#sorry this is so goddamn long!

[svtskneecaps]

i also just want to point out the qsmp members' commitment to like never letting the inactive members die. like dantdm logged on twice and is canonically dead and everyone continues to blame mysterious happenstance on him. spreen is canonically dead and yet people are still like namedropping him even tho the house façade he built has been demolished and also probably consumed by a mountain. they meme on kameto who's barely been on except that time he was a fed spy that was iconic as hell. they just immortalize their members and they're always so happy to see old faces come back and it lowkey makes me emotional lmfaoo like missa barely logged on for a while but goddamn nobody forgot his name bc philza can't go one day without mentioning him and mariana barely logs on but every time fit saw the homeless mariana in roier's city no matter what he'd stop dead and tell it "come home" and when slime came back to the server for elections after having logged off for the last like two months everyone was still excited to meet him bc the others had kept his memories on the server fresh and alive, maxo died canonically in the nuke and pierre pasted his face all over the server, luzu vanished for months and we never forgot him either thanks to the computers and foolish's wack ass family tree. like when purgatory teams were chosen and team red constantly joked about how it would be so over for the other teams once germán logged on despite the fact that germán had only ever logged on ONCE, the way they cheered when they snatched rubius in the split of green despite the fact that rubius hadn't logged on more than twice since march. they just keep the names alive all the time and it's like

it just makes me really happy to see. like it makes me really happy. like the admin team and the members alike are like 'no way in HELL are we letting your memory go' like damn once ur on isla quesadilla you really are stuck as an islander forever :D

[woodchoc-magnum]

idk. i'm annoyed.

i realise i am a fandom old at this point

and i have seen some shit in this fandom; witnessed the discourse.

and i don't post meta or spec or much of that stuff; i usually put all my ideas into fics.

but guys seriously. seriously.

eddie's current arc is not about buck.

buck and eddie are not currently dating.

buck is eddie's best friend and vice versa.

eddie is not cheating on buck.

eddie is lying to buck by omission, yes, but that is not a friendship ending offence.

eddie is on the very cusp of cheating right now. he went on a date with another woman, yes. he has not kissed her or slept with her. we are at a tipping point. we do not know what is going to happen next.

he only went on a date with another woman because she reminded him of shannon, who he is not over, who he has spent seasons trying to replace.

the point of this show is that none of the characters are perfect - and especially not buck and eddie. they all make mistakes. they have all made mistakes and will continue to do so because in real life, people don't always make the right decisions 100% of the time.

this black-and-white, morally righteous way of thinking, like eddie is suddenly evil now because he's on the cusp of cheating; that it's going to end his friendship, that buck is going to be angry at him for lying - do you have friends in real life? like, i am genuinely asking.

because if my best friend suddenly started cheating on her husband, i wouldn't be mad at her - i would be worried. am i alone in this? like i would be genuinely concerned and trying to help figure out what's going on.

all the shit i'm seeing in the fandom today, all of the spec posts and commentary about the episode and what might potentially happen, just feels like, once again, an attempt to paint eddie as the villain in the story to prop up buck. let's make eddie so terrible that buck has to have custody of christopher, right?

clearly none of you understand how a will works. it's for after you're dead. not for when you're alive.

but the main issue is this - now that buck has tommy, the people who tolerated eddie can stop pretending to like him. there's another option for buck now, so you guys don't need eddie anymore. right? am i fucking right??

i love drama as much as the next person, but in what world would buck turn on eddie because of this? in what world would the 118 shun him? he is their friend! they love him! they care about him! they are a family!

my god, nobody shunned hen when she cheated on karen. nobody shuns bobby and he indirectly killed 140 people!

eddie is a good person who makes mistakes, just like every single other character on the show.

that is the fucking point.

and the way ryan was talking in the interviews - isolation could mean any number of things. we know eddie has a tendency to isolate himself when he's feeling stressed out - does anyone remember season 3? season 5? buck literally broke down his door!

i'm just fucking tired of this bullshit.

eddie's not a bad guy because of this. he has done shitty things, yes. they all have. that's the fucking point of the show, and if you can't understand that or appreciate adult story-telling, then fuck off and watch riverdale.

[bipanicoverthegravessiblings]

How about Ashley x Emo Fem Reader? Like gothic with uhh emotic? Or something like that. Like they meet when they been in high school. And they live in Y/N's house that she get from her parents when they passed

If you had any questions, ask me

Oooohhhh- okay okay!

Ashley Graves x Emo Fem!Reader

Social outcast, you generally considered yourself

Not just you, your peers as well had called you that- or…crude variations of it

Point is, no one in school really liked you

You’ve overheard their gossip- all the same shit really

“I bet she lights cats on fire!” “Look at her sleeves, I bet she cuts herself.” “She’s gonna blow up the school I swear”

They couldn’t even bother to be creative with their assumptions about you- a lot of the same depressed demon stuff

….and you are depressed- but that’s besides the point!

You never really connected with any of your peers..

…well- except one..

Lunchtime was quite possibly the worst part of your day. It was a war zone. In the classrooms you had teachers to lessen the blows your classmates would throw at you, both metaphorically and physically, here the only solace of a savior were the underpaid lunch ladies who were occupied handing out food to students.

You hugged the wall as you carefully watched your peers, they all seemed fairly occupied in their own conversations- not even noticing you. You liked it when they forgot your existence. Loneliness beat cruelty.

There was a table you always sat at, tucked into the corner of the lunchroom- and for good reasons. The surface was littered with graffiti of swears, slurs, those cool S’s, and various crude doodles left by your peers. Not only that, but the table was very wobbly, so badly you usually have to use two textbooks to prop it up. The bottom was covered in dried out, chewed gum- the entire thing was just a sitting “DO NOT COME HERE” sign.

And it was perfect!

No one ever sat there due to how shitty it was, you think the students and faculty didn’t even bother to go near it. They either think it’s cursed, or forgot about it. Or both. Maybe both. But today someone had actually got there before you did.

A disgruntled girl with messy black hair poked at the mystery meat on her lunch tray. Poked isn’t the right word- more like viciously stabbed it repeatedly. Her nose scrunched in frustration, likely not directed towards the so-called food, but it was the only thing she had to vent her frustrations on to. She hadn’t noticed you.

You stood there a little awkwardly, not wanting to startle her on accident, so instead you spoke up meekly.

“Uhm…hi.” You smiled a little, trying to harmless. She didn’t look like your average bullies, but you can never be too careful.

She looked up at you with her pink eyes- her gaze was sharp, and you instinctively tensed in preparation for some insult to be thrown. She gave you a once over before returning to her tray, “…hey.”

“Can I…sit here?” It was a dumb question. Technically this table had been your seat, and this girl just showed up out of nowhere- but, oh well.

She gave a frustrated sigh, “God- did Andy put you up to this?” She asked rather accusatory, pointing her fork at you.

You opened your mouth to reply before she interrupted you, “Look how many times do I have to tell you hussies, you’re just wasting your time! He’s not going to fuck you if you’re nice to me so just—“

“Who’s Andy?”

The question you asked sounded genuine….cause it was. Really, you had no idea who this ‘Andy’ guy was. The girl lowered her fork, eyeing you wearily before she decided that you weren’t lying. She turned her head and muttered,

“….you can sit.”

And so you did. The two of you ate in relative silence. Well- you ate. Your new lunch friend more-so stabbed at her food then ate it. You swallowed down the lump of unidentifiable cafeteria meat and gave her a friendly smile. The silence was deafening and you’d never had anyone to eat with so maybe…maybe this could be nice for a change..

“I’m Y/N.” You introduced yourself.

The girl glanced up at you before returning to her tray, “…Ashley..”

“I’ve never seen you at this table much.” your hands patted the surface nervously.

“Normally I sit with my brother and so-called friend,” her words dripped with malice, “But my stupid brother had to go study for some history test! And my ‘friend’ conveniently didn’t save me a seat…” she stuck her fork into the biggest chunk of her food and muttered, “Fucking bitch…”

“That’s a bit harsh..” you mumbled, causing Ashley to perk up and glare at you.

She practically climbed over the table and held her fork out towards you, making your hands instinctively raise in surrender, “She is a bitch! A doe-eyed hussie who thinks she’s soooooo innocent when she sucks just as much as everyone else!”

“I meant it was harsh that she wouldn’t let you sit with her,” your eyes were fixated on the fork, kind of worried Ashley would drive it into your neck, “I…should’ve been more specific. Sorry.”

Ashley’s pink eyes widened a little, she almost seemed- shocked someone took her side. Slowly, she clambered back to her seat and went quiet. You lowered your hands back into your lap and stared at her. Ashley pushed her tray and folded her arms overtop the table.

“….thanks.” She mumbled.

After that, you saw Ashley a lot more

It wasn’t every day, maybe once a week or two she would show up at your hidden table to eat

Slowly, she came out of that shell and actually initiated conversations

Well- conversations were a stretch. It was more like her venting about her frustrating day while you nodded along and ate.

Eventually, she liked you enough to stop you in the halls and walk with you

Usually her brother, Andrew you had come to learn his actual name, walked with her and she made a show to cling on to your arm

It never failed to make the heat rush to your face

Ashley was cute. Very cute. And had a general unhinged vibe that just made her all the more alluring

So it didn’t surprise you that you’d catch feelings for your new friend

No- what surprised you was when Ashley actually liked you back

You paused, silence hanging in the air as Ashley stared at you expectingly. Her foot tapped with impatience as she awaited what you were going to say.

“Well?”

You didn’t know what to say, the only time anyone has asked you out was as a prank. This was different. The question wasn’t coming from some bully barely able to keep their giggles in, this was coming from your friend. Someone you trusted. Someone who wouldn’t hurt you…..at least you think. She did threaten you with a fork.

Ashley’s growing impatience let you know just how slack jawed you were, “Look- if you’re going to be weird about this then just…forget I said anything.” She crossed her arms, turning away from you in a huff.

That was when you came out of your stupor, trying to salvage this, “No! No! It’s okay- really! I’m just….shocked that you asked me out.” You stammered with your explanation, “I didn’t even think you liked girls..”

“Me neither.” She mumbled, the faintest starts of a blush painting her cheeks. It was cute. She was cute.

Your face softened as you placed a hand on her shoulder, “….I’d love to.”

From there you two were dating

Had it only put more unwanted attention on you? Yes, but you wouldn’t have it any other way

You were happy, so fuck what those jerks had to say

Things were good, and after high school the both of you fucked off to another town

With Andrew in college, it’s not like Ashley wanted to stick around her shitty homelife

And you- honestly had no connections aside from your parents, and moving out was expected

So, it was you and Ashley. Outcast for outcast

[thisdorkyblogthing]

AU where Laufey gives birth to Loki very unexpectedly (he'd just manged to carry and birth one heir, and they both barely survived the process) and Loki's so small that he's struggling to live in Jotunheim's harsh climate. They keep him close to some old, rarely used furnaces/fireplaces to keep him warm, but he's still constantly shivering and crying and Laufey can't even hold him long enough to feed him.

So, just a few days after giving birth to Loki, Laufey shows up in Asgard alone and looking exhausted and rough, wanting to talk with Odin. Jotunheim and Asgard have been long time enemies, with war being a constant threat hanging over their collective heads, so Laufey showing up and basically begging Odin to take his baby and raise it is a bit of shock.

But maybe he's feeling a little soft because Frigga just gave birth to Thor (the same day Loki was born- what a coincidence!) and agrees to raise Loki to adulthood after quickly negotiating a very lopsided deal. (Because Odin's still gotta be a bit of jerk and take advantage of his enemy when he's desperate.) Laufey rushes back to Jotunheim and Odin informs Frigga she's gonna have an extra baby to take care of.

Needless to say, a lot of people - especially on Laufey's side- don't love this whole plan very much. They would very much rather have Loki just die on Jotunheim than have a prince raised in Asgard and let Odin get what he wants. Laufey knows this but just cannot give a single shit. He's lost so many babies and he cannot bear the thought of watching another one die right before his eyes. He's all on his own again when Odin + Frigga and a handful of some other Asgardians show up for the Loki hand off and get the deal started. Laufey is pretty fucking miserable about the whole situation but feels a little hope when he hands Loki to Frigga and she clearly falls in love with his tiny screaming infant right then and there. Still hurts when she has to instantly turn around and whisk him off to Asgard.

And Frigga was definitely pissed when Odin told her The Plan. She literally just gave birth, she's frazzled even with the help of like, 1000 maids and nurses. But Loki's so tiny and fragile and She Just Knows she has to keep this lil guy safe and loved. And after having him looked over and getting him warm and fed she plops him into the crib right next to Thor and Just Knows that these boys where meant to be together.

>>Fast forward>> and now The Time Has Come: Loki's almost an adult and he has to go back to Jotunheim.

Except there's one little tiny thing Odin's neglected to mention to anyone (not even Frigga) - once Loki goes to Jotunheim, he can't come back. No visits, no letters, no nothing. It was agreed that it would be essentially like the whole raising Loki on Asgard thing never happened at all. (Why? Because The Drama.)

Now Thor and Loki are incredibly close, they're brothers! They always assumed even after Loki had to go that they'd at least get to talk through letters and have the occasional visit. It would still suck, but they'd have something. So the news that their upcoming birthday would be the last day they'd share together. Ever. It's like a bomb being dropped on the dinner table.

(Frigga's not to pleased that Odin would have the Fucking Audacity to plop a baby in her lap to love and raise as her own then expect her to be fine when he ripped him out of her arms- like, yeah, she's had The Visions and knows her boys are gonna be together one way or another but it still doesn't make what Odin has done any better in her eyes. Especially having to console her shocked, heartbroken boys in the aftermath. Oh she is Pissed.)

(this is getting so long, damn!)

Loki had always felt very out of place in Asgard. People were generally polite and kind, but he never felt truly welcomed by anyone aside from Thor, Frigga, and the handful of the maids/guards/pages etc. that he was around the most. Odin certainly made him feel like a temporary intrusion upon his life. So he'd often dreamed about getting to go live on Jotunheim and be with his people- except when he gets there he feels just as out of place and maybe even a little more unwelcome then he had back on Asgard. A lot of Jotuns (especially the more powerful set) where still very unhappy with the deal Laufey made to save him and they would've really preferred that Loki had just died instead.

And the fact that he literally just doesn't fit in that well, size-wise. Despite having a wing of his own sized to fit him, everything else is huge, and despite being hearty enough to survive the climate now, it's still far too cold for him to really do much or anything. The only place he really has outside of the palace is a Little Asgard-esque town set up a bit away from the city, where Asgard set up one of their mining operations as part of Odin and Laufey's deal over Loki, and now where the more country/redneck-ish Asgardians and Jotuns come to live and work for weeks/months at a time. The people are vastly more friendly to him there, at least.

But, apart from that and Laufey desperately trying to catch up and get to know his long lost son, Loki spends most of his time being sad and alone in his bedroom, wishing he could see and talk to Thor again.

Meanwhile, Asgard has become one massive puddle.

The first week after Loki left Thor was just in shock. He kept walking to Loki's empty room and the library and all the little corners and quiet spots Loki used to hide out in. It didn't seem real that Loki was just gone, and that he was somehow supposed to just forget their entire childhood together. He couldn't fathom it.

And then, out of nowhere, The Anger comes. He creates a massive storm that he couldn't control even if he wanted to and it lasts for weeks. He barely sleeps or eats, never leaves his room. Odin manages to be smart enough for once to not bother him, but Frigga eventually risks venturing into his hurricane destroyed bedroom to prod him into committing a little treason for True Love and helpfully informs him about the bridge that they use to send the Asgardian miners to and from Jotunheim, and how crazy would it be if Thor dressed extra casual one day and happened to get a bit lost traversing the countryside and accidentally found his way on to that bridge and got sent over to Jotunheim? That would be so fucking weird, right???

(And what if Thor happened to get there right at the start of Jotunheim's summer when the sky becomes a big swirl of pink and purple and orange for that one month or so and it's conveniently the same time that Jotun's become fertile and they celebrate with a massive festival where they harvest one of their land's 2 or 3 flowers that they make into a tea and works as an aphrodisiac and that the Asgardians have figured out how to turn into a moonshine-esque liquor that is even more potent than the tea and Loki and Thor have no idea about any of this they just know that they've been apart for too long and that they need each other in every way imaginable and they need these clothes off RIGHT NOW.)

[eternalwritess]

I may know someone - Platonic!Alastor & tech demon!reader + Vox x tech demon!reader

Summary: Alastor decides that the best way to get you acquainted to being an overlord is for you to meet some. Safe to say it doesn't go over to smoothly. Especially since it's a meeting after all...

You've been waiting at the hotel practically all day for Alastor to drag his ass down and greet you with a eerily too wide of a grin on his face. The way it stretched made you shudder. You smiled back at him though and titled you head letting a small laugh lift through your lips.

"You've had company I'm guessing?" Alastor hums and looks at you and they way your shirt is wrinkled and the way your smile falls upon you.

"You have no idea," You muttered back over and he led you over to a few chairs on an empty bar. The cat wasn't here today you guessed blandly before looking over to Alastor.

"I'm sure I have one," Alastor hummed and leaned on his head looking over to you. "But please tell me, I would love to hear the details," He tapped his foot in excitement watching your eyes trace over him.

"Your ex came back," You said blatantly and watched the way his face wrinkled, you loved messing with him.

"My... ex?"

"Vox, ex-business partner," You explained. Alastors face unwrinkled and he tilted his head up and nodded. "He was pissed at me..." You looked at the table flicking some last bits of food that still lingered on the table.

Alastor paused for a moment before tilting his head, almost like a cat you note as he smiles at you. "Really? And why is that?"

You shrugged and leaned back in your chair ever so slightly, careful not to fall off. "Simple, he figured out who the hell was insane enough to fuck with his shit," you said and looked at him waiting for a response.

"Ah yes, I assumed that this would happen. So then my dear. Why are you here?"

He knows, he already knows, he just wants you to say it. You can't help but laugh a bit inside you know Alastor, you know how enlightened he's gonna be with himself once you tell him that you agree with his idea. that he was right. The words feel stuck in your throat being slowly inching out.

"You mentioned something about me... and the overlords," You say with a smile on your face. You don't want this. Really, but hell you need to stay safe if anything.

Alastor stands up rather suddenly and taps his cane on the ground with delight sticking out his hand for you to shake. Without hesitation you take it and smile back at him. "Well then my dear, dear y/n why didn't you say something earlier? Why I can get you started right now!" With a flick of his wrist you saw the reality around you morph with souls sprouting up from the ground surrounding you.

You laugh nervously and back up shaking your head. "I'm good maybe something more uh... subtle," You say watching as the owned souls surrounded you waiting for you to order them around and to tend to you.

"Why of course!" He flicks his wrist and the disappear your reality turning somewhat normal and then fully after a few hard blinks. "Well I'm sure the first thing that we would need to do is get you acquainted with them!" He clapped his hands and slung his hand around your shoulder walking you out of the hotel.

"Why I'm sure that Carmilla will be delighted to hear that we have a new overlord! After all that's more power to the masses," He laughed. You both stopped at what you assumed to be Carmilla's place. It seemed like an armory and the moment you got inside it looked like a ballet area. The high arches and the way the purple light bounced off the glass and onto your skin made you shudder ever so slightly.

"Carmilla! My old pal," Alastor laughed once you were both let into the building. You wanted to get out. You felt your skin crawl, you didn't belong in this fucking place. You needed out. Not that Alastor seemed to care for your anxiety though.

"Alastor," You heard the voice from above you and you stepped back turning around to look up at her. Her hair tied up and her clothes draped along her skin elegantly. You couldn't help but get the feeling that you were looking at a goddess after all this place sure fit those vibes.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" She asked jumping down, practically right in front of your face too. You stumbled back and Alastor placed his hand on your shoulder. You felt it tighten, maybe you shouldn't act so scared.

"Well Carmilla this is y/n I'm not sure that you've heard of them but-"

"I have," Her voice cuts him off from his rambling. Alastor may have charm but she has control. She has much more grace than anyone in this fucking room... was it too late to turn back?

Alastor pauses for a moment something so subtle you're surprised that you even noticed. "Well of course you have! They're quite the figure after all!" He leaned on you and you almost shrink under the weight.

It doesn't help that Carmilla seems like she's staring through to your soul. Trying to figure out who and what you are exactly.

"Vox was complaining about them," She says. "Says that you're annoying among some other things,"

"Why yes you know how he gets," Alastor interrupts before you can even get something as small as a squeak out of your mouth. You can't help but wonder if Carmilla hates you already with the way she talks about you.

"So y/n here is a new and up and coming overlord! So I was wondering if you would like to invite them to the next meeting of yours if possible?" He asked with a small tilt of his head he voice sounding like honey with the filter. You forget how charming he could be at times. He places a finger on his cheek as if he was truly wondering and not subtly demanding that you be invited to the next meeting.

Carmilla takes another look at you her eyes go from your feet all the way to your eyes to which you look at each other for a few seconds which feel like painful minutes. Her eyes are sharp and they stab into your own.

"Do you feel as if you belong among us?" She asked without hesitation. Her voice made you shudder.

You paused for a second and before you could open your mouth she answered for you. "Why do you hesitate? Surely Alastor would not be so weak as to demand someone who hesitates," she says looking down at you. God was she tall-

"Of course not ma'am," you mouth moved on its own as you slowly reminded yourself that even though she was an overlord, she was a sinner. Someone down here because of their own pleasures instead of others, someone like you.

"I was just thinking how to respond," you said quickly. "You see ,I own a section of hell that it similar to that of an overlords and my presence also affects said place. I'd say its rather similar in some regards. Besides a spot at the table is about controlling most of hell correct?"

You remember dealing with people like her when you first arrived in hell. It was horrible, your tongue moved faster than you could think. You were glad for it.

"And I only know Alastor here because of that fact," you said. You pause for a moment before bowing your head slightly in a small apology. "Sorry if I come off rude, I just don't want you to think so little of my friend here," you say and gesture of to Alastor.

Carmilla takes another glance at you and smiles. "Alright then, they have potential. You can claim a spot at our table if you wish as a sort of... test run if you will," she said. Her smile sent chills through your spin.

"Thank you,"

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙

You tap your hand on the side of your leg. All of the sudden you didn't know what you were doing here anymore. In this tall elevator with Rosie and Alastor by your side you suddenly felt smaller than usual. God was it horrible. There was this burning sensation in your throat that threatened to spill if you breathed in too deep.

"Oh don't be nervous sweetheart," Rosie smiled and placed her hand on your shoulder. Right. Don't be nervous.

You took in a deep breath despite your lungs screaming and put on a smile. This was gonna be fun for Alastor.

You were one of the first people there sitting right in between Alastor and Rosie. There was a new seat for you so there shouldn't be any trouble. You watched as a few more people came in. People who you only saw on the news. God this felt like a dream. You watched as everyone was here, except three people.

"Do you really think all of the V's are coming to this meeting Carmilla? We'd be lucky to just have one," Alastor commented and Carmilla glared back at him.

"They will come, I warned them, and I know that Vox knows better than to challenge me,"

Great. You're gonna have a great time.

They came in through the door an instantly you felt Vox's eyes drag to you. A million curses flew straight into your head at once. God were screwed to say the least and Alastor's smile grew wider. It seemed that Rosie didn't realize her friend's intentions or was too bust to even care as she smiled at Vox.

"Well ain't it lovely to see you three," she said with a smile spread across her lips. She tried to be friendly to everyone. You knew that much.

You heard Velvette groan and fling some insult at Alastor before sitting down in a chair. They were sat right across from you. Vox was sat right cross from you. You felt your heart beat faster with each passing second.

The only thing going through your mind was how fucked you would be after this meeting. Yet you managed to keep your calm appearance by not looking at him. It was quite the clever plan if anyone asked.

"Well then, lets get this meeting started-"

"You actually let them join?!" Vox shouted. You heard his voice shift for a brief moment, kinda like Alastor's.

You sighed, you'd have to look at him. You turned your gaze over to him with a blank expression on your face. "Do you have a problem with dear y/n?" Alastor began for you. Of course he would be the one to start shit.

"Uh, yeah! They fucked up my entire system," Vox stammered making an outward expression towards you. You watched the wires in the building as the energy flowed through them. This was either gonna be the longest meeting ever, or the shortest. Either way, it was gonna suck.

"I wouldn't have had to if you had just aired the commercial," You explained. "It was nothing personal really," you smiled at him innocently. You were hoping he'd drop it.

"What I chose to air is my own business so keep out of it-"

"Vox," Carmilla started looking at him. "If you cannot handle this then I'd suggest that you'd get a move on although this is an important meeting,"

"Yeah no shit! Y/n's here! Our new overlord is Alastor's new pal! That seems like a pretty big deal to me,"

Vox seemed like he was gonna say more but stopped. Carmilla's glance threw him off. You watched at Velvette snickered slightly at her co-workers antics. You couldn't help but at least smile wider than before. He looked as if he wanted to kill you. God was it amusing.

Valentino looked over to you with a death glare. "You know you've done something right if you get that one mad," Rosie whispered softly into your ear and you couldn't help but give her a small chuckle.

"Not a fan huh?" You asked softly. She shook her head.

"He's much too vulgar,"

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙

Alastor and Rosie didn't bother walking you back to your place to say the least. It was too far and they didn't wanna hang around before it was too dark out. Alastor had a whole hotel to deal with and Rosie had her shops to stock.

You didn't mind it at first though. That was until you heard the shuffling of a second pair of feet behind you.

You paused for a moment looking at the camera on the edge of the building quickly taking the electricity from it ready to use it as a weapon and snapping around. Within seconds you were slammed against the wall though by Vox. For someone with quite a small frame, you must admit that he's stronger than he looks.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" there was no hiding the change in his voice now. It sounded like something out of an old tv.

"Walking," you replied with a sick grin across your face. there was no way in hell you were letting that grin down.

"Fucking stop it already," he shouted and slammed you into the wall. "Do you think this is fucking funny?!"

You gave him a dead look letting your smile drop for a second. For a second he looked shocked. "Maybe," you grinned once more laughing a bit this time letting your hand touch his arm giving him one hell of a shock.

"Anyways, I do need to get back it's getting dark. I'd prefer if you'd leave me alone," you snapped at him. You hated using the power you got when you arrived. It took energy from other places making it your own, and god was it draining.

He glared at you. "Lemme get this clear because I don't think I did before... I don't like you y/n. I don't like you at all,"

Previous <---...part 4 coming soon...

Taglist: @animedancer14 @robiticsuccubus83 @fandom-queen37 @belletifeshyl @avadakadabra93 @randomuser-89 @belos-simp69 @callmechito @maliciousmace @montis-posts @yukimy @creampuff-bunny @blue-shark-named-blahaj @twismare @sirenetheblogger @hotvillianapologist @saturnhas82moons @heckincleo42

[hopstitchstell]

In the name of Hades we are eating g o o d

[toxooz]

been binging tf outa Avatar the last airbender bc ive been puking my EVERLOVIN guts out since yesterday and hear me out

[aukiq]

Deltarune Prediction: Possible upcoming members of the Fun Gang in future chapters

The files of deltarune have two specific naming schemes for dialogue portaits.

If the character is a member of the main cast (Which I'm defining as any major ally who visits a dark world), their dialogue portraits are labeled "spr_face_[character's first initial]". For example, all of Susie's dialogue portraits are labeled "spr_face_s", all of Noelle's are labeled "spr_face_n", and all of Ralsei's are labeled "spr_face_r".

The other characters who follow this pattern are Lancer, Berdly, and Toriel (Who will presumably be very important in chapter 3).

For other characters, full names tend to be used. Asgore's portraits are labeled "spr_face_asgore", Burgerpants' are "spr_face_burgerpants", Sans' are "spr_face_sans", etc.

It's worth mentioning that despite being very important to the story, characters like King and Queen who are primarily antagonists fall into this category. It's not necessarily an indicator of importance, but rather seems to be one of whether the character is a part of the Fun Gang (the group as a whole, not just the playable Fun Gang characters).

There are three characters who seem to break this scheme. Jockington interestingly doesn't fall into either category, having his portraits abbreviated as "spr_face_jock". He's the one character to have an only-partially abbreviated name. You could pass it off as Toby simply shortening a long name, but Burgerpants' name is even longer and that's written out in full. Whether this means he'll have a major role in future chapters is unclear.

More significantly, Catti (not Catty) has dialogue portaits labeled "spr_face_c". Other than Toriel, who will definitely have a big role in chapter 3, Catti is the ONLY up-until-now-side-character with just her first initial used in the portrait naming. This is pretty damning evidence that she'll be a main character in the future.

It's worth noting that in Susie's chapter 1 sprites her eyes are covered by her hair. Jockington's eyes are similarly covered by sunglasses, and while Catti's aren't hidden, she does have pretty intense eyeliner. It might not mean anything, but all of the major characters with the exception of Noelle seem to have a pretty consistent "eye" theme. (Even with Noelle, you could argue that her eyes going blank while she uses Snowgrave and the shadows cast over them after using it fits.)

The third character is honestly kind of a long shot, but it's important to point out. I'm sure most of you have seen this unused MS Paint Ralsei portrait:

What many of you might not know is that it actually isn't labeled like the other ralsei sprites. The filename is "spr_smallface_a2".

"a". not "r".

This goddamn image might be our first look at deltarune universe Asriel.

The fact that its "a2" implies that there were two other "smallface" Asriel portraits that were for whatever reason removed from the files.

Full Character Categorization

Current/Future Fun Gang Members (first initial used)

Susie (spr_face_s)

Ralsei (spr_face_r)

Lancer (spr_face_l)

Noelle (spr_face_n)

Berdly (spr_face_b)

Toriel (spr_face_t)

Catti (spr_face_c)

Asriel (spr_smallface_a)

Other Characters (first names)

Sans (spr_face_sans)

Asgore (spr_face_asgore)

Catty (spr_face_catty)

Bratty (spr_face_bratty)

Burgerpants (spr_face_burgerpants)

Rouxls Kaard (spr_face_rurus) - "rurus" is the Japanese translation of his first name.

Undyne (spr_face_undyne)

Rudy (spr_face_rudy_ch1) - Interestingly, Rudy is the only character who doesn't have non-ch1 sprites. Even Catti, who doesn't have any actual new sprites between chapter 1 and 2, has two duplicate sets of files (spr_face_c_ch1 and spr_face_c). It's almost definitely just a tiny little oversight, but I may as well mention it.

King (spr_face_king)

Queen (spr_face_queen)

Alphys (spr_alphysface) - weird break in naming pattern but still not abbreviated

Jockington

Jockington (spr_face_jock)

Final Comments

Please let me know if I missed anything. Also keep in mind this is all very much a theory, and kind of a questionable one at that. While I'm personally pretty convinced about Catti in particular, it's all kind of up in the air—I just noticed an interesting pattern and wanted to share it.

[adrinktostopyourthirst]

Bucky Barnes | Rebellion Series | Caution

Part one of the Rebellion Series

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Plot: By some miracle, you get saved from the consequences of your own actions. You’re reluctant to join a supposedly good cause. What happens when the good cause is not so legal? And what - or who - is your soft spot?

Warnings: Angst, fluff (?) and mentions of sex.

Words: 34OO

You have started shaking again. With every tremble of your body, the restraints around your legs and arms seem to tighten and you shudder even more at the awful memory of that feeling. It took weeks for the shaking to stop. Weeks of being locked up into this modern dungeon until you were nothing but silence and numbness.

You knew the rebellion could end in death, knew the consequences would be catastrophic, but at least you’d stood for something, fought for something. And you would choose death any day over the endless silence of this prison. You know for a fact that you’re surrounded by an ocean, but no matter how hard you listen, you cannot hear the wild sea crash. Can only hear the low hum of the air being circulated through your metal cell.

And today, approximately three months after the start of your sentence in the most secured prison on the planet, you have started shaking again. It can hardly be because today of all days, your brain has decided to make you go completely insane. That would be too random. Which means–

Your head snaps to the window, spotting the other cells. Empty. This floor is reserved just for you alone. Because apparently you’re too dangerous to interact with anyone. They even got machines bringing you your daily sustenance. An empty floor like every other day, yet something seems different. Something’s off.

A metal door flies through the middle of the circular space connecting all of the cells and you stiffen. You look at the ground again, keeping completely still. Maybe they don’t know that you’re here. Oh God, oh God, oh God. No, they can’t get to you. Not again.

The destruction clangs through your body and you tremble violently, curling up as much as you can and staring hard at the floor. The cold metal ground blurs with images of the rebellion. The things you gave up, the energy your summoned and wasted, the people you lost. The blood, and pain, and screams and– and– and…

“She’s in there. Grab her and then we get out of here.”

“Steve, I–”

“And hurry up, we don’t have much time!”

Two combat boots step into your vision and the stomps echo in your head, booming you back to reality. But not quite. Your eyes vibrate with fear and you swallow the nails in your throat. Then a pair of knees appear in front of you and a black gloved hand reaches forward. It hesitates, then retreats. As if choosing not to touch you. Wise choice.

“Hey.” The voice is low. And smooth as liquor.

But you don’t look up, focusing on trying not to tremble more and taking the firm contraptions wrapped around your shins and forearms as the protection they now are. Maybe this is another nightmare. It’s different from the ones you usually have, but black gloves… They had black gloves, too. And those firm boots. They may have kicked you in the stomach with those boots once. You don’t remember.

“I’m here to get you out,” the voice speaks again and you can only listen to the tone of voice, the way it sends a shockwave through your body and lessens the violent trembles. “Look up for me.”

You ignore him and focus on your breathing.

“Is she coming?” That first voice. Impatient. Panting.

The male before you turns to the centre of the floor and gives a frustrated sigh, “She’s pretty out of it.”

Before waiting for the other man to respond, he turns back to you and studies you. Even though you don’t see him, his stare burns right through the flimsy clothes they put on you. He lets out a soft sigh and flips out a knife from the holster at his waist, still kneeling before you. You stiffen, preparing yourself for the sting at your throat as they finally decide to get rid of you, but he tries his best not to touch any bare skin as he saws through the materials binding you together.

The relief of pressure from your skin make you feel so uneasy, you nearly throw up, but a gentle hand covers your arm and you finally look up. Warm, dark blue eyes connect with yours. Below heavy brows and above the faintest cluster of freckles. His mouth is soft and pillowy and his bone structure is otherworldly symmetrical.

“It’s okay,” he tells you gently and offers you a smile that you can tell doesn’t come to him naturally. “Can you walk?”

He pulls you to a stand with a firm, but comfortable grip and you instantly stumble on your feet at the weight suddenly put on them. One arm flies around your waist and hoists you into his side as he catches your fall.

“Okay, okay,” he grunts with a gentle laugh. “I got you. Let’s get the fuck out of here, alright?”

Your throat feels like sandpaper as you hobble along with the wall of a male dragging you along, “Who are you?”

He spares you a brief glance and smiles once more, following ‘Steve’ out of the building and onto an air craft that is way too loud. “Bucky. We’re here to help you. Or I suppose you’re here to help us, little rebel.”

…

Steve gives Bucky a knowing glare, only breaking it by daring a glance at your bedroom door which you have been effectively hiding behind for weeks now. “You know I can’t go in there, Bucky.”

“You know I won’t let you,” Bucky answers drily with a shrug. As opposed to his best friend, Bucky hasn’t stopped staring at your door.

“You’re not even hiding your possessiveness when it comes to her,” Steve breathes through a laugh. That makes Bucky finally look at his friend.

“I’m not possessive,” he says matter-of-factly. He’s not even offended, just practical. “I’m protective. The last thing she needs is all of the nosy people in this tower swirling around her when she doesn’t trust a single soul.”

“Has she started to trust you?”

Bucky has to keep from wincing at Steve’s question, and he clears his throat. “Sure,” he lies.

If Steve caught the lie, he didn’t let on. It was as much of a dismissal as he was going to get. After watching his best friend walk off to do captain things, Bucky braces himself to step into your room. He has no hope that his interaction with you will be any different than the previous ones.

“Another day of convincing me to be your weapon?” you nearly snarl when he walks into your room.

If Bucky is entirely honest, he thought you would have turned into this damaged girl that would morph into a wild animal as you worked through what had been done to you. He didn’t really expect this perseverance and defiance from the woman he saved from that prison. But he supposes he should have seen that question coming. It wasn’t his best work; starting that day he saved you with all of the things you could be doing for them. Why they had saved you. Simply for their own gain. Or that is how you understood it, at least…

He has never been good with words. That has always been Steve’s thing. Bucky was reliable physically and he paid attention. He never had to use many words to make his point. Yet you keep asking these questions – rhetorical, he thinks – and you keep giving him this penetrating stare until he answers. Which is a sure way to make him fuck up, because how do people do that? Bring sensible thoughts into words and make it make sense?

Especially when the woman asking said questions is so damned… pretty.

“It’s time for you to get out of this room,” he tells you plainly. It seems the tactic of ignoring your questions is effective. It only took him six days to figure that one out.

He strides over to cross the room, not sparing you another glance in your chair in the corner, and rips open the curtains. The cat-like hiss coming from you has Bucky nearly biting back a smile. He turns and watches you stand from your chair, stalking over to him with your chin high and a scowl on your face. He raises an eyebrow with amused intrigue.

“And what, exactly, will I be doing outside of my room?” you ask.

He dips down slightly, but you keep the proximity. “Whatever you want. I don’t care.”

“If you don’t care, why hunt me out of my room?”

He shrugs, “Captain’s orders.” He isn’t entirely lying.

“Why isn’t the captain telling me himself?”

Bucky smirks and leans even closer, making you feel his minty breath fan over your face. “Because I’m the only one who isn’t scared of you.”

You snort at that and roll your eyes before breaking away from him. “I’ll get dressed.”

Bucky tries his hardest not to look too stunned as you retreat into the bathroom. A deep sigh leaves his lips as he paces through your room in wait for you to get ready. It takes a whole lot of effort to muster a smirk when it comes to his interactions with you.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” he asks quietly.

Just as quietly, the house responds, “Yes, Sergeant Barnes?”

“Has she asked for anything from you? To contact friends or family, or other information?”

“No, she hasn’t.”

“Does she have anyone left?” he tries, chewing his lip as he dreads the answer.

“Not that we’re aware. Mr. Stark had me run a background check, but she seems alone. No sign of anyone missing or deceased. No sign of a network at all.”

Bucky doesn’t know why that feels worse in his chest and he swallows. “Alright, thank you.”

A few moments later, you step out of the shower and find Bucky lounging in the chair he found you in, leafing through one of your books. Just as you’re about to check whether he has gotten his hands on one of your smuttier books, your eyes snag on the clothes laid out for you on the bed.

You pause long enough to make Bucky look up from the book. “Did you… Did you seriously pick out this underwear for me?”

Bucky eyes the lace panties dangling from your fingers and shrugs with a smirk. A smirk had never looked so enticing, but you sharpen your stare on him. “Do you prefer the grey, cotton ones in the back of the closet?”

You grit your teeth and scowl at him again, before morphing your mouth into a vindictive smile. “Why? Don’t you?”

His eyes dance at that. “Wouldn’t make a difference to me.”

And it’s the way he said it, with so much casual amusement and… promise. Heat rises to your face and you duck your head down. Snatching the clothes from the bed, you retreat back into the bathroom to get dressed.

…

The rest of your conversations had been purely functional as Bucky lead you down into the building where Steve was waiting. Bucky rolled his eyes at his friend’s horrible attempt at hiding his surprise. Steve hadn’t seen you since the day they came to save you, he must have never expected Bucky to be successful in his retrieval.

Bucky also hadn’t missed the meaningful look Steve then gave him that indicated he tucked away some valuable information. The information being that if they ever needed to get you to do something, Bucky is the way to get you to do it. Why? Steve seemed to have his theories and Bucky didn’t like it one bit.

However, for now he doesn’t care. Instead, he sticks by you after you reluctantly agreed to join Steve on a walk.

Strolling down the path through the surrounding woods, Bucky catches himself bracing for a fight every time Steve gets a little too close to you. He doesn’t like it. The last time he was this sensitive to proximity, he had just ran from Hydra. He’s seen other traumatised people before, but this feels different. And instead of listening to your and Steve’s conversation, he tries to figure out what it is. He supposes it’s because you have no survival instinct. In the few videos he’s seen of your rebellion and the encounters he has had with you the past weeks, you see danger or conflict and run straight toward it. Nothing scared or cautious about you. It sets his nerves on edge.

Bucky is well aware of what Steve is telling you and he has to refrain from rolling his eyes at the careful way Steve tries to coax you into their plan, when earlier that week they had not been nearly as careful as they calculated how to get you involved. But even Bucky had to admit that they needed you – specifically, everyone who would follow you into the grave. When Stark had shown him the videos, he was perplexed as to how you got such a huge following when what you fought for was so terribly dangerous. But one look at those sharp eyes and one deep command from you, and Bucky had seen it. That unwavering will and that brilliant brain that was always calculating. Steve could learn a few tricks from you on being a strong leader. And considering Bucky wildly admires his old friend, that is saying something.

They need you. Bucky knows it, too. They need not just someone with great leadership skills and a loyal following, but someone that does it out of empathy for the people mistreated by the system. Because that is who they’re going to be fighting – the system.

Again.

…

“You haven’t said anything about what Steve told you,” Bucky says on your walk back to your room. The offer to escort you back to your room hadn’t been entirely selfless.

“I need to think about it,” you murmur, deep in thought.

Bucky suppresses his sigh of sympathy. They are asking you to join a cause you were so passionate about, and that after failing so miserably last time. He can barely imagine the things you must have witnessed and endured with your last upraise. How you had gotten so influential that the government decided to treat you like you were a super-human and punished you accordingly. You had been put in the same prison as Wanda. Wanda. That is how powerful you were.

“It can’t be easy to revisit everything after all that’s happened,” he resigns and you blink from your thoughts to raise your eyes to his face. You study him and it takes all of Bucky’s might not to shift under your assessing gaze.

Then you speak up, “I’ve always done the right thing. Steve knows I can’t walk away from it…”

Bucky smiles at that. “Just like him.”

Your eyes narrow at that comment, but Bucky finds no venom in the look. You continue, “Sacrificing my life for the cause was never an issue. But to lead others into that same fate again?” The guilt had eaten you alive. All those people that had gotten arrested, split up from loved ones, hurt– worse…

Bucky interrupts your thoughts before they get a hold on you by clearing his throat. “Tonight, we have dinner with everyone. You’re welcome to join if you’d like.” Your heavy stare on him makes him quickly add, “Don’t give me that look. There will be no talk of overthrowing the government. Just dress fancy.”

The snort of a laugh that comes from you feels lighter to Bucky than he’d like to admit. And to ease the tension, he forces another smirk to his face. You narrow your eyes again warily, “What.”

He shrugs, turning to leave you alone at your door. Then he winks. “Let me know if you need me to pick out some underwear for you.” And then he’s gone.

Bucky hangs onto that cockiness all the way until dinner, where the entire group has showed up. Even Thor said he’d show up for a drink. Barton flew in from his family home to join the group as well. He remembers a time when he’d felt more than uncomfortable around this group of people. But so much has changed. They all saw him as a great asset to the team and even relied on him more and more to supervise the missions. He’s at home with them now. Heart swelling with affection, he listens to his friends – his family – laugh in the kitchen while they pour the drinks.

And then all of their faces turn into one direction, some of them pulling taut, few of them giving warm, comforting smiles. Bucky follows their gaze and it is like someone punched him in the gut, air whooshing out of his body. He doesn’t really know why – other than the obvious fact that you look ravishing of course. But he looks at you and clears his throat to welcome you to the group.

Natasha beats him to it though and it has Bucky’s hackles rising. She shoots him a knowing smile and then he backs off. His pride wounded like a cat booped on the nose. Natasha is good at it, charming people until they feel comfortable. Or take their pants off. But there’s an easy smile on your face – one Bucky knows is at least slightly forced – and you blend in with the crowd easily.

Suddenly, Sam’s at his side. “I know what you’re thinking,” he grumbles with his eyes on you and Natasha, followed by a swig of his beer bottle. “Those two together can only mean trouble.”

Bucky can only grunt in agreement.

…

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Natasha drawls with a guilty smile.

Barton shakes his head. “The poor schmuck didn’t stand a chance. There is no way you could have taken him if you hadn’t slept with him the night before.”

Natasha shrugs. “Look, a girl has her needs. He met them and the next day he met his fate.”

“Really, Nat?” Steve nearly cringes and Bucky reins in his laugh. “The guy’s moral compass was straight from hell and you decided to sleep with him?”

Natasha barely manages to open her mouth before you decide to pitch in, raising a glass to her. “I get it. Terrible morals do add a little spice in the bedroom.”

Nat clinks her glass with yours and mutters a ‘she gets it’, but Bucky’s eyes are searing through your skin. He doesn’t know why he’s surprised at such outrageous claims coming out of your mouth. There is nothing innocent about you. Good, yes. Innocent? No. Yet perhaps it isn’t ‘surprise’ that is warming his body from the inside out.

Conversation flows easily between the Avengers and the food Tony had made easily beats the Brooklyn comfort food Bucky usually seeks out. Cheeks turn rosy from the drinks, voices get louder, lights get dimmer. Bucky has to really look to be sure what he’s seeing. You, relaxed and happy. Such a stark contrast to the woman he found in the prison. No wonder you’re so good with people. People make you good.

He can barely manage his smirk however, when he notices the strain in your body to keep from looking at him. Why you are so adamant to avoid him, he can’t really tell. But this is now your weak spot, so he cannot help but tuck the info away for later.

The night carries on and everyone switches places, catching up on endless memories and adventures and being surprisingly considerate to include you in most conversations. Bucky ends up at the head of the table, you on the seat closest to him, both listening to Sam. You listen closely and Bucky can only assume you have some relief from being actively distracted from him. And being the arrogant bastard he knows he can be, he ‘accidentally’ brushes a knuckle over the back of your hand that’s resting on the table. He watches you stiffen and swallow, but like a true rebel, you show no other sign that it affected you.

A few more stunts like that had Bucky pressing his knee to your thigh under the table and it takes everything not to pull away from it. So you gaslight yourself to let the touch ground you. To absorb his warmth and relax even more into the touch. And if you guess it correctly, the way you respond to Bucky’s touch is not what he expected… So you find yourself having the upper hand again.

And if you’re going to join these people in their cause, what’s a little game with your menace of a saviour?

[tyrianluda]

MerMay + Support Class

The trinity is finally complete! I can draw something else :D

Medic - Lamprey (weird ass fish species for a weird ass guy)

Sniper - Australian ghostshark / Callorhinchus milii

Spy - Octopus (uses camouflage when hunting and to avoid predators)

{ Offense } { Defense } {Support; Here}

Proships DNI

Reblogs > Likes

[klappert-art]

Pretty sure someone already did this but I shall do my part

[coconut530]

BITTERSWEET REUNIONS

[nguyenfinity]

[slams this on the table] HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY

Extra:

[shima-draws]

Been having a rough couple of days. Send me asks?

[obeetlebeetle]

when is honor not honorable? when it is prescribed by a system of nobility that perpetuates itself through the destruction of its subjects. 

rue watched hob sit there bleeding, arrows in his back, waiting until they nearly pierced his lung to remove them -- all for the honor of the goblin court. for the courts. for the system that stole rue as a child and twisted them into a pleasing shape, a desired doll. for the system that has used hob’s body on the field of battle and rue’s body in the field of politics to the benefit of the system, not the bodies being used.

rue spent every interaction with hob this episode saying, Are you okay? Are you hurt? Does anything about your life of service actually make you happy? Are you ever happy? Will you ever let yourself be happy? I hope you will. I hope you find happiness. I wish it was with me.

and then at the very end hob goes, I was miserable until you held me.

hes finally able to say it but the issue is, rue never needed to be told that hob loves them. they clocked it. they know he wants them. so finally learning how hob feels, that doesn’t change anything. what they were really saying is, Can you admit that service makes you unhappy? Are you capable of prioritizing desire? I am offering you devotion.

as long as hob pursues honor as prescribed by the court system, as long as he plays the political game, he can never love anyone. least of all rue; rue who has been so damaged by their obligation to the court of wonder for so long. rue who has chosen to use all their power to dissolve political bonds and facilitate emotional ones, at the hope of destabilizing the system. rue who has finally revealed themselves as both a monster and a dissident, prompted by their love for hob, in a show of force -- they are finally rebelling, openly, against the court and the system that tried to cannibalize them. and they’re watching as hob commits himself more deeply to the goblin court, putting his body in their hands for both battle and marriage.

rue tries tirelessly to get hob to answer this question. You are unhappy; what is it for? Tell me so I can understand. and hob’s response is, I choose to be unhappy because otherwise I would be wrong. 

his defense of the court system is that it tells him what to do. he believes himself to be so fundamentally incorrect that his wants, desires, and instincts cannot guide him -- the only way to be a good man is to serve something greater than himself. this belief, as we can see in his conversations with boil and blemish, has been reinforced through scorn and humiliation. 

hob says, I choose this unhappy life because it is right to serve. I know that it is right to serve because those in power tell me what is right. I know I am wrong because they tell me I am wrong.

upon learning that rue dissolved the marriage between apollo and grabalba, the thing that hurts him the most is the feeling of being used by rue. of being taken for a fool and manipulated in a political game, of falling in love with someone that doesn’t care about him. but even as this misinterpretation wounds him, he tries to defend his service to the goblin court.

and all rue ever wanted was to show him that his life of service is just a matter of being used, being taken, loving those who do not love you but only what you do for them. they wanted him to see that the pain he feels at the perception of  being manipulated by rue is a pain he has felt at the hands of the court system for far longer than they have known each other. 

hob’s real answer can be found in both what he has said and what he’s unwilling to say. For what? Nothing. Not even love. so rue offers hob what the court system has always denied him.

honor, service, obligation, duty -- everything hob has hinged his identity on and everything he ever believed to be good, to make him good -- are tools, not ideals. the court system designed fealty so that it would be easier to exploit people like hob and rue, people that feel like monsters, people who are empty and need to be filled. rue sees that hob believes himself to be a monster, and they aren’t asking him to change that. they know that monsters will always know themselves to be monsters. instead, they are trying to convince hob that being good is not what he thinks it is, when it’s being defined by the court system.

when is a monster not a monster? when you love it. when what is monstrous is worth loving. in their last attempt to wrest hob from the court system, rue tells him they love him, and in the same breath they tell him that love and honor are not the same. rue tells him that they are a monster. that in seeing him, they finally realized that being monstrous isn't being damaged; the damage comes from elsewhere. so they ask him to see them outside the moral structure that has been imposed on him and that he imposes on all others. they ask him to see the ways in which that structure and the system that created it have wounded them for being monstrous.

in doing so, hob would have to acknowledge his own wounds. he would have to acknowledge that he has been wounded for a very long time. that is what he has been resisting; if at any point he had acknowledged his wounds, he would have needed to care for them, and hob is not equipped to care for himself. care is not something afforded via lines of support in the court system; care was never part of the conversation. but when rue speaks of love, and divests it of honor, they offer, instead, care.

this is a love story.

[datura-tea]

that last video i reblogged was funny but it kinda grinds my gears that ulysses is even included when he is so interesting and complex and the in-universe relationship he has with the courier is so so so compelling and makes me crazy!!! why do people find it hard to justify being attracted to him and his character??? i personally want to gnaw on him. i rotate him in my mind daily. actually... everyone should get on my level and be at least a little in love with ulysses. right fucking now!! bangs gavel! it is law!!