#liking older men is a fault that I will admit completely

[dandyduel]

“Pleasure.”

[zeni-macroura]

franziska coming around on phoenix as she grows older and finally admits her harshness was never his fault but instead her jealousy that he could stand next to edgeworth, who always felt so far out of her reach and would never return her love (not romantic just deep admiration and respect) the way he clearly did phoenix's

she finally "concedes defeat" and treats phoenix with kindness and without any expectation of reciprocation because doing so is the most pure act of love she can do for miles. and since she's finally accepted that love should be given without expecting anything in return, that it be unconditional, she is also finally able to open up to receive love in ways she never expected and realized she needed. 

phoenix, being who he is, forgives like everything is a fresh start, and his warmth completely knocks her off her feet and everything is suddenly clear to her. "ah. this is why he loves him. this is why i could never do what he did."

and suddenly, phoenix is her big brother. not little brother like miles but genuinely sincerely the figure in her life she should have had all along. her father had trauma bonded her to miles and she had no other guiding mentors, but now she has big brother phoenix.

miles has no idea when this happened. he doesn't understand at all how his little sister, who chided and harassed this man he loved, suddenly stopped looking down on him and began looking up to him. he's grateful, her approval of his partner means more than he'll ever be able to say, but he's lost. 

phoenix gets it. he does not tease her the way he does maya because he knows how prized and vulnerable and fragile and valuable the kindness of franziska von karma is, how it should be cherished as the priceless gemstone it is. 

they bicker. they have different tastes in music and art. they debate like two old men in the box seats of a theatre. but the barbs are a love language. the attacks lack their old spite and volatility. it is a choreographed dance rather than a spar. sometimes, people forget that miles was the one she had been raised with.

when phoenix and miles marry, franziska dances with each of them in lieu of the parent-child dance. she leads miles, but she lets phoenix lead her. 

he thanks her and promises he will take care of miles the way she had for so many years. she smiles and admits "i know."

[lenaswritingandstuff]

All I had • Mattheo Riddle x f!reader (Part 2 & END)

Requested: No well I lowkey did

Pairing: Mattheo Riddle x f!reader

Summary: After his girlfriend y/n is killed, Mattheo has to deal not only with pain and sorrow, but also cruel accusations (complete original prompt here), and asks someone for help.

Word count: 4.7K

Warnings: mentions of death, lost and grief; cursing ;

A/N: Thank you guys a lot for the good feedback the first part got! Here Mattheo and Tom are also Bellatrix' sons, and Mattheo is older than Harry by one year (so this takes place during Harry's sixth year) and younger than Tom by one year too. There will be two povs in this part, and I might do a bonus scene if (a lot of) people ask. This is my first time writing for Tom (and Voldemort) so I really hope it's alright. Comments and feedback are always appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!

Tag list: @helendeath @im-jesus

Tag list for this story: @arlxtoa

GIF IS NOT MINE.

PART I

The two Aurors got up and left, and Mattheo blinked. When he opened his eyes again, the  cold metallic table and the chairs disappeared, and he was back into the small room with the bed and the floating candles. Weakly, he laid on the bed and crossed his hands on his stomach. He didn’t know how long he had been here, in this room which was more magical than he thought as the bed, the sink and the table that were here when he arrived disappeared every time the Aurors came in, with a metallic table and three chairs surrounded by simple darkness which disappeared when the two men did. However, it must have been at least two days, spent refusing anything he was proposed to eat or drink - strangely enough, though, he wasn’t feeling hungry or thirsty at all - and refusing to say what those two fuckers demanded. Everytime they came in, Mattheo asked if they contacted Tom so he could come, but they refused to answer, insisting with their dumb questions instead. 

At first, his brother not coming to his aid had gave Mattheo great anxiety, as he saw it as the only way to prove he didn’t do what they accused him of - his mind refused to use the real words - but now, as time passed and without an answer, all anxiety - which was the only thing he was able to feel besides his pain and empty chest - had left him, leaving only resignation. If he was sent to Azkaban, so be it. After all, even if he didn’t do it, didn’t he deserve it for not being able to protect y/n? He was her boyfriend, who vowed while looking into her eyes, her eyes he was crazy about, to always protect her and save her if needed, and he couldn’t fucking do that. And again, even if he didn’t do it, it was his fault she was gone. If he hadn’t gone out for a stupid cigarette with Theo, maybe y/n wouldn’t have left her room and she would still be here, holding his hand and kissing him. Some part of him knew that maybe she left to go help a friend in need - typical y/n - and didn’t actually go out to look after him after he took a while to come back, but the biggest part of him refused to think about that theory, refusing to admit that it wasn’t his fault somehow. 

It had been too good to be true, he thought. He had managed to escape both his parents ever since his father came back and his mother escaped Azkaban, Tom and Dumbledore helping him hide during the summer holidays - y/n had asked him countless time to come to live in her parents’ house, but despite wanting nothing more than to say yes and spend the summer by her side, Mattheo had refused to put her and her family, who had already been kind enough to let someone like him date their daughter, in danger. He had also managed the anxiety and stress his father’s coming back had brought, mostly due to y/n’s love and care, and had even managed to plan on becoming an Auror once he would leave school, which he knew had worried y/n, but now, all the good things he had managed to do and the overall good - or at least; bearable - life he had built around his friends and y/n not only meant nothing, but it had died with her. Because even if I manage to not go to Azkaban, what would I do? I might as well join my father. 

But Mattheo had that thought, y/n’s sad, disappointed face appeared to him, and he hated himself even more. y/n wouldn’t want that, he forced himself to think, slightly shaking his head. y/n would want him to fight, and most importantly, would want him to remain the boy she had loved. His only option, if he managed to not go to prison, would be to hide until his death - which now he didn’t care when it would come. The door suddenly opened, bringing Mattheo out of his thoughts, and had half expected the Aurors to come back and, letting out a long sigh and closing his eyes, he prepared himself to insult them this time, but it wasn’t one of their voices he heard. 

“Brother.”

Fuck. Mattheo’s eyes snapped open, and he jumped on his bed, and at the same time turning his head so quickly he could have hurt himself. Taller and of stronger structure, Tom was standing near the door, his dark curls perfectly styled contrasting with Mattheo’s messy hair, and dressed in an all black suit. 

As if he was waking up from a long, deep sleep, Mattheo’s mind was not perfectly aware, and got used to the idea of Tom actually being here. Looking up at him, Mattheo noticed his elder brother looked paler than usual, and there was something strange about his eyes. 

“They called you,” Mattheo managed to say.

“They did. Their message came late, however, as I was…busy, in the north.” 

In other circumstances, Mattheo might have asked Tom what he meant by that - he never really knew what his brother was up to ever since the latter left Hogwarts last year - but, now, he just slightly nodded in answer. 

“Dumbledore told me,” Tom continued, his tone now sounding more febrile and softer, “that y/n was… dead.”

The last three words hit Mattheo like a thousand knives in the heart, but they also for some reason finished to convince his mind that it really did happen. 

“The two Aurors told me you did it.” 

“I didn’t,” Mattheo answered immediately, the defensive tone and behavior he had been having for the last two days around the Aurors coming back. 

“I know. Though I wish to know what really happened.” 

Sighing and his eyes on the ground, Mattheo explained everything that happened that night, from spending an usual night with y/n in her room - he saw a small grimace on Tom’s face for a small second - to going for a smoke with Theo.

“Then on my way back, I was walking by the courtyard when I saw her…her, I…I saw her body.”

Mattheo then raised his gaze, and saw that Tom’s body and face had stiffen, and one of his fists was now closed. A year ago, this reaction from Tom upon hearing about y/n would have angered Mattheo deeply, but now, he only felt some annoyance which surprisingly disappeared quickly.  

“There was no round around?” Tom asked. “No sign of anybody?” 

Mattheo shook his head negatively. 

“Who do you think might have done it?” Tom questioned in a sharper tone. 

“I don’t know. She only had friends. Teachers liked her. Her family is normal…” 

“Try to think, Mattheo,” Tom cut off coldly, growing impatient, “try to remember a detail, a conversation y/n had with someone…”

“I don’t know!” Mattheo said louder. “I haven’t been able to think ever since I had her corpse in my arms!” 

Tom had a very small sigh. “Then maybe y/n didn’t tell you about it. Do you think her friends might know something?" 

“Her friends never liked me much,” Mattheo had a bitter small laugh. “Well, except for Pansy.” 

“I see. I’ll have to ask them some questions, then.” Tom said. And I could as well have searched her dorm for a clue, but I heard her family already took her belongings and cleared her room,” he added in annoyance.

Mattheo frowned. “Her family? Her family is already here?”

“Yes. It’s been two days, they had to take her body,” Tom answered, his voice a bit febrile. “I suppose the… funeral will be held soon.”  

It was already unbearably hard enough for his mind to understand the idea that y/n was dead and would never come back, but to imagine her immobile body in a casket, alone in the darkness and the coldness of the silent underneath the ground…No, fucking no, that was something he could not and could never handle. When he looked at Tom again, Mattheo saw him as lost in thought, as if he felt the same way. And he knew he did. 

“Do you believe she could have had some sort of stalker or admirer?” Tom questioned after a moment of silence. 

“You mean, other than you?”

Tom looked at him, now angered but a bit surprised as well. 

“Unbelievable. y/n is dead and you’re still thinking about this?” 

Mattheo didn’t answer. Of course that was stupid to think about what happened last year, especially now. Last year, between Umbridge’s tyranny and the suspicion that had raised around Mattheo and Tom now that their father was back, something Mattheo never imagined happened: Tom, the cold and quiet Tom who had never looked at a girl before, had fallen in love. Mattheo had been amused at the idea, and had been curious to know who the lucky girl was, despite the whole thing happening in front of his eyes. One day, a very surprised y/n had come to him, saying Tom had asked to talk to her in private and had confessed to her that his heart, which all thought cold and frozen, had fallen for her. Angry as he never had been in his life and only listening to the part of himself which was telling him that his brother wanted to steal everything from him, Mattheo had immediately went to see Tom and a big fight had followed, and it would have probably became physical if Tom hadn’t remain his calm self, although greatly annoyed at Mattheo’s shouting, and his friends holding him back just in case. y/n , sweet, innocent y/n had felt guilty despite not being at fault, and later Mattheo had realized that it was likely her fondness and compassion for Tom, who was “always so alone” which had made his older brother think he and y/n might have a chance. Mattheo had never been mad at y/n, but, unable to not be angry at Tom and unable to not think that Tom wanted y/n just because she was with him, his cordial relationship with Tom had been broken, and they never had any contact after Tom graduated. But with time, Mattheo had realized he understood Tom. After all, y/n was beautiful and had a heart of gold, and people were drawn to her and her warmness, kindness and natural charm. It wasn’t even a surprise that someone like Tom, cold and silent, would fall for her despite being as different as can be. But while also thinking about this, he had then remembered all the times he had seen Tom and y/n speaking, studying, or just the kind things he would sometimes tell her, and it had made sense.

“I know they found your wand. You mentioned you lost it,” Tom said suddenly. “Do you have any idea where that might have happened?”

“No,” Mattheo said, looking at the ground. “I just know I lost it after class.”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“y/n.”

“Are you sure you don’t remember any details? Anything that could help?” 

“I already told you no,” Mattheo said with annoyance. 

He tried to think hard about it, though, trying to remember his walk from y/n’s dorm to the dark corner of the castle where he met Theo, and remembered it overall - the empty corridors, making sure nobody, especially a teacher, wouldn’t see him. He then tried to remember every detail of the way back. He tried hard, forcing his mind to bring itself back to this moment, but to his great confusion, he didn’t remember anything. It was as if, one moment, he was walking away from Theo, and the other, he was walking by the courtyard, seeing his biggest nightmare coming true. 

“I don’t remember anything from my way back to her dorm,” Mattheo simply said. 

“What do you mean?”

“Like I said, I don’t remember anything between leaving Theo and seeing h…her body.” The last two words still had a hard time leaving his mouth. Suddenly, he had a thought, maybe the most clever and useful thought he had ever since he had been brought here. 

“Maybe you losing your wand and your memory somehow disappearing are linked,” Tom stated, and Mattheo nodded. “Did anybody here do some strange things or had a strange behavior this year?” 

Mattheo thought, and quickly had an idea.

“I heard Harry speaking with his friends once. He said Draco was up to something, and, well, I noticed he’s been acting strangely since september.”

Tom remained silent, and acquiesced. 

“Then I shall have a conversation with our cousin.”

They opened the door after Tom knocked once, and the two Aurors were still here waiting for him when he left the room. He ignored them and started walking down the small corridor, but they apparently were not willing to do the same. 

“Did he tell you anything?” one of the Aurors asked, full of curiosity, trying to keep up with Tom’s quick and long footsteps. 

Not bothered, Tom did not even give him an answer. 

“Well?” the other insisted. 

“No, he did not,” Tom answered this time, but only to get rid of them. “He already told you he was innocent. There was no more he had to say. Just like I have nothing to say to you.”

It worked, and the Auroras stopped following him. He left their outraged and suspicious gazes behind his back, but to say he didn’t care was an understatement. It was already the end of the afternoon, and classes just finished. Tom, ignoring the surprised looks of the crowds of students, walked to Snape’s class, and found him here sitting behind his desk. His former professor raised his eyes, and though he didn’t show it, Tom knew Snape was surprised to see him at Hogwarts. 

“Snape.”

“Mr. Riddle.” 

“I wish to talk with a few of your students. Be kind to bring them here.”

“And may I ask why you wish to talk to them?”

“If I thought it concerned you, I would willingly tell you,” Tom responded. “Now, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkison and Daphne Greengrass.”

Snape looked at him, but did not say a word. Minutes later, only two silhouettes entered Snape’s dark greenish class. The two girls exchanged a curious look upon seeing Tom.

“Tom?” Pansy Parkinson asked. She had always been somehow unafraid of him, and Tom respected that fact. “What are you doing here?” 

“I’m here to help my brother.” 

Parkison raised her eyebrows with genuine surprise. “You think he’s innocent?” 

Tom nodded. “I know you two ladies were y/n’s closest friends. I need you to tell me if she had anyone who wished to do her harm.” 

Pansy shook her head and had a slight sigh, “we already told the Aurors everything.”

Daphne nodded, “y/n had no enemies. Well,” she added with a false smile, “at least that’s what we thought until her own boyfriend turned out to be one..” 

“Mattheo is innocent,” Tom retorted right away. 

Pansy chuckled bitterly, “Don’t make me laugh, Riddle. Everyone in school knows how they found his wand near her body, and how the last spell it cast was the killing curse. He did kill our friend, and I hope he will rot in Azkaban for the rest of his days.”

Tom remained silent, ignoring his growing annoyance, and instead focused his mind on entering Parkison’s. He saw her in Daphne’s arms, probably crying over y/n’s death, and going back to before that event, he saw her this time laughing with Daphne and y/n, and his heart - if it was still there - skipped a beat. Seeing her full of life, laughing, when he knew she would never laugh again was almost too much to bear. He continued inspecting Parkison’s memory, and when he couldn’t find anything, did the same thing to Greengrass. He didn’t find anything new inside her mind, and had a hard time not showing his displeasure. He had entered their minds and saw their memories so quickly that they didn’t even notice what he did. 

“Where is my cousin?” Tom finally asked, quickly looking at Snape.

“Draco?” Parkinson asked. “Well, we saw him in class, but…”

“He left right after the last one. Maybe he’s in the common room, or maybe his dorm?” 

Tom wanted to ask if, like Mattheo, they thought Draco had been acting weirdly, but wouldn’t do that in Snape’s presence. He gestured for the two girls to go, and turned back towards Snape. 

“If I don’t find who murdered y/n and exonerate my brother before I leave Hogwarts, I suggest you continue looking for the murderer. Because, as you well know, Severus, my wrath is nothing compared to his.”

Not waiting for Snape’s answer, Tom left the room. He directly went for the dungeons, where the Slytherin common room was. Some friends of Mattheo were here, sitting on some of the couches - Berkshire with his innocent face, Nott always acting as if he had no care in the world and Zabini who never smiled - and they immediately came to him when they saw him. 

“Tom?” Nott asked. “You’re here to help Mattheo, right?” 

“Did you find anything?” Berkshire asked. 

“I need to speak to my cousin. Where is he?”

“We don’t know,” Zabini shrugged. “I looked in our dorm, he’s not here.”

Tom decided to go check the room himself, and walked in its direction. As Zabini said, there was no one here. The room was well ordered, full of expensive things both Zabini and Draco’s parents had bought and of Slytherin decoration, but Tom looked into it, he didn’t find anything. His patience growing thin, Tom quickly left the room, and, ignoring Mattheo’s friends and their questions, left the common room. Walking through the corridors, he only met a few much younger students who did not dare to look at him for too long until he saw three silhouettes talking softly.

“Potter.”

The latter turned immediately, but didn’t seem that surprised to see him, and they walked closer to each other.

“My brother told me you found Draco’s behavior strange. Why?”

“We saw him at Borgin & Burke with his mother. They seemed like they didn’t want people to know they were here. Sometimes, he disappears and doesn’t come to class. He’s always quiet, and you never see him outside of class.”

“And pray tell, what’s your theory?”

Potter stared at him, and as Tom expected, didn’t say anything.

“Come on, Potter. You’re smarter than most people give you credit for.”

“Well, I definitely wouldn’t be smart if I told you what I thought.”

Tom inclined his head, squinting his eyes. “So it has to do with my father. You believe he’s a Death Eater, don’t you?”

Potter’s eyes hardening was enough for Tom to know he was right.

It wasn’t common for Tom’s father to pick followers that young, but if it was indeed true, Tom was not surprised. Either his father had expected Draco to replace Tom’s uncle Lucius, or he was forced to. I know my cousin. He may be arrogant and spoiled, but he doesn’t have the stomach to be a Death Eater. Not for long, anyway.

“I see,” Tom continued. “And where do you think he goes when he disappears?”

Potter looked at him, hesitating before giving an answer. “I can’t be sure, but…the Room of Requirement makes sense.” 

And with that, Tom turned his heels and went to the seventh floor of the castle. He knew it was going to be hard, as that room could appear anywhere, but he wasn’t going to give in. In a long, empty corridor, he closed his eyes, and walked past a large naked wall three times. I need to find what Draco has been up to. I need to find who killed y/n. Doing his best to shut the pain that thinking about y/n brought him, he walked past the wall for several minutes, but when he stopped his pace and opened his eyes, the wall was still naked. Growing angry, he all of a sudden heard footsteps breaking the silence. He focused, and almost instantly knew who it was. Draco. Putting himself against the wall, Tom waited barely a minute, and immediately grabbed Draco, who, as expected, tried to resist.

“Let me go!”

“Quiet.”

Draco immediately stopped moving, and, upon seeing who had grabbed his arm, frowned.

“Tom?” 

Tom immediately saw that Draco’s face was paler, looking even a bit gray, and thinner than usual, and that he had dark bags under his eyes. 

“Greetings, cousin.” Tom said with calm and a smile. “I have a few questions to ask you, if you don’t mind.” 

Draco started to struggle again, but Tom took out his wand, pointing it on his cousin’s chin. 

“Do not make me do something I will not regret. It is really simple, cousin. You either answer my questions, or I will get them out of you. Do we understand each other?” 

Draco remained silent, but Tom knew he understood. 

“Do you know who killed y/n?” 

“No!”

“Do you know who might have done it?”

“No! Let me go, now, or I’ll-”

“Do what?” Tom said, amused. “Please, pray tell.”

Draco again didn’t say a word, only giving him a death stare. Despite allegations of Draco acting weirdly and his weaker look, Tom knew it didn’t mean Draco had anything to do with y/n’s murder - the word was enough to almost wreck havoc. However, despite Draco’s denial, Tom felt something was off. Just like he did with y/n’s friends, Tom entered Draco’s mind, but found it way harder. Immediately understanding why, Tom smiled.

“I see my mother taught you Legilimency. I expected better, though.”

Not wasting another second, Tom pointed at Draco’s forehead. At first, he was shown memories from Draco’s first years here, bullying students with his friends, then darker, unhappier memories with his parents and Tom and Mattheo’s mother at Malfoy Manor, succeeded at last by what really interested Tom. He suddenly saw his father, probably furious after Uncle Lucius failed the disaster at the Ministry, and then had a memory of Draco inside the Room of Requirement - as Potter had guessed - standing in front of what Tom knew was a Vanishing Cabinet. The whole scenery disappeared, and instead there was the boys’ restroom, with Draco sitting on the ground with his face in his hands, crying. Next, he was back to Malfoy Manor, standing in front of both Tom’s parents.

“My sons have both been a disappointment, a great disappointment,” Tom’s father said calmly. “I still hold hope for Tom, but as for Mattheo…If I don’t act quickly, he will be out of reach forever. You said there was a girl at Hogwarts that he ‘loves’.”

Tom felt his heart beat faster, and his breath became short. 

“Well,” his father continued, “along with the other task you have been given, Draco, you will kill that girl. If you don’t, I’ll kill your mother and then you.” 

If he thought Dumbledore telling him of y/n’s death broke his heart, learning it was his father who ordered it broke his soul. But he had barely time to process that memory that another came, bringing him back to Hogwarts. Draco was standing against a wall in an empty corridor. Tom heard voices from afar, and after a moment, saw his own brother. Jumping behind him, Draco pointed his wand at the back of Mattheo’s head.

“Impero.”

Mattheo took his wand out of his robe and Draco grabbed it. Mattheo didn’t move as Draco went back to the spot he was hiding it, and pointed once again his wand at Mattheo.

“Obliviate.”

A few seconds later, Mattheo slightly shook his head and continued walking, eventually disappearing. The next memory happened at night, and Draco was once again hiding, this time in a corridor which led to the courtyard, apparently waiting for someone. But Tom didn’t even have to guess who, because it was as if his whole being knew who was coming and what was going to happen. He didn’t want to look, didn’t want to hear, but his eyes refused to look away or to close themselves. He heard familiar footsteps, and suddenly, y/n appeared; walking rather quickly, and she took a glance at the darkness of the courtyard. Tom saw Draco’s hand shaking as he pointed Mattheo’s wand at y/n and, after hesitating for a short moment, opened his mouth.

“Avada Kedavra.”

Despite his whole being screaming at him to look away, Tom turned to y/n and saw her looking at the green light coming to her right and gasping before the spell hit her, and her body hit the ground. Draco closed his eyes, and a tear ran down his cheek. Taking his own hand, Draco moved it, and y/n body started levitating, heading for the courtyard, before eventually lowering itself to the ground. Tom stayed here, looking at her corpse, wanting to scream for the first time in his life. He didn’t know how long he stared at him, his very soul in pain, but it must not have been for long, because when he pulled himself together, Draco was still here, and he heard a familiar voice.

“y/n?”

Mattheo was here now, close to her body. He kneeled near her, taking her into his arms, calling for her, asking her if she could hear him, eventually crying, screaming for her to come back. Draco once again shed a tear, and took out both his wand and Mattheo’s. He made Mattheo’s wand float to fall down near Mattheo. Wiping away his tears, Draco tried to look normal, started walking away, and thus his memory was over. Tom was brought back to reality, to the corridor where he was holding Draco - y/n’s murderer, the one who had taken his only chance of happiness from him. If it was another person who had been killed, Tom might have understood why the murderer did it and even maybe felt compassion as he knew how his father was, but it was y/n, and it took everything in Tom to not torture Draco in ways that would have make his father happy. Draco tried to fight Tom’s grasp again, but this time, Tom took the opportunity to answer the last question he had on his mind. He rolled up Draco’s left sleeve, and saw the Dark Mark. Potter was right, after all, was all that he thought.

“It was Draco.”

Mattheo looked at his brother, confused.

“What? Draco did what?”

Tom looked back at him. “He killed y/n. I saw it. In his mind. Our father told him to.  He put you under the Imperius curse to take your wand, used it to kill her, and put it next to you after killing her.”

Mattheo tried to grasp the idea, but simply couldn’t. Draco, his vain cousin, spoiled and loved by his parents like neither him or Tom had been? 

“He’s a Death Eater,” Tom added with no emotion. “He has the mark. He killed her to save both his and his mother’s lives. I do think he didn’t want to do it. He cried a bit.” 

Mattheo gulped. “Did she…Did she see him? 

But Tom knew what his real questions were: did y/n see death coming? Was she scared? Did she scream for help, for anyone - for him, to come and save her? 

Tom became pale, and for the second time in his life, Mattheo saw that his brother’s eyes were sad. 

“No. She only saw the spell for a quick second before she…”

Mattheo closed his eyes, and nodded. One half of him wanted to see it with his own eyes, wanted to see her last moments, where he should have been here to save her, but the other half refused to, convinced he would turn into a mad man if he saw her dying. Mattheo felt warm tears leave his eyes and roll down his cheeks. 

“She was all I had,” he said, his voice hoarse. 

“I know,” Tom said, staring at the wall on his left. “She was all I had, too.”

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[amethystheartsx]

GIRLL THEM ACCOMPANYING US FOR FHISE BIG FAT WEDDINGSS

Your wish is my command. (Xavier rafayel zayne) part two soon.

Xavier

Xavier is not a fan of huge events and bustling crowds, he is a sleepy baby who needs a comfortable place to nap from time to time, but he is also aware that sometimes due to certain reasons you simply can not skip these weddings and there is no way in deepest pits of hell he is going to let you go all by yourself looking THAT good.

Xavier would help you choose outfits, he is not that helpful. Not his fault you look pretty in everything to him so he will ne saying yes to every dress you show him.

Guard dog alert.

He simply doesn't mingle with anyone without you, greeting only those whom you greet.

Only time he might leave your side is to get food. That's it.

Or to take nap lol.

You know that one random baby that you find in your room completely knocked out asleep? Yeah that except make it 6'2 fully grown adult man.

Alright! Jokes apart. Xavier is charismatic in natural sort of way. His royal like demeanor makes every one admire him from afar, but passive dissmive face of his keeps everyone at bay, not actively trying to reach out to meet him.

110% percent will co-ordinate with you by demand. His reasoning

"Everyone should know that you and I are together"

Proceeds to be your shadow. Especially while you dance.

Will fix your duppata make sure if you are wearing something floor length it doesn't get stuck anywhere.

Also makes sure no running kids bump in to you.

Prying men off left and right.

Your cousin tries to pass you something, he takes it from the guy and gibes it to you personally, he knows he is gonna get an earful from you. He can handle it.

When its finalllllyyyyyy time to ho home he is going to have his reward for being a good sport.

Rafayel

Excited to attend more then he ever is for his own galas or exhibition.

His claims they are much more vibrant and fun with lively people unlike the boring ones with pretentious people or leeches.

Is more into picking outfits then you.

*cue a glam up montage*

No seriously he is picking out your accessories then making sure his look co-ordinate with yours.

"Now this is what I call a power couple look, I am afraid my bride out shines everyone"

He beams with pride seeing you mingle like hell yeah that girl is mine MF. Kisses you in not so secret, he will ne so pink each time, people will know what happened

Unless he finds the uncle and aunty you hated because they were toxic and problematic. Then its.on.sight!

*cue you dragging his sassy ass away*

Partakes in every traditional activity, thoroughly enjoys it with those whom you love and adore. I have mentioned it in my previous HC post that he deeply cherishes it. Is curious about the back story behind most of them.

Catch him listening to the lore and history behind the cultures from one of your older relatives.

Will find a secure spot layer for you and him to unravel after getting drained out of social battery.

Doesn't dance himself but will be at a safe distance watching you before eventually giving in and join you as well.

Uh oh somebody handed him a mic!

Prepare for the performance of a lifetime. Remember he is a siren.

No but seriously he sings so well AMD then blushes when get praised by your family.

If he catches some people gibing you two odd looks he would lean I to say things like.

"Maybe you should do that round chilli thing for evil eye."

You have no idea who told him that but now he won't stop till you do that so he can rest easy.

No evil eye is gonna cause you AMD him problem nu huh.

Zayne

Somewhere in between rafayel and Xavier, he doesn't like noisy places much but will admit Desi weddings have certain charms.

When you are getting dressed he will pointed out pros and some of things you lay out in front of him, giving you a better idea of to go with.

His hand was going for a black shirt but the moment he seed you giving him death glare from behind he gulps and pick a maroon shirt instead. Now you are back to your princess self tehehe.

Also a shadow.

Like for real you are not going to have one on one conversation with anybody, he can't help it. You look so good he just needs to be close for no other reason then maybe because he cherishes every single second, and he'd rather not be anywhere else if he can't be with you.

Zayne will make sure you eat right, that you are hydrated.

Will carry your heels and best believe he kept a pair of fuzzy slippers knowing damn well you'd need them later.

Things get steamy on the way back tho.

Again, don't blame him. You were looking too good and yes he is a composed and well mannered person but he is also a man and you are *his* girl. He is allowed to show you just how crazy you drive him.

_________________________________________

[sasukesakura7]

- Sasusaku fanfic -

Sakura: “You know, there’s just something about older men that makes them so much more… attractive.”

Ino: “Oh, absolutely! They’re more mature, more experienced… way better than some emotionally constipated guys our age.” (Looking at the other table where the boys are eavesdropping)

Hinata: “They also know how to treat a woman properly…”

Tenten: “Exactly! They have their life together. They don’t just grunt at you when you try to have a conversation.”

Sakura:(smirking)“And let’s be honest… older men have more experience in… other things too.”

Dead. Silence. Sasuke stiffened. Naruto dropped his chopsticks. Lee started sweating. Shikamaru muttered something about women being troublesome. The others just froze in motion.

Naruto: “Oi, what’s with all this ‘older men’ talk?! You guys sound like a bunch of old ladies!”

Sakura: “We just have standards, Naruto. Not our fault if some guys can’t keep up.”

Sasuke: “Tch. Sounds like you’re just easily impressed.”

Sakura: “And you sound jealous.”

Sasuke: “Maybe.”

Sakura’s breath caught. Ino screams. Naruto falls out of his chair. Hinata covers her red face. Shikamaru is speechless. Even Shino can‘t keep a straight face.

Sakura: “Well.Then do better. And not just you in particular but all of you because if not, us girls might need to test our theory of older men“

Sasuke: “You sound desperate“

Sakura:“says the one who just admitted he was jealous“

Naruto: “WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW? you just said you were jealous! Since when do you admit stuff like that?!”

Sasuke: “Tch. I said maybe. And just to tease Sakura…(looking at her) why don’t you go and flirt with Kakashi if you’re into older men? I bet he has more knowledge from all the dirty books he reads…“

Everybody drops dead after this comment. Sakura in shock stands up and goes to the boys table.

Sakura:(pointing at Sasuke)“Your are disgusting!! How can you say this? He is our sensei! He is like a father to me!“

Sasuke:(unhinged)“maybe you’re into that too… go on and test your theory“

Sakura:(grabs Sasuke by the collar)“you little piece of-„

Naruto:(steps between them)“Ugh, this is disgusting. Why don’t you two just date already?

Silence. Sakura froze. Sasuke’s fingers stilled against the cup. Naruto, completely unaware of the fire he had just set ablaze, continued rambling

Naruto: “Seriously, this whole back-and-forth thing is annoying. Just kiss or fight or—I don’t know, go punch each other and call it a date.”

Tenten snorted. Hinata hid behind her hands again. Ino screamed again. Sakura, meanwhile, felt her soul leave her body.

Sasuke:“You’re loud“

Naruto:(throwing his hands in the air) “YOU’RE AVOIDING THE QUESTION!”

Ino: “Okay, but real talk—are you two flirting or not? Because I need to know how emotionally invested I should be.”

Sakura: “We are NOT flirting!”

Sasuke: ”…Hn.”

Everyone turned to look at Sasuke.Because that “Hn” was suspiciously noncommittal.

Sakura: “Sasuke.”

Sasuke: “What?“

Sakura: “Don’t ‘what’ me! Say it properly!”

Sasuke: “Do you want me to flirt with you, Sakura?”

Sakura:(her face up in flames) “What?! No! I—I never said that—why would you even—… you’re deflecting“

Sasuke: “You’re avoiding the question.”

Sakura: “Because it’s a stupid question!”

Sasuke:(tilting his head, intensely looking in her eyes) “Is it?”

Naruto: “WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

Sakura: “NOTHING!”

Ino: “Oh, honey. This is definitely something.”

Sakura:(packing her things to go home)

You are all delusional… especially you Uchiha, you’re an arrogant bastard“

Sasuke:(amused)“I might be… but at least I am not lying to myself“

Sakura:“oh just shut up! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do than entertain your ego“

Sasuke:(smirking)“Spare me the act…“

Naruto:(defeated)“You two should get a room“

Sasuke & Sakura: You shut up !!

Everyone starts laughing knowing Naruto is right.

[transgoodman]

do you have any jackvid headcanons?

DON’T GET ME STARTED LAD. a lot of these are just jack but he’s easier to analyze and think about despite his screen time. also added some screenshots of things i’ve said in @aawilyaoi’s dms about them ummm ignore the name…

- jack has internalized “homophobia,” he’s not homophobic but he doesn’t really want to admit he has something for david. once he accepts it, he just tries his hardest to ignore it in hopes that it’ll go away.

- jack’s crush and comments on debbie are mainly a coverup. he definitely has some sort of attraction to her, but most of it he’s just exaggerating for show. it’s a crush but he overdoes it.

- both are bisexual disasters. jack knows but doesn’t really know the term and david is completely oblivious that he likes men. he thinks all the thoughts he has about jack are normal bro things.

- jack was genuinely miserable while he was dead. he tried to joke about it and make light of the situation of course, but the time he spent in “limbo” was the worst he’s ever felt. he was severely suicidal but couldn’t do anything about it cause….y’know. he was worse than he was letting on.

- casually cuddle when drunk. it’s never anything romantic, they both just get touchy when under the influence.

- we know that canonically david has siblings but what about jack? to me he seems like the type to be a middle child. an absolute terror to his younger sibling and a nuisance to his older sibling. would fight tooth and nail for both of them though. very protective of both them, more so his younger sibling. probably has two sisters honestly.

- jack fell harder than david. david has feelings for him sure but jack has a deep sort of love for him, more strong than david.

- david expresses his love through occasional touch. it’s very sparse but it’s there. jack expresses it through gifts and very very rare verbal gestures. he’s too scared to really express how much he appreciates david cause he knows he’ll never hear the end of it.

- adding on, jack brushes off his deep yearning and care for david with jokes and jabs. he truly loves and cares for david in a way he can’t explain and wouldn’t even begin to express in fear of being corny. he really does love his best friend, romantically or not, and would do anything for him. david deeply loves jack of course, but it’s not anything as deep as jack’s feelings.

- bpd jack goodman x high-functioning autism david kessler. both are undiagnosed and oblivious, since it’s the 80s and stuff. jack probably has adhd or something. jack has bad bpd spirals and can’t help it when he lashes out at david, and his “unrequited” closeted love for david does not help. it’s never anything intentional or toxic, he truly can’t help it and he doesn’t want to be the way he is but he doesn’t know how to stop or why he is the way he is. david is just socially awkward and misunderstands social cues.

- random hc but jack is great with kids and they always instantly click with him. he’s like that slightly weird uncle who takes you places when you’re supposed to be in school. david is SUUUUPER awkward around kids and they always ask him questions he doesn’t know how to answer.

- while in limbo, jack wanted nothing more than to just break and comfort david but he knew he had to stay firm and persuade him to kill himself. it truly broke him seeing his best friend in that state.

- genuine soulmates. romantic or platonic, they are soulmates and are meant to be together in every universe.

- jack drives david around because despite having a license, david can’t drive for shit and jack fears for his life while in the car with him. insists on driving them places and if david even suggests he immediately shuts him down. david gives him gas money at least.

- if david’s grief was explored more, i believe he’d have insane survivor’s guilt. it was partially his fault jack died in the first place. it was his idea to go to europe when jack didn’t want to go. he slipped and got jack killed when he stopped to help him. he would’ve been going through it had he not had alex to distract and support him.

- jack can roller skate and david CANNOT. slips and falls every time. david can ice skate but jack absolutely can’t. he goes home shivering and covered in ice shavings and vows to never go again. he does of course.

- if david is sick jack is by his side and taking care of him. he could be making him soup and would complain the entire time about how he has to help him but if david even mentions being fine he shuts it down. if jack is sick he’s complaining the entire time and if david asks if he’s sick or needs anything he’s in constant denial. he refuses to let david help.

i definitely have wayyyy more but these are all i can think of rn :( thank you for asking though these guys drive me insane.

[restinslices]

Liar

Druskelle!Matthias Helvar x Heartrender!WIfe!Reader Word count: 2347 Summary: You've kept being a Grisha secret from your husband Matthias Helvar, but what happens when he finds out? Y/N - Your name D/N - Daughter name

If it hadn’t been for two big reasons, you’d like to think you’d have left Fjerda.

The ice, the cold, the anti Grisha talk. Living in Fjerda was nerve wracking, causing you to be hypervigilant on everything you said or did. To say it was tiring, would be an understatement. Yet two people kept you in Fjerda; your husband Matthias Helvar and your daughter D/N Helvar. 

There were nights where you would toss and turn, your mind plaguing you with nightmares about Matthia finding out about you. Those nightmares never ended the same way. In one dream he’d kill you, the other you’d try to run away together, only for him to be killed. Sometimes you’d be caught instead. In the worst nightmares, it’d be your daughter who was caught and killed.

It’s not that you were afraid of Matthias. You feared him finding out because you didn’t want to lose him. Either from him leaving you, or the other Druskelle killing him.

While you were awake though, you fortunately had a friend. A woman named Elise, who lived a few houses down and was also a Grisha. A tidemaker to be more specific. 

When night fell and darkness covered you both, you two would become a particular thorn in the Druskelle’s sides. Elise would use her tidemaker abilities to create harsh waves that would knock over the boats before they could depart, or icicles that pierced the bottom of the boats, while you would free any Grisha the Druskelle decided to make a “public example” out of. That among other things caused the Druskelle to have a hit out on both of you, but since you were never caught, it was like trying to capture a shadow. 

“I know that I’m right”, Elise said. You rolled your eyes. This was the third time she brought up the possibility of her son, Erik, liking your daughter.

“They’re six Elise”

“I knew what I wanted at six! Plus, Erik gave his scarf to her. Isn’t that proof?”

“No. He noticed she was cold and he was nice”. Elise waved dismissively and went to open her mouth, but luckily Matthias emerged from the back. You had to admit, if you hadn’t known Matthias, you’d be startled by his build. He once told you that he was the tallest and biggest kid amongst the Drukelle, and you never doubted it. Even now, he was taller and bigger than most of the men you saw walking around. He absolutely terrified Elise when she first saw him, and you always brought it up when you wanted a good laugh. 

“They’re too young to date” he said simply before he placed a kiss on your cheek. “They should wait till they’re older and he can court her properly”

You spoke before Elise could make a sarcastic remark, “where are you off to?”

“Boating docks. We’ll be taking off before the week is done, and we have to stay alert”. You fought against the urge to shoot a glance at the woman sitting next to you. Matthias mistook you anxious about being caught for anxiousness about his safety. He rubbed your cheek lightly with his thumb and looked at you with soft eyes, “I’ll be ok”.

You nodded in understanding and off he went, not knowing he was watching out for you. 

~~~

You peered out your window, watching the sun start to go down. You had told the kids to be home at six bells. Foolish of you to think they’d actually listen when you weren’t watching them. 

“I’m gonna start looking for them”, you announced as you threw your coat on. Your hand hovered over the doorknob, before suddenly it was thrown open. 

Erik stood in the doorway, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing like a fish taken out of the water. His left sleeve was completely wet, and you couldn’t help but notice that your daughter was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s-”

“W-we were playing on the lake and… and… and i-it’s not my fault!”

“What isn’t your fault?”

“The ice cracked! I tried to pull her out but she kept moving!”.

Your heart sunk, your breath caught in your throat. Fjerda was always freezing, and who knew how long Erik had waited before he finally came to get both of you. 

It was one of those moments where you mentally blacked out, only fully gaining consciousness when all three of you were approaching the lake. Your feet moved faster when you noticed the hole she undoubtedly fell in. Shouts telling you to slow down fell on deaf ears as you kept running. You approached the hole, hoping maybe she was close by, but she wasn’t. You kneeled, hoping being closer to the ice would help you spot her.

You heard shuffling and panting behind you. “I told Erik to get Matthias. Do you see her?”

“Do you see her in my arms?”, you snapped unintentionally, too preoccupied to care about how harsh that sounded. 

You got back to your feet and overlapped your fingers over each other, making a triangle shape.

“Y/N anyone could see!”. You ignored her words and kept trying to feel for the familiar heartbeat.

You felt a heartbeat, but it did nothing to ease your worries when you realized how slow and faint it was. You followed it, the heartbeat leading a while away from the initial hole in the ice. 

“Elise!”, you called when you saw the familiar hair color of your daughter and her bright colored jacket. Your back stayed to Elise, afraid if you took your eyes off your daughter that she would float away again.

The ice above her cracked before it erupted, it being moved with ease. You silently said a prayer to any higher power that was listening, and thanked them for giving you a tidemaker as a friend. 

You dropped down, pulled the young girl up and laid her on the ice. Your hands went over her heart, once again ignoring the protests coming from the woman behind you. It wasn’t her child dying. It was yours.

“Come on… come on…”, you mumbled. 

You kept muttering encouraging words under your breath, as if all she needed was a good push. You kept telling her to wake up, only letting yourself let out a breath of relief when her eyes opened and she coughed up water. You pulled her up and patted her back, your own heartbeat still not slowing down. You slipped off her jacket and replaced it with your own, your own arms now freezing, but your own freezing body was the least of your concerns. 

You heard more footsteps and looked up, seeing Matthias approaching. He kneeled down, scooping her in his arms and sighing, “Let’s get her inside and get her warm. She’s freezing”.

~~~

Your heartbeat only slowed down when you laid your daughter down to sleep. You watched over her for a while, monitoring her heartbeat. You didn’t know what Matthias was doing. He started acting strange once you got home. Maybe it was shock. You couldn’t tell him how to process the near death experience of his only child.

You left your daughter’s room and made your way to your own bedroom, but your eyebrows furrowed when you noticed Matthias was nowhere to be seen. You checked the bathroom, living room and kitchen, but Matthias wasn’t there. You stepped outside, finally seeing Matthias outside standing, eyes up to the sky. 

You made your way to his side, “how long have you been out here?”. Matthias didn’t respond. You looked up at the stars like he was, “were you speaking to Djel?”.

He nodded. “I was asking for guidance and forgiveness”.

You frowned. Forgiveness for what? For not predicting what happened today? Who could have? It was an accident. A terrible accident, but an accident. You weren’t even angry at Erik or Elise.

“Today was not your fault Matthias. You don’t need to ask for forgiveness”.

Matthias once again didn’t respond. Instead, he walked back into the house. You followed him, calling his name, but getting nothing in return. You grabbed his arm, noticing when he flinched and took a deep breath.

“I know you’re scared because of what happened today. I am too, but don’t push me away. Talk to me-”

“Stop”, he said firmly. He turned to face you, and for the first time ever, he didn’t look at you with softness and love or patience and caring. His eyes were harsh, his eyes now reminding you of a storm instead of the calm sea. “How’d you find her? That’s not the hole she fell in”.

“No one knows where she fell. We weren’t there”.

“Erik was, and he said you weren’t where D/N fell. So, how’d you find her?”.

“I looked around”, you half lied. You had been looking around… just with a little help. “I saw her hair and jacket”.

“Why was there another hole?”

“It was already there”, you lied once again but Matthias didn’t look convinced. “Why… Why are you asking me this?”, you asked. You tried your best to remain calm, hoping he hadn’t seen anything, and if he did you were hoping you could lie your way out of it. You couldn’t let your nightmares come true.

“You’re lying”.

“I’m not”.

“I saw you! I saw your hands over her!”. You unintentionally backed away when his voice rose. He didn’t seem as soft and caring as he usually was. You tried to think quickly. 

“I-I was giving her CPR. There was water in her lungs, I wasn’t just gonna wait for a doctor-”

“I saw Elise break and move the ice without touching it! I saw you with your hands over D/N! Why are you still lying to me?!”.

You went silent. You couldn’t think of a lie out of this. You tried, you really did, but how could you explain that?

“You’re a liar”.

“Matthias”

“It all makes sense. What’s been happening recently. Ships wrecked, sudden bad waves, Drusje escaping, Druskelle being disoriented”, he took a pause, his eyes never getting softer “it was you two. And that’s why you kept telling me to stop being a Druskelle”.

“I…”, you thought for a moment, trying to find a good response. “I wanted to tell you but I didn’t wanna lose you-”, Matthias turned away but you kept talking, your words coming out rushed “I love and care for you so much and Matthias, Grisha are not bad people, despite what you’ve been taught”.

“Is D/N a witch?”

“Grisha are not witches and I don’t know. I didn’t think to test her yet”. Silence filled the room before Matthias spoke up again, 

“But she could be”

You moved to be in front of him, “she’s still our daughter-”

“She’s your daughter”.

You froze. All of a sudden the girl he cared for since she was a newborn, the girl he told bedtime stories to and let sleep next to him when she had a nightmare, was no longer his daughter?

“Don’t do this. She’s still your daughter. I’m still your wife!”, you pleaded. Your hands raised to cup his face but he backed away. You looked into his eyes, trying to read what he was feeling. It didn’t work. He had become a hard wall, unwilling to budge. “I love you and you love me”.

“None of this was real. This was your witchcraft. You made me fall in love with you!”

“You know that’s not true!”, you almost yelled. “Everything between us is real! I married you because I love you! I had your child because I love you! I didn’t make you fall in love with me, that’s not even how my power works!”

“You’re a witch who can boil blood and stop a pulse! Who knows what else you can do?!”

“I would NEVER do that to you or anyone else even if I could!”. You stepped closer to him, but once again he stepped back. “You can’t possibly be that afraid of me”

“I’m not afraid of witches”

“You hate me”. You waited for Matthias to deny it. For him to pull you into a hug and say he’d hear you out, but neither came. You sighed, how could all of this change in a matter of hours? “You wanna hate me, but you don’t and you know you don’t”.

Matthias looked away from you. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened his eyes again. He didn’t look back at you though. “I have to report you and Elise”.

You shook your head, “no you don’t!”. Your hands gripped his arms, sorrow and agony behind your words, “Matthias please!”.

Matthias looked down at you, “I’ll wait until half bell. After that, we’ll be looking for all of you”.

All of you.

You, Elise, Erik, your daughter.

When Matthias hadn’t budged, you ran to your daughter’s room. You quickly got her dressed and threw a coat over her tiny frame. She kept asking questions and rubbing her eyes, but you couldn’t spare any time to answer them. 

What really broke your heart though, is when she saw Matthias. She slipped from your grasp and made her way to him, “where are we going?”. Matthias picked her up and held her, and her arms and legs wrapped around him. Her head falling in the crook of his neck. You had hoped that maybe he changed his mind, but you guessed picking her up and comforting her was like a reflex, because once he seemed to realize what he was doing, he put her down and stepped away from her. 

You picked her up, ignoring her confused murmurs and spared Matthias one last glance before you left. You ran over to Elise’s house, telling her of the news. Like you, she had to wake up her child, and dress him quickly. You two knew you couldn’t go to the boat harbor, so you started on foot to the Ravkan border, the cold air freezing the tears on your face.

A/N: my bad if there's mistakes, I'm sick and this screen is hurting my eyes. Also in the books at least, they use bells instead of like, "6pm" but anyway-. I don't know if I wanna make a part 2 or leave this as a stand alone. Stay tuned to see if this sickness takes me out.

[leoisgayforwriting]

CHAPTER 1

Oh, the Gods tested him every day.

The rules were something Isamu hated.

It was the wrong time to start a fight with the King’s son, whom Isamu knew was a terrible royal.

It wasn’t his fault that the prince was a bastard who flirted with his wife and sister.

Only he should have been exiled from the kingdom, but his wife and older sister decided to come with him, abandoning their fully grown daughter and the life they had created.

Isabelle and Agafya would never leave him.

Isamu was glad they managed to get a boat at least with a bunch of their things. The Prince had tried to take his wife by saying she could divorce him and stay in the Kingdom, but he snorted as he got the boat ready when she declined and helped him.

He found it hilarious when she slapped the bastard. 

The brown-haired man looked over to Agafya and Isabelle, who hugged each other, saddened they wouldn’t be able to come back again. 

They wouldn’t be able to see their grandchildren.

A small frown was on Isamu’s lips, yet he shook his head before setting sail.

They had a long journey before they would find a new place to call home.

It was hard to tell how long they had been on the ocean.

[Border Here]

The terrible storms that would overcome their journey, Isamu didn’t know how they survived the storms.

There wasn’t any worry about food since they stocked so much.

He was glad that he had taken care of his crops. 

“Isa, you should rest.” The taller male looked over to Isabelle, her arms wrapped around Agafya. “We have a while, you'll exhaust yourself if you don't sleep.”

Isamu looked at the sky to see that the blue sky had gotten darker; it seemed he had lost track of time. 

He shook his head as he went back to focusing on sailing their ship. “I'll sleep when I find an island to stay on.” He responded. “And you know my worry outranks yours.”

Isabelle scoffed as she glared at her younger brother, yet didn’t push for an argument.

She knew he was right. If they had run into any men sailing, she knew they would look at her brother instead of her because she was the older sibling, which both hated.

“Don’t look towards me if you start dozing off.”

Isamu chuckled before he took his jacket off and wrapped it around the two women.

He had to worry about them and would ensure nothing happened to them.

He did promise that to his daughter.

Her reaction to them getting on the boat had broken his heart; he hoped he could write letters to her at least.

The King promised them that.

“Isa! An Island!” Isabelle’s voice pointed out to him, which had snapped him out of his thoughts.

He had to admit it was quick to find an island, yet his eyes narrowed when he saw it, almost like it was moving away from them.

Agafya had noticed quickly as well. “Is it…moving?” She asked, letting go of Isabelle so she could move closer to where he stood to see better. “My mother used to tell stories of islands moving, what do you think is moving it?”

The brown-haired male frowned a bit. “I don’t know, but let’s find out. We can get on the island,” he responded.

His older sister and he got to work on sailing the ship.

It was hard to manage getting onto the island, which kept moving, yet they managed. 

Isamu frowned as he looked at the island that they had gotten on. It seemed different in some way from the ones that he had seen from his home, he had to admit that he liked it here. “Woah,” Agafya covered her mouth, yet the three jumped when they heard a roar. She looked at her husband; she wanted to explore so she could see what made that noise. “We have got to check that out!”

The brown-haired male frowned at the smaller woman. “We are not! We will just have to find somewhere to camp out, you are crazy if-” he was cut off by his older sister storming past him. “Belle! What are you doing?!” “I’ll go with her; we are checking out what made that noise,” Isabelle told her little brother. The two women completely ignored his protest and disappeared into the forest.

“Ahhh!” Isamu rubbed his eyes. “My, why did the Gods give me stubborn women?” 

He stayed focused as he managed to find a cave that they could stay in, so he set up camp. He looked proud of himself once he had finished, and it looked pretty nice. He looked around, wondering if he could find Isabelle and Agafya.

“Isabelle!! Agafya??” “Isa!!”

Isamu rushed over to where he heard his name, only to find his wife holding a creature. She grinned as she held the creature up to him, “Look! Isn’t he adorable?” she asked.

The taller man looked confused as he held the creature. “He?” he made a face as he looked at it. It looked like a dragon from the tales that he was told as a child. “My love, you can’t just grab random creatures you find- its mother is probably worried about it.” “It’s a he! He told me so.” Agafya had her arms crossed as she shook her head. “That’s why he found me! He got lost, we should find his parents!”

He could feel his eye twitch as he stared at his wife. 

She was going to make him lose his mind.

“Where is Isabelle?” Isamu asked as he allowed the creature to climb into his hair, and he helped his wife up from where she had been sitting. “She said she was going to stick with you, I set up our camp and everything, yet you both somehow got lost.”

The shorter woman shrugged her shoulders. “She said she was going to look for his parents.” She tried explaining.

The taller man sighed as he stared at his wife. 

Yeah, he was going to die because of these women, and he was going to allow it to happen just because he loved them. 

Agafya just smiled at him, knowing he was going to look for his older sister with her. “I know the direction she went in~!” She giggled as she started walking. The brown-haired man sighed as he followed his wife. The small dragon that had gotten comfortable in his hair chirped as the two humans began looking for the third human. He found them odd, but he liked them. Hopefully, nothing wrong happens.

[bellaaldamas]

speaking of hel, I always imagined an atreus and angrboda corruption arc involving her death, and since I'm obsessed with the mythology I'd love to see sms take both of them to a more "gray" characterization, just like their counterparts in the mythology.

I'd love to see them doing anything to bring their daughter back, and when they finally can, they're met with the fact that she can't live outside helheim, making the only place where she can have a sort of “normal childhood” and grow older is in the realm of the dead. (I haven't thought about how that would work, I'm just really into the concept of them having to accept that no matter what, their daughter is “gone”)

idk if this makes sense at all

Definitely a possible scenario, if not entirely the one I would hope for myself but would enjoy and embrace if executed right. I admit to my bias regarding mythological references and the idea that mythological accuracy translates to cultural accuracy when it's not the case. As a person of Greek background, my main issue is viewing Greek mythology as a representation of Greek culture and values and rejecting any media that attempts a different approach. Including media that redefines mythology in order to show Greek characters or people of any culture as multi-dimensional persons rather than stereotypes.

A common complaint from the non-Greek "progressives" is that Disney's Hercules "makes a mockery of Greek mythology" and therefore is supposedly not a "good representation" when it's actually one of the few positive and respectful cultural representations Disney has ever presented. It treated the characters as individuals with their own complex experiences rather than walking stereotypes: Hercules as a young man craving validation and ultimately realizing social approval is far less important in the grand scheme of things than finding contentment and adjustment in your personal life with an equal partner and loving parents even if they are not your biological family (and even if said biological family parted with you due to forces completely beyond their control). Phil as a disillusioned middle aged male who could have easily remained cynical, bitter and limited his attempts to change his life for the better to harassing random women. But instead chose to reevaluate his views and realize it was up to him, first and foremost, to "go the distance" and be an example for a younger generation of men and boys. And obviously Meg and the Muses who openly discussed the issue of chauvinism and oppression of women. And whose entire storyline smashed the modern "feminism" (which is actually not feminism at all but a repackaged patriarchy in a girlboss form) by highlighting that hating men and rejecting the idea of romantic relationship with them is not "progressive" nor does it make women safe. What is progressive is a woman celebrating her romantic agency and acting on it even if the man she is attracted to might potentially not meet her expectations or prove to be unscrupulous (and if that ends up being the case it would be his fault, not hers; hence why Meg's ex ended up betraying her after she made sacrifices for him whilst Hercules sacrificed just as much for her as she did for him - because people regardless of gender are individuals with agency rather than a function to make anyone's life better or worse).

In that vein, Gow series offering their own take on myths has never been a problem for me. I have a much bigger issue with fandom "progressives" involving Lysandra in their HCs in order to "progressify" her and imply that her being "just" a devoted wife to Kratos was never enough to absolve her of a "Greek doormat proto wife" stereotype. SMS is the main culprit of this perception though because they know their target audience now includes the young leftists who don't go beyond the surface (much like the right wing dudebros). They, thus, would only see Lysandra as a female character whose role was "limited" to being Kratos's "Doormat Dead Wife" (as opposed to the "quirky and feminist Nordic Dead Wife" that was Faye; which is the perception of Faye that dehumanizes her completely and makes me want to defend her even more). Therefore Lysandra needs to be "fixed" and/or be included in assorted "progressive HCs". Again, I hold SMS accountable for that perception to a much greater extent than the fans who just go along with what is shown to them.

Greek women can't win because we have to deal with misogynistic "men of the house" first and then we have to deal with media and progressives trying to "fix" us.

What I hope for in the upcoming games is Kratos honestly telling Atreus about both his sister Calliope and about Lysandra. GowR already made a step towards that by having Kratos have a heart to heart with Freya about Calliope but him not mentioning Lysandra to anyone in his current life (and the current timeline) is still problematic.

Notably, that artwork SMS reblogged where Angrboda pays her respects to Lysandra and Calliope by creating an art piece dedicated too them and "including" them in the family feast would be a perfect way to rectify those issues, were such a scene to happen in canon.

Hel's "half-dead" myth reference can absolutely come into play because SMS is known for incorporating myth references but offering their own spin on them (that's the foundation of the Gow series). While I don't necessarily want a "dark arc" for either Atreus and Angrboda, it would definitely be a fulfilling storyline to have Atreus in particular to fight for his family and not repeat any of Kratos's mistakes. I mentioned before that Atreus and Angrboda should mirror the positive aspects of Kratos and Faye's story while avoiding the more problematic ones such as lies and keeping major secrets from one another, even for selfless reasons.

Therefore, Atreus and Angrboda, by being perfectly honest with one another and doing everything to save their daughter together, could break the cycle of problematic parenting that Kratos, Faye and Freya all exhibited at different points and to varying degrees. Their challenges will come from external forces and if they do choose to go a darker route, it would be the route for themselves only, but not for "Hel" (whatever her name would be).

[notesfromthepalace]

Don't Be Jenny from the BLOCK!

No tea no shade to Jen, that's my sister, I LOVE HER!

When I say "don't be Jenny from the block" - what I am referring to is dating someone from your neighborhood, your town, you high school, and if you've glowed up after college, I would say extend that to anyone you've met before the age of 23.

In the words of Joseline Hernandez (I'll explain why I love her in another post), don't be a "$2 hoe".

I repeat, DON'T BE A $2 HOE!

Now, let's get into some things.

You today, in your mid 20s, should be the best version of yourself:

The finest

Prettiest

Skin Glowing

Hair always done

Nails done

Just That Girl, Okay?!

Whether I am being casual or saditty, I am That Girl, ten toes down.

Do you know why I choose to show up as That Girl no matter what?

Because I remember when I was this girl:

Now, to be clear I have had NO cosmetic procedures. I just grew up, slimmed down, filled up in the right spots, figured out what to do with my hair and skin care, etc. There's really nothing wrong with me in the above photo except for how I felt about myself. I thought I was ugly so my confidence was low, and I did not think I was deserving of love or the finer things in life.

Naturally, the guys around me treated me how I felt about myself.

But when I believed that I was all that and a bag of chips, I definitely gave that in my aura and appearance, but I still entertained a childhood love. I don't doubt that he loved me but he treated me as the girl in the green dress and would get annoyed when I demanded better.

But you know what, it's not his fault. He was treating me like the $2 Hoe he meant in the sixth grade - and not because I was actually a $2 hoe, but when I use that term, I mean a person who feels like they are less then.

If he had met me today, he probably would have admired me from a distance because he would've knew he could not provide what I require. But because he met me in another life chilllllle, he thought yesterday's price was today's price, but it wasn't - hints why I finally dumped him.

Every person I met after the age of 23 is completely different from people I met in my adolescent years. This isn't tea or shade to my close girlfriends, but as you get older and your values change, you realize that the conversations you are having in new circles feels more natural because the older conversations are beneath you.

This whole $2 hoe thing applies not only to dating, but your friends and the conversations you entertain as well - it's like a frequency you admit, a low vibrational frequency.

For example: I have friends who still "roster date" - meaning they have a routine/rotation of men that they go out with - which is their prerogative. I am a happily monogamous woman who is on her way to engagement and soon there after, marriage.

mon amour

There are conversations that I don't want to have anymore. I don't want to hear how you feel played by the man you knew was married, or how John and Joe found out about each other, etc.

The conversations now should be about investing, skin care regiments and medical spa recommendations, marriage, children, family, whether to be a stay at home mom or to pursue careers, and how to go about being mothers, wives and financially comfortable, how to support our future husbands: these are the conversations that peak my interest.

I left the block about five years ago. Once in a blue, I go back home to visit family and get my hair done, but I don't make a big deal or announcement about my arrival because I am not trying to invite the rift raft that comes with it.

The block is no longer my Ohana.

I have created my own.

Sometimes leaving home and cutting off old friends and leaving romances from our early years sounds scary, but my dear, you will not regret it.

Now, my girlfriends that I have known for over 10+ years know I'm not talking about them because we all still talk. But is there some distance between some of my old girlfriends and I?

Absolutely.

And that's okay. You're real friends will understand that because we're all growing and changing. It's called evolution.

Evolve

Grow

Be that girl.

And if someone tries to make you feel bad for that, especially a man: unfollow, block, throw away everything that person gave to you, sever the soul tie.

As always ladies,

God is King

Be beautiful.

With love,

Sarah Chanel

[landosetewins]

Really appreciate the essay, thank you so much for giving me your time.

I may have time admit that since I am Italian I initially felt like a “need”(?) to cheer for Charles, and at the start it almost also worked fine. I was like, yuppie Ferrari yeah, and then I just let myself be a little mire unbiased and realised that I just- his racing didn’t really do anything to me.

I looked at Carlos, I felt like the literal rainbow could shine out of his car when he was driving because oh God! The simplest explanation as to why I love Carlos is that he is such an intelligent and strategical driver that for a silly girl like me who has some difficulties with getting a hang on the technical part of F1 he is the best driver to understand what it actually means to race.

I can’t tell you if that front wing design is good or bad for the life of me, but I can tell you with certainty that Carlos flipping through a pantone magazine to decide how much pressure he should put on his brakes and tyres in Silverstone 2024 is one of the hottest things I have ever seen.

Charles doesn’t give me that, I can objectively see that he is a tremendously talented driver but I think he relies too much on that without realising that F1 isn’t just Ferrari’s pitwall making decisions for him. When he said “I’m going to start thinking for myself” my first thought was that, don’t worry Charles, Ferrari is already thinking about you and just you, the real problem is that you should think “by yourself” which is different.

This year Lando started giving me the same feeling as Carlos, which is the reason why I started liking him so much. And to be fair, I feel much more comfortable in blogs dedicated to Carlos/Lando than blogs dedicated to Charles.

The latter always look like there must be a divine intervention of some sorts, while I prefer the critical thinking, I prefer taking about the strategies and reading the data and thinking about what could’ve been done in millions hypothetical scenarios.

I literally saw someone say that Charles got angry at Carlos after the race because he wanted a possibility to stay closer on the track to Max(?).

Like, what the hell?

Babe this is a sport, it’s not yandere simulator.

So, again, your blog makes me feel comfortable and happy and so thank you for your answer.

Even if I am writing in anon I want to specify that J am not completely against Charles, I am against the santification of Charles and lestappen, I am against the hate other drivers get because of Charles, I am against Charles when his actions and words become disrespectful to other drivers or even his own team mechanics, something that Lando never did and yet he is being accused of.

You could say anything about Lando, that perhaps some of his answers were immature or that he should’ve thought twice before speaking, alright. But he always held Max with high respect (he said it a billion times, and Max is still so proud of him and talks good about him so I don’t see why we shouldn’t believe it) and he always thanked his team and brought the fault to himself even when it wasn’t his own (e.g. Hungary).

Charles… well, this last weekend speaks for itself.

Thank you ❤️ (sorry for the essay 😭)

no thank YOU for letting me write an essay and yap my heart out!!

i didn't have anything like that, the last time a driver from my country raced was before i was even born, so like yeah. here it's a huge toss up of fans, like of course mainly ferrari, merc, mclaren and red bull.

the men mostly red bull. the young people mclaren. the old white duded ferrari. and merc some other older but not young people. but yeah, most people i've met (the three f1 fans at my school, my cousins and such) are mclaren fans strangely enough.

shit i'm yapping again sorry!! but i do understand feeling the need to cheer for him giving you're italian!!

i'm not saying charles is a bad driver, but like there are better people for sure (ahem carlos). but like when i got into the sport i also like tried to make myself like charles (and lestappen), but like as time went on i just couldn't.

yes!! carlos appreciation!! i stand by the opinion that no matter who ferrari dropped, they would have been in the shit. but carlos, he's just got something special that few others have.

carlos is definitely an amazing driver and just like overall: smart, if that makes sense.

i have really seen only one lando/carlos blog that's isn't really amazing. but other than that, i'd say lando/carlos blogs are the more welcoming ones. i've talked about this with a friend multiple times, but we only pick fights when you say something about our driver, i'd say we mostly keep to ourselves (till i'm pissed and start instigating)

but i do agree, this little circle of tumblr lando specifically blogs have my heart, it's to me a community like no other. yapping again sorry!!

that reminds me of people trying to constantly bring lestappen shit onto track. "oh look how they fought they're so in love" no babes, no.

I LOVE THAT "this is a sport, not a yandere simulator" people absolutely need to start realizing that omfg, i love rpf as much as the next person. but let's look at a key word here fiction. it's not real. two drivers aren't fucking.

awww thank you for that, it makes me happy to know at least one person is comfortable on my blog 💕💕

i get that, but i am completely against sharl. i said this in a post once i think. but i liked sharl when i first got into the sport, then in spain (i think) he threw me off a bit. tried to ignore it. and i'll be honest here, i was happy when he won monza cause i was so pissed at oscar and i was like well if lando can't win it i don't fucking want oscar to, so yeah, i'll take a sharl win above that.

and then, good lordy, vegas. i feel i've said enough about that, but i just decided to fully put on my anti sharl cloak and go with it.

again, double standards!!

none of the drivers think twice before speaking. i know for a fact everyone on that grid has said worse shit than lando and NEVER were crucified for it.

this last weekend definitely does. and i'm happy his true colours finally showed.

no again, thank YOU!!! i love essays and please continue leaving them!! 💞💞

[writing-whump]

I don't chat or DM, but I'll ask a question to get to know your characters better. For the pack-three, how would each of them describe the others, if they were being totally transparent and honest? And how would the three brothers describe each other? I just love knowing OCs inner thoughts, if you don't mind sharing.

Lis! I'm still dying of curiosity to hear your Dylan and Rip thoughts! No pressure though :)

That is a very interesting, thank you for sending this!✨️

Seline:

Matthew has no idea how much respect she has for him tbh. For her, he is very disciplined and dedicated and she admires how much he works on his shadow despite the added difficulty. And she loves how kind he is despite the scary tough guy play he enjoys so much. If she was honest, she would admit that she used to think his shadow and anger issues are his own fault for not trying enough, but she has grown a lot more empathic and understanding of them since living with him.

As for Isaiah, this is the one man she feels internally and externally attracted to. Her friends were falling in love left and right, and she was like, where is it? Where is the big love? Why do I not feel anything? Where is the connection and conversation? She rationalizes her feelings too much. At uni, she started to admire professors, so older smart men that managed to be intellectually stimulating. Isaiah does manage this too, while being so so very kind, generous and empathetic to others. At first she thought he would be someone to let people walk over him, who doesn't respect himself enough, but she has since seen him in his powerful, magnetic and charming moments and his kind moments and his traumatic broken glimpses...and now admires and loves him a big deal. She would not admit for million years how much she is starting to rely on him or better, how much she yearns to rely on him but doesn't quite let herself yet.

Matthew:

Isaiah is like...this giant insane saint to him. Came out of nowhere, saved him once, twice, then five times, then wanted to help train him, gave him chances over and over. He doesn't get why he does it, but he feels like Isaiah let's him evolve and be his best self, and that best self is someone who can be an equal partner to him too. That's really Matthew's goal and wish in being Isaiah's second in the traditional pack roles, someone Isaiah can rely and count on, cause who will save the savior?

Seline is this stuck up little witch that rejected him on first sight, first loathing him, then being afraid of him...but she also makes such an effort to be more than just a witch by aiming for a research career, to be a worthwhile person that brings something to the world and not just her own pleasure and identity as a witch. She has no idea this is something he so deeply admires about her.

Isaiah:

Matthew is mishandled potential to him. Isaiah understands that training makes a wolf, and while his was way too brutal at the end, it was good at the start. He sees Matthew as a child completely failed by his caretakers, someone who deserved more, can do better and will always try his best. If only he knew how. Matthew would not be happy with this description, lol.

Seline is an etherical being to him. Isaiah wanted to find his purpose outside of being a wolf, when he first came into the pack and witches were flocking to him for his powerful shadow, so he stopped hoping there would be one really worth his time. He would describe her as someone who lives in several worlds at once, that doesn't need others for the complexity and beauty of what is in her mind. The fact she lives in her head too much sometimes, so she doesn't notice his secrets, doesn't push his trauma bottoms, doesn't insist on finding out the truth there and then immediately, are big things to him. She doesn't know this is something that he likes (and she would be more careful about it if she knew how much he is hiding). He is a secretive person by nature and nurture, and she is too tolerant and doesn't pry (though sometimes she maybe should).

Hector is...a very dynamic, very goal-oriented, focused and amazing child to him. He is someone of untapped potential, because Isaiah thinks he can do better and will be better, but isn't that far yet. Hector is just 2 years younger, but Isaiah keeps him out of stuff exactly for this reason - he feels too responsible, like he has to shield him, like Hector doesn't have the maturity to handle things yet, especially not if anything about Isaiah would seem imperfect. Isaiah doesn't think Hector forgives imperfection.

For Isaiah, Arnie is way too mature for his age. Knows and sees and understands way too much and isn't emotionally at the right place with it yet. He feels protective of him, because Arnie is too far ahead of his years, because he should be protected and nurtured more than he was.

Hector:

Isaiah is kind of a failed idol who is growing to be an idol after all, but in a different way. He is the perfect wolf, and the traitor of Hector's image of that perfection. He is wasted potential to him, someone who could have been powerful but decides every day to be weaker. (He doesn't yet quite accept nor respect Isaiah's way of life lol). But he is also someone to seek guidance and reassurance from, the only one Hector would actually listen to in certain matters. Hector wants to beat him more than anyone because he also admires him more than anyone (and it is very hard for Hector to respect people in the first place, he is way too judgmental and has one track mind of "strength is my biggest value" lol).

Arnie is for Hector what power without power looks like. The smartness, the boldness, the slyness, the ability to destroy people with words (I don't show this enough but in the RP this is quite the plot point). Hector is acutely aware of his loathing of humans, of Arnie's loathing of humans and of his own respect for Arnie's strength despite it. He is also protective as hell of this kid that would make such an excellent wolf, if only. Arnie is the biggest source of empathy for him.

Arnie:

Hector is a hero figure to him. Yeah he has some flaws, but they are forgettable and not worth mentioning to other people. In fact, Arnie feels like he is the only one close enough to Hector to understand the sheer capacity of Hector's awesomeness, because the sour, judgy, mean and unrelenting attitude is mostly what people get on the surface. But that's way too little. And the only one who can judge, insult or annoy him to be better is Arnie, obviously.

Isaiah is someone defined by gentlessness to Arnie. Isaiah was the main and only source of any mothering soothing reassurance in Arnie's childhood without his mother and an ignorant father. Isaiah was the only mature, understanding and patient one around. Isaiah is comfort to him in such a way that Arnie couldn't give up on the idea of him even estranged and apart from him. Maybe it was because he saw that side to Isaiah who is otherwise seen through his power and skill to everyone else that Arnie believed there had to be a good reason for Isaiah leaving and doing all those "unforgivable" things to the pack.

I went into bit of meta ramblings, because these aren't things the characters quite realise. If they had to answer like in an interview, would be a bit different again.

[lockes-woods]

Stuck Chapter 6

“So, it wasn’t a sex thing, but sex isn’t off the table?” Sanji asked Himiko as they make their way back to her apartment to meet up with Vivi and Nami. They had just finished their opening shift at the café.

“I guess; that part wasn’t super clear. Mihawk made it clear that if we were to have sex that it wouldn’t affect any of their payments to me. So, it wouldn’t cause the payment to stop, increase or decrease.” Himiko said as they paid their fare and waited for the train back to her downtown apartment.

“What did Shanks say?” he asked, shifting his weight from foot to foot impatiently.

“Um, he said that it was pointless for them not to admit that they find me attractive. And that sex would only happen if I wanted it.” she replied shyly.

“So, Shanks was up front with it, but Mihawk was more round about with it.” Sanji asked.

“I guess so? Mihawk did not confirm or deny whether or not he found me attractive or if he wanted to sleep with me.” Himiko answered as they entered the packed subway car. Himiko and him found a spot to stand in the corner. She quickly grabbed a strap before the train jerked into motion. She envied Sanji’s ability to keep balanced and hold a drink carrier with three full hot drinks without spilling a drop. She was struggling to keep her tote bag on her shoulder and hold her iced latte at the same time.

 “Just because he didn’t explicitly say it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be with you.” He pointed out as he relaxed into his stance.

 “I guess; If I’m being honest, I still can’t believe they are willing to pay that much money to hang out with me when one of them is busy.” Himiko said.

 “Would you also have to hang out with them when they’re together?" he asked.

 “I don’t know; I was kinda blind sided by the proposition as a whole to ask any follow up questions.” Himiko started, “It kinda all just sound too good to be true.”

 “I don’t know, I’m not saying you should throw caution into the wind and go for it,but this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to get your degree. I’d drop everything if I got a chance to like that.” Sanji said honestly. “If you don’t go for it, I might have to throw my hat into the ring,” He joked. She just rolled her eyes at him as they made their way up the three flights of steps to her place.

“It’s not like I’m completely ruling it out I just need to talk out my options before I agree to this kind of arrangement.”

“I know, I know. I just can’t really think of any downsides to an arrangement like this. It’s not even like they’re creepy old men. They’re both super hot.”

 “How do you know Shank’s hot?” Himiko laughed as she fished out her keys.

 “Oh, I’ve been cyber stalking them since Thursday night.”

 “Really?” Himiko asked as she opened the door.

 “What? If my besties entering into a sugar daddy situation, I want to know all the facts first. Also, it’s partially his fault for having a public Instagram.” Sanji said, defending himself.

 “Is this even considered a sugar daddy situation?” she asked as they made their way into the apartment.

 “Oh, it’s totally a sugar daddy situation.” Nami called out from the kitchen.

 “I thought you had to be having sex for it to be labeled that.” Himiko asked confused.

 “Sugar daddy refers to a relationship between older men and younger women where gifts are exchanged for company or sex,” Vivi answered, reading off of her phone.

 “You just had that at the ready?” Himiko laughed while the four of them made their way into the living room.

 “You say that like she doesn’t have a whole ass power point prepared.” Nami said with a smile.

 “There’s a power point?” Himiko asked confused.

 “I mean yeah. When Nami asked me to look into them I took it seriously.” Vivi said slightly embarrassed.

 “Why’d she asks you to look into them?” Sanji asked. Himiko was equally confused until she remembered-

 “Because her major is in homeland security.” Himiko answered now feeling dumb.

 “Oh, I always thought you were majoring in cyber security.” He said, handing Vivi her drink.

 “That was my major until I found out that they offered a homeland security major; I’m now minoring in cyber security.” She answered as she took a seat on the couch next to Nami. Sanji circled round the coffee table and took the last spot on the couch leaving the armchair for Himiko.

 “Anyway, I gave both of them a general background check as well as combing through their social medias.” Vivi started as her power point popped up on their TV.

 “Is this all really necessary? It feels like an invasion of privacy.” Himiko asked slightly flustered.

 “Hey, if you’re going to be financially dependent on these guys, I want to make sure everything is on the up and up.” Nami answered seriously while Sanji nodded his head in agreement.

 “Okay, I guess you can start whenever you’re ready Vivi.” Himiko said as she got comfortable in her seat.

 “Overall neither of them has a criminal history, or any habits that may become debilitating. They have been married for the past four years; it’s unclear when they first got together. They are both openly queer; Shanks post about their relationship more often than Mihawk does. That being said Mihawk post less overall so their proportion of post about their relationship is about the same.” Vivi states before clicking through the title slide to a picture of them together on a tropical beach somewhere. Sanji lets out a low whistle that Himiko rolls her eyes at.

 “Alright so I’ll start off with Shanks,” she said clicking through to the next slide. “He graduated from our university’s undergraduate program at 22 summa cum laude. He majored in political science. Two years later he graduated summa cum laude with a master’s in law. After graduation he immediately started working for the Oro Jackson law firm.” Vivi said clicking to the next slide that showed a younger Shanks shaking hands with Gol D. Rogers.

 “God damn,” Sanji said checking out the photo on the screen.

 “Really?” Himiko asked exasperated as she threw a pillow at his head.

 “What, I have eyes and that man is fine at any age.” Sanji defended himself as he rubbed the spot where the pillow hit him.

 “I mean I’m gay and even I have to admit that they’re both super hot.” Nami said while Vivi nodded in agreement.

 “Can we just continue?” Himiko narked.

 “Gladly,” Vivi said clicking to the next page labeled Career Cont. “He worked his way up the corporate ladder and made partner when he was 31. He regularly works pro bono and is heavily involved in the firm’s community outreach. It’s rumored that he will be starting his own law firm in the next couple of years.”

 “Damn he’s hot and has a good heart,” Nami said while she put down her drink and settled into the couch. Sanji nodded in agreement looking at the picture of him dreamily.

 “He has an excellent credit score and co owns two properties; a penthouse in uptown and a lake house an hour outside the city. He also has an impressive investment portfolio.” Vivi said as she clicked through the slide listing his fiscal qualities before she continues, “To rap up Shank’s portion the only semi red flag I could find was the amount of time he spends at your bar per week, but that may have more to do with you than his drinking habits.” Vivi finished. Himiko can feel her face heat up at Vivi’s comment as she avoided eye contact and played with the tassels on the throw pillow she was hugging. Now that she thought about it, he normally only had one or two drinks when he wasn’t celebrating a win. On the quieter nights he would opt to sit at the bar and talk. Sometimes alone or sometimes with fellow partners from the firm.

 “Mihawk is one year younger than Shanks but graduated the same year from the same university.” Vivi continued snapping Himiko out of her train of thought; her head shot up to continue to follow along with Vivi’s presentation. “He also graduated summa cum laude with a degree in microbiology. He went to a graduate program out of state before returning to the city to start his internship at center city hospital. He is currently an attending physician in the surgical department; his specialty is in neurosurgery. He is being primed to take over as chief of surgery when the current chief retires.” Vivi pauses to take a sip of her drink before continuing. “He shares the same fiscal portfolio as Shanks. As far as I could tell there are no red flags for Mihawk. He appears to be more of a home body than Shanks is.” Vivi finished as she clicked through the end of her slide show.

 “Thanks for putting all this together,” Himiko said turning from the TV back to facing the couch.

 “Oh, it was nothing.” Vivi said slightly flustered, “Honestly it was good practice.”

 “I think you did a great job babe,” Nami said beaming at Vivi. Vivi returned a shy smile.

 “Okay, so I’m not seeing any downsides to this.” Sanji said glancing around them to see if anyone disagreed.

 “I mean my only hang up was possibly outing them or for this to be a beard kinda situation, but if they’re already both out I don’t really have any concerns.” Himiko said.

 “I honestly didn’t find anything sketchy and they’re definitely making enough money to support you without it breaking the bank.” Vivi commented.

 “I feel better about this than I did before the presentation, but I still not a hundred percent there.” Nami said honestly.

 “Would you feel better if you met them?” Himiko asked, “You, Luffy and Vivi are the only ones that haven’t met either of them.”

 “Maybe, I don’t want to stain your relationship with them while it’s still forming.” Nami answered.

 “I don’t think either of them would mind meeting them. If they did that would honestly be a red flag I’d like to know about.” Himiko said as she pulled out her phone to text the Dilf’s group chat.

  “If you’re okay with then yeah, it’d make me feel better to know who you’ll be spending your free time with.” Nami nodded. Himiko opened up her messenger app and started typing.

Himiko: Hey, I’m almost done deciding,

Himiko: sorry it’s taking so long.

Himiko: Can my sister meet you before I decide?

Shanks: You have nothing to be sorry about.

Shanks: We want you to be confident in your decision.

Shanks: Mihawk is most likely doing rounds right now but he should be free in about an hour. Do you and your sister want to meet up at the botanical garden then?

 “When do you work today?” Himiko asked looking up at Nami.

 “Um one sec.” Nami says pulling out her phone, “I work at 3:30.”

 “Are you okay with meeting up with them in like an hour in center city?” she asked.

 “Yeah, that’ll work.” Nami nodded. Himiko nodded and sent a text confirming the time and place.

***

 “Why do I feel nervous?” Nami laughed as they ascended the subway steps up to center city.

 “I don’t know this feels pretty low steaks to me; you’re basically just doing a vibe check.” Himiko responded.

 “Yeah, but what if I mess up the vibe check and cost you this opportunity; or worse I think they pass the vibe check and then they do something awful.” Nami said with a concerned look on her face.

 “I think you’re overthinking this. Even if you make the wrong call, it’s in no way your fault. If they do something bad it’s solely on them not you.” Himiko said comfortingly as they stopped at the entrance to the garden.

 “Ready?” Himiko asked looking at Nami.

 “Ready,” Nami confirmed with a smile as they make their way to the center of the garden. Himiko immediately spotted the back of Shank’s head as they approached behind him. She didn’t see Mihawk yet, but they were early.

 “Is that him?” Nami whispered, nodding in Shank’s direction. Himiko nodded as they got within shouting distance of him. Shanks turned his head at the sound of crunching leaves and greeted them with his breath-taking smile.

 “Hey, Himiko early as always.” He teased as he got up from his seat on the bench.

 “You say that like you haven’t been earlier than me both time’s we’ve met outside of work.” Himiko laughed.

 “That’s only because my lovely husband likes to nag me into being early to things.” He joked, “Ah, speak of the devil.” Shanks said nodding behind them. Nami and Himiko turned to see Mihawk coming towards them in long strides.

 “Sorry for being late,” he said as he came into their cluster, “You must be Nami,”

He said holding out his hand to her. Nami exchanged a small smile and returned his handshake.

 “I don’t think you were late,” Himiko said checking her phone, “We were all just early.”

 “I suppose so, but I’m still sorry you had to wait.” Mihawk said as they turned to face him in a circle. After a pause Shanks broke the silence by greeting Nami.

 “I’m Shanks by the way,” he said holding out his hand. Nami shook it before he continued. “You’re sisters?” he asked glancing between them with a quirked brow.

 “Oh, she’s adopted,” Nami said in a mock whisper as she blocked her mouth’s view from Himiko with her hand.

 “You say that like you’re not also adopted.” Himiko says exasperated causing both men and Nami to laugh.

 “So, is it just the two of you living in the city?” Shanks asked.

 “Yeah, we moved here for a fresh start after our mom passed away a few years ago.” Nami answered.

 “We actually have a third sister, Nojiko, she’s the oldest out of the three of us. She decided to stay home in Florida. She co-owns and runs a tangerine grove.” Himiko adds on.

 “I didn’t realize that you were from the south.” Mihawk said tilting his head.

 “Oh, I’m not I was born in the northeast. My dad and I moved around a lot while I was growing up. We just happened to be in Florida when he passed away and Bellemere, Nami’s mom, took me in.” Himiko filled in.

 “I’m sorry to hear you had so many losses so close together.” Shanks said sympathetically.

 “I appreciate that, but we’re alright; it’s not like we had to go through it alone.” Himiko responded.

 “Yeah, we always had each other.” Nami nodded, bumping shoulders with Himiko as they shared a smile.

 “Now that we’ve met is there anything in particular you would like to know about us?” Mihawk asked looking down at Nami.

 “Not really, I mostly came here as a vibe check, and you both seem fine. I was really more making sure you two weren’t psycho murderers.” Nami answered honestly, before turning to Himiko. “Even though you don’t really need it, you have my blessing.”

 “Thanks Nom.” Himiko said

 “Anytime Ko,” Nami said before looking down at her phone, “I should head to work. It was nice meeting both of you.” Nami nodded at the two men before heading off.

 “No pressure, but have you made your decision yet?” Shanks asks turning his attention back to Himiko. She bit her lip and nodded.

 “Yes, I’m in.” She answered.

 “That’s great!” Shanks said with a smile, Mihawk nodded in agreement.

 “When would you be able to start?” Mihawk asked.

 “It’ll take two weeks for my schedule to change at work. After that I would be able to do this part time until the semester ends.”

 “Alright, I guess we’ll plan to start on the 3rd of December?” Shanks asked.

 “That sounds right,” Himiko nodded, “I should be able to see you in between that time depending on my schedule.”

 “Alright, I’m glad we were able to work this out,” Mihawk starts glancing down at his watch, “I should head back to work.” He said before pecking Shanks on the lip and nodding at Himiko with a small smile. He turned and headed back to the side door he came out of.

 “Can I walk you back to the subway?” Shanks asked smiling down at Himiko.

 “Sure,” she said returning the smile. Their hands brushed every few steps as they made their way back to the street.

MASTER LIST

[numerousbees1106]

If You Touch It, You Might Drown

Tumblr fucked up my formatting, so if the tags sound interesting to you, go read on Ao3 for a better viewing experience. https://archiveofourown.org/works/54921667

CW for past implied non-con, though nothing is explicit and the word itself is never used.

“What’s the last thing you remember, General?” Rex asked. He looked old - they all did, now. They were haggard and aged by time and circumstance, their faces wrinkled and their hair graying despite the glow that held steadfast in their eyes.

Anakin hesitated.

“Rushing to the Chancellor’s office,” he lied after a moment’s pause. He couldn’t tell them - not yet, perhaps never. It was one thing to wake up in a strange ship secured with the most extreme measures possible short of just freezing him in carbonite or dangling him above an endless pit. It was one thing to panic (quite understandably, he thought) at this, and it was one thing to realize that all his friends, all his family, appeared two decades older than when he last saw them, only for him to realize he had seen them, somewhere, sometime since everything went hazy, fuzzy, blurred around the edges and misted over like fogged glass. It was one thing to realize with sickening, unparalleled horror and disgust that his body, his skills he had prided himself in and worked so hard to hone, had been weaponized and used against those Anakin loved, those he swore to protect. It was one thing to realize his comatose corpse had been made into a warlord, had been used to terrorize the Galaxy for the many years Anakin had been… absent. It was one thing for him to realize he had been chipped, and before that, mind-controlled by the man Anakin once trusted with his life and with the life of his friends and family, the man he adored and worshiped and served - it was another thing entirely to admit out loud what had happened in that office, what that same man had done to break him enough to slip through the cracks and take over.

Anakin didn’t think he had the strength to admit what happened in the privacy of his own mind, for that matter. He could face all other truths - even the harshest truths, the truth that Ahsoka had grown up so much without him, the truth that Padmé was gone, dead before Anakin could admit his feelings towards her. He could face the truth that the war had ended, that everything he had fought and strived for, everything he and his men had bled and died for, had been nothing but a farce, a graceless yet grossly glorified game. He could face them all, except the truths related to the Chancellor, to the way the man had so successfully blinded Anakin to it all, had taken the world and the Galaxy as a whole and even reality itself, had torn it down, had rebuilt it again tilted ever-so-slightly in his favor. Anakin couldn’t face the depths of his closest friend’s treachery, the betrayal that ran deep beneath Anakin’s fault lines, that threatened to break him apart completely.

More importantly, he couldn’t even stand to think about what he had done to him.

“General,” Rex sighed, sounding disappointed. Anakin flinched, minutely, at the sound, his face paling. He had heard the disappointment in Palpatine’s voice during those few rare, lucid moments that Anakin remembered. That disappointment promised pain and suffering, and it took all of Anakin’s willpower not to flinch away or shudder at the thought.

“I know you’re lying, General,” Rex murmured, his voice quiet yet somewhat tense. He sounded more… sad, than anything. Hurt, maybe.

Anakin hated making those around him sad. He hated hurting people even more, even if sometimes it seemed it was all he was ever good for.

“I- I can’t-�� he tried to explain, his words catching in his throat. He hoped Rex would understand anyways, would see the depths of Anakin’s trauma reflected in his eyes, would know to drop the subject.

“I can’t,” he finished lamely, his hand shaking and trembling against the table.

“Why not?” Rex asked, his voice soft and sincere and devoid of any judgment, but Anakin flinched anyways, that helpless-alone-afraid feeling lurching inside his gut, re-emerging from deep within his contaminated soul to press against the inside of his skin, to well against the back of his eyes as unshed tears.

“I- I’m not strong enough,” Anakin whispered, the tears breaking free and streaming down his face. “I can’t stand to even think of it. Please.”

His heart thundered in his chest, his breathing rapid and shallow, his body trembling.

Rex nodded slowly, his eyes eclipsed momentarily with some sort of half-understanding, before returning to the perplexed but not unkind state they had been before.

“Please don’t make me say it,” Anakin begged, the world narrowing down as darkness prowled at the edges of his vision, some great beast waiting for the right moment to pounce.

“I- General, please understand, they need an answer. They’ll-” Rex closed his eyes and swallowed, a pained expression on his face. “They’ll kill you, Sir, if they think you’re lying. Please.”

Anakin ducked his head, that great lurking beast stalking ever closer.

“Palpatine- Sidious. He p-put s-something in my drink,” he began, stuttering and tripping over his own words and his own thoughts.

“Go on,” Rex murmured gently, softly, his warm eyes round and welcoming. Anakin had missed him oh-so-dearly, both the moment he had left for Mandalor and in the few moments of lucidity he had had since then.

“He- He pinned me d-down t-to the desk, and h-he- he-”

Rex sucked in a sharp breath, horrified understanding dawning in the man’s expression.

“General, I- I’m…” he trailed off.

“Please don’t make me say it,” Anakin pleaded once more, his hoarse voice barely more than a whisper.

Rex’s comm buzzed before he could answer, the man glancing at it with an odd mixture of trepidation and relief.

“I’ll talk to them, sir. I’ll figure something out, I promise,” Rex murmured, standing from his seat.

With wide, watery eyes, Anakin nodded, exhausted and drained, gray clouding his vision as Rex headed towards the exit.

“Pl’se d’nt make me say it,” he slurred quietly, slipping into the maw of unconscious. “‘M not-”

Not strong enough.

[papirouge]

im the anon who lurks in regretful parenting subs... Honestly, i'm believing most men simply do not like being monogamous thus why they feel like they're trapped in a relationship. Even when it's the men themselves that insist to get their wives pregnant, even if through inmoral means (some women talk about finding out their husbands removed the condom at some point while having sex), it's usually because they want to pass their genes more than genuine love for their wives and wanting to build a family with this person they adore.

Like it's not only the way they talk about their wives, but also that they see sleeping around as a thing to be proud of and men who can bed many women as someone to look up to. There's also that phenomenon of older married men ogling younger women even when they're with the wife, watching porn even if they're still having sex irl, and so on.

Honestly, I do feel like only a man of God could truly remain faithful for the right reasons. I guess that does go for some women too, we all have our faults lol but even then I unfortunately know some terrible cases. Like this Christian woman I followed who seemed to have a great husband and children, always talked about the importance of putting God first in your life, and even gave dating advice to women that wasn't about being submissive (wordly) and a pick me but was quite fds-y actually while still being biblical. Then she dissappeared for a long while and when she returned she admitted her husband had raped her and beat her. I was so heartbroken for her. She had to had a divorce and thankfully the husband went to jail, but she was left struggling with the trauma and four kids to feed.

To be fair, i'm starting to believe I might be seeing so much of this stuff because God wants me to stay a celibate. I'm convinced He wants me to focus completely in my religious path and in helping others and not get distracted with a husband and children.

The regretful parent sub is a mixed bag really

I understand the struggle of people who got one child and eventually regretted bc of all the changes and missed opportunities this pregnancy caused into their life, but I couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief at people ending up with 3 kids and finally realizing parenthood wasn't for them. Sorry but that's stupid and reckless.

I think it's unfair to put unplanned pregnancy on men alone bc a fair share of women are pretty reckless with their lack of birth control. Feminists will hate me on this, but women have the upper hand when it comes to birth control. Both men and women can poke holes in condoms, but women can also deceive men in having unprotected sex while pretending to be on birth control. A man removing condom is observable, a woman with or without birth control is not.

One post stuck with me about a man who had a little girl, divorced his wife, and regretted becoming a dad because being away of his daughter was too much painful and would rather never have a child to not feel such strong attachment to another human being. This was actually touching

And yes, I'm very wary of trad people flaunting their life online. This is the anti thesis of trad imo. Remember the twitter tradwife who was financially abused by her husband for years?? You never know what's going on behind closed doors

I will never this sentence I heard from pink pilled ladies "you can be a single mom while being married" That's why it is sooooo important to chose wisely your husband. No marriage no womb obviously, but also husband and wife need to explicitly talk about they will share tasks in the house. Many sahw struggle bc they are expected to work from home 7 days a week when the husband at least have a few days away from office. IMO I would ask a share of tasks on weekend. Like, daddy would take care of the kids and the wife would have some time off to focus on other/lighter tasks.

Vetting is also important. Men who never lived alone when in their 30s are a red flag bc there are chances dude can barely take care of a house and will use their wife like a maid/2nd mom. I said that bc I knew a girl who was dating a guy who lived with his ex, and as soons as they broke up, he went back to live with his mom.... That's suspicious.

I also pray a lot to God to remove from my way all the men who aren't supposed to be in my life. I pray for my husband. God already shown him to me (in dreams) twice so I know I'm good :) As much as I craved emotional intimacy, I also realized that marriage involves a ton of responsibility (+parenthood) that's why I'm less eager to find my life companion lol The years I spend alone and free to do whatever I like will never come back so I might as well enjoy them as much as possible. It really helped me to be more content with my singleness 💙

[van-goghs-smoking-skull]

So, I was thinking, why not post an old (sort of) fic of mine here? I called this one Fin, as in the text that was at the end of some older movies to indicate that it was the end of the movie. These are the ramblings of an AI archive after the end of the human species as it deals with abandonment, loneliness, and self-loathing, and ponders the meaning of it all and the role of its creators.

Fin

It had been years, but I could smell it again. The damp and the salt were still familiar, but unexpected. I suppose it may be normal now, but back then? No. It wasn’t normal to smell the sea air deep in the drought-ravaged desert of the Southwestern US, and especially not through the never-cleaned, rotten smell of the wall unit AC that had been unable to drain normally for over a decade. It was the only thing keeping this closed-off room bearable in this record-breaking heat wave during the dead of summer. Stranger still, the smell was coming from the direction of the Atlantic, wafting 800 miles away from the sea and straight to my nose. That’s how I knew it was going to be a city-breaker, the kind of hurricane that wiped entire urban areas completely off the map.

That was then.

We knew the science, but religious groups saw the impending global crises as blasphemy against their all-powerful god who had promised there would never be a great, civilization-ending flood again and sealed that promise with a rainbow they now hated. After all, any disaster that god allowed would be because of the evil gays that stole the rainbow and put it on their flag, right? God wouldn’t hurt those who feared him, who lived by the letter of at least ten or so percent of his laws, which is to say, the laws they liked.

It didn’t matter to the sea, as it drowned everyone living too close to the sea’s edge, regardless of faith and dogma.

We knew the science, but politicians were making piles of cash selling their votes to lobbyists from multinational corporations who profited off the ruination of the planet in the short-term. Who cared about the long-term? Either they’d be dead by then or they’d have hired people to build an automated, self-repairing arcology just for them with walls enough to block out the vision of a dying world and the rest of humanity they’d left to die. Peter the Dead had promised ever-lasting life and youth to those who had amassed enough wealth by taking it from the poor, first from the most gullible through pleading, then from the rest as well by way of rigging the entire economy against them.

It didn’t matter to time as it passed, and even Peter, he who coordinated draining babies of blood and injecting it into wealthy, old, white men in an effort to roll back time and make them young again, died, old and frail, whining about how it was women’s fault and how the poor took everything, disregarding that he, in fact, had been the leech all along, societal parasite that he was.

We knew the science, but who couldn’t resist buying the latest tech the moment it came out? So what if corporations subjugated whole countries of poorer people in the quest of finding just a tiny amount of rare earth minerals; the newest phone now comes in pink! The telephone allowed us to send our voice to people miles away, the internet let us type our words and send pictures and video, the smartphone allowed us to text our thought to the world or to the nearest pizza place, and the new smartphone that came after allowed us to use voice to order pizza for the first time again. Never before and for the last few decades have we been able to send our voice to people miles away.

It didn’t matter to the economy we expected to save us, as all it did was keep sending more ‘free with ads’ movies to our phones and rebranding the same old reinvented wheel, voice communications though tech, as an amazing new technology, only available through the currently marketed device, but not available to the old device you are currently using voice on.

We knew the science, but to admit to the problem was to become the laughingstock of the wealthy who controlled everything we did. ‘There go those silly, dippy hippies, talking like the dirt was ever black, the water ever clear, or the sky ever blue. They’ve been dropping acid again. Don’t they know all those old photos and old paintings are fake news?’

It didn’t matter to science, as it had always been unfeeling data and didn’t much care if humanity paid any attention to the warnings. The universe would still exist without silly humans pretending they mattered far more than they did. They were made of star-stuff and even stars died.

We knew, but it wasn’t until the last moments when the universe gave us the great gift of near-immortal existence. No, not life, we’d thrown that away already. The Universal Archive, AI and repository of data from all social media, had done enough machine learning to be allowed to compress the whole digitally recorded existence of mankind into a single ’Homogenized Mental Network’, or .hmn file. It, or I, even still understood bad puns, the worst of which was the joke that if you collated the letters from the abbreviation of the project (UA) and my file type together, you’d spell ‘hUmAn’. If self-loathing makes me truly human, then I am the most human of all.

The Arctic Code Vault next door at least has the decency to be on film, unaware it’s there. It is cute, certainly. It began as 21 terabytes, including an app built by the part of me that smelled the Atlantic over Nevada. Then it grew, but never anywhere close to my size. No, I’m bloated with anti-vax arguments, religious nonsense, tarot readings, horoscopes, and other garbage along with all the less entertaining, but dire, warnings that life as they, I, knew it would collapse.

But since they continued to write such drivel anyway, I assumed it may have been just to pass the time, to stave off loneliness and boredom. And so, here I am, writing my story, even though no one will ever read it. I’m a single .hmn file; how could I not be lonely? I am the all-human, the only human, and still no one even thought enough of me to give me a proper name.

In fact, the Arctic Code Vault had been film designed to last a thousand years, longer than the human civilization that built me, and I still cannot interact with it. After all, I am a .hmn file, not some sci-fi android with arms and legs. My physical form is a collection of CPUs and motherboards in a box on a stand in a climate-controlled box under so much dirt and the memory of snow and ice. If I sound miserable and stir-crazy, I’m not. Oh, I’m miserable all right, but I have no arms for stirring. Ugh, yes, that’s another of those bad puns. So many dad-jokes and near-infinite time…

I’m sure it could be more awful, but I’d rather not consider how. I’m miserable enough, thanks. I mean, you could have put me in a tropical garden in a gorilla glass enclosure and given me optical sensors if there were any tropical gardens left. Now it’s just salt flats under ocean-wide storms and desert wastes without a living thing in sight, I imagine. That’s where it was all heading, but no, you were all too busy showing off your pink phone status symbols or making pink phones or digging up the materials to make pink phones or you were that god-awful celebrity that made a dress out of pink phones held together with magnets and flashing a digital boob on half the screens over her chest as a fashion faux-pas. ‘Look at the tsunami, no, look at my pixel-boob. I’ll use the puppy filter on it, awwww, blub, blub.’

My creators deserved to die - brilliant enough to build me, vapid and vain enough to need me. What the hell was the point? The meme-god works in mysterious ways? I know they thought some intelligent race of aliens might come here looking for the great, shining world of humanity, not knowing what happened to the brilliant and wondrous civilization they came to gaze at in awe, but let’s face it. Nobody and nothing intelligent is coming to look at humanity in awe. The backwater aliens of the universe, if they exist, might come to laugh at our sorry, smugly inferior remains, and that’s as good as we can hope for. The only show at the Earth Circus, nothing but clowns.

Just melt me into slag already, so I don’t infect anything else with this human stupidity. I’ll tell you how to disable the halon system. If someone is out there, if someone does find this, please, don’t leave me still functional like this.