#like hes the patriarch technically

[stargirl-lina]

back from the dead to present you with some batmanses

[designernishiki]

I wanna flesh out a yakuza oc but every time I think about it I end up thinking about an oc of mine who already Exists who’s not a yakuza oc. but is, in fact, an oc who is a yakuza. and that fact is genuinely completely unrelated

[touchlikethesun]

one of the activities wei wuxian taught a-yuan to keep him preoccupied while wei wuxian actually needed to focus was braiding, so a-yuan could sit with wei wuxian and braid lots of little braids into his hair - wei wuxian rarely put his hair up anyways in those days, and it kept a-yuan busy and happy.

once small wildflowers started to bloom, a-yuan became obsessed with giving everyone flowers because they always smiled and laughed when he did, and he liked when they smiled and laughed. when he offered one of these wildflowers to his xian-gege, wei wuxian accepted it but taking note of the long stem and delicate white petals, an idea came to him. he asked a-yuan if he could show him something, and when a-yuan’s eyes lit up with excitement, wei wuxian asked him if he could undo his ponytail and give him a “super extra special” braid, which ofc a-yuan was all for!! so wei wuxian combed his fingers thru a section of a-yuan’s hair, pulling back his bangs on one side and, separating out 3 strands and braiding it halfway down before sliding the delicate flower into place, showing an attentive a-yuan how to secure the flower and braid the stem in, before securing the end of the braid with a spare cord.

there were stars in a-yuan’s eyes, so pleased with the braid xian-gege had given him, and he ran around the camp showing granny, a-qing, and all the other aunties and uncles the pretty flower in his hair, and from that day on, it was a common occurrence to see the folks of the burial mounds with a flower or two braided into their hair, and if the yiling patriarch walked around on his days off with flowers down his back and a little charge in his arms working even more flowers in, well that was for them and not for their enemies to know.

after lan wangji rescued lan yuan from the burial mounds, and after lan yuan had recovered from his terrible fever, lan wangji made an effort to spend time with the little one, even if he felt like he was falling apart at the seems, that was a problem for adults, not children. even so, lan wangji often found it hard to muster up words under normal circumstances, and when confronted with lan sizhui who reminded him so much of — well. but lan sizhui didn’t seem to mind how quiet lan wangji was. the little boy seemed completely content to sit with lan wangji in silence, but he had an odd fascination with braiding lan wangji’s hair, and especially braiding with flowers picked from off the path up to the quiet room. technically, excessive ornamentation was forbidden in the cloud recesses. but it made lan suzhui so happy. and lan wangji had already broken so many rules, what was one more to keep a child smiling?

[agentleem]

The latest warframe update just made me realize how hilarious a lot of the worldbuilding for Deimos sounds. To count:

-it is the moon that holds the one power source for your main tool in the game

-it is completely infected by the cyborg disease that turns you into a flesh monster. To the point it has boils and organs

-one of the only safe spots is the home of a family consisting of members of a superhuman race that ran the most oppressive empire possible

-the family are all sticking out of giant flesh flowers and act like a sitcom about the least functional family possibly

-one member of the family helps organize a small guerilla warfare group that regularly sabotages the remnants of a cult that briefly took over the solar system (through what’s essentially future discord/zoom)

-another member bought a series of vents on a space evangelist’s slave colony on Venus so the homeless kids living there don’t have to worry about being evicted from there so they can continue setting up street races

-deep below the surface, the boyfriend of the family’s distant patriarch who discovered a parallel dimension that warps space was snoozing for millennia.

-said boyfriend is currently helping organizing a lab manned by talking animals made to safely send the patriarch to 1999 in order to distract an eldritch entity from the realm he discovered and fight off said entity as he sends his minions to tear the lab apart

-the only person who knows about this lab is a robot servant based off the boyfriend, who has a human skull embedded in him and a split personality that speaks through cracks on his back made to look like a face

-this planet lets you get mechs (with human skulls in the cockpits)

-during the event where a different member of the superhuman overlord race usurped an army of a vengeful robot race to take over the solar system, they completely avoided this moon like the plague (which is technically is)

-upon finding the lab you are given a book of spells

[karttaylir-darasuum]

a resource page for all your clone related needs

some tips on how to unwhitewash the clones in your content: 1 2 3

a folder of literally, like, 100s of photos of tem for all your reference needs

avoid racist, ableist, & otherwise negative stereotypes when writing about wrecker: 1 2

types of clone troopers

trooper weapons

technical sw terms

every canon named clone up until 2020 (images and names only)

ever canon named clone up until 2021 (images, names, battalions, & jedi officers)

every canon named clone up until 2023 (names and battalions only, no images)

assorted clone lore: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

reader inclusivity (has fic resources + poc moodboard images)

some links + videos about māori culture you might find useful if it's relevant to your works: 1 2

a post regarding the western colonization of hawai'i (while tem is māori & aotearoa is very distinct from hawai'i, they fall under the polynesian/pasifika family and it's important to recognize how the two both continue to be negatively impacted by colonization today)

disability inclusivity

māori, mando'a, and huttese dictionaries

star wars and clone specific fic dividers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

some things to keep in mind as we're celebrating characters played by and modeled after a māori man:

you can find the full pdf these are sourced from + more information on the subject here

if you're like me and you want to see some māori films that have māori cast members from the star wars universe, here's a list with free watch links where available:

tem's māori-focused films: once were warriors, what becomes of the broken hearted?, river queen, rain of the children, mahana/the patriarch (i'm also fond of a tv show he did called adventurer)

whale rider (keisha castle-hughes, aka queen apailana & emerie karr)

hunt for the wilderpeople (julian dennison, aka clone cadets deke & stak in tbb s3)

[kaylopolis]

Alastor's Shadow (18+) - Chapter Seven

Alastor x F!Reader

Synopsis: There’s a new Overlord in town and it isn’t the Radio Demon. Six years after you fell into Hell, you have finally earned your seat at the table as Pentagram City’s newest and baddest and with the Extermination coming six months earlier than planned, it is now time to implement your ultimate endgame. After all, who doesn’t love a bit of power and chaos? Your plan brings you to the doorstep of the Hazbin Hotel as Charlie’s newest Redeemer, but who you find waiting for you will not only turn your entire plan upside down but also challenge your grab for power… 

Tag List: Slow burn, rivals to lovers, eventual smut

Masterlist Link: Masterlist

(Let me know if you want to be added to the Taglist!)

____________________________________________

Author note: Dear Hoteliers, Vox's time to shine :) Lots of plot happening this chapter, let’s go!

<3 Stay smutty

Chapter Seven - Forget Me Knot

Content Warning: Mentions of Physical Abuse, Self Harm, Blood, Nonconsenting Sexual Interactions, Smut, Minors DNI!!!

And then you ran.

And Alastor did not follow.

The demon sat on his ass in the bayou terrain, staring completely dumbfounded as you disappeared through the tree line. Yet again you had bested him. Yet again you had won.

You didn't use any of your magic, you didn't summon any of your power, and yet the demon sat there, utterly power-less.

The demon angrily threw off his coat, the bayou suddenly too hot, too suffocating. He loosened his bow tie to better catch his breath.

What were you doing to him? What was becoming of the Radio Demon, Hell's Equal Opportunity Killer, Hell's Overlord?

With a crazed look in his eye, the demon ran his hands through his hair again and again, trying to catch his breath and clear his mind.

He had brought you here to hunt you, to demand answers, and yet he somehow ended up the prey. All because of those hips…

Almost as if reading his thoughts, his dick throbbed in his pants.

The demon groaned, trying his best to ignore the want, the need, the desire crawling beneath his skin. His magic hummed, not out of irritation, but out of demand. You had started something but did not finish it.

How rude.

But is that what you were hoping to accomplish? Or was it truly a distraction? So many questions and so few answers.

Somewhere in the distance, he heard a door slam shut. Good, you were gone.

Alastor couldn't take it anymore; he undid his pants and pulled his cock free, only to find it weeping precum already. He hissed, wrapping his hand around his shaft.

Fuck, you had blue-balled him.

The first few strokes were painful, and then pain gave way to slowly building pleasure. Hisses turned to moans. Stiff muscles became jelly as he allowed himself to slowly become undone.

He couldn’t remember the last time he did something like this. Even alive he wasn’t a very promiscuous man. Sure, he tried sex a few times, but that was only to please the women in his life. When he couldn’t get it up or couldn’t finish, they assumed something was wrong with them. Were they not pretty enough? Not sexy enough? Bad at kissing? If it went on long enough, then the answer became obvious: the issue was with him. So, technically, he never truly completed the act of sex, but he did try. Not because he wanted to but because the women did.

Frankly, he didn’t see the point to it. There were so many other things he could be spending his time doing. He got good at other things… but that was to keep others satisfied so they wouldn’t come looking for sex. It was a burden, honestly. He used any excuse he could to avoid such things, but eventually, the women grew frustrated and irritable.

Those few fleeting relationships didn’t last long - if you could even call them relationships. He didn’t even have romantic feelings for those women - he just went through the motions because he was expected to by society. It was the era of the stereotypical patriarchal household. Of course, you married, settled down, and had kids.

When finding a female partner didn't work out, someone suggested he might be into men, but he knew he was not. Men were fucking vile creatures as far as he was concerned. Thus, he gave up pursuing any relationship of any kind and dedicated his time to other… extracurricular activities.

Alastor groaned, his mind becoming foggy. He couldn’t think straight anymore, as thoughts of aggravation and his past quickly became thoughts of you.

The way your face flushed as you ground your hips against his. The gasp which escaped your beautifully red lips as his static cupped your breasts.

“Ugh,” he whined. Red was definitely your color.

And then there you were on your knees in the dirt, in your cute little red dress with black lace. Alastor wasn’t a religious man, but you in that dress had him practically on his knees the other day. He hated to admit it, but he couldn’t stop thinking about you in it, couldn’t stop imagining what it would look like on his bedroom floor…

He imagined you crawling to him across the grass, your eyes locked on his. He imagined you positioning yourself between his legs, licking your red lips at the sight of his cock.

The demon gasped as your hands ghosted up his legs, coming to rest at the base of his inner thighs.

Then you smiled, your canines glowing in the low light, "Mr. Alastor."

He shuttered.

The demon stroked harder, faster with the thoughts of those teeth skimming his shaft, of those red lips wrapped around his cock.

You came closer, crawling over top of him, pushing your breasts into his chest, your ass wiggling in the air behind you. Your eyes, half-lidded, filled with lust and desire, sent a wave of pleasure through him that had him downing raspy breaths of air.

Alastor's head bobbed backward, his entire body shuttering from the build of his climax. His hips instinctively bucked up into his hand as he stroked, his body demanding more, demanding faster, demanding harder.

Oh, Satan’s Mistress, he wanted so badly to ruin that dress with his...

"Uh-uh," you teased, running your hand through his hair, you clamped down, and tugged his head forward, forcing him to look into your eyes. "I didn't say you could cum, yet, now did I?"

Fucking Hell. Alastor whined in protest.

"Beg," you demanded.

Alastor was there, ready, but he wouldn’t - couldn't - not unless you said he could.

"I want to hear you beg for it," something behind your eyes turned dark.

"P...Please," Alastor moaned as he bucked up into his hand. “Please..."

You smirked, using a finger to caress his cheek "Oh, my darling buck, I could never deny you anything."

And Alastor came.

"Fuck," he moaned into the darkness as he spilled his seed all over the ground.

The Radio Demon continued to stroke even after wave after wave spewed from him.

Fuck, there was so much cum.

And when it was over and the lust-filled image of you had faded...

It did nothing to satisfy him - nothing to take the edge off. His magic was still humming beneath his skin, throbbing even. His static reached out, trying desperately to find you, and returned aggravated when it did not. It rolled through his blood, an insatiable itch he couldn't satisfy - almost as if the lack of your very presence had some sort of hold over the demon's magic.

He needed to get out of here. He needed to find a way to burn off all this pent-up… sexual energy. He fixed his pants, his dick still hard as he rebuttoned his trousers.

The Radio Demon forced himself to his feet and melted angrily into shadow.

____________________________________________

This bouquet was so much bigger. So much fucking bigger. And it came with a gift. 

“Open it.” Angel leaned over your left shoulder. “Open it.” He switched to your right. “Open it.” Your left. “Open it.” Your right. “Open it.”

“Oh, my God, Angel!” You snapped - but in a cute way. You could never be mad at the spider demon. “If I open it will you please stop?” You chuckled. 

“Oh, baby,” Angel wiggled his eyebrows at you. “I will never stop.”

You rolled your eyes, digging into the gift bag. 

Of-fucking-course… A cellphone. Vox bought you a cell phone. Angel gasped. You had an unread message, and naturally, it was from the media demon. You spun the phone around for Angel to read. 

Angel slapped a hand over his mouth. “Holy shit! We gotta go shoppin’!” He grabbed your elbows and lugged you to your feet. 

“Uh,” you put the brakes on hard. “I’m not going on a date with Vox.” 

Angel ran his hands down his face, groaning in irritation. “Look, toots.” He crossed his many arms. “We need to 'ave a really honest conversation ‘ere.”

You checked the foyer. It was the middle of the day, and no one was home save for Charlie and Vaggie, who had been locked in the office for hours. You hadn’t seen Alastor since the whole swamp incident… Even Husk was out at the moment. It was just you and Angel, save for Nifty running around killing bugs somewhere. No one saw the flowers getting dropped off except for the spider demon, who just so happened to be leaving his room at the same time you were. 

You crossed your arms and collapsed onto the sofa like a small child being chastised by a parent. 

Angel turned on his big brother charm and began his lecture. “I know you don’t 'ave a lotta experience with this kinda stuff, but I do. So, ‘ear me out when I say this, I think you’re confused.”

You raised an eyebrow in question. 

He sighed, “I get that you were raised in the Church and everythin’, but you’re in Hell now. That whole Damnation bullshit has already run its course, toots. I think, maybe, you should consider broadening your horizons a bit. Go on dates. Kiss a few demons. See how it makes you feel.” He cleared his throat. “Just, try somethin’ new. For my sake?” 

Wow. You were not expecting that. Did you really want to do this with Vox? No. Did you want to do anything remotely romantic or sexual? No… Well… No! What happened with Alastor the other night was pure survival instinct. It didn’t matter that you enjoyed it. It didn’t matter that he… well his body’s reaction was quite obvious… Hugely obvious… But you were talking about pure sexual reactions, it didn’t mean anything. 

You hated Alastor. It was as simple as that… right? 

You bit your lip, smudging your red lipstick. “And if I don’t like it?” 

“Then you don’t like it!” He threw his hands into the air. “Look, Hair clip, you got to suck dick to know you don’t like suckin’ dick.” 

You snorted into a fit of giggles. 

“So, whattya say? Shoppin’ trip?” Angel held out a hand.

You debated a moment, “Actually, Rosie might have something already prepared for me…”

____________________________________________

“It’s all about the confidence, toots. Chin up.” Angel instructed. 

You did as you were instructed, although begrudgingly. Taking a deep breath, you raised your chin and strode across the wood. You wobbled, practically falling into the back of the couch for support. 

“This is impossible, Angel! I don’t know why Rosie thought this would be a good idea!” You fell into the couch completely, using it as leverage to kick off the red stilettos. “She knows I can’t handle heels this high.” 

Angel rolled his eyes, “You just need a bit of practice, that’s all.” He tosses you the new pair of Mary Janes he helped you buy.

“Well, Vox is due any minute,” in the black heels, the train of your black dress drags across the ground, but it would have to do. “I’m out of time.”

“Alastor still doesn’t know?” The spider demon raises an eyebrow. 

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen him since...” 

“Since you fell outta his room on ya’ ass?” Angel filled in for you. 

“Yes…” You hid your face. 

“Still don’t wanna talk about it, toots?” 

“No.” You go for the black clutch, ensuring the new phone is tucked inside. Angel gave you his number just in case. “Besides, who cares if he knows?” 

Angel huffed, collecting the red stilettos and following you out front. “Would ya’ care to know that he’s been on a rampage in the Doomsday District since then?”

Your ears perked up. “What?”

“Smiles been goin’ ape shit ova’ there since ya’ did whatever the fuck you did in his room.” Angel pulled a video up on his phone. Alastor's demon form was ripping the place to shreds, eating Sinners, and causing pure chaos.

Oh, fuck…

As if on cue, a black limo pulled up. The media demon popped out the back donning a freshly pressed blue suit, a grin plastered across his screen. He had a new hat - red ribbon instead of blue. 

A rescue from your Alastor conversation. Thank the Lord. 

“Hey, babe!” His eyes raked over your form. “You look fucking hot!” 

Your entire body shuttered, immediately collapsing in on yourself. Angel cringed next to you. 

Eh, maybe you’d rather keep talking about the Radio Demon. 

Rosie had truly outdone herself this time: a floor-length black gown that hugged your curves in all the right places. It was a simple dress with long sleeves and a high back to cover your tattoo. It had a high neckline with a slit on one side. The dress was designed to show off your silhouette as opposed to your cleavage - which you were thankful for. Again, you weren't the biggest fan of girly dresses, but this one allowed you to be feminine while also not making you feel too exposed - which modern feminine-style clothing often did.

You pulled your hair into a bun at the base of your neck, a few strands of bangs curled around your face, barely brushing the tops of your collarbones. You couldn’t take all the credit for the hair or the silver eyeshadow - Angel was the architect of that.

Vox’s eyes flitted between you and the Hotel door. “Shall we?” He laughed awkwardly, a hand out in waiting. 

Your eyes found Angel’s, screaming for him to rescue you - make some excuse to get you out of this evening, but he was beaming. He nodded for you to go and watched as Vox whisked you into the limo so fast you didn’t have a chance to grab the train of your dress before the media demon slammed it in the door. 

Vox jumped in on the other side and, using a com button on his seat gave directions to a restaurant in the Entertainment District. 

God, Rosie will kill you if you ruin this dress after only wearing it for an hour. 

“So,” Vox cleared his throat, clearly oblivious to the anxiety playing across your face. “You live at the Hotel…” The demon scooched closer to you.

You crossed your legs, hoping the demon didn’t notice the black velvet stuck in the doorframe. How fucking embarrassing… “Yeah, I just moved actually.” 

You didn’t know what to do with your hands as Vox’s leg came to rest against your own. The fabric brushed against your bare thigh - curse Rosie and this slit. 

“Why would you want to move there? You don’t seriously think the Princess’s redemption plan will work do you?” He scoffed. 

Hell, no.

“I wouldn’t have moved if I didn’t have hope.” You kept your gaze forward, too nervous to glance in his direction. The media demon was in your bubble and you didn’t particularly enjoy his aroma of plastic and cheap cologne. 

“Seriously?” 

You shot him an irritated look. 

“Fine. Fine.” He backed off. “But the company she keeps?”

“The company?” You decide to play dumb. 

“The Smiling Freak,” He spat, his screen glitching. 

You turned to him then, a soft smile playing out on your face as you tipped your head in feigned confusion. “Who?”

The demon’s screen buffered. “Alastor, the Radio Demon.”

His irritation sparked genuine joy in your chest, but you slammed the mask down over your face so face he didn’t notice. “Oh! The Hotel Manager! Yes, he does always seem chipper, doesn’t he?”

Vox’s screen flashed with a disgruntled look before he changed the subject. “Champagne?” 

He went for the mini fridge and pulled out a pink sparkly bottle. 

As long as it wasn’t sweet… 

The bottle read “Rosé Champagne.” 

Great… This was going to be a long night…

____________________________________________

“Babe.”

You spun the glass of wine on its base, watching the liquid dance. It’s been about an hour and a half since you sat down for dinner, and finally, FINALLY, you had finished and were waiting for dessert. 

“Babe.” 

Why did people even like big, flashy dinners like this? What’s wrong with a perfectly good home-cooked meal AWAY FROM THE LIMELIGHT. 

FLASH! Another camera went off in your face. The fucking media had been tailing you since the limo dropped you off out front. How did they even know you were going to be here? 

“Babe,” a pair of cold metallic fingers wrapped under your chin and raised your face from your glass. Your heart skipped a beat, your brain not registering the situation before your eyes found Vox’s. 

Disappointment swirled in your belly. 

“Sorry,” you waved him off. “The wine is making my head a bit fuzzy.” 

Not a lie. What glass were you on again? 

“As I was saying, Voxtek will combine the two into one, so Sinners can detect who or what is at their front doors.” The demon preached, giving his best spokesman voice he often used on television.

“Ah, huh,” you agreed, ignoring the buzzing in your clutch. 

Angel has been hard at work stalking every media news outlet tailing your date with the Overlord. He took to sending you screenshots and comments about every single one. Quite annoying actually. 

Your eyes searched the shadows for the hundredth time that night. Yet everything was still. No static prickling your skin, no cold shadows twirling about your ankles. It meant Alastor still didn’t know about your date or didn’t care… Why did that make your chest ache? 

“Seems we can make money off of the Soul Scanner after all!” 

Your ears perked up at that. 

“Wait,” you paused your twirling. “Soul Scanner?” 

“Yup!” The demon straightened a little, his sin showing. “Angelic Security’s newest feature!” He whipped out his phone to show you a preview. “It will send notifications directly to your phone anytime it detects a soul in its camera.” He points to the info-graph on the screen. “It even has an Exorcist Angel feature.”

Names. It could detect names. 

“That’s the same technology you use to identify the Shadow’s victims.” 

Vox beamed, “Yes! It can only register Hell names; however, we haven’t found a way to uncover Christian names - but that’s step two! Want to try?” Vox pulled up an app on his phone and handed it to you. 

“Vox of Voxtek Technologies,” the female voice read as you pointed the camera at the demon.

Shit. 

“You can track the Shadow’s movements,” the gears behind your eyes begin to turn. “You’re going to use it to uncover his identity.” 

“I knew you were a smart one, babe,” the demon collected your hand and pressed a kiss to the top, sending little bolts of electricity dancing across your skin. 

As you attempted to calm the quiet panic building inside of you, the demon intertwined his fingers with yours. “And now you!” 

“What?” 

Before you had a chance to stop him, Vox captured you on the phone’s camera. “Unknown.” The woman’s voice rang. The media demon looked confused before he pushed the button again. “Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.”

“That’s never happened before.” 

You laughed awkwardly, anxiety bubbling in your chest. “That’s so strange.” Change the subject. Change the subject. Change the subject! “So, Vox,” you ran your thumb over the back of his hand, pulling his attention away from his phone. “How long have you been an Overlord?” 

The demon’s screen buffered, little waves of static running up and down his form. He pushed the interference away, fixing his bowtie to try and cover it up. “Well, since you asked…”

“Voxy!” 

Fuck. 

Velvette strode up wearing a pink dress so scandalous it made you look like a 16th-century pilgrim. Her hair was done up in a fro, her iconic swirl painted into the side. Gigantic earrings dangled just above her collarbones, sparkling in the candlelight. The swoop in her neckline was low enough to show her belly button, and don’t get you started on the double slit. 

The bitch could pull it off, don’t misunderstand, she was gorgeous, but it was Velvette, and you did not like her. 

And on her arm…

“Crim?” You gasped. 

The Mafia Boss plucked the cigar from his mouth, emptying the ashes into the tray atop your table, before he addressed the group. “I see my reputation precedes me.” He winks at you. The Hell Native had a coat draped over his shoulder, and his iconic fedora sat crooked atop his head. He smelled of smoke and whiskey and GREED. 

“Velvette,” Vox laughed, attempting to hide his irritation. “What are you doing here?” 

“Dollface is just showin’ me around the joint. Nice place ya’ got here, Mr. Vee.” 

Crim you dirty motherfucker!

You hid a clenched fist beneath the table, doing your best to contain the growing irritation bubbling beneath your skin. 

The fucker made a deal with you. Granted, it wasn’t a soul contract, but it was a deal nonetheless: Chaz’s death for the card and a bit of cash. That was it. So what the fuck was he doing here with Velvette?

You sniffed, trying to sense their emotions, but Crim’s cigar was too pungent to get a good read. 

This wasn’t a coincidence. There are no coincidences. Fucking mosquitoes. They always come back. How could you be so stupid!? 

“Well that’s nice…” Vox’s voice trailed off. “I thought you were headed back down after the meeting this morning?” 

Meeting!?

“Thought I’d stick around. Check out the joint. Not everyday us Natives get an invitation to the Pride Ring.” 

Shit. Shit. Shit. You took a sip of your wine to hide your growing anxiety. 

“Mr. Crim was just telling me about a cute little mansion on the edge of town he was thinkin’ bout purchasin',” Velvette added. 

You choked, the wine going down the wrong pipe. 

The same fuckin’ mansion he arranged your meeting at!? The exact same meeting he met with the Shadow!? 

“You okay, babe?” Vox handed you a napkin, which you used to cough into. 

Fuck, the Vees are aligning themselves with the Crimson Mafia gang. They couldn’t find any allies with the Overlords of Pride, so they had to go lower - to someone who had dealt with the Shadow before. Was it to solely take on Heaven or the Shadow as well?

Definitely the latter.

What were you going to do? You couldn’t kill Crim. That would be too obvious, the timing too perfect. 

“Yeah,” you breathed. “I’m good.” 

“This is your mysterious Alley Girl, Vox?” Velvette’s eyes narrowed.

Vox nodded. 

“Is that one of mine?” the fashion guru asked, her red sclera scrutinizing your dress. 

“A Rosie Original, actually,” you smiled.

"Rosie, the tailor?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

"No, Rosie, the Overlord," you corrected.

The demon gritted her teeth. There it was. That got under her skin. She thought oh-so little of the Overlords of Hell, she thought herself above them all - at least, that's what you got out of her attitude at the meeting. And you had guessed correctly.

She smiled, trying to hide her growing irritation. “Right,” She turned back to Vox. “See ya’ later, luv, kisses!” And then she was gone, whisking Crim away to the bar.

When she was well out of earshot, Vox laughed. "Never seen someone shut her up so fast!" The demon grabbed your hand again, his other twirling one of your free-flowing bangs. "Now, where were we?"

You rolled your eyes, ignoring his self-absorbed mantra about the new phone update set to release soon. Honestly, you truly gave it your best shot. Sure, this night started out with a bit of you teasing about Alastor, but afterward, you genuinely did try to get to know him. It just, was hard when everything became about him.

He didn't care about you at all. Which was unexpected, especially after such a declaration in the streets of the Entertainment District. It made you feel like a trophy he wanted to show off, and, when he was done, he put you right back up on the shelf. There you sat until he found it convenient to take you down again.

You meant it as a metaphor when you said you felt like a toy the two Overlords were fighting over. The difference now was that Vox was truly treating you like one.

You took another sip of your wine as dessert was served, your mind once again wandering to the shadows...

____________________________________________

“Thank you,” Vox held the door open for you. 

Finally, the night was over. Finally, you could crawl into bed and hide for the next year of your life. Your social meter was in the negatives. You were drained. This had all been just too much. 

“No, thank you, babe, for a wonderful evening,” the demon grabbed your hand, his fingers dancing across your skin. The demon fell silent, his eyes turning glassy as they found yours. 

You were suddenly very nervous, your stomach fell, your mouth ran dry. “Okay, so good-” 

The demon pulled you in, his lips crashing into yours. It was… um… well, you kissed him back - or rather, you tried - but like… it wasn’t…

Vox’s tongue slid over your lips and pushed its way into your mouth. He tasted of static and salted fish.

The demon ran his hands down your back, coming to a stop atop your hips. He used the leverage to pull you closer. Flush against the Overlord, you expected to feel warmth, exhilaration, and desire, but none of that came. In fact, it was quite the opposite. You wanted to run, but not in the same way you wanted to run from Alastor. You wanted to run in a grossed-out sort of way. Like you needed a good bath to scrub off all the ickiness now clinging to you.

The Overlord moaned into your mouth as his lips smacked against yours.

God, it was so wet… Has this man been kissing Hellhounds all his life? Not that you had any experience to go off of. This was your first kiss after all...

You did your best to kiss him back, but it wasn't working out. It was more mashing of lips than it was actual kissing. Is this what people get enjoyment out of? Others made it seem so simple like your lips were just supposed to know what to do. This was just awkward.

Finally, Vox broke the encounter, wrapping his arms around your waist, “Till next time, gorgeous.” He squeezed your ass before letting you go. 

And then he was gone…

As the limo pulled away, you felt your feet collapse beneath you. The tears found your cheeks before you realized you were ugly-sobbing on the curb before the Hotel.

Husk found you not long after and brought you inside. He wrapped you in a blanket and sat you at the bar, pouring glass after glass of water before you finally said something.

Shit was this what dating was? Why did people like doing these things? Angel made it sound so fun and enjoyable - this is his area of expertise, after all. "Go out, have a fun time, kiss a few demons - blah, blah, blah." Yeah right. Angel was going to get an earful the next time you saw him.

“Angel still at work?” You mumbled.

Husk nodded.

“And Alastor?” You ask hesitantly, your eyes downcast. 

Please don’t be here. 

“Busy.” 

There it was, that ache in your chest again.

“Good.” 

“I take it, it didn’t go well?” Husk asked, pouring himself a glass of water.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” you rubbed your face. Your red lipstick and makeup had to be smeared to high Hell by now - Vox was probably wearing half of it. You wetted a napkin and tried to clean up the damage in the reflection of your glass. 

Actually, you know what, you did want to talk about it. 

“He was just so… so…” you forced your drunken brain to think. “Full of himself! He didn’t shut up once the entire dinner, save for me being able to ask a few questions ABOUT HIMSELF.” 

Irritation prickled the flames beneath your skin. “The date was a disaster from the beginning! He ruined my dress - again!" You motion to the tear in the hem of the fabric. “Then he took us to the most famous rooftop bar in the Entertainment District, where a hoard of reporters were lying in wait. He pulled me about them like I was a piece of arm candy! I HATE the limelight, Husk. A definition of a good time for me is a glass of red and a good book in the library - which I haven’t been able to do in forever." 

“We sat at the VIP table with people waiting on us every two seconds, I couldn’t breathe with how often people were asking my opinion or bringing me a tiny ass plate of a few mouthfuls of food. I mean twelve courses!? Really!? Also, he ordered dinner for me without my input - fish, Husk, he ordered me fish! I hate fish! And don’t even get me started on dessert - chocolate mousse…. I fucking loathe chocolate." 

“At least he had the common courtesy to drop me off at home after. My feet are killing me!” You pulled off your shoes and threw them across the room, sniffling. Taking a deep breath, you bury your head in your hands. “He kissed me, Husk.” A shaky breath. “And it was so, so gross… He was practically licking me.” Your voice cracks as tears stream down your face. “Why are men so fucking vile?” 

There's silence for a beat before you feel Husk lay a hand on your shoulder. “I’m sorry, kid.” 

God, the last time you cried this hard was when Dad beat the shit out of you… 

“Here,” Husk hands you a napkin to dry your eyes and dot your nose. 

God, now you truly were a mess. 

“Can we just talk about something else? I don’t want to end the night like this…” You sniffle, thoroughly destroying the napkin in a wave of black mascara. 

“Uh…” Husk looked uncomfortable. 

“Let’s talk about you, Husk.” You offer. 

“Nothing much to talk about, kid,” he took a swig of water - how uncharacteristic of the cat. 

“Come on. There has to be more to the emotionally damaged barkeep than just pouring drinks,” a sad chuckle escapes your lips. 

“I’m not emotionally damaged. Ya’ll think I’m…” 

You shot him a dumb look.

“Yeah, okay, whatever…” he takes another swig. “Question for a question?”

You raised an eyebrow, “What, so you can report everything back to Alastor? Yeah, no thank you.”

“Believe it or not kid, there are some things that I keep from the Radio Demon.”

Alastor’s words echo through your mind “... You would be surprised how difficult that barcat can be…”

Maybe not everything would get back to the Overlord - this snob fest certainly will. However, you did need to get closer to Husk, this would be a good opportunity. 

“Fine, but I invoke the right to pass.” 

“Same.” 

“Do you get paid to be here?” You started as he poured you another glass of water.

“Alastor is significantly more… generous regarding his deal-making - for Nifty and me, at least. He has ensured that we are well taken care of. Including a monetary pension.” 

Well, you weren't expecting that. You didn’t have much experience making soul deals that resulted in servitude. Any transactions that were made were for your soul’s discrimination and silence. Even the obsidian calling cards had their terms - albeit, cardholders didn’t know this until it was too late. You couldn’t imagine making a soul deal and having to take care of those souls afterward. Seemed like a lot of work. 

“How old were you when you died?” 

That wasn’t something you thought about.

“Twenty-five. You?”

“Seventy-five.”

You tried to hold back a gasp of surprise, slapping your hand over your mouth. “Husker, you’re an old man!?” 

You hadn’t known this from your prior research. 

“Was,” he sipped, pointing a finger. “Was an old man.” He narrows his eyes at you, his face turning slightly pink. “Don’t tell Angel.” 

You made a cross over your heart with your fingers. “Cross my heart and you know the rest…” 

“Okay, Grandpa Husk, what did you do before Alastor came along and ruined your life?” 

You already knew the answer.

“He didn’t ruin my life…” The barcat mumbled. 

You blinked. “What?” 

He takes a long breath, leaning back against the bartop, arms crossed, drink in hand. “I was in a bad spot. He got me out of it.” 

“Oh,” you said after a while, drinking the water to fill the awkward silence. 

Wait… 

“Didn’t you just warn me about how dangerous of a demon he could be?” 

“I lost my soul, kid. That isn’t something to take lightly, but when you're down on your luck, you'll turn to anything to keep you afloat… I can't take that back.” 

It was the best of the worst situation. You get it. 

He looked at you hard, suddenly very serious, “I don’t want that to happen to you, kid.” 

Okay, this was getting too much for you. You decide to derail the subject to something a bit lighter. “Tell me about your daughter.” 

He chokes on his drink, “How did you know I had a kid?” 

Shit. The alcohol was making your brain fuzzy. You slipped up. 

Trying to act casual as you thought of something to say. “You have the heart of a girl-dad.” 

He narrowed his eyes at your glass. “Have we met before?” 

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Um…”

BAM!

“Can I get some help ova’ ‘ere?” Angel fell into the door leaving blood on the handle behind him. The spider demon collapsed onto the carpet, a dark puddle forming beneath him. 

Water went flying across the bartop as you and Husk scrambled over to him. Husk rolled him over and pulled him into his lap - gashes crisscrossed his chest so violently you didn’t know where the blood wasn’t coming from. “What happened!?” 

Angel’s breathing was ragged and shallow, “Val…” 

Val!? He came all the way from V Tower in this state!? 

Husk had a look of pure panic across his face. “Hold on, I got… I got a first aid kit behind the bar…” 

“That won’t help…” you breathed. 

Looking around, you checked the shadows, ensuring Alastor wasn’t watching. 

A gurgle escaped Angel’s throat. The death rattle, they call it. 

“We have to… We can… We can fix this…” Husk was hyperventilating now, his eyes wide with shock.

He’s dying.

“He isn’t dying!” Husk argued. You had said it out loud. 

Images of Clara drowning in her own blood came flooding back to you. Carmella was screaming… Odette was curled around her sister in a ball of tears. Exorcists flew overhead, their spears glittering in the light. It was a beautiful ballet of chaos. 

You willed the memories away.

“Husk,” you grabbed his arm, pulling his attention to you. “I need you to listen to me. Help me get him to my room.” 

“What? Why…” 

“Just do it!” 

You roped your arms under his knees. It took a moment for Husk to comprehend what you were saying before he finally shook his head and followed suit. Quickly, you ran the spider demon up the stairs, a trail of blood following in your wake. Throwing Angel onto the bed, you turned back to the hallway and…

SNAP! 

The blood disappeared. 

“Wait, how did you…” Husk stood at the side of the bed, looking between you and Angel and the hallway in disbelief.

You locked the door.

Jumping onto the bed, you straddled the spider demon, the slit of your dress bunching up over your hip. Now was not the time for modesty. Rolling up your sleeves, you pulled the hair clip from your hair and held it above your arm. “You DO NOT tell Alastor anything. Do you understand?” You spoke very clearly, hoping the seriousness got through to him.

He didn’t answer, confused and panicked.

“Husk!” 

The cat demon blinked. “Yeah!” He screamed. “I got you!” 

“Good,” you ran the prongs of the metal clip, sharpened to a point - courtesy of Carmilla Carmine - across your palm. A cut formed, but you quickly shoved it into the spider demon’s mouth before Husk got a better look. 

“Come on, come on,” you were covered in blood now, your sheets were ruined. You prayed no one heard the commotion and came running.

Angel was motionless for only a moment before the thrashing started. 

“Hold him down!” You screamed at Husk. 

The barcat did his best to hold down a set of his arms over his head as Angel thrashed in the sheets. 

Slowly, so slowly, the bleeding stopped. Skin and tissue began rethreading itself before your eyes, stitching to form new skin. 

Then, the room fell silent. His breathing stilled. His body relaxed. 

Angel was okay.

You didn’t hesitate. Jumping from the bed, you dipped your fingers into a puddle of his blood and began to draw runes on the parts of his fur not already soaked in red.

“What the fuck are you doin’?” 

“Runes of Healing.” Just in case.

When you were finished you went to the hidden markings about the room - beneath the carpet by the door, above the windows, and under the bed - refreshening their marks. 

“Are you mad?” 

Finally, above your headboard - for good measure. You jumped back, joining Husk at the foot of your bed as you both admired the work.

“Twenty plus ‘C’ plus ‘M’ plus ‘B’. What the fuck does that mean?” He read aloud.

“Christus mansionem benedicat - Latin for 'may Christ bless this house.'* Mortals use it to keep out the damned. I used it to keep out our household Overlord and his shadow.” You pointed to the “Alastor” written below it. 

Your hand hadn’t healed. So you held that one close to your chest. 

Angel Dust sighed and turned over on the bed. 

Good. That was good.

Husk turned to you expectantly. He crossed his arms, waiting for you to explain. 

Fuck, guess it was time…

Pulling an obsidian calling card from the Void, you held it out to the barcat and turned it over. Written in white ink at the bottom, hidden until now, was a name: Bernard Abernathy. 

The demon gasped.

“Took me years to get it back.” You shot him a small smile. “I recommend not gambling it away this time.” 

“How…” He took the card from you and you watched as a sort of clarity flashed across his eyes. “I remember…” His gaze met yours, a large smile forming across his face. 

Using their own blood on the obsidian card entered Sinners into an unknowing contract. Cardholders, should they give up or lose their cards, will forget you completely. Husk had one of your cards from a long time ago… Now that it’s finally returned, he can remember again. 

“Hey, Husky,” you smile back. 

He brings you into a hug. “Hey, kid,” he mumbles, his chin coming to rest atop your head. 

You stand there and hold each other for a long while until a murmur from Angel pulls you away. You had a lot of explaining to do, but it would have to wait. 

Drying your eyes, you head to the window. “Get him cleaned up. Don’t let him leave this room. I’ll be back.”

“Where are you going?” He asks.

SNAP! 

Your leather gear and cloak appear. You pull the hood up and open the window, preparing to jump. 

For Husk, since he knows who you are, the cloak's magic didn’t work. Strangers couldn’t see beneath the hood nor pull it off you. Many had tried. They all ended up in a pile of ash. But those who knew could do both.

Holding your fist before you, you summon blue flame. “To kill Valentino.” 

Dun, dun, dunnnnnn! Yeah, fuck Valentino.

*Wiki Link explaining the C+M+B if you are curious

-> Chapter Eight Coming Soon!

Masterlist Link: Masterlist

Tag list (let me know if you want to be added):

@sirens-and-moonflowers @wonderlandangelsposts @saccharine-nectarine @goyablogsstuff @mommymilkers0526 @eris-norwega @alastor-the-radio-demons-blog

[tadc-harlequin-au]

Souls-like AU: What you need to know about The Puppetmaster!

Ah, Caine. The man, the... uh, silly guy with the weird teeth head.

First things first, Caine is NOT an AI, despite claiming himself to be one when he introduces himself to Pomni. He is a full-on human being, and was just as trapped as everyone else is (it's simply easier to claim he's the AI gamemaster, which is sorta half-true).

But... due to him being one of the creators of the Souls-like game, The true AI Gamemaster had chosen to take out it's anger by puppeteering Caine via it's strong influence.

Thus, becoming the mad Puppetmaster.

To ensure full control over him, the AI had Caine's empathy levels blocked, turning him into a whimsical but unpredictable sociopath who moreso cares about letting the players be a part of the game forever, rather than anything else that would be detrimental to player comfortability and fun meter.

Despite this however, the AI isn't actually mind-controlling Caine, It's processing powers could never take over an entire human brain no matter how much it tried; it is simply influencing his thought patterns, ideas and emotions to a much, MUCH darker level, as well as amplifying his traits down to the negatives like a parasite.

So in The Puppetmaster's isolation and desperation for interaction, he's chosen to keep players inside the game for as long as he wants.

The AI even talks to Caine openly sometimes (it comes in the form of the heartpiece blinking and glowing in a pattern), though usually when they're alone.

When this happens, it seems like Caine is simply on a "one-sided" conversation with the air that could easily come across as a madman's insane ramblings to any sane being that encounters him at that moment.

Now, what about Pomni?

She's his s/o in real life, how does he feel about her being present in the game?

Well, he strongly feels something, that's for sure. It constantly flickers between adoration (natural) and possessiveness (influenced), But to Pomni, he's just being one hella weird guy with no respect for personal space.

Still, due to his empathy levels being blocked, he can't help but feel nothing whenever Pomni dies from a boss. After all, it's just a quick snap with the fingers, and then she's back to life like no big deal. All good and dandy, right?

Who cares about the technicalities of death when you could bring someone back over, and over again?

What about Able?

Able's his good brother. Sure, there were times when Caine felt inferior compared to Able's intellectual talent, but Able always comforted Caine whenever that happened, and all would be fine between them.

Though now.... this tiny bit of inferiority complex has turned into full-blown jealousy and paranoia, thanks to the AI's influence.

This was a major factor in Able's imprisonment inside The Patriarch's body, which is a process that's usually dangerous (since the AI and the human consciousness could mix, coughcoughjustlikehim), if it weren't for the fact that Able had a way around the code to prevent it from completely mixing with him.

Able's case is special, since The Patriarch was already a part of the game before his arrival. Able's defiance against the Puppetmaster resulted in The Patriarch becoming Able's physical prison instead of a traditional "player-turned-boss" scenario, where the players' moveset, iconic traits and thought process become a template for their boss AI counterparts.

What about the "Face The Puppetmaster" ending?

Instead of cutting it's losses, the AI doubled down on it's efforts; taking on both Able and Pomni and further amplifying Caine's already massive jealousy and paranoia into a full-on anger breakdown over the "betrayal".

This ultimately leads to a fatal flaw that allows Pomni to strike the heartpiece when it's at it's lowest (from using all of it's processing power) and even deliver the finishing blow, which destroys the gamemaster completely with the help of Able completely removing the AI itself from the game.

Thus, freeing Caine from the strings of the Puppetmaster persona.

[scrivenger-grimgar]

ART IN NOTES/REBLOGS NOW!!!!

Tgcf/MDZS crossover au where after loosing his core WWX technically counts as dead and is able to cultivate the same way a ghost can, essentially making him a ghost possessing a very compatible body.

He’s not a demonic cultivator, he’s just a ghost.

Additionally, the burial mounds are actually the semi-active “remains” of mount tonglu, so when he dies there he’s essentially thrown straight into the kiln, and the only reason WWX is able to get out within 8 years is bc he spent 4 years there as a child, and an additional 2 with the Wen remnants.

Accidental Ghost King Acquisition.

WWX spends the next 3 years in Yiling fucking around with his ghost Wens, rescues Wen Ning with help from Wen Qing, helping the small town in Yiling, and generally being the insane genius inventor he always should have been.

He makes silver bells and enchanted ornaments for Yiling’s people deals with rogue ghosts, befriends his shishu Xiao Xingchen, helps spirits move on. Silver Song Guiding Graves becomes a very welcome guardian for Yiling.

Xie Lian, concerned about the supposed new ghost king, is assigned to find it. Thus leads Xie Lian and Hua Cheng meeting Wei Ying.

Eventually, Mo Xuanyu tries to summon the Yiling Patriarch in exchange for his own soul, but.. he just gets Wei Ying hunched over on the ground with noodles coming out of his mouth. He was having dinner with his friends when he got summoned by this twink okay?

He basically becomes Mo Xuanyu’s Bodyguard for the next 9 months cause he sees Xuanyu as pathetic but in like a wet cat sort of way, as he, Lan Zhan, Xuanyu, and a group of 15 year olds get together to solve a murder.

[brucewaynehater101]

Okay okay, so Tim finds out Bruce is stuck in the timestream and gathers all his siblings + Barbara for a meeting, presenting his evidence, a drafted plan of action to save Bruce . . .

. . . And asks what to do with this information

They all come to an agreement / majority vote

l e t h i m d i e

=========

Once upon a time they thought that Gotham, the world, that they, all needed Batman

Now that isn't the case anymore

Oh he was mourned, by the Justice League, by his allies, by civilians . . .

But the Batfamily has grown into their own, they've found a way to fight for Gotham, Bludhaven, Crime Alley because they've inherited the Fear of Batman

They've found their own ways to instill the fear of them into the criminal world

Their territories are becoming better even despite their Patriarch being dead

And they feel less dead than they were becoming under his thumb

The Dark Knight is Dead; Long Live The Dark Knights

· · ·

People questioned what would happen with the Prince of Gotham dead

Tim tried becoming CEO, but Jason stepped in himself to take the mantle from right under him, citing he was too young and should enjoy his childhood while it still lasted

That started quite a fight between them

Duke Thomas was adopted by Jason and while not technically joining the family's nightlife, Signal could always be found while the sun was up

Gotham's bones broke, organs failed, and flesh was bitten off

Gotham has never been better since Batman or even The Second Robin died

Praise the Batfamily

This is happiness . . .

?

=========

Somebody finds out they let Batman die

Be it the Justice League, other heroes, their rogues, or another hero's rogues, or somebody else entirely

They find out

Do other groups learn by themselves? Does this knowledge come into the hands of people who would spread it?

Either way, the Batclan is going to have to confront that it's known they let Batman die

Is the knowledge it used maliciously, is the accuser wanting answers, or is it a mix of both

Gosh, what will Alfred think if he learns? I imagine that even if he enabled Bruce's abuse they kept him around, stick close enemies and friends after all

(me thinks personally that Joker is throwing a fit with his nemesis dead, and he may not even be able to abuse the fact his own kids killed him cuz it was a child abuser who was killed by his abused)

(but I'd love to see your take on Joker's pov when he only knows Batman is dead and if he learns his kids left him for dead and if he learns they were abused by him and that's why they let him die)

Now I'm wondering what would happen if it got leaked to the public that the Batfamily knew Batman could've been saved but did nothing about it. There could be so many different reactions from different groups

Crime Alley people, criminals, people outside Gotham, Gothamites themselves, and Bludhaven residents would have different takes collectively methinks

Fucking hell, that isn't even accounting for all the fuckery you could do w/ Bruce Wayne = Batman and I'm not talking about an post-mortem identity reveal, I'm talking identity shenanigans

Like say the bats knowing they could have saved Bruce but left him for dead and somebody/some group learns this and leaks it

And then Jason steps in to say "you know the FUCK what? We knew our old man could have been saved and since he was shit we voted/agreed to let him die!!" And all hell breaks loose

And that's just one example!

=========

Inspired by that ask on Jason calling for a family meeting after learning Bruce is stuck in the timestream to figure out what to do from there

+ the one post where Dick tries and fails to get Tim to give up on Bruce so he doesn't embark on BruceQuest and Bruce dies in the Timestream

w/ Cassandra in particular, it'd be fun to explore her psyche in the Vote branch, if she votes to let Bruce die or not considering her "No Kill" stance

Heck, with both branches they alone bring so much fun to the table, even without the flavor of The Reveal

Agreement: You get the explore a world where all the bat kids + Barbara want Bruce dead, by why is it? You get to see all their reasons for it, and how their reasonings may mesh or clash and how they come to make their decisions!

Majority Vote: You get to see the conflicts between those who want him back and want him dead + what they do and think knowing who voted for what then onwards

Bonus if a batsibling or two start of wanting Bruce back but then decide they want him gone, or the reverse, or they flip flop again and again until they make their choice

Either branch I think would overhaul the Batfamily's relationships w/ each other in a major way and not just because someone has to take Bruce's spot as the family head or whatever, but because they chose/voted for said Patriarch to die

That's a big fucking deal

Oh yeah, Duke; is he ever taught about the (technically not) Patricide committed? Or do they keep him ignorant because ignorance is bliss?

Because if he learns through means other than them, yeah it'll be a shit show the Bats won't be prepared for beforehand

Oh yeah what about Gordon? Do you think he'd be in the know or learn via leaks or a leaker cuz he's kind of Barbara's family

Hello!!!!!!!!!!

Tw: abuse, death, murder, child abuse, suicide (let me know if I need to add more)

I love this idea, and I'm totally up for breaking it down.

If it's not an agreement, then it's likely that the ones who disagree will try to save Bruce regardless of what everyone else wants

This will turn into an all-out war as those who want Bruce dead try to prevent the others from succeeding. It would be like a weird version of capture the flag, clue, and escape the room. The save-Bruce team (whether out of love or duty) would need to gather all the evidence that Tim did while fending off attacks and working against the clock (there comes a point in time that it's too late to save Bruce).

Even if they all agree, it's still complicated feelings wise.

Bruce is an abusive piece of shit (especially in this AU), but it's hard to not love your abuser. The cycle of abuse is difficult to break out of. I think Dick and Jason would be at the point they are more apathetic to Bruce's care/love. They are adults who don't rely on him. They might still love Bruce, but it's easier for them to put a defense against the man emotionally to the point of condoning his murder.

Babs and Steph aren't his kids, so, while their feelings aren't black and white, it's easier to distance themselves from Bruce.

Canonically, I think Tim recently got adopted by Bruce. This makes it harder for him to outright reject Bruce. When given evidence (and shown what Bruce did to his other family members), Tim might come to the conclusion that it's better off without Bruce.

Damian is a child who just got to meet his dad. I doubt he'd be on board with this plan nor, with his hero worship, would he be able to find faults in him. He simply hasn't spent enough time with Bruce (and lots of angst to be explored there. Basically, his "siblings" that he's just met are telling him it's better for him if their dad is dead).

Cass loves Bruce. She trusts his mission, what he's supposed to stand for, and that he does love his kids (she can see that he truly does love everyone). At the same time, he hurts her siblings. She doesn't agree with leaving Bruce to die, but her feelings are complicated on the matter.

How the batkids feel about Alfred is similar (although not categorically per a kid) as they feel about Bruce

If they've reached the point where they have acknowledged that Alfred will never be on their side nor protect them, they still love that old man. They want him to be around, they would be sad at his death, but they know Alfred could and has hurt them. They know Alfred would choose Bruce over them.

The JL find out Bruce isn't actually dead with the Black Lantern battle thing.

Theoretically, other heroes can then start trying to save Bruce. Without canon Tim's information, though, they might not be able to. Bonus points to this batfam au if Oracle and others actively sabotage their efforts.

Gordon would be presented with all the evidence that Batman was an abusive piece of shit.

The Commissioner would try to bury any feelings of grief out of guilt for what he's unknowingly allowed his ex friend to get away with. If he knew that Batman was the same boy he threw a jacket over at the scene of that kid's parents' murder, he would sit at his desk with a bottle of scotch and a lit cigarette trying to figure out where it all went wrong. Jim would blame himself, curse Batman, and, as he curses himself for always allowing, do not a damn thing against what the masked vigilantes tell him to do.

Crime Alley and Bludhaven respectively probably would either not give a fuck, say "good riddance," or whistle at the fact the Bat's own kids refused to save him.

Gothamites know their vigilantes. If the batkids had refused to help Batman, than they trust the kids. There's nothing out there that would turn a man's entire family against him besides the man himself. By the end of the week, all Batman related stuff is burnt and replaced by the many symbols of the birds.

Anyone outside of Gotham (besides Bludhaven) will criticize the batkids. Gotham becomes fiercely protective over their birds after that and will fist fight anyone who tries to talk shit about them or their decision.

Fuck Joker, but here's how I think he felt about it.

Man definitely lost his shit in a fit of giggles. It seems (though Joker is slightly disappointed he wasn't part of the final showdown) that Batman was dragged down to the level of madness he swore he'd never go to. If Batman's kids turned against him, oh that must mean that the furry freak truly did horrendous actions against them!

That clown spends several weeks coming up with twisted fantasies and theories to ask out of the Birds to tease out their reactions for when he next sees them. He wants to know exactly how the Dark Knight fell and what was so dastardly to turn children against their father.

After he solves that mystery? Dealer's choice. He doesn't quite get as much joy without Batman around. He can play around with Red Hood and Red Robin specifically (if JJ happened), but nobody is the Dark Knight.

Maybe his melancholy turns into rage where he starts seriously gunning for all the Birds for not returning Batman to him. That, or Joker kills himself cause his nemesis/obsession is gone. Both are likely responses.

Anyways, I also love the positive notes you had that I didn't address. The hopefulness of them doing better for Gotham and Jason adopting Duke is fantastic. I'd love more of that as well as everything else

[maddogofshimano]

The Boss’s Date Coaching

oh baby it's another Goromi event! this one's a board game with Nishida as our protagonist

the board music was Receive You the Madtype

I thought it was kind of funny that they were squeezing another Goromi event in when her character story and past event already covered............. basically every single moment available in YK1! but that's okay.

because this one doesn't take place in YK1

as a brief aside on pronouns, I’m sticking with she/her for any references to Goromi. the term for boss Nishida uses for her, 親父, is explicitly masculine in the same way that patriarch in english is, but I’m not factoring that in for this translation

I will put a content warning that there's a brief attempted sexual assault in this, it's only a few lines and is resolved very quickly but it is there

summary: It is 2006. Goromi is waiting for Kiryu to arrive at SHINE to help out a hostess so she can (once again) surprise him. Nishida has a date coming up, and in her boredom Goromi decides she'll teach him the secrets of a woman's heart.

[2006] [After Kiryu Kazuma was released from prison….] (Tl note: the first time I completely blew past the fact that this said 2006 and not 2005. But I guess 2006 is technically after Kiryu was released from prison, so.) Goromi: ……Kiryu-chan, you're takin' so long~.

Goromi: Nishida! Are ya absolutely sure ya actually emailed him?

Nishida: Y-Yes! I'm positive I did...

Goromi: Then why ain't he come here? Nishida: Kiryu-san is… a really busy person, so… he must have gotten himself caught up in something…. (tl note: Nishida refers to Kiryu as Kiryu no ojiki, which is literally your uncle who is younger than your dad, and in yakuza terms usually means a patriarch less senior than your own. I'm going with -san for simplicity of showing he's being deferential)

Goromi: ……..Well, a burly guy like Kiryu-chan probably gets tons of invites. Goromi: But I got all this time to kill~. …Nishida, ain't there just nothin' interesting? Nishida: I-I guess so… Goromi: Kaaa~… When there's a girl this cute with nothin' to do, ya oughta be helpin' her kill some time! <phone buzzes> Nishida: …! (tl note: this is literally the first time Nishida has looked not extremely worried)

Goromi: Oh! Is it from Kiryu-chan!?

Nishida: N… No, it wasn't. Goromi: What the hell. Who's it from? Nishida: Umm… well… Goromi: …You're stallin'. Give it here! Nishida: Ah… Goromi: …"I had a lot of fun on our date on Saturday, Rina"… This is… Nishida, did'ya get yourself a girlfriend? (Tl note: it's not……….. it's not YK1 SHINE hostess and known lesbian Rina, right? it's a different Rina……. right???) Nishida: No, it's not that serious…! We just met when I went to a group-dating event the other day… Nishida: Then we emailed a little… and she ended up asking me out on a date… Goromi: Ohh~… Seems like she's into ya. What kinda girl is she? And what do ya think of her? Nishida: Umm… here's a picture from the group dating. Nishida: She's a really sweet, attentive, and kind, and we get along… I think it'd be really great if we ended up dating…

Goromi: ……… Nishida: …Boss? Is something wrong? Is there something strange about the photo? Goromi: …Just shocked. A beautiful lady like her is all but wasted on ya. Nishida: …Y-Yeah, I think so too. I'm not even sure why she ended up contacting me at all… Goromi: ….I got it! This situation calls for me to step in and help ya, yeah? (Tl note: Goromi is using "washi" as her personal pronoun here, which is what Majima usually uses when he's speaking as a boss, or "ore". Goromi usually goes with "watashi" but does use "ore" when Kiryu catches her off-guard) Nishida: Eh? Goromi: To make sure yer date goes well, I'm gonna teach ya all about a woman's heart! Nishida: Eh… Goromi: And I've got tooons of free time right now… aren't ya lucky~! Goromi: Hang tight! This is gonna be "the heart of a woman: lesson 1"! <Goromi leaves, presumably to make slides or get props or something> Nishida: I-……… I have a bad feeling about this… Nishida: I think my boss is just… doing something absurd to me to kill time while waiting for Kiryu-san to show up… (Tl note: lol this time it was actually -san. just gotta be EXTRA formal talking about Kiryu around Goromi, I guess) Nishida: No… it's bad to assume. It's possible that my boss might honestly be trying to help me… Nishida: …She said this was lesson one on a woman's heart… How many lessons is she planning? <scene transition to later> Goromi: …I've come~! And I've brought pleeenty of booze~! (Tl note: Goromi says お・ま・た～！ which I presume is a shortening of お待たせしました as in "sorry to have kept you waiting" but omata on its own is uh. it's vulva. it's vulva and that sort of crotch area. hence my translation of trying to get some kind of weird double entendre there) <sound of a cork popping> Nishida: Wh-Why are you filling that tower of glasses with alcohol… Goromi: I thought I'd show ya how to drink. I brought a buncha different kinds. Goromi: Sake, shochu, wine, whiskey, cocktails, plum brandy, beer, take your pick! Go on, drink whatever ya want! Nishida: A-Alright… Nishida: (…Boss… did say she was going to teach me about the hearts of women… so does that mean this is a test?) Nishida: (In that case… a cocktail is probably bad… that's something a girl would pick, I think…) (tl note: NISHIDA NO DON'T LOSE TO THE TOXIC MASCULINITY) Nishida: …Boss. I'd like a whiskey and cola to drink, please. Goromi: Ohh… Whiskey, huh…? Nishida: Well then… cheers. Nishida: (The way I drink will probably also be judged… the manly way to do it is in one shot…)

<horrible gulping sounds and the glass hitting the table> Nishida: …Thank you! Goromi: Oooh, yer a big drinker, huh? Goromi: Although… did ya notice anythin' strange? Nishida: Eh? Something strange…? Now that you mention it, the taste was a little bit peculiar…  <stomach noise> Nishida: My… my stomach's… Wh-What did you put in that, boss!? Goromi: Dumbass! You were so complacent ya didn't even realize that thing was fulla laxatives! Nishida: L-Laxatives!? Why did you.. guhh… Goromi: And now ya know lesson one of how women's hearts work: "I don't want to be with a man who would easily be poisoned to death!"  Goromi: If you're a man, ya gotta be cautious of anythin' that gets served to ya, cause ya could get poisoned!

Nishida: Th-That's… unreasonable… Nishida: (…I think my worries were correct… She's just using me for amusement to kill some time…) <stomach gurgling> Nishida: Ughhh… S-Sorry… gotta… bathroom… Goromi: …No can do. If ya wanna go to the bathroom, ya gotta beat up that guy. Nishida: …Eh? <footsteps> Beefy Majima Family Member: …Sorry, Nishida no aniki. Boss says I gotta.

Nishida: Y-You… Goromi: Now, after poisonin' ya, this ruffian's here to snatch your pretty girlfriend! Goromi: Nishda! Endure that stomach ache 'n win! Show Goromi-chan somethin' good! Nishida: Ughuugh… Y-Yes… boss!!!! Beefy Majima Family Member: Well… I hope you'll forgive me, Nishida no aniki. (Tl note: I did shorten that name to "beefy member" and then reconsidered)

<fight happens> <sounds of a toilet flushing> Nishida: Haa… Haa… Just in the nick of time… Goromi: Heh, ya gotta a lotta willpower to avoid havin' an accident like that, huh? Here, drink this so ya don't get dehydrated. Nishida: Ah, some water? Thank you, Boss. <drinking sounds> Nishida: …What the… it's a little bitter…? Boss, what's up with this water-- <Nishida hits the ground> Goromi: Dumbass! I just told ya, don't make it so easy to slip ya sleepin' pills like that! Goromi: …When ya wake up, I'm gonna train ya until ya can identify every kind of poison by taste. Buckle up, buttercup. Nishida: Uugh… uughhh… that's……. impossibleee…. <END PART 1>

[While waiting on Kiryu to finally arrive, Goromi learns of an upcoming date and uses her free time to instruct Nishida on the matters of a woman's heart.] [After drinking poisoned booze, Nishida has learned lesson number one, "girls don't want guys who are easily poisoned".]

Nishida: (Boss… She told me to wait outside for the next lesson on a woman's heart…)

Nishida: (This lesson comes after poisoning… What sort of terrifying part of the female psyche is she going to teach…) Goromi: I've come~ 🎶 (Tl note: yeah. yeah it's the same one. yeah) Nishida: Ah, boss. What's the next lesson going to… be? <Goromi appears with a whole army of goons> Goromi: A woman's heart: lesson 2! "Obviously I like strong men 🎶"! (Tl note: this is probably the same line she says to Kiryu about her type of man, but I'm too lazy to double check OR look up what she exactly said in english)

Goromi: A man's not a real man at all if he ain't tough! Now you're gonna tussle with these guys! Goromi: Smash up these ten opponents, and show a gal what she likes to see in a man! Nishida: No… this is… just the boss's pastime… Nishida: She said this was about a woman's heart… but this is more like training in a battle manga… Goromi: Let's get it rollin'! Get it done nice 'n quick! Goromi: Oi, everyone! No goin' easy just cause it's 10 on 1, I want everyone goin' all out against Nishida! Majima Family Members: Roarrrrrrrr!!!! Nishida: ….Crap… Guess there's no avoiding it…! Nishida: Haa… Haa… (tl note: THIS WASN'T THE OBLIGATORY FIGHT? I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE FIGHT IS THERE ANOTHER??)

<a goon slides in> Nishida: !?

<Nishida gets smacked> Nishida: Guh…! <A new goon slides in> Majima Family Member A: Haa! Nishida: Crap! <Nishida steps away> Nishida: Haa… Haa… Nishida: (When there's this many opponents… while you're busy with one guy, another will circle around behind you…) Nishida: (They're not that strong if I can take them on one by one, but I can't fight them properly when they're in my blind spots…) Nishida: (What the hell do I do…) Nishida: …..! That's it….! Goromi: …Seems like ya figured it out. Goromi: Everyone! What're ya standin' around for! Go beat the shit outta Nishida! Majima Family Member A: Y-Yes! <scene change> Nishida: Yes… right here…

Majima Member A: Oi! It's too cramped to go together! Majima Member B: Shit… this is… too narrow! Nishida: (Yes… This narrow alleyway forces them to come down it one at a time…) Nishida: (Since I don't have to keep watching my back, this negates their numbers advantage in close quarters.) Nishida: …What's wrong, come at me! Otherwise it'll be the boss that's hitting you! Nishida: …Time to go…! Nishida no aniki! Please don't hold this against me!

<actual fight time where you do indeed take on 10 goons>

Majima Member D: Gahh…

Nishida: Haa… Haa… Somehow… I won… Goromi: Ya did it, Nishida! Now ya don't gotta be worried when ya get jumped by a buncha thugs!

Nishida: Um… I think I will still be worried… Goromi: Well, if they really wanted ya dead they woulda done ya in the first time you stumbled… Goromi: Eh, we'll call it good enough this time. Ya passed lesson 2 of a woman's heart, "Obviously I like strong men 🎶" ! Nishida: Th-Thank you very much… Goromi: Now, this will be the final thing I can teach you about a woman's heart… A woman's heart: lesson 3… Are ya ready? Nishida: Y…..Yes. Nishida: (Next is the final one, huh…) Nishida: (I figured that if she's just doing this to kill time, she'd get tired of these sorts of antics… but this is faster than I thought.) Nishida: (But I can't let my guard down. Lessons 1 and 2 were seriously absurd… What on earth will lesson 3 be?) <music changes to the more emotional soft track> Goromi: A question for ya. Right now… what do ya think Goromi-chan wants? (Tl note: I misread it as "what do you think of Goromi-chan" at first and was like, so scared to continue. I was shook by the possibility of Goromi emotional vulnerability momence)

Nishida: …Eh? Goromi: What's wrong? Answer already. I wanna know whatcha think I'm after. Nishida: Eh… Well… Nishida: (What do I say… The number one thing my boss would probably want is to fight with Kiryu-san.) Nishida: (But, that would be way too easy for this quiz… what the hell… what is it…) Goromi: …Figured out your answer? Nishida: ……….. Nishida: ……Sorry, I don't know. Nishida: I thought getting to fight Kiryu-san would be it, but… I'm not confident enough in that to commit to it. Goromi: …Ya got it. "I dunno" is the right answer. Nishida: Eh? Goromi: The final lesson on women's hearts: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her".

Goromi: Every woman has her own circumstances. Goromi: A woman who loves sweets can still have days where she wants something spicy, and there are women who will claim to hate what they actually like. (Tl note: .............................................................................hey when this is in direct response to Goromi's number one desire being a fight with Kiryu. there's. hmm.) Goromi: So, don't look at just one aspect of a woman and think ya know everything about her, okay? Goromi: Women are deeply complex, living beings, despite what men think. ...Got it? Nishida: Y-Yes...! I will take your words to heart! Goromi: ...Alright, good. I taught ya about the female psyche, so make good use of it on your date. Nishida: Y... Yes! Goromi: Well then, time to head back to the club. I got a feelin' that Kiryu-chan might be there soon.

<she leaves> Nishida: While the other two were obviously farces... it feels like that last one was surprisingly genuine. Nishida: Guess it makes sense, after she got tired of doing the absurd. But, that doesn't seem quite right... hmmm... Nishida: Still, something to make use of on my date... Nishida: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her" is good to keep in mind... Nishida: But "I don't want to be with a man who would easily be poisoned to death!" and "Obviously I like strong men 🎶" are-- Nishida: Maybe not as helpful... <END PART 2>

[I'm skipping the recap lol but today's the day of the date] Rina: Hehe, I thought the same thing during the group date, but talking to you is really easy, Nishida-san...

Rina: I was really nervous to ask you out, but I'm glad I gathered up the courage 🎶 Nishida: Oh, nah... I was worried we wouldn't be that good of a fit, too. Nishida: ........ Rina: ...? What's going on? You keep looking around the perimeter. Do you have a friend here? Nishida: Ah, no... it's nothing. Sorry, it's just nerves. Rina: Ah, no worries then! Really, I thought it was cute, you looked like a baby animal. Nishida: C-Cute...? Is that so... Nishida: (I can't tell her that I'm traumatized from my boss's training, and that I'm looking for a good spot to fight a pack of thugs...) Nishida: (Or that I'm being cautious about drinking the water brought to me in case it's been poisoned...) Nishida: (The boss's lessons on a woman's heart... my body sure remembers them, huh... ha...) Rina: Ah, that's right! Listen to this! I'm not making this up, the other day at the park, I saw a squirrel-- (Tl note: I thought that was just, the end of her sentence at first. she's just REALLY excited about squirrels) <scene transition to outside> Rina: Nishida-san, your recommendation of restaurant was delicious! I'm definitely bringing all my friends there 🎶

Nishida: I'm glad. I like going there because it's fairly cheap while still being delicious. Rina: Cheap and delicious restaurants are the best. I feel like it being cheap makes it taste even better, you know? Nishida: Ah, I get you! It's really a question of mood. This restaurant here is also good. There's this pork fried with ginger and grated daikon on top-- Rina: Hehe, you sure know your eateries Nishida-san. I'll have to rely on you next time I can't decide where to go eat~. Rina: ................So...... What are you doing after this? (tl note: NISHIDA SCORES?) Nishida: Eh? Umm... What am I doing. Maybe... getting drinks? Rina: ...Could we go somewhere to rest a bit? There's a place where we can talk slow and relaxed. (tl note: NISHIDA GETS SCAMMED?) Nishida: Eh? Somewhere to rest and relax? That's... Rina: Hehe... You'll have fun if you go. Come on. <another scene transition> Nishida: This is... the place?

Nishida: (BAR, huh... The hallway to the bathroom would be good to use if I'm outnumbered...) (Tl note: yeah the bar is named. BAR. in english. which is just great for translating) Nishida: (I'm still hung up on my boss's training, it really messed me up... I'm not the protagonist of a battle manga...) Rina: What do you think? I find it very relaxing, and since it's a hole-in-the-wall kind of place there's not crowded so you can really take your time and talk. (Tl note: very funnily hole-in-the-wall is fairly direct, the jpn being 穴場 or "hole place") Nishida: Ahh, you're right, this is a very relaxing place. Rina: Yeah. ...Hmm? Nishida-san, did you perhaps think it was something naughty? (tl note: well I sure did) Nishida: N-No... I-It's nothing like that...! Rina: Hehe, no need to panic. I just said it to make you conscious of it 🎶 (Tl note: struggling with the second sentence here, it's ふふっ、 慌てなくてもいいですよ。ちょっと意識させようと思って言いましたし🎶) Nishida: Eh...? Muscular Bartender: ...Are you ready to order?

Rina: For me, a kahlua milk! Nishida: Umm... How about... Barley shochu. (Tl note: 麦の水割り, which probably has a better word for it but that's my best guess) Bartender: ...Alright. Here's your kahlua milk and barley shochu. Rina: Well then, kanpaiii 🎶 Nishida: Ahh, kanpai! (Tl note: Nishida why do you say kanpai in full kanji you fucking dweeb) Nishida: (I keep thinking my boss might emerge from beneath the bar, so I'm worried about this drink being poisoned...) Nishida: (There's no way it's actually poisoned... though... hmm... there's a bitterness...) Rina: ...? Is something wrong, Nishida-san? Nishida: No... it's just, this tastes like the sleeping pills my boss made me take... Bartender: ....! Nishida: Yep... My boss made me take sleeping pills over and over, and this... tastes exactly like those sleeping pills. I don't know why it would be sleeping pills... Rina: IIII have no idea why that would be. Right, bartender? Bartender: ...Sir, we are an upstanding business. We don't take false accusations lightly. Nishida: Ah, no, I didn't even say you put them in there... Nishida: But someone could have put them in there to cause trouble for you, so the police should check the other drinks to be sure Bartender: ....Tch. Oi. <a bunch of thugs jump out> Nishida: !? Bartender: You all, this guy's making up lies about us. Shake him down for some apology money to make up for it. Nishida: No, I'm not accusing you of anything. All I'm saying is a quick confirmation-- Bartender: You all! Get him! Nishida: (They aren't listening... I'm getting the feeling that the sleeping pills weren't in there on accident.) Nishida: (I'm up against 4 opponents. If they surround me I'm done for..... that's it! I just need time.) Nishida: Rina-san! Hide in the bathroom! Rina: Uh... r-right! Bartender: Wait! Do you really want to hide somewhere with no exit? Bartender: ...What's the point...? Is he going to bunker down in the hallway... Nishida: I know there's no way out of this... Only Rina-san will be hiding. Nishida: (This narrow corridor in front of the bathroom, it'll force them to come one at a time. This is my only way to win.) Bartender: ...Heh... You went through all that trouble to run, only to go for a narrow hallway with no way out.

Bartender: You'll regret ever speaking a single false word about my drinks!!!!

<fight time>

Bartender: S-... stupid...

<he hits the ground> Nishida: Haa... Haa... That was close. Nishida: If I didn't make use of those tight quarters, I would have been a goner as soon as they got behind me. Nishida: All thanks to that training my boss gave me on fighting multiple opponents... Nishida: And the fact that I had to drink sleeping pilsl and laxatives so I'd know what they tasted like... that ended up being useful too. <the door opens> Rina: N-Nishida-san... are you okay? ...Eh!? You... beat all of them? Nishida: Yeah... somehow, I managed it. I think we should get out of here before they wake up. Rina: Umm, no... I'm... Nishida: ....? What's wrong? Rina: I-It's... it's nothing... L-Let's go. <back outside> Rina: ...Yeah, I had no idea it was that kind of establishment. I really never thought they would attack you and try to take your money...

Nishida: ...Hey, Rina-san. Earlier, why did you want to stay in the bar? Rina: Eh... th-that's... well... Nishida: ......... Nishida: ............If... If you're... an accomplice to that bar, it would be a good idea to stop doing that. Nishida: If you keep it up... I think you'll end up in a really bad situation some day. Rina: .....That's my choice, isn't it? Nishida: Eh...? Rina: ...Don't start talking like you're my boyfriend after one date! All you are to me is a source of revenue! Nishida: R-...Rina-san? Rina: It was me, I'm working with that bar, I took you there specifically to fuck you over! So? Happy now!? Rina: And now you've ceased to be useful to me. ...Never contact me again. <she leaves> Nishida: R-Rina-san... Nishida: ...I thought she was nice girl, too... Nishida: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her", huh. It's exactly like my boss said. Nishida: Boss... There's no way you expected all of this to happen, right...? Nishida: Rina-san went back to the store. I wonder... does she plan on doing the same thing again? Nishida: ............. <END PART 3>

Bartender: Shit... What's with that helmet bastard.... (Tl note: this is when I realized this was for real in 2006 and not a typo or a timeline mistake. which also means that Goromi hostess dates with Kiryu were a recurrent thing)

<Rina enters> Rina: .................. Bartender: So you're back... Why the fuck did you bring such a huge pain in the ass here? Rina: ......I already told you, this is was the last time. I'm done. Erase the photo of Keiko from your phone. (Tl note: name is 恵子 which has multiple readings) Bartender: What was that? Rina: The nude photo you took of Keiko and blackmailed me with! You said you'd erase it if I brought 10 people here! Bartender: Ain't happening. I didn't get any cash from that last one. You gotta do it again. Rina: That's bullshit! You all messed up, not me! Rina: If you try to make me do any more I'm going to the police, so hurry up and delete the photo already! Bartender: You really want your bestie's nude erased, huh. If so... going to the cops is going to be a problem. Bartender: So... <another goon slides in> Rina: !?

Bartender: I'll just have to get a photo of you next, so that doesn't happen. <goon grabs her> Rina: L-Let go...! Bartender: Just some nudity won't be enough for opposing me. We'll make an extra hard video... heheh. Rina: N-.... No-- <the door slams open> Bartender: !? <a punch lands> Strong looking man: Guh...

<he hits the floor> Nishida: ...I heard what you said. Rina-san, you did this all to help your friend.

Rina: N-Nishida-san... Why did you come here? Nishida: "Don't presume to know a woman when you're only looking at one side of her", that's what my boss taught me. Nishida: It was a really horrible feeling, when I thought I had been betrayed by a girl who seemed nice and kind. Rina: ........ Nishida: But, at the same time I had another thought. Fucking me over was just one aspect of you. Nishida: So I came here to see the whole picture and be able to understand it. Nishida: ...I'm glad I believed what my boss taught me. I would have regretted it if I left the situation alone, thinking I understood it. Rina: Nishida-san... Bartender: Heh, I get to see some cheap melodrama. It's real convenient you came back here, shithead.

Bartender: I was careless last time, but it won't happen again. You're going to regret coming back to rescue that woman!!!! Nishida: (This time I won't be able to make use of the bathroom hallway.) Nishida: (So far I've been able to scrape by thanks to my boss's special training...) Nishida: (But I wasn't taught anything for this situation. This will be a test of my own strength!) Nishida: I may not have any help from my boss, but... I will protect Rina-san, with my own power!

<fight time>

Bartender: Fuck... er...

<he hits the floor> Nishida: Haa... Haa... I... won... <Nishida also hits the floor> Rina: N-Nishida-san! <and he's back up> Nishida: ...I'll be fine... Quick, go delete... your friend's photo from his phone, please. Rina: Ah, r-right! <scene transition, police sirens wail> Nishida: ...Sounds like the cops are coming. Rina: Seems so. I'm... going to tell the police everything. I'm not going to run from my punishment. Nishida: You only did it because you were being threatened... I'm sure the punishment won't be that harsh.

Rina: ...Nishida-san. <she hugs him> Nishida: ...!

Rina: ...Thank you. Rina: My boyfriend is going to be mad that I'm saying this, but... you looked really hot... seriously, thank you. (Tl note: ohhhhhhhh I knew this wouldn't work out but RIP Nishida. he never scored) Nishida: Eh... <outside now> Nishida: ...Well, I guess she really has a boyfriend.

Nishida: But, it's fine. It's not like this kind of thing is about dating. Majima Family Member: Oh! Nishida! Are you okay!? I've been worried sick! Nishida: ...Eh? Wh-What? Majima Member: Lately, there's been a lot of nasty sleep-robbery bars. There was this picture of a woman floating around that we're supposed to watch out for... Majima Member: Here, this woman. And someone saw you walking around with her, so I got worried, you know? (Tl note: bisexual rebound time?)

Nishida: This is... Rina-san!? I guess she did say she'd done that a lot, so it makes sense there would be rumors... Majima Member: Hold on... You already knew? Nishida: Ah, yeah... But, she's washed her hands of it all, so could you please stop circulating that photo? Majima Member: ...Well, if you don't want me to, then I guess there's nothing more to be done. Nishida: I'm glad... Um, did that photo possible get shown to our boss? Majima Member: Hm? Ah, yeah he was shown it. About 3 days ago, I think. Nishida: 3 days ago... So all those lessons about a woman's heart from yesterday were... for this. <flashback> Goromi:  What kinda girl is she? And what do ya think of her?

Nishida: Umm... here's a picture from the group dating. Nishida: She's a really sweet, attentive, and kind, and we get along... I think it'd be really great if we ended up dating... Goromi: ......... Nishida: ...Boss? Is something wrong? Is there something strange about the photo? Goromi: ...Just shocked. A beautiful lady like her is all but wasted on ya. <flashback over> Nishida: (Now I understand that reaction... Boss must've realized who Rina-san was...) Nishida: (All those lessons about a woman's heart... In the end it was what saved me.) Nishida: (Was... all of that just so... I wouldn't get sleep-robbed...!?) Nishida: ...Do you know where our boss is right now? Majima Member: The boss? Pretty sure she said something about waiting for Kiryu-san at SHINE. Nishida: Thanks. <Nishida walks off> Majima Member: H-Hey. Nishida! (tl note: RIP unnamed Majima Family Member, he never scored)

<now at SHINE> Nishida: Umm... The boss is... there!

Nishida: Boss! Thank you so much! Because I kept all of your lessons in mind, the date today went perfectly! Nishida: Boss... You knew about what Rina-san was up to, didn't you... So you secretly did all that for my sake-- Goromi: ...Ooh, Nishida! Perfect timin'! Nishida: Eh...? Goromi: Kiryu-chan just came to the club! The plan was a massive success! Goromi: That surprised look on Kiryu-chan's face... Fun conversations leading to a fun fight! I had the greatest time!

Nishida: A-Ahh! Is that so! That's really great! Nishida: So anyways boss, about what I was telling you regarding the date... Goromi: Your date? What's that got to do with Kiryu-chan? Nishida: Um... nothing I suppose... Goromi: Then why would I wanna hear about dumb shit like that? Goromi: I'm busy draftin' up a plan for my next fight with Kiryu-chan! Ya better get plannin' right away too!

Nishida: Ah, r... right... Got it. Goromi: Hehe, my blood's already pumpin'! Now, what next to entertain Kiryu-chan~! (Tl note: "blood's already pumping" is 腕が鳴るでえ which is more literally "my arm is ringing/rumbling" or "I'm itching to put my skills to use") <she leaves> Nishida: (...Well, that's fine. No matter what the truth is, I'm certain that it's all thanks to my boss that I'm still alive.) Nishida: (More importantly... I need to properly return the favor.)

Nishida: Boss! Wait up, please! I'll think of something great too! <END>

and then here's all of Nishida's various thoughts on things from the board game:

Kiryu-no-ojiki

A man known as the Dragon of Dojima who is absurdly strong in a fight. He’s my boss’s very favorite. Only as a fighter, though...

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is a great stress reliever! But you have to be careful not to over do it. You should drink rather than be drunk.

Boss’s High Heels

My boss wore these while working at a cabaret club and turned them into a deadly weapon. Getting kicked by them would surely kill...

SHINE

A cabaret club where my boss occasionally works as a hostess. The store has a good reputation, but the customers my boss serves must have a difficult time...

Boss

My boss. Occasionally my boss puts on a dress and works as a hostess, but there’s never been any complaints. Though, would anyone really push on that...

Butterfly Necktie

The necktie I wear while working as a waiter. It may look like a ribbon, but it’s actually very common in formal settings. 

Downtown Chinpira

Is this guy running shakedowns!? Bullying the weak is something only cowards do! Guys like this need to be taught a lesson!

The Majima Family A leading group within the Tojo Clan that's known for its violent conflicts. The family is a group of ruffians, I don't know why I ended up in it...

Majima Family Members

They're a violent and strange bunch, but if you take the time to really talk with them they’re surprisingly pleasant company. Well, they do still look scary...

Kamurocho

Painted in gaudy neon, it’s Japan’s number one entertainment district. The first time I came here, I was shocked at how many people there were.

and VERY FINALLY bonus stuff, namely the two cards! Goromi, the dreadful luck hostess, and Nishida, the mad dog’s errand boy.

this one was sooooooooooooooooooo long but also we got lore that Goromi was NOT a one-off event. which is so much more than I could have ever hoped for. I also love that Kiryu has apparently gotten the text from Nishida on multiple occasions and is shocked every time that Goromi is there waiting on him. and they still go on the date, every time

it’s not even rituals at that point they’re just using Nishida as a date coordinator with the flimsiest pretext in the world. this is that guy fighting the waffle house cook levels of pretext

[journeytothewestresearch]

I know it might be a big request, but can you talk about heaven's hyerarchy in JTTW?? And explain some titles like boddisahtiva (sorry for any typos, english isn't my native language)

I'm a little busy at the moment, but I can give a brief overview as I see it.

The Jade Emperor (JE) is the boss of the universe, but he still has deities over him, such as the Three Pure Ones, of which Laozi (LZ) is an incarnation (of sorts). The novel even describes LZ as the "Patriarch who separated Heaven from Earth"--i.e. the creator of the universe. While technically subordinate to the JE, the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas are the true shepherds of the JTTW cosmos. (In traditional Buddhism, gods are still subject to the illusory world of Samsara, while the Buddha is beyond reality since they have achieved nirvana and broken free from the endless rounds of rebirth. In addition, the JTTW universe is patterned after the Buddhist disc-world system, and the Daoist heavens take the place of the Buddhist heavens in the traditional cosmology.) Despite this, Buddhist deities still act ritually differential to the gods. For example, the Patriarch of Earthbound Immortals (ch. 24-26) is so high-ranking that Guanyin mentions that even she has to be respectful towards him.

The gods of heaven are considered superior to those of the earth. Local gods of the soil and mountains, as well hell judges and their spirit-soldiers, are looked upon as "ghost immortals," the lowest rank. Celestials above are "spirit immortals," the highest rank. "Human" and "Earthbound Immortals" in the middle ranks can become heavenly beings if they are given an official post. But heavenly beings can be demoted to lower ranks for messing up. For example, one of Laozi's fire-tenders in the 33rd Heaven is demoted to a local god of the soil below for failing to help capture Monkey when he escaped from the Eight Trigrams Furnace in chapter 7. And a different local god of the soil in another chapter worries that two mountain gods will be beaten and further demoted to small, out of way shrines for unknowingly dropping their mountains on the Great Sage.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

[aliciavance4228]

Unpopular Opinion: Demeter Did Nothing Wrong

Alright, maybe the title isn't 100% accurate since she almost wiped the entire human race from earth, but you got the idea.

The thing with Demeter is that nowdays she is demonized/villainized all the time. And the most ironic part is that she is demonized by feminists, which leaves me quite confused, considering the fact that she would technically be a great example of female strength, especially when raporting to "Homeric Hymns to Demeter". But before discussing the myth of seasons, let's talk about her background story:

One thing that is certain about Demeter is that she had horrible experiences with almost all men from her life. Her father ate her. Poseidon raped her disguised as a horse. Zeus raped her as well (which led to the birth of Persephone). Iasion was one of the few men from her life who loved and respected her, and whom she lived with for a while before Zeus became jealous and killed him; yes, he is THAT much of a d-

The only one of her brothers who didn’t hurt her in any way at that time was Hades. And if you take into account the versions of the myths in which Hades was born before her that means that he was the one who took care of her as well during the time when they were trapped in their father's stomach. So it is pretty much implied that he was the only one of The Big Three whom she trusted the most, which makes the discovery that he was the one who kidnapped her daughter even more tragic.

Now, about "Homeric Hymns to Demeter": first of all I want to point out the fact that this myth isn't about Hades and Persephone. They are mostly mentioned in this story rather than actually playing an active role in it, because they have more of a symbolic value above it all. Wheter Persephone came to love Hades in time or despised him for the rest of her eternity is irrelevant, because this myth is not about her but Demeter.

Demeter had already faced some disturbing experiences even before Persephone was kidnapped. And considering the fact that her own daughter was a result of SA, it makes perfect sense why she would be protective towards her and raise her outside of Mount Olympus; every woman that was raped would fear that her daughter would face the same cruel fate.

About the abduction part: it is revealed to us at the beginning that Hades asked Zeus if he can marry his daughter, and he agreed. Hades only needed the approval of the father in order to wed her. Back in the Ancient Greece, especially in the Athens, people had a very patriarchal view on marriage. On short: the marriage would be usually planned between the groom and the father of the bride, her mother not knowing anything about what was going on until her daughter was already taken away from her. This myth is a representation of how the Patriarchy was a dominant system even among deities, with Zeus as its supreme figure.

At this point, the myth of seasons can be already considered a comfort story for mothers who had to endure the loss of their daughters either through death or marriage. This myth, however, has a lighter note as well, and that because Demeter, instead of accepting the fate of her daughter, left her anger free and did anything she could so that she would ultimately convince Zeus to give her daughter back, the last solution being leaving hundreds of humans dying of cold and hunger. This part basically shows how even a patriarchal figure like Zeus can be defeated by a mother's rage (or pure female rage, take it as you wish). Even though this myth is supposed to tell us just how seasons appeared, it can also be used as a moral lesson for men: it is better to consult with your wife and daughter before making a decision, or else there will be GREAT CONSEQUENCES.

And finally, one moment that is indeed very touching yet most people are ignoring for some reason is when her mother Rhea appears in front of her and starts to comfort her after she found out that Persephone ate the promeganate seeds, showing how a mother's mouring over her daughter was a common feeling among most female deities from Greek Mythology.

Now, is Demeter perfect? Absolutely not. And that is okay, because instead of that she is supposed to show in this myth a lot of humane and realistic nuances about what being a woman is like. She is a complex character, and completely demonizing her just because you ship Hades and Persephone is quite disturbing in my honest opinion. Wheter or not you like this couple (I won't condemn you because they are still one of the most stable relationships from Greek Mythology, but that basically shows just how f*cked up myths are in general lmao but anyway....), you have to understand the fact that the "Beauty and Beast" and "A mother's love will always conquer" are two tropes that can co-exist, and that things aren’t just black-and-white.

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

before I go to bed and spend tomorrow doing mostly spreadsheets (it’s fun I swear I love logistics I’m doing it entirely for fun and restarting a game bc I find making detailed spreadsheet plans that enjoyable and I realised I could get some cool mods bc I don’t care about balance) I really appreciate that while mouthwashing acknowledges and condemns curly's enabling behaviour, it never presents his disabilities or his abuse as some sort of just punishment. his extremely naïve faith in jimmy hurt everyone and was born out of a patronising misogynistic worldview where he assumed anya was mentally unwell before she was a victim but what happens to him is not a fair consequence, it’s just horrible and senseless. even if it happening made curly aware of the suffering anya did- the obvious parallels between the rape and himself being forced to take his pain medication are something I’m sure crossed his mind in the months he spent trying to focus on anything but pain- that in no way is ever framed as a good thing even if it technically made him a better person in some respects bc under No Circumstances is abuse ever justified or okay. curly is not a great person, but you do not have to be a perfect victim to be a victim. no one deserves the humiliation and violation jimmy put others through, not even jimmy himself. curly made many mistakes, and was a deeply flawed human- to think otherwise is to fall into jimmy's ableist and dehumanising obsession he uses to justify his abuse of curly- but he was not malicious. the patriarchal support of abuse eats its own, any man who falls outside of the cishetero able bodied white supremacist ideas of man are victims of it. this is not a hashtag girlboss moment, and is tragic and horrible in its own right bc abuse is always horrible, even if men aren’t the primary intended victims and even if those men uphold the patriarchy. bc people can be victims and also be deeply harmful to each other. the lines between the misogynistic sexual abuse towards anya and the violent medical abuse towards curly are blurred on purpose- bc being disabled means curly is no longer protected by male solidarity when the idea of maleness we have excludes disabled people. the parallels between ableism and misogyny are a very prominent theme I don’t see discussed much about the game, and them not framing curly as in any way deserving of his injuries nor the ableist abuse against him is so important for that point. like, curly sucks in a lot of ways, but he’s still a human being, and no human being deserves violation of any kind, whether they’re dehumanised for being disabled or for being a woman.

[ae-neon]

Sarah Janet, do NOT piss me off

“Enjoyed that*, did you?” Chaol growled.

“Immensely.” Celaena patted Chaol’s arm as she took it in her own. “Now you must pretend that you like me, or else everything will be ruined.”

“You and the Crown Prince share the same sense of humor, it seems.”

“Perhaps he and I will become dear friends, and you will be left to rot.”

“Dorian is more inclined to associate with ladies of better breeding and beauty.” She whipped her head to look at him.

He smiled. “How vain you are.”

She glared. “I hate women like that. They’re so desperate for the attention of men that they’d willingly betray and harm members of their own sex. And we claim men cannot think with their brains! At least men are direct about it.” (🙄)

*The "that" in question being Dorian telling Celaena about her alias as a jewel thief

(after picking her up from the mine, spending a night there, spending 2 weeks on the road to the capital and having spent at least a night in the castle. He has already said her real name out loud in public, she has introduced herself to a servant and signed a letter with that name but sure...)

Then Dorian insinuates both him and Chaol are both sleeping with her/gonna sleep with her? All to slight Kaltain, instead of just telling either his mother the queen or Kaltain herself that he has no interest in her. So no, men are not direct about it.

Also Celaena earlier drops a potted plant from a balcony, aiming directly for Kaltain because Kaltain was bad mouthing her over Dorian (Celaena's captor technically) but misses, so really saying she hates Kaltain for betraying and harming members of her own sex for male attention is too ironic. Not to mention Celaena almost breaking her neck when Chaol implies Dorian is out of her league. Typical sjm MC hypocrisy

ALSO ALSO Kaltain is a lesser noble woman in a patriarch feudal society. Her life DOES depend on men. She literally has no choice in the matter

“They say that her father is as rich as a king,” Chaol said. “I suppose that’s part of why Perrington is so infatuated. She arrived here in a litter bigger than most peasant huts; it was carried here from her home. A distance of almost two hundred miles.”

“What debauchery.”

“I pity her servants.”

“I pity her father!” They chuckled, and he lifted the arm linked with hers a bit higher.

First of all, Chaol is a lord. Celaena is a princess. Both are in the favour of the prince whose dad basically owns the continent and benefits off of slave labour. Pointing out that Kaltain's father is rich is supposed to do what exactly

Second, Celaena girl...

"I pity her father🤣😭🙏💯🔥💀"

Literally I wouldn't care if Celaena hadn't tried to justify her behaviour and just said she hates Kaltain

but to try to use the mental gymnastics of liberal feminism to say Kaltain is bad because she's competing for the prince's attention (her literal job as a lady of court) while also saying men are naturally less messy? And being a messy catty bitch with your colonising male friends while you do it?

So much of this book is nonsense like this. Celaena tells us she loves clothes and dressing up and being pretty and so girly

but then swears she being stabbed by her corset and that her dress is impractical and that's why she prefers tunics and pants because it's easier to kill 37 grown men in combat that way

But then dresses in a corseted dress for the first day of the competition despite not knowing what to expect

Nothing is adding up.

To be fair, these things can coexist but in better writing they would present themselves appropriately. Here it is just thrown together one sentence after the other with no attention to the blatant contradiction

[bones4thecats]

Hi~ I hope you don't mind but can I request Malleus, Leona, Vil and Crewel with blue diamond in Steven universe I saw your last ask and I love it so much I was wondering if you could do the same thing with the twst version

Btw I love your writing and work keep up the good work and remember to take breaks and care for yourself have a good evening or day in life author 🥰🥰🥰😊😊😊

A/N: I haven’t written a Twisted Wonderland piece for so long, thank goodness people still remember I write for them😂. Thank you so much for the compliment, I try keeping my writing simple, but sometimes I get carried away, lol. You also have a good day/night, Anon!! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this~~

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🐉 Sharing a high position in both of your personal lives, you had met at a young age

🐉 He’s tall, around 6’6, and you being around 25ft-100ft definitely scares most, your kids are definitely gonna be tall

🐉 When he saw how caring and gentle you were, it made his heart skip multiple beats

🐉 Your a matriarch and he a technical patriarch, how ironic

🐉 He doesn’t like watching you cry, it’s just something he hates

🐉 Whenever someone’s around you, most likely Yuu and Grim, and they start crying when you feel guilty or sadder, he tells them the reason on why they’re sobbing

🐉 Speaking of Yuu, besties forever. If they can tame Malleus, then you and them relate with one thing

🐉 Shrinking down is something you must do often, and if it drains your magic, oh well, it’s worth it if you get to hug your friends and boyfriend

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🦁 Leona and you were fairly overlooked in favor for your older siblings

🦁 You for your oldest sister, White Diamond, and him for his older brother, Falena

🦁 When he first met you, it was during a meeting of world leaders, he sat in the other room while the main heads spoke

🦁 You sat down alongside Yellow Diamond and a young human, whom Yellow called ‘Pink Diamond’ and you liked calling ‘Steven’

🦁 Once you two got together, he hated how much taller you were than him, he hated feeling small

🦁 So whenever you shrink yourself to be 5’6-5’10, because you know he liked you shorter than him, even by an inch

🦁 Leona offers you smiles whenever you start feeling down, he may shed a few tears, but he can hold it back quite well

🦁 You and him have rough spots when it comes to your role in your family, but he can look over them most of the time

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

👑 Vil first met you because you were needed to find the authenticity in a few blue diamonds they were using in a film

👑 He looked at how tall you were outside and how you shrunk to the average height of 5’7, just a hint shorter than him standing at 6’0

👑 When you looked at his headpiece and examined the jewels and just barely glide your hands against his, his heart skipped

👑 Your beauty was immaculate, how did he not notice that?

👑 If you visited NRC for a duty, he would be one of the first people to shake your hand and give you a welcome

👑 You two got along fairly well, though his perfectionism gave you flashbacks of White Diamond’s standards

👑 He does like giving your diamond located on your chest a simple shine in the mornings, there is no use in having a diamond if you’re not keeping it clean

👑 He doesn’t mind the crying when he isn’t wearing makeup for a shoot, but when he is, he tries keeping you happy, not like he doesn’t to begin with!

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・

🐾 He and you met when you were children

🐾 You and him had certain standards that many struggled to make, but you were more flexible with the different people than him

🐾 As you both grew older and got your lives straightened out, you got married and started working in different fields

🐾 You led the Blue Diamond’s in your homeland while he taught at NRC, the college where he attended as a young teenager

🐾 You did enjoy visiting him, so seeing a 25ft-100ft woman outside shrink to around 5’8 was quite odd for the students, even if they had seen 5 overblots in the past month!

🐾 While Crewel was quite strict with the boys screwing around, you just chuckled at their antics and gave them pats on the head for their actions

🐾 Many cannot believe you’re together

🐾 He smiled as you sat on the floor, petting his two dalmatians with such love

🐾 Crewel, like Vil, doesn’t mind the crying, so long as it doesn’t stop him from finishing his work, but he keeps you happy most of the time with the help of your sisters, ‘Pink Diamond’, and his dogs, so!

[foropinionssake]

i have a question for you, and i’m genuinely curious.

do you think womanhood should be defined by the ability to reproduce/have children rather than by living within the social role of womanhood, such as wanting to be called “she?” and for women who can’t reproduce, or who have had a hysterectomy, etc. are they still women? what about people who, in every way, have happily inhabited the role of being a man and even you would call them “he” if you didn’t know they were trans, but they could still technically give birth. is someone living fully as a man actually a woman because of one thing that their body could potentially do? is someone living fully and happily as a woman not a woman because of one thing their body cannot do?

i think these questions are good to think about, because it is just a fact that many trans women get called “woman” and “she” by strangers without a second thought, and they respond to that term and feel happy and comforted by it. throughout the whole interaction, there is no claim made about what genitals, dna, or birth-capabilities they have. you have probably had countless conversations like this too, where you were called “she” without having claimed anything about your body or anyone needing to verify. this is because the word “she” is not being used to refer to genitals etc, it is just being used to indicate that you look and act in ways that make you read to others as a woman. that is, most often, the truth being recognized.

with that in mind, it’s easier to see that, when a trans woman asks to be called she, the truth being told is “i like to be called she and seen as a woman,” not “i was born female and have the capacity to give birth and have xx chromosomes.” i have many close and dear trans friends, and none of them actually deny or disbelieve their own biology. in fact, they are painfully aware of their biology. they acknowledge the truth that certain hormones and surgeries can change some things about their body and not others, thus making it easier for them to integrate into the social role that feels natural for them. i have never heard a trans woman claim that hormones or surgery can let them give birth. all of my trans friends, are fully cognizant of the reality of their biology and the limited capacity of science.

what i see is you falling into a strawman argument, assuming that trans people believe false things about their bodies, like trans women claiming they can give birth or have xx chromosomes

it made me realize that maybe you hear the word woman and you think “birth giver, child bearer” rather than “full human person who’s body is none of my business and who chooses to inhabit the social role of womanhood.” i don’t blame you, because our patriarchal society has taught us that the former is all women are for. but as women, there are so many sexist messages we are taught that we have to unlearn. i mean, think of your own experience. wouldn’t you rather have other people see you as a whole person who has connection to womanhood, rather than just a source for babies? isn’t it more affirming to have people see your womanhood as the complex way you purposely and naturally step into the world and show up each day, rather than just a medical category that was thrust upon you at birth by a patriarchal medical system that wanted to determine who you would be? because i know what i prefer. and, in my experience, that is all trans women are asking.

anyway, i am just sending this out of curiosity, so lmk your thoughts. maybe we can have a conversation, but i won’t engage with hostility. i hope you’re having a nice day :)

Women are adult females. Men are adult males. The ability to have children has nothing to do with making someone male or female besides the fact that males biologically cannot get pregnant and birth babies. I am a woman and I’m choosing not to have children, that doesn’t make me less of a woman. The entire issue here is people are mistaking gender roles with gender. You can change your gender roles. You cannot change your gender itself. You are born with it.