#tHEM NOT VIEWING THEMSELVES AS HUMANS AND AFRAID TO LET THE OTHER KNOW

[lunaetis]

your  name: osamu dazai

your age:  22

your perfect date: a walk by the water at dusk and a nice dinner to follow.

make out in private or in public?:  both? both.

do you like to cuddle?: yes!

tell me something about you: i can play the piano and i like cats.

why do you want to be my valentine?: because you're cute and warm and sweet :3

(for eden)

VALENTINE'S APPLICATION. || no longer accepting

─「エデン」─  there was a unique way in how her AUREATE ORBS gazed at him. a depth that was difficult to explain, yet a distinct warmth wishing to envelop his very frame every time he was within her sight. amber hues mellowed tenderly at the words he had written. a walk at dusk by the water, that made her lips pull into a smile. warm and sweet, he said. the TRAILBLAZER felt a sharp pang wondering what he would think of her if he knew where that warmth came from. it's a destructive, burning force locked within her.

                " i'm more dog-coded than cat-coded. would that still be alright ? " a light, playful nudge came from her head to his shoulder, before leaning up to nuzzle a little closer to him. he said she was warm, yet, it was in his presence that she felt CALM and content. to her, he was the light that made her feel her own chaos being quiet by. ever since they met, she had that sense of protectiveness she couldn't explain. that no matter what, she wanted to PROTECT this one from everything. if the stellaron sought to hurt, then let it hurt anyone but him.

                " accepted, under one condition — would you play the piano for me ? "

▸▸ [ @starsburned ]

[kermdoeswriting]

Bruce Wayne's a Foster Parent. Also he avoids death a lot so a dead person can usually tell if a humans meant to have died but didn't.

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"Bruce you know I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't have to but-"

Bruce just sighed from his side of the phone, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Nobody ever really expects to get a phone call nearing 3 am but exceptions had to be made when you were a legal foster parent and also a part-time secret super hero. If it wasn't one thing calling for him it was the other.

On the other side of the phone, Bruce heard the caseworker, Roni, chuckle.

"It's just for 3 nights and half of the day after, but I need you to be prepared for something before I can pass them off to you."

Bruce sat upright now on his bed, attentively listening to her words. Usually the kids didn't really come with any pre-warnings from the Caseworker themselves, letting anything about each Foster kid be said inside of their personal files that got sent along with them.

But when she gave out this information it was usually important. The last time Bruce had gotten a warning like this it was for Jason which was ages ago it feels at this point.

"What is it?"

"The kids are-" Her voice trailed off, like as if she was still searching for the right words to say. "They've been through what I can honestly only describe as the equivalent to a meta-kid trafficking lab"

Bruce shifted as he heard the driving continue on the other side of the phone.

"They're very guarded because of what they went through and they might display.. unusual behavior. More unusual then a meta-kids behavior after such a situation would be, but don't let it fool you! The kids are really sweet beyond being afraid."

Bruce frowns at the descriptions before replying to her, mentally trying to prepare himself for the idea of these kids and what they might have went through.

"I'll make a note of it then. Thank you, Roni"

"No, thank you, Bruce. I really appreciate this last minute placement. We'll be by really soon"

He was left with a click as he removed himself off his bed and threw the covers to the side of him. Alfred would want to know that they would have 2 new guests in the manor, at the very least to greet them and have rooms prepared even if they didn't need to have them prepared further then what they already were.

It was less then 5 minutes later that Bruce found himself, with Alfred, greeting the temporary fosters at the front door. Roni looked tiredly at them as she pushed the kids front and center.

Bruce could relate heavily.

"Hello Danny, Ellie. It's nice to meet you both, I'm Bruce Wayne."

Danny just stared at the mans outstretched hand for a second before he turned to look up at him, a pinched look on his face. Ellie matched his expression, although being a bit more subtle about it as she looked over Bruce as a whole.

Eerily, Bruce felt like his very soul was being judge the longer the kids stared at him. He also felt a sense of familiarity with these two kids the longer this continued.

They seemed detached rather than afraid like their caseworker had explained earlier, more so viewing the world as if they were outside of it rather then in it in any way.

Danny was quick to glare at him after another moment, "You're a fruit-loop, aren't you?"

Ellie broke from her own scanning almost immediately when she heard Danny's comment, cackling beside him before shoving him off with her arm. The action made Bruce smile as he took his arm back and placed it by his side.

Alfred also looked amused between the pair of siblings before turning attention to the task at hand again. Bruce just smiled at his pseudo-fathers usual fondness over children, knowing he was being reminded of his own grandchildren.

"This is Alfred. He's going to be the one to show you over to your rooms for the next few nights." Alfred greeted the kids in the same polite way he usually greeted all guests before he leaned down and extended his hands towards their belongings. He didn't grab their belongings just remained leaning over them before questioning the kids if they would like help to take their stuff to their rooms.

Bruce only really saw it faintly and if it were any other moment he might have ignored it as a sleepless hallucination, but for some reason he noticed the change immediately. The twins eyes go from a darker blue to a flashing bright green.

As if alarmed by the sudden movement towards their belongings.

Danny was quick to catch his own staring as well, eyes flashing back to blue for only a second before reverting back to green. Almost as if to give off some kind of warning.

Ellie noticed his staring immediately and shoved Danny again, this time more forceful for his attention before turning to whisper something to him when she had him back.

Bruce felt his skin crawl before turning away to face their caseworker, not really understanding anything they were saying beyond hearing a few words and feeling their eyes look between each other and his back.

Death Touched was an especially new description, and one that stuck in his head the second he heard it.

Bruce waited until the kids were guided away by Alfred before talking to their caseworker officially and waking her up from her half delirious tired drop-off.

"Hey Roni? Is there any chance we can extend the Fenton kids stay?"

There was something going on here with these kids and he was going to get to the bottom of it. One way or another.

[quietplace26]

Part 2 of the Furina!MC in a SAGAU au idea!

Notes: I wrote this because I was super stressed at work. So, I MIGHT be continuing this... Also, the Creator will be known simply as C now, and I'm trying to keep them gender neutral.

Even after a few weeks, Furina!MC could immediately tell C was still confused by her.

She kinda figured that would happen, cause going by most SAGAU fics, C was most likely someone from the real world. Her old world.

Someone that knew the plot and characters of the game really well.

And Furina!MC was acting very out of character not even counting she was living out in the middle of nowhere.

So, after some thinking, she sat them down and told them the truth.

Cause trust goes both ways, yes?

"... You're not Furina?"

Furina!MC nods, handing C another cookie as they stared at her in shocked, slowly nibbling on the treat.

"Yep. Woke up in this body around 500 years ago."

Furina!MC smiles bitterly, looking away from her friend's eyes.

"It... it wasn't pleasant. Focalors wasn't exactly... kind, and it wasn't like I could tell anyone..."

"...What about Neuvillette-"

"No." Furina!MC cut them off. "No... I just- I couldn't do it. After seeing Focalors' sacrifice, he has positive view on her, adding on that he..."

Furina!MC lets out a shuddering breath. "He thinks I'm still the same spoiled, bratty Goddess he had to work with for 400 years..."

"When the prophecy was avoided, I got out of Fontaine as quick as posible. Not only to avoid all those painful memories... but also... because of our current situation..."

Furina!MC gestures vaguely to C, getting her point across when they nodded wearily.

The SAGAU situation. This all around cult mess.

"I had to act like I worshipped you, because I was too afraid to find out what would happen if I didn't... And when Neuvillette showed the same behavior as the others, I knew I could never say anything to him..."

"So... I... damn it, when I was free, I ran. I... I wasn't going to get involve with the fake Creator, the hunt, or you."

Furina!MC sniffed, bringing up her knees to bury her face into them, too scared to look at the C's face.

"I k-know I should've stuck around when the fake Creator showed up and said something, anything... But I'm just ONE person. I'm not even an Archon anymore, just a normal, weak human. No one would've listened...and I just wanted to be safe for once..."

A moment of silence, then Furina!MC feels her friend sit beside her and hugs her.

"...It's fine. I don't hold it against you."

"But-"

"500 years is a long time to be alone in a hell like this... I don't blame you for not saying anything or running away... Because, well, you still helped me, yeah?"

C cups her face, rubbing her tears away and they grin.

"We have each other now, and besides, us Earthlings need to stick together!"

Furina!MC giggles at their words, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Earthlings? Really?"

And just like that, laughter filled Furina!MC tiny cabin.

Eventually the 2 tuckered themselves out and curled up together on the couch, cuddling.

It was something C noticed the first time they hugged Furina!MC. Their friend was touched starved.

They themselves weren't any better with the months of being on the run, but Furina!MC's was on a whole another level.

Considering with the way she talked about her 500 years as Furina... She probably never once got a positive touch in all those years.

So, when C hugged her... She herself broke down crying and latched on with similar hysterics.

C frowns, gently brushing some Furina!MC's hair from her face.

Their friend deserved better. They deserved better. The Genshin characters they once loved... They took and took and took from them...

And it was all because of this 'Creator' mess, and the fact a false one sat on a throne that by all right theirs.

C's face darkens.

They were the chosen Creator of this SAGAU au, right? They had the golden blood, they could feel Teyvat's emotions and such.

It's what led them to Furina!MC after all.

The winds whispered for them to go towards this forest in Fontaine, the trees hummed around them, leading through a maze of greenery, and they come across a tiny cabin.

This. This was where they could be safe. The person inside that tiny cabin was safe.

They never told Furina!MC about any of this.

They thought it would creep her out, and they didn't want to scare away possible the only person that was not only kind but could understand them.

Furina!MC was someone precious. She's been through hell and back, and yet, no one bother to notice she was in pain.

Just like C themselves. The Genshin characters refused to see what was in front of their eyes because they were stuck deep in the ways.

Ways that to them, were right, and only right.

C knew this couldn't continue.

While they were perfectly fine with staying with Furina!MC in her tiny cabin, far away from the chaos.

C knew they couldn't.

They would take back their rightful place as CREATOR. They would kick that fake out. They would make sure the Genshin characters knew how much they fucked up.

But most of all?

They'll create a safe place for them... and Furina!MC.

[staylovesmiley]

Give Me Your TMI~ Chapter 3

˚⊹ᰔ Pairing; Yang Jeongin x Fem!reader, Stray kids x Fem!reader

₊˚⊹ᰔ ₊˚⊹ᰔ Summary; In a world where Humans and Hybrids should be living as equals, Hybrids are still viewed as being closer to their animalistic side than their humanistic. Deep in the woods lives a band of misfit hybrids who reject these societal views and keep to themselves, choosing to live away from humans. What happens when the youngest of this rogue group meets a lost Human girl, befriending her after an incident where he must rely on her for help?

₊˚⊹ᰔ ₊˚⊹ᰔ ₊˚⊹ᰔ Warnings; hybrid!au, female!reader, angst, mild violence, mentions of sexual harassment/assault and discrimination, she/her pronouns used for reader, this is very loosely based off the overall themes/tones of the manga and anime fruits basket~

Over the next couple of days you worked on getting your strength back, eating whatever it was Minho brought you as you slowly began moving from broth to stew and stew then paired with bread. You started walking around the room with one of the hybrids’ assistance, usually Jeongin as the fox had yet to leave your side unless he was ordered to by Minho.

Occasionally you could hear the others outside the small bedroom, Felix and Jisung having informed you that there were eight hybrids in total living in the cabin.

You had yet to meet them but you would always listen closely when you heard them outside, wondering if any of them would ever come to meet you. One night you had asked Minho about it after he brought you your dinner, frowning softly at the question of why they hadn’t come to see you as you ate your meal. Minho had answered with a sigh.

“Some of us aren’t very trusting of humans I’m afraid…honestly I’m shocked our Innie warmed up to you as easily as he did.” You raised an eyebrow at the mention of the fox who had been no less than ordered to go help one of the other hybrids, Hyunjin, with the laundry.

“How come? I mean he doesn’t seem to be afraid of me…” He gave you a smile that was all too cat-like as a soft purr rumbled in his chest. “I’ll let him tell you on his own, but our Ayen didn’t have the best upbringing and the humans he has met up to you were less than unkind. You just seem to be the exception, I guess.”

The conversation was left there, and it wasn’t until the third day since you had woken up that you got to meet another member of their family.

“Alright, not to say you smell or anything but I think it’s time you got a bath young lady.” Minho laughed, hands on his hips as he had just finished helping you walk around the room. You were fine now, able to fully walk on your own but they still insisted on holding onto you regardless. You appreciated their help but it was starting to feel like they were babying you a bit too much. “Uh, okay- that’s fine with me.” As you stood, the cat shook his head and called for Jeongin. “Innie, would you be a dear and help our pretty here with her bath?”

The youngest gawked a bit, looking between Minho and yourself before nodding eagerly and walking to where you were sat. “Guys, seriously isn’t this a bit excessive? I can bathe myself just fi-“ The fox hybrid scooped you up in his arms, carrying you bridal style and causing a blush to fan across your face from just how strong he was.

Minho smirked, eyeing the two of you for a minute before shrugging. “It’s just a precaution. You did almost die, ya know…best to air on the side of caution.”

With a sigh you allowed Jeongin to carry you out of the room and down the hall towards the bathroom. This was the first time since you had woken up that you left Jeongin’s room and you curiously looked around the space to take everything in just as you had when you first woke up in the small bedroom.

The house seemed oddly vacant, though assumed the other hybrids were away tending to their chores as Jeongin had explained to you one afternoon.

Minho and Felix took care of the cabin, any cleaning or cooking fell to them.

Hyunjin and Changbin kept up with the laundry and tended to their garden, harvesting and planting depending on the season.

Han was tasked with taking care of the chicken coop they had tucked at the back of the cabin as well as climbing high up in the trees to look out for any suspicious activity in the skies like planes or helicopters that could be getting too close and possibly spotting them living out on the mountain.

Chan, Seungmin, and himself were tasked with patrolling the surrounding forest in look out for anyone lurking around their territory. Anyone like yourself, he told you with a fond smile on his face.

Since you had come to stay with them Jeongin had been tasked with looking after you, with Minho’s instruction, and for the meantime Chan and Seungmin had divided their territory into halves instead of thirds to make up for the loss. You felt guilty taking him from such an important task even though Minho had teased that it was supposed to be a punishment to the fox for disobeying their leader’s orders.

Still, if you had taken better care of yourself then they wouldn’t have had to take you under their care in the first place.

You had no clue why Chan had let you stay, Jeongin having told you one night while you ran your fingers through his hair as the both of you drifted off to sleep, that their family head had the worst history of them all with humans. If he was so distrustful of your kind then why did he allow you to stay for this long, even if you were ill, you wondered.

From what you could see on your short trip from the youngest’s room to the bathroom you saw a glimpse of the kitchen, a small living area with well worn couches and arm chairs, and a few doors scattered about that could be other bedrooms as well as closets and such.

Before you could continue your exploration of everything within your line of vision Jeongin’s walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind you both with his foot before gently setting you down atop the closed toilet seat. “Just give me a few minutes to get the bath drawn, yeah?” He spoke softly, blushing a bit at the thought of seeing you bare once more.

On the night he had brought you to the cabin they had dressed you in some of his clothes after your temperature had finally warmed up, the youngest having insisted it be his own clothes even though something of Felix or Jisung’s probably would have been a better fit. The smell of you covered in his scent caused pride to swell in his chest and seeing the way they hung off your frame now made him feel a little dizzy and like his heart could beat out of his chest.

“Innie I could have done all this myself, you know- I don’t want to be a burden…” your voice got smaller towards the end, hesitant as if speaking those words would make it true. The fox loved how you had taken to calling him by the same nicknames as his Hyungs. It was one thing whenever they would call him something so endearing but to come from you was a whole new story. Blush crept up the back of his neck and painted his cheeks as he shook his head, keeping his gaze to where the warm water slowly filled the claw footed tub. “It’s fine, really. I um…I like taking care of you, if that’s okay? Since I don’t really have any other job now due to punishment it makes me feel helpful.” His words warmed your heart and caused you to see things in a different light, comforted knowing that even if the others didn’t agree at least your dear friend Mr.fox didn’t feel like you were becoming too much to handle.

Once the bath was drawn and Jeongin had poured in some of the epsom salts they kept under the sink he turned away as you stripped yourself down before lowering yourself into the water. You hissed lightly at the temperature as you had become so accustomed to bathing in the icy waters of the river by your camp. “Too hot?” The fox hybrid questioned, still keeping his back to you. “No, not at all. Feels really nice.” You hummed, submerged up to your collar bones in the water before pulling your knees up to your chest to give yourself some sort of privacy. “Y-You can turn around if you’d like?”

Jeongin slowly turned back to face you, struggling to keep his breathing even as he came to sat on the floor beside the tub and rest his chin on the edge. “You know I’ve never seen a girl before….human or hybrid. Not before that day at the river-“ you gasped, seem just then remembering how the fox had stared at you from the trees as you took your time drying off, not realizing that it wasn’t just a wild animal watching you. “Oh you pervy little fox!” You teased with a giggle, lightly flicking water at his face and causing him to laugh as he pulled away. “I-I didn’t mean to stare I was just- it was new okay? I was curious-“ the hybrid tried to defend himself though he could tell you weren’t actually upset with him over the encounter.

As you sat in the bath you allowed the hybrid to carefully wet your hair before gently massaging shampoo onto your scalp. You let out a soft groan at the feeling, eyes closed and head tilted back slightly as he worked the suds in thoroughly. You both feel into a peaceful silence as he rinsed your hair before repeating his actions once more.

You were relaxed, feeling safe in the young fox’s care when suddenly the door swung open causing both of you to jump and whip around to see who the intruder could be.

Your eyes met and you could feel the energy shift as your gaze locked with the beagle hybrid. His hair was a soft chocolate brown with floppy ears to match, his eyes soft though full of fear as he looked at you with his hands still clutching the door handle so tight that his knuckles turned white and his white tipped tail stilled behind him. His face and clothes were covered in dirt you assumed was from patrolling in the woods and it caused a soft smile to slip onto your lips. He looked so cute like that, boyish even, and it immediately endeared you to the hybrid.

Jeongin watched him carefully, hesitantly raising his hands up in a surrendering manner. “Seung-“ before he could say any more the beagle was gone, bolting from the doorway so fast he had left the door wide open.

You watched the space where he once was, face falling in disappointment as the fox quickly got up to shut the door and give the two of you privacy once more. When he returned to your side Jeongin saw as you stared down at the water with your knees clutched tight to your chest. “Don’t mind him, pretty. He’s a little, um…shy-“ He sat back down and rinsed your hair once more of the conditioner he had added before combing his fingers through it slowly to remove any tangles he had caused during his little scalp massage.

“Is he afraid of me?” Your voice was small, causing Jeongin’s heart to ache as he paused. “No no- it’s not that.” He tried to reassure you, though truth be told Seungmin most likely was on edge by your presence. “Some of us don’t really feel safe around humans just yet cause of what we’ve been through…Seungmin is one of them.”

You sat deep in thought for a moment, hesitating to ask the question burning in your mind but your curiosity got the better of you. “What- um…what happened, if it’s alright that I ask?” This wasn’t the first time you had heard one of them speak of the troubled past of their family and it only left you with more questions after the reaction Seungmin had to simply seeing you in their bath. Jeongin took a deep, shaky breath before rinsing his hands and sitting with his back to the bath, wet hands drying themselves on his shirt nervously. “I was raised in a hybrid center…more like a factory, really.” He paused once more, his knees coming up to his chest as you moved to press your front to the inside edge of the bath while resting your chin on your hands where they held onto the rim.

“We were taken from the breeders and raised completely separate from other classes and genders…some hybrids were treated better than others- more specifically prey hybrids or domestic breeds were handled more kindly than-“ “foxes?” You guessed as he let his sentence hang in the air for too long. “Right.”

You watched carefully as his ears flattened to his head, a tell you had learned meant he was upset. “You don’t have to tell me if it’s too hard to talk about, Innie…” Jeongin shook his head, jaw clenching. “No, I want you to know. I’ll be okay.” He took another deep breath before continuing. “They would call us names, beat us, tell us that we were too wild or aggressive when we were just playing around with each other.” There was a little whimper in his voice that caused your heart to sting and you instantly brought your hand to play with his hair. Calming at your touch, he pushed onwards. “We were beat and sometimes starved as punishment, or locked away in a small yard in the back with no shelter even if the sun was beating down, rain poured, even in the winter snow…”

A small silence one again fell between you as you gently pushed his hair back from his forehead and scratched lightly behind his ears causing the hybrid to whimper and whine softly, almost losing his place in the story with how nice it felt. “One day I was locked out there in the rain- it was so cold and I thought I was going to freeze to death. I had shifted into my fix form even though it was forbidden at the center- but my fur was the only thing I had to keep me warm. That’s when I notice the gap in the chain link fence…” swallowing deeply, Jeongin finished his story with a voice just above a whisper. “I slipped out knowing no one would be watching the cameras at feeding time, and I never looked back. It took me weeks before I found Chan and the others….I had been in my fox form for so long it took me four days before I finally could shift back.”

Your heart ached for him, planting a soft kiss at the top of his head. “Oh Innie- that’s awful…you didn’t deserve to be treated like that. How could anyone treat another living being so cruelly?” You huffed a bit in frustration, sitting back upright in the bath as the hybrid turned to face you. “That’s just my story….Seungmin had it even worse…Chan too.” You frowned, splashing him lightly with the now lukewarm water. “Hey, quit that. Don’t belittle your own traumas just because others may have had it worse.” He chuckled lightly, splashing you back. “I only meant that since they had it worse they are even less trusting of humans than me, silly.” You pouted a bit, realizing you had jumped to conclusions made embarrassment paint your cheeks pink. “Now hurry up and wash your body before the water gets too cold and we have to warm you up again.” The young fox teased as he handed you a bar of soap and a wash cloth.

After you finished with your bath Jeongin wrapped you in a clean towel and handed you a folded stack of clothes. “I’ll leave so you can get dressed, just come out to the kitchen when you’re done cause I think Minho-hyung said something about wanting to talk to you.” Your body froze hearing that the older wanted to talk with you, a little anxiety creeping inside you at the fear of what it could be about. “Oh um- okay..” Jeongin gave you a soft smile before leaving you alone to dress yourself.

You carefully unfolded the clothes to find yet another baggy long sleeve tshirt and a pair of dark pajama pants. You blushed lightly realizing you would have to go without undergarments but pulled the clothes on regardless.

Once dressed you padded your way out and into the main part of the cabin, back tracking to where you saw the kitchen when you were on your way to the bathroom with Jeongin earlier. Minho was in the kitchen as the fox had predicted, setting stuff from the fridge out on the counter when he looked up to meet your eyes with a smile. “Ah there’s our pretty all nice and clean. Come here would you?” His voice was cheery but you still kept your steps towards him hesitant. “I’m not gonna bite you, I’m not Chan.” He teased but the mention of the wolf hybrid caused you to tense more. After making your way fully into the kitchen and to the cat hybrid’s side you looked up at him nervously. Minho gave a soft smile and ran his hands up and down your arms in a comforting manor. “Calm down, pretty…I just wanted to tell you what your chores will be around here since you will be staying with us.”

Your brain seemed to malfunction at that, you must not have heard him right. “Staying? Wait- I…I get to stay?” Your eyes became glassy as you looked up at him hopefully. Ever since you had started to get better you worried when the day would come that they would send you back to the forest and your tiny little camp, wondering if they would even allow Jeongin to come and visit again since it seemed to be something worth punishing the boy over. “Yes, of course you get to stay. We aren’t gonna send you back out into the cold.” Oh, you thought. Right…winter was just around the corner. Even though some of them distrust humans they didn’t seem so cruel as to put you out in such terrible weather after saving you once already knowing you were not prepared for such. “So…I’ll have chores?” Your voice was quiet, eyes still looking into his own as you composed yourself and waited for his instructions.

Minho gave you a warm smile before moving back towards the ingredients laid out on the counter. “Mhm, everyone here has chores. You, my dear, will be helping me with the cooking from now on.” You beamed, nodding your head as you moved to face the counter. This was something you could do easily, so the fact that it had been chosen as your task for you seemed like fate. “I can do that! So, what do you need me to do?” The cat grinned at your enthusiasm, glad to see your spirits lifted as he pushed a cutting board and various vegetables towards you. “I need you to rinse these, peel the carrots and potatoes, and cut them up for me. We are having stew for dinner so make sure they are small enough to cook all the way through.”

With that you set to your task, carefully washing and peeling the vegetables before beginning to cut them. As you worked you began to hum to yourself under your breath, completely absorbed in your job as Minho glanced over at you from where he was preparing the meat. “You’re really good at that, you know. Have you done a lot of cooking before?” The praise took you off guard, but you smiled nonetheless. “Thank you. I actually learned from my mother.” Your hands stilled in their movements, knife poised with the tip down on the cutting board with the thicker part of the blade resting against the potato you were in the middle of cutting into smaller cubes. “She um…she said that no good wife should ever let her husband come home without a home cooked meal waiting for him.” Minho frowned, scoffing a little as he reached over you to snag a piece of carrot you had chopped before popping it into his mouth and biting down with an audible crunch. “Oh yeah? So does that make me a good wife?” He teased, giving you a smug smile as you laughed so hard you snorted a bit. “Perhaps you are, but who would be the husband?”

Before he could answer a voice called out from behind you as the front door swung open. “What’s this about a husband?” You turned around to see the two hybrids who had been working in the yard now standing with wide eyes as they realized it was more than just their beloved cook in the kitchen. “Ah! Hyunjin, Changbin- I don’t believe you’ve met our newest addition. This is our pretty~” Minho introduced you with a teasing glint in his eye as he turned back to the meat he was preparing to add to the brother simmering on the stove.

The two hybrids watched you cautiously, still frozen in place so you decided to speak up. “U-Um…hello! I’m y/n but uh- the others have just been calling me pretty?” A light blush painted your cheeks as you looked down at the counter shyly. “That makes sense…you are very pretty.” Hyunjin said softly, slowly walking up to you with Changbin following closely behind albeit a bit more timidly. “Are you feeling better?” His voice was so sweet it caused your heart to flutter as you gave him a smile. “Mhm much better now thanks to Dr. Minho.” You didn’t miss the opportunity to tease the cat, hearing him snicker behind you as he listened in while working.

Taking in the appearance of the two you noted the small white ears atop Hyunjin’s head and his long white and brown tail. Changbin had a pair of floppy black ears that looked incredibly soft though from where he was standing you couldn’t see the matching bunny tail behind him. “I’m glad. I know we didn’t come to see you but we were still worried- you looked really bad when Innie brought you here.” Changbin spoke, his voice low and you turned to give him a warm smile as you had Hyunjin. “Thank you for worrying about me. I’m sorry to intrude on your lives like this…but it’s very nice to have been able to meet such kind people.”

The hybrid pair gave each other a look before turning back to you with bright smiles. Instantly arms circled around your waist as the ferret hybrid laid his entire body against your back, his chest pressed firmly against you as his chin rested on the top of your head. “Whatever your cooking smells soooo good- will dinner be soon?” You were a bit shocked at first, stumbling a little to support his weight but the heat from his body felt nice. Minho scoffed, picking up an end from one of the carrots you had cut and chucking it at his head causing the ferret to whine dramatically. “Ya! If you keep asking then we’ll be serving ferret stew instead!” You heard laughter ringing out from the bunny hybrid to your left, Changbin’s hands resting over his stomach before he pointed at the other two hybrids. “Careful Jinnie- you know he’ll do it too! Remember the tissues?” Your eyes widened, completely lost at the inside joke as you looked between the cat and bunny. “M-Minho would…cook you?” There was a sad pout on your lips that caused Minho to coo at you and shake his head. “I’m only teasing, pretty. I’d never hurt my family. Just gotta show the young ones their place sometimes.” You relaxed, nodding shortly before returning to the task he had given you. It was only slightly more difficult with Hyunjin clinging to your back as he started to doze lightly.

After you finished cutting all the vegetables Minho swooped in to take them from you, nodding to the hybrid half asleep on you. “Can you take him over to the couch for me, pretty? I need you to clean up and help Felix set the table.” You nodded to him, tapping the hands that rested around your waist to get the ferrets attention. “Hm? I’m up- I’m awake.” Hyunjin stirred, bleary eyes blinking to look around the room. “Come on, Hyunjin. Let’s go get you comfy okay?” He nodded, following as you lead him into the living room and helped him lay down on the couch. You pulled the blanket from where it had been folded neatly over the back of the sofa and covered the hybrid in it, making sure he was snug before heading over to the large wooden dinner table where the younger cat hybrid was currently setting out the plates. “Hi Pretty! Could you maybe get the cutlery from the drawer over there? While you’re setting those out I’ll get the cups.” His smile was like pure sunshine causing your breath to hitch when it was directed towards you. “U-Uh okay, sure.” You made your way to where he had pointed, grabbing nine sets of silverware before heading over to place them at each seat.

As you were placing the last set down you heard the door swing open and shut but unlike the last time the person entering the home didn’t say a word. You turned to see who it could have been, expecting to see Jisung returning from his chores only to be met with a sight that sent a shiver down your spine. Walking casually from the front door was a rather large black wolf, easily twice maybe even three times as large as you. Your eyes were probably as wide as saucers as you couldn’t help but stare. You had never seen a creature so big up close like this and a tremor set into your hands as you followed his movements carefully. So this was the head of their family…Chan. His eyes were sharp, almost calculating and you felt in awe of just how…majestic he seemed, he was mesmerizing. When he noticed you staring, Chan began stalking towards you causing you to back up until your lower back hit the table. You were effectively trapped with the wolf merely a foot away. He sniffed at you for a moment before letting out a low rumbling sound that caused you to flinch. When he caught the movement his eyes softened, quickly darting away to the room at the farthest end of the house much like Seungmin had ran from you earlier. Your body still trembled with fear as Jeongin rushed to your side. “Hey, pretty what’s wrong?” He had come out of his room just in time to see Chan’s retreat to his room and when he had looked in the direction he was coming from he saw you shaking with your hands clutching onto the table cloth as if it was your lifeline. “I-I don’t know….I think I made him angry? I’m so-sorry-“ you stumbled over your words, still shaken up by the fear he sent washing over you with just a single interaction.

Back in his room the oldest shifted back into his human form before curling up on his bed, tears silently falling from his eyes as he couldn’t get the look of fear on your face and the way you flinched away from him out of his mind. Maybe he really was some monster to all humans, even the most gentle as he had come to learn you were. You embraced them all so warmly, the wolf having watched from the shadows as you cuddled up at night with their youngest, whispering stories to him as you both drifted off to sleep. Or how you marveled at Minhos care for you, always thanking him profusely for even the smallest things and relaxing enough around him to return his teasing on occasion. How you allowed Jisung to play with your hair as Felix sat in front of you as you braided his, not seeming to mind when the chipmunk only seemed to add tangled messes instead of intricate braids as you did for the cat in your lap. Even just before he had entered the home he saw the way you allowed Hyunjin, who you had only just met, rest himself on you so familiarly before tucking him in gently.

Why couldn’t you embrace him that way….why not him? He let himself cry for a moment longer before there was a knock on his door. “Hyung? It’s….Minho says dinner is done. Will you uh- go with me? I’m afraid to go alone.” He quickly wiped away his tears, rising to throw on some of the cleaner clothes from his hamper since he still needed to shower after dinner and didn’t want to bother with anything clean at the moment. “Sure thing, Minnie. You don’t have to be afraid, yeah? She’s- I wouldn’t have allowed her to stay if I thought she would hurt us.” He tried to assure Seungmin once he opened the door to greet him. The other canine seemed to have been crying himself, eyes puffy and tired as he held his gaze downward. “I know, I trust you I just-“ Chan shook his head, ruffling the younger hybrid’s hair before taking his hand and leading him out towards the dining table. “I understand, but things will be okay. I’ll protect you.” This seemed to calm Seungmin enough to follow him willingly, although still hesitant. Chan braced himself to see you again, pushing away his negative thoughts of self hatred and doubt to try and make it through dinner until he could turn in for the night and continue to avoid you while also watching from afar, longing for the gentleness that seemed to flow from you so freely.

author’s note; ooohh little lore drops and big lore drops! How we feeling after learning Innie’s backstory?? Anyone else need tissues? Or maybe to beat up the people who would do that to him?? I’m so curious what you guys might be thinking the others backstories are that makes them so afraid/distrusting of humans~ I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to reading all your comments and such hehe till next time! Also I am SO sorry if I forgot to tag someone who I already told could be on the taglist- I accidentally deleted a couple people when trying to copy and paste the list from my notes and I tried to go back and find all the accounts but I feel like I still missed some ໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১

taglist; (pink users I wasn’t able to tag) @coastinglove @estella-novella @chancloud8 @skzswife @motheraiya55 @zofia515 @skybluelixie @breadedloafs @inaribu00 @silly250 @royal-shinigami @thatgirlangelb @bby-boo4u @emmxxsworld @vampkittenb82 @h0rnyp0t @alisonyus @im-sinking-in-mud @ihrtlix @mrs-hwangh @danixiulin @wolfo2027 @kiaralynn3838 @ateez-atiny380 @daceyena @bookswillfindyouaway

[robin-evry]

I just finished rewatching ROR yesterday so I was wondering if I can l request Raun Mei (from HSR) reader being Poseidon's daughter. Also I love your writings.

AWWW thank you, I'm happy that you enjoy my writings 🤗🤗

𝐑𝐎𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐑𝐔𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐈!𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 🧬🌸

A member of the Genius Society and an expert in life sciences. She teamed up with Herta and others to develop the Simulated Universe.

Credit towards the artist

Like father and daughter, both of them are very detached with their emotion Poseidon sees emotions as imperfections meanwhile the reader is detached from emotions literally they are unable to understand emotions due to them never experiencing it.

Poseidon isn't a good father or a bad father he acknowledged the reader as his child but that's just his child so he rarely spends time with them, he has an entire kingdom to rule leading the reader to have a lot of freedom.

All he expected is a daughter that does not stain his reputation and causes problems for him to fix, the reader rarely or never ever has gotten in trouble they are always in line.

Compared towards their father, the reader is more elegant and kind for those around them as well as very curious amongst the world they viewed the world differently they more focus on their studies of life.

They love to experiment and create many sea creatures and they would release them in the wild and they will populate in the sea, Poseidon doesn't mind it because he saw this as his daughters way of contribution towards the sea by giving more beautiful sea creatures as well as corals.

They are very elegant, gods and more who fears Poseidon sees the reader as an easier version and instead of bowing fully if their father they would give a small bow towards the reader and the reader would acknowledge by nodding.

Many would view their detachment over emotions creepy and see them as a doll but towards Poseidon he finds their detachment over emotions pleasing meaning they don't need constant attention as well not having the weakness as the other gods who let their emotions taken over them.

Ares is afraid of them because even tho the reader is just standing there, their presence is very terrifying because they don't Function normally as well the reader would predict every move he makes with ease, he could feel as if they're looking straight at him.

Meanwhile, Hermes both of them would hold conversation over politics and the latest Valhalla topic, ares felt like he could never speak because how Advance the topic is. For Apollo both of them enjoy the arts and would also held conversation about it.

During when Zeus, Poseidon and hades held a meeting ruan mei!reader and the others would have a tea party with each other.

The reader shares the love of dessert, even tho Valhalla had the most delicious sweets they are still curious about other desserts made by humans, so they disguise themselves to eat in sweet shops

Hades and Zeus immediately about their detachment towards emotions compared towards their cousin ruan mei!The reader never ever cry before and when they questioned this towards Poseidon he felt indifferent saying that his daughter does not have the limitations of emotion compared towards the other weak species. Adamas got reminded of when they were younger towards ruan mei!reader acts similar towards how Poseidon would react as a kid and he despise it

Poseidon has never seen anyone as his equal but there's an exception towards ruan mei!yuu, Poseidon sees them as an extension of himself or basically a part of him so he technically will view them as an equal.

Not many know about ruan mei!reader experiment, by far the only person that is willing to participate in committing an expirement is Beelzebub and saw through their facade of elegance, ruan mei!reader is elegant but a person without warmth doesn't understand emotions, Poseidon usually doesn't bother them so he never investigates as well many of the staff were too afraid to tell him.

Many tried to have their hand in marriage but none were brave enough to challenge Poseidon, ruan mei!reader is like a pearl admired and elegant but only those who are worthy are able to see them.

[zane-master-of-ice]

COMING OUT...

posting this feels a bit scary, and i was not sure if i even wanted to post about this, but after much consideration, and some encouragement from my friends, i have decided to live my truth, and let the world know who i am.

i have seen several people on this website make these "coming out" posts to share deeply personal information about themselves, that they feel is important for people to know, so this feels like an appropriate way to reveal this to you all, so here it goes....

hello, my name is zane julien, and i am.... a robot.

i understand that this may be shocking to many of you (believe me, it was shocking to me as well!), and many of you may view me differently because of this, but i implore you all to please listen to my story...

for as long as i could remember, i have known that i was different from other people, and i never understood why. because of this i felt very lonely for a long time, and i spent a lot of time wondering what was wrong with me, but now i finally understand... thanks to my friend the falcon, my falcon!

when he lead me to the workshop in which we were both built, and revealed the truth to me, i will admit i was very scared, and i did not want to accept this about myself. i thought that something about me had changed, and i was no longer the zane i was before, the zane that my friends had grown to love and care for. i was afraid that they would not accept me for who i am, and part of me felt like i would deserve it.... i felt like i was no longer a person, deserving of the love and care that i was just getting used to receiving. i felt like everything had been taken from me. i was now just a machine.

but nothing changed...

my friends did not think of me any differently. it did not matter to them where i came from, or what i was made of. i was still just zane to them.

this confused me... how could they be so accepting of something so strange? why did they take the time to comfort me, a machine, and assure me that they still care for me, despite what i had just revealed to them?

did it really not matter if one was born of flesh and bone, or built with metal and wire? were my thoughts and feelings just as valid as those of a human? were they even real? at this point, i did not know...

that is until i discovered my memory switch, and i remembered...

him.

dr. julien... my father. he was an incredible inventor, and an even better father. i remember everything, i remember being a little (well, not so little) kid, i remember all the things that he taught me, and the way he cared for me, more than anyone else ever has. he built me with his own two hands, so he knew that i was a robot from the very beginning, but not once, not in all of the years that we spent together, did that ever matter to him. he loved me, more than anything in the world, just like any father would their son, and not once did it ever feel fake. so maybe my friends were right, maybe it didn't matter if i was a robot, or a human, i was still the same zane that i had always been, just with some new information about myself that i did not know before. i was still a person just like everybody else.

there is so much more i would like to say about my father, but i am getting teary-eyed, and this post is long enough as it is, so i will just say this... he was the greatest man i have ever known.

remembering him, and remembering my past gave me a lot of strength, and it helped me to accept myself for who i am, which was the key to unlocking my true potential, and finding peace within myself.

that is not to say that all of my feelings are positive, because they are not. i do still feel different from everybody else, which can feel very lonely and i think that is something that i will always struggle with. i am sad that it took me so long to learn this about myself, and i am scared of what other people may think when they find out. but i think that all of that is okay, important even. i think my ability to feel these things is what sets me apart from any other machine, i think it is what makes me a person, so i am going to allow myself to feel these feelings, and work through them in my own time.

i am proud of who i am... and i hope that you can all be proud of me too.

and i know that this is all very strange, but i hope that you can find it within yourselves to accept me as i am. i promise you that i am still the same zane that you all know and love... just with a few more gears.

thank you all for listening.

🤍 -zane

[beenbaanbuun]

ateez as sharks pt.2

too many sharks to choose from, to few members to assign them to. oh well! guess it just means i get to make a part two 👀

park seonghwa - epaulette shark

epaulette sharks are STUNNING!!! they are the epitome of sleek and genderless in shark form and i know seonghwa would adore them

epaulette sharks are incredibly unique (they can walk on land!!) and use that to their survival advantage. obviously seonghwa doesn’t use his beautiful uniqueness for survival, but it makes him stand out so beautifully just like the epaulette shark

kim hongjoong - portjackson shark

another cunty little shark for our cunty little guy. these guys are so gorgeous and cool and honestly remind me of hongjoong more than i care to admit

they’re known for being rather small, most of them not even growing to be one metre, and while they’re not particularly ferocious, they do have a generous spine protruding from their secondary dorsal fin. it’s like how hongjoong doesn’t look necessarily intimidating at first glance, but get him on stage and holy moly…

jeong yunho - bonnethead shark

i cant stop assigning silly looking sharks to jeong yunho and i will NOT apologise for that!! mr silly himself deserves to be represented by an animal just as silly as he is!!

they’re known to be pretty social sharks, often swimming in groups rather than by themselves. they’re not selfish or individualistic like a lot of other shark species and i think that represents yunho perfectly. he loves his team to death and you can clearly see that

kang yeosang - leopard shark

another cute little guy that i think represents yeosang so perfectly. whilst not as silly looking or as colourful as zebra sharks, they’re still sweet little guys with not a single bad bone in their body (well… cartilage i suppose)

they’re actually seen to display little to no fear of humans and are often viewed as being docile in nature. this doesn’t apply to their prey though since they’re pretty good hunters! it just reminds me of how yeosang is also seen as being ‘docile’ but behind it all there is an amazingly talented performer who isn’t afraid to be a little aggressive on stage when he needs to be

choi san - basking shark

now personally i hate basking sharks (which does NOT reflect on my views of choi san, i love that man so much!!) but i do have to say they’re the perfect choice for san…

they’re another species of shark that are viewed as being ‘gentle giants’, growing up to 8 metres in length yet only being filter feeders. i personally am afraid of them because of how scary they look despite just being big slow guys living their life peacefully; a sentiment i see reflected with san a lot (despite the fact that i don’t know how anyone can be scared of that big ball of fluff)

song mingi - hammerhead shark

listen guys, in the same way that saw sharks are just silly little men that are absolutely adorable, hammerhead sharks are also just fucked up little guys that most people agree are very sweet

these guys are literally physically incapable of hurting people, partly because of their sweet nature but also partly because of their tiny mouths. now i’m not saying mingi has a small mouth because that would be a lie, but i am saying that i don’t think that man could every intentionally hurt someone without feeling terrible for 4-5 business days

jung wooyoung - lemon shark

THIS IS THE COMPARISON IM MOST ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT GUYS!!! lemon sharks are so sweet and also very pretty (just like wooyoung)

due to their large brains, lemon sharks are incredibly social animals and often crave the attention of divers, swimming up to them and letting the divers touch and interact with them. they’re also known to express negative emotions (similar to jealousy) when divers are giving other sharks more attention. i just think with how sociable and sweet wooyoung is, this is the perfect shark

choi jongho - blue shark

am i sorry for continuing to give jongho the sharks that look like they’ve never had a thought in their life? absolutely not! he has those big beautiful boba eyes, he has to face the consequences

these little guys are incredibly versatile. they’ll live almost anywhere in temperate or tropical water, they’ll eat pretty much anything (even krill, despite them not being filter feeders), and whilst not necessarily being dangerous to people, have been known to take a nibble every now and then. maybe it’s just me but whenever i think versatile i think of jongho, and this shark looking a little silly just makes it even better

[heyhoneyfox]

Okay so. I just ended a nearly 2 year long relationship. It was not healthy when it ended, despite the love and the memories we shared.

We were both abused in the past and terrified of becoming abusive because of it. Even though we actively tried to resist our tendencies, we still ended up hurting each other. I knew it had to end it, since it was destroying us both, but it still hurt so much.

Then I got shit faced drunk and watched Kpop Demon Hunters.

Needless to say it was. A lot.

I know the theme is probably not intended to be abuse.

But man. "The patterns" as a metaphor for the damage that has shaped us into demons. The way that Rumi wanted to save Jinu. The way that he saw her patterns and tried to help her cover them up rather than ridiculing her like a human might. The way that Gwi-Ma tried to depict himself as a savior, only to harm and abuse until the people who dedicated themselves to him became just like him.

And then there's the contrast between Jinu and Rumi. She's so desperate to hide what she is, he's given up on trying to hide it despite his shame for it. She covers her patterns with clothes, he covers his with illusions. She was born with demon blood in her, he only ended up a demon because of his circumstances.

And the fact that the demons are depicted as more than just ruthless killers. You think that they want to be this way, bound to their abuser no matter how far they may be from him, doing his bidding whether they realise it or not? They're not heartless, their hearts are aching harder than ever, but the last time they let someone see that, the aftermath turned them into the monsters that they are. So they put up walls, they fight, they kill, all for the sake of protecting themselves from harm. They don't want to be like this, but what choice do they have?

And we saw this in Jinu and Rumi. Rumi lashing out and immediately being horrified at how the red emanated from her like a disease. Jinu telling her the truth about his past in anger as his guilt ate him alive. If only he was like her, loved and supported, born into this life rather than choosing it. If only she was like him, uncaring of how people viewed her, confident and able despite the curse that burdened him.

And the memories. Gods, the memories.

Jinu chose this path without knowing the harm it would do, feeling that he was in paradise for the first little while as his soul was being bound to a monster. And he didn't even realise how horrible things really were until there was an irreparable rift between him and his family made by the man who had promised to save him. And those are the memories that hurt the most, despite everything else that happened; the memories of his mother and sister being dragged away, the knowledge that he had done that to them.

Then there's Rumi, who was always burdened by the memory of how often she was told as a child that she could never show others these patterns, and how those words stuck with her for years. Maybe she didn't blame herself, but she was still horrified at the patterns that slowly consumed her, still terrified of how bad they would get if she didn't fix them. She was so desperate to get rid of them, because maybe then, she could lead a normal life. Maybe, if she just buried those memories, those patterns, she would be properly loved and everything would be okay.

But in the end, the patterns don't disappear, they just turn lighter, softer. Despite the fact that she couldn't get rid of them like she wanted to, she dresses as though they're not even there, because she's no longer scared of the control they once had over her, and she's no longer ashamed of the patterns that she has no control over.

And even though Jinu doesn't make it in the end, he's free, and as he dies, we see that he isn't afraid. He got to remember what it was like to be loved, to forget about the voices that plagued him, and best of all, he got to stand up to his abuser. She couldn't save him, but he doesn't mind. How could he, when he got to meet her?

Idk man. I'm emotional over this. I just think that everyone who relates to Jinu and/or Rumi should get a big hug right now.

[bluemoonscape]

Ivan & Till: When One Character's Inferiority Complex Meets Another's Superiority Complex

Heavily based on this post by @pwippy

To outline what's already been said in this post about Till's apparent tendency to view himself as "superior" to his peers: There's often a mindset that those who lack companionship will adopt to protect themselves from the idea that can come with loneliness that there's something wrong with them. This idea is best summed up as "I'm alone because I'm different. I'm better than them."

Till seems to have adopted this mindset. We know based on the ALNST comics with the Ivan and Till "Cheer up!" scene that Till is lonely. He has no friends. And when Ivan bluntly points this out to Till, Till lashes out hard, hitting Ivan and knocking him to the ground before storming away. Ivan's observation got to him. It did what Ivan is always trying to do; it got a rise out of him.

To protect himself from fear (the fear that he only made it through Urak's experiments by chance, by sheer luck and not because he's better) and rejection (rejection from his peers, from Mizi, even an entire audience) Till has to convince himself in his head that there's a reason for all this. He's better off alone. He doesn't need anyone. Even Mizi, who he adores and admires, is kept at a distance. Till is never once upfront about his feelings. He can't take that sort of rejection, ESPECIALLY not from Mizi. He eliminates the chance of rejection altogether by simply watching her from afar rather than approaching her and really trying to be her friend.

(Look at his cute little face I'm going to cry)

Even a crowd Till acts like he doesn't care about? Like he doesn't care what they think, like he's beyond caring? In Round 2, he didn't even give them a chance to reject him. He made sure they couldn't. He didn't even let his opponent sing.

Ivan, on the other hand, doesn't seem all that concerned about rejection. Unlike Till's fear with Mizi, Ivan is all over Till and isn't deterred when Till reacts to his teasing with irritation. This doesn't mean Ivan isn't hurt by Till's rejections, specifically Till's last-minute decision not to run away with him, but this does mean Ivan is okay with being hurt again, and again, and again as long as he gets to be around Till.

Ivan's complete lack of care about his own mental state is the result of an inferiority complex. Ivan has absolutely no regard for his own wellbeing. He only cares about Till yet doesn't truly believe he's worthy of Till. I always find it interesting (and refreshing) that Ivan isn't jealous of Till's crush for capturing his attention. In fact, Ivan doesn't ever show signs of resenting Mizi at all. He treats her kindly and doesn't fixate on her in an unhealthy, envious way. They're friends despite the object of Ivan's affection being captivated by Mizi. While I love their dynamic and find it nice that Ivan isn't jealous of Mizi, jealousy is a natural human emotion, and Ivan's lack of it really tells me how little he thinks of himself. Why would he be jealous if he doesn't have a chance with Till in the first place? He'll content himself with existing in his orbit, thinking even this little piece of his attention is more than he deserves.

Like Till, Ivan doesn't open himself up to the chance of connection with other children at Anakt Garden, although their reasons seem inherently different. While Till fears rejection, Ivan doesn't seem to even see a point. Till asks himself "What's the point?" in an attempt to convince himself he doesn't need friends, though he doesn't believe it. Ivan asks himself the same question and genuinely doesn't know the answer. No, Ivan is not invincible to being hurt or rejected. Maybe he's past fearing any such thing at a certain point because nobody knows who he really is anyway, not even Ivan himself. How can he be afraid of someone hurting him if they can't touch him? The one time he expresses himself genuinely with Till, he knows that he won't have to deal with the consequences. He won't have to deal with the hurt that comes with being open again.

Having such radically different views of themselves, their relationships with others, and the world around them, it's no wonder Till and Ivan lack communication and understanding. As individuals, they have deeply complex psyches; Till keeps pushing people away, and Ivan keeps letting himself be pushed and then coming back around even though he already knows the result. He just doesn't see worth in anything in his life that isn't Till and this cycle. They both long for connection but don't know how to reach it. For them to come to an understanding, Ivan has to recognize his own worth (something Till uses as a defense mechanism) and Till has to open himself up to hurt (something Ivan does to an unhealthy degree).

They're identically opposite.

[lxmelle]

Sukuna’s Choice.

I was truly struck by his stubborn resolve. He really stuck to his guns.

He was adamant he did not and could not live another way - as if anything different than what he had achieved would make him “weak”… maybe he did not know how to, or he had just decided so.

We see that he hated the idea that he was given compassion by Yuji - seeing it as pity from him.

Yuji saw him for what he was - as someone who had opportunity after opportunity to find deeper meaning but cast it away; as someone, who was desperate enough to turn himself into objects - for no other purpose than to prolong a hedonistic existence that sought momentary self-satisfaction for himself, alone.

He saw him as a curse to be given a chance… that maybe nobody ever had before - a chance without any conditions aside from being willing to accept his offer.

And it was pity in the end for Sukuna for rejecting salvation and anything to do with humanity. Even when he was shown so much. Given chances to experience it through the eyes of both Megumi and Yuji.

At the point of death, when given the choice to live with Yuji after his defeat, he preferred to die.

This was aligned with his unchanged view that: loss was no different to death. This was in his conversation with Yorozu.

His resilience only went as far as jujutsu. If he wasn’t the strongest, there was no reason for his life or existence. He boxed himself in. As if fearing what he might discover about his worth & identity beyond the Title.

Some people on X expressed their desire to understand him, asking aloud, was he afraid of death?

I honestly don’t know. My instincts doubt it was fear, but maybe there was a subconscious fear of vulnerability that comes with connection, so I think he didn’t see the value in loving or being loved. As if he accepted that he was just alone in this dog-eat-dog world. Disregarded value in connecting with anyone in any other way aside from jujutsu.

Like those who accepted the “monster” in them, none of them thought anyone will care about their bodies after death (think: Geto who didn’t think his family could care “run away if the mission fails”, Gojo who said who cares about one’s corpse, yet said “I want to mourn Suguru’s body”, Toji who wilfully forgets his children but tells Gojo about Megumi in his dying breath: “do what you want” and kill’s himself when his body information is resurrected, and Yuta who didn’t want Gojo to alone be the monster and volunteers himself: “I’ll do it!” singularly ignoring his friends’ concern for him) — Sukuna didn’t think anyone would mourn him. He left no afterthought for Uraume. Who killed themselves after he died. He didn’t want to care. He was prepared to let Yorozu have all of him if he lost which he equated to death.

Because if you consider (and accept) yourself as important to others, you realise your worth and value too. You may want to live again. Recreate purpose. Find new meaning. New beginnings. Like Megumi did...

Sukuna did not (could not?) even want to entertain the idea of living another way. He’d rather die than open his heart to humanity or compassion.

Funnily enough he was strangely “kind” in his own way. He was so objective in his monstrosity that he saw no nuance. He praised others based on jujutsu alone and how they entertained him. He had the capacity to be “human” but complete rejected it. Rejected any outer purpose...

He did not want to have any reason to live if it wasn’t to prove his strength. He did not want to compromise his own version of personal integrity. Instead of enjoying the taste and texture of human life through emotions and relationships - he ate people and enjoyed that! The absolute monster he chose to become in wielding his strength.

We saw Gege write about so many others, not only limited to the main characters… others like Kamo, Maki, Kusakabe, Higuruma, Choso, Yuta, etc. about meaning, purpose, humanity, sacrifice, & love. How they all tie together. How we change as we let others touch our hearts. How being vulnerable truly connects us.

I’ve written before about how it wasn’t for Gojo to teach Sukuna about love, although he played a big part in what was overall conveyed to him… Love that existed between everyone who identified as human, who fought for their own and collective reasons, against Sukuna. We got to bear witness - see and experience - the myriad of thoughts, emotions and reasons behind so many of their unique stories... it sang about meaning and purpose in sacrifice as well as determination.

What an ode to humanity in the face of a desperate situation.

Because if we think about it, the opposite of antidote of Monstrosity is Humanity. Being willing to love another besides yourself = accepting/wanting belonging, embracing the responsibility of being accountable to someone out of/for their love… all these include a willingness to be vulnerable.

Something Sukuna would never accept.

Sukuna was afraid to be vulnerable. If it wasn’t fear, then he actively rejected it. I suspect it was because he saw it as being weak.

Maybe he never knew love; but through what he lived & learned back in the Heian times up until now, saw its power to transform even a monster who aspired to be like him, so he deemed it worthless. Him and Uraume talked about humanity being the thing that prevented them from reaching their potential, after all.

Why should he change if he was already so strong? What was the purpose of connecting to any other being when he was at the top of the food chain? There was no need to give himself a “weakness” through caring for another.

His survival was the singular proof of his perceived worth.

And that seems like what he clung onto. Instead, he ate the actual humans as if they were flavours, because that was the ultimate rejection of humanity - to consume people as if they were food. To toy with them as if they were passing dishes until the next meal came along.

That’s just my interpretation... My understanding is that he chose death rather than accept the vulnerability that comes with love. Not for Uraume or from Yuji. His heart was solidly, fearfully, shut.

He only recognised skill & praised others for it. His chosen singular flavour.

Many of us thought there could be redemption for Sukuna. I guess it remains to be seen if Sukuna did actually choose to evaporate & die, but assuming he did opt to die, he really didn’t want to face another alternative. Choosing to remain on his path and die as the “Strongest”. I had thought that he’d see humanity from living within Yuji & Megumi - and he did, especially within Yuji’s domain expansion. He saw it and rejected it completely. What he disliked about Yuji & said to him at the end reminds me of what Jung said: we can learn about ourselves through what irritates us.

He praised Yuji for being a fool... but maybe Sukuna was the fool himself.

He played a role all the way through too.

He was the unwavering curse in the face of love / acceptance.

Jujutsu Kaisen is truly story about curses and love. Like two halves of one thing. The many ways a person can live their lives, and how it can make sense/is justifiable to them.

Who was he if he wasn’t revered or feared as the Strongest?

So… He stayed true to himself. He likened himself to a curse in the end. Love, once again, prevails.

Ah, I look forward to having a few reads of the whole series again when it is finished...

…but I’ll honestly be so very sad when it ends.

[gatheringbones]

[“When I first came out as a lesbian in 1971, identity politics were so pervasive that this modality didn’t even have a name; it was simply the sea in which every queer sank or swam. One of the key assumptions of identity politics is that we can reveal in one grand social drama of coming out the absolute inner core of truth that makes up one’s “real self.” Coming out is seen as a process like peeling away the layers of an onion or the petals of an artichoke. Identity politics also assumes that your political allies will have to be people who share your identity because nobody else could understand your oppression or really be committed to fighting it; that people who share some aspects of your sexuality but not others are either afraid to come out or traitors to the cause; that it’s not possible for someone to change the way they label themselves without being dishonest or cowardly.

Now I see queer politics quite differently. I know from personal experience that I can’t trust somebody just because their sexual preferences or their gender identity resembles my own. I know we can make allies who are indignant about injustice even if it does not impinge directly upon their own lives. I see coming out as a lifelong process that proceeds as I become ready to understand and accept aspects of myself which bear lessons I need to learn at different points in my life. Each new coming out does not recreate me as a whole new person; I think some people view it this way, but this is crazy-making and too compartmentalized for me. It’s more like being able to see each and every spoke of the wheel that makes up my being, or like opening up and furnishing another new room of my soul.

I wonder what coming out would be like if we were not forced into these defensive positions of tribal loyalty and us-them thinking. What if we could say to a friend who was embarking on a new coming out, “I love you, and so I must also love this new aspect of yourself. Because I care about you I want to know more about it. Let’s both learn from this.” Instead, what usually happens is a great deal of indignation, betrayal, and rejection. I think this is because a person who is coming out threatens the identities of former acquaintances, partners, and coworkers. If someone else’s identity can be fluid or change radically, it threatens the boundaries around our own sense of self. And if someone can flout group norms enough to apply for membership in another group, we often feel so devalued that we hurry to excommunicate that person. This speaks to our own discomfort with the group rules. The message is: I have put up with this crap for the sake of group membership, and if you won’t continue to do the same thing, you have to be punished.

We seem to have forgotten that the coming-out process is brought into being by stigma. Without sexual oppression, coming out would be an entirely different process. In its present form, coming out is reactive. While it is brave and good to say “No” to the Judeo-Christian “Thou Shalt Nots,” we have allowed our imaginations to be drawn and quartered by puritans. I believe that most of the divisions between human sexual preferences and gender identities are artificial. We will never know how diverse or complex our needs in these realms might be until we are free of the threat of the thrown rock, prison cell, lost job, name-calling, shunning, and forced psychiatric “treatment.”

I do not think human beings were meant to live in hostile, fragmented enemy camps, forever divided by suspicion and prejudice. If coming out has not taught us enough compassion to see past these divisions, and at least catch a vague glimpse of a more unified world, what is the use of coming out at all? I have told this story, not to say that anybody else should follow me or imitate me, but to encourage everyone to keep an open mind and an open heart when change occurs. The person who needs tolerance and compassion during a major transformation may be your best friend, your lover, or your very self. Bright blessings to you on the difficult and amazing path of life.”]

patrick califa, from layers of the onion, spokes of the wheel, from a woman like that: lesbian and bisexual writers tell their coming out stories, 2000

[calico-cheriies]

Dream Girl |Yuta Okkotsu x Reader|

{Masterlist}

{Dream Girl Masterlist}

"I'm addicted to your love, that's the issue. You're my dream girl,"

————————————————-

Here you were, standing in front of a sliding classroom door. Your heart was pounding- and understandably so. You weren't supposed to be in this situation, you would've laughed at the mention of you becoming some jujutsu sorcerer. Yet here you were, your ears perked up as you heard the loud voice of the sensei you were assigned to. He was supposedly the strongest sorcerer- scratch that, he was the strongest, period.

You hadn't been able to get the thoughts out of your head. While waiting for the signal of the sensei, you just stood there thinking back to the situation that placed you here. You were the eldest daughter of a small clan, the (L/n) clan. The techniques associated with your family were powerful to be fair, but the way your family limited themselves made them be viewed as weak and rather useless to the higher clans.

Your parents had specifically placed special care to you and your siblings once your techniques developed. With the ability to manipulate the mind, it required years of training and dedication to strengthen and control your technique; it meant learning the anatomy of humans and severe migraines with strained eye contact. But it paid off, but there was one thing that stopped you.

You were afraid, more specifically afraid to make eye contact in fear of you controlling someone. So you always hid your eyes with some type of dark lensed glasses, although it made it harder for you to see, it helped comfort you at the same time.

But that wasn't the issue.

The issue was that, despite your parents being more modernized. Traditions never die, especially in the jujutsu world. It was common for arranged marriages to happen within smaller clans in hopes of thriving and being able to grow as powerful as the big three clans. A man from a smaller clan had asked for your hand in marriage, he wasn't bad looking nor was his technique something to scoff at, but that meant losing your younger years to bear children.

So your parents offered a different solution, attend jujutsu high. Become a jujutsu sorcerer and live your life to the fullest- run away if you wanted to. Either that or get married, there was no in between.

You quickly jumped at the opportunity, and that brings you back- back to standing in front of the door. You finally heard the room be silent and you counted to three in your head slowly before you placed your hand on the crevice of the door and slide it open. You made no attempt to look to the side at the other students, but their piercing gazes were enough to let you know of their presence.

It was suffocating, and it made you all the more self conscience about your appearance. You wore the mandated dark navy uniform, although a little altered, it was more of a white collared shirt with a fitting dark blue blazer and the skirt. You preferred thigh highs over leggings in case it got stuck on something and you preferred Mary Jane's over boots, you always hated blocky shoes. But it was also the glasses, so nobody knew where you were looking at.

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but certainly not to you. Your eyes were a rare sight to see, you also didn't like to gaze into them either, it disgusted you.

You stopped beside the desk and you bowed to your sensei before bowing down to the class. You were actually trying to stall because you weren't used to talking to people your age, so you were hoping that your sensei would talk for you.

"Everyone! This is (L/n) (Y/n), be especially welcoming to her because she's a shy as our dear Yuta!" He was teasing of course, his arms stretching out in an exaggerated way. You didn't know who he was referring to but a meek boy in the class made you think it was him, but he also had some threatening aura around him so maybe not?

You simply nodded, "It's a pleasure to be acquainted with you all," you were sincere about that, you were about to add something else but the words made it sound cringy in your head so you stayed silent- well in between wanting to say how you hoped you all could get along and also not wanting to say it because you could tell everyone was wary. "I hope... we can... work well together...?" Your voice got softer and well, you wanted to die after hearing your voice get high pitched at the end.

But Gojo sensei happily placed his hands on your shoulders, "Super sweet! I know you'll get along just fine!" He sang, and it made you lower your head to get away from the loud noise. "Oi! You're being too loud," a girl had snapped before she narrowed her eyes at you. "So, you're a (L/n), eh?" She seemed to rhetorically ask but didn't let you answer before she stood up. She was going to speak further until Gojo obliviously pushed you towards her, and you felt intimidated by her gaze.

"Um... yeah," you shifted in your spot, trying to back up a bit. "Now let me introduce them to you! Okay so let's start... here!" He motioned his hands to the meek boy you saw earlier. "Okay so let's start with our lovey Okkotsu Yuta, he transferred here a month or two ago now." He wrapped an arm around Okkotsu's shoulder, who visibility shrunk in his presence. "Just don't attack him, or else Rika-chan's curse will activate... well it depends on her," he didn't elaborate much on it before he let go of the boy.

Okkotsu was pretty.

You noted that, you almost were tempted to lift the glasses up to just take a peek at him. His eyes were like that of a puppy, and it made you curious of him, but you could see- or well kinda see him take glances at you.

"This one is the cursed tool user, Zen'in Maki, you'll see her use special tools to exorcise curses." You were now thankful again for the glasses, your eyes wide at the mention of her last name. A Zen'in? What was she doing here? You could gawk at her all day now... but she didn't seem to share the same enthusiasm and just glared straight at the both of you.

"This is the cursed speech user, Inumaki Toge. He only speaks in rice ball ingredients, so talking to him is very productive!" The boy just nodded his head at you, "Kelp," and you returned the greeting.

"I'm Panda! Very nice to meet you!" The creature whom you just noticed started speaking and you visibly tensed up, hopefully this was just some hallucination, because what??

"Well there you have it! Now for today's afternoon practice, you'll be in pairs of two!" He put up two digits, which you thought was comical. "Well... now we have five students so it'll be uneven..." he scratched his head for a moment before he had an idea. "Well, Toge is a grade two so he can do a solo one today," he then looked at the rest. "Okay! Since Yuta has the hang of these, you can be with him, (L/n)!" He cheerfully shoved you to Yuta's side. "Now Panda and Maki," he seemed satisfied with the groups. 

"Now everyone, get along before your assignments later!" He clasped his hands together and everyone slowly got up. You almost wanted to cry at how he just threw you to them before he sent you a little wave. "Aye, no worries (Y/n), you're in good hands," he seemed to sense your anxiety, and it made it all the more embarrassing.

He watched as they all spilled out of the classroom and down the hall, he wasn't dumb- not necessarily but he knew how this could be a good opportunity for you to actually live your life to the fullest, with people you could relate to. So he just stayed back, waving at you with a smile.

You on the other hand, did not share the same thought process. You simply followed behind the other students, of course you didn't know the place and no one was really speaking up until- Panda started talking to you?

You paused in fear in the moment, the Panda, "So (Y/n), are you blind?" He asked without hesitation and you let out a choked gasp- you were definitely caught off guard by such a question. "Huh?-" you were about to deny it until he circled you. "I don't see a stick..." he mumbled, and Toge spoke some ingredient and you suddenly brought your hands up to dismiss the allegation. "No! I'm not blind," you quickly replied and you tapped the glasses. "It's just something I use so I don't set my technique off my accident," you added.

That intrigued them all.

"Technique?" Now it was Maki's turn to talk to you. "I've heard of your family before, notably known for holding themselves back," she seemed to tower over you despite the two of you being similar heights. "So? What is it?" She was demanding an answer, you could tell how tense she was due to how hard she was gripping the handle of her curse tool.

"Oh yes! Tell us!" Panda clapped his hands together, and even Inumaki and Yuta were both walking up behind them to hear what it was.

You hesitated, not knowing what to do. You weren't all that comfortable with telling them just yet, but you were also thinking about how you were all classmates- you might as well tell them.

But, despite your shy personality at times, you were firm with your decisions. "Hm," you tilted your head up to look at the ceiling before looking back at your classmates. "Well... I...I guess I can tell you," you weighed the options and decided it was best so you could have an amicable relationship with them.

"Mind manipulation," you slowly slipped your glasses up to rest on your head, your (e/c) eyes being revealed to them.

It was stunning- your eyes were somewhat cloudy but there was something about them that sucked their attention in.

You definitely not Gojo, but you had a way of knowing what people were probably feeling and predicting their moves.

Yuta had to clutch his chest, nails digging into his jacket to somewhat suppress the adoration of your eyes. He knew chalked it up to your technique being tempting- yeah, that must be it.

"Huh?" Maki leaned in, her eyes squinting to get the details before you slipped the glasses down. She tried to bite her tongue, she knew how rude she was to Yuta when they first met. But she sighed, "I guess that's pretty cool, but don't think you're better than us," it was a light warning, but she seemed satisfied with the answer. So she turned to leave, calling Panda with her, "I'll see you around, (L/n)," she called back before continuing to walk, the Panda happily waving at you.

You let out a soft shudder and relaxed yourself, "You okay?" You turned your head to meet the eyes of Okkotsu. "Yeah, I'm just not used to revealing it often," you admit, but you then shook your head. You had to be stronger, you might as well get rid of the stupid glasses at some point. You weren't oblivious to what it meant being a jujutsu sorcerer, it meant having to sacrifice things you love.

"Let's go, Okkotsu," you waved at Toge who was walking off to do this own thing. "The assignment awaits us," he scrambled to keep with you, but at a distance.

Let's see how this goes.

{Chapter Two}

——————————————

[ninatheelf]

embracing the unknown :

“jump head on, into the abyss. let the universe catch you and take you where you’re meant to go.” -esther t.

possible blockage identification + motivation!

— — — — — — — — ✿ — — — — — — — —

shifting is a concept that you shouldn’t blame yourself for not understanding at first. i mean, it goes against everything that most people have been taught when it comes to how we perceive things and generally how our minds work. it literally unlocks a whole other part of yourself that seems too good to be true. it’s like this element of magic that has been added into your life.

obviously, now you know that shifting is very much a real thing, that you have participated in it during every second of every day before you even became aware of it. your inner thoughts and feelings form the physical plane that your body experiences. you are constantly shifting, constantly assuming things about your reality (on a conscious and subconscious level) that make it manifest into exactly what you physically perceive. you are fully aware that you have the power to change how you experience things, just by changing your assumptions and persisting in them without doubting yourself. it really is that simple!

i’ve seen a few posts on here about how some may have a fear of shifting- it totally makes sense for one to be afraid that they won’t make it, or afraid that they will make it. but there’s also another fear that one might come across, one that might have slipped into their subconscious without realizing it.

humans often fear what they do not understand. 

it’s a trait that ultimately has to do with our survival instincts. things that are not familiar to us can be viewed by our animal brains as dangerous and something we need to avoid. that behavior can present itself in a range of different ways, from screaming and running away from a person dressed as a zombie in a haunted house, to avoiding a person who says things you disagree with, to fearing a concept subconsciously because it lacks “important” information. 

and that���s not to say that we always immediately reject something that is unusual to us. in fact, we can also often be allured by the novel, becoming curious about it and wanting to learn more because of the fact that it is different. 

i think that many of us can / have experienced a combination of these feelings with shifting. i know i have. we are so drawn in by this concept, willing to put time and effort into it to study the laws and practices and philosophy of it all. and yet, there will always be parts of shifting that we cannot fully grasp.

you have to learn that it is okay to not know everything. you have to learn to place trust into the unknown.

and that can be hard! because why would you trust in something you don’t fully understand? but what i’ve realized is that those who are willing to dive into it headfirst, placing trust in the shift without any knowledge about it, are often the ones who succeed fastest. that’s why all of those people back in 2020 shifted within two weeks of learning about it- they didn’t give themselves time to question how it all works, they just did it. they didn't have to know about loa or inducing pure consciousness or the 3d or 4d or any of that. they weren’t afraid to literally just go for it, with likely some vague (if any) visualization and no other expectation than, “i’ll wake up at hogwarts tomorrow, why not?” they spent time doing instead of thinking about doing. that is how real progress is made.

and once again, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t keep yourself from learning if you want to learn. you can and probably should take some time to find out what works for you as an individual because shifting is so incredibly personal. i took the time to learn about loa, to gain some basic knowledge about it (+ a little more because i find it interesting haha) and it completely changed my mindset. but you also have to remember that you’ll never learn how to ride a bike if you only read books about riding a bike. some pre-existing knowledge about bike riding doesn't hurt to have, but in order to actually ride the bike, you have to grasp the handlebars, place your feet on the pedals, and go for it- even if you’re a little scared, even if you might have some unanswered questions. 

i promise you that even though there are parts of shifting that we can’t explain, it doesn’t matter. you are able to shift without understanding it all. you are able to shift because of the fact that you trust both in the strategy that you do know (loa) and the “how” of it all that we aren’t able to fully grasp.

anyways, all of this is to say- channel your inner elsa. let yourself use a combination of your own ice power (loa, 4d) and that mysterious voice (the “how”) to guide you to your desired reality. 

some affirmations you can use to strengthen your relationship with the unknown :

i shift despite not knowing exactly how it works

i shift without knowing all of the answers 

i am happy to place trust in the unknown

i understand that the unknown is here to help me 

the unknown and i work together

i am grateful to the unknown

i shift even if i don’t fully understand the “how”

i shift as a result of fully believing in my assumptions and trusting the process

if you think this might be a blockage for you, you know the drill. repeat these (or just keep a mindset related to the affs.) and you’ll reprogram your subconscious to understand that there is nothing to be afraid of or confused by. you have everything you need to do this, and it’s all working in your favor, even the parts that you don’t understand!

— — — — — — — — ✿ — — — — — — — —

i’ve typed the word “unknown” so much that i can’t help but think of the original character from that cursed willy wonka experience-

“what is that…it's the unknown! :,0” (pls tell me you get the reference lmao)

except in this instance, we are not going to be the kid that cries right after. we’re gonna be the child that runs up to the unknown and gives it a hug and sees that it’s not a bad guy after all! 

if you have any questions, feel free to submit them in the “ask me anything” section. i’m always happy to answer and give advice! :))

𝜗𝜚

[ivystoryweaver]

I have thoughts about Nathan Bateman

Heads up, you're getting tagged if you talk about him, and yes, I will miss someone and I'm sorry for that - tag people if you want!

I just rewatched Ex Machina and I have feelings. Okay, so Nathan has what we might call some character flaws? Ego?

He clearly lures an employee out to his home to conduct and experiment and he is less that forthright about the exact nature of the experiment and Caleb's role in it. So just his treatment of Caleb shows some...problems.

Then there's the treatment of his inventions. This is more a gray area because one could argue they are not human - that they cannot feel and think and suffer. Even if they do, Nathan may not partially or fully be aware of this fact.

He also mines data/has an inappropriate level of access to people's cell phones. Let's just leave it at that. He's not what I would call a "good" person. He's at least in the gray area, let's say.

Aside from all that, ^ observe Nathan's behavior. He has Caleb sign an NDA that is kind of insane. But it is Caleb's choice to sign it. He lives in isolation. Maybe because he's just that weird. Maybe he wants to conduct his experiments in secret. Maybe he doesn't trust anyone.

And who can blame him?

It takes like what, a day? Two? For Caleb and/or Ava to start conspiring. Ava cannot be blamed (I suppose). She is following the directives given to her. To exercise free will.

But Caleb. He is there a week. And in less than that time, he does exactly what Nathan is afraid of.

He violates his NDA.

He conspires against Nathan.

He intends to steal/release Nathan's property and trade secrets into the public.

He treats Ava more human than Nathan.

He intends to get Nathan blackout drunk and lock him inside his home with no means of escape, which will most likely lead to his death.

So it's, "Welcome to my home" to "you want me dead" in six days.

So Nathan has every right to try to protect himself. What he's afraid of is exactly what only takes days to happen. He predicts Ava will go through Caleb to gain her freedom. He underestimates what she will do to him though.

My point is, Nathan can't trust anyone and maybe that's why he acts this way. But why? Is it because something in his past or is it because he knows how vile his own actions are, and he is protecting himself from someone perhaps behaving as badly as he himself behaves?

This viewing just gave me a slightly new look at Nathan. If Nathan is a true narcissist, I don't think he could be that isolated. Narcissists have a deep self-hatred that is covered over with a false self, and they need reflections from others to reflect back an image of themselves. To do this, they need humans around them that they can manipulate, love bomb and get that "reflection" from, to inform them of who they are.

A true narcissist can't be alone, even with androids.

If he's not a narcissist, what is wrong with him? Why is he like this?

I'm not saying he's a great guy, but the exact behavior he expected from a human was what he got. It's Ava who surprised him.

Thoughts??

@missdictatorme @marshmallow--3 @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @pygmi-cygni

@nathanbatemanfucker @reallyrallyauthor @campingwiththecharmings @boredzillenial @silvernight-m

@faretheeoscar @femmeanonymelives @winniethewife @midgardian-witch @mooksmouse

@ominoose

[staylovesmiley]

Give Me Your TMI~ Chapter 9

₊˚⊹ᰔ Pairing; Yang Jeongin x Fem!reader, Stray kids x Fem!reader

₊˚⊹ᰔ ₊˚⊹ᰔ Summary; In a world where Humans and Hybrids should be living as equals, Hybrids are still viewed as being closer to their animalistic side than their humanistic. Deep in the woods lives a band of misfit hybrids who reject these societal views and keep to themselves, choosing to live away from humans. What happens when the youngest of this rogue group meets a lost Human girl, befriending her after an incident where he must rely on her for help?

₊˚⊹ᰔ ₊˚⊹ᰔ ₊˚⊹ᰔ Warnings; hybrid!au, female!reader, angst, mild violence, mentions of sexual harassment/assault and discrimination, she/her pronouns used for reader, this is very loosely based off the overall themes/tones of the manga and anime fruits basket~

“Are you…going to be okay?” Jeongin asked softly, hand reaching out towards you to gently brush your hair back from your face where you lay facing him. The moonlight filtered in through the thin gap of the curtains casting a soft glow on his face that made him look almost angelic. You smiled softly, nodding as you leaned into his touch when he hand cupped your still slightly bruised cheek where Jason had struck you earlier. “Will you?”

The fox took a deep breath, thinking for a moment before responding. “I don’t…really know yet- I think I’m still in shock that I actually-“ He couldn’t bring himself to say it, as if not speaking the words would make them any less true. You both had killed someone that night.

It was still early in the morning, the sun had yet to rise and Chan still lay asleep behind you with his chest pressed against your back firmly in a way that comforted you with the physical contact of his bare skin against your own. “I know…it will be a while before things feel normal again, I’m sure.” You tried to reassure the hybrid, turning your head to press a kiss against his palm.

The two of you lay in silence for a while, just watching over each other before he spoke up again. “I-I’m afraid..” Jeongin’s voice trembled slightly and in the dim light you swore you could see tears brimming his eyes. Quickly, you moved closer to him as you wrapped your arms around him protectively. “Afraid of what, innie?” You could hear his racing heartbeat, his scent souring lightly as he hid his face in the crook of your neck before mumbling against your skin. “That you will think less of me because of what I did-“

A deep frown settled on your face as your hold on him tightened. “Jeongin I could never think less of you, especially not for that. It would be hypocritical of me…” He shook his head, the tips of his fluffy ears tickling you lightly. “But it was so- so savage…I was like a monster-“ You let out a huff, one hand coming to comb through his hair gently. “Innie you were protecting us, you saved Hyunjin- there is no telling what Jason would have done if you hadn’t stopped him.”

The fox let out a quiet whimper and attempted to burrow closer to you. “But I didn’t have to kill him- especially not like that.” You sighed, placing a kiss to the top of his head before responding. “And I didn’t have to kill my mother…but it happened. It’s done now- there isn’t anything we can do to change it or bring them back….its- it’s for the best that we try to move past it as best we can. The fact that you feel guilty means that you aren’t a monster, you were just trying to keep us safe.”

Jeongin sighed, knowing that you were right but he couldn’t shake the unease he felt every time he pictured the man you had married lying bloody and marred in the snow. “I was so angry…I could feel he had hurt you and when I saw him attacking Jinnie I just- I couldn’t stop myself and that scares me.” You nodded in understanding, giving him a gentle squeeze before pecking his lips softly. “I know- but you are not a monster….if anyone is a monster it was him.”

You laid there for a while longer in a comforting embrace, silently trying to cope with the weight of your actions when a soft knock sounded at the door before it opened to reveal a very tired looking Minho. “Guys…I know it’s early but- we all need to talk.”

You both sit up slowly, you holding the blanket up against your chest while Jeongin allows the fabric to fall and pool around his waist. “I’ll leave waking the beast to you both.” The cat teases, clearly trying to lighten the mood before backing out of the room. “If you wake him up I’ll go get us some clean clothes from our room-“ The fox states as he stretches before getting up from the bed. You nod silently as you watch him leave you alone with Chan still sleeping peacefully beside you.

Your hand comes to touch gently where the wolf hybrid had bit you earlier in the night and you blush lightly, turning to watch him sleep for a moment longer before gently nudging his shoulder.

“Chan- Channie it’s time to get up.” You keep your voice soft, just above a whisper as you lean down to place a kiss behind his ear. The hybrid groans, wrapping his arms around your waist where you sit on the bed and his face nuzzles against your hip before leaving gentle kisses at your exposed skin there. Your flush deepens as you giggle nervously and nudge at him once again. “Come on, Chan…need you to wake up now.” He sighs, shifting a bit before his eyes open and he’s blinking up at you. “I know- just….wanted to stay here with you a bit longer.” A soft smile finds your face as you lean down to kiss his cheek. “You know if you ever want me to stay with you like this again you just have to ask…” Your words cause him to blush furiously and bury his face in his pillow. How could you be so gentle with him, so kind? It still didn’t feel real to him and now he could feel your heart and soul tugging at his own in a way that made him dizzy and sated at the same time.

Jeongin returned shortly after, clothed once again, with a neatly folded outfit for you as well. He held the clothes out to you and you took them with a soft thank you before standing from the bed to get dressed to face the consequences of your actions. Chan rose as well, dressing in a pair of loose sweat pants and a long sleeved tee before ushering both of you out and into the dining room where everyone was sat waiting for you to join.

Your eyes flitted over to the kitchen where what must have only been a few hours ago your mother lay lifeless in a growing puddle of her own blood and you flinched, quickly closing your eyes tightly to rid yourself of the image when you felt hands gently take hold of each of yours and give you a reassuring squeeze.

When you opened your eyes again you saw Chan and Jeongin at either side of you, pulling you to sit down at the table sandwiched between them protectively. “Okay, I’m not going to dance around the issue here- we need to figure out what to do with the carnage we have on our hands.” Minho said bluntly, his tail flicking anxiously behind him though his deadpan expression tried to hide how on edge he was feeling. Felix who was sat to his left hit his shoulder lightly with a disapproving grunt but the older cat shrugged, knowing that no matter how they tried to sugar coat it they had a double homicide currently weighing over them and something had to be done about it.

You winced a bit at his words but nodded, thinking for a moment before speaking up. “I’ll write a letter to my sister Esther…I’ll-“ You think for a bit, brows furrowed as you concentrate on a good story for them to believe. “Jason left me and was having an affair with Mama- that they ran away together. I can add some other stuff too…make it seem like a letter to update her on my life, something normal- we were always so close so it wouldn’t seem strange for me to want to share stuff like that with her.”

Minho thinks for a second, letting your words settle in his mind before nodding. “That’ll be good. Changbin, Chan- gonna need your help setting a big fire pit in the back…we have to get rid of them where there isn’t gonna be identifiable traces.” The pair grimace a bit at the mental image of what they are about to do but they nod and head for the door, Chan giving the top of your head a kiss on his way out and then you are left sitting there feeling like something is missing.

Jeongin seems to feel your concern, hand coming to squeeze your thigh to gather your attention. You look up to meet his eyes and his gaze softens instantly. “What’s going on in your head, pretty?” He whispers, his forehead resting against your own. “I just- feel like we are forgetting something important….” You frown, closing your eyes as you think harder and then your eyes shoot open wide. “His car- we have to find it and get rid of it….um- the river! Do you….do you think you could sniff it out and help me?” The fox huffs a bit before giving you a teasing smile. “Shocked you didn’t ask Minnie, he’s the scent hound after all.” The beagle hybrid pouts at the younger’s words, turning away to hide behind Felix’s shoulder and you give him a soft smile in hopes to make yourself seem less scary before rising from your seat. “Come on, Innie…we should try and get this done before it’s too light out. I know that there isn’t anyone in the area but it’s better to be safe.”

It was done.

The bodies of your mother and husband burned to ashes by the time the evening was washing over the sky and painting it a pale, muted shade of blue. The car they had driven to your once peaceful little cabin was sunk to the bottom of the river by late afternoon.

Now, you sit in your room on the bed, knees pulled to your chest and eyes closed as you focus on breathing in slow and deep through your nose before exhaling slowly through your nose as you couldn’t seem to shake the memory of the knife sinking into your mother’s stomach, her words still echoing in your mind though you tried to expel them.

You had told Jeongin you wanted some time to yourself, and although you could feel his disappointment and worry wash over you through your shared bond he had respected your wishes and left to curl up in Felix’s bed as the cat hybrid held him close for comfort.

As you were beginning to feel like the room was closing in on you and your breathing became less of a rhythm and more uneven you heard a knock at the door that snapped you out of your thoughts and back to the present. Before you could answer the door was pushed open to reveal Hyunjin, the ferret hybrids beautiful face littered with bruises and small scrapes and his head hung in a sheepish manner as he carefully approached you. “P-Pretty….’m sorry to bother you but I need your help-“ His voice sounded so small, hesitant and you softened at the sound. “Oh Jinnie…come here?” You motioned for the hybrid to come closer and once he was sat on the bed you immediately crawled to embrace him. Hyunjin melted against you, head resting atop yours as you snuggled into his side while being mindful of his bruised ribs and stomach.

“What does my angel need help with, hm?” You asked, voice gentle as you rubbed soothing circles into his back with careful hands. “Can you….would you help me cut my hair?”

Oh- his request shocked you. Everyone was well aware of how much the ferret adored having his long dark hair played with, allowing anyone who was willing to card their hands through it as he drifted off into a peaceful nap or letting you and Felix weave pretty braids into it to keep the hair from sticking to his neck when working out in the garden due to the hot sun beating down on him despite the growing chill in the air. “You want me to cut your hair, baby? Are you sure?” You gently ran your fingers through his silky locks and he nodded, a little sniffle coming from him and causing you to pull away enough to catch the few tears that dropped from where they had rolled down his cheeks and hit his lap leaving little dark spots in their wake.

“Okay, if that’s what you want I can do that for you.” You smiled softly, assuring him that this was not a burden for him to ask the favor and you slowly got off the bed and took his hand into yours to lead him out of the room.

Now, the ferret hybrid sat calmly on the closed seat of the toilet as you stood between his parted legs. You ran your fingers through his hair a couple of times before bringing the scissors in your hand up to carefully cut away his dark locks. Piece by piece the fell silently to the floor by your feet, the sensation tickling softly as you continued and the slowly piling hair grew around you. Once you got to a short enough length, you pulled out the clippers you had bought not to long ago from the drug store in town, the original purpose having been to trim the back of Jisung’s hair as he had been complaining about how long it was getting and not liking the feeling of it tickling his neck and behind his ears. Now, they were used to carefully buzz away the ferrets mane as he had requested, being very cautious not to harm his soft little ears or nick the back of his slender neck or ears.

The moment was silent, soft, as he sat still for you and you hummed softly while you worked. You were reminded of a memory from your childhood, giving your baby brothers their first haircuts as they squirmed and wriggled around still trying to play while you attempted to cut their soft baby curls into a style that wasn’t too garish for the toddlers.

Once the task was finished you turned and sat the clipper down at the edge of the sink, moving to the claw footed tub to turn the water on so you could help Hyunjin wash what fine hairs were now clinging to his skin and the tightly cropped hair on his head. When the tub was full you helped him undress, letting him lower himself into the water carefully with your assistance. Nudity was not foreign to you in this family, the hybrids having to shift back into their human forms completely bare meaning you had seen all of them nude at least once in the months you had lived with them. Still, this moment felt so soft and intimate it caused your heart to flutter and your cheeks to flush as you gently began washing the hybrid’s bruised body.

“I never got to thank you…for protecting me.” You said after sitting in silence for what felt like an eternity, gently massaging his now fuzzy head with a small amount of shampoo as Hyunjin practically purred at the touch. “It’s what you do for the people you love.” He said, as if it was the most simple thing like brushing your teeth or getting dressed in the morning. “You love me?” Was what you responded with, genuine surprise in your voice as you used the cup kept by the tub to rinse his hair and with one hand block any suds from getting into his tightly shut eyes. He nodded once you were done, turning to give you a shy smile. “We all do, though some of us are too shy to admit it yet…you are precious to us, our pretty. I don’t doubt at all that any of us would have done what I did, and I know you would do the same for us.”

His words resonated deeply with you, something to finally take your mind off of everything from the day previous.

You were still thinking about it when Chan came to you where you were curled up on the couch after dinner and sat down only to pull you up and into his lap before burying his face in the side of your neck where his bite was slowly healing under the bandages you had applied. “Channie? You feeling okay?” You asked, sudden concern washing over you although you couldn’t feel any distress coming from the wolf hybrid. His ears tickled your cheek where they twitched slightly at the sound of your voice. “I’m okay, but I could feel you earlier. You’re hurting.” You let out a soft sigh, not having the energy to deny it when you knew he was right. “I’ll be hurting for a while, probably…Chan you-“ Hesitating for a moment, you wondered if this question would be pushing too far despite how close you had become. “When you used to fight…did you ever have to kill anyone?” Your voice was quiet, just loud enough that his enhanced hearing could pick up the sound and he froze, arms tight around you before relaxing again. “Yes, I did…” You let out a little whimper, turning to hide your face in his soft curls as tears welled in your eyes. “It’s so awful…I’m sorry you had to go through those feelings alone.” The wolf couldn’t help but chuckle, placing a few soft kisses against your neck before pulling away to cup your face in his hands. “Oh pretty…you are too kind for this world. Going through everything you just did and you are more worried about what I had to endure in my past than how you are feeling in your present.” A light kiss was placed on your lips, more of a peck really, and you couldn’t help but preen at the attention from the oldest.

As you still sat cuddled up with the wolf hybrid, Minho entered the room and paused to take in the scene before him with curiosity. He took a few tentative sniffs at the air and realized your scent had once again shifted slightly, just as it had when their youngest had mated you. A smirk curled at his lips and he leaned against the wall with arms crossed over his chest. “Well what do we have here, hm?” He called out to the both of you causing you to look at where the cat began sauntering over to take a seat on the hearth of the fireplace. “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you somehow mated with our pretty.” Minho teased, not meaning much behind his words but at the shocked expression on both of your faces he faltered. “Wait- you…you didn’t- you couldn’t, well shouldn’t-“

Confusion was clear in your eyes as you looked between the bewildered Minho and sheepish Chan. “What do you mean shouldn’t? Is that- Innie didn’t seem to be bothered that Chan mated me too…” You assumed the second oldest was inferring that your first mate would be upset by your bond with Chan, when that wasn’t what was causing his jaw to drop in shock as he rose from his seat to pull you up from the wolf’s lap and examine you closely.

Minho gasped, peeling back the bandage at your neck carefully to inspect the bite healing there. “No way…and it worked? You’re bonded?” He asked Chan, looking over you and to where the older sat squirming in his seat under the interrogation from the cat hybrid’s sharp eyes. “Y-Yeah…I wasn’t expecting it- I just bit her out of instinct but I didn’t think it would actually stick.” Chan confessed, rubbing at the back of his neck as you looked between the both of them. “What is going on? What do you mean you didn’t expect it to stick?” You frowned, worry creeping into your mind at the thought that Chan hadn’t intended or wanted to mate with you. As if sensing your unease, because he quite literally could, the wolf hybrid was up and wrapping himself around you instantly as he peppered sweet kisses to your head and face. “Pretty I didn’t mean it like that…just- hybrids aren’t typically able to mate more than one person. The fact that both Jeongin and I bonded to you is- it’s not common, unheard of really…” You frowned a bit in your confused state, looking up into Chan’s eyes before turning to Minho as if asking him to confirm the oldest’s words.

The two oldest hybrids shared a look before sitting you back down on the couch and taking a seat on either side of you to try and explain how hybrid mating worked. “So, just like most canines, canine hybrids form life long bonds with one another….but only in pairs. You being able to form a mating bond with both Chan and Innie is not something we would have thought possible.” Minho said carefully, watching your face to make sure you understood him clearly. Chan nodded, speaking up after a moment to let the information sink in. “The only reason I can think of that my bond stuck after you were already mated to Jeongin is…you aren’t a hybrid.” You blinked at him, taking it all in before nodding slowly. “So does that mean any of you could mate me too? Or do you think it stops at just two…?” Minho snorted as he tried to contain his laughter, hand coming up to cover his face. You pouted at him, worried you had just asked a stupid question when suddenly the cat leaned in close to your face. “Would you like to be mated to more of us?” He teased, a playful smirk at the corner of his mouth and you felt your breath hitch as Chan held back his chuckle from behind you.

“I-I” you stuttered, not sure how to respond as heat rose to your cheeks at the close proximity and attention from the cat hybrid. Minho gave you a sweet smile before pulling back to sit up straight beside you once more. “Unfortunately, I can’t help you test out your hypothesis. Only canine hybrids form mating bonds, cat hybrids are a whole other story.” You exhaled slowly, not realizing you had been holding your breath all that time, swallowing hard before nodding. “I see…so- only Chan and Innie could have mated me.” Chan pressed his chest up against your back, nipping lightly at your jaw before whispering lowly in your ear. “You’re forgetting someone, pretty.” Your eyes widened as you realized he was right, there was one more canine hybrid you had left out and you blushed furiously at the thought of the one member of the little family who had yet to fully let his guard down around you. “Seungmin-“ You said quietly, causing Minho to smirk as he rose from his seat and made his way over to the couch. “Don’t let him know you left him out, our puppy would be so upset. You know, he’s secretly very fond of you.” With that he disappeared to get started on prep for the next morning’s breakfast, leaving you stunned and confused in Chan’s strong embrace.

author’s note; hehe did I scare ya?? (To those of you who didn’t read my last ramble post…I tried to play a little prank-) To make up for the last chapter being so dark and the lil heart attack I seemed to give some of you- I give you some very sweet moments in this chapter~ sorry it’s a bit shorter than normal but if you read into things a bit you’ll see that I’m setting up for what is to come~~~ I hope you all enjoyed! Happy sleuthing and theorizing hehehe

taglist; (pink users I wasn’t able to tag) @coastinglove @estella-novella @chancloud8 @skzswife @motheraiya55 @zofia515 @skybluelixie @breadedloafs @inaribu00 @silly250 @royal-shinigami @thatgirlangelb @bby-boo4u @emmxxsworld @vampkittenb82 @h0rnyp0t @alisonyus @im-sinking-in-mud @ihrtlix @mrs-hwangh @danixiulin @wolfo2027 @kiaralynn3838 @ateez-atiny380 @daceyena @bookswillfindyouaway @blackcatpandora @popcatx0 @corgilover20 @marshmelonie @sassy-snassy @straykidslover2024 @xgridx @y4yayael @dreamerwasfound

[ritelli-main]

Six(ish) Song Soundtrack

Okay, now it’s my turn, hooray! (I almost ditched this, sorry)

Thanks for tagging me @estellisa!

Rules: If you're tagged, make a post with links to music and/or lyrics describing six things/events about your OC/story.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*Soladon*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Event that defines your character's past

Totally Fucked - Spring Awakening There's a moment you know you're fucked Not an inch more room to self-destruct No more moves, oh yeah, the dead-end zone Man, you just can't call your soul your own But the thing that makes you really jump  Is that the weirdest shit is still to come You can ask yourself: 'Hey, what have I done?'  You're just a fly. The little guys, they kill for fun

How your character sees themselves

In League with Dragons - The Mountain Goats It's so hard to get revenge The human element drags you down Lead a solitary life, if you can Try not to show your face in town Let the rumors find such bridges as they may Reckon up the variables Find a way

How others view them

Pile of Bones - Shayfer James There's a pile of bones in the corner that I call friends There's a pile of bones in the corner that I call friends They built these brittle walls in vain They fear my face They know my name There's a pile of bones in the corner that I call friends

Their closest relationships (romantic and platonic)

Gromph

Eggs in one Basket - Tele Novella Because they are afraid They will say things to scare you Wish someone told me It would be lonely And you'll find That the valleys prepare you The hills are easy But they don't dare you To cut your path in the grass Find a new way No map will serve you So let your heart stray

Sasira Nightspark

Sparkbird - Sparkbird  Sparks fly every time I Identify a species I have hitherto never Seen in the field, seen in the feather Sparkbird destiny drew us together Every smile line on my face can be retraced Down to the split second Down to the split place

Artemis Entreri

Us - Regina Spektor We wear our scarves just like a noose But not 'cause we want eternal sleep And though our parts are slightly used New ones are slave labor you can keep We're living in a den of thieves Rummaging for answers in the pages We're living in a den of thieves And it's contagious

Jarlaxle

Cavalry - Shayfer James Then in walks the diplomat He’s got a belly full of grease and gristle fat A wicked rabbit underneath his hat And then he turns and says to me It's a big bad world So you better find something to believe in People gonna love People gonna lie People gonna leave ya It's a big bad world So you better find something to believe in People gonna run People gonna hide People gonna need ya

Regis

The Opening Act Of Spring - Frank Turner Oh the birds are ringing in The opening act of spring And I have fallen down and I'm so much worse than I have ever been Oh the season's acting strange And I know that something has to change But there is no path I can choose that will not bring somebody pain Please forgive me for the things that I must do I have hurt so many people it was never my intention to hurt you

A major fight scene Warriors - Reunion Square Now every move that I make is a bid to survive Keep me alive When you woke up today you didn't think you could die Neither did I Now every move that I make is a bid to survive Keep me alive When you woke up today you didn't think you could die But you don't decide

End credit song

My Silver Lining - First Aid Kit Show me my silver lining I try to keep on keeping on Show me my silver lining I try to keep on keeping on

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Event that defines your character's past

How your character sees themselves

How others view them

Their closest relationship (romantic or platonic)

A major fight scene

End credit song