#whenever you have a Supreme Leader line

[randomnameless]

Oh!

A rare example of Pat toning down Supreme Leader's.... misgivings about the Church, and her most "this is what makes us human" as Hubie would say, side.

"Church BaD they might use our classmates as shields!!"

I wonder if this only pops up if we recruited Flayn or if it's always there ?

Obviously, in the other routes, you know that the evacuation process is a bit complicated since Supreme Leader planned her attack in advance and only left 2 weeks to evacuate Garreg Mach (Emile adding that the lands surrounding the monastery were Zanado'd) and GM asks every student who can/want to participate in the defense effort or to run away.

[spiderymiasma]

🕸 The Chase 🕸 || Miguel x f!Spider

Summary: She was the perfect prey. And he was a natural predator. And Miguel's getting sick of her games...

Words: 2.9k

A/N: Please let me know if I use Spanish incorrect. I"m not a native speaker and appreciate any feedback!

|| My AO3 ||

Like most other days, today quickly started turning to shit for Miguel O'Hara.  Lego Spiderman, one of his best, was recently admitted to the MedBay for Lego related injuries (not funny Lyla).  Morales and his gang of hooligans had botched yet another simple mission.  Peter B. was giving him lip and wouldn't stop droning on about Mayday.  And Hobie…?

Ugh, Miguel didn't even want to think about Hobie. 

And worst yet, his own body was driving him crazy.  His fangs ached so terribly.  The gums around them reddened and tender.  His head was fuzzy, and every fiber in his muscles ached, begging to be let free. 

"I see you're still working well into the early hours of the morning." A soft feminine voice remarked from the shadows.  A lithe Spiderwoman walked up in front of the numerous monitors and screens in front of him. 

Miguel grunted.  Without any windows in headquarters, he hadn't even noticed the hours passing by.  "Hard not to when you have Miles Morales fucking everything up around here."

The Spiderwoman rolled her eyes in fond exasperation.  It was obvious even to those who weren't close with Miguel, that he was starting to lose control of himself.  He'd be driving everyone crazy for nearly a week.  Snapping at the smallest insult, berating the poor new recruit, and worst of all (in Peter B's opinion) refusing to look at the newest reels of Mayday's baby pictures.

In her opinion, Miguel needed to get control of his attitude.  And she knew just the fix.

"Miguel, you are too hard on that poor Morales kid.  He tries his best and means well."

"Yeah?  Well he screws up every single operation I send him out on."  Miguel soldiered on, continue to bury himself in his charts, figures, and a figurative stack of reports. 

The Spiderwoman hummed.  As one of the first ones to be recruited by Miguel into their "Spider society", she's seen Miguel transform from headstrong "One and only" Spiderman to the supreme leader of an elite and deadly Spider Society.  Though it was always hard to tell what that man was thinking, she hoped that he would consider her a friend.

She always hoped that he was never too peeved whenever she called him out on his bullshit. 

"You seem more stressed than usual."  Before Miguel could interrupt her to claim otherwise, she finished.  "How can I help?"

Miguel momentarily paused in his work.  Their eyes connecting for the briefest moments through the transparent screens that separated them.  He faint stress lines on his forehead made the poor man appear older than he deserved.  Several strands stuck out from his perfectly gelled hair, no doubt from the numerous times he ran his fingers through his hair.  It seemed, at least from her view, that he had so much he wanted to say.  Or maybe, it was her heart that yearned for Miguel to finally say what he had been holding back for so long.  His shoulders softened at her smile. 

"Nah, you've done enough work this week."  He averted his eyes away from hers.  "Go get some rest before you get too cranky for tomorrow's meeting."

The corners of her lips dipped down in frustration.  She didn't need Spidey-senses to be able to tell how the waves of stress rolled off of his tight shoulders in waves.

"How about you and I do a training session together tomorrow?"  She asked suddenly.  "It's been a while since you got out of your tall pedestal." 

His fingers paused in their typing as if he was actually considering it for a moment.  The itch under his skin begging to be addressed.

They quickly resumed their work.  Miguel let out a frustrated sigh.  "I just told you that I'm up to my ears in work.  And besides, if it weren't for that Morales kid-"

"I know, I know."  She placated.  "I know you find it hard to believe, but I do listen to what you tell me."

Miguel scoffed, clearly not believing her.

"Well, I think you could use some training tomorrow.  When's the last time you got some fresh air?  Really let those…instincts run while."

They looked at each other in the eyes again, this time without the blue-green screens separating them.

Besides Lyla, she was one of the few Spiderpeople to understand how badly the spider DNA affected Miguel.  She herself was bitten by a particularly nasty spider and often appeared more animal than human.  Miguel tried to pretend otherwise, using temporarily serums and DNA injections to stave off the worst of the symptoms but….

…it was hard hiding that part of himself from someone like her.

Their "training" wasn't…traditional.  It was very private, very secret affair that they told no one with the sole exception of Lyla who was bond by code to secrecy.  Miguel really doubted what they did together to be counted as training at all.  But Miguel and her…were…uniquely biologically disposed in similar enough ways that they could find solace in each other and bond over their more animalistic sides.

Still, didn't make it any less awkward to explain to outsiders.

He was the one to break eye contact first.  Looking away, he again pretended to busy himself with silly work. 

"Can't."  He grunted.  "Like I said, I’m busy."

He couldn't help but notice how her eyes gleamed mischievously.  "Some other time then,"  With a small wave of her hand, she disappeared into the darkness, and Miguel naively thought that they could put the conversation to rest.

🕸 ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩🕸

Like most nights, Miguel somehow managed to squeeze in a couple hours of rather fitful sleep.   Sleep was just as difficult as any battle for him.  Between He padded to his workstation ready to start a whole new laundry list of tasks.

"Lyla, what's the docket looking like this morning."  He asked sleepily, rubbing his face with his large palm, careful to not let his claws pierce his eyes.

Only silence responded.

"Lyla?  C'mon I don't have time for your games."

His voice echoed ominously across the empty room. 

Slowly dragging his palm down his face, he finally looked up his screens.

Their automatic sensors were off.  The backlights dim, and all of his work had been completely reshuffled. 

Someone had been here.  Funny enough, he had a pretty good guess as to who.  Amidst all the tedious paperwork, there was an old-fashioned sticky note attached to his desk.

"Heya Mig, hope you slept well.  If you would like Lyla to be up and running again, come and find me for some sparring practice!

-EARTH 45690"

Miguel swore underneath his breath in colorful Spanish.  She knew he hated that nickname.  His fangs were so sore in his gums.  His thoughts felt clouded by a thick fog and moved sluggishly.  He could feel the rush of biological chemicals running through his veins.  He did not have time for this bullshit.

Punching the written number into his watch, he walked through the open portal into whatever dimension she summoned him to.  The sooner he get this over with, the sooner he could go back to work.

🕸 ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩🕸

Instantly, he was met with a blast of humid heat that did not feel good against his feverish skin.  Blinking at the stark sunlight, he took stock of his surroundings.  Gigantic prehistoric palm levels, staggering cliffs, and dragonflies the size of German Shepherds.

Great.  Prehistoric New York.  Spider Rex's Earth.  Why on earth would she bring him here?

"Hello Miguel!"

Miguel's neck craned upwards.  The offending spider woman was resting in a cozy little hammock made out of spider webbing as if she had all the time in the word.

She was getting on his nerves.

"I don't have time to play games with you."  He shouted from the ground, hoping she could hear him.  "Get rid of whatever virus you gave Lyla this time, so we can get back to schedule."

She frowned, staring at him from above.  "Hm…wellllll I do have this handy dandy UBS, but I'm afraid you'll have to catch me first to use it."

She hadn't even finished her grand speech before Miguel was already climbing up the rock giving chase.  His talons sunk into the sides of the cliff, tearing apart the earth beneath him every time he climbed forward.

Reaching desperately, he clawed at the UBS drive in her fingers.  Her wrist snapped back.  The thumb drive mere inches away from his reach.  He growled dangerously.  His patience waning. 

Her face split into a grin underneath her mask. 

"You thought it was going to be that easy?"  She teased.  She got up from her homemade hammock.  She made a big show of stretching her loose limbs.  She was calm as if she were a woman warming up before a Pilates class instead of a Spiderwoman about to be hunted down by her very, very pissed boss. 

"Give.  Me.  The. Stick."  Miguel's growled, his tone dangerous. 

"Only if you catch me."  She sang.

Before Miguel could react, she was gone, using the overgrown palm trees above them to sling away. 

He chased after her. 

They did this quite often.  They would meet each other in a throwaway universe, they would spar, Miguel would hunt her down, and they would go back to their lives as normal.  If someone like Peter B were to find out about this "training" of theirs, they would call it flirting. But her and Miguel knew better.  People whose DNAs were laced with spider DNA….there was a part of themselves they tried to suppress, try to hide for the betterment of spider society.

This was one rare moments where they could let out this side of them.

She zipped and zagged through the thick foliage, like an acrobat weaving through fabric.  She danced with the practiced experience of a superhero well-versed in her art.  Miguel was just as deadly, breaking through the heavy trees, leaving a trail of broken twigs and disturbed underbrush in his way.  In his crazed frenzy, he wrecked havoc on the peaceful forest.

The only warning she got was the glint of slitted amber eyes in darkness, before a weight slammed into her in a frenzied blur.  She blocked his arm with one hand.  The other held the prized UBS stick out of Miguel's reach tauntingly.

They sparred for a while, well-practiced in each other's movements and attacks.  Sometimes she would land a well-placed clever blow on him, and other times his claws would come dangerously close to the UBS.  Finally, he managed to pin her lithe form into the forest ground.  Miguel's lips turned up into a snarl that showed off his pointed incisors.

She couldn't help but whimper.

His bulking, threatening form was pressed on top of hers.  With his body so close against her, he could smell her sweet and alluring scent, making something inside him purr with need. Honeysuckle, soft cotton, and the lavender shampoo she always used.

He did his best to ignore it.  This was sparring.  Nothing more.  It would never be anything more.  Don't be creepy to your female subordinate.

"You make this too easy."  He growled.  "Don't lose your edge so fast."

She panted, trying to even her respiratory rate.  His clawed hands were so warm, pressing her arms down onto the ground.  He radiated body heat.  His pinpoint pupils stared her down, pinning her in place.  The moment their gazes met, she couldn't look away, captured by those glowing eyes.

No, no, stop.  Don't go there.  He was her coworker.  Her boss.  Her boss with enough emotional baggage to rival any other Spiderperson.  This…training they had between them was for professional use only.  A way to get the edge off.  Like yoga, or boxing.  No romance involved.

Her spider instincts said otherwise.  It took everything in her to ignore her body that was screaming to get as close to Miguel as possible.

Her voice was raspy with need.  "Don't worry, Miguel, I have still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

And with a flick of her wrist, her web trap sprang to life.  Without any Spidey senses, intricate sticky web ensnared Miguel in place.  She deftly rolled out of his grasp, free again to gloat at another tiny victory.  She hovered closely, the eyes on her mask innocent and curious as she observed him.

He growled.  His muscles straining against the restraints.  "Oh you'll pay for that one, chica." 

She tried to hide her giggles behind her hands.

With a quick flex of biceps, the spiderwebs ripped apart.  His bulging muscles and claws easily shredding through her webbing like paper.  Though he was only caught for a few seconds, it was enough of an opening for her to slip away.  Miguel sprung to life lunging after her with clawed hands.

She dodged easily, already slinging away.

He huffed.  Infuriating woman.  He chased after her retreating form.  His blood was pumping hot in his veins.  "You know, this is only eating away at the time I have available for all my stupid paperwork."  His voice lacked any real heat behind his words.  He tried to swipe at her with his talons, only to find her just out of arms reach.

She languidly dogged his arm as she swung on her webbing.  "Hmmm. Your work?  I did it for you already last night."

Miguel's heart skipped a beat.  He almost lost his footing.  "Y-you…you did?"

She twisted her body back to face him as she swung backwards with ease.  "I did most of the stuff I could do without your explicit approval, with Lyla's help of course."  Miguel managed to grab onto her ankle.  She broke through his grasp with well-practiced dexterity.  "Everything else on your desk is just waiting for your signature."

She didn't have to do his busywork.  In fact, Miguel highly discouraged it.  She was far more useful in the field.  Her competency shouldn't be wasted on tasks that were benefit her.  Still, it didn't stop the warmth blooming in his chest.

They flew through the air, going through the motions of this well-practiced dance they had between them.  Perhaps it was accidental or more likely it was on purpose, but eventually her pace faltered as she momentarily lost her balance running from Miguel. 

It was enough for Miguel. 

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he finally caught her.  He slammed her roughly against the nearest rockwall, perhaps too roughly for anyone else that wasn't a Spider.  The forceful impact cracking the wall behind her.  It shuddered as rubble fell on top of the both of them.  Using his back, Miguel shielded from from most of the debris. 

He removed his mask from his face, starved for as much oxygen as he could get.

"Parece que finalmente gané (Look's like I finally won)."  His voice was rough with exertion.

Pulling off her own mask She gasped for air.  Her hair, sticky with sweat, clung to her face and eyelashes.  Her eyes were blown wide from a mixture of adrenaline and exertion.  She jutted out her chin arrogantly, or maybe invitingly.  "Are you here to collect your prize?" 

With a grin on Miguel's handsome face and darkened eyes, he pinned her arms above her, trapping her against the wall.  There was no doubt in his mind, that if she truly did not want this, she could easily break free from his grasp.  There was a flash of sharp fangs as Miguel loomed over her possessively.  Adrenaline pumping through his veins, minds pulsating with animalistic need, he leaned down to kiss her.  The prized UBS drive now entirely forgotten. 

His lips were so soft and contrasted so nicely against the hard contours of the rest of his body.  She eagerly melted into the kiss, wrapping her legs around Miguel's waist to get closer to him.  He smelled of sweat, musk, and sandalwood.�� She struggled not to get drunk off of his scent.   Clawed fingers carefully reached up to cup her face, caressing it so gently. 

His sharp canines accidentally nicked her bottom lip.  Before he could pull away and apologize, she whimpered with need, her tongue darted out, licking at the broken skin.  She looked wild, entirely animalistic, giving into her most base urges.  Miguel was sure he looked the exact same. 

Miguel's fangs latched onto the soft skin of her neck, piercing.  She keened, basking in the pleasure.  Miguel had enough restraint to at least hold back from injecting her with paralytic venom but as her hands roamed over his pectorals greedily, it was getting harder and harder to stop himself from claiming her.

"Miguel, please."  She begged against his skin.  Her throat already bruising with love marks, there was two obvious puncture wounds left by Miguel.

The rational, stressed side of him froze at the sight of her.  She looked like she'd been attacked by…some monster.  What on earth was he thinking?  This was his subordinate, someone he respected.  Someone who sat right next to him during boring conference meetings.  This was wildly inappropriate.  Trapping her and just having his way with her.

He pulled back almost scalded.  He can't believe he let it get this far. 

Seeing his reluctance, she fisted his spidersuit pulling him closer to her.  An animalistic growl came from her throat. Her red eyes were dilated with need.  "Don't you dare fucking stop, Miguel O'Hara."

"Mierda."  What little restrain he had snapped, as he lunged forward to consume her.

Later…much later…he'd ask her again if she would like to spar with him again sometime soon. 

[goodboyaudios]

Is it possible to give us a general resume of the Triad?

Like what's it's social standards? Why does it exist? What's it's purpose in society? When did this whole "doing things in the backgrounds(like sub-delta)" even start? Were they always like this?

Y'know, stuff like that.

Pls?? :3

The Triad's original purpose was to give hope to a world that was facing mass hysteria.

At the time, New Tennessee, the planet, had been split in half by cosmic horrors from Untempora called Leviathans and with it, half the population of the world had been consumed.

People were frightened as the Paladin King had met an untimely demise leading his black crusade into the abyss.

During this time, the women of New Tenessee who had been put in the position of taking care of the sick rather than helping to fight on the front lines, were forced to handle the panicked civilians and soldiers who truly believed this would be their end.

These women were the backbone of sanity for the paladins as they faced the unknown horrors now residing in the mantle of their world. The leading women were the many wives of the now deceased Paladin King. They introduced a religion and the concepts of theism in order to stir the hopes of the people. And thus the Triad of the 3 gods was born.

This might seem farfetched to a lot of you, but to a people that are desperate to stay alive, these ideals sparked and became incredibly popular among the citizens. But it wasn't enough.

The wives of the king recognized that, while their religion had brought hope, it would only be a matter of time before belief faded to anarchy once again. So, they studied and researched the artifacts found on the planet when it was first found. Within them, the found the knowledge of mental sciences. They learned to control the minds of their warriors to keep their minds from slipping into insanity as they fought. They did recognize this inhumane manipulation of the human mind as dark magic, so they disguised it as "the will of the gods coursing through the bodies of their beloved warriors".

One clan in particular willingly submitted their entire family to this "supreme will". This clan was Clan Mirio. This, of course, was not known to Ahlanaas, who was currently in the thick of it, fighting monsters for his countrymen, who he'd assumed were doing just fine. You know how that story goes though, of course.

From then until now, the Triad opted to be the true voice of the Paladins, preaching their holy ideals. But they knew that, to a bunch of punch-happy, battle hymn chanting men, they would need a male figure as their leader. Something for future cannon fodder to look up to and be inspired by. Someone for the word of the gods to enact through, at least to the masses eyes. The Triad elected to stay in the shadows, while a new Paladin King rose among the ranks.

By the way, that someone would've been Athion Blightfinder or Ahlanaas Mirio, but both of them mysteriously disappeared.

While the Paladin King acts as the figure everyone looks up to, the future wives that make up the triad is the real governing force, pulling strings behind the scenes. And whenever they screw up, they pin it on the king, absolving them of all blame.

The Triad's idea to ostracize bastard children, comes from multiple motivations. The first, obviously, is to have a test pool to experiment on without anyone truly caring. The second is to keep men loyal to their wives. For if they dare to step out of line, their "others" will be forcibly removed from the picture.

The incident with Mirio also made them realize that the men should never be allowed to read, lest the anger of mankind be turned on them.

For women its okay, because if a woman ever found out, no man would believe her, but the Triad would believe her...and that's how they'd get them indoctrinated into joining them. By forcing women and men to turn on each other. If a man ever found out...he'd never be able to trust or even look at a woman the same way.

Did I ever mention that Albus is sexist? I thought I made it obvious in the story, but I just wanted to double check lol

Hope that explains everything!

[mugiwara-lucy]

Listen, it’s not about letting Trump win, it’s about letting the Democratic Party know that they still have to earn your vote in order to affect their policy and their current stance on Palestine. Once they’re elected you can’t make them earn your vote anymore, so it’s important to hold that over their head before the elections.

Also, Kamala Harris is NOT “pro-Palestine” as long as she keeps repeating the “Israel has a right to defend itself” truism, and as along as she continues to talk of a ceasefire without doing anything to enforce it. This is not simply a matter of opinion or stance in the matter, the current United States government is a perpetrator of the violence and they need to be addressed as such.

Part of the reason why drawing a line on the sand with this issue is so important is that American liberalism has a history of elevating their own rights as worthy of pursuit while disregarding the way they themselves are complicit in the erosion of those said rights abroad. Leaders of the Civil Rights movement and the Black Panthers back in the sixties and seventies understood, for example, openly challenged and fought the Democrat Vietnam policy because they understood the hypocrisy of letting their rights come at the expense of people dying elsewhere.

“Vote blue no matter who” mentality creates complacency in officials seeking to be elected, it tells them they do not have to earn your vote. Living in a democracy is about making your voice heard and organizing accordingly, so please stop disparaging any efforts made to effectively challenge current policy and use that democratic power for an actual change.

First of all, I'd like to say thank you for being more respectful to me that some of these other Anons.

I will admit I lost my patience on them but when you've been getting harassed for months, it gets to you.

Now look, if we lived in a parallel universe where Project 2025 wasn't a thing and the person running against Kamala was an idiot like RFK Jr who doesn't seem to want to be a dictator, I'd probably agree more with the Non-Voting stance you all want to take although I'd never do it since I want to exercise my right to vote whenever I can but the reality is we don't. We have an unapologetic, lying, hateful evil RAPIST running for president. And I'm not sure if you're American or not but there's some people who downplay just how HORRIFIC his term was and the lasting ramifications of it. Here's the main consequences of him being in office:

Roe v Wade, Affirmative Action and the Chevron was overturned (stuff which was 50 years old that got lost after EIGHT YEARS).

I'm sorry but i am NOT INTERESTED in seeing what's next to go because of a Supreme Court Justice that he appointed. Especially since there'll be vacancies in the next couple of years and if he appoints MORE YOUNGER MAGA TYPE justices, the Supreme Court will be locked hard right for AT LEAST THIRTY YEARS.

Do you KNOW what will happen to this country at that point??

Now Trump has said when he gets back into office he wants to "restrict" the First Amendment:

And one of his Supreme Court dickriders Clarence Thomas was talking about getting rid of Loving V Virginia (the law that made Interracial dating LEGAL):

So that's why I'm putting as MUCH of my effort into making sure Trump does NOT get back into office as much as I can. It's not that I don't care about Palestine (quite the contrary actually) but if we DON'T HAVE OUR RIGHTS HOW CAN WE HELP ANYONE ELSE?? I ask this and get crickets in response.

And Kamala IS Pro-Palestine. Don't forget this:

And having her in office is WAY BETTER for Palestine that this clown that NOT ONLY SAID THIS:

And LITERALLY TRIED to SABOTAGE Kamala's chances at winning the election by conspiring with Natanyahu to HAVE NO ceasefires made:

Which I'd like to point out is in violation of the LOGAN ACT since normal people can NOT interfere in domestic affairs in other countries.

To say they're the similar is uninformed ignorance at best or just willful lying at worse.

They're NOWHERE in the SAME BALLPARK.

It's not disparaging your efforts as it is just saying if we don't get Kamala, we get the rapist back in office who has talked NUMEROUS TIMES about a third term so I wouldn't be surprised if the ONLY way he leaves is in a bodybag.

(ASSUMING THE MILITARY STEPS IN AND DEALS WITH THEM AS THEY HAVE A MANDATE).

[carafell]

In some other post i said that i imagine robotnik to be the supreme leader of a remote human civillization. Well, going down this line, think hes an austrian painter type figure in this world. Yeah, he is the de facto supreme leader, but the thing is he did not rose to power by violence. He was chosen by willing people, and he in a sense reflects all the issues with them.

Before he came to power, I think he was pretty open about what his plan was from the start, and whatever population elevated him to rule simply didnt bother to stop and think what the consequences of his plan may be. Because whenever criticised, he always managed to rationalize or water it down, sugarcoating it with only doing whats best for his people. And after all just look at him, an elderly, eccentric fat man with a moustache. Let him run things for some time, how bad could he be?

And thats exactly the thing. He looks harmless, and in short term he is probably delivering amazing results. The technology is taking a leap and the economy is booming. Suddenly there is a large surplus of everything and life becomes so comfortable that you start getting used to it, and dont really bother to ask where is all this stuff coming from. You buy more shiny stuff, Robotnik distracts you with even crazier tech. Before you know it this becomes your everyday, and you stop caring what the price for keeping this status quo is. There is always a good, moral justification for this state of things anyway. Whats one more forest? Or a polluted ocean there and there. Or an atmosphere so thick you can barely see the sky.

Ans in the end, Robotnik didnt really enslave anyone. He exploited the destructive tendencies and indifference of the people to estabilish his domination. The people who fell into a consumerist agony allowed him to create a social system that allows no other way of life and makes them dependent on him. In this sense, i think that Sonic rebels not only against having his world be ground down for resources by Robotnik, but against a lifestyle that is essentially slavery.

[voidcat-senket]

a!kylo a!poe o!hux - because you taunted me

you have the doc not that its any good I don't know all of it seems to be in Poe POV for some reason and he's just happy to be a matchmaker even though everyone's actually into him. IDK. Woobie!Hux, Jealous!Kylo and Poe Makes No Sense, that's what you wanted right? have a (sfw) snip you can already access:

“I’m honestly shocked at how dumb you are sometimes,” Poe grins, tussling his hair and pushing it out of his eyes. Ben casts a baleful look his way, his nose wrinkling the way it did when they were children, and tugs hard on the wrap around his forearm. Poe watches it blossom red, a concerned haze shrinking his vision down to Kylo’s wounded form, to the fractaline lightning scars spread across his upper back and his shoulder. “Are you here to insult me or make yourself useful,” Ben scoffs, pitching a bottle of antiseptic spray at Poe. Poe ducks to the side, grinning at Ben’s scowl when the bottle hits the wall behind him before plonking down onto the cot beside him. He picks it up, turning it in his hand to inspect the label. “I didn’t think you used this stuff,” he tells Ben, glancing at him through the hair that had immediately fallen back across his face. “I don’t,” Ben growled, tying the knot in his bandages up with one hand and generous help from the Force. Cheater. “Right, you just snatched it off the tray,” Poe chuckles, and ducks again when a pair of scissors follows the bottle. “So is your big rebellion over or what? The emperor’s dead.” “You’re the rebellion.” “The Resistance, you mean.” Ben shoots him a sour look, but Poe’s been immune to those for almost as long as Ben’s been making them. He smiles easily, tries again to flip his hair out of his face. Maybe he should borrow some of those clips off Rose. “So. You’re still alive but there’s nothing left for you to be the Supreme Leader of anymore. What are you going to do?” “How should I know?” Ben grumbled, as if his ship had broken down and not that the last decade of his life had just been shredded to nothing. Well. Not all of it. Poe just happened to know that a man who would’ve been at the front of the line for execution, had the First Order fallen a year ago, had now been removed entirely from it, and was at this moment embroiled in a meeting that Poe very much should’ve attended. \\\ A man that imagined a universe where everything could be regimented to pure, perfect efficiency, where transportation always ran on time and any deviancy was dismantled and disposed of, but not one where he had any intrinsic worth. A man who crushed himself over wanting there to be meaning in the bites his mate left behind in his weakest moment and locked away even the concept of yearning in his strongest. A man with a mind like a warehouse who could pluck out battle blueprints fully formed from six pieces of information and a single manifest. The first natural leader Poe had ever met that seemed genuinely baffled whenever anyone asked him for his expertise.

[readingsquotes]

In the last four years, mainstream Democrats have: nominated a former prosecutor for president; elected an ex-NYPD officer to run New York City; campaigned on deporting more people; funneled money and weapons to regimes committing war crimes; overseen the beatings and arrests of people demanding police reform; sent more police officers to wallop students protesting for Palestinian rights; ratcheted up the War on Drugs; worked with major corporate retailers to arrest more shoplifters; filed racketeering and conspiracy charges against police-reform protesters in Atlanta; made it easier to arrest New Yorkers and Californians with mental illness; defended the use of solitary confinement; supported a landmark Supreme Court case to let cops arrest unhoused people; tried to imprison one of the world’s most famous rappers; promised to build Donald Trump’s border wall; ran endless ads about Trump’s criminal record; and applauded as the president chanted “Fund the Police!” during his most-watched yearly address. 

And yet, after an election last week in which voters all but screamed that the Democratic Party is moving in the wrong direction, centrist and conservative pundits have drawn the opposite conclusion: The Democrats are, somehow, still too soft on crime. 

The belief persists against all logic: Four years of proudly Backing The Blue, at a minimum, failed to help Democratic voter turnout—and likely depressed votes from progressives. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s mythical moderate Republican voters, whom the party molded its entire platform to pursue, did not arrive to carry the party to the finish line. Instead, the pro-cop platform seems to have done nothing but legitimize Republican grievances and hand Trump a bolstered police and surveillance state. Despite this, many of the Democratic Party’s staunchest defenders seem to think the only way forward is to become even more like Republicans—rather than offer voters anything different at all.

....

In some down-ballot races, Democrats were undone by the crime panics they themselves ginned up. Virtually no Democrat did more to stoke “organized retail theft” fears over the last election cycle than San Francisco Mayor London Breed—who, despite bending over backward to crack down on the poor and homeless, was ousted last week by a first-time politician who attacked her record on crime. A similar fate befell Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, among others. 

It shouldn’t have taken losing another presidential election in embarrassing fashion to teach Democrats that Republican voters simply want to vote for Republicans. Or that half-conservative measures don’t work when the other party is happy to outflank you from the right. But here we are. Rolling over whenever conservatives whipped up a new crime panic did not reward Democratic candidates. It instead taught voters that Republicans’ racist, dubious, and malicious narratives about crime were the only ones that mattered. While it’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason a presidential candidate lost an election, it is incontrovertible that “support for law enforcement” was a key principle of one of the least popular administrations in recent history. As such, there is nothing to lose in standing against a violent policing system that will never help Democrats anyway.

[talkingpointsusa]

Trial Derangement Syndrome

I am happy to report that former-president Donald J Trump is now convicted felon Donald J Trump. This makes Donald Trump the first US President ever convicted of felony crimes, although I can name a bunch of presidents off the top of my head who probably should have been convicted too. Odds are this won't stop Trump from running for president or really amount to a lot but it's still quite the footnote in history. I'm not pretending to be a legal expert nor do I believe that this is the strongest case presented against Donald Trump, however using the evidence available to me it's pretty clear that right-wing media is just making shit up on the fly about this.

The news that a criminal was found guilty of committing crimes has proven difficult for the law and order party so I figured we'd take a look at how some of our favorite goons and grifters are processing this news. Lets get into it.

Charlie Kirk:

There are few people in this bizarre right-wing media space more Trump obsessed than Charlie Kirk. I figured that he would be one of the first to have a meltdown over the verdict and I wasn't wrong. Charlie's working from home meaning that the audio is absolutely atrocious and it's also pretty clear that he's in one of his moods.

07:44, Charlie Kirk: "Donald Trump has now been convicted of 34 counts. They got what they wanted. They wanted to change his name. His name on his drivers license has been Donald John Trump, now he will be introduced on every cable broadcast as convicted felon Donald Trump. He has a new prefix to his name."

Charlie, there's a good chance that this goes to the Supreme Court and if that's the case it's likely that it will end up getting overturned. Furthermore, these types of charges rarely if ever result in jail time so odds are Trump will get a fine and maybe probation. Plus, he got that prefix honestly by committing fraud so this is a pretty moot point. I get to call convicted felons who committed crimes convicted felons.

In short, calm your tiny face down.

08:06, Charlie Kirk: "Now we've talked about for quite some time that this is a banana republic. You hear people saying that on television."

Those "people" being you, carry on.

08:18, Charlie Kirk: "Well just a few months ahead of the national election in 2021, Nicaragua, the police arrested seven opposition leaders within a single week, all of them for the vague crime for acting against the independence, sovereignty and auto-determination of the country."

This is a dumb comparison. For this comparison to make sense this trial would have had to not only be politically motivated which it wasn't but they would have arrested multiple figures in the Republican Party like MTG and Matt Gaetz. They would have also presumably hit Trump with more serious charges, arrested the Trump-leaning members of the Supreme Court, and left no room for him to appeal. None of that's happened because Charlie and right-wing media's idea of this trial is fantasyland nonsense.

10:26, Charlie Kirk: "What was fascinating to see, and I suppose this is one of the only silver linings, is the amount of people that were contacting me who are not Trump fans, that do not care for his politics. And they're angry, they're upset and they say what country are we living in?"

Whenever I watch Charlie Kirk I have to ask myself if this guy just gives out his phone number for fun. He always talks about how "oh yeah, I got all these texts from people who happen to perfectly confirm my political ideology...they live in Canada and you can't meet them".

Also, I'm sorry but there's absolutely no way that anybody who doesn't like Donald Trump is watching Charlie Kirk. The dude is literally wearing a MAGA cap as he records this episode. Charlie Kirk's entire show is just him getting high off of Donald Trumps boot polish. Maybe he got emails from people claiming to not be Trump fans but come on.

10:55, Charlie Kirk: "The way that our system of justice should operate is that picture of Lady Liberty. It should be blind. That idea is that nobody is above the law and that no one is below the law. Meaning that you should equally apply justice regardless of who you are."

First of all, that symbol isn't a "picture of lady liberty" you clod. What you are trying to refer to is Lady Justice which has been a symbol of the justice system for decades.

That's a petty complaint though because the bigger point here is that Charlie should be all for this trial by his logic. Trump was caught committing a crime, was convicted by a jury of his peers, and now has the opportunity to appeal like everybody else. The picture of lady liberty at it's finest.

11:20, Charlie Kirk: "Now, I would not get too fired up today if Donald Trump was convicted by a jury of his peers for I don't know, flying on Lolita Express to a mysterious Carribean Island with a financier named Jeffrey Epstein."

Brining up Epstein when you're defending Trump is a ballsy move Charlie. I'll just leave this picture here:

Hmmm, looking pretty palsy with this Epstein guy. I wonder if Charlie's upset about that.

And this statistic here: Epstein's flight logs show that Trump flew on the Lolita Express multiple times. You know, the thing that Charlie would be pissed about if Donald Trump did. He probably just forgot about that.

And this quote straight from the horses mouth here: “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”

So yeah, I expect Charlie to devote his next episode to denouncing Donald Trump since it appears that Trump crossed his line in the sand. So, this guy Charlie is whinging and whining about Trump and he's just kind of making shit up.

12:51, Charlie Kirk: "What actually is his crime? We must be morally clear about this. His crime is that he wanted this country to get back to greatness."

And he committed fraud, don't forget that Charlie.

13:03, Charlie Kirk: "The crime is that he was successful in leading an American revival."

Still missing the fraud part but OK. Hey, remember that time when Trump botched the response to the pandemic and millions of American's ended up dying? I guess that's Charlie's idea of an American revival.

It wouldn't be making fun of Charlie Kirk without a wildly inappropriate and awkward ad pivot so here you go.

16:58, Charlie Kirk: "Yesterday is a day unlike any other. It will go down in the memory of the nation like the JFK Assassination, like 9/11. It'll go down like the 2008 financial crisis, like COVID, it will go down like the 2016 election. You will remember where you were on May 30. Relieffactor.com, 100% drug free Relief Factor. Knee pain, back pain, joint pain, elbow pain, check it out right now at relieffactor.com."

If Trump's conviction is like 9/11 that makes Charlie Kirk the asshole who's plugging pain meds on 9/11. So, that basically sums up the Charlie Kirk Show - the usual deranged nonsense. I still feel kind of uninformed about why this trial was rigged and politically motivated, let's take a look at someone who actually studied law. Surely he can explain this.

Ben Shapiro:

So, Ben went to law school at Harvard and used to be a "never-Trumper" so I kind of assumed that he'd take the L on this one. Nope, still BENding the knee and sucking around Donald Trump because a lot of Ben's followers would unsubscribe if he spoke out against him.

00:00, Ben Shapiro: "Late on Thursday afternoon, American Democracy came under extraordinary threat when a New York jury, twelve New Yorkers, decided to convict Donald Trump."

That's how trials work Ben. If Trump was found not guilty that would also be a valid verdict. And again, if there was something truly wrong with the trial Trump can absolutely appeal. You would think that if these guys had a point they'd just state Donald Trump's defense. You'd think that if Trump had a point he'd take the stand and set the record straight about what actually happened. None of that happened which is not a problem for the brilliant legal mind of Ben Shapiro.

00:40, Ben Shapiro: "This was all set up to convict Donald Trump simply so that Democrats could either jail Donald Trump or spend the next few months declaring Donald Trump a convicted felon."

Yeah, you probably see where this is going. Man, these guys are truly all the same person aren't they? To Ben's credit, he does try to make a legal argument here.

00:53, Ben Shapiro: "The actual methodology by which he was found guilty is utterly uncertain. As we discussed a little bit earlier today, the reality is that there were two crimes alleged. A misdemeanor falsification of business records which would not have resulted in any possible jailtime but that was reliant to become a felony on other, on other, crimes. Unspecified crimes. And those crimes could have been a violation of federal finance law except that Donald Trump clearly did not violate federal finance law. Not only that, the federal government never even bothered to charge him with violating federal finance law, federal election law, in 2016. Check your calendar, it is currently 2024 and the case that New York just made is effectively that Donald Trump violated election law in 2016, falsified business records in 2017, and somehow despite the fact that the statute of limitations has run already this is now a class-e felony in the state of New York lengthening the statute of limitations."

First of all, sentencing hasn’t happened yet so it’s not even certain if Donald Trump will receive jail time or not. Ben's really making declarations that haven't been backed up by fact yet.

Trump is being charged with the felony version of falsifying business records with the intent to conceal another crime which is a felony charge. While Trump did commit this felony in 2017, New York State law states that the clock on the statute of limitations stops when the defendant is continuously out of state. As a result, it's legally plausible that the time Trump's spent in Mar-A-Lago and the White House do not count against the clock. There's certainly debate to be had about the legal theory behind this but Ben's not really operating on FACTS AND LOGIC and completely leaving out parts of the case. Again, Trump and his team had the opportunity to present a better defense for his actions instead of whining on Truth Social but that didn't happen.

The “unspecified crimes” are all specified. There’s a lengthy lengthy document specifying all thirty four of the charges. The crimes which Trump intended to conceal are also specified. Again, Ben went to Harvard Law School so I would hope that he's just grifting here.

03:03, Ben Shapiro: "I don't think the American people are gonna stand for this. I think that if Joe Biden believes this is gonna somehow redound to his benefit rather than appearing as a politically motivated hitjob on his political opponent in an unprecedented prosecution of the man most likely to take him out of office in November, I think he's got another thing coming."

There is absolutely zero evidence that Biden was in anyway involved in the prosecution of Donald Trump. That's just something that right-wing media has attempted to force into reality without anything backing it up outside of feelings. Unfortunately, facts don't care about Ben's feelings and I implore him to dig up some evidence before making hefty claims like that.

06:49, Ben Shapiro: "The fact that we are even considering this is totally and utterly insane. Again, we keep being told by the media that Merchan is unlikely to sentence him to any jailtime because he wouldn't want to be the man who puts the chief Republican Candidate in prison - I think precisely the reverse. I think Democrats truly believe that if they throw Trump in jail that the American people will surrender to the Biden administration and if that's the case, this is in fact a thwarting of basic standards of Democracy."

"Hey guys, if this hypothetical scenario that I just presented without any evidence to back it up is indeed correct that would be a thwarting of Democracy."

Yeesh, I thought that Ben Shapiro wasn't supposed to base his positions on his feelings. But yeah, I don't think that Trump's going to get any jailtime. Between his age, the fact that he's a first time offender, and all the political baggage the likelihood of Trump being thrown behind bars is slim at best. Like I said before, he'll probably get a fine and maybe probation at worst. Plus, I doubt this changes much in the grand scheme of things. Trump supporters will remain Trump supporters and people who hate Trump will continue to hate Trump.

Ok, we've seen the perspective of the sycophant and the legal mind, now let's see the perspective of the professional sociopath.

Matt Walsh:

Here's another one of these Daily Wire goons yelling about the trial. Matt Walsh has a brilliant response to the conviction - clog up the justice system with useless trials against Democrats so that he can get revenge!

01:51, Matt Walsh: "Donald Trump as you have certainly heard by now has been convicted. The verdict is in, guilty. Guilty of all 34 felony counts of running for re-election."

This sets the tone of Matt's coverage here, again they're all the same person. I wonder if these guys all get propaganda memos that state what they're supposed to say.

03:29, Matt Walsh: "As I outlined last week, in order to convict Donald Trump it was not enough to show that he had supposedly falsified a business record, the government also had to show that Trump had falsified those records in furtherance of some other crime but what was the other crime?"

Matt Walsh's "What is a Conviction?" coming soon to DailyWire+

I'll help our confused friend of the blog Matt Walsh out and explain what the other crime was. The prosecution argued that the other crime was the intent to cover up the true nature of his payments to Michael Cohen as well as his violation of New York State probation law on conspiring “to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means.”

So, one of the other things that right-wing media is whinging about is the jury instructions. Naturally, they need some way to discredit the fact that a jury that was picked by the prosecution and the defense found Donald Trump guilty. Well, lets see what Matt comes up with.

07:17, Matt Walsh: "Now, which circular incoherent conspiracy did the jury buy? Who knows, the judge didn't require them to make that decision unanimously. Each juror could have picked a different crime to convict Trump of committing."

This is completely false. In actuality, Merchan told the jury that they had to reach a unanimous verdict on each of the 34 felony counts however they could consider the three ways which the concealing another crime law was broken and they didn't have to be unanimous on that. Meaning that if they did reach a guilty verdict and agreed on all of the 34 charges that Trump was actually being tried for, they could all have differing opinions on what he was concealing. The 34 counts were what the trial was about and those obviously had to be unanimous.

So, this Matt Walsh show is super reactionary but it's also extraordinarily lazy. Here's Matt advocating for revenge later in the video without doing you know, a google search.

20:04, Matt Walsh: "Now the necessary response is obvious, although it won't be pleasant. Donald Trump should immediately create and publish a list of 10 high-ranking Democrat criminals who he will have arrested when he takes office. First on the list should be Joe Biden. Second should be Joe Biden's crackhead son."

If Matt actually bothered to look into what he's talking about he'd find out that Hunter Biden, the guy who he's decided must be put on trial post-haste, is about to be put on trial for federal firearms charges. I guess Matt wants Hunter to be double charged. Also, Hunter is not a part of the government dipstick. He's never served in Biden's Administration or been a part of the party.

Really, what Matt is advocating for here is clogging up the justice system with useless trials for revenge. There's absolutely no evidence that Biden had any part in the conviction of Donald Trump so that would be a short and extremely wasteful trial.

Even if this was a show trial, the best thing to do in that situation is find a Democratic solution to the problem instead of doing it right back at them. I guess every accusation really is a confession since Matt seems really excited about using the law to get revenge.

Conclusion:

Well, that's how some of our least favorite internet lunatics have taken the news....namely not so well. Maybe I'll do another post to see how some of the secondary characters of conservative media like Dave Rubin and Michael Knowles are handling this later, we'll see. In the meantime, cheers and I'll see you in the next one.

Original Videos:

“The Trump Verdict Aftermath | Miller, Scharf, Sacks | LIVE 5.31.24.” Rumble.com, 31 May 2024.

“BREAKING: Trump Found Guilty.” Www.dailywire.com.

“Ep. 1378 - Donald Trump Found Guilty of Running for President.” Www.dailywire.com, www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1378.

Sources:

Reporter, Ewan Palmer. “Donald Trump Flights on Jeffrey Epstein’s “Lolita Express”—What We Know.” Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2024.

“Trump Called Epstein a “Terrific Guy” Who Enjoyed “Younger” Women before Denying Relationship with Him.” Washington Post.

Levitz, Eric. “The Best — and Worst — Criticisms of Trump’s Conviction.” Vox, 31 May 2024.

“Trump Indictment.” Www.documentcloud.org.

“Posts Misrepresent New York Judge’s Instructions to Jury in Trump Hush Money Trial.” AP News, 29 May 2024.

Thrush, Glenn, and Mattathias Schwartz. “Bracing for Start of Trial in Gun Case, Hunter Biden Is Squeezed for Money.” The New York Times, 31 May 2024.

[foxylead]

Filling Your Funnel: Top B2B Lead Generation Strategies for 2024

In the world of B2B (business-to-business) sales, a steady stream of qualified leads is the lifeblood of your success. But how do you attract the right kind of attention and convert those prospects into happy customers? That's where B2B lead generation strategies come in.

This guide dives deep into 20 effective strategies you can leverage to generate high-quality leads and fuel your B2B sales engine. We'll cover a variety of approaches, from content marketing to social media tactics, all designed to help you connect with the right decision-makers and nurture them into loyal customers.

Understanding B2B Lead Generation

Before diving into specific tactics, let's take a step back and understand the core concept of B2B lead generation. Unlike B2C (business-to-consumer) marketing, where you might target individual buyers with a quick purchase decision, B2B sales typically involve a longer buying journey with multiple stakeholders involved.

Your goal in B2B lead generation is to identify companies that could benefit from your products or services, then attract their attention with valuable content and nurturing campaigns. Ultimately, you want to convert these prospects into qualified leads – those who have a genuine interest in your offerings and are a good fit for your business.

The Power of Content Marketing

Content marketing reigns supreme as one of the most effective B2B lead generation strategies. By creating high-quality, informative content that addresses your target audience's pain points and interests, you establish yourself as a thought leader and a trusted resource.

Here are some content marketing ideas to get you started:

Blog posts: Share industry insights, thought leadership pieces, and practical tips relevant to your target audience.

Ebooks and white papers: Offer in-depth guides and research reports on topics that resonate with your ideal customer profile.

Webinars and online events: Host interactive sessions to educate prospects and demonstrate your expertise.

Infographics and video content: Utilize visually appealing content to grab attention and explain complex topics in an easily digestible way.

Optimizing Your Website for Lead Capture

Your website is your online storefront, so it needs to be optimized to capture leads effectively. Here are some key elements:

Clear value proposition: Communicate the benefits of your products or services upfront and center.

Compelling calls to action (CTAs): Encourage visitors to take the next step, whether it's downloading a white paper, subscribing to your newsletter, or requesting a demo.

Landing pages: Create dedicated landing pages focused on specific offers and capture leads with relevant forms.

Lead capture forms: Keep them short and sweet, only requesting the essential information.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Ensure your website ranks high in search results for relevant keywords to attract organic traffic.

Harnessing the Power of Social Media

Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter offer a fantastic avenue to connect with potential customers and build relationships.

Join industry groups and participate in discussions.

Share your valuable content and engage in relevant conversations.

Run targeted social media ads to reach a wider audience.

Leverage social listening tools to track industry trends and identify potential leads.

Showcase your company culture and humanize your brand.

Email Marketing: A Classic Lead Nurturing Tool

Don't underestimate the power of email marketing. Building an email list allows you to nurture leads and stay top-of-mind throughout their buying journey.

Offer valuable email newsletters with industry insights, product updates, or exclusive content.

Segment your email list based on interests and tailor your messaging accordingly.

Personalize emails whenever possible to create a more engaging experience.

A/B tests different email subject lines and content to optimize your campaigns.

Automate email workflows for lead nurturing to stay connected with prospects at different stages of their buying journey.

Lead Generation System: Streamlining the Process

While not a single tactic, a well-designed lead generation system can significantly improve your efficiency. This system can encompass various tools and processes that work together to automate and streamline your lead generation activities.

Here are some key considerations for your lead generation system:

Marketing automation: Utilize marketing automation software to automate repetitive tasks like email sending, lead scoring, and nurturing campaigns.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) integration: Integrate your lead generation efforts with your CRM to effectively manage leads and track their progress throughout the sales funnel.

[randomnameless]

Whenever you have a Supreme Leader line, always double check to see if it isn't one of Pat's specialities!

So, Pat!Supreme Leader wants to force (uh) the people of Fodlan to open their eyes to the truth contained in her manifesto (CoS BaD, Kingdom and Alliance nobles BaD), and those people, after having their eyes opened, will abandon the idea of wanting to resist against Adrestia invading their homes and conquering their lands.

FE16's Supreme Leader wants to use her manifesto to cause "disquiet" in the lands to be conquered : this disquiet will influence people to not rebel when Adrestia will knock at their doors.

[urfavstargirl1]

The Empress, Part IX

A/n: this chapter is a bit personal to me. after writing it, I realized how this particular conversation between kylo and the mc involved a lot of personal processing on my end. It's a slightly different direction than what I initially planned but I think it works out. Additionally, this will be the second to last chapter of this series. Chapter ten will be the ultimate conclusion of "The Empress" so stay tuned xx :)

AO3 Link

Kylo Ren x Female Reader

Words: 4500

Chapters: 9/10

Chapter Summary: Kylo is ready to take the relationship to the next level, but is Y/N? Y/N is finally at a comfortable place with Kylo, but what will she say when he finally asks her to not only be his wife, but his empress too?

Story Summary: As Kylo Ren steps into power as Supreme Leader, he struggles to use his power to effectively lead the Empire. Y/N is a renowned Commander eagerly working her way up the ranks. Her loyalty to the Empire is tested when the Supreme Leader suddenly takes an interest in her. When one date becomes several and she is ultimately tasked with becoming Empress and wife of the Supreme Leader, will Y/N be able to handle that kind of power outside the commander’s uniform?

CW: angst, swearing, romance, kissing, making out, fluff,

The soft woven blanket stretches across my bare shoulder blades. My cheek presses into the pillow. A pair of long sturdy legs entangle mine. And a milky white arm drapes across my waist, securing me in place like a seat belt.

I take a deep breath and open my sleepy eyes. The division of my upper and lower lashes presents the sight of a blank wall. Instinctively, I turn over my shoulder and am welcomed with the view of the most princely figure in the galaxy.

I shift my body to turn towards him. My shifting dislodges the blankets and untangles our limbs. Once comfortable, I cease my movement. My change in position renders him unencumbered and I sigh in relief.

My fingers itch touch him and my lips ache to taste his, but out of fear that it might wake him, I deprive myself of these urges. Instead, I simply admire the heavenly body lying next to me.

His angelic locks spread about the pillowcase. Half his face is buried in the contours of the pillow beneath him. The other half remains visible to me with the exception of a few shadows dancing across his skin. His short eyelashes cast shadows across his cheek. The soft skin of his cheek and long line of his nose capture any light that has made its way into the room. Below, his strong jaw and chin cast a shadow onto his thick neck.

To think I might be the only person in the galaxy who could ever see him like this is an honor beyond measure. To be able to see him so peaceful and at ease is a remarkable feat only I can bear witness to. While I wish others could become acquainted with this side of him as well, a small selfish part of me relishes in it.

Like the way my coworker Locke once told me that he notices the Supreme Leader always takes his mask off whenever I’m in his presence. He found it to be an arrogant display towards earning my affections. “He'll wear that stupid mask every other hour of the day but I swear as soon as you’re in the room, he takes it off just to impress you!” Locke would say. The thought amused me so, mainly because of how incorrect it was. I actually asked Kylo to stop wearing the mask in the first place because it was too intimidating. It made his subordinates too fearful of him. “Well what's the point?'' he had said. “If you want them to fear you then go right ahead, but if you want them to respect you then the mask won't do anything about that. You have to earn their respect and be the kind of leader people actually want to follow,” I had told him.

After that conversation, I noticed he would wear the mask less, little by little. He still insisted on wearing it but when I told him that I wanted to be able to see his handsome face and pretty hair, it went to his head a bit, but it made him keep the mask off, for me at least.

“Y/n,” he releases a guttural sound. His voice is so low I can't tell if he's calling out to me or talking in his sleep.

“You're staring at me,” He adds before slowly fluttering his eyelids open like the wings of a butterfly flapping. His honey brown eyes revealed.

I offer a small smile and argue, “You got a problem with that?”

“Never when it concerns my beautiful little star,” he replies then places his fingers along the base of my throat. He leans forward and places a loving kiss on my lips.

“Good morning,” he whispers after he pulls apart. He reaches over his back to turn on a lamp and illuminate the space. The golden light cast upon him is ethereal.

“Indeed it is,” I beam at him. He places his fingers along my collarbone and drags them in a painstakingly slow manner down to my waist where he pulls me closer to him.

“How did you sleep my love?”

“Better than I have in ages,” I admit. I don't normally have issues with sleep, with the exception of a restless night here and there. However, this is the first time I have ever shared slumber with another. Despite how little I have to compare it to, I know there is no going back.

“So have I. I have never felt more well-rested or at peace in my entire life,” he replies and I know exactly what he means.

Without thinking, I lean forward and place a few sloppy kisses along his collarbones.

“I know. I think I could get used to this,” I comment between kisses. He props himself on his elbow and smiles widely.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I smile sheepishly. “Can we just stay here for the rest of the weekend,” I plead and shuffle toward him. He lies on his back and I place my cheek along his bare chest. I swing my leg over his hips and place my hand on his sternum. “I just want you all to myself.”

“Sure, if it so pleases the lady,” he says, wrapping his arms around me. I lean forward and press a kiss to his jaw.

“It does,” I reply with a lazy smile.

“And besides, all I really had planned was to pack and get ready for my mission,” I comment off-handedly before realization hits me. I wasted so much time avoiding my feelings, thereby avoiding Kylo, that now I have little time to spend with him before I go on mission for three weeks.

He quirks an eyebrow at me, sensing my change in energy.

“What’s wrong,” he asks.

“Did you know, I’m being sent back to Korr for a three week mission?” I ask while running my finger tips along the relaxed skin of his stomach

“I did actually, Hux ran through the mission materials with me a while back. I meant to convey my congratulations to you earlier”

“Why aren’t you coming this time?” I whine. I didn’t mean for it to come out so desperate. When I first saw the roster of soldiers who would be included on the mission, the two things I noticed were that Kylo’s name was nowhere to be found and that I was the highest ranking official on the list.

I lean over and place my hand on his chest. I rest my chin atop my hands and look into his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I was just surprised when I didn’t see your name on the roster.”

“There is no need to apologize, my love. I can understand your disappointment. I too wished to have attended with you, but it is my understanding that this will be the first mission you lead alone and for that I am utterly confident in your abilities. And I must say, you will not be the only one on mission within the coming weeks. Hux is organizing a mission to Planet Myr. I will be joining him for a diplomatic convention on the acquisition of Myr into First Order territory,” he informs while rubbing small circles into my back. At the reception of his news, I instantly perk up.

“What? Are you serious,” I ask and he nods with a proud smile.

“Wow,” I whisper, mainly to myself.

“It seems as though a certain commander was wise beyond her years,” he comments and I wrinkle my nose. I foresaw all of the events of the past few months and coming weeks, but surely anybody else could have too.

“I don’t know about that.”

“Why not? No one else could have foreseen such a successful turn of events”

“I guess so… But it just didn’t feel that monumental in the moment. I mean it felt monumental to speak up and defend myself and express an idea for the most powerful minds in the First Order to hear let alone accept with open arms. And yet… It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. It seemed like the most obvious idea and the most obvious choice. And now, it’s working out exactly as I thought it would. It’s no longer just an idea, it’s a reality…” I fade out, reflecting on the fact that my simple words have turned into actions that have very likely changed the lives of many. It’s a daunting sense of power to have. It’s almost too much to handle and yet it gives me a sense of energy and purpose that I’ve never felt before.

“What are you thinking about, little star?”

“I’m thinking about how weird this is. How weird this feels. This power to enact change is something I’ve yearned for yet never truly felt until this moment. And now, I feel both the weight of the world on my shoulders and the strength to carry it anyway. Is this how it always feels?”

He sighs and cocks his head to the side ever so slightly. He smiles, in an almost pained way but after a moment, it appears to turn into a sense of relief. His eyes search mine, but I’m not sure what they’re looking for.

“Not many leaders in my day seem to share any sort of similar experience or philosophy. For many, this is nothing more than a job. But for a few, this is a way of life and a mission to bring change to the world. As for me, I would say that it is something I feel quite often. As of late, there have been plenty of times where I feel all of the weight and zero of the strength, but since you’ve entered my life, I found that strength once again and it has only grown stronger by the day.”

I look into his eyes and, for the first time, I truly see the man behind the mask. A man who is thoughtful and sensitive yet fierce and driven.

This is his realm. Something he has fought tooth and nail to protect. This is his life's work at stake and without even realizing it, it has become mine as well.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you, Y/n,” he softly asks and shifts his body upward so that he sits with his back against the headboard. In response, I shift my body so that I’m sitting up too. We lean to the side to face each other. He wraps his strong arms around my body and our legs entangle. I place a hand on his leg and look up into his eyes.

“As you may or may not know, the preparations for this year’s Emperor's Ball have commenced.”

The Emperor’s Ball, the yearly celebration of the First Order. The Emperor's Ball is where all of the First Order’s military and allies come together and celebrate the victories of the past year. There is an award ceremony, celebratory dinner, and dance. It is the most formal event held and the highest honor for any person to attend. All soldiers are required to attend and are allowed one guest of honor to attend with them. Most bring their significant others, some bring a parent, others bring a friend, and quite often you’ll see solo attendees. The Emperor's Ball is a great way to meet people and it’s one of the few fun celebrations we have. My first two balls, I alternated taking Balia and Karmir. I wanted them both to experience it and I wanted to share the honor with them, but they both agreed it was far too formal for their taste so I continued attending by myself soon after. It is a bit rather formal, but I kind of like the formality of the event. I always enjoyed dressing up and partaking in such a regal tradition.

“Oh yeah, it is about that time isn’t it,” I reply and he nods.

“Yes it is. And I may or may not have a proposition for you,” he shakily asks. I give him a quizzical look and slightly chuckle.

“Okay then, let’s hear it.”

“Hm…” he exhales while looking into my eyes. He searches for a bit before locking them, looking at me head on. My heart begins to beat rapidly, my pulse almost drowning out my ear drums. Is he going to say what I think he’s going to say?

“Y/n Y/l/n,” he says and pauses.

“This must be serious if you’re bringing my full legal name into the matter,” I tease, trying to offer some relief to the tension building in the room which is of no avail to Kylo.

“I would be so honored… If you would attend the Emperor’s Ball… with me,” he gulps. I blink rapidly for a few seconds.

“Like, as your guest of honor,” I ask, my voice rising to a higher pitch than normal.

“Yes.”

“Wow,” I mutter. I’m both surprised that he’s asking yet aware how obvious it should be for us to go together. It takes me a while to process his question and the possible implications of my answer.

“That’s… That’s a very good question,” I say. My mouth instinctively talking nonsense to hide all the thoughts I should be verbalizing. Going to the ball with Kylo? How would that even work? We would be displaying our relationship in front of everyone in the empire.

“Y/n, please say something,” he says after I’ve been quiet for a moment too long. He looks at me, awaiting my acceptance or rejection.

“Oh, um, you know just crunching the numbers a bit,” I awkwardly joke and he frowns.

“Y/n, I know what you must be thinking.”

I look from our interlocked finger to his eyes.

“Just, for a second, forget about the politics of it all, okay? Forget about everyone else. Would you want to go to the ball with me?”

I sigh in exasperation. “Of course I would.”

“See, it’s as simple as that.”

“Kylo, it isn’t and you know it.”

“Why can’t it be? We’re two people who fell in love, what’s so wrong with that?”

“What’s wrong is that that’s not the full picture. Yeah we’re two people who fell in love but I’m also someone who engaged in relations with a superior officer and you a subordinate.”

I start to feel queasy just saying that.

“And besides, attending the ball together would mean… presenting ourselves to the public. Presenting our relationship to the public. How would that even work? All our soldiers seeing us arm in arm, what would that look like to them? And when engaging with our allies, how would we even present ourselves. Oh Duke and Duchess if it would so please thoust to meet my girlfriend Y/n Y/l/n, ugh it just sounds ridiculous.”

“That hadn’t even crossed my mind,” Kylo softly whispers.

“Even if it weren’t for the ball, are you ready to take our relationship public?”

He pulls me tighter against his body and nuzzles his cheek to the top of my head. He pulls away and looks into my deep brown eyes.

“Yes. I have for some time now.”

“What,” I quietly gasp.

“I wanted to wait until you were ready, but it has been my desire to truly be with you. I’m tired of hiding. I can no longer keep my love for you a secret.”

“I-I didn’t know you felt that way.”

“Y/n, you must understand. I coveted the title of Supreme Leader for longer than you know. With that title comes many responsibilities I was unaware of till thrust into the position of emperor. One such responsibility was… to find someone to share the throne with. For years, I thought I could live without. Then, one day, one of my closest advisors spoke to me about a promising young soldier. She was top of her class and showed initiative and passion like no other. At the time, I didn’t think much of it but promised to keep an eye out for she was promised to have had great potential for leadership. Soon enough, I saw that potential in action. In small moments at the start of her career I bore witness to her commitment to excellence and was awestruck. I thought to myself, one day, I will make this woman my wife.”

My lips tremble and my heart does somersaults. But before I can say anything, he continues.

“I had no thought of what my empress would be like, but any moment I saw you commanding a room with grace or supporting a fellow soldier with care, I knew that that’s exactly what she would be like. And up until this point, I hadn’t even properly met you yet. There were moments where I felt I might be ludicrous for having such thoughts, but then I realized it would only be ludicrous to have them and not so much as act on them. I knew what I had to do, but I found it difficult to find the courage to do it. For the first time in my life, I realized how difficult it must be for others to approach me. Even with such warm and inviting countenance, I feared approaching you for some time. I feared my advances might insult you or scare you away. And knowing my track record, I just wanted to make a good impression on you, in any way possible. I knew it was a risk to set my sights on you, but if I couldn’t be with you, then I didn’t want to be with anybody else. And for the first time in my life, I can see my future so clearly, and it’s because I see you in it.”

His gaze leaves me in shambles and I look away, too cowardly to embrace his words.

“I understand if this is moving too fast for you and I’m more than willing to slow things down, but for me, the ultimate outcome for us would be for us to enter such union and preside over the empire, together”

My mind runs blank for a moment. His words are rather difficult to compute in my brain that it takes more time than it probably should to really process them. As for my heart, I sense it expanding and contracting in such a visceral way that I can almost feel it in my throat.

I had always wondered why he chose me. Oftentimes, the curiosity of his actions and thoughts ate at me, but now, learning the true motives and implications of his desires leaves me utterly breathless. Here is Kylo Ren, raw and vulnerable, serving his heart to me on a silver platter. And I? Well, I for one am unsure how to accept.

And yet, if I had to think about it, I couldn’t imagine things going any other way either.

“This… is a lot to take in. But I… I can’t say I haven’t thought about that either. The idea terrified me so I didn’t give too much thought to it, but I knew that if I continued down this path, it would lead me to becoming one with you. I hadn’t expected it would happen so soon, but I knew the day might come in the future. I must admit, I could see myself becoming your wife, but it is much more difficult to see myself become… The Empress of the First Order. I’m not opposed to the idea, but I do not see myself accepting the title so easily. However, I know it’s all or nothing. That I cannot simply say yes to one and no to the other. Your wife is your empress and that’s that. But, I fear it might take me a great deal of time to reconcile the two.”

“Y/n, before you say anything else, I just want you to know…”

He leans over to reach for something on the floor. He leans back up and displays a small black box sitting in the palm of his hand. He pries it open to reveal a small golden band with a solitaire diamond shining brighter than the stars above. He looks at me with all the love and admiration I could ever dream of.

“I’ve kept this with me ever since you agreed to have dinner with me for the very first time. It was a day that changed your life forever, but make no mistake, it was also a day that changed my life in immeasurable ways. This belonged to my mother. She passed away many years ago, but she wanted me to have this. She was a princess herself and intended for me to save it for a woman who encompassed the qualities of a royal.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “Me? The qualities of a royal?”

“Of course, Y/n. Your compassion, intellect, and bravery are remarkable to me and… they are the qualities that will make you a great empress one day… if you so wish to follow that path,” he adds his last words reluctantly.

“Kylo, it’s beautiful,” I say looking at the ring then into his eyes. His eyes slowly swell with pain. He won’t say it, but withholding my response is driving him near insanity. I can tell he wants me to say yes. My heart even wants to say yes, but my head isn’t as sure.

I blink several times and look down at the ring. A single tear falls down my cheek, hot and liquid clear. My head is starting to hurt from how fast my thoughts are racing and how overwhelming the possibility he’s presenting to me is.

“Hey,” he whispers, bringing a hand to my cheek and wiping the tear away.

“It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens, we’re in this together, okay,” he asks, irises shaking back and forth between my own. Soon, his own eyes start to turn glassy and the sight alone, knowing it was caused by me, brings a sharp stabbing pain to my heart.

“I love you Kylo. I want nothing more than to be with you and I’ve never wanted something like that before in my entire life so, as you can imagine, it's very overwhelming to feel. And… I just, this is very difficult for me to determine because I know this very decision will be my life's defining moment…”

We sit in silence for a few moments, contemplating the weight of my words. I didn’t accept nor reject his proposal, but is it selfish of me to deny him an answer? Is my lack of acceptance a rejection in and of itself? Is it selfish to want to take the time to think things over and truly understand what it is I’m getting myself into? He’s asking a great deal of me, so is it so wrong of me to want to consider things properly?

“Y/n, I know you want to think things through, but for once, I am asking you to listen to your heart. You can only think and prepare so much. But if you let your feelings lead the way, they may take you to some spectacular places.”

He knows me too well. But what he fails to consider is that feelings are not always very reliable.

“I know when you think with your head and not with your heart for so long, it can be difficult to try, but for a moment, I would like for you to give it an attempt.”

“Kylo, even if I thought with my heart, it’s only looking at one side. I need us both to look at the bigger picture. This means altering our relationships with others, our duties, our responsibilities, our ways of life.”

“What if they didn’t have to change? You are already so widely respected and revered by your peers now, what would change that?”

I stay silent, replaying the last time we had this fight. I still don’t think he understands because his position creates several degrees of separation from others.

“Just, think about this okay. We’ve thought about the worst case scenario right? This could make your peers alter their respect for you, it would affect the way they saw you as a person, and so on. But what if we thought of the best case scenario? What would you hope to happen then?”

“I… don’t know. I guess I would hope that it doesn’t change the way people see me which is highly unrealistic and–”

“Y/n, that’s not what I mean. I mean imagine what would happen if you had the power and presence of The Empress of The First Order. Imagine the kind of change you could enact. Imagine the kind of connections you could foster in such a position. Many of the soldiers respect you and follow your lead now, but imagine that as an Empress. I guarantee you, the people of the First Order would be proud to have someone like you as their Empress.”

I blink several times and sniffle. I place my hand on his chest and look up at him.

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course my love. I have zero doubts. You're the one for me and you're the perfect one to run this galaxy. Besides, if the people could tolerate me this long, I’m sure you’ll be a breath of fresh air,” he teases and I lightly swat at his arm.

“Don’t say that,” I giggle. “You have gotten better, at least since I’ve gotten to know you.”

“Yeah? What would you say? About 2.057% better?” I roll my eyes and smile.

“Yeah? Wouldn’t you say,” he asks again and proceeds to wiggle his fingers at my sides. The sensation makes me fly back onto the mattress. His tickles make me squirm around and laugh incessantly.

“Stop Kylo please,” I playfully plead and he only tickles me more. I’m laughing uncontrollably and struggling to catch my breath.

“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll marry you,” I cry out and he immediately stops.

“What,” he asks with a twinkle in his eye and I lift my head up.

“I said I’ll marry you. But only if you agree to stop tickling me,” I joke.

“If that’s what it takes,” he replies and he pulls me back upright.

“Oh shut up,” I comment and pull his face closer to mine and hurriedly kiss him.

“Mhmh, wait” Kylo mutters and breaks away from the kiss. He pulls away and opens the ring box. He removes the ring and tenderly places it on my left ring finger. He pulls my hand up and kisses my knuckles before looking me in the eyes.

“Are you sure about this,” he asks.

“You shouldn’t ask me that question Kylo. Of all people, you should know that when given the chance to overthink into oblivion, I will.”

“I’m serious Y/n, I just want to make sure this is something you truly want. That you’re not saying yes because you feel obligated to in any way.”

“No, my love, I do not feel obligated in any way. I am saying yes because I do indeed want to marry you Kylo Ren. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to love you and learn from you and lead with you for as long as my body will allow me. And despite all my fears and anxieties, I… would be more than honored to be the Empress… to be your Empress,” I announce as I caress his cheek with the palm of my hand.

Then, I press my fingers along his neck. The cold metal of my ring pressing against the warm skin of his throat. With confidence and urgency, I press my lips to his and for once, let my body take control.

———————————————

Taglist:  @ickleronniekinsemotionalrange​ @asherrenwrites @g-l-pierce @livi-s @gruffle1 @mssbridgerton @dark-night-sky-99 @adaodinson @thefireoflust @pineapplechuncks @sarah5462​ @annoyinglythoughtfuldestiny​ @would-not-recommend @karina-v20 @andromeda-blackc @hueanhdang

[libraryofloveletters]

Ok request: how about Spencer and reader in relationship, but he ends up meeting Maeve and reader is devestated when she(or GN) finds out obvs, but finds comfort in... Hotch?? And somehow that makes more sense to everyone like they partner up a lot and are close?? Idk something along those lines 🥺

Mended Hearts 

Spencer Reid x Reader, Aaron Hotchner x Reader 

Warnings: cheating, mild arguing, a kiss or two 

Category: mix of angst and fluff. 

Word Count: 3.5k

Author’s Note: I know Spencer and Maeve didn’t email but for the purpose of this, they did. Also, reader is friends with Matt and Kristy before Matt joined the BAU, just go with it :)

-----

Spencer’s been distant lately, more than usual. He seemed happier too and it couldn’t be from you because he barely spoke to you now. Your mind wandered to the most hurtful conclusion, he’s cheating. 

Something about it felt wrong, it hurt you but if he was, you wanted to know. You turned to the one person you knew could help you, Penelope. You knocked on her door before she called out to come in. “Office of supreme knowledge, how can I be of service ?” she spun her chair around to see you with a pout on your face. 

“Oh sugar plum, what’s wrong?” she pulled you into a hug, your head resting on her shoulder. 

“I think Spencer’s cheating” you admit to her, she looked at you, she couldn't help but let out a giggle. 

“Boy wonder ? Cheating ? No, I don’t think so. He was about to combust when he asked you out, how could he manage having two relationships ?” 

“Pen, I'm serious. Haven’t you noticed him lately ? Happier ? It’s not me that’s putting the smile on his face” 

The smile dropped from Penelope’s face, she looked sad. Sad for you, sad for Spencer, sad for herself because she never thought Spencer was capable of those things. 

“What can I do love?” 

“Can you check for me? Find out if he is?” 

“Are you sure you want to know ? There’s no going back after this.” Penelope said to you as she sat in her chair, turning to face her monitor. 

Letting out a shaky breath, you nodded. “yeah, I want- need to know” 

“I'll find you later sugar, you should get back before they start to wonder” She gave you a smile as you left her office. You stepped back into the bullpen and made your way to your desk, Spencer stopped by your desk as he headed to Hotch’s office. 

“Hey” he smiled at you, you could feel your heart hurting already. 

“Hi Spence” you smiled back. 

“Almost done ? I can take them up to Hotch” he glanced at the files on your desk, you shook your head. 

“It’s alright, I've still got some more to do” 

“Okay, where were you ?” 

“You’re awfully nosy today Dr. Reid” 

Spencer chuckled, “Sorry” 

“It’s okay. I went to the bathroom and ran down to the IRT to see Kristy, she came to visit Matt” 

Spencer nodded and kissed the top of your head as he left. You watched as he walked up to Hotch’s office. Something felt off, even if he wasn’t cheating then he was definitely up to something. The pen tapped against the desk, your eyes glued to Spencer and Hotch in his office. 

They were two opposing personalities. 

Spencer was shy and quiet, liked to spend his time buried in books and ramble his way through a conversation and you loved that about him, but Aaron, there was just something about him. Aaron was bold, he was born to be a leader. Someone who didn't shy away from trouble, not that Spencer did but Aaron would let himself take the heat of the trouble over any of you. He made sure he was the one bearing the burden so none of you would have too and you admired that about him, you always have. 

A chime coming from your computer pulled your focus from the two men. 

From Penelope Garica: my office, 10 minutes babydoll. 

Penelope’s messages always brought a smile to your face but not today. Today was much different. She said she would call you if she found something and she did. Your heart sank in your chest when it popped up on your screen. Spencer was coming back into the bullpen as you were getting up. 

“Ready to head home ?” 

“Oh no, you go ahead. I have to go over something with Penelope and i’ll be home in a little” 

“You sure? I can wait if you like” 

“It’s fine Spencer. I’ll see you at home” 

You left him standing in the bullpen and headed to Penelope’s office. She spun her chair around when she heard the door shut. “Baby..” she started, her screens covered in emails between Spencer and a woman named Maeve. 

“I want to see you” 

“Hold your hand and walk together, no one would be able to stop us” 

“The sun to my moon, Spencer Reid. That’s what you are” 

“I love you.” 

Your eyes clung to that last line. 

“I love you.”

The same words he hadn't said to you in weeks. The words that used to mean everything to you now meant nothing. 

“Who is she?” 

“Maeve Donovan. She’s a geneticist, in her late 20s. There isn't much about her out there hun, I'm sorry.” Penelope gave your hand a squeeze. 

“How long?” 

“Beginning of last year. They exchanged numbers.” 

“His work number ?” 

“Personal” 

You nodded and let out a sigh. There was a weird sense of relief, like a weight lifted off your chest because you knew, you didn’t have to wonder if he was cheating. 

You knew he was. 

“Thank you Penelope” you kissed her cheek, she smiled at you. “I’m here if you need anything else. Call me whenever sweetie” 

Rushing back into the bullpen, you grabbed your car, Aaron was stepping out of his office as you hurried to the doors. “L/n! your reports?” “my desk Hotch!” you shouted back before running to catch the elevator. 

There was a rush, unlike anything you’ve felt before. You knew you couldn't stay with Spencer, especially when he was in love with Maeve, whoever she might be. It didn't make it any less painful, but it was what was best for you and you were all that matter because clearly Spencer didn’t feel the same way. 

Approaching the apartment, you could hear Spencer’s loud laugh from the other side of the door. When your key clicked in the lock, he whispered a goodbye to whoever he was speaking to. Spencer smiled at you when you walked in. 

“Sorry, did I interrupt your conversation ?” you asked, he shook his head. 

“No, it’s alright.” 

“Who was it ?” 

“Just a friend.” 

Just a friend, my ass. you knew it had to be Maeve, who would make him laugh like that? 

“oh your new friend Maeve?” 

Spencer’s smile dropped, he looked as if he saw a ghost. 

“Sorry should I have said your girlfriend Maeve ?” 

“How did you-” “so you are cheating on me? Let’s just make that clear” 

Spencer was at a loss for words and that’s something you don’t ever see. You headed to the bedroom to pack up your clothes. “Where are you going ?” Spencer followed you to the room, he watched you put the clothes in the bag. “I don't know, I’m not going to stay here” 

Spencer grabbed your hand, you pulled away from him. “Maeve and I.. we’re- we’re just friends” 

“Tell me you don't love her Spencer.” you stopped and looked at him. “Can you tell me that you don’t love her? That you love me instead?” 

“I do love you, y/n” 

“But you love Maeve more ?” 

“Y/n, please. Let me explain what happened” Spencer begging you. 

“Spencer stop, please. I don't want to hear it. I know you love me but you can’t love us both. Maeve makes you happy, and you deserve to be happy, even if it’s not with me” your voice wavered for a moment, you closed the bag. 

“It’s over Spencer” 

“No it can't be done, not like this” 

“Then what Spencer ? You want me to cheat on you too ? For a whole year nonetheless and then lie to your face ? Would that be okay ? Because That’s fair, right? You broke my heart and I break yours. Life isn’t fair Spencer, you of all people know that.” 

Spencer followed your steps to the door. “You can’t go” he sighed, “Watch me” you stepped out of the apartment and left as fast as you could. 

You drove around aimlessly for an hour, stopping in a parking lot to figure out where to stay for the night. Dave had a date, Emily had a sin-to-win weekend, Derek was working on house renovations all weekend so you didn’t want to disturb any of them. You thought of calling Penelope but you knew she’d already bed in bed and she deserves her rest. JJ had a full house, you could stay with Matt but he already has two kids and two more on the way, you’re sure they wouldn’t mind but you couldn't do that to them. By default, you ended back in the F.B.I parking lot. 

You took the back stairs up to the BAU. The bullpen was empty and only the desk lights were on. Tossing your bag on the door by your desk, you spotted your reports still on your desk. Figuring you'd take them up to Hotch’s office and he’d have them for the morning, you picked them up. 

Up the stairs and you pushed the door open, Aaron sat at his desk. A mug in one hand and a pen in the other. The two of you looking at each other like deer in headlights. “What are you doing here?” you both say at the same time, making you smile. 

“Um I forgot something” you stood by the door. Aaron glanced at his watch, “y/n, it’s 2:20 in the morning, what did you forget that was so important ?” 

“my chapstick” you lied, Aaron hummed.

He didn't believe you. 

“The truth, agent l/n ?” he asked, his eyes on his papers. You let out a sigh, do you come up with another lie or do you pour your heart out to your boss ? Aaron glanced up at you, waiting on an answer. 

“Spencer cheated on me and I found out. I ended it with him and I didn't know where to go so I'm here” 

Second one it is then. 

“Sit down” was all Aaron said to you. Making your way to the couch in his office, you quietly sat down and waited for Aaron to say something to you. 

An hour had passed and you made yourself comfortable on the couch as you watched Aaron do his work. Your shoes were on the floor and you curled into the side of the couch. You had dozed off at one point, only to be awoken by Aaron putting a blanket over you after coming back with another cup of coffee. The clock chimed as it hit 4am, Aaron finally shut the file he was working on and looked over at you. 

“Y/n” 

“Sir” 

“It’s just us, you can call me Aaron you know” he made his way over to you on the couch. 

“Don’t you want to get home to Jack ? You could probably be there for when he wakes up” you looked over the man that was sitting beside you.

 His hair was ruffled from his fingers running through it, his jacket and tie hung on the back of his chair and his sleeves were rolled up. His shoes seemed to be somewhere in his office, he shifted on the couch, bringing up a leg on the couch, his sock clad foot hanging off. 

“Jack’s at a friend’s house tonight. What happened with Spencer ? If you don’t mind me asking of course” Aaron leaned into the side of the couch, you let out a sigh. “That bad huh ?” Aaron joked, making you smile. 

“Well, he had been distant lately but he seemed happy and I knew it couldn't be me making him happy. I had Penelope do some digging for me, you know, just in case he was” you said, Aaron gave you a look when you mentioned Penelope. You put your hands up defensively, “come on Aaron, it’s only fair. You know he probably would have done the same.” Aaron nodded, waiting for you to continue. 

“Penny found a bunch of emails between him and some woman named Maeve from last year to now. I asked him if he was cheated and he didn’t deny it so I left. I wasn’t sure where to go and I ended up here” 

Aaron just looked at you. He too, was at a loss of words. 

“I can transfer him” Aaron said, you shook your head. 

“Thank you but that won't be necessary. Spencer made his choice. He can continue to work with me without issue, like he did when he was lying to me” you leaned against the backrest of the couch. Aaron smiled at you. 

“You’re always been a tough one y/n. I admire you for that” his hand reached out for yours. You smiled at him, your hand in his, Aaron’s hand fit in yours like you were made for each other. Your side pressed into the couch, your eyes felt heavy. 

“Hey, come here” Aaron stretches out his arms, you look at him, unsure if you should go. “It’s okay, I don’t bite” he chuckled. Shifting on the couch, your back rested against Aaron’s chest, his arm wrapped around you. 

“Comfortable ?” 

“mhm hm” 

--

“Be quiet” Penelope whispered to Emily who was taking pictures. Spencer and Derek walked in to see them standing by Hotch’s office door. “What’s going on?” Derek asked, jogging up the stairs and Spencer followed him. 

Derek and Spencer both halted when they saw what was in front of them. Hotch was laid on the couch and you were on top of him, your head on his chest and his arm resting on your back. 

Derek looked over at Spencer, Spencer’s eyes glued to his boss and his ex cuddled up on the couch together. Derek grabbed Spencer’s arm and dragged him over to the other side of the door. 

“Okay what the hell is that Reid ?” 

“Uh I um-I don't know” 

“Stop bullshitting Spencer, you know everything. Now why is y/n cuddled up with Hotch right now?” 

“Derek I-” 

“God, just spit it out Spencer!” 

“I cheated” 

Derek looked at Spencer, his eyes wide and he was in shock. Did he mishear him ? Was this a dream ? 

“You did what ?”

“I met this woman, Maeve and she’s amazing and she makes me so happy... happier than y/n did” Spencer whispered that last part. Derek didn't say anything, he was still trying to process what Spencer had just said. 

“How could you ?” Derek asked him, Spencer’s heart dropped. His best friend was disappointed in him. “They did nothing but love and support you and this is what you do ? you cheat on them ? I never expected this. I care about both of you but I can’t believe you right now.” Derek left Spencer standing in the hallway. 

“Babygirl should someone wake them ? We have a case” Derek’s arm wrapped around Penelope’s shoulder, her arm around his waist. Before Penelope could answer, Hotch’s phone rang. The ringer woke the both of you, you sat up as did Hotch. You rubbed your eyes, you saw Derek, Penelope, Emily and Spencer at the door. Hotch went over to get his phone, he didn't notice the company you had. 

“Y/n, we’ve got a case” he turns to you, your eyes on the door. Hotch followed your eyes to the door, now seeing the group of agents at the door. “Good morning everyone, we have a case. Wheels up in 30, we’ll brief quickly and then get on the jet.” Aaron walked over to the door and shut it. 

You watched everyone walk down into the bullpen from the window before turning to Aaron. “I think we should talk” you say quietly, “about ?” he begins unbuttoning his shirt. 

“What are you doing ?” your eyes wide, confused as to why your boss was undressing in front of you. “Changing my shirt” he pulls on out of the drawer. “Hm anyways, I’m pretty sure they’re all wondering why I was asleep with you when I'm still with spenc- oh shit, I'm not with Spencer” 

“Are you going to tell them ?” Aaron asks you while tucking his shirt into his pants. You nodded as you walked over to him, you pulled up the collar of his shirt, you tied his tie and rested your hands on his chest after fixing the collar. 

“Yeah I am” you leaned up slightly and gave Aaron a kiss, he smiled against your lips and kissed you. 

“Let’s go” you walked out of the office, Aaron followed you to the briefing room. “Goodmorning, are we ready to start ?” Aaron asked as the two of you settled in. “Okay I have to ask” Emily started, “What the hell was that ? You’re sleeping with Hotch ? wWhat about Spencer ?” Emily turned to you. You shook your head and looked over at Spencer, his head hung low. 

“Spencer cheated on me, I didn’t know where to go, I ended up here and I hung out with Hotch last night. That’s all. Now can we get back to work ?” 

The room went quiet, you could feel the tension building in the room, the eyes shifting in the room from you to Spencer to Aaron. 

“The sunshine state requires your presence, my crime fighting darlings!” Penelope started, pulling the attention away from you guys. 

--

The flight home from the case was quiet, everyone had gotten over the cheating fiasco, Spencer sat on the couch at one end of the jet and you sat at the other end across from Hotch. He was working on some paperwork and you were reading a book, everyone else was asleep. 

“I'm going to get some tea, would you like some ?” you put the book down and stood up, “maybe some coffee?” he mumbled and you nodded, “I'll be back” you walked down the jet to the coffee machine. You could feel Spencer’s eyes on you as you walked past. You walked back towards Spencer and sat beside him on the couch. 

He closed the door that was in his hands and rested in on his lap. “Hi” he whispered, “hi” you whispered back. 

“Can we talk?” you asked him, he nodded. 

“Why’d you do it? I’m not upset, I just- I need to know” 

“Would you believe me if I said I never meant to ? She was helping me with my headaches and we began talking. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed her company until it was too late” 

You just let out a hum, you didn't even think his answer was worth a response.

“Y/n, I promise you,” he reached for your hands, you watched him but didn't move, “I never meant to hurt you, I will always care about you and I'm sorry. I really am.” he said to you. Spencer seems genuine but you weren't quite ready to forgive him. 

“I don't forgive you. I don't know if I can but.. I appreciate it. Can I ask you something else ?” 

“Anything” 

“Did she know?” you look at him, his eyes on you. 

“About ?” 

“Us, did she know you were in a relationship?” Spencer paused for a moment, he nodded. “She did” he said and you chuckled, “some girl you got there Spencer” you stood up.

 “I’ll be by on Saturday for my stuff, I'll be there from around 9 or 10 until 5 so can you leave during that time ?” 

“Uh sure, that's fine” 

You left Spencer on the couch and you went to make the coffee. You returned to Aaron a few minutes later with a mug. Sitting beside him this time, your head rested on his shoulder, “thank you” he smiled, you nodded, “of course” 

“Who were you talking to just now ?” 

“Spencer” 

Aaron put down the pen and turned to you. “What ?” “I just needed to know Aaron” you sighed. 

“What did he say ? Just remember I can still transfer him” Aaron smiled at you, his comment made you laugh. “He said he didn’t realize they were so into each other until it was too late” Aaron face twisted into a weird expression, “oh okay then” 

“mhm hm” 

“What are you going to do now ? You have to get the rest of your things, right ?” Aaron looked down at you. Shifting, your head now resting on his lap, his fingers running through your hair. “I do, I'm going over on Saturday” you mumbled, eyes fluttering shut. 

“Do you have somewhere to stay ?” he asks you, his eyes on you. “I was thinking of staying with you if that’s okay ?” your eyes were still closed and you couldn’t see him but Aaron had a smile on his face.

“Yeah, I'd like that” he leaned down and kissed your forehead. 

---

taglist: @mac99martin @aaron-hotchner187 @tclaerh @luke-alvez @iconicc @lieberhers @pumpkin-reads @katexrichardson @sluttytears @thelukealvez @scandinavian-punk @laurenxreynolds @haleymalaffey @shotarosleftpinky @mrs-dr-reid @hqtchner @averyhotchner @willlemonheadsupremacy @ssa-autumn-hotchner @potter-reid

[emblemxeno]

JP vs. Localization in Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation

(Okay, for real this time lol)

Again, here’s a link to my sources post.

Fortunately, this route follows suit in terms of good localization quality after Conquest. It’s the shortest out of all the posts, since I don’t really have a lot to talk about. Mostly subtle line changes, references and a few key points of information that were cut out. I also went through Hidden Truths and Heirs of Fate to see if I could add stuff from those on here, but there were no big problems that I found.

Once again, the main part of this post will all be put under the cut. If a chapter isn’t covered, it means I didn’t think there were any differences worth talking about.

I’ll use localized names for characters and locations, unless I feel the need to do otherwise.

I’ll be using she/her when referring to Corrin in this post. (I flipped a coin to decide the gender lol)

Also, note that after Chapter 14, the translation of this route on Fateswartable ends, so I mostly relied on the English patch done by Serenes at that point forward. (I also used PegasusKnight.com as a reference to fall back on if I needed it)

Chapter 7

-A minor gripe I have with localization. The JP version compares Touma (Valla) to hell constantly. To jump ahead a bit, I believe in the JP versions of the End of All Sky/Land/Below tracks are even called The End of All Roads Heaven/Earth/Hell. The Vallites are also often called demons in the JP version, and Anankos himself is known as the ‘Invisible Demon Dragon’.

Another cool thing I just thought of too, is a connection to a popular Japanese short story. Zelda fans might be familiar with the story, “The Spider’s Thread”, which inspired the Ancient Cistern dungeon in Skyward Sword.

The beginning of the story has Buddha walking through paradise (heaven), before coming across a pond. The pond is filled with crystal clear water, and covered with water lilies/lotuses. As Buddha gazes further into the pond, he begins to see the depths of hell.

Sound familiar? “Azura is walking through Hoshido, before coming across a lake. The lake is filled with crystal clear water, and when she gazes into the lake she sees the fallen kingdom of her birth. Valla, the kingdom associated with water lilies/lotuses in the game, has been turned into hell itself.”

This association loses its meaning a bit when the comparisons to hell are a bit toned down, as well as when the Buddhist inspirations were kind of supplanted in favor of Greek renames. It’s not supremely important to the plot as a whole, but it’s something interesting I wanted to bring up.

-In the JP version, while explaining what happened in Valla, Azura eventually says “Using the art of manipulating people’s souls, he (Hydra/Anankos) made the people kill each other.” This bit of the people killing each other was cut in localization.

Chapter 12

-In the JP version, when Corrin asks Flora if she knows anything about dragons, Flora says “Sorry, I don’t know…The ancestral dragon of the Ice Clan has already perished and isn’t part of the legend. I don’t know what role it plays, sorry…” Localization makes her response “I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything... They've been gone so long that we don't even have tales of dragons in the Ice Tribe. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance...”

So, the JP version explicitly says the Ice Dragon is dead (I believe Fates’ second artbook mentioned this as well), whereas the localization only says the First Dragons have been gone for a long time.

Chapter 16

-There’s not really much of a problem that I have with what Ryoma says about Corrin “having leadership qualities at a young age” but I wanted to do comparisons regardless cuz the word choice might lead one to different conclusions. In localization, Ryoma says this:

Ryoma: Huh... So she told us the same thing... I don't think it's in Corrin's nature to lie. And there's a leadership quality about her that just attracts followers. I remember being jealous of her as a child, in fact. Even at such a young age, she displayed the characteristics of a ruler. Silly to be jealous of her, right?

In the JP version, Ryoma says this:

Ryoma: Oh... So, she told you the same thing. …Corrin isn’t one to tell lies. She’s been like that since childhood. She’s always genuine and honest... She has this mysterious appeal that draws people to her. Seeing my younger sister with the qualities of being a ruler... Honestly, it makes me feel envious. …What a ridiculous thing to say, right?

Again, I don’t necessarily have a problem with how it was localized, but some might. The localization version might have people think that Corrin somehow was a fantastic leader at such a young age, but JP is more clear that it was about the qualities she had at a young age that would be valuable as a leader.

Chapter 19

-A minor gripe. In the localization, Azura says that Anankos uses his magic to send Vallites to Nohr and Hoshido to stir up conflict. In the JP version, she says he uses magic, along with the help of a body of water. That’s why whenever you fight Vallites outside of Valla proper, there’s a body of water nearby; Hoshido’s lake (and the ponds shown in Hinoka’s CQ battle which are in the capital) for Chapter 5, the sea for BR chapter 11, the burning falls for BR chapter 21, and the city for Rev chapter 13. Similarly, the consequences of being a victim to the curse are described as “turning into sea foam” in the JP version. Localization as a whole kind of toned down how much water has an influence on the story.

Chapter 23

-Probably the pettiest gripe I have lol. As Arete is fading away from Azura’s arms, Azura has a different reaction in localization and Japanese. In localization, Azura says “Mother? Mother!” while a voice clip of her in-battle pain cries plays. In the JP, she says  “*Sob... Sob*…! Mother... Mother...!”, while a voice clip of her crying plays. Her crying voice clip I don’t recall hearing anywhere else.

This is one of the few times in the you get to see Azura express a heavy and heartfelt emotion, since her rough childhood caused her to remain guarded and stoic around everyone. The equivalents to this scene in other routes is her death scene in Birthright, and her crying with Corrin over Ryoma’s death in Conquest; a normally unflinching and aloof character breaking down is a rarity, and indicates that the cause of it is something to take note of for the character as a whole. Localization softened this aspect, and I take issue with it, despite it probably seeming trivial to most other people.

Chapter 24

-When Corrin is questioning the phantom Mikoto, an exchange happens. In localization, part of it goes like this:

Corrin: But this can't be... Are you truly my mother?

Mikoto: I am. Even as a puppet of Anankos, my spirit at least remains my own.

Corrin: I... I believe you.

In the JP version, it goes like this:

Corrin: It can’t be... …Are you really my mother?

Mikoto: Yes... I became an Invisible servant, controlled by the Invisible King... Even so, I am your mother.

Corrin:  …………

Again, a minor thing that I don’t personally have issue with, but replacing Corrin’s silence with an admittance of belief could make some believe she has “reverted” back to being too naïve.

Chapter 26

-While Gunter is relaying his past, an exchange happens. In localization, it goes like this:

Gunter: I ask myself that, every day. I cannot understand the minds of royals. To you all, we commoners are little more than pawns in your schemes... Or weeds to be killed on a whim.

Corrin: That's not true...

Xander: Is that how people view the royalty?

Ryoma: Such an impression would easily breed powerful resentment...

In the JP version, Corrin, Xander and Ryoma don’t say anything. They just remain silent.

Endgame

-Not a major problem so much as a general thing about the game, but I can think of like... at least three memes that Treehouse inserted into the localization. Now I like memes, but there is no better way to date your media nowadays. One of them was Kana’s “That’s dragon for I love you” which tbh, is kind of cute and isn’t the most well known meme so I guess I can let it slide. Another is Felicia saying “I had one job!” when she messes up in the dining hall, which isn’t that big of a deal since the dining hall is very optional.

The last one I can think of is why I put this specific grievance here, and it’s during Corrin’s speech before facing Anankos.

Corrin: We won't back down! This is my... This is our destiny! Ready your weapons! Fight for your friends! With the Seal of Flames... With the Fire Emblem on our side! We fight for our world!!

Yeah, she says “Fight for your friends” which is everyone’s favorite Ike line from Brawl. Now, this isn’t even a totally inaccurate translation either, but it kind of just... makes the moment funny for the player when it’s supposed to be commanding and serious I guess.

But yeah, not the most important issue by far, but something I’d thought to mention. Hell, it’s not even that bad compared to how they made Peri’s, Effie’s and Hisame’s quirks into exaggerated and tired jokes. And the Beruka-Saizo support. Never forget.

-When Azura and Corrin are by the lake and discuss the latter’s plans to rule, Corrin says this in localization:

Corrin: I'm going to make Valla a wonderful place! In honor of the true last king and for Queen Arete. And everyone who fought... I promise to make them all proud.

In the JP version, she says this:

Corrin: I’ll make the Invisible Kingdom (Valla) into a great land. For the previous monarch, Queen Shenmei (Arete)… And for all of my allies who fought beside me. I promise.

So, JP version only mentions Arete as the reigning monarch of Valla. Which makes sense, cuz unless there was some wild “keeping the bloodline pure” shenanigans in Valla, Arete being the Queen keeps in line with what we know about the rest of Valla’s history. Arete was royalty from birth, as was her sister Mikoto. Arete is the one who passed down Lost in Thoughts and the pendant to Azura.  

[b0rista]

— 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐄, 𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐀, 𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐍, & 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐎 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐃. ˚ ༘♡ ·˚ ₊

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒: language, because i can't form sentences without using "fuck" every other word JDJD.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒: i only made this modern because i desperately wanted to include marco to the fullest leave me aloneEffsg. gn! reader, and i went pretty lengthy on this one so beneath the cut is where the headcanons start :)

𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓: bearbrickjia on instagram!

by far, the best friend group to have. everyone balances one another out, and it's a perfectly imperfect mesh of teenagers.

there's jean, the group's centerpiece. he's the alpha of the posse, usually working as their own personal line leader whenever they're caught doing something as a group. he'll never admit it, but he's also the dad friend. of course, he's more of a "i wish i never gave birth to you oh my god please leave me alone also i love you" type than the stereotypical dad friend.

there's marco, the glue holding the group together. unsurprisingly, he's the calm, kindhearted support system that balances out the cokeheads, keeping them all sturdy. without a doubt, the group would fall apart without him. they need him, okay!! and by "them," i mean jean and yourself. marco, never change.

following up, there's connie & sasha, the wonder twins. their roles are pretty self explanatory, given their natural rambunctiousness. they're the two that hang out outside of the group the most, for obvious reasons. they're the crackhead siblings that bring life to the group, despite the hot water they typically land the others in. through their antics and their comic relief, they're irreplaceable. still, it's easy to want to strangle them sometimes.

next, there's you! because you're the reader, i won't name any specifics, but you're greatly cherished. you mark your place in the crew through various ways, having a unique relationship with each and every member. when he's in need of a breather outside of his typical nest (AKA marco), jean hits your line. if you're needing any kind of assistance with literally anything ever, marco's there to help. craving some chaos? bitch, connie & sasha have GOT YOU.

the main hangout spot is jean's house, 100%. not only has his mom practically adopted the whole squad, but there's only two people living there, so it isn't crowded. connie banned literally all four of you from his place, lmao. there was too many people there, and his family lives to humiliate him.

the group has this one policy, set down by yourself and jean: four piece maximum. this is directed solely towards sasha, of course, considering her tendency to raid her friends' fridges entirely of any food. if she's ever caught rummaging through a fridge for longer than necessary, it's the home owner's duty to shout, "four piece minimum!"

^ it never fails to startle her 😭. one time, she hit her head so hard on the fridge ceiling at jean's house she had to use a bag of frozen peas to soothe the swelling.

then, she proceeded to eat the thawed out peas. jean gagged.

the inside jokes? endless. all it takes is one word from a single event, and the five of you are losing your shit. it's cute, to be honest, how overzealous you all get from a single instance from months ago.

"ha. heh. hee."

"what is it?"

"ngGhh,, chEDDAR TIDDIES-"

"AHHHHHAGAGSHHDJF-"

if there are any inside jokes formed between two group members that isn't shared with the rest of them, there will be immediate bitterness. one time, you and sasha were giggling to yourselves over some druggie named jerry who'd tried selling baskets of rotten cherries to the two of you during a gas station haul— the boys were not having it. what the fuck were you doing without them, "friends"?

right before starting your guys' senior year of highschool, the five of you were on a group facetime when you all sent your schedules into group chat. due to the scarceness of your soon-to-be-majors, absolutely none of you had any classes together. you had a single lunch period with connie while marco had one with jean, but that was about it. it was,, a dramatic discovery. sasha fucking screamed.

"i have nothing with nobody!"

"calm down, sash-"

"you have lunch with y/n! LUNCH! that's my place, lunch. this is despicable, this is evil, this is a braus hate crime-"

yeah, she didn't take it that well. it's okay, doe. the four of you made a special effort during your passing periods, giving sasha enough of a fix for her to make it through each and every day.

it isn't like the five of you don't hang out outside of the classroom, either!! if you hadn't already made plans during that week, the weekend is where you absolutely thrive as a group. study sessions that always shift into exclusive house parties, lunches spent at your favorite places, the occasional visit to the movie theater, and so on. with a mini crowd like that, it's hard for any of you to get bored.

jean's hopeless crush on mikasa is a big factor in your friendship. when everyone minus marco (because he's an angel) isn't mercilessly teasing him, you're all trying to actually help the fucker score the girl. from talking him up obnoxiously enough whereas she'll hear, or flat out telling her to give him a chance, it's an actual effort. though, it's unfortunately all to no avail. shawty's too smitten with eren to even consider her options.

^ with that being said, the four of you have to give jean the "there are other fish in the sea" scoop more often than you'd like to admit.

group cuddles. that's that.

because he's the tallest and therfore the longest (probably, depending on your height), everybody has a chosen body part of jean's to latch onto during naps. connie has one leg while you have the other, and sasha keeps her head rested on his shoulder. marco's at the very bottom, entangling his legs in your own. somehow, this is heaven for jean. he'll never admit to it, though. as far as any of you are concerned, he HATES IT.

ranking from #1 as the best and #5 as the worst, these are the rated group therapists: ⇩︎

#1: marco. self explanatory, he's an amazing listener and provides supremely good advice. that, and he'd literally rather die than let any of his friends internalize anything they're dying to let loose.

#2: you. really, you're just a lot better than jean or connie. sasha's okay at it, but she's not the best at rationalizing, leaving you at second best. basically, when marco isn't available, you're where the freak shows go. marco goes to you about things, too.

#3: sasha. again, she's just a loT better than the final two. sasha's a sweetheart! she's empathetic, and nonjudgmental. we love her in this house.

#4: connie. also somewhat of a sweetheart, although not as much as sasha. he'll drop a shit ton of humor into serious conversations, making them just a tad bit more tolerable.

#5: jean. look, he's a great friend! however, he isn't all that empathetic, and he'll have some trouble understanding. still, he would try his hardest to make you or the other three feel better :,)).

in a modern universe, i know damn well connie's a half-assed stoner 30% of the time. he doesn't light up all that often, and he doesn't tell anybody about it, even you guys. mainly because marco will grill him for it DJFK. however, you stumbled upon his mini marijuana stash and he was like ahh, shit. you didn't really care doe, his secret is safe with you. you, however, now have DIRT on him.

matching bracelets that you all made for eachother yEars ago but never wear 🥺🥺.

many, many, many poly relationship jokes. only jokes, though. some people take it too literally, which y'all just laugh at.

there's a miniature rivalry going on between you and another nearby friend group: reiner, bertholdt, annie, ymir, and christa. of course, all of you are friends, it's all fun in games— most of the time, anyway. it's a funny rivalry, and you guys go at it quite a bit.

one of your guys' most intense debates is whether or not marco has freckles on his dick.

he,, refuses to show any of you, or even anSweR you.

"you act like we can't just check whenever we use the urinals, man."

"CONNIE-"

now, marco refuses to go to the bathroom at the same time as any of the boys <\33.

the group band? black eyed peas.

[the-loaf-of-calamity]

Titan Personality Headcanons (Updates)

So, I finished Sonic Frontiers and had some time to think about updating Knight’s and Supreme’s entries in specific since I got enough on a base on how to write more for their characters from movement quirks to attack styles, etc. so let’s roll on with Knight’s and Supreme’s updated entries. (PS: I will not do a spoiler warning as the game has been out for almost a month now, but I will leave you with a Heads Up just in case. Hope you enjoy this lil update!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------     KNIGHT : He still remains as fight-hungry and as prideful as ever of his skills, although he doesn’t flaunt it around as opposed to someone as egotistical as Wyvern. In fact, he’s pretty quiet most of the time and keeps to himself in his territory while practicing his swordsmanship. Knight is seen as an icon to the local Shinobis and Soldiers who hang around Chaos Island, seeking to use their sharp weaponry just like Knight does, although Knight himself has no clue that he was even looked up to in the first place.    Knight is also very loyal to those whom he trusts dearly, like Supreme for example. He thinks very highly of Supreme as a leader of this rag-tag group of titans and would trust him with his very own life if it came to it. He’s taken inspiration in Supreme’s way of leading and integrated it to his way of looking after the rambunctious guardians of Chaos Island, although he may have taken things a little too seriously when it comes to making them follow the rules. He’s doing his best to keep things aligned, but sometimes even the guardians can get past his watchful eye...    Although as loyal and serious as Knight is, he has a sense of humor and enjoys his fair share of jokes... but the jokes are pretty bad. He mainly makes those terrible dad jokes that would make everyone groan and grumble, but the Squids absolutely LOVE those terrible jokes of his whenever they float about the main territory. Knight is proud of all the little joking quips he makes, even if almost no one (besides the Squids) likes those little joking quips. - TLDR: Knight may be the serious and loyal titan that everyone looks up to, but he’s also a jokester who’s not the best at making jokes, and that’s just fine to him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------     SUPREME : Supreme’s still very much a workaholic, although he’s not as bad as I had previously described him to be. He works hard as always with keeping up with his guardians and keeping up with the other titans without much of any breaks in between. He does recognize how much he can push himself when it comes to his responsibilities and recognizes his limitations as well, but he carries on and strives to be a good leader for everyone he cares about, even if the guardians and the titans give him a hard time...     Supreme’s always been serious about his responsibilities, but not to the extent where he neglects the well-being of those around him. Aside from his leading responsibility of taking care of everything on the Starfall Islands and his fellow titans / guardians, he does often partake in target practice with the rifle he has with him when he doesn’t have to work on anything major.     On the off chance he gives himself a break, you’ll find him frequenting the flower fields that are located where the red emerald is on Ouroanos Island. He’s always open for a small chat no matter the time of day, he’ll even leave you with a line of advice when he has to eventually head out to deal with whatever sort of chaos that happens on the island. He’s a busy dude, but whenever he has free time, he always loves himself a nice chat about the latest gossip or future plans that you may have. He’s just kind of a chill guy in general, even if he’s a big ol’ serious busybody. - TLDR: Supreme’s a busy guy and he has a whole lot of responsibilities he has to take care of, but he’s always open for a nice chat when he has the time for it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- And that’s Supreme’s and Knight’s updated entries! I’ll probably make more detailed entries for Wyvern and Giganto when I get the chance, but for now I hope you like these little doo-dads I did!

[dangan-imagine-plus]

Hello! Could you please do something for Fuyuhiko, Gundham, Kokichi and Shuichi? Getting protective/defensive over a shy and timid fem reader. Thank you!

warnings: Swearing and mentions of being hit on by people unconsenually.

First imagine on this blog! Hope you like it! Sorry it took so long, accidentally got distracted 😅. I’m also sorry but for not doing Shuichi but I couldn’t imagine him being that assertive, however you can send it back in with only Shuichi and maybe one of the other mods will do it. -Mod Ouma 💜

Fuyuhiko Kuzuruya 

You and Fuyuhiko are an interesting match-up: a quiet shy girl and a loud angry yakuza, needless to say people were surprised by your relationship, but you two were happy so no one really made any comments, especially because this is Fuyuhiko we’re talking about.

Fuyuhiko honestly tries to keep you away from everything that could frighten you or hurt you in any way. Enlisting Peko when he couldn’t be around or when both of them were busy, getting his most trusted bodyguard to look after you. He loves you more than he could ever admit to your face but he shows that in protection and his own special way.

Today you guys went to a new amusement park that showed up for an event, -you had to beg Fuyuhiko to go- and you saw a stuffed animal that you just HAD to have. So as the strong boyfriend he was, he decided he would win it for you.

This particular day Fuyuhiko didn’t employ bodyguards to look over you because, “I’m the ultimate yakuza damnit and I’ll be damned if I can’t protect you myself.” Just one problem, some creepy man had noticed you and started commenting on your looks when Fuyuhiko was busy.

The vendor had handed your boyfriend the plush and he turned around, the sight that greeted him, filling him with anger. You being almost cornered by this guy, looking obviously highly uncomfortable but too timid to reject most of his advances.

What really pushed him over the edge is the man's hand on your arm, while he said a sexual pickup line.

“OI! DIPSHIT! Get Your Fucking Hand OFF OF HER!!!” This boy is pissed. The man just bent down and retorted “Didn’t you ever learn to respect your elders little boy?”

Fuyuhiko while fuming, kicked the man in one of his kneecaps then as the man fell to the ground he grabbed your arm putting you behind him (despite your height). He got out his phone and made a call, almost instantaneously Peko arrived and you two walked out of the festival.

“Fucking hell, The Fucking Audacity Of Some Dickheads!!!” Needs you to calm him down, hold his arm, too angry for an actual hug.

Gundham Tanaka 

Gundham isn’t afraid to challenge someone or speak up, so whenever you need it he’s there. Additionally with his mindset, Gundham genuinely believes that you two are royalty to the dark world and he will do anything to protect his queen, whether that includes speaking for you, help build confidence or keeping you as safe and protected as a royal should be without overwhelming you too much. 

You personally weren’t an ultimate but that doesn’t mean Tanaka would treat you any differently, he actually found it quite nice, usually his class would be in all types of trouble, so being able to be with someone who is naturally calm and doesn’t cause much a ruckus is perfect for him, and he loves to relax with you, especially after a long day.

Gundham once warmed up, likes talking about his problems and what happened that day. That means you always have an interesting story which always interests you, but listening to these stories makes you want to experience them. Asking Gundham to accompany him to school one day was easy but the convincing was a little harder as he knew that you might get hurt or have something happen to you so naturally he was apprehensive.

“My dark queen, the mortal class I reside in is not one that fits the requirements for your godly presence. It will be worse than the 4th layer of hell, I shall not taint your beauty with mortal ignorance.”

However after enough reassurance he eventually let you come with him, of course checking with hope’s peak first. As you know though, Hope's peak will do anything to further the students talents so if you help him do that, then they will let you there any day. 

When you first got there, all the girls gawked over you and asked how Gundham got someone so level headed and pretty, a little jealousy from Sonia, but she seemed to get over it pretty quickly. Gundham had to pull you away from the crowd before you got too overwhelmed however and the problem started with the perverts.

“Bonjour sweet cupcake, would you like to take a dip in my fros-” Teruteru gets punched in the face as he tries to flirt with you by Hiyoko. “You’re hotter than a malfunctioning engine.” Soda pipes in before Gundham pulls you away from them both towards the door.

 “If you mere mortals cannot respect my lady then we shall vacate the filthy premises.” He stops, lets go of your hand and gets real close to the two boys “If I shall witness thee talk about the queen of darkness again, my twelve zodiac generals will teach you fowl perverts a great lesson about respect.”

Kokichi Ouma 

A shy and timid S/O, oh you mean a perfect teasing buddy. Seriously he will do lots for the sole purpose of making you flustered, however he’s the only one allowed to do so. If anyone (namely Miu) tries to do anything like that ooh boy will it be a messy situation. Lots of insults and bad (like mentally hurting) pranks thrown their way. 

However if you are in a relationship with this man, especially if he trusts you, he will protect you, lie for you, talk for you and really do anything for you. Lets be honest here, no one really expected you two to be together, with all the flirting with Saihara most if not all just assumed he was gay. That paired with your personality really shocked everyone, it just didn't seem very likely.

He tried to keep your relationship private because of multiple factors whether that be safety from the danger of the organization, because he most likely has enemies. Personal image, not that that matters more than you, but as the ultimate supreme leader he can’t be seen as weak or soft. Kokichi also didn’t want to be put in a position where he had to choose you or something else, so be patient, a relationship with Kokichi isn’t going to be easy. That’s why he loves you even more, because you still stay with him despite all this.

(Sorry got off track there)

 Nonetheless it got out and people knew now. Kokichi likes PDA, mostly for showing everyone who you “belong” to, since they know of your relationship. God forbid someone flirt with you, Kokichi gets really mad at the person and though he doesn't show it too much, he will insult and mess with the person so much mentally, it’s not fun at all.

This showed especially one day when you were at lunch waiting for Kokichi in both of your free periods, a DICE rival they pranked one too many times. He came up to you sitting down and pretty obviously bad mouthing Kokichi, trying to convince you, he could give you so much more than Kokichi ever could, and that he’d never hide you. 

Kokichi however had just walked into earshot of the dude, catching every word and getting extremely upset, part of him wondering if that was true, could he really give you more than the supreme leader. Besides what he was wondering, he also saw you, extremely uncomfortable looking like a bunny being hunted by a predator. Trying to inch your way away from him, choosing to stay silent, but the boy just wouldn’t give up, moving closer and upping the ‘dump him, date me’ talk. 

Kokichi calmly walked over, grabbed your hand and pulled you towards him, landing you in his chest, looking at the male with an unexplainable expression. Looking back to you he said “Crackerjack, you know, talking to shit eating toilets isn’t sanitary.” he turned to the man, face darkened, grin widened and the iconic finger over his mouth. “I hope you choke on the shit you talk, fucking hoe.”