#this entire incident was a shitshow but

[thenationofzaun]

The Vander/Silco Shitshow - generic, juvenile, and gimmicky slop

So, I think that Vander/Silco flashback was terrible. Tropey, careless, juvenile, clichéd bullshit that stripped away everything that made their season 1 story nuanced and poignant, while simultaneously ripping open a fat plot hole because the team got careless and did not catch the discrepancy between the story they'd written in their heads and the visuals that ended up on screen in season 1. This is just going to be a long rant post detailing the reasons I absolutely despised this flashback. Obligatory disclaimer that this is just my (strongly held) opinion.

1) The timeline plot hole

No, I'm not misusing the term. So a plot hole is an inconsistency in a fictional narrative that cannot be explained away by any plausible in-universe justifications. There are many moments of weak writing in Arcane that may be contrived, rushed, weird, convenient, etc. but aren't plot holes.

This Vander/Silco situation however. Oh boy. If you all remember, Season 1 opened with the bridge massacre, also known as the Day of Ash. Vander is shown cracking enforcers' skulls. He looks like this.

The sisters, seemingly recognizing him, ask him where their parents are. He gestures to their corpses, the sisters cry, Vander has his "violence is not the answer" epiphany, drops the gauntlets very dramatically to underscore this massive turning point of character development for him, then picks the girls up and leaves the bridge.

In episode 3, we are shown a flashback. Vander is trying to kill Silco in the river. He looks like this.

Let's compare this to how he looked like on the Day of Ash.

Yeah. According to the visuals shown in Season 1, the falling out of Vander and Silco seems to have occured in the past before the Day of Ash, evidenced by how much younger Vander looks. Unless Silco is a time traveller who jumped forward to the future to throw a molotov at the riot because he just loves violent extremism that much, or Vander took the time to shave his beard and apply heavy duty anti-aging lotion on his face before hunting Silco down, there are no plausible in-universe explanations for this inconsistency. Not to mention, if Silco and Vander were really as close as brothers and the sisters knew Vander, then it's impossible they wouldn't have known who Silco was.

Yet, in Season 1, that's exactly what we see - not a single sliver of recognition between Silco and the girls, nothing to imply they knew of his existence before episode 3. Not a single conversation between Jinx and Silco implied that he knew, let alone was close to, her mother. Nothing from Vi throughout the entire first season indicated that she knew of his past friendships with her mother and Vander. They acted like total strangers to each other.

Many fans already caught this inconsistency during the three-year gap after writers' comments online implied Silco was involved in the Day of Ash. We had hoped the writers would catch on to this discrepancy too and either iron out the timeline if they want to do serious flashbacks, or just avoid calling attention to it completely by not doing flashbacks of their falling out. Alas.

2) Leonardo Dicaprio pointing meme

Death to the everybody-knows-everyone trope and lines that only exist to invoke the "Leonardo Dicaprio pointing" meme. Throw them into a fucking fire. Boring, mind-numbing, clichéd, overdone garbage. Not every character needs to have some kind of half-baked relation with each other. Not every major incident needs to be tied back to the main characters. Not every single detail needs to be overexplained and justified and again, somehow tied to a main character. They are unnecessary, and make the world feel so much more claustrophobic and smaller than it should be.

"The enforcers actually commited the Day of Ash massacre because SILCO threw a molotov. Vander actually tried to kill Silco because of VI AND JINX'S mother. She knew both Silco and Vander personally and TOLD THEM to help her raise her kids. VANDER named Vi."

Bullshit like this really fucks with immersion, because it becomes clear very quickly that the world is only occupied by a small handful of real characters while the thousands of other people in it are nothing more than inconsequential set dressing and wallpaper. The story and world no longer feel real, vast, and immersive. And these forced "connections" between main characters are so obviously manufactured to generate "OUGHHH" and Dicaprio pointing reactions. Idk about anyone else, but it takes me completely out of the story when I can obviously tell the writing is trying too hard to blow my mind.

The girls' mom waltzing up to Vander and Silco and just. Fucking telling them to help her with her kids lmfaoooooooo. (OUGHH and they both really ended up raising her kids WOAGH😱🤯). Jinx's mom saying choosing a name is stressful because her child will feel stuck with it (GASP and Powder ended up changing her name WOOOOWW😱). Vander coming up with Vi's fucking name. (OUGHHHH HE REALLY WAS MEANT TO BE FATHER ALL ALONG WOADGHHGHDHDH🤯🤯🤯).

Fucking kill me. Arcane Season 1 was surprisingly good precisely because they DIDN'T, for the most part, resort to tropey bullshit like this. It had, for the most part, originality. Uniqueness. In fact all the strongest aspects of Season 1, aspects I loved, were deliberate subversions of overdone clichés. For Season 2 to resort to this kind of writing reminiscent of Disney slop is insanely disappointing.

I'm waiting for a character to unironically say, "What are we, some kind of League of Legends?" in Act 3 now.

3) "Ohhhhh so THAT'S why he did that!!!!!!!!!"

Also death to overexplanations and giving justifications for things that never needed justifications. You know what I was never confused by while watching Season 1 of Arcane? Why Vander adopted the girls. Why Silco adopted Jinx. Why both came to care for their girls so much, they were willing to sacrifice so much for them. I thought the reasons for those things were very clear and poignant in the first season. I never needed an extra on-the-nose justification for the adoptions in the form of, "they wuved yo mama". It's not only redundant, it's also one of the most tired ass tropes in fiction. To me, Vander taking in the girls and Silco taking in Jinx are so much more powerful if they really were just random guys with no real connection to the girls' parents.

But I've already seen some positive reactions to this flashback with "Ohhhhh so THAT's why Silco/Vander cared for the girls so much, now I understand😯🤯😓" mf what exactly did you not understand before??

4) Character motivations

The motivations of both Vander and Silco are made downright bizarre by this flashback. So Silco was hellbent on murdering Vi last season, despite being close friends with her mom whose death he may feel guilty for? Literally despised her and wanted to kill her the entire time with no hesitation lol. So Vander had that aforementioned dramatic moment of character development, dropped the gauntlets, realized violence wasn't the answer, and carried the kids to safety... then doubled back to violently hunt down and murder Silco? But not before shaving his beard and applying youthful lotion of course. Can't kill your bro while looking crusty. Then he failed to kill Silco so he just... went back to the kids and pretended like nothing happened? Lol.

Silco being close to, let alone loving, the girls' parents makes no fucking sense for his character. Vander knowing them at least makes sense, but casual friends would have sufficed. "I was lowkey crushing (?????) on your mom and also named you" just cheapened the entire Vander/Vi and Silco/Jinx surrogate father dynamic. Vander's motivation for killing Silco being yet another fridged woman is also weak as fuck. First Viktor with Sky, and now Vander/Silco. They really should have left this one up to our imaginations if this was the boring tripe they came up with.

[sapphire-weapon]

I've been thinking about this whole thing wrt Leon's morality and his conflict wrt his relationship to the government, and like

there's a big part of the story that's getting lost in all of this.

From 1999-2005, Leon was basically the government's little bitch. He was being held under duress via threats to Sherry's life and had absolutely no power, autonomy, or esteem within the government.

But after RE4, that completely changes. Yes, he still can't leave because of Sherry, but he starts to gain clout, and a sort of mythology surrounding him begins to form within the ranks of the government and the military. This is then amplified following Degeneration, especially after Ron Davis is found dead in his office (even though this wasn't Leon's doing; it was Tricell's -- but it was still Leon's actions that led to that moment).

We see the effects of that at the start of Infinite Darkness.

So then, fast forward to the end of ID -- the reason why Leon buries the story of what happened during ID wasn't because he was under orders to. I don't know where that perception comes from.

Leon buries the story at the end of ID as a thank you to President Graham. President Graham comes right to the edge of declaring war against a nation that didn't deserve it, but then he pivots at the very last second possible entirely based on Leon's word.

So, at this point, Leon has every reason to believe that he can effect change from within while also protecting people who have been good to him (in this case, the Grahams). And, as far as we know, there were no further incidents under President Graham's administration.

Then Adam Benford takes office, and now Leon has reached almost legendary status within the US government. He's able to -- seemingly right away -- get Benford to agree to open lines of communication with the BSAA (completely reversing course on the US's foreign policy up to that point), and the two of them work together to form the DSO. Remember -- the DSO was, at least in part, Leon's fucking idea.

Going into RE6, Leon has an enormous amount of political capital and uses it to the best of his ability. At this point in the series, if Leon wanted to start a civil war in the US, he'd have enough agencies and big enough chunks of the military behind him in order to do it. This is why Helena sought him out in the first place.

But then Derek Simmons turns out to be The Deep State (lmao), Leon is forced to kill Benford, and then we don't really know the state of the US government since then. It seems to not be going great, but we don't know why, and we won't know why until RE9 comes out.

If I had to guess, I'm willing to bet that Leon lost a lot of his esteem thanks to the events of RE6. Despite his legendary reputation, he still allowed Raccoon City 2.0 to happen under his watch in the form of Tall Oaks; Simmons was right under his nose the whole time, and Leon never sniffed him out -- so, not only did a fucking US President end up dead as a result, but the US was also then forced to put boots on the ground in China. It was a shitshow.

So, Vendetta and Death Island were almost kind of like... Leon attempting (and mostly failing) to claw his way back to where he was in his career pre-RE6.

Like, Leon has been an effective force for good in the US government. Him being a government agent doesn't make him morally gray because, within the confines of the story, he uses that position to enact positive change. And that's probably the biggest reason why he doesn't just leave.

But the conflict within his character comes in because he never wanted to be in this position in the first place and he resents it as a result, and the high-ranking officials around him -- with the exception of Graham and Benford -- don't engage with him in good faith. But he really just wants to cling to the belief that if he keeps doing a good job, they eventually will -- because he also knows that he'll have to take far more drastic measures within the government if he accepts that they won't.

And he knows that he can take those more drastic measures. It's within his power to do so. Because, at one point, he could have conceivably started a civil war.

But, being a Good Guy, he doesn't want that. So the conflict in his character persists.

[mayashesfly]

Some thoughts I have about the differences of my Forgotten Radio AU and Canon. (Mostly focused on Vox since he's my favorite character despite this being a SilentStatic AU. Unfortunately I'm not well-versed at writing Alastor's character even if I wanted to :')

After calming down Valentino's tantrum just like in Canon, Val tried to rile up Vox by mentioning Alastor. However, since Vox has already wiped his memories and added some… preventive measures, he merely dismissed Val's comments.

But because the Princess of Hell was involved, Vox still brought more spy drones onto the Hazbin Hotel to monitor the happenings there in addition to the drone Valentino already sent in to inform him.

They didn't bring Sir Pentious or someone else to spy on the Hazbin Hotel for them because of this.

Sir Pentious takes some time recuperating after being Team Rocketed by Alastor before he'll eventually strike again on the hotel again.

Ever since Alastor's return and seeing the remnants of his partnership with Vox first things first since he returned (The Radio sHack in the Pilot), he was bidding his time for Vox to get wind of his return and react explosively in some way for his entertainment and to take advantage of.

However Vox didn't do anything of the sorts. Unlike how he would've reacted otherwise if he still retained his memories.

When Alastor caught sight of the painfully obvious Vox drones around the hotel, he purposefully posed in front of them a few times, hoping to finally gloat out the tv-headed demon from his hiding. Much to his growing annoyance and confusion though, nothing happened as the drones flew passed him due to the corrupting footage in order to clearly see what else was happening in the hotel.

He did this for a few times a day in slowly increasing frequency for the entire week before Sir Pentious attacked the hotel again and proceeded to get fucked over for ruining Alastor's coat. Alastor barely letting the poor demon alive thanks to Charlie's pleas.

Vox and Velvette discussed to one another who should be the one to attend the Overlord meeting. Valentino is forever banned from attending any of these things after a particular incident that the Vees would rather not repeat again.

It took some back and forth between the two of them before they agreed on Vox going to the meeting. But the only reason Vox's head wasn't ripped out like the torn up models Valentino so gracefully provided her is because she has a big fashion show incoming and those fucking models aren't going to dress themselves.

"Seriously Vox are you sure you don't have anything better to do? Like that bullshit Angelic Security of yours?" "Carmilla would be there. Which is all the more reason for me to go there myself" "Just don't forget the plan you flat-faced fuck, who knows what would happen if we screw this up?" "Well someone else could get screwed instead~"

Groan

"Shut up Valentino! I'm being serious!" "Who says I wasn't being serious too, Velvette~?"

"GUYS"

"You have nothing to worry about. I have this all handled, just trust me alright?" "Well you better keep your words Vox, cuz I have a show to run and no time for a shitshow to fix" "That's my boy~"

After Alastor's wonderful talk with Zestial, he finally meets Vox again outside of the meeting room. Being on time for the meeting unlike Velvette.

Vox introduced himself to Alastor, thinking he was a new Overlord because he never saw him before. Much to Alastor's slowly growing frustration and realization.

Thankfully, Rosie took note of Alastor's presence and promptly lead him away from Vox before he tore out the other's head before the meeting started. Being able to catch up with him and tell him to visit her in Cannibal Town sometime.

Upon taking his seat besides Rosie, Alastor makes a comment about his reappearance, hoping that it would distract him from whatever the fuck Vox was on. Unfortunately, just like in canon, Carmilla does not give a shit. Causing Alastor to steam in his frustration.

While whispering quietly, Rosie admits to Alastor that she doesn't exactly know what happened to Vox. But three years into his absence, something about Vox has changed when he was suddenly more active after three years of mostly being inactive.

It only makes Alastor's head swim in confusion and possibilities of what might've happened.

Unlike Velvette who instantly hijacked the meeting upon entering, Vox waited for the perfect opportunity to present the information he had about the Angel's death. He first showed the scene of the crime on the screen Carmilla was using in her presentation before bringing out the literal Angel's head once he was questioned about the credibility of his source.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't bring the entire body with me. But surely this is enough evidence to show you that what that screen is showing isn't faked?"

Alastor became curious and impressed by such information. It was a rather valuable information he could use for himself after all... Perhaps finally having something for the Princess...

Though it didn't completely ease the discomfort he had from Vox's strange behavior. Vox was barely glancing his way, if at all, during the entire meeting when used to feel those stolen glances from him, even after their partnership ended and he had teamed up with that disgusting pompous moth instead.

His gaze never failed to land on him one way or another before.

Unlike now.

Vox still pitches a similar idea to Velvette with a bit more professionalism, noticing the odd reaction Carmilla had upon seeing the golden blood stain the table. But saying nothing of it as a musical number rolled around.

The complete details and differences between this AU and Canon's Overlord Meeting eludes me since there's a lot of character dynamics at play. But the meeting does end up much shorter than usual as Vox tries to casually take his leave, if not a bit annoyed by the words thrown his way.

That was the very first time Alastor saw Vox fight someone else for once. Except for him.

But regardless of his feelings on the matter, he has a sneaking suspicion that Carmilla may know something even when Vox said nothing of the sorts.

Without Sir Pentious and thus the Egg Boiz in the picture, Alastor couldn't easily eavesdrop on Carmilla and Zestial without possibly outing himself as the eavesdropper.

And unfortunately for him, he couldn't hide in his shadows in Carmilla's office to hear the information straight from the Overlord's mouth.

Vox never said his suspicions about Carmilla's involvement during the meeting, however he did say it to the other Vees about his findings and suspicions. Perhaps that private meeting with Carmilla would yield more results than just for Angelic Securities after all.

Time passed and Alastor was utterly bored. There wasn't as much development between his thralls and Angel Dust's relationship ever since he joined the hotel. They have already tried "trust falls" and "show and tell with the group" and whatever else nonsense the Princess had thought about. But nothing of interesting was happening.

He never caught wind of the TV demon as well besides his usual drivel despite seeing the bumbling drones around the hotel.

It was strange, knowing that his rival didn't give him any mind unlike before. And it was just making him inch for a bloodcurdling fight to ease his boredom.

It was only during a traumatic experience in the middle of a turf war did his thralls and Angel Dust bond.

Much to Sir Pentious' misfortune, he just had to attack the hotel while Alastor was in a bad mood about Vox, the dear Princess nowhere in sight.

And well…. he still very clearly remembers Sir Pentious now after he ruined his best coat.

[ohthethingswedoforlove]

Is there any possibility that the Matsus would be willing to share the s/o with each other?

Warnings: yandere characters; violence;

  Hmm, maybe! But I feel like there needs to be some sort of incident where they all nearly lose their chance with you or have a sudden realisation that they could benefit from each other.

  It's kinda integrated into their dynamic, they don't let each other have nice things, especially if it's something that they all simultaneously want. They might have their moments of generosity or understanding for one another, sure, but those tend to not last very long.

  They're all very selfish. There's no getting around that.

  That being said, I can see them reaching a point of having a bit of a truce. Ichimatsu and Jyushi specifically seem like the ones who'll most likely do it out of good will. Jyushimatsu might just be the only brother who makes Ichi hesitate before he goes straight for violence.

  Hilariously, Choro and Osomatsu tend to gravitate towards working together. Mostly because Osomatsu thinks it's funny. And that he can use Choro to his advantage. Choromatsu thinks the exact same way. About using Oso I mean, not the thinking it's funny part. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor regarding this whole thing. Or many other things.

  Karamatsu... Well, as per usual he kinda just has to work with whatever hand he's dealt. But that doesn't mean he can't work with the others! It's just that he might end up on the receiving end of the most unpleasant tasks. Or a knife on the back. But hey, in his defence, they're all equally willing to backstab each other.

  And Todomatsu will literally work with any of them if he sees it suits his needs and he can get something out of it. He'll play up the others if necessary, even if he's internally cringing the entire time.

  Though "working together" usually translates into them doing their best to completely monopolise your time and attention. And also terrorise and beat the hell out of anyone who they consider a threat. It definitely wouldn't be the first time they made a group activity out of tormenting someone!

  They might even get generous enough to let each other spend some time alone with you. While the rest is creeping from the next room, obviously. Can't never be too safe, they never know when it might be necessary to loudly and obnoxiously entrevine, after all! Somehow, despite the absolute shitshow this has devolved into, they're still delusional (or stupid) enough to hope one of them will come out on top and you'll willingly choose them.

  Do you even get a say in this? Well, I think you can guess the answer to that, and if you somehow still can't, the way they all turn around from the little circle they formed to scheme amongst themselves just to look you in the eyes and all simultaneously say "No." in the most unceremonious way possible will give you your answer.

[tatiejosie]

i think it's so fun donald is a robot with such a strong motif of humanity vs cecil being very much human with a strong motif of acting like a machine :3c they are just very star crossed...

YYESSSSSSS ikr!!! I love how their motifs are so symmetrical and how complementary they are!!

The show does a really good job at portraying Cecil and Donald's dynamic as polar opposites. It's in every detail - in their character design (Cecil's characteristics are visually eye-catching (large visible scar + long hair) while Donald is so plain he blends in the background), in their body language (Cecil is firm and confident, Donald is hypervigilant and jumpy), in their ability to handle people's emotions!

i'm so sorry i'm talking too much but uh. more under the cut if you're interested in hearing some rambling???

Cecil's empathy seems limited. His attempts at comforting seem to take root in guilt, in his willingness to patch up the problems that he believes he has allowed to happen (even indirectly). He'll go above and beyond to fix things up and make things easier for people when they go through intense events (spending a fortune of taxpayers' money to rebuild Donald as lifelike as possible so he can be fooled into thinking that he's an organic human and lead a somewhat normal life; ensuring Mark and Debbie's financial safety following Nolan's departure) ... yet, you can't expect him to be remotely competent with just words.

This man's entire foundation takes root in guilt. Another example is the choice to stay heavily and permanently disfigured following the Chemical X incident, as a reminder of his failure to save others. I imagine that the buildup of angst and guilt is subconsciously consuming him from the inside, on top of the incredibly harmful lifestyle that he's been leading (little to no sleep + the goo bath must fuck up his brain so badly), is what pushes him into this state of emotional blindness.

Donald, on the other hand, directly involves himself with people. He's the direct link between Cecil and the rest of the GDA, the GDA and the rest of the world. He's the one who escorts Mark and Debbie at the GDA hospital when Nolan is recovering. He doesn't just bring them here without a word - he talks to them. He sees that Mark is genuinely curious, and he provides information about the GDA and its functions; after all, the boy's father is between life and death, and anything is better than some heavy silence on the way to see him. When Debbie insists on staying to watch over Nolan, Cecil relunctantly agrees in absolute silence, and Donald is the one who confirms it verbally in an attempt to smooth things over, to cut through the tension. Donald is constantly trying his best - even in the smallest details! Invincible's mission against the Flaxans was honestly a shitshow, even though it was his first time on the field. And yet?

I can definitely picture Donald glossing over the catastrophic numbers and saying something that would both reassure Debbie and make her feel proud. He could just say nothing, or tell her the truth about Mark struggling during his debut.

And of course, let's talk about the brutal discovery of his own death, the s/lf-h/rming episode in the bathroom leading to even more angst - imagine going through the pain of peeling your skin off in a desperate attempt to prove your humanity, only to find wires and metal under your skin?????? - the confrontation with Cecil who puts his entire trust on Donald and vice-versa, Cecil casually explaining that Donald's body isn't organic anymore and that he's pretty much just a brain in a jar and that any feeling of inadequacy is just "existential angst"?? then he just keep fucking working because the world can't afford to make a pause while he goes through anxiety attacks and dissociative episodes. Then Cecil tells him the whole truth, finally, and Donald gets to watch an entire compilation of his numerous deaths. After all of this, he finally completes the puzzle, he finally understands where all the trauma and pain and anxiety are coming from - he fucking died, in brutal and agonizing ways, and he decided to erase his memories so he could stay as efficient and not get held back by the trauma of dying????????

... Then, William calls him, and Donald immediately comes over to help. Not even a second is spent on, idk, recovering from the emotional rollercoaster. That man just learned that he's been trapped in a loop, working day and night for the GDA and putting his life on the line until he gets killed, only for the government to gather what's left of him and piece him back into a functional soldier so he can continue working. He's being denied the most basic, fundamental biological function that occurs within every organism - he is not allowed to die.

But he's on the roof with two struggling kids, one of which is going through the same kind of existential crisis that had been plaguing him these past few weeks. So of course he's going to do his best to help. William and Rick have no idea what Donald just went through, and they don't need to know - he shows vulnerability without dumping his trauma out.

Donald could have sent an emergency team to stop Rick's attempt and have him hospitalized for his safety, but he personally came to his rescue because he felt that it was the right thing to do. Even after everything he's been through, he still puts others in priority.

TLDR; Cecil and Donald are both very selfless but in totally different ways that somehow complete each other as the leading figures of the GDA.

im gonna stop rambling im so sorry for talking so much

[thegamingcatmom]

Resi Village crack post in 3...2...1...

*The Lords and MM discussing what to do with MC*

OR:

*MC in the middle of yet another shitshow*

.

MM, pointing her finger: "Heisenberg - the mortal´s fate is in your hands-"

Lady D: "Mother Miranda, I must protest-"

Karl, imitating her in a pitch that is most unpleasant on the ears: "Mother Miranda I must-Oh, SHUT your mouth, super-sized freak!"

Lady D: *eye twitching, pressing her pointer finger to her ear as she recovers from that din*

Lady D, still prodding at her ear: "At least I am capable of producing sounds that will not be mistaken for a dying cat."

Karl: *indignant spluttering*

Angie: "HAHAHAA, she GOT you there! MEEEOOOOW!"

Karl: 😑

Lady D: 😏

MM: *wishes to be literally anywhere else*

Salvatore: *watery laugh*

Salvatore: "Hhahaaha, M-MghaOUUaaGRRahAH!"

...

Karl: "...Wtf was that?"

Angie: "Sounded like a dying cat INSIDE a dying cat! HAHAHAH!"

Salvatore: *watery spluttering*

Lady D: 🤦🏻‍♀️

MM, beneath her mask: 🙄

Karl: "More like a dying cat inside a dying cat on fire. HAH!"

Angie: *more mad cackling*

Salvatore: 🥺

Salvatore: "N-Not n-nice, no-no! Mother, they´re m-mean!"

MM, having zoned out ages ago cause she can´t deal: *elevator music*

MC, from the background: "...I thought it sounded pretty close actually."

...

*elevator music stops*

*everyone turns to her, only now remembering her presence it seems*

MC: *starts to sweat with all those eyes on her, clearly waiting for her to elaborate*

MC: "...I-"

Karl, who recovers first: "If that was a cat then I´m a giraff-eh."

Lady D: *giving Karl a rather extensive once-over*

Lady D, in all honesty: "Hm. The resemblance is quite uncanny."

Karl: *indignant spluttering*

Lady D: "And it´s Juh-RAFF, you ignorant fool."

Angie: "RAFF-RAFF! WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?!"

Salvatore: "Ohh I l-like dogs!"

Angie: "Me too! They´re tasty! HAHAAHHA!"

Salvatore: D:

Donna, finally having found the correct channel: "Now now, Angie... Lulu was an accident."

Angie: "True! We only accidently roasted her over the open fire like a suckling pig!"

Salvatore: D:

MM: *contemplates having some pork for dinner later tonight*

MC: *stomach starts grumbling from all that talk about pigs*

MM: *eyes shooting in MC´s direction at the sound of a lycan*

MC, all by herself: *catches MM´s eyes, gives a shy wave*

MM: *confusion*

MC: *stomach grumbling again*

MM: *realizes there is, in fact, no lycan near*

Also MM: *torn between feeling appalled and impressed at the sounds that stomach is capable of producing*

Karl: "What do you mean Juh-RAFF?! How fucking stupid does that sound?!"

Angie: "RAFF-RA-Mmpf Mhhh-!"

Donna, still covering her mouth: "Now now, Angie..."

Lady D, quickly losing her patience: "It was an exaggeration on my part to make you understand, you idiot manthing!"

Karl: "An exaggeration that was fucking pointless to begin with! Everyone knows it´s giraff-EH!"

Lady D: *eye starts twitching again*

MM: *elevator music*

Donna: *eerily calm as she keeps Angie´s mouth shut*

Angie: "Mpff mhmm! MPFF!"

Salvatore: *still processing the doggie incident*

MC, who clearly has a death wish: "...Actually-"

...

*elevator music stops*

*everyone turns to her*

MC, with a confidence that is entirely misplaced: "It´s giraff-EE."

...

MC: "...Yknow, like, a whole new breed! Futuristic giraffes. Cause they´ll be so advanced, they come with built-in GPS to find those branches!"

...

*tense silence*

MC: *swallows*

Karl: "That´s..."

MC: *prepares for a rather painful death*

Karl: "...Fucking BRILLIANT! HAHAHAHA!"

Angie, muffled: *mad cackling*

Salvatore: *uncertain watery laugh cause he has no idea what that means, dude just wants to feel included man*

Lady D: *torn between slicing MC to ribbons and...other things cause MC got the pronunciation right after all*

MM: *oddly charmed by that...curious specimen*

MC, in the face of it all:

.

.

.

Yknow that feeling when you´ve won a game but have no fucking clue how you did it cause those damn rules make zero sense to you?

MC knows the feeling.

[coff-in]

hellooo!! :333 can i request the graves siblings with an older sibling (could be an older brother or gn idm!!) who refuses to participate in any of the weird incest-y bs andy and leyley have going on? i’d imagine growing up and raising them, reader initially had a sense of familial love for them which lead to ashley and andrew also being attached to them (and not in the family love kind…).

and when the whole shitshow that goes down in the game, reader is just like ‘oh hell naw…. 💀’ outright rebuking their siblings’ actions and saying how they��re embarrassed to even be related to them. trying to separate themselves as far away from their siblings. i wonder how the siblings would react with the stark change of their older sibling and kinda wanting their bond back and it turns into something yandere, obsessive thing especially with andrew and how he’s co-dependent towards reader isnfskkfskfkkf

thank u ❤️❤️

notes from coff-in: hellooo!! :3 oh this is so delicious, thank you 'nonnie for this meal! i saw the words 'yandere' and 'obsessive' and a part of my brain just started barking and running all over the place.

[masc] reader-insert, [reader] is about two years older than andrew

[reader] would have such a fucking time taking care of these two freaks, haha! he'd work together with andy taking care of leyley but at the end of the day, mrs graves lets them both know that if they want something they have to ask [reader]. their childhood is pretty cute for the most part. i'll leave it to you guys if you think [reader] gets involved with the nina incident. i personally think he might since he's the oldest, he has to accompany his siblings to make sure they're safe. they bury nina's body and he has to make them promise to NEVER speak of this again. "we don't know where she was or where she went. we never saw her today or yesterday." (maybe he participated in the blood oath, i'll leave that up to you guys)

andy and leyley love him as a familial love but i can also see how it becomes a more romantic love too. [reader] and andy are leyley's only friends to who actually care about her while andy appreciates the shared burden they carry that is taking care of leyley (not as in she herself is a burden but as in taking care of another person) and maybe andy likes the feeling that is having someone older looking out for him. idk how [reader] is able to be like... normal in this family, it's truly an accomplishment

i could also see the dynamic being shifted a little too? ashley is still a scapegoat used whenever something morally bad happens but the blame would/could then be transferred towards [reader] for not stopping ashley, since he's the oldest sibling and should be watching over her and andrew. it could give andrew some space or room to act up a bit since a majority of the siblings' responsibilities aren't shoved onto his shoulders anymore. just food for thought i guess

once quarantine happens, i think everything would be more of less the same? [reader] would let andrew into his bed because he genuinely wants to help andrew with his nightmares (something i think neither andrew or ashley really want to happen. nightmares give ashley leverage over andrew and they give andrew an excuse to cuddle and sleep (literally) with his siblings). the romantic comment andrew makes while starving will confuse [reader] a bit, "i guess it can be seen as romantic... being forever intertwined and such... but-- but that won't happen to us! i'll make sure of it, so don't worry." he has to pay extra attention to them when they're on the balcony now...

there are incestuous undertones throughout the entire game, but when episode 2 starts up [reader] is like "what 💀" HAHAHA!! look man they were raised to know better, not be better hahahaha! ah, sorry sorry. sexual comments or innuendos or slips are caught on by [reader] (or maybe even flat our ignored by him so he could pretend that everything's fine) and are sort of corrected? like "okay, calm down ashley" or "bloody hell andrew, fucking control yourself" with a face palm.

just thought about this. ashley also has leverage over [reader] since ever though he didn't actively participate in killing nina, he did "let it happen" and helped hide the body.

i lost track of time here, oops. once they get to the graves' house [reader] has a talk with mrs graves in the basement. he hates them, hates them. for having to raise his siblings when he was only like, 9 years old. do you know how hard that must be? being a single dad at fucking 9 years old with two children to take care of? IT FUCKING SUCKS and honestly FUCK MRS AND MR GRAVES FOR JUST SHOVING ANDREW AND ASHLEY ON TO HIM! "we can make this all go away" "I WANT YOU TO GO AWAY!" [reader] loves his siblings and yelling at his tied up parents feel very cathartic ngl.

assuming this is a burial route thing, [reader] would be fucking disgusted :3c i doubt he would leave andrew and ashley... since he also needs a new identity too but he does try to separate himself from their sibconnery. tries to avoid being all touchy feely and probably doesn't give that many praises or compliments to them anymore either and it makes andrew and ashley worry (whether or not they siblings fuck [reader] is also up to you guys)

like the burial route is about having trust in each other and exploring EVERY aspect of a bond and relationship, so [reader] rejecting that idea and even like, shying away? from it would raise some panic in the siblings, and i could see them trying to coax [reader] into degeneracy with them, you know? why give a fuck about what society thinks? look at how well it's gone for them; neglected, starved, hunted, CORNERED. they don't need society's approval or good graces or whatever the hell else. they just need each other, no?

(whenever i get better, bet your ass yandere graves' is going to be hard)

----

coff-in

[joesalw]

Without even getting into the merits of TS being named person of the year, I’m genuinely shocked that she brought up Travis in the interview. From an excerpt Time posted on its socials, she says they are “proud” of each other and she references how she locked herself in her house for years and she’ll “never get that time back.” I know how hard she’s pushing this relationship and narrative, but if you’re getting this monumental honor for your work, why would she bring up a bf of only a few months? She famously did not thank Calvin Harris or bring him to accept her second AOTY Grammy. I have no idea if this relationship will last, but why would you want a part of your legacy tied to a random guy you’ve known for less than a year?

Say what you will about Taylor, but I always thought she took her work seriously at least. This is a huge honor (whether deserved or not) so I’m stunned that she’s letting the Travis thing be attached to it. It’s very disappointing.

Also, I hate that she’s pushing the “locked in the house” narrative even here. It’s definitely aimed at Joe and what’s even the point? It’s been almost a year. Side note, I’ve never actually believed she spent the past 7 years in the house. I think she lived her life exactly the way she wanted it. A list celebrities can and often do live low key lives. There’s a reason that you rarely see pap pics of Beyoncé, Adele, Jennifer Aniston, even Selena apparently has kept her dating life off the radar for years according to DeuxMoi.

This is all such an embarrassing shitshow. There are people dying in Palestine, they are filming their lives and counting the seconds left in their hand before being bombed and killed. Hospitals are being bombed, they have no food or water supply and journalists are being killed brutally for speaking up. Even jews people are being killed or kidnapped for speaking up for Palestine...

Yet somehow Taylor Swift is the Person of the Year. As if this alone wasn’t shitty enough already, she is talking about how oppressed she has been throughout her entire privileged life. Saying she's spent the last six years of her life being locked in her own house (mind you two years of them were pandemic) She literally went out and did proper promos for Lover era. She did rep tour in the previous year. It was only reputation album release time when she was silent because of her so called tagline "There will be no explanation, just reputation" She couldn’t do promo for folklore and evermore in such way because there was a fucking pandemic going on. But now she will throw this narrative to make Joe look bad. Do you guys realize how insane this is? She has no accountability for her own actions, if it's not going according to how she wanted, she will just blame the next person. Also it's been 815372919 years since the kimye incident, can she fucking let go off it?

It's just astonishing how she said it with broad chest that the real love she found with Joe was what helped her get through that period of time, but now that it didn’t work out she is making it seem like the kimye incident took her in a bad place where she didn’t want to be (mind you she admits flying to london herself, joe didn’t force her) and she's feeding the narrative that Joe took advantage of her low period which was a fanfic written by swifties earlier. She's just feeding them their words to dig up a grave for joe.

But also why are we discussing about a billionaire's love life in a magazine like Times in the midst of a fucking genocide? This is just eye opening for us about pop culture and western media tbh

[chuluoyi]

Hey so imagine for a sec that the le series is all in the canon timeline and then comes the shibuya incident

So my question is would gojo lie to the reader that there is no mission in shibuya to go to or that the reader isnt needed there, since he has a gut feeling that something might not be right ? (Since they didnt know it was going to be this tragic) which would lead to the canon events of the manga where gojo is sealed and half of the characters died and as the news breaks out the reader is shocked and betrayed and maybe feels a bit of survivor's guilt aswell....?

And then theres also the higher ups who take this opportunity to hurt the reader like how they killed mr yaga and the reader is trying to keep herself and the baby safe while being worried for sealed gojo

oh no i’m crying :’) if it follows timeline… even baby gojo will be in shambles

he can’t hide it from the reader that there’s a mission in shibuya bc all jujutsu sorcerers are summoned—but he certainly will convince her to stay home, warns the higher ups not to interfere and downplays the entire shitshow so she will let him go. in 2018, their baby is one year old, so he has enough reasons to convince the reader to not join the fray and protect their baby🤧

and needless to say, when gojo is sealed, everything turns to hell. he’s branded a traitor and ofc the reader is on the run too☹️ megumi will always look after her but her life has turned upside down by this turn of events—and not to mention her son would often cry and looks for papa, and that’s when she’ll cry too😭

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Nah, their little shitstorm stirrer "incident" smells bad bad bad.

There is MASSIVE behind-the-scenes weapons-grade Fuckery goin' on. Insert Redneck Galadriel speech here. (I can feel it in the yada yada).

Past outrage. Burnt out on outrage. Now it's just a grim smile of smoldering hatred that will not change until this shitshow is over for good.

These motherfuckers want a "holy war" and would be happy to kill us all for their twisted up religious cult's glory. Make no mistake. It's sick. The kind of sick that can only be put down. Completely. So it doesn't spread, and doesn't happen again.

This is what we are up against between now and November. There is an entire week's worth of shit we just went through and another shitshow forecast for the coming week, astrologically speaking.

If you follow and understand what's happening astrologically, all this shit happening makes perfect sense for what's going on in the sky. Shit peaks on Monday and again on Friday. It's gonna be a shitshow.

[fictionkinfessions]

Canon regrets! All of it. No, no, not really, not really. I don’t regret much but I do lie awake at night thinking about how it would probably have been better if I treated my bandmates less like shit. That, I do genuinely feel remorseful for. Me not knowing what love looked like wasn’t really an excuse either. And… El Manana, the shitshow that that was, I feel horrible about. I didn’t then, not at first, but I do now. It was a stupid fucking idea that went tits up because I didn’t think it through and it killed my daughter. Er… soft-killed. I don’t know. I still don’t know where Noodle went after the incident; to hell to unfairly pay for MY debts, or… I guess it doesn’t matter. Anyway. I really do regret that one.

And you know what else I regret? Having that fucking mop top for my entire fucking LIFE DUDE IT WAS FUCKING UGLYYYY #⛓️🥃

x

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

something about how ep 3 of lis1/lis2 ends with Max/Daniel using their powers in risky, extreme ways to do what they think is the right thing for Chloe/Sean, only for things to go sideways to an extent that leaves Chloe/Sean with a permanent physical disability. the main difference being that Max can erase the entire thing an hour into the next episode, while the Diaz brothers (both brothers) have to actually deal with the physical and psychological fallout from the incident and their respective feelings on it for the rest of the game.

like, what Max inadvertently does to Chloe is a smaller part of a larger plot involving the threats to Arcadia Bay and Rachel's disappearance--what Daniel inadvertently does to Sean is the plot all the way through. it's why he flees in a guilty traumatized panic (even if he can't remember exactly what he did until he sees Sean again) and Sean has to find him again while dealing with his new disability, thus setting up everything that happens in the fourth and final episode.

it's so clear in lis2 ep 4 that Daniel's guilt and trauma are distorting his perspective and making him vulnerable to Lisbeth, leading into his self-destructive quest for purification as an "angel." Max's own guilt is visible from the inside looking out, shaping her tangled efforts to save (or "save," depending on how you feel about the whole euthanasia shitshow) Chloe from her altered reality. meanwhile, Sean has to save Daniel from the longterm psychological effects of what happened during the heist before he falls too deep under Lisbeth's spell.

this bleeds into the way that both ep 4s are episodes about deciding whether to take a life (singular, unlike the mass death you deal with in ep 5). only lis1 deals with Max deciding how her guilt and love for Chloe should affect her decision about Chloe's euthanasia request, while Sean and Daniel are confronted with Lisbeth taking advantage of Daniel's guilt to abuse him and almost kill Sean, and have to decide whether to kill her out of wrath (because that "it was her or us" excuse is pretty much bullshit) and love for each other.

it isn't a question--at least not in this episode--of whether Sean's going to be allowed to live with how his life and body have been altered by Daniel's accidental actions, but how he lives. not to mention that while Max's decision about killing Chloe here may not affect her final decision to kill Chloe or Arcadia in ep 5, Sean's decision about killing Lisbeth/letting her die absolutely shapes how he and Daniel will live with themselves and each other and the world around them at his own final decision.

it's all just two dramatically different ways to deal with the same question of superpowers slipping out of control, and I don't know how to be normal about it.

[huntershowl-moving]

What is your RP pet peeve and what is an offense you’d drop a RP partner for?

pet peeve... pet peeve would definitely be passive aggression. i don't like it and i refuse to respond to it. if people make vague posts that seem pointed for whatever reason, either i'll ask them point-blank about it or i'll ignore it entirely, and if you message me in a way that makes it seem (like with obviously-readable tone) like you want me to know you're upset but won't say it directly, i will not cater to that, and i will treat your words literally — if you don't want to interact with a character i'm asking you about, don't agree anyway and just ignore my attempts to interact w that character. if i've done something to upset you, please tell me so that i know what i've done wrong and can apologize! please do not say it's fine if it's not fine. if you do, i will go forward assuming it's fine, because i've dealt with enough guilt tripping in my life. please for the love of god just tell me if there's something wrong. i care for you. i promise i won't sound this exasperated if you do, it's only bc i'm directly talking about the pet peeve in question <3 and yes i'm aware that this post sounds exactly like what i'm talking about, but it's genuinely happened so many times (all of which were in the past) that i don't even have a single incident in mind KJSDHFKJSDHFS

as for the second part — the only time i've dropped rp partners in recent memory was during the MHA shitshow a while ago, and really that was more them leaving and me not reaching out again once i wasn't on their friend's DNI anymore. like if people are going to follow their clique leader like sheep and drop me as a friend, i'm not coming back to them. i value my online friendships just as much as my irl ones, and being mistreated does not sit well with me.

that's all i can really think of! other than the obvious "turned out to be racist/a groomer/etc etc" kinds of things. the other memories i have of blocking or distancing from rp partners were all unique / case-by-case, so i don't think it's necessarily worth putting them here. v_v

[ourflagmeansgayrights]

Hey! On your poll I was going back and forth between yes and secret third thing BECAUSE I do think Izzy displays homophobia in the show. However, I interpret the incident you referred to as mostly misogyny i.e. that "real men don't show feelings." I think the derogatory words and actions towards Lucius and Stede are way more homophobic, but they're connected for sure.

I think the emphasis on boyfriend is making fun of him for being emotional that a man he loves isn't there and he wanted to remind him that (to Ed's understanding) Stede didn't care enough.

Tldr - izzy is homophobic for reasons outside of this scene, but his gorilla grip on societal standards of men bleed into his view of queer men, especially those who aren't "masc" enough for him

anon my beloved i must apologize in advance bc i had a very weird and emotionally draining day today and i am very tired right now. so i don’t know that this is going to be coherent. but also i like this ask and i want to say words about it before that poll expires tomorrow so i’m just gonna slap some shit together here and hope it makes sense

so first thing’s first, i definitely agree that izzy does homophobia all over the show. the reason i picked out this scene and that line specifically is because imo “pining for his boyfriend” literally sounds like a dumb middle school boy bullying his classmates on the playground. which is to say that it sounds like the most simple-minded homophobic taunt in the world. like i always think abt this scene in the last season of the magnus archives when the main character and his boyfriend roll up to some dumb meathead bully type who goes “who’s this, your boyfriend?” and the whole fandom was like “wow i can’t believe this guy is homophobic.” bc even if the bully is literally correct and the guy is actually his boyfriend, saying “boyfriend” in that tone is saying “boyfriend” like it’s an insult. which, clearly, is homophobic.

so yeah mocking ed for the pining bit is kinda more on the “boys don’t cry” misogyny side of things like you said, but the way izzy tilts his head and draws out the first vowel in “booooyfriend” to me reads like the single most straightforward and undeniable instance of izzy being homophobic in the entire show. bc even if (and this is a big if) izzy doesn’t actually care abt ed having a boyfriend and is just trying to goad ed into being blackbeard again bc izzy needs blackbeard to feel safe, the way izzy is choosing to go about bullying ed into being blackbeard again is through grade school level homophobic taunting.

however you are not wrong that there is also misogyny going on in that scene. and that is because these things are all so deeply intertwined it’s impossible to say where one ends and where the other begins. and this is where i don’t think i’m going to be able to maintain coherency lol but i’m gonna do my best!!!

like the thing with homophobia is that at it’s core, it’s about men not doing gender right. bc gender roles in western society are a fucking shitshow and the expectations for how men and women are supposed to behave extend into every facet of people’s lives. like we all know the basic “boys don’t cry, women are caretakers, men are tough and macho, women are soft, men are hard, etc etc” stuff. but one of the biggest areas where society has strict expectations of how men and women should behave is about sexuality.

men are expected to be attracted to women, obviously. but also men are often expected to be overtly sexual. having a high sex drive is tied to many guys’s concept of their own masculinity and their sense of personal identity. like this should feel like common knowledge right, the idea that some guys build their identity around “getting bitches” or whatever?

(the societal expectations for women and sexuality are a whole other shitshow that people have written entire essays and articles and books on, but im not gonna get into that here bc we’re talking abt ofmd, and this show is focusing on challenging society’s ideas about what it means to be a man)

the other thing with gender roles, and with male gender roles specifically. is that of the two genders that western society has expectations for, manhood is seen as superior. so when a guy is unable to perform masculinity to society’s standards, he is seen as less than a man. and what’s less than a man?

a woman.

men who fail to adhere to a certain expectation of masculinity are insulted by being likened to women. it’s why guys will literally say “don’t be such a girl about it” when another guy gets emotional about something. hell, it happens to stede in the show!! calico jack calls him “the big gal,” the british describe him as “a heavyset woman in a silk dressing gown.” stede is someone whose gender presentation does not match what is expected of him At All, from his clothes to his crying to his picking flowers to just his mannerisms and how he is. and stede has faced constant ridicule because of this.

so like. it all gets real tangled together. and a lot of the time it’s hard to say which is “more” present, homophobia or misogyny. insulting a man by calling him gay, insulting a man by comparing him to a woman, those things go hand in hand. having a gorilla grip worldview on how men “should” behave leads people to policing how men, both cishet and queer, perform gender and experience attraction.

so like, izzy’s general vibe of not caring if ed has gay sex, but absolutely caring if ed bottoms during that sex and caring if ed actually falls in love and cares about a man? that concept of masculinity, which calico jack is also shown to adhere to? homophobic. just like how his treatment of stede and lucius for being “less masculine” is homophobic.

[figula]

i was reading the intros thread on the [open source slack equivalent] for the ch/ess site that i work for (woohoo i can say that again lol) and out of the absolute blue, this guy introduces himself as a huge fan of reading about cluster B disorders + announced that he's a victim of a person with BPD (he said it like pwBPD! lol) + then someone else came in and said he's writing a book about NPD and they started talking about how people with cluster B disorders are all so interesting and deceptive and i was like... ??? IN YOUR OWN INTROS THREAD? THIS IS HOW YOU WANT US TO RECEIVE YOU?!

anyway i decided to reply to this thread as someone w/ a cluster b diagnosis (BPD ofc bc im a woman with non-specific long-term distress lol) and i said this publicly where everyone can see it (textbook cluster b attention-seeking manipulation fr fr)

i was a bit taken aback to see this discussion bc i have a cluster B diagnosis and im literally just a normal person. i got married a few months back, have been with the same man for 10+y with no incidences of infidelity or abuse or anything similar, keep a job, keep the same friends ive had for yeaars, occasionally fuck up obviously as everyone does - but it was a bit bizarre to see myself being discussed as though i am some kind of inherently evil person... if either of you want to ask my thoughts on the whole cluster B shitshow i am happy to DM about it (or speak somewhat publicly but idk how much i want to go into my entire medical history where everyone can see it)

i thought going in immediately with "why are you into this STEMy astrology nonsense at all?" was not going to butter any parsnips but if they actually do DM me i am going to ease them into the concepts of a) medical misogyny and b) antipsychiatry

[misswittylistyc]

🩸The Blood Trinity🩸

Zelda Spellman x Lilith x masc! vampire! Original Character

wordcount: ~3.9k (part 1/5)

Fic tags: the vampire AU you never knew you needed, implied Madam Spellman, fast burn, f/f/f, shameless smut but eventual fluff, Academy of Unseen Arts freeform, sub/dom undertones, original hot and tall masc vampire character

Fic summary: When Alexis was running away from hunters she didn’t mean to stumble upon a coven, however it turned out to be the best decision in centuries.

Chapter specific warnings: murder attempt, mentions of rifles, injury and blood description, swearing

a/n: This takes place in an AU where Lucifer never was in charge also the shitshow with the Pagans and the Eldritch Terrors never happened. ✨ I will do warnings at the beginning of each chapter. Please excuse any mistakes I might have made.

read it on Ao3.

P.S. Massive thanks to my bestie for this pic above.

Enjoy!! :)

˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚

Chapter 1.

Wicked Games

Shrieking whistles and shouts cut through the otherwise dead quiet forest right before the sun hid behind the horizon. Only the rustling of the leaves on ground and the crunching sounds of the branches accomodated the human noises that were abruptly following the weakening vampire. Alexis was running at full speed, well as much as she managed despite the soreness in her legs. The vampire hunters had almost managed to capture her half an hour ago when she made a stop at a gas station in Greendale to pump some gas into her car.

The entire incident was happening incredibly quickly, she could hardly remember it. Three men in gray and black military uniforms with guns, hopped out of a black van and cornered her when she came out of the shop after she paid for the gas. Alexis would forever cherish her heightened instincts since it never ever failed her so there was nothing that could make her stand there and wait for her destiny. Sensing their intentions the vampire decided that she had no chance to fight them alone. The best thing she could do at that moment was run, so she ran away as fast as she could.

She turned her head from side to side, attempting to look behind herself to check if the men were still following her. She winced when a gunshot rippled through the forest as the bullet hit one of the trees just feets away from her. Alexis gathered her remaining strength and increased her speed. The vampire was exhausted, she was cursing the men that were following her and cursed the day she would have to fulfill her duties as the new clan head. She knew that her brother possibly sent these hunters after her, because he wanted the position to himself. Cyrus was a monster, but he was a fool for thinking he could succeed in murdering his sister without consequences. The sound of the rifle rang through her ears again as it pulled her back from her raging thoughts. Alexis felt a sharp sting in her left arm, followed by a burning sensation.

“Fuck.” She sighed heavily, reaching for her upper arm, still running. Luckily the silver bullet only grazed her skin but it left an immediate stain on her white fitted shirt. Her short raven black hair was a mess by then, the once slicked back undercut was sticking to her pale forehead by her sweat. Alexis wanted this nightmare to end and she desperately needed a solution. She glanced back again and she noticed that the hunters were way further behind her than before, it made her almost stop and turn around and deal with them in her own way, but as injured as she was, Alexis didn’t want to risk it.

In the far distance she spotted a massive gray building with multiple narrow windows. Its grand staircase stretched all the way up to a shabby brown front entrance. The surroundings were visibly abandoned even the building and the forest seemed to stretch further beyond, it seemed never ending. As the vampire ran closer she noticed a pair of train tracks in front of her, which could only mean one thing.

“Gehenna Station.” She read out loud in a surprised manner when observed the engraved words on the stonewall above the entrance. By the time she had reached the bottom of the stairs, there was no sight of the hunters, she couldn't even hear them if she concentrated with her heightened hearing. It was only a matter of time they would find her again, Alexis had no doubt. The hunters were very close.

She needed a shelter at least for a couple of days to lay low and she needed to clean and heal her wound, since a scrape of a silver object needed more time to deal with. Alexis wasn’t in her best shape, she needed rest and fresh blood to keep going, she contemplated her plan as she was walking up the stairs and without thinking the vampire grabbed the door handle to push it open. Locked.

“What the—” She grunted and tried again, unsuccessfully.

She slammed her right fist against the door twice but as soon as she was about to strike the third, she heard the click of the lock and the door cracked open.

Alexis was greeted by a short blonde haired girl with a strange bewildered expression, half of her body was hidden behind the door as she was peeking out.

“Hello to you too.” She scoffed. “Well, it’s not very nice to try and break into—” The girl spoke in a slightly reprimanding way but her words immediately died out when she glanced at Alexis’ blood stained spot on her left arm.

The vampire involuntarily sniffed the air that filtered out from the slightly ajar door, making her insides twist, both in surprise and curiosity. There was something magical in the scents that were mixing from earthy roots and fresh herbs to burnt candles and incense. The combination was creating an enchanting and mysterious aroma, making the building and the insides both alluring and slightly otherworldly. Alexis scoffed internally when she realized that out of all places she had stumbled upon a coven.

“Hi, I’m—”

“Sabrina, what the heaven is going on there?”

A middle-aged woman appeared from behind the girl in the distance, speed walking to the door when she saw Alexis. Her long red hair was bouncing on her shoulders by the speed she was pacing with, making her stilettos echo through the hall. In other scenarios the vampire would take her time and let her gaze linger on the enigma that was coming her way, but she didn’t want to risk being caught since the woman seemed even more furious than the girl in front of her, well Sabrina eventually.

“She’s injured.” Sabrina declared, pointing towards Alexis but looking at the older woman, who reached the front door by then. She seemed still enraged, however Alexis couldn't help but hear her heart rate quicken in fear when they looked eyes. The redhead held her gaze for a moment, probably contemplating her next move, and the vampire had almost let a smirk play across her features when she practically heard the older woman’s heart skip a beat at the realization.

“She cannot stay.” The redhead blurted out unphased, much to the vampire’s surprise.

“But why Auntie, look she’s injured.” Sabrina was baffled.

“Just—for a while until I can clean my wound and—” Alexis broke the silent staring battle between the two women in front of her, in hopes of making any progress about the shelter situation, because the clock was ticking since she didn’t know when the hunters would show up again. She needed a shelter and she needed it now.

“I’m certain that your kind has the ability to heal any wounds in a short period of time. It might as well have healed actually.” The redhead stated mockingly and this attitude was getting on Alexis’ nerves if she was honest. “How did you even get that wound if I may ask?”

“Her kind?” Sabrina turned towards her aunt, completely ignoring her question seemingly demanding an answer. “What do you mean—”

“Well considering that I got shot with a silver bullet, it does take more time to heal myself.” The vampire was staring intently into the green orbs the older woman possessed, because Alexis was already fed up with the situation. The redhead was staring right back, seemingly not a bit intimidated by Alexis towering over the both of them, although the question was forming behind her features. From the corner of her eyes she could see the blonde girl’s mouth drop at the realization, but Alexis couldn’t bring herself to care at that moment, she was way too busy trying to convince the other woman.

“Are you a vampire?” Sabrina shook her head in disbelief.

“Well spotted.” Alexis couldn’t help but let out a playful scoff at the girl’s blunt curiosity. It wasn’t rare to find vampire clans in the country but there was certainly none around these areas, in fact Alexis was just traveling through this town as well when the incident happened. “Look.” She pinched at the bridge of her nose then continued. “I need to clean and heal my wound but I will leave afterwards. I can pay you even, I have money—”

“Why did you get shot?” Here came the question from the older woman, Alexis wanted to avoid.

“I was followed by vampire hunters.” She sighed. “Can we please continue this ins—” The vampire attempted to urge the decision when she suddenly heard the rustle of the leaves in the distance. Both of the women seemed surprised by her admission, and there was a hint of pity in their eyes as well.

“Aunt Zee, please let her in.” The girl pleaded, opening the door wider while looking at her aunt. “Please.”

“Fine.” She scoffed after a moment and stepped aside letting Alexis to enter. Sabrina then closed the door behind them, making the vampire let out a deep breath. She stood directly in front of the older woman a head and a half taller, examining her frame. How could a cheetah printed blouse neatly tucked in a pencil skirt make someone look so regal, she couldn't fathom yet she admired the composition nevertheless. The smell of jasmine mixing with smoke and a hint of whisky was radiating off of the woman who was still standing in front of her with a questioning look.

“Right.” The vampire cleared her throat looking in the green orbs again. “I think I owe you an introduction.” She reached out her hand. “Alexis Duvall, future clan head of the Duvall clan of River Falls.”

It was her time to give off a questioning look, glancing down to her hand when she noticed the dried blood staining her fingers and palm, the vampire quickly withdrew getting the hint and the grimace the older woman sent her in acknowledgment.

“Zelda Spellman, High Priestess and Directrix of the Academy of Unseen Arts.” She gestured with her hand around signaling to her domain.

It was only then she was able to fully look around and examine her surroundings, so after all the abandoned building was a school for witches and warlocks it seemed.

Alexis spotted a statue in the foyer behind Zelda, which depicted a woman with demon-like wings and horns, holding a skull in both of her hands with a serpent around her frame. There were hundreds of candles and some offerings in front of it. The entire vibe of the place was sort of gothic with the black and red paints and tiles yet it had a magical asset that made the place feel cozy. At least for Alexis, her own wing of her family’s mansion back home was something similar.

“This place is exquisite.” The vampire had to word her immediate liking of the place, looking around in awe.

“Don’t get way too accomodated.” The redhead remarked within a heartbeat with a stern expression, almost earning an eye roll from the vampire. Alexis knew better at that point, the sound of her increasing blood pressure and the occasional rapid heartbeats made Zelda an open book for the vampire. Alexis had the feeling that even though the older woman seemed composed and fully in control, she certainly was intrigued by her kind.

“Auntie!” The blonde girl tsked in an instant, giving her aunt an instant stare.

“It’s quite alright, Sabrina.” The redhead’s statement made Alexis grin, making her fangs visible in the process. She couldn’t take her slight insults seriously, the parallel Zelda possessed in herself was comical. “I'm used to my kind not being welcomed in such places.” She leaned slightly downward towards the older woman, hearing an immediate heart rate increase in return, but Zelda’s expression remained still without a flinch. “I won’t stay long, Ms Spellman.”

“Excellent.” She exhaled. “We will arrange a room for you on the first floor where you can freshen up and do what you have to with your wound.”

“Great.” Alexis straightened her back and looked down at her sweaty and mudstained figure. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Zelda only stared at her in return and after a brief moment she abruptly turned on her heels, starting to walk away.

“Follow me.”

————

The hot water pouring from the rain head was a subtle way to ease her tensed muscles. Alexis made an effort to clean out her wound under the running water, as well as washing her sweat stained short hair. Fortunately, the bullet only grazed her skin, so it meant it would heal within a couple of days. She had nothing else to do with it. Well there was one thing actually— if she wanted to fasten the healing process, but she dismissed the thought immediately. Consuming blood within these walls would be unethical if she couldn't find anyone for a consensual feeding. Considering the circumstances, Alexis decided against it, since she wasn’t a monster after all, however she already felt the side effects of the lack of blood consumption.

After she was given a room she was left alone to freshen up and Zelda promised to acquaint someone to give her a brief tour of the Academy afterwards, because she told her she was way too busy with paperwork. The vampire was a bit disappointed that the person wasn’t Zelda, if she was honest. There was something alluring in her, that the vampire found intoxicating upon first meeting.

There were two sharp knocks on her door that brought her back from the lingering thoughts, just in time when she buttoned up the white shirt leaving the last two open. Alexis had found several nice clothes in the closet that was situated across the bed, surprisingly they fitted her style. The vampire tucked the bottom of her shirt inside the burgundy slacks she was wearing, hair still damp from the shower but slicked back casually.

“Come in.” The vampire called.

The door creaked open and Alexis was surprised to see the redhead standing in the doorframe, seemingly more relaxed than before, that she could tell from her heart rate.

“Oh—” Wording her surprise the vampire spoke in a teasing tone. “I thought you were busy with paperwork Ms Spellman.”

“Well, I couldn’t find anyone suitable.” She tilted her head beckoning outside. “Shall we?”

Alexis only nodded and followed her.

They were walking side by side on one of the corridors of the Academy, their footsteps making the only sound around them. Zelda still smelled of cigarettes but with a stronger hint of whiskey now. Alexis was able to make out nearby noises and sounds as they were crossing rooms after rooms, but they didn’t meet anyone else just yet. The vampire briefly wondered where Sabrina was, but she didn’t word her concerns. Zelda remained silent beside her and if she didn’t know any better it seemed that she was giving her a cold shoulder, the redhead only spoke once or twice giving her directions and ways to get back to her room.

The essential knowledge of witchcraft wasn’t entirely foreign to Alexis, she knew one or two things about the people practicing it, but usually she didn’t pay much mind to it. Until these two otherworldly kinds could coexist she had no problems with it. She heard stories from other vampires about witches and warlocks that they had special spells and potions for vampires to weaken them or even kill them, but Alexis doubted that in her case it would ever happen. She meant no harm while she was staying and she wanted to prove it to Zelda.

They rounded a corner and they were at the foyer again. Alexis had to withhold her surprise when the space was filled with students of the Academy, they were chatting and laughing with each other. She spotted Sabrina in the mass standing next to a short black haired warlock and when the girl locked eyes with her, the blonde waved at her direction, the vampire only nodded. Several other students looked at her and after a couple of minutes they all quieted down. The room fell in complete silence when they recognized their Directrix standing in the archway with an unfamiliar person standing next to her. Their questioning look made Alexis feel like a deer in a headlight, but she took a deep breath and straightened her posture, leisurely placing her hands in her pocket, towering next to the redhead.

“I’d like to make a brief announcement before we start our worship.” Zelda stated and Alexis couldn’t help but give her a questioning look.

She wondered who they were even worshiping, legends claimed that witches were the followers of Satan. Could that be? Well considering the connections amongst witches and deities, Alexis doubted it would be God who they worshiped. The practices she heard they carried out were darker and nowhere near holy. However, she didn’t know why a demon-like woman was placed at an altar-like podium. Blaming her curiosity, the vampire was kind of eager to find out about the deity they were about to worship, because the depiction didn’t ring any bells yet, maybe the name would.

“This is Alexis Duvall.” The redhead gestured towards the vampire. “She will stay with us for a couple of days, because—” Zelda seemed uncertain about how to finish her sentence, and it was almost comical to see the perfectly poised woman falter, so Alexis had to chimed in with a lie, because she wasn’t sure Zelda would share the real reason nor she would want it being told anyway.

“Because I’m doing research on ancient tongues, more particularly Sanskrit. I’ve heard that this Academy has the best sources in the library.” Alexis remembered passing a massive hall full of books, which she assumed was a library. If she was correct, she will definitely check it out later to pass the time at least. She heard a faint exhale in relief from the woman next to her.

The vampire looked at Sabrina again when she gave her a questioning look and for a moment Alexis thought that the girl would blow up her cover, but she only nodded in acknowledgement dropping the act. Alexis did not necessarily possess the stereotypical external features of a vampire, but if someone paid a little attention and knew a thing or two about vampires, they would guess it in no time, much like Zelda did. However the question never came and she was glad being unrecognized. The students seemed to accept the lie that she was here because she was doing research.

“If now you’ll excuse us.” Zelda turned to her, the stern mask back on her features. “We would like to start our worship.”

Alexis was puzzled as to why she was telling her that and then she realized she was practically dismissed. The older woman was gesturing towards the students and she was directing them where to stand and Alexis watched as they complied. A circle gathered around the statue and they grabbed each other's hands. The redhead was still standing next to her, slightly impatient, seemingly wanting to join her students.

“Right.” Alexis hummed and after a moment she was unable to push down her curiosity but before she could ask anything there was a witch addressing her.

“Wanna join us, Ms Duvall?”

Alexis almost gave her a toothy grin in return showing off her fangs to make her status clear, but she’d lie if she’d say she didn’t enjoy the hidden fact about her nature, basking in all the guesses and secrets. However soon they would find out anyway, she was sure.

“Unlikely, Prudence, Ms Duvall was about to leave.” Zelda’s mocking tone rang through her ears as she turned to the vampire. That damn tone again, how dare she. “I’m sure she has better things to do.”

Alexis had to push down to boiling anger behind her features, while she could hear Zelda’s heart rate increase again. What was the redhead’s problem with her she didn’t know, she even tried to act nice and be grateful for the hospitality during the brief tour. But if Zelda wanted to act this way, Alexis would give her a reason for sure.

However, there was one thing about anger, it made her thirsty for blood, but she didn’t want to think about feeding at the moment, not when the woman was staring so intently in her own gray orbs, hypnotizing her. Was that a spell she was casting at her or was that Zelda’s pure nature?

“Very well then.” Alexis grimaced, angling her head downwards leaning closer so only Zelda could hear her. “Enjoy this nonsense.” She gestured towards the altar.

The bewildered look on Zelda’s features mixing with anger would’ve made anyone die at the spot, but Alexis only smirked, seemingly fuelling the fire.

“How dare you—” The immediate snarl that came out as a forced whisper raised some eyebrows behind them but before Zelda could continue, Prudence called again, entirely oblivious about the interaction.

“Sister Spellman, we are ready to start.”

The redhead gave Alexis a last angered look before she composed herself and turned around leaving the vampire at the spot. If she was honest this was the loudest she’d ever made someone’s heart beat. Taking the hint the vampire left the foyer to retire to her room for the rest of the evening, but she couldn’t resist the urge to linger around and listen, so as soon as she turned a corner and was out of sight she leaned to the wall and waited.

“Hail Lilith, full of disgrace, cursed are you amongst women.” Zelda’s voice rang through the silent Academy, and as soon as the name left her mouth, the realization bolted through Alexis like lightning.That Lilith? The vampire held her breath as she listened further.

“And cursed is the fruit of thy womb. Demons, you fled the garden, where the weak ones dwelled and did not live in shame.”

There was a brief silence but she heard faint movements.

“Unholy Lilith, mother of night, pray for us sinners now and at the witching hour of our death. Praise Madam Satan!”

“Praise Madam Satan!” The students echoed as Zelda finished the last part of the prayer.

There was silence again.

Alexis stood there in surprise, but quickly realized she must go, otherwise she’d be discovered by the students exiting the foyer, or worse by Zelda— not that she wasn’t ready to face the woman after their incident. However, discovering the deity of the coven made her want to examine the statue all over again, because it was kinda obvious as she recalled the symbols.

During the nights she was bored Alexis had usually deep dived into the library of their own mansion and she occasionally came across some kind of occult books. She remembered one time reading about Lilith. She found out that the demoness was actually the first woman instead of Eve and later she was cast out of Eden because she refused to submit to Adam. A fallen woman with an unholy backstory, a temptress of men, the breeder of evil spirits and a child-murdering monster of the night, but in Alexis’s point of view as she read into Lilith’s story, she figured she was misunderstood and mistreated.

Alexis ascended the stairs with quick strides, luckily escaping the mass of students, wondering if she should go back to the foyer once everyone was asleep.

˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚. ˚. ✦.˳·˖✶ ⋆.✧̣̇˚

part 2.

a/n: Thank you for reading this, I hope you liked it. 🫶🏻