#since he actually *was* put through way more punishment than he deserved

[woodchipp]

The funniest argument I've seen put forth in Sunny's defense is "you can't blame him for anything considering what he went through over the course of the story!" then you take a look at the story in question and he spends most of his eponymous route dragged around by Kel, being an asswipe to Basil or tripping balls

Yeah, I'm sure defeating Generic_Scary_Monster.gif by inhaling and exhaling a few times was very hard for the poor widdle bapy lmao

[turtlecleric]

[runs through your wall at full speed like the coolaid man] FOR THE DIALOG-ahem, sorry. screaming. for the dialogue prompts 👁👁 may I humbly request number 2 with rise leo por favor mi amor 👁👁

Hiiiiii Keishaaaaa 💕 anything for you, my dear!

-

“Come here, dumbass.” with rise!Leo

AU where future!Leo came to the past with Casey Jr.

CWs: blood, death, technically reader death but also not? 

-

Leon catches himself staring, sometimes. He'd thought that maybe his memory had put you on a pedestal after he'd lost you, painted you as kinder and more lovely than you actually were - but no. You're just as he remembers, with that laugh that makes his heart flutter and those eyes that make it impossible to say no if you look up at him just right. It's so strange, knowing a version of you that doesn't know him. A you that doesn't seek him out. A you that belongs to someone else. 

Well. It's not really someone else, but… in all the ways that matter, it is. 

It has to be karma. Some sort of twisted punishment from the universe. That's all it can be, really, when he has to watch his younger self act like a complete and total jackass around you. Flirting with you constantly but never actually making a move. Making you blush and laughing it off. Cracking jokes and pushing your buttons and making Leon lose his fucking mind because he knows so much better now, knows that you deserve better. 

He's got to keep it together. 

It's movie night, now. Leo is sitting next to you. Pressed against your side, with an arm around your shoulders like it means nothing. Like Leon wouldn't give anything to so casually hold you in his arms again. 

Leon tries to focus on the movie, but he can smell the faint scent of your shampoo from here. He keeps looking back at you, unable to stop himself, and when Leo's fingers idly caress your shoulder, Leon catches the pretty pink that dusts your cheeks. 

It reminds him of… certain memories. Memories he really shouldn't be thinking about right now, in the same room as a much younger version of you. Although, you were about this age when he and you first started to-

Leon breathes slowly. Forces his gaze back on the movie. 

“Are you cold, hermosa?” Leo murmurs in your ear, drawing Leon's eyes to you once again. Leo's mouth is right up against your ear, and his fingers continue to trail slowly up and down your arm. “You've got goosebumps.”

You swallow, breathing a little fast. Leon gets a little lost in the movement of your throat, then in the way your lips part as you speak. “I'm okay. Thanks.”

Leo hums, watching you intently for a few more moments, then shrugs and turns back to the movie. “If you say so.”

Leon wants to punch the smirk off his stupid face. 

By the time the movie ends, Leon has long since given up trying to stop himself from glaring. He can tell that you've noticed, but Leo is acting like everything is fine. He might even be enjoying Leon's quiet rage, if that cocky smile he gets every time he glances at Leon is anything to go by. 

Leon wonders what it would mean for him if he strangled his younger self to death. He won't know unless he tries, right?

He's joking. 

Mostly.

Movie night ends. You say goodnight. Give everyone a hug. Everyone but Leon, of course. Respecting the boundary he's put in place, even if you don't fully understand why. You give him a little wave instead. It's still too much, but he nods in response, trying to ignore the way his chest tightens at your clear disappointment. 

How could he possibly explain?

He waits until there's no doubt that you're out of earshot to confront Leo. “Stop messing with her.”

There's that cocky smile again. “I don't know what you're talking about, Viejo.”

Leon takes a deep breath, trying to quell the rage that simmers beneath his scales. “She doesn't deserve your bullshit, Leo. She deserves to be treated with respect.”

“Come on, old man, what happened to you?” Raph hisses Leo's name. A warning that Leon himself has heard a thousand times. A warning he's missed having, wished he could've heard just one more time, a thousand more. And just like he always did, Leo pushes forward anyway. “What? I'm just saying, he's blowing this way out of proportion. What's the big d-ah!”

Leon grabs Leo's mask tails, yanking him closer and snarling, “Come here, dumbass.” He holds Leo there, glaring into the wide, shocked eyes of his younger self, and before he can think better of it-

Their eyes glow blue when the mind meld connects. 

An odd echoing, familiar but warped. Looking into a mirror in a dream. A flurry of thoughts, a maelstrom of emotions. Flashes of color blurring into images into memory into

He's calling your name. You always answer when he calls. Always. So why aren't you answering? Why

Screeching. Screaming? Each footfall sends a jarring impact through his bones. He needs to find you. Where

Everything stops. Spins, tilts, then settles into place, but it settles wrong because it's you but 

He says your name, but it's like a question he doesn't want the answer to.

He rushes over, tripping over his own feet. Clumsy, Leo, what is he

It's you but

You're stuck, lying flat in the dirt. Impaled by the claws of a dead hound. Of course you took the fucker out with you. Of course you

“Leo. Can't- can't breathe.”

Your hands reach for him. Slick with blood. Panic, his, yours, choking, choking

When he removes the hound you shriek, sobs ringing in his tympana. Gasping. Begging.

“I know baby, I know. I've got you, okay?” He needs to get you back to the base. Get you patched up somehow. Ignore the red. Ignore the

“H-hurts.” He can barely hear you. He gathers you in his arms, wincing at the choking screams. He knows it hurts, he knows. “Leo. Leo, please-”

His hands are sticky. Almost home. “Shhhhh, I've got you. It's okay, it's okay, just keep breathing.”

They're everywhere. It's so loud, but you're so

Quiet. Why are you

Movement. Sound. Impacts that fall too close, making him stumble, but he still makes it through the portal, makes it to the medbay, places you on the cot. You're staying so still for him while he works. You always were a good patient, but this is

Wrong.

“Leo.”

“Donnie, get me a bag of O neg, I need to-”

“Leo, stop. Please.”

Slick hands. You're so quiet. You're

They're pulling him away, but he's not done. He has to patch you up, can't they see that you need

“Leo, stop!”

You're

The connection snaps like a frayed string. Leo staggers backward, his shell colliding audibly with the wall, and he slides to the floor. His plastron heaves with every breath, his eyes wide and horrified, and Leon watches quietly as tears streak down Leo's face. The cocky smile is gone, and he can't find it in himself to feel anything but hollow satisfaction. 

Someone says something, but Leo is focused only on his younger self. Surely, surely, he understands now. He stalks forward, crouching and grabbing Leo by his sash to pull him closer. “She. Deserves. Better. Get your shit together. I won't tell you again.”

Leo stares up at him, eyes somehow widening further. He's visibly shaking, and all Leon can think is good. 

After a long, tense moment, Leo nods. Leon releases him and stands, glaring down at Leo for another few seconds before he's fully satisfied. He turns on his heel, going straight to his room without another word. 

No one follows.

-

Tag list: @yorshie @luckycharms1701 @khayalli @mxalmighty @justalotoffanfiction @thelaundrybitch @shakeyourtrees @silverwatergalaxy

[the-s1lly-corner]

I got an idea from the child reader request.

Like the same wolf in sheep's clothing concept but like FULL SWEET TO DARK PERSONALITY.

Wanna hear?

So basically child reader is like cute and innocent at first sight but IS A TOTAL DEMON, Having a very dark sense of humor, Sometimes out of nowhere walk up to someone of the gang and threaten to gouge out their eyes while they sleep, they are always with an cute expression but turns out that they like to cause chaos and havoc just like Jax but in a more creepy way.

For example, SOMEHOW reader is caught hanging from the ceilling scaring the fuck out of gangle just because its fun. Or staying in the dark waiting for someone so they can jumpscare them.

Basically child reader uses their cute-kid as an advantage to scare others off.

TADC x child!reader who is a menace! (platonic)

wasnt quite sure what to title this so!! some segments may be shorter than others since im still trying to get a hand of writing/coming up with ideas for certain characters (cough cough gangle) (i love her sm but shes so hard for me to write idk why) hope you enjoy! majority of this post is just me tormenting the cast TToTT

CAINE:

oh my god you kind of remind him of bubble but more... flkmddlvm

makes a time out rule when you keep making threats to the other circus members, that behavior is not family friendly!

he might even consider trying to go into the code and censoring your common phrases as well as some other words, if he has the capabilities for that

still tries to be a dad to you, though, wants to be a good role model and guide you in the right direction for the sake of everyone else

the first time you say something... morbid to him he just

slack jawed, stares at you before shaking himself back to reality and just

bro is astonished he was not ready to hear that today, let alone hear it from a small child

POMNI:

you know how in the other post with a child!reader i mention that pomni is vaguely uncomfortable around kids since she knows they can dish out some real cruelty

take this idea and multiply it by 10x

actually looks like that one sad spongebob meme with the big eyes and tear when shes put in charge of keeping an eye on you during an in house adventure

meek attempt to get you to behave

not much to say here imo, since its like an amped up version of the last post :O

JAX:

makes a joke about how youre already entering your edgy phase, he now has to watch his back lest some of his digital fur be shaved off

fear does not come close to describing how he feels when he discovers that you somehow found keys to some peoples rooms. he hopes you dont have a key to his room

and he thought he was hot shit, but no some random kid makes him fear the consequences of his actions

is this his punishment for his constant bullshit? what did he do in particular to deserve this?

instinctively looks up at the ceiling when he enters a room to make sure youre not about to drop on him

congrats, youve instilled fear into the funny rabbit

RAGATHA:

the 'nightmare kid' thing some babysitters go through at least once in their life, but instead of tantrums and such its just you talking about how you sometimes tear apart the dolls that came with your room. to the doll person

very uncomfortable by a lot of the stuff you casually say, even more so because its coming from a kid. though i think she would be uncomfortably be talk like that in general

SWEARS that one day shes going to blink and youll suddenly be right next to her or within her proximity

like on one hand she wants to try to guide you to be less dark, like caine, but i think she would need someone to back her up because she cannot get the image of the torn up dolls out of her head

KINGER:

poor man

like even if the things you said were empty threats, he would be scared shitless

if he isnt already in his fort, hes retreating to it the second he sees you around

kind of funny since kinger is in his late late 40s and youre a kid and hes terrified of you

anyways

less of a discomfort thing and more so scared that youre going to go through with the things you say

he walked into the common area one day and saw you literally crawling across the walls, he was with gangle when he saw it. you see his irises of his eyes shrink

doesnt even bother going to his fort, which is under where you currently are

he just

slowly

backs away, he can find refuge in his room... unless you have a key to his room

ZOOBLE:

less discomfort more annoyance with zooble, i think that while she would find it funny when a kid swears she finds people talking like that to be cringe; kid or not

the only one who isnt really scared of you. sure you threaten to disassemble them constantly and hide their pieces across the grounds to assure they can never be whole again, but they're just internally cringing while you try to make them turn away

in a weird way you two create an odd dynamic where you just go on and zooble just halfway listens, you kinda just talk at them

like while caine tries to be your dad, and ragatha tries to be.. something.. zooble is like a weird 'friend'

probably has the most potential to become a friend and get you to chill, but thats just based on my experience

like if its an attention/reaction thing, zooble isnt going to give it to you, which kind of. ruins the point of it for you, and you just

stop, or at least tone it down over time

or maybe thats just me seeing zooble having the potential to be an older sibling figure

GANGLE:

the gif is gangle when you get your hands on her

i understand that she cries easily, but like, you have probably made her cry at least once either on accident or on purpose

i think shes one of the few characters out of the cast who would probably start avoiding you for the sake of her emotional state, but she would feel bad about it since at the end of the day you're a kid

refuses to go anywhere near you when her comedy mask is broken, because otherwise shes a glum mess

you know how in poppee the performer, kedamono's mask sometimes just. pops off when he gets scared or surprised (well it happens regardless of expression/mood but yk)

gangle does that when she sees you LITERALLY CRAWLING ON THE WALLS LIKE A BUG

how are you even doing that

she doesnt wanna know, actually

"imma tie you up double knotted style" *high pitched crying*

[mychlapci]

Kinda want ageswap prowl to get found out by the other bots on base. His roommate keeping everyone informed on his stuffed animals was the start. when they all start noticing that he’s somehow becomes a personal favorite of all of high command, even though he doesn’t even actually do anything! (admittedly his work has been suffering, it’s just so hard to focus with the plug and ring)

Jazz probably hears about the rumors first, that prowl has been sleeping with them all. That he’s blackmailing them, making them treat him well. Or, of course, the ones that are waaay to close for comfort, like that prowl fucks the plushies… he tries his best to subtly redirect them but there’s only so much he can do

And then one day the twins get a notification that prowl has taken his plug out, takes off his ring, all of it. Anytime any of them try to talk to him, or try to punish him for it he fights back. Not in a fun way either, they can tell something has him extremely upset. Especially when they notice he’s gotten rid of all of his cute things.

They also notice the mocking looks and remarks he’s getting in the halls. And eventually some bot gets caught selling a vid, and it all clicks. It’s a vid of prowl, being held down by multiple mechs off screen, with the camera angled between his legs so you can see his face while he crys and begs. They play with him a bit before bringing one of his stuffed animals in, ripping a little hole in it, and using it as a fleshlight for him. There’s a lot of mock cooing and shushing as they use their spikes to wipe away his tears.

He clearly hates it all, but he can’t help but cum as they play with his little spike through the toy. It goes on for a long time before the video ends with prowl overloading himself into shorting out, just covered in cum. Under other circumstances it’s drive high command absolutely wild with lust (it still kind of does) but right now it’s just set them on a war path.

Maybe that’s why high command puts up with prowl in the future, even if he never wants to have anything to do with his “training” again, they all still remember their sweet little cadet and how they failed to protect him…

oh lord… a sad ending to the ageswap au, huh. Poor Prowl, he felt appreciated and loved for the first time in his life and had it all torn away by the cadets that made him feel alienated in the first place. Maybe once this whole “training” thing is over (he can’t believe he agreed to that in the first place, how stupid was he to think that no one would find out?), he goes back to being an irritable prick. He purposely pushes anyone from the high command away because he thinks he’s no use for them now, and the only thing he can do is put his battle computer to work. He has to prove it to the other cadets that he’s more than some piece of shareware the officers threw around as they pleased.

mhm... Prowl eventually becomes head tactician, the rumours have subsided as the cadets grew up and scattered, but they’re still threat enough that he’s keeping his distance from the high command. Perhaps he even convinces himself that it was all their fault, that they embarrassed him. He ranks above the twins now, and treats them like all the other soldiers. He’s cold and professional when talking to any of the veterans. They don’t… like him much, but they know he’s clever, and… none of them can get the memory of a soft, vulnerable Prowl out of their heads. They all feel so sorry for that scandal they caused, he didn’t deserve the ridicule, the revenge porn... Jazz probably feels super guilty about that.

hrghh i bet Prowl literally never had sex with anyone since the "training" was over...

[zu-is-here]

Why does Cross need to sleep on the couch?! What did he do to deserve it?! I mean, specifically! XD

But really, now I'm curious. In your canon, Dream also is aro/ace? (I forgot which one is he in OG, but he got a partner and a child, so points stands--)

I mean, there are people who even having different orientation, stays with someone they are 'not supposed to', and it is pretty clear Cross and Dream likes each other, but is it love? After all, love is upgraded friendship--

Dream is demiromantic ace, canonically and here too! ☆

Actually, Cross did nothing wrong (ówò) He just mistakes Dream's orientation for not wanting to share a bed with him (since for Cross, no attraction meant no love, while Dream loves without it), and asks if he's doomed to sleep on the couch from now on :')

You're right, friendship is important part of love (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) And this part means more to Dream than the other ones <3

Hii! <3 It's alright, I'm happy to explainヽ(´▽｀)

The Peppermint song itself has no clear meaning: it may be either a discord between lovers/spouses or even a cute, humorous conversation instead (since you can hear laughter at the end) (*´∀｀*) You can also find many different theories in the comments there! ☆

In this case, a "peppermint" is what Dream asks for since he doesn't have it and doesn't know about, he's simply curious about it, and Cross can satisfy his curiosity.

But turns out that it's too hot much for Dream, he's not ready, so he spits the candy out (rejects him). That's what may be unexpected and even insulting — a shattered candy is a moment of misunderstanding.

A wrapper with no candy is Dream's asexuality he doesn't know about, and he can't explain himself better (ending up with a "No" pillow), that's what confuses Cross and makes him feel unloved by his own husband ("ó3ò)

So Dream's "I don't know" (not answering) is literal: yes, a peppermint sounded nice, but it tastes bad to me, so why should I like it anyway? It's not your fault, so why are you upset if I still love you?

This story is just the answer to what Dream loves more, and the answer is obvious (⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝) The other question is what he's willing to do for his beloved one, whether he puts the happiness of others above his own like Dream, or chooses himself and his own comfort like Shattered.

There's an open ending here, but I can assure you that there's nothing bad here╰(*´︶`*)╯The pillow says that they will most likely be "punished" to sleep on the couch together XD ;)

It's so nice to hear it, thank you guys a looot! (〃ω〃) I really enjoyed telling through the symbols, these lovebirds deserve to be happy together despite their differences ♡

The interesting thing I learned while working on it is that the type of the ace cards matters as well, so Dream's would be the ace of diamonds *^*

Plus, his flag's colors are really close to Cross' "favorite" ones (monochrome & violet), but it's just a cute coincidence (*´꒳`*)♪

UPD:

OH Gayfish! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*) Thank you so much for your addition, this is very much appreciated from a true representative of the community *^*

This is Dream's position we speak about, but of course, this is a much wider spectrum, though it wouldn't be possible to touch on them all (ówò)

I'm really glad to know that your enjoyed it! <3 That's right, and that's what Joku told about Dream in the first place, with him not really knowing about all these things yet just feeling like it╰(*´︶`*)╯I believe it wasn't an easy way for them, but they made it ♡

[brucewaynehater101]

I've been reading your blog since I stumbled upon it and gotta say I love your ideas and the way you expand on asks.

I've been having some thoughts on Brightest vs Darkest future Batfam. For the Brightest future we are looking at a timeline where Bruce got some therapy and he's actually a decent dad by the time we reach current day. This doesn't completely erase the arcs where characters suffer, but he handles things a little bit better. The kids still have issues with him but they understand that he's trying now and they want to give him a second chance.

Now some time of magic bullshit conjures to this version of Gotham the worst versions of each of them. All coming from different dimensions where Bruce is the worst to them specifically. Some may have even killed their version of the Bat and won't waste the opportunity to do so again. Suddenly, they are forced to fight against

Talon Dick Grayson, who is not only an extremely skilled killer, he's cult leader levels of manipulative. He may even pretend to ally himself to the bats at first just so he can actually get his claws in and make it hurt later on.

Catatonic/Pit mad Jason who never got his own mind back. A league level ninja with only the flashes of his worst memories. We are talking "might nuke Gotham if he had the cognitive function to plan it out". His Bruce is not that much different than canon Bruce, the main difference being he refuses to accept RH is Jason, making him regress more and more into pit madness to the point of fully losing it.

Evil Jane Doe Tim that absolutely (and deservedly) snapped at B after everything he put Tim through while never asking his siblings for the same sacrifice. Maybe he was also JJed in his timeline and is the single most unsettling, cunning, motherfucker. He just keeps fucking with the Batfam from the shadows and they can't find the source.

Silent assassin Cass that simply can't be reasoned with because she has no way to communicate outside body language. Not only is she capable of beating Batman's ass without breaking a sweat she's also very hard to catch even with all the Batfam going after her (very much you can kill me or you can let me go, but you're not catching me)

Usurper Damián, similar to canon Damian but completely cut off from any external support (including Dick) due to Batman's paranoia. Bruce punishes him without explaining where he went wrong. No positive reinforcement at all, no encouraging of proper socializing. He doesn't get out of his brain washed mentality and comes to the conclusion that his father is weak. So he kills Tim Drake, frames Red Hood and takes over Robin. He feeds his father paranoia and eventually takes over Batman too because his father doesn't deserve it. He might take over the league afterwards too, because if Ra's respected someone as weak as the Bat maybe he shouldn't have his cult.

I just think it would be just so deliciously angsty for the happiest version of the Batfam being forced to confront these awful possibilities. I can also see Talon/Jane Doe/Usurper trying to convince their other selves of joining them, explaining just how awful Bruce is, even if this version is not as bad as theirs. How Dick/Tim/Damian might struggle to disagree or defend Bruce's past actions. How devastating it would be for Jason and Cass to face a very real possibility. Someone they can't even reason with, reduced to an almost animal state by forces outside their power.

And of course Bruce. A version of Bruce that had actually realized he'd been failing his kids and started working on making things up to them being forced by the ghosts of his failure. Would he completely close off and give into paranoia? (If these versions of his kids are evil, what's stopping his own kids?). Going into denial mode and erasing his progress? ("See? I've done nothing wrong, you guys turned out fine compared to them). Does he give in to grief and his martyr complex, more focused on his failings than trying to fix things? I imagine in a good ending version this event would solidify his resolve, understanding the weight of his failings as a father and as Batman. After fixing the timeline issue he would have to work not only on being better, but acknowledging his past mistakes and giving his kids the space to stay mad/express why that hurt them.

But outside that one good ending? The Bat is fucked. Especially with greatest manipulator Talon, master of puppets Jane Doe and (possibly) literal cult leader Damian getting into their heads. Hell Jason doesn't need to be told twice to turn on his father again after being reminded of how he screwed not only him but his siblings up. Cass might be loyal to Bruce but if Oracle switches sides she might start reconsidering.

Just fucked up Batfam haunting their canon selves and forcing them to admit even "nice" canon Bruce has traumatized them severely.

Hello!!!! Glad you enjoy my blog! I particularly love how people share their ideas, and it inspires others to add on or share other ideas.

So! Let's develop this AU a bit more.

We've got Dick, Cass, Jason, Tim, Damian, and their counterparts. If you wanted, we could add Barbara and Steph counterparts as well. Bruce's "evil" self never appears in this dimension, but his evil selves are part of what created the "villians" that do appear.

As far as timeline, this is after Damian appears. For Damian's angst, I think he should be Robin. Tim and him have worked past their issues regarding the change in mantle, and the older one has even said he was proud that Damian was the one to wear his mantle (which makes what F!Damian did even worse).

Imma use F!Batfam for the counterparts to indicate the fucked up ones.

No matter what the others say about Bruce, F!Bats will not believe that he is a decent father and man. There's several reasons for this. One, all F!Bats come from separate universes where Bruce was a horrible person. Two, the man is exceptional at mind games and deception. Three, if Bruce was capable of change with just some therapy, what does that say about their lives with their Bruce?

I wanted to add on to Talon Dick's lore. I hc that, after he becomes a talon, he slowly manipulates and murders his way up to the top of the Court of Owls. From there, he kills off weaklings and creates his own cult/rule. He is a very fucked up person, morally and mentally, but he believes that he's enacting some sort of good with his power. Through his cult that preaches acceptance and love, people flock to his "goodwill" and "grace." His Bruce, which has proven to be a horrible man with the way he dehumanized this Dick, kept hurting Dick and getting in his way. Dick had to kill him.

I really wanted F!Damian and F!Dick to be cult-ish leaders, with the parallels of them revamping an ancient order for their own desires.

For F!Jason, he can communicate and plan. He's stealthy, deadly, and tactful. His Pit Madness and rage, however, make it impossible to communicate or convince him from whatever he deems is appropriate. Even if it's impractical, such as making displays out of his enemies' bodies, he will not be deterred from his judgments and wants.

F!Tim could have similar tendencies as F!Dick to manipulate, but he's not as skilled as that man is emotionally. He's ruthless and toys with his enemies, drawing out their pain and misery in creative new ways (some part of him curses Joker and JJ for that). No one was on his side, so he'll never allow for anyone to be. All of the F!Bats hurt the OG family, but Tim was failed repeatedly by the Bats. JJ may have helped, but it was F!Tim's batfam that twisted the kid into an unsettling creature waiting to draw out suffering for his own amusement.

I can add more for the others (or create some for Babs and Steph) if you want.

However, more angst real quick to add would be watching their F!Batfam recommit their faults against OG batfam. By that, I mean OG Jason watching as F!Jason slits Tim's throat.

Stuff like watching the worst version of yourself recommit deeds you've already worked to beg forgiveness for. Yikes.

[lightandfellowship]

Thinking about how Vidar is a character primarily motivated by guilt and a desire to make up for his mistakes.

Feels guilty for letting his friends die, and the only way he knows how to make up for it is to seek revenge on their behalf and destroy darkness for good so that their efforts won't be in vain. An arduous and ambitious task he's willing to take on for their sake.

Says that he couldn't face his friend (Hoder, presumably) if he let anything bad happen to Baldr. Meaning he would feel guilt/shame if he actually went through with killing him. And this fear of letting Hoder down compels him to pursue Kingdom Hearts as an alternate option, despite the unknowns of what a "purge" entails. Like, isn't that just wild to think about? Choosing to purge the world on the off-chance that it destroys darkness in a way that leaves Baldr unharmed, and the guilt of resorting to something that dangerous and extreme somehow being less bad than the guilt of killing Baldr himself...it's so tragically human to prioritize your personal relationships like that.

This is admittedly more of a headcanon than established canon, but it wouldn't surprise me if Vidar's eventual decision to abandon his plan to summon Kingdom Hearts was similarly motivated by guilt over the questionable morality of his actions.

Just in general is constantly apologizing and taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong in the game. Says that he and the other upper classmen survivors lost sight of what was truly important (their friends) because they were so focused on following the rules which was what led to everyone else dying. Acknowledges that his decision to keep Baldr's possession a secret resulted in even more death and then agrees to fight Eraqus (so basically agrees to let Eraqus beat him up to vent his anger) almost as if he's resigned himself to punishment because he thinks he deserves it (though notably not to the point that he wouldn't put up a fight at all). Tells Xehanort and Eraqus to "leave Vor to us" when going to save her from Baldr and says that Xehanort and Eraqus have done enough; once again trying to assume responsibility for the situation since he knows that Urd, Hermod, and Bragi's deaths were partially his fault.

And finally, his dying words literally start with "I'm sorry." (By the way, ever noticed how both Vor and Vidar's death scenes involve them apologizing to Xehanort and Eraqus and feeling guilty over letting their friends down? Yeah.)

[hiemaldesirae]

Swap au nonny: no plans to write this at all, so go ahead an write away =)

But yeah, Valentino thought Vox had it in the bag--now he believes that Alastor doesn't deserve death, but should be someone's bitch for eternity (he should have been Vox's, but seeing how the deer acts with Vox's stuff, he would probably like that). Velvette doesn't know what to think. She misses Vox terribly, and hates Alastor, and is very upset with Valentino for not going to Vox's distress call--she definitely would have gone, but wouldn't have made it in time as her true demon form doesn't have flight. Velvette basically did most of the work for all 3 sectors of the Vees while Alastor was punishing Valentino and Valentino's souls, and becomes friends with Niffty during those first 4 years. Once Alastor takes back the reigns and Val gets back to work, Velvette goes back to what she used to do too. Like things are mostly unchanged for her. (Mostly because she befriended Niffty and eventually Rosie. Her doing that saved her)

As for Vox's sector? His giant monitor room is clean by Niffty and is visited by Alastor once or twice a month, where Alastor ponders what Vox exactly did in the room. His office has been taken over by Alastor, his last ideas and drawings framed and safely kept in Alastor's bayou space. Vox's contracted souls continued to work for Voxtech...until a day after Alastor realized Vox was back, and that's when Vox gently pulled on their chains and called them to him. (Not like there was many left. Alastor did actually land a killing blow. Vox had to use some of his contracted souls to heal himself, destroying them in the process. But Vox lived, and that's what matters.)

Alastor does say I love you to the head he sleeps with in his bed! Also, I'm sorry, and I didn't mean too, and please come back to me. I'll be better. I'll never hurt you again, my love.

Vox does have PTSD. It's so bad that he has to take relaxation meds to go to the overlord meeting (since it's required for both allied overlords to show now) and Alastor will definitely be there, with his ally Rosie. It's fine though he has Husk.

YEAHHHHHHH YIPPEE THANK YOU NONNY I WONT DISAPPOINT I PROMISE!!!! (question for writing purposes btw. do charlie/vaggie know that vox is there on behalf of lucifer or does he just Show Up)

Urghm. wughd. imgnonna. Throw up. what the FUCK !!!!!!! what thde FUCK...................!!!!!!!!!! valvel going the FUCK through it while theyre both mourning their best friends death and harbouring so sososo much guilt from it all...if hell had therapists theyd need it more than anyone else please someone put the vees together in a cage so they can hug it out :(

oh god als such a fucking freak. i just know hed keep all of voxs old shit like pristine and clean and just looking like it was preserved in time or something, even when hes also making voxtek employees come in to do constant upgrades so that it seems more like something vox would do. trying to hold on to the pieces of him that he still has left while changing them to make it feel as if vox never left in the first place... and also, once alastor finds out vox is alive again, does he jump to the idea of having someone infiltrate the hotel to keep an eye on him or something? cause if he sends his shadow, sure thats not something they can get rid of, but he also doesnt know how well vox will respond to his shadow- even if they were close, alastor *did* kill vox nearly permanently, so is this potentially how the hotel gets niffty?

banging my head against the wall WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE SAYS SHIT LIKE 'ill be better' AND 'ill never hurt you again, just please come back to me'.... makes me think of those like, manhwas or whatever where the mc goes back in time to save someone they loved but treated like shit. they make my heart hurt what the FUCK nonny why would you do this to me.... urgh. the worst part is knowing alastor is that he does honestly probably mean it but in like His way. the toxic doomed yaoi way. like he's going to kidnap vox and keep him by his side forever if it means the other won't get hurt and almost leave again. which is usually a good thing because again. freak4freak radiostatic enthusiast here . but for swap!vox... oh my poor dear. he's probably freaking the fuck out whenever he sees al. is there even any ending where radiostatic gets a happy end :sob:

ough i can imagine husk just like standing protectively in front of vox during the meetings or something, like if rosie tries to get close to him or something he tells her firmly to leave because even though they were friends, vox cant even look her in the eye anymore because in his eyes, she *knew* what al did and still stayed by his side. she knew he killed vox and probably condoned it, and she'd probably help him do it all over again if they could- or at least that's what he thinks, but she really is just trying to get close to him again and cant understand why he's pulling back so hard. and the image of al trying to approach vox after a meeting or something only to be met with val and vels interference as husk takes vox and flies him back to the hotel- valvel get punished severely afterward for keeping them apart, obviously, but theyd do *anything* to keep vox safe especially because last time, when they didnt do enough, he almost died forever

[blues824]

Now introducing female rook in the remarried empress.

🏹She came in to the castle after acedently hunting sovieshit and now he being the one stuck in the bear trap this time .

✨At first he wanted to punish the person who placed the bear trap when a beautiful woman with a thick French accent jump from a tree to apologise.

🏹And then after seeing and getting get taken care of he invited her in the castle but after seeing navier she started treating navier as the new Vil (being her loyal spy )

✨Totally not her writing novels of poetry to navier and telling her endless complements about how elegant and beautiful navier is and her just being there for navier in her difficult time.

🏹I see her and navier having full of conversations in French around rattrash and other people because we Stan smart women.

✨Her almost hunting qween (and navier and heinley almost having a heart attack )

An navier just stopping her in time.

🏹Imagen people knowing her for her infamous stealth even thought she always wears the most visible clothes and she can hide and appear out of nowhere.

✨Remember when rattrash followed navier to copy her well the rook reader was watching from a distance and only appeared after navier told rattrash not to follow her scaring most of the ladies.

Sovieshu almost ordered you to be put to death, but upon seeing how beautiful you were he changed his mind. Mans was absolutely smitten, especially when you showed great concern about him being caught in the bear trap. You helped him to the castle where you saw Navier.

The Emperor noticed how you seemed more occupied with his wife, and he felt the claws of envy dig its claws into him. He thought that he was more deserving of your love and affection since he is the one in power. However, you left him to be escorted to the medical wing by Rashta as you bowed to Naiver.

From that day on, he constantly tried to get your attention. He tried speaking in French, he tried writing romantic poems (he hired someone to do it, but he thought it was the same), but nothing worked. You were a servant (and now a lady-in-waiting) for Navier.

Rashta saw you helping Sovieshu into the palace, and she rushed over to take him from your arms while thanking you. That was, until she saw the look of pure love in his eyes, but they were directed at you. Jealousy and anger ran rampant through her mind.

However, she was surprised when she saw you practically worshiping Navier, and she was even more jealous than before. If she had you as her lady-in-waiting, it would put her in a position of power and authority over you and she could fire you so that you never came back to the palace. Unfortunately, you refused to be her servant, and actually applied to be Navier’s servant instead.

Remember that time when she tried to copy Navier? Well, you took notice and (not so) kindly told her to knock it off in French. You gave her such a fright because you just appeared out of nowhere, but she couldn’t use this chance as an opportunity to get you punished because the Emperor was in love with you.

Navier also saw you helping Sovieshu into the palace, but she made no effort to help him to the medical wing. After all, he had his mistress. However, she was worried that you would become another one of his mistresses because of the look in his eyes as he glanced at you.

Her skepticism was forgotten when she saw how low you bowed to her. You were just exclaiming things about how she was the most beautiful person you have ever seen and how she didn’t deserve a dirtbag like Sovieshu (you were able to tell that Rashta was his mistress since it wasn’t exactly a secret). All of this was in French by the way.

She really enjoys your company. Aside from accidentally almost hunting Queen, you were actually a delight. You both had very intellectual conversations in French so that Rashta wouldn’t understand. You’ve become an undercover agent for her when she needed intel on a noble… or Sovieshu. You became a well-known spy, known for having stealth even with your bright clothing. You go, Carmen Sandiego (please tell me you get this joke).

Heinrey learned about you through his letters with Navier. He was surprised at how quickly the Emperor grew attached to you, and he was amused at how you turned him down so that you could wholeheartedly serve Navier. He understood your side though, since he would (and has done) the same thing.

He met you when you almost shot him down with your crossbow. He didn’t even see you in the tree, but he saw you fall out of the tree when the Empress shouted at you to stop. It wasn’t out of anger, but rather worry. Because of your education from Twisted Wonderland, you were able to understand what he was saying. He was glad to know that he had your support in courting and eventually marrying Her Imperial Majesty.

He was the one who proposed that you move to the Western Kingdom, since Navier loved your company and he desired only her happiness. Plus, you did him a huge favor by partaking in some espionage on his behalf, especially when Sovieshu kept them both locked up in the palace. Because of this great duty that you completed to the best of your ability, you became the royal spy in the Western Kingdom.

Bonus: Kosair heard about you in a letter from his younger sister. He was overjoyed to see her doing much better, and it was all thanks to you. He wanted to meet the woman who made Navier much more comfortable with her situation, and when he did he was absolutely smitten.

He asked you to walk with him in the garden, and he absolutely adored the way that words of rhyme and music just rolled off your tongue as though it were normal. The way you delicately held his face in your hands made him forget everything that made him angry (Sovieshu).

When he was exiled, he quickly wrote a letter to you so that you would know he would be in the Western Kingdom waiting for you with a wedding ring. This made you eager, and while Navier and Heinrey were in the presence of the High Priest, you were on your way to your fiance.

[anuyuri]

In my heart, I felt as if Rayman is the type of Asian who has trouble with the phrases “I love you” and “I’m sorry”. 🤔

For context, saying “I love you” in Asia is something seen as very weird and uncomfortable (at least in SEA and EA? This goes for everything else I’ll talk about here). Rather, it’s much more preferred to say something like “Have you eaten today?”, “I miss you.” and “Please rest well.”… things like that. But in general, it’s just commonplace to show your love through your actions instead of words.

I feel like Rayman is the type of person to be exactly like this. I can see him saying all that stuff and doing acts of service as a way to express love/respect, a lot of anything besides “I love you.” (ヽ´ω`) I mean, it’s cute imagining him stumbling over trying to say it aha.

Well, he’s a popular figure who is admired by many, so he’s also heard it many times before. But the “he” that receives that type of affection is one behind a facade, so I guess in that context it can also come off as superficial.

As for saying “I’m sorry”, this phrase is very different in Asia as opposed to the West. Asia lives off of a very hierarchical society. This is something that’s very veryyyyy slowly dying out, especially in younger generations, but basically it’s unthinkable to imagine someone “higher in rank” saying sorry to someone lower. Rather, if someone in a higher rank yells at you, you surely upset them, right?! So it should be your job to fall to your knees and apologise… that’s basically how it goes. If someone higher in rank pisses you off, you’re supposed to just brush it off and pretend like nothing happened. You’re basically just asking for a death sentence if you ask them for an apology, no matter how kind you word it.

In the West, saying sorry is usually something more akin to mild to moderate empathy. So, I guess if I were to put it, saying sorry in Asia is like saying “I admit that I’m in the wrong and I’ll accept any form of punishment that happens to me. I deserve nothing but the absolute worst.”.

Funnily, this is actually something that happens in Captain Laserhawk. Rayman disrespects two people seen as people being in a higher position than him and faces punishment. Also with the whole grovelling apology to someone higher in rank than him, being forced to push hurtful things under the rug, being seen as the one in the wrong since he’s lower, etc… Even not being able to express being mad over something extreme without facing pushback.

Well, actually, I feel like Rayman partakes in both of these types of sorry. There’s something about him being seen as the lowest for a very long time, and even if he’s seen as an admirable figure, there’s a part of him that knows he’s still lowly. But I mean, I think that even if he didn’t experience that, he would still treat someone “lower” with a lot of respect. Actually, I don’t think he’d see them as lower either way.

In the end, I’d like to publish a Google doc (or maybe just post here haha) someday about why Rayman reads to me as Asian (adjacent). I hope you’re able to look forward to it. ☺️

[heartkyeom]

as if

sub!joshua hong x gn!reader

word count: 1k

warnings: sub!joshua, handjobs... that's it that's the plot

notes: I'm trying to get back into writing smut again, so I randomly picked a member and this is what came out of it! I am not sorry for how filthy this is lol- thank you @junhui-recs @multi-kpop-fanfics @flowerwonu and @duhnova for proofreading! as always, I hope you enjoy <3

taglist: @weakforsvt @junhui-recs @rasparagus @just-here-to-read-01 @baekhyunstruly (join my taglist here!)

“Baby, please, be gentle,” Joshua pants out.

You scoff. “Why should I be gentle with you?”

To be fair, he was in a precarious situation. His wrists were tied up against the headboard of your bed with one of your silk scarves, a forgiving material given the circumstances. He could’ve been struggling against rope instead, but he needed something quick since your anger had overtaken you. 

You straddled his lap, lazily stroking his cock with your hand until he managed to piss you off again, which earned a swift jerk of your fingers up his shaft. He was recovering from the last time you did that, his eyes were screwed shut and he was already losing focus again. You could feel the veins on his dick tense underneath your fingers, and it almost made you feel drunk on power.

Joshua didn’t let you dom him very often, but he knew he was guilty, so you were testing your limits tonight. Whenever you were given the chance to dominate him, you never tried to put him in too much discomfort. It never satisfied you to see him in extreme sexual pain, but tonight was different.

His precum had coated your hand from the endless amount of teasing you’d put him through, but you still weren’t satisfied.

“Because I’m taking my punishment well,” He grunts, looking at you through heavily lidded eyes. That wasn’t true at all, if anything, he was putting up more of a fight than usual. He had simply lost his stamina once realizing how long you intended to edge him.

“You would be taking it better if you stopped fighting,” You suddenly let go of him to gauge his reaction. He seems to stop breathing altogether the moment you do, his eyes widening slightly.

He doesn’t move at all, simply looking at you.

You promptly return to your previous movements and he groans wantonly, his head tilting back until it hits the headboard. 

“See? You did good, baby,” You take your free hand and suddenly graze your fingertips across his balls, you wanted to test just how much pressure would set him off.

He lets out a strangled moan, causing his back to arch off the mattress. “Fuck,” He sighs.

You notice a stray tear fall onto his cheek and it almost makes you feel bad for him. You would actually feel bad if he had waited for you to come home like you asked him to. He knew you were going to give him the head he deserved after a long day, but he got ahead of himself. 

That’s how you first caught him, cum painted against his stomach with a blissed out expression on his face, moaning that it wasn’t what it looked like.

Thus, you had been finding ways to edge him for over an hour now, seeing how far you could take this without letting him cum. Despite the neverending teasing, he still hasn't apologized, so you decided to keep going until he decided to do so.

“Do you have something you wanna tell me?” You try again, rubbing circles into his thigh to try and help him relax slightly.

“I’m-,” He hesitates, stopping to turn his head into the pillow to keep his composure. You know he’s holding himself back as hard as he possibly can, but you needed to hear it. 

“You can do it, baby,” You whisper gently. 

“I’m sorry,” He whispers. His forehead is covered in sweat, droplets from his dark hair dripped onto his face from the amount of stress you were putting him through.

“For what?”

“Shit,” He clutches the comforter with his fists, physically forcing himself flush against the bed with his remaining strength. You let him go through the motions, grounding yourself onto his thighs as he adjusts himself again.

“What was that?” 

“I’m sorry for cumming without you, I was selfish when you promised to take care of me,” He lets the words fall out of his mouth without thinking, desperately blinking tears out of his eyes as he stares at you. 

“Thank you, love. Do you think you’re ready to cum now?” You muster your last semblance of patience to finally grant him mercy.

“Yes,” He wills himself to give you the answer he knew you wanted to hear instead of resisting once again. 

You finally offer him a slight smile. “Good.”

Your face drops when you decide to stroke him much faster than before, you internally choose to send him hurtling into an orgasm. The mix of his broken moans with the sound of the bed gently shaking underneath you made you feel unstoppable, you brought your finger against his tip and he finally cums violently into your hand.

His cum quickly covers your hand, simultaneously spurting against his stomach until his body gradually shudders to a stop. His deep breaths are the only thing that fill the silence. 

You bring your hand to your lips, licking the cum off your hand as he stares at you with tired eyes.

“Stop being so hot or I’ll cum all over again,” He giggles weakly. You finally crawl up his chest to untie his restraints, and he audibly moans from the release of pressure. 

“Maybe that’s what I want,” You tease. You offer your hand to his lips, and he kisses your skin repeatedly until his lips are covered in his own cum. 

You lean down to lick the remaining cum off his lips and force it into his mouth with your tongue, pushing yourself into the first kiss you’ve shared with him all night.

He kisses you feverishly and you know he’s making up for lost time when you feel his hands cup the sides of your face. He moves his hands into your hair, gently taking hold until he feels a moan from you slowly melt into his mouth.

You finally pull away and he looks at you for a moment before speaking up.

“I won’t do that again,” He promises.

“We’ll see about that.”

[merakiui]

cannot stop thinking about enemies to lovers with rollo, but you’re each other’s secret santa.

Your plan is to get Rollo something he’ll never need or use (a really petty revenge on your part, but you don’t like him and in the midst of your hatred it sounds reasonable), while Rollo genuinely wants to get you something meaningful. Putting differences aside, he realizes he doesn’t know much about your preferences, so he tries to ask around without seeming too suspicious. As troublesome of a disruption as you are, everyone deserves a lovely gift for the holidays. You’ve given Rollo nothing but headaches and irritation, but since it’s the festive season he can be softer and forgive past disagreements. Anything after the holiday break is fair game, though, so it’s best to cause mischief while the holidays are in full swing because he’s prone to be only slightly less overbearing (depending on his mood as the festivities become more apparent).

Somehow, with all of his asking around, rumor spreads throughout Noble Bell that President Rollo is planning to ask you out on the eve of the holidays at exactly midnight under the bell tower. How such an absurd rumor started is beyond him, and Rollo is fully ready to refute every gossiping comment that’s boldly thrown his way, both in passing conversations and from his fellow Vice President and student aide. He cannot believe the school assumes he would even think of asking you—Noble Bell’s most notorious troublemaker—out! And during the holidays, too! He’d much rather burn to death than do something like that. He can’t stand you. How anyone thinks he’d like you enough to want to pursue romance with you is absolutely ridiculous. 

But then the idea suddenly becomes less ridiculous and more advantageous when his Vice President suggests he go on an actual date (or friendly outing; Rollo’s expression is sharp enough to kill when he hears the word ‘date’) in order to learn about what it is you like. Word of mouth isn’t as reliable as hearing it from the source. Rollo, after much consideration, supposes it isn’t terrible, but (once again) he’d rather do anything else than punish himself with a date with you, of all students. He’s so stubborn when he claims he’ll find another way, and his Vice President can only utter a soft sigh. 

As the deadline for Secret Santa approaches and Rollo overhears how the others around him have all found perfect presents, he begins to fear that he won’t ever find a gift that’s good enough for you. But why is he even trying so hard? It’s not as if he looks forward to seeing your bright smile when you unwrap it. It’s not as if he’s doing this to make you happy. This is just common courtesy. An act of goodwill from student to student, if you will. Or, in less sweet terms, an obligation he must fulfill due to the misfortune of a lottery draw. 

So he thinks nothing of it when his Vice President and student aide invite him to a café off campus as a final outing before everyone goes home for the holidays. When he walks through the door, the bell welcoming him with a cheery jingle, and he sees you sitting there he promptly turns and is ready to walk out. But you call out to him, wave with that pretty hand of yours, and he can’t stop himself from sighing. His peers lied to him; this is not an outing to celebrate the end of the semester. It’s the date he was dreading. He only stays because it’s the polite thing to do—because you’re whining about how he lacks manners and has the gall to leave a dear friend all alone after he had invited them out. 

Rollo really can’t stand you, but he must for the time being. So he slides into the chair across from you, where you’ve already ordered his favorites (he’s certain his troublesome Vice President arranged this, too). If he has to stomach an entire afternoon with you, he might as well get something out of it, so he uses the time he spends with you to learn about your preferences in hopes of getting inspiration for a gift.

Things are awkward in the beginning. Both of you are so accustomed to bickering over rules and Noble Bell’s student code of conduct that civil conversation is actually much harder to fall into. You broach the subject of that rumor that’s been going around and that’s what gets him talking. Rollo scoffs around a bite of croissant, muttering about how it’s nonsensical rubbish and that people will believe anything nowadays so long as it’s interesting. When you laugh out of relief and tell him you’re glad he doesn’t like you because that would’ve made things awkward, he feels an odd sting. Your feelings have never mattered to him, so why does he hate those words?

And why, while he talks of holiday plans with you, does he find himself smiling? Thankfully he’s brought his handkerchief along to hide his pleased expression. He’s not sure what he’d say if you were to make note of his obvious enjoyment, for even he wouldn’t be able to explain it. 

By the end of it, Rollo feels as though he’s gleaned a better understanding of you. When you aren’t actively causing a ruckus, you’re actually quite pleasant to be around. Who would have thought? Despite this, he’s still ready to head back to campus with you after a draining afternoon. But you point to a sweets shop on the way and ask if he’s ever had their winter-themed treats before. He narrows his eyes at you, as if to say, “What are you playing at?” You’re seizing his wrist and dragging him in the direction of the confectionery before he can say anything.

It feels like he’s in a cheesy holiday film, what with how you energetically peer into the jars of candies and sweets, all arranged neatly on the shelves, and the soundtrack in the shop plays festive tunes on repeat. Rollo tries to hurry you along; if anyone from school sees him with you, they’ll think the rumors are true and it’ll cause even more trouble. You yank on his scarf to keep him close, and he’s so tempted to yank you in return. But he finds that you don’t have a scarf for him to tug, and so he has to fester in his displeasure with a scowl. 

The two of you walk out with snowflake-shaped marshmallows, bell-shaped cookies, and candy canes of all flavors and colors. Rollo supposes he’s earned a sweet after dealing with your spontaneity, but then you insist on getting hot chocolate to go along with the marshmallows and now he’s being dragged to a little shop nearby. On the way there, the two of you pass a craft store and something catches his eye. He tells you to go ahead while he steps inside. You raise your brow at him but continue along, and when the two of you meet up he’s holding a bag. You question it, and he tells you to stop being so nosy. Your curiosity is quickly snuffed when you spy another storefront with windows decorated so adorably. 

At some point, in the midst of popping in and out of stores—where he continues to remind you that the both of you ought to be getting back—it begins to snow. Tiny flakes flutter to the ground, and you stick your tongue out to catch a few. They melt immediately upon contact. Rollo doesn’t realize he’s not hiding his expression until you’re gaping at him.

“What?” he asks slowly, dubiously, his eyes narrowing once more. 

“You’re smiling,” you say in awe. “I’ve never seen you smile before...”

“This smile is not for you,” he assures you with a scoff. “Stop ogling. It’s rude.”

“But you look so nice and approachable when you smile like that.”

He glares at you and the smile vanishes behind an irritated countenance and that trademark handkerchief of his. 

“I suppose,” he admits after a moment of awkward silence, “you aren’t so terrible to be around when you aren’t acting like a menace to the entirety of the student body.”

“Why, thank you, President Flamm! That’s high praise coming from you.” You lower into a dramatic bow. He rolls his eyes, but his heart skips a beat. “And you aren’t so bad either. To be honest, I thought I was done for when your VP told me you wanted to meet at the café. I thought you’d chew me out or hex me or...something.”

The mere notion that he’d do such things to you is irksome. He isn’t entirely bad or frightening. You just seem to bring those sides out when you run through the halls, pick fights, and cause disorder amongst the students. 

“Is that right?” He lowers the handkerchief, smirking. His fingers find your chin and he tilts your head to meet his stare. “Maybe you should try being less of a pain. I might show you some mercy the next time we cross paths.”

He pulls away, leaving you stunned, and turns on his heel. “Now then, we should return to campus. It’s getting late and cold, and I’d rather not get stuck in the snow.” 

Rollo doesn’t realize what he did until hours later, when he’s sitting at his desk knitting snowflake patterns into a scarf from the yarn he purchased at the craft shop. The memory has his face gradually heating up, so red and hot you could mistake it for a wavering flame. 

He can’t stand you, or so he once thought.

The gift bag sits innocently in front of your dorm door. There’s a card attached, but the sender’s true name isn’t written. Rather, a lovely message has been penned in curling script: Happy holidays. Do take care to bundle up. It gets rather cold around this time of year. I would hate to see you frostbitten and ill the next time we meet. Sincerely, your Secret Santa. Inside the bag are a scarf, a bag of assorted candies from a confectionery in the city, hot chocolate mix, and a mug with moon and star patterns. It’s a very comfortable gift, and you can’t help but admire the handmade scarf’s quality. 

You have your suspicions, but there’s no way such a kind gift could come from Rollo. He’s made it quite clear that he dislikes you, and you feel the same way. It’s probably from his VP, right? He did ask you a few questions about gift preferences, so it’s quite plausible that he’s your Secret Santa.

Rollo is in the middle of penning his thoughts in his diary when there’s a sharp knock at his door. And then frantic footsteps echo down the hall. He opens the door in hopes of catching the culprit, but he finds emptiness instead. His gaze travels down to the gift box that rests at his feet. It’s been wrapped in blue and white paper and has been taped rather sloppily. With raised brows, he gathers the gift in his arms and shuts the door, curiosity mounting. 

The card taped to it is the first thing he opens. It reads: I really don’t know you that well and I have no idea what you like or what you do in your free time, so if you ever learn my identity please don’t give me another detention for this gift. I tried my best! In any case, happy holidays, Rollo. You deserve a break. See you next year! From, your super cool and super secretive secret santa!!! When he unwraps the gift and peels the lid back, an amused smile pulls at his lips. Inside the box is a croissant plush with beady, little eyes and a cute smile. There’s also a sugar cookie-scented candle and an astronomy-themed stationery kit.  

Rollo sets the gifts on his desk, lowers into his chair, and flips to a new page in his diary. His heart feels oddly light as he scribbles a fresh entry.

I think I’m falling in love, are the first words that stain the page. And it isn’t a terrible feeling.

[zeldahime]

Highway to Pail Day 4

[Day 1] [Prev] [Next] @do-it-with-style-events

February 4: I don't trust trees. They're shady.

Pestilence was making her way through the countryside again, and it rather dampened Crowley's mood. The bloody blasted plague was sweeping through England, making it difficult and depressing to travel even for a demon who wasn't able to contract human diseases, since nobody but him knew that and revealing otherwise was likely to get him discorporated. There was also the matter of the damned (literally) horse, a great hulking black stallion that despised Crowley and was despised in return. Blackie had tried to throw Crowley twice in the last hour, and had only failed because Crowley had miracled himself to the saddle.

He had to go tempt someone in Hull, of all the godforsaken places. Surely just living in Hull was punishment enough; no need to bring eternity into it.

Since he was heading north anyway, he figured he might try to make it over to see how Manchester was coming along this decade, and since that made an extended trip, he checked to see if Aziraphale needed him to pick up anything while he was out.

"Ah, a new set of orders just arrived for me this morning!" Aziraphale had said, bustling over to his desk. "Well, let's see. I've a spot of divine ecstasy to deliver in Hull from the last set; I've been putting it off but you know the poor lady must deserve it: living in Hull is trial enough for the soul. Hmm, Plymouth--ah, American Plymouth rather--, Swansea, Geneva... oh, here, there's one in Lincolnshire as well, you'll like this one, dear. 'Divine inspiration to more accurate human understanding of the underlying laws of the universe," that's much more your area than mine I should think, natural sciences and all that."

It was indeed much more Crowley's area; he liked hanging out with scientists and philosophers, the kind of humans who asked clever questions about how the universe worked and why. Aziraphale always gave him the good divine inspirations, cloaking it in ignorance of the physical laws that had always been second-nature to Crowley, though Crowley knew Aziraphale had enough understanding to carry them out himself. It was one of the reasons the Arrangement worked so well, he thought; they did each other little favors like this, gave each other jobs that were a bit fun.

And so here Crowley was, fighting with a horrible horse in the middle of nowhere during a plague year looking for a sheep farm. This part was not fun. This part, to be very clear, totally sucked.

Thankfully, Aziraphale had already interpreted Heaven's shaky-at-best approximations at where things on Earth were actually located, and given Crowley an address and a decent map of the area, so he located the sheep farm -- Woolsthorpe Manor, the map said -- with little difficulty aside from Blackie's enmity and a general sense of unease and malaise in the air.

He dismounted, setting Blackie to graze and to behave himself under threat of being sold for meat and glue, and took a moment to case the place. Sheep and pastures; biggish house and a bunch of sheds; orchard with some fruit trees. Aziraphale's orders hadn't been very specific about how the intervention should be achieved, but there'd been some balderdash about natural beauty and the circular nature of God's Plan For Life On Earth, and Crowley noticed an apple tree on the edge of the orchard, near to a window; he bookmarked that thought.

The target was called "Yitzhak the Lizard" in Aziraphale's orders, so he and Crowley supposed he was most likely called Isaac, but the family living at Woolsthorpe Manor was called Ayscough. Crowley suspected it would take a bit of detective work to figure out which servant Isaac was, and was still deciding how to approach when a young man in his mid-twenties jumpscared him.

Introduced himself as Isaac Newton, too, so that solved that.

Using just a touch of a glamour to make his presence seem a bit more natural and less like a potential vector of disease, Crowley chatted with the young man for a good while. Isaac was the grandson of the widow Ayscough, a student at Trinity College, sent home due to the plague, interested in optics and the laws of motion and, more than anything else in the world, mathematics. He showed Crowley his notebook full of notations, letters with little dots over them equaling other letters, which Crowley couldn't follow, and explained the logic of it, which Crowley could. Heaven, he thought, had wanted Aziraphale to arrange a divine intervention into Isaac's mathematics, but Isaac had that well in hand already: it was well beyond what anyone else on Earth had thought up, and he was still a student.

As evening drew in, young Isaac invited Crowley to supper and shelter for the night, which he accepted politely, and to board Blackie in the stables, which he accepted with vicious glee. Making Blackie someone else's problem for a bit always put a little varnish on their souls while also relieving him of needing to lift a finger or deal with the damn horse.

As they passed through the orchard, Isaac ran his hand through the leaves of low-lying branches. A gardener yelled across the field not to disturb the apples, to which the young man just smiled.

Well. Crowley knew a thing or two about apples and Plans, and the kid had wondered why things move the way they do.

As they passed under a lovely straight Flower of Kent, Isaac Newton disturbed the leaves and a large, green, perfectly round apple miraculously imbued with insight into the observation that "things fall down" fell out of the tree and smacked into his skull.

As he stopped to rub his head while Crowley tried not to laugh at him, the young man asked: "I wonder how far an apple could fall? Not just from the tree, that is, but why not from as high as the moon?"

Crowley just smiled enigmatically, which Isaac took as encouragement, and mentally began drafting a memo for Aziraphale to send back up to Home Office.

---

Author's note:

Everything's as close to accurate to real life Isaac Newton and Woolsthorpe Manor as I could get it, except his personality (which I understand was curmudgeonly in his old age, but I have no idea about him as a youth) and the fact that he didn't *actually* have an apple fall on his head, probably. 1666 was indeed the year he first started developing both calculus and the law of gravitation.

I'm sorry for picking on Hull! I'm sure it's a lovely city. I chose it as the place Crowley was going for a temptation (and a divine ecstasy) because that's the place specifically called out as an example of the arrangement in the book, and so is Crowley getting free reign over Manchester (page 50 in my paperback). And hey, if he's already going north....

The actual pun didn't quite make it in, but hey! Trees!

[piratekane]

i got an ask in my email that never showed up in my inbox that was basically looking for book recs and since only one person asked for my opinion and because this was the year i fell back in love with reading, i'm going to do a myspace Top 8 books i loved this year, in no particular order:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein this is basically a love story. it's a love story and you won't change my mind. i don't mean romantic love except that i mean best friends loving each other to and through the end of the world can be romantic and we should say that more often. because this a book about war and its terrors but it's also the love story between two best friends and what they'll do to get back to each other. it has probably one of my favorite protagonists ever - actually, two of my favorites. Wein tells a devastatingly perfect story and i promise your heart will swell and sink and tie itself into tiny knots. kiss me, hardy! kiss me quick! 5 stars, i cried at the end

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo i was late to the SoC books and boy am i glad i finally showed up to the party. this book was perfection. i immediately fell in love with each crow and spent the whole book screaming that if nina and matthias didn't kiss ASAP that i was going to throw something. i also was yelling about kaz and inez, do not think i was not doing that. kex brekker you deserve love you street rat. @dealanexmachina had to deal with the screaming through this. and i think it's going to be a repeat read in 2024 just so i can experience the care and craftsmanship that went into each character, their nuances, and how it wove perfectly together into kaz's brilliant plan. 5 stars, i immediately read the sequel like a hungry jaugar hunting down a person wearing that calvin klein scent

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson brando sando is... prolific. and it was overwhelming to jump in, but i started with tress and not any of his other books (a problem i have rectified) and what a bang it was. this book is, in a word, hilarious. the narrator is a fantastical being with an aversion to linear thought and a predilection for hilarity. the humor in this book is unlike any of sandos other work and really shows that he has the ability to stretch. the premise is very clever and very cool and just very fun. tress is brave and smart and that's celebrated, not punished. plus who doesn't love a talking rat? i'm looking forward to his other secret projects 4.5 stars, the narrator is my favorite sando character

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak okay, this is billed as horror, but i wouldn't really say horror and would lean more into the mystery billing than anything. maybe thriller. and it's outside my usual genre and is definitely more suited to my wife's tastes but she finished this book in three days (and usually takes 3 weeks-to-months to finish books) and when she said i had to read it, i said yes dear and picked it up. i'm glad i did. it's an illustrated mystery and as the author writes in the notes, those who pay attention will be rewarded. the ending was a twist i didn't see coming, like, at all. and it was clever. but once the ending started to unfold it was a mad dash to the finish. 5 stars, my wife recommends this

The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff now, i know. this is actually 3 books, not 1. but hear me out - they must all be read. it's nonnegotiable. these books were recommended by tumblr user @fiddleabout and am i so very glad they were. mia is unhinged. there's no other way to put that. the girl is fucking off. her. rocker. and no one in her life is any better. they're all just as freaking crazy. but they're my crazy comfort killers. i went on for hours about mia and ash, to the point that my wife shut the bathroom door in my face because i tried to follow her in there talking about them. this series is bloody and more than once i was like, he can't possibly make this any bloodier but he CAN and i think this book is better for it. found family, check. unhinged teenage protagonist, double check. endless fun, check in triplicate. 4.5 stars, i am never not thinking of ash and her vision of a house on a lake and softness

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon obviously i read priory first and obviously i loved it but ADoFN was... mind-blowing. maybe because priory enriched the world of ADoFN and i was already familiar with all the intricacies of it (though there was certainly more to learn) but reading this just... the bridging Shannon did, the connections she made between priory and ADoFN and how we ultimately saw the way ADoFN threaded some of the loops we saw closing in priory, it blew my mind. the utter romance of it all, my god. i read this monster book in a single day, i couldn't put it down. i emerged from my ADoFN cocoon like andy samberg in that one SNL skit where he plays a teenager who just woke up. i was changed(TM) 5 stars, i was a changed man

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo i immediately jumped into the rest of the Leigh's work (i went through SaB first but she's so strong at the end of this Grishaverse) and while i love all my SoC babes, nina was a favorite and honestly i'd recommend both King of Scars and this book. tumblr user fiddleabout was blessed to follow along with my completely unhinged livestream of this book and when (spoiler) zoya and nikolai finally got over themselves and K I S S E D, i put the book down and took a lap. then i picked it up and screamed again as nina's arc unfolded. 5 stars, i have a lot of thoughts about the kind of man nikolai is (peg)

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty i'm a bit of a sucker for a pirate book. even more of a sucker about a woman pirate, and amina is a woman pirate of the highest caliber. this book is either intentionally funny or unintentionally hilarious. amina's biggest flaw is that she's constantly ogling her demon ex-husband's cute butt - honest to god. otherwise, she's perfection. badass, scrappy, jacked. amina is all of those things and then some. so she has a bit of a past that winds up coming back to bite her in the ass and then she's thrust back onto a ship where she has to chase down an old crewmate's daughter - can you blame a girl for being the most kickass pirate in all of the seas? no! should you? absolutely not! just let amina live out her life ogling ass and sailing leisurely, please. 4.5 stars, i want to sail on amina's ship even though i'm afraid of boats. and the ocean. and things living in the ocean. and generally the water.

( ͡❛ ᴗ ͡❛)👍 and now you know, cause it's mike's pirate's super short show! ( ͡❛ ᴗ ͡❛)👍

[scoonsalicious]

the first thing i really want to say, i hate being right. i really hate it this time. WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU BUCKY. I !!! WAS !!! FUCKING !!! ROOTING !!! FOR !!! YOU !!! I'll be calling you other names now until further notice. honestly, what more can I say? I basically said all the thoughts I had on my previous ask, and while at first they were based on theories, well, now they're not 😭 I'm not even mad at him anymore, I'm just so drained and tired of it all. Disappointed really. Just disappointed. I do know he didn't do the "<3" tho. Since Jethro went through his phone so she probably changed it herself. But that's the least of everyone's problem right now.

Like I said, if he had just confessed right off the bat, it wouldn't have been as bad, in my opinion at least. I mean, it's still a shitty thing to do no matter the semantics or technically, but it's the LYING. It's truly what fucks a person up. And yes with what you said!!! Brendon took so many choices away from Pocket!!! She was blindsided and manipulated to some degree and it's just. sigh. so disappointed.

Now, let me put my theory cap on because lol surprise, I have some. You said the first time didn't count. So something must've happened and I know you said it wasn't SA but sex pollen? could be? Or omg, something Hydra put because you know how they would probably want super soldiers to procreate even if it's against their will? What if Jacinta knows that code? and ..... shit, omg. wait. I just realized something. I really had to stare at my screen because this could be mind blowing but I also could be so wrong because this probably won't make any sense. BUT, (i know this will seem like i'm defending him but hear me out) if the first time wasn't his choice (not fully anyway), he probably still felt disgusted by himself that it happened. So, the second time, do you think Bob did it to punish himself? Like doing the act didn't give him any pleasure at all, just disgust and guilt and regret and actual physical pain? !!! TW !!! but kinda self-harm but in a different way? Because maybe in the back of his mind, he knew this would destroy Pocket, and the thought of that itself is so painful to him that, he did it as a way to punish himself? To hurt himself by hurting pocket? Which is a really fucked up mental gymnastic but idk okay, i have no idea how my brain works LMAO. He needs a new therapist my god. Or maybe he needs two. Or maybe I'm just way over my head and the reason the second time happened was because that was the time he saw the articles. OR could be both a mixture of both. And again, he had an actually devil in his shoulder. But still, to given in that easily. Weakass supersoldier if you ask me. Like I said, the whole "I did it for revenge" cuts differently too. Honestly just basically what i said on my previous ask hahaha

Sigh, I know there's something else going on. I know something was cooking underneath all that. I'm sure Jenny had more at play to this than Baker. I don't think she's that lucky that the universe just decided for everything to fall into place like that. I'm sure she had all the string. Like yes, I won't deny Bryan is an asshole, and he still did what he did. But still, no matter if there was something that happened that led up to the act (apart from the articles which is shitty on its own as a reason but he's a fragile weakass man so) It still won't change how he lied about it after. I do think the heaviest part of it, especially to Pocket, wasn't exactly the fact that he slept with Junia but the fact that he lied about it and covered it up.

I will add tho, as much as I am looking forward for Pocket to have her villain origin story, because she absolutely does deserve it, I'm just hoping she won't do something that she's regret later on. Though right now, I also have no idea how she's ever going to forgive him. We'll just have to wait and see as everything unfolds.

Honestly, I don't think I've got anything more to add. I'm just sitting here sighing and shaking my head as I'm typing this. Though I can't wait for the truth to unravel, because I really do have a feeling there's more than meets the eye. I'll probably pop back in if I have a new theory, but either way. You're amazing as always!

— Jnon 🤍

I think getting your posts are the favorite part of my day!

Let's address! I'm sorry you were right. I hate that you were right, but right you were. Pocket is also definitely drained and tired from it, too. Exhausted. Brutus definitely did not do the <3; he didn't even know how to unblock her. Venus Flytrap (going with a V-name this time, lol) did it all herself.

Part of what hurts Pocket so much is that Buckwheat knows her history, knows how much trouble she has with trusting people, and yet, he keeps lying. It's one of those "I lied because I knew the truth would hurt you," but he doesn't realize that the truth is so much more easy for her to digest than having to constantly wonder if he's being honest with her, just to find out he's not. One of the things they bonded over, early on in their friendship, was that they had had their bodies used by others, without their consent, so she thought he understood how important that was for her, and to have him make the same decisions her abusers did, by taking away her ability for informed consent, that's what's killing her. She thought he knew her better than that. Your theories! The "first time" doesn't have anything to do with sex pollen or Hydra. You are definitely close in that he felt disgusted with himself, which has a lot to do why the first time doesn't count. You'll have to wait until Chapter 27 to find out! It really was a happy accident for Jaeger Bomb that the articles happened. She didn't pull any strings, but she absolutely used them to her advantage. If they hadn't come out, she would have most likely come up with some other diabolical plan to get what she wanted. Pocket's going to face some dark times coming up, definitely. There will be a lot of self-destructive behavior and spiraling, but she's not gonna go full-on Thanos or anything (who could blame her if she did, let's be honest). The only person she's really going to hurt, going forward, is herself :( As always, Jnon, it is a pleasure. Thank you so much for bringing such happiness to my days <3 I love you!

[julietasgf]

OMG I SAW THE STRABO FIC AND LET OUT THE MOST EXCITED FERAL SCREECH Strabo's father being so cruel to a child, ok I can see why Strabo turned out the way he is because goddamn, no child deserves to hear those things. Did Strabo's father and mother even love each other because the way the father talks about Strabo's ma is just so???? "dreadful personality", " pure hatred, pure fury", "scary"...does this man even love his wife and son?? And his pa slapping him so hard HIS BABY TOOTH FLEW OUT😭 turns out there is an even worse father than strabo omg I knew you said you imagined the pa to remarry soon after Strabo's ma died, but damn that was really fast. 8 months after the first wife dies, he remarries? How did he even find someone new that fast and get them to marry him when he's such a mean and bitter man? THE PART ABOUT A PRIEST CURSING STRABO AND HIS FUTURE OFFSPRING, SEJANUS YOU NEVER STOOD A CHANCE, YOU WERE DOOMED FROM THE START, but ok why is a priest cursing a 6 year old? I get being angry about a kid shooting an offering to the gods but again, he's just a kid, there's usually more leeway around children I'm crying at Strabo saying he was gonna protect the house but said nothing about protecting his stepmom, and he wonders why Sejanus is so mouthy lol, like buddy he inherited his mouthiness from you! Strabo saying he was a lonely child had me going awww until he was like, actually I like it this way, boy loved his peace and quiet lol, but him being too bossy and too boring to other children his age is just so on brand for him lmao Ouch to him being forced to care for siblings he has no desire to care for, especially since being caring absolutely does not come naturally to him. Does he resent his brothers? I can kinda see why if he does because parentification sucks and you should let children be children, not force them to care for other children. It just sucks all around because the twins don't have their actual parents caring for them and Strabo is forced to grow up even faster... omg the twins being named Remus and Romulus...please don't tell me this Romulus kills this Remus, like what happens in the myth...I need at least these Plinth siblings to be happy after what Strabo put them through😭 The twins looking just like Strabo except for their eyes!! If the twins' future kids look just like them too, I hope Strabo gets a mini heart attack whenever he sees their faces around D2 (or on the screen for the 25th games...) I also noticed that the twins called their father "dad" while Strabo refers to him as "Pa", was that intentional and is there a deeper meaning to that? But please not the parents punishing Strabo for making mistakes with the twins when they aren't even around to care for their own kids.... The twins calling Strabo "Bo" is so cute but ofc the man doesn't appreciate it (I have another nickname for Strabo that also starts with a B, but this one isn't kid-friendly) Strabo telling the twins to go upstairs to hide while he fends off the debt collector is convincing me more that he truly does care about the twins, he's just hiding it deep down under how tired and resentful he is of having to care for kids when he's still a kid himself (even if he doesn't act like one), unless I'm reading it wrong and he truly is just apathetic towards the twins and just doesn't wanna get in trouble with his father and stepmom for not properly defending the twins? But the twins saying they wanna be just like him when they grow up...my heart, and no you actually do not wanna be like Strabo, trust me

HELLO ANON HOW ARE YOU DOING? hope you're doing fine!! :)) (as always, I'm going to answer everything in one post 😭)

there were some themes that I really wanted to work with this fic, besides the generational trauma and the idea of cycles. one of them is how collectivist cultures have their pros and cons, and one of the cons is that usually, you're highly disencouraged to have something against your parents. they could've been assholes to you, and still, there'll always be someone asking "oh but they're your parents, they're family", because family is extremely important and something you have to endure no matter what. and I say that because I look at my parents' parents and they were the worst, and still, my parents still talk to them, keep them around, go to family gatherings and stuff. and it's not something isolated, it just... happens a lot, sadly, and it makes even harder to break the cycle

his pa was a dick. strabo doesn't think badly of him. he's better than him, but he still think his pa did some stuff right ("I went through it when I was your age and I am totally okay" no babe, you're not, seek therapy <3)

to me, strabo's parents were the classical kind that were reckless, had kids and now have to marry because of social stuff. then boom, unhappy marriage, traumatized kid. if I had to bet, it was a woman who got widowed too young, and now is desperate for another marriage (again, social stuff, misogyny, etc etc).

sejanus is doomed not even from the time he's born, he's doomed WAAAAAY before (you can take this in a more supernatural way, with the faith of the mountains being 100% real and influencing his tragic life, or just in the fact that he was just simply doomed bc of his bloodline; his ma had horrible parents, his pa had horrible parents, it's a cycle that comes long before him. his ma got her life destroyed by a too ambitious man. isn't really a surprise when his life is also destroyed). the priest was so wrong for thisKSKSKSKSKS 😭 but in his defense, it's for sure not the first time strabo shoots in one of the offerings, poor guy was probably at his limit atp

strabo is WILD, he'll just say anything (before he learned how to keep quiet and speak the right things at the right times). I just think it's so funny the idea of sejanus getting so much of his temper after strabo (he's mouthy, he's stubborn, he'll just say whatever is on his mind without thinking twice), so that's why strabo is so sure he can fix sejanus bc he was once like that 😭 (spoiler: he can't fix sejanus)

I feel like he's torn regarding the twins; he raised these kids since they were babies, he does have a soft spot for them, but also... he does resent them. it's not fair that they even got a mother, while strabo has himself and nobody else (his father doesn't really count), while having to take care of them. it's like when you know these ppl aren't to blame for the bad thing that happened, but still, they're the one you find yourself feeling angry about. NAHH I put their names bc they're twins (and plus, they were birthed by a woman, but raised by a wolf, I thought it suited well), but these two are very much happy in D2 <3 I really want them to have a happy life (until the first quarter quell welp

oh FOR SURE strabo saw the twins around D2 sometime; probably he moved to a place far away from the center to avoid this, but it's impossible to not see them around at least once. and he recognizes these faces, just like him, except kinder (and when he sees green eyes for the first quarter quell? oh, boy. he already knows. green eyes are not common in D2, you know. how would there be another explanation?). but noooo this was just me being a bit tired and not paying my whole attention when writing, I accidently let it pass, I'm so sorry 😭 PLS this makes me so mad, like, these are YOUR children, YOU should be raising them, not another child

I CACKLED he doesn't deserve being called bo, it's such a cute nickname 😔 I do think he cares about the twins, in his own way!! when he starts working and getting money from the store, he buys them new clothes, for example. he's bitter, he's resentful, but he DOES care about them. it's just that he's too angry to actually show it, or to even recognize it. hopefully the twins are VERY different from him; they grow up to be kind people, actually.

bro I'm always impressed at how many people actually do that (I mean, starting a store/factory and just being the worst at it). some ppl do that with the mindset with not wanting to work to someone anymore, which I think it's fair to some point, but usually they don't prepare theirselves to do it and run it, and it ends in disaster. yesssss I tried to include some parallels to coriolanus in this, and this is one of them!! (the big difference is that coriolanus pretty much did that his whole life, strabo LEARNED how to do this, how to hide the bad person he is inside and his feelings and smile and say whatever ppl want to hear).

ngl I do feel a bit bad for him, but in the same way I felt bad for coriolanus reading tbosas: I understand why you're like this and I don't think you deserved to go through this, but still, my anger towards you and what you've done to the people around you is much bigger than my symphathy. abt him naming sejanus after his father, it's exactly what I said early on: it's irrational, it's ilogical, but it's too much common (plus, since the factory did start with his father, I think that as it grew bigger and he got richer, he feels like he owe something to his father; this is also his way to say sort of thank you, trading legacy for legacy)

his stepmother wanting the factory gave me the same vibes of when an old relative dies and now all the relatives are fighting for a piece of land, but when you actually see the piece of land it's CLEARLY not worth it, and everyone is just being so dumb ☠️ I think it's more because of the sense of owning it. like, okay, strabo is working on it, but it's not hers. it's not something on her name. it's not something she can pass down to her kids. is it irrational? of course! but I also think she thought that he was going to leave them one time or another, bc of how much they fight and how explosive he is, so either she gets the factory now to make sure it won't happen or just loses it all at once. I think she underestimated him regarding the twins; I really don't think he would leave them in other occasion. regardless, it WAS a stupid decision.

THEY WERE JUST BABIESSSSSS JUST EIGHT YEARS OLD, FFS!!! (also, the fact that when strabo's relationship with his son gets 100% strained is when sejanus is also eight 😀 I'm not okay)

he definitely thought she was silly for it and probably mocked it once, but vesta takes her faith too seriously, and when he made a joke about it she gave him a glare that was enough for him to shut up and know to not joke about this (also, I think he does respect her to some extent, as for example letting her keep her little space in their house in memory of D2; I think he would think it's stupid, but wouldn't mind as long as she doesn't try to make him pray for the mountains). okay so, I think they were well-established merchants, but in the same way there are merchants in D12, yk; they aren't in the urban center, like strabo, and mostly sell stuff in the east end. they are better off compared to the other ppl in east end, but still, low-middle class at best, and they for sure never starved. I imagine them owning something like a bodega! so, one day, strabo sits down with her dad, and is like "would you like.... to form an alliance?" okay, not like this, but he did convince the man to use his cash reserves to invest in an expasion of his factory with the promise that it would benefit both the families. I think I didn't express myself well, I'm so sorry for the confusion!!! 😭

that man got four daughters, I'm just so sure he kept trying to get a son until he noticed it just wouldn't happen, and then got bitter over it. oh, absolutely he does buy into gender roles, just in a different way; he's the type of guy to go like "I wouldn't fight a girl" at the same time he's too indifferent to care about it regarding too important stuff ("you have two hands? you can shoot.") I do think he would be kinder to the twins if they were girls (and this also applies to sejanus; he would be kinder to him, too).

if I'm not wrong, they met when he was 20, and I think she was 18 (she was finishing school, as she was actually able to finish it). okay, so, I'm not from the usa (cries in international system of units), so I searched up to turn cm into ft, hope it's right 😭 but I think strabo to be around 6'0" (1,83m) and vesta around 5'6" (1,68m); of course she's not that short, but I hc people in D2 to be usually tall, so comparing to the average D2 person, she's short lol (also, it's just so funny to me the hc that sejanus was a small kid in D2, and then he got to the capitol and comparing to the others he was the tallest on their class)

(your asks definitely aren't overwhelming my inbox!!! I get so happy receiving them actually :(((( no need to be sorry, I thank you)

I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS bc I was writing the way he thought and laughing at it because that man really thought a girl would travel from the other side of D2 just to poison him. alright, mate. sure. (I really think he's very alike coriolanus regarding this, thinking that everyone is against him or plotting against him 😭) if I have the silliest little opportunity, I will always include wlw in my works (let's go lesbians!!! let's go!!!), so I was giggling and kicking my feet when I got the opportunity to include her sister having a gf <3 I think most of her sisters were able to break the cycle and be happy, either by being alone, or dating better people, but... well... the cycle kept cycling regarding poor vesta.

nothing can actually make me think that it wasn't vesta who made the first move, I just know she was head over heels on the first minute 😭 strabo really pulling a coriolanus, like "omg I hate poor people" babe look in the mirror. because he isn't even rich atp, he's just slightly better than her financially.

her standards are really too low because she fell in love with a guy because he treated her well, oh boy, if only she knew he would ruin her life. and again strabo pulling a coriolanus (in the same way he spent half the book being like "I hate district ppl" just to then fall for a district girl 😭). I think they married around 23, so they spent like... around 3 years dating.

anon I'm so happy you enjoyed, and I have to thank YOU because your asks motivated me writing <33 and next chapter let's go with the daddy issues and plus more generational trauma and plus playing stupid games and winning stupid prizes

IT KINDA IS THE SAME MINDSET WITH SEJANUS, I imagine sejanus crying about having to go to shooting lessons and strabo being like "I did it when I was much younger than you". I think he goes with the kind of thought that's like "I'm not going to repeat the same mistakes, but I'll keep doing what I think that was right", but the point is: he did think his pa was right by being so stern to him, by treating him almost like a soldier. so, yeah. he DOES keep repeating the same mistakes, just in another form. KSKSKSKSKSKS the thought of one of the twins charging strabo the triple the price is just so funny oh my god 😭 they DO deserve some sort of revenge, but I think karma does enough for him. oh boy, imagine strabo seeing these kids running around during the rebellion, and being happy and so full of energy, and he looks at sejanus and he looks so sad, so lonely, and it's nobody's but strabo's fault. yeah. that's the problem with his karma, it affected much more ppl than just him :( NOBODY convinces me that someone didn't leak some of the votes of the first quarter quell. the pain, the betrayal, the destruction of the sense of community; of course that if your neighbour needs to protect their own kid by voting in yours, they WILL do it. and even if your kid doesn't get reaped... it's still so fucked up. I don't think I would be able to live in society anymore after that

the fact that he does have abilities with kids and is still able to fuck things up with sejanus is something else. OH MY GOD THIS IS HEARTBREAKING. he really never stood a chance, did he? 😭 not being able to bond with his maternal cousins bc of age, not being able to bond with his paternal cousins bc of his father's strained relationship with his uncles. KSKSKSKSKS strabo getting physical pain the first time he gets home to find sejanus playing with stuffed animals, and he asks what is sejanus doing, and sejanus goes like "I'm playing doctor pa :)", and strabo thinks it's just a phase. it isn't. and sejanus gets older, and strabo tries to coaxe him into another profession, ANY OTHER PROFESSION, REALLY, ANYTHING ELSE, teacher?? engineer?? lawyer?? baker?? veterinarian?? but nothing works and now he's sure this is destiny getting back at him 😭

anon, again thank you for sending me your thoughts, they make me very happy <33 take care!!