#proceeds to give her a backstory

[controld3vil]

chaotic duo

pairing(s): dune cast x actor!reader (platonic), oscar isaac x actor!reader

synopsis: requested by this ask!

⤷ alt: even your on-screen son can't deny how delightful his on-screen parents were.

notes: absolutely no shade to rebecca ferguson i adore her too much. reader is considered to have fem pronouns. ALSO ive been feeling iffy about trying to write for dune characters?? personally, although i love writing these actor!reader stories, writing for the actual characters i feel would be more challenging. dune's still pretty new to me but i kinda wanna give it a shot if i can make a good storyline T-T

It all started with the Dune Cast Q&A brought together by Nerdist. Timothee Chalamet and Denis Villeneuve had just finished chatting with the host, Stephen Colbert about their perspectives on Paul's character. Much emphasis had gone on the young actor's performance. And Denis's decision to cast such a well-experienced one.

After finishing up their last question together, Stephen decides to introduce two additional members. "Timothee let's bring out the man and the woman who play your parents, Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica." A transition between screens to display your camera view and Oscar's. He introduces both your names.

"Hi!" You grin at the camera, comfortably leaning against one of the arms of your chair. Similar to everyone else's backdrop, yours was pitch gray, covering all but your silhouette and chair.

"Hey Stephen," Oscar greets at ease, as you proceed to wave to each of the people seen onscreen.

It cuts immediately to the host gesturing in continuation for a question. "Tell me and the audience about Duke Leto Atreides. What do we need to know?"

"He's the father and human. I think that's the biggest thing and uh under incredible pressure to save his family. Save his house but to adapt to this new existential threat situation which is moving to this strange planet," Your fellow costar puts into short. Short and concise was what was expected.

Content with his answer, Stephen moves the attention to you. He calls out your name, eagerly. "Rereading the books uh- right now, I am struck by how much of the story- uh the backstory and the action story is driven by the decisions Lady Jessica makes." A smile grows on your face, knowing how much fun was a character to play for you.

Along his last few words, you find yourself nodding in agreement. "I'm impressed with that you, Stephen actually read the books again!" An instant grin comes from the said man. "But it's all applause to Denny- he highlighted this from the book. In the film, her decisions basically create, fractures and disrupts everything."

"Best parents ever," In a low whisper, Timothee murmurs and the five of you burst into short chuckles and snickers.

"The best you could ever have!" You clapped your hands together, shaking them above your head in victory. And when the screen expands to show everyone's reactions, the audience can noticeably pinpoint Oscar's playful eye-rolling.

Another fun interview you had the pleasure of sharing was with Grazia UK. It was in a more comfortable setting. With you and Oscar in a lounge room, with the Zoom camera on. While the female interviewer complimenting a kind smile.

"Can I ask you something," Not within a second of the conversation, you rose up with a peculiar question. "Do you remember his beard?" Your costar beside you, looks away in disappointment. Even raising his hand to emphasize his discouraged state.

"A bit yes..."

"Yeah,"

"Yes!"

"Why? It was an impressive beard," Sort of clueless really, the interviewer says, of why you wanted to the topic up.

"Yeah, it was impressive!" Oscar looks back and forth between you and the camera, directing towards the woman on the other side. While you shriveled in embarrassment, leaning your head behind his shoulder, with a few snorts of laughter. "She doesn't even remember if I had a beard or not in the movie! She just saw it."

"Quite a prominent beard!"

"Yes yes, well I can remember so much," You chaste, leaning closer, locking eyes with your costar. Threatening really in a playful way.

"We shot together for a few months! How could you not remember?!" He exclaims, raising both his hands in the air in exasperation. You puff, adorning a pouty-like look.

"I work with what's in front of me," you turn to address the interviewer, pointing at Oscar accusingly. Because much contrast to what he looked months ago, he no longer had that impressive beard. He was clean-shaven, much to your display.

Next to you, Oscar scoffs. "Apparently not!" Bumping shoulders with you as you fought back, poking him many times obnoxiously.

You both later discussed a provoking quote referenced multiple times from Dune posters. Fear is the mind killer. Truly a simple yet intriguing phrase that fitted well with the film. And in generally, you and Oscar compared each others quotes from personal experience.

"I guess you could combine them together," Taking a sip out of your glass, you eyed at Oscar. He hums back and smooths his hands comfortably down his hips.

"It will pass and love prevails!" He cheerfully expresses. Even from afar, the interviewer can notice how much fun you two were having with the question.

"Right and, it plays perfectly with the film," You add onto your little spiel, nodding as you go, "Besides the fact that- you know, fear is the mind killer."

The male actor lets out a long sigh. "Makes you forget how violent the movie is."

On the other side of the screen, the blonde interviewer shrugs her shoulders. "Well- it's only included in small parts in the movie."

It was your turn to hum, dragging out the M sound. "I think maybe the film focusses too much on romance."

A caught off cough comes from Oscar as he tries to his best to dismiss his your sarcastic comment. "I feel like there should've been more of it."

"Really?!" The shot pans to your exaggerated shocked gaze. You then turn to look at the interviewer. "He has no idea how to write a movie." Instantaneously the male actor bursts out laughing, shaking his head back and forth in little denial. Even you couldn't hold it together and giggled a little.

"You play Timothee's parents so spent a lot of time with him. What is the most interesting thing we do not about Timothee Chalamet?" The interviewer prompts, having their arms supported on top the their desk with pure keenness.

Pursing your lips together in concentration, your attention turns towards your partner. "Well coming from me- I mean I don't know if people know this about him or not- but he's very open hearted." Oscar continues, "And me, having to play his father- hence the beard!"

"Ah!" Giving more emphasis, you raised your brow in recollection.

He goes on comparing the analogy of having to play Duke Leto as a powerful leader of a House. Without his people and court, he wouldn't resemble much of an prestige leader. However Oscar later mentions that Timothee's performance was the catalyst to their relationship look authentic. He is young yet incredibly sympathetic towards what's to be done for the film. His time with both of you really sold your relationship as a family, you'd think.

"So that's a very generous thing to do for a young actor. And I was impressed and admired that," In the background, you can be heard mumbling in agreement. Your partner shifts his posture, facing and expecting you to go next.

Licking your lips, you took one last glance at him before focusing strictly at the Zoom camera. "I think for me, to have a young actor like him- he's very driven about it all. When he's on and off screen, Timothee's just focused- he's very serious and concentrates heavily on what Denny says- and I can say I respect that." You punctuate your point, tapping lightly on your knee. "And I play his mother you know, and I try to accommodate with that. I play along and we work until we find a good rhythm with each other." The older woman on the screen seemed enamored by your compliments regarding your costar. Yet her eyes quickly makes it's way to Oscar, sitting quietly and listening to you ramble.

His laidback posture showed how greatly he took your words in. You grab your glass and take a quick sip before hearing him say, "We raised him well." Taking your hand in both of his as a sign of pride.

A delightful chuckle comes from both you and the interviewer while your partner gives a satisfied grin. "We really did!"

The media did not need proof to know of your enjoyed time during the production of Dune. In fact, multiple vlogs and documentaries about the film had fans and viewers alike become fond of your positive and laid back attitude about it all. Despite playing a calculating character such as Lady Jessica, you were nothing of serious when on screen with your costars.

"Welcome to Arrakis!" You popped into frame, wearing an exquisite dress, costumed by one of the designers. It was golden yellow with chains running down from the bottom half of your face to your chest. A faint veil covered your head but for right now, you had it placed on your hair. You spread your arms with anticipation for the cameraman to pan around your surroundings. "It's sunny today so I think we'd be out here for some time." You moved extremely close to the camera, before moving out of the frame to the side.

Abu Dhabi was bliss. The production and crew worked diligently day and night working in the deserts. And on this particular day, most of the cast had been present as well for the introduction of House Atriedes on Arrakis.

A few shots slowly pans from the crew's tents and Denny far into the sandy mountains as he speaks with Timothee. Another shot slyly captures you showing Josh Brolin an unknown video, sideways. Which somehow made him cackle very enthusiastically, holding his stomach to air as you quickly pat his back multiple of times. In all, everyone of the cast members were having a blast in the dry outskirts of the unknown.

"Hello," Brolin pops in another clip where he stands, wearing the Atreides armor. Under a massive shade area, a few people can be spotted in the background, moving equipment and conversing with others. From afar, the people filming the documentary can be heard presenting a few questions for him to touch upon. "Ah what do I think about Lady Jessica being played by," He says your name sincerely.

The video cuts to you having a conversation with your on and screen husband. A hand covering above your face to shield yourself from the sun, while Oscar tries to move where the light is hitting you as the best he could.

"I mean a phenomenal actor like her playing in that kind of role is guaranteed to have an amazing performance. She's- We've known each for a long time since Sicario and with Denny," The male actor softly grins, staring at where you were. "But Oscar on the other hand, eh- not so much." His tone becoming monotonous, as if the shift in topic was distasteful to the touch.

"Whatcha say, Gurney?!" A scream echoes and it's Oscar, cupping both his hands into an O.

The older actor couldn't keep it together before breaking into frivolous giggles. "Nothing, my lord!" He takes one last glance back before seeing you give him two big thumbs up with a silly smirk. "No in all seriousness, those two are just the best! You can never have a bad day with them."

Another prominent section in the video fans adored was with the actors that played Duncan Idaho and Dr. Liet Kynes. This time they are situated in what looked like the structure of Arrakeen. Where all ornithopters were supposedly stationed and the introduction of Dr. Kynes.

"They're so mom and dad," Jason Momoa shaking his head playfully with his hands clamped together. Both him and Sharon Duncan-Brewster wore still suits unlike many other extras who wore Atreides armor. "I mean- they're playing Paul's parents- but in real life it's just so different."

"Definitely more chaotic," Brewster jumps in, earning a hum from her costar. "They act nothing like them."

A cool shot from different location displays you in a dark with Timothee. It was the scene after Paul is put to test to by the Reverent Mother. It was a chilling scene yes, but in post production, many realize how unprofessional you sometimes were even in the most serious times.

The cameras were not live however the film crew were about to pan to you gesturing back and forth with your on-screen son. It was a interactive and intriguing conversation you both were having. You looking in purely engaged with what the French actor was saying. After a few sentences being spoken, it looked as though you chided a teasing joke which gave the reaction of Timothee slightly snickering, backing away slowly.

"I mean do they look like my parents? No," The young actor states shortly. It looked as though the clip was shot right after capturing your cute moment togehter. "But I'd say- yeah Oscar Isaac's a great actor and- to be able to play my dad is pretty cool. Even though we look nothing alike." Nervous laughter spouts as he clears his throat.

"I feel like I get the resemblances from my mom though," Affectionately stating your name, "You can tell where I got my powers, good looks from." Momentarily readjusting his collar as he takes a quick look from behind, knowing your footsteps.

"See? I'm the favorite parent!" In hushed squeal, you wrapped your hands around Timothee's shoulders, earning a lovable grin back.

[genericpuff]

The excessively passive voice when talking about Minthe being intended to have BPD is hilarious. "It was thought to have her written with BPD"? So weird

Honestly, once you start noticing this passive voice in how Rachel writes and talks, it's kind of hard to unsee.

Like, for starters, the BPD example. It's very non-committal, almost as if to sound like she never actually wrote her with BPD, it was just an 'idea' that she could neither confirm or deny as canon. But then you read the episode with the slap and-

It's- it's literally called "Splitting". It's about as subtle as a brick to the face. This entire episode showcases Minthe having an actual literal episode of splitting and it's plain as day to anyone who can read the title card and put two and two together. So for the wording to be so passive around her characterization... it wasn't "thought" to have her written with BPD, she was written with BPD.

Another example that sticks out in my mind of Rachel's passive writing is far later in Season 3, when Demeter reunites with Persephone and naturally expects her to come back home with her.

This line still fucking bothers me to this day. Besides the fact that it's just really poorly written dialogue, Persephone describes her being in love with Hades as if it's just some coincidental thing that happened to her that she can't avoid and not a deliberate choice she's making. "It would seem" my ass, Persephone is a coward for not being upfront and just talking to her mother like an adult by saying, "Mother, I love you, and I understand why you want me to come home, but I'm in love with Hades and want to stay in the Underworld with him." Instead the way it's worded is almost designed to absolve Persephone of any and all agency in her own decisions and active participation in her relationship with Hades by instead making it out to be just some circumstance that she can't get herself out of.

Again, this isn't quite as egregious as the aforementioned BPD scene, but it's still irritating because Rachel writes like this a lot throughout LO. And it's not just the dialogue either, entire decisions throughout the comic are flip-flopped and kept vague by Rachel so she can give herself plausible deniability over the narrative. I could come up with some of my own examples, but I think she managed to speak for herself just fine in the end-of-series Q&A that left both critics and fans of the series massively confused and disappointed:

LO is full of half-committed plotlines because Rachel herself can't commit to her own decisions. So the decisions she does make are left vague enough that hardcore fans are willing enough to fill in the blanks themselves, but anyone who asks her genuinely what her plan was, she just gives the same wordy "IDK it's up to your interpretation!" response. It's like she thinks people are asking her as just another reader who can only speculate, but she's literally the author, so why is she acting like her guess is as good as theirs?

Well, because that's how she wrote LO. That's how she's always written comics, with vague half-finished thoughts and just enough for readers to do the mental gymnastics of making sense of it all just to give her the credit for "smart writing" that she never actually did because she stopped paying attention after the first sentence. And that method of being vague for the sake of audience interpretation is fine for illustrations or anything that isn't trying to be a concise narrative, but LO did try to be that and it really shows how hard it failed in doing so when its own creator can't even come up with something slightly plausible to explain all the questions people had in the end. "There is some backstory there" but proceeds to not actually expand on said backstory. "I like to imply things without outright telling people", so do I, but the difference is that Rachel is using that as a crutch to not answer the questions she setup for her readers and then didn't resolve after five years. There's not wanting to spoon feed people the plot, and then there's literally refusing to explain your decisions when writing said plot, almost because you don't know any more than they do.

The entirety of LO is rooted in Rachel's passiveness, from her inability to answer questions concisely to every little plot point that was established and dropped throughout the comic's run. Writing a story is a series of decisions, deciding what to keep, deciding what not to keep, deciding what has to be changed, etc. and Rachel just... doesn't seem like someone who's ever been capable of making those decisions, especially when she's writing an actual long form story to the end and doesn't have the luxury of dropping it whenever it feels convenient for her like she did several times with The Doctor Pepper Show. Once she was actually held to a standard, once she was actually signed into a contract that expected her to make those decisions, she failed to and it culminated in one of the messiest conclusions to a story I've seen since Game of Thrones.

LO is kind of like Schrodinger's Cat - a plot point can be or not be whatever it needs to be so that Rachel can be either praised for smart writing she never did or absolved of bad writing that she did do. It's equally parts interesting and vague enough that whatever her readers give her credit for writing, she can give them a thumbs-up and go "you're totally right, champ!" and proceed to take all the credit of being a "good writer" from the efforts of her own audience who had to jump through a million hoops to make sense of her own messy writing.

But when she's put on the spot by those very same readers to answer for her own decisions, she can't.

Because she never made them.

Because there was never anything "deeper" going on, that's just what her style of "distraction writing" made you believe. The plot never lets you stop to think about what you just read long enough before zipping away to the next thing and distracting you with a new twist or a new character or a new plot point, and before you know it, you've gone weeks without reading about the last thing that was established you probably haven't even realized that those questions never got answered. Sometimes Rachel remembers to get back to those things and resolves them within a handful of panels, other times she forgets them entirely and just leaves them to rot in the hopes that no one ever calls her out on it. And when they do... she can just pull the get-out-of-jail-free "Welp, it's up to your interpretation!" card and get that credit all over again for being deep and insightful, meanwhile those who are rightfully dissatisfied with that answer are blanket-accused of "getting mad at Rachel for not writing the story they wanted".

To close out this ask that, per tradition, turned into an essay, I'd like to recall the famous words of fictional detective Benoit Blanc: "Look into the clear center of this glass onion... Miles Bron is an idiot!"

[aliciavance4228]

The Odyssey: Funny Moments

Most of you liked my "The Iliad: Funny Moments" post, so I decided to make this one as well.

1. When Telemachus asks Odysseus what kind of help they have for taking down the suitors, Odysseus basically says, "We've got Zeus and Athena on our side. Are you sure that'll be enough?"

2. "Brother, who blinded you?" "Nobody! Nobody did!" "...Then we're going to go back to sleep."

Taken to the logical extreme in a comic book adaptation where Odysseus and his men gave him fake names:

"Brother, who blinded you?"

"Nobody! Idontknow! Idontcare! Or maybe... Idontremember!"

"So that's why they called him Polyfool."

3. After his crew opened the bag of winds thinking it had treasure and caused a huge storm, Odysseus briefly considers suicide as valid as an option to preserving through hardship.

4. The sheer, mind-boggling, testicle-shriveling amount of crap that Odysseus and his crew get put through when trying to get back to Ithaca can be viewed as hilarious in a cringe comedy kind of way. By the time Odysseus gets home and realizes that his wife has been badgered and harangued by suitors for a decade one could be forgiven for thinking that his wanton slaughter of them all was less about their violation of guest rights and more just blowing off some steam on a morally unambiguous target.

5. When briefly visiting the Underworld, Persephone allows Odysseus to talk with his mother and other dead people. Odysseus is absolutely terrified of her and dreads staying too long and incurring her wrath, running back to his ship fearful that she'll sic Medusa's head on him.

6. One of Odysseus's crew randomly dies by falling off a roof after a night of heavy drinking. Everyone else gets to be killed by horrible monsters and the wrath of the gods, but he instead gets to be a posthumous reminder about the dangers of alcoholism. Even better, after his death he berates Odysseus for not burying him properly when our hero goes to Hades!

7. On the way back to Ithaca, Telemachus asks a favor of Nestor's son Pisistratus, and proceeds to invoke two generations of friendship to get some help dodging Nestor's aggressive hospitality.

8. Penelope asks a disguised Odysseus to interpret a dream she had. It turns out that during the dream, one of its characters explicitly explained what it all represented, and Odysseus just repeats it back to her.

9. While disguised as a human, Athena goes to the trouble of giving a plausible explanation for her departure... then promptly blows her cover by turning into a bird and flying away in front of a boggling Nestor and Telemachus.

10. Penelope's tricks against the suitors, of which the two best known are:

At one point, she told the suitors she'd choose her next husband after she'd finish weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus's father Laërtes... And every night, she'd undo her work. She strung them along for three years and would have continued had an unfaithful maid not exposed her.

On page we see her daring them to replicate one of Odysseus's feats: she put twelve axes on the ground so that the rings in the handle would align and gave them Odysseus' unstrung bow and arrows, and told them that whoever could use that bow toshoot an arrow through all the rings would be her next husband.She also forgot to tell them it was a recurve bow that the suitors wouldn't even recognize when at rest, let alone string.

A lesser-known ploy is when she calls out the suitors for freeloading off her husband's estate instead of courting her with lavish gifts. They rush to present her with gifts, while the disguised Odysseus watches with delight.

11. Athena's response when Odysseus fails to recognize her in disguise and tells her a backstory he came up with on the spot is essentially "That's my liar! There he is!"

Credits: TV Tropes

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

We are up to seven live airing QLs from Japan! Five of these are on Gaga and two are being generously provided via fansubs.

A brief interlude for me to climb on my soapbox: if you are a fan of Japanese queer media who is not based in Japan, you really should be supporting GagaOOLala. They are the sole international distributor of most of these shows and the only reason international fans can watch them as they release. They’re a queer-owned Taiwanese company specifically focused on providing international access to global queer media, and their monthly subscription is much cheaper than other streaming services. They’re not perfect but they are quite responsive to feedback about their catalogue and approach; please consider subscribing if you love these shows!

I’m really loving most of these shows and I highly recommend jumping in to the weekly watch!

Takara's Treasure

I fall more in love with these two every week. We finally got some answers on Takara's backstory, and as expected, it is the mother who abandoned him that has been harassing him. Taishin blazed in to give that lady a piece of his mind before even realizing who she was, and it only made Takara love him more. The revelation that Takara is holding back with Taishin because he doesn't want to be covetous like his mother sent me into a bit of a tailspin. I loved Taishin getting his moment to reciprocate Takara's care, as well as Takara's amusement that Taishin still hasn't pieced together what they are to each other. I'm excited for it to finally click for him soon.

Sugar Dog Life

I'll be honest, this first episode did not hit right for me. I always struggle with copaganda heavy romances, especially when the show is intentionally framing cops as benevolent and explicitly linking that to the romantic arc. But I liked the cooking parts of it a lot! We'll see how it proceeds. This one is being fan subbed, so if anyone is having trouble finding it feel free to hit me up in DMs and I'll point you.

Cosmetic Playlover

This one is coming in hot with two episodes a week, because Japan is trying to kill me. I like the concept and vibe but the execution is a bit all over the place; it feels like they want this to be a dark story but aren’t willing to fully commit to that, so dark things happen but then get treated too lightly. The pacing also feels a little wacky and we’re rushing through plot and relationship development in a way that leaves it all feeling a bit ungrounded. Sahashi went from harassing and threatening to out Natsume to kissing and claiming to be serious about him in the space of 15 minutes, and then suddenly in the next ep there’s a new villain and suspense plot. This one is just not clicking; I’m tilting my head with a furrowed brow.

I Hear the Sunspot

Sigh. I really didn’t need another arc about a third party interloper coming between the boys, but here we are. Maya is a throwback to the bad old femme fatale archetype steeped in misogyny and I don’t love it. She’s arrogant, manipulative, and mean for no good reason, and she doesn’t feel like she fits in this story about decent people trying their best. There was a way to do this plot with a more sympathetic portrayal of her, but unfortunately they didn't take that route. I’m disappointed that she’s with us for multiple episodes, and it’s hard to believe this rude little girl can really come between them. I said last week that it felt like they regressed Kohei and Taichi’s relationship in the time skip and I’m feeling that even more now. Aside from this mess, I really liked all of Taichi’s scenes with his friends this week as he continues trying to work out his feelings for Kohei. I hope we get back to Taichi and Kohei spending time together again soon; that’s the real heart of this show and I already miss it.

Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko

Sigh. Last week I was mad at the characters around Hiroko, but this week I am forced to be mad at the show for how it's dealing with this entire plot involving Hiroko's decisions about her privacy at work, Risa's inappropriate interference, and Ayaka's bizarre conclusion that she should announce her love for Hiroko to the whole office. This whole love triangle and forced outing plot was ill-considered and it's dragging the show down; we should not have had Risa being so wrong and manipulative or ventured into queer workplace politics at all if the show wasn't prepared to take it seriously. On the plus side, we finally got the backstory for Hiroko, and it was surprising in a good way. I hope this show can get back to the zany comedy it was doing so well before it got bogged down in all this mess.

Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding

Episode 3 just went up on @isaksbestpillow's blog, and it's a fantastic one. I was howling watching Mitsuya wailing on his ex and poor Ishida trying to process this new rival on the scene. Shige continues to be the MVP and I loved the way he encouraged Ishida with a mix of sage advice and sexy sass (also loved that Mitsyua immediately knew that gossip ratted him out). And I screamed again when Ishida got worked up and confessed; I didn't expect that to happen so fast and it was excellent! This show feels so mature in the best way; I really feel like I'm watching adults who have lived.

Tagging @bengiyo to add the anime update!

[peachhcs]

the soft launch (more like hard launch) → social media post

hughes!sister x will smith au

hi! here’s the first post for my new au :) i figured this is a great way to introduce samy as well as her dynamic with everyone else. i’ll be posting more actual fics soon, but also please comment or send me what else you’d like to see for them!!

ps. all of these photos are from pinterest/instagram

au masterlist

samyhughes semester 1 has my heart <3

view all comments

lauren11 BAE I LOVE YOU!!

| samyhughes I LOVE YOU!!!!!

hannahduke HELL YEAH UMICH!

| samyhughes ROLL WOLVES! 🐺

user1 THE YOUNGEST HUGHES IS IN COLLEGE ALREADY???

user2 WAIT WHO IS THIRD PIC??😦

dylanduke25 can’t believe you’re roommates with my little sister i feel like this is so full circle??

| samyhughes LMAOO i feel you dyl

| lhughes_06 ur telling me

edwards.73 casually posting a pic of someone holding a high noon and then proceeds to make caption first semester which means your underage 😐😐

| samyhughes ok mom

markestapa WOOOOOO so glad ur at umich with us!

| samyhughes remember when you cried when luke told u i was coming to michigan?

| markestapa now why would u say that on the internet

colecaufield MICHIGAN MICHIGAN MICHIGAN!

| jackhughes why are you giving this energy to my little sister? 😐

| colecaufield bc i want to??

jackhughes wait a minute the 3rd pic…where is his mouth…

| samyhughes umm..

user3 luke’s michigan friends are literally her second brothers AHHHH

user4 wait who isss the guy in the 3rd pic???? she has a bf???

user5 we lost another one boys 😭

jacob_fowler24 michigan shit 🔛🔝

| samyhughes what does this even mean??

ryan.leno_4 still shoulda come to boston

| samyhughes sorry lean u should of come to michigan 🤷‍♀️

aram_minnetian okay hard launch

| samyhughes what i do best ☺️

_quinnhughes STOP STEALING MY HATS WTF

| samyhughes NO

lhughes_06 this post gets a rating of 2/10 because 1. there’s underage drinking and that’s a no no 2. his mouth is on your boob 3. i just don’t like this post

| samyhughes alright. 🫠

user6 mouth placement??????

user7 istg if that’s will smith i’m losing it

user8 her and will dating makes so much sense omg

graceccsmith so cute samy!!

| samyhughes thanks gracie!! i miss you

_willvote my man made the gram!

| samyhughes ok expose me

gabeperreault44 GET REKTTTTTTTT

| samyhughes gabe i swear 😭

_willsmith2 hi buddy i miss you

| samyhughes hi smitty i miss you too come visit me soon

user9 ^^^^ NAHH it’s so will smith

| user10 THEYRE SO ADORABLE AWWW

| user11 childhood best friends to lovers pipeline is so real

_willsmith2 looking good beantown

view all comments

gabeperreault44 good stuff good stuff

| _willsmith2 thanks gp

ryan.leno_4 everyone’s hard launching i see

| _willsmith2 oops

user1 THIS IS FOR SURE SAMY I KNOW IT

graceccsmith so cute will 🥰

| _willsmith2 thanks g😀

jacob_fowler24 damn it when is will gonna hard launch me???

| _willsmith2 next time i promise 😫

aram_minnetian ok we get it u have a gf

| _willsmith2 😀😀

user2 AHHHHHHHHHHH WILL AND SAMY CONFIRMED????

user3 them being best friends before this makes this so much better too

user4 someone get them on a podcast or some shit so we can get the backstory!!!

user5 they’re very golden retriever and golden retriever energy

_willvote i hope i’m invited to the wedding in like 10 years

| _willsmith2 ur 1 on the list

hannahduke WHEN HE POSTS HER >>>

| ryan.leno_4 she’s so lucky fr

| samyhughes 😙😙

edwards.73 invading the bf comments hi bf

| _willsmith2 hi ethan

| user6 THEY ALREADY KNOW HIM????? SHDJDJ

markestapa i was summoned and now i see why

| user7 LMAOOO i love mark and ethan

user8 mark and ethan are very big brother being protective core while samy’s at umich bc her actual brothers aren’t there

trevorzegras i am here too

| user9 LMAO TREVOR??!

lhughes_06 looking good so far smitty

| _willsmith2 thanks luke 🤝

jackhughes i’m still looking at u bc of that one pic on my sister’s post…suspicious…

| _willsmith2 pls forgive me jack it was an honest mistake

user10 THE BROTHERS ARE SO FUNNY LDJDJDKS

user11 i’m sure will’s scared of all these boys acting like samy’s big brother

elblue06 so cute will!

| _willsmith2 thanks mama hughes!

| user12 HE CALLS HER MOM ALREADY??!!!

| user13 well she is like his 2nd mom bc their families are so close. i think he calls her that regardless of him dating her daughter LMAO

dylanduke25 found out samy has a bf when i saw this post on my little sister’s feed :/

| samyhughes LMAO sorry dylan

_quinnhughes see you during the holidays!

| _willsmith2 can’t wait to come back to michigan!

rutgermcgroarty 😦😦😦 baby hughes has a bf??? and it’s the 4th overall pick from the nhl draft?

| user14 my exact reaction

samyhughes looks like i’ve taught u well🫡

| _willsmith2 i only learn from the best

this is so long my bad but i just love writing the comments for these LOL

[bg-brainrot]

As @cosmicchocomuffin suggested!

Which class/subclass each BG3 character would play in D&D (with a little explanation):

Astarion: Draconic Sorcerer - he would pick a character that comes with power innately, no god, no pact, no strings attached, and he would pick draconic for the eventual flight. Also he would want a high Cha character so that he can attempt to be the face of the party.

Gale: Artillerist Artificer - he would pick another Int based class of course, and, as for Artillerist, he still enjoys being useful, so he'd like the fire power this subclass affords. He would take time every day to ensure his infusions are prepared for the day, not allowing the party to proceed without them.

Karlach: Circle of the Moon Druid - she loves animals and nature and would love to transform into them, but wouldn't want to deal with all of those pesky spells, hence the Circle of the Moon. She would definitely be the cause of half of the chaotic druid wildshape memes online.

Lae'zel: Way of the Astral Self Monk - she would pick monk because they're respected martial warriors, pick the subclass because of its potential to reach enlightenment. But to the surprise of no one, she actually gets really into her character to the point of drawing a blade on the DM (Withers).

Shadowheart: Assassin Rogue - the classic lone wolf class and given all of her Sharran training, she would pick this subclass for the ease of roleplay it offers, with its disguise and mimicry. She starts out aloof, but quickly divulges the entire 12-page backstory she created for her character.

Wyll: Monster Slayer Ranger - he heard people looked down on rangers and decided to give them a chance, then he saw Monster Slayer was an option and knew he picked right. The actual face of the party, simply because he's the only one capable of staying on track-- however, put him in front of a cool monster and you've lost him too.

Non-Origins:

Halsin: Nature Domain Cleric - as someone who loves to help others, he would pick a class with a greater lean to the healing side of magic and with a bit of the same druid utility, then pick the subclass to still have that connection to nature. He will happily go along with whatever the party wants to do, and has ended up in jail a few times for it.

Minthara: Order of the Profane Soul Blood Hunter - she would love a class that's willing to go to any extent to defeat their enemies, like a blood hunter, and the order of the Profane Soul just cranks that up all the more. She would be the classic murder hobo of the group if left unchecked, but she will back off when the rewards are good enough.

Jaheira: Battle Master Fighter - she would go for a classic, reliable class like fighter, with a subclass that utilizes her battle knowledge like Battle Master. She is definitely a guest player, who the DM taps in for a difficult boss fight or arc, so she somehow still ends up the mentor figure in the game.

Minsc: Path of the Beast Barbarian - he wouldn't play something too complicated, hence the Barbarian, and he would love to understand Boo better, so he'd pick the subclass for the Beast abilities that come with this subclass. He would never quite know what he's doing, but makes the best accidental one liners at the table so no one minds helping.

Disclaimer: I only picked stuff I at least have the sourcebooks for. While some extra stuff looked cool, I wasn't familiar enough to get the vibes properly.

[stari-hun]

The Dittarsdorfs

A concentrated pot of poison.

Mr. Dittarsdorf is only Dittarsdorf we see zero trace of. The story itself makes the decision to show you the interaction between Theopil and Arcana, the origin of The Salvation. But as for Mr. Dittarsdorf the only appearances we get from him are talking about Theopil behind his back and weighing his expectations for the family name onto Isolde. But what’s most interesting about Mr. Dittarsdorf is how he was the one to get Evangeline into therapy. Mr. Karl saw Evangeline as a daily product, and the rest of the manor was too young or didn’t have the status to suggest it. Their doctor, although paid off by Evangeline’s stalker, must’ve brought it up and he agreed. But after he still neglected his family, being a person she could never ground herself to. Theopil haunts the narrative however Mr. Dittarsdorf despite putting many things in place that led to the way things turned out for the family, ultimately slips through the cracks. A part of this is due to the fact that Isolde herself is both an unreliable narrator, but also her disinterest in anyone but Kakania.

Theopil is the ghost that haunts the narrative. He’s engrained in every corner and crack of the story because of how he seeped into others lives and minds. He created The Salvation as a hope for Arcanists and humans against the storm, but it ultimately lead to his death from extending a hand to someone who had no intentions of taking it.

The main story and Isolde’s character event talk at length about how the talent of the Dittarsdorfs is always inherited most by the women in the bloodline. It’s why when Theopil created The Salvation with the immunity ritual painted into it, it only gained the status of a masterpiece when Isolde added to it.

Evangeline is the character who proceeds the plot. Through her parallels to Isolde and Trista we can gather her backstory as well. Evangeline likely became a medium at Trista’s age or slightly older, but not as old as Isolde was. Her attitude and dialogue before Trista’s death implied her eagerness to awaken Trista wasn’t entirely from family tradition but instead because she was fearful for keeping the art alive. Her attitude towards making money and her frantic nature implies she might not have been financially stable enough to enjoy the arts at a young age, but did after discovering her own talent for opera. Mr. Dittarsdorf then married her for her status as the Star of Vienna before neglecting her along with the rest of the family. However a lack of being seen and cared for is what led to his death, as she killed him in a fit of mania after not giving her the right access to cope. Instead letting her kill the animals of their garden time and time again while disposing of them without her knowledge. Nonetheless Evangeline had a strong connection to life. After Trista’s death she couldn’t let go. Even in her fateful act of killing her own husband, Evangeline hummed Trista’s lullaby.

An interesting fact about her though is how much Isolde and her are parallel. Besides them both killing off the other side of their family, Isolde was also talked about in the manor as being sick in the same way Evangeline was. Theopil would’ve seen the parallels growing up which is why he created The Salvation for Isolde after learning about The Storm.

An early cause of Isolde’s sickness was Trista. Isolde was too inexperienced as a medium to make spirits obey her command, and Trista took advantage of that in her jealousy that Isolde lived and she didn’t. Many of her scenes lean into her being unstable in a far more malicious way than Isolde or even Evangeline. In her own chapter she was melancholy about not growing up with Theopil and Isolde even aloof and amused at the way they were growing up. However in the next chapter from an outside view of Isolde’s childhood we see how Trista took pleasure in making Isolde sick and in pain, her comments about it being a shame she didn’t join her far more serious than a child’s comment. Trista was deeply and violently jealous at being “forgotten” by her family after her death in the same way her world did. Every Dittarsdorf is given their own lullaby just for them when they’re born. Much like Trista’s door, she sees both of these things as forgotten fragments of everyone’s memories. Trista’s mentality being older than her age reveals itself when Isolde talked about Mr. Karl’s door and how the opulence was a facade to embarrass and degrade her. It was a scene to show how distressed she was while around him and how it stacked under him teaching her for every class. Isolde started becoming ill and her mental stability started crumbling from spirit’s interference. As Trista choked her as a child until she threw up for growing older than her despite being younger, Isolde later commanded Trista along with many other spirits to take control off her life for her. Despite this, it’s implied Isolde is easily able to take back her place from them at any time.

[doodlegirl1998]

hori constantly acts as if he isn’t the writer and has full control of the story and it pisses me off to no end. gonna drop some examples below. these are from the street wear profiles from the manga.

sen kaibara - “I love his Quirk, so I can’t wait to portray it more.” he’s acting like something/someone is actively holding him back from doing so.

tetsutetsu tetsutetsu - “I hope I get to show him in action more.” once again, acting like something is stopping him. side note, why tf did he give him that name. it’s just so lazy. and it’s not even funny. just annoying to say and annoying to write.

hanta sero - “He’s mostly just for one liners in the background, but he’s a good guy, and I’d like to feature him more. At some point. For sure.” and then proceeds to never do that.

this might just be me being bitter abt all the amazing characters he’s completely disregarded and disrespected. this might just be me not understanding what it’s like being a mangaka. but it still bothers me.

i just hate how he’s created this insanely interesting world and amazing characters and never expands on anything bc he’s too busy sucking bakugos dick.

speaking of bakugo, as someone who has narcissistic tendencies, he’s a textbook case.

he obviously has some sort of inferiority/superiority complex and a mild to severe case of a god complex. at best he’s dismissive of people who he sees as inferior to him, at worst he’s downright cruel.

his “nicknames” are all just fucking insults aimed at peoples insecurities.

raccoon eyes/horns: mina was probably bullied for her appearance and then her so called “friend” exclusively calls her names that poke fun at her appearance.

bird brain/bird face/other bird names: tokoyami has probably heard it all at this point but once again bakugo making fun of heteromorphs.

dunce face: denki has shown to be insecure about his intelligence and once again his so called “friend” mocks him for it.

tentacles/arms/octopus: again, mocking heteromorphs.

tail: i’m beginning to see a pattern here.

ears: ok how has no one pointed out how most of his nicknames are him basically just calling them slurs.

i don’t think bakugo has ever called someone their actual name. maybe a handful of times? but it’s like a massive event when he calls someone by their actual name.

exclusive calling people insults isn’t exactly heroic.

anyway rant over i just needed to get all this shit off my chest.

Hi @the-jello-bowl 👋,

There could be something to be said here about how the editors may have had a hand in Hori not exploring all the characters he may have wanted to.

But, even if that is the case, not all of the blame would rest on them.

Hori clearly did not plan ahead for a lot of MHA. He is very good at coming up with good character designs and concepts as well as bringing life to them but seems to be at a loss after that is done. The cast bloating is key evidence of this.

It is sad to see all these interesting characters be swept to the wayside in favour of Bakugou, who by contrast brings nothing of interest to the table.

Bakugou is a narcissistic abuser in my opinion. He uses cruel nicknames, not as lighthearted jibes, but to bring others down - especially his friends.

Other than the instances you mentioned, I want to bring attention to one that belongs to Bakugou's supposed best friend, Kirishima, who he calls only "shitty hair." We learn in his backstory that Kirishima changed his hair to be like his idols as a symbol of his growth prior to U.A. Therefore, being continually called "shitty hair" would hurt Kirishima deeply. He also tells Bakugou to stop, and yet Bakugou does not care.

The time I can think of when Bakugou called someone their actual name is that time he used "Izuku" instead of the usual "Deku" slur. And even that is bad because instead of asking for the right to call Izuku by his first name, usually reserved for close family, Bakugou just does it.

Typical narcissistic, entitled and stagnant Bakugou. We hate to see it.

I wish Hori didn't waste so many manga panels on this idiot.

[punkshort]

Chapter warnings: language, graphic depictions of violence, explicit smut (MDNI), little bit of sub!joel in this one, jealous/possessive smut, graphic descriptions of and references to SA - please proceed with caution if this is a trigger for you

Chapter Sixteen

Pairing: Joel x F!Reader, pre-outbreak and post outbreak

AU (the only thing I kept was the outbreak, Joel, and Tommy's characters. Joel's backstory is different, and the way he finds Jackson is different. I may include Ellie one day, I just haven't planned that far)

Fic Summary: You worked for Joel and Tommy a few months before the outbreak. The outbreak happens, and you and Joel get stuck traveling the country and keeping each other safe. Neither of you spoke about the feelings you had for one another pre-outbreak, and in a post-apocalyptic world, it seems like survival should be your only focus. But feelings can't be ignored forever.

Fic tags: Explicit Smut (18+ MDNI), Smut, Language, Canon-Typical Violence, Alcohol Use, Age Difference (Reader is 10 years younger than Joel), slow burn, mutual pining, angst, trauma, SA referencing later but I will put a big warning on those chapters

You could feel Joel’s eyes burning a hole in your back as you followed the guards down the hallway to a common room area. After realizing Joel’s ex-fiancée was conveniently one of the leaders in this community, you had shut down and refused to look at him. You knew it was irrational. How could it be his fault? It just set your teeth on edge, especially considering the reservations you were already having about this place. The man with the dark hair and thick eyebrows jutted his chin out towards Joel and pointed in the direction of the men’s restroom.

“You go in there, we need to check you over for bites,” Joel hesitated, looking back at you, but you continued to stare straight ahead. “It’s standard procedure, we do it for all new intakes. It keeps us safe, don’t take it personally.” Joel took a step towards you, trying to catch your gaze but you were fixated on your feet.

“You gonna be alright for a minute?” he murmured to you.

“Mhm,” you gave a quick nod, eyes still cast down, trying to quell your irritation.

He paused, then glanced around at the group of people waiting for him. He grumbled and turned to enter the restroom, the dark-haired man following. Amy slinked up next to you and placed her hand lightly on your shoulder. It took everything you had not to shrug her hand off as you raised your eyes to look at her. By all accounts, she was pretty. She had bright blue eyes and blonde hair, although you noticed it was a few shades darker than the picture you had seen in Joel's apartment. You could see she was closer to Joel's age by the fine wrinkles developing around her eyes and mouth. She tried to give you a reassuring smile, but it just came off as insincere.

"You can follow me in here," she motioned towards the women's restroom. "I'll look you over real quick and we can get you something to eat." Reluctantly, you followed her into the women's room. You set your backpack down against the wall and took your jacket off before looking to her for direction. She was regarding you carefully with a curious smile.

"You don't talk much," she said, motioning for you to take your shirt off. You began to unbutton your flannel and shrugged at her comment, still choosing not to speak. You took the flannel off and hung it over your crossed arms, feeling exposed in your bra in front of Joel's ex. She walked around you slowly and lifted each of your arms to get a good look at your skin. Amy motioned for you to drop your jeans, so you tugged the flannel back over your arms, leaving it unbuttoned, and reached down to pull the denim off your legs. She did the same thing, walked around slowly and inspected you closely, even tugging on the back of your underwear to check your ass before snapping the band back. You were facing the door with only your shirt partially covering you when you heard a sharp knock.

"Come in," Amy called, still looking you over. You turned to her in surprise, clutching your flannel shut to preserve your dignity before the skinny redhead entered the room, his eyes raking up and down your body before clearing his throat to address Amy.

"The man's clear, what do you want us to do with him?" he asked.

"Let's take them to the cafeteria and get them something to eat before we assign them rooms, thanks Ian." she replied, then motioned for you to put your jeans back on. You awkwardly bent over to pull your legs through as quickly as possible, but Ian had already left. You hastily buttoned up your flannel before shooting her a glare, and she smirked in response. She knew exactly what she was doing.

"We only need one room, thanks," you said, not letting your gaze waver. It seemed that you confirmed for her what she already suspected, giving you a tight smile and a nod before ushering you back into the common room. Joel was waiting anxiously against the wall for you to emerge, pushing himself off to come over to you, but you kept up the attitude, still refusing to look him in the eye.

Ian, thick eyebrows, and Amy led you both down another floor and through a hallway before reaching a large cafeteria where clusters of people sat at various tables. All eyes turned towards you as you walked in, regarding you curiously. You kept your eyes straight ahead as you were led to a table and invited to sit. Joel sat next to you on one side of the table while Amy chose to sit directly across from him. Ian went to get you each a bowl of soup and thick eyebrows stood guard behind Amy.

"It's been a long time, Joel. How did you get here?" she asked him, completely ignoring you.

"Walked," he said curtly, crossing his arms over his chest. She nodded, picking up on his tone.

"And Tommy?" she said softly, biting her lip. You tried you best to keep from rolling your eyes. You didn't appreciate the sweet tone she was taking with him. Maybe you were just paranoid, maybe she was just being nice. But your gut was telling you otherwise.

"Don't know," he said gruffly, trying to avoid her eyes by looking around the room. He noticed the skinny red-haired guy waiting for your food and standing with a big brute of a man in the corner of the room, eyeing you up closely. He glanced over at you, unaware of the men staring at you. He knew you were pissed, but you could at least look at him. He clenched his teeth when he looked back at the men who were very obviously leering in your direction now and whispering to each other. He possessively tucked his arm over your shoulders, feeling you tense up under his touch. The men slid their gaze over to Joel now, who raised his eyebrows at them expectantly. They grinned at each other and shook their heads, turning away and focusing on the food counter.

You finally looked in his direction now, giving him a confused look. The motion was not lost on Amy as she stared at Joel's arm around you for a second too long before breaking away and looking back at him, forcing a smile.

"Well, I'm so glad you are safe and that you made it here. We have a community of about 60 people so far, most of us strangers. We all pitch in where we can, so we will be assigning some work to you both. And I know what you're thinking," she said, holding up her hand, "but it's not like the QZs. We don't ration people's food or supplies. Our long-term plan is to find a safe area away from the city where we can make a home." She continued to look directly at Joel the whole time she spoke, and it was getting on your nerves. You knew it shouldn't, you knew he loved you, but you couldn't help it. You cleared your throat loudly, finally dragging her gaze from Joel and onto you.

"What kind of work?" you asked, and you felt Joel's hand squeeze your shoulder slightly.

"Patrols, guard duty, cooking, cleaning, laundry... that sort of thing. Whatever needs to be done, we all take turns and do our part." At that, she narrowed your eyes to you, as if there was a double meaning to her words that you couldn't decipher.

"That's fine, we understand. We'll help out." Joel said, drawing Amy's attention back towards him. She gave him a warm smile.

"Perfect. And here's your food," she said, looking over your shoulder as Ian placed bowls in front of you both. "I'll let you two have some privacy, when you're all set, I'll be over there," she pointed to a table that you now noticed sat the four other leaders you briefly met earlier. "And then I'll show you to your room." She emphasized the last word and glanced quickly at you before standing up and walking over to the other table, followed closely by Ian.

You gulped and looked down at your soup, suddenly feeling nauseous. Something about what Amy said didn't sit right with you but you couldn't put your finger on it. You lazily stirred the soup and took a few small sips before giving up and leaning back in your chair. Joel noticed your lack of appetite and brought his hand down to squeeze your knee.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, "I didn't know."

You scoffed and folded your arms across your chest, looking at a fixed point on the wall.

"You sure about that?" You asked coldly. He dropped the spoon in his bowl before glancing at you sideways.

"How the fuck would I know?" he said lowly, trying to make sure he wasn't overheard. You shook your head, not wanting to get into an argument.

"You done yet? I'm tired, I need to get some sleep." You pushed your chair back with your legs and strode over to the leader's table, knocking firmly on the end to get their attention. Amy's eyes shot up to you after breaking off a quiet conversation with one of the men.

"Ready," you said, as you felt Joel come up beside you. She nodded and stood.

"Ok, follow me. I had Ian take your backpacks to your room already." She motioned for you both to follow her and you turned on your heel to do just that, Joel following behind you quietly.

Amy led you both up to the third floor. About halfway down, she stopped and unlocked a door, then gave the key to Joel before pushing the door open. The dorm was small, as expected, with two twin beds on either side of the room. You noticed a small bathroom with only a sink and toilet in the corner and your backpacks on the end of the beds.

“You two probably had a long journey, why don’t you get some rest. There are some toiletries in the bathroom. Breakfast starts at 7 in the morning. I’ll find you in the cafeteria and give you your work assignments once leadership decides,” she looked directly at Joel when she added, “please let me know if you need anything.” Then she excused herself, softly shutting the door behind her. You rolled your eyes and collapsed on the bed with your backpack on it, throwing your arm over your face.

“Alright, lemme have it,” Joel said roughly, tossing his backpack on the floor and sitting on the other bed. “It’s my fault. We walked halfway across the country to a city I had no idea she even lived in on the off chance we would find her, right?” He glared at you, fuming, but you just laid there with your arm covering your eyes. “C’mon already, tell me how this is my fault.”

“Did you know that was her voice on the radio?” you asked quietly, your arm still draped over your face.

“Did I – what?!” he exclaimed, standing up. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me? ‘Course not! I don’t know if that even was her recording!” You shook your head and rubbed the heels of your hands into your eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Look at me,” he demanded, but you shook your head again. You just wanted to sleep and forget this ever happened. You wanted to wake up back at the white house with blue shutters, or even on the forest floor at this point. He walked to your bed to stand over you and noticed a tear trickling down the side of your face, heading towards your ear. “Sweetheart,” he began, softer this time, but you stopped him. You sat up and crawled backwards, so your back was against the headboard, putting more space between the two of you.

“I don’t like it here,” you told him flat out, wiping at the stray tear. “There’s something off, I can’t put my finger on it, but the way she looked at me when she talked about everyone doing their part… I don’t like it.” He snorted and sat down at the end of your bed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

“You gotta give it a chance. We just got here a few hours ago. Give it a week,” he said, dropping his hand and looking into your eyes. You could see the desperation behind his gaze as he rubbed absentmindedly at his chest. “Give it a week, and if you still don’t like it, we’ll go.” You sighed, knowing you couldn’t argue with him. It was a good compromise, so you squeezed your eyes shut and nodded.

“Fine,” you whispered, your chin dropping to your chest. He grinned, leaning forward to pull you in for a kiss that you barely reciprocated. He got up to unpack some of his things while you turned on your side and pulled the blanket over you, eager to get some sleep.

The next morning, you and Joel sat together at a table eating a breakfast of oatmeal, some kind of animal meat you couldn’t name, berries, and coffee. You were starving since you decided to be dramatic and skip dinner yesterday, so you barely noticed when Amy and the others walked in to sit down at their table, her eyes immediately traveling over to Joel and gave him a flirty wave. He nodded in her direction and focused back on his food, muttering something under his breath.

“What?” you asked, popping the last of your berries into your mouth. He sighed and leaned in a little closer.

“She’s here,” was all he said, and you could feel your body tense up. You knew you had to see her again today, but you couldn’t control your reaction. You drank the last of your coffee as she glided over to your table, giving Joel a huge grin, and once again pretending you didn’t exist.

“Good morning! I hope you slept alright,” she said brightly. Joel grunted and nodded.

“We slept fine, thanks,” he replied, his hand drifting to your knee under the table. You warmed a bit at the touch, knowing he was trying to make you comfortable.

“I have your work assignments for the week. Joel, you’re on guard duty, second shift,” she winked at him before whispering, “I pulled some strings, usually newcomers have to take third shift,” then she raised her voice back up to a normal level before addressing you for the first time. “You’re on kitchen duty with Maryanne. She’s a sweetheart, she’s excited for the extra help. You’re scheduled from 10am to 7pm today.” She handed out your assignments written out on index cards, confirming the times and the locations. You were getting sick of her subtle flirting, the wink and the whisper finally tipping you over the edge. You hooked your leg over the top of Joel’s and leaned forward, draping your arm over his shoulders, pretending like she wasn’t even there.

“Baby, isn’t this so great? Our work shifts practically overlap, we’ll be able to be together at night,” you trailed a finger over his shoulder as he shot you a surprised look. He had only heard you call him that when you were having sex, and as if you had conditioned him, his cock jumped in his pants when he heard the affectionate nickname. He cleared his throat and looked back and forth between you and Amy, who tried to hide her displeasure with a fake smile.

“Yeah, it’s good, sweetheart,” he took the cards and looked back up at Amy. “Thanks, I’ll be seein’ ya at 2.” She nodded curtly and swiveled around to head back to her table. Joel chuckled under his breath as he rubbed the inside of your thigh.

“Did that make you feel good?” he teased, taking a sip of his lukewarm coffee.

“Oh, I can think of something that feels better,” you said, making him sputter into his mug. He wiped his mouth and looked at you, eyes wide and eyebrows raised, and you couldn’t contain your smirk. He cleared his throat and rested his chin in his hand, looking around the room, as he tried to wait out the erection he had under the table.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, you know that?” he murmured, unable to keep the grin from his face as he slid your leg off his lap.  You grinned at him, pleased at his reaction.

“We have a few hours to kill, you know,” you whispered as you got up from the table and dumped your dishes into the empty bin by the garbage, only meeting his eyes once before you exited the cafeteria and headed back to your room.

He was only a few minutes behind you after you left, slamming the door and snatching your face in his grip, pulling you close and hungrily exploring your mouth. You moaned into him, your tongue flicking at his teeth sloppily as you both hurriedly undressed each other.  Joel walked you backwards towards your bed, but at the last minute you twisted around and pushed him back. He flopped down onto the mattress, flinging his arms behind him for support as he gazed up at you, panting for air. Your pants had already been undone and pushed down, but you pulled them the rest of the way off as he did the same. You flung your t-shirt over your head and stood before him in just your bra and underwear. He was in the process of removing his shirt when he paused to drink you in, then whipped it over his head to the corner of the room.  He reached out to grab your waist, but you took a step back and shook your finger from side to side.

“Be patient,” you demanded, and you watched his gaze instantly darken at your tone. He slowly brought his hand back and instead palmed his cock through his boxers, watching you spin around and slowly unhook your bra. You shot a sly glance over your shoulder at him as you wiggled out of it and tossed it to the side. His lips were parted and flushed as he stared at your back, eagerly waiting for you to turn around. When you did, you kept your hand over your breasts, playfully batting his hand away when he reached out.

“Take them off,” he told you hoarsely, his eyes burning into you. You tsked at him and shook your head, making him groan, but he remained seated on the bed. You took a small step forward and lifted your other hand out to tip his chin up.

“I’m going to be the one in charge today, is that clear?” you asked him with a raised eyebrow. He nodded feverishly, his jaw slack.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, and you smiled at the term. You rewarded him by planting a quick kiss on his lips before pulling back.

“Good boy,” you muttered, dropping your hand from your tits and finally revealing yourself to him. His body jumped in response, but he forced himself to remain seated, looking back and forth between you and your breasts, silently pleading to allow him to touch you. You stepped forward and pushed him back, making him turn his body so his head was resting against the pillow. You lifted your leg and straddled him, bringing his hands up to grip your waist. He groaned and began to roll his hips into yours, but you put a hand on his chest to stop him. He let out a puff of air as he clenched his teeth, bringing his hips down to rest on the bed.

You hummed as you traced a finger down his neck and over his broad chest, his eyes never leaving your face.

"Tell me, Joel," you began casually, as your finger slowed near his boxers. "Do you want to fuck me?"

He let out a rush of air from his lungs he didn't realize he was holding, nodding as his grip on your waist tightened.

"Yes," he choked out, "yes, I want to fuck you."

You smiled as your fingernail gently scraped back and forth along the top of his pubic hair, the sensation making him shiver.

"And what about her?" you asked him as your finger stilled. "Do you want to fuck her?"

He stared at you for a moment, finally realizing where this shift was coming from. You were jealous. Jealous of Amy, of all people, who ripped his heart out and didn't think twice. If only you knew the whole story.

"No," he said firmly, making sure you were looking him in the eye. "Only you. I'm so deeply in love with you that it fuckin' hurts."

He could tell that pleased you by the way your eyes lit up, but you refused to smile and give yourself away. Instead, you hummed and leaned your head to the side, gently grinding yourself onto his cock. His eyes fluttered closed as he focused on not reciprocating for fear of losing the contact if he did so without permission. He groaned quietly when he felt your folds slip over his cock through the cloth, desperate to rip both your underwear off and bury himself inside you.

"You like that, baby?" you moaned as your pace picked up speed.

"Yes," he gasped, his eyes snapping open. "I want you so fuckin' bad, please," he begged. You smiled down at him sweetly but then you slid off his hips towards the end of the bed. He found himself almost reaching out to pull you back up when he realized you were yanking down his boxers, tossing them on the ground before slowly crawling up the bed on all fours towards him, your pointed nipples grazing against his legs. He reached out to grab your shoulders and pull you up to his mouth, but he stopped himself, his hands hovering in the air, waiting for permission. You noticed his restraint, your eyes bouncing back and forth between his hands suspended in the air. You paused when you reached his stomach, giving him a smile before dipping your head down and running your tongue leisurely up the length of his cock, flicking his slit with the tip of your tongue before pulling away.

He brought his hands up to his head and clutched his hair, his breathing labored. His eyes found yours right before you dipped back down to pull the tip of him into your mouth, pulling a deep groan from his chest. You wrapped your thumb and middle finger around his base to keep him still, and keeping your eyes on his face, you slowly brought your lips down further, inch by inch, until he touched the back of your throat. You felt his cock twitch in your mouth, and it made you smirk before slowly pulling back up and released him with a pop.

"Fuck," he gasped, his hands still clutching his hair, "fuck, that feels so good." You could feel your arousal ruining your underwear, the fabric becoming uncomfortable.

"Yeah?" you questioned before pulling the length of him back into your mouth, this time fisting his base in your hand as you bobbed up and down on him. You released him from your mouth but kept jerking him off as you spoke, spreading your saliva down the length of him.

"Did she ever fuck you this good?" you asked as he met your heated gaze. He shook his head wildly back and forth.

"No," his voice was strained, "never. No one's ever made me feel the way you do." You could hear the sentiment behind his words. He was trying to convey more than just a physical feeling, and you felt your chest flush with pride.

You quickly removed your hand and yanked your panties off, hovering over his hips and lining him up with your entrance. Before you pushed down, you brought your eyes up to meet his once more. His chest was heaving, his hands fisted at his sides, and his gaze focused solely on you. You could see in that moment that your jealousy was meaningless. Regardless of what Amy felt, you finally realized you had Joel wrapped around your finger, and nothing else mattered.

"Where do you want to touch me?" you asked him quietly, still not allowing him to enter you.

"Everywhere," he said instantly. You nodded your approval, and his hands flew up to your tits, massaging them gently between pinches of your nipples. You moaned and tipped your head back, your hands resting on the backs of his as you slowly sunk down on him. His hands froze as he focused entirely on the sensation, grunting when you finally bottomed out.

You gasped and brought your head forward to look at him.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of that feeling," you whispered. You bit your lip as he gently thrusted into you, testing to see if you would chastise him. You gave him a warning look, so he stopped and brought his hands down to grip the meaty part of your hips, his eyes glued to where you were connected. You planted your hands on his soft stomach, then lifting your hips up, started bouncing lightly up and down. He watched your breasts sway back and forth in front of him, hypnotized. Your eyes closed as you enjoyed the feeling of him sliding in and out, alternating between bouncing and rolling your hips. You could feel his fingers gripping you so tightly you were sure he was going to leave bruises, but the thought of him marking you just made you move faster, panting now at the effort.

You opened your eyes, looking down at his pained expression. His brow was furrowed and his jaw clenched tight as he stared up at the ceiling, focusing all his energy on remaining still and not slamming into you. You smirked, enjoying how difficult it was for him. You moved one of your hands off his stomach to cover one of his own, then pulled it forward so his thumb pressed against your clit. His eyes dragged from the ceiling back to your face, and immediately pressed small circles on your swollen bundle of nerves. You gasped and gripped his wrist, bouncing faster and leaning forward to hover over him.

"C'mon, sweetheart," he said through gritted teeth. "Let me have it, I wanna feel you." You groaned and squeezed your eyes shut as you felt the pressure in your stomach build. Joel kept his hips pinned to the mattress as you used him to get yourself off, rolling your hips and grinding down on him as his thumb worked your clit in circles, then side to side until you cried out his name, frozen for a moment as your release washed over you, then collapsed on his chest, burying your face in his neck.

You rode out your orgasm with tiny thrusts on top of him. His thumb slowed until he sensed your overstimulation and pulled it away to rest on your hip. You nipped on his neck, leaving a couple red marks on his collarbone. His muscles and tendons were pulled taught and his skin shined with sweat, waiting for you to give him what he wanted.

"Oh," you whispered, feigning innocence. "Did you want to come, too?"

He growled in response, and you felt his cock twitch inside you. You hummed and pushed yourself back up to look him in the eye.

"I didn't hear you," you said. His eyes were dark, and he stared at you before relenting.

"Yes," he whispered. "Please."

You smiled and pressed your lips against his, then murmured against his mouth, "Go ahead."

Like a dam that broke, his hips snapped up into you with a grunt, his pace relentless as he pounded into your sore cunt, gripping your hips and holding you down as he chased his high. You cried out, his thrusts a little painful, but you knew it wouldn't be much longer as his movements became sloppy and he gasped for air. It wasn't long before he groaned your name and yanked your hips straight up in the air, pulling himself out, then brought you back down to pin his slick cock between you both, spilling his release all over his stomach.

"Bad girl," he gasped, making you laugh.

"I don't remember hearing you complain," you teased and gave him a quick peck on the mouth before you stood up to find a rag from your backpack, cleaning you both up and then sliding next to him on the small bed. Joel drew small circles on your back as he struggled to catch his breath. When you moved to stand, he grabbed your arm and looked at you questioningly.

"I have work soon," you explained, "and now I need to shower again." He shook his head and brought your hand to his face, flipping it over and planting a kiss on the inside of your wrist.

"I want you to smell me on you all day," he said lowly and shot you a wink. You blushed, feeling a familiar stir in your lower abdomen.

"Well, in that case, I guess I have a few more minutes to spare," you said, climbing back into the bed, draping your arm over his chest.

Maryanne was very sweet. She was probably in her early 40s, with curly brown hair and thin lips. She seemed very grateful to have the help as she showed you around the kitchen. Another girl, Chloe, was mixing something for lunch in a large bowl while you learned the ropes from Maryanne. She was just explaining to you that the source of their fresh vegetables was from the college campus where they had a greenhouse when the dark-haired guard entered the room. He sent you both a glance and you felt Maryanne stiffen next to you. He made his way to Chloe, touching her elbow and whispered something in her ear. She hung her head and dropped what she was doing as he led her out the door. You looked to Maryanne for an explanation.

"That's Keith. Some of the guards come in here and need our help with other things," she was choosing her words very carefully and the hairs on the back of your neck stood up.

"What kind of 'help'?" you pressed, but she just shook her head and gave you a forced smile.

"It's not a big deal, dear. We all just take turns helping out around here whenever needed," and with that, she returned to the bowl Chloe had abandoned.

You looked back at the door they had just exited, the pit in your stomach returning. You shook your head, telling yourself Joel was always nearby, that you didn't have anything to worry about.

Chloe returned about an hour later, her eyes cast down, avoiding your gaze. Maryanne asked if you wouldn't mind serving the food at the counter today, a task usually assigned to Chloe. You assured her it was fine, shooting one more glance over your shoulder before heading to the counter.

All your worries disappeared when you looked up and saw Joel on the other side of the counter, a big smile on his face.

"Hey there, sweetheart," he leaned over to press a kiss on your lips. "How's it goin'?"

You briefly considered telling him your concerns, but you were already feeling guilty for complaining so much. He looked so much happier and at ease, so you just smiled and told him everything was fine.

Later that night, you stayed awake until he came back around 11pm from his first shift, looking exhausted. He flopped down on his bed and turned his head towards you.

"I missed you," he said, giving you a smile. You smiled back and walked over to give him a kiss, cradling his jaw in your hand.

"How'd it go?" you asked, turning to sit on your bed a few feet away. He sighed.

"Good. Fine. Just mostly walkin' and patrolin' around. Lots of stairs. You'd think I'd be used to the exercise by now," he replied.

"Who did you work with?" you asked, hoping Amy wasn't involved.

"Keith, that guy who brought us in the other day," and you bristled at his name. You opened your mouth to tell him about Chloe, but snapped it shut when you saw he was beginning to fall asleep. You pulled your blanket over you and turned out the light, once again pushing your worries from your mind for another day. You promised him a week, and you were going to see it through.

It was your third day in the cafeteria with Maryanne and Chloe. Chloe seemed in better spirits today, joking around with you as you chopped vegetables as Maryanne was manning the stove, stirring some venison in a big frying pan. You were beginning to feel at ease again, giving Joel a quick kiss after dinner was served before he had to get back to work. You were bringing dirty pans into the kitchen, then froze when you saw Keith leaning against the wall. Your eyes flicked to Chloe. Her head was down, focusing intently on scrubbing a serving spoon. You pushed yourself forward and put the pans in the sink, about to pick up a sponge when you felt his hand on your shoulder.

"Come with me," was all he said. You tried to hide the tremor in your hands. You glanced back at Chloe, but she was avoiding your gaze. You turned to look at him, gripping the edge of the sink so your hands would be steady.

"What for?" you asked, trying to keep the frown from your face.

"I got some work for you," he said. You exhaled shakily as you followed him out of the kitchen and into a hallway. You noticed the corridor was empty and silent as you whipped your head around to try to locate another person. Your heart was hammering in your chest. Something was wrong.

He opened a door and motioned for you to enter. You hesitated, but then saw the gun slung over his back, and forced yourself to walk through the door. You were confused when the light flicked on and you saw it was a broom closet. You turned around to question him when Keith shut the door firmly behind him and immediately wrapped his arms around you, pushing his open mouth on yours, his tongue demanding entry. You shoved him back as hard as you could, but he only stumbled back half a step.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" you exclaimed, backing up and hitting a wall.

"Didn't the girls tell you?" he said, advancing on you again. "I know Amy must've told you," and he grabbed you again, forcing your hand to rub against the growing erection in his pants. You pushed him back again and tore your hand away, your wrist burning after escaping his grasp.

"There's a misunderstanding, I'm with Joel, I'm not interested," you tried to make a move for the door, but he blocked you.

"There's no misunderstanding. This is what all the women do. We protect you, and you give us what we want." He was growing impatient now as he lunged forward, and you let out a scream. He wrapped a hand around your neck, cutting off your voice and forcing your face to look up at him.

"Shut the fuck up," he growled as he fumbled with your jeans. You struggled for air as tears streamed down your face. No, no, no, no.

"Stop!" you gasped, your vision growing fuzzy. He shoved his hand down the front of your jeans and inserted two fingers inside you, making you writhe and claw at his face with every ounce of energy you had.

"Knock it off and I'll let go," he whispered angrily. "If you play nice, this goes a lot easier." Desperate to get his hand off your throat, you nodded. He released your neck and pulled his fingers from your pants, and you bent over to cough, tears and snot streaming down your face and onto the floor.

"Alright, enough. Get up, hands on the wall," he demanded. You must have moved too slow because he yanked you up by the shoulders and whipped you around, but not before you saw the large hunting knife on his right hip. He was pulling your jeans and underwear down around your ankles, and then slid his hand from behind to push his fingers back inside you. You stifled a cry at the intrusion.

"That's it, see? Isn't that better? Fuck," he grunted, pulling his fingers back out to fumble with his belt. You jerked your hand back and grabbed the knife from his hip, jabbing it into his side twice. He let out a surprised yell and fell to the floor, clutching his ribs. You frantically pulled your jeans back up, and still gripping the knife, ran out the door and up the stairs to your dorm, slamming the door behind you.

Joel knocked on the door, entering when he heard Amy's response from the other side. He walked in and glanced around, noticing he was alone with her for the first time. He kept the door ajar and stood as close to the wall as possible.

"What'dya need?" he asked, keeping his eyes pinned on the wall behind her.

"Why don't you sit down, Joel?" Amy replied, giving him a sweet smile from the round table in the middle of the room. There was a large map spread out over the top with a few pencils next to it. He hesitated before deciding to enter the room further, sitting down in the chair across from her. He didn't want to come off as ungrateful for being taken in, but he didn't want to feed into your jealousy, either. She looked at him warmly from across the table.

"You look good, Joel," she said. He grunted and shifted his eyes down to the map.

"What'dya need'?" he repeated, "Ian told me you needed help up here liftin' somethin'." Amy leaned forward across the table and reached her hand out to him. He just stared at it, his hands remaining in his lap.

"Do you think it's fate?" she asked, "what are the chances we would meet again?"

"No," he replied gruffly, glaring at her, "just real dumb luck."

Amy stood from the table, trailing her fingers around the edge before coming to a halt next to him.

"How are you fitting in here, Joel?" she asked, her fingers inching toward him. "Is the work detail ok?"

"Yep," he nodded, trying to lean away. "I'm more tired than I expected but I guess that comes with age."

"Can I help you with anything? Anything to help you relax?" she murmured, her hand running up his arm now. He shuddered and rolled his shoulder to push her hand away.

"No, I'm fine. I should be gettin' back," he frowned, standing up to put some distance between them, but Amy reached her hand out and grabbed his wrist.

"You know, Dave died the very first day," she said.

"I'm sure you'll understand if I don't feel bad about that," he said, pulling his arm back.

"I know. I'm so sorry for what I did to you, Joel. You deserved better than that," she stepped closer and ducked down to catch his eye, batting her lashes at him. "Will you let me make it up to you?" She reached an arm out and palmed him through his jeans. He jumped backwards and swatted her hand away.

"You know I'm spoken for, what the hell are you thinkin'?" he exclaimed, taking another step back. He scowled at Amy when she didn’t reply, his eyes burning and jaw clenched. "You were right, I deserve better, and I got it."

"Oh, Joel, it's not that big of a deal, relax," she said, rolling her eyes. "That's just how it is here. Us girls understand that, don't worry," she cooed, reaching out to him again but he took a big step backwards.

"What the fuck does that mean?" he glowered, fists clenched at his sides.

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend? She understands what's expected, from what I can tell," she smirked.

"What?" Joel asked, deathly quiet.

"The girls here understand there's a price that comes with safety. She's been giving you what you needed in exchange for protection, right?" Amy looked at Joel, confusion written all over her face, as if it were so obvious. He stared at her, shocked at what she was saying.

"You're tellin' me all these men here are havin' their way with the women, against their will?" His eyes narrowed at her, and she scoffed.

"Oh, come on! They all understand! It's not ideal but it's better than getting ripped apart by those... those things!" she exclaimed, getting heated and waving her arms. "You don't think that girl's been sleeping with you without any ulterior motive?"

"Fuck you, you don't know shit about her," Joel swiveled around and swung the door open. He stormed down the hallway to head back to his post when she called after him.

"I might not know her, but I'm willing to bet some of the guys here do!"

As he pounded down the steps, fuming, he had a sudden realization. If the men here are used to taking advantage of all the women, then it was only a matter of time before they approached you. His chest squeezed as he made his way up the stairs two at a time, running to your room as he glanced at the time. It was just past 7, you might be back by now. He ran down the hall when he saw the light on under the door, slamming it open.

You were hovered over your backpack, frantically shoving all of your clothes and belongings into it, struggling to make them all fit. Your hair was a mess and your clothes disheveled You swung around wildly when you heard the door whip open. You had a huge knife covered in blood in one hand as you stumbled backwards, your face streaked with tears.

"It's me, hey, hey, hey! Calm down, what the fuck happened? Whose blood is this?" He knelt down in front of you and you flinched, tucking your knees into your chest, your grip tight around the handle of the knife. You rocked back and forth and shook your head as fresh tears fell from your eyes. Then he saw the marks on your neck.

"What happened?" he asked quietly, dreading the answer. He was too late, he was too late.

"H-he tried," you sobbed, covering your face with your free hand. "He t-tried- I can't- I n-need to leave," you scrambled up and skirted away from his outstretched hands, going back to furiously packing your bag. You weren't sure what you would do for weapons but at least you had the knife.

"Stop for a minute, will ya?" he said sternly, and again you flinched but you stopped, staring down at the bed and avoiding his gaze.

"Did someone hurt you?" he asked, softer now. You gave a quick nod and kept your eyes pinned to the bed. You could sense his body stiffen beside you, but he remained patient.

"Where did they hurt you?" he finally managed to croak out, bracing himself for the answer. You bit your lip so hard you thought you drew blood as hot tears silently streamed down your face.

You couldn't bring yourself to say the words. Couldn't grapple with what happened. All you knew was you needed to get out, get far away from here before his body was found.

"I think you know where," you whispered, squeezing your eyes shut.

Joel's vision went blurry and he fell to his knees on the floor, clutching his chest. His heart was racing and he felt like he couldn't breathe. His hand shook as he reached out to the mattress to hold himself up, his vision narrowing as he gasped for air.

"Joel?" you said, worry laced in your voice. But he hardly heard you. All he could hear was buzzing and the rapid pumping of his heart. He couldn't believe he let this happen. You told him you didn't want to come here, you told him you had a bad feeling, and he didn't listen. This was all his fault. He left you alone after he promised not to. His one job was to keep you safe, and he failed. How could he not see? How was he so blind? You trusted him, and he led you right into the lion's den.

And he was going to kill them all.

"Joel?!" he heard you say, more panicky now. "Joel, please, get up. Please!" His vision cleared and his heart beat slowed a fraction, his chest eased with the realization of what he had to do to fix it.

"Who?" he growled, and you froze, his tone scaring you.

"It doesn't matter. I took care of it. We need to go now, before they find out. Joel!" You called his name as he stood up and headed to the door.

"I'm going to kill every last one of them," he said, his hand on the doorknob.

"Joel, please," you whimpered, a sob rattling in your chest. "Don't leave me. Please, Joel." He sighed and dropped his head, his hand falling from the door. Here he was about to make another stupid mistake. You fucking idiot. Of course she can't be left alone.

He turned back around to you. You were standing next to the bed, your arms wrapped limply around yourself, your eyes bloodshot, lips and nose beet red from crying.

"Did you kill him?" He needed to know. He needed to be sure the man you did this was dead, or he would never be able to move on.

"I'm pretty sure, I didn't stick around, but I stabbed him twice in the ribs, there was a lot of blood, I guess..." you trailed off, unsure now if he was dead or not.

"Alright, let's get our shit and we are walkin' out of here together. I know where our weapons are, we can grab 'em on the way, hurry up." He went to the bathroom and grabbed what little items you both had, stuffing them into his bag along with a few shirts he had folded in a dresser. They didn't bother to confiscate your food, so you were lucky in that regard. He tugged his jacket on and tossed yours on your bed. Once you were both ready to go, he led you out into the hall without a second glance back.

On the main floor he headed towards a small office in the corner, the makeshift armory where all the weapons were locked up for patrol. He tugged your hand in that direction, only pausing when you passed by the broom closet. You winced and turned away at the blood that was seeping out from under the door. He could feel his chest tighten again, but he took two deep breaths, and he felt the tension easing.

"Stay here," he murmured to you. You clutched at him wildly, scared to be left alone. He firmly placed his hands on your upper arms, and crouched down to your level so he could look you in the eye.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, sweetheart. I'm right here. I'm not gonna let anythin' bad happen to you," he inwardly cringed, thinking he already let so many bad things happen to you, but you just nodded, swiping away the tears that fell down your cheeks.

"Give me the knife," he said, and you handed it over, rubbing the heels of your hands deep into your eyes.

Joel swung the door open and saw Keith slumped against the wall, bleeding out. His face was the color of ash, and his eyes were barely open. Joel squatted down in front of him and tapped under his chin.

"Look at me," he said darkly. Keith's eyes fluttered before focusing. When he realized it was Joel, he smirked, and Joel felt his blood run hot.

"Hey, man, I don't blame you," Keith coughed, blood dripping from his mouth. "I don't blame you for keeping her to yourself." Joel ground his teeth and his nostrils flared. "I just... I just wish I got more than a couple fingers in her." Keith gasped out the last words, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Joel reached forward and picked up Keith's right hand, stained with blood.

"These fingers?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. Before he had a chance to respond, Joel flattened Keith's hand on the ground and cut off his pointer and middle finger, quickly covering his mouth when he howled and writhed in pain. Blood spurted everywhere as Keith desperately tried to clutch at his new wounds, but it was no use. Joel could tell the man was losing too much blood. Even if anyone found him, they wouldn't be able to save him. He stood up and watched as Keith's eyes lost what little light was left, then his ragged breathing stopped, his eyes still open.

Joel turned and looked up and down the hallway before focusing his gaze back on you. You clearly had heard the exchange, the room was not very big, but you didn't say anything. The urge to pull you into his arms and soak up all your pain was overwhelming, but he knew he needed to get to the armory and get you back to safety. Night had fallen outside, it was dark enough where you would be able to sneak away unnoticed.

After collecting all your weapons, plus some extra ammo, the two of you crouched by the exit. Joel tilted his watch so it shone in the moonlight, noting the time and trying to remember the patrol schedule.

"Alright, we should be fine. They are patrollin' the east side of the building. You ready?"

You nodded vehemently, and he cracked the door to take a peek, just in case he was wrong. He stepped out and swiveled around for a moment, knowing his presence outside the building wouldn't be abnormal at this time. He nodded to you, and you squeezed through the door before following him into the night, towards the cover of the forest.

Chapter Seventeen

Tag list: @chiogarza, @sparklejumpropequeen-777, @shotgun-shelby

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

Since Viv still somehow cannot decide on what Angel overdosed on. I am taking my liberties and doing it my goddamn self. I will also be formatting this into a summary of what I think a good small backstory scene could be like while also giving Angel a safespace and bonding experience.

It’s in the tags but WARNING there is discussion of drug abuse and overdosing in this summary.

Urg, okay, Vague but also kind of not vague angel backstory stuff because ig viv cant make up her mind on her own OCs backstory

Angel is lying in bed with Husk sitting at the edge as per usual, and Angel starts talking about a few mild personal things (mental struggles, work, general issues, etc) and Husk suggests taking something mild to help him relax and sleep so he gets up and gets him a few pills and puts them in Angel’s hand; says its Benadryl just to help him sleep a bit, but notices quickly that Angel is suspiciously reluctant to take or even look at the pills. Obviously, he asks what's up and is met with the answer of, “Nothin’ I just don’t… use that stuff.” It piques Husk’s interest, and asks if it doesn’t work for Angel, who responds with, “It definitely works.” but ultimately, Husk decides not to pry; however, he lets Angel know he’s open to listen if it’s something he feels like he wants to talk about.

Angel, being weirdly stubborn but also becoming a bit more open with Husk by this time, takes a few minutes to actually say something but eventually informs Husk that it was something he used to try and get high off and had some really good and really bad trips with, but it was the drug that ultimately led to him suffering an overdose and never waking up after it. Both of them are quiet for a bit until Husk gets up and searches for something else to help Angel sleep and, once again, places a few small pills in his hand and says he can try these, but if not, he can try something else without pills. Angel is still reluctant but ends up accepting the offer and proceeds to carefully assort the pills into little categories, saying it’s something he ‘needs to do’. Husk doesn’t push further than that and watches Angel take the pills before the other lays down again.

Things once again go silent for a good ten or so minutes until Husk notices Angel uncomfortably folding his hands over his stomach but mentions that pills always make him feel queasy to an extent and that he only takes them with other people around so he’s distracted from the discomfort they give him. In an attempt to calm Angel’s apparent nerves on the topic, he decides to sit with the other until Angel falls asleep. Eventually, Husk follows suit, with both of them waking up the next morning and Angel giving a relieved and grateful, albeit shaky, sigh. The next morning consists of Angel thanking Husk but ends with the two coming to an agreement that next time Angel can't sleep, a liquid medication approach would be better.

I don’t know if I’ll ever do a full fledged writing of this, but the concept of triggers is something I’ve personally yet to see stated in Hazbin Hotel. This would be a good way to discuss clear lingering trauma Angel has while still treating it with the gentleness the character needs and severity the topic needs. Benadryl was also just becoming a thing around the 1940’s so it makes sense for this to be something Angel very likely could’ve overdosed on. The topic of common triggers is something interesting too; I’ve seen that in other media obviously but even though I know we won’t get it, it’d be nice to see the caution around said trigger and very slowly seeing the character become more open to it if it is a common thing like this. Not everyone will get over triggers and I myself also used to have a strained relationship with a certain pill like this, but there is always the chance that you will be able to use it somewhat normally again.

If this were to happen I’d be fine with it if Angel never got over the discomfort of pills, but much later on in the series if we saw him take some kind of antihistamine casually and comfortably it’d be really nice to see that kind of growth. And as for Husk, I’d like to see him be less shame-y with Angel’s struggles like he was in Episode 6. Since we’ve basically lost Cherri Bomb as his safespace from external stressors, I really think Angel will benefit from an actually deeply caring friend, especially one that doesn’t overstep his boundaries and doesn’t encourage self destructive behaviour. The same goes for Angel by the way, I’m really pissed that they didn’t have Angel apologise for harassing Husk and everyone else. It really is not that hard to at least try to have him feel sorry about that sort of thing. Fuck, here’s something I wrote in like 20 minutes.

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It’d be really nice to have someone to talk to, honestly, even though he didn’t speak to Husk very much at all prior to this; he was looking forward to it a little more now. Coming home… er… coming back to the hotel after work and chatting casually at a bar was just… something about it sounded so… calm. Sure, he could go to a random bar and flirt with some rando, but talking with an actual acquaintance while having a few drinks seemed so freeing. Not having to worry about someone staring at him from across the room and getting approached about some kind of ‘offer’ outside.

God, he fucking hated that... “Fuck…” Soft smile melding into a grimace, Angel began to chew slower and slower until he eventually stopped altogether and harshly swallowed. He’d probably been making Husk feel gross like that for ages now. Obviously, he’d seen the disgruntled faces he’d get in return for flirting, but he’d never actually thought about it like that until now. He couldn’t even say, ‘for some reason, it made him feel gross’; he knew exactly why; coming to terms with that, on the other hand, was a lot more uncomfortable than he’d imagined. “Hey, uh… Not to damper the mood, but… I…”His chest puffed as he took a deep breath, and each word pulled Angel to avert his gaze further from his food and the cat sitting across from him. “I was gonna say… I’m sorry for bein’ weird and touchin’ your face yesterday…” As he spoke up, his voice lightly cracked near the end of his sentence. “And when we were filmin’ the hotel commercial… And every time I’ve put my legs on ya lap… And any otha time I did somethin’ like that.”

——————

I haven’t even finished this writing yet (I’ll likely add the rest when I do finish it) but you can see that it genuinely is not that hard to fit in an apology.

Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed my little Angel Dust ideas. Be prepared for more eventually

[siren-serenity]

Hi beautiful(your beautiful) your us just chefs kiss👌❤ everything is lovely in the story. So I was wondering if I could please request Boa hancock x male reader thats has a cute/loving personlity you know that person that always smiles at everyone and has like the most beautiful eyes ever.

BUT DON'T FEEL FORCED TO ACCEPT MY REQUEST. I WILL TOTALLY UNDERSTAND AND NOT BE MAD.

Have a lovely day beautiful!💕💌💋

eyes and smiles (my heart beats louder)

characters: boa hancock, m!reader warnings: fluff, slight angst (i don't really know her backstory well so i'm trying), mentioning of sexual assault but none was written in detail (proceed with caution!!!) a/n: - i've never actually written hancock before?? like when i first got this ask, i was still really really new to one piece so i was like "who is she???" - BUT NOW??? SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL ALDJFLASKJDFLADSJF - your ask sounded kinda like a headcanon series?? I'M SORRY I TURNED IT TO A DRABBLE ALSDKFJALSJD (edit: so i may have changed the story too??? i tried to keep elements of the original male reader, terribly sorry once again!!!) - feedback is appreciated!

Men are fools.

It is the first thought that arises in Boa Hancock's mind as she steps off her assigned Marine warship that brings her to the detested Marine headquarters. It's honestly an eyesore to stare at, nothing but uniform colors of white and blue. The shade of blue was supposedly to represent the vast ocean, but it is a mockery of it, paling in comparison.

Being a warlord was a small price to pay for the safety of her sisters and the people of her nation but as she rolls her eyes and strays away from the eyes of the men on the island, she wishes that it was someone else in her place.

(Men are dangerous. It was a man who kidnapped her and her sisters and tormented her for the past decades of her life. It was men who brought pain to the meaning of beauty. Her nightmares were filled with men who touched her and-)

"Hey, are you alright?" A cautious voice broke her out of her thoughts. Hancock straightens up, flicking a stray piece of hair away from her eyes (she must be beautiful) before huffing at the voice.

"You fools didn't assign anyone to guide me! Me! The most beautiful in the world didn't even have proper treatment!" Hancock crosses her arms. "Have the Marines sunk so low to forget simple instructions as this?"

The voice that comes next isn't filled with bumbling flirtations as expected. In fact, it almost throws Hancock off-guard when the voice's tone hasn't changed. It's still polite and slightly formal, but not derogatory.

"Pardon our mistakes, Pirate Empress," You bowed, eyes facing the floor. Hancock eyes you slightly, still taken aback by your lackluster response to her. "Let me guide you to the meeting room now."

"You better-" Her voice dies out as you raise your head and for the first time in a long time, she's starstruck with what she sees.

Your eyes are perhaps the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. They're incomparable to the greatest cuts of jewelry or to the seasons on the island that she dearly loves. The tantalizing freedom that the ocean gives her or the fire burning within as she takes revenge against all those who tormented her softens to a gentle breeze. She feels at peace being lost in your beautiful eyes. They're not even filled with the disgusting lust of men, not heart-shaped and mind-racing with crude images of what they could do if they had their hands on the beautiful, gorgeous, pirate empress.

"If you would be so kind as to follow me," You gesture to the corridor on the right and swiftly move forward. Hancock follows behind until your steps are aligned. She's afraid as you were still a man, but slightly less anxious about you. (What is she doing, fraternizing with the enemy? It was a man who led her life into a life of destruction and pain-)

Your voice cuts through the silence, previously punctuated by the steps of her heels and your Marine standard boots. "Are you perhaps wondering about my response to you?"

Her first response is to fight you for what you said. How dare you assume her thoughts! Then, she realizes that yes, she was still curious about it so she withholds her blood-lust and nods. "Y-Yes..."

You smile and her heart skips a bit. Seas and skies, you were breathtaking. "I do think you are beautiful, that is undeniable."

Hancock's steps falter and her leg muscles tense, in preparation to flee.

"But I do not find any urges to be so crude and lust-hungry," You shrug and smile again. "I do want to apologize for the behavior of my fellow Marines though. They are sometimes a bit...vulgar."

"Crude is the least of it," Hancock spits out and you nod, eyes darkening. "Men have done worse in the name of lust and I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Sometimes I just want to rip their eyes out of their sockets," You hiss under your breath. She watches as you fist your hands in anger, but not to lash out at her. To your comrades. Mild respect blossoms within her. "And they dare call themselves beholder of justice and proud Marines."

She smiles because being with you is like breathing fresh air for the first time. "At least one Marine is good."

You grin back boyishly and the odd rhythm of her heartbeat beats louder in her ears.

The familiar double doors grow larger as you both approach it with steady footsteps. Hancock mourns the lack of a good conversationalist, soon to be replaced with idiots like Doflamingo and Sengoku, when she could have kept conversing with you. You step forward, opening the grand doors for her like a gentlemen should.

"Until we meet again, Pirate Empress," You bow one last time, giving her your biggest smile yet. "It was lovely to meet and chat with you."

She almost forgets to respond, taken aback once more by the loveliness of your smile. She pauses just at the entrance of the room before giving you a shy smile. Her cheeks burn.

"Goodbye, Mister..." She trails off and blushes from embarrassment. How rude of her! She speaks so highly of you in her head yet doesn't know your name.

"(M/N) (L/N)," You say, standing up from your bow and tipping your Marine hat to her. "Shall we meet again as swiftly as the seas and wind themselves."

"May the waves be kind to you too," She curtsies before entering. Hancock's in much of a daze afterwards but Doflamingo's drawl makes her realize for the first time what her symptoms meant.

Racing heartbeat, irregular beating of the blood in her veins. Burning and blushing of the cheeks. The way she kept replaying your smile and the crystal clear sight of your eyes-

"Hancock's in love!"

"Shut up you overgrown flamingo!!"

[dearwriters]

Okay, So, I have this character, his name is Ciel. Ciel is a nervous 14 y/o trans boy who was conditioned to always act cheerful and full of energy, to act with the eccentrics of a circus performer(which he was)

Now here's the thing, he's my main character's best friend, but also has a plotline of his own. The main character is a toxic person w/ a hero complex and narrates the story(they are very unreliable and try and make Ciel seem like the toxic one)

The main character(13y/o girl) twists things to make themself seem better, how can I show that Ciel is morally grey while still having the unreliable MC villianize him?

How to write an Unreliable Narrator

Hi! Thank you for your question. What you describe is a great example for an unreliable narrator. Here are a few thought on how to create such a narrative voice:

It's all about the twist

The big thing for most stories told by an unreliable narrator is having the reader at first side with them before the relevation of their true nature. This creates the big conflict the reader is confronted by. It's not about straight up lying to the reader, it's about exploiting their natural willingness to side with the main character, since they are closest to their thoughts, reasonings and emotions. While the voice of the narrator leads them down the wrong path, foreshadowing the truth behind their narrative is essential. It's like placing clues for a mystery, so the reader can look back on the text and realize all the ways they have been led astray, while the truth was there the whole time. So think about this story as a mystery story with the crime to uncover being the obscuring of truth.

Give them a motive

Like in any crime story, the criminal needs a motive. "Being toxic" can be a character trait but in itself it doesn't add up to a motivation. If their motivation is to paint themselves as a hero, it might be crucial to explore their personality and their backstory for how this desire was produced and what their ultimate goal is.

One great example is the novel Gone Girl (spoilers, obviously): We learn about Amys story through her diary entries that paint her husband as violent, before the twist of the story reveals that she manufactured the diary to frame her husband for murder.

Another famous example is the novel Lolita, in which the narrator Humbert Humbert obviously twists the events of the novel in a way that paints him as the "victim" of the "seduction" of the 12 year old Dolores, to justify the sexual abuse he imparted upon her. The point of the novel is for the reader to be horrified and disgusted by his thoughts and reasonings, while being captivated by the hauntingly beautiful prose.

The next famous example would be The Tell-Tale heart. The fragmented prose of the text illustrates the narrators madness to the reader, thus marking him as unreliable.

Some ways to foreshadow the unreliable narrator

It can be quite tricky to place to clues that point to the narrator being unreliable. Here are some ways that can help with that:

a) Using other characters/POVs as a sounding board: A story using multiple POVs might be the easiest way to show the different narrators various reliability. The characters filter the events through their specific lenses and thus give the reader a way to piece together the truth.

b) Using the narration itself to instill doubt: this can be used by planting contradictions, by showing in real time the thought-process of the character twisting the truth, by establishing intentional "plot holes" that are later revealed to be part of the twist, by framgenting the narration in a way that indicated the narrators instability or by having the narrator justify events/acts/thoughts that are obviously twisted. Things can start out seeming very truthfull and reliable and then proceed to unravel as the narrator struggles to keep up appearances.

I hope this helped a bit.

Have fun writing!

[akiology]

Phantom Thieves play a farming/life simulator game with S/O

Note: purely self-indulgent... my friends and i booted up stardew valley again so have this . .. i mainly have stardew in mind while writing, so the mechanics will be reflecting that ehe no sumi yet! i have no idea how to write her yet </3 but i am currently playing through p5r so i might add her later!

Akiren

Ahh... he enjoys this game very much. Being somewhere peaceful and quiet AND alone with you? Perhaps a dream come true! As soon as the game is loaded, he starts planting the first few seeds he receives, and then proceeds to forage for things he could sell. When he finds a few flowers, he will give them to you and will pout if you don't accept them.

"You need to meet the people in town!" you tell him as he tries to give you the flower again.

"Why? I already have you. I do not need anyone else."

Definitely the type to do most things with you. You are planting crops? He will water them. You are petting the chickens? He will feed them. You are fishing on the beach? He is right beside you, doing the same. You are going to the mines? He defends you from the mobs while you mine away. He genuinely enjoys being with you all the time (even if in this case, its in a video game).

Enjoys playing househusband as well, should you advance that far in the game, and will be the type to seriously think about the names of your children (in the game). Once the house is upgraded, and there is a kitchen, he now has another purpose. The type to collect recipes and cook, going around town giving dishes to the townspeople. The type to send you off with your 'lunch' and a "Take care! The kids and I will be waiting for you."

Ryuji

Probably giddy the first time you suggest playing the game. He will gladly agree, of course! The only thing though, he does not find the farm work to be entertaining, so you will have to do that. He does not mind taking care of the livestock though! As soon as the game starts, he'd probably hand you the seeds and go foraging instead. Probably the kind to always make sure to have something to sell at the end of the day.

He enjoys going to the mines, and so he is mainly in-charge of the upgrades. Will tend to give you a few pretty stones and/or artifacts he finds. Also the kind to 'unlock' things, such as new areas or new mechanics. He would probably go for achievements, but he's not really a completionist. More so does certain things for its benefits.

"Ryuji, I need a few earth crystals for the mayonnaise makers," you tell him as you were rearranging a few things in your farm.

"Alright babe! I also got you a diamond, by the way!"

He also tries to make your life easier while playing the game, such as letting you upgrade your backpack first, exchanges tools with you when he upgrades so that you have the better quality, and puts torches every where so you do not get lost. Will probably be blushing the whole time while you guys get married, and when you decide to have kids (in-game).

Ann

The game is so cute! Yes, she will gladly play with you! When you first boot up the game, she is a little bit overwhelmed because there are so many things to do, but she will most likely look at the journal/tasks as a guide for things to do. She does not mind doing a little bit of everything, but she mainly enjoys taking care of the livestock. She also likes designing the layout for both the farmland and the inside of the house.

"Oh my gosh! Can I buy the chickens for our coop? Our first children!" Ann gushes, having just finished up the fencing for the said coop.

"Sure, just do not forget to buy food for them as well!"

Once you guys have reached the stage where you are living comfortably, she will try to befriend everyone! Extra resources she have will be given to the townspeople, curious for the lore and a few character backstories. As for the romanceables, she asks for your permission to befriend them beforehand. It's honestly adorable.

When you guys get married, she will dress up accordingly. She is giggling the whole time, and will whisper an 'I love you' to you at the end. When you decide to have kids, she's a bit disappointed that they do not grow up. She finds it fun to put different hats on them, though!

Yusuke

He is a bit clueless at first, and will need you to guide him through most of the things. Once he gets the hang of it though, he will enjoy it. He really likes the background music and the art of the game so those are plus points for him. He tends to forget the farm chores though, as he will usually go to town to interact with different characters and see their stories.

If you let him be in-charge of the farm layout, it will be a beautiful farm guaranteed; even with just the use of flowers, crops, and some tall grasses. He asks that you do not touch it though, so you have two farms. One for profit, and one for whatever Yusuke decides it to be. He rarely goes to the mine, and almost never goes unless you invite him so you are in-charge of upgrading your tools. You, however, task him with buying things needed for the farm such as hay, seeds, etc. He accidentally bought 99 pieces of the wrong thing once though, and he apologized profusely afterwards.

"You bought 99 heaters?!"

"It was beside the hay, my love, I realized too late." Yusuke genuinely sounded apologetic, and you assured him that it was fine.

When you get married, he will give you a bunch of flowers he grew on the farm. He also tends to have a surprise for you every once in a while, like maybe an item he got while exploring, or rearranging your furniture. If you decide to have children, he diligently checks on them and does not want to leave them alone on the farm. You try to tell him it does not make a difference, but he refuses to leave them all by themselves.

Makoto

Another one who is a bit clueless. After watching a bit from you, she starts to learn though. You divide up the chores between yourselves, so that you get equal experiences. Also the one to fulfill all the side quests, even in-game she likes helping people. She finds the game as a good stress relief, given as it has a calming background music and cute art. Also enjoys exploring every new thing together.

"Makoto, will you be my partner for the festival?"

"Y-you don't need to ask. My answer is always yes."

She also likes the combat system, and will visit the mines sometimes. A casual player, she allows you to play even without her. Given that she is a very busy person, she's fine even with just updates on what is going on in the farm currently. Despite this, she somehow remembers which crops/products are the most profitable and encourages you to sell those instead.

If you decide to get married in-game, she is red in the face while the sequence is happening. She might also come back more frequently now, can't let her spouse do all the work on the farm by themselves now, eh?

Futaba

She is probably the one to initiate asking. She has played the game before, and wants to try playing with you as well. Will also probably play the game with a few mods, just to spice it up a little bit. As soon as the game loads, she plants the given seeds and goes to town to greet the people. An absolute completionist for achievements. Might play the game even if you are not online. The kind of player to advance ahead, just so she can help you later on. Despite this, she asks for your input in most things as she really likes including you in the decision-making.

"Should I put the coop near our crops so it's easier for you to navigate?" Futaba asks while she layouts the farm.

"Yes please!"

She keeps a mental list of the things she needs to do, and knows exactly what exact conditions are needed to unlock a certain thing, or the requirements to a certain event. So if you ever find yourself stuck, feel free to ask her! She also does a little bit of everything, therefore her stats are really balanced.

Married or not, she gives you an item every day. She says its a 'power-up', so you will have an easier time doing your tasks. Also, your cat's name is Morgana. She says you guys are one big family over here.

Haru

Yes! It did not take much convincing, honestly. She does not mind being completely in-charge of the crops. She tends to do a few tasks from-time-to-time, though. Especially tasks related to crops, such as bringing a cabbage to a certain person in town. She very much likes the combat system, sure it's a little simple, but she loves it. Sometimes goes to the mines just for it. Not to get an ore, but just to battle.

She gives you flowers, sometimes from foraging, and some she grew on the farm. She studies which crops are the best to grow to ensure profit and also which ones you can eat for HP and fatigue, both for when you or she goes to the mines. She might drop a few fun facts about some of the plants, too.

She is a very casual player, playing for the vibes and also as a bonding quality time with you. Thus, she likes when you ask her to do stuff with you, such as visiting another island together, or going to the mines together. When you get married, she finds it cute that the whole town attended. And to be honest... this game is giving her ideas.

"What if we start a farm that could supply our café?" Haru asks you one night.

"H-Haru! Let us focus on graduating first... "

Goro

A little hesitant to play, but he ends up playing nonetheless. He is a little bit unsure on what to do, so he ends up mimicking whatever it is you do. While he ends up enjoying the game, he will only play when you are online. If he has prior commitments, he lets you play but does not want you to play special events without him.

"Goro~ the festival tomorrow requires me having a partner. Can I ask one of the townspeople instead?"

"No. Do not even think about it. Wait for me," he leaves no room for discussion.

He also likes dividing the chores between you two, so you both get equal benefits. He likes exploring with you, but when he is not with you he is mining purely for the combat. If you ever need monster drops, he probably has a lot in his inventory. Will also redecorate your house a bit, and admittedly he likes the idea of living with you a little too much. Even if it is in-game. He is most definitely not remembering how you designed the house for later references.

He also really enjoyed watching the wedding sequence with you. Maybe one day, you can run away with him and live a peaceful life tending a farm instead? Would you say yes? Maybe it is not too late to start anew somewhere.

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

This week we begin our farewell to two brilliant shows and welcome a newcomer. Of the shows airing now, all but one are streaming weekly on Gaga and the other is available via fansub.

Takara's Treasure

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses This was the final week for the main story (don’t despair, we get a special episode next week), and the show wrapped up our core romance arc beautifully. At its heart this is a simple story between two boys seeking connection and working up the confidence to pursue what they want without fear. We spent the first half of the show grounded in Taishin’s country mouse in the big city journey, and the second slowly peeling back Takara’s layers until we understood just how mutual their affection is. I was so impressed with the show’s steady, patient approach to revealing this character to us, and I love that through knowing and liking Taishin (perhaps even more than 100%), Takara is getting more comfortable with himself, reaching for what he wants, and having genuine moments of joy. I’m also excited for him to get to know Taishin’s family and feel some of the warmth and support he’s been missing. Looking forward to whatever glimpse of their future the show gives us next week.

Happy of the End

gif by @putterphubase

We knew this one was going to be dark, and hoo boy is it. Content warnings for the first two episodes:

Assault, child abandonment, childhood sexual slavery, domestic abuse, family violence, human trafficking, rape, sexual exploitation

We meet our main characters this week and learn the basics of their backstories (though there are still gaps that I expect will be filled in later on). Both of these men have lived hard lives, and it shows. They are not particularly good people, neither of them responds normally to the situations they find themselves in, their emotional wavelengths are often odd, and there is a recklessness to their behavior that speaks to a kind of ambivalence about survival. They recognize something in each other that draws them together, but even as they share their stories and spend time together, there are barriers between them. This story has a fairly bleak worldview, so I don’t expect it will follow the usual romance beats and I’m not counting on a happy ending. @bengiyo pointed out that the show seems to be narrated from a future perspective after the relationship ends, and @illgiveyouahint said the show feels “gently hopeless” which I think is a rather apt description of its tone.

This show is beautifully shot and feels steady and clear about its subject matter, but its themes are not for everyone. Proceed with caution, and ask for content warnings if you need them—I expect there will be difficult content in every episode. This one is dropping two episodes a week on Gaga, and there is also a fansub ongoing from @isaksbestpillow. Siiri’s subs will likely be more accurate, but I recommend at least background streaming on Gaga to make sure the show gets the official views.

I Hear the Sunspot

gif by @heretherebedork

I have already talked plenty about my current feelings of frustration with this show, so I won’t belabor the point. This week Taichi dropped out of university to go work full time at his new job despite his friends’ protests, we got a long Maya flashback and another instance of her clashing with Taichi, Kohei and Taichi continued to not say anything honest to each other as they said their goodbyes, and Kohei confessed without Taichi processing it yet again. The final episode appears to include a time skip, and then maybe they will have the conversation we’ve been waiting on for six weeks. Fingers crossed the finale makes all of this time spent in stasis feel worth it.

Note: I have to get this up early today due to my travel schedule, and at time of posting episode 7 of Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding was not yet available with English subs. I imagine @isaksbestpillow will post sometime soon and I will share when it goes up and include final thoughts in next week’s round up.

Tagging @bengiyo for the anime update.

[nickel156]

Tamlin stans: I'm not excusing his (abusive) behavior b-but.......*proceeds to excuse his behavior* i love yalls commitment to the hypocrisy and intellectual dishonesty. Mwah! 💋

Touch grass, please!

There's a difference between condoning abuse and acknowledging character growth.

But ohh the hypocritical double standard!

Rhysand drugged Feyre, paraded her around in revealing outfits and forced her to give lap dances until she puked, all while touching her arms and waist.

Now, imagine if Tamlin or any other male character did this. The fandom would have burned them at the stake! But Rhysand? Oh, he gets a free pass because he’s framed as the ultimate bad boy turned good, the misunderstood hero, the dark prince with a heart of gold. How convenient.

And before anyone jumps in with the classic “but he had no choice!” narrative—spare me. We all have choices, and Rhysand’s involved manipulating and using Feyre without her consent. The fact that he had "good intentions" doesn’t change the nature of his actions. Yet, many fans brush these incidents aside, swooning over him because he’s the end game love interest, and apparently, that absolves all sins.

Rhysand never explicitly apologizes for his actions. There’s no heartfelt, “I’m sorry for drugging you and manipulating you,” no acknowledgment of the trauma he contributed to. But hey, who needs apologies when you have a tragic backstory, right? (And sex on paint) It seems that in the calculus of fictional redemption, a sob story plus grand romantic gestures equals instant forgiveness.

The selective blindness in this fandom is crazy. When other characters exhibit controlling or manipulative behavior, they’re vilified beyond redemption. But Rhysand? Oh, he gets essays defending his tactics, romanticizing his so-called protective measures, and painting him as the ultimate feminist ally. It’s as if putting on a show of "respect" in later books magically erases his earlier transgressions.

Is not telling your wife and mate their baby would kill them respect?

Asking for a friend.



[tomiedotcom]

WALDEMATH MOON/ DARK MOON LILITH (H58)

I have always wondered where people get their Lilith keywords from on this app, since there are four Liliths (that I am aware of now) and they all have seemingly different keywords but there is no source linked, ever. Yes I have a problem with that since we should all be on the same page and have at least ONE primary source and not just pull all of the information from "personal experience" or anything of that nature. We don't do this for someones Venus for example because we can look back at mythology and proceed from there, same should be applied for the Liliths, which is essentially why I am making this series and starting with the h58 Waldemath Moon.

Since we have several Liliths we can not just pull aspects from her mythos and apply it randomly to wherever it makes sense or because so and so said it should be done that way, we have to look at the history behind how the specific asteroid was discovered as well and somehow merge those together accordingly.

The story of the h58 is quite interesting and in my opinion gives a bunch of interesting keywords. The astronomer who claimed to have discovered the h58 Moon is Dr. Georg Wilhelm Waltemath, he called it "the second Moon". His hypothesis for why such a satellite exists is because he thought something was gravitationally affecting the Moon's orbit. He gave detailed information into it which you can read here, and he "claimed that it was not normally visible with the naked eye but predicted it would be visible between 2 and 4 February 1898. Twelve claims were made to have seen it at that time but were later proven fraudulent or mistaken by astronomers W. Winkler and Baron Ivo von Benko who had been monitoring the area at the time. Waltemath also claimed that the moon had been sighted previously by Adolphus Greely in Greenland on 24 October 1881 and by painter and personal friend, C. Waller in Munich on 16 February 1897."

Later on in 1918, astrologer Walter Gornold also known as "Sepharial" claimed to have confirmed the existence of Waltemath's moon and he named it "Lilith" after Lilith from the jewish legend. He claimed it was a "dark" moon, invisible for most of the time.

Now that we have the backstory down so to speak, and we can see it's based on a primary source we can start with the keywords.

Waldemath Moon/ Dark Moon Lilith keywords: The Hidden, The Unseen, The Unconscious, Phantoms, Parts Of You That Only Some People See, Unseen But Powerful Raw Forces, Undiscovered Parts Of The Self, Where No One Believes Us, Parts Of Yourself You Don't Believe Exist, Your Unlocked Potential But Also Worst Darkest Shadow, A Part Of You That Has Been So Shunned You Are Consciously Not Aware Of It, Etc.

I believe this could also be the unseen parts of Lilith herself, parts of her mythos that has been lost or information that is not mainstream. If you look deeper into this you might find more interesting keywords to have for the h58.

I will make posts with h58 in each sign in the future so stay tuned for that. Thank you for reading, if you have your own keywords to add based on what you have learned please comment them I would love to see it.

sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Waltemath#cite_note-Schlyter-