#like sure you do you it's fine but also they're not a couple they're fates entertwined in death

[psalmsofpsychosis]

listen there are friendships and then there are relationships and then there's the secret third thing where you're bound in unbearable, irreversible ways like knots tenderly woven into a tapestry of each others' bodies and you could leave, you could undo it, undo yourself but... would you?

[fox-guardian]

hey guys did you know that um. did you know. first of all did you know i'm losing my mind, secondly, do y'all remember in tma how when someone reads a written statement, they don't really Stop unless they're interrupted? and they read the whole thing easy cheesy, no issues with reading whatever words are there? like. jon literally could read french for a whole statement and was Fine. granted, that's Jon, but like nobody else struggled with pronunciations and whatnot (that i can recall)

presumably, this is an eye thing. either as employees of the institute, or because everyone there is just also eye-aligned in some degree (melanie had the ghost hunting show, the eye is fond of martin, etc)

and then there's tim in season 3 ep 86

[Sigh] Statement of… uh, Benjamin Hatendi… Hateendi? Regarding a… [papers rustling] a blanket. Dead friend. Monster. Regarding his unavoidable and gruesome end. How he tried to hide. He couldn’t. Statement is from… 1983, March 2nd. And I guess… [long sigh] I guess I’m doing this one. Tim Stoker. Archival assistant… Archival prisoner at the Magnus Institute.

correct me if im wrong but i don't recall anyone struggling with pronunciations before this bit. but that's not even the biggest thing here, that's just a lil Taste, a lil Flavor.

note the phrasing there. "Regarding his unavoidable and gruesome end." why would he say this when the written text on the statement says this:

Uh, right. Benjamin Hatendi’s account of… [rustling pages] oh for… a, a strange encounter. Er, statement date, March 2nd, 1983. Melanie King recording. Apparently.

"a strange encounter". that's it. nothing about an unavoidable death, just a "strange encounter". Tim Why Did You Say That.

why would our dear timothy bimothy, who is being pushed to the brink, who is becoming rapidly more depressed and losing hope, say this?

this isn't the only time he's said some weirdly grim shit tho (ep 104)

There was never really any hope for me, though, was there? This was how it was always going to go.

and then there's this bit from elias apparently having Looked into tim (also 104)

TIM All right, hit me with your X-ray eyes then, boss. What do you see? ELIAS Disruption. An unpredictable, angry man with nothing left but the desire to feel in some way revenged. TIM [Sarcastic] Ooh, terrifying! Surely only magic could have let you see so deep inside my very soul.

"nothing left" but the desire to feel revenged. and tim doesn't dispute this, because it's true.

when he first joined the institute he did so in order to look for answers about danny, but then he stopped seriously looking. and now that the circus is back, this is all the drive he has left. not looking for answers, just wanting revenge. closure. an end, if you will.

this is Literally It For Him. a couple lines later he suggests elias kill him, he's At The Breaking Point.

he is so tired, he's lost all hope, and he's saying all this grim shit about "unavoidable death" and "this is how it was always going to go" like hmmmm sounds familiar doesn't it. DOESN'T IT (<- is going insane)

(ep 11) [....] despite the rapid response of the paramedics and how much of his medical history I had immediately to hand, there was nothing I could do to save him. (ep 11) I have no responsibility to try and prevent whatever fate is coming for you. Based on my previous experience, such a thing is likely impossible anyway,[....] (ep 121) There. That was it. That was our fate; where we would always be.

hmmmm sounds a bit like oliver huh? everyone's favorite ex-accountant avatar of the end?? right??

but then there's this last bit i have from ep 86.

why did he stop reading the statement

Statement. “My parents never let me have a nightlight. I was always afraid, but they were ju–” Ugh, this is stupid.

why did he do that. again, correct me if im wrong but when else has someone just Stopped Reading like that without someone or something else interrupting them? why could tim just stop himself?

my theory is this: at this point, tim is completely gone from being aligned with the eye. he no longer seeks to know what happened to danny, he just wants closure. he doesn't wanna do any statement work, and he keeps mentioning these tidbits about hopelessness and the inevitability of terrible events, specifically death.

the eye isn't compelling him to read the statements like it does the others, because it doesn't have as strong a hold anymore. the grip is slipping from him. and by the time the unknowing rolls around, maybe it's lost him for good. maybe he finally fell into a different power he never meant to serve, and yet, he does.

and maybe. just maybe. because i'm so not in denial. but MAYBE. he did die in the unknowing. but maybe he got better.

basically end!tim truthers rise up, this is how end!tim kayaking with his bf oliver banks can still win, etc etc I'm Going Feral <3

[russellsppttemplates]

A red thread tying you to me (Charles Leclerc)

There was something pulling you to him and Charles was ready to act on it

Note: english is not my first language. I loved the blurb and now we have a big piece too!

Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!

my masterlist

Tw: mentions the death of reader's father's and Charles' father's deaths

Tag list: @myloverjk-blog @hiireadstuff @c-losur3

"The congress is just outside of Milan, the exact city and details are in there", your colleague Lucia offered as she flickered though the pages, "I've been a couple of times before and it's really enriching, I just know you'll love the students and the department head - she was my supervisor for a couple of years".

"It sounds great", you looked at the panel information and then the travel details, "it's such a shame you can't come with me though, but I also wouldn't want to risk your little dude showing up and have me as your midwife", you chuckled as Lucia rubbed her baby bump.

"You're capable of many things, Y/N, but I would prefer if the fate of my baby and my underparts was in the hands of a professional!", she bumped your shoulder, "and the area is really nice too, I'm sure you'll find something to keep you busy during the weekend".

"I have plans, actually, I'll be fine I think", you smiled.

Like Lucia predicted, you had a great time in the conference and the guest lecture you gave was applauded and discussed for nearly an hour after you showed the last slide of the presentation, topics going back and forth until everyone had to absolutely leave the room before the next lecture began. For now, you'd get to enjoy the region, drinking some wine and taking in the views you recognised.

The park where your father used to take you didn't look too different. The slides didn't look rusty anymore, and the swing was a bright red colour as you sat on it once you didn't see any other kid around who might want to use them and let yourself feel the breeze on your face and hair as you kicked your legs in and out. Your father used to make you feel like you could touch the sky with how high he helped you go, "you're going to touch the clouds, mia piccola stella", he would say and you would laugh loudly.

You missed him every single day, but over the years, your grief allowed you remember all of the happy moments you lived with him, cherishing them close to your heart. Spending the whole weekend in Monza and attending the race was something you hadn't done without him since he passed away. The circuit was your father's favourite - "it's the fans, Y/N, there's a thrill in the air that no other circuit has - Tifosi cover the streets, they're all you can see around town and it's magical almost" he would say to you, so when you noticed the conference was in the area and coincided with the Grand Prix weekend, both you and your mother agreed you should take the opportunity.

On your way back to the hotel, you stopped by the track, wondering what the preparations for a race weekend looked like after so many years. You still followed the sport, but you never got the chance to catch this on television.

"Oh my, oh my", you heard someone say beside where you were standing, "I can't believe my eyes, it's Y/N Y/L/N".

Turning around you spotted Salvatore, one of the mechanics your father worked with. He also had kids around your age and you would often play together whenever you were both in the garage for the weekend.

"Salvatore!", you cheered, giving him a big smile after kissing each of his cheeks, "you better believe your eyes then".

"It's been so long since I've seen you last", he recalled, rubbing your back softly. You and your mother had gone to Maranello for a tribute ceremony the team had for your father - that had been the last time he saw you.

"It has been, yes - I'm sorry", you apoligised. You told the team you'd be around and so much had happened since and you only watched it through a screen instead of living it in the flesh.

"It's okay, it was the time you needed - What brought you to Monza this weekend?", he wondered as he walked inside the paddock with you, scanning his card and getting you both in.

"A work trip actually - I finished a conference yesterday and I also gave a lecture at the university", you nodded, "and my father always loved Monza", you smiled at the memory, "he knew how cliché that sounded, but he always said there wasn't a better weekend on the calendar. And I've missed the rush, too", you offered, letting the tears flow freely and accepting them even though you were in the middle of the paddock, loud noises coming from every angle as the teams prepared the finishing touches for the upcoming race.

"He's very proud of you, I'm sure", Salvatore comforted, "and everyone will be happy to see you here - the little girl with the high pigtails is a grown woman now who attends conferences and gives lectures, who would've known?", he joked as you stepped inside the garage.

"Is this little troublemaker Y/N Y/L/N?", one of the oldest mechanics said after he applied a sticker to the halo.

When your father took you to the races, everyone knew they had fun guaranteed with you, always pulling pranks and laughing loudly, "my troublemaker days are over, I'm a responsible woman now", you chuckled, giving a quick wave to everyone before greeting everyone individually.

"Do you have tickets for this weekend?", Fred asked. Even though he had just met you, it was clear to him how much you mattered to everyone who worked with your father, "we can get you a pass, I'm sure".

"I have grandstand tickets", you stated.

"Silvia!", the team principal called the woman, making her approach him and rub your arm kindly, "do we have any guest passes left?".

"Let me check", Silvia mumbled, "we have one left, actually! Charles didn't even notice he asked us to save a ticket for his mother twice - I'll get it for you, it's in the meeting room upstairs", she smiled.

"Charles will also be very happy to see you around, did you tell him you were coming?", Salvatore mentioned.

"I haven't actually - I've been really busy", you mumbled.

You met the monégasque driver when he was Scuderia Ferrari's development driver and Prema Racing driver in Formula Two, accidentally running into him in the dining area of the hospitality and ending up spending most of his free time there throughout the whole weekend.

Quickly, it became a tradition to do so whenever he was over and whenever he was done with his Formula Two duties and you happened to be at the same track.

When you stopped attending races because the memories were too painful, you lost contact, opting to react to eachother's Instagram stories every now and again and sending quick messages through the social media app.

"The boys arrive today, but they're only coming to the track tomorrow", Fred added, "you'll have plenty of time to catch up".

Charles had finally arrived to the hotel after all the flights and drives, thankful that there weren't many fans around already and he could get inside without a hitch, checking in and getting his room keys.

"Hold it, per favore!", he said to the person on the lift, dreaming of the changing from his travel outfit and the bed waiting for him. When his hand helped him inside the metal door, he couldn't believe his eyes, "Y/N?".

He could remember the last time he saw you. He had just started his first season as a Formula One driver for Alfa Romeo and you had come back to the paddock for the first race of the season like you promised you would. He sat with you whenever he had a little break, you caught up with him and his early days as a driver with a seat rather than just watching from the sidelines.

"Charles, hi!", you gasped, hugging him and feeling him squeeze your body against his.

"I- what are you doing here? Are you here for the race?", he wondered. This couldn't be a mere coincidence. He hoped it wasn't.

"I had a work trip here that coincided with this weekend, and I thought of it as a sign", you explained, "you're staying in this hotel too?".

"Yes, the team are at the one where we usually stay for the weekend, but until Thursday, I'm staying here, yes", he smiled, "Goodness, I feel like it's both been forever and like it was yesterday", he chuckled, "do you want to get a drink? I have a nice selection in my room whenever I stay", he offered.

"I'd love to, Charles", you said, hoping that the tingly feeling on your tummy mirrored Charles' own excitement at this unexpected but valued encounter, "are you sure though? You just arrived".

"No, don't worry about that! My room is... 705", he checked on the card he was handed, "so you can join me now or maybe you want to set those things down first and meet me there?", he pointed to the bag you were carrying.

"Yes, this is quite heavy actually", you blushed, "my room is on this floor, so I'll meet in your room in fifteen? I need to freshen up because I've been walking around town all day".

Leaving the elevator on your floor, Charles waved at your before the doors closed andyou headed to your door. Stepping inside, you left the totebag with the books you bought in the chair before heading to the bathroom, brushing out any tangles in your hair and splashing your face with water to freshen up.

After getting yourself ready to go, you went up to Charles' floor, knocking on the door and waiting for him.

"Come in, come in!", Charles offered after he opened the door, "I've unpacked but kept it very organised still", he chuckled as you walked inside the room. It looked the same as yours did, only a different colour pallette for the decoration.

"How have you been?", you wondered once you sat down and shared some sparkling water, neither of you really feeling like drinking anything alcoholic.

"You surely know more about me than I know about you", Charles smiled, "but it's been good, this season has been great so far, I feel like we're in a really good path and things are working well", he took a sip from his cup, "the team have done such an incredible job".

"And the driver on the car doesn't have anything to do with that?", you squinted at his ever so modest take on things.

"I suppose I do", he blushed.

"I may have not been here, but I've watched every race - minus some of the ones at daft o'clock, I only watched those when my sleep was all messed up", you joked, "you're an essential part of this team, Charles, everyone can see that so you should give yourself more credit", you touched his arm.

Even though it had been years since you last saw eachother, you hit it off immediately and it seemed like no time had passed.

"And you? What is this work trip that brought you here?", Charles nodded.

"You're not the only one who gets to travel for work, alright?", you tsked, "I had to do a presentation on a conference and then the department invited me for a lecture, nothing big".

"Who's being ever so modest now, hm? That is fantastic, mon ange!", he congratulated before he noticed the words coming out of his mouth.

"When I noticed it fell around this weekend, I told my mum and she said that I should try and dip my foot here - I've been wanting to come to race sooner but...", you trailed off.

"I get it - it's hard going to the places that remind you of them", Charles took his hand in yours and squeezed it, "he was so cherished by the team, I'm sure everyone will be very happy to see you".

"Actually, I walked to the track today so I could see it up close before the race - I hoped it wouldn't be such a big shock once I got there on Friday -, and I bumped into Salvatore", you smiled, "he let me go into the garage and I saw everyone, it was really nice", you looked up so the tears on your eyes wouldn't fall.

"I can get you a pass, let me just text Silvia!", Charles said as he got his phone from his pocket with his free hand.

"She already did", you chirped, "apparently you booked two for your mother, so they had a spare one".

"You see, a couple of years ago, my mum was too late to tell me she was coming to the race and I was out of the guest passes, so I always have one on hold for her and I sent the list with her name on it as well", he admitted, "but it seems to have turned out just fine - meant to be even".

You ended up requesting room service for the two of you for dinner, neither feeling like going out of the room after feeling so comfortable there. Conversation was steady, vulnerability was easy to show and the butterflies were happily dancing on your tummy.

"I better get to my room, then", you stated once Charles told you about what he needed to do tomorrow once he was at the track.

"I didn't mean it that way - I'm fine!", he said after doing his best attempt at containing a big yawn, "I'm fine!".

"You're tired, and frankly so am I", you admitted as you got up from the bed.

"Would you like to come with me to the track tomorrow? If you don't have other plans that is", he mumbled the last part.

"I don't - I was just going to work a little bit, but if you find me a spot in the hospitality, I'll happily take my stuff there", you smiled reassuringly as you put on your shoes and headed to the door.

"I can take you to your room", Charles got up from the bed and followed you.

"No need, my room is just downstairs", you reasoned, kissing his cheek in a silent thank you still.

"That's right - so we'll go tomorrow after breakfast?", he rested his body on the door once you opened it.

"Yes, that works for me! Good night, Charles", you smiled before walking up to the elevator.

.

Walking inside the hospitalitynwith Salvatore and the rest of the team, he was quick to show you where you could set up.

"Charles likes to spend as much time as possible with the fans and it's right about now that they start becoming more and more and they're everywhere, too", he explained as he helped you in the table on the lounge area, "there's food and coffee in there if you need anything", Salvatore smiled, "if you need anything, just ask someone".

"Thank you - this is perfect", you assured, sitting down and working on your laptop and reading some of the books you had bought.

Charles and Carlos finally arrived at the hospitality, greeting the team and talking to them for a while before they headed upstairs for a meeting.

"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend and you were bringing her here", Carlos told Charles as he poured some coffee on a mug after the meeting.

"I don't - I haven't brought a girlfriend here", Charles quirked an eyebrow at his team-mate.

"So who is that young woman you just smiled at and are pouring coffee for after giving her the heart eyes?", it was the spanish driver's turn to raise his eyebrows.

"Oh, Y/N!", Charles smiled as he mentioned your name, "she's an old friend! Her father was a mechanic before he passed away a few years ago - the older team members have known her since she was little, everyone loves her", he mused.

"Everyone loves her - I can see that", Carlos chuckled as he followed Charles to the table.

"We don't want to interrupt or disturb you too much", Charles announced as he set the mug next to your laptop.

"It's fine, sit sit!", you encouraged as you closed the books you no longer needed to make room for them, "I'm Y/N", you told Carlos.

"I'm Carlos", he smiled back, "nice to meet you", he said before you dove into conversation, discussing anything that popped into your minds and getting to know eachother.

"Don't let her fool you into believing she has always been a responsible, put together girl because she used to steal and hide all of our tools!", Antonio, one of the engineers pointed at you after he got himself a bottle of water, "Charles knows her tricks already but you, Carlos, don't fall for that!".

"You loved it every time I was on the computers and drew on Paint! You even had one of my drawings as the background for almost an entire season!", you threw at him as he approached you, patting the top of your head protectively.

"I'd like to see that! I've only known her since she was way older", Charles pouted.

"Jealous much?", Carlos teased, his voice above a whisper as Charles seemed to get flustered.

"Is it really that obvious?", the monégasque driver mumbled once you got up to get something to eat, "I've had a crush on her since I was a development driver".

"Why have you never said anything? She seems like she really cares about you too", Carlos mused as he thought to a few moments before where you too gqve him heart eyes. He would have to be blind to not notice it, and even then the energy between you too would still be felt.

"The timing wasn't right, I guess - her father passed away almost right after as I became a driver for Alfa Romeo, and she hasn't been in the paddock since. We have texted every now and again over the years and now she happened to be here for the race too", Charles offered.

"I'd say you should take a shot - trust me, she likes you back", Carlos patted Charles' shoulder after getting up, watching you go back to the table with a big smile on your face.

.

After Charles took pole position in qualifying, the team stayed a bit longer for the debrief, going over a few points of the discussion and the changes they still needed to make before the race.

"Y/N! We're having dinner at one of our favourite restaurants in town and I'm counting you in, okay?", Charles said as he spotted you in the garage, followed by Andrea, who had been keeping you company along with his brothers, Charlotte and Pascale.

"Your family is here for you, Charles, I don't want to intrude", you said as you got up, unaware of the Leclerc matriarch behind you.

"Chérie, of course you won't be intruding - we'd love to have you there!", Pascale chirped in.

"Well, in that case...!", you smiled, "just tell me where I should go and at what time, or are we going straight there?", you wondered.

"I was thinking we could go straight there if that's okay with you - you can can come with me and Andrea can ride with my brothers", Charles suggested, "unless you need to go back to the hotel", he quickly scrambled.

"No, I'm fine! Unless this outfit is not restaurant appropriate", you muttered as you looked down. Against all odds, you managed to not get any food stains on your dress. It was a midi skirt cut, flowy to allow your body to feel cool considering the warm Italian day.

"It's fine - you're fine, you look beautiful!", Charles was quick to assure you.

"Good, that's good then", you smiled before excusing yourself to go and get your things.

"You have to tell her, Charles - your affection is no use to either of you if you keept it in here", Pascale tapped her son's chest.

.

"Y/N", Charles called you before he had to go and get ready for the race, "I have something for you - we do", he said as some of the mechanics, including Salvatore, followed him.

"Oh, what is it?", you smiled.

"We commented with some guys back at the factory that you were here with is this weekend and they found something we thought you'd like to have", Salvatore said as he handed you a bag.

Looking inside, you noticed an old Ferrari cap and some embroidered lettering on the side, recognising it immediately. When you were a teenager, you decided to try different hobbies and hand embroidery was the one that stuck the most, so much so that on one of the race weekends, you embroidered caps for everyone on the team that asked you.

"My wife remembered the one I have at home and then the guys at Maranello found your father's and apparently one you did for Charles' as well", Salvatore offered as you took them both out.

"Dad always said he had plenty of embroidered things at home and this one was the one he had to travel with him", you chuckled as tears welled up in your eyes, feeling Charles soothingly rub your back.

"I remember getting this and loving it - I thought I had lost it!", Charles said, unaware if how close he was pulling you together so he could get a peek at the old caps.

"There's some loose string here", you chuckled, wiping the tears and fiddling with the red thread, "I didn't know how to properly tie it at the start, I kept losing it - I think I even glued it down at some point. Thank you for bringing this out", you smiled.

"Would you mind if I wore this for the driver's parade?", Charles asked you.

"I was planning on wearing my dad's while I watched the race", you offered, testing the fabric and placing it on your head before doing the same with Charles, fixing it on his head and looking up at him.

You never got over how handsome he was. The little scar on his cheek, his mole, the smile that never failed to make you smile, his beautiful green eyes. His kindness, his gentleness, his talent - there wasn't a way to deny how much you liked it. How much you liked him.

"We will be matching then!", Charles squeezed you against him before going to his driver's room.

Only when Charles was headed to take P1 on the grid did he hand the cap back to Salvatore and put on his helmet, giving you a wink before he left.

"How are you feeling?", Pascale asked as she sat next to you to watch the race. Over the last couple of days, she had grown close to you, not only because you had captured her son's heart and she wanted to get to know you, but also because Charles had told her how emotionally charged it was for you to be at the track, in Monza nonetheless.

"It's a lot", you admitted, "everyone has been so kind and warm, so all of the heavy feelings have been slowly infiltrating the good ones and it's been easier to deal with them like that", you blinked away a few tears.

"I get it", Pascale nodded, "losing someone is not easy, and I can't imagine what it feels like for you - the boys and I talk about my late husband every now and again and it gets easier to talk about it, I think that's what it is anyway".

"Yes, definitely like that. My mum and I have reached the point where we don't cry at every mention - despite what you might have noticed this weekend", you chuckled.

"It's emotional, chérie - I, for one, always cry whenever the boys achieve their goals. Hervé isn't here to see them, but I know he knows, and the boys know how proud he is of them", Pascale smiled, keeping some tears at bay too.

"You raised amazing young men, don't doubt that", you let out. At this point, you were sure she had noticed or had at least an inkling. As any mechanic for the red team who knew you since you were a kid would say, you were never a good liar - anytime you said you didn't touch something, they knew to look in your backpack first.

"Thank you, dear", she added, "you know, Charles is quite careful in who he lets in, but he's never been good at hiding how much he cares about someone and I can tell he cares a great deal about you".

"I care a lot about him too", you smiled before you were handed a pair of headphones each with the race about to start.

When Charles successfully kept the cars behind him away with a good gap, you clapped and watched the remaining laps number get smaller and smaller until there was only the current lap left.

Charlotte held your hand together with hers as you watched Charles be the first driver to see the checkered flag and when Xavi yelled "And P1!" into the radio, you did your happy dance, not having a care in the world about what others thought as you watched the Tifosi erupt in cheer.

"He did it! He did it!", Pascale clapped for her son, Arthur hugging her while Lorenzo did the same with his girlfriend while you softly touched your father's embroidered name on your cap with your fingers.

Running up to Parc Fermé, you stood in the sea of red, waiting for him to come back and hug them.

"You did so well, congratulations!", you said as you pulled Charles for a hug.

"Had my good luck charm with me!", he smiled back, kissing your cheek as he took advantage of you being shielded by the mechanics and engineers.

The team celebratory dinner was going really well, everyone happy with how the weekend panned out with both drivers on the podium and enjoying the meal on the restaurant's outside patio.

"If you guys want dessert, they're going to set them out on that table and you can grab as much as you like", Fred spread the message as you could see all kinds of sweet foods being brought out, a pudding catching your eye along with some raspberries.

You and Charles got the dessert plates and served yourselves, noticing the staff was already clearing up the tables, meaning you'd have to move to the bar area, many people opting to skip dessert and get some drinks instead.

"You can see the stars so clearly tonight", you mused as you looked up at the sky, setting your plate on the high table.

"My father always said that the stars did shine brighter here, and tonight the sky is very clear", Charles hummed in agreement, looking at your face. The moonlight and the dim lighting for the lamps and fairy lights illuminated all your features perfectly - your smile as you looked up formed the dimples on your cheeks, your eyes that were a tiny bit squinty and the way your whole body seemed relaxed.

The goosebumps on your arms caught his eye though, "here, have this", Charles said as he offered you the cardigan he had carried around all night since according to him his mother made him do it because it would be cold.

"Thanks", you smiled as you pulled the sleeves and folded them around your wrist so they would fit better, "this is really comfy, I might steal this if you don't ask for it back", you joked.

"I don't mind if you keep it, you have had my heart all these years", Charles stated. There it was.

"What?", you faced him, heart beating fast inside your chest.

"It's true, I've had a crush on you since I first met you, and these past couple of days have been amazing, and I can't believe it took me all these years to realize how I truly feel about you Y/N", he told you, no stutter or sign of regret on his face.

"I haven't been around, really, it's my fault", you fiddled with your thumbs before looking at him again, "but I can't lose you again".

"You never lost me, amour", he smiled as his eyes flickered between your eyes and your lips, his hand cupping your cheek your mouth pressed on his, ignoring everything and everyone around you.

Interrupting the kiss for air, Charles giggled as you hid your face in his neck once you heard the cheers and whistles, your lashes tickling him as his arms circled your waist and pulled you closer to him.

"He wins inside the track and outside of it, Charles Leclerc, P1 to Y/N's heart!", Carlos shouted before whistling again.

"Just so you know, I want an invite to your wedding!", Salvatore pointed his finger at you, "I still remember when you invited me for your wedding with Vettel!".

"You and Seb?", Charles chuckled once you pulled away from his neck.

"Sebastian was my favourite when I was little", you giggled, hiding your face on Charles' chest this time, "when he was back in RedBull still, I asked my father to ask him if he could take a photo with me and I cherished that for so many years - it was my most prized possession!".

"I can't promise you Seb, but I can promise you the very best of me", Charles said as he kissed the top of your head.

[diamondwerewolf]

Quick Chat about Lysandre

Or really, a long winded chat about my coming to understand him.

I've decided to buy and play XY in anticipation of Legends ZA arriving sometime next year. My initial reaction to the Team Flare Boss, was 'what is this idiot talking about. i'm going to strangle him.' I still am going to strangle him, but at least now I do get where he's coming from.

Also, keep in mind I played pokemon X, not Y, so I live in the universe where Lysandre's goal isn't to cull the population.

Before I get into Lysandre as a character, I have to discuss Pokemon XY in the general way it pinches out information, and dialogue for the player to grasp the plot. I'm very late to the party, since I have played this years after it came out, but I'm positive I'm not alone in saying the game is awkward.

Pokemon XY, feels like it had a plot too involved for the format it was delivered in. It's, in my humble opinion, a clunky transitional game. From the traditional format of main generation games, and into the more robust pokemon games of the future. I'm also aware that the development was rushed, which adds to the disconnect I felt between mechanics, characters, and plot. That being said, I still enjoyed it! [ And I'm happy we're going to get a chance to revisit it on a grander scale]. Talking again about the awkwardness of the game, I think I didn't understand Lysandre's issue, because there wasn't enough dialogue or supporting context for me to really grasp what he was talking about. I made sure to talk to everyone I could, every manner of key character and NPC. But I couldn't sense the desperation he was feeling in the slightest.

You play the game as a child [which annoys me now as an adult but I digress lol] , so everyone you interact with talks to you like one. I've always considered the world of Pokemon somewhat utopian...but that's what it is, somewhat utopian. I think it feels that way, simply because you roleplay as a kid in an era of peace. The world is beautiful, the towns are jolly, there are a few ruffians here and there, some people are at a disadvantage [ like Emma] , but what is there to worry about? Everything right now is just fine. Why are you trying to ruin it?

I decided to look into some of the supplemental items for Pokemon XY, and was met with this in the Pokemon Evolutions shorts.

This scene...was all it took for things to finally click.

A room full of stuffy executives, huh? They're his own board, but I'm sure he's sat down at many tables over the years with equally stuffy suited people.

Running in the background of this make believe world, are things that resemble more of reality. I was immediately reminded, that often times, the fate of millions of people rest in the hands of a few. Lysandre is a well known philanthropist with a genuine love for the world he lives in. People and pokemon. I'm going to make the assumption, when Lysandre talks about those who 'take' being filth, he's not just talking about a couple of subway ruffians snatching pokeballs out of a tourist's purse. I assume, he's talking about other powerful people. Probably companies and government.

As his bloodline would dictate, Lysandre is a modern day king, who has the high vantage point of being able to see destruction on the horizon. Chances are, he's met the kind of wealthy, powerful people who 'take' on a grand scale. Something else to note, is that Lysandre's company has created something capable of eavesdropping on millions of people. He probably has even more access to information that the public, and certainly not a child, would have. I'm in a way, happy that I'm playing the game now as an adult, so that I can process all these implications.

AZ, made his choice in the middle of war. The conflict was all immediate, and plain to see. Something was taken from him that was too great to bear.

I wonder...what did Lysandre see specifically, that told him the world was on a path to similar destruction. What does he know that urged him to 'kill the demon before it could be born', so to speak. Or, nip it in the bud? That's a more on theme phrase, ain't it...

I have this same question.

Here's a screen clip from the Wiki page for "Floette Returns". It summarizes what happens in the Pokemon Adventures manga. While this isn't considered canon to the game, I found this interesting, and it supports my assessment of Lysandre well. I think the manga is allowed to go into topics that the games aren't always able to explicitly discuss.

"As the group watches AZ depart, Trevor guesses that Lysandre must have lost himself in despair after years of philanthropy in a bid to help the disadvantaged, and his bitterness led him to founding Team Flare in the first place."

So okay, Lysandre. I understand where you're coming from. But, I don't think destroying everything is the answer.

Seriously, who was he talking to that made him raise those hackles so high? My last thought, is that I find him incredibly interesting, now that I understand. I do think he's entitled, though, and a brat. In the same way I think N can be a bit entitled to fixing the worlds 'problems'. But that's probably a symptom of how they're both raised.

That's all I have for now. I'll discuss AZ in the future. I have a lot to say about him, too.

[stellamancer]

pairing: fem!reader x merman!satoru gojo

contents: more varying levels of anxiety from the reader, mentions of food and eating, satoru gojo is an absolute menace

notes: part ii! um, got a little delayed because i wanted to write a kiss scene... and also because i was fretting over characterization, over reader’s characteriztion, over gojo’s... he’s really hard to write i think. nuances, you know? hoping i did a good job. also somehow this chapter is?? longer?? than the last?? i’m surprised tbh. anyway, please enjoy. 

word count: 5.5k (who the hell am i???)

previous chapter || masterlist

You think you might have made a really, really big mistake. 

Last night, it didn't seem like a mistake, rather, it seemed like the right thing to do. Who knows who could have found him? What they would have with him? To him? It was better to have brought the merman home than to leave him to an uncertain and possibly cruel fate. You did the right thing; you were certain of it. 

At least, you were until you woke up, greeted by the merman's smooth voice and his blue, blue eyes. Ever since then, it’s just been one thing after another with him. 

Don't you know that merfolk need the water to be at a specific temperature?

Don't you know that the water needs to be at a certain salinity level?

Don't you know that thing you're keeping him in is far too small?

It's only been for a couple of hours, but you're already completely exhausted trying to keep up and accommodate his needs. To be honest, it's actually kind of overwhelming and you can't help but wonder if this is what it's like for people who adopt animals just because they think they're cute or something.

Not that you would call the merman cute. 

Especially not after he’s spent all morning basically mocking you for not knowing anything about merfolk. You didn’t even know they were real until last night, so how could you possibly know the optimal ambient water temperature for a merperson? But you're trying, and hopefully that counts for something. Which is why you're standing in the doorway of your bathroom, holding a platter with a single, whole, raw mackerel on it, its dead eyes boring into your very soul. 

Originally, you were going to grill the mackerel in question and have it for breakfast, but you’ve been so caught up in doing this and that for the merman that you haven’t had the time to eat, much less cook. It’s fine. You and Minori planned to meet up at that cafe off the beach that she likes, so you can just eat there even if you think their food sacrifices flavor for the sake of looking disgustingly photogenic.

Speaking of that, you should probably start getting ready soon. You’re supposed to meet up in a little over an hour, and you feel a little gross, still in the clothes you wore last night, plus you have no doubt that you absolutely need a shower, but before you can do any of that, you need to feed the merman.

His gaze zeroes in on the platter in your hands, realizing you heard him earlier (as if you couldn't— he's so very loud). He seems to perk up at the prospect of eating, but it doesn't last long as a frown settles across his features. You gulp. It feels like you're in for yet another merfolk lesson.

Finally, he asks, "Is that supposed to be… food?" 

You nod slowly.

"For me?"

You nod again. 

"I can't eat that."

"Wh-why not? What's wrong with it?" You almost demand. In hindsight, you should have asked, especially since Mr. Merman's seemed eager to point out every misstep you've made so far. You were so sure that the mackerel would have been acceptable that you didn't even bother. It makes sense for a merman to eat fish right? What else would he eat? Seaweed? Is he maybe vegan? 

"It's dead," he tells you and though his tone is plain, you can see the amusement dancing in those beautiful blue eyes of his. "Fish are best live— squirming as you bite into them, their blood squirting—" 

"Okay!" You squeak, interrupting his rather grotesque description. It’s way too early for any kind of gory stuff. "Okay! Got it!"

Well, that settles that; he’s definitely not vegan.

He grins, clearly finding enjoyment in your discomfort, and you try to tell yourself, again, that you did the right thing. You're trying your best, but the fact that it doesn't seem to be amounting to anything is frustrating. The merman's constant jabs and jeers at you and your efforts certainly aren't helping.

Neither is the distinct feeling of intense hanger that's starting to claw at you. 

Maybe you should have a snack before you meet up with Minori. 

The merman tilts his head, and you think maybe he's trying to look innocent, his eyes big and wet, his lips barely puckered. But the mischievous look in his eyes betrays him, making it clear that his aim is just to continue messing with you. "Oh, but—"

"Unfortunately," you interject again, exasperation seeping into your tone. You can feel your hanger about to violently consume you as you hiss. "I'm rather uneducated when it comes to merfolk food culture." 

He just stares at you and it feels strange that he has no quip to counter you with.

Shit. Was that a bit much? You regret your words as soon as they're out of your mouth. Despite the merman's behavior, he doesn't entirely deserve to be on the receiving end of your ire. You really should have asked about his diet. And maybe gotten yourself a bite to eat while you were getting him that fish. It's not as if you didn't know you were hungry. 

You take a deep, deep breath, hoping that fresh oxygen in your lungs can keep you sane for just a little bit longer. "Sorry. Just… is there— is it really completely inedible like this? If you really want it warm or something, I can cook it for you really quick."

He seems to consider your words, and you hope his response will be favorable. "...No, it's fine like this, I guess."

Relief saturates you as you exhale. You hadn't even realized you'd been holding your breath. "I promise I'll get you something better later, it's just I… kind of don't have the time right now." 

The merman hums and holds his hand out expectantly. You're not sure if you should just give him the whole platter or just the fish itself; you opt for the former as you cross the length of the bathroom to give him his meal. Then you look away. He's either going to swallow the fish whole or bite into it, and frankly, you don't know if you can stomach the sight of either.

It sounds like the latter though. You start to step away, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to get ready, but that would have to start with a shower and while the shower is completely separate from the tub it is also right there. The thought of giving the merman a show while he eats is absolutely mortifying, especially when you consider how unnaturally handsome he is. Maybe you should leave a little early and swing by the bathhouse to shower there…

“Got plans?” The merman’s voice stops you in your tracks. 

“Uh, yeah.”

"A hot date?" he probes, sounding like he's snickering. 

Your face feels warm and you whirl around to face him, catching a peek of a bit of the mackerel's tail hanging out of his mouth. "No, I'm meeting up with my best friend."

Last night doesn't count. You barely even spoke with one another. Not that you could since she—

"You don't seem all that excited about it," the merman remarks, his eyes watching you curiously, looking impossibly bluer than before.

You open your mouth to refute the claim. To tell him that the reason you don't seem excited isn't because of Minori but because you've spent your entire morning running yourself ragged because of him. But it’s not quite true, so you don’t. Try as you might to ignore it, Minori's recent behavior still weighs on you, awkward and uncomfortable. You hold your tongue and instead say, "That's… not true." 

The merman's expression is indecipherable, his icy blue gaze fixed on you. It feels like he’s seeing right through you, silently calling you out on your weak excuse of a lie. 

Feeling the conversation is over, you turn back around and take another step to leave, but then the merman speaks again. 

“So, you know,” he starts, his tone adopting a flirtatious edge. “I’d be happy to teach you about merfolk culture. I’m pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.”

Your entire body goes rigid and you glance back at him, in mild disbelief. “At… teaching?”

He grins at you, as if he’s happy to have your eyes on him again. Is he starved for attention or something? The merman winks as he responds cheerfully, “Yup!” 

You gawk at him. “Like how you’ve been ‘teaching’ me all day?”

“That’s right! You’ll be an expert in no time.”

You doubt that. His teaching methods leave a lot to be desired; you’d even go so far as to say he’s actually a garbage teacher. You consider telling him this, but decide not to because he really seems legitimately proud of his skills (or lack thereof). “I don’t know…”

“Come on! It’ll be lots of fun!” 

You doubt that even more. “Based on everything you’ve ‘taught’ me so far, I’m honestly not even sure if I can adequately take care of you here…” You pause, then add, slowly more to yourself than the merman. “Maybe when I get back I should call the aquarium…”

It would be better, you think, to return him to the sea where he belongs. If anything, he seems well enough, and he hasn’t made any mention of any injuries that would keep him from going back. You don’t know for sure, but being in the aquarium would probably be better than your parent’s luxurious bathtub.

“An aquarium?” he exclaims and his voice is louder than usual, causing you to jump just a little bit. “You’re not serious, right?”

“Uh, well—”

“They keep a lot of different aquatic creatures there, don’t they?” the merman says before you can say anything. 

“Yeah, but that means the facilities are bigger and so you’d—”

“They probably wouldn’t be able to give me the same kind of personalized care that I could get from you.”

“Maybe, but I’m sure they’d—”

“Besides,” he interrupts again, his voice even louder as if he’s trying (and succeeding) to gain dominance over the conversation at hand. “They’d probably keep me there for the rest of my life! They might even experiment on me!”

Wide eyed, you stare at the merman. Your initial thought is that the family that owns the aquarium wouldn’t do that, but you don’t know, someone else who works there might. Merfolk are supposed to be myths, legends, so it’s not completely outside the realm of possibility that if you were to dump him off at the aquarium that he’d become someone’s research project.

"You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" he pleads, staring at you, his baby blue eyes blown wide, wet with what you think, in the back of your mind, are crocodile tears, his lower lip quivering as if he’s a frightened child. 

“I…” you start, trying to think of something, anything to say. There’s no doubt in your mind that the merman is guilting you. But you also know that he has a point, there’s no way to ensure that he’ll be treated humanely if you hand him off to someone else. Your stomach churns at the thought of scientists cruelly poking and prodding at him with needles and scalpels as if he were a lab rat. No matter how annoying he’s been, he wouldn’t deserve that. 

After all, isn’t that why you brought him home in the first place? To protect him from such a cruel fate? If you were just going to hand him off to someone else, you should have just left him on the beach. 

Slowly, you shake your head, “No… I wouldn’t.”

Pleased, the merman beams at you, his expression now the complete opposite of the pitiful look he was sporting just a moment ago. Despite his cheer, you still feel uneasy and you don’t think it’s because you’re hungry. 

The reason becomes obvious when the merman speaks, as if your body was giving you a premonition, trying to warn you. “That settles it then! Guess we’re roommates now!”

You stare at him blankly, your thoughts stuttering at his words, struggling to comprehend them as if they were spoken with a foreign tongue. What did he say? What did he say? When your brain finally processes them, translates them into something you can understand, you nearly screech, the words flying out of your mouth before you can even think about filtering them. “Roommates? Who said anything about roommates?”

The merman’s eyes narrow into a smoldering gaze and you distantly wonder if he's just trying to show off the range of emotions that he's capable of. His voice drops an octave, purposefully sultry and seductive as he says, "Well, if you'd like a different kind of arrangement—"

"Shut up!" you finally snap, ignoring the electric feeling running up and down your spine at the mere sound of his voice. You don’t think you’ve snapped at anyone before, much less a stranger, but to hell with that and to him too. All morning he’s been bossing you around and while you’ve been doing you best to acquiesce to him, he keeps messing with you as if you’re his own personal toy. Maybe it really is the hanger, having consumed you, body and mind, by this point, but regardless, you’ve hit your limit with him. “We absolutely cannot be roommates! Don’t you have to return to the ocean, anyway? Won’t you turn into seafoam or something if you don’t?”

He starts to laugh and you glare at him. It probably sounds stupid, but you think you’ve heard something like that before, but then again it’s not like you actually know anything. The merman waves his hand dismissively, his lips curled up in amusement. “I know what you’re thinking and no, it’s nothing like that.” 

"Okay, but that doesn't answer my question."

He gives you a noncommittal shrug. “Yeah, eventually.”

You wait, because you know there’s got to be more to it than that. Is he just doing these dramatic pauses for the fun of it? He shoots you a mischievous grin, almost confirming it, as he adds, “Should be fine as long as I go back in the next hundred years or so.” 

You nearly choke on the air. One hundred years? He can’t be serious. You take a deep, deep breath before speaking. “Sorry, but I don’t have one hundred years to be your roommate— I don’t even know if I’ll live that long. I’m only going to be here for the summer, and then I’m heading back home to Tokyo.”

That should be enough to deter him. At least that’s what you think, but you also think that the merman might like proving you wrong. His smile shifts only just slightly, the glimmering in his eyes reminding you more of the sky than the sea that he calls home. “For the summer then. We can be roommates until you go back to Tokyo.” 

You scowl, wracking your mind for some kind of counterpoint, but it feels like you’re fighting a losing battle in trying to argue with him. He takes your silence as a chance to attempt to further convince you. “Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re the only one here, right?”

You don’t say anything so he continues. 

“Aren’t you lonely here all on your own?”

His question hangs in the air, unanswered, as you remain silent. 

The truth is you’re used to it— to being lonely. You’ve been living on your own in Tokyo for long enough to be comfortable with the silence that comes with solitude. It’s no stranger, and sometimes you could even consider it a friend. But there’s no denying that maybe, just maybe you’d been hoping there would have been a little more time between your arrival and your parents’ departure. It’s fine. You’ll see them when they get back. 

Besides, you still have Minori.

You can still hang out with her. Go eat at little cafes where you’re meant to take pictures of the food rather than enjoy eating it. Or have sleepovers where you chat about anything and everything. How she’s got something going on with Hayato. How weirdly nice Shinomiya is. How different life in Tokyo is compared to here. And maybe spending time with her will be enough to take the place of the silence, the loneliness that you’re grown accustomed to. It’s fine, you tell yourself, almost viciously. It’s fine because you still have Minori. 

Minori, who’s supposedly your best friend.

Minori, who, you suppose, is acting strange around you. 

Minori, who you’re supposed to hang out with in about an hour.

“We can’t be roommates,” you repeat, through gritted teeth as you reach up to massage your temple in exasperation. You don’t have time to deal with this right now: you need to get ready. “I don’t even know you. I don’t even know your name.”

The merman opens his mouth to respond but just as he starts to speak, you can feel a vibrating in your pocket. Soon after the sound of your ringtone fills the bathroom, echoing off the walls. You shoot him a look, silently telling him to be quiet as you reach into your pocket to grab your phone. Your stomach feels like it’s doing gymnastics, flipping and folding into itself, uncomfortably, painfully. It’s amazing your phone is still alive, having gone all night and almost all morning off the charger and you catch sight of how much the battery remains— nine percent. But that’s not the most important thing right now.

It’s Minori that’s calling. 

You turn away from the merman, gulping as you swipe the green answer button on the screen. “Hello?”

“Hey.” Her voice is strained, hoarse, like she’s gotten sick or spent all night screaming. 

“Are you okay?” you ask, more a formality than anything. You know the answer, but you’re still concerned.

“No, I—” She coughs. It sounds almost forced. You ignore it. “I… kinda drank a little too much last night…”

Somehow, you’re not surprised. You bite the inside of your cheek as you try not to frown. “It’s okay. We can reschedule.”

“...you sure?”

“Yeah,” you say softly. “You don’t feel well and… we have all summer to hang out.”

She doesn’t say anything. 

“Okay,” Minori rasps out, then she adds, almost an afterthought. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” you insist. “Really.”

You could almost swear you hear another voice in the background, one that sounds almost familiar but you ignore it. You ignore it. You ignore it. 

“It’s fine,” you repeat. “We have all summer.”

“Right.”

“Just get some rest, okay?”

“Mmhmm… bye.”

“Bye.” The line clicks first on Minori’s end. Your hand drops to your side limply and your phone almost slips from your fingers.

You don’t know how to feel. 

On the one hand, she really might have drank too much. You remember seeing a few coolers filled to the brim with booze last night. It’s not impossible that, after you’d left, people, people including Minori, might have really gone to town with the drinking. She definitely could have gotten a hangover from drinking too much. 

But something else in the back of your mind insists otherwise, it whispers that there’s something else going on. Her behavior is too suspicious, and it’s getting harder and harder to fight off the notion that she’s doing this on purpose, that she’s avoiding seeing you, avoiding talking to you. 

And that hurts.

But what hurts more is that you don’t really know why. 

Is it just because you were really bad at talking to her when you were in Tokyo? Or is it something else? You could message her and ask, but you’d rather ask her in person when you can. If you can. 

“Satoru.”

You startle at the sound of the merman’s voice, turning toward him. You almost forgot that he was here. He’s watching you curiously, expression unreadable. It makes you a little uncomfortable, like he’s dissecting you. 

“What?” Your voice is almost inaudible.

“Satoru,” he repeats and you notice his tone is almost gentle now. “That’s my name.”

“...just Satoru?” you ask, unsure. You actually have little doubt that it’s his name, but it feels a little… too close, too personal to be using his first name when you barely know him. 

The merman gives you a wry smile as he dodges your question. “You know, it’s impolite to not offer your name after someone else gives you theirs.”

He’s not wrong, but still you hesitate. You feel like there’s some unspoken significance in giving him your name, like once you do, you’ll be setting something into motion that you won’t be able to stop. 

It’s just a name, just your name. 

Satoru’s eyes glimmer as you offer it to him and he repeats your name back, as if he’s testing the feel of it in his mouth. Something in your chest stirs at the sound of it, a little voice in the back of your head smugly telling you that it was right, but you ignore it.

With a satisfied hum, he says, tone shifting into something more cheerful, “With that out of the way, there’s no reason we can’t be roommates now, right?”

You stare at him wide eyed. It’s completely beyond you why he’d rather spend his time here, in your parent’s bathroom over being in the big wide ocean, but it’s clear that he has no intent on giving up. Between Satoru keeping you busy all morning and Minori canceling your plans, you don’t really have the energy to fight him any more anyway. 

“It’ll be fun, I promise,” Satoru insists with a smile. This one is different from the others you’ve seen from him so far and you wonder if he’s trying to take a different approach to convince you.

Not that he needs to any more; you’re already resigned yourself to your fate. 

“...only until I go back to Tokyo, okay?” you relent, squeezing the phone in your hand so hard it might break. This might be a mistake, agreeing to let this merman, to let Satoru stay here for the summer, but it’s fine.

It’s fine.

Satoru beams, bright and triumphant as he echoes. “Only until you go back to Tokyo.”

One trip out of the house to the bathhouse and the store is enough to reduce the discontent you feel from whatever is going on with Minori to just a frustrating buzz in the back of your mind. You know it won’t fully go away until you and Minori actually talk about it, but with the way things are going, who knows when that will be? 

Besides, you feel like your hands are going to be too full attending to Satoru to dwell on anything for very long.

You heave everything you got at the store onto the counter. Even though you’d gone just yesterday, the sudden appearance of another mouth to feed demanded another trip. Despite Satoru’s offer to teach you about merfolk culture, he wasn’t particularly helpful when you asked him (this time) what kind of food to get him. Seafood, he’d told you with a snicker, and when you probed for something more substantial than that all he said was to surprise him. 

His teaching methods really do leave a lot to be desired.

You did what you could with what little he gave you. Naturally, you bought seafood, two more whole fish, and then some other things, some of them a little… unconventional. It’s fine, though, you made sure to get things you could eat just in case Satoru doesn't like them. And if he doesn't maybe that'll teach him to be a little more specific next time. 

"Hey! Are you back?" Satoru's naturally loud voice echoes throughout the house. He must have really good hearing if he heard you shuffling in the kitchen, though you did slam the door pretty loud when you came back in earlier. 

"Yeah!" You holler back. 

"Perfect! I'm hungry!" 

Of course he is. But then again, it's been a bit since he ate that mackerel earlier. Your stomach rumbles in agreement with Satoru. After Minori had called, your hanger and appetite had basically disappeared, but now it seems like it's recovered. Your stomach grumbles again, and you consider eating before bringing Satoru his food, but…

Since you're "roommates" now wouldn't it be better to eat together?

Sharing a meal with Satoru sounds like a mistake, but if he gets too annoying you can just get up and walk away. Nodding to yourself, you grab the things you'd bought to eat and some of the things you'd gotten for Satoru to try and head for the bathroom, stopping by the storage closet on the way. 

You find what you're looking for— your mother's bed and bathtub trays— with relative ease. Hopefully, the bathtub tray will sit comfortably on the tub, even with Satoru's massive body in it, if not… you can probably both share the bed tray. You grab both trays and, while it's a little awkward, you manage to carry them both into the bathroom.

Satoru's lounging in the tub, since there's not really much else he can do, his long arms and even longer tail hanging off the edges. You feel bad, even though your parents' luxury tub is huge by human standards, it really is too small for him. Maybe it'd be fine if he could bend his tail the way people bend their legs but you don't know if he can. When you enter, Satoru tilts his head toward you and shoots you a lazy grin. You freeze, remembering again, how stunningly handsome he is. 

And then he ruins it, by opening his mouth, eyes on the bag in your hand. 

He starts to pout. "Did you bring me another dead fish?"

"They only sell dead fish at the store." You say while you set up the trays as little makeshift tables for you both. Luckily, the bathtub tray fits— just barely— but a win’s a win in your book. When that’s all done, you start to pull everything out of the bags. Satoru watches curiously as you separate your stuff from his. Belatedly, you realize you’ve only really brought him snacks and nothing actually substantial. 

“So, what have we got here?” he asks when you’re done. 

“Uh, well,” you point at each item, telling him what it is as you sit down next to the tub. “Dried shredded squid, some different kinds of seaweed snacks and dried anchovies.”

Satoru hums and picks up the bag of dried anchovies and examines it, turning it over in his hands. Is he wondering how to open it? You’re about to reach over and show him the notch in the bag that he needs to tear, but he gets to it before you do and rips the bag open. It’s a little impressive that he figured it out on his own. You watch as he reaches his hand in and gingerly pulls out one of the fish. He turns it over in his fingers, looking at it before popping the whole thing in his mouth. You hear the absolute barest crunch as he chews on it. 

When he’s done he chucks another one in his mouth as if it were a potato chip. “Not bad.”

You beam, maybe it’s not a glowing review, but still you’re glad to have finally, finally gotten some kind of stamp of approval from Satoru.

He glances at you and his lips ease up into a mischievous smile as he plucks yet another anchovy from the bag and holds it up to your face in offering. “Would you like one too?”

You eye the anchovy anxiously and bite your lip, not sure what to say. Do you tell him? Or do you just bite the bullet?

“What’s with that look?” Satoru asks, pouting. “Do you humans not eat these?”

“Uh…”

The pout becomes more pronounced, his eyebrows furrowing together. “Did you really give me something you wouldn’t eat? How mean.”

“...you said surprise me,” you finally grumble. “I’ve only ever used those in making soup stock— I’ve never eaten them like that.”

In an instant Satoru’s frown is gone as he latches onto the last thing you’ve said. He leans forward excitedly, his eyes shimmering with some kind of predatory joy. “Is that so? That would make this… your first time too?”

He does that thing with his voice again, and your brain goes offline for just a millisecond before booting back up. “Don’t make it weird.”

Satoru smiles, unaffected by your deflection. He waves the anchovy in front of you. “Well? Gonna try?”

You stare at it. It’s not like you’re opposed to it, so why not? It’s Satoru’s first time trying anchovies like this, so in a way would it be fair. You’re drawing the line at letting him hand feed it to you, though. Leaning a little bit back, you take the fish from him and toss it into your mouth. Just as you expected it’s a little crunchy, but more than that the taste is intense and salty, but…

“It’s not bad,” you remark, echoing Satoru’s sentiments. He grins and starts to eat them in earnest, few at a time. You pull at the plastic of one of the rice balls you got for yourself so you can dig in. After a couple bites, you notice out of the corner of your eye that Satoru’s looking at you again. “Mmm?”

“What do you have?”

You swallow what’s in your mouth before you explain. “Just some rice balls and a fruit sando.”

“Why does your food look better than mine?”

“Uh,” you pause, trying to think of how to word it, “My stuff is more… complex, I guess?” 

Most of what you got for Satoru is pretty simple, consisting of only an ingredient or two. He huffs, obviously off-put by your answer, and leers at you like he wants something. Then he says, petulant, “I want some.”

You’re almost startled at how straightforward he is about it. Almost.

“I… just wasn’t sure if your stomach would be able to handle more… processed human foods,” you explain. “If… if you really want, we can share. I-I just wouldn’t want you to get sick from something you ate, you know?”

Satoru’s eyes widen slightly at your words, but then he waves his hand almost dismissively, “Nah, it should be fine.”

You’re not so sure, but if he says so. “Okay…”

“So, what's that?” he asks, gesturing to the rice ball in your hand. 

“It’s a tuna mayo rice ball. The other one I have has salted salmon.” 

“I see.”

You think about the best way to go about sharing the rice ball. Would it be better to just flat out give him your salted salmon rice ball? There’s really no way for you to break off a piece of your rice ball to give him to try without basically breaking the entire thing apart.

Before you can decide on a course of action, Satoru ends up deciding for you. He leans all the way forward, getting all into your personal space so he can take a huge chomp out of the rice ball in your hands. You almost drop the entire thing in shock, and Satoru is either completely unaware or doesn’t even care as he leans back in the tub, grinning with a wicked amusement as he chews. 

“That’s pretty good,” he remarks, licking his lips. Your eyes are unfortunate enough to pay a little too much attention to the action. 

It takes you a moment to recover and you hand him the rest of the rice ball and say. “Okay, well, you can have the rest of this one and I’ll just have this one to myself.”

“I thought we were sharing?”

“We are,” you insist. “You’re eating that one, and I’m eating this one.” 

“But I wanted to try the salted salmon one, too.”

“I… I will get one just for you next time I go to the store, okay?” you offer, hoping that will deter him from invading your personal space again and sinking his teeth into the other rice ball. 

It doesn’t. 

You’re so lucky that the fruit sando is sliced in two pieces. 

next chapter (coming soon)   → 

[gusherguy]

for your consideration: two people getting really sick at the same time from eating far too much of the same bad food. one person has a weaker stomach and starts really feeling the effects first, but their vomiting very quickly sets the other off and once they start there's no stopping them

(Hayden he/him, Cade he/him)

They hadn't planned on seeing Cade's parents that night. Hayden and Cade went for Chinese food at a buffet that afternoon, and soon after got a call. "My parents are in town!" Cade leaned into Hayden's room. "Want to go meet them? They're gonna be at the steakhouse. You should come with!"

"Are you sure you want to come with, Hayden? You don't look so good." Cade said when they got out of the car. "And you can meet my parents later. I don't want you to overdo it." Cade said sympathetically as he absently rubbed his swollen gut. "I—I'll be fine. I just, uh…" He takes a deep breath and tries to relax, but the tension is too much to bear. "I ate too much. Had way too many noodles."

Despite the overstimulation of having already been in a restaurant, and his disinterest in steak after stuffing on noodles and fried rice, Hayden felt excited that Cade wanted to take this next step, and hoped the parents would like him. He didn't want to waste this chance, no matter how sick he felt.

Once they got there, he realized it was a mistake. Hayden's temples throbbed, the inside of his mouth tasting vaguely of raw onions. The restaurant's bright, white lights were a source of torture rather than comfort, their brightness highlighting his clammy forehead. The sounds of the bustle around him were loud enough to cause headaches, which seems like a cruel twist of fate considering that he's suffering the early pangs of a salt-induced migraine. A sharp pain lanced through his torso, and Hayden swallows hard. He carefully loosened his belt under the table. His stomach roils, and he's sure a violent attack of indigestion is only moments from kicking in.

"You good?" Cade asked him suddenly. Hayden almost jumped. "Um - yeah. I'm good, just…I think I ate too much." Cade gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I've got really bad bubble guts right now. I really hope nothing at that buffet was spoiled." He sipped on his Sprite and then brightened up, nodding his head at a middle-aged couple that had just entered. "There, that's them. That's my mom and dad." With that Cade stood up to go and greet them, leaving Hayden all by himself at the table.

As Cade went to greet his parents, Hayden gripped the table and forced his eyes shut. The lights and commotion aren't doing him any favors. He almost felt seasick. He took a deep breath, then released it slowly, but he's barely finished exhaling before he feels a familiar rumble begin low in his abdomen. Gas and the remains of a meal are threatening to be regurgitated. He swallowed hard.

For a little while, Hayden kept control of his stomach. He sipped his iced soda, hoping the bubbles would settle his stomach. And for a bit it seemed to help. He introduced himself to Cade's parents and they began small talk. Then Cade's dad ordered appetizers. "Make that double, would you please? Looks like I'm feeding a crowd today." his father said good-naturedly. And before either Cade or Hayden could protest, the waiter left. And Cade's parents began making small talk.

Hayden's brow was really beginning to glisten with sweat. Every time he turned to face someone new in this little circle, the lights flashed and his stomach rumbled heavily, slow and sluggish and sickening. He can't imagine eating anything; the idea of chewing or swallowing makes him dizzy.

Cade was also having to gulp over and over to keep his stomach in its place. When the appetizers arrived and his parents dug in, he snacked a bit on the wings and dip that had been left on the table, nibbling out of habit. The strong, greasy smell and spicy taste made his guts churn. And when he looked to Hayden, he realized with horror that he didn't look much better off. Maybe something at the buffet really was spoiled.

Hayden can't imagine holding back any longer. His head jerks from side to side, heaving breathlessly, and he suddenly feels bile rising in his mouth. He grips the edge of the table, a hand ready for his forehead as his guts churn and gurgle. His swallows mean nothing against the force of his sick stomach, and he felt chunks at the back of his throat.

"You know, mom and dad, Hayden's pretty tired. I think we might - urrp!" a sudden burp interrupted Cade. He blushed a little, but mostly his cheeks were green. "'scuse me. I think we might head out early."

Hayden's mouth twisted in misery. "P—please… have to… go…" he whined out, desperate. What seems like a long moment of agonizing silence passed as Hayden tried to keep his stomach down, but he was fighting a losing battle. Sweat trickled down his neck, his breath coming harsh in his throat. He leaned over the table, gagging, and that's all it took. The food from earlier erupted, exploding past Hayden's lips and splattering everything around him. He sagged forward and moans miserably. "Ohhh… I—I'm so sorry…"

When Hayden vomited, it was like a button was pressed on Cade's gag reflex. He didn't even feel himself heaving before a sudden heavy wave of chunky noodle barf spewed from his lips and splattered all over the appetizer. He hiccupped and moaned, mortified. "Ohhh m-my god, I'm so s- sghhhuruuughhhl!!" his belly clenched and Cade threw up again. The hot slurry burned all the way up and splashed on his jeans.

"Oh no… you too…" Hayden choked back bile, looking at Cade in horror. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, passing one to Cade. But the second he tried to speak, he heaved again. An ungodly amount of partially-digested ramen noodles burst out of his mouth, staining his shirt and the tablecloth. He curled into himself, panting with exhaustion and fighting to keep the remnants of his meal down. His stomach continued to roil, but it seems he's emptied as much as he's able.

Cade's parents at least didn't react in disgust. They seemed worried, and jumped into action. They pushed the almost-empty bowl of dip under Hayden's mouth as his tongue shot out and he began again to vomit. Cade leaned forward and desperately covered his mouth with his hands. But it was to no avail, and barf dripped from his fingers. A forceful gush escaped then. He groaned and gave in to the sickness clutching his belly.

Hayden retches violently, trying to expel the spoiled food that remained. It's as if his stomach were a bottomless pit, full of the slimiest rank slurry imaginable. He just wants it to be over. He dry-heaves, nothing coming up, but his stomach won't let him find comfort in the calm. It spasms and he can feel fresh bile rising up his throat. He leaned over the table and heaved, quickly getting dizzy.

Cade regretted overeating at the buffet. He burped up a violent surge of orange and noodles that splashed, mostly getting into the bowl. He clutched his belly with a low moan before spewing again. He was grateful they had chosen a table in the back; nobody but them noticed the mess yet. Hayden had the worst of it. He had eaten more of that slightly-suspicious shrimp stir fry than Cade had. Every exhale was a violent gush of vomit, and his face was sweaty and red. Cade's father gingerly patted his back.

Hayden, for his part, was beginning to feel lightheaded. His tummy went quiet for now, but that seemed to be the calm before the storm. He groaned miserably and clutched his sides, every twitch in his guts generating an involuntary grimace. He felt more exhausted than he could remember, and every movement is like pulling teeth. His tongue tasted foul and every breath he takes seems to make things worse. Cade's mother lays a hand on his shoulder and mouths, "You'll be alright."

It took a long while before they were alright, however. After a few minutes both boys could control their nausea long enough to make it to the bathroom, but once they got there the heaving just started again. Their stomachs felt agonizingly gross, heavy and overfull and sick. The sound of their retching reverberated through the small bathroom. After a moment, Cade called over in a raspy voice "H-Hayden….you okay?"

Hayden didn't answer, too busy with the business of being sick to reply. He hunched over the toilet in the fetal position, gagging and retching violently while it felt like his insides writhed and squirmed. Cade's voice barely registered to him. But eventually, he forces back the bile, breathing through his mouth and gasping for air as he got his breath. Eventually, he croaked "Yeah… yeah. Just… gimme a minute."

Just then Cade let out a meaty belch that turned into vomit on the tail end. He leaned over the toilet and let it out. Another retch took hold, and he splattered the bowl with brown and orange chunks. "Ohhhgg….god, thats bad."

Hayden shuddered, his stomach roiling again. "Ugh, god…" He puts his hand on his head and, with the slightest movement, let out another gush of bile. He leaned over again, his eyes watering as he continues to expel what little food he consumed at the buffet. His head pounded and he felt chills. After a moment, he sighed and pressed his cheek against the wall. "This is awful… I feel so gross."

"S-same….god, that really must have been spoiled food." Cade spat into the toilet and sighed. "I haven't felt this bad in a long time." he tenderly rubbed his bloated stomach, feeling it all moving around inside. Every little twist and turn of his guts brings him a fresh jolt of nausea. Now that the initial vomiting has slowed, he's left with a dull, pounding headache. He flushed and leaned against the wall, trying to rest. His guts kept spasming a little bit every so often, but he wasn't vomiting anymore.

Hayden groaned lightly and clutches his throbbing head. The nausea has calmed down for the most part, but he can feel the food sloshing around inside him. And the chillls kept getting worse. He grimaced and looked at the stall his boyfriend was in, suddenly feeling worried. "Cade… do you feel feverish at all? I—I'm feeling a little hot, but… maybe I'm just imagining things."

"Lemme check." Cade didn't feel too feverish, just nauseous. He reached his hand under the stall to Hayden. "I don't. Do -- urrrp! - do you? Let me feel your arm." When he felt Hayden, his boyfriend's skin was very hot and slightly red. "Ohh boy. Yeah, I think you might have a fever, babe."

Hayden nodded, his eyes widening with concern. "You don't feel too hot, right? I don't know how I'd handle it if we were both sick." He rests his hands on Cade's arm. It felt cool compared to his. His stomach began to churn again, but he fought down the rising nausea. "God, I still feel gross. I—my head… still hurts."

"I sh-should ask my dad to bring us water." Cade said, swallowing hard. His stomach was very upset again and he was worried he would soon vomit. But it happened sooner than he expected, and he spewed slushy orange and white down the front of his jacket. "Ohhhgg…oh shit, god. Damn i-- urrghhkkk!" he leaned over the toilet before he vomited again. "It hur-hrhrrggglllhg! It hurts…." Cade moaned between retches.

Hayden looked away when Cade began to vomit and made a grumbling sound of distaste. When he heard Cade's stomach rumbling again, he knows what's coming. He covered his mouth and turns his head, listening to the revolting squelching and splattering in Cade's throat. He tried not to be repulsed, but it was hard when the sounds were so loud. It's a relief when Cade finally let the last of his dinner go, though the smell made Hayden feel like he might puke again himself. "Ohh my god…" he said hollowly.

Hayden's belly lurched violently and he gasped. With a sudden rush, he expeled the rest of his dinner, most of it splashing down into the bowl but some bits and bile reaching the floor. He groaned and gripped the toilet to keep from wobbling, letting the contents churn and splurt out for a few seconds before he's finally spent. He was left dry-heaving into the bowl for a long moment. "Hnngg…. mmphhh… gahh…"

Cade spat, his stomach feeling much better now that it was empty. He flushed again and knocked on Hayden's door. "How're you doing in there?" he asked gently. In the end, Hayden needed help getting home. He was ill over the whole weekend, and terribly embarrassed about vomiting in front of the people who could become his in-laws. But Cade's parents were very understanding, and even sent them a card hoping Hayden felt better soon.

[livingdreams97]

Wednesday Addams -- "The wolf in my bed" (Part 2)

Wednesday Addams x Male reader/oc

Summary: The new girl at Nevermore Academy is forced to live with a person who is the complete opposite of herself. But what will happen when the brother of said roommate has a personality similar to Wednesday's?

Words: 3.720

PREVIOUS /// NEXT

Masterlist

POV You

A couple of days had passed since the full moon and today is the day the Poe cup was held. I am going to participate together with my friends Xabier and Ajax and one of Ajax's gorgon friends.

The theme of our canoe is a mix between clowns and the joker, although I see us more as shady buffoons. But according to Xavier we are like the joker and according to Ajax we are clowns. So it's a mix.

Everyone is around the lake, where the competition is going to take place and the groups are ready to get into the canoes.

Enid: Y/n! - she exclaims screaming and running towards me dressed as a black cat. –You look a little scary.- she assures me, looking at Ajax and me from top to bottom.

Y/n: Thank you.- I say proudly, smiling broadly.

Wednesday: They're not scary.- she denies appearing next to my sister in the same costume, with cat ears and everything, but without the mustaches.

I look her up and down, noticing how the suit clings to her body and fits her like a glove. But I can also see her brows furrowing slightly in annoyance as well as her crossed arms.

Y/n: What happens, the kitten hasn't been given its sweets?- I ask my sister's friend with fun and with a false pout.

Wednesday: This kitten can tear you into 13 parts if she wants to.- she returns the comment with an intense look.

Y/n: I want to see you try, Addams.- I assure her, crossing my arms and with a superior smile on my face.

Wednesday: You better sleep with one eye open.- she threatens me directly and I just smile at her.

Y/n: Then I'll make sure to hide anything colored in my room, in case you see something colorful and don't tear me apart at the end.- I comment without removing the smile from my face and seeing how Wednesday's eyes narrow slightly.

Enid: What's going on here ? - I hear how she asks my friend in a whisper.

Ajax: I don't know.- he whispers back.- I think they're flirting.- He comments and I immediately look at him threateningly.

Wednesday: I don't flirt.- she denies in the form of a grunt. -I'm just telling this idiot what I can do to him if he continues to tempt his fate.- she tells my friend, pointing at me with her thumb, using her threatening tone and causing my friend to take a step back in fright.

Enid: I just came to wish you luck.- she tells me and Ajax. -Although you won't need it, because this year we are going to win.- she assures us with all the confidence in the world.

Y/n: As long as Bianca doesn't win I'm happy.- I commented raising my arms. -I can't stand Bianca's superior smile when she always wins.- I growled, crossing my arms.

Ajax: That's because you like Bianca and you hate when she rubs her superiority in your face.- he tells me with a smile full of fun.

Enid: Wait. Since when do you like Bianca?- she asks with a look of disgust on her face.

Y/n: I don't like her.- I deny immediately wrinkling my nose, feeling an intense and heavy gaze on me . -Is she attractive? Yeah. But it's Bianca, I could never like someone with the ego and personality that she has.- I assure my sister with an unappetizing gesture.

Enid: It's better for you, because this sister-brother bond ends up here if you like her.- she threatens me, pointing her index finger at me.

Y/n: I don't like her! - I exclaim in the form of a growl.

It's not to put Bianca down. That is to say, as a friend Bianca is fine, she helps you with your homework and listens to you when you need it. But as a couple I doubt it's the same.

I've known Bianca for years and even though my sister doesn't get along with her at times. I have spent more time with her, since she is Xavier's ex-girlfriend and since we are friends I had spent time with the ex-couple.

So I know Bianca well. She is a sensitive girl with maternal traumas, which prevents her from being her best version with people and causes her to act in a conceited way most of the time. But behind that facade, there is a good person and only very few people can really know her.

But as a girlfriend she is very bossy and demanding. So it would never occur to me to think of her in anything other than as a friend.

Wednesday: I wouldn't be surprised if you felt a certain attraction towards Bianca.- she assures causing us to look at her confused. -You are both immature, conceited, and insolent beings. You would make a good couple.- she nods to what she said, with a certain aggressive tone and I look at her confused.

Y/n: What?- I ask in a whisper, not understanding where her comment comes from and the tone with which she said it.

Wednesday: I have said what I have said and I do not take it back.- she says with her usual monotonous tone of voice and with her face impassive of any emotion.

The four of us remain completely silent, while I look at  Wednesday confused and try to understand what just happened.

Enid: We're leaving.- She clears her throat, before grabbing her best friend's arm and pulling her towards the shore of the lake.

I just watch the girls walk away, frowning and completely confused with what just happened.

Ajax: Stop looking at Wednesday's ass or she'll tear your eyes out.- he whispers to me and I open my eyes surprised by his accusation.

Y/n: I'm not looking at her ass.- I deny immediately, looking away from the girls and directing it to my best friend.

Ajax: Aha, whatever you say friend.- he says patting my shoulder without much importance and following the path that the girls have taken moments before.

Y/n: I wasnt't! – i exclaim running after him, listening to his laughter and receiving confused looks from those present.

The last thing I need in my life is for Wednesday to get the rumor that I was looking at her ass and carry out the threat she made to me earlier. Plus I wasn't looking at her ass.

Wednesday POV

After the victory of the Poe cup, the worst example of kidnapping by Nightshade students and the stupid and unnecessary need to "work" in Pilgrim World, it's time to return to the investigation.

Having briefly stopped by the Weathervane and spoken to Tyler for information, I head to the original meeting house.

I walk through the woods, looking for what's left of the meeting house and hoping to find some clue regarding the monster. I need to find something, something that will help me advance my investigation and discover the identity of the monster.

In the distance I can make out the ruins of the original meeting house, so I quicken my pace a bit and safely enter it. I put the backpack on the ground, so Thing can come out and help me look around.

I look around, finding nothing important in sight and feeling a slight disappointment at the ruins of the place.

Wednesday: I also expected more.- I nod towards thing, who makes me some signs of agreement.

XY: Who are you talking to little girl- I hear a male voice behind me, so I turn around and see a rather scruffy older guy.

Wednesday: Use small and girl again to refer to me, and I do not assure you of your well-being.- I warn him with all the honesty that my body has.

XY: This is my house! Get out of here! – he orders starting to get angry.

Wednesday: Can you give me a hand? - I ask Thing and it immediately moves, throwing itself at the homeless man's neck.

I watch as the thing chokes him and grabs his chin for a few moments, before turning around and continuing to look through the ruins of the place.

Y/n: Can you tell why I just saw a thing choke a homeless man? - I hear a familiar voice, so I turn to the door of the house and watch the blonde boy for a few moments.

Wednesday: It's none of your business.- I answer monotonously and direct my attention back to the ruins.

Y/n: Ok.- I hear how he clicks his tongue against the top of his palate. -But why the hell are you searching through the ruins of this site? - he asks and I can hear his footsteps approaching me.

Wednesday: I'll repeat it again, it's none of your business.- I tell him again, lightly tapping a can of beer with my foot. -There's nothing here.- I assure, turning around and seeing Thing back in the ruins.

Y/n: And what are you looking for? - he asks again and I fight with all my might to not growl at him.

Wednesday: Nothing that interests you.- I assure him, turning my body towards his and staring at him. -Go away.- I order him firmly.

Y/n: And why would I? - he asks with a small funny smile on his lips. -That is to say, we are in a public place and you have no right to throw me out of here.- he assures me starting to walk around the place and look everywhere.

Wednesday: Maybe a don´t have that right, but I do have a knife and I warn you that I can use it.- I threaten him, trying not to show my frustration in my voice.

Y/n: Yeah, just like your threat to dismember me.- he comments humorously. -Last night I was waiting for you to show up, you know, so that you would cut me into 13 pieces and all that, but you didn't show up.- he reminds me and I look at him with narrowed eyes.

Wednesday: I can do it right now.- I assure him, narrowing my eyes just a few centimeters.

Y/n: Yes, well, right now I don't feel like it.- He pretends to be disappointed. -But going back to the main topic, why are you here?- he asks me again.

Wednesday: It's private.- I answer crossing my arms and without taking my eyes off him.

Y/n: So this has nothing to do with the monster and your investigation, right? - he comments with a proud smile and I grit my teeth.

Wednesday: How do you know about my investigation?- I ask him in a threatening way, taking a step towards him.

Y/n: Enid.- Answer as if it was the most obvious thing. -What I don't understand is what are you doing here? - he asks, moving his hands in reference to the ruins.

Wednesday: Searching for information for my research.- I answer simply.

Y/n: And what do you think you can find in a place like this? - he asks walking around the place.

Wednesday: I think I've already answered enough unnecessary questions on your part.- I assure him, refusing to continue wasting my time with him and looking towards Thing.

I see how he tells me to touch things, to see if I can get a vision and that it will be of help to my case.

Wednesday: No, I can't just touch something.- I tell the hand. -My visions appear spontaneously.- I remind him approaching the appendix. -I would rather dye my hair pink than ask my mother for advice.- I assure him when he suggests the option.

Y/n: It would be something worth seeing.- He laughs from the other side of the house.

Wednesday: And can I know why you're still here?- I ask aggressively and he raises his hands up in the air.

Y/n: You don't have to be so aggressive.- he assures me with a frown. -But answering your question, I'm not going to leave you in this place alone and with a monster prowling through the forest.- he explained with a serious face.

Wednesday: I don't need your help or protection, I know how to do it on my own very well.- I assure him with a frown.

Y/n: Do what Thing told you.- he tells me changing the subject and I stare at him. -What? Maybe by touching the things in this place you can provoke a vision and that will help you in your investigation. - he explains to me as if it were obvious, shrugging his shoulders.

Wednesday: It won't do any good.- I deny seeing Thing supporting the wolf. -Do you want me to show you?- I ask and touch one of the wooden beams. -No.- I say walking to another part and touching a wall with both hands. -Nothing.- I assure them looking around me . -But I bet this will give us some clue.- I say ironically picking up a paper bag from the ground and raising it in the air, pretending to have a vision.

Y/n: You don't have to be so rude either.- He rolls his eyes at my actions. -Thing is just trying to help you.- He complains about my attitude.

Wednesday: He doesn't need you to defend him.- I assure him walking towards my backpack. -And my visions are as predictable as a shark attack. - I say picking up my backpack from the ground and walking towards the exit.

Y/n: Come on Wednesday, don't be like that.- I hear how his footsteps follow me. -You just have to touch a pa...- he begins but when I touch the door handle to leave, my body stiffens and everything turns dark.

As soon as I get into my vision, I see a crowd of people with torches and decide to hide behind some wooden barrels. I watch what happens and I see what happens between Goody Addams and Crackstone.

I see how outcasts or different people like me are burned in Jericho many years ago. I see how my ancestor escapes from the incandescence and from one moment to another I appear in a dark and smoky field.

Goody: He won't stop until he's finished with everyone.- she assures me erratically after running towards me . -He's here.- she says looking over my shoulder, which causes me to look too and see Crackstone approaching us.

Crackstone: You won't have any escape. - He threatens me with a gravelly and slightly distorted voice.

I stumble as I walk backwards, causing me to fall and rejoin in complete darkness for a few seconds.

Y/n: Wednesday!- he exclaims when I wake up, helping me to get up and sit on the now wet floor. -Are you okay?- he asks me with some concern on his face.

Wednesday: I have seen her.- I tell Thing. -The girl from my visions, her name is Goody Addams and I think she is my ancestor from 400 years ago.- I count feeling the raindrops fall on me and wetting my clothes more than they already are.

Y/n: Are you okay? - I hear how he asks again and I just nod in response. -Let's get you off the ground.- he tells me and helps me get on my two feet.

But my attention goes from the werewolf, to a noise behind one of the walls and I decide to walk towards it. I approached the wall, looking through one of the gaps between the wood and not seeing anything else in the forest.

Wednesday: It must have been that bearded man.- I tell the hand and the blond boy.

Y/n: Do you smell that? - he asks and I look at him strangely, while I observe how he sniffs the air of the place. -It smells different, there is something new and strange in the environment.- he comments looking around.

I just ignore it and look again through the hole from before. But suddenly, a big eye appears on the other side of the hole and the monster lets out a growl scaring me.

Y/n: Wednesday!- he exclaimed running towards me and pulling me back.

I just stare at the monster between the gaps in the wood, watching it look at me and start to walk away quickly.

Wednesday: Come on, let's go.- I say starting to walk quickly, leaving the house and running after the monster.

Y/n: Addams wait!- He yelled running after me. -Stop ! - he yells again and I can hear him closer to me.

I just ignore him, running and following the tracks the monster has left in the mud. I slow down, when I don't see the monster anywhere and I follow the footsteps.

As I follow the tracks, I can see how they go from being large to being smaller and more human-like. This means that the monster is human.

Y/n: What's wrong with you? - he asks me annoyed, grabbing me by my arm and pulling me up off the ground. -You can't just run after a monster like that.- he reproaches me, pulling my arm towards him and I look at him angrily.

Wednesday: Look, idiot.- I tell him, pointing to the footprints with my free hand, causing his attention to go from me to the footprints on the ground and his brows to frown.

Y/n: It´s human? - Asks surprised and confused without letting me go yet.

Wednesday: Yes.- I whisper a little uncomfortable, when I realize how my body presses against his and how his hand softens its grip on my arm.

I swallow hard, when his attention returns to me and an uncomfortable and unknown sensation invades my gut.

I am aware of the heat that emanates from his body against mine, contrasting with the cold that surrounds us and that my body reacts involuntarily sticking closer to his in search of heat.

I don't understand what's happening to my body, why I'm enduring such closeness from Y/n and why my body is reacting in such an absurd way to his presence.

I can even feel my dark heart beating in an exaggeratedly accelerated way, causing the noise of its heartbeat and the erratic breathing of both of us to be the only thing I hear.

Xavier: What the hell are you doing? - I hear behind me, making me separate myself from the blonde quickly and make sure to put as much distance between us as possible.

Wednesday: We're following the monster.- I answer completely ignoring what just happened and directing my attention to the boy under the red umbrella.

Xavier: Have you seen it?- he asks, starting to look around frantically. -Is it here? Do you want to die? - he asks only me, taking a step towards me and also covering me with the umbrella.

Wednesday: And what are you doing here?- I ask interested and suspicious of his presence in the place, just when the monster jut disappears.

Xavier: I heard that you were going to the old meeting room, I guess I've arrived a bit late.- he answers looking over my shoulder at the forest.

Wednesday: I have discovered something.- I assure, staring at him. - The monster is human, its tracks go from being monstrous to human.- I explain looking at him with some insecurity.

Xavier: Show them to me.- he asks me and I turn to point him to the place, but the heavy rain has erased the traces.

Wednesday: The rain has erased them.- I murmured loud enough for him to hear me, receiving an unbelievable sigh from him and I look at him seriously. -I know what I've seen.- I assured him firmly.

Xavier: I try to keep an open mind.- He defends himself quickly.

Wednesday: Y/n has also seen them.- I realize. -Right Y/n? - I ask turning to where the blonde is, but there is absolutely no one in the place he was occupying and that confuses me. -Where is he? - I ask confused.

Xavier: I don't know.- He shrugged without giving it importance. -I think you're right about Rowan.- he comments causing my attention to return to him.

Wednesday: And that change of heart? - I ask him interested and curious, that in just a few hours he has changed his opinion regarding his former roommate.

Xavier: I have written to him again today, I have told him that we could see each other to snowboard like last year.- he tells me while we walk. -This time he has answered me and told me that he was not going to be able to.- he tells me and I understand what he means.

Wednesday: But you didn't go snowboarding last year.- I say with certainty.

We talked a bit more about Rowan and why someone would cover up his murder. Before we part ways and I head back to the center of town.

Once downtown, I walk to the Crackstone fountain in front of the church carrying my cello and gesturing to thing to carry out our plan.

As the mayor gives his speech, my eyes travel over the face of each person present, stopping when they meet blue-green eyes.

I detail the frown on Y/n's face, seeing how his body is more rigid than usual and how he ignores what the people around her tells him. His attention is completely focused on the mayor, but he has a lost and somewhat dark look in his eyes.

So I can believe that he is angry or upset with or about something, but I don't know what and that bothers me. Because I don't understand the reason why I'm looking at him, because why I'm detailing his face and why I'm questioning everything.

It doesn't interest me and I shouldn't want to find out why the werewolf is angry. But not knowing why he's upset causes a nauseating and sick feeling inside me.

It's feels like some spiders were digging and trying to get out of my stomach.

I don't understand why I'm feeling this. What I do know is that I don't like it and that I want to stop feeling it right now.

I have to find a way to stop feeling this and I have to find it NOW!

[denv2]

Okay, I'm just going to ramble today. I have a lot of things I want to draw, but as anyone who reads my chatter knows, I also have a lot to say (lol).

I've been thinking about... I keep thinking about Felix and Kitty from the past.... I'm referring to the character in IM, by the way, I keep thinking about Felix who was zany and a star in his hometown, and it feels really good. One of my favorite references to that time is that he can pull his tail off and use it as a cane(+10.27 edit : its not cane, it's flashlight!) which I think actually came up when he was referring to something he couldn't do anymore when he decided to stop being zany, and it's a classic cartoon gimmick! I love those witty gimmicks from the black-and-white era... But the zany people in the IM universe don't know that this actually happens in real life, and Felix used his tail as a cane when he was a star?

....

I'm definitely going to draw this... Personally, I think the star Felix would have worn a swallowtail tailcoat suit and top hat to show off his showmanship... This outfit!! I'm sure he would have worn it.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of pictures, I'll post this one too. I personally designed my own IM kitty, mixing the cartoon design with my own style, but there's a mention in the novel that she's wearing earrings. But if you look at the cartoon kitty, the earrings... They're not in the cat's ears, they're in the human's ears. It's so funny. So I just put the earrings in the cat's ears. Note that in her latest design, there are no earrings! It bothered me so much that I wanted to talk about it.

Now let's move on to Kitty and Felix.

Lately... it's just that the fact that they broke up in this universe is new and refreshing and it's something that keeps popping up in my head... It feels good. I feel a little bad for Felix, but I love it.

I think they would have been good partners for each other before that happened... I felt it in the scene where Felix mentions Kitty's habits... When Kitty would get nervous, Felix would put his hand over hers to calm her down. No, seriously, this is too good.

Okay, I'll be honest, I have a defense. I'm a multi-shipper, and I like backstories that weren't properly revealed in the original story, but existed, and I like to imagine them... If it's a character I'm interested in, I tend to use my imagination a lot, so I honestly feel a little guilty about it... It's not an official setting, but I just flesh it out with the bits and pieces that are revealed. Imagination is fine, but when I put it into pictures or small talk, it stings a little bit... So please accept all my small talk as my personal headcanon!

Then I'll start talking again. Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about characters from the past lately... Felix and Kitty, Oswald and Ortensia. How could the fates of these two pairs be so different? The more I think about it, the more my head cracks. It's so... I like it... I love how complicated and bittersweet and ironic the relationship is.... If these couples hadn't had to go through the hardships they did, they would have stayed with their partners, and it would have been happier for them, but I want to ask them, "If you could go back in time and prevent the events from happening, would you go back, but at the cost of losing all the relationships you've built in the present?" I wonder what their answer would be? It's really interesting to think about....

Oh. It's Oswald... I can't help but think of Fanny again. If you've all read the latest chapter... You know? Sooner or later, I'm going to find and read all the chapters where the two characters are together and the past is mentioned...

I kinda like the more mature characters in IM...lol.

I'd say more, but it's almost lunchtime, so I'll leave it at that. If anyone made it this far through my headcanon-only ramblings, thank you😙

[naffeclipse]

Heya Naff, slightly late but Happy New Year!! 🎆 Hope you’re doing well and I wish you much inspiration and many good things this coming year! <33

I had a little query pop to mind recently if that's okay:  what if reader in the Deep Dreams universe had megalophobia and/or perhaps even thalassophobia? 

I know this might make less sense for fisher Y/N as we know them, so it could hypothetically be some other person, a friend or a future Y/N who makes friends with juvenile Sun and Moon and then only later discovers they've grown to be big sea beasties - maybe seeing them in their dreams is fine but for real it's a different matter, at least until they get used to them :)

How might the boys react?

Having a slight bit of megalophobia myself, the best way I can describe my experience is a gentle anxiety with the need to seek shelter and cower there, but people's experiences can vary (and possibly change depending on the conditions). Also that kinda makes it 10x funnier that I have an affinity for giant creatures xD

Hi, Piixel! Happy New Year to you, too, babe! ♥ Thank you so much, ahhh, you're much too kind! :D I hope you have a beautiful year and an abundance of lovely things happen to you!

Oh ho! Fear of big things and of large bodies of water? I'm sure that totally wouldn't be a source of great fear and conflict with a poor little reader soulbond to a couple of mers hehe (The Sea Beast is an excellent movie btw!! ♥)

Y/N with megalophobia and thalassophobia wouldn't be caught dead on the ocean. You have dreams about two massive mers, and those creatures are always sweet and gentle and attentive, but you're still convinced it's some weird nightmare (even though no real spooky events unfold in said dreams). The mers coax and plead with you to go out to sea so you can all meet, but that's a solid no from you.

Then through a very terrible chance of fate, you're on a boat for whatever reason but very much against your desires, before you get swept away by a rouge wave and left behind. You're alone, struggling to swim in a massive ocean when—oh goodie, that looks like a giant mer floating right below you. What else could go wrong today?

Needless to say, after seeing Moon, then Sun, and realizing that these massive mers you've had dreams about are here in the flesh, you pass out from sheer fright. It's a lot for you to wrap your brain around, but when you come to, you're on Sun's back as he floats gently along the surface, keeping you dry as you begin losing your mind out of the horror of it all while Moon watches you from close by. You can't jump into the great wide ocean to escape the mer carrying you but you can't stay on the thing's scaly back either, so you may have a panic attack. Sun stops and turns his head back to give you his full attention while Moon tries to take you in his hands but that does not help your situation. They can feel your panic and horror, but you can feel confusion and distress at not being able to help, and in fact, them being the cause of your fear.

Their attempts to calm you down are met with resistance as you want to be anywhere but here in the ocean with two giant mers.

Sun and Moon are bewildered and upset, to say the least. You did often seem nervous in your little dream rendezvous but they thought they did a lovely job of reassuring you it was alright and that they would never hurt you and there's nothing to be scared of. Turns out, not quite. So, they take you safely back to the island shore where you more or less escape from the massive monsters and flee inland. But, there's not a whole lot of places to go on the little island and you've got to sleep eventually, so Sun and Moon decide to spend more personal time with you and show you that really, they're the two baby mers you happened to scoop up one summer day when you were just a tot and didn't realize how scary some things could be.

They'll be patient. You'll see that there is no place safer than with them in the water. They'll help you face your fears and then reunite with you.

If you ever leave your house again, that is.

[bigupsdog]

Intro dialog for every Guilty Gear character day 2: Elphelt

Sol: A Rockstar now eh, ya like Queen?

El: Whoa, that's super retro, you really know your stuff, wait how old are you again?

Ky: Just so you know, no one back at Illyria castle saw you as any kind of burden.

El: I know, but I needed leave, I have to spread my voice.

May: Hay Elphelt, how are your sisters?

El: They're doing great, how are yours, it's alright if this takes a while.

Axl: You ever lose a person ya love?

El: Kind of, he was also a metal singer, but i'm still not really sure if I loved him or if I was told to love him.

Chipp: A rock star? Well I'm a ninja star.

El: The two of us will shine so bright we'll ignite the sky.

Potemkin: I always wanted to learn music, but I would break any instrument I'd get my hands on.

El: Oh no buddy, I'm sure we can make an instrument tough enough to handle your metal.

Faust: Diagnosis… butterflies… in… stomach.

El: Gross, get them out!

Milia: Not all love stories end in happily ever after I'm afraid.

El: Don't worry Millia you'll find the perfect someone someday.

Zato: Love? Is that what I feel when I'm around, her?

El: By her, do you mean, me!?!

Ram: Speothos Venaticus, hmm maybe we should get you a dog of your own.

El: Yes! Yes! Yes! Then your dog and my dog could be boyfriend and girlfriends, eek!

Leo: The castle has definitely been a lot less noisy since you left.

El: You can't scream your heart out in a place like that without someone else screaming at you to quiet down.

Nago: If you hand me that marriage certificate one more time I'll cut it to shreds.

El: Luckily I have hundreds more, so stop playing hard to get.

Gio: Speothos Venaticus? Met a couple of those where I'm from.

El: YOU DID! Tell me all about them and how they're the cutest, best thing in the world!

Anji: I wouldn't exactly say your music is good to dance too.

El: Oh you have to do a specific kind of dance, I think it's called the mosh.

I-No: Music, I prefer to call whatever you're doing, shit.

El: Well you're not very radio friendly.

Goldlewis: Never been much of a fan of metal, ya like county?

El: Nope :) But that's ok we all can like the music we like.

Jack-O: Just took Soooool on a really sappy daaaate.

El: Well don't hold out on me, let me hear all the juicy details.

HC: I've never heard anything like your music before, gotta say I'm a fan.

El: REALLY! If you sign here you can join my fanclub, it currently only has 4 members so seats are open!

Baiken: You're too loud I can barely hear myself think.

El: Oh sorry I'll try to play my new song “The Demons Deadly Wedding from Hell” a little quieter.

Testament: You were almost pupited to kill those you love… I'm happy you managed to avoid that fate.

El: Kliff… I know he loved you more than anything, even after you became a gear.

Bridget: I've heard about a secret energy called “Girl Power” can you teach me how to harness it?

El: My first decipl! I'll teach you everything I know!

Sin: So you decided to leave the castle and march to the beat of your own drum, I can respect that.

El: I'm marching alright and nothing's gonna slow me down, unless I trip.

Delilah: Would you mind quieting down? I'm trying to sleep.

El: I could sing you a death metal lullaby if you want.

Asuka R#: Just to warn you I am an artificial lifeform, but I am nothing like the Universal Will.

El: Just don't force people to do stuff they don't want to do and I guess you're fine.

Asuka R Kreutz: Any advice on being more entertaining for my podcast.

El: It's your lucky day cause you're talking to a girl who's listener count has doubled to 18, we'll get you your fans in no time.

Johnny: Love songs eh, ya got one for me?

El: Of course, and soon I'll have a song for every person on this planet.

ABA: Maybe one day you'll have half my charm and you can get a man half as good as Paracelsus.

El: Ahh thanks ABA, that's really sweet :)

[virtie333]

Let's talk Damerey.

I ended up being a VERY general fan during the SW sequels. Like...none of the ships bother me. FinnPoe? Fine. Damerey? Fine. Kylo and whomever, sure. I guess. I just want them to live and be happy.

Anyway, when did your Damerey journey start? I think I read at one point they had thought about making Poe and Rey a thing? But I guess the visions of the differing directors didn't allow for it? Did I make that up in my head?

I understand the appeal of that ship as well as FinnPoe or whatever it's called. I mean, it's Poe, so who wouldn't be obsessed lol

Anyway, thoughts?

Also, do you like to stick to Damerey fics for Poe or do you also like xreader with Poe?

Oh, boy. This might take a while.

I can honestly say I've been Damerey a lot longer than I've been a fan of Oscar Isaac. I became Damerey right after The Force Awakens. But here's the thing, I was Reylo, too. What? Okay, let me explain. I love the 'good girl falls for bad boy' trope, but I've always been realistic about it; the bad boy can't be horrible bad and has to become good eventually. I loved the idea of Rey bringing Ben back from the Dark Side, but... what he did to his father (my first love and still the one I compare to all other crushes) is unforgivable. I knew Ben Solo would NOT have a happy ending. Therefore, Rey needed to have her happily ever after with someone else. Finn or Poe? I loved them both, but I do have a thing for pilots, so I chose Poe.

The Last Jedi only increased my interest in both ships. The connection between Rey and Ben was fascinating. But... that last scene between Rey and Poe? I remember commenting to my brother after our first viewing, "They have to be planning something between them after that! Right?"

I went into the last movie wondering which way (if either) they were going to take it. I told myself I would be happy with either, and even if Rey chose no one; after all, she doesn't need a man to make her happy. But I am a hopeless romantic. After the first argument between Poe and Rey, where I nudged my brother (who I saw all 3 movies with) and said "They're just like Han and Leia!", I had hopes.

But... they failed to continue with that bright start. And with the kiss between Ben and Rey at the end, I was pretty much resolved to settle for Reylo. And that was my focus for the first couple of month after the movie. But then something strange happened. A fellow Reylo fan, who had defended the first two movies despite all the hate going on, started bemoaning how 'Rey would never be happy now,' and she 'would never get to have babies,' etc. etc. And that pissed me off. Big Time. She had options, dammit! She could stay single and raise Force sensitive orphans. She had Finn. And of course, she had Poe. So, I wrote Rising, my first fanfic in almost 20 years.

When the pandemic hit, and I ended up working part-time, I decided I needed to continue with this post-movie world I had created. I still had a soft spot for Ben, and it shows up in my early works, but I wanted to make Rey and Poe find their happily ever after. Then something else strange happened. In one of my stories, Kennera, I wrote a scene from Poe's POV. Suddenly, I wanted to know more about the actor who portrayed him. And I found this...

That was that. I was hooked on this man. I started watching everything I could with him in it. And I continued to write Damerey, falling more and more deeply into that ship. Reylo became less and less interesting to me, and now I could care less about it. Damerey is everything to me. And it's been that way for almost three years now. I just freaking love them with everything in me.

To answer your question about the ship almost becoming canon, yes it almost did. Colin Trevorrow's script The Duel of the Fates almost became the third movie, and it included a lot more Rey/Poe interaction, even a kiss or two. Some say it's why that scene at the end of The Last Jedi was added, to introduce that attraction. But alas, it didn't happen.

If you had asked me two years ago if I had read any Poe x Reader stories, I would have scoffed at you. I am a reader of novels and I write in the same style and always will, so why would I read that? But... I've read several amazing writers that write in that style since then, and I have become addicted. I know I will never write that way, but I will enjoy others.

I think the fact that I don't write that way is the reason why no one on Tumblr (other than a few trusted friends) ever reads and shares my stuff. It's a bit lonely sometimes, but it is what it is.

Damerey forever!

Art by @greysmartwolf

[noyaetnox]

POMEFIORE HEADCANONS:

The series: DIASOMNIA / HEARTSLABYUL / OCTAVINELLE / POMEFIORE / SAVANACLAW

- I adore Vil so get ready 😌🙏

- you were for sure the one to confess, BUT. But. It was after you've both basically started flirting like crazy, and it was painfully obvious to everyone around that two have the hots, the butterflies, the emotions for each other and you were basically dating by that point, it just wasn't official. He didn't confess because he's just that stubborn, and you, you are too 😀🫶

-> this is why no one was surprised when you've finally announced that you guys are together officially

ALSO Epel took the whole thing the hardest. He had to listen to you talk about your massive crush on HIS HOUSEWARDEN but then ALSO watch Vil look like a lovestruck fool. He really wanted to beat the two of you up 😁

- you know how some people joke, how their friends, that are dating, are like their parents? Yeah that's you and Vil. Like, at first you two didn't know about, but once Deuce accidentally called Vil mom and then Epel, and you finally had the talk, and they confessed that they do see you as kind of parental figures

-> it was sweet but why

-> Vil got very angry when you told him because that's not true??? And then you were hanging out with your first-year friends at Ramshackle and he came to tell everyone to go to sleep (he knew you'd stay awake the whole night otherwise) and almost all of your friends -tired- called him mom

- you two are the parents of everyone at NRC. It's fate. You have to live with that, but it's fun! Sometimes, at least!

- you keep your relationship private from the general public for some time. It wasn't because he wanted to hide, he simply wanted to find a good time to share something so important to him. You eventually told the world, though!

-> you got some hate for it. Actually a lot 😔

-> Vil was very mad. He really thought his fans were better than that. He really expected them to be mature and accept that he found someone he liked, genuinely, and that they would happy with him. He once voiced his anger during and interview where he talked about the relationship. Most of the hate stopped after that, and you could deal with the few hateful comments that showed up from time to time just fine! He tried his hardest to remain at your side and remind you how they're just haters and you should not take any of it to heart,,, let's be honest, though, you both needed to be there for the other. That was, of course, totally fine!

- despite all of that, I strongly believe it strengthened your relationship. Like, after that it's as unbreakable as bedrock when you play on survival without any mods or hacks. And that's something to respect!

- you often spend your free time together and have spa days. You both put on facemasks and watch a show that you both then bitch over because the character so terrible, or their acting, or the writing in general. You enjoy that 😡☝️ bitching at people brings you two closer and that's beautiful 😌

- if you used to like Neige you don't anymore. Because let's be honest, Neige <<<<<< Vil. Like, you've got this amazing boyfriend who's a total hottie and you want to fuss over Neige? Now go watch Vil's newest commercial 😡!

- dates with him are, of course, in secret. He's got crazy fans and doesn't want to force you into dealing with them, too. Sometimes, the two of you go out incognito, in funky outfits to hide your true identities. Rook loves it, because you've got this game where you go insognito into the public and Rook tries to find the two of you and then gives you a rating out of 10 how well you hid. Sometimes it works very well, sometimes not so much.

- you introduced cosplay to Vil and he likes it a lot, to pretend to be someone else for even a little, getting to wear crazy outfits with crazy make-up, please find a couple cosplay to do together 🙏

- he brings you many expensive gifts in the form of jewelry, clothes, stuffed animals you name it. He is rich, but he feels the need to give people expensive things to keep them close. He has a fear that you'd leave him if he stopped, despite you telling him that's not the case all the time. He's very hard-headed (Aries gang), so you wouldn't be able to change his mind, but you can give him gifts in return.

BUT!

Don't buy him expensive gifts, give him something that comes from your heart, a silly drawing, a sticker, a mug you saw that you thought he'd like and he's in love. He prefers giving, so give him something he won't feel bad about later down the line, okay?

- all in all, it is a great relationship despite some of the bad things, lots of love and care (sometimes not in a way you would like, but it's Vil 😮‍💨)

- platonic: bro doesn't treat you as crazy, because you're only his friend. You're not part of the Pomefiore dorm, nor are you his significant other, so he has no reason to dictate your life. For the most part 🤭 it's in his nature so he can't stop himself ALL the time, but you can clearly tell it's not as intense

- even if you're a Rook simp, I refuse to believe people aren't afraid of him. Bro is a pro stalker and pops out of nowhere all the time 😰😨😨 that's scary. Not to mention he is all of that compiled into a french man.

- anyway. Rook basically liked you from the start. You caught his attention, because you were a magicless human in their magic school, not to mention you only caused trouble and carried around a Grim. If that isn't interesting, I don't know what else is

- he started following you just like any other interest of his. You knew about his antics of stalking (from everyone, really) so you didn't think anything special of it. It made sense that he was interested in you (you would be, too, had something like happened at your school). It was only after he hadn't stopped for months that you started thinking this wasn't just another phase of his. Gathering courage, you finally went to Vil to ask him about his opinion in this matter to which Vil straight up told you Rook has a crush.

- you were SHOCKED

- Vil then went on to explain that Rook does stalk often, but yours seems to be different, and that they often converse about you, and Rook just proclaims how his heart beats louder and faster whenever he sees you, and that your beauty is simply out of this world! (Pun intended)

- surprised Rook hasn't said anything about that, you caught him stalking you, inviting him for a chat over a cup of tea, where you finally asked the question. Rook just laughed, called you a silly animal and then told you that he's in love at this point and it's not just a crush

- cue surprised Pikachu face

- you started dating after that, and Jack stopped hanging out with you. You smelled like Rook - not to mention Leona doesn't allow you to enter Savanaclaw anymore 😅

- that said 6 times out of 10, if you look behind (after feeling like somebody is watching you), Rook will be there smiling goofily at your person and his finger would've sending you hearts. The other 4 is when he's watching you fr and doesn't WANT you to notice him.

- Rook is very loud and says whatever is on his mind (I would hit him if I was Vil), which is why you sometimes have to ground him and remind him not to say something. But also, he kind of speaks in riddles? But not riddles? Like, his words don't always mean what he wants to say and it's on you to pick up on that.

- Rook is a very family based guy. Like, he loves his own and definitely dreams of having one at some point, so be prepared for that.

- Rook is very silly and you have to live with that. I believe one of your past time activities is playing dress up - Rook dresses you up and you dress up Rook and then you take a bunch of pictures that later go into his album... or more of them (he's still very creepy)

- your life became chaotic as hell ever since you got together. Like one minute you guys are resting and painting each other's nails and the next you're flying on one broom across the ocean while he shows you all the tricks he knows (you have almost lost your life several times)

- WHICH BRINGS US! Rook is not very serious most of time, talking about you loosing your life - he will just laugh it off and ignore it if nothing serious happens. On the other hand, the second something actually happens he is very serious and scolding either you, himself, or the person that hurt you while catering to you and making sure you're A-OK

- he says "I love you" and "love you" all the time. Instead of goodbye, everytime he sees you... Just every opportunity he gets and it's so sweet 😔 me when

- despite being totally in love and everyone thinking you spend all the time in the world together, you actually don't see him as often - not because you're busy or anything 😁 it's just that Rook has to do his shenanigans often

-> you just receive a frantic call about how he has to "DO THIS THING" and you don't hear from him for the rest of the day, or you get a letter is it isn't as sudden. Most of the time, though, you know exactly what he's doing because he sends you pictures - of sleeping Leona, eating Leona, walking Leona, yawning Leona, glaring at him Leona, running at him Leona, running away from him Leona, oh hey Ruggie, Leona sending him the middle finger, Neige, ... you get it

- despite all of that, you spend a lot of time with one another... surprisingly

- you got into trouble many times because of him, but it's fine you're used to it at this point 💀

- platonic: this man is basically your guardian. "Can your guardian sign this paper?" "OUI!" Rook how did you get here 😨😨😨 silly tall french man who likes you a tad bit too much and basically considers you his child

- mutual pinning so bad

- like it was painfully obvious to everyone, even to the two of you, but you both kind of though it was just friendly flirting from the other side and that the other could never possibly return the feelings

- that said, none of you "actually" confessed. You have started flirting one day and it went from there. You know how in all those enemies to lovers fanfics, the two of them go somewhere and some stranger confuses them for a couple (very unrealistic btw, when do strangers go around calling other people couples 💀), anyway that happened to you and Epel when you were one day hanging around alone - you went to get coffee and the barista refered to him as your boyfriend and none of you said anything and have been dating since.

- like I'm talking calling each other sweet names, little kisses, holding hands, and all of that. So you're official but also not? Idk man, I don't make the rules

- he REFUSES PDA - unless it is to annoy people ("Epel stop kissing the prefect during dorm meetings" "How could you stand between our love, Vil? 😔" "You know what? 😮‍💨 Whatever" and Vil doesn't speak to him the rest of the day) and you don't care about that much. After all, you get all the affection in private

- talking about privacy 😀 good luck getting away from the 1st year squad and Grim. If it isn't Ace and Deuce crashing at yours, it's Jack about homework or working out, or it's Sebek coming just because (he wants to hang out but is too conscious to say it, so he comes up with crazy excuses how you can get attacked and he has to protect you for WAKASAMA), or it's just Grim that does it on purpose (the rest don't realize you guys want to be alone), because no way in hell does he -Grim- accept anyone as your lover! Epel started either locking Grim out of the Ramshackle dorm or bribing him with tuna 🫡 it keeps him busy for a few

- because you get no free time together, he is often snappy and curses the world

- that's why he often invites you away from everyone

-> the moment you guys started dating you became a part of his family - his grandma has your contact information and you talk to each other all the time, and she sends you stuff (she sends a big package to Epel with the words to give half of it to you 😭) and you just love his grandma and she loves you - you actually promised her that you will marry Epel one day and she was the happiest and you were the happiest and Epel has no idea what happened (he skipped a few chapters)

- you spend every holiday with him and he isn't asking!

- he tried to teach you how to carve apples. It did not go well 😔 you simply can't carve an apple out of an apple - not to mention you then can't eat it because it's too pretty (when Epel carves it)

- Epel thinks you're crazy

- anyway

- your dates are usually not just the two of you. It's like the song: "it's finally me and you and you and me just us, and your friend Steve" except it's Ace, Deuce, Jack, Sebek, or Grim. You have to hold Epel back from beating all of them up, it's not you're doing anything crazy during you dates - not to mention they all just kinda do their own thing. That means you two can still have the date - just with some background noise!

- he isn't big on giving you anything, mostly because he forgor 💀 he might think about it for days and the he'll see you and just go "shit" because he wanted to bring you a gift he really did. You, on the other hand, give him a lot. He's just so cute and adorable (don't tell him) that you can't help but want to buy or make him stuff that will make him smile (he loves you so much and you love him so much and when you give him something he's so happy because you thought of him and just cjsbxiabbsjdjabxoba)

- yes

- all in all, the relationship is very chill, you're all feeling very safe in it, not like with many of the other NRC students 😀.

- but for real, I can't stress enough how good the relationship will be ☝️

- platonic: he treats you like one of his bros 😎🏋️🤸🤾🏃⛹️ because no way will he be friends with someone lame 🙄

The Pomefiore chapter is finally DONE! 🤝

It's a bit shorter because there's only 3 members, but it's fine. I'm done with my finals, so I've got time for maybe a month before they continue so I'll try to ouch more chapters out 🫡

Next chapter will probably be Savanaclaw, so see you there 🤸!

[7ban-sama]

Why Hanako was so upset to kill Mitsuba in volume 4? Sure he cries when Tsukasa tells he loves him but right before that he seems strangely empathetic for Mitsuba

Gonna be real, I do not know... what you are referring to... at all... Not sure why you would gloss over Tsukasa's effect on Hanako here? Even before they exchange words.

There are only a couple panels between Hanako arriving at the scene and him beginning to engage Tsukasa, and even in these you can tell he's preoccupied with Tsukasa's presence. In the first place, sensing Tsukasa is what summons Hanako here at all.

Note that both hakujoudai are present here with him, so they have not been spying on Kou. They're not omniscient, which means usually they need to see what is happening and bring the information back to Hanako. In this case, however, they flicker and suddenly inform Hanako of something ongoing...

Even without the fine details, Hanako is immediately severe as he rushes forward. It's unlikely he knows what exactly has happened to Mitsuba — as far as I can tell, there'd be no way for him to know about the rumor spreading, etc. — and besides that, do you really think this is how he feels about the fate of a complete stranger...? To me, it's pretty obvious that the reason Hanako's responding this way is because his joudai have detected Tsukasa. This particular kind of, shaking severity, sweating, grim quality, is usually reserved to things pertaining to Tsukasa, in early V1-4...

... To the point where these moments are shocking for Nene and Kou to witness. Hanako is usually so cavalier, they aren't used to seeing him so shaken up. At the time of these chapters' release, this was very haunting behavior, serving as glimpses into Hanako's past. So distinct from anything else...!

Consistently, it is like this. Pinning, snarling, shaking.

Sooo... I can only attribute Hanako's behavior here to Tsukasa... If Tsukasa weren't here, he would not look Like That. Simply has nothing to do with any sort of 'empathy' for Mitsuba's circumstance... and that's consistent with Hanako's character; he's not so easily invested in others. In the first place, he looked over Mitsuba as nothing more than a potential chore — he was well aware the circumstance could escalate to something disruptive, but it would indeed just be a matter of how big of a mess he'd have to clean up. Comparable to the Mokke as Yousei-san or the Confession Tree. It's just part of being No. 7, ho-hum... you clean up messes.

*looks at you like you are a bug*

All that being said, I do think Hanako feels amount of culpability for Kou's remorse over Mitsuba. When Kou proposes that he could do something other than exorcising, Hanako doesn't. really... believe... there's a possibility for a better outcome... but he doesn't explain this, as it doesn't feel necessary — why bother, if the kid wants to try anyways lol. I'm sure it's also... tedious to think of explaining to Kou the harsh existence of a ghost...!! Don't want to break this down and argue about it! Beyond that, Hanako doesn't like talking about things pertaining to his existence; he likes to keep the others in the dark about the serious stuff... the less you know about ghosts, the better.

It's Hanako's silent choice to leave Kou in ignorance, preferring to not get him and Yashiro involved. It's also a selfish choice, and in a sense... condescending... Like letting a kid Think they're going to accomplish something. Yeah yeah sure kid have fun... *yawn* (Also I don't think it's any better, even if Hanako distantly, whimsically thought maybe Kou could manage something... Still feels like handwaving a kid.)

It's ah, 'being responsible' then, to sit the kid down after everything and explain the truth..

Ultimately what Mitsuba does specifically offer is a reminder that the existence of a ghost is fragile, and to care for a ghost is to be doomed for disappointment. Hanako is reciting his beliefs here, that once you're dead, you're dead, and there's nothing you can meaningfully do to resolve any of your past. If you wanted anything to go differently — too bad. Your life is over. You don't get another one. Whatever wish you have and fight for, it'll just twist you into a beast that needs to be put down.

This all leaves Hanako somber, as it forces him to think about his own inescapable circumstance. Both the baggage of his past and his current doomed relationship with a human.

... but I can't emphasize enough, how this is inextricable from his feelings for Tsukasa. This whole speech, seeing into Hanako's machinations, it's in direct response to their encounter.

And I think the poignancy of that "I love you" comes from how it contrasts with Hanako's guilt he carries with him... It's been confusing and painful to see Tsukasa as this free-roaming agent, causing chaos at the school, but I think it's far more gut-wrenching to interface with the fact that Tsukasa liked the shinjuu, that he loves him still, that he wants to play together like old times. Antithetical to the existence of a ghost-! You don't get to pick back up where you left off... you don't get closure on your regrets!! Aurghhh!!!!

Much conflict had here, in this chapter... but yeah, I just can't attribute any of this to some sort of personal connection or sympathizing to Mitsuba. Seems to me Hanako is preoccupied with his twin brother he murdered and hasn't seen in decades, who should be locked away in some beautiful sakura-petal laden sanctum or something... (and can you blame him?)

[shinayashipper]

⚠️ omegaverse AU

I think back of my own omegaverse AU haha 😂 my take on Omegaverse is kinda weird I think... it's kinda like this

Alpha - Usually the people in Charge of Everything. Holds Power. Top of the Food Chain. Society thinks very Highly of them. Usually from Rich Families and Respected Families. Got the Overwhelming Scent / Aura that Demands Respect out of you.

Beta - the "sidekicks". Majority of people are Betas. Usually sticks around Alphas / Loyal to Alphas. Many works for an Alpha or an Alpha's Company. Got pretty mild Scent / Aura that may got Sharper when they feel threatened.

Omega - sadly, the Lowest of The Food Chain as you can imagine. On this Modern Times, they aren't treated like Dirt anymore and society got formal education about them and many facilities for their needs, especially in big cities like Domino. On most days, their Scent / Aura is mild but they got the Heat period every few months and that's when they radiates The Scent(TM) that attracts mostly Alphas to- You Know. They can get Suppressants Pills / Injections after they reach 18 but it won't stop the Heat it will just let them be Less in Pain and for their Scent to be not as Strong.

Alpha-Omega is considered the traditional "Fated" Partners. They're like Soulmates. These days, people don't really care and most Alphas and Omegas prefer Beta as a partner because it's less "confusing". Still, when there's Alpha and Omega couple, people tends to Cheer on them.

And what I think my fave characterd would be:

Kaiba - Beta who Acts like an Alpha because of Circumstances (also explains how he got so Many Enemies in the business side of things because one of the reasons is people can't stand the idea of a mere Beta in charge 😂) (also I just love the idea of him acquiring the Power / Money / Company by gritting his teeth and endured Everything on his own instead of Handed it to him like how the usual Rich Alpha Families do) (on that note, Gzbr was Alpha and treated Seto like one) (I'm not sure would Mokie be Alpha once he presented or not. I feel like even if he's Alpha, Seto's still the one Leading)

Atem - Alpha. No question at all. When he's sharing body with Yugi he doesn't know / remembers tho. Yugi's body is Omega but he's Adjusting himself just fine as Yamiyu

Yugi - Omega who Acts like Alpha tbh 😂 was it because he got an Ancient King in his heart?? 😂 people tends to look down on him, which is <\3 in this AU, the second-genders got their own curriculum at school and students learn it formally at school, just like your biology and sex-ed classes. The Mutous are mostly Betas so Yugi learns more at school about it and how to take care of himself from the internet. Yugi's getting Supressants Pills as soon as he turns 18 because he Cannot stand the annoying Heat 😂(I think Grandpa got very big Alpha Energy tho... 🤔)

Jou - Beta. He wished he was an Alpha, but after meeting Yugi his perspective kinda changes and now he thinks your True Self is what you hold in Your Heart <3 people thinks he's Weird for being so loyal to Yugi who's an Omega and he's gonna Punch them in the face <3

Anzu - Beta. Her parents are the traditional Alpha-Omega couple that's just So Romantic and it made her believe in Destiny and Fated-ones so much. She's Upset when she knew she's a Beta because she thinks Betas got No Fated Love or whatever :( Anzu baby, Everyone deserves Love no matter their gender!! You are not Nothing!!

-

This AU got Rivalship but it's feat. Kaiba who- despite his efforts to be Unshakable- got Anxious because Yugi's an Omega and he's *just* a Beta and he just wallows in Angst that Doesn't Make Sense KAIBA-KUN YUGI *WANTS YOU* 😂😂

[terresdebrume]

11, 18, and 19, any ship with Lieb please!

[From Ship Ask Game: The Basics]

Hi, and thank you for the ask! Sorry for the delay, I had to drive to my vacation place and I quite forgot about this ask in favor of the swimming pool^^" I'm going to do this with Webgott, which will probably surprise no one who's been on this blog for the past couple weeks :P

11. How do they feel about nicknames/pet names? If they like them, what pet names do they use? If they hate them, why do they feel that way?

So I don't think David grew up with pet names. I tend to imagine his family as more formal & conservative, which is why it suits him fine that Lieb isn't terribly big on them either. (He does call Lieb Liebling or occasionally Liebe though, because it's a connection to the second language they share and also it's such an easy connection to make that Joe rolls his eyes every time.) But then one day Lieb calls him some kind of pet name, most likely in bed, and it turns out David actually really likes them, especially from Lieb. Lieb thinks it's a kink thing and there's a bit of that, but mostly it's the connection and intimacy that comes with it which David can't get enough of.

Meanwhile, Joe (who did very much grow up in a pet names, or at least fond nicknames family) makes fun of David every time he calls him any variation of Liebe but also privately loves it and definitely feels the sting when they have a spat and David only calls him Joe/Lieb. The reason he doesn't use pet names for David at first is because he's trying to safeguard himself (like, even in a modern AU: David is 7 years younger and much richer and they don't exactly start in the smoothest way so it seems safer to expect something to go wrong) Until the fateful day when he calls David something like 'sweetheart' or 'princess'...and having the excuse of it being a kink thing (I imagine Joe sticks with pet names in the same vein time for a long while before he abandons the pretense of kink) makes it easier for him to get more secure in the lasting power an their relationship and get more casual but also more creative (because using unusual names like 'little shark' makes David snort but also it's easier to be goofy than it is to be sincere) I don't know if he'd move to more classical nicknames after that. I think it could go either way tbh.

Also, I think they would both be the type to also make a note of the nicknames the other genuinely dislikes (but doesn't really hate) so that they can use them when they want to be a little shit.

18. How do they care for each other when one of them is wounded/sick?

Joe immediately goes into caretaker mode. He makes soup, cuddles, fusses with the blankets, and only starts being sarcastic about it once David is on the mend from whatever it was, however minor.

Because of the background I imagine for David in terms of reaction to illness, I think he'd be a lot more indirect about it. He badgers Joe into going to see the doctor (Yes, it's worth spending the money), rereads their insurance policies and orders the meds from the pharmacy. He makes sure to be quiet and does what he can to keep the household running while Joe's incapacitated (it does involve ordering some chicken soup).

I figure the first time either of them gets sick is a rocky step in their relationship, especially if it happens early on, because David doesn't know how to be vaguely courteous when he's sick (like when he has a headache, he has to make a conscious effort not to be an ass if Joe makes too much noise while making him something to eat, for example) and Joe doesn't immediately realize David isn't actually indifferent (he's just used to someone's absence being the sign they're trying to be considerate) but once they figure things out they learn to acomodate each other: David does the insurances papers with Joe's head on his lap, and Joe keeps his chatter quieter than usual.

And then they realize they both love it when the other reads to them and it's pretty much smooth sailing from there.

19. Do they wear each other’s clothes/jewelry?

I think one of David's greatest tragedies is that if he tries to wear Joe's stuff he stretches it out and makes it unwearable, which means he can't just steal stuff from Joe's wardrobe whenever he wants.

On the other hand, Joe doesn't feel comfortable enough in David's style of clothing to steal anything from him except the ratty old Harvard sweatshirt that David keeps pointing out is full of holes and stains, because the cat climbs on it and Joe wears the damn thing every time he does any kind of DIY in the colder months.

Joe usually has a bunch of projects going on in December, right before David goes to visit his parents for the holidays, at which point the sweatshirt mysteriously disappears until the next time David starts a load of laundry.

[rontra]

Pls tell us more about ur summer/salem rare pair cuz I'm so interested

ok ok stupid ass post incoming its also at least a couple thousand words long so be warned

like i CAN yes, but it'll be rambling and inconveniently longwinded!

this is because my thoughts on this and the context for the pictures i drew actually hinges on a bunch of rwby analysis that has to be established First for any of my conclusions to make sense. i actually thought about making a comic about them to lay this stuff out in a more convenient format…maybe i will do it, but until then, umm. i'm sorry about this level 9000 nerd wizard post. it's the autism and passion for women kissing (the 2 reasons behind everything i do)

as an aside before i lose my lucidity, i'm not claiming the stuff i'm about to set up is 100% absolutely indisputably true and if you disagree you're wrong. it's just sort of my interpretation of a bunch of different stuff. it's fine if you disagree or have your own reading! but for the purposes of this specific content we're discussing, in the context of the women kissing AU if you will, these are presupposed "truths" . idc if you think i'm wrong as hell in real life! but in the world of the pictures i drew/my feelings on this ship, this is the list of Things That Must Be True.

(the salem/summer torment nexus is built on a bunch of overthinking rwby and then a little bit of lesbian high romance, so we do reach a point where we finally veer off from "analyzing rwby" and into "and that is why women kissing women", but that is, all i can do . because just putting down the "here's why they should kiss" conclusion makes me sound insane. so before we go into why they should kiss in the way i've depicted, here are some points that must first be true)

Summer is alive and well, and

Summer is Salem's unseen lieutenant at Beacon, and is working for her by her own free will, because

Salem is right (caveats about being evil rn notwithstanding) and

Remnant treats them in similar ways, for opposite purposes (thus in the women kissing women world, they are not only women who should kiss, but foils who should kiss: a far more powerful gameplay unit that inflicts a Brainrot DoT on its target (me))

i'm not going to be completely thorough here: i'm omitting anything that doesn't feel immediately important to understanding me, so if it feels like i skipped something, i definitely did. please bear with me bc this post's existence is already hilarious. the omissions probably aren't me missing things (depending on what it is) i'm just genuinely trying not to get derailed by factoring in every nuance and perspective (which rwby has, A Lot, of,). do not tweet at me

1 and 2 are almost self-explanatory, so they're quick: scenes about summer are nigh-universally conspicuous in how they talk about her, and there are too many questions raised about her/her fate that only she (and salem) could answer. her just being dead is too straightforward for all this effort, so something else is surely going on. in v8, the "Hound Summer" idea is raised, but i don't think they would let a character onscreen spill the beans ahead of time if it was actually the truth. (additionally, salem herself describes the hound as "an experiment", indicating there isn't like a bunch of them running around or anything...)

HOWEVER, letting ruby draw the "hound summer" conclusion on screen leads me to believe the actual truth is not FAR away: it'll be a knife-twist on what ruby said. the More Harrowing version of "my mom is alive but a tool for salem against her will" feels like it's naturally "my mom is alive and working for salem on purpose".

for 2, salem has an additional lieutenant that we have not been shown; being at beacon working on the Beacon Relic Puzzle ever since the Fall. we see salem contacting this agent to give them verbal instructions over the grimmphone, which is…not typically how she directs grimm, suggesting it is a person. we aren't privy to any further information about this person except their station being Beacon, which…i hate to say it but that's a "dramatically seeing summer rose alive" ass place….

the REASON for summer being salem's lieutenant as opposed to A) dead, B) a tool, C) a double agent, D) literally anything else, is because of 3 and 4.

this is where things are gonna get really cringe and potentially deranged but i need you to stay with me. let's go in order and focus on 3 first: salem is right.

saying this will cause some immediate pushback from some people, but to those people, please set that gut reaction aside for now and play in the space with me; i'm not saying that her current plan of action is like, nice, or Good, but i'm saying she is ideologically the one in the right. like Thematically. it took a lot of work for the world to make her be evil (across quite literally millions of years, potentially hundreds of millions) and now she's like "fine i'm about to be hilarious", but in the fundamental conflict rwby is about, she hasn't stopped being RIGHT.

just before this, someone on twitter asked me what i think salem's goal is, because a lot of people jump to assuming it's planet-destroying stuff; i had to make it a twitlonger just to answer them because (in case it wasnt obvious already) im head FULL thoughts SALEM mouth RAMBLING. instead of spending time and wordcount rehashing all of that i'll just relink it here because all of it is important to THIS discussion too: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1ss7lck

You Have To Read That Post Because I Won't Re-Type It. But It Is Important For This Post. TM.

ok. you're back? hi. sorry about that. let's continue

okay so we have the "disquietingly genocidal if carried out to its natural conclusion, which is that we should surrender ourselves to the complete custody of the World Destroyer" guy, and the "humanity inherently has a right to exist and doesn't need babysitting from someone who believes otherwise" guy. One of these sides is currently in control of remnant. and it's not the one you'd hope! and it's not the one the show agrees with.

(sidenote before it's too late I should clarify i have a Lot of thoughts about ozma's side of all this and like i said rwby is incredibly rich when you begin to mine for nuance and in-universe perspectives; i love that guy to bits and pieces. there are a lot of angles to this dangle. it's just that neither the twitlonger nor this post is About Him, so if it sounds like im dismissing his own nightmare situation i'm NOT im just not posting About Him Right Now. love you oz sorry you're also in the bullshit swamp etc amen)

i mention this very briefly in the twitlonger, but ozma has a vested interest in A) wiping salem from history/humanity's knowledge, and B) making sure the people who DO know about her see her as completely incapable of being reasoned with, the source of all evil, and so on. he's been pretty aggressive in these efforts, successfully paring salem's perpetual existence in remnant down to a spectrum ranging from "i have never heard of this woman in my life" to "exaggerated fairytale image that can be safely ignored" and maybe like "scary witch story to keep kids from wandering into the woods (FAKE, NOT REAL)". and to his circle, she's evil incarnate, and nothing more—still the fairytale witch, just an actual threat this time.

there seems to be a belief among some of the characters in the show that if you stop salem, you win; you've Fixed The Problem. in this way of thinking, salem is the one thing holding remnant back from being Normal And Good. she is the single cog not turning in time with the rest of remnant, and she is Fucking Up The Machine For Everybody. obviously this is a very simple and easy way of looking at her, and it is also desperately encouraged by ozma's version of the story. for his story to work, salem MUST be the source of all evil, the well it all springs from, the clear villain who's behind every bit of suffering and wants to destroy humanity; if she is NOT, his own comprehension of his trauma falls apart, his life's work and mission loses meaning, and the world he's built on them falls apart too.

(unfortunately, you cannot fix a dysfunctional world by destroying a single woman (no matter how much some certain gods try to tell you otherwise) if the dysfunction is systemic and foundational the way remnant's is)

with that in mind, summer rose (aw hey girl i forgot you were in this post) seems like a pretty stark opposite to her. but i would like to argue the…opposite. opposite double reacharound combo: They Are The Same edition. aka 4

okay, so, another facet of ozma's ideology that goes pretty visibly hand in hand with his own baggage (rip) is the fixation on this, idea of, a Hero. a Guardian. a "simple soul". specifically, he tends to nominate a Lone Hero, who must shoulder an unfathomable burden—usually a secret one—with little to no support (because they cannot share the burden). and this is, demonstrably and in no uncertain terms, a practice that breaks heroes.

(without getting too distracted: this is pretty obviously what was also done to HIM, and ozma continuing this pattern is not surprising with that fact in mind; i do sympathize. but girl…<3 you are crafting the crux of an insane post on rontra.tumblr.com and you dont even know it)

the Lone Hero is perfect. they fight alone, carrying humanity's light, and when they die they do so heroically, righteously, bravely. they are a symbol, praised and exalted even into their own deaths. their torch doesn't burn for long, but it's beloved whilst it does! the superhero dies young, but dies well.

this idea is a motif that recurs in rwby; all four Maidens are historically isolated, working alone, their very existence a secret except for when they swoop in to save the day. Huntsmen can become Lone Heroes if they're exemplary or unlucky enough. it was done to Pyrrha on-screen, by backing her into a corner and nominating her for an unfathomable burden she could not possibly refuse—and it lead to her death, alone, in a fight she knew she could not win.

of course, it also intersects with the Silver-eyed Warriors, who are (like Maidens) secret and largely isolated, but (especially when combined with being Huntsmen) make extremely powerful Lone Heroes. THERE'S our girl we've been waiting for! summer came out of the extremely notable team STRQ, and she's got silver eyes; with her pedigree we've got another legendary Grimm Reaper on our hands!

ha ha…

the weight must be crushing.

i can't say for sure why summer left; maybe she really thought going in guns blazing could finish this. maybe she had encountered a piece of information that alarmed her, or even seemed to corroborate something Raven tried to tell her team years prior. maybe it was something else that drove her to take the fight to salem on a solo mission. maybe being a Hero from a broken team just does that to your brain. we don't know yet! but she went out alone and she met up with salem.

this was never going to work, and not ONLY because salem can't be killed: it's doomed because rwby, the show, does not give praise to self-sacrifice. it is opposed to the very idea of the Lone Hero. when characters break the buddy system and face the bullshit alone, they usually don't get out unscathed, and usually don't succeed in accomplishing much of note. if anything at all, they usually attain something temporary or minor that isn't at all worth the sacrifice they made. because how can anything be worth that? rwby so far is pretty against the idea of both a lone hero and of "good death"; you can't die heroically, because you only ever die tragically.

but the Hero, Lone or otherwise, is needed. it's a twisted hope, but it is hope: there are people, real heroes, who will do anything to save us; including die, over and over and over and over and over again. remnant runs on hero blood. the academies are major arteries that pump out more of it, and even while you're at an academy you're not in the clear, because the students are included as a layer of protection around the relic. if something comes for the school, you are intended to die for it.

Like it or not, the people that hired me are going to change the world! You can't stop 'em, I can't stop 'em! You wanna be a hero? Then play the part and die like every other Huntsman in history!

and the selected Lone Heroes, even more so, are intended to die fighting an unwinnable fight, bearing unfathomable burdens. proverbially speaking, it keeps the lights on: keeps the fight going. keeps humanity from losing its grip on faith. and it completely robs each Hero of their humanity.

this kind of hero is not human: it's romantic like a fairytale and reduces a human being to a symbol. one of hope, sure, but a symbol nonetheless. the perfect hero isn't permitted to doubt or fear or hesitate. they're something distant, something else, something beyond humanity, something conceptual. and THIS, (points at it) is BAD

but it is the other side of the coin. the Lone Hero who represents all of humanity's hope has a natural obverse: the Sole Evil responsible for all of the world's darkness. the Single Enemy who springs forth all the things the Single Light stands against. these two concepts together pull an astonishing amount of the weight to make ozma's ideology function. without them, the wheels do not turn.

it's important how successfully ozma has eradicated salem's humanity and cast her as a force of blind evil. you can't reason with her, it's futile to try… but we know that salem may be very fucked up indeed to people, but she's also plenty willing to talk; essentially the only reason no one even thinks to try it is because her carefully designed reputation precedes her. the ruling world ideology prominently features the bastions of humanity, the bulwark against evil, the Lone Hero figure; the Guardian…and it hinges almost entirely upon the Sole Evil of salem, who can't be reasoned with but must be destroyed, even though the war against her is eternal, impossible, unsustainable.

by design, neither one is permitted any humanity at all.

Summer Rose and Salem are both ideological work-horses. in the world of remnant, neither of them can retain their humanity: they are conceptual existences that pull ozma's world through the motions, step by agonizing step. they are both yoked to the same plough.

if those two TALKED—and salem is very much willing to talk—i think a lone hero with a passion for humanity and way too much skin in the game would be repulsed by the system she lives in. she would recognize that she (and huntsmen as a broader institution) would be in the Wrong to support ozma—and by extension the gods, who look at humanity as a thing to be corralled and punished, something that must actively justify its own right to exist—

—that she's got two kids in this world, and she suddenly hopes to high heaven that they never get pulled into the same cannon fodder machine that created the Guardian summer rose, who bleeds and bleeds so that all humanity can cling to a hope that is bound to be false because the arbiters of their worth do not find them inherently worthy of life—

But, baby, please don't do what I did; I don't want you to waste your life in vain.

the reason women should kiss is that there is a mutual understanding that they are both beasts of burden to this world: two less-than-human icons, unpersoned on purpose, merely representing a concept. they perform roles in a narrative written by somebody else. they are not human! they are bearing unimaginable weight in service of an idea!

and they don't want to see humanity's fate be shackled to that idea for a moment longer.

i think when i say summer/salem most people think im trying to conjure like a dark spicy image full of like, power and control, and tension, and stuff. and there's nothing wrong with those, i do make a lot of those. but in reality im picturing the most tender secret in all of remnant. could you imagine?

...they are both yoked to ozma's ideology in these weird twisted ways so theres a lot of understanding and sympathy there, even if their Functions are different. opposite even. perhaps like foils one could say...

it's a ship built on that kind of understanding. the theme tying it together is that grueling dehumanization and the tenderness of seeing that you're both human to the core regardless. remnant yearns to grind them both up, one in service of the other, for a horrifically cruel ideal they can't just lie down and surrender to. humanity deserves better. so do they.

salem is right. summer rose knows it.

in the pictures i made, there's a protective angle to their poses and interactions: sort of a knightly, HER Warrior, type thing. "NOT YOUR SACRIFICE". etc. i guess salem is a lady with a tendency to attract the heroic knightly type (rimshot)

and that's why summer and salem should kiss. i dont know. i know im the one that locked you in this room but we should get out of here before i transform like a werewolf. wanna listen to Until The End in the car?

to live free or die, it’s all the same the enemy was right, there’s no reclaiming in waves of shame, we’re desperate to make amends but through a simple soul we lie complacent.

awoo...