#oh well. the things I do to experience a book spoiler free

[victory-cookies]

book of bill is on its way and man oh man am I excited

[teaboot]

if ur a murderbot nerd now do u have any fun opinions abt it yet?

Oh my goddd you have no idea

I really, really, really like Murderbot because it comes at life with this perspective we don't often see that is very real among people who have already been through traumatic experiences, who developed skills and abilities to suvive that were once useful but no longer have context- that search that traumatized people go through to recalibrate and reorient ourselves in a world where we no longer really need those things to survive.

A bit personal here, but my own issues personally involved a lot of psychological abuse that made it difficult to trust my own perceptions of reality, and as a result I found I was very easy to lie to and manipulate.

To handle this, I became obsessive over writing things down, cataloging details and making notes of things as they happened- I'd carry recording devices and make audio recordings and stay up late at night to transcribe what they'd picked up, read those over and over again to reassure myself of things I wasn't certain about.

While doing this, there were others close to me that I felt responsible for, who I had to protect from others and protect myself from at the same time. Life was about two things: Evidence, and defusing threats

Over time, I learned to trust myself as my memories matched what had been recorded where their narrative didn't, but I never really kicked the habit. Like Murderbot, I had added something to my own programming that reassured me I was safe, that I was in control of myself, that I couldn't be mistaken or crazy or broken or used.

I'm only on book two, but already I see myself in Murderbot again. No spoilers here, but when I left home- left that dangerous context- I didn't need to repeat these patterns to survive anymore, but I still did, because I didn't know anything else anymore. It felt safe, comfortable, knowing knowing that the past couldn't repeat itself, because I'd written that flaw- blind trust in myself-  out of my programming and replaced it with something else.

Still, though, I'd become something specially suited to thrive in a very specific environment. Nothing else felt right like followinghigh-risk situations, like witnessing and watching and recording and knowing I had proof of the truth where others might not.

People took notice. I wound up in security by accident, but's an environment that I thrive in due to the same patterns and behaviours I originally developed when I had no other choice. I climbed the ladder pretty quickly, once supervisors caught on that my reports were the most accurate, most objective, most factual, detail-oriented and timely. I keep others and myself safe and prioritize public safety above all else, and I perform well under pressure

Now I'm in a position where I often wonder, do I enjoy this job, or is it just what I'm good at? I have a set of skills now, but do I have the option of choosing not to use them? What would I be, if not this? Could I be anything else? Can Murderbot be anything else?

It has a set of skills that set it apart, make it different, special. It does what it knows best. But is it free? Does it want to be? What does it want? Does it have to do what it was built to do? What if it didn't?

I know what I'm good for. The idea of deliberately leaving what I'm good for for something uncertain, that I might hate, that I might be useless at- the choice to give up what was so important to me for so long and become deliberately obsolete?

Let go of my entire purpose? The only thing I know, that I fit so well into but don't actually know if I enjoy? Now that I can choose? Now that enjoyment is a luxury I can afford to consider?

Yeah, that resonates.

I like the Murderbot series so far because it feels the way I feel: Like the most significant and formative part of my story, the part where I became what I am, has already happened

And now I have to just. Keep going

Into... what?

It feels absurd. Like a microwave giving up on reheating food and deciding to start a life around abstract dance.

So, uh. Yeah. It's really very wild to see this same philosophical-ish dilemma I've been digging over in the back of my mind and in therapy for the last forever laid out so plainly in a genuinely exciting and enjoyable story like this. I feel much less alone, and I... kind of really need to see how it resolves, I think.

So, uh. Yeah. Read Murderbot, I guess

[theprenderelliepalace]

Tag, you owe me

☆• Five x reader •☆

Season 4 AU -The Umbrella Academy

A/n I'm pretending season 4 happened a lot less season 4ish- so imagine this:

Summary: After The Umbrella Academy stopped The Cleanse and saved the world, life was just as crazy as it had been before. It's Grace's 8th birthday and a lot has happened in two years for Five and the other Hargreeves, you being one of those things. Tensions are high at what should be a simple birthday party, so Five asks you to help him out. But when have you ever listened to Five?

Warnings: Fake dating, cannon typical Hargreaves chaos, fluff, s4 spoilers(!), no Five x Lila nonsense (but maybe a bit of drama...), no use of y/n, readers not a marigold baby (but could be), gramatical errors I'm sure, swearing etc.

•☆•

You met Five Hargreeves 2 years ago when you were a paper pusher for the CIA's cold case unit. He was rude, obnoxious in every sense of the word and irritatingly good at his job. Naturally you couldn't resist getting a coffee with him.

You only got strung along from there. Your first case that he dragged you into almost cost you your job and your life, but it also got you bumped up to your own undercover unit, where you spent your days bickering with the worst partner you could've dreamt of.

Two years later and you couldn't have hated him less, but you're trying to be civil.

"Hey Fiver, where'd you put those case files I asked you to sign off? - Mmph!!" Your words are muffled by a calloused hand covering your mouth. You squirm for freedom, your training kicking in. You look up briefly at your captor and physically deflate at the sight of him. You are tempted to scream and get him in trouble, but the look on his face makes you think twice.

"Not a word, or I swear-" You elbow him in the gut, not hard enough to hurt him, just hard enough to get a word in edgewise. His hand falls away in surprise.

You gasp for breath. "The hell are you doing you crazy mother-" His hand clamps over your mouth again. With his free hand, he points out into the lobby. You clock a Hispanic man with scraggly hair at reception. He seems to be talking to Sally at the front desk.

Based on your 2 years of experience with Five. You assume this is either a terrorist, or a family member. Judging by his overreaction, you guess family.

The man sighed at whatever Sally said to him and turns, walking down the hall towards the exit. Five frees you from his iron grip. You stumble away from him, turning on your heel with outrage written all over your face. "You need help."

He smirks, although he appears distracted. "Tell me something I don't know honey." You give him the finger.

"Fuck you. The hell was that about?" You snarl at him.

"Family business. Birthday party. Ugly, ugly stuff. Wouldn't want you to get involved. You might just mess up your nails." He mocks. Shuddering at the thought of his family.

"First of all, my nails are always fantastic. Secondly, don't bullshit me." Five quirks a brow at you. "You've been doing this song and dance with your mysterious 'family' since I first met you. You're just a coward in my book Fiver." You watch his jaw clench, taking satisfaction in striking a nerve.

"Oh. Okay, I see how it is partner. You want my crybaby, backstory? Well come 'n get it sister." He glares at you, waiting for you to accept the challenge. You scoff. This is ridiculous, you're well into your 20s, this whole thing is just juvenile.

"Can't we be more mature than this?" You plead, though sarcasm drips off your tongue with a lazy ease.

"One of us can't." He retorts. You roll your eyes. You've learned that when he gets like this, it's best to bow out for a few hours and wait for everything to return to normal.

"Okay. Okay. I'll get lost. But I warn you Fiver, this whole thing will only bite you in the ass one day." You shrug, making for the break room. He grabs your wrist.

"I hate that stupid nickname."

"I know you do. Honey." You taunt him. It's dangerous, but oh how it thrills you. He pulls you closer, your lips are dangerously close, but achingly far.

"You owe me, you know..." You watch the gears turn in his head as that look you know so well falls over his face. "An eye for an eye. What'dya say?" The smug smirk on his face is enough to make you want to smack him.

"How'd you figure that you fuckin' cowboy?" Your stomach swirls with hot, unadulterated hatred, and something else...

"Remember the Fortheim case?" He gambles, knowing he's already won.

"Okay! Okay... Enough said..." He leans back, satisfied.

"Atta girl." You slap him.

•☆•

And that little backstory, was how you ended up drinking apple juice at an 8 year-olds birthday party at a Lazer Tag joint downtown.

"Happy?" You ask Five, who's had you glued to his arm for the last 2 hours.

"Not a day in my life." He sighs. You shake your head, itching to snap back when you hear someone call his name.

"Five! Long time no see man." A gangly looking hipster saunters towards the two of you. You smile at him, you're not sure what it is, but you like him already. "Oooh, who's your little lady friend?"

"Girlfriend." You say.

"Date." He states. You and Five exchange glances.

Five clears his throat. "This is my brother, Klaus." Your partner straightens his tie, as though trying to blend into the wall and out of this conversation. Klaus hums in amusement, his eyes crinkling with silent mirth. The hippie extends a graceless arm towards Five, enveloping him in an iron side-hug.

"You'll forgive my brother. He's never been the social butterfly of our family." Klaus smiles, it's a stupid smile, but it makes your heart warm to the brotherly love evident in his gesture.

"I noticed." You smile at Five, who shrinks even further into the wall, if possible.

"So, Miss Five's Secret Girlfriend. Where did he find you?" Klaus inquires, almost as though he's speaking about the weather.

You laugh. "Oh some back alley somewhere. Nothing fancy."

"Klaus let me go." Five warns. Straining against his brothers grip. For a guy so skinny, he has incredible grip strength to hold onto his whirlwind of a brother.

Klaus ignores this demand. "Oh yes. Makes sense. Not that you look the alley-type sweetheart, I just know my brother." He winks at you.

You smirk in return. Thoroughly enjoying Fives suffering. "I guess you do."

Abruptly, Klaus releases Five, sending him hurtling backwards. You can barely stifle your giggles now. "Well, it's been a pleasure missy. You're too good for him by the way." Klaus struts off towards the food table, eyeing the chocolate éclairs hungrily.

"I agree." You say to Five, who's look of pure rage could topple buildings.

"I hate him." He scowls.

"Oh hush. He's great." You grab your fake boyfriend by the arm, tugging him towards a cluster of people talking behind a drink cooler, suddenly feeling all the more chatty.

"Five? I didn't think you'd come." Says a strikingly tall man with spiked blond hair. He glances at you and then at your hand clenched around Fives. The look of confusion on his face is priceless. "I- who? What -" Internally cackling at your newfound revelation, you make to reply.

"Hi, I'm Five's partner." Not entirely dishonest. You stick your hand towards him, he shakes it dumbly, lost for words.

"Five? A girlfriend? What, are we on a Prankshow?" Says the woman at his side. She eyes you suspiciously. "Sloane." She affirms. You nod with practiced ease.

Five looks about ready to kill. You decide to ease off some. "My other brother, Luther." Your partner growls. Luther smiles now, almost like he's somehow in on a very bad joke. He begins to say something, but you cut him off.

"It was nice to meet you both. Excuse me for a moment." You smile sweetly, heading for the bathrooms. You catch Fives deathstare. "Fiver." You wink. You cackle as you listen to the onslaught of questions and abuses from his family. Serves him right, dragging you all the way out here, explaining nothing and still managing to be the most cantankerous jerk you've ever met.

You duck behind a corner, taking a corridor that leads into one of the Lazer Tag rooms. You decide to wait until they cut the cake before you make your showstopping final appearance. You're feeling on top of the world until you feel a familiar hand clasp your wrist.

"When I said come to my nieces birthday party as a distraction, that was not what I meant."

You turn to face Five. "What, did you want us to make-out or something? Would that have been distracting enough?" You scoff, pulling your hand out of his. "You're such a prick Hargreaves, you know that? Dragging me out here as bait! What the hell am I even doing here? You've got a good enough relationship with your brothers. Why bother?"

He looks at down at his polished brogues, the lilac light from the strobing LEDs above making him look older, haggard even. "It's complicated."

"By all means, uncomplicate it."

"I- I had this thing with my brother's wife..."

"Jesus Five!"

He glares at you reproachfully. "Not like that dammit! He just thought... it was a godawful time in my life okay?" He sighs, like the weight of the confession was boring into his chest.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry like that, but we're partners Five. We don't trick each other for petty stuff." You smile. "If you wanted to ask me out that bad, you shouldda just asked." You tease.

He smiles wryly. "That obvious huh?"

What? "What?" You gulp, dumbfounded.

He laughs at you, this achingly amazing laugh that catches you, making your laugh echo his in a sweet bubble of silliness.

"I've got to have a word with my brother, but," He smiles nervously at you. That's a first. "Do you wanna get outta here?"

"Depends on what I have an itch for." You smile coyly.

"Coffee?"

"Coffee."

He winks at you. "You got it partner." Suddenly your face becomes hot, you look away, enjoying the new meaning in the word. You glance up again, ready for a comeback only to find Five absent. It was strange, you could've swarn he couldn't have gone anywhere without you hearing him go. It was such a tight space, with hartily creaking floors.

In your stupor, you made your way back to the main party area. Finding Five, engrossed in conversation with the Hispanic man from earlier. You make your way over to them.

"Don't sweat it man. We're cool, Lila's cool."

"Says who?" You hear a woman's English accent from behind a brightly coloured piñata. The Hispanic man rolls his eyes.

"Don't listen to her. We're all good now Five. I get it, it was seven years."

Five tenses. "Nothing happened Diego." Diego laughs.

"I forget what a prude you are sometimes man. Chill. But I get it, you're trynna impress your new chica, right?" Diego glances at you slyly. You squirm slightly. Five turns, spots you and huffs.

"Okay. Goodbye. I've had enough of this family for one afternoon. Come on you." He waves at you over his shoulder.

"What? What girl- oh!" Lila, apparently, peers around the piñata and laughs, the complete hysterical kind. "Never in my life..." She pats Five on the shoulder, uttering something you can't hear.

By now, there are 7 people surrounding you, all smirking like idiots. You find it endearing.

You decide to take matters into your own hands. You take Fives hand, drag him away from his family and towards the door, but not before planting your palms tenderly on either side of his face and pressing your lips to his. He gasps into your kiss but his hands find your waist eventually, pulling you into him.

His siblings jeer and catcall, but you get the sense he doesn't care anymore. You giggle into the kiss as you watch him give them the finger. He pulls away from you, stranding out to the parking lot.

You gaze fondly at the people in the lobby and give them the bow they deserve. "Thank you and goodnight!" You smile at the laughter that echoes after you as the doors close behind you.

You race to catch up to Five, who's already waiting to open the passenger door for you. "I like your family Fiver."

He smiles, "They like you honey."

•☆•

Here's my masterlist if you like my stuffs...

[coriphallus]

DA: The Veilguard Spoiler Review pt3 - Politiks

oh my little void in this world wide web, we are really in it now.

a little PSA before you read this word vomit, i am from westernmost middle east, and that will inform much of what i know about the topics i discuss. i wont know about race politics of america or the intricacies of it beyond what i can see online but as an immigrant i do have some perspective on western experience. so when i talk about heavy topics it will come from a foreign place. i do understand and admit that i cannot ignore that BW is a north american studio and that colours every theme they touch.

so there are two angles to approach this, 1st is to assess DAV on its own and 2nd is to assess it as a part of a whole and continuation of a franchise.

lets get 1st out of the way, its safely uncontroversial beyond taash's story. and eff-plays voiced my feeling verbatim on that subject more succinctly than anything i can possibly write.

2nd is very, very grim.

every DA game that came before had been interlaced with politics of its world so severely that its absence is disorienting. every game you were given the choice to change the political landscape of the countries youre playing in, for better or for worse. even the 2nd game with its vastly smaller scale sees hawke trying to navigate through their life as an immigrant, even at the games climax you are given a choice to drastically alter how this uprising will be remembered and it tells hawke that there are no half measures, they need to pick a side.

"Slavery or no, flesh is always for sale."

in my very first DAV playthrough i picked a shadow dragon elf, i didnt give her any backstory as i though being an elf in minrathous would shape her world view regardless.

first scene i got when organising my room rook pulls out the SHACKLES of a slave shes freed as she reminisces about how much good shes done, and puts them on her bedside. then proceeds to talk to a book and say "everybody looks down on elves but we were here first >:c"

(at this point i rerolled my character so i dont yet know how shadow dragon background plays out.)

at the very beginning of the game we see similar shackles and varric informs us that solas hates slavery, hes been freeing them.

when we make it to minrathous we learn that these people in neves circle have been freeing slaves.

alright so, the heavy handed deliveries aside, what purpose do all these scenes/expositions serve?

well, it makes these people look good. we know theres slavery in this part of thedas and these people are fighting against it not by any elaborate means but dont worry kitten <3.

[i had to look up the english for some of these terms so feel free to correct me if im wrong] patterson describes slavery as "one of the most extreme forms of the relation of domination, approaching the limits of total power from the viewpoint of the master, and of total powerlessness from the viewpoint of the slave". death of the soul, death of what makes one human -and for the purposes of this section- death in the eyes of state. slavery has such a long history that predates early modern colonization of africa by thousands of years. it is a staple of human history and where we have come from shapes what we are now. we can shun it, call it abhorrent but we cant pretend it never happened. theres always been people dead in the eyes of state.

heres the uncomfortable truth, there aint never been enough steel in the world to hold every hittite or mittani slave. to assume slavery is people getting abducted and put to irons is as naïve as human trafficking being a rando ruffying you and hauling you across the sea in a crate. yea, it could happen but 99% of the time its just a waste of time to physically hold someone against their will by force. and this idea makes us think its this far off thing that happened thousands of years ago by bad individuals doing very comically bad things, which is a very deliberate choice, because to depict period accurate slavery would be to portray social and economical classes, and that would be confronting how little we've changed in certain aspects.

people were born into that caste, shaped by it, worn down by it, and abused by it systematically.

in DAI Dorian says something -apparently- very controversial that i dont think this fandom has fully unpacked, and i aint gonna do that here either because im not remotely qualified. he likens the working class of south to slavery of north, theres no way to engage with this argument in any meaningful way, even as an elf, and in general people brush it off as dorians pro-slavery rhetorics.

try as DAV might to disregard, we actually did meet an ex-slave and trafficking victims on three separate occasions, and the games have set a premise already. we got to talk about their unique circumstances, and they were handled with some measure of dept. maybe you liked them, maybe you didnt, but you knew them and that makes a difference. they had agency in their own stories. a far cry from DAVs nameless faceless props for righteous gentiles to circle jerk about.

but, sure, lets tell ourselves showing them would be too gratuitous.

can you imagine how batshit insane it would look if zevran kept the belt her husband used to beat isabela with as a trinket, to display in his tent? that scene with rook disturbed me more than most anything in this entire franchise and coming from an anders supporter, thats saying something.

this is how little the writers were willing to engage with their source material. this is how little they are willing to engage with the world around them.

which makes the next blunder inevitable.

alot has been said about the absurdity of elves feeling responsible for the events of DAV, but maybe this hasnt been said enough; this is a blatant fascist rhetoric.

i will spell it out though, even though i never thought it needed to be said, the social performance of accountability indicates that the party who has done harm has benefited and continues to benefit from that harm, this is why reparations are paid, and thats what "check your priviledge" means. elves in DA have never benefited in any way from the warmongering of evanuris, they were enslaved by them.

to say that these people should feel some sort of responsibility towards what befell dwarves is a fascist rhetoric used irl to offload responsibility and divide and alienate the opposition further from eachother.

i cant tell you if this mouth piece is same everywhere but i know a few people who have clocked it immediately so im gonna assume it was obvious. and truthfully, i wouldnt even be annoyed if i thought it was intentional. genuinely, one of my favourite games is an unapologetic military propaganda whos protagonist would make ayn rand write sonnets about, and the game knows what it is. but no, i fully believe the studio tried to address the criticism they got about their lackluster handling of elves and either completely misunderstood or willfully disregarded the experiences of marginalised peoples that the games drew inspiration from.

the writing is so hollow beyond horrible dialogue that when writing an enby character whos also multicultural they didnt even notice the parallel theyve created. i know this because after an entire plotline about their struggle with binaries their story concludes with a binary decision on their culture. this just confirms to me that any dept this game has is completely accidental.

imma level with yall i dont subscribe to the belief that you need to have some type of experiences to write some type of characters and i find that "ofc a white person wrote it so..." response very tired because yea we should be allowed to expect more from white people. i too had OCs of different cultures that i wasnt very familiar with and handled poorly, but unlike me, a company can afford a consultant.

i played greedfall recently, and sure the maori tattoos were a shit decision, and im disappointed that after all the criticism they still stuck with it, and yes maybe its story was not sensitive enough but you know what? as the person whos recommended it to me said, i rather have a story who boldly engages with its own themes than one whos terrified of them. say what you will about its shortcomings but at least at the end of that game you can have an ending where the colonizers leave for good, and yes their plague is not healed but the narrative doesnt punish the natives for their isolationism. i am glad that the game allows that catharsis to its players.

DAV could have had 300 well thought-out endings and still not please everyone, but the endings they chose to include directly implicates the group theyre trying to appease and its literally just people who either want to punch or kiss solas, thats how fucking deep they think their fanbase it. not the people who wanted to end slavery, or achieve equilibrium with beings no matter how alien they are. or people who wanted to see a culture connect with its roots etc etc.

and maybe they were right, many people have been enjoying this game immensely and i am just, so fucking jealous. i wish i liked this game and enjoyed it and didnt want to tear out my hair every second i spent in treviso. i wish i wasnt seething white knuckling my sink like an insane person when a little kid wrote to crow rook that hes recruiting orphans now. i wish i had any belief in this game to read that as satire.

at least i wish i felt any form of vindication when i immediately realised this game was going to be a soulless cashgrab that unashamedly uses the name of a popular IP to push a sub-par product earlier this year, i just spend 80+ hours watching a company parade the carcass of a franchise i loved and beat it like a pinata as it continuously slapped me on the face with a botched wax figure of it.

i just feel this profound sense of sadness. i wish this game didnt exist. and no i dont feel any kind of brand loyalty, even when i actively enjoyed their work i didnt but i definitely dont now, not after 3 consecutive games that theyve delivered with more or less the same problems. as the company is today, i dont care whether bw survives or not, its been made clear time and again that the bw i liked is long gone and bw today is clearly not interested in making games for me.

even as i write this i dont feel fuelled by my anger for DAV but by the love a have for what came before. i still think the story deserved better, the fans deserved better, the people who contributed into making DA universe what it was before DAV deserved better. and, as rook told harding, our anger is justified.

but, hey. hair looks really good.

[yunarim]

hello! If you can, can you write a head cannon(others are fine) with the femperfect who had an ability to neutralize magic with a simple physical contact? Like the magic will automatically disappear once it makes contact with her so she often wears gloves, and I would like to see the overblots reaction(if you can't do all you can just do malleus ^^) thank you!

yuu can neutralize the use of any kind of magic with a touch.

… ✦ characters : overblot squad … ✦ tags : female reader, books 1-7 major spoilers, hurt/comfort, cursing in leona's and vil's parts, mention of blood in leona's part, jp translation terms (dorm leader, VDC), can be read platonically in all of parts except for vil, idia & esp malleus ones (i imply romantic way tho), me experimenting with the format or something … ✦ song : monochrome frame ⏤ kanon wakeshima … ✦ recommended : light mode [ … ✦ ao3 ]

… ✦ Riddle Rosehearts ┆touching . . . neck ⏤ ✧ Her wearing gloves wasn’t exceptional. They all were, and since Yuu didn’t have her specifically designed dorm uniform, indeed, it was quite common for her to wear gloves. 

⏤ ✧ Riddle would often find her look around before washing hands and taking off her gloves.

⏤ ✧ One day he realized he waited for her to do that and observe if she hid something underneath this accessory item but ended up dispelling his own doubts - her hands were just beautiful. 

“Oh, do you eat this with your hands?” She asked at an unbirthday party, glancing at a pink cupcake on the plate before her. 

“Yes, as a rule. If you’re worrying about getting messy, do not fret. The cupcake doesn't crumble, and Trey made sure the cream isn’t too greasy and doesn’t stick to the fingers.”

Yuu smiled, taking off her gloves and wrapping her fingers around a small cupcake. 

“Woah, such a nice taste! Tell Trey he did well.”

Still, he wondered, what was the mystery shrouded in darkness of her gloves. 

⏤ ✧ Yuu was gentle in her actions, she never judged, smiling tenderly and telling him to take his time and not to rush things. 

⏤ ✧ Unlike a certain duo getting on his nerves.

⏤ ✧ Never in his life felt he so powerful, so authoritative, so… valid. 

⏤ ✧ Something underneath was telling him it wasn’t right to throw insults at her and just… yell like he was a little child, not knowing how to handle his own emotions.

⏤ ✧ Yet maybe he was, calling her insolent and foolish. 

⏤ ✧ She was just a magicless human! Why rush to him, tearing her gloves off her hands and screaming something with such an obstinate gaze fixed on him?

“My goodness, Riddle, come to your senses!”

⏤ ✧ Her touch felt so ephemeral and light on his deadly cold skin, and even though his almost devilishly malevolent grin didn’t scare her, Yuu still bit her lip after Riddle’s phrenetic laughter. 

⏤ ✧ A sudden flash of light made him switch his attention to what happened to him just in a mere second. 

The overflowing power that pounded in his vessels with a burning seething abruptly left him in an instant, devastating his mind and body.

He collapsed, exhausted, to the ground, barely finding the strength to raise a pair of bulging eyes to her and exhale brokenly.

“What did you?.. Huh…”

⏤ ✧ He was at loss for words, not even caring about Trey’s concerns at the moment. 

⏤ ✧ Light flickered on where she touched him, and he welcomed the sensation without realizing it.

“You… you do have magic after all?”

⏤ ✧ One little gentle touch, and all of his enormous powers are gone. So simple yet devastating.

“I would call magic not the fact I neutralized you, but rather…”

She embraced him, welcoming into her tender hug and encouraging him to let all his negative emotions free, and he laughed, hiding his teary eyes in her shoulder.

Maybe she was right, and this was her real magic.

… ✦ Leona Kingscholar ┆touching . . . shoulders ⏤ ✧ He wasn’t surprised that Heartslabyul little tyrant or what do they call him even was defeated with the help of Ramshackle dorm girl.

⏤ ✧ Women are strong. And that’s a rule.

⏤ ✧ But one look at Prefect’s hands got him thinking that maybe she was strong another way. Such hands couldn’t bring harm to anyone, he was sure of it.

⏤ ✧ Her rather adamant gaze on him was such an entertaining sight to witness. 

Leona chuckled when she stepped on his tail. She did apologize for her behavior, of course, but he knew from the very beginning that she wasn’t entirely regretting her actions.  

“I’m really sorry,” her voice was firm, steady and solid enough for him to fix his gaze on her a little longer than he thought he would.

“You aren’t, Prefect.”

“Do I know you?” 

She didn’t. Yet he knew her after what happened, his eyes locked on her hands in an examining way. 

⏤ ✧ A little thought of asking Riddle what the hell is wrong with her hands since no trace of magic was found on her. ⏤ ✧ She was just a normal girl minding her business, and it was supposed to be this way.

⏤ ✧ He wasn’t against her planting flowers when he was around since she remained quiet, her head full of worry because of those little accidents he sabotaged with Ruggie’s help. 

He did know he should stay away from her hands. 

Especially in that state when his own looked so rough, long pointed claws clenching in fists and digging into the palms, scarlet blood mixed with viscous ink trickled down his hands.

⏤ ✧ Such a reckless human being, knowing nothing about his disappointment, rushed to him without any doubt. What a joke. 

⏤ ✧ Even hyenas turned against him, and would she even make any difference? Of course not…

⏤ ✧ He was trying to convince himself he stopped for a mere moment because she was a magicless woman. 

And yet somehow she almost grabbed his hand, claiming he was being unreasonable and unstable and some other pathetic bullshit.

He brushed off her hand, knowing it would do something to him. Something he realized he wasn’t so opposed to accepting when she yelled out his name, this time putting both her hands on his shoulders.

“Do this shit once more and you’ll fucking witness my real wrath, Leona, now calm down!!”

He fell into her embrace, her hands still on his shoulders but not gripping them firmly. She sighed in relief, gently stroking his hair, and smiled.

Shit, Leona thought, laughing to himself and almost craving her warm touch, grabbing her hand and squeezing it, while dust accumulated in a sedimenting cloud was dissolving around them, so no one could really see him being suddenly vulnerable.

She was dangerous. And maybe he liked it.

… ✦ Azul Ashengrotto ┆touching . . . cheeks ⏤ ✧ How curious! A supposed-to-be-magicless human performing miracles with just a little touch! 

⏤ ✧ He thought of depriving her of Ramshackle dormitory first, but now, after she bewitched Riddle and even Leona? No, he couldn’t miss such an opportunity to take her powers. 

⏤ ✧ He could have everything one might dream of in at the snap of a finger, and a siren’s voice, a ballerina’s gracefulness, a mind of greatest’ scientists ⏤ one harmless contract, and a wish could be granted. 

⏤ ✧ And yet Yuu. Girl from another dimension with that always gloved hands of hers. She was such an interesting person to observe. 

He gathered information, oh sure he did, he already had two opponents down thanks to her, and he couldn’t afford being another one himself.

“How about your neutralizing powers?”

“Ha, you wish, mind dealing with overblots then?” 

Oh, Yuu was amusing, indeed, but Azul just knew he would deprive her of her ability one day. Sooner or later. 

⏤ ✧ Despite rejecting his offer and agreeing to do an extremely ridiculous task instead of having her ability deprived, he would still find her in Mostro Lounge, her fingers on the glass full of drink he personally made, her lips gently pressing to its corners. 

⏤ ✧ A tender smile spreading on her face was quite distracting, which Azul wouldn’t ever admit, his gaze fixed on her delicate hands. 

⏤ ✧ She was captivating and it was scaring him. 

Ah, really, foolish humans, knowing about his past and making fun of his own intelligence. 

He was working so hard, but one magicless girl suddenly got all the attention and appreciation he always wanted just because she could neutralize magic with a touch?

Azul thought he hated her at the moment ink was splashing everywhere, drops of tar scattered in splatterings, falling on her clothes as well as her hands, ungloved this time.

Mind dealing with overblots… right? 

Part of him wished she would just touch him and they would be over it, but still he hesitated when she approached carefully, no signs of fear in her eyes. She was truly magnificent. 

“Let me handle this responsibility, Azul,” she said, pressing her fingers to his cheek and caressing it. A flash of light turned him back to normal state, the only difference was him crying and leaning to her touch, as if starved for it. “And you please remain the way you are.”

And he will.

… ✦ Jamil Viper ┆touching . . . hands

⏤ ✧ That Ramshackle dorm girl having an ability to neutralize others’ magic with just a one touch has become an axioma by now. 

⏤ ✧ Having any problem with the amount of magic used? Or maybe overused? Then no need to worry, NRC now had Yuu to handle all that.

⏤ ✧ He couldn’t care less about her, but still found himself thinking he felt sorry for her. He didn’t wonder how it felt to be the one everyone relies on when it’s hard, but other times forgot you exist. He knew it by heart.

… Huh. Or maybe not?

“You should give yourself more credit, you’re doing excellent. Always remember it,” she said to him one day, her fingers clasping around his wrist reassuringly.

An electrical impulse ran down his whole hand, a sudden warmth spreading in his vessels.

He chuckled, a small knife cut didn’t bother him at all. Why would she say it so unexpectedly thoughtfully to him when she stayed in Scarabia? 

Everything in his plan was perfect, and yet her words distracted him for a moment. He was too preoccupied with his own feelings and conflicted emotions to handle her… care?

⏤ ✧ No way. It was not her ability he secretly admired for being so helpful. It was her shrewdness and the way she saw people through. 

⏤ ✧ Did she feel he was about to do something malicious and not so praise worthy? Otherwise why would she say such things to him? 

⏤ ✧ There was no way she genuinely cared for his well-being.

He couldn’t remember when was the last time his emotions were so tangled and complicated so that he couldn’t sort them out. Snakes aimed right at her hands she was reaching to him weren’t scary, and even the way he smirked when her attempt to touch him failed didn’t cause her to stop. 

A small part of him wanted her words to be true but he knew all the things she said were a mere mendacity to fool him. 

“You’re not someone else’s shadow, Jamil.”

He pushed her hard enough for her to fall on her knees before him. His anger spread in the ink splashing everywhere, but she remained her gaze fixed on him nevertheless.

He thought that maybe… maybe it was worthy to believe her.

He chuckled when he outstretched his hand to be shaken himself, and Yuu smiled at him, taking his hand in her.

… ✦ Vil Schoenheit ┆touching . . . eyelids

⏤ ✧ Good for Yuu she still managed to control her own psyche by dealing with so many splashes of demolished emotions in such a short amount of time.

⏤ ✧ Still, Ramshackle Prefect was complicated to him. Vil genuinely thought there was something wrong with his sudden desire to take care of her.

⏤ ✧ She was close to being perfect by now, despite having those horrible eye bags appeared because of sleepless nights she took helping Azul with arranging new drinks in the menu and all the times Vil caught her excusing herself during their VDC rehearsals in order to check on Leona or Riddle or whoever she kept an eye on after overblotting.

Yuu was wonderful, truly. But instead of appreciating herself she preferred to praise everyone else.

And Vil wasn’t an exception.

“You’re a lifesaver,” she giggled when he bent towards her face to apply a concealer. “A true hero, really.”

Hero?.. He? Ah, Prefect, what were you saying? 

He sighed, taking her hands in his and asking whether he could take off her gloves or not as she nodded, allowing him to apply a hand cream on her skin. What a pleasant feeling…

“Even if you’re a manager, you’re still our representative. No way you would show up on stage with these eye bags of yours. And what did I tell you about having some sleep before VDC? You really…”

She smiled, saying something about having a bad feeling before going to sleep. How truly discerning she was at that very moment. 

⏤ ✧ He couldn’t be a hero, at least her hero, when he chuckled so maliciously at her attempt to reach for him. Now no one could, he was fairest of them all, outshining especially her.  

⏤ ✧ He applied a curse on her which restrained her from touching him ever so slightly, and that would be it until he willingly allowed it. He believed in his strong volition, but still…

“Every hero has their moment when they have a whole world turned against them, Vil,” she said demandingly, almost choking on the dark fog coming off from Vil’s body. “And since when do you act as if you’re such a mediocre character! Where’s Vil who would step on everyone and slay as a fucking queen you really are!!”

He laughed genuinely at her wording, not noticing her getting up from her knees after being blown away with the magic wave he created, and pulled him closer by a translucent veil, pressing a gentle kiss on his eyelids.

“I would prefer cheek instead, thank you,” he chuckled, light sparklets surrounding him. “You ruined my makeup.”

“You also ruined a whole stage, but okay.”

… ✦ Idia Shroud ┆touching . . . forehead

⏤ ✧ The one who Idia wanted to avoid the most was none other than Ramshackle Prefect.

⏤ ✧ All eyes were on her by now, and that meant he would rather die than talk to her.

⏤ ✧ If not only the whole STYX demanded him to get in touch with her in order to get the data regarding her ability, gather info on how her powers work, otherwise she would be taken by force and…

⏤ ✧ He DIDN’T want all of those at all!! She already swept every SSR character off their feet already, and now interacting with him? What the hell!

⏤ ✧ Ugh, not him actually spotting her trying to beat the boss in a PSP game. Where in the world did she find a working PSP even? 

⏤ ✧ Her fingers were clicking furiously on the buttons… those were the hands that dealt with five overblots? Unbelievable.

⏤ ✧ Unbelievably pretty⏤ WHAAH he didn’t want to even think about her that way what the!!

⏤ ✧ Idia was avoiding her like the plague. Even after all things happening at STYX he still preferred to listen to others’ complaints and oh whatsoever important rather than facing her, but his responsibilities came first above everything.

And when he thought it would be hard to convince her to do some tests in order to analyze the data received from them she willingly agreed, smiling at him like it was nothing.

“Okay, but help me with beating that boss later,” she sighed, rubbing her temples with her fingers. Idia wondered whether her ability was helping her herself. “I’m going crazy right here.”

“U-ugh, f-fine… It’s not even t-that hard tho…”

“It is!” She protested, turning to him and witnessing pinkish hue flaming on his hair. “It’s just you’re too good. I admire you for that.”

⏤ ✧ Nononono he wouldn’t fall into that trap, he already heard enough about her being so unnecessarily nice!!

⏤ ✧ Shit. He fell, and fell hard.

Why would deny her touch when he would make her try doing it at least? He had cool armor, he was floating midair. She couldn’t even hear him properly when Vil appeared before her, covering her with his back and demanding her stay behind. 

It was normal for him to behave that way. Covering himself in a darkness where nobody could reach for him, and yet Yuu could somehow. He jolted for a second when she yelled at him, telling Vil to step aside. 

She still couldn’t touch him. He wanted to believe that no one could, but somehow the image of her fingers clicking on a game console popped up in his mind, causing his heart to skip a beat shamelessly. He was so pathetic and⏤

“I thought you would help me beat the boss, Idia, not me helping you beat the shit out of yourself!!” 

She was insane for asking Epel to take the chariot and fly over to him, then leaning towards him and trying to touch him. She grabbed his armor, hissing under her breaths while he wasn’t getting her actions at all, trying to cover himself from her. From the rest of the world.

“Fine then! If you’re the final boss I should beat, then so be it!”

No, why was her face being so close to his, that’s bad!! 

His mind blew completely after Yuu pressed her lips to his bare forehead and threw him onto the chariot.

“Did I manage? Will you help me now then? Hehe.”

“Sh-shut up!!”

“Make me.”

Note: never ever piss Yuu off again. (Well maybe just a little because she was so hot ahem⏤)

… ✦ Malleus Draconia ┆touching . . . lips

⏤ ✧ Yuu was a rather peculiar child of man. Wielding no magic powers, and yet Malleus felt something in her from the very beginning. 

⏤ ✧ First he observed her when she was busy renovating the Ramshackle garden, she seemed so peaceful and collected, humming something under her breath.

⏤ ✧ He would bring her flowers every night without her noticing only to find her bringing blankets and a container with a hot tea in it and spending a whole night waiting for something… or rather someone to come.

⏤ ✧ “A stranger who brings me bouquets every night, please let me know you’re here. It’s quite cold outside.” She said one night, her gaze fixed on green sparkletts floating around her. 

⏤ ✧ Next day he appeared before her, placing a flower crown he made on her head. Small gypsophila flowers intertwined with scarlet zinnias, decorating her delicate image.

⏤ ✧ “Ah really, why would you appear only now. With such a pleasant gesture even! Wait for a moment then.”

She gathered some flowers she had grown by herself, then took her gloves off and did another flower crown for him personally. Something fluttered in his chest the moment she touched his horns, smiling softly, and laughed with her clear sweet voice, recoiling after decorating his head with a flower crown.

His heart was pounding in his chest, his whole body shuddered at her touch, and in that moment he knew he was close to making a deal with the devil so that the lingering feeling of her fingers would never leave him.

“Would you mind teaching me how to make those? I guess I’m pretty bad…”

He chuckled, admitting he never felt something so pleasant and light before, as if her whole body was radiating something celestial, her hands feeling absolutely pristine and divine.

⏤ ✧ Every night they met she would tell him stories about what happened to her. So many students overblotting, and yet… The way she stuttered for a moment every time she mentioned overblots was confusing to him as if she wasn’t telling something really important. 

⏤ ✧ He wanted to trust her nevertheless. She was tender in the way she looked at him, glimpses of happiness blossoming in her eyes every time he appeared in the garden, welcoming her gently. 

⏤ ✧ He craved her touch, the image of her putting a flower crown on his head still lingered in his mind, never fading nor dissolving, remaining the most precious memory of her.

“You never fail to impress me, child of man,” he said once during VDC right after Vil overblotted and he arrived.

“How come, Tsunotarou?” he laughed at how astonished others were at you calling him by that silly nickname. 

“Witnessing you have no fear towards me is truly a blessing.”

She smiled at him then, her cheeks slightly dusted with a beautiful pinkish hue. 

“Having you as my dearest friend is a blessing too!”

⏤ ✧ Friend…?

⏤ ✧ Right, friend. And what friends are needed for? 

⏤ ✧ Apparently, Malleus thought Yuu would be delighted to see him putting everyone in a sleeping state. If he can’t be someone even dearer to her, then he would be her most devoted guardian.

⏤ ✧ She resembled a fairy, telling him about her tremendous adventures, so it would be natural for him to tell her a fairy tale in return.

“Do not resist the temptation, child of man.”

His voice, so alluring and somnolent, enveloped her, her eyelids feeling leaden. He was standing right in front of her, looking at how her body trembled under his enticing enchantment. He knew by now he shouldn’t touch her, even though her eyes told him otherwise, begging to lean to her.

“Although it would be interesting to fall under your spell and feel that divine feeling, please allow me to grant you with a happy ending you truly deserve.”

“You… never asked me… what kind of ending I truly want…” Her voice was fading, and she could barely stand at that moment, but Malleus knew.

If she takes one step closer, that would be the end for him. 

So she did, thorns enveloping her, but she managed to grab Malleus by his clothes somehow, her face being extremely close to his, his astonished gaze fixed on her, blurry and sorrowful.

“Perhaps a true love kiss would wake you up from this dream, Malleus.”

She pressed her lips to his, tenderly whispering those words and smiling through the kiss when a bright light surrounded them. 

Malleus picked up her exhausted body, oblivious to the dissipation of his own magic, and looked at her worriedly, ignoring the slowly awakening students.

“Ugh… don’t underestimate me. You still haven’t taught me how to make pretty flower crowns.”

And she was right. “Indeed. That’s the least I can do for showing me the ending I truly do adore.”

⏤ ☆ notes : omg thx for requesting!! i got carried away in malleus part (a little bit.... kinda... forgive me for that) but still i hope you like it! ~

⏤ ☆ tag list : @isacoremeow

© yushiiae 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝. 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐲, 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

[gunkbaby]

Tokyo Ghoul re-read:

Hello everypony. i have thrown around the idea of a Tokyo Ghoul re-read event of late, and a lot of people seem interested. I have come to some ideas for it, and wanted to inform everyone as I begin to sort it. If u have any ideas for the re-read, or might be interested in being a mod, pls dm me !

Im thinking basic idea of the re-read is kind of like a book club - a set chapter number per week, then the rest of the week is discussion. The chapter number i was setting was going to be about 1 volume per week - with adjusted numbers for slower and faster readers. (For example, know I can easily do a few day, but i read manga fast, but other people might only have time for 10 chapters a week, etc)

Also want to state the re-read would be open for literally everyone! Bc lots of ppl have expressed interest, but are already deep into personal re-reads - however you can absolutely still participate in the re-read and discussion (especially) if you are reading at a later point in the manga!!!!! i also know a few ppl who haven’t read TG before/anime onlys, who might like to join in too, and that’s absolutely fine too! There would be a spoiler free chat(s) too for newer readers specifically for this - and ppl can invite whoever they want to the read as well.

Pls give any suggestions or ideas! I’d luv to hear them.

The boring bits (where the read is held, estimate of when, etc) r all under here:

I’m thinking to do it on Discord, with weekly discussion threads/posts on twitter and tumblr - i believe you can create communities and public groups on both apps, so I would aim to make them also, if enough ppl were interested. There’s also the option for Instagram group chats - a WhatsApp group? Idk - if u have any suggestions, pls lmk. I don’t rly do group chats often.

As for when the re-read will start - i don’t yet know. I’m going back to school next month, as many are, and I’m just a busy little bee with a lot of interests and hobbies, so i would like to get into my routine first and ensure that i have time to dedicate to the re-read - or to gage how much help i might need with it. I think I might aim to start it in October personally - ideally on the first, but ik a lot of people do things during October (I’m literally considering writing for kinktober lmao) so it might be that later than that is a bit better - maybe trying to time it to start with a sort of school break time period. Maybe by the end of September I’ll be like ‘oh this is way easy, i have so much time for it’, but im adhd and bad at time planning, so i doubt it lmao.

I’m sorry if that’s too long a wait - y’all can start re-reads in the meantime idgaf. I just don’t want to start the re-read and realise two weeks in that i literally don’t have time. Lmao.

I also would ideally want a few mods/helpers on hand with the read. If only to help take care of the discord/chats, host separate discussions, etc - please lmk if you are interested. In particular, people with voice chat mod experience - i have no experience there so am desperate.

Pls lmk if u r interested in any of this - am i just talking to a wall? Idk! Tell meeee! Any suggestions or ideas r also greatly appreciated. I am hosting my own little re-read here but obviously this idea is not unique, I’m trying to see if enough people are interested in a group re-read with added discussion. It’s just some fun ofc.

[dotster001]

Hidden Desires Chapter Five

Summary: Jamil x gn! Reader. Now that you're at the Isle of Woe, your relationship with Jamil might be tested. Not that you even realize it.

CW: major spoilers for book six!!!!!!!!, not really transitions, just cuts from place to place, ideally imagine the events of book six occurring concurrently with this

Chapters: Prologue One Two Three Four Six

"Test two ready. Commencing Dive!"

Jamil heard Ortho's voice distantly in the headset, as the scene in the vr changed again. The first test him and Leona had faced was incredibly easy. If this was how all the tests would run, he had no doubt that himself and the other overblotters would finish and be released well before the twenty four hours they'd been contracted for were up.

As the scene finally settled, he looked around in confusion.

"We're in the greenhouse," Jamil muttered.

"Hmph," was all he got from Leona.

"Ayo! Leona! Where the hell have ya been!" 

"Ruggie?" Jamil breathed. 

"Jamil! You scared me! I'm so happy you're okay!" 

"Kalim," his eye twitched a bit, but he calmed his tension quickly. "Sorry Kalim. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Whatever, Leona if you don't get that potions essay in by the end of the day, Crewel 's gonna have my head on a platter," Ruggie said with a pout.

"Oh, I get it," Leona began, but was cut off by a new voice. 

"Jamil! Where did you go?" 

Your voice. And not long after, you. He felt all the tension ease from his shoulders as you walked towards him. Only for you to place your arm in Kalim's. Then press a kiss to his cheek.

"We should have a party to celebrate, right love?" You said sweetly.

Jamil was about to release a slew of curses, when the air filled with sand.

"Snap out of it, Viper. They're using our memories to create a scene that will upset us," Leona snapped.

Jamil's face split into a grin, "So if we don't get upset, we can calmly fight them."

"Correct. Prepare yourselves!"

….

"And what is the Ramshackle perfect doing here. That I don't understand," Idia said with a frown. He had just apprehended yourself, Epel, and Rook.

You should lie. You should say you were just here to drop off Vil's skincare routine. But you couldn't lie. Not when you were so close.

"I'm here for Grim and my boyfriend," you snapped. 

Idia rolled his eyes. "Sevens, of course you are. Normies are so predictable, allowing emotions to take over their senses."

"Wouldn't you be devastated if your boyfriend and your only family were both stolen from you in the same breath!" You shouted, meanwhile feeling Epel's hand slip into yours, and give it a reassuring squeeze.

Idia stared at Ortho for a moment. "I'll give you the family thing, but Jamil? C'mon! He's a guy!"

"Sounds like you speak from experience," Epel snickered, before getting fixed with a glare.

"Look, I already told you, less than twenty four hours from now, they're free to go, all of them. Then you can live your basic romantic lives, or whatever, and leave me alone."

"Fine," you hissed.

"Good. Ortho's going to escort you all to a room you can stay in, and have you sign some paperwork."

You held back any further retorts as Idia entered his chariot and flew away, leaving you and your rescue crew alone.

….

You really wish the world wasn't ending. It would have been far more relieving to have teamed up with the kidnapped overblotters. But Grim was still missing. And the world was indeed ending.

And now you were splitting up again to find Idia in Tartarus. In an unexpected way.

"Roi du poison, Epel, and I should be in one team, since we have spent the most time together, and thus will work the most seamlessly. And Y/N should come with us because we can protect them the most."

You wanted to go with Jamil. If you all failed, and the world got flooded in blot, you wanted to be by Jamil's side. To give the man you loved a last farewell. 

"A brilliant idea! I trust you three to protect our savior better than any of us!" Azul said with a bow.

You looked at Jamil, and noticed his clenched jaw, but the rest of the group was nodding in agreement, and he rolled his eyes.

"Sorry," he mouthed, and you gave him a tired smile.

"Then how should the rest of the groups split?"

In moments, the groups were split, and you were preparing to make your way into Tartarus. You turned to say something, anything, to Jamil, but Rook threaded his arm through yours, and dragged you off.

….

"May I give you each a hug and a kiss?"

You and Epel stared at Vil. But Rook excitedly spoke up for the both of you.

"Oui! It would be a wonderful way to experience your gratitude!"

Vil smiled softly and hugged you, pressing a kiss to your cheek. He moved to Epel and did the same thing.

Then he stood before Rook. He slipped his hands into his. Then leaned in and passionately kissed his lips.

Rook froze, before reciprocating, and both you and Epel couldn't look away, as much as you longed to. It was when Vil began to lace his fingers in Rook's hair that Epel gave a not so subtle cough.

Vil pushed Rook away, despite being the one who started it, then gave his own cough.

"Shall we proceed?" Before anyone else could respond, he began his descent down the stairs, Rook trailing him like a lovesick puppy as you and Epel giggled behind him.

….

"I can't help but wonder, snake. For someone who always thinks so little of everyone else, and who lacks charisma, how did you get Y/N?"

Jamil had thought Leona was going to take another nap while they waited for the spear to recharge. After already being sliced into, and forced to reflect on his entire life view, he was not sure he wanted to start this conversation.

"Maybe  I have some charisma after all," he said with a smirk.

Leona gave him an unimpressed hmph.

"I don't know. Perhaps I proved to Y/N during Vil's overblot that I can protect them."

"Y/N doesn't need protection. Just cause they don't have magic, doesn't make them weak. They're the school beast tamer for a reason."

"That's just something Crowley calls them."

"Ha ha ha!" Leona let out a booming laugh. "Maybe, but I've known Y/N longer than you, as much as I'm sure you hate that. But the beast tamer title is legit. Hell, if you haven't noticed any of the changes we've all gone through, it just makes my question all the more valid!"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you sound jealous, housewarden," Jamil snickered.

"And what if I am? You're dating them, you know what they're like, can you really blame me?"

He bit his lip, and Leona snickered again. "I've been here before you, and I'll be here after."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jamil muttered.

"It means you don't seem to be taking to the beast taming, and Y/N will realize you haven't grown at all from the slimy snake who tried to kill them."

"Sevens, you sound like Azul," Jamil groaned.

"Is the octopus after Y/N too?" 

"No he just…he's overprotective."

"Fair. Rather not fight him if I don't have to, so that's good to know."

Jamil was prepared to offer up a retort, but was met with a soft snore.

"Unbelievable," he groaned.

Logically, he knew there was a chance that some of the overblot crew, who sat with you at lunch every single day even if they had to share a chair, would be into you.

But Leona?

He thought back to when you watched the stars together in the Scarabia dorm. But when he looked at the memory now, he saw Leona. Leona who was kissing you roughly, like a predator who caught his prey. Leona, who laid you down against the carpet. Leona, who pinned one of your wrists above your head, while your other hand slipped into his hair. Leona who released a low growl as he deepened the kiss.

"Fuck!" Jamil shouted, standing up from his seat and pacing angrily.

He should be happy. He should be happy there was someone who'd pick up the pieces if he had to leave you for something or someone else. He knew it might have to go there someday; once he'd rebuilt his reputation, which he was nearly done with, he'd have to take whatever was the next step to building his power, both at school and in life.

But he couldn't be happy.

And that was terrifying.

The world  could end in moments if they failed, and all he could think about was how Rook had pulled you away before he could say goodbye. His reputation and future be damned, all he wanted right now was to hold you.

This was terrifying.

Leona was wrong. Your beast taming had affected him. Even if you didn't mean to be taming him, you had done it successfully anyway.

Sevens.

Why did he have to love you?

….

Idia had overblotted sort of. Riddle's hair has turned white. Vil had aged. You'd gotten Grim back. And now you were about to go home.

But first…

"Hey, Idia?" He looked at you startled, his eyes wide.

"I just want to say, when you come back, if you need someone to talk to about…all of this, I'm always there to listen. You don't have to suffer alone."

Idia slowly nodded, and you turned to climb into the aircraft. Jamil was staring at you, eyes blank, and you gave him a reassuring smile. He extended a hand, and you took it, using all your strength to pull him into a hug.

"I'm so happy you're okay," you whispered, feeling safe in his arms as he tightened the hug.

"C'mon lovebirds, let's go," Leona said with a laugh.

You giggled and pulled Jamil with you into the aircraft. The trip felt like it would be a silent one.Then Vil started sobbing.

"Roi du poison!"

"Don't look at me Rook! I'm old, and rotting away!"

"Roi du poison-"

"I've been robbed of my youth and middle ages!"

"What happened to your speech from before?" Azul asked, clear amusement in his voice.

"I was trying to keep control of the situation!" Vil shrieked, but was stopped when Rook cupped his cheeks.

"I love you! And I will always find you beautiful! If you were a worm, I would still find you beautiful!" Rook cried.

Vil sniffled, then leaned in and kissed Rook. The kiss continued for a little too long, and everyone looked away.

"Unrequited love, huh?" You snickered.

You could have sworn you felt Rook kick your seat between kisses.

….

Jamil watched as you and the rest of the group gamed together. In particular, he was watching Idia. Idia who slowly moved himself closer and closer to you. Idia who genuinely smiled when you spoke to him. Idia who ignored his own controller so that he could help you play.

"Beast tamer, huh?" Jamil muttered to himself.

One day under your light, and Idia was already growing as a person. Jamil didn't feel any different. At least not where it mattered. Yes, he loved you. He loves you more than anything.

But was that enough for him to deserve you?

....

Tag list-@shytastemakerthing @leonia0 @mizucika @somany-fandoms-solittle-time @kurenix @starshiningsirius @pikeru565 @da-disappointment @dearhyacinths @carpediem1219 @ravenkake @savanaclaw1996 @felinegrate

[jokertrap-ran]

Disney’s Twisted Wonderland: Magic Assault Practice Dire Crowley SSR 【Raven Jacket】 Chapter 3

“Greetings. Allow me to teach you the secrets of magic in this school.” *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut*

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Album Lines

⊱ ──── Main Street ──── ⊰

Crowley: Now then, what should I do this afternoon? Classes are in session, so the teachers are out of the picture… Should I go to Sam-kun’s place to kill some time, or…

???: What are ya’ frettin’ about? Don’t fret about the details!

Crowley: Hm? That sounds like…

Grim: I’m telling you, no one’s gonna notice if you skip a class or two. C’mon, let’s take an afternoon nap. Nyahaha!

⊳ Choice: Let’s go back to the classroom ⊳ Choice: Yeah, they might not notice…

Crowley: It’s Grim-kun alright…

Crowley: You two might be the only ones here, but I can’t believe that there are people who’d play truant in my school! Truly outrageous behavior!

Savannaclaw Student: Hey, that bench is ours. Move.

Grim: Whaaat!? We found this nice sunny spot first!

Crowley: Wait, there’s more of them!!!

Crowley: Not only are there an increasing number of people playing truant, but a fight’s also about to break out! Just what has the discipline in this school gone to…

Crowley: ALL OF YOU THERE! AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE IN CLASS RIGHT NOW!?

Grim: Yikes, a troublesome one has found us.

Crowley: (Y/n)-kun. I’d appreciate it if you could keep Grim-kun in line.

⊳ Choice: Sorry

Crowley: Oh… It’s so refreshing to see someone apologize so forthrightly after breaking the rules. I’m admittedly a little impressed…

⊳ Choice: Well, he didn’t listen…

Crowley: You look exhausted… seems like he’s truly a handful.

Crowley: All of you, return to class now. You should be honored to be enrolled in this prestigious school.

Crowley: Magic isn’t something that can be tempered by talent alone.

Crowley: Having a natural grasp of magic is important, of course, but the hard work and effort, as well as the experience you gain, will go a long way in helping you improve your skills.

Crowley: Surely you remember my kind speech from this morning, right?

Grim: It was so boring that it went in one year and out the other.

Ignihyde Student: Yeah, same here.

Crowley: WHAT!? (Y/n)-kun, surely you remember my speech, yes?

⊳ Choice: Of course I do

Crowley: Phew. I knew you were a good student.

⊳ Choice: Something about grape trees, right?

Crowley: APPLE TREES!

Ignihyde Student: You’re so annoying… You keep yammering on, but there’s not really a need to listen to you, is there?

Diasomnia Student: Yeah. I’ve never seen him do amazing magic or anything. Plus, the dorm leaders seemed done with him during the school-wide assembly too…

Savannaclaw Student: This guy’s nothing. Let’s just ignore him!

Crowley: …What a handful you lot are, truly.

Crowley: Since it has come to this, allow me to teach you just how important it is to gradually advance your magic education.

Crowley: I AM JUST OH SO KIND, AFTER ALL!

⊱ ─────── ⊰

Urk!

Grim: Ah!! That’s the Headmage’s… mysterious rope thing coiled around them!

Crowley: It’s not a rope. It’s my whip of love! A slightly stronger version.

Savannaclaw Student: Ow, ow! I’m getting constricted!!!

Diasomnia Student: We can easily break out of this — wait, I can’t! W-What’s this!? It’s not budging an inch even with our magic combined!!!

Crowley: Obviously. You do realize that I am the Headmage here, correct? Something like this comes easier to me than breathing.

Crowley: It’s one thing for the dorm leaders, who comprehend my power, to joke about me…

Crowley: But it’s another thing for students who are unable to comprehend the difference in our abilities to be belittling one such as I. Truthfully, it’s disgraceful of me as an educator, myself, to let this stand.

Crowley: You should all reflect on just what a greenhorn you are.

Grim: Yeah! Go, Crowley, go! Show them just how green they are!

⊳ Choice: I wouldn’t get too carried away doing that… ⊳ Choice: Shouldn’t we book it now…?

Crowley: And here’s a more heedful lash from my whip of love!

Grim: YIKES!

⊳ Choice: Nicely done, as always! ⊳ Choice: What lightning speed!

Crowley: Well, I wouldn’t exaggerate it that much — Hey, Grim-kun! It’s useless to struggle, so give up.

Crowley: I was expecting great things from you, Grim-kun. You too, of course.

Crowley: I was confident that the two of you would be able to change the future of this school.

Crowley: So, you two will live up to my expectations, won’t you?

Grim: You betcha. Leave it to the genius Grim-sama!

Grim: SO FREE ME ALREADY…

Crowley: Now then, let’s see… Should I deliver all of you to your respective classes like this?

Grim: What!? You want to drag us back into class all tied up like this? We’d be made a laughing stock!

Grim: RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME RIGHT THIS INSTANT!!!

Crowley: I have to ensure that all of you, as students of Night Raven College, aptly reflect and learn from this incident.

Crowley: Because all of you are my precious, precious apple trees, after all…

── ⋆⋅☆𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐸𝒩𝒟☆⋅⋆ ──

[litenmyra]

Genshin G/t ideas (this does include 4.2 AQ spoilers!)

(Because it's been a while since I indulged in a bit of fandom G/t. Some of these are stories I am planning on working on, and some are just ideas I just wanna throw out there) Nothing of this is too elaborative, just general ideas! Long text under the cut! This also gets so much more descriptive by each idea I have, I am treating this sort of like a drafts for how I should word it should I continue to writing some stories. So they will also abruptly end without a conclusion here, and with a lot of rambling, I apologize beforehand for that <3 Warnings: Fearfulness from the tinies, spoilers (but not really beyond the latest AQ), long post, feel free to tell me if I missed something!

A shrunken Furina and the caring Hydro Sovereign that finds her(after the AQ) - Neuvillette finds her in her house one day shrunken. She had hidden underneath her bed, and he coaxes her out patiently. Yes, Furina absolutely trusts her friend, but this is still a very exhausting and scary situation she has found herself in. He assesses the situation and sits with her, calming her down for a long time after she’s come forth - Maybe even a development of his protectiveness ;-D - He has a specific pocket just for Furina until they can fully address and fix her situation, he does not keep her there against her will, and even when protective of the human he trusts her to not do anything hasty. He is however afraid of someone else finding her, as only a few people know of her situation, and since she is a character of status it terrifies him to think about what might occur if she’d be taken by the wrong people - She follows him to his court duties (if she wishes to, otherwise she's often at his desk napping, or with one of the working melusines) and whenever she's with him at a trial he is extremely mindful of her presence, being more careful with how he slams the cane down, as well when now not-shouting "order" - Wind is catching about how the former Archon has disappeared, and the highest and important figures (Wrio, Navia, Clorinde, Neuvillette, even Charlotte who has sworn not to say or write down anything about the situation Furina has found herself in) are not revealing anything and say that they are working hard to gather information about Furinas whereabouts

Borrower Kaveh living in Alhaithams house- Kaveh thinks the acting grand sage is none the wiser to his "tenants" existence. He's been here for the better of half a year and has - despite accidentally sneaking around when the human was present lounging around - not been seen. Most likely due to those heavy books the human often has his nose almost stuffed into - What he doesn't know is that Alhaitham is one step ahead. Kaveh often thinks he is the luckiest borrower around, always finding perfect scraps, non-stale food, and material that the human just has accidentally dropped, but Alhaitham is deliberate. He studies the borrower as he roams around the house, and will one day eventually want to interrogate the small man. But so far he has noticed he's harmless, and not some wicked experiment sent as a spy. Alhaitham even thinks the borrower is quite the gullible creature, as he somehow has not noticed his lingering gaze as he is quite the expressive character whenever he finds something new to "borrow". Alhaitham just wonders what he's doing with all those shards of glass, fabric and threads he finds... - Kaveh has absolutely decorated the place in the wall he has found himself residing in. It looks absolutely extravagant even with the scarce and broken things he has gathered - Eventually one day Alhaitham corners the small man when he’s out on his table - Kaveh is frozen in place as he hadn’t noticed the man sneaking up on him, and oh how he fears this man. From him overhearing through the walls and his observations of this man, he’s gotten the idea the man is cold. - To Kaveh that can only mean bad news, not all humans took kindly to their presence and Kaveh has nowhere to go - This Alhaitham had of course accounted for, he didn’t want this to be filled with complications, and needed the borrower to listen to him without having to take him away - He starts throwing questions right away, he’s noticing how the small man tries to hide his nerves behind a snarky facade - Alhaitham has made sure the Akasha terminal does not record the encounter with the tiny person (I haven’t finished the Sumeru AQ so my knowledge about the Akasha terminal is limited) - Kaveh is distressed at the fact he is stuck here until the human goes away, he doesn’t want to risk the man knowing where he usually hides away, although he is positively surprised by how seemingly respectful the encounter is, the questions sure are invasive but he’s not prodded, and there is a good distance between himself and the giant - Alhaitham does not reveal how obvious Kaveh is when out and about, and he wishes to berate him regarding going out at all when the silver haired man is home, he wants to see how long this obliviousness will continue - Kaveh is left dizzy from the encounter, he never expected himself be seen, much less by the man spending hours looking at his books - Their encounters become more frequent after that day, and Kaveh is starting to catch on finally how much the human has done for him when he thought he was oblivious to his existence

Giant Archons- Self explanatory, I adore the idea of the Archons having giant forms that they keep under radar - I mean considering different realms the Archons seemingly can enter (we have Euthymia, teapots, Venti's own disappearance as he healed himself, which sure some seem just like an inner state, but consider that they have created realms where they all can meet) they most definitely have some where they can let their true forms show - But maybe I have an idea about someone finding them, and being all afraid seeing the deities so enormously different - I once read an Eye of the Storm!Venti fic, and even that is fascinating. I can imagine their elemental powers being so overwhelming too when they are giant, not to the point it is suffocating for the mere mortal, but just the fact you can feel their powers surround you just by being in their presence - I had an idea where the reader stumbles upon a giant Barbatos and Morax, this was an idea I had before I had gone to Inazuma and before Sumeru was even out. It was also before I had listened to any of their voice lines about each other or read any like elaborate lore about the Archon war, etc. - Just a divine being being giant is a nice idea to me <3

Baizhu searches for the Geo Archon for his blessing, not realizing the giant he is about to meet(this one is so self-indulgent, but I have such a huge love for both Zhongli and Baizhu, and whether or not one ships them, their contrasting characteristics make me so intrigued - an immortal, and despite maybe not wishing entirely for mortality, still finds mortality and humanity interesting, and the ever benevolent mortal who seeks immortality, and will go drastic lengths to ensure his goal is met) - Rex Lapis in this AU is not deemed dead - Baizhu is of course as ever seeking immortality. One day he decides he will visit the plains forbidden within the Guyun stone forest, and seek out Rex Lapis as he is rumored to reside there - Guyun stone forest is a dangerous place, and he asks Changsheng and Qiqi to stay at the pharmacy with Gui as he traverses Liyue to seek the god - What he does not expect is a place in where he phases into another realm, this one adorned with enormous furniture, and ahead of him a throne fit only for the deity ruling over Liyue - He hides by one of the throne-chairs legs, out of sight for whoever will sit at it, and lo and behold, Rex Lapis himself soon seats himself - It is not he who finds Baizhu hiding, instead Xiao (also giant within this realm, as other Adepti and Yaksha are too) senses something off within the room as he attends to his duties - Because he senses something off he is best to be cautious about it possibly being a danger to the god he serves, or a spy sent to this realm - He quickly sends a weak - yet still overwhelming to any mortal - wave of Anemo as he spots a small figure by the throne, and sends them toppling over - Because of Baizhu’s long trek I imagine him with a cane, and as he is toppled the cane he was using to hold himself upright through all his nerves is thrown away from him, and he finds himself unable to stand up again - Xiao is quick on his feet and crouches menacingly over the mortal he now can see, demanding him to stand up and to explain himself - Baizhu can’t stand up and is left quivering on the ground, all he manages is to hold himself upright on his forearms and kneecaps, looking down on the ground as he swallows his nerves, of course fear coursed through him, he never expected this turn of events as he sought out Liyue’s Archon - Xiao notices this, and internally feels a sense of dread, it seems the mortal here has accidentally wandered into the realm he now is in, and he realizes he has rendered an ill mortal too to the ground - Rex Lapis of course wondered what just occurred for Xiao to be so wary and to step by his throne in all his haste, and as he glances down by where he is seated he notices the mortal now trembling on the ground, Xiao looking mortified - Morax realizes what is going on as he carefully summons small stone pillars that help the man up onto his feet again, and as he steps up from his throne Xiao teleports away - He ever so gently takes the cane that was lying by a large pot and places it on his fingertips, holding his palm flat just by the green haired man, so he can take it without too much of a fright (albeit he guesses this ordeal has already terrified him) - I have some ideas for how this will process further, I just think Baizhu tells Morax of his wishes and why he traveled all the way over to meet him - Later on, Rex Lapis is now holding the human who is seated on his palm, they meet Xiao again and the Yaksha bows deeply and apologizes for the things that happened - Baizhu can not blame him for being protective of the deity, and accepts the apology, he has an immense respect for the Adepti and feels almost flustered with this whole ordeal - Rex Lapis has Baizhu by for dinner!

(I will wanna elaborate on this as I’ve had this idea for ages! Since before Baizhu’s banner came out :’)))

Neuvillette and tiny/borrower Aether (I’m thinking Aether and Lumine have somehow lost each other in this AU too, hence Aether being the only one living here) - Aether hides away in the walls surrounding the court of Fontaine, particularly the walls surrounding Neuvillettes office - He finds the day in which it rains a blessing, as his steps are easily drowned out by the powerful drizzle that hits the window panes, even distracting the residing rodents and other animals that shared the walls with him - He also noticed that whenever it rained the office was usually empty for a long period of time and as the sun came out the office was usually occupied again by the man he feared meeting - He fetches water into a leather pouch from the teacup standing upon the desk and is quickly on his way off - Neuvillette has started to get used to the slightly leathery taste of his waters, and thinks nothing of it, it has never harmed him and the strong aftertaste of freshness still overpowered that tidbit - He looks upon his documents and notices a peculiar smudge in the ink, bringing it closer to his sights. The smudge is not just a bit of excessive ink, but instead dons the shape of a… shoe print almost, this he finds extremely peculiar - Some days later Aether is out again as the rain carried on outside, there were cookies placed upon the desk, usually it was some moist sweet or cupcake, but Aether didn’t think much of it, if he just stole a crumb no one would be none the wiser to his appearance here - He doesn’t notice the slitted violet eyes watching him from afar as he went by his borrowing routine - Until he hears a small shuffle, and Aethers heart is sent up and gets lodged in his throat - He turns around in haste, and there stands the tall man, eyes directly making contact with his own - Aether wants to run, but hugs the piece of the cookie closer as the man begins walking closer to his position. He soon stands so close he is towering over the desk and consequently the small borrower upon it, but Neuvillette is really none the wiser about the storm of emotions raging inside the small human (?) (TBC! I have a draft written out hehe :) )

Giant Sovereign Neuvillette meeting Zhongli who in comparison is tiny(Got this idea after Neuvillette’s voice lines about the Archons were revealed) - Morax/Zhongli finds himself in a sort of a dreamscape. He has barely any time to think of where he could be as the place all of a sudden shakes in a rhythmic fashion, he is to look around but is stopped - All of a sudden a giant object hurdles down beside him, knocking him off his feet - He catches himself from the fall, and before he can look up whatever just fell beside him he notices the giant shining shoes just behind the object, as his gaze travels up amongst the blues and golds and of the almost regal outfit that adorned the man standing beside him. Not just beside him, positively towering over him. The object that had thundered down, he now noticed, was a cane, held by the giant sovereign as he with a stern gaze surveyed the small usurper now lying by its tip - I know Neuvillette is technically not older than Zhongli in his reincarnated form, but I want to imagine he has regained his memories of his past lives, and sees Zhongli as eons younger than him, he therefore refers to him as “Young Morax” as they speak - He crouches over the deity, and Morax almost feels as if he is mocking him (This is sadly all I have for now regarding this, as I haven't thought about how to continue it, might also continue this in the future!)

That is all I have rn! <3

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

These calls accompany Victor’s High School SSR “Carefree Years,” but don’t contain any spoilers from the story itself~ ❤️

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for content yet to be released on the global server! ⌚

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

【1ST CALL】

Victor: The playlist a certain someone just shared with me seems to be a bit different from her usual taste. 

Victor: “Melodies that accompanied us through those years of youth” ... 

Victor: What’s gotten you so nostalgic suddenly? 

MC: Haha, I stumbled upon this through random notifications and found it quite fascinating~ 

MC: So, speaking of which, what kind of stuff would you usually have playing on your earphones back when you were at school? It wouldn’t be all English listening exercises, right? 

Victor: Set your wild thoughts aside, and yes, of course, I would also listen to music sometimes. 

Victor: But there were also times when I would have nothing playing at all. 

MC: You mean like simply leaving them in your ears? 

Victor: Yeah. Seeing you with your earphones on, some of the individuals who are tactful enough won’t come forward to initiate a conversation again. 

Victor: Doing this is convenient to save yourself from a lot of unnecessary hassles. 

MC: Turns out, it can also be used as a shielding device! What a cool way to pull a “switcheroo”! Speaking of which, I’ve had similar experiences too. 

MC: Victor, do you know what other things an electronic dictionary can be handy for besides looking up words? 

Victor: Importing e-books in .txt format. 

MC: Ah, so, you did this too! 

Victor: Nope. I caught people in the act. 

MC: You wouldn’t be... 

Victor: Mm-hmm. I was in charge of inspecting such rule-breaching activities back then. 

MC: ...humph, I have nothing more to discuss with someone who used to be an inspector. 

MC: But out of curiosity, what would happen if I were to be caught red-handed by you? 

Victor: I would most likely rap on your desk, signaling for you to step outside with me. 

Victor: And then, I would confiscate the electronic dictionary and hand you a registration form. 

Victor: [putting on a voice but doesn’t sound strict at all, subconsciously reminding himself she is my girlfriend and I’d get hell later LMAO] “Classmate, write your name here, and remember not to get caught by me again.” 

MC: That strict? What if I plead with the Discipline Inspector for leniency~ 

MC: [you’re supposed to put on a cute voice here haha] “I bought this with the pocket money I saved for a long time! Please, inspector classmate, let me off the hook, pretty please, sob sob sob~” 

Victor: Based solely on your tone over the phone call, I can’t feel much sincerity or remorse. 

Victor: I’ll be home shortly, and I’m looking forward to your in-person demonstration. 

Victor: Then, I’ll carefully mull it over whether to let you off the hook, or not. 

—

—

【2ND CALL】

Victor: MC, your package just arrived, and it had some damage to the box when it was delivered. So, I went ahead and unpacked it for you. 

Victor: But why did you buy a whole box of steam eye masks and eye patches? 

MC: Well, the seller happened to be running a promotion, and I couldn’t resist the temptation... 

Victor: Mm-hmm, you do get tempted very easily. 

Victor: If not for that, we wouldn’t have a stockpile of “buy three, get one free” laundry detergent at home, nor would we have those Hawaiian-themed bath towels as “freebies for signing up.” 

Victor: Let’s make it clear beforehand, don’t pull me into “using them up” together when the time comes. 

MC: Victor, don’t be so heartless. I’ve put a lot of thought into selecting these items this time. 

MC: You may not be aware, but steam eye masks come in many different scents nowadays. 

Victor: Chamomile, rose, eucalyptus... I can understand how these floral scents might work, but coffee aroma? Are you sure it can help with sleep? 

MC: Oh no, that one’s for keeping you energized! I hadn’t heard of this one before, so I decided to purchase it and give it a try~ 

MC: They claim its effectiveness is on par with the eye exercises we used to do in our student days; it not only provides eye protection but also refreshes and sharpens the mind. 

Victor: In that case, why don’t you consider resuming the eye exercises twice a day from now on? Who knows, it might yield even better results. 

MC: In the world of adults, it’s very challenging to squeeze out time for exercise. 

Victor: I’m not entirely convinced of that. 

Victor: If you utilize all this time you spend shopping impulsively on online sites, it will be sufficient. 

MC: Humph, when I get home tonight, I’m gonna make you join me for an eye mask evaluating session! 

Victor: I’m afraid my eyes won’t be able to handle such a heavy responsibility. 

MC: Well, even though a certain someone says that, in the end, he will still cooperate with me~ 

MC: When the time comes, I will have the aromatherapy and candles prepared, and we’ll start with the eyepatches to kickstart the relaxation process. 

MC: After that, we’ll apply the eye masks for a complete relaxation session. 

Victor: ...couldn’t we perhaps spend this time better participating in some outdoor activities, something that genuinely focuses on eye health and relaxation? 

Victor: Instead of relying on flashy remedies, it’s more effective to go out and do some physical activities. 

MC: Hehe, have you realized that we have already mapped out a perfect weekend itinerary? 

MC: Why don’t we just go to that camping site we’ve been wanting to go fishing for a long time! Hold on, I’ll call to make a reservation shortly. 

Victor: It seems like a certain someone had this all planned out in advance, am I right? 

MC: It’s all thanks to CEO Victor’s guidance that this small idea was implemented in reality so efficiently~ 

Victor: I think I’d prefer to experience your “efficiency” in other aspects. 

Victor: Why don’t you start by making a checklist of the camping essentials we’ll need? 

Victor: And after you’re off work, try to get back home a bit earlier. I’ll have the aromatherapy and candles prepared in advance to create a cozy work-friendly atmosphere for a certain someone. 

────────────

[messymindpalace]

i finally finished reading Nothing Like The Movies

SPOILERS AHEAD

i genuinely enjoyed how Lynn Painter came up with a plausible reason as to why a beloved couple like Liz and Wes would break up.

grief is a tenacious and blurry thing which no one is ever prepared to navigate through. so as much as i know that the book heavily relies on the miscommunication trope (one which i hate) to exist, i understand why Wes would act the way he did, especially being someone who also moves towards total isolation when deeply hurt.

that being said, i also understand Liz's reservations towards Wes, even though the whole "i cheated on you" was something he came up to set her free. her ponderation on whether he would act like that again if it were to something bad ever happen again was a valid point to take in consideration.

but.

why for God's sake would you put yourself in a position to be pursuited by a guy who MADE AS CLEAR AS A SUNNY SUMMER DAY IN LA THAT HE'S TRYING TO GET BACK WITH YOU when you don't even know if you want to be with him again???

to that i call bullshit.

there was no reason for Liz to act like that in the last 10% of the book. it seriously annoyed the crap out of me. because yes, she went through a heartbreak (let's not mention that it had been 2 years already), but other than that she could've communicated her reservations to him as soon as he let her know he was going to do what it took to win her back.

i took in consideration her age, being twenty years old is a confusing place in life itself (been there, done that) but it was really immature of her which didn't seem much like the Liz from the first book.

and the whole "oh my God, he's hurt and now i realized how much i care for his general well-being is more than an average person would" got me rolling my eyes a little.

yet, i really enjoyed the story, the ending was a little 🙄 but nothing that could ruin the experience and was an overall fun-giggling-blushing-cute romcom.

the pinning was so on point for me and as i said, i will excuse the usage of miscommunication just because i can see something like this happening in real life and understand where both parts were coming from.

all in all, Lynn Painter is yet again unable to disappoint me.

[kalirarecs]

The Crack at the Heart of Everything - Fiona Fenn (novel)

(I got this ebook as a free ARC; it releases on November 12th 2024.)

This one will be as spoiler free as I can manage because this book was amazing and I don’t want to, well, spoil it.

(I treaded some of the same ground in a slightly more *gestures* form in a review you can read on Storygraph or LibraryThing.)

This is a dark-tinged fantasy, with an edge of (minor spoiler) post-apocalypse, with a queer romance which takes up space beautifully alongside a dramatic plot, and a very close focus - the entire book very much focuses on Orpheus, not because he’s a hero or a major player or a key figure (though he is) but because he’s him and we’re seeing the world through his eyes.

Y’all. Y’all, I don’t think I have read a better book handling trauma? Like. A lot of kinds of trauma, especially floating into the main line with other characters, but especially that dealing with deep childhood scars, also toxic friendships.

The story hurts, in many places, like weight on an old injury - something healed over but never forgotten. But also learning to take that ache and let it go.

(But it isn’t all that hard, achy examination - there’s lighthearted moments, laughter, teasing and breathless steps towards friendship, or romance, and the confusion they bring. There’s softer sorrows and wrenching grief, there’s, always, hope and moving forwards because what else are you going to do? What can you?)

It shows us a lot of hope even in dark, terrifying, seemingly-doomed spaces, and y’all that is so my jam.

Oh, and those other characters? Pretty much all the side characters felt like the main character of another story, who just happened to be intersecting Orpheus’ here. That is such a challenge to pull off, and it was great! (I’d really like to see Red’s background - and her friendship with Fenrir, and how it grew and their adventures together - and her future.)

So was the worldbuilding, which the author gave as the pieces showed on-page, giving us more that built on what we knew as more things happened and Orpheus learned more - as well as showing us things he already knows as they became relevant - allowing the reader to slowly weave together more of the history as well as the present of the world. It never felt out of place with amounts of detail or reveal or confusingly lacking.

The magic and the technology hit a nice balance of ‘yes that’s how that works, I see’ without tipping into ‘okay we did not need a treatise on it, I’ve lost what was going on before’. Orpheus’ Netherflame is fascinating, a little terrifying (even aside from the Hellbeasts!), and a very naturally-handled part of him in his actions, reactions, and senses.

We begin after a number of Major Happenings have, ah, happened, and past, because we aren’t following the drama of the world - we’re following when Orpheus’ world takes a sudden turn.

Orpheus who has in some ways been through a hell of a lot (no pun intended >.>) and in some ways has been very sheltered . . . and is now kicked away from that ‘shelter’ (for good or ill) and facing a lot more hell, and- Also a sunshiney tagalong of a hero trying to look after him, probably just to taunt him and kick him while he’s down, he’s sure, obnoxious handsome-

(Yes, it’s a grumpy x sunshine romance. Yes, Orpheus has no idea how feelings work.)

Orpheus’ view of the world gets a lot broader, very fast, and it hurts - it hurts him, shock and guilt and responsibility, and it hurts us, because there’s some very grim shit out there. (But it never feels grimdark or cruel for the sake of it, or ‘gritty’; there’s a lot of hope, and welcome from character who have their own struggles and triumphs going on, widening Orpheus’ experiences and his feelings.)

We begin very closely with Orpheus’ personal disaster, and as his understanding grows, it widens to the disaster facing the entire world - both that which has already happened, and the ways in which it could get so much worse - while keeping close in on Orpheus himself.

Every few chapters there’s one that’s an interlude to Orpheus’ past, (in chronological order) mainly his childhood with (now-Empress) Lore . . . and places where the reader can see the source of wounds Orpheus carries now, and even some he hasn’t . . . quite realised himself, yet, in the now.

There’s some twists and surprises, some of which are neatly foreshadowed and some of which really did take me by surprise - and those always came with an oh, ohhhh that fits realisation of settling into place when they did. Not once did something feel like an addition for shock value or similar.

Orpheus has to face a lot of rough realisations and decisions, and he struggles with them! He isn’t a hero, never thought of himself as such; but even when he struggles, even when he’s not sure what he’ll do, the reader can see the path he’ll choose and it hurts how hard he’s trying and what it costs him.

Fenrir, our sunshine, carries his own share of trauma (I think everyone does here, even our biggest villain; which is shown, as is how it led to said villainy . . . but not as an excuse or softening of the atrocities caused), but is that hero Orpheus knew he’d never be and maybe resents a little. There’s a hell of a lot more to him, we find along with Orpheus, and . . . more yet that there isn’t time or space or perspective for (locked in Orpheus’, of course) in the novel.

The romance builds slowly due largely to Orpheus having no idea how feelings work, his own or anyone else’s, really, and some very understandable hitches between that and the major dramatic plot elements. (My few agh points, shall we say, were very much people are agh, and didn’t stretch on too long.)

Also, the title? Super well chosen, weaves very well into the happenings, more and more so as we learn more.

I will not spoil it, but I was on the verge of tears for almost the last quarter of the book, anticipating the climax along with Orpheus, and the author surprised me pleasantly! (I did cry once during the book; it was not at the end, and it was a very well done moment of grief and loss as much as it hurt, and Orpheus’ raging reaction to it was . . . cathartic and painful and soothing at once.) I was surprised at how the main villain was handled, but it was not a disappointment (and at least/especially for Orpheus, may have been the best way it could have gone).

While the book stands alone well, it does say it’s book one of a series; I’m quite curious to see how Fiona Fenn continues to explore the world, and, hopefully, at least some of the characters I got so attached to or fascinated by here.

[poisonousquinzel]

Harley Quinn (2021 - ) #28: Dawn of DC arc | Writer: Tini Howard | Artist: Sweeney Boo

Covers ♡

What did you want to expand on with this well-established but ever-growing character?

Boo: I feel like Tini is showing new facets of Harley. We get more in-depth with who she is inside and what she wants to be. It's hard not to fall in love with her.

Preview Panels | By Sweeney Boo ♡

What were you most excited to pick up on from Harley's current continuity?

Howard: Harley has friends, a girlfriend, and a good head on her shoulders. All good stuff to pick up and shake around really hard. No, truly, it's a huge relief to have Ivy there. I'm a longtime lover of those two as a couple, and the fact that it's there and real for us to engage with as storytellers is fantastic. It's so freeing to be able to tell that story, and we're working closely with Willow and the Ivy team so that we always know we're on the same page with the girls. It's not unlike how I talk to Chip about Catwoman and Batman. It's all hilariously like my little fan-fiction writer days, kind of delightfully so.

Boo: Her friendships and relationships, especially that one famous girlfriend of hers! *wink wink*

Tini, what were you most excited to see Sweeney bring to life on the page?

Howard: That's a huge spoiler, but I'll say this. Working with an artist like Sweeney is what's given me the freedom to pursue where we're going with this story. We really needed a human rainbow, just an exciting kaleidoscope of an artist who can jump the hell right off the page while also nailing the mundane, little jokes of Harley's life. Sweeney Boo's that artist. Oh, there's a lot of Bud and Lou in this run, too -- I love the way Sweeney draws them.

Sweeney, what were you most excited to illustrate based on Tini's script?

Boo: Drawing Harley's apartment! There is no better way to get into someone's head and get a glimpse of who they are until you see where they live. I wanted to get crazy and really play with that! There are so many intimate scenes of Harley being at home and being cozy with Bud and Lou. It's just so adorable.

Can you share with us what you are most excited for fans to see and experience with this chapter of Harley's life?

Howard: I think Harley's a really unique character, especially for queer women right now, because she's not being forced to be aspirational. She can be foul-mouthed and disastrous and troubled and weird and also be a great character we're always rooting for. Our run is really about Harley coming to terms with her position in the DC Universe at large, about what your career path is if you're too big for primetime but not up for the Justice League or the Legion of Doom. It's also a love letter to the funniest parts of the DC Universe. To me. If there's one thing I think a Harley Quinn book needs to be, it's funny, and the DC Universe is so weird and can be so, so funny. Like, think of the five funniest things that are [actually] important DC plot points, and I guarantee one of them is in this run.

Boo: Harley's trying to do her best, even if sometimes she hasn't the most honest of ideas. I think seeing her trying to grow is very relatable, but for her, it might involve big hammers and dynamite.

[electronickingdomfox]

"The Abode of Life" review

If Kirk was a Republican...

Novel from 1982, by Lee Correy (actually a pseudonym for model rocket technician G. Harry Stine). Despite the cover, it's set during the five year mission, and not the TMP era.

There are many problems with this novel. For starters, it's really, REALLY boring and dry. Everyone talks in this same scientific, over-expository tone (Spock doubly so, to annoying levels), and there's little in the way of characterization and giving the crew their distinctive voices. My impression is that the author wasn't very familiar with the series, having just a shallow understanding of it, and was using the Star Trek setting as a mere vehicle for his ideas. The fact that Janice Rand is there, despite the stardate being quite late in the mission, reinforces this impression.

Another problem is the lack of tension and real danger. And sometimes it seems it's Kirk the one complicating matters to have an adventure where there's really no such thing. Rather than action, the story is more focused on examining the alien culture of the Mercans, and the dilemma between respecting the Prime Directive and saving the ship. Which in itself is a perfectly valid theme, but I don't think it was handled well. In particular, Kirk ended up doing everything in his hands to violate the Directive in the worst way possible, when there were other options. And the way he maneuvers the Mercans into reaching an agreement that is most beneficial to him and his ship, is uncharacteristically forceful. Using even propagandistic tricks and psychological manipulation.

The author was a libertarian and some themes in the book reflect this. I'm not familiar enough with the ideology to pinpoint every instance, but there's a certain admiration of the Mercan custom to always carry a gun in public, as a way to ensure "everyone behaves politely". Also, "Mercan" is likely a reference to "American".

Overall, I didn't enjoy this novel much. "World Without End", from the Bantam line, has the similar premise of an isolated and stratified society. But the aliens are more interesting, and the story is much more fun.

Spoilers below the cut:

The plot has the Enterprise lost in an empty sector of space, outside the Orion arm of the galaxy, after encountering a gravitational anomaly. The warp drive is badly damaged, but it STILL functions with limitations (more on this later). The only way to make the necessary repairs to return to Federation space in a reasonable time, is getting help from the only planet that exists in that void: Mercan.

So the usual landing party of Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and... Janice Rand, beam down and contact the humanoid inhabitants. The Mercans have a highly developed transporter system that they use for everything (but somehow they all carry ancient guns?). They believe their planet is the only "abode of life" in the universe, due to their isolation. And they're subject to periodic and lethal flare-ups from their sun, which they call the Ordeals. Under these conditions, three social groups have developed: the Guardians hold the political power, due to their ability to predict the Ordeals, and give (or deny) protection from them in their keeps. The Proctors are law enforcers for the Guardians. And the Technic are scientists, opposed to the other two groups because of their belief that there's life in other places as well.

The landing party gets in trouble with the Guardians, who don't believe they came from outside, and they're captured and put in a lot of danger. (Actually not. They just leave them free to roam around an island). Kirk, however, doesn't want to return to the ship, since he needs to negotiate with the locals to repair the warp drive. Until the Guardians decide to experiment with them, and expose them to the soon-to-happen Ordeal. At this point, Kirk is like "uh, oh, massive radiation, no thanks". And they finally beam up to the ship.

However, the Enterprise shields can't protect the crew from the flare-up, and everyone's gonna die... Well, the ship has limited warp, remember? So it'd be just as easy as warp away from the star, and return once things have calmed down, right? Of course not! Spock has a more logical plan: send two photon torpedoes into the star. This could have two similarly probable outcomes: 1) The star goes nova and everyone dies (not just the crew, mind you, but also the millions of Mercans, who are safe in their keeps now). 2) The star becomes stable (but the Mercan society becomes destabilized instead, since the Ordeals were a pillar of their culture). Anyway, there go the torpedoes... Yeehaw! Of course, the result is option 2.

Now that Kirk and co. have completely fucked up Mercan society, the locals will need to establish a new status quo, to adapt to the Ordeal-free situation. Then Kirk "amicably" offers to mediate between them at gunpoint, so they can reach an agreement. And one that benefits the Federation and the Enterprise's need for dilithium, to boot. Hooray! Good job, Jim! (and the Federation anthem starts in the background). The End.

Spirk Meter: 6/10*: Incredible, but even in this novel there's a bit of it. Kirk is pondering in his cabin about how to deal with the new situation in Mercan, when his "very close friend" Spock comes in. Spock starts addressing him as "Jim", and soothes his worries about the terrible way he handled the whole thing. Ah! We're also reminded that Jim is the only human that Spock considers his t'hy'la. And Kirk tells him how much he values their relationship, which makes Spock hesitate, saying he's just doing... his duty. Then McCoy comes in as well (jealous? suspicious?), and Kirk feels irritated and is a jerk to him, because the doctor broke his useful rapport with Spock. And McCoy wonders if he's interrupting something...

*A 10 in this scale is the most obvious spirk moments in TOS. Think of the back massage, "You make me believe in miracles", or "Amok Time" for example.

[myimaginedcorner]

I went in completely blind to your if and I just have to say, I am pleasantly surprised, amazed and obsessed with it (Like not a very normal amount). I could say a million things about your writing(I’d literally love love love to study it for personal use, ofc, If you’d let me!)—from its flow to the immersion that imo literally makes it feel as if I’m there, but I’ll stick to a (relatively) short ask and talk abt my experience. I particularly enjoyed being the local pain in the ass(For the ros at least) and I haven’t flirted with them not even once—but now my brain has decided that it wants to romance the count or the sailor out of everyone (They’re embarrassingly consuming my every thought at this point, just something about melancholic old men and cunning (probably emotionally unavailable) men really.. Gets me each and every time). But one thing that I am curious about is the birds; the raven, the owl, and the eagle as far as I remember. It’s not that recurring of a theme to get their pov, but just enough to get me thinking, is there an importance to them/do they represent something or are they just they just there for their point of view to progress the story? And the other thing I also am curious about is what did it mean by ‘get out’? I’m trying to avoid spoiling it for those who hadn’t read it by keeping it vague but if the answers for either questions contain spoilers, feel free to not answer! If you read this author, you are amazing, Ily and have a superr great week<3

Hi!! Oh my god, thank you so much for this amazing ask - it made my day! I am so glad you enjoyed my writing: I am currently struggling with it a bit as I am going through the first chapters, so reading that someone had fun with it helps me stay motivated! You absolutely have my permission to study it, if you so wish, although I am a bit embarassed for I find it quite standard (and not up to my standards at the moment, haha).

Silver Demon has his charms... I wonder where they can get you.

The birds come from a discarded idea of having two perspectives on one scene, a full one and a limited one; as I realised how many of you had positive feedback for the bird scenes, I threw away the full scene idea, recycling it for the last chapter's visions. They are there to present the characters with a flawed point of view on an occasion happening outside the MC's knowledge, so that both you and them have something to discover further down the route! They also represent the MC's father - far, distant, but observing how the world develops as he saw it. In a way, the birds are possessed by the Omniscient Reader, restricting one's power over the world!

Get out.... if you stumbled upon one of the short italic sentences, well, congratulations, those are few and rare throughout the book! They do have a meaning. Wait and see.

Thank you so much for the ask, I loved to hear from you!! Have an amazing week too xx

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Eye of the World! Chapter 38: Rescue

Listen and listen well: people who complain about this post being full of spoilers for the whole of The Wheel of Time series will be tortured like in the above image. This is your chance to get the hell away from my madness while you have a chance and I have no patience for anyone who is going to waste that opportunity. Block the tags, read the books, have a happy life!

This chapter has the Flame of Tar Valon as its icon, a reflection both of Moiraine's leading the rescue effort and of Lan's discussion of the factions within the White Tower.

Usually he collapsed like a wrung-out rag as soon as the Whitecloaks let him stop, but tonight his mind was racing. His skin crawled with dread that had been building for days.

Another favorable coincidence for our heroes. Frankly, Perrin and Egwene deserve to pass right out whenever they can after these hideous death marches they're being put through.

Light, how do I make them believe we aren’t Darkfriends when they’re already convinced we are? His stomach twisted sickeningly. In the end, he would probably confess to anything just to make the Questioners stop.

On the one hand, it's not very smart of Perrin to think that he can reason with these people when they've already established themselves to be very unreasonable. Also, killing two of someone's buddies is really no way to make friends.

On the other hand, it's very smart of Perrin to understand that the point of torture is to make the victims say whatever you want them to say. Unless he calls Egwene a whore or something I'm going to let him coast on this victory for the rest of this chapter.

Perrin tensed. Sometimes such a denial brought a lecture delivered in a grating near monotone, on confession and repentance, leading into a description of the Questioners’ methods of obtaining them. Sometimes it brought the lecture and a kick. To his surprise, this time Byar ignored it.

I have to wonder if it's Egwene getting kicked for having a smart mouth or if it's Perrin getting kicked for Egwene having a smart mouth. Both seem plausible with these fucks.

If Byar wanted them to escape? Byar, who was convinced to his marrow that they were Darkfriends. Byar, who hated Darkfriends worse than he did the Dark One himself. Byar, who looked for any excuse to cause him pain because he had killed two Whitecloaks. Byar wanted them to escape?

Oh wow, Perrin's actually thinking things through effectively this chapter! You go, Perrin. You don't even have to coast! Also, this accurately reflects your characterization as someone who seems slow because you think things through. I'm so happy.

Byar watched his changes of expression, and for the first time the Whitecloak’s eyes went to the rock he had tossed on the ground.

So, Byar doesn't know that Perrin's a wolfepath. I think what's going through his head is the realization that Perrin is a violent killer and the follow-up assumption that he might well take a rock meant to free him from his bonds and use it just effectively enough to bash someone else's skull in. Hence why he decides to kill Perrin now, because he's a dangerous man in multiple ways now that Byar miscalculated.

“Is it really . . . ?” Egwene gave a stifled sob. “We thought you were dead. We thought you were all dead.”

Speaking of people who's interiority we don't get to see right now, what has been going on in her head all this time anyway? Did she really think they were dead the whole time and was doing the dancing stuff as a "having survived a traumatic experience I'm going to throw myself into living as hard as I can"? Did she only give up hope when Perrin was so shitty about telling her they were alive or even later during the death march? I really don't know and every answer is fascinating in its own right.

He felt a prickle as it settled around his shoulders, a stab of worry between his shoulder blades. Was it Byar’s cloak he had ended up with? He almost thought he could smell the gaunt man on it.

There's something deeply symbolic about Perrin's terror that in reclaiming his axe and donning a disguise he's picked up something else, something worse, from the man he had to steal from.

A shadow stirred, and Moiraine’s voice came, weighted with irritation. “Nynaeve has not returned. I fear that young woman has done something foolish.”

What Moiraine's not saying is that Nynaeve preempted her signal here and that her fears are entirely justified since the gal just let off a thunderstorm. It wouldn't help her seem omniscient and inscrutable if she were forced to admit that the gang could so easily throw her off her schemes. Best to just roll with it.

Lan spun on his heel as if to return the way they had come, but a single whip-crack word from Moiraine halted him. “No!” He stood looking at her sideways, only his face and hands truly visible, and they but dimly shadowed blurs. She went on in a gentler tone; gentler but no less firm. “Some things are more important than others. You know that.” The Warder did not move, and her voice hardened again. “Remember your oaths, al’Lan Mandragoran, Lord of the Seven Towers! What of the oath of a Diademed Battle Lord of the Malkieri?”

Lan: Fuck my bond to you, fuck saving the world, fuck the Pattern, I'm saving Nynaeve!

Readers: Lan/Nynaeve comes out of nowhere.

Literally the only reason Lan doesn't ignore Moiraine right now is that Nynaeve comes back anyway.

“Elsewhere,” Moiraine replied, and Nynaeve muttered something in a sharp tone that made Egwene gasp. Perrin blinked; he had caught the edge of a wagoneer’s oath, and a coarse one.

Meaningless contest: Give me *your* ideas as to what Nynaeve said here. Bonus points to anyone who works in a nine horse hitch.

He still carried the white cloak, now rolled up and tied to his belt. The Warder said they must leave no more traces for the Children to find than they could help. He still thought he could smell Byar on it.

And there's gotta be more symbolism in the taint of Byar moving from something that covers Perrin directly to a mere tool on his belt.

“I believe they are in Caemlyn,” Moiraine said carefully, “or on their way there.” Nynaeve gave a loud, disparaging grunt, but the Aes Sedai went on as if she had not been interrupted. “If they are not, I will yet find them. That I promise.”

Nynaeve has a different approach to Aes Sedai bullshit than Lan's "You're dodging the question": make rude noises until they become specific enough for her liking. Their mutual contempt for the First Oath is just one of the many ways they're perfect for each other.

“You look surprised,” Nynaeve said. She looked a little surprised herself, and strangely frightened. “Next time, you can go to her.”

"Fuck you Perrin if you don't like the goop you can get Aes Sedaied! Respect me or be thrown to the witches!"

Nynaeve is always so delightfully extra.

“There was no foretelling this.” Moiraine spoke as if to herself. Her eyes seemed to look at something beyond him. “Something ordained to be woven, or a change in the Pattern? If a change, by what hand? The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. It must be that.”

You could try asking him, you know. Reassuring yourself that everything is fine, the situation is totally under control, most of the party is already back together and you totally know where the other dipshits are is all well and good when you are lucky enough to be on the right track, but what if you weren't?

“And most of what you’ve heard is wrong, no doubt. You must understand, there are . . . factions within Tar Valon. Some would fight the Dark One one way, some another. The goal is the same, but the differences . . . the differences can mean lives changed, or ended. The lives of men or nations. He is well, Elyas?”

You can tell that Lan does not remotely give a fuck about Perrin or his well-being except to the degree Moiraine tells him to by the way that he's so brutally misleading Perrin. The Red Ajah's reputation is pretty accurate even in empty farm country and the largest united faction in Tar Valon wouldn't fight the Dark One at all. Lan knows both of these things and if it were Rand in this sticky spot he'd be getting a full rundown of all Black Ajah activity that Lan and Moiraine had personally foiled.

“The Dark One can’t touch us unless we name him.” Immediately Perrin thought of the dreams of Ba’alzamon, the dreams that were more than dreams. He scrubbed the sweat off his face. “He can’t.”

Oh hey Perrin, you really are on a roll this chapter. Like, you're not right on this statement in particular, but the thrust of what you're saying - that the Shadow (or for that matter, the Light) can't choose you to serve it, only you can make that choice (bar being transformed so utterly as to effectively be dead) - is an important theme in these books.

“The walls of the Dark One’s prison. This may be the end of an Age. We may see a new Age born before we die. Or perhaps it is the end of Ages, the end of time itself. The end of the world.” Suddenly he grinned, but his grin was as dark as a scowl; his eyes sparkled merrily, laughing at the foot of the gallows.

Frankly Lan is talking so much here that I can only conclude that he's been pulled into Perrin's ta'veren effect. That said, this is perhaps the first clear indicator that Lan is deeply unwell in his own way, so effortlessly casual about the end of the world because he assumes he's going to die in the next few years anyway. His own worldview is deeply nihilistic and he really does think that at any point any of them could be turned to the Shadow. Part of that must be some personal experience with the 13x13 arrangement and/or men like Ingtar, but I think that in general he's so internalized the doomed war his childhood prepared him for that now that the stakes are changed he can't help but assume it's all doomed anyway.

But we're at the end of this chapter, so I can stop trying to figure out the psyche of everyone around Perrin and relax. Next time, we return to Rand and get our first view of the most poorly constructed palace walls of all time!