#most of them discover they like life down there even though the issue is eventually resolved and they can leave

[weky-woof]

Autumn on PNF-404 brings the cold with it and the Pikmin spend more time inside their leader's strange onions... Louie shares meals with them on the occasion!

[ak319]

Lovesick Village Boy x Fem civil servant reader

Part II

➺Part I

It's been two days since your arrival at Al-Razeh. Maha, your PA, poured tea into your cup and hers, and you both sat down, enjoying the evening and relaxing on your estate's lawn.

"The weather is nice today, Ma'am," Maha said, taking in the cool breeze.

"Indeed," you replied, savoring the calm. After a moment, you turned to her. "By the way, you’ve lived here all your life, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," she answered, glancing at you curiously.

"So... any folklore tied to this village? Since, you know, villages are known to be famous for such things." You smiled, lighting the mood with a bit of humor. “Often having their own stories.”

Maha chuckled softly at your inquiry and drew her chair a bit closer to yours. “Well, not exactly folklore, but there is this family. Personally, neither my family nor I are closely acquainted with them, but…” She took a sip of her tea, her words now capturing all your attention.

"They are the Jafaris--Kadir Jafari’s family, they own general stores here, two of them. He has three sons. The oldest two are married and have children, but their youngest… he’s always been something of an enigma around here.”

Your curiosity piqued, you snorted softly. “An enigma?”

“Yes, ma’am, an enigma,” Maha’s voice took on a tone of anxious seriousness. “He’s known for his extraordinary beauty. I have not seen him myself though. So, up until he was about sixteen, everything seemed fine. But then, he suddenly vanished from his friends’ lives and stopped attending school. Despite the family’s best efforts to conceal the issue, it eventually came to light that he was... possessed. The situation was dire, his agonizing screams were reportedly heard throughout the quiet streets. This was happening around the time of his second brother’s wedding. Guests at the house, including those from the neighboring families, overheard the commotion. The disturbances along with conflicts within the family caused tensions to rise, and at one point, it nearly led to the engagement being called off. Fortunately, the wedding went ahead, but Habib was absent, cited as being ill by his family.”

You listened with growing intrigue, though a pang of sympathy tugged at your heart. Such occurrences were tragically real, and often, people not only suffered but sometimes perished.

"Let me guess," you said, shifting your gaze to Maha, "you mentioned he was--no, is--beautiful?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

"Then black magic? Possibly from relatives?" You inquired, noting the surprised look in Maha’s eyes.

"Y-yes," she stammered. "I mean, that's what most of the people think. The cleric himself when consulted by some of the village elders, particularly Kadir’s friends, didn't reveal anything except that it was indeed something paranormal."

"That's often the case with such situations," you remarked. "Clerics typically avoid naming names if it's a matter of black magic. If you discover the culprit on your own, that's one thing, but directly asking the clerics usually only gets you vague responses. Or maybe the family didn't want the details out."

Black magic presented a confusing challenge when it came to legal matters. The laws were clear, if someone was caught practicing black magic, they faced severe penalties. Yet, the shadowy nature of these practices often meant that many perpetrators remained hidden. Clerics, bound by their own reasons, often withheld crucial information about those involved. In villages like Al-Razeh, such issues could be predictably common. To you, black magic was not merely a mystical concern but a serious crime. The victims deserved justice, and those who perpetuated such malevolence needed to be held accountable.

“Ma’am, how do you know so much about these things?” Maha’s childlike curiosity brought a smile to your face.

“Nothing special,” you replied, “just a hobby. So, how is the boy now?”

"Oh! I missed a part," Maha said, her voice dropping to a more serious tone. "People, like you mentioned, initially suspected the relatives because that's common in cases of black magic. But his brothers were also under suspicion. They always seemed to harbor resentment towards Habib. After all, he’s the most beautiful of them, so it wouldn't be surprising if they were involved. Men too get jealous over these matters."

With a pitiful sigh, you set your cup on the table and leaned back. "It breaks one’s heart to hear such stories--family turning against family. This... magic stuff is no joke. Deep-rooted jealousy can lead to such tragic outcomes, tearing apart lives and families."

"Indeed," Maha agreed solemnly. "But it could just have been a normal possession and not caused by magic cuz like I said, he is said to be very beautiful. He's reportedly doing better now, but he hasn’t left the house since then. It might be the cleric’s advice, or perhaps it's his parents' protectiveness or... his brothers' doing. Some people speculate that he might have died."

“What? Died? But didn’t the cleric solve his problem?” you asked, puzzled.

“Yes, he did. It’s just a rumor--he can’t be dead. You can't hide something like that for so long. People who are the family's relatives and friends, have seen him inside the house. So, he’s definitely there.” Maha chuckled, shaking her head at the absurdity of such rumors.

"What about the cleric? He still here?"

"Oh no, he was from some other place. Kadir called him here for his son's treatment." You hummed and took in the information. Then a subtle smirk graced your lips.

“It could have been a lover, too,” you suggested casually.

“What?”

You petted Milo, your cat, who had jumped onto your lap. “It might have been a lover who cursed him, someone who wanted him. One of the leading cause for black magic."

“He was 16.”

You laughed, “So? She could have been 16 too. Who knows? Anyway, did you put the reports in my study?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay, I’ll go freshen up.” You stood up, leaving Maha to enjoy her tea on the lawn. Your thoughts shifted away from the village story, focusing instead on the duties that lay ahead.

═════ ◈ ═════

Odai stepped into the small shop, removing his glasses as his gaze briefly settled on the figure behind the counter. What caught his attention were the eyes--unmistakably unique, as if they held a quiet depth. But the rest of the man’s face was hidden beneath a cloth, adding an air of mystery.

"Um, two packs of cigarettes." Odai glanced back at the car parked outside across the road. Through the tinted windows, he could see his reflection.

"I can't."

Odai’s head snapped back in surprise. Is he hearing things?

"Two packs of cigarettes, brother," he repeated, a bit more firmly this time.

But the man behind the counter shook his head again, those evasive eyes refusing to reveal more. What was going on?

"What?--what do you mean? It’s just a pack of cigarettes. Why are you saying no?"

"I-I can't sell them... I don't want to."

"Why? That’s your job! Why even own a shop then? Is this how you treat your customers?" Odai's frustration grew.

"No... I just don’t sell cigarettes... They’re harmful."

Was this man serious? Was he actually joking?

"Look, boy. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I need them, so I’m gonna ask one last time before I leave. Hand over the cigarettes."

But all he got in return was another silent shake of the head. That was it.

"Fine, keep running your business like this bud and you’re bound for success," Odai muttered, "And maybe don’t stock cigarettes in your shop if you’re not planning to sell them!"

He stormed back to the car, slamming the driver’s door shut accidentally. The noise made you glance up from your file.

"What’s wrong? Did you get them?" you asked, noticing his disgruntled expression.

"I’m so-rry, ma’am… um… the boy in the shop… he refused to sell. God, I can’t believe it--like, what even was that? But there's another store nearby so , we will go there." Odai stammered, frustration clear in his voice. Before he could shift into gear, you stopped him with a curious question.

"Wait, he refused to sell cigarettes?"

"Yes." Odai nodded, still baffled.

"That’s interesting. And did he say why?"

"They’re harmful." Odai’s ears flushed as he heard you chuckle softly. He wasn’t sure if you were annoyed or just amused by the whole thing.

"Now this is intriguing. Someone refusing to run their business properly... now that’s a case worth looking into." Still chuckling, you slipped out of the car before Odai could respond, but he quickly followed, his curiosity piqued.

Like him, you took in the scene before heading to the small counter tucked in the corner. There, the figure sat quietly, standing the moment you approached, his demeanor almost shy under your gaze.

"You’re the one who refuses to sell cigarettes because they’re harmful?" you asked, your voice curious yet firm.

He nodded. His eyes, though not meeting yours directly, seemed to speak in a language of their own--soft but full of meaning.

"Do you know who I am?" You wondered if the uniform might catch his attention.

A brief silence followed before his voice, barely above a whisper, reached you. "No.."

"I am the new DC."

"T-he DC?"

"That's right."

"I still… won’t sell." Odai huffed behind you, clearly irritated, but you hardly noticed. Your eyes softened, lighting up with quiet amusement at the childlike defiance. "Why? This is not how you run a shop, boy."

"I don’t want you....our… new DC to be harmed. I won’t let a pack… kill an honest officer."

For a moment, time seemed to still. Never in your life did you imagine hearing something so simple, yet so profound. His words, spoken with such gentleness, struck something deep inside you. Just who was this man? You could sense Odai’s stunned silence behind you, just as surprised by the unexpected warmth in those gentle words.

After clearing your throat, you finally asked, "What’s your name?"

"H-Habib, miss."

This… this is Habib? The Habib that Maha had told you about?

"They’re the Jafaris--Kadir Jafari’s family. They own general stores around here, two of them."

And here you were, standing in one of them. But how was he… here?

From behind a curtain serving as a door to an adjoined room, a man in his late fifties appeared, his presence steady and familiar. He moved to stand beside Habib.

'That must be Kadir, his father.'

"Oh! I’m sorry, I was just praying in the other room. How may I help you?" Kadir asked politely, his tone warm. Meanwhile, Habib stood quietly to the side, his gaze fixed downward, trying to shrink into the background, as if seeking shelter behind his father’s presence.

"Well, our DC wanted some cigarettes, and this boy refused to sell them," Odai interjected with a trace of frustration in his voice.

"Oh--I’m so sorry. Ma’am, please, forgive him. He’s new to this… and, well, he refuses to sell them to anyone," Kadir said with a chuckle that barely masked his embarrassment, as he reached for the cigarettes.

"No, it’s alright. Really, I don’t want them. And… you’ve raised a kind soul, sir," you said, your gaze briefly shifting to Habib, who still stood quietly, his presence almost ethereal. Maha was right. If those eyes alone held such depth and softness, then his face… You couldn’t help but feel a quiet curiosity bloom within you, wondering what beauty lay beneath the mask. Yet, it wasn’t a thought born of desire--no it was reverent. There was a satisfaction in knowing that Habib remained untouched by the eyes of envy or malice.

"I--thank you, ma’am. But, please, if you still want--"

"It’s fine." You smiled, your voice gentle. "I’ll just take those chips instead. Thank you."

Before leaving, your eyes found Habib’s one last time. For a brief second, he looked back, those soulful eyes meeting yours with a vulnerability that touched something deep inside you. And then, just like that, the moment passed. Something stirred in your chest as you made your way back to the car.

His demeanor, though shy and reserved, had an innate warmth that contrasted starkly with the pain you suspected he might have endured. Habib's eyes, so expressive despite their attempt to hide behind the mask of modesty, spoke volumes. How could anyone ever think to harm such a gentle, innocent soul? His kindness made him so pure, yet so brave in his quiet way. Your heart ached at the thought of someone cruel, someone arrogant, standing where you were now. If they had received the same refusal, what might they have done to him and his father?

Part III

(AN: I cried writing this due to the unspoken romance which is more to come and I just wanna give the biggest hug to Habib so bad 😭)

[chettyspagetti]

MY FANKID

His name is Neilson J. A! (Idk if it would be Attoms or Armstrong yet)

TLDR at the end

Okay, Neilson . He is very very sheltered kid. If it’s not in a book or an educational video he does NOT know it. He has everything done for him , mainly out of safety . Neilson also doesn’t.. have alot of outside knowledge. His only talked to his Dads, his baby sitter Bonnie , Max , Pikeman, and Nikki. His dad’s friends.

He’s very silly, curious, a bit blunt, a dreamer, and he’s very book smart but not smart with other things. (Never getting taught how to talk to people or deal with situations ) His one goal in life is to go and do something with it!! He doesn’t want to be restricted by his Dads or his health issues!!! He wants to travel the world! Discover new dinosaur bones!! See to the ocean! Go to the grocery story without a child leash! Even going to the park would be a milestone for this kid.

Touching on his medical stuff. He is VERY fragile. He born in a tube and was technically a failed clone. Neil did this illegally. So. He didn’t come out perfect. He has very fragile bone (will get worse with age) , bruises easily, has like a MILLION allergies (to name a FEW is grass, pollen , strawberries, peanuts, apples, a lot of medicines , ect) , he even has asthma!! Not related to this but he is autistic , that’s just from Neil and Aj though! Thankfully no anxiety :))

Neil is a helicopter parent (like in the show) who is very scared of his kid getting hurt and not being at his greatest potential. Neilson gets bored easily and tends to push Neil’s rules to the limit without “technically” breaking them and it makes Neil go BONKERS.

To counter Neil’s over protectiveness Aj (sk ) would let his kid do his own thing. He’s fun and relaxed! Type of guy to really get into playing make believe. He wants Neilson be able to grow into his own person! The downside to being the fun parent is that he isn’t taken seriously. With anyone. So when he needs to put his foot down it won’t go super smoothly

Some fun facts!

-Neilson has a pet Komodo dragon! Neil absolutely hates it and Aj can’t say no to his kid. The only reason Neilson is alive is cus it loves him

-He learns alot of “bad stuff” from Max and Nikki. They are HORRIBLE influences on him

-Neilson will make up an answer if he can’t figure it out. Which was hilarious when he cried about Aj eating hot sauce cus it would “hurt the baby “ (Aj is just fat)

-Neilson has a multitude of jobs he wants. Most notably a Zoologists or a Paleontologists.

-His very first friend is his baby sitter Bonnie :) He sees her as a big sister and learned alot of his social skills from her.

-Neilson will attend Camp Campbell eventually. By some MIRACLE. He will be put into First Aid Camp even though he was promised he’d get to pick what camp he wanted

-Neilson constantly questions everything. And it’s annoying.

-He longs to go outside and will sit on his Window sill to imagine what it’s like

-The whole family was inspired on old family sitcoms like Full house or Roseanne.

TLDR; Neilson is a silly, curious, blunt, sorta smart kid. He is super fragile but his medical conditions and Dads won’t stop him from trying to explore the world. Neil is a nervous helicopter parent and Aj(sk) is a chill dad who gets walked on.

Here’s him out in the open , free in his living room

[aesthetic-gamersnail]

So, I have some theories about Branch's brothers which I would like to share. We don't know for 100% yet (till confirmed by the movie or the books) why exactly the brothers left and never reached out to Branch. We all can guess by now that even though Branch does not remember it (because he was a baby) the brothers were just not happy anymore being in the band. All of them felt under appreciated by their own family and were disappointed, so why continue with the band? I understand that. But why leave and go separate ways? Was the drift so big that they couldn't even stand each other anymore? One can guess that mainly John was probably responsible for the problems in the band because he was so hyper focused on it and did not take anyone's feelings into account. But things were going well before, why did they escalate so suddenly? You could say maybe the fame got to John's head (and it would then actually be a great parallel to Veneer and Velvet) but I like to think maybe there was a cataclysm for everything to come burning and crashing down. An incident that would definitely have long lasting effects on them all: their parent's death. (I don't know how realistic it is that their parents will be brought up in this movie or ever at all, but it is all just speculations of mine anyway and I wanted to talk about them)

It, of course, would have impacted every one of them differently: Floyd strengthening his beliefs about family sticking together through hard times and him looking out for Branch specifically, Clay's want to become more serious and Bruce's want to settle down (because life is just too short to waste time). But I want to take a closer look at John because I think it would have impacted him the most. As the oldest, and already the leader of the band, I think he felt a heavy sense of responsibility and duty towards his siblings after their parent's death. He is supposed to be the stable pillar they can rely on. So, he stops being honest about his feelings. Just gobbles them up, feelings of sadness and fear, hidden deep down for nobody to see. Therefore the only feelings being seen on his face from then on are happiness (like overly happy at times) or anger/frustration with the smallest things. Because it is easier to deal with anger than with sadness. And he starts to kinda furiously concentrate on the band all the time because he needs something to keep his head off of the other things and he kinda loses himself in this. To the point he does not notice the dissatisfaction of his brothers with their situation. So after the disastrous night, they all kinda split up and leave. Because what is even left that is worth staying with their parents gone and their brotherhood very strained? (Branch, but they will discover this fact 2 decades later; but they were all hurt kids and teenagers, so kinda understandable) They definitely have all unresolved issues with each other which will come out eventually, we will wait and see.

I can imagine that John probably blamed himself for all of these events and him wanting to visit Branch but thinking that it is better for him to stay away since he makes everything worse anyway. I can imagine all the other brothers did not reach out also because of guilt and shame leaving him alone with their grandma

So, yeah, that have been some of the thoughts that I had on this subject (maybe I will have more, who knows). I know it is all very angsty, but with this franchise it would not even surprise me

[mageofseven]

Mephisto x MC Relationship Headcannons

Since I'm exploring Mephisto's character and gonna be practicing with him in different posts, I wanted to make this one to help organize some on my thoughts on how his and MC's relationship would go.

This type of post is very useful for me when I am tackling a character or ship that I lack organized thoughts for.

I hope you enjoy it nonetheless~

•▪︎▪︎◇°●♡●°◇▪︎▪︎•

How they got together:

Honestly, this tsundere was giving poor MC whiplash in the beginning.

Though he spoke as if he couldn't care less about them, it was his actions that always confused the human.

It often seemed like he couldn't go a day without talking to them and seemingly would always pop up after after they parted ways from one of the Brothers.

Weirdly enough, the only two brothers he would talk to them in front of was Satan and Lucifer

And around Lucifer, he would be strangely nice to them as he and the Avatar of Pride stared each other down

Only for the other man to depart and any word from MC aims at the nobleman would cause Mephisto to blush and rush away after calling them an insult, usually 'annoying' or 'naïve'.

The demon always seemed frustrated with the human, but MC could also see he was lonely.

The nobleman didn't seem to really have any friends; technically, he saw Diavolo as one, but the prince had faded from him long ago and the man didn't really have anyone else.

And so MC began their arc of being Mephisto's annoying little human, a title that didn't truly take long to go from insulting to strangely endearing.

Feelings were there--they both knew it.

However, it wasn't easy to do anything about them.

Mephisto grew up in an old blood sort of noble family, one deeply rooted in the oldest, most traditional beliefs of their realm.

He grew up being told, worse even, believing that humans were beneath them.

Humans were this fragile young race that demons and angels abandoned long ago. Disappoints with short lives that can't do anything of significance.

And Mephisto believed that wholeheartedly his whole life

But it was hard to keep such views the longer he was around MC.

The human could manage feats that could surprise Lord Diavolo himself after all.

Eventually, he did come to terms inside himself that he no longer believed in such views; that humans could be powerful beings and had so much potential to surprise them all.

After that, the nobleman had an even worse internal struggle: his family.

He knew his parents would be angry with him at best if they were to discover his feelings for a human; even worse...they could be disappointed.

Mephisto tried his whole life to embody his family's beliefs and be the son his parents needed him to be

And so loving MC...made him hate himself.

This was a bad period for the two.

Somedays...MC truly thought he had softened, thought that maybe they could have a future together.

Others, Mephisto was snappy and a bit harsh, though his words always sounded less like insults meant to hurt them and more like words to convince himself to let them go.

Back and forth, hot and cold; Mephisto was king of giving this poor human whiplash.

Fortunately for him, MC was patient and understanding so when he came out a victor from his internal war and Mephisto finally asked them out, the human said yes.

Dynamics:

Okay so I don't really see them as the healthiest of couples.

I definitely think they have the potential to be, but only if Mephisto works on his jealousy and abandonment issues.

After all, Diavolo did abandon and replace him.

Of course, it wasn't a romantic relationship with those two, but still an important one to Mephisto.

He was raised solely to be Diavolo's friend; as a kid, that was his one job and he really didn't have anyone else

So when Dia outgrew him and replaced him with Lucifer, it really left a hole in this man's heart.

He tried to be the perfect friend, but still discovered after years of friendship that he was replaceable.

In all honesty, Mephisto worries the same will happen with MC.

The human is obviously not royalty, but they were beautiful and kind and everyone seemed to love them...

They were an important figure in the Devildom now.

What happens if the day comes when they are no longer interested in him either? Then he'll be thrown away again by someone else he cares about.

This fear is what drives his jealousy which in turn leads him to make mistakes.

At first, he tries to contain himself.

Things like him trying to set a date up with MC just to find out they already have plans with one of the brothers.

He'd pretend to be okay with that, but obsess in his head the rest of the day about how whatever his partner has planned with them is apparently more important than him.

Then he'd hear conversations between them and the brothers, even the other exchange students they see as their friends, leading his mind to worry and twist meanings.

This would slowly escalate to passive-aggressive comments

And eventually top off with accusations of MC cheating on him with the brothers.

He only made this mistake once though because the human expressed clearly to him that they were not go to take their loyalty being slandered, not even by the man they loved

And so they broke up with him.

The scare really helped screw this poor bastard's head on right and he does his best to work for MC's forgiveness, resulting in them getting back together.

His jealousy stays until he works out his issues, but he at least has a better idea of what lines not to cross.

When his issues are worked out, he's a lot calmer in the relationship.

He's still not necessarily a fan of the brothers, but is working through his own prejudices while also having secure trust in his partner to be around whoever they'd like.

At his best, Mephisto is a man who is incredibly respectful of MC, but also affectionate.

You know that story about the hero taking the thorn out of the beast's paws? Mephisto feels like he had a lot of thorns that MC managed to free him of.

He also shows his love best to them through gifts and taking care of them.

Even once Mephisto has worked through his issues, some soft words from MC will do wonders to make him feel loved.

'I love you', 'you're important to me', 'I am proud of you'; all are things he cherishes to hear from them.

Their relationship isn't an easy one in the beginning, but has the potential to be a happy one.

[alevolpe]

Please tell us about Luna (and Artemis)!

Alright!

Luna as I mentioned here was a part of the rebellion group that included Beryl and the 4 kings back in the silver millennium, she was a crucial part of the operation as she was the only one with direct access to the Moon Kingdom and the Queen.

Though let me take it back a second and explain who Luna is. The name Luna isn’t her name per se, but more of a title/position in the royal court that is passed down. The role of a Luna is given to a human woman whose job is to be a caretaker, specifically she’s the caretaker for any reborn senshi.

Say the current Mercury does anything that gets her executed, the new Mercury will be reborn on Earth and it’s Luna’s job to take her from her human parents and raise her til the age where she’s mature enough to be independent.

Additionally, since it happens that a whole life of a Luna can pass by without her even needing to take care of any senshi ( read more on how old the senshis are here, in the comments) she also is entasked with small roles as advisor for the queen and mediator during Earth expeditions, both of these jobs are her responsibility ONLY if it has to do with the senshi.

Our Luna didn’t raise any of the senshi, they are all adults when she is given the title of Luna, despite that Luna still tries to be there for (most of) them like a mother would. She feels for them and understands the terrible situations they’re in. That said she’s not treated well by all of them, really the only ones that treat her nicely and with respect are Mars and Neptune, and in her own way Mercury.

Luna is very passionate, even in her current life, she’s very driven by a sense of justice, while also having a very compassionate heart toward the people she’s supposedly betraying. Though she’s never swayed to think that what she’s doing isn’t right, the people of Earth deserve better and for that, the Moon Kingdom has to fall, even if she knows it means most likely means the death of the senshi and the princess.

She’s eventually discovered and executed, Mars tipping off the Queen to her doings. Mars is a very interesting character in silmil and she’s def the most “lawful good” out them all, but with her future vision, she does what she has to make sure the pieces fall into place for a better future. She knew Luna’s execution was the only opening for such future, so she regrettably did what she had to do. There’s 0 animosity between them, more like a mutual respect and liability. They never talked about such issues openly between each other, but there was always a silent mutual understanding. Mars understood Luna’s actions and Luna’s understood Mars’.

Skipping to the current time, the same Luna that was executed was reincarnated into the body of a cat, my theory is that cats are nimble, low key creatures who are able to fairly easily integrate into society while still not being human and so that’s why the Queen chose such form. She didn’t want Luna to be a human cause she doesn’t need Luna to stick around long, cats live much shorter lives and she only needs Luna to care of the senshi during their ‘transitioning training’ period and then die, having fulfilled her purpose.

All Luna’s memories were erased, only keeping very foggy, but clear goals in her mind. Awaken the senshi, find the princess and stop the evil Dark Kingdom. I like to think Queen Serenity chose this past Luna to reincarnate instead of just getting a fresh new soul because Luna already carried that sort of experienced motherly vibe with her, making it easier the ease the senshi into accepting their new destiny, but also maybe as a sort of taunting punishment. This is your punishment for your betrayal, you’ll unknowingly help defeat the same group you were a part of all those years ago and that empire you tried to destroy, will rise once again, with you knowing no better and dying before even getting to witness it.

As for Artemis, my ideas with him are definitely not as fleshed out. I most often tend to see him as the royal advisor of the Queen, his name also being a title. He really believes the Queen to be a sort of superior being, but he does also have a deeper attachment to her, seeing the more human side to her, which no1 else really gets to see.

He’s a bit more on the cynical side when it comes to the Earth people. Not that he sees them as completely inferior, but he believes people like them need beings like Serenity to mantain peace and order, even if they don’t know better. Humans are inherently selfish and self-destructive, he witnessed it, being a human who grew up on Earth.

He regularly interacted with Venus, being another victim of her manipulations, even if not to the level of Serenity, and holds her to a standard higher than the other senshi, seeing the rest of them as unmotivated and ungrateful of being a part of the court.

Unlike Luna, he retained his memories when he got reincarnated. Lying and withholding information to the true extent of what the senshi, the princess and the kingdom truly entail to the future of the girls and Earth itself, even from Luna.

He believes he’s doing the right thing, that Queen Serenity knew better and that this is how things should be. Though in the back of his mind something doesn’t feel right, he feels hurt and betrayed. Why was he reborn as a cat? He understands why Luna was, but why him, he showed nothing but devotion and loyalty to the Queen. Did he really not mean anything to her or does she really know best and knows that Artemis’ fate is ultimately inconsequential to the rise of the new kingdom?

This conflict within him is a major part of his growth as a character, learning to unwind and truly rethink what being human means through the girls and especially through Mina.

Regarding their relationship, I really do not ship Luna and Artemis. Through the majority of the first arc Luna is left in the dark by him and lead to make decisions that ultimately will cause the girls more harm than good. They are coworkers at best and even after stuff get a lil cleared out, Luna still holds a huge resentment toward him never really gets resolved (in my hc, Luna doesn’t live past the 2nd season, sorry, ik, I love her too).

This is long I know , sorry. LOL, but hopefully it clears some things up and of course all I write int his asks is still a draft, so stuff might change.

[666writingcafe]

Party

Simeon

It was Diavolo's idea to throw a farewell party, but I didn't think it would be at The Fall. To be honest, it's a bit much for me. The strobing lights and bass-filled music are bad enough, but then everyone else has decided to act like complete animals. Even the more dignified members of our group are succumbing to the influence of the ever-flowing Demonus.

I try to put on a smile and pretend that everything's okay, but eventually I hit my limit. I have to get out of here. I can't go too far, though, or people will start wondering where I've gone.

A side door leads out to a small garden. When it shuts, most of the noise gets muffled, replacing it with a much-needed quietness.

"You too, huh?" Looking over, I discover MC sitting on one of the benches, a kind smile on their face. I nod, and they gesture me to sit next to them.

"I'm surprised you were able to slip away," I tell them. "Considering you're the guest of honor and everything." They shrug.

"It doesn't take much to distract them."

"True." MC rests their hand on top of mine.

"I'm worried about you." I would ask why they feel that way, but I already know the answer. I sigh.

"As soon as I return, Michael wants me to write a report on everything that happened during our recent crisis."

"Did he say why?"

"Standard procedure." Mostly. Based on the words he used when issuing the order to me, I don't think he's entirely convinced that MC should have the Ring of Light.

Which is weird, because he would have had to give them his blessing in order for them to wear it. Of course, he's always looked down upon humans. Claims they're nothing more than mere toys that can easily be manipulated. The only reason he's tolerant of Solomon is because the "witty sorcerer" isn't entirely human anymore. Living thousands of years past your original date of death wears down on one's humanity.

"If you had the choice, would you go?" MC asks. An understandable question, considering what I've told them. If they asked me that a few days ago, I would have had difficulty answering it. It's getting harder for me to consider the Celestial Realm my home, and I find myself wondering more and more what life would be like if I wasn't an angel anymore.

However, that changed when Luke told me he wanted to be MC's guardian angel. That takes a lot of training and paperwork, and someone has to fill the position in the meantime.

"Only because of you." I turn my hand so that it's now holding MC's. "You have the power to accomplish things that are beyond even us. You have the ability to change those around you. It's not just Lucifer and his brothers who need you. We need you, too." I pause, taking a deep breath. "I need you, MC."

I've always understood why Lilith did what she did, but I never agreed with her decision. Surely no human would be worth breaking one of the most sacred rules, right?

Oh, how wrong I was. How very, very wrong.

I would do anything to ensure MC's safety at this point. Dangerous, I know, considering where my allegiance is supposed to lie, but it's the truth.

I love them.

[serenefreakgeekao3]

Jim Halpert x Trans Man Reader 5 +1

Summary: Five times Dunder Mifflin noticed your transitions, and one final result. You are a recently discovered trans man, and yet you work at Dunder Mifflin with some of the most well-meaning yet completely ignorant people you’ve ever met. But you’re brave and ready to transition. What happens when the office takes notice- and who comes to your rescue each time? Warnings: misgendering (but only because closeted!), dysphoria, anxiety, slightly misogynistic rules/views (according to Dwight, who is wrong/ very brief), use of the word queer (positive) like once, gratuitous use of italics for emphasis, A/N: so i was supposed to sleep for work but insomnia said no you’re going to think about jim instead so i went to work with no sleep but with a mission. I tried to beta and used grammarly to help, but pls excuse if this is rather a trainwreck, as my brain probably isn’t functioning at full power currently (i also might’ve gotten carried away in the ‘tea mug’ arc cause of something that happened at work but who can blame me really)

1

You had always felt different. Off, separate, or not comfortable in your skin. No matter the descriptor, it made you shrink into yourself and try to disappear away from anyone else. The idea of the world perceiving you when you couldn’t even recognize the person in the mirror? That wasn’t who you were and you certainly didn’t want people to think it was, but what else were you supposed to do? It took a lot of soul searching, self-discovery, and a few mistakes but you eventually realized the biggest factor of your discomfort.

You were a man. You were born with the wrong body, you presented the wrong way your entire life. Adding it all together made sense, especially when you thought back to your childhood- a lot of things made sense now. Now you knew, and this was your chance. You knew transitioning into who you wanted to be- who you are- would be a long and painful journey, but it felt worth it. Something finally felt worth it for once.

Staring at yourself in the mirror, you took in your appearance. Your hair was long, nearly down most of your back, though you usually tried to keep it up into a tight bun most of the time. Your closet next to you was full of blouses, skirts, and dresses. Business professional outfits, fit to wear to Dunder Mifflin paper company, where you worked in customer service alongside one of the most feminine women you’ve ever met- Kelly Kapoor. When you first started, she had gone on and on about how you two were going to be the best girlfriends, go shopping and get manicures and whatnot. You weren’t very excited, and after turning her down one too many times to just relax at home instead, she eventually stopped inviting you. After a few repeated outfits, she even stopped commenting on how cute- how feminine- you were. You preferred when everyone glossed over you, eyes skipping your form as if you weren’t there.

Biting your lip, you turn around and eye the suit laid out on your bed. You had gone out and tried on multiple suits- you didn’t bother getting anything tailored specifically for your form, feeling too self conscious for such an act- but you returned with only one that fit well and looked nice. It was a solid colour, a dull khaki. You hoped the dullness would be less noticeable, that you could just slip in without issue. You eyed the full masculine suit in front of you, approaching and letting your hand drag against the rough fabric.

Anxiety welled up in your chest and you took a deep breath, stepping back again. It seemed too big a step, too much all at once. So, what if you took a smaller step? You studied the suit through your floor-length mirror, then turned and returned to it. Instead of lifting the whole outfit, you wrangled the slacks off of the hanger. You slipped them on, buttoned them up, and studied your half-dressed appearance in the mirror. Nothing even really looked that different right now, so a very small step indeed, but it felt different. Your smile slowly grew, and after finally settling that feeling in your chest, you reached into your closet for a blouse.

The drive to work was rainy, the skies full of grey that matched your dull outfit. After rushing into the Scranton business park, you pulled your oversized hoodie off of your form and smoothed down your blouse with a huff. You smiled and nodded toward the security guard, then took the elevator up. That anxious feeling returned- were you really going to do this? Sure, it was only slacks. Plenty of women in the office wore pants to work- but this was your first time. Maybe no one would notice? No one ever noticed you anyway.

Ding! You held your breath as the elevator doors opened, then let it out slowly before finally stepping off. You pushed through the glass doors, nodding toward Pam when she welcomes you in. You watched her do a double take at your appearance, then lowered your head and tried to rush to the annexe where your desk and safe haven remained. You were stopped in your path by a tall figure, and glancing up you were met with those silly glasses. You hardly ever interacted with Dwight, but you heard the stories.

“Y/N, you are in violation of the dress code.” You blink a few times, staring at the man blocking your way. You huff, shaking your head.

“No, I’m not.”

“You’re not wearing your usual skirt with that blouse, nor any of the three dresses you own.” You raise your eyebrows at this, a horrified look crossing your face. He knew how many dresses you owned? Who is this man?

“As far as I remember, Dwight, slacks are allowed per the dress code.”

“Yeah, for men,” Dwight added, crossing his arms. He couldn’t possibly know the spear of hurt that lanced through your chest at those words. You felt unable to continue, unable to think up any sort of response to that. Unable to even breathe.

“Dwight, leave her alone.” You turned to see Pam walk up behind you, placing a hand on the small of your back in solidarity. She couldn’t possibly know the tightening of your chest from hearing that pronoun- but at least she was trying to help.

“It’s in clear violation-”

“There is no violation here, Dwight! Look at what I’m wearing!” You glance down at the same time, taking note of her feminine pants. Comparing the two side by side, you could tell the cut was different for each. How yours widened out and were more masculine- you hoped that they wouldn’t look too closely at that. Returning your gaze to Dwight, you could see a staring contest happening between him and Pam. After a particularly funny raised eyebrow from Pam, Dwight pushed past the both of you.

“Michael!”

“Run, while you still can,” Pam whispers into your ear, and you huff a relieved laugh. Nodding, you walk away from Pam’s hand still on your back, returning to your original path. Before you could get too far, however, you heard your name called from behind.

“Y/N!” You turn, glancing through the various faces before settling on Jim Halpert, one of the best salesmen in the building. Also one of the funniest. “You’re looking fantastic today. Keep it up.” Also, apparently, one of the sweetest.

Unable to respond due to the anxiety choking you still, you nod your head at him with a smile, then hurry to your work.

2

Should you do this?

Earlier, your response would’ve been a resounding yes, but standing here in your bathroom, scissors held open to your hair, you began to wonder. Sure you wanted it cut- well, truthfully you wanted it gone- but maybe you should pay a professional to do it? Taking a deep breath, you let the scissors close.

Cutting your hair was a longer process than you thought it would be. You had to even out the choppy look a few times, but eventually when you finished you felt like you did a decent job. Your hair no longer stretched down your back, tied back and forgotten about. It fell to just above your shoulders, much shorter and much more freeing. Biting your lip, you consider the rest of it. You knew you wanted it even shorter, sure, but you absolutely weren’t confident enough to do all of that by yourself. Maybe you should schedule an appointment with a hairstylist? Or a barber?

Returning to your room, you began pushing through your closet. After the first day of success, you wore the slacks for the second day in a row. Luckily, that had been a Friday, and the following weekend was spent shopping once more. You purchased a few more full suits, only having pulled out the slacks to wear into work since then. There now sat a box in the corner of your closet, full of skirts and three dresses.

You pulled on an outfit, smoothing down your ruffled blouse in the mirror. You frowned to yourself, pulling the sides of the shirt under your armpits and trying to straighten it out more, to fall without showing your curves. But that’s what the shirt was made for, so your insistence was pointless. Eventually, with an aggravated huff, you pulled on your comfy hoodie and made your way out to work.

Short hair was certainly a head-turner, it seemed. Pam had called out your name with a surprised lilt to her tone. This drew the attention of a few people in the bullpen, which began the whispers. By the time you were halfway across the room, it felt like every eye in the room was on you. You heard your name called out behind you, but you pretended to not have heard it, pushing into the break room.

You breathe out shakily, filling the kettle on the counter with water before placing it on the burner. You pull down your favourite mug from the cabinets above, then pulled a teabag from the box you brought in from a nearby drawer. Placing the dry teabag in the empty cup, you were just about to go sit when the door to your left opens, and you look up to see two people entering the break room.

At least it was Pam and Jim. Out of everyone in the office, they certainly seemed the most normal. Jim hesitated at the door, obviously eyeing your new haircut, while Pam took slow steps toward you as if approaching a cornered animal. “So, Y/N,” Pam began, smiling toward you in a stretched way that seemed like she was trying to be comforting while missing the mark. “Did something change? You seem different.”

“You can just say I cut my hair, it’s pretty obvious.” You turn back to the kettle, staring at it and willing it to whistle.

“It is,” Jim agreed from the door, taking a few steps forward. “Looks good, too.”

You startle, raising your eyes quickly to him. “Wait- really?” He nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “I had a feeling that everyone was staring because it’s so choppy.”

“It doesn’t look choppy at all!” Pam inserted, smiling encouragingly at you. “It looks brilliantly cut! Where’d you get it done?”

You eyed her, then mumbled under your breath. Pam glanced at Jim with a confused expression, then politely asked you to repeat yourself. You sigh, trying to force a smile. “I did it myself.”

“Wow- that’s- you did this yourself?”

“Like I said,” Jim interrupts, walking around to your other side and leaning a hip against the counter, “Looks good.”

“If you want,” Pam inserts, pulling your attention back to her once again, “I could give you the number to my hair stylist, next time you want a cut?” You bite your lip, turning to stare into your empty tea mug. After a beat, Jim chimes in.

“Or my barber.” You startle once more, your head snapping up quickly in his direction. Your eyes must’ve looked wide and hopeful, as Jim’s smile slowly spread, and he laughed, nodding. “I’ll remember to grab his card next time I’m in.”

3

“Fuck these stupid, floofy, puffed up-”

You growl, tearing the blouse off of your body where you attempted to put it on straight and unwrinkled- instead now throwing it to the floor. You were tempted to stomp on it out of childish aggravation but had just barely refrained. You look back up to your floor-length mirror, slumping at the half-dressed image in front of you. You eyed your bra- you recently switched from padded to sports, and thankfully no one noticed that change in the office- and grumbled under your breath before approaching your closet once more.

Angrily swiping through hangers, none of your blouses appealed to you. You wanted comfortable, not itchy. Straight, formless, and plain- not frilly or cinched at the waist. You push the last of your blouses to the side, growling under your breath in aggravation. You only swiped through half of your closet, and you were now looking at where the remainder of the suits you bought were hanging. Slowly, you felt your shoulders relax as you stared at the hanging dress shirts. You glanced down, checking which coloured pants you were wearing, then quickly grabbed a matching dress shirt.

They were certainly easier to button up as well, though slightly tight in the chest area. You tucked in the shirt, then pulled a belt from your set of drawers nearby to complete the look. Well- not quite complete it. You bit your lip once more as you thought over your new problem. With the lack of a blouse and the addition of a dress shirt, that meant you had to wear a tie. That wasn’t exactly something you were opposed to- if only you knew how to tie one.

You tried and failed multiple times, getting frustrated, sure, but you could see the progress. Glancing at your clock, your eyes widened at the time. You threw the current, wrinkled, tie away and snatched a new one from its hanger. You tried as carefully as you could, and though it sat crooked it was at least there. Enough for work, which you would be late for if you didn’t leave right now.

The weather was grey but lacked the rain that was common in recent months. Generally, you’d grab your hoodie no matter the weather, but something in you felt settled enough to forgo it this time around. You hoped you wouldn’t regret it later.

The business park’s lot was full of cars when you pulled in, having to park in one of the furthest spots. You tried not to run, but you certainly didn’t walk into the building. By the time the elevator dinged, you had completely forgotten about your change in dress. Rushing out of the elevator, you pushed through the glass doors and immediately tilted your head to the side to see the clock. You released a sigh of relief- you made it by three minutes.

“You know,” Pam whispered from her spot behind the receptionist’s desk, and you took a few steps closer, “It really isn’t the end of the world if you’re just a bit late.”

“I wouldn’t care usually,” You begin, glancing warily around the room, “But Dwight’s been kinda up my ass lately and I’ve heard how he harasses people when they’re late.” Pam sent you a sympathetic look, and you took this as the end of your conversation.

Your walk through the bullpen to the annexe was slower lately than before. It likely wasn’t noticed by anyone but you, but you didn’t feel the need to rush by without being seen anymore. Before, feeling the eyes of your coworkers on you created an itchy, crawling feeling across your skin. Now, you’re able to even look them in the eyes.

You smiled at Jim as you passed, his expression stuck in what seemed like one of concentration, directly at you. You tried to ignore the hurt pulsing through you when he didn’t smile back, only followed you with his eyes. You pushed into the break room, beginning your usual routine of filling the kettle for your morning tea. You opened the cabinets above the sink, then furrowed your brow, pushing a couple of mugs to the side. Where was your favourite cup?

You heard the door open, and you began to ask before even looking to see who it was. “Hey, you don’t happen to know where-” You pause, locking eyes with Jim. “Oh, hey.” He still wore that face of concentration, and he took long strides toward you until he stood close. You turn to face him, leaving the cupboards open, laughing awkwardly. “What’s up?”

Jim’s response was to reach forward toward your chest. He tugged, and you felt something around your neck pull and- oh right, your tie! You look down, feeling breathless for some reason as Jim begins to undo your terrible knot. He pulls it free from your shirt, smoothing it out against his chest. He lifted your collar, looping it around your neck, then paused as he held each end out.

“Watch,” Jim mumbled and waited for you to lower your eyes once more to his hands. He had some nice hands, actually. He began the process of knotting the tie, moving slowly as if trying to show you the proper way. You tried your best to take in the silent instructions, but his proximity was making you almost lightheaded. He finished, tightening it up close to your throat, then slowly folded your collar back down over top. He patted your shoulder, his look of concentration finally falling into his usual smile. “There we go, that’s much better.” You look up to face Jim and- wait, wow, had he always been that attractive? Was it getting hot in here?

“Thank you,” You stutter out, your eyes darting between his hazel eyes.

“Dwight has it, by the way.” You furrow your brows, confused. Just then, as if to remind you, the kettle began whistling next to you. You jump, switching the burner off and lifting the kettle from the source of heat to stop the high-pitched whining.

“My cup? Why?”

“Well…” Jim dragged the word out, wincing with a shrug. “Something happened to his mug. He said he grabbed a random one from the cupboard that he didn’t think belonged to anyone, but I recognized it.”

“And you didn’t say anything?”

“Oh I did,” Jim added, smirking and crossing his arms, leaning his hip against the counter. “I told him it was yours. He said you can have it back once he’s finished with his morning coffee.”

“Coffee?” You exclaim, shaking your head quickly, “No, that’s my tea mug! I actually bought that one specifically-” You cut yourself off from a rant that Jim didn’t deserve, groaning under your breath before pushing back into the bullpen. You walk directly behind Dwight, crossing your arms. “Give it back.”

Dwight spins in his office chair to face you dramatically, shooting you a look that only aggravated you further. “Give what back?”

“You know what.”

“Well, unfortunately, I’m in the middle of using it.” You narrow your eyes at him, though he doesn’t flinch. “I’ll return it to the cupboard once I’ve finished my coffee and washed it.”

“Then finish your coffee now, I’ll wash it myself.”

“Can’t do that,” Dwight said, shaking his head. “It’s not appropriate to rush through a cup of coffee. That could have disastrous effects on my body.” You sigh heavily, raising a hand to rub your face.

“Here, just hand it over and I can pour it into another mug-”

“So you can spike my drink? Absolutely not.” You roll your eyes, turning to move as you speak.

“Then I’ll just bring you a cup and you can-”

“Negative, there is no way I am transferring my coffee into a contaminated cup.” You halt your movement, locking your eyes with Jim before slowly turning around, narrowing your eyes at the infuriating man once more.

“How about this, Dwight.” You take a few steps closer, ducking your head down and lowering your voice. “Empty that cup now, or I’ll do it for you.”

“And how exactly do you propose-” Dwight’s annoying comeback was interrupted as he gasped loudly, standing in surprise. It was warranted, considering you had just poured the entirety of the mug onto his trousers. You tried your best to smother your smile, tilting your head with a fake-innocent tone to your voice.

“Oh! Dwight, I’m so sorry! I’m just so clumsy sometimes.” You turned, walking directly back to the breakroom. You heard the predictable ‘Michael!’ from behind but your eyes were locked on Jim, who looked astonished, his hand cupping his mouth that seemed to be hanging open. You couldn’t hold back your smirk anymore, pushing into the break room and heading directly for the sink. You heard Jim enter behind you, evident by his boisterous laugh once the door closed.

“Holy shit! You actually just did that!” You chuckle, turning the hot water on and reaching for the dish soap.

“Well, he’s just lucky I didn’t do worse. I’m very particular about my cups.”

The door opens again and Pam rushes in, pulling the door closed behind her and dropping her jaw at you. You chuckle nervously, shrugging, as she finally speaks up. “That. Was. Amazing!” She rushed forward, taking hold of your arm and shaking you. “I didn’t know you had it in you!”

“Yeah, neither did I,” You mumble, laughing a little less awkwardly as you glance from Pam to Jim. He was watching you with a softer smile now, and a curious look in his eye. You bring your attention back to your mug, rinsing it out before setting it on the drying rack. You put the kettle back on the burner and grab a dish towel to dry your cup off with.

“Regardless, that was amazing, I have to agree with Beesly here.” Jim’s input, while mild, certainly cemented something solid in your chest. You nod slowly at him, letting your smile grow. “I like this new you,” He adds on, his voice quieting down, and you almost forget Pam is still standing next to you. “You’re a lot more confident. It’s-”

Jim was interrupted by the door opening again, spinning around to see who would be walking in next. It was safe to say none of you three expected to see Dwight walk in, carrying his pants in one hand and a hair dryer in the other. He paused on the threshold, wearing only tighty-whities on his legs, and he glared at you. After a few moments too long- though any amount of time is too long when looking at that- he resumed his walk, pushing himself into the men’s bathroom.

Jim puffed out his cheeks, then blew out his breath slowly, turning to look at you and Pam with wide eyes. Pam stood there shell-shocked, eyes so wide it was a wonder they didn’t pop out of her head. The kettle began to whistle, knocking a bit of sense into you finally to turn and lift it off of the burner.

“I could’ve gone my whole life without seeing that.”

4

“Holy hells,” You mumble under your breath, staring at your reflection in the mirror. Gently, you placed your hands against the black, stretched fabric across your chest. You actually felt flat. You felt up and down, tapping against your chest a few times before turning sideways, seeing how far your chest stuck out. Sure, this was your first binder, but it seemed to mould to you like a second skin. You were amazed to actually get the size right the first go around.

You couldn’t help the giddy giggle that bubbled up, raising a hand to cover your smile, more in astonishment than to hide it. Warmth filled your chest, and you couldn’t remember a time when you were so consistently happy than when you finally decided to start transitioning. Even just this moment, it could beat any other moment before this year began.

You finally moved to your closet, pulling your dress shirt off of its hanger and throwing it on. Buttoned up, you check yourself out again. Tucking in your shirt, a look at the mirror once more. You grab a tie- actually one that was gifted to you by Jim, ‘celebrating the new you,’ as if he could read your mind- and moved back to the mirror. You flipped the tie easily through the motions, having had time to practice a lot more since that first day. Your mind flashes back to the image of Jim’s hands so close to you, showing you how to do this properly, although you were more enamoured with how large and handsome they looked as they slowly flipped the fabric around.

Shaking yourself of these thoughts, and tightening your knot to complete your look, you take a step back and admire yourself in the mirror one last time before heading out the door. It was a sunny day, but a cool breeze kept the temperature at a nice level. You drove to work with the windows rolled down, then huffed when your hair kept flying into your face. At a red light, you pulled an old hair tie from somewhere in your car, attempting to grab your loose hair and pull it into a bun in the back. It had grown longer since you had last cut it, but even with the majority of your hair in a nice bun a few strands hung down on either side of your face, defeating the purpose.

You run a hand through your hair, pulling the stray strands to the top of your head before resuming your drive. You managed to snag a parking spot close to the door, and you walk into work with your briefcase and a smile. Pam greets you enthusiastically- having grown close since you’ve begun to open up- and your smile widens as you wave at her. Turning the corner, you smirk toward Jim standing behind Dwight’s desk, sliding something into his drawer. He had looked up at Pam’s voice calling a greeting toward you, and he seemed to fumble with whatever was in his hands as his eyes landed on you. You heard him curse under his breath, looking back to his task as you snicker and walk past, heading toward your daily ritual.

You were pouring the hot water into your mug when Jim finally walked in, smirk firmly in place. You raise your eyebrows at him, picking up the string of the teabag and dunking it a few times. “You seemed preoccupied earlier, Halpert. Planning something malicious?”

“Oh, nah, not malicious.” He leaned against the counter nearby you, unconsciously curling his body toward you, “Just a little practical joke. As I’m sure you know, Dwight just loves them.”

“Oh, I’ve heard,” You snicker, letting your teabag rest to turn and face Jim more directly. “Sometimes I wish I could sit in the bullpen just to watch your pranks. Seems a lot more entertaining than listening to Mr Decker complain about a missed delivery once again.”

Jim scrunches his nose in thought, then puffs out, “Phyllis?”

“Stanley,” You correct with a smirk, watching Jim’s face fall in defeat.

“Damn, thought I had that one.”

“And I complain about him often, Jim. How could you forget?”

“Who, Mr Decker or Stanley?”

“Stanley is actually a sweetheart,” You mention, turning to the cupboard to pull down another mug. “He just doesn’t have the tolerance to put up with bullshit.” Jim’s nose scrunched again, and you tried not to find it cute. It was a daunting task, so you distracted yourself instead, pouring from the pot of coffee on the counter into the new mug you brought down.

“But he’s constantly eyeballing me?”

“Jim, you prank Dwight like every other day. Of course the man is wary of you.” You stir in a couple of spoonfuls of sugar, adding a touch of dry creamer to it. You slide the coffee over toward Jim, reaching instead for the teabag in your cup to toss in the trash. Turning back to Jim, you open your mouth to continue when Jim suddenly reaches forward, taking hold of your tie.

“Isn’t this the one I gifted you like a week ago?”

You hesitate, caught off guard by the random question. His thumb glides against the fabric, silky smooth in his grip. You swallow roughly, mouth suddenly dry, and attempt to answer without croaking. “Yeah. Yes, it is.”

“Looks good on you,” Jim mumbles, and neither of you notices the door behind Jim flying open, Kelly rushing through and bumping directly into him. Like a domino effect, he’s knocked into you, and you’re knocked into the table behind you. As you all try to process what happened in such quick succession, one thing sticks out clearly. In an instinct to catch himself, Jim threw his hands out forward- and they were currently placed against your chest, your arms stuck behind you to catch yourself against the table.

Kelly’s apologies were as quick as she was, the door to the annexe already closing. You thought you heard her mumble something about a ‘fashion emergency’ but you weren’t exactly paying attention to that, with your current predicament. Jim finally realized where he was, springing backwards quickly and raising his hands up, fear coursing through his expression.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m-” He hesitates, confusion taking over his features as he glances down at your chest. Ok, now you were feeling self-conscious again, the tight fabric constricting your chest suddenly very noticeable once more. He seems to shake himself of it, raising his eyes quickly as if worried he’d be caught. “I’m sorry, Kelly kinda-”

“I know what happened Halpert,” You interrupt gently, a light laugh to your voice, “I was standing right here when she came barreling in.” It was quiet as you straightened up, turning to grab your tea and take a drink, something to occupy yourself with. Eventually, Jim’s amiable voice spoke up once more.

“And you have to sit in the annexe with her every day? Rough.” You laugh, having not expected him to say that. You didn’t know what you were expecting of him, to ask about your binder? Maybe he didn’t even notice it?

“Right next to her, yep. We share a cubicle wall.” Jim hisses in sympathy, and you laugh once more. “She’s really not that bad anymore, honestly. At least she’s stopped calling me ‘pretty.’” You take a sip from your tea, then pause midway through. Wait- did you really just say that? Your eyes shoot up to Jim, watching his own eyes flicker between your face and your chest, then back again. You slowly lower your mug to the counter, finding it hard to swallow.

“Well,” He mumbles, taking a step closer to look you more directly in the eyes, “She was right that you’re attractive. Though, I’d use a different descriptor.” You were finding it difficult to find your breath in so close proximity, eyes widening as you look up at Jim.

“Like what?”

“Gorgeous,” He hesitates, biting his lip before adding, “Handsome.”

5

You were smiling at yourself in the mirror. You didn’t feel silly, or childish in doing so. You were smiling because you were happy with your appearance.

This past weekend contained the scheduled barber’s appointment you had made through Jim’s connection. Your hair was finally short. It wasn’t tickling your neck or draping in some sort of feminine way. Going in, you were unsure exactly what style of haircut you would want, but after perusing some magazines, and a suggestion from the barber himself, you ended up with a fantastic cut that showed off the line of your jaw and cheekbones. Where once your hair had curtained your face and hid you from the world- or was pulled back to forget you even had it- now you finally felt free and willing to face the trials ahead of you.

You were giddy going to work for once. Let them look at you, you weren’t hiding yourself any longer. You didn’t need to anymore. You spot Jim leaning against the receptionist’s desk and pushed through the glass doors with a wide grin, just in time to hear the tail-end of Jim’s thought.

“He just keeps getting more and more handsome, Pam, I don’t know what to do.”

“Who does?” You ask, popping up right next to Jim and waving down to Pam. Jim jumped, eyes widening as he turned toward you, then widening further as his eyes scanned the top of your head. You grinned down toward Pam, who wore a mischievous smirk. “Is it Dwight? I bet it’s Dwight.”

“Y/N! How, uh-” Jim stutters, eyes falling away from your new hairstyle, “How much of that-”

“Yes,” Pam interrupts a bit loudly, and you turn to her with your constant grin, “It was absolutely Dwight. Jim thinks Dwight is incredibly handsome and doesn’t know what to do about it.” Right after Pam finishes, a new voice joins in.

“Of course he does,” You jump, turning to watch Dwight walk directly to his desk, not sparing the three of you a glance, “I am the peak male form, everyone should be jealous of me.” Jim glares daggers at Pam, but you laugh along, too giddy to let Dwight ruin your mood. No one bothers to correct Dwight and he begins to unpack his suitcase.

“Well, anyway, a mug of tea is calling my name.”

“Wait, Y/N,” Pam calls out, and you retrace the one step you took away to look back at her. “You’re staying after work for the party, right?” You tilt your head, unaware there was going to be a party, but you shrug.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Pam’s grin was blinding in its intensity, and she looks directly at Jim with raised eyebrows. You glance between the two of them, watching them practically communicate with each other just using their eyes. “Am I missing something here?”

“You just never used to stick around for any of the voluntary office shindigs,” Pam answers, shrugging. Jim places a hand on your shoulder with a warm smile.

“We’re just glad you’re opening up.”

“It’s practically inspiring, isn’t it Jim?” You watch the silent communication for another moment, a pang of something eerily similar to jealousy pang through your chest. Nope, you weren’t going to let something that ridiculous ruin your good mood.

“Oh, you hear that?” You place a hand to your ear, turning around to face them while walking backwards toward the kitchen. “It’s my mug calling out to me. Y/N! Save me from this dry and lonely existence! Don’t worry muggy, I’m coming!” You knew you were being silly, but as you hear Jim’s laughter following you, you couldn’t bring yourself to feel embarrassed about it.

The rest of your day, surprisingly, flew by. Jim came by to see you twice more throughout the day, claiming that his usual buddy (Pam) was otherwise occupied with the Party Planning Committee. He complimented your hairstyle, calling you handsome once again. You thanked him for the barber recommendation and you swore you heard him say, ‘I’ll need to thank him next time I see him,’ but that didn’t make any sense. Why would he thank his barber for giving you a haircut?

Before you knew it, you were shutting down your computer and grabbing your briefcase from the floor nearby. Bringing it out into the bullpen, you studied your coworkers. Half were already walking out the door- Stanley was the first to exit the building, you were sure- but there was a decent-sized crowd heading toward the conference room already. You couldn’t spot Jim- until he appeared right next to you.

“Jesus, Halpert!” You huff, shaking your head. “What were you doing, hiding beside the door?”

“Waiting for you,” Jim answers easily, an easy grin claiming his face. You hoped your cheeks weren’t as red as they were warm, turning away from him just in case. “Here, you can set that on my desk.”

He led you over to it, indicating a spot next to his own briefcase, and you couldn’t help the soft smile that crossed your face at the offer. Turning back to Jim, your smile grows when it seems like he’s about to say something to you- until he’s cut off by Pam’s voice in the conference room.

“Jim!” He chuckles, dropping his head in defeat, peering up at you through his eyelashes. Your heart stuttered in your chest at the sight, but he pulled away and went to go assist with whatever he was called over for.

Walking into the conference room, it was certainly decorated, but you still couldn’t tell the purpose of this party. You thought maybe it might be someone’s birthday, but with the cake on the table reading out ‘Happy Quinceanera’ you really couldn’t tell for sure. At least you were assured in the fact that if it really was a Quinceanera, for whatever reason, there’d be a lot more sombreros than there were. (Just knowing Michael would insist, even though you knew better.)

“You know, Y/N,” You turn around, empty plate in hand as you were about to grab a slice of the pink cake. “You’re really not going to attract a mate that way.” You furrow your brows, deciding just to abandon the empty plate to focus on whatever Dwight had going on right now.

“Excuse me?”

“Dressing so masculine. Cutting your hair so short.” He stuck out his fingers as he listed off points, his tone serious, “You’re never going to attract a decent man if you keep trying to look like one.”

“Maybe that was the point,” You mutter under your breath, scanning the room to make sure no one was paying too close attention to your conversation. The room was small though, and while their heads were turned, their ears were definitely perked. Your eyes met Jim and Pam across the room, Jim had just finished hanging whatever decoration Pam had called him over for.

“What, to repel a mate?”

“To look like a man.” You turn, locking eyes with Dwight, who mainly just seemed confused.

“Why would you ever want that? It’s not like you’re a guy.”

“Well, maybe I am! Did you ever think of that?”

You suck in a breath, realizing what you just admitted. Your eyes immediately shoot toward Jim and Pam, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn’t be sneering or disgusted. Instead, they were grinning. They seemed glad, maybe even proud. You quickly look back to Dwight. He was blinking rapidly as if processing this information. Suddenly, in a bout of quick movement, Dwight was leaving the room and plopping himself into his desk chair, turning his computer back on.

“Hey,” Jim’s voice calls gently, and you turn to see him and Pam now next to you instead of across the room. “That was really brave, what you did there. Probably not the way you wanted to come out, granted, but-”

“Did you know?” You didn’t know why you asked, but then again, neither of them had seemed surprised.

“Well,” Jim began, his eyes turning worried.

“We’d suspected,” Pam offered gently, smiling toward you. “Just know that this changes nothing between us, though.” You study Pam’s expression, finding nothing but sincerity. You turn to Jim, meeting his eyes fearfully. Jim’s worried expression softens into something consoling, and he reaches forward to rub your arm.

“You’re still you, Y/N. Although,” He begins a soft smile, ducking his head, “Your new confidence sure is sexy as hell.”

+1

You’ve been out at your work for a month now, and honestly? It was nowhere near as nerve-wracking as you thought it’d be. You didn’t regret it once. Michael was kept on a tight leash with the trans jokes, Oscar came over to congratulate you on coming out and thank you for being the second out queer person in the office, and you found out the reason Dwight had rushed away when you first came out was that he didn’t know that trans people existed and had spent an hour afterwards researching it. If Jim and Pam hadn’t been around, you would’ve sworn that Dwight was the most supportive of you.

However, Jim and Pam were around. They treated you the exact same, joked around with you and invited you in on their pranks. Jim continued his sincere compliments that were starting to sound more and more like flirting, and Pam was growing more playfully aggravated by the day, though refused to explain why. You wondered if you would ever hang out with them outside of work, though they never asked so you never brought it up.

You were so happy now, as well. Not just for your transition, which happened so smoothly and, thankfully, without ridicule. But on top of that, you had gained a confidence that bled into every area of your life- work, friends, even just walking through your local supermarket had you striding with your head held high. Then, gaining Jim and Pam as friends- perhaps even best friends, where at one point they were just coworkers, acquaintances at best? Probably the best part of it all. Although, there was one thing that still had your anxiety racing, and you had no clue how to handle it.

You were hopelessly in love with Jim Halpert.

[tenander]

Doing the Which of your OCs... asks for my homemade blorbos. Part 1: Question 1 - 13. (If you want to know more about these guys, check out their tags on my blog!)

has the best hair? As a certified impossibly-pretty-hair-enjoyer, that's a difficult pick. I'm gonna say Corzian, whose hair is ridiculously long, wavy and looks perfect all times even though he spent his entire youth sick in bed and now adventures daily with little to no time spent on its care. Elven privilege.

uses/would use the most products? Definitely Crim, he enjoys the ritual of pampering his own body and will happily take an hour to indulgently and thoroughly apply oils and creams and powders.

frustrates you the most? Zaphir, hands down. He is emotionally stunted, in a permanent state of paranoia and old enough to be very stubborn about his beliefs, and I want his story to be about finding inner peace and comfort and genuine companionship... but his story is the story of BG3, which is not conductive to overcoming trust issues. Hhhhhhhh....

makes you smile the most? ALL MY BLORBOS MAKE ME SMILE A LOT But Solstice's overflowing love and kindness is kind of infectuous, and sometimes he is also just really really funny in the most wholesome ways.

is the happiest? I think that'd be Qursa, now that he's reunited with his brother. He is with his family and they're doing good for the galaxy, that's all he ever wanted.

is the saddest? *slaps Crim* this bad boy can fit so much grief in him. He lost everyone he ever loved, as well as himself, and has to worry about losing more every single day. (He'll get better eventually.) I also have a yet unnamed guy percolating in my skull-raisin who is hella unhappy.

is/would be the first to die in a Horror scenario? Yukiro. He's a good fighter and a good sneak, but he is also in bad health and is the kind of man who would tell his team to "Go, I'll hold them off".

has been with you the longest? Making OCs permeates my life, so it's a bit hard to tell sometimes, but I think if we assume AU versions of an OC to still be the same character, then the OC I have had the longest and who has gotten new thoughts added within this year is Meredith, my Saints Row Boss. OG Meredith is basically retired (in a satisfying way), but there is a New Saints Row version of him.

is your newest? Fully existing, that would be my SWTOR Inquisitor, Ru'lonn, who will drag the empire into a new age of alien power even if he has to do it at forcelightningpoint. Still in larval form is unnamed guy, who achieved immortality in the worst possible way.

has the best butt? According to reliable and professional sources, Zaphir. He has been a Monk all his life, he could probably kill a man with his buttcheeks.

is/would be the most likely to get caught committing a crime? Novel would a) absolutely commit a crime for the sake of his townspeople or his temple and b) be really bad at it and get himself caught immediately.

likes/would like animals the most? It's a toss-up between Novel, the Ranger who was saved as a baby by ravens and is never without his own bird friends and loves all of nature, and (surprise) Qursa, who discovered that he is an exceptional healer because he can feel the pain of other living beings by noticing and healing injured animals as a youngling, and who still deeply cares for them now (except certain bugs, bugs are freaky).

can/could cook the best? I have had to realise that nearly all of my OCs have cooking skills ranging from "eh" to "oh god please no". In the context of this unfortunate trend, only Yukiro stands out as someone who can make a decent meal from nearly any ingredient he has available at the time, and makes amazing inarizushi.

[diamondcrownacademy]

DCA Info Part 26: Meet Ella Glaciel 👠

Ella Glaciel (エラ・グラシエル, Era Gurashieru) is the dorm leader of Glastanzerin. Ella loves fashion as much as she loves her father, but she can be a bit sensitive and naive.

History

Ella was born and raised in the Glasswork Kingdom into the Glaciel Family, a family of fashion designers. Although, each family member focuses on a certain fashion item or style which is why they are sought after. The entire family makes up the ensemble which puts out some really unique sets. The Glaciel Family even have their own brand called "Midnight Mirror" (ミッドナイト・ミラー).

Ella is the daughter of Gaspard Antoine Glaciel, a gentlemanly shoemaker and his late wife, Emelette Glaciel, a jeweler who loved her daughter dearly. From a very young age, Ella was praised for her talent in fashion. Ella often accompanied her parents to events and often tried to mimic their fashion styles. Many loved it when the whole family went to events together, they looked like a doll set.

However, Ella's life took a turn for the worst after Emelette's death. Her father remarried Lucille Luciferia, a cruel and vain woman who married Gaspard to enhance her social status and she even went so far as too wear the jewelry Emelette made and showing them off as if it belonged to her. Luciferia was known to be an educator, so Gaspard allowed her to educate Ella, unaware at first how biased and harsh she'd be on his daughter. She would physically, emotionally and verbally abuse Ella, going so far as to strike her from behind her legs if she got a small thing wrong, the constant assaults resulted in numerous bruises and scars being left on Ella's legs. Her step-brothers, Edwin and Roman were a rowdy bunch that always harassed Ella. Messing about in her room and making a mess of everything. This made Ella afraid to tell her father of Luciferia's abusive nature, believing that because she was still a child, he wouldn't believe her.

Gaspard eventually discovered Luciferia's true nature when he noticed that Ella was walking as if she was in pain and how she would distance herself from her family during events. A maid spoke up and revealed everything to Gaspard when he returned from a long business trip. Horrified and ashamed of himself for marrying a cruel woman and allowing her to hurt his family, Gaspard filed for divorce and a restraining order, which was added when he asked Ella and she broke down in tears, telling him all the lies that Luciferia implanted in her young mind. That was the last straw so he demanded that not one of the Glaciel family's possessions such as jewels be in her possession and ever since then, Luciferia remained a disgraced woman.

Following the incident, Gaspard became more attentive to his daughter, feeling guilty for not being there for her when she needed someone most. While he remains kind and polite, he becomes distant when a woman tries to get closer to him, though that just made him even more attractive to the bachelorettes unfortunately for him. It was when Ella turned 15 that her father opened his heart to another woman. Claudette Darlington was Ella's second stepmother. While Ella significantly recovered from the incident with Luciferia, she still has trust issues and keeps her distance. While she knows that Claudette was nice and meant no harm, the incident with Luciferia permanently damaged her, Claudette still hopes that she and Ella could bond properly as mother and daughter.

Personality

Ella is described by her peers as sensitive, sweet and naive. It's safe to assume she became a sensitive girl due to her abusive relationship with Luciferia. Despite this negative relationship, Ella remains a kind hearted young lady, always willing to assist others.

While Ella has a love for fashion, she can be rather critical about people's fashion choices and even gets excited about pampering someone up for an event.

Appearance

Ella is a young girl of average height in her mid-teens. She has fair skin, blue eyes, and shoulder-length dusty pink hair. Her hair is in the style of a bob cut with blunt bangs and a waterfall braid in the back.

2020 School Uniform

Like with the others, Ella's uniform is modified to her taste. She originally wore a long sleeved light blue coat with purple gem buttons and light yellow ruffle cuffs, which are folded to reveal the light blue parts and have blue bows on them. She wears her coat over an off white almost light yellow ruffle blouse, which has a high neck ruffle collar and jabot. The jabot is the same light yellow color as the blouse and is held by a deep sky blue neckerchief with rounded arches and gold trim, with the tied portion of the neckerchief having her brooch on it. The brooch is gold with a white gem that resembles a pearl or opal jewel. For the bottom half of her uniform, Ella wears a box pleated skirt with an argyle pattern of various shades of cerulean, sapphire and blue-green with a baby blue satin ribbon wrapped around it, with the right side of the ribbon even including a bow with a gold pumpkin carriage charm on it. The skirt is worn over a light yellow petticoat. For footwear, Ella wears a pair of light pale blue kitten heels with gold soles, cerulean straps with bows of the same color on them and cerulean rounded fabric with yellow heart charms on the heels topline. The shoes also appear to have a prism like shine to them.

Ella accessorizes with a gold tiara with a rounded lower band with swirls above it and a white circular gem in the center, serving as the top ornament. She also accessorizes with a sky blue hair bow, which is at the back of her hair.

2021 School Uniform

Ella's 2021 school uniform remains entirely the same as the original with two minor changes, the purple gem buttons on her coat are now navy blue in color and the bow on her skirt now has pale yellow lace underneath. Likely the most significant change is the inclusion of white leggings to hide the faint bruises that Luciferia inflicted on her.

Dorm Uniform

For her dorm uniform, Ella wears a dress with a light blue strapless bodice with the center part being cornflower with royal blue patterning that resembles butterflies. The center part also has two dark blue ribbons in the shape of Xs and bows in the center of both Xs. The top of the bodice has pale yellow ruffles obscuring the neckline, with her brooch in the center. She also wears arm warmers that fade from light blue to white with pale yellow ruffle cuffs, with the end cuffs having gold trimming and are held with gold bracelets with white flowers on them. She also wears a gold belt with oval designs. The bottom of the dress contains multiple layers, with the first one being an ombré light blue bustle with white flowers at the tips, the second one is an ombré blue skirt with a high low hemline, the third is a rounded upside down arch skirt with a gold upside down arch outline with the same high low hemline as before and this layer is cornflower in color with a royal blue butterfly like pattern, and the fourth and final layer is simply a pale yellow upside down rounded arch skirt with the same high low hemline as the previous layers. For footwear, Ella wears shoes that are similar to the ones she wears in her school uniform, with the exception being that they are a shiny light pale blue with the topline having a gold outline and gold hearts of the same color. The shoes also have straps made from two gold bead strains.

Ella accessorizes with the same crown from her school uniform but with an additional gold beaded collar.

Solo Stage Uniform

For vocal performances, Ella dawns a pale blue jacket with blue and white ruffle sleeves and a golden outline, with the lapel even having lace trimming. The jacket is worn over a blue dress with a semi spread collar with gold outline and an ivory vest with the same gold outlining as before. The skirt of the dress is made up of three ruffle layers, with the the first layer being the same shade of blue as the top with fancy patterning, the second layer is a solid ivory in color and the third and final layer is pale blue in color. For footwear, she wears golden kitten heels, with the counter having a swirl on it and blue ribbon straps. She additionally wears grayish periwinkle leggings.

Ella accessorizes with a three pointed gold tiara with swirl designs and white oval gems. The tiara appears attached to a white heart shaped gem with three gold pearls at the end and is attached to a blue ribbon. Her brooch is below the neck collar but above the vest. Ella also wears wrist gloves with rounded arch cuffs and a white sash with a lilac flower on it, blue and white ribbon with gold outlines and the center white ribbon as a dark blue upside down heart with the glass slipper in the center.

Floral Lullaby Outfit

Handmade by Ella herself, this outfit consists of a mostly pink dress. The dress' consists of a semi-sweetheart bodice with the chest part being a solid pale yellow while the lower half is mostly pink, with center being magenta in color and a lighter shade of pink on both sides being divided by gold detailing, both the magenta and light pink parts have fancy patterning on them. The bodice also has light pink and yellow puff sleeves with pink lace cuffs. At the waist, she wears a violet belt with light yellow ribbon. The skirt is made of two layers of pink and lilac satin fabric, with the pink layer having a pale yellow petticoat. The skirt could be counted as a three layer skirt of you count the top layer, which is a continuation of the bodice piece with a rounded arch hem and lace trim. For footwear, Ella wears gold heeled Mary Jane shoes with bows on the straps. She also wears pink socks with magenta anklets.

Ella accessorizes with a magenta bow headpiece with a blue, yellow and pink rose in the center and are above what appears to be an upside down hand fan which is an ombré lilac in color with magenta trimming and lace hem. Ella also wears a heart shaped gold brooch with a red gem on her bodice and it is attracted to a pale yellow bow with the same detailing that resembles the upside down fan from the headpiece. Additionally, she wears pale yellow wrist bands with bows attached of a similar color, with the wristband having various pink, yellow and blue roses attached. Ella lastly wears a pair of lilac gloves with pale yellow pearl bracelets.

School Statistics

Ella is a 17 year old 2nd year student. She is classified as Student #12 and is in Class 2-C. She is a member of the Horse Grooming Club and her best subjects are Basic Etiquette and Needlework and Jewelry, with the latter being her favorite school subject because it ties in with her family's business. Her least favorite school subject is Ancient Rune Reading because she mixes up runes sometimes.

For her idol performances, Ella has a soft voice that is suited for cute and classical songs. She can't do loud vocals for rock songs since her voice was not made for it.

For her choreography, Ella has plenty of cute dance moves to go with her singing, she loves to skip and make cute poses on stage.

Relationships

Family

Ella has a good relationship with her father and late mother. She loves her father dearly and her mother even made her a bluebird jewelry set as a gift prior to her passing. Her father always hoped that she would wear it when she came of age.

Ella's relationship with her first stepmother and stepbrothers was a traumatic experience for her, as Luciferia would abuse Ella constantly and would even physically harm her if she disobeyed her. Edwin would scare Ella and pull malicious pranks on her while Roman would verbally abuse Ella to avoid Edwin's harassment.

Years after divorcing Luciferia, Gaspard remarried again around the time Ella reached adolescence, this time to a woman named Claudette Darlington. While Darlington isn't abusive towards Ella, the latter still has trust issues and keeps her distance. However, this doesn't mean that Ella doesn't want to get to know her better and Darlington hopes that she and Ella can one day bond properly as mother and daughter.

Pets

Ella has five pet mice that are all round and a bit chubby. They're always in her pockets, she always sews a pocket on her clothes for her mice. Her mice are named, Mozza, Gouda, Brie, Pecorin, and Parmes. All of them are named after different types of cheese because she found them in her pantry eating a block of cheese.

Fellow Students

Ella is the resident sweetheart of DCA, she is just so sweet that students can't help but take a liking to her.

Evonie is her closest school companion and best friend. Ella recalled seeing her when the Glaciel Family came to visit the Town of Orchard Fields.

Briar is like the image of a fairytale to Ella. But she can't help but feel there was a sense of sorrow to her gaze.

Ella is a fan of Cerule since she's never met a mermaid before. Cerule herself thinks she's as cute as a sea angel.

Ella admires the food that Perrine and Allison make but she can't help but be pranked into thinking those cakes were objects by Allison all the time. She's also known to criticize the latter's fashion sense.

Night Raven College Students

Ella and Vil are close mutuals due to their interest in fashion. In public they looked sophisticated and elegant but as soon as a slumber party was set up Ella listens to him rant about Leona and Epel and probably many other things while doing each other's nails and combing each other's hair.

When she first met Epel, Ella initially called him cute but when he voiced how he didn't like that, she apologized profusely. Ella offered anything to make up for the rude thing she did and he requested her to make a cool leather jacket like the one from Savanaclaw. Ella accepted the request and Epel made sure that Vil doesn't see it otherwise he'd have asked her to make adjustments. After that misunderstanding, they get along as friendly acquaintances because Ella has similar interests to Vil there wasn't much in common, but due to Ella's sensitive nature, he'd have a chance to be a knight in shining armor because he's a rough country boy.

Ella is very casual with Rook with a bit of shyness at first, she might have had a small crush on him because he looked like a prince charming to her. He certainly would want to test the fashion skills of a Glaciel so he's made it a game where he would wear a different perfume everytime and have Ella guess what perfume he wore that day. One time, he wore a cheap brand just to test her and she had this disappointed look on her face and asked if he got scammed. Rook laughed it off and said that it was on purpose to test her then proceeded to use a better perfume to get rid of the old smell.

Since Silver is always tired, this is a chance for her to advertise to him a new suit she's making. A pull on the string and it inflates into a comfty sleeping bag. Ella would just admire him because he looks so ethereal with his silver hair, but when she finds out about his sleeping habits she'll take the opportunity to make sure his clothes don't get dirty from sleeping on the ground.

Ella is nervous of Malleus but she does admire his majestic aura. She wants to design clothes that'll make his horns stand out but she can't bring herself to since he's royalty as well as one of the most powerful mages there is. But she does have her sketchbook filled with designs for him.

Night Raven College Staff

Ella met Divus Crewel when she was a child. When Ella was trying to advertise her father's shoes, Crewel was the first person she advertised them to and Crewel found her to be adorable.

Romance

While Ella is a romantic at heart, she needs someone who can shield her from people who give her a hard time but also to help her be more assertive.

Powers and Abilities

• Magic: Much like her fellow students, Ella can use magic.

• Sewing: Due to being taught the ways of fashion at a young age, Ella greatly excels at sewing and even has a special talent for quick stitching.

• Dancing: Ella is stated to be good at dancing as well as being a dance partner. She is able to adapt and guide the person if they are nervous or a bit clumsy.

• Material Alchemy: Ella can make use of almost any material needed to make her dresses, thanks to her talents in material alchemy.

• Speed: Ella's speed is stated to be equivalent to that of a mouse that no one can catch up to her.

Unique Magic

Ella's unique magic is called "Glacify" (玻璃の靴の舞踊/グレイシファイ, Gureishifai; lit. "Dance of the Glass Shoes"). She can make anything shine like polished glass but it lasts until 12 o′clock am and pm.

Voice

According to her bio, Ella's Japanese voice actress would be Sumire Morohoshi, known for her roles as Kyōka Izumi in Bungo Stray Dogs, Nina Tucker in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Hinami Fueguchi in Tokyo Ghoul.

Trivia

• Her birthday is on September 6th, making her a Virgo.

• She is 165 cm tall.

• Her favorite food is Cheese Platter while her least favorite food is Fish. She dislikes having to do too many chores.

• She enjoys sewing.

• Her preferred Styling Jewel Outfit Styles are Classical and Cute.

• For her casual attire, Ella would mostly wear pastel colored frilly dresses with flats.

• Her favorite color is pastel pink.

• She is dubbed "Little Jellyfish" (クラゲちゃん, Kurage-chan) by Floyd due to her love of fashion. She shares this nickname with Silver.

• She likes making clothes and watching fashion runways.

• Ella’s Overblot would likely occur when Luciferia is incredibly desperate for revenge against the Glaciel family that she steals Ella’s most prized possession, the blue bird jewelry set from her late mother and ruins or destroys it in front of her.

• In the future, Ella would be a fashion designer since she’s the heiress of the Glaciel Family business.

• Ella favors desserts with edible flowers but also likes small cakes.

• Ella would smell like tea scents.

• Her signature scent would be expensive but not strong cologne, maybe uses mint or lavender.

• Ella’s worst fear is having to face her former stepfamily again. She may have gotten over what happened in the past just by a bit but she can’t exactly be brave and confront her abusers.

[hammity-hammer]

idk if anyone has like deeply thought about this before

but i am bc i'm laying here at 5:32am after being woken up by my beautiful lovely wonderful girlfriend's snoring and while i adore her very much i am such a light sleeper that i can't fall back asleep so instead:

eddie snored- like really fucking bad, the whole 9 yards shebang, it could be heard outside the trailer, downstairs at the harrington manor, literally everywhere. and steve was so sweet and gentle and nice and didnt say a thing, even though because of the upside down he's been sleeping a lot less, and a lot lighter, so his sleep got disrupted basically all the time, but it's eddie, so how could he be mad? even when he woke up with this man's drool matting his hair, and on occasion thought the upside down had cooked up some new terrifying monster only to discover it's his sweet, sweet, loving boyfriend that he adores.

"eds, baby, you kind of snore..." steve had started one day, playing with one of the curls by eddie's ear.

"oh shit? i'm sorry babes, i... don't know how to fix that? i can like... just muzzle myself or something i dunno" eddie shrugged.

"i don't think a muzzle's necessary?? we can just get you like nose strips or something? i think they work for my dad" steve suggested, lightly tapping his boyfriend's cheek as he laughed.

(the nose strips 1000% worked and eddie looked like a dork and steve totally made fun of him constantly, in an affectionate way.)

OR

steve harrington was known for lots of things, being horribly lame at flirting, having great hair, loving his friends with everything he's got. but what people didn't talk about was how deeply he sleeps, and how LOUDLY. his snores sometimes woke him up, but none of his one night stands stayed long enough to find out that he wasn't only loud during their "special time" together. he snored so loud that one would think he'd wake himself up, but that was a rarity. instead, he snored, and snored, and sometimes talked about nothing and everything, and snored some more. and it had just happened to stay a secret until one eddie munson wormed his way into steve's life, and by god eddie did not realize one person could make so much noise. but here he was, and here steve was, cuddling him and holding him- and physically shaking him with the force of his snores. and eddie was a nice man, most days, but he needed his full 8 hours for that. and he cared so, so much for dear steve, but even his beautiful soul couldn't keep eddie from eventually blowing up on him.

"stevie, baby, i am literally going to throttle you so hard you don't ever wake up. please use a fucking nose strip for the love of everything unholy," he'd said, holding sweet, confused steve's face in between his hands, squishing his cheeks together.

steve had never been so confused, because he couldn't possibly be snoring THAT loud, could he?? there's no way?

and yet- there was indeed a way.

(they worked it out and steve started using nose strips which totally 100% worked and they 1000% didn't have any more issues with it and lived happily ever after. BUT i live for trans!eddie and them having a little baby and that baby absolutely would inherit steve's nose, and with that, his snoring problems. and our story begins anew)

[star-fi]

The crew's two most elusive members!

KILNEI [Veluu]

Kilnei's main duty as ship biochemist is to test all ingredients (meat, grains, anything possibly edible, etc.) that come aboard the ship to determine who of the crew can digest them and who of the crew these ingredients might accidentally kill. They are at their busiest at the end of most bounties, testing foods the crew often receive as payment. Even if a bounty isn't paid in ingredients, Thierri and members of the front team sometimes harvest ingredients from felled targets*.

Before Kilnei's hiring, the crew relied on a service run by a coalition of laboratories dedicated to cataloguing the safety of various ingredients for all species. It would work like this:

A crew sends a list of species present on their ship alongside samples of each unknown material to the nearest laboratory.

The lab technicians test for specific proteins and other known allergens by species. (The labs will also test for specific allergens if asked.) For samples with too many unknown components, it may take months or even years to determine its level of safety. In those cases, the lab will request the crew send all available sample material for long term storage. (The crew will be reimbursed, of course.)

Most of the samples are tested and catalogued quickly and the crew will receive the results within a week after sending.

Thierri's crew stopped using the coalition's services after it started requiring all participating ships' crew members to be officially identified with bio-scans included in the report. Gus, as well a few other crew members, are in circumstances where, for their own safety, they can't risk being identified via bio-scan by an outside organization. So the crew quit the lab service.

Because they had to quit so suddenly, Thierri scrambled to hire the first reliable biochemist he could find. Therefore, Kilnei was not interviewed for the position like other crew members, leaving many of their...quirks to be discovered on their first day.

Kilnei almost never uses a translator despite not being fluent in any non-veluu languages. Someone will bring her a sample -> she analyzes it -> the results are in the hands on the same crew member by the end of the day. Throughout the entire process Kilnei will not say a word or even attempt to communicate. At some point Gus brought Kilnei down to Loprekyat to ask her a question with Loprey as interpreter. Whatever they said to each other aggravated them so much that Gus had to physically stop the two from fighting with help from Ethna. Nobody else knows what Kilnei said because Loprey won't tell anyone, not even Ethna. All Gus could do was advise Kilnei to stay out of the armory. He can't tell if they listened, though.

Kilnei has spent most of their life in highly competitive and rigid educational institutions, where anything other than perfection the first try is failure. Even among other veluu, her complete lack of casual social experiences leads her to isolate herself from anyone not directly associated with her field of expertise. While that might not cause any issues in a laboratory filled only with like-minded individuals, most veluu'ish labs are dependent on the sponsorship of historically influential and socially high ranked clans. Even as they were removed from their first research position, Kilnei did not know the severity of whatever social taboo they crossed during the investors' annual visit. It was only until they were rejected from every other job in veluu'ish space that they realized they had been put on a blacklist. Desperate, they extended their search to the edges of their race's domain, then farther. At the end of her rope, she would take any job, because what else could she do? What would be the point of it all if she could not do what she trained for? What was she worth?

Welcome to the crew, Kilnei. You might like it here. Eventually.

*: They do not accept bounties that involve taking down sophonts. Thierri's crew are hunters-for-hire and most of their contracts include hunting ecosystem-disrupting mega fauna or helping quell the numbers of interplanetary invasive species. Occasionally they are contracted to pacify or kill Eldritch Horrors as they have built up a reputation of dependability in that area of expertise.

APAVIAN [Thelusian]

Apavian's first encounter with the crew happened long before vi had any plans to join them. At the time, vi was working as a line chef at one of the most remote Burgerfool joints in known space, hiding from vis previous comrades in the arms business.

During a time of tension and total war between many Thelusian factions, Apavian was a branch supervisor midway up the command chain of VIAKRI, a major insectoid weapons manufacturer. Vis branch sold to every Thelusian they could, even manufacturing conflict between factions in order to keep selling to both sides. However, it all came crashing down when Apavarian unintentionally revealed VIAKRI's contributions in aggravating and continuing the wars to every major Thelusian faction leader. Apavian had presented the warring factions with a mutual enemy for the first time in decades and the wars screeched to a halt for the sole purpose of destroying VIAKRI. Vis fled Thelusian space with both the united faction soldiers and VIAKRI enforcers at vis heels until vi lost them at the edge of known space.

After nearly a year into vis job as line chef, disaster struck the remote Burgerfool in the form of a massive conglomeration of masteroids. Thierri's crew was hired by the director of a space station in the path of the masteroids to divert them from their original path into a nearby asteroid belt. The crew succeeded last minute, but started a unfortunate chain of collisions in the belt that destroyed the Burgerfool's kitchens and dorms. Miraculously no one was killed, but the Fool had to be shut down for repairs. Thierri used his ship to help with evacuation, shuttling employees and customers to the aforementioned station. Among the evacuees was Apavian. Knowing that vi would get recognized by station security, vi was desperate for escape. However, as Apavian was about to steal an escape pod, vi was caught by Gus.

At the time, the crew had just hired an unprecedented amount of members and was struggling to keep up with their dietary needs with preserved food packages alone. So when Gus, who received most of the complains about the food, saw Apavian trying to escape, he saw an opportunity.

Apavian joined the crew as Ship Chef. A spare special storage room was converted into vis kitchen and vi started cooking a few ship cycles after the Burgerfool incident.

The kitchen is remote, which suits Apavian just fine. Vi barely ever ventures out farther than the end of the long storage room outside vis kitchen because vi fears that vi might get recognized by Kil'zeer, the crew's only other Thelusian member. The only other crew member vi is close to is Kilnei. They met when Kilnei barged into the room expecting it to still be a storage unit and found the new chef instead. Upon finding out Kilnei is the ship biochemist, vi searched for Veluu'ish language books in the ship's local digital files library. By machine translating a Spanish to Urrota (a language spoken by most interstellar Veluu) phrasebook, Apavian was able to present Kilnei with a few familiar words from home. Vis main goal was to ask for guidance in what was edible for the crew, but over time they lapsed into a mainly non-verbal friendship as Kilnei started using the remote kitchen as a hideout.

[anime-writing-everything]

How I want to write (and read) the judgment day in fics where it is kayfabe compliant, Rhea/Dom is not and has never been toxic, and Rey Mysterio is a deadbeat (who wants to be better eventually). This is mostly gonna focus on Dom since he’s my favorite.

Also please note, I’m new to the fandom and most of what I know is based off what I’ve found in tiktok, YouTube, and here. But I think I’ve got the general gist of the bigger things about this group whom I’m growing to adore as my comfort group.

Early Life:

One major change for Kayfabe is that in my mind we never know who Dom’s bio dad is. Rey and Angie were having trouble consummating, and one night while they were drinking with Eddie and his wife they all had a foursome. This is around the time the doctors projected Angie got pregnant and since they knew that they had been having trouble it was likely Eddie was the father. They told him and he said they would be great parents, he just wants to be in the boys life. He was given the position of godfather. Eddie straddled the line between uncle and father a lot but Rey didn’t mind that. The custody battle still happens almost exactly how it occurred including the announcement but after the battle it was discovered that the test results were mixed up at the lab and that the results for theirs was inconclusive/lost. Eddie and Rey decided that Dom should decide if they do the test again and Dom says no, that he’s okay with two dads instead. When Eddie dies not long later Dom vows to never find out unless it’s a medical necessity because he doesn’t want to potentially lose that connection. He has a very close relationship to Eddie’s family because they know about the arrangement too.

One of Dom’s major issues with his dad is this battle, he would have told them he would love them both equally if they had just asked instead of fighting over him like a prize on live television. He feels as though they did not consider his feeling at all during this event, especially since their fighting led to him being out in foster care for months until it was resolved and he did not like his foster family (they weren’t nice).

He calls Rey dad/jefe, he considers Eddie papa/padre

He was an autistic/adhd child who has issues such as hypersensitive hearing, moments of being nonverbal, anxiety/depression, texture issues, and more. He went nonverbal during the custody battle for a week, he went nonverbal after Eddie’s death for almost a month.

Other wrestlers who are close to Rey became uncles and aunts of Dom. Edge is Dom’s honorary godfather (note apparently he has 7 does anyone know who they are), Batista and Randy Orton (who is close to Rey in real life) are others uncles who really adore him. All of them help train him to wrestle when he decides to pursue that.

Like Dom has stated Rey had a bad habit of putting work first. He missed many of his children’s birthdays, christmases, graduations, and other school events (such as soccer games) and made up for it with gifts. Rey didn’t realize how much he missed and how much that hurt them until after Dom joined judgment day when Aaliyah got in his face about it.

Speaking of he adores his little sister and his mother, but he’s annoyed that they would always tell him to not bring up his complaints and ruin the few moments they had as a family. He felt as though it wouldn’t be so few if he had the chance to speak but whenever he tried to do it, he always backed down seeing them get upset. He’s an older sibling by nature and he wants to protect them, even from his displeasure.

He had some temper issues in school which caused him to get into fights. He was also relatively smart, but he prefers doing research on things that interest him. He’s the type of guy to go down a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

When he came to WWE events and Rey wasn’t around, people who had an issue with Rey (other wrestlers/crew/etc) made their problems known to him. He was getting yelled at and threatened at a very young age. He has made his peace about most of it (or at least he thinks he has) but still holds a very big grudge against CM Punk and Brock Lesnar.

He has two guardian angels, his mothers brother (from the ghost story segment) and Eddie, who are literally always watching him and so proud

Pre-Judgment Day:

He was so incredibly grateful to be able to fight Seth Rollins in response to what he did to his dad, but he feels like everyone around him thinks he got the shot because of his dad

In hind sight he should’ve just escaped the cage and won against Rollins but he wanted to prove he could pin such a legend.

He’s protective over his sister, so he knows he really didn’t react well over the Buddie situation but can you blame him

He loved fighting on a team with his dad, those moments will be some of his most treasured moments after he turns on him

His dad has a bad habitat of deciding on their matches, strategies, and even outfits without giving Dom a say. Rey is doing it because he wants to put Dom in the best position he can for when he eventually goes solo but even when several others (Randy, Edge, Aaliyah/Angie) point out he’s stifling his son and making him seem weak/reliant Rey doesn’t listen.

Fighting Judgment Day

Dom feels bad, but secretly he completely understands why TJD betrays his uncle. His uncle is great a lot of the time but has a crazed/sadistic side that he doesn’t trust or like being around.

TJD had no problems with Rey until they realized he was working with Edge. Because Dom is a team with Rey they figured he also knew and was working with Edge. Meanwhile Dom had no idea anytime Edge was coming to help them, and when he started see the pattern tried to convince his dad to stop. It wasn’t any of their business and it was quite literally painting a target on their backs. Rey not listening about this was the start of the end.

TJD realized quickly that Dom was not getting a say in anything and that’s why they decided to try recruiting him. He kept choosing his father, so they treated him like the enemy even though they had no hard feelings against him (this was actually something Dom liked, it made him feel like people were actually listening to him when he made a choice). They’ll also admit not all of their attempts to get him to see their way was conducive or healthy, but they did apologize afterwards and vowed to protect him and never let him get majorly hurt ever again.

He is on the edge over his loyalty for weeks but ultimately decides to join them after Rey sides with Edge after the spear incident and when he finds out Rey is going to replace him as a partner for CATC. He isn’t planning to do more than declare it until his sees Edge wearing a lucha mask during their entrance, that plus not getting to celebrate their victory sets him over and in the heat of the moment he acts. TJD finds it hilarious and back him 100% because they want to prove they trust him and his ideas from the start.

Judgment Day

First thing the group does is sit down and discuss everything that happened so far. Apologies and amends are made. Plans are put into place. They decide that they’re gonna make it seem like they manipulated Dom into everything as a way for him to have an out of the stress of betraying his father gets to him. Dom is only okay with this because he sees the potential of seeming like he’s easily manipulated in future altercations.

He and Rhea are not together right away, it’s several matches later that they discuss it and it takes all of them sitting down again and making sure Dom doesn’t feel pressured/coerced before she even entertains the idea of getting together.

Dom wants to be taken seriously by his dad for all of the past wrongs. He wants his dad to truly reflect on his controlling/deadbeat ways. But things just keep adding up: his dad is unrepentant, doesn’t take his son seriously (he wants to have a fight with his dad and he doesn’t think that’s a bad ask), and especially the spanking on live television has pushed Dom farther away. TJD were pissed seeing that move. When he’s making that speech about his dad being a deadbeat, he starts feeling too vulnerable and decides to talk about the car thing to not bring up how truly hurt he was his dad gave Edge a Lucha mask.

He decided when he joined TJD he wants to change his style up a bit, do less of his dads moves (one because it feels weird/almost dishonorable and two to differentiate himself more) which is why he ends up looking weaker/needing more help.

TJD truly does feel like a real family (he doesn’t know it but Damien/Rhea/Finn only started feeling like a family when they finally had him with them). The other three are super protective over him and want nothing but the best for their boy. They have timers set on their phone to make sure he’s drinking enough water, eating (he forgets to when he’s doing interesting things), and taking any medication he needs.

Dom starts to feel comfortable to explore his identity with them, something that he always thought would disappoint his dad. He loves feeling pretty (dresses or other cool clothes, makeup, etc). Rhea loves helping him shop and do makeup. Currently I have no plans on making him trans just a boy who likes presents more feminine. At most I would make him non binary or gender fluid.

Edge was definitely in his bad mode during their match, which is why Dom was so nervous. But after a few months Edge reaches out over text, and all it says is: “Sorry Dom. Proud of you kiddo. Give your dad hell until he figures his shit out” but that doesn’t mean he’ll go easy on Dom if they ever face off again.

Randy and Dom don’t talk until after the war games match. He comes up to TJD while they’re licking their wounds and when they looking like they’re about to fight him off he turns to Dom, “Hated to do that to you kid, but no nephew of mine is getting special treatment. By the way, give your dad more grief, all of us told him he was going to drive you away and he didn’t listen. He deserves it”

Dom did not like Rhea bringing up Becky Lynch’s daughter during her smack talk. When they left the stage he stayed silent for over two hours. When TJD finally got the courage to ask about it, he explained that it reminded him too much of being his dads collateral damage growing up, but he didn’t want to be unreasonable, ungrateful or unsupportive of his family. The rest of them made sure to explain to him that they would never do anything to make him uncomfortable, that they would always listen to his boundaries, and that they love him. Rhea even apologized to Becky away from the cameras.

That moment when Rhea told Dom that he couldn’t come back if he didn’t win back his title was bluster because she felt like she couldn’t show favoritism/weakness while Damien and Finn were fighting but almost as soon as the group got off the stage Damien and Rhea were apologizing to Dom and telling him how much they loved him/how proud they are of him. Damien felt really bad about throwing him under the bus, and promised to make it up to him. They all are human beings, tempers rise and amends are made.

Dom always felt like he had to be the good kid when he was with his dad, so when he came to TJD and got free range to be a menace to any of their opponents it was like he got back a part of life he missed out on. And TJD will defend him and his menace behavior until death, they see how he lights up when he pisses people off.

He does the ex-con Dom shit as mental warfare to his dad. His dad called the cops on him so he gets to suffer the embarrassment and shame that comes with seeing that.

Of all the people who his dad hangs around with now, he hates Dragon Lee. It just feels like Dragon Lee is a replacement (a respectable lucha son for his dad to finally have)

Dom and Rey (how I would resolve their issues)

Eventually Rey is put up against an enemy like Brock Lesnar who goes too far in a match. Dominik (and TJD) was out there watching under the guise of fucking with his dad but he was really just worried. When the guy goes too far he and the others help Rey avoid serious injury.

The two of them form a temporary truce to work together preferably as a tag team (maybe the enemy is currently one part of the tag team title holders). The two of them win the titles and defend them for a couple of months. During this time Rey learns to listen to his son and let him become a partner instead of his baby. He also starts showing up for him when he’s doing Judgment Day business.

Eventually they lose the title in a way where Rey realizes he’s not getting any younger.

The next week he brings Dom out and announces that he wants to retire. Dom is shocked, but he’s even more so when Rey says that he wants his last match to be against Dom at whatever next big event is coming up. And that he wants to put his mask on the line. Dom is forced to accept by the crowd.

During the build up to the match Rey continues to show up for his son showing that he’s learned from their last team up and he’s not going away anytime soon

During their match the two give it their all, but eventually Dom pins Rey. 1,2, Dom let’s go before 3 shaking his head because he does WANT this to end. Rey and Judgment Day (they still don’t like Rey but respect him and came to be ringside support but not cheating this time) tell him he has to, that they have to finish this. Dom and Rey continue. Dom eventually pins his dad while crying. 1,2,3 Dom wins.

Rey is so proud of his son hugging his son but there’s something else he needs to do. And takes off his mask in the ring, giving it to Dom. He’s not gonna force Dom to become the next Rey Mysterio, but he wants Dom to know that he has earned his mask and that he can carry it with him always (physically or metaphorically)

Dom and Damien

Damien is the most protective of Dom, loves when Dom hides behind him or relies on him

Dom loves having someone taller than him around

Damien loves to read, Dom loves listening to Damien read

Their love languages are acts of service and touch.

Dom and Finn

Finn is like “is anyone gonna adopt this child” and doesn’t wait for a response.

Love languages are words of affirmation and touch (and fighting Rey Mysterio)

Dom and Rhea (slight maturity)

Rhea is a domme and Dom is her sub, but they do occasionally switch if one of them need it.

Dom was not happy about how she reacted to Jey and Drew but she apologized as soon as she figured out he was upset.

Love languages are words of affirmation, touch, and acts of service.

In the cases of Poly Judgment Day

Finn is queerplatonic with Rhea and Dom but romantic with Damien

Damien is romantic with Finn and Dom but queerplatonic with Rhea. He is also Dom’s dom.

Dom and Rhea are obviously still romantic

If they do a Finn betrayal

Finn planned to destroy TJD from the inside, that’s why he joined. He always planned to go back to Liv and AJ

He started getting second thoughts when TJD became a family following Dom’s joining

He was okay when he and Damien got the tag team titles, but when they lost them and Damien took the WHC title/didn’t want to get their titles back he started growing resentful of their family. He feels like he is taken for granted and overlooked.

That’s when he got back into contact with Liv

He takes JD McDonagh with him because he never felt as much like family (because of Damien)

His only regret is that he betraying Dom, and he truly loves Dom

[itsartistpending]

The Vision (2015)

General Watered Down Plot:  *Spoilers Ahead*

The series opens with the next door neighbors bickering as to whether or not the Visions would eat the cookies made for them. We discover Vision has this new family full of other synthezoids who look just like him. Virginia is his wife and they have two children named Victor and Vivian. They appear to live the normal domestic life style and even acquire a synthezoid dog named Sparky through the series. However, through the series it becomes even more clear that things are not normal as the tone can be felt though the art style alone. The way they are depicted with black hole eyes adds a sense of uncanniness to them. This series is riddled with death and has very ominous undertones about mortality and what makes someone real. 

(Issue 1)

*A SMALL DISCLAIMER*

In full honestly it has been a long while since i read and completed this series so my memory is not the best. Thanks for bearing with me. 

What is Really Going On:

It is very evident that this story is about what is considered normal. It is easy to look at the surface level and say that robots/ synthezoids cant be have similar experiences to humans. All of us would assume that since we have not had interactions with synthezoids and this is purely in a fictional world. So if we take the idea from this series and apply it to our world, I think this story is trying to warn us that life is fleeting and there is no point isolating others or yourself from what life has to offer. To me it also seems to be saying to embrace what makes you different (a bit cliche I know).  

Victor & Viv:

Victor and Viv have one of the most classic high school experiences. They are considered outcasts and have a hard time making friends. Victor and Viv both fit into two very classic high school stereotypes. Victor is the quite outcasts who gets bullied for existing all while just trying to make it through the day. Viv is the studious shy girl who tries so very hard to please every single person around her. 

*To fairly analyze this Im going to break it down and separate Viv and Victor* 

Victor:

It can be seen so much through the series that Victor is a cautious young boy trying his best to figure out his place in the world, especially in a world that despises him. On the first day of school, Victor askes Viv if he is normal. Her response is to say that Vision told them to remain ordinary. Victor is confused and questions if being ordinary makes him normal. Through the series Victor is constantly trying to figure out how to be normal. He is confused as he does everything a normal kid his age does. He likes football, does his homework, goes to school everyday, he has his own likes and dislikes yet all of that isnt making him ‘normal’ to others. He struggles with this through the entirety of the series. 

(Issue 1)

Much later in the series, the children meet their uncle and Victor walks in on something he isnt supposed to see. His uncle is working with the Avengers and reporting in on the family. Victor is confused and his uncle (either accidently or not) uses his electric powers on Victor. The whole time his uncle is telling him to stop resisting while Victor is crying out for his dad to save him. eventually everything comes to a stop and for a brief moment if seems like Victor might be ok. A few moments later he is dead and in the arms of his father and mother, he is a synthezoid after all.

Victors want to fit in and be normal, lead to his death. One could argue, Victor was normal and can be proven in his final moments. Victor had the curiosity that drove him to discover what his uncle was up to. Isnt curiosity a natural human state? Would him feeling curiosity make him normal? His deference to what was considered ‘normal’ in that world lead to him and his family being stalked and watched and his own death. The world could not accept him and choose to kill him rather then learn from him. 

(Issue 9)

One thing that summarizes up Victors life would be this classic quote from Cicero, “They condemn what they do not understand”. 

Viv:

Viv has quite similar experiences to Victor in the way that she isnt considered normal. The only difference is that she chooses not to dwell on it and carry about her life as best as possible. Viv is also quite clearly a people pleaser. She does her best to seem and act as ordinary as possible to live up to her fathers requests. She never makes any noise or causes any issues. One day as she is walking to class a kid stops her and she braces for another rude comment but this kid actually just wants to get to know her and leaves the convo by saying that he thinks she is pretty cool despite what others may think. She obviously feels validated and warmed by another person approving of her. She had gotten so used to rejection that she did not expect anyone to ever think more of her then just some fancy looking robot. Unfortunately her world came crashing down when this kid was killed (read Virginias section to know more) in a freak accident. The only person in the world, outside of her family, who had accepted her was now gone and she felt like she was to blame for it in some weird way.

There is a common theme with Viv through this series. This series is riddled with death and murder of all kinds by so many different people. Because of this, Viv becomes almost accustomed to it and thinks it is just apart of her life. the world will try and kill her just for existing so why should she give any energy back into the world that hates her. To me she is the embodiment of paralyzing fear and pain. She is so sacred and afraid of the world that wont take more then 2 seconds to judge her that she becomes emotionless to it. This is seen later in the Champions series. However, it is through this that she realizes that she is not normal, she never was and never will be. There will always be people who judge her in the world but she knows she cant change their mind. As shown to her once before, there are some people who will like her for who she is and she has to choose to put her energy into them. 

(Issue 12)

Viv's personal journey continues with Champions as that is the team she chooses to join after leaving Vision behind.

Virginia:

Virginia is quite a complex character in this series and one could argue that this entire series is mainly about Virginia. She is a housewife and has the typical housewife duties except there is no need for those since they are are synthezoids. there is no need to cook, clean, take care of children or a home. So Virginia struggles with her sense of identity very aggressively through this series. She, like everyone else in the series, wishes to be normal and blend in as best as possible into a town that will not welcome her. In the entire 12 issue run she kills 3 people and their dog. Of the 3 people she kills, 2 of them were children. Then first kid she killed was vandalizing their home. She grabbed him through the wall and he was dead. The next one was on accident. She had gone to the home of a parent threatening their family. Little did she know this was the father of the only friend Viv had. His father tried to shoot her but she phased and it hit his son instead. Virginia killed sparky in a fit of rage after the death of victor. Lastly, Virginia killed Victor Mancha (vision’s technical brother) in revenge for her son.

I think Virginia represents the extreme need to protect and defend. She tries so hard to stand up for her family but every single time she does, it backfires only making them look worse. In the end, her ideas of trying to help their image just ends up leaving a long line or red behind them.

It all comes to a head for her with the death of her son. She is too angry to do anything other then retaliate the only way she has known how through the entire story. The man responsible for the death of her son does not live much longer. Virginia then has to face the wrath of Viv for not doing good enough. Vision is gone with no explanation, her daughter is furious with her and her son his dead. Virginia, unable to bear it any longer, ends her life.

(Issue 12)

Virginia struggled with her sense of identity through the entire run. Isn't that a core experience that many "normal" people go through as well? Sure she did plenty of horrible things but she did it to protect her family. She struggled with her identity in a much different sense then ay other characters in this story. She is supposed to care and provide for her children as she is programmed to be a mother. However, her children do not need her like that since there aren't many "normal" house chores or family duties for her to attend to. Is it really fair to blame her for her spiral? Couldn't it be argued that all the things she did (barring death) were normal ?

Vision:

In my opinion, Vision is the real enemy through the series. He created this family in the aftermath of him and Wanda's relationship dissolving so he could have a family that understood him. He created his daughter, son and wife all in his image. They of all things would understand him and get him. He was the one from the very beginning of the story who told his whole family to be as ordinary as possible. he placed all this pressure on his family because he was tired of being seen as unusual himself.

(Issue 1)

Vision had the chance to give his family the lessons he had learned through his years and let them live on their own and experience the world for themselves. Instead, he made sure that they knew the world was already unaccepting of them placing all this fear in them. Vision couldn't live with himself so he made more of him to share his sorrow with. He made sure that they would never be normal.

Personal Takes-Aways:

Personally I think this store has a very intricate and deep meaning that I'm not even fully capable of comprehending. The one thing that seems to stick out to me though is Visions role. He created his family and was the one instilling them with fear and pressure to confirm and be normal from the very beginning. This is something seen in our lives very often. In the real world, we are often faced with the judgment of others and feel the need to conform to what is considered "normal" by society. This has long lasting damaging effects on everyone. Those effects are shown quite dramatically in this series. Viv runs away and keeps everything repressed. She becomes a stone cold individual who doesn't form connections (though she changes through champions). Virginia acts out in anger and ends up ending her own life which, is unfortunately something that many people in real life do who feel this pressure to great extremes. Victor was harmed through his pursuit of being normal. In the end, Vision, the one pressuring all of them, is left alone.

Overall Review and Rating:

Overall, i give this tory 5 stars. This story has its place in fame for a reason. I do encourage everyone to read it just know there is a lot of violence and it is a dark story. The story and art is supposed to be unsettling so take that as your warning. This is a story that doesn't need much pre-reading in order to understand what is going on as almost all of the context is given in flashbacks. The only context not given is how Vision and Victor Mancha are related but that can be rendered with a quick google search.

I know this review was super long compared to what i usually write but this story is deserving of such an analysis bad one even greater then what this is.

As always discussion is welcomed in the comments, my asks or my dms!

[joleneghoul]

Hey I followed to see that DC Disability public essay, so I’m new to this blog. It had me wondering what was your journey of discovering DC and it’s characters and what are your favorite comics, stories and characters?

Hi! Welcome and I'm sorry this blog is kinda my "put everything i think of" train of thought blog. But it's also my only blog lol! Thank you for being interested in the Essay. It's not near done as I'm still taking responses but we will get there. Rest is under cut because i accidentally rambled on.

As far as my journey with DC comics I feel like Dc has just been a part of my life forever- I've grown up in this world where caped stories are pop culture and everywhere and when i was growing up like EVERY cartoon about heroes was about the dc ones (brave and the bold, batman the animated series, justice league)

Actually my first memory I can recall is seeing an episode of justice league on the tv and seeing john stewart green lantern.

Though I wouldnt of called myself a fan really back then because my special interests for most of my life started with Sonic and then Transformers. But in my opinion the base of both of those universes and stories is the same as caped comics so it makes sense I eventually got into them fully.

I don't think I've told the story about how I started actually reading the comics but basically I was homeless at 17 and thats when my love for these comics started. I started reading old batman comics because around then I had met my boyfriend whos special interest was batman so that was my way of both distracting myself and bonding with him.

BUT through batman comics I got introduced to Blue Beetle and Booster Gold and I instantly shifted to reading the Blue beetle comics (sorry to booster i didnt read vol 1 until maybe a year later) specifically the 1986 solo about Ted Kord.

Like I mentioned I was homeless at the time and I hadn't even been diagnosed yet with any of my illnesses I had been suffering from for 5+ years at that time. But within those comics there are two very special stories that cemented my love for these comics and its.

1. Ted has an issue where he goes around the streets of Chicago at night because someone is killing homeless people. In other stories i'd read heroes would maybe briefly talk to the homeless if at all. But instead of that Ted the entire comic sits down with people and speaks to them and gets their stories. I remember reading it and feeling "oh, this is a hero who would actually care to sit down on the sidewalk with me. This is special".

2. There is another story in this run where Ted basically defends the life of this kid who ran away from home and has no immune system and sets out a way to help him. Not the best but I was relating to the kid at the time.

I ended up carrying around an issue relating to Ted in my backpack for most of that time just because it was special to me. Anyways its pretty much history from there I ended up getting into Booster Gold and other heroes as I looked further into these stories and learned more about teams and etc. But Ted Kord will always be special to me, especially since he also has a chronic condition.

As my condition progressed this became one of my outlets for expression and it still is. Through reading I found that a lot more of these heroes were disabled than I had previously thought because NOBODY talked about it. I remember at first not knowing Booster had lost an arm because it just wasn't something I saw mentioned (though back then like. Nobody was posting abt him or ted hardly. you'd be surprised it was like they had a lull in popularity for a bit which makes sense they were not in comics) so I kinda have made it so I talk about these things so they are in peoples minds more. At least a bit.

As far as my Favorite comics go I have to say my favorite comic is Justice Leagues Quarterly 10, but you'd probably want to know the JLI roster before reading it if you dont. JLQ has very fun collections of stories. I try to recc blue beetle 1986 to people too just because it's special to me same for booster gold 1986.

Speaking of essays, here is one I wrote about Booster Gold and his relationship with disability.

[megnificent-reads]

Full Measures, Rebecca Yarros - ⅗ ☆

I actually liked Fourth Wing. Anti-booktok folks, please put your guns down, I like simplicity. Iron Flame wasn’t great, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about. 

Because I liked Fourth Wing and I was bored, I decided to see what else Rebecca Yarros had going on. I read the blurb for the third book in her Flight & Glory series and thought it was interesting, so I started on book one. The book one blurb was definitely less interesting but - gotta start on one. 

It was actually pretty cute at the beginning! I’m used to reading slow-burn, and this was not that, which was exciting! The dogpiling of shit happening to December (dead dad, not only cheated on but with your best friend, etc.) was like watching a train wreck and I loved it. Unfortunately, I mostly made this blog to complain, so that’s probably the extent compliments you’re gonna get out of me. 

Josh Walker and his mouth watering rear

If I had fully processed that our love interest was a hockey player, I might not have read this. I’m sick of hockey boyfriends and I’ve never even read one before this. (No TikTok, I’m not fucking reading Icebreaker. I’ll get my sports erotica via ao3 AUs). 

He was cute for a bit, for sure. That was until December told him she actually did not want him around, at which point he followed her in a sort of “you’ll love me eventually” type of way. I’m not normally one to be that picky about this sort of thing, but it was starting to annoy me. Literally running after her when she’s trying to get to her car was weird - especially when her main issue was that she wanted him not in her business. I get it’s him proving he wants her, but at a certain point you think - if he really liked her he’d respect her boundaries, right?

Once we get past that, we get to the Drama. 

The blurb for this book mentions it - our (college age hockey coach) has a ~dark secret~. He was injured and couldn’t play hockey, he mysteriously disappears every weekend. 

Dark secret is the military, btw. 

I get it’s dramatic because her dad died in the military so she resents it now, yada yada. I didn’t really care though? I don’t know, maybe I’m expecting too much out of these simplistic romance novels, but I just wasn’t attached enough to either of them for this to really matter to me at all. I wasn’t interested to see the story progress beyond them finally dating, so I didn’t care about this either. 

I for most part just didn’t care about Josh Walker, which made the read pretty difficult near the end. 

Sidebar, I love how you can tell what authors like in men by what their characters pay attention to. December is constantly thinking about Josh’s ass. It’s mouth-watering. It’s magnificent. It’s perfectly round. Fuck this guys built hockey-arms, let me see that ass, Josh!

Discovering how Yarros really feels about women

I didn’t really encounter this in Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, so seeing the not-so-subtle misogyny every few chapters was… uncomfortable. 

Yarros uses the term “leggy brunette” three times to describe two different women. These women have a grand total of zero other attributes.

She also creates these two hockey groupies, which I guess is a thing. They are, of course, blonde women with huge boobs, that want nothing more than to fuck Josh Walker and his roomate, Jagger. I hate that name by the way. I know it’s a regular real-life name but like, I get it. He’s a frat dude.

Of course, nothing will stand in the way of our (not tomboyish, not nerdy or weird, but instead very average) ginger woman.

Rebecca Yarros does color her hair blonde, so idk what that’s about. I know the ditzy blonde girl trope is a thing, and this did come out in 2014, but I think the trope was tired even that long ago. 

Conclusion

A word to describe Full Measures would be: alright. Not great, not terrible, just alright. I’m sure this is more interesting for those in military families, but just not for me. I’ll just hope the rest of the Fourth Wing series is better than Iron Flame.