#well this'll remedy that

[greenbunny7]

SODIKKEN - GRETEL

Stan

Version without words under the cut

[blacktabbygames]

LudoNarraCon starts this Thursday, and we've got a JAM PACKED schedule for you. For those of you not in the know, LNC is a digital-only Steam festival celebrating narrative games of all types. More info here: https://www.ludonarracon.com/ So here's what we've got cooking.

Starting at 1pm Eastern on Thursday May 9th, both Slay the Princess and Scarlet Hollow are each going to be 20% off. So if you've been itching to pick one of them up, hold off for a couple of days and save a couple of bucks.

At 7pm Eastern on Thursday May 9th, we'll be doing a retrospctive twitch Stream where we'll play through the ORIGINAL demo cut of Slay the Princess as well as the first episode of Scarlet Hollow. This'll be broadcast on http://twitch.tv/black_tabby_games/

On Friday May 10th, we've got 2 panels that will be broadcast on the LudoNarraCon Steam page.

At 1pm Eastern, I'll be doing a fireside chat with Meredith Gran where we talk about narrative design. At 5pm Eastern on the 10th, Abby and I are on a panel moderated by Patrick Klepek (formerly Vice, now Remap Radio) alongside Ben Gelinas (Times * Galaxy, formerly Bioware + Remedy) and Gareth Damian Martin (Citizen Sleeper.) The topic of this panel is balancing storytelling with player choice. On Sunday, May 12th, at 1pm Eastern, we'll be doing an art stream, specifically going through some of the process of how Abby makes assets for our games! Again, on our Twitch channel!

[obae-me]

if it's alright, can i request the demon brothers (separately, if not all of them just lucifer, leviathan, and belphegor are okay!) with an insomniac s/o who paces around the house of lamentation at night? thank you so much! i love your writing, and i thought the coffee order post was really cute! be well and take care <3

Of course! As someone with insomnia, I know this all too well. I'm glad you liked my little coffee post! This'll be so cute, thanks for the ask!

Their eyes opened... Sitting up in bed, they sigh, irritation waking their body more than it already had been. The ends of their fingers twitch against their covers. Another restless night. Not that they were surprised. They barely got a good night's sleep back in their own world. Of course, their demonic roommates tried to give them different remedies to help them sleep, but they weren't foolproof, it seemed.

So they stood, folding the covers away from them with an easy flourish, since it was a motion they knew all too well. Their toes curled against the cold floor to their room before they moved, covering themselves with a robe they'd been gifted. It was more to keep themselves warm. They didn't bother tying the string against them, letting the back billow behind them as they suddenly left their room.

Whenever they found themselves unable to sleep, they'd come out here to wander. The House was always so quiet at this time...it settled a soft sort of peace in them. Maybe it was partially to blame for their insomnia, unable to fully rest until they'd done their nightly patrol. But who knows what causes the human mind to stay awake? These halls and rooms were usually so noisy, facing a different series of calamities and chaos at any given moment. Now all the demons were asleep, even those who did their best to stay up all night. It was almost as if the human could feel their deep breaths as they passed by the bedrooms.

Then they found themselves checking the main rooms. The dining room, the music room, the library. They took in the vast emptiness, recalling all the fun times they'd had in these walls. Although certain rooms with certain memories called to them more than others. Special moments alone with the demon they loved.

Lucifer

He has a rather uncanny sixth sense. Most can chalk it up to being the eldest brother of six other unruly demons. Anytime someone is awake or something feels off, it usually sends an something akin to an alert through the back of his skull. He sat up in bed, looking around his room, trying to get a feeling for what might've woken him up. Unable to hear anything from his room, he decided to leave the comfort of his bed and check the House just in case.

As if guided by an unseen force, he seemed to head right into the direction he needed to go. The music room doors were slightly ajar. Although there seemed to be nothing amiss, he could feel the presence of someone inside. So he slipped in, quiet as a shadow, folding his arms but allowing his tired and irritated mind to mellow as the one he spotted was none other than his beloved human.

They were looking through the many records he kept in here, careful to avoid the ones he'd gone out of his way to mark as cursed. Although it seemed to him that they had no intention to play any, just simply looking through them to keep themselves occupied.

He could've walked in without making a sound, but he let the hinges of the door creek enough to signal his presence. They looked behind their shoulder just as he wrapped his arms around them from behind. "Can't sleep?" He mused, a sleepy slur to his voice. Moments like these, when they were alone and exhaustion was more prevalent than his sin were special ones indeed.

"When can I ever?" They sighed heavily, clearly frustrated and tired, but leaning against him.

They felt him lean down, his usually taut and stern shoulders slouching. His chin rested on atop their head. It was a sharp little bone, but MC couldn't help but sigh contently anyway. His voice was low and soft as he spoke. "How many times I have told you now to come get me during nights like this?" During the day, such a phrase might've come across like a scold, but it only sounded sincere. "My doors are always open for you, my dear."

"I never want to bother you. You get such little sleep as it is already..."

Lucifer turned MC around in his arms, looking into their eyes. "Sleep is not as crucial to demons as it is to humans. Besides," he ran his fingers through their hair, "I would sleep much better knowing you were getting rest." The back of his knuckles then brushed against their cheekbone. "Why don't you come join me in my room tonight? I'll put on a record and hold you till you fall asleep. I'll put you to bed, and you'll dream sweetly. I promise."

His way of caring for them is very soft, a fairly stark contrast to the Lucifer the rest of the world knows. Soft melodies, soft kisses, soft blankets, soft wings, soft spoken words. He will ensure they sleep peacefully throughout the rest of the night with him.

Mammon

He's known about the insomnia thing since MC first started living with them. And for reasons he couldn't trace (obviously not the crush he had on them for forever) it drove him insane. But now that they were officially together, it worried him even worse. Humans needed sleep! He can't stand how they look when they're dead tired. Plus, he's responsible for their wellbeing! Has been since day one! He doesn't blame them at all for keeping him up, but they do. He can't get them out of his mind. Although he thinks about them all the time in general.

So, he finally gets up, feeling the need to go to their room and check on them. And maaaaaybe convince them to let him share the bed tonight. For safety reasons, ya'know? Although he always feels a little guilty asking even as greed. He knows he's not the easiest to sleep next to. Of course, checking their room, he found it empty. He should've known.

He knows there's a few places they might've wandered to. So, he begins his search, poking his head into a few rooms as he looks around for them. Eventually, he catches a little flash of light under the common room doors. He grasps the handles and pulls the doors open as quietly as he can, although for someone like him, it's hard to be fully silent.

MC turns their head as soon as the doors open. They're simply sitting on the couch, legs crossed under them, flicking through tv channels with the sound all the way on mute. They settle the remote by them. "Hey," they frown. "Did I wake you up?"

"Couldn't even sleep in the first place," he sighed, shaking his head. "I should'a known you were up." He closed the doors behind him, approaching the human with one hand on his hip. "How come you never come get me, huh?" His voice has the tendency to come off as abrasive, especially when he's emotional. He caught his own tone and the way it made his human frown. He internally beat himself up, calming down, coming over to sit beside them on the couch. "You're not a bother, ya know," he assures them, pulling them into his arms, letting them rest against his chest. "Would it kill ya to depend on me sometimes?"

"Its not that, Mammon. I just know there's not much we can do about it. It's just something I have to deal with." They leaned against him, letting him hold them. He was so warm. They feel his lips press up against the top of their head, his legs trying to wrap around them like he can't ever get enough of their touch.

"Well, then we deal with it together, yeah?" He speaks softly, quietly, the rough growl to his voice completely gone. "Isn't that what people do when they love each other? If you can't sleep, I'll stay up with ya, so you're not alone."

Even if he can't help them, even if it feels useless, he'll do the thing he does best. He'll stay by their side no matter what. If they end up staying up all night watching movies, so be it. If they eventually both fall asleep cuddled up on the couch due to pure exhaustion? That's okay too.

Levi

He's a night owl anyway. There are plenty of nights where he doesn't get sleep just because he's gaming. He knows MC has a hard time sleeping, so he always assures them that at least they have a late-night buddy. Nights when they're in separate rooms, they message each other often. Of course, he adores talking to them, because he loves them after all, but he always smiles a little when they stop messaging him, because he knows that means they've fallen asleep. Although, there are nights like tonight when they keep replying, meaning that they were being denied their rest.

Eventually, it gets so late, it makes Levi nervous. He knows that MC is going to be exhausted tomorrow. So he pauses his games and seeks out his Henry. Although, he'll admit, it took him a while to find them. He checked all the main rooms! He wasn't expecting to finally find them in the house's bathroom. W-wait, it's not what you're thinking of!

They were fully clothed, sitting in the bathtub, playing a game on their phone that they downloaded together. They hadn't noticed him come in yet. He almost...felt guilty, watching them like this, but he couldn't help it. He smiles a little as he observes their focused face, the little ways they react to things in game. Wait, wait, wait, he's here for a different reason, focus! He makes himself known as he approaches them.

"Oh, you're awake," they smile at him. "I thought when you stopped responding to my messages, it meant you'd finally fallen asleep."

He shakes his head. "I- I was looking for you," he admitted. "You- you weren't in your room."

They quickly looked apologetic. "Sorry, I felt a bit restless. I guess I wandered around till I wound up here. I think it reminded me of being with you."

The words they say hit him like a critical attack, his heart melting, but of course, a little bit of envy stirred in his heart. "Then- then why didn't you come to my room instead? Is this tub so much nicer than mine?"

They appeared a bit surprised but then looked at him with soft eyes. "Like I said, I thought you were asleep. I didn't want to wake you up."

"Why not?" He suddenly exclaimed a little, acting out in a little bit of boldness as he climbed into the tub with them, hovering over them with his hands pressed into the porcelain by their head. Although he got himself flustered, deciding to wrap their arms around them instead, resting his head against their chest. "You could- could come in whenever, and climb in next to me, just like this... Is my room not good enough? Isn't that the sort of thing normie couples do?"

"Levi, I never said that. I love you and your room." MC feels Levi's heart almost jolt as they say that. It doesn't matter how long they've been together now, it always flusters him.

"Then...let's go to my room," Levi insists.

He's hardly ever so confident, but his sin mixed with the anxiety towards the human he loves gets him to do amazing things. He wants to be the best partner MC can ever have, sweeping them off their feet like a character in a romance anime. More than that though, he just wants them to feel safe and rested...and he wants to be that haven for them...because they're his safe space too.

Satan

He often stays up rather late, reading books or planning pranks for Lucifer till the wee hours of the morning. Of course, now he can add worrying for his partner to his list of reasons. He knows they don't mean to keep him up with worry, but he can't help it. He's done his research on insomnia and he knows the type of toll it can take on a human body. Add that to his circus of a family, and it's a wonder MC can function at all.

He's also done his best to read and research ways to help a restless mind. He's made potions and teas and charms, found magical items and spells to help. Sometimes his experiments hinder more than help, so for the time being, he let's nature take it's course. But he knows that in doing so, MC probably can't rest at all.

At some point, he realizes he can't focus on the words of the pages of his books, so he puts it down. At this rate, he won't be able to relax either. So, he goes to find them, rubbing the back of his head in irritation when he can't seem to spot them. Eventually, he opens the library doors, a little surprised to see his adored human inside. He should've known.

They're sitting in one of the lounge chairs, a book in their lap, sleepy circles under their eyes. They lift their head to look at him, having just enough energy to smile when they spot him. "Still up?" They ask him.

"That's a funny question coming from you," he huffs, although the harshness of his comment is lessened by the color coming to his cheeks. Something about the way they look at him always seems to make him feel this way. Once his heart settles, he comes over to the chair, shaking his head at them. "I know you can't sleep, but you should still give your mind a break." Before they can speak, he takes the open book from their hands, keeping their placed saved with his thumb between the pages.

They quickly sigh and give him a little look. "I know, but I go insane just laying there. It's like torture."

His eyelashes flutter as his eyes glimmer with an idea. "How about we go with a happy-medium then?" He asks, taking their hand, giving it a squeeze, pulling them up from their seat and taking their place, before guiding them into his lap. He hears them huff in a spot of stubbornness before they rest against him, their head on his shoulder. "I'll read to you so you can rest your eyes." He brushes a thumb against their cheek. "If you fall asleep, I'll be here with you, but if not, let's enjoy this story together."

They both find comfort in each other's company. MC feels lulled by Satan's voice, and the mentioned demon finds his breathing slow with MC being so relaxed around him. Satan didn't account for the fact that he might fall asleep first, but he does. He never fully remembers just how calm his human makes him. If MC manages to fall asleep too, they rest together throughout the night. If MC still can't sleep, at least the torturous silence is gone, listening to the soft sounds of Satan's breath.

Asmo

He takes this more seriously than almost all his other brothers, which shocks everyone in the House. There are many easy jokes to be had about 'sleepless nights' while he's the Avatar of Lust, and while he does make a few passing remarks about it, that's not what he's focused on.

It doesn't matter if demons and angels don't need sleep quite like humans do, he knows how important sleep is even for beings like him! Taking care of his body is essential to his beauty! He loves to feel good in every sense of the word, and being groggy and exhausted and dizzy from lack of sleep is a horrible state to be in. He can't stand thinking that his beloved feels like that more often than not.

On nights like these when they sleep in separate rooms, he finds it hard to sleep. Yes, he's become rather addicted to the warmth of their body, but that's not the main problem. What if they're not sleeping again?! Oh, his poor darling, spending another day with exhausted dry eyes and a frazzled look about them... Before he realizes it, he's out of his own bed to at least check on them.

When he doesn't find them in their room at this hour, he knows they're restless... So, he searches for them, checking every nook and cranny of the house till he discovers them in the living room.

"Oh, hun," Asmo sighs in relief and a bit of sympathy as he eyes them essentially wandering around the room in circles.

They turn at his voice and smile faintly. "Asmo, what're you doing here? Couldn't sleep either?"

"I went to check on you, but you weren't in your room." There's a small pout to his lips as he comes over and immediately pecks a kiss to their cheek. The chill night air throughout the house has left their skin cold. He frowns at that.

"Sorry," the human apologizes, looking at the dark empty space of the living room. "I couldn't sleep and ended up wandering in here..." They suddenly smile a little brighter. "I guess I was thinking about the party you threw in here the other day."

The demon hums and wraps his arm around his love, swaying a little on their feet. "It was such a fun time! We all outdid ourselves so much we all fell asleep next to each other, even you."

"If only it were always that easy," they sigh.

Asmo's face falls slightly, but then lifts into a reassuring grin. "Come relax with me...even if you can't fall asleep, I know it will reinvigorate you a little. I can give you a massage if you'd like, or we can just snuggle till the morning! What do you say, darling?"

He might not know how to fully help, but he's an expert in self care. He'll pamper MC as much as he needs to to make them relaxed. Even if they can't sleep, he's determined to ensure they don't look or feel so drained...and he can't deny he loves their company.

Beel

He was up getting a late night snack, as you might imagine. And since the kitchen is so close to MC's room, he always feels like he has to check in on them. Just to be sure they're okay. Okay, and maybe to see their precious sleeping face, but mostly because of safety. He sleeps better at night knowing they're doing alright. Plus, since he knows the human has the tendency to have sleepless nights, he checks in on them to see if they're resting.

He frowns a bit when he finds their bedroom empty. He'd go find them after he grabbed the two of them some snacks. Although, his search was luckily cut short. The human was already in the kitchen, wandering aimlessly, chuckling at some of the empty shelves and irritated messages left on sticky-notes, obviously not in here for food.

"There you are," Beel smiled a bit.

They turned to look up at him with a smile. "I was wondering when you'd come down to get a snack," they explained.

That made Beel frown a bit. "Have you been in here long?"

"A little bit, yeah..." But the human came over to wrap their arms around him, assuring him that it was fine.

"You know you can always come get me, don't you? I don't like the thought of you waiting awake alone..." He rubs their back soothingly, wishing that he could just...crush their problems for them.

"I know, I know."

He scooped them up into his arms, holding them close. He loves hugging them so much, it's always so hard to let go. He always wants more. But for now, he'd pick them up and settle them in a seat or even on the kitchen counter even though he knows Lucifer hates that, moving around the kitchen to get snacks. "I'll find you something that might make you sleepy." He manages to control himself as he makes them some tea or hot chocolate, making him a large portion as well. He hands it to them and stands in front of them, rubbing their cheek before they drink. "I always find it easier to sleep with a full and warm stomach, maybe this will help."

"Thank you, Beel," the human grins as they drink, laughing lightly at Beel's thrilled noises as he downs his mug. "It's good."

"Very good. Everything always tastes better when I'm with you." His eyes seem to sparkle a little bit before he kisses their forehead. "Do you want to go back to your room or mine?"

He'll let them choose what they want before he picks them up and takes them to bed. He'll hold them close and keep them warm. And if they can't sleep, he'll keep bringing them snacks for them to both munch on so they feel better.

Belphie

Perhaps it's just a Sloth perk, but he can always tell when someone is asleep or awake. Especially if it's someone he cares about. Sure he likes his own sleep, but he likes making others get rest too. He sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes, almost irritated with the human for making him feel restless too, but he knows it's not their fault. He wishes they would come to him during these times though. He's Sloth, but more than that, he's their love, surely he can help them sleep whether he utilizes his Sin or not.

At least he doesn't have to hunt around the house for them. He has a feeling he knows where they are. It's where they almost always are when they can't sleep. The observatory.

When he gets there, he finds them on their back on the ground, staring up at the stars. He-- being the little brat that he is-- sneaks over until he pops up in front of them, making them jump. He gets them every time, you would think they'd learn by now. "Belphie..." They whine.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologizes, although he only half-means it. He rests beside them, letting them rest his head on the pillow he always carries with him. "I could feel your restlessness from my room."

"Sorry," they sigh, an exhausted breath leaving their lungs.

He turns on his side, pulling them close, curling into them. He glances at them softly though his bangs. "Don't be, it's not your fault you have a silly brain."

The human huffs a little. "My brain's not silly."

"It's what's keeping you up, isn't it?" He teases lightly. He rubs their head, like he's trying to get their mind to calm down. His cheeky smile falls a bit as he looks a little more serious. "Why didn't you come get me tonight? You know I love to help you fall asleep."

The human opens their mouth and then closes it, looking away back up at the stars for a little bit. "It's because you get too grumpy when I wake you up."

The demon huffs and makes a buzzer sound. "Try again."

MC sighs and closes their eyes. "I don't know. I guess I wanted to try to function on my own this time...I can't depend on magic for the rest of my life. This isn't your problem to fix."

There's a silence that settles over the both of them for a while. Then he seems to tug on them tighter. They can feel his nose burrow into the back of their neck. "Maybe it's not my problem, but that doesn't mean I can't do what I want. And what I want is to have sweet dreams with you every night. I won't use my sin if you don't want me to, but you can still come get me, even if it's just to cuddle."

He'll make it sound like it's for totally selfish spoiled reasons, but deep inside he can't sleep comfortably anymore unless he knows MC is safe... He'll take them back to their room even if he has to drag them there. He'll tuck them in tightly and snuggle up next to them. He doesn't mean to use his Sin, but sleepiness comes more naturally with him around. Even if they can't fall fully asleep, Belphie can feel his soul settle a little more at ease even just hearing them breathe softer.

[jacqulants]

ILLICIT. Prologue

｡+.｡☆ﾟ:;｡+ﾟ†｡+.｡☆ﾟ:;｡+ﾟ｡+.｡☆ﾟ:;｡+ﾟ†｡+.｡☆ﾟ:;｡+ﾟ

Living in the underground isn't easy, especially when your friends are taken away from you. To get by you sell illegal healing remedies on the black market but what will happen when Levi tries to stop you?

From the start you've always been better than me Levi, that is an undeniable fact but that is why I held on so tight. You were always fast, like the birds up above. You were brave like a soldier. You were smart, smart enough to protect the ones you've loved. I will always try to catch up to you but that is impossible when you are always running.

Knock knock knock

Levi opened the door to see you hunched over, hands resting on your knees as you were trying to catch your breath.

"Finally caught up I see." He says.

You smile and fling yourself back, still dreary from the running all day, "Can I come in?"

He looked you up and down before holding the door wider, "just don't track dirt-"

You walked in, your dirty shoes walking all over the house.

"Dirt. Everywhere." He finished his sentence before slamming the door shut.

"Sorry Levi! But I really had to show you this." You smiled widely before reaching into your jacket.

"Is that why you took longer than usual? For a second I thought I had to send a search group for you."

Levi went on a little trek earlier today to steal some food and he wanted you to watch how he pulled it off. He always said, 'I won't always be around so you need to know how to feed yourself in the underground.' Which is odd because you're both 18, he acts like he's 103.

"Please you don't even have enough friends to form a search group." You teased.

You pulled out what seemed to be a barrage of metal stuck together, "and it's EXACTLY why I took longer."

"...doesn't seem worth the wait." He huffed out

"Wait I didn't even show you. I call it... THE BOOMSHAKALAKA!"

"Get out."

"Haha you're so funny." You fake laughed.

"It wasn't a joke.."

"Anyways, this'll help us be able to move faster in the underground!" He gave you a concerned look before resorting back to his stoic face.

"I doubt this..mess will help anything."

"It's a smoke bomb. Just throw this baby and smoke invades the whole place, it's a perfect get away." You smiled.

"So why not just call it a smoke bomb instead of the boom something."

"Because..I don't know. It seemed fun in the moment." You looked down at your invention a lil embarrassed.

You thought you'd make Levi laugh with the stupid name but he always put on a stoic face.

"Well I guess there's only one way to figure out if it works." He walked over grabbing it.

"Can I help? I can use the odm gear!"

"No. You can watch again. Farlan let's get going!" Levi yelled out.

"Not to sound like a brat but I don't want to watch I want to join." You sighed out.

"No you're not ready." Levi glared at me.

"What're we doing?" Farlan came out of his room, his blonde hair a mess.

You couldn't deny you used to have a fat crush on Farlan, what's not to like. He's a tall glass of water. And also he's the only one who laughs at your jokes.

He was always friendly and tried to make you feel welcome. The first time you realized you liked him was when he stole you a loaf of sweet bread. A rarity to get hands on but such a sweet thing to have. You confessed once but all he told you was, 'you're like my sister.' Talk about a major kick in the gut, you could've vomited the sweet bread there and then.

"We're gonna go test out Y/N's newest invention." He said holding the door open.

Farlan looked at you and started walking over putting his arm around your shoulder, "Hopefully this one won't blow up like last time." He smiled. You turned your face away from him, your heart beating just a bit.

"Hurry let's go." Levi ushered him out of the room.

"Levi please let me join!" You smiled trying one more time to join.

"If you ask me one more time you're staying."

"But Levi-"

"Stay." He gave that same cold stare before leaving the house.

"Here, keep this safe till' I get back." Farlan smiled and gave you his bomber jacket.

It was vintage, an old reminder of what society was like before it collapsed from the titant. Farlan walked out of the building and headed to the plaza.

"There's no need to be harsh with her. She just wants to help." Farlan said abruptly.

"I need to be or else she'll die."

"She won't die. She's a smart girl."

"Not smart enough to live down here forever.." Levi sighed.

"She admires you Levi. You're her hero so atleast try being nice."

"Don't meet your hero's."

There was an awkward silence for a bit.

"Is that why I found that random stash of money under your bed?"

"What're you taking about." Levi side eyed Farlan.

"You're saving money to buy her fee to leave the underground and go up there." Farlan stopped in his tracks and looked up at the cave walls.

"..she doesn't belong here. The world put her in the wrong place, she needs to be where the sunlight is at.." Levi finally said before continuing to walk forward.

"But at some point you're just going to have to trust she can do it herself."

"I know. Is Isabel at the town center?" Levi changed the subject.

"Should be."

"Then let's hurry." The two sped off in an instant. Back at the house the young girl was looking at the door with a type of anger.

"Like hell I'm staying here. I'm going to help." You huffed out before grabbing your equipment and rushing out the house.

Levi. You've always been better than me and I know that but just this once let me be great.

You ran to the town square looking everywhere to find Levi, Farlan, Isabel. Anyone. Suddenly you heard a loud metal clash and multicolored smoke abrupt.

"Haha it worked!" You shouted punching the air in joy.

You ran over to where it came from immediately and saw your friends flying around, you couldn't help but smile in admiration. One day that would be you and maybe one day you can feel the touch of the sun. That's all you've ever dreamt of in this titan infested world.

"Grab her!" You heard a harsh voice yell.

You turned your head to see the military police coming at you.

"Shes affiliated with that gang! Grab her!" One of them yelled.

You gasped, one lunged at you but you jumped out of the way in time. You booked it, dodging civilians going about their daily life. Pushing people who wouldn't move and occasionally juking the MP's.

"I got her!" One jumped out to you but you jumped on a food stall, their head hitting the wood.

You laughed out loud and kept running as far as your legs could take you. Suddenly you felt someone tackle you on your side. Your face sliding against the hard concrete, it felt like you had a concussion and road burn.

"What're you laughing at." The MP looked down at you before reaching his fist up.

You couldn't help but scream for help, scream for Farlan, Isabel, Levi. The MP covered your mouth, his fist came barreling to your nose. Blood spewed out. He raised his fist again before Levi came and picked you up.

"You alright?" He asked.

You held onto him tightly, you two flying in the air with ODM gear.

"I think he broke my nose." You held your face and sniffed back the blood

"For fucks sake! Didn't I tell you to stay home?" He yelled.

"I know.."

"No. You don't know! All you ever do is rush into things you don't understand! You're a complete dumbass who always needs the help of me. For once in your life can't you just listen?!" He snapped.

"I just wanted to help."

"You don't help. All you do is ruin everything." He grunted.

"I'm sorry.." you whispered feeling tears burn your eyes.

"It's...let's just go fix you up." He sighed.

"Levi! Scouts are following us!" Farlan yelled.

Levi looked behind him to see them have their hoods up hiding their faces.

"..you guys know the plan. Split up." Levi announced.

Plan..?

"Hold tight Y/N." You nodded grabbing on as much as you can.

Suddenly the ODM gear had a blast of air spew out of it making the two of you fly even faster. The scouts weren't far behind. Levi flew through the buildings, avoiding trying to injure you any further than you already were. He always tried to take care of the ones he loved. He jumped through a window, running in the hallways, dodging people until he reached the window leading out. His ODM gear shot through the window latching onto a building before Levi swang through.

But just like what happened to you, a scout tackled the both of you mid air, all of you came crashing down. You rolled into an alleyway. Your body was so so tired, the immense blood dripping from your nose made you lightheaded, not to mention the scrapes you have. You looked to the side and saw Levi, Isabel, Farlan all on their knees held by scouts.

Farlan looked off to the side and saw you. He gave you one last smile and just like that they were gone. The scouts took them all and all you could do was watch helplessly in that alleyway.

"Please protect my friends.." was all you could mutter out to the universe.

From the start you've always been better than me Levi, that is an undeniable fact but that is why I held on so tight. You were always fast, like the birds up above. You were brave like a soldier. You were smart, smart enough to protect the ones you've loved. I will always try to catch up to you but that is impossible when you are always running. But I think this time I’m going to have to stop the chase.

[sagurus]

Sure! When you have time I would love it if you any interactions between Saguru and any of the Gosho girls. It doesn't have to be shipped or whatever, but it's just because I've read so many of his interactions with the Gosho boys and I feel like the girls are underrated in that sense. I love crack and I love Saguru and I adore your writing and edits :)

Hey anon from 2018, lmao. You're right, there really do need to be more interactions between Saguru and the girls. I have a WIP I started recently that I feel really shows Aoko's acuity. It's not crack, but instead a tense interaction between two friends.

Eventually this'll make its way to AO3, but for now, here it is:

--

“So, Saguru-kun…”

Saguru finds himself bracing. Aoko has seemed to be in a strange mood the entire evening. He’d almost wondered if she was irritated with him at first, or maybe just more disappointed about Kuroba’s last-minute cancellation than she wanted to let on. But their plans had gone as expected otherwise; they studied, watched a show Aoko had been excited to show him over some reheated leftovers, all without incident. Now they’d settled in the living room, occupying themselves with their own activities.

But now, as casual as she was trying to seem, Saguru detected an underlying tension.

“Yes, Aoko-san?” He kept his eyes on his book.

“Did you know that Aoko’s dad thought Kaito was KID once?”

Saguru’s entire train of thought stuttered to a halt. Every thought vanished — and then his mind raced with questions. For what reason was she bringing this up? What kind of reaction was she expecting?

Her gaze was drilling into him, he could tell. She hadn’t turned away from her video game, but she had to be concentrating on him in her periphery. The sensation of it raised the hair on the back of his neck..

He turned the page, but wasn’t reading anymore.

“Did he? I’ve never heard anything about that,” Saguru said mildly. His heart rate was elevated. He focused on breathing normally.

“Yeah!” Aoko said, and she said it with a giggle. A feint. “He told me that and I thought it was so strange. Sure, he’s obnoxious, but he’s not stupid Kaitou KID.”

It was best to leave space in the conversation. He didn’t say anything, waiting for Aoko to continue.

“Anyway, Dad got a look at him at one heist, and he was sure he looked like Kaito. So to prove him wrong, I asked Kaito on a date!”

“A date?”

“Yep! I mean, thinking back that was pretty silly, but it got him to come. But isn’t that so weird? That he’d even think for a second that Kaito was KID?”

She sounded so cheery. The version of herself she put on in class when she was getting along with everybody. Masking away her acute intelligence and calculations. He used to think she wore her feelings on her sleeve - and to an extent she did. But these days he knew that there was plenty she kept under wraps. She and Kuroba were truly quite the pair.

“It does seem like a strange conclusion for the inspector to come to.” He tried to keep his voice neutral as he could. “How did the date go?”

Aoko stuck her tongue out, and for the moment turned her eyes back toward the screen, organizing her character’s inventory. “Oh, you know. Bakaito. He was his normal annoying self, but he showed up on time. We met up at Tropical Land and had a lot of fun! We saw a 3D movie and everything.” She paused, then added, “Actually, I even handcuffed us together. Which was probably overkill, honestly.”

Great minds think alike.

“And the heist?” Saguru asked.

“Oh, the heist still happened. And Kaito was with me the whole time.”

“Well, I imagine that remedied the inspector’s suspicions?”

“Yeah. Dad never said anything about it again.”

The conversation lulled into silence, but the tension in the room was palpable.

“It’s just weird. That’s the only time Dad has ever had a suspect. Honestly, I don’t get why he’d even entertain the idea.”

Saguru hmmed, hoping it sounded like agreement.

“I mean, Kaito is way too young to be KID. Everyone knows Kaitou KID has to be in at least his forties.”

“That does seem to be the most prominent theory,” Saguru said neutrally. It wasn’t the most satisfactory response, he knew. But he could toe this line, if he focused on the commonly-held beliefs and not his own hypotheses and opinions.

“I wonder who Kaitou KID actually is. Whoever it is, I really can’t stand him. I’d like to give him a piece of my mind for all the trouble he’s causing everybody.”

“That’s fair of you.” Saguru wouldn’t condemn KID himself. But he’s already made clear to her that he doesn’t share the same hostility. “What with KID’s talent, I wouldn’t be surprised if the public never comes to know his identity.” After a moment, he amended, “Not to imply the task force is lacking in talent or capability. Your father has prevented many thefts from coming to fruition.” Never mind the fact KID so far still hadn’t truly stolen anything regardless. “But no matter how successful plans are on this side, KID has still proven successful as an escape artist, if nothing else. We’ll just have to see if ever he’s caught, or we get a hint.”

“It would be nice, though,” Aoko said, and Saguru had a hard time reading her tone. “To know who it is.”

What was she trying to accomplish here? It felt like she was fishing. Like she wanted a specific response from him. She might want him to agree that it was a ridiculous idea, confirm that the suspicions were completely unfounded. But he couldn’t imagine lying to her outright. But on the other hand…

“Have you ever suspected anyone of being KID, Saguru-kun?”

Ah.

“Well,” he said.

He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her, but he certainly couldn’t tell the truth. Saguru wouldn’t betray Kuroba like that; Kuroba may not trust him, but Saguru wasn’t going to confirm Kuroba’s own impressions.

And it wouldn’t just be betraying Kuroba. It would be a betrayal of one of Aoko’s closest friends.

No winning. Catch-22.

He forced himself to turn the question over in his mind, as slowly as he could allow without seeming as if he took too long. It wasn’t like he’d obtained any real proof. Other than observable evidence that Kaito wasn’t KID. And the DNA proof he’d destroyed. Of course, Saguru knew, but technically he’d proved the opposite.

“You’ll laugh, but I actually suspected Kuroba once myself.”

Aoko paused her game. “You did?”

And now the tension amplified exponentially. Did she know? He’d suspected before that she might. With how perceptive she was, how could she not have at least considered it?

Even then, that didn’t mean he could confirm it. Kuroba was the only person who could do that.

Steady. “Yes, well. I did test the theory, and my suspicions were proven false.” Based on the happenings, anyway.

“How did you test it?”

Saguru crooked a slight smile now. Casual. Easy. Amused. “Much like you, I handcuffed myself to him just before the heist began.”

She still didn’t say anything.

“So, in both of our cases, the heist still went on. So that would appear to clear Kuroba’s name on two different accounts,” he said lightly.

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

She’d slipped a little, seemed more pensive than casually amused. She recovered quickly. “It’s so funny that both of you thought it was Kaito.”

The way she continued circling, the way she persisted… on some level, she must know.

Aoko asked, “What made you think it was him, anyway?”

At least the capacity of the labs was something he wasn’t at liberty to discuss. “Probably proximity bias,” Saguru said. It wasn’t entirely untrue. “KID has a tendency for elaborate magic tricks, and Kuroba is certainly the most talented magician I’d ever met.” And then, after a beat: “But there’s plenty of talented magicians out there.”

Aoko hmmed, and fell silent again. Saguru imagined her putting him under a microscope, considering everything he said. Everything he didn’t say.

She unpaused her game and resumed playing. “Yeah, Bakaito could never be KID,” she said.

But all Saguru could think was that there was no way she didn’t know how false that was.

[pxelbunny]

OC trait tag - Jin Ingellvar

I don't think I've posted anything about my Rooks on here, so this'll be fun!

I got tagged by @blightedcrow! Thank you so much! ❤ Tagging (use any OC you want, doesn't have to be a Rook!): @remedy-for-eddy @vinterskald @anpansblog @undisclosed-id @lurkiestvoid @doomedyuri @dymme

Compassion: 5/10— Would he stop to help a lost kitten or give his change to a kid on the street? Yep. But he's not charitable with his compassion or sympathy.

Bitterness: 2/10 — He doesn't really have anything to be bitter about. It is assumed he's the get of an elf slave brought into the Necropolis by Venatori and he carries a grudge towards his circumstance of birth, but other than that, no.

Happiness: 8/10 — It's not that he looks at the bright side of things, as much as he doesn't care to give bad things his energy.

Politeness: 2/10 — Absolutely not. Jin is arrogant and spoiled and often thinks he's the most intelligent person around. He can be charming when he wants to, but otherwise he's too blunt and extremely catty (let's say Solas thought him insufferable).

Chivalry: 3/10 — Not the type of hero who'd sacrifice himself without a good cause. Though that said, once he's decided someone deserves his good behaviour, he'll be very attentive to their needs.

Pride: 10/10 — Oh yes. Give Jin a couple of millennia and he'd be shoving Solas down from his pedestal. Jin's saving grace is that he views his friends and family as an extension of himself and his pride is as much for their achievements as his own.

Honesty: 5/10 — He's honest when it counts. He's honest about his displeasure, but he's also incredibly honest about his love, and care, and everything good he finds in other people. If he's amazed by you, smitten by you, etc he'll be very forthcoming about it. But if he can weasel his way out of an uncomfortable situation by telling a couple of lies, he'll definitely do so.

Bravery: 6/10 — Again, when it counts. Is it to protect something he cares about, ie himself, his family, his friends, his cause, then yes, he will absolutely do whatever it takes to protect it even if it poses great danger to himself (because how dare anything threaten what belongs to him?)

Recklessness: 4/10 — There's been moments when he's acted before thinking, when his heart has led him to plunge ahead, but typically he's a planner.

Ambition: 10/10 — Definitely ambitious. Disregarding direct orders in the belief that his way of doing things is the superior one is what saw him thrown out of the Mourn Watch to begin with. If he hadn't been so vain and attached to his mortal body, he'd be chasing Lichdom just like Emmrich.

Loyalty: 10/10 — Absolutely nothing will see Jin abandoning his friends, family or people he has sworn himself to. Jin doesn't view the world as good or evil, he doesn't even have to particularly like someone for them to be considered someone he'll fight for. An enemy of my friend is my enemy, no exceptions.

Love: 20/10 — Like loyalty, when Jin is in, he's all in. Contrary to what one would think, when it comes to deeper emotions like love, he is quite insecure.

Sense of Family: 11/10 - Having had a rocky start in life, Jin has always been beholden to the people who raised him and took care of him. Now he collects family like a hoarder whether they want to or not.

Attractiveness: 10/10 — Well, I mean... I made him, so to me he's really pretty and I get to headcanon him as really pretty in universe as well 😌Beyond that, to me he's also charming enough to have that Rook-effect

Agility: 6/10 — In terms of personality, he's been raised as a mortalitasi, so even if he's stubborn, Jin is also capable of turning around and affect traits that will turn an interaction in his favour. Physically, he's again raised as a mage, so he's not especially agile or strong.

Sex Drive: 20/10 — There's a reason Jin and Davrin gravitated to each other the second they saw each other. They're pretty much on the same wavelength when it comes to instant attraction and being liberal on acting upon it (yeah, I definitely headcanon that physical intimacy happened between them long before the catch of the prey moment. I'd say that moment was more about emotional investment catching them both).

[snake-skinz]

This has gained some attention on Ao3 so I thought I might as well put it here. Not beta read, definitely not my best work. Trigger warnings for sexual assault and torture/gore.

------------------

Cronenburg

We switch open the blade and pull back until we're just straddling his waist. We keep his hands in one of ours and grind ourselves against him, harder than ever at the thought of what we're about to do. Pouting at his lack of an erection we smirk. "Aw, not getting off doll? Maybe we can remedy that." Our smirk widens at his screams as we pull his cardigan up.

"Jake no!" He shouts. "Stop!" We shake our head amusedly and switch out the blade, bringing it to his chest. "Don't worry dollface, this'll only hurt for a second." We drag the blade across his chest slowly and steadily, relishing his beautiful moans of agony. The most pleasurable sound one can make.

After a second we lean back to look at our masterpiece. A large, jagged J signed on his chest in a spectacular ruby color. Devon is wracked by sobs, his lips move but nothing comes out. "Having fun yet love?" He whines. "Yes? Great." We start the tip of the J before rising again to kiss him. This feels euphoric, better than sex. Being the proprietor of his pain is a trillion times more sensual than that of his pleasure. It's with this that I carve an A into his chest.

We lick the entire letter and let into Devons mouth in a kiss hindered slightly by our massive smile. "Halfway there doll." Devon gives me a look of unadulterated fear and "hate" that only serves to make him more stunning.

"Hey don't look so hurt dollface, this is a gift." We start carving the K as we keep our gaze on his. We drag the knife down his torso sharply, making him flinch. Our cock twitches against him and he looks at me with a rage and disgust that he knows isn't remotely intimidating. "You're so damn adorable when you're mad." We take stop for a moment to lay a kiss on his nose before continuing, utterly lost in the sounds of his pain. His love.

Five minutes go by that feel like complete heaven. We carve a letter into his chest, lap up the blood, kiss him then keep going. By the time we're done Devon's shouts have quieted. He just stares at us, his magnificent face decorated with tears and blood. We smile at him. "Isn't it beautiful, doll?" We look at our handiwork with a prideful smirk. Our name is carved across his chest jaggedly, little ruby pearls leaking down his chest.

Beautiful. Perfection. The perfect symbol of their love. An immaculate way to show the world just who Devon Evans belongs to. Our lips consume his, blood and saliva mixing once more as we undo our belt. I'n not drowning anymore. I don't even feel like Jake anymore. Atleast not only him. The doll is there too. An amalgamation born out of blood and ecstasy. Love and violence.

We're a cronenburg.

[richardsphere]

Leverage Redemption Log: The Unwellness Job

We start this episode in a room with an expository camera-pan past some pictures and boxes of MLM herbal remedies. --- Client is a doctor, suspects its an autoimune disorder. All tests are inconclusive.

what in the heck is a "maven"? (google says "expert or connoiseur") Parker will be too busy with the International part of the branch to do much in the first few acts. --- Our marks are Bronwyn and Melanie. (former is Influencer, latter is about to have a medical licence revoked)

"have you ever fought a shark" Breanna, do you even need to ask?

Well, the rabbit hole is working off some pretty evil word association. Lets ensure that by the end of the day, half those words will be coming from Bronwyn's own mouth.

I side with Breanna, what is with the knives today? --- Ok so we're introducing a third mark: Bitcoin Bastard. Because we really needed a second pyramid scheme in this plot. (im worried this'll get cluttered quickly)

Bronwyn seems actually excited by the idea that nanobots are real. Privacy is dead, and Breanna is absolutely right: Her generation doesnt know what it means because Sophies generation killed it. --- Elliot is playing a slightly-creepy pseudo-hippie? ("i listen to their eternal song" feels verry... serial-killer-ey? but then anything with "eternity" sounds like "death" so i guess its just that)

"sweet nectar" like its the way he says it, definitly intended to be creepy.

No Melanie, dont apologise you are the only sane one here.

I legitimately didnt recognise Breanna until i rewound the scene cause i was like "who the heck is Zazi?" --- I like Sophie's yellow jacket. Classic divide-and-conquer, plead to Bronwyn's ego, make her remember how she's too good for Melanie. Honeyed handshake (of eternal life... they're definitly setting up Elliots character to be some kind of serialkiller. Would be a good scandal, but also... kinda likely to backfire if she just backs out and becomes the Hero of the Beautyscene by outing her competitor as a serialkiller....) --- Parker has grown enough in the timeskip that she now refuses to push people off roofs unless they have roof-jumping-training. Good for her. --- Bitcoinbro wants to use the MLM to harvest private medical data. Because of course.

Sophie is actively hating herself every moment she spends with Bronwyn. --- You launched too early. She hasnt yet said anything that would associate herself with Hank specifically, just with bees and honey in general. You've given her an enemy to rally against to become more succesfull by claiming that her honey-based products are different from Hanks.

unpaused the episode, i was right. (though she's not selling honey but stinger-juice). Good quick thinking on her part though. 10/10. --- I absolutley agree with sophie, stealing thoughts in exchange for ones and zeroes, where's the style, the panache.

"I've been keeping up on my evil-lawyering reading" 7/10. Sophie pulling the "only one who really understands", Harry doing the Accountant Special

Breanna's digging a little burrow of her own (and she's a good digger) Even if he didnt go down it he'd still be paranoid (because he's guilty of moneylaundering and doesnt want to get caught) so its only really a cherry-on-top but its a well-crafted one. --- Melanie is in the studio so Breanna needs to distract her. Time to turn an inside man.. Peggy and Hurley mention! Crowd going wild!

Chad is bringing his armed goons to the table. (certainly gonna help Sophie turn Bronwyn against him) --- "Eivor is gonna have to kill you" Well... Guess thats one way to ensure that Bronwyn cant ever run her little scam again, get her to turn on Chad and force her into witness protection, it'd be hell for her the same way it was for the car-enthusiast in the original series. Worse then prison or a fine, (those would actually make her more popular. She'd just brand herself as "persecuted by the system" and a "controversial truth-teller", but if she's on the run from Chads Murdermen... Well, goodbye influencer status)

Oh sophie is pulling the "we're conmen and you're just our mark"-excuse. Which is technically true but as long as you make them think you're after something different then your actual goal, you continue to mislead them. Now Melanie is going to give us the data, Breanna is switching it out for the virus, and 40 mllion bitcoin goes down the drain.

--- Back at the Theatre the team has caught on to Sophie's Missing Person Status. Melanie calls Zazi. "Hank" is coming to help.

"that would've stung, huh" obligatory joke. (also we're about to pretend to lose the fight. the fight is a distraction while we switch the drive for the virus) Honestly, this might be the most humiliating way of taking down a goon yet (and im counting the Looney-Tunes Hole from the Sheherezade job in that. Beaten unconcious with a Qwynneth Paltrow Dildo while getting stung by bees is a humiliation you do not want in your armed-goon resume.) --- Ah we're not switching drives by feigning a loss. We're knocking Eivor out and just bringing a fake drive. Much simpler and it doesnt force Elliot to take an L for dramatic fake-out. Also yes, Harry is good at what he does.

that is a pen. That isnt even an EMP its a stopwatch app used as a distraction while the database whipes itself. --- Oh magnetic phone-covers to pretend them sliding in the car. Didnt know they made those. (but then, i dont use my phone that much, nor do I own or drive a car)

And the look on his face when he realises what he just did to himself.

And i guess im right, Bronwyn is going into Witness Protection which means she cant work as an influencer ever again. --- Back at the theatre Client and Melanie are working together to create a plan to actually help the people whose medical data Bronwyn took.

Parker once more becomes the most relateable character ever by outright admitting that for over a year, she didnt know Elliots name, only remembering it when other people used it.

"Janice" is in her own personal hell.

--- "you dont need my validation, but I will offer it" is such a dynamic. 10/10 line.

[megidoreyn]

It's my 1st year anniversary on Tumblr?! 🥳🎉 Wow, time flies! This'll be a long and personal post, so I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this ^^ For all the newcomers: Thank you for following me! A big ginormous thank you to those who have stuck around since the very beginning as well! 🤗 I am painfully aware that I don't interact much with others (out of my own shyness and it's something I'd like to remedy!), but please know I do recognize those who have stuck around and leave kind commentary in the tags! Or those who kindly comment on my pictures on twitter! So thank you for appreciating my silly little drawings...! It's very motivating to continue posting and improving 🥺💞 I won't lie in saying that I've actually thought about deleting my entire online presence many MANY times, due to feeling like my interests are very niche and my drawings are just not very good enough... *Especially* holding back on posting the majority of my Walter/Jonathan backlog LOL...They are a very precious pairing to me which is why I've always been hesitant on sharing more of my BL art with the world... Being met with silence for a long time, it made me feel incredibly lonely, initially!

And in January of 2023, I almost went through with that idea, as well--by deactivating my twitter account for a whopping 5 months. Miraculously, due to the gracious support of my close friends who convinced me to return to social media and continue posting, I took a chance and kept going. ...And we're here, now!🥳 Again, please know that any kind commentary you leave for any creative, or askbox message, or little notes you leave in the tags for their work can absolutely make someone's day and give them a boost/motivation to continue onward! Our words, word choices, and positivity have a resounding impact on those around us--more than you know! If it weren't for my friends and remembering those who have reached out/commented on my drawings in the past, I don't think I'd be here right now tbh, LOL--So again, thank you very much for the support in general ^^

If you made it this far, thank you for reading and have a wonderful day!🎉 Can't believe it's already AUGUST! It really doesn't feel like it, huh? ^^

[hypersexuaid]

this is my first time ever seeking anything for my issues let alone the severity of my hypersexuality taking a chokehold on me, but is there any sources i could follow for my joints starting to hurt? preferably home remedies? ive been excessively masturbating and coming several times back to back every day, its fucking killing me inside how its never enough... a few of the joints on my left hand (non dominant) at the base are starting to ache when i clench or stretch them around for anything, notably with my thumb ive looked into it and all sources online point to this being the start of arthritis, im not sure what to do because my guardians wont bring me to a doctor. im still looking into it myself but its hard to gauge what to trust. thank you for making this blog.

you know, this is one thing nobody ever talks about. the physical pain that happens to come with hypersexuality. i'm right there with you, my legs and wrists have hurt a lot before!

i'm not sure how far this'll take you, but i do follow lots of stretching methods made for artists / excessive work and so on. here's one i often come back to, made by @.bruderkaitlin on twitter!

it's so ironic when you consider too much stretching ends up hurting you more. so please take this in moderation. hydration can definitely play a big role, so can you try taking water breaks for me? whatever you're doing, every so often, i want you to straighten your back, unclench your jaw and take a few gulps of water.

unfortunately this is all i can really offer, but i'm sure a good bit of stretching can do wonders for you. it's definitely better than nothing, right?

i love you. you're welcome, as well. please come back if you ever need me again.

[lobsters-typewriter]

Tell Me ⟪feyd rautha x atreides!reader⟫

summary: You've been receiving letters from your betrothed, since you came of age to officially begin being courted. Tales of his grizzly exploits and faint implications of his yearnings were delivered to you all the same, though in but a weeks time you're set to finally meet. You receive a letter that leaves you and your twin scrambling for answers.

warnings: Feyd's an obsessive psychopath in this fic, blood but not directly because of him, unrequited love (If I do more this'll probably be remedied), political marriage, forced proximity. Could there be a romance in future? Maybe ><

word count: 3.7k

--

A week before the arrival of their Callous guests, when the silent dread tore at their stomachs and bile had finally reached the tops of their throats, a letter arrived to house Attreides.

It was a gentle cool afternoon with the evening glow hitting the walls of Castle Caladan, making the ancient stone glisten as though it were brand new. Carried almost thoughtlessly, not by a guard nor servant but your brother. That same dark curly-haired boy who always had a grimace on his face whenever the steel cylinders demanded it's audience and barged their way into your home, begging you to read its contents.

Caressed by those same soft gold rays, by an old wooden Shoji board sat a girl with similar dark curls, a squarish face and soft brown eyes engrossed in the strategy of the game. In your hand was a familiar though odd, curved silver knife you used to cut the skin off an apple; her deep green gown fanning out onto the ground beside you.

“Another letters arrived.” Paul gently called, his honeyed gravelled tone didn’t escape your ears as he presented the cylinder to you, the glint of the Harkonnen’s emblem shining your in eyes.

“Well, what’s it say?” Paul asked, he now sat on the pillow opposite her, the hollow open cylinder now laid out over his sister’s game.

You held the metal inner tube in your hands gently, yet to read the words etched into it. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you're excited.” You said in your silvery tone, your gaze meeting your twins with a small laugh as his face recoiled in disgust.

“I just want to get it over with.” He countered turning his head to the horizon, beyond their shared room’s balcony and out over the sea that shimmered like velvet under the sun. It was a sentiment you both shared really. Ever since the letters had begun to come, another small signifier to them both that your time together was limited, and that your life was truly never your own. No matter how little they all spoke of it.

“My dear lady, I am joyed to once more finally have the chance to gaze upon you, speak with you. To see the woman, you have grown to become and for you to see much the same in myself.” You read clear despite the Bloodied accounts of his tirades that invaded yours and no doubt Paul’s minds. That man was a monster even by Harkonnen’s standards and they were hosting the whole family in their estate not but one week from that day.

Even still, you took a deep breath and like always even as Paul’s brow furrowed, you kept on reading, clear and focused. “I remember the day we first met as children even now, the deep blue of your sky and lush greens of the grass. The image lives clear in my mind, even if all I have of that day is single a piece of the gift you gave me.”

You paused confused and looked to your brother, who stared back at you like a mirror.

“What did you give him?” The young Attredies asked as you looked down at the small emblem that signified such terror that followed your life.

Your composure was flooded with confusion, your mind desperately trying to grab onto threads that might’ve answered the question, but you drew a blank. “I, I don’t know.”

“Does he say what it was?” Paul asked, sitting up just that bit straighter.

“I don’t, wait.”

You combed over the passage trying to search for answers, you even read on trying to see if he detailed it further on...

“What is it?” Paul asked seeing the colour begin to run from your face, you handed the cylinder to him, your gaze affixed to the tiny emblem as Paul read on from where you’d stopped.

“I sometimes wonder if you remember that day, perhaps not. But it still joys me to know that you still hold onto the gift I gave you, no matter how much my uncle hated me for it-” Paul couldn’t finish the letter. Not when the glint of the knife that’d been a part of both your lives since before, they could remember starred him in the  eye.

--

The apple’s thud onto their smooth stone balcony seemingly signalled the small avalanche of shoji chips that followed. “Paul let me do this!” His sister cried in an uncharacteristically taut voice as he tried to wrench the pristine blade from your hands.

“You can’t just throw it!” He yelled as you dug your nails into his exposed wrist under his linen shirt, making him hiss in pain.

A vitriol burned in your eyes as he persisted leaning over the shoji board, the clatter of the metal cylinders breaking up their struggled yells. “Let me do this Paul! Let me have at least this!” You cried as Paul’s grip became near crushing on your wrist.

“What’s going on!” A gruff familiar voice yelled over top the siblings from inside their room.

Paul let go instantly, accidentally leaving you to be the one cut. Your pull now with nothing to hold it back, shot back, the knife slicing the side of your arm. And so too did the treacherous blade join the ground as Gurney rounded the corner. A look of shock in his eyes.

--

With the sun dipping beyond the horizon and Gurney closing curtains, Dr Yueh wrapped your arm. “You’re lucky, it was only a light cut.” He assured you as Paul sat by your side, a firm guilt in his heart. “Nothing terribly to worry about. Just don’t train with it otherwise you may aggravate the wound.”

You, the younger of the two Attreides nodded and stared at the now once more pristine blade that Paul had wrapped in a cloth. “I’m sorry.” He uttered like a young remorseful boy.

“It’s Alright.” You returned pulling your nightgown’s sleeve over the bandage that spanned your entire forearm.

“I’m all done here Gurney.” Dr Yueh said standing up to brush himself off and pick up his bag of equipment. “thank you.” Gurney said, cylinder in hand as he crossed the room to give the doctor a parting hands shake.

“Are you both alright?” He asked, coming to stand at the foot of the bed, it sounded almost absurd to ask knowing all this was in relation to a simple letter and yet you both felt that same pit your stomachs at the question.

“I’ll be alright Gurney.” You said gently doing your best to try and lift the room as you looked to Paul, who seemed concerned and confused, a sentiment you both seemed to share. “It just, gave us a scare.”

Gurney let out a sigh, his eyes to the floor before raising his head liked distraught dog. “I or rather, we should’ve told you earlier, both of you.” Gurney spoke, sombre and disappointed in himself. yours and Paul’s hearts respectively dropped at Gurney’s admission. “What do you mean?” The older of the two Attriedes asked.

“When your parents found out about the gift, they wanted to be rid of it.” He said, eyes burning holes into the cloth-wrapped offender. “But with the nature of your sister’s relationship. We couldn’t.”

“So, you just kept it from us?” Paul asked in a Strident tone, a hurt anger etched into his brow as he looked at Gurney with a slight disgust. The scarred mentor grimaced with pain, though not his usual ache he’d carry whenever a storm was on the horizon. This was Shame.

“It killed me to stay silent. Even without knowing the story, I knew. I knew where that knife came from.” Gurney spoke, gravelled and raucous, a self-scalding hidden inside his admission. “But I did it anyway. Neither of you remembered its origin and well, our young lady grew attached to it. So, There was nothing we could do but… stay silent.”

The weight of the knife or rather the ugly truth of its origins burned itself into Paul’s lap, and both of your minds. The notion of your Betrothed having placed a Trojan horse of sorts in their home to form a connection with you made him ill, even if it wasn’t intentional.

“What do we do with it?” Paul asked as he looked at Gurney who shook his head and furrowed his brow into a pained sorrow.

“Nothing.”

The older Attredies seemed almost ready to throw it into the sea himself if not for his sister who grabbed his hand, pained and shook her head silently, pleading him not to.

“…Gurney, do you know what I gave him in turn?” You asked in a hushed voice looking at the silver cylinder clutched in the scarred man’s hand.

“No, sorry. None of us do.”

Paul stood and left the knife on your nightstand where it usually rested only now, it sat almost shunned by the utilities around it. Opening the curtains just enough to look out at the fading evening light, he couldn’t run from the truth of what was to come. You both knew, they’d known since he had first ‘asked’ the question in the confines of that steel letter.

It wouldn’t be comfortable but, your life was destined to be everything but comfortable... so why should you start to cry now? “Gurney, could you be my Chaperon that night?” You asked, breaking both men from the room’s pervading silence.

“Of course.” He answered no questions asked, giving a soft hand over heart salute. Paul on the other hand, could only offer you a silent worry.

​​--

​​--

The ball was exquisite, green and gold banners draped the ceilings, banners and walls of their home. Music poured out of the windows and the noble families began to mingle, in the balcony hidden away with Paul, stood you.

Your parents had given you a warm hug and reassurance, especially your father. The Duke's long tight hug almost spoke as an apology, a longing to take your place if he could. But, that wasn't reality, that wasn't what his life was planned to be.

So with a gentle reminder to be polite as everyone came in and they had thought now, knowing the other houses had finally made it, the young Attredies’ stood stern scanning in their anti-social spot in the balcony and listening for their arrival.

Paul was dressed in his best formal attire, a deep green uniform, chains draped over his shoulders with his hair appropriately styled. You wore her hair braided, tied back and practical, dressed in a long soft green flowing gown akin to their mother's. She wore a thin silk scarf of gold over her head that rushed like a waterfall over her shoulders. Your bandage only just poked out under the the long sleeve.

“I bet he had to finish feeding his concubines before they left and that’s why they’re late.” He mused in a joking tone to which you gave him a soft slap to his shoulder.

“Those are just rumours.”

Paul shook his head, his gaze affixed to their parents, watching as they greeted people. “Rumours have to start somewhere though, sister.”

“Rumours start from the tongues of enemies, Brother.” You said, objective almost cold considering what you then spoke of. “And soon they won’t be our enemies.”

Paul’s eyes flickered to her, a faint reminder of your grim separation that would one day come.

“A warm welcome please, for house Harkonnen!” The announcer cried as the spectacle of the night finally stepped in and the room looked to them, a polite applause erupting for their presence. The young Baron who’d written so many letters to her, who’d grown so very infamous scanned the room, it was almost unnerving how he looked around like a predator scoping his surroundings.

Then he looked up.

You stood frozen in place by his gaze, your expression that same calm façade, mother had taught you so well to wear. And yet your hands shook as they gripped the banister.

He smiled, not a grin of malice or perverse intent but a soft warm almost friendly slight upturn of his lips that you’d find at home on Caladan. And that notion scared you more than the rumours and stories you’d heard and read.

And all at once you muttered the mantra your mother had taught you both to yourself, keeping that stone face and on a visual level at least, her wits about you.

-

“What's he holding?” Paul asked, grasping your hand as the Na Baron’s gaze drifted to Paul and his smile faded before he ultimately walked off to be with his family. A rectangular object carried by his side.

The younger Attredies squeezed his in turn, softly brought back to your senses. “It’s not a bomb, is it?” You asked as Paul snorted at the absurdity.

“He’d have to be pretty cocky to do something like that.”

You looked at him offended, though in the right measure only a sibling could produce. “Don’t make fun of me.” You snapped back quietly, though loud enough to cut over the busy crowd.

“Who knows maybe it is and I’m wrong. Maybe the Harkonnen’s have come to end all the great the houses at once with a tiny little pack of plastic explosives.”

“Paul!”

Gurney caught the older Attredies eye first, walking gently in his formal attire toward the pair like an executioner came to collect those that needed to die that day. “My Lady.” He called, warm as could be and yet it cut through their antics all the same. A knowing look between the two passed and you exchanged a small hug.

“Good luck, sister.”

--

--

It was in the evening of that day, on a quiet balcony overlooking the sea, by the side of a scarred house Attredies royal guard, he ‘first’ set eyes upon you, his now fully grown betrothed. A measured look in your eyes, hands gently clasped over one another in almost casual manner and your gaze entirely affixed to his own. He looked upon you with a scarily matched measured approach, a glint of overwhelming warmth in his silvery eyes as he looked upon you, almost curious like a spider eyeing its prey.

“A pleasure to meet you, my dear lady.” The Na Baton spoke in a thick rasp, a trait shared by them all she assumed. Though through it, he was still polite, with a cold… almost cruel gentleness. He was dressed formally like everyone else, a coat akin to Pauls, though with no room to breathe as the fabric was dark as oil encased around his throat. Though he didn’t seem to mind, rather he wore it like a second skin. Instead of pants, he wore a long-structured skirt, akin to a kilt only it gently hovered above the ground. A traditional Harkonnen garment, as you’d learnt through the years.

“A pleasure, Na Baron.” You returned hidden under the safety of only your scarf, part of you wondered if he could see through the wall you’d been taught to put up. If he’d seen through you the moment your hands shook on the balcony.

Either way, you were going to be brave, you had to be. After all the white bull who’d stalked your nightmares now stood before you, unsure as ever as to what his intentions were or if he’d bare his horns or perhaps simply put an end to things. So, taking those all too important strides forward, with Gurney not too far behind, you let him look up on her face in detail, a glint of something hungry flashing past in their glassy surface.

He gave Gurney a passing formal acknowledgement in which the grizzled man returned in kind. “You look lovely tonight.” He spoke in a soft almost matter of fact tone. His eyes combed the specifics of her outfit and then paused at the scarf, gently turning his head almost as if to get a slightly different angle.

“Thank you.” You responded softly. “It is a pleasure to meet you, again.”

The young baron smiled and gave a faint laugh, the writings in his letter resounding in everyone’s minds. “Do you remember that day?” He asked turning to lean on the balcony, a silent call for you to do the same.

“I’m afraid not, Na Baron.” You returned, coming to stand by the balcony, the image of that same small rectangular box now balanced on the balcony between his hands came into view.

“A pity.” Your betrothed said, intently focused on the pressed back box. Then without a word, his gaze trailed back to you having noticed your stare, seemingly waiting for you to speak.

Your fingers gently rested on the balcony and if an on looker didn't know any better and were standing where Gurney was, they’d probably assume they were truly a young couple taking a moment to get away and speak sweet nothings in private or talk of their future.

You once more stood frozen looking at him, his gaze now down turned to your wrist and the bandages that peaked out. “Could you tell me?” She asked breaking his stare.

The Na Baron smiled, a hint of his black teeth peeking through as he recalled that day. “Of course, but I need to ask you something first.”

Alita looked at him curious or rather concern.

“Your mother, she’s Bene gesserit isn’t she?” He spoke the words in a derogatory fashion, though that shouldn’t’ve been any surprise knowing how treated his own mother.

“Yes.”

He stood up straight, making Gurney watch on cautiously. “I don’t suppose she brought you into their mess then, did she?” He leant down close and whispered the words. His hand atop the black box, his face just a fraction too close for comfort.

“No.” You responded, calm in spite it being a hidden knee jerk response. A lie well taught by your mother and a secret you'd no doubt carry to your grave.

Your betrothed watched the profile of your face for any waver, any semblance or shred of deceit. Gurney very nearly stepped in though, you discreetly motioned him to stay away.

And sure enough, the Na baron slipped back, seemingly satisfied, for now. His gaze now tucked away in the horizon giving you a moment to breath.

“It was cold, though with no snow. I believe your people call it spring.” He began, that rasp ill fit for telling such a story. “My uncle had been summoned here, for what reason? I don’t care to remember. What I do and what is important is that I was left in the care of your nanny with you and your brother out in those fields as you played.”

“It’s almost funny, I remember resenting the thought of having to marry you when I was grown at the time.” He laughed shallow and charred. “You were playing, sparring with your brother with sticks. Your brother he challenged me and well it didn’t end well.”

Faint images of Paul telling a young Feyd off for going too hard and pulling out a sheathed knife much too big for the small boy flickered into her mind. Flowers in your hand.

“I think it was then, you asked me what I wanted to be. It was strange really, no asks such things at home. You are simply given expectations to meet and exceed. Nothing more.” He explained in a state of odd slight vulnerability. “I said to you that I wanted to be a warrior, a king and not long after as I watched the grass dance, you presented me with your gift, a crown made of flowers”

Your mind drifted to the knife that sat wrapped on your nightstand, tainted by the truth and the vague image of holding it for the first time. “So, you gave me your knife in turn?” You asked, part of you wanted to laugh at the absurdity of gifting a blade to an even smaller child.

“It was all I could think of even if it was an heirloom.”

You paused only truly realising what he’d meant at the end of his letter or at least what it more likely alluded to.

Part of you wanted to apologise, Geidi Prime was cold and harsh. The last thing anyone needed was another reason to be ridiculed. But at the same time, part of it rang hollow, a childish anger over accepting such a gift that couldn’t be taken back.

A self-chastising of how you’d been so thoughtful of it and used it without a worry and that same slight distaste of knowing the people you cared about most kept the truth from you.

“…I don’t regret it though. Never have, not when I’ve been told of how you use it so much.” His voice broke the gentle nights silence making Gurney bristled at his words, faint images of the joy he revelled in over reading your exploits training under his guidance, Harkonnen blade in hand.

“It’s served me well.” You returned in a small voice your eyes drifting to the box he’d been so attached to. It was no bigger than a small bible and wide as a bread plate.

“Curious?”

The young baron presented the box to her opening it to reveal, a necklace. An onyx and leather choker. “May I?” He asked though, you knew there was only one answer. After all your courting was superficial.

“Of course.”

The young baron smiled as he pulled it out of the box, you watched the glint of the onyx necklace as he closed the gap between them both. The closeness made you freeze and for a moment your mask slipped, and he seemed revel in it. Basking in how her eyes lowered with the brush of his fingers as he clasped the chain around your throat.

It effectively collared you, he effectively collard you. The smooth black Onyx rested over your collar bones, out of place over your seafoam green gown. “It suits you.” He said, his tone almost smoky as he looked upon you. And once more that hunger flashed across his eyes as he gently took your hand that you'd tried to hide and left a small kiss on your knuckles.

You wanted to ask him what he meant, but that would’ve been asking for trouble. Besides, you already knew. For better or worse, whether he saw you as a pet or not it didn’t matter, na Baron Feyd Rautha Harkonnen had a deep obsession with his promised Attredies.

--

Side note: I think it'd be fun to take requests >< I've never done them before though so it'd be probably only 1 or 2 (*I added the request button finally)

[theunrealinsomniac]

How do you think the Naruto couples would be as parents?

Gonna guess we're talking for my preferred ships?

Buckle in, this'll take a while lol.

Overall? I'd say they're good parents on average. Somethings they're a little meh, there are some personal shortcomings that do sadly negatively impact their parenting but for the most part they're good.

Sasuke is the only one who isn't outright good, dependent on the universe he's better or worse. Wedding AU Sasuke for example is a bad person and a worse father so ... yeah.

But Naruto? Naruto is the dad you both wanted and needed as a kid. He is the dad who is your biggest supporter and at the same time able to call you out on your shit in a loving but firm way. He knows what it's like to not have parents growing up and he will not let his children ever know what that's like. He also was very aware any child of his had the potential to be a nightmare to discipline and has some rather ingenious ways to go about it, as it is actually him who's the disciplinarian in the Uzumaki household, more than Sakura.

Looking at you Boruto. Fuck you for what you did to Naruto.

Sakura is a great mum too. She's a little stricter than Naruto, but not as much as you'd think. It is Naruto who doles out most of the punishments after all. But you can't pull on Sakura's heartstrings like you can Naruto's. Sakura is the one who gets into shouting matches with her kids when they hit the awkward teenager stages though, but the love is absolute. You need to be picked up from a party cos someone's making you uncomfortable? Sakura's already out the driveway. There was one time Sachi had snuck out to a party she'd been told she couldn't go to and had gotten so drunk she couldn't walk home. She still called Sakura because she knew she'd come, and while she'd be punished, her parents first concern would be her safety.

The others in general are pretty good, Shikamaru needs a kick up the arse once or twice to be reminded he hasn't just got a nap buddy lol but when the big stuff comes up? He's on it.

Temari is strict. Loving but strict. She's been brought up in a very firmly run house by her father and while her strictness comes with love, it's hard to unlearn that kind of behaviour. The one time someone messed with one of her kids at school though, her reaction is still talked about in the halls of the high school.

Hinata is amazing. Hinata has mum skills that the other parents are desperate to get off her. You need a natural remedy or your baby is colicky and the doctor's not listening? Hinata Inuzuka has got you. You need someone to watch your kids while you and S/O have a much needed date night? Well the Inuzuka estate has more rooms than most and all that open field to go crazy with all the dogs. The Inuzuka house is THE gathering house in their generation.

Kiba's a fun dad. He fucks up every now and then, he's definitely swore in front of his kids and maybe been a touch reckless, but he's fun. And you're never in actual danger. He stringently believes every child should have a pet. A dog preferably but he is insistent and this is why their house is so big, because not only do he and Hinata have five kids but each child has a dog.

Ino's the hot mum. You all know what I mean. Ino has caused more than a couple sexual awakenings in her kids' friends and she finds it endlessly adorable. She's also the kind of mum you can talk to about anything. Grades are sucky and you don't know what to do about it? Ino's ready to listen and reassure. You've got a crush on a boy and you don't know how to tell him? Ino's got you.

Sai's ... well Sai's weird. He loves his kids, but it's rather detached. He's the closest to a bad dad out of the main lot but that by no means, means he's an actual bad dad. His way of expressing love is just subtler. He taught his kids to draw early, there are thousands of photos of him guiding their strokes and smiling bigger than he ever had before when his son or daughter proudly show him their handiwork.

Neji's the cool dad. Neji's all and all a badass and you better believe the other dads tease him about the sheer hero worship his kids have for him. But when your dad is essentially a secret agent, you're gonna think that's cool as a kid so he doesn't mind the teasing. Plus as another man who grew up without his father, he's a very present father so his kids see a lot more of him than you'd think.

Tenten is also the cool mum lol. She got her kids into martial arts early and she's basically a soccer mum archetype. While being at the top of her field regardless of the universe she's in. Tenten Hyuuga will kick your arse and then feed her children dinner still in the clothes she whooped your arse in five minutes ago.

I don't have specifics for the other parents in my works as they're just kinda there sadly at this point when it comes to how I've written them but rest assured they're good parents.

Oh no wait, Karin is an amazing single mum. And in universes where she's not a single mum she's still amazing. She's made it a point that no one hurts her babies like she was hurt. And you had best believe she holds Sasuke accountable for every action he's ever taken as a father. In the universes where her children have a relationship with Sasuke you had best believe Karin is the main instigator to making sure he doesn't actively suck.

tl:dr? They're all good, some are better than others but they're all good parents and Naruto is the best dad out of all of them. At least, according to his kids and wife :P.

Thanks for asking!

[worurntas]

HGH Releasers– Most Vital Tips

An increase hormones the booster can assist you to enjoy slender, well toned body as well as lose fat. It will also help your business to look bigger, reprogram your sperm volume, and additionally supercharge your level of energy. But the truth is, it's important to find out which ones are the prime hgh vitamins in the stores. The greatest Hgh solution will be the one who purposes natural ingredients to reinforce ones and furthermore humor, also permit you to drop a few pounds while increasing your muscle standard. Each of these pills are entirely authentic and will in addition offer anti-aging end results. That they give good results via inspiring most of the pituitary gland to construct additional human growth hormone. In case you click here, you obtain an increasing amount of hgh web based platform.

Genf20 Plus is actually a holistic human growth hormone augment that combines aminos, proteins, and additional principal foods that can assist a person's body lift its healthy formulation. Well being in reducing facial lines, shrink extra weight, and decrease indication of the aging process. This unique product would work for women, adult males, and in many cases litter.

HGH-X2 rrs really a drug free growth hormone supplementation that would be to be able to generate any pituitary gland to push out a more human growth hormone. Regarded as an way to somatropin treatment, who are thought to be toxic. HGH-X2 is comprised of Hawthorn, which could increase the amount of Hgh in your body. In accordance with several trials, Hawthorn can probably feature that in good health regarding yourself physically. Aside from that, enable your business to drop the weight and get away from malignant cancers. Plus, it assists to someone to carry everyday or even testosterone and therefore growth hormones quantities. HGH-X2 is actually backed by an enteric fur which enables you to save the leading essentials received from developing damaged through process of waistline fatty acids. More so, we have an impressive mix of proteins among other minerals that may switch on the exact anterior pituitary to provide increased human growth hormone.

One other popular growth hormones product could possibly be the HyperGH 14x. That HyperGH 14x complement consists of natural ingredients the get exposure for muscle emergence, enhance level of energy, and consequently skyrocket protection. It's recognized to enrich psychological health insurance help reduce flab majority. The constituents into HyperGH 14x is a combined Twenty precursors as well as the meats your motivate somatotropin cancer cells for the anterior pituitary gland. This'll help your body's cells construct much more growth hormone, which assists a person improve working out features and even get back speedier right from training sessions. And also, moreover, it is made up of L-Arginine, which is a strong amino that may grow your strength and durability due to 3 x. Additional components within a remedy provide Phosphatidylcholine, may possibly lift ram storage and get away from the development renal system conditions.

In spite of this, not all of these types pills were created just as. Many you should never attributes needed just measure, while other people do not have familiar contents. To make sure you are buying an appropriate growth hormone solution, look at the marking wisely plus review the company's customer comments. With steps, you can choose outstanding hgh augment to you personally. If you are looking on a harmless, highly effective, and economical product or service, to consume an improvement hormones pill. If this type of web users utilize website on-line, they are able get the specifics of boosting human growth hormone.

[heroesarelife]

MORE HAWKS! YES!! Alright, I have a feeling this'll be long, because WOW. So, I remember seeing apost about Hawks being an Icarus parallel. Which,yeah, I totally see. But here, his dream, intentions, and more of his personality are revealed! He wants heroes to have more free time than they know what to do with, which in turn means there's hardly any danger for heroes to worry about. Maybe he just likes taking it easy, like he says. Since he DOES seem laid back and chill even when fighting (1/?)

–that villain from earlier, and his slightly joking (at least, in MY head it’s joking) “Roger that!” to Endeavor. I know he still does care about the safety of the nations, since he secretly launched an investigation when he first heard the rumors and even did his own investigating around the nation. (He says he flew, and I honestly can’t tell if he flew w/ his wings or by plane. Probably by plane, but it’s an interesting thought) This is also proven by his attentiveness and how much he (2/?)

appreciates his fans (THAT WHOLE THING WAS GREAT). Whatever the reason, I don’t think he’s an Icarus parallel (It’s less that and more that I dON’T WANT HIM TO DIE) because of him saying that he won’t do much. He’s letting Endeavor rise to the top and I don’t think that parallel’s Icarus at all. THAT or maybe it does and I’ll cry myself to sleep because Hawks gets a little TOO into his plan to be the leader and die/lose his quirk. Seriously, I’m way too attached to this man. But on a (3/?)

lighter note, TOKOYAMI INTERNED W/ HAWKS. IT’S CANON AND I LOVE IT. I also love how he joked about being a bird himself!! (I don’t remember if it’s been confirmed canon before this chapter, so sorry if I just forgot) and woah!! It’s Endeavour’s first fight as no.1 (which I’m not too happy about, since. Yeah.)!! And him interacting w/ that kid was kinda hilarious, to be honest. I think he’s trying to copy All Might. This became a really long Hawks analysis, whoops. He’s just so interesting! (4/4)

IT’S TIME FOR HAWKS WANK-- wait that didn’t sound quite right. Oh, you get it.

Aye, I can see the Icarus metaphor working here. I reckon some people have been tracing a parallel between the tale in a way that predicts that Hawks will fall because he rose too fast. So while I found the metaphor interesting, I didn’t quite buy into it. Would feel very off if Horikoshi simply offed the 2nd ranked hero he just introduced of which he kept the identity a secret for such a long time in the manga. This tells me he has at least a good plot panned involving Hawks. Besides, he just killed a pro-hero. If anything, it seems that this arc is about advancing some worldbuilding, some plot points, and to generate character development for Endeavour.

I agree with you 100% that the metaphor worked better when we knew less about Hawks personality and thoughts! With this latest chapter we know that Hawks desire peace, so he and other heroes can have an easy going life. He wants everything to be alright, and he doesn’t necesarily want to be the representative of that (he would rather be just another hero in the ranks, probably because they he can take it easy without worrying about public opinion), while at the same time being involved into bringing about that change. You know who he reminds me of? Asakura Yoh, from Shaman King (one of my favourite animes of all times, up there together with Full Metal Alchemist).

Now, while i don’t particularly mind if Hawks dies, I don’t think he is going to die anytime soon (definitely not in this arc), which doesn’t mean that he isn’t going to die by the end of the series, of course. Like I said, it would seem repetitive and a waste of character, and a waste of the whole mystery buildup. As I see it, I think this is using Hawks in part to create a foil for Endeavour. We had that wee chat between Endeavour and All Might on the Remedial Course arc before, in whic Toshi told Endeavour that he didn’t need to be the symbol of peace, and instead should be his own version of the number one, that Endeavour should be himself. There’s wisdom in being who you are, and it’s immaturity to try and become another (thus we have the classical Buddhist saying perfectly represented. Be; don’t become). Endeavour however has strove his whole life to achieve number one and overcome All Might, in the process he was trying to become All Might. He is now starting to realize that this was foolish. He cannot be All Might. But if he can’t, than what he is? And who is he?

Then we have Hawks, a young successful hero, very different from both Endeavour and All Might. A young hero that did not want to be like All Might, but respected him. Hawks is telling Endeavour he can see how he can be the number one hero, that the hero society needs a new direction. A direction All Might wouldn’t be able to offer. In a way, Hawks is saying to Endeavour the same thing as All Might did. However, as Endeavour is going around with Hawks and observing him, he’s noticing a different way to be a hero and he shows how lost he is, since he tried to copy Hawks and give a fan an autograph. Hawks is a very different foil to Endeavour than All Might was, and in a way, he’s probably what Endeavour needs to figure himself out. Or so this plot is promising, at the very least.

The real question is. WILL WE GET A DABI IS A TODOROKI REVEAL OR WHAT.

Also it was confirmed some chapters back that Toko was interning with Hawks. Uraraka commented it on chapter 184. There was some clues dropped during the internship arc that Tokoyami was interning with someone, and we didn’t know who (as well as no confirmation that he was actually interning at all). And then Uraraka dropped the bomb oh-so-casually lols

But honestly I’m really enjoying this arc and I really like Hawks <3 This was such an insightful chapter. Thanks so much for coming and analysing it with me /o/ I agree with pretty much everything you said, this was rather nice :D you spoil me and indulge this nerd haha I can’t wait for the next chapter (tomorrow!) either!

Also I think he flew there with his wings, not by plane. LET ME HAVE THIS.

[obsidiennes]

"Wouldn't have figured you to be the kind to own a boat. Did you need a bigger one?" Karin replied without missing a beat, before shaking her head at the admission—or the proposed remedy, or both?—and deadpanning, "That's a shame."

Nonetheless, as the familiar jet landing took hold of the screen, she shifted to loosely slip an arm around Andi's shoulders... and get a thigh overtop of the other's, leaning in side to side. "Well, this'll do for a start, Commando can have its day later."

obsidiennes​:

Karin was already setting the various snacks and refreshments on the table before taking a seat on the couch, sprawling out and getting comfy as she watched Andi mess with the TV and its accoutrements. Her expression was a bit incredulous, although it was mostly an act.

“He might have a point. Are you sure you’re an American? Next you’ll be saying you haven’t seen Commando or Jaws or something,” she teased in a straight-faced way. “Well, I guess seeing both would be fine. Choose the form of the destroyer then.”

The witty barbs were common exchange between them, it’s what happens when you get two women with penchants for sarcasm in the room together. If Flash were here, he’d be outnumbered. Setting the TV to go, she put the first disc into the player before sinking into the couch next to Karin.

“Of course I’ve seen Jaws, almost lived it too.” Didn’t want to sour the mood by talking about the time a sea monster almost made lunch out of her in the New York harbor. “Don’t think I’ve seen Commando. If that annihilates my American status, I’ll happily move to Canada.” Of course she caught the Ghost Buster’s reference, too bad Karin didn’t have a bag of marshmallows here for her to followup.

A button press of the remote and Die Hard appeared on screen.

[etienne-berry]

I'd definitely be down to try! I write sometimes kinda, fhjsjsa

Agree 100% that consistency would be a problem, though I think we'd need more than just a head writer to help that. Just saying that's well and good but I don't think it takes into account just how different people's writing styles are, so we'd need to agree on stuff like how to write thoughts (thought vs 'thought' vs thought vs they thought vs I thought), POV, formatting, how much description, how many paragraphs, how to space out dialogue, etc. A head writer (and democracy) would be a big step towards that, although I worry about them being overworked and how they'd be chosen

Problem two, the scale. Five books is massive, one book is still massive, especially when collaborated on like this and with (currently) a barebones plot scenewise. We'd definitely need to wait at least a little while longer before something like this is possible

BUT. I also think there are ways through all (or at least most) of these things, at least from my theoretical perspectives. Usually, there ends up being a core main group of contributors in any project that has more than 4-6 people who just naturally end up being more active in the work. If the work is totally democratic like a free-for-all, those people naturally end up making more of the decisions one would assign to a "head writer". If any piece of a part of work is editable by anyone, assuming goodwill and a lack of hesitation in regards to purposeful large changes, it will also naturally stabilize into being a consistent whole. (WHY DO I SOUND LIKE A REALLY INCOMPETENT PHILOSOPHER) Of course goodwill and the lack of hesitation can't be guaranteed, so there does have to be some moderation that must be decided on

But essentially, how I'm proposing this could work is a google doc open for anyone to contribute to through suggest-only permissions. Whoever is the moderation with the power to accept those suggestions will likely just be whoever is here at the start, although I think this group of "moderators" should remain fluid and non-exclusive: by invitation, but invitations that can be sent out at any time. At the start, basically any suggestion should be suggested, even if there's next to no consistency, because later (both much later and over time, though with a heavy skew to much later) there will be people specifically editing for consistency, whether it's writing style, canon-complicity, whatever it is, though I don't think those people should be specifically elected. When it comes that the majority of scenes for a book are written is when I think consistency should be especially emphasized—until then, we don't have a product, and we need a rough draft before we can have a final draft. When that point is reached is when I think whoever are the moderators by then should come together with the people and host some questions—answerable by anybody, likely as a conversation—and formal guidelines for how to edit for consistency can be established. This'll mean heavy editing, but it'll be between a bunch of people, so it won't be too much workload. And to remedy the issues of consistency, we have the formal guidelines to abide by and suggest-only, so all additions will still need to be accepted by a moderator, who should communicate about whether to accept any one edit. To do this in a chat would take a while with just how many edits there are, but what google docs also has is comment replies, so what could be implemented as a rule is that two-thirds of the moderation needs to comment "agree" or something to that degree in order for an edit to be accepted on this stage. The comments could also be used to say reasons for this edit to not be accepted, and of two-thirds of the moderation say no (perhaps stating why), the edit will be rejected

The above process is adjusted from Wikipedia, so it definitely can work with some time and dedication, at least in my head. But I am simply a little guy so feel very free to do with my thoughts as you will, bfjsjsjs, also apologies for my inability to make stuff short <3

(ooc) It would be so cool if we all wrote the book. Like, if the writers following this account actually collectively wrote the book. I'm not saying it'll work 100%, but at least here almost everyone is agreeing and creating good lore, so maybe it could be possible. There are books written by two people, after all. I don't know, I think it would be very cool to have a Tumblr community writing a book series.

the hard part is we'd have to democratically elect things throughout the whole writing process. I'd be afraid that it's something that seems easy on paper but then is hard to actually execute