#other times I see certain people and think 'please do the world a favor and die' or 'you all need to be lined up and shot' or w/e

[theladygazingatemptiness]

not to be dramatic but. for the last couple of months I've been feeling like my body isn't truly mine

[dyns33]

The Fall of House Harkonnen

I'm not sure what to do with Feyd to be honest.

I'm trying to do dark + fluff but I'm not that good at it. So I started with something short, and not really a Feyd x Reader, since they are twins here. Only platonic, fraternal love here. Even if he's over protectitve and possessive.

It was known throughout all the Imperium that the Harkonnens were cruel beings.

Without pity, without heart.

This seemed even more certain when it came to the young Na Baron, Feyd Rautha Harkonnen, nephew of the Baron and his heir.

True, except with his twin sister.

Or rather dizygotic twin. A strangeness of nature, because if the boy resembled his father and all men born on Giedi Prime, Y/N had taken on the features of their mother and the inhabitants of Lankiveil.

This singularity alone could have been enough to disgust the Baron to the point of making him want to kill the child or leave her with her parents. There was also the fact that she was a girl, being inferior and uninteresting.

It was the older brother who had begged for her to be spared, because even though he wanted to impress his uncle and had no attachment to the rest of his family, he felt a certain sympathy towards his sister.

For this, he had often been punished by Feyd, but it was perhaps also what had saved his life.

Because if Glossus liked Y/N, Feyd adored her more than anything in the world.

As if she were a part of him, a vital, essential part. Extremely possessive, jealous to the point of obsession, he insisted that she be taken with him by the Baron, even though he did not see what to do with her.

“If she doesn’t come, I’m not coming either.”

A refusal was impossible. Vladimir Harkonnen needing a successor, and having clearly seen that only Feyd could be suitable, he couldn't say no.

Marrying her for political advantage was also unthinkable. The Na Baron scared away any suitors who might have been interested, and he would have killed the one their uncle chose for his twin.

There would have been the possibility of letting her choose, because maybe he would have agreed to let her go if she had asked him to. It was rare for him to refuse her something, and in fact people often went through her to communicate with Feyd without taking the risk of being mutilated.

Not right away anyway, because just talking, looking, or thinking about Y/N could be grounds for severe punishment. No one imagined what he would do if someone dared to touch her.

Of course, he was the only one not subject to this ban. The worst rumors ran in the dark corners of the Harkonnens' house, when it was known that the twins shared the same bed.

The Na Baron could have ripped out the tongues of everyone who said such horrors about his sister. They could think what they wanted about him, but not about her.

He also could have just said he didn't want her like that. He had never touched her as he touched his concubines, or any other woman.

Superior to all the others, Y/N did him the honor of letting him put his ear to her chest, rocking him to sleep, a calm and serene sleep. He only slept well with her, listening to her heart, which beat only for him, and thanks to him.

The few times he was alone with her, Glossus Rabban begged her to convince Feyd to be reasonable. It was quite hilarious that such a request was made by the one they called the Beast.

Probably it wasn't really him asking, even if you could see worry in his eyes, the eyes of an older brother.

He never left her, and at the same time Feyd was totally submissive to his twin. It was painful for him when she wanted something that went against what he deemed necessary.

This could have been a means of control. But threatening the young woman would have caused more problems than getting favors. She was untouchable no matter what.

For a time, there had also been the fear that she would use this advantage to torn her brother as she pleased. But if the rest of the family was cruel, Y/N seemed to be the heart of it, the only little beating heart, still a bit human.

It happened that she suffocated a little under her brother's protective love, but she had gotten used to it, perfectly understanding how it worked and knowing that he needed that to feel good.

Feyd didn't know how to be good, but he was doing his best. However, that didn't stop her from teasing him.

“Suppose I meet a charming, kind young nobleman who treats me well…”

“Why do you want to torture me like this, my sister ?” he sighed, snuggling against her. "It's been a long day. Lots of annoyances, stupid people. Don't make me think about these atrocities."

“Me, happily married, is that an atrocity ?”

"Yes."

“But what if I asked you to find me someone ?” Y/N said with a smile, rubbing his back tenderly.

"If there was someone who deserved you, then I would accept. But that's not the case. So you will stay with me, I will become emperor, and you will rule by my side."

"It's not very conventional. And bad for the future of our house."

"The witches will do what is necessary for this. I will take the hand of one of the Emperor's daughters to ensure my power, I will give her a son, then I will not see her again. Maybe I will even kill her, since she will no longer be useful."

"You're so mean. Would you be happy if people talked about me like that ?"

“I will kill anyone who dares.” he grunted, while purring under her hands.

When the Emperor ordered Arakkis to be given to the Atreides, Piter suggested an alliance, before moving on to assassination.

Not that he wanted the Atreides to live, but it was obvious that their deaths were even more desired by the Emperor because of their popularity, who would later seek to attack the Harkonnens because of their wealth.

"The Duke should have had a daughter, who would have married the Na Baron. Since he had a son, it would be possible for us to propose a marriage between him and…"

“Finish this sentence and lose your tongue.” Feyd hissed, never taking his eyes off him, his blade dancing between his fingers, ready to strike.

"I appreciate this proposal, but as you can see, this idea is not a good one. My dear nephew is right to oppose it. The Atreides do not deserve to be linked to any member of our family, nor to have any power over my Dune. We will take it back from them, then we will deal with the Emperor."

Politics had no interest for Y/N. She heard nothing of the plans of the Baron, the Bene Gesserit, or the Imperium. It didn't matter to her in the slightest.

She was only happy with her brother, and it was the same for him. An inseparable pair.

So there was a moment of hesitation when their uncle decided to entrust Arrakis to Feyd. An immense honor, which he had been waiting for for a long time, in addition to which would allow him to further secure his future as ruler of the galaxy.

But Dune was dangerous, so it was obvious that it wasn't a good idea for Y/N to accompany him.

None of them liked the idea, but for once the Na Baron couldn't deny that he shared his uncle's worries. No one would be stupid enough to hurt his sister if she was on Giedi Prime, but she was a target on Arrakis.

"I'll be back soon. Or you'll join me when we've eliminated the Fremen rebels."

"… I have a bad feeling. Stay."

"My sister. My sweet sister." he whispered, kissing her cheek. "You have nothing to fear. You know I am a well trained warrior."

"I don't doubt your abilities. I doubt that these savages are as honorable as you. Can you promise to come back to me ?"

“I have never broken my word, much less the word I give you. We will not be separated, Y/N.”

News of the Baron's death came first.

Then the commander announced to her with a small voice that Glossus had also succumbed.

He was silent for a moment, giving her time to process what he had just said, but Y/N already knew he wasn’t finished.

As she had predicted, young Paul Atreides had not fought by the rules. He should have lost, according to witnesses, but he played dirty, and he stabbed the Na Baron instead of accepting his defeat.

While demanding the hand of the emperor's daughter, he had ordered that a message be sent to the last of the Harkonnens, the only heiress. If she were smarter than the rest of her family, she would be willing to bow to him.

“What should I answer ?”

“Leave me.” Y/N only said without looking at him.

"But he's waiting for an answer… They're going…"

“Leave me.”

"Sorry, Baroness. Call me when you have made a decision."

There was no decision. No word. No Harkonnen bowed their head to an Atreides.

Refusing to be separated, and since he won't come back like he promised, Y/N decided to join her twin where he was. Even though he refused to admit it since they were children, he had never liked being alone in the dark, waiting for her to sneak in his room.

Her planet, her people, their fate didn't matter to her. In this moment, as cruel as the rest of her family, her heart was only for Feyd, and it had no reason to beat anymore.

[thedeviltohisangel]

All The Things I Did (Princess Era): I Love You, It's Ruining My Life

a/n: i am honestly so obsessed with this version of them. i think about it all the time. this is fully inspired by the idea that john bows to many but will only ever kneel to cass. yes, in all the ways you can think of. yes. especially that one. i hope you guys like it and please feel free to chat with me about this au in particular or any other you can think of. cowboy au? canon aus? doctor au? fireman au? i will literally drop them into any universe because i love them enough to suffer across timelines. enjoy and see you soooooooon

Cass could hear the sounds of music playing in the Great Hall from her bedroom. She could hardly keep still as Mary was trying to wrangle the knots from her hair, Butter tugging on the other end of the braided rope she held in her hand. 

“You’re so strong my handsome boy, aren’t you?” He kept pulling and pulling against her but she knew the compliment was warming his heart. “Surely my hair is good enough, Mary. I don’t want to miss all the dancing.” The parties hosted after a tourney had always been some of her favorite. There were always newcomers from surrounding villagers for her to talk to and ask questions of and learn about. But tonight there was one newcomer in particular she was interested in getting to know. John. The handsome man from the village who had proved himself more than capable this afternoon.

She watched with bated breath as he walked towards the royal box, his helmet tucked under his arm and his lance next to him.John bowed his head to her father and greeted them before ensuring his eyes locked directly onto hers. Cass stood slowly and walked to the edge of the blacony. “A token of my favor,” she spoke as if they were the only two people in the world. She tied a silken scarf around the end of the lance. “I expect this brought back to me upon your victory.”

“Your Highness, you honor me.” She smiled and blushed under his gaze even though he was further away than he had been the other day in the village. He smiled right back at her and if it wasn’t for her father clearing his throat, he thinks they would have stayed just like that. 

He had been successful in every round of the joust, her favor displayed proudly as he rode his horse around the arena in triumph. Cass hadn’t been able to help herself as she stood and rushed to the edge to watch him. Watch the way his smile spread his flushed cheeks in joy. The way his grip on the lance remained sure and strong even after th ehorus of physical intensity. The way even her mother had quirked an eyebrow at the impressive nature with which he had maneuvered through the trials. She had been whisked away before she could receive her scarf back. Cockily, he had merely winked with an implication that she could have it back at the celebration tonight. 

“Princess, if you go out there looking like a wilding, the Queen will have my head.” With both her older brothers and her older sister married off, the weight of the world was resting on Cass’ shoulders to follow in their footsteps. As soon as Kent had been whisked away in a carriage with his wife, a highborn lady from a land with a considerable military, all the eyes of the court had turned to her to be next. 

“Nothing I ever do is of standard to her so why shall we bother?” With one particularly hard pull, Butter emerged victorious in their game as the rope fell from her hand. His entire body wagged with the excitement of the outcome. He dropped the end of the rope back into her hand, requesting they play again. Cass obliged. 

“And what about the handsome swordsman from this afternoon?” 

“What about him?” she answered rather sheepishly.

“I am certain you would like to look your best for him tonight.” Butter dropped the rope and tilted his head in curiosity at the mention of this mystery male. 

“Surely there are plenty of girls in attendance spinning him around with delight as we speak,” Cass sighed. Sensing she was upset, Butter whined and nudged at her hand with his nose. She scratched the top of his head. “Besides, I’m set to marry Lord Horrific in due time and will spend my days avoiding his touch as long as possible.” 

“When has someone else’s plan for you ever stopped you, my lady?” Cass merely smirked, bending down to kiss Butter’s head as Mary began to twine flowers around the crown of her head. “None of those girls spinning him around could even compare to you.” Butter huffed in agreement. 

“Thank you, Mary. For everything.” They shared a sad glance. Mary had already agreed to accompany her on the journey to her betrothed’s lands when the time came. Agreed to stand by her side through any ordeal that the Lord hurled at her. Promised to be her companion through it all. It had meant more to Cass than words could ever express. Butter had bitten the Lord last time he had come to visit. He was threatening not to allow the dog if Cass didn’t comply with his requests and demands. She was doing so for the benefit of Butter, her best friend and child wrapped into one, but she was keeping track of every slight. One day he would pay.

“There,” Mary announced as she stepped back from her masterpiece, holding a smaller mirror to the back of Cass’ head so she could see her handiwork. 

“It looks radiant!” she gasped as she took in the flowers through her braid and the wisps of hair that framed her face. “Let’s hope our victorious, handsome lad feels similarly awestruck.” They giggled conspiratorially while Butter merely looked on with annoyance.

----

Over the years, he had matured into solitude. Had learned that it offered the opportunity to observe and listen and the longer you were there, the more people forgot to notice. That is when their true selves would emerge. 

He watched happily as Gale danced with Margaret and drinks flowed and food was eaten and replenished. Everything here was in excess. A facet of life he wasn’t used to and hadn’t experienced in so long. He had given the King and his family little thought throughout his life. Had joined the call to battle out of love for his land and his family. It was in the war camps that he had first learned of Princess Cassandra. The babe celebrated through the realms but grown into a beauty never before seen on this side of the stars. Her light stunning blind any man honored enough to gaze upon her. Her kindness a triumph amongst the court and her wit bringing amusement to her tutors. 

When he had unknowingly laid eyes on her in the village, he had known there was no possibility anyone more beautiful could exist. Known the eyes of mortals and the realms of men would not be able to bear it. To learn she was the Princess was to learn angels were real. 

“The castle as horrid as you imagined?” Gale asked as he joined John on the outskirts of the hall for just a moment as Margaret twirled with one of her friends to the sound of the strings. 

“The wine is good,” he drained his goblet for emphasis, “but I should be on my way. I’ll spend the night in Zig’s stall then ride out at first light.” 

“Nonsense, John, you can spend the night in our home and you should really consider staying-” The strings paused and so did their conversation. Princess Cassandra strode in with her head held high, a pale pink dress flowed into a wide skirt and gloves up to her elbows. She nodded and waved politely and did her best to spurn everyone out of their bows and back into their dancing. 

“Your Highness.” Both men dropped into bows as she reached them. 

“Sir Gale, a pleasure to see you out of your armor tonight.”

“Yes, my lady. A privilege to be in your company tonight.” Cass blushed and hid her giggle behind her hand. 

“You honor me, Sir Gale.” Her attention turned to the brunette man. He was still staring at her with his mouth slightly agape. “I never did get my scarf back upon your victory today, John.” There was a twinkle in her eye he wanted to lose himself in. It spoke of untold boundlessness. 

“I’ve grown quite fond of it. Might keep it for luck on my travels.” Her heart fell and her face was right with it. 

“Travels? You do not mean to stay here?”

“The capital is not my home, Princess.” She wanted to scream that it was her home. That someone wanted to tear her away from her home. That maybe if she left here with someone like him then whatever the future held might not be so bad. “Might I be your first dance for the evening?”

Cass looked at the hand he extended out to her and thought about it for just a second. Taking his hand felt like so much more than just an acceptance to dance. It felt like giving in to the butterflies in his stomach when he looked at her. Giving in to the heat that raced across her cheeks when he smiled at her. Giving in to the voices screaming in her head that John was safe and secure and all the things the lord she was betrothed to wasn’t.

“It would be a privilege to dance with the victor,” she offered back. He bowed his head in gratitude, his fingers closing around hers with a featherlight tough, and escorted her through the crowd of revelers. The Princess nodded her head politely at the bows and curtsies that lined the way. 

“Is it ever daunting to be so worshiped?” he asked as they settled into the temp of the musicians. 

“One hardly notices after a lifetime of it,” she reasoned. “Once I’m married no one will bow so deeply anymore. Perhaps I will find the anonymity I’ve been chasing the further from here I get.” Her marriage to Lord Landry would mark the passage of responsibility from her father to her husband. The same way her older sister’s marriage had resulted in her being whisked away to run a Lord’s household and have his children and ignore his affairs. Only her oldest brother would be allowed to stay in these walls forever. Only Robert got to call this place home for the rest of his days.

“Why will no one bow anymore? Will you not still be a Princess?” His arm was so strong and sure around her waist. Cass was positive he could lift her off her feet effortlessly.

“I will but Lord Landry will never tolerate his wife being bowed to. He will only allow them to show deference to him.” 

“Someone as beautiful as you should be bowed to regardless of lineage.” His face was impossibly close to hers as the words fell from his mouth. So close his nose brushed hers as he pulled back to a respectable distance. “I’m sure you’ll be quite persuasive and find your way.”

“I plan to be as silent as possible in the hopes he forgets I am even there,” she seethed. “He is a monster. There is no reasoning with a man like him.”

“What do you mean by monster?” Something was gnawing inside his chest. Something was furrowing his brow. Something was urging his hand to grip his blade and find this man. 

“I’ve already said too much, John. This is a celebration!” The tempo of the music began to pick up, Cass laughing as her and John fell into the steps of the traditional dance with ease. Their hands touching as they moved in a circle and their eyes remaining locked even when the number called for brief changes in partner. 

It was palpable between them. Whatever it was. Cass using his glances to smile and blush and look away as coyly as possible. John using her gaze to let her know just how content he would be to lock eyes with her for the rest of time. 

The song ended and they were back in front of each other. Their palms facing each other at the height of their shoulders and fingers interlocking. “You’re not a bad dancer,” she teased as they drifted closer. 

“Only when I’ve got the right partner.” She smiled. His head tilted down. Her eyes closed. But before they had the chance to throw caution to the wind, all hell broke loose.

----

There was quite the commotion as the doors blew open and a hoard of villagers stormed through the hall with torches and pitchforks. The knights in attendance immediately sprang to action but Cass stood frozen. These were the same people she gotten to know on her visits to the town square. People she had grown to consider friends. They had never expressed such anger with her father and the rest of her family. Certainly not enough to warrant an assault on the castle. 

“Princess, we must get you out of here.” His sword was in his living quarters. He couldn’t protect her in open combat like this. He needed to get her somewhere safe. Somewhere where he would have the tactical advantage and could make a decision on strategy safely. 

“I don’t understand,” she murmured as John tugged at her arm again.

“Princess-” The velvet drapes behind them caught on fire and she jumped back into his arms with fright. He tugged once more and she fell into step besides him easily. Their fingers never left their grips as they weaved through the crowd towards the exit, goblets shattering and tables being overturned, until they reached a set of glass doors that led to the gardens. “Come, we can hide in the maze until the coast is clear.” He was certain they would be able to contain the mass to the castle walls. By whatever means necessary. He wished he had had time to look after Gale and Margaret.  

“They always seem so happy when I am in town. Never a negative word against me or my family. Why would they do this now?” They took a few turns through the hedge maze before John stopped, his breath coming in pants but he still held onto her hand. 

“Your father raised taxes last month. I would assume that has something to do with it.” 

“That could make people this angry?” she asked as he turned back to face her. 

“Yes, your Highness. The people of the realm, your realm, work very hard for their meager lives. Are very proud that their hard work provides what it does for them. When the King comes along and tells them he wants to take from their pockets, he is taking their food and risking their roof.” She looked away as she thought about what he was saying.

“They must trust that he is making the decisions for their benefit. That he has his reasons for them no matter how unpopular they are.” He disagreed completely. Thought the King was lining his own pockets and ensuring his own fortune. The very fortune of the woman that was standing in front of him right now. But she had such belief and passion behind her eyes. He couldn’t bring himself to extinguish it.

“Perhaps, Princess. Perhaps he should get some new guardsmen and reinforce that wall out front.” Cass giggled and looked down at their still joined hands with a blush.

“You can call me Cassandra.”

“Okay…Cassandra.” Her smile bloomed as her name on his lips reached her ears. A symphony in the night air. 

“John. I would like it very much if you would stay a little while longer.” She hoped her words were not desperate or an overstep of what she could or could not ask of him. 

“I promise, Cassandra, I am not leaving this maze until I am certain you are perfectly safe.” She scoffed.

“That is not at all what I meant.” He smiled because he knew exactly what she had meant. 

“Are you and Gale conspiring against me?” There was a teasing lilt to his voice but she knew the inquiry was genuine. 

“I wasn’t aware Sir Gale was capable of an act such as conspiracy,” she mused as she drifted closer to him in the moonlight. The sounds of chaos in the Great Hall were slowly dying down and guards flooded the scene and got the mob under control. The time for punishment to be doled out would come sooner rather than later. Cass wanted to be nowhere near it when it came. 

“You’re probably right. He’s too kind for something like that.” She smiled and tilted her head to the side to make room for his nose to slot against hers, her breath stilling in the last moment before their lips connected when his caught sharply, his hand around her arm like a vice. Before she even knew what was happening, he was in front of her with a dagger held towards the shadows. “Step out slowly. Arms up.” His other arm was holding the front of her dress to ensure she stayed close. 

“You would defend this royal scum?” The man who emerged was holding a rusted sword that looked dull and almost a little bent. Even still, she was not sure how John would fare with only a dagger to aid them.

“Careful. One could consider those words to be treasonous.” His fist tightened around the fabric of her dress to pull her impossibly close to him. “When he moves, you run.”

“John-”

“Do not argue with me, Princess.” Her lips pressed together tightly to prevent the retort from sneaking out. The man with the sword moved to strike and Cass took off running just as she had been told. Deeper and deeper into the hedge maze until she was certain there was no way out of it. Her chest heaved as she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Surely somehow would have to find her eventually. Surely John was more than capable of defeating the man with the sword. Gosh, she wished Butter were here now to keep her company. She could only imagine the torment her companion was going through with the sounds of violence down the hall and not knowing where she was or if she was safe. 

Dropping to her knees, her hands found the cool dirt and her breaths attempted to even out. Only a little while longer. A little while longer and someone would find her. And everything within the walls of the castle will have been dealt with. Her life could go back to the serenity it had been. 

A bark gave her pause. She would know it anywhere.

“Butter!” He barked once more as his loping steps got closer and closer to her ears, Cass crying as he rounded the corner and launched himself into her arms. “Oh, Butter! You found me, my good boy. I love you so much.” She hugged him as her panicked sob shook her shoulders, his tongue licking at her tears as best he could. 

“Princess? Cassandra?” It was John’s voice. She couldn’t tell where he was, his voice sounding like he was circling her.

“John? Can you hear me?” Her scratches behind Butter’s ears grew more desperate. 

“Don’t move! I’m coming to you!” he called. Cass kissed the top of Butter’s head while they waited, the dog stoic and proud as he was ready to protect her from whatever might come around the corner. He barked once as a signal to John as his footsteps got closer and closer.

She ran towards him as he finally reached her, his eyes flooding with relief when it seemed not a hair on her head had been harmed. “What happened? Did he hurt you?” Cass fussed as they reached each other. Her fingers traced over the skin of his face and checked under the sleeves of his shirt in an effort to find any blemish that would be on him now.

“He has been dispatched. You don’t have to worry about him.” His palms held her cheeks perfectly. “Is this your dog?” Butter barked and weaseled his way in between them.

“This is Butter. And he’s more than my dog. He’s my everything.” She bent down to kiss him for good measure. 

“How did he get out here?” John reached down to pet him but the way the dog looked at him…he kept his hand to himself.

“He must have heard the commotion and used his secret door to escape to come find me.”

“Secret door?” Cass nodded.

“I built him a door so he would have access to the tunnels under the castle in case of a crisis. Tonight certainly warranted it.” And she was so thankful that she had.

“Well, he seems more than capable of protecting you in the event a knight is not around.”

“Particularly with your pending departure,” she mused as Butter began to lead them out of the maze. 

“Princess, you don’t want me here. I promise.” 

“And why do you presume to know what I want?” she asked with a lift to her chin so she could do her best to look down her nose at him. 

“I don’t do well staying still,” he offered with sincerity. She had known types like him before. Nomads that wandered the land in search of their next coin but not letting it keep them up at night. Content to live under the stars and with the wind in their hair. John was a free spirit. Believed staying here would take that from him. It didn’t have to. Couldn’t, if one was strong enough to keep it intact. Cass certainly believed he was strong enough to do anything.

“How long has it been since you tried?” she asked.

“Longer than I could remember. Haven’t had anything worth trying for.” The latter part was tacked on in a fleeting moment of clarity. She was beautiful. Just as everyone had said. But there was something so much deeper to the princess than just her looks. Something molten and effervescent simmered just beneath her surface. How he ached to let it free. “We should get you back inside.” She craned her neck so her lips could meet his cheek. A blush blossoming in her wake.

“Thank you for tonight. For the dance and for everything that came after.”

“You’re welcome, Cassandra.” Maybe he should have offered to do it again. Asked her for another kiss. But he had meant what he said. John wasn’t good at staying still. Putting down roots. Filling a place with memories that tied you to it for a lifetime. And when he looked in her eyes, that was all he wanted to do.

----

The last of his belongings were shoved into a bag, the early rays of the sun casting a glow across the small room in Gale’s house he had been staying in. Of all the places he had wandered to, this was the closest he had ever been to not wanting to leave. He had a friend here. One of his oldest friends. Marge was the sweetest woman he had ever known. They had a beautiful life that they were willing to share with him. A roof he would always be welcome under. And then there was the matter of the Princess. That matter was a dangerous one. A burning rope he was walking tightly along. It was that yearning that urged him out of here as soon as possible. To protect them both.

“Not so fast, John.” Gale came skidding around the corner and poked his head into the room, breathless. “You’ve been summoned for an audience with the King.”

----

The King was stoically seated on his throne, the queen and his heir flanked him on either side and John’s mouth quirked into a subtle smile when he saw Cassandra and Butter standing behind her father. 

“Your Majesties, your Highnesses,” John bowed at the neck and settled into a comfortable stance, as comfortable as he could be with the metal armor shaped to his body.

“John, I wanted to thank you in person for your efforts in protecting my daughter last night. It was told to me that you acted quickly in her defense and put yourself in between her and an armed assailant.”

“It was my honor, your Majesty.”

“I would like you to stay. Take the title of knight and serve as her devoted protector. Personally ensure the safety of my daughter until she is in the custody of her betrothed.” If the words wounded her, she did a fantastic job of not showing it. Butter seemed to bare his teeth ever so slightly. 

John opened his mouth to politely decline when he caught the eye of Gale who was standing against the wall. Everything in his look told him in no uncertain terms that he should accept the proposal or risk his own death. “No duty could fulfill me more than such, your Majesty.” He dropped his head once again. The Princess descended the steps down to where he stood, a ceremonial sword in her grasp as the eye contact made both of their breath catch. 

He held her gaze as he dropped down to one knee. Looking up at her with his own oath burning in his eyes. His own oath to only ever kneel for her. To only ever pledge his sword to her. To throw himself in front of any danger and shield her until he was worn down to the bone. He wanted to touch her. Ached to feel the warmth of her skin under the velvet of her dress. Trail his fingers along the seams until he found an inch of something bare to cling to. To silence the whispers in his head that change was coming and he couldn't control it. But if losing control was losing himself in her…he’d welcome the free fall with a grin on his face.

“From this day forward, let no blade touch you, save that you reply with honor, courage and prowess. We command you to succor the defenseless, seek justice for those of every station, and maintain the honor of your Order,” she announced as the ceremonial sword tapped at his shoulders. “You may rise, Sir John.” He paused and looked up at her for another moment. 

“I kneel at your throne, your Highness. Will only ever knee at the altar of you, Cassandra,” he whispered so it was just a secret between them. A secret they would each take to the grave. She bit back her whimper as he rose to his full height and she took a step back to avoid acting on her improper thoughts. The knights around them were cheering and even her father was smiling but she only saw him. The man that had opened the chamber of her heart that believed she had control in her future. That she had a future worth fighting for. That maybe he could help her reach it.

He only saw her. The Princess that could command him in any direction but need only point. The Princess that presented a front so sure of herself only to hide her anxiety of her future. He would protect her until his last breath. And use that breath to ensure she knew she deserved more than a marriage without love and a life without freedom. She deserved all her wants and all her desires. 

“I suppose you are now at my mercy, Sir John,” she spoke with a joyous smile and a gentle twist of her skirts. 

“I can think of no place I’m more meant to be.”

And God help those who tried to tear them apart.

[megidonitram]

Everyone's Running From Something (ch. 4)

A Baldur's Gate 3 University Professor AU

Rating: M

Quick Summary: Astarion and Gale are two University English professors precariously mentoring a troubled 19-year-old and falling in love.

💖Main Pairing : BloodWeave,(Astarion/Gale) 💕Side Pairings: Shadowheart/Nocturne, Karlach/Dammon, Wyll/The Dark Urge, Tav/Tav 💔Past Pairings: Gale/Mystra, Astarion/Sebastian, Astarion/Tav

<=Previous Chapter | Master List | Ao3 | Next Chapter =>

**Please see Master List Entry for Full Content Warnings**

⏰Chapter Warning⏰ None

The all-hands meeting for the beginning of the semester went the same way every all-hands meeting at the beginning of semesters go. Every professor and TA in a humanities field got squeezed into a conference room that wasn’t quite big enough, had a powered sugar donut or a couple cubes of assorted melon with half a Styrofoam cup of burnt coffee, and listened to the departmental dean give an un-rousing speech about being on the same page with the other departments. Then he talked at nauseam about school policies and ran a quick training session over a new time-tracking software that would be implemented in 3 weeks’ time.

Gale scribbled down notes on a big yellow legal pad and tried to ignore Jen and Astarion, making faces at each other as he wrote. He’d been in academia long enough to know they’d both be crying to him in a few weeks when they messed up their timecards.

As the meeting drew to a close, a dapper man with slicked-back chestnut hair and a car salesman smile stepped into the room. Astarion went stiff like a cat puffing up to defend itself. The dapper man just gave him a plasticky, knowing smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

The dean perked up a bit as he noticed the man lingering in the back of the room. “Raphael, what a pleasant surprise! I had no idea you would be joining us,” he exclaimed, “We were just finishing up. Are there any words of wisdom you’d like to impart to our humanities faculty?”

“Oh, nothing so important,” Raphael said, and suddenly Gale understood why Astarion was so on edge. Everything about the man oozed with a disingenuous charm that made Gale’s hair stand on end. “I just realized I forgot to send out a notice about the upcoming donor gala the next coming Friday. I realized you were all in a meeting right now, so I thought I’d pop in and remind you in person.”

Raphael’s eyes landed directly on Astarion as he spoke his next sentence. “There is a reasonable expectation that faculty attend these events.” Out of the corner of his eye, Gale saw Astarion’s expression go steely. “After all, we want to show up and show out for the people who allow us to do so much.”

“Of Course!” The dean chirped. “I know I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The meeting adjourned, and Astarion immediately made a break for the door. Gale hurriedly gathered his things in one arm, instinctually following after the only person in the room he really knew, like a baby duck.

Raphael stepped into Astarion’s path before he could get out of the meeting room. “Ah, we meet again, Dr. Ancunín!” Raphael’s voice dripped with sugary contempt. “I will see you at the donor gala, won’t I?”

“Perhaps. Are you thinking about calling in that favor I owe you?” Astarion’s voice was clipped, his face unnervingly blank.

“I think I’d like to wait on that a little longer, but I would like you there in case I change my mind.” Before Astarion could respond, Raphael’s gaze slid off him and onto- “Dr. Dekarios! Wonderful to see you. Are you settling in well?” He reached out a hand to him.

Gale stuffed his legal pad into his work so he could shake Raphael’s hand. “Exceptionally well!” he replied. “Everyone’s done their utmost to make me feel very welcome!”

“Oh, you don’t have to fib on your new colleagues’ account, Dr. Dekarios. I’m more than familiar with how surly certain members of the English department can get.” Raphael laughed congenially, but Astarion shot him a poisonous look.

“I’m not lying to you, sir,” Gale replied. “Astarion’s been nothing but professional.”

“Well, perhaps he’s going a bit soft.” There was a flash of something dangerous behind his eyes. He turned to Astarion. “I shall see you next Friday.” It was a command more than a farewell, but he walked away all the same.

Astarion muttered under his breath. Gale didn’t catch what he said but could make an educated guess. Astarion exhaled a deep breath like he was equalizing pressure.

He turned to Gale and said, “Thank you.”

Gale blinked. “Of course.”

Astarion opened his mouth to say something else, but the words couldn’t or wouldn’t form.

Shadowheart stepped in between them, too concerned with responding to a text message to notice the weird tension. “Karlach wants to get drinks.” She said. “She got stuck in traffic and doesn’t want to drive all the way down here for nothing.”

“Roveer’s?” Astarion asked, a very weary resignation in his voice.

“Yes, probably.”

“Nothing like running into your students at a sports bar a week before classes start…” Astarion grumbled. “Fine. Let me finish here, and I’ll meet you there in, oh… 15 minutes.” He turned to Gale. “Are you coming?”

“To the office?”

Astarion gave him a perplexed look. “To the bar.” He clarified. “You should take the opportunity to meet Karlach.”

Gale could feel himself going bright red as Shadowheart snickered. “Right. Yes. I would love to.” He replied.

“I’ll let Karlach know you’re coming. She’ll be thrilled.” Shadowheart replied, giving Gale a warm smile. “I’ll go lock up. See you in a bit.”

“Come on then.” Astarion replied, nodding for Gale to follow him.

***

The all-hand meeting was on the third floor, so by the time they’d returned to the basement and back up a floor to leave, Gale was starting to fear his knees wouldn’t survive the week- let alone the semester. “There has to be an elevator in this building.” Gale huffed and puffed as he hoofed it up the last flight of stairs. He didn’t want his new colleague’s first impression of him to be of him on his hands and knees wheezing. “I can’t take much more of this…”

“There is, but personally I don’t like chancing it unless I really don’t want to be in a meeting.” Astarion slowed to a stop at the top of the stairs to wait for him. He didn’t seem any worse for wear, but he also seemed much trimmer than Gale was- or at the very least, his shirt accentuated the pleasing nip of his waist. Gale wondered if Astarion was a swimmer. “A history adjunct got stuck in it overnight a few years past, and it still reeks a little bit when it gets hot enough.”

Gale laughed, but Astarion very pointedly did not.

The conversation lulled a little bit.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Gale asked.

“That entirely depends on what you want to ask.” Astarion stepped into the hallway, taking a moment to slip into his grey wool peacoat before they ventured outside.

“Raphael, is he always…”

“Such an ass?” Astarion finished his thought. Gale wouldn’t have used such a strong word, but Astarion had gotten the spirit of the question right, at least. “He’s usually much worse.”

“Oh?”

“He’s a glorified middleman with too much power and time on his hands.” Astarion scoffed. “He enjoys putting things in people’s way and watching them try to wriggle their way out of problems he created. My advice is to deal with him as little as possible.”

“Is he who you went to talk to earlier?”

Astarion gave him a poisonous look that only confirmed Gale’s suspicion.

They walked across campus in uneasy silence. The bitterly cold wind whipped and whistled, tossing the last remnants of fall leaves across the concourse. The few student residents who’d gotten in that morning had either decided to hold up in their rooms or were enjoying their free time in more exciting corners of town. Gale found himself wondering what Xenia was doing... He hoped she wasn’t all alone in an empty dorm.

“Does Xenia have many friends?” Gale asked as they approached a crosswalk leading to the block of shops across from campus.

“Hm?” Astarion tapped the pedestrian-call button, which commanded them to ‘wait!’ in a mechanical voice. “I think she probably has more friends than she realizes she does. Kids like her tend to think they’re alone in everything.”

“Poor kid… Seems like she’s been through enough.” Gale sighed. There was something heartbreaking in the phrase ‘kids like her.’ It was sad to think that there were more 19-year-olds out there carrying emotional burdens far too heavy for their age- sadder still to think that if there weren’t, then Xenia would be alone.

“She’ll figure herself out eventually. She’s not like…” Astarion paused, seemingly a little shocked by what he was about to say. He leveled a wary glance at Gale. “She’s not a quitter, I mean.”  

“I’m sure she’s not. I just hope she doesn’t run herself ragged.” The walk light flashed, and they hurried across the street.

***

They were comedically out of place in Roveer’s Roadhouse. A group of grown adults in Oxford dress crowding around a sticky Bud-Lit branded high top surrounded by a bevy of flatscreen monitors playing every sports broadcast under the sun. Shadowheart was already nursing a syrupy cocktail out of a chipped margarita glass.

An extremely tall woman with a red tipped mohawk and smiling eyes bounded over to Gale and clapped a firmly friendly hand on his shoulder. “You’re the new Adjunct, I take it?” She asked. “I’m Karlach, Professor Cliffgate, if you’re nasty.”

“Gale Dekarios.” He reached out to shake her hand. She fist-bumped him instead, and Gale got a glimpse of a nasty burn scar peeking out from the sleeve of her jacket. “It’s a pleasure!”

“Aw, I have a great-aunt named Gale!” Karlach replied.

“I get that a lot…” Gale sighed. “I like your hair!”

“Thanks!” Karlach tussled her own hair. “Told my kiddos they could pick what color I dyed it if they all passed their benchmarks.”

“Does Balduran give benchmarks?”

“Oh, no. Teaching university is my side gig,” Karlach replied. “I’m actually a full-time middle school teacher.”

A spindly girl with bleach-blonde hair pulled into space buns sidled up to the table, clutching a notepad. “Can I take your order?” She seemed quite put upon being asked to do actual work on a slow day.

“Vodka Soda,” Astarion replied, holding his ID out to the server.

She took it and dropped it in her apron, jotted something down on her notepad, and turned to Gale with an expectant look.

“I’ll, uh, take a Corona,” Gale replied. He’d never ordered a Corona in his life, but it seemed like an acceptable ‘getting drinks with colleagues’ kind of an order.

The server stood there staring at him a moment long before she asked, “ID?”

“Oh, um…” Gale patted for his wallet and realized he left it in his desk drawer. “I didn’t realize I would need it…”

“You didn’t realize you’d need an ID at a college bar?” Astarion asked dryly as he turned to the server. “Just put it on my tab.”

The server nodded and walked away without asking if they needed anything else.

“Wow Gale, just one day on the job, and you’re already bumming free drinks off the department chair.” Shadowheart teased. She took a sip of her drink crinkling her nose at the taste.

Gale flustered. “I-I was going to pay with my phone, I swear! I wasn’t planning this.”

“Relax. We’re not so underpaid that I can’t afford to buy you one beer.” Astarion rolled his eyes. “You can return the favor when you get your first paycheck.”

Gale blushed. “Alright.”

The server brought them their drinks without another word, then plopped down at the end of the bar to scroll on her phone. Gale pushed the lime through the neck of his beer bottle and watched it fizz as it sank to the bottom of the dubiously golden liquid.

“So, did I miss anything important at the all-hands?” Karlach asked idly, stirring her bourbon and coke.

“You know you didn’t,” Shadowheart replied. “We’re changing timecard systems, and Raphael and Astarion are in another one of their weird power struggles-there, I saved you an hour and a half.”

Karlach’s eyes lit up, and she turned towards Astarion. “Before the semester even starts?” There was a conspiratorial glee in her voice. “What the fuck could he have possibly done this time?”

“Why spoil the mood by ruminating on that rat bastard?” Astarion said. He picked the lemon slice out of his drink and laid it on a napkin. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Fair.” Karlach shrugged. She turned back to Gale and fixed him with a warm smile. “So, Gale, what brings you to the wonderful world of higher education?”

Gale had thought a lot about what he would tell people when they asked him why he wanted to teach college. He’d written little speeches in the shower about the joys of teaching language and the satisfaction of helping students reach their goal, but sitting in a group of other English professors, that suddenly all felt very trite.

“I was a public librarian, but I had to step away from my last position when I got divorced.” He admitted. “I found a job at a community college teaching database management, and I realized I’d just always missed teaching.” He took a long pull of his beer. The sour of the lime battled with the bitterness of the beer on his tongue.

“Library science might be a harder industry to break into than academia. It must have been tough to leave that behind.” Astarion mused.

“I do miss it terribly sometimes… but my ex helped me get into graduate school and got me my first library job. If I stayed, I would never be able to make anything that was truly mine.” Gale sighed. He could see the wheels spinning in Shadowheart’s head as she tried to figure out his age.

“You talk like you’re as old as this bag of bone,” Karlach pointed a thumb at Astarion, who glared daggers at her. “But there’s no way you’re that old.”

“I’m 35.” Gale clarified.

“That’s a little bit older than I thought, but still nowhere near as old as Astarion,” Shadowheart said.

“You are barely two years younger than me.” Astarion snapped.

“Barely a decade older than Gale, too.” Shadowheart shot back.

Astarion rolled his eyes and muttered something into his drink. “Did you go to get your master’s straight out of undergrad?” he asked.

“Yes, why?”

Astarion shrugged. “That’s just quite young to be with someone that well-established in their field.”

“Oh, we didn’t get together until I graduated.” That wasn’t entirely true. They didn’t get together publicly until he graduated. He didn’t know why he was still defending Mystra. It wasn’t like any of his new colleagues would ever meet her.

“I wasn’t trying to imply anything…” Astarion lied.

“Of course not.”

They both took a sip of their drink, holding awkward eye contact.

“Well, here’s to making something for yourself then,” Shadowheart said, holding her drink out to Gale for a cheers.

Gale clinked the neck of his beer bottle against her glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

[aladaylessecondblog]

Severed Destiny, Pt. 12

Morvani, after a good many more instructions, gestured to the ashes below, at a particular bone and a bit of leather beneath it. "I want you to take one of my bones, and the silver sandals I was wearing when they burned me."

"I thought that was--wasn't allowed," Haj-deek said, "To take things from family tombs."

"It's perfectly fine if you belong to the family and are being told to do it, both of which I am doing now," she said, "The bone will allow you to better ask for the protection of your family, should you need it, and the sandals...well..."

Here a rather devilish grin crossed Morvani's face.

"My sons will recognize them, if they have forgotten everything else of their mortal lives."

Haj-deek couldn't help but laugh at that, but then thought of something that quickly took it back. She made certain to speak only when she had knelt to take the bone (a knuckle, she thought) and ash-covered sandals. "I was told to close the entrance I fell into. What--what should I do? What would you have me do?"

"Do as you were asked. I do not want our tomb pillaged and plundered by bandits and thieves. Mark it somehow, so later you might be able to return...but do as you were asked. But before you leave - follow me."

"Follow you?" she questioned, as Morvani's spectral form left the ashen pile. "Where?"

"Someone must make the introductions, and as your father is unable, it must be me. It is time for you to meet your family."

---------------------------

As it turned out, one of her ancestors was formerly employed in ensuring a long-buried mine stayed intact, and was thus able to show her how to collapse the doorway. "Who would have thought that I could help a member of my house so long after my death? With simple knowledge from a lifetime in the mines?"

And despite her impending departure there was a small horde of Dagoths, of all ages, who would wait and watch her as she closed what had been their only link to the outside world in two eras.

It warmed her heart to see them so happy to see her and help her. Once more she felt the glow of no longer being alone...but it was neutered of its fullness when she watched the rocks collapse over the spot.

I will come back, she thought to herself, I WILL.

She could not think how to mark the spot, until she looked at her map. And making a rough guess - it was between two others nearby - she marked it, waiting carefully for the ink to dry before setting off for the Erabenimsun camp again.

Han-Ammu was one thing. He greeted her kindly enough, and after Haj-deek explained what she'd done, said, "I now name you Erabenimsun Nerevarine, Champion of the Erabenimsun, and Protector of the People. By collapsing the entrance of the tomb of House Dagoth, you have saved us all a great deal of trouble."

He directed her then to Manirai's yurt. The others of the tribe she'd met so far had been relatively friendly, but the wise woman's face clouded on sight of her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"The shadow of evil is over you, child, that is what is wrong, and you must fight it."

"There's no evil over me. At least...no more than anyone else on Vvardenfell...I'm here to be declared Nerevarine. Not that I need it, really, because I already have the ring, but...I've guessed I should do this properly."

Haj-deek removed her glove and lifted her hand to show the ring. (Vivec had warned her to avoid this, but he'd also told her to come straight back from Tel Fyr, and she hadn't done that either...)

"Most unusual, and I will declare you Nerevarine - but please, take heed. Pray to Azura, show your faithfulness. Before it is too late."

It's already too late.

"Has--has she told you so?"

"I do not need to be told to know. I see the signs, more than I ever have before. The omens do not favor you, child, is what I mean to say."

"You--tell fortunes, then? I didn't know you wise women could see the future."

"We must be able to divine it to some degree, or we would not be wise women. Often our predictions come of spotting patterns that repeat over the years, of studying the personalities of those around us. And this you call fortune-telling! But no - sometimes visions we are granted, which we are always quick to write down."

"But you know nothing of me." Haj-deek looked to her feet. She'd changed into Morvani's silver sandals, liking instantly the high-quality yet worn-in way they felt, and the slight sheen on them was a good distraction. "Do you?"

"I have seen--" Manirai said, "I have seen you, dressed in the armor of House Indoril, skewered before Lady Azura. And for this reason I warn you - do not fight your destiny. Fill the shoes Azura has fashioned for you, walk the path she sets before you, and do not anger her needlessly, for I can only assume that is what would prompt such a thing."

Haj-deek merely nodded, refusing to lie to the woman's face. The lack of an answer concerned the wise woman, but nothing more was said on the matter. She was declared Nerevarine, and that was that.

But skewered? SKEWERED? That ugly word repeated in her head. The Indoril Armor, too...well, she'd just have to make sure never to wear the damn stuff. The ordinators didn't like it when people wore that stuff anyway, so it wasn't as if it would be hard to avoid. There were better armors to wear that wouldn't give trouble.

It was a good thing the woman didn't seem to know who her family was, or that would have made things even more difficult...might have even made her refuse to name her Nerevarine at all.

She decided to spend the night there, at the Erabenimsun camp, as they happened to have a (tiny) empty yurt, and were more than happy to show her how to set the thing up. She had a few herbs and an ash yam, and contributed a sea shanty when someone at dinner called for a song.

Despite the jovial atmosphere, the pall Manirai's warning had put over things persisted, and she went to sleep fitfully.

------------------

When Haj-deek opened her eyes again, she was...not sure where she was, other than inside of a cave that glowed at one end with a fire pit. Attempts to change the setting as she usually did in dreams didn't yield any results. The smallest details refused to yield to her.

So she waited.

And she heard him, before she saw him.

Who are you?

She started to say the name she had borne for fifteen years, but if he was who she thought--she answered a moment later, "My name is Sunnar."

The sound of footsteps. Haj-deek looked about, glancing first one way and then another, and saw nothing. But she blinked - and then he was there. She stumbled back, seeing for the first time the man in his entirety, the same as her mother had.

A tall dunmer, dark of hair, whose minimal clothing was all red and black - the loincloth marked with a Sixth House symbol. But it was the mask that stood out to her most - golden, impassive, completely unreadable.

She stepped back, reaching for a weapon subconsciously - and found she had none.

You do not need them here.

There was silence for a moment, and then his hands raised to her face.

So what I saw was correct, and not merely a trick of their blighted eyes. You are your mother's child.

"Y-your child," she stammered. If this was not merely a dream, perhaps he was speaking to her at a safe distance, afraid...of what, she did not know.

I fear--nothing, came the swift reply, in a tone that shook nonetheless. On my own behalf, at least. You have never been in greater danger than you are right now. You must--you must come to me.

"But the prophecies--?"

They have been dashed to bits on the rocks before, this time shall be no different. Know this - you are unsafe anywhere I or my faithful are not. The Tribunal seek your end, whatever the false god Vivec may have told you, he lies. He lies, he will do nothing but lie, and I will not lose you to his machinations.

Another pause, and a sudden stab of pain in her arm.

No... Dagoth Ur's voice choked, in a way she could never have anticipated, I will send my faithful after you. I will have you brought here, I will not let this happen AGAIN--

But from that dim-lit embrace she was dragged, from the world of dreams and into the world of the living.

-----------------------

Haj-deek gasped as she jolted awake. In the darkness of the small yurt she saw nothing at first--but then there was the glint of a lens. She felt the blade going into her shoulder, and with a shove the owner of it was forced back, without their weapon.

It was pulled out, and she cast a healing spell as she rushed forward to attack her would-be attacker, a movement which roused Sunchaser beside her.

Only once the attacker was dead and she sat tired and breathing hard, did she get the chance to check their pockets unimpeded.

There were no notes with words, but there was a symbol she could easily understand. The black hand.

Her attacker was one of the Dark Brotherhood.

[wangxianficfinder]

Fic Finder

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1. Does anybody know the name or have a copy of this fanfic where I believe lwj is a Lord and he has 5 wives. I believe wwx was the 2nd wife and lwj didn't really notice him until one day he saw him playing with the other wives children. And I think one of the wives either the 1st or 3rd tried to kill him for favor. @teamironman98

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2. hello! I’m looking for a certain wangxian fic that crosses over with the tgcf world i think? Anyways it’s an au where wei ying is a former prince turned calamity and lan wangji is continuously reincarnating but a piece of his soul isn’t with him. I think there was a saying in the fic that goes “If you see a path of spiderlilies you’ll meet someone again.��

Anyways thank you for your time!

FOUND? A Path of Red Spider Lillies by glowingreverie (M; 208k, wangxian, JYL/JZX, hualian, TGCF fusion, angst w happy ending, comedy, mild sexual content, gore, death, past child abuse, supernatural elements, slow burn, WIP)

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3. Hello, I'm trying to find a fix where WWX was raised by a family of prostitutes that eventually free themselves of their contract and made a living teaching their arts. One of them married a rogue cultivator that makes jewelry and taught it to WWX. Eventually he meets LWJ and they get together relatively quick. WWX never gets that much involved with the Jiang Sect other than saving it during the war and JC loses his core and never got involved in the war. @justscribblingnonsense​

FOUND? Flowers Blooming by Ilona22 (M, 35k, WangXian, Adoption, Prostitution, Family Fluff, Family Drama, Growing Up)

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4. Hi can you help me find a fic about wangxian.. is that wei ying want work shop for all his crazy idea.. and wangji said make a space place in his arm sleeve because wei ying will safe with him... and wangji put his head down there to make sure it was safe for wei ying. To breath.. And I think later wei ying head pop out and kiss.

FOUND? My heart in my sleeve by exmanhater (G, 2k, WangXian, Crack, Qiankun Sleeves, Sleeve Husband, LWJ's Fondest Dream, Let LWJ Spoil His Husband, Post-Canon)

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5. Hi! I'm hoping someone can help, please! I'm looking for a fic like The Yu Temper by madwriter223, where shortly after WWX frees the Wens from Qiongqi Path, JC decides instead to hell with it, flips, and promptly decides to start aggressively supporting WWX instead, along the lines of 'who are you to tell me what to do?!', resulting in the Wens being rehomed in Lotus Pier. This particular fic has JC swearing every sentence, even in his head, and potentially endgame Wangxian and Chenqing. I can't remember much more than that, I'm afraid but I'd be happy to receive any similar recs if you would rather make this a ITMF request instead! @katonahottinroof

Might be one of snowberryrose's 🤔

FOUND! With Such Impossible Conveyance by Comfect (T, 99k, JC & WWX, wangxian, JC/WQ, major character death, canon divergence, fix-it, angst w happy ending, anger management, canon-typical behavior, swearing, fluff, romance, everyone lives au, humor, podfic)

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6. Hello - I’m trying to find a fic on the archive where Lan Zhan has full memories as a child and leaves cloud recesses and takes his mother with him. Then succeeds at finding Wei ying as a street child.

Eventually there is an entire Wei sect and wangxian ends up with a ton of kids via several women including wen quin. @soconfuzed​

FOUND? The Dreams of Youth by sami (E, 86k, wangxian, time travel, fix-it, family, not lan sect friendly, canon typical violence & gore, childhood friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, mothers who live, some people live/not everyone dies)

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7. Hello! I’m hoping you can help me find this fic. I remember so much about it apart from the name and tore through my bookmarks with no luck. It was a modern AU where WWX was a celebrity of some sort (idol/actor) and LWJ was a pet store owner. The two end up crossing paths and end up falling in love. I vividly remember the two of them going out with A-Yuan & being swamped by paparazzi and another scene where WWX is at a modeling shoot and LWJ steps in to help. I think it came out around 2021-ish? @heedoyurims

FOUND? I think number 7 is off-key by geragrena, which I am perpetually sad that I never downloaded a copy of before it was hidden.

ittybittywwx: i have a pdf copy off-key by geragrena so they can message me if they want it!!

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8. Hello! Please help me find a fic/tell me if you remember it and it was deleted or something 🙏 My search through ao3 bookmarks and tags was unfortunate but the work was really interesting and I sudeenly remembered it some days ago and can't calm down still. Thank you!!

Possible but maybe not really used tags: arranged marriage, misunderstandings, political intrigues

As far as I remember, there was an arranged marriage between wwx and Iwj, but on the next day/a week after the wedding Iwj goes to see wen qing, which makes wwx miserable and yzy mad because of his "incompetence" as a spouse. Then there was a discussion between sect leaders, including wrh, where wrh announced that wq will become Iwj's concubine and their children will be considered Iwj's and wwx's. Wwx accepts the terms, but is shocked, mad and heartbroken beecause he concludes that it was planned in advance and Iwj is in love with wq. He does not try to listen to lwj, warns him not to touch him and runs away to a cottage in yiling (maybe? And maybe owned by jc or jyl) where he usually resides when mdm yu gets mad at him and kicks him out of the main sect territory

He takes in some homeless kids, including xy, as his little students?/adoptees? and i think mm is his servant, and he chills with them and makes talismans for common people maybe, remaking his reputation which suffered after the marriage fiasco. There was also a ghost of a woman who was in the house and was looking at wwx silently but in a very sad way (maybe possibly it could be madam lan or just undisclosed ghost lady)

There was a scene when wq comes to visit him. She has a lan ribbon on her arm which makes wwx heartbroken again. She somehow explains without apologising that everything is not as it seems and that it had to be done to save her family. It all makes wwx feel like he was outcasted by everyone in the knowledge of the situation for no real reason and with no care for his own reputation and life. Also I think mm who previously thought that she and wq were maybe friends says after the talk that it seems like they are not really friends because wq seems to treat her not as an equal but as a friendly servant instead

Then something something with wc and I remember a scene in a cave where wx and Iwj are trapped and somehow kiss, and then Iwj is like pulling himself away and mentioning wq, which makes wwx miserable because there is possibly a soulmate thingy? btw them and he feels awful

And then i remember jzx, who is maybe friends with Iwj, being mad at wwx for something and asking if he knew what Iwj did for him and wwx has absolutely no idea

The latest chapters I remember included some nsfw, more angst and misunderstandings, and possibly Iwj blaming wwx for pretending to ignore/knowingly hiding the fact that they are soulmates and wwx being scared that his kids will be taken away from him and given to the lans. And there was a heavy sence that there are lots of things happening wwx has no idea about, including (possibly) lwj's letters to him

Thank you for your work!! @shellennium

FOUND! No. 8 sounds like A Price to Pay by Wangxianist but it was deleted.

~*~

9. Hello! Thank you do much for all your hard work

I was wondering if you or any if your followers could help me find the fic where wwx is the God of the new moon. I tried looking in the tags for diety wwx but either I missed it or it's not tagged that way. I'm pretty sure he turns into a human later on but I don't remember much else. Thank you!

FOUND? A Secret Never Shared by Vrishchika (T, 28k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, frankencanon, Pining, Soft LWJ, Deity WWX, BAMF WWX)

FOUND? Of Destruction and Rebirth by demoniqt (M, 77k, wangxian, slow burn, god wwx, bamf wwx, grieving lwj, angst, hurt/comfort, fix-it, happy ending, attempted non-con, blood & gore)

FOUND? Lying on the Edge of a Star by Suspicious_Popsicle (T, 75k, WIP, WangXian, Universe Alteration, Slow Burn)

FOUND? A Wish For The Moon by PixieLeader (G, 15k, WangXian, Fantasy, Soulmates)

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10. hihi! I had wanted to rec this for #1 on the previous itmf (March 25th) but I realized I never saved it to my read list so I can't find it anymore!! 😭 it was a 3zun fic where I'm pretty sure jgy was forced by jgs into marrying warlord nmj. the rest of the world believed that the nies, esp nmj, are barbarians and super evil. so when jgy gets sent to the nies, he's mentally preparing himself to be raped or killed by nmj, but turns out nmj is super nice! and when jgy meets lxc (who is already married to nmj), lxc is really kind to him. and slowly jgy opens up to both of them and I think at one point they all go on a picnic date at a mountain? and later they get attacked while they're riding on horseback? honestly it's been so long I'm having trouble remembering the details skdjskd. also btw even though the plot sounds somewhat similar to the nielan fic soaring, carried aloft on the wind, that's not the one! this one was definitely 3zun and also from jgy's pov. hopefully someone knows the one I'm talking about!😭 @cryiling

FOUND! Perhaps Plural by AlfAlfAlfAlfAlf and tardigradeschool (E, 77k, 3zun, historical, arranged marriage, established nielan, developing 3zun, romantic comedy, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, pining, slow burn, misunderstandings, smut)

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11. I'm looking for a fic where wwx died during some point in the burial mounds and became a god of death or something similar. In one part he figured out or was taught how to take a female form. He could visit people in their dreams as well. I swear I had it bookmarked, but can't find it. Thanks!

FOUND! Of Destruction and Rebirth by demoniqt (M, 77k, wangxian, slow burn, god wwx, bamf wwx, grieving lwj, angst, hurt/comfort, fix-it, happy ending, attempted non-con, blood & gore)

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12. hi! this my first time sending an ask to this blog so I'm a little unsure if I'm doing this correctly but I'm trying to find this fic where JC noticed an older disciple acting weird/inappropriate with WWX at Lotus Pier when they were kids so JC informs JFM and JFM gets super angry and kicks the older disciple out of the sect or something along those lines. I can't remember if JC had travelled back in time and that's why they were kids again or if it was just JC remembering something from his childhood. I unfortunately don't remember anything else about the plot 😔

thank you for your time! 🧡

FOUND! chapter 4 of Cotton Wool by incendir (M, 34k, WangXian, LJY/OMC, ZhuiLing, JC & WWX)

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13. Somewhere on AO3 there is a fic where LXC and NM threw the yin iron into the volcano and now the world is ending and they ask WWX about saving it and he's like yeah, we're doomed... @mreisse

FOUND! built by the fires of volcanoes by isabilightwood (T, 26k, wangxian, time travel, crack treated seriously, canon divergence, fluff & humor)

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14. Hey there! I’m having trouble finding this one specific fic. It is wangxian. Wei Ying sent Lán Wangji his drawing of a field of white bunnies (and I belief his donkey was in the picture as well?) and a letter. This was the last thing he sent to Lán Wangji before he disappeared. I remember Sizhui being with Lan Wangji and other junior disciples in the search for Wei Wuxian. Cut to them finding the white bunny field, they still don’t find him. As they return to Cloud Recesses, it turns out that Lan Sizhui took a bunny from that field. Specifically a non white bunny. That is all I can remember… thank you for the help!

FOUND! Yiling Patriarch Gone Missing, or: a series of missing person cases by oyan (T, 16k, wangxian, post-canon, case fics, fluff, humor, hurt/comfort, body dysphoria, mystery, slow burn, petty LWJ, protective LWJ, JC & WWX reconciliation, protective JC, rabbit & paperman shenanigans, eventual relationship, protective JL, WIP)

~*~

15. Hello! I'm looking for a fic that I'd seen in a recent ITMF list but couldn't find it again. It was about lwj dealing with the aftermath of wwx's death and the discipline whip. Canon-compliant, and I believe it was an entire series of one-shots where the first fic focused of lwj and I believe the second one was about lsz

Hello! I'm #15 on the lastest fic finder. I'm afraid that's not the work I was looking for. The one I wanted wasn't a locked piece and I believe it dealt mainly with "chronic grief", but thank you for your efforts :)

NOT FOUND! The Price of Old Wishes by SoManyJacks (E, 67k, WangXian, Minor canon divergence, Angst, POV LWJ, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Slow Burn, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, semi-verbal!LWJ, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide)

FOUND! no new age Series by everythingispoetry (M, 145k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Permanent Injury, Recovery, Disability, Parenthood, Character Study, Thirteen Years of WWX's Death, Growing Up, Family Dynamics, Character Study, Self-Discovery, Mental Health Issues, Developing Relationship) although this isn't one-shot

NOT FOUND! Velle: to will, to wish by Aerlalaith (T, 30k, wangxian, angst, hurt/comfort, blood & injury, injury recovery, canon temporary character death, single parent LWJ, family issues, character study, healing, grief/mourning, trauma, nightmares) could be mine: "Velle: to will, to wish" where the first one is LWJ grieving/healing after the discipline whip and the second one is a oneshot about LSZ's courtesy name.

~*~

16. Hello, for fic finder I want to find a short story set post canon where Wei Wuxian is transformed into a cat and keeps Jin Ling company, I vaguely remember a scene where Wei Wuxian in cat form bapped Fairy on the nose with his paw and stared in wonder at his paws possibly realising he had claws or in wonder that he touched a dog without running away screaming. I think he later figured out how to transform into his cat form at will to nap in sunbeams. Finding this story has been driving me nuts any help is greatly appreciated. @sorathemasterofmasters

FOUND? deep and inscrutable by twigofwillow (T, 1k, WWX & JL, Post-Canon, LSZ & LJY show up briefly, poor JL suffers so much, WWX does not care for Fairy at any time, it is a beautiful morning in Lanling and you are a horrible cat, Humor) this sounds like "deep and inscrutable" by twigofwillow, it doesn't have him figuring it out but he's definitely thinking about it, and the other details match

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17. Hello, I recently remember this fic that ive read months ago and im not sure if i remember it correctly, i cant find it anymore so i hope u guys can help me with this.

- its a modern fic. wei ying is sick then he lives with the lans. i remember him going to the same school(?) with lan zhan. i think lqr told lz to take care of him smth like that. then there's a girl that is also sick(?) there's a scene where wy asked lz to stay with him but then lz left and chose the other girl (lz didnt know that wx is sick and he was like the girl needs me more than u) there's a confession on a radio station(?) then when lz found out that wy is sick he ran back to him. there's also jiang-wen family connections. wy is cousins to the jiangs and has a connection with wens, im not sure if rouhan is his grandfather or uncle or smth. then they found out there's a scene where madam yu slapped the girl because of what she did (hurt wy) and they cut off ties (business/job) with their family

im not sure if im talking about one story or two.

For #17 I'm sure I've read the fic but it was when I was early into fandom and new to AO3. Also the girl is engaged to LWJ or something. WWX already is in love with LWJ,  but he's sick and gonna die in a year

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18. hi, can u guys help me to find this: lwj is a doctor, lxc and nmj are i think cops(?) detectives(?) smth like that then wwx is a fox. they rescued wwx from the basement where someone cuts off his fox tails to sell. he was badly treated. lwj is his doctor and wwx somewhat attached to lwj. wwx also has a doll(?) or smth named wen qing. he's very protective of it. lwj is the one taking care of him. its not yet completed when i first read it.

FOUND! sounds like the deleted "Dragon's Nestling" by the deleted user "TheAcademy".

The work ID was /42035667.

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19. I’m looking for a wangxian modern with cultivation fic where WWX was kicked out of yunmeng for something that Jiang Cheng did. He wound up having most of his golden core removed but was able to recultivate one. Cultivators had to wear body cams when on assignment, and someone hacked into the files and released the film of what actually happened during the night hunt that WWX got kicked out for.

I didn’t actually read it, I saw the summary and tags and planned to go back and read it later…and now I can’t find it. 90% sure it was complete and it’s on Ao3.

Thanks for the help! @worthlessnepenthes​

FOUND! Hey hey I'm almost certain 19 of the very recent fic finder is Truth Will Out (when caught on video) by KizuKatana (E, 25k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, modern cultivation, YZY abuses WWX, caught in camera, partial core removal, WWX expelled from Jiang sect, live streamer WWX, meet-ugly, dual cultivation, WIP) I was literally just reading the new chapter right before this. It's still a WIP.

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20. Hiya! I was wondering if you could help me find a fic where wwx tried to commit suicide and jc finds him in the bathtub and it's kinda about him recuperating, and lwj helps take care of him? Its a modern au and wwx initially lives with jc and jyl. I'm pretty sure I've seen it here, but I can't for the life of me remember the name. Thanks for your help!

FOUND? 总有一天; a place to hide (can’t find one near) by yiqie (E, 76k, WangXian, Modern AU, Pianist, Getting Together, Mental Health Issues, Suicide Attempt, Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Hospitals, Overdosing, Eventual Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

~*~

[the-ghost-bracket]

VikingPilot propaganda:

"Unreliable narrator of all time, this FUCKED UP MESS OF A GHOST has sooooo much nonsense going on and going WRONG with him. This mans starts off as a tragic character whos unable to interact with ANYONE, but once he becomes semi-corporeal and is finally able to speak to others, this results in a LOT of problems for everyone else.

To simply name a few, he phases through things and jump-scares people any chance he gets, he went to unreasonable extremes in order to acquire an I.O.U. from a very powerful person (Legundo) that ultimately accidentally results in a mini apocalypse, he gets an I.O.U. from someone else (Fixxit) and just orders him to stop Legundo at all costs?, hes ALMOST canonically plural/two people, this bitch has a fucking insane underground vault (with like twelve full sets of netherite, a dimond and netherite throne, and its just spooky as hell), He probably has the best scary laugh i’ve ever heard, and hes ALWAYS up to mischief.

Oh also he tries to do some Dark Magic but isn’t capable of going through with it due to Legundo not properly following through with his I.O.U., and he decides to remind Legundo of this in the MOST mentally well adjusted way possible ( https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxbcBe_A7YYtt2K33_Rm4V71SG0sqdnEY_ ).

Anyways thats most of the major nonsense I can think of for right now so uhhh! Enjoy the VikingPilot propaganda and please remember you are NEVER immune to Bell Noises!"

"Lovely unreliable narrator who loves jumpscaring his friends."

"quote from the ghosty boy himself. ""what do the interest rates look like on your word?"""

"he's a ghost. he has no memories. his soul got torn asunder by an evil magic book. he's trying to do a ritual from the evil magic book that split him in half so that he can get his memories back. he's a sneaky bastard who's double crossing everyone else on the server. he makes a lot of really terrible jokes. he (canonically!) says trans rights. vikingpilot you agree reblog."

"split color scheme. unreliable narrator. plural swag. committed tax fraud."

"Viking is a ghost haunting the world of Dominion SMP! For a long time, he was merely an observer— no one could see him, no one could hear him, he couldn’t interact with anything; no one knew he even existed. That was, I until the members of Dominion killed the Ender Dragon. This changed… something… in the world, and caused him to be visible, audible, and (mostly) tangible.

From there, he made a haunted graveyard, spooked people by sneaking up on them and shouting ‘Bell noises!!’, had a totally normal and not at all unhinged response to (one) asking for a favor, and (two) following up on that favor when it had not yet been kept, and he built a creepy mansion! He also plays piano!

He’s not sure how or when he died, but he feels certain that he was someone important. At some point in the time he was a ghost, he somehow got his hands on a book, which contains different rituals, and apparently, the contents of this book broke his mind, somewhat splitting it in two, and possibly being the source of his amnesia. Notably, the book contains a ritual that would allow him to regain his memories, and this has been his main objective for most of the series."

"ghost of ALL TIME. haunted his friends for months before they suddenly became able to see him. walks through walls. has world's most evil nervous laugh. knows exactly where his hinges are buried. unreliable narrator. has an underground vault full of diamonds and expensive armor, including a throne made of netherite. causes shenanigans on purpose. lived in an underground graveyard and then a haunted mansion. monologued for 11 minutes about wanting to do dark magic in order to necromancy himself and cure his amnesia. very pluralcoded. won round 1 of a sexyman bracket despite being a niche character. the most guy/ghost of all time forever"

"i haven’t actually watched dominion,,, but like. i keep seeing this funky little unreliable narrator ghost man on my dash sometimes. so fuck yeah."

"He’s just a silly little ghost guy!"

[burnwater13]

Din Djarin showing the Klatooinian mob boss the bounty fob with his image, in the Ring world butcher shop. Image from The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1, Episode 5, Return of the Mandalorian. Calendar by DateWorks.

NOTE: This is a lightly edited excerpt from another Grogu story. It fits this photo better than anything I could write fresh. Please enjoy.

Grogu’s Diary

Time for Meditation Practice with Master Luke… 

Location: Meadow

Grogu understood that Master Luke wanted him to meditate. But Grogu couldn’t help but worry about the Mandalorian. Din Djarin had only sent Grogu with Luke because he realized that it was pretty easy for a person using a lightsaber to cut up a bunch of battle droids. Grogu wished that the Mandalorian had simply asked Luke for one. It would have made everything easier. 

First, without Grogu to look after him, what would Din Djarin do if he got hurt? Or lost? Or lonely? He’d probably go back to bounty hunting. Yech. Bounty hunting had been a noble profession when the people they were collecting were actual bad actors and criminals. But it was hard to say that was the case. After all, look at how they met! Grogu hadn’t done anything wrong. Why would you kidnap someone and think it was a good thing?

Anyway, Grogu could just imagine the Mandalorian taking a bounty puck to help him earn the credits to replace the Razor Crest. He’d probably have to go someplace dangerous. And he’d end up meeting a bunch of bad people who would want to hurt him. People like a Klatooinian syndicate boss. 

Din Djarin would walk into wherever that guy was and try to not freak out the other people there. That would be hard to do because Mandalorians had a reputation for being dangerous and very hard to kill. That whole hunter and prey thing. 

Eventually he’d find the person. That guy would probably be sitting around and counting his credits. Grogu was pretty sure that’s what the bad guys did that got them into all that trouble to begin with. They stole, or skimmed, or otherwise obtained credits that didn’t actually belong to them. If you are going to do that, you are going to count those credits.

He could just see the Mandalorian politely explaining that the person could decide if they wanted to come in cold or warm. They never really picked warm, even if they thought they did. The bad people usually did something or said something that made it impossible for the Mandalorian to bring them in warm. 

Without Grogu by his side to guide him, the Mandalorian would bring this person in very cold. Like ‘head in a bag’ cold. Ooooh. That gave Grogu a bad case of the shivers. He’d seen worse but he still didn’t like to think about it. He couldn’t imagine how hard doing that must be to the Mandalorian. He was a pretty gentle person, all things considered. Taking someone’s life was never his preferred way of solving a problem, even if it had been pretty frequent for a while.

The people who know the deceased would likely be pretty sad about it, right? But knowing the Mandalorian, Grogu was certain that he would treat them fairly. He had no doubt that Din Djarin would offer them the credits because he didn’t need them. He’d have the head to give to people who put out the bounty. He’d get paid. 

Any way, a person bad enough for Din Djarin to go after them probably wasn’t treating the people they knew very well. It seemed likely to Grogu that those folks had probably been cheated too and it would only be fair for them to get their credits back. His friend, the Mandalorian, would be doing them a favor. 

But could he do all that without getting hurt? Grogu didn’t think so. Even if he used the Darksaber, it was pretty likely that Din Djarin would still have something bad happen. Grogu wondered if he could heal the Mandalorian from so far away… he’d have to ask Master Luke when they were done with meditation time.

Time for Skills Practice with Master Luke… 

Location: Pathways

Grogu was sad. Master Luke didn’t really give him a straight answer about being able to heal a person (the Mandalorian) from a vast distance. Master Luke said, “Grogu, focus on the now. You are here with me now. We do not know where the Mandalorian is or what he is doing.”

Grogu didn’t really believe that. He could feel Din Djarin in his heart and he knew the Mandalorian was lonely. He’d probably brought the head in a bag to the person who set up the bounty. Grogu bet he told that person to put the head on ice, like that was going to make it less gross. That’s a Mandalorian for you.

And while he would at least have the credits he needed to build or buy a ship, he still wouldn’t have Grogu with him. Credits didn’t really cure loneliness. 

For loneliness you need to have people you care about or at least tolerate in your life. Grogu bet that Din Djarin was looking for the other Mandalorians. He always wanted to see them when things were getting rough. Grogu had no doubt that they were somewhere nearby. Hidden in plain sight. They were good at that. Probably why the Covert was called a covert.

Grogu had taken to calling Luke’s Jedi Training School, a sleep away Jedi camp, because they spent all of their time outside. Once the mech ants finished building the buildings he’d think about calling it a school. But it wasn’t a covert. Not like how the Mandalorians did things.

Grogu looked up as he heard Master Luke call his name. He gave him a quizzical look because that one always worked out the best. If he gave Luke his ‘I’m sad and I don’t really like being here’ look, he be on the receiving end of a fresh edition of the ‘Jedi don’t do attachments’ lecture. Grogu preferred to only hear that lecture once a day. 

“Grogu, Jedi have to practice way finding. To do that you will need…” Master Luke was droning on. Grogu wondered if Din Djarin was being droned at by the other Mandalorians. He was pretty sure that the Armorer was great at delivering lectures. He wondered if the bounty hunter was being lectured about taking his helmet off so Grogu could see his face? It seemed likely. 

Grogu knew that the Creed, or the Way, prohibited Mandalorians from removing their helmets in front of other people. But honestly that was a bit silly to him. Din Djarin had to partially remove the helmet just to eat. Up a little, take a bite or a sip, then right back down. Over and over and over. Grogu appreciated that he would never see how messy or neat an eater the Mandalorian really was, but wearing the helmet seemed pretty odd to him. 

But then maybe because Din Djarin had the Darksaber now the Armorer would honor him as their new Mand’alor and he could change the rules and let everyone take their helmet off when they needed to or at least with their family. That would be nice, right?

But if the other Mandalorians saw that Din Djarin had the Darksaber would they be happy for him or mad? What if they wanted the silly thing? What if he had to fight them? What if he got hurt? How could he be so far away from Grogu, getting hurt and being scolded without the help of his favorite pal? That just didn’t seem right. Grogu had so much and the Mandalorian had so little. 

“Grogu? Grogu, are you listening to me or do I need to review the ten points of way finding again for you?” Master Luke sounded a bit out of sorts.

Grogu smiled at him and pointed to the path. The first rule of way finding is know where you are. Grogu knew right where he was and that it wasn’t where he wanted to be.

This was not the Way.

Check the link here for the complete story:

[archivalofsins]

Let's talk about the Dissociation Gang a little more~

X

"I will deny you, a distorted image needs to be purged. Let's strangle his throat thoroughly, so he will never talk back."

"I’m the one who chose, let you and you and you all in -Happy or Sad? Why decide? Where’d you get your half-baked sense of justice? So, nauseating...so creepy...will you please disappear?" X

Q.06 What do you hate?

Mikoto: working overnight / reptiles / violence

Q.09 What do you think about Kotoko’s attacks?

Haruka: Scary- But aren’t they all the people you thought were bad?

Yuno: Is she an idiot? Nothing’s going to change in the world if you just act out violently where everyone can see.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Kashiwagi Yuuko! Well then, where shall we go? I don’t need to be lectured to like that. Do you just want to make yourself feel even better? I won't be bothered...."

Q.16 Do you have anyone you hate?

Haruka: I don’t have the right to do that

Yuno: People who like to lecture you.

Q.06 What do you think of your father?

Haruka: I don’t think he was particularly interested in me

Yuno: Didn’t you ask about my family structure before? I don’t have one, remember?

Q.08 Do you have any memories of fun times in your childhood?

Haruka: I had fun when I was little. My mother was kind to me then.

Yuno: It was always fun. I think that’s pretty normal.

"That's right- You know those sorts of people who just want to convince themselves; so, they stick their nose into the affairs of others knowing it's not their place? I despise those sorts of people the most. They're only getting involved to make themselves feel better, right? In the end they never actually accomplish anything."

"Yuno..."

"No matter how many chilling memories I had to endure, those people never gave me any warmth. He-he I ended up going off topic there! Um, what did I wanna say again?"

"Where’d you get your half-baked sense of justice? So, nauseating...so creepy...will you please disappear “Phew. Anyway!”."

"Er, so…… could you listen to what I say without laughing? I……Hinako, I love you more than anything. I'm so dumb; why did I have to dream?"

Q.04 Are your family proud of you?

Kazui: Nope. They probably don’t consider me anything more than an embarrassment.

Amane: Of course. You couldn’t find a more exemplary daughter than me.

Q.07 Do you like yourself?

Kazui: Well, not especially I suppose.

Amane: I’ve never really thought about myself in terms of “like” or “dislike”, but I do think I’m a good child.

Q.08 Which do you prioritise between logic and feelings?

Kazui: I put my feelings first and it ended badly. So, I don’t want to act just based on feelings again.

Amane: Both are unimportant.

"Alright, I see you're very professional for your age. Heh, ha-ha. Well, you've told me a lot so let me return the favor. We haven't really had this sort of self-introduction. So, it's sort of refreshing. Once again, I'm Mukuhara Kazui, age 39. Nice to meet you, warden."

Liberties have been taken but we is literally what he uses in the translation I'm looking at.

"Hah ha, ha, ha was Shidou like this as well? Well, he's really calm and relaxed, isn't he? He seems like the type to not become unsettled in unfamiliar situations."

"Are you any different? You've been acting all cheerful as well."

"Mmm- Do I seem that way? That's good."

"What's so good about it? I don't like this. That shallow smile you've consciously crafted just to present yourself a certain way. Only acting based on how you want others to view you- while wearing that expression full of lies."

"This is, this is... Well, you're pretty strict. Ah ha, ha. It's not as though I'm not scared either."

"..."

"But- I've got a responsibility that comes with being older, too. Even in an abnormal situation like this, there's no way I could just let myself panic in front of the kids. Well, even if it's fake... Adults need to keep up a smile in order to not let the young ones down, you know."

20/06/19

Kazui: By the way…… thanks, Shina-chan. You keep going around and talking to people to make sure the mood never gets too sour, right? It’s a big help. We’re all in here together, after all. If a fight broke out the whole group could fall apart.

Mahiru: ……eh? Huh~? Ah, no, I’m just talking to people because I personally want to talk. All the kids are so cute, so I can’t help but want to fuss over them! A fight, huh… But if that ever happened, then you’ll definitely be a big help, right~? Since you’re so big! And buff!

Kazui: Ahh, no. I mean, I’ll do what I can. Based on appearance, as long as nobody has a weapon, I think I can probably get everyone under control…… No, we should just hope that nothing like that ever happens.

Mahiru: You know, I quite like watching martial arts, actually. I don’t really get it, but it looks super cool. Hi-yah! Hi-yah!

20/07/08

Yuno: Hey, Mikoto-san. Don’t you get tired of being so conscious of others all the time? I mean, you’re free to do what you want though.

Mikoto: Eh…… Aha, what are you talking about? I’m not being conscious or anything. It’s normal to make sure to get along with everyone, right? I mean, when you put it like that, aren’t you the same, Yun-chan? You’re always smiling and getting on with everyone too.

Yuno: I don't smile unless I actually want to. But with you, when you're talking with other people it's more like you only smile deliberately. So, I kept thinking, don't your cheeks get tired? Ah, is this just what happens when you become a working adult? ......you see people like that sometimes.

Mikoto: Haha, you don’t mince your words do you. …….that was never my intention, but now that you mention it, yeah, I guess I do. This might’ve been since I started my job too…… But like, if I was rude to everyone I met, all my efforts would come to nothing, right?

20/08/02

Mahiru: Yeah, I’m asking for what you like in the opposite sex! I mean, with a lifestyle like this we have a lot of free time, right? So earlier when I was talking with all the other girls we got onto the topic! It’s not often you get a chance like this to live with a mix of men and women together, so I thought it might be nice to use the chance to talk about stuff like this in preparation for when we leave.

Kazui: Ah…… Haha, I understand. I can see that’d be the sort of thing girls your age would be interested in, huh. How peaceful. What I like in the opposite sex… I don’t know if what I say will really be a good reference for you…… Ah, you know, since I’m at this age. I like a girl who can just smile free of worries. Seeing that’d make my old, tired heart feel young again.

Yuno: Uh-huh, I see, I see. ……that’s a total lie, right?

Kazui: Haha…… Give me a break here. You sure don’t make things easy for people, Kashiki-chan.

"Father is a very praiseworthy person. Once his virtue increases, he'll come back home, right? It's a little lonely, but I'm fine! I'm sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry for breaking the rules! You've scorned me! And you've scored God! You won’t be forgiven! I definitely won’t forgive you!"

Q.02  Who do you look up to?

Kazui: You won’t know them even if I say, but I have a childhood friend I really respect. Sorry for just answering someone from my personal life.

Amane: My father. He’s been away on a trip for a while, but I think that’s very honourable of him.

Q.09 Tell us your family structure.

Kazui: It’s only me now.

Amane: It was my father, my mother and me.

Q.13 Who do you want to see right now?

Kazui: They won’t see me anymore.

Amane: My father. I want him to praise me for all my hard work.

Q.03 If you were able to get away with anything, what would you want to do?

Kazui: I’d like to try living honestly.

Amane: Nothing in particular. I don’t feel I’m lacking anything.

Despite saying that she feels there's nothing she's particularly lacking when question seventeen comes up she answers with,

Q.17 If the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?

Kazui: Relax and go trawling. The childhood friend I mentioned before has a boat.

Amane: You mean if absolutely everything was going to end? In that case, I’d probably do a bunch of things I’ve never done before.

Meaning that Amane would probably do many things that she couldn't get away with doing when tomorrow came around if there was a guarantee that it would never come around.

Q.06  What would you say is the difference between adults and children?

Kazui: Responsibility. Adults can’t just do whatever they want.

Amane: I don’t think there’s a strict boundary. There are adults who act like children just as there are children who are mature like adults.

Q.07 Do you like yourself?

Kazui: Well, not especially I suppose.

Amane: I’ve never really thought about myself in terms of “like” or “dislike”, but I do think I’m a good child.

Q.08 Which do you prioritise between logic and feelings?

Kazui: I put my feelings first and it ended badly. So, I don’t want to act just based on feelings again.

Amane: Both are unimportant.

Q.14  Do you listen to music?

Kazui: I guess I do from time to time. It’s all super old music though, so I don’t think you’ll know it.

Amane: I don’t particularly listen to it for fun.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!! DESTROY EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!! AHHHH! You’re all fucking annoying! I’ll beat you all to death, pieces of shit!!! My life... it wasn't supposed to be this way..."

Q.01 Tell us your family structure.

Mikoto: My mother, me, and my younger sister. My sister’s a blossoming high school student.

Q.16 What’s your relationship like with your parents?

Mikoto: My parents are divorced. I get along well with my mother though, she’s the one who raised me. I don’t want to make her worry.

Q.10 Do you ever get angry at other people?

Mikoto: I don’t really... Don’t you think it’s kinda shameful, getting mad?

Q.13 Do you tend to be forgetful?

Mikoto: Ahh… Lately it’s maybe happened a lot.

Q.20 Are you more of a morning person or a night person?

Mikoto: I used to be basically nocturnal. Recently though I’ve been falling asleep pretty early.

Q.28 How do you decide what clothes to wear for the day?

Haruka: I wear what’s there

Yuno: I pick something to match with the person I’ll be with.

X

So, with all of that out of the way let's talk about what I recently learned. I was looking into information on alters yesterday and learned there's a such thing as non-human alters. For this post I'll specifically be focusing on animal alters-

X oh and this X The second link is not for the faint of heart and deals with incredibly heavy topics in detail.

So, you know what this means?

"HARROW, HARROW!"

Dissociative Gang Final member found.

Skill- Dissociative on Dissociative Violence unlocked. :D

I'm so sorry dissociative pack of hounds- I was uninformed and dismissive before. Though now that I've learned this I can't unsee it.

This new information recontextualizes a lot of Kotoko's behavior. Along with making it possible for people to now speculate the reason Kotoko was so quick to state Mikoto's behavior was indicative of dissociative identity disorder is because she may have been diagnosed with it at a point.

Something that tracks if we take a step back to question why someone going to law school would need to know the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder or be capable of spotting them in others?

Q.07 What did you study at university?

Kotoko: Technically, I’m studying law. I’m on a break right now because there’s something else, I want to do, though.

Q.12 What is your motto?

Kotoko: “There’s no other way that could let us live, so I walk this path.” [TN: Quote from Mushanokouji Saneatsu.]

Considering everyone else this explains why Jackalope said a situation like Mikoto's was the first they had. Along with why he'd be so annoyed by it and embarrassed by it.

This also gives Kotoko's actions a bit more nuance. Her disdain towards Mikoto possibly being a projection of her own self-loathing, something that's alluded to within her first cover Anti Beat.

"Painfully unpleasant, come and receive this punishment for loving me." - "If I'm told, 'I love all of you every single part', I'll just be filled with hate. I absolutely detest the 'me' that loves you." - "I just want to die already, so I can finally be at ease. Anti Beat. But all I know is pain and I'm stuck with no way to escape."

On top of that, it would make sense for her to become more hostile towards Mikoto even understanding that he has dissociative identity disorder after his verdict to better distance herself from him. Something that she's been attempting to do from the beginning all while suspecting he had this.

20/07/01

Mikoto: Hey, hey, Koto-chan. I’ve been thinking this ever since I first heard your name, but don’t you think the names “Mikoto” and “Kotoko” kinda sound like siblings?

Kotoko: No.

Mikoto: Don’t say that! Let’s get along well from here on as the Koto-Koto combo!

Kotoko: I’m not doing that.

Q.14  Are there any prisoners you don’t get on with?

Kotoko: Mikoto. He’s loud and bothersome.

Especially since Kotoko wants to align herself with Milgram. Regardless of her personal feelings on Mikoto or anyone else here she'd do what was necessary to reach her objective.

Q.15 Which is more important, the objective or the means?

Kotoko: Objective. Does that not go without saying?

This also makes it an even split between prisoners that show dissociative tendencies and those who do not. This facet of Kotoko's character can tie into her need to be a part of the group with the most control. Unlike others who are hostile towards Milgram and are actively looking to collect information on it in order to combat the system.

Amane and Kotoko both try to align themselves with the facility.

Amane stated that if she were forgiven then maybe the facility and herself could work together. Kotoko took it a step further, endearing herself to the system by protecting one of its agents at the detriment of the group.

She stopped the one person physically capable of fighting Es from doing so all to be in a closer proximity of power. A reasonable extension of Futa's mob mentality into system-justification. Kotoko while presenting as believing in Milgram's System is attempting to endear herself to it not necessarily because she views Milgram as right but because she does not wish to be viewed as wrong.

In many instances people who deviate from societal norms in one way will overcompensate in another to avoid being discriminated against. So, Kotoko's insistence on being Milgram's fang could be a defense mechanism brought about by her own hypervigilance. Since, she very well may have learned through her life experiences that as long as she's useful people will let her do what she wants.

This could also be why instead of intervening immediately Kotoko sits back and let's Es get beaten up for a bit. Because as shown in Harrow she doesn't care about intervening before harm is done but only about if she can intervene at a moment where her violence appears justifiable.

However, she very well could have been debating with herself over who was really the bad guy in that situation since after she helps Es she does bring up her misgivings in regard to Mikoto being judged. If Kotoko was observing up to the point Es kicked her out she would have seen Es at points purposely doing things that stressed Mikoto out. Something she's shown to be uncomfortable with even in good fun as she almost intervenes when Yuno, Futa, Kazui, and Mikoto are playing a word game in the minigram because Kazui appears visibly stressed and as though he's being harassed.

Actively having to tell this wolf to wait a second.

Q.20 What do you consider “evil”?

Kotoko: The persecution of the weak and innocent.

Under this framing her behavior could be considered attempting to come off as one of the good ones. There are people like that amongst multiple groups regardless of the circumstances. People will attempt to differentiate themselves from the more undesirable aspects associated with certain immutable traits they have to avoid stigmatization.

This could play into her disdain towards Mikoto due to how his dissociative traits present themselves. His presentation may very well come off as jarring or offensive to her maybe even bringing up some bad memories consequently. She only says that she dislikes him because he's loud and bothersome but ultimately doesn't go into depth on how so.

She also clashes with Yuno and Kazui as well. Yuno specifically stating she'd never be friends with someone like her, Kotoko has threatened Kazui, and when she was tutoring Amane she bluntly states that Amane isn't as smart as she thought she'd be. We haven't gotten a portal timeline of Amane studying with anyone since that either.

20/06/18

Amane: Thank you very much for teaching me. ……but, though I realise it’s strange me saying this after I asked you, I must admit it’s kind of unexpected. You give off the impression of someone who wouldn’t want to get involved in things like this.

Kotoko: ……well, you’re not wrong. I’m surrounded by people who could all be murderers, so I don’t plan on going out of my way to talk and make friends. I can’t let my guard down. But I like ambitious people like you. If you want to study more, then I’m happy to teach.

Amane: I see…… You look scary at first impression, but I quite like the way you treat everyone equally regardless of whether they’re older or younger than you. You don’t just treat me like a child or anything like that.

Kotoko: Treat you like a child? Hah, you’ve got to be kidding. Back when I was your age, I was already the person I am today. I don’t have any plans to let you get away with something just “because you’re a child.” ……remember that. There, I’ve finished marking. 83%. How do I put it… Even though you act like this, it’s not like you’re super brilliant at studying or anything, huh.

We also have yet to see Amane speak to Kotoko again after this happened. Just saying when Mikoto went up to Kotoko and said I figured no one would wish you happy birthday he probably would have still had good reason to think that even if she didn't jump anyone.

(Star here! This would put an interesting spin on this part of the voice drama:

Es: You have to ask them why… to watch them interact with each other… for the sake of… understanding them more…

Kotoko: Guard-san?

Es: “Gurad-san”… is that really… me?

Kotoko: *slams table(?)*

Es: Ough…!

Kotoko: Don’t space out. The interrogation isn’t over.

Es: … Yeah.

Kotoko: Eh, well, if you’re done with it anyway, then it’s not a problem.

Es: …

Kotoko: Guard-san? No… Es. Don’t you want to join forces with me? I think the two of us will make good partners

With the idea that Kotoko not only has d.i.d but knows ways to mitigate/alleviate the pitfalls of having such disorder, this comes off moreso as her trying to ground Es. She then proceeds to avoid using the term Guard as that appeared to be the trigger for a dissociative episode on Es' part.

Also, to bring up a point about d.i.d from earlier in this post, you could make the argument that this answer comes from a place of denial or avoiding talking about a negative experience in her past by using the loophole that it didn't happen to her personally:

Q.18 Have you ever personally been prosecuted in the past?

Kotoko: I haven't. But are you trying to say that if you haven't had those experiences, you can't hate evildoers?)

Gunsli here, other than all that I really don't know what else to say. It's late and I've been typing all this up since midafternoon. I hope this all makes sense.

[theliterarywolf]

RE : Welcome Home r34.

My position is that disregarding Clown's wishes is shitty, but also this is the internet and porn of things that get popular is kind of inevitable. You can mitigate it by politely asking not to, and most will listen. But R34 artists are kind of a stubborn contrarian bunch (especially if they hang around places like 4chan) and telling them no even in the tactful way Clown did would probably just spur them to go "Nyeeeeehhhh fuck you I won't do what you tell me" And what makes it worse is that such a position becomes easier to justify if you're someone who's had to put up with a decade plus of "RULE34 IS BAD!!!!! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!1!! I DON'T CARE IF YOU TAG IT SO THAT I CAN'T SEE IT JUST BY STUMBLING UPON IT, IF YOU SEXUALIZE MY BLORBO YOU'RE A PEDOPHILE!!!1!!11 BRONIES ARE RAPE APOLOGISTS WHO ARE ALSO PEDOPHILES AND STOLE A LITTLE GIRLS SHOW AWAY FROM THEM BECAUSE MUH SOGGY KNEES!!!! ANIME FANS ARE EVIL ALT RIGHT PEDOPHILES!! FANS OF JAPANESE MADE VIDEO GAMES ARE PEDOPHILES!!!!1 PEDO PEDO PEDO PEDO PEDO REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Like I don't think it's *okay*, I'm just saying that this is highly disappointing, but unsurprising.

See, so this is the exact mentality I was thinking about when I answered those first few asks.

Because, you know what? You're right: the internet is the internet and certain people are just going to do whatever the hell they want either way.

However, I'm going to bring up a few portions written by myself and others that kind of lean into my ultimate attitude on situations like this.

'Read more' because this turned into a doozy.

First and foremost, this portion from Absolmon's reblog of one of the earlier posts:

"I also think there’s a world of difference between a small time creator wanting to retain some control of their characters vs a billion dollar corporations character. I remember when JaidenAnimations made an statement saying she was upset by all the porn made of her avatar character, especially with her collaborators and people rushing out to make even more of it. The fact that Jaiden is ace and has a well known history of body image issues just makes it even more skeevy. "

This portion from a conversation I was having with Marquis de Glad:

Marquis - I dunno... Is it any different than all the people who make Rule34 of Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite despite the creator not liking it? Or is that something you dislike as well? Mind you, I know basically nothing about this entire thing other than what you've posted, so it's possible I'm missing some context

Me - Well, I'm of the mindset that 'not liking' =/= 'please don't do this' I'm sure that Hasbro doesn't like all the MLP smut out there, but they never actually said 'please don't create this'. Another example would be how Martin Freeman's wife was talking about how she didn't like all the porn of her husband's characters people made that she kept finding when wanting to show their kids their dad's work... But she never said 'please don't do this'

And then, finally, from an ask I just answered:

"No one wants to think about the creators of their favored IPs anymore. They just want to be given the shiny new ball to treat (or mistreat) in any way they see fit for a while before dumping it to the wayside a month or so later to do it to something else. And if, heaven forbid, you get a creator who dares to want to have some matter of agency with how people engage with their creation, well...

'Why do you hate people having fun?'

'Well, I'm just going to do it anyway.'

'So... Anyway, these characters are now mine because the creator is obviously shitty and doesn't know them as well as I do'"

However, one other thing that I think a lot of people aren't remembering in the conversation around this issue is the notion of boundaries. And not just the boundaries creators are justified in setting for themselves, but the boundaries within fandom itself.

Because, going back to the whole rhetorical reenactment you had up there, there was a time when NSFW creators used to be able to lock up their work behind certain tags so that creators and minors wouldn't have to see it unless they took it upon themselves to sniff around. Remember things like Steven Universe smut being tagged as 'Stephen Galaxy', MLP smut having the nickname of 'Clop', or even people trying to recreate that effect in the Cookie Run fandom with tags like 'NotSafeforCookies'.

On the opposite end of this (the boundary established for NSFW to exist in so that creators and minors wouldn't have to see it), then, it would be understood that Creators and Minors wouldn't engage with said content.

Is the picture that I'm trying to establish here clear? Because while we can talk about 'respect a creator's boundaries' until the cows come home, some people will just not want to do that. Especially in the current fandom-space where NSFW is being demonized more and more. However, we are currently suffering a pandemic of people either refusing to tag properly or purposefully tagging their work with the most popular tags so that it is basically guaranteed to go outside of its intended audience.

And that is why, in a conversation that should only center around a creator becoming overwhelmed by how people are treating and feeling justified to their creation, you keep having people bring up fanpol and proshippers. Because that boundary being trampled on by both sides of the equation is what will continue to cause situations like this.

[doberbutts]

I've had a long post churning in my head about this but I'm kind of chewing on something else first.

Now I've mentioned but not really gone into detail about how people have decided to simply Make Shit Up about me and for the most part I've just ignored it and blocked the worst offenders. Sometimes I'm not allowed to reblog a random completely unrelated post in the wild because someone I've never even heard of has blocked me but for the most part it's pretty whatever. Since blocking the worst offenders my askbox has been fairly peaceful.

However... I want to talk about this.

Part one of "people making shit up"- it's interesting that I've gone on record saying again and again that rape is possibly the worst thing you could ever do to someone, that I have close family members and friends and former partners who've been raped and I find the problem deeply personal, that I've broken up with partners because I did not trust them not to rape me, that my first sexual experience if it was anyone else I'd call it assault but I struggle to think that way about it for myself, that I would rather die than be raped, that I really dislike a lot of media that depicts certain sexual scenes in positive manner because of a solid lack of consent... and all of that is very findable in a search of my blog for the word.

What you will also find is an argument with terfs on whether consensual sex with strangers who don't tell you anything about themselves is rape, and a solid "I do not give a fuck what consenting adults do in their spare time".

Similarly, the closest thing to pedophilia you'll get is a discussion of how a church member preyed on me when I was 16 and how my parents intervened before it progressed past a certain point, as one of the main factors in distancing myself from the Christian faith before my total break from the church, and, similarly, overall personal disgust for witnessing ageplay but same "I do not give a fuck what consenting adults do in their spare time" and "please be at least somewhat normal about fanfiction and use your fucking brains I beg you". Also very easily findable with a basic search on my blog.

Also interesting that "someone who is in dogblr" believes I hate or hated pit bulls. I don't want one, that's true. I'm honest about their use in dog fighting both historical and modern, that's true too. I do hate scotties and corsos due to personal experience. I'm very upfront about that too. When I get talking about pit bulls I generally do bring up the racial aspect, because I'm black, and I care about black topics, and our dogs are certainly a topic. I like the aesthetic of a good solid amstaff. I've trained several and they've been both some of the best and some of the worst clients I've had. There's a gamebred pit that spent every weekend in my house over spring/summer while I helped his owner on a favor. I also don't want the risk of dog aggression if it's not also a doberman. I've planned my pack dynamic out pretty well to avoid that and the risk is too great for me to try it.

This one I've brought up before but this is the one that's probably the worst. A post discussing how WHITE feminists were putting "black lives matter" in their bio and yet saying stupid shit like "men don't have to worry walking alone at night" and "men aren't in danger walking down the street" as if police killings of black men aren't literally a major reason why we even have the black lives matter chant in the first place. Somehow got translated to "black women are more harmful to black men" and yet when I asked for receipts for what racist shit I say about black women none were given. Literally the world's worst whisper down the lane.

Me: raceplay is weird as fuck to me and I don't like it at all, I block on sight when I see it, also the government shouldn't control what you as a consenting adult do in the privacy of your own home as long as it's with other consenting adults

Them: so you think raceplay is okay

Me: how dare you say we piss on the poor

I do find it interesting that I don't think I've tagged a single one of my posts transandrophobia and also I rarely use any word to describe what my experience is, really the only times I ever use the word is to say "hey it doesn't seem to matter what word we use, we get shouted down regardless" or if I've like. Reblogged from someone else who's used that word. But cool I guess.

Also I've spoken to Saint like twice and it was to clarify something being claimed about him. Like I don't think it's a crime to talk to the guy but also. It's weird that I'm "regularly involved" with someone who I haven't talked to directly in over a year and when I did it was to ask if something was true or get his side of the story. Also are we just... doing guilt by association now? Because talking to someone on good terms doesn't inherently mean you 100% believe or condone everything that other person does or says. It means you're able to have a conversation and treat others with basic respect and human decency before deciding how you judge them.

Anyway. There's not really a point to this. It's something that I see kick around from time to time when one of my posts gets popular and as said before generally speaking I just block the worst offenders and continue ignoring it.

But really like. People do just make shit up. If anything is ever claimed about someone ESPECIALLY when it's something that can be weaponized? Ask for proof. And if no proof is given then most likely it's a case of Making Shit Up. I would LOVE proof of any of these claims. Please, by all means. This is a sideblog that cannot leave replies or asks and I can count on one hand how many posts I've deleted and still have plenty of fingers left over. So prove it. Prove that I am this person.

Otherwise, I know it isn't true. You know it isn't true. So there isn't any reason to continue to spread it outside of pure maliciousness and bullying. High school level tactics.

[windtorn]

@zajevre speaks: What are some of your headcanons re: Sampo's life before the Underworld was sealed off?

i have been SO excited to reply to this!! i just wasn't sure when the right time would be, because ideally, i would like to be at a point where we know a bit more about one mister sampo koski before i start going on about details of his past. my biggest fear for characters like him that have obscure pasts and unpredictable futures is crafting a backstory for him and getting really attached to the idea of it, only for it to be disproven at a later time once more story is revealed to us. however, i do want to still talk about a few key things that i have for my sampo that tie into his past that i've never explicitly stated on this blog yet! according to natasha, she claims that sampo "just appeared one day" as though he was never actually from belobog at all. by saying so, he also appeared on her radar, meaning that its very possible that sampo first made himself known in the underground. i think he used the jobs given to him by natasha to help scope out the world better and when his true colors and talents shined through, thats when he was used for both tasks and intel gathering. which, benefitted him as well in the long run, as you can imagine. sampo's reasons for doing so are not entirely selfless either as natasha says in the story that sampo owes her big-time; which means she might even be the reason he's down in the underground in the first place at all, or she's been doing all kinds of favors for him on the side to accumulate such a debt. i also use this to help justify that sampo is a masked fool theory, which i'm quite partial to! sampo's ending scene in the story of jarilo-vi has him communicating with some entity, asking if they liked his performance on the planet as a tagalong now and again in trailblazer's story which implies the entity's omniscience in knowing what sampo is doing at any given time. sampo isn't one to answer to authority, as seen by his constant meddling with the silvermane guards and amused reluctance towards natasha about doing certain things he is asked of. he seems pleased to be acknowledged by whoever was being transmitted on the screens though, making me think it's either the aeon aha themselves or another entity of high ranking amongst the fools on the other end of the screen that he seeks the approval of. as a masked fool, sampo is an absolute husk of a person. he is jaded towards people and to the point of life, to people who love so carefree and wear their hearts on their sleeves. he doesn't understand people like that, people who can be selfless and unabashedly vulnerable to a world where their existence is as significant as a speck of dust to the grander schemes of the universe. but you wouldn't know that, because he hides it very well. he hides behind masks of exaggerated emotion, ones that he doesn't particularly understand or feel himself but has learned to replicate appropriately in social circumstance. or willingly inappropriately. sampo fully embraces the ideals of masked fools and pursues pleasure and laughter in excess, its the only thing he really understands and the only thing that makes him feel that rush of being alive. sampo is not completely heartless though! as we see him wanting to intervene when bronya is in trouble when she first came down to the underworld, as well as hook's line where she says that he plays games with her sometimes. sampo would never admit to himself that he feels and emotes like other people do though, not genuinely, he would internally argue that he's not like other people. but that's not entirely true, he does feel some things like empathy too, like towards those underworld kids that can also indulge in laughter like an adult can. who dont have a grander scope of morality and can do harmful, wicked things like he can but shouldn't strive to become like someone he is. sampo koski won't accept that he is, at his core, human too. a human that feels more than emptiness sometimes, like empathy and envy for what he cannot ever be and cannot ever have.

[saltedsnails]

I'm just worried as a result of Bumblebee becoming canon; fans of the ship are going to ignore the issues with Adam's portrayal, the complaints from queer critics regarding the build up and the very bigoted company using the ship to handwave all of its bigotry. I don't think BB fans aren't allowed to be happy, hell I was pretty pleased with the confession scene. I really just the fandom could have an open discussion about the ship without it the compalints being seen as homophobia

I’m not a fan of Bumblebee myself, in fact I don’t really ship any characters at all, because RWBY isn’t supposed to be about shipping at all! We’re supposed to be overlooking a journey about saving the world, damn it!

You really just have to love that certain fans disregard the treatment of real-life LGBT+ folks by RT in favor of their ship becoming canon.

At the end of the day, I find that pathetic.

I also didn’t like the confession execution, because they were forced to say their feelings under pressure rather than a true confession where the parties in question didn’t feel pressured. Sorry, but I don’t like when people are forced to do things when they aren’t ready to handle the outcome. Been there, done that, not a fan of it.

Also just because someone criticizes an LGBT+ ship for aspects of the writing, it’s not homophobia. Maybe the execution development sucked. Maybe the characters themselves sucked or didn’t fit well together. This isn’t just for BB by the way. It’s for every ship. Talking about elements of a ship you don’t like that has to do with an LGBT+ couple isn’t automatically homophobia. It’s just criticism, and people need to learn that.

Also a note for in general, and nothing to you specifically, more of an audience awareness PSA: Putting all of your self worth into a fictional relationship and going rabid-feral when people don’t agree isn’t a healthy thing. You desperately need to evaluate how abrasive your shipping mentality effects you and your relationship with others; both on and off the internet. If something exists on the internet, some people aren’t going to like it. And y’know what, big whoop!

Stop going after people not agreeing about a damn ship, because you’ll either a) force people out of the fandom/media-space you’re in because you’re a toxic collective which will —> provide less of an audience for the media you consume which will —> lead to a loss of revenue and eventually cancel the show production or b) make the fandom split apart into smaller sects that either don’t interact or when they do, become knuckle-dragging troglodytes spewing death threats and doxxing each other that makes even wanting to dip a singular cell of your big toes skin to experience the fandom not worth it.

To get back to the Adam and Blake thing, we missed out on so much context and development for both Blake and Adam that would’ve made their final confrontation more satisfying for the end of V5/6. Like yeah, sure it’s a “I’ve changed now and all I see is a monster”, but personally, this isn’t an emotional payoff. It’s a one-dimensional storytelling experience that’s been done a billion and a half times. The characters don’t even have much of a connection anymore because Adam and Blake interacted for like, 2 minutes at Beacon during the fall, and then the confrontation leading to Adam’s death? Like, where’s the payoff?

I don’t see it. Truly, I don’t. Both Adam and Blake had such disservices done to their characters by not providing neither context nor true attachment other than “because I said so”. While yes, it is implied, we never explore the emotional nuances of their relationship. It could’ve paid off so much more if RWBY truly cared about the connections the main girls had.

- 🐌

[gunnhldrs]

ー A package for Jean from the Adventurer's Guild was delivered, how exciting!

Inside the delicately wrapped gift box was a coffee mug, decorated with a simple yet cute illustration of two dandelion flowers blowing in the spring breeze.

The mug also came accompanied with a short letter which read as follows:

Dear Jean, You are always working hard for the people of Mondstadt, but please remember to take a break every now and then. Why not enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee from this mug? I hope the design is to your liking. I actually tried painting it myself. ...Well, I did make a short trip to Dragonspine to get some pointers from a certain alchemist, since I am not exactly the most artsy person around. I think it turned out quite cute though! I assume you will be spending Christmas together your sister and the other Knights of Favonius, but you are always welcome to visit me in my Teapot! I will treat you to a delicious mushroom pizza! ✨ Take care and have a lovely holidays. Sincerely, Lumine

Her index finger traces the lip of the mug, opposite hand holding the letter as though it is a treasure meant for only the most delicate of touch. A smile has curled her lips as she reads over its contents once, twice, three times before setting it back on her desk.

The gift itself is quite cute, hand painted in soft pastels and just messy enough to be charming. She can see the effort in every stroke, can imagine the warmth with which they were made. It will certainly be of good use to her-- one could not drink as much coffee as she and ever have too many mugs.

Carefully, Jean folds the letter into fourths and tucks it into her desks uppermost drawer. It's a shallow thing, not good for holding much, but the note joins a small collection of photos and old memories where it will remain until next she needs a reminder of all that is good in this world.

Hands now freed, she plucks a pen from her ever-growing collection.

Our dearest Honorary Knight, The gift is lovely. My own collection of mugs are all rather boring; dull, plainly colored. Yours will stand out among them, though I think I will favor it for that reason. That, and of course how it is a reminder of you and your time here. I will certainly pay you a visit sometime, though I must request that you do the same. I'm certain your travels keep you quite busy, but Mondstadt misses you. We owe you a great deal, you know. No words or gifts could ever express our gratitude. You will always have a place here with us. Be safe in your journeys, and don't forget to keep warm! Happy holidays, Lumine. Yours, Jean Gunnhildr.

[cozykhaos]

Lost in the Shadows Part. 2

Weeks passed since her troll encounter at Hogsmeade. August couldn't help but say yes to every request that fell into her lap. Sebastian couldn’t help but follow her. This was her first time free of her parents or a chaperone, her thirst for adventure seemed to be unquenchable. 

Originally, no one in town knew her face. Now everyone knew August Lost and looked to her to run errands, or to do a favor. Her true quest was always at the forefront of her mind though. As well as a certain Slytherin. 

Coming from a prestigious Wizarding household, she knew that spending time with Sebastian - especially unsupervised - would cause both of her parents to have a howling fit. One that she already experienced when they found out about the troll. She had received a Howler from her mother two weeks after the incident. The message erupts in the middle of the Great Hall. 

"A TROLL!?!" Her mother's voice shrilled. "AUGUST VICTORIA LOST. WE DID NOT ALLOW YOU TO GO TO HOGWARTS TO FIGHT TROLLLLLS." Her mother's voice increased in volume, screeching across the hall.

It burst into flames moments later. Imelda with her wand out and clutches her head. "It's too early for that shit!" The grumpy girl snapped. Once everyone focused on their plates in front of them, Imelda gave August a wink. Giving the Slytherin girl a small wave, August was now glad that she took to the time to fly with her classmate. 

She had a feeling if her parents knew about the troll, they might already know about all the time she had spent with Sebastian. Now she could only ponder how her parents found out. August looked around the Great Hall. Her eyes landed on the faculty table. Perhaps Professor Weasley? The professor had already made it clear to her that she needed to be more careful about her outside activities. 

Or her father's long-time friend, Phineas Nigellus Black. The longer she considered the option, she began to think better. She hadn't seen the Headmaster once outside of meal times, even then it was rare to see him about the castle. 

Continuing to examine the Great Hall, she finally landed on Ominis Gaunt. Although their parents are close, August has never become close to the boy herself. Ominis seemed uptight from the first day she met him. When he received his Hogwarts letter, she burned with envy, her parents were so proud of him and chastised her for not being strong enough to get into Hogwarts - granted - neither of them attended either. 

It was off to a small private school. She was taught basic magic. Mainly, she was taught about business in the Wizarding World. Until her letter arrived last summer, right after - her thoughts were cut short as Ominis and Sebastian stood, heading to Charms. 

August stood quickly and gathered her things and gave chase. “Gaunt!" She called after him once out of the Great Hall. She could see the blond boy's shoulders sag. 

"Lost," he sighed, turning around. 

"August!" Sebastian quipped, smiling at her. "It's lovely to see you this morning."

Ominis groaned and rolled his eyes. "Please stop." 

"Ignore him, what can we do for you today?" Sebastian questioned. 

"Did you tell my parents about the troll?" 

Sebastian looked between his two friends. "Do you two know each other?" 

They ignored him.

"Why would I talk to your parents?" Ominis scoffed. 

"Then did you tell your parents?" 

"Refer to my last statement."

"Then how do they know!?"August was now shouting and drawing attention. 

"I don't know, probably because two students fought a troll in Hogsmeade and WALKED AWAY!" Ominis' usually cool demeanor broke and was now shouting back. 

"As much as I am enjoying this, I think it's best if we continue this at another time. Yes?" Sebastian glanced around as people began to whisper. Sebastian tugged on Ominis' elbow. "Let's go." 

August huffed as the two boys retreated. She needed to stop and see Professor Fig before Charms began. 

After meeting with Fig she at least had more direction on how to continue forward with her own quest, and a date with Professor Hecate, whom she found after her first class. The elderly woman had become her favorite Professor. She was warm, but strict. She expected the best from her students, and August was prepared to give the best. She was surprised when Hecate told her to learn the new spell she had to win two rounds of Crossed Wands and learn spell combinations from Lucan. The “secret” club wasn’t as big of a secret as the students thought. 

After winning her duel and receiving her new Incendio spell. Upon returning to Professor Fig she was met with disappointment in the shape of her eccentric Headmaster. Ordering her Professor away and postponing her trip to the Restricted Section. However, Sebastian had mentioned on the way to Hogsmeade that he regularly snuck into the secret library. Now she had the perfect opportunity to speak with her favorite Slytherin.

One of the negatives of Hogwarts is that it is enormous. It took the rest of the day to find the boy. Finally, she found him at the same place she started her search during lunch, in the Great Hall.

“Bash! There you are!” August sat next to him, her body turned toward him to give him her full attention. 

“At his house table, with his friends, during dinner, who would have thought,” Ominis said from across the table. August shot the boy a brief glare before giving Sebastian her full attention again. 

“What a pleasant surprise,” Sebastian propped an elbow on the table, his chin resting in his palm. “I believe you owe me an explanation, you said you were going to tell me about what happened at the Three Broomsticks well over a week ago. Not many students have Victor Rookwood’s attention. What was that all about?”

“Victor Rookwood?” Ominis straightened, his misty blue eyes searching for them. “Did something else happen in Hogsmeade?”

August let out a long annoyed sigh. She grabbed Sebastian’s free hand and led him away from the group. 

“Where’d they go?” she heard Ominis ask behind them. 

“Wait, I also want to know what happened!” Grace shouted after them. 

August ducked into a darkened alcove, away from prying eyes and ears. 

“If you just wanted to get me alone, that’s all you had to say,” Sebastian smiled down at her. 

“Oh stop it, I need a favor.” 

“Well, not with that attitude.”

“Bash,” she pouted, her lower lip sticking out. Sebastian paused. He was taking in the sight before him. Her curly red hair was down instead of in her usual bun or braid with loose strands falling in front of her light blue eyes. This close to her he could trace her freckles into constellations. Her bottom lip stuck out in a way that made him want to nip at it. Shaking his head he quickly recovered. 

“Bash, is it now?” He cleared his throat. She gave him a small nod, looking up at him through long dark lashes. “Fine, tell me about Rookwood first.”

She did. Everyone by now had heard about the dragon attack, however, none had details. August told Sebastian everything. She told him about the attack, the portkey taking her and Professor Fig to the abandoned castle. Gringots and becoming separated from Fig. When she spoke of Ranrock, Sebastian's hands curled into fists. 

"Professor Fig wants to keep this quiet. I've already said far too much." August covered her face with her hands. Sebastian stepped to her and pulled her hands free, giving them a reassuring squeeze. 

"I'll show you to the Restricted Section. Meet me at Central Hall after dark." 

"What if we're caught?"

Detention, no doubt,” he informed her easily and with an added shrug. “We should be fine if we can just avoid Peeves, the nuisance. Aside from wanton destruction of property, he likes nothing more than telling on the likes of us.”

August was silent for a moment as she pondered. "What do you think Peeves does in the summer?"

"He probably goes mad. It all just comes out like bad gas when we return."

Giggling, August gazed up at him. "Thank you for helping me."

"That's what friends do."

"How very Gryffindor of you to say."

Sebastian groaned and rolled his eyes. 

"Do you want into the Restricted Section or not?"

"Yes! I'm sorry!" August suppressing a smile. Sebastian was suddenly aware of how close they were. The darkened alcove didn't allow much room between them. They're so close, if Sebastian bent his head he'd be able to kiss her. 

August must have realized this during his silence as there was an overwhelming breathlessness between them.

"I should go," August finally says, moving to step back into the hallway. Sebastian catches her hand and pulls her back to him. His hazel eyes searched her blue ones. "Sebastian," his name comes out in a hushed whisper. 

"August," his tone is low, warm, and inviting, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd somehow charmed his voice. Leaning down, Sebastian bumps his nose with hers. Pausing, he waits to see if she pulls away. When she doesn't, he continues, tentatively brushing his lips against hers for the first time. Her breath catches in her throat, but she doesn't pull away. 

Warm, calloused  fingers traced lightly over her knuckles, then found their way to her wrist, pulse fluttering quickly under his touch. His hand traveled up her arm, landing heavy and warm at the back of her neck. His fingers lace into her thick hair, and his thumb slid behind her ear, tilting her head to him. 

August still hasn't moved from him. He had almost expected her to slap him. Almost. 

Using his free hand he pulls her closer by slipping his arm around her waist. Her breath hitches at the sudden movement. "I've never... I'm now sure how to..." Her voice trails off.

"Just follow my lead," Sebastian spoke softly. 

"August!" Ominis' voice cuts threw the intimate moment. August nearly jumped out of her skin at the fury in the Gaunt boy's voice. 

"Ominis!" August quickly looked between the two Slytherin boys. 

"Sebastian, I don't think you know what you're doing, so I am going to try and remain calm and ask you to come with me," Ominis spoke each word carefully and through gritted teeth. 

"Oh no, I'm very well-versed in what I'm doing," Sebastian hadn't loosened his grip on August yet. "I'd like to go back to where we left off if you don't mind." Sebastian waved his friend away. 

"I do mind," Ominis grabbed his friend's arm, tugging at him. 

"Ominis, I'm only going to tell you once. Let. Go," Sebastian's voice had dropped dangerously low, his eyes narrowing. 

"Sebastian," August finally spoke. "Ominis is right, we shouldn't be doing this."

Sebastian looked down at the girl still wrapped in his arms. "Stop?"

August nodded slowly, Sebastian unfolded his arms from around her. Stepping from his embrace August shivered, suddenly cold. 

"Lost, maybe you should go back to your dorm," Ominis suggested. Sebastian opened his mouth, ready to defend August. He was cut off by August squeezing his arm. "I'll talk to you later?" The usual fire in August had burned out, the girl in front of him seemed tired, with downcast eyes and her shoulders up around her ears.

Sebastian nodded. "Of course, Central Hall?" 

"Central Hall," she smiled. 

_____

Ominis had shooed the other boys out of their dorm as soon as they entered the room. 

“Would you like to explain why your bloomers are in such a twist?” Sebastian asked as Ominis began to pace. 

“I don’t-” Ominis began. Cutting himself off he pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew Sebastian well enough to know that this was a distraction. If he started now they would spend the next hour, if not several talking in circles about his choice of undergarments. 

“Stay away from August,” Ominis deadpanned. Sebastian was taken aback by his friend's abrasiveness, staring at him as if the other boy had just reached out and struck him. 

“No,” Sebastian said simply. Turning from his friend he went to his bedside and plucked a book off his nightstand. 

“No?” Ominis questioned.

“No,” Sebastian repeated, thumbing through the book. Ominis gapped at his friend. Standing straighter Ominis crossed the room with long strides, taking the book out of Sebastian’s hands he snapped it shut and slammed it onto the table next to them. The boy that was usually so calm and collected changed to someone cold and distant. “You will leave August alone. You and your stupid antics could ruin her, I may not be fond of her, but I would hate to see what her parents would do if they found out her innocence has been taken.”

Sebastian stared at his friend in disbelief. “Innocence? What are you talking about? I was going to kiss her, not fuck her!”

Ominis flinched at the word. 

“I don’t know where this high and mighty attitude is coming from Ominis, but you can come off it,” Sebastian crossed to the other side of the room, trying to create distance between them before he did something stupid. “I’ve caught you tumbling out of a closet more than once, don’t act like your better than me.” 

This had spun out of control. Ominis was used to disagreeing with Sebastian or the occasional argument, rarely did the two fight. Settling down Ominis spoke softly. “It’s different for August, she is a lady of house Lost. Her father - Lord Augustus - is a Wizengamot. She is held to a different standard,” Ominous sighed. Sitting at the trunk at the end of his bed he explained. “Her family is very traditional. They believe in status, keeping their bloodline pure, they think women should be untouched before marriage.”

“That’s archaic!” Sebastian snapped. 

“I agree,” Ominis nodded. “Very few wizard families are still acting on old traditions, the Lost family is one, however.” Standing, Ominis straightened his blazer. “I don’t know how her parents would respond if something were to happen. I do have a feel it would be drastic, with August being removed from Hogwarts.”

Sebastian squeezed his hands into a fist. “Are you telling me I can’t be friends with her?”

“No, I’m saying be careful. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Well,” Sebastian scoffed. “That’s no fun.”

“Precisely.”

—

Sneaking out of her room was easier than expected. August figured that the Prefects would be on every flight and in the common room, however, the tower was silent. Approaching the Central Hall, Sebastian was crouched by the bottom step. He motioned for her to get down. Creeping down the long flight of stairs proved as a harder challenge than August expecting. She had never noticed how loud the creeks were until she was trying to be quiet. 

“You have a mouse in your pocket, Lost? Make every step squeak on your way down why don’t you? ” Sebastian whispered harshly when she was finally in front of him.

“What?” She asked him, lips pursed in frustration. “You try to sneak down those stairs quietly!”

“I will, just not tonight,” Sebastian smirked. Taking her hand in his, he tugged her forward. August was staring at their fingers tangled together when Sebastian pointed with his other hand. “See there? That’s the door we need to reach.” 

“What about those two?” August nodded to two prefects who just walked out of the door. 

“They would love nothing more than to rat on us to Scirbner, so don’t let them see us - understood?”

August rolled her eyes. “Despite what you just saw-”

“Heard-”

“I can be sneaky. Let’s go.”

Sebastian snorted. “Hold on now,” he squeezed her hand. “There’s a spell you should know - the Disillusionment Charm. Good for getting places you’re not supposed to be.” 

Dropping her hand he took out his wand. “Cast it, and you’ll appear as a little more than a trick of the light. Just as long as you keep your distance and stay quiet.” 

“You mean I’ll actually be able to turn invisible?” August couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice. She couldn’t count how many times she wanted to be invisible. How many parties has she attended? Forced to dance with boys. Smile, and make small talk with others her age that she had nothing in common with if she could have just slipped away all those times before, just with a whisper of a word. 

“Something like that.” Sebastian’s voice cut through her train of thought. It’s not as foolproof as a cloak, but those are expensive. And spells - spells are free.” Sebastian demonstrated the wand's movement. Then showing her the spell, disappearing in front of her. Blinking, August took a step back, forcing her eyes to adjust; she was able to see the faintest shift in light as Sebastian stepped toward her. “Your turn,” he whispered in her ear. Instinctively August reached out to him, her hand gripping the front of his buttoned shirt. The illusion was broken on contact. Looking at him, August noticed that he had left his school robe behind. Wearing just a white button-up, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Instead of his pressed school pants, he wore more relaxed-fitting trousers that sat low on his hips. 

“Miss Lost, are you ogling me?”

“What? N…n… no, absolutely not!” August's voice became shrill at the accusation.

“What was that?” a voice below spoke up. 

Sebastian’s hand clamped over August's mouth. With a swish of their wands they both disappeared. 

“What was what?” Another voice asked. 

“Did you hear that?” The first voice asked. 

“Uh..” there was a pause. “No,” the second voice responded after a few seconds of silence. 

“I swore I heard something,” the first voice answered back as footsteps approached the stairs to their right. 

“Follow me,” Sebastian whispered to her as they went down the stairs to their left. 

“Alright! Let me know if you find something,” the second voice called back, looking down at a book that was resting on his lap. Sneaking past and pushing the door to the library. The two students practically ran into the librarian. Pulling August into the closest stack of books Sebastian whispered. “Blast. The librarian’s still here.” 

“Damn,” Sebastian spoke as he appeared before her eyes. 

“You told me the librarian would be gone by now!” 

“I said ‘usually’,” Sebastian corrected. “But it’ll still be all right. Do you see her desk behind me?”

August peered over his shoulder, then nodded. “It’s hard to miss.”

“I didn’t ask for sass.”

“It came free with a silly question.”

“Alright, alright, focus,” Sebastian snapped. “The key is in the drawer of that desk. Now, here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll create a distraction to draw her away - “

“Are you going to ask her a silly question?”

“Maybe during daylight hours - you focus on getting the key. I’ll meet you outside the Restricted Section.” 

“You distract; I get the key. Understood.”

“That’s my girl,” Sebastian smiled before disappearing. August swallowed thickly, the words igniting something within her core. Pushing the feeling to the side she disappeared, hoping Sebastian hadn’t noticed the blush that had flared across her face (he did). Stalking toward the front desk, she had to repress her cry of surprise as something at the back of the room crashed to the ground. 

“Is someone there?” Scribner called out. “Is that you, Peeves?” Scribner passed the shelf that August had ducked behind, passing her without a second glance. Crawling to the desk, August rifled through the top drawer before finding the key. Clutching the key close, August crept to their meeting spot. 

“That wasn’t so difficult after all,” August beamed as she approached Sebastian, holding up the key in triumph. “Now, to find that book!” 

With Sebastian’s guidance August was able to get down the first flight of stairs, no squeaking steps this time. With some well-placed distractions, the two students were able to sneak past the two watchful ghosts. 

“Should be clear now. No need for us to be skulking about,” Sebastian appeared next to her at the bottom of the stairs. Dropping her own illusion, August bounced gleefully on her toes. “They didn’t see us!” 

“They did not. You were wonderful!” he beamed at her. 

“Oh please, it was nothing. Thank you for being a great teacher!” August squeezed his hand. Sebastian squeezed back, then pulled her down the next flight of stairs. 

August stared at their hands. She wasn’t aware that her heart could flutter and pull apart at the same time. It was like having her favorite treat in front of her, just for her parents to take it away. Slipping her hand from his, she pushed her way forward, examining the tombs on the shelves. “So.. what is it you’ve been looking for?” August said to break the silence that had fallen between them. “I’m looking for a cure to help my twin sister, Anne,” Sebastian’s voice was hard and grim, he was staring intently at his now empty hand. August spun to look at him, she was not expecting this answer. “I’m hoping to cure her, so she can return to Hogwarts. Because Merlin knows everyone else has given up.”

“Sebastian,” sympathy filled August’s eyes and she looked to her friend. She had to stop herself from grabbing ahold of the hand she just let go of. “Why do you think you’ll find a cure in the Restricted Section? Does the Howarts matron have nothing that can help Anne?”

“No!” Sebastian turned from her, stalking across the room Sebastian began leafing through the ancient text. “We’ve tried everyone from Nurse Blainey to St. Mungo’s.”

Sebastian turned on his heel, ready to continue his rant. His Ravenclaw was beginning to collapse in on herself. Her shoulders rounded, eyes to the ground, bottom lip sucked between her teeth, he recognized the anxiety that crept in whenever someone became angry around her. 

Not wanting to scare her further, he calmed himself. With a few slow breaths, he changed his tone, to something more lighthearted. “But, I can research on my own. No need to concern yourself with that right now.” Crossing the room to her, he took both her hands in his own, calming her as he ran his thumbs over the back of her knuckles. Her shoulders relaxed, falling from around her ears. His heart flipped, something about his closeness calmed her and it made his heart swell. “Let’s focus on what you’re after,” his voice was low and teasing. “Which is what, precisely? Or was this just another attempt to get me alone?”

August rolled her eyes, the corner of her lips quirking up in a smile. 

“Which, Ominis lectured me about for a very very long time today.”

“It apparently did not help.”

“You requested my assistance. Who am I, a simple village boy to turn down a lady,” Sebastian teased. “I believe you owe me.”

“Would you like me to jump into Black Lake for you as well?” August asked.

“I.. what?” Sebastian stepped back from her shaking his head. “Did someone ask you to jump into Black Lake?”

“Grace Pinch-Smedley,” August answered with a shrug. 

“Grace Pinch-Smedley, asked you  to jump into the Black Lake, and you did it?” Sebastian repeated slowly. 

“To find her grandfather’s astrolabe,” August said simply. Blinking, she looked around at the shelves around them. “I’ll know the book when I see it.” She breezed past Sebastian, who was staring at her dumbfounded. “You sure are being cryptic,” he managed to say, watching her every movement as she searched the shelves intently. 

No student was allowed in the Black Lake, and there weren’t too many who wanted to go in. (Between the giant squid (although harmless) the grindylows (certainly not), and the merpeople (questionable)). Seeing as it was the middle of summer, August had either jumped into the lake with her clothes on. Or she had removed several layers to jump in. Given her moralist family, he believed it was probably the first. The image of August emerging from the lake, her wet clothes clinging to her body. Hair slicked back and dripping. All the blood to rush out of Sebastian’s head at the thought. Where the hell had he been when this happened!?

He would be sure to speak to Grace about this later. He had several reasons. Mainly, to never ask August to do such a dangerous task again. The girl had become smitten with danger and had a secret death wish, he was sure of it. August moved to the next room, catching his attention.  Continuing her search for something he obviously could not see. 

Pausing, her fingertips brushed over the front of a book. Sebastian peered over her shoulder, voice low in her ear. “Secrets of the Darkest Arts?” His eyebrows raised in surprise. “I’m impressed.” 

August swallowed hard. “All magic should be studied. We can only fear what we do not understand.” 

“Spoken like a true scholar.” 

Turning from the book, and away from Sebastian’s presence, August continued down the hallway and towards a door. 

Searching through the next room, August stopped in front of what was left of a suit of armor littering a doorway. As she approached, bursting through the wall was none other than Peeves. “Who have we here!?” Peeves teased twirling between the two. “Sebastian Sallow and his new little friend,” Sebastian gritted his teeth as Peeves leaned in towards August, taunting her. “Out exploring where they shouldn’t be! Naughty naughty, you’ll get caughty!” 

“Peeves, don’t you - “ Sebastian was cut off as Peeves passed through August with a rush, knocking the girl backward. Sebastian caught her and pulled her close. 

“I’m going to tell! I’m going to tell! I’m going to tell!” Peeves sang as he flew away. 

“Are you okay?” Sebastian steadied August.

She nodded, holding her head between both hands “That was very unpleasant.” 

“Blasted Peeves!” Sebastian looked in the direction that the poltergeist disappeared. 

“I’ve got to stop him, or at least get to the librarian with a good excuse for all of this.”

“Wait, I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.” August grabbed onto Sebastian’s sleeve. Looking between her hand and her face, Sebastian took her hand in his. “Don’t worry,” he said, kissing her palm. The blush that he loved rode a wave of pink up from beneath her shirt collar, and up to her ears. “I have a way with the faculty when it comes to disciplinary matters. Besides - ” Kissing her wrist, feeling her pulse flutter against his lips. “I like having friends who are in my debt.” Squeezing her hand he winked at her. “Now, go. Good luck in your search.”

[hiding-in-the-vault]

hi im the hk insp au person again,, i just wanted to share just some more of my au if thats okay with you

https://imgur.com/a/L4AVTir (All my unofficial works and also some old designs that didnt work out in case anybody would be interested)

https://imgur.com/a/TNjocDK (Tommys and sapnaps design woohoo)

i hope you like it and please drop some thoughts if you have any :))

also an au notice; not entirely a hollow knight au just HEAVILY inspired by it (hence why its called rogue au in the imgur titles lmao) but i still wouldnt mind if people called it a hollow knight au

btw; you got dream and george right last time, i was surprised because he does in fact live in a very mossy grove (its Mossy Decay in the map), always hides in the shadows and is VERY protective of his little place. when tommy first met dream he wandered a bit too deep in mossy decay and was ambushed by dream, nearly making it out alive

for george, he does in fact like napping a lot around Hills of Mildew (on the eastern side of the map) inside his own hut and doesnt really care about anything and only goes outside to stretch his legs and look at the horizon

and ill also add some lore & funfacts

nobody has ever dared to go in "The deep", only some have tried but few have returned and those few were never the same 😵

theres an arena in barkals, people bet money and fight to the death for it, that's where Dream met techno! while techno was watching dream fight in the arena, he was impressed by his agility and strength and decided to challenge him to a duel outside of the arena. obviously, techno beat dream and thus begun their playful rivalry

ok i swear this was all i just really like to ramble abt stuff ty and bye❤❤❤

WOO!!!! First off, I really love your art style. All the pen lines, especially in some of the older art, it's awesome. I wish I'd do more stuff like that

Anyway, I love these guys. The fire head design is sooo cool. Idk if its just your style or if it looks a certain way for a reason, but it reminds me of autumn leaves and sticks. Which feels apt, for something so nature-themed. A skrunkly guy, I bet he thinks he's the coolest kid on the block. I'd like to hear the thoughts behind those eyes xD

And Tommy feels so sitting. He's a Big man™ and he's got Belts and Such™, Dont Mess With Him !!!11!1!!!! And then you see those big goofy eyes <3 Yep, you're very intimidating and cool, Tommy~ Also him losing his wings reminds me of osmp. That there is one slightly above-average guy who cannot fly. He doesnt NEED to fly, he is simply built different. #trust

Other arts

Map!! I love maps. Big map fan. I bet Tommy likes "The Junk". (if he can get past Dream to make it that far, anyway :eyes:) or at least the name, idk. its funny.

I don't have much to say about the others, besides that they're very fun to look at. I love seeing the thought process behind designs. Crying at George v.1 looking like a waiter djkfhskfd

Speaking of Dream. Ahahehehh I was right >:D It's the vibes, man. The vibes are there and they work so well with these two. If c!Dream and c!George were to be in a hollow knight inspired world, that is simply what they would be doing, I don't make the rules. And hey, that means your character design did its job :D Pog

I'm also always in favor of any idea regarding a fighting arena. Dream would do numbers there, I'm sure. Glad to see the friendly rivalry exists <3

I don't know if you plan on writing anything or just drawing stuff, or just vibe, but I love this concept and I hope you continue it :D