#she's very friendly! clearly used to be someone's pet

[chickie-birdies]

Meet Dandelion! She's a stray that my friend found wandering in town nowhere near any chicken coops. No luck finding her owner, so it looks like she'll be staying with me.

[hazbin-a-helluvamagines]

Can you do Octavia/Loona/Veroskia x male reader who is a living human that met the denizen of hell when both were small kids somehow and figured out a way to keep in touch with said friendship evolving into romance as the two got older? Thoughts on how others might react to learning of this?

"Childhood Friends" ; Loona, Octavia Ars Goetia, Verosika Mayday

You met through one of her old owners. And "owners" is the correct statement here, because Loona was nothing more than a pet to them.

Of course, they didn't introduce her like that. But since her previous owners were a pair of succubi, they were able to go to earth. They brought her on their honeymoon, where Loona was able to meet you. Her owners introduced themselves to your family as her mothers in the hopes of not drawing suspicion of abuse (because it's pretty frowned upon to treat your "child" like an animal, after all).

Loona was really aggressive and hostile at first, not allowing you to get close to her, touch her, or even look at her for too long. But you were little, and were easy to distract from her blatant rejection of your friendship.

She slowly began coming around more, though, over the week that her owners remained on their vacation. She started confiding in you. And since she was just a kid, she had no concept of keeping secrets. So she basically spilled her guts, about being a Hellhound from Hell, considered her "mothers'" pet, the fact that she never had a real family, and everything.

And when you hugged her, she was... heartbreakingly confused?

"S-S/O... What's this? This... thing you're doing."

After that, you lost contact. But she never forgot you. Her first friend.

A few years later, she was adopted by Blitzø, who loved her like a father rather than a pet. She was finally valued as a person, and not someone's possession.

But she had one request.

"There's this... human that I knew. He was my first friend. You can come or not, but I have to go see him. At least once."

And so she does. Loona comes to see you, using her adept sniffer to find you in the madness that is Earth. She of course takes on her human disguise for the first time since her previous owners, and she was amazed you even recognized her.

"Loona?! Is that you? What... What are you doing here?"

"Long story short, a lot has happened and sorry I didn't visit sooner. I'll explain everything, I promise. God, S/O, I missed you so fucking much."

And so she did. She explained everything that happened, and later on, she introduced you to Blitzø. It was odd, she introduced you as though you were her boyfriend...

Blitzø could see the feelings brewing in Loona, but you seemed like a stand-up guy and you made and excellent first impression on him, so he didn't mind that much. Even though he was still a tad overprotective of her.

It didn't even take long for you to start dating. You saw her for Vortex, she... isn't the most subtle.

The only difference is she's more protective and aggressive over you. You're a human after all, you could get hurt!

She loves you so much, and she's so grateful that her boyfriend was her very first friend. :)

Same with Loona, you probably met Octavia during some kind of vacation that her family went on, where she was stuck on her father's side like glue.

She seemed really timid around you at first, this being her first experience in the human world and the first time she's stuck around humans who don't understand her.

But you were just so friendly, and so persistent. She couldn't resist getting close to you, and even looking up to you at some points.

And honestly? It was a welcome distraction from her parents when her mom clearly hated her dad. You wouldn't believe how beyond grateful both Stolas and Stella were for your involvement in Octavia's life to distract her.

And throughout the years, because of her parents' appreciation of you for distracting their daughter during their fights, they'd help her keep in contact with you.

You two essentially grow up together. Sleepovers, playdates, the works. And eventually, that turns into casual hangouts, discovering hobbies together, and eventually, even mutual crushing.

Now, obviously, she's an angsty emo teenager, and doesn't know how to sort out these feelings. So who does she go to? Honestly, probably the worst person for that: you.

"S/O? What does love feel like?"

Cue a very awkward explanation trying to explain to your crush what a crush feels like... thinking she's referring to another guy, no less! So the heartbreak was also present.

Fortunately for you, it was very momentary and fleeting.

"I see... And what if I had... a crush... on you?"

"Via? Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She's as shy as they come, and very nervously nods, fearing the harsh rejection and the end of your friendship that seemed inevitable. She couldn't have been more shocked than when you said those words she wanted to hear...

"I feel the same, Via."

"Really? Then... would you... maybe... want to... try going steady?"

You snorted out a little laugh, tilting your head.

"'Going steady'? What are you, ninety?"

Of course, you were only teasing, and she momentarily pouted at you before you finally gave in, taking both of her hands in yours.

"I'd love to go out with you. Just convince your mom not to kill me when she finds out you're dating me."

She let out a hoot-like laugh and nodded.

"I promise I will."

You were her absolute everything, and she was so happy she finally got to be with you. :)

Okay, so headcanon that Verosika's childhood wasn't the nicest. Not necessarily awful, but she never really felt wanted by anyone.

That all changed when she met you, though! As little three-year-olds, and her parents living on earth for a few months out of the year, she became immediately attached to you, clinging to your affection like she thought it'd leave if she ever let go of you.

She's clingy to a fault, always wanting to hug you and hold your hand and play those "physical" games (tag, leap frog, etc.). Sometimes, though, she'd sucker you into playing dolls with her. But hey, at least she (usually) let you be Ken. And have a personality.

"Hey! S/O! Let's play! I wanna be Nicky, but you can be Ken! :D"

She was so adorable and sweet, how could you possibly resist?

She maintained close contact with you, and her parents really didn't mind that she sometimes went off on her own to spend time with you.

You were there when her career began taking off and when she began getting famous, even to the extent of tabloids discussing rumors that you were an item. You weren't, though, although you started crushing on her near the beginning of her idol career.

So the tabloids made you uncomfortable in a... strange way. You didn't want her knowing how much you loved her, especially considering she was already with some imp guy...

...and then he broke her heart.

You consoled her, held her, reminded her how perfect and amazing she was, and how she didn't need someone who never saw her value the way it should be.

In this moment, she realized how amazing you were to her. You were always there when she needed you, you were never mocking or cruel with her, you never made her feel unwelcome or unloved... You were an amazing guy.

But you didn't think of it the same way. You didn't want to confess under the precipice of her possibly thinking you were glad to see her get her heart broken just so you could virtue signal about how much you loved her.

It wasn't instant, but that night, she began to develop her own feelings for you.

A few months later, she was head over heels, the same way you were. She was mean and catty with a lot of people, but oh, not with you. She adored you.

You'd already be close with her posse, but they set you two up, convincing Verosika to tell you the way she feels.

"Heya. So, like... I kind of like you, and all, but if you don't feel the same, totally fine. I don't mind."

A lot more chill when she isn't actively plotting against someone, actually. And of course, you accepted her confession that you thought would never happen.

And so, in the end, the tabloids were proven right... eventually. :)

Until then... she's content to keep your relationship a secret for now. ;)

[marlynnofmany]

How I Became the Token Human

The sign said “Earthling Wanted” in large print, and I, a perfectly eligible Earthling, said “Heck yeah.” Busy space station life bustled around me as I stepped close to read the details on the holoboard. Other ads were for the usual range of odd jobs and social events, but this one was specific.

And it couldn’t have been more perfect for me. A courier ship was contracted to deliver someone’s pet cat to them in deep space (I guessed that a breakup had happened while the owner was away, or their temporary job had turned into a permanent one) and while the couriers were perfectly capable of getting the cat there, this was several days of travel, and they hadn’t the first idea of how to care for an Earth animal.

Well, I thought with no small amount of smugness, They just got themselves an expert. I copied the holo ad onto my phone, then found a vaguely-private corner of a public seating area and activated the call. I stood up straight and professional, as if I was meeting a wealthy new client with an ailing Samoyed. Would they want a detailed resume? A rundown of the places I’d worked and trained, my range of expertise on animals big and small? Or perhaps a description of what I would do in various unexpected scenarios?

Nope. The octopuslike alien who popped into view — deep green, harried, and female unless I missed my guess — only had two questions for me.

“Great, you look like an Earthling,” she said. “How experienced are you in caring for cats?”

“Very,” I said, ready to add more.

“Good. Can you leave immediately?”

“Yes,” I decided, thinking quickly. “I just have to grab my things. Where’s your ship?”

“Meet us at the semiaquatic spaceport before the shadow covers it.” She glanced at something offscreen. “We leave before the solar sails have to fold. Be quick.” With that, the call ended.

I blinked once, then shoved the phone into my pocket and sprinted down the corridor. Passersby stepped aside and gave me disapproving looks, especially the group of red-pink bugfolk who chattered after me in their own language, but I dodged through the loose crowd without hitting anyone. Nearly tripped over a smaller-than-average Waterwill, which could have been disastrous given their “column of jello” consistency, but I hopped on by with a quick apology.

Are Waterwills really that fragile? I wondered as I ran. My biological studies had all been Earth-based. I knew the best way to hold a chameleon, pet a cat, and catch a chicken, but I hadn’t the foggiest idea how the friendly blobmonsters worked.

Well, maybe I’d find out.

I skidded into my small room and threw things into the suitcase. There wasn’t much to pack, since this was a temporary stop. Five minutes ago I’d been planning to trudge back to Earth and look for a new job. My old workplace was under new management and doing a reshuffling that made for a perfect time to take a quick lap around the galaxy, something I’d always wanted to do. It had been a great vacation. But there wasn’t much call for a veterinarian in space. Or so I’d thought.

One more jaunt, I told myself. It pays well enough to be worth it. And they clearly need my help. With a look about the room for anything I’d missed, I zipped the suitcase and shouldered my backpack, then cancelled the rest of my reservation at the control panel by the door.

A few more button presses, and the door wooshed open to let me dash off through the residential area, towing my suitcase on its repulsor plate behind me. That bag was much better than my old wheelie-case, which was always tipping over when I turned quickly. This one did have a tendency to slide around like a toddler on ice, but I was an old hand now at pulling the strap just right to keep it from taking anybody out at the knees. And honestly, I usually walked at a more reasonable pace than this. But time was short.

I glanced at a multiclock as I passed an elevator hub; sunset was coming for this side of the station. I wondered who had decided to make the station rotate in orbit instead of keeping one side facing the sun, but that was beyond my pay grade. Maybe it got too hot otherwise.

Long lines at the food court made me slow down, edging past a variety of body types before I reached a clear area and picked up speed again.

Success, I thought. Didn’t even bump into a scaly tail. This door? That door!

I found the dry-air-breather’s access port and hurried into the airlocks where steeply angled sunlight was streaming in. I only stopped once, to swipe my ID in exchange for a cheapo force-field exo suit. Just in case the separation of dry air, wet air, and water left anything to be desired. I’d made that mistake once. One experience of scrambling for the emergency cutoff switch in an airlock rapidly filling with water was enough.

Those octopeople breathe dry air, right? I fretted while I retrieved the exo disk. I think so. They just like more baths and moisturizers than I do. I’ll be fine on a ship made for them. Assuming the one I talked to doesn’t live in a scuba suit while onboard. But surely they would have said. Probably.

With my ID back in my pocket and the control disk stuck to my chest (using technology that was basically the inverse of my suitcase), I shoved out into the spaceport in a cloud of my own air. I was greeted by more air, rows of parked ships under a glittering force field between us and the stars, and an impatient-looking green tentacle alien waiting in view of the airlocks. She waved me toward her ship as soon as she saw me.

Strongarms, that’s what they’re called, I remembered. I guess I’ll get a name for this one once we’re on the way. With golden solar sails spread wide, the little round ship looked like a cartoon bat, or maybe a lemon that wanted to be a pirate ship when it grew up. The epitome of dignity either way. I made a note to say nothing about that either.

“Right this way; stand back while the door shuts; the animal is in the cargo bay with more food and junk than any sane creature could eat in the time we’ve got; I’ll introduce you after takeoff.” The green Strongarm didn’t give me a chance to do more than nod as she spoke. “For now, come grab a crash seat in the cabin. I’ll introduce you to the crew after takeoff too.” She sped down the narrow corridor with a quiet slapping of tentacles on the shiny blue floor.

I did my best to keep up, despite having to bend over as I walked. This ship was not designed for a tall species. At least the walls and ceiling were a clean white, not one of those squishy organic ships that made my skin crawl.

“Got the human,” she announced as the door to the cabin spiraled open. She waved several tentacles back at me, one pointing at a chair near the wall that had a fighting chance of fitting me. “Quick-quick.”

I ducked through the sphincter-door (also gross, but less so), waved at the dozen or so random aliens, then shoved my suitcase behind the chair and sat. The chair was cup-shaped and way too small, but at least the back was flexible. I could feel a localized gravity field in place of a seat belt.

These folks have a lot of faith in their ship’s power source, I thought as I lifted my backpack to where it would give me neck support. Here’s hoping we don’t crash. For lots of reasons.

The crew were mostly ignoring me, though in a polite way. Strongarms, Frillians, and a few Heatseekers. Octopeople, colorful fin-covered bipeds who looked like tropical fish that had learned to walk, and little lizardy folks. All air breathers, though two out of three had aquatic origins. As the engine hummed to life, I shut off my exo field.

Damp air caressed my face like someone breathing on me from uncomfortably close. Great. But it was breathable and wouldn’t damage my stuff, and we were already in space, judging by the viewscreen that had just registered some very quick movement. Only stars and a few distant ships were in front of us now.

“All right, introductions!” announced the green Strongarm. “You can call me Kamm. What’s your name, human?”

“Robin Bennett,” I said, sitting up straight. “Earth animal expert at your service.”

Kamm accepted that and rattled off the names of everyone else in the room, then gave a quick rundown of the journey we could expect. Three standard days, no wormholes planned, no asteroid showers or other hoo-ha expected.

And now that we were clear of the space station’s shipping lanes, we could make good time and move about the ship.

Kamm hopped out of her seat and hit the floor with a wet smack. “This way, animal expert. Let’s show you to your charge and your room.”

I grabbed my suitcase and followed, trying to be graceful while simultaneously ducking and high-stepping through the door. It was like walking around in a kids’ playhouse.

At least the cargo bay had a properly high ceiling. It also had many boxes of cargo, and one metal cage with a very distressed cat. The I-don’t-want-to-be-here yodel echoed off every wall.

“Well, there it is,” said Kamm with a wince. “It’s been this loud the whole time. I hope that’s not a cause for alarm?”

“Not the sound alone, no,” I said. “Let me take a quick look. Hey, kitty.” I approached with a gentle voice and quiet footsteps.

The tone of the cat’s yowling changed when it saw me, aiming for pity over volume. Poor little gray tabby sounded very lonely. A nameplate with paragraphs of contact information said “PICKLE” in all caps.

“Hello, Pickle. There there, kitty; it’s okay.” I greeted the cat with a soothing babble of syllables, letting it sniff my fingers through the bars, only noticing once it quieted that Kamm had stayed by the door.

“Oh good,” the alien said. “It likes you. Will you want the whole crate in your quarters, I hope? There’s enough room.”

“Yes, definitely,” I said, standing back up. The cat mewed in protest.

“Great. All the food and whatever should fit too. Grab a sled.”

At Kamm’s directions, I helped maneuver a hoversled under the cage, then down the hall. She led the way with a different sled full of airtight cases covered in labels. Her cart was the more rattletrap of the two, which I appreciated; the supplies wouldn’t be bothered by any jolts in height, but an anxious cat sure would.

Pickle yowled all the way to my quarters. Our quarters, rather. Kamm was eager to rush off once I said I had everything in hand, and I couldn’t blame her. But the noise stopped as soon as the door shut.

“Mew?”

“All right, kitty,” I said as I took off my backpack. “That door seems solid, so you probably won’t run off and get stuck under the brake pedal, or however they fly this ship. Do you want to come out?”

Pickle didn’t, when I opened the door, but I made myself comfortable on the floor by the cage and read through the info packet that had popped up on my phone. Pickle was a girl cat, five years old, spayed, fond of cheese and toys that crinkled.

Eventually she crept out to accept some gentle scritches and a warm lap. I was considering moving to the giant squishy cushion that passed for a bed when the door chimed.

“Ow!” Those claws were sharp when Pickle launched off me to hide in the carrier. I got to my feet painfully, shut the small door, then opened the big one. The ceiling was low in here too.

A maroon-and-teal Frillian stood there, just barely short enough to stand normally in the hallway. “Did you bring food, or would you like to join us for a meal?”

I looked back at the quiet cat. “I do have some ration bars, but I wouldn’t mind meeting everyone properly. Let me dig out some food for my charge here, then I’ll be there. Which way…?”

The Frillian gave me directions, then scooted off. I turned to the multiple boxes labeled “food,” and checked the info packet. Pickle had preferences.

But of course she was too scared to eat. I left the tray of high-quality wet food inside the cage alongside a dish of water and a well-chewed toy mouse that promised to have familiar smells. Then I gave her some quiet time.

And I got some fun time! The crew turned out to be outgoing and friendly, with many a joke ready about the types of food that my species was known to eat. They were mostly a carnivorous set, of one kind or another (fish, bugs, rodents; not a T-bone steak among the lot). They weren’t phased by any kind of plant food, but the existence of dairy products as a whole was soundly denounced as vile weirdness.

“Honestly, it makes sense,” I laughed. “Milk is the first food we eat when we’re born, then we found ways to make it into a bunch of other fancy things.”

“Yes, but why?” asked a bright red Heatseeker, his lizardy face intent. “Organic drippings sound like the absolute last choice of edible foods.”

“Spoken by someone who has never tasted ice cream,” I told him. “Or pizza! Those are some of the best foods out there.”

“I’ve heard humans mention pizza before,” said a large gray Strongarm. He gestured with something that looked like an uncut sushi roll. “What actually is it?”

I happily explained, then had to go on a tangent about bread, since that was apparently a weird human thing too.

“Really? None of you folks have food made of processed grains?” I asked, to a row of blank stares. “Guess not, but okay: it’s crushed grain and water with yeast — those are little microscopic creatures that help turn it into proper food — as I understand it, the air bubbles in the finished bread are their farts — I’m not doing a good job of selling this, am I? I swear it tastes good!”

The big Strongarm laughed loudest. “No, but keep going! You were going to circle back to ‘cheese’ and why it’s not rotten.”

I did my best, eventually giving up while insisting that they would probably like at least some of my species’ barbaric dishes if they ever got a chance to try them. It was a fun conversation. And the food was all right too. A bit fishy, but I’d had worse.

I was sad to see the meal end, with everyone scattering off to their various tasks, some of which might have been fun to help with: untangling cords or organizing cases or deciphering random space messages. But my duty was with the cat.

Pickle was caterwauling loud enough to be heard from the end of the hallway. I hurried in and comforted her again, opening the cage and settling in to rest on the cushion-bed with her snuggled next to me.

With nothing else to do, I drifted off into a nap that was more restful than expected, given the alien bed. I woke, braved the alien bathroom, then went back to sleep. Even after the vacation I’d been taking, it was a bizarre luxury to have no demands on my time. I didn’t even know what kind of day/night cycle this ship was on.

And it didn’t matter. I slept as much as I needed to, ate a couple ration bars, fed and played with Pickle, and I read a book I’d been meaning to get around to. It was nice.

Crew members showed up occasionally to invite me to meals, but otherwise I spent the whole trip in my quarters. And as much as I enjoyed the camaraderie of dinnertime, the guilt I felt every time I returned to piteous meows kept me from staying out longer.

I really would have liked to, though. They even had a music night with instruments I’d never heard of. There were spares that I was welcome to try.

But Pickle had been scratching at the cage the last time I returned, and if she tore a claw because I wanted to know what an alien trumpet sounded like, then I would have failed in my duty.

So I stayed with the cat who purred like an outboard motor, and I did some more reading. It was still nice. Peaceful. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to take a turn at the radio station, listening for gossip and distress calls and triple-encoded secret messages.

The end of the trip caught me off guard. Kamm showed up with a ten-minute warning before the time we needed to have the crate stowed in the cargo bay, and me seated in the cabin.

“Already?” I blurted. “Right, I’ll be packed up in a jiff. Got the sleds?”

In the rush of gathering things, ushering Pickle back into the carrier, and hurrying to the cargo bay, I didn’t really have time to Feel Things about the trip ending.

But I felt them anyway. I’d miss my little snuggle buddy. I hoped she had a good life ahead of her.

The man waiting at the spaceport a few minutes later, as close to the landing pad as he was allowed, was a grizzled old space marine type. Stereotypes said he would have been more at home with some vicious beast as a pet, but I’d seen enough mismatched owners in my time to just smile at how eagerly he waited. And the way his face lit up at the sight of his cat was heartwarming.

Pickle’s distressed meows turned to welcoming mews when her human scritched her through the bars. I didn’t have to remind him that he owed money before he could take her away; he was on top of that. Though I’m sure Kamm would have made sure if necessary. The two of them handled the transaction with speed. Then to my surprise, he opened the cage there on the landing pad.

Pickle clawed her way up his thick jacket to settle purring onto his shoulders, like this was where she was meant to be. Maybe it was.

“Thanks so much for bringing her to me,” the man said to Kamm, with a nod to me as well. “Gonna introduce her to the new family; now everyone I love is in one place.”

Kamm said a polite goodbye while I gave him a warm smile and wiggled my fingers at Pickle. The cat gave me a slow blink, purring hard and nuzzling his chin. Then the pair of them walked off to the rest of their lives.

“Come grab your stuff,” Kamm told me. “He left a big tip, which I’ll pass over to you. No way we could have done a thing to calm that creature ourselves.”

“Thank you,” I said. “It was my pleasure.” It really had been; going home seemed anticlimactic now. It was just a pity I hadn’t been able to socialize with the crew more. They were good people.

I followed Kamm back into the ship for the last time — or so I thought, until a pair of crew members called from the radio station about a message from their sister ship.

“They had a fuel leak, and only managed to coast into orbit of a moon four days out,” said the small Frillian. “They need fuel, repair supplies, and extra food for their cargo.” He looked from Kamm to me. “I don’t know what planet the cargo is from, but if you don’t have to be anywhere just yet…?”

I grinned. “I don’t, as a matter of fact. I’ll happily come along if you’ll have me.”

Kamm flipped a tentacle in what was probably a shrug. “Why not? It worked out well just now. And I want to see if you can play a flange horn.”

“Me too!” I said. “Let me just grab some provisions before we go. At least one of you folks has to try pizza.”

This was years ago now. I never did get a regular job back on Earth, and I don’t regret it one bit.

(A couple crewmates did regret the pizza, but at least it was funny.)

~~~

This is official backstory connecting these comics with this novel. Robin has had a lot of adventures, and is about to have more!

[cheesemittens]

Hai! I saw that you were taking fic requests and if it's ok with you I was hoping you could write one for Tangerine? Where reader is working w/ the twins for years now and is oblivious to all of Tangerines advances to her bcuz she doesn't really think he likes her. Come to the event where they're on the bullet train and they're trying to do their mission but everything went to shit. So Tan leaves Lem and Reader to wait while he tries to find Ladybug and there comes a chance where Lemon tells her himself about Tans feelings and advances and how oblivious she was and she becomes in denial

And that hopefully in the end, after she got shot in like the shoulder by saving Tan from almost being shot by Ladybug she sees how Tan reacts and she goes "oh shit Lemon was fr not bullshiting" and at the end they get out the train safely and no one dies and have a very real, and cannon happy ending 💕💕

OMG, YESS!!! Thank you so much for the request! I'm so sorry it took so long- BUT- I had a lot of fun writing this and I really hope I did your suggestion justice😭 Word Count: 1656 Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, Violence (nothing that doesn't happen in the movie), Fluff, a bit of angst(?), Reader & Tan being obvious, pet names (love), Totally cannon ending where Tan is alive, happy, and healthy, Reader gets hurt :(, allusions to smut? Over all Lemon being fed up with Tan and you exchanging goo-goo eyes and not acting on it <3. I don't think I followed the events in order so- bear with me heh <3 NO USE OF Y/N!! NOT PROOF READ! MAY CONTAIN TYPOS! Send me a request!

You have been working with the two brothers, Lemon and Tangerine, for a while now. Picking up odd jobs. Whatever pays the most. And even though these two could get on your nerves, you enjoyed your time with them. They never once made you feel different. Never told you, you couldn't do something because it was 'too dangerous for a woman'.

Well, that was true until recently. You see, Tangerine has slowly become more aware of every mission's danger. Sure he knew you could handle yourself. He knew that you wouldn't get hurt. But he didn't want to risk it. So naturally when he took this job for the White Death, he was against you coming.

Yet here you are. Sitting by the window, next to a semi-pissed Tan.

It all started when you insisted to join. Saying how you've sat out the last 2 missions, and you weren't going to miss another. Then, Lemon lost the briefcase. After that, you three find the White Death's son dead. The Cherry on top was they (White Death) knew you lot didn't have the case.

"Alright, I'm gonna go find this prick and teach him a lesson. You two stay here, yeah?" You heard Tan speak up, making you look over at him. "But I wa-" "Ah ah- No buts. You're staying here." He said firmly before getting up and walking off

You sighed as you watched Tangerine walk off. Lemon watched him as well before fixating his gaze on you.

"You know he likes you, right?"

"What..?" Surely you didn't hear that right. Or you must be dreaming. Because you thought there was no way in hell that someone as hot as Tan could ever like you back.

"Did you go deaf or somethin'? I said my brother likes you. It's painfully obvious." Even when he repeated it, you looked at Lemon like he had two heads. "I-I think you're mistaken.. There's no way he likes me.." Lemon just rolled his eyes. "Look, I wouldn't lie to ya' about this. I see the way you look at my brother. You clearly fancy him a lot. And he feels the same. I mean, it's painfully obvious to everyone else. He's told you how many pickup lines since we got on this train? And how many through our whole time together? And don't even get me started on the looks you two give each other when the other is turned!"

"I-.. I thought he was just being friendly.." You mumbled, still in denial. You refused to think someone who seemed so out of your league liked you. "Yeah? Well, he wasn't. He's been trying to rack up the nerve to ask you out like a proper gentleman, but every time he asks, you're off in your own world."

You shook your head firmly, looking out of the window. "Would you stop being such a stubborn priss and just open your eyes? You two fancy each other! Just confess and move on. If I have to sit through another mission filled with romantic and sexual tension I might just quit."

You continued to talk to Lemon, arguing over if Tan likes you back or not before transitioning to a more tame conversation. Though your mind kept wandering back to what he said. You couldn't help but wonder if you were in the wrong about it.

It had been a while since you got separated from Lemon. You were worried, alone, and in all honesty? Scared. You didn't feel safe without being with one of the twins. Preferably Tan over Lem. But you wouldn't mind Lem.

You walked around the eerily empty train before finding an open bathroom, your eyes widening as you saw a bloodied Lemon. Quickly you knelt to his level and checked for a pulse, luckily finding one. You examined him more and saw Tan's necklace around him. Of course he'd jump the gun and think the worst.

You quickly got up, running through the train to find him. You bumped into another girl on your way down. You gave her a skeptical look. "Watch where you're going!" She yelled at you as she continued on.

You couldn't help but scrunch up your nose in disgust. You could barely notice a Thomas the Tank Engine sticker on her back. Diesel. So that's who drugged Lem.

You made a mental note to find her later, no doubt she thought Lem was dead so you didn't have to worry for now. Continuing down the train. Eventually, you saw him, saw your Tan fighting another guy. They didn't see you yet. So you tried to quietly sneak up on the other one. But when you saw him reach for the gun, it was game over.

You ran as fast as you could and pushed Tan out of the way right when the gun fired, not even feeling the pain in your shoulder when it was done with.

It was like time was going in slow motion for Tan. One minute he was fighting this Ladybug guy, then the next everything was going significantly slower, watching you run towards him and push him away. He had to blink a few times before landing on his ass with a groan, looking up at you and watching a bright red liquid start to stain your white shirt.

If his eyes could change colors, they would be bright red, staring at the man with the gun who was behind you, not even giving him a second to get out the words "I'm sorry" before he had him up against the wall.

"First, you come in here while I was about to kill the bloody Diesel, then you try to kill me, not believing me when I said that she's trying to make us all kill each other. And then! The fuckin' cherry on top, you try to kill me. But you shoot my partner instead. You hurt an innocent lady. A fuckin' goddess.."

He was growling at the other man, finally the pain of the bullet settling in. You winced in pain and fell to the floor, grabbing your shoulder to try and stop some of the bleeding.

Tan paused hearing you, looking over and quickly dropping the man to run to your side. "Are you okay love..?" He asked, his expression softened when he looked at you, taking off his shirt to wrap around your shoulder to help stop the bleeding.

You couldn't help but stare as he took it off, your eyes moving from his abs to his eyes as he wrapped up your shoulder. So Lem was telling the truth. Tan really did love you. It was as clear as day to you now. The way he looked at you, how you were the most beautiful person alive. The way he spoke, how he immediately softened when he saw you. Everything he did showed his love for you.

"Hello? I asked if you were okay?" He repeated, waving a hand in front of your face. That seemed to snap you out of your trance, blinking a few times before you looked at him, smiling softly.

You threw your arms around his neck, pulling him in for a hug, not caring how much the wound hurt from this. "Th-Thank you, Tan.. I mean it.." You spoke softly, feeling tears well up in your eyes. Partly from the pain, partly because you were just so happy.

Tan was beyond confused, but hugged you back, smiling softly as he took in your sweet scent. "You don't need to thank me, love.. It's the least I can do.." He hummed, wanting this moment to last forever but, you eventually pulled away, looking into his eyes.

"Did.. Did you really mean what you said about me..? A-About me being a... a goddess..?" You asked, your voice shaking a bit. You hoped he'd say yes, hoping that he truly meant it so you could confess.

"Of course I did.. You're beautiful.. Stunning.. Fuck- Words can't des-"

You didn't let him finish, quickly pulling him into a kiss. He was surprised but quickly melted into it, kissing you back as his hands found their way into your hair, entangling with your soft locks.

By this point Ladybug had read the room and left while he still had his life, knowing that as soon as Tan could, he'd kill him.

The two of you never wanted to pull away, kissing for as long as your breaths would allow before having to pull away. "I-.. I really like you Tan.. Liked you for a while now.." You shyly admitted, panting softly as you tried to regain your breath. "I like you too.. So so much.." He hummed, smiling at you lovingly as he cupped your face.

"Fuckin' finally! I was worried I'd actually have to quit." Lemon's voice could be heard from the doorway making the both of you chuckle. "Jesus Lem.. You're alive?" Tan looked over at him, for the first time breaking eye contact with you. "Yeah. Someone drugged the water I drank. Did you not check my pulse?"

Tan looked away shyly, slightly embarrassed he jumped the gun. "To play devil's advocate, you do have a shit ton of blood on you Lem." You hummed, trying to defend Tan. Lemon just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's just get off the train at the next stop, yeah?

All of you agreed and the train came to a stop not long after. All of you exited and no one was seriously harmed! Well, besides you. After a quick trip to the ER to get the bullet removed, and the wound sewn up, you all retreated back to your separate hotel rooms. Little would Lemon know (that's a like he totally knew), Tan would sneak out of their room to go into yours just to make sure you're okay. But what ended up happening instead was more than fine as well.

[brunhielda]

I am currently watching through The Lord of the Rings again (as you do).

I love these movies. I will show them to my children (or nieces/nephews) and grand children and great grand children. There are quotes from these films that see me through dark days.

(Reason I can accept the flawed Hobbit films is that they too have quotes that stick around)

That said, as I watch with my parents and thier even older friend, I am listening to them react to Boromir the same way I did the first time I watched it. Knowing what I do now about the back ground of canonical Boromir, it hurts a little bit.

If you are a fan who has read the books, or even is involved with the online fandom- you know. Boromir is a good man- the best of men. He is supposed to be a shining example of the best of us, and his fall to the Ring is meant to show that it could happen to ANYONE. It is meant to be a message to us all that you are not your worst moment, or your worst fault.

And yet because of all the foreshadowing and arguing over choices to make during the quest, we the audience of the movie see him as someone just one step away from betraying everyone. His attempt to take the Ring is not a surprise, or even a tragedy, but a confirmation. The surprise is his redemption in death.

I think there is a version of “The Fellowship of the Rings” that I would have liked to see.

Indulge me:

Part of the problem is that Aragorn is falling into the spot Boromir could be filling. He’s just too epic to allow any other man next to him to look impressive. 🤴🏼

This not only does a disservice to Boromir, but to Aragorn himself, who could be having a much richer personal growth.

So, imagine this.

Strider leans more into his “Ranger in the Corner” persona. He is quiet, terse, filthy, mysterious, and comes across more like your traditional rogue than anything approaching Kingly.

Legolas is the only one to call him Aragorn, he does it exactly once when defending him to Boromir, and never again. Legolas himself is a little different- a few more sarcastic quips, more friendly and forward, the sunshine to Strider’s gloom. When they get to Lothlorian, the elves there acknowledge “Strider the Ranger” as someone known to them, but Legolas of the Woodland Realm does the negotiating. The vibe is “ah, yes… that human Elrond adopted. I suppose we should bid him welcome…” 🫤 (Obvious exception of Galadriel. She knows all. It just makes her seem more out there).

There are a couple less references to his lineage, and every time they do, the feeling from the audience should be- “Really? THAT guy?”

Arwen is clearly in a rebellious stage and looking for a bad boy. Him telling her to go very much has that angsty teen feel of “you could do better” and “I am poison to you.”

Elrond is clearly trying to get through to him, but do we think it is going to take? He remains quiet and moody. Was he the first to volunteer to go? Yes. But it was less a declaration and more of an ernest whisper meant for Frodo. Legolas’s immediate follow up is less “I am inspired” and more “My pet introvert will not survive without me, but I am so proud of you for asserting yourself.” 😂

Meanwhile- we have Boromir. Now, I love me some Sean Bean, but I need him at his most joyful. Most jovial. Give him a big old beard. Pad him out with thicker armor to give him a broader chest.

Boromir is supportive. Boromir is playful. Boromir is everyone’s big bro, ESPECIALLY the younger hobbits. I basically want every scene he has with Merry and Pippin expanded to everyone.

I want the sword drop to feel less like a stranger being disrespectful, and more like a himbo being clumsy.

I want him to talk about the path to Mordor of all the concern of the older sibling who has seen and been, and his dismissal of Aragorn to feel justified. “Yeah… sure, put that guy on the throne. Uh huh. I think we dodged an arrow there.” And I want the end of it to be a bit of a laugh and a clap on the back, and “no offense meant, Strider Ol’ chap, but you don’t seem the type!”

I want every disagreement with Gandalf or Gimli about which way to take to feel like him advocating for everyone’s safety.

I want him to slide into the role that Aragorn currently has, protecting everyone, especially Frodo, and to have Strider fall back into a quieter rear guard position, only to really speak up to sharply tell someone “don’t disturb the water” “Hide!” “get them up.”

Strider will speak on historical landmarks or lands we are entering, which always makes Legolas smile in support. “See, he knows cool things. I am telling you, you wanna be friends with my guy.”

Instead of Strider or Gandalf sending Gimli or Legolas chastising looks, we see Boromir, the peace keeper, laughing at both of them. “Come now master dwarf, the Elf will love trees as much as you love Rock, it is to be expected! I myself would be weary of being out in the open so often, and also loathe to spend as much time under ground as your kin, yet I have been known to be grateful for either tree or rock in a rough spot or two (chuckle) As I’m sure you would find the open forest or the dwellings of men far too open for your liking, but would not begrudge shelter in either when when the rain sets in. To each their own way, as my brother would say! You would like him (directed at Legolas) he speaks your poetry much better than I in any rate! (Aside to Gimli) I am more for the drinking songs myself. Speaking of, have you heard the hobbits tell you about their little place? Master Pippin- tell us, how do Hobbits live?” He just keeps cutting off rudeness with rambles about something his brother said or how the hobbits or men are like both of them, and really, do these fights between dwarves and elves matter when they have Sauron to face? Come! We are brothers in arms! There are moments they bask in it, and moments they are bonded by the annoyance of it. Either way he wins.

(In Lothlorien, they are bonded in grief, in appreciation of Galadriel, and in the strangeness of Boromir being too caught up in his own musings to try to fix them)

I want Galadriel’s speech to both Strider and Boromir to feel like a deepening of characters we are already starting to like, not confirmation of things we suspect. I want her to tell Frodo- “You know of who I speak” and have the audience to go “What?! WHO??? Who is this crazy woman talking about? Oh, she has those seer powers- what does she know?!”

I want every reference to Boromir starting to fall to the Ring to be less obvious foreshadowing, and more a sympathetic look behind the jovial curtain.

“What ails you Boromir?” “Oh- never mind me. My mind has gone back to my brother. I was meant to lead the armies you know.” Strained smile. “Now it falls on him. It is a heavy burden, but he is equal to the task. Probably better at it than me!” Laugh. “It will be well. When I see him again I will have to congratulate him on defending our people so well. And he will chastise me for being away so long to leave him to pick up the slack!”

Far away look. Any of the company gives him a questioning look. “We are not far from the borders of Gondor- she is just over that mountain.” Strained smile. “Forgive me, I have not before been so long from home. I did not realize I would yearn for it so. Perhaps that is why I keep trying to turn us that way- feet always point home, do they not?” (This would be poinant with Sam, Legolas, Gimli, or Strider)

At any of these moments, he glances at the ring. A glance. That is it.

If there are obvious moments of temptation, I want one for every single member of the Fellowship (the movie is long enough, there is room). Gimli admires its make, for all that it is wrought with evil. Dwarves know a thing or two about jewelry, you know. Very good craftsmen. Legolas speaks of the rings of the elves, How they never passed to his line- he isn’t surprised. Surprising bitter moment of saying his Father is one of the weakest of Elves. Gandalf interrupts his musing by talking about his ring. (Could be a moment of bonding with Gimli too) Strider tells Frodo he should preserve his strength- can he not put the Ring in a pocket or pass it to another hobbit? (He does not ask to take it, but music implies the question). Merry and Pippin keep talking about “I know it’s evil, but you have to admit, it has a nice shine to it, doesn’t it?” It is playful and flippant, but there none the less. Boromir might ONCE mention it’s use as a weapon, speaking of what Sauron was able to do with it “They say it was the Ring that allowed him to grow in size and strength- he could kill 8 warriors with one blow!” Only to back track when Strider or Gandalf give him a chastising look. “Forgive me,” he says with a laugh, “I am at heart a warrior, and see everything as a possible tactical advantage. Of course it would only do damage should anyone try to use it.” Gandalf turns away, mollified, Boromir whispers conspiratorially to Merry and Pippin “But imagine! Eight feet tall!” (Chuckles all around- foreshadowing to the two growing to be the tallest hobbits) The whole thing should be told around the fire at night like a good story- again, even in his weakness, we see him as an excellent big bro figure.

The point is, I want to get to Galadriel saying someone will take the Ring and the audience is suspicious of EVERYONE.

Then we arrive at the moment. We all have our suspicions. Strider has gone off to find Frodo. There are implications of everyone being out looking. We saw exactly one glance of Boromir’s shield. Out of everyone? The money is on the creepy mysterious Ranger who might have a heart under there but only seems to snap at people.

Then Boromir tries to take the Ring.

From this point on, EVERYTHING Is EXACTLY the AS THE ORIGINAL.

The context is wildly different.

The shock of Boromir taking the Ring has the gasp effect of Hans’ betrayal in Frozen.

Strider turning down the Ring has us all feeling guilty and weepy, because he’s just quiet and concerned damn it! He has always meant well!

Boromir suddenly realizing what he has done has us sobbing “He didn’t mean it! He didn’t mean it! It was the Ring!” And then he immediately turns to defend Merry and Pippin. There are no dry eyes.

We have seen Strider fight- he has precision and skill. But this fight suddenly feels like he is proving something. Like he is standing up for this man who cannot. That is Boromir, Prince of Gondor you struck down, and he is NOT undefended! Something has shifted. Strider is rising, and it shows in this fight against the leader of the Uruki.

Boromir’s final words to Strider, he calls him Aragorn. He calls him brother. He calls him king. It feels less like a shift in view to culminate a redemption, and more like placing a mantle, more like giving final support. Boromir would have been next to lead the people of Gondor- he is giving it to his friend. Vibes of : “You tried to hide, but I saw you. The elf was right. You will be a great King.” Even at the end, he is the Big Brother we all want.

The last moments of the movie when Legolas sees the hobbits across the river is a shift. “Aragorn!” He calls “they have reached the other side…. You mean not to follow them.” We suddenly realize that Legolas was never leading his quiet anxious introvert around, he was always (more subtly) following his lead. Aragorn (as he is called for the rest of the films) is standing tall, and assertive, and making a decision for the group. And they follow.

People rewatch the Fellowship 3 times its first week in theaters, just to catch the moments that warn us that Boromir will fall, and the moments that hint that Aragorn might rise. There are cries of “No spoilers! Let your friends and family find out for themselves!” People break scenes apart to analyze this dynamic for years to come.

Going forward:

Because of this shift in context in Fellowship, the rest of the Trilogy feels more like watching Aragorn come out of his shell and taking on bigger and bigger rolls.

Meeting the Rohiren is suddenly the first time Aragorn speaks for the group. He does so because these are men, and because his friends are being idiots. 😂

The rebuff of Eowyn’s affections feels like more of the same from his relationship with Arwen- he does not feel he deserves it, even now. She is a leader of her people, and he is not yet sure he can say the same. By the time he can, it is clear Arwen’s heart is with him and his with her. It also feels as if he is leaving Eowyn room to pursue her own destiny, to be a leader in her own right. Arwen is supportive, where Eowyn takes charge- perfect for a fully supportive Faramir. 👍

His approach to Theoden feels less like shrinking away, and more like feeling out when he should lead and when he should step back.

Disrespect from any character feels less like a fault of theirs and more like “I mean, I get it, he’s a bit grimy, but he knows what he’s talking about! You don’t know him! He could be a king!” Theoden’s refusal to listen to him feels more like a tragedy, because how else could it have gone?

The entire Two Towers plot becomes a discussion of leadership. Gandalf swoops in and out, and expects people to listen to him. Eomer is direct and aggressive, but only leads warriors, not a kingdom. Theoden has many under his protection, he must weigh risks and lean on older wisdoms. And then there is Aragorn, still figuring himself out, helping Eowyn to do the same. (With every step he takes, we wonder how Boromir would have fit into this discussion- would Eomer have recognized him? Would Theoden have listened more or less to the leader of Gondor’s armies? Would Boromir have stepped back as often? Would he have insisted, in his still jovial way, and would it have caused conflict? Would he inspire men in the same way? Would it have worked as well? We have no idea how he would have handled Eowyn, besides stepping in as a brother since her’s is out fighting. Suddenly this thought of Boromir is on Aragorn’s face with every decision) What Aragorn figures out is that he himself is honest, ernest, and relies on the support and help of others. The conclusion of The Two Towers is the understanding that Aragorn does not need to be a King to be a Leader. That has always been in him. Has he not lead his group this far? Does he not make friends everywhere he goes? Does he not inspire men and elves alike? (Gimli is but one dwarf, and we do not get further examples 😂) He is not Boromir, or Eomer, or Gandalf, or Theoden, but still, he leads.

The Return of the King is an obvious end to his journey, but it feels more fulfilling, since we have seen Aragorn come farther. The moment he claims his birthright with the ghosts under the mountain is a moment that elicits cheers. His speech at the Black Gate brings tears, not just because of his words, but because of how far he has come.

When he is crowned, his reunion with and acceptance of Arwen’s love means more. His moment of humility in front of the Hobbits make us all see how he HAD to be a Ranger to be the Great King he has become. Pride swells.

And we give credit to Aragorn’s growth to the leadership of Boromir in the first film.

We are also struck to the heart when Faramir announces himself as Boromir’s brother. THIS is the brother he spoke so highly of? Did Boromir that bias towards his own flesh and blood, to think THIS man, who captures hobbits and tortures Smeagle, is someone to be proud of? But by the end of Two Towers we are proud too.

At the end of Two Towers, Faramir has seen Frodo nearly fall to the Ring. Did he believe them when they said it drove Boromir mad? Of course not. We didn’t believe it. And we only had one movie with the guy. No one who knew him would buy that. But then there is Frodo, with a sword to Sam’s throat- “Don’t you recognize your Sam?” And there is a horrified recognition on Faramir’s face. Is it what he knows his Father may someday do with or without the Ring? Is it the recognition of how, even in the best of him, his brother could be like his Father? Is it a vision of himself in that position, his brother over him, because he came back with the Ring as their father asked? And does he admire Samwise that much more, because he handled the aftermath of that so much better than Faramir would in his place? (“Something worth fighting for” indeed- Boromir gave the speeches, not him. He must have LOVED this sunshiny little gardener)

When Sam tells him he is of the finest quality- it means more. They are passing on a message after all.

There may be another line from Frodo- “He spoke of you. He knew you would be a good commander. He was anxious to be home and congratulate you. I am sorry it is me here instead of him. He would be so proud.”

Maybe it is Pippin who mentions it. Maybe we get a flashback to another scene between the two of them. “You remind me of my brother- curious, adventurous, but educated, mannered. Much better mannered than I, as it has often been said!” Loud laughter. “The two of you would make for good friends, should you ever meet.”

“Don’t worry for him too much Merry. I have known one as curious as he. He just wanted to understand the world, as does your cousin. It has served him well- he out grew the recklessness of it, and there is no one I trust more.” “Your brother?” Laugh “How did you guess?”

I want us to love Faramir not only because he is good, but because Boromir loved him, and he loved Boromir. I want us to think of Boromir and what he would say to his brother every time he is on screen. I want us to see the love of Boromir direct all his actions.

The parallels of Eowyn and Faramir hint at thier future relationship more clearly in this version, because the connection between Boromir and Aragorn as different leaders of Gondor continues to shine through. Boromir’s brother could not defy his father’s wishes because he loved him and almost died for it. Aragorn’s student (she feels like a sister when he puts her to the side) does defy her father figure, again because she loves him, and is victorious in battle. Both thier fathers die in the battle. When we spot them together in the houses of healing it is not as much of a surprise. It feels right. They have much in common. Also… as Eowyn is seen to grown into a leader as Aragorn does, she also gets her supportive soft romantic partner.

I want Big Bro Boromir to be there in all but flesh throughout the entire thing. I want Boromir’s bracers on Aragorn’s arms to not only be the first thing we notice in Two Towers, but something to feel so right as to be obvious. I want “Then I shall die as one of them!” to feel like a chastisement to Legolas- “Boromir was human too, and he would want us here.” I want “Gondor will answer” to feel like a certainty, because Boromir would. I want Pippin’s rescue of Faramir to feel like a keeping of a promise to love Boromir’s brother as much as a rescue of a new friend. I want us to see the bracer on Aragorn’s arm as much as the sword in his hand when he says “I am Isildur’s Heir.” I want Theoden’s ride to Gondor to tie back not just to Aragorn, but further back to Boromir- a promise has been kept, and inspiration has come to bloom. I want us to see the white tree flags on the battle field of Mordor and feel like Boromir walked in after all. I want us to cry that Boromir is not there to greet Frodo as he wakes, as much as we cry for everyone else’s happy ending.

It’s just an image I had tonight. A beautiful image. Big Bro Jovial Boromir. Laughing down warmly at everyone from heaven. Making us proud to be of the race of men before Aragorn could.

Like I said- I love these movies. But ah, what could have been.

[fanficshiddles]

The Redbridge Hunts, Chapter 7

Claire didn’t hesitate stepping inside Loki’s home, a wall of warmth hit her as soon as she stepped in.

‘Ahhh.’ She groaned in relief.

She slipped her scarf and jacket off, Loki took them from her and hung them up by the door, he then motioned to the door just off to the left. ‘Go on through, get cosy. I’ll see what I can find in the way of dry trousers for you.’

‘Thanks, Loki.’ Claire headed straight through into the living room, where it was even warmer.

The fireplace was the main focal point of the room, the fire blazed away with large flames. He had a long and tall bookcase off to the side behind a large black velvet sofa, a wooden coffee table in the centre of the room with a large stereo system off to the other side and a TV hung on the wall above the fireplace.

Claire made a beeline straight for the fire and crouched down on front of it to try and dry her legs off. A mere moment later, something black dashed from the corner of the room to behind the sofa, for a split second she panicked, wondering what the hell it could be as her heart started beating faster. Then she heard a welcoming little meow, and the black creature she’d seen jumped up onto the back of the sofa.

The cutest black cat Claire had ever seen.

‘Oh, hello there. Aren’t you a cutie?’ She got down on her knees and rubbed her fingers together. ‘Pspspspsps.’

The cat jumped down off the sofa and headed straight for Claire, purring away before it even reached her. Claire began stroking the cat and it continued purring as it rubbed against her, loving the attention. Its fur felt super soft and silky, clearly a very well cared for cat.

‘You are just the cutest! Loki never said anything about having a pet.’ Claire said softly.

‘Ah, I see you’ve met the boss of the house.’ Loki chuckled as he walked into the room.

‘She’s adorable!’ Claire cooed.

‘How do you know she’s a she?’ Loki queried as he walked over towards them.

‘Well, if she’s the boss of the house then of course she’s a female.’ Claire grinned at him.

Loki threw his head back with laughter. ‘Touche. Her name is, Bat.’

‘Bat? I love that.’ Claire laughed.

As soon as Loki came close enough, Bat rushed over to him and jumped straight up his side, using his clothes to clamber right up onto his shoulder. She started rubbing against his cheek while continuously purring.

‘She is the most adorable cat I’ve ever met. So friendly.’ Claire couldn’t stop smiling as she stood up.

‘She is a wonderful companion.’ Loki said fondly as he scratched under Bat’s chin. ‘Here, try these on. They were my mother’s... They might be a little large, but they will fit better than mine would.’ Loki handed Claire a pair of black trousers.

‘Thanks… You’ve never spoken about your mum. If you don’t mind me asking, is she still around?’ Claire asked softly.

Loki sat down on the sofa and Bat instantly made herself comfortable on his lap, still purring away.

‘I don’t mind at all. My mum was a wonderful woman, she passed away some years ago. Her name is Freya. That’s a picture of her over there.’ Loki pointed to a photo in a frame on the wall next to the book case.

Claire went to take a closer look. It was a picture of Loki with Lucius and Freya. The three of them were smiling on a beach.

‘She’s so pretty.’ Claire smiled and turned back to face him.

‘She was a nurse, I think that played a big part in why my dad set up the hospital. She always did her best to help people, no matter their background. I am yet to meet someone with a kinder heart than hers.’ Loki spoke so fondly about her.

‘She sounds like a brilliant person.’

‘She most certainly was.’ Loki smiled. ‘Now, you best get out of those wet trousers. The bathroom is just at the bottom of the corridor.’

‘Oh, right. Yes!’ Claire rushed out of the room and down to said bathroom. She couldn’t believe that even the bathroom looked nice, pretty modern and had a waterfall shower. Claire didn’t spend too long there as it wasn’t as warm as the living room, but she was just glad to get into dry trousers. They were a tiny bit too big, though comfortable enough.

When Claire went back to the living room, Bat still lay on Loki’s lap.

‘Does she ever stop purring?’ Claire laughed.

‘She stops when she falls asleep. Sounds a bit like she’s on a motorbike, doesn’t she?’ He smirked.

‘It really does.’ Claire agreed.

‘I would offer you a drink, but I dare not disturb her highness.’

‘That’s ok, I’ve taken up too much of your free time as it is.’ Claire dismissed.

‘Not at all, Claire. I enjoy spending time with you.’ Loki admitted. ‘Please, sit down.’

Claire’s stomach did an excited little flip as she took a seat next to him on the sofa. As soon as her bum hit the sofa, Bat made a chirping noise and leapt over onto Claire’s lap instead.

‘Traitor.’ Loki hissed.

‘She’s got good taste.’ Claire laughed as she took over petting her. ‘Plus, it means you can get me that drink you mentioned.’

Loki smirked. ‘That’s true.’ He hopped up from the sofa and disappeared through to the kitchen. Once there, he took a moment to himself to control all of his emotions. Having her in his den so to say, was driving him nuts.

He applied plenty of vaseline before pouring them both a drink and returning back to the living room. Bat had fallen asleep, so was as quiet as a mouse.

‘I’m scared to move an inch in-case I disturb her.’ Claire whispered.

Loki chuckled softly as he carefully sat down next to her and passed one of the drinks to her. ‘Like I said, she rules the place, and unfortunately she thinks she owns you now too, so you’re one of her bitches.’

Claire burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth to not make too much of a noise. ‘She’s a typical demanding cat, then?’

‘Of course. Yelling at four in the morning because she thinks her bowl of dry food is empty, but there’s still plenty in there, she just happens to eat in a way that causes a tiny bit of the bottom of the bowl to become visible.’

Claire gasped mockingly. ‘You dare let her bowl get that empty? That's just cruelty, I'm surprised she hasn't called cat-line!'

‘Hey, don’t you start.’ Loki laughed. ‘She gets the most expensive wet food twice a day too, because she’s far too fussy with anything cheaper.’

‘She sounds like such a diva.’ Claire smiled as she sipped her drink, she couldn’t take her eyes off the beautiful sleeping cat on her lap. There was something so calming and peaceful about a cat choosing to sleep on you, a trust like nothing else.

‘Are you feeling better now?’ Loki asked.

‘Yeah, thank you. It would’ve taken ages to heat up at my place as I don’t have a fire.’ Claire smiled at him.

‘See, it was a good idea coming here first.’ Loki winked at her. ‘And how are you feeling about the river? Are you still disappointed?’

Claire looked down at Bat again and shrugged. ‘A little… though meeting Bat has certainly made up for it.’ She grinned. ‘I don’t know why I felt really down about it, though. I guess I’ve always just been so fascinated about the idea of vampires being real, something exciting in an otherwise boring and dull existence.’

‘Hey, not anymore. It’s only week one you’ve been working at the school, shit can get crazy here, believe me. It’s far from boring.’

‘Yeah, I can tell. It’s been a good week, and I enjoyed the night out last night. There is something I wanted to ask you, actually…’

‘Fire away.’ Loki smiled.

‘There seemed to be a lot of tension between you and Chris, I’ve noticed. What’s going on there? You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to, just tell me to piss off and I will. I’m just curious.’ Claire really hoped she wasn’t over-stepping the line.

Loki tensed up a bit, but he seemed happy to answer. To an extent, anyway.

‘Chris is…’

Bat suddenly woke up and she jumped back over onto Loki’s lap, she started purring again but instead of curling up to sleep she put her front paws up onto his chest and began kneading at him, her face right in his face.

‘Bat… really?’ He huffed a laughed.

Claire giggled at the way Bat acted, far too cute. Claire loved how Loki reacted with her, too. He really seemed to adore Bat, which was really telling of a person, how they were with animals. Especially cats. It made her heart melt, watching them both.

‘She does this often, seems to do it when I’m a little on edge. Such as talking about Chris. She’s very in tune with my emotions.’ Loki said affectionately as he stroked her.

‘Anyway. Now I have my little therapist looking after me… Chris can be difficult. He has views on… various things, that we don’t see eye to eye with at all.’

‘Like what?’ Claire asked curiously.

‘Well… he’s not very lenient at all with the students, we have very different ways of teaching and disciplining them. And we have a lot of history, lots of family issues.’

‘Family issues?’ Claire frowned.

Loki rubbed the back of his head. ‘Chris is my brother.’

Claire’s mouth fell open, her brain seemed to short circuit for a moment, before she found herself just staring at Loki looking rather dumbfounded.

‘Sorry… I wasn’t expecting that. I guess it makes sense though, brothers can be annoying.’ She shrugged.

‘We don’t have a relationship like your average family, at all. I don’t class him as family, it’s just unfortunate I’ve got his blood in my veins.’ Loki growled lowly. ‘I hate him, he hates me. I like to just, stay out of his way as much as I can.’

Claire felt a little sad upon hearing that. She realised there must be a lot more to it than Loki let on, but she didn’t want to pressure him.

‘Well… if it’s any consolation, I get a weird vibe around him. I’m not sure what, just the kind of feeling where I don’t think I’d like to meet him down a dark alley type of feeling.’ She laughed a little. ‘With you, however, I feel super safe.’ She smiled.

Loki couldn’t stop the biggest, goofiest grin forming on his face. His heart fluttered upon hearing that she felt safe with him.

Bat had settled down again on Loki’s lap, her purring slowly eased away as she fell asleep.

‘Well, I better get back home. Thank you for the drink and the trousers, Loki. I’ll get them back to you on Monday.’ Claire said after noticing the time.

‘You’re welcome. I’ll walk you home, give me a second.’ He almost moved Bat, though Claire quickly stopped him.

‘No, no. I’ll be fine, honestly. Don’t disturb her.’

Loki raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you sure?’

Though the decision was taken away as Bat woke up suddenly, she meowed up at Claire then jumped off Loki’s lap and onto the sofa where Claire had been sitting, she curled up there instead and closed her eyes.

Loki and Claire just stared at her, Bat opened one eye and seemed to peep at Loki then at Claire before closing her eye again.

Loki shook his head in disbelief while Claire laughed.

‘I’ll walk you home.’ Loki confirmed as he got up to his feet and they walked through to the front door.

He pulled on his jacket then held Claire’s out for her, once her arms were slipped through the sleeves, Loki let his hands linger for a moment longer than necessary on her shoulders. She zipped up her jacket and out into the cold night they stepped.

‘Oh god, it’s even colder now.’ Claire whined as she pulled her jacket tighter around her.

‘I can’t carry the fire with me, unfortunately.’ Loki chuckled.

‘Damn. And here I was thinking you were a wizard and could do that sort of thing.’ Claire teased and nudged him playfully, she didn’t distance herself from him after doing so. Their arms kept brushing now and then as they walked to Claire’s.

When they arrived at Claire’s building, Loki walked her right up to the door to make sure she got in safely.

‘Thank you for being chaperone tonight.’ She smiled up at him, trying not to think about how arousing it was how he towered over her, and how protective he’d been tonight… Her knees were feeling weak, but she tried to focus on the fact he was her boss.

‘Anytime, darling.’ He purred with a dazzling smile, that certainly didn’t help her inner thoughts.

For a moment, Loki seemed to lean down ever so slightly, he glanced from her eyes to her lips and then back again, it happened so fast that Claire wasn’t sure if she had just imagined it or not.

Loki stood up straighter and cleared his throat. ‘I’ll see you on Monday, Claire… Have a good weekend. Try not to get up to more mischief between now and then, I’m limited on trousers to give you.’ He teased as he began walking backwards down the path.

Claire laughed. ‘I’ll try not to, but no promises.’ She called to him before she slipped inside the building.

Loki couldn’t stop smiling as he walked down the path and headed along the pavement, though he stopped walking when he spotted a cloaked figure stood just a few metres ahead of him, staring at him. Loki abruptly turned across the street, but he heard footsteps following.

‘Nice to see you two bonding out of hours, brother.’

‘Fuck off, Chris.’ Loki snarled at him, his eyes blazed red for a moment as he spun around to glare at Chris.

Chris just smirked in response as Loki turned into a bat and took off away from him.

[thefirstknife]

Have we learned how Elsie got her Pouka yet? It still seems that nobody had been to Neomuna before Lightfall began, so did she just like. Sneak in and steal one?

We did! Detailed in Speed Metal Ghost shell and Quicksilver Storm lore!

Elsie was exploring the outer system where she found an abandoned space station. She identifies it as very old and with Ishtar registration. The base of it is old, but inside it's very new and shiny. It also includes stuff that's clearly human, but sized up:

But what's waiting past the hatch isn't stock. Atmo gear—shiny and new. Someone's been here since the Collapse. I unshoulder my rifle and warm up her power cell. A handprint. Grease and dust pressed sharp against the white wall; sized for a Cabal, but… Five fingers.

It's clearly an old Ishtar station that was used to monitor stuff in the outer system, but was later converted by Neomuni and included additions for Cloud Striders. It's unclear if this was official work or if some Cloud Strider did it on their own in secrecy, but they were in this station and it was made to fit them.

Elsie also found a Ghost in this station, called Tokki, who claimed to have heard a "call" from this far out to find her Risen. She didn't find anyone to rez, but she found a curious creature: a pouka. She also found some nanotech which you can see on the shell and on Quicksilver Storm, which Tokki used to decorate herself.

As soon as Tokki showed Elsie the pouka, Elsie experienced a flashback which was the earliest time we've seen the pouka's power over memories and emotions. Quicksilver Storm lore identified the creature as a pouka and it started sticking with Elsie. Elsie also called it "fish" which ended up being its name.

This is also a little expanded in the Lightfall Collector's Edition in Elsie's section. Elsie travels a bit with Tokki and keeps the pouka with her, and tries to figure out what the creature is:

The alien—the fish, for lack of a better word—had lived alone on that abandoned Ishtar space station beyond Uranus for who knew how long before Tokki found it; and Elsie, in time, discovered Tokki. Elsie assumed a Human had brought the fish—after all, the station had shown signs of habitation in the last decade or so by someone Human, or at least close enough to it.

Elsie also realises from the way pouka is friendly that it was most likely a pet; probably from a Cloud Strider that frequented this station, as we now know that Cloud Striders use poukas for mental health help:

"Pouka? Like the faerie? Is that your name or your species?” "I think it's a lovely name," Tokki offered. Pouka only rubbed its face into Elsie's waiting hand, demanding attention. "You were a pet." Elsie gave the shiny carapace a scratch, triggering a wave of... purrs? Pouka's six eyes focused independently up at her and glittered. "Someone taught you those tricks. And then left you—”

And:

"You were trained for this kind of work, weren't you? Some kind of…” She struggled for a clever analogy. "Field therapist? Trained you to soothe, maybe work with exposure therapy?" She stroked absentmindedly at Pouka's smooth body, losing herself in possibility the way she hadn't let herself since the Europan think tank.

She actually uses the pouka's power of memories to re-learn stasis because the pouka keeps giving her memories and flashbacks which are meant to help people process and cope with trauma and any other problems. Elsie realises she can use that to draw back on her memories from other timelines where she knew stasis and figure it out in this timeline. All of this puts Elsie's discovery of the station and pouka well before Beyond Light, though it's unclear how far back.

[bazzybelle]

Thank you @samsalami66 and @seiya-starsniper for the tag! I do like these questionnaire things. :)

Were you named after anyone?

I was. I was named after my grandmother. She has passed two months before I was born, and so I got her name.

Do you have kids?

God no... I used to want kids, but in recent years I think that was due to societal pressure to have a checklist completed by 35. Don't get me wrong, I love kids and interacting with them. But... to be someone who gets pregnant and raises them... I don't think that's something I want anymore. I'd rather be free to travel and write and babysit my friends' kids.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I mean I try to, but I'm never sure it comes off that way.

What's the first thing you notice about people?

I... don't know? Probably the way they act around others? Maybe their face? I never really paid attention to that.

What's your eye colour?

I wanna say Green... but like green on the inside with with brown circling it, and one eye is a little grey-er than the other? I can't decide if they're just green or hazel.

Scary movie or happy ending?

If it's WELL WRITTEN , I don't mind sad endings. There have been very good sad endings that I've read. I prefer happy endings though. And also... I can't do scary shit....

Any special talents?

According to my friends and family, I have a talent for baking, specifically gluten-free baking. My sibling is gluten-free and I apparently have been blessed with being able to make good gluten-free bakes.

What are your hobbies?

Writing, definitely... I also love building puzzles and baking. Does painting my nails count as a hobby? If I have the time, I'll sometimes attempt an art on my nails... but not often.

Have any pets?

Yes! I have a 9 year old black otter holland/mini lop bunny named Hades. He is the most floof and the most shapes.

What sport do you play/have you played?

I played Rugby in high school. And I loved it. I want to play it again, but I'm 36, out of shape and there doesn't seem to be a friendly rugby league in my area.

Also... the fact that I used to love tackling girls twice my size in high school... how the fuck was I SO convinced that I was straight?

How tall are you?

5'2" (SAM I AM TALLER THAN YOU!)

Favourite subject at school?

Hi, hello... I run a Historical AU fest for one of my fandoms... Clearly it's Math.

Dream job?

Owning a vineyard... Or owning and running a bookshop cafe that turns into a bookshop/gin bar at night. I'd have local artists and writers coming in to do open mics and readings. I'd have weekly write-ins and craft nights. It would be queer as all fuck and I'd love it. That's the dream life I want.

Tagging: @carryonsimoncarryonbaz @fight-surrender @amywaterwings @ninemagicks @aristocratic-otter @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @janimoon @mallory-x @windsweptinred @two-hands-toward-the-sun @messofthejess @garnetcapricorn @nausikaaa @namistrella @dsudis @hushed-chorus @zigzag-wanderer @raenestee @fleabagoftheendless @yellobb

[would-this-pokemon-be-a-friend]

So I'm in the process of filling out the Kitakami regional Dex in Pokémon Violet, and Crawdaunt's entry jumped out at me:

A rough customer that wildly flails its giant claws. It is said to be extremely hard to raise.

So clearly Crawdaunt would not make a good pet. But I am curious as to how it compares to some of the other "rough customers" you've covered thus far.

(Admittedly, I also wonder if the "extremely hard to raise" thing is more of a remark on its growth rate; Crawdaunt has the Fluctuating growth rate, which gains levels very quickly early on but requires more EXP to reach level 100 than any other experience growth rate.)

Crawdaunt would indeed be hard to raise, and I would go so far as to declare it a terrible pet. It all comes down to one key detail about their behavior that sets them apart from other "rough customers": crawdaunts are described as actively seeking to fight any and every living being they come into contact with (Ruby).

Now, when we consider any given species' moves in this project, we're usually assessing the potential danger that the pokémon may present, using their move pool as an indicator of their biological capabilities. For example, my cat is usually very friendly and sweet, but when upset or bored she occasionally tries to bite or scratch me (this can usually be redirected towards a toy, of course). So if I were to analyze my cat in the same way that I analyze pokémon, I would take her biting and scratching abilities as what she is able to do to hurt someone, not as things she will do consistently. Crawdaunt is different. A crawdaunt will attack you. So, crawdaunts' moves carry a little more weight.

Crawdaunt can use some pretty impressively harmful moves, given their size, like Night Slash and Razor Shell, which can become even more destructive if they have the hidden ability Adaptability. At their size, and given their natural aggression, crawdaunts can be pretty dangerous to humans. I predict that their Fluctuating growth rate definitely plays a role in their reputation as difficult to raise in the context of battle training, when their natural aggression can be channeled in battle and may not play as big a role. But in the home, living with a three foot crustacean that constantly tries to snap your limbs up in their massive claws is not gonna be very fun. They're territorial too (Diamond/Pearl/Platinum), which may even increase their aggression when kept out of a pokéball, in a home context.

I certainly could not recommend a crawdaunt to any pet owner, and I'd advise keeping your distance from any you see out in the wild. They're best left to experienced pokémon trainers who know how to redirect their aggression in appropriate contexts.

[bhaalsdeepbat]

I saw a post on reddit a while back just asking for people's thoughts on the Emperor, his trustworthiness, and his alignment. I had written some thoughts down and put it away, but today. Today I am having more thoughts about Emps, especially his subterfuge and his romance scene. I'm obsessed with the way he tries to manipulate the player, and how it gets even more intense after you make it to the Elfsong basement and find all those books on Mindflayer Manipulation tactics.

He's so cool because will do anything it takes to maintain his own freedom, but he also is attracted to power. He was pulling SO many strings with the Knights of Shield and clearly enjoyed both power AND the art of manipulation. I see him as leaning Neutral Evil after finding out about the Knights of Shiel, and then him fucking turning on my first Durge when they freed Orpheus.

Duke Stelmane felt more like a means to an end than an actual relationship, though I do NOT doubt that the companionship mattered to him. However, the relationship between Mindflayer and Thrall seemed to be enough for him, and I think he would have been content with the same arrangement. I don't believe he refined his methods for the sake of his next thrall, but because of the circumstances of what he was facing. He needs more than a meat puppet to get through everything with the Absolute, REQUIRING him to give the player more freedom than he gave Stelmane. He is also using so much energy and concentration on keeping the Gith from Orpheus and keeping the squad from transforming, I doubt he even would have been able to have that level of control if he wanted.

He also threatens the player if they aren't completely trusting of him. You do NOT have to call him a freak for it, either. You get a harsher response, but the distrust is enough to trigger frustration. He thinks the protection he offers should automatically earn him trust, despite all the subterfuge required. Like he is beside himself with disbelief if the player is distrusting from start to finish. It's quite funny, imo. I love him, but he got wrecked on my first Durge run lol

I have two Durges that were friendly with their Guardians and didn't immediately reject him after the Emperor reveal on either. One has slurped every tadpole up, the other is very adamant they remain tadpole free.

The one who took the tadpoles didn't reject him harshly, but it actually made the manipulations more apparent to me because of how the encounter ends. I've ran the encounter twice on that Durge. Ashe turned down Emperor after clarifying if he was flirting, but she also did it again when I tried to get the achievement for fucking him and pussied out when I read he smelled like garlic. Regardless of when you end the scene, this is how it closes out:

The entire night seems to be set up to encourage the player to take the Astral Tadpole. The Emperor approaches you with vulnerability to gain your trust and use that trust to make the player think he has their best interest at heart. His interest in the player also immediately drops the moment the Emperor realizes it's not there for him to play with, which leads me to believe it isn't genuine with any of his affections UNLESS you become a Mindflayer. It feels more like Tav / Durge is equal to a pet that needs direction (and to be leashed).

This is also one of the many parallels I've seen between him and Ascended Astarion on that particular run. (just to add bc it's interesting to me lol)

Players who have the moment of intimacy also are able to see they won't lose the ability to experience that if they transform. Like he is trying to get them to see the full spectrum of what a Mindflayer is capable of and cannot even fathom someone NOT wanting min-max but irl.

I don't think the Emperor would ever come clean about Stelmane if the player didn't find out about it, but I think he realizes he can use the reveal to his advantage by assuring the player that he's changed! He tells the player he appreciates their mind. Not their body nor their abilities. No matter how much he appreciates the player's mind, he thinks they're wasting all that potential by not further embracing their Illithid potential.

It felt like the attempt at sleeping with the player is to try and make them question their attachment to their physical form. If the player is willing to be intimate with him, then clearly they appreciate the "devastating beauty" of a Mindflayer. No matter what your decision is, in terms of how you respond to the romance, the scene ends with him pressuring the player to take the Astral Tadpole (if they haven't already).

Here's the full ending dialogue from Emps romance scene:

Emps said "This pathetic lifeform will be desperate to evolve if I just show it what my beautiful body can do"

Also, just to clarify, I don't think the Emperor thinks of you any lower than he does anyone who isn't a Mindflayer. In fact, I do think he has great respect for them when they've proven themself competent. However, he is an elitist and sees ANY creature that isn't a Mindflayer as a lesser being. I think the respect is just what makes him see the value in those "lesser beings." If the player fully evolves, they're no longer lesser, and become an equal, worthy partner.

This is forever long, so I'm going to leave it here for now while I go back to find some books that I want SCs of to show where some more of my thoughts are coming from.

[ecargmura]

A Condition Called Love Episode 8 Review - When Your Boyfriend Becomes Your Co-Worker

Hananoi, after all the praising I did for your character last episode, you just HAD to take two steps back in terms of characterization. I know that it’s just a flaw in his character, which I get and understand, but come on, calm down already!

I do hope that Hananoi does understand what boundaries are because if Shibamu thinks the couple should maintain a little distance, then you know Hananoi definitely needs to work on that. Instead, Hananoi decides to work at the same bookstore Hotaru is working at because he’s wary of Yao. Let’s just hope Hananoi is able to keep things professionally, because being with Hotaru at work and being with her privately are two very different things that he needs to learn. Manager Kuroe did word it perfectly in the sense that he needs to keep it professionally although he’s Hotaru’s boyfriend. Nobody wants love drama while working. It only makes things awkward.

Though, to be fair, Yao is a rather flighty person. I’d describe him as someone who can’t read the mood at times? Hotaru doesn’t like being called Hotako, yet he still does it. It’s only when Hananoi says something about it that he stops calling her that. He’s also awfully friendly towards someone who does have a boyfriend so misunderstandings are bound to happen because of that. Like he just casually asks Kyo-chan and Hotaru to come over to see his dog; both have boyfriends. He’s also unaware that the cause of Hotaru’s awkwardness around him was because of him but he doesn’t know that; well, he was never told this, so it makes sense.

I hope that the importance of Kyo-chan being in Hotaru’s life will help Hananoi understand that he can’t have her all to himself and that she cannot just abandon the people she cares about to always be with him. Though, seeing him realize that Kuroe is not a bad person is also a nice progression too. The way he blushed after realizing that Kuroe remembers him as a regular customer at the bookstore for so long was nice to see. Hananoi is definitely not used to being remembered due to his abandonment issues, so this is clearly a needed boost in his confidence.

However, what worries me the most is the reveal that Hananoi used to go to the same elementary school as Hotaru and Yao, but was in a different class. Honestly, this has gotten me a bit conflicted. While I do like a story of coincidences, I just hope it won’t be used in a contrived way like Hananoi having a crush on Hotaru in elementary school or something similar along the lines. I know that this trope is going to be used to fuel the notion that Hotaru and Hananoi are soulmates, but it just feels too…convenient? What if they make that grandpa Hananoi knew as a kid Hotaru’s grandpa? It’d be way too convenient… I might let it go if it’s handled well.

As a huge dog lover, seeing all these dogs made me the happiest. I wanted to pet Hotaru the dog too! She’s easily the best part of the episode too! I hope that Kyo-chan is able to get along with Keigo’s dog now. What are your thoughts on this episode?

[showrunnerihardlyknowher]

Since someone asked about a convo with all your protags, how would an "interaction" go between all the "giants"? Let's also pretend that they can all somewhat "communicate"/understand with one another.

In addition what would their opinions be on each other tinies, along their tinies interactions with one another based on the other ask.

Okay okay okay if we're gonna go with their corresponding giants, that would be Edix, AB299, Negasonic/Dean, Ben, and Deus.

This time it's actually a mix between giant creatures and humans so technically Dean and Ben are still tiny in comparison to the other three, which freaks out Ben, but Dean will not hesitate to nuke all of them if anyone tries to pull some shit. Ben at first tries to stick with him because, you know, us lil human guys gotta stick together, but very quickly he realizes Dean is also a morally grey bastard and would rather push his luck with the giant moth monster since he's familiar with insects (killing them, usually, but hey).

AB299 and Deus have a mutual understanding with each other and have no problem being in the other's company, seeing as their both cryptids/abnormalities. Also because they're both very active in the dark, although Deus prefers concentrated light sources obvious, while AB299 needs shadows to blend and travel. You know who happens to be a concentrated light source? Dean! (: Deus cannot stop following that funky little purple guy and any warning sparks just entices him more.

Edix...does not care about anyone here. They're all beneath him, in terms of intelligence and technological advancements. He'd rather keep to himself than be forced to interact with them, and he makes this very clear with hisses and growls when Deus tries to be friendly. He just wants to take his tiny and leave.

Edix is too jealous to let Jacob around any of the giants, but he tolerates him being with other humans (including Dean and Ben) because enrichment and socialization is good for pets. Dean doesn't care who Nano hangs around with, they're a grown adult who can make their own stupid choices, but if any of the giants seem like they might try to get rough he'll step in. Deus also doesn't mind who Jasper interacts with, both humans and giants. Ben refuses anyone to interact with Milo because he's paranoid one of the giants might hurt a kid who's barely the size of a grain of rice to them. AB299 is also possessive of Serena and doesn't want her around anyone, which causes problems because she's clearly friendly with Jacob, which causes MORE problems because Edix will 10000% go feral if AB299 tries to threaten his baby.

Edix thinks Jacob and Jacob only is the cutest, sweetest thing here and couldn't care less about the others. AB299 holds a similar view about Serena. Deus is very friendly and sociable, probably one of the only 'giant' giants that everyone can tolerate (except Dean). Dean thinks Jacob is the most pathetic out of all of them, although he's definitely got a soft spot for Milo because how can you not for the tiny baby? Ben likes Jasper's company the best. Serena has no qualms siccing AB299 on anyone, giant or tiny/human, who she thinks might hurt her, which Dean thinks is fantastic.

[meredoubt]

Another decade of therapy just got added to Dirge's bills after Auntie Ethel! Oh boy!

Like he's a dreadful, morally pupating little man, right. Repugnant. A whole villain. When I logged off last night, it was after his Drow ass blustered at a goblin child who caught him stealing that, and I quote, "nothing is yours." Like, sir? I'm playing it, I get it, but role-playing means I'm picking the option that sounds closest to him, and sometimes it's just so damn mean. His takeaway from any moral uncomfortableness there would be that next time he just needs to not get caught, clearly. It is his fault he's feeling something, so he needs to get better, skillwise. No growing!!! Change will be under extreme duress!

Anyway. Auntie Ethel just did some damage.

So when he met her, she was very caring, right, and he was so startled (much like Astarion flirting, lmao) that he just let it happen. Psychopath goes very deer in headlights.

It was...nice, to let this old woman fuss over him. To tell her about his homicidal tendencies while she puttered around making potions. And she invited him to tea, and calls him Petal, and it's just been a very stressful few days for our little amnesiac murderous bard. He liked the attention. He's very fond of her, and he doesn't know what to do with it. This grown man probably starts daydreaming of going to live with Auntie Ethel or something, her petting his hair, maybe killing her when she's getting too old and feeling pain, because he loves her, whatever. You know. Normal thoughts.

So imagine his surprise when, down the disgustingly idyllic road to her teahouse, he sees it transform into a foreboding swamp (he likes that better, and is tickled by the redcaps, thats just charming and funny). This only serves to make him like her more, but then...she lies, right to his face. He doesn't care about Mayrina's brothers, he barely perceives them. But he doesn't like catching her lying to him. He doesn't like being tricked. So he calls her out archly, and she teleports off in a huff. And he stalks to her house.

He does half apologize, and she accepts, and they have their tea. Keep in mind, this freak drank out of the well, he knows what water she'd be using.

And, this is what sets what happens next: she reveals that she knows about the tadpoles. Offers to take his eye. He's startled, but considers it. If anyone could, maybe her, he could let her get that close.

But he pauses. He needs his eyes. His senses are what allowed him to catch her in the first place. So, a little sadly, he declines. They have a nice lunch.

Just deranged, the two, but they part friendly.

But again, now he's in full suspicion. It bothers him. So he sneaks down to see Mayrina. Because he's curious. And he tries to tell her to run away, because he doesn't want to actively help her escape Ethel. He's trying to have his cake and eat it, too, because Wyll's there, damn him. Ravengard's got his bard head all twisted up and making him think stupid thoughts about stories. His friends are ruining him.

So, obviously Ethel catches him. A fight breaks out. And he's panicking, because of course he doesn't want to kill her yet. He's not ready. Everything's getting mucked up. Damn it all!

Anand then this new mother figure scathingly hits him with, "Kneel, boy. Just like the matriarchs taught you to."

!!!

Like, we're in full psychological crisis mode. He hates this and doesn't want to be here. He doesn't remember any matriarchs but she clearly kept his background in mind when she was manipulating him. He's like, on the verge of full on grown man crying and it makes him so angry. He's livid.

He almost turns down her bargain, he wants her dead so badly, but he blinks through it furiously and thinks. She's right, she'll assuredly be back. And for once, he'd rather leave someone alive to remember what he took. So he threatens and roars and takes it all: the girl, Ethel's hair, everything not nailed down. He gives Mayrina her corpse husband not because he cares, but because he wants Ethel to have nothing. He would drink the corpse well dry if he could. Dirge smiles, wishes his auntie well with two sharp eyes.

Ethel seethes, bleading from her wounded head. And says she'll see him soon.

He lunges for the hag, right as she teleports away, intent on taking an eye. He wonders if she knows. He's certain she does.

She knows him.

[peppermintchaos]

Chapter 2

Many philosophers and academics throughout history had proposed that “What is the meaning of life?” was the hardest question to answer.

These philosophers and academics were clearly very stupid, because the hardest question to answer would always be “Am I supposed to kill this dragon?”

Sometimes, when presented with a dragon, you were just meant to calm it, somehow fix whatever is distressing it, or befriend it. Other times, you had to kill it as a test of strength.

Peppermint gritted their teeth, forming a thin shield made of water around them as they stared the dragon down. They were grateful for the humid air. Affinity users couldn’t use their element if they were completely disconnected from it- even though the elemental energies came from within, they needed something to stick to, so to speak. Terrain could make or break a fight that relied on affinity use.

This area seemed equally beneficial to all elements- it had an open roof, allowing wind affinities access to the open air, yet it was built on a mountain surrounded by rocks- easy resonance for stone affinities. It was just humid enough for water affinities to thrive, but not so damp that one couldn’t use a fire affinity. It was cool enough for ice, and the floor was made of dirt, so flower affinities could work. All this seemed to point to combat.

Even so- the dragon didn’t seem particularly aggressive. It circled them slowly, calmly, with no attempt to attack someone who was an obvious threat. It acted as if it were simply observing this strange new creature.

Peppermint thought back to Luminport’s gods. Although the one who had built this trial seemed to be the more ruthless of the three, the other two were more calm, from the accounts that had been written down. Mochi, the pink one with the stone affinity, had their moments, but for the most part they were peaceful gods.

A theory began to emerge. What if the original point of the trial was to kill the dragon, thus the terrain, but then had been changed, thus the subdued dragon behavior? Takeover had built the place, but then the other two had convinced her to change it.

Deciding to put most of their eggs in that basket, they dissolved the shield. “Shhhh, it’s ok,” they said, keeping their voice low and calm. Dragons didn’t like any loud noises from strangers- they had learned that the hard way. 

They tentatively held a hand out as the dragon began thumping her tail excitedly. They put a hand up to her nose and the massive dragon shoved herself into the touch. She was… oddly friendly. 

“Who’s a good puppy?” The dragon was too old to be considered a puppy by a few hundred years, but it was common enough for people to call their older dragons puppies anyways. They scratched the dragons scales, more confident that. “Oh, you're just a sweet little massive lizard aren't you?” they crooned. The dragon thumped her tail harder. They were glad they hadn’t pinned any of their badges to their coat- dragons got a bit insane around precious metals.

Peppermint scanned the area while they pet the large creature. It was completely empty other than a feeding area, with no sign of any exit other than where they had come in. There was something they needed to trigger, but they had no clue what it was.

They hoped they didn’t have to kill the dragon.

Pulling out their sword, they decided to try something. It was one of their cheaper ones, so they were willing to sacrifice it. They clanked it on the ground, catching the beast’s attention. The dragon looked at it, attracted by the shiny metal.

Peppermint slowly lowered the sword, right in front of one of the walls of the enclosure. They were hoping that even though it was simple steel, the metal would be just enough for the dragon to want to go for it. In one move, they dropped it and darted away, just as the dragon darted for the sword-

Crashing headfirst into the wall, and collapsing into the ground.

As soon as the heavy thump of the dragon sounded out through the room, a shimmer surrounded the opposite wall, revealing a door with the same pattern as the first engraved onto it. The dragon, dazed, stood up and stared at it.

The general smirked to themself. As they had suspected- the whole floor of room likely acted to detect how much surface area was covered- if the dragon were to slump over- either dead, asleep, or otherwise- it would consider the trial “cleared” and open up the final door. 

Giving the dragon a final pat on the nose, Peppermint strolled into the room, ready to meet the (supposed) god of wisdom.

━━☽【❖】☾━━

Takeover was, to put it lightly, not used to interacting with humans. She had the occasional council with other gods, but humans? She didn’t think she had ever spoken to one once in her 3,000 years of living. So when the human who had cleared her trial entered her abode, she did the only reasonable thing.

She hid in a cabinet.

From the small crack in between the doors of the cramped space, she could see the person start rummaging around the parlor.

Rude.

“Hello?” they called out.

Takeover thought about emerging, but stayed silent. She wanted to see what the stranger would do.

They pulled out a few drawers of an old chest. Apparently, they had found something they liked, because they took it out, and seemed to be… writing? They must’ve found a pad of paper in one of Mochi’s junk drawers that they refused to organize.

As they moved on from the note (Takeover would have to read it later), the god got a better look at the stranger. Although they couldn’t see their face, their coat resembled that of a high-ranking military officer. (Maybe from Obtunclif? Rivulus? Both countries used a similar blue coat.) They were wearing it completely incorrectly, however. The outer layer was half unbuttoned, revealing a stark red shirt underneath, and they wore shorts with one ripped stocking instead of proper pants.

Their hands also seemed to transition from a light tan to a deep black at the fingers. Strange, to say the least.

They snatched one last thing off of the wall, added to the note, and closed the door behind them with a decisive click.

Takeover tumbled out of the cabinet, tripping over her skirt.

Righting herself, , she went over to where the person had left the note. In… legible handwriting, it read:

yo!

Cleared your trial☆. You weren't here today, so I’ll be back tomorrow. If you aren’t here then, I’ll be forced to believe that “Takeover, god of wisdom” was a false construct made to trick neighboring countries into believing Luminport to be stronger than it is.

See you then!

-Peppermint, 6-star general of the Obtunclif army

In nomine profundis, ad consectatio luminis

Takeover frowned at the note. Ignoring the note about her not being real, it did surprise her that this general truly was from Obtunclif. She honestly had suspected them to be from Rivulus- their harsh tactic of simply crumbling the initial door to dust seemed more in line with the harsh god of brooks than the gentle ocean god that was Beta.

Although any oceanic god wasn’t to be underestimated, from the few times Takeover had met Beta, it had always been more interesting in the primary use of water affinities- healing. The god was one of an even temper. Obtunclif was a fisherman’s city, rarely harassed by storms,

While this general was a storm personified. From what little they had seen in Biscuits enclosure, they seemed to use mostly water constructs, and their legs had been covered in white scars.

Takeover glanced to the bottom of the page. There was an extra line of writing.

P.S. I’ll bring ur picture back tomorrow. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt it or show it to anyone. You’re allowed 2 try and kill me if you find I have.

Takeover looked over to the small area in the parlor where Mochi had hung old pictures of the three of them. They had become rather obsessed with the mementos after the “camera” was invented. One was missing, but she couldn’t tell which one it was. She never paid much attention to them. She’d have to ask Mochi once they got back from… wherever they were.

━━☽【❖】☾━━

Peppermint stared at the picture in their hands. They hadn’t noticed when reading, but a green-haired god with a flower major affinity? That fit Green to a T- the mentions of goat horns had thrown them off, but those would have been covered up with a crown of glowing flowers. Still, they wondered how they failed to notice. Now, seeing the face of the god, there was no doubt in their mind that the god of the Tri-Colored City had been one of their mentors, years ago in the depths of the earth.

[indygotcha]

Finally got to see the SMB Movie-today - and gotta say, it was really entertaining and fun ride! It really just is that IMO, very entertaining and fun time for Mario-fanatics and non-gamers alike, really~

The way Nintendo's writing team (including Shigeru Miyamoto) allowed back the more older interpretation of Mario's world from way back in the 80s was such a damn treat - and as someone intrigued hard on how they'd present Spike from Wrecking Crew... yes. They nailed his jerkassy coworker attitude perfectly, even giving us a subtle background on Mario Bros's earlier jobs before they finally picked up plumbing instead. Also holy moly, the more tinier references to Nintendo's earlier titles and then some was pretty nice to see plastered, with some even feeling like world-built to this verse of Brooklyn (PunchOut Pizzeria with it's portraits of the contestants, I was so unexpectedly elated)

Honestly, it really REALLY tickled back my younger self that used to explore Mario's world in more intricate detail as inspired by likes of Super Mario Adventures-comic and even Super Mario Bros. Super Show + Adventures of SMB3... The little things that give Mario Bros. a little more background (like... THEY NOW HAVE STRAIGHT-UP FULL FAMILY WHICH EVEN CONTRIBUTES TO MARIO'S CHARACTER ARC???). Also man, the idea of Mario disliking mushrooms and needing to endure that over the course of the movie to use his most recognized powerup? That's kind of clever~

I guess my few pet peeves might have been Peach's characterization - which while presenting her agility in very breath-taking, competent way, kept leaning really hard on presenting her as a massive "girlboss". I guess I wish more of her trademark sweetness was shown here and there, you know?

But watching her socialize in somewhat "winging it"-type of awkward fashion when she tries to bond with Mario, gets kind of cute.

On that end, seeing her backstory in this movie is pretty interesting what-if on how we got to have someone like her in Mushroom Kingdom at the first place. Really sold on it. Hmmm, now that I think about it, does that also explain why Cranky Kong was kinda more "grumpy-ish jungle-ruling grand-daddy" with not as much snark to him - though I guess him not appreciating his sonny-boy DK -> that contributing to DK being kind of frustrated that he's not seen more than a primate that smashes stuff for other kong's entertainment... that's something to note. Led to a nice bonding between friendly rivals of Mario and DK due sharing that kinda background, eh...

*Cough* - moving on -

Toad kept stealing the show so many times though, I really like this fearless and cleverly goober energy- and him bonding with Peach was really cool too, they're kind of a perfect team in this movie-verse. Oh man... WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST MAKE HIM AND PEACH BE A COMBO CHARACTER IN SMASH BROS ULTIMATE, SAKURAI

On Luigi, I wish he got more used in the movie - clearly was put to a more damsel-y role and didn't get too many active moments in the movie (outside of the saving move that'd lead to the ultimate climax in the movie).

Outside of that all? Really loved it - so many fun uses of timeless, iconic elements from Mushroom Kingdom - And like man, I freaked out when they showed Giant Unagi, and later on Banzai Bill in the movie (that glare he gave to Mario gave me shivers, ngl).

And Jungle Kingdom/Kong Island (?) was a huge treat on itself with combining Mario Kart-like vibes around it's jungle-y landscapes. I wanna watch that scene again where the Mario and co. get brought to Cranky Kong via that fine road rush of a transport...

And Bowser's portrayal? PERFECT. I was so happy to see they kept his more hammy, goofy side that doesn't still hamper how damn threatening he can get. Hoo boyy.

Honestly, I hope we get a second movie sometime soon... and also, this might make me wanna explore some personal ideas again regarding Mario Bros. before their arrival to Mushroom Kingdom, except now repurposed for this movie's alternate universe.

[inherstars]

I have said it EIGHT MILLION TIMES, the worst thing about rescue is the people.

So I've been doing TNR at the local mobile home park for probably about 2 years now. The way the local feral clinic works is that they open up appointments every two months, and you basically have to just grab them as fast as they're available. These are "clinic days" where everyone brings the cats in the morning, picks them up at night, so it's kind of an assembly line thing.

Trapping is hit or miss. A few days before I start "dry baiting" the traps (put in stinky food but pin the doors open so they won't close) to get the cats accustomed to eating inside. The day before I set them live, and cross fingers that I get somebody.

Some areas of the park are easier to trap than others. I can't hang around so it's good to have someone nearby willing to periodically look out and see if the trap is sprung, so they can call me. Some areas of the park, the people don't WANT the cats trapped, and they'll go out and trigger them shut as soon as I leave. One guy has a serious problem with women, and would encourage me to set traps on his CLEARLY OVERRUN property, then go out when the traps HAD CATS IN THEM, release the cats, and chide me for "using the wrong kind of bait."

*STRANGLENOISES*

Also, if it's rainy or sleety at all the cats won't come out. So if it rains on a trap day I know there's no point in even setting a trap. I HATE wasting the appointments, because they're hard to come by, so if I know we're due for inclement weather on a trap day I'll post on some of the local groups / sites asking if anyone has an indoor or indoor-outdoor cat that they cannot afford to get fixed.

Sometimes nobody response, sometimes I'm inundated. Last time I put feelers out I was inundated, and I had to scramble to find appointments for a woman with a 1.5 year old old female and her four 6 month old kittens that were probably on the verge of inbreeding each other all to hell.

Another woman (outside the park) also reached out to me saying that she had a friendly indoor-outdoor cat that needed to be neutered, and that her neighbor was making her life a living hell about this cat. I tell her I'll take the cat to my next appointment (this Sunday) and I'll call her neighbor and reassure her that the problem is about to be handled (most of her complaints were about behaviors typical of an intact male.)

So I make arrangements with the first lady to pick up her cat Saturday night, and I leave a message for the other woman (who has called me like 3 times to rave for twenty minute straight about CAT DRAMA happening in her garage) just to let her know that, hey, it's happening, so now you guys maybe don't have to be assholes to each other anymore (said it more nicely than that.)

She calls me back and proceeds to RAGE AT ME that this cat is still running around (uh... yes? I know that?) and that she can't catch it (nobody told you to?) and that the owner doesn't care, and has abandoned the cat, and that it's a menace and yadda yaddda on and on.

And I'm like... look, I don't know what to tell you. You're unhappy with this cat. I have arranged with the owner to get the cat fixed. I really don't think she would make plans with me if she did not intend to get the cat fixed. This is very clearly her pet that she is trying to take care of.

"BLEEAAHHHR THERE ARE FOUR CATS SHE'S A LIAR SHE IS DESTROYING MY FAMILY'S LIFE I NEED TRAPS NO ONE IS LISTENING TO ME THIS CAT IS A MENACE I WATCHED IT CRAWL INTO HER SHED THEY ARE ALL LIVING IN MY GARAGE."

I had to tell her that whatever was going on with her and her neighbor, I could not and would not get involved. I am there to get the cat neutered and bring it back, and I'm doing this shit out of pocket. End of story. If you need more help, you're gonna have to call somebody else.

"I HAVE A JOB I'M GOING TO BE LATE SO i'M GOING TO HAVE TO CALL YOU BACK."

Okay great, yay. :|