#if that was the ONLY way i learned about or talked about it or engaged with it critically

[solelifauna]

With Bared Teeth & Prayers (Yandere Batfam X Neglected Reader) (Dark!!! Werewolf AU) (PT. 1)

TW: Mentions/allusions to cannibalism, death, and violence.

Three years had passed since that fateful day and your life had only gotten more miserable. Whatever hopes you had for being a part of a family were thwarted as soon as you stepped foot in the household. Bruce doesn't care about you, Dick was straight up mean, Jason (as the pack protector) was aggressive, Tim found you annoying, and Damien simply loathed your existence and would join Dick with his cruelty.

Both Stephanie and Barbara were civil with you, but neither really cared about what you did. Cassandra was nice, sometimes signing to you and giving you scented clothing, but she still didn't really go out of her way to engage with you. The only person who you felt truly cared about you was Alfred.

The first two years you tried your hardest to fit in and get the others to like you. You did whatever they wanted, made sure to learn their interests so you could talk to them, never complained, and made sure to respect the pack's boundaries.

You hoped that eventually, you’d all move past this hurdle and soon you would get along and be allowed in the pack den and other pack activities. Unfortunately, you realized that you would never be considered part of the family or the pack. Which as heartbreaking as it was, was the least of your worries.

You see, there was an ancient custom in werewolf culture concerning new pack members and pack initiation. When a new werewolf is introduced to a pack and their territory, the new werewolf has a certain amount of time to be accepted into the pack; if they’re not, well, they're killed and eaten. 

Yeah… quite terrifying and barbaric if you think about it, but mostly only the old lineages still continue this practice. Which is why you’re absolutely fucked. See, typically when children come to a pack they get accepted immediately, pups were (usually) considered precious.

In your case, being a half-blood severely reduced your chances and well, you guessed the Wayne family just didn't like you. Which sucks because you only have until your 18th birthday to get them to accept you, and considering your 16th birthday was coming up, your time was coming to a close. 

Or, you could always just run away. Hey! It was an option, one that you weren't sure the Bats would even let happen. Still it was worth a try. Which leads to your current situation in Bruce's office; you were trying to cut your losses a little early.

~~~~~~

“Look, I just feel as though this is the best course of action for your pack’s and my own safety.” Came your exasperated and desperate voice.

“Safety?” Bruce questions, causally flipping through some Wayne Industries documents, as if he doesn't know exactly what you're talking about.

“Considering Damian’s tried to kill me five times, two of his attempts almost being successful, and Jason's pit aggression that has him ready to rip my throat out, you can see why someone would feel unsafe.” You state, voice raising slightly in pitch.

He hummed noncommittally, his eyes still focusing on whatever paperwork he was going over.

“I'll think about it.” He replies, still disinterested.

“There’s nothing to think about! I should be allowed to leave if I want to, and if anything I'll finally be out of your pack's way.” You say, finally letting your frustration show through.

Why couldn't he just let you leave? Did he seriously want to keep you here just to kill– sorry, eat you in another two years?

“Excuse me?” He finally looks up from his work, his blue eyes meeting yours. He was unimpressed, you could tell that much at least, coupled with a dark look of simmering anger.

Okay, so maybe you should tone it down a notch.

“Come on, I'm not an idiot. I know me being here is simply a public formality, good fluff bits for the press y'know. But I'm not part of your family, and I'm certainly not part of your pack. You and the others have made that very clear. So please, allow me to do us both a favor and get out of your way.” You add.

“Where would you go?”

“Huh?” You blink in surprise.

“Where would you go?” Bruce repeats again.

“That–that is honestly none of your concern.”

“None of my concern? Aren't I entitled to know where my kid is?”

“No, you’re not. Sure you're biologically considered my father, but we all know I'm not really considered your kid.”

“Is that what you think?” He questions.

“Am I supposed to think any differently?”

“You carry the Wayne surname do you not?”

“I do.”

“Then you belong to the Waynes. To me. Which means that I decide what happens to you.”

There was the familiar darkness that you saw pooling in Bruce’s eyes, the type that left the Joker a tortured mess, the type that disemboweled Ra’s Al Ghul, the type of darkness that reminded you that Batman doesn’t kill. Oh no, he maims and tortures instead.

You unconsciously take a careful step back. 

Bruce’s stare felt like ice, and his words hung in the air, thick and heavy with an authority that was absolute. You wanted to argue, to say something, but every instinct in your body screamed for caution. There was a darkness in his gaze that you had seen glimpses of before, but never directed at you, and now it was there, unblinking, cutting through any hope you’d harbored for mercy or understanding.

Your heart hammered, yet you forced yourself to stand straighter, swallowing down the instinctive fear. 

“With all due respect,” you began, your voice smaller than you intended but steady, “staying here for another two years just for you all to—to follow through with that—custom, doesn’t seem fair.”

Bruce’s expression didn’t soften, but his posture shifted slightly, his gaze piercing through you like he could see every thought you tried to hide. 

“Belonging is earned. It isn’t granted because of blood,” he stated coldly. “If you truly wish to belong somewhere, you work for it.”

“I’ve tried,” you said, voice thick with frustration. “I’ve tried everything. I’ve followed your rules, I tried with everyone, and stayed out of everyone’s way. But nothing I do is good enough.”

“You assume that acceptance is given on your terms,” he replied, voice as controlled as ever. “Pack structure doesn’t bend to anyone’s whims. Least of all a half-blood who hasn’t proven their loyalty.”

The words stung, tearing open a wound that you thought had scarred over. You clenched your fists, feeling the sharp ache of your own nails digging into your palms. “And what exactly does proving myself look like here? Surviving Damian’s attacks? Letting Jason rip me apart every chance he gets?”

“Watch your tone,” he warned, his voice low, cutting through any retort you’d planned.

You took a shaky breath, forcing yourself to take another step back from his desk. Challenging him wouldn’t help. He’d already decided where you stood, and nothing you said would change that. Maybe it was better to save your energy, conserve your strength for the day you’d finally slip away.

“Understood,” you said, swallowing the bitterness in your throat. “If that’s how it is, then I’ll stay out of everyone’s way.”

 But you’d still leave when the time comes.

Bruce’s gaze hardened, like he knew what you were thinking. “Your place is here until I decide otherwise,” he said, a finality in his tone that told you any further argument would only worsen things.

He dismissed you with a look, returning to his papers as if the conversation were over, as if you were no longer there. Every step you took out of the office felt heavier, like the manor itself was holding you down, binding you to this place that was never truly a home.

As you closed the door behind you, the cold emptiness of the hallway wrapped around you, and you knew then—you were on your own. If you were to survive this, it would be on your own terms.

It's like clockwork when Alfred calls you down for dinner. The same time, the same routine.

You show  up to dinner, hands still shaking and mind still reeling from your disturbingly cryptic conversation with Bruce. But, never mind that you’d just eat quietly and leave like you always do. You moved to your normal seat only to find that all the chairs near the end of the table had disappeared. What the actual fuck. Was this some type of powerplay? Something to imply that you didn’t even have a seat at their table anymore? 

You mean, you wouldn't mind eating in the safety and comfort of your own room. With an exasperated sigh, which had a couple of heads turn their attention to you, you grabbed an empty plate and started loading it up with food. You were about to head back to your room when you heard an outraged growl from behind you.

The kind of growl that had you tensing, ready to submit and roll onto your back.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Jason growled out from behind you.

You freeze.

“To my room?” You responded meekly, curling in on yourself as much as you could.

“And pray tell, why do you think that’d be acceptable?”

“Uh–um, ‘cause my seats’ gone?”

Jason only smirked, the feral kind that almost always promised pain to his enemies.

“Oh, but your chair isn't gone, it's right here.” Jason says pointing to a chair right near the head of the table.

You blanked. That's not right. Only pack was allowed that close to the head of the table, where Bruce sat, where the pack leader sat.

“B-But, I can’t–”

“Did that sound like a suggestion?”

You shook your head no, swallowing down a whimper that almost escaped your lungs.

“Then sit your ass down,” Jason growled.

He didn't have to tell you twice.

Immediately you shakily sat down in your new seat, on the left side of Bruce’s seat at the head of the table with Jason sitting at your left shoulder and Dick across from you. Not good, not good at all. You could feel the acidic, green gaze of Jason burning into the side of your face whilst Dick languidly sipped his wine, a sickeningly sweet smile (with way too many teeth to be considered anything but malicious), plastered on his face as he stared at the new seating chart. You let out a shaky breath, trying to get your heart rate back to normal; you were so gonna die tonight.

Thankfully, Bruce arrived and sat himself in his seat at the head of the table; right next to you. You closed your eyes, trying to focus on getting air in your lungs and slowing your racing heart. Unbeknownst to you, Bruce shot a knowing stare at the rest of the table. As much as you tried to conceal it, they could all hear your rapidly fluttering heartbeat and your poorly hidden breathing. Tim and Jason both watched you amused; you looked so darn pathetic, sitting there trembling like a leaf. 

You glanced down at your plate, picking at the food without really tasting it, hoping that staying silent would help you melt into the background.

Bruce, however, remained still and silent, his presence looming over you, radiating the authority that seemed to keep everyone else in check. But even that felt like a facade; the way his gaze lingered on you for a split second too long told you he was watching closely, assessing.

You forced yourself to take a bite, trying to steady your hands enough to appear somewhat composed. But the sound of your own heartbeat seemed to echo in your ears, loud and unrelenting, as if amplifying the anxiety that twisted in your gut. They could hear it too; you knew that much from the way Jason’s smirk deepened, from the way Tim’s lips twitched with barely-contained laughter.

As the dinner dragged on, every clink of a fork, every quiet murmur, felt like it was directed at you. The food turned to ash in your mouth, each bite only reminding you of the eyes trained on you, dissecting you with every chew and every breath.

The rest of the dinner passed in strained silence, every second an endurance test as you forced yourself to stay seated, to keep your head down. When Bruce finally pushed his chair back and dismissed everyone, the wave of relief was almost enough to make you lightheaded. Quick as a whip, you practically ran up the stairs towards the safety and solace of your room.

When you make it, the locks on your door are immediately fastened (not that it would do much if anyone wanted to actually force their way in). You exhale in relief as you try to collect your thoughts. Fuck, everything was going to shit; the worst part being you had school tomorrow (which thankfully you did not go to Gotham Prep; you'd kill yourself if you did). You groaned at the thought, digging the heels of your palms into your eyes to relieve the ache shooting through them.

Looks like another night of shitty sleep.

Taglist!!: @lostsomewhereinthegarden, @the-rouge-robin, @confused-they

[outermaybanks]

possession - kinktober day three - stepcest + Rafe

a/n: pretend this isn't technically posted on nov 1 i wanted at least 3 kinktober fics i have learned my lesson next year i will pre-write at least 5 fics before oct

cw !! DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT - definitely dubcon, possessive rafe, backshots, step-siblings

You were only seven when your mom got married to your stepfather. She hadn’t taken you to meet him until they were engaged, so to your child brain, it felt like you gained 4 family members overnight. But even after the wedding, and the years following, there was one member of the family your mother put effort in keeping away from you: your stepbrother, Rafe. 

She never said it outright, no one really acknowledged it; the closest thing you got to some sort of undeniable proof was when Rafe offered to drive you to a party and your mom practically shouted at him that she wouldn’t allow that, an argument quickly breaking out until Ward just had to drive you. 

You don’t know why she insisted on keeping you two apart, maybe it was the way Rafe looked at you; maybe it was the way you looked at Rafe. By putting such effort in keeping you two distant, your mother succeeded in making you more curious in the boy. Like she dangled a carrot in front of you, then yanked it away. Sarah and Wheezie felt like siblings; so why didn’t Rafe?

Now that Ward was in a coma, your whole family minus Sarah uprooted, Rafe decided he was the man of the house,even going as far as to give himself a new hairstyle and hit the gym harder. But that didn’t stop your mom from trying to maintain control; especially when it came to you. 

“Y/N, clean up your shit, I’m tired of finding leggings in the bathroom” Rafe’s voice suddenly entered the living room before he threw your leggings at your head. You quickly tore them off, rolling your eyes at Rafe’s attitude, but then before you could even process what happened, his hand had a grip on your chin, fingers squeezing your cheeks to make you look at him. “What was that?”

You couldn’t reply, your heart racing as your eyes flickered between his, not to mention with how tight his grip on your face was, you doubt you could’ve gotten a coherent word out anyway.

“Hey, hey! What are you doing? Get away from her,” your mom shouted as she came into the living room. It was Rafe’s turn to roll his eyes as he reluctantly released his grip on you. “She needs to learn respect,” Rafe explained. “That’s not for you to decide. Go.” “Don’t talk to me like that, woman.”

It was like a stand-off. The air felt heavier, more intense now that Ward wasn’t here to get inbetween Rafe and your mom.

“It’s fine, mom, really,” you said, standing up from the couch and grabbing the leggings off the floor. “Good girl,” Rafe said quietly, but not softly. “No, no it is not fine. You do not touch her, got that?” Your mom challenged, turning her attention back to Rafe. “You’re not in charge of me.” Was all Rafe said before walking past your mother. She looked at you, almost apologetically, like this was somehow her fault, but you just walked upstairs to put your leggings in your hamper. 

That was the first time Rafe ever challenged your mother when it came to you. And he only grew more cocky as days passed. 

Rafe went out of town for business, at least that’s what your mother told you. He was gone for about a week, and when he came home in the middle of the day, seething, you had been home alone.

Rafe walked in like a man scorned, a man with an objective.

“Rafe? Mom said you would be gone for-” you couldn’t get the rest of your sentence out before Rafe took ahold of your face, fingers squishing your cheek as his large body backed you against the wall. “Shut the hell up,” he hissed. “Rafe-” “God, you just don’t know how to listen, do you? I said shut the hell up.”

Your eyes flickered between his, but not in fear, in wait; curious to see what he would do next. And Rafe took that as a challenge.

Without a word, he pulled your face forward to have enough momentum to push you over the arm of the couch, the impact knocked the wind out of you. Before you could even turn around, you heard the clinking of his belt.

“Rafe-” “Don’t play innocent. I see the way you look at me. I know you want this.”

You tried to stand up, Rafe just shoved you back down rougher, pulling his pants down to his knees before pressing himself against the flesh of your ass; the weight of him pinning you down.

“I know you feel the same way… and I know you feel this-” he rocked his hips so the tip of the tent in his boxer prodded against your traitor of a pussy. Before you could process what was happening, you felt a coolness hit you as Rafe pulled down your leggings and panties in one go. 

“Rafe- stop, this isn’t right-” “Fuck what’s right, you want it?” Rafe asked, rocking his hips more, his boxers starting to get a damp spot from your wetness. “I think she wants it…”

You let out a gasp at the feeling, your face felt hot with embarrassment, both at the betrayal of your body, and the realization his question posed. If Rafe wasn’t your step brother…

You didn’t have time to ponder, your breath caught in your throat as a strangled mix between a whine and a moan escaped at the feeling of Rafe’s thick cock pushing inside of you slowly. 

“Yeaahhhh, she fucking wanted it,” Rafe mumbled in a low voice. “Rafe!” “I know baby, s’okay… let me take care of it.”

You didn’t know if it was meant to refer to you, or his boner, but once you felt the stretch caused by him, you didn’t care, your brain practically mush as all your silly little daydreams from your horny middle school days came to life. You let out a soft moan when he started to move his hips.

“Mmmm that’s it, fucking take it,” Rafe seethed as his pace became merciless. “Rafe!” you cry out, a whiny moan following immediately after, your fingers digging into the plush of the couch. “Always knew I’d have you like this… now that your mommy isn’t here-” Rafe’s hand came down onto your ass and the sound of the slap rang in your ear. The sting of the skin perfectly complimenting the pleasure of him filling you. “Oh my god-” you breathed out like a sigh of relief as your body collapsed forward, but Rafe wrapped his thick bicep around your neck to pull you back up against him and keep you there.

“Stay right here, sweetheart… Be a good girl… so fuckin’ tight, what, those loser ain’t fuckin’ you right or somethin’?” Of course Rafe would find a way to give you shit while being balls deep inside of you. All you could do was whine in response. “Guess I gotta fuckin’ do everything ‘round here..”

His words made your walls flutter against him, and a low groan left his throat, his hand slapping your ass once more harshly gripping your hips to forcefully make you meet his thrusts. 

“Oh fuck- oh fuck- oh fuck-” you repeated yourself, too far gone to think of new words as he pushed you closer and closer to relief. “You gonna cum on your step brother’s dick, huh? Dirty girl… thought this was wrong? What would your mommy think?” You don’t know what disgusted you more, his words, or the effect they had on you, but all you could do was whine in response.

“Oh, baby girl doesn’t want to think about that?” Rafe’s pace increased, and never wavered. “What about Ward? Can’t wait to tell him how tight this pussy is-” “No- No-” You breathed out in a panic. Another slap on your ass. “There she is… let me hear you beg for it.” “Mmm- Rafe-” you whined breathlessly. “I said beg. Or I won’t let you cum,” Rafe pushed down on the small of your back to force you to arch, the tip of his dick deliciously hitting a new angle. “You’re so close… can feel it… can feel the way you're squeezin’ me.” 

“Please! Please, Rafe, let me-” “You can do better than that- c’mon, don’t make me stop-” his pace started to slow, eliciting a loud whine from you. “Nooo, please please please, don’t stop, Rafe!”

His pace tentatively increased, small whimpers and moans leaving you as all your resolve was officially gone, all you cared about was the feeling building in your stomach.

“There’s my good girl…” Rafe praised. You only muster a moan in response; trying to reach behind to pull him impossibly closer. Rafe hooked his arm around your throat, and pulled you up against his chest, his other arm crossing over your torso to hold you up. “Let me have it, baby… let me feel you cum on my cock.”

Your head fell back against Rafe’s shoulder, your eyes squeezing shut. Your hands reached behind you, desperate to hold onto him, something, anything. Your orgasm washed over your body like a wave, and Rafe’s relenting movements were the undertow, pulling you back for more and more.

“Oh- fuck- mmmm- fuuuucccckkk-” Rafe groaned as he came inside you, the warmth filling you being the exact thing you needed after the intense climax.

Rafe’s hold on you loosened, and you both slumped over the edge the couch, panting breathlessly. 

“I always get what I want, sweetheart. Everything- all of this… it’s all gonna be mine. And that includes you,” Rafe said softly, his fingers moving stray hairs behind your ear.

[infiniteglitterfall]

friggin faux-Palestinian history, istg

I'm in the middle of writing a post about the difficulties of pinning down details and dates in Palestinian history. This one is just me stopping to vent for a sec.

I came across the Wikipedia page for GUPS, the General Union of Palestinian Students. This is an organization with groups at colleges all over the world. Ish. It's shrunk over the decades.

The page made a bold claim: that GUPS was officially founded in Cairo in 1959, but had really started in the 1920s.

I called bullshit. The only source cited was a dead link to the 2010 version of the SFSU GUPS page, which said the same thing -- no context, no source, and especially, no explanation of how Palestinian student organizing could have started before there were colleges or universities in Palestine.

There were two. They were tiny. And they both taught in Hebrew.

Certainly, there could have been Arab Palestinian students there, who learned Hebrew there, or already knew it.

But were there so many that they started a student group that apparently lasted 35+ years before getting a name??

I could not find one other source for this.

So I deleted it and called bullshit.

Within a day, someone who wasn't even logged in reverted my edit. They told me that I hadn't proven that it was wrong, I'd just said it was illogical.

I started looking up sources and putting together a more detailed edit. In the meantime, I started a topic on the totally empty talk page, politely calling bullshit.

I said that I hadn't been able to find any sources in English OR Arabic that confirmed this claim, and that I thought it was an error made on a dead page.

The same person, now logged in, replied:

"you still haven't refuted the claim. the claim is still on their web page."

BRUH.

IT'S AN ARCHIVE OF A DEAD PAGE. BY DEFINITION, IT DOESN'T CHANGE.

This is exactly how it feels to research any of this stuff.

Every single time, it turns out that people's unsourced online bullshit is absolutely wrong.

Every single time, people just respond by insisting on believing whatever claim some rando made on the internet.

The problem is not that Palestinian history doesn't exist, hasn't been written down, or hasn't been researched. Of fucking course it has!!

(I have literally seen people claiming the contrary in the most wild-ass fucking ways. Supposedly-pro-Palestinian people, acting like Palestinians are wooby powerless fuzzy babbies whose books were all stolen by the cruel Jews 80 years ago, who had no way to replace that historic knowledge, and who have just been standing around ever since. It is the most Western Paternalism shit ever, and it absolutely drives me up the wall.)

The problem is that this is a topic that a lot of people are passionate about. And unfortunately, a whole lot of people are unwilling to back down on literally anything that "feels" pro-Palestinian to them, whether it's true or not.

It's purely going on Vibes, but the Vibes themselves are based on how something compares to the Vibes they get from social media and stuff.

And those vibes are so extreme and vehement that any kind of pushback sounds like You Love Genocide And Kill Babies For Fun.

It's just a fucking vicious spiral.

It's like playing tennis against the tennis-ball-throwing machine. It's not a real game. Nobody is engaging with you. It's just the same shit over and over.

(I was trying to type "shot." But apparently I swear so much that instead of autocorrecting me to "ducking hell," my phone now INSISTS I meant to cuss.)

I ended up getting Google to give me the Arabic for GUPS, and then digging for sources about its actual origin.

It turns out Yasser Arafat formed the Palestinian Students League in Cairo in 1949, and that became GUPS in 1956. This is entirely fucking unsurprising in any way if you know anything at all about actual Palestinian history. Of fucking course he did. This also explains why the first search result I found about GUPS was from the PLO. Of fucking course it was.

[yuurei20]

Lilia Facts Part 12: Lilia and Maleanor (pt2)

Lilia says Maleanor would drag him along when sneaking out of the castle, and we get an example of this in a story he tells from a time they got lost in the woods together with Raverne, and had to camp outside as a result.

He says they were all still children, and while Raverne looked miserable Maleanor “was perfectly fine. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying the new experience.”

Lilia stayed up until dawn talking with her as she couldn’t sleep, despite how he was exhausted their hike:

“I'll be subject to her whims for the rest of my life, I'm sure…”

Lilia explains that they were found by the commander of the royal guard the next morning, and while it had been Maleanor’s idea, he was the one to take the blame for it.

Maleanor also broke Maleficia’s staff and ruined engagement talks with a dragon who’d traveled from halfway across the world.

Lilia has hinted at a romantic past, saying, “One should never make a vow of eternal love lightly. Take it from someone with ample life experience.”

Ruggie tells the story behind a dish that people say sharing with someone leads to true love and Lilia responds, “perhaps I should share a plate with someone later,” but it is never specified if he had someone in mind.

We learn more about Lilia and Maleanor in Book 7 when Lilia refuses to heed her orders to escape the castle without her: “It's been a long time indeed since you've spoken to me that way. Yet for all you begged me to heed you, you never once refused me aid. Heh heh heh.”

Lilia asks what will become of Malleus if something were to happen to his mother and Maleanor responds, “Being his mother is the very reason I choose to venture forth,” revealing that she intends to distract the invading army to give Lilia time to escape with Malleus.

Lilia says that fighting is the job of the royal guard and Maleanor responds that “the very notion” of him protecting her is laughable, given his injuries. She tosses Malleus to Lilia, commands him to flee, and strikes him multiple times with lightning when he refuses.

Lilia responds, “That's...the one order I can never obey…”

Lilia confesses he will not be able to hatch Malleus, as “Dragon eggs can only be hatched by their parents' magic and affection—nothing less than true love!,” while he knows nothing of parental affection.

When he claims he has never loved anyone Maleanor points out that he loves both her and Raverne, making it impossible for him to not love their child.

Maleanor then drives Lilia from the castle as he screams her name.

Lilia attempts to pass Malleus to Baul, saying, “If I don't go now, then what was it all even for…?!,” offering to both quit the royal guard and to take Maleanor’s lightning strikes in order to stay with her.

Baul convinces him to endure for Malleus’ sake.

Later, we see Lilia singing Maleanor’s lullaby for Malleus to Silver.

Malleus, too, seems to remember the lullaby, though he cannot remember where he heard it, and guesses that it must have been one of his nursemaids.

[uceyliyahh]

SOMETHING BOUT’ US

Summary: "I want you more than anything in my life." After being in a difficult relationship with Carmelo Yasmine decided to move on from him and become the next big thing while getting drafted on the smackdown roster she always thought she would never find love again due to her commitment issues until she met him.

This fanfic is 18+! NO MINORS ALLOWED

word count: 3508

smut warning; it’ll come in the story randomly so PLEASE PLEASE look out for it I’m not really good at writing ✍🏽 smuts but I’m improving at the moment.

Jey Uso x Yasmine

AWFUL GRAMMAR IM GETTING BETTER I SWEAR LOL.

comments, likes, repost are appreciated I would love the constructive feedback in what area I need to approve in. 🤍

ALSO! I don’t not want nobody stealing my fanfics or take it as theirs that will be an issue fasho so keep it cute respectfully.

I only own my OC along with the make up scenarios

But I’ll be writing along the way since this story is in my drafts on Wattpad right now so yuh. 💁🏽‍♀️

TAGS ⬇️ lmk if you wanna be tag 🏷️@pinkwithhearts @420days @jstarr86 @empressdede @angiedawn02 @biancasreign

@bebesobrielo @skyesthebomb @aikosilo @papireigns-05 @punksyeet @paigereeder @magnificentbouquetmusic

@hunnidmilly @celesteheartsjey @charmed-dreamssss @fearlesschimera @partypoison00 @mselenalovebug @bloodlinesbabe93

1.

YASMINE I was in the gym working out before going to work today. Being a wrestler was very cool. Shawn Michaels has declared that I will be the next great thing for the organization, which I truly believe.

As I was performing my bench press reps, I felt my phone vibrate and heard from my AirPods that Bianca was calling me, so I paused my reps and placed the weights down to answer the phone.

OTP Minnie🧃: Hey, B what's up? Breezy🫶🏽: Hey girlfriend! How are things going down at NXT? Minnie🧃: it's been going good I'm just at the gym right now before I head into work Breezy🫶🏽: good! I heard melo ass was tryna talk to you Minnie🧃: girl fuck him he's not important Breezy🫶🏽: period but I know the draft is coming up soon so I hope you'll get drafted to smackdown me and Trin is missing you dearly. Minnie🧃: I miss you guys too like our schedules are soo hectic rn it's not even funny Breezy🫶🏽: who you telling girl but imma' go I'll talk to you later girl! Minnie🧃: byeee

CALL ENDED

I hung up the phone and went back to performing my reps. I'll tell you a little bit about myself and Carmelo; we dated for around two or three years? We went from high school sweethearts to almost engaged before he left to become an NXT star and cheated on me.

When I found out he cheated on me with someone on the roster, I was furious to say the least. Since my name was on the lease, I basically threw his things out and told him to go live with his whore.

I blocked him on everything as he attempted to contact me after learning that I would be on the main roster of NXT, but I ignored him since I was focused on my work.

After that day, I couldn't trust any man. My trust issues were strong, and I was an extremely critical over-thinker, always wondering if I'd forgiven him, would he change?

But you know what they say: people who cheat will cheat on you again, and I wasn't going to cope with that.

As I finished my reps, I set the weights down on the side of the bench, grabbed my Stanley cup of water next to me, and began sipping it.

After I got off the bench, I grabbed my phone and checked the time; it was nearly time for me to go to work, so I grabbed my gym bag and keys and headed towards my car.

I opened the door, threw my workout bag in the backseat, and went to Instagram to upload my gym photos from earlier, all while turning on the car's ignition and moving away from the parking lot.

biancabelairwwe, trinity_fatu, tiffanywwe and others liked your post.

minnieminks: getting that good workout in before work. 💁🏼‍♀️💪🏼 biancabelairwwe: GIRL THAT THANG IS THANGING BACK THERE 👁️👄👁️ minnieminks: @ biancabelairwwe get yo' gay ass out of my comments B please 😭😭 trinity_fatu: damnnn girl that ass is fat tiffanywwe: Yazzie give me tips for a big booty like yours girl please I am begging 😭😭 carmelohayes: can't believe I fumbled that damn let's run that back. 😩😩 minnieminks: @ carmelohayes 🙄🙄

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✧˚° I arrived at work as I parked in the garage grabbing my bag that had all of my gear inside of it while walking towards the building. As I was walking towards my locker room I've seen Lash running up to me as she gave me a hug.

"Hey Girly!" Lash said.

"Hey, Lash what's happening?" I said while folding my arms.

"Nothing much girl getting ready for this tag team match later on did you eat?" She said.

Now that I think about it I didn't eat before heading to the gym I shook my head while she linked her arms with mines as we began to walk to  the catering area.

I grabbed a plate getting me some Salmon along with some white rice and asparagus while getting me a cold bottle of water. I walked towards the table sitting down with Lash as we began eating our food.

"So I heard about you and melo yall ain't together anymore?"

"Nah we aren't together anymore after he cheated on me but he keeps trying to hit me up and stuff but I just ignore him." I stated while eating my rice.

"Mhm, period girl as you should if Trick would've done something like—something like what?" Lash got startled as she seen Trick behind her with his plate in his hands.

The couple stop kissing each other as he sat down next to us eating his food.

He chuckled at her as he set his plate down, placing his hands around her waist as she held him closely and kissed his lips.

I glanced at the pair kissing one other's faces, and it almost made me feel lonely, but I didn't mind since I enjoy being alone. Trick was close friends with Carmelo, and it wasn't strange for him to remain so after his friend strayed. We kept in touch from time to time, checking in on each other.

"What's good Minks." Trick said.

"Hey Trick how you been?"

"I've been good you know being the nxt champion and all how about you?"

"I'm fine just ready to see who am I going against tonight." I said grabbing the napkin that was next to me wiping my mouth in the process.

He nodded affirmatively and continued eating his dinner, while Lash nudged me, as if she saw someone behind me.

When I looked at her, she pointed her finger behind me. As I turned around, I saw the guy I despise the most, Carmelo, with crossed arms. I rolled my eyes at him.

"What? Melo?" I asked sternly.

"Can we like talk in private?" He asked.

I looked over at Trick and Lash, who were gazing at me, and then back at Carmelo. I groaned heavily, finished my lunch and tossing it in the trash bin while walking with Carmelo.

We proceeded to his locker room, and he locked the door behind him as I sat on his couch, crossing my legs in the process.

"What the fuck do you want Melo?"

"Can you relax with the attitude Minks? I'm tryna apologize for what happened I was drunk and stupid." Carmelo said.

"Melo I don't give a damn how many times you apologize to me about your actions I'm not taking you back." He scoffed in disbelief how can this man be so naive to think that I'll just welcome him back in open arms?

"Why do you have to be so difficult, Yasmine? "I'm trying to make things right with yo' ass." I rolled my eyes at him; is this nigga being serious right now?

I sat up on the couch, peering intently into his eyes while we both kept eye contact. "Me? Being difficult? How am I being difficult when I haven't done anything? I'm going to leave since you're already aggravating me, and I've only just arrived at work." I jumped up from the couch and moved towards the door, but he stopped my path while peering into his dark eyes.

He grabbed my throat and roughly pushed me back against the wall, pinning me in the process, which anxious me little. "Nigga, what the hell is wrong with you? "Let me go!" I yelled, attempting to shove him off of me. He held me firmly around the throat and muttered something in my ear that gave me goosebumps. "You'll never be able to find someone better than me and if you do I won't hesitate to kill them because you belong to me and only me understand..?" Carmelo threatened me as I was afraid.

I nodded yes as he left go of my throat, gasping for oxygen before exiting his locker room; I couldn't tell anybody about it or he'd be fired, so I kept it to myself.

I rushed to my locker room, closing and locking the door as I dropped down on the ground, breaking down. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I gasped for air, attempting to calm down.

I wasn't expecting him to be like this with me because of his behavior, but what he said scared the snot out of me. I kept weeping silently so no one could hear me.

'What am I going to do?'

✧˚°

I was in the makeup chair, getting my makeup done, when I felt someone touch my shoulders. I opened one eye to find Lash behind me and offered her a phony grin. "Ouuu girl your makeup looks so good it matches with your gear so much." Lash praised me. "Thank you girly your gear looks so good make me wanna eat you up don't tell trick I said that by the way." While she and I were snickering at each other, I noticed Carmelo stroll past us, looking at me.

I avoided eye contact with him, which Lash observed as her facial expression turned to one of confusion, lifting an eyebrow at me.

"Did something happen between you and Melo?" She asked. I shook my head because I didn't want her to inform Shawn about what happened between me and him in his locker room.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, nothing didn't happen girl why don't you go focus on your match for tonight I'll catch up with you later." I said as she nodded her head hugging me in process.

After I got my makeup down I looked in the mirror checking myself out and damn I look good for tonight's match against Roxanne Perez for her title this was a good opportunity for myself.

She's been holding that Title for a hot minute now and out of all the girls I got the opportunity to win it.

"Yasmine to the gorilla, Yasmine to the gorilla."

I checked myself about one last time before heading out towards the gorilla I put on my jacket fixing my hair in the process pumping myself up to calm my nerves as I looked up at the TV screen seeing her going inside the ring.

I looked at the camera as my music starts playing saying towards the camera "it's go time baby." As I head out towards the ring. I walked out as the crowd cheered for me I love the massive pop that I am getting from the crowd.

"And her opponent from Brooklyn, New York weighting at 148 pounds Yasmine!!"

I spun around as I was skipping towards the ring flipping my hair in the process while doing the same thing around ring before getting on top of the ring. Sitting on the ropes before flipping over them walking around the ring.

"Yasmine is one of favorite female athletes on the NXT roster, mannn she's so talented."

"I agree with you here Booker she'll be the next NXT women's champion for sure."

I took off my jacket throwing it outside of the ring stretching my arms as the referee held up the championship before ringing the bell.

Roxanne ran up towards me as I ducked before doing a drop kick on her causing her fall on her back holding it. Grabbing a full load of her hair throwing her across the ring like a ragdoll as I climb on the ropes giving her doing a moonsault off the ropes landing on her body as she groaned in pain.

✧˚° 1! 2! 3!

"Roxanne Perez retains her NXT women's championship!!"

"Here's your winner and still the NXT women's champion Roxanne Perez!!"

This was a terrific match for us; we had synergy that no one else had in the locker room. Roxanne helped me up while holding her hand out in courtesy. I shook it, of course, as she hugged me and whispered in my ear that she was proud of me before releasing go.

I raised her hand as everyone shouted before rolling out of the ring, gripping onto my body because I was in pain. I headed towards the Gorilla after seeing Lash and Trick approach me.

"Oh my gosh girl you almost had her!" Lash said.

"Yeah, you did don't worry Minks you'll have that opportunity again." Trick said reassuringly.

I smiled at them weakly due to me feeling tired, "thanks guys I appreciate it but imma hit the showers good luck Lash!" I left them two as I went towards my locker room before I could I see Carmelo coming up towards me.

I walked past him not trying deal with his shit tonight after what happened earlier but he grabbed me by the arm as I looked up at him.

"You did a good job about there baby." Carmelo said as I scoffed.

"Don't call me that we aren't together Melo." I said sternly as I saw a grin on his face.

"Last time I checked we are remember what I told you earlier Yasmine." I just rolled my eyes at him before yanking my arm away from him heading in my locker room locking it.

I grabbed my phone seeing that Bianca had texted me.

IMESSAGE 💬 Breezy🫶🏽 sent 3+ messages

Breezy🫶🏽: Hey Girl! I watched your match with Roxanne and I must say you're one hell of an athlete girl doing all of em flips. 😭😭 Minnie🧃: thank you girl I appreciate it Breezy🫶🏽: you'll be a perfect match for the smackdown roster girl imma need a match with you and Iyo fr Minnie🧃: PLEASE THAT IS LITERALLY MY DREAM MATCH WITH HER😭🥲 Breezy🫶🏽: lol but are you doing okay? Minnie🧃: yeah...

I didn't know if I should tell B about what happened between me and Melo she'll probably be pissed if I told her.

Breezy🫶🏽: what happened Yasmine? 🤨 Minnie🧃: something happened between me and Melo... Breezy🫶🏽: what the fuck did he do? Because I will show my ass Yasmine Minnie🧃: it was just a simple talk and how he was sorry for what he did then when I decided to leave his locker room he decided to put his hands on me threatening me in the process... Breezy🫶🏽: OH HELL NAH IM FINNA TELL MONTEZ! THAT NIGGA DONT GOT NO RIGHT TO PUT HIS HANDS ON YOU! 😡 Minnie🧃: please don't tell Montez ion' want him involved B Breezy🫶🏽: no yasmine this is unacceptable Montez has to know ight? Minnie🧃: fineeee you're technically my sister in law so I have to listen to you. Breezy🫶🏽: good does anyone else know about this? Does Trick know? Minnie🧃: no don't nobody else know but you. Breezy🫶🏽: I'm glad you told me this cuz man but imma let you get some rest I'll text you in the morning. Minnie🧃: okay byee

Sigh now I gotta hear Montez fat ass mouth about this shit I'll probably be switched over to the smackdown brand with them that way I can be around from Melo ass and be with my girls.

After I took a shower I put on the some comfortable clothes while putting the rest of my gear in the bag double checking that I had everything inside of my bag before grabbing my keys heading out towards the garage.

I walked towards the garage unlocking my car as I threw my bag behind the backseat before starting up the car. While I was doing that I saw Carmelo coming up towards my car I just deeply sighed while rolling my eyes in the process.

"Baby where are you heading to?" He questioned me.

'If this nigga keep calling me baby imma crash the fuck out.'

"Nigga stop calling me your fucking baby because I'm not your damn baby now what the fuck do yo' ass want?" I said sternly while feeling irritated.

I made sure I locked my door just in case he wanted to do some sneaky shit.

"Stop catching a fucking attitude with me little girl before I handle yo' ass now answer my question."

"Ion' have to answer to you so I would advise you to me yo' ass before you get run over by me." I put the car in drive as I drove off from the garage leaving him dumbfounded while was driving I was listening to summer walker.

She just dropped a new single and I am in love with it as I was listening to the lyrics throughly.

'Only thing that's saving you (Oh-oh) Is the heart of a woman Yeah Only thing that's saving you, oh Is the heart of a woman Hey, yeah'

I came to a halt at the red light as I took out a pre-roll blunt from my glove section, lighting it up and taking a few puffs while simply vibing out.

As I began to drive towards my house, the light went green. I continued to smoke the pre-roll blunt, feeling my body relax knowing that this would help me calm down.

'Question is, why I do the things I do? Answer I may never find, but I'll always choose you Wanna give up on you but, damn, I know I can't I put the blame on me for giving you chance after chance'

I knew Montez would be unhappy when he found out what Carmelo had done to me; he had always loathed Carmelo since we met, but I didn't listen to him being crazy as usual.

And now I'm in a toxic situation with this man simply because he threatened me if I find someone else, but with my trust issues, I'm not sure if I can find someone faithful since people will do you dirty in the blink of an eye.

'In love with you, but can't stand this And I try to be strong But how much can I take? Put your words on your life this time And I hope your ass ain't lyin' 'cause'

I was overthinking whether someone would deal with my attitudes, or even handle me at all.

I despised being a critical over-thinker because it placed me in a deep state of despair knowing that all I needed was comfort, which he couldn't supply.

'Only thing that's saving you (Oh-oh) Is the heart of a woman Yeah, oh-yeah Only thing that's saving you Is the heart of a woman Yeah-yeah'

I eventually made it home, pulling into the driveway and shutting off my car before getting my belongings from the backseat. My body was still throbbing from the fight I had with Roxanne.

Unlocking my door and feeling the fresh aroma inside my house, I sighed in relief as I gripped against the wall and removed my shoes, placing them on the shoe rack.

I deposited my luggage on the couch and walked into the kitchen, opening the cupboard to fetch a snack because I had already eaten after my match.

Going upstairs to my bedroom, I dropped down on the bed and grabbed the remote next to me, putting on Netflix.

'It's my mind and my soul versus your pride Nigga, check your ego 'cause I left mine at the door Just because I let it slide Drowning in all my emotions I let you slide in this ocean I'm in'

I watched my phone light up as I noticed Trinity had contacted me, hoping Bianca hadn't told her what had occurred.

IMESSAGE 💬 Trin🤭🫶🏽: HE PUT HIS HANDS ON YOU? Minnie🧃: shit...did Bianca tell you? Trin🤭🫶🏽: yeah, ofc Yasmine she did tell me about it do I gotta tell Jon? Minnie🧃: might as well since she's telling my brother 🙄 Trin🤭🫶🏽: un-unt don't do that this is only for your protection Yasmine I can't believe he would do that to you hasn't he put you through enough? Minnie🧃: yeah you're right Trin Minnie🧃: will I ever find love or trust again? 😟 Trin🤭🫶🏽: heyyy don't be like that because I know how you get ion' want you to be in your head you will find it or it'll come to you I promise but this draft needs to hurry up so that you can be away from him Minnie🧃: what if he gets drafted on the smackdown brand too then what? Trin🤭🫶🏽: we will protect you yasmine don't worry as long as Jon and Montez is around you'll be okay Minnie🧃: kk Trin🤭🫶🏽: well imma go tell Jonathan since he don't play about you just like how Montez is with you being is little sister. Minnie🧃: ight then byeee

This is such a mess I hope and pray that he doesn't get drafted on smackdown with me because it'll just start some shit.

'In love with you but can't stand your ways And I try to be strong But how much can I take? Put your words on your life this time And I hope your ass ain't lyin' 'cause'

Why do I have to do this again? When I mean again I've been through an abusive relationship before in the past and lemme' tell you it was horrible but the person I was with before Carmelo is in jail for life.

So now I have significant commitment difficulties, as well as trust issues, since I'm frightened that if I date someone again, I'll get wounded again, so I've created a shield over my heart as a result of what I've experienced.

'Only thing that's saving you (No, I can't take it no more) (l'm bound to walk out the door) Is the heart of a woman Oh-oh, oh-oh Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh, oh Only thing that's saving you Is the heart of a woman Ah, ah'

Something Bout' Us

A/n: welcome to a new book 💁🏽‍♀️ I hope Montez and Jonathan beat Carmelo ass honestly 😅 because why is he already starting shit with Yasmine?

But I hope yall enjoy this chapter lmk in the comments below.

Stay Ucey.

[theladyofbloodshed]

Chapter 6 of 6

Happy Halloween! Thanks y'all for reading. I know the poll voted for smut, but I couldn't squeeze it in with eccentric constable Eris Crane.

Nesta awoke with a dry throat and a groggy head as if she’d spent her day at the bottom of a barrel of ale. She wished she had. She could not chase the images of her sisters from her mind – nor of the constable who had departed their village.

She pushed herself up from the hard ground. Hard ground? She had awoken in her bed, a single note from Eris detailing his departure, and had sought the jug of water he had left beside it. Now she was here. Wherever it was.

The interior was entirely wooden. Great sacks of flour were stacked up beside hay.

‘Awake at last. Did you think it was all a nasty dream? Alas, no.’

Nesta blinked away the last of her drowsiness.

‘My sister saw the Horseman kill you.’

Rhysand turned, a slow smile spreading across his angular face. ‘No. She saw the Horseman coming towards me with his sword unsheathed and I told her to run. But it is I who govern Jurian, my dear sister. Feyre did not linger to see Elain’s head parted from her body or that mine was not.’

‘But your body.’

‘I always thought Azriel useless, but he proved himself to have one use at least. Tomorrow, I will emerge and announce I saw Elain and Azriel in an act of passion then the Horseman came from them. How I fainted and woke in the woods, my memories patchy from horror.’

Nesta forced herself to sit upright against the wall.

‘Who are you?’

A charming man who had known many of the village when he had swept her sister off of her feet and helped to mend her broken heart.

‘I lived with my father, my mother, and sister in a cottage not far from here.’ His violet eyes skimmed towards the window as if he could see all the way to his cottage. ‘My father died at Van Garrett’s hand. An argument over land turned deadly.’ He shook his head. ‘Atwell and his son disposed of my mother and sister while they slept. Had I not been out collecting firewood, I would have burnt with our cottage too.’

Nesta remembered talk of a family who lived on the edge of the forest. They kept to themselves with rumours of witchcraft spread about the mother.

‘I was forced to live alone. A boy, still. Then, one day, I happened across Jurian in the woods as he ran from the enemy.’ Rhysand ran a knife across his thumb, the blade not cutting the skin. ‘I saw his death and from that moment I offered my soul to Satan if he would raise Jurian from the grave to avenge me.’

‘Avenge you?’

‘Against Van Garrett. Against his son.’ He said it so simply as if his entire life had culminated in this moment. ‘The easiest part was to enter your house. I spoke to Feyre. Convinced her an engagement to Tamlin would only end in misery. That he was cruel to women. She listened most eagerly – and I was there to offer a shoulder in comfort. Advised her that there needed to be a man about the house for her protection after your father died.’

He had slipped in like a snake, preyed on her vulnerable sister.  

‘Then the Widow Briar had to open her legs for Tamlin.’ Rhysand shook his head. ‘Not quite as easy to secure my legacy. A few threats or seductions meant I could learn who was privy to the secret and have away with them.’

‘You have everything now.’

Rhysand gave a deep, rich laugh. ‘No. You do. By your sister’s will. But I get everything in the event of your death.’  

Nesta’s ears were ringing as she tried to make sense of it all. All of this – these senseless killings – was for money? For revenge?

‘You killed the Witch of the Woods.’ There had been too much blood. The wound not cauterized as the others had been.

‘She sheltered me once. An acquaintance of my mother. She shouldn’t have opened her mouth to you and the Constable.’ Rhysand clapped his hands and turned. ‘Who is just on time to have his head sliced off.’

Eris, with a rapier in his hand, had crept into the old mill. It drooped limply in his hand from being caught.

Rhysand picked up the skull from the altar he had built. ‘The Horseman comes. Tonight, he comes for you both.’

The wind picked up outside. Nesta could feel the beat of the horse’s hooves echoing in her heart. Eris surged forwards, a hand clamping around her wrist to haul her to her feet.

‘Quickly.’

Higher. They had to reach higher ground where Jurian’s horse would not go. Nesta was pushed towards a ladder. Eris lifted her up the first few rungs then her hands scrambled the rest of the way with him following closely behind.

The moment they had entered the attic, Eris slammed the wooden doors closed and bolted it.

‘That won’t hold,’ Nesta cried.

Together they pushed a large grindstone against the trapdoors as the Horseman pounded them from below.

The Horseman took his axe and began hacking at the door.

‘Up there,’ Eris urged, pointing towards the window.

Nesta’s legs trembled as she climbed another ladder. The mill gave a groan of protest as its massive gears began to turn. The counterwheels above their heads began turning then the rotors slowly began spinning outside.

Eris joined her beside the window and hauled bags of milled grain to the edge of the platform. His rapier cut through it, sending grain spilling below where the Horseman sought to break down the trapdoor. Clouds of dust formed beneath the platform – then Nesta heard the crash of the milling stone falling through the trapdoor.

The Horseman was coming.

‘Get ready to jump,’ Eris said.

‘Jump? From here?’ Nesta’s legs almost gave up. ‘I can’t.’

Before her doubt could swallow her, Eris gripped her hand fiercely. ‘Yes, you can, my love. Hand in hand.’

One of the rotors was moving upwards, drawing closer.

Eris threw a lit lantern into the stream of milled grain still falling upon the Horseman as he sought them out.

‘Now.’

He kept his grip on her as they leapt upon one of the rotors.

A deafening sound came from the windmill as the lantern shattered and flames roared through the interior.

The rotor turned downwards although the entire structure trembled as the mill burnt.

Eris jumped first, grunting as he landed upon the ground, then he held out his arms for Nesta.

It was less of a jump that she managed. Rather, she simply let go of the rotor and tipped. Eris did his best to catch her, the pair of them going to the ground with a thump.

‘You came back,’ she breathed.

‘We cannot linger.’

They made for Eris’ horse, legs moving slower than they wanted. It felt sluggish, like a dream.

The mill gave a great creak as it collapsed in on itself. Flames devoured it.

‘Is he dead?’

‘He was dead to start with,’ Eris replied. ‘That’s the problem.’

The constable threw her in the saddle then mounted swiftly.

From out of the flames, the Horseman emerged.

His horse galloped to meet him.

Eris gave a snap of the reins to urge Gunpowder on.

‘Where will we go?’

‘Anywhere.’

‘Make for the church, Eris.’

‘We won’t reach it.’

Nesta braved a glance behind them. The Horseman was giving chase and moving fast.

A pistol sounded. Before Nesta could register it, Gunpowder made a high-pitched whinny then they were falling.

Nesta could not mourn the horse for Eris was already dragging her towards the trees.

‘What? Still alive,’ came Rhysand’s voice.

‘Run, Nesta.’

Rhysand laughed. ‘Yes, do run. And jump. And skip.’ He cocked his pistol at Nesta. ‘And now let’s see a somersault.’

A force knocked the wind out of her. Eris had shielded her with his own body. The bullet had grazed his arm so blood welled upon his shirt.

The sound of the fearsome horse grew closer.

‘There she is. Take her, she’s yours.’

Eris’ eyes had glazed over as he looked at Rhysand, his gaze lingering on his black satchel. Nesta waited for a moment or two for a great plan to reveal itself. For Eris to solve the mystery and save her.

There was no time.

Nesta pushed herself up and began to run.

***

The wound on his arm burnt. Each thrum of his pulse gave another leak of blood upon his shirt.

But he needed to save Nesta. Needed to pull himself from the shock and save her.

The satchel.

The skull.

Rising out of pure determination, Eris made himself run. To run and close in on Rhysand. He leapt, dragging the man from his horse so they both went down hard.

The satchel opened and the Horseman’s skull rolled out from it.

The pair of them fought and scrambled to reach the skull first. Eris’ nails scratched at Rhysand’s face as a knee hit him in the ribs. He tugged at the collar of Rhysand’s dark suit to bring him close then, with as much force as he could muster, head butted the male.

He went limp.

Eris forced him off and crawled towards the skull, seeing stars in his vision from the impact.

The Horseman had Nesta upon her knees, holding her by her beautiful hair.

No.

‘Horseman!’

Eris threw the skull towards him.

Jurian dropped Nesta to catch the skull. She scrambled over the ground towards him. He held her tightly.

The skull was lowered upon Jurian’s neck. Blood and flesh rose up from his throat, covering the bone. Lips and eyes and hair began growing, turning him into the man he had once been with dark eyes and brown hair. His teeth had been sharpened to points, confirming the stories of Sleepy Hollow.

The Horseman turned towards them and mounted his horse.

Eris braced himself as the horse rode towards them, but Jurian did not brandish his sword. When he rode past them, Nesta made a quivering noise and pressed herself closer to him.

The Horseman reared down upon Rhysand’s unconscious form and hauled him into the saddle with one hand. He gripped the man’s black hair as he began to wake. A scream came from Rhysand for a moment then the Horseman bore down on him, his jagged teeth ripping into flesh.

The earth seemed to give a shudder as they galloped back towards the hole in the ground at the base of the tree then the air went still as if the world was satisfied, that the evil had been righted.

‘I would be overjoyed, Eris, if you would take me home.’

‘And perhaps a cup of tea.’

Nesta gave a shaking laugh. ‘Or something stronger.’

***

Healing was a lie. Nesta would feel the wounds of her sisters’ deaths for the rest of her life. All she could do was bind them tightly and continue on.

‘Do you have everything?’

Eris watched as the last few of her bags were stowed atop the carriage. His red hair was combed neatly and parted on one side. He was tall and slender. A gentleman in deeds if sometimes his words stumbled over themselves with eccentricity.

‘I have what is important,’ she replied, standing beside him and lacing her arm with his.

A kiss was pressed to the top of her head then he lead the way to the carriage.

There was no final look to the house that had been her home for these last few years. It hadn’t truly been a home. Even their cramped cottage in the woods hadn’t felt like a home either. But Nesta hoped that she would find that home with Eris in New York City.

‘I should like to learn to dance.’

‘Certainly,’ he said, offering her a hand into the carriage.

‘You understand that I will need a dance partner, Eris.’

He paled somewhat at that then nodded. ‘For you, Miss Tassel, anything.’

[taylortruther]

hot take but i truly do not believe meaningful feminist education or critical engagement of feminism can happen when your primary method is through celebrity stanning/stan wars. because i think if you truly did educate yourself about any facet of feminism, and critically engaged with it, you would not actually seek it in celebrities.

[shiraishi--kanade]

I remember hearing a video essayist for a different fandom saying a lot of people are having wild takes on the media in question because it's becoming more common to get information about the books second-hand than to actually read the books. And I think something like this happened with pjsk. Except worse because we don't even have video essays we have tiktoks. And that's why We're Like This

[batsplat]

OT3: casey stoner/his neuroses/the concept of valentino rossi that mostly exists in casey’s head

y'know I have this casey stoner... idk what it is. thematic mind map (literal), let's say, that I like fiddling with and adding things to when the mood hits me. and it does always strike me just how many of his struggles during his careers and issues with the sport can in some way be linked back to the valentino rivalry

casey's sense of isolation? super valentino related. casey's feelings of cultural alienation in a paddock dominated by europeans? even when it's not really related to valentino, casey is the one linking those two things together. casey's issues with other riders not being respectful enough on track? very obviously repeatedly about valentino. casey's discomfort with the performance and entertainment-related aspects of the sport? more valentino. casey feeling treated unfairly by the manufacturers, the media, the marshals, the fans.... keeps coming back to valentino. casey's mystery illness really shouldn't be as relevant to the rivalry as it is, but somehow through this combination of public discourse and whatever comparisons casey's brain is cooking up at any moment in time... there valentino is again

one of the most charming things about valentino's feuds is that in each and every single one, both participants end up being deeply weird about each other? just keep knocking off these banger quotes about the other where you read them and go. hm. what's going on there then. I don't want to make it sound like I think casey is the worst offender with this (not when marc and valentino have their whole thing going on, bidirectionally)... but I do think he's the most susceptible to conflating his valentino issues with like... everything else that was going on in his career. to the extent where his alienation with the sport as a whole, his extreme disillusionment from everything related to motogp, really cannot be meaningfully disentangled from the valentino rivalry. at times it feels like, to casey, valentino literally is the sport. and that's the thing casey dedicated his whole life to!! which means you do inevitably end up regularly going 'wow there's a lot to unpack'. add in a dash of neuroticism...

and yeah you're so right anon!! the neuroses are what end up creating the version of valentino that mostly exists in casey's head, a version that casey is just a touch obsessed with. I always think it's interesting how aware casey is that he doesn't know valentino as a person - and to the extent casey does know him, he gets on pretty well with him... but valentino the person isn't all that relevant to him. it's valentino the character who matters - and can you even really know a character? in the end, all casey can do is rely on his own understanding of that character, as imperfect as it is. and, well, in a way casey is trapped with that character forevermore. if one man comes to embody a sport to such an extent and if that sport has been your life's work, how can you not be a little bit trapped? as he tries to make his peace with the sport and his experiences within it, so too has casey settled on a narrative of valentino that helps him make sense of it all... a very specific understanding of his rival that casey has shaped in his mind and still trots out now when he sells his own version of events to the media. casey learned from valentino, casey learned to be a little more like valentino, casey learned to fight valentino with his own tools, casey tells himself a story of that fight. he still continues to do so - and in the end he will never be entirely free of valentino

[whywoulditho]

not saying the holocaust wasn't bad. but i need people to understand that it wasn't the only genocide that happened in the same period of world history. not because i want you to pay less attention to holocaust but because i need you to ask why it's the only one we ever talk about. it wasn't the longest occured massacre of a marginalized group, it wasn't the most gruesome, it wasn't the one with the most casualties, it wasn't the first and it wasn't the last one. i need people to think about why we didn't pay much attention to all the other holocausts after WWII that happened simultaniously and were just as horrible. it says so much about media, the news we are fed, and that our empathy is BOUGHT by the same people that keep funding genocides all over the world.

[hsslilly-blog]

source

[bunnyboy-juice]

i think its so wild how ppl still try to make it seem like nonmonogamy is inherently smthn freeing and better than monogamy bc they see monogamy as the avenue for IPV and its like. oh buddy do i have news for you.

[smartichokes]

fuck the world. arts major and STEM minor

[sabertoothwalrus]

tips for getting people to like your ocs

*disclaimer: this is based on what’s worked for me, aka an artist that likes to make comics/storyboards. so this advice is directed at people who do that

you can do things like this:

Which is fun! Character sheets like this are great, especially for personal reference! But frankly, I don’t think most people engage with this (at least I personally don’t). You could have the coolest character in the world, but it will be harder for most people to feel invested when they’re presented so neutrally like this.

My main piece of advice is: get better at writing.

That might sound harsh when said like that, but let me explain what I mean! (Not trying to imply you’re bad at writing either!)

What I tend to do is just throw characters into situations with as little handholding as I can. Give enough context that readers can follow along, but don’t feel like they’re being explained to.

what can you learn about the characters through their designs alone? (age, personality, economic status, occupation, etc)

what can you learn about the characters’ relationship though their interactions alone? (are they close? familial? romantic? is there hostility? are they tense/relaxed?)

what are the characters currently doing? what were they doing previously (how long have they been talking)? what are they going to do next? can you convey this without dialogue?

how do they feel about what they are doing? are they content? focused? over/understimulated? would they rather be doing something else?

where are they? does it matter? would establishing a setting in at least one panel clarify the scene? is there anything in the enviroment that could tell some of the story?

what time of day is it? what time of year is it? what is the weather like?

Now, with all this in mind, I'm going to give you another example. I'm going to use completely brand new characters for the sake of the experiment, so you won't have any bias (aka I can’t use Protagonist from above, since you already know all about him).

Did this get more of an emotional response from you than the first example? Why do you think so? Who are these characters? How do they know each other? What else can you infer about them? What happened? Who is "she"?

Now, you don't have to actually answer all those questions. But think about them! You can tell people a whole lot about your characters without ever showing them a list of their likes and dislikes.

Obviously, comics aren't the only way to get people invested in your original characters! But regardless, easily digestible formats will grab people's attention faster than huge blocks of text, and comics are a lot less work than doing wholeass storyboards.

Now go and share your ocs with the world!!!

[squishy-min-mochi]

It’s important to recognise that Barbie (2023) criticises both the patriarchy AND the matriarchy. Yes, the Ken’s are just accessories to the Barbies. Yes, they don’t have any say in the government they live under. That’s the point, you’re supposed to feel awful, you’re supposed to want the Kens to have their own agency, you’re supposed to want equality. The Barbie movie explicitly states that the way Barbie treats Ken is wrong, so much so that once he finds a safe space for his masculinity and individual identity he’s so excited to share it with the other Kens.

But they go overboard and replace a matriarchy with a patriarchy and now the same issue exists but in reverse. That’s the POINT!! THATS THE POINT!!! Barbie is not anti-men it’s pro equality PLEASE understand this

13th Aug 2023 UPDATE:

Heeeeey howdy!!

Due to the IMMENSE comments and discussion on this post (thanks ya’ll!!) I’ve decided to update my post with my recent opinions and hopefully clearer explanations!!

First, my original post only considers a very small and very vague analysis of the film!!

Since making this I've read all your comments and learned quite a bit about the matriarchy as it appears in human civilisation. Originally, I was pitting the patriarchy and the matriarchy against each other as though the results of their implementation were equal in the film.

They were not!! Below is the definition of matriarchy I’ll be working off of.

Matriarchy Simple Definition;

Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property.

There's a lot to talk about in the Barbie film that would fit better in an essay, so I'll try and condense it into this;

To me, Barbie (2023) is a film about the female experience and the shared connection between women that persists through childhood and adulthood, support and harassment, suffering and joy, mother and daughter.

It uses Barbie as its figurehead because of the immense societal and political impact the doll has had on women, both good and bad (as explained in the film).

The male experience as seen in Barbie (2023) is not the sole focus of the film- rather, it's an accessory (as the Kens are) to Barbie's story, and a necessary aspect of exploration to truly highlight the importance of individualism and healthy personal exploration.

I want to make clear that I in no way think the treatment of the Kens was just as bad as the treatment of the Barbies. I also still agree that the matriarchy fostered by the Barbies wasn’t good for the Kens.

Additionally, I’m aware that this take on Barbie (2023) works strictly within the assumed heteronormative boundaries of gender. There is a lot of nuance in the Barbie film and I don’t think everything can be covered or explained in on Tumblr post— but I hope this clarification helps!!

I hope you're all coming to your own conclusions and analysis of the film in a way that makes sense to you. And for those of you engaging in online conversations and discourse about it, I hope you're keeping yourself and others happy and safe!!!

Much love to you all!! < 3

[neverendingford]

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