#people in this fandom seem to forget where this world was set

[thecatsaesthetics]

People really think if Aegon or his brothers hadn’t challenged Rhaenyra for the throne they would have been able to live as a happy family in the Red Keep…

It’s completely naive thinking.

[demonpiratehuntress]

dreams

OPLA!Zoro x F!Reader

summary - majority of your dreams seem to manifest in the real world somehow, so when you have one about your crush and your best friend...things get a little out of control.

warnings - heavy angst (im sorry), hurt to comfort

a/n: when i started writing for this fandom i PROMISED myself i would not make it all angst and no fun, but oh well :))))) idek where this idea came from, i need help

You woke up from a nap with the sickening urge to empty your stomach overboard. Nausea reared its ugly head, and before you could even try to tame the feeling, you were sprinting to the side of the ship to empty your stomach.

What exactly was the cause?

This would sound insanely ridiculous, and to you it really was, but you had a weird dream. And it didn't sit well with you. Most of the dreams you had often became a reality, albeit with slight changes. There were some that didn't, but almost all of them came true eventually or manifested in a similar way at some point.

And that's probably the reason you couldn't stop yourself from vomiting obscenely before your stunned - and confused - crew.

"(Name), are you okay?" Nami asked worriedly, coming over to you.

You flinched away from her, increasing her confusion, before turning and running off to the bathroom. She exchanged looks with the others who were out on deck - Usopp and Luffy - before shrugging it off and going back to mapping the ship's course.

The truth was, you had a completely unexpected yet maddening dream while napping, one that you prayed to any god who would listen would not come true. You had dreamed of Zoro - the man you had the biggest crush on - and Nami, which may seem an odd coupling and probably was but you couldn't control your dreams. Much like how you couldn't control how you felt about it, despite it only being a fictional idea your mind concocted.

You went straight to yours and Nami's room after cleaning yourself up, setting up the divider that separated your section from hers so you wouldn't have to deal with seeing her if she came in. Your behaviour was unfair to her, since you knew she would never do anything like that, nor did she have any romantic interest in Zoro. In fact, she barely had any interest in the swordsman at all. But according to your dream, that might change.

You curled up on your bed, pulling the blanket right up over your head to shield yourself from the real world. The familiar feeling of something wet running down your cheek informed you that you had started crying, but you couldn't care less. You couldn't move. You didn't have the energy to move, much less bring your hand up to wipe your tears away. So you just lay there, curled up in a foetal position, trying - and miserably failing - to get your mind off it.

A while later, a knock at your door caused you to jerk up in your bed, before you groaned and flopped back down.

"Go away!"

"Nami said you're sick," came Sanji's voice, "So I made you some soup. Please open the door."

You breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't either of the two people you were currently trying to avoid. Slowly dragging yourself out of bed, you had to make even more effort to get yourself to the door. Forgetting that you had just been crying, you opened it and let the cook in, confused when his expression immediately grew alarmed.

"(Name), why are you crying??" He immediately set the soup down and pulled you into a comforting hug - one that seemed to be much warmer than usual right now.

"I-I'm fine," you mumbled into his shoulder, "Just not well."

He nodded, falling for your excuse, before pulling away to hand you the soup, "Here, this should help. If you need more, or if you need anything else, just let me know." He smiled at you, before leaving you alone once again.

You sat back down on your bed and ate the soup - because who can say no to Sanji's cooking, even if you're not really in the mood to eat? And it did help, the warmth helping to settle your queasy stomach and alleviate the nausea if only a little bit. Minutes after you finished it, there was another knock and you frowned, wondering who it was now.

You didn't answer, in fear of it being Zoro.

Just the thought of Zoro had you replaying that dream all over again, and before you could stop yourself or at least soften the sound, sobs were wracking your body and you were burying your face in your hands, crying into their warmth.

The door opened and a familiar set of heavy footsteps reached your ears before the bed dipped beside you. Your entire body froze up, tensing at the arrival of the green-haired swordsman. Your sobs fell silent, hiccups replacing them as you stilled and tried your best to quell your sadness - still keeping your face hidden.

"What happened?" Came that usually-comforting deep voice you loved so much, but that now caused your nausea to return. "What's wrong, (Name)?"

"Please go away," you found yourself speaking, not wanting to push him away but knowing you'd feel even more ridiculous if he found out how you felt about him while you were recounting a silly dream.

"No."

Usually the swordsman would leave without a word if you asked for space, or if you told him to go away, but this time he could see you were absolutely not okay and you needed someone. Luffy wouldn't be a good idea, Usopp wouldn't know what to do, and you seemed to be avoiding Nami. And he sure as hell did not want that stupid cook anywhere near you right now, in fear of him comforting you so well that the swordsman would lose you to him entirely.

You didn't respond to that, so Zoro brought his hands up to slowly and gently peel yours away from your face. You let him, shocking yourself, and the sight of your bloodshot eyes and tear-stained face caused his heart to constrict painfully.

"Tell me what's wrong."

He held your hands in his own, not wanting to let go. He had waited so long to be able to hold them, and he was glad for this excuse to. But he was heartbroken seeing you so upset and apparently sick over something he didn't know about yet. He gently squeezed your hands, silently encouraging you to speak. He wasn't good with words, but if comfort was what you needed he would do and say whatever he could to make your pain go away.

"It's you and Nami."

He stiffened. He didn't know what that meant, but just hearing he was part of the reason you were so upset made his heart sink.

"What did we do?"

"It's...um...it's silly," you replied quietly, voice low but pain still evident. "It doesn't matter." You tried pulling your hands away, but Zoro only gripped them tighter.

"It does, if it's making you this upset."

Reluctantly, you relayed to him what you had dreamed about, voice cracking halfway through as more tears fell. You felt even sillier saying it to someone else, especially him, and avoided making eye-contact throughout the entire explanation. When you finished, you shot him a small, brief glance - only to do a double take when you saw the absolutely horrified and disgusted look on his face.

"Me and the thief?" He questioned, distaste clear in his tone. "You've got to be kidding me." He sighed, sneakily shifting closer to you on the bed. "That can't be possible."

"But-"

"Some of your dreams don't come true," he reminded you, "This is definitely one of those. You want to know how I know?"

You nodded slowly, biting your lip.

You did not expect his next words.

"Because I already dream about doing that with you."

Your jaw dropped. If you were like Luffy, it would have probably dropped all the way to the floor, you were so stunned by his confession. Your formerly slowed heartbeat picked up speed again, heat filling your cheeks as you processed his words.

"Me?"

"Mhm. Only you. Been a recurring dream, actually."

As you stuttered out an incomplete sentence and then stammered through some nonsense, Zoro leaned in slowly and pressed his lips against yours, locking you in a slow but sweet kiss. His lips were warm and soft, inviting you to lean into him and return the kiss. The affectionate gesture had butterflies blooming in your stomach.

"I'm sorry," you whispered once you remembered how to speak.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead before pulling you into a warm, comforting and secure embrace.

You sat like that quietly for a while, Zoro rubbing soothing circles onto your back while you clung to him, face buried in his neck. He kissed the top of your head every few minutes, in between mumbling sweet words of comfort into your ear - mainly "you're beautiful" and "i'm yours" because he didn't know what else to say. But it was enough for you.

Eventually, he spoke up.

"You should clear things up with Nami. She's upset because you're not talking to her."

"I know...later."

He chuckled and tightened his grip on you, keeping you warm and increasingly happy in his strong arms. He didn't intend on letting go, but that was good because you didn't want him to.

BONUS:

"STUPID MOSSHEAD!"

Loud banging and clanging jerked you awake the morning after your confessions, the sound of Sanji's loud exclamation having woken you - but not Zoro - up. He probably had woken up the others as well.

You tried to get up to see what was wrong, but Zoro refused to let go. He was still sleeping, but his arms wound around you even tighter, pulling you back against him. You sighed, knowing you could ask someone else later anyway.

Nami poked her head around the divider and smirked, "He's upset that Zoro finally confessed and ruined his chance to woo you."

You laughed at that, "Give him an hour, max. Then he'll try to woo you."

She groaned, "I'm already dreading it."

The two of you laughed, and it felt good to be back on speaking terms with her. Even though, strictly speaking, you hadn't had a reason not to be in the first place. But oh well.

The power of dreams...

[jadesea33]

I read @9lives2mics post this morning and felt like it pretty much summed up my thoughts and feelings about all of this so I wasn’t going to share what I wrote yesterday. But Shalaka encouraged me to add my voice to the chorus and she’s right: if we want something to change, we need to speak up about it, so here we go.

I’m going to start with something positive: I’m happy that Carol will be confronting some of her past trauma and it’s clear that Melissa is too, based on everything she’s said during promo for the show. This has been the main focus of her comments. I believe she wants to give Carol personal closure and I respect her for that. But I’m at the point where it seems likely to me that she agreed to do the spin-off for Carol. Not Caryl. Not because she doesn’t care about Caryl but because it seems that what happens with Caryl may be beyond her control.

People say we should trust her. And I do. But people also seem to forget that she’s only one woman in a room full of men. She doesn’t get to decide everything (unfortunately, because I’d be 100% on board with THAT show). I imagine it’s more likely she gets to say what she wants for Carol but she’s not going to be able to decide the arc for Caryl on her own. Norman’s made himself wishy-washy enough about it all over the years that I honestly have no idea how he feels about romantic canon but if the showrunner doesn’t want it, it’s not going to happen. And David Zabel has said he doesn’t want it.

And trust me, I get that the source of all this is a clickbait article written by someone who apparently has proven themselves to be anti-Caryl but my feelings are based entirely on the direct quotes from Zabel. I actually didn’t read any of the article except the quotes. So unless he was grossly misquoted or was using the world’s worst deflection tactics, he does not want romantic canon for Caryl. I see no ambiguity in what he said. No room for interpretation.

And not only that, but he wants to set up a Daryl/Isabelle romance that undermines Daryl’s character and his relationship with Carol. And I just can’t tolerate that. Carol is going to cross an entire damn ocean to search for him and what? Find him experiencing “mutual interest” in a relationship that’s “more than friendship” with a manipulative nun he barely knows? Is Daryl even going to be happy Carol’s there? Is he going to show her the love and appreciation she deserves or is he going to be too busy with his “feelings” for another woman? Are we going to have to watch Carol comfort Daryl through his man pain over a forced relationship that never made sense and that took place while Carol was risking her life, battling her claustrophobia and confronting her personal trauma in order to find her “friend”? None of that is anything I have the slightest desire to watch.

I could possibly still give AMC my money without romantic canon. I could potentially watch Carol working through her trauma with the person closest to her in the world by her side if it highlighted their bond in a deep, meaningful way. But the shipbaiting is going too far for me. It disrespects the relationship that Carol and Daryl have shared for the last 14 years and it disrespects the fanbase that wants to tune in to see their bond continue it’s natural course, to see them nurture it and watch it grow.

If AMC wants someone like me to watch this show, they need to find a new showrunner, one who actually understands and respects Carol, Daryl and Caryl. Because it’s clear to me now that David Zabel doesn’t. I know filming has started on S3 but if we get a S4 and beyond, a new showrunner could still potentially clean up the mess that Zabel seems intent on creating.

Okay, if you actually read this far, thank you. And please, I know it can be hard to speak out. It causes me great anxiety to do so, especially when I know that some of my fellow Carylers will not like what I say. I fear some of the friendships I’ve formed in this fandom may be strained now because of differing opinions and that breaks my heart. But ultimately I care too deeply about these characters to remain silent when I see a great disservice being done to them. If you see that disservice too, please speak up about it. Will it make a difference? I don’t know. But we’ll never know if we don’t try. Sending love to you all. ❤️

[committingwarcr1mes]

mitski once said:

“i don't need the world to see that i've been the best i can be, but

i don't think i could stand to be where you don't see me”

and now i have to write this.

i really don’t get why people are so superficial about griffith, y’all like “nah, he always was evil vicious callous etc 🙄🙄🙄” and not even trying to look beneath, which is really discouraging because the eclipse arc made it very clear and showed everything in the most obvious way possible.

oh, remark: it’s only about berserk 1997.

so let’s start from afar. “griffith never cared of his people and friends, he easily betrayed them for batman costume 👻👻👻” like WTF?? he DID. he DID CARE. he sold himself to feed and equip his people, and it wasn’t like “he enjoyed f***ing that bearded guy ahshdjsa lmao 😂🤡🤡” (btw i don’t get this crap cause it seems like y’all are so obsessed with rape theme, but while feeling sorry for one victim you at the same time make fun of another. the hypocrisy of this fandom i can’t--). but return to what i’ve started. griffith always cared for his people; he never showed it and never admitted it even to himself, but he remembered everyone who died fighting for him, and i guess sometimes he really blamed himself for that — but again, never admitted it. those scenes weren’t given just for drama or something — these contradictions were always an important part of his character and determined his sight. failure would make victims meaningless. like people died for nothing.

another thing people don’t understand is that griffith never cared only about the power and the fact of becoming the king. people never strive to go on top just to go on top, all our actions are motivated by deeply personal reasons. so i think he really wanted people to follow him, believe in him, attach with his yearning. it always feels good when you see that people like you, need you, rely on you. that is what makes a leader a leader. of course you can say that it’s a selfish and vain wish, but aren’t all people selfish? you always set guts against griffith — so weren’t guts’ wishes and life stance selfish? i think it ridiculous to judge such things.

and now we get to the core — the need for love. love of thousands is pleasant, but in the end humans need something more than that. it’s lonely at the top, as they say. you still need someone to be close to, to trust and rely on. for griffith that “someone” was guts. “ wELL aCtUaLlY hE wAs NeVEr iN lOvE wiTH gUtS 🤓” oh STFU. you didn’t get the homosexual drama, but i did 🤭

and now i’m not going to speculate on was it healthy love or sElFiSh or tOxiC or pOsSeSiVe, i don’t care, you need to get that love can be twisted, sick, destructive, wrong, but it still LOVE. i agree that griffith did use guts for his own affairs, pulled in palace intrigues and etc, but it doesn’t change the fact that he had feelings for him that were able to confuse and mess him up.

“amongst the thousands of comrades... and the tens of thousands of enemies... there was only one man... you were the only one... who ever made me forget my dream” like WHY DO YOU THINK THIS NEEDED TO BE SAID??

their relationships deserve a separate paragraph actually so i won’t drive too deep. all we need to understand is that guts became too important to griffith and it was literally the end to everything he worked for during all those years.

so, guts decides to leave, nothing now can stops him. griffith is messed up and disordered, he’s crushed and isn't really aware of what he's doing. and it is a very good subtext here — he feels rejected, so he goes to charlotte who’s obviously in love with him and has sex with her. it’s a reckless impulse, a moment of weakness, and it leads to the only mistake that cost EVERYTHING. and then griffith is tortured, mutilated and losing even the possibility to talk.

retreat: i find quite interesting how easily he lost that fighting with guts. you can say “well it’s just because guts is stronger blah blah blah etc 🙄🙄🙄”, but i think it was probably about griffith’s subliminal unwillingness to hold someone who’s already decided to give up on him. however…

what is going on in griffith’s head during all these horrible events? guts. guts guts guts. logic chain is simple: he got here because of guts, he lost everything because of guts, guts is the reason for everything he has to pass through now. i’m not blaming guts, but it’s just how griffith was thinking there — which is not surprising, like imagine yourself going through this kind of torture while remembering whom have you been and what you were striving for. all can imagine, but not all can understand.

“and yet… here, in this empty, hollow world… one thing is clear in my mind. him alone… like lightning splitting through the darkness… he appears in my mind so vividly. over and over again like the waves of a tsunami… hatred… friendship… jealousy… frustration… helplessness… affection… sorrow… they all come together into a giant vortex… they pin my fading consciousness down so that it doesn’t slip away. the one who caused this… my confinement in this darkness… will now… become the only chance at survival. when did it happen? this man, whose life was once in my hands… when did i fall into his powerful clutches? and now… in my mind i see him radiating so brightly it pierces in my eyes. guts!” IN BLACK AND WHITE

and this was the moment when love started to turn into hatred; when the pain of abandonment is so strong that it destroys the rest of the feelings. no one made griffith go to charlotte and do what he did, and yet he was so messed up with guts’ leaving that he went and did it. and now he isn’t even able to talk, to walk and to hold anything with his hands. no more fighting, no more winning. no more way to fulfill his dream. all because of guts. and still, affection is living. that moment when guts & co came to save griffith and guts holding him, griffith stretches his arm to touch… or to choke him? guess we’ll never now. however, some kind of hope flared up in him again. guts came back, and probably it will get better…

but oh, it won’t. only worse.

moving on scene when griffith lays in carriage and hears guts and casca conversation on the outside. it’s a VERY important moment that many people overlook, but it is exactly what led to the eclipse events as they are. so, guts is going to leave again and offers casca to join him, casca refuses because she needs to take care of griffith, and when she said that guts decides to stay. with HER. for HER. not for griffith. the story repeats itself, and griffith is still not that significant for him.

and look what happens here. griffith’s people saw his injuries and knew that he can’t lead them any longer. one part of them is going to follow casca now, the other one — guts. they all gave up on him. so did guts. the last one, whose affection griffith desired the most. what is for casca… it is a pretty complicated moment, but a part of the problem here is feel of betrayal. you can think as you wish but i’m considering casca as more like a sister, a fellow, a loyal companion and an assistant to griffith, than a love interest. like yeah, he had a dream where he lives with her taking care of him in small nice house, but… i think it is a question of a habit. we saw two women in griffith’s life: casca and charlotte. charlotte could be a key to power, but i don’t think that griffith wanted to even remember her after the torture. casca, on the other hand, was the one who was near him for quite a long time. she cared for him, supported him. so if griffith needed to give up and live normal life like simple men do, he would choose casca as a partner just because there is now other woman. but at this moment casca took guts away from him. another betrayal. and of course, it starts the jealous.

after overhearing guts and casca’s conversation griffith gathering his strength and drives horses to… somewhere. i don’t think he was fully aware of what he was doing, most likely it was just an another reckless impulse, but he gets into a river and decides to 💀 himself. it was a peak of his despair, but accidentally the red behelit returns to him — and the eclipse starts.

no need to retell, just want to make clear two things: 1) why did griffith betrayed his friends for batman costume 👻👻👻 2) and why he raped casca

moment №1.

besides obviously outlined in the series “he built his way on corpses and he must go on with no regret blah blah blah ☝☝☝” there is a much more important element of disappointment. like yeah, griffith is definitely disappointed about people and affections by this point. he’s not a leader for his people anymore; if they still feel something for him, it’s more like a pity for the cripple. and of course — guts. affection that cost everything, the reason why he appeared in such a position.

so now he has a choice: to sacrifice something that only ruins and ruins and finally get what he dreamt of the entire life, or to choose things that once already destroyed him and live the rest of the life as a cripple even unable to speak. noble are those who chose the second option, but i absolutely and with no doubts understand griffith’s choice here.

so yeah, now griffith chooses the power over everything indeed. he chooses himself and only. good for him <3

moment №2.

the rape. and the reason why that sacrifice was so bloody and brutal. yeah, all the people who appeared there with griffith went through hell right before their death. i don’t think all these sufferings and such nightmares were needed, like just blood & flesh & bone would be enough to give a body to femto, and still it was as it was. why?

it was said that femto will be born on the ruins of griffith’s dream. THE RUINS. so i think there was ruins of his personality either. during the last year griffith survived dreadful torments, the physical pain he suffered is unimaginable, and the trauma that leaves after such horrible events is immense. and it’s not a rare thing when people who survived violence now want to bring that pain to others — to make others suffer like they have suffered. femto is a product of griffith’s worst angles of personality, of darkest things that lived in him. so yes, everyone had to anguish and die the most dire way possible.

same thing is with casca. griffith NEVER wanted to rape her, like WHY WOULD HE EVEN DO, but he was angry and jealous because guts chose her over him. femto soaked it and just did the worst thing possible to avenge. and THE CORE: femto did it in front of the guts, so HE could watch. it was never about casca. only about guts.

idk what to write in conclusion. griffguts completely devastated me. love is an evil thing. never do such 💋

[hxhhasmysoul]

General Thoughts on Yuuta?

As few as humanly possible? I wish the fandom let me forget about this boy.

I’ve never found Yuuta interesting. Now, thanks to fandom I find him downright annoying. 

Yuuta has strong Shinji vibes at the beginning of Zero and while it’s realistic, there are people who are like that, I just find it boring. This is a very personal bias but as a person who has several concurrent mental issues, I have a strong dislike for characters and actual people who make their mental illness their whole personality. 

His arc in Zero also doesn’t excite me. He is super powerful from the start but can’t control it. Then he puts practically zero work into it an can control it.. He seems like a scrawny loser but starts to do gymnast shit with a sword really quickly. His CT is Copy, where he just copies the techniques of others and uses them in a more powerful way than they do, with no conditions or downsides.. When he needs to, he learns reverse curse technique and can apply it to others which we learn is super hard… 

Basically, everything he needs to know and be able to do, he is able to do in the moment he needs it… 

And Yuuta has no principles, not ideals. He is unfazed by Getou’s fascist speech. Yuuta fights Getou because Getou directly harms Yuuta’s only friends. It’s really sad because Getou actually is shown to have a vested interest in pursuing Yuuta, or more precisely Rika. I mean Getou’s plan and ideology are nonsense, but what fascist ideology is internally coherent anyway, it’s always reactionary drivel that focuses on targeting the weak instead of trying to get to the bottom of societal (in this case jujutsu society’s) problems. But Yuuta has no personal connection to Getou, no thematic one either. 

I think Gege really noticed what a weak protag Yuuta was because all of this is fixed in Yuuji whose ability to perform gymnastic feats is established in chapter one. Who also has principles and a personality more complex than: I’m depressed.  Same with Getou and his primitive plans are replaced with Mother, the perfect plotter, and their amazing multi-layered plans. The Gege added Sukuna, an emotionally constipated jujutsu and poetry nerd who can also forge a plan of his own. And Mahito, a creepy kid curse who thinks he can plot but alas adults were in the room, so no he can’t And Yuuji has a deep personal and thematic connection to all three of them, and likewise.

It really shows how much Gege grew and developed the world of JJK between Zero and the main series.

There’s a hint that Yuuta’s so powerful partially because of Rika’s love for him. She loves and she stayed with him after she died. “Love is the greatest curse”. So the arc goes that Yuuta is told that he can stop keeping Rika’s soul from crossing over, can break her curse by simply talking to her, releasing her. 

And this is where Gege in my opinion really made a serious mistake. The way this is set up, and later much more well developed in JJK proper, there should’ve been a cost to releasing Rika. There is a strong idea of balance and give and take to jujutsu. Gege had a perfect opportunity here to grant Yuuta space to grow by depowering him. Letting Yuuta lose some of his powers by letting go of Rika. But Yuuta just became more powerful for JJK proper… 

And that meant there was nowhere to go with Yuuta’s character. Yuuta was still unconnected to any of the major villains and barely to any of the important characters, only to Maki and Gojou, though he barely interacts with either in JJK proper. 

I and also other people have written before how Yuuta literally does nothing during the final showdown, how he only pauses the fight, prolongs it and distracts from the people who Sukuna actually connects with during the fight, ie Yuuji and Maki. Or how he wasn’t even necessary to kill Kenjaku.  

And Yuuta has no personal connection to either Kenjaku or Sukuna. He has a forced thematic connection to Sukuna when he takes over Gojou’s body, a pathetic attempt at becoming the strongest. And he has that connection for like five minutes in the story… 

If Yuuta never appeared in the JJK main story… it would’ve been almost the exact same story. Gege needed Yuuta for one moment, just after Shibuya to fake Yuuji’s death. And maybe even that could’ve been handled differently. Someone else could’ve fought in Sendai instead of him, there are other capable characters to fight in the Culling Games.

_________________

More posts on Yuuta by me and others. If I missed any good ones, please tell me and I will add them to the list.

[shewasverynice]

Fandoms: 呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga)呪術廻戦 | Jujutsu Kaisen (Anime)  MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Rating: Explicit 

Major Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con 

Content Warnings: Dubious Consent, Prostitution, Drug Use, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Blood and Violence

Categories: F/M, Multi, F/F 

Relationships: Gojo Satoru/Original Female Character(s), Nanami Kento/Original Female Character(s), Getou Suguru/Original Female Character(s), Ieiri Shoko & Iori Utahime 

Major Characters: Original Characters, Gojo Satoru, Getou Suguru, Nanami Kento, Okkotsu Yuuta, Toudou Aoi, Zenin Naobito, Zenin Jinichi, Zenin, Zenin Ougi, Fushiguro Megumi, Kamo Clan, Nitta Akari, Inumaki Toge, Ieiri Shoko, Iori Utahime, Kusakabe Atsuya, Muta Kokichi, Itadori Yuuji, Hakari Kinji 

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Chapter 1 ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

"100 species of insects were collected, the larger ones were snakes, the smaller ones were lice, Place them inside, let them eat each other, and keep what is left of the last species." - Geography of the Suishu

In the heart of Tokyo, darkness intertwines with the vibrant glow of neon lights. As dusk descends, the streets come alive with a cacophony of sounds: the pulsating beats of music from the clubs, the raucous laughter of patrons, and the occasional distant sirens signaling trouble just out of sight. The neon signs flicker and dance, casting an eerie glow over the throngs of people who wander the labyrinthine streets while dark alleys snake through the district like veins, cloaked in shadows that seem to swallow the unwary whole.

The district pulses with life, a magnet for thrill-seekers and hedonists, drawn to the promise of excitement and forbidden delights. The streets are crowded with a kaleidoscope of humanity – tourists with wide-eyed wonder, locals shuffling one foot after the other with their gazes firmly set on the ground, and those who exist on the fringes of society, seeking refuge in the shadows. It's a place where the rules of society bend, where one can lose themselves in the neon-lit frenzy and forget the troubles that plague the outside world. It's a place where the line between pleasure and peril blurs, and where the thrill of the unknown beckons with irresistible allure.

The year 1939 marked the beginning of World War II. With fear gripping the human population, Sorcerers found it increasingly difficult to control the rising number of curses. The situation escalated further in 1940 when Japan formally entered the war, putting additional strain on the already struggling Sorcerers. However, the most devastating blow came in 1945 with the dropping of the atomic bombs.

Both humanity and sorcery were crippled, causing a massive influx of curses that spiraled out of control. The creatures emerged more and more humanoid in the wake, the fear compounding on itself and forcing an evolution into something more akin to humans themselves. Retaining their horns, multiple eyes, colorful skin, or other oddities, curses were still easily distinguished from humans but their existence had become undeniable to the population. The ability to see curses became more prominent, a necessity for survival.

In 1949, the Japanese government officially acknowledged Curses as a distinct sentient species. This decision faced strong opposition from the Sorcerers, who were still in the process of rebuilding their numbers post-war. However, misunderstandings led to exorcisms being mistaken for acts of murder by humanity. The blame for the anger in the dark hearts of Curses was placed on inequality, with people arguing that it was unfair to kill them before they had committed any crimes. Sorcerers were viewed as rogue vigilantes at best and terrorists at worst, driven off the streets and treated as if they were criminals.

Sorcerers, in the face of contempt and animosity, were compelled to abide by the regulations put in place to safeguard Japan's latest inhabitants. They were obliged to don masks, rendering them readily recognizable to ordinary individuals. A formal record was created, and once a Sorcerer's power awakened, they were acknowledged and recorded in the database. 

This had no effect in suppressing the animosity, leading to Sorcerers being singled out despite their persistent attempts to banish malevolent curses. Regardless of the proof provided, regardless of the reality, society had already made up its mind and deemed Sorcery as a criminal act. The deceitful cry of injustice by the curses had triumphed over the humans, compelling Sorcerers to conceal their deeds once more.

Naturally, this gave rise to varying viewpoints, leading Sorcerers to establish their own factions. Certain groups opted to honor their initial pledge of safeguarding humanity, while others decided to abandon their unappreciative responsibilities. Additionally, some made the choice to pledge loyalty to the highest bidder. As time passed, this division would slowly solidify and deteriorate, transforming into a distorted manifestation of the original purpose of Sorcery.

In 2018, the neon lit streets of Tokyo now obeyed a different set of rules. Those set by the government and those set by the ones who'd always been its silent guardians. 

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━

The elaborately carved wooden door burst open, the brass handle slamming into the wall with a loud thud. The man responsible barged through the building, his expression contorted with anger. The red mark from the slap on his cheek burned, the ring of his attacker leaving a shallow cut on his skin. Following closely behind him was a petite woman in a sleek black suit, her short blonde hair bouncing as she struggled to keep up with his long strides.

"Sir, you need to calm down." The woman urged, "Customers aren't allowed past this door."

"I want to talk to the owner." He gritted, "That girl is out of control and I want her fired!"

"Sir, you broke the contact rules stated in the contract you signed. The girl in question is within her right to--"

"She slapped me with a ring on!" He roared, shoving past another door, "This better not scar! I'll sue you for--" He froze, finding exactly one of the women he was looking for. 

With one leg crossed over the other, she remained focused on the papers in her hand without lifting her gaze. Wearing a white top with long flowing sleeves and a high collar, her back and shoulders were openly exposed. Her sharp forest green eyes moved methodically across the pages, while her foot tapped impatiently on the floor. A strand of her lengthy dark amber hair slipped down from behind her ear as she tilted her head, briefly glancing up at the customer.

Next to her, a massive man loomed with his arms folded. His sleek black hair was pulled back into a neat bun, his broad chest exposed showcasing his intricate tattoos. The menacing snarl of the crimson Oni half-mask he sported added to his intimidating look, his intense gaze piercing. The man's strong biceps bulged, his fingers gripping onto his well-defined muscles.

"You!" The customer huffed, storming over to the woman, "You'd better have an apology ready because I'm not--"

"Have a seat." She said calmly, "Let's work this out, hmm?"

The man's stance faltered as the blond woman placed a wooden chair behind him. His lips were parted, ready to unleash a verbal assault when he spotted a light blue oni mask on the table beside the woman. He swallowed thickly as she placed her other foot on the ground and held up the papers she had been reading.

"Mr. Kato," she began, "According to this contract that you signed you agreed to a no touching rule with Himiko, is that correct?"

Kato swallowed again, "Ah, yes I did but--"

"And from what I can assume," she continued, "Is that you just decided not to follow the rule that you'd agreed upon before signing?"

He cleared his throat before muttering, "Ah, well it was a simple touch on--"

"Todo." The woman said, her eyes trained on the customer, "Would you please move me closer? I can't hear him properly."

In a swift motion, the goliath of a man lifted the heavy chair with the woman still seated in it. He carried it over and placed it gently in front of the customer then took a step back. She looked up at him with an appreciative smile, then turned back to Kato.

"What was that? I couldn't quite catch it."

At the same time, a different woman walked confidently on the ground level, her flowing dark hair moving in sync with her skirt that reached her calves. The sound of her charcoal heels echoed on the marble floor, while the kimono-style sleeves of her top added a touch of sophistication to her appearance amidst the luxurious surroundings. A porcelain doll-like mask concealed the lower part of her face, and her serene caramel eyes maintained a composed demeanor.

Walking beside her was a young man, his half mask matching Todo's but painted in cerulean. His dark hair fell just past his chin, partially covering his eyes, which showed signs of weariness. His white top was loose, but tucked into fitted black trousers. Resting his hand on the long katana at his hip, the pair strolled across the bridge spanning the shallow river in the atrium.

A resounding crack echoed through the building and the woman's eyes flicked up towards the room where she knew her partner had been dealing with the disgruntled customer. Her gaze moved down to the man beside her, her eyes crinkling to reveal a soft smile hidden beneath her mask.

"Yuta," she said, "Would you mind scheduling the carpenter to come and see about making us a new door?"

"Yes, ma'am." Yuta said with a nod.

Deeper in the establishment, the woman walked with Yuta until they reached one of the VIP lounges. Her expression quickly soured when she saw the state of the room and its sole inhabitant.

"Boe." She said harshly, raising her eyebrow at the third member of her trio laid lazily amid the discarded bottles on the stained red carpet, "Get up."

The woman lying on the ground let out a groan, her arm covering her face. Her vibrant lavender crop top was loosely tied, exposing one of her breasts, while her black shorts were hiked up. She had bare feet and her purple dyed hair fanned out around her head on the carpet. Boe flashed a smile as she fixed her top, then got up and leaned against the corner of the oversized couch.

"Mornin' Rin." She grunted, "What's up? Something going on?"

"You can't use these rooms like this." Rin sighed, "We'll need to have it cleaned for our guests tonight."

"Hey hey hey!" Boe grinned with a wave of her hand, "I was entertaining our guests! They just happened to leave before I did."

"Partying with Gojo until he gets bored is hardly what I'd call "entertaining our guests"," Rin said, "And where is your mask?"

"Eh?" Boe looked over and around her shoulders then on the square table in the center of the room, "It's here. Right here, hold your horses."

"Gonna need a new door." The woman from the office huffed as she joined her partners, adjusting her black sneakers, "I went overboard, sorry. That guy just really pissed me off."

"Oh shit!" Boe chuckled, "Did you get all spooky on him?"

"I did." She grinned, "Busted out the longsword for it."

"Sarah," Todo said, hurrying in after, "Ma'am, you forgot your mask." 

"Damn, thanks Todo." Sarah said with a nod, taking the light blue mask and tying the strings before letting it hang loosely around her neck, "What's going on down here? Boe, did you sleep in here again?"

"The carpet was nice." Boe shrugged.

"Well, in any case we need this room cleared." Rin sighed, "Tonight Yaga and his lieutenants plan on meeting here. We need to make sure everything is prepped." 

"Right, cool." Sarah nodded, "I'll let their favorite girls know." She glanced up at Todo, "C'mon big guy. Let's go."

Rin watched her companion leave, then looked back at Boe, "Get the cleaning team together and have them prep the room." She said, "And clean yourself up. They'll expect to see us tonight."

"Cool, yeah no prob." Boe said with a wide yawn, "I'll take care of it."

━─┉┈◈❖◈┈┉─━

"Fuck." Gojo groaned, pulling down his eyelid while looking in the mirror with his bright blue eyes, "I went way too hard last night." The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, evidence of his excessive binge.

"You go too hard every night." Geto chuckled, combing through his sleek black hair, "I have eye drops in the top drawer. They burn, so be aware."

Pulling out the drawer, Gojo shoved various bottles and tins out of the way until he found the eye drops. Tipping his head back, he held his eyelids open as he dropped two drops in one eye before screaming and punching his fist into the bathroom door with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Holy fuck!" He hissed through his teeth, tipping his head back to get the other eye, "Jesus Christ man these are a fucking nightmare!"

Geto straightened the collar of his crimson dress shirt, smoothing it down against the lapel of his well-tailored ivory suit. Shifting slightly as he admired his reflection, he made the choice to unfasten a couple more of the pristine buttons, revealing his chiseled chest and showcasing the vibrant tattoos adorning his pectoral muscles. Giving a satisfied nod, he ran his fingers through his hair one final time, effortlessly taming his bangs into their desired position.

In the meantime, Gojo effortlessly slipped into his sleek black jacket, which he wore over a vibrant yellow leopard print silk shirt. His leather pants left little to the imagination, while his luxurious Italian shoes made a distinct clicking sound on the floor as he made his way towards the mirror. Running his fingers through his hair, he smoothly slicked it back, revealing the stylish undercut beneath the fluffy white top. With a flick of his wrist, he opened the arm of his round sunglasses and effortlessly slid them onto his face, taking a moment to appreciate his own reflection.

"Are you two quite finished with your preening?" Nanami grunted, appearing in the doorway, "This evening isn't about meeting women."

"Every evening is about meeting women." Geto said with a coy smile, "They're always watching, you know."

Nanami scoffed, yet he had also bothered to dress up in a black turtleneck paired with a tan blazer. The loose-fitting marching pants and well-polished brown shoes completed his ensemble. As he tilted his head back and clicked his tongue, his round yellow glasses gleamed, before he turned away, allowing the birds to carry on admiring their own reflections.

"Sir." Nanami said giving a quick bow as Yaga turned the corner into the hall, "We're almost ready."

Yaga acknowledged Nanami with a nod, undoing the golden buttons on his crimson blazer sleeves and rolling them up to his elbows. His emerald floral silk shirt was neatly tucked into his ebony trousers, and the rings on his fingers shimmered in the subdued lighting. The scent of Yaga's preferred cologne wafted through the air, causing Nanami to inwardly sigh as he realized that not even his superior was immune to the captivating charm of the brothel's women.

The four men gathered in the hallway and Yaga looked at each of his lieutenants, "Tonight we'll be meeting with the Zen'in and Kamo groups." Gojo immediately groaned, but was silenced when Yaga held up a hand. "I expect respectful behavior, despite our feelings on the Zen'in. Is this understood?"

Geto and Nanami agreed immediately but Gojo just clicked his tongue and looked away. Yaga's arm snapped forward, gripping Gojo's collar hard and pulling the younger man forward roughly.

"I said, do you understand?" He growled.

Gojo grumbled, fixing his sunglasses back into place, "Yeah, yeah I get it."

Releasing the white haired man, Yaga stood up straighter and adjusted Gojo's collar back into place. "Good. Let's go."

They all donned their assigned Sorcerer masks, crafted meticulously from wood and fashioned in the likeness of Oni half-masks. Each mask boasted its own distinct design, yet shared common motifs that united them as a collective. Nanami's mask shimmered in gold, Gojo's in cobalt, Geto's in carmine, and Yaga's in a mesmerizing deep onyx. The golden fangs of each mask sparkled under the neon lights as they confidently made their way through the streets towards Tenjiku. 

The facade of the establishment exuded opulence, living up to the grandeur suggested by its name. A magnificent, glowing neon sign spanned across the main pathway leading to the entrance. Lining the walkway were meticulously arranged wisteria trees, their intoxicating purple blossoms serving as both an enchanting invitation and a subtle caution. Crossing over a sprawling koi pond, the path converged with pristine white marble steps that ascended towards a majestic palace. Adorned with towering crimson pillars and intricate golden embellishments, the entire edifice exuded a sense of ostentatious luxury. Undoubtedly, its reputation for extravagance was well-deserved.

Upon entering through the grand front doors, one is greeted by a luxurious entryway featuring a sleek black marble floor adorned with a lavish red carpet. The hall beyond is flanked by four majestic red pillars on either side, embellished with cascading flowering vines. The ceiling exudes a radiant light reminiscent of sunshine, with wisteria flowers hanging delicately like a chandelier, their petals gracefully suspended in mid-air, never touching the ground.

Just inside the hostess smiled brightly at the four of them with a deep bow, "Good evening, Gentleman. Shall I lead you to the VIP lounge?"

Yaga nodded, lifting his dark sunglasses to wink at the young woman, "Please, if you wouldn't mind."

She delicately concealed her enchanting smile behind her dainty hand, assuming an air of mystery as she gracefully nodded and took the lead, guiding them through the grand atrium. The opulent floor beneath their feet boasted a mesmerizing display of black marble, while at its heart, a resplendent red marble floor with exquisite carvings and adorned with a lavish seating arrangement. Encircling this regal seating area, a shallow square river meandered, its tranquil waters caressed by the presence of two magnificent bridges, exuding elegance and charm. With an air of confidence, women strode through this magnificent space, at times accompanied by patrons, and at times, embracing their own independent grace.

An abundance of doors encircled the grand atrium, serving as the rendezvous points for the ladies and their esteemed patrons. Beyond the discreet back entrance lay the expansive bar and the resplendent dance floor. Ascending to the upper level, one would discover yet another array of doors, while the pinnacle of luxury awaited on the third floor, where the exclusive VIP chambers and primary gathering spaces resided.

As Geto and Gojo strolled along, they exuded an air of confidence, relishing in the attention and admiration they received from the women who eagerly sought their affection. Meanwhile, Nanami maintained a stern expression, his gaze fixed straight ahead. Yaga, on the other hand, wore a charming smile and graciously acknowledged the greetings from the women they encountered. The fact that the leader and his lieutenants were all present in Tenjiku at once was a rare occurrence, and the women of the brothel couldn't help but anticipate an intriguing evening ahead.

With a graceful bow, the woman guiding them wished them a pleasant evening and headed towards the exit after they had arrived at the expansive VIP lounge. Just as she was about to leave, Yaga gently tapped her shoulder and slyly passed her a small stack of bills, accompanied by a wink and a half-smile. The woman blushed, concealing her smile once more before shutting the door behind them.

Gojo swiftly settled on the edge of the expansive square sofa that adorned the room, his gaze fixated on the door while his arms found solace on his knees. Geto and Nanami patiently lingered until Yaga had claimed his seat before opting to join their leader. With a hint of amusement, Geto playfully tapped his fist against Gojo's back.

"Relax, the Zen'in wouldn't be foolish enough to try something here." Geto said with a chuckle.

"I don't give a shit about the Zen'in right now." Gojo said with a smirk, not even looking away from the door for even a moment, "I wanna see her."

Geto, Nanami, and Yaga synchronized their eye rolls, knowing this situation was bound to go south. It always did.

The doors opened and Gojo immediately got excitedly to his feet only to grumble and sit back down when it was Naobito Zen'in who entered the lounge. With a grunting bark of a laugh, the old man strode past Gojo with his own three lieutenants in tow.

Naobito and Ogi, being brothers, possessed a striking resemblance with their sharp, pointed chins and slender figures. Their long gray hair was elegantly tied into sleek low ponytails. On the other hand, Jinichi stood out with his broader build and muscular physique, allowing his wild black hair to flow freely. The rough stubble on his face only enhanced his rugged appearance. As for the youngest lieutenant, Megumi Zen'in, who was merely sixteen years old, had attempted to slick back his deep black hair, but it seemed to have backfired, making him appear even more out of place. Despite their differences, all four of them shared the same piercing, cold dark eyes, each expression exuding a chilling malevolence.

Shortly after, Kamo arrived accompanied by his two lieutenants. Kamo had always opted to conceal his identity behind his mask, but Hizumi and Araki had no qualms about revealing themselves. Hizumi, tall with a long, thin face and short blonde hair, looked even taller in his well-tailored pinstripe suit. On the other hand, Araki appeared quite unassuming, with his ordinary features and quickly combed dark hair, resembling the typical businessman. 

Behind them, a small group of women entered the room. They were all dressed in slacks and white dress shirts, black vests with red trim over top and little black bow ties. They brought in bottles of alcohol, specifically chosen for each of the men's specific tastes and began to serve them their drinks.

"Where are our esteemed owners?" Kamo chuckled as he received his drink, "It's unlike them to be tardy."

"Probably had a job elsewhere." Naobito grunted, giving a lingering gaze to the woman in front of him as she poured his sake.

"Still, it's unlike them to not be the first in their own establishment." Kamo said, nodding thanks to the woman who handed him his whiskey.

All gazes shifted towards the door as it swung open once more, prompting every man to rise and welcome the trio of women who entered the room. Rin took the lead, offering a warm smile to each man she encountered, followed by Boe who casually waved at them. Lastly, Sarah stepped in, but before she could utter a word, Gojo swiftly moved in on her, catching her off guard.

"Hey sweet stuff." With a seductive tone, he murmured, running his fingers through his hair and tilting his head to the side as he stood tall above her. "Long time no see," he whispered. His hand boldly glided over her shoulder and down her spine, gently tracing the crimson scar that extended across her back from her shoulder to her hip.

"Hands off, shit stain." She growled, "I didn't come here to see you."

He flashed a wide smile as she brushed past him, paying no attention to her attitude, and eagerly trailed behind her. Sporting a mischievous grin, he settled down beside her on the sofa. When one of the ladies approached to prepare their drinks, he swiftly gestured for her to leave and concocted a beverage for her himself. 

She let out a deep sigh and reluctantly took a sip of the drink. "Not bad," she muttered, and he nodded enthusiastically. He leaned in close again, his lips parted to likely whisper some kind of lewd invitation to her before Rin cleared her throat, shutting down that conversation before it quickly spiraled out of control.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she greeted, gracefully taking off her mask and delicately setting it on the tables. "May I inquire about the reason we find ourselves welcoming so many of our distinguished guests to Tenjiku tonight?" Following suit, all of the sorcerers either removed their masks or chose to place them on the table anyway as an olive branch of sorts. 

"We needed to come together to chat about the curse problem." Naobito said, jutting his head towards the woman who'd poured his sake. When she approached with the bottle, he snatched it from her hands and waved her off, choosing to drink directly from the bottle.

"There's been quite the rise in the curse population, lately." Yaga explained, "We wanted to get together and discuss the current state of the city and how it's been handling the increase."

"Oh true," Boe said, flicking the straw in her drink, "We have seen a lot more of those creeps coming in here lately."

"You serve curses too?" Megumi asked suddenly, chiming in.

"We serve anyone," Sarah said, "Well anyone of age anyway." She raised her eyebrow at the cup in his hand, "That better not be alcoholic, kid. I don't want to pay that fine."

"I'll cover it if it comes up." Naobito chuckled, patting his great nephew on the back, "Don't you worry your pretty little head."

"If I may ask," Kamo asked, "The curses that have been visiting, were they the latest group of humanoid types?"

Rin nodded, "Yes, they were. We had one of our women unexpectedly injured after being chosen by a curse for an evening. Their new forms can be quite deceptive for the rare human who can't see the cursed energy."

"We took measures to put more advanced surveillance around." Sarah added, "They won't be able to sneak up on us again."

"As for our end," Yaga spoke up, "Our businesses have also been experiencing theft and attempts at fraud." He glanced over at Nanami who continued.

"Within the last month we've seen an increase in specifically food and alcohol theft." The blonde man explained, "Even an attempt at a large scale scam involving intercepting out shipments and swapping the liquids."

Kamo nodded, then added, "We too have seen the increase. And you Zen'in? A similar issue, I assume?"

"No." Naobito said with a twisted grin, "But we don't serve curses in our establishments so I'm not surprised they're too afraid to steal from us."

"What should we do then?" Boe asked, "Like, we can just keep letting them do whatever they want right?"

"If we just exorcize then it won't be an issue." Naobito huffed after taking a long swig of his sake, "

"If it were that simple, we'd have done it a long time ago, old man." Gojo gritted, propping his arms up on the backrest of the couch behind him, "Can't just do that anymore, though I'm sure you keep forgetting it's not still the good ol' days, huh?"

"Gojo!" Yaga snapped, only for Naobito to wave his hand dismissively as he laughed.

"Let him bark. We all know the Gojo clan's prized puppy won't bite in here." Naobito sneered.

Gojo stood up, slamming his drink on the glass table, "You think you have a shot against me, old man?" He roared. 

Naobito sat still, tilting his head back defiantly, "You wouldn't dare challenge me here, especially not in front of your favorite whore."

"You mothefuc--"

"Zen'in." Sarah snapped, stepping in front of Gojo, "Talk about me like that again and you'll regret it. We don't use that word here."

Naobito placed the vacant sake bottle gently on the table, a wide grin spreading across his face. The three women had stood up simultaneously, Rin revealing her extended claws and sharp teeth, Boe holding her bloodied knives firmly in her hands, and Sarah swiftly unsheathing a sword from the scar on her back. Naobito couldn't contain his amusement and let out a hearty laugh before settling back into his seat.

"My apologies, ladies." He said lazily, "I meant no disrespect. The sake was talking for me."

The three women reluctantly calmed down, though the hatred was still searing in their eyes. Taking their seats again, Gojo still remained standing with his hands balled into fists. He gritted his teeth before sitting down with a huff. 

The discussion picked up again after the tense moment with Geto stepping in to smooth it over.

"Well, perhaps the Zen'in are on to something." Geto said, "It wouldn't be against the law to exorcize curses who are committing a crime. Perhaps we could work with the law enforcement on this particular case?"

"Not a bad idea." Yaga agreed, rubbing his goatee with his fingers, "That would set the stage for us to exorcize any curses on our properties after hours."

"That seems agreeable to me." Kamo nodded, "And as long as we all follow that particular thought process we should have no trouble with the law."

"Or at least right away." Naobito grunted, "I'm sure the curse sympathisers will find a reason to make it a noble cause."

"They will always find a reason." Yaga agreed, "But hopefully we can put a stop to their thievery before that happens. I think a collaborative effort in this case is a good idea."

"A toast then? To a temporary truce?" Kamo said, holding up his glass, "To yet another reason to do what we were born to do."

All the guests raised their crystal glasses, savoring each sip of their exquisite libations. In due time, the ladies of the establishment were gracefully escorted into the exclusive VIP area. Greeted with affectionate, intoxicated grins, the favorite companions of the night arrived to charm and ensure the festivities, beverages, and most importantly, the cash, continued to flow effortlessly.

In the heart of the city's underbelly, where neon lights flicker like promises unkept, lies the red light district. It's a place where shadows dance to the rhythm of desire, and the air is thick with anticipation. As the moon ascends, the streets come alive with a cacophony of laughter, music, and the clinking of glasses. 

Sultry sirens beckon from dimly lit doorways, their eyes flashing with mischief. Every alleyway is a labyrinth of temptation, each corner hiding secrets waiting to be discovered. The bars overflow with the lost souls of the night, drowning their sorrows in rivers of alcohol. The scent of whiskey hangs heavy in the air, mingling with the smoke of a thousand cigarettes. 

In this city of sin, time is a concept forgotten, and consequences are but distant whispers. It's a place where the line between pleasure and pain blurs into oblivion, and the only rule is to indulge in the moment.

Main Next ↪

[lovemyromance]

Sometimes I genuinely question the sanity of this fandom. Like I think some people have gone so extreme in one direction ... they've landed right in the same spot again, if that makes sense.

I'm sure regardless of who your favorite character is - we all read these same books so we all love a strong, powerful FMC. We love the chosen one long lost princess who kicks ass, has a bit of a mouth on her, and goes toe to toe with some "my job is sword" Ken.

We love it. Eat that shit up.

But I think the frequency - and bear with me bc imma make this word up - and tropefication of this romantasy genre has really made people lose their grounding, forget our roots and common sense, so to speak.

For example, let's take the enemies to lovers trope. Of course there's something so hot and exciting about two enemies who hate each other but fall in love. I love it. That's arguably my favorite.

But I think people are forgetting that despite the over saturation of this trope in the current market - It doesn't make any "non" enemies to lovers books any less romantic, any less exciting. Love is expressed and can be written in many different ways. Love can and will be written in the way that is most honest to people, and that extends to even fictional characters.

People are just so caught up in what has become the new norm that they are forgetting everything about real life, real people. They've adapted a "if it's not like this - I don't want it" attitude that might be doing more harm than good.

And I say that because I just witnessed all the drama that was Elain week when people were defending fictional abusers with their entire lives instead of just respecting a boundary set by a real person to respect others.

And I say that because I still see the stupid "pliable bones arguement"

And I say that because I mentioned once that I'd rather wait for Gwyn to show interest in someone romantically before claiming all these theories about her since she has very recent SA trauma - and then instead of people saying that makes sense, I had all these people saying I was anti-feminist and disrespectful to SA victims.

In what world is giving someone the time and space they need to recover from SA suddenly a bad thing? It doesn't even have to do with ships - it has to do with a character clearly being not ready to go out into the real world at the end of the book and deciding that maybe she needs more time to heal. Nobody's out here saying SA victims in general can never be in romantic relationships - all I've said is that specific character does not seem ready. When she shows interest in someone, I will take it as she is ready. I personally do not feel comfortable shipping someone with such recent trauma with someone-especially someone who is supposed to be her trainer and someone safe - unless they show me something that signifies actual interest.

And I understand the whole "empowering women" argument. But I want to ask - is that what we're doing?

Are you really empowering women? Or are you being disrespectful and a faux-activist under the guise of "women's empowerment?"

I don't care that these are fictional characters. The minute people start disrespecting real people over these fictional characters means that these characters mean more to those folks than actual people. And therein lies the problem.

These are real people that are getting called such ugly, rude names. And for what? To defend someone's "rights" to draw pictures of abusers? To defend someone's womanhood by disregarding her SA trauma?

It's tasteless. It's not just "fandom behavior". Fandom is not some lawless land where you can be a heinous human being and interact with real people disrespectfully. I've never seen it this bad and I'm genuinely shocked at what it's become.

[acourtofthought]

TW: SA / Abuse

There are many characters in the ACOTAR world who deserve to have their story told but for some reason, Lucien's story seems to be treated as less important than others.

Feyre's desire and need to get away from Tamlin was a valid one but she had her mate looking out for her every step of the way.

When she left, she left behind collateral damage for Lucien to deal with. Lucien who had no one looking out for his best interests (instead he had two people in his life who had the complete opposite of his best interests in mind) and no where else to turn. Not to mention the loyalty he felt to Spring and it's people, he was the one trying to help the Court recover after Amarantha:

"But now—now we need order, Feyre. We need rules, and rankings, and order, if we’re going to stand a chance of rebuilding. So what he says goes. I am the first one the others look to—I set the example. Don’t ask me to risk the stability of this court by pushing back

"We have this one chance, Feyre, to rebuild and make the world as it should be."

“Don’t ask me to pick.”

Even with his desire to do what was best for the Court as a whole, he still tried to balance Feyre's needs, but who worried about his?

"Look up I silently beseached him"

"I didn't want to know what was happening in that room, what he'd done to Lucien".

It's not that Feyre should have been required to stand up to Tamlin on behalf of Lucien but I'll never understand why the fandom constantly expected him to stand up for her especially when she made the choice to ignore what was happening to him as a result of the times he did go out on a limb for her.

And that doesn't even account for the horrors he experienced before and after UTM. The loss of his eye, nearly dying twice UTM, being whipped.

And when she left......

Lucien watched Tamlin execute people who may have been friends of Lucien's.

He begged Tamlin for more time until he saw Feyre and believed Rhys had brainwashed her.

And he spent nearly a year in total, before Feyre left and after her return, dealing with sexual assault from Ianthe:

Lucien hated Ianthe before Calanmai, was fending off her advances before Calanmai but made the choice to participate in the Rite with his abuser because it was what was best for the Court then was again assaulted after Calanmai. Lucien clearly told her no yet she still held him against his will and assaulted him.

"fear and humiliation"

"He’d fixed his pants, his shirt."

Is it because he's a male that people are so indifferent to his experience? That they forget it was traumatic for him?

Is it because he's still standing, still fighting, etc that they forget he's struggling inside too?

He and Elain are so perfect for one another because they're two characters who everyone assumes to be fine because they don't shout their trauma to the world around them. Neither lashes out or shuts down for an extended period of time and because they've started putting one foot in front of the other, people don't realize they aren't seeing everything that's happening below the surface.

But the fact that both Lucien and Elain are capable of so much more but haven't reached out and grabbed it shows how their traumas are holding them back.

Sometimes those who suffer in silence are feeling the most because there's no outlet for their emotions, they're constantly being held inside and those traumas continue to simmer.

I am biased because I love Elucien but I truly believe they will have one of the deepest connections of any of the ACOTAR pairings we've seen. They may hide the depth of their own trauma from the others but they are not emotionally closed off in how they express their love and when they finally open up to one another, I think it's going to be intense.

[pupmkincake2000]

I once had this topic in my posts, and I want to talk about it again. Perhaps I will say the same thing, but in this context it is important to bring to the main idea.

So, the found-family trope. It has been perverted into "here's a set of characters, I've squished them into the heteronormative roles of father/mother/child". - found family CAN be that, in some cases, but that is not what the trope was initially founded on. The found family trope was built on NON-CONVENTIONAL FAMILIES/RELATIONSHIPS. It is about finding a family OUTSIDE of the one you were born into, a family that can be whoever you want, and look however you want it to. That's the very reason it's so popular in LGBT+ spaces. It is not about pushing people into strict parental/child roles. It is about finding family in other people, regardless of what they are to you. Romantic partners absolutely count as found family, so no, we are not pushing aside a lovely found-family trope for the "sake of a ship" (a silly sentence to begin with, imo, but I digress) Hank and Connor ARE found family, because you can find your family; your comfort, your helper, your partner in life, in your husband, wife, or partner. The opportunity for a queer love story does NOT cheapen anything, especially in todays world, where it's desperately needed right now.

So, when people say they are not infantilizing Connor by making Hank treat him like a son because adults are allowed to have parents and that Connor is smart and all but he’s still unexperienced when it comes to human emotions and needs someone to guide him and that Connor needs a guide, an anchor in his life I always ask myself why.

Why it has to be Connor of all androids? Why do people think Connor needs an anchor, a guide and why do they think he’s unexperienced? Considering, he’s a clever machine whose brain, or whatever he has in his head, works much faster than human being’s. Does that mean all the androids need a guide and an anchor? Isn't that infantilization? Weren't they actually shown as independent individuals? Doesn't this destroy him as an independent person who's already decided who he wanted to be and is aware of his own actions? In addition, people forget that he is not a human and he may not need the very concept of a father figure or parents/child relationships at all.

I have often seen how people who insist Connor needs a father, need a father figure themselves, in fact, they simply project their desires onto Connor and Hank due to a lack of fatherly love or attention, and some of them have directly admitted this to me. Tho, they choice of Hank as a father figure seems really ridiculous, considering how his relationships with Connor started. But then again, Connor is not a human, and such concepts may be alien to him. We do not talk about Markus here, because he lived for 10 years with a man who considered him a son from the very beginning. Therefore, Markus is the exception rather than the rule. We leave out Alice because she was essentially programmed to be a child and needs to be taken care of, this is basically her function. And there were no other examples of family relationships among androids, there were only couples.

The most interesting part is also that people who are usually against HankCon, seem like the ones who are applying their personal feelings and issues to the characters. Can your partner not be your family? Is your partner not your friend, your confidant, and the person that helps you heal and uplifts you? Those things aren’t locked to just platonic or familial relationships.

Although I'm still sure that good old stereotypes are to blame, because if Hank was younger or at least looked younger, no one would think of him as a father figure. If people are only doing this because of his age and looks (and I suspect that's the case... in most cases), it's largely the fault of the fandom itself that forces Hank into this stereotypical role. Because a lot of people who played the game, but have never been part of the fandom, have no problems seeing Hank and Connor as a potential couple or just who they are accrotding the plot - friends), it just shows how incapable they are of analyzing characters. Because according to this perspective, any human being, if they are not a child or a teenager, will be more experienced in life than any android. Shouldn't androids view all humans who are over 20 as their potential parents or parental figures then? But for some reason, if a human being looks young, no one assigns them such a role, although from such a point of view this is exactly how it should be. So either people accept that Connor is an adult, capable of making adult decisions (while remembering that he is not human), or they accept that any android is infantile by the very fact of their existence and needs a parental figure, even if humans who the androids interact with, look young.

[elderscrollsconceptart]

I'm not into Fallout, but I dread all tv adaptions of games. I only have to point at the travesty that is the Netflix Witcher as to why (don't get me started, I've got a long list of reasons and I WILL go through them all given the opportunity). That said I think Bethesda games are a better choice for adaption than the Witcher or TLOU because there isn't really a set protagonist or cast of characters to misuse - as long as it's entirely original, only based on Fallout lore, it might be okay.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I agree that a lack of a set protagonist is one of the boons to either a TES or Fallout TV series in terms of not immediately stepping on established series lore.

As you know, the Fallout show itself is making massive changes to established lore in the games. Not necessarily reconning things per se, but I don't want to get into more detail in a post due to obvious spoilers for a brand new show.

I feel a TES show *could* work simply due to the fact that

A. Tamriel is massive and Nirn is obviously an entire world.

B. We have multiple dimensions where things could take place in thanks to all the realms of Oblivion, known and unknown.

C. TES has a massive massive timeline that stretches beyond known history in their world. They could set a show in late Merethic era Elsweyr or High Rock and barely step on any established lore. A TES TV series absolutely *could* add to the lore while not quashing established lore or creating lore problems.

All in all, my biggest worry is the impulse for TV show runners to want to place the series in the most recognizable or familiar setting/timeline. God forbid a TES TV show happens and they try setting it in directly post-Oblivion crisis Cyrodiil or something like that. Thats not to say that such a period couldn't be explored in the lore, but I certainly don't trust TV executives and writers to start taking "creative liberties" or "fix" the lore of well established periods and locations. Additionally, a TV series could be made thats 100% non-canon and treated as such. I think most of the fandom would be totally cool with that and the show could tell any story it wanted without upsetting anyone. Sadly it seems like a lot of these big "TV adaptations we've seen over the past decade seem to insist on becoming canon or adjacent to it.

Never forget the Rings of Power...Never forget the Witcher on Netflix...Never forget Game of Thrones... Creators/rights holders allowed their properties to be taken by television companies to make shows out of them. They all ended up sucking, disrespecting the source material, and greatly upsetting most of their fans in the process. Television shows based on adapted material should not be made by people who don't care about the property itself and just want to make a popular TV show.

I think a TES TV show of *some* kind (perhaps animated?) is almost inevitable if the Fallout show is good and a huge success, and I think it absolutely *could* be both quality television *and* respectful of established lore. I just don't personally trust television executives to make a show of that caliber *and* respect the source material.

[tvckerwash]

Hi, I really enjoy your analysis of toaru, especially those about accel! I recently saw an opinion which bothers me a lot, but somehow makes a point, so I am not sure whether to take it seriously. I wonder what's your opinion: Kihara discovered accel's ability before nine, so he is the one who knows how accel behaves before his monstrous power comes to light, and might be the one closest to accel's "true nature". Is he then, as claimed by Kihara, the "selfish and considerate bastard who secretly puts himself above most"? Especially considering hc op, as someone claims, the problem could be solved instantly if he just comes out of prison, and he seems satisfied in gt 5(?). Does it mean he could tolerate sacrifices of innocents as long as his deep wishes of redemption are satisfied, even if it seems somewhat pretentious? I know it's a harsh opinion, but somehow I don't know what to respond, since I have trouble understanding accel's behaviours throughout hc op. Do you think it's overall selfish or maybe a consistency issue in terms of writing?

aww thank you! theres pretty much no toaru fandom here on tumblr dot com, and not many of the few people that exist are novel readers, so I kind of forget that half my toaru posts exist lol.

if I'm understanding your question correctly, I believe that the opinion you saw was probably made by someone who doesn't understand why accelerator has chosen to take the path he has in gt, and they also don't understand where the immature, over the top arrogance he possessed in ot came from.

his arrogance is not unfounded, and it stems from the fact that he is morally superior to the other members of the dark side that he's gone up against. accelerator is a character who cares very deeply about being good and righting his past wrongs, and he has never tolerated the 'trash' of the dark side dragging innocent or otherwise unrelated parties into dark side problems. saving last order in ot5, ditching index during the ac invasion arc and warning heaven canceler about hound dog, flexing on kakine in ot15 by protecting all the bystanders who got caught in their fight, rescuing the kids being held hostage in ot19, and working together with hamazura in nt1 to save fremea are just some of the many examples of accel's heroism shown throughout the series.

in regards to accel being in prison, I don't think all the problems in ac that occur because of the dark side would be fixed by him not being in prison. sure, it might help, but that doesn't take into account that he now has a responsibility as the board chairman to set a good example, and what kind of message would he be sending to the world if he put his foot down and dismantled the dark side without acknowledging his own previous involvement, and the crimes he committed? that would make him no better than the corrupt, amoral adults he despises, so no matter how much it pains him, he needs to sit back and have faith in others to do what he cannot because this isn't a battle he alone is fighting. with great power comes great responsibility.

[myteavsricochet]

First of all I hope I'm not overstepping by doing this on your blog and for staying off anon because I'm frankly too old to be hiding behind the little gray icon dude I've been doing the fandom thing for close to 15 years (God I'm old).

As someone who came back to tumblr (hadn't opened tumblr in like 6 years) exclusively to keep an eye on the TZP tag because he's the first actor I have a genuine interest in years, not only because he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen but also because he's engaging and funny and charismatic and because I think he could really go places if he was allowed good roles, actors can be naturally talented but most actors really get their chops from working with good directors and actively learning on set from their peers.

(As a disclaimer, I love Nick he's great and I hope his career thrives.)

Which is why the fact that people who constantly compare his career to Nick's is incredibly belittling, as your anons pointed out Taylor isn't white and that cuts the roles he can auditioned for by like 80%, the fact of the matter is TZP is always going to have a hard time finding roles because to most casting directors casting a white man is going to be easier than having to make space for a POC.

I can only assume that most of the vitriol from Nick's (who is an absolutely lovely dude) fans comes from plain old jealousy, TZP is out here hustling, attending events, etc. While Nick is not, how this is somehow Taylor's fault in their eyes? I don't even want to guess. The truth of the matter is that Taylor has to do all those things because he runs the risk of fading, he needs the networking and the connections if he wants to continue his career which is a sad truth.

On the topic of fashion, I'm only a casual observer but my god is it hard in the fashion world. Making a foothold in an industry that is filled with old brands set in their ways and where nepotism is rampant, more so than Hollywood, is almost impossible so that fact that Taylor has is beyond impressive. A career in fashion could even be more lucrative for him than an acting career which is unpredictable, a lot of people forget fashion is not just the models and the designer but all the behind the scene people that run the fashion houses, so saying Taylor is just a fashion boy? Sure, but fashion would be an amazing career path to follow, specially because Taylor believes deeply in sustainable fashion, he could really make a difference working in a behind the scenes role.

Ngl I've been giggling about the anon saying that Taylor isn't filming anything right now because he said he had a movie coming up, as if saying that somehow makes Taylor a liar. Here's the thing about that no one is filming anything right now, award season just started, Hollywood is too busy making nice with each other to make movies or shows right now, half the battle of winning awards is kissing the ass of the voters, as someone who enjoys the fashion of award season the sheer amount of events for the next month or so is wild, the stars are going to be very busy looking pretty.

No point to this rant really, just as someone who chooses to lurk around here and other places, is really starting to grind on my gears that some of Nick's fans will put down Taylor for no really reason while I've never seen this behavior from a Taylor towards Nick.

Again you don't have to post this if you don't feel comfortable.

I'm posting this ask of yours because I feel genuinely that you don't want to put one of the boys down in any way and I absolutely agree with all the points 😊

Unfortunately this comparison has been going on since the movie came out and it seems like there can never be a fandom in the world without toxic elements that only cause problems for the other costar and other fans 🥴

I want to specify that obviously it's not everyone, there are a lot of people who support both of them OR they mainly support Nick but they show respect to Taylor as it should be even if they don't follow him beyond rwrb. But there are people who are terrified there is someone other than Nick out there who is appreciated and loved and continuing to tear Taylor down like that only shows how privileged they are for not seeing the reality and the struggle that poc have to do, and Taylor specifically in this moment, in that industry.

Nick doesn't even need this attitude, which he would never tolerate and doesn't bring him anything good but who knows if they'll ever understand.

By the way how sad and insensitive it is after seeing a movie like rwrb and the people who worked on it and seeing how much heart they put into it to keep saying that Nick is the only good one who works and will works and he is done and over rwrb and he doesn't need that movie when even Aneesh some days ago in her stories said she hasn't had any roles yet and is it so difficult for her to find a job?

And they use the white actor (with immense talent, who deserves everything, let's clarify that again) against people who don't know when they will find a new place for them? so horrible.

I agree with every point and I don't have much to add and thank you for writing to me without the gray icon 😊🙏🏻

[swoodthis]

😤 For the Zelda ask game!

Bruh you’re really gonna get me started on this—

The teasing that there might be something more than “light good dark bad no thinking allowed” and then basically taking almost every single shred of it back

Like any fandom, the OBSESSION with shipping. There are so many opportunities for lore exploration, friendship and found family and outside of the fandom for the Linked Universe comic SPECIFICALLY, people just… DON’T.

GHIRAHIM IS A SWORD. WE SEE HIM NAKED AND HE HAS NO GENITALIA. At the very least take these things into account, people! Let him be a cool android!

In basically any fanworks he is featured in, the Happy Mask Salesman is practically REQUIRED to be a Bad Guy.

Tingle. Fucking TINGLE gets the devs’ love. And the little mask wizard doesn’t. They put Tingle in the Hyrule Warriors Majora’s Mask DLC. OVER HIM. ANY MENTION OF HIM.

The insistence that Link is dead in Majora’s Mask when TWILIGHT PRINCESS LINK IS CANONICALLY HIS BLOOD DESCENDANT AND THEY CONFIRMED IT—

Honestly the whole fanbase thinking Majora’s Mask is “the Depressing One”. This game is THEMED around overcoming adversity, healing from trauma, and making the world a better place, and THEY STILL FUCKING—

Good!Ganondorf fanworks being stereotyped as having to be thirst-based. Like Skyward Sword dropped the bombshell that Ganondorf being The Villain is something that was set up before he was even born and WW Ganondorf might have even been RIGHT and we’re just supposed to forget about it because the devs seemed to?? We’re just not gonna talk about how absolutely fucked up those implications are??

This series exists in the context of the rest of fantasy media, where Lord of the Rings and its blatant Christianity are still seen as The Best Thing Ever.

Wind Waker’s fucked up ending themes.

Sidon is just a sex object when HE IS SO WHOLESOME

Lack of access to many older games (a problem with gaming in general tbh)

Twilight Princess’s final boss should have been Zant.

The noobs only caring about shipping BotW Link with either Zelda or Sidon

THE MAJORA’S MASK MANGA’S ENDING. The foreshadowing that the MASK ITSELF was the true villain were there from the beginning, AND they did my lil wizard SO DIRTY

Speaking of which, Ben Drowned being dragged into shit…

OKAY I SHOULD PROBABLY STOP NOW

[nightmare-dreamt]

Hello! I saw ur request are still open! I hope u don't mind this since I've never requested something like this before-

Could I get a fic for an welcome home fandom where the cast meets reader from our world or their world.

(I hope I don't get this wrong- ty for writing it! If I do-)

Welcome Home, Puppet Show Request!

If enough people enjoy this I'll make a part 2 or even make it a series :)

It was definitely a shock when the news hit about your great grandmother and her unknown passing. She was alone in her house during a stormy day. People say her body was found up in the attic right beside her desks writing a letter to her grandchild. You. When her body was found, the letter was sent and you were quickly on the next plane ride to her town, needing to know what happened and what caused her to- our of nowhere.

Yes, your grandmother was at a high age, but nothing was wrong with her. Everything about her was healthy and pure, no sickness, no pain, nothing. Yes, she was an adventurous woman and tended to forget about her old age, but everytime she did she still found a way to overcome that problem and move on so… how did she die?

"Here we are," Y/n whispered, staring at the wooden house that used to be filled with happiness but now instead was filled with sorrow and dread. Rushing over to the front door, Y/n unlocked the door trying to get out of the rain, not wanting to get soaked anymore then they already were. Y/n signed, shutting the door behind them, "I haven't been here in ages, the place still looks the same."

Setting their things down, Y/n began to investigate around remembering all of the memories that they had when visiting with their parents. Heading into the kitchen, Y/n went to get themselves a drink when the sound of a loud crash was heard causing them to jump and spin around. Y/n swallowed the lump in their throat, "What was that?"

Peeking their head out from the kitchen entrance, Y/n stared down at the hallway seeing the stairs to the attic opened. Goosebumps grew on their skin and shivers blew down their spine, Y/n knew that the stairs weren't opened up when they first entered the house, but now they were. Y/n gulped, moving towards the hallway, "How did that open up? I swore that it was closed when I passed by it earlier…"

Standing in front of the stairs, Y/n looked up and saw the dark room of the attic that gave a strange feeling to them, making them not want to go up it anymore. Going to shut the door, the sound of a soft meow was heard behind them, causing Y/n to turn around and see a small black cat that sat behind them. Y/n signed, "Apollo, you scared me. I was wondering where you went, have you been left alone this whole time?"

"Hey wait!" Y/n yelped, when the cat stood up running underneath their legs up the stairs to the attic. Y/n widened their eyes, "No… Apollo, please don't make me go up there." When no noise was heard from the creature, more chills ran through the body causing them to shiver as the first step was taken to the attic and then the text. Soon enough, it was in the dark attic where a bunch of boxes were stacked upon each other filled with junk from their past.

"Apollo! Come out, I don't want to be here anymore," Y/n called out to the cat with a scared tone to their voice. Not seeing any sight of the cat, Y/n began walking around the attic trying to find the creature when the sound of footsteps were heard behind them. Y/n jumped back, "Who's there!"

"Meow!" Apollo said, Y/n spun around, "Apollo! There you are, come on let's head back down." Not listening to them, Apollo jumped up onto a small desk that seemed to have an old television on it that had a black screen. Sitting down in front of the screen, Apollo began to clean himself waiting for Y/n to come over. Y/n signed, "You are the worst cat ever."

Following the cat towards the television, Y/n went to scoop him up when the sound of the television turning on was heard. Stumbling back with the cat in their arms, Y/n widened their eyes at the screen that now had what seemed to be a television program playing with a kids title playing. Y/n stared at the screen confused, "What the

"Welcome Home Puppet Show!" The narrator started, "The show every kid is watching, come along and let's see what our fellow neighbors are doing." Tilting their head, Y/n sat down in front of the screen with a confused look wondering what was playing on the screen in front of them. Holding the cat close, Y/n saw the screen switch to an open field with a tree that showed a canvas with some light colors on it.

"It seems one of our fellow neighbors is painting, let's go see who it is," The narrator continued with the camera zooming in on the painting equipment "Look it seems Wally is out pairing, let's go see what he's painting"

"Oh I didn't see you there neighbor, how is your day? Wally asked with a bright smile on his face. Y/n stared at the screes, "Wally..."

"Darling, Wally Darling," He smiled, holding the paintbrush delicately in his fingers painting light strokes on the canvas. Y/n shock their head, "How did he…

"His it seems like the rest of our neighbors are waking up, shall we go see them neighbor?" Wally asked. Y/n yelped, "Apollo" Turning away from the show, Y/n watched the cat try and head back down stairs but was quickly grabbed by them. Y/n signed, "You're going to be the death of me."

"Don't go."

"Hm? What was that?" Y/n hummed, looking around the room. The voice was heard again, "It's been forever, please… don't go." Spinning around, Y/n tried to figure out what the noise was, clear confusion on their face at the unknown voice. Y/n called out, "Who is there? This isn't funny, I'll call the police."

"I'm not joking, I missed you, we all missed you and now you're back," The voice started now having a sort of distant tone to them. Y/n growled, "I'm not going to ask again! Who is there?" Silence. Screaming, Y/n ducked when the sound of static was heard from the tv causing their heartbeat to start beating faster. The voice started again, "You left for a long time and now you're back… I don't think I can't wait that long again… I'm sorry but I can't let you leave again... neighbor."

"Neighbor?" Y/n repeated, glancing up at the screen seeing the bright blue hair puppet staring right at them through the screen. Y/n sat back moving away from the television, "Impossible."

"It's good to see you again Y/n, now I can't ever let you go," Wally stated, "We'll be together soon, and now you'll finally be a part of the neighborhood…"

"No…" Y/n turned, about to head back down to the main floor when a bright light shined throughout the room. Blinding them, Y/n shut their eyes holding on tighter to the cat and when their eyes opened they were met with bright buildings and joyful noise.

"Where am I?" Y/n gasped, looking back and forth concerned at what had just happened. Apollo glanced up, meowing in their hands, "Meow."

"Welcome to the neighborhood!" A familiar voice greeted, causing them to turn around and meet his gentle eyes, "My name is Darling… Wally Darling. I'm glad to have you in our neighborhood, neighbor."

[tododeku-or-bust]

So I was originally thinking of this from a fandom/media perspective, but I feel like it needs to be said in a real world context too: y'all do know that you can find Black people almost everywhere there are people, right? Like sure, we might not be the native populace, we might not be the majority, but the idea that "oh well they can't be _____, they're Black" is irrational and quite corny lol. We need to start unlearning that response.

I'm sure it's the long term fault of White Supremacy, that people seem to forget/choose not to consider that 'ancient' Black African peoples and cultures were capable of trade, commerce, seafaring, traveling, and did so! They interacted with other cultures! They existed!! White ppl are not the only people who stepped on boats!!

And including but not limited to the major effects of more 'contemporary' things like violent Western imperialism and colonialism, and even a really cool thing called "modern transportation" and immigration, there's very few places on this planet where you can't find at least a couple of us within a community!

And then in a fictional setting? What's the excuse then lmao, other than that we've been programmed to treat fantasy as Western Eurocentric, where everyone sounds posh British if they're royalty or occasionally French (and a little Spanish if they wanna toss in an ambiguous, "exotic" brown group). You should not be better able to accept the existence of fishpeople before you can accept a Black person in your fantasy media.

Let's knock it off, y'all. You're gonna have to deal with our presence 🤷🏾‍♀️ We're here, we're not going anywhere, and we don't have to prove that we can exist 🤷🏾‍♀️

[the-orion-scribe]

A review of Return to the Bunker

So, a new fan episode has been released - Return to the Bunker - and that's like the newest hot topic in the Gravity Falls fandom ever since the launch of the Gravity Falls vinyl. For those who haven't watched it, below is the link to the episode.

I note that initial reception has been mixed, particularly the portrayal of Ford in this episode and especially the ending. Now, some of the criticisms are understandable, and the writing could see further polishing. But I find it's a great piece of fanwork with a lot of effort put into it.

Note: Spoilers are ahead for those who have not yet watched the episode.

There are certainly echoes of the wackiness of the original show. Not only in terms of the supernatural, but how various plot points and elements introduced eventually come together. Especially the suggestions by the others on how to tackle the Shapeshifter, and the hints of setting up a date between the two monsters featured. It attempts to balance all the new details both sweet and significant, including the Journal sweaters and the Heartstomper.

The episode also showcases two main things I'm sure the fandom wished to see in the canon - Ford and Mabel bonding, and Wendy also playing a more active role in the story (such as calling out Ford for his actions). It's a neat idea of Mabel being on board with a mystery this time. And we also have a side plot of Stan trying to go on a monster hunt with Dipper. I wish the latter part is expanded more, nevertheless.

I might agree with a few people Ford is rather unlikeable in this story... but at least he's not downright unpleasant, just unfamiliar when associating with others. I mean, this took place before Weirdmagaddeon and right after he returned to their world. At this point in canon, he usually gets along well with Dipper and rarely interacts with the others beyond interviewing them (in the Journal) and tasking them for other matters (like Mabel to find unicorns in The Last Mabelcorn).

He does have reasons to be paranoid and jumpy when they first entered since he's unaware of their first trip... though I thought Dipper would have mentioned it. And him being unwilling to trust others is something he even talked to himself about in Journal 3, though it's more that he's afraid he's a danger to others too, especially with the threat of Bill on the horizon. I might agree though that he's too dismissive of Mabel early on in this story. Nevertheless, I like that this fan episode addresses his main faults not touched much upon in the show, including his trust issues, his favouritism towards Dipper, and his ego.

The ending, when Ford memory wipes the group, is truthfully the most emotional scene of this episode. But I agree with some others it's still too contrived to explain away why the others have no memory or recall of this incident and absolves Mabel of responsibility when it comes to Dipper and Mabel vs The Future (for her to forget about the Rift featured in this story).

I guess they (the writers) added that so that it would fit in the canon, though personally I struggled where it could be (like, I doubt it would take the place of Roadside Attraction since Ford would be indebted to Mabel for retrieving some unicorn hair, and his attitude towards her seems rather out of place). Honestly, the end erases Ford's character's growth in trusting people. I understand character growth isn't linear, but I'm just saddened Ford decides to go down this route, which leaves darker implications especially with his interactions with said characters later on in the canon, particularly Mabel. It makes Ford seem very... manipulative. Or at least only experiencing regret for his brother's memory loss in the finale.

I just want to add on a tangent that I personally think not having Mabel and Ford directly interact much in the canon pre-WMG is also crucial to the fallout we see in Dipper and Mabel Vs the Future. That Ford overlooked Mabel and Dipper's bond and thought Mabel would be fine by herself. Not to say that Ford is uncaring, but I think he underestimated the bond she has with her brother.

But overall, I think the heart and idea behind this episode are good. Plenty of plot elements could be better handled and thought out, but even for its flaws, it might fit as a proper GF episode. This is really like the best thing from fans who aren't even paid, and took out their time, effort and money to create this for us. Some people have too many expectations for a fan-made episode, especially one taking place in an already crammed timeline between A Tale of Two Stans and Weirdmagaddeon. Is it contrived? Sure, but that can be said for like plenty of GF episodes. Given it also wants to fit into the canon, I guess it did its best to retcon what it could.

Anyway, this isn't canon, so folks can just relax and enjoy.