#thank you for making the post but also the. demons

[glitter-stained]

Jason Todd Meta: My opinion on the csa headcanon

Does Jason's behaviour suggest he was a victim of csa?

There is very little, in terms of clinical signs, that’s going to point to csa specifically, because most symptoms, for psychiatric disorders, aren’t specific to one disorder or cause. One thing that’s usually a good hint would be children making very sexual statements/references/jokes/behaviours that are very inappropriate in context (a good example of this would be Roman Roy from Succession); night terrors are bed wettings amongst children/teenagers over a certain age. But that is absolutely not necessary: many, if not most victims of csa don’t display these specific signs, and a twelve years old that suffers from night terrors is not necessarily a victim of csa. The one thing that tells you for sure, in a person with trauma, that they have been a victim of csa, is that they��re telling you they have been a victim of csa. I’m insisting on that part because there’s a whole bunch of therapists (cough cough psychanalysts) that will tell you confidently that your psychiatric symptoms stem from a childhood sexual trauma (cherry on top of the shit cake if it’s incestuous) that you didn’t know about because you’ve repressed it. I repeat, that’s bullshit. If you meet a clinician who tells you that, RUN. So, a warning: this is probably the least “psychological analysis” of my “Jason psychological analysis posts”, because Jason’s symptoms do not allow us to conclude formally for or against a history of sexual abuse. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do some meta, make sure we're on the same page with what's analyzed here, some textual analysis, discuss what the csa headcanon does and does not imply in terms of his behaviour. I think it’s a good idea to start with it so we know where we’re standing with our analysis, regardless of the fact it’s maybe not the most interesting in terms of psychopathology and neuropsychology.

A couple of disclaimers:

I only talk about the comics I want to talk about. This is for two reasons, which are that 1) I do what I want and if I don’t like/don’t find something interesting, I’m not gonna waste time on it; and 2) I’ve been reading comics for a couple of months only, and there are, like, a lot of them. If there are comics you wanna see analysed under that lense, feel free to suggest them! I might not want to, but it also could be that I haven’t read them yet. Additionally, I'm not interested in questioning the morality of Jason's actions here. Ethics are fun, and I like talking about them sometimes, and morality sometimes has a place in talks about demonization but largely speaking this isn't the space for that. I separate talk about morality and psychology stuff as much as I can for a reason, so if you are looking here for excuses for his behaviour or arguments as to why he is a bad person, you're in the wrong place. Moral judgement is irrelevant here for the most part.

On the events of Red Hood: Lost Days:

Jason has, at some point in the comics, been a victim of csa. When Talia kisses Jason before pushing him off a cliff right after he got out of the Lazarus Pit, and when she initiates sex with him in Lost Days, that’s not consent!! That’s a grown woman taking advantage of a traumatized teenager who is, on top of that, deeply indebted to her. That’s a predatory act, with a steep power imbalance, it’s sexual assault, and on top of that there’s an element of suggested pseudo-incest. That decision was retconned, and thank god, because it was a brutal assassination of Talia’s character based on a good bit of racism, and also because the way it was portrayed doesn’t make it clear that Jason is a victim in a situation rather than that super annoying trope of “teenage guy gets to bang a hot MILF and hahaha lucky him”, writing a male character in a situation of SA without acknowledging it as SA or taking it seriously is one of the tropes I hate most, it reinforces stigmatisation and isolates victims. For all of these reasons, I’m not gonna include that element in my analysis, but it’s important to note that if you do include those scenes in your conception of it, then Jason is undeniably a victim of csa and everything discussed about it applies to him.

What if it were a lie?

I’ve said it before (and I’ll say it again), I deeply, violently hate headcanons/tropes where a character lies about being a victim of csa (whether it’s for manipulation, personal gain, any reason really I don’t care). It’s rare as fuck in real life, however it’s a common trope that feeds into fear of being wrongfully accused that causes push-back and increases social stigmatization. CSA is a painful thing associated with intense feelings of shame and already a deep fear of not being believed. Imagine making a considerable effort to seek help after something terrible happened/is happening to you, and you have to brave your fear of not being believed on top of that, and once you’ve made all that effort you get rejected and villainized because it’s just easier for the person you’re reaching out to not to believe it. So I’m awfully weary of this type of headcanon, and I think a general rule of thumb is “if your interpretation of what the character is saying is that he’s talking about how he was abused, especially if he’s talking about sexual assault, then it happened.” If you don’t like that, if you don’t feel like that’s good representation, then you can question the story, think it should be retconned, or rethink your interpretation of what the character says if it’s ambiguous, but hcing that the character lied about his assault is not a hypothesis we’re going to accept here no matter what. So we can start by scratching that one out: Jason never lies about being a victim of csa, or wilfully hints at it even though that’s untrue, at any point.

Two other ideas I’ve seen floating around that I think are worth mentioning:

No, just because Jason lived in the streets as a kid doesn’t mean the only way he survived was through underage prostitution. I genuinely don’t understand that idea, yes being a street kid makes you extremely vulnerable, yes it makes the risk of resolving to underage prostitution to survive higher but it’s absolutely not a fatality. That idea is, quite frankly, weird. Do you automatically assume if a real life person tells you they were in the streets for some time at a kid that they are a victim of csa? Also, I've seen the idea go around that because some people have a strong reading/hc of Jason as bi (which I have no problem with I love bi Jason), that would be an argument in favour of the csa hc. Please don’t do that. There’s no link between queer sexual orientations and childhood sexual abuse, that’s a harmful myth that we should work to deconstruct or, at the very least, not continue to vehiculate.

Another important thing to keep in mind: childhood sexual abuse =/= childhood sexual trauma.

Now, a traumagenic situation is a situation that might induce trauma (so development of, acute stress disorder, ptsd, cptsd, derealization, any traumatic pathology really). These situations exist on a continuum of probability to be traumatized by this situation. For example, a flood, a car accident, witnessing a murder and being sexually assaulted are all traumagenic situations, but the probability of developing trauma from them are very different. It hinges on personal, situational, social, and environmental risk factors (that have nothing to do with being weak, anybody can develop trauma). A definition for traumagenic situations can be found in the diagnostic criteria for ptsd in the dsm-5:

A. “Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence in one (or more) of the following ways:

1. Directly experiencing the traumatic event(s).

2. Witnessing, in person, the event(s) as it occurred to others.

3. Learning that the traumatic event(s) occurred to a close family member or close friend. In cases of actual or threatened death of a family member or friend, the event(s) must have been violent or accidental.

4. Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event(s) (e.g., first responders collecting human remains; police officers repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse). Note: Criterion A4 does not apply to exposure through electronic media, television, movies, or pictures, unless this exposure is work related.”

Note that the this last criteria has been added from the DSM-5 in order to explain cases of PTSD observed in at-risk jobs like cops exposed to repeated detailed child abuse, first responders collecting human remains, or, crucially, vigilantes repeatedly exposed to brutal crimes. This means that Jason, when he works on the Dumpster Slasher case, when he is horrified to find Gloria in the immediate aftermath of her rape (and later finds her dead body, because witnessing the consequences of these traumatic events is also an important component of that second-hand trauma), is being exposed to a very traumagenic situation. As I said before, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will experience trauma (thank fuck for that), but there are factors that influence that. SA related situations has an already pretty high probability of inducing trauma. On top of that, age is a big factor in that: the younger you are, the less resources, emotional regulation, development and coping mechanisms to face the traumagenic event you have (though there is such a thing as “too young to have PTSD" -when your memory is simply not developed enough for the memory to traumatize you because you will not remember the event.) At fifteen, with his memory fully developed but his brain going through so much changes because of teenagehood and his past history, Jason would be at risk. On top of that, you’re more at risk to get traumatized if you’re already stressed out when the event happens, so Jason’s mental state at this point in his robin run is also a risk factor. All to say, it’s very plausible for Jason to have sexual trauma without being a victim of sexual abuse in relation to canon events. Besides, in headcanon territory when it comes to Jason’s childhood before Robin, there are so many ways to be exposed to sexual violence : witnessing/finding his mother being a victim (considering the position of extreme vulnerability Catherine was in), witnessing assault in the streets, being the victim of attempted SA and escaping, watching street kids get picked up and later find their bodies/being told by other kids, as a cautionary tale, in excruciating detail, testimonies of their own assault… Or for example, if we’re thinking about Arkham Knight, being constantly threatened with SA, it being hinted and joked about and hanging over him like a sword of Damocles is something I could see Joker and other inmates do that could definitely induce sexual trauma even if it doesn’t happen ; what matters most, in trauma, is that the fear is real. Mechanically, when we’re looking at the way trauma works even on a biological level, the overwhelming fear is at the core of the pathology. (This is also why you can develop PTSD after a psychotic episode.) Like, my point isn’t that one of these things happened to Jason, or that he has to have sexual trauma from the events of the Diplomat’s Son or anything -mostly just that this is a possibility, something very serious that happens and an important nuance that I never see in discussions on the csa headcanon, and while it’s not exactly what the debate is about, I think it’s something important to ponder.

Do you consider the csa hc to be canon?

So, there are a lot of Jason stories, and I’m very pro “not take in account what is said in comics you dislike in your conception of canon” because if I did that absolutely no bat character would be readable, I have to believe that no character is defined by their worst writers. And boy, does Jason have a lot of bad writing… On top of the personal retcons, there are also the canon retcons: like Battle for The Cowl is retconned… Unless someone decides to reinject/revamp it into the narrative (please don’t please don’t it’s irrecuperable let it lay with the Flying Todds where it belongs). So, let’s see. There are three writers/arcs that imply/mention the csa hc: Starlin’s writing of Jason’s post-crisis Robin Run (canon though some stuff in it seems to have been retconned), Winick’s writing in Green Arrow: Seeing Red (canon as far as I know), and Battle for the Cowl (retconned). It’s worth noting that one of those are considered to be foundational works for Jason’s character (Jason’s post crisis Robin Run and Starlin’s part in it), and another was written by Winick, who wrote the other two foundational Jason stories: Under The Red Hood and Red Hood: Lost Days. On a personal level, I’m very mitigated about what I like and accept about it. I base my whole love and characterization of Jason about his post-crisis Robin Run, I love that little guy so much, Starlin’s take on Jason’s Robin Run is absolutely canon to me (which does not mean I like Starlin as a writer, thank you very much). On the other hand of the spectrum, the only reason Battle for the Cowl isn’t my least favourite comic ever is because The Killing Joke exists, absolutely not canon, get this thing away from me. And then in the middle, my feelings on Seeing Red (on the entirety of Winick’s Jason really) vary depending on the day, because I do like a revenge story that challenges the status quo with tropes of “bad victim” and it sets up Jason as a character based on love rather than morals which I adore, but there are also some elements of psychophobia in the writing that I (who approach stories through the filter of psychopathology first and foremost) can’t just look past, and also the way it intertwines with classist stereotypes. So do I consider Seeing Red to be canon? In good faith, yes, but whether I’ll accept it as such really depends on the day. In terms of the csa headcanon: it’s heavily hinted in BTFC but not outright said, it’s there as a undercurrent in Starlin’s run because of his intention (to make Jason die of AIDS). And then we have Seeing Red. Basically Jason lists elements about Mia’s life, including her past with underage prostitution (so, just to be very clear, csa), and says they’re very similar, having both lived on the streets, and understand having to do bad things when it’s necessary. This is not the same as saying “I was a victim of csa”, and what he’s saying could be interpreted differently (we know that he was stealing tires, and “only what he needs to survive”, so he could have been referencing small-time theft.) So, it could be a reference to something else, I totally understand why some people want to interpret differently. It just… Feels like such a weird and weak argument to be equating boosting tires to underage prostitution, to me it’s very ooc (in comparison to UTH Jason), and it would feel like weak writing from someone like Winick. Aka it’s not technically canon, and you don’t have to accept it as such(I understand the mentality of "I'm rejecting this interpretation because it feels like demonization of csa victims" perfectly), but personally I think it takes a lot from Jason’s character in Seeing Red and from this story in general.

[qwardivior]

DEMON BUSTERS!! — About Nezuko

Next Part>>

<<Previous Part

And so, the long awaited Nezuko post has arrived!!! Sorry for the long wait everyone, I had to work out some lore stuff and this kept getting delayed, so let’s just get right into it! In case you don’t know or need a refresher, in this modern kny au the Demon Slayer Corps has updated and rebranded into the Demon Busters! People have been dying to demon attacks at alarming rates so to make their jobs easier they’ve been running ad campaigns! However this installment is a little different as this is NOT an ad campaign! To protect Nezuko they did not run an ad campaign on her. Instead, this is known as an ‘about’. Several other characters will be getting an about section but let’s start with our favorite girl Nezuko!

— Lore Dump Incoming!!—

In this au, Nezuko got turned on her birthday. It was supposed to be a fun celebration, she would spend the night at her friends’ house and then go home the next morning to help her family prepare for New Years. Of course when the day actually came, there were complications as Tanjirou would not let her go for whatever reason, stating that he had a “bad feeling” about it. But nothing ever happens in their small town! In fact, the biggest event in a long while was their father’s death a couple months prior. Eventually, after some back and forth they just chalked it up to him being paranoid and she was able to go.

It wasn’t just paranoia. Nobody knew that anything was wrong until the next morning. Tanjirou had gone to pick Nezuko up since nobody had heard anything from her, and was met with a gruesome sight. Just like in canon, Nezuko was the only survivor, but she seemed to be a little off… Firstly, she had tried to attack Tanjirou before quickly coming to her senses after a man called Giyuu Tomioka appeared, stating that he was a “Demon Buster” and she was a “demon” and that he had to slay her. And secondly she no longer had a taste for human food and just slept all the time! Luckily, nobody was slayed, and the siblings were instructed to find a man named Sakonji Urokodaki, Tomioka’s teacher. But they couldn’t just leave! Not after everything. So they came to an agreement: because Nezuko was able to quell her hunger and more or less function like a normal human, the two would go home for now, and then Tomioka would come to pick them up at a later date. As it turned out, in order for Nezuko to get her humanity back, she’d have to become a “Demon Buster”. A perfect way to bring in the new year..

In this au Nezuko keeps her humanity and is more of her own person. This makes it easier for her to get around and get info from other demons easier. She also conquers the sun slightly earlier, but we’ll get to that later. She wasn’t able to really show herself to her family that often until she was able to learn how to disguise herself from none other than Yushiro. Her having a sense of self and a personality separate to Tanjirou also allows for them to go their separate ways a bit more. Of course they stick together but it’s not like Nezuko is bound to the box. They have missions that sometimes requires Tanjirou to go completely solo, thus Nezuko is left to her own devices.

Overall, I really want to explore Nezuko’s character more and there’s so much more to her than what can be explained in a single post. I guess you’ll just have to tag along to find out more huh? This will also allow me to expand more on her relationship in regards to Zenitsu. In canon, it seemed a little one-sided since we weren’t able to get Nezuko’s point of view, but in this au I want to show more mutual interest so it doesn’t come off as weird as it did in canon. This also allows her to make her own friends (read: Muichirou, Senjurou, Genya, and more). Nezuko is a very fun character to explore in this au and I can’t wait to show you guys more!

Also did I mention that a lower moon is seeking to kill her? No? Oh, my bad.

———

Hey! Thanks for sticking around. Sorry this one took a while! After this we will most likely be getting Tamayo and Yushiro!! Inosuke and Kanao will have to wait a little bit longer because I still have to figure out things lore/design wise. As for Hashira, the next one will either be Giyuu or Shinobu! That’s all for now and thanks for all the support on this au!! Feel free to ask me about anything lore-related! I’ll see you in the next one!

[demonstars]

Please don't jump my poor post would lose it's target audience :(

it'sokay the post also gave me a will to live and laugh and be happy because. World might be cruel but you can choose not to and the friends you make on your journey guide you to the light and happiness is hard but so worth it AND I JUST THINK IT'S SOOO DREAMCODED

[heartorbit]

the star you've longed for

[amanedachi]

iron / heart

Part of LoL Esports Elemental Series.

[myinnerartist]

what do we think music is like on daemos compared to earth? do we think it’s appreciated or looked down upon? maybe what are some instruments they have? would love to hear on that or perhaps any other form of arts and entertainment for them. bc i BET a major part of entertainment is making humans/slaves/traitors fight in a gladiator ring.

Hello anonymous individual, i hope you're having a splendid day, thank you for the ask!

Ok, let's start with entertainment before we get into music - you'll see why.

I agree with you that they absolutely have gladiator rings and use humans and traitors; albeit humans as humerous gladiators while traitors as mere opponent fodder. Because its just hilarious to see a human try to survive, but a traitor doesn't deserve the respect of being their appointed "gladiator." But don't think that means their treating the traitor with less respect than a human, think of appointing a human as a gladiator as like.... a defenseless animal being forced to fight. An animal gladiator is not the same as an actual gladiator. (Disgusting behavior, i know.)

Actual gladiators being Daemos that volunteered to fight in the arena....

Moving on! Theres two other entertainments that i think Daemos society could have! The first being...

🎭 Theatre!

Lemme explain--

Their theatre would not be our usual theatre, but rather... theatre connected to war. Battle. Soldiers! Specifically, the re-telling of the battles won of higher ranked soldiers.

Consider Daemos, as they go higher up the ranks, they gain unique sigils and helmets that will be tied to their identity, which helps them stand out and. Well. Identifiable in the theatre plays about them!

This is something they would want because these theatre plays help build their reputation among commonfolk, gaining popularity and, well, even fans. This also being good because it acts as motivation for Daemos to improve, to do better to rise the ranks so their own stories of battle will be told as well!

Also good for the theatre because of soldiers gaining fans, means more profit! More popular a soldier, more money. It's a mutual-beneficial relationship. Eh?

Bonus;

I also think they can use this as an opportunity to spread proganda or to enact plays that are meant to ruin the reputation of certain individuals as well. Their almost like a news station, heres the play of an upcoming solder, heres a play of your favorite general, and listen to the words of our king!!, heres a play warning you to what happens to traitors, heres the story of a traitor you should look down upon, and watch out for this b--h in particular.

Moving on.... to

🎪 Circusry!

That's right, the circus!

Cause what Daemos wouldn't love a good ol' live show where the cast includes not animals/creatures but as well as...

Daemos who have mutations, birth defects like being born without horns, humans once again... and etc. Misfits, outcasts, people to look down upon, and laugh at. (Disgusting behavior, i know. pt2)

Rather unfortunate "job" to have, I will say!

There's not much else I'm gonna say here.

Finally, moving onto

🎶 Music!

And their lack of it.

Now... i actually think music isn't looked down upon, but that commonfolk are not given access to instruments. And that it is only played under certain conditions... Aka, the entertainment business. or blah blah something something for the royal family.

Moving on, i think the type of music they play is, of course, instrumental... but intense. Like for theatre, they would want to play music that makes you feel powerful and strong, and like you're in battle! (Or whatever tone they need to tell a specific story. But it's always intended to support to drive the point of the story into you.)

What type of instruments they play?...

Definitely not Piano! Pianos dont exist in their society- uhh... hm. They probably would primarily have drums? then string instruments... horns. War horns.

Tbh i haven't thought much on what instruments they would have. I apologize! I also don't have a diverse knowledge of instruments. Soo...

Anyway, i hope these small basic ideas sufficed! And i hope you have a good rest of your day/noon/night! 🫶

[aliensubstance-011]

Hi, I'm very obsessed with your demon!Edwin au and I have to ask. Was he ever human or did the he-was-sacrificed-ergo-he-lost-possession-of-his-soul-to-the-demon-which-then-got-sold-several-times-and-in-turn-being-tortured-reforged-his-remaining-essence not happen at all?

Aghh hello!! You've summoned a minor lore-dump demon of your own >:)

So- as much as I adore the idea of him being originally human and slowly losing himself to the tortures of hell (an Idea I might explore later?? because I didn't even consider that??)- he is originally a demon from the layer of lust.

Now, hear me out. I'm still trying to wrap my head around The Sandman's version of hell, but from what I understand a big part of what can send someone to hell is believing they belong there. Throughout history, being queer has been regarded as a sin- a particularly lustful one! So, in hell, there's a specific area of lust dedicated to queer people from the past- this is where he gets his concept of fashion, speech patterns, knowledge of the world and thus also his internalised homophobia.

[carnation-damnation]

OUWAH WAIT can we discuss Shadow's stimming??? You've cracked an egg I have always wanted to fry and if you're comfy with it I'd love to hear your thoughts

Also maybe a closeted special interest how do we feel about this, again no pressure to answer just giving you thoughts to think if nothing else.

YOOO FOR SURE ANON!!

I think that Shadow was never like..punished for his stimming, really? I think Shadow is actually very hard to push over the edge, it's just that when he is, it's bad. The way he stims with his quills feels to me like just a casual "im chillin but need stimulation and I like my quills neat" kinda thing. I think if he stims with his rings, it's more out of nervousness and grounding. Some other stims I think he would do would be rocking and kicking his feet around. His shoes are probably heavy, I bet it feels nice to wave em around!!

We know that Shadow likes cats a fair amount and the smell of lavender, but I also like the idea that he's got an interest in vintage mechanics like old cars and motorcycles. (I once saw a post about how they'd probably have the same few magazines on the ARK, and Shadow uses them as reading material. Wish I could remember who it was who made it!!) Could also be light projecting on my part lol..But as analytical and logical as Shadow is, I think he'd like knowing what makes things work. Not in a "I'm gonna take this whole device apart and put it back together" thing (I think we owe that trait to Tails!) but in a "I'm gonna save this in my head to google later or else I'll never know why". Shadow's been incredibly isolated ever since he was created, I think he spends a lot of time just learning about Earth and everything in it.

[trans-estinien]

people really love to conveniently forget trans men exist when they talk about feminism. or if they dont they make us out as also part of the problem as if we somehow are able to have the same amount of privilege as cis men. absolutely wild

[dustandshadows-if]

Honestly, this sounds a bit cliche 🤔 waking up, amnesia, murder accusations, running away, most popular supernatural creatures (vampires), hunters..

But I've learned not to judge IFs by their descriptions because the demo may surprise me. So good luck with your project!

it may be a little cliche im ngl but! i write out of pure self-indulgence, so im not too bothered by it, and i hope you aren't either🫶

[maskedchip]

i think i need a break from art, but not in the sense that im burnt out more like i want to improve and while drawing a lot helps it’s probably good to take a step back and just. observe things. idk how to explain. i think my eye for improvement has sped up though, so now i start to hate things i made even a month ago oughhh ;_; 

it’s probably why im trying to step away from twt, bc i always appreciate the support and people are REALLY nice i just cant help but feel im still not good.... i think my art lacks a lot of technical skill... ahah... imposter syndrome never leaves. i did learn to love art again and not give two shits about what im making bc its for me but !!! i still don't like having a lot of eyes on me...anyways im still on the journey to learn anatomy and i have greatly improved so im proud of that!

[capricores]

arataki itto and kyojuro rengoku have the same energy (fire signs)

[cheslock]

Hello new followers and old followers returning back to the fandom again! This blog will be back to your regular Cheslock content again eventually. For now I am busy fighting the demons* preventing me from watching the new anime season. Please wish me luck!

[thecowardlycreative]

Sat down to draw something and completely blanked so... take some more from this fic I will never write.

Clothes taken from this previous art of mine. 

[dxfiedfxte]

Sleeping Meme (Repost do not reblog)

Type of bed: At his home, he has a king-sized bed because he likes to move around a lot when sleeping alone, to Minato, there's no better feeling than being able to roll around onto the other side of the bed, despite this, he doesn't really move around too much in bed unless he's feeling extra comfy.

Number of blankets: It depends on the season. In spring he uses two thin blankets, the top one being a little bit thicker. For summer, he uses the central AC he installed upon buying the house. Since it is nice and cool in the house, he usually opts for one thick comforter since his central air is very strong. Fall, he likes to keep his bedroom balcony screen door open all night so he can take in the cool fall breeze (Which he is very comfortable doing since his bedroom is on the fifth floor in his seven-story home, so he doesn't need to worry about stalker fan girls sneaking in, also the fence surrounding his home) so in turn, he uses a very thick comforter with a thinner bottom layer blanket. In Winter he turns his heat up and usually goes for a thin blanket. One that's thin enough to keep him cool, but also still keeps him warm.

Number of pillows: Minato has six pillows, four of them stay along the headboard, while the last one foes under the main pillow under his head to elevate him a bit. Because of his height now, he needs to have his head elevated a little just to sleep comfortably.

Type of clothing: Minato isn't too picky with what he wears to bed, but his choice of sleepwear usually consists of: A dark blue tank top and black loose-fitting pajama pants, a midnight blue t-shirt, and black shorts. Some days, if he's feeling too lazy, he'll just throw on a pair of pajama pants and sleep shirtless.

Does it matter where they sleep?: Kind of but not really. For the most part, if he's tired or comfortable enough, he can fall asleep pretty easily. Although the hotels he stays at do play a big part in that as well. While Minato isn't really concerned about staying at flashy and fancy four-star hotels, he at least wants the hotel to be good quality, with top-tier housekeeping and hospitality.

What do they do when they can't fall asleep?: If there is ever a night that Minato for some reason, cannot sleep, he'll kill some time by either:

Play a video game on his Switch or 3DS XL (He's always torn between a horror game or an RPG)

Post a random tweet on t.witter asking which of his fans across the world are up, or just make a random shower thoughts type of post out of amusement and observe how his fans react.

Look over his collection of haunted and supposedly cursed artifacts and items and take count.

Dig through his horror movie collection and struggle to choose between a slasher flick or a paranormal-themed flick for an hour or two

Have some herbal tea to try and invoke sleep, but ends up munching on cookies, thus failing his attempt to become tired by having sugar

Read a horror book in the dark, under a single reading lamp

Hunt for ghosts in his own home until boredom or sleep hits

If all else fails, he'll lie down in the dark playing soft and sleep-inducing music until he eventually crashes out.

Frequent dreams, and/or nightmares: Minato's dreams stem from very weird and bizarrely random(A good example of this: Minato once dreamt of entering a land of gummy bears and proceeded to eat them, they even encouraged him) All the way to serious or fun. Though he's no stranger to bad nights of his own. Sometimes, he does have nightmares about his parent's deaths, but only during the month it happened ( I can't remember if there was a canon month given, but I'll assume September for now) There have also been a few instances where Minato has had reoccurring nightmares of something for a week due to coming in contact with some very malicious entities that curse his dreams for a limited time.

Deep slumber or naps?: Minato can do both, though it all depends on what he's doing at the moment. If he's still tired, his best chances of a nap would be on the train if it's a ride longer than five hours, on his private plane, or if he's being carpooled/escorted. If Minato is driving though, he always makes sure he's well energized since he doesn't want to risk falling asleep at the wheel. In terms of deep sleep, Minato tends to do that on Sundays since those are well renowned for being a lazy day.

When do they sleep?: When he goes to sleep, depends entirely on his work schedule. Almost every day, Minato works until very late at night and into the early morning, the times he sleeps vary between 4 to 6 am on a work day. But if it's a day off, it's usually either 1 or 2 am.

What could wake them up?: Lots of things, the most common being: His alarm clock, or the one on his phone, the bits of sunlight that poke into his room (Which is why he has blackout curtains in his bedroom), and Takashi who has literally dragged him out of bed a few times on a Sunday whenever he's had the odd career related thing to do, be it a guest appearance on a show, podcast or an interview.

Above all though, Minato would like to be woken up by his significant other over everything else, he's used to the normal ways of waking up, so being woken up gently by his lover is what he would prefer, especially compared to Takashi ripping the blanket off of him.

Tagged by: the amazing @more-than-a-princess (Thank you ^_^)

Tagging: @tacitusauxilium @mirrorsoftheotherself (Rei :3) @epitomees (Chie?) @oraclememehacker @chibitantei @hxpelessnurse @memoriamexarca (Minako) @unladielike

[blametheeditor]

The Expense Of Trust | Chapter 3

Anomalies and Incident Reports

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Content Warnings: Cursing. Mentions of death and murder. Mentions of others being lesser than. Intent to kill. Death by anomaly. Dehumanization. Addressing someone as 'it'. Darker themes and tone.

Run Down: In the instant of a site-wide containment breach, there are only a few protocols available to follow. Know the right people, hope to be at the right place at the right time, and whatever you do, don't trust anything.

Scott can't seem to catch a break, but next week we torture Fritz

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Scott’s first thought when Vincent instructed him to turn around was to prepare to run. 

Because up until that point, the living shadow hadn’t been helping in escaping the facility unless he was in immediate danger, and even then it’s been verbal directions while hiding in Scott’s own shadow despite having the capability of using a corporeal form. Meaning it was up to the containment specialist to do all of the leg work in carefully making his way toward an exit. 

Instead of an SCP rounding the corner, however, he was greeted with the sight of a small group of people lined along the wall of the hallway opposite of the one he had been making his way down. 

At first he was confused, managing to identify D-Class and medical personnel, the latter he actually recognizes as the kid who has checked over him monthly ever since he made the deal with Vincent. A tactile response officer, a researcher, and someone wearing a suit. And there is only one person in this entire facility who wears a full piece suit. 

The moment he realized it was David seemed to be the same moment the senior researcher recognized Scott.

He expected a lot of things. Annoyance due to their interactions always turning into arguments regarding wearing proper safety gear. Possibly even relief finding another person who hasn’t fallen victim to an anomaly. At the very worse indifference considering on the surface, Scott wouldn’t have much to contribute when it comes to escaping other than having each and every hallway memorized and therefore able to lead them to the exit. 

No, David suddenly looks horrified before turning around. Begins running in the opposite direction. 

Was the senior researcher leaving him behind? 

Scott tries to quench his anger, sending a glance over his shoulder to see if an anomaly snuck up behind him. Because the man couldn’t be that selfish and leave someone to die because they had arguments. 

There’s nothing. No sign of a single SCP. Honestly, Scott should’ve expected it given his track record. 

“They’re heading straight toward an anomaly,” Vincent pipes up. 

Wait. “What kind of anomaly?” 

“The bad kind,” is all that’s offered. 

Great. Wonderful. So either Scott can be the bigger person and warn them despite the clear want to leave him to survive on his own, or pretend he doesn’t have such vital information and simply continue toward the exit. 

Of course Vincent wouldn’t care which is chosen. The demon has made it blatantly clear he finds the morals most humans possess to be quite entertaining. Wouldn’t hang it over Scott’s head if he picks the second option because it’s just a matter of survival, simply revel in watching the guilt slowly consume the containment specialist from the inside out. 

God damn it. 

“Dav-!” 

His shout is cut off as the ground vanishes from beneath his feet the moment he stepped forward to chase after them. He’s in freefall for a few seconds, unable to breathe, unable to scream, staring out into a pitch-black void. 

It feels like a lifetime has passed, and then the ground appears as if it was always there, Scott unable to stop his momentum. Forced to bring his hands up in the attempt to soften his collision with a wall that seemed to have materialized from thin air. 

It didn’t, he’s more or less used to Vincent’s way of ‘teleporting’ him from place to place, but he will never be an ‘expert’ at it. Not when he’s positive the demon purposefully throws him near objects just to see him trip or at the very least nearly break his nose. 

Scott’s fairly certain he earned a slight concussion this round, but this time he manages to stay on his feet. Looks around the room before spotting the open door. Racing out in the hopes he managed to stop David in time, only to immediately feel hands grab his shoulders before an arm is secured around his neck. 

He feels panic flood his heart as a hand is placed on his forehead, begins to struggle with all his might. Praying he isn’t killed all because he was trying to save their lives. “I’m not an anomaly!” 

"He’s n-n-not!” 

“David.” 

“He’s not, but he’s marked.” 

Scott doesn’t know when he closed his eyes, but once he realizes he opens them to be greeted with David staring down at him with a grim expression. Stares as the taller man pushes someone behind him. 

The worst part however is the sight of some kind of mist creeping around the corner heading straight toward them. 

“Behind you!” 

The arm that had been slowly restricting his throat releases him. But before he can process why, hand is on his back to shove him away from the oncoming threat. “Move.” 

Scott doesn’t need to be told twice, obediently running back toward the spot he had originally been. Only slows down for a second in order to meet Jeremy in the eye. The one familiar face he doesn’t have a bad past with. “Follow me.” 

He’s unable to wait for the kid to give a response, sprinting down the opposite hallway and making a swift left to continue on his path toward an exit. 

“Right.” 

Vincent’s directions aren’t questioned. He still has a hard time trusting the demon, but with Scott’s life currently on the line he has no room to argue. And this time, he can’t help having a little bit of faith at the sight of a security door only a few yards away. 

"Stop!” 

He barely manages to in time, skidding to a halt right before stepping out into the hallway parallel to the one he’s currently in. Gasps for air as his legs tremble from the exertion and terror. Remembers he’s not alone and whirls around to see Jeremy’s about a few feet behind him, able to slow down without any trouble. Followed by the D-Class, the officer- they all followed him. Even David. 

“V-Vince?” Scott begins, hoping he’ll get a little more information on what’s stopping them from reaching the security door. It’s right there. As soon as they get through it they’re essentially home free. 

“There’s something waiting in the hallway,” the demon begins. “As soon as you step out it’ll grab you.” 

“God damn it.” 

“Right or left?” the officer asks as he walks closer, grabbing a small disk from his belt. Meaning he heard Vincent’s explanation. And is willing to give the disembodied voice the benefit of the doubt. 

Vincent hums. “Directly above, actually.” 

The man nods once. Presses one side of the disk before throwing it out into the hallway. “Brace yourself.” 

Scott didn’t know who was being addressed, but within the fraction of a second, something drops from the ceiling and disappearing once more the device gone. A moment later it sounds as if something exploded right before he feels the displacement of air. 

“Thirty seconds.” 

He’s at the security door in five. Swipes his key in one. Holds it open as he counts everyone making it through before slamming it shut with four to spare. 

“Scott,” David growls lowly in between labored breaths. “You better explain yourself.” 

“Well aren’t you a hypocrite,” Vincent begins as his shadow stretches onto the wall beside Scott. He then steps out of it to form a familiar purple man. One who’s grinning from ear to ear. “I also seem to recall it’s none of your business.” 

“It is my business when I’m apparently dealing with a demon!” 

“Oh so we’re making deals, now.” 

“Vince,” Scott hisses to try and reel the living shadow back in, even if it might be completely fruitless. 

He almost misses the officer doing the same thing to David. Though instead of flashing a condescending smile, the taller man backs down. “How do names work?” 

Vincent’s smile suddenly vanishes. “You’re a hunter who knows what he’s doing.” 

“And it seems your only weapon is ambiguity.” 

That earns a low whistle. “I can see how you managed to get someone like him under your thumb. You’re safe with your first. Last is pushing it.” 

“I’m James,” the officers introduces, locking eyes with Scott most likely looking just as lost as he feels. “Thank you for helping us.” 

“Of course. I’m Scott, this is Vince-” 

A hand is suddenly covers his mouth before he can finish the living shadow’s name, leaving him stunned as Vincent gives a dark chuckle before removing his hand. “No need to overshare, Scotty.” 

“We're going to trust this?” David demands as he gestures toward the scene in front of him. Honestly, Scott can’t even be upset. Not when it’s abundantly clear he knows nothing about the demon he made a contract with. 

“At least I have a rulebook,” Vincent shrugs. “I’m much more concerned with the half-breed.” 

Scott feels like he was left behind somewhere. He doesn’t know where exactly, and to be entirely truthfully he might even want to know. But considering someone was able to wrangle Vincent within just a few seconds, he wants to stay on good terms with James. If that means somehow fixing his and David’s relationship in one way or another, then he will do it, no matter what it takes. 

The only issue is the fact Vincent seems dead set on trying to anger everyone. Including Jeremy who attempts to glare at the demon. “H-H-His name is M-Mike.” 

Scott doesn’t want to know why Vincent suddenly looks very excited. “This is going to be fun.” 

“James,” David all but pleads. 

“They both saved our lives,” is all the officer says. 

That is the last straw for Scott. The realization that the only reason why someone is staying on his side is because a favor is owed. “Vince. Do me a favor and shut up.” 

“Did I go too far?” the demon stage whispers with a smug smile. 

“You know you did!” Scott exclaims. Uncaring if the others are watching and listening. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t intentionally antagonize.” 

“What for?” Vincent asks. It almost feels like a slap in the face from how genuine it is. As if the living shadow can’t find any reason not to be. 

“You know what, forget it.” 

“Did the fact I’m a demon just slip your mind?” 

“Did you claiming we’re friends slip yours?” 

Vincent suddenly barks out a laugh. “Did you honestly think I meant that?” 

Scott stares up at the demon for a moment. Memorizing the sneer and the sheer joy at the fact he managed to trick the containment specialist. 

Someone who bent over backward for the anomaly to make the research teams back off after they managed to get under Vincent’s skin. Pulled several strings in order to get a table placed inside the demon’s containment room so he could protect himself within reason. Genuinely enjoyed answering questions about ‘odd human mannerisms’ when the living shadow escaped containment for the sole purpose to bother Scott. 

Looking back on it, he should’ve realized he was just being used. It’s nothing new. Just meant he was an idiot for thinking a shadow demon would be any different. 

Well two could play at that game. 

He refuses to acknowledge Vincent’s sneer quickly vanishing as it’s replaced with a look of regret. “Scotty-” 

Scott brushes past James and David in order to lead the way down the smaller corridors on this side of the security door. Tunnels normally meant for maintenance that should be empty of most SCP’s. And for any that managed to slip through the cracks, Vincent will easily be able to sense them before they get to close. Something he’ll have to announce or else Scott gets killed considering he’s first in line. 

“Scotty, wait.” 

He doesn’t acknowledge Vincent running to catch up with him, the living shadow opting to keep a form he’s commented on being less superior. For what reason, Scott doesn’t care enough to think about. 

“I’m sorry, that was uncalled for,” Vincent murmurs as he falls in step with the shorter. 

“No, you’re right,” Scott shrugs. “You’re just a demon who doesn’t possess any feelings.” 

“Look, I know you’re angry-” 

“How do you know what anger is?” 

“Hey,” the demon growls. “Stop being pretty.” 

Scott glances up to see if Vincent was intentionally botching the saying, not wanting to be tricked. But there’s a genuine scowl aimed toward him. No hint of a smirk. “It’s petty.” 

Vincent opens his mouth with a glare before hesitating, seeming to realize what was said. “What did I say?” 

“Pretty can be an amplifier or a compliment.” 

“Stop being pretty petty.” 

Scott hates himself for wanting to smile at how confidently the sentence was spoken. “Close enough.” 

“I think of you as a friend,” Vincent grumbles, as if he’s unsure how to feel about such a confession. “I offered a deal instead of killing you for a reason. I really do enjoy throwing you across rooms.” 

Scott gives a look. “Not what you’re supposed to enjoy in a friendship.” 

“But then I would be lying if I said anything else!” 

He whirls on the demon in order to properly chew him out, yelling when Vincent sinks into his shadow with a laugh. “Asshole!” 

“Are you two done?” David snaps from the back of the line. One that has James at the front who stopped a few feet away when Scott did. Following by Mike, Jeremy, and the assistant researcher he had completely forgotten about. A bit unsure where the kid has been this entire time. “I’d prefer to get out of this place before whatever the hell is kept in the basement finally realizes it can escape containment.” 

Scott glances around the corridor. Staring when he spots a door almost to his immediate left. The door he was looking for, actually, because on the other side is a direct path to an exit out of the facility. 

“Don’t-!” 

Vincent’s warning came too late as the door swings open. 

He was expecting a horrific Eldritch being by how panicked the living shadow sounded. Yet all he sees is a young boy no older than ten years old standing about a yard away. Holding nothing but a plush golden bear. With a blade of shadow as long as he is tall racing forward to slice him cleanly in half.