#or is this one of those temporary ones that years later i don't understand why i got so obsessed for a short period of time?

[kennexara]

minor gripe about something in jedi survivor that bugged the crap out of me (spoilers under the cut)

when something along the lines of ‘cal you’re going to get yourself killed if you keep taking on the empire directly’ was said, i could agree with that. but then it’d be followed with something like ‘so you need to stop doing this.’ 

and i think what they were going for was that cal needed to find some damn balance. something more like merrin - it’s not that she stopped fighting the empire during her travels, it just wasn’t the only thing she did, and perhaps not her main focus. 

but half the damn time they made it sound like ‘you’re not going to win this war so stop fighting it.’ and that bugged the absolute shit out of me. 

because we know cal doesn’t win the war. we know 14 or so years later luke’s the one who drags darth vader back to the light and in the process causes the death of the emperor. 

but the characters in jedi survivor cannot possibly know that!!! (the only people that don’t know how star wars goes are the characters living it!!!!!) there’s no reason cal couldn’t be a key person in ending the empire for all they know!!!!!

so i just wish they put a little more emphasis on, ‘we want you to stop fighting like you have a death wish because we care about you cal. and because this war isn’t going to be easily won and you need to pace yourself if you want to see that day.’ NOT ‘time to retire cal it’s not worth fighting the empire because we won’t win soon so let’s just all stick our heads in the sand now we have a safe haven.’

ngl in general i’m not thrilled with the ‘hidden planet the empire will never find us’ thing. it’s unsatisfying and sort of cop-out feeling, for me. i think i would’ve preferred something messier. the empire tracks them through the abyss. cal catches up to bode on nova garon and the compass gets destroyed in their battle. also bode lives because i say so. navigating that would be such a fascinating thing. cal cannot stand him because he directly/indirectly caused the death of the two surviving jedi cal knew. and he helped cal with killing a third. and yet...that means he’s the only other survivor cal knows. they had something, once. is it worth rebuilding? do they go their separate ways and yet inevitably continue crossing paths? do they all stick together and cal and bode fight over how the fuck do they teach a force-sensitive kata, only for kata to be five steps ahead of them and already has merrin teaching her nightsister magick because she doesn’t want to be like either of them? is the way bode convinces everyone he’s changed by going on life-changing field trips with each one of them? 

the possibilities are endless as proven by my constantly growing collection of fic snippets.

[youngsadlesbian]

BECAUSE OF YOU — carina deluca and maya bishop.

pairing: carina deluca x maya bishop x reader

summary: you never felt worthy of love until maya and carina came into your life and showed you that you were more than what your old parents made you believe.

a/n: i really missed writing maya and carina being moms, so here's another one. i hope you like it <3

word count: 3k

warnings: mentions of past abuse, angst but with a happy ending.

It was a sunny morning in Seattle, and Maya Bishop was feeling anxious. She was in the middle of an important conversation with her wife, Carina DeLuca, over breakfast. The topic at hand? The possibility of becoming a foster family.

Maya had been thinking about it for a while. Growing up with a controlling father had left deep scars, but it had also taught her the importance of providing safety and love. She knew that Carina, with her experience as a doctor and her immense empathy, would be the perfect partner on this journey.

Carina set her coffee cup down on the table and looked at Maya with her soft, understanding eyes. "If it's something you really want, amore, I'm with you," she said, smiling. "But we need to be prepared for what comes with it. It's not easy."

Maya nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility, but also the excitement of starting this new phase. "I know, Carina, but I feel like we can make a difference in someone's life. And who knows, maybe it will also help us grow as a family."

A few months later, the two were officially part of the foster family program. They were excited but also nervous, not knowing what to expect. When they received the call informing them that a teenager needed a temporary home, Maya and Carina felt a mix of nerves and determination.

You came into their lives like a storm, bringing with you an emotional baggage that seemed impossible to carry alone. You were only 16, but the sadness in your eyes spoke of years of suffering. Maya and Carina quickly realized they would need all the patience and love they could offer.

At first, you kept your distance. Their home, though cozy and full of life, felt like a trap, a place where the fear of getting hurt again was constant. You had your reasons. Life had taught you that trusting people was dangerous, that opening your heart only brought pain.

Maya noticed this right away. She saw in your eyes the same distrust she once carried, the same resistance that prevented her from opening up to the people who tried to help her. But unlike you, she had someone who didn’t give up on her. And now, she wanted to be that person for you.

One night, when Carina was at the hospital for a night shift, you and Maya found yourselves alone in the living room. The silence between you was almost palpable, like an invisible barrier that neither of you knew how to cross.

"I know it's not easy," Maya began, her voice gentle but firm. "Trust is a complicated thing, and I understand why you're protecting yourself. But I want you to know that we're here for you, really."

You didn’t respond immediately, just stared at the floor, nervously fidgeting with your hands. There was so much you wanted to say, but the words seemed trapped, buried under layers of pain and distrust.

"You don't need to be afraid to open up," Maya continued. "I had a difficult past too, and it took me a long time to learn to trust people again. But I'm here to help you find your way, if you’ll let me."

Those words stayed with you for a while. Perhaps because, for the first time, someone seemed to understand what you were going through, without judgment, without expectations. You wanted to believe her, wanted to find a place where you could feel safe, but the fear was still greater.

As the weeks passed, you began to open up a bit more. It was still hard, but there were moments when you could see that Maya and Carina truly cared. They weren’t like the other families you had been with. They didn’t pressure you, didn’t ask invasive questions, and most of all, they respected your space.

Carina, especially, seemed to have a special talent for making you feel at ease. She always found a way to include you, whether it was inviting you to help in the kitchen or watching a movie together on the couch. There was something about her presence that was calming, as if she knew exactly when you needed space and when you needed company.

It was on one of those nights, when you were all sitting on the couch watching a movie, that you finally felt you could trust a little more. The movie had reached a particularly emotional scene, and suddenly, you felt a wave of sadness that you couldn’t control. It was as if all your emotions had been bottled up and were finally starting to escape.

Carina noticed the change in you immediately. "Are you okay?" she asked softly, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.

You tried to hide it, but the tears started rolling down your face before you could stop them. "Sorry," you mumbled, embarrassed. "I don't know what happened."

Maya, who was sitting next to you, immediately turned off the TV and faced you, her expression concerned. "You don’t need to apologize," she said firmly. "If you want to talk, we're here."

And it was then, maybe for the first time, that you felt the urge to share a bit of your story. There was so much pain, so much fear, that you carried inside, and suddenly, it felt like holding onto it alone was more than you could bear.

"My family... they were never good to me," you began, your voice trembling. "I was always the problem, the burden. They made me believe I was worthless."

Maya and Carina exchanged a glance, and both leaned in a little closer, not invading your space, but showing that they were there, that they were listening.

"I tried so hard... to be what they wanted me to be," you continued, the words flowing in a rush that seemed impossible to stop. "But nothing was ever enough. I just wanted to be loved, but I never was."

Maya felt a tightness in her chest as she heard this. She knew what it was like to feel that nothing you do is enough, that you never fit into others' expectations. "I understand," she said, her voice low but full of conviction. "I felt that way for a long time too. But I want you to know that you’re more than what they made you believe. You are important, and you deserve to be loved, just as you are."

Carina nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You're not alone," she added. "We're here for you, and we’ll get through this together."

Those words were like a balm on your wounded soul. For the first time in a long time, you began to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was a place for you, a place where you could be accepted and loved without conditions.

Over time, the barriers began to fall. Gradually, you started to trust Maya and Carina, to open up more about your past, about the pains and fears that still haunted you. And with each revelation, the two women showed you that they were there to support you, that you didn’t have to face it alone.

Maya, in particular, became a strong figure in your life. She taught you about resilience, about how to face challenges and keep moving forward, even when everything seemed to be falling apart. There was a quiet strength in her presence, a determination that inspired you to be stronger, to not let the past define you.

Carina, on the other hand, brought the warmth and understanding you so desperately needed. She was the one who always pulled you into a hug, who made you feel safe, protected. With her, you learned that there was nothing wrong with showing vulnerability, that you weren’t weak for needing help, for wanting love.

There was one night when you were all together in the kitchen preparing dinner that you finally felt like you belonged somewhere. You were laughing at a silly joke Carina had made while Maya tried, unsuccessfully, not to spill tomato sauce on the counter. It was an ordinary scene, but to you, it meant the world.

"This... this is what I always wanted," you said, almost without realizing it. When the words came out, there was a brief but meaningful silence.

Maya looked at you, surprised but also moved. "And this is exactly what we want to give you," she said, smiling. "A home, where you can be yourself, without fear."

Carina came closer and placed a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You're part of our family now," she said, her voice soft and full of love. "And no matter what happens, we’ll always be here for you."

Those words echoed inside you, bringing a sense of peace you hadn’t felt in a long time. For the first time, you began to believe that you could, indeed, be happy, that you could leave the past behind and build something new, something beautiful.

However, the journey wasn’t easy. There were moments when the past still held onto you tightly, trying to pull you back into the darkness. The memories of the yelling, the harsh words, and the looks of disdain would come without warning, paralyzing you with fear and uncertainty.

One night, you had a nightmare. You were back in your old house, surrounded by the voices that always reminded you how inadequate you were, how you would never be enough. You woke up sweating, your heart racing, and it took a few seconds to realize that you were in Maya and Carina's house, in the cozy room they had prepared for you.

Carina was the first to notice that something was wrong. She was in the hallway, on her way to the kitchen to get a glass of water, when she heard your sobs. Without hesitation, she entered your room and, seeing you sitting on the bed, trembling, her heart broke.

"Hey, I’m here," she whispered, sitting beside you on the bed and wrapping you in a tight embrace. "It’s okay, it was just a nightmare."

You tried to pull away, feeling embarrassed for being so shaken, but Carina didn’t let you. “You don’t need to pull away,” she said softly, holding you firmly. “You don’t need to go through this alone.”

Maya appeared at the door shortly after, concerned. When she saw the two of you, she quickly understood what was happening and joined Carina by your side. “You’re safe now,” she said, her voice firm but full of care. “We’re not going to let anything hurt you here.”

Those words were exactly what you needed to hear. The fear was still there, but their presence, the unwavering affection they showed, helped calm you down. You allowed yourself to relax, letting their comfort surround you, replacing the darkness with a sense of security.

It was one of those crucial moments when you realized you no longer had to fight alone, that there were people willing to carry this burden with you. And slowly, with their support, you began to find your balance, realizing that it was possible to move forward.

From that moment on, things began to change significantly for you. You still had difficult days, still faced the shadows of the past, but now there was light at the end of the tunnel. Maya and Carina’s presence was like a beacon, guiding you back to the surface every time you felt like you were drowning.

One of the most notable changes was in how you started to see yourself. Before, you always saw yourself as a burden, someone who didn’t deserve to be loved. But over time, with the patience and love you received from Maya and Carina, that view began to change. You started to see that you had value, that you deserved to be happy, that their love for you wasn’t out of obligation, but because they genuinely cared.

There was a day when all of this crystallized for you. You were all together in a park, on one of those rare sunny days in Seattle. Maya and Carina were playing with a dog they had recently adopted, while you watched from a distance, your heart filled with an emotion you couldn’t immediately identify.

It was happiness. Pure, simple, without the shadows that used to obscure everything. You realized that, despite all the difficulties, you were happy there, with them. For the first time in a long time, you felt at home, felt part of something bigger than yourself.

Carina noticed your distant look and approached, a soft smile on her face. “What are you thinking about?” she asked, sitting beside you.

You gave a shy smile, still getting used to the idea of sharing your thoughts so openly. “Just… I never thought I could feel like this,” you admitted. “Happy. Part of something.”

Maya, who had approached with the dog, heard your words and smiled, kneeling beside you. “You are part of something,” she said with conviction. “Part of our family.”

Those words resonated within you, bringing a sense of peace you hadn’t felt in a long time. “Thank you,” you said, feeling tears of gratitude begin to form. “For everything.”

Carina pulled you into a hug, quickly joined by Maya. And at that moment, you knew you were no longer alone. That you had finally found the place where you belonged.

Time passed, and the changes in you became increasingly evident. What had once been a protective shell was now transforming into a new confidence, a new way of seeing the world and seeing yourself within it.

Maya and Carina continued to be important pillars in your life, but now you were also starting to build your own foundations. At school, you began to stand out, finding in your studies a passion that had once seemed impossible. You made new friends, connected with other people who, like you, also had difficult stories but were trying to find their way.

One afternoon, while you were sitting at the kitchen table doing your homework, Maya came in and sat beside you. She looked at the papers spread out on the table and smiled. “You’re doing really well,” she said, her voice full of pride. “I knew you were capable of this.”

You smiled, still getting used to the praise. “I never thought I could,” you admitted. “But… with you both, everything seems possible.”

Carina, who was in the kitchen preparing dinner, looked at you and smiled warmly. “That’s because you are capable,” she said without hesitation. “You always were, you just needed someone to remind you of that.”

It was then that Maya looked at Carina, and something passed between them, a silent decision, as if they had been waiting for the right moment for what was to come. She turned to you, hesitant but determined. “Y/N,” she began, gently taking your hand and holding it delicately. “Carina and I have been thinking… we know that this experience as a foster family was temporary, but we don’t want it to end.”

Carina approached, sitting beside you. “We would like to know… if you would consider letting us officially adopt you,” she said, the hope and love clear in her voice. “We want you to be a permanent part of our family, if that’s what you also want.”

You were silent for a moment, absorbing what they had said. A mix of emotions passed through you—surprise, happiness, and an overwhelming sense of finally being loved and wanted. The idea of having a home, a place where you could always return, seemed like a distant dream. But there they were, offering exactly that.

With tears in your eyes, you finally found the words. “I’d love to,” you said, your voice choked with emotion. “More than anything.”

Maya and Carina smiled, both moving closer to envelop you in a tight hug. “So would we,” Maya whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Time passed, and you began to get used to the idea of being officially part of the DeLuca-Bishop family. The adoption process was initiated, and each step seemed to bring more security and happiness to all of you.

Finally, the day arrived. You were sitting in the living room with Maya and Carina when the postman delivered an envelope that you had all been eagerly awaiting. Carina opened the envelope, her hands trembling slightly with emotion. She took out the papers and looked at them before handing them to you, her eyes shining.

“It’s official,” she said, her voice soft and full of joy. “These are the adoption papers.”

Maya approached and put an arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer. “You’re officially Y/N DeLuca-Bishop now,” she said, smiling.

You looked at the papers in your hands, your eyes filling with tears. There was your name, Y/N DeLuca-Bishop, printed in black, clear letters, a tangible symbol that you finally had a home. A place where you belonged.

The tears flowed freely down your face, and you didn’t try to hide them. “I… I don’t know how to thank you,” you said, your voice breaking.

Carina pulled you into a hug, holding you tight. “You don’t need to thank us,” she whispered. “We’re a family, and families support, love, and take care of each other. That’s all we’ve ever wanted.”

Maya joined the hug, and in that moment, under the roof of the house that was now officially yours as well, you felt a wave of pure, true happiness. A new beginning, a new identity, and, most importantly, a new home—a home where you knew you would always be loved and accepted.

With your new name, Y/N DeLuca-Bishop, you knew you were ready to face the future. No matter what challenges might come, you now had a solid foundation, a family that loved you unconditionally. And that was all you needed.

The future was open and full of possibilities, and you knew, with the certainty that only true love can bring, that no matter what happened, you would always have a home to return to.

[hamcakevaletguy]

My thoughts on the Damien situation, from the POV of someone who’s relatively uninvolved with posting on social media:

As a newer fan of Smosh myself (I watched some videos in 2012, but haven’t really kept up since, and only started regularly watching the last year or so), I went through the backlog of content that they have because I enjoyed their more recent videos. Zayna, a newer Palestinian fan, did the same and found this joke in an old TNTL disappointing and wanted him to address it firsthand and make his stance clear.

For anyone saying Damien has already made it clear that he is in support of Palestine: it’s not a given that the fan who brought up the clip would have already known about Damien’s stance on Palestine. Yes, he’s talked about it in a couple of his streams and posted Insta stories about it, but a newer fan of Smosh, not necessarily Damien himself, wouldn’t know about those unless they were looking for it because they are:

temporary (IG stories only have a lifespan of 24 hours unless you take screenshots) or

a few minutes hidden under several hours of game streams on a separate platform (he talked about Palestine several months ago and has streamed a lot since, unless you know the specific Twitch stream and the timestamp when he talked about it or had clips of it, most casual fans wouldn’t know either)

In his defense, Damien himself has recently said that more fandom stuff has reached his timeline than he would like, so maybe he thinks more people know about his activism because of that. However, even if Zayna did know, wanting a straightforward statement apologizing for the insensitive joke (because bringing up the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict" [as it was called back in 2019, not accurate to what has been going on for 70+ years and counting, which is an ethnic cleansing] for shock value, as he himself said, is insensitive) is not an unreasonable request.

More under the cut

When all you have is 240 characters per reply, the things that you do choose to say matter even more. When you parse out everything in Damien's replies, he doesn't come out looking too good. Yes, he did apologize for the original joke. In his replies, he said:

using it as shock value was in poor taste and naive of him,

it was in poor taste back in 2019 and he wouldn't make it now

(in response to his first couple of replies) he is sorry for reacting in frustration and he'll learn from it,

and, in his final reply, his parting words were "With all my heart, I hope for safety for your loved ones. Be well."

However, he also says and does things that undermine his apology in the same replies:

questioning why the clip was brought up in the first place, as if bringing up old content wasn't something fans regularly do with things they're interested about and as if it's not still a public video fans can easily find,

bringing up that the fan in question had 19K followers, a fraction of the followers he has as a public figure,

saying that this conversation could have been done in private, as if an initial DM request wouldn't be buried in his other requests as a public figure, and as if he doesn't have the capability to start a DM himself to clarify things after the initial reply/post,

saying that the original tweets tagging him should have been deleted after his first response when he never asked for that, and just assumed it would happen for some reason,

deleting his replies a couple of hours later,

and blocking Zayna and several others who were only interacting with Damien through quote tweets (I'm not sure how quote tweets work, do they notify the OP?), some who don't even say anything remotely critical of him - in his defense, blocking is not inherently a bad thing, it just means that he doesn't want any further interactions from them for whatever reason. However, silencing any Palestinian voice isn't good, to say the least.

Damien has always been a proponent of “trying to understand and see from different perspectives” so his response here surprised me, personally. I get that he has a fear of being misunderstood, but jumping to the conclusion that the other party is purposefully trying to be incendiary is the opposite of that.

I'm not going to try to make excuses for him. He knows better. He's been a content creator for years. He knows he has more influence than any normal fan would. His autism is not a part of this conversation either. Mental illness is an explanation for behavior, it doesn't absolve you of the consequences of it. If you're citing Damien's autism as an excuse for his behavior, you have to also account for Zayna's autism.

People are also bringing up the possibility of Damien getting death threats as a result of this, which we have no proof of and won't have proof of unless Damien himself decides to disclose that. He has only stated that he is taking a social media break, which has been a long time coming, not necessarily only because of this, because he has been busy and tired in recent months. What we do know has happened is that Zayna has received death threats (weird of people to want the death of a Palestinian when the original argument they're defending Damien for is that he is in support of Palestinian liberation).

This isn’t an issue of cancel culture, it’s an issue of accountability and frankly, hero worship of Damien in the part of people attacking Zayna and other people on Twitter.

When the only people who had spoken about their support of Palestine in their own words, however briefly, are two or three cast members, some people are naturally going to put them on pedestals. This hero worship of Damien has been exacerbated by his image as the most politically correct member of Smosh, and Smosh’s (until recently) silence about the issue.

While we're at it, for people saying Smosh's sudden outward support for Palestine and joining Creators for Palestine is in response to backlash about Damien, or only in response to the block list going around:

It's only been a few days since the Damien's whole ordeal. Smosh is not that fast, and historically, their response to backlash would have been either complete radio silence or unlisting or privating the TNTL that the clip is from, combined with silence.

I’m sure Shayne, Ian and Courtney have been working on it for more than a few days, based on their liked posts, to get everything straightened out with the organization themselves and adding their names to the list of creators.

People have been asking for Smosh to be more public about their views on Palestine. Some of the cast members have said their piece on their personal social media, but their views could have changed. Those posts were made shortly after the events of October 7 brought even more media attention on Palestine and the Gaza Strip, which was not necessarily in favor of Palestine because of the effects of U.S. propaganda. It's been several months since then and people have a lot more information now, and more clarity.

Up until now, the only indication of Palestinian support not from social media is a brief statement from Ian who said something along the lines of "travel watermelon", while they were talking about their rejected roasts during Anthony's Funeral After Show in December, which are codewords that were used in TikTok for Free Palestine. However, this is heavily censored, behind a paywall, and temporary, because of the nature of their live shows. This support of CFP is the bare minimum of what Smosh could do, but the bare minimum is more than they were doing before.

They listed Smosh as the name under their $15,000 donation to CFP, not just Shayne, Courtney and Ian, which could be intentional, referring to Smosh as a whole company, or just referring to the three that have posted about it as a collective. Unless Smosh makes a full statement about it, themselves, it's still up in the air.

The timing of it is unfortunate. Damien has been silent about it so far, making his original posts about Palestine seem performative to some. However, it’s only been a few hours and he is on a social media break. The only thing he has briefly gone back online for is to promote something he's doing with Nintendo, which he could have been contractually obligated to do. He may or may not say something when he fully comes back from his social media break, but for now, that's everything we know. People can make their own conclusions based on all of this.

I am being very intentional with every single word I say on here, as to not be misconstrued in any way, however, if I missed anything or anyone else has anything to add (constructively, like images of either the actual conversation had by Damien and Zayna, or the cast and crew's support of Palestine prior to CFP, not outright anger and disagreement), please do. If anyone has any genuine questions about the situation, please feel free to message me directly and not bring it into this post, which is supposed to be a civil discussion surrounding more facts and events, less speculation. If I feel those questions have relevant points to add on here, I will add on in reblogs.

[d-romanov]

Do you do like self harm reader? Maybe wandanat are together and have adopted or just taken in a 16 year old 🤷‍♀️ idk am in one of those moods but I get if it makes you uncomfortable or triggers you or something!

Love your writing btw!

even when we're goin' under.

[ 1.2k words ]

[ natasha x teen!reader ]

summary: it's a bad habit, but it helped at first and now you can't stop. natasha offers comfort and understanding.

notes: hi! ty so much for the prompt 🫶 sorry i took so long to write it. this fic leans more towards vent fic and i definitely won't write things like this often. i switched it up a bit cause that's just how i wrote it. so, sorry no wandanat this time

TW!!: semi-graphic descriptions and discussion of self harm, past abuse (hydra/the red room it's vague)

this fic is heavy!! please don't read if you're triggered by self harm. stay safe and take care of yourselves ♥️

It started with an itch.

A small biting at the back of your neck, the sides of your arms, the inner sides of your thighs.

It wasn't a real itch, that you knew, but you were compelled to scratch anyways.

It always happened after a long day. The stress and overload of your senses would hit at the end of the day, and you felt like ripping your skin off.

The biting never went away. No matter how hard you scratched, your dull nails never did enough. A nervous habit of biting your nails left them too short to do any real damage to your skin, even when the itch felt bone deep.

There were other times it would start up again. After a particularly clear nightmare, a flashback to a kill you had no conscious part in. The guilt sunk your heart to your feet and filled your veins with poison. Burning and itching and begging to be released, begging for relief.

You found your relief, of all places, while cooking. A misguided blade chopping vegetables had nicked your hand, and in the bite of pain and rush of blood your skin stopped burning. You hadn't thought about it too hard in the moment, but when the itch returned later you finally had a way to get it out.

--

It went on for a few weeks. Far more than you intended.

It was a temporary solution, a quick fix. A messy fix that layered you skin with more scars than had already been there, but they felt better.

It was easier to reconcile to new marks on your flesh, because these came from you. Not a beating or a fight or experiment of any kind.

No. These new, thin, horizontal lines along your shoulders were purely your creation.

It was stupid. A terrible habit, bordering addiction because you just couldn't stop. Every time, that same burning itch came back, practically with a vengeance. A burning, blistering want to be released, for the guilt to be acknowledged, for some self punishment?

You no longer understood why it happened, just that it did and cutting yourself dulled the feeling and cleared your head.

--

You tried to hide it, for a while, but you were caught out eventually.

You didn't know what had changed, what part of you has suddenly raised alarm in Natasha's eye, but she was somehow even more perceptive than she usually was.

You'd always been close with the redhead, since the day you entered the tower. She got you through the hardest parts of adjusting, the loneliness of a widow adjusting to a semi-normal life. She cared for you like her own child.

So really, she'd be the first to notice your withdrawing. The baggier shirts with longer sleeves, the subtle hunch, the flinch when something grazed your shoulders. Of course she knew something was wrong.

--

It comes to a head one day. You've locked yourself in the bathroom after a nasty night terror left you panicking for the better part of an hour. Hastily cleaning and covering the new cuts on your arm. The sting of antiseptic grounds you and the smell of it drowns out the smell of iron.

You reach for your discarded hoodie when you hear a knock at your bedroom door. Your heart rate picks up.

The only person who would be at your door this early in the morning would be Natasha. The only person in the tower who's so in tune with your feelings well-being that she has to know what you've been doing almost daily for nearly 3 weeks.

"y/n? Honey, I need to talk to you."

A few more tries and your bedroom door opens. You quickly throw on your hoodie but you can't bring yourself to even unlock the bathroom door. Natasha is just outside. You hold your breath.

"y/n?"

"Yeah?" You ignore the croak in your voice.

"Can you open the door?" She asks softly.

You don't want to, but you're so tired of hurting. You shakily unlock the door and open it, not meeting her eyes. Unconsciously, you tug your hoodie sleeves over your hands.

Natasha doesn't say another word. She barely moves, she just breathes softly and keeps her body relaxed. You feel like crying.

You blink and traitorous tears escape your eyes. Natasha brings her hands up slowly and pulls you in. The rough feel of fabric pulls against the fresh cuts on your shoulder and you flinch as she pulls you in.

"Oh, детка."

Your breath hitches and you fall into her arms. She squeezes you tight to her chest while your body is wracked by silent sobs.

"I-, I'm sorry," You can barely get the words out, but you need her to know. You need her to know you wanted to stop and you couldn't because even when you felt better you still felt awful and it never helped. "I tried to stop. I-I wanted to-"

"I know, малыш, I know." She sits the two of you on the bed behind her, stroking your hair and never once letting go.

You just sit for a while. Natasha's solid form and gentle words of encouragement help to calm you down. Enough to pull back, wipe the snot and tears from your face and prepare yourself for her inevitable questions.

"Can I see?"

Whatever you were expecting, it wasn't that. You hesitantly pull off your hoodie, and Natasha reaches out to help when the fabric catches uncomfortably on still-drying blood.

You feel exposed while Natasha moves to your bathroom. She comes back out with your first aid kit but you still refuse to meet her eyes.

You know what she sees. Angry lines of red, criss-crossing over old and new scars. In the back of your mind you hear a voice like Madame call you weak minded.

Broken.

With a tender hand, Natasha treats your self-inflicted wounds, cleans them softly and kisses each new bandage. She presses one final kiss, feather-light on your forehead. You let your tired body fall into her again.

"I know it feels good, in the moment," Her hands comb through your hair again, smoothing and braiding it mindlessly. "It doesn't really last though, does it?"

you shake your head, butting her chin lightly in the process.

"I can't ask you to stop, I know it doesn't work that way," You feel her take a deep breath and you copy the motion. "But will you tell me? The next time you feel the need?"

You shrug, because you truly don't know. "I'll try." It's as much a promise to her as it is to yourself.

It's really the best you can do, in the moment, and Natasha gladly accepts the answer.

Later, when you aren't so emotionally and physically drained, Natasha will sit you down again. She'll talk you into therapy, or at least to trying it out. She'll help you process your guilt, your grief, all with a steady hand holding your wrist. A promise not to let go.

But for now, Natasha pulls you under messy covers and holds you close, humming an old Russian lullaby as you settle against her.

As you drift off, you hear one more promise.

"I'm always here for you, y/n. I'm not going anywhere."

[differenteagletragedy]

First part takes place at the end of Step 3 after Baxter leaves, the second takes place at the end of Baxter’s epilogue before the party. Probably OOC for Derek but Baxter got off too easy

"Ok, give me a noun."

"Idiot."

"... an adjective?"

"Stupid."

Derek couldn't help but let out a little sigh, putting his pen down. He'd been trying to cheer you up by creating the highly anticipated sequel to BabyCastle, but you weren't giving it your all. He was way too polite to ever say it, but you were actually being kind of a bummer.

He had found time in his busy schedule to make it out to Sunset Bird -- his last trip before he left for his freshman year of college. Cove couldn't get out of work, so he couldn't join you until later, so the two of you were spending time together in your bedroom. It would have been fun if you'd felt capable of having fun. Unfortunately, you were still very much nursing a broken heart.

It had only been two days since Baxter had left his summer rental -- and apparently your life. You'd understood his terms, that your relationship wouldn't be forever, but you never thought that he wouldn't want to even be friends. How hard was it to text every once in a while? Very hard for zebra-themed assholes, it turned out.

"Y/n?"

You looked up at him and guilt washed over you. You rarely got to see Derek, and here he was, right in front of you, and you were letting that fancy pants jackass ruin your time. It wasn't right.

"I'm sorry," you said softly. "I'm just kind of sad."

"Hey, it's ok," he said quickly, scooting your desk chair to get closer to you. "I know how much you liked him. I've got to say, sounds like he turned out to be kind of a douchebag though."

"Right?" you asked, then stopped yourself. "But I don't want this whole day to be about him. That sucks."

He smiled tenderly at you, saying, "It's really ok. You can talk about your feelings, I can listen. That's always been the case since we became friends, and it's not going to change now that I'm leaving."

You hesitated, then started talking. About what Baxter had meant to you, about the feelings you didn't mean to develop for a relationship you knew was temporary but that took root fast anyway. How you felt like absolute trash when he said there was no reason to keep in touch, just used and tossed aside like nothing.

Derek listened intently, throwing in some trash talk when necessary but mostly just letting you get it all out. When you were spent, feeling a little lighter after letting everything out, he said something that surprised you.

"Want me to beat him up?"

"Derek!" you half-gasped, half-laughed. It wasn't something you'd expect from him -- he was all manners and understanding, not one for violence whatsoever.

"What?" he asked, stretching and pretending to crack his knuckles. "I could get in a few good licks. One good punch even. Take Mr. Fancy Pants down a notch."

"He's gone to Virginia for school, how are you going to beat him up from all the way over here?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way," he answered solemnly.

You started laughing, and he brightened as well, continuing to describe all the ways in which he'd find Baxter and clobber him for what he'd done to you. His ideas got sillier and sillier, and your mood got better and better. The mood stayed upbeat for the rest of your time together -- it was a good send-off for your old friend.

*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*\~*

Five years later, that night was a distant memory. You couldn't even imagine feeling so much animosity towards Baxter -- well, you could, easily in fact, but none of those bad feelings had remained.

You had been reunited with Baxter, the unexpected wedding planner that Jude and Scott had hired out of desperation. After a difficult few days, he had finally opened up to you, explained more about why he was the way he was and why he’d done the things he’d done. You hadn’t wanted to forgive him so easily, but he was as charming as ever, even more handsome than you remembered, and before you could reel yourself in you were sleeping in his bed.

It was the last full day of your trip — the next day you’d be headed home. You were spending the first part of the day with Baxter, going for a walk in the city and keeping an eye out for an old friend.

Derek was never that close to Miranda or her family, so of course he hadn’t been invited to the wedding. You did see him earlier in the summer when you came for Father’s Day, but it felt silly to be in the same city as him without at least meeting up for a chat.

The days leading up to the wedding, and truthfully the day after too, were so hectic that you hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Derek about Baxter, and you didn’t mention the development when you’d texted him briefly that morning about where you’d meet. You remembered him not being too fond of the idea of Baxter after he’d broken your heart, and you thought it might be best to surprise him with the news of your reunion so he didn’t get too deep in his thoughts about it all.

It turned out that was the wrong thing to do.

“So what does this Derek look like?” Baxter asked as you casually strolled along waiting for him.

“Real beefy,” you answered, “Brown hair, green eyes, probably wearing some form of athletic wear.”

“Would that be him?”

You looked to where he was pointing and he’d nailed it on the first try — there was Derek, making his way through the other people moving around the city straight to you, smiling wide.

“Derek’s back!” you cheered — possibly an overused line, but a classic nonetheless.

You hugged him tight as Baxter stood back, politely waiting for an introduction. When you let go of Derek and gave him one, your friend looked at you in confusion.

“Baxter?” he asked, then leaned down to quietly ask “That skunky son of a bitch?”

“Yep, that’s the one,” you laughed, and before you launch into an explanation of what happened, Derek launched his fist and punched your boyfriend directly in the face.

Baxter fell flat on his ass. He was graceful, sure, but he wasn’t tough, and Derek was strong. He lifted a hand to his face, a bit dazed, and you saw that the punch had landed on his jaw.

While you were still processing what had happened, Derek extended a hand down to Baxter to help him up.

“That’s for five years ago,” he explained in his usual tone, no real malice in his voice. “I sort of made a big deal about how I’d do that if I ever saw you.”

Baxter paused before hesitantly taking Derek’s hand. He easily pulled him up to a standing position, then gave him a smile.

“I do admire a man of his word,” Baxter said, straightening his shirt.

The three of you stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Baxter rubbed his jaw again, and Derek didn’t look entirely displeased with himself.

“So what’s new?” Derek finally came up with.

You bit back a laugh and rubbed Baxter’s back lightly.

“A lot.”

[demonsfate]

maybe somewhat controversial but saw somethin on a confessions blog saying this and i guess i do kinda miss when rping felt... sillier at times? like with both the existence of magic anons & dash commentaries. things just feel Stricter or More Serious now? not sure how to put it. dash commentaries do still happen, but not as frequently as i used to. like GOSH, i remember 5+ years ago, i'd have my character saying something bizarre and it would BLOW the entire dashboard up. like almost all my mutuals would be commenting on it, a lot of "silly drama" would happen because of it. some would agree with my muse, some would prosecute them. that doesn't really happen anymore. though, i also understand. i get that ppl have boundaries, but sometimes it really feels like you have to walk on eggshells lest you upset somebody.

i recalled one time this character was just being AWFUL to mine (mine who has done nothing wrong lol) just hurling insults, mistreating them, whateves. so y'know, there were dash commentaries about this and it eventually lead to the other mun getting very upset that their character was being "villainized". and it's like ... don't ... write an antagonistic muse if you don't want that? or the very least, don't write them BEING antagonistic toward innocent people? i mean, when ppl's muses & anons used to bully abaddon, i actually loved it. because indeed deserved it, he's a horrible horrible person who mistreats and kills the innocents. and plus it's just fun ok? i love conflict - regardless if it's angsty, serious, or silly conflict.

and magic anons... i get it can be a flawed concept. (ppl can send their Thinly Disguised Fetishes in it - not that i care but obvs other ppl would rightfully care) but i still thought it was very fun because it's like temporary or mini aus. it plunges characters into otherwise impossible scenarios and then give you new thread concepts based on those scenarios. i'd say even to this day, i still accept magic anons. but that feels pointless to say because they're virtually nonexistent anymore.

this was all i was gonna discuss in this post, but i can also understand why the rpc is often... less engaging anymore? why we have a problem with communication, why we have a problem with less anons being sent out. this isn't a generalization, of course - there are other reasons why this happens. but this is something i've personally experienced in the past, and it makes me think it could be the same for other people. it's just the fear of being blown up at, again - upsetting somebody.

i've seen people be legit hateful towards the anons they get A LOT. like an old rper i've stopped writing with would literally call the anons "assholes" and trying to "ruin fun" because the anons would just comment on the threads or ask questions regarding the threads? and it's like i thought that was supposed to be a common thing... anons like that just help add insight to how the muse is feeling regarding a thread or somethin. but the way they reacted was so unnecessary hostile? when they could've politely told anons to stop or just... fucking deleted the anons like lmao. and it's not just this too but i've seen other people just react bitterly to certain anons they get. or this one time where somebody REQUESTED for CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM and i sent an anon giving my criticism, can't remember quite what it was but obvs i said nothing mean or insulting - i just told them a problem i noticed and gave tips on how they could possibly improve (AGAIN, THEY ASKED FOR THIS) and they later went on their blog talking about how they got ANON HATE???? HELLO????? so yeah, i understand not liking certain anons you get or whatever. but ppl react to them with so much hostility, that it makes everyone else afraid to send anons anymore because they'd rather say nothing than upset the user, especially if they're gonna be potentially villainized for something that is virtually harmless.

then there is just talking to people ooc. hell, i've had somebody who followed one of my old blogs (this was like a few years ago iirc?) and their rules had that blood was one of their triggers. so i told them that i tag that so they don't have to worry and they literally said something like "I didn't ask you to :/" and that's it??? and then they were just rude to me the entire convo until we eventually unfollowed lol. not to mention all the skype & discord contacts i add over the years and then we just stop talking in no time...

anyway, i'm not saying everyone is like this at all! there are MANY super cool people in the rpc, many people i have a lotta fun writing with here. but when you look back at all the bad experiences, or even looking at the bad experiences at are currently unfolding, it makes more and more sense why a lotta the "silly" rp aspects that ceased to exist. why there are no more magic anons, and why dash commentary & anons in general are becoming more and more scarce.

it was this post that inspired me to talk about this. which i actually don't agree with everything op said. in fact, i wouldn't even say the primary issue of current threads is romance or smut. more so, i noticed that fluff / slice of life threads with no conflict is what makes up for most threads nowadays it seems lmao. which is also understandable, because again - it's a popular known issue within the rpc that it's hard to have conflict in threads, lest somebody legit gets their feelings hurt OOC!!! hell, this has happened to me a few times because i often play antagonistic muses. which again, is another issue that makes people feel like they're constantly walking on eggshells. but anyway, it just inspired me to think about and discuss this.

[ask-the-shichibukai]

I have a question for Mihawk. Do you have kids and why are they Roronoa Zoro and Perona?

Mihawk: First of all, I'll have you know that if you want to ask something pertaining my emotional side there are specific forms to fill out before. Besides, the request must be sent to Humandrill #1 with at least three months in advance (as to give me the time to feign ignorance of ever having received the question). Anyway, I'll humor your question this time, but know that I feel personally attacked in my reputation as a cold and unfeeling man.

I didn't want kids. I lived 41 years of my life without them and I firmly thought I'd keep doing the same until the day when some idiot finally managed to understand how a sword works and came to kill me for my title. I didn't choose to live in a haunted building in a desert island where the only living beings other than me are murderous baboons (still more intelligent than most of my "colleagues") because I wanted kids. I didn't.

They just ... came to me. Literally. I'm kind of touched that Kuma trusted me with them as his last will. He had always nagged me about my "excessive tendency to exclude humankind from my worldview", but it was still a bit of a surprise for me to come home after a day such as the Battle of Marineford and actually find myself with two noisy and moronic young people who looked at me as if they were lost puppies. So I did what every other reasonable man would've done.

I adopted them.

Look at this and pity me.

I just couldn't resist them, although I did try. I had to give them a place to hide and become stronger together, however temporary the refuge would be. After a while, they had grown on me like climbing plants or a contagious flu. I got distracted for just a moment and found myself happy cooking a recipe we heard in a cooking show with Perona or keeping Zoro from actually find the One Piece on his way to my bathroom.

I feel proud of them, for how strong they have become and for the fact they both have proudly adopted a black palette for their style (I suffered seeing all those mismatched striped monstrosities they liked to put on at the beginning). I know my next fight with Zoro won't be the same after all the times I scolded him for not doing his share of the dishes, but I won't lose my title to anyone else. And I hope Perona will get to reunite with Moria if this really makes her happy. Don't tell her I said so because she'd become insufferable and I'd never hear the end of it.

These two years felt like twenty because those two little shits were a handful, but I wouldn't change them for anything in the world. So, yes, you can say that those two idiots are my kids, even if it physically pains me to admit it out loud.

I blame you for forcing me to say it.

...

Perona: Do you know that talking to people about your kids for six whole paragraphs is what old dads do, right?

Mihawk: Perona, go back to your room. You didn't read anything of what I said.

Perona: I read everything and I don't regret anything. We are proud of you, too, for being able to go from the emotional opossum you were before to a relatively functional human being in less than two years.

Zoro: Mihaaaawk, I finally mastered Enma, come here and spar with me!

Mihawk: Remember your manners, young man. You don't demand a spar from someone, you ask for it. And I'll still wipe the floor with you, don't get ahead of yourself. Perona, you and I will have words about reading other people's askbox later.

Zoro & Perona: Yes, dad.

[behindthewox]

Hello, Andrew here. This blog article was sent to me and I can assure you that this is not correct information but a reaction likely of those who were involved. This information likely stems from previous MoM or HM themselves, I guess, seeing that they have been banned properly recently (which I am only stating because you already stated it yourself, otherwise I would not give away who is or is not banned)

When I took over I made it very clear in an NB post that the harrassment of users, witch hunt on site, and generally toxic and disrespectful behaviour needs to stop. Everyone is more than welcome to share opinions, but this was not that, this was simply insanely rude behaviour that was based on wrong information given by the MoM/HM to the other leaders of WoP, who then compiled their letter. Which is also the reason why after all of this these other site leaders were put back into their positions after everything was cleared up.

I have banned a total of 4 people from 800-900 actives at the time for continuing their disrespectful behaviour and outright slandering (one of them later on) despite my very clear warning in the article (I was surprised that it was only so few, but almost everyone was just glad to be able to enjoy the website again). I also made an effort to respond to each single comment transparently and open minded. Many of the people who removed content or joined that group hype have talked to me, told me their opinions, and gave me the opportunity to work on their missing trust together. I am on good terms with almost all of the old staff with maybe 5 exceptions (MoM, HM for being the reason this went down and one old staff on bad terms; the other two people I am neutral towards as I never spoke with them and don't know their thoughts) Every old staff member who reached out to me has their own experiences and opinioms and don't always agree with me, but they are more than valued and often play important roles in our staff as well - whether student or grad. In fact, I really enjoyed every single talk with them and appreciate anyone who reached out despite their fear of rejection, as that takes a lot of courage

The old MoM and HM were banned later on, yes, you can feel free to ask them for the exact reason I put in. The previous behaviour of theirs is unwelcome on site, and they created a horrible environment for people at the time this happened, just because of a "money grabbing" feature that was completely changed back anyway for other reasons. One of them was still logging in on alt for reasons I don't really understand, because they made sure everyone knew their hate towards Dan and the site. So why log in almost regularly even after almost a year? I guess I know why ,but that is just an assumption, so I will not voice it here

Aside from that, if you paid attention to the site development, you would also see that since then (but not because of that), new users got free VIP, people with jobs get discount, linking accounts gets a whole 50% discount, and such

I am mostly replying to clear some things up because I don't enjoy reactions that are based on false facts. I wanted to stay on WoP US as a temporary solution, but the community has been loving and welcoming, which was really unexpected considering the circumstances they went through

This is something that happened almost a whole year ago now, I even unbanned one of the 4 bans that took place when I took over, so technically it is only 3

I hope that this could clear up confusion and misunderstanding. I would like to see this message public because I am mostly writing it for the very few that might end up seeing it. Considering the nature of this post, you already made up your mind about me and that is okay. But I want to give my insight first hand, as I don't enjoy someone trying to slander my name based on more accusations of those people who were banned for false accusations in the first place

Magical regards,

Andrew Sutherland (WoP US)

By the way, I am only asking this anonymously because of privacy concerns regarding this account (never use Tumblr anyway)

Added in a later message: "Andrew here again, please add this xD I saw that you have made clarifications regarding there possibly being more to these accusations, my response was mainly aimed towards the person asking the question, but I do admit that I thought that that message was originally from you, the blog writer, and only saw your response later on (I am not used to tumblr and on phone it doesnt show all on one screen, oops). Just wanted to clarify that as it may explain some wording of mine!"

No hard feelings on my side, thanks for the clarification! If I can share both sides of the story, that is what I want to do and you've allowed me to share yours. It's greatly appreciated and I hope this clears the air a little bit.

NOTE: I can't verify if this person is who they say they are, the anonymous submissions are anonymous to me as well. I have no reason to doubt or suspect that it's someone else writing in their name, but I want to note that with anonymity there is a risk of abuse and impersonation. I don't think that's the case here though.

[echantedtoon]

Demon Bride Ch36 Demons Are Strange

(Warnings!!: Enmu IS his own warning, possibly some innuendos, and blood being drawn.)

"I'm sorry I kissed you without asking...That was wrong of me."

"Don't apologize. I thought the kiss was cute."

"O-Ok...I'm...also sorry for just dumping all of that on you. I understand if you don't want to see me again."

"I DO want to see you again. And I want Rui to be able to see you too. Don't apologize for being honest with me."

Akaza had taken nearly an hour to get himself together after that surprise kiss, and you took the long moment to process the shock of that being the second kiss someone gave YOU in one day. By now Akaza seemed better. Rui was cradled fast asleep in his arms and Akaza didn't give one complaint about cradling the eleven year old in his arms, in anything else he seemed content to hold onto him. Which lead to him just quietly staring at Rui for a bit...

"...He doesn't seem to hate me. I'm relieved to know that I guess," he mumbled.

You were confused at this. "Why would he hate you? He's literally calling you his father now."

"....He knows what I did to his actual father.''

You paused stunned for a moment.. before blinking. "What? How do you know that?"

"When we were traveling he awoke while you were asleep one night. He refused to sleep again unless I made up a story about something random I thought of....But he said something I haven't mentioned up til now." Rui mumbled in his sleep as Akaza shifted him to stand. "He said the reason why I was sent to the mountains was to free him...I never told him I went to his Clan's home, which meant he must've seen me there at one point and...knew what I've done." ....He silently stood up still looking at the sleeping child in his arms. "But he doesn't seem to hold that against me.."

"Probably for good reason." You also stood looking at the scene in front of you. It seemed almost domestic. "...I can't say what exactly his relationship was with his other family was, but he seemed to have a pretty bad relationship with both his parents. You doing what you did might've been the kindest thing anyone's ever done for him in his mind. ...That might be why he imprinted on you specifically out of everyone."

He scrunched his brows in thought considering what you said for a moment before sighing. "Still...I deprived not only him, but all those other children of that father. That being the case... I'll have no other choice but to fill that position for Rui." He nodded. "But he's not the only one.. I'll have to speak with..." He grimaced and nearly growled with his next words. "..Douma, about placing a positive male figure in those other children's lives. Not him mind you, but perhaps their mother could remarry or we could find a male they could imprint onto until they get older." He hummed again. "...I'll have to work on that while I temporary take over Kokushibo's work."

You again blinked. "You'd go though all the trouble of finding his brothers and sisters a father?"

"I'll figure something out. But I think in the meantime I'd better be going. Kokushibo was supposed to be looking into a string of recent murders, but I'll have to go instead." He looked around the darkened room. "Where is he sleeping?"

"Over there." You pointed to a connecting door to your room. "He has his own room through there."

Akaza nodded before turning  to the door and you watched as it slid open with him disappearing inside, a moment later Akaza returned with a sigh from his lips. "He's been put to sleep. It's late so it's no surprise he fell asleep."

You nodded. "Yeah. He's not the only one tired. I think I'll turn in too."

"I'd imagine....Y/n, listen. If..you really don't want me to court you, I'll respect your wishes and take back my gift. I'll no longer court you and I will respect whomever you choose to be with."

Your eyes widened... before you sighed. "I don't know what I want to do Akaza. I really like you and some of the others but It's too soon to make a decision. But if you want to court me..I guess everyone can until I make my final choice."

"REALLY?!..I mean-.." He coughed covering the excitement earlier.  "Yes. I will keep that in mind." You chuckled at his antics but stopped when a hand of his pulled your bangs back. "....Good night, Y/n. I'll try to see you again soon."

And he left you standing there blinking at the place he once stood.. Before you sighed a pink coming over your face and your hands ran over your face. You had too much on your mind. Right now what  you needed was a good night's sleep and that futon looked very inviting to your mind. Walking over, you nearly face planted into the soft blankets and allowed the deep cushions to encase your body eyes closing. You'd think about what to do this tomorrow for now you'd just sleep just take you away from all your problems. The darkness enveloped as your eyelids closed and the night took a hold of your senses.

"My Lady. Wake up, My Lady. You need to get up now."

You groaned out again from someone prodding your shoulder and opened your eyes up to not one but three fancily dressed up lady demons smiling down at you. ".....I already said I don't want servants." You grumbled turning to your side to show your back towards them all and throwing the blanket over your head. "And Im sleeping in right now. So don't bother me."

"But Lady Y/n, you have gifts from the nobles,"  one insisted pushing on your shoulder again making you groan and poke your eyes out.

"What?" 

"Your gifts, Your Ladyship," one of them smiled at you wider. "It's customary to gift things whenever a Kizuki gets engaged to make the new lady feel welcome, and you're the only one here."

More gift giving? Why? You were planning to leave here soon, you couldn't have all these things when you do go. Your exposed eyes crinkled up in slight annoyance. You couldn't even sleep in around here? What were things coming too? You barely blinked when one of those smiling faces shoved a bright blue box in your face.

"A gift from the lady Iko from the Watoshi family! They're responsible for the manufacturing of most beauty products we use! I'm sure she sent you something splendid!"

"....Open it and tell me what's inside."

Not surprising it was make up. You sat up groggily but quickly woke up when you saw the pile of boxes literally behind them. They were all smiles and giggles- Rui was digging through them and pulling out a couple. He pulled it open, looked at the insides, and made a face before harshly shoving it back in the pile at random only to grab another.

"Rui." Said child looked at you with a pink box in his hands. "What are you doing?'

He simply shook the pink box in his hands and looked at it. "I'm taking the ones I want. Most of these things are just kimonos that won't fit me." You watched as he opened the pink box and peered inside, only to reach inside and pull out a small wall mirror surrounded by a frame of gold. "....This one's going in my room."

You huffed a chuckle. "Be my guest. Take anything you want. It's only fair since you came here with me."

"Excuse me, Lady," One of the girls spoke with a concerned look. "Is that a good idea? These gifts are meant to be for you."

"And I said he can have what he wants. It's not like I can do a lot with a mirror." What were you going to do with it? Just stared at your reflection all day? If Rui wanted a few things he could have them. He deserved some things too after everything he's been through- "WHOA! HEY!" Your hand flew to your head and you snapped your eyes around to one of the ladies welding a brush in one hand who had touched your hair. "What are you doing?"

She blinked her three eyes at you. "Doing..your hair?" She asked unsure. "You have horrible bed head." 

"I can do that myself thank you," you spoke calmly holding up your hand, "Also I'd appreciate it if you asked me first before touching my head. I'm not keen on stranger's touching me without asking." You looked around the place and caught another woman holding up a kimono to you while a third held another box. "... Where's breakfast?"

"We must get you ready first, Your Ladyship," the one holding the kimono said holding the many, many layered kimono up to you insistently. "There's lots to do today."

"Like what?"

"There's the unwrapping of your gifts of course and more is coming in as we speak!" An arm tugged on yours as she tried to get you out of bed. 

"Then there's all the letters of gratitude you have to write back in thanks!" Another hand tugged on your hair again. "And you've been invited by seven families for tea. You need to sort out the dates you will meet them." You jerked your head back as two other hands shoved their way past the hair and tugged on your face. "There's also your introduction to high society and the tutors who'll be teaching you everything you need to know."

"Know?!" Your vision became fuzzy as you felt boxed in. "Know what?"

"How to carry yourself in high society of course. Your manners now are unbecoming of a lady of your caliber. It's obvious you've never had a proper tutor to teach you proper manners." "Or how to properly dress yourself." "Or have the correct manners and attitude to match your position. Don't worry. Miss Yoko will ensure your new self will be the envy of any man-" 

"Get OFF of me!!" 

The women all screamed as a blanket was suddenly thrown up into the air and on top of them. Taking the chance you scrambled in the panic out of the bed and crawled along the floor towards the sliding door.

"Mother? Ah!"

A box of expensive looking handkerchiefs fell from his hands as a stronger hand grabbed hold of his arm on instinct and flying he went dragged away by a running form dashing out the sliding door with a bang and into the hallway you fled.

"MY LADY!! WAIT!!"

You ignored their calls of coming back in favor of running down the fancily decorated hallways across the place passing by paintings and rugs and shining things that sparkled so much it nearly blinded you. You passed by other demons who carried objects or heavily scrubbed everything to keep it polished up. They all looked towards you but you ran right past and around them. 

"Mother! I haven't had breakfast yet!"

You weren't able to hear what he said as you sharply turned a corner and still ran past surprised faces that glanced at you. Exit. Exit. Exit. Screamed your mind as they ran and ran and ran.  Where was it?! Where was it?! Your head felt clouded and full of fog as your feet moved. You ran! Ran out of  that room. That situation. That...From those women. Along the shiny decor. Past surprised faces of perfectly fancy demons polishing everything and anything to keep it shining. Past paintings and rugs and things so shiny that they blinded your eyes as you ran Rui in tow. EXIT. EXIT. EXIT-

THERE IT WAS.

A giant sliding door stood there after another twist of a hallway and your feet bolted towards it. The giant door flew open and out across the docks two figures ran. Across the maze of docks illuminated by glowing blue water as you left it all behind as you ran. Koi fish darting away as you stepped. You were nearly there. Nearly towards the end of the docks-

You tripped.

On a board that was slightly higher than the others, just sticking out there enough to catch your foot on. Losing your balance and falling over. Your hand losing its grip on Rui. Purple eyes's fear illuminated by blue moonlight shining from the water. It's rippling surface allowing you to see just how deep your watery grave would be. Eyes snapped shut.

....But there was no splash?

You felt as if you suspended in mid air. Not a thing holding-...No. wait a second. There WAS a a grip on you. A hard grip was square in the middle of your back holding onto your kimono and dangling you from the side of the dock. What the?...You opened your eyes to gaze at the sparkling, rippling water's surface glowing back to you completely bewildered.

"I know I wanted you to fall for me, but I fear maybe you're over doing it, Begonia.~"

...You knew that voice. Your head turned up over your shoulder and met very familiar real colored eyes. 

"Now what could scare you so badly that you'd jump into the water?," Enmu cooed at you tilting his head. 

....You sighed. "Get me back on dry land and I'll tell you." Surprisingly he did. You were lifted up and back onto your own two feet. Before reaching around to shoo his hand away from your back which he chuckled at. "Thank you for helping me but what are you doing here?"

"In light of a new situation, I've been ordered to investigate an important scientific matter ordered by the Master himself ~," he purred with a wide smile at you. "So I'll be staying here until the matter is settled. Lord Muzan has been gracious enough to let me use his own laboratory.~"

"That's nice but why are you here? Are you here to see Hantengu as well?"

Enmu actually giggled giddily holding a cheek. "No silly.~ I'm staying at the Kizuki Dwell until my assignment is finished. I'm here to make arrangements for my room. But ..I admit there are other reasons as well."

"Oh?... What's that?"

"I need another sample of your blood."

"....Excuse me?" 

"There's been a recent development of your blood tests,'' he explained with a smile, "Apparently more and more people smell only a certain type of flower from you. I asked around and apparently Kokushibo links hydrangea to you. And Douma was under the impression that you stink of lotus blossoms when you first met. However they're not the only ones. I spoke to Hantengu's sons while they were imprisoned. All five of them think you smell like aster blooms."

"Really?" You weren't shocked by this point but it was surprising to you...Wait. Kokushibo DID mention Hydrangeas when you both spoke yesterday. "Why is this happening so much?"

"I think I have an idea but I just need a little bit more time to run a few more tests to be absolutely certain what I think is happening to you is in fact happening. You'll need to be a little more patient. But enough about me right now." He tilted his head looking your disheveled form up and down. "....You look a mess. Like you just survived being chased by an animal.~ What's happened to my dear Y/n-chan?~"

You opened your mouth to speak-

"MADAM Y/N!! WHERE ARE YOU?!,"A distant woman's voice wailed.

Enmu blinked as something dove behind him, gripping onto his shoulders and he tilted his head amused at your form peeking over his shoulder and Rui tilted his body watching carefully. "Ah. I see the problem. Oh poor darling.~"  A hand cooed reaching up to pat your own hand sarcastically amused. ''Did the servants' over enthusiasm scare you?~"  

"They want to subject me to hell!," You hissed at him making him chuckle more. "It's NOT funny! I just told them I didn't want servants and I woke up to three women trying to dictate what I did! I wasn't even served breakfast first!" 

"Neither was I. I'm hungry, Mother."

"Rui as well!!" He chuckled again and you frowned stepping to the right to stand next to him and face his smile. "It's no laughing matter. Rui needs proper nutrition provided to him if I want him to remain healthy." You tilted your head. "Isn't that what you said he needed? He needed proper care especially food to safely take his medicine?"

This time Enmu did hum. "....You have a fair point. And it's strange that they would do that."

"Do what?"

"Not serve you dear son food. They're supposed to care for the both of you..not just you, and blatantly ignoring your requests your first night here.." he hummed deeply squinting his eyes. "Interesting."

"Is that bad?"

"It's certainly strange. Right now you rank higher than they are and yet they blatantly deny the boy despite his new position and the clear orders you gave them."

"Not only that! They're all going to try to change me!"

His eyes refocused from thinking and snapped back to you with a hum. "I beg pardon?"

"They're gonna try to brainwash me into some 'high class lady worthy of my position and caliber' because apparently I 'have bad manners that was obviously never taught to me correctly '." You scowled at him as he stared at you. "No one has Time for that!"

"LADY Y/N!!"

You dove back behind the demon as he stared at nothing in particular. My, my, my, my. Well this was certainly an interesting development. No food. No rules being followed. It sounds as if the situation was being entirely dictated by someone else who was ignoring Y/n. Did the Master not explicitly state what care the boy needed for his stay? Well..This wouldn't do. Not only that..They planned on messing with his Begonia's head? Changing her to fit a certain role? Hmm....That meant a change in herself. Which meant a change of personality. Which meant no more of that fiery passion that caused his nerves to stand on fire. The way she'd push him back three steps for every one he walked. After all when was there ever a woman who actually had the gull to throw him around when he was much more stronger than her? He loved the feeling- No. The THRILL of the unpredictability that is Y/n. Never knew when she'd throw him out a window or hide behind him. It was a fun experience he never had before. To change her into a walking copy of every other spoiled rich woman would deprive him of that joy....

The HELL if that was going to happen.

He gave a slight inhale reaching out to pat your hand again.  "Well that won't do at all. Let me see if I can get this fixed for you. Then we can see about those blood arrangements.~"

"Just keep your hands to yourself or I'll throw you into the water!"

He chuckled again despite the frown on her face. "Shall we then?"

You didn't move until he started walking forward with you staying right behind him using Enmu as a shield. Rui never took his eyes off Enmu, narrowing his eyes as he followed them back towards the entrance way to the fancy place. He could feel the grip tightening up on his shoulders as they neared, it seemed she was ready to bolt at the slightest hint of them cornering her... Adorable.~ He stepped along with a smile on his face and briefcase in one hand. The sounds of frantic footsteps and distant voices became closer and closer the closer they got. The woman staying right behind him even as the door was pushed further open revealing the tiny Kizuki demon there. It took a moment to really take in what they were all doing. A lot more demons had gathered about babbling to one another or walking around aimlessly trying to get something done as everyone else spoke. But soon one of the men stopped noticing Enmu standing in the doorway, face instantly paling in fear. The demon he was speaking too also stopped talking to turned confused but got the same expression as the first demon. Slowly but surely everyone started looking. Everyone stopped talking. The silence set in as everyone stopped moving to stare petrified at the figure in the doorway with a child still glaring daggers at his side and a woman peeking out behind him with a scowl. 

"Such wonderfully shocked faces.~ I did send a message ahead to expect me this morning, so you all shouldn't be so surprised to see me. Unless...Oh. is there something wrong here that I should know about?"  A few demons looked at each other uneasy and a few others started sweating. Interesting.~ "Mmm. I think Im a little hungry. Why doesn't someone bring enough food to my room to feed three people? After all, I have guests with me."

With that he started walking again. You didn't stop using him as a shield between you and everyone else. It was like when that Oiran parted the crowd in the entertainment district, the demons parted from the middle of the halls as he walked past them all with a hum.

"Just point out the direction of your room and we'll start from there, Dear."

"Start down that hall-" You pointed a hand. "-and then take two lefts." He started off in the direction you pointed and listened whenever you pointed out a different  direction for him to follow until you pointed not at a hall but a room. "There. That's my room there."

He turned his head and looked like he was going to ask you something-

"LADY Y/N!!"

Your head turned. Your eyes widened. "Oh hell no!!"

"HAH!!" Enmu squealed as two hands grabbed his sides and swung him Around to face the upcoming small group of ladies running down the hall towards you all. His face lighting up a pink as you essentially death hugged him from behind. ... before he gave a little shiver and smile over his shoulder. "Why Y/n.~ I never knew you were so forward, and with so many people ar-"

"Finish that sentence and I'll throw you into a train engine!," You growled behind him making him chuckle again. "ITS NOT FUNNY-!!"

"MY LADY!!," Yoko cried holding up the hem of her kimono in order to allow her to run faster. What was she doing here?! She stopped in front of you all with a look like her make up would start smudging any minute. "There you are. We were so worried when you just ran off like that! What ever got into you?"

"Ah. That's what I would like to know."

Everyone looked at Enmu who smiled wider. Everyone paled. Everyone immediately bowed. 

"L-Lord Enmu! You're here? With the Lady? AH!! I MEAN OF COURSE YOU ARE!!", Yoko panickedly corrected her earlier blunder that Enmu. Did. Not. Miss. Tilting his head at her. "Y-You both are engaged After all!! Why would you not be with your fiance?! W-We were not expecting you so soon."

"I have gotten that impression." His head tilted more. "Now I wonder just what you all could've done to make my begonia flee like she did."

She visibly went rigid. "....Us?"

"Of course. No sane person would bolt like she did unless she has a reason to or she had a nervous break down. As much fun as it would be to see her break down, I'm under the impression that there's someone overriding her choices here~," he sing singed with a creepily cheery attitude before humming a finger tapping his chin. "Now what on earth could've that been I wonder."

"There was strangers in my room when I SAID I didn't want strangers in there!," You hissed from behind him making him hum. "Not only that, but I had three people I didn't even know trying to touch my head and dress me!" It sent a shiver down your spine. "Not to mention the plan to brainwash me!!"

"Brainwashing. I'm actually very familiar with that concept! Even have some hands on experience.~" He proudly cooed with a hand on his chest. "But the thought of any of you doing that to the woman, who may I remind you I am attracted to by her original self.....Well that thought makes me very upset.~" His voice took a small twist that made you blink at him.

"N-No!! No!! We would never!! Honest, Lord," Yoko nearly squealed in his presence. "I-I merely set about t-to make sure t-t-that she would be prepared for her n-new position is all!"

"By completely ignoring what she asked? By going over her head and dictating what she should want based on your own standards? ....Going behind our backs to change our woman??"  No one spoke after that sentence making him hum louder and twist his head to the side with an audible crack of his neck. "What was it she told me? Soon to be taught the proper way to behave for a lady of her position or something close to that? Oh dear, oh dear. That won't do at all. The blatant disrespect and disregard is something I can't overlook here. It would be a shame if the others found out."

"W-We'll fix all the wrongs right away!! P-Please have mercy!! W-We only did what we thought was best-"

"No. Not 'we'. YOU. But luckily for my beloved Im here to fix it!!" His cheery smile and tone return as his head popped back up.  "And you lovely ladies have the chance to redeem yourselves! Now the first order of business is for me to just say...If anything of this magnitude happens again, I'll convince the Master to allow me some 'volunteers' for my new wysteria tonic." The air dipped in feeling that even sent a shiver down your spine.  "Now on the other hand, would one of you ladies be a sweetheart and bring all of us some food?" His tone shifted again back to happy go lucky. "If I recall, you all never even fed them first before shoving your ideals on her."

"That's not the only thing shoved onto me." He again hummed in question. "Look inside my room."

He paused for a moment before Enmu turned- ?! He blinked amused when two strong arms just grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him to walk backwards still forcing him to stay between you and them until you got to the door and motioned towards the door. He chuckled again, you scowled deeper, and he held up his hands before opening the door. .....Hmm. Now wasn't this interesting? A completely normal room except for the obvious mountain of boxes and gifts scattered everywhere. Oh my, oh my. It looks like there was already some spoiled people trying to get in good with his lady. The thought bubbled up a small but very primal anger in the back of his mind as he turned to face the half bowed ladies staring at him in fear.

"Now what have here? You should know better than to throw all of this on her her first night here. Don't you know what stress that would cause?"

"B-B-But Sir. T-The nobles always traditionally give gifts to a new Lady-"

"Then send them a thank you card on her behalf and tell them all that she's too overwhelmed to be bothered.~" He smiled wider. "If they have any problems with how we handle things then please tell them to feel free to talk to the Kizuki. In the meantime..." He pulled back the sleeve on his other wrist. "I am running behind on some appointments...Set up a room for me close to my fiance and bring us some food. I have some unfinished business to do. Come Begonia.~"

He motioned for you to follow him as he just walked into the room and not wanting to stay anywhere close to the demons who tried to essentially take over your life, you followed quickly followed by Rui. As soon as the door closed , you exhaled a huge sigh of relief allowing your body to relax against the closed door and breath. Gods these demons were crazy. CLICK!! You slowly looked back up and found Enmu with his back to you digging through his open briefcase he had set up on top of the mountain of boxes. He hummed happily to himself rummaging through it meanwhile Rui stood as still as a statue staring at him.  Guess Rui still had a bad impression of Enmu from the last time they've been alone with you, but Rui hadn't made any effort to tie him up again....Yet. 

"Alright! I found it!," He happily sang with an absolutely cheery voice turning back to you with a clean vile like he usually used to get your blood, a sharp nail already ready to poke your hand with once more. "Now hold still. This won't take but a moment.~"

You rose a brow starting to get tired of this process. "How many times do you HAVE to do this?! I'm starting to think it's hopeless."

"Actually this will be the last time I need it. I just need a present day sample to test and compare it to the older samples. Then I can actually confirm if my theory about your blood is correct."

"Mind sharing?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to spread false information in case I am wrong. If I am it'll just cause more trouble, but rest assured I will tell you once I confirm it. Now your hand please.~"

You deadpanned but sighed and held up your hand- "Ow!"

A sharp prick hit your finger and you found Enmu again pressing the vile against the small cut and blood dropped into the vile. You only watched as he got a decent few drops before he let you go and slapped the cork back on. Staring at the red lovingly with his teal eyes.

"So pretty.~ Your blood always fascinates me.~"

You rolled your eyes already used to his antics. "Nice to know you're taking this seriously." He turned to place the vile back in his bag. "Thank you by the way." He hummed pausing his movements to look back at you. Your hand gestured to the door. "Back there I mean. If you hadn't scared the heavens out of them, they might've tried forcing me into all those things. It honestly scared me for a moment."

He hummed with a blink before smiling again and continuing to put things away. "Well I was able to see your face in despair which excited me.~ So we can call ourselves even for now.~ Besides I can't have anyone going around trying to change my pretty ill tempered mistress can I?~" 

"You know the only reason I accepted that 'gift' was because I needed the medicine for Rui, right? I didn't want any engagements. No matter how cute your reactions are, I'm not accepting your love.'' Enmu had paused, his eyes widened at you. "...What?

"Y-You..Think I'm cute?" His genuine surprise slowly twitched into a spellbound love struck look before he giggled like a girl who had just gotten kissed by her crush, hands grabbing his cheeks stained a pink....shit. "Aaaawww.~ My Begonia's already in the denial part of the falling in love stage.~ It makes me so happy!~"

"Enmu, knock it off before I change my mind about throwing you in that water!"

"YES!!"  You jumped as he moved quicker than you thought possible and in one moment he was right in front of you clutching his chest. That same love struck look in his eyes staring at you. "Please throw me! Please punch me! Do please do anything as long as I feel your skin upon mine even for a moment.~"

...You blinked before reaching a hand to your temples. "Ah shit. You really do have it bad huh?''

"But of course.~ I love everything about you. That's why I don't want them to change you.~"

...You slowly looked back to him. "You like....me being myself? Well..No offense but I wasn't expecting that answer from you."

"Oh I might seem like that but it's true~," he continued to gush, "And you're the first for everything for me.~ My first time anyone let alone a lady threaten me. Push me around. Defend me. Trusts me enough despite my actions and personality.~ Even now you don't cower away or reject me outright.~ Even when you threaten me I can tell you have emotions aimed just for me behind it.~ Don't you see..Y/n. I love you." He gushed and you blinked when he grabbed your hand. "You excite me in ways I've never been given a chance to feel.~ Why would I want that absent from my li-..." He completely stopped eyes going wide and jaw dropping as that hand reached up to cup his cheek. "....life."

"Alright I get it you love struck fool." You said with a roll of your eyes. "I guess I owe you a little bit of gratitude for all you did for me, and still doing for me. And I can appreciate the honesty at least. But promise me one thing."

He shivered before leaning towards the touch he felt. Hands reaching up to gently hold the hand holding his cheek. "Name it.~"

"When you do get the results of my blood, I would like to know fully what you've done with it. I think I have a right to know that at least."

"Done.~" He then tilted his head sideways and you jumped when a soft pair of lips gently kissed the palm of your hand before the face nuzzled into it's warmth. "Trust me.~ Your blood's story is one I'm most thrilled to tell you.~"

You nodded. "G-Good." You cleared your throat nevermind the slight pink of your cheeks. "I e-expect you to keep your word."

"Do I get another kiss in thanks?~"

You rolled your eyes. "You and kisses. By the way you're acting it's like I gave you the first kiss of your Life-"

"Yes."

You blinked. "What?"

He chuckled again. "Did you think I was wrong when I said you were my first? Your kiss was my first heavenly experience with love.~ And I would not like it to be my last.~"

[minaslittlewooorld]

Day 28: Sparkle -I sighed getting home. Throwing my jacket over a chair I head over to my kitchen to get some water. I paused however when I noticed someone in the backyard. I made my way over to the back door and secretly gazed out it. I spot a certain demoness who was star gazing on while sitting on the grass. I could tell she was in her own little world. Probably hasn't noticed I'm back yet. I've known her for the past few months. Recently she has been placed under my care and watch now that she was hired onto my team. And mainly due to the fact she didn't have a proper home in the city, she's staying with me. I sigh angrily remembering the reason why. F--king pricks sitting upstairs not letting her buy a simple apartment, not even for a temporary stay.. Will have to talk with my boss about that one later. But I don't mind letting her stay with me, I'm happy in fact. Let's me get to know her even better and I've grown to look forward to the next time we talk. Her soft yet forward voice was always sweet to listen too. But there was one thing that bothered me... She doesn't smile. She hardly even chuckled. The light in her eyes was dull, devoid of the emotion that those who knew her said she had. Been years according to others since she cracked a real smile. Most think the woman she was is long dead. And I think she believes that too. But there's something still there. The more I get to know this demoness, the more I understand what caused this change to her. She can't see the light in herself, she can't feel the sense of making and finding a bright future. Sure she's a selfless being in nature. She wants everyone else to live life in the best ways possible and she'll do anything to help with that.. But when it came to herself.. She believes that's no longer in herself, that she doesn't deserve a better future for herself and I don't blame her. Everyone has given up on her, hurt her. Left her to rot away in her own self destruction. But not anymore. I want her to see what I can see in her. As tiny as it was, that spark was in her still. It would shine through the many layers of self protection she has weaved in little moments. As small and as fast as those moments happen, it's always such an amazing achievement she accomplished and I can't be more proud of her. I walked out, stating I was back home as I placed her jacket over her shoulders, saying it was getting late. She made note that she knew I was back a minute ago and was standing back watching her. That made me pause then chuckle. Ahh she caught me staring at her. Again. Great. She stood up and turned to me, telling me about her day. As she spoke I saw the sparks in her eyes slowly emerge as she got more animated as she described her day to me in detail. I couldn't help but stare at this cute display before me. Then she suddenly paused and asked why I was staring at her so intensely, what did I see. I froze at that question, I don't know how to really put it into words what I see when she gets like that. At least not yet. An idea popped into my head as I told her to wait there. Luckily I had some leftover sparklers from a few months ago from the last festival that happened in town. I went inside and came back with a lighter and a stick. It didn't take long for lights to come alive at the end of the now lit stick. We both stayed silent for a few moments, I didn't need to speak, she knew my answer. Then it happened again, that sparkle in her ocean blue eyes. It was there as she stared at the sparkler and even without expressing it. I could tell she was happy with my answer, albit a bit flustered at how I expressed what I saw in her, but hey, message was well received. I can't help but grin at another successful attempt at getting those beautiful orbs to shine as she let out a playful sigh at my actions, putting her hood on in a shy fashion. But something else happened that made me stare in awe and made me feel like the luckiest human in existence to witness it... She smiled..

[superbdragoncollection-stuff]

Amphibia Contradicts Itself

To be clear, I love the girls so much. I just don't understand why the show doesn't.

The ending actively harms every other theme in the show, it feels as if it implies their friendship is actively harmful to their development as people. And it implies found family is fake, temporary, and to be abandoned as part of growing up.

It completely defeats the purpose of everything it set up with a little sentence. "Ten years later". The girls have never spoken. They never saw their frog families again. And Matt Braly thinks this is "sweet".

When talking about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, My Little Pony at least shows how beneficial being friends can be. It literally can change the world. They're nice to each other, they're kind, and they love each other. They actively make one another's lives easier.

Through Amphibia the girls are shown to have various influences on one another. They needed some time apart, before they came back together to improve. Okay, that's good. That's nice.

Then they separate and never speak for ten years. What was the point of the show then? "Your friends will still be your friends ten years later". Okay?? So?? WHAT ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE?! Is this really the conclusion? After everything they've been through, they're supposed to separate?! That's it?! How is that good?! How does this mean anything?!

They spent all this time building up relationships that improve mental health... that's all they do? Sure that's good, but at what cost? They lost EVERYTHING. They lost their frog families, they lost each other. But it's okay. They're slightly less mean.

They lost their found families and never felt upset. For a story that talks about the concept, it feels like it implies found family is fake, temporary, and to be abandoned as a part of growing up. That's agreeing with the villains! "Don't you think it's time to leave those childhood friends behind?"

The show feels as if it prioritizes biological family over found family. A cruel and heartless monster forced them to choose which family members they loved the most. Who does that?! And why was it treated as a POSITIVE?! And the creature only did it because their awful and cruel plan to get an intern failed.

The show feels like it agrees with the villains. Amphibia was emphasized to be a real world not a fantasy in True Colors, but then the show turns around and goes "time to grow up now!" So that means that the Amphibians are childhood things. To be abandoned.

One of the biggest contradictions though is the Calamity Trio are never shown to improve one another's lives when they are all together. Even when they seemingly improve, like Sasha defends them from bullies, that is all undermined by the show's ultimate conclusion: the girls must never be together again.

When Sasha teamed up with Anne and Marcy in season 1, it was a manipulative relationship.

Season 2 it was a lie. Sasha only was friends to control them. When they finally genuinely joined up, they failed so miserably Marcy was nearly killed.

Season 3? They are only ever successful when they are apart. Sasha wins with the help of Grime. Anne wins without any assistance aside from a joke about kpop. Marcy doesn't win. She doesn't get to win.

They finally win BECAUSE Sasha and Marcy retreat, not in spite of it. Anne must do it alone. Notice a pattern? It feels like we never see any benefit to them that's long term. Love and affection? At what cost?

Sasha's lessons? "Don't be a bully" Anne's lessons? "Stand up for yourself" Marcy's lessons? "Never under any circumstances do anything for yourself. You will hurt your friends. Always obey your parents, NEVER, EVER disobey them."

I don't give a crap what Matt Braly tweeted. I should not need social media posts to determine what is canon and what is not! This "typo" or "mistake" actively harms the show to a level it can't recover. The girls NEVER spoke for ten years. THAT'S WHAT THE SHOW IMPLIES.

And the show actively implies that the girls would be better off if they never met. Remember that pattern? We never see their friendships actually improving anything in a way that didn't blow up in their faces. It was their relationship with other people that made the difference.

They might be in a slightly better place mentally, yet they've lost everything else. The show feels like it is implying if they never met, they'd be better off. Nothing between them improved their lives. True Colors and All In show that when they work together, PEOPLE DIE. Anne won only because the other girls LEFT her.

They only ever improved by being apart. So what was the point of being in Amphibia then? If they had never met, nothing in the show would have happened.

The show directly contradicts itself. Matt supposedly didn't want to put Sasha's parents in the show so she wouldn't have someone to blame. If that's true, then that means that this is all Sasha's fault. Same with Marcy. By refusing to expand on the implications of child abuse, or any outside factors at all, the show concludes that the girls would be better off alone. Without anyone to slow them down.

And worse? Matt said in 2023, "It wouldn't be realistic, I didn't want them going on adventures ad nauseum". So why do ALL the frogs get to stay together? Sprig and Ivy GET to do that! Why must the girls be separated permanently, while the frogs get to live together? Why do they get to stay together while the girls are forced apart?

The ending, trying to be sweet, feels as if it directly agrees with the villains.

WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THE ENTIRE SERIES? If them being apart was what made them grow, shouldn't the end be them reuniting at the end of the show instead of separating for a decade, never even seeing one another, and then reuniting? How is this positive? Why SHOULD they even reunite? What's the point of anything if it's all going to get taken away? That's what Andrias believed, and it feels like the show agrees with it.

What's the point of these relationships if they're all going to get taken away? What's the point of ANYTHING? That is how the show makes me feel.

For a conclusion about how you never know how things will come back, it does a GREAT job of making sure NOTHING comes back. There are no plot threads.

What was the point of any of this? It doesn't feel like things will come back. It doesn't make me feel warm and snuggly. It makes me feel angry, sad, and bitter. It makes me wonder what the point of anything is.

[jaspertheabsol]

!Eeveelution Explore Beyond your Limits!

Chapter 2 [A Unfamiliar Ribbon]

[Few hours go by . . ]

Mike begins to wake up as Laz comes over

"I'm sorry that happened to you, also sorry for gaslighting you.."

I massage my cheek where I got punch as I sigh

"It's okay my fault I made you do that, where is our step sister anyway"

She finishes making food, although why is she making so much?

"Uhm Step-sis why are you making so much today?"

"Yeah you going to a party after this?"

We both say confused by this, but shrug at it and think this is free

"Don't you dare touch it, we have a new roommate coming here and welcome her. She's.. a old friend of mine who came to the island planning to stay with us till family moves over here in a year or two."

Right on time too, as all three hear the knocking

"I'll get it!"

I shout rushing over to open it

"Hel—"

Slams the door on her as ribbons slip around the doorframe and strap him onto the door letting herself in

"You live here?? Omg :D!"

Happy Sylveon noises as she snuggles him

"What was that slam abo—"

Sees her best friend for some reason snuggling Mike

"You two know each other?"

Mike sighs

"We used to date..."

"Until he had to move, so we broke up! So now we are friends!"

"Then stop snuggling! Also we only dated because your dad was willing to give us a temporary home until I inherited my parents wealth."

She let's go and everyone watches him getting ready to head out.

"uh where you going?"

Karen tilts her head unsure what's up with him right now

"I'm going out for a stroll, I'll be back for dinner. She can stay next door with you for the meantime till we settle her in alright?"

He smiles at her, but it made her uncomfortable about something as he shuts the door and heads into town towards the Guild. Once inside he headed over towards the billboard for today thinking about taking on easy missions, rumors start to be heard abit more loudly. As a Pikachu approach him not trying to be hostile.

"Hey Mikey. Boss needs you, also stop taking missions you are too high level for. You're a SS adventure do your job."

"Mind your business.."

Mikey says heading down towards the Boss which is a Doctor Lucario.

"Ah hey Mikey glad you can make it I wanted to talk with you about something"

Mike would look at him to give full attention.

"I'm listening what is it?"

Lucario would sit down and stare at him

"Wild pokèmom are hoarding the dungeons, but killing them don't spill blood. We've lost pokèmom seems like the old dungeons that were easy gotten harder."

Takes a sip of his coffee.

"Your new job is to Patrol the town until we figure a way to invade those dungeons again, we've heard a rumor a Sylveon has been spotted murdering pokèmom without remorse. Do you understand Mike?"

"Yes sir.. but why haven't we caught that Sylveon?"

The Lucario sighs

"I don't know kid.. we have 12 Sylveon in this town alone, we cant investigate them and cause public panic alright?"

"Alright, fair enough."

Later that day he would arrive back to his treehouse heading down to the kitchen.

"Yo guys! I'm ba—"

No one in sight let alone a open fire just chilling there, goes shutting it off as he walks around the treehouse trying to not let go of his guard.

"Laz! Karen! Sylveon where are you?!"

He would go into Karen's room and immediately runs towards Laz room hoping nothing happens to him, but as soon he opens the door he would be struck by a shovel knocking him out as the Sylveon gives a grin smile.

He opens his eyes and finds his step-family and looks around, sees the Sylveon and eyes widen as he muffles "no!! No!! It can't be!"

"oh please be quiet. I'm still the same girl, I'm just a cannibal and obsessed to eat you."

Mike would gulp and tries to think I'm what to do in this sort of situation, he is just being wrapped by her ribbons than the others did she expected me to wake up this early or was planning to do?

"So who's first on the menu? I got ideas and I'm very happy to try em! Maybe we should try Mike!"

The others would move trying to find something to make her not do it, though it isn't working and begin to tear. Mike just closes his eyes acting like he accepted his fate.

"Wonderful! Less struggle more I get to eating you all!"

She pulls him close and moves the ribbon from his face as he uses Frost breath right at her face. Causing her to scream at the top of her lungs letting go of him, as he Quick Attacks her and slams her onto the wall making her drop some blood?

"Your not disappearing??"

He yells at her and knees down towards her.

"I'm real... I just ate pokèmom and couldn't stop.. so I risk it to eat you three, didn't expect my ex was a high level.."

He sighs and as he unties everybody else, as he ties her up.

[artemis-entreri]

Have we ever been given a good time frame for how long Entreri spent in the Underdark, and then the gap between that and when Jarlaxle moved to Calimsham? I always thought he spent a year or less trapped in Menzo, but sometimes it's mentioned as 'years.' And then, of course, we get little explanation on how/why/when Jarlaxle and the Crystal came to Calimsham.

[[ Hello there! Great question, it's been a while since I've read those books so please forgive me if I'm forgetting finer details like potential skip arounds in the timeline, but iirc those earlier books were pretty consistently all set within the same time for each book.

You're correct, Artemis did spend at most a year trapped in Menzo. When Regis left him to die at the end of The Legacy, that was in the year 1357 DR. Artemis reappears in the next book, Starless Night, which concludes with him leaving Menzo after forming a temporary truce with Drizzt and Catti-brie, and then going off on his own. Starless Night also takes place in 1357 DR.

Looking at the years of the books preceding and following these two cements that Artemis was in Menzo for at most a year. The events of the book after Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, are set in 1358 DR, and those of the book before The Legacy, The Halfling's Gem, are set in 1356-1357 DR. I suppose one could fudge the years a bit and make an argument for Artemis being trapped in Menzo since 1356 DR, but the timeline of the earlier books were pretty well-established, unlike the more recent books which don't even specify years most of the time, so I think the later books describing Artemis' time in Menzo as "years" is due to the good ol' Salvatore tendency to be inconsistent.

As for how/why/when Jarlaxle and Crenshinibon make their way to Calimport, the events of The Silent Blade covers it, but I can certainly understand if that coverage wasn’t satisfactory. To recap, and I apologize if I go over things you already know, Jarlaxle tricks Drizzt into giving him Crenshinibon by sending a doppleganger underling disguised as Cadderly Bonaduce to intercept Drizzt’s party as they were headed to the Spirit Soaring to seek out Cadderly in an effort to destroy the Crystal Shard. Iirc, there wasn’t a specific reason given for why Jarlaxle coveted the shard beyond the usual one of his fixation on collecting rare and powerful magical artifacts, plus he’d much rather see the artifact in someone’s possession (preferably his) than having it destroyed. 

Meanwhile, after wandering aimlessly for 7 years (another luxury of a specified time frame) following the loss of his sense of purpose and identity, Artemis arrives in Calimport without understanding why he brought himself there. Eventually, his path leads him to the murder of Pasha Basadoni. Jarlaxle has been looking for a way to carve out his own place on the (surface) world and saw Artemis as an opportunity that he could use, but Artemis was useless to him in his despondent state, so Jarlaxle stages that fight in  Crenshinibon between Artemis and Drizzt in which he orchestrates events to make Artemis believe that he successfully killed Drizzt in order to restore Artemis’ focus. And from there, the Sellswords Trilogy happens. 

So, we know that Jarlaxle comes to Calimport in 1364 DR, and unlike the more recent books, there’s actually a reasonable chain of logic explaining why that is the case. Jarlaxle does lose track of Artemis in those 7 years after Starless Night, and while Jarlaxle is portrayed to be able to find anything that he wants to, Artemis is one of the few people who can be his match, so if the assassin had his mind set on laying low and avoiding all things drow following his traumatic experiences in Menzo, it makes sense that he was able to totally elude Jarlaxle. Jarlaxle does pick up on Artemis’ return to Calimport very quickly despite Artemis not making substantial waves until the assassination of Basadoni, but this can be explained by Jarlaxle having been biding his time in those 7 years while stationing informants in locations that Artemis would most likely turn up in again. Besides, 7 years is not that much time at all for an elf. 

Given that Calimport was Artemis’ primary stomping grounds, Jarlaxle certainly would’ve had a lot of eyes and ears there peeled for any mentions of Artemis, so when Calimport’s criminal underworld went abuzz with rumors that the infamous assassin had returned, Jarlaxle most certainly would’ve investigated. 

Man, all of this is making me nostalgic for a time when things in these books made sense. Sure, they were never the pinnacle of literature, but I miss the days when we didn’t have to contort into pretzels to try to reconcile them with logic. :’)

I hope this helps! Please feel free to hit me up at any time. All in all, this was a really enjoyable exercise, and one that could be answered (thank the gods XD). ]]

[nothingtherefornow]

What do you think about the Claims that The Derision Flashback is a Retcon?

SPOILER WARNING FOR THE EPISODE DERISION (AND ABOUT A DETAIL FROM THE SEASON 5 FINALE) :

In a way, I can understand why people see it that way, on the surface, very few things in the behavior of the characters's involved in the Derision flashback indicates that these events took place before the beginning of season 1. And yet, if we push the psychoanalysis far enough, it remains coherent in my eyes.

We must take into account the fact that Derision was written quite some time after the beginning of Miraculous Ladybug, and it would make sense that between the previous seasons and the writting of season 5, vision of the scriptwriters on their story and their characters has evolved. It's possible that the ML writters realized at some point that it was not that cool to make fun of Marinette's anxiety with her love life, and that it woud be best to give an explanation about her cringiness. Also, I would not past them wanting to shut up those who calls Marinette a creepy stalker and Chloé a saint with the Episode Derision. So yeah maybe its a retcon, but one that isn't fully illogical or inconsistent with the story in my eyes, for the following reasons :

I think that what we see in this flashback makes perfect sense storywise telling, there was always subtile signs in Marinette's behavior that she was bullied by Chloé and didn't have friends before season 1, all her classmates were mostly acquaintances, because Chloé did her best to keep them from befriend Marinette and vice versa.

The ML characters already proved before that they don't like to remember nor think about embarrassing incidents, just look at the whole incident with Lila's false accusations and Marinette's temporary expulsion during the episode Ladybug. After that episode no one seems to remember that Lila is supposed to have a "lying disease", and Alya clearly seems to have forgotten about the fact that Lila lied about being Ladybug's best friend, or she just doesn't care about it.

Some people after being victim of an embarrassing and traumatic event, can prefer not to think or talk about the incident in question again, and can come to put the negative feelings and memory of this specific event somewhere in the back of their heads. And the intense negative feelings related to this traumatic experience may reappear only later, when the person is in a situation where they feel more vulnerable and stressed than usual.

In the episode Derision, Marinette finds herself in a context where, following her failure as guardian, she is more than ever in the grip of doubt when it comes to her own feelings. And the fact of finally having a date with Adrien after several months where nothing worked, everything seems too fast and sudden and it makes her uncomfortable. She explains it very clearly to Luka during the episode Determination

Marinette never treated Kim like he traumatised her before because she is a very forgiving person in nature, she gave a chance to Hawkmoth of all of people to make the right decision during heroes's day and sorry for the spoil, but she'll once again give him a chance to right his wrong at the end of season 5. So I'm not surprise that if Marinette can forgive somoene as monstruous as Monarch, then it makes sense that she would remain nice and supportive of Kim after his cruel prank. And by extension, it makes sense that she still gave a chance to Chloé with the Bee miraculous in seasons 2 and 3

Speaking about Chloé, yeah her behavior in the Derision's flashback is worse and more monstruous than we've ever seen her before, and yet it perfectly fits her own words during the episode Sole Crusher, that she used Marinette as a "sufferer" for years for her own sick pleasure, and that she kinda got soft after becoming Queen Bee. And in the previous seasons Chloé did held back the worst of what she could do not just because of Queen Bee, but also because of Adrien. I think that for a time Adrien's presence prevented Chloé from doing all or worse to Marinette of what she did to her the year before, but also because bullies are so cowardly and weak-minded that they prefer to go after insecure victims who don't fight back. So when Marinette finally gained a backbone and more self-confidence, it caught Chloe off-guard enough for her to calm down her bullying for a while.

On a personal note, I speculate that the writting team also make the episode Drision to raise awareness about bullying in school. The episode Quilin was written after after a large wave of protests in France where police violence has become more present, and recently, cases of school harassment are becoming more and more known in France (as to whether harassment has increased in France in recent years or if we talk about it more today, I cannot confirm it) I clearly remembers recent news which focused on two cases of suicides due to school bullying, a 16-year-old girl in high school, and a 13-year-old boy in college

So in the end, I personally don't think that the flashback in Derision is a real retcon, just the usual clumsiness and inconsistency that has always been present in Miraculous

[duchessofostergotlands]

Hey Jess, I saw Peter Hunt complaining about Charles meeting Ursula von der Leyen today. He said:

“This is a very serious error of judgement by King Charles and his advisors.

He’s abandoned his unifying role and entered the political fray, in a foolish bid to be seen as statesmanlike.

History won’t be kind. Someone’s head will roll.”

I don’t understand, what’s different between this meeting and all the other glad handing the head of state does? I don’t know what a European Commission head does, but it sounds like someone who’d be welcomed to meet the King?

Ursula is President of the European Commission which is part of the executive branch of the European Union. So she isn't a head of state.

I don't know the ins and outs and what I do know is really complicated, but I think that essentially this is about timing. Ursula was in the UK to sign this Windsor Framework thing I mentioned the other day, the agreement around what will happen with the Irish border. Rishi is having to lie in the bed the Tories made and deliver an agreement that pleases both the right wing Eurosceptic Tories who want the UK to have nothing to do with the EU in any way whatsoever no matter how many laws they violate or how many people die and the DUP, the right wing, unionist Northern Irish political party who were so angry with the temporary agreement after Brexit that they have essentially forced the Northern Irish parliament into a shut down for almost a year. Both of those groups tend to be heavily monarchist and so some people view the decision to have Charles meet Ursula hours after an agreement was reached - before the DUP or the Tories have officially signed off on it - was an attempt to force them to back it because they won't want to disagree with the King.

In Great Britain I truly believe almost no one even knows who Ursula is and so the idea that this is what would undo the monarchy is a bit dramatic. But I'm not from Northern Ireland and the sentiment seems very different there. What it comes down to really is the fact that we don't have a single written constitution. The monarch is expected to not be partisan, but individuals will interpret what that means for themselves. Papers like the Daily Mail etc are supportive of the Tory Eurosceptics and so they will be upset by this in a way they aren't by past interventions. But it's barely had a whisper on the left wing Guardian, who have spent months exposing Charles's interference in political matters in the past.

I do think this situation would have been talked about differently if it was the Queen. In 2019 she prorogued (suspended) parliament on Boris Johnson’s advice. This was later deemed unlawful because Boris was doing it to run out the clock to force a no deal Brexit. Everyone knew that’s why Boris called for suspension. The Queen knew everything that was going on in her country politically, she knew why he called it, and she did it anyway. Now it was a hard situation - ignoring the advice of the PM is bad, unlawfully suspending Parliament is bad - but the press all said she was taken advantage of and how could she have known? This situation isn’t substantially different - I believe she’d have met Ursula too if asked - but the coverage is. To me it highlights that Charles definitely won’t get the slack his mother got, he doesn’t have a warm and fluffy persona he can rest on, and his years of disregard for the foundation of our democracy are coming back to bite him.

[realityhelixcreates]

I'm probably bothering you a lot, feel free to not answer, just wanted to use the ask game you reblogged for some free real state information on Nash. How and why does Nash have the spirit of lust living in him? I have theories... But I feel I'm probably making up too crazy scenarios? I won't say what my theory is but... Does it have to do with whatever Narci did to him? (I've connected the dots, I haven't connected shit). Also, what happened with his father? Puzzles killed him right?

And How does Helix feel about detective? Can you tell us more about detective?

Detective is the start of everything. Detective is why any of them know each other. They would have all found out that there were multiple worlds eventually, but they might not have actually found each other. But because of their visions, Detective was the one who went out specifically trying to find other Riddlers and bring them together.

In the DC universe there exist these special places called Lazarus Pits: areas where natural chemical reactions basically create a concoction that can cure anything, even death. Kinda like the natural acid lakes in Java, except instead of acid, it's a health potion.

One of these exists far underneath Gotham City. They can be very dangerous places to get to, because they are jealously guarded by the minions of another villain. All of our Riddlers know about it, but only three have ever been down there, Detective being the first.

The stuff in the pit will cure anything, but It'll kill a healthy person. For those it heals, it confers an extended lifespan and restores youth, but it also bestows a temporary madness. In the Detective's case, it gave them visions, and made them look younger.

Despite this, Detective is one of the oldest Riddlers, having been born in 1970, and starting their criminal career at 29. Though they were a villain for almost 14 years, they were only responsible for 2 deaths (actually 3, but no one knows about the third one). They've simply always been a more even-handed person. They can and will hurt people if they feel like they have to, but personal violence is a last resort.

Detective was not always spiritual or mystical, but they did always believe that the mind could be expanded beyond its current confines, which led them to a successful career as a computer programmer, puzzle maker, and game designer, later breaking into internet infrastructure, virtual reality, and AI. And if they hadn't come across their predatory boss, everything would have been just fine!

But that's not what happened.

Detective has always been fairly obsessed with their appearance, to the point where they get distracted if they think there is something 'wrong' with how they look. They sometimes extend this to the people they are around, tidying hair, straightening lapels, brushing dust, giving advice. They are not touch adverse at all. Some of the others are fine with letting them fuss, but others (Puzzles, it's Puzzles) really don't like it. They try to do it anyway. It's a compulsion.

Their habit of mothering others also stems from this compulsion, a need to constantly be 'improving' everything about and around them. It's part of a complex set of protective behaviors they developed in their childhood.

Detective is the only Riddler for whom therapy was actually successful. Their feelings of being somehow 'wrong' or 'imperfect' lessened significantly once they came to the understanding that they weren't actually a man.

They don't lie. This is also a compulsion. However, they don't have to be completely honest either, and can twist words and omit information as they see fit. But they can't bring themselves to directly lie.

Detective and Helix actually get along really well! Even, and perhaps especially after she takes Narci in. Helix can't see visions like Detective, and Detective can't get outside the Nexus, like she can, so they both have plenty of things to talk about, that the others don't really share. She is also very willing to let them fuss over her.

Detective is partnered with Jervis Tetch, another reformed villain. they have been together for a long time now, and are very sweet.

Detective is medium height and thin, in a soft way rather than a bony way. They're pale, with a rosy undertone, with bright red-orange hair, and olive green eyes. They have no visible scars, and are a proficient makeup artist.

Once they gave up being the Riddler, they pivoted into being a private detective, unraveling riddles instead. They will still pose riddles to others, but only if asked, and there are never any stakes involved.

As with all Riddlers, Detectives father was a real piece of shit, and he was a piece of shit in a 1970's way, so you can understand why it took so long for Detective to come to realize their genderfluid status. Their mother was caring however, though she also suffered under her husbands awful behavior. The fate of Detective's parents is unknown.

Detective wants children, but being a felon, even a reformed one, means they are not allowed to adopt. Instead, they gathered a whole family of themselves.

As for Nash...that is such a long story that it's gonna need it's own post.