#the members themselves don't seem to mind it since people never try and claim these fan nicknames are Real Names

[houseofwolvess]

ive been looking more into, like, the ghost (band) lore stuff because it's fun and all, but. WOW there's a lot of discourse over stupid shit. why are people so pressed about people nicknaming the ghouls

[seillarium]

melt my heart and claim it as yours

tl;dr. the classic 5+1 fic for my one and only love

pairings : portgas d. ace x reader

notes : mild angst (?), happy ending, no pronouns used (as far as i know) but written with fem reader in mind, no proofread, lowercase intended, a few profanities, english isn't my first language, overuse of italics lol, PORTGAS D. ACE LIVESSSS

word count : roughly 3.5k words

sincerely, sei : AAAAAARGHHH OMGOMG I FINALLY FINISHED IT ACTUALLY HOLY SH 😭😭 anyway, please lmk if there are grammatical errors, or typos, hopefully i don't fumble this, i think it's not rlly good. but to be fair, i was experimenting 😥

I.

you're a new recruit of the whitebeard pirates, having been rescued from an organization that experiments on people—honestly you didn't think you'd live this long with how things were going with your life.

you were hesitant at first, meekly greeting the members of the seemingly kind pirates around you. as far as you knew, pirates were pictured as barbaric, evil, and cruel. but all that you see are warm people that see each other as family. it left a foreign feeling in your chest, one that you can't seem to decipher.

but you have only one thing in mind: do you belong here?

-

your first day on the moby dick was chaos. good chaos, you convince yourself. you were utterly overwhelmed by the amount of people, and holy fuck, did you just get a thousand siblings in less than a day??

they threw a party, for the new nakama, they said. it was heartwarming to say the least, and a small smile appeared on your face for the first time ever since you were put into that hell.

you try to put your mind into what was happening now, 'stop thinking about that, you have a new life ahead of you.' there were a lot of people introducing themselves, though you can't understand most of them. you were dragged, pushed even, as the dining area was suddenly filled. maybe the term 'barbaric' was fitting for them, after all.

the first to approach you one on one was the first division commander; marco. he had checked if you were doing alright, and all you did was smile and nod—biting your tongue, trying not to mention how you think he looks like a pineapple.

the second would be thatch, he was a tad drunk drunk and his mind is cooked. his flirtatious words were slurred. he called you multiple names, he claimed that your smile is quite fetching. you weren't really affected, he is amusing, though.

a few more approached you, some just greeting briefly, some were inviting you to drink (you didn't, the taste of alcohol is shit anyway), and some just gave you a warm "welcome to the crew!"

they sure are a rowdy bunch, you think, as you were leaning on the railing. then another person approached you. he leaned on the railing next to you, copying your position.

when you finally looked at him, your mind short-circuited for a moment. the mysterious man was certainly attractive. he's topless, that's what stupefied you for a second. not that you never saw any other guy who walks without any shirt—this one just has a nice figure, definitely easy to look at.

"hey there! you're the new recruit, yeah? my name is portgas d. ace, it's nice to meet you."

his voice startled you, whoops, you're staring, how inappropriate. he's bowing politely, and it baffled you for the nth time today because; what is this, a pirate crew whose motto is 'we're different from other pirates'?! you had never met a pirate this polite your whole life. you ought to pinch yourself; maybe this is a silly dream after all.

"hello? earth to you, er.." he waved a hand to your face, only then did you look to his face. great, so you were looking at his open tits first?

"(name). it's nice to meet you." you greeted back with a small smile, and he grinned. oh, he looks so... kind. you felt your heart thump—or did it actually stop?

"(name), huh? what a pretty name for a pretty face." oh, cheeky. he's got a coy grin on his lips now. he's like thatch, then. but he succeeded to make you blush slightly.

"thanks...?" wow, way to go! you honestly didn't know what to reply, given that you were locked up for about 5 years with almost no social interaction with others.

he didn't seem to mind, in fact, he looked pleased at your answer. though, he did seem to notice your uncomfortable shift. he props his elbow to the railing, resting his cheek on his hand. "you're adorable."

and your mind clogged again, face exploding into a deep red as you furrowed your eyebrows, forming a confused expression. he seems sober, and he says it like he means it. the temperature just skyrocketed, must be from how flushed your cheeks are.

he laughed at your expression, and you found yourself liking the carefree sound and his boyish grin. he gazed at your eyes again, slightly pink cheeks and a grin that screams mischief. more compliments spill from his mouth. looks like you're in for an embarrassing night.

-

once the night ended, ace slapped a hand on his mouth, his cheeks flushed—fuck, he's on fire, literally. he was mesmerized by you, thus, the sudden compliment escaped him. he didn't mean to, but with your reaction? oh he wanted more. he honestly thought flirting would be a good way to take your mind off of things, thank god he didn't fumble. such a miracle you didn't notice how his back was on fire the whole time...

II.

weeks had passed since you became a whitebeard pirate. you learned a lot of things. one, you were living under a rock, literally and figuratively. the lab that you were once in was underground. you've been there since you were 15, causing you to lack knowledge about the recent happenings in the outside world.

two, it was hard to keep up and remember each of their names. your overwhelmed brain is turning into mush at this point, thankfully they're kind enough to say their names over and over again for you.

three, ace. that's it, ace. you learned that he's some kind of lost dog. trailing you everywhere you go, not that you're complaining. honestly if he wasn't sticking to you, you'd be sticking to him.

there's this magnetic pull that drags you to him, seems like you couldn't resist his warm nature. like a moth to a flame you were attracted to him. and you feel yourself burn, not in a bad way—like you were succumbing to his very fire and you think you'll be fine as ashes if it meant you'd be closer to him.

but it's like, his fire flickers when you move forward. he let's you near, but never close. it's like you know about him, but you don't know him. like he's keeping you at arm's length.

that does not stop the flirting, though.

"hey, I'm lost, can you give me directions to your heart?"

"if you were a triangle, you'd be acute one."

"aren't you tired? you've been running through my mind all day."

you're becoming a puddle of goo, it just gets embarrassing to the point you can't even form words.

"hey, (name), do you have a pen and a paper?" he suddenly approached you as you were walking around the ship. you shook your head 'no', surprised he's not making moves today.

"damn, no pen, no paper, yet you still draw my attention." he said with a shit-eating grin and a wink. "...."

"wait! (name)!!"

III.

a day alone with ace in a strange island is absolute havoc. you wonder how it's possible for one person to destroy half of a forest. well, to be fair, he is fire.

"are you a dumbass?!" you screeched, running away as fast as you can while a strange lion goes after you both. ace tried to pet it, you almost did too and out of a sudden everything went haywire.

"i didn't know it would be immune to fire!!" he screeched back, holding your wrist and practically dragging you.

"why the hell did you even try and pet a wild lion in the first place?!"

-

you're now sitting by a bonfire, lit by yours truly. you hug your knees to your chest, watching as the fire dances in the air.

the lion incident has passed, finding out it's actually frightened by water. you crossed a river and found a hilltop—which is where you are right now.

"you still cold?" he asked, sitting next beside you.

"kind of," not really, you're not exactly freezing, you just want more. of him, preferably.

he scooted closer, your shoulders touching. and heat immediately seeps through you. and for a moment you just relished his body temperature.

then the next thing you knew, your whole being was enveloped by his warmth. his arms looped on your waist, his head resting on your shoulder. he sent you a smile, and god, everything about him is warm.

"are you a campfire? because you're hot and i want s'more." and just when you though you could sit in peace.

"ace, you're literally the hot one between the two of us." you answered, exasperated to your wits' end. "aww, you think I'm hot?" you didn't know if you want to slap the smirk off his face or bury yourself 6 foor under.

"n-no?! i mean, you are, literally—" his grin widens. "y-you know what i mean!! and I'm cold.."

"think i can make your heart melt?" oh he did. you sighed, does he really mean all of this? you never really gave him replies, not that you could even form words with how your brain turns into a puddle when he throws you the most cheesy ass pick up line ever. where does he even gets all of these?

"Is it chilly out, or is that just the chill you send down my spine every time I see you?" a scoff escaped you. "it's cold right now."

"well, thank god i brought some socks, you're giving me cold feet." he said rather dramatically, his body sagging against yours.

"do you really mean all of this?" you asked out of the blue. is he just messing with you? is he really gonna burn you after all? maybe his flames would just combust your lonely heart to oblivion, then leave it to heave in the remaining smoke.

"of course." he replies almost immediately, his eyes seeking yours. sincerity swam in his dark orbs, a soft yet genuine smile on his lips. oh. maybe he was just trying to cradle you with his warmth, after all.

-

he takes a mental note to take this more seriously. thus, you didn't fail to notice how his lines were a bit more genuine, it still has a hint of playfulness—but everytime he looks into your eyes, it seems as though he's swallowing each emotion in them, fully drowning in you with those obvious lovesick orbs.

IV.

the night was cold, so was your heart. thatch had died, murdered by the hands of his own family. his own nakama. you sat on your bed, blank eyes staring to the window. it was pouring, as if the clouds were affected by the loss. the raindrops fell harder and harder, jut like the pounding in your chest as his death sinks in.

there were sudden knocks on your door. you didn't have to sit up, you knew who it was. "come in.." you croaked, voice breaking slightly.

the door opened and revealed a disheveled ace. he was quiet as he invited himself in, the familiar scent of your room filling his senses. "hey.." he greeted, yet it lacked the familiar warmth he always held. it was replaced by the bitter cold, gnawing at his insides.

"hey, you." despite his state, you felt warm. everytime the pirate comes into view, your heart is immediately filled with fervor. sparks surging through your veins.

ace wordlessly sat down beside you, head hung low and you know why. "I'm going to kill teach." he muttered, his resentment surfacing with each passing second.

"what?" you gaped, and you don't know whether to let him go or not. you weren't sure if the awful pit on your stomach was something worth noting. before you could speak further, his voice cuts into the air. sharp and determined.

"and you can't do anything to stop me." and for the first time ever, he made you cold. unpleasant shivers went down your spine and your heart dropped to the depths of doubt. and before you know it, protests escapes your lips while you shake him. it's unsettling, how you're holding onto him yet he's so cold.

"i don't care if it's dangerous, he killed thatch, he betrayed his own!" he raises his voice, but you can't find it in yourself to even flinch, still seeking that certain fire in his eyes. it's there, it's ignited, but not the kind of flame that you're looking for.

"i just... didn't want to leave without telling you goodbye." he mumbled, voice softening significantly.

"are you saying this will be the last time I'll see you?" you can't ignore it anymore, tears are stinging your eyes.

".... i—" he hesitated, breath hitching. "of course not, I'll come back for you."

for you.

his words rang in your ears, he sounds so genuine yet so full of doubt. and as your gaze on him lingers, all you could see is a lost boy, his judgement crumbling right before your eyes.

"come back alive, okay? I'll wait for you." you told him with such warmth and affection, your hand cupping his cheek.

at that moment, he looks like he'll break, your warmth seeping through his freckled cheek and straight through his heart and soul. it felt so surreal for him, he's made of fire, but it feels as though you were burning him.

"i don't know, it's like you're already killing me here, 'cause you took my breath away."

sigh.

V.

you're on fire.

not literally, but it may as well be with how you can feel the intense determination and fear in your bones. you stood near pops, the tense atmosphere wafting through the thick air in marineford.

ace is there, at the execution grounds—chained, bruised, bloodied, and regretful. you could see him clearly, yet he feels so far away.

and once the war started, you did your best to avoid the attacks sent to you, sprinting straight towards ace. you knew it was futile, the marines surrounding him far too strong compared to you. but you can't stop.

I'm coming for you, ace. the rapid thumping of your heart is all that you could hear, ignoring his desperate pleas of 'don't come here! it's not worth it!'

ace, ace, ace. you repeat his name in your head like a mantra. ace, ace, ACE. you screamed this time, voice breaking.

you legs stopped once you saw the dark hair of a young boy—screaming his lungs as he calls for his dear brogher, along with the intense surge of his haki. you weren't weakened by it, but you felt a sense of relief as he ran through the sea of marines ready to take his life.

instead of heading to ace, you sprinted to the boy—luffy, you assumed based on the countless stories from his brother. you helped fight off anyone in his way, putting all your trust in him.

you watch as he somehow freed ace. in awe as they fought alongside together, having perfect harmony.

you could only watch as he finally ran, straight to were you and the others were. and you felt so light seeing him, alive and well.

yet, you could only watch, as he was provoked by admiral akainu. you could only scream at him to stop, to just let it go. but of course you knew it was pointless. he's ace, he'll never let anyone dare to throw dirt on the name of his savior. he wouldn't let anyone insult the man who kindly called him as his son.

and thus, you could only watch as magma seeped through his chest. the ring in your ears eating up all your sanity, you couldn't even hear nor feel as the others dragged you away—unaware that you were running to him again.

you only watched as he whispered words to his brother, hugging him helplessly.

then everything became a blur.

VI.

the morning birds chirped, or was it the seagulls handing out the newspapers? nonetheless, the light from the window indicates that a new day is starting.

a new day, as you sat next to ace's bed. you never left his ever since you woke up. his organs were ruined, and you wonder how marco and the others had healed him.

but you didn't care about how. all you could ever care about is ace. he's alive. still, he's yet to wake up.

it's been a week, the familiar routine of sitting next to his bed was slowly embedding in your mind. you want nothing more than to see his eyes again, to see that bright smile that makes you think that the sun was nothing but an irrelevant orb up in the sky.

his chest was filled with bandages—another reminder of an ugly memory. you stared at him solemnly, fingers tracing his freckled cheeks.

then he stirred, and you flinched. your mind went blank. the gears in your head only turned once he gazed at you with those pretty eyes—effectively pulling you into the depths of your emotions.

"why are you crying?" were his first words, his voice was strained, his throat dry. only then did you realize everything was blurry.

"y-you—!" clutching his arm almost desperately, you found yourself crumbling in front of him. "you said you'd come back alive!"

"but i am alive." he said matter-of-factly.

"what if you died?!" honestly, you didn't know nor cared if you were making a point. all you did was sob his name over and over again, you arms coming up to wrap around his neck. crying as the man stroked your unkempt hair.

"...is this real?" he then asked, and the doubtful tone you once heard was at it again. you looked into his eyes, witnessing a broken man who looked as though he couldn't believe what has happened. "I'm actually alive?"

"of course you are! you're here, ace. you're fine." you said, partly to yourself, but mainly to him who looks like he'll break you with how he's holding you.

"you're alive. thank god you're alive, ace." and he cries. he cries and sobs and you don't know what else to do but to hold him.

"do i deserve to live? do i really deserve to survive?" and you felt your own tears falling. he sounds so broken, so lost, so doubtful.

you didn't question why he was asking that, rather, you cupped his cheeks and stared lovingly in his eyes.

"you do, ace." was all you have to say. was all he needed to hear. it won't be easy to remove those thoughts, no. but for now, it was enough.

"yeah?" he sniffled, a lopsided grin on his lips. you kissed his tears away, as he closed his eyes in bliss.

"yeah."

he grinned from ear to ear, and you returned it. and you both sat there, just giggling to each other.

"can i borrow your sunglasses? i can't stare at you too much 'cuz you're hotter than the sun." instead of laughing or blushing like you always do, your eyes softened.

"really? your eyes must be weak then. i can stare at you for hours." and before he could even so much as react, you continued.

"you know, you're like the sun. so bright, so warm. and every time i see you, i don't know whether i should bask in you or to hide because you burn me. god, you set my heart on fire, ace. and i don't care if i turn into ashes as long as i can be beside you all the time." you finished, staring at him like a lovesick fool.

he was out of words, his face exploding in a bright red and you wondered how much restraint he has right now to not burst into flames on the spot. he gaped at you as you stared at him like he hung the stars in the sky.

"i love you." he muttered. now you were the one rendered speechless. no words can express how he makes you feel. and you all but grinned, giddy and drunk off of the feeling of his love.

"i love you too." and before you two could lean in and share that sweet sweet kiss, the door opened and you saw the half of the crew falling down from their pile. looks like they've been eavesdropping.

and they didn't even had any shame as they cheered, chanting 'kiss, kiss, kiss!' loud screams of jovial voices filled the cabin once you two actually did.

familiar warmth seeped through your body and cradled your heart. and you had an epiphany at that moment: you belong here, right at this very moment, forever and more.

ps. : NAHHH CAN YALL TELL I GOT LAZY AT THE END im sorry it took so long i procrastinated for like 2 days 🙏 thank you for reading!!

taglist : @captainportgasdace @malxoxo (there's so many of yall who liked my previous post, my lazy ass could never, i might tag yall later tho if i get my energy back <33)

[dee-writes-anime]

I don’t know if you watched the Disney movie “Haunted Mansion” (the one with Eddie Murphy) since Halloween is just around the corner I thought this one would make you laugh? Imagine the League Of Villains are staying with reader at reader’s families haunted mansion that reader inherited (from a family member) BUUUUUUT……. Reader forgot to tell the league that their family mansion is haunted🤭😅

Just take your time on this one, i understand that college is a pain in the ass but I thought this one would brighten up your day!😃 so take care and remember to eat, drink water, rest and relax you’ll get through it😁👍

Haunted Mansions Aren't for the Weak

FEATURING League Of Villians x Reader (platonic)

SUMMARY Haunted Mansion shenanigans

CONTENT WARNINGS creepy mansions, ghosts, crack

AUTHORS NOTE this idea had me cackling, hope you don't mind the different format :)

Oh my GOD, I can just imagine after a particularly messy job, the League of Villains finds themselves in need of a new hideout. That's when you casually suggest your family mansion. It's huge, tucked away in the middle of nowhere, and basically perfect for keeping a low profile. Without thinking twice, the League agrees.

Upon arrival, the mansion looms before them, towering and intimidating, with ivy creeping up the stone walls and gargoyles perched on the corners of the roof. The overgrown garden whispers in the breeze, and the massive iron gates groan as they swing open. Spinner glances uneasily at the place, muttering, "Great. Of course, it's a creepy mansion in the middle of nowhere."

The inside is even more imposing. Dusty chandeliers, creaky wooden floors, dark tapestries—everything you’d expect in a haunted mansion. But the League doesn't mind; they’ve seen worse. Besides, they're here to lay low, and it's not like anything can scare the most feared villains in the country... or so they think.

You lead them through the darkened corridors and give them a brief tour. “Oh, the rooms upstairs are bigger. Some of them have their own fireplaces. There’s a library down the hall, and the kitchen’s fully stocked. Feel free to explore, make yourselves at home. Oh, and about the ghosts…”

Shigaraki interrupts, scratching at his neck in irritation. “Ghosts? You’re not serious.”

You give a sheepish shrug. “Yeah, well, the place is a little haunted… by my ancestors. But they’re harmless. Nothing to worry about, I swear.”

Dabi, arms crossed, leans against the wall, smirking. “Right. Ghosts. Sure. What are we, five years old?” His tone oozes disbelief, but the moment his arm touches the wall, it groans, and the portrait next to him tilts on its own. He glances at it, then back at you. “You’re messing with us.”

You shake your head, trying to be casual. “Nope. Just, uh, don’t mind them.”

And so, the League settles in, trying to ignore the faint, unsettling noises that seem to echo through the hallways.

The First Night:

That’s when things start to get weird. As night falls, Shigaraki is the first to notice the peculiar happenings. His irritation grows as he hears soft, persistent scratching—from inside the walls. “Who the hell is scratching the walls? Is someone trying to be funny?” His voice cuts through the dark as he storms out of his room, hands twitching with the urge to disintegrate something.

No one answers. It only gets worse as he stalks down the hall, the sounds following him, scratching just out of reach. When he slams a hand on the wall in frustration, the wall scratches back.

“Okay. That’s new,” he mutters, backing away, suspicious now. For once, he isn’t the one scaring people—he’s the one being scared.

Meanwhile, Dabi...

Dabi has always been a skeptic, never one to believe in ghosts or any supernatural nonsense. He scoffs at the others’ complaints and locks himself in one of the rooms, claiming it as his own. He’s dead tired, and all he wants is to sleep.

But sleep doesn’t come easy.

No matter how many flames he conjures, the room stays cold. Icy, in fact. His breath puffs out in clouds as if he were in a freezer. He scowls, huddling under his jacket, muttering, “This is ridiculous.”

Just as he’s about to doze off, something knocks at his door. He groans. “What now?” When he opens it, there’s no one there. He’s about to close it when suddenly, a gust of cold air blows through, extinguishing the fire he had set in the fireplace. The door slams shut behind him, and he grumbles, “Fine. You win, mansion. This place is cursed.”

Despite his bravado, Dabi doesn’t get much sleep that night.

Toga, on the other hand, is thriving.

She’s completely unbothered by the eerie atmosphere. In fact, she’s excited. “Ghosts?” she grins, her eyes wide with curiosity. “I wanna meet them!” She skips down the hallways, gleefully chasing after strange noises and shadowy figures, trying to coax them into playing with her.

At one point, she catches sight of a ghostly figure floating through the walls. “Wait!” she calls out, sprinting after it. She rounds a corner only to find herself face-to-face with a portrait of a stern-looking old woman. The figure from earlier is gone, but the eyes in the painting follow her. Toga laughs. “Aww, you’re shy! Don’t be shy, I just wanna see you!”

The ghost doesn’t answer, but the painting tilts slightly, as if amused by her antics. Toga claps her hands, delighted. “Oh, I like this place!”

Twice’s internal debate hits its peak.

At first, he’s thrilled by the idea of staying in a mansion—it’s way better than the dingy places they’ve hidden in before. But as the ghostly occurrences start piling up, his personalities clash.

“Ghosts aren’t real!” he insists, pacing around his room. “But what if they are?” he counters himself, wringing his hands nervously. “Nah, no such thing as ghosts. I’m not scared of them anyway! Wait, yes I am!”

The lights flicker, and a faint whisper floats through the air. Twice freezes, eyes wide. “Okay, maybe I am scared! No, I’m not! But I am!”

He spends the rest of the night going back and forth with himself, unable to make up his mind if he should be terrified or excited. Every time something creaks or a shadow passes by, he jumps, muttering under his breath about how he’s definitely not scared… except when he is.

Spinner tries to be the voice of reason, but he’s just as shaken.

At first, he brushes off the strange occurrences, chalking them up to the age of the house. “Old houses make noise,” he tells himself, clutching his sword. But when the furniture in his room starts moving on its own, he’s not so sure anymore.

He wakes up to find his bed shifted three feet from the wall. His eyes widen, and he nervously pushes it back, only to find it moved again when he turns around. “Okay… nope. Nope. I hate this.”

Mr. Compress tries to stay composed, but even his patience is tested.

He watches as his finely tuned sleight-of-hand tricks start to malfunction. His carefully hidden compartments seem to open on their own, and the objects inside—his tools of the trade—disappear, only to reappear in random places around the mansion.

At one point, his mask is knocked off his face by an invisible hand. “Well, that’s just rude,” he huffs, hurriedly putting it back on, unnerved but trying to play it off.

Kurogiri, the last bastion of calm, begins to waver.

He usually keeps his cool no matter the situation, but when he appears to check on the others, he looks a bit… frazzled. “There are several spirits in this mansion,” he informs you. “And they are not particularly pleased with our presence.”

You, still oblivious to how badly the League is handling the situation, just wave it off with a laugh. “They’re just bored. They like to play little tricks, but they won’t hurt anyone. Probably.”

The Grand Reveal:

By the end of the night, the League is exhausted, either from chasing ghosts or avoiding them. Dabi is muttering about burning the whole place down. Shigaraki is plotting how to kill the ghosts (if that’s even possible), and Twice is still arguing with himself. Spinner is crouched in a corner, sword in hand, ready to strike at any moving furniture.

Finally, you gather them all in the main hall, completely nonchalant. “I guess I should’ve warned you guys… the house has always been like this. My family made peace with the ghosts ages ago.”

The League stares at you, utterly deadpan. No one is amused.

“Well,” you add with a smile, “at least it’s free rent?”

The rest of their stay is spent with the League trying to avoid the ghosts as much as possible. Dabi never leaves his room without a flame in hand. Shigaraki spends the days glaring at the walls. Toga, meanwhile, continues to gleefully chase after the spirits, making the whole situation even more chaotic.

By the time they leave, no one can deny it—villains or not, haunted mansions are not their thing.

[potassium-pilot]

FFXIVWrite 2023, Prompt 11: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

(A/N: This is a follow-up to some of the events of Day 9, which you can read here.)

Moons fly by so quickly. So quickly, that they didn't seem to notice the enduring tension in the Sito household. Ever since the duel (or perhaps more accurately, the squashing of Dia under Oliver's heel), Dia and Oliver had an uneasy silence ongoing between the two of them. He gave her the first scar she ever earned in combat, Oliver woefully ignorant of how many more were to come in the future. Twice had he walked back his promise of bringing Dia to the Arcanists Guild. For it, Dia kept her guard up near him.

While the Arcanists Guild had no problems with accepting new members, for one as young as she, Dia would need the consent of her parents. Hector and Oliver had no birth certificate nor proof that she was adopted legally and not just plucked straight out of a woman's hands. They also had no way to cover themselves if the Guild was able to discern that Hector was indeed an ex-con. Thus, the couple agreed that the safest option to deliver Dia to the Arcanists Guild was to have Oliver take her and claim her as a student of his tutelage, which was not an outright lie.

This in mind, Dia seemed unwilling to press the subject further and Hector noticed as much since her fifteenth nameday was on the horizon and she said not a word to either of them about any guilds. About two weeks before her nameday, Dia was in her room, painted pink with plenty of artwork adorning the walls, manipulating brooms to sweep, levitating dishes up and down, and commanding books to fly around the space in a circle. While she was not a combatant, she was still an adept mage, and had masterful control over manipulating her surroundings to suit her needs, with or without foci. One thing she was practicing to get right was the ability to make a small room larger on the inside, just as Oliver had done to transform a small wooden shack into a two bedroom brick cottage. She practiced spatial manipulation in a used tent that Oliver used to live in for research purposes and planned on making a hallway in the broom closet.

While she was practicing, Hector knocked on the door, to which Dia responded, "Yeah?" The Highlander walked in and found his Elezen daughter wiggling her fingers and floating all sorts of objects around the place. "Ye make yer room bigger, sugar?"

"I think I've graduated from the tent."

"Ah, seven 'ells, yer gettin' too damn good wit' that. Ye could turn yer ol' men into pigs probably."

Dia flashed an eager look, which he responded to by quickly holding up his hands and clarifying, "That ain't an invitation!" Dia gave a mischievous chuckle. Hector ruffled her hair, which distracted her enough that everything that flew about her room dropped suddenly. "Oop. Sorry, love."

"It's all right. I was trying to see how many I could do before I lost cohesion. I'll work on it later."

Hector walked in and sat on her bed with her. "Well, I'm came in 'ere to ask ye...I feel like there's a nameday comin' up, don't ye?"

"Oh", Dia responded nonchalantly. "Yeah, I guess it's my fifteenth, huh?"

"What the hells was tha'?!" Hector barked before repeating in a mocking tone, "Oh, I guess it's me fifteenth, huh?"

"Come on!" Dia laughed.

"'Member when we used to plan them big blowouts?"

"As if there was ever more people than you, Oliver, and Buscarron."

"Still!"

Dia laughed at the thought. Hector sighed. "Besides, ain't ye ready to go to the Arcanists Guild?"

For the first time in a while, Dia felt the scar Oliver gave her tingle. It had taken a while the whole of the family to recover from what Oliver did to her. Oliver spent most of the time tending to the wounds and serving nearly anything she could ask for once Hector stopped guarding her room against him so intently. Still, the moons of practicing her combat magic were growing more and more futile as she couldn't even wound a deer, never mind defeat Oliver in combat. She simply couldn't tell what came next, and she knew better than to ask Oliver. Trying to read through his grimoire when he wasn't looking, however, proved fruitless as she couldn't understand most of it. It deviated from standard arcane practices enough that she wasn't able to decode the glyphs enough.

Thus did she answer, "...n...no."

"No? Dia, ye've been dreamin' o' goin' to the Guild since ye was eleven summers old."

"And now I'm not."

"More like ye don't wanna ask again." Hector shook his head. "An' I don't blame ye fer a second." He started rubbing her back. "I'm sorry, darlin'. 'Ad I known 'e'd've done tha' to ye, I'd've taken ye to the Guild meself. Or...well, I'd've wished fer it earlier anyway. Ye know..."

"I do. Don't worry about it. Once I'm eighteen, I'm out the door and heading to Limsa on my own."

"Ah, so we've only a few more summers wit' ye, eh?"

"Yeah. It's why I'm okay with just letting it go for now. I'm not a good combat mage and unless something wants to come along and drop a bunch of combat skills on my head, I don't stand a chance against Oliver."

Hector pulled her into him. "Ye could be if ye were given a proper chance."

Dia's placed her head on her father's shoulders. "Tell ye what, Dia. I can't take ye to the Guild and leave ye there- never mind the legal shite, yer father'll throw a fit. What I can do...if I put on a damn good disguise and we take the longer route by boat...is just show it to ye. We can make it a visit."

That much intrigued Dia greatly. "Wouldn't Oliver notice we were gone?"

"The next day, maybe. Tonight, he took tha' tent o' yers an' he's campin fer data."

"Really?"

"Aye, he's swearin' up an' down tha' there's gonna be some sorta activity tonight tha' 'e's absolutely gotta be there fer."

"...so if we leave now, we could get there without his notice."

"Gotta prep me disguise, so we'll be leavin' afore duskfall, huh?"

"Sounds good!"

This was the brightest smile Dia wore in a long time. The image settled in his mind, Hector stood up and began preparations.

--------

The moon had begun its ascent over the South Shroud. Hector kept his axe on his back while Dia, being one who lacked in combat magic, kept herself unarmed. Hector was confident that he could keep Dia protected should the worst come to pass.

And so it did. In a second, bandits in red bandanas circled the two of them. Hector took hold of his axe and stood poised to defend her. As more swarmed in, however, the situation seemed more and more grim.

"Give us the girl and we'll let you go", said one of the bandits.

"Ye'll 'ave to kill me first."

"Da, no!"

"You heard him, lads! Kill him!"

Before some of them could move, they were immediately blasted off of their feet by a mysterious source. More were made frozen solid until three were left standing. When Hector and Dia turned their heads, they recognized exactly who came to the rescue.

"I could kiss ye righ' now, Ollie!"

"That would be the first time you've touched me in moons. Would you care to tell me why you and Dia are out here alone at night?"

"Not while we've got company, huh?"

"Go, get the mage!" yelled the bandit. Two of them ran to go after Oliver, but Hector was quicker with a jump in front of his partner. He ran towards the bandits, dragging his axe against the ground to develop a more forceful blow and yelled, "Ye want the mage, ye get through me!"

As Hector fought off the other two, Dia didn't realize just how frozen she had become. The bandit leader took advantage of this and made his way to her when she noticed his coming at a split second and dodged before he could grab her. She dashed for Oliver, but he grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her up. "You'll fetch a good price, I think", the bandit threatened. "Lambs of Dalamud pay well for sacrifices."

"Dia!" Oliver shrieked.

Hector brought his focus to Dia, and soon wore a confused face. He expected to see her utterly terrified.

Instead, she was casting charms on his pants. Suddenly, the bandit was doing a Limsan step dance while holding onto her collar. "Dancey Pants!" she dubbed her charm. "He can't go anywhere if his clothes won't let him."

That was enough to distract the bandits, who left themselves open for a devastating blow by Hector's axe. After they fell over, the two walked up to the bandit, Hector holding his axe blade to the leader's neck. "Drop the girl, twinkletoes", Hector ordered.

"You're not dancing your way out of here", Oliver joked.

"Make it stop!" the leader screamed.

"Let 'er go, an' she might cut ye some slack."

He dropped her like a sack before she ran to Oliver's side. "Much better. Dia, show 'im curtains."

"Huh?"

"Get 'is sorry arse outta 'ere."

"Oh." She commanded the Dancey Pants carry him about 200 fulms away from where they stood while the three of them ran off to return to the cottage.

--------

Dia returned with some ice for Hector while Oliver remained to heal his remaining wounds. Once she put the bag on his knee, Oliver asked, "Dia, could you help me heal these wounds please?"

"But...I don't know any healing magic."

Oliver smiled. "Then it's high time that I taught you some, hm? Let me show you one commonly used by arcanists. It's called Physick. While you can get better results with a decent knowledge of anatomy and physiology, rudimentary knowledge will suffice for the wounds that your father earned tonight." Dia found his grimoire on his book holster and read through it to find Physick. "This version isn't a standard arcane glyph."

"It's not, no. It's specialized as part of the DuPointe tradition of arithmantic arcanima. I'll show you what it means." As he explained the glyph, Dia also watched what he was doing as he was healing Hector. A few wounds, she was picking up what he was doing, went to Hector's other side and started healing from there. She carefully kept her focus on the wound, slowly bringing the larger gaps together that the magic could be used to heal it.

"I did it! I closed one!"

"That's my girl! Keep going!"

Soon enough, most of Hectors wounds were well healed, and the remainder could be dealt with using a hearty meal and a good night's sleep. Oliver inspected the side she healed and made minor corrections. Otherwise, he was rather proud of how quickly she picked that up.

"Now I do hope you realize how reckless that was of you, Hector. Had I not shown up, Dia may well have become a sacrifice for the Lambs of Dalamud, those sickened souls."

"I know", Hector acknowledged with shame in his voice. "'Ad to rely on my daughter makin' a man's garments run 'aywire to get us outta there. I'm sorry, Dia, fer ever puttin' ye in tha' sitiation in the first place."

"I'm not mad at you, Da."

"Aye, maybe not, but I'm mad at meself."

"It did show me something important, however", Oliver pointed out before he looked to Dia with a smile. "An arcanist relies on strategy and quick thinking in order to combat any threat properly. While your strategy could use work, you've clearly a good grasp on how to think on the fly. When you turn fifteen in a fortnight, I'll take you to the Arcanists Guild. I've let my foolish doubts grip me for too long. You'll make a fine arcanist, my dear."

Hector wore a great big grin on his face. Both expected Dia to wear one as well, but her face said otherwise.

"No", Dia answered firmly, "I'm not going."

"Dia, c'mon!"

"I mean it. This isn't me trying to avoid anything." Dia brought a knowing eye to Oliver. "You know more than you've let on this entire time, Oliver. I've heard bits and pieces about this DuPointe tradition throughout my life, but you've never taught me what it was. Well, I just saw you take out half a dozen men using it, and that tells me that there's a lot more to this tradition than I thought. I want to learn it and I won't take no for an answer."

"So, ye ain't leavin' at eighteen summers, then?" Hector asked.

"You were going to leave when you turned eighteen?" Oliver asked.

"I was, but if I need to stay here longer to learn the DuPointe tradition, then I'm going to do that."

Hector smirked. "Sounds like ye gotta teach 'er, Ollie. Last thing ye need is yer pants dancin' 'round the 'ouse."

Oliver smiled. "I think I can work with those terms. Very well. I'll teach you what I know of the DuPointe tradition of arithmancy. I suspect you'll master it closer to your thirties, but if you are firm in your convictions, it will be time well spent. Had I taught you earlier, perhaps this would be a different story, but I'm happy to work with you for a good long time."

Dia nodded. "Then let's get started."

"Tomorrow. We have plenty of time, sweet Dia."

[clever-feathers-clan]

We are a plural system. Identity is more complex than just gender. We have different identities, different beings within this body. For future reference, here is a carrd by the Heretic System with more information.

I'm not praying for you to not be bisexual, or even lesbian. Your sex life is none of our+ business.

What is our+ business is your blatant disregard of myself and Vero trying to get you to stop taking your frustrations out on people who don't deserve it.

You may think they do? They don't, in our+ honest opinion. And maybe we've+ had a different experience, but the transgender community has been nothing but accepting of people, as long as they are open-minded and genuine in their interactions. You seem to be closed-off and fixed in your beliefs, so maybe that's why people who are transgender are labeling you and not hearing your words.

I never claimed they were "less than." When did I ever say that? I said they aren't male or female, which you appparently took to mean "scum of the earth." Why is your outlook on this so skewed in a negative direction, I wonder?

Intersex people have different chromosomes, different sexual characteristics, and different amounts of hormones than the rest of us- Our+ body is female, but I am male, as is Vero. Most of our system clan members are either intersex, non-binary, agender, or male. There are very few true females in our+ system.

I will stop signing off, but if we+ change fronters, whoever is fronting will add a note at the beginning saying who is fronting rather than at the end. This way you know who you are talking to at the outset. Would that help? This is still Kiran typing and speaking.

In any case, it should be obvious that intersex people are different than the rest of the population- that doesn't mean they are bad or that they are less than females or males. Just not the same. They are themselves- whether they choose to identify as female, male, agender or gender-nonconforming is important. You say they can only choose to be female or male- since when is genital surgery to nullify or have both sets of genitals, or even social transition not a thing? Like.. if it quacks like a duck, it looks like a duck, then it likely is a duck. But maybe its a goose. or a pond loon. Or even a seagull! The possibilities are endless, and you seem to only see two of them. Which I find sad.

No, we+ aren't a bot. Though being called one is familiar from Discord and using Pluralkit, to be honest, so I'm not offended.

I wish you'd be more kind to people. That's all we're asking for. And uh.. maybe listen when we talk? I'm listening to you, aren't I? Maybe check out those links I linked you to before firing back with another response. It would be best, unless you want to perpetually look.. less than smart. Literally all you've been doing this whole time is pointing out the obvious, and not diving deeper into anything whatsoever. Maybe engage with something past the surface level? If you'd rather not, the only thing I can do at that point is pray for you- and no, I don't think gay, lesbian and bisexual people are a sin. We're+ not that stupid. And even if it was a sin, it wouldn't matter anyway because all sins are forgiven with the blood of Christ Jesus. People shouldn't be the judges- God should be. If others think its a sin, all they can do is let you know their opinion (hopefully kindly) and move on- they shouldn't be forcing anything whatsoever, nor threatening you. Free speech only goes so far in protection of bigots.

Hence we come back to my original point. You can let people know what you think, but being absolutely scathingly rude about it is going too far. What exactly is the benefit of being rude and swearing at an entire community of people from all backgrounds? What exactly does that get you besides feeling more and more bitter and unsatisfied with the world, and alienating an entire community? Listen, if you practiced what you preach, maybe people would be more willing to listen to you because you'd be on a webapp actually welcoming to people who aren't exceedingly leftist. If you're going to talk out about this stuff, at least don't make it unbearable for other people to be around you. People might actually listen. Don't get me wrong- I know how frustrating it is to not be heard. Endogenic Plurality itself is a very niche place, and this community has its own issues and discourse.

You still haven't answered this question- what does being rude to an entire community of people do for you? Is it entertaining? Is it fun for you? I'd like a truthful, honest answer- for all the people you've hurt, for the transgender community, and for our+ system, who are primarily agender/nonbinary.

At least with an answer, people can see why you do what you do, and avoid you accordingly. I think we deserve that much, don't you?

So.. I'm confused about something. If your beliefs in radical feminism say that trans people aren't valid in their feelings of being trans, what's stopping you from making bisexual people not part of the LGB? B stands for bisexual. What if their sexuality is just a phase? What if they are *actually* just heterosexual? For that matter what's stopping you from excluding YOURSELF from the community? At some point, you can't exclude any more people from a space that wasn't supposed to be gatekept to begin with! -Vero of CFC

You people always use that word “valid”. It’s absolutely meaningless post modern nonsense. Trans people feel that despite having a male or female body, their feelings about it change reality. I’m not telling trans people how they feel. Because you’re right, I can’t know that. What I’m telling them is that their feelings don’t change their bio sex. I’m telling them their feelings don’t supersede the rights and dignity of women. That’s not at all the same thing as being same sex attracted.

If I tell you that I am attracted to both men and women you can believe me or not. It doesn’t change my sexuality. You can’t know how I personally experience sexual attraction. But if I tell you I’m an Olympic Figure Skater, that’s something external and material. That’s something that either is or isn’t. And it doesn’t matter how true I want it to be.

This isn’t about people being invalid or valid. It isn’t about telling others I know better than them how they feel. It’s me telling them that their feelings don’t change material reality.

And we don’t get to sidestep reality because language is limited and imprecise. We create words to express ideas and categorize things so we don’t have to start every conversation from the ground up. Think of the quote “a rose by any other name”. The word ‘rose’ is made up but the flower it refers to exists in the material world. And you and everyone on earth could declare a rose a tulip but as long as people needed to specify they’d find a way to invent the word rose again. It’s why every 3 years your movement declares old terms verboten. MtF and FtM got used until people got mad it didn’t erase the reality of bio sex and people just used those terms in place of “male and female”. Then the same thing happened with AFAB and AMAB. Now we’re onto TME and no one knows what anyone is talking about because at the end of the day, people are male or female and no amount of “validation” or the right words erases that reality.

I am bisexual because I am attracted to both men and women. Lesbians are women exclusively attracted to women. Gay men are men exclusively attracted to men. Straight people are exclusively attracted to the opposite sex. The LGB community formed because the thing we had in common- same sex attraction- is punished in most societies. It absolutely was designed to gatekeep. It was a civil rights movement- not a secret club house. The LGB have no more moral responsibility to admit opposite sex attracted people than black activists have to include white or Asian people.

“Queer” has nothing to do with it. Demi flux genderoo aroallo fox kin have nothing to do with it. A group of men that believe their internal state of mind makes them literally a woman has nothing to do with it. You people overran a movement for same sex attracted people, convinced everyone to call our community a slur, and demand that we center heterosexual teens too immature for a relationship thinking that makes them the same as a Gay man.

I’m tired of arguing with 19 year olds that read too much mlm fanfiction that having short hair and wearing hoodies from the boys section doesn’t mean they’re gay men. I’m tired of arguing with those same girls that the 45 year old man with pigtails and a pink pinafore sucking his thumb and holding a dolly on social media isn’t a brave woman defying The Man. He’s just a pervert.

[januaryedgelordess]

I'd like to discuss a SnK theory with someone, it's on the possibility of a different (or expanded) AnR theory.

Disclaimer: Perhaps you should read this post with the lyrics for Akatsuki no Requiem by Linked Horizon in mind, but I also don't stand by the original reddit theory a 100%.

--

One of the questions that lingers around the fandom is: "who would've survived the Rumbling had it been done as originally implied by the themes and foreshadowing of the story?". Some believe only Eren and Historia would have had that chance, but they might be mistaken.

The first proof I have in order to back this claim is AnR's official art as drawn by WIT Studio during the production of season three of the anime:

(Note: these are originally four different images, the source of this collage is vaguely anitwt).

Just as shown in the original PV by Linked Horizon, each of these characters are standing by a gravestone while holding a bouquet and looking conflicted. Now, to counter the original AnR theorists, I propose that Eren —and by extension, Historia— weren't the only ones to live on with regret in their hearts, instead, Levi and Hanji survived as well.

Why did they survive? Is my conclusion solely based on these pictures? Well, just in part.

I believe Attack on Titan was never meant to be a one-sided story, and that one of the various themes that weren't thoroughly explored in the later chapters, a theme which was instead rushed and swiftly overlooked, is that of the conflict between "Nationalism" and "Internationalism". It's obvious and needless to point out that Yaegerists were the former, but the latter never take a name for themselves. However, we get a rough idea of who they might be, one of them is clearly Hanji Zoe:

Another internationalist is obviously Onyankopon:

Another one is Armin and so on, and so on.

Are they the only type on people on Earth? Of course not. Notably you also have those who have egotistical motivations, like Jean, who just wants to get married and live a peaceful life in the inner cities; or the Hizuru ambassador, Kiyomi, whose motivation is monetary gain. The world isn't black and white in AoT so, to clarify, it's unnecessary to classify every character in the dichotomy here presented.

Now, if Yams hadn't downplayed this interaction, we may have had a better thought out plan to stop the Rumbling and, possibly, a less moronically cringy way for "The Alliance" to be presented.

Why is that? It's because of various reasons. First, one of the most observant characters, Hanji, is notable for having spied on some of Eren and Historia's interactions (the "You look happy — that's because I am" scene for example) but by the end of the story the audience never got a reason as to why this observant behavior happened. If Hanji really is as cunning and observant as she is portrayed to be, she should've been the first character to suspect that Eren is the father and, therefore, that Historia's pregnancy's due date was off. Instead of the survey corps discussing this info, we get some random officers discussing irrelevant rumours about it. Isayama I mean, Kawakubo played Hanji Zoe dirty, in my opinion, in this scenario.

If Hanji had noticed that important information, and if that info had been shared with the Survey Corps, as was natural for her character to do, "the Alliance" may have had been able to act sooner against the AT.

Now, would more prep time save the world from devastation? No, I don't believe so. I believe it would, instead, make them have a slightly more realistic last fight by a) having them recruit actual soldiers and weapons for the final showdown, heck, if they have enough time even other countries would chime in, vs Hallu-chan and the Attach Titan; and, therefore, b) not having them rely on a Deus Ex Machina to defeat Eren.

That way, Hanji would live on with regret, knowing the Alliance did everything in their power to defeat the Attack Titan but failed miserably in the end. Instead of having her smile as her ghost-self at whatever the hell the canon battle achieved, she'd mourn the world that's been lost, and she'd feel regret for not being able to save it.

Now, for Levi I haven't done a thorough analysis yet, but I believe it's not difficult to see why humanity's strongest soldier would survive this ordain. I'd really like to hear someone else's thoughts on that matter.

Also, I'm in no way trying to imply LeviHan was supposed to be part of a kino ending, but I'm not too into that ship so I'd like to hear someone else's thoughts about it and on why they were the only two members of the alliance to survive according to WIT Studio's AnR official art.

Now, onto the second part of "who survived the Rumbling?". The next piece of information contradicts previous statements, and it also contradicts an AnR ending to some extent, but bare with me, please.

Exhibit A, Mikasa and Armin should have survived:

However, for Kruger's prophecy to succeed, I stand by my previous statement that "the Alliance" should've acted sooner, and that Armin is part of the Internationalist faction ready to "save humanity". Why do I believe that? It's easy, first, let's remember this quote from the moment Erwin died:

Note how, not only does Eren say Armin will save the humans, he also implies Mikasa will know it'll happen (so she'll be alive by the time the battle ends).

And, piggybacking on that moment as well, Armin would've been able to use his intellect to make a plan to divert the Rumbling titans. I'm adding this here to stress something that can't be stressed enough: Armin shouldn't have had to fistfight Eren twice, and he shouldn't have had to steal someone else's kill. Now onto that kill...

Should Mikasa have been the one to deal Eren's final blow? In the canon version of the story it's shown, in a rather cringy way, how she has to make up a whole different scenario inside her mind to get the mental strength to kill him. To me, Mikasa instead should've used the devastation caused by the Rumbling to completely break away from Eren's character and to be able to see past the "you're being brainwashed" narrative. Now, besides some of Isayama's interviews, there's other proof to back this up: the Historia-Mikasa parallels in Ending 4 and Ending 1:

Ending 1: https://youtu.be/O4wezNlsxB0

Ending 4: https://youtu.be/o05UK9lXtC0

We see some petty similarities in both: how both girls seem to be inside a pond or a lake, a snip of them running when they were young, etc.; but we also see some more important things for this theory: their growth as a person (how they survived whatever the past cast upon them), and them catching up to the people who they look up to and love.

Now, two things we know about Historia are that her beloved Ymir left her and she had to learn to accept it and move on; and that her sister, Frieda, died and she, without initially knowing even that she'd lost her, had to learn how to live on her own when she was young. Would Mikasa and Eren be able to have an end like that? I think it was implied that it was possible, but other than that, as part of any healthy development of her character, it is important for her to move on just as the Eldian Queen did: even if Eren chose to live a life apart from her (like Ymir did to Historia's early knowledge) or even if he were to die (like Frieda did).

Also, I have some doubts about Mikasa being the one who was supposed to kill Eren, since the one who was foreshadowed to be a Helos' parallel, and who'd fit the role just as well is Reiner, but I won't discuss that here.

So, to me, Mikasa was never an Internationalist, but for the sake of her character, a break-away from Eren should've been a good conclusive act.

As to some other parallels between Mikasa and Historia we have this part:

In which it is implied that they share the same burden by birth, and the same destiny, possibly. Mikasa is shown to be embarrassed about it but Historia seems to be thoroughly delighted.

With this parallel I'd also like to recall two other threads left undone: the Azumabito clan and the Ackerman mystery.

First, the Azumabitos. It's implied that their land is to "the Orient", and we also get a small snip during the Rumbling which implies they have a coast (it's obvious their country is a direct reference to Japan, needless to say). All of which would imply that, as it does in the Real World ™️, Hizuru is almost the Eastern-most Nation of AoT's world as well, and therefore, it may be one of the last countries that the Rumbling would have reached. If you add that they were the first people to send an ambassador to Paradis, you get: Hizuru being the first nation to be included in a possible Internationalist "Alliance" (had it been done in the appropriate time) against the Attack Titan; and you also get that this would increase their possibilities of surviving, at least just in part, the Rumbling.

Why is this important? Because AnR's lyrics do not imply the world will be completely and absolutely obliterated. AnR's lyrics imply the world will live on but the power dynamic of the world will be reversed: Paradis will rule, while the rest will be forced inside the cage.

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Linked-Horizon/Akatsuki-no-Requiem-TV-Size

Now, the Ackermans. Just as Historia and Zeke posses a special particularity by virtue of birth (they are direct descendants of Ymir), which make them valuable assets to "breed" for whoever is using the Eldians (be it Marley, the Azumabitos, or the First King), I believe the outside world would be interested, at any part of the story, to have an Ackerman in their line of defense against the Eldians. In this case the Mikasa-Historia parallel is strengthened, simply because it would be interesting to see Levi or Mikasa confront that part of their destiny (to make the Ackerman clan continue for the sake of a plan, while acknowledging they're the only survivors). Perhaps Hizuru would've been the country to try and make use of that potential? This parallel was, of course, never used, but it would've been delightful to see it exploited at some point in the AoT timeline. However I acknowledge that continuity is impossible in a world without titans, unless one of the surviving countries on Earth are in serious need of Olympic competitors, of course, so perhaps it should've been mentioned before The Rumbling arc.

.

Well, this turned out to be more like a vent or a rant than a theory now, and I wish I could've had discussed it quietly with someone instead of just posting it here. There are some other nuances to this analysis that I would like to explore in the future (since this isn't thoroughly thought out) In the meantime what do you all think of a new AnR theory like this one? Does it make a little sense? At least a bit? I hope so. Thank you for reading and sorry about the grammar mistakes.

TLDR: I believe Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Historia, Hanji and Levi should have survived and also it's possible for Hizuru to have survived. Please feel free to point out any flaws.

[millakatariina64]

Happy Saiou Day!! 💙💜

So if anyone remembers last summer I said I'd post the complete portraits of my talentswap designs and a climactic scene from the AU with a full summary when they're finished? Well, I didn't forget!

So, below are my headcanons for Ultimate Supreme Leader Shuichi and Ultimate Detective Kokichi~!

(I'm really passionate about this AU, I hope you read it ':3)

(Tho no climactic scene unfortunately)

Ultimate Supreme Leader Shuichi

So first of all Shuichi's parents are still celebrities, move overseas and leave him with his uncle. However in this AU Shuichi's uncle is a politician who actually has a really good reputation. Problem is, his uncle is incredibly busy and is almost never home because of that. Still, he wants to be like his uncle (though the wish is fueled more with wanting to be good enough and accepted). Shuichi's personality is basically the same.

So then one day I Alligator girl's (Gonna call her Wani) alligator gets stolen by some group who're going to sell it and they threatened Wani to not call the police or tell anyone. So she asks Shuichi to help. Somehow they manage to retrieve the alligator together secretly (idk) and right afterwards one of Wani's friends is in trouble with some shady local business. So Wani suggests they make a group to stop these sorts of people and that Shuichi would be the leader. He agrees, he still wants to do something to make this world a better place like his uncle.

After that Wani starts asking her most trusted friends at school if they'd like to join (Shuichi would never have the social courage to ask someone that). When they get to 10 members (all girls) they stop growing for some time and decide to get themselves uniforms. When they're finally considering getting more people into the team since Shuichi doesn't really know these people, he decides to start wearing a mask to be safe. He also starts using the code name "Crow". The other 10 members go by flower names.

The group then grows a lot. And by the time Shuichi's officially scouted to be an Ultimate, it has around 1500 members. And it's making him very worried as Shuichi's not even sure anymore if he's skilled enough to lead it. The group started out stopping or changing corrupt businessmen, unethical businesses and other evil groups. And although that still is what they do, he's realized that the way they go about things is pretty illegal. (When he first realized this, he started wearing a hat.) Obviously he forbids violence, but they still use blackmail and steal information. Also they need money for the group to function at this point so they've had to get it through illegal means that Shuichi's not sure of anymore. So Shuichi is immensely scared of being revealed as the organization's leader because it would completely destroy his organization and it would also annihilate his uncle's as well as his parents' careers on the spot. Basically everything would get ruined and it would be a nation-wide scandal. Perhaps even an international scandal.

He gets even more worried when the police finally start realizing there's some sort of group that's blackmailing big businesses and start investigating.

When he gets scouted to Hope's Peak, the letter comes to his base and even HPA doesn't know his identity, just that he's a high school student. He doesn't think like he deserves the title at all since it's really his organization that does the hard stuff and Wani's the one that's made it grow and he shouldn't be panicking like this if he really was a "great leader". But he still decides to go due to "If you manage to graduate from Hope's Peak, you will be set for life!". But as his family can't know of him being scouted there as the Ultimate Supreme Leader, he forges a letter claiming he's the Ultimate Lucky Student which he shows to them. And at HPA he requests he be referred to by that title.

Problem is, now his year group has 2 Ultimate Lucky Students and a certain Ultimate Detective gets suspicious.

Miscellaneous: Shuichi really wants to use make-up but he's really afraid to at home since he feels his uncle would think it's really weird. So at the organization's base Wani heard about it and got him some makeup and now Shuichi wears makeup when on missions and at the base. Also the organization has a helicopter. (It's a central part of that climactic scene I talk so much about.) Shuichi thinks about becoming a detective perhaps, but he's not sure how he'd be able to leave his group anymore so...

Ultimate Detective Kokichi

For Kokichi I still have my pretty elaborate origin story. His early years are great until at some point his real father finds out that Kokichi's mother had actually had the Kokichi and his older twin brother with him and not her husband leaving him alone. And thus he murders Kokichi's mother out of spite. Kokichi and Tamotsu (my headcanon name for his twin) see the murder take place and flee. However, they were never actually able to make out who the murderer was and they knew even less of why their mother was murdered.

The murder never gets solved and this mystery stays in Kokichi's mind. Who ruined his life, who killed his mother?

(I feel they'd have like an uncle and their mother's husband lived with them obviously. There'd also be other factors like disposed evidence and the suspects vanishing making the murder so much harder to figure out afterwards.)

So Kokichi and Tamotsu end up at an orphanage, one related to the one Maki's at. It's kind of a terrible place, but it's where Kokichi meets (most of) Dice. They become inseparable friends (tho don't form a group with the name Dice. I'll still call them that here for clarity's sake though). However Tamotsu who had always been supporting Kokichi and being there for him at his side starts becoming bitter (jealous?) against Kokichi due to dice and starts turning against them. This is the time when Kokichi starts developing his lying to protect himself from Tamotsu as well as the borderline abusive authority at the orphanage. He's also started to figure out the dark secret of the orphanage training children to become assassins.

I feel like during this time a detective was investigating the orphanage. So when things get too dire and Kokichi and Dice escape the orphanage the detective ends up taking them in after finding them on the streets afterwards since he can't just send them to an orphanage at that point. So Kokichi and Dice end up staying with the detective and start helping him out. Kokichi's especially interested in the orphanage now and he and the detective with the help of the other Dice members figure out a lot of stuff. (This is also the time the rest of the Dice members "join".) Until one day the detective gets assassinated by someone from the orphanage sending them a message to stop the investigation.

So Kokichi takes over the Detective's office and to get by he starts working on all kinds of small cases with the help of Dice. And that's what they mostly do. Among those small cases are often cases that have something to do with saving children. However Kokichi occasionally also takes on homicides and investigates organizations. He wants to be prepared for when he finally investigates his mother's murder as well as the organization behind the orphanage. He wants those people locked up in jail forever.

Personality wise Kokichi's pretty much the same. He still loves pranks, lies all the time and would have elaborate stories (lies) about like for example how he was the one who managed to put the previous Queen of Novoselic's assassin behind bars. (The previous Queen was not even assassinated). He'd also jokingly blackmail people by claiming he knows something about them or could figure out something incriminating about them. He never really means it, though he would like try to find out harmless embarrassing secrets to mess with people.

Around the time he gets scouted to Hope's Peak he's specifically requested to assist in the investigation of a mysterious organization that steals information and sends blackmail and other such things. It's a huge flashy case, so of course he picks it up.

At Hope's Peak he then meets an (surprisingly mysterious?) Ultimate lucky student who seems really interested about his Ultimate detective talent and his lying.

Bonus

The original portraits from summer 2020. My laptop just broke when I finished the lineart and then I couldn't really edit them on my new tablet anymore and they were getting really old so I just decided to completely redo them. Also lmk if you want the sketch of the climactic scene since I'm not sure if I'll finish it even though I really like it. It looks pretty okay even if it's unfinished.

Also hope this is coherent and that I haven't forgotten anything aah. And damn if you actually made it this far gezus. This took like 4+ hours?? oops.

[iturbide]

Oh damn, edelgard doesn't have a support with Flayn! Clearly she's racist against flayn!Oh wait, tons of characters don't have supports with flayn, and aren't able to spare seteth and flayn. I guess everyones just closet racist. :/

And Lindhardt didn't say "We aren't bringing edelgard cause she'd kill the dragon."

He ASKED to keep the trip a secret since the location concerned the saints of seiros and a holy weapon. Hell, Lindhardt even TELLS the professor to tell Edelgard about what happened for him.

You can't claim edelgard is racist towards all Dragons, when the only dragons she CAN be racist to all belong to the church she considers corrupt and are her enemies. She doesn't hate Rhea BECAUSE she's a dragon, she hates Rhea BECAUSE she's the head of the church she considers corrupt and the cause of the whole crest system.

Look, if you disagree this intensely with me, you really can block me. I'm not trying to change your mind, but this is my blog, and therefore a place for my opinions; said opinions never get much spread because I have a small follower count and my posts generally don't get reblogs, so blocking me is a very quick and effective way of making both our lives a heck of a lot easier, since you don't have to deal with me and vice versa.

With that said, though, she literally said that dragons were monsters. It is an actual in-game quote from her. I legitimately don't know how that can be spun into her not being anti-dragon.

Also, please not that I'm not saying calling into question that Flayn doesn't have supports with other characters in the game at large. I'm saying that the other House Leaders, who consistently have supports with every member of their house -- which includes Flayn since she's scripted to join if you pick them -- have supports with her, while Edelgard doesn't. I personally find it noteworthy because if you bring Lysithea on board -- whether it's just as a support character or full-on recruitment -- Edelgard can have at least a C support with her even if you eventually go on a Silver Snow run, at which point they can't go higher in their support chain. There's really no reason why Edelgard couldn't have had a C-B Support chain with Flayn, except that -- given her general feelings about dragons on the whole -- she may well have been purposefully keeping her distance from Flayn, knowing that she's actually a dragon. Again, there is the fact that only Byleth can spare Flayn, not Edelgard: it's not that she doesn't dislike either of them, it's that she kept a lot of her feelings under wraps until she was ready to make her move -- after all, she certainly played nice enough doing the archbishop's bidding up until the Holy Tomb mission.

In addition, going from saying "there's an option to spare Seteth and Flayn" to "anyone who can't is clearly racist" is a bit of a leap; the game is coded so that only Byleth has the option to spare several characters, while other units automatically treat them just as enemies. You can't have it both ways, saying that Edelgard's not anti-dragon because the option exists at all or that anyone who doesn't have the option has the same mindset. It's just how the game is coded. Honestly, Edelgard not having the option to spare them because of said coding is a knock that could be made against my argument, too -- but I'll own up to that.

And I really don't understand why Lake Teutates being "associated with the Saints" would be a problem for Edelgard if she wasn't directly opposed to dragons. There is literally a Saint there, and Linhardt seemed to have a feeling they'd meet up with Indech; if Edelgard weren't going to pose a threat to whatever they encountered, why would he recommend excluding her? He also asks Byleth to let Edelgard know "when the time is right" -- which doesn't sound like that time is now.

Here's the thing: Edelgard really, deeply believes that dragons are a problem. It's not just that Rhea's the head of the Church which she considers a problem: if that were the case, she wouldn't have said that Rhea is the leader of the monsters who have been controlling Fodlan. Heck, in the chapter where you face Claude, she asks Byleth "should the one leading the people of the world be someone with humanity or a creature that can merely masquerade as a human at will?" In her own words, several times throughout the course of the game, she makes it entirely clear that she does not regard dragons as human in any sense, and seems to view them without any kind of empathy whatsoever. Again, in the chapter where Flayn was kidnapped she didn't try to accelerate a child's rescue and in the end helped the Death Knight escape; even without knowing the internal politics between her and Those Who Slither, if she viewed Flayn as an actual child she could feasibly have done something to get her out of there sooner and passed it off as Byleth figuring things out themselves, because she's the only one of the three House leaders who has inside information into that situation.

There are very few dragons left, judging by the situation in Fodlan that we see in the game: most of them were massacred by Nemesis and their corpses desecrated to grant Crests to the Ten Elites and forge Heroes' Relics for their use. The few dragons who remain went into deep hiding or ended up associated with the Church (or both, as is the case with Indech and Macuil, who are considered Saints but left). But Edelgard, in her own words, says there are "monsters controlling Fodlan in secret" when confronted with The Immaculate One -- not that this is the monster who's been controlling Fodlan, but that this is the leader of them. Based on textual evidence, including her own personal words, she considers dragons to be inhuman monsters who have been manipulating mankind: that, to me, screams anti-dragon sentiment.

[theownerofshuanghua]

How about a Nie Huaisang, Jain Cheng, Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian s/o defected from the Wen clan to help them, but gets treated badly at the LanlingJin feast during the Sunspot events. How would they react?

A/N: I’ve actually had these written for while so hope you enjoy! (Also I wasn't sure what title Jin Zixun holds so i just wrote him as third young master)(Ps. I only wrote NHS, JC and LXC, hope you don't mind)

Nie Huaisang:

Nie Huaisang would never be the one to openly start a public riot, or any public confrontation at all, but when it comes to you, he’ll go all out

He won’t start a duel, or anything physical, although he will use his words

The one throwing accusations is Jin Zixun (of course cuz he’s a bitch)

During the SunShot campaign, you sided with the great gentry clans, even though you where a Wen

You held no high rank in the Wen clan, in fact, you were simply a disciple born into Qishan Wen

So when you’d seen what they where doing was evil and wrong, you’d deflected

On your way out of Qishan, you’d run into Nie Mingjue who’d allowed you to live, if you fought by their side

Since that's already what you’d been planning to do, you gladly accepted and joined their ranks

By then you already knew Huaisang (from the Lan clan lectures), and where already courting (which also sorta started at cloud recesses), so Nie Mingjue already knew of you

And he made sure to keep you safe

When you returned to the Unclean Realm with Mingjue, Huaisang was ecstatic to see you

And they invited you to join their clan, for fear of prosecution by the Jin clan, so you were now technically a Nie (Which ofc would be solidified when the two of you got married)

But for some reason, this didnt sit well with Jin Zixun who decided to call  you out at the flower banquet in Lanling

He walked over to where you were sitting, behind  Huaisang, and demanded to know why you left the Wen clan when they were still winning, claiming that such actions were very suspicious and that you were probably a spy

Before you could retort, Huaisang’s gentle voice interrupted you

“Of what exactly are you accusing my fiancee third young master Jin?”

Several badly hidden gasps filled the room

Due to your status, you hadn’t told the cultivation world about your courtship, let alone your betrothal

The only people who knew were 3Zun, one of which (Nie Mingjue) gave his brother a reproachful look

But Huaisang took no notice, and proceeded to get up to properly match Jin Zixun

“Perhaps you have drunken too much,” he said with a fake smile, as he removed the cup from Jin Zixun’s fingers

“You should go sit down”

In all your days you had never heard such menace in your beloved’s voice

And Zixun seemed to get the message since he left you alone

Then Huaisang turned to you, and with the sweetest and cutest smile, proceeded to ask if you were alright

Jiang Cheng:

With Jiang Cheng, it was different

We all know that this young sect leader has an explosive anger

And as you were his betrothed, he would do everything in his power to protect you

It had been Yanli’s idea for the two of you to get married, since you were very close to her (her best friend), you would be safe with Jiang Cheng, even if you were an ex-Wen

Similarly to with Huaisang, you had escaped when you had seen what the clan had been doing, and had joined the gentry clan, and had helped them win the SunShot Campaign

But your relations to the Wen Clan were no secret, and it bothered many people that such an influential member of the Wen Clan was still allowed to live

Which is what Jin Zixun seemed to want to know

Already parties and feasts where not your safe place, but with him trying to cause a scene, there was no doubt that you were no comfortable

“You are the niece of Wen Ruohan are you not? Why are you here? The Jin clan dishonours themselves letting a Wen wine and dine with them after all that's happened.

From beside you, you could almost feel the anger radiating from you beloved

“I mean no trouble” You said, in the kindest voice you could muster, but it did nothing, as Jin Zixun continued his verbal assault, not taking a second to hear what you were saying

After a while, it became too much for Jiang Cheng and he stood up abruptly, towering over Jin Zixun

“Shut up before I do something I may regret.” He growled, voice full of venom

This clearly rattled Jin Zixun since he backed away

But before he returned to his spot entirely, he spilled his drink beside you, muttering a “Wen Scum”

This sent Jiang Cheng into a fit of anger and without thinking about it, he unsheathed his sword and in an instant, he had it at Jin Zixun’s throat

This was when Jin Guangyao decided to intervene

“Sect leader Jiang you must forgive the third young master for his harsh words, we all lost much in the war, it is normal to have some reservations after what they did.”

But his angelic smile did nothing to calm your betrothed

“She is no longer part of the Wen clan, she is of the Jiang Clan now, and if anyone else dares to say another ill word on her behalf, I will not hesitate.”

And with that he re sheathed his sword and returned to sit beside you

After a bit everyone went back to their chatter, and the issue was forgotten

But Jiang Cheng would never hesitate to defend you against anyone if the occasion where to arise again

Lan Xichen

Similarly to the other two, you were also a deserter of the Wen Clan, but you had met Xichen when he’d been escaping cloud recesses

Instead of Jin Guagyao, you were the one who saved him and let him stay with you, in a little cabin deep in the woods in the mountains that you’d found and had decided to live in until this all blew over

But when it was time for him to leave, he’d wanted to take you with him, for he’d fallen in love with you, and he wanted to be the one to protect you from now on

You’d agreed and together had returned to cloud recesses and had fought in the war

And you had plans to get married soon after

But for now the two of you were attending the festivities in Lanling, more specifically the flower banquet

It had been problematic enough when Jin Zixun had asked your fiance and his brother to drink, but when he started talking ill about you, you could tell that Lan Xichen was on the verge of snapping

The generally kind and gentle sect leader was tense and rigid, and it was clear that he was not going to retain his air of elegance for much longer if the third young master did not shut up

“Third young master Jin, my betrothed is no longer part of the Wen Clan and fought valiantly by our side during the war. She was with me at every moment, so as such it is very improbable that she was trying to do any under cover work for the Wen Clan. I would appreciate it if you left her alone.”

The passive aggressive in his voice was striking and it was visible to all that Lan Xichen was in no mood to play

Jin Zixun gave him a look, but before leaving, he had a cup poured for you, asking you to join him in a toast

“To the destruction of the dreadful Wen Clan, and all of its fighters. Isn't that right Lady Y/N?”

The look you gave him was deadly, but you brought the cup to your lips never the less, until Xichen stood up, almost knocking Jin Zixun over

“That is enough third young master Jin. The family matters of my beloved are of no concern of yours. I will now ask you to please leave my betrothed and I alone.”

It was clear to all that he’d crossed the line, and Jin Guangyao came to your rescue at last, asking Jin Zixun to stop

He scoffed, but left you alone

As soon as everyone had calmed down, your lover turned to you, and kindly asked you if you were alright and if you wanted to leave

Although you did, you told him that it was alright, but he was by your side for the rest of the night and the next few days as well, defending you against anyone who dared insult you or your family

Thank you for reading!

[lady-of-disdain]

If you're so bothered by a cartoon ship (which... no words) still don't understand why you take it out on shippers, not like you could do much about the studio anyway, they don't care, as they should, but then being on our ass is entirely pointless... maybe that's the problem at the same time, maybe to some extent you do realise no one cares so you've decided persecuting a bunch of fan creators and consumers would be the next best thing. That said I feel it's imperative to point out, we're not Sunrise, we're not the ones with the power to shape this story, so you bullying us is frankly just devoid of any meaning other than raw intent for violence. At the very least admit that and drop the pretences, it's the only thing you've done after all, one would have to be blind not to see it.

If you're afraid a puny ship might be canon, and whatever you've twisted it to mean for you, take it up with the studio, alternatively with god since you're so into fictive characters over real life. Come to think of it didn't you guys have a friend that has a friend working at the studio? How come you're still so insecure? Why don't you tell the friend of the friend to influence the plot? Why hasn't this friend of a friend provided any other inside scoops to make themselves credible? Questions, questions.

Either way, hurting shippers will achieve nothing, we were gonna ship no matter the canon status of the ship, and I pity you people who think that shipping something has to be done because you want something canon, as opposed to just... for fun... but maybe that comes naturally with being pathetic, anyway, the possibility of it becoming canon now has nothing to do with us. Even less so as Westerners, if audience even has any sort of influence in all this, it would be the Japanese one way before it would be any Western one. Appreciate you giving us so much importance, but we don't need it, and we're just not really as important as you attribute, we'd just love it if you stopped hurting people over cartoons. You made something gruesome out of a fairy tale, that's on you, that's your problem, and we'd all be better off if you found a way to deal with that didn't rely on abusing others.

Honey, are you lost? I think there was maybe a different blog this rant was supposed to be sent to but I got it by mistake. Because I have no worldly idea what you are talking about in about half of this ask.

The first thing that confuses me: that I’m apparently “taking it out on shippers”, “ persecuting”, and “bullying” them? Please show me your receipts. I’ve literally never directly initiated contact with a sessrin blog. Hell, the one time I considered answering a post made by a pro blog, it was going to be in direct response to a question they posed in the anti tag, directed towards antis, and it turns out I couldn’t even answer the post because the user had most of the anti community blocked. (Silly, I know, but this is what we’ve been dealing with so what can I say.) Any time I want to respond to a sessrin argument that wasn’t directed to me anyways, I would usually screenshot it and blackout the names.

I can count on one hand the times I’ve even posted in the same thread as pro sessrin blogs, and in those cases, I either A) didn’t directly call out the other blog/blogs that were posting in the same thread as me, or @ them, or B) was only even interacting in said post because pro shippers were piling on and harassing people in the thread, and I was simply pointing out that there were shippers in said thread acting fools. The only time I ever even pointed out a particular blog I did it via screenshot and did it to keep a record of a blog that was admitting to flagging our posts as spam. 

If you would like to see proof of my interactions, all you have to do is check the #receipts tags on my blog, you’ll find all of my interactions conveniently tagged. (Oh and don’t worry, I’ll get back to that receipts tag shorty.)

The second thing you said that confuses me, that I have a “friend that has a friend working at the studio”? What (and I can’t stress this enough) the FUCK, are you talking about? 

I.....have never made this claim? Where have I ever said this, where have I ever reblogged this? I’ve never even read this? I need some clarification here, because either you are from an alternate timeline where I’m living a much cooler life, or like I said, you have the wrong blog.

~

Anyways, regardless of the fact that I’m pretty sure you sent this to the wrong person, I guess I can render a response to the base question you seem to be asking here: Why argue with shippers?

Really, at the end of the day, I’m not arguing with your average shipper. Hell, there are a few blogs I even follow and interact with that have said they like sessrin content, but they understand this is not an appropriate thing for a kid's show. And I can respect that because I’ve been in the problematic ship boat in other fandoms. (Here’s a hint, in one of the fandoms that I followed content for a problematic ship in, a content creator was given cookies with sewing needles baked into them, yikes right?!)

The main message of mine and many other blogs I follow is that this ship isn’t appropriate for children’s media, and what happens is a lot of salty people come out of the woodwork who feel the need to argue and say there is nothing wrong with it, which causes us to have to list the reasons why there is indeed something wrong with it (thus why it shouldn't be in said children’s media), then what happens is people like you come at us and act like all we’ve been doing is bullying shippers, and “why don’t you just let us ship in peace!?!?!?!!!??”

In fact, I shouldn’t even be surprised that I got this ask eventually, because as I’ve pointed out in the past, the shipper argument seems to be a cyclical one.

A blogger will make a statement something along the lines that they really don’t care if people ship sessrin, but the shippers really shouldn’t be making a lot of noise to the studio that they want to see this ship in the show because kids watch it, and it’s not a great message to send to kids.

A shipper will then message the blog (usually anonymously if possible) something along the lines of you’re wrong about the ship sending a bad message to kids because of xyz, or it’s a totally normal and healthy relationship, and you’re wrong, or Yashahime isn’t for kids, etc.

The Blogger will then respond with actual evidence, a well-worded response, or even just fucking common sense (like come on, some of the mental gymnastics I’ve seen people employ to try to validate this fucking ship to us is hilarious).

The blogger will then get another message something along the lines of  “why don’t you just let us ship in peace!?!?!?!!!??”

The blogger responds with JESUS CHRIST I SAID FROM THE VERY START THAT I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SHIP I JUST DON’T WANT TO SEE IT IN A GODDAMN KIDS CARTOON”

At which point the whole process is rinsed and repeated. Congratulations you’ve just witnessed a new grey hair grow out of my fucking scalp.

However, there is a new facet to this shit gem that I’ve noticed during this whole annoying cycle, and that is the fact that a lot of pro shippers are making claims that they are being harassed by anti blogs, but I’m not seeing a lot of proof of this. And make no mistake, if I see an established anti blog being terrible, or making a false claim, I have no problem calling them out, or correcting false information. Please, feel free to screenshot proof and post it in the anti tag, and see how many other blogs won't put up with this either.

And to be clear, I don’t really count anonymous asks as harassment, because people can be sending that shit to themselves. Just like I don’t mind asks I get like this one because I naively respond to them in the hopes that maybe someone will actually understand what the argument has been about this whole time. And if I didn’t like it, turning off anon magically gets rid of it, so *shrug*.

No, I’m talking about actual, out in the open harassment, or shitty behavior. 

Like oh say, Patreon art being reposted in a discord server, then when a good samaritan reports the art theft they are harassed by their fellow discord members. 

Or maybe the ongoing flagging and harassment campaigns that are going on over almost all online social media platforms. 

Or how about the time some people tried to start a Twitter smear campaign against a voice actor who has some opinions about their ship they don’t like.

Yeah, remember how I said I’ve got a receipts tag. I see ya’ll.

[breefarrow]

Hi. I have not been on twitter or even in the fandom long enough so i came here to ask you about something. What's with the song claiming thing? Suddenly ziams are claiming songs that have been claimed as larry song. No I'm not gate keeping. Pardon my word choice.I'm not English. But I'm just curious. As long as i have been in this fandom, no control was a larry song the moment it came out and everyone was ok with it and even ziams never claimed it before.now suddenly they are like oh liam also wrote it? Home has always been larry song considering the timeline, him leaking and all, ziams never claimed it before, now suddenly home is a ziam song too? 18 was taken as a larry song from the moment ed said it was written from 1D perspective and everyone was ok with it considering how Louis used to literally serenade Harry like turning his whole body,changing pronouns etc. No one had a problem untill now. Suddenly in 2020/21 ziams are claiming it. Why didn’t they do it before? Why now? I'm just curious.

Warning selfies have been a thing with Louis for years. Now suddenly it is linked with liam too? How? Did he do it before or something? I genuinely don't know. So let me know plz.

The whole devlin thing, devlin album came out in 2017 i guess and they comparing Louis tweet with zayn tweeting that is from 2016. How does that make sense?

Also some people say larry closeting didn’t work but ziam did...awful thing to say. If it didn’t work then there wouldn’t be so many antis and they are still going through so much. People wouldn’t believe Harry dates every woman that breaths around him. And they claim there are two bbg in ziam relationship right? Why did they need two bbg if it worked? I mean if the closeting worked? Bbg has nothing to do with relationships.

Idk if ziam was real or not but I'm sure gigi was pregnant, she had that symptoms, pregnancy glow,tired face and all. Now whoever the father may be..idk.

I'm not convinced about ziam and how does that make me hypocrite? Also there are some "if this counts(larry),this counts too(ziam)" thread. what's with the comparison?

Sorry about the rant.

Hello anon wow this is long a lot to unpack so I'll start with your song questions.

Idk why ziammies are suddenly trying to claim songs that have ALWAYS been larry related. Especially when Liam said in an interview that Louis and him were a song writing duo for 1D BUT that he wrote the melodies and it was Louis who wrote the song lyrics. Last I checked melodies don't equal meaning of a song so how are these songs about ziam?

Some examples of this....

They are trying to claim Home but Liam said the song was personal to Louis and how when he read the lyrics he didn't want to change them. Home is also a direct response to If I Could Fly with ONLY Harry on the credits. Home was leaked by Louis the night of Belfest when Larry found out BG was being taken pasted the birth of a kid and it pissed off Louis so he leaked Home as payback bc it was clearly a loud song management didn't want on the album.

They are trying to claim 18 but the song was written by Ed who said [compared to other 1D songs he wrote for them] he wrote 18 with a 1D member in mind. [That is why we claim the song at all.] Ed was closeted in the band to Harry next being Louis and Niall he was the least closeted to Zayn and Liam. Side note Ed has a song called Friends that he said was about 2 friends of his who fell in love and when a fan yelled L&H he laughed/smirked and said init so it makes the most sense 18 was written with Harry in mind. Plus 18 is about meeting/loving someone sense they were 18 and it was only Louis who was 18 when they all met and it was Harry who would scream NO 16 when singing the song. Also larry changed the lyrics to HIM and would stare directly at each other when singing 18 livem According to ziam MPs ziam weren't a couple until at least 2 years into the band so why would 18 make sense for them also given they were both 17 when they met & none ever went NO 17 when singing it.

They are trying to claim No Control but that song as we know is about the morning after sex and the second round they end up having. Like stated before Louis wrote the lyrics to 1D songs and Niall plus Larry always made it DAMN CLEAR what that song was about. Also remember when Harry would always jam out hard core when Louis would sing his part in No Control aka majority of the song. Yeah that song is Louis song no doubt.

They try to claim Alive which makes no sense bc Zayn nor Liam is on the credits at all only Louis. They say it's bc Liam said he related to the song ok I see that but still he didn't write it and still how does this song equate to ziam? Alive is more a song used as proof Louis isn't straight bc it's about self exceptance of who you are even tho others around you for along time made u feel there is something wrong with you. It's about Louis who is more confident part way through the story being told and then helping his lover [who seems to be a bit insecure about themselves] except and love who they are. Since Liam didn't write on it the relationship aspect couldn't be about him and Zayn. Since he said he just relates to Alive at BEST it could mean he might not be straight but it can't be used as proof of who his partner is when he didn't write on it.

There's others but I think you get the point they have always been larry or hinting at Louis sexuality songs so I don't get why or how they are suddenly saying their ziam songs? Myself @lovemylarents and @fearlessmoon09 think bored people in quarantine is what happened to change the landscape.

To your next question warning selfies...

So warning selfies was something Louis did everytime something BG stunt related was going to happen. He started it and did it a ton back in 2016/17 when BG stunting was massive for him. Liam never had anything to do with warning selfies and Louis warning selfies were ALWAYS like I said BG related so suddenly ziammies going Liam does warning selfies for things involving Maya or Gigi makes no sense. It was ALWAYS a Louis thing.

For the Devlin thing...

You hit the nail on the coffin with that one the album with the song Cold Blooded that had the lyrics "so is it true XXXX fathered a baby? I don't really think so, if you ask me he don't like ladies. Could have been HARRY, yeah, I bet it was HARRY" [emphasis on Harry bc I saw a ziammie change the lyrics to Liam] came out in 2017 while Zayns tweet was done in 2016. Unlike Louis tweet which was specifically about this album not just the artist and tweeted during the height of BG stunting. So not the best comparison. They really should fact check before making these "larries are hypocrites" threads bc veteran larries know and fact check everything.

Next thing you mentioned what I call their slogan "larries closeting didn't work but ziams did that is why less talk about/believe in ziam then larry" piss me off so much and what you said it right. If larry's closeting didn't work then we wouldn't be here complaing about how the GP sees Harry as a queerbaiting womanizer, how solo henries who want to have sex and suck Harry's dick exist and how some locals don't want to join Louis fandom bc they think Louis and his fans are homophobic or that twarries exist thinking Louis is a deadbeat dad. Tell me again ziammies how their closeting didn't work? It is so invalidating to everything larry has been put through. Also if larry's closeting didn't work but ziams did then why did they need 2 BGs for Ziam and only one for Larry? Myself @kaybutlarry @babyhoney-28 and @onlythebravestan are still waiting on an answer to that question haven't gotten one.

As you said about Gigi yes she definitely looked more pregnant then Briana ever did. The reason I don't believe in their BG with Gigi is bc their story is inconsistenent. Side note back when Liam had a kid no one besides a few on tumblr ever said it was BG 2.0 they didn't start saying BG 2&3 until Gigi happened. Back to inconsistenences so their original story when we first learned Gigi was pregnant was it's fake just like Briana there's no kid, then when Gigi did the livesteam showing she had a bump and a round face you get when pregnant the story changed to she's pregnant the kid is just not Zayn's.

Then I recently saw some who [after the kid was born] went back to the story the kid is fake there is no kid OR they are using a child actor. Unlike Louis BG they don't have a consistent story that makes sense. Also the kids are never shown unlike with Louis kid F gets posted every damn day with creepy and bad photoshop, and a million articles about how he is Louis twin to shove it down our throats the kid is Louis. The situations have NEVER been the same with Louis vs even just Liam kid.

To your last point ziammies keep calling and making threads about how larries are hypocrites bc we don't believe what they do which is damn annoying bc they constantly say just leave us alone why do you care we exist but then constantly make threads like that getting mad we aren't all ziammies. If your going to make threads against us then yeah were going to say something and respond to your threads the way we would to a debunking larry anti thread. Their threads like that are either using funny coincidences of larry that we don't use as concrete proof to compare to ziam OR their ziam version of our proof has been debunked already like the Ziam Levine Stylinson sticker on the bears. [If you want more info on that ask @lovemylarents.]

They constantly take what is a larry proof and say it's also about ziam [Example the songs] or have a ziam proof that mirrors a larry proof. [Example the devlin thing or selfies] In their threads they always compare miniscule larry things that aren't our MAIN proof. See the miniscule proofs are the house and the big proofs are the concrete foundation that without it those miniscule things would not be able to really count as proof of larry and the larry house would fall. Ziammies ONLY have miniscule proof not a very solid foundation so I'm unsure how long their house will last.

I have been in this fandom for 10 years I have seen MANY ships come and go [Examples: Ziam, Ziall and Narry] but the one ship that has always been here was Larry. Larries have been here for 10 years, Larries are the ones who are talked about in the media, Larries are the ones constsntly gaslighted, Larry is the one ship that needs to be denied a bunch [poorly might I add] there's NEVER been any other ship or ship group people have hated, gone against or talked about this much besides Larries/Larry.

Funny [not for us] but funny that Liam goes through all the trouble of gaslighting Larries and talking about EVERY Louis stunt but he never mentioned Ziam which is a ship that actually involves him or the Ziammies who say Bear isn't his kid. Why did he talk about US and not THEM which involve him? Also funny Liam can easily say the word Ziam but Louis can't pronounce an EASY @ just bc it has the word Eroda in it.

My mutrals and I all agreed we didn't give af that ziammies existed until they kept talking shit about how we aren't ziams to and then go why are larries acting like antis hating us. First off it was NEVER larries hating on them it was toxic solo Zsquad and solo Liam stans who were. We didn't get involved until the entire tl was LARRIES ARE HATING US AND BEING HYPOCRITES. Second off and my last thought it's easy if you don't want us in your replies then don't make threads about us being hypocrites and use easily debunked ziam proof or miniscule larry proof to mirror bc we will point it out bc you think were hypocrites thank you.

[nightmaresart]

𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮

That I'd fallen for a lie?

You were never on my side

Fool me once, fool me twice

Are you death or paradise?

Now you'll never see me cry

There's just no time to die

No time to die - Billie Eilish

𝕭𝖆𝖘𝖎𝖈 𝕴𝖓𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓

Full Name: Lewis Daniel Gallach

Meaning of Name:

The name Lewis is from English origins and its often said that it means "Warrior" or "Gift from God"

The name Daniel is from Hebrew origins and means "God is my judge"

Nickname: Lewy, Daniel, Ghost

Reason of Nickname:

Lewy: Lewy is the nickname that his mother gave to him when he was a young boy and it stuck with him ever since

Daniel: Daniel is a lesser known nickname for Lewis that his mother only used when she was upset, so he doesn't like it when people call him just Daniel

Ghost: Ghost is the nickname that alot of people at Hogwarts gave the young boy due to his pale complexion and his pale eyes. Its a nickname that is always used in a mocking manner as the people who use it don't know the boy personally

Gender identity: Cis-male

Pronouns: He/Him

Sexuality: Queer

Age: 17, depends on what I write

Birthday: 11-11

Zodiac sign: Scorpio ♏

Place of birth: Sint Andrews, Scotland

Blood status: Pure Blood

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖊

Hogwarts house: Ravenclaw

The wand: Willow, Augurey Tail feather core, 11 ⅓ inches

Willow: Willow is an uncommon wand wood with healing power, and I have noted that the ideal owner for a willow wand often has some (usually unwarranted) insecurity, however well they may try and hide it. While many confident customers insist on trying a willow wand (attracted by their handsome appearance and well-founded reputation for enabling advanced, non-verbal magic) my willow wands have consistently selected those of greatest potential, rather than those who feel they have little to learn. It has always been a proverb in my family that he who has furthest to travel will go fastest with willow.

Augurey Tail Feather: Augureys, or Irish phoenixes, were once associated with powerful Dark wands, as their cries were thought to signify an upcoming death. However, they were in reality never a strong Dark core, and were more accurately a powerful core for Divinations. Misunderstood students may find themselves bonded to an augurey wand, although these wands are altogether quite rare.

Patronus: Little Owl

Little Owl - So tiny and yet so observant, these introverted creatures are bound to share this trait with any witch or wizard capable of casting them. Although they don’t mind occasionally rubbing feathers with strangers, they largely prefer marching to the beat of their own drum without the immediate oversight of others. If this is your Patronus, it is likely that you do some of your best work alone and are a firm believer that introverts can go toe to toe with some of the more boisterous members of the animal kingdom.

Magical abilities: Necromancy/Reanimation

Necromancy: The power to utilize magic involving the dead, death-force and/or souls.

Reanimation: Power to reanimate corpses and dead beings. 

He can bring creatures and people back, or atleast reanimate their corpses but it takes a toll on his physical health, the older he gets the more powerful and useful this ability of his becomes.

Boggart:

Himself surrounded by dead creatures and people, all clawing at him to bring them back to live

Riddikulus form:

The corpses disapear and it turns into a small ghost dog that jumps around him while barking with a high pitch

Amortentia

What do they smell?

Homemade pies, the comfort of his own room and the cold and open corridors after a storm

What do they smell like?

He smells like old corridors, ink and a crackling campfire with a hint of mint

Mirror of Erised

He sees himself alive and well in the future with his friends still by his side, being able to be himself without getting hurt or having to hide who he is anymore

𝕻𝖍𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖑 𝖆𝖕𝖕𝖊𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊

Eye Colour: Pale Grey

Hair Colour: Pitch Black

Hair Style: He doesn't have a specific hair style, its mostly just what he wakes up with and rolls with, if he slept at all that is.

Weight: 68 kg or 149 lbs

Height: 1,85 m or 6 ft

Type of Body/Build: Ectomorph, Skinny

Skin Tone: Pale Ivory

Distinguishing Marks: His unsettling pale skin paired with his unsettling white/pale eyes

Face claim: Finlay Macmillan

𝕻𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖞

Overall Personality

A reserved and introverted guy who struggles alot with himself. He prefers to stay quiet and just doesn't like to speak when it's not necessary. He seems cold and distant but in reality he is just afraid of what people might think of him. He just doesn't know what to do with both himself and with others.

Briggs myer type: ISTJ

Good traits:

Observant, Gentle, Listener, Creative, Reserved

Bad traits:

Closed off, Wary, Picky, Panicky

𝕬𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖚𝖉𝖊

Towards people they hate

He doesn't interact with the people he hates at all, he avoids them at all costs and doesn't even spare them a glance when he does walk by them

Towards people they tolerate

Only a simple glance and sometimes even a faint smile with a small wave if they were to wave and smile at the boy first

Towards people they consider friends

He is still a hit wary around his friends and isn't the loudest person you can come across, but he certainly allows them to come close to him and even talks back when they're striking up a conversation with him

𝕽𝖊𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖕𝖘

Family:

Father: Unknown

Mother: Eliana Gallach

Friends:

Orla Atkinson, Lilith Devereux @hphmbetty , Danny Gibson @catohphm Gallen Stagg @cursebreakerfarrier , Logan Rosseto @demon-twins-and-co

S/o:

TBD

Rivals: TBD

𝕭𝖆𝖈𝖐𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞

Born to a single mother in Sint Andrews, Scotland, the family was always cast in a bad light due to it not being complete in the old fashioned way. His mother however tried her best to take care of Lewis and worked alot as a result of this, due to this Lewis spend most of his youth alone in the house, reading the old books his mother would bring back and just watching people from his window.

It was pretty difficult for him growing up because his mother told him to stay inside to protect him when she was away, this caused the young boy to gain his pale complexion, barely being outside and in the sun long enough to get a healthy tan.

When he was nine years old he was in the backyard and found a dead mouse, curious about it he picked it up and cradled it in his hands. This managed to bring the mouse back to live which scared the young boy. He screamed and his mother ran outside to see what was going on. From that moment on she made him swear to never pick up a dead animal ever again and he did.

He arrived at Hogwarts at the age of eleven and immediately shut himself out, he wasn't used to soo many people in one place that it made him feel too overwhelmed. This stayed this way until he made his first friend who also happened to be his roommate, Danny Gibson.

This is also when he tries to rediscover his power again and learn more about it without his mother being there to punish him

𝕽𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖔𝖒 𝕱𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖘

Lewis has an incredible difficult time understanding other people and thus has an extremely difficult time making new friends or new contacts

Lewis looks extremely pale due to him barely going outside during the day

Once he befriends people he is still awkward but he is trying his best

He is extremely fascinated by the dead and often goes out of his way to talk with the hogwarts ghosts

He finds it easier to talk to those who are dead than to those who are alive

He is quite fearful of his own powers and while also wanting to learn more about them, he knows it hurts his body and affects his health

He has a sketchbook filled with detailed portraits of those he finds intriguing

If you want your mc to be added to his friends, or rival list, please just send me a message and it will be done!

[dungeondicedivaarchieve]

A few months ago I typed up some comments about the anime-only scene between Otogi and Honda on the blimp. Found here.

Well... now I'm here to talk about what happened before that scene. Because I read so much more into it.

Let's take a walk.

Please keep in mind that a great deal of this speculation comes from the belief that, despite Mr. Clown not being seen in the anime, he still exists and his relationship to his son is very similar. Also please keep in mind that this is all speculation from someone who has spent waaaayyyy too much time looking into everything Ryuji Otogi says/ does.

~~~

We join our heroes shortly after Yugi's Duel with Bakura. Ryou has fallen unconscious and the stab wound he sustained earlier has re-opened (unless you're watching the dub where blood doesn't exist.)

Otogi's first line comes after Shizuka has asked Kaiba to land the plane, and the camera cuts to her making a pose that demonstrates both uncertainty and discomfort. Kaiba stares at her and Honda and Otogi both get between them... to Honda's annoyance.

More on this in a second.

Kaiba ignores this and turns his attention back to Jonouchi and Yugi, telling them that it was Bakura's choice to Duel and that he will not be held responsible for the repercussions of another's mistake.

This causes Shizuka to shout (probably for the first time in her life.)

Otogi makes this face. Personally, I think it looks like a combination of surprise and concern. But why would he be concerned?

Because Shizuka is a lot younger, a lot smaller, and a lot less powerful (both physically and financially) than Seto Kaiba.

He is fearful of what Kaiba will do in retaliation, ans so.

He gets between Shizuka and Kaiba in hopes of transferring whatever Kaiba's about to do to him instead of her.

Because Ryuji Otogi is an abuse victim that knows what happens when you challenge someone bigger and more powerful than you. They put you back in your place.

Also Honda continues to not like this. Otogi is cutting him off each time he tries to speak, and while this could be seen as Otogi trying to one up Honda (and the dub absolutely took it that way) I can see it taken a number of ways. There's a chance he's trying to team up with Honda and hope that Kaiba won't start anything if it's two against one. It could also be that Otogi's not paying a lot of attention to Honda. He does see Shizuka and start moving in front of her before Honda moves into the frame the second time.

Going on a small tangent here but...

Keep in mind, Otogi stepped into a fight against four other guys and got himself involved in the fight against a cult to protect Honda and Shizuka. Sure, you can say that he did that to have a chance with her, but that's a lot of risk to have a chance with a girl he knows nothing about... especially for a guy who could have any number of girls with minimal effort. He will also shortly after this put up his own body as a gamble to protect Shizuka from a creepy old man that wants to wear her body like a suit. Personally, I don't think Otogi has any romantic feelings towards Shizuka at all, since each time they interact, he isn't so much flirting as he is trying to protect her. He treats Rebecca in a very similar way when he joins the duel between her and Varon under the assumption that Mai is also dueling, and that Rebecca will be outnumbered (and the correct assumption that a 12-year-old is about to pick a fight with a cult member who has the power to steal her soul. I've heard critiques that Otogi is very sexist because he won't let Rebecca nor Shizuka fight their own battles, which, yes, that's one way to take it... or you can take it as him stepping in when people significantly younger than even he is (Shizuka is 13) are put into incredible danger.)

That was lengthier than I meant for it to be, I'm sorry, back to the actual post.

So, despite everyone's best attempts, Kaiba's not landing this plane. Now get out.

Shizuka makes this face as they leave.

She's not having a good time.

Again Honda tries to talk to Shizuka and again Otogi cuts him off. He also grabs her hands and makes a very dramatic show of himself.

He makes this ridiculous face (that the dub skips because right after it, Shizuka blushes, and the dub really wants to portray Duke as the bad option in this love triangle. So we can't let it be known that she's happy he's doing this.)

This. This is not a face you use when you're trying to be suave and impress a girl. Heck, this is not a face we'll ever see him use again. We've seen him be suave and flirtatious, we know what it looks like, and folks, this ain't it.

To me, he knows he's being ridiculous and over-the-top. That's the point. He's trying to make Shizuka smile or at least stop making that face.

Now... this is where things take a turn.

Disclaimer: This might come across like I don't like Honda. I don't dislike Honda at all! It's just the nature of this scene.

Honda volunteers to go look for the Millennium Ring. Yugi agrees that they should all look. Honda says no, Jonouchi and Yugi should focus on their duels.

We cut to Otogi (still holding Shizuka's hands, I think she's okay now buddy you can stop) and he asks if Shizuka wants to help him search (he does not speak for her like he does in the dub.)

Honda insists Otogi come with him and very forcefully shoves/pushes Otogi away from Shizuka (who does, admittedly, look relieved.) When Otogi tries to protest that this isn't what he wants, Honda grabs his face to silence him.

This is not the first time someone has silenced Otogi by forcefully touching his face.

And this is not the expression of someone who is at all comfortable with the person touching him.

Honda then proceeds to drag a flailing Otogi away from the group while covering his mouth.

Otogi is doing everything in his power to communicate that he does not want this without being able to speak or break the guy's hold around his neck and no one is recognizing this as a sign of distress... or they are and they're just not stopping it. Heck, Jonouchi thinks Honda is being nice.

We can also see in this still that Honda's got a few inches on Otogi. Not a lot, Honda is 5'11 and Otogi is 5'8, but that's a considerable difference when you're intimidated.

Honda drags him to the top of the blimp and, while Otogi is looking about the blimp for the ring (what Honda claimed they were going up here to do) Honda stays still. Directly in front of the door. Blocking Otogi from being able to get away. (I can't post any more images in this post I'll have to rely on hyperlinks now.)

Otogi can't get away and he's been pulled away from the group. He is very aware this guy has a problem with him and can very easily overpower him.

So Otogi does what I've dubbed activates smug mode.

I'm going to make another post elaborating on activate smug mode (this one's long enough as it is) but, basically, Otogi only acts this way when he's trying to get the better of someone or when he's feeling threatened. He is also incredibly smug when he approaches his father to tell him that he lost to Yugi, knowing full well how his father will react to that news. It's a defense mechanism. Honda's taller and stronger than Otogi, all Otogi can really do is badmouth him and make him feel smaller in hopes that that will make Honda back off.

He then makes this pose.

I'm no body language specialist, but I worked as a counselor at a battered women's shelter for a while, so I was taught a few things.

1. He turns to his side. When you're intimidated by someone, you don't face them directly. You tilt your body away to give the illusion of distance, and to keep your vitals out of their direct reach.

2. He folds his arms in front of his stomach. Remember, Shizuka crossed her arms in front of her stomach when she was facing down Kaiba. Otogi is masking it a little by pointing and propping his elbow on his hand, but folding the arms over the chest or stomach remains a typical sign of insecurity/fear.

3. He is clutching his arm. This is something people do during severe bouts of anxiety in an attempt to ground themselves.

In conclusion, yes, Otogi sounds very confident and like he's egging Honda on. He sounds confident. Because that's the only thing he really has over Honda. Honda seems insecure about his appearance when compared to Otogi, thus why he gets deeply irritated whenever Otogi gets close to Shizuka. Otogi taps into that and uses it because it's his only defense in this situation. Maybe Honda will get fed up and leave to go lick his wounded pride.

It doesn't work. They throw hands. Well, Honda throws hands. Otogi stays in a very defensive stance the entire time. Fun fact: Keeping your arms raised close to your face and blocking your chest is one of the main stances in the more defensive based martial art of Tae-Kwon-Do.

In conclusion, my name is Axel and I think about this way, way, waaaay too much. I am of the belief that Otogi is very intimidated by Honda. I was going to attach images here of all the times Honda grabs Otogi's shirt/ threatens to punch him in the face but since I can't attach any more images and hyperlinks are a pain, I'll save it for another post. There are at least five instances.

No, I don't hate/dislike Honda, in fact, I'm pretty sure if Honda knew about Otogi's background, he'd feel terrible. The fact is they're both insecure teenage boys, Otogi because of his home life and Honda because of his family's social status and perhaps his lack of success as a duelist.

And... while I've thought about this scene a lot ever since posting that other post, I never realized how sad it makes me. Otogi's not hiding that he's not okay with being manhandled and dragged off, and his friends just sorta. Let it happen. Again, I don't blame any of them. Both Yugi and Jou have a lot on their minds and they don't seem to notice that this is a problem. Probably because 1. Honda and Jou are very physical/ playfully threatening people, that's just how they are. 2. No one knows about Otogi's homelife. They have no way of knowing he would have issue with any of this. They do it to one another all the time.

I have a lot of feelings.

Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk.

[sweetsweetnathan]

The Imperial Dialogues #4: A Report on the Witch of Doma

"To my friend Varis, Emperor of Garlemald,

I find it extremely unlikely that this letter will ever reach you. I write to you from the improbable location of another world called 'the First'. It is a place much like our own planet, but with a history even more deadly and tumultuous, if you can believe that.

The details of my arrival here are not important. I will tell you of my time in the First soon enough, but before that comes my reason for writing. I have been haunted by a memory for more than a year, and I would have it exorcised unto your judgment. Whether that be the judgment of an Emperor or the judgment of a man, that is not my choice to make. I have only to confess my sins.

You are likely familiar with the viceroy of Doma during the Garlean occupation of the same country: Yotsuyu goe Brutus. She was killed near the end of the occupation, after a Garlean diplomatic mission to Doma went seriously off the rails.

My intelligence tells me that Garlemald knows little of the circumstances behind the viceroy's death, except that she was killed by her brother Asahi. I write to tell you that is untrue. It is not a lie, simply a falsehood pieced together my misunderstanding the circumstances at hand. You see, no living Garlean was in the room at the time Yotsuyu was killed, and as such they can only guess as to what happened to her. But I can tell you exactly what happened.

The truth is, I killed Yotsuyu. And I would submit to you my full report on the matter of her death.

While I expect you know of Yotsuyu's position in your military, I do not expect you to know of her personhood. Did you know that she was a woman? Did you know that she hated her homeland, and took pleasure in seeing her people subjugated? And before you smirk and congratulate yourself for the profound cleverness it takes to expect such things: Did you know that she was sold into sexual slavery by her own family? Did you know that in the last day of her life, the only respite she found from her past a citizen of Doma was when she killed her parents and her brother?

And perhaps, Varis, you find yourself scoffing again. You, after all, have fought blood feuds with family members your whole life. And yet it is for that reason that Yotsuyu's story is remarkable to me. You see, blood feuds between siblings is generally a problem that only afflicts the ruling class of a nation. Whether it be by the divine right of royal inheritance, or the economic right to one's father's estate, only someone born into power need concern themselves with such consuming legacies as would have them kill their own brother.

That is all to say that Yotsuyu is one of the few people on this planet who can claim to stand in your mighty company, Varis, as brother killers.

But when vengeance ran its course through her body, it was not a royal inheritance or paternal estate that brought her low. It was me.

While the exact details of the situation are not terribly important, one thing you must know is that Yotsuyu had been turned into a Primal at the time I was forced to fight her. This is a detail that Garlean intelligence is unlikely to report, as very few who were privy to Yotsuyu's transformation lived to tell of it.

As you might imagine, I had help in dispatching her at this point. Capable though I may be, it was the Warrior of Light who shouldered a majority of the fight's burden. I have fought alongside the Warrior of Light before, even aiding her in dealing with other, lesser Primals. As trying as those battles are, spirits are always higher after them than before them. But not this time.

Something you should know about Primals is that they come into existence to fulfill a certain need. This can be the needs of nature, as with the elemental Primals of Titan and Ifrit. It can be a more complex idea, such as Lakshmi, a Primal of rebirth. In this case, Yotsuyu was a Primal that was meant to act as a bomb. Had she detonated, she would have taken all of Othard with her. She was Tsukuyomi, Primal of self-destruction.

There is something that only those in possession of the echo will be able to see, and even then they will only be able to see it in the presence of a wrathful Primal. In the vicinity of a Primal, reality is the Primal's plaything. All of what we perceive is essentially made of Aether, and Primals are beings borne of Aether. Within their domain they can deconstruct and reconstruct Aether at will. As such, the space a Primal occupies will become warped into an expression of that Primal's will. The Primal as a being and the Primal as the location it occupies will become one in the same. I call this effect an 'Aetheric Interference Field'. Understanding it is critical to understanding what happened to Yotsuyu.

I want to tell you what I saw when Yotsuyu, as the Primal Tsukuyomi, made with this power. I must tell you. I fear that if I carry the burden of this memory inside me for another day without sharing it, my heart may give out from the strain.

In the days leading up to her death, Yostuyu was taken care of and protected by an old samurai named Gosetsu. He was not a man I would expect one of your station to familiarize yourself with, Varis; he was a footsoldier. The kind of person that dies by the million when your army does so much as reposition itself. And very few people know it, but he is the reason why Doma is anything more than a smoking crater.

There was a moment during the fight where the power of the Primal Yotsuyu hosted seemed to leave her. She fell to the ground, an ordinary woman. But while Yotsuyu appeared as a normal person, the Aetheric Interference Field around us remained intact. The Warrior of Light and I found ourselves in the eye of a whirlwind. And from this whirlwind came shadows of Yotsuyu's past.

Her parents, recently murdered, emerged first. They were vengeful shades of their Yotsuyu's memories of them, driven by a hateful desire to punish Yotsuyu for the crime of existing. I expected them to attack me or the Warrior of Light. But instead, they attacked Yotsuyu.

How deeply rooted was this woman's hatred? Hatred for her family, hatred for her country, hatred for herself. When you contract an illness, you can feel where the illness afflicts your body. You can tell yourself 'I know whence the illness ends and my body begins'. In the eye of that hurricane, I think Yotsuyu lost her ability to separate her own hate out from that of the rest of the world. As such, the entire world became one blinding torrent of hate, out of which stepped vile monsters.

The Warrior of Light was the first to move, and I the second. We intercepted the shades and protected the Witch of Doma, for we knew not what else to do. But that was not the end of it. Next came a memory Asahi, more powerful than the ghosts of Yotsuyu's parents. In fact, he was more powerful than the real Asahi could possibly be. That is what indicated to me that these were not reanimated corpses or empowered mortals, but memories reconstructed in Aether.

As such, my heart sunk when I saw the last shade emerge from the storm: Zenos yae Galvus. A man I had fought many times before. Yet it was not a man who stood before me, but a shade of Yotsuyu's fear of that man, granted power by her perception of Zenos as an unstoppable force. Not even the combined might of the Warrior of Light and myself could affect this foe.

I thought it was over. I thought this shade of Zenos would strike down Yotsuyu, and in the process release the destructive power of Tsukuyomi, destroying Doma in the process. But I underestimated the strength of Yotsuyu.

From the very storm that borne Zenos' ghost unto our battle, a memory of Gosetsu leapt forth to protect Yotsuyu. I could not believe it. Was it the real Gosetsu? No, Gosetsu could never cross swords with Zenos and live. He was a memory, like the others, but not a hateful one. He was proof that there was kindness, patience, and forgiveness a world that had otherwise only shown Yotsuyu bitterness.

The Aetheric Interference Field brought us into Yotsuyu's heart, and there we witnessed the death throes of an oft-repeated battle: That between the absolution of hate, and the improbability of love.

Gosetsu and Zenos dueled until both lied dead. And with that, Tsukuyomi's power was expended.

I approached Yotsuyu after the battle ended. I had no illusions about saving Yotsuyu. She was far beyond anyone's healing magics. No, I wanted instead to bear witness to this woman's final moments.

She looked up at me and spoke her last words: 'What's the matter? The Witch of Doma will soon be dead."

More than a year has passed since that day, and still those words haunt me. You and I are soldiers, Varis. We know well that there is a line that you cross, and when you cross it you can't go back. It is a line between life and death. Between love and hate. Between damnation and salvation in one's own heart. It is crossed in the moment of accepting your death, and having death taken from you. It is crossed when one leans too heavily on a comrade who is not long for this world. Once you cross that line, you are no longer the person you were before. You lose faith in the meaning of your own struggles, and as such become cold to the warm feelings of this world. There is no cradle soft enough, nor embrace warm enough, to bring a person back from that despair.

But whatever lines you and I have crossed, we are in possession of a privilege that eludes most soldiers: We can still go home.

Yotsuyu has no such privilege. She was cruel, and evil, and hateful. But it did not have to be so. She was just a girl, not a soldier, yet still she crossed the line many years before she died. I can only hope that wherever she finds herself in the hereafter is a kinder place than where she was born. I hope it feels like home.

Thus concludes my report on the death of Yotsuyu goe Brutus.

-Captain Robyn Sawyer, Alliance Expeditionary Force"

[Hope you don't mind me invoking you again, @whitherliliesbloom]

[doyelikehaggis]

Rowing the Rarepair Rowboat: Fleurdora/Delatonks | Nymphadora Tonks x Fleur Delacour

Requested by @halfthealphabet

The Order slowly trails into Grimmauld Place, one by one, all with the air of people living through a zombie apocalypse. Grim, weary expressions on every face.

Molly's bustling around as soon as she lays eyes on them, ushering them into the living room where the fire spreads a pleasant warmth into their bones. They certainly need it. Duelling a group of rogue Death Eaters is not exactly what any of them wanted to be doing at three in the morning, in the pouring rain.

Tonks is practically slumped as they join them, Fleur walking in beside them with Fred and Sirius somewhere behind.

"Damn fanatics," Moody growls, taking his frozen eye from its socket, motionless when it should be spinning.

"You'd think they'd have a bit of common sense considering their dark lord has been well and truly dead for a good year now," says George, flinging himself onto one of the crimson armchairs.

All of the old dark green ones (and pretty much everything that represented Slytherin, really) were thrown out by Sirius after the battle at the Ministry. Decided that if he was going to come that close to death at the hands of his own family again, he wasn't going to be stuck surrounded by constant reminders of them. Tonks happily helped him replace everything, since he needed someone who could actually leave the house. The tapestry is still proving to be a bit of a pain, but they've managed to rework it a bit, so it highlights the "disowned" and excluded members and has a majority of the blood-purists replaced with far more worthy members of the family they've created for themselves, or simply burned off instead.

Tonks shrugs their denim jacket off as Bill agrees. He looks the most tired out of them all, aside from Remus. He's not a full werewolf, but the full moon being only days away still seems to affect him almost exactly the same as it does for Remus, who becomes irritable and drained.

"They seem to think, he was "resurrected" to power once before, they can make it happen again," Bill says, shaking his head as he gingerly pulls his sleeve back to inspect the large patch of blood soaking through from a relatively deep cut; the work of a nasty jinx. "Too scared to desert after last time, in case he pops back up again and they land themselves on his bad side."

"They are idiotic," Fleur fumes. Her blouse has been severly singed around the collar and Tonks can't help but worry at a glimpse of blistering skin beneath it.

"Did you manage to get all of them?" Harry asks. "Anyone get away?"

Tonks had barely noticed he was there at all. He was just quietly watching in concern from a chair in the far right corner of the room, with Hermione in the one beside him next to the fire and Ron and Ginny between them, planted cross-legged on the floor. They seem like they were trying to keep Mrs Weasley distracted while the rest of them were out; now that Mr Weasley is back, her attention is fully captured, worrying over the cuts lining his face but with subtle relief shining in her eyes.

"Nearly," Sirius answers, with an undertone of bitterness as he adds, "One disapparated before we could get the bastard. Right after leaving me with this lovely little gift."

He grabs the collar of his shirt that's just as torn and burned and stained with blood as the rest of theirs, and yanks it down at the left to reveal a deep, long gash running right across his collarbone, stopping somewhere down his chest. It's not bleeding, but smoking. And it’s dark green rather than red.

There's an outburst of disgusted noises as well as gasps and a couple of cries.

"You git!" Tonks chides him, slapping his good arm lightly. "You never said they got you!”

"I didn't—you're—“ Sirius tries to say, sounding indignant, but he can't seem to find a good comeback.

Mrs Weasley's attention is immediately focused on him, pushing him towards the door into the kitchen before anyone can ask any further questions so that she can fix it up, something apparently too gruesome for any of them to bear witness.

"We'll catch him, don't worry," Bill says. The statement and the gentle smile seem to be aimed towards the kids. Having been advised to stay out of Order missions for the time being, to readjust and make up for their missed exams, they still look anxious, like they're going to be called up to fight at any moment.

But they seem to take some comfort in Bill's words. Everyone does; reassurances don't seem so false anymore now that missions like these are less common and haven't resulted in a fatal injury or even death since the Battle.

As the others fill Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in on what happened, able to joke a little more now that they're here and winding down from the fight, Tonks catches Fleur trying to assess the damage beneath her shirt as discreetly as possible.

Tonks moves over to her, gently catching her elbow and motioning her head to the door that Mrs Weasley and Sirius left through. They both leave the others in the room to head out into the hallway, where there is thankfully no longer the constant risk of setting off Walburga's shrieking portrait; took a while to find the right spells to remove it, but they managed in the end.

"Are you okay?'" Tonks asks, referencing the wound. "I didn't realize they'd got you. What did they hit you with?"

"I'm not sure," Fleur admits, but she's able to pull the corner of her shirt down better to get a proper look now that she's away from the rest of the Order. She winces, peeling the fabric from the wound, which sticks to it.

It comes away enough to reveal a marred patch of skin below her collarbone and spreading down far enough that it seems to have knocked the spell she usually has on right off.

"I thought something didn't feel right," Fleur says, and winces again when she lightly presses her fingers an inch from the area to test it.

Tonks grimaces in sympathy and only just manages to keep their hands away, having been instinctively going to reach out and offer some form of comfort that would probably only result in making it worse.

“Looks like a simple jinx,” says Tonks, “maybe even just a hastily fired Incendio. Seen a few people panic in duels before, just fire off the first thing that comes to mind. Luckily, it must have bounced off the spell already on you, else could it have been a lot worse than just burning your shirt and, well, this.”

Fleur agrees. “I am beginning to think I need a more permanent solution that that spell, though. It’s not exactly the most reliable, and, truthfully, I’ve never exactly been the best at Transfiguration.”

Tonks grins, pulling out their wand. “Ah, well, it’s not an essential subject.”

“Says the one who can change everything about their appearance at will,” Fleur retorts, but there’s a flicker of a smile on her face.

“True,” Tonks says, as Fleur carefully peels back a little more of her shirt. “But the mediwizards at St. Mungo’s do a pretty good job, too. I have a friend there, particularly skilled in more permanent solutions for trans wizards and witches, like I mentioned, if you wanted to give that another thought? Right, this counter spell.”

Fleur gives another grimace as Tonks points their wand a couple of inches from the wound. She steels herself though, pressing her lips into a line.

With the, thankfully right, incantation and wave of their wand, a small cloud of pale yellow settles over the burned skin. It clings around it for a moment long enough for Fleur to hiss slightly, then it sinks in and a new layer of skin forms over the top until it’s smooth.

Fleur lightly touches her skin, testing for any sign of pain. None seems to come. Her expression settles as she sighs, then a smile is back on her face.

“Thank you,” she says, lifting her eyes to Tonks.

“‘Course,” Tonks says, grin widening with a wink. “I’m your assigned Order partner, remember? I should have been covering you in the first place, especially as I’m also you’re... well, out of Order partner. There has to be a better way to say that.”

Fleur says nothing, just gazing fondly at them, her eyes twinkling. She lays a hand on Tonks’ arm and says, “I can look after myself. But I appreciate this. And the offer. I think I’m ready to take you up on it.”

Tonks smiles and nods. “Okay. Tomorrow, we can stop by, my friend should be in then. You wanna head home the now—“

At that moment, George pops his head around the corner, looks left down the corridor, then right.

“We’re crashing here. More rooms and all that,” George explains. “You two staying as well, or are we getting more coffee and Mum’s breakfast buffet to ourselves?”

Tonks scoffs immediately, then glances at Fleur, who rolls her eyes but nods in a silent confirmation. Turning back to George, Tonks says, “We’ll stay as well. I’m sure Sirius would say the more the merrier, right?”

Fleur makes a little noise, as if disagreeing, and George snorts. But they all make their way back in to join the rest of them, and Sirius and Mrs Weasley return shortly after, though with Sirius looking considerably paler and prodding at the now thin line standing out on his chest every few seconds then wincing. He doesn’t, in fact, mind some of them staying.

They remain in the living room for another hour or so, until the exhaustion kicks back in (or more accurately, when Ginny falls asleep and accidentally kicks an also sleeping Fred in the shin). Then they slowly split off to claim a guest room or head home. Tonks and Fleur takes the room reserved for Tonks’ visits, and are out cold within ten minutes.

[neoarchipelago]

Bridegroom's Oak Tree (John Wick x Reader part one)

AN: so this was a detailed request so there will be two parts to it, here's the first part guys! A bit of a AU here !

Request: "Hi, could you write one where John wick is a mafia lord falling in love at first sight with a teacher who is shy and doesn't know he is a mafia.And recently I read about this tree in Australia which has its own mailbox. People who are single write letters to the tree and anyone can pick any and respond to them. So far the tree is responsible for 100 marriages. So maybe you can write one where John wick, the mafia.. Writes a letter and finds it responded by the teacher. They both remain anonymous. But he falls for her. He is also kind of afraid as to how she might react when she finds out... All that" request by: @cynic-spirit

Word count : 2 306

Warnings: none

_______________________________

Klaus Ackerman was a nice old man. He had worked at the dodauer forst forest for the past 45 years. He knew everything single path and tree that covered the forest. He also had been a guardian of the Bridegroom's oak tree for just as long. He had seen so many young, and old people come to the tree to find love.

The tree's story was after all, a bit like a fairy tale. The name of the tree came from a very old story that everyone knew. The daughter of the head forester and the son of a chocolate maker were in love but her father disapproved. They exchanged letters secretly by leaving them in the whole in the tree trunk. Eventually they ended up getting married under the same tree not long after the father of the maiden had given in.

The beautiful story eventually led people to think that the tree attracted the soulmate of the person who would write a letter and place it in the hole in the tree. Klaus had seen many letters being answered to, people finding their other half, getting married and then coming back to thank the tree with various offerings during their honeymoon. Unfortunately he had also seen many letters still waiting for someone to answer to them. One in particular, from a young man still lingered there waiting for someone to pick it up.

Klaus remembered the man quite clearly. It wasn't particularly the way he looked, standing at the bottom the tree looking up, in his perfectly clean three piece black suit. It's not the way he looked absolutely unshakable with his hair gelled back, his beard tamed and his dark eyes, that made him remember the man even after all those years. It was the way he kindly smiled at him and spoke to him with his raspy yet soft voice.

Klaus had been through a rough time. His only daughter was sick, and the two jobs he was accumulating wasn't enough to pay for all the bills he had. He was a tired man, and the black suit man saw it. John Wick, he had introduced himself. Klaus had politely introduced himself as well. The conversation had gone by effortlessly, the calming aura of the man eventually leading Klaus to tell him the problems he was going through.

Klaus was shocked when the man pulled out a heavy amount of money and offered it to him. He couldn't possibly accept it, no. He would never be able to pay it back. But the man had insisted, claiming he didn't need that money as much as Klaus. Klaus was still reluctant to accept the god given money but Mr Wick had finally found a way for him to accept.

"How about you take the money, and in exchange, I want you to watch over the letter I wrote. I put it in the tree hole, but I'm not from here. I won't be able to know if one day someone answers. I want you to send me the answer if it ever comes, to this address. Give me your word, that until your last day here, you will do that."

Klaus had looked down at the small paper with the address that the man was giving him, and finally accepted breaking down into thankful tears. And so he had been doing exactly that. The man was gone, leaving for New York again. The worn out piece of paper was still in Klaus's pocket. Waiting for the letter in the tree to finally be picked up. But many years had gone by and no one ever seemed to be interested in the small letter, with the blue lettering.

Today was another sunny day, and Klaus had started his afternoon shift. He trailed along his usual path, his old legs not going as fast as he used to. He'd soon have to retire, but the he wished he could fulfill the man's wish.

Finally reaching the Bridegroom's Oak, he noticed not so many people were there today. It was sunny, yet a bit cold, and the wind brushed the trees making them sing. He approached the ladder that reached the hole in the tree and watched as the postman who usually came around at this hour stepped down.  

"Ay, good afternoon Mr Ackermann."

"Good afternoon Nevil. How are things up there?" Klaus asked with a small smile.

"Many letters as usual! But hey! That letter you're always asking about, it's finally gone!"

Klaus blinked. Gone? But it was there yesterday! Shaking off the panic he felt, he smiled at the postman. It had to be picked up, that was the point. Now he only had to wait and see who would come and put her answer into the tree.

Klaus waited near the tree all day. He watched as people passed on by, climbing the ladder and putting their letters into the tree hole. He watched closely every letter being dropped off, trying to find something that would make him recognize Mr Wick's letter.

The evening drawing near, he sighed, looking up at the burning sky as the sun began to set. He tiredly watched people walk on by when his eyes fell on a small letter, in blue lettering, held by a young woman. Klaus jumped up walking towards the lady, who strangely, stood at the bottom of the tree, looking at it.

"Excuse me miss?" Klaus's shaky voice rang.

The young lady turned around, looking at him with her beautiful (e/c) eyes.

"Hello, do you need anything?" She asked in a sweet voice, a kind smile on her lips.

"That letter, did you answer to it?" He asked.

"Oh, yes. I don't really think it'll lead to anything though. I'm not from Germany so. It's a bit of shot in the dark." She said looking down at the Mr wick's letter.

"Where are you from, If I may ask?" Klaus asked.

"From New York. In the United States. I'm here on a small vacation."

Klaus smiled. Maybe the tree was really magic?

"Would you allow me miss?" He asked. Earning a confused look from the lady.

"You see, it is my last day working here. I am old, and getting retired. I have been waiting for a long time for this letter to be answered. It isn't mine, do not fear. It's… a friend's. Would you allow me to put it in the tree? As a last act of duty."

She shyly smiled at him and gave him her letter.

"Of course, it'll be a pleasure. I have to go in anyway, my plane won't be waiting for me and my friends either. Thank you sir."

Klaus took the letter in his hand. A simple folded letter, in black lettering, the handwriting was smooth and perfectly clean. He smiled at the lady as she turned and walked away. Klaus smiled to himself. Finally he could fulfill his word, and retire as well. He had grandchildren to play with, but first, he had a letter to post.

__________

Back in New York, things had changed for John since his trip to Germany. He had become the head of the Mafia here in New York, earning his place at the High table. The baba yaga was a feared man, strict, dangerous and everyone knew it. It had taken him focus, commitment and sheer will so finally be the man he was today. Many years had passed, he wasn't as young as when he put the letter in the tree. He had lived a lonely life, but somehow had gotten used to it.

Today's High table meeting ended, as everyone excused themselves. John stood up and walked out. He didn't like to stay too long near the other members of the High table. He preferred his house. Reaching his car he got in the back seat as his driver greeted him. John greeted him politely and leaned back in his seat. The car started as John sighed. It had been lonely years yes. People he knew had found that perfect love and had now many children running around. He wished he had that kind of happiness as well but perhaps he wasn't made for it.

John looked up at his driver as the car rang, through the Bluetooth of the car. John nodded as the driver looked for approval in the rear view mirror. Answering the call John sighed.

"Yes?" John asked in a deep voice.

"Pardon me Mr Wick, but a letter has arrived for you." The voice rang.

"Alright, and why are you calling for a letter Jack?" John asked slightly annoyed.

"Well it was sent by Klaus Ackermann, and you specifically asked to be informed of any correspondence from this person."

John stared at the car seat in front of him. Had he heard correctly? Did someone answer his letter? After all these years, impossible. Klaus probably sent a letter to tell him he was retiring and no one answered his letter. John shook himself back to reality.

"Put in on my desk, thank you Jack."

With a final 'Yes sir' the call was ended. John looked at out of his window, deep in thoughts. He wasn't expecting anything else at all from Klaus, not after so many years. He felt curious and a bit hopeful, but at the same time stupid for putting such expectations in a letter he wrote so many years ago. He sighed. No point in wrecking his mind now. He'd get home soon enough and see what was the letter all about.

____________

You watched over your class as time passed. Today you had decided to make a simple test, just to make sure your students have been learning correctly your class. It wasn't a big deal and you had warned them there would be one so you were expecting good results.

You had been a teacher in a high school for only 4 years, but you enjoyed it. You were young, and a bit shy, but your students were all nice to you and you were pretty glad of it. New York was a welcoming home to you, but you felt lonely. You recently got home from a travel to Europe where you ended up on a road trip with a friend for the past week, ending up in Germany. Your friends had taken you to the Bridegroom's oak tree, where they had insisted that you take a letter to answer to because Magic would be the solution to  your loneliness.

You had complied, being tired of their jokes, and had picked up a beautiful letter with perfectly handwritten blue lettering. You had read the letter as you visited the city with your friends, not really paying attention to the landscape but getting lost in the paragraphs that seemed to build cities just for you. You were almost pained, knowing that there was little chances that the man who wrote the letter would answer to you. You had written your letter, finding some beautiful paper and a black ink pen, to write a letter as beautiful as the one you had picked.

You had thought about it all afternoon before finally deciding to bring the letter back to the Oak tree. You had stopped to admire the tree, taking a last thought on your action before being approached by a worker of the Forest. You had smiled to the old man and talked to him. Lastly he had asked to take care of your letter and in a last gush of hope and magic you let the old man do his last act of duty.

Falling back into reality you looked around at the classroom. "Five minutes left everyone" you said in a soft voice, earning a few groans.

You smiled softly. You had given up on the idea of your letter ever finding the man who it was destined to. You remembered the words inked in the little letter that now rested in one of your favorite notebooks, the one that never left your side. You sighed. Hope tends to breed eternal misery.

You looked at your watch again. Two minutes left and your day would be over. You had to grade the tests and then you could take a bath and probably order some food. You were waiting just for that. The bell rang you smiled at your students.

"Time's up guys! Please leave your tests on your tables, have a nice evening guys, and Don't forget your homework!"

You earned a 'yes miss' from running students, making you chuckle. You sighed, looking at your now, empty classroom, and stood up to pick up the tests. You hummed a soft tune, as you walked through the rows of seats and tables. A knock on the door made you jump, spinning around.

You blushed at the man who stared at you with dark eyes. He was tall, wearing a black suit. You looked away feeling intimidated by this man, who looked handsome and who had just heard you sing in your small classroom.

"I..hum.. hello…" you tried to say.

"Hello." He answered, smirking at you.

You felt tiny for a second as he walked closer to you, making you realize how tall he really was. You tried to keep eye contact with his beautiful dark eyes, but it only made you even more intimidated.

"May I help you...Sir?" You said in a low voice, but with a smile.

"You can, indeed. After all, you answered to my letter Miss (y/l/n)." He spoke in a deep voice.

You froze. Impossible. You looked down to see the man hold a letter, in black lettering. You shot your head back up drowning in the man's eyes.

"It's you…" you let out in a whisper.

_____

Tags: @thatbemyhouse @magdazwolska