#this is before palace stuff~

[maereo]

@fooltrick​

“Hibiki, wait up!” Nix hurried over, carefully moving around the other crowds of students. A small sigh of relief passed her lips as she made it beside him, feeling a little more at ease. Even with the judgmental stares on her, she was able to shrug it off enough when around the other. If the other students wanted to whisper more rumors, that was their choice but she knew that Hibiki wasn’t a bad person in the least. That was all that mattered to her. “Did you want to have lunch together today? Or are you on your way to visit your friends? I don’t want to get in the way of er.. whatever it is you all do together.”

[stergeon]

[backpackingspace]

Do we think odysseus started pranking Athena and her temples at some point? Because I do. He argued that it was good for sneaking and evading training. And you know what Athena couldn't argue that. Her chasing odysseus across the island was good training.

[books-and-dragons]

I'm so sorry, I'm kinda drunk and dropping another idea, do with it whatever ye will.

Yknow how in the beginning of the game, Sojiro tells Ren he won't take care of him when he gets sick?

Consider: he's not used to city germs/being that closely shoved against other people on the train. He DOES start to get sick around Kamoshida's Palace, powers through it, and then is SUPER sick just after it's over.

He plans on sucking it up and hiding it, but Futaba hears his hacking coughs over her bug even when he's upstairs, followed by wheezing, maybe even a little weeping. He's constantly in and out of the bathroom, and he's starting to run out of tissues.

Futaba nervously texts Sojiro that the kid they took in sounds awful. Sojiro is gruff at first and says he's not a baby, he can take care of himself. She responds by sending him the audio and suddenly Dad Instincts kick in

y/n

obviously it's a YES, our brainrots continue because early-game ren and sojiro dynamics break my heart every time how dare you get me so invested in this idea, this post got too long so it's going under a read more

listen listen look i love sojiro and the coffee family okay, but early-game?? sojiro could catch these hands

ren has already been though so much by the time he arrives in tokyo, to then be put into a dusty old attic like a spare part would absolutely fit in with ren's own perception of himself at that stage. it would be almost too easy for him to put his own health on the backburner kinda like he's already used to it

very used to not taking up space, 'not being a bother', and then sojiro really reinforces this message when ren first gets to leblanc- so when ren inevitably gets ill a month into his probation, it's already doomed for maladaption

tokyo would be such a breeding ground for sickness compared to the countryside, and ren just doesn't have the consitution to deal with it. the dusty attic and poor eating habits don't help matters, and then we have the stress of kamoshida and the metaverse?? ren is not having a Good Time™

at first it's something he thinks he can shrug off, and is adamant that ignoring it is the way to go. a cold, it's nothing, he can handle this alone, no need to bother anyone else with it.

inevitably, he gets worse, because that's what happens when you don't rest and let yourself recover. a tickly cough becomes a tightness in his chest, mild congestion shifts into an attack on his senses and blurriness- but maybe that's the dizziness. he's not really sleeping, either.

it's something that's becoming increasingly difficult to brush off and hide, he even relented to finally getting some medicine (nothing as strong as he needs by this point, that would eat too much into his limited funds, but some painkillers to take the edge off). once or twice he's tempted to stay off school, at morgana's insistence, or a too close call where he definitely blacked out for a minute, but then sojiro's voice will ring in his head 'i won't be the one looking after you if you get sick', 'your parents got rid of you for being a pain in the ass', and all his worst insecurities come rushing back and he's resolved to deal with it on his own

meanwhile, futaba's been making use of her hidden audio bugs- normally they're a comfort for her in the daytime, but since the new kid- ren- has been staying at the cafe (part-timer her ass, how gullible does sojiro think she is?!), she's been listening more frequently. when ren gets sick, she figures it out quickly.

time goes on, he's not getting better- he's actually getting worse- and futaba starts to wonder if she's the only one who knows

(there's something in his sharp contrasts- the quiet kid who shuffles through the cafe and takes sojiro's scolding, to the coughing kid who cries into the silence of night when he thinks there's nobody there to see it- that stabs through her numbness. it feels like a companion to her own ghost)

one night she swears the kid gets up to be sick, and there's hardly any sound heard from the attic all night. if nobody's gonna help ren, then she will (futaba used to like helping, once upon a time).

she texts sojiro the next day, when ren doesn't say anything again, and goes off to school with what she bets is a fake assurance on his face

and you're so right, sojiro dismisses her concern really easily, claims the kid can 'take care of himself' and he won't 'baby' the part-timer. insists ren needs to learn some disipline, then maybe he'll stay out of trouble

frustration wells in futaba- if she was less fixated on what was going on with ren, she'd register it's one of the first changes of mood she's had for months- and she responds with nothing but an audio clip, an attached explanation that this is just from the past few days- it's been going on for weeks, then she waits, and hears the distant sound of her compilation through one of the bugs, a hitched breath from sojiro, curse words under his breath-

for all his earlier postulating about not helping ren if he gets sick, sojiro is immeditely struck with a pang of concern- it sounded bad, and if futaba's words were anything to go by, this had been going on for a while. the kid's at school now (at school, being as ill as that and he was still going to class-), so sojiro will talk to him when he gets back. there's a chance he goes a bit too over the top, between the variation of medicines he purchases, supplies he grabbed from home- if you accused him for over-compensating after maybe being too harsh on the kid in the beginning, you'd be right

and you just know ren would be so resistent at first to help, or even just the offer of staying off school. in his sickness-induced fugue, ren's filter-less in rattling off how he can't stay off, what will the students and teachers think, and he has work that afternoon, and a test soon, and he doesn't want to get in the way-

sojiro's heart just shatters

this kid, whose been silently carring the weight of the world and has apparently been falling to pieces for weeks now and sojiro didn't even notice?

(a part of it reminds him too much of the other kid he's got at home, the countless ways he's already failed futaba, and now ren too? he feels useless)

sojiro focuses on what he can do, and that's making the kid rest. work will understand, school can wait, ren isn't an inconvenience, he guides the kid to bed, calls takemi immediately (who rushes over, despite the fact she's technically closed at this hour, and refuses to take any payment),

even still, there's this stilted awkwardness between them when the quiet pushes on too long- they hardly know each other, afterall. sojiro is still figuring out the 'caring for kids' thing, and ren isn't familiar with any kind of parental affection, so some of sojiro's care veers a bit too close to clinical or mechanic, and ren still struggles to communicate what kind of help he needs, but it's enough for now.

for now, sojiro is there. he's trying, and at least ren's getting some colour back on his skin. for now, ren's willing to take a few days off and have some medicine, but he's over-apologetic and definitely tries to make up for his sickness once he's healed. it's gonna take them both a while yet, but luckily there's always their guardian hacker, ready and able to call them out when needed (and maybe some day she'll be able to keep an eye on ren and sojiro in person)

[personinthepalace]

Elle x Emmett being the most perfect couple for over 25 mins - Legally Blonde the Musical

aka a compilation of all the moments in their relationship

[fisheito]

my princess nonsense is being encouraged watch ouyt imabout to be eneaabled

OK WHATF ATHAT'S SO CUTE I HAD TO MAKE IT i know realistically there's little to no chance that rei DOESN'T know how to work heels 🤣 BUT IMAGINE.....ING.... YAKUMO GENTLY GUIDING REI IN HEELS, WEEKS BEFORE THE BIG GALA AND HAVING NONE OF HIS NORMAL FEAR OF PHYSICAL TOUCH BC HIS [TEACHER MODE] IS OVERRIDING HIS INSECURITY

[cienie-isengardu]

Hephaestus was the best godly blacksmith and he made all the jewelry, clever mechanisms, armors and weapons for fellow deities. But to produce such beautiful masterpieces, he needed a lot of gems, stones, gold and other metals and those belonged to Hades, as wealth hidden underground was one of his domains. Does that mean Hades provided the needed and precious materials for his nephew and in wider perspective, to his family living at Olympus?

Or maybe there is any myth out there explaining from where Hephaestus get all the needed materials for his blacksmith work?

[c4ts4ndstuff]

the "foundation" of the castle will use prismarine blocks btw, here's a rough example

i can't decide, and i keep forgetting about all the blocks they've added in the past few years which makes me excited and harder to make a decision

[redbean-nom]

kind of funny how the legends explanation for why boba's armor looks so beat-up in rotj is that, in the time it took to deliver han from the empire to jabba, he ended up going on an arena-championship sidequest, getting randomly shot at because jabba put a massive bounty on his head, getting in a muffled brawl with chewie while hiding from four syndicates and vader, getting almost blown up like three different times, and blowing up the room he was standing in to steal han back from the rebels who had stolen him from the empire who had stolen him from crimson dawn who had stolen him from boba. he really had a horrible week huh

[samarecharm]

Would love to explore some more shu/ake dynamics bc theyre both so interesting to me. Interesting as in they would not be in a traditional relationship; theyd be so incredibly dysfunctional it would genuinely get either of them killed if they were to attempt something prior to the end of base game. Goro is angry and volatile and full of self righteousness, but he is incredibly depressed and miserable and full of self loathing. Hes someone who has been alone for most of his life, and has an incredibly complex relationship with his public facing persona and his goals; he is not ready for someone who will make him challenge his worldview at every chance they can. He refuses to be patronized but he needs someone who will be gentle and understanding. And hell never get that in a normal way bc he views someone being gentle with him as patronizing 😭

So he needs someone who will actively call him out on his bullshit, on his self loathing, and his attitude. But he also needs someone who will be patient with him and remind him that he IS worth something, that hes NOT a failure (hello??? ‘Im…special?’’youre more than special dude’ it was so easy for the thieves to get to him by just validating the work he did, and the trouble hes caused them lol). Akira CAN do this, but i think, w the way ive characterized him, he is just as angry and volatile as Goro, and he wouldnt know how to diffuse their arguments in a productive way. It would be catastrophic as Akira tries to show that he fucking CARES, and goes blind w rage as Goro consistently taunts and defies him and ignores his logic. And Goro would spiral trying to rationalize Akiras behavior as anything other than Good; the assumption that he must be lying and trying to manipulate him would eat at him until hes forced to storm out.

Anyway. All of this to say that shu/ake TO ME is “akira and ryuji are dating, and sometimes goro is there in the background looking like this 👇🏾”

[cherry-bomb-ships]

Gonna go cry in the bathroom HOWWWW is this piece of shit reboot gonna have an episode with Mojo trying to steal a red gem bee called the "Ru-bee" AND HE DOESNT SAY ITS NAME ONCE 💀💀💀💀💀

[vampirecatboy]

you know.... not to pat myself on the back or anything but like, there's something so heartbreakingly tragic about a devout catholic being turned into a vampire, suddenly they can't pray, go to mass, wear their crucifix or keep crosses in their house

as someone with a catholic father, whose faith brings him great comfort, for someone to be denied access to that comfort is truly deliciously heartbreaking

Miguel, Santiago, whatever the fuck name i land on, he is real fucking tragic, to lose his biological parents before he even knows them, to have his aunt and uncle, his adoptive parents, brutally murdered in front of him, and then killing their killer, he's been through a lot, then he has his one source of comfort ripped away from him, seemingly out of nowhere...... ooooohoohoohoo yum yum tasty

[lieutenant-amuel]

Those two are friends, you cannot tell me otherwise.

[spirestar]

@necrosin : akira & makoto!

Makoto is not an impulsive person. She's had to iron out impulse and temper her heart in the face of her sister's expectations. The expectations of her school. Her father's memory. And she hates to be a burden -- To draw more attention than she should / than she deserves and worry the people she ( has left ) loves. For all intents and purposes, this is not a place she should ever be: Winded and fearful from running for her life, even after at least half an hour has passed. She's sure she's hiding it well, or as well as she can, hands folded in her lap as she stares down at them, fingertips twitching to press her nails into her palms every time she begins to dwell on how stupid she is / WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?

“Did they hurt you?” Akira asks her quietly, dropping onto the step beside her. He promised to walk her home from the station -- It took long enough to get everyone else home and she refused to be the first to get off at their stop, to go sit at home alone with only her reflection for company -- and she's nearly mortified enough to believe not even his asking now can make it worse. He's very kind for someone she's threatened to ruin the life of. He can't deserve that. For a second, she wants to shake him by the lapels. How can Akira be so calm??? But that's just another impulse, too. "I'm sorry," she breathes, ducking her head slightly. He's not the one who ran away to play bait for mobsters / Who refuses to acknowledge how empty life is as a tool of rotten bullshit. She'd be nothing with Sae. Will be nothing all alone.

"N-no." Makoto shakes her head, amending, placating, always careful and forcing herself to conscious of her responses. She lifts her head and offers a weak smile. Almost looks a little sick. Adrenaline, she prepares as an answer to a question he hasn't even asked. "They didn't, not really--I'm fine," a little uncomfortable laugh. She doesn't like being vulnerable. It feels dangerous. Like standing over a grave. Makoto waves a hand casually as if to dissuade him from worrying, shaking her head, too, as she chuckles to herself. "I'm, I'm more--embarrassed than anything, don't. Don't worry--"

[whumpflash]

(continuation of this. this part will hopefully not be too confusing devoid of context but I'm sorry if it is 😶)

cw: pet whump, slavery, mentioned violence

Afternoon tea with a fairy queen sounds like something I would've daydreamt up as a kid. A really young kid. It sounds whimsical. Fanciful. Definitely not stressful. Because when you play pretend as a kid, you're probably not thinking about the political aspects, and you're probably not worried about accidentally screwing the whole thing up and getting yourself and your partner killed.

Funny how the real world works like that.

It was easy enough to get an invitation. Humans are apparently all the rage these days in the mirrored lands, and a human who's promising dirt on an old rival is even better. 

The spread set out for the guests is immaculate. China so fine you can practically see through it, and glassware as delicate and intricate as a butterfly's wing. Not to mention the meticulously arranged trays of food. Tiny fruits that look too bright to be real, pastries baked in the shape of flowers with honey dripping from their crusts, little sandwiches and tartlets with fillings that look delicious, though I can't identify them. Even if it weren't for Rhodes and his secret quest for vengeance, I'd probably try and crash one of these parties anyway, if only for the meal.

"All rise for the Queen of the Garden Court!" 

The voice booms across the marble hall from somewhere unseen, and those around me—lords and envoys, dukes and wannabes, all here to kiss up to the Queen—hurry to their feet.

Everyone here is after something; power, favor, a chance to climb the social ladder. I'm no exception, but my goals are a little less direct.

Hey, I call mentally to Rhodes. She's here. You should be in the clear for now.

Atta girl, just keep her busy while I figure out where she put the list, he replies.

I have to physically stop myself from nodding, putting on a smile as a woman enters the hall. Contrary to her title, the Garden Queen isn't clad in anything resembling flowers, wearing instead a simple but elegant dress that looks like it's made of melted chocolate. She's smaller than I expected, with tanned skin and a serious expression. In one hand she holds a silver chain, which trails upwards and attaches to a collar around the neck of…

Aaron.

I feel my breath catch in my throat as he moves closer, head bowed, led along by the Queen. He's thinner. Disheveled, even in the fine attire he's been dressed in, but it's unmistakably him.

I remember Armitage's words with a start. The mention of a deal to placate a flower queen. Was this it? Give her a human servant?

"Please be seated," the Garden Queen says, and I sit along with the rest of the court. She takes her place at the head of the table, Aaron kneeling on the floor beside her.

Is this a trick? Is he trying to con her? There's no way the Aaron I know would act so subservient. It almost makes me want to laugh, picturing it as an act. Prideful asshole like him ordered to pretend he's a fae queen's plaything. I wonder how hard it was to convince him?

Servants cart out a sizable teapot, and with a snap of the Queen's fingers, Aaron is standing to pour it. He's got four other guests before he reaches me, and I'm spending that time trying to come up with the best biting remark I can.

But as he gets closer, as tends to happen, I get a closer look. His expression is dull, like he's numb to the world around him, and there are dark circles under his eyes that weren't there last time we were face to face. His hands shake, almost imperceptibly, as he pours the tea. 

Time passes differently in the mirrored lands. It's only been a few weeks since his fight with Nick, but how long has it been for him?

I'm still staring when he reaches me. We meet eyes for all of a second before he looks away, but I see the flash of recognition. He nearly spills my tea as he pours it, then makes his way around the table, returning to kneel by the Queen once his task is complete.

It takes a minute for me to realize that everyone else has started to eat, selecting treats from the tiered trays before them. I take a pastry and some fruit, if only to avoid drawing attention to myself.

I've lost my appetite.

How's it going? comes Rhodes' voice.

Looks like she'll be busy for a while, I reply. But…

But?

I grab one of the little fruits—one that looks like a tiny cluster of bright orange grapes—and chew it robotically. It tastes weirdly like bananas.

But there's been a small hiccup, I continue. Someone here knows me.

Dammit. Is this gonna blow everything?

I sip at the tea. No, I… I don't think so. He's not a guest. He's… I don't know, he's some kind of servant to the Queen. Some kind of pet.

He's human then, Rhodes says. It's been known to happen. A human gets in too deep with fae business and funds there's no coming back.

I glance over at Aaron. Very still, eyes glued to the floor. Like a stranger is wearing his skin.

Is there no coming back? I ask.

We can't help him, comes the reply. Not now. Not without getting caught.

I don't know why his words make my stomach twist. No matter how pitiful he looks now, it's still Aaron, and he's still a violent asshole. The world is no doubt a safer place with him bound to the Queen's will.

The afternoon rolls on, and I do my best to enjoy it despite the presence of my enthralled ex-coworker. I try to listen to the babble of the lord's around me to take my mind off it, but even in fantasyland, politics are super boring.

"Louisa?"

It takes me a second to remember the false name I gave to the court, and I look up to find the Queen staring pointedly at me.

"My Queen?" I manage to say.

"I've heard rumors that you have a story or two about an old schoolmate of mine," she says. "A man going by the name of Armitage?"

Ah yes. Gossip time. I straighten my shoulders and pretend I don't notice the slight shift on Aaron's face.

"I do indeed, your majesty," I say. "I have stories to entertain the whole of your court, and—" I lean in with a cartoonishly mischievous look. "---a few stories that may be too saucy for any ears but the Queen's," I say in a theatrical whisper. Rhodes would be proud.

The Queen herself looks sufficiently intrigued, and I think I can say with confidence that I've bought plenty of time. I stand up, aware of dozens of pairs of eyes on me.

Right. The fun part. The part where everyone stares at me and I have to hold their attention without messing up. No pressure.

I clear my throat, gearing up for one of the stories Rhodes told me.

"Well," I start. "It began on a windy day."

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

My nerves are straight shot by the time I've finished the first tale, and thankfully it seems everyone's attention has wavered enough that they aren't wanting another. The Queen is a different story. Once the tea service is cleared away, she motions for me to come closer.

"That was quite an entertaining story," she says, giving me such a look that it feels like she's trying to read my mind. "But I'm more interested in the… what did you call them? Saucy tales. Do you have the information I think you have?"

Shoot. Do I?

"It may be so, my Queen," I say quickly. "However, if I am to divulge such things, it should be somewhere more…" I make a point to glance around. "Secluded."

Maybe that will at least buy me some time.

Are you done yet? I call out to Rhodes. We have a situation.

I swear I'm close.

You said that an hour ago, I complain.

For real this time. What's the situation?

It's probably fine.

What's the worst that could happen? All I have to do is lie well enough to get her off my back, then me and Rhodes can book it.

"You are correct," the Queen says after a moment. "I will receive you in my chambers shortly. Please wait here, and I'll send someone to fetch you."

With that, she rises, giving a snap of her fingers. Aaron, who'd been stacking the remaining plates, flinches at the sharp little sound. As he turns toward us, his arm catches the edge of the stack, sending it to the ground with a loud crash as the plates explode into a million tiny shards.

I jump at the sound, looking at him like he's gone crazy. Behind me, the Queen scoffs.

"Clean it up," she says flatly, a disgusted look on her face. And then she's gone, footsteps echoing on the marble.

I fall into a chair with a sigh, watching Aaron fall to his knees and get to work.

"You did that on purpose," I say in a low voice.

"I-I wanted to talk to you," he says, not looking up. His voice is hoarse, like someone with a sore throat.

"Well here I am," I say, shifting to face away. I can't get distracted with this right now. 

Either hurry up or give me some actual dirt on Armitage, I tell Rhodes. The Queen is after some kind of secret.

"Please," Aaron calls in a soft voice. "Armitage… Armitage betrayed me. I'm her… her pet now. I haven't taken any oaths, but they're trying to make me, and if they do, I'll never leave." His voice breaks, and it takes all my willpower to not turn around. It's Aaron. Not some helpless innocent. It's Aaron.

"They're hurting me, Clara. Help me, please—"

"You want me to risk my own freedom— maybe my life— for you?" I cut him off. "You tried to kill Nick. You put me in the hospital."

"I'm sorry."

"Only because you're trying to save your own neck," I spit out. And it's the truth, isn't it? If it was Nick in his position, or even me, I know he'd leave us behind without a second thought.

"So y-you think I deserve this then?" Aaron says, and his voice comes out small. Broken.

"I think–" I shake my head, then at last turn back around. See him kneeling, hands on his knees, looking defeated. 

"No. Yes. No. You deserve some kind of comeuppance but… not this."

His eyes brighten, just the tiniest bit. "Will you help me then? Please, I j-just want to go home–"

"Sh." I can hear footfall on marble, somewhere down the hall. Probably the Queen's messenger coming for me. I could really use those secrets, Rhodes.

 "I'll do what I can," I say quietly. "But I'm not making any promises."

[cospinol]

50k clear!! (*ˊᗜˋ*)و