#this is why black and white thinking is dangerous

[respectthepetty]

Petty, I have a wild ass Jack and Joker theory, and I need to know what you think because we often end up in the clown car together, lol.

There's been a lot of talk/fears about Joke (and Toi Ting), now that we know character death is on the table - I'm not worried Joke will die (I am terrified they will gut us with Toi Ting but oh I hope not). I'm not saying that Joke isn't about to feel so responsible for what has happened that he's gonna get reckless with his life, because I absolutely think he will.

I think he's absolutely about to do some very stupid shit that could be his life in real danger as penance.

But I've been thinking for a while - since your initial posts about Hope and Save and their names - that Save is going to die. And now that I just skimmed a post that basically said that Joke and Save are the same character in different fonts and Save's guilt in episode 10, I'm absolutely positive.

Save is going to die.

Hope will live, because he has too. Without hope, we have nothing. (I also have a tangential theory that Save will die to save Hope, so...)

Thoughts?

Why not a third secret option? Why can’t everyone live? Since the show killed Jennie’s character, and the man who tried to run away with his few dollar bills died too, let’s just believe everyone remaining will survive! Even more, if Boss survives, then everyone BETTER live because no shitty father should survive when the possibility of a child dying is on the table. So I'm going to aim high because

Fortune Favors the Monkey King

Move over, Kitty! I'm driving this clown car straight to the opera house.

Because this is a Chinese opera.

We already know there is a Chinese influence in this story, as @veemark pointed out about the meal Joke ate with Jack and his grandma.

So with that in mind, in the fourth episode, when Nang punished the men for hurting her people, she drew the "09" stick (but she said nine-zero), which meant the men had to perform the Chinese opera of the Monkey King, which people in the tags thought was sooooo ridiculous!

In that same episode, Jack received his fortune, which was number 9 and stated, "When the fool changes black to white, the fate of the forgiver will change"

Now, skip to episode 9 when Joke gets "The Fool" card and changes the fate of Jack, the person who forgave him, so Jack's fortune was right.

Now, in episode 9, we also get the iconic team name "The Four Little Pigs"

And this is where the light bulb turned on because this is Journey to the West.

Journey to the West is an epic Chinese story that is 100 chapters long about a group of heroes having to complete a certain amount of tasks to achieve enlightenment.

The main character is Tang Sanzang who is basically a saint who wants to bring good to all the land and who everyone is in love with and wants to marry. We are introduced to him in chapter 9 of the story. He is the heart.

The first person he meets on his journey is the Monkey King, aka Sun Wukong, who was so great at being the best trickster that he became overconfident and ended up getting put in heavenly jail for 500 years. The first chapters of the story are actually about him. He is foolish, but he is also the mastermind.

He has a daughter, Yuebei Xing. She has her own story, Journey to the South. She is a badass. She fights monsters and lives to tell the tale.

The Monkey King is easily the most powerful of the bunch, but Tang Sanzang doesn't like the Monkey King's methods because they are immoral, so there is a gold ring involved that keeps him in check.

Or maybe it's this ring.

I think it's the second ring because a goddess, who keeps helping them along the way, helps them with the ring too. She is also cool.

Along the journey, they meet Zhu Wuneng, aka Pig. He is a smart fighter but he is greedy and selfish so he keeps taking shit he isn't supposed to, which constantly gets them in trouble. He is human nature (the world).

There is Sha Wujing aka Sandy, who was once a god, but shattered a crystal and ended up banished to earth to be a mortal. He is conformity without thought (the moon).

And finally, there is Bai Long Ma, who is a horse that they ride for transportation. He is human will (the star).

There is also a princess somewhere in there who must be saved from a marriage.

The group meets obstacles along the way, and lots of crazy shit goes down, but after 14 YEARS they finally come to the end of their journey.

And on their journey to achieve enlightenment they meet a squire whose loved one is kidnapped with the possibility of murder and another squire who is murdered and his wife is pissed about it because she did everything to make sure he wouldn't be harmed.

Now, if you gasped because you think Hope (or Save) will die, well . . . the number 14 fortune was Hope's.

The fortune was given in episode four which is the same episode Jack got his fortune, but it seemed like Hope's fortune played out in the same episode when he found Joke right across the hall staying with Jack.

But the thing is, in the Chinese story, regardless of which squire it is, they don't just need the Monkey King; they need the Monkey King's help.

So the Monkey King goes to the underworld to get the loved one back and succeeds (both times). But he still needs to save our saint!

Remember, the group has to do a certain number of deeds to bring peace to the land, so the group goes in to save their leader, and the ONLY reason they make it out is because all of the people they have helped along the way (especially the people the Monkey King has helped) return the favor and save them.

By saving others, they saved themselves.

So . . . I don't think anyone else is dying. However, it's been YEARS since I read a very condensed version of this story in Asian Rhetorics, and @journeytothewestresearch's blog helped me piece some of what I forgot together.

So I could be wrong, and everyone dies.

But I don't think so.

*fingers crossed that fortune favors the bold Monkey King*

[persevereforahappyending]

A Beacon in the Dark |9|

Pairing: Joey x Reader

Summary: Joey likes helping people, it's what she's best at. Hunting down the monsters of myth and legend might be the best way to save people.

Warnings: Death, Killing, Shooting, Stabbing, Kidnapping, Violence

Word Count: 5.2k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9

Joey ran through the woods, she knocked branches out of her face, jumped over a few fallen logs, doing everything in her power to not lose speed. She didn’t even bother glancing back, she didn’t want to lose focus, but she also didn’t know if she’d like what she’d see if she turned around. She lifted the device you had her grab out of your pocket and pressed the button, trusting that it would alert Grace like you said, though she didn’t know what good that would do. She slid to a stop; her body froze when a thunderous roar ripped through the woods.

She slowly turned her head and scanned her surroundings. She didn’t hear anything, not even so much as a crunch of the leaves. She kept her eyes searching for a flicker of gold staring back at her. She was sure by the time she got a glimpse of those yellow eyes it would already be too late. She was still frozen in place, she wasn’t sure if moving would signal where she was, as if you didn’t already know.

You. Joey released a shaky breath; she couldn’t get the image of you out of her head. She knew there was something off about you, she pegged it during your first meeting at the diner. She dismissed you as a vampire, but she didn’t even consider you would be a werewolf. She felt stupid, it all made sense, you refused to talk about what happened to you, all you told her was werewolves. The way you talked about monsters at times, it almost sounded personal, Joey wrote it off as just a hatred for the supernatural, but it was hatred for yourself.

She wondered if that’s why Grace worked with you, because you hated what you were. It was clear Grace knew what you were, the two of you were close and had been acting particularly weird earlier. You didn’t seem thrilled by this case because it was a on a full moon, it was why Grace stressed that it needed to get done quick. Everything about you was finally clear.

That didn’t stop the conflict within Joey though. You were a monster, something she was hired to help fight. You had been nice up until this point where it was clear the beast had full control. Joey couldn’t be working with you if you were what could tear her apart, that was assuming she’d even survive you this time. And lastly, you lied, you and Grace kept this secret from her, she didn’t think she could ever trust either of you again, if you kept something like this a secret, something that literally could put her life in danger, there was no telling what else you would try and keep hidden.

Joey was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard someone running towards her, someone running fast. She felt around for her gun and silently cursed when she realized the witches must have taken it. She looked around and grabbed a decent size branch, it wasn’t the best, but it might at least be able to buy her some time. She raised it like a baseball bat and narrowed her eyes, waiting for whatever was coming towards her to come out of the shadows.

One of the witches came barreling out of the darkness, her eyes widened upon seeing Joey and fell backwards. Joey continued to hold the branch up, but she hadn’t even moved a muscle before the witch was scurrying backwards, tears quickly filling her eyes.

Joeys’ eyes widened, she froze, the branch she was holding even stopped moving because of how still she was standing. Joey felt hot breath on the back of her neck. She slowly turned her head, glancing back to see a large wolf, black fur, bright yellow eyes, teeth that were probably once white but now dripped with blood, and claws that were as big as Joey’s forearm and would have no issue tearing through her flesh. The beast was on all fours, but it slowly rose up until it was towering over Joey on its hind legs.

Joey whipped around only to fall to the ground from the abrupt movement. She propped herself up on her forearms, her eyes never leaving the beast. It dropped back down on all fours and let out a loud roar right in her face. Joey flinched, turning her head as she felt the saliva and bits of blood spray out of the creature's mouth. This was how she was going to die; she was going to get eaten by a fucking werewolf, in the middle of the wood, and her son would never know. It would never come out how she died, her body would never be found, if there was even a body left, she would written off, everyone assuming she just abandoned her son again. Her eyes filled with tears, not at the thought of her death, but the thought of knowing Caleb would never know how much she loved him, that he’d go forward in life thinking she once again broke every promise she made him.

Joey felt a rush of air then there was a loud thump that shook the whole ground. She opened her eyes and no longer saw the monster in front of her. A scream pierced the air and Joey turned around to see the beast had jumped over her and was now ripping into the witch. She slowly slid away, making sure her eyes never left the beast, her eyes not able to look away as it tore through the witch’s flesh, keeping her alive so her screams were the only thing that could be heard for miles. Joey rose to her feet, and she made eye contact with the witch, seeing the pain written all over her face, the silent plea for death to take her, then Joey turned and ran.

She didn’t know where she was going, she didn’t have the GPS, you were the only one that had that. She didn’t care where she ended up, she just needed to put enough distance between her and you. It was you. The beast was you. Joey knew that but when her eyes met the monsters, she didn’t see any of you in there. There was nothing of you behind the yellow eyes, it was only the wolf. You were about to kill her, you could have killed her, she didn’t see any sort of recognition of your face, it wasn’t why you spared her, you just went for the greater threat in the moment. Joey knew that she would need to survive you until the sun came up because if she came across your path again you would certainly kill her.

Joey ran until her foot got caught on something and she was sent tumbling to the ground. She groaned as she crashed hard, she rolled over, intending to push herself up when she was met with the sight of a body. Joey scurried back, sitting up once her back was against the nearest tree. Her eyes widened as the sight before her, eight of witches lay dead, scattered around the clearing. They were all killed within seconds, none of them having time to escape, only a few it seemed were able to turn around, as if they were going to attempt to run.

Joey brought a hand to her mouth. The job was to stop the witches, and you certainly did that. Not having to worry about the witches, on top of you, was definitely a plus, she just never imagined you’d go through them so quickly. If there was no one else left to fight it was only a matter of time before you found her. The eight bodies here and the one Joey just left you with meant nine witches were dead and there was still three out there, assuming you hadn’t killed them yet.

Joey slowly pulled herself to her feet. She hadn’t heard you when you appeared behind her, she wasn’t sure if it was her fear or the natural predator in you that made you so stealthy. For all she knew you killed the witch and then came after her, you could be circling the area right now, waiting for the perfect time to make your move. She slowly lifted her foot and began walking across the area, she wasn’t sure where she was going but she needed a place to hide or a way out, it was dark, the area was vast and unfamiliar, and you were hunting her, she didn’t stand a chance trying to run back to your car, that was if she could even figure out the direction to run in.

Joey stopped and searched each body as she passed them. Not a single one of the witches had anything useful on them, not even a weapon. She guessed if they had magic there wasn’t really a need for weapons but a lot of good that seemed to do them. None of them had keys or a phone of any sort, she wondered how they possibly got there without a vehicle and how they communicated without a phone, if they didn’t use any sort of modern technology at all, or if they did where they tucked it away if it wasn’t on their person.

Joey came to a stop at the area, in front of her was nothing but darkness, the fire only illuminated so far. She wasn’t sure if it was better to trek into the unknown or stay by the light. She looked around, seeing no movement from anything, she couldn’t even hear bugs, it was just the crackle of the fire. With a shaky hand she reached into her pocket, feeling around for the candy wrapper she knew was in there. When her fingers finally brushed against the wrapper, she pulled it out and popped it into her mouth, instantly letting out a relieved sigh. She stood there for a moment, her eyes closed as she soaked up the cherry taste.

She opened her eyes with a new determination, turning around she walked straight to the woods and broke off a decent size branch, not even flinching at the loud crack that surely would have alerted everyone to her location. She slid off her jacket and ripped the sleeve of her shirt, then began wrapping it around the top of the stick. She held the stick over the fire and almost immediately the scraps up her shirt caught.

When she pulled it away, she couldn’t help but smirk at her torch, she spun around on her heel and marched off into the darkness. She didn’t know a lot about werewolves, only what she’d seen in movies, she had no idea how to know what was fact and what was fiction, but she knew that when someone was burned by fire it hurt, and she never heard of a werewolf being immune to fire.

Joey had only gone a few feet when she slowed down, tilting her head, it sounded like there were screams. She furrowed her brow and looked off to her right, the direction the screams seemed to be coming from. It couldn’t be campers; it sounded too muffled, like something was trying to block the sound from getting out. She also didn’t believe it was the remaining wishes, there were at most three of them left and the screams sounded like they were coming from more people.

Joey turned her foot, the leaves crunching beneath her boot as she slowly inched towards the noise. She knew she shouldn’t be going towards unknown screams in the middle of the woods, at night, while a werewolf was after her, but curiosity got the best of her. She couldn’t ignore the fact that the whole reason they came out to the woods was because witches were doing human sacrifices, and she had yet to see any humans. Even when you and her were chained up she never once saw another human, which meant the witches had to have some place to store all the girls.

Joey kept going until her foot kicked something hard and metal. She furrowed her brow, whatever it was had been heavy. She crouched down and began brushing the leaves off the area she kicked. Underneath was a metal cover, made to look like the bark of a tree. Unless someone took a close look or kicked it like Joey had they would just walk right past it, never knowing it was a secret hatch. She switched the torch to her other hand and gripped the handle on the cover with her dominant hand then began to lift.

She gritted her teeth as she tried to lift the cover with only one hand, it was a lot heavier than any sewer cover, that was for sure. She would bet money the witches used their magic to lift it, the weight was probably a way to deter prying eyes, if someone actually happened to stumble upon the passage. Joey finally lifted it up enough to slide it to the side, it was just like a sewer cover. She held the torch over the cover, trying to illuminate as much as she could. There was a rather rusty ladder and that was it, she couldn’t see the bottom and wasn’t sure how far it went.

Joey looked up and smiled to herself before scouring her surroundings until she found a little rock. She kept hold of the rock as she got her watch ready. She pressed the side button to start the timer on her watch and dropped the rock. She listened for the rock, silently watching as the seconds ticked by. When she finally heard the rock hit what sounded like a hard surface, she paused her watch, seeing hardly any time passed. She smiled to herself, the passage wasn’t super deep, just several feet, the torch probably just couldn’t reach that far, if she had a flashlight, she would have been able to see the bottom.

She stood up, looking down at the passage below. Going down without backup and without knowing what she was getting into was a terrible idea. Staying above ground where you definitely were was a terrible idea, it was a guaranteed death sentence. She steeled herself before turning around and slowly lowered her foot onto the first bar of the ladder. She had half her body down the tunnel when a roar ripped through the air. Her blood ran cold as her head snapped up, searching for the direction it might have come from.

She took a few more steps down, lowering herself further until just her eyes were barely peeking out of the hole. She glanced to the side at the cover, it was hard enough getting off and she couldn’t guarantee she’d be able to push it off again if she closed it. Her internal debate was interrupted when she saw a witch run out of the darkness, headed directly for her. The witch spun around and as she raised her hand a stream of fire shot out. She moved her hand, directing the fire to create a wall in front of her. It seems you were right behind her as you came out of the same darkness a second later, sliding to a stop before you could hit the wall of fire.

You snapped and growled at the fire as you paced back and forth. Joey watched with wide eyes, holding her breath as she feared if she so much as breathed you would hear her. The witch stared at you for a second, seeming to silently taunt you before turning and making her way directly for Joey again. Your pacing got more impatient before you turned around, quickly circling back around and getting a running start as you jumped through the flames. The witch didn’t even have time to look back before your jaws snapped around her neck and flung her body in the air, not even giving her the chance to scream.

“Shit,” Joey whispered.

She wrapped her arm holding the torch around one of the rungs of the ladder and used her other hand to grab the metal cover. She kept glancing at you, watching as the witch’s body fell back to the ground, only for you to catch it and whip your head back and forth, before finally dropping the body to the ground. Joey gritted her teeth as she lifted the cover with all her strength, leaning her entire body forward to try and get it to budge. The cover grated against the ground, barely moving.

You lifted your head from the witch’s body, licking your chops as blood and flesh continued to fall out of your mouth. Joey let out a shaky breath as her eyes met yours, without a second thought she dropped the torch and used both hands to pull at the cover, making sure to lean her body against the ladder so she didn’t fall. The cover seemed to move an inch each time she lifted it. When you started walking towards her, she moved faster, she could feel her heart trying to beat out of her chest. The cover was about halfway over the hole when Joey took a few steps down, finally losing sight of you. She pushed up with both hands, trying to bring the cover over the rest of the way. The cover just fell back into place when she caught sight of your teeth snapping at it.

She had the ladder in a death grip, listening as you growled and scratched at the cover. The cover groaned but never moved. With shaky legs she slowly began to descend into the darkness. She had no idea where she was or what she would find but going back up wasn’t an option. When her feet finally hit the ground, she could feel concrete, not dirt. She held out her hand, feeling around in the darkness until she finally came in contact with a concrete wall. She felt around her pocks, finally remembering she had a phone until she pulled it out, the witches hadn’t taken it. She held it up to see she had no signal, no way of getting in contact with Grace, she had to hope the device worked and Grace was on her way, she wasn’t even sure how much time had passed since she pressed that button.

Her phone might have been useless for calling for help, but she could still use the flashlight. She held it up, using the little light to guide her way. The entire tunnel stretched forward, for she didn’t even know how far, she heard the echoes of screams every few seconds. The tunnel itself was all concrete, cracks spread throughout, a section crumbling from years of wear and tear.

She furrowed her brow when she saw light at the end of the tunnel, she knew it wasn’t from sunlight though. She slowly lowered her phone as she approached the end of the tunnel, there was a large opening, the walls were lined with torches. She nearly dropped it when she saw twelve cages lining the far wall, each holding a girl, all of them within the age range Grace talked about.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. She didn’t hesitate to run towards them, searching the cages for any sort of lock.

“The-there’s a key,” one of the girls said, pointing across the room.

Joey ran across the room and grabbed the key off the wall. It was a rusty metal key connected to a ridiculously large metal ring. She ran back to the cages and began unlocking each one, letting the girls out. The girls huddled together, whispering thanks as Joey released them.

“I need to get you out of here,” Joey mumbled more to herself.

“There’s an exit down there,” one of the older girls spoke up, pointing to an opening on the side of the room, similar to the one Joey had come out of. “It’s how we were brought in.”

“The tunnels stretch throughout the woods,” another girl said. Joey nodded, it all made sense, the witches used interconnected tunnels under the forest, to get around and to hide what they’ve been doing all these years. “It goes back to the surface.”

“Do you think you’re able to find the way out?” Joey asked. The girls nodded. “Okay,” she whispered and looked around the room. Her eyes widened when they fell on a familiar duffle in the corner of the room. She ran for it, dropping to the floor instantly. She unzipped it to see all the weapons still in place. She dug around until she pulled out two flashlights. “Take these,” she handed the flashlights out to the girls. The two oldest, who seemed to be doing the most talking, each took a flashlight. “Stick together and don’t stop until you’re out of here.”

They nodded and one girl moved to the front of the group while the other girl fell to the back of the line. “You aren’t coming with us?” the one asked.

Joey shook her head. “Unfinished business.”

“Be careful.” Joey couldn’t help but smile, she appreciated the gesture but telling her to be careful when she was going to be facing a werewolf, and witches was rather comedic. “What’s your name?”

Joey opened her mouth and then paused, smiling to herself. “It’s Joey.”

“Thank you, Joey.”

Joey smiled and watched as the group of girls slowly made their way down the tunnel that was supposed to lead them out. Joey crouched back down at the bag and dug around, pulling out a pistol and instantly putting it in her waistband. She continued to dig and pulled out a large hunting knife, the silver glinting in the flames of the torches, before she strapped it to her side.

“Well, haven’t you made quite the mess,” someone said, making Joey whip around to see the last two witches, the one who spoke being the one that was talking to you while you were chained to the tree. She had never been more disappointed at being right that they were still alive. “Your pet,” she snarled. “Killed the rest of our coven.”

“You were the ones that captured us,” Joey snarked.

The witch was on her in the blink of an eye, gripping her tightly by the chin as she pressed her up against the concrete wall. “You came into our territory,” she snarled.

“You were sacrificing girls,” Joey gritted out.

“We’ve been doing it for centuries.” She ran her sharp nails across Joey’s chin and down her neck, somehow not breaking the skin. “All you had to do was mind your own business.”

“They’re innocent.” Joey stared into the witches’ eyes, not caring she would probably be struck down in a moment. She couldn’t see a way of getting out of this alive and if she was dying then she was going to go down fighting.

“So, much strength.” The witch let go of Joey and looked at her with something she could only describe as admiration. “I see why they like you. Too bad they’re still going to kill you.”

The witch turned Joey around, gripping her by the hair as she forced her to walk forward. “Go,” she ordered the other witch, pointing down the tunnel Joey had come out of.

The other witch led the way. Joey stumbled in the dark, neither witch using any sort of light to light the way. She couldn’t help but wonder if they could see in the dark or knew where they were going from constantly walking it. Every time Joey stumbled the witch only gripped her hair tighter. She didn’t let go of Joey’s hair until they reached the ladder.

The other witch began to climb the ladder, with Joey behind her, and the other one behind Joey, leaving Joey trapped between the two. They came to a stop when they reached the top of the ladder, the witch moved her hand, effortlessly sliding the cover off the opening. Almost as soon as there was enough of an opening the witch was yanked out of the tunnel. Joey tried to take a step down, but the other witch was there, keeping her in place. Joey’s entire body shook as the screams of the witch echoed throughout the tunnel, you were there, waiting for them as they came up.

“Damn mutt,” the witch grumbled. “Go!” she ordered Joey, giving her a hard shove to force her to keep moving. As Joey got closer to the top the witch did a spell, sending the cover flying off the top.

Joey slowly peeked her head out of the hole, seeing you ripping apart the witch a few feet away. She quickly scrambled out of the tunnel, the other witch right behind her. Joey didn’t even have time to pull herself to her feet before she was gripping Joey by the back of the hair again. She held Joey up, making sure her head was pulled back so she could see everything. She whistled, getting your attention. Joey moved her feet, trying to pull away from the witch as your yellow eyes focused in on her.

Joey fumbled around until her finger brushed against the knife. Her gaze hardened as she tightened her grip around the handle before yanking it out of the holder and stabbed back, stabbing the witch in the side. The witch hissed as she let Joey go, making her stumble to the ground.

“You bitch!” the witch said, holding a hand to her bleeding wound. She raised her hand as if to do another spell, Joey’s eyes widened, her entire life flashing before her eyes, everything she didn’t get to do, Caleb, everything she didn’t get to tell him.

Death never came though. One second the witch was raising her hand towards Joey and the next you were digging into her hand, ripping it off before ripping into the rest of her. Joey wasn’t sure how much of your memory you had, if any, but it seemed like you remembered something because you were making this witch suffer more than the others. Her once-youthful face couldn’t be identified after you got done with her. The only way Joey would have been able to know who the witch was compared to the other was from her black braid.

Joey scrambled back as you looked over your shoulder while you were still crouched over the witch’s body. You turned around and stood to your full height, towering over Joey even when she wasn’t lying on the ground. She continued to scramble back, reaching for her gun as she did so.

You slowly stalked towards her on two feet, clearly not seeing her as a threat, not like the witches. Joey raised the gun and fired, the bullet sailing right past your head from how much her hands were shaking. She fired again and again, missing each time. You were nearly right in front of her, probably the easiest target she ever had, and she missed again. She dropped the gun, tears spilling out of her eyes as she accepted her fate.

A bright light filled the area, making Joey turn away, she thought she might actually be dead now but a second later a large truck came out of nowhere, hitting you, making you fly across the clearing. The truck spun around before parking. Joey raised her hand, squinting as the headlights were still shining on her, she saw someone hop out of the car and then a shot was fired.

Joey flinched her eyes widened as her vision cleared. Grace stood in front of her, a determined look on her face as she held up a shot gun, and began firing at you every time you stepped forward. Each shot found a home somewhere on you, whether it be your shoulder or your leg, you eventually went down. Joey could tell it wouldn’t kill you though, the wounds were healing, just not as fast as Grace was shooting. Grace fired a shot at your leg, sending you to the ground, then shot out your other leg, making you collapse fully.

She let go of the shot gun, letting it hang at her side as she lifted something Joey couldn’t see and pressed a button, dropping a ramp at the back of the truck. Joey got a better look at the truck, the wheels were huge, meant for off-roading, there were two seats up front and then the back was a giant metal trailer with no windows. As you pulled yourself to your feet Grace pressed another button and a large metal spike connected to a wire shot out of the trailer, impaling itself in your shoulder. You let out a roar just as Grace pressed another button, sending another spike into your other shoulder. You roared and thrashed around but the spikes never budged. Grace pressed another button, and the spikes began to retract, dragging you into the trailer.

As soon as you were in the trailer the ramp flipped up, sealing you inside. The entire trailer shook as you thrashed around on the inside. Joey wasn’t sure how strong you were, but she was surprised you hadn’t ripped a hole through the side yet. Joey furrowed her brow as Grace pressed another button, she couldn’t see anything happen but your thrashing around slowly got quieter, until there was none at all.

“We need to get moving,” Grace said, turning around and holding a handout to Joey. Joey took the hand, allowing Grace to pull her up without a word. “They’ll be out for a little while, but we need to get back home as quick as possible.”

Graced put her foot up, preparing to step into the truck again when she looked back, seeming to notice Joey hadn’t moved. Grace dropped her foot back down and walked over to Joey. “Hey,” she whispered, gently brushing her fingers against Joey’s arm, though Joey still flinched at the touch. “We need to move.”

Joey looked at Grace, tears still falling from her eyes. “You knew,” she rasped out. It was the only thing she could say, she didn’t know what else to say, what she wanted to say.

“I’m sorry,” Grace said, her voice the softest it had been since she arrived. “I promise I’ll explain everything, but we need to go.” Joey looked past Grace and at the trailer where she knew you resided. “They can’t escape.” Joey directed her attention back to Grace. “You have my word that you will be safe.”

There was no reason for her to trust anything Grace said after what just happened. Grace and you had been lying and keeping this secret from her since the beginning. Both of you willingly let her come on this mission knowing it was a full moon and what would happen to you. There was absolutely no reason to take Grace at her word again, but Joey did. Joey nodded and followed Grace into the truck. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, where this left her, she wasn’t sure what she even wanted anymore.

Taglist: @thinking1bee @so-to-aqui-pelas-fic @alexkolax @thatshyboy1998 @chxrry-lov3 @bella423 @morganismspam23 @pianogirl2121

[spiegelgestalt]

Vi stands for Violence

One of the more ironic things in Arcane is that Vi is running around everywhere judging because they are violent and mean and idk not good enough and she’s arguably one of the most violent characters and without a doubt one of the most destabilizing forces in the entire show. (Sorry Vi fans – I say this with love but homegirl is really kind of terrible).  And the reason for that is that Vi kinda wants to be a hero in the traditional sense. She wants to do everything on her own. She wants to defeat the bad guy. She wants to save the damsel in distress. And she wants everything to be black and white.  In a lot of shows she would have thrived. But she is sadly in a show which looks you straight in the eye and says: Wow you managed to beat Sevika up. Awesome! And now? How did this help anyone? Here the damsel in distress you were trying to save is beating you over the head with a stick. Such a nice Saloon western stand off and nothing changed. No one cheered. The day wasn’t saved.

Deeper analysis under the cut

Vi’s original sin is being unwilling to see the perspective of others. She’s the oldest. She knows best. You can see that in arc 1 in season 1. Milo was correct: powder wasn’t ready. Powder messed up. Vi didn’t want to hear it because she loves Powder and that’s why Powder isn’t allowed to be criticized until Vi explodes on her in the end of the third episode. And theres something interesting about the fact that Vi apparently can’t think of Powder as a flawed person – either all she does is understandable and excusable or she’s a terrible Jinx who needs to be punished/stopped/killed. And you see the signs early on. In the “enemy music video” you see Vi screaming at Powder and shoving her, you see it at the end of episode 3, and you now see it in action in arc 1 of season 2 – Jinx doesn’t have the attitude that Vi thinks Powder should have (i.e. siding with the enforcers/Piltover against Silco - why would she do that?; accepting Vi and being grateful that she’s back) Vi trys to pick up the status quo before Vanders death. Jinx wont let her. Jinx wants to have a conversation. Both her elaborate traps remind you of the past and they remind you of the fact that Vanders death happened. Vi sees them as slights against herself and not as conversation starters. Because that’s not something she wants to think about (and notice that her mind goes immediately to her abusive behavior; because those challenge her self concept as the hero of the story). She doesn't want to admit that Powder = Jinx = Powder. Because that would mean to accept shades of grey. It would mean letting go of her anger (or at least accepting her anger) and accept that stuff changed things are complicated and people are flawed.

And she does the same thing everywhere else:  Silco caused Vanders death – ergo Silco is the cause of all evil: he’s the cause for change, for drugs, for powder being weird, for Zaun not being what it once was, for her not having a place to come home to etc. etc. I

It's even more evident with Sevika. Many have noted that Sevika hasn't actually betrayed Vander but has acted in Zauns best interest. But Vi doesn't want to even think about it that way. Sevika's to blame for Vanders death. As is Silco. (as is Powder) I dare anyone to look me in the eye and tell me that Vi accomplished anything by fighting Sevika. That was pure lust for vengeance. Especially the second time. But she messes up the most with Jinx. I find it fascinating that after Sevika is defeated and Silco is gone all of Vis anger concentrates on Jinx who refuses to become her precious treasure who needs to be protected- ergo Powder must be dead. And I’d argue that Vi is in search of a Damsel in distress and she isn’t finding anyone. Ekko is the leader Vi wants to be, Caitlyn is becoming more dangerous to Zaun by the day (and refuses Vis council) and Jinx is Jinx. Add some real resentment over Vanders death that Vi hasn’t worked through yet and it kinda makes Vis action make sense. Especially when there’s a cute blonde enforcer who admires what Vi’s doing and thinks it’s heroic and great she beat up all the bad guys in Zaun.

And one more thing. Vis attachment to Caitlyn is very similar to Powders attachment to Silco (-the sexual attraction of course). Bear with me here: who’s the first person who showed Powder kindness after the disaster: Silco. Who’s the first person who showed Vi kindness: Caitlyn. Both are charismatic leaders and both are very close to the people who destroyed their families. Vi and Jinx are more similar than you might think.

[eldritchmochi]

i keep seeing posts about how the term "boundaries" is constantly misused to inflict rules on other people when boundaries "only relate to rules for yourself" which..... isnt true according to things ive discussed with my therapist? like yeah the overuse of medical terms as get out of jail free buzzwords is bad but also strict black or white rulings of a concept in a tweet or two is also bad, especially since i have not seen a damn one of these come from a credible source, either a mental health professional or like, clinical terminology sources

CONCRETE EXAMPLE where i set a boundary with roommates that required behavior changes on their part that my therapist named specifically as a boundary when i described it:

dishes are the biggest point of contention in basically any living situation with multiple people. my previous roommates were really bad at doing them, in a way that resulted the kitchen being really gross if i hadnt just cleaned it. even after many requests to do basic things of "empty the sink trap of soggy food so it doesn't rot" and "dont hoard dishes long enough to grow an ecosystem" over m o n t h s, i got nowhere with dishes being done regularly in a way that didnt bother me

in the end it was so continuously upsetting that i told them to not do the dishes at all ever whatsoever, i would take care it. mind, i was the only one who worked out of the house while commuting via bus as a chronically ill person with severe fatigue and i was putting in an average of 50 hrs a week every week for werks on end at the time. me deciding to take this on was not done lightly, this was me recognizing that it was better and healthier for all of us for me to take on this one task. it would result in me being much happier in that living situation at no real cost to the other party other than maybe the dishes would stack up a bit if i was particularly exhausted one day, but things would get caught up within the week

this did not go down well despite my best efforts, and i would not be surprised if this black and white portrayal of what boundaries are influenced that. this nonsense went down over like six solid months and every single session i had with my therapist had him absolutely baffled because he couldn't think of a single thing i could have done better

i am not a mh professional i do not know the specific difference between "dont do this thing it upsets me" and "dont do this thing that 'upsets' me because i am controlling you", but the blanket statement of calling something like this a boundary is misusing the term is black and white thinking. i have bpd, ive done some dbt about it and the first thing they teach you is how to spot black and white thinking because it us incredibly mal adaptive and *really fucking dangerous* and this specific trend is going to be taken advantage of by abusers just as much as coopting the use of "boundaries" to justify their behavior

tldr "boundaries are never about other people's behavior" and "you can't do xyz thing because it violates my boundaries" are two sides of the same abusive coin. people who have put in the work in a tangible and meaningful way, who are able to examine their motives and give grace to other people within their boundaries, can recognize that boundaries are a spectrum, like everything with social relationships and mental health in general

[mishy-mashy]

Kudo is actually such a kind, soft-hearted guy that had to toughen up because he cared too much

He looked at AFO's rule, and even though he was weak, he had that glint in his eye that has been referred to as the "will of a hero" to oppose him. A hopeful glint shared with Midoriya, Bakugo, and Hawks

He even parallels Hawks when they talk about that particular look in their eye

From a glimmer in the eye, to which eye is shown, how much of the face, a similar angle of the face, and placement of text questioning the existence of that light,

He stormed to kill Yoichi with Bruce, but couldn't, once he saw the state Yoichi was in. Even knowing he was the enemy, he still reached out his hand and never let go, even when they were running

When Yoichi died, even though they'd only been together for two months, Kudo still cried and froze up.

This is a reaction from a man who repeatedly used lives as a stepping stone for his own goal.

Kudo said himself, that victory was life, and defeat was death. He had killed and seen his friends killed over and over, but still cries when it happens again. And to someone he only knew for two months, at that.

Kudo gathered allies under his cause, and they were loyal enough to die for him. Bruce cries (still smiling tho) facing AFO, tried protecting Kudo when he froze up at Yoichi's death, and we see all Kudo's comrades dead in the end. Maybe Bruce was suicidal when he went to face AFO, knowing he'd die, but most of his comrades (and Kudo) were already gone. Their cause was snuffed out, but the will persisted.

Kudo is a bit like Aizawa.

A bit crass and blunt, doesn't like beating around the bush, but he can clearly see what kind of person you are. He's not openly kind, but you know he cares so much, but has also lost too much once. He's seen his friend(s) die, and shouldn't it have been him in that spot? Shouldn't he have died instead, but was forced to continue living for that dead person's sake?

His speech about why we call Abilities "Quirks", recognizing people's intent over raw power is the real power. (Ch 369)

He's blunt and goes straight to the results rather than beat around the bush, but it doesn't mean his heart is frozen and he doesn't care about you. (Ch 408)

He cares so much, and that's why he has to do so much. (His whole Resistance thing, figuring out how Yoichi's Factor works to make sure Yoichi and his will can live on in some way)

He recognizes that Midoriya isn't driven by duty, but that he genuinely adores Quirks too much. (Ch 414) He could look at Midoriya, read that immediately, and even though he looked through his memories, Midoriya's character was his takeaway. Not that Midoriya is an idiot for letting himself be stepped on, or that this kid was bullied, but that Midoriya could see the goodness in others.

Like how Aizawa saw that Midoriya was relying on the reason [It can't be helped] whenever OFA broke his bones and told him he can't always break himself just because he could be fixed (Midoriya's recklessness that showed itself on the first day of school). He called out something that was an underlying, innate belief to Midoriya, that was so normal to the teen, and no one else had brought up as wrong to him.

The first thing they perceive is a person's character.

When Aizawa tied up Midoriya on the first day of school, he wasn't telling him off over his Quirk destroying him being a PR thing or too gruesome for the public. It was out of the fact that his Quirk shouldn't destroy him, because it's dangerous for Midoriya.

Aizawa came off antagonistic, but he was looking out for Midoriya. He didn't want him to keep breaking his whole arm, he didn't want him to get stuck in the mindset that he had to get hurt to use his Quirk, he was looking out for his wellbeing from the start. A kid he didn't know personally until that day.

Kudo did a similar thing. He turned his back, and refused to help, because they were putting their hopes in a delusional boy who would go too far. When the vestiges realized their gathered Abilities and Quirks were letting Midoriya have the freedom to do as he wished, Kudo already knew, only saying "His path is the right one". He could relate to having to run full-sprint to see your goal realized, even if everything opposed him, but didn't want Midoriya to go through that same path alone.

If he were alone, he'd be like Nagant. He had to have comrades to be like Kudo, able to continue and stand for their beliefs, but having comrades to fall back on, or pull him back when it's too much. That's why he follows up in that moment with, "But, if there's something Midoriya does need..."

Kudo and Aizawa could see themselves or their comrades in others, and knew how to approach those character flaws that were normalized to others and said person.

Kudo could see others for who they were, and I think it's this, and his caring nature, that he gathered so many allies with him. He knew when to be blunt, when to show kindness, that the truth hurts but needs to be seen, was actually very logical and witty, and when to step aside and let people do their thing, even if it wasn't the best move (like saving All Might). Because that was what was best for that person.

It's not like people would join someone so wholeheartedly without conviction and being left unseen by that person. So many people were willing to die with and for Kudo, and Bruce believes in him so much.

When All Might's vestige was fading and becoming more solid, Kudo had to look away. They knew it meant All Might was dying in the real world.

Kudo was telling Midoriya not to intervene with Gearshift there. But once he saw All Might genuinely dying out, he couldn't look at him, and kept quiet. He stopped hanging onto battlefield logic of necessity, shut up, let Midoriya do his thing, and it saved All Might. It saved Midoriya from seeing his idol die in front of him, and Kudo didn't have to see another ally die beside him.

The chapter is literally called [We Love You All Might!!]. Even if it's just meant to focus in Bakugo and Midoriya, and only has 2 exclamation marks, it can't discount the world is watching. The vestiges care about All Might too.

When the vestiges come up with the plan to forcibly transfer themselves to deal damage, Kudo volunteers himself as the test dummy. Sure, he backs it with a lot of reason too, but he didn't want anyone else to go first as a test drive

He, with a Gearshift Ability that resembled a manual car, was the test drive. Ha ha pun- *gets shot*

En tried going first. Kudo rejected him, saying he would go first.

"Part ways with Gearshift [me], and you'll be free of the crippling recoil too."

Too. TOO.

KUDO JUST WANTED TO GO AND BE DESTROYED FIRST. HE PUT THE FREEDOM OF RECOIL DOWN AS AN EXTRA BONUS SO THEY'D AGREE WITH HIS CHOICE.

I'd cut the image so it looks better, and I can use Bruce's words elsewhere, but this is an image limit, so,

- Kudo refused to let anyone else go first. This was before giving reasons to convince them he should leave first

- En gives reason to why it can't be Kudo. Kudo just says, "Listen." and reminds them of now.

- Look at Kudo's face when he says that. The guy knows what he's doing when he cuts off En, and would probably be a horrible liar. He might as well be pulling this out of his ass.

He's said "The world will end" "You have to or else" "Five minutes" "You're going to die" a few times in this fight already. DUDE STOPPP

(Terrible liar and a guy who purposely eggs you to torment? What a great friend he would be [yknow, when u make ur friends freak out by being ominous or reminding them of stuff. Like Toast to Lilypichu in a game of Observation Duty])

- "Too."

- Bruce's trust in him, but knowing when to pull Kudo back from going too far

Also, when he's transferred, he smiles to Midoriya. He knows he's about to die again, but the last thing he does for Midoriya is

1) Take away the recoil of his existence as a Factor on the boy

2) Reassure him that it's okay, so it doesn't weigh on his conscience

Even if only in thought, STILL!

KUDO LOOKED SO PROUD OF MIDORIYA!

I bet Kudo is suuuch a sentimental fool

> [Be me and watch your new friend die]

> [I have Yoichi's Factor]

> [It's like I carry his will now]

> [Have a glint of opposition in my eye that drives the Demon Lord and my comrades (Bruce) crazy]

> [Hey Bruce, let's figure out how it transfers]

> [Bruce's common sense VS my rabid ideas]

> [I win]

> [Bruce was unwilling the whole time and still ends up with the Factor]

> [The Factor is named One For All, after something in Yoichi's favorite comic book series]

> [We pass it on to the future to carry forward]

> [Even as everyone else and me dies, I make sure Yoichi and his will are safe from his Demon Lord brother that locked him up]

> [Decades later, my sweet vaulted friend reminds me of when we met]

> [I turn around and give my whole-hearted support to believe in some 15-year old boy because Yoichi believes in him too]

SEN - TIM - ENT - AL!

When Shinomori was stolen by AFO, Shinomori pushed everyone away before they could really notice the invader. Kudo called out for him.

Everyone is in shock, but I don't think it's a mistake that the text bubble calling out for Shinomori is pointing from Kudo.

All For One made it through and is ready to steal them, but the first thing Kudo did was call out for the one at the very front.

[On the post I made that mentions Shinomori pushing everyone away] What if Kudo wasn't pushed away? What if this was him at the front, realizing the danger and turning around, but being unable to do anything for Shinomori when he saw?

Like Bruce, Kudo communicates. He doesn't expect you to just follow or understand him. He actually lays it out and makes sure you keep up.

He explains

- the transfer of vestiges, and why he should go first

- his Quirk

- why Quirks are Quirks

- reports to Midoriya what's happening and what's next

- to Yoichi why they couldn't trust in a delusional boy. In a way that wasn't Bruce's roundabout "we lived in a terrible era and a leader gathered us"

When En panics, he barks at En to keep up. By barking at him, rather than any other way he could've used his tone, it shuts up En in his frantic babbling. Kudo also lets Vestige Might put in his thoughts to understand better, and uses it.

Eye reflection. Kudo can really see people for who they are, and understands others, and himself.

I can't repeat the pics cuz image limit, but look at previous panels here. For example, Kudo saying Yoichi's will lives in him, and when AFO reflected in his eyes

It's something I learned from Re:Zero. When a person in reflected in one's eye, something something that person can see the true core of you, of what you really are underneath everything. The eyes are the window and mirror [glass] of the soul. I finally see the true you.

AFO never reflected anyone.

But Kudo reflected AFO when the man accidentally killed Yoichi. He saw that AFO wasn't seeing anything, so later, Kudo smiled and mocked AFO at his own death.

"Yoichi?"

"He's gone."

"You killed him, Demon Lord."

And AFO hated that reminder.

Kudo was reminding him of what the truth was. Kudo saw it himself, and AFO blocked it out from the get-go. Kudo already knew what AFO was, what he was seeing, what he was doing to himself by blaming Kudo instead of himself.

And then, Kudo's eyes reflected his own hand when he realized Yoichi's Factor was in him.

Kudo clearly saw himself, and in himself, Yoichi. Nothing distorted it. It really was a clear mirror.

He really perceived Yoichi's will was living on, and was right. Otherwise, his eyes wouldn't have shown it.

Kudo was right about AFO. It's even implied back when he and Bruce had their backs turned; Kudo knew what AFO's real goal was. That was back when AFO preached unity and division under him.

Kudo could always see right through AFO. He really understood people from the start. And he never tried making up truths to justify what he was seeing, facing it head-on.

Kudo's lying about the world being black and white.

Kudo and Bruce saw the world as black and white. This was mentioned in the void.

Kudo also says, "Victory meant life. Defeat meant death."

But it's the Resistance. It's when Japan and the world was at their lowest. The world wasn't black and white; there's lots of gray.

Kudo and Bruce would've seen this. Kudo even admits that there's gray, just not directly.

Kudo says Yoichi knows, how he killed and trampled so many lives, to get back at AFO. He knows it wasn't right, or an amazing choice. Later, he says that when your back is against the wall, you have to make callous judgements. These hint at gray moments.

Kudo and Bruce have faced and been in the gray. But it's too hard to make the right choices, and there are times there is no right answer.

Historically, soldiers would convince themselves the enemy were monsters. They wouldn't be able to fight and kill them otherwise. They wouldn't be able to live with themselves without believing in this so badly.

Kudo and Bruce had to have been the same way. They were Meta Humans [Monsters] in a time they were viewed as diseased humans. The monsters were real. And they had a Demon Lord. Kudo and Bruce literally dressed up as soldiers.

Even if they were monsters to society, being Meta, Kudo and Bruce were still human. They knew this. The ones who tried believing in only black and white were inhabitants of the gray itself.

But they have to protect themselves. Kudo is so adamant that the world is only black and white, because he can't stand the gray. What it makes him do, what it means, that he's too weak to do anything.

Yoichi is an example of that gray area. The mortal enemy's younger brother, was actually locked up and sickly. He's just a comic book nerd. And it humanized the other side Kudo opposed so vehemently.

Kudo says victory is life and defeat is death. And Yoichi asked why he reached out to him then. He reminded Kudo of that gray area, and Kudo opened up.

Kudo might avoid the gray area because it's a matter of the heart and a moral dilemma, but it's what makes him human. When there's no right answer in the battlefield, he decides on his feelings instead.

He wishes the world was black and white, because it'd be so easy. But it's not.

Yoichi reminded him of how entering that gray area led to OFA ("when you reached out your hand to me"), and it had been the best choice in the end. The gray area is real, and Kudo's left a bare man with only his emotions when he's there.

Kudo is actually really kind and understanding. He's too soft for his own good. Thanks if you made it this far, I hope it makes sense (tag and image limit)

[silverwhittlingknife]

good coping mechanisms [not pictured]

nightwing 116 & red robin 12

[thebloodredraven]

The "why are people criticizing romance tarot readers, I don't want to do shadow work readings" shit I saw on here a few months ago did a lot to my psyche, mostly make me realize I should not be consuming that content as much as I have been over the past few years.

I also learned that anyone who has a problem with doing shadow work or self reflection readings but obsesses over romance are probably suffering with limerence like me and that snapped me tf awake

Edit: also what the FUCK do you mean "if this pile just sounds like it's describing yourself, that just means your person is mirroring you!!" NO???? THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON YOURSELF BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE WHY ARE WE SAYING THIS TO IMPRESSIONABLE PEOPLE

[pumpumdemsugah]

Black women in UK four times more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth | Health | The Guardian

Can't find this article that mentioned how more well off Black women in the UK had worse maternal outcomes than poorer white women.

Thinking about that and medical students thinking Black people have thicker skin and other racial assumptions and the rise of online white people thinking because slave traders and colonialists saw Black women one way, that way implies we are built differently. It shows how dangerous assumptions about Black women's bodies and how we're built is deadly.

[fisheito]

UM, ASTER/YAKUMO I ONLY *JUST* FOUND? HELLO?

I've never felt so seen. So represented. Thank u aster. Here are some of my fave lines

[starlooove]

I feel like ppl ignore hobie is a BLACK punk and it’s so tiring

[halfricanloveyou]

i truly do not understand how fucking stupid kanye west is? like is there an end to the seemingly unending stream of stupid shit he thinks? of course i don’t want to derail from the fact that antisemetism is evil in all it’s forms and disgusting, or say that it is any excusable no matter who it is that’s participating!!

but what i really do not understand is how he can sit there and say he loves hitler. does he…not know that hitler was also racist? and his vision for an aryan race and techniques used in carrying out that genocide were, in fact, inspired by racism and slavery in the united states? that they did forcibly sterilized us? anything at all about the minstrel shows or race government propaganda or the “rhineland bastards” or any of that?

the nazis hated us too so why on earth would any of us come out and say “i love hitler?” why would any of us say “slavery was a choice?” is kanye unaware of basic history or does he choose to be blind to it? not only is he antisemetic, but his internalized racism knows no bounds either.

source (there are several but this is one that covers all the points i mentioned):

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/afro-germans-during-the-holocaust

[blessedmoonsoul]

being black and being african is so....🙃

[lostandbackagain]

I need to have a following purge on insta I think bc I can't handle the amount of tradfem propaganda I've been seeing lately. "kenna you're supposed to educate them!!" I literally do not know how to argue all I know how to do is link the wikipedia article for feminism or say kys

[yuujispinkhair]

CAUGHT

You don't know when things changed or why, but at some point, you started to run not because you wanted to escape but because you wanted Sukuna to catch you.

King of Curses!Sukuna x Reader (female). 3k words. 18+, smut, dubcon/noncon in the beginning because Reader was given to Sukuna as a gift against her will. Later it turns into primal play, which both enjoy. Getting chased and caught by Sukuna, rough sex, light choking, Sukuna bites Reader, creampie, squirting, breeding. Sukuna is portrayed in human form (only two arms etc). Minors don't interact. Dividers by me.

This story is inspired by this beautiful fanart by my lovely friend @sweetlandspos. Thank you for blessing me with this sexy picture!

Your breath comes out in soft puffs as you run light-footedly through the forest, only wrapped in a thin, almost see-through white silk robe. The skin on your arms is raised in goosebumps, but not because you are cold. It's the thrill of the chase, anticipating the big, terrifying King to catch you and take you. The thrill of not knowing when exactly he hunts you down and overpowers you. Your lips open in an excited chuckle. Your nipples are stiff and rub against the delicate fabric of your robe. Desire is pulsing hotly between your legs.

You have lost count of how many times you have already run from Sukuna, only to get captured again and brought back to his shrine.

In the beginning, you ran because you were truly trying to escape from this powerful, scary man you had been given to as a gift. Ryomen Sukuna, The King of Curses. The most powerful sorcerer to ever live. Everyone groveled in fear when Sukuna visited a town. He could easily kill anyone and ground the whole place to dust with just a flick of his hand. So, people tried to please him by offering their loyalty, making sacrifices in his name, and bringing him gifts.

And you were one of those gifts.

The only daughter of your town's most prosperous merchant. Your father has always been someone who knows how to negotiate, and he took his chance when he saw Sukuna marching toward your town. He had you dressed up in your most beautiful clothes, your skin adorned with gold and jewels, and then you were led toward the man known as The King of Curses.

Sukuna was pleased with the gift. He placed a large, strong hand on your upper arm and pulled you to his side as a broad smirk spread over his striking features with the black markings. He took you with him and told you he would make you his little bride one day if you behaved well enough. Until then, you would be his favorite pastime.

Your town still stands. No blood was shed. The only sacrifice that was made was you.

Maybe it was selfish, but you were scared of this powerful, cruel man and angry that your father had just offered you to Sukuna as if you were a thing, forcing you to give yourself to Sukuna almost every night so he could find relief in your body after a busy day.

And so you did the selfish thing and tried to escape. You sneaked out at dusk because it was the easiest time to slip away, and there was still enough light so you could find your way through the forest surrounding Sukuna's shrine.

The first time you ran, you came as far as the first line of trees, already thinking you made it. But then you heard the heavy footsteps behind you.

He didn't run. He just walked casually as if he was in no hurry at all. Just a leisurely stroll through the forest. It somehow made things even more terrifying. Only hearing the slow but heavy footsteps of this huge and dangerous man. Hearing the twigs snap beneath his feet. And his low, velvety voice calling out to you, taunting you, making fun of you for thinking you could run from him.

"Are you a little bunny? How amusing that you think you can outrun me. Come on, little bunny, give me your best!"

Sukuna laughed. And you ran as fast as your feet could carry you, your panicky breaths loud in your ear, your heart pounding so fast that you felt delirious. Fear was making the hair on your neck stand up, adrenaline rushing in your veins, making you run faster than you ever had before in your life.

But, of course, it wasn't fast enough. Sukuna let you run yourself to exhaustion that night, always casually strolling behind you as he basked in your fear. An experienced hunter, confident and dangerous.

When he finally had enough of the little cruel game, he snapped his fingers, and you only managed to let out a terrified squeal as you felt his magic wrap around you, paralyzing you. He made time stand still just with a snap of his fingers! His power terrified you, made you weep tearlessly as you stood there frozen in midstep, trapped helplessly as the King of Curses slowly walked up to you.

Sukuna's voice was dripping with amusement and sadistic joy when he stopped behind you,

"Oh, little one, I didn't take you for a playful one. But I am not complaining. This was a nice little distraction. But it's enough now. We're returning to the shrine, and I will show you your place."

He snapped his fingers again, and you stumbled forward, gasping as you caught your balance and instinctively started running again. You only got a few steps away before a pair of muscular arms wrapped around you and lifted you from the ground, even as you screamed and struggled. It was a futile attempt, of course. The King had caught you. You stood no chance.

Sukuna wasn't gentle when he threw you over one of his broad shoulders and carried you back to the shrine. And he also wasn't gentle when he pressed you down on his bed later that night and took you with even more force than usual.

One of his large hands captured both of your wrists and pinned them above your head while his heavy, muscular body pressed you down, knocking the air out of you with every hard thrust. You screamed when Sukuna sank his teeth into your flesh, deep enough to leave his mark on you forever. He healed the wound afterward, but only so much that it would still leave a scar, marking you as his for the rest of your life. A reminder of your failed attempt at running from him.

Maybe for anyone else, it would have been enough reason to give up and be obedient. But not for you. Only three nights later, you sneaked out again, trying your luck again.

And again and again after that. And Sukuna always captured you again.

You don't know when things changed or why, but at some point, you started to run not because you wanted to escape but because you wanted Sukuna to catch you. You wanted him to drag you back to his shrine and fuck you hard into his bed, showing you where you belonged.

"See, that's your place. Under me, stuffed to the hilt with my cock and my seed. You are mine. You are going nowhere. You cannot run from me, little one."

But you took his punishment all too willingly. And all his words did was make you throb around him needily, reaching your high even before him.

Was this still considered punishment when the one getting punished enjoyed it? When you squealed delightedly into the silk pillow that Sukuna pressed your face into as he took you from behind? When you creamed all over him when his hand tangled painfully in your hair and he fucked you savagely, with hard, brutal thrusts, while his sweat and spit dripped onto your naked skin?

He said you could never run from him, and yet you tried it all the time. It became a game. A game of catch. Sukuna was the hunter, and you were the very willing prey.

Your heart still raced wildly anytime you got chased by Sukuna. All your senses were heightened. Your veins sang with adrenaline as you ran through the forest, but your skin was also tingling with excitement, and your thighs were slick from the warm wetness between them, gathering there in anticipation of Sukuna claiming you again.

But you weren't the only one who enjoyed it. As tired as Sukuna sometimes looked after a day of meeting with people who wanted something from him, he was always fully alert and enthusiastic when it came to chasing you through the forest.

His steps were light, his laughter ecstatic, and his beautiful face alight with excitement. Just like his body was brimming with desire. You could feel his hardness pressing against you anytime he captured you, just as aroused as you were. The chase awakened something feral in both of you.

Sometimes, he didn't even wait until he carried you home but just took you right there on the forest floor, grunting in your ear as he mounted you like a wild animal, making you cry out and scream your lust into the night.

And now you are running through the forest in your thin silk robe, a delicious mixture of fear and arousal making your blood sing. Sukuna is taking his time today, and it makes the excitement even stronger.

As always, when you run from Sukuna, your senses are sharpened. Your muscles are taut, your body alert with the thrill of the hunt. He could be on you at any moment.

You wonder what he will do tonight. Use his magic or his strength? Will he tackle you to the ground and ram his cock into your heat, unwilling to wait? Or will he carry you back to the shrine, taking his sweet time to feel you kick and squirm in his strong arms, playfully fighting him, making both of you even more riled up, until it ends in a frenzied fuck in Sukuna's bed?

You strain your ears, trying to catch the sound of Sukuna's heavy footsteps. But there is nothing.

You frown. Where is he? Did he not notice you leaving? You haven't been exactly silent. You never are nowadays. But even when you really tried to escape and sneaked out without making any noise, he still got wind of it and tracked you down.

So why isn't he behind you?

You have almost reached the other end of the forest, and you slow down to a walking pace, looking over your shoulder expectantly. Hopefully. Longingly.

But there is no sign of Sukuna.

Does he maybe want to drag it out? Wait until you are about to set foot out of the forest, just so he can jump you and drag you back? You have reached the edge of the forest and come to a complete halt.

Your throat feels tight, and your heart is beating way too rapidly. But it's not the thrill of the chase that fills you with fear.

He isn't coming.

You hover uncertainly at the edge of the forest, not knowing what to do. You could keep running. You could make it to the river, steal one of the fisherboats, and disappear forever. Just like you originally planned when you first tried to run from Sukuna. You could do it now. You could be free.

But the problem is you don't want to be.

You let out a shaky breath and turn around. This time, you don't run from Sukuna but towards him. Towards his shrine. Towards his home. Your home.

At least, you hope it still is. Or did he get tired of your constant running? Of your stupid games? Is that why he didn't come to catch you tonight? Did he decide he doesn't want a woman like you who always causes trouble? Did he decide he doesn't want you to be his little bride anymore?

A desperate sob escapes your lips. Your feet move even faster now over the soft forest floor, your heart palpitating with fear because you are scared you are too late and Sukuna won't let you come back to him.

It's later than usual, the night is already falling, wrapping the forest into darkness. But you have walked this path so often that you can easily find your way through the tall trees.

Apart from the sound of your harsh breaths and footsteps, the forest is eerily silent. It's strange, you think. One would assume that you would encounter many forest animals at this time, but you can't see or hear any. It's almost as if they are hiding because they sense a much more dangerous predator nearby.

And then, completely out of the blue, a strong arm wraps around your neck, stopping your run abruptly.

Your piercing scream echoes through the forest. Your heart jumps up to your throat, hammering wildly, stars dancing before your eyes from the sudden shock of getting grabbed like that so unexpectedly. Your hands come up instinctively, trying to pry the large hand off your skin, fingernails digging sharply into it, but to no avail.

A familiar low voice announces smugly,

"Caught you, little one."

"S... Sukuna! I didn't hear you coming!"

Sukuna's hand tightens around your throat, squeezing it lightly, making even more adrenaline flood your already overly sensitive body. But it mixes with relief. He came to catch you! He didn't get tired of you!

He laughs softly, a sound almost like a purr, making the hairs on your arms stand up.

"Hmm, I was just watching tonight. And I saw the most curious thing. A little bunny that wasn't running from me but towards me."

Sukuna's low voice sounds amused. You feel his tall, broad body press against your back. Feel the heat of his skin through the thin fabric of your robe. He is naked from the waist up, you realize.

Your heart is pounding wildly in your chest, and your vision is blurry. Arousal pulses between your legs, wet and hot, filling you with an all-consuming, primal need for the man behind you. The man who was stalking you through this dark forest. Watching you. Hunting you like prey. The man who knows exactly what you did.

You feel shy suddenly. Caught, but not just in the physical sense. Sukuna knows. He knows that you weren't trying to escape from him. He knows that you so desperately want to be his. He heard you sob when you thought he didn't come for you. He saw you stumble back towards the shrine. Back to him.

It makes you feel exposed. Makes you nervous and light-headed. Your voice comes out hoarsely when Sukuna loosens the tight grip around your neck enough to allow you to speak,

"I must have lost orientation."

You can't see it, but you can hear the smirk in Sukuna's velvety voice,

"You think you are so sly, huh, little one? Do you really think I don't know what you are doing?"

His low voice drops to a seductive whisper when he adds,

"This little bunny wants to get caught."

A large, strong hand twists in the front of your robe, and then he tears it off you in one fluid motion. You gasp when the cold air brushes over your naked skin. But Sukuna's large hand immediately comes up again to grope your breasts, cupping them greedily, squeezing them, his long pointy nails scratching over your hardened peaks teasingly, making you whimper with lust.

The night air is chilly, but Sukuna's tall, broad body is warm, and the kisses he trails from your neck to your shoulder are searing hot, just like the desire coursing through your body.

You moan needily, pressing your naked body against the massive man behind you, feeling his warm skin on yours and the huge, hot hardness between his legs pressing against you, pulsing with arousal.

Your legs are shaking when one of Sukuna's large hands trails down your naked body and pushes between your thighs, cupping your cunt for a moment, just holding you, one hand around your throat, the other on your most intimate body part. Truly caught.

He laughs softly when his long fingers dip into your warm cunt, feeling your creamy wetness, evidence of how much his little bunny loves to get chased by him.

Relief and exhilaration flood your senses. Sukuna caught you! He didn't give up on you! He still wants to keep you!

As if reading your mind, Sukuna leans down, his lips brushing over your hair,

"You were so scared I wouldn't come, huh?"

The words are smug, but his voice is full of something else. Something warm, like affection.

He pulls his hand away from your dripping cunt, letting the night air kiss your swollen clit while Sukuna pushes his trousers down. Your heart is pounding in your chest, your breath coming out in short, weak huffs, and a soft whimper falls from your lips.

And then Sukuna snaps his hips, and a loud gasp escapes your mouth when he pushes the swollen head of his heavy cock into you, stretching your tight cunt open around his manhood. With another roll of his strong hips, he claims you completely, burying himself fully in your tight heat.

He lets out a low groan, his strong arms tightening around your much smaller body, pulling you against him, holding you in place as he ruts into you, taking you while standing up, just like he caught you.

Sukuna's low moans grow louder, just like the filthy wet noises of him claiming his prey, mounting you from behind right here where he caught you, filling the otherwise silent forest with the animalistic, primal sounds of fucking.

You push against Sukuna eagerly, moaning when he snaps his hips even faster, fucking you hard and deep. Giving in to his desires after holding back for so long while he stalked you through this forest.

You reach behind you, needing to touch him, whimpering when you get a hold of Sukuna's taut backside, digging your fingernails into the firm muscles, leaving crescent-shaped marks on his skin. Your eyes fall shut, and you lean against him, taking his cock eagerly, mewling and sobbing as the pleasure builds deep inside you.

You feel Sukuna tense up behind you. He growls as his hips buck and he fills you with his hot seed, thick spurt after spurt. And your lustful cries echo through the forest as you reach your high, too, clenching around Sukuna's length, milking him greedily. Your arousal sprays everywhere, over Sukuna's cock and onto the forest floor beneath you, while you cry out his name over and over again like a prayer.

Sukuna doesn't let go of you, even after you both found completion. He is still behind you, naked, buff body pressed against yours, his thick cock still deep inside you, breeding you, showing you that you are still his little bride, pulsing the last drops of his orgasm into you while the first rivulets of his warm seed already run down your thighs.

You lean back against him, pulse fluttering, feeling ecstatic after the hunt and after coming undone with your King in the middle of the dark forest.

You can feel Sukuna's broad, muscular chest rising and falling with every breath. His hand around your neck has loosened its tight grip, and the long fingers with the sharp nails lightly caress your skin. His other hand comes up to cup your forehead, his fingers tugging on your hair, pulling your head back against him.

You are so entirely at his mercy, caught in his strong arms, stuffed with his thick cock. But you feel no fear. You know you are safe in your captor's arms.

Sukuna leans down, humming softly before he presses a possessive yet tender kiss into your hair.

"I will always come to catch you and bring you back home, my little bride, no matter how often you run."

And instead of feeling scared by his promise, a pleased smile lifts your lips.

HE MAKES ME FERAL!! 😭😭

I would be very willing to be Sukuna's little bride and his beloved prey, which he chases through the woods ;)

Thank you so much for this sexy pic, Émilie!! I saw it, and my mind went crazy 💗 I will think about this forever! I hope I could make you smile with this little story!!

And thank you so much to everyone, who read this story!! I hope you enjoyed getting chased by Sukuna ;)

Comments and reblogs would be very sweet 💗

[apple-of-my-pie]

also, on the topic of racism in the writing: a major theme of brba is the dichotomy between Fine Upstanding Citizens who always get the benefit of the doubt no matter what awful shit they do(like Walt and Hank), and Criminals who deserve nothing but contempt, regardless of whether they actually do bad things(like Jesse or Wendy). In the show it’s usually mild-mannered suburbanites vs. addicts/petty criminals, but irl this double standard is ABSOLUTELY racial. White people who commit crimes and POC who commit crimes are not treated the same way by the American justice system, press, police force, or society at large; you literally can’t have any kind of meaningful discussion on who is considered a criminal without bringing race into it. It’s a really obvious blind spot on the writers’ part—they arguably play into that same type of racism by having all those cookie-cutter Scary Latino Villains who are supposedly frightening because they kill people, even though the main characters also kill people—and it’s honestly really disappointing

Disclaimer this doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to love the show or dick around on the internet ab the show p.s. I’m not the first person to broach this topic p.p.s. I’m white so I’m not the authority on this either but as long as Breaking Bad is having its resurgence I do feel like we ought to just take a moment and acknowledge that yes, Breaking Bad was racist, often, consistently, and at the expense of both its themes and the standards that it set for itself in terms of quality. Like obviously a show shouldn’t need a reason to Not Be Racist other than Not Being Racist but the racism did also make the writing worse. Andrea was the only female character I ever felt that BrBa/BCS did dirty, and specifically in relation to her status as a woman of color. Her death is similar contextually to Jane’s, but unlike Jane, her character is never fleshed out beyond Mother and Girlfriend, and her death doesn’t propel the narrative at all. She is fridged only to pad out Jesse’s misery, as if he hadn’t already been put through enough to evoke the audience’s sympathy ten times over. There was of course the stupid piss-tinted filter they would slap on when the characters were supposed to be in Mexico, the clown car of one-dimensional Latino villains, and while I feel that Nacho’s death served the narrative well, it felt to me at least that he got stiffed on screen time in proportion to the other main characters prior to his being killed off. Also something kind of hypocritical ab having your show act as a deconstruction and condemnation of white masculinity only to then have said show relegate its characters of color to either background fodder or Chick tract villains.

[theglamorousferal]

Immortal Everlasting Trio who have been exploring the Infinite Realms for the last few centuries. The three of them are flying, braiding their paths as they make their way through the Realms.

“How do you think Ellie is doing in her current incarnation?” Nightshade asks of her partners,

“Hmm probably well, she was exploring the galaxy this time right? I could always check?” Pharaoh responds, a keyboard made of sandstone appears at his fingertips.

“She feels content.” Said Phantom, soothing the worries of the other two. The stars that are freckles on his face brighten with the comment.

They swirl around each other in lazy patterns, unknowing of the passage of time, when Phantom feels a tug at his core. The trio circle up, his partners noticing the shift in mood.

“I don’t recognize this one.” He mutters to himself, placing a hand on the center of his chest. “It’s none of the family, but it is a bit familiar.” He furrowed his brow, trying to trace the sensation to its source. He closed his eyes and felt the pull of magic. “It doesn’t feel malicious, there’s desperation and curiosity for sure, but I feel no ill intent.” He thought for a moment. “I’m going to follow it. I want to know why this feels familiar”

Nightshade formed a purple bloom and tucked it behind one of his ears and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. “Be safe.”

Pharaoh gently took his hand and kissed it, bestowing a glass bangle to his wrist. “Don’t make stupid decisions,” he smirked, “without us.”

Phantom laughed and in a flash of bright white light he was gone.

* * *

With a flash of light so bright it temporarily blinded, Phantom appeared in a summoning circle. The room he now occupied was large, a massive sofa made up a good portion of the room and there was a kitchen off to the side. Turning around, there was a large screen with even larger windows behind it. He turned back and now saw the people in the room.

One was green with a unitard on, one was sitting criss cross in front of some candles, a book and a small cauldron, one was floating and had a mass of bright pink hair, one was a cyborg of some kind and stood at the ready with a cannon for an arm and the last was shielding his eyes with a black cape.

“Who summons me?” Phantom asked in a far quieter tone than the teens apparently expected.

The one who appeared to have done the ritual stood and spoke first. “Mighty Phantom, we seek your assistance in dealing with a massive threat to our world. The demon Trigon looks to the Earth as his next conquest.” They took a breath and looked down. “He intends to use my power to do it, and I do not have the strength to stop him.”

Phantom settled his feet on the ground and placed a hand on their shoulder. “Peace young one. Why don’t we start with introductions? As you know, I am Phantom, he/him, now who has managed to summon me?”

“I am Raven, she/her, the rest here are my team the Teen Titans.” She turned to her team, they all seemed shocked. “I apologize for them, usually they take things in stride a lot easier. This is Beast Boy, he/him, Starfire she/her, Cyborg, he/him, and Robin, he/him.”

“Hmm, may I see the text you used to summon me?” He gestured to the book on the floor. “I was not aware of anything that could summon me in this realm. It is familiar to me though, I can’t place why.”

Raven raised the book into his hand. He leafed through it humming to himself before stopping on a photo of a note that looked familiar. He smiled to himself, remembering the time a century ago to him that himself and his partners helped a small civilization and they left a way for the leader to contact them if they needed help. He skimmed the next few paragraphs and then laughed and closed the book.

“I’ll help. In fact, my partners and I will help. It’s been a long while since we were in a mortal realm. I will return in a week’s time your time to discuss what we need to do. This will work to summon us if we forget or if your danger arrives early.” He magicked a paper with a seal on it and handed it to her. “I must discuss with my partners and will do research on this Trigon. Thank you for calling us, we’ve been aimless for too many decades. Have a good night.” He vanished in another flash of light.

* * *

Phantom appeared in a flash of light cackling as he tumbled across the chess board his partners were playing on, scattering the flowers and sandstone pieces across the green sky.

“Beloved you know not to do that,” Nightshade gathered the giggling king into her lap, Pharaoh moving to lean against her shoulder and push the hair from the eyes of Phantom, “but what has you laughing so?”

Phantom mimed wiping a tear from his eye. “Remember that civilization we helped out a century ago? Well apparently a few hundred years have passed in that world and the people we helped revered us as gods. A sorceress summoned us for help defeating a demon. They were so cute, little teenage heroes like we once were.” He sighed and settled into the arms of his lovers. “Have either of you heard of Trigon?”