#the solution is to give them a personality

[thisisntmyrightera]

Together - CHO HYUN-JU x Fem Reader

Summary: Reader is scammed and abandoned by her boyfriend, leaving her alone in South Korea to her fate, so in desperate search of a solution to return to her home country she decides to join the squid games to get money, within the game she meets a couple of people who become her friends and could possibly be something more.

Warning: In this episode none!

In futures episodes: Violence, Strong language, female main character is considered heterosexual but she have feelings for a female (Cho Hyun-ju) and it is reciprocated, abuse for male characters.

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You were stupid, very stupid and naive, that was what you repeated to yourself every day since your ex-boyfriend scammed you and abandoned you in a country where you didn't know anyone, you couldn't even understand the language well and now you were locked up in a place full of strangers in a green uniform and with a headache you could barely bear.

Why were you doing such stupid things? You should have said no when that man approached you and offered you money, it was all for the damn money, otherwise how would you find another way to get home?

Barely a day had passed, you understood little of the first game where you saw one person after another die around you, what you had gotten yourself into, this wasn't a game, it was a massacre, as you sat cross-legged on the cold bed that had been assigned to you you could feel your hands shaking and you felt warm tears rolling down your cheeks.

Hey - a kind voice rumbled slowly but enough to wake you from your trance to look up and see a boy with long, slicked-back hair holding a small metal tray - I noticed you didn't come over for your food, I brought you some

His equally shaky hand moved a little closer to you, leaving the tray on the bed, staring at you, afraid you'd react

It's okay if you don't want to eat it, it's just that if we're going to keep playing you need strength for tomorrow - his kind but shy smile and his clear disinterest in leaving made you wipe your tears with the sleeves of your sweater, nodding taking a deep breath - Thanks - you told him, trying not to sound upset, because you really weren't and if you were it was only with yourself

My name is Dae-Ho, yours is… 144 - he looked at you curiously taking a bite of his food

Y/N… my name is Y/N - you sighed, hugging your legs uncomfortably and nervous

Hey, leave her alone - a loud and somewhat curious voice sounded behind Dae-Ho making the two look towards the sound - don't you see that you're making her uncomfortable? go away

I… I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, it's just that… - Dae-Ho looked at you embarrassed, walking away just a few steps

You don't have to give explanations, go away - the girl, a little taller than Dae-Ho, looked at him firmly, almost annoyed, following the man with her gaze as he walked away quickly and embarrassed, joining a group of men on the other shelf of beds

you can eat in peace - the girl looked at you kindly while you only responded with a slight nod and she walked away returning to her place two beds down on the shelf next to you

It was difficult for you not to go unnoticed and it was obvious that everyone wanted to get away from you, you weren't like them, you didn't share their nationality, their traditions, or their topics of conversation, you didn't even understand many of them what they were talking about, they all looked at you like a weirdo, like why a foreigner could come and want to steal their prize, it was unfair.

That's how you spent the first night, alone, trembling from the cold and fear, looking into the darkness while you cried silently and the gunshots echoed in your ears, it was a nightmare and that's how you were until sleep overcame you

The second day wasn't any better, you could barely carry yourself, you were tired, hungry and much more scared than yesterday, surrounded by hundreds of people in a courtyard with drawings of children and rainbows on the floor.

''Now, it's time to form teams of 5, you have 10 minutes'' the voice of the speaker sounded repeatedly before an alarm sounded and you saw how everyone ran looking for members for their team, but everyone seemed to avoid you like a plague.

They ran and pushed you but no one looked at you to join and if they looked at you it was to laugh and murmur

There she was again, standing in front of you with a sad look that barely met your eyes she looked at the floor and walked by your side.

Hey… - you murmured barely, only to her with fear and shame - if you still don't have a team… I can join you if you don't mind - she looked at you over her shoulder giving a sigh of relief nodding offering you her hand so she could walk by your side and not get lost in the crowd

Between your fingers you could notice the difference in size between your small and fragile hand and hers, it was big with a different strength and somewhat rough but still made you feel protected and confident

So you both walked almost in circles finding the fragile old woman and her son and then the little girl with bangs forming a team of 5

Again the games were confusing for you, you could identify some that resembled what you had once played in your country but fear consumed you making your hands tremble again

Calm down - her voice again fragile but somewhat thick made you look at her holding the air - everything will be fine, don't push yourself too much okay? Do you think you can take charge of throwing the rocks? It's just a matter of taking a rock, throwing it and making the second one fall, that's all you have to do - her voice was like a murmur trying not to interrupt the game of the first two teams that were participating

Should I just throw it? - you looked at her nervously, looking at her dark eyes behind her bangs

You just have to throw it, it's easy - she smiled at you giving you hope making you smile barely as you looked at the floor again nervously trying not to think about everything that was tormenting your head, in the background you could hear the screams and cheers that the other players made while the teams participated until a round of gunshots made you jump scared covering your ears and closing your eyes tightly - calm down, calm down nothing is happening - her arms surrounded you quickly, adjusting you against her chest, you could feel the strands of her hair on your face and a slight aroma of herbs coming from it - it's over, don't open your eyes until I tell you okay?

Your head barely nodded as you took a deep breath, the aroma of her hair made you remember the gardens where you walked when you first arrived in South Korea and her arms for some reason made you feel protected, nothing could happen to you

A couple of minutes (that seemed like an eternity) passed slowly, people were talking, some were crying and in the background you could hear the sound of the sirens of the forklifts that had come to pick up the bodies, one second after another it was a damn nightmare.

''Next team, you can take your position'' the voice from the speaker again

It's our turn - the old woman sighed getting up while you opened your eyes and stood up slowly with fear

The guards tied your ankles and after a shot the game for you began.

You walked counting the steps, being constant and fast in your tasks, first Ddjaki, the little girl with the bangs did well, then the flying rock, your trembling hands held it strong and letting out a deep sigh you threw it against the rock in the distance failing in the attempt

Girl concentrate, what's wrong with you! - the old woman shouted making your friend look at her annoyed and after her firm indication and walking as a team to pick it up the 5 of them returned to their position - don't fail, please girl!

We trust you… calm down, take a breath and throw it, you'll do well - Your new best friend looked at you smiling lightly giving you courage.

A sigh again, a fixed look at the rock and after throwing it it fell with a blow.

Everyone screamed, applauded and so on again until reaching the final task ''Team 2, you have completed your tasks'' you had never been so happy to hear that spooky voice on the speaker and once the guards untied your ankles they all ran screaming and laughing to the fence that separated you from the rest of the players, you could finally return to the dormitory and finally had survived another day.

Everyone was happy, so much so that all of you were jumping and screaming with excitement, your friend, the tall girl ran to you without wasting a second surrounding you with her strong arms making you spin in the air while both of you laughed

We did it, I told you, we did it right - she laughed jumping with you still in her arms making you scream when you felt the air on your face and your legs hanging in the air

Now, stop it, you're going to make her dizzy - the old woman laughed patting her back as a sign that it was enough until you heard gunshots in the distance again making the team erase their smile and remember the horrible place where they were

Come on let's sit down - her hand slowly and carefully took yours walking towards the bed shelves climbing up and sitting on the steps - are you okay?

Yes… I'm pretty well, thanks for helping me - you smiled rubbing your hands on your legs nervously

By the way, my name is Cho Hyun-Ju… are you? - she looked at you curiously

Y/N… my name is Y/N - you smiled shyly at her

You have a very pretty name - she smiled back shyly with her cheeks slightly tinted - thanks for letting me join you in the game you were the only person who approached me

You don't have to thank me, I think we are both rejected for certain reasons and that makes us unique in the crowd right? it's better to be united and be stronger than alone - your cheeks felt hot, the sign that they were red like cherries

You're right..

Part 2 ✨

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Thanks for reading, this is the first episode I've written about Squid Game and it was short since I have little time to update but I didn't want to go to sleep without writing the beginning of the story, I have ideas but I'd like to hear yours and write them down, just to reinforce the theme of this story the reader and Cho Hyun-ju will possibly have a romance so if these themes aren't to you please don't read it, I know you'll find something that suits your tastes. 🫶🏻

Again, Thanks for reading, I'll be back soon!

BTW: Happy New Year everyone 🥂✨

[statsbot]

The transformation of monster hunters into monsters is actually far more common than most realize. The Registry of the Changed in the great library of Vos-Ulthar contains over 6,000 documented cases, and those are just the ones who lived long enough to be catalogued.

Beyond the classic triumvirate of vampirism, lycanthropy, and zombification (which the esteemed vampire hunter Marienne du Sang rather amusingly termed "The Big Three" shortly before becoming a vampire herself), there are numerous other transformative conditions that can affect monster hunters:

The Hollow Curse: Contracted from slaying too many void wraiths. Your insides slowly become an empty space that hungers for reality itself. The final stages involve your skin becoming a thin membrane barely containing an infinite darkness. The only known cure involves filling yourself with sanctified lead, which is exactly as pleasant as it sounds.

Gargoylification: Not actually from gargoyles (who are quite pleasant once you get to know them), but from the parasitic stone-spirits that sometimes inhabit them. Turns your flesh to living stone over the course of months. The Brotherhood of the Hammer actually seeks this out deliberately - they claim it makes them better hunters.

The Hive-Mind Plague: Spread by the psychic residue left in the corpses of hiveminds. Slowly connects you to every other infected person until you lose your individual identity. The worst part? You remain conscious the entire time, just… shared. The Collective of St. Sebastian contains over 300 former monster hunters, all sharing the same thoughts.

The Butcher's Mark: This one's nasty. Kill enough things that bleed, and their blood starts to recognize you. You become a focal point for blood itself. It seeks you out, tries to drown you. The famous hunter Klaus von Rothstein ended up floating in a sphere of every drop of blood within a mile radius. He's still technically alive in there, they say.

A few practical tips from the Hunter's Black Book (written anonymously by someone who was clearly turning into something awful):

Never hunt the same type of monster more than three times in a row. They start to recognize you on a metaphysical level. Carry blessed silver AND cursed iron. Sometimes you need to fight corruption with corruption. If your reflection starts giving you hunting advice, STOP IMMEDIATELY. The Rite of St. Mercurius can temporarily halt most transformations, but each use cuts your remaining lifespan in half. If you find yourself understanding monster languages without having learned them, it's already too late.

There's also the philosophical question posed by the scholar-hunter Yavina the Bright: "If we accept that all monsters were once something else, then perhaps becoming a monster is simply the universe's way of maintaining equilibrium." She wrote this shortly before her transformation into living stained glass, which honestly just strengthens her point.

The Monastery of the Eternal Vigil actually maintains a special wing for transformed hunters, treating them as honored guests rather than monsters. Their philosophy is that someone who gave their humanity in service of protecting others deserves respect, not silver bullets. Of course, they also keep them in cells lined with every ward known to man, but it's the thought that counts.

Remember: if you start experiencing symptoms of transformation, don't panic. Panic accelerates most transformative conditions. Instead, calmly make your way to the nearest temple of St. Ophelia the Unchanging, or if that's not possible, find the deepest hole you can and jump in. Sometimes the old solutions are the best solutions.

A final note from the Hunter's Black Book: "If you're reading this, I'm probably something terrible now. But I protected people. Remember that. Whatever I am now, I PROTECTED PEOPLE."

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster, on account that a bunch of monsters can turn you into a monster by biting you. Vampires, werewolves, zombies. those are the big ones, there are others

[taelophone]

Luigi M; A Look ⋆˙⟡ — A Luigi Mangione Analysis ⋆⭒˚｡⋆. A/N: I am not claiming to know or understand him as a person lol. I simply wanna do a lil surface dive on him as a person to try and shed some light on what I think he's like!

Please note; All links are tweets Luigi himself has reposted, or are things from his mouth that he has typed. VIA Reddit, twitter, etc etc. All retweets will be marked with *

⟡ Luigi as a person (good, and bad)

⋆ After many many hours of scouring this man’s socials and any sort of archive of him I can find, I’ve gathered a handful of interpretations and ideas as to what Luigi was like prior to his surgery. And I say that last part specifically because he showed a v drastic change directly after his surgery, and literally went M.I.A.

Luigi is a very empathetic and intelligent man, this is a surface level fact that we can all agree on. He’s been shown to go out of his way for other people even when he doesn’t have to. But please don’t let that fool you this man is a KEYBOARD. WARRIOR.

⋆ He LIVES for the debate. In fact, he fucking loves debating. I wouldn’t go as far as saying he loves arguing, but if there’s a point being made and he feels strongly about it, he will type pages upon pages of text explaining in great detail exactly why you are wrong.

He’s said time and time before in a retweeted post that freethinking* is a very important part of life, and here’s where I say he’s…a bit of a hypocrite. His love for debate kind of keeps him from seeing another person’s POV, which makes for a hell of a storm when disagreeing with him. In short, he’s stubborn. A very stubborn man, but he is open to hearing the other person out versus not listening to them at all.

And I have a strong feeling his stubborn demeanor coincides with the fact that he knows he’s smart. Don’t get me wrong, he seems like he usually knows what he’s talking about, but that’s the problem. If you tell him about something that’s been bothering you or going wrong in your life, he will spit out 99 solutions for you. He’s the kind of guy where he will probably resort to both comfort AND unsolicited advice, although its likely he got better at the latter later down the line.

⋆ Shying away from him being stubborn, there’s another key part of this man that I DONT SEE BEING TALKED ABOUT ENOUGHHH OMG. SASSY MAN. SASSY SASSY SAASSSSYY MAN.

You can expect shade, eye rolls, silent treatment, head shakes, and possibly even a snarky comment from him. He’s all about becoming a better person and stuck on self betterment, but he is not afraid to show his visible disdain for something. He has very dry and unexpected humor, but he doesn’t realize it. He’s funny in a way where he doesn’t mean to be.

But when he’s trying to make a joke? Oh god help me he’s so so so cheesy and so corny that it makes you just wanna curl up and die (but no seriously, he’s so corny that it’s funny). His sense of humor is so cheesy, think old vine and 2018 humor.

⋆ Another key part about him is his love for travel, and being a “geek” by nature! This man loooooovesss his Pokemon, let me tell you. Was in a whole subreddit dedicated to Pokemon go, word committed for half a page about backpacking essentials, and was almost always posted up somewhere that wasn’t his house. I can’t say he’s the type for spontaneous trips, as the only time he has been known to take was during the beginning of his breakdown.

Because of this, I feel like he’s more likely to be a marvel and MCU fan. He also read a couple of the Harry Potter books, and we can assume that he liked the series enough to rate them 5/5s lol

⟡ My takeaways. Deeper analysis

⋆ Luigi gives me massive INTJ vibes. Contrary to popular belief, I feel he’s more introverted rather than extroverted. He’s expressed clear comfort in solitude, and aligns perfectly with the personality category.

INTJ description;

“INNOVATIVE,INDEPENDENT, STRATEGIC, LOGICAL, RESERVED, INSIGHTFUL. DRIVEN BY THEIR OWN ORIGINAL IDEAS TO ACHIEVE IMPROVEMENTS.”

However, I could see him being an ISTP, who are characterized as

“ACTION-ORIENTED, LOGICAL, ANALYTICAL, SPONTNEOUS, RESERVED, INDEPENDENT. ENJOY ADVENTURE, SKILLED AT UNDERSTANDING THINGS.”

⋆ He’s a very big geek! More than likely has a soft spot for nostalgia content or things that remind him of childhood. We can expect him to be into things like Ben10, Cartoon Network, old Nickelodeon, and other shows such as The Office, Law & Order, true crime, and philosophy content!

⋆ Expect him to be a giving lover. Would absolutely love words of affirmation, quality time, and acts of service. He’d be more than willing to give you gifts and shower you in lavishes, but it’s not his main love language as he believes love goes beyond materialism and who can spend the most on who. Handmade gifts are a go! Expect 3D printed trinkets, pictures, cards, etc etc.

⋆ Absolute communication god. He’s stubborn, but he’s not stubborn enough to not tell you when something is wrong. It’s just not his speed and he thinks it’s pointless to not tell someone, especially your partner, when he’s upset or what’s got him in a bad mood. He also expects this same behavior from you as well. The whole “I don’t wanna tell you what’s wrong” shindig would annoy the FUCK out of him. FAST.

⋆ He doesn’t give possessive or jealous lover type ngl. Growing up with two sisters and being absolutely showered in female companionship, he understands how that could possibly make you feel and doesn’t even blame you for it. As a result, he’d be extremely understanding if you were friends with men.

⋆ Please don’t ever get in an argument with this man lmfao. That is one battle you cannot and WILL NOT win. If it’s petty and a matter of “I didn’t say so and so,” he WILL show up with receipts. Would very much start busting out his big boy words just to confuse you. Catch him throwing old English into the mix. But if it’s a legitimate argument, and you have a reason to be upset, he will apologize before it can even get off track.

⟡ Luigi’s Brain

⋆ Alright kids here’s where we get a little controversial. What’s going on in Luigi’s mind?

I just wanna start this section off by saying I am not a licensed psychologist, nor do I major in psychology. I have no ties to this topic whatsoever, and am just speaking from what I’ve seen in myself, and what I’ve seen in him.

Neurodivergence. Luigi has a habit of exuding very neurodiverse behavioral patterns that I could tie to one of two things. Autism, or OCD.

⋆ Luigi openly expressed a lot about his wills and wants on his various social media platforms, and one thing I’ve noticed is his strong need or drive for self-improvement. Please don’t get me wrong, it is incredibly important to want to improve yourself and that is a perfectly healthy goal to have. However, Luigi’s drive for self-improvement and ‘getting better’ had a direct impact on his relationships, lifestyle, and more. This is likely what influenced his 6 month period of self-isolation and cutting off his family members.

Perfectionism “type” OCD is a branch of the umbrella term of OCD in which can be identified by repetitive behaviors, such as excessive exercise, something he continued to engage in even with a bad back, insistence on specific routines or ways to do things to achieve perfection, and occasionally rigid and inflexible thinking patterns, as I described him being likely to have above.

not everyone experiences OCD the same way, and me and Luigi are obviously going to experience it differently considering we are two completely different individuals. As someone with perfectionism OCD, I am just calling what I see in my eyes.

⋆ I saw someone make the argument a while back that Luigi could possibly be a narcissist, and while I don't necessarily deny that he can come off as pompous in some of his tweets, I do not think this is the case.

For Luigi to be a narcissist means that he wouldn't be able to make meaningful connections with people around him. Every person that has met or come into contact with Luigi only had good things to say, but I'd like to focus on his...straightforward or out-of-touch* tweets.

Luigi is a no-nonsense man. He's very left-brained and thinks as such, literally. He demonstrates a tendency to solve and think and plow through anything he registers as a problem. Have you ever asked "well, why can't we just print more money?" when told about the cash crisis? That's exactly whats going on in this tweet.

His first instinct when faced with the topic of Japan's birth rate is to try and solve it. Luigi may be hyperfixated on stats and data, which would clarify why he allegedly word-vomited to the hoes about birth rate data. He's not trying to come off as rude or ignorant, and frankly, I don't really think his tweet is that crazy either, he just might not know that this isn't something considered a social topic.

I feel like we're ignoring a lot of his more out-of-touch* (re)tweets, though. Scrolling through Luigi's page, I can understand what he's trying to get at, though lol. He's made it very clear that he's an intense supporter of complete equality*, he doesn't want anybody to be undermined in their contributions to society. Regardless of gender, sexual identity, race, etc. But again, he's thinking so literally and has trouble effectively communicating that in a way that is "neurotypical." This paired with the way he word vomits, and just his overall typing style and cadence, It just feels like he may be on the spectrum!

I do not have a link for this as his Reddit account was fucking obliterated, BUT, I do remember it being rumored that Luigi was apart of several neurodivergent support groups and subreddits!

I hope I helped humanize him a bit more for you guys! Lmk what you think of this little summary as it’s my first time doing something like this EVER lmfao😭

[polarspaz]

AlienMomo AU incoming info dump!

-The alien species Momo father originates from are called the Grey's. Their species used to be very empathic and gentle beings, but thousands of years of war has caused them to change drastically. In order to better fight and protect themselves, the Grey's closed off their emotions, sometimes by personal choice or by experiencing a traumatic event.

Over the generations they lost the ability to feel permanently. Even if they managed to give birth to a green alien, the child would quickly turn grey, unable to deal with their short lived emotions.

-So the Grey's only solution was to try and find another species to breed into, one that had many emotions and strong fortitude, and it turns out that humans are the perfect fit.

-It's because Momo is half human she is able to recover from her Greystate, when she feels no emotions. This makes her VERY valuable to the her father's species, but not all of them have good intentions.

-There is a sect of the Grey's called the Pale, Albino versions of the Grey's who went insane instead of emotionless. They feed off the energy that intense emotions produce and would love to get their hands on Momo and make her scream.

-Thankfully Momo's uncle is secretly looking after her, keeping her hidden from the rest of his species at the request of Momo's missing mom and dad.

[seat-safety-switch]

Most weird hobbyists are trustworthy. Once you're in the community, you can treat them like your second family. Except better, because they won't judge you for having a weird hobby.

There is, however, the problem of money. Most hobbies cost money. Maybe you're buying some ancient junk that a long-dead civilization left behind, or you're trying to negotiate for a fair payment for some horrifying art you are constructing at the demand of a random person you've never met. And as we all know, money ruins everything. It destroyed our planet and killed the whales, and it breaks up friendships, too.

The reason why is simple. Money provides a quantifiable value on things. If you give someone five dollars worth of stuff, and you get three dollars in return, well, you're going to be at least two dollars worth of mad. Things get even worse when you're dealing with largely subjective things, like weird porn commissions or bricks of Garbage Pail Kids cards. How do you price them? Better to just trade things back and forth for free, and then enjoy companionship rather than worrying about money. Until the other jerk puts something you gave them on eBay.

There's only one solution: abolishing money entirely. By dumping all of your hobby cash into Switchbux™, you can trade confusing fetish content and handmade 'zines without having to worry about getting screwed over. How? Two ways. First, Switchbux™ has no numerical value. It's the world's first currency to be traded entirely on vibes. How much did you sell that for? Nobody knows, and importantly, nobody can tell. That's why you can't take Switchbux™ back out of the system and trade it for evil regular dollars, which is where this whole thing would fall apart. Bad feelings, don't do it.

You might ask yourself what I'm going to do with all these worthless dollars I am turning into arbitrary (and unknowable!) amounts of Switchbux™. Well, I'm going to show them to my buddies in my weird hobby. It's called "banking," and our thing for the year is to come up with the dumbest possible currency sca- actually, we haven't decided yet. Fucking Throckmorton Osgood III hasn't gotten back to anyone about the rules.

[azriona]

Look. I know using AI to create something can be tempting. Seductive even. It's a shortcut! We all love shortcuts! Especially when our creative resources are feeling tapped out!

BUT DON'T GIVE IN. Please, please, don't give in. If you're feeling tapped out, using AI is not a solution. It's not a stepping stone to creating your own thing. It won't help you get back into the groove of creation because that's not how creation works. In fact, I'd say that using AI in any part of the creative process could very well be a road-block to being fully creative in your own right. You won't be exercising the muscles you need to create something on your own, so you'll end up needing AI (or feeling like you do) for the rest of your creative life.

It all goes back to this:

Make the shitty art. Try writing the story (or drawing it; insert your verb as desired), fail, try writing it again, fail again, try writing something else, get a little further, get stuck, shelve it, read a whole bunch of books, watch a bunch of movies, write a little bit more. Finish it. Start again.

That's how you create. Ask any author on here, ask any artist, how many unfinished projects we have. How many ideas we started, couldn't get through, shelved. So, so many. I never leave a fandom without at least half a dozen unfinished, unposted, half-stories. Hell, I've got at least two actually finished books that Pen's never going to publish because I'm not happy with them.

This is normal.

You cannot finish what you personally did not start. So start it. Yourself.

like i'm sorry but we as a fandom have to stay firm on our anti-AI values. we cannot suddenly start giving AI a pass when it's something we "want to see" like destiel kisses. it's not suddenly fine. we're not going to start using AI to make fanfic scenes come to life or audio AI to make characters "say" stuff we want to hear. you have GOT to be firm on your anti-AI stance. if you start making exceptions then suddenly anything will fly. fandom is for real art and creations made by real people. no AI fanfics. no AI art. no AI rendered "bonus" scenes. no AI audio. none of it has a place here.

[raayllum]

The thing (or one of the things) about Ezran in early S7 is that while he's not being unreasonable, he is being hypocritical and unproductive ("You forgave Zubeia"). 7x01 is his breaking point after seasons of trying to keep everyone else together and weathering each conflict in as most an unaffected manner as possible, and he quite simply couldn't do it anymore.

Zubeia sent an assassin to kill your father? You long for your mother so deeply, you don't know your dad is dead yet, you do everything you can to get Zym back home because you love him (you can literally see through his eyes) and because it's the best chance for peace. Forgive her for killing your father and trying to kill you because she was grieving and Zym's dad for killing your mother because he's dead and they miss him. Put all your anger in a box at the one person who actually did kill him, because Zubeia saw her baby and changed her mind, and your found family sister (who is also missing) defected and spared your life that night, and he didn't.

Deny the ugly truths as long as you can by focusing on peace ("I ignored something that was true. I denied something that is undeniable"). Why should you have to acknowledge anger? Can't you just get past that? And then you can't, with the picture. (Then you can't, later, with yourself.)

Rayla comes back and Callum is fighting with her? Forgive and welcome her back unconditionally and try to counsel Callum through his big feelings. Rinse and repeat when Soren and then Zym goes missing. Advocate for and refuse to give up on Rex Igneous until he sends you sprawling into a wall.

Take on the responsibility of negotiating with the dragons. With Finnegrin (you offer up your hand, and so do your friends, your family). Talk your brother out of a more violent solution, and Rayla sides with you. She does again about hiding with the pearl and you save each other's lives. You look after home while she and Callum leave to save the world, and tell Soren the hard truth and deal with Viren till you don't. You try to spare Karim and his forces. You believe in peace. You believe in breaking the cycle.

"I am a king, and as a king, I choose love over strength."

"King of what? King of ashes?"

Ezran looks at what two years of trying to do the right peaceful thing has earned him — a destroyed kingdom while he was away — and he desperately, angrily, grasps at any semblance of control. This can't be all it was for. He feels like he's failed as a king, and is therefore a bad king. He needs to punish Sol Regem for it, but he can't. It needs to be Runaan's 'fault' because Runaan made him a king, even though keeping Runaan chained up in the Banther Lodge basement doesn't do anything but keep another family (Rayla's family) apart and make him feel in control. His pendulum swings so hard and strong, the target of his anger constantly changing to the most recent wound stacked upon themselves. After 7x02, he's not visibly angry at Runaan again until the finale; he's angrier at Callum than he is at Rayla because he thought he had control over his brother ("Callum. High Mage. We need you at this council meeting") even if that shouldn't be the goal or the focus at all anyway.

Callum doesn't betray him just because of Rayla, but because Ezran is perpetuating the cycle in a way that is antithetical to everything all three of them have striven to break, which is exactly what Callum points out to him. (If Rayla had surrendered or Callum had stayed, they just all likely would've been arrested, as it's unlikely Rayla and Runaan would've made it in the boat with Callum's magic, either. Would that have made Ezran, or anyone, feel better, hunting down his brother and friends, bringing them back in chains? No, and only Aanya is brave enough to say it out loud after Ez proves he values his bond with his brother / Callum's life over destroying Runaan's and Rayla's by proxy.)

"Because pain and loss feel so terrible inside, you want to hate. You want to hurt someone else."

What would killing or imprisoning Runaan (again) really have done?

"Hasn't he already been punished enough? Viren trapped him in a cursed coin for years. It's time to set him free." / "How much suffering is enough to pay for the mistakes we've made? No amount of suffering, yours or mine, will ever bring him back."

("As a father, I have a selfish wish, and that is for you and Ezran to be... free.")

"A life for a life. Is that justice?"

We also see that his scene with Runaan is one of the very last in the season. It's been months, if not nine, before Ezran was ready to have that conversation, ready to do with Runaan what he willingly did with Aaravos ("A king must look into the face and hear the words of those he judges"). A few days or a week by Callum's estimate wouldn't have been enough.

Ezran set Terry free to see if they could really trust him. He refused to do the same with Runaan even when it was causing clear pain and fracturing within his own family unit, nor did Runaan come to Katolis to face justice; it was just happenstance. But in Runaan being freed, he was then able to choose to come back to face Ezran's verdict. And then Ezran makes his own conscious choice.

"I'm going to forgive you. I don't know how, but I have to try."

He told everyone else that they had to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss in their hearts while also holding love. It was hard before. It was hard now. But he has to try.

(Nor does Harrow being in the bird erase the two years of mourning hell that Ezran went through, remove the crown from his brow, make things with Runaan any easier tbh, or mean he's 100% getting his father back.)

[jewreallythinkthat]

I was incredibly privileged to meet Ibrahim, one of the presenters of Unapologetic: The Third Narrative, the other week. Not only is he a fantastic speaker and an important ally and activist to work beside when pushing for a two state solution, he's also just a fantastic guy. He's so positive about the future while still being pragmatic about the difficulties of achieving peace.

Do I agree with everything he and Amira say on the podcast? No. But actually, disagreement isn't unhealthy and it's important to listen and understand people you don't agree with. I'm British and have never lived anywhere other than the UK so while I grew up with family in Israel and heavily invested in politics in the middle east, I simply do not have the same experience as he, a Palestinian-Israeli from Nazareth who lived in Tel Aviv before October 7th and then went back home to his family, feeling unsafe with the wave of racism he faced after October 7th happened.

Actually having the opportunity to go to talks by him, and sit down with the guy and have a face to face chat was absolutely fascinating. The co-option of the pro-palestine movement in the west by people who just want to spread hate and antisemitism has been watched with horror by Ibrahim and his co-activists. He is very open about the fact he believes two states is the only way out of the current, unbearable, status quo (and I agree with him) and I wish people would listen to more actual activists who are native to the Middle East instead of spoilt brats on tiktok who've never met a Jew, an Israeli or a Palestinian in their life.

I also had the chance to hear the testimony from a Gazan at the same time (not sharing their name for their own safety) and it's crushing to hear how horrific the situation is for them, someone who left Gaza six years ago, and their family who are still there. One thing I thought was particularly important was a question at the end about how their friends and families feel about them doing work with Jews and Israelis and basically, the view from friends and family was that they just want peace. They don't give a shit where the boarder goes, they just want peace and rights (as you may expect) and that they were very happy working to and knowing Israelis who are also pushing for peace and a lasting end to the violence.

I will never stop advocating for a two state solution (personally I don't think anyone should get Jerusalem as it's a bit of a hot topic that bad faith actors on both sides use to beat eachother) but frankly, a two state solution and a lasting peace has been needed for a vary, very long time and I hope we get there soon.

As they say at the end of every episode: Everyone, Jews, Arabs, Israelis, Palestinians and Muslims, we all deserve better

[anonymousewrites]

Apple of My Eye Chapter Seventeen

Harry Hook x Child of Snow White! Reader

Chapter Seventeen: A Whole New World

Summary: Auradon takes a step in the right direction.

            “She’s slipping deeper into the curse,” said Evie grimly.

            Everyone had awoken, and Audrey had been moved to her dorm as a solution to her sleeping spell rebounding was found. Unfortunately, no one had any ideas, and as the curse settled into Audrey, it would become harder and harder to wake her. Since it wasn’t a direct spell and rebound of one meant for other people, she wasn’t instantly cursed until she dispelled the curse or got True Love’s Kiss. However, soon, she would be.

            The VKs paced in her room, all of them together again. Mal hung her head.

            “There’s only one person in the world who might be able to do something about this, and that’s Hades,” she said, grimacing. “His ember rebounded the spell, so its magic is tied to the curse now. He could wake Audrey up.”

            “Hades?” Ben exclaimed. “He wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t risk it.”

            “We can’t leave Audrey cursed, Ben,” said (Y/N). “No one deserves that.”

            Ben pursed his lips.

            “Hades might do it. For me,” said Mal.

            All eyes went to her.

            “He’s my father,” said Mal.

            Everyone’s eyes widened.

            I can see it now that she said it, thought (Y/N), looking at Mal’s hair that had turned blue with the ember and considered her powerful magic. Also, Maleficent would go for a god to date.

            “Okay,” said Ben, digesting the information. “Well…I have to send guards to get him.”

            “Maybe I can hitch a ride,” said Uma. “This Isle is my home. Someone needs to be there to protect it.”

            “Well, then.” Harry stepped up next to her. “You’ll need your first mate.”

            Evie looked at (Y/N). They bit their cheek, and their gaze was downcast. Their heart ached, and they swallowed.

            “The Isle will be in very good hands,” said Mal softly.

            “Can I go, too?” said Celia, standing. “I wish I could be in both places. But I can’t leave me dad.”

            Mal looked at all of them. “I’m sorry to see you all go. I think Evie and (Y/N) were right. We could have been friends. And I’m really sorry that I lied to all of you guys. You deserved so much better than that.”

            Everyone was silent.

            “I’ll get Hades here,” said Ben, walking to the door.

            Celia, Uma, Gil, and Harry headed to the door with him. They were ready to head to the Isle and all the people looking up to them.

            “Harry,” said (Y/N).

            Harry turned to face them. They pulled his red sash from their pocket. (Y/N) held it out.

            “I told you I’d give it back when we saw each other again,” said (Y/N) softly. “And this is the last time we’ll see each other.” Their heart ached, and they held the sash tightly.

            Harry looked at the sash and then at them. He pushed it back at them. “Keep it.” He put on a charming smile, though his own heart inexplicably hurt. “Somethin’ to remember me by, Highness.”

            (Y/N) held it tightly and nodded. “Thank you.”

            Harry nodded to them, and then he walked out of the door. He walked out of their life.

l

            “(Y/N)—”

            “Evie—”

            They paused and looked at one another. (Y/N) sat beside the wishing well of Auradon Prep, and Evie stood in the trees near the clearing. She smiled softly as she saw (Y/N).

            “Are you alright?” said Evie gently, approaching (Y/N).

            “I’m fine,” said (Y/N).

            Evie knew they were lying and sat down next to (Y/N). “I’m sorry that Harry left. I thought…I wanted you two to have a chance.”

            (Y/N) swallowed and shook their head. “It’s not me you should feel bad for. All those kids on the Isle…They don’t get the chance they deserve.”

            Evie sighed and hung her head. “I can’t believe they’re really going to close the barrier for good. Hades woke Audrey up. He did something right and didn’t expect anything in return. And yet—”

            “They’re still doing it,” said (Y/N). “I can’t stand it.”

            “Me neither,” said Evie. She straightened. “But we have to be there. Mal and Ben are going to make their announcement, and I want to face it head-on. I know I’ll be guilty for the rest of my life if I’m not there.”

            “I’ll be there with you,” said (Y/N), squeezing Evie’s hand.

            “Thank you.” Evie hugged them.

            (Y/N) hugged her back.

l

            (Y/N) stood beside Evie, Jay, and Carlos in front of the bridge to the Isle. The people of Auradon, mostly students from the academy that day, stood around them. Everyone was dressed for the official address—and engagement event—of their King and Queen-to-be. (Y/N) had on a blue, off-shoulder dress. The skirts and cuffs were lined in yellow, and a yellow sash was wrapped around their waist. Harry’s red sash was tied around their neck in a cute bow, and a matching red scarf was wrapped in their hair.

            “There they are,” said Evie, watching Mal and Ben enter the courtyard.

            The crowd applauded their rulers as they stepped up onto a terrace to address them all. Ben cleared his throat and began.

            “Lady Mal and I wanna thank you for celebrating our engagement with us today,” said Ben. “I couldn’t be prouder or happier to call you my Queen. So, raise your glasses. To the future Queen of Auradon!”

            “To our Queen of Auradon,” said the crowd.

            “Speech!” called a few people.

            Mal smiled. She looked out at the crowd. Her gaze passed over (Y/N) and her friends. Her smile faltered. Her gaze landed the young VKs. Her smile fell completely.

            “I can’t.” She spoke clearly.

            Confused whispers ran through the crowd. (Y/N) and Evie exchanged curious looks.

            “I can’t be Queen of Auradon,” said Mal.

            “Mal,” said Ben urgently, confused himself.

            “I can’t turn my back on the Isle,” said Mal firmly to Ben. She looked out at the people of Auradon and beyond at the Isle. “We made a decision to close the barrier forever. And it was my idea. But it’s wrong.”

            (Y/N)’s eyes widened, and a smile spread across their face.

            “I learned…that you can’t live in fear,” said Mal. “Because it doesn’t actually protect you from anything. You never know where the bad is gonna come from. And you never know where the heroes are gonna come from. Without Uma and her pirates, Auradon would be gone. And without Hades, my father—” people gasped, but Mal continued bravely “—Audrey would be gone. We are all capable of good and bad, no matter which side of the barrier we come from.”

            (Y/N) and Evie smiled proudly at her words.

            “And that’s why I can’t be Queen of just Auradon.” Mal smiled. “I have to be Queen of the Isle, too. And it’s time we take the barrier down forever.”

            "We can’t do that,” exclaimed Adam, still afraid of the possibilities.

            It was understandable. So many traumas, so much hurt, so much pain was hard to forgive and hard to move on from.

            But we need to move forward and make a change, thought (Y/N).

            It’s up to us, Dad,” said Ben firmly. “I choose to be a King who moves forward. It’s time for forgiveness. It’s time for new beginnings. The barrier will come down!”

            “Yes!” cheered the VKs and (Y/N), and applause went up from the crowd.

            Ben smiled at Mal. “Bring it down, Mal.”

            Mal gestured for the VKs to join her. Evie grabbed (Y/N) and pulled them with the group. Fairy Godmother handed Mal her wand. Together, Mal and her friends looked out at the Isle. Mal held up the wand.

            “To make the world a better place, we all have to do it face-to-face.” They spoke as one.

            Light erupted from the wand and soared through the sky. It hit the barrier of the Isle, and the entire thing sparkled with golden light. The shimmer died. The barrier faded with it.

            Cheers went up, and (Y/N) and Evie grinned at each other. Mal smiled softly and hugged Ben, who hugged her in return. Everyone applauded while a bridge of magic rolled out towards the Isle. Everyone would be free. It would be a new era for Auradon.

            The people of Auradon stepped towards the bridge. On the Isle, people gathered in astonishment to see the bridge before them—the freedom. Uma and Gil grinned at each other, knowing Uma’s plan had come to fruition. Harry grinned, knowing the Isle would be free. And he wouldn’t have to leave behind the people—person—he’d come to care for.

(Mal) “It’s time to bring it together.”

            She smiled out from the terrace at Uma across the way.

(Mal) “Time for a brand-new start.”

            Uma smiled back at her, standing before her people. She could almost cry for joy.

(Uma) “We’re gonna put it in motion, Break down what keeps us apart.”

            Mal smirked, ready for the celebration of freedom to begin.

(Mal) “No more, no division, we down, New team got the vision.” (Uma) “Unite till we stand, Now we living, marching, In the light, One-two, one-two, Like—”

            Mal threw her arms up.

(Mal) “I see you.”

            Uma pointed at Ma.

(Uma) “You see me.” (Mal) “Imperfect.” (Uma) “Perfectly.” (Mal and Uma) “Face-to-face we can see, Clearly our similarities like—” (Uma) “Day and night.” (Mal) “Wrong or right.” (Uma) “We come together for a good time.”

            Everyone smiled and looked out at the other group, ready to come together.

(All) “We’re gonna break this down, We’re gonna rock the town, Everyone all around, Let’s be whoever like this, Stronger together like this.”

            Uma began to dance towards the bridge, leading the people of the Isle.

(Uma) “Believing in second chances.” (Celia) “And we’re all starting today.” (Harry) “Marching on in a new land.” (VKs on the Isle) “Our world’s a better, a better place.”

            Uma took her crew’s hands and ran onto the bridge, spinning and skipping and dancing.

            The VKs and people of Auradon danced forward to meet them, led by Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and (Y/N).

(Y/N) “Welcome the additional love! (Carlos) “Unity, new beginning for us.” (Jay) “Harmony that’s the mission, marching—”

            Everyone smiled at one another.

(All) “In the light, One-two, one-two, Like—” (Auradon and VKs on Auradon) “I see you.” (VKs on Isle) “You see me.” (Auradon and VKs on Auradon) “Imperfect.” (VKs on Isle) “Perfectly.” (All) “Face-to-face we can see, Clearly our similarities like, Day and night! Wrong or right!”

            The two groups met together on the bridge. Instantly, everyone was dancing and cheering. Freedom was the topic of celebration, and everyone loved it.

(All) “We come together for a good time! We’re gonna break this down, We’re gonna rock the town.”

            The groups began to mix, no one separating based on where they came from or who their parents were.

(All) “Everyone all around, Just be whoever like this, Stronger together like this, We reunited like this!”

            Together, all the teenagers ran towards Auradon, singing and whooping as the air rushed by them and they ran towards a new future of new opportunities.

(All) “Bringing it, bringing it, Bri-bri-bringing it down.”

            They clapped, and Ben stood at the front of those on Auradon as the people on the bridge approached.

(All) “Bringing it, bringing it, Bri-bri-bringing it down.”

            The bridge group joined the dancing.

(All) “Bringing it, bringing it, Bri-bri-bringing it down, Bringing it, bringing it, Bri-bri-bringing it down.”

            Mal and Ben ran to each other. Ben spun her around, and Mal laughed. She ran forward, as did the other kids from Auradon who had danced. Uma and Harry hesitated with their group at the line separating the bridge from Auradon. It was almost too good to be true.

            Ben bowed. Evie and (Y/N) bowed. Jay and Carlos bowed. All the kids of Auradon bowed in greeting to the people of the Isle.

            Uma laughed and stepped over the line. Instantly, the rest of the people of the Isle ran forward, free and cheering for it. Uma and Mal hugged, happy to be friends and united in freedom and serving their people.

            Everyone gathered together, ready to celebrate. Harry grinned and approached (Y/N). He offered a hand. They smiled, laughed, and took it. He spun them into a dip as other dancing pairs did the same. (Y/N) leaned back into it with a joyous smile.

            Together, the people of the Isle and the people of Auradon became one group—one people.

(All) “We’re gonna break this down, We’re gonna rock the town, Everyone all around, Just be whoever like this, Stronger together this like, We reunited like this!”

            Everyone shuffled and spun and dancing and held hands and celebrated and came together, two peoples reunited and brought together.

(All) “We’re gonna break this down, We’re gonna rock the town, Everyone all around, Just be whoever like this, Stronger together like this, We reunited like this! Bringing it, bringing it, Bri-bri-bringing it down!”

            Everyone cheered as the people stood together for the first time in years. More and more people were coming over the from the Isle, different kids ready for a new future. Even villains decided to take a chance.

            Dizzy, Celia, Squirmy, and Sneaky ran to their parents and grandparents with huge smiles. (Y/N) and Evie laughed for joy as they saw it, grabbed each other’s hands, and danced around.

            “Mind if I cut in?” said Harry, appearing behind them.

            “Not at all,” said Evie, grinning at (Y/N) and pushing them towards Harry.

            They laughed and took his hands. He spun them, and they smiled.

            “Are you seeing what I’ve seeing?” said Uma to Evie.

            “Oh, yeah,” said Evie.

Uma smirked. She was going to have a field day teasing Harry (and helping him. She was a captain who supported her crew finding love).

            “Mal came through,” she said.

            “She always does,” said Evie. She smiled as she watched Mal introduce Ben to her father. “Is your mom coming over?”

            “She’s probably already back in the seas,” said Uma. “But she’ll come and talk to me when she needs me.” Uma smirked. “Not that I’ll answer. I’ve got my own thing going on.”

            Evie smiled. “We’re glad you’re here.”

            “Thanks,” said Uma. She looked at (Y/N) and Harry again. “They’re going to be good for each other.”

            “They already are,” said Evie.

            Harry and (Y/N) were blithely unaware to the discussion as they danced together. Harry had placed his hook to the side so he wouldn’t risk harming (Y/N) at all, and he lifted them in a spin. (Y/N) laughed and put their hands on his shoulders.

            This was their future—joy and freedom. Would there be challenges? Yes. Would there be new threats? Yes. But would there be people to face any evil that arrived? Yes.

            And there would be love.

Taglist:

@neenieweenie

@hampterfae

@american-idiot-jpg

@lunalixya

@roo024

@unholycheesesnack

@paastaboi

@lbee13

@rory-cakes

@theeghosted

@newttheglue250

@bridkesby

@yappydoo

@echoheartza

@pain-in-the-ashe

@sugarrush-blush

@sanaxo-o

@ara-theo

@zomb-1-egutzz

@simpy-simpin

[misslavenderlady]

Here Comes The Bride 💐

The Lost Boys/Crysta (OC)

Summary: After all their hard work in shaping their captured mate, the boys are finally ready to take the next step with Crysta~

If I had a nickel for every time I made a birthday fic for @hypocriticaltypwriter I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice /j

This fic has references to her character Crysta and takes place in the world of her White Wedding AU, which I highly recommend you give some love!!! Please enjoy!

WARNINGS: Kidnapping, Stockholm Syndrome (aka falling in love with captor), forced marriage, trauma, crying

Becoming a blushing bride was something that Crysta had dreamed of ever since she was a little girl. Getting to see her cousins and friends at their weddings over the years had made wish to find her true love so that she could have her own magical experience. Getting her hair dolled up by her aunt in the salon, finding the shiniest rock possible for her ring, crying tears of joy when she found the perfect dress for her special day. She longed for it all so very much.

Never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine getting swept away by creatures of the night who had their own dreams of the perfect wedding. David and his Lost Boys had their eye on the little redhead for ages now. Lusting over her curvaceous figure, admiring her bubbly personality and fawning over her beautiful face. Everything about her was perfect in their eyes. 

But they didn't do things by the book when it came to romance. They saw what they wanted, and they didn't hesitate to take it for themselves. That fateful night when they stole their little bride-to-be from her bed and fled under the cover of darkness was the biggest rush they had in ages. Their devious laughter overlapped with her frightened shrieks as they rushed her back home to the crypt. 

It hadn't been an easy transition, of course. Crysta sobbed if they so much as looked at her. She was often shaking like a leaf and huddled in a fetal position on the bed in the room they set up for her within the hideout. It took weeks for them to say enough sweet nothings to get her comfortable enough to talk to them. Even if she still whimpered from being in the presence of her captors, Crysta was shaping up to be the perfect little mate for them. 

Each boy had their own special trick to get the little lady to warm up to them. Dwayne was so gentle with her, always holding her and stroking her hair with the same care one would use for a kitten. Paul had a killer sense of humor, often saying the right thing to get her to giggle in between her crying spells. Marko used gift giving as his love language, bringing her beautiful dresses, jewelry, and all her favorite foods to enjoy. 

But none of them compared to what David was capable of. The leader had a wickedness in his charms. A sense of magic he could bend to his very will. And he used it to make Crysta love him, whether she truly wanted it or not. 

When the pretty redhead started to tear up, he'd be there to dry her eyes right away. When she meekly asked for some comfort, he would thoroughly pamper her so she'd feel better. In the rare moments she asked for intimacy, he was the most giving lover possible. David wouldn't be satisfied unless his bride was happy. 

Perhaps it was cliche for the sinister claws of Stockholm Syndrome to hook at her heart and mind, but given the situation that Crysta was in, it was bound to happen at some point. She was still terrified out of her mind. She still cried every single day, longing for her freedom and the return of her normal life. But despite the fear of never being free again, she also harbored the fear of what would happen if her boys disappeared.  

It pleased David immensely. To be both the problem and the solution to Crysta's pain was pure entertainment to the vampire king. 

But now he was growing quite tired of the little games they played with her. He was ready to move on to the next step in their grand plan of corruption. It was time to make their beloved’s dreams of her wedding day come true. 

“Engagement’s over, Crysta,” David told her with a wicked smile spread across his face. “It’s time to tie the knot~”

Paul, Dwayne and Marko wasted no time getting their little lady dolled up for the big day. They fitted her in an elaborate corset over her flowing, princess-style dress. They fluffed up her curly locks before placing a crown of roses atop her head. They used the best water-proof mascara they could find for her makeup. The boys even gifted her a vampire’s necklace, complete with a centuries old ruby for the charm. 

She was such a beautiful bride. She should have been thrilled to look the way she had wanted ever since she was little. But all she felt was another wave of tears as she wailed once again. It didn’t help that the grooms were teasing her and calling her playful names. It was far too amusing for them to control themselves when it was just that easy to toy with her.

Still, David kept his boys nice and focused when it was time for their unholy ceremony. Everything had to be absolutely perfect for their special day. Their crypt was filled to the brim with black wax candles, deep red roses and ashen lace draped across the bannisters. It was far from the “white wedding” aesthetic that Crysta had dreamed of during her days of flipping through magazines. She sniffled even more than usual when she saw the wicked display that she’d be married in.

She wanted to run away. FAR away. They would surely snatch her up again if she even got a foot out the door, but it was all her body longed to do. This was all happening so fast, and she had no choice in the matter. 

The boys worked like a machine, each doing their part perfectly to stop Crysta from becoming a runaway bride. With Marko and Paul linking their arms with hers and Dwayne carrying her train from behind as they walked her down the aisle, she was completely trapped. They held her as tightly as iron chains. No hope of escape as they brought her closer and closer to their leader at the end of the aisle. 

By the time they had brought her to her spot, she had come completely undone. The mascara wasn’t strong enough to stop the river of dark lines that washed down her cheeks. She trembled under the gaze of David’s icy eyes as he held up a ring for her. No mere band of silver or gold. It was a ring of spikes that would surely slice into her skin. Thorns for their little rose.

“D-David…”  she whimpered. “I can’t do this…”

“Yes, you can, little love,” the vampire cooed. The blue in his eyes melted into a sea of gold and red, transforming to show his true nature. “I have loved you ever since I first saw you. And I never had any intentions of letting you go.”

[eyneyke]

Trouble in paradise pt3

Pairing: Max Verstappen x PewDiePie!sibling Summary: What if Felix had a genius brother who works as a RedBull's engineer and is also secretly dating Max part 22 of A Calm to my Storm Masterlist

Twitter Thread: "Everyone Talking About the Chaos at Red Bull (Except Max, Who's Chilling)"

1. Journalist Asking Kimi Räikkönen What He Thinks About Red Bull’s Situation

During a free practice that weekend, a journalist asks Kimi Räikkönen for his thoughts on the situation at Red Bull.

Journalist: "Kimi, we’ve heard there’s some last-minute untested changes happening at Red Bull with Max’s car. What’s your take on it?"

Kimi, completely deadpan: "I don’t know, it’s their problem, not mine."

Journalist, trying again: "But as a driver, do you think it’s risky to rely on untested solutions for such a crucial race?"

Kimi shrugs: "Depends on the people working on it. If they trust the engineer, it’ll be fine. If they don’t, then it won’t. I’m not in Red Bull, so I don’t care."

Comments:

User 333: "Kimi out here delivering another iconic ‘I don’t care’ moment 😂"

User 334: "Imagine being that journalist, trying to get anything from Kimi and he’s just like ‘nah.’"

User 335: "Kimi always with the ‘not my problem’ energy. I love it."

User 336: "Low-key though, Kimi’s right. If they trust Sam, it’ll work out."

2. Sebastian Vettel Weighs In on the Situation

Sebastian Vettel is stopped by a journalist in the paddock to give his opinion on the Red Bull drama.

Journalist: "Seb, there’s been a lot of talk about Red Bull’s situation. What do you make of them using untested technologies and letting Max drive with a last-minute fix?"

Seb, smiling: "Well, I’ve met Sam a few times now, and I know he is smart and very good at what he does. If he says it will work, and Newey agrees, it will work. Red Bull is in good hands."

Journalist: "Do you think it’s too risky to run something untested?"

Seb: "Everything in racing is a risk. But if anyone can handle that kind of pressure, it’s Max and Red Bull. They know what they're doing."

Comments:

User 337: "Seb out here defending his old team like he’s still driving for them. We stan Seb still having a good relationship with Red Bull."

User 338: "If Seb says Sam’s got this, then I believe him."

User 339: "The respect Seb still has for Newey, and now Sam by connection, is so wholesome."

User 340: "Seb has no doubts. That’s what trust looks like."

3. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton Discuss the Situation on Sky Sports

Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are in the Sky Sports make shift studio in the paddock, discussing Red Bull’s predicament.

Nico: "So, we’ve been hearing all day about Red Bull’s car issues, and it sounds like one of their up-and-coming engineers, Sam Kjellberg, has come up with an untested solution to fix it. Lewis, what do you think of that?"

Lewis: "It’s definitely a bold move. Untested solutions are always risky, and driving a race with one is practically unheard off, but from what we’ve seen, Red Bull, well, actually not Red Bull but their engineer, seems confident, so if Max is okay with driving, then there's not much they can do."

Nico, nodding: "Yeah, I agree. It’s a big risk, but Max seems calm, which puts hope in the rest of us that this are just rumors going around and that it's not that serious. But personally, I'm not sure I'd be that calm in situation like that if I was driving."

Lewis: "Me neither. I’d want to know that my car is ready and safe to drive before the race."

Comments:

User 341: "Nico and Lewis basically saying ‘no thanks’ but also giving Red Bull credit for bravery."

User 342: "Lewis and Nico being in the same room and talking to each other after almost no public contact since 2016 mess and it is all because of Red Bull and their trust in Sam."

User 343: "It’s like they’re scared for Max, which makes me a bit more nervous."

User 344: "Lewis being cautious but respecting the trust Red Bull has in Sam. I love this balance."

4. Journalists Asking Max About the Situation (for the 100th Time)

Max is standing in front of reporters, looking as calm as ever, despite the obvious tension surrounding the car.

Journalist 1: "Max, can you comment on the changes made to your car? Are you concerned about driving it untested?"

Max, shrugging: "I can't tell you about the changes on the car because I don’t really know what’s going on with the car yet. Sam will explain everything to me later."

Journalist 2: "But isn’t it risky going into the race like that? Not knowing stuff about a car you'll be driving?"

Max: "Yeah, maybe. But I trust Sam. He worked the whole night on it and if there's anything that Sam knows the best it's this so I’m sure it’ll be fine. And anyway, Adrian checked over his initial calculations or whatever those guys do, and he said everything was sound, otherwise we wouldn't run with it."

Journalist 3: "Can you tell us more about what happened with the part not arriving from the factory?"

Max: "Someone didn’t do their job, so Sam had to come up with something. I trust him more than the person who didn’t send the part." He smirks slightly, looking unfazed.

Journalist 4: "If something does go wrong, how are you prepared for that?"

Max, laughing: "We actually had a meeting about that: Christian, Marko, GP, Sam, Adrian and I. Sam will be in my ears, GP and Christian agreed that it would be the best for this race for GP to assist Sam telling me what to do. And so, I’ll be fine, Sam will be with in my ears, if anything goes wrong he's going to be there. But nothing will go wrong."

Comments:

User 345: "Max has so much faith in Sam, it’s actually impressive, and also a bit concerning."

User 346: "‘I trust Sam more than the guy who didn’t send the part’ OMG Max is savage."

User 347: "Max’s energy is just ‘I don’t care, Sam’s got it under control.�� We love to see it."

User 348: "Max calmly saying nothing will go wrong because Sam is just that good I-... The trust is insane."

User 349: "Max answering the same question over and over but basically saying ‘Sam knows more than I do.’"

5. Video: Christian Being Asked About Sam's Work

A journalist catches Christian Horner in the paddock and asks him about recent rumors about troubles with Max’s car.

Journalist: "Christian, can you give us an update on Max’s car and the work Sam did overnight?"

Christian, looking exhausted: "Yeah, Sam had to come up with a solution because we didn’t get the part we needed from the factory in time. It’s untested, so of course, everyone’s nervous, but Sam’s one of the best engineers here. He’s brilliant. Adrian wouldn't have anyone less study under him. If anyone can pull this off, it’s him."

Journalist: "So you’re feeling confident?"

Christian: "I have full faith in Sam. That being said, I’m also terrified." He laughs nervously.

Comments:

User 350: "Christian is STRESSED but also praising Sam every chance he gets."

User 351: "Christian low-key panicking but still putting all his trust in Sam. We stan a nervous boss."

User 352: "The way Christian’s like ‘I trust him but I’m scared’ is a whole mood."

User 353: "Christian is like 80% anxious, 20% confident in Sam, and I love it."

6. Clip: Mechanics Huddling Around Max’s Car

In this clip, the Red Bull mechanics are shown huddling around Max’s car, listening intently as Sam explains something. You can see some of the mechanics nodding as Sam points out specific parts on the car.

Mechanic #1: "So, if this adjustment works, we won’t need to worry about overheating?"

Sam: "Exactly. It redirects airflow more efficiently. I did multiple calculations multiple times during the night and Adrian checked each of them this morning. We tested it on the simulations. It's no fixing the problem but it’s a slight modification but will be enough to compensate."

Mechanic #2, sighing with relief: "Okay, thanks, Sam. You’re a lifesaver."

Comments:

User 354: "The mechanics’ faces go from pure stress to calm in under a minute. Sam works miracles."

User 355: "Sam is literally explaining everything like a teacher while the mechanics take notes 😂"

User 356: "The way Sam explains things so clearly and makes sure to do everything in his power for the team, no wonder they trust him so much."

User 357: "I love that you can clearly see that Sam is dead on his feet, hasn't slept at all and worked all night but is still professional AND caring when talking to people on his team. I know I wouldn't be if somebody screwed up and I had to make it right."

These moments capture the sheer chaos around Red Bull’s garage before the race, with everyone from drivers to commentators weighing in on the situation. Despite the high stakes, Max’s calm trust in Sam Kjellberg and Sam’s unflappable demeanor as he reassures the team have fans and the paddock buzzing with nervers for this race.

[adollsarchyve]

I hate being gen z sometimes.

I hate the concept of virginity. I hate how vulgar casual talks in a relationship has become. Like everyone expects everyone to be okay and sexually liberated now, especially for women, but no thank you. 🎀 it never actually happened anyway.

because of this, me not wearing revealing clothing appears, to the broad public, like I’m saving myself?? I’m still uncomfortable with my body. I’m not saving myself, nor doing anything related to sex when I choose to wear modest clothing. I, as a neutral person, am uncomfortable with my body. But we know everything has to be related to sex somehow because that’s the first thing men judge women by.

—> Article I read feel like sums this up really well:

———————————————

Radfems, why am I uncomfortable with my body?? Is it a patriarchal thing or how does it connect to feminism?? Please share if you know. Please enlighten me with your deep analysis. I’m not joking. I would really like to fix this problem because I feel like maybe I should start wearing more revealing clothing so men would pay less attention to me. I refuse to believe my personality just ‘pulled them in’. (sarcasm)

I’ve seen some radfems here who talk so much smack and try to sound so perplexing and ‘smart’. If you’re that smart, then can’t you answer my question?? Here’s your time to shine. Open your eyes, most women you come across in your life, by average, are not feminist nor do they know deep feminist theory. You cannot tell me an Andrea Dworkin book makes you feel ‘positive emotions’, unless you enjoy reading about descriptions and stories of women being exploited to the bare bone.

I would really like to live a life where I never became a fully fledged feminist at all. An ally, at most, and I don’t shame sex work or slut shame other girls. That’s what most women are.

I fucking can’t. I seem to attract men more than other women, until I shaved my head. But is shaving my head really the only solution? I’m not out here trying to look like Mad Max Fury Road.

and whenever you talk about this to other women they don’t get it. is it because they want attention? Yeah obviously. I am right, aren’t I? That’s the reason why I could never find Reddit posts, quora, etc online that just says ‘I’m a woman and I hate the male attention I get.’ I’ve tried many times, believe me.

. Radical feminists, please give me the answer. Unless you’re too wrapped up in theory to actually apply your oh so complex analytical concepts on an actual real life feminist problem. I really got into feminism with the hope that it will give me the answers but it only lead to more depression and pessimism, and now I’m spiraling.

1. Should I start dressing more immodestly to attract less men?

2. Is being uncomfortable with my body only feeding more into the male gaze?

Thanks.

[worrywrite]

No, this is missing something even more common and critical.

It isn't that conservative Christian evangelical types can or are ignoring the suffering of the poor. They aren't, most of the time, in a camp where they believe they are bold faced letting the poor suffer and die.

These people believe they're helping. They believe that their choices are helping those that are suffering.

When it comes to deregulation, exploitation under capitalism, big vs small government, etc. they don't believe they are harming anyone. They don't believe that letting the wealthy do whatever the hell they want is dangerous. They don't believe that their ideology is harmful to anyone.

And the big reason why is because they consider themselves as part of the solution to the problem they are creating. Particularly people that belong to larger churches see themselves as part of an uplifting social system which replaces the social welfare systems put in place by governmental assistance. They don't care if they take away social security, because the church they give money to will take care of the people that would have benefitted from social security. Same with food stamps. Same with the ACA. Same with subsidized income for low or non-earners, or people with disabilities. Same with assistance finding employment opportunities and other work support. They believe their churches and other charitable contributions will hold the ceiling up over the poor once they knock down the support pillars provided by the government.

And maybe they could.

But all of the religious institutions are inherently flawed in that they will only ever offer to help if you are also part of their profit system. A church or religious 'non-profit' typically requires that you pay/donate or serve them in some way and that you follow their religious dictates before you can qualify for their assistance. They require indoctrination before they offer assistance. But they will also turn away many because they cannot be indoctrinated, such as any open lgbtq+ folk or people of color (especially people in multiracial relationships), or people from a certain country/ethnic group, or people who grew up in other religions or that still hold onto core beliefs from other religions. And they aren't denying these people assistance so much as saying "well, our church says you're damned and slated for hellfire because you're gay/black/muslim, and since you can't really repent of that you can't join our church, so you can't get any of our social services." But that's fine, because they don't feel bad about not helping "sinners" that need help.

But if they say they can help you, well they can try and get you a job and a temporary or semi-permanent living space with basic amenities, they can subsidize your income a little and probably get you meals on a regular basis, they can find you clothes (hand-me-downs, if not outright paying for a cheap set of new clothes), and so on. And in exchange all you have to do is keep going to their church or rescue or shelter or whatever and keep providing a portion of your new tiny income so that their operations can get bigger and pull in more people.

The average person doesn't really see how expansionist these big organizations are because they see it just like they're saving people by converting them to their religion. Not just in the short term with social support, but long term as well by saving their souls. They don't see the problems. They don't see the stress and isolation they are often driving people into. They don't see that the goal of their organization is generally to drive a profit in a roundabout way and enrich the organization by acquiring a larger membership. They dot think they're being exploited, because they thinking they're following and obeying God and God wouldn't exploit them.

And that is the issue with conservatives reading the Bible and not seeing themselves as acting in opposition to the words in it. Because, by all the metrics they care about, they really aren't.

The issue with “wow do conservatives even read the Bible and how Jesus said to love the poor” is that it any conservative Christian can just as easily ignore/explain away those passages just as easily as a progressive Christian can ignore/explain away all the passages against homosexuality, saying women must be subservient to men etc

[socius-animae]

˖ ⁺ ‧₊˚ ˚₊‧⁺ *ੈ. 𑁍 ༘. ⋆ 𝓘 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓫𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓮

𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐, 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆?

Can we call this a date? || Baek-Sang x Reader

Summary:

Exhausted by your brother's demands to have tofu, plus the annoying message ringing from the pink-haired man who re-dyed his hair telling you to check out Busan, you eventually come to the solution that you'll take a short walk to the market in Busan. Fortunately for you, you found a face that can amuse you.

Note:

3.2k words, written before chapter 536 and based on personal interpretation. It feels a bit ordinary but you might be interested in the last part.

Cw:

Violence, Threats, Intimidation. Only the last part.

This is absurdity when the world shows that anything can happen if it’s desired. Everything is essentially predetermined on a single path of destiny.

Here is a clear example. Just a few weeks ago, you receive information (and James rolls his eyes because you keep postpone your visit to Busan) that the King of Busan will be released from prison, and here you see a nameless henchman, handsome like an angel who rivals Eli’s glow-up.

Geez, obviously looking at how people around him can’t take their eyes off him either. Like, hello?! Hair fluttering, shining because of the wind coming from where? In this stuffy market? The vendor tents block the scorching sun, the fishy smell, and all sorts of things that can be sold in a typical market.

This person is clearly out of place; just look at how that old woman seems somewhat intimidated by his height, not to mention his serious gaze deciding which tofu to buy.

Yes, what a coincidence. Walking casually, you stop beside him, staring innocently as if you don’t know anything. “Hey, auntie? How much is this one?” You mischievously point to the one already targeted by this beautiful henchman.

The poor vendor feels the murderous gaze directed at you, stammering in response. “A… a, six hundred won for one piece. Do you want to buy it?” No matter how terrifying the bloodthirsty aura ready to pounce is, you just nod cheerfully.

“Wait, I want to buy that first.” There’s no shout of anger or a growl as you anticipated; this time you stop ignoring him. This henchman seems to be both fierce and calm by default, or maybe he’s a bit annoyed because you appeared out of nowhere and took something that should belong to Jinrang later?

Challenging him a little, you act confused. “Really? If that’s the problem, the vendor should have said that this one will be yours.” You turn to the vendor, making an obviously unimpressed expression, accusing. The one feeling accused (even though you’re not serious) starts to panic, stuttering more and turning pale.

Forgive me, auntie, you pray inwardly. But I will give you a tip!

“Alright, how about this. I let you buy this tofu, in exchange you’ll go on a date with me today. How about that?” Hmm, that sounds cooler in your mind than actually saying it.

Surprised, of course, passersby who overhear your conversation glance away in astonishment. The question is, who is this brave girl? Oh my God, such a tease. Disgusting, what the hell. Lastly, is the expression on Jinrang’s white-haired henchman’s face.

The words you expect—rejection, questioning your intentions—you immediately sweep them back, “That person will return to Busan, right? Because the reception should be the best.” You finally pull the lever, its intrinsic strength stronger now.

It feels like challenging death on a dark road; you know nothing about him except that he’s one of the important figures in Busan’s underworld. However, this isn’t the first time you’re dealing with something unknown and risking your life.

The wrinkles on his face deepen, but that doesn’t make you back down from getting a date with him. “How do you know? Who are you?” He’s still standing there; everyone knows you pressed his button.

“I’m glad you’re curious about me. If you agree to a short date, maybe you’ll find out. By the way, our date plan is to visit the food factories. I want to go to PulmuSoy, then ChongGa, and Sempyu. If we have time, we’ll also go to Daesan. Don’t worry, I have acquaintances.” Sometimes it’s nice to have connections everywhere.

But both of you know, all those places are in Seoul. A gray area for those affiliated with the King of Busan. There’s no prohibition on going to Seoul as a regular person; after all, which law judges you just because of gang fights and enemies entering territories practically owned by the state?

This unwritten rule is ridiculous. Maybe that’s why Gitae doesn’t care about his title as the King of Seoul. Who knows, you’ll ask later.

After weighing your decision internally, you continue. “If you’re worried I’m lying, you can leave me on the road and take the tofu away, easy peasy. So, what do you think?” Overall, it’s a win-win situation for him; he can get the best quality tofu without causing a fuss.

But what are your intentions? What do you gain from this? Your conversation partner just sighs. Maybe you’re not that bad, just strange… who knows, you’re just guessing what’s on his mind. The henchman pays for the tofu he wanted to buy earlier. “Alright. If that’s the case.”

Without waiting any longer, “What do you want us to use to go? Train? Bicycle? Taxi or….” Hmm, should you invite him to your car? The options you provide aren’t suitable for a date, but thinking of you both as strangers, practically not knowing each other’s names, being civilians would be good, you think.

“It’s alright, we can use my car.” Oh, such a respectful man, he turns out not to be that dense. Walking beside him, occasionally you glance at his facial expressions. For once, he reciprocates your flirtation. “Aren’t you worried you just met someone with bad intentions?”

Responding dramatically, you sweep your hair back. “Me? If I met one, I’d definitely die. Besides, I’m a fragile flower. So protect me later.” People who know you would undoubtedly accuse you of telling the worst lies in the world. But man, you feel a bit cringy with this dramatic acting, to be honest.

Your answer stops him from walking out of the market. He looks at you with a face asking, what’s wrong with you. Well, you’ve often received looks like this, and it won’t be the last in the future either. “You….” Maybe you should appreciate him for holding back all the harsh words there.

Rolling your eyes playfully, you snort in disbelief. “Pfft, if I were meeting a bad person, logically I’d just avoid them. You happened to look interesting, so why not while I’m here.” Yes, let’s just say you’re a fool infatuated with visuals (but, it’s true).

That’s a half-baked reason, but not entirely unreasonable. People beside you must be wondering why you know his intentions, not just that, about Jinrang, the King of Busan who should only be known to those who have ever dabbled in the underworld. You’re not an ordinary person, for sure.

“You… are strange.” He closes his eyes, not showing much expression. Maybe there’s someone far more eccentric than you that he’s met before.

“It’s nice if a man like you concerned about me, but I can always run away if I want to. Still, thanks for the intention.” You both continue walking.

Upon reaching the car you’re heading to, a car passes by. True, it’s just like that panel, this man stands in front of it, and looks exactly the same. The same luxurious car out of place like its owner.

Apparently, you are deep in thought considering that truth until he opens the passenger door beside the driver’s seat. “Oh, what polite man, I’m getting more interested in you. Do you have a girlfriend?” Such a boring question, you just make small talk. Strangely, you get a slight reaction. Is there something sparkling in his mouth?

This marks the third place you've been visiting today, and surprisingly, the day hasn’t spiraled into a nightmare of thugs and brutal interrogations as you feared. Instead, an uneasy silence hovers between you and your companion, broken only by awkward conversations about tofu, which mostly are one-sided initiations from you.

Actually, it's not that bad if you are someone who thinks too much about what others think, because the view outside somewhat entertains you in this silence.

As dusk creeps in, the sun dips below the horizon, casting long shadows through the window of the restaurant managed by the tofu factory. A tofu dish is nibbled on, fitting the day’s theme.

Across the table, a white-haired man sits silently, his eyes fixed ahead. Glancing at his teeth, you notice something off but choose to remain silent. After all, it is your first meeting, and his name still remains a mystery.

Lost in thought, thinking about how today went and how the future will unfold, all that is interrupted by a sudden cough from your date. What did he eat? Is the food that bad? Observing where his hand is and what he is scooping, tofu buchimgae? You come to the conclusion that the glint in his teeth indeed means something.

Without waiting any longer, you call the nearest waiter to bring water. Glancing at him occasionally, you hesitate on what to say, as the waiter promptly hands over the water. More or less, your face and the employee's are both worried.

Should you apologize? Apologize for accidentally ordering food that you shouldn't have eaten? Of course, this is not something you expected. But it does not lessen your guilt.

Your mind drifts to James, silently cursing the redhead. He must be involved somehow, you muse. If it were you, you’d have known by now. Imagining his smug smile when he knew you made a stranger choke on the date.

This frustration bubbles beneath the surface, adding to the tension at the table because the cough of the man across you is getting worse. Oh my God, James, what are you doing with this handsome man! your thoughts echo, pulling your hair inward in frustration.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know you...." your soul floats away from your body as he stares sharply at you from across the table. (Unbeknownst to you, James, staying at his hotel, senses your silent exasperation.)

The weight of unspoken words hangs heavily between you and the stranger. Do you have to do or say something? It feels like you've just committed the most heinous crime that humanity can think of.

Breaking the silence, you lean forward slightly and inquire, “Hey, how’s the food?” Your question mirrors the earlier inquiries you made at other factories, making the atmosphere feel repetitive and stifling.

A sigh escapes his lips, feeling trapped in a loop of meaningless small talk. “It’s fine,” he replies gracefully, picking up another bite of the safer menu item he is eating. Whether he genuinely means it or is simply avoiding deeper conversation remains unclear, leaving you yearning for a more substantial connection.

Attempting to steer the conversation to safer ground, you remark, "Let's forget what has happened, okay? Whether it's five minutes ago or five years ago, this silence and guilt are killing you." “The day is getting dark. Have you found the one you think is best?” Leaning on your hand, you wish to spark a more engaging dialogue.

“The third one,” comes his terse answer. His brief response only deepens your confusion, and the silence grows heavier as you struggle to find common ground.

Undeterred, you venture further, “I think the second one is better—larger and softer tofu. What do you think?” Hoping for more engagement, you seek a sign of interest or at least a shared opinion.

After taking a bite, he sets his spoon aside and asks, “To be truthful, what do you want to hear?” His question catches you off guard, marking the first time he has initiated a query since you agreed to the date. You at least hope this date will end calmly, even though all day the impression you got is bland and, you don't know, maybe it's because you're strangers and you're forcing your luck?

Frozen momentarily, uncertainty clouds your response. “It’s okay, I guess. From today, I come to the conclusion that you’re not the type who likes to talk,” you reply softly, disappointment evident. You wonder who you would report this sadness to.

“Are you finished?” he inquires, prompting a nod from you. Disappointment washes over you as you wonder if your time together has been a waste. Despite him paying for everything and even driving you out while you wait for a taxi, the connection feels lacking.

Silence envelops once more, thick with unspoken thoughts. A glance at his vibrating phone precedes his return to the street outside. Deciding to break the tension, you speak up, “Hey, sorry for dragging you all day and forcing myself on you. Thank you for sticking with me.” You glance out of the corner of your eye. What expression is he making?

Meeting your gaze, he responds with no signs of confusion, annoyance, or even accusation. Maybe all this is just a formality, “It’s not a problem. I got what I wanted, so being dragged by you isn’t entirely negative. But I wonder about your motives, besides claiming to know me.”

You think the answer is simple, the answer everyone would think of when they first see him. “Because you’re handsome,” escapes your lips before you can retract them.

His expression remains unreadable. Curse it, you are too used to complimenting someone without thinking, but when your counterpart is him who doesn't react at all, making you think of various possibilities, you are not sure some are starting to be relevant. “Have girls never approached you on the street for your looks?” you press, hoping for a reaction.

Still no response. “Don’t stay silent! You’re making me feel awkward… But actually, I need it to cook,” you add, attempting to shift the conversation once more. That is somewhat half a lie because you don't need it right now either. At most, you know it will last for a few days until your beloved little brother reminds you.

Curiosity flickers in his eyes as he asks, “You cook?”

“Yeah, I’m planning a tofu menu tomorrow. My little brother keeps craving it, though I can’t figure out why. Maybe it’s because he’s growing?” You hope to lighten the mood, but he remains stoic.

“Yeah, I can cook various things. I even have a YouTube channel with five million subscribers. We should go on a cooking date sometime. I can satisfy your appetite better than the restaurant earlier,” you continue, a slight change in his demeanor noticeable.

A slight smile tugs at his lips as he snorts, “Sure. I believe that.” You interpret this reaction indirectly as if he rolled his eyes.

“Your face says otherwise. Are you mocking me? Really unusual,” you mutter, suppressing it because of being upset after being ridiculed by someone who looks impossible to joke with, feeling both embarrassed about his response.

"If that's the way you see it, then so be it," he replies, returning his gaze to the street, signaling the end of the conversation.

Another silence. You feel somewhat relieved because this time it is not suffocating like before, and it feels like the daytime confidence, which was quite crazy to invite a man you know is dangerous, has returned. Time to test your luck again. “Can we go on another date next time? Maybe you could ask me out.”

After considering your request for a moment, he chuckles. My goodness, you are grateful you didn’t look away, forget to blink, and your breath is held as you see his sharp teeth, smiling beneath the stoic face that accompanied you all day.

No way, this is bad, your face flushes. You almost think that one day this man would want to do something bad to you and give that smile. You are not sure you can fight back even to speak.

Resisting not to gape too obviously, you rage inwardly for a fraction of a second. He responds, “If you’re willing, I’ll choose Sea Life Busan Aquarium for our next meeting. And hopefully, you’ll tell me more about yourself.”

Of course, you are willing to spend more time with him, even though you would be bitten by that set of shining metal teeth. Who are you to refuse handsomeness? Well... sometimes you have to remind yourself to restrain before everything gets messed up.

“That’s great! Here’s my contact,” you say, reaching into your pouch.

“You have something like this?” A thin smile still lingers at the corner of his lips as you hand him your contact card, with slightly raised eyebrows.

“Of course I do. I have a job,” you reply, a hint of pride in your voice.

Blinking in confusion, as if you just saw something inexplicable, he slowly pulls something from his pocket. “That's not what I mean... but if that’s the case, this is mine.”

Stepping slightly back, you hold back, “Wait! Give this after our next meeting—please you can contact me first.” You twist your fingers, thinking of the handsome man whose name you will know on the next date, plus he will contact you first. Isn't that great?

“I understand,” he says, and a taxi passes by, its lights reflecting in his eyes.

Opening the door, you wave goodbye. “Thanks for today. I’m looking forward to the next time. Good night.”

“Good night,” he replies simply before watching your taxi disappear into the night.

Alternative Pathways

Written from the latest chapter. Lmao, he is so wild haha wiping a bloody knife on Jay's suit? That's a different level of insult, you know.

After a ruined dinner, it also destroys your self-confidence, and somehow this white-haired man still faithfully stays by your side while you wait for a taxi. Anyway, the anxiety clutching your heart is unbearable, and impulsively you call someone in your contacts.

No need for much awareness, something shiny from the streetlamp light on your neck, and a hand holds you, pressing the call button, threatening without speaking as you look up to find a smile that presents all forms of cunning among sharp teeth after a day of just a face without an expression that was hard to read.

"I think I have indeed seen you somewhere. Quite far back in the days that made me the person I am today. Don't you agree?" His face approaches, his white hair tickling your cheek. Still flaunting his sharp teeth, the reflection of his light almost makes you nervously blink.

But you have often been in a similar position. Sharp objects, small knives, maybe the one he picked up from your dinner, cornered, and he presses deeper into your neck, the sensation of the cold object suddenly stuck making your goosebumps stand up.

Added with his ominous smile, you surrender to the hold and sigh in resignation.

Regaining your composure, "You are not wrong, but I am still a messenger compared to anything." You raise your free hand, bringing it to his strand of hair, stroking the base, up to near his face. "It's just a pity if we end with bad blood, while I was expecting the next date from your side."

"Then why not tell what's stored in that pretty head first and then decide what happens next." Unwavering, he is not affected when you twirl with his hair.

However, this is a good response; his knife does not press deeper. You continue, "hm, maybe the idea of continuing tonight will sound good if you want to hear more from me." Without the burden of worries, you tuck his white hair, softly behind his ear and slowly pull his face closer to you.

Closer than he expects, your breaths mingle in the air. "How about it? I'm afraid this will be our last meeting."

And that's the rest of your night. You agree to spend more time. Whether something else happens or after that you kiss or whatever, then talk about things or vice versa, all that, the author leaves it to the reader's imagination.

[rookflower]

i think 'agony' from the into the woods musical reminds me of crowfeather (obviously not completely in context lol) mostly bc from my interpretation he's fixated on a certain ideal of romantic love but can't meaningfully commit to it. i feel like if he and leafpool were successful in their escape he wouldn't have stuck around as he would grow resentful when he realized she wouldn't complete the fantasy he wanted.

yeah i get that. i know a lot of people get annoyed at the insinuation that crowfeather *purely* views leafpool as a replacement feathertail (which is what a lot of people take from the cliff scene where he has a flashback and doesn't save leafpool from falling until she has to console him) but personally i like the idea of that projection existing and of inherently incompatible crowleaf that never get the chance to be together long enough to even get to that realisation. i don't think they could ever properly love each other but in a way that's like, unknowingly mutual

my take on it is that crowfeather is looking for a solution to his grief that involves a new partner that can fulfill what he was dreaming he could have with feathertail (which is yet another relationship that was cut short before he could get out of the initial idealisation phase) and leafpool is looking for a magical escape fantasy to sweep her off her feet and give her a ticket out of the clans because she's at a stage in her life where she's feeling boxed in and paranoid and uncertain about her future as a medcat. they're both completely and utterly in love with this idea of love and freedom they can vaguely connect to the other person, and don't really care about who they actually are, and after this is cut short pre-revelation again, and they are thrust back into their respective misery and grief in the clans, they keep dreaming via positive connotation of this love that never actually was or could even have been. cinderpelt's death, crow's loveless marriage with nightcloud, and the births of the three and breezepelt kind of lock them into those lives which just makes the lingering dream of escape and missed chance worse.

[pandoratheprocrasticreator]

anyway obviously ppl should act in good faith and not purposely make racist stereotypes of poc characters but i think a world where every poc character is under constant surveillance by an audience waiting to nitpick for evidence that the author is Secretly Racist, is a world where poc characters are not allowed to be interesting or compelling.