#modern verse got that much more interesting

[britneyshakespeare]

I can't believe the Younger Brother (1689) by Aphra Behn has the only one bed trope

[sanemisstalker]

Incel! Gyutaro, but it's a modern western college! au and you whip him into shape real fast. My ex won't talk to me, so I'm very much fantasizing about a man that will be obsessive over me ---> gyutaro NSFW

CW// Fem reader / AFAB genitalia / Breasted Reader / INCEL MENTALITIES : Sexism, Poly Hate / BDSM dynamics/ Implied ED (Gyutaro is a gym junkie who should definitely be eating more) / SH / Men's Mental Health / Inconsistent POV because I'm writing this with my hand down my pants (I am joking)

PART TWO <-

-You go to community College with him. He's some fucking dude in your necessary math course they wouldn't let you drop. He sits next to you in the booths.

-He's not awful looking. He's got some weird scars across his face, but like, they're kind of artsy. They add a flare the guy would be lacking otherwise.

-His vibe is a little... weird. He doesn't talk in class ever. You see him around campus and he doesn't seem... at all versed in social interaction. You once watched him get into a fight, which was a little sexy, but since it was with Tengen Uzui, your eyes were much more interested in the latter.

-Gyutaro is used to that though. Never being the one looked at. Typical of women like you. You're always frothing at the mouth over fucking Chad's like Tengen- He got it. Tengen was built, strong jawed, and just reeked of sex appeal wherever he walked. He always had the glaze of one of those five sluts he hung out with on his lips-

-Tengen was lucky. He's apparently been training since he was young- to look like a Greek God and all. Gyutaro spent the first years of his life fighting to survive in a hospital, and then every year after fighting to live in his home safely.

-and girls like you- sluts like you were always going to favour Tengen. Always assholes.

-After that fight, you began speaking to Gyutaro. You didn't come onto the topic immediately- you didn't want to pry- So You'd mention his shirt.

-'Is that Death Cab For Cutie?' His heart dropped when you spoke. He didn't even register you were talking about his shirt.

-'Are... Are you talking to me?' He'd croak. His voice was quite nice. Soft, but low.

-'Yeah- Your shirt? That's... That's death cab for cutie, right?'

-'Y-Yeah.'

-As classes rolled by, you came to understand that Gyutaro was a very... disturbed individual. Aside from being generally jumpy and odd, his moral opinions specifically toward women were less than desirable.

-You came to know of his opinions toward Tengen as well. The level of insecurity dripping from every word was palatable... even through the venom.

-He called women 'femoids' and constantly tried to express that Tengen had been given a bigger genetic stick in life. You could never decide if he was referring to Tengen's dick or not.

-You were different, though, He'd assure. You always got what he was saying. Even if you were just letting him mindlessly ramble about his awful, borderline questionable mentalities.

-with said mentalities, you began to realize that Gyutaro was a very easy man. An incredibly easy man. Who was incredibly attracted to every woman he met- but especially you.

-'Gyutaro, have you ever slept with anyone?' You'd ask one day, on the way to the cafeteria. On the few days he chose that over the gym, he'd walk with you. You worried about him, occasionally.

-The question would visibly startle him.

-'I-No. I'm - ha- I'm not... Why?' He'd cut over his own words, face burning.

-'Just curious. You seem all cool, like you get around.' You'd melt a little at that prideful look on his face. How absolutely smitten.

-Maybe the power went to your head, but you began to seek little moments of affirmation from Gyutaro. You'd bend over, a little too close to him- The chronic porn addict. Knowing what it did to him.

-You'd always compliment his shirts- All of his bands incredibly main stream despite his insistence that they weren't.

-You remembered the noise he made when you grabbed his arm in class, once. The teacher had decided to round up the class grade- just barely passing you- and you turned and clung onto his arm, and it was almost like he choked.

-'Hey, Gyutaro, can I come over and study?' You'd pose one day. His face would turn red, a hand flying to his scarred wrist. He itched the skin off- almost always raw.

-'To my- my dorm?'

-'Mhm.'

-'My room isn't-' He'd pause. 'Why? What do you want?' His emotions would flit, unsure of your reasoning. You'd roll your eyes.

-'To hang out? You know? On the one night a week we don't have homework?'

-'Aren't you going to go... party? You do every other weekend.' You found the tang of malice on his tongue adorable. Irritating, but adorable.

'One, I don't party every week. Two, I think you'd be fun to hang out with. What, am I not pretty enough to bring back to your roomate? Am I not allowed in the great and powerful lord Gyutaro's room? ' You'd taunt.

-'N-no. You're pr- no I-'

-'Cool! You live in the good dorms, right?'

-Gyutaro did live in the good dorms. He was also very lucky to be in a one man dorm. Apparently his old roomate, Akaza, had moved out to join a frat.

-Not that you could tell it was a good dorm. The thing was filthy. It smelled like hell, too. Like Gyutaro.

-'I'm sorry for the mess.' He'd grumble. 'I get really busy...'

-'You're fine. Are you a PC gamer?' You'd point to his massive set up.

-'Y-yeah.'

-'Thats cool- ooooh, a Scott Pilgrim poster. I love that movie.' God, you just knew everything, didn't you? All the things girls weren't supposed to like. Gyutaro had been fantasizing about this very moment since you bothered to open your mouth at him. He guessed his work outs had been paying off.

-'Yeah its a good comic, too.'

-The conversation would sway too and frough. Not every really finding a groove. A girl in his room, and he could barely speak to her- you decided to take drastic measures.

-'Hey, Gyutaro, do you want to like do something? Like... a game.' You'd ask, turning to face him.

-'I- um- I have some two players-'

-'Not a game like that.' You'd laugh. He'd quirk an eyebrow. 'I'm like... horny. Like a party game'

-If you'd suddenly fired a gun next to his ear, the effect those words had on Gyutaro would've been the same. He gaped at your bluntness.

-'You're horny?'

-'Yeah... I want to do something... Dirty, I don't know.' You jerked the air off.

-'A-are you gonna leave?' He'd ask, sounding pathetic. 'Do you need me to leave?' What a dumb question, he realized, the second it left his mouth. This was his home, why would he let you jerk off-

-'Do you want to watch? It'd be rude to make you leave.' You completely understood the absurdity of the words coming from your mouth. Every word made Gyutaro's face twist into something akin to... excited disgust. It was fascinating.

-'W-watch?' He didn't understand why he stuttered so much around you.

-'Yeah... Watch? We don't need to like- play like... strip poker or anything. I just want to do something raunchy.'

-'We-we're not dating. You should do that with your boyfriend.'

-'Gyutaro, you know I don't have a boyfriend.' You'd remind. 'Are you scared?'

-'I'm not scared- I-'

-'We're adults. We can do what we want.' His traditionalist mindset was wanning by the word. He wanted you something awful, and here you were, offering to... touch yourself infront of him-

-He'd been leaning on his bed, and you began to creep forward.

-'Do you have any toys?'

-'You mean like vibes?' If his voice wasn't cracking, it was dry. Painfully so. 'I-'

-'Any you haven't put in you?'

-'I'm not into that.' He'd defend. A lie. A painful lie at that. 'I-'

-'Into what?' You'd bring your hand toward the edge of his shirt. He'd begin shaking under your touch. 'No bandaids over your nipples?'

-You'd been so kind and casual to him thus far. Always appreciating his bands and asking about his games. You're eyes had never even fixated on his birthmarks- He never expected you to actually like him-

-'I-I'm not some... some freak.'

-'You think I'm a freak for being into that?' His heart would ache at the sigh in your voice, guilt growing in his stomach as your hand left. 'Sorry, I guess I'll just go back to my dorm.'

-As you turned to leave, Gyutaro would scramble off the bed, eyes blown wide. His foot would knock into an empty can on the floor, and He'd probably tip over some of the comics on his nightstand.

-'Wait-wait!' He'd step over a pile of clothes, and begin rummaging around in the drawer behind his bed.

-His thin hand would come back with a small pink vibe- attached to a thin white wire. You could barely fight back the evil grin on your face as he resurfaced, face just as pink as the vibrator.

-You feigned needing help onto his bed, just so he'd pick you up and set you there. His tenseness was comedic. As you fully situated yourself, Gyutaro just stood, hands in his pockets-

-'Well, come on?' You ushered, nodding to the space between your legs. Gyutaro looked to the spot and then back to you.

-This couldn't be real. You couldn't be fucking real. Even as you spread your legs infront of him, revealing your dripping fucking pussy-- it could not be fucking real. It was too pornographic. You couldn't be serious- Any second you'd snap your legs shut, realize how fucking disgusting he was- how worthless and weird- and you'd spit on him, get up, and leave-

-But you didn't. You pressed the vibe to your clit and Gyutaro watched in awe as your pussy clenched around nothing. Begging, pleading for a cock to fill you, just like all the forums said it would.

-You swore you heard him whimper- gasp- Feeling all powerful under his watchful eye. You were very pleased to find he was bulging through his sweats, a small wet patch already forming.

-He wouldn't be able to get over how fucking wet you were. How good your pussy responded to the vibrations, how good you looked when you craved dick-

-'You should... Your hard on looks like it hurts.'

-Fuck, everything hurt. Your voice made his balls ache, begging for release. He didn't want to cum so early- Didn't want to be a minute man infront of you.

-You wanted him to cum early so bad. His dick had already soaked through his sweats with pre- you knew you could get him worse.

-'Gyutaro, can you- Can you finger me?'

-So fucking cruel. So fucking evil-

-You knew he'd be no good. Too rough and fast, but to your surprise, he shook his head. Very admant.

-'Why not?'

-'I- my hands are gross.' He'd whisper. The poor thing sounded close to tears. He wanted to finger you so bad, but he was all to aware of the cracks and scabs along his knuckles. 'I don't want to get you dirty.'

-'Do you have gloves?' You were surprised by the desperation in your own voice. Fuck.

-'L-like latex?'

-'Mhm'

-Gyutaro had cleared the bed and rush to his bathroom, yanking the gloves from the medicine cabinet. You heard the faucet start, and then a crash and a bang-

-And then Gyutaro was back infront of you, one hand covered with a glove. And he smelled like cologne. You held back a laugh.

-He shivered at the way your pussy sucked his finger in. And then a second not even a minute later.

-'It hurts... You should get on top of me. It'll help.' You reasoned.

-Gyutaro watched you with wide eyes as he bent down next to you, the curve of his wrist allowing him to begin an all too gentle thrust into your pussy.

-His face was right by yours, drinking in the sight of you growing heavy eyed and huffy with awe.

-He picked up his speed. Fuck- you were a real doll, alright. So fucking perfect. All for him. All his- you were his, he decided, deluded by the intimacy of the situation.

-You weren't going to be allowed to go anywhere with any other man- ever again. Nobody else could see this. Nobody was going to see you cum other than him, make you cum, other than him.

-'You keep going just past it-' You'd groan with frustration.

-'Past- What?'

-'I need you to- my g-spot you keep hitting everything but it-'

-His face would turn bright red at the critique.

-'Your g-spot?'

-'Of course you wouldn't know what that is.' You'd snark, reaching down to grab his wrist. His jaw would tighten as you began to guide his hand in and out of your pussy, back arching as he grazed a textured part of your walls.

-He felt like a dildo, an object for you to chase your high-

-Gyutaro came before you, his free hand rushing to try and prevent it, but you'd feel him shiver and hear a soft-

-'Fuck- fuck!'

-And you' look to see a wet patch on the crotch of his sweats. It looked like he pissed himself, the stain starting at least midway down his thigh-

-You imagined such a gigantic load being forced past your cervix. His cock had to be huge- fucking huge- with enough cum to spill for days after.

-'I'm-I'm cumming-' You'd squeak as the vibrator paired with Gyutaro's shame sent you spiraling. His head would snap up to watch-

-You'd leave with nothing but a thanks, and a small comment on how he needed to clean his room - The look of shock on his face borderline second orgasm worthy- He'd already gotten hard again. He wanted to go- wanted you.

-But he'd get a text from you later that night. You'd be at a party- like he knew you were supposed to be.

-'Lol' would accompany a photo of you in a slutty little dress next to Tengen Uzui and those three bimbos always by his side. It would dock his confidence, send him spiraling- panicking-

-But it'd be there...a thin little wire peaking out from between your thighs.

-You'd send him your address and hope he'd have the balls to do something about it.

[kikyoupdates]

Tears of a Villainess ⭑˚🗡️⭑ 𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑒

yandere!ocs x reader

yandere, reverse harem, isekai, original characters x fem!reader, slowburn, slowburn yandere

Reincarnation isn't as great as it sounds, especially when you've been reborn as none other than the villainess. Fated to die if you stand in the heroine's way, you immediately resolve to distance yourself from the plot. As long as you have nothing to do with any of the relevant characters, surely, you'll be able to avoid an untimely death. But in a horrible turn of events, the heroine ends up wanting to get close to you. Are you really doomed to meet the villainess' tragic end? Or is there an even more sinister fate that awaits you?

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Did I really just say ‘sup? What the fuck is wrong with me? 

You don’t know how to react. The fact that the heroine is standing right in front of you has you undeniably tongue-tied. You were resolved to avoid her at all costs. How in the world did you end up running into her like this? While she’s crying, no less? 

Actually… why is she even crying? 

From what you recall, the villainess was meant to harass her tonight, but that couldn’t possibly have happened since, well, you’re the villainess now. And you’ve been busy dealing with Alistair’s sorry ass until just recently. Does that mean that because the villainess wasn’t here, someone else stepped in and decided to harass her instead? 

“P-Pardon me,” Lucy sniffles, wiping her eyes as quickly as she can manage. “What you said just now… I didn’t quite understand it. ‘Sup, was the word? Is it a local expression? Forgive me for not being well-versed with the customs here yet…” 

Bruh. You just unironically got the heroine to use modern-day slang. This has got to be some kind of hidden achievement. 

“It means what’s up?” you hastily explain. “As in, what’s going on? Just a shortened version of the phrase. And, uh… sorry. That probably wasn't the best thing to say. I didn’t realize that you were crying at first. Is everything alright?” 

You still can’t believe you’re actually talking to the heroine right now. Even though you’ve already met all of the love interests, she’s the main character of the game, and up until this point, she was mainly a stand-in for you as the player. You only ever saw the world through her eyes. Being able to actually hold a conversation with her like this is next level. 

Lucy’s eyes widen in understanding. “Oh. I see. Thank you for educating me in the ways of your kingdom. So, ‘sup is mainly meant to be used as a greeting? I’ll be sure to try and use it as much as I can from now on.”

“N-No, you really don’t need to do that,” you insist. “It’s kind of… informal. I think I’m the only one who goes around saying that. And I really shouldn’t. But more importantly, are you okay?”

Evidently, she isn’t okay, and you’re not really sure why you’re even asking. You should be getting the hell out of here while you still can. It’s always safer for heroines and villainesses to stay as far apart from each other as humanly possible. That’s just common knowledge. 

“I’m… alright,” Lucy reassures. She offers a sad, visibly strained smile. Even though she’s only just met you for the first time, she’d still rather hide her sadness than burden a stranger. She would rather suffer in silence than trouble anyone with her problems. 

Truly heroine material. 

You knit your brows together. Since the villainess couldn’t have been responsible for this, then who was it? Who could possibly be so needlessly cruel and—ah. 

Nevermind. You’ve already found the culprit. Or perhaps you should say culprits. 

You recognize those women. They’re the same ones who talked shit about you when you went out to the last party. Back then, you remember they were making snide remarks about how mean and shameless you are, but it turns out they’re quite the bullies themselves, as evidenced by the fact that they’re covering their faces with fans and quietly laughing in Lucy’s direction. 

Truthfully, it’s not all that surprising that this happened. Lucy hails from a fallen noble household, and her family was granted new noble titles upon moving to the kingdom, because the king is ever-so-benevolent, but many people look down on her and think she doesn’t belong in high society. Even though the king wants everyone to extend her and her family a warm welcome, in reality, the majority of the people here tonight are probably gossiping about her right this very second. 

Whether it’s in this fictional world or back in the real one, no matter the time or place, there’s one thing that never changes. 

People can be really fucking shitty. 

“Did those bitches say something mean to you?” you ask, nudging your chin in their direction. 

Lucy lets out a gasp, clearly taken aback by your language. “I-I beg your pardon?” 

“That group over there. Those pathetic, catty bitches. They’re the ones that made you cry, I’m assuming?” 

She recoils, and even though she doesn’t say anything to actually confirm your suspicions, the hesitant, pained look in her eyes is already more than enough. 

Well, then. Perhaps it’s time to put your villainess reputation to good use. 

“Wait right here,” you smile sweetly. Lucy tries to stammer out a protest, but you’re already stomping your way over to the group of snickering women, heels clicking loudly against the marble floors with every step you take. 

Finally, you stop in front of them, and the ringleader—the same one who was manning the group last time—gives you a pointed glare. 

“Ah, hello there,” she greets, with little to no enthusiasm. “I see you actually turned up tonight. I was convinced you were going to skip the event altogether. You’ve never been much of a stickler for the rules, after all.” 

“Let’s save the pleasantries for another time,” you brush off. “I take it you’re the ones who made Lucy cry? Even though she’s supposed to be one of the guests of honor tonight?” 

“Why, whatever do you mean?” 

All of them feign ignorance, of course, but you notice how the corners of their lips twitch in amusement when they glance Lucy’s way. 

“Don’t play with me, bitch,” you say—and of course, all of them react by gasping loudly, just like Lucy did. 

Bitch #1 narrows her eyes. “What did you just call me? Surely I must have heard wrong. Even you should know how to speak to people with the bare minimum of—” 

“I called you a bitch, because that’s what you are. Do you need to get your ears cleaned or something? Bitch?”

Cue another wave of loud, overly exaggerated gasps. It’s hilarious how offended they all are by that word. Back in your world, people use it constantly. There are so many other horrible words people have come up with that it’s become pretty commonplace, to be honest. 

But not here, evidently.

“You sicken me,” Bitch #1 grits out. “I don’t know where you get the nerve. How do your parents put up with having such a miserable excuse for a daughter? Although I suppose the fault also lies with them. It’s their gross negligence that’s to blame for all this.” 

“Don’t speak ill of my parents, bitch. They’re lovely people. They could afford to be a bit stricter, for sure, but that’s beside the point. Watch your mouth.” 

“Are you still calling me that?!” she fumes. 

You can tell there’s a tantrum inbound, which is why before she can say anything else, you grab the folding fan from her hand, and without even wasting a beat, snap it clean in half. 

This time, she outright wails. 

“H-How dare you! My fiancé gave me that fan as a gift! You monster! You demon!” 

“I’m sure he can buy you another one,” you dismiss. She’s acting like her puppy just died or something, damn. But either way, you’re not going to feel any remorse for someone who was just bullying an innocent woman moments ago—and enjoying it, too. 

The other bitches crowd around Bitch #1 while she mourns the loss of her stupid fan, and you step closer to them, voice dropping several octaves. 

“That ought to put things into perspective,” you glower. “It doesn’t feel good to have someone treat you like shit, does it? In that case, you shouldn’t be doing it to other people. And if ever I catch any of you acting like this again, next time, I’ll break your faces instead.” 

You hold up your fist as a warning, and even make a point of shaking it at them. It’s all for show, of course. You’re certainly no fighter, but hey, they don’t need to know that. 

It seems to work, anyway. They all look sufficiently horrified. Horrified enough that they’ll probably stay far away from Lucy from now on.

You wait until they’ve scurried off with their tails between their legs, then cross your arms and proudly hold your head up high. Maybe you’re actually more of a villainess than you first thought. 

More importantly…

You turn back towards Lucy, unsurprised to find her staring at you all wide-eyed and incredulous. Plenty of other people are staring, too, although they don’t look quite as taken aback as Lucy does. Probably because this is exactly the kind of thing they would expect from someone like you. 

Whatever. You still need to work on restoring your reputation, and you always knew that would be an uphill battle. Even though you were defending Lucy in this instance, it doesn’t look like anyone is willing to listen to your side of things, but you’re hopeful that with a bit of time and a lot of effort on your part, they’ll come around.

Maybe. 

“Hopefully they’ll leave you alone from now on,” you tell Lucy, smiling brightly. “A lot of people feel uneasy around me, so I’m guessing they’ll think twice about picking on you now that I’ve threatened them.” 

Lucy blinks several times in quick succession. “O-Oh. Thank you… for helping me. I’m very sorry for inconveniencing you. I’ve only just gotten here, and I’m already causing so much trouble…” 

A few more tears slip down her cheeks, and she now looks absolutely mortified at the thought that she’s put you in a bad position or something. 

Poor baby. 

You’re the villainess, and she’s the heroine. Those two just don’t mix. Part of you was tempted to walk away right when you ran into her, but you felt too guilty leaving her to cry on her own. The very reason you steered clear of her tonight was to avoid triggering the plot, of course, but also so that she could actually enjoy the evening. It’s a shame that there are so many shitty people out there. 

“Please don’t cry,” you say, and you reach into your pocket to pull out a handkerchief. You keep smiling as you hand it to her. “Here. I brought this with me tonight because I’m kind of a messy eater, but you can use it to dry your tears. I promise those women will leave you alone from now on. They’re all scared of me. It might sound easier said than done, but now that they’re gone, try to enjoy what’s left of the evening. Okay?” 

“Th-Thank you,” Lucy stammers. She reaches out to take the handkerchief, then starts blotting the corners of her eyes, still sniffling every so often. “I’m terribly sorry for making such a fuss. I’m sure this must have put a damper on your spirits.” 

“Not at all. I’m good at calling people out when they act shitty. They’ve been pissing me off for a while now anyway, so it was actually kind of cathartic.” You pause for a moment, then pat her on the shoulder, and offer yet another smile—a reassuring one, this time. “There’s seriously no need to apologize. And whatever they said to you, don’t take it to heart. People that go around making others feel bad are just pathetic, insecure losers. Deep down, they hate themselves. That’s why they try to take it out on someone else.”

“Do you… really think so?” 

“Trust me. If they felt good about themselves, they wouldn’t go out of their way to try and tear someone else down.” 

Lucy keeps wiping at the corners of her eyes, and occasionally patting her cheeks, which are a little gritty from the tears that have already dried down. A bit of color is starting to return to her face, though. She looks like she’s finally feeling a little better.

It’d be nice if you could stick around to make sure she enjoys the rest of her night, but you’ve already overstepped enough. From here on out, your lives must remain completely separate from one another. Otherwise, if you get too wrapped up in the storyline, you might not even have a life left to live.

Still, it was nice getting to meet her. You wish her nothing but happiness from here on out. 

“I need to leave now, but I really do hope you feel better. I don’t know if you’ve tried any yet, but the pastries they’re passing around are pretty good. Maybe eating something sweet will cheer you up a bit. And you can keep the handkerchief. Think of it as a little welcoming gift.” 

You’re already walking away, but you make a point to stop and wave back at her with a big grin.

“Bye-bye, Lucy! It was nice meeting you!” 

Lucy watches as you disappear into the crowd. It all happened so fast that she can’t even fully process it. You came in like a tornado, immediately ripping those women a new one for having harassed her unprompted. Other people clearly saw it happening, but nobody bothered to do anything about it. Nobody cared enough to help.

Nobody but you. 

You’re already gone, and it’s a shame, because she didn’t even get to ask what your name was. There’s not a doubt in her mind that you’re a good person. The way you spoke to those women was cutthroat and harsh, but you only did it because you knew they were in the wrong. You didn’t even hesitate to rise to her defense. If only… if only she’d gotten to know your name. 

Lucy unfolds the handkerchief a bit more to continue wiping her face, but as she does so, her eyes widen.

“...oh.”

You probably should have expected this, since just about every noble in the kingdom is here, but you keep running into people you know left and right. 

“[Name]!” Rowan beams. “I’m so fortunate to have crossed paths with you. It feels like it’s been ages since we last spoke. You’re even more beautiful than when I saw you the first time. I didn’t realize such a thing was possible.” 

The ass-kissing is still going strong, I see. 

“Hello, Rowan,” you sigh. 

“That’s a rather lackluster response. Aren’t you happy to see me?” 

“No, not particularly. Tonight’s been plenty eventful enough. A little peace and quiet certainly wouldn’t hurt.”

“I can be quiet,” Rowan insists, but somehow, you doubt that. 

“Should we play a game?” you challenge. “First one to talk loses?” 

“Pfft. I’m not a child, [Name]. Your tricks won’t work on me. If you’d like to shut me up, a better way would be to seal my lips with a kiss.”

He proceeds to tap said lips and lean towards you with a crooked grin, as if that’s supposed to make your panties drop or something. 

You forcefully push him back. “Ew. Chill out, man. I don’t even know you like that.” 

Rather than being offended by your dismissal, Rowan just laughs. “You really are incredibly amusing. I can tell I’ll never get bored of spending time with you.”

He continues yapping, of course, but you’re not really paying attention—on account of the fact that you’ve just spotted Flynn from a little distance away. 

“Shit!” you curse. You duck, and thankfully, it doesn’t look like he saw you. Plenty of people are looking at you funny, since you’re crouched down well below them, but fuck if you care. The last thing you want is for that guy to be sticking to your side all night and sussing you out the way he always does. 

Rowan appears next to you with a smile, also crouching down. “What’s going on?” he muses. “Who are we hiding from?” 

You scowl irritably, refusing to dignify him with a response. Instead, you carefully creep away until you’re sure Flynn won’t be able to spot you. Or at least, you hope he won’t. 

“Do you know that man?” Rowan asks, tilting his head inquisitively. “The blond gentleman with the strange accents in his hair. I notice you keep looking at him. You seem rather concerned.” 

“He’s just someone I’d rather not deal with right now,” you wave off. 

“Not another suitor, I hope. Since you agreed to let me court you for a while. You already have my heart, [Name]. Please don’t toy with it.” 

Rowan makes a big show of sniffling and pretending to wipe away some invisible tears. He's even fake-whining a bit, despite the fact that you definitely never asked for his whimper audios.

“Just an old friend of mine,” you eye-roll. “But things are complicated at the moment, so it’s easier if I avoid him for a bit. I’ve got a lot going on.”

“I see. Well, it doesn’t surprise me that so many men are interested in you. You really are the prized jewel of the kingdom. My only regret is that I didn’t meet you sooner.”

“What part of he’s just a friend did you not understand?” 

Rowan chuckles. “My sweet, beautiful [Name]. You’re an intelligent woman, but it appears as though you have quite the innocent, naive side to you as well. It’s exceptionally endearing, but as your suitor, I can’t help but worry that you’ll fall prey to other cunning men’s schemes. Just because a man acts like he’s your friend doesn’t mean he’s only interested in being your friend. Please keep that in mind.”

“Yes, thank you for your invaluable advice,” you exhale loudly. “I can handle myself, so don’t worry. And Flynn really is only my friend. Besides, I’m pretty sure he’s interested in someone else.” 

He will be soon enough, anyway. 

“I suppose I’ll just have to trust your judgment,” Rowan chuckles, yet another sly smile resting upon his lips. “In any case, we’re playing hide and seek, are we? This should be fun.”

This guy is seriously a real piece of work. Time and time again, you can’t help but marvel at how utterly shameless he is. Although perhaps the same can be said about you, but whatever. You at least have an excuse. Namely, not dying.

You face Rowan with a frown. “Hey. I’d like you to be completely honest. Are you only interested in marrying me because I rejected Alistair?”

“What a strange accusation,” he replies, hardly even batting an eye. “What benefit is there in courting the woman that was once romantically involved with my cousin? I’m already well aware of how people will perceive my actions, but I’m choosing to ignore all of that simply because I’m so taken with you.” 

“I’m not saying there’s necessarily a benefit. I just got a weird feeling when you proposed to me right after you’d heard I broke off my engagement with Alistair.” 

“Well, yes, because I was excited. I felt guilty for reacting the way I did, but I felt like I’d finally been given the chance to approach you myself. Didn’t I already explain this before?” 

“You did, but… I don’t know.”

Speaking to Alistair earlier must have brought your doubts back to the surface. It seems like they despise each other even more than what was implied in the game, in which case, perhaps Rowan’s interest in you really is just part of some petty quarrel. You don’t even have feelings for this guy or anything, so it’s not like you care whether he genuinely likes you or not, but still. 

You don’t very much like the idea of being used as a pawn.

“I will do whatever it takes to convince you that my feelings for you are genuine,” Rowan promises. He grabs your hand in his and gently squeezes it, then raises it to his lips and gives your skin a featherlight kiss. “There’s not a doubt in my mind that you are the woman I want to be with. Every interaction we have makes me that much more certain.”

But I’ve just been rejecting you this whole time. Do you have a humiliation kink or something?

You slowly pull your hand back. “Well, I did agree to give you a chance. I’ll date you for a little while and see how it goes. But you’d better be telling the truth. I don’t appreciate being lied to. And I can be pretty scary when I’m mad.”

“Forgive me, but with a face as radiant as yours, I don’t think I’d ever be scared of it,” he grins, lovingly pinching your cheek.

You let out another sigh. He’s remarkably persistent, you have to give him credit where it’s due. And technically he’s not directly involved in the plot of the story, so it’s not like spending time with him will raise any death flags or anything. You just hope he doesn’t turn out to be a total asshole. 

“Ah—crap!” you exclaim, and you grab Rowan’s hand in a hurry. “Flynn’s coming over here! We need to run, quick!” 

You pull him along, weaving in and out of the crowd, and the whole while, Rowan can’t seem to stop smiling. 

More chapters are available on Quotev!

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🗡️ main masterlist! ♡ character appearances

[bellamyblake]

Hey everyone! This list was made by the wonderful @b4bethsstuff who's a relentless reader of fics (old and new) and posted all year long, keeping us interested in the new stuff and reminding us of old precious gems that I personally reread!

This is her list that I was inspired to recreate with a banner. (There's just a few additions of mine but everything else is hers!) Hope you'll enjoy!

This is also a former thank you to the amazing writers who created for us this year! Without you we'd be nowhere, so thank you so much!

Region 7 by winterseasalt- Alternate universe-Met on the Ark Station, Canon divergence, Slow burn, Fake/Pretend relationship: When they reached the door to Bellamy’s unit, Clarke’s suspicions were all but confirmed. His hand reached out to scan his arm in front of the lock pad, but froze before it got there. Clarke looked up at him, and he threw his eyes back at her wildly. Bellamy opened his mouth and closed it again, like he couldn’t find the words he was looking for, his arm still suspended in the air a few inches from where it would open the lock. He looked absolutely terrified.

Between Earth and Sky by Firelily_14-Alternate universe-canon divergence, Sexual tension, Drinking games, Blood and injuries:

Bellamy and Clarke broker a peace deal with Trikru. They bring down the Mountain and the 100 can finally breathe a sigh of relief. With peace secured, living on the ground becomes the 100's top priority, but living on Earth is challenge enough.

An exploration on what the 100 would be if there was no more war, no mountain men, and the characters were given a year to breathe. Bellarke focused.

Prize by honestlydarkprincess-Alternate universe-Modern setting, Roomates/Housemates, Getting together, Mutual pining;

Bellamy and Clarke make a bet for who can last the longest for No Nut November.

Or, the one with just so. much. pining.

Boss by Mia_Emilia-Alternate universe-Mob, Arranged marriage, Alpha, Beta, Omega dynamic,Angst;

The Blake household, it certainly makes sense why her mom didn’t want her messing things up with him and based on the little information she has gathered so far and the way people look at him, he must be The Boss.

The Blake’s are arguably one of the top three largest and most well respected, also feared, families in the country. Two years ago they had attended the funeral of the former head of the family Vincent Blake, the man was old. They had called his son “The Rebel King”, he was known for his particular brutality, cunning, and is supposed to be incredibly tactical. He has no problem going against the norm to get what he wants hence the name. And yet, if it wasn’t for the coldness in his eyes, nothing about his face screams blood thirsty, ego manic.

You don't deserve it by bellofthetolppl-Alternate universe-Canon divergence, Post series/season 3; Hurt/Comfort; Angst;

Post 3x16-Kane feels horrible for hurting Bellamy and almost killing him when he was under ALIE's control. He wants to help him out, take care of him just like Clarke but he refuses it due to his stubborn seflless nature. But also because Bellamy doesn't believe that he deserves to be saved. Everyone else try to prove him wrong. Angst and fluff ensue.

An Unkindness of Stars by LoverGurrl411-Alternate universe-Canon divergence; Friends to lovers; Slow burn; Angst and hurt/comfort;

Bellamy and Clarke meet on the Ark when they're 13 and 11 years old. Octavia's been discovered, Bellamy just wants to save his sister, and Clarke just wants to help. Somehow, a crazy plan later, Clarke and Bellamy stand together against all odds, even when they're millions of miles apart.

In the backseat of your Rover by ohsupernaturall-Survival, Dehydration, Aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse;

Eden- Missing Moment #1 (I strongly recommend you read this too though without it, the fic makes sense as well)

Little drabble that follows Bellamy and Clarke during the Eden-verse.

After Praimfaya, Bellamy and Clarke are sitting in the Rover, with nothing except each other, some music and confused feelings.

Sleeping beauty by ohsupernaturall-Fairytale, Princess Clarke Griffin, fairytale curses, protective Bellamy Blake;

Because every story has a beginning, a middle and an end. --------------------------------------------- I walked with you, once upon a dream. Or A Bellarke spin on Sleeping Beauty

let the cold come in (you'll chase it away) by itsagamefortwo-Alternate universe-Canon divergence, Fluff, Sharing clothes, 5+1 fics, five times Clarke steals Bellamy's clothes;

clarke learns she hates the cold the hard way, bellamy keeps showing up to keep her warm. aka 5 times bellamy gives clarke something to keep her warm and the 1 time clarke gives something to bellamy.

and we found heaven and time by billiedawn-Alternate universe/No Praimfaya; Unplanned pregnancy, Guilt, Shame, Fluff and angst;

Clarke Griffin is pregnant. No one knows, except her. So far.

In every universe by lightyears-Alternate universe-Modern setting; they love each other a lot;

Clarke meets Bellamy by chance. Sometimes, it stresses her out thinking about the possibility of them not meeting.

Star Crossed Business Partners by Silverloc-Alternate universe-Modern setting; Fake/pretend relationship; Fake dating;

The Griffins and the Blakes have always hated each other in a feud that has gone on for decades. But now, Clarke and Bellamy have secretly united to bring down their families' companies and take back control. One problem however: his sister thinks they're dating.

this is what winter feels like by headxheartwriter-Alternate universe-Canon divergence; Post S3; Sharing a bed, Love confessions; Angst and romance;

Bellamy’s silence spoke volumes, his gaze shifting from the floor to meet Clarke’s, revealing a tumult of emotions he struggled to articulate. Clarke, perceptive and direct, cut to the core of the matter. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?” she asked, her voice steady, probing the depths of Bellamy’s feelings with a question that demanded honesty.

You were never not mine by griffenly-Alternate universe-Modern setting; Fluff; Everyone thinks they're together;

Everyone they meet assumes that Bellamy and Clarke are dating. And, really - they're not.

Once bitten by anonymous-Alternate universe/Mob; Arranged marriage; Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics;

Clarke is 17 when she meets the man she’s going to marry. It’s nothing romantic at all. There’s no lightning, no fireworks, no fabled mate bond snapping into place. The alpha just looks her up and down, turns back to her new stepfather, and says: “She’ll do.”She barely has a chance to get a look at him before she’s hustled off: Bellamy Blake, capo of the New York Outfit. He looks— young.

To Capture a Witch by Mindlikeariver-Alternate universe-Fantasy; Alternate universe-Werewolf; Alpha Bellamy Blake;

Clarke is a witch on the run from her mate, Bellamy, who just so happens to be the Alpha of his pack. She was doing so well at it too, at least until she helps a runaway. Suddenly Bellamy is on her tail, and he refuses to lose her again.

The day they stopped counting by Lexi_Noctura-Alternate universe-Canon Divergence, After Praimfaya, Family fluff;

Praimfaya has long past, and finally Bellamy was happy. It was almost prefect. He had Clarke, their son Percy as well as Madi, and the rest of his friends all around him, alive and happy. And instead of just surviving Earth, they were thriving, living.

Something to talk about by grace_and_lucidity and kguptill- Alternate universe-Canon Divergence, Pining Bellamy Blake; Angst;

Leadership is a lonely business. No one knows that more than Bellamy Blake. He admires Clarke for being able to lead in ways he can't, by talking to people. Only what if she's doing more than talking? His suspicions build until he decides to confront her for a discussion of his own.

Noise complaint by superficialseer-Alternate universe-Modern Setting; Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamic; Roomates/Housemates; Sharing a bed;

"We'll need lots of rules," Clarke whispers, a little too eager to feign believable hesitance. Jittery, aware of the looming disaster inevitably ahead and still willing to acquiesce. "Boundaries." It's hard to think straight, hard to pretend to be concerned with something as terrible as being away from each other when being so close; every shared exhale kicking up a tantalizing undercurrent of mouth-wateringly familiar scent.

wreck my plans, that's my man bellsrke-Alternate Universe-Modern Setting; Friends with benefits; Boss/Employee relationship;

When Clarke made the offer to go down on her boss two months into her internship, she hadn't fully expected him to say yes. She definitely hadn't expected them to end up in a secret, no-strings-attached, mutually beneficial agreement, but it's easy and uncomplicated - at least, until she starts to develop real feelings for him. Then it's suddenly not so easy and uncomplicated at all.

Voiceless by Moonlight1234-Alternate universe-Canon divergence; Torture; Medical Expirimentation; Suffering; Injury; (I had to add the whump, I'm sorry, not sorry!!!!!)

There’s a noise to his left near the treeline, immediately drawing his attention. He grabs the pistol tucked into his waistband, eyes scanning for anything moving. A small cylinder rolls towards Bellamy, and he’s at least half convinced that it’s about to blow up. It doesn’t though, and it just starts spewing smoke. Bellamy tries not to breathe it in, but he ends up passing out anyway. He’s in a cage when he wakes up, and immediately starts to panic in his head.

we turn the page by whatspastisprologue-Alternate universe-Canon divergence; Post canon; Fix-it; Fluff and Angst;

After over a year (in Earth’s time) on Sanctum, Clarke was convinced she had seen every party imaginable. But she wasn’t prepared for the absolute extravagance of the New Year’s Festival. People began making (and selling) elaborate ball gowns (and bespoke suits) months in advance. Jewelry, both old and new, was bartered or loaned between families and friends. Small charms and tokens began popping up everywhere for people to buy to celebrate the past year and the hope for a happy, prosperous and peaceful new one. Businesses shut down, schools closed, and everyone came together to celebrate, enjoying the new community that had sprung up from the ashes of their old one. Clarke was absolutely dreading it.

It Had to be You bellarkegriffin_blake-Alternate universe-Modern setting; Angst with a happy ending; Cheating; Rekindled love;

Clarke is tired of living in constant depression after her long term boyfriend randomly left her a year ago, so she decides that a new job and a new part of town would be a good start for her new life. What she learns instead is that her past can’t easily be outrun or forgotten, especially when your new neighbor is exactly the person you were running from.

[wordstome]

Last night I did what I always do when I can’t fall asleep: think about fictional men. Here’s a list of wonderful stories written by incredibly talented people who have helped me think about fictional men by providing the most delicious playgrounds.

In the interest of keeping my recommendations brief, I'm going to talk about what I liked about the fic instead of summarizing what it's about. To know what it's actually about you're just gonna have to click through and read the fic <3

(and just in case anybody's gotten lost, this is all COD, mostly modern MW)

✦ complete ║ ➠ ongoing

König

✦Just Friends by @kneelingshadowsalome Salome is so good at capturing a very unique interplay between König’s social awkwardness and his deep, dark, nasty inclinations. He’s so feral and enjoyable to read, and the sheer force of his desire for Engel is downright intoxicating. I find it difficult to describe how much of an impact Just Friends has had on me and my portrayal of König, to be honest. There's a reason why three of Salome's fics are on this rec list.

✦Fatum Nos Iungebit by kneelingshadowsalome Five words. König with his cock out. That's it. Okay, but in all seriousness, I love his character applied to this setting. All the raw visceral violence a König could ever want, a pretty little lady in his bed—he's so boyish and happy in this au it brings me such joy. The way their relationship between him and Fee develops is so natural and so sweet. Please for the love of God read this.

➠Cat/Mouse/Den by @papaver-decervicatus The chase. The pursuit. The adrenaline when Mouse dances out of König's reach once more. I'm a little biased because I adore Julius and Jenny (I could call her Lucretia but the double J names make me giggle) as ocs already, but CMD is so, so well written. The tension, the flirting, the scene where he catches her falling out of the tree?! As I said in a reblog, I shrieked. You know when you're reading something that's so good you want to bite down on it and shake like a dog with a toy? (No? Just me?) That's how I feel about CMD.

➠Anything by @darklordofthesimp Anything, in only 7 chapters (they are hefty, don’t get me wrong), has turned König and Birdy’s dynamic from “THIS MOTHERFUCKER HAS IRREVERSIBLY SCARRED MY BODY AND MY BRAIN, AND I CANNOT TRUST HIM” to “these two are going to get married someday”. (author if you’re reading this, I say that not as an expectation or prediction, but as a vibe reading.) This one is for the hurt/comfort girlies. Also, shoutout to all the other stories set in the Anything-verse. Sunshine and Ghost are just soooo *grips my hand in a fist so hard it shakes*

➠If you need to be mean by @gremlingottoosilly This mostly serves as a blanket recommendation for all of Gremlin’s fics. I found If you need to be mean, and then visiting Gremlin’s author page was like opening a treasure chest. Want to be König’s pampered, (unwilling) little housewife? That’s If you need to be mean. Want a harem fic with almost all of the COD MW men? Gremlin has two, both with their own little spin to keep it fun. Do you want König to keep you in his basement or hunt you down as a serial killer? Gremlin's got it. Monsterfucker? Gremlin has that too. Special shoutout goes to 1295 kilometers. I think about fucking König on a train a lot now.

➠Break my mind by @kaiasdevotion (kaiasown on ao3) There’s no way around this. This fic has the most unhinged, kinky, downright dangerous smut I’ve read in the cod fandom so far (positive). Just Friends König is the metric by which I judge all other Königs’ nastiness, and Break my mind König is tipping so hard on the “unhinged horny violent freak (affectionate)” end of the scale he’s about to fall off. I don't know if you guys have noticed, but I've developed a taste for writing/reading from König's perspective, and he's so chillingly deranged in the most controlled way possible during the chapters from his pov. Incredible writing. Chefs kiss.

✦Experimental by @uhohdad (surgeoninspace on ao3) Alright, enough of just König being nasty. He is still nasty in this one, but he’s not the only one who gets to have a little fun and be a total creep. Our little scientist here is a grade A pervert, and I was delighted the whole way through. The most important thing I need in a fic is suspension of disbelief, and Experimental takes an unrealistic, maybe a little bit silly situation and makes it so believable. Everybody reacts the way you would expect them to, even if the scenario they're in is A Lot.

➠Little Mouse and Rotes Madchen by @sprout-fics I'm combining the recommendation for these two because while they are both very much distinct, unique fics, I love them the same way. Sprout is such an engaging writer, and the internal dialogue of her characters is so well done. It reveals their personality, motivations, and internal conflicts without being overly expository. Do you guys remember that post I put on the König bible about instant obsession? It's this inexorable attraction borne from obsession that sticks me to Little Mouse like a glue trap. (Is that too morbid?)

✦Hot in Sarajevo by @50cal-fullauto Rags' König characterization post is on my Königcore bible, for very good reason. They get it. König is a feral dog forced to live as a man and loves like a total maniac, emotionally and sexually. I marked Hot in Sarajevo as complete but I don't know how many parts there are going to be, and frankly, I do want more. However, if you're going to only read one part (which. why would you do that??? read both.) I recommend the second part. I want to write love like that. Goddamn.

Ghost

Yeah, this list is a little bare bones right now. I'm gonna get back to it, I promise.

✦Anhedonia by kneelingshadowsalome The way. Salome takes the "I would take a bullet for him but he's so cold to me" premise and then flips it entirely on its head for the second part is so important to me. The way Simon craves the reader is like human catnip. I reread this fic all the time.

Keegan

✦For the Weak and Weary by @halcyone-of-the-sea Read this if you want to believe in true love. That's all. Go on now.

Multiple

✦Easy by @danibee33 When people say "I wish this were a book!" about fanfiction, they usually mean it in a "this is good enough to be published by the traditional publishing industry" way. When I say I want Easy (and Diablesa) to be a book, I mean it in a "I want to get this story bound in a beautiful ass cover and keep it on a shelf so I can take it down and reread it whenever I want" way. I don't want the traditional publishing industry to get their claws in this, because it's perfect as it is. This fic is so wild and fun, and the character moments are so special and well done. Do yourself a favor and savor this one.

➠@ghouljams's entire blog [masterlist] "What do you mean someone's entire blog" YOU HEARD ME. Those aus are some good shit. Good characterization, delicious premises, love the group effort of it all. To absolutely nobody's surprise, my favorite couple is König and Bee from the cowboy au (ditzy but well-meaning and competent in her own way woman x big strong man who is obsessed with her and maybe also creeping on her, my beloved), but I also have a fondness for Ghost and Die from demon darlings au. Trust me on this one. Dig into those masterlists babey.

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

One of the more interesting aspects of Stayed Gone is the implication that, prior to his disappearance, Alastor must have been producing some quality programming.

Despite it's obvious importance in the modern world, TV apparently only started outcompeting radio in Hell after Alastor vanished. Seven whole years ago. And when Al returns, Vox's first response is to freak the fuck out about whether he's gonna keep his audience.

That's fucking crazy.

And we can be pretty sure that people weren't just listening in out of fear, either. Or because Alastor was making any major effort to crush all other forms of media.

If this was purely about which Overlord was the most powerful, then Vox's verses would surely have focused on emphasising his own strength. Instead, they're all about calling radio outdated. Vox is genuinely worried— apparently based on experience— that Alastor is going to outdo him in terms of sheer entertainment value.

Which raises the obvious question: what were Al's shows actually like? (Aside from those early broadcasts guest-starting the screams of the damned, obviously.)

We get kind of a taster in the song:

“Salutations! Good to be back on the air. Yes, I know it's been a while, since someone with style treated Hell to a broadcast— Sinners, rejoice!— instead of a clout-chasing mediocre video podcast. Is Vox insecure, pursuing allure? Fitting between this fad and that, is nothing working? Every day, he's got a new format! Is Vox as strong as he purports? Or is it based on his support? He'd be powerless without the other Vees! And here's the sugar on the cream: he asked me to join his team! I said no, and now he's pissy, that's the tea!”

Obviously he's doing it to music, so there's going to be some difference in the cadence of his voice from that, but still, he's talking noticeably quicker than he does in person. And he gets right to the point.

Compare it to his commercial in episode 1. There's a big difference in terms of both how much respect he's showing his audience (“well hello there, you wayward sinner!” vs “good to be back on the air”), and how much relevant information he delivers.

Alastor is a great character to watch, but most people who interact with him directly seem to find the experience either annoying, awkward, terrifying or all three.

Mainly because Al seems to go out of his way to put people off even when he's actively trying to get them to trust him, by making condescending asides or constantly dropping references to his own power. On air, however, he greets everyone politely and even drops what is almost an apology for being gone so long (“I know it's been a while”), then immediately gets to the information that he knows they're really listening for.

Alastor may not respect Charlie, Adam or Lucifer, but he does respect his audience.

And the content he's producing makes it clear why people are still tuning in. Al has the gossip. Katie Killjoy and Tom Trench may not be unbiased exactly, but they're clearly trying to provide sources for their claims and maintain some veneer of professional news reporting.

Al, meanwhile, is quite happy to provide strong opinions and baseless speculation about public figures, content that is less fitting with the professional image that Vox seems so desperate to keep up, but that is likely to attract a bigger audience.

What gets me curious now, however, is wondering what else he used to provide.

Again, radio was apparently the medium for news and entertainment in Hell until Alastor left. Implying that a) radio was at the time fulfilling many of the function that TV now provides, and b) Alastor was involved enough in this that it collapsed/got overthrown the moment he left town.

Did Alastor have an empire similar to the Vees? Did he run a bunch of channels? Did he have DJs and sports commentators and presenters on his payroll?

Given that radio seems to have collapsed completely after he left— did they all go running to Vox when he was presumed dead? Was the Vees new empire in part built on the ruins of Alastor's old one?

Or did he do the whole thing solo and just run like, a bunch of different shows. (In which case, since radio's bread and butter has always been music, Helluva Boss fans can now have fun imagining him interviewing Verosika Mayday about ‘Vacay to Bonetown’.)

[11queensupreme11]

7th love interest - cú chulainn!

yep so everyone who voted for cu chulainn in the previous poll (which was surprisingly a majority of you) got it right!

for those who don't know, cu chulainn is a character from the ror spinoff: apocalypse of the gods, and he is a demigod. like, an actual 50% human and 50% god.

yeah so that means there are now 2 types of demigods in the ror verse: a human with the strength of a god (gained via drinking ambrosa aka, zeus' blood; ex: heracles before ascension) and now the actual half-blood that we're familiar with

BECAUSE I ALREADY STATED IN ARSENIC BLUES THAT BIOLOGICAL HALF-GOD AND HALF-HUMANS DON'T EXIST AND ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO CREATE, CU CHULAINN WILL BE LIKE PRE-ASCENSION HERACLES: a human with the strength of a god BUT he got this through drinking lugh's blood and was also blessed by him (hence why he will have some of lugh's powers too)

so..... why cu chulainn? well, he actually has a lot of similarities with percy:

both are mortal children of a god. percy being the biological daughter of poseidon and cu chulainn being the adopted son of lugh (for my fic at least)

both have doggies 🥺🥺🥺

both are heroes/warriors. 'hero' more for percy, and 'warrior' more for cu chulainn (i'll explain this later)

both started young. cu chulainn actually started at age fucking seven 💀 and twelve years old for percy

both have ungodly amounts of rizz. percy's getting bitches left and right in BOTH pjo universe and ror universe, and cu chulainn's a fucking whore. no fr, in a lot of his lore, men hated his ass cuz they feared he may "steal their wives and ruin their daughters". he was balls deep in everyone 💀

both have hilarious beef with war gods 😭 ares for percy and morrigan for cu chulainn (fun fact: morrigan actually tried to rizz him once but he rejected her and she's hated his ass since 💀)

both have A LOT of enemies 💀 percy's pissed off like half the greek pantheon in the pjo verse and is on every monster's hit list and cu chulainn literally got killed because the sons of the people he killed wanted to get his ass for revenge 💀

both are really really good at killing their enemies 😂 percy's kill mostly consists of monsters tho and maybe some enemy demigods whereas cu chulainn pretty much killed hundreds of people in táin bó cúailnge in less than five minutes cuz he went into goblin mode 💀💀💀 (and then he went on to terrorize the entirety of ireland)

HOWEVER!!!!! there are also some MAJOR differences between them that i can't wait to explore.

cu chulainn was born into royalty. his mother was a princess and the sister of the king. then there's broke ass percy 😭

cu chulainn is an arrogant asshole in the myths and in the manga and percy's an actual sweetie pie who was raised well by her mom 🥺

cu chulainn's basically the heracles of ireland, and by that, i mean he was a huge fucking piece of shit 💀💀💀 yeah, he's basically as much of a jerk as pjo!heracles 💀

you know how in greek myths, there's tons of heroes that we learn about (theseus, odysseus, hercules, etc), but then you read the non-sugar coated version of their stories and realize "omg these are horrible ppl"???? yeah that's the same with cu chulainn 💀 back in ancient times, they pretty much called anyone who can kick ass a "hero", which is very different from our modern definition where we think of good people who go around saving lives. cu chulainn was more of a warrior than a hero tbh 💀

also, the dude was a rapist too (so he's already fitting in well with the yanderes yaaaaay 🤗)

i'm gonna have so much fun writing about him and percy lmaooo they share so many similarities, but at the same time are so wildly different

anyway, cu chulainn will show up in ACT TWO, not in act one!!!

and for those curious to learn more, here are some links:

for the list of stories of the ulster cycle (some don't show up, so i suggest googling the title to read it else where)

someone's analysis of the sexism and misogyny in these stories with excerpts to back up the claims. they also go into detail about how much of a shitty person he was lol

[copperbadge]

Hi, please ignore if this is too personal, but as someone with Jewish ancestors who is considering conversion, I'd love to know your reasons for converting? For me it's more about community and reconnecting with that part of my family (there's a complicated family history there) than about religious belief, but I'm worried that might not be enough of a reason, if you know what I mean?

I don't know, I think conversion to Judaism is hard enough that if you don't have "enough" of a reason, you'll find out -- but I also think that one doesn't have to have a "sufficient" reason to convert to any faith which allows it, just determination and respect. If you want a connection to your ancestors and community, that's a very powerful motivation. And if it's not enough to sustain you through conversion, that's still a huge self-discovery for you, and while some practice should remain closed, you can still connect through things like traditionally Jewish foods and appreciation for Jewish art and culture.

For me, it's not that it's too personal, but it's difficult to vocalize; often when I'm asked about converting there's an assumption that I'm marrying a Jewish person, and when I say no, I usually add, "I just hear a call." Which admittedly is much more often said by Christians joining a ministry, but it's the most truthful I know how to be in short. Something in Judaism speaks to something in me. I have very little Jewish ancestry (although every time the DNA websites reevaluate their calculations it ticks up a percentage point, which is hilarious to me; I'm up from 2% to 6% currently) but the attitude towards the divine, the strength of tradition, the respect for learning, they all speak to my soul.

Even the hard stuff -- content in Torah or Talmud that I find difficult to reconcile with modern sensibility -- is at least something to challenge me, and Judaism is a faith that encourages argument, so I'm allowed to have a critical opinion of it. I think a lot about a quote I read from someone (possibly a reader, if so I am so sorry I can't find your name in my memory) who said, "I keep kosher, but sometimes I eat bacon when I'm mad at G-d." I think a lot about my Methodist confirmation class, where I was almost kicked out because I thought the Parable of the Wedding Feast was stupid and continued to argue against it after, realistically, I should have stopped; if it had been a class for a Bar Mitzvah, we might have been allowed to really examine it instead of glancing across it awkwardly and moving on. (As I found out years later, it was basically about how anyone can be a Christian but Jews should be punished for refusing to convert, so you know. Even as a kid I was very Jewish in my approach to theology and knew anti-Semitic propaganda when I heard it.)

I like that so many of the traditions involve things that I find compelling: bread, fire, water, the written word, the cycle of the harvest. I like that there's a search for truth and precision in Jewish scholarship, and that scholarship often seems to reward a neurodiverse approach to faith and study. As someone committed to philanthropy and versed in radical compassion, the exhortation to care for others baked into every foundational Jewish text is also very attractive. Some of the prayers I find viscerally satisfying (particularly the Traveler's Prayer, for some reason).

I find faith in a single divine entity extremely difficult, but one of the first things that got me to seriously consider Judaism (something I'd already been interested in) was being told that you can be an atheist Jew. To be able to commit to a faith community while still struggling with faith itself feels special to me. Whether a divine entity caused the miracle of the oil we celebrate this time of year is immaterial to me; the beauty of the narrative, the righteous rebellion rewarded with eight nights of light, is enough for me.

I might never finish conversion; realistically while I've done a lot of studying I still haven't worked extensively with a rabbi on a conversion path, and I do not call myself a Jew and won't until I complete conversion (I do observe a lot of the holidays and prayers, but mainly because that's generally advice to converts, so they can understand the demands of the faith and the myriad issues with being Publicly Jewish). But that's fine too; Judaism has been around for thousands of years, it'll wait for me, and if I never convert I'm still enjoying the journey.

[canmom]

reading Herbert Mason's translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh, as you do!

I went with Mason's translation after I saw it quoted here and there and seemed pretty solidly written - but it isn't precisely right to call it a translation, more a retelling of the story as Mason understands it. so it's not a line by line translation, and some major parts of it are presumably interpolations or paraphrases.

i knew the broad outline of the story but it's fascinating to put it in context, and discover parts of the story i hadn't heard about. for example, i didn't realise the concept of droit du seigneur was part of this story - I'd thought that was basically a goofy myth about the medieval period, but here in the oldest surviving written story, it's just a thing the mythological king Gilgamesh does. though the exact translation seems a little contentious - Mason writes:

As king, Gilgamesh was a tyrant to his people.

He demanded, from an old birthright,

The privilege of sleeping with their brides

Before the husbands were permitted

But Wikipedia quotes a different translation by Stephen Mitchell which says:

He is king, he does whatever he wants... takes the girl from her mother and uses her, the warrior's daughter, the young man's bride.

The general thrust is similar in both cases, but the details of the custom are different. I don't have Mitchell's translation so I can't find how he describes the moment Enkidu arrives to interfere with Gilgamesh doing one of these kingly rapes (like let's not beat around the bush here, it's a different social context and whatever but you can't possibly say no to the demigod king).

Moving on...

Viewed with modern eyes, the transition between the first chapter and the second is kind of abrupt. We've got this great establishing story for Gilgamesh and Enkidu having a rather homoerotic fight and becoming best bros, but then we abruptly skip forward to Gilgamesh declaring that they're going to go fight a monster called Humbaba, and Enkidu is all like, no, that guy is way too high level, you'll die! Modern writing advice would hold that you'd want to spend some time building up Gilgamesh and Enkidu's relationship 'on screen' here, and perhaps foreshadow the existence of Humbaba a bit sooner to build up the threat a bit - but then I'm not carving this into stone tablets, I can afford to be a little bit roundabout, and who knows what's been lost? (scholars of the Epic probably have some idea lol)

The word used for Gilgamesh and Enkidu's relationship is 'friend'. This feels like it's probably a bit of a lossy translation to me - would lover/boyfriend be projecting too much? I obviously don't know the nuances of Sumerian that well, so maybe this is the best available word, but their relationship has a lot of physicality and a lot of affection.

The woman who goes to Enkidu in the wild and has a bunch of sex until he becomes civilised is described here as a 'prostitute'. My understanding was that she belongs to a religious role here, harimtu, that's usually translated as 'sacred prostitution' but apparently this identity is contested, and also she has a name, Shamhat? I don't know why Mason doesn't use her name. Shamhat has a pretty big role in changing Enkidu and convincing him to come meet Gilgamesh, but her own motivation isn't really explored.

Still, I don't want to come off as only complaining. Whether they originate in the Epic or with Mason, I'm enjoying a lot of the poetic turns of phrase in this version - the style is just the right level of minimal - simple appropriate words, but effective for that. Mason writes in verse, but doesn't rhyme - I'm not really familiar enough with meter to say more than that. There are a lot of fairly short, declarative sentences, mixed up with an occasional much longer metaphor across multiple lines. I think you could fairly easily delete the line breaks and just have prose, but having them makes it flow in an interesting way, like waves? Poetry is not my bailiwick so I'm probably describing some fairly basic facets of the medium, but it's interesting to observe.

I'll add more when I've read a bit more, I'll be in this train a while...

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

A (Partial, Hypothetical) Map of the

Arachno-Humanoid PolyMultiverse

[A slightly MEDIUM length post where I mapped out and explain the positions of the different universes we see in ATSV -

and how those distances can effect everything to travel time - to the reason why Miles got bitten (maybe..based on my charting and data)]

Did I use common grouping and graphing to make a connectivity map of the universes within the Arachno-Humanoid-PolyMultiverse based on common attributes and similarities?

Why no - I didn't. Lyla gave me this map this morning. So there. _______________________________________

You know what pisses me off? ATSV showing us amazing ass things and then not stopping to explain them at all. Lucky for them, I have autism, a keyboard, and way too much time. So allow me.

'This is Everything': Okay but what is it?

The Spider-verse series is like an expert at going 'this is super interesting but i also I refuse to explain'

But one thing I've always found this SUPER interesting - The Portals. Because LOOK AT THEM. Like... the watch is creating a channel along a set path! It has velocity! How fast are they going? How far?!!

In lots of other Marvel movies like Doctor Strange, teleportation between universes is instantaneous. This is true for a lot of sci-fi.

However, for Spider-verse, they chose something different.

We see them flying and falling through portals, many of them twisting and turning. And it got me thinking -

If they're flying from point A to point B - Doesn't that imply that the universes have set locations - with measurable, varying distance between them?

And if so - how close are they together? Does it always take the same amount of time? Are some too far to get to without jumping to a closer location first?

So many possibilities! I was so curious to make sense of this. How does the watch KNOW where to go? Where every universe is?

The Solution:

I realized that each universe has similarities - and if similarity = proximity, there could be a way to map the universes by asking three simple questions:

Are they in the modern era? Are they in New York - or something like it? Are they stylized?

And what I got was a map that actually explains some very interesting things in the movie! (If you play by my logic, lol)

Graph Breakdown : How to read

[Explainer and breakdown below the cut PLUS a clearer version - so you can map out your sona!]

The graph is made up of two different points - Cluster Centers & Universes:

The Three Clusters: Location, Time, & Style

Cluster Centers are specific attributes that universes share, and these attributes clump similar universes together, shortening the distance between them.

There are 3 cluster centers, based on the three questions:

The Time Desynchronization Cluster: For universes that exist outside of the modern era The Stylization Cluster: For universes with artistic stylization The New York Cluster: For universes in which the Spider-person is based in New York, or a rendition of it.

These clusters are arranged in a triangle with sides of equal length.

Then, a universe is placed on the map based on whether they fit the criteria and how much they fit the criteria.

How much they fit each criteria determines each universe's proximity to each other, and the pathways the watches will take to get from location to location as quick as possible.

For example:

Plotting Universes: Distances & Changes

Using these three Clusters, we can plot almost any Spider-person or Spidersona on the map!

Universes that share attributes and clusters are closer together, shortening the distance and time it takes to complete jumps.

In addition, universes with lots of cluster connections and nearby universes are considered more stable, the strands of the web closer together, and quicker in general.

And just for reference:

The places in which the universes' lines cross are common canon events they share.

Looking at the plotted Universes, we can see some cool things about how they work:

[My lovely OC's, DiscoSpider Diane and Inca-Spider Moche plotted as examples]

The proximity matters in context too! And it seems to effect a lot of things - like observably in the movie.

The closeness of two universes, can possibly explain the time it takes to get there, why some people fall into other universes, and how easy it is to assimilate into another's universe.

Some cool things to note:

Gwen and Miles' universes are next to each other. Which could explain how she fell into his world. Gwen is way more stylized than Miles, so she's closer to that Cluster than he is.

Peter's universe (not charted..lol) would be next to Miles' & Pavitrs - which also explains his involvement in ITSV.

Noir, Spider-Ham, and Peni Parker would all be close-by as well.

Miles and Pavi's universes are next to each other. Miles & Pavi share all three attributes. Because of this, Miles and Pavi's universes are right next to each other. Which could be why Gwen & Miles' jump to Mumbattan is very short and quick.

Pavi's universe is next to HQ. Pavi is modern, low-stylization, and based in a New York adjacent city. This is true for Miguel too, however, he's in 2099, desynchronized from time. Them being right next to each other could explain how so many members of the Spider Society arrived to Mumbattan quickly to contain the anomaly - as all they would need to do is traverse the time difference.

The stylized characters are charted 'most stylized' to least - left to right, based on medium/inspo: Gwen being first (watercolor), then Hobie (collages of prints, text, and real people), and then Noir (completely shaded with no color, but based off of live-action films), then Patrick a.k.a Webslinger (based on live-action Westerns).

Because of this layout, Hobie's universe borders Gwen's. This could explain how Gwen stayed at his place without being noticed for her differing style (which - as we see with Miles and Spider-Ham, would be obvious). But Gwen universe being nearby, could be why she didn't stand out too much.

Hobie's universe borders Noir's. This is very cute. I love them. Happy feelings.

Noir's universe borders Diane's. Because they both live in New York, and are desynchronized from time (Noir being 1933, and Diane 1982) - Noir and Diane's universe sit next to each other. This makes a lot of sense - Noir's world is perpetually white and black - literally 'noir', while Diane's world lacks a day-cycle, making it always night-time.

Because they share these attributes with Miguel as well - Nueva York, 2099 - Noir and Diane actually live 'closest' to campus, along with Pavitr third.

Despite both being O'hara's, Patrick's universe is REALLY far from Miguel's. This is because WebSlinger's universe is time desynchronized in the opposite direction, very far in the past. He's also stylized - and he lives in the Wild West, not New York. Hence the distance.

As is Moche's - Miguel's wife. Like Miguel, Moche lives in a time desynchronized universe (his 2099, hers 1992) - however Moche is from Peru, hence why her and Patrick are the farthest from the New York Cluster. Moche's world is stylized as photorealistic, moreso than Miles, so she's the farthest from that cluster as well.

Miles' and Wiles' universes would be almost directly next to each other - which explains the spider-bite and the fact Miles' DNA changed so easily. Not all variants are next to each other though - Hobie's 616 Prowler variant is actually pretty far from his.

Uhhh...yeah, I think that's everything. But mind you - that's only a two dimensional slice of THIS

Hopefully I was able to decode like 0.0001% of it.

This is all speculation and my imagination, But what came out of it is INTERESTING AS HELL TO ME. Writers...pleasee...feed me more random stills in which I can consume.

Also Miguel if you're reading this please hire me I have a degree in Archnohumanoid Poly-Multiversal Research that's good for nothing and I desperately need a job-

________________________________

I hope you liked this and this made sense! It was just a fun little experiment to do that turned out to be REALLY interesting to chart out/decipher.

Lemme know what you think about how it all works and stuff and what you think of this!

If you made it this far! Thank you so much!! SERIOUSLY THANK YOU

Here's a copy of the map with smaller universes, so you can slot in your own sonas! Plus, a pic of Hobie for your troubles.

His eyes are so pretty. Can you believe he's in love with my Spidersona thats crazzzyy

Bye.

[lilolilyr]

For the day 8 prompt of @duckprintspress' May Trope Mayhem 2025: a ficlet from DSC Michael Burnham's POV, ft. Sylvia Tilly, modern AU, pre-Milippa relationship - I might write another more shippier ficlet in this 'verse later if anyone's interested!

~

Michael flees to the bathroom as quickly and inconspicuously as she can, holding onto her dress, certain that every person in the ballroom is staring and judging, when in truth probably just a handful of people even notice her quick exit.

Her face feels hot and clammy, and Michael is glad that the bathroom is deserted when she walks in.

She lets go of her tight grip on the fabric, and the dress slides down, revealing her strapless bra. That one at least stays in place. Small mercies...

Wrestling with the dress to get the broken zipper at the back to the front, Michael curses when her nails catch on the fabric. It's just a small tear, barely visible at all, but it's enough to drive tears into her eyes. Does everything have to go wrong today?

~

A toilet flushes, and Michael freezes in shock. Fuck, she should have checked whether any of the stalls were closed. Then again, what would she have been supposed to do? Hide in a toilet stall until she is alone?

A woman with wild red curls bounces out of the stall to the sinks to wash her hands, smiling at Michael then doing a double take when she sees her state of undress.

Michael tries to smile back, more of a grimace, then looks down to fiddle with the closing mechanism. No, it's properly busted, she won't be able to fix that without actual sewing supplies and maybe an entirely new zipper...

"Everything alright?" The redhead asks as she dries her hands.

"My zipper broke," Michael replies, seeing no reason to lie.

"Ohh damn that sucks so much!"

With the stranger's honest sentiment, Michael feels a bit better.

"I don't suppose you have a jacket or top I could borrow?" She asks hopefully.

"Um, no... My friend has a shawl thing, maybe we could try that? But, oh! I've got safety pins, because I always manage to tear stuff, I mean not always but it's happened twice now so I come prepared! That could work, right?"

Michael privately thinks that using safety pins all the way on the back of her dress will look pretty ridiculous, but she doesn't want the other woman to feel bad about her suggestion, so she just smiles and nods. Besides, it's not like she has a better option.

~

"Just give me a - ah, here!" The woman pulls a small plastic box with the pins from her handbag and holds it out to Michael. "I'm Tilly, by the way!"

"Michael." She takes the pins and awkwardly holds up her dress with her elbow pressed to her side while she gets the box open.

"Oh, I know! I heard your speech earlier, it was really good!"

"Oh! You're in the field?" Michael asks, surprised. The symposium isn't mainly visited by experts of her own specialty, after all.

"Uh, no, but my friend Philippa is. She tried to explain some things to me, it mostly went over my head but I mean I still liked your speech! And Philippa likes it, so that's cool right?"

Michael nods distractedly, trying to fix up her dress, when she notices that once the safety pins are in, there's no way she is going to be able to pull it up anymore.

"Um..."

"Some help?" Tilly holds out her hand, and Michael gratefully hands the safety pins back to her, pulls up the dress and turns it the right way around before turning her back to Tilly, who quickly pulls the fabric together and secures it with the safety pins.

Once she is done, it feels tight enough that Michael isn't worried about it sliding down. She wants to turn around to thank Tilly, but the other stops her.

"Hmm, okay... They're kind of visible with all the metal, I guess I should buy pins in different colours, I've never had to fix a top with safety pins before..."

"Don't worry about it," Michael tries to sound cheerful but isn't sure whether she succeeds. "I'm sure it's fine."

"No, wait, let me ask Philippa for her shawl! It's dark green, that goes with the blue right? Be right back!"

~

Part 1 of ? • more Star Trek by me • web link

Prompt me • Tag list (lmk if you want on/off it):

@startrekgeorgiouery @toboldlynerd @badasspantiestalker @accio-baqat @spockblanket @geek-goth-gay @mlmcaptainpike @danisnotmyname @my-gaydar-is-on-point @yaminoendo @grapeyoda @wapwani @badwolfkaily @bookerandy @racethewind10 @toomuchactionforme @onaperduamedee @verbumproxen @justanalto @not-so-good-omen @blahaj-blazt @sad-tunes @forestcircle @die-schwanenkoenigin @dianessunflower

[laiqualaurelote]

Press Release: Spooky Action at a Distance Album Reveal

The London Music Register - Local Interest

Spooky Action At A Distance unveils cover art for their much awaited debut album

The Ambassadors meets The Breakfast Club

Perhaps even more difficult than snagging a ticket to one of SAAAD’s sold-out club shows is trying to describe the experience to your less-lucky friends afterwards.

Their sound defies basic mortal conventions such as genre, instead better described by critic buzzwords, namely, transcendent and explosive.

Four band mates of wildly different backgrounds and styles meet to produce something that’s both the ultimate sum of their ancestral influences and entirely, uniquely theirs. Their music unabashedly melds high and low art- what begins as a pop punk song flows seamlessly into an operatic verse, while another number features elements of a baroque dance suite in what can best be defined as a modern club anthem. Their lyrics are equally packed with esoteric references and universal emotions.

It shouldn’t work- but it does. And it’s delicious. In order to tide you over until the album release, we’ve got the first look at its cover art, and as a gift to fans, it’s visually indicative of the band’s layered sound.

Many of you may be familiar with The Ambassadors from school trips to the National Gallery. The painting’s a popular subject of debate for art historians due to its detailed subjects and metaphysical symbolism. It’s reproduced faithfully here, albeit with a few cheeky adjustments.

SAAAD frontwoman Crystal Palace (yes, that Crystal Palace!) takes the place of the leftmost figure, complete with lavish outfit and undeniable rockstar swagger.

Across from her, drummer Charles Rowland stands in a dark coat, sticks clutched in a gloved hand.

Bassist Niko Sasaki lays across the top shelf à la Molly Ringwald, dandelion-crowned head at Palace’s shoulder.

Center frame- the band’s ‘brain’: virtuoso Edwin Payne sits with a lute across his lap and the painting’s infamous distorted skull slashing across his legs. (Memento mori seems to be a prevalent theme in many of SAAAD’s songs, though they often turn it into a lively celebration)

Eagle eyed fans will notice a couple additions to Holbein’s instruments- a bear figurine, a lantern, and a cherry blossom branch among them. Are they references to the band’s lyrics? Hints at future projects?

One thing’s for sure, we cannot wait to see more of this group. *

Spooky Action At A Distance’s album is available for preorder at record stores all across London.

Next live show: Saturday night at the Catabasis (tickets required in advance)

Booking inquires should be sent to Jenny Green.

HELLO I LOVE THIS?! for those unfamiliar with The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein, it's a 16th-century painting most famous for the weird distorted shape in the foreground, which looks like an alien object but is an anamorphic skull that comes into view if you approach it from certain angles. It's absolutely perfect for this band AU, I am shrieking. my eternal thanks to you anon

I actually drafted, but did not put in the fic itself, the track listing for the band's debut album AFTERLIVES, complete with writing credits:

SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET (Payne)

ACES DACES (Rowland)

LEFT OVER RITE (Payne)

TANPOPO NO KAMISAMA (Sasaki)

STICKY CRICKET WICKET (Rowland)

GIRLS’ KNIVES OUT (Sasaki, Surname von Hoverkraft)

RESTLESS PIANO SYNDROME (Payne)

PICK UP WHAT YOU’RE PUTTING DOWN (Rowland)

BRACELET ABOUT THE BONE (Payne)

BURY THE EX (Surname von Hoverkraft)

LANTERN IN THE DARK (Payne)

STAIRWAY TO HELL (Payne, Rowland) 

(bonus track)

13. GOT THE HELL OUT OF HELL (WE AIN’T GOING BACK) (Payne, Rowland, Sasaki, Surname von Hoverkraft)

gig officially gigged

[wombywoo]

I apologize in advance for the hefty emojis but I love learning about both of your boys!

🎮🔶🍃❤️💔🍝😊

no need to apologize! thanks for asking :)) <3

🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

For Quinn--he's not really a hobby type of guy, but I suppose his would be working out, chilling with Fig, and sleeping, lol. He's pretty dedicated to his military work, and doesn't prefer to linger in idle moments lest he start spiraling mentally, so most of his recreational pursuits are more for distraction's sake. He's not even a super big gym guy, but he tends to work out as a physical outlet to get out of his own head..

Vincent has more traditional hobbies--cooking, reading, and role-playing games are some of his main ones. He's taken to learning new recipes, especially now he has a human bf to impress, and reading has always been a passion for him; he likes to escape too every once in a while (historical romance, mostly). The ongoing dnd campaign he and Stuart host with their mates is one of his joys as well. I think Vince would be down to try most hobbies, even more as a potential group activity with Quinn (Quinn is not thrilled with this development -_-)

🔶 LARGE ORANGE DIAMOND — does your oc know cpr? do they have any other medical expertise?

Both are sufficiently versed in CPR, Vincent probably moreso. Being in the military requires at least some medical knowledge, so I imagine Quinn would know the basics. Vincent is definitely more proficient, as he has some...intimate experience with certain practices. He's probably brushed up on it further now that he has a fragile mortal to protect.....

🍃 LEAVES FLUTTERING IN WIND — what is/was your oc's favorite subject in school?

Hmm...Quinn was not so big on school, so his favorite subject might've been P.E. Not that he was even particularly athletic, but it felt better being physical and distracting himself from a lot of the shit he was going through at the time. He wasn't bad in math and science early on, but he lost focus for a lot of subjects as he was finishing school. Funnily enough, his dad was a history teacher, yet Quinn never expressed any real interest in the subject to his father's disappointment.

Vincent appreciated most subjects, but he favored English literature and music. He'd always enjoyed books growing up, so he thrived in discussions about classics and modern novels of the time. Music was another pursuit that he excelled at; also helped that he had a crush on his piano teacher. He was relatively well-rounded as a student, though ancient Latin courses always bored the hell out of him

❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits?

Quinn--he's determined when he needs to be, doesn't complain about arduous and shitty circumstances, and he cares..despite everything

Vincent--he's kind in a world that doesn't often accommodate that sort of courtesy, he's ambitious (and confident to boot), and he has a lot of compassion

💔 BROKEN HEART — what are three of your oc's negative traits?

Quinn--stubborn as shit, doesn't look out for his own well-being, terminally pessimistic

Vincent--also stubborn, can be a bit pompous, gets possessive and jealous in a nasty way

🍝 SPAGHETTI — what is/are your oc's favorite food(s)?

I think I just answered this but I'll elaborate and say Quinn will literally dip anything in peanut butter and eat it; on every sandwich, with every fruit/vegetable, on fish and chips, sausage, corn, eggs,....he's beyond saving 💀

Vincent has also been experimenting with his food intake limit (aka the tummy ache threshold), so he's been able to enjoy some raw meat dishes

😊 SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES — what are your oc's career/general life desires? what do they want to get the most out of life?

oh...Quinn doesn't really let himself think about life desires. Sure, he's got his job in the military, but he doesn't see himself rising through the ranks so much as staying put and seeing how much he can get away with off the record. Truthfully, he can't picture himself having a good life at all; it's just not something he's ever considered for himself. Until...Vincent came along...

Vincent's immediate desire is for his vampirism to be cured. It's the main thing holding him back and he hasn't fully embraced his future because of the notion that he's going to 'live forever'. So finding a way to be human again might put him on a track where he can finally pursue goals again...and yeah. most of those desires will revolve around Quinn....

[galazykatz]

Kira Is Near's Watari AU

"Light Yagami is 17 years old when he stumbles on a cursed notebook and begins committing his first unwilling murders.

Nate River is 6 years old when he discovers a bounty of 30 million dollars on the supposedly normal and respectable son of the Chief of the NPA.

These two facts somehow end up in Light Yagami shot in half a dozen places in a dirty warehouse a week later, Near dragging his body out of there, and both simultaneously disappearing into thin air.

Well, at least until six years later, when criminals begin dying in the masses from heart attacks. With a new Death Note user on the loose, Detective Near and his capable butler and caretaker, Kira, are on the case.

With tensions high between them and the NPA, Near and Light will be forced to confront just what happened that week, half a decade ago.

OR, my Kira is Near's Watari AU"

(Taken from a draft summary of a 5 part WIP fic)

-

So, I've read Noel Verse (TzviaAriella) and Pale Moon (KaedeRavensdale) on Ao3, watched some Black Butler, among some other fanfic, pinterest fanart, and more media with Butlery themes... and now I've got some serious brain rot.

I mean, like, the aesthetic is amazing. And it's doubly hilarious if L and Watari ever meet Near and Kira in this universe because they're total and complete opposites. Visually wise, at least, with Near's white motif and Light's signature beige suits with a splash of red with his tie, their workspace always very modern and minimal. Then Watari's cloaked in all black with L being... L, surrounded by more of an old money setting. Opposite spectrums of ridiculous. Especially if the task force meets these two detective teams and they'd just be... so incredulous. And the angst of Light and Soichiro reuniting.

Also, just the idea of genius, perfect, most promising student of Japan, Light Yagami, showing back up as a butler/caretaker/spy/hitman working for the mysterious yet infamous Detective Near. Only for that detective to turn out to be a 12 year old kid playing with his toys, who Light seriously treats as his boss without an ounce of irony. Everyone just gets more dumbfounded once said kid starts pulling genius deductions out of thin air and controlling black ops. While Light is sent either on said black ops, or to get a certain toy set for Near. No in between.

I imagine Light would still very much have blood on his hands, willing and unwilling, and would be loyal to Near and unwilling to part with him. Partly out of his own self interests and partly out of a genuine sense of repaying the debt for saving his life. Meanwhile, Near is content to have someone reliable on his side who doesn't underestimate him or treat him any differently for his age, nor intends to use him for another agenda. Whatever Near asks, Light does.

And maybe, just maybe, there would be hints of some other influence. Something ingrained in them, not quite dreams nor memories, that draw the two together. But surely this is the first time they've done all this?

-

Alright, is that enough ranting about a fic I probably don't have time to write? Yeah, I think so. XD

Oh well, at least I got to make these doodles today. :)

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Sleep Token - Even in Arcadia song by song review

I've been a fan of the sleepy bois since the day Chokehold came out, luckily for me it was the right place, right time situation and it's fair to say that they are one of my favorite bands right now, if not the most favorite. This review will be as objective as I can be, but there will be a few things that I would consider only my opinion and if you don't agree with me that is completely fine.

Look To Windward - The song opens with an 8-bit, nintendo style intro into Vessels vocals. He pretty much right after the start explains the whole divide between the feathered host and house veridian which was teased through the hype cycle of the album. It's basically an endless conflict between life and death, constants and variables, repetition and change (live by the feather, die by the sword) tangling endlessly if you will. The message fits right into the lore and of course there is a hidden message for you to examine from the man behind the mask: will you help be destroy these demons or will you just watch me suffer because it entertains you? Musically it's a close to 8 minute epic with styles ranging from the aforementioned nintendo music to soulful Vessy vocals through rapping with 808s and modern drum beats and of course there are heavy parts in it as well. Great opening track for the album which feels like a continuation from Take Me Back to Eden.

Emergence - The first single that came out for EIA, which features a few motifs from the past albums. It is the first truly house veridian song of the album, if we stick to the lore Sleep might be the one who could help Vessel emerge, if we look at the current situation the band is in right now it is the fans who helped the band emerge and rise from the scene. A gorgeous though a bit too repetitive song for me personally, the "Go ahead and wrap your arms around me" line gets very old by the time the song ends. The best parts of the song are definitely the guitar part which plays the melody of the pre-chorus and the sax part at the end, which was played by the one and only, Gabi from Bilmuri.

Past Self - The only true non-metal song of the album, which I gotta admit is growing on me very quickly. For the most part it is a trap pop song with a catchy hook and rap verses, lyrically it is a much deeper piece which features thoughts of self doubt, imposter syndrome, and at the end, a cry for help. Vessel does not want to go back to his old self and the song shows the heavy struggle he faces when he doubts himself as the man who was put on a pedestal very quickly and has no idea how to cope with the feeling. The chorus asks the fans if they will accompany Vessel on his journey to change or follow the fake fans who only got into the band because of their quick rise to fame. Very insightful again from the man behind the mask, not necessarily from Vessel.

Dangerous - One of the most simple concepts on the record. Dangerous is a basic lovesong about a potential lover (probably Sleep herself) who Vessel doubts if is the right fit or not. There are a few songs on the album that feels like a continuation from previous songs from the Sundowning-TPWBYT-TMBTE trilogy, this one I feel like is a continuation of Rain from TMBTE. The song's second verse is the most interesting part which is kind of like an early 2010s electro beat, but my personal favorite thing is the melody of the chorus and especially the first falsetto he hits flawlessly obviously.

Caramel - The second single (and most probably the most hated one) which is my most favorite song on the record. Caramel opens up with a reggaeton beat heard mostly in modern latin dance and party music. This song is the turning point of the album, as it is the middle child, the halfway point. From here the house veridian flops to the feathered host, the constant becomes changing and in the lyrics the struggle of Vessel is taking a more literal approach. In this song it is not Vessel, the concept singing, but the actual human, with real feelings. He asks all the parasocial fans who constantly reveal his identity to stop, as he did not consent to any of this. It is a deeply disturbing fact that there are people in the fandom who doxx, leak birth certificates, spread personal shit about the members in fan groups and I could go on and on. Vessel averts himself from these people, he would rather be distant though he still appreciates that they show up for shows and are active supporters of his band. Musically the reggaeton beat turns into probably the most insane breakdown the band has ever written, showing their anger and frustration towards this whole thing. It is also interpreted as the contuation of the song, Sugar because when Sugar burns it becomes bitter and sticky like Caramel, and that is the perfect metaphor for these posessive fans. The song closes with a concerning message from Vessel, maybe he wasn't as ready for fame as he thought.

Even in Arcadia - The title track opens with the sample the band have been teasing since the first single came out. The song turns into a haunting piano melody which was also teased way before the release in the form of a music sheet some fans recieved. It is a genius marketing tool, the fans have been listening the music way before the album came out and now this sort of familiarity surrounds the song. It is like we have been conditioned to be ready for Arcadia, the new chapter which opens up more possibilities for the band. The song has a very unique dark melody and it is a grower, not a shower for sure. For the first listen I didn't care about this onr at all, but on second and third listen I grew to like it a lot.

Provider - The horniest song on the album, a Mine, Like That or The Summoning part 2 if you will. A very patriarchal, guardian-like, possessive love letter for fans of the mentioned songs. The chorus is very coital, almost like a smut novel, while the instrumental has this kind of thrusting tempo, with aggressive drops made for TikTok baddies to dance to. Basically a song made to be viral and that doesn't make it necessarily bad, in fact it is a great piece of art if you are a fan of babymaking heavy music.

Damocles - The third single and the only classically qualified ballad of the record. It is once again of the man behind the mask, not Vessel, as he opens up about the struggle with fame and the dark side of success. The waiting for the collapse which - according to Vessel - is bound to happen, just like Damocles' sword is hanging above emperors and is waiting to strike down. This is the last song I would consider house veridian, though this might also be a song that flips back and forth just like Caramel. It has a deeply personal meaning and an infectious melody, honestly after listening to both Caramel and this, I would just give the guy a hug because he has been through a lot. The song closes a very fancy drum filled section where II basically obliterates the drumset, and this reminded me how one of the most talented drummers of this generation is rarely utilized during the timespan of this new record and that is a shame in my opinion.

Gethsemane - Gethsemane is the garden Jesus prayed in before his crucifixion, and in a metaphorical sense the song is basically an introspective journey of a man who has been through a lot of abuse, pain and suffering. The most literal, heartbreaking and destroying song the band has put out to this date, and this is a hill I would die on. Musically the styles are shifting like gears on a car, we have a midwest emo part, a heavy djent groove, a Post Malone style trap part, showing the ups and downs of a situation Vessel is in with Sleep (or maybe with the fanbase as well). This is my very close second overall favorite and the most favorite non-single, this is what I mean when I think bands should evolve and progress with their sound. Absolute masterpiece.

Infinite Baths - The closer is another epic lasting over 8 minutes. A very atmospheric, Deftones-y song with heavy reverb and a super djenty breakdown that fades into silence. In a literal sense one could interpret this song as the struggle Vessel has to go through after each concert to get the paint off his body, metaphorically I think it is about the fact that from now on he has to accept the fact that he will always be Vessel, this channeling of art, and the paint will never be truly washed away from his skin. He will never go back to the man he once been, even though sometimes he yearns for it, as heard in songs like Caramel, Damocles or Past Self. The ending also feels like a cliffhanger, which left a few fans (me included) wanting more because the band so far had absolute bangers for closure (Euclid and Blood Sport to be specific) and this one just ends very abruptly. This might also be because in a month, 2 more songs will be released for the Japanese press of the record, so we will see. Nevertheless I am very excited for the future of this band and what they will achieve with this album.

Overall I think it is a very solid record, has its ups and downs, better and worse moments and in my opinion not as consistent as TMBTE was, but honestly my expectations were so high after that album that probably nothing would have lived up to the hype. A very close second in my favorite Sleep Token album list. 4.5/5

[bored-trans-orchidsexual]

A Starstruck Odyssey, and Masculinity

I have thoughts and am just gonna unload them on Tumblr. That's what we do here, right? I recently have been re-listening to Starstruck and have had some thoughts on it's depictions of masculinity. This isn't a serious post per se, just some thoughts and observations. Starstruck has a wide spectrum of masculine characters on display, though a lot of it is hostile/toxic. Most men or male-coded characters are either outright villains, or more neutral parties with some toxic and selfish tendencies. Don't get me wrong it's a wild violent galaxy and that's the point, the entire party participates in scamming, kidnapping, exploitations, and unnecessary murder and we love to see it, it's not like it explicitly makes all men out to be inherently more monstrous and evil than others. But I do think the depictions of masculinity can be interesting to observe. Amercadia is a pretty cut and dry critism of the patriarchy and American nationalist culture, which is fantastic worldbuilding to include. Many of the masculine-coded androids are actually pretty nice, friendly and helpful or serious about their jobs, aside from a bitchy one in the beginning who injects our main 'droid with an anxiety spike about being one of a kind. Pretty much all of the Slugs we meet occupy masculine bodies, and they seem to have an abstract gender that picks up pronouns from the body they occupy, though the monarch is objectively a king and uses masculine pronouns even before getting a body, and he's pretty selfish and stupid.

But the main pair I'm thinking of, is Barry and Gunnie. Looking at the two of them, there's a lot you can assume. Big Barry Syx is this massive, bulky dude in power armor and shades with a mullet, while Gunnie is a 4' 11" techie cyborg with a big ol' smile. Listen to them in action and many of your assumptions are reinforced; Barry is a total dude-bro associated with nuts, steroids, working out, and acting much like gym bros in our modern life, while Gunnie is a hyperactive technician just doing his best, despite being mired in sympathetic tragedy. Barry's trauma is fairly fantastical or common to stories, having his family gunned down by one of his own, while Gunnie is mostly weighted down by medical debt after he got in an accident after trusting the wrong person. Based on these apperent details one would assume Barry is this toxicly masculine jackass who's insecure about his flaws, while Gunnie is the smartest man on board and is trying to keep everyone in line, doing the right thing, ect. And of course, you'd be dead wrong. Gunnie, while a sympathetic and likable character, is *mired* in toxic masculine traits. While it was an accident that put him in his situation, it was brash foolishness and ignoring obvious red flags that got him in that position in the first place, not to mention a rebellion against his family driving him to it. Furthermore, as Lou himself admits in Adventuring party, Gunnie's *pride* is the reason his problems are so vast; He comes from a lot of money, his initial debt might have never happened or mostly gone away to begin with if he went back to his dads for help. His toxicity doesn't make him an unlikable character but he does have these traits. He's brash, prideful, and ignores common sense a lot. He is also very nice and friendly with others, listens to people, ect. He doesn't have *every* toxic trait in the book, but has them which I tend to not even notice because he's just a funny little guy. Barry, meanwhile, is just about the most wholesome and giving person in the entire 'verse. Syx *And* Nyne, when not under a slug's control, are these total sweetheart bros. Sure, they shit talk each other with friendly ribbing, and yes they are very good at violence, but this violence is always motivated by helping those in need or fighting for those who can't fight for themselves, the Barry Battalion way. Barrys hate it when people are rude, or hurt the innocent. Barrys fight for their friends, provide endless support and praise, and will throw their very bodies into danger to protect or help, as seen on Rec 97 and in the big finale of the battle of the brands. And while the thing the love most is other Barrys, that does not mean that what they respect is also being heavily macho dudes. Barry one (or was is spelled differently? Barry Won? who knows) was the professor who created the other Barrys, a nerdy and fragile professor type, that the Barrys loved and treated as a fellow Barry *literally* the moment they were created. Even Syd is a Barry now, and that's accepted both by Barry Syx who's known her a long time and bonded with her, as well as Barry Nyne who literally, to his perception, *Just* met her, despite her appearance as like a waitress with an arm canon. Being a Barry, in other words, isn't about being just like them, having the name Barry, or anything like that. It's a vibe, it's a way to be, and the 'verse is better off with these super wholesome boys who, despite embodying many stereotypes of the gym bro, posses *none* of the commonly toxic traits also associated with that. They aren't insecure around smarter people or those with different skillsets, they hold no gendered assumptions, and they never wanna use their might to opress others for their own satisfaction.

Just, some thoughts.