#it's exaggerated but it gets the point across

[trinnityn]

Caitlyn Kiramman HCS

Warnings: SFW + NSFW 18+ content below. View with discretion. possesive!cait, she fucks you with a gun at some point, Reader and cait are married, shower sex

A/N : lowk short cause i was lazy but i wanted to post this 💙 please dont flop.

SFW

LOVES waking up next to you, and she's definitely a huge morning person cause of that sole reason. yes, she hates work and all the stress that comes with it but getting to wake up to her wife after an amazing night of sleep? thats reward enough for her. probably the only thing she thinks about whenever shes on her way home the only thing she dislikes about your mornings together is whenever she leans in for a kiss and you whine about how you just woke up and think you're too messy, cause. so what? she sees nothing but perfection, even in your worst.

"goodmorning, darling."

"cait i just woke up im all gross-"

"you mean to say you're absolutely exquisite, and yes cait i want a kiss."

"dont ever speak ill of yourself, love."

Speaking of so, she always has something to give to you whenever she got home from a long day at work. it doesnt matter how tired she is. you were mentioning a craving of yours at the morning? immediately getting it after work. hell she'll even go as far as buying flowers or something even more expensive than just food. she just loves spoiling you.

has a habit of grabbing or squeezing your waist tighter whenever she sees someone even glancing at you longer than 10 seconds. she grew up spoiled and basically getting everything that she wanted, in result, she becomes very possesive of the things she has. including you, her dearest, most precious asset.

"cait.. stop squeezing so much. im not going anywhere."

"he was gawking at you, like you're some object."

would beg you for a massage daily or just to play with her hair. would sometimes over exaggerate how tiring her day at work was just to get extra effection from you.

gets SUPER whiny for some reason whenever you dont have your ring on. its like, everyone has to know she has a gorgeous wife, right? thats her wife. always uses the reason that "it compliments your pretty hands.", always kisses every individual finger before sliding the ring back on. she likes to think shes proposing to you again.

"will you marry me?, my lovely wife?"

NSFW

loves tying you up and taking full control. something about it makes the heat pool up in her stomach, and to think that she has power over you makes everything all the better. when shes desperate enough, her handiwork doesnt have to be perfect as long as you're restrained, but when she takes her time? trust it'll be hell. being fully undressed as she works to tie different ropes all across your body, your wet, sopping cunt grinding against the rope between your legs as you squirm for the slightest bit of friction. she'll make sure to punish you for that, though.

VERY dexterous with her hands, better than her strap by a slight difference. has basically fingered you everywhere in the kiramman house. bedroom? had you on her lap as she basically probed and bruised your cervix before having to leave for work. kitchen? bent over and begging for it as she just slipped them in and out of you. bathroom? held you against your back with the shower running, the cold water washing over the couple as she parted your folds, taking her sweet time.

Got jealous of some other girl clearly trying to get in your pants while she turned away for a few minutes at a social event she took you to. even in a prestigious, sophisticated soiree filled with distinguished leaders, politicians she still couldnt hold back her greed. her greed for you, and how much she despises even the sight of you near another person that isnt her. she threw you right on the bed before having your skirt bunched up on your waist and getting your brain fucked dumb with her 8 inch royal blue strap. rubbing your clit in small, tight circles before pushing your panties aside when you were wet enough to plunge straight in your wet heat, taking a moment to adjust before setting a harsh, and punishing pace.

fucked you with a gun once at her desk. sprawled out and shivering at the cold air as she eased the pistol's barrel in and out of your pulsing cunt, your wrists grasped in a tight, almost brusing hold as she held them above your head, whispering into your ear breathlessly keep you on edge.

"good girl, taking my gun well.. what if i just.. pull the trigger? no? then take it and stop squirming, darling."

A/N: thinking of making a fic out of that last one OHHHHH lord. i already have a draft saved LOL

-XOXO, trinnifer💋

[overthedeadsea]

— Press Tour Shenanigans

Pairing: Aaron Pierre x Co-star!reader x Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Summary: chaotic, flirty, and slightly unhinged interview energy between the trio. More of a Aaron x reader (wink), jealousyyyy.

A/n: since I can’t see the finish line of this obsession with the mufasa duo, I’m going to unleash all my demons here on tumblr <3

— You were seated between Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr.,cameras rolling, microphones pinned, and a well-meaning interviewer sitting across from the three of you. It was supposed to be a standard press junket—talk about the film, give some behind-the-scenes insight, and maybe throw in a funny anecdote.

But these two? Oh, these two had other plans.

Kelvin leaned forward first, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Okay, so what y’all need to know is that [Y/N] is actually the diva of this cast.”

You gasped, whipping your head toward him. “Excuse me? Me?!”

Aaron, sitting coolly on your other side, nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I mean… I wasn’t gonna say anything, but now that Kelvin brought it up—”

Your jaw dropped. “Not you too!”

Kelvin grinned. “Nah, let’s talk about it. The personal assistant situation? The specific snack demands?”

You threw up your hands. “I asked for one very normal, very reasonable thing—peach-flavored sparkling water! That is NOT diva behavior!”

Aaron rubbed his jaw, pretending to think. “Mmm. But when they brought you raspberry instead?”

Kelvin snickered. “You told the intern to ‘rethink their life choices.’”

“Jokingly!” you shot back, eyes wide. “It was sarcasm!”

Aaron side-eyed you playfully. “Was it though?”

You turned fully to him now, pointing a finger. “Why are you agreeing with him? I thought we were friends.”

Aaron smirked, his voice dipping into that smooth, teasing tone. “We are.That’s why I feel safe enough to call you out.”

Kelvin gasped dramatically. “Ohhh, wow. Betrayal. On camera, too.”

The interviewer, barely holding back laughter, finally cut in. “Okay, so… who’s actually the diva between the three of you?”

Aaron and Kelvin exchanged a look. Without hesitation, they both pointed at each other.

“Oh, it’s him,” Aaron said at the same time Kelvin blurted, “Oh, it’s definitely him.”

You folded your arms. “Wow. The AUDACITY.”

Aaron chuckled. “I mean… Kelvin does have main character energy.”

Kelvin gasped, hand on his chest. “And Aaron is literally the ‘mystery man with the voice that makes people weak.’”

You nodded sagely. “He does have that ‘if he speaks, the whole room listens’ vibe.”

Aaron raised a brow, smirking at you now. “Oh? You been noticing?”

Kelvin let out a loud, exaggerated “OOOOHHHH,” making you groan.

“See?” You pointed at Kelvin. “He’s the actual menace.”

Kelvin shrugged. “Listen, I’m just here to tell the truth.”

Aaron glanced at you, voice dropping just enough to make your breath catch. “And what’s your truth?”

You blinked. Oh. He was really using that voice right now? On camera??

Kelvin threw his hands up. “Nope. Nope. Not on my watch! We are NOT about to have a whole moment in the middle of this interview.”

The interviewer, officially losing it, buried their face in their cue cards. “I have completely lost control of this session.”

You sighed, shaking your head. “You know what? I was gonna be professional today.”

Kelvin grinned. “Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?”

Aaron smirked, leaning back in his chair, eyes glinting as he looked between you and Kelvin. “Exactly.”

And just like that, the interview spiraled even further into chaos.

The interview had already gone off the rails, but somehow, things were about to get even worse.

The interviewer, finally regaining some semblance of control, smiled at the three of you. “Okay, let’s bring it back for a second. We have a fun question for you all. Who’s your celebrity crush?”

You hummed, tapping your chin. “Oh, that’s easy. Henry Cavill.”

Silence.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the camera rolling. Then—

Kelvin’s entire face lit up. “OHHHH, that’s gonna be a problem.”

You blinked. “What?”

Kelvin immediately pointed at Aaron, who was suddenly very interested in the bottle of water in his hands, twisting the cap with way too much focus.

“Ayo, Aaron, you good?” Kelvin teased, nudging him with his elbow.

Aaron, to his credit, played it cool—too cool. He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Yeah, nah, I’m good.”

But you saw the way his jaw clenched just a little. The way his fingers gripped that water bottle just a bit tighter.

Kelvin wasn’t about to let this slide. “Nahhh, ‘cause why did your whole vibe just change?”

Aaron exhaled, flashing a relaxed smile. “I’m chill.”

Kelvin leaned forward, squinting. “You sure? ‘Cause a second ago, you were all ‘Oh, Y/N, what’s your truth?’ and now you real quiet.”

Aaron scoffed, finally looking at you. “She said Henry Cavill, man. What do you want me to say?”

You smirked. “You could say ‘great choice.’”

Aaron arched a brow. “Could I?”

Kelvin lost it.“NAHHH, HE’S MAD.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Relax, it’s not that deep.”

Aaron gave a slow nod, taking a sip of his water. “Right. Not that deep.”

Kelvin nudged you. “Y/N, ask him his celebrity crush. Do it.”

You turned to Aaron, challenging. “Yeah, Pierre. Who’s yours?”

Aaron met your gaze, and something shifted. His smirk returned, slow and deliberate, as he leaned in just slightly.

“You.”

Kelvin screamed. The interviewer covered their face with cue cards. You? You just sat there, stunned.

Aaron leaned back, smug as hell, taking another sip of water like he hadn’t just casually flipped the entire vibe on its head.

You cleared your throat. “I—uh—okay.”

Kelvin was wheezing. “OH, YOU FOLDED! You FOLDED SO FAST!”

Aaron just shrugged, completely unbothered. “What can I say? Gotta speak my truth.”

You swallowed, heat creeping up your neck. Damn him. Damn that voice.

The interviewer sighed, defeated. “Yeah… I’m never getting this back on track, am I?”

Kelvin and Aaron, in unison: “Nope.”

And just like that, the chaos continued.

A/n: SO HOW DO WE LIKE ITTTT??? I have a whole mini series planned down I can bomb it anytime if you guys like it ~~

[nami-moittli]

So. We all know the spoilers we all know that Yuujin was made by Leviathan to spy on Haru. Iirc it was stated that this was something Leviathan did to all the Shinkai’s. And if not, it is now

So. If our friend J over here really was Haru’s dad and Denemon’s son, wouldn’t it stand to reason that J has an AI friend, too? (Why doesn’t Denemon have one? He knows to much about Leviathan for Leviathan to try and instead just decided to kill him outright)

And so, I present to you, J’s best friend since forever and partner in crime: Occult hunter A (get it? Cause like, AI? Yes I know Ai exists, I just saw this mustache/beard so clearly in my minds eye I just had to)

For fun, A knows exactly what’s going on and who he is. Sometimes he’ll push J towards or away from the right answer, just for fun. Can’t let him get too close, but it’s also funny to see how close he can get with A’s prodding. It’s not like anyone would ever believe him anyway so why not have some fun?

Also I imagine J is very “I miss my wife, Tails” he misses his wife and son so much but he knows he can’t go back, not yet, not until he’s proven that undeniably he’s right! Right on what, he doesn’t know exactly just yet, but he has strings and by god he’s putting them together! (Haru already knows this and more old man, stop)

I imagine that if A and Yuujin ever met, it would be like when that one relative you’ve never met in your LIFE is just like, “oh I used to change your diapers! You’ve gotten so big!” Mixed with “that one uncle who’s probably been to jail or smth and you’re trying to escape the conversation swiftly without them realizing that you don’t want to be there” only jail is a podcast

Not too sure how much I love this design, but I tried! Like I said, I saw the “A” so clearly I had to do something with it. New idea, see how many ways you can shape facial hair into letters/j. Since Haru and Yuujin have basically the same color palette, just in different areas, almost every single color on A was color picked directly from J. The only exception being the skin tone

So yeah. Hope you like him!

Ohaughghgh OH GOD

Forgive the hastily assembled post I’m about to lose Internet and don’t have all my sources available BUT hear me out:

1. Occult Hunter J kind of looks like Denemon

2. Because Haru and Denemon share last names, they are related by Haru’s (unseen, absent/deceased) father

3. On her parenting blog, Mama Shinkai makes reference to the “Painful Beard Incident” which may have been a reference to Haru’s dad

4. Occult Hunter J also has a beard.

I don’t like where this is going…

[saioratral]

PARING: satoru gojo x f!reader

PROMPT: meri jaan SYNOPSIS: dancing on the school fields like the main character you are

WARNING: cheesy NOTE: we are back with desi jjk!! 🗣️🗣️ it's kinda cringe but i like it so yeah. im gonna be on a break after this but i might have a draft?? idk

the night was pretty, the sky stretching above in a way that could only be described as a perfect dream, like the earth had decided to gift this moment to you to witness it. you sat on the quiet stairs- most of the students were off to bed and you had just got back from your cousin’s wedding 

“i like your earrings” 

you tilt your head up in a lazy fashion. you would be lying if you said you didn't know who it was, his voice had a unique ring to it. as expected, those familiar blue eyes were gazing down at you, framed by a bright smile 

you mumbled a quick hello, ignoring the compliment like you were ignoring the butterflies in your stomach. he sat beside you, resting his head casually on his hand, propped up on his knee, tilting his head to the side to meet your gaze again

“but i’d look better with it,” satoru teased, reaching out with a playful flick of his finger to tap your earring

“jhumka,” you corrected, smiling despite yourself, only to see him roll his eyes in mock exasperation

you decided to humor him, mimicking his position, leaning back and turning your head with a playful tsk. “you’d make a pretty princess at the ball”

he smiled mischievously, amusement in his eyes. “i hope you become the prince, but for now,” he sighed, standing up with a dramatic exaggeration, before starting to walk down the stairs. “can i take this princess for a dance?”

he brings his right hand to you, wanting you to take it. you laugh at his silly behaviour. dancing on the school fields late at night? with your crush? only an idiot can say no to that. your hand found his without hesitation, it felt nothing unusual. all you need to do is stop your stupid heart from jumping out 

the two of you walk to the field, the center to fit satoru’s ego. you didn't care if your dress dragged against the grass. the moment made your head forget about reality. you felt like royalty, getting the first dance at the big ballroom 

you stopped before him, hands briefly intertwined before you let go, slipping your dupatta off your shoulders. satoru raised an eyebrow, confusion across his features. you couldn’t help but laugh as you stepped closer, draping the fabric around his neck with a gentle touch, adjusting it so it rested against his school uniform, though it looked utterly out of place

“much better”, you smile and took his hand to spin around the fields 

the ‘dance’ was just satoru stepping on your shoes, twirling you just to show off your outfit, as if there were an audience watching. at one point, he crouched, wrapping his arm under your waist and lifting you with ease, making you feel taller than him, as if you were in the air but in his arms

another chorus of laugh, and for a moment, everything felt like a scene from a classic movie, the slow mo and music being an imaginary addition to your moment. your ‘prince’ satoru. making your night more colourful than it would normally be 

he set you down gently, only to pick you up again, this time with one arm, your arms instinctively wrapping around his neck as if you couldn’t trust him to hold you properly. did he have a death wish? what was he thinking, holding you so carelessly? but still, you didn’t fall

“you’re with the strongest,” satoru said, his voice full of pride

with his free hand, he slipped off your shoes, holding them as though they were nothing. “angels don’t touch the ground, do they?”

“you’re crazy,” you muttered, your grip tightening around his neck

his arm flexed under your touch, pulling you closer. you could feel the teasing in his voice, that familiar, cocky charm of satoru. “am i? or am i just a handsome man in love, meri jaan?”

⋅˚₊‧ 𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅

EXTRA:

“should we tell them about the field being under construction?” suguru sighed, watching his lovesick friends

shoko flicked her cigarette onto the ground, crushing it beneath her boot with an exaggerated gesture. “let them be. they look ridiculous”

@saioratral .ᐟ do not repost, translate, alter, etc on any platform without permission

[stars4you777]

Dancing in the rain

Dancing in the rain is the ultimate act of freedom

It was a cloudy day, with the sun occasionally peeking through the thick blanket of clouds before disappearing again. Most would be cozy at home, enjoying the perfect napping weather, especially since school had let out a few hours earlier. But not you. You were perched in the bleachers, surrounded by the sounds of sneakers squeaking and volleyballs slamming against the gym floor.

You hadn’t been paying much attention to the boys or the cheers, particularly not the taunts exchanged when one team scored during their practice match. From your time in this gym, you’d learned that listening to their banter could drive anyone to madness.

Instead, the rhythmic tapping of your keyboard filled your ears as you worked on an essay due in a week or two. Lost in thought, you almost missed the clatter of footsteps racing up the bleachers—not the stairs, but the actual bleachers. Suddenly, plop!—down sits a tall, energetic, and notably sweaty guy. With the most exaggerated sigh, he speaks.

“You’re working? No wonder you didn’t hear me calling for you!” He pouts. Rolling your eyes, you close your laptop and tuck your papers into your bag. Your gaze drifts back to Bokuto, your overdramatic boyfriend of a year. His grin morphs into a mischievous smirk as he grabs your sides, stunning you momentarily before he starts to tickle you aggressively. Laughter bursts from your throat until he stops, interrupted by a player yelling from across the court to cut out the flirting.

He gasps dramatically, pulling you to his side and hugging you protectively, pointing at the player with a playful smirk. “Are you jealous? It’s okay, I get it.” The boys bicker for a moment, but you glance at your phone and realize it's time to leave. Wriggling free from his bear hug, you grab your bag, slink past him, and press a quick kiss to his cheek as you head down the stairs.

“I have to go! Sorry I can’t stay to walk home with you, Bo!” His frown is instantaneous. He jumps up and races past you, reaching the bottom of the bleachers first, hands raised as if to stop you.

“Wait! I’ll change fast! Stay—stay there!” With that, he bolts toward the locker room, a nearby player groaning about not wanting to help clean up. You adjust your school bag on your shoulder, waiting patiently, but you know he’s on a timer—five minutes, and then you’d have to leave without him.

Not even two minutes later, he bursts from the locker room, bag in hand, his jacket draped over his arm. He slows to a walk, wrapping his arm around your waist and guiding you toward the door.

---

Less than ten minutes from your house, it starts to drizzle. You sigh and unzip your bag to pull out your umbrella, only to realize you left it at home. You mumble your frustration, too distracted to notice that Bokuto has stopped. He stands there, palms up, feeling the gentle rain, a soft smile on his face.

Finally you turn and look back at him, he looked so happy. The rain starts falling harder, his hair starting to droop as the water slowly weighs it down. You can’t help but smile at him. And he catches it. With a sly grin he walks over and grabs your hand, twirling you around. His hand slides down your arm and stops at your waist, pulling you flush against his chest. He starts attempting to do a waltz but it ends up being a box step. (neither of you were good dancers unfortunately, and elegance was not his strong suit) He spun you around, laughing and smiling as you do too, the childlike smile on your faces a testament to the pure joy you both were feeling.

Lightning cuts across the sky, a crash of thunder filling the air, he pauses and looks up, the rain was getting heavier. Gently he pulls you close, one hand reaching to hold the back of your head as he pulls you into a sweet kiss, one full of love, happiness. A kiss with no ulterior motives, as he pulls back he smiles down at you and presses a miss to your forehead before pulling his own umbrella from his bag and opening it, holding it over the two of you.

He walked you home and kissed you goodbye before he walked back the opposite way, having long passed his own house, though he didn’t mind the walk as long as he knew you were home safe.

End

A/N

Chat I haven’t wrote in so long i am NOT proofreading this rn ill judge myself for my horrible grammar later😼

[galacticgoldfishart]

haha social media presence, what's that?

[cantfightmoonlight]

"Actually you told the both of us during White Elephant two years ago. I was sitting right next to her," She explained. "And I could have, but I trusted you and, as I know now, I shouldn't have," She stated, pressing her lips together as she gave her a small shrug. "It's called a hyperbole. You know, a mild exaggeration for dramatic effect? And I'm well aware when you became advisor. I'm not attacking you. I'm simply pointing out the obvious," She explained calmly. "We both know you don't really care about me, so why bother with the pretend?" Bri reasoned. She already had to question pretty much every relationship in her life. Why add another to the rather long list?

"See. That doesn't exactly sound like you care. Though as for whether or not I would have taken a rational suggestion in that moment, did you even give me a chance to? I lunged at Frankie because she caught me off guard, my emotions got the best of me and I was starving. But, I stopped the moment I-" she paused. Her eyes momentarily drifted to the floor as she muttered under her breath, "Shoved Poppy. Just before you stepped in and, I'm not saying I don't appreciate the advice or the fact that you did, but I also know that, while people came to comfort me, not one actually told him to stop when he was strewing a list of insults my way. Instead, you essentially told me to 'suck it up' and I get it. That's pretty much the only advice anyone ever seems to give around here. 'Suck it up and get over yourself'. But, that doesn't exactly make me want to hang out with other vampires let alone ask them for any other tips. No offense." She had tried to. She had asked Ken to show her how to reverse compulsion and he pretty much rolled his eyes at her and made it abundantly clear she should know how already, though he had been more helpful than most. Ronnie and Safiye were just as lost as she was and Ralph, she was fairly certain was off in some other world.

"And that, right there, is why I've been figuring it out my own. I might have wanted you to teach me control before that ominous as fuck warning? Seriously?" She asked, she shook her head the smallest bit back and forth. "You clearly don't want to help me and I don't even think you could even if I did volunteer for your hellish bootcamp which seems unnecessarily menacing. I was never meant to be this and don't think I haven't notice how my body is still actively rejecting it. I was supposed to die a human and, if it wasn't for the Sheriff's spell, I would have."

"You're awfully defense, you know that?" She pointed out softly, though her voice took on a far sharper tone as she called Ben a 'droll boy toy'. "Though, I'm sorry, a droll boy toy? Go fuck yourself and just because it's art, doesn't mean it's not tacky. While as for catacombs, they're... sad. All of those skeletons piled on top of each other until they practically form of wall of mismatched limbs you can't tell apart from one another? Unless they were some notable official, they become lost amongst the many. Faceless skulls that will go on being unremembered," She wrapped her arms across her chest as she thought of how similar it would have been for her if she hadn't been brought back. No one would have even known where she was buried. "I don't see you as a villain. Maybe, a bit of a bitch, but to be fair, you do like to insult my boyfriend a great deal, so... next you're going to tell me you're like Shrek. An onion with many layers," She mumbled under her breath, not bothering to point out Aaliyah saying that her questions was an 'exercise in self-flagellation' she had outgrown, she was further supporting Bri's entitled bitch theory.

Instead, she stood there quietly. Her gaze hyper-fixated on the crowd with her arms crossed over her chest. It was only when she was told that people cared about her, that she cut Aaliyah off. "No. They don't," Her dark brown eyes met Aaliyah's as she told her, point blank, "You've heard the eulogies. Majority of this town either doesn't give a fuck about me or hates me and they have since the first day I was resurrected. You want to talk about a complaint box? I've been called pretty much every name in the book, not to mentioned was told I smell of death which was an added dose of prejudice for no apparent reason. My friends have forgotten my birthday, stabbed me, mooched off of me, admitted to being afraid of me and fucked my boyfriend before we got together and I do mean plural friends for that one. The only family I have in town left unsure if they'd ever return, knowing they'd forget about me, and they said goodbye for what might have been forever if they hadn't come back over a note. The only person I have in my life who I know for certain loves me unconditionally and would never leave is Ben and he's missing his fucking leg now because of this godforsaken town. So, when I say why bother it is because there is literally no point. I know plenty about myself. I know I've spent the past three years trying to be liked by you god awful people and it doesn't change anything. It doesn't matter how I act. It doesn't matter what I do, all roads end the same. So, why bother? You can call it self-flagellation, if you want to, but I call it me no longer giving a fuck because there are a very few of you who are actually worth it."

"I wasn't in there throwing a fucking pity party. I was saying goodbye to the girl who died, which was originally supposed to be the whole point of this thing," She rolled her eyes as she kicked herself up off of the booth she had been leaning again. "I never had a funeral, though... wow. Are you going to be condescending this entire conversation? Because at this point, I might as well make it into a drinking game," A dry laugh broke from her lips. It was truly ironic how much Aaliyah seemed to think she had a read on the situation. "I've been letting myself 'feel it' for the past three years and I've been to nearly everybody else. Gia's unhinged, Ken barely puts up with me, Ralph and Ernie are still living in 1955, Meena's recovering from being malled by a wolf, Rio's often to busy to even get a coffee let alone fill me in and Saf and Ronnie are just as new at this as I am. So, save the whole 'I've got to want it and seek it out' pep talk. I've been seeking it out. What more do I have to do? Invest in a literal bat signal? Carry around a flashing neon sign that says 'help'?"

"No, I don't remember that," Aaliyah mused, nonplussed by Bri's reaction. "Mostly because I didn't tell you, I told one of your friends. You could have confirmed that with literally any other vampire in town. But, really? It takes time to 'burn to a crisp.' You didn't think that, I don't know, you should possibly head on inside when the skin irritation started sinking in?" she asked, eyebrow raised. "I also wasn't the clan's advisor at that time, just a member. But, please, keep the critiques coming. I do so love to hear about all the things I'm doing wrong for our esteemed organization." She laughed. "And I would have snapped your neck, too, if the moment required it because you were not thinking rationally, and you would not have taken a rational suggestion at that moment. I offered you help after, too, if you recall. But fine. You want me to teach you control? I'll teach you about control. You won't like it," she said, her tone lacking any sort of bite. It wasn't a threat. It was just a fact. So few with a lack of control had other issues within themselves that they needed to work through, and coming to terms with their own inner turmoil was hardly easy. "But, again, please. Keep it coming. I should open up a complaints box, start up a petition to have me replaced. Wanna be the first signature?"

She wondered if Brielle noticed that she'd left the confessional. Perhaps instigating Bri wasn't the kindest thing in the world, but Aaliyah was of the mindset that what we needed, really needed, was what was kind to us. Kindness was good, sure. But it wouldn't help someone who refused to accept it. "I thought you and that droll boy toy of yours were appreciative of the arts and history. Tacky gothic architecture. Please, it's art. And catacombs used to be reverent. Horror movies making them into something, well, horrific is... so basic. There's nothing scary about the dead or the places that house them. It doesn't have to be cheerful." She looked at Bri before shrugging. "I like metal. Some of the new stuff's pretty good. I like a lot of things, though. I know you see me as some one note villain, but the tragedy of it all is that I, against my will, contain multitudes." Layers and faces and people built on top of people to construct the person that she was, for better or for worse.

Aaliyah just sighed. "Bri, constantly asking yourself 'why bother' is an exercise in self-flagellation that I've outgrown. But let's just go through with it. Fine. Why bother?" Aaliyah raised her hands up and looked around. "Because people care about you. Because I was under the assumption that you care about people. Please, though, correct me if I'm wrong. I fucking love Council gossip." It wasn't the truth, but if it could push a button or two, then fine. "Why bother? Because you have a lot left to learn, and a lot left to live." She looked at Bri, her face a mask. "You know nothing about me. What I give a damn about, what I don't. I'm almost positive that you know nothing about yourself, either." Aaliyah brushed a speck of dirt from her jacket.

"You are allowed to do this, by the way," she said off-handedly. "This pity-party at your birthday party. Not because it's you're birthday, but because you're a person and you're allowed to feel shit, even if it feels like shit. But I will tell you that it won't stay like this. Not in a 'chin up, kiddo, it won't stay like this forever!' kind of way, but in the fact that nothing stays the same kind of way. Even us. You will, of course, outwardly remain as you are now, but all the stuff inside that makes you a person? That changes. Constantly." She stepped forward, taking Bri in, the sort of beat down attitude that she had. "So feel it. Or don't. But those issues that you have with your control? Some of that stems from other shit that you should work on figuring out. If you don't want to do it with me, that's fine. Meena's available. There are other, older vampires in the clan that have been through similar shit that are around, and only most of them are assholes. But you've got to want it, and you've got to seek it out."

[welcometogrouchland]

I miss them so bad (Dick and Damian)

[emberflit-alley-herald]

Well now we have to know what would've happened to jayces poor leg had he not showered

You know how I am missing an arm?

[quillquiver]

Just hopping in on air quality stuff, here!

I always thought that, when the Grey was released in the deeper fissures, it caused an epidemic in Zaun itself but largely stayed there; because of its geographic location, it makes sense to me that a dense gas would remain in the Underground. And I think that @sorceressofthesky is definitely onto something with the rise of industry in the fissures alerting Piltover to the Grey as an issue—and while I don’t doubt Cassandra’s young, wide-eyed enthusiasm to help, I also think that the likelihood that Piltover decided to assist to save people is probably a smaller piece of the overall puzzle of protecting their source of cheap labour. With the Grey, people get sick and die. By filtering the air of the worst of its toxins, you get a healthier workforce (no need to send your people down to do a dangerous job that will likely make them sick/kill them) and can keep industry out of sight and out of mind. This to me was an allegory for globalized western industry! The same way Canada outsources most of its mining to South America, Piltover outsources to Zaun.

From there, it isn’t a huge leap to assume that the filtering system is adequate but not good; you’d want something fast, cheap, and would really be looking to get rid of one problem—the Grey—without considering the long-term effects of living in a fissure and the other gases and pollutants that come with that landscape (especially when you’re dealing with the by-products of industry). I’m sure Cassandra meant well, but I’m also sure that no one consulted with Zaun; the entire project brought to mind the idea of the white saviour, with Piltover going in to clean the air they ruined in the first place and then patting themselves on the back for a job well done. I feel like, to actually create a system that properly filters Zaunish air, you need a ton of different filters of various thicknesses and materials—but to get rid of the worst stuff, all you need is to create a vent system to suck the toxic stuff away.

Which brings me to air quality. I’m in the Pacific Northwest of Canada and I’ve lived through like 6 really bad fire seasons now - and I mask, but every year it gets easier to breathe smoke in summer. Without the Grey making people sick, I think it’s likely that Zaunites have just become used to the air within a generation or two. This is also probably why Silco can handle the Grey; he was working when and where it ran rampant, and his body adapted. Can he breathe it indefinitely? Probably not, but he can for a time.

The Grey is a different beast, but humans live in cities with poor air quality all over the world without masking or falling sick—though they’re at an increased risk for illness. I think that this is more the comparison between the Piltover and Zaun in the series: the air is bad in Zaun but not toxic, which means that it’s more comfortable to use a mask/filter if you’re used to the “good air” from Piltover. I also think it’s likely that propaganda has over exaggerated the risks of breathing in Zaunish air… which is why by the end of the series, nobody’s really wearing a mask in Zaun. And I really do think it’s propaganda: the Piltover council is a mercantile guild, and those merchants either rely on trade or industry… if any part of that industry is happening in Zaun, it’s in their best interests to keep the status quo across the bridge. If Pilties started crossing and banded together with Zaun to demand better living conditions, that would be a problem.

Which is also why I think Silco’s interactions with the council were brief at best. I totally agree with the points already made, but I’ll take it a step further: if you were on a council and quashed a small uprising from your poorest citizens, would you not immediately figure out the names of the uprising leaders? And then keep tabs on them? I think that this is the most likely chain of events: Vander and Silco are upstart revolutionaries that plan and execute an uprising that fails horribly. The council needs to react but keeps things quiet; it cannot be a big deal in Piltover that half of city is primed for revolt, they need to diffuse the situation immediately. They ask for to parley with Vander and Silco at a neutral location. After seeing his friends die and being thrust into fatherhood, Vander is desperate for a peaceful solution to this—Silco, however, is out for blood. The diplomatic solution presented is what we see at the beginning of the show, which Silco sees right though and is disgusted with. He makes it very clear to Vander that with or without him, he will not stop fighting for Zaun, even if he has to kill them both to do it—at this point, all Vander can think about are Vi and Powder. He is responsible for them and if they’re gearing up for war it’s more than likely that everyone will die. In an effort to prevent more bloodshed, he tries to kill the person he loves. Vander is now working with enforcers and Silco is being constantly looked into to ensure he doesn’t try anything again.

I dunno if all of this made sense, but after reading all y’all’s awesome meta, just wanted to add my two cents!

@sorceressofthesky

I hope it's okay that I pull this out as the threads can have a tendency to get very long :)

Personally, I find it super hard to buy that that Silco was the one who talked Caitlyn's mom into building the ventilation systems after he took over from Vander.

Part of it is: if Silco was that good at talking to the council and getting them to do pro-Zaun things, why would he stop talking to them? Especially since season 1 shows how easily the council can be swayed into granting Zaun independence. I always read it as Silco not being interested in the council and not paying much attention to it, maybe because he has a low opinion of it. If he was already that involved with the council in the past, it just seems like big events from Jayce becoming a councilor, Heimerdinger being ousted or the Piltover reaction to the bridge massacre would be something he would show more interest in then he does.

The other part of it is that the Kiramman vents just … feel older? From the pathos of Caitlyn being handed the Kiramman key like it's a family tradition to the picture that presumably show the vents being opened. Either by a young Cassandra or by some even older ancestor. It just seems like if the vents were being built not just within Caitlyn's lifetime but also while Caitlyn is already pretty grown, it just seems like that would have come up?

The women is opening the vents together with miners in the background, evoking more the young Silco and Vander era.

And she's wearing the same or a very similar outfit to the portrait in the middle which is why people think either very young Cassandra or Cassandra's mother.

I'm not sure if I find the idea that Cassandra wouldn't know about the plight of the undercity just because tha very sheltered girl like Caitlyn didn't know all that plausible. We know she is sheltered because Cassandra even ordered for her to do boring prestige guard duty than even encounter just crime in Piltover. So if she has never been to the undercity and the papers don't write about it, how would she know?

And while the Pilties maybe are unlikely to casually care about the plight of the Zaunites, árguably them caring if it impacts their business is well in character (there's this really cool WIP by @out-there-tmblr that is just doing a plot about how the mines dug to deep, the Gray is getting worse so miners are start refusing to work those particular shafts so the Piltie engineers are coming in to install vents that imo feels plausible in "that's what Pilties would do" way).

And again, if Silco was responsible for it, why wouldn't he show up in those pictures compared to the Kiramman woman posing with miners? (it doesn't help that modern Zaun feels like it's more about factories than about mines)

So yes, I definitely leaning towards the vents being older based on the look of the Kiramman woman. But it being done within Vander and Silco's youth I think is an interesting idea.

I personally find it generally confusing how bad the air situation is. Yes the enforcers wear masks in Act 1, but none of the locals do. Then we have the sumps. The implications are that the sumps are low and "the bad parts" right?

So a headcanon could be something like:

Silco and Vander and some of the chem barons are young => The Gray is bad.

Cassandra installs the vents => air quality gets better. Maybe sections that weren't livable before are livable now.

Silco and Vander take their mining knowledge and maybe carve a middle section, somewhere between the upper levels that are already lived in by people and maybe too expensive and the sump that is still dark and shitty to live in.

There being more air systems in Silco's time could be advances in technology or it could be the factories causing a new, different type of pollution?

(an interesting facette here is the AU where the air is clearly much better but the implication is that it's done with more plant/nature based technology rather than more chemtechy one)

[complete side note, due to the 3 years Heimer has been there my head canon for the AU is that Silco and Vander reunited over Vi's death, together they made political advacements and that after a while in Heimer arrives and gave them a boost in regards to technology]

Silco saying to the chem barons he brought them up and gave them "a taste of topside" could also be explained by

the literally moved them from the lower levels to the higher levels (either by moving them to the lanes or by making them so rich that they can live even in the areas above the Lanes, just like their meeting tower is very high up even while Silco is the one who stil lives far down) after Vander was killed because they for some reason were stuck down there

or all people that lived lower moved to the Lanes when Silco and Vander "built the lanes".

or maybe a young Silco was among the miners that convinced the Kiramann's to build the vents

Finn's line is interesting, because it doesn't sound like Silco pulled him from the mines/depths. It sounds more like he was around during Vander's time watching from the sidelines and not liking how Vander was doign things. As opposed to he lived elsewhere and was lifted up.

But he also looks a bit younger, so he has a different backstory than the others (but there's generally the problem that I think the Caitlyn files said that at least one chembaron is actually a Piltie, so wouldn't at least that guy have a different backstory than the other chem barons? so when he's giving his speech to the chem barons there's at least two people in the room to whom that speech doesn't really apply?) . After all we have the "You're too young to remember what the undercity was before it became an "enterprise"."

So this exchange suggests:

there was a time where the Undercity was a lot more primitive and Vander does remember it but Finn is too young

but already under Vander the undercity became more like an enterprise (maybe because Vander and Silco turned the Lanes into a more smuggling/trade based economy rather than a mining/producing based one, or maybe also because of the protection money) at least in Finn's eyes, or at least he thought it had the potential to be one if run better

Another thing I find confusing is okay, so there's the region where the shimmer addicts live, right? And the implication to me was that is the bad part of Zaun? The part where the air is bad, where the lowest of the low live, that's why Jesus!Viktor goes there to make his commune.

But according to season 1, this is where Vi, Powder, Connel and Felicia lived. Ie the place where presumably all the fluffy Powder and Vi as kids memories from the Remember Me flashback take place. At first I thought maybe that place was like just a shack where maybe they just played and Felicia made the height charts, but it looks like a comparatively nice house with a staircase and ornaments?

Again, if this the shitty place of the Undercity, why would Vander and Silco's cherished friend live there when the Last Drop was available?

Benzo talks to Vander about "rounding up the collections",

Yes, just like Sevika talks about doing the same for Silco in season 2.

IMO both Silco and Vander were taking protection money. I personally think that they both can be seen as as a system of proto-taxes and it's more a question whether people got anything back from it. Maybe that's a reason why Vander seemed to be more popular with the people, if people saw it more as Vander building up infrastructure/houses for them while with Silco the money goes more towards building up factories or making weapons. (with factories likely being useful infrastructure as well, but maybe people don't see it because it's more indirect).

But that's kind of an interesting question in itself: What does Vander spend his money on? He seems to be living a well enough maybe "middle-class-y" lifestyle with his kids, but Vi certainly doesn't feel rich, hence her rants about how they have nothing compared to Pilties.

I would presume he has an income from the bar. So if he the bar money and the collection money, was is the money being spent on? Paying the guys who do the collections? Maybe they serve as guards/police against those unwanted elements that according to Jinx's season 2 line started fighting as soon as Vander was gone? But if Vander has like organized supporters, why on earth did Vi think it was a good idea to collect her kid brothers as support to spring Vander free from Silco rather than fetch whatever remaining allies Vander might have had? Or at the "guys" Benzo speaks off more like loose contractors, maybe not even particularly powerful people and people pay their taxes just out of fear of Vander?

(I have played around with the idea that maybe Vander spends the and Silco is more the "I will build a factory that gives you employment so you can make your own money" guy) collections on more charitable things like families in need () and that's why people remember him fondly. But with the whole "build the lanes" thing, maybe there's a chance that there are still building projects/they are still expanding? I think a big thing with the whole "building the lanes" in an engineering way that I just don't pictured neither Vander not Silco as that much of a construction/engineering guy, but who knows. Maybe just Zaunite ingenuity again)

[satanfemme]

kink has really widened my view of what I consider "sex" and nothing makes that more obvious than when I see takes like "someone using a vibrator on you isn't sex". like 1. what is it then? and 2. getting called a good boy can be sex if you want it to be.

[canichangemyblogname]

Other 9-1-1 Fans: I hope Buck & Tommy get married in season 8. 😍

Me, familiar with Tim Minear’s writing: We’re in for three seasons and at least two breakups before those men go on their second date. 🚬

[pionas]

i hate this trend of having songs under two minutes because i feel like, in a production standpoint, these songs don't end having a proper resolve or development and it seems there's no proper dynamic and that's why when it ends you have this sensation it shouldn't be over because there should have been something more

[childhoodgrave]

covered in blood and viscera and shit and staring into your eyes with a hollow gaze

[quillinhand]

y'all i watched across the spiderverse yesterday and am in need of someone to scream about it. it was sooo gooooddddd

[gece-misin-nesin]

Just saw someone on reddit say that batman's problem in recent years is that he's been nerfed as a superhero and i can't help but laugh. Batman?? NERFED???? *dreamy sigh* I wish