#its not out of being malicious but poor choice of words

[tsukasa]

cute...

[amberskyyking]

99% happy with my Bad Batch ending, but gonna have to fix the 1% myself. Cracks knuckles in malicious-canon-compliance

Tech is alive and I will die on that hill.

Implications Of Being Alive

SPOILERS FOR BB FINALE BELOW!!!

CX-2 had failed.

It knew its mission. It shook its head, its vision was compromised but it was still capable of identifying the enemy, even against the distorted blur left behind from the toxins and the toll of the battle below. But no matter. If Clone Force 99 wouldn’t be turned to their cause, they would be eliminated. It lined up the shot -

And was sent reeling as something struck it on the left, hard. The target was alerted, a new threat emerged, and it spun to retaliate a second too late. Cracking blue crashed into its chest and slammed it backwards against something solid.

There was smoke, buzzing, the smell of smoldering metal and charred flesh, and in the moments before the force of the electricity coursing through its biomechanics overwhelmed what was left of its physical body, it registered a face through the gaps of its helmet. Distinct. Battle worn. Familiar.

CX-2 shut down.

---

Why was CX-2 being activated?

Why was activation causing it pain?

CX-2 opened its eyes, but it didn’t drop from its stasis pod like usual. In fact there was nothing beneath its feet at all. It tried to wrench itself free but a sharp sensation tore through its body and it suppressed a weak organic gasp. Something was undoubtedly wrong. It took a breath that rattled in its chest.

Senses impaired. Functionality damaged. Mobility… Impossible, due to the presence of the shaft of an electro-spear protruding from the center of its chest. Bio-mechanic systems compromised too, then, and a sufficient enough explanation for the pain radiating through its organic parts.

Hemlock sure had a lot of experiments, A voice drifted its way. What do you think was the purpose of these ones? Stasis chambers, training room, clones in weird armor…

Whatever he intended to do with them, it was an obvious failure, Came a second voice, rigid and clipped. No data, no explanation, no survivors? There’s nothing here to salvage. Hemlocks work will simply die with him. We’re moving on.

Yes sir.

CX-2 must have been activated in error. Hemlock was dead. It had no mission.

A gray-clad officer let out an exasperated huff and turned her back on it as her troopers began their sweep. CX-2 gritted its teeth and strained to see more of the room, assess the situation, calculate its options. The room itself clearly lacked power and most of the valuable assets in it had been destroyed. Through the viewport below it could see TK troopers prodding at the bodies of the other CX’s and dead clone prisoners. The officer continued discussing something barely audible near the lift, but it couldn’t activate its helmet to listen in, and straining its ears was useless.

A trooper crossed into its vision, blocking its view. It scoffed beneath the helmet, and the trooper paused.

“Uhh… Officer Bragg? I think this one’s still alive.”

CX-2 narrowed its eyes. Alive was barely the proper terminology. CX-2 was active, perhaps, it had survived, but alive seemed rather generous. The word held many meanings and implications, only one of which could be applied to itself, the scientific definition, nothing more. It was a poor choice of words. There was little alive about CX-2. It had no mission, it had no feelings, it had no life.

“Are you sure?” The officer huffed. “Remove the helmet.”

After a moments hesitation the TK trooper reached up and fumbled for CX-2’s helmet, sliding it off its head, and CX-2 found itself staring at the surprised officer with empty stoicism.

“I’ll inform Governor Tarkin,” The officer nodded. “Perhaps some portion of Hemlock’s work won’t go to waste.”

---

There were no more stasis chambers for CX-2 to shut down in on command, but the imperials assigned it a single-bunk domicile aboard a Star Destroyer once its reconstruction was deemed acceptable. The medical droids never quite understood the complexities of its bio-mechanic enhancements. CX-2 resorted to working on itself when it wasn’t in self-induced stasis mode, assigned to a mission, or subjected to medical testing, and in time, it improved its own efficiency, accuracy, and stamina far past what Hemlock’s original design had allowed. Its results were indisputable. Despite the mysteries that remained of Hemlock’s work, its superiors were pleased.

Yet the enhancements came with its own set of curious drawbacks, and CX-2 had yet to discover the solution for them, which was unusual. Its malfunctions could typically be patched with specialized coding or tweaks to the inner workings of a particular system, yet once these began to manifest, there was nothing it had been able to find to neutralize them. The first incident came when it removed its prosthetic leg for maintenance and potential upgrade. The movements felt familiar, and as it implemented its ideas into the improved design it suddenly saw a flash in its mind of another scenario, another mechanical leg on a table, a different soldering iron in its hand, and a clone sitting across from it, looking sheepish.

I’m not surprised, It heard a voice coming from its own mouth. It has only been a couple of weeks. You’re going to need more time than that to grow accustomed to them, Echo, and seeing as you have insisted on taking wild risks this soon, an accident of this sort was inevitable.

The image dissolved and CX-2 sat frozen. It had been someone else before this, that much it knew, but before didn’t matter. There was CX-2, there were missions, there was the Empire. It was merely a tool, not a person.

It completed its work on the leg and attempted to push the strange scene to the back of its mind, though it couldn’t help but log that the clones name was Echo.

The next time it happened was, unfortunately, in the field. CX-2 usually worked alone but this time it had been assigned to a squad, sent to hunt down rebel insurgents in the Cadavine sector. The mission was supposed to have been a stealth operation, so when CX-2 found itself a visual on the rebel targets, it flashed a hand gesture to the TK-troopers below.

One of them looked at it blankly and shrugged.

Awww, I hate hand signals! A massive clone with a milky eye groaned overhead.

Perhaps it would help if you memorized them! CX-2 snapped back.

You memorize them!

I have!

CX-2 nearly fell from the snipers nest and had to stifle a gasp as the scene faded out. It’s systems, for a moment, had been overwhelmed by something on its organic side, and it took a moment to reset them before continuing the mission. The TK Troopers incompetence had bought them precious seconds, they were spotted, and there was no time to waste wondering about what it had seen. At least when the mission was over, it was still a success. All insurgents were eliminated.

After that, though, the malfunctions began to occur with greater frequently. CX-2 found itself unable to combat them with technical prowess or further enhancements - in fact, each time it made the attempt, it only seemed to instigate more incidences, more images to replay. Memories, it concluded, after working itself to a state of exhaustion one night when it should have been attempting to put itself into stasis. That was the pattern, they were all tiny memories of who it was before, of people it knew. Brothers.

Traitors.

They had opposed the Empire, each and every one of them, even itself. It wasn’t sure why. It didn’t matter. They had been enemies, it had hunted them, they were the ones who opposed it on Tantiss, who harbored the girl, who caused its failure that day even after it gave them all a chance to become like him. Hunter’s face was the one it had seen just before shutting down. If it couldn’t purge itself of the fragmented memories, it would at least lock them away under the weight of their betrayal, where they couldn’t affect any more of its missions. It wouldn’t fail on their behalf, not again.

CX-2 laid back, closed its eyes, and attempted to fall into a form of stasis. It didn’t have family. It didn’t have feelings, it wasn’t a person, it wasn’t even alive, was it? It merely existed…

…So why did it wake up with an all consuming pain in its chest when the little girl in its dream wrapped her arms around its waist and called it Tech?

I’ll be posting updates for this on A03!!!!! Find it/Subscribe here if you like, I don’t usually post full chapters to tumblr lol. But that man is alive and ima prove it’s possible!

[paigemathews]

ooh I would like to contribute to the pairing ask

And I'm going to give you a bunch to choose from because I can't decide and also that way you get to do the ones that you find the most fun without trying to do the ones you don't have ideas for (pick whichever you like and feel no pressure to do them all):

wyatt and the manticore baby (this can be gen or romantic, whichever you prefer)

chris and bianca in the past

piper with her niece/nephew (gen, dealers choice for which child)

patty and paige (gen)

victor and henry sr bonding as mortals in a magical family

elise with one of the charmed ones offspring as honorary aunt

more of the baby morrises all grown up however you would prefer

piper re-meeting bianca in the future (gen)

phoebe and andy (gen), preferably with time travel involved, bc we get told andy cares a lot about all the sisters and vice versa but we don't really get to see that as much with phoebe

a charmed one with their ex bf in an unexpected situation (gen, again dealers choice of who)

time travelling wyatt and chris (gen)

and prue and paige (gen) either in a world where its a different sister that dies or after they've both died and they're looking at the mess and drama of future generations and Judging

I went ahead and added this to the initial post bc I did not originally, but I think that one pairing per an ask will probably be easier bc if I do all of these, it will end up being so long that someone will murder me for ending up on their dash. That said, I am begging you on my knees to resubmit the others because I want to do literally all of them please please please

Pairing: Wyatt Halliwell ? Sebastian Johnston (half-manticore baby)

-----

Trudging through the empty cavern, Wyatt kept glancing over to Sebastian uncertainly. His expression was uncharacteristically steely, normal jovial mood absent. Prior to their run-in with the demon, Wyatt had been the same way, intent on finding his siblings and cousins. He still was focused on finding them, but felt his attention split as they walked between worry for them and replaying the demon's words.

"Poor demon," she cooed, dodging the potion Wyatt threw. Darting into Sebastian's face, she smiled maliciously as she said, "Blonde of hair, fair of face, never will-"

She slammed into the wall as Wyatt snarled wordlessly, trying to get to Sebastian's side as the half-manticore shook off the daze that her spell had left them with. Sebastian opened his mouth, eyes narrowed, but the demon beat them to it.

Throwing her head back to let her hair fall back, she grinned as she threw out both hands. Half a second too late, Wyatt was caught in the blast as she telekinetically threw everything in her past. He lost sight of Sebastian as the demon's workstation flipped and-

Oh, wow, the Underworld really had tall caverns actually. Wheezing for breath for a minute, Wyatt heard the demon start her little rhyme over again absently as he tried to convince his lungs to take in a breath. That was good, because she wouldn't recite her weird... prophecy? spell? whatever over a corpse. Probably. You never could tell with demons.

Also there was no way that Sebastian, who came right behind Chris and Penny as the most likely Warren kid to fight demons by themselves - despite not even being, y'know, a Warren - was killed by one telekinetic blast. Chris did worse, and didn't that thought send a pang of worry about his younger brother through his chest.

Or, actually, that might be that one of the potions on the demon's workspace was apparently acidic in nature, and Wyatt's hand was burning a little now. Fuck.

Bracing himself, Wyatt sucked in a breath and pushed the table back and sat up. The demon was on top of Sebastian, one hand cupping his face as she finished her rhyme, "-of the Charmed One's embrace. Unrequited love is such a pain, little demon, let me spare you of it."

"Get away from hIM," Wyatt roared, throwing hands out, magic distorting his voice in the last minute. At his shout, both Sebastian and the demon's heads snapped over to look at him. Sebastian's eyes went wide, and he bucked his hips enough to startle the demon. Just as the energy blast was about to engulf them, Sebastian shimmered away, unfortunately taking the demon with him. The blast slammed into the wall, destroying the entire shelf of potions lining it.

Wyatt felt more than heard Sebastian reappear, spinning on his heel just as Sebastian came into view. Sending the demon sprawling onto the ground, Sebastian rolled to one side, scrambling onto his feet as the demon rose with a screech.

"Wyatt!" Sebastian pointed at the remains of the demon's knife collection scattered on the ground opposite of them, and Wyatt didn't hesitate. As the demon raised her arms, Wyatt threw out his arm and the demon's destroyed armory went flying at her.

"Well, that seems like karma," Sebastian commented, breathless, as the two watched the demon burst into flames. Seeing as the entire debacle started when the demon sent her own armory at them, Wyatt couldn't help but agree.

Blonde of hair. Fair of face. Something about a Charmed One. Unrequited love. Years of looks between family members and gently teasing comments that Wyatt never quite got.

Sebastian had been one of Wyatt's best friends since he was a baby. Whenever Sebastian spent time with someone, they were almost always guaranteed a fun time that they needed. Beyond just genuine joy, Sebastian would always have his friends' backs. He was Chris and Penny's most consistent backup in a demon fight. He was the person that Melinda would call when she wanted a friend to party with or play video games against. He was the person that would go after Parker when she got a too desperate need to prove herself as a witch. Even if they hadn't been friends themselves, Sebastian's love and care for Wyatt's family would have more then earned Wyatt's love. Despite his heritage, Sebastian was a compassionate person who loved deeply, and he was one of Wyatt's best friends.

But as the pit continued forming in his stomach, Wyatt knew that he didn't love him as more than a friend.

There was no guarantee that the demon had been telling the truth. But Sebastian's expression had been painfully exposed.

Demons were cruel, and it would be so characteristic of a demon to throw that in Sebastian's face right in front of the person he loved.

The thought kept taunting Wyatt, and he knew he needed to resolve it somehow. They were still tracking his siblings and cousins, and whoever managed to subdue multiple Warrens was sure to be dangerous. Being distracted was dangerous, but Wyatt couldn't bring it up to Sebastian and risk hurting him right-

"Dude," Sebastian said, and Wyatt stopped his anxious tirade of thoughts as Sebastian snapped in front of his face.

Blinking, Wyatt looked between the fingers in front of his eyes to Sebastian's face. He was still tired, still worried, but there was a familiar look of bemusement in his eyes as he looked at Wyatt. One hand was on his bicep, a light grip keeping him still, as he dropped his other hand.

"You back with me?" Sebastian asked.

Wyatt nodded mutely.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You spaced out for like. Five whole minutes. None of those demon's potions did anything to you, right?"

Wyatt shook his head. Sebastian opened his mouth to say something else, but Wyatt blurted out, "Blonde of hair, fair of face."

Sebastian's mouth snapped shut, as his gaze became unreadable. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence as Wyatt struggled to find words, Sebastian tilted his head and asked, "And? Is there a problem with that?"

His voice was guarded, but not hostile. Wyatt nearly tripped over his words as he frantically shook his head. "No! Just I don't know if-"

Sebastian's shoulders dropped an inch as his eyes softened. "Wyatt, I'm an adult. I don't need-"

"I'm sorry," Wyatt interrupted, guilt heavy in his stomach. He knew, logically at least, that he wasn't obligated to return feelings, but Wyatt never enjoyed hurting people, and to hurt one of his best friends was excruciating. "If I could, I would."

Wyatt winced at his words, because it wasn't as if Sebastian was unlovable, just that Wyatt didn't-

"No," Sebastian nearly snarled. Wyatt started, and Sebastian nearly looked as startled as Wyatt did. Still, he continued, "I don't need more than friendship, Wyatt. That's enough for me. As long as-"

You're happy, Wyatt mentally finished. Or you find someone. Some kind response that highlighted why Sebastian was great and why Wyatt felt awful.

"-she's happy and safe, I'll be okay."

Wait, what?

"But we need to get going to find them, because the longer we wait-" Sebastian was still talking as he turned to continue, but Wyatt was still stuck on the "she" part.

Had the demon actually... specified Wyatt? Thinking back, there was no actual guarantee that it had been Wyatt the demon was talking about. Blonde of hair, fair of face, and something about a Charmed One? Yes, that was Wyatt. It was also Melinda and Peyton. And sometimes Penny, but seeing as she was a lesbian and Sebastian knew that, Wyatt thought it safe to assume that Sebastian would have had plenty of time to get over it if it had been Penny.

Oh, boy.

Face burning, Wyatt interrupted, "She?"

Sebastian turned back around, voice fading as he took in whatever expression Wyatt had. They were both silent for a minute before Sebastian's lips quirked up. He couldn't control the grin as he asked, laughter in his voice, "Wyatt, did you think-"

"Blonde of hair, fair of face!" Wyatt protested immediately, feeling just a little stupid.

Sebastian outright began laughing as he finished, "Never will feel the daughter of a Charmed One embrace. Unless you have something to tell me, which I completely support-"

Wyatt pushed past Sebastian as he kept laughing, face burning but heart lighter than it was.

As he continued on his path, Wyatt heard Sebastian fall in step just behind him, still laughing. They still had demons to vanquish and family to save, but at least he wasn't responsible for breaking one of his best friend's heart.

Wait. Did that mean Sebastian liked his sister?

[blxckchxrrybxby]

Encounter At The Bar

summary: Venable arrives at The Hotel Cortez as a last-minute resort for lodging while on her business trip. As she drowns her stress in strong whiskey at the lounge’s bar, a strange blonde catches her eye… and ear.

pairing: Sally McKenna x Wilhemina Venable

warning(s): explicit language, mention of drug use, idk

a/n: there may be another part.

“What are you? A junkie?” The blatant inquiry was followed by a soft scoff and a swig of whiskey trickling warmly down Venable’s throat.

Of course, by now, Sally was used to the harsh words of drunken strangers and delighted in knowing someone found pleasure in her presence; despite their cruel intentions to shame her for what she found pleasureful. She took her time licking her lips as she succumb to the view of the woman doused in lilac who sat poise across the bar with one leg crossed over the other and a wooden cane by her side. Her fiery ponytail spilled across her left shoulder, which sat a tad higher than its right counterpart. However, Sally blamed this on poor posture and didn’t give it a thought more. Taking a minute more to indulge herself in the imagery of this stranger, Sally noticed the woman’s partially gloved hand hovering over her phone as her fingers repeatedly pressed at the screen.

Sparing a moment to glance in the ragged woman’s direction, Venable’s gaze moved to find something more appealing and worthy of her time. She sat in the Blue Parrot Lounge long before Sally had decided to join. Her Sunday was supposed to be filled with HR workshops and endless seminars—but the weather had turned sour—resulting in all scheduled events being canceled. Now, she was glued to the bar, using cheap liquor to wash away her disappointment and irritation.

The lights in the lounge were dimmed more than usual during this time of night and not too many bodies littered the bar. Wilhemina was thankful for that. However, what she wasn’t thankful for was her suitor not answering her calls—nor the frizzy-haired stranger eyeing her from across the bar. They hadn’t exchanged as much as a few sentences before Sally’s careless tongue brought out the bitch in the already malicious woman. Liz shot numerous glares at the doe-eyed addict for disrupting the redhead’s peace. It was clear that whatever she was going through had to be bad for her to be on her fifth drink.

“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Sally retorted. A mischievous glint twinkled in her dark eyes as she placed her forearms against the cool bar top. Her left hand held the empty glass that was filled to the brim 2 times prior and tapped her nails against it; marveling at the clinking sound it made.

“I beg your pardon?” The older woman subtly—yet noticeably—slurred, completely taken aback. Her scrutiny was now fully fixed on Sally, who was feeling as if she could dissolve into a puddle at that same moment.

Out of impulse, she stumbled as she moved a few barstools closer; allowing her cheetah print coat to open enough to reveal the purple mini-dress underneath. This was something that immediately caught the other woman’s attention, but not for long. Slowly dragging the hollow glass across the slab of wood and smirking, Sally spoke. “I know who you are,” wiggling her eyebrows in a teasing manner.

Humming in response; not incredibly moved by Sally’s statement, Venable rolled her eyes. If only she had a quarter for every time someone claimed to have known her, she’d be many quarters richer. Pulling her from her thoughts, the addict leaned in invading her personal space as Venable cringed from the lack thereof. The tequila coating Sally’s tongue invaded her senses; reminding the redhead that her choice of dark was best. The last time she had light, she was doubled over her desk vomiting into the only bin her assistant could find at 6am. After that, she swore off alcohol… and also made her assistant sign an NDA.

“Don’t you work at Kin-”

Venable cleared her throat, immediately interrupting the blonde. For all she knew, the addict could have been lying. However, she wouldn’t dare risk it if she weren’t. Glancing over at Liz and the flux of drunks going to and from the bar, Venable tried her best to make sure the conversation was out of range. After steering clear of anyone knowing her business, her peeved gaze met Sally’s once again.

Yet, the impish woman remained unbothered.

“How could you possibly know of me?” Venable questioned in a lower voice while simultaneously using the end of her cane to push the blonde out of her personal space.

Sally tilted her head; letting the cane push her back while smiling naughtily, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I wouldn’t.” Venable matched. “In fact, I’d much rather you remove yourself altogether.”

Sally simply shrugged, ignoring the older woman, and held up her phone; showing Jeff and Mutt’s Twitter page. “We’re mutuals.”

The redhead squinted at the illuminated screen before taking a moment to tip her glass. Watching in confusion, Sally furrowed her eyebrows as Venable allowed a few drops of whiskey to trickle onto the napkin it sat on. Slipping her delicate fingers under it, Wilhemina used the damp napkin to wipe the screen of Sally’s phone, causing the addict’s face to drop.

“FYI, I don’t do drugs off of my phone.” Sally huffed.

Shrugging, Wilhemina glided the pad of her fingertip across the screen, “Can never be too sure.” Inspecting the page further, a video of Jeff snorting coke off of his keyboard’s spacebar was pinned to the top with the caption: Mondays. Am I right?

Venable instantly remembered that day. It was the same day her bosses walked around the halls eating pizza with powder underneath their noses. It was also a Wednesday. She knew because she was the one forced to place the order and wondered what kind of fools ordered four pizzas on a Wednesday during breakfast.

PizzaHut wanted to know too.

Although Venable shouldn’t have been stunned by the number of idiots retweeting the 20-second loop, what truly horrified her was that she was partaking in a conversation with one of them. Without a care in the world, she downed the rest of the liquor before her. It seemed as if the epitome of her misery was working for those two idiots.

Now, holding up the empty glass, she made eye contact with Liz, “Another.”

Listening to the older woman’s rasp, a grin spread across Sally’s face as the tip of her tongue teasingly glided across her teeth. She didn’t care how obvious she was, she couldn’t help but to take in all of the grandeur that was this woman. Settling on a bar stool left of the redhead, her eyes fell down to momentarily stare at the empty glass before her. The craving for nicotine entered her veins (something far less harmful than what had already been placed in the weakening vessels). Tapping her fingertips against the glass again, she directed her attention back to Venable. “Well?”

Arching a questioning eyebrow, the businesswoman focused back on her own phone. “Well?”

“This proved my point,” Sally stated, filling with aggravation. What was so intriguing about that phone that she couldn’t keep her attention away?

Bleakly, Venable responded. “The only point proven is that you are indeed a junkie.” She paused, reaching forward to grab the drink Liz slid towards her. “The difference, however, is that I now have less respect for you than before.”

“Less?” Sally queried, slightly bewildered, “You had zero respect for me to begin with-“

“And now, we’re in the negatives.”

“Who do you think you are?” Sally scoffed.

Venable smirked internally from the blonde’s outburst, “Must I answer that? I thought you knew of me just as I knew of you.”

Leaning forward on her forearms, Sally sneered. “You know nothing about me.”

Trailing a manicured fingernail across the slab while holding eye contact, Wilhemina hummed, “I know quite enough. The evidence is written all over you.”

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong, Venny.” Sally stated, causing the older woman to tense up. She didn’t remember telling the blonde her name. “We all have an addiction to something.” She stated plainly.

“You must have me mistaken for the streetwalker in room 69.” Taking a moment to reflect, she squinted at Sally. “And don’t you ever call me ‘Venny’.”

Sally snickered, “You walk in here like there’s a stick up your ass. Your extensions probably hold more secrets than that damned suitcase you’ve been carrying around-“

“Extensions?” Wilhemina scoffed, shaking off the cloud of frustration this woman dragged along, “My hair is purer than the heroin you shoot up.”

Grabbing her cane, she stood; sauntering until the beak of her raven’s head pressed into the back of the blonde. Leaning over Sally, she stretched out her arm and grasped her glass, pulling it devilishly slow. All Sally could focus on was the overwhelming smell of the woman’s perfume and the sound the bottom of the glass made as it treaded across an uneven surface. That was until the whiskey was aligned before her. Removing her hand, simply to place it on the blonde’s shoulder, Venable whispered near her ear, taking a moment to hover in her space, “This should help take the edge off.”

[hcneysins]

CLOSED  STARTER  @vcritaservm​​ with:  draco  &  anthony location:  the  hospital  wing

 it  hadn't  been  long  since  draco  was  allowed  to  leave  the  hospital  wing  once  it  became  clear  what  scuffs  he  did  have  were  significantly  minor  compared  to  the  likes  of  the  two  gryffindor's  in  the  infirmary  beds.  he  would  gladly  take  his  bruised  up  arm  compared  to  being  a  werewolf's  playtoy.  not  to  mention,  for  as  much  as  draco  would  like  to  keep  as  much  distance  between  him  and  the  injured,  his  stupid  bloody  conscious  decided  to  make  an  appearance  with  vengeance.  suddenly  draco  had  a  bleeding  heart  when  it  came  to  classmates.  it  was  ridiculous,  really.  all  the  more  reason  why  draco  specifically  waited  for  the  infirmary  to  clear  out  before  venturing  out  to  visit  anthony  under  the  guise  of  wanting  to  see  with  his  own  eyes  that  the  annoying  git  was  still  breathing.  ❝  you  look  less  like  swiss  cheese  which  is  good,  i  suppose,  ❞  draco  offers  in  lieu  of  a  greeting,  awkwardly  shifting  in  his  place  as  he  stands  near  anthony's  bed.  grey  hues  stay  narrowed,  less  in  malicious  intent  and  more  so  in  an  attempt  to  analyze  the  visible  wounds  left  behind  from  the  attack.  ❝  i'm  sure  that  birds  nest  you  call  hair  acted  as  a  solid  cushion  to  prevent  any  lingering  internal  head  damage  as  well,  ❞  draco  adds  with  an  upward  tilt  of  his  chin  before  clearing  his  throat.  ❝  you're  one  of  the  few  moderately  tolerable  ravenclaw's  there  are,  goldstein.  i'm  ...  glad  you're  holding  up.  ❞  the  word  glad  is  an  odd  word  choice,  one  draco  is  even  unsure  of  and  tastes  sour  on  his  tongue,  even  sounding  like  it  fought  its  way  out  of  his  mouth.  while  the  werewolves  were  backed  off,  it  didn't  feel  like  much  of  a  win  with  anthony  looking  like  a  poor  sod  in  the  bed.

[aranock]

While I agree with this post in general, and strongly urge people to stop engaging with the world through an essentializing lens, I also want to add that in JKR's case we shouldnt revise history in the other direction. The reality is that a number of black and Jewish critics were discussing the bigoted and conservative aspects of her work at the time, and often being ignored or shouted down. Acting like no one was discussing these things or pointing out those elements is frankly revisionist in a way that perpetuates the ignoring of those perspectives.

I remember reading those criticisms long before JKR started saying transphobic things publicly. So yeah a reappraisal of those elements of her work began after she made aspects of her bigotry more blatant; because all of the things people had handwaived as just "a little mistake" or "just an unintentional poor message" look very different now than they did then. The antisemitic Gringott's bank and the goblins in those books are a lot harder for people to argue was just a mistake and then ignore it when JKR is retweeting antisemitic conspiracy theories that are interrelated with her transphobia. And frankly, people not listening to the Jewish critics pointing out those issues, or actively arguing against them, were and remain to this day a massive problem.

To try and simplify things down to "a good person turning bad" or "a person was always bad" isnt helpful because its never that simple. And maybe good and bad isnt a great way to frame these conversations at baseline. She wasnt a saint whos fallen from grace, or a devil who pretended to be a saint or anything like that. Shes just a person who stumbled into success and with a large amount of attention on her she eventually started saying some of the bigoted and biased things she believed, and instead of trying to unlearn or deconstruct the various biases she had learned when they were pointed out she doubled down, and has kept doubling down ever since. To the point of now being one of the most prominent leaders of a massive hate movement, with her words cited to justify genocidal transphobic policies in multiple countries, something she is seemingly quite proud of. So when I say shes evil, I do not mean she is essentially bad, or that she has always been this way, but that at every turn she has taken choices, and those choices are frankly blatantly harmful malicious and cruel. It would be easy and nice to pretend shes essentially bad, especially for me when shes PERSONALLY caused Jessie and I horrendous harassment amongst all of the many instances of harassment I have received because of her stans. If you want to know more(and more about just how bigoted her work is) Jessie and I discussed that in this video. I also discuss how important those books were to me as a kid, how they were a massive special interest of mine. My copies are still tucked away in a box in the back of a closet. I dont think I can ever touch them again. But im not going to pretend like I didnt value them at one point.

The reality is she could have just as easily chosen so many other things, and she chose to dedicate her life to hate. Its quite ironic that her own books discuss this quite directly. Whats the quote? Oh yeah "We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on...that’s who we really are." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix.

Too bad she didnt learn the same lessons from her own work that I did. And its too bad that (for reasons I explain in the video) those works have become a symbol of hate to me, because she has wielded that fanbase and a lot of the good will she had, to push people to choose the same path she did. I've experienced that quite directly, both in the various forms of harassment irl and online that I discussed in the video, and because last month I had to cut out my dads mom from my life because of her repeated defending of JKR's transphobia which has escalated over the last few years to the point where she was sending me far right "anti woke" podcasts. Its also why I know its a choice, because my dads mom(shes not my gramma or my family anymore) easily could have at any point gone "hey Im now supporting the type of people I spent the first 85 or so years of my life vehemently opposing" but she didnt, just like JKR she chose to double down. And I think a large part of why people want to see it through an essentializing lens is that it really fucking hurts to know that someone you looked up to, and in the case of my dads mom was a close family member who helped raise me, has chosen to be hateful to you. That or people want to be a smug righteous asshole because "they always knew" which is deeply unhelpful in a different way.

I've been a little confused by the revisionist history of people saying Dave Chappelle was never funny. Maybe not everyone dug him, but he has been on quite a few GOAT lists for stand up. During his peak in the 2000s it was not uncommon for folks to consider him the best performing stand up since Carlin and Pryor. I was among those people. Perhaps the people saying he was never funny were too young to appreciate him during that time. I don't know.

But I don't think we need to pretend like he always sucked. His fall from grace is an important thing to acknowledge. With people like him and JK Rowling, we are collectively trying to figure out how to deal with artists we love letting us down. It's a good conversation to have. If we just say "well, they always sucked" I think we are avoiding dealing with it.

[yunahosk]

limerence | yan zhongli x reader

ai ai ai, i’ve never tried writing before so this is a first (and ofc i picked zhongli to seduce him to come home), if all goes well possibly i’ll do another!

apologies for poor english and grammar, i speak dutch, im trying hehe.

warnings: blood, violence, mentions of public death/ exec*tion, mentions of death, stabbing (in leg and arm), obsessive tendencies, forced relationship, yandere content

please let me know if i missed anything!

limerence: the state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person

“Thank you for providing me your kindness, Mr. Zhongli.” You smiled, letting your hands slowly wrap around the porcelain cup adorned with designs of gold. It seemed to fit the man’s mysterious aura: truly lavish.

After an encounter, more so a dilemma with a small village in Liyue which left you seconds away from your inevitable fate of hanging by a rope. To be fair, sure, possibly you shouldn’t have accidentally set fire to half the village. But having a pyro vision has its downsides too, no?

Although it left you questioning why it seemed he had such an impact on the small village, all the mattered is that you still sat in flesh and bone and not six feet under.

Truly, he was a kind man, even inviting you into his abode for a cup of tea and a residence for the meantime. You were an adventurer from Fontaine, traveling to all the seven nations in search of, well nothing. Armed with only a pyro vision and a spear you were determined to travel the world. Liyue Harbor was just one of your many stops, and to your delight it was truly a fascinating and astonishingly beautiful place.

“Ah, there’s no need for formalities. I do think we are well acquainted by now.” He hummed, observing how you lifted the cup to your lips, your eyes widening as the scorching substance hit your tongue. You quickly placed the porcelain cup down, a light laugh emerging from your lips as a smile soon followed.

“Really, I don’t know how I could ever repay you.” Resting your finger tips upon the cup and frowning as you stared at the liquid in deep thought.

“I’d give you my life if I could.” You laughed, furrowing your eyebrows with a sigh.

“We could arrange for that.” Your eyes widened, staring down at the cup of tea with a dumbfounded expression. Quickly composing yourself, a laugh quickly arose from your mouth, though sounding more panicked than natural.

“Ah, I didn’t imagine you’d be a man of comedy.” You chuckled, cocking your head to the side and letting your hand fall from the cup down to your waist, toying with the pyro vision by your side. Sure, you weren’t in danger, just force of habit.

“I’m afraid I do not understand.” There go the wide eyes once again.

“Oh- your comment, before?” You looked up, now gripping the red orb by your side as more of a safety precaution than anything, worry seeping through your bones but that stupid voice in your head told you Mr. Zhongli couldn’t hurt a fly. Tension rose in your throat, watching as his amber orbs slowly gaze over your expression.

“Ah, I see.” A wave of relief washed over your body. Social cues truly aren’t just his thing. We all have our quirks though, no?

“You don't take my word?” He hummed, furrowing his eyebrows. The 10 seconds of relief now came crashing down, setting you back to your state of panic.

“I do believe it is a fair trade. On my part, saving your life from harm and death and as for your part, giving me yourself in return.” He wasn’t joking.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve got to be mistaken. We had no such agreement before this!” You raised your voice, listening as a hum of what seemed to be displeasure released from his mouth. He lifted his hand, bringing it to his chin as if in thought. “I do value fairness greatly.”

“You’re out of your mind, no part of this is fair! There was no mention of such a thing?” He seemed to be confused, taking in your words.

“Ah, you seem to misunderstand. I simply intend to establish a marriage. To bind you to my side, for eternity that is.” Well, now it was your turn to be confused. “Marriage? Goodness gracious, we met, what? Two days ago? My apologies Mr. Zhongli, but in no way do I intend to marry you. I haven’t a clue what you speak about.” You stated, rising from your seat and preparing for your departure.

“That does not seem like a wise choice, Y/N.” Your body tensed, was this a threat? No. You are fine. A huff of breath released from your mouth as you readied yourself once again, walking towards the door and making your departure with no more exchanged words.

“What a shame.” Zhongli hummed with a frown, staring at the door you’d made your sudden leave from.

Putting the events of a few days ago behind, it truly was difficult to leave Liyue Harbor. Residents of the city were welcoming and kind, helping a foreigner with open hands. Though all good things must come to an end at some point.

As you traveled your way through Liyue, passing by ruin after ruin the thought of your soon adventures in Mondstadt seemed more intriguing by the second. Maybe you do get excited too easily, but you can't help the way your daydreams take over reality. It does make time fly by faster though.

After days of travel through a variety of terrain, soon you find yourself at Wangshu Inn, looking for a night's rest. It does seem as though everything in Liyue is elegant, and this place is most certainly no different. To say the least you were excited to stay in such a place.

With your bag in hand, you slowly make your way across the balcony of the building towards your room, letting your eyes gaze upon the stars in the sky. A sigh releases from you as you stop your short walk and make your way towards the edge of the balcony, staring up at the stars in all their glory.

In sight is Celestia itself. Perhaps one day you could visit. After all, this is only the beginning of your adventures. With so many more to come maybe you could ascend there one day.

“Pathetic.” The words catch you off guard as your eyes widen, quickly turning to meet the raspy voice only to find yourself knocked to the ground, your belongings and spear shoved to the side. An excruciating pain made its presence upon your leg and as you let out a loud groan, you open your eyes and are met with a black and teal-haired man staring down at you with a malicious glare.

Your eyes widen in horror as you look down to the source of the pain: a large spear present in your calf leaving you to watch as blood seeped out. The agonizingly slow speed as to which he pulls the spear from your skin makes tears surface upon your eyes. And soon after you find the tip of the same spear pointed at your neck.

“Who are you?” You muttered through gritted teeth, glaring at him with watery eyes. It hurt so bad, more pain than you’d ever felt before.

“It doesn’t concern you as to who I am, you are only a mere mortal.” Your breath hitches as you scan over his body and take sight of the mask on his side.

“Y- you’re an adepti?” You whispered, your voice shaky. “Aren’t you supposed to be protecting hum-”

A cry of pain releases from your mouth as the spear once pointed in your neck now finds itself sunken into your thigh.

“Did I say you could speak?” His voice is raspy, it sounds as though it’s strained from screaming, but you’re the one screaming. Tears fall from your eyes as you wait for your fate to be sealed. Beside you you can hear footsteps upon the wooden balcony, a surge of hope rushes through you only to come back down to horror as quickly as it lasted.

The same deep hum you’d despised now evident once again.

“It seems you are in trouble?” It was as if he was asking a question more than making a statement as if you weren’t sitting in a pool of your own blood with a spear pointed at your throat. You reach your arm out in a desperate attempt to grasp your spear, biting your lips to stop the sobs from spilling once again.

“Zhongli, please-” In your arm this time the spear plunges down on.

“Do not speak to Rex Lapis in such a disrespectful manner.” The adepti snaps, glaring down at you. Silence surfaces as your sobs grow louder, and soon you find yourself coming to realization.

Rex Lapis? No no, there has to be a mistake. But it all makes sense? The same man who took you in so humbly now kneels beside you watching you suffer. Is this who Rex Lapis, the god of contracts and war truly is?

As he kneels by your side, his gloved hand delicately makes its way down your cheek, wiping the tears from your face.  

“Please help me.” You whisper, you sound truly pathetic. But you’d rather look pathetic than give up on life so easily.

“I’ll do anything.” You ever so quietly whisper out. You knew you didn’t want what would come next, but you couldn’t give up. Not yet.

“Anything?” He hums as if he found the scene before him amusing. The eye contact made between his amber eyes and your e/c orbs sends shivers down your spine.

He truly wants this. He’s crazy.

You find yourself nodding your head in hesitance, you don’t want this.

“Y/n, do you agree to stay bound to my side in marriage for eternity?” Your breath hitches, eyes widening in horror, there’s no going back on this. There truly isn’t.

Is this worth your life?

“Yes.”

[siriusmydeer]

hello love, i was wondering if you could do a james potter x slythering fem!reader? one where she is working so hard on getting her life together. she is trying to be different than her family and working so hard but it is getting to her. she feels like she is failing and every turn she takes is a dead end. she feels like there is no purpose to what she’s doing. i think some super fluff is required, like james boosting her up and loving her. plzzzzz & thx

his slytherin

james potter x slytherin!fem!reader

summary: when you overwork yourself james is there to save the day.

word count: 2.4k

warnings: mentions of insomnia, mentions of sleep deprivation, mentions of not eating, mentions of over working yourself, angst, sad!james, house stereotypes, bad grades, implications of smut, WOLFSTAR😍, mentions of food, a breakdown, THERES FLUFF I PROMISE

seventh year was quite literally, a mess. maybe not for others, finally done school or they were super excited to travel around the world seeing things they’ve never seen before. you’re dream had consisted of constant studying, and working that barely made any time for yourself.

for the prior three years you had studied and practiced with madam pomfrey in the healers wing to eventually become a healer yourself, and it took a lot more than you thought it anticipated.

you knew as a healer, later in life you would have to deal with artefact accidents, dementor attacks, creature-induced injuries, magical bugs, potion and plant poisoning, dragon trainers with injuries, and incredulous spell damage.

with that you had to be prepared, which meant more time hitting the books and less time spending your final year at hogwarts with your best friends and your staggering boyfriend.

(hahah u see what i did there?)

james had qued in on your restless nights by gazing across at you in the great hall. the colour of emerald green becoming frequent in his life now; surprisingly to everyone else. where you were sat at the slytherin table, your eyebags already deepening by the day and your nose buried in some sort of school book.

the thought of even being like your family, made you nauseous. you didn’t want to be like your strict, immoral family, the death eaters, the murderers, and the ministry officials. who worked like machines without feelings or care.

as a slytherin born into a pureblood family those were the expectations that were almost nailed into your back like a sign said, ‘here’s the pureblood slytherin, shame her even though you don’t know her!!’

of course those were the stereotypes, ones that had been built on for centuries since salazar slytherin himself. that you of all people had to inherit. so you had to fall, and rebuild yourself entirely for even a chance. the restless nights, insomnia, caffeine and studying was your way of rebuilding.

of course that had an effect on your grades, not sleeping, not eating and barely focusing made your grades tremble a great deal to the point where professor slughorn got concerned by his best potions makers, recent poors in his class.

you were too focused on being better that you couldn’t even focus on your own well-being, that you couldn’t even see you were hurting yourself on the people around you. almost self isolating yourself from everyone entirely.

“darling?” james whispered, his body sitting across from yours at one of the mahogany tables in the library. pince set him a warning glare not to cause any mischief as she turned around.

“hmm?” you mumbled, barely acknowledging his prescence and continuing to read your defence against the dark arts textbook, something about the ‘chameleon ghoul.’

he had barely seen you all week, and when he did he saw your agonized face scrunched up in a book and your mauve dark circles that rested below your eyes clear as day.

“why don’t you take a break, dear? have a rest, you’ve been working non-stop. ve’barely seen you.” he murmured the last bit, embarrassed for feeling ‘needy.’

“can’t jamie, newts are soon i need to be prepared.” you looked up in his direction for a moment, barely catching his saddened eyes through his spectacles at your denial of his request to finally see his girlfriend.

if this were two maybe three years ago, james would not be caught dead having a conversation with a slytherin, let alone a relationship with one. the stereotypes blinding his vision for along time before he could see what was truly in-front of him.

i mean the gryffindor pride genetically ran through his veins as he was born into the etiquette pureblood-gryffindor family himself. it was almost destined for the both of you to be corporeal enemies.

but... something about your altruistic and considerate attributes subtly changed his mind. thanking merlin, and horhace slughorn for pairing the both of you in potions in fourth year. there was always something about the way you were so gentle and benevolent with him in potions class might’ve flipped a switch in his mind.

“right then... see you later?” he muttered disappointed in himself, you work so hard to prove yourself meanwhile he didn’t even have a glare in his way because he was the perfect headboy gryffindor student; with absolutely no judgements thrown his way despite his actions towards others in previous years.

“dunno, i’m studying.” you replied, your voice monotone and dull almost raspy from barely using your voice unless answering questions in class to almost being a know-it-all and pushing yourself to the tops of all your classes.

he got up from his chair, it scraping against the floor as he walked to the exit almost like a dog with its tail between his legs. he just got so mopey by your dejected less merry self. he had to do something, he had to make you understand that being a slytherin wasn’t just you.

it was a part of you sure, but ambitious just meant you strived for your goals and you were cunning which showed your amplified skill.

that didn’t mean you were— evil? being a proud reckless gryffindor was one in his heart but nobody ever thought he was malicious.

so, james fleamont potter did the only logical thing he could think of; going to his bestfriends for help. of course at first they were not over the moon glowing in delight when they found out he was dating a slytherin, especially sirius.

but that was expected, his family being his only views on how a pureblood slytherin acted only projected onto you. giving you almost a conscientious reason to work, the thought of someone james felt was his brother perceiving you as despicable only made you pursue your self judgements.

but after your book swaps with remus, you and peters athrimancy study sessions and music bonding with sirius they grew quite fond of your personality and thought that you were due with a chance with the marauders.

“moony, i need help.” he spoke desperately as remus’ face was also buried in a book, except out of his own free will.

“james needs my help? hear that sirius? prongs needs my help.” he declared proudly as the brown-haired gryffindor groaned crossing his arms.

“it’s y/n.” he mentioned, glancing in sirius’ direction before sitting on the vermillion love seat across from the fawn haired boy.

“what about her?” remus was more-so confused, what would be so wrong with you that james had to ask him for help?

“she’s suffocating herself, the books, the studying, not sleeping, not eating, nothing. i dunno what to do anymore remus, she’s so pent up on wanting people to stop looking at her like she’s heinous she’s working herself to death!” he ranted, all his anger and agitation spilling out in one fast-paced sentence that james needed to catch his breath by the end of.

“i just dunno how to make her catch a breath, take a break. what do i do?” james panted, looking at his mates for an answer.

“imperious curse?” sirius proposed, a bad proposal but his intentions were... thoughtful. “yeah let me go use an unforgivable curse on my girlfriend so she can have a study break. no thank you, next.” james sarcastically humoured him, james didn’t want to compromise your education or use an unforgivable curse on you for that matter but you looked so incredibly burnt out he didn’t know how to help you.

“body-bind curse? so she’s like.... forced to stop?” peter suggested, looking up from his transfiguration essay catching onto the conversation as he twirled his quill between his fingers.

“or, y’know something actually logical you could do is take her books. get her lavender tea or something, let her talk.” remus finally spoke, shrugging then looking at the ‘lord of the flies’ book in his hands a smirk lying on his face knowing that would he james lucky choice.

“moony, you genius! i could kiss you!” james hopped up from his seat, on his way back to the library.

“oi! i’m the only one he’s going to be kissing, prongs!” sirius yelped as james walked out of the portrait hole with a distant chortle.

on his way to the library, where you were previously seated, james made a stop to the kitchen to grab a few of your favourite snacks and some water. he dropped them back at his dormitory, but not without a mini lecture on ‘kissing moony.’ from sirius.

what a drama queen.

the castle was slowly darkening, the only light pivoting from the floating candles in the air. he saw your frozen-like figure in the same spot you were except looking over your history of magic textbook, learning about the ‘emeric the evil.’

“y/n.” he stated firmly, you almost jumped from your seat in surprise, due to your recent sleep deprivation. “merlin james, give a girl a little warning first.” you chastised before returning to your next book that was slammed together right in-front of your eyes.

“james! i was—“ you were cut off quickly by him gathering all of your books and placing them in his left arm. “what are you doing?” you questioned, looking at him with furrowed brows, to exhausted to argue with him.

“you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re not eating, you’re not sleeping, your basically a study.... that muggle thing- robot! you’re a study robot! so i’m taking care of you.” he got sidetracked as he spoke in a gentle yet firm tone.

“but i have too-“ you were cut off again by his pointer finger shushing your lips together. “no, either you sit here in silence because i’m taking your books either way or you come with me to my dorm.” james spoke, resisting to your complaints.

“fine, but you have too—“ you started off, annoyed that your study time was ruined by james incessant comments about you ‘overworking yourself.’ he though, was not having any of that. “nope.” he grabbed your hand, dragging you off to the gryffindor tower.

you gave a small tired wave to sirius, peter and remus on the way to the dormitories as they were all either on the floor or splayed across the scarlet-coloured couches. sirius following with a teasing wolf whistle and wink seeing the both of you walking up the stairs.

“don’t do anything i wouldn’t do!” he chuckled, looping his arm over remus’ shoulders.

“ha, bloody, ha, padfoot. so, so funny i’m on the floor laughing.” he teased, sarcasm lacing his words in a monotone voice almost mocking snape.

you playfully rolled your eyes before being dragged up the stairs to the boys dormitory. the only noises heard were the clacks of your shoes and the soft breathing emitting from both you and your boyfriend.

your eyes were met with candies sprawled all over his poorly made bed, one of his quidditch sweatshirts paired with your favourite joggers; the ones he probably stole from your dorm room one night; because he was keen on you just staying there with him and ‘subtly’ moving all your things into his dormitory with the rest of the boys.

you looked at him with an arched brow, a silent question of ‘why are you doing this?’ ignoring your questioning look he sprawled himself on his twin-bed, his hands clasping in his lap waiting for you to change.

you put on the clothes he layed out, feeling james’ left hand tug you onto his chest when you were done. oh his soft, pillowy chest, you almost felt tempted to fall asleep right then and there.

“darling girl, tell me what’s going on?” he softly questioned while stroking your hair with one hand, his other arm stroking your back.

“i just—“ you stuttered, feeling a wave of tears glossing over your eyes. “i feel like everything is going so, so, wrong. m’so afraid of failing, i want to be better! i don’t want to be like m’terrible family, but it all feels like so much!” you mewled into his shirt, his grasp growing a bit tighter in an effort to psychically comfort you.

“baby, you’re nothing like your family, you have to know that?” he directed your vision to his gaze, the soft marks of mascara down your dampened face only made his gaze softer.

“you work so hard on trying to be not like your family, you don’t even know how amazing you truly are. you’re so generous, you’re always willing to help someone even if you don’t like them, i know i wouldn’t have that patience!” he softly chuckled, seeing a faded grin on your lips.

you sniffed as he continued his praise, “you’re such a hard worker, and i’m truly in awe of you. you’re the one person who truly puts her best foot forward and it’s so incredibly amazing, but you’re working so hard your exhausting yourself. y/n, it’s breaking me to see you like that.” you saw small wet streaks around his eyes, not truly realizing your self destructive habits had been harming people around you; had been harming him.

“jamie, i’m— im so sorry!” feeling the wash of emotions suddenly bundled up wash all over you, your nervous system feeling overwhelmed with the emotions of sadness, guilt and anger bubble up all at once. you whimpered into his shirt, spewing out mumbled apologies that were barely coherent due to all the sobs.

“shh- shh, don’t apologize.” he articulated, shifting his hips up and grabbing a folded parchment from his back pocket.

“w—whats that?” you questioned, trying to calm down the mewls and whimpers that wanted to escape your throat.

“this, darling, is a schedule.” he pointed out, a week schedule with times on it that labeled your subjects as well as times of the day. he also dedicated certain parts of every single day with “james!!” in bright red ink.

“so those,” he pointed out, directly at all the times he wrote his name leading up to the newt dates, “are times you and me spend together, no studying, just loving. so i can remind my beautiful, smart, and amazing talented loving girlfriend how astonishing she is.” he said with a grin, proud of himself.

“you really know how to charm a girl, potter.” you may have teased, but without him you don’t know what you would’ve done. james was truly your saviour, your light, stars to your moon; if you will.

he was yours, and you were definitely his. 

taglist: @fathermarty @kittykylax @terr0rizer @aspiringsloth20 @dear-luna @famdomhideout @hufflepogue

[kryptsune]

World Building Wednesday!~Yokaifell

🌼One of my personal favorites was chosen this week and I am so excited! It was a tie between Wiccafell and this and I just decided to do a little coin toss. I am happy to also announce that the ideas in Yokaifell will also be appearing in a more original form in the Souly Damned Universe. I will talk more about that on SD Saturday!

Yokaifell AU

Yokai Masterlist:

[Red] Ryutsuki (Ryou) 龍月- Kitsune (Kitsune Ebi- Shou & Rin)

[Boss] Kuro  黒- Gashadokuro

Doomfanger- Maneki neko (a variation of the bakeneko this kind brings good luck and fortune which I thought would be cute for the brothers. Hilariously Doomy was with Boss before he died coughs. Doomy is kind of like that cricket in Mulan supposed to be lucky but... questionable.)

Flowey: I am unsure if I am planning on putting Flowey in this or just have him as Asriel. Either way, he would most likely resemble the higanbana. These are also Red’s flower of choice, which is…ironic if you know the language of flowers.

The Dreemurrs: (this is a hard one. There are no Yokai as far as I can recall that are goat like, however there are some good candidates that could work. I have a few in mind right now and that is the kotobuki, hakutaku, shisa, Kirin or even the baku.

Undyne: Uni nyobo

Alphys: Honengyo (This is kind of the “Godzilla” idea she would just be mini XD)

Muffet: Jorogumo

Grillby: Onibi (this is a strange one because he would have to be a combination of onibi for this to work but don’t worry I am on it!)

Gerson: Kappa/ Genbu (due to his wisdom)

*{The lesser monsters would be a variation of yokai not exactly pertaining to their UT counterparts unless I can make that connection. The Underground/ Underworld, in this case, it basically the spirit realm so it’s not really necessary. They are not exactly trapped like in the original.}*

Main Plot Synop:   Frisk is a foreigner trying to start a new life across the world in Japan. I am still trying to pick a possible location in Japan but that is a minor detail. I will say that I would like it to be a little more secluded. It is also modern day (I settled on Izumo). The people she moves to live among tell Frisk of their traditions and stories but her being from the West she has a hard time understanding. Frisk is told not to stay out too late and wander the nearby forest but hey who listens to reason? She ends up getting lost, alone, and afraid. That is until a series of flame like lights presumably show her the way back to the town. This happens a few times but she becomes more and more curious by them until they lead her deeper into the forest. She comes upon the entrance of an abandoned shrine stopping before a Torii Gate as the lights disappear. These are kitsunebi by the way. Only when she is hesitant to pass through it do they appear on the opposite side.

She ends up being startled by a white haired human that seems to have just appeared out of thin air. He tries to speak to her but she barely understands the language if only a few words. In frustration the stranger steals a kiss from the shell shocked human girl only for her to suddenly be able to understand what he is saying. A still highly confused Frisk ends up learning that he is in fact a demon or rather her interpretation since she is from the West.

It turns out that in order to give her the ability for her to understand him a dose of his magic was required changing the physical makeup of her soul causing it to become desirable to other hungry yokai that roam both the spirit realm as well as the night. Not believing his claim and rather angry at his sudden advance she storms off heading back toward the village. She begins to see more than she should as spirits appear out of the woodwork.

An oni appears in front of her ready to devour the poor unsuspecting human in which she ends up running back to the gate in order to avoid the giant monster. At first Ryou is not interested in saving the human girl but it is his fault that she has ended up in this situation. He saves her but not before she ends up accidentally running through the Torii Gate attempting to dodge an attack. The beast follows and Frisk ends up trapped in the spirit realm when the monster destroys the gateway. Kuro, Ryou’s older brother makes quick work of the beast.   

The rest of the story revolves around Frisk trying to return home which requires a journey since a human does not belong in their realm and the gate to “leave” is on the opposite side of the realm. It is incredibly dangerous for someone like her to be there so she ends up in disguise with the help of Grillby and Ryou. Ryou is a kitsune so he is able to create the perfect disguise adding more magic to her soul to fool it into becoming a yokai temporarily. He is surprised to find she is the same kind as him, a kitsune. 

Their journey takes them all the way across the spirit realm to find another gate and on the way they run into a colorful cast of characters. Some are helpful spirits. Others are man eating demons that are looking for a delicious human soul to devour. At first Frisk is content staying with the brothers but a human does not belong in their realm and that causes complications. 

Yokai Lore/ Spirit Realm world: 

The spirit realm is a dangerous place that few humans have ever set their eyes on. It the world between. A space that is home to various yokai. Humans cannot naturally see spirits as the modern setting has diminished the humans that still believe in them. They are not trapped but rather there is a hierarchy that is established. The more powerful the yokai the more they are able to interact with the human realm. 

Hierarchy brief explanation (restrictions and interactions): 

Servants of the gods- Yokai that can interact with the human world during the day or whenever they see fit. They are messengers for their respective deities. They are not known to be troublesome or mischievous. 

Kitsune- A more rare type of yokai that can shift its appearance at will but mostly represented by that of a multi tailed fox. Some of them are servants of the gods but those who have no alignment can walk among the living during the day for a duration of time. When the night comes they can walk freely and interact with humans as they see fit. They are mostly known for luring humans away with kitsune ebi or fox fire.

“Boss” Yokai- Yokai gain their status by either specific species or their prestige. That can either be obtained by LV gain or doing favors for the gods. Some are hostile and some are passive it depends on the encounter. They can walk freely during the night without hindrance but unlike the two prior they cannot take form during the day. 

“Lesser?” Yokai- Yokai that are relatively weak and unable to hold a physical form in the human realm. They can move objects and possibly possess humans but they have no ability to interact on a substantial level. They can be seen by some humans as little dancing and vanishing lights. They can rarely pass the barrier as is.  

Lost souls- Lost spirits that wander between realms. They cannot interact with humans but can be seen from time to time. They are what the west consider the typical ghost.

Human Struggles Info {Plot}:

A human does not belong in their realm which also means that the world is also an enemy. The power of the soul plays a huge factor in this as weak souls are more susceptible to the world influence. There are three different outcomes that are possible for a human if they end up trapped in the spirit realm.

Dinner is served-  A large number of yokai are known for their man eating tendencies finding human souls and flesh a kind of delicacy. Some are beasts that kill for pleasure but humans worst outcome is being eaten or killed.

You’re one of us now- A strong human soul slowly can be changed. The soul decides what kind of yokai that humans can become or will become. It is entirely possible that most of the yokai were once human but it is unknown. They are usually lesser yokai or spirits.   

Lost soul- What the title implies. A soul unable to remember who they were. They wander for the rest of eternity searching for answers they will never receive. They are miserable creatures that pull others into their fate. Their depression is infectious and anyone already questioning themselves could easily find themselves among their ranks. They are not malicious only confused and desperate.  

Symptoms of becoming a Lost Soul: 

Confusion

Memory loss

Random emotional outburst/response

Physical weakness/fatigue

Relationship {Plot}:

Ryou and Frisk become close for a reason that they are both unsure about. They could be soul mates or his magic that is embedded in her soul begins to spread making her have feelings for him. Either way her love for him never wavers. A human can never fall in love with a yokai. It is not only forbidden but also very dangerous. *whoops* Their soul bond only grows stronger as their outward feelings increase. They spend the night together not understanding the consequences of that kind of action.

Unfortunately, Frisk begins to show symptoms that her soul is not powerful enough for this world and she begins to lose herself and forget. In desperation Ryou and Kuro make the decision to travel all the way to the end of realm to get her back to the human realm. When they get there she has a choice. She can stay and become a lost soul for the rest of eternity or leave and forget everything about them. Since Ryou and Frisk are soul bound she would feel a loneliness for the rest of her life unable to understand why. It is like losing a part of yourself. It hurts but she chooses the second option returning to the human world a little bit changed from before.

*Have any questions past this point be sure to drop them in my ask box! If you want to see more drop a comment and/or a reblog! 

(spoilers ahhhhead)

Epilogue {Plot}:

Though Frisk has forgotten about her soul mate and her time spent in the spirit realm she still has these feelings. She finds herself spending more and more time peacefully sitting by the gate or in the forests surrounding her home. It is calming and peaceful for her. What is even more curious is her new condition. She finds out by some miraculous way (not really she just doesn’t remember) that she is pregnant. When she has her children she finds them as normal children for the longest time until they turn 10. They start seeing things that they shouldn’t including dancing among little fire like lights that she swears she has seen before. She could swear she sometimes sees little fox creatures dancing in the flames. A trick of the light...right? 

Frisk doesn’t know but Ryou’s ability to walk in the human realm has him visiting his children and her even though she is unable to see him any longer. Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night feeling like someone is there. A kind of warmth that she leaves her feeling cold when it’s gone. Her two children begin to show physical signs of being yokai including little fox ears and tails which she does not seem to question. It feels right to her for some inexplicable reason. Her children eventually see their father through the gate one day and Frisk is hesitant to step through it (for obvious reasons). She follows her children only to leave the human world behind once more meeting a stranger that to her is not so strange. Her memory slowly returns his Ryou’s help and they live happily together with their kids. It turns out that giving birth to two yokai children strengthened her soul from before giving her the ability to stay and become a yokai herself. As before she becomes a kitsune.

[draceempressa]

TW chapters before, have always been social and psychological, but chapter 5 in particular is a huge middle finger to stereotype-and common beliefs/views of stereotypes. 

Many assumes Vil’s backstory involved him being poor, but Kalim already proves just because you’re rich doesn’t mean your life have no problem. And before the chapter starts, many people antagonize Vil for he is harsh towards Epel, and he’s the prettily elegant one, “the mean girl”, in haters’ words, when Leona and Idia, who are objectively bigger jerks, who are understandably more disliked in-universe, get passed in the fandom for they are relatable/more masculine/boyish. Yes, ugly people have their own problem. That doesn’t mean pretty people don’t have their problem, ranging from being harassed, prejudiced as superficial or being bitch, etc.

Media and culture, for years, have been painting masculinity as strength and femininity as weakness, lawful is bad and chaotic is good, the beautiful/elegant people is wrong and the cute ones are innocent/on the right side. 

Riddle already have it bad for he is lawful, but Vil has it worse for he is not only lawful, but also being feminine and pretty. Not to say we have to be unreasonably lawful like Riddle or super strict like Vil, what’s I’m trying to say is, the mindset of law and femininity is purely bad and chaos and masculinity is purely good is wrong-though,  generally “pure” mindset is wrong. 

Related to this, TW actually run on gray morality, not black and white. You’re too black and you get hated (like Leona and Idia) , but if you’re too white you get laughed (like Deuce, Jack, Kalim) And it’s fine. Everyone can be both wrong and right in different times , and that’s how it is in real life too. Nobody is pure evil nor they are pure good . Purity  (in concept and principle)is never good actually.

Many people are rooting for Epel for the points above, for he is both chaotic and want to be masculine, and antagonize the pretty, lawful and feminine Vil, but overtime fandom are proven to be wrong. Pome chapter is huge callout for  the stereotyping mindset, as well, the previous points. What Epel wants isn’t “for people to look past his looks”, it’s “to be as masculine as possible in both looks and personality” . He is not fighting prejudice, he is simply giving in to the idea of toxic masculinity. He doesn’t want people to think he’s a badass despite his look, he want to be beefy so ppl can tell he’s a badass in first glance.  His idea of masculinity is to talk shit to people , be beefy as possible, to pick fights and only fight with fists. He is projecting the idea of masculinity to Jack, like how he says he wants to be beefy as Jack. It’s like when girls using a model, or basically someone else, to be her base of ideal beauty, which is equally unhealthy. It’s not fine even if it’s boys who do it, as it’s still not accepting who you actually are. 

Speaking about Jack, he too is a victim of prejudice. In his robe story, Ace is surprised he’s from Pyroxene and not the Savannah., implying the prejudice beastmen only come from the savannah (and gladly Riddle immediately calls Ace out for it),  in his voice lines, he is offended by  Ruggie’s disbelief reaction when he says he never got red mark in exams, and he is also offended when MC is shocked he says he want to go to the library, implying the prejudice “beefy men must be brainless muscle”. Jack, is still proud of his beastmen heritage and is sporty and active, but he is also fighting prejudice of beefy men are dumbasses by studying as hard as he does his physical exercises. 

We are also fed by culture and media that the word “ugly” and “beautiful” is limited to just visual things, when Pomefiore, Rook and Vil makes it clear “beauty” is everything that can be your advantage/power or your every good trait (like being unyielding, having bond and understanding others, and having special code of conduct). Which it means, the opposite also applies-that the word “ugly”  Vil mentioned to himself before his overblot is more referring to his other traits. That he finally cheats, that he is weak and gives in to his stress-if he thinks strength is beautiful then he must thought weakness is ugly. 

Not to say looks doesn’t matter, because it is, as we humans are visual creatures, and if visuals don’t matter, we don’t only wouldn’t have fashion or beauty care products, or visual arts, but even visual informations like newspapers, books, or even socmed pages, and fashion can be a form of self expression. The problem is when people don’t use their brain and see past through someone’s looks. Looks is part of one’s identity, but it’s not all there is to them.

Riddle paints himself as the judge and executioner, not only establishing law of the Queen of Hearts but also punishes people who crossed her rules on the place with his UM and decapitating them from their magic. Vil, meanwhile, paints himself as a tutor. He’s strict, but he’s not lawful for the sake of law. He seeks to help people grow, to taught people things, but being strict teacher he is, he refuses to teach in first go, letting you try your own method first (Deuce’s lab coat story),or that  when he agrees to help, he will teach you how to do it instead of doing it and gives you the final result (Jamil’s dorm uniform) . He is explicitly nicer to people who are willing to learn (his own Halloween card) Alternatively, he can be pestered to help (Halloween, Malleus pretty much pestering him with the whole western dragon vs eastern dragon difference for one hour ), or,despite all his complaints, he will help anyway (Ghost Marriage, Vil mentions Idia often asks for his help) . He also congratulates ppl who did grow well, even if they did beat him. (fairy gala ending, Epel when finally admitting cuteness is advantage too, Deuce right after he beats him) ,  he is fine with people hating him as long they actually develop themselves-that he thinks his responsibility is to help ppl grow, not to make ppl simply adore him (his own dorm uniform)And he also breaks the pattern of great seven incarnate harassing MC and gets gradually more hostile about it. He can also appreciate other’s kindness (his own robe story), as well strong point (PE voice line, he openly admits Epel’s strong point in flying), and can even show some sympathy (not empathy ) (Ortho’s ceremony gear)

Leona insults others to feed his superiority inferiority complex and knows where it hurt (like calling Riddle Red Midget or bastard octopus to Azul-note, that was the insult Azul used on himself on his self deprecating moment after his overblot) , Vil insults other as the ones he deems unworthy yet to call with name, but potatoes, French for potatoes is “earth’s apple”, also back in the day ppl are scared to eat potatoes bc they are still related to nightshade/belladonna and said to be devil’s plant , only after they get past the prejudice they eat potatoes. So yeah if he call you by name , it means he already acknowledge you to certain degree, and if he still uses vegetables he’s still deems you unworthy-no romantic hc blogs it’s not what he will call his s/o

Fandom complained, “save Epel, he doesn’t fit in Pomefiore, and he’s stuck” but is he? He did , in fact, have a choice, mentioned in Jade’s dorm uniform by Vil “You know how to change dorms, right Epel?” It’s by his  own admission he stays in Pomefiore bc his pride to prove Vil wrong that “cute isn’t a strength on its own”  Besides, Pome isn’t just about being yourself (despite being art neurodivergent and defying gender norms), it’s also not about picking your fight-instead, it’s about picking the method.

Again, we are fed to the idea femininity is weak by other media and culture. In TW,yes,  Vil is obectively the most feminine of TW cast, but weak? Definitely not.He can beat the beefy guys physically (PE uniform voice line), easily, and magically, he is strong enough to be able to make barrier than can protect people from MALLEUS (Cater halloween) , and when he’s overblot, he is the only one so far you failed to beat until Deuce used the counterattack using his own magic. Kalim isn’t joking or is in the clouds when he says Vil is one of the strongest mage of the school.

Yes, Yana says fuck patterns and stereotypes, but it’s not like she pulls plot twists randomly out of her ass.She always put foreshadowings first. Vil being bullying victim already mentioned as early as his robe story,, that the overblot cause is always something that is already problem to them even BEFORE NRC-Epel was able to curb people before NRC and get away with being a jerk, it wasn’t until Vil beat him in opening day that he started to be stressed about the whole manner thing.  that he doesn’t like things that doesn’t last from his school uniform, and the previous mentions of Vil’s tutor traits above that he’s not as malicious , not just the mean girl fandom make him to be. Chapter titles always refer to the local great seven incarnate, not specifically the prefect. “Desert’s Tactician” is clearly Jamil, not Kalim.Being a strategist is certainly not Kalim’s trait. Chapter title not referring to him, he wasn’t stressed before NRC, and the blot dripping scene happes without him, why the surprise it’s not Epel who overblot ? the build up is all there.

[rihon-scribe-some-writer-guy]

Actually, the Elder Scrolls Series has an essay’s worth of issues that could easily equate to the same level of whatever is going on with the Gerudo or Goblins, if not supersede them. Since this game of ruining nostalgic views of beloved franchises looks like fun, I’m going to post my 🎶Skyrim Book Report 🎶 under a ‘Keep Reading’ button for the following reasons

Spoiler alert (for a twelve year old game and an even older series).

The majority of Tumblr didn’t log in to read my 🎶Skyrim Book Report🎶 So y’all can just take my word on this one if you don’t like critical essays.

I’m going to tear this entire series a new one so bad with my critical review that viewer discretion is advised.

In order for me to continue this game, I need to recommend a game. But I can’t just recommend any game. No, I have to recommend a flawless game, less another blog finds a point of criticism and downcast my decision into the loser circle. And since my desire to win drives me to great lengths, it means that I’m going to offer the best possible answer: get a group of friends together and play a custom pen-and-paper tabletop-role-playing-game.

The graphics are as good as your imagination.

Having a trusted game master running the game lowers the chance of any controversy being present in the game since they could simply avoid placing controversial tropes in the game. Afraid that goblins are a malicious depiction of Jewish individuals? Goblins don’t have to exist in your game. Afraid that the fanatical idea that dwarves are a race of humanoid that are separate from humans might be offensive to individuals IRL with dwarfism? The race of Dwarves doesn’t have to exist in your game. Worried that orcs could possibly be diminutive of Mongolians? Orcs don’t have to exist in your game. Do fret that unicorns set unrealistic beauty expectations for rhinos? Unicorns don’t have to exist in your game. (Looking over all the submitted entries under a magnifying glass, honestly, I could nitpick an issue that could be raised up as a possible controversial issue; each one more credible than that rhino example.)

The cast in your custom made TTRPG has an extremely higher chance of being diverse than the limited cast of a video game.

Skyrim

The civil war does a great job in showing that every major political faction has imperfections within its ranks.

The Stormcloaks

Visiting the Stormcloak Headquarters allows the player character to see that there’s definitely racial inequality issues between the Nords and other races.

When the player first enters the city of Windhelm, they witness two Nordic men harassing a dark elf woman and accusing her of being a spy.

The argonians seem to be segregated into the dock sector of the city.

The Khajit caravan is scripted in a way that segregates them outside every city.

There’s lore out there that the Nords aren’t the true natives in the existence of the forsworn. Yet the Nords live like colonists while the Forsworn lifestyle resembles Native Americans.

Documents exist were Ulfric has suspicious ties with the Thalmor.

The Imperials aren’t any better.

General Tully continually makes snide comments about Nordic culture. I’m rather certain that he implies that the culture is at times Barbaric.

There’s also the required ban of the worship of Talos.

The Khajit caravan isn’t allowed in solitude’s walls.

Solitude highlights issues with how society is structured in terms of economics. The settlement of Solitude is solely for rich individuals. The housing market is extremely ridiculous, absurd and downright predatory. The player home choice runs 25,000 gold coins. The only poor person within Solitude’s walls is a Imperial veteran. The rest of the non rich population have been dispersed into Dragon Bridge and the other buildings outside Solitude’s walls. Basically, Solitude is choosing to solve in poverty by not bringing it up to the table. “Hey, it can’t be a problem if we don’t acknowledge it.”

Then there’s the Thalmor.

They’re radical supremacists who wear white KKK robes- sorry, black Thalmor robes.

They hunt down people who are suspected of worshipping Talos.

Then there’s the Blades.

Both Delphine and Esbern demand that the player kills Parthunaux, and as long as Parthunaux lives, they refuse to see the player as an ally despite the Dragonborn raiding the Thalmor Embassy, being responsible for reuniting them, and helping them move into a new base. And by moving in, I mean wiping out a settlement of the Native Forsworn.

Then there are the Grey Beards.

Aragon at times refuses to aid the player character in certain tasks. The Dragonborn is trying to prevent Dragon Apocalypse, but Aragon would risk the world falling back into a tyrannical reign under Alduin to spite the Blades.

Parthunaux technically did kill countless mortals in the pass and forced even more into the worship of Dragonhood. It was only through inner reflection that he decided to change his ways. Does his deeds of seeking peaceful meditation and aiding the Dragonborn defeat Ailduin forgive his past of playing blood libel slavery games with lives of mortals?

Then there’s the Dragonborn.

The Dragonborn kills sentient Dragons.

They slaughter countless Falmer upon invading their territory.

They are in control of choosing the fate of Skyrim, yet it’s a choice between the least of three evils.

The Origins of the player character hints that they were incarcerated at the start of the game. I’m not talking about being captured by the imperials. I’m talking about before that. You see, no matter the name, binary gender, or race assigned to the Dragonborn, they will always be wearing rags; the same rags given to them should they be imprisoned. Now, members of the Stormcloaks are still wearing their gear, hinting that the player character was already wearing the rags.

The Dragonborn is targeted by the Dark Brotherhood, because someone wants them dead. The mechanics of the game make a brotherhood assassin as a possible random encounter once when the player character reaches level 5. In order to count for every type of role play, it stands to reason that the player character got marked before the events of the game started. This hints that they did something worth an assassination attempt.

So… yeah… not the best look. But hey, at least the game doesn’t have goblins…

Wait… what’s that sound..? Oh…

Oh no…

Oblivion

Ha ha. You all thought I was going to harp solely on Skyrim? Get out of here! I’m just killing three birds with one stone.

An unhealthy amount of the main quest is filled with imaginary that correlates to Christianity. You have the Mythic Dawn who are striving to bring Satan sorry I mean merunes Dagon to Tamriel. The imagery of the cult feeds off of what a conservative Christian Gen x would consider a satanic cult member. It also doesn’t help that the name of the cult ties in to Lucifer, aka the Morning Star.

The the main quest of the Shivering Isles sees heavy interaction with Sheogorath. Dialogue in the mission Tortune Fun in Legends references that “Sheogorath's favorite past time is torture.” ESO would heavily associate Sheogorath with skims, a fictional addictive drug.

There be goblins in elder scrolls four! The goblins are not a playable race, yet goblins shown enough intelligence to form a culture, develop the resemblance of religion, and recognize the importance and value of gold coins to lock it up. Hoarding gold and having a religion that the narrator puts under a negative light? I think I’ve heard that before.

I can say for certain that the goblins aren’t supposed to symbolize Christianity, as Talos is the closest figure to mimic Jesus of Nazareth.

This leads me to ask why aren’t their goblins in Skyrim. I can’t say that it’s solely due to the cold because the southern region still offers temperate conditions. So what happened in the span of time between the two games? Wait, what if they didn’t survive? What if there was a goblin holocaust? (Gasp!)

Now, there’s not a lot to pick apart in the rest of the game. Or, if there is, I can’t be bothered to put in the effort for a game that I didn’t play that much. So I’m going to call it here…

… for Oblivion.

Morrowind

Ha ha! You all thought that three birds was a typo! Get out of here!

My aunt gifted me the Game of the Year Edition of Morrowind for a birthday. I can’t recall the exact year, but I couldn’t have been older than 13. Now, she’s undeniably the coolest Aunt I have, and she technically gifted me the game without going against the ESB rating, but there’s some stuff in there that I definitely wasn’t ready for at 13 years of age.

The main story quest has the player character become the Nerevarine and defeat Dagoth Ur. It puts an interesting spin on the entire hero chosen by fate because there’s a whole subplot where the imperial forces transferred the player character to morrowind to have a chance to have them infiltrate the culture of the Dunmer, like white Pocahontas.

There was slavery in Morrowind…

Here’s one of the most icky plot points in the main quest of Morrowind: Zainab Nerevarine. If you know, then you know. If you don’t know, then you’re in for a rude awakening. In your quest to become the Nerevarine, you need the approval of each Dunmer Tribe. In the Zainab Tribe, the leader asks the player character to get him a bride after they already had defeated a vampire. The leader makes demands that his bride be high-born, pretty, plump, curvy, and-so-on-and-so-forth. Loss as how your going to get this loser a bride way out of his league, you return to you Dunmer Advisor scratching your head. Your advisor then gives you the solution: purchase a slave girl and dress her up in nice clothing.

TODD HOWARD

While Todd Howard hasn’t spewed hatred to any minority group, it’s within reason to claim that he lied to his consumer base about the quality of certain products. He claims that bugs are features and that thought processes created a business model where Bethesda released unfinished products with the expectation that modders would fix them for free. And if you know of Fallout 76, then you know which dark lord that Todd serves: The Daedric Prince of the Bottom Line.

For obvious reasons I won’t touch Hogwarts legacy with a 10ft pole, but I love the concept of exploring a magical world and the graphics look amazing.

Does anyone have any recommendations for games to satisfy this need that aren’t riddled with bigotry. I know there must be loads but I have no idea where to start!

[asterius-of-crete]

A screeching laugh echoes from his throat, staring down at Asterius. He steps up on the hedge, deforming it as he stretches out. He’s tempted to jump off, perhaps escaping from the Labyrinth. But he wanted to see a real Minotaur, and his constant prodding seems to be creating one. 

“I’m Helios, now I want your name.” For him, a creatures name is powerful, almost an energy for him. Perhaps this beasts name will make him feel full for once. 

“I’m not a harpy. Call me that one more time and I’ll turn your fur red for eternity.” The threat is as empty as the Labyrinth of course. He wasn’t designed for fighting in any form. His domain is populated with himself and whatever poor human he’s currently infatuated with. 

“You could do with some light, and a better choice of clothes. You look quite drab, but I’m sure you could be better with a helping hand.”

Helios…?

A shiver of panic runs down Asterius’ spine. Helios, Helios, Helios… Grandfather? The fear is gone as soon as it arrives. No. This being can’t be who he’s thinking of. Grandfather has no time for him.

“A powerful name you have,” he murmurs, glaring up at Helios. The threat glances off his shoulders. A particularly malicious nymph, perhaps. “I am Asterius, Prince of Crete. What are you, then?”

The criticism of his appearance makes him grit his teeth. He put effort into looking more desirable than his true form, so Helios’ words didn’t sit right. “Yours, I presume? I have no wish to change.” Knossos had remained the same for four thousand years, and it would not yield. And neither would its ruler.

[you-did-well-moon]

Werewolf!Seonghwa meeting his mate

Type: werewolf au, fluff, angst kinda felt bad writing this

Pairing: Werewolf!Seonghwa x Witch!female reader

Word count:  2,939

A/n: O o f . All i really have to say is to once again excuse my poor photo shopping skills. I really like this y/n and wooyoung and san be clowning >:( also please don’t be afraid to talk to me i need friends who don’t call my dogs dead rats. You know who you are. 

TW: Insecurity, insulting of reader, loneliness, putting down of witches word wise and society wise. 

You walked at a leisurely pace as the grass of the damp forest floor swayed and danced with you, seemingly reaching out to you by gently curling over the edges of your boots. An easy smile tugged at your lips at the comfort the forest brought to you. 

The trees whispered kind words of praise slightly bending towards you offering their own sense of protection. The mischievous childlike winds carried those words softly caressing your face with it’s refreshing touch and playfully tugging at strands of your hair swirling around you gleefully when you giggled. 

There was no mockery from humans or entitled jabs thrown by other magical beings. A sense of belonging existed within you when in the forest. It was cruelly ironic how you neither belonged with the humans or the other magical beings. Werewolves believed you were bad luck, and the vampires treated you like a pet for them to order around. Even the fae did their best to avoid you.

In the forest, you were safe, a feeling you didn’t get to enjoy very often. Loneliness didn’t plague you with it’s vile harsh hands. In the forest, you were surrounded by life, life that didn’t grow disgusted just by the mere sight of you.

 You tugged your hood lower over your eyes traveling through the forest knowing it like the back of your hand after practically living your whole life there. You usually didn’t go this deeply into the vast forest, but you were looking for a herb you needed in order to complete a potion you were making for a vampire. Unlike others of her kind, she was relatively nicer. Quiet but temperamental, and so harshly against what she was. Truly believing she was a monster when you had continuously told her otherwise. 

You still couldn’t help feeling empathy for the fledgling, remembering what you went through when you first found out what you truly were. Months spent ignoring the buzz at the base of your spine, and the soft but firm voice in the back of your head urging you to mutter the words of a spell no other being can say. To make a potion no other being could even dream of producing not having the touch of a witch. You promised yourself you would only indulge her for a little bit, yet you unnecessarily continued to drag it out.  

The potion’s effects were rather simple, but it was complex in both the making and ingredients involved. It hid the eerie red eyes and terrifyingly sharp fangs of a vampire, but it only lasted for about a month. You had just run out of leaves from the dodder plant, and you needed at least 13 of them.  They were the last herb you needed after letting the potion soak in the moonlight for exactly four hours. 

A happy gasp tumbled out your lips at the sight of the mentioned plant wrapped around the trunk of a poor tree, feeding and living off of it. You really didn’t find any amusement in the irony of it. You hiked the strap of your bag further up your shoulder as you walked closer to the plant cooing at it. 

“Look how pretty and lovely you are. Do you mind if I take some of your leaves I really need for a potion. I won’t take many, just a little, I promise.” You spoke in a soft and high pitched tone, much alike to how one would talk to a grumpy child. Even the mean plant keened at your voice and request, leaning towards you.

A small smile tugged at your lips as you softly thanked it and did your best to to cut the leaves from the plant as carefully as you could with the scissors you brought with you. 

You placed them in a jar skillfully placing it back inside your bag once you got the amount you needed. You thanked it again lightly caressing it before standing up ready to go back to your little cottage. 

Instead, you froze when a very recognizable sound rang throughout the woods. A howl. You cursed yourself under your breath unease pooling at the bottom of your stomach making your body unbearably stiff. 

You silently kneeled down to dig your fingers into the soft dirt under the grass of the forest floor exhaling in defeat when you felt the mark of what could only be werewolf territory. You were so distracted looking for the herb, you didn’t notice you had walked right into the wolves’ jaws. You felt like a fool. 

A small part of you knew that howl was because whatever wolves owned this area had sensed someone break through their defenses without permission. You almost scoffed rolling your eyes. What great defenses they had. Wolves and their stupid territorial tendencies. You had walked right in without problem, and you hoped to get out in similar conditions. 

Still, you couldn’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe, the cry from the furry creature was for something else. Not for a wicked little witch walking into their space unannounced. You gulped harshly clutching the strap of your bag nervously as you whipped around. 

You tried walking as silently as you could at a fast stride hoping against all odds you’d make it out without any run-ins with the dogs. In the end, it seemed like fate was against you when you heard the irritating yips and haughty huffs of what could only be werewolves behind you.

You clenched your jaw keeping your composure and ignoring them continuing steady to your original course feeling pathetic for essentially running away. You really didn’t want any trouble today, but you felt your patience running thin when you heard the wolves let out sounds in what oddly sounded a lot like laughter, now feeling both humiliated and mocked. 

There really was no way to avoid confrontation, especially when you heard the unnatural sound of cracking bones meaning they were shifting, and looking for a fight. You wondered how bored they had to be to poke at a witch when they did everything they could to avoid your kind. 

“Oh look Wooyoung, it’s a witch, don’t get too close or she’ll give you frog legs'' The pair erupted into loud aggravating laughter making your teeth grit as you maintained your composure. 

“She’s actually not ugly for a witch” You felt your lip curl up in disgust. How dare they speak as if they knew anything about you or your people. They knew what it was like being looked down upon for being born what they were, yet they did the same to you. It was an endless cycle of hate, and frankly you were sick of it. You just wanted to live peacefully, but you knew that wasn’t possible. 

“Don’t be stupid, it’s probably just potions or something. Witches aren’t that pretty, there’s no way”  Anger was surging through you making your insides boil as you pressed your lips in a thin line. Of course, you were used to this kind of degradation and mockery, but you had always been able to leave the situation without looking back. Right now however, you were trapped, left with no choice but to hold your head high and deal with the insults being thrown at you by people you had never met in your life. 

You felt frustrated tears prick at your eyes scolding yourself for being so sensitive. “Easy San, don’t want the witch cursing you and stealing your first born” You groaned knowing no matter what you did, they would keep bothering you. You didn’t think they would stop following you even when you left their territory, so you set your shoulders and narrowed your eyes whipping around. They wanted a reaction, they would get one. 

“Play with me little wolves, and you won’t like what happens.” You stated darkly, conjuring an orb of light in your dominant hand. It was harmless, a little trick you learned for when you needed to see in a dark place or investigate something, but they didn’t know that. You didn’t want to hurt them, you just wanted to scare them a little. Exhaustion dragged you down, and you just wanted to get home. 

You were in a little bit of a rush. The potion had to be delivered by the next day from tomorrow, and you still needed to let the potion sit in the sunlight after adding your newly acquired herb. 

Being able to face them, and you were able to see their youthful faces. You were also able to see them step back, fear swimming in their once bright and playful eyes. It made you swallow against the bile traveling up your throat making you sick to your stomach. Even when you tried your damn best, you were still the bad guy. 

 “Y-you wouldn't dare hurt us. Our pack would never rest until they found you and tore you to pieces” his shaky voice made guilt flood you, but it was either protect yourself, or let those entitled dogs walk all over you. 

You felt the forest bristle as the tension between its two guardians, and you momentarily felt bad. But you really couldn’t, not right now. You just had to scare them a little, so you could return to the safety of your cottage without any more trouble than necessary. All you wanted was to get them off your tail. 

You stepped closer maliciously grinning, “Try me mutt”. The evil smile on your face felt forfeign and ugly, but if it got the job done, it would have to do. As you took a step closer to the pair, a shout echoed throughout the forest. You stood frozen still in shock and feeling ashamed while a figure tore through two trees coming to an abrupt stop in between you and the two wolves. Great, another wolf. You didn’t stand a chance. If you died, at least you were surrounded by the forest, the only living thing that had ever shown you any kindness.

The figure was harshly whispering to the pair that had been giving you a hard time. You didn’t have any enhanced hearing, but you could still make out his words.

“I’ve told you idiots time and time again never to provoke a witch and the first thing you do on your first patrol is the exact opposite-” You don’t have the heart to keep listening. You, a kind and bright being, had been reduced to a ghost story to strike fear in the young hearts of others. 

 The newcomer’s back was turned to you, but you could still feel the waves of power rolling off of him. Not an alpha, but close to it. 

“Keep your pack in line beta, or i'll do it for you” You tried your best to remain confident, but if they tried hard enough they could hear the slight lilt in your voice.

The figure finally turned around meeting your eyes. and a loud growl ripped through the air making everyone lean back from the older wolf. Right now, it didn’t matter to Songhwa what or who you were. All he knew was that you were his, his mate, and that you were scared. 

He was so focused on you, all his senses instantly attuned to you. He could see the nervous shake in your hands, the uneasy tremble of your lips, and the fear and regret in your eyes. 

“She trespassed territory Seonghwa, what else were we supposed to do?” one of them whined. A low rumble racked Seonghwa’s chest. 

“What was she doing when you found her” he questioned, his tone anything but happy. You had let your little light orb disappear long ago, now just standing there hands clutching the strap of your bag. The two didn’t answer his question knowing he would only grow angrier by their answer. 

“I asked you a question, are you really disrespecting your beta?” he huffed out, eyes still trained on you. Anger swirling in his irises, but something else you couldn’t quite place. You felt a strong pull towards him, and although a small part of you was smart enough to know what you were to him, you didn’t want to accept it.

“S-she was walking away” a louder growl than the last one made your heart lurch to your throat, but oddly you weren’t scared of him. Instead, you wanted to get closer to him, but shock basically glued your shoes to the grass underneath you. Even with the angry set of his eyebrows and clenched jaw , the expression on his face tight, with the soft light of the setting sun shining on him he was stunning.

His narrow pointed nose and round soft but intense eyes. Your entire being was being pulled towards him, and the more you resisted, the more the little voice in the back of your head pushing towards him. A feeling you had never felt before surged through you. It was much alike to fire, warm and protective but passionate and exhilarating. Even if strange, it felt right. 

Meanwhile Seonghwa was livid, absolutely furious. He could not forget the scared look in your eyes when he was running towards you being able to sense the unease in his younger pack members and being the closest. He had known. He was fully aware you were his when he first laid eyes on you, but he had wanted to talk some sense to Wooyoung and San before dealing with the unstoppable feelings he would soon have to face. 

He had been waiting for you for so long, he didn’t want to scare you off, but it seemed the troublesome pair had already done enough of that.  When he first heard your voice and his wolf had run out of patience, he couldn’t stop himself from turning around to face you. As he took in your fearful but strong stance, your pretty eyes, his whole world shifted.

He was so in tune with you, San and Wooyoung didn’t have to tell him anything for him to know they had probably said some hurtful words to you. They said you had been walking away without a fight, so they must have said something to get you this defensive. His wolf was growling for just one punch, but he decided he would deal with them later when he wasn’t so emotional.  Right now, he just wanted to get closer to you and comfort you. 

He sighed, hand reaching up to pinch at the bridge of his nose as he momentarily turned to look at the mischievous pair, eyes softening when he saw the regretful look on their faces. 

“I’ll talk to you back at the house” he kept his tone curt and harsh still mad at them for the hard situation they put him in. They quickly nodded mumbling an apology before scurrying in the direction of the house. 

He looked at you noticing the hesitancy in the slope of your mouth, your eyes not meeting his. He took a step towards you, and you took a step back. 

“Are you scared?” he asked not wanting to get closer to you no matter how much it pained him to do so,not wanting to make you uncomfortable. 

You nodded but looked up to make eye contact with him taking in a shaky breath. “Not of you” His chest rumbled contentedly and a bashful smile broke out on his face making you smile softly at just how affected he was by you. “I’m more scared of the situation. I’ve never heard of a witch being a werewolf’s…” 

“Mate” he finished looking down. You humed in agreement the word making a shiver rack through your body. Hearing it made it all the more real. Strangely, you didn’t want to run away screaming. The small voice in the back of your head was telling you to do the exact opposite, and you had long ago learned to trust that voice. 

Seonhwa was terrified of you rejecting him. He knew the other kinds weren’t the nicest to witches, which he had always immensely disliked and found pathetic because who were they to put another kind down when they were all the same at the end of the day. Some turned into large horrifying predators and others drank blood to survive. You merely had magic by your side even helping people with your potions and spells. 

You saw the doubt in his eyes, the crease between his eyebrows and it made your heart sink. Seonghwa was so lost in his thoughts he didn’t hear your light footsteps making your way towards him. You took his hand in yours cradling it gently, and giving it a small shake. 

The contact made sparks run up both your arms as he looked up surprised to see a gentle grin on your face. “Y/n, my name is Y/n”. He smiled, shaking his head at your sudden confidence. “Seonghwa”. 

You reached out to smoothen the crease between his eyebrows with your thumb, hand falling down to cup his face a purr shaking his chest at your warm touch. You smirked, shaking your head and turning around to walk away. A surprised sputter came from behind you at the abrupt loss of contact making you snicker. “H-hey! Will I see you again?” 

You continued walking as you turned around to flash him a bright smile, “This time tomorrow in the same spot, don’t be late.”

You felt his eyes linger on you as you walked out of his sight, and you decided that perhaps fate wasn't so cruel.

[addictedtomanga]

Classic shoujo mangas

1.       Skip Beat – ongoing

Sixteen-year-old Kyouko Mogami followed her childhood friend and love interest Shoutarou "Shou" Fuwa to Tokyo to support him while he works toward his dream of becoming a top idol in the entertainment industry. But after finding out that Shou considers her as little more than a mere housekeeper, she swears to enact revenge by entering the entertainment industry herself and beating him at his own game!

However, Kyouko's revenge plan suffers a setback almost immediately when she is rejected by the talent agency of her choice. Fortunately, the president of the agency gives her a second chance, and places her in the newly made "Love Me" section. Kyouko then begins her long journey to stardom, cultivating her skills as an actress and forming relationships with new friends along the way.

! I always loved this one, but it has really REALLY slow-pacing, and its ongoing, so if you haven’t started it yet, I’d wait ‘til it’s done.

2.       Ouran High School Host Club

At Ouran High School, an academy where only the children of the rich and powerful attend, there exists a club consisting of the most elite of the student body: the legendary Host Club. Within the club's room, six beautiful, bored boys spend their time entertaining equally beautiful and bored girls.

Haruhi Fujioka, a poor scholarship student, has no interest in the Host Club—until she breaks a valuable vase in their clubroom. After being mistaken for a boy, Haruhi is forced by Kyouya Ootori to work for the Host Club to repay her debt. Tamaki Suou, the princely leader of the club, eagerly takes her under his wing to teach her the ways of the host. Things, however, are never quite so simple with the Host Club around. Even the most mundane events can turn into huge spectacles with the likes of prankster twins Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, stoic Takashi Morinozuka, and sweet Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka. The crazy adventures of the Host Club are just beginning, and Haruhi must learn how to survive in the glitzy world of the hosts.

3.       Kimi ni Todoke

Kuronuma Sawako is completely misunderstood by her classmates. Her timid and sweet demeanor is often mistaken for malicious behavior. This is due to her resemblance to the ghost girl from "The Ring," which has led her peers to give her the nickname Sadako. Longing to make friends and live a normal life, she is naturally drawn to Kazehaya Shouta, the most popular guy in class, whose "100% refreshing" personality earns him great admiration from Sawako. So when Kazehaya starts talking to her, maybe there is hope for the friendships Sawako has always longed for. Maybe...there is even a little hope for some romance in her future.

! A bit too long in my opinion, but its sweet.

4.       Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

It's a gorgeous, spacious mansion, and four handsome, fifteen-year-old friends are allowed to live in it for free! There's only one condition—that within three years the guys must transform the owner's wallflower niece into a lady befitting the palace in which they all live! How hard can it be?

Enter Sunako Nakahara, the agoraphobic, horror-movie-loving, pockmark-faced, frizzy-haired, fashion-illiterate recluse who tends to break into explosive nosebleeds whenever she sees anyone attractive. This project is going to take more than our four heroes ever expected: it needs a miracle!

! This is super frustrating. I loved everything, except for the ending. Honestly, I don’t recommend reading it with great expectations, just enjoy the story. 

5.       Dengeki Daisy

Teru Kurebayashi is left all alone in the world after the death of her brother, Souichirou. Well, all alone except for "Daisy," someone that she can always talk to and who never hesitates to cheer her up. However, Teru has never met Daisy, she has no idea what he looks like, and her only means of contacting him is through a cell phone that her brother left for her.

In stark contrast to the kind words and encouragement Teru receives from Daisy, she gets nothing but grief from the rude school janitor, Tasuku Kurosaki, who forced Teru to work for him after she accidentally broke a window. But while Kurosaki seems like a lazy good-for-nothing who only enjoys making her miserable, is there more to him than meets the eye?

6.       Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Seika High School was an all-boys school, but it has since turned co-ed. Misaki Ayuzawa is the first female student council president of the school, eventually earning the nickname of the "Demon President" due to her mastery of Aikido and imposed iron rule.

However, Misaki harbors an embarrassing secret—she has to work at a maid café to support her family. If anybody from her school was to find out, her reputation would be utterly destroyed. And after Takumi Usui—the most popular boy at school—discovers her secret, that might just happen.

7.       Special A

Have you ever known someone who was better than you at everything you did? Hikari does. She's known Kei since they were both six years old and he's surpassed her at everything. Now they are the top two students in an extremely prestigious high school, with Kei holding firmly to that number one position, and Hikari is still determined to beat him, no matter what it takes.

8.       Black Bird

Misao Harada has been able to see demons since she was a child and has vague memories of a boy who protected her from these troublesome creatures, vowing to come back for her someday. Now in high school, Misao wishes she could be normal and have a boyfriend. As she returns home one day, she notices a gorgeous stranger has moved in next door. To her surprise, he introduces himself as Kyou, her long-lost childhood friend and first love.

The next day, on her 16th birthday, Misao is suddenly wounded by a classmate. Exposed as a demon, he plans to eat her in order to gain eternal youth. When all hope seems lost, Kyou saves her, revealing himself as the leader of a Tengu clan. Since making Misao his bride will bring prosperity to his clan, he offers her a choice: sleep with him and become his bride, or endure more attacks from other demons drawn to the power of her blood.

! A bit dramatic to my taste, but overall I really liked it

9.     Last Game

Nothing is beyond Naoto Yanagi, heir to the Yanagi business conglomerate. Idolized for his athletic and intellectual competence, looks and wealth, Naoto lived like a king during his elementary school days—then entered Mikoto Kujou, a plain, gloomy-looking transfer student.

Due to her low financial status, Naoto was initially apathetic towards Mikoto. But despite having just arrived at his school, she completely eclipsed him in everything by consistently scoring top marks in exams and placing first in athletic events. After a brief confrontation with her that left him shocked, Naoto vowed to outdo her no matter the cost.

Ten years later, they are now students attending the same college. Having failed to defeat Mikoto throughout middle and high school, Naoto decides they will have one last game: if he can make Mikoto fall in love with him and then break her heart, it will be his victory. However, he finds himself falling in love with her instead...

! One of my favorites! 

I love this one, but beware, its slow-paced

[plaid-shirtsandvibranium-arms]

Those Linked by Destiny (2)

Summary: Bucky, Sam, and Natasha are on a mission to once again defeat Hydra who this time had opened a time portal that unleashed monsters and beasts that were extinct for centuries for good reason. On the way, they try to recruit the only remaining person who had any knowledge on how to defeat these creatures. Her kind also almost extinct. A Witcher.

Fandoms: Avengers, The Witcher

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Witcher!OFC (Female)

Warnings: Angst (coz this is me), Dry Dark Humour, Violence, Gore, Lots of Blood, Burning Sarcasm, Lots of Cussing

A/N: Hello, beautiful creatures! I’m back with a new hurricane of a crossover. This continues on from my completed series There’s More Than One Way To Start An Apocalypse (AvengersxSupernatural) but this can be read by itself. I made this an OFC instead of an xReader since I needed to be specific with how the Witcher character looked. I hope you enjoy and I welcome all kinds of feedback.

No permission is granted to repost my work. Tumblr is the only place I post my writing. If you see it anywhere else please report it.

Masterlist

2: Terms of Payment

Sam woke with a start taking loud deep breaths, his lungs feeling like they were burning. His hands began patting his naked torso urgently as he remembered that he had been severely injured. He found no traces of injury though aside from the dried blood that should have accompanied open wounds.

What sorcery was this?

His companions were alerted by the sudden noise that broke the peaceful silence. Bucky quickly jumped to his feet off of the sofa he had been sleeping on and knelt at his friend's side to carefully check him. Natasha almost fell off the arm chair she had folded herself into, choosing to forego the comfortable king size bed upstairs in favor of being nearer to her team. Prima slowly straightened her back in her corner, not even bothering to open her eyes.

"Sam! How are you feeling?" Bucky said gripping his shoulder and staring at him intently.

His eyes snapped to Bucky. He had been so disoriented and out of it that he hadn't even checked his surroundings first. He mentally scolded himself for that.

"I feel fine. I think," he answered still feeling confused as to how exactly he was fine. He was feeling better than fine as if his injuries had not happened at all. His attention was stolen when a small vial landed softly on his blanketed lap.

"Drink it."

He blinked at the complete stranger comfortably stretched out six feet from him that he hadn't even noticed until she spoke. There was something about the commanding tone that made him follow her instruction without question. He choked and spluttered on the liquid when she opened her eyes and met his.

"What the damn hell?"

Natasha swatted the back of his head making him flinch. "Don't be rude. That's Prima. She saved your sorry ass."

"Wait. You're Prima?"

She smirked, a gesture that oddly made a shiver run down Sam's spine. There was such a sharp disturbing contrast between her playfully colorful outer appearance and the cold almost malicious expression she wore.

"Sorry to disappoint," she drawled.

"Disappoint isn't exactly the word I would use."

She chuckled lightly before eyeing Natasha. "I have fulfilled my end of the agreement. Your friend is alive and well and this should consider us even. You may leave in the morning."

She pulled herself to her feet causing the cat to jump off her lap. She intended to make her way up to her bedroom to sleep off the rest of the night, but was halted by three sets of serious eyes boring into her. She read Natasha's expression and sighed in defeat.

"What?"

"We need your help, Prima," Natasha said, a soft plea in her tone.

"I was under the impression that I had already helped," she grunted. "What is this really about?"

"Hydra," Bucky said simply, the disgust in his voice apparent.

Prima rolled her eyes. "No. Hydra is your problem. Hydra is an Avengers problem, not mine."

Natasha shook her head and stared at her in worry. "This time is different, Prima."

Prima held her finger up to stop the conversation urgently as her ears picked up a sound that she had not heard for over two centuries now. It was a low rumbling malicious growl followed by a howl that pierced the night.

"What the hell was that?" Bucky whispered under his breath, his sensitive hearing picking up what the Witcher had.

Two more howls interrupted the night. Distinct. Angry. Out for blood. There was more than one.

"Werewolves," Prima said picking up her axe nonchalantly and making her way to her potions. "At least three."

She picked up a bottle and a rag from the shelf. Bucky looked on curiously as she soaked the rag with the contents of the bottle and began casually wiping it on the blades of her axe. The roar grew close enough that Sam and Natasha were able to hear it. They were closing in.

All three Avengers sat ram rod straight, their bodies automatically tense and at attention at the impending threat. Bucky scowled at how unbothered and unrushed Prima appeared.

What the hell was she doing polishing her weapon now of all times?

The Winter Soldier grunted as he stood up and made his way out of the backdoor. Sam and Natasha were following close behind with their own weapons at the ready by their sides.

"Sera taught us how to deal with werewolves. We got this," Sam affirmed to the team as they stepped out into the chill of the late night.

The growls grew louder and out from the thicket of trees emerged three towering werewolves like they've never seen before. Much taller than humans even in their hunched stance, bulky and all muscle, long sharp claws, and topped off by a snarling wolf head. It was a disturbing twisted blend of human and wolf. It was nothing like the werewolves that they had seen. These were more monstrous, more vicious, more detached from their humanity. They were also fast approaching.

"What the fuck?" Natasha breathed taking a step back.

The three of them were so preoccupied trying to process the scene in front of them that they didn't register Prima coming from behind them until she stood a few steps in front with her axe comfortably hooked over her shoulder out of habit.

The three werewolves let out a threatening collective roar before charging as a unit toward the house. The Avengers were on high alert at the movement, but Prima remained unbothered in her stance.

"Prima, watch out!" Sam yelled over the heavy thumping of wolf feet. He gripped his shield and got ready to toss it straight through their necks.

Prima answered by turning her head to show them her profile which had a chilling smirk on it. She lifted her arm out with her fingers in a peculiar formation as the monsters rushed forward. A single word escaped her lips.

"Ignis."

Jesus fuck!

Bucky stared wide eyed and open mouthed as a wide angry stream of blazing fire blasted from her outstretched hand and burned through the werewolves. They were in the middle of screaming in pain when she launched herself at them swinging her axe over her head and efficiently slicing through one clear through its neck.

She gripped her axe this time with both hands and pulled it apart to transform it to two separate axes held comfortably in each hand. She swung both in a deadly dance of glinting metal that quickly sliced through the remaining werewolves. Prima turned around to face them with her alabaster face and sunny dress splattered with blood, her pupils narrowed, her lips curved in a smug smile, and her dripping axes hung by her sides. The soft glow of the moon only served to highlight the maniacal glint in her eyes.

Bucky thought she looked hauntingly beautiful.

She sauntered back to them as she clicked the axes back together and hooked it as usual over her shoulder. She wiped the blood from her free hand on her dress which served to only smear the carnage already on there.

"Grab the shovels from the greenhouse. This area is private property but we must burn and bury the bodies in case the townspeople happen upon them."

Sam and Bucky nodded before ducking back to retrieve the shovels. Natasha went back inside as well and returned shortly to hand a towel to Prima who was now cleaning up as best she can with the garden hose. They both made their way to the men who had now begun to dig near the dead werewolves. The cat had exited the house and followed closely behind its master sensing that it was now safe.

There was a long moment with no words exchanged as they all focused on the task at hand. It went by much faster with all four of them working together. The men were rolling the werewolves into the pit when Natasha decided to break the tension.

"Didn't take you for a cat person."

Prima snorted but smiled as she stroked the cat's head that had decided to perch on her shoulders. "The eyes not give it away?"

Sam dumped some gasoline in the hole and threw a lit lighter in with it. The fire caught immediately but Bucky thought to himself that the flames weren't as magnificent as those from Prima. Natasha shifted from one foot to another trying to decide how to start the conversation she needed to have. Her target this time had already rejected her initial request for help. She would have to reconsider her approach. Prima decided to make the choice for her.

"Would you like to discuss inside or would you like us to roast marshmallows over the fire first?"

Natasha frowned at the joke made in poor taste, but the Witcher seemed to be further amused by her reaction. She tilted her head toward the cabin signalling them all to go inside leaving behind them the raging bonfire.

The Avengers and the Witcher sat around the dining table with each of them clutching a fresh cup of coffee in their hands. It was their second cup already as they debriefed her on what had been happening. Sera had undone the Snap. The Hunters together with the Avengers had defeated a divine threat. Now Hydra had somehow been able to open a time portal and unleashed all the monsters from her time.

"Fuck," Prima growled and pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt the migraine creeping in. "I spent 400 fucking years by myself driving every single one of those things into extinction. Enough to take it down to a level that Hunters would be sufficient to handle them."

"Excuse me? 400 years?" Sam asked, his disbelieving expression matching that of Bucky's beside him.

"How bad is this?" Natasha asked ignoring the other two, her own frown prevalent on her lips. Prima sighed.

"There is a reason why at one point Witcher was a flourishing profession. Witchers were made to go against these beasts and there was a demand that needed to be serviced. I'm the only remaining Witcher. How bad do you think it is?"

"That's exactly why we need your help. You're the only one who knows how to deal with any of these things," Natasha began to plead her case but Prima had a look of immediate revulsion. At that moment, she realized what could potentially convince her.

"We're offering you a contract."

Natasha's words stilled Prima and caused her to raise a curious eyebrow up at her. Witchers traditionally took on contracts most often for eliminating a monster that was terrorizing a village. It was their primary means of making a living and ensured that they would be compensated after the task. Prima can't remember the last time she has been offered a contract. The familiarity was oddly comforting to her.

"Terms of payment?"

"However much you want. Stark will pay it."

The Witcher scoffed, the movement disturbing the cat on her lap. "I've been around for over 700 years, child. I have more money than I have use for."

"Hold on. What??" Sam said his eyes practically bugging out of their sockets.

"Weapons?"

"No. I am partial to my axe."

"A quinjet? Could come in handy since you move around so much," Natasha countered.

"No."

There was a devilish smirk on both the women's faces, enjoying to some extent this back and forth negotiation. Natasha racked her brain for what else she can use to convince Prima to take the contract. She was close to offering up Tony and throw in all of his suits just to get her onboard. Maybe include an Avenger or two in to spice it up.

"Private island? You'll never need to move again."

"No."

"A fuckton of vibranium?"

"Throw in his arm and we got a deal," Prima said cocking her head in the direction of a now very uncomfortable Winter Soldier.

"Why?" Natasha asked completely ignoring the outraged expressions on her teammates face in favor of her curiosity.

The Witcher shrugged. "My porch could use a new wind chime."

Natasha turned to Bucky with a look in her eye that seemed very much like she was willing him to consider it. He fumed and pointed a finger at her in warning.

"Don't you fucking dare, Nat."

Natasha rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air in defeat. "Fine. What do you want, Prima? Name your price."

"I have neither need nor want for anything. I must decline, Natasha. I'm sorry."

The modern style wall clock began to chime softly as it struck twelve midnight as if punctuating the finality of the Witcher's decision. The cat suddenly began to struggle out of her grasp with a discontent hiss. It leaped from her lap but what landed on the hardwood floors were not fuzzy paws but a set of bare feet that were unmistakably human.

Chairs clattered to the floor as the Avengers sprung from their seats and drew their weapons at the sight of this new man who looked to have morphed from being the house cat. Grey eyes and a wide beaming smile accompanied the floppy short brown hair of the newcomer.

He stretched his limbs and groaned at the cracking of his bones bringing him some relief, the V-neck shirt and tight jeans straining at the movements. The bell tied around his neck was the only real indication to the Avengers that this was indeed the cat and that they weren't hallucinating.

"Gods! I thought it would never strike midnight. Do you know how infuriating it is to not be able to comment? A meow can only convey so much."

"Who the fuck are you?" Sam asked raising his shield higher.

Prima had barely moved in her seat at the disturbance, only casually sipping her remaining coffee and waving dismissively at the transformed man.

"Avengers, meet Jaskier. Jaskier, the Avengers."

Jaskier made a low formal bow with all the flair that was standard for his personality. Once straightened, he clapped his hands together and looked excitedly around the room.

"Now that we're introduced, I am pleased to inform you all that we will happily accept this contract."

He slapped a hand across the Witcher's mouth just as she was about to protest. He flashed a cheeky grin at the still confused superheroes while his hand held firmly in place silencing a now sulky Prima.

"What's the plan?"

[lofitojii]

ONE SHOT: Open Arms

Summary: You are married to Aziawa, have been for some time. The relationship has been nothing but a loving journey for you, new experiences almost always. You were nothing but supportive to your husband, Aizawa, trusting his decision making. He was a smart man, something you admire about him. Even when that decision is taking in a teenager as his own, being the start of a new family in your eyes.

Word Count: 1.8k

Conent: fluff

“Can I ask you something?” You looked up from your work, seeing Aziawa approaching you with his head hung low, scratching the back of his neck. You could tell he was anxious, his facial expressions being a dead give away. “I just want to know your opinion on this idea I had.” 

“Speak your mind, love,” you encouraged, giving him your full attention. He grabbed a chair from the corner, setting it up next to yours, exhaling deeply as he rubbed his hands together, shifting them to his legs. 

“Do you remember Shinso? From UA?” You nodded in response, waiting for him to continue. You had an idea of what this was about, knowing Aizawa’s feelings about the boy. You had met him a couple times, Aizawa taking quite a liking to him from the get go. “How would you feel if I took him on as my student? It would be a private thing, taking place here mainly.” You didn’t understand why he was so anxious about asking you. You had told Aizawa how you felt about Shinso, and also how you felt about training at the house. You supported him, endlessly. 

“That’s okay, love,” you cooed, finally taking his hand into yours. You looked down at his sweaty palms, clammy from how anxious he was. “Whatever you choose to do, just know that I support your decisions.” 

“What if I have him move in?” Aizawa had yet to make eye contact with you, knowing how you felt about people staying at the house. It’s not that you didn’t like it, it’s just the last time you had agreed, two of his students got into a fight and took out half the building. “I know you’re concerned about the house and to be honest, I’m concerned about you more than anything. I just want you to know it won't be the same as last time-”

“Shouta please,” you stopped him, lifting your hand to his cheek. He finally looked up from his twiddling hands, relaxing into your touch. “I know Shinso, I’ve met him before. I don’t think what happened last time will happen again. If he needs somewhere to stay, he can stay here as long as he’d like.” Aizawa’s body finally released from its tense state, a deep sigh escaping his lips. 

“Thank you Y/N.” He took your hand, leaving a gentle kiss on your palm before finally getting up and exiting the room. You had wondered what compelled him to take in a student, especially after last time. He was very against the thought because of what happened which could only mean that he saw something in this boy. It was going to be interesting to see how Aizawa approached this.

“Okay laundry is done. I guess I could start dinner here soon. Oh wait… I have to run to the store. Hmm…” This is how you would go about your day, making sure you remembered everything you needed to do. You would talk outloud, not knowingly, but it was something that would help keep your thoughts in order. “I wonder if Shouta will pick up the cat litter this time. I wonder if he even remembered.”

“I remembered.” You looked up, Aizawa making his way towards you. He must have just gotten home, still having his scarf wrapped around him. He pressed his lips to your cheek, lingering for a second before pulling away. “Y/n, this is Shinso.” The boy appeared from behind Aizawa, his head hung low as he looked everywhere but at you. 

“Hello there Shinso,” you greeted, bowing in his direction. He seemed shocked, his cheeks flustered at your actions. He mimicked your movement, bowing in return. 

“Hello Mrs. Aizawa! Thank you for this opportunity!” You couldn’t help but let a small laugh leave your parted lips. You placed a hand on his shoulder, finally getting him to look you in the eyes. You felt for him, something about him giving off… a sad energy? Your quirk wasn’t anything flashy, nothing that could be used in the hero field because the only thing you really were capable of doing was feeling another person’s emotions and having them feel yours. You could also manipulate them but you had made a promise to yourself to never alter anyone’s emotions, for that was their right to being human, to feel what they want. 

“Let me know if I can do anything for you.” Shinso’s energy altered a bit, nerves still on edge but as you let your touch linger a bit, you could feel his emotions level out. He was just nervous, something you understood, especially having Aizawa as his teacher. You were usually pretty good about making others feel welcomed around you, for it was your quirk after all. Even with your energy transfer to Shinso, you could tell that as soon as you let go, his energy became uneasy again. 

You decided to shrug it off, knowing that you really couldn’t control how Shinso felt. The best way to make him feel at home, is to genuinely treat him as if he is your family, something you were rather good at without the help of your quirk. 

You could see Aizawa and Shinso through the kitchen window while you prepared their lunch, like you did every day for Aizawa. It wasn’t your job to cater to your husband, it was something you had fallen in love with. Just seeing the look on his face every time you brought him something was enough of a reward for you. Aizawa had also passed on a list of foods Shinso enjoyed, making it easier to fix up something you knew he would love. Just thinking about the situation excited you. 

“No Shinso, not like that.” Aizawa shook his head, taking the scarf from around his neck and quickly wrapping up Shinso, restricting his movements. “See how fast I was able to tie you up? If this was a real scenario, you would’ve been defeated. Now, we’ll try again.” 

“Slow down there, boys,” you managed to interrupt, grabbing their attention simultaneously. “Lunch is ready! Why don’t you guys get cleaned up and come in for a bit. Give the poor boy a little break, don’t you think?” You winked at your husband, causing his stone cold reaction to falter a bit at your actions. “Wash your hands please!” 

“I’ll be right back. Shinso, go ahead and start eating without me.” Aizawa took off down the hall, leaving you and Shinso alone in the kitchen. The minute Aizawa was out of sight, you could feel the air tense up, Shinso’s body mimicking the energy. You furrowed your brows together, confused as to why he was so nervous around you. You wanted to completely understand his  thoughts and feelings without having to use your quirk but he seemed too nervous for you to approach him out of line like this. The only thing you could think of was the fact you had to give him time to warm up to you. 

“Mrs. Aizawa,” Shinso broke the silence, breaking the energy connection you were feeling. “Can I ask you something?” You felt like you had lost control of your mind, your free will being taken away in the blink of an eye. You had remembered his quirk from the sports festival, knowing exactly what he was capable of doing, but to think he would use his quirk on you? 

“Of course.” 

“Do you want me here? I want you to be honest with me. I already feel uneasy about having Mr. Aizawa take me on as a private student and to be honest, I’m more worried about how you feel about me being here. I want the truth Y/n.” You stared at him in disbelief, unfathomed by the idea he had used his quirk on you. You weren’t strong enough to break the connection he had forceably tied between the two of you, falling completly under his brainwashing mind tricks. You had no choice but to force the answer out of you. 

“Shinso!” Aizawa bursted through the door, his quirk activated as he approached the two of you. Shinso jumped, the sense of control being lifted from your mind before you could force your answer out. It was an uneasy feeling you had got from being under such control, but deep down you knew he wasn’t doing it in a malicious way. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” 

“Shouta, please,” you stopped him, causing him to blink which released Shinso from his power. “Let me.” You begged with pleading eyes, knowing that Aizawa was unsettled by what he had walked into. You touched Aizawa’s hand, transferring your emotions onto him which caused him to release any stress he was feeling. You turned towards Shinso, approaching slowly. “Shinso, I can not lie with my quirk. If you give me permission, when I touch you, you will feel 100% of what I feel regarding your question.” Shinso’s face was white, his body trembling as you slowly approached him. “May I?” You hovered your hand above his shoulder, waiting for the okay to activate your quirk. 

Shinso nodded, letting you drop your palm onto his shoulder. The look in his face changed, completely switching from fear to comfort. With you being able to make him feel what you feel, Shinso could tell within the short amount of time that you loved him for who he was. You didn’t need to lie to him, nor did you ever plan on lying to him. What he was feeling was real, genuine, just like you had said. You lifted your hand, giving Shinso a welcoming smile as you opened your arms. 

When transferring your emotions, you couldn’t help but feel his, the ones he was so good at hiding. He felt pain, loss, insecurities all within himself. It pained your heart to know he is suffering in silence almost every day. When Shinso welcomed your embrace, you knew what Aizawa was really trying to do this whole time. 

“He lacked confidence,” Aizawa admitted. “You were the only person I could think of that would open that up for him.” Aizawa pulled your body into his side, embracing you in his arms. He placed a small kiss on your cheek, letting it linger like he always did. “I’m sorry if that was stressful for you. I didn’t think it would have come to that.” 

“To be honest, I don’t mind. My quirk isn’t something crazy powerful-”

“You have the most amazing power!” Aizawa was quick to cut you off. “You are so strong. The strongest person I know, even stronger than All Might.” You couldn’t help but laugh, becoming flustered by his comment. “I’m serious. Human emotion is the silent killer to us all and you have the power to prove that. Y/n, you’re incredible, and I’ve always thought that.” 

“Hey!!” Shinso ran over to your spot on the outer deck, pulling you both from your conversation. “I’m sorry to interrupt but if we go up on the second level, we’ll be able to see the fireworks better.” He looked a bit shy about his outburst, losing eye contact as his expression became more visible. You smiled, taking his reached out hand to help you to your feet. 

Even though Shinso was Aizawa’s student, you loved having him around. He had become a son to both you and Aizawa in a way. You felt for him like he was a born member of your family. And looking up at Aizawa, seeing the look he had on his face, you could tell he felt the same way.