's a nice little moment of growth for Taco, don't you think?

We're picking up after Microphone's reality check on Taco and after Taco's whole ordeal with kidnapping MePad. Lonely and needing someone to talk to, Taco switches MePad back on from slumber mode. And instead of just using him as a pawn like she did before with anyone else, she's opening up a bit, showing some genuine sincerity. Maybe some honesty wouldn't hurt.

⋅˚₊‧ ✎ ‧₊˚ ⋅﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌₊ ⊹

Be Respectful: Treat others with kindness and respect. Harassment, bullying, or any form of hate speech will not be tolerated. !!REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A REAL PERSON BEHIND THE SCREEN!!

RULES:

No Spamming: Avoid spamming the ask box with repetitive questions or messages. One well-thought-out question at a time is preferred.

Be Patient: Understand that the creator behind the ask-blog may have a busy schedule. Please be patient for responses, as I may take time to answer questions.

Keep it PG-13: Ensure all questions and discussions are appropriate for a general audience. Avoid explicit content or language. (Unless it's funny haha. I won't hesitate to publicize your inquiry, all in good fun, of course).

Respect Privacy: Avoid asking overly personal questions or prying into the personal lives of the creator portrayed in the blog.

No Plagiarism: Respect original content and intellectual property. Do not steal or repost artwork, writing, or any other creations without proper permission or credit.

Use Trigger Warnings: If discussing sensitive topics or themes, provide trigger warnings to alert readers of potentially distressing content.

⋅˚₊‧ ✎ ‧₊˚ ⋅﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌₊ ⊹

Taco inquiries - Asks that have to do with Taco.

SPECIAL TAGS:

MePad asks - Asks that have to do with MePad.

Mod 👓 - Asks that are answered by the mod.

⋅˚₊‧ ✎ ‧₊˚ ⋅﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌₊ ⊹

If you want to ask anything related to Taco or maybe even MePad, feel free to shoot me a message using the tags provided below. Can't wait to hear from you all!

- Yours truly, 👓.

[nadekofannumber1]

Stupid Csm spoiler question for my current theories

I feel like the concept of pochita birth devil is fairly possible IMO, however another thing I’m wondering is if like, does pregnancy currently ‘exist’ in CSM?

Like it’s not an invalid question, chainsaws were originally a tool invented to help women give birth, so even if not currently brought up it would be something the devil hunters would have to consider right? But I can’t remember any scene mentioning the concepts of pregnancy in chainsaw man, I don’t remember any mentions of pregnant women as a victim status in dying or even its concept involved in sex. The latest chapters show concepts related persisting even if a function disappears, phones seem to in ways have existed even if ears and their function disappeared but perhaps that was only because of the shortness of the disappearance (after all characters do try to talk yet I could view that as a framing tool).

Chainsaw man’s erasing powers only seem to have fully activated when the “scarf” is out, though this somewhat of a fallacy as we’ve only recently seen the chainsaw devil use these powers in action. However given the state of the mouth devil shown when mouths disappear it could easily be seen that it’s not necessary to consume the whole devil to make a concept disappear, which is pretty decent evidence that it’s a manual power and it’s worth considering of course. When taking the scarf into consideration it’s worth questioning why it’s even there. If not a remnant of makima but a legitimate piece of the chainsaw devil’s full design it’s pretty strange that there’s like, a fleshy scarf on it right? Not only that but it comes from the chainsaw man’s stomach and wraps around his neck before trailing. If one subscribes to birth devil (or an adjacent similar concept even post natal death) theory you could easily view it as an umbilical cord, it’s hard not to view it as one if you conceive the chainsaw devil’s power as unbirth. From a linguistic standpoint, concepts are things that are in a sense born, and devils are essentially sentient concepts but death does not free them, not fully. However if those concepts were simply never born, everything changes, if something dies it existed but if it wasn’t born it never did.

It’s pretty thematically congruent given CSM’s themes on family, bodily agency, growing up, sex, death, intimacy. A birth devil who wishes to be the chainsaw devil at its core is really interesting honestly, especially with concepts of humanization and dehumanization of them.

(Side note I think that cult worshiping the birth devil is horrific implications wise imo, horrific idea that chainsaw man syndrome is related to the concept of birth itself)

If you stretch and think perhaps pochita is an a way a sort of fetus.

Of course this has its flaws as a lot of the other parts of chainsaw man’s design don’t reflect it as birth but more as a cool metal chainsaw monster, perhaps one could try and link it to other potential concepts of horrific birth like the baby centrifuge (it exists look it up, tbh a lot of these old horrific implements are interesting).

But even with all that why does nobody notice? Why doesn’t anyone say anything?

Really asking any questions about what could exist in csm is like this.

It’s a devil’s proof, you can’t prove if something does or doesn’t exist in csm until you actually see it or someone mentions that it’s missing, nobody knew that the AIDs devil was destroyed until that scene with Makima towards the end of part one. We fundamentally have no idea what doesn’t exist in chainsaw man and with the reading of the chainsaw devil as the birth devil it gets you asking questions about what truth is obscured. This just happens to be the most simple answer to me. Chainsaw is a loan word in Japanese (chenso no akuma) so you can’t say it’s another thing character reading wise especially when they have the war devil (sensho no akuma) which would probably be the closest big thing someone could try to push.

I’d say the biggest hole in asking if pregnancy exists in CSM is that milk and eggs exist, however the concept based existence of devils is locked to human perspective therefor those things could still exist but in ways not comprehended as the same as pregnancy.

I’d love feedback though.

Even if there’s perfect evidence pregnancy exists in csm, it’s still very weird nobody has brought up the pregnancy argument for chainsaw man in universe lol.

———-

Update for the latest chapter as of 9/18/24 (or 18/9/24)

Given the latest chapters and the chapters since this initial post, I’d say I’m 100% certain the reason that yoru can’t control the chainsaw devil is because it is not her “child”. Chainsaws aren’t a concept born from war it was born as a method for doctors to cut pelvic cartalage open wider so a child can be born. The chainsaw devil is a product of the fear of sex and birth, just because you can use it for something else now doesn’t untie the concept from the “parent concept”

If the chainsaw devil is a sort of birth devil with a parent concept of pregnancy and sex, the chainsaw devil perhaps destroying pregnancy itself to become one’s own devil would be in line with the themes of rejection of concepts like traditional family. It would also possibly make pochita just like denji.

Honestly, “parent concepts” being canonized makes a lot of understanding how devils work a lot easier. Instead of having to split hairs about how larger concepts factor into smaller ones that are valid variations but also could just as easily factor into the main larger fear, it lets concepts exist as extensions of each other. Once more tying the concept to the horror of familial bonds. Despite being mainly a woodcutting tool, the chainsaw devil can’t stop being a product of the birth devil. Maybe pochita wished to be loved like one is supposed to love their child, or how one is supposed to have a normal childhood. Perhaps the chainsaw devil hold denji in the conceptual womb of his mind to protect him as one should protect a child. Why pochita has multiple forms could be due to the disparity of concept itself, with chainsaws as a wood cutting tool being innately less scary than chainsaws as a tool for birth. Amother way you could think on it is some devil’s abilities get underutilized because of their disposition as devils or perhaps the shifting existence of concepts, like the blood devil Power’s ability of creating a bond between blood. Thinking of the powers of the blood devil as entirely literal is probably a misnomer at this point in the story.

While eastern and western individual concepts of blood vary, its symbol as a form of bond or homogeny does culturally share at least some concepts. I’d say the big differences for Japan are that they use blood type like horoscopes and also all blood is spiritually unclean or corrupting (which is why menstruating women generally can’t go to shrines). Western perception of blood differs as many abrahamic religions are mired in the symbolism of blood from a literal to non literal level, but also many Norse, Germanic, or pagan religions took interest in the concept as well. In many abrahamic religions consumption of blood is fairly expressly forbaid as it is considered the very soul of the being, which is how kosher and halal food intersect, they both require a ritual that drains the blood. I could say more but I’ll halt for now. Really there’s a lot of what ifs, but I think the bond of blood relation or really anything ethnonationalist is likely the most relevant answer. As it’s common with many large countries, Japan isn’t an exception to concepts of blood purity being a status of cultural identity. Blood relation or blood purity is a staple to the status quo as much as traditional family is. Power has that symbolic violence engraved in her as the devil of blood but that desire for bonds is also an equally valuable property of blood. On its own blood as a bond doesn’t have to be an innately evil thing, as denji and power form a bond of blood, and even now pochita cries out for blood in the streets. Hunting for that security and bond.

However I’m willing to also understand that my theory is more a devil’s proof. I can’t prove it but I can’t not prove it.

[misc-obeyme]

Hi CC! I hope this isn't a question out of left field. I'm okay with spoilers and my friend has answered some questions but this one has us stumped;

In the OG lesson 3-14 as we are preparing for our trivia contest, Satan tells us to ask Simeon. But how does Satan know? Levi doesn't know right, or he'd be all over Simeon.

HOW does Satan know?! He's too young to be the beta reader right? I wonder if you know more about that?

thank you and praise, 🐌

Hi there, 🐌 anon!

Oh I'm all about questions out of left field!

You are correct, Levi doesn't know and he doesn't find out until season two.

And this is an interesting question because how does Satan know?

Mammon doesn't know, as evidenced by the next lesson where he straight up asks why would Simeon know about the book that isn't out yet? When you use the information against Levi a little later, Mammon once again is like how does Simeon know all that?? LOL what a dork.

And then I don't think we hear about it until Levi finds out the truth... and because I wanted to see about that, I went and found it in Lesson 24-19. They're discussing who should write the script for the play that they're going to put on for the RAD school festival.

And it's Satan who tells Levi that Simeon is the author of TSL!

But it doesn't say how he knows!

I looked, but I couldn't find anything about where the knowledge comes from, so we're gonna hafta go with my best guess.

Please note, these are just my ideas! It's possible there is a canon explanation and I just don't remember it! Anyone who does, please feel free to set me straight about it lol.

Even though it doesn't explain how Satan knows it's Simeon who is the author of TSL, I think there are two main ways that Satan might have obtained this information.

My favorite option is that it was Solomon who told him. Solomon lives with Simeon in Purgatory Hall already before we ever get there at the very beginning. And I've always been of the opinion that Solomon and Satan are pretty good friends. Mostly because they have that Cat group chat with MC and they both like books.

Solomon himself is a TSL fan, so it makes sense that the topic would come up with Simeon at Purgatory Hall. And I'm sure Simeon was just like oh yeah I'm Christopher Peugeot. Upon discovering this, Solomon could have told Satan.

The other option is that Satan just knows stuff. It's kind of his thing to have a lot of knowledge. And he's obviously got a bit of an obsession with books in general. So it seems to me that he could have gone out of his way to discover who Christopher Peugeot really is. It's mentioned somewhere in the game that Satan has a lot of "contacts" I think so it's possible that he just learned about it through his own personal network.

However, I still like the Solomon theory best.