#learning how to trust raven while he learns to take care of her

[steampunk-raven]

do you ever think about the fact that han mi was *at most* 13 when her mom was killed?

do you ever think about the fact that there's a non-zero chance han got her first period while hiding with her parents, given her general age range was the average time people first start menstruating?

do you ever think about the fact that, if she did get her first period, her parents likely wouldn't have enough resources to help her through it? They wouldn't have been expecting her to get it, not like how han's mother would have (probably) prepared enough supplies for herself.

do you ever think about the fact han mi's mother died buying tampons?

do you think she blames herself?

[lizzieheartsfanclub]

The most effective thing about Ever After High is that every student has their own personal struggle that adds another element to just how life-ruining the destiny system is.

Apple is so terrified of what will happen to her if she doesn’t follow her destiny, that she is willing to compromise everyone else’s happiness to make sure it happens. This disregard for other people is only encouraged by the influential adults in her life.

Ashlynn has to be a servant to an abusive family and live knowing that the ultimate end to her supposedly happy ending is dying to set the stage for her daughters traumatic backstory, starting the whole cycle over again with no chance for any of them to escape.

Blondie feels so pressured to fit in to a deeply classist/monarchist society and ashamed of her parentage that she constantly presents a fake version of herself to everyone she knows, even her best friends.

Briar has to spend her whole life waiting for the moment her destiny comes and she falls asleep for a century. She knows that when she’s woken up, she will be forced to marry a boy dozens of years younger than her who she’s never met and live knowing that everyone she ever loved is dead and gone, the very things that she watched cause her mother’s emotional breakdown.

Cedar’s father was so afraid of watching her repeat his mistakes that he overcorrected, making it impossible for her to ever learn lessons for herself. She is also forced to share incredibly personal details with anyone who asks her questions, and can’t be trusted by her friends with any of their secrets, and it’s all because of her father’s past trauma.

Cerise has to hide who she truly is and never gets to see her family together and happy despite the fact that her parents have potentially the most healthy and mutually beneficial marriage in the whole franchise.

Daring was groomed from birth for a destiny that ends up not actually being his at all, leaving him aimless, feeling as though he has no purpose and has wasted his entire life.

Darling is forbidden by patriarchy and destiny to become a knight, the only thing she really wants, and at which she would be better than both of her brothers. She has to hide who she is and what she loves from everyone she knows

Dexter lived his whole life never knowing what his destiny would be but also knowing that whatever it was he’d have to commit to it forever the moment he discovered it at Legacy Day.

Duchess has spent her whole life knowing that the story she’s commited to living out ends in tragedy for her, and then had to watch the very people she’s been jealous of for years because of their seemingly happy endings give up those endings, while Duchess, loyal and rule following Duchess, is still stuck with her tragedy.

Faybelle tries so hard to commit to what she sees at her destiny that she’s never had a real friend in her life. Even still, no one recognizes her for all that effort and all she’s given up to be a suitable villain. Everyone is more afraid of Raven, who doesn’t even want to be evil.

Hunter has to constantly go against his moral compass to fulfill his destined role as a Huntsman and to try and make his father proud of him.

Kitty has been taught over and over again to value her Mother’s approval over all else, even at the expense of her friends. Her destiny is to create mischief, but how much more mischief can a dissolving world take before it’s too much?

Lizzie finds it almost impossible to express love or care for anyone else due to her mothers excessive conditioning that’s nearly akin to brainwashing. The saddest thing might be that her mother is actually, in her own way, trying her best to prepare Lizzie for a world that will only ever see her one way—as a villain. Now she lives in Ever After, princess to a kingdom that might not even exist for much longer, having given up everything for a destiny that may soon be impossible.

Maddie is a refugee forced from her home into a world she barely understands at a tender age. But she cannot express any angst or negative feelings about this circumstance, because to do so would go against her character. She lives in a world obsessed with destiny and stories while not even knowing if she’ll ever be able to return home and live out her story.

Raven is judged by almost everyone around her for her mothers crimes, many of which were required of her by destiny in the first place. She is nearly forced to commit to becoming a tyrannical megalomaniac (and almost falls into it herself, several times) who would be sentenced to lifelong punishment and torture for committing acts that weren’t even her idea in the first place, and the one punishing her would have been the very girl who begged so often for her to stop being so difficult and just follow her destiny.

[anistarrose]

the thing I keep coming back to about TAZ Balance, I think, is that there's heroes — lots of them, even — but there's not really a hero, not a singular one. when our characters try to save the world all on their own, and oh, do they try, their arcs — while eventually culminating in happy endings, for the most part — are, at the time, cast as tragedies. lone heroes, in TAZ Balance, are invariably tragic heroes.

Lucretia can't gather all the Grand Relics and defeat the Hunger on her own. Barry can't find Lup, much less sway Lucretia from her plan, on his own. Lup, crushed by guilt, sets off to neutralize her greatest mistake without even facing her family as she leaves, and that decision sets the story into motion in the first place. their intent to spare their family, to shoulder the burden alone so no one else will have to, fixes little and leaves them isolated. lonely. trapped.

even Magnus, rustic Folk Hero of Raven's Roost, fails to avenge the community that took him in. he sets off on a solitary mission to do so, never opening up about his pain to even his closest friends, but he never sees Kalen again. yet, maybe not too late, he learns, or rather, remembers — the strength to protect and avenge others comes from the strength to ask for help. the last thing helping anyone is trying to do this alone.

Lucretia assembles the Bureau, and as soon as she sees a way, brings Tres Horny Boys back under her wing. Barry, the very same day that Lucretia recruits them, sees the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet surface, and realizes it's time to put his trust in his family again — he shows himself to them soon after, and even with him putting up a facade, that's progress. and Lup, with endless time to reflect, is possibly the first of all of them to see where she went wrong. she won't be making that mistake again.

there's not a singular hero of the story, because taking on the burden of saving everyone is no task meant for one person. there's "our heroes," Tres Horny Boys, and there's the secondary, "secret," but no less important heroes who complete the ranks of the IPRE, but none can defeat the Hunger — nor reunite their family, nor vanquish an old foe — without leaning on each other, and on the new bonds they forged on this cycle. leaning on Johann, Kravitz, Team Sweet Flips, and the whole ensemble; every single connection that convinced them not to flee but to fight.

accepting that none of them can, that none of them should, be the hero alone — that's what averts the tragic end. the Hunger, terrible as it is, is wholly united, sharing and amplifying each other's despair. the only way to victory is to rely on each other, to care for each other, to learn how to be cared for, and to let your loved ones grant you hope.

[stardust-and-snickerdoodles]

fall asleep, close my eyes, and disappear pt. 1

fandom: X-Men

pairing: Charles Xavier x Reader

summary: Charles Xavier is familiar with the weight of his students' past traumas, including yours. At least that's what he thinks, until a mission-related injury prompts him to delve into your mind, uncovering a deep-seated trauma you've repressed. Fearing he's caused more harm, Charles works with you to reveal this forgotten memory and heal from your past experiences.

tags/warnings: injury, rape aftermath/recovery (implied), anxiety, panic attacks, emotional hurt/comfort, charles xavier trying his very best not to invade someone else's privacy

word count: 2089

Charles Xavier is well-acquainted with the traumatic past lives of his students. It is easy to see how many of them had come from terrible circumstances, how many had been ridiculed or hurt or abandoned. He has seen his share of darkness as well, and he wishes to protect his students from any more of it.

Amidst all the sadness and despair that clouds the minds of the youngsters, there is you. Old enough to be a teacher, but new enough to your powers to still be a student. You are close with Charles due to your age, but keep him an arm’s length away. You, too, had been hurt in the past. You don’t want to trust your heart to anyone… yet.

Being surrounded by all the young students, you know you have to put on a brave face. You smile in the hallways and laugh and tell jokes. And things are fine – you enjoy your pseudo-parental role at the school.

But something is missing. A heaviness weighs on your mind, something dangerous that you subconsciously suppress. All you know is that sometimes you wake in the middle of the night gasping, and it feels like you’ve lost something.

Charles knows of course – Charles always knows – but figures you’ll come to him when you feel comfortable. He learned his lesson about prying into people’s minds long, long ago. And he doesn’t want to push you away the way he’d pushed away others (Erik, Raven, Jean – no, he shouldn’t think of these things). He cares for you far too much to lose you.

That being said, as time passes, Charles can't help but grow more and more concerned. He hears you lying awake at night, or even worse, in the throes of a nightmare. Yet in the morning, it seems all is well. You carry on as always, no worse for wear. It worries Charles. The temptation to just read your mind and see what plagues you is all too strong. But he respects your privacy.

But he can’t stay out of your mind forever, no matter how much he wants to.

The X-Men had been sent off to assist a crew of miners who had been trapped in a cave. A small mishap led to a few injuries amongst the team, nothing serious but certainly enough to warrant a visit to Hank after. You received the worst of it – your powers of telekinesis meant you were in the thick of it, pulling rocks off the imprisoned crew – when a section of the wall crumbled away on top of you. You managed to block most of the debris, but a well-timed drop of a boulder managed to clip you on the head, knocking you unconscious for a brief interlude. You woke shortly thereafter, already on the ship and headed home, but the team insisted you get checked out despite your protests.

When you arrive back at the school, Hank and Charles wait with matching anxious expressions. You stumble along with the help of Kurt, trying to look like you aren’t leaning too heavily on him.

Charles and Hank rush to you. Hank comes up on your left to support that side, while Charles sweeps his eyes over you protectively. You wave them off with a bloodied hand. “I’m fine, guys, seriously.” You aren’t – your head is pounding – but students are standing at the doors to the school, and you know you have to put on a brave face for their sake.

Hank side-eyes you. “You’re bleeding.”

“Hank, take her to the lab. I’ll be down shortly,” Charles says, barely keeping the worry out of his voice. You flash him what you hope is a reassuring smile. It doesn’t seem to change his expression.

Down in the lab, Hank runs a myriad of tests, all while you complain and insist that you are fine. Eventually, he lets out a sigh. “Well, everything looks okay.” You move to hop off the exam table when he holds out a hand to stop you. “But I want Charles to take a look to make sure you didn’t goof up your brain. I can’t see everything on a CT scan.”

You groan and settle back in. Charles, always with a talent for dramatic timing, enters at that precise moment. “How are you feeling?” he says as he rolls up to the table.

“Like I said before, I’m fine. Just a little bump, is all.”

Charles stares at you, as if trying to read your mind without actually doing it. His eyebrows furrow before he turns to his colleague. “Hank?”

Hank crosses his arms. “Her scans all seem fine. A bit of rest should take care of the residual ache. But I’d like you to see for yourself. Just in case.”

Charles nods and looks at you again. “Are you alright with that?”

You shrug. “Go for it, professor.”

Charles wheels himself a little closer. “Lay back,” he murmurs, positioning himself at the head of the exam table.

You do as he asks, and Charles places two warm fingers on your temple. Your eyes flutter shut as you feel him enter your mind.

Charles weaves through the lanes of your conscious, seeking out any damage. He takes in your recent memories, watches the rock wall crumble on top of you. He digs deeper, searching further into your past. He watches as you come to the school, watches you trudge through the rainy streets as a homeless beggar, watches your family leave you. Charles breezes past those memories as quick as he can – no sense in dwelling on the things that cannot be changed. He races down neural pathways and connections, spotting nothing of note.

That is, until he slams into a mental wall, one so thick and aversive that even he might have a hard time getting through it. He is so deep into your mind that he isn’t sure you even know this exists. Concern courses through him as he attempts to break through the wall. But it won’t give, at least not without causing you distress. Already he can hear you – outside your mind, in the real world – whimpering in anguish.

Charles pulls away, mentally and physically, drawing his hands from your temples. Your eyes shoot open, and for a moment there’s a flash of fear in them. But it’s gone in an instant. Charles realizes how starved for air he seems to be and takes in a deep breath.

You sit up quickly. “All good?” you ask.

Charles nods, unable to speak, and you hop off the table. Before he or Hank can get another word in, you are out the door and on your way.

“Charles?” Hank looks at his friend in confusion. “What is it? What did you see?”

The professor stares blankly at the table. “Her mind… There’s something… I’m not sure.”

“Is it from the accident?”

Charles shakes his head. “No, this was… deeper. Further back. Something she’s repressed. I doubt she even knows it’s there.”

…

Upstairs, your fellow teammates greet you with sighs of relief and gratitude for making the mission a success. Someone proposes the idea of drinks, and all of a sudden people are putting coats on and discussing plans for the night.

“Um, I think I’m going to pass on this one,” you announce, wringing your hands together nervously. You’re afraid to miss out on the festivities, but your head is aching and you know you should probably rest.

Your team wishes you well and heads out, and soon you are left in the kitchen alone. You trudge up the stairs to your room, nearly ready to collapse from exhaustion. It seems fate had other plans for you though, for as soon as your back hits the mattress, there’s a knock on your door.

You groan quietly and twist your hand in the direction of the door. It opens with a soft click and soon you hear the telltale sound of Charles’s wheels on the floor.

You squint at him out of one eye as he makes his way to the side of your bed. “Yes?” you question when he doesn't say anything. “Did you need something?”

“No, no,” Charles reassures, his voice soft. “I just wanted to make sure you truly were alright.”

“Well, my head hurts something awful but I think I just need to rest,” you reply honestly.

Charles nods and you turn on your side to face him, pulling a pillow under your cheek. Again, the professor says nothing more, just gazes at you with those striking blue eyes of his. You watch him for a moment, before you feel your eyes begin to drift closed.

Just as you’re about to fall asleep, you hear him murmur. “What?” you grumble, slightly annoyed that your peace was disturbed.

Charles clears his throat and speaks up. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“You know you can ask me anything,” you yawn. Sleep pulls your eyelids closed again.

“Would it be alright if I looked into your mind while you were sleeping?”

You snort out a laugh. “I love when people ask before they violate my privacy.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

You snap your eyes open, only to see him starting to wheel away. “No, Charles, it’s fine. I was joking.”

“Right.” He comes closer to the bed again.

“Did you see something wrong earlier?” Panic creeps into your voice at the thought. “Is there something wrong with my brain?”

“No, darling, of course not,” Charles rushes. “You’re… perfect. I just want to make sure. Sometimes things can be revealed in sleep that are not present while we are awake.”

That seems to make sense to you, so you settle further into your pillow, letting your eyes fall closed again. “Well, just… have fun digging around, I guess,” you mutter. “Don’t break anything.”

Before long, you’re out like a light.

Charles wastes no time in laying his fingers on your temples again. This time, he knows where he’s headed and he makes his way along the pathways quickly. He can feel a heaviness begin to weigh on him as he comes closer to the mental block. Perhaps this is what causes your nightmares, your occasional zoning out, your sad disposition that hid behind a cheerful façade.

Charles prepares himself as he approaches the wall, trying to get a sense for its depth and meaning. He can tell that this blockade was formed long ago. Perhaps not in your childhood – it isn’t that far back – but maybe as a teenager. And it’s so strong, it rivals his own mental walls.

Carefully, Charles begins to pick away at the wall. He pushes and pulls at the tenuous strings that make up the outer barrier, then chisels away at more cemented bits further in. The further he goes, the heavier the darkness seems to become. His own mind is beginning to feel fatigued, but he can sense he’s close. Whispers of this forgotten memory slip through the cracks that form, not enough to make out but he knows they’re there.

Finally, finally, he breaks through. And instantly, he wishes he hadn’t.

No.

Stop.

Please!

Charles forces himself out of your mind, his breaths coming in short gasps. The room has darkened with the approaching night, and your still-sleeping form is illuminated by moonlight. Charles runs a shaking hand over his eyes. What have I done?

As he looks on, your body begins to shake and tremble. You let out heart-wrenching cries as a nightmare overtakes you. Those same cries that he hears every night, those same cries he just heard in your subconscious. “Don’t break anything,” you had said. Has he broken you?

The wall. He has to put the wall back in place. This memory, this horror… He has to protect you. With trembling fingers, Charles re-enters your mind.

Already he can see the memory seeping out, its darkness spilling into the recesses of your mind. Charles feels his heart sink as he realizes the damage he’s caused. It’s like Jean all over again.

Except this time, he is determined not to lose you.

Brick by brick, string by fragile string, Charles rebuilds the barricade around the memory. He seals in as much of it as he can.

Not forever, no. Not like Jean.

He will help you reveal it yourself. And then he will help you heal.

But to let it all out at once… that would destroy you.

>>>

part 2

[ravenelyx]

･* kaia's masterlist *･

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other accounts : ao3 / wattpad / twitter / tiktok

fanart account : @raven-lyx

☂ : angst

ღ : fluff

❀ : smut

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Hogwarts Legacy

Sebastian Sallow

I Love You In Every Timeline - ☂/ღ/?

(Sebastian Sallow x Fem!Reader)

AO3 • Tumblr

Summary: "He turned around, and the world seemed to stop around him. She had followed him: into another timeline, into another universe." In which Sebastian, in his search for a cure in the Dark Arts, finds himself 100 years into the future and meets his most trusted companion's descendant (who looks far too similar to the girl he was once secretly in love with).

I like you(r) - ღ

(Sebastian Sallow x GN!Reader) - 1.3k words

AO3

Summary: Sebastian likes a lot of things about you, like your sweet perfume... or your lips

Loved like...? - ❀/ღ

(Sebastian Sallow x Fem!Reader) - 0.57k words

AO3

Summary: Sebastian finds out about his new favourite part of your body

Arranged Heartbreak - ☂/ღ

(Sebastian Sallow x Fem!Reader) - 15k words

AO3

Summary: "He felt a sudden urge to lean in, to kiss her and show her that all this courtesy and proper behaviour meant nothing to him. He just wanted her. He just wanted to be hers." Falling in love had never been easy. Falling in love with an upper-class muggle-born? A recipe for assured heartbreak.

Apple Of My Eye - ღ

(Sebastian Sallow x Fem!Reader) - 1k words

AO3

Summary: You've been getting headaches for a while - far too long for Sebastian’s comfort, and he can't help but worry.

Cobwebs - ღ

(Sebastian Sallow x Fem!Reader) - 2k words

AO3

Summary: When a festival in your hometown causes you to dress up with medieval clothes, dance and act, Sebastian couldn't be happier and more proud - until he realises you will have a partner through all of it. And the partner is not him.

I need you. - ☂/ღ

(Sebastian Sallow x GN!Reader) - 1.1k words

AO3

Summary: Sebastian has different ways of dealing with being hurt. One of them is burying his face in your chest while you cuddle him.

Meanderings and Boats - ☂/ღ

(Sebastian Sallow x GN!Reader) - 0.5k words

AO3

Summary: Sebastian has lost too many people, and he thinks it's all he deserves. So what authority does he have to hope for better treatment?

✧

Ominis Gaunt

Strained - ღ

(Ominis Gaunt x Fem!Reader) - 0.97k words

AO3

Summary: exams have taken a toll on you and your health - especially your eyes. Thankfully, Ominis is there to take care of you.

Let me in. - ☂/ღ

(Ominis Gaunt x Fem!Reader) - 1k words

AO3

Summary: Ominis Gaunt has never learned how to love. But he has you, and you're willing to teach him.

✧

Headcanons

Sebastian's wand (wood, core, and flexibility)

Ominis' wand (wood, core, and flexibility)

Sebastian Sallow is the type of boyfriend

Sebastian is a gentle hugger

Sebastian is the type to get random bursts of affection

Vampire!Sebastian

Sebastian love bombs

Sebastian is protective

Sebastian lacks love

Dad!Sebastian

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Harry Potter

coming soon

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WIP list

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[bestworstcase]

something interesting that popped into my head re: maiden talk. objectively between winter, weiss, and jaune, winter is the one most committed to atlas the nation; her line to ironwood, "I have never wavered in fighting the enemies of this kingdom, and I won't start now" has always stood out to me and I find it... interesting. Winter has the winter maiden powers and is probably the most high-ranking Atlas official to survive the fall. Raven, in committing to her tribe, places herself squarely in Mistral. Cinder steals Amber's powers in Vale, a country historically against Atlas (notably in the Great War), therefore aligning with her own sentiments. I doubt there is actually anything to this, but it feels like more reason to believe the Summer maiden will be in and associated with Vacuo. also as I rewatch the ironwood fight, he says that he never expected Winter to betray him... I have to wonder if he groomed Winter into joining the Atlesian military, or planted the seed in her mind, thinking that if he could mold someone into the lieutenant he needed that he'd never have to worry because he would have been totally responsible for them. (as in, taught them everything and shaped their morals and scruples). we know that as head of atlas he is the headmaster of the atlas academy but what better way to make sure that your protege never gets any "ideas" by picking someone who is isolated and desperate to escape, who wants to be cared for and about by someone and especially someone like him? if they never go to the academy they won't have the distraction of "friends" and "teams" and "allegiances." this could in part explain why her sword and rapier (?) are like ironwood's bfg and due process- she modelled them after him. also of course must be mentioned that when James realized Winter had inherited the maiden powers, he says that the destiny he chose for her had arrived. he must have known that it means penny is dead, but that doesn't matter to him at all. i think that's part of why winter is so pissed when she says "you chose nothing. this was a gift." she has to grieve her friend and a man who stands before her claiming he feels betrayed doesn't even seem surprised or sad about the death.

…hm yeah. throws that on the "gillian asturias is the summer maiden" pile

the WOR episode on huntsmen implies this pretty overtly, as ozpin notes that atlas academy has been under increasing scrutiny for "indoctrinating" its students into the military and pressuring graduates to enlist as special operatives, and…

ironwood also personally invites weiss to enroll at atlas in V4, and he knows jacques personally--prior to the fall of beacon it's implied they were political allies even, so he certainly knows what kind of person jacques is and how he treats his children. and then the way he talks to the kids when he gives them their licenses in V7 implies an expectation of personal loyalty--he needs huntsmen he can trust at his side.

i think he probably saw it as himself opening doors and taking a personal interest in promising students, much as ozpin does--bc ironwood very much does view himself as ozpin's most important lieutenant and natural successor, based on his unilateral actions after the fall--without necessarily recognizing (or caring) how manipulative and exploitative this sort of behavior is. but 100%, absolutely he was surprised by winter's "betrayal" because he thought she was his perfect protégé, never realizing she could still think for herself.

the funny thing is, projecting absolute obedience and deference while keeping her true thoughts and feelings behind a faultless mask is almost certainly a survival skill winter learned to protect herself from jacques, and she slips seamlessly into doing that the instant ironwood begins to make choices she disagrees with.

ditto her decisions in V8: winter sees ironwood murder a councilman in cold blood, going past "martial law" all the way to "military coup," and she sees the ace-ops brace up and fall in line. so what does she do? quietly stays put and starts doing what she can to sabotage him. she lets JYR go, then--upon realizing that they must have been the ones to blow up the whale, and thus probably survived--immediately turns around and declares they're going back to ironwood, no searching for the hostages, they'll tell him something else blew up the whale in person. jumping in to "arrest" marrow before ironwood shot him wasn't the moment winter "came to her senses"--that happened when she saw ironwood shoot sleet. it was just the moment when she saw she could do more good by leaving than by staying to mitigate ironwood's excesses. & i would bet anything that is exactly how winter was with her siblings when they were children: appeasing jacques and presenting as the perfect obedient child, and using the relative freedom that gave her to make things easier for her siblings in small, quiet ways.

ironwood just never noticed that he'd burned through all of winter's trust and all the chances she was willing to give him.

as for his reaction to penny's death: another moment i think about fucking constantly is this:

the way her focus goes right to penny's sword. the pause before she responds "sir?" to ironwood's greeting because she's so caught up in her worry for penny. (watts being… watts, and silently gloating at her because he can tell how bothered she is. framed between ironwood and harriet, who don't see penny as anything but a weapon to get under control.)

there's a reason winter is such a storm of feelings when she lets JYR go to try to save their friend, and the reason is she's terrified and angry and disgusted by whatever ironwood did to penny while she was being fitted into that brace, unable to intervene or protest.

so a day later, when penny dies and ironwood shrugs? it's not just that he's indifferent. ironwood is directly responsible for penny's death--he made the devil's bargain with watts, he authorized that virus, he is the reason penny was forced to leave her robotic body behind, he made penny vulnerable to cinder--and winter knows that.

[bri1234]

Meet my MC: Ella

MC of the Month

TCH Masterlist

General

Book: The Cursed Heart

Love Interest: Kieran

Pronouns: She/her

Birthday: March 19th

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: A tiny village

Current location: The Moon Palace

Found Family: Kieran, Longclaw, Sir Monty, Oleander

Magical Animal Friends: Leaf, Plum (thistle bat), Kieran's ravens (occasionally, depends on the day)

Personality: Kind, caring, trusting, patient, loyal, curious, accepting, resilient, honest, imaginative, stubborn, clever, empathetic,

Many believe that Ella's kindness and willingness to trust others is her weakness, but it is truly her greatest strength. She defeated the Sun Court and a power-hungry Fae after all. She even was able to get Kieran to warm up to her, which seemed like a near-impossible task for a while. Her warmth and generous nature shine through in almost all her interactions.

Physical Appearance

Hair: Orangy redish, wavy with curls

Eye color: Blue

Height: 5'6"

Hobbies

Reading: She picked up reading while in the Moon Palace and became a huge bookworm. Kieran would often have to pry books out of her hands to get her to come to bed.

Healing: Despite this technically being a job, she loves being able to help others. She often finds herself reading about all the different Fae plants and learning more about their magical properties from Longcalw, which she finds fascinating.

Ice skating: Winters were normally brutal in the village she grew up in, but her parents would take her to a nearby lake to ice skate on days when the weather was decent. She became very good at it and often would challenge the other village children to races and "skate-offs," as she called it. She explained ice skating to Kieran and he couldn't believe that humans would willingly stand on blades just so they could move on frozen water.

The Past

Childhood: Ella has always been a curious girl. She often would find herself wandering into the woods despite her parents warnings. She dreamed every night of the world the was just past the woods, wonding whether or not the grand, magical tales her parents would tell her before bed were real.

Besides her curiosity, her mother trained her in the art of healing. Ella would often assist her in treating those who were ill in the village and others in neighboring locations. As a young child, she could tell you about any plant growing in the woods, whether it had healing properties, and if it was safe for humans.

When her parents died from illness, the owner of the local tavern took her in. That is where she stayed and when she was old enough, worked until the beginning of TCH 1. But, she did dabble in healing here and there when someone was ill. I like to believe that if fate hadn't brought her and Kieran together, she probably would of become the village healer, following in her mother's footsteps.

The Future

What happens in my HC: Honestly, I'm not really sure yet. I know for a fact that Ella and Kieran get married, but I'm still unsure if I want Ella to stay mortal like how book 2 ends, or somehow find a way to make her become immortal. Maybe I'll have to expore this in a fanfic someday, I'm just not sure when I'll make up my mind lol.

What doesn't happen in my HC but is fun to imagine: Kieran gives up his immortality at the end of book 2. Ella and him get married, have kids, and grow old together. I touched base on this in a fic I posted here. Genuinely want to continue this because I loved writing it soooooo much, so stay tuned lol.

Tagging @choicesficwriterscreations

[rosalinrabbit]

Nectar of the Gods

Blue Banisters Track List

Pairing: Robb Stark x Fem! Mormont Reader

Warnings: Hurt, hurt no comfort, past relationships, family deaths, briefly mentioned violence, final goodbyes, pure angst, Robb being an idiot and putting the North in danger

Summary: After the death of your aunt and your father, you knew you had to return to Bear Island. You couldn’t take it anymore, watching Robb live a life you weren’t a part of any longer. When the King in the North himself finds you packing your bags, many things left unsaid finally come to light.

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N:  This is the start of the Blue Banisters Track List!! (A new project which is likely going to be a bit inconsistent in terms of order and posting)

This fic is a mix of show and book canon if that makes sense? I was rewatching the show and every time we get to the whole Robb x Talisa plotline I lose my mind at how weird it is but I digress. 

You are in charge of your own media consumption. Please read responsibly.

Do not translate or re-upload any of my work. Works are only cross-posted on AO3.

< What sweet world is this? Honey on the vine..

School kid dreams came true, then passed in the night

I used to dream about people like you, now I don’t know why… >

-Lana Del Rey, Nectar of the Gods

You hurried to pack your things from the tent you had once shared with your aunt, the one you still shared with two of her daughters, your cousins, Dacey and Lyra. Maege’s oldest and third oldest. The rest, Alysane, Jorelle, and Lyanna, remained at Bear Island. 

The she-bear is no more. When her daughters decided to remain by the King’s side, you knew you could not. Then, the message came from up North. From the Wall.

To your luck, the raven’s message landed in the hands of Catelyn Stark, not her son’s. It was Catelyn who came up to you, pulling you into her tent to talk alone. Her eyes alone saw the tears when she told you.

Your father was dead. Killed by his own men in a mutiny beyond the wall.

You were taught better than to react in the way you did, in disbelief and agony. In shock. You had stared at the older woman for a few moments before you could even process her words, yet your eyes seemed to beat your mind to it, tears streaming down your face as you stared past Catelyn, towards the opening of the tent and out into the beyond. 

When the sobs broke through, you felt her hands on your arms, holding you up so you wouldn’t fall over, bringing you close and providing you with the comfort only a mother could, even though you would never get to call her by that name.

Even though she herself had expected you to one day.

You were thankful that Catelyn atleast understood your pain. While you hailed from Bear Island, while you held the name Mormont and were loyal as can be to House Stark, while you knew how to fight and lead like the rest of your family, the pain of it all weighed on you. As much as you tried to hide it, for the pride of your house, for your own dignity, it was far too much, and you and the Stark matriarch both knew the pain went beyond the death of your father.

It was everything inbetween. 

The two Stark girls whom you loved like sisters, in what felt like increasingly mortal danger because of Robb’s rebellion. 

The death of your aunt, who cared for you as though you were her own when your mother died, when your much older half-brother Jorah disgraced the house, and when your father left to take the black.

The fear for your house and your future, leaving your dear young cousin Lyanna at home and in charge of Bear Island with her mother’s most trusted advisors.

The fact that your father was killed by his own men, by the job he had commited his life to. 

The heartbreak of Robb moving on.

The anger caused by his stupidity.

The moment you learned he had married that Westerling woman, the one who traveled along with the infantry, healing men who probably didn’t have a chance, you knew this war was doomed. Not because of what Walder Frey would do, but because of Robb’s clear lack of foresight. How could he not see what the rest of you saw? All for one woman.

You had never asked that of him.

Your engagement had been broken off when the war began. He told you he wanted to keep the engagement but did not want you to be a target, and you had told him that the greatest chance he’d have at winning this war was through an advantageous marriage. One that would offer far more than your family could. You didn’t do it because you didn’t love him, no. The both of you were desolate at the reality of it all. In your mind, you hoped he would refuse to marry throughout the war. Hoped the “young wolf” would be strong enough, that he wouldn’t need to. But you knew better, and you knew he needed the numbers. If Arya and Sansa were going to survive, he needed a stronger army and a wife that could offer more to him standing by his side. 

When he promised to marry Walder Frey’s daughter, your heart broke. Yet the passage was worth it. The North was worth it.

You would do it a thousand times over for Sansa and Arya, and you’d do the same for your own young cousins that were like sisters to you. Not that Dacey and Lyra needed protecting, but if they did, you would do it for them without much thought. 

For his family, for his sisters, you broke the engagement. 

And Robb threw all of that away, and the North along with it, by marrying Talisa.

As you changed into more suitable riding clothes, you couldn’t help but think of the past. Of when you thought you had it all figured out. You closed your eyes, and tears slipped out at the memories of him.

Holding his hand and walking through the glass gardens. Braiding Sansa’s hair. Chasing after Bran and Arya as they climbed up walls and through windows.

Or when he kissed you in the Godswood, telling you that you were standing on the spot where you would eventually marry.

Lies.

You would never have any of those things again.

“Y/n?” 

You startled at Robb’s voice, wiping away any stray tears and turning around to prepare to face him, hiding your bags behind your back. 

“Yes, your highness?” You responded bitterly as he entered the tent on your response.

“Please don’t call me that. When did you ever get so formal?” He muttered.

“I’ve always been formal to those who require it.”

“I do not require it of you.”

“Your station and our relationship does.”

“You mean our lack of a relationship?” He bit slightly before calming again.

You stood, unmoving, eyes glazing past him as you waited for him to get on with it. He stepped forward and you stiffened.

“I had realized we never spoke about Maege…” He stepped even closer and his hand reached up before you quickly took a step back from him, confused at his purpose and his words. He looked at you with a pained expression at your coldness, and it just made you angry. None of this was your choice. “Your aunt was a great woman,” he began. “I know you loved her deeply, and she looked after you like you were her own. I am truly sorry for your loss.”

Perhaps, under different circumstances, Robb’s condolences may have made you soften. May have had you second-guessing your choice to leave. Now, looking at him, you could hardly recognize the man you once loved. He spoke with the compassion he always seemed to hold within him, yet the way he stood, the way he looked, he had this strange self-righteousness. As if this could save you from your pain… and what of your father? He must not know.

You stood there staring at him before you spoke, in as neutral a tone as you could muster. “We have all made great sacrifices, your highness. I believe my aunt may rest easy knowing her own sacrifice, that of her life, saved countless others.” Unlike you, you thought to yourself. No, he sacrifices others. Not himself. 

Robb wasn’t an idiot, and his expression sunk at your words. “I appreciate every sacrifice that has been made on behalf of the North.”

Sadness and anger were welling up within you, and gods, you wanted to yell at him. You wondered if you could still get away with something like that, yet you simply muttered, thinking of your father, your aunt, the stark girls. “And a great many, indeed.”

“Y/n… do not insinuate that I do not know sacrifice. I have lost as much, if not more, compared to all those here.” 

“Whatever you believe,” you spoke, looking directly into his eyes, “it doesn’t really matter in the end, does it? It doesn’t matter what we’ve lost, it��s already gone.” You turned your head away, willing tears to stay put in your eyes.

“I am sorry.”

You didn’t know what he was apologizing for. “It is what it is.”

“I made you a promise. And I broke it.”

“You did.”

“Why must you always act like it doesn’t matter to you?” He scoffed, frustrated. There was a pause. “Were you.. were you packing up your things to leave?”

You turned to look at your bags on the bed.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, your highness.”

“Don’t call me that, please, for gods sakes. And all I ever wanted was an ounce of pushback from you! We were to be married, and you gave that away so easily, yet now you punish me for it every day because I married Talisa!”

“Robb,” you spoke harshly, stopping his rant, giving him what he seemed to want. An honest response. “You’re right, I am angry with you. Just not for the selfish reasons you think I am.”

“Well if you’re abandoning the war effort, it’s better for me to hear it now before you’re taken prisoner.”

You sighed at his childish threat. “I think you haven’t seen a single thing I’ve done. Of course breaking the engagement mattered to me! How could you not see that? You know how much I loved you, how on earth could you really think I gave that up so easily? Without second thoughts? I did it for you! And you’re so far up your own arse at this point that you can’t even see that! I sacrificed my love for you for the lives of your sisters. For the chance to win this war. Is that not a good enough reason for you? It’s not that you married Talisa, it’s that I agreed to end the engagement while under the impression that it would change the tides of the war. That you would marry a Frey and secure the twins. But you didn’t do that, Robb. And it felt like a knife in my back.” Robb stood a few paces away from you, a hurt expression across his face, one of shame and sadness. “I made that sacrifice for nothing.”

“I love her. That’s why I married her. I loved, I still love, you… I could not marry a woman I did not love. It wouldn’t have been right for either of us.”

“This is not about love, Robb. It is about duty, and honor. I know you believe what you did was honorable, honorable to the sanctity of vows and marriage… but you killed hundreds if not thousands of our men with your choice. Is that worth it to you? Is that truly so honorable, if it meant breaking your promises?”

“We will make it right with the Freys, and pay our debts another way. But you, you broke your promise to me. And now you stand here with your bags packed, is that not breaking your promise, too?”

“I did it for your family! I did it to try to save your sisters, and I did it for you! How can you not see that? And I’m leaving now because my family is in trouble, my cousins just lost their mother and now must rule the island. I’ve given up so much for you, for your family…” You rose your voice in anger, beginning to lose control of your emotions, hands beginning to shake as you tied up your bags.

“Even if they are family, what would your father think of you being a deserter?”

“Do not speak of my father-“ your voice broke, tears welling up in your eyes. 

“If you were under his command he’d have you killed for abandoning your position, y/n,”

“He’s dead, Robb!” You yelled, eyes locking to his, tears dripping from your eyes like spring rain. “My father is dead.”

“Y/n- I didn’t know,” Robb’s face had fallen to one of sympathy, his hand reached out for you, to comfort you like he had so many times in the past. And this time you let his hand reach your shoulder. You stiffly let him protectively put a hand on the top of your head, and pull you into his embrace. After a moment, you relaxed into his warmth, exhaling shakily as the tears kept coming. “I know how much he meant to you. I am so sorry…”

“Robb, you have to let me go,” you whispered, and you knew he understood you meant he needed to let you return home, because his hold around you was maintained. “I don’t have anything left for me here. I want another chance. A chance to be happy. I want to protect and defend my home, and the family I have left.”

“I can’t,” he told you earnestly. “I can’t.”

“You’re married, you moved on… So why won’t you let me?”

“I didn’t, really. I couldn’t.”

“But you did. You can’t take any of it back, Robb. And I know that I can’t either.” You paused to collect yourself before continuing. “Do you want to know how my father died?”

He was silent for a moment before asking, “how?”

“His own men killed him. There was a mutiny.” His grip around you tightened. “My father was an incredibly respected man. And in the end, no matter how much he did right, he did not pay enough attention to what was right in front of him. I don’t think he ever considered just how possible it was that his men would turn on him.”

“The North is stronger than a band of criminals. We have a family name to stand behind, we have bannermen who swore oaths for generations. It is different,” he rationalized, looking down at you. And you looked up, and then, you could remember why you fell in love with him. With his handsome face and dark curls, his fierce yet pragmatic nature, the overwhelming protection, and the way his adoration for you shone through his eyes. The way you could feel it. And your heart hurt, because you thought he might be wrong. His eyes stayed on yours as you spoke.

“Nothing is as strong as it seems, Robb… You just crossed Walter Frey. One of the most selfish men I’ve ever met, the lord of a great river lands house, and of the crossing, which you desperately need for this war… I could be wrong. I could be, but I’ve already lost you. I’ve already lost your sisters. I’ve lost my aunt, who raised me as her own, and I’ve lost my father. I cannot be here anymore. There is nothing for me here, and while I can never forgive you for the choices you made, I also cannot bear to lose more of you than I already have.” 

Robb brought his hands up to your face, brushing the water from your eyes as his own eyes welled with tears. 

“You have to let me go,” you pleaded again, voice barely even a whisper. 

“I know,” he nodded. “At least let me get a horse and supplies for you. Meet me at the eastern edge of the camp.”

And with that, he quickly withdrew his hands, leaving your tent without a second glance.

As you waited, you ensured you had packed everything. You double-checked the items and re-laced your boots before throwing on a warm cloak and stepping outside. The air was growing colder, and with the winds came winter.

You quickly made your way to the edge, and by the tree line you spotted him. Standing with your horse, already saddled.

He was silent when you approached, and could not meet your eye as he took your bags and attached them. He automatically held a hand out to help you mount, but when you took it, he looked at you again. And he truly looked at you. His eyes ran over the details of your face, like he was committing it to memory, and held your hand like a lifeline. He looked at you with sad desperation, pulling you into a hug once more, tucking your head under his chin and holding you so tight you could hardly breathe. When his grip loosened, he placed a tender kiss to your forehead, and within it held every memory, and every touch. 

“You know where to go. Just promise me to be careful. Go quickly, don’t stop for anyone… I love you, y/n.” His voice sounded hoarse, too much emotion behind it to even speak of.

“I love you too, Robb,” you told him, staring deep into his eyes as you cried for what felt like the millionth time that day. “And I am sorry that wasn’t enough.” 

He simply nodded, and helped you onto the horse.

He did not look at you as you fixed the hold on the reins or the lay of your cloak along your back, but as you urged your horse into a galloping pace and you looked back, his eyes were fixed on you.

You knew then that you would always love him, and no matter how lost he made you feel, and while you could never forgive him, you could now move forward. You knew you could find your way.

Whether Robb made it through or not, your situations wouldn’t change. Too much had transpired to ever go back.

No, even if you both survived this war, you knew that this would be the last time you ever saw Robb Stark.

[rwbyuser24]

Were Ruby's group justified in lie to Ironwood?

I'm back.

Look, this is a controversial and divisive topic. I'm not even sure how to start.

What was hidden, why, and when was it planned to be revealed?

Well, what was hidden was about Ozpin. Why he disappeared and about Salem's immortality.

The reason they hid information is stated by themselves:

"We're really not gonna tell Ironwood about what happened to Oz? What we learned about Jinn? About Salem?"

"We will. But you saw how things looked when we flew into Atlas."

"The General's heart seems to be in the right place, but that doesn't mean we should trust him yet."

"We need to play along for a while before we make any major decisions."

They didn't like the situation in the kingdom, and they don't know if they really should trust Ironwood. It's not known when they planned to reveal it, it's only known that they were sure to reveal it… someday.

2. Was it different from what Ozpin did?

Well… It's complicated. I've seen people defend Ruby's group by saying that they were at least letting Ironwood prove himself, which is more than what Ozpin has done.

However, just because this is better than what Ozpin has done doesn't make it right.

IMHO, I do think it's different from what Ozpin was doing. Ozpin planned to never tell them the truth. With Ruby's group, at least they're claiming that they'll tell the truth eventually.

"Ruby, Oz only trusted himself with the whole truth. You're trusting others, but you're making sure they prove themselves first. I think that's a pretty big difference."

The problem comes with them waiting a while before telling the truth. How much time passes between episode 4 (Pomp and circumstance) and 5 (Sparks) of volume 7? How much longer did they plan to hide the truth from James? Because they did tell him the truth in the end, but he had to tell the truth to Robyn and the council to fully gain Ruby's group's trust. If Ironwood didn't do that, would they have kept the truth from him indefinitely?

3. Maybe they were distrustful because they were let down by authority figures in the past.

Well, if we're being frank, they never really say that's the reason they didn't trust Ironwood.

"We're sorry we kept it from you, too. We didn't know who to trust."

That's what Oscar says.

Also, really, who were the authority figures who let them down? Leonardo, okay, he worked for Salem. Ozpin who was hiding the truth from them all this time. Cordovin didn't let them cross the border, then she made a scandal with her mecha, on top of that, she's racist.

Then there's Qrow… Who isn't even an authority figure. And while his alcoholism is a bad thing, it's not like he let them down either. I mean, he stood by them all the time, he got depressed and decayed, but at the end of the day he's been protecting them and guiding them.

There's Raven. I don't know if I should count her, I mean, she was one of Ozpin's antagonist all the time.

So… They weren't really let down by many authority figures.

4. Telling the truth is a very serious thing

I want you to know that telling the truth is very important. Therefore, it's normal for the kids to be afraid to tell the truth.

When they arrived they saw an impoverished Mantle, turned into a police state. On top of that, the city had few defenses.

"Look around. The embargo, the military presence, the restrictions on assembly. He's a bit prone to overreacting."

You could say that Ironwood is justified in his actions. The embargo is to prevent Salem from infiltrating Atlas. The military presence is to protect the people. And the assembly restrictions are to prevent people from being attacked by Grimm. Even the lack of protection of Mantle is because he prioritizes Atlas over Mantle, and Atlas is the capital, the head of the kingdom, and where the academy and the relic are placed. Is Ironwood really overreacting, or is he just being careful?

Still, that doesn't take away from the fact that his actions are affecting Mantle. They don't know if Ironwood will increase Mantle's burdens even more if he knows the truth. He's already made sacrifices. 5. Hiding the truth is a dangerous thing

Look, I'll just get one thing straight. Amity's plan isn't a bad plan even considering Salem is immortal. Reestablishing global communications is already a good thing because, well, it helps Remnant: It restores trade and all that. Not to mention that it allows the world to unite, which is also a good thing. Even if Ironwood knew the truth, he would still continue with Amity's plan. There are those who say that he would just drop the embargo and border closure which would end Mantle suffering. However, he would continue with both since Amity's plan is still necessary. Salem wins by dividing the population. With Amity, mankind can be unified. Yes, Salem may not be killed, however, but if there is a chance of defeating her, it will be with humanity united.

That aside. I mean, certainly telling the truth would allow everyone to make a better plan for Salem. They could devote more military resources to a plan to contain her instead of spending resources on a plan that seeks to kill her.

6. Does Ironwood know more than them because he's more experienced?

One thing I read was that if they're not willing to make sacrifices, then they should retreat. This is a war, after all.

However, consider that everyone believes that what they do is right. How are they supposed to believe that sacrifices are necessary? They obviously believe that what they do is right. One assumes that if one believe in something, it's because that something is right.

They're young, obviously they're going to believe that there are sacrifices that shouldn't be made. If so, why would they assume that "Ironwood knows best"? Most of them are already adults. Do they really have to assume that Ironwood knows what is right just because he has more experience? Qrow is also experienced and yet, he supported them in hiding the truth from Ironwood. 7. About hypocrisies and contradictions.

" I am so sick of secrets! If we just told everyone about Amity, about Salem--"

Nora says she is sick of secrets. However, she has no problem with keeping secrets from Ironwood.

"Everybody thinks what they're doing is right, but usually, they're just looking out for themselves and their secrets."

She was obviously referring to Ozpin, even if Winter didn't know it. Anyway, she is also being hypocritical, she criticizes Ozpin when she is also keeping secrets.

8. Some changes.

Personally, I would have liked the characters to argue a lot more. To see the point of view of Jaune, Ren and Nora as well. It would have even been interesting if they had formed 2 groups: Some would be in favor of telling him and others would be against it. Oscar, Yang and Ren would be part of the first group, and the rest would be part of the second.

You know, more variety of opinions and all.

9. Conclusions.

Look, I think the right thing to do would have been to tell the truth. However, I think they had reasons for not telling the truth.

Nevertheless I think, first and foremost, they ultimately had to feel guilty for what they did. To apologize together, yes, even Weiss and Nora. The only one who had the decency to apologize was Oscar.

I wish there were more consequences for their actions. Sure, Ironwood lost trust in them, but we as viewers are supposed to consider Ironwood to be wrong. Plus, even if they didn't lie to Ironwood, he would have arrested them anyway.

Ironwood trusted in them and he received distrust from them.

[threewaywithdelusion]

What is with the slew of out of character All For The Game fics?

This is going to be rant-y and full of spoilers, so feel free to skip. Trigger warnings for anything mentioned in the books (if you’re reading this and you’re not in the fandom, mostly SA).

What the hell is going on? I’ve been reading in this fandom for 5 years and while there are still some really excellent fics being published these days, there are also so, so many that are out of character.

The rise of the Kevaaron ship terrifies me. Who is shipping this? Aaron is extremely homophobic and very in love with Katelyn. These are two very important aspects of his character. His homophobia is a major source of conflict between him and Andrew and him and Nicky, and while you can have him learn and grow in a fic (and some people have written that really well!), I think making him gay/bi/whatever takes away from that. Also, he really, really loves Katelyn. Enough to date her in secret for a year while risking Andrew’s wrath. Enough to fight for her. Enough to agree to go to therapy with Andrew. Loving Katelyn is a really important part of Aaron’s character and I feel like people are throwing it away because they want all the main characters to be paired off with each other. What do Kevin and Aaron even have in common?

But that’s not even my main issue. I’ve been scrolling through AFTG fics for the past few days, trying to find one that is both up my alley and that I haven’t already read. And there’s a really strange amount of fics where Andrew and/or Neil are out of character? There are fics where Neil says “please” in front of Andrew. There are fics (not future fics) where they don’t ask “yes or no” before touching each other. There are fics where Andrew has good communication skills and openly comforts Neil. Why is he doing that?! Andrew’s methods for comforting Neil are putting a hand on the back of his neck, telling him to stop freaking out, and saying comforting things like “your parents are dead, you are not fine, and nothing is going to be okay.” (The Raven King). And IT WORKS. Neil finds Andrew’s apathy comforting. Andrew may go to therapy, but he doesn’t talk like it. Please stop writing him like he does.

Also, what’s with all the sex AUs? I understand that people want to write whatever AUs they like in whatever fandom they like. But there’s been an explosion of fics where Neil and Andrew are porn stars/fuckbuddies/Neil’s a prostitute. In this fandom more than any other, that makes no sense. When people write fanfic AUs, they are taking the canon characters and setting them in a new world. And in order to do that, they have to keep certain core characteristics about the characters the same. Neither Neil nor Andrew would ever be the type to have casual sex, and that is an IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTIC for both of them. (I’m not saying Andrew would never sleep with strangers. I’m saying he would be extremely careful and would never let his walls down with his one night stand). Andrew’s trauma happened early in his life and has completely shaped the person he has become. If you excise it from the story and make him completely free-spirited about sex, you’re writing about a different character. That is not Andrew Minyard.

I’m also convinced some of you don’t understand how asexuality works. Neil is demisexual, which means he needs a deep emotional connection with someone to be attracted to them. This means he would never be attracted to Andrew unless and until he knew and trusted him. He would not have sex with Andrew once upon meeting him and suddenly like sex. It’s not about Andrew just existing as a person! It’s about how Neil feels about Andrew. Sexual attraction and libido are also two completely different things, so a person can feel horny but without wanting to do anything about it or involve another person. (Neil never seems to experience this in canon, but it’s possible he could experience it). There are some really great fics in the fandom that accurately portray Neil’s sexuality! I just wish more people were careful when writing Neil because he’s one of the very few canonically ace characters in media and I don’t think people are necessarily trying to change his sexuality but I think they’re forgetting it’s a valid and important part of his character and writing attraction how they experience it.

Please do your research before writing! I know fanfic is for fun and for free and something people do with their spare time. There’s no rules and you can do whatever you want! If you want to completely ignore this post, that is your prerogative. I’m just getting really frustrated trying to find a fic to read that is not out of character and I needed to vent my frustrations.

If you understand why this is happening (especially with more recent fics) please comment and let me know! Im genuinely curious. And if you have fic recs, please leave them! I’ve read all the big ones, but I’d love recs for less popular but very in-character stories.

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

This has probably been asked before, but what’s your favourite RWBY ship and why? I’m curious

You're forcing a bisexual to make a choice! this is a warcrime!

...

In all seriousness, I can't quite say. My favorite waxes and wanes, ebbs and flows. Obviously I have my favourites but no one ship takes the cake for me, but if I had to give to whiteknight, which I can really only explain why I like by comparing and contrasting it to my inarguable second favorite ship, Bumbleby.

Bumbleby is generally well crafted. Yang and Blake are opposites of each other, not reflections of each other.

Yang and Adam using their anger and pain to bring others down, but one of them learned to handle their negative emotions while the other was swallowed by them.

Blake and Raven ran from people that cared for them, to go back to familiar haunts, but one found her way back to her team, while the other stole herself away, forever.

But I have a few issues with it.

Most of Yang and Blake's growth seemed to be more for each other than anyone else. Mostly Blake,but that's because CRWBY handled most of the faunus stuff poorly. So I suppose it's less a problem with either Blake or Yang, but the fact that the biggest problem for blake (Before she learned about Salem) was the rights of faunus.

The confession scene, looking at it in hindsight, kinda feels like it forced them to confess, but it feels good to watchm and listen too.

But whiteknight?

It's two kids with the weight of their family legacies on their back.

Weiss, lonely and self-centered, who is used to having nothing but perfect expectations put on them, and to hold, and both have it met and to meet those expectations, who can't trust others, learns to be kind, let people make mistakes, and to be supportive, and to learn to trust others, and be genuinely trusted in return.

Jaune, with nothing but perseverance and friendliness, who presumably had low expectations put on him, who wanted nothing more than to be a hero and to be celebrated for it (He also really did want to help people. Truly.) was taught how to be that hero, and with that lesson also learned the truth behind being a hero.

Weiss gained the family she never had, and Jaune gained the life he always wanted.

And in the beginning they were horrible for each other. Jaune was annoying and pretty dumb, Weiss was far too stuck up.

But now? Weiss learned to be herself because of and For team RWBY. Jaune learned to be smart and stopped caring about getting recognized.

Weiss has seen Jaune at his lowest and Supported him. Jaune has saved Weiss, and protected her, and She's done her best to protect him in turn.

They're both utility on their teams, they both work best in supportive roles, and they both wield swords.

Plus I headcanon that Jaune's Dad took Mama Arc's name when they got married, because he loved her so much he didn't want her to change for him, which I only just realized as I wrote this, makes for a damn good parallel with Jacques and Willow.

[ficsofabotchedmind]

A Murder in High Castle

Summary? Lots of blood. But it is an original work with original characters.

Warnings: Blood, knives, murder, abuse, mentions of drugs, gore.

Prologue

Tommy was always a special child, fascinated in things a child shouldn't be fascinated in. His eyes were always glued to the TV at night after sneaking out of his room into the living room as he watched crime shows like 'Dexter' and 'Criminal Minds, seeking comfort, understanding in the fictional world, and drawing ideas from it.

The young child grew fascinated by the looks of the fake blood, the knives, the gore of it all and that's something a child should not be interested in to that extent.

He began to wonder what it felt like to feel the blood on his hands, how the weight of the knife would feel, how much resistance the body would give when faced with a knife wielded by his tiny hands.

As Tommy grew, he began to imagine the perfect disposal methods. He would write the different methods in a journal and lay awake at night imagining the different ways of approach, slowly deciding on which to put into practice when he found the perfect victim.

Tommy, while he is far from normal, he still had his morals. He figured that no one would miss the murders and rapists they let out of prison, so that was his future catalog of victims and then you had the seedy underworld of the small town of High Castle, New England.

Tommy learned very early on in his life that there were bad people wearing friendly smiles everywhere; cops, bakers, beloved store owners, priests, pastors, teachers, neighbors...bad people are EVERYWHERE and, in his mind, the sooner you learn the better.

The boy wrote down a list and kept it hidden in the floorboards, crossing out names when they would pass from natural causes and silently hoping they were suffering for their wrong doings.

Tommy would bring along his trusted canine companion as he walked the streets, trusting and loving that dog more than anyone, even life itself.

Tommy is now 24, still living at home and taking care of his parents, Mary and Steven. The young man had a job at the local hardware store, a mild-mannered man with a striking height and looks that would present as trusted and kind to anyone. Sharp green eyes, a head of raven hair cut into a buzz cut with a stylish fade, stubble gracing his face, and finally a sweet and innocent smile with dimples that can charm anyone in sight.

Tommy had recently suffered a loss, several in fact and the man had snapped mentally. He was soon going to get his relief, find his sanity in ridding the world of scum and disgusting monsters.

Chapter 1 

December 28th, 2023

“Tommy! Come down for breakfast, Dear!” Mary calls out from the kitchen from their double wide trailer, quickly setting the table with pancakes, eggs, sausage, orange juice, and water.

“Coming!” Tommy called out with a sigh, not necessarily looking forward to breakfast. Slipping on his work pants and shirt, grabbing his name tag, wallet, and phone as he gets ready to leave the room.

Mary and Steven are already at the table when Tommy walks in, both look to their son with smiles, Mary is currently acting as if she didn’t lose her shit the hour prior to this and yell Tommy for no reason. Steven, Tommy's dad and always the rug to his mother, smiles at his son but soon turns back to his breakfast ready to say Grace and start eating.

Tommy drops into the chair with a sigh and his usual fake smile in place, as if they realize it’s fake, and bows his head in respect so his father can say grace.

“Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and this blessed meal you lay upon this table. We pray you watch over our family today and guide us in our endeavors, keeping us safe and bringing us home to one another. Amen.” Steven finishes the blessing and smiles at his family, nodding at his family to signal they can eat.

“Thank you, honey.” Mary says sweetly to Steven, looking towards Tommy with a smile and asking her son, “What do you have planned today, sweetie?” 

Tommy slowly pulls off a piece of sausage from his fork and gets flashes of what he has planned for the day, muffled screams and the sounds of blood spattering echoing in his head but he just smiles at his mom and speaks. “Nothing much, work and a night out afterwards. There’s this movie I want to go see but it’s four hours from here, a special drive-in theater. We each get our own private spots, sounds like pure bliss so I wanted to try it out.” 

“That sounds like fun, son! What movie?” Steven asks Tommy, his tone gruff but kind.

“Scream, that slasher film from the 90’s with Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich.” Tommy says with a smile in place, giving just enough information to throw his parents off his scent and not ask any questions. Though after a beat, Tommy continues. “Don’t worry, I already have my motel picked out and I will not drink and drive.” 

“Good, that’s good.” Mary says with a smile, none the wiser her son is soon going to commit one of the worst crimes in the book, murder.

The breakfast goes by with small talk, to which Tommy must grit his teeth and take part, but he gets through it and leaves after saying his ‘bye’s and his ‘I love you’s to his parents so he can head to work.

Tommy gets into his 1967 Chevy Impala, having bought the car and fixed it up after saving up a good chunk of money, and cranks it up so he can go to work.

As the young man drives, his eyes flicker to the passenger side floorboards where lays a secret flap; he keeps his journal with the list of victims, his methods of kill, and his disposal methods. A sick but happy smile comes to his face, his body flooding with relief as he imagines how tonight will go.

The drive is peaceful to the hardware store, sprinkles of rain hitting the windshield of his car as the trees and houses pass him by in a blur. Soft 80’s music coming from the radio as he drives, the music provides a sick, but funny, backdrop to the images and sound floating through his head.

After twenty minutes, Tommy pulls to the curb and parks his car. After grabbing his keys from the ignition Tommy glances at the floorboards once more, a giddy giggle working its way through his throat and out of his mouth, an innocent sound for a situation that’s anything but.

Tommy slings his hood over his head and climbs from his car, locking it and bolting inside the hardware store quickly to not get soaked with rain.

“Tommy!” Mr. Rhodes, the hardware store owner, says with a chuckle, Tommy being his favorite and longest employee.

Tommy smiles back at the man, one of the only good people that Tommy’s ever met who has no hidden agenda or wrong hidden desires, and responds jokingly. “Hey, Mr. Rhodes! I really hope you left some inventory for me, you know I love it.” 

Mr. Rhodes laughs at Tommy’s joke, a smile glued to his face as he checks out a male customer, Richard, tape, chains, bolt cutters, and a padlock.

“Quite a haul you got.” Mr. Rhodes says to the man with a huff of laughter, tone of voice slightly edged and cautious.

“Yeah, I have a dog who doesn’t listen and the wife won’t do anything so I will. Time to learn it.” Richard Marks, the town doctor, says with a sneering grunt. 

Dr. Dick, as Tommy calls him, tries to keep his voice low but it’s not low enough and Tommy overhears, the young man tensing and a low snarl works its way up.

“Him.” Tommy thinks silently to himself, anger gnashing and tearing through his body like volts from a live wire.

“He’s number one.” Tommy adds to his silent self-commentary, his own voice a mere snarl in the back of his head. Anger floats through him as he watches Dr. Dick checkout then leave, Tommy knows that the man’s wife and kids won’t miss him so Richard Marks just made it to the number one spot of the murder list.

Chapter 2 

Work passes slowly for Tommy: all the angry young man wants to do is to get out of here and place his plan into motion. When the clock strikes 2 pm, Tommy bids Mr. Rhodes a goodbye and quickly leaves the store and makes his way to the hotel four hours away from the town so he can set things up for what he does to Dr. Dick.

It’s a long drive for someone as antsy as Tommy, fidgeting the whole time the whole ride there; tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, rocking back and forth to the music, shifting in his seat, and sometimes accelerating a bit much by accident but he finally arrives at 6:30 pm and gets things prepared.

Tommy parks the car and goes inside to the front desk, greeting the receptionist with a friendly and kind smile. “Hey, I called about the last room you had available, Tommy Walker.” 

“Oh yeah! Tommy, ok. Here it is, you made it here just in time, I was gonna do first come first serve.” The receptionist says with a friendly smile and laugh, the woman is in her 20’s, blonde hair, brown eyes, cleft chin, and an upturned nose.

“Ah yeah, I don’t blame you. That just makes me glad to have made it in time! You said uhhh $170 for a couple nights, right?” Tommy enquiries to the beautiful woman, even if she’s not his type she’s still stunning.

“Yes! $170 is right. We take Cash, Debit, or Credit but no checks.” Alice, judging by her name tag, says to Tommy while looking up the rates. With a few clicks she books the room in his name and Tommy gives her $200 in cash, having saved up for this very moment.

“Not many people can save this amount of cash in this day and time, I’m surprised.” Alice says with a soft and surprised laugh, knowing very well how shitty the economy is at the moment.

“Tell me about it, I had to fight to save $400 in two years. It’s always something with this fucking shitty ass government, sickening.” Tommy says with a bitter scoff, knowing full well the impact the fucked up and corrupt current administration is on both sides.

“Yeah, I’m living paycheck to paycheck with this shitty ass job but here they are knocking at my door for my rent plus water bill. This shit ain’t living wage, it’s not even death wage.” Alice says with a shake of her head, her brown eyes sad and bitter to an extent as she finishes checking Tommy in.

“Think about it this way, hopefully we will get candidates that aren’t pieces of shit.” Tommy says with a soft chuckle as he tries to cheer her up, a gentle smile falling into place as he accepts the ticket and keys from Alice.

“Here’s hoping! And I hope you have a good stay; you won’t be bothered in that room.” Alice says to Tommy with a smile, eyes a bit softer as she looks at the tall and built nerdy, but handsome, looking guy.

“Yeah, thanks. You have a good night, Alice. I hope it stays quiet for you.” Tommy says with a grin to the young woman as he turns and walks out, simply going to get his bags and go to the room to prepare it for his not so innocent activities.

Tommy goes to his car and unloads the bags, making a couple of trips to get everything in then he shuts and locks the motel room door.

“Alright, let’s get started.” Tommy whispers to himself as he starts the process of moving things around and wrapping things in plastic, taking every precaution he can so no one will know that Richard Marks will have met his end here at a small little motel on the outskirts of High Castle, New England.

Chapter 3 

It takes a bit but by 12 am, Tommy is done and so he goes to the drive-in movie theater that’s showing Scream, pulling off to the side of the road to change his clothes.

Tommy pulls in and finds his spot, getting set up quickly so he can go to the little shack they have for popcorn, drinks, and snacks.

“Hey, welcome to Bob’s Drive-in! What can I get you?” A kid, who is no more than 16, asks in a squeaky voice.

“I’ll just have a Dr. Pepper, a couple of packs of M&M’s, and 2 small bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos. Oh, plus a small popcorn bucket so I can combine my snacks and I want some nacho cheese for my Doritos.” Tommy says eagerly, his eyes bright, stomach rumbling in excitement, and fingers itching to get his hands on something he now normally deprives himself of.

“Ok, that will be $10.” The kid says, and Tommy happily forks over the $10 plus $5 just in case the kid wrung it up wrong, the money fresh and crisp. Tommy always wanting the perfect, smooth, and new bills, always asking the lady at the front of the bank for the new ones seeing as it tickles his brain just right.

The kid takes Tommy’s money and hands over the bag of his stuff with a nod, giving the $5 bill back. “Here’s your $5 back, have a nice night, Sir.” 

“Oh god, sir already. Thanks, kid.” Tommy says with a laugh and walks out, his age floating through his head and silently groaning to himself as he sits down in his car.

Throughout the movie, Tommy’s eyes occasionally drift to where the journal is laying in its hidden spot under the carpet of the passenger side floorboards, mind echoing with what he plans on doing to Dr. Dick the next night.

Tommy sighs and pulls out the book, skimming through it and adding to Richard’s name; Wife beater, animal abuser, adulterer, controlling of his kids. The list going on and on and on, Tommy growing angrier with each pen stroke.

He spends the whole movie planning what he’s going to do to Dr. Dick, the top choice; Make him SUFFER. By the end, he had a whole plan of what he was going to do and so he pulls from the drive-in and makes his way back to the hotel, greeting Alice with a wave as he goes back to his room.

Once in, Tommy settles down on the plastic covered bed and closes his eyes. His dreams are filled with Richard’s screams, blood, a knife laying on the desk with the tip dripping in blood, the sounds of the blood falling and collecting in pools, the blood spattering on the walls.

To some it would be a nightmare, but to Tommy…to Tommy it was calming and soothing, slightly arousing as images of himself flash through his head; panting, no shirt, smeared in blood, eyes wild and pupils narrowed to pinpoints, bloody hand prints smeared on his chest, face, and neck, and with a sound of thunder and a flash, Tommy gets closer to this version of himself.

“Fuck yeah, it feel’s good.” The blood-soaked version of himself whispers to him, faces inches apart, getting a clear view of what he is to become and Tommy? Tommy isn’t mad about it, smiling in his dream that leaks into the real world as a smile crosses a sleeping Tommy’s face; something of pure bliss but soon it's over, with a flash and a crack of the thunder sound, Tommy awakens.

Green eyes snapping open to the sound of knocking on the motel room door, “Yes?” Tommy calls out, his voice having an edge to it as he does not know who’s on the other side.

“Maid!” Echoes a female voice and Tommy relaxes with a sigh, calling out to refuse saying he will clean when he leaves.

Tommy sighs and stares at the ceiling when the maid leaves, green eyes frustrated and pants tighter around him. “Just a few more hours. A few more and you can have him, a few more and he’s gone.” 

Chapter 4 

Tommy starts his day like any other, spending it as he normally would when he has a day off; browsing the internet, scrolling through Instagram and TikTok, daydreaming of scenarios and napping.

As time passes, Tommy grows antsy and so he gets up and double checks everything; rope, knives, cleaning supplies, medicine to knock out Dr. Dick with. Everything is there, ready for use.

The hours continue to pass, and Tommy hears a car pulling in, so he looks from the window, Dr. Dicks car has just pulled in. You see, Richard has a mistress he has been meeting for years and one day Tommy decided to leave a flyer in the doctor's office Richard owned so the young man had a perfect killing ground.

“A few more hours, just a few. Fuck, this cannot go by fast enough. I wonder if Alice would be up for some fun…sneak in the office and waste an hour.” Tommy whispers to himself, the young male is wound tight from all the planning, the waiting, the dreaming, and now the sight of his victim climbing from the car and going to check into his usual room.

Tommy sighs and checks his watch, it’s 6 pm now and Richard normally doesn’t arrive back in town until 6 am so that gives Tommy 8 hours to act, 10 pm to 6 am and so Tommy decides to go see Alice after Dr. Dick disappears into his room.

Tommy strolls to the front desk and smiles at Alice, his tongue flicking slowly over his bottom lip as he uses his knowledge of seduction to his gain. “Hey, Alice! I ah wanted to see if you had a bit of time to waste?” 

“Ah, yeah. Yeah, I have a bit of time to waste.” Alice says in a soft voice, ready and willing even though she knows that this is a fuck and go situation. She sees it as she needs a bit of relief as well, so she leads Tommy back into the office and shuts the door with a click, nothing but silence in the office soon after.

If one were to walk into the lobby area, you’d hear a desk creaking, followed by soft grunts and moans floating through the air. You’d know damn well what was happening behind that door, some may even enjoy listening.

Tommy sighs softly against Alice’s neck as he slows his movements, his body shuddering along with her’s as they both come down from the high, they just experienced.

“Fuck.” Is all Alice saying, her brows are still pinched and twitching, bottom lip sucked into her mouth as she levels her breathing, her body shifting back and her head thumping softly against the desk as her body and features relax.

“You good?” Tommy asks, his voice low and gentle as to not startle the young woman.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. Shit, dude. I needed that.” Alice says with a laugh as Tommy pulls away and discards the condom, they both get dressed as they casually chat, and Alice even asks with a laugh if Tommy could come back and do that to her again sometime.

“Eh, yeah. Yeah, sure. I could use it, but next time a bed and not a desk. One of the reasons, I don’t want you losing your job because you fucked a costumer in the office area.” Tommy says with a laugh, dimples and pearly whites on display as he continues to charm Alice.

“Cool, here’s my number. I gotta go out front, fucking moron in 12B doesn’t know how to work the vending machine and I have to help her every damn time.” Alice says while handing over a slip of paper with a sigh, irritation written clear across her face and in her eyes.

“Hey, maybe she’s flirting by playing stupid.” Tommy says with a shrug as the exit the back office, both looking slightly rumpled but not enough to where anyone would shove their nose into the two’s business.

“Then tell me, don’t make me keep going up and down the damn steps.” Alice huffs, her tone slightly biting and agitated.

Tommy looks at her and gives her a loud laugh as he leaves, waving bye and running back to his room to prepare for later that night.

Chapter 5 

Time continues to pass slowly but soon enough, the clock strikes 12 am and Tommy gets the meds ready to inject Dr. Dick with.

After he gets it ready, he watches as the bastard says goodbye to his mistress and walks back into his room and shuts the door, going to take his shower before he goes back home and lies to his wife some more.

Tommy sets his plan into motion at 12:30 am by sneaking from his room and into Dr. Dicks by picking the lock, being careful to be as quiet as possible as he goes.

Once it’s done, Tommy slinks into the room and shuts the door with a gentle, ‘Click.’, and pulls the syringe from his pocket and waits under the bed.

Finally, around 1 am, Dr. Dick finishes his grooming process and comes out. Tommy watches his feet as he passes the bed and pauses at the suitcase, and that’s when he makes his move.

Tommy slowly and quietly slides from under the bed and sneaks up behind the doctor and whispers in his ear, lips grazing it as he covers the doctor’s mouth and restrains him. “Hey, Doc.” 

Richard bucks against Tommy but he’s no match for the bigger and younger form that has him surrounded, the doctor looks back and up with wide and fearful eyes to Tommy, who he has known since Tommy was a young boy, and whimpers. Fear is glowing brightly in the doctor’s eyes as he looks at Tommy, then he sees the syringe in the young man’s hand and fights harder but that doesn’t work.

“No, no. You have been a bad boy, Richard. A very naughty boy.” Tommy hisses lowly and sticks the needle in Richard’s neck with a, ‘thwip…,’ and you can hear as Tommy slowly injects the sedative into the doctor, the medicine making a squirting sound as the plunger is pushed down.

“Let’s go.” Tommy whispers as Dr. Dick grows heavy and limp, hauling the older man over his shoulder as he walks out and sneaks back to his room.

Once in his room, Tommy sits Richard’s limp form in the chair and binds the man with a rope. While the older male is out cold, bound and gagged in the chair, Tommy goes and gives the doctor’s room a good look as he cleans up any traces that it could be foul play and throws the man’s stuff in his trunk.

Luckily while in the office with Alice, Tommy realized the security cameras were only for show and they didn’t work so no one could prove the good doctor was here tonight. Tommy is going to make it look as if the doctor met someone and ran off, it should be easy.

Tommy goes back into the room and removes his favorite shirt to put it in his suitcase, then shoves the suitcase back into the bathroom and gives the doctor a few minutes to wake up.

Chapter 6 

Finally, around 3 am, Richard starts to wake up and Tommy takes notice. With a sneer on his face and a bite in his tone, Tommy speaks, “Howdy, Doc. How ya feelin’?” 

Richard groans and moves his head, slowly coming out from under the sedative.

“Take your time.” Tommy says with a smirk, watching as panic starts to set in for Richard.

“What’s wrong? Scared?” Tommy coos, his face pulled in a mocking pout as he fists his hand in the doctor's hair and snatches his back.

“You don’t get to be scared, I hope you understand that. You don’t deserve to be scared, Richard. But you know what? I want you to feel it. I want you to feel what your wife feels, what your kids feel, what your dog feels.” Tommy sneers angrily, he gives Richard a nasty tug on the hair after each word and briefly snaps his head back before he lets go.

All Richard can do is whine and give muffled shouts behind the gag, muffled pleas for mercy go unheard by an uncaring Tommy. Tears slowly fall down Richard’s face as he pleads, but Tommy doesn’t care for the pathetic man’s words and tears.

“I’m sure your family and your dog whine and whimper too, but don’t worry. Don’t worry, Richard. Not at all. I’m going to free them tonight, free them of you forever. I am going to beat the shit out of you, carve the skin and muscle from your bones, then take your flesh and turn it into chum and toss it in the ocean, THEN I’m going to take your bones to that little abandoned crematorium you got shut down and burn your bones to ash and toss them into the ocean with your flesh.” Tommy croons out, his voice as sweet as honey but as deadly as a viper's venom.

Richard chokes and gags on his cries and snot, tears running from the coward's eyes as he silently begs for mercy, but Tommy gives none. Tommy has no mercy to give on this night, no care either.

“Shut up.” Tommy whispers and unties the man and makes him stand, “Ok, I’m doing this because I like a fight, even though I’m sure you will give no fight.” The young man growls and slams his fist into Dr. Dick’s jaw, connecting with a crack.

Richard’s head snaps to the side as he stumbles back to the floor, but Tommy doesn’t let up, his foot slams up into Richard’s nose and blood gushes onto the plastic covered floor.

“What’s wrong, Doc? Can’t fight back?” Tommy says to Richard in a mocking tone, his voice saying it’s innocent and sweet when all it holds is death.

“Please! Please! Don’t!” Richard begs through the snot, blood, and tears but Tommy pays no mind and slams the bottom of his booted foot into the doctor's face and keeps going.

“Fight. BACK!” Tommy growls at the man on the fourth hit, now slamming his fist into Richard’s face. Finally, Tommy grows tired of his fists and goes to fetch the knives and picks the sharpest one, soon coming back to loom over Richard. “You ready, Dick?” 

“P-pl-please…s-st-stop…” Richard choked out through his beaten face, his body twitching in pain.

“No.” Tommy simply says and slashes the knife at Richard’s hand, the man cries out as his finger is nearly cut off.

Tommy kneels and whispers in Richard’s ear as the man lay on his side rocking back and forth, hand cradled to his chest. “What’s wrong, Dickie? Does it hurt?” 

All Richard can do is whimper and sob, pain flaring through every inch of his body. He goes to speak but it’s cut off by a scream ripping from his throat as Tommy rams a knife in between his ribs, blood pooling around the blade as Tommy twists and snatches it out.

“Bye-Bye.” Tommy sneers at Richard and slams the knife into his torso over and over and over and over again, blood spraying onto Tommy and flying from the knife as he wrenches it out of Richard.

Tommy doesn’t stop, he can’t, not yet. He rams the knife into Richard’s skull, then he grabs another and slices at his face, then his throat, all Tommy can do is create marks along Richard, nothing but rage seeps into every swing of the knife. Every plunge, every twist, every snatch, every single move of the knife is motivated by rage.

Tommy is shaking violently as he rams the knife into Richard’s chest and roughly twists and pulls down, snatching the knife out and ramming his fist into what’s left of the Doctor’s mangled face and chest, like a gorilla finishing the kill.

Finally, after what seems like hours, Tommy sags to the floor. His bare torso is drenched in blood, his face and hair are also drenched in blood, his pants are beyond repair, as are his shoes.

The young man tilts his head to look at the standing mirror and sighs happily as he sees the blood-soaked form looking back at him, his brain finally settling and slowing down as he lays there and stares around him.

Chapter 7 

After a couple of hours, Tommy gets up and looks at the clock. “7 am.” The clock says in blue LEDs.

“Shit.” Tommy sighs as he starts to make a move for a different knife, a butcher’s knife, and starts to carve into Richard. Knife easily slicing through the flesh and muscle, throwing the chunks into bags as he went.

At 4 pm, Tommy is done carving Richard up and he quickly takes a shower and scrubs every inch of himself and goes to extend his stay a few days, charming the guy who now stands in the place of Alice.

“Hey, could I extend my stay by about three days?” Tommy asks the guy with a smooth and relaxed voice, his body lax from finally doing away with Richard.

“Yeah, sure. Don’t see why not.” The guy says with a red tint to his face, taking the cash Tommy gives him, blushing harder as the tall and relaxed man winks and walks away with a, “Thank you.”

Tommy goes back into his room and begins grabbing the bags with Richard’s remains, slowly and cautiously loading them into his trunk and then going back in to clean the room.

After hours of methodically cleaning every square inch, it’s finally done around 12 am that night. Luckily Tommy had put Richard’s remains in cooler bags with ice packs, keeping them cool and stopping the smell.

Tommy loads the bags into his trunk and drives off to the abandoned crematorium to do the next part of his plan, burn the bones to ash.

Tommy silently works as quickly as possible, preparing everything as needed and then getting started. The machine swells to life after Tommy hits the button with a gloved hand and he starts feeding it the cheapest coffin in the building he could find as well as Dr. Dick’s bones that he placed in the coffin minutes beforehand.

He works as quickly as possible and once he’s done, he starts to fish out the ashes. After two hours, Tommy runs from the building and walks back to his car. Once inside, he cranks the car and heads to the beach nearby and quietly slips onto one of the boats and takes it out into the middle of the water.

Once Tommy is there, he dumps the ashes and starts to tease the fish so they respond to the him. After an hour, the fish, and what Tommy could have sworn was a shark, have finished all the remains.

“Thank god, I’m ready to go home.” Tommy grunts in exhaustion, his body finally coming down from the adrenaline of it all and so he rows back and sneaks back off to his car.

Once in his car, Tommy grabs his phone and reads the time. “5 am.” Tommy sighs when he sees the blurry numbers and wastes no time in starting his car and pulling out from the curb, wasting no time in heading straight to the motel.

Chapter 8 

Tommy sighs heavily once he gets back to the hotel and lands in the bed, his body begging and pleading for sleep.

“I have got to reign that shit in, I can’t have that much to clean up every time.” Tommy sighs to himself and stretches his body, letting it sink into the mattress as he quickly falls asleep.

Tommy takes the remaining days of his stay to be sure everything is spotless and disposed of, being anal and fussing over every tiny detail to be sure NOTHING is ever found.

When Tommy checks out, he’s sure to give the motel a five-star rating as they deserve, throwing in an extra bonus for Alice saying how she’s very thorough and needs to be paid more if she’s not already getting a higher salary.

He drives back home with a happy smile on his face, a body that isn’t tense and wound tight in every aspect, and a soul that’s soothed just a tad.

“I’m home!” Tommy calls as he comes inside the double wide, eyes landing on his parents almost right away when he steps past the laundry and mud room.

“Did you have fun?” Mary asks her son with a smile, her eyes and demeanor more relaxed than it was the day Tommy left.

“Yeah, was the movie good? The motel?” Steven chiming in after Mary, also looking more relaxed than a few or so days ago.

Tommy takes notice of it all and makes an ‘ew’ face as he understands the cause of their relaxed demeanor, but he answers calmly, resisting the urge to gag. “Yeah! It was good. Good drive-in and good motel, left both a good review.” 

Both Mary and Steven smile and nod, pleased Tommy was kind enough to be sure the businesses got good reviews.

“Good, now sit and let’s say Grace so we can eat.” Mary says with a smile and finishes placing the food on the table, sitting in her chair on the opposite side of her husband and across from Tommy.

“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this food you have given us and thank you for keeping our son safe during his travels. We thank you for guiding him back home safely to us, as well. We thank you for all that you do for us and all that you give us, Amen.” Steven says with a nod at the end to signal it’s time to eat and Tommy’s eyes open, a smile on the young man’s face and a soft hum escaping his mouth as he digs into the food.

Epilogue 

It has been a year since Tommy began, what he likes to call, his purge of the wrong.

Each step is thought out, every scenario ran, but one day Tommy loses control and snaps on his old teacher after seeing the man get a bit too close to a minor.

The day after, Tommy is in the diner and he overhears a cop talking, his blood runs cold.

“A murder in High Castle, that’s rare. You think it’s connected to the disappearances?” The female cop asks her partner in a hushed tone, taking a sip of her coffee to mask her words and mouth.

“I don’t know, but we need to find out.” He whispers back, a heavy sigh leaving his mouth.

The woman’s next words give Tommy pause and cause the young man to relax a bit, but only a bit.

“Do we really? These people aren’t good people, they are people we have failed to catch and charge. I’d say we let it happen, help the unknown vigilante.” She says with a shrug and clicks her tongue, taking her fork and biting into her pie.

“You might be right.” The guy whispers and slowly takes a bite, his eyes drifting up as he makes eye contact with Tommy, he gives him a nod and a smile that causes Tommy to twist his head but relax.

“Hmm, maybe it won’t be so bad after all.” Tommy thinks silently to himself and looks out of the frosted over window, the streets getting dusted with snow as the holiday seasons draw to a close. “Maybe one more to give the snow a pretty red backdrop.” 

[penny-the-pissed-poltergeist]

Rwby volume 3 episode 3 rewatch thoughts, RWDE/Critical opinions inbound

.I've started skipping the intro because it's not nearly as good as the first 2

.Weiss being excited to see Winter would be cute if it wasnt for what happens later

.Weiss hitting Ruby doesn't feel nearly as bad as what happens later just because Ruby never had "abuse survivor" as part of her back story

.Winter she literally won, everyone misses a few strikes your just an unreasonable ass

.And Winter just hit Weiss over a tiny misunderstanding... I don't care that it's comedic, don't make jokes about characters who canonically survived abuse getting hit by people who should care about them, it's gross

.I can't trust Winter asking if Weiss is eating "properly" after she was hyper critical

.On a lighter note, Winter phrasing it as Ruby "taking an interest" in Weiss makes it sound like Winter think Ruby and Weiss are dating and that's really funny actually

.Winter why should your standards apply to sister's ro-actually considering how much of an OSHA violation that dorm is maybe her changing it would be for the best

.Like the drunk-o-vision on the Qrow POV

.Raven eavesdropping like always

.I love Qrow here but who doesn't?

.Atlas was always built up as hateable well IMO, it's just that I don't like how they demonize Ironwood way later

.The thing is I'm am 100% sure that your supposed to be rooting for Qrow because Winter is written to be a complete asshat in this episode

.I love Mercury randomly showing up and just immediately noping out of there

.I do like this but does have some of issues that a lot of later volume 4+ fights have like cutting a bit to much and being bit faster then it needed to be IMO

.The speed line shots well never no look out of place to me because the show never uses them after this season.

.Qrow is only person aside from Blake and Adam(?) to use aura slashes to my knowledge, so Blake must be leagues above her teammates on learning that stuff

.Qrow wins by calling Winter's dad (Jacques doesn't count)

.Qrow disliking Ironwood here feels more 100% more natural then in the "hating him so much he wants him dead" way later

.PENNY AND RUBY WAVE AWWWWWWW

.if they don't call back to "Did you miss me... No" in volume 10 we riot, and not just epilogue Qrow seem to not actually miss them that much

."If I was one of your men I'd shoot myself" I still one of the best lines in the show. But because I'm contractually obligated to defend Ironwood, I don't think firing on someone working for you after they destroy military property and attack a ally is unreasonable, like... at all.

.Qrow is being 100% based while he's complaining about his coworkers

.I love how this show set up a semi-romantic rivalry between Qrow and Winter and then did absolutely nothing with it when Winter showed up again! /s (This happened with Yang and Neo too, this show makes fun rivalries and then just forgets about them completely)

.The Oz gang was so good and it lasted for so little time ughhhhh

.Everything with this talking scene is a 10/10 minus besides like, Qrow's dialog being a bit over-explainy, but that's it

.I wish the later Grimm were less disappointing with how much they get built up

.I swear to god Ruby's eyes took out half of Cinders brain post volume-4, remember how clever she is here?

[angeart]

Well now I just wanna know even more about your ocs and their story! xD Even before all the spooky stuff, Raven being placed in the middle of someone else's life and there's pressure to remember people and things he doesn't... And the watch, is that significant, what happens if Raven makes it to new years (hopefully with his sanity intact)? And what is up with this universe's Raven that just 'ah the amnesia hit him again' ?

And what did Rei do to get people that pissed at him? And but is he still trying to look out for Raven even if he acts like he's not?

-🎀

ribbon anon, you have no idea how happy these questions make me.

there's not a lot of pressure on raven to remember things he doesn't, because everyone around knows he gets these amnesia spells. it's still tough on him because he has to navigate this world anyway, and it lets people be dismissive of him. because—there's no reason to make friends with someone who's bound to forget you in a couple of weeks or months anyway, right? (it also gives a green card to be a shit. he won't remember!) (fun morality dilemmas right there.)

he's entirely lost, made to "play family" with people he doesn't know, live in an appartment that's wholly unfamiliar to him yet he's meant to call it his home, and whenever he steps outside, he has to deal with all these strangers looking at him knowingly while they don't know anything about him, actually. and on top of that there's the voices and shadows and mirror reflections...

add in him being worried about evia as she gets close to rei, because he isn't yet sure what kind of person rei is. and then later on kye telling him he needs to stay away from rei. (that they both do; him and evia. especially evia.) that raven should help them bring rei down—

except. kye's words come at a time when raven's already experienced the cracks in rei's masks. they come at a time when raven's beginning to be acutely aware that rei cares and he's hurting.

and now raven has to decide who to trust and side with, caught in the middle of it all.

... so let's talk about rei.

rei is meant to be a troublemaker, this uncaring character who only cares only about himself... and yet this caregiver role is thrust upon him, where he has to also (begrudgingly) make sure raven's okay whenever he forgets things, right? he's tired of this cycle. tired of doing the same things over and over pointlessly.

i had lots of notes on their childhood and young rei leading to how rei got to be like this, and why. but if you want to know about The Incident that so fiercely set nick against rei... well.

rei used to have a girlfriend. and they were young and stupid, and it was a little bit toxic.

ok, very toxic.

see, rei often felt like he's not paid a lot of attention, and he isn't as loved as raven is. that he has to actively take, whereas it always felt to him like raven is just given things. like he always had something to compete and fight for.

and so when he got into this relationship, he really just dug his nails into the idea that he's now wanted and needed. that this was his.

it was possessive, and controlling, and bad.

it ended on a cliffside in a tragic accident.

rei was trying to prove something. like an idiot that he was. she was trying to leave, and he was trying to insist she needed him, cornering her near the edge as they fought.

he tried to grab her, but she fell anyway.

kye and nick were witnesses, and from far away, it looked like rei pushed her.

from kye's recounting of events, it isn't clear if she survived or not. what is searing, though, is the idea that rei never got any kind of backlash from it. he never got punished. he never stopped treating people like shit, making him a ticking time bomb until it happens again. because he hasn't learned his lesson.

nick wants to teach him that lesson, by any means necessary. even if those means are equally as bad as what he thinks rei did. (to be fair, nick is also a little psycho who enjoys people's suffering and power, soo—) (it's kye who's going into this thinking they can do it right.) (it's kye who's begging raven to help them. to go against rei. to let rei feel some consequences; to teach him that people aren't toys or possessions.)

(rei knows these things.)

here's a fun little note i have on rei:

Rei’s choice to be a troublemaker (to fight, physically, with the world around him) was his way of dealing with the things inside of him. But he never wanted that little sphere of destruction to reach anyone else. He never imagined it would ever affect anyone but himself.

[marcr125x]

“You are now in the kingdom of Chromeria. Welcome to Verdant Town!”

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve shared anything Forbidden Chroma related but I wanted to show off more of it, starting with some of the major residents of Verdant Town, the first location Powder & Kuropi explore within the main story of Forbidden Chroma. Here is where they meet 3 new friends & future party members that they will venture around Chromeria with. Their names are Pidge, Esper & Zoe.

Pidge: Pidge is the first person Powder & Kuropi meet when they first arrive in Chromeria as they end up entering through the basement of her house. She’s very outgoing & energetic, easily being able to make friends with mostly anyone. Pidge is also always seen around town with her pet bird that she nammed Chip & carrying around her custom built buster sword. While not the brightest person in the world, she knows how to lighten up any conversation & keep positive vibes between those she knows & trusts, hence why Powder is normally most calm when around her. In terms of design, I intended to make Pidge the Kel to Powder’s Sunny/Omori but while also using a character I made in Picrew randomly back in 2022. I did however also take some inspiration from RWBY’s Yang Xiao Long when it comes to her personality as Pidge is friendly but can get serious & angry when those she cares about get hurt. Her sword has the ability to ignite into a blazing blade with the click of a button which is partially inspired by Shulk’s sword, the Monado.

Esper: Esper is a young cyber elf, a species of elves that are born with cybernetic powers. They are some of the most inteligent beings within Chromeria…or at least, they were. Due to mass politica & social conflict, the cyber elves home of Amber City became the epicenter of a war between them & the cyborgs. This war left many cyber elves dead & the cyborgs would’ve probably made them extinct if not for the army of Prince Lithas & Princess Arian intervening & by proxy ending the war. However, this forced many cyber elves to live in the wildlands of Sepia Valley, with Esper being one of them. Him & his family did eventually find refuge in the friendly neighboorhood of Verdant Town, but that didn’t prevent the months of fear that the young Esper had to live through, learning how to defend himself from monsters to ensure the next day wouldn’t be his last. Esper’s story, both that of his backstory & the character arc that he goes through are inspired primarily from the Megaman X series as well as his race, the cyber elves being based on the beings of the same name from Megaman Zero. However, instead of making them living computer programs, I made them kind of more similar to that of the Reploids but with similar powers to that of the cyber elves. Esper doesn’t have full mastery of his powers, but he has controll over multiple elements but is most proficient with electricity.

Zoe: Much like Pidge, Zoe grew up in Verdant Town. However, due to her parrents being members of the royal army & constantly being busy, she was left under the care of her Uncle Wyatt & his older sister Abigail. It was through them that Zoe had learned all about many mysteries of the world as well as several forms of black magic as her whole family are black mages. In exchange of this wisdom, Zoe agreed to assist her dear uncle’s magic shop Firefly Hollow when not busy with adventuring and/or studies. She quiet, yet friendly & has an aura of confidence that make others feel safe around her when out on adventures. In her now young adult years, she helps Uncle Wyatt with buisness at Firefly Hollow full time & also on her off time, loves hanging out with her friends or mesmerizing young children with either her magic or the stories told to her by her uncle. Zoe is the first of many characters who don’t have inspiration from other characters in media. Originally, I thought of making her a character similar to Raven of the Teen Titans, but I decided to make her a more simple character who is just a goth black mage who in game would help guide you as Powder through a small tutorial of the game’s mechanics. Her Uncle Wyatt is inspired by someone, however that will be discussed in a later post.

I hope you guys like these characters. I want to try & post more stuff relating to Forbidden Chroma as I’m working more on things relating to it. Even with school & my part-time job being more important at the moment, I plan to share more about it whenever I can so please stay tuned.

[rnm-magic-space-xsd]

“Juju?” Shiri asked worriedly, concerned about her lovers’ whines. “Love, I’m right here! What is it? What happened?” Shiri added, immediately hugging her beloved’s head that was leaning on her chest.

“Did you have a bad day, my sweet?”

“Mmhm..I just. I need a long hug. Just cuddles with you would make me feel better, my Shiri..”

“Hugs it is then!” Shiri then comfortingly embraced and swayed her JujuBear from side to side, like the tide of the waves.

“But are you sure hugs are enough my HanniBun? I could make you something delicious to eat while you hug me from behind, we could cuddle together on the couch or in bed, munch on some yummy snacks and watch your favorite ‘My Cat From Hell’ and watch how even the most ‘mean’ cats can find love, peace, health and joy with their families. Just how we found our home in each other and helped each other become our better versions of ourselves!”

“Or do you want to talk about what happened to you today that upset you? I’m here to listen to you my love, and comfort you! Anything that I can do for you, I will! As long as it’s legal and would really make you feel better.”

“Hahah, love, you’re blubbering again.” “But, mhmmmn..” Juju hummed, nuzzling closer to Shiri’s petite chest, enjoying listening to the comforting beating of her heart. “I love it when you do that. It’s cute”

“Alright then my sweetest bunny, I’ll hug you from behind as you prepare our bowls of favorite ice cream : coffee for me and bubblegum for you. We could even feed each other…God, I want to drown in you Shiri. Into your warmth and sweetness that envelop and comfort me like fuzzy winter blankets when it’s storming outside, and your love that tastes like honeypie and mead. So sweet it makes me feel dizzy and drunk..”

“I want us. Now. To cuddle in bed and kiss you all over and hear your giggles that heal me like heavenly angel magic and then hear all of your loving whispers cooing at me..as I snuggle closer to your small chest and breathe in your scent, my Shiri”

“H-hhhhghn??? O-Oh my gosh.” Shiri’s face flushed rose pink, speechless by JujuBear’s confession of adoration, heart fluttering fast.

“Uhm. Uh. Okay! Ice cream bowls, snuggles, coos of love and lots and lots of kisses! Be right backkk!!” Shiri tried to scuttle away due to embarrassment, only to be tightly embraced by JujuBear once more.

“Nouu. I changed my mind.” Jumin nestled his face into the curve of her neck, taking in her candied and clean scent, filling up his heart.

“I don’t care about ice cream. I want you with me, so don’t go, my HoneyBunnyBumbleBee.”

“Awwwhhhh, hehe. JujuBear my HanniBunches being all needy and cuddly is the sweetest thing. I’m right here my love.” Shiri turned around to face her beloved husband.

“Always here.” Shiri soothed, petting Juju’s raven locks of hair and hugged him tightly, reassuring him of her constant love and affections for him

“Wh-…What do you love about me, my love Shiri?” Jumin wondered, voice hesitant and insecure. Vulnerable, hushed and raw.

“Oh, Juju..” Shiri cooed sympathetically, holding her beloved close.

“Hm. I love how you’ve blossomed into the man I am in love with today and I love the you I first met all those years ago.”

“You were caged inside your own heart, afraid of trusting and opening up to others..It broke my heart to see you hide away from learning love due to the fear you developed from seeing how weak your father was with physically attractive gold digging women. How he fell for their ploys every single time.. It showed you how ugly people can be when blinded by their greed for money.”

“I wanted to soothe you. But my love for you goes beyond my sympathy and care for your sad and lonely soul that called out to me.”

“I love how passionate you are with Elizabeth and I, I love how gentle you are with animals, I love your silly humor that sometimes floats above my head and sometimes makes me giggle, I love how intelligent, reliable and perceptive you are in judging peoples’ personalities and ulterior motives.”

“I love how protective, romantic and possessive you can be towards me. I love how straightforward, honest and fair you are with the people you trust. I love how silly, awkward and inexperienced you are with understanding emotions. It’s so cute and precious..”

“I love how your heart warmed and softened after we fell in love. How I love you in your winter, and how my spring sunshine melts away your deep and thick bed of snow, leading you to the blossoms of our hearts, enveloping and filling us with our love for each other.”

“I love your courage in trusting me, opening up your heart to me; I love your softness and your sharp edges..I love your everything. Just, please. Know that I am not a prize or a pet to be ‘owned’ or ‘caged’. Love is much more rewarding when it is not forced. No matter what life throws at us, I will always cherish, love and adore you my Juju. From the depths of my heart and soul”

While speaking, Shiri felt that the front of her shirt felt a bit wet.

“I will always love you my JujuBear.”

“Yhgh-Yiuh ahwre mhai houummn my wuvv” Juju whimpered, muffled crying warbling his words. He was overwhelmed by the overflowing of love he was showered with so naturally by his special wifey Shiri, his one and only love.

‘I am so blessed to be married to them’