#she doesnt need powers to keep these boys in line

[grugruel]

Can you do that for me?

Pairings: ruined!Jayce x f!reader

NSFW/MDNI

Masterlist

Summary: Formerly partners, you've started a new business in Zaun after Jayce's disappearance. One day, after hearing whispers of Victor's apparent evolution, Jayce shows up unannounced.

Wordcount: 4.2 k

Warnings: Some canon stuff (beware spoilers), pinv sex, angst, fluff, fingering, slight handjob, choking, biting, creampie, doggy, missionary, cowgirl (a lot of positions), sub/dom/switch!Jayce, power struggle, fight for dominance, praise (f and m recieving), spanking, overstimulation, "I love you", difficult feelings, hot depraved Jayce.

AN: Not proofread, I intend to make a few changes to it later but wanted to get it out. Might be spelling mistakes. I tried to fit a bit of everything into this. ENJOY GIRLIES🎀

Having pulled the curtains aside, a vigilant man inspects the dark streets below. "He's almost here, ma'am," the man says, eyes following the subject. There's a slight stiffnes to his stance, as if he's readying himself for a fight. "What do you want us to do?"

"Let him in," she smiles at him faintly, attempting to reassure the large man before returning to her paperwork. "Dont give him trouble, there's nothing to fear."

The guard nods slowly and crosses the room to leave, he knows she's right. Yet, he stays in the doorway, shoulders slumped and arms crossed.

Warm light creeps in through the entryway, contrasting the faint light that Zauns streetlights provide for her otherwise gloomy office.

Noticing how the strong wash of light remains, she looks up at her guard to find another question lingering on his lips. "I've know you long enough to tell when something ails you." She leans back in her chair.

He catches her gaze reluctantly, facing away before he speaks. The man clears his throat, he knows he's crossing a line. "He's trouble, if you ask me. The boys and I-"

The woman pulls her glasses of and sighs, done with her work for the evening. "Im a big girl, I can handle myself."

The guard leans against the doorway and shrugs in reluctant recognition. "We're worried for you, ma'am-" but catching himself on his words, his hands gesture to remedy his meaning. "Respectfully, of course," he ads quickly, aversed to insult his employer.

The woman stands slowly, walking around her crammed desk to casually prop herself next to him. "I know," she reassures, placing a soft hand on his chest. "But I'll be fine, send him in."

The large man huffs. "We'll be outside then," he begins, but as the next words begin to form on his tongue, he decides against it, solely out of trust for his employer. If he could, he would've added 'when you need us'.

She doesnt doubt it, nor does she take offence. They're a tight knit family down here, she cares for them as much as they do her. But this would be an interaction no family member should hear. "That won't be necessary, keep to the foyer . . . Now go," she hurries him, careful to keep an understanding smile on her lips lest he changes his mind.

With a heavy breath and one last glance, the guard reluctantly closes the door and heavy footsteps recede.

She sighs, moving to brace her hands against the desktop and preparing herself for whats to come, for what she suspects.

She lights the lantern on her desk and waits. Only a moment later the same warm light creeps into the room. She twitches, unprepared for his arrival inspite of her efforts as the squeaking door slices through the eerily silent space.

In her peripheral, a fallen man stands. He's tired and dirty. Cut up and run down. There's a moment of contemplation between her and the newcomer, she does not move and neither does he. It's been a long time.

Squeak, thump, click . . . Pause. He's locked the door. A heavy thud between metal and wood sounds next, there's a faint sound of coarse skin sliding along fine metal before the familiar vibrations of hextech dies out.

All that exists between them now is heavy breathing in two parts, laboring against their own minds and bodies.

The floorboards begin to creek, irregularly, as if the weight placed upon them has not yet decided it's course of action. She grips the desktop harder, fingernails burrying into fine wood. She can only guess why he has come. "It's Viktor, isn't it?" She breathes, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

She gets no response, the only answer she recieves is the creeking of floorboards as the uncertain weight shifts back and forth. But that is all the answer she needs.

Having seamingly made up his mind, determined footsteps approach her in a sudden haste. Srong arms wrap around her body, pulling her toward a hard chest in a tight, tight embrace. His head collides with her shoulderblade as he burries his face in her scent. Muffled by her body, strained breaths blow welcome warmth onto her skin.

"What's happened?" She whispers, not entirely sure she wants the answer for she can smell him now. Metal and gunpowder. But it's not the type raw metal used for smithing or creating, it's not the metal she's used to. No, this is pungent, corporeal. It's blood. "Jayce, please . . . " She begins, 'talk to me' her lips shape, but no sound comes out. Unable to muster the strength.

"Cant- I cant . . . talk about it. Not now, not yet," he manages, voice rough as if he has fought and damp breath raising goosebumps on her neck. "I just . . . Needed you. I need you."

A strong hand slides higher, knuckles intently brushing the underside of her breast. "Can't think anymore."

And inspite of her better judgement. "Ok," she agrees, whispering, as if her consience wouldnt be able to hear. She's missed him, worried for him. So, her body betrays her.

Laying her hand on top of his, she guides him over the hill of her breast.

His breath hitches while his other hand move downward, tracing her ribs, down her waist, stopping on her thigh and squeezing tenderly. Soft flesh dimpling beneath the force of strong fingers. "I've been lost, " his voice breaks. "Missed you." His hands slide further down to slither under the slit in her dress.

"No feelings right now, Jayce . . . Please, just-"

Two fingers slip inside of her and she gasps. "No feelings," he assures, placing a gentle kiss on her neck.

"Good, good . . . " she moans.

While massaging her breast his thumb finds her clit and tongue her neck, gently nipping and sucking on the crook of her neck. Her body grows to weak to hold itself upright so she puts her weight on her arms. Noticing, he holds her tighter and pushes her weight against the desk. "Already?" He whispers, dragging his teeth along the shell of her ear as his fingers steadily thrusts in and out of her. "You're making it too easy for me."

A breathless chuckle leaves her, crammed between heavy groans. "You work with your hands . . . Mmmh, unfair advantage."

He bites her earlobe, tugging, teasing. "So do you, if I remember correctly." A grin twists her lips as her hand reaches between them and palms his enlarged bulge. He hisses as she begins to stroke it, heat immedietly surfacing as the friction between fabric and skin grows. "Mhhg, that's what I thought," he groans. "Good girl."

He pushes a third finger inside off her, curling them at just the right angle.

"Fuck!" Her free hand curls into a fist, joints having nothing better to do than occupy themselves in anyway they can. He puts more focus on her clit, rubbing dutyful circles into and and finally pushes her over the edge. "Mhh, shit-"

His fingers slow down as she hits her high, gently leading her through it as he supports her weight. "Just breathe, that's right . . . "

Her breathing has become a mixture of moans and wheezes, the pleasure stimulating every nerve in her body. "Did you . . . ?" She asks, suddenly remember her hand on his clothed member.

"No," he whispers and kisses her temple. "Theres time." He tries to turn her around. But fear grips her. "No-" she stops him, gripping the edge of the desk to keep herself in place. Seeing the changes up close would make them real, would make whatever he has come from, real. "I can't look at you . . . not yet." She reaches over her shoulder to cup his jaw, and just like that, their bubble of reminiscence bursts. They arent colleagues anymore and havent been for a long time. Nor is their third party longer there to rationalise with them. A shrap jab strikes her heart. "Give me time, and just," her other hand reaches behind her, grabbing the fabric on his hip to pull him closer, pressing his erection against the curve of her ass. "Like this for now, Jayce. Please . . ."

His head lulls against her back, pushing his forehead firmly into her spine whilst releasing a big, shaky breath. She can feel him bare his teeth, silently working through the consequences of his actions.

He doesn't answer, he only obeys.

It goes silent for a short moment, until the warmth on her hips disappear and the metal clanging of a belt buckle sounds behind her.

Quickly, one hand returns to her thigh to pull her dress over her ass.

"Dont hold back," she says.

There's a pause in his movements. "Are you certain?"

She nods and he wastes no time. Pushing himself against her, his knees spread her legs efficiently, just liked they've practiced many times before. With mo further warning, he sinks into her. One hand crossing over her waist as the other grabs her shoulder, then sets a ruthless pace.

Somehow she knows he needs to get this out of him, the pent of fury and need. But she doesnt complain, he always knew what he was doing.

The sound of slapping fills her office, while the lewd squelching from her previous orgasm further spurs them on. He bends over her, changing his grip. Fingers snaking around her throat as his knee and free hand work together to fish one of her legs onto the desk, hitting her deeper, harder. His thrusts are no longer about speed, but of that one special little spot.

He puts pressure on her throat, almost painstakingly so. But it feels heavenly and she wouldn't have it any other way.

With each rut, his members perfectly fills her. His face is next to hers and he kisses had bites around her neck and ear, making sure she knows how good he makes her fell by grunting and moaning right into her ear. It makes that pulsing in her core worse, and he seems to notice.

"Yeah, you like that?" He groans, kissing her soft skin right behind the ear.

"Mmmhmm," she hums, voice vibrating with the bumping of their bodies. Doing her best to keep silent, afraid that one of her guards suddenly decides to check up on her.

"Let me hear you, use your words," he breathes, flexing the fingers around her throat and biting her shoulder.

"Fuck-" her knuckles and nails take turns in destroying her desk, scratching and denting the expensive wood grain. "I like making you, mmh . . . feel good." She manages, words stuttering between thrusts.

He gently pulls on her ear with his teeth. "Good," he whispers, then releases her throat and places his hand on the back of her neck, pushing her against the desktop.

Slap. His hands comes down on her ass, then gripping the plump flesh hard to lessen some of the stinging. A jolt of electricity shoots through her and her insides clench arouns him.

Jayce whimpers from the sudden, godlike pleasure. "Wanna hear you, honey, don't be shy." His hand comes down again, harder this time.

She squeezes around him, nerves on fire as she feels her second climax building up inside her. She moans as tears run down her face, happy pleasurable tears only Jayce has been able to produce.

"That's it . . ." He slaps her ass a third time, and the wall inside her core crumbles. With a whimper, she comes. "You did so good, lovely, im almost there," he assures her. Tears stream down her face as his thrusts grow irregular, but continues to pleasure her body. "Fuck," she cries, squirming from the drawl iut orgasm. One hand holds her steady at the hip while the other slides up her back, rubbing her tender body until he brushes away stray hair from her profile.

"Hold on a little longer, just breathe, baby," he comforts her, such a stark contrast to the rough thrusts he's been dealing her body. Her fingers are jittery from the overstimulation, they aached to touch him, pull his hair, anything. But she cannot reach, so she presses her palms against the table to keep them occupied.

As he sees her tear streaked face, one last blow lands on her ass and he too, comes. He collapses on top of her, they attempt to regain their strength as their sweaty bodies lie flush against eachother.

After a few moments of breathing heavily together, Jayce wraps an arm around her torso and splays his hand over her rips, pulling her with him as he straightens out.

Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes and turns around. Hands finding his face, guiding her lips to his.

"Please look at me, my beautiful girl. Look at me," he pleads, murmuring the words against her lips.

She opens her eyes and his breath hitches. Yellow, brown irises meet her won. They're the exact same ones she knew not too long ago. Except . . . Haunted.

His fingers brush along her cheek, jaw and down her throat. She winces at the soft touch and his brows furrow in confusion.

Capturing her chin, he tilts her head back.

"It's fine, I'm fine," she whispers, assuring him as she sees his expression. Pure shock animates them.

"I don't-" his fingers trace the red marks running around her throat and tears begin to form in the corners of his eyes. "Im so sorry." He falls to his knees, hands resting against her chins as he hides his face between them. "I don't know-" he chokes and kisses her legs with remorse. He pecks her delicately, trailing his lips over her knees and up her thighs, hands following behind, tracing the outside of her legs until they reach her waist and encircle her. He hugs her tightly, knees sore against the hard wood. "Im not right," he breathes, head lulling into her lap. She can feel wetness coating her skin, running between her thighs.

She exhales heavily and slides down the desk until the hard wooden floor welcomes her thighs.

They stay like this for a good long while, she's in no rush and neither is he. Over and over again, her fingers comb through his overgrown and unpreened hair while the sensation of his seed drips out of her. Sharp nails gently scratch at the nape of his neck, they trace his bonestructure and play with its halls and valleys. The back of her fingers caress the length of his nose and sharpness of his cheekbone.

All the while Jayce lays wordless, occasionally squeezing her thighs, her hips. Occasionally trailing featherlight touches along her legs, watching with wonder how goosebumps rise and fall.

She chuckles beneath her breath. It's the same expression he used to get when making progress in the lap, just like when they first cracked the hextech runes. "Jayce," she says, attempting to grab his attention.

Crouching beneath her, he looks up from her lap, chin resting on the softness of her flesh. His face glistens and eyes plead. He looks at her with fatigue, wordlessly asking for her forgiveness.

"What happened?" She asks, her voice soft but words demanding. She's not getting dersuled this time, she needs answers.

He shakes his head, reluctantly drawing his lips into a thin line as he breaks away from her gaze.

Her eyebrows twist together. "What have you done?" She asks, anger laces her tone now. But he closes his eyes, the corners of his eyes gleaming again. The fingers burried in his hair curl into a fist and she pulls his head back, forcing him look at her. "What. Have. You. Done?"

His eyes shift between hers, uncertain, unwilling. "He's gone . . . " He begins. "I had to, I had to–the hexcore, it was poisoning him, spreading like a disease." His voice is coarse. "I had to stop him, there was no other choice."

Her eyes grow. Viktor . . . Gone? She could only assume when Jayce suddenly pays her a visit, but never dared believe.

"I never ment to leave you," he says, hand reaching out to grab her waist. "You have to believe me." He rouches the fabric at the waist, white knuckling it out of desperation for an ounce of u derstanding. "Hextech isnt what we thought it was, not anymore. Viktor couldnt see it, he was infecting the undercity, it would've spread to Piltover, the rest of the world if I didn't stop him."

She shakes her head in disbelief. "But he was saving them, freeing them of shimmer."

"No . . . they weren't themselves anymore. I've been away, lost. I've seen–" She waits for him to continue, but he doesn't. "The hexcore mutates them, changes them. I had to stop him. It, the core."

Her eyes drift the Jayce's hammer posted by the door. "Like your hammer?" She studies the now misshapen weapon, once crafted with obsessive precision. Her eyes drift lower along the neck and over its face, blood splatter.

She looks away, closing her eyes to recollect herself. Remembering to strongly the smell of blood Jayce had arrived with.

"Yes," he says. "Like I did." His hand reaches up to loosely cup her face. She notices how the crystal from his old bracelet has fused with his skin. Her fingers run along his arm and slides along the crystal, feeling it, inspecting it. "I didn't chose this," he murmurs. "I didn't chose to leave you . . . I love you." His hand falls back to his side.

She's taken aback. Its not something they've said before, not while still partners, not before all of, this . . . But despite herself, she believes him. They were colleagues for a long time and affection had always kept them together. He wouldn't hurt Viktor without reason.

With hooded eyes and parted lips, he studies her, waiting for her judgement.

"You had to," she nods, seamingly decided.

Relief and disappointment floods his face all at once. He'd expected an 'I love you' back.

She leans in, kissing him for the first time since he disappeared. Finally reunited. "We'll get through this, ok?" her voice is uncertain, what's happened has not been fully processed.

"Ok," he agrees and straightens his back, carefully placing small kisses along her abdomen as he does so, afraid he'll scare her away. "I've missed you so damn much." He levels his head with hers, meeting her gaze head on.

"I've missed you too," she responds. "But I need you now, Jayce. Can you do that for me?" She places a soft kiss on his lips.

"Certainly," he murmurs against them.

She stands, slinding his hand into hers and leads him to the bed. With his back to the bed, she places her hands on his chest and pushes him into sitting at the edge of the bed.

One leg over the other, she straddles him, standing on her knees so he has to look up at her. His she brushes the hair away from his eyes and lowers her lips to ghost over his. Their scared and quivering, needy to be on hers.

His hands slide up her sides and curves around her back, coming to rest in the arch above her ass. Gently, he massages circles into her skin, tickling her intentionaly.

She squirms benea his touch, luring a satisfied grin from him. "You look good like this." Her fingers run through his beard, tracing his new scars. "Dangerous." Reaching down between them and into his pants, she pulls Jayce's member free and lowers herself just enough to tease his tip.

With a hiss, he locks his thumb over her hipbones and wanting to guide her onto him.

She shakes her head, a smirk playing in the corner of her lips. "My turn," she whispers and pull the straps of her dress down, letting it gather at her hips. Jayce's eyes immeidetly fall as his hands slide up her ribs with a specific destination in mind. "Dont touch," she warns. "Now look at me, Jayce." Her chest is inches from his face, but unallowed to look and unable to touch, his eyes appear like that of a wounded stag.

Her nimble fingers work on the buttons of his shirt and quickly slides it off of his shoulders. "Ive missed this," she purs, dragging a finger down his torso, her nail leaving a white scratched up mark behind it. "But this is new," she refers to the chest hair she's never seen before. "I like that, too." Her lips meet his jaw as she leaves kisses all the way down to his collarbone and shoulder. Her continues down his abdomen and below his v-line, then there's a sharp intake of breath as she stokes his member, circling the leaking pre-cum around his tip.

"Devil woman," he groans, but there's a twisted smile to his lips.

She returns it and takes a step back, letting the dress fall completely as if wanting to prove his point and oh, how she revels in the desperation on his face.

Her gaze fixes on his hands, clenching and unclencing in his lap, knuckles white from the strain. She bites her lip. "You look good like this," she repeats. "All, fallen apart . . . " She steps closer, placing herself between his legs. "Bloody and broken."

Never has he taken his eyes off of hers, and as she lowers herself onto his lap once more, she finds his member and lines him up. And finally, she sinks onto his thick inches. Still, he does not touch her. There is only a desperate whimper leaving his lips at the much needed pressure. Obedient, or respcetful? Either way, he deserves his praise. "Good boy. Now, touch me," she whispers and topple them over.

He twitches inside her at the words, but before she can react he's upon her. Fitting one breast into his mouth and the other in his hand, he licks and spits and squeezes. Sucking the entierty of her tender, plush flesh into his mouth.

"Ooh," she braces herself, strings of pleasure and heavy breaths return to them. "You liked that didn't you, pretty boy?" All she gets in response is humming between the lewd, obscene slurping.

Alright, then. Putting a hand on his chest for support, she begins to move, rocking back and forth just watching his expression of pleased torture.

Moving his hands to her hips, lips tear free from her breast for some much needed air, only to replace them upon her lips and kiss her with fervour.

She sits up, getting a better vantage and he follows not long thereafter. Unable to sit by and let her do the work. Leaning back on one hand and wrapping the other around her back, he helps her rut against him while he can't softly thrust up to meet her. "Fuck me- Jayce . . . " She gasps, hardly able to get enough air to moan.

He grins against her lips, sharing their breaths. "You liked that didn't you, pretty girl?" He mocks her.

She laughs breathlessly and digs her nails into his biceps. "Naughty," she murmurs and bites his lip, drawing blood. Again, she feels his member twitch amidst all the rocking between them. Their eyes meet and share a knowing glance. She cocks an eyebrow, he blushes. "That's what I thought," she smirks. It's her win, for now.

Unable to let it slide, Jayce takes the reigns. Flipping them over, he pins her beneath him without missing a single thrust. Amidst the confusion, he interlocks their fingers and pulls her arms above her head, stretching her out and limiting her movement.

She squirms against his restrains, testing the limits but he's rock solid. With her legs around his waist, he thrust perfectly into her and she cant help but roll her hips. She can feel the knot tightening in her core and she furrows her brows with displeasure. Missionary always did her in, he'll win. "Unfair," she moans, throwing her head back as waves of pleasure wash over her with every movement of his hips.

He moves one pair of their locked hands down so ha can stroke her throat with his thumb, placing soft kisses on the damage he caused.

His tenderness alone could cause her to crumble. "Put your back into it at least," she whines, realising she only had her pettiness left. Being beneath him, in his control feels way better than any win she could earn.

A breathless chuckle leaves him. "Yes, ma'am," he grunts, releases her and pulls out before he hooks her legs over his shoulders and thrusts back in. Hands finally free, she cups his face and pulls him in for a kiss concealing the cries bubbling up in her throat. For as it stands, he moves expertly and he's deeper–better than any man ever has been. "Fuck me-"

He smirks. "Tell me I'm good, again . . . " Shes uncertain if this is his ego talking or- "Please, please tell me im good," he whimpers, kissing her inbetween every word.

Without warning her third orgasm washes over her, back arching and nails digging into Jayce's cheeks. "You're so good to me," she sobs. "Such a good boy."

His thrusts falter and then he too, comes. Filling her with his seed, once again.

With shaking limbs he falls to her side, one arm draped over her chest. Both breathing heavily as they regain their senses.

"You win," ge admits and kisses her temple.

Yes she does. "I love you, too," she smiles, heart and teeth achingly sweet.

[bluegiragi]

monster au intros - team 141 feat. Price, Ghost, Soap and Gaz!

[sleepingshadowknight667]

Gate's Always open au

Based on Roderick's "If you’re an Usher, the gates are open. Period." line from episode 1.

I don't have the brain power rn to fully flesh it out. But the main idea is that the Usher siblings just lowkey invade each other's houses. Not so much "get out of my room" but like "bring some chips on the way over." The gates are open to family and family only.

Like Freddie is older than Tammy. Which means he probably moved out first. Tammy, still in high school, hanging out (taking refuge) in her brother's apartment to be away from their dad for a bit. They love the man, honestly, they do, but sometimes he's a bit much.

Vic, for now the baby sister, hopping between Freddie's place and Tammy's place when she's in some fancy university (assuming she met the family when she was like early 20s as its implied she was around for a bit before Leo, Camille, and Perry showed up) and sleeping on someone's couch during finals week because one of her siblings lived closer to campus.

Leo, for now the baby brother, spends a lot of time at Freddie's place because Freddie is eager to have a brother. (Not to say his sisters aren't great, but finally, there's another boy in the family.) Tammy's place is where he'll go to cook because she has the best kitchen to cook in and she doesnt mind it because he's not terrible. Vic, he goes to bother when the media hype around him is too much and he just wants to hide for a bit. (And she'll let him stay, she remembers what that was like.)

Camille, the baby sister and baby of the family for now, spends a lot of time at Leo's place. Leo's the closest one to her age and she feels safe with him. She's more intimidated by the older kids. But then she's over at Freddie's to occasionally hang out with her one year old niece (And Camille isnt the only one who babysits). She's going through Tammy's closet to borrow a white blazer cuz Tammy is the only sibling who dresses in muted tones most of the time. She's over at Vic's place watching shitty reality TV because Vic has the best TV at the time.

Then finally, Perry arrives. He's sixteen and he's almost a decade younger than his closest sibling age. But he's at Freddie's house and Freddie is teaching him to drive by doing circles in the driveway. He invades Tammy's house occasionally to steal her fruit because it just tastes better as does her tea, and Tammy's place is the best to pull an all nighter. He's casually breaking into Vic's place because he needs help with science homework and while the teachers could be bought, he really doesn't want to look stupid in front of the family like that. He'll be over at Leo's on the weekends playing video games with because Leo is normal and it keeps him grounded a bit. And then he's sometimes at Camille's because he doesn't know how to dress fancy and she's helping him pick out outfits for school events while coaching him how to campaign for things like Homecoming King and whatnot.

Like the Usher siblings who will invade Freddie's house for bowling. They invade Tammy's place to cook. Vic's place to do projects because she has a lot of space. Leo's apartment gets invaded for game night and Monopoly is banned. Camille is used to the sight of her siblings in her place because she has all those screens and horror movies with the siblings are always a delight. Perry doesn't get invaded as often as the others, youngest sibling perks, but if he is invaded by his siblings it's mostly just to see what he's up to and also because he's hungover after a night partying.

I am once again on the "it's a good thing they didn't love each other or it would hurt a lot more if they did, but imagine if they did" agenda.

[horizon-verizon]

To all the green/Alicent/Aegon/Aemond/Criston stans choosing to follow me of your own free will, make sure you're making the right choice bc you will see stuff that will likely upset you.

No, I do not think Rhaenyra was a whore or that her sexuality somehow makes or breaks her inherent moral character (this is a patriarchal invention that places more power in men over women's behavior bc as long as they have the political and legal advantage over women [as what has happened in many societies for millennia] it compels women to conform their overall behavior towards not even seeming to resemble the man's/larger developed ideas of "slut" rather than develop herself or have her own fun). And if a man can still be a good leader while having sex outside of marriage, if we truly look at woman as equal and inherently equal to men no matter the time period or place, then we should consider the same when women have sex outside of marriage! Reminder: Aegon SA or rapes; Rhanerya never once did that. which goes into my next point...

No, show!Rhaenyra did not SA or really even pressure Criston into sex. I explain why HERE & below from a past ask-post:

No, her first 3 kids were not bastards. "Bastards" only exist in the legal realm to separate a man/lord's and his family's resources/titles to those who carry his "blood". On principle, you shouldn't be accepting the objectification of women that is necessary to this formula, but aside from that, the meaning of bastardy has been subject ot change ust as many social construction, as we se in the Anstey case ands how William the Conqueror's bastardy was more defined as being that his mother was not noble rather than not married to his father. Because bastardry is more a legal phenomena more than anyting, Viserys--who has the only right and power to name anyone as bastard or legitimize them and thus is the final bulwark against the revelation of the boys being not Laenor's kids--was able to accept Rhaenyra's kids as his heir's heirs. Nobles keep secrets all the time for their own conience. Think about Lysa tully and all those rich people of various TV show and movies who cover up both actual harmful crimes as well as just those that would harm their reputation! This is what happens when you have any elite class AND mid-to-very strict social rules of conduct that you may be breaking anyway. And no, noble/royal wives of history weren't all sexually obedient little cupcakes...many had lovers while married and historically, some were even known by their families and husbands. (Check out Eleanor Herman's book Sex with the Queen).

No, Alicent of either thing didn't have any real reason, material reason to think her kids were in danger from Rhaenyra ascending. You can see why under posts tagged "alicent doesnt have any points" as well as this recent thread]

No I do not see Rhaenyra as uniquely "selfish", "'spoiled", etc. I do not make as if she is unacceptably and uniquely evil or the most amoral. That was overall Andal-FM patriarchy, Aenys I, Maegor I, Jaehaerys I, Viserys, and the greens, esp Alicent & Otto. Rhaenyra, of either the shoe or the book, was both trying to do her duty in her marriage as well as find some happiness AND autonomy alongside that. You were not supposed to readopt feudal patriarchal social "values" or prioritize them/social hierarchies over real human happiness, equity, and social harmony. If you have, you don't get ASoIaF!

For fuck sake, some of you like Jon Snow and think he's Azor Ahai! No, he is not legitimate, bc by the time Rhaegar and his generation was alive, polygamy had lost its validity and for any marriage to Lyanna he could have had needed to be reinforced by either force (Maegor) or public declaration or propaganda & deals careful planning (Doctrine of Exceptionalism) something along those lines...which even if we get the story of Rhaegar and Lyanna, we already know no such preparations occurred!

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 33

welcome to the thirty-third fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

1. Rose-Colored Boy by melancholymango

“I missed you, you know.”

“Yeah?” Lance sighed, warm and giddy, clearly not absorbing how serious the words truly were. Keith nodded his head for a few seconds, not trusting himself to speak around the size of his emotions. He was suddenly brought back to the years alone on the whale, when all he’d had to keep him going was memories of his friends, of Lance.

“Yeah.” Keith said, more certainty in his voice now. He reached down, hesitantly threading his fingers through Lance’s and giving his hand a squeeze. Lance tensed next to him. “I still do.”

“I mean, I’m right here.”

“Are you? You still seem pretty far away.”

again i know im not really big on those fics that make the team out to be deliberately cruel, but sometimes its cathartic tbh. sometimes you remember canon and ur just like yeah what if he got angry. what if someone got angry for him. what then. and mango gives us that

2. Swamp of Sorrows by SwissArmyKnife

Pike gets exposed to acidic ooze, which leads Block (& Keith) to make a few discoveries about their party’s rogue.

“We can't leave them like this,” Meklavar said of Valayun and Pike, who’d been laid beside the fire. "Look at how bad those welts are." She came up with a bottle of oil and a cake of soap. "I can smell water nearby. We can get them washed and roll them in a blanket to sleep off the spore. What do you think?"

"I think it's our only choice," Takashi said.

monsters and mana fic!!!!! everybody say YES to righteous anger on pike’s behalf. and also say yes to pike bc i love him. this fic is interesting bc its a little tense and awkward bc this ragtag team of misfits doesnt quite trust each other yet but they also cant quite stop themselves from caring about each other. so even though they dont all agree on eveyrthing and dont agree about all, they do agree that pike needs more care than he got. also unrelated but the fact that shiro’s m&m name is fucking takashi kills me every time like man just wants to be himself 💀

3. Beneath the Champagne Sea by SwissArmyKnife

The paladins make a diplomatic visit to a planet with sexual dimorphism roughly opposite that of Earth. Women are larger and more powerful, while men are leaner and smaller. Cue their horror at gaunt, sickly Pidge and mild disgust with the ’womanly’ Shiro. Lance hits the sweet spot. He's got the build and features to draw the eyes and the charm to keep them. Their hosts are quite taken with him, in particular the daughter of the queen, whose forwardness is a comic reversal of Lance’s usual dynamic with women. Lance likes the attention and finds her intriguing, but eventually things take a discomforting turn.

Lance tried to step around her, wanting to walk away from a conversation that seemed less and less likely to end well, but Leh’n seized his wrist before he could. Her grip was tight, and freeing himself would require an act of aggression, which he still wanted to avoid. ‘Think of the mission, of how important it is to get the castle up and running again,’ he coached himself.

Still, that did nothing to stop his blood pressure from skyrocketing as Leh’n leaned closer and said. “I am not accustomed to reluctance.”

i swear to god that ive recced this before, but i couldnt find it in my records so here it is!! this fic is endlessly fascinating. the exploration of gender roles is super interesting, considering who is impacted in this fic and how. the discussion about beauty standards, power imbalances, the alien wrench in things was so cool! and i think lance, who is very much someone who rides that gender lines in terms of presentation of hobbies and even chracter traits, makes sense as the main character here. interesting think piece. 

4. you had me at merlot by @ryomakun

“Oh my God,” Lance says as he covers his face. Keith’s tinny voice blares from his laptop speakers: “What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.” See, this joke might have been funny if someone charismatic and charming had said it, but Keith’s flat voice and even flatter expression effectively kidnaps, tortures, and then decapitates any chance of it being remotely humorous.

--

Keith accidentally starts a YouTube channel. Lance, of course, refuses to be left out. It goes about as well as you'd expect. (Ft. copious amounts of wine and a truly shameless number of references to MyDrunkKitchen, DailyGrace, and general pop culture)

this fic is HILARIOUS. its one of the firsts i ever screenshotted for the scrapbook i have of fics that made me laugh out loud. i offer you this one part that really made me giggle: 

““It tastes good,” Keith says petulantly as he glares at the accusing finger Hunk has pointed at him. “No offense Hunk but that stuff you gave me for my twenty-first tasted like feet and antiseptic.”

“That was a merlot,” Hunk wails. “The good kind, too!”

Ignoring them, Lance stands in front of the rum selection. This is why he didn’t want to bring anyone. They might call him loud and embarrassing, but at least he doesn’t yell inside WalMart about the virtues of a “real red wine.” An elderly couple passes through, eying the bickering three. Lance resolutely pretends he is here shopping by himself.“

the way they are so ridiculous that LANCE of all people is embarrassed of them...cinema. also this fic is peak bc it has klance as enemies to lovers and childhood friends to lovers at the same time. iconique

5. Flayed by @admiralcanthackett

Lance gets hit with a face full of spores and it leaves him wracked with pain. Touch is the only relief he can find.

yes i know i tag this author all the time but in my defense there was a point in my life where i was OBSESSED with faer fics. truly. anyways this one has unexpectedly protective keith, like to a very high degree, and im loving the heavy themes of trust and emotional as well as physical vulnerability 

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!

[boarwinds]

OP i beg you tell me everything about the phantom of the opera/parent trap au, i need all the details.

Here u go:

What if CSLG never have that 3rd person convo, they still go to the cabin n CS gets rid of the guns.

u where cslg split amicably (as amicable as a split can be w cs being involved). Cs never brings up the 3rd person, they still go to the cabin, and cs still gets rid of the guns. Atp he starts realizing he can go back to d2/the capitol without worry n rly, lg has no use for him, he'll only slow her down. He doesn't worry abt lg betraying him bc who'll believe her over him? Either way she can't tell anyone, going back to d12 is a death sentence for her.

He makes promises he knows he can't keep, like how he won't let anybody hurt a hair on her head despite not having the power to guarantee her safety. The effort he's putting into this performance is a flimsy excuse to say he tried to keep them together. He knows she knows, n he's counting on it, for her to say it's no use so they can split n he won't have to feel guilty abt leaving her.

Only he needs to know that the next time they meet, he'll be in his rightful seat at the top of the capitol social/power ladder, he'll sweep her off her feet n she'll be so grateful. He'll rise to power n ask for forgiveness later.

Just as he predicted, lg tells him they're not in the games anymore, they won't get lucky again, he can't protect her in d2. So they stand in silence in the cabin nobody making a move, bc they know the only one she can make is to leave. Lg comes to the conclusion that they've made use of e/o, they've reached their end. She goes. He's back in the capitol in no time.

(He waits a while before going back to 12 to give her enough time to escape before the peacekeepers are alerted. Cs heads to the covey where he personally let's maude ivory know lg is gone. He just let's her cry n punch into his chest.)

Meanwhile lg continues further into the wild.

Back in 12, a new mayor is elected, but the real power lies w the new commander. He's strict but not overly cruel. Don't get in his way n everything will be alright. He's young n handsome n has managed to charm most of d12, it makes it easier for everyone to fall in line. Maude ivory doesn't like who he reminds her of.

A few months pass n the new commander goes out patrolling the outskirts of 12. He's overseeing the construction of the barbed wire fence to be set up around the perimeter n wants to see for himself before it happens. He stumbles upon a lake w a cabin. Inside is a person, silent n still, face down on the floor.

(After yrs in the wild) lg is dying. She knows it. She's made her decision. She's going back to 12 to see her family one last time, she doesnt care if she's caught. Whether it's illness or a hanging that gets her, it doesn't matter, life in the woods alone without family isn't a life for her. On her worst days she wished she had come along w cs.

He realizes she's still alive when she starts to cough n rushes to her side. He starts to pick her up to bring her to the infirmary. Even w the grime n dirt on her face he would recognize her anywhere, the songbird who won the 10th games, the one he couldn't look away from back in the capitol. She opens her eyes n the only thing he hears is "...c○ri○|@nus? What did u do to ur hair" as she reaches up to his face n passes out.

Lg wakes up in a hospital in 12. She thinks she's hallucinating when she sees cs sitting by her side. She says "c○ri○|@nus" again n panics n starts to pull at wires connecting her to diff machines. The man notices n tries to calm her down, hands up like shes an untamed horse, "my name is William H. Bonney. I'm the commander of d12. You can call me billy."

(Referring to billy boy as billyb from here on out) billyb knows who cs is. Ever since his face was plastered all over the capitol bc of the games, all he's heard was how much he looks like him. He's heard the rumors of cs running away to 12 to be w his victor, his lover. He guesses those weren't unfounded. He shakes his head at how cs could ever leave a woman like her behind. How had she ended up in the woods half dead n him on his way to be president.

When lg wakes up again billyb have to restrain her. Billyb is so close to her, his eyes are exactly the same, he's telling her she's safe n she's transported right back. He has to tell her he's not cs, to look at his hair. He tugs at it to show her "see the roots?" It wasn't the hair that convinces her, billyb has a mole cs does not. He tells her "Idk what he did to u but I promise ur safe"

Over time billyblg develop a friendship. Lg has a hard time looking him in the face but sometimes she catches herself staring. Billyb feels her stare n let's her. Sometimes he stares right back w a smirk or a wink to catch her off guard. Lg feels ridiculous for blushing.

Billyb opens the hob back for lg n the covey.

Idk where it goes from here 🙂

Side note:

Cs had been working behind the scenes to keep d12 mostly lax for lg, removing the bounty for her, technically the reason billy was sent to 12 as commander

[monsdumpofeverything]

I know this is usually like an art blog but this has been buggin me a bit so I'll try something different today :D

Analyzing Rui Kamishiro's Robots

Before U start juat keep in mind that I'm a programmer and just a hobbyist when it comes to robots and I'm no professional electrical engineer so this might not be the most factual or accurate post.

Let's Go!!☆

First up☆

I'll cover both if em at once, so the one on the left seems to use a simple motor to move forward and roll the drums.

I'm not sure if the face has any animations or special features but I think uts the kind you can get from digital alarm clocks.

The second pink one on the right is ehhh?...?

Um, okay so it looks like to moves around like how spiders do so a couple of degrees of freedom across the legs and works similiar to the first one.

These first two ones seem simple to build and are pretty easy to find part for

Second one

Oh boy, difficultly level went up :V

Motor system moves the legs, but it looks like it doesnt move very far or fast(?)

It's legs are designed like chicken feet, from what I can tell it probably moves either really funny and slowly. Fit for a street show I guess?

I'm seeing 2 degrees of freedom on each leg, the joint connecting the leg to the main body and one on the knees, well simplified dude.

Last one!

Okay so this one's effecter is most likely to be the helicopter style blades.

DC motor used but with a voltage power that has enough power to lift itself up.

In order to to make it so that it can fly the body needs to be made if a SUPER lightwieght material. Like plastic or thin cardbord.

And I have no idea what the eyes do.

Bonus

ROBO NENE!!!!!

Okay, robo nene has always intriuged me. She seems to be a lot harder to build then the rest of his robots.

Robo nene seems to have a LOT of degrees 9f freedom in order for her to be able to dance that smooth.

But then Nene can control the robot from afar so theres probably a speaker to display her voice but then a micro processor somewhere along the line in order to program Nene's dances and stuff. (Dammit, Rui can code as well, a bit)

But what interests me the most is how well made she is, BRO SHE MUST HAVE COSTED A HECK TON OF MULAH TO BUILD, WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THAT MONEY RUI????

Anyways, goodbye for now nerds!

[harley-style]

VBS fans i offer for you an AU : VBS in the Reaper's Game aka TWEWY.

Ok ok SO. This is before their RISE event aka Kick It Up a Notch and shortly after Find A Way Out. The four of them are heading to weekend garage before BAM they die

They dont know HOW they died is the thing. That was wiped from their memory.

The one who personally puts them in the game is Neku but Joshua supports this decision (neku is the conductor in this au nc shinjuku fucked with his existence blah blah handwavvy canon). Theyre both personally interested in this group (and WxS but theyre still alive) bc the group is breathing life into Vivid Street and shibuya by extension.

Such important souls should not die so early so like, yeah, theyre given a chance to fight for their lives.

Neku goes to them in a reaper outfit and explains to them (patiently bc akito firmly goes into denial for the first half) that they are DEAD and they will be given a chance to be ressurected (incorrect but vbs are kind of not in the right mental space to brain their way through this) by playing a weeklong game.

Toya is immediately suspicious and asks why specifically them.

Neku doesnt answer bc honestly confidential, and kinda just says its a whim even tho its rlly not, VBS needs to be alive. Joshua personally sees into a potential future where VBS doesnt exist and its kinda bad.

How are our beloved street musicians doing you ask? Well.

Kohane is scared, but she handles her terror well. She asks the right questions and quickly adapts. She thinks Neku is hiding something (he is) so she has the most questions about this 'game'. She doesnt want An, Akito or Toya to be dead, so shell do her best to ensure that isnt a permanent reality. No matter what price she has to pay.

Toya is very skeptical about the Reaper's Game, but atp he doesnt really have a choice. Its not only his life on the line here, its the people most precious to him as well. So he squares up. But the poor boy reverts back into his cold facade when neku meets them. He only softens when he notices An (Akito can tell how he really feels on the inside so he doesnt feel the need to soften around him)

An is literally two seconds away from a total mental breakdown. Out of everyone she is handling it the worst. Shes thinking about vivid street, her family, her DAD...nearly works herself into a panic. Toya and Kohane hold her hands to keep her grounded, but only barely.

Akito is similarly not handling it well bc goddamnit, why did it have to be his team? They dont deserve this. Hes angry and accusatory towards neku, but his senses have sharpened to a point that he notices a few holes in neku's explanation. But the bastard doesnt seem intent on actually explaining, so once again, akito has to piece things together. Similar mindset to kohane-- he will do ANYTHING to get them out of this fucked up game.

Neku himself is pleasantly surprised by the fire in VBS' eyes and feels kinda guilty about whats about to be done. He explains the entry fee and it doesnt go well.

Kohane needs to lose her voice -- its something she feels brings her to VBS so she considers it very important. Her personal challenge will be to connect to her teammates without the power of her voice

An will become an Eri-Shiki situation and will have Nagi's appearance for the duration of the game. She needs to face her issue about being reminded of Nagi, and wanting to be like her when she doesnt need to-- An needs to find value in herself first.

Akito loses his passion and this hits VBS hard. Akito, i consider, is the literal backbone and foundation of VBS that keeps it working, yanno? Hes very meticulous when it comes to his teammates, his value and the most important thing that kept him going is his burning desire to chase his dream. IG he's like rhyme? He cares about his VBS, but he no longer understands why they chased after...what was it again? (Throughout the game he mostly just likes hanging around VBS and having fun with them. He would still very much like to leave the game but like...yeah

Toya is tricky, bc its not actually explicit what he values most. The entry fees are also meant to help the players in a way, so i cant just take his love for music bc there would be no point lol. His entry fee is...probably the ability to express his love. I feel like he needs to be able to show he loves his team despite it being taken from him.

Ofc, in true TWEWY fashion, they lose memories about their meeting with Neku, so they wake up confused and something missing

Kohane is with Akito near Hachiko. An and Toya land somewhere near Main Street. They all quickly realize something is wrong. Akito panics when he realizes Kohane cant talk. Kohane has to keep an arm on him at all times to keep him from spiralling and to prevent him from leaving her behind. Bc of his lost passion, akito comes off a lot nicer, which is weird, but kohane doesnt know why it unsettles her until later

Toya is a lot colder, this time, but he cares a lot about An (his entry fee wasnt his love for his teammates but the ability to express it ig) so he holds her hand all the way once he recognizes her. An initially doesnt realize she looks like Nagi until Toya points it out...by being a dick lol

An: Toya! I found you!

Toya: ...who are you?

An:...its me? An?

Toya: You dont look like An.

An: wtf do you mean *sees reflection* WHY DO I LOOK LIKE NAGI-SAN????

Theyre accosted by a mean-spirited Reaper who tells them they are dead and they have 1 week to win to be revived. Toya quietly points out that akito and kohane had been there before they ended up here. So begins the search.

They all instinctively form pacts bc theyre stupidly in love with each other and they trust each other. They are In Sync!!!

They do struggle though -- kohane has to act a lot bolder to attract akito's attention. Kohane quickly loses her shyness in the determination to survive and drags akito along, whos confused as to why kohane is trying this hard. Kohane slowly realizes why akito is acting a lot more subdued -- his fire, its gone. Hes not passionate anymore.

Akito rlly only cares about reuniting with VBS. Hes not thinking about how to get revived immediately, thinking he can just take his time. They work better as a team, yadda yadda.

So kohane has to struggle being the only one determined to get out

VBS reunites chaotically bc Akito sees An and is like Toya what are you doing with Nagi-san? And An is like akito its me tf! Surprised mf is he. Kohane explains (with limited vocab) that they need to survive for one week and complete missions etc...or face 'erasure'. None of them want to be erased to like yeah might as well.

An is having a TIME as Nagi. Bc as it turns out, some reapers are actually big RADder fans! They keep asking her to sing when she comes across them and she tries to oblige but ppl can tell when youre pretending to be someone youre not. Poor An has to live with the fact that shes barely like Nagi, even if she looks up to her so much.

Im sorry but we r also going thru an AkTy divorce arc 2. Toya resents akito's current situation bc wtf happened to his partner??? Akito is worried about Toya's sudden attitude and can tell hes mad but doesnt understand why. Akito is FINE. But stupid Toya doesnt see it that way.

Poor Kohane actually needs to wrangle these idiots bc akito cant muster up the willpower to, An is a little distracted and Toya isnt helping. With her voice out of the picture she really needs to try, with them. It forces her out of her shell more.

An slowly realizes that its not fun being seen as Nagi, bc shes quite proud of herself. Akito actually helps her make this conclusion bc he is attuned very well to VBS. No i will not shut up about how much attention akito pays VBS. Anyway An cries abt wanting ppl to love her for HER and not NAGI. VBS tells her shes being stupid, they already love An Shiraishi and no one else.

Toya is a lot less positive, sometimes even bitter, especially towards AkKh. He still very much loves them with all his heart, but you can resent a part of your loved one's character, yknow? He doesnt like that Akito is a lot more chill now, almost following along with Kohane. He no longer has his sights set forward and that fucks Toya up a bit. Where do they stand now, if his partner looks so lost? And man, Kohane. He appreciates that shes stepping up, but theres an ugly feeling thats welling up inside him. Its kinda like the feelings Akito had for kohane pre-main story ish.

AKITO. man akito. Akito starts off strong, willing to take the heat with Kohane and VBS, but on day 6 he practically doesnt give a shit. Kohane has to drag him everywhere, to get him to do anything. He has to be bribed. He just doesnt see the point, plus they figure out that they can just come back as reapers. He and Toya get into a fight about it -- toya pointing out that reaper duties would interfere with practice, and akito getting confused as to why theyd need to practice. They discover that akito no longer recognizes rad weekened and thus has no desire to surpass anything. Rather than his passion (honestly at this point theyre the same thing), they took his DREAM. Ouch. Its a good thing he still likes being a musician with VBS. But he thinks its just a fun thing. Kohane and Toya get really mad. An tries to mediate.

They all nearly die on the sixth day but Akito finally gets out of his funk and helps them. He may not understand why theyre trying so hard, but he loves them (he is a kind and caring boy fight me) and hes willing to try for their sakes

Kohane struggles with inferiority issues, but most of her struggles are physical. She really just needs to recognize that her value isnt just her voice, she is valued as KOHANE. She also becomes a good leader (not that VBS has a leader, just someone who takes charge in certain situations) bc she is willing to do anything she can. If she cant be a good singer for VBS, shes going to damn well shine in other ways.

Same thing with An and needing to be Valued as An Herself, though there are a lot of angsty stuff that happens throughout the week. An breaks down a lot, its not pretty. Especially when a reaper lets it slip (hes a part of the Vivid Streed community) that nagi is Dead DEAD and cue An not wanting to return to her old self bc she desperately wants Nagi. So she is also resistant to the idea of ending the game which doesnt sit well with kohane or toya. Eventually she does admit that she wants just to be AN, not Nagi despite how much she wants to see her again (but she cant). She learns acceptance!

Toya is desperate to leave the game, and is almost harsh for it. He feels so fucking hollow and depressed and he hates it. He wants out. He pushes them a lot and its only akito getting angry that hes acting like his father that toya gets a reality check. It nearly breaks him. He loves his father, but he doesnt want to end up treating his loved ones the same way his father has treated him. He apologizes after a minute of self reflection.

At this point, in the seventh day, theyre all in agreement that the goal here is to find a way out of the game. By the seventh day, they have to fight neku and its an extremely difficult fight. Neku hits hard and he hits home, both physically and emotionally. Its more of a test on his part, he needs VBS to truly shine, and they do. Akito, even without his passion/dream, displays that he loves, and he loves fiercely. He loves VBS, and thats all he needs to fuel him further and further.

Kohane learns to shine and impact others even without her voice. She is a heavy presence on the battlefield and demands your attention, giving her friends time to whittle away at the enemy

An does things her own way, and she does so by riding the momentum of her teammates. She dances to the beat of her own tune, and even though she wears the appearance of Kotaki Nagi, its clear that she is An Shiraishi and no one else

Toya learns to channel all of himself. He has a distinct ugly side, and with it he learns to wield it without hurting others, but instead support them. Just ok im losing words for this but he is there he learns to accept himself yeah thats how he fights

Neku deems them good enough and shifts down the plane and explains to them, finally, why they specifically have been chosen to play this game. Its very ominous, his warning of "Shibuya needs you. It needs VBS" bc YEAH NO PRESSURE RIGHT. Anyway, they learn Neku is like chill af and they get his card. Akito bugs out bc. CAT???? WTF??? neku doesnt explain but invites them to Mr. H's cafe instead.

They wake up in hospitals. A week has indeed passed since they got killed lmao. A worried ken visits An, Ena is sobbing over Akito, Kohane gets piled on by Minori and Emu, and Toya gets worried Tenmas lol.

VBS goes to the SEKAI (previously being unable to in the UG) and tells the VS about their troubles. MEIKO doesnt let them out of the cafe for HOURS. Miku Len and Rin hover over them, and even KAITO and Luka seem worried. But theyre gonna be ok.

VBS, after getting out, are a lot more cohesive as a unit. Now youll catch akito referring to kohane and an as his partners along with toya. Toya has a bit of a mean streak and his vocals have gotten more powerful. Kohane gains a hell of a lot of stage presence and An begins to defy expectations, bc everyone always was like "just like nagi, just like ken, just like taiga" to her but now shes unapologetically An to everyone.

Thats not the only thing thats changed with VBS. Now theyre able to identify Reaper aligned stores and mostly hang in there. They meet Shiki in Gatto Nero and become instant fans (especially akito. Hes delighted when hes offered a flexible job from her lmfao)

An is a little uoset that her town hid a big secret from her, but mostly doesnt dwell on it bc like, hell, shes been through the wringer. She DIED, and came back to tell the world she LIVED, BITCH.

vbs meets hanekoma and honestly mr h doesnt know why secrecy is a thing anymore and exasperatedly tells them highly edited accounts of neku and joshua. And their world. Vbs realizes that, yeah, they really are THAT important, and while they are pressured, theyre just all the more incentivized to practice and become the best musicians. RAD WEEKEND is now just another stepping stone for them -- they have their sights on bigger and grander things.

Which is why, during RISE...things happen a bit differently. Kotaro, Arata and Tatsuya are in for a big shock bc Kohane KILLS it from the get go, white lines and all. An is so fucking proud (and she went through the nagi angst already so no "she looks like nagi :(")

things calm down with EVER and Kotaro and Arata. And then VBS comes on stage and blows the crowd away. Wheeee.

Taiga still does the thing where he challenges a bunch of teenagers and young adults but is absolutely thrown for a loop when, after revealing the secret, an goes "i know. Youre a dick for keeping it secret, btw"

VBS nearly matches Taiga and that serves to shock all of them even more. Where the hell is this fire coming from? Taiga begins to doubt his intial impressions of VBS. He thinks they could actually surpass rad weekend, but doubles down and slams them with his full strength

And Vbs. Doesnt even. Flinch. (Well, yeah, compared to fighting a 24 story tall monster who can absolutely toss you at a building, an intensely singing middle aged man is significantly less terrifying. Like. Noise is based on emotions, negative emotions especially. So like, theyre pretty intense, you gotta fight them with your full soul.)

Vbs loses only bc their voices cant properly convey their passion, but the fire in their eyes dont die out. Theyre steady, and more than ready to take on whatever bullshit the world decides to throw at them.

So when Ken finds them hes surprised to see them all just chatting quietly. An asks him to explain why vivid street lied calmly. An finalizes her resolve -- she wants to take nagis dream as her own, and fulfill it in her own way, with VBS.

Oh yeah, ken still trains them, but VBS also gets in contact with a bunch of the reapers who want to give them a hand. 777, especially, takes an interest in them. Vbs expands their community to all around shibuya. Everyone is like, why is vbs running around shibuya like all the time without looking tired???? (Bc they went through 7 days of exactly that. Running around shibuya without looking tired.)

Anyway more fun HCs their pin powers: kohane gets puppy (forgot the brand but its happy puppy? Puppy? The paw brand one fuck) pins and pins themed around spring. An gets star types and ones that let her move around the field heh. Akito has fire based ones and minor telekinesis. Toya somehow has a basic ice pillar, lightning, and the healer pins. He was their angry healer.

Joshua meets them at one point and Akito immediately susses him out. Neku tells them joshua is his boss and vbs is like Oh. 🧍‍♂️ (they are legit terrified of him. Joshua thinks theyre cute.)

Vbs also starts dating shortly thereafter, but their dating lives are a mess. They dont know what to call each other! Bc atp girlfriend and boyfriend feels too shallow. They default to partners but its rlly more than that. Kohane starts calling them her soul, akito follows with his heart, an calls them her lights and toya gets rlly sappy and calls them his everything. They dont know what theyre doing. Someone help them.

Like genuinely theyre not sure if theyre dating or just really really clingy, and theyre not interested in exploring it either. Theyre just happy being together, yanno?

Kohane starts up her solo shows again but this time shes experimenting with styles. She missed her voice a lot and is a lot more self assured so she makes more mistakes but gets a lot farther with making her voice a unique tone.

Akito no longer has that filter holding him back and just pours his whole soul out. Ken is so fucking proud. He refines what akito has and lets him loose

An also works on her stage presence, starts upgrading more than just her voice. She gets lessons from haruka! And her charm shoots through the roof (shes a quick study lololol) she nearly gets scouted by a label but is like nah sorry ive got a music group? Im just doing this for training 😊 she and kohane also go to WxS for lessons on acting and stage presence!

Toya, in a surprising turn of events, dives into classical music (patiently explaining to his father that he still wants to pursue his music career with vbs) bc now...now toya wants to devour EVERYTHING. All music. Because every music is valued. He expands his repertoire and truly comes up with some of the most unhinged demos for VBS (some are unreleased bc vbs only does the best but they keep the unreleased ones bc its just plain fun, they realized along the way that they dont HAVE to sacrifice what is fun for what is exceptional)

Overall VBS just gets a major upgrade and joshua is as pleased as pie bc shibuya is once again thriving. Now if only he can get the other units to thrive too... thats only if they die, like vbs did, and get put into the game ofc.

[terristre]

Could we perhaps get some info on your OCs? Their designs are so cool and they seem really interesting :)

jidsajidoasjiodas SCREAMS sorry its been like a week im just so happy i needed it to be good

uhh heres a good place to start for lore-grounding! alexander graves is a ghost from the 1500s who now serves in the court of the queen of monsters, notably being the only male member of the high court. hes far from a strong fighter, though his strengths are that as a ghost he cannnot die- and that for a ghost, hes VERY good at pretending to be alive

he has a confident, well-spoken air about him but its not hard to pin him as a more introverted, even shy person under it. the sort of person who would prefer keep their head down and go back to their business quietly, but one who holds the people close to him in an adoring regard. (hes NOT in the high court for his power after all- his value is in his kindness) hes been a diligent seamster since a young age & in-canon most of the clothing designs of characters under the queen can be credited to him lol

marcus deangelo THE BIRD BOY OF ALL TIME is alex's notably more introverted angel son. he tends to take the role of the silly goon/errand boy in the queens court & forms a light-hearted team rocket-esque duo with the plague doctor to take back pandora's box, stolen from the queen & brought to the monster hunters

marcus is an immediately curious character because he fits the high-energy genki archetype like a glove & has nothing but positivity for others- but his philosophy towards his own life & future are absolutely bleak. and the thing to pin about him is, he isnt really all that dumb- its more a mix of lack of worldly knowledge & this ascetic fold of catholicism where Bad Things Happen To Me Because I Somehow Deserve Them so he has LITTLE self-preservation & accepts misfortune without a fight

alexander holds the same self-poisoning principles, but marcus is the only one naive enough to say the quiet parts out loud. its not something the man ever pushed upon his sons but rather something they adopted themselves after seeing it from their role model. congrats to them for inheriting all their fathers positive traits AND his negative traits theyre both adopted btw

YES THIS IS AN INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA PLOTLINE anyways marcus talks to animals all the time & it makes other people think he actually has the power to communicate with them but He Does Not. also sometime his misinformed beliefs about the world will coincidentally line up with what europeans thought in medieval times & its like. who told you that buddy. HOMESCHOOLING if i dont know it you dont either LMAO

OUR BAT FRIEND IS THE PLAGUE DOCTOR! appearances can be deceiving my friend shes a recently-turned vampire whose only powers, really, are turning into a bat & burning in sunlight <:3c she refused to swear loyalty to the queen of monsters but couldnt bring herself to return to her old life Now Thats Shes A Monster so shes just kinda been. tossed around the court until she tragically rattled down to The Fuckers Whose Entire Personalities Are Being Catholic

if there is a musical episode the plague doctor is the one who goes WOAH WAIT WHATS GOING ON every day she wakes up & tries SO HARD to understand whats happening around her. shes definitely struggling to keep her miserable life together but despite that her kindness & good humor tend to shine through, most of the others actually quite enjoy her company the problem is shes always like "IM BETRAYING YOU GUYS FIRST CHANCE I GET"

but yeah as mentioned she makes for a good duo with marcus, hes great at fighting & she actually understands human society so together they make One Functional Person when venturing out of monster society lol. curiously for someone who doesnt want to be there, the plague doctor chose to assist in the chase for pandora's box of her own free will

[kingcunny]

If Viserys had denied Rhaenyra outright (and Rhaenyra had decided to go along for her dad’s sake, just for the sake of this line of thought), and Laena was a boy or equally unavailable to him, what do you think Daemon would do vis-a-vis marriage? Would he accept that he just had no close female relatives that he could wed and grit his teeth and accept a bride from the Great Houses for the sake of his status? Would he just resign himself to Viserys’ whim, to be sent away whenever? Would he just go to Essos and get a Lyseni or Volantene noblewoman of the Old Blood to take to wife?

I’m just curious if there was any factor that could have pushed Daemon away from his Targaryen exceptionalism mindset (because Daemon is THEE best example of that whole doctrine and you can tell he holds it in higher regard than any of his other family members)?

well… i Do need to point out that daemon was married off to rhae royce at 16. BUT assuming she dies the way the book says, ie. freak accident. daemon isnt even on the continent at the time…

Assuming daemon doesnt have any female relatives to marry within the targ/velaryon houses (sorry crab boys you dont count)… i dont think he would really Look for a spouse. youre right that daemon is the biggest valryian supremacist of them. and if he cant carry on the tradition im not sure how interested hed be in marriage at all.

which… if rhaenyra is a boy/also otherwise unavailable to daemon… and im not great at asoiaf politics, im not sure how much precedent there is for elder siblings marrying off their younger but…this sorta kinda leaves viserys with TWO sons to marry off… but somehow even though daemon is older and has been with viserys for longer, hes stil his second son. i think much like with rhaenyra, vis would mostly just hold the threat of marrying him off over daemons head whenever he pissed him off… which i could see leading to daemon doubling down on marrying mysaria, more or less so hes unavailable to use in viserys threats. if rhae is dead and he doesnt have any other female family members hes pining over… no reason not too!

daemon says he wants power but what i think he really wants is acceptance and freedom. so i cant really see daemon going out of his way to try and find a wife in the great houses just for the sake of status/power. he has a dragon. what more power does HE need? same thing with going across the narrow sea. if he just happened to meet someone he liked like maybe hed marry them? but it would be very impulsive and on the spot and hed probably get annoyed with them in a week. as for being sent off on viserys whim, i sorta spoke about that above. i think it would be more of a threat viserys uses to keep daemon in line, only actually possibly marrying him off once a major line is crossed

[lanaevyssmoved]

questions for da clown: 5, 11, 13 (hehe gale's poetry? mayhap?), and 37!

5. Do they have any tattoos? if so what are they and do they have any special meaning?

nope!! i am sorry to say hiri has absolutely no tattoos (or piercings!!) she is fresh as a baby. afhiri grew up poor and is still incredibly poor and good quality tattoos are very expensive so i don't see them ever being able to afford that. and by the time they get any money (dating a rich wizard from waterdeep......) i do be thinking gale would be like. no.. you cant have a scribble of a cat on ur arm. i know you like tara but that doesnt seem like a Wise decision my love.................. also i know backalley tattoos surely exist but we're also going to say gale says no immediately that shit not hygienic ur gonna get an Infection smh.............

11. Do they have any addictions?

do silly wizards count? got an issue there.......SDFSKLFS

but no, afhiri isn't addicted to anything, not in a traditional sense. they drink recreationally and with access if possible i could see afhiri being insane when high. afhiri has never been high before. actually i think the world wouldnt be able to handle that, lets not entertain the idea before something terrible happens

i would say, as an unhinged shipper, especially post-game, afhiri could be considered addicted to displays of power. bare with me here. from the second she met gale she was into him because she found him fucking hilarious, but it was when gale performed magical feats in front of that she was completely enamoured. now, afhiri is a bard, she can do magic, but its very simple and absolutely not impressive especially since she only uses non-offensive magic (except vicious mockery and bane hehehehe) but compared to gale? something gale isn't shy to say either? now that shit is something, that shit is gorgeous. and she hasn't EVER seen anything like it before. one could say she worshipped him immediately because how could someone do stuff like that? insane. it's insane! and then of course it turns into a disgusting cycle of , do cooler magic to impress clown , clown is impressed and wants more , repeat, repeat, oh no the wizard is doing something illegal, oh no the tief is really excited, oh no is that completely and utterly forbidden magic that no mortal should touch? ohhhhhh .. oh the clown is DOWN.

is that an addiction? me thinks so. me decides so

13. Do they enjoy poetry?

can't believe someone i trust would use discord conversations to target me in such a way.. TWICE.

hello hi a bard and a wizard who likes to try his hand at poetry walk into a bar

now we're gonna be frank here. no poetry afhiri writes is good. one could not even consider it poetry, it doesn't fit the rules. boy is it full of heart though, can't write her off when she is trying so hard (not to do it right, of course, but to be truthful, open, vulnerable? it's there. it's there) so when they do, eventually, share poetry in camp by the fire, afhiri don't know what the fuck gale is saying, and gale is blink slowly like ???? if he didn't know her as well as he did, he might think he's being pranked. it may seem like they are doomed!! doomed to not be poetry lovers!! you would be wrong, my friend

a couple like they whom devotes wholeheartedly and worships them body and soul...... one can love shitty, or incomprehensible poetry.

gale sees the effort in their poetry and can read between the lines to see the feeling there, he's the type who would pin it on the fridge and look at it wistfully every day .

afhiri actively asks what the fuck it means every time. or asks tara if she's closer by. it can take some time for her to get it, but there's always the OHHHHHHHHH. that's hot babe realisation. afhiri keeps every single poem in her backpack. shes gonna be needing a bigger backpack

37. Are they religious? If so do they have a strong sense of faith, are they uncertain, or are they somewhere in between?

answered here !!!

[littleeyesofpallas]

I think my biggest hang up is just that the obvious thru line is every Eater's cannibalistic impulse is unsubtly paralleled with sexual appetite:

Maren eats both boys and girls: metaphorical bisexual. She's literally romantically involved with Lee. She's both literally and metaphorically victimized by Sully(we will get to him...)

Lee eats exclusively men and was victimized by his Eater father: metaphorically specifically commenting on his being gay. But also, he is literally bisexual within the events of the film.

Sullivan was victimized by his grandfather and again imposes this cycle of trauma onto Maren. At first he makes the very clear comparrison with her to "my daughter... If i had one." (But when he returns for revenge he very suggestively places her in a motherly position and infantalizes himself, playing off his generally stunted demeanor.) His hunger seems to stand in for child abuse.

The weird hillbillies (with heavy HEAVY Deliverance vibes) have the most fascinating dynamic with this web of metaphors: the one is largely nondescript in his feeding habits, but the cop isn't an "Eater" at all, yet he apparently has still eaten people... But then the plot just moves on and doesnt give us any hints as to wtf that was about... (Was he Eater equivalent of asexual?? Hes very deliberately said to be a cop: his literal violance and metaphorical sexuality innately relates to him holding power over others. Was he some kind of commentary on BDSM?? Was he just a vouyer??? We may never fuckin know...)

And then Maren's mother, mostly indicated by how her own mother talks about disapporving of her relationship with Maren's father, seems to embody a metaphor for interracial relationships(remember, her parents met "in college" in the 1960s)

These are all in isolation interesting themes that make up interesting scenes and story beats. But there doesnt seem to be a clear message behind what all these sexual deviancies share in common.... There's the living on the fringes of polite society, particularly in the films 1980s and rustbelt american setting, and how lonely that gets for them all until they find others like them, sure...

But there is also the theme of shame and guilt and Maren's need to maintain this questionable moral high ground by not eating people. She sees Sullivan as a scavenger preying on an elderly maternal figure. She berates Lee for ruining a gay man's family when they find out he has a wife and kid, after Lee has sated his hunger with him. Her mother tells her "ill in ever wanted was love, but the world of love doesnt want monsters in it" before trying to devour her own daughter as a mercy killing. And then when she convinces Lee to reverse-runaway with her, to stop drifting and settle down, "Live like people" she calls it...

Is the message of the film that Maren is One of the Good Ones, because she represses her hunger? She and Lee are happy when they learn to pass? That satisfying this hunger they feel is wrong and monstrous and shameful? ...that it doea in fact ruin lives ans families? That her nonEater father was right all along about keeping her in the closet?

Thing is... Judging from the overall tone of things, and the director's history, I actually dont think that's the intended message. But it is definitely the immediate picture that the arrangement of smaller themes seems to paint when put together. I do genuienly think the intention was just to do a Healed/Saved-By-Love story but with gratuitous yet aimless queer coding. (Frankly, awkwardly unflattering queer stories seems to be this director's whole thing...)

As much as I loved Mark Rylance's absolutely terrifying performance as Sully, and the character's overall design and presence on screen, the whole positioning of the developmentally stunted childabuse victim thrned abuser under the same umbrella as a promiscuous gay man, a deeply repressed lesbian, and a white woman who had sex with a black man, is a giant red flag. Im sure there was supposed to be some sort of delineation between him and everyone else made in the act of Maren and Lee killing him, but its the premise of them being alike that sets of alarms in my head.

But again, is this how it was meant to be read? Is this how anyone else read it? Also even ignoring the world view inherent to the premise being jank, whats even the message in that? That bisexual people cant live a hetero passing life unless they explicitly denounce pedophiles? I know thats an absolute stretch of a read, but that is just the way the pieces are arranged on the table, intentional or not.

All in all trying to process this film has felt like trying to fucking read tea leaves or something... The only meaning the film offers seems to be anchored to the themes themselves but not their relative positioning, yet what is film making and where does meaning in film come from if not from the assessment of the deliberate choices behind the placement of such things?

Saw Bones and All with a friend. Fun watch but a bizarre tangle of subtext... It isn't subtle, or at least... If what I read was intended to be read as such, then it wasnt subtle. I do have to almost question if it was intentional at all. It must have been, but theres just enough vagueness that it almost feels like it could pass as a perfect storm of mistakes. Almost... But then I realized Luca Guadagnino was the director of Call me By Your Name, and the Suspiria remake.... So they couldnt possibly have been unintented subtexts.... right?

But it could also be a play on theme without message. As in queer coding people at random without intending for their dynamics as characters to reflect the dynamic between themes. There is also very confusing conflicting sexuality where some metaphors imply a thematic sexuality, but then literal events display something different.

And thats not to say characters cant be bisexual, but its weird if a character has literal attraction one way and only metaphorical attraction another, and then doesnt ever resolve the relationship between the literal events and allegorical message.

But again I feel like for all the coding, there wasnt really a message behind it? Or not a message with conclusion... Or the one conclusion is can pull from it feels....... Extremely questionable in the context of everything else that leads up to it

[stealingyourbones]

Wait wait wait I've been reading up on lantern lore and I want to submit an ask loosely based on some I already saw here:

Val being a red lantern anti-hero, doing bad things but ultimately helping her friends/the justice league similar to red hood, Jazz being green and maybe becoming apprentice to hal(?) or some of the other green lanterns bc she is still in college.

She and Val constantly team up and the red + green lantern is hella interesting to say the least from the pov of ppl that don't know who they are. Maybe Val turns her rage to the GIW and the other villains hurting her friends? Anyways, basically they both get their rings at roughly the same time, and keep their identities secret from everyone else besides each other, even from team phantom.

A few years down the line, with jazz almost finished with her masters, danny (or someone else from team phantom, dani or tuck? I don't see Sam really working out for this, but maybe it's just me zjzbzhznzj) gets the blue ring, which is basically the op ring of hope whose only weakness is that it needs a green nearby as a sort of symbiotic "I help you, you help me" relationship. So now you have op ghost boy/king danny with a blue ring that he doesnt even need, and since he's always around jazz whose green, when he DOES use his ring he becomes even MORE op.

This could work too for the human members since team phantom is basically family at this point. Just these 3 ppl who've known each other since high school, maybe childhood teaming up with each other and just causing so much shenanigans since 1) red lanterns are supposed to be evil 2) blues are supposed to be rare 3) the fact that this blue/green duo seem to go way back and are practically attached at the hip 4) the red+green+blue lantern combo (Powerpuff girls reference? Except the red is the angry one and there is a dude depending on who's blue) and the optional 5th) what the fuck is THE ghost king doing with a BLUE lantern ring??? Wdym he was chosen???? His sister is the newest green lantern??????

This is SO GOOD dude.

This trio just fucks with the entirety of the normal accepted norms of the power rings. The idea that Danny just pops on over to help Jazz and is an OP as fuck duo is incredible.

They could absolutely use these stereotypes to their advantage as well. Valerie using her fear and intimidation to get people to respect and let them entry into places they normally wouldn’t have access to. Jazz using her “I’m the green lantern of this sector” and Danny doing a “yeah and what the fuck are you gonna do about it?”.

These three strike fear in the hearts of every lantern.

[demadogs]

genuinely wonder what melvins think about the fact that there were no montages of melvin moments during mike's monologue aside from the scene where he fell in love at first sight apparently, in contrast to lumax and el&max montages.

also wonder why do you think the writers decided to add and emphasize on ''not hopper, not mike, you'' and ''there is more to life than boys'' lines which max said to el.

yes especially in comparison to max’s running up that hill scene!! they both were in similar situations where they were trying to find the courage to keep fighting and max thought of so many moments with lucas and her friends. they could have done with el surrounding her and mike but they didnt. i think one reason they didnt besides the fact that mlvn isnt endgame is just because they didnt even have much material to work with. the most wholesome moments they had were in s1 before they were a couple and then maybe s2 when theyre at the snowball. almost everything after wasnt a great moment to look back on.

i think those quotes were included when el was bringing max back to remind the audience of how important max is to el. she was the first person in her whole life who inspired and encouraged her to be her own person. she taught her that mike was treating her like shit and she doesnt have to just stand there and take it, she showed her how to find her own style, she introduced her to things like wonder woman, she showed her that she can make her own decisions by saying “we make our own rules” and fighting mike whenever he wanted her to not use as much of her powers. and she did all this pretty much immediately after becoming her friend. i also know for a FACT that she would have been so proud of el for decking angela.

el needed a girl best friend and max was the PERFECT person for her. so i think as she was bringing her back she was reminding herself of everything she taught her in the short time they were friends before she moved and it also foreshadowed that shes going to take the advice she believes max would give her in this situation, which is to break up with him because she is not happy.

[bookishdream]

can you do a one shot where kaz keeps saying he doesnt like nor does he care for the reader; she overhears him, and goes out into ketterdam but ends up getting seriously injured; also if it too much to ask, can i also add that he does end up giving her a hug but he hesitates at first —this corresponds with the fluff (angst and fluff at the end please ?)

thank you for a request! i hope you're okay with my slight change, enjoy xx

TW: blood, death, disgusting men.

kaz brekker x fem!reader

You were standing, leaning harder against the door of Kaz’s office. You wanted to talk to him about your next job, since you had to buy some bullets and a new knife for Nina and yourself. But what you overheard made your heart shatter into little pieces.

“I don’t care what happens to y/n, she’s another member of the Dregs. I can easily replace her if something happened to her,” bastard’s words were like daggers, cutting your skin and making their way into your heart. You were so stupid falling for him. “Now, Wylan, go and build a bomb or should I replace you as well?”

You heard Wylan’s huff and his steps. When he got out of Kaz’s room and noticed you, his eyes got wide. You sent him a crooked smile and made your way into Brekker’s room.

“I need a list of what you want for the job.” You said, voice steady even though you wanted to fall apart.

“On my desk.”

He wasn’t looking at you, busy with counting his money, you rolled your eyes and took a piece of paper from a wooden desk. You made your way out, not saying another word. Your heart clenched, you wanted to punch yourself for feeling even the slightest emotion for him. You should’ve known better than that, you should’ve known he wouldn’t feel nor show you any kind of emotion except hatred or disgust.

You got out of the club onto Ketterdam’s streets. You loved the city, even though it was dark and dangerous, you felt this was your home. You came here from northern Ravka, before your parents made you to join the First Army. You ran away from them and from the responsibility to protect your country, but you hadn’t felt bad about that, those two years ago and certainly you didn’t feel bad then.

You walked to the best shop with knives you’d known. You bought your first dagger there and you were sure about the quality of blades that were sold in the shop. The old Fabrikator was working there and when he learnt you were from Ravka, he started treating you as his daughter, selling you everything you need with lower prices.

“Hi, Milosh how are you feeling today?” you asked, entering the small shop, the older man smiled seeing you.

“Hello darling, I’m doing great,” he replied, eyeing you and noticing your dark circles underneath your eyes. “You haven’t been sleeping well, have you?”

You only nodded, didn’t answer his question further. You gave him the list and when he was looking for the items, you looked out of the window. You noticed three Black Tips but you didn’t pay them more attention. You looked away and focused on Milosh. He had fair hair, probably after his father who were Fjerdan. Few months ago, when he’d found you wandering around Ketterdam, he’d asked for you to come with him to this shop. He’d given you hot cocoa and had told you some stories and myths from both Ravka and Fjerda. He’d told you about his father who once had come with a wolf and the wolf had stayed, about his mother who had been the warmest woman alive, especially when she’d made him a warm bread slice with butter and then read him stories. He was your spirit connection to your mother country, so you knew every legend, every myth and even the story about the Fold.

You heard a door bell ring and you looked behind you only to see those three guys from Geels’ gang. Your spine straightened, your palm subtly went to your belt in order to take out the knife if needed. You looked at them, but they were already looking at you with smirks on their face. You cursed under your breath, knowing it’d be troubles and you didn’t know how it’d come out.

“Who we have here boys? Brekker’s girl.” One of them said, making his way towards you, eyeing you up and down.

“I’m wondering if he got some, she’s even pretty.” The other one came behind you, grabbing you roughly by your arm. You tried to free yourself, but his second hand quickly found its way to yours, cutting your only way to defend yourself.

“I have what you needed, darling,” Milosh came out from the small room, closing the door behind him, when he noticed your position he closed his mouth, forming a thin line. “I think you should leave her.” He said to the guy who was holding you. You clenched your teeth, praying for Milosh to back out. You knew Black Tips, they weren’t the smartest, but they were first to kill and you wanted your friend safe.

“Milosh, get away from here.” You ordered, trying to shake off the hands holding you, the Black Tip only hardened his hold and pressing you to his body.

“And leave you? They should leave, not me.”

“Listen, grandpa, the girl’s right. You leave and we’re going to have some quality time with her,” disgust twisted your face, you wanted to kick him, but you knew they would outnumber you.

Milosh only looked at him and from behind him, the knives started to levitating, he used his powers to push them forward, targeting an opponent’s chest. One of the knives hit him in his neck, killing him. The guy behind you let you go and you quickly turned around, placing your dagger in his crotch. He screamed making you cringe.

“This is why you shouldn’t touch a girl without her permission.”

You looked at the third Black Tip, but he took out a gun, targeting Milosh. You threw a dagger at the same time he pulled the trigger. Knife stuck at his neck, making the pistol fall out of his hands. You looked at Milosh to check on him, but you saw a pool of blood and the man laying on his side.

“No,” you whispered, stumbling against your own legs. You fall on your knees, seeing the shot wound was on his chest, that still was slowly rising. “Milosh, please, stay with me.”

“Y/n, my dear, Saints are going to keep me safe,” he said, making your eyes water. “But you have to let me go.”

You shook your head, placing your hand on his chest, trying to stop the blood from leaking. You felt the hot tears streaming down your face. He was like your father, he couldn’t leave you. “Please.”

But his eyelids closed, making your heart break into pieces. You hugged Milosh, messing your shirt with his blood, but you didn’t care. After what felt like hours, you stood up and went for items you had come here. You felt guilty, you should’ve gone to a different store, you put Milosh in danger.

You walked out of his shop, closing the door gently. The Stadwacht would be there the next day, perhaps someone would four dead bodies, laying on the floor. Your hold on the bag with bullets and a dagger, grew tighter. You tried to calm yourself, but tears still were threatening to pour out of your red eyes. You didn’t want to show how miserable you were, you tried to wipe them off, but you didn’t notice the blood on your sleeve. Now, with blood both on your shirt and face, you looked like a psycho.

You entered the Club with the back door and you go to Kaz’s room, hoping he’d be there. You knocked and instantly after, you let yourself in. He was sitting in his chair, but when you came in, he looked up, his eyes widened at the blood which was everywhere.

“What happened to you?” he asked, getting up and making a step towards you. But like he thought better of it, he stopped, placing one of his hands on his desk. “Are you injured?”

You wanted to say something, but when you opened your mouth, only a sob came out. Kaz seeing how you barely could stand on your legs, took your arm and gently led you to the chair next to his desk.

“Y/n, I need to know if you’re wounded.” He said, looking at you, his eyes soft.

“It’s not my blood,” you whispered, making him let out the breath. He felt better knowing you were not bleeding. “It’s my fault he’s dead.”

Kaz’s head snapped, he tried to understand who you were talking about, but you only looked dead into his eyes. “I killed him, Kaz.”

You were never a person who cried after killing someone from another gang, he knew it had been hard for you since the beginning, but he had never seen you crying. He felt his heart clenched at that sight. “What happened?”

You started playing with your fingers, trying to avoid this conversation, but you knew he had to know. “Do you know who Milosh is?”

Kaz frowned, trying to put a face into the name, he nodded his head when he recalled the old man working in the store, where you bought your weapons. “He was like a father to me,” you wiped off the tears from your cheeks. “Even though I still have one, he acted more like my dad than my real one,” you laughed, but the sound was dry and humourless. You told him everything that happened. About the Black Tips, how Milosh wanted to keep you safe but he failed. How that one Black Tip was still lying unconscious on the shop’s floor. Kaz’s jaw clenched, he wanted to kill this man. You looked up at him and slowly got up. He made a step back, letting you.

You walked to the door, eyes dry and you placed your hand on the door knob.

“Wait.”

You turned around, facing Kaz who was slowly walking towards you. One minute he was beside the chair and the second one his arms were around your back, gently hugging you. You were shocked, but after a second, you hugged him back, tightening your arms around his waist. You heard him taking a breath, and you wanted to let go, but he only held you closer.

“Are you okay with that?”

“I’m great.”

[uroborosymphony]

"That is silly, Handsome. How can one possibly be upset about having you in their life." The words, Ilana means them. The songstress cannot help but to think of her own young self when she sees Soomi, in her anger, in her despair - a deceased mother, only a father for company and the head full of questions and uncertainties. Ilana's father however was never as patient, as good, as gentle as Minho is with his daughter. Her task of getting that shirt clean is the focus of her eyes as she keeps on sharing her thoughts on the matter. "The wrath of life taking the blood of her blood away will never wither, Darling. The storms and the pains of the loss of a mother will never wash away. However. With time comes acceptance. When dealing with that anger, she doesn't know any other language than this : rejecting you and well, ruining your shirts. " A playful smile at the last words before her lips relax again. "But on the days it gets better inside her head, on the days she finally manages to sleep with no more nightmares, no more tears, it is all because you never stopped loving her, caring for her, being there for her. Your mere presence is healing. Trust me, when she is grown enough and a little more at peace, she will tell you herself." A tranquil expression occupies Ilana's features as eye come back to Minho's. He is a good man, isn't he. A man willing to sacrifice his very own core for the flash of his flesh. It brings a certain softness to Ilana when she witnesses it, it gives purpose, it gives a meaning to their dark little secret. But what if... what If they ever get caught? Everything they are building now would collapse, their daughter would be alone, betrayed, and abandoned in the worst way possible. The thought is her grandest nightmare, her greatest fear : immediately she casts it away. Operating by the side of Minho is the smartest move she could have ever made, with his expertise, his knowledge, it is quite impossible for them to be traced back to. The perfect crime, it's Them. The following of his lines are a confession : more and more they do that, to share bout their lives, about their worries. It comes naturally with Ilana she knows, the charming snake, a dangerous yet a safe place she can be. "I do know all Luna's friends you're right. The little girls and the little boys she plays with. Mm she's eight Darling you know, it is different at that age as all they think of is having fun, playing, singing, dancing and... living." A pause is marked then as Ilana's hand let go of this shirt of his, it's better now, cleaner, it smells like her, too. She doesnt smile anymore.

"Soon will come the age for her to start question me, however. Who was her father, what has he perished of exactly, was he a good man, was he here holding my man when I gave birth to her. It get heavier by the year, on Father's day for me to have her put flowers down a fake grave." Speaks Ilana with her features hardening. The terrible lie she carries on the day : the death of Luna's father. The man is alive, a man Ilana should have killed when she had the chance to, a man who escaped the grip of her poison, a man who had the power to kill her back, a man who will kill her the minute he is out of prison. He was and is a bad man : is the reason enough to lie to her daughter? "You have a good heart Minho. A brighter one than mine, that is. Besides her not sharing much for now, f everything goes well, it goes well.... Yes? However, if a boy breaks her heart one day, if a girl is mean to her, she still won't tell you but she will need you, naturally, spending more time at home, eating less. That's where you can be there for her, at home with her, ordering her favorite pizza for her find the pleasure to eat again. No matter what the name of that boy is or what the face if that girl is, all Soomi needs to know is that you are here when she needs it and, I know you will be." A nod then follows, convinced, knowing nothing can go wrong with the love he has for Soomi even though it will take time for Soomi herself to open up again. When Luna will be a teeenage girl well, I might get in trouble myself-" She laughs. "Aaah she is a good girl but I know will be a little rebel like her mother. When that happens to me, I will be the one coming to you for advice, please you will have to help me too."