#this has so many mistakes and i probably should reread it but i have shit to do lmao including grading my kids' first paper that i keep

[cloudlessnightskyline]

pt 1

Okay i'm rereading the webtoon so. thoughts. (if you notice any spelling mistakes please ignore them im on an energy drink and time is weird)

"Several years in the future" (abt the apocalypse). the usage of "several years" makes me think its like. 4-5 years AT MOST. because i dont think we call anything more than 5 several?

"players". sjs says "about 2 years from now" except we have a 1 year timeskip. so that means in sometime around 12 months players are going to start getting chosen?? which is shorter than i thought tbh

"That's how Dawon Guild became one of the top guilds" okay. listen. we know this probably doesn't happen in a day or two, right? it should have taken at least months. and since sjs says he put time into learning all abt weapons, we can further speculate abt the exact time everything started going to shit.

so there was enough time since the guildleader was chosen for him to both raise their guild to the top and let sjs invest in weapon learning? that takes at least sometime from a couple months to maybe a year or two. (there were still people knowledgeable about weapons alive)

so this would put the apocalypse. i am thinking roughly around 2-4 years from current time? the players need time to get acquainted with their skills and have enough time to grow to face the apocalypse.

okay time to theorize more. went back to reread and sjs says the difference in weapon creation is the amount of mana.

Sjs also says he's creating the weapons with little mana? and he's already a D-ranker. what happens when a rank A or B creator gets that knowledge? they can put more mana into the weapons, so they could potentially be stronger than sjs' ones?

yth also makes a comment about the sword. "higher than b rank". why is this a surprise? how do creators work? when a rank B creator standard-generates a sword, is it rank B? Or is it the same as a rank C or D creator's sword??? god i love worldbuilding

Are creators a rarity? surely his old guildmaster could have found another creator? potentially C class, since his whole guild is C class except sjs, so why does he settle on D class sjs? i dont think its abt money since he could probably hire a class C creator and still spend less money than on all the daggers he'll need to keep buying

speaking of which

"do you know how much money we spend on weapons?"

weapons are important in this world!! weapons are very very important so its obvious they'll be expensive. this leads to my question: why are they expensive?

I think it's probably due to a lack of supply.

good weapons are hard to come by and even cheap weapons are expensive. there's so many different classes in rpgs, there's bound to be one that has less people in than others. there are so many we can see in this.

i think, at this point in time, there just hasn't been a way for creators to make indefinite weapons, which means people had to rely on blacksmiths, but there's only so many blacksmiths in the world.

lack of supply + high demand = high prices

obviously this gets solved in the future (either due to players getting weapons from the system or creators just figuring it out due to gaining knowledge)

but this makes me wonder!! why only in the future? surely, somewhere out there, there's gonna be at least one creator who got invested into weapon making, right? this is just swirling around in my brain i had more things to say but it vanished so

yth says "most creators", but he only lists sjs as the exception. "it was as if the limitations didn't apply to him at all". so pretty much this means no creator ever decided they wanted to know more about weapons and i think this is sad.

anyways!!!!

...this is getting too long im making a separate post abt the rest of my thoughts

next part ->

[dreaminterlude]

Hello! Feel free to ignore this if you're tired of speaking about the MV, but I was wondering if it's okay for KPop groups to be using the 1001 nights stories as aesthetic inspiration for their MVs, like, isn't that what people find offensive? Using the culture as just an aesthetic? I know the stories aren't Islamic, so I'm speaking from a cultural view.

“long ago, during the time of the sassanid dynasty, in the peninsula of india and china were two kings who were brothers.”

this is the opening frame tale of shahrazad and shahriyar, the two main characters in a thousand and one nights. shahriyar is said to be the king of india and china. (x)

during the planning of the remake of aladdin, people were having conversations on who aladdin “belongs” to and who should be cast for the role: someone not only from the middle east per se but specifically from the levant (lebanon, syria, jordan, palestine) (so not even iraq or egypt like mena massoud who was eventually cast for the role), south asian, or chinese. because there is actually a history of aladdin, the character, being “chinese,” because in the original story in a thousand and one nights, aladdin takes place in china.

these are depictions of arabian nights. on the left, aladdin is on his way to the sultan’s palace. on the right, aladdin and the princess badr al-budur. (also from the same article, “who was the ‘real aladdin? from chinese to arab in 300 years”)

from “who ‘wrote aladdin? the forgotten syrian storyteller”:

The 1001 Nights has a pretty remarkable genealogy. Our oldest documentation of it is an Arabic papyrus from Egypt, reused as scrap with inscriptions dated 879 CE. There was an earlier Persian book called Hazār afsāna (A Thousand Stories) that did not survive. But key elements of the frame story of Shahriyar and Shahrazad were already common in Pali and Sanskrit texts from ancient India, while another Arabic book called One Hundred and One Nights has an alternate version also found in a third-century Chinese Buddhist text of the Tripiṭaka.

i mentioned in my previous ask that a thousand and one nights is one of the most prolific pieces of literature in the world. it is literally global literature that takes its shape from many transregional interpretations from all the way “west” in pre-islamic arabia and sassanian persia all the way east into the qing dynasty which had control over korea at a few points in its dynastic legacy.

my argument from the beginning of this conversation is that you cannot box these cultural narratives that literally bleed into each other and have such a rich history and genealogy, not in spite of, but because of the way orality functions in shaping these literary narratives. 

my point is that it’s hard to definitively put the brakes on 1001 nights and say that people outside of the middle east or south asia don’t have “claim” to the story. i’m not saying that kpop can appropriate it, but i think it depends on how it’s being done. this is very similar to the point i make on my post about the “appropriation” of bruce lee in the kick it music video, who is a global figure in many ways to many people for many reasons. nct could have gone all out and appropriated bruce lee and a lot of the chinese elements they incorporated, but they incorporated those elements in a nonspecific way. likewise, in the case of this mv, things are so nonspecific, which, in turn, has allowed so many different people to make claims on the aesthetics of the mv. the aesthetics are reminiscent as west as spain all the way “east.”

there is also an element of “camp” that is involved in both this mv and misfit, that my good friend iman brought up, and i think it’s a really important point to consider when you look at the way both were filmed and how the sets/outfits were configured. camp, according to iman, is meant to be a little over the top and a little playful, without being offensively done. think ostentatious, exaggerated, affected, theatrical and also playing with effeminate behavior (ie: think about that one scene where they’re playing with putting flowers in each other’s hair, which i just think is so interesting in this entire conversation)

the reason this music video is even more interesting is that it’s not only theatrical and playful, but it derives is theatrics and playfulness from the way 1001 nights is theatrical and playful in and of itself. if you read 1001 nights, you’ll understand what i’m talking about. there are many performances in the story itself that lends themselves to absurdity, even though there are very complex and serious elements embedded throughout. for example, the very concept of genies in that story (and in pre-islamic/sassanian folklore) is meant to represent trickery and michief, which is the whole reason nct go with the trope, not simply for aesthetic purposes, but for what these concepts symbolize and give meaning to the actual song itself, which is meant to be fun, absurd, mischievous, and alluring.

i appreciate that you’re not talking about an islamic perspective, but many people are conflating the two concepts (religion and culture) together, so it makes a difficult task to untangle and analyze this issue properly, so i think “islam” in this sense plays a really important conversation as far as “aesthetics” are concerned. so if i’m going to be honest, those who participate in projecting an image of nct sitting in a “mosque” or misappropriating what the story of a thousand and one nights means to them (as an exclusively middle eastern/arab story), then they are fetishizing/orientalizing what islam/1001 nights seems to THEM. those who are conflating the religion with the elements from 1001 nights, are pointblank essentializing their view of islam and the story as an exotic static aesthetic through a reductive analysis of men wearing black robes circling fire (some derogatorily and offensively equating it to islamic mysticism—they are literally using the word “mysticism” in a classic orientalist way and equating it to the fire scene that takes place in the mv. what the fuck lol), sitting on “eastern” rugs in a “mosque” in “prayer,” and being genies. if people choose to see “islam” or “middle eastern culture” through that imagery, that is their orientalist understanding of what islam and this “culture” is, not what it actually is, and in fact does the harm people think the mv is doing

[loneworldgazer]

what if you were their personal helper?

a/n: im biased on all of these because basically you're special to them in a type of way

part 2

warnings: chapter 189-206 spoilers‼‼, suggestive, violence mentions

sanzu

you would be his personal cook that mikey assigned

you really worked hard at making the best dishes for sanzu (1. 50/50 chance of getting killed because you might never know with his pill popping ass and 2. you don't want to purposely mess up good ingredients)

sanzu though, really loves your dishes

he would say horrendous compliments like how he was about to have an orgasm biting into the steak minutes ago (rindou looks up at him from his laptop in disgust while ran scoffs in amusement)

ran suggested to maybe gift you something or pay a visit to whoever is cooking his meals and damn well sanzu was thrilled to hear that idea and was ready to work on it

(the haitani brothers thought the same, that you were probably going to shit your pants if bonten's number 2 suddenly appeared right beside you out of nowhere)

the very next day, his preffered time of lunch was much more later than the others so it's pretty normal for the others to not see him at the table and knowing that he's doing his own business

but this is completely different than what he usually does, he's looking for you! and there you were, in the flesh and busy preparing his meal

you look rather panicked, oh how many guesses he had. it was near his lunch time, you cooked the wrong meal, you're panicking about the slighest things or you thought you were doing it wrong

turns out you just wanted to cut the right size of tomatoes because you cut one ridiculously large chunk so you huffed and picked another tomato and nearly laughed at your stupidity

well sanzu was correct in some ways but you were just minutes away in finishing so he watched

with every second he stepped closer and the closer he got which was just right over your shoulder, you squeled because 1) creepy and 2) his breath was tickling your neck that you just had to make noise

you grabbed your wrist and your finger bled, in the state of suprise you accidently cut your thumb, luckily it was only a little so you rushed to the sink to wash it off

sanzu had a smile on his face, oh woops accidently shocked a poor person by breathing on them so the best he could do was offering a bandaid that was in his pocket

you glanced at his arm and saw the bonten tattoo inked on it so your eyes lit up in fear in why a bonten member is up infront of you

you gulped and he couldn't help but giggle to how terrified you looked and he twirled the plate that his food on it

"you're almost finished with my food, huh? quickly, you have a few seconds" you looked at him again but with genuine curiousity and suprise that said "sanzu haruchiyo? what is he doing here?"

your thoughts swirled in your head in chaos, finishing up his food and the waiter that were to take his food entered the kitchen

he froze in the doorway, recognizing the feared bonten 2 and sanzu asked him to go away by simply motioning it with his hand as well as adding in a "if you don't go, i'll kill you" by doing a slashing motion across his neck, you did not know how fast the waiter walked out of there

sanzu carried his plate towards the table your partners and you ate at and sat there, tilting his head when you stayed at the same spot

"sit here, i wanna talk" shitting your pants is a understatement, dying should be the right term

but no worries when you sat down, he smiled again with his eyes closed (though you're not sure what kind of smile was this, his rare ones? because if it is then you can make it out of here without being out in a grave)

let's just say he was interested in you and he said quite some nice words to you, this won't be the first time he'll crash into your life and have moments of talking to you after all, you're his cook right?

you're just lucky enough when he decides that you're one of the few pieces he'll cherish in his life, one he wouldn't kill but respect deeply and stick around with

kokonoi

you were his respectable assistant that deals with errands, well a more better term is a spy

you listened to conversations about bonten in the dark and sneak off to inform the others, first of all koko of course

your relationship between him was proffesional and all, reporting about what bonten enemies have said, nod and leave

but there was a time where he finally got to know you a bit better

you were a bit later than the time he asked for you to come to his office after your work, about 10 minutes atleast and he raised his eyebrow at you when you slipped into his office out of breath but quickly regain it as to not piss him off any further

"sorry sir, i got attacked" attacked you say? he got up from his seat, slowly approacing you and you sweat

overall his demeanor was cocky and all but you've never seen a scary side so supposingly it's okay for you to not feel threatened but would he really be angry at you for getting attacked?

"i don't see any bruises on you, did you really get attacked?" that sly grin showcased itself, he felt the taste of a lie coming but it didn't when you spoke up again

"i fought back sir, with this." you pulled out the staff, pressing the button to open it and twirled it over for him to see

it was the staff he gave, well actually showed off when he opened the weapons room, telling you to atleast get a weapon to defend yourself, if you can even though (he halfly joked at the end with his tongue out)

you told him that it was the gang that was still gaining these "leaks and secrets" or so to speak, are the ones rindou falsely put out in the open and the gang planned to go to one of the secret bases that bonten usually went to

besides what you say is necessary information but he circled around you in silence and decided to try to hit your head but you smack his hand away with the staff

he went for your neck but you swiftly wack the staff into his waist and he groaned, impressed

he was about to say something but sanzu interrupted by opening the door without knocking and almost bumped koko with the door

"heheh sorry, can i borrow your assistant, come come~" sanzu sung out but koko shooed him away, wanting some time to talk to you but pink crazed bastard wanted to talk to you so he shut the door on him and yelled at him to go away for a moment

after that day, more people seem to recognize and fought with you

it would pretty ironic if koko were to be the one ordering them to attack you

" i wanna see you fight more" whatever he says, you just hope it actually isn't him sending mofos to attack you because that would be a d!ck move

but he didn't, one of the bonten members revealed that a little spy is watching them from above like the idiots they were that they bumbled out their secrets for the spy to hear (guess who)

so he rewards you, after the hell you went through, you better be gifted

extra!!:

"may i measure you?" you looked back at the person in shock as they smiled warmly at you and you suspiciously glared at them, reaching slowly for your staff.

"sir kokonoi has asked to measure you." they went to stretch out the measuring tape and held it around your waist, you hesitated on holding up your shirt because of how ticklish and feathery their fingers were. this was all too sudden but you go along with it.

while you twist your shirt up, they placed a note in your back pocket and you questioned on why did they do that, you reached it while they're measuring your legs.

"i'll send someone in to measure your size for your clothing, do you also want lingerie to be part of your gift too?~" the note said and you nearly stumbled into the tailor when you tried rereading it all over again.

"what colour do you want? do you want a matching set?" "no!!"

(koko's probably pissing himself right now, trying to imagine your panicky expression, laughing like a maniac in his office)

ran

you worked as his personal maid and he admired how careful you were

you were pretty noticeable since you took your time on one thing at a time like dusting off shelves and cupboards for a long moment or scrubbing away at the dirt in the plate that stuck too long there (i mean it's reasonable but you stressed over it for a few minutes)

he approached at some times to check on you and he would smile sadistically at times when you look at him like a deer in headlights, wondering what you did wrong to make him approach you himself

he just wanted to praise and point out some of your habits which you rubbed your neck to and nodded to do better next time

it also gave him a chance to see your stretched arm and your hands, especially your knuckles more better than afar (not in a creepy way)

your knuckles were deep red and would have cuts over it and he would leave at that but it got too much for him whenever he came to you and it kept getting worse

he popped the question when you moved his flowers into a pot to sit in the sun when your hands were all bandaged up

"why has the condition of your hands worsen everytime i come to you?" so he did notice, you sighed and told him the truth while you rubbed your bandaged knuckles

"people are picking on me so hitting their faces makes my knuckles hurt and become ugly each time i return back here" he was suprised that you even used your fists and he held your hands and spoke softly

"you didn't use the baton i gave you?" you feel yourself burn, you had to pull away from him and you wanted to jog off into the sun but you akwardly shrugged instead

"i'm a lot more used to using fists to fight plus i.. might have hit my face with the baton once" his laugh was sugary sweet, the rarest you've ever heard but he was laughing at your mistake so you bit your tongue and fumed, going back to arranging his flowers (that he's probably allergic to but keeps them around cause they're pretty💀)

he patted your shoulder, casually correcting himself that it was cute that atleast you did try to use the baton that he lended to you

"i'll teach you, every evening at around 4, i'll train you to use the baton so it's less work for your fists and more for your baton." you responded that mikey had his meal around that time and you had to clean the table cloth after he eats, shyly you admit that he tends to be a little messy when eating

ran smiled, stuffing his hands into his pockets and going off after insulting you one last time

"i'm impressed that you're more careful with the table cloth than your own hands" and that ends the evening with you screaming into your hands because of how frustating, ran haitani bonten executive was

extra!!:

"now i really need you to be honest with me, how do you even fight with your fists?" "your brother teaches me how to break their limbs but i accidently graze the floor sometimes because of how tough the enemy is"

well that was pretty shocking, he looks at you with suprise in his eyes, you also looked at him suprised, you just didn't know how expressive he was and you're finding out about them because of these 4pm sessions.

"doesn't he have a maid that helps him out?" "he says i make great coffee" ran grumbled that you shouldn't even serve a fucker who drinks coffee in the first place and you couldn't help laughing. in exchange for the love of coffee, rindou might as well train you. he's not blind, he sees the bruises on your hands when you return back to the headquarters.

(and to maybe trigger ran a little since he was the one mainly teaching reader his fighting style and not ran and his lame ass baton and he just stole his maid for a few seconds, might as well train them as a reward)

"show me a better compliment and i might stop serving him" "you're good with your hands" you smirked and got up and tapped his shoulders with the baton, teasing him into giving you more compliments

"shut it now before i use my hands to shut you up" "you may at anytime" and he did, now you can imagine what he did lol

[sweettsubaki]

Omibashira Arc rant or how changing small details here and there is enough to turn a story's thesis on its head

So I ranted on discord about my issues with the Omibashira arc adaptation in the anime. How it's a good representation of some of its main issues. I've already reblogged posts which, probably expressed, it better but I'm still not over it so here goes my own rant. I won't be putting the screen caps of the discord discussion because I'll be adding some details and modify it so there are less spelling and grammar mistakes. I'm still gonna keep the way Iorganized it though. Which means a lot of lists. I also don't have the screenshots of the anime or the manga for comparison because my rereading marathon for metas isn't there yet. I might add it later or just make a brand new one.

Anyway here goes:

Re-reading NatsuYuu and damn, there are so many Matoba-Natsume Parallels vs Natori-Tanuma parallels, I'm crying. (The Omibashira Anime version looks kinda worse in this light though because they tend to take away half of the characters nuance).

Ok so first things first an adaptation will always have differences linked to the medium, like pacing, so the fact that they put a scene that was in a flashback as the introductory scene of the arc isn't the kind of things I'm complaining about (putting that out of the way because I'm gonna complain about details that seem trivial in the short term but kinda worsen as time goes by (if you've followed me for a few years, you know where I stand on that).

First I'm gonna talk about some general issues I have with the anime's adaptation.

Like Sasada's presence isn't a huge problem in itself but a huge part of Taki's story is her isolation, especially from other girls. So that part of her story holds a lot less weight in the curent state of the anime.

Just like how Tanuma was accepted in the Kitamoto-NIshimura group whereas it takes a lot more time and he's not as "in" with them in the manga. Because that boy struggles with people. He IS on good terms with them, especially Kitamoto but they're not what I'd call friendly until later on.

NatsuYuu is a slice of life series so ideally they should be able to take most stories out of their manga order, except it holds the issue of "Natsume actually grows alongside those stories and so does his relationship with the others". He doesn't return to the status quo at the end of each chapter ! So some of the behaviors don't always match his progression. The anime has two solutions to this: Try to lighten it a bit so it gets less noticeable or just change what happens to fit the general idea of where they're at (except they don't stick to either so things aren't especially cohesive and some stories have been almost completely changed because of that).

They also make Tanuma more assertive and Taki softer (basically reversing their roles 'cause you can't have a girl who's a bit rough around the edges and a boy who's actually soft and cautious). I'm still not over the "I had one dream of Natsume being in danger" replacing the concept of recurring Nightmares. Like people you don't have to be gay to be worried about your best friend. Why was that change necessary ?

A lot of Tanuma's care/softness seems to be lessened when another character is in the picture when it comes to the anime. But sometimes they will add others if it's just Natsume and Tanuma ? Like Natsume's only allowed to have a soft relationship with Tanuma if nobody else is in the room....that... kinda makes it a lot gayer...

As for Natori a lot of his nuance is lost. Does he want to be a good mentor ? Yes. Is he one? ...Depends. Since his introductory story, they took out the bittersweet ending of finding someone like you but not sharing their views by basically going "Let's Agree to Disagree ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ". Meanwhile in the manga, Natori learns bit by bit to value the way one can have relationships with others (people or Ayakashi) because Natsume doesn't take any shit from him. (Which is what leads to his own relationship with Matoba being slightly less abrasive as time goes on. ie. My last meta on the Homura Arc) In the anime, since he's the older brother/mentor type of figure he has to be right of course, he can't be seen as a cautionary tale who learns to get better. It's not like he's only 23...(hell you're always learning while you're living but he's particularly young).

Now on to the actual arc.

So the moral of the story is basically "strong powers aren't everything, your relationships are what matters" (which ironically is also part of the general series' thesis) and the anime arc tries to end on that note, it just sounds dissonant when they spent the whole arc saying the opposite. Some changes seem weird. Like why did you chose to spend so much time adding useless things and then took out most of the important stuff ? Literally the first episode is mostly shenanigans built from 1 chapter and then they cram 3 chapters into another episode. which wouldn't be that much of an issue if their choices about what to keep and what to change hadn't be so weird. They chose to spend time on putting funny scenes and took the agency from the kids. Because of that they relegated Nyanko-Sensei's role of support to comic relief.

Let's start with "agency taken away from Natsume and Tanuma (by Natori once he appears in the story) in the anime starting with their manga counterpart":

In the manga, Natsume realizes he doesn't need to eat or go to the bathroom on his own. He doesn't need somebody else to tell him. They do discuss the context of why together but that's it. In the anime. It's played up and Nyanko-sensei's the only one who thinks about it.

In the manga, Tanuma realizes something is really wrong with Natsume immediately. Not just different but really wrong while the anime plays on him taking some time to go from "something's different to something's wrong".

In the manga, Natsume's the one who asks for paper masks to protect him and Tanuma, Natori doesn't automatically takes charge of the situation unlike the anime where Natori is always the amazing adults who knows everything (I'm barely exaggerating).

In the manga, Natsume's the one to decide who will go with who. He puts Tanuma with Sensei because he knows how powerful he is. Natori would have no reason to know or believe Nyanko-sensei would/could protect Tanuma. So in the anime, the fact that Natori decided it makes the part of him giving the protective stone more helpful and less arrogant. Like he can't be allowed to be such. It's not as if it wasn't actually helpful. That's the point. Natori is an ass about it to both Tanuma AND Nyanko-sensei, but he still tries to be useful because Natsume cares about these two. Why turn him into the bland nice helpful mentor who just tries to be helpful ?

There was literally no need to change those. Changing most of those actually affected negatively the pace of the story in the first place.

Times Tanuma was either toned down or put down in the anime + their manga counterparts :

The time it took him to realize something was wrong with Natsume. As said above, it doesn't take half as much time for him to realize it because Tanuma's biggest strength is how observant he is !

Natsume's kidnapping from Tanuma's PoV is probably to give it a more "mystery" vibe...Except they took out his internal monologue as well. The one where he wonders if there exist other humans with strong enough power to help look for Natsume. In the manga, it seems to be there to introduce Natori in the arc and shows that Tanuma had already been curious about how the whole spiritual thing works but never dared to ask Natsume (hence his conversation with Natsume toward the end) so everything happening is just a build up until he asks Nyanko-sensei about it. Taking it out might be for the mystery feel, to not give it away except...when Tanuma ends up talking to sensei, his interest for Natsume isn't just about himself !!!! they tried to add the Touko part to counter Tanuma's self-centerdness a bit but it's very small.

Tanuma mistaking Natori for a Youkai is played up a lot in the anime. In the manga it's dispelled immediately when Natori saves him and Natsume. It's done and over with within a few seconds.

Tanuma just decides to do stuff on his own without thinking and without any incentive? At least when he acted as if he had the real Natsume in a bottle (both Anime&Manga) the incentive was that Natsume was in immediate danger. Here there's...no reason ? And it's very unlike him to take charge.

Tanuma thinking Natori is nice is a huge fuckery. Granted it makes more sense with the above change, Natori was still being an ass (his word were actually harsher in the anime than in the manga where his actions are worse. That might be a translation issue though but calling Natori "nice" still seemed strange).

Tanuma asking sensei about how Natsume feels about his presence and generally being self-centered. Tanuma has a lot of issues. Self-centeredness is not one of them. He kind of tends to be the opposite... Anyway. All his questions, as said above were about the exorcist world. Because he feels comfortable enough asking Nyanko-Sensei when he doesn't feel comfortable asking Natsume yet. (Nyanko-Sensei is an emotional support Youkai for lonely teenagers, change my mind).

Tanuma's generally more assertive in the anime so they had him just act thoughtlessly and come off as an idiot who needs to be protected (so when Natsume says Tanuma is cautious it's a bit hard to believe even if the situation could call for it in some cases).

the Jar poke which is weirdly 'violent' for him since his friend is in it. (He also admits to being embarrassed by what he said to Natsume then at the end of the arc in the manga whereas the anime considers it a 'normal' thing for him to say)

Tanuma's dangerous "plan" which is played as fully Tanuma though in the manga, only part of it is his (later on that), and it was spurred on by urgency.

As pointed above when he wants to start searching by himself.

When Natori saves them and starts talking to Natsume, Tanuma just...goes up to them and asks what's going on (that one isn't much, it's just....weird for mister "I don't know how to ask people")

Nyanko's part being reduced. It's like they just wanted him for the funny slice of life part and just chose not to use him once Natori was there. Nyanko-sensei's a support role in the story but that doesn't make him an unimportant character ! In the manga :

He's the one who helps Tanuma sneak into the mansion. It's THEIR plan. Though once inside Tanuma's left to his own devices and improvises (he only does so when there's a clear goal right in front of him) because they separated so Nyanko-Sensei would look for Omibashira. Nyanko-sensei literally entrusts the task of finding and helping Natsume to Tanuma. That's not a small thing !

When he and Tanuma are looking for Omibashira, he answers most of Tanuma's questions about exorcism and ayakashi before he gets annoyed. There's also the matter of Nyanko-sensei's explanation of Natori's actions which feels less like an apology in the manga than in the anime because of context : the anime changed it to Tanuma thinking Natori is nice and Nyanko explaining why Natori is great which is so weird. In the manga, Tanuma calls Natori presumptuous and Nyanko-sensei explains why he is so. Generally though, Nyanko-sensei makes Tanuma comfortable enough to be able to ask his questions.

Nyanko is the second one to find Tanuma on the floor, not Natori. So all the remarks about his powers come from the one who trusted Tanuma and not the one who belittled him.

Nyanko coaxes Natsume to leave Tanuma's side to seal Omibashira by telling him the only way to get both him and Tanuma home is to help seal Omibashira whereas in the anime he just says "I'll do it then" so Natsume could answer "no it's okay I will".

Now Natori... Natori is supposed to be in the wrong so in the manga he's prortayed as being an ass and being wrong about it. Because he isn't perfect and is still learning a lot himself. In the anime he's presented as being right about it until the end lesson hits. In which he's still portrayed as being right even if he changed his speech for no reason.

In the anime, when they all hide after Natori save them, Natori and Natsume speak equal to equal and Tanuma has to force himself into the frame by asking what's going on, only for Natori to push on the fact that Tanuma's normal and weak. And then Natsume defends Natori when Tanuma tries to defend Natsume. By taking responsibility. It could make sense since Natsume is easily guilt tripped into thinking everything is his fault. But here Natsume is actually defending Natori being an ass. In the manga you just see the shame and fear build on bit by bit because the manga has Natori shame Natsume for "letting Tanuma get involved" too, except Tanuma's a lot less confused (even if he doesn't know what is going on exactly) and was helped by Nyanko-sensei so Natori comes off as a lot more arrogant. Natsume and Tanuma are also generally in the same frame so Natori is trying to put Natsume out of frame because they're equals but Tanuma isn't theirs. Now, unlike in the anime, where Natsume and Natori are framed together, it doesn't actually work in the manga. Natsume stays in Tanuma's frame even if there are more and more of him alone because the shaming did work and he is trying to distance himself from Tanuma to protect him. However, It does not put him in the same frame as Natori (they need to be separated from Tanuma and Sensei for it to happen).

they also add him saying that Natsume's starting to learn he can't trust everyone "so that's good". I don't think I need to comment on that...

Natori finds Bonked out!Tanuma with Natsume instead of Sensei so when he talks about Tanuma being weak to poison (just overwhelmed by Omibashira in the manga, though once again it might be translation issues), it adds to his tendency to look down on Tanuma. One more reason why Tanuma shouldn't have been here in the first place. Meanwhile when Sensei does it in the manga he's just talking about a weakness that need help recovering from (fun fact everyone has their weaknesses and this is how it's treated in the manga. Not a terrible mistake) because so far he's the only one who has shown belief in Tanuma.

So Natori saying that the moral of the story is that Natsume needs his friend makes little sense ? Because he has no reason to believe so. The anime did everything so he could be right about separating himself from others.

But the point of the manga is that Tanuma is hella observant and sometimes, even if someone is weak for something, it doesn't mean they can't bring something to you. It's part of what relationships are for. In the manga both Natori and Tanuma noticed that Natsume was starting to shake from fear at the idea that Omibashira was close to the school. But only Tanuma tried to get Natsume to pause for a second to regroup. And he was right because when Tanuma was attacked Natsume became "useless" and they needed to coax him out of his state of shock.

The anime just kept the last scene so Natori could be the hero.

One of the other things important in this arc is that it changes Tanuma and Nyanko-Sensei's relationship:

The scene where Natsume and Nyanko found the flyer explaining what was going on in the anime, happens between Nyanko-Sensei and Tanuma in the manga (including the conversation).

And as said above, Nyanko is the one who chose to have Tanuma sneak in, even if he left him afterwards. He gave him the job to find Natsume. That's a lot of trust to put in a weakling.

Sensei is also the one Tanuma asks all the questions he doesn't dare to ask Natsume about. Above I talked about how Tanuma asked him self-centered question in the anime, well it was to replace this scene.

...

It's a lot of details but if you add them up, the arc's thesis in the anime is almost the opposite of the manga's thesis. Which is why the end might feel like cognitive dissonance.

As for the Matoba/Natsume and Tanuma/Natori parallels: Matoba and Natsume are incredibly powerful and can see stuff others can't. Tanuma tries to be empathetic toward Natsume and help however he can and tries to reduce the distance between them. The Natural one and the wall that Natsume built over the years. Even if he doesn't believe he deserves it and it causes its own set of issues. Meanwhile Natori just chose to think that since they didn't live in the same world, it wasn't worth trying despite Matoba not actually wanting the wall to be there in the first place (mostly) and was chasing after him. He gave up on whatever friendship they could have had. This arc is Natori realizing that just because he chose to separate himself from others doesn't mean it has to be the case for others. He's also starting to question it for himself. That's a pretty freaking important lesson to learn for him.

[allsassnoclass]

okay so re: smutless long fics, I’ve tried to compile a list of fics as close to 50k words as possible since that’s the wordcount the anon cited and tbh my friends there really are not that many that I personally have read but I did my best.  All fics under the cut are over 30k and have either been verified good by me or my trusted friends

delete this transmission by @anxietycalling: 67k mashton sci-fi. I reread this one recently and it’s just as amazing the second time around I very highly recommend it

“Yeah,” he says, catching sight of his reflection in the dimly reflective surface and running fingers through his hair to fluff it up. And instead of getting on the mag-train home like he wants to, he catches the northbound train to the greenlawn with Calum. “You know, I think I might not go through with it,” he tells his best friend, meaning his activation. They sit together across from the back doors of the car and watch the adverts for an upcoming showing of ‘Titanic’ at the interactive theater. While Calum sits beside him silently he gnaws on a thumbnail and wonders whether it’s too late to get his money back.

“You can’t go back on it now,” Calum tells him.

And it’s true: His payment has already been processed, the credits removed from his profile. The invoice showed up in his e-net overnight and he’d added it to his encrypted folder. “It’s just - weird,” he says, weighing each of the words on his tongue before he speaks. “To be in charge of another person like that. I don’t want that responsibility.”

I’m a Falling Star by @pixiegrl: 55k lashton fantasy, very cute and sweet

A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars or do we gaze at them because we are human?” Pointless really. “Do the stars gaze back?” Now that’s a question.

Or: Ashton’s a shop boy setting out on a adventure to find a star to help grant a wish. Luke’s a star crashed to Earth looking for some help to get back home. They’re both in for more adventure than they bargained for.

I Wanna Sleep Next to You... by milecgv: 54k malum college au.  I read it over a year ago but I’m pretty sure I enjoyed it then

"Cuddle buddies, how can I help you?"

Pausing, Calum thought, he could just hang up. Get over the moment of weakness and face the rest of the night alone. He could do it. But the idea of spending one more second alone, brought a fresh pang of hurt to his heart and really, he couldn't bear it. Before his thought process could spiral out of control, the calm voice repeated itself.

"Um, yeah. I-, I need someone to-" He cut himself off because really, how was he going to phrase this?

Chuckling softly, the man on the other line interjected. "Sir, do you need someone to cuddle you?"

Shit, it was now or never. "Yeah. I-uh, I do." His voice came out so small, and he really hoped the man on the other side wouldn't pick up on how desperate he was.

~~~

Calum gets the opportunity to live out his dreams in New York City but it proves too much for him, and on a lonely night he ends up calling the professional cuddle service he swore he'd never call.

those are the only three completed fics over 50k that I personally can vouch for, but here are a few more longer ones I’ve read and I’ll link some over 50k that have gotten good reviews from my friends after those.

Destination: Perth by onlythevoid: 34k lashton 

The stranger swung into the seat next to him and sighed contentedly. Luke stole a glance from under his hat. It was a boy with light-brown messy hair, reminiscent of surfers Luke saw on the beach in Brisbane - he had a t-shirt on and black jeans, and fade-tint round-frame sunglasses propped on his straight nose.

The stranger caught Luke’s eyes.

“Hey?” The stranger asked. Shouldn’t have looked at him, Luke thought. Too late.

The stranger had set his sunglasses on his head and was peering below Luke’s cap. “Dude. You look terrible. Are you okay?”

Oh, so the stranger was one of those guys. Too friendly and ever-inquisitive. Yes, Luke looked like shit; he’d been crying for an hour at a time, every few hours, and all he’d had to eat in the past two days was some wet broccoli at the hospital and a bag of chips he’d bought that morning in Brisbane, and there were bruises all up and down his right arm from a car crash he wished he’d died in.

Luke didn’t say any of that. He prayed his voice would be steady and said, “Yes. Thanks.”

The messy-haired boy did not seem convinced. After a pause, he offered, “My name’s Ashton, by the way.”

hello, hello by @clumsyclifford: 30k lashton

For one long, blinking minute, Luke stares at Ashton and wonders if he’s hallucinating. Because that’s definitely Ashton. That’s Ashton Irwin, his former best friend from Sunny Days, the show they co-starred on as children.

But it’s also definitely Ashton Fletcher, professional film actor worth many millions, possibly hundreds of millions, of dollars, standing on his doorstep, wind ruffling his hair.

Now for the fics that I haven’t read but can confidently say are good through a rigorous peer review system (aka I have friends who read them/I have read and enjoyed other works by these people)

home is wherever you are tonight by @lifewasradical: 72k lashton. this one is on my tbr, I have only heard good things, and I’ve read other things by Amanda and trust her as a writer

Life has become so mundane in the past few years that there’s very little that sends a thrill up Luke’s spine anymore. It’s that idea that had him saying yes to the idea of moving out here for a few weeks anyways: the knowledge that this was a completely new place where no one knew his name. He could be anyone he wanted to be here, within reason. He wouldn’t be seeing any of these people again after May, so what’s the harm in becoming a new person for a bit? Someone not so bogged down by the shit in their head that they can’t get out of bed some mornings. Maybe this is a step in the direction of the person Luke wants to be in the future anyways.

Or, Luke inherits a beach house on a tiny costal island that needs some work. He didn't plan on falling in love with the guy at the hardware store.

world war series by prettyluke: 58k lashton historical au. Megs really likes this one and I trust her judgement

Even after months of seeing bodies ripped apart by bullets and bombs, Ashton still isn't prepared to be ripped apart by the fragile German soldier who has seen far more than any child should.

and

Luke shows up in Britain after 25 years right in time for World War Two to start, and Ashton has been waiting for someone to yank him from his melancholy since Christmas of 1914.

i’ll keep on fighting (just to make you believe) by @squishmichael: 33k muke I have heard good things about this one, have read other works by Taylor and trust them as a writer, and also I did skim this one when it first came out and it’s good I just need to sit down and fully read while paying attention

“Hi, Mike,” Luke says softly.

Michael might have cried from hearing his voice so clearly, not through a phone line, but instead his smile just gets bigger and bigger until his cheeks hurt.

“Hey, Luke,” he replies before throwing himself at Luke, arms looping around his neck and holding tight.

“Easy there, tiger,” Luke says with a chuckle, but he hugs Michael back.

It feels so different, all the shapes and sizes wrong, yet Michael has never felt so at home, melting right into the hug. Luke still fits so perfectly against him despite everything. Because it’s them, and they’re meant to be, and Michael never wants to let go.

*

In which Luke is finally coming home to Australia for the summer after two years, and everything should be perfect. Michael quickly realizes nothing is.

Under the High Low Lights I See You There by @pixiegrl: 33k lashton 90s bar au. I have heard a lot of good things and I have read and enjoyed Emily’s writing

Luke moves onto cleaning the glasses, sneaking glances over at him, admiring the open blue flannel he’s wearing with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his chest in the white tank top he’s wearing and the pull of it over his muscles, the acid wash denim pants straining over his thighs. He’s attractive and Luke knows he shouldn’t be looking, shouldn’t be so obvious in his stares, but he can’t help it. The man was made to be admired.

Or: It’s the summer of 1996 in New York City when Luke meets Ashton at his bar. Things aren’t always as they seem.

He Did Ballet by @kaleidoscopeminds: 34k cake. people love this one and meg is a great writer

Like the way he danced, everything in Luke's life was perfectly placed, an allegro exercise all on beat, an enchainment with no mistakes. The last thing he needed was a distraction, something to pull his attention away and make him stumble, like losing your spot during a series of fouettés. He glances back towards the bar and sees Calum still looking in his direction. Luke catches his eye again by mistake for just a second too long and Calum smiles slowly and winks at him. Luke shivers slightly and already feels slightly unbalanced. Calum is definitely not a good idea.

Luke's life is perfectly on track. He is about to get everything he's ever wanted, to become a Principal dancer for the Royal Ballet. He's focused, determined and nothing will get in his way. Then he meets Calum, a smooth-tongued barman with dangerous eyes, and suddenly not everything's so simple.

The Sun Is Burning Down Los Angeles by @burstingsunrise: 40k cake. have heard good things and Molly is a good writer

Calum probably signed a form saying he wouldn’t fall in love with the lead singer of the band. And he really doesn’t want to. What a cliché. It’s just…people get famous for a reason. This guy got famous for all the reasons.

***

Calum moves to LA to work for 5SOS.

[theunderneath]

100 follower special

--

So to celebrate me having 100 followers, even though I kinda did already (again you guys are some sick fucks). I'm gonna make a list of all my favorite characters from all of the fandom's I have listed. I will also try and write/answer some ask today. Yay, so I hope you enjoy. Warning theirs gonna be a lot of ties, because I can't choose. Also I’m not rereading this for mistakes, HAVE FUN!

--

One piece - Donquixote Rosinante/Corazon

This one was a tough one to choose, there's a lot of close runner ups (Kaku, Coby, Katakuri, etc). But this man, ooooohhhhh this man. He stole my heart. Just all around good characters and I wish there was more of him. Though him appearing for only a little is probably what makes him so good.

Golden kamuy - Vasily and Ogata Hyakunosuke

Vasily for his cuteness in the manga, also big buff man. And I just like his overall motivation for the things he dose. And Ogata for his overall sexiness and air of danger. Plus Ogata has the best angles in the manga that makes him look even sexier (Also that sub voice is killer/also runner up to this one is usami)

Hetalia - Turkey/Sadık Adnan

Gonna be honest. In normal hetalia no one really stuck out to me. I don't really have a one I'm obsessed with. All of them are just like "Your good, your kinda good, alright your better than that other one." The only reason I choose Turkey is because I fine his designs and characters just a little more fun. (runner ups are Sweden, Canada, and Denmark/just because there little better than everyone else, this literally could go either way)

2p hetalia - 2p Canada/James Mathieu Williams alL THE WAY BABY!!

My obsession, my muse, he could hit me with his car and I'd thank him. 2p I like waaayyyy better than the normal ones. Just overall, the normal ones are good but as my friends have pointed out many time "You have a villain kink." and they're right goddammit! Anyway the reason for James is that buff lumberjack body type also soft on the inside tough on the outside awkward thing people do with him. Probably the reason I like buff/hairy lumberjack body types waaaaayyyyy more than any other (probably a kink at this point/anyway runner ups are 2p Sweden, 2p France, and p2 Prussia)

Bleach - Kisuke Urahara

Hands down one of my favorite characters designs in anime. Just everything about him in his story is great. How he can go from comic relief to the sad back story in seconds. Also Ph1lza use him as his minecraft skin so extra points there. (runner up is no one because no one stands out right now)

Demon slayer - Genya Shinazugawa, Doma, Gyutaro

FIRST! Genya is like best boi fight me, he made me cry for so many reasons. SECOND! Don't judge me for Doma, his ending won me over. All around good shit. THIRDLY! Gyutaro should probably be the only one because I'm pretty sure he beats out the other two, I just wanted to mention them because I also really love them. Anyways Gyutaro character design I like the best and his story made me ball. (No runner up because you've already gotten 3 characters)

One punch man - Zombieman

I LOVE THIS MAN, GOD I HAVE A PROBLEM! Anyways character design feeds into the Gothic monster hunter vide and I live for it. I like all of the sense in the manga where he takes a spot light. His weapons and power are kinda op because I'm pretty sure he could beat Saitama in a fight. (Runner up is Flashy flash and Child Emperor)

Haikyuu - Daichi Sawamura and Kei Tsukishima

Daichi because he could crush me between his arms and I would be fine with it. Also he's just an overall good character with a solid motivation to play volleyball. Kei for his sassy personal that he tries to keep up all of the time and when he fails it's literally the cutest. And for his stubborn personality mix with an understanding that he probably needs to change sooner or later. (runner up is Tendō)

Nanbaka - Samon Gokuu

His character design brings me joy for his obvious monkey and Chinese takes. I like his personal and his story as a whole. Just a good character that has a few good jokes and is hot. His hair is nice to, backed up with his makeup/tattoos. (Runner up are Musashi, Liang, and Qi)

Danganronpa - Nagito Komaeda

Honestly probably could be someone else seeing I've only watch up to the second game. Anyways arguably the best evil laugh in the whole series. He's easy to make a yandere for his outlandish and obsessive personality. Just a all around good character (Monokuma and Kazuichi Soda/I liked Leon Kuwata for a little until he got insta murdered)

Creepypasta - Bloody painter/Helen Otis

I’m a simple person, I see artiest that turns to murder and I like. Plus I like how many things you can do with this character. Some people make him shy baby boy who’s scared of his own shadow, some people make him the unstable quiet character that murders people brutally with a drop of a hat, some people make him an unassuming brute that can snap someone's neck. I personally like he second one, just fun overall (Runner up is probably Hoodie or Homicidal Liu)

Hunter x hunter - Shalnark

I always have likes the characters that are secretly really fucked up. He’s a sociopath and puts on a smile to hide it. I also just like how he’s blond. That’s about it, just a simply character that’s good. (Runner up are Chrollo Lucilfer and Illumi Zoldyck)

Overwatch - Jesse McCree

Hahaha funny cowboy man. (Runner ups are Hanzo, Genji, Winston)

My hero academia - Mr. Compress/Atsuhiro Sako

This one was hard to choose. Theirs a lot of characters that are good. But I like his face and his whole aesthetic. Just a dapper man having some fun. Well more about starting a political revolution than fun but you get what I mean. He also has a top hat so more points.

[niksixx]

Number 73

~Part 2!!! Read Part 1 first please!!!~ 

Requested: By many of you 

Pairing: Axl Rose x Female Reader 

Description: A continuation of part 1!! This fic takes place over the course of about two months. (It’s most likely unrealistic, but when is fanfiction ever real? This also has 2,634 words!!!! I got so carried away lmao ENJOY.) 

Warning: Some cursing and mentions of sex (no smut...yet)

A/N: R E B L O G :) 

*GIF is NOT mine. Found it on Google, so credit goes to the owner!* 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I knew he was an asshole, but fuck that’s cold.”

Nodding at your best friend, you bend down to take a sip of your lukewarm coffee, shrugging. It’s been two days since you last saw Axl. The douchebag was all you could think about; Not even the sex you’d had.

You couldn’t fully place the blame on him. You were naive to think you’d mean anything to him, changing anything between the two of you. Like he said, you were just number seventy-three.

“Was it good at least?”

You grin, fighting the urge to spill all the details. “Hate sex is always good, Y/B/F, but hate sex with Axl? Unbeatable.”

She chuckles. “How many girls do you think he’s fucked since you?”

You think for a moment. “Well, I was seventy-three, so I’d say he’s probably at about seventy-eight now. I’m not mad that he has a lot of sex. I’m pissed off that I let myself be used by a man that doesn’t care about me. I wish other girls could see that, too.”

Commitment wasn’t in Axl’s vocabulary. He simply couldn’t bring himself to be loyal. In the years that you’d known the Guns N’ Roses singer, he’d never been in a relationship. Girls were simply his playthings. They served no purpose to him other than pleasure.

Still, even with his mood swings and deplorable attitude, you couldn’t deny your attraction. But you’d think twice about letting the redhead anywhere near you or your body. You wouldn’t be vulnerable. Not again.

On the way home to your house, you drop off Y/B/F. Before she exits the car, she turns to you, the corners of her mouth raised in a smirk. “So what are you going to do about it?”

“About what?” You ask, fixing your sunglasses in the rearview mirror.

She gives you a look. “Duh, about Axl. He humiliated you. He fucked you and threw you aside like you were nothing. If I were you, I’d give him a taste of his own medicine.”

You drum your fingers on the steering wheel, gears turning in your head. She had a point. “What, like, I should get even?”

Y/B/F shakes her head, eyes wild, and smiles wide. “Oh no, honey. You’re not just going to get even. You’re going to beat him at his own damn game.”

~~~

“Y/N?” Steven yawns, scratching his head as you push past him into the GNR apartment. Glass bottles and cigarettes litter the floor from last night’s party, and the place reeks of alcohol, smoke, and sweat. “What are you doing here?” He follows your eyes to the floor, wincing. “Sorry, I actually just woke up. Axl and Duff started cleaning but they went out to get pizza for lunch.”

“That’s actually perfect,” You’ve been over the apartment plenty of times before, almost as if it’s your own. The boys needed to find their own respective places, though, as four out of the five were ready to settle down. Grabbing a trash bag, you help Steven clean up the rest of the mess. “Look, I need your help. I trust you the most.”

Steven snickers. “Oh, no. Do you know who you’re talking to? I’m not the most reliable.”

“Maybe not,” you say, hands firm on your hips. “But I trust you to keep your mouth shut.”

Steven groans, taking a deep breath before situating himself on the couch. He waves his hand, “Proceed.”

“You all know Axl and I can’t stand each other,” Steven laughs heartily and you shoot him a hard look. “And after a long few days of thinking, I decided that what I hate, even more than Axl, is being used.”

“Yeah, he told me about your little uh…” He makes a face. “I know you had sex, let’s put it that way. You were number seventy-three, he wrote it down.”

“I’m sure I was the topic of--wait,” You furrow your brows, unsure if you’d heard him correctly. “Did you say he wrote it down?”

Steven nods. “Of course he wrote it down. How else would he keep track of all the girls he’s fucked? All the names are in a little brown book under his bed.” Steven’s eyes go wide, realizing his mistake. “I definitely shouldn’t have said that.”

Before Steven can react, you run down the hall and into Axl’s room, rummaging under his bed before your fingers graze a leather cover. You pull it out and flip to the most recent page, and there scribbled in black ink is your name, along with seven other girls’ names from the previous weekend.

“Son of a bitch,” you whisper, thumbing through the other pages. “Shelly Neilson, Diana Fox, Cait Burke, Jade Nichols, Ruby Thompson…”

“Wait a minute,” Steven says, peering over your shoulder. His jaw clenches as he rereads the last name. “Ruby Thompson?”

“What? She an ex or something?” You ask, skimming the first few pages, eyes bulging at the dates. “This book goes back seven years ago. Jesus, Axl.”

You feel Steven’s body tense beside you. You turn, and his face is stone-like. “Ruby Thompson is my goddamn cousin.” Mouth agape, you watch as Steven runs a hand over his face. “That fucking bastard. No wonder he never let any of us see this book.”

“Uh, what’s going on?”

You turn toward the doorway where Slash and his wife stand, eyeing you suspiciously. You give Steven a sympathetic look before turning back toward the door. “I need to find a way to get back at Axl for treating me like shit.”

“Look, I’m not defending him,” Slash begins, earning a warning look from his wife. “But you knew his track record and you still let him fuck you?”

“Okay, technically, because I rode him, I fucked him,” Slash and Steven snicker. “And yes, it was stupid, I realize that now. Having sex with him wasn’t going to fix any animosity between us. But he knows me personally, and he fucking hurt me. I won’t let him get away with it. Not this time.”

“So what’s your plan?” asks Steven.

“That’s why I came here,” you sigh, clutching the book to your chest. “I need your help.”

Slash thinks for a moment. “What does Axl hate more than anything in the world?”

Steven chuckles, shoving his hands in his pockets. “A lot of things. Competition. Second place. Being used,” Steven shoots you a wink. “And Y/N.”

“Exactly. Axl prides himself on having the most sex out of his whole friend group, right?,” Slash says, and his wife grins wickedly when she catches on.

“If we can keep Axl from having sex for a few weeks, that will give you a chance to reach his body count. He hates when others are good at something he’s good at. ” She says. Slash offers an impressive look. “Y/N, what’s your count?”

Your face flushes, and the two men glance at you expectantly. “Seventeen.”

Steven grimaces. “Seriously? We’re going to need at least a month, maybe more.”

“Hey,” Steven cowers when Slash’s wife pins him with a look. “In this house, we don’t shame women for liking sex and having sex just as much as men do. And compared to some men, seventeen is nothing.”

You send her a smile as a thank you. She nods back, grinning proudly.

“Alright, look,” Steven says, lips curling back in a quick smile. “I have three cousins who would love to help you get back at Axl. He crashed the first one’s car, stole money from the second, and slept with the third’s girlfriend. Come to think of it, she might actually be in here,” Steven reads through the book until he stops on a name. “Yep. Here she is. Misty Evans,” he snaps the book closed. “That motherfucker.”

“I have a brother you can use,” Slash’s wife grins. “And he has a lot of friends.” She wiggles her eyebrows excitedly.

“Okay, okay, hold on,” Slash holds up his hands. “It’s a good plan and all, but how in the hell are we going to stop Axl from having sex?”

~~~

73.

For two months, he was stuck at number 73.

Which was, by far, the best sex of his life.

And it just so happens it was with the person he hated most in the world.

Axl couldn’t get it out of his head. The way your eyes looked him up and down, daring him to leave and begging him to stay at the same time. Your soft lips that he was desperate to kiss again and feel on his skin. The breathy moans that were music to his ears. He’d be breaking his rule if he slept with you again, but Axl’s craving for your body had him considering wiping out the rule altogether.

His attempts to get you off his mind continued to fail as more and more women began to reject his advances. One minute he’d strike up a conversation, and the girls would be all for it, but as he returned from the bathroom or from a quick smoke break or the bar with another drink, they avoided him. Shot him dirty looks. Pretended they weren’t just all over him a few minutes prior. He didn’t understand, and it was driving him crazy.

Little does he know, whenever he leaves, you take his place, quickly showing the girls Axl’s book that hides in your purse, before urging them to stay away. So far, every girl that he’s tried to woo into his bed has shunned him. Many of the girls recognize their own friends in Axl’s book, and they promise you to stay away from him. It was dirty, it was evil, but no one ever wins by playing a fair game.

While he was constantly facing rejection, you were thriving. Axl noticed that whenever you came out with the group, men flocked to you instantly, more than they had before.  You’d barely said three words to him since the night you’d slept together, and hadn’t even looked him in the eye.

He’d buy you drinks, only for you to mutter a quick thanks without returning the favor. Despite not being the best dancer, he’d offer you his hand at the clubs, only to be met with laughter from his bandmates as you accepted another man’s offer. And what blew his mind? Many of the guys looked...familiar.

From his seat at the booth, Axl could see a man shamelessly flirting with you at the bar. He grit his teeth, hand clenching around the bottle in front of him.

“Uh, dude?” Duff signals to the beer. “If you want to practice your chokehold, I’m sure there are plenty of chicks in here who would be more than willing to help you out, if you know what I mean.”

Axl’s eyes never left you. “What the hell is going on with Y/N?”

“What do you mean?” Steven asks innocently, shooting Slash a sly grin. “She’s having a drink at the bar.”

Axl turns to Steven, narrowing his eyes. “I can see that, you dumbass. I mean, why the hell hasn’t she spoken to me?”

“The hell do you care?” Izzy answers, taking a swig of his tequila. “You hate each other anyway.”

“I just don’t think I’ve ever seen her so...relaxed.” Axl remarks, bringing his beer to his lips.

“I mean, I’d be too if I was having as much sex as she was,” Slash grins, dropping a teasing wink in his wife’s direction.

Axl pauses, brows drawn together. “What the fuck do you mean?”

Hesitantly, Slash’s wife clears her throat, chiming into the conversation for the first time that night. “Alright, look, this does not leave the table, hear me?” When everyone nods, she continues. “I promised I’d keep this to myself, but Y/N’s had sex with twenty guys in the past five days.”

Axl’s eyes nearly roll out of his head when the table laughs. He seems to have missed what was funny.

“No shit!” Duff laughs, clapping his hands together.

“That’s fucking impressive,” Izzy smirks.

“So what does that bring her count to total?” Steven asks, fully aware of Axl’s bright red face. He laughs to himself. The singer was hopeless, making it way too easy for the group to fuck with him.

“Seventy bodies,” Slash’s wife cocks her head to the side. Something about her words, her gesture, is taunting. “How many did you say you had again, Axl?”

“Seventy-three,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Wait,” Izzy and Slash say together, “You haven’t fucked anyone since Y/N?”

“Dude, that was over two months ago,” Duff says in a teasing manner.

“It’s not like I haven’t fucking tried!” Axl exclaims, slamming his palm down on the table. He takes a deep breath, finding his composure, and lowers his voice. “I keep getting rejected and I don’t fucking know why.”

“Oh, the horror,” Izzy says, rolling his eyes. “All will be right in the world when Axl finds some random chick to bang.”

Slash and his wife snicker and share a look. Axl shakes his head. He senses something is wrong, but he can’t call anyone out without proof.

Something about you having almost the same amount of bodies as him didn’t sit right. No one in his life even came close. Then again, no one was so obsessed with sex like Axl was. No one was so open about their sex life.

Against his better judgment, Axl finds himself striding toward the bar, visibly irritated as the man next to you rests his palm right above your ass. Axl grabs the man’s wrist and pulls it from your body, pushing him away from you. He ignores the man’s protests, throws back the rest of whatever piss warm beer the dude had been drinking, flips him off, before turning back to you.

The shock on your face is evident. “There is something seriously wrong with you. What the hell, Axl?”

“Seventy bodies?” Axl says, voice condescending. “Some prostitutes don’t even have that many.”

Your blood boils and you swear to yourself you see red. The audacity of this man to shame you. “I see you’re still a dick. What the hell does it matter to you, huh? What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” Axl’s laugh is light, breathy, as he restrains himself from screaming. “My problem is that I haven’t fucked something in two months. I’m going fucking feral.”

“Seems like a you problem,” you retort, puckering your lips before taking a drink. Axl’s book suddenly feels heavy in your purse. You sneak a look to make sure the purse is properly zipped before glancing back to the fuming redhead. “What would you like me to do about it?”

It all comes out in a rush. “I don’t know! Suck my dick, ride me, do something!” Axl cringes when you giggle, face heating. Holy fucking desperate.

“Are you...is Axl Rose...begging?”

He throws his head back in annoyance. This wasn’t going as planned. “I--no. Fuck. Ignore that. Can’t we just go back to my place or something?”

“I thought you didn’t fuck the same girl twice?” You remind him of his words, and you can tell by his face he regrets saying them.

But he remains cool, standing up straight, all the while contradicting his previous statement. “I don’t.”

Finishing your drink, you set it to the side. Batting your lashes, you step forward, a mere centimeter apart from Axl’s face. His breath is raggedy, lips parted, and you see it coming. He leans forward to kiss you, but you’re too quick. Brushing your lips against his ear, palm flat against his chest, you utter the words as confidence floods your veins. “If you don’t want the same pussy twice, then what makes you think I want the same dick twice?”

[pawprintsmoon]

Henry has no clue; The Aftermath

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31306808/chapters/77401784

Once Alex leans into the kiss, the prince is royally screwed. An immense energy encompasses them, and he loses his breath along with all his remaining sensibilities. He pulls Alex’s hair, eliciting the sweetest, smallest sound. If he doesn’t stop right now, he won’t be able to stop at all.

“Fuck,” Henry swears, pulling back. Apparently, he still has an ounce of sense after all, or at least an ounce of self-preservation. “I’m just, shit. I’m sorry.”

Snow crunches beneath his stumbling feet as he practically runs away from the freshly snogged boy. The boy who must be having a total identity crisis. Even drunk, he could taste Alex’s confused wanting and a yearning that might even match his own. Impossible. The type of impossible that makes you question your interpretation of reality.

The humid heat and festive noises of the Gala overwhelm him as he re-enters the White House. He is sweating under his wool coat and his collar is too tight around his throat. The champagne in his system is tilting the floor, and it’s too much. Where the fuck is Pez?

Eventually, he finds his best friend between June and Nora, all dancing scandalously close to each other. It’s a testament to Pez’s loyalty that as soon as he looks at Henry, he exits the dancefloor, bowing to the ladies.

“What did you do?” Pez asks, leaning close to talk over the music.

“The most foolish thing possible.” He grabs Pez’s arm. “We have to go.”

After a beat, Pez nods. “Okay, let’s go.”

They walk through the party together, Pez’s presence keeping him from unravelling completely. It’s unlikely that Henry is effectively hiding his emotions, what with the drinking and kissing and panicking. Hopefully everyone around them is too intoxicated to notice.

“So, are we just getting some air or are we calling it a night?” Pez asks as they meet their PPOs at the front door. “Should I call a car to take us to the hotel?”

“No.” He imagines Alex showing up at their hotel the next morning, hungover and demanding answers. “No, we’re going home.”

“Right now?”

“Right now.” Henry’s throat is dry and his eyes are unforgivably wet. “Please.”

Pez stares at him, presumably assessing the severity of the situation, before nodding again.

“Okay, I’ll call a car to take us to the airport,” Pez says, pulling out his phone. “And as soon as we board the plane you are telling me everything.”

Within ten minutes, Shaun arrives with their luggage, a shiny black car, and three burly PPOs. Within two hours they are flying over the Atlantic Ocean, Henry pacing up and down the aisle of their private jet while Pez sips champagne.

"What the hell, Hen?" Pez says at last. Henry had been monologuing his panic spirals since they’d boarded the plane and is finally taking a breath.

"It just kind of happened?" Henry replies. He had fucked up, real bad this time.

"Well, to be completely honest with you, that was too fucking awesome!".

"You mean I did the right thing?" Henry asks, disbelief coloring his face. He isn’t sure if he’s asking approval of his choice to kiss Alex or his choice to run away afterwards.

"I don't know, Hen,” Pez says in an apologetic tone. “All I know about Alexander Claremont-Diaz is that you’re obsessed with him. This was bound to happen eventually, right?"

Henry has no clue how to answer, so he sighs and starts his pacing again. He knows he isn't going to sleep tonight, maybe not ever if he has a say in it. Alex might murder him in his sleep, even if he is protected by PPOs all the bloody time. He makes a mental note to ask Shaan to keep an eye out for Alex and his transatlantic flights.

…

"So yeah that happened." Henry finishes telling last night's events to his therapist who sports an impassive expression.

"Henry, why are you so afraid of Alex's reaction? For all you know he might feel the same way," Shannon says. The sincerity and calm in her voice almost soothes his racing heart.

"Because I do know he feels the same way, but he wasn't ready to know that. His obliviousness was the only thing saving us from falling together; the only thing stopping me from losing control. But then I lost control anyways because he’s just so bloody dense! It’s torture. Hell, both Nora and June have caught on. He’s going to be the last person to figure out he is queer! And I don’t, well, I shouldn’t have pushed it. Rash and careless.” Henry is rambling, but isn’t that the point of therapy? “Sometimes I think I reread Jane Austin too much, because I can’t help pining. Fantasizing. I thought, sure, he’ll see our mutual attraction eventually, and I can wait, and generally, or I can resist making idiotic choices I like to think I’m patient, but-"

He stops speaking abruptly and looks away from her sharp gaze. Even after so many years of therapy, it's still hard for him to talk about his feelings.

"But what Henry?" Shannon gently prods him.

"But I was...I got jealous when I saw them kissing and I just couldn't wait any longer for him to be ready. I know it was not fair, but I’ve known for years now.” He sighs. “I was actually just waiting for Pez to have his fun so we could leave. But...but Alex- he came outside looking for me and he was infuriating and couldn’t take a hint. I just couldn't stop myself. God, I'm such an idiot."

"Henry, we have talked about this before. Not everything is your fault. You need to understand that.” She pauses as if to give him an opportunity to agree with her. When he doesn’t, she continues, “And you told me Alex kissed you back so how can you be sure that he doesn't know that he’s queer?"

"Because I know Alex. I’m his best friend, we’ve talked for hours on end and he’s an obliviously stupid prat and I'm in love with him!" Henry snaps, but Shannon already has an answer ready for that.

"Yes Henry, but it doesn't mean that it was a mistake. You may be in love, but that doesn’t mean you know everything about him and his relationship with his sexuality. You aren’t a mind reader. Maybe he’s just playing dumb, and it’s a farce just like yours. The difference is you appear heterosexual while he appears to be oblivious. You can't know for sure."

That gives Henry something to think about, and he goes quiet for several moments.

Could it be that Alex acting so oblivious was just for the public? But that couldn't be. He knows Alex, knows him, knows him. Not only from the months of constant texting and late-night phone calls but also from countless tabloids and magazines. It didn’t feel like Alex was hiding anything from him. But who knows? Maybe he did it so that he could be himself but still not be himself. Maybe, he could enjoy the queerness but pretend not to know in order to save his political career?

No, that is not the Alexander Gabriel Claremont Diaz, he has come to know. He would be out and proud if he knew. Henry suddenly registers the fact that he is overthinking again when Shannon calls his name.

"Yes, Shannon?" Henry asks politely. Apparently she’d been speaking, but he has no idea what she was saying.

“You can tell me what you’re thinking, you know. That’s literally my job.” She smiles wryly and he grants her a weak laugh. “I was just saying that you can’t possibly try to know what he’s thinking about the kiss, or where he is with his sexuality.”

“Exactly! That’s the other thing.” Henry shakes his head. “Maybe I’ve been wrong this whole time. I thought I knew what he wanted, and that I knew what I wanted, but now I don’t know anything. Maybe Alex is just a very flirty guy. Maybe it’s just an American thing. I haven’t been friends with an American before-”

“Henry”

“- and he was drunk and I kissed him and he probably thinks I took advantage. At the very least, I ran away like a scared twelve-year-old.”

“Let’s try to take a non-judgemental stance here,” suggests Shannon gently. “And for now, let’s just imagine a hypothetical. What if you were right all along, and he really does like you? That’s very much possible, so let’s explore what that would mean, yeah?

Henry shrugs noncommittally.

“You mentioned a couple of weeks ago that you think that if you two get too close you’ll be doomed,” she continues. “Do you still think that?”

“Well, yeah,” replies Henry, looking at his hands. “If he likes me -which I’m not sure he does anymore- then inevitably he’ll get sick of me. I like him so, so much, you know? He might be attracted to me, but he can’t possibly like me the way I like him. And even if by some horrible miracle he does like me back, then what? I’m a bloody prince and he’s an aspiring politician, and there’s no way it wouldn’t end in disaster. The whole world would be looking at us. I’m just… I’m…”

“You’re afraid of getting hurt.”

“I… I guess. Yeah. I feel like I’m about to fall off a cliff, holding onto the unstable rocks, and I have no idea where I’ll land.” Henry chuckled a little at his cliche metaphor. “He must think I’m a complete tosser.”

“Henry,” she gives him that Therapist Look. “You can’t read minds. Journal on that topic this week?”

Henry sighs and nods, letting that sink in. She has said it before, numerous times, and Henry never quite believes her.

They sit in silence before Shannon redirects the conversation.

"When are you meeting Alex again?"

That's an easy question, Henry has known the answer ever since he left D.C. He answers immediately, "Oh never."

"Henry," Shannon reprimands.

"No, you don't get it. I'm going to be murdered if I so much as go within 10 feet near Alex."

"No.” She’s holding back a laugh as she tries to look stern. “The answer is that you're going to the state dinner and you're going to talk to Alex like a mature adult and listen to what he says instead of guessing what he’s thinking. Meanwhile, I want you to think about what we discussed today and tell me next week what you might want to say to him."

"Hour's up then?" Henry asks, because he suddenly can't wait to get out of Shannon’s office. He needs time to think about everything. Or maybe he needs time to avoid thinking about anything.

"We have five more minutes, but if you don't have anything to add today, we can end early." Shannon smiles warmly at him and he knows that if he wishes to continue she wouldn’t mind, but right now he can't. Enough talking of emotions for one eternity, thank you.

So he leaves and as he hurries to the car he texts Shaan: SOS I need about a million boxes of Jaffa Cakes from the nearest corner shop.

Then, sliding into the back seat: Please.

…

The weeks pass by quickly with Henry trying his best to ignore Alex's texts and trying to convince everyone that he oughtn’t to go to the state dinner in D.C. No one listens to him, not Shannon or even Pez. Not even his own sister, rather Bea tries to make him see reason as to why he should go.

It's all 'you never know,’ 'just trust me, Hen' and other bits of vague encouragement. Predictably, Bea decides to drop Henry off at the airport herself so he can't escape at the last minute. When he accuses her of this, however, she’s all 'Can’t a girl escort her dear younger brother to the airport, or what?’

As they leave Kensington palace she explicitly instructs his PPOs that Henry should at all costs stay in America for the allotted time and should not be allowed back even a minute too soon. Shaan, for some reason, seems extremely happy to hear those instructions and can't stop smiling. Henry scowls at him whenever he sees him, thinking that he is Henry's personal equerry. It’s a lot.

"Do I really have to, Bea?" he asks her as they near the airport.

"Henry, you know this is important and by that, I do not mean the state dinner. That can go fuck itself for all I care, but you need to talk to Alex. Hiding from him like this is doing no one any good. Talk to him, see what he says and do not overthink this, Hen please." Bea squeezes his hand lightly as the car stops.

They walk silently side by side to the plane where Bea hugs him and sees him off.

As the plane starts to take off, the panic that had been sedated by her hug starts to grow again, fiercer than ever. Henry keeps repeating the same phrase throughout the flight.

Don't overthink this. It's going to be okay.

[notinthemaps]

Know before you go and what I’ve learned from traveling:

It’s not a race. I was always so bummed about the number of countries I’ve been to compared to other people my age until I understood that the number of places visited is not what traveling is about at all. It’s not important about how many places you’ve been but the depth you’ve explored them. I have been to some beautiful places all around the world that I am insanely grateful for and it’s incredibly toxic to compare my journey to others.

Traveling is an absolute privilege. Before you spew “everyone can travel, it can be done so cheap!” recognize where you come from. 

Before you book that trip to Haiti or Cambodia to “go build a school” or volunteer at an orphanage, research the hidden harm that is involved with your short term stay. Your good intentions can actually be causing harm within these communities. 

This also accounts for volunteering at animal and wildlife sanctuaries as well. You could unknowingly be volunteering at a place that secretly participated in “canned hunting”. So many sanctuaries have been accused of this in the past and I’m sure they’re still out there. Now, not all places are bad, just make sure your money and time are going towards something that will really help ethical animals and wildlife sanctuaries. This is where it’s important to do your research.

Clean. Get rid of shit. Simplify to the necessities. Pack light. The weight of your luggage is equally proportionate to your misery while traveling. I’ve learned this the hard way. 

You have the power to choose love. Always choose to love.

Stop the exploitation of animals as you travel. Meaning the Luwak cafes in Indonesia where you drink the coffee after the Luwak has digested the coffee beans. Stop swimming with dolphins, participating in lion walks, taking photos next to chained up tigers, riding elephants, camels, and donkeys/mules. These animals are most likely not taken care of very well. There have been times where I have been guilty of giving in to attending these places because they sound great (who doesn’t want a photo with a lion next to you?) but in hindsight, these attractions are most likely incredibly unethical and there’s a lot of physical/emotional harm that is involved with the training the animals.

Reduce your use of plastic abroad. 

Going alone is okay. If we all waited for someone to travel with us, we’d be waiting for a very, very long time. So, please go even if you have no one to go with. There are millions of people all over the world that are just waiting to meet you. Some of them you’ll meet in a hostel room and you’ll end up spending the night walking through the street markets, some of them you’ll meet at a bar and discover new corners of a city you didn’t know existed, some of them you’ll meet sitting on a bench at a bus stop and you’ll end up sharing the best coffee you’ve probably ever had, some of them you’ll meet watching the sunset on the beach and you’ll end up sharing stories and laughing with them until the morning and some of them will end up being your best friends. And sometimes you’re going to be alone and going on tours, to the movies, or to restaurants sounds scary to do by yourself at first but soon enough you’ll learn that it is completely okay to be alone. Solo does not mean lonely.

Don’t say you don’t like anything until you try it more than once.

Save your change.

One of the most reassuring things in this world is that you are never stuck anywhere. You are never unable to leave.

Don’t avoid taking care of your mental health when abroad. Traveling is exhausting and not always rainbows and butterflies. Your mind and body are still important. 

Write about your favorite moments, your least favorite moments, ideas, people you’ve met, strangers you’ve walked past on the street, favorite quotes, words to remember, what the sky looked like at 7pm, new songs you’ve discovered and what they mean to you, places you want to go or places you’ve been, write about your passions, how you feel in this exact moment, draw out the mountains, scribble all over the pages. And when that one gets full, buy a new one. Reread it in 2 years, 20 years, when you need a good laugh, when you’re upset and can’t get out of bed, read it to your children. You need to remember these moments in your life. They are so important.

Spend less time on social media. It’s no secret that social media is addictive and it’s really good at taking away precious moments. It’s important to not be glued to your phone or laptop while abroad. Social media will always be there for you when you get home.

Traveling is overly romanticized. It is very hard work. It does not solve all the problems that you have at home. And traveling is not what it looks like on Instagram. Please don’t feel bad because your experience doesn’t feel the way that it looks like it should on Instagram. 

When you’re eating, really taste your food. Talk to the locals. Immerse yourself fully into this new culture. When you’re out hiking, let go of your phone. This is how you’re going to get the best experience possible. Live in the moment. 

Take photos. It is physically impossible to remember all these moments in your life. Someday down the road, maybe when you’re feeling a little depressed or bored, you can grab your camera and scroll through these photos that’ll remind you of some of the best times of your life. Ask permission before you take a photo of someone. Ask permission to post it on social media (if these are your intentions) and let them know 1,000s of people will have access or will be seeing these photos. Remember: kids can never consent. Just don’t take photos in orphanages or schools. It’s really important to be respectful. People are not props.

Usually, no one wants to hear more than a few sentences about your trip when you come home other than your mom. And the references you make months after your trip, “when I was in...” will sometimes result in an eye roll. Shake it off. I know it can be hurtful but it’s best to just keep it to a minimum for your own sanity. 

It’s okay to look like a tourist. Visit the big touristy places and take your picture pushing against the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You’re not better than every other traveler just because you skipped the popular areas. 

Learn the basics of the language before you go. “where’s the bathroom? how are you? what's your name? My name is..” Always remember it’s your fault for not learning the language of the country you're in, it’s never anyone else's fault for not knowing English. Keep the language barrier frustration to a minimum. Hand gestures, a smile, and patience can go a long way!

You’ll probably get sick at some point. Be prepared for it with a little first aid kit! It’s always a good idea to have insurance. 

It’s important to not judge the way in which other people travel. I’ve met people who have planned their travel to the point where they do not participate in any tourist activities and live off one meal a day and then I’ve met people who pay for every excursion in every city they go to. And I find my initial thoughts to be “...but why?” and I eventually snap out of it and realize it’s not my place to judge how people travel. Everyone experiences places in their own unique, meaningful way. And I mean who really cares if someone is traveling the world full time on mom and dad's money? It doesn’t affect you. 

Cheesy souvenirs are never worth it. Collect sea glass, your train tickets, plane tickets, maps, stickers, and coins. Chances are those Colosseum magnets you bought in Rome were really made in China. Support the locals if you’re going to buy souvenirs.

Slow down.

Google the tipping etiquette within the country you’re visiting before you go. Some places it’s rude, some places it’s the only income someone has. Don’t be the person who “didn’t know” when the information is a 5-second google away. 

Jetlag freaking sucks but it happens to all of us.

Be prepared to be uncomfortable and be open-minded. You’ll probably wash your clothes in a bucket or sink, sleep in dirty beds or on airport floors, be forced to eat with your hands even though you’ve never done it or go without toilet paper for weeks at a time! It’s all apart of the journey. 

The world is not as bad and scary as the news makes it out to be.

Nothing will ever go as you expect it to. Plans go out the door. I learned this the hard way. In fact, I am sure every traveler has learned this the hard way. You’ll miss flights, you’ll get flat tires on road trips, you’ll end up spending a lot more money than you expected, you’ll miss buses, you’ll have to run to trains to get to them on time, I promise you’ll have a dead battery when all you want to do is call mom to make you feel better, the hostel you wanted will be full, your dumb airline will lose all your luggage, things will get canceled and you’ll spend many unexpected nights crying but despite all the struggles that traveling brings upon us, it is always worth it. The tears, sore shoulders and blistered feet are always worth it. There’s no point in getting mad that your plan fell through.

We are all going to make mistakes as travelers. We have to become better researchers and better listeners. Ignoring the requests of locals or the cultural differences is absolute ignorance and another example of flaunting your privilege. Just because you are a tourist and contributing to the economy of other countries does not mean it’s okay to be disrespectful and act as you please. However, we’re going to make mistakes and it’s important to not beat yourself up over it. What’s important is how we respond. Don’t be scared to ask questions. 

[elseaa]

Stop to lying to me, fanfic Nedport chapter one.

Pairing: Nedport

Timeline: Humain Au

Word: 2477

All the students entered the classroom when the ringing of the university bells. Marianne had already joined Rosa, chatty together as usual, they sat next to each other. A few minutes after the beginning of the course, the door opened slowly, João entered the room step by step of wolves, the teacher did not pay even attention to him. Marianne then moved from a seat to let him sit between them.

-Is that your calendar delay this week? Is she giggling.

-Get used to it! It won’t change, there is a way I have a date tonight." He explained by putting his notebook on the desk.

-Still a blond, I suppose? Did she casually question him?

Joao nodded and showed to the girls the pictures of a blond with brown eyes, very beautiful of course, however, they did not seem really approved for that. Towards the end of the first hour of class, Marianne gave a little nudge to her Portuguese friend.

-The handsome guy is still looking at you!

-I have already told you that he is not my type.

-You seem to be his, he is handsome, though said the brunette, touching his ponytail.

-Don’t touch my hair! You know I don’t like it…

-eheheh if I were a handsome boy I’m sure you wouldn’t mind.

-João, you have been single for so long.... You should think about finding someone.

-And I’m fine to be single !

João then cast a discreet glance at the boy sitting behind him, their looks crossed again in the space of a short second, just like last week and the week before.

-Give him a chance. He’s tall and blond, it’s perfect, isn’t it? Argue the blonde.

-I am. not. interested. by him. You know that my last relationship wasn’t very happy so…. Did he reply dry while being cut off by the professor?

-SILENCE the three of you!! I would like to be able to continue giving my lesson ! If you are not interested in attending then go out !

The two companions rose up in surprise, stopped bothering their friend and finally decided to follow the course while giggling a little, no question of abandoning their mission to finally couple their beloved João. As for him, he put his things in his backpack, annoyed as much by the class as by the girls' words.

-Will you give me the notes? Asked Joao

-Yes, yes ! they answered together

-Rosa, since you write badly, you will give her yours. 

-but…

The professor sighed, even if he would have preferred that all three come out, at least the silence had returned.

-For this second hour of class, I will explain the tasks of the work to be done in pairs for next week.

At these words, the two girls looked at each other, each smiling on their face, their friend’s partner was already chosen!

The rest of the hour went on without a hitch, Abel then approached the two pretty girls, pretending to strike them with his eyes.

-I would like to know where João is?

-Oh. Euuuh, of course. I will give you his number. Said Marianne.

This surprise left Marianne empty-handed, who then tore a small piece of paper from her pad of paper to write a number she handed to Abel. He took him in hand without saying a word and encoded him in his phone, his strict look prevented anyone from knowing what he was thinking.

-Normally, when it dries it hangs out in the Cambre wood or the bars of the Cemetery of Ixelles.

-Thank you. He answered dry.

He then moved away from the two girls by crunching the piece of paper in his pants and went to look for her from his partner.

-Ouuuuf! I thought he was angry that they put him with João!" exclaimed Marianne, finally reassured.

-Thanks God! I am still alive !

-Do you think it was right to pair them?

-I wonder… Maybe nothing will happen. Confia Rosa. 

-Ah… But it’s not really our problem anymore ! All he had to do was be present at the class, but I say that I said nothing, right, Rosa?

-It’s for work!

-They will only do it once at the cottage, not need to make a cheese ! I am really looking forward to knowing what will happen, we will know everything tomorrow

Finally, Joao had not gone far, he was staying on campus to eat a little and reread his courses in peace and in the sun. Although Abel had sent him a text, he received no reply when he suddenly saw him about twenty meters away accompanied by a blond with smooth hair of about his size who did not seem to act in a very pleasant way, Probably complaining about him and raising his voice angry while Joao didn’t seem to be comfortable with the boy, trying to escape. Abel, who was unable to understand their conversations from so far away quickly approached them, no question of letting his partner run away when suddenly he grabbed his ponytail to intimidate him, Joao then violently pushed him away, getting himself snatched some hair on the way.

-Let go of me! I hate being touched by my hair!

-Tsss.. I’m out of here. 

At these words, João was finally relieved of a burden, he then turned, feeling a presence very close to him who had seen the whole scene, which disturbed him a little.

-I need you

-What do I need? He asks, on the defense.

Abel then handed him the explanatory sheets of the work with their two first names.

-The teacher has given us a job to do and your friends have decided that you will do it with me."

-What? » But I never wanted to do it with you !

-I don’t give a shit so you follow me that we finish this story quickly. Abel insisted.

-What doesn’t make you say I have other plans for tonight?

-Don’t you have one that just canceled right now? The sooner we finish, the less time you’ll have to rub shoulders with me

Abel was right and even though he was still angry, João followed him without saying a word. Abel simply warned him that they would first pick up his little brother at school before going to his house.

———

They arrived in front of Abel’s little brother’s school, when the end of school was rung, a lot of children rushed to their parents or caregivers, many of them had drawings or crafts in their hands. It was then that an little blond head dressed in white and blue and with a big smile came out of the crowd while directing towards Abel and João, presenting a very colorful drawing.

-Big Brother !! Look I drew Pelze!

-This is a very beautiful drawing, we will put it in the living room, give me your satchel

Abel crouched down to took his satchel and drawing in hand while stroking his head.

-It is that you draw very little man ! said Joao

-Merciii, Pelze is my dog ​​and this is the big brother's rabbit, are you a friend of my big brother? Your name is comment He asked smiling.

-Hmm ... well, yes ?… I’m João

-Nice to meet you, my name’s Mickael! And look, I  won 5 euros at school ! Look !

-It's the third week that you bring back 5 euros, where do you get them from? Asked his big brother again.

Little Mickael, nine years old and proudly showed his five-euro note that only god knows how he got there, so he explained about his day on the tram journey, getting along very well with João while Abel was much calmer while remaining very attentive. Joao then sighed in listening to him speak.

-If only my little brother was so cute

-Antonio?

-Do you know my brother?

-I have Spanish lessons with his boyfriend, believe me towards the end of each lesson, he is always the same idiot who beckons him at the window

-No mistake it's him !! He said, giggling.

-We see that you are brother, you look very similar

Abel began to stare at João who, following these words, had just offered him an expression full of self-confidence.

-Certain but I remain more beautiful than him! He affirmed by quibbling one of her locks of hair

-It is true. Said Abel

Joao stopped short at Abel's unexpected words but little Mickael was too busy telling his day for him to speak more, he contented himself with a discreet glance at Abel who vaguely gave him the time to a few seconds.

——-

About ten minutes later, arriving from Watermael-Boisfort, not far from the forest, they finally got off the tram. Lots of nature was present in the neighborhood where they lived, close to a large lake and two large green spaces, it was very quiet during the day, you could hear some birds, all the houses were very large, pretty and well decorated . Arriving in front of one of the houses, Abel then passed the very flowery front yard, in particular with tulips and poppies and took his keys from his pocket to open the door. Michael ran into the house as quickly as possible.

-Pelze !!

The young puppy who was waiting for him wisely in front of the door jumped into the open arm of his young master, happy with his return.

-We are back !

At these words, the pretty African who took advantage of the sunbeams in their garden returned to the house to welcome them with a big smile.

-I was waiting for you my loves ! How was your day ?

She then noticed that her sons were accompanied by João, the surprise could be see on her face, Abel brought friends so rarely to the house that her mother did not even remember the last one !

-Why didn't you tell me you were bringing a friend ?! She exclaimed.

-It's for group work, it was done today and ...

He didn't even have time to finish his sentence as the African woman, named Fatoumata, headed for the stairs, climbing a few steps.

-My darling !! Come see ! Abel brought a friend!

-Really ?!!!

—-

Some footsteps echoed on the stairs, an adorable little blonde with very long hair came to greet João, both were very cheerful with his presence and assailed him with questions and did not stop complimenting the fact that he was a very handsome boy. Abel knew very well that they shouldn't be disturbed at the time, it was the same for every new friend of their children. João then answered the questions kindly, also thanking them for the welcome and said that he ate everything. Michael took care of putting his harness on to his dog, really looking forward to going for a walk in the park. Abel then went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, without wasting time, a large ball of fur passed the garden door, he handed a celery stick to his rabbit, which rose on its hind legs trying to catch the vegetable, when he finally had it between his teeth, he took it like a trophy like a dog would have its bone in its mouth to bring it on the outside courtyard leading to the garden and ate in front of the sun. Abel then looked more closely at the kitchen worktop, something was missing!

-Sophie! Where are my waffles ?!

-Oh, Bella took them on the way home, it's for her friends. Responded her mother. 

-I told her to leave me two or at least one! Complained Abel

-According to her they were missing, so you already took them this morning ! Said Sophie.

-Sorry ? But it was the same last week! Whenever we make cakes or waffles, I ask her to leave some, then she takes everything and accuses me of accusing her of stealing everything !!

-But I can't help it! Look, she's in the midst of a teenage crisis so you're getting on with her

-But…

-There is no but ! With that, we're going to walk the dog and do some shopping for tonight

The blonde then dressed in her jacket, following her wife taking her hand as for Mickael was already outside with Pelze's leash, still full of energy.

-And see you later boys ! Said the second mother.

——

The house was finally quiet, João stared at Abel for several seconds.

-You don't call them moms?

-I .. not often, I consider them as my mothers however, they adopted me with my sister and my brother when I was 11 years old then ...

Abel paused his explanation, unable to look the Portuguese in the face, so he touched the scar he had on his eyebrow.

-So when I call them moms, I always have the face of my biological mother and father in my mind ... These are some bad memories. Explained Abel. 

-Oh .. Excuse me for asking

-You shouldn't worry, we're very happy now, I really love my mothers. Abel said smiling.

Joao blushed at his smile, it was the first time he saw him with such an expression on his face, contrary to the first idea he had made of him, he was actually quite handsome.

Abel then grabbed a few snacks and a drink and went up to his room with Joao. They both opened their macbooks on his large desk. His room was quite large, decorated with travel souvenirs and some pictures where he didn't really smile as usual. The windows in the room were large and the room very bright, Abel closed his curtains to avoid having the sun in their eyes.

Before starting the work, Abel took the time to explain the course to him but when they started to write the text, João seemed to have writing difficulties of which Abel complained however, he was much better than him to find the documents most relevant. Two hours passed, the task was much longer than he thought. João then got out of the office chair to collapse in the big green beanbag that was used for Abel's video game and reading.

-I can't take it anymore ! I need a break !

-I don't mind, we've already made enough progress

Calm had set in when João noticed the look Abel was giving him, he then sported a sly smile, Abel approached him, disturbing by that little smile.

-What makes you laugh ? Asked Abel.

-And therefore I am more beautiful than my brother? He finally asked

-That ?! It's nothing more than a fact, he looks like an idiot while you are ... well ...

-Why are you embarrassed? Stop lying to me, I see it at each class that you devour my eyes.

He then rested his hand on his thigh and grabbed him by the collar to put his lips on hims while Abel ran his hand through his soft hair to undo his ponytail.

[tempest2k]

[PAGES /85 TO /109]

Back at it again. Not as many pages this time because I value a good night’s sleep. Sort of. I meant to start my Homestuck reread blog before continuing Vast Error, but I have suddenly become so enamored by glimpses of what’s in store here that I just needed to keep reading this. If you’re waiting for my Homestuck reread blog, it’s coming. Just... don’t hold your breath.

After that weird note that Arcjec woke up to, I’m introduced to Albion! Albion is... interesting. She reads to me as a stock My Little Pony character, which is actually a kind of compelling concept for a character in a story like this. She’s also like Chip from Sonic Unleashed; extremely involved in some grand “prophecy” with a destiny of self-sacrifice (ignore the bits where Chip starts Sonic Unleashed with amnesia, it’s not 1:1). I don’t feel like I need to go over the entire story in every batch of pages I read, but I’m going to be experimenting with the format as I go here. Let me know what works, if you care.

Albion seems to be themed around a lot of superstitious ideas. Her guardian is supposedly a ghost of the previous twelve “star children”, which is evidently another descriptor of our protagonists. “Star Children” supposedly have gifts, of which Albion has none. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean she lacks eccentricities. In fact, she’s practically all eccentricities. She forms pictures in constellations that supposedly tell old stories of Repiton, she does weird smell shit, she does it all, folks. She also has the mood ring in the picture above that you might have been waiting for me to get to. Alright, I’ll get to it already.

The mood ring is much like a real mood ring, except it’s pretty responsive, and actually seems to work. The different colors mean different things, and I wrote them all down in my notes, but as far as we’re concerned, Green is stable, Pink is love, and Red is rage.

Albion also seems to enjoy translating old scriptures, such as the one on her table. From what I can tell, old Repitonian text is flipped (y) flipped (x) daedric? I didn’t take a close look or compare it to anything, but I’m assuming it’s either default Alternian (flipped (y) daedric) and English like you and I are reading right now is New Repitonian, or Modern Repitonian or whatever, or old Repitonian is double-flipped, and modern Repitonian is single-flipped. Anyway, she’s translating this for her matesprit who is supposedly “behind on planetary customs” because of a sheltered life, whatever that implies. Based on the names that I remember, I’m going to pull a guess from a hat and say this mysterious matesprit is (digs through the hat and pulls out a small piece of paper) Jentha.

The recooperacoon is completely unremarkable. This is not a place of honor.

Oh god I forgot about funky modi. It’s been so long, but I’m not sure my brain can keep up with the logic train here. I’m gonna TRY, so hang with me.

So rather than following all the lines, I think the Spirograph modus is actually kind of simple? I see it more as a bunch of funky rings. than a big connected line. The center piece can be taken out at any time, and will naturally affect the flow of the other items inside. There are also certain rings where items are accessible at any time. There’s some organization shit you can do with this, but as far as I’m concerned that’s all you really need to know. Anyway, Albion is opening her sylladex to access her Astral Projector, which is a really cool brain computer.

I haven’t been this organized a day in my god damn life.

Ok ok ok ok this is fucking sick actually. We’re doing Astral Projection now don’t question it. There is a line here about “THE CELL” which is a wee bit fucked up and ominous. Don’t know what that’s about.

Welcome to Windows 3095. The brain is typically a place ripe for exploring a character, but there’s honestly not a lot here to tell us about Albion. It’s a pretty vague, abstract place. It’s organized and peaceful, sure but I’d imagine that’s kind of the point when you’re astral projecting. Also, this seems like a lot of work just to answer some messages and go to Newgrounds.com. That’s my headcanon for Albion, by the way. She is an avid Repitonian-Newgrounds visitor and has been for the last 4 sweeps, but has never made an account. Her favorite game is Super Mario Scene Creator.

Yo sweet desktop. Now we can really get analyzing. Here’s where the RIPE shit is. Actually, it’s not very ripe at all, since the narration heavily implies that the creature depicted here is what she’s going to combine with when the world ends? Or something? It made sense when I read it but it’s late. Also those are Homestuck clock hands, I’m pretty sure. They aren’t important but it seemed noteworthy. Once again I’m impressed by the tech here on these panels.

Skorpe, my arch-nemesis, returns for a third bout, but this version is weirdly the most normal setup so far. I mean yeah, Arcjec’s was pretty plain, but this feels more in-line with wacky Homestuck antics, which is the obvious point of comparison for something like this. Also, I didn’t mention it before, but Albion’s handle is demiurgeQuantified, which sounds like an achievement I would get after killing enough demons in Devil May Cry.

This conversation between Taz and Albion goes something like this:

TAZ: hey murrit told me about some game do you know about that shit

ALBION: the world is going to end and the twelve of us specifically are going to survive because of me

TAZ: oh cool

ALBION: you should probably talk to arcjec because if you think we’ll survive without FRIENDSHIP then you’re dead wrong sister

TAZ: ughhhhh fine

The page this panel from clarifies that Arcject and Taz are a bard and sylph respectively, which is interesting I guess. I also really like this art. It’s silly.

Anyway the ghost guardian (named Alavida) shows up and says “um actually you’re all gonna fucking die, IDIOT.” And that’s where my reading ends. Obviously they’re not going to die, but this makes me think that this is related to the titular “Vast Error”. The Big Mistake. The Gargantuan Fuck-up and so-on.

As usual this has been fun. See you next time! Sorry I didn’t really have much to say towards the end here.

[getalittleclosey]

under 10k larry fic rec

hi! i’m becca and i read...so much fic. these rec lists are an accumulation of fic that i’ve read or reread and extra loved from 2016-now. there’s a wide range of stuff here and i think there’s definitely something for everyone!! i divided them up by length so you can check out all those categories below!

please make sure to read tags and warnings on all these fics!! the only things i think i can guarantee is that these are all larry, there’s no non-con, no age play, no eating disorders, no mentions of bg, they end happy, and they’re mostly aus. oh and they’re all on ao3 and some are locked so you’ll need an account! anyway i hope y’all enjoy!!!

under 5k

under 25k

under 50k

under 100k

100k+

☆ colors of the rainbow (shine so bright) by whisperdlullaby 9k

Louis' a popular skateboarder who's out to ruin Harry's life, and sometimes Harry just likes to wear nail polish and panties. Or alternatively, the one where Harry absolutely does not have a diary.

note: there’s a part 2 that’s 6k

☆ day 3: tossed salad by missandrogyny 5k

Harry sighed. “Lou,” he said, as Louis pressed kisses onto the skin of his neck. He gripped at the edge of the washing machine as Louis nibbled lightly at a spot below his jaw. “I’m doing the laundry."

note: this is part of a series by multiple authors but imo can be read on its own as a pwp

☆ jealous of the moon by objectlesson 10k

This is how he dies, Harry Styles saying I want you in me when Louis can’t possibly fulfill that request in a reasonable or safe way.

☆ string theory by graceana 10k

au. louis buzzes with something and glows with another.

The last few players are trickling off the bus when Louis looks down at his hands to see that he is pretty simply put, glowing gold,” Aww what the fuck is this shit. Is it that noticeable?” He whines, doesn’t even make a big deal out of it like it’s a normal thing that should be happening right now.

aka. a cliche soulmatey-fate thing.

☆ you’re like a sponge (abrasive and colorful) by ladylondonderry 7k

Harry LOML Styles: Hey, can you recommend your fav shoe stores? Heels Abroad is closing and I know you know some good places

Butterflies have erupted in Louis’s stomach. This is the first time Harry has ever texted him. He glances down at the beat up old Adidas he wore for his run this morning. Harry thinks Louis knows some good places? He trusts Louis’s opinion on something?

Louis gulps, and then coughs up toothpaste, hastily spitting into the sink. Everything depends on this. Harry - Harry Styles - has texted him! Louis can’t mess this up. He has to be perfect. He has to have great shoe store recommendations. He feels giddy. This is it! A turn in their friendship! The toothpaste-y grin firmly on his face, he picks up his phone again just as another message comes through.

Harry LOML Styles: Sorry, wrong person

Oh.

Or, Louis's flirts look an awful lot like insults.

☆ rated r by cherrystreet 8k

Louis gifts Harry with a surprise sex tape, and it accidentally makes its way into Harry's family Christmas party. Ridiculousness ensues.

☆ stars and boulevards by cherrystreet 6k

They’d been friends for years, had known each other throughout middle school and into high school, meeting in a music class on a sticky September morning. They hit it off instantly, falling into one another immediately, never looking back. Their friendship was comfortable, genuine, safe, always there, achingly present and solid. Harry never felt uneasy confiding in Louis, their one year age gap making Louis somehow seem more worldly, more experienced, and even when Harry had to look down at Louis, he still looked up to him. They spent the quickly passing school years making each other’s homes their own, Harry’s mom calling Louis her honorary second son, Louis’ mom giving Harry a similar title, and everyone knew that if you wanted to find Harry, you had to find Louis first.

☆ in retrospect by ologist 9k

In retrospect, messing with time travel probably wasn’t the best idea George has ever had, and if that’s not the most ironic thing he doesn’t know what is.

note: this is from george shelley’s perspective so there’s quite a bit of union j!

☆ just you wait and see by orphan_account 7k  

In which Harry mistakes Louis' flirting as an attempt to steal his job.

  ☆ i wanna be yours now by justalittlelouislove 8k

“Look, I’m not saying that it’s for sure a serial killer.” Pressing the end of his cigarette to his lips, Zayn takes a short pull and speaks through the exhale, blowing smoke out of the side of his mouth and up towards the sky. “All I’m saying is there’s a good possibility it’s a serial killer.”

Someone is sending Louis flowers. Everyone suffers until Louis gets answers.

☆ come on over tonight by dinosaursmate 6k

As Louis reached Harry’s front path, he spotted something curious on the grass, near to Harry’s wheelie bins. Louis frowned in consternation. Was that…? He crouched down to look at the item a bit closer. It was a snowglobe. Not only was it a snowglobe, it was a Winnie The Pooh snowglobe. A rather large one. A Christmas themed one. - A friends with benefits au where Louis finds out there's a bit more to Harry than an insatiable sexual appetite.

☆ like vines (we intertwine) by turnyourankle 8k

The "Roswell" AU where Harry is an alien, Louis is not, and they've both been pining after each other for far too long.

☆ i was getting kinda used to being someone you loved by werebothstubborn 8k

His hand clamps down over Louis’ mouth as firmly as he can manage. “What do you want? C'mon, you have my full attention now. What. Do. You. Want.”

Louis manages to look apologetic as he licks slobbery circles around Harry's palm until he lets go. “Pretend to be my boyfriend,” he says, dramatically gulping in as much air as he can breathe.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“This bloke just came up to me, said he’d give us fifty quid to be in his music video.”

“And you said what? ‘Sure, just let me coerce my friend into it with uncomfortable amounts of PDA and blackmail’?”

or

Louis has a brilliant idea. Harry begs to differ. Until he doesn't.

☆ can’t you see the glow by supernope 8k

Four times Harry tries and fails to tell Louis he's pregnant, and the one time he (accidentally) succeeds.

☆ i’ll know my name when it’s called again by pukeandcry 9k

Louis wakes up in Harry's body. This is a problem for several reasons.

☆ make you never wanna leave by fairytalelights 9k

“But that's fine?” Now Louis just looks confused. “There are so many ways you can have fun sex. Wetness is helpful but not a requirement.” Harry can feel his face heating up. The way Louis said fun sex, like it's that easy, like he has all the experience. He might be a year older than Harry, but Harry's not quite sure if age is the only factor at play here. He doesn't know why the thought of Louis having sex makes his heart start to race again and he especially doesn't know why the next thing he blurts out is, “You could show me.”

or, Harry is an omega teen who has trouble getting wet even when he's turned on, Louis is his omega best friend who helps him experiment. In a completely platonic way, of course.

☆ i’ll show you magic by kingsofeverything (fullonlarrie) 5k

Louis didn’t mean to go home with a Muggle, and he didn’t mean to sneak out of his flat in the morning. He definitely didn’t mean to wind up in that same flat a month later, attempting to steal a magical object before the Muggle gets home.

☆ streetwise hercules by bottomlinsons 7k

“I said,” Louis’ voice is venomous, “who the fuck is this?”

Right.

This is Harry’s part.

(Uni AU, where Louis pretends to be Harry's boyfriend to scare away his one night stands.)

☆ a fully armed battalion (to remind me of my love) by mediawhore 6k

“He was flirting with you by the way,” Niall says casually once he’s finished saying goodbye to Louis and he’s joined Harry outside.

“No he wasn’t,” Harry replies automatically, feeling his heart clench at the thought. Was he?

Niall simply raises a mocking eyebrow in response before wrapping his scarf twice around his neck.

“Not that it matters!” Harry says quickly, eyes widening. “I wouldn’t care even if he did because he’s awful and the worst.”

Everyone at Hogwarts knows that Professor Styles and Professor Tomlinson absolutely despise each other. It's too bad that they're in love.

☆ we found love (right where we are) by dea_liberty 7k

Harry Styles hadn’t meant to come back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a celebrity. Except, somehow – by accident - he sort of had. Now he can't go anywhere without someone (or a lot of someones) screaming hysterically and or trying to charm him into falling in love with them. To make matters worse, he couldn't even eat anything he found just anywhere because it might be laced with a love potion. The absolute kicker though was the fact that the one person he'd been trying to impress when he'd apparently impressed the whole bloody world was probably the only person whose attention he hadn't managed to catch.

☆ dreaming of you by orphan_account 10k

It’s as he’s smoking on their shitty little balcony that it really dawns on Louis. These thoughts he’s having are about Alex’s boyfriend. His brother’s boyfriend. Louis is an awful person. He’s always been the kind of person to want what he can’t have and while he’s never wanted anything like this, he can’t stop thinking about it now. How small he’d look next to Harry. How he could easily pin Louis to a wall. How good his long, thick fingers would feel on him, in him . He feels his dick twitch and leans against the cold glass door leading back into the house.

[or; Louis falls in love with his brother's boyfriend.]

☆ won’t you love me? by halos_boat 6k

Where Louis is Spider-Man, Harry is oblivious, Liam has a problem with communicating his feelings, Zayn is frustratingly handsome and Niall has a pet turtle.

☆ feels good on my lips by phdmama 8k

When Niall harasses Harry into returning to Vermont for their fifteenth high school reunion, Harry is really not sure he wants to go. High School wasn't the most fun for him, but when it turns out that Louis Tomlinson, his former best friend and current star of the silver screen is going to be there, Harry agrees. The road to reunion is never easy.

☆ like you hate me by krisstylinson 7k

“You have poor taste for someone with the last name Styles,” he says, turning to show the back of his pants to Harry—the pants Harry had just stitched his name across last night to keep this type of thing from happening again.

Of course, he’s accomplished nothing but indirectly making himself pop a stiffy over Louis fucking Tomlinson.

☆ call me a thief by moodlighting 9k

AU. Of all the people on campus, the one person Louis can’t seem to stop running into is Harry fucking Styles. And he keeps stealing all of Louis’ shit.

[harryhooksgazebos267]

I Love You~ J.JH x Reader

A/N: I didn’t reread this so if there are spelling mistakes or anything like that I am super sorry! This is a imagine mixed in with some fake texts so yeeyee I guess. 

Paring: Jaehyun(NCT)x reader

Genre: Friends to lovers, fluff, comedy if you squint

Prompt: "Are you flirting with me?”; “You finally noticed?”; “What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.” 

Warnings: Curing 

You snorted as you looked down at your phone and began to drive Jaehyun’s house. Normally he would be the one to pick you up but you always felt bad. I mean gas is expensive! Anyway, after about ten minuets you pulled up to his house and pulled out your phone.

A few moments later Jaehyun strolled out of his house looking like a snack that you highkey wanted to devour. You bit your lip as you turned your gaze away from him. He was your best friend, you shouldn’t be having those types of thoughts. It’s not like he felt the same way as you anyway.

“Hey princess,” he stated as he plopped into your car.

“Hi loser.”

Jaehyun gasped in fake shock.

“I thought I was your prince, how dare you! I’ve never been so hurt in my life.”

You laughed as he whipped away fake tears from his eyes. A warm smile settled upon his face soon after, making his cute little dimples pop out.  With a small grin you backed out of his drive way and began to drive to Johnny’s house since he was throwing a party.

“I’m guessing you aren’t drinking tonight,” Jaehyun commented as Day6′s You Were Beautiful softly played in the background. 

“Of course I’m not, I’m driving aren’t I?”

“That never stopped me from getting drunk,” he pointed out.

“That’s because you have Taeyong take you and I back home and he just spends the night at your place.”

“True, true.”

Finally you guys arrived at Johnny’s house. You both got out of the car and started walking to the front door but before you could go in, Jaehyun stopped you.

“Hey before you go in, I just want you to know that Jungkook is going to be here.”

You kind of freaked out when you heard him say that. You see, Jungkook was your ex boyfriend and it honestly didn’t end that well.

“Oh,” was all you could say, looking down to the ground. This caused Jaehyun to life your chin with his hand.

“Don’t worry babygirl, I wont let him do anything to you. If anyone is doing anything to you, It’s going to be me,” he remarked with a wink.

Your cheeks began to burn as you processed what he just said.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“You finally noticed?” He chuckled out as he took your hand and lead you into the house.

“What’s up sluts,” Johnny boomed out as he pulled you two in for a hug.

“What’s up you fucking giant,” you laughed out.

“Oh you know, just enjoying the nice air up here, how is it down there?”

“Shut up,” you mumbled out, hitting his arm playfully.

“Stay clear of the ping pong table. A certain someone is there and I don’t really think you want to talk to him,” Johnny warned you.

“Don’t worry,” Jaehyun cut in,” I got her”.

“I know you do,” he said smiling brightly and with that, Johnny left the two of you standing there.

It had been about two hours since Jaehyun and you arrived at the party and honestly you both were having so much fun. Jaehyun decided not to drink, stating he just didn’t feel like it but you thought something was off. You just ignored it though since it wasn’t that big of a deal. You also somehow managed to avoid Jungkook which was a plus!

“Princess do you want to get out of here,” Jaehyun questioned all of a sudden.

“Yeah sure.”

The ride home was eerily quiet. The only sound came from the radio as If It Is You played. You glanced over at Jaehyun as you stopped on a red light. He seemed to be deep in thought as he nodded his head to the song.

“Jae are you alright?” You questioned softly, placing your hand on his leg and squeezing it lightly.

He looked down at your hand and then slowly lifted his eyes, making eye contact with you before turning his head to look out the window.

“What if I told you I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.” 

You froze for a second but cleared your throat as you continued to drive as the light turned green.

“It depends on if we are hypothetically speaking or if you’re actually confessing your feelings right now.”

Jaehyun thought for a second before answering, “let’s go with hypothetically speaking first.”

“Well, hypothetically speaking I would assume you were joking so I would just laugh and play it off as a joke. Then I would go home and cry myself to sleep since you, hypothetically speaking, don’t love me. Probably write a very angsty poem about how much I love you but I must conceal my true feelings. Probably add in how you play with my emotions or some shit like that.”

Your declaration caused him to burst out laughing.

“However, if you were seriously confessing your feelings to me because you actually did love me then,” you paused for a second, debating on if you should continue.

“Then what?” Jaehyun eagerly asked, slightly turning his body to face you as you let out a little sigh.

“Then I would tell you that I feel the same way. I would tell you that you make me feel on mushy inside every time I see you or every time you call me something stupid like princess. I would tell you how fast my hearts starts beating whenever you smile and I get to see you cute little dimples or whenever you think something is really funny and your cheeks go pink as you struggle to catch you breath. I would tell you how many nights I wished you would tell me that you loved me even though deep down I knew that would never happen. I guess I would be wrong on that part though,” Jaehyun chuckled at that part.

The car came to a rolling stop as you arrived at his house.

“Jaehyun, I would tell you that I love you and that I will always love you,” you stated, looking deep into his eyes.

In a blink of an eye, Jaehyun has undone his seat belt and pulled you in for a kiss. It was a hungry but passionate kiss that left you breathless. You both pulled away breathing heavily.

“Wow, I cant believe I just kissed you.”

“Me neither,” you laughed out.

“Do you maybe want to go on a date tomorrow?” Jaehyun nervously questioned.

“Of course I would!”

“Alright cool, I’ll pick you up at six. Does that sound okay?”

“Sounds great,” you beamed out.

He pulled you in for another kiss before exiting your car and telling you to text him when you made it home.

Once you got home you took a quick shower and then crawled into bed and pulled out your phone to text Jaehyun(and change his contact name)

[ofclaires]

SELF PARA.

Date: April 18, 2020, noon in America.

Location: Room 102

Brief summary: Claire calls her mom ! They talk about sheep. This is the happiest thing I’ve ever written and I hate it.

As Mary suggested, it was Claire who made the room look like no one lived in it – spotless, like a hotel room. However, it was not just a coping mechanism to keep her mind off of the way things had happened between her and Kass, she'd been looking for something. It had taken ages, but she'd found it, tucked back behind her desk, precariously perched above an outlet: a postcard. Claire doesn't do anything with it for days, just keeps it under her pillow, but she thinks about it. She's been rereading it a lot.

Claire –

Hope everything is well at your school. You have no idea how thrilled I was so excited to hear from Callum that you were attending college – I never got to go myself, you know, so...you're a first generation! I think they do scholarships for that, you should see what's available. I know it's been a while since we've talked, but Olaf's mom is very sick, so we'll be moving back here to be with her. And we're getting married! We'd love for you to be here, if you can.

Miss you, Your mom +354 267-7777

The postcard is about a year old and worn at the edges. Claire never made any plans to go to Iceland. ( She never liked horses all that much anyway. ) When Claire first got the postcard last year, she’s pretty sure she broke not one but two of the punching bags in the gym – because after everything that happened, her mom wasted little time getting hitched with some guy. Some guy that was gonna treat her like shit, and Claire resolved she was DONE. She has too many memories of laying in her twin bed in the trailer, holding her hands over her ears as she waited for the screaming to stop, unable to sleep until she was sure her mom was getting into bed safely. Sometimes, she would sneak into the next room, crawl into her mom’s bed and wait.

Claire’s tired of waiting for people that don’t come back. After all, she’s been one of those people.

She doesn't know why she's started thinking of her mom so much now. Maybe it’s a result of allowing Callum back into her life or the fact that so many people are thinking of their parents, with the email that came out recently. She feels glad that her mom is semi-normal and clueless about what she does. Claire hopes that keeps her mom safe, from everything that's been going on at Gallagher. It's been a hard year on everyone, that should not be undercut, and while she'd like to say that her fight with Kass is the biggest thing on her mind...terrorism is just a tad more daunting.

Claire keeps her distance from the witness protection students for good reason. But she worries about Francis and his close friendship with one of them, and she worries about Kass, who has a tendency to form friends and attachments everywhere. She never thought she'd be glad about Nudge being totally preoccupied by a boyfriend, but at least it makes her feel like Nudge is safe.

After all, hanging out with one of those kids is what cost Amelia.

She taps her foot anxiously, whole legging shaking, which rattles the desk that she's sitting at. She knows there are things she doesn't want to die without doing, she just doesn't know if she's brave enough to do them. Claire doesn't even notice her own nervous tick until Tilly rolls over and looks down at her from her bunk. She gives Claire a look.

"I'm fine."

Disbelief. Tilly is too smart for that, and Claire has never been great at masking her emotions.

"Well, mostly fine. Do you mind leaving the room for a minute? Nothing freaky, I just want to make a phone call," Claire asks, and Tilly's not the type to be difficult, so she agrees.  But now that Claire's said the words out loud, she realizes that she wants to follow through with them – she's just scared. Granted, she should feel lucky that her mom is some regular lady in Reykjavik rather than some hired assassin or secret member of a terrorist organization. It's the little things.

Claire is pretty sure the dial tone is the worst sound she’s ever heard. She grips her phone tight, like...she might break it, if she squeezed hard enough, and she has to physically calm herself down, remind herself to breathe.

“Halló?” An unfamiliar voice answers the line. “Hver er þetta?”

Claire does not speak any Nordic languages, so she just stutters. “Um, hello? Is Maggie there?”

“Oh, hello! Yeah, she’s around here somewhere...in the garden, probably,” the man chuckles, switching to English without a second thought. “Who should I say is on the line?”

Claire likes how he phrases that, like she can make up anything for him to say and he’s happy to go along with it. She considers it, but shrugs, “You can say it’s Claire.”

The line goes silent for a moment, and she has to assume that this is her new husband – Olaf. He has a nice voice, but the last husband had a nice voice too. She’s met lots of boyfriends with nice voices, and by now, she’s realized there’s no way to really know a person until you get to know them. Instinct means next to nothing, you can’t trust it.

“Yes, of course. Hi – Claire.” He emphasizes her name, like he’s shocked that he’s gotten to say it, and then Claire spends the next ten minutes waiting in anticipation. She starts biting her fingernails, a habit she thought she broke years ago, but waiting on the line for her mom makes her FEEL like a child again.

“Claire, sweetie? Is that you? Oh my god, are you alright?” Her mom’s voice is like honey to Claire’s ears, bringing back memories she thought didn’t exist. Curled up in bed after long nights, pushing Claire’s hair back away from her face as she tells extravagant stories of pirates and vikings, eating junk food until the sun comes up.

“Hi, mom.” Ever reticent.

“How are you? I mean, I’ve heard from Callum a bit, he’s such a nice boy, but really, how are you?”

“I’m fine. It’s – it’s just been a while, so I thought I might...try your line,” Claire’s voice gets choked up near the end, and there’s tears in the corners of her eyes. She used to never cry, but she’s been doing it a lot lately, for some reason. Maybe she’s getting more in touch with her feelings, which is a horrifying thought.

“Well, it’s good to hear from you! It’s the first nice day we’ve had in a while, so I’ve just been out in the garden – I’m making Olaf fix the dishwasher, damn thing is ALWAYS acting up,” she laughs, and Maggie talks fast – it’s apparent she’s nervous, trying to fill the noise with some chatter. “And we’ve got sheep, and chickens, you would love these little guys.”

Claire furrows her brow. “Mom, you...you HATE gardening. And you also hate dirt. And chickens,” she adds, and she can already feel her heart sinking, because it’s just like her mom to meet a guy and completely reinvent herself into someone new. Claire’s seen her mom go through phase after phase – granted, gardening is a bit better than psychedelics, probably.

“Not any more! I’m a changed woman!” Claire can only nod emphatically at that, because, well, of course she is. “What are you studying again?” It’s also just like Maggie to act like it hasn’t been, oh, five years since they’ve spoken. Just launching into conversation like it’s normal, skirting around the rough stuff. Maggie always did that – avoided the tough conversations until it was too late.

“Listen – Mom, I just...I wanted to call to say I’m sorry. About everything that happened, I shouldn’t have...and I should’ve called sooner too, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened, and I still can’t – I –”

“Claire, honey, please. It’s alright, I’ve – I’ve moved past all of that, and...sometimes I do think about it, you know? And I wonder what my life would be like if you hadn’t stepped in when you did, or...if I’d even have one. I made some mistakes too, we both did. That doesn’t matter now.”

But to Claire, it still matters, at least a little. As long as she still dreams about the blood on her hands, it will matter. But it’s nice to hear her mom say it, and it’s a comfort to know that her mother’s life isn’t ruined by what she did – that things go on. She’s spent years imagining worse case scenarios, the turmoil she’d put her mother through, too afraid to reach out for fear of hearing the worst. This, at least, is some comfort.

“It’s okay, I know it can’t have been easy – forced to raise me on your own, and all. If I had a kid I’d probably drop it off on the doorstep of a nunnery or something.” Was that a thing? A nunnery?

“Don’t give me too much credit, I sure tried to get out of it – and god, your dad had it easy, doing God-knows-what in God-knows-where with his shitty band.”

“Is this the part where you tell me my dad is like, Mick Jagger or something?”

“Jesus, Claire, how old do you think I am?”

This makes Claire laugh, and after a moment, they’re BOTH laughing, and if it weren’t for the miles between them, it’d feel nostalgic – like coming home after school and throwing her backpack across the floor of their trailer. She’d sit at the kitchen table, eat dinosaur nuggets and Kraft mac & cheese while her mom would put on the radio, sing along to Dolly Parton in some ridiculous outfit. Claire remembers the bad days best, but when she remembers the good days, they’re really good.

“You’re happy though?” Claire asks, “I mean, you like this guy?”

“Yeah, I really like this guy – and I KNOW I don’t have a great track record, but he’s good. He’s really good. I mean, I’m out here gardening! I have chickens! He’s the real deal, and...he’s a great cook. I know it seems sort of crazy, packing up and moving to another country, but I really love him. You’ll get it someday, when you meet the right person.”

Claire rolls her eyes at that, in spite of herself. She’s glad her mom can’t see her face. She still doesn’t know what to think about love, but she has a feeling that it’s not really for her. She’s the metaphorical equivalent of Iceland – too distant, too much effort.  

Then again, some people seem to think moving to Iceland is worth it.

“Okay.”

“Wait! Oh, Claire, what are you doing this summer? Do you want to come stay with us?”

Claire wrinkles her nose, “And what? Shear sheep?”

“Yeah!” Maggie replies enthusiastically, not picking up on the note of disgust in Claire’s voice ( or choosing to ignore it. ) “It could be fun, and I’d love for you to meet Oly. It’s a great little place, and summer’s really the only time worth visiting because it’s pretty much all darkness from September to March. You’ve seen that little video on the Youtube, with that guy–”

Claire cannot recall the little video on the Youtube. “I don’t know, I’ll think about it. Summer classes and stuff, you know.”

“Oh, of course, I’m sure you work so hard!” Maggie sounds so PROUD over the phone, and Claire wonders what her mom would think if she knew the truth about everything. Claire doesn’t know whether to be happy or sad about the fact that her mom blissfully ignores everything that’s difficult, inviting Claire for the summer as if no time has passed.

“Yeah, so, um...tell me more about the chickens and sheep and stupid dishwasher, I guess. And the city? What’s that like?”

Claire’s happy to sit on the line for thirty more minutes, listening to her mom describe her new life, and they chat animatedly, like they’re at that kitchen table or laying in bed ‘til dawn, uninterrupted by the rest of the world. For thirty minutes, there’s no Blackthorne, no terrorist attacks, no witness protection students, or interpersonal drama. There’s only Claire and her mom ( mostly her mom, going on as Claire shakes her head and interjects, rolling her eyes as her mom teases. ) Although Claire knows better than to trust a calm before a storm, than to believe that nice things like this last. She won’t get her hopes up about the summer, because knowing Maggie, there’s a last-minute cancellation already in the works.

But she’ll enjoy this moment, right now, curling up on her bedspread like she’s a little kid again. So, when they get off the phone after a while, Claire just – she looks up at the slats of the bunk bed and smiles, so wide that it makes her face hurt a little – does smiling usually hurt like that? Now she’s pitying all the happy people.

Claire gets up to pin the postcard above her desk, deciding that there’s no point in hiding it underneath everything again. It’s probably not a good idea to get excited about even something so fleeting as weekly calls, but Claire is a glutton for disappointment, it seems. Lately, it’s felt like a big piece of her life is missing, and even if this one doesn’t fit perfectly in its spot, it’s still pretty damn good, because it fits perfectly in a different place – one she’d stopped noticing because it had been empty for so long. Optimism is a feeling she’s never really afforded herself before, but it feels good.

Well, as they say in Iceland:

Þetta reddast.

[acertaincritic]

You're not gonna find nice comments about Arlo in the top 100 for a simple reason: He's not given enough shit for what he started. Until he genuinely recognizes and admits to others the full story in his role of the current situation the school's in and how he should have taken Isen's warning and mind his own business, especially with all the cryptic hints John gave him about kingship, then a lot of people will continuously hate on him. (1/2)

And this is what I call blind hate or perhaps confirmation bias. It would’ve been accurate 100 chapters ago - though I believe in personal responsibility a lot more than John’s stans, it seems. But in the recent chapters Arlo already recognized his mistakes. Is his “Hit me all you want” to John not enough? Is he supposed to kowtow to him and beg for forgiveness, will that satisfy you?

People say that he manipulated Sera when he told his part of the story, but... he really didn’t. You’re forgetting that Isen took a coward’s way out and never exactly told Arlo what he had found on John until much, much later (when Joker was already a thing, IIRC). So Arlo told the story as it unfolded from his perspective, which sure, it seems different, but he didn’t know all that the reader knew back then and probably still doesn’t.

I also don’t get this argument that at least you can understand where John is coming from. Because Arlo has about as many reasons for his word view and actions given as any other character, John included. And I must say, I understand John a lot less than Arlo. He was a cripple, then gained power, then became the worst king possible. Why? That was all on him, long before he even met Keon or Arlo, but somehow that’s omitted when ppl talk about John. That even when playing a cripple and a friend with Sera, he was lying to her and easily became aggressive. That was already there before he met Arlo - just reread chapters 1-13.

And at the end of the day, John just wanted to have it all. He wanted to play a cripple but also wanted to retain his high-tier pride and privileges. He never associated with other low-tiers (Evie said so much) and now he even calls Sera “just a cripple”. If anything, it appears that his nice and harmless persona was actually Keon’s creation, not John’s genuine attempt to change.

And it’s just... So uneven. Like, I’m not saying you have to love Arlo. Obviously he’s an ass, and that’s not going to be everyone’s type. But all Arlo did was one big mistake, which was also at least partly facilitated by John - seriously why do you guys take all agency from him? He sought Arlo out, too! - while John keeps messing up time after time. And yet Arlo is the worst, but John is totally understandable and, apparently, excusable. I don’t get it.

[rosalind-of-arden]

Sword and Pen Reread, chapter 11

Oh shit it’s the Annis chapter. There will be tears.

For the ephemera, we have a letter from the Archivist of the Library of Pergamum to the Archivist of the Great Library. They consider each other rivals. This fits with real history, it looks like. What does it not fit with? The story Jess tells in Ash and Quill. In Jess’s story, the Library of Pergamum was a rival to the Great Library “in the early days”, but by the time the Romans came along to try and loot it, Pergamum was a Serapeum of the Great Library. Here’s another of those little inconsistencies suggesting that what we know of Library history is very heavy on the propaganda.

Eskander can sense Obscurists leaving the Iron Tower even if they aren’t wearing collars. Most stuff Obscurists can do, at least very powerful ones. 

Annis hates her collar but also feels uncomfortable without it. Probably a very common feeling among Obscurists.

“Don’t tell her I said she wasn’t fluent.” There’s just... so much relationship in this line, and I am incredibly sad that canon does not allow for Eskander/Annis to become a thing.

Language stuff: There is a text essential to understanding Heron’s Poseidon automaton that is written in Assyrian. Why not Greek?

Annis is literate in Assyrian. I feel like knowledge of obscure languages would be a popular thing in the Iron Tower. WTF else is there to do but learn languages to read more stuff?

Now, Eskander just said he’d know if Annis left the Iron Tower... but he can’t locate her. Is it that locating a person that precisely is impossible? Or is this our first hint that she’s dead? Obscurist powers work with life energy, so a dead person might be impossible to find. Eskander is exhausted and busy, and when he can’t detect Annis right away, he decides it isn’t worth the trouble when Morgan can just go look. It’s probably hard to pick one person out of a tower full of people. The guilt he must feel after this. That irritability might even be covering a bit of denial: he should be able to track her, he can’t, that’s not good, but he’ll assume it’s just that he’s tired and it’s difficult.

“He’d spent too many years a hermit to gladly bear regular interruptions.” Eskander trauma effects here.

Like Khalila, Eskander has set up in an old storeroom.

Obscurists Magni. Must remember this is the plural.

ANNIS! *cries* @eli-wray had some good thoughts on the narrative value of this death in their excellent reread post that I am failing at finding on this hellsite. I’ll just add that Caine didn’t kill many (named) characters in this book. Instead, she made a small number of deaths really count. Annis was one of the few remaining side characters who was genuinely likable, and it hurts to see her die.

Obscurist power can change doors into walls. Morgan can feel this happening. It takes “expert manipulation of quintessence, and prewritten formulae” to do this. Must eventually try to work out differences in what can and can’t be done without writing out formulae.

Morgan is just so shaken in this scene. She’s struggling to accept the reality of what’s happened, and she isn’t thinking effectively. If Annis is tied to a post and dead, what are the chances she still has her knife, Morgan? That’s how hard Morgan’s brain is fighting against acceptance.

Morgan can immediately sense when a Codex has been tampered with. Because she’s made her own untraceable, too.

The ex-Archivist had distinctively “eccentric” loops in his handwriting. Also, Gregory apparently used to wave orders from the Archivist around a lot when threatening Morgan - good to know for canon gap fic.

More Eskander trauma effects: he doesn’t always answer his Codex. Why would he? He isn’t used to people talking to him and might even have some anxiety about answering.

And that gets me thinking. Who else doesn’t always answer his Codex? Thomas. Who also only very recently got out of solitary confinement.

Magic ring can transmute a gun into its component parts and put up a protective field around Morgan. It can throw people back hard enough to knock them out. But Gargi only will do this when Morgan can’t handle the fight on her own.

Evil Obscurists used silencing spells to stay hidden.

Canon gap fic I want to see: Annis investigating the ex-Archivist’s conspirators in the tower. Even knowing it ends badly, it would be nice to see Annis have her badass spy moment.

Eskander’s Translation is loud. I don’t think Translation is described as loud anywhere else. He was able to Translate in right in front of Morgan, which means he could locate her.

Eskander is better at undoing other Obscurists’ work than Morgan. She can’t even figure out how he gets the silencing effect off.

More magic ring powers: altering air density to block bullets.

Ring pulls power “from the walls of the Iron Tower, from the generations of powerful Obscurists who had been born, lived, worked, and died here.” Confirmation that the Tower is drawing energy from the Obscurists, sounds like.

Eskander has had worse injuries than this gunshot in his youth.

Eskander-Santi parallels: guilt because they trusted someone for an important job and were betrayed, resulting in the death of an important person. Eskander assigned one of the traitors to investigate the tampering with the automata.

Morgan-Khalila parallels: as adults are injured/killed or turn out to be untrustworthy, they keep stepping up to higher positions of authority.

Morgan directs people to get Eskander to a Medica. Morgan is used to taking care of her adopted family and knows they will be dumbasses and not take care of themselves.

Iron Tower layout: 4th floor is for automata control. Staffed by 50, “working constantly on monitoring and rewriting commands.” Always this busy? Or is it because this is a crisis?

Sergeant Mwangi - Morgan’s new guard, someone to bring back post canon?

Chowdry and Salk. Obscurists Morgan trusts enough to work with her on the automata. How does she know them? Met during canon gaps in Smoke and Iron? Annis’s friends/partners?

Things a mirrored book can do, at least for an Obscurist: rearrange information according to requested criteria, overlay text for comparison, flag items with a verification code.

Signs that Morgan is not ok: mentally, she’s so absorbed in working on the automata that she can’t even parse the sound of screaming.

Multiple companies are responding to the Iron Tower attack. That’s how important it is.

Mwangi makes the critical mistake of telling Morgan not to do something. We all know how Morgan reacts to that sort of thing.

More shit Morgan can do: rearrange the chemistry of Greek fire to make it harmless. 

Oh look, the ex-Archivist plots to burn something important to the Library and Morgan risks herself to stop things from burning. Hello foreshadowing.

Iron Tower has a central open space.

Artifex forges are enhanced with scripts to make fire burn hotter.

Vanya Nikolin, the ringleader of the traitor Obscurists, used to do favors for Gregory. He was someone both Morgan and Eskander trusted. Probably acts like just an all around nice guy? Really, did either of them have enough experience with the other Obscurists to know who to trust? Annis might have been able to help them a bit in that area, but still.

Vanya has removed his collar and bugged out, heading for the Tomb of Heron.

What I didn’t see in this chapter? Energy vampire Morgan. Either the ring has fixed her, Eskander fixed her again, or she’s just gotten so damned used to the gnawing need for power that she barely notices it anymore. She’s exhausted, she’s having trouble focusing and processing information, but she’s not fighting compulsions to drain people.