#will i lose followers or gain hate bc of this? perhaps!

[intern-seraph]

the most fascinating thing to me abt the ongoing leftist atrocity denial re: what happened on oct 7 is the implication that the ppl continuing the atrocity denial seem to believe that acknowledging the reality of what was done would somehow make them less of a pro-palestine activist. there is footage and there are photos and there are survivor testimonies but ppl are plugging their ears and going "LALALALALA" and calling it propaganda and i think that is in part bc, while they say that hamas does not represent all palestinians (true! in fact palestinians should be free of hamas! it's a far right religious extremist org (like the current party in power in israel) whose leader is a rich asshole living a life of luxury in qatar while gaza is fucking carpet bombed and entire families are being wiped out. they haven't allowed an election in over a decade, they violently suppress dissent, and supporting their rise to power is explicitly one of bibi's strategies to keep palestinians from gaining freedom. like you are supporting bibi's favorite anti-liberation faction when you cheer on hamas' actions. personally i do not believe for even a second that they give a rat's ass about the lives of palestinians and they are in fact not the good guys just bc they hate israel but maybe i'm just a (((filthy zionist pig))) amirite?), they cannot separate the actions of hamas from the liberation movement as a whole, and they see condemning the org as a betrayal of palestinians... somehow. as if being unable to separate the actions of an extremist faction from the entire rest of the population of palestinians as a whole isn't... bad and kinda really racist and weird?????? and so so so many of them were the ppl celebrating the pogrom on oct 7 as a radical act of liberation (nobody was liberated. it made things worse.) that i think acknowledging that THIS is what they were celebrating creates such a powerful sense of cognitive dissonance for them that they have to deny it ever even happened. surely this wasn't real (but if it was, the victims DESERVED IT!), because that would mean there are people who are in fact bad and do bad things on the "side" they're rooting for, and we all know that your enemies are the only ones capable of doing wrong! it's sports team mentality.

acknowledging that atrocities happened does not make you less pro-palestine. it means you are recognizing reality. acknowledging that reality does not mean that suddenly you think the atrocities that were and are BEING committed by the IDF are excusable or didn't happen or whatever (and that's a fucking bizarre conclusion to make, but a conclusion i have seen many make nonetheless). both bad. bad thing real. even if it happened to the citizens of the country you hate. pretending it didn't happen is not an anticolonial win, it's just playing pretend about real human beings' real human lives and deaths. it helps nobody, except perhaps your wounded conscience.

also obligatory jew disclaimer bc i know you wanna call me a (((zionist))) soooooo bad: i'm not a fucking zionist, assholes. kiss my ass if that's all you gathered from this. i'm saying that denying reality is not a radical example of anticolonialism, it just makes you a dick.

[aruanimess]

Hello Myrtle!

Regarding the fanfic authors ask game, what about the Armin in Liberio AU?

Fanfic Author Never Have I Ever

Hello, Anna!

I'm answering based on the assumption that you mean non-Warrior Armin in Liberio (if not, welp, sorry).

To me, an Armin in Liberio AU has one major snag: when Annie leaves for Paradis, the plot stagnates. The way I would work around that would be to have Armin sneak into the Marleyan ship that got the young Warriors to the Paradisian harbor.

Basically the story would start with your usual Armin in Liberio shenanigans: Armin and Annie meet, they become friends, he hates her dad, she in turn loves his grandpa etc. Then, Annie is chosen for the Female Titan and everything changes.

She is forced to go to battle, facing indescribable horrors every single day. She's missing for months and months on end, and when she comes back she's sullen and unapproachable (well, more so than usual).

Armin is worried. His only friend is turning into a shadow of herself, the country is constantly at war, the only option viable for Eldians who don't have an established trade within the internment zone is soldiering and Armin knows what that means (you get turned into a mindless titan and sicced on innocent civilians). So when his grandpa catches a nasty cold, which turns out not to be a cold at all but consumption, and dies, Armin is put in an impossible position.

Faced with the option of the orphanage for Eldian children (and everybody knows what's going on in there), he decides to take to the streets. He evades the social services (disguised government goons) that come to collect him and runs away. Soon, he hears talk of the Paradis mission, perhaps he's even in the crowd that waves the young titan shifters goodbye, and... well... he has nothing to lose. It's death by starvation or joining Annie. There's no question in his mind. He hides in a crate of supplies and boards the ship.

For her part, Annie is distraught with guilt. Over her deplorable actions abroad, yes, but also because she didn't pay enough attention to Armin when he needed her most. She didn't even know his grandpa had died until a week after the fact! And now Armin disappeared and is probably alone, scared and hungry, hiding in the forest or some grimy abandoned hovel. So when the Paradis mission is brought up, she takes it as a personal punishment for her failures. Her dad is asking her to come back, but she doesn't feel like she deserves it.

(In this AU Annie is more prone to questioning the morality behind her actions (even more so than in canon) bc of her friendship w Armin and the countless hours she spends with Grandpa Arlert and his books. Also, she and Pieck are more open with each other in this, again bc Annie has influences other than her dad, and the two of them can discuss their scruples to a greater extend As a matter of fact, when she withdraws from Armin she turns to Pieck, because she believes (correctly) that she will have a better understanding of her situation and will not judge her for her actions.)

Meanwhile, on the ship, Armin is hiding from the guards left and right. He manages to get off when they reach the harbor without being noticed by sneaking out during the change of shifts. He steals some supplies and starts following the group of Warriors from some distance. For a while, it goes great. Until the night Marcel decides to reveal to Reiner the truth about the decision behind the Armor.

The Warriors are clearly in samples after the revelation and Armin, amidst all the panic, takes this opportunity to reveal himself. (He's spent too long alone and afraid in this strange land filled with monsters, everything seems to be going downwards anyway, he might as well gain some company).

Annie is shocked, relieved and horrified that he'll witness all the monstrosities they're about to inflict. Bertolt is speechless and wants everyone to get along. Marcel is angry that a civilian is with them. And Reiner is shaken, insecure and ready to lash out.

They all fight. Ymir's Titan shows up. Marcel saves Reiner. Marcel dies.

After this, both Reiner and Armin blame themselves for his death. Only Armin is at an even greater disadvantage because except for Annie they all consider him a liability. So Armin tries to figure out a better plan to attack Wall Maria to prove his worth. He improves the strategy somewhat (idk how but probably sth to do with Annie NOT passing out from exhaustion).

They go forth with the Shiganshina plan. They succeed.

After the battle, Reiner begrudgingly agrees that Armin could be an asset, but in reality he's pissed off at him for getting involved and stealing his thunder. Bertolt is also somewhat hostile towards Armin as he slowly figures out that Annie has feelings for Armin, and he is therefore his rival to her affections.

On the other hand, Annie is ecstatic. Her hope for the future has returned. Now, Armin understands what she has been going through for so long and he’s here with her and more importantly alive. She wants to make quick work of the mission and return to Marley… but there’s a problem. Armin doesn’t want to return.

He’s seen the horrors, he’s even been responsible for some of them, now he wants to live in peace. There’s nothing for him to return to Marley. As far as he’s concerned his only friend is here with him. He promises to help the Warriors find the new Jaw Titan because he feels guilty over Marcel, but that’s it, he wants to be left alone in Paradis to live out the rest of his years. (He’d die in a war for Marley anyway, he might as well enjoy some years of peace.)

He tries to convince Annie to join him, but things are not as easy for her. She still has her father back home, and Pieck. Not to mention that, unlike Armin, her time is limited by the curse of Ymir. If she manages to persuade Armin to return to Marley, everyone she cares about would be in one place.

This creates a situation where they’re in a bit of a standstill. They agree to disagree for the time being and continue with the mission, both of them secretly hoping that the other will change their minds. 

Of course, as the mission goes on, they unveil more and more secrets that complicate things further. They become friends with the locals and discover that their feelings for each other are stronger than they initially suspected. They fall in love and become closer as a team (with each other but the others as well). In the end, they probably figure out a way to bridge the gaps between their conflicting desires. 

And, anyway, I gotta stop now, because I'm running the risk of starting another WIP… hahahaha… ha… 😰

[gwynbleiddyn]

4, 58 and 69 (nice) for Mio

HRMMMMHMMM LETS SEE

4. if they could learn one spell that isn’t available to them at present, which spell would it be?

this is an interesting one because the man is proficient in arcana and has extensively studied magic at some point in his life in order to obtain said proficiency, but he uses it purely based on Vibes and that's very sexy of him, and he doesn't really know spells as a result - not like people like Sav or Cai or Laz would.

the wording of this question is a little weird to me so i'm just going to name a spell that isnt at all accessible to mio based on class and the fact he won't ever get an 8th level spell: Sunburst... because that would fuck severely with the aesthetic and it targets what he hates most with what he adores most. poetic justice and so on and so forth

58. what do they think their role in the party is? what is their role in actuality?

i don't think he sees himself as a very integral part of the group at all. he's just kind of there. he has his connections to each of them and he does care in his own weird way about them, but he could leave and he wouldn't worry about them. it wouldn't feel great and he'd miss them, for sure, but he wouldn't be at all concerned that they wouldn't be able to cope with a fight or whatever comes next in his absence.

in terms of the reality... i'm unsure, honestly. utility wise, he can do a lot that we haven't really touched on in game. he has useful features for espionage and subterfuge, which isn't something we really run into or at least it's not a method Talisman like to use. he can deal damage, he can crowd control, he can tank well enough, and he buffs the party. he can do A Lot, but none of that is done in a way where he is the go-to for any of those things.

part of it stems from me not knowing what the fuck to do with a dnd character when i made him and gave him a ridiculously useless stat spread that we had to patch up with feats as he levelled up so he's not Optimised like some other PCs, and part of it kind of came along when i played him and developed him and kind of understood that the narrative reason that he's a jack of all trades is because that's how he has to be if he wants to be a halfway decent king.

69. how would they describe their party members?

this is asking for trouble but the point here is you ASKED. i won't do wordy descriptions bc i dont have the braincells for that right now but shortform summaries are king, focusing a lot on how mio perceives everyone rather than Descriptions alone. let's go a-z

Alar: genuine bestie, a confidant, the perseverant edge to his own temperamental spirit. meryset, beloved of setekh but also beloved of ra. someone who understands the demands of divinity, and doesn't dismiss them. one of few people who could ask to walk into the hells and mio would follow. there's nothing more i can add.

Cai: a troublesome magpie, but a genuine friend. he brings laughter when it feels lost. that's an ability that can't be overstated, even if mio sometimes feels like he's gained another younger sibling to meticulously dance around at times.

Diric: strong and steady is a good descriptor. even in his worst moments he seems to have his head above water. in the same vein i think mio would describe him as frustrating, because he doesn't just lose his shit and bite back and scream and shout and throw a tantrum, and mio kind of wants to see it, to feel better. otherwise, though not as much at the forefront of the party since his return, mio still sees him as something of a compass to the group. and having shared some brief part of his life with diric, mio knows that in his heart he will always have a fondness for him, though it will take many different shapes and forms in the potential millennia he will live.

Laszlo: it is a strange echo with laz, there is a familiarity there in their station and perhaps some of the early experiences they had growing up but knowing that laz chose his new family and mio still holds onto his old one is perhaps a very telling schism between the two. mio respects him deeply, in the way he respected his tutors from the many colleges of Akhenaton - they held power in what they knew, and that could be dangerous, unchecked.

Savita: it's hard to know where to start. savita brings out the worst in mio, the pettiness, the self-importance, the indignance. but she also has good advice and is undeniably smart about the world, though maybe not wise. he struggles with her. he doesn't really know if they will reconcile that, ever, and while i don't think he's interested in bridging the gap, he's forced to accept the perspective she brings to the table. his feelings towards her are summed up by begrudging acceptance with a sprinkling of "you've shot me in the head and also saved my ass in equal measure and my gratitude and my pettiness cancel each other out into vague ambivalence"

Zinnan: like the feywild weaves and bends to whimsy and fleeting thought, mio's perception of zinnan traverses very unsteady ground. they're fascinating to talk to and they make appealing offers, but they're so untrustworthy. they're purposeful in action, but so aimless in themselves. you look at them one way and they appear in another. mio always enjoys his conversations with them, but he's always left feeling like he lost something in the process. he can't get a bead on them, but his one comfort is that you can always trust the untrustworthy to be just that.

[missmonsters2]

today I feel awful... idk my insecurities are taking over me and I just want to curl into a ball and cry. maybe it's my hormones maybe the fact that I weighted myself and found out I gained weight (I can't fit into my jeans 😭) and the fact that I saw my sister in a tight skin dress looking perfect while I'm in my pj's just destroyed my confidence. I need something angsty to read to make me forget about my sad, miserable lffe right now. would you be down in writing sth angsty with nat maybe? you don't have to though. it's fine either way. I really appreciate all of your work and I keep reading on repeat whenever I'm feeling down. makes me cheer up. thank you, van ❤️

It's like we're the same person because I also went to visit my sister recently and my sister has gotten her life together and is living her best hot girl bod while I...let's not go there.

I just want you to know that you're hot as fuck and a body is just a body that we can change with time and effort. We're lit rally in this together. This time next year, we will be rocking the body that makes up happy and we'll be healthy!!! 💘💘

But I will still give you nat angst...but with a happy ending bc I said you deserve a HEA!!

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The Withers of Springtime Bloom

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Summary: Spring is a time of blooming and when things come back to life. You can't help but notice things that may be causing your relationship with Natasha to wither.

Warnings: self-esteem issues, insecurities about body, relationship with working out and food, seasonal depression. angst with HEA.

Count: 2.1k~

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You're not sure when things changed.

Things change so slowly after all.

Without you noticing, things change and change and change until one day, you do notice.

You notice that Natasha has become quieter, somber.

You notice the lack of date nights and affectionate touches.

You notice that you've let yourself go a little.

You're standing in front of the mirror, staring at your body with a frown. You've gained weight since dating Natasha, but relationship weight gain was normal, wasn't it?

But you remember how Natasha was just as fit as she was before she met you. Sure, she was a superhero, and you were a regular civilian; there was no reason for you to train long hours as Natasha did.

Still...

You turn to the side and peer at yourself in the mirror again.

You can't help but wonder...were you becoming less attractive to her?

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It had been the beginning of fall when you met Natasha. You loved the season of change and when things turned into warm colors before withering away for winter to come.

Natasha had come like a blessing, and in the winter, she was just warm as the colors of fall. Instead of withering away, she bloomed and invested that warmth in your relationship with her.

Despite always being an early riser to work out, weekends were the days she stayed in bed with you just a little longer. There had been so many breakfasts, lunch, and dinner dates. You found yourself moving things around or neglecting to work around her busy schedule.

Perhaps that was when things began to change. Eating out so often and forgoing working out to spend time with Natasha was what led to this.

Spring has arrived, and things are coming back to life. Yet somehow, your relationship with Natasha was withering away.

"Hey," you greet her as you come home, shopping bags in hand. You bought some more clothes when things felt like they didn't fit comfortably anymore. The experience had been upsetting for you, and you didn't end up buying too much, telling yourself you didn't want to spend too much when you were going to lose the weight.

Natasha was working in her office, peering down over reports, and barely acknowledged you other than with a hum.

"Long day?" You ask her as you put your things away and walk over to her.

"Yeah," Natasha sighed. "Trying to get these reports done since Maria needs them tomorrow."

That had been Natasha's excuse for spending long hours in her office every night for the last two weeks.

You place your hand on Natasha's shoulder with a reassuring squeeze, but she leans to the side as if to readjust herself, but still away from your touch.

The sting immediately comes, but you try to push it down, so it doesn't hurt as bad.

"Right," you say hoarsely, but Natasha stares on at the reports. "I'm just going to get ready for bed. It's been a long day and all. Let me know if you need anything."

Natasha gives you a nod as you leave the room. You feel awkward as you lie in the bed you share with her. You wonder if you're taking up too much space.

There's a pang of something as you try to curl yourself to be smaller and only distantly realizing you've skipped dinner before you fall asleep.

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You fall back onto the mat, chest heaving and your lungs burning.

It's been a while since you've worked out, and now you're definitely paying for it with how unfit you are.

The gym is moderately empty with the hour it is. You hate going to a public gym because it always feels like someone is staring, but it's better for strangers to stare than working out at the Compound for people you know to stare at you.

The rational part of you knows that you should just talk to Natasha, but the emotional side of you whispers that you won't like what Natasha has to say, that she might even end it before you've had a chance to change yourself.

When weeks pass, and you weigh yourself again, you almost start crying because you've only lost a couple of pounds.

It's normal, you know it is. You're losing weight at a normal rate, but it's not enough. You know fast weight loss wouldn't make sense for your body but you also feel you don't have half a year to go back to your normal weight.

You sit on the bathroom floor for hours, debating what to do when you hear a quiet knock.

"Sweetheart, are you in there?" Natasha's muffled voice comes through.

You wipe at your eyes furiously as you stand up.

"Y-Yeah," you answer back. "I'm just in the tub soaking."

There's a moment of silence through the door before Natasha answers back, "Alright. Enjoy yourself. Did you want me to order anything specific for dinner?"

"No, it's okay," you tell her. "You order anything you want. I already ate on my way home." You think about the chicken salad you've been eating for the past two weeks and almost sigh.

Natasha answered that she just came back to see if you've eaten, but she actually had to head back to the Compound. You were Natasha shuffling around before leaving through the front door, and you let out the breath you were holding.

You actually take a long, hot shower before putting on sweats and a big hoodie.

The truth was, you were hungry. The chicken salad was okay on the way home, but it had been a couple of hours since.

You knew starving yourself wasn't the answer, so you went into the kitchen to see if you could find something healthy to hold you over until you could go to bed.

But you can't find anything in the fridge except for Natasha's leftovers from whatever she ordered the day before. You can't find anything except frozen pizzas and microwavable foods.

You check the calories on the back and let out a frustrated sigh. Checking your watch, you realize it's too late in the evening to go grocery shopping because, by the time you get there, stores will have closed.

You slump down on the floor, leaning against the cabinets as you let out a pathetic whimper while your eyes became hot with tears.

You miss Natasha. You want Natasha holding you and telling you it would be okay. But you couldn't have that until you were back to what you were when you met her.

The front door suddenly opens.

"Have you seen my—sweetheart?" Natasha started to call before she noticed you sitting on the floor. "What's wrong?"

You use your sleeve to wipe at your eyes as you sit up straight.

"Nothing," you sniffle before you start to stand. "I just stubbed my toe against the edge of the kitchen island. What were you looking for? USB? You left it next to the bedside."

Natasha stares at your back, hair still wet as she takes in your attire.

"It's a little hot to be wearing a hoodie and sweats, isn't it?" Natasha asks softly. "Doesn't seem like you turned on the aircon in here."

You keep walking, but Natasha starts to follow you.

"'m cold," you say quietly so she can't hear the tremble in your voice.

"Are you feeling sick?" Natasha asks with concern as you sit down on the couch, turning on the TV. You pull the blanket over you as if to make your point.

"No," you tell her because you don't want her to worry. "Just cold after a bath."

Natasha sets her things down before she takes a seat next to you. Even in the low lighting, she can see your eyes rimmed red and dampness of them.

You're refusing to look at her as you have your knees drawn up to your chest and stare stubbornly at the TV screen.

Then she hears it.

Your stomach grumbles.

"Are you hungry, sweetheart?" Natasha asks softly again. "We can just order food and stay in tonight."

Your cheeks grow hot. "Don't you have to be at the Compound?"

You don't mean to snap at her, but you can't help but feel embarrassed.

Natasha remains quiet for a moment, quickly thinking over the last few weeks before she feels guilt trickle in.

She doesn't remember the last time she ate with you—doesn't remember the last time she saw you eat.

"Sweetheart," she calls you gently again, and you bristle at the tone. "Is there something wrong?"

The fragile dam you've built to keep the weeks of compiling emotions at bay breaks, and you're hurtling down the stream over the waterfall.

"Are you not in love with me anymore?" You choke out as you begin to cry.

You can't even register to feel horrified at your breakdown because you just need to know.

"I know...I know my body has changed since we first met and I've gained weight but I really am trying to lose it. I just—I feel like you're avoiding me. At first, I thought things at work have been really stressful for you, and I wanted to give you space but you're gone all the time. You're gone even when you're here."

Natasha can barely understand anything you've said after hearing you say the first part. Her breath hitches painfully in the back of her throat, and she legitimately feels appalled at herself.

She starts to say something, but you keep going.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to make this about me because if you're going through something then I want to support and be there for you. But I can't help but feel like you're grossed out by me. I mean—I feel grossed out when I look at myself. I feel like I'm taking up so much space—"

Natasha cuts you off abruptly, pulling off the blanket as she pulls at you until you're in her lap.

"Nat—"

"You're not gross and this is not about the weight you have or have not gained. You hear me?" Natasha says forcefully as she holds you close to her, hand over your thigh to keep you against her.

"God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry if I've been making you feel like you're not attractive me," Natasha's eyes well up as your tears wet her shoulder. "You're literally still the most gorgeous person I've ever met and you're always going to be that to me."

Natasha's hand at your waist dips underneath your hoodie, her fingers trailing up your back as she sighs at your warmth. "I should've told you, but the springtime is just really hard for me. It's odd because it's a time for things to come back to life but some of the worst things have happened to me during the spring and things blooming makes me think about things that aren't coming back. I think it's also just a little bit of seasonal depression too. I'm just the rare percentage that gets it in the spring."

The explanation makes your body sag with relief because while you feel so horrible that there is a reason Natasha doesn't like spring, she's not falling out of love with you.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I was hurting you," Natasha apologizes again. "I didn't mean to be so distant but I didn't want to bring your mood down as well, which is why I've been working so much to keep busy."

"It's okay," you muttered as your turn your head, forehead pressed against her neck. "I'm sorry spring is depressing for you."

Natasha merely hushes you as she kisses the side of your head.

You begin to feel awkward, thinking about how you must be heavy on her and try to move, but Natasha doesn't let you.

"Sweetheart, I don't know how to convince you that you're perfect to me," Natasha says so seriously as she forces you to look at her. "If you want to lose weight because that is what you want, then I support you. But I need you to understand that I love you no matter what. I don't care either way because you're so fucking lovely to me always. Do you understand?"

Timidly, you reply, "Okay. Thank you."

Natasha presses her lips against yours in a long kiss before she pulls back.

"Now, I'm going to ask again. Are you hungry? We can order in and watch that new show on Netflix I heard was pretty good from Wanda."

You feel lighter. You think you might still want to work out because that would make you happy, but you don't feel the rush like you did just a couple of hours ago.

"Yeah," you say shyly. "But maybe something not so heavy?"

Natasha nods as she presses another kiss into your cheek as she helps you settle onto the couch right beside her to grab her phone.

"Anything to make you bloom."

[with-love-from-hell]

Detach

Genre: hurt/comfort

Written for my Mc, Storm (her name and she/her pronouns used)

Cw: emotional abuse, gaslighting, poor body image, negative self-talk, swearing, eating disorder mention.

Wc: ~2k

A/N: Writing this self-indulgent fic with my Mc Storm bc I've had a shitty weekend with tons of reminders of stuff from my dad and wanted a write/read something about Lucifer providing comfort. If you enjoy Mc insert writings, cool then I hope you enjoy. If not, thats cool too. Just let me do my thing.

Strom sighs, poking at the food on her plate absent-mindedly as her father continues his endless ranting. He has been talking non-stop for the past half hour, reminding her of all the things he's supposedly done for her in her life. As he has done a million times before, he willfully misconstrues the events of her childhood to make her look like the villain and him like an amazing hero who was hated for no reason.

"-and don't you remember all of the times I gave you money for your schooling?" He scolds loudly, catching the attention of other restaurant patrons.

You mean the $100 you gave me once for text books during my freshman year or college? She sighs, resigning herself to a nod despite her fathers financial contribution to her life being minimal at best, despite his ever-growing wealth. Not even mentioning the fact that any money needed for a car repair or emergency hospital stay was held over her head like she was a burden- but oh, now he says he would go to the ends of the earth to give her anything she needs. Apparently she has remembered it all wrong all this time, based on how he depicts himself so generously.

Storm grits her teeth through the rest of dinner as the ranting only gets worse. There was a commentary on her appearance and how she needs to lose weight and "take better care of herself," as well as complaints of how she didn't call often enough for his tastes. He wasn't a bad father (according to him) after all, so why wouldn't she call?

The end of this stupid formality couldn't come soon enough. The only reason she kept in contact with the bastard was to remain in the will, hoping to finally gain access to her mothers former belongings after her dad's death. Frankly, he has been living much too long for her taste, despite smoking two packs per day and frequently drinking like a monster.

She felt tears prick the back of her eyes as she re-entered the portal back to the HOL- on that barbatos was kind enough to help her learn to manifest in order to maintain some life in the human world. As she approached the front doors, the tears began falling freely, her fathers words still reverberating through her head. A deep sense of guilt welled up in her chest. Perhaps she did remember all of those things wrong...maybe she was just being too sensitive...maybe the problem was she truly wasn't good enough for anyone- in every sense of the term.

She moved through the house silently, ignoring the brother's individual greetings as she passed them by. The behavior was very abnormal for her. Storm was always so genuinely kind, and would never hesitate to return a greeting, even in the most dour of moods. Mammon and Beelzebub were especially concerned, being as she was always mindful of giving them extra attention during their greetings. They followed her to her bedroom, but were shocked when she turned them away with some vague mention of being too tired to hang out and shutting the door in their faces.

Now they were really worried. They knew Storm tended to isolate when she was studying for an important exam, but she never completely shut them out before. They knew going to Lucifer would be their best bet- as no matter how stressed out she was, Storm always made time for the Eldest brother.

Though their admiration for eachother was worn transparently, Storm and Lucifer hadn't yet come to terms with the fact that they truly did want to be together. Whether the reason was the species difference, the issue of mortality, or just the fact that he was too prideful, Lucifer hadn't really made a move, despite Storm's shy advances, in addition to more than one genuine kiss shared between the two. Regardless, he offered a sense of support and stability for her- a safe person to lean on when things were bleak.

She had told him her woes on more than one occasion, particularly in relation to her dad. Lucifer encouraged her to sever ties on more than one occasion, figuring her mental health would be better for it. It wasn't until realizing the reason behind her continued relationship that he backed the suggestion off of her, but he always kept a close eye on her during times where she had to interact with him...and today was no exception.

As Mammon and Beel pounded on office door, Lucifer was already just finishing up his work. He figured Storm would be home soon, but was surprised to see she had come back a bit early from her birthday dinner with her father. Based on the expressions of the two demons when he opened the door, Lucifer expected the worst.

He immediately dropped what he was doing and hurried to her room in a brisk, yet polite pace. Upon trying the handle on her door and finding it locked, Lucifer knocked gently on the door. No response.

He grew more worried the longer he stood outside awaiting her answer to the door. He knocked again, trying desperately to maintain his calm. He leaned into the door to listen in, hearing the shower running from her bathroom. He sighed in relief, knowing that she often used the shower for stress relief. He sent a text to Storm, saying he would be entering her room, before unlocking the door with his master key and letting himself in.

Lucifer shut the door quietly behind him before making his way her bathroom door, which was left slightly ajar. He knocked on the frame, hearing the soft patters of water hitting tile as he nudged the door open slightly.

"Storm?" He called out, now hearing the soft sounds of crying coming from within. Upon entering, he was faced with Storm sitting against the wall of the shower, only half dressed in an oversized shirt gifted to her from Beel and her underwear.

Lucifer felt sympathy well within him at the sight of her curled into herself and crying. Her long, fiery hair was tied back in a messy bun, and her cheeks were puffy, red, and stained with tears. He approached, calling out once more to catch her attention. She winced as he called her name, clutching herself tighter and hiding her head away as Lucifer sat down next to her on the tile floor.

"Storm...what happened?" He cooed. He daped one of his large arms over her shoulder and squeezed gently. "What has he done this time?"

She chews on the inside of her cheek, debating how to respond. Storm decides not to say anything in response, only shrugs. It felt a bit uncomfortable telling Lucifer everything. Despite him having known her father was abusive, he didn't know many specific details- like the fact that his constant scrutiny of her appearance lead her to an eating disorder, for instance.

Lucifer nods, gently pulling Storm a small distance closer into his side. He delicately rubbed her shoulders as her crying ceases. He knew Storm to generally be pretty quiet, unless she was going on about a particular interest that she had especially adored. While he often did enjoy her silent company, this silence was more tense than relaxing. He thought for a moment of what he could say, but he obviously wasn't going to pry if she didn't want to talk about what happened.

As he was lot in thought, the sound of a low growl echoed through the bathroom. Lucifer furrowed his eyebrow in confusion, before turning his attention back to Storm. She appeared to not notice. Upon hearing the noise again, Lucifer deduced it was coming from her stomach.

"Storm, didn't you eat?" He leaned his head down, trying to look into her eyes. She looked away, wiping mucus and tears away from her face with her sleeve. "I thought you went out to dinner with him?"

Storm's body stiffens as she tries to hold back more tears, the comments on her weight and the food she had ordered at the restaurant by her father circling to the forefront of her mind. Her lips tremble as she tries to hold back tears, only pointing in the direction of her sachel that was dropped on the floor a few feet away.

Lucifer hooks the bag with his foot and drags it closer. Upon looking inside, he saw a take out box that was filled to the brim with what he assumed to be her dinner. His heart sank upon realizing Storm hadn't eaten at all, and suspicions run through his head as to why.

But he shakes them away, setting the Styrofoam clamshell on the floor and returning his focus to Storm. "Why didn't you eat? You must be hungry- after all you did skip breakfast today- and lunch- despite my protests."

Storm shakes her head, feeling tears slither down her cheeks once more. "Don't...don't you think I need to refrain from eating so much though?"

Lucifer was taken aback by her comment. "What? Why would I think such a thing?"

She shrugs, hugging herself by the waist. She was painfully aware of how her belly looked in this position, and tried her best to hide it from him. "I dunno. It seems like I just weigh too much. Thats all."

Lucifer furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure i quite understand what you mean."

She glances up at him, eyes still glossy from tears. "Well...I mean...if I'm too overweight, that's bad."

Lucifer sighs, becoming frustrated with Storms vague speech. He collects himself first before poking further into the meaning behind her words. "Why would that be bad?"

She chews her lip for a moment, before replying in a mousey tone. "Well...I'm not going to be attractive enough, and you know...im 26, and he's really been hounding me about marriage and grandchildren, and-"

Lucifer hushes her, his voice holding a tone of disbelief as he finally understands what she is saying. "Your father wants you to starve yourself so you can find a mate??"

She nods sheepishly. "Yeah...A good one at least."

Lucifer sighs, effortlessly pulling Storm into his lap. She squeaks in surprise, but shockingly doesn't fight it. Usually when Lucifer tries to urge her closer, she anxiously backs away...so this is a newer change of pace.

He brushes a strand of hair back from her eyes, staring deeply into her hypnotic icey-blue irises. "Storm...you do not need to do such things to your body to get someone to find you attractive."

She tries to turn her head away, but he catches it in his palm, gently guiding her gaze back up to his. "You're beautiful the way you are, both inside and out. Just because some foolish human can't see that doesn't mean you're unworthy of love."

She looks away from his eyes for a moment. "But even the men I've dated in the past have said similar things."

Lucifer scoffs. "Are you suggesting those idiots really knew what it means to observe something beautiful? Frankly, it sounds like they took that piece of you forgranted. Some humans are completely void of intelligence it would seem."

Storm furrows her brow and meets his gaze once more. Lucifer feels his heart flutter in his chest, his pride urging him not to express how he truly feels, but his love for the Human woman held so delicately in his arms overpowered his sin.

"You are beautiful, Storm." He whispers, leaning in closer to her face so that their foreheads nearly touch. "I...I think you're the most beautiful specimen I've ever had the pleasure of knowing."

She blushes, turning her head away. Lucifer chuckles, hooking his finger underneath her jawline and turning her head back toward him.

"I'm not sure why I haven't told you before, but I suppose late is better than never, hmm?" He smiles warmly, closing the small gap between. Lucifer places a kiss gently on her lips, savoring their softness for. Moment before pulling away.

Storm blinks her eyes back open, and the two stare at each other for a moment. Storm's heart beat so fast it felt as if it may burst, and Lucifers seemed to stop, as if anticipating Storm's next move.

After a long moment of silence, Lucifer lifted Storm and carried her back to her bedroom. "What do you say we go out to a better dinner- as a date. Would that take your mind off of things?"

Storm gave a weak, but genuine smile at the prospect of going to dinner with the man she adored in a not-so-secret manner. He smiled back, feeling his heart flutter once more. He would do everything in his power to help her forget that old fool- even for just a few hours. Maybe someday he'd give the bastard a piece of his mind, but for now all his focus would be on making sure Storm felt special, as she deserved.

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

God writing this already makes me feel so much better. I hope you enjoy it but again this was mostly for me, haha.

[realcube]

Haikyuu girls // The Strap - NSFW headcanons

pairings: kiyoko x reader, yachi x reader, saeko x reader

summary: you and your s/o decide to add a bit of spice to your sex so y’all use a strap - the following headcanons are how I think they’ll use it/react..

tw// aged-up au!, (she/her) reader, vagina-having reader, sexual intercourse, strap-ons, WLW sex, fingering, oral (receiving and giving), swearing, exhibition 

Kiyoko Shimizu

honestly, you’re both very diplomatic when it comes to deciding who gives and who receives

whenever y’all do it, the mood kinda just decides for itself

however, since both y’all were just blankly staring at the bright pink object that sat in the middle of the bed, Kiyoko figured that she’d take one for the team

also, since it was her who suggested and bought the item, she thought it would only be fair if she gave it try first

so, she guided you through the steps of putting it on while strapping it onto herself

then, once she was done, she bent you over and got to it 

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Your eyes rolled back into your head from the unholy mix of ecstasy and pain Kiyoko made you feel. Never before have you felt so full. The way she mastered the smooth plastic toy so it occasionally brushed against your g-spot left you salivating and begging for more - just how she intended. “Kiyoko~” You whined, pushing your face out of the blankets so she could hear your desperate pleas, “M- Muh, More! Please..” 

A light pant left Kiyoko’s lip as she retracted one of her hand from your waist to reach down at trace sloppy circles around her clit, but she was a lot more sensitive than she thought she would be so after that small bit of stimulation, she involuntarily tossed her head back and let out a low moan.

That was part of the reason she wanted to refrain from touching herself while pounding into you but the sight of your dripping pussy being stretched out by her strap along with the high-pitch mewls you let out was more than enough to leave her with a throbbing cunt and weak knees. 

Without a word, she altered her movements so that she was now thrusting into you at a rapid pace, every movement of her hip directed at the spot you pleaded to be stimulated and upon your request, Kiyoko delivered. However, not without a cost. At this point, your g-spot was getting used and abused so quickly, your body was barely able to keep up.

Lewd wails escaped your throat, your mind clouded with pleasure and euphoria yet you were still conscious enough to notice that the slight vibrating of your thighs could only mean one thing. 

Despite the fact you were struggling to breath through all the erotic sensations throughout your body, let alone think - as soon as you felt your orgasm arise, the natural instinct to ask for permission managed to muster up enough energy to allow you to croak out, “May I?”

Kiyoko couldn’t help but giggle, gently caressing you waist with one hand and abandoning her needy clit to attend to your puckered hole. “You’ve been a good girl.” She mused, a low groan falling from her lips as he speed decreased slightly just to tease you. “Go on.”

Her deacceleration barely effected you as by the time those words had reached your ears, you were already halfway through your climax. Bliss shot through your body, sending shivers down your arched spine and to your legs, which was promptly followed by a pornographic moan. “Sh..Shimzu!~”

Upon hearing you finish, Kiyoko slowly pulled out the strap to provide you with some relief before taking it off, throwing it aside and attacking her pussy with her fingers - clearly, she had been left unsatisfied after being aroused by your messy, horny state. 

You looked over at her and were simply unable to stifle a giggle. However, you weren’t the one laughing when you tried to stand up to walk over there and help her but then you realised you couldn’t feel your legs. “C’mere.” You commanded, seeming slightly less dominant since you were still panting from when she was railing you just a few seconds ago, “I’ll finish you off.”

Hitoka Yachi 

she rarely ever gives and this was no exception

(well, by that I mean she is a bottom but when it comes to giving gifts and stuff she is extra af but that is a whole other headcanon)

in fact, she was actually the one who bought the strap 

however, it was now you who inserting it into her 

but you both like it that way!

bc she usually hates being on top since she’s always scared that she’ll hurt you or leave you unsatisfied 

anyway, you both mutually agreed that you were the top - despite the fact that y’all only do it once every millennium-

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

You finished deciphering the instruction and managed to put the god-forsaken thing on - and the fact that you had little to no hand-to-eye coordination probably didn’t help. ( Throwback to that one time you momentarily pulled out and then when you tried to plug your fingers back in, you accidentally ended up aggressively poking Yachi’s labia.)

“Okay,” You looked up, biting your lip upon seeing Yachi in nothing but lingerie with the dim candle’s lit in the background, making her look heavenly. The character develop - you sighed, recalling the first time y’all had intercourse and she insisted the lights had to be complete off and her oversized shirt and thigh-high socks stayed on. Not that you had a problem with that - in fact, you found it quite charming - but it was just amazing to see how much more confidence she’s gained.

You shook your head in attempt to shake away all the off-topic thoughts, “Are you sure you want me to do this?” You inquired, eyes soft and exchanging a loving gaze with her. “I don’t want you to feel pressured into doing this.” Although, it was Yachi’s idea to invest in a strap-on but you’d rather be safe than sorry as she might’ve changed her mind since then. 

Yachi nodded, her signature sweet yet awkward smile gracing her lip while she fidgeted with the lace on the edges of the red panties she wore. “Oh, yes. I’m sure! I-I’ll be sure to tell you if it’s too much though.” She stuttered, losing her train of thought at the sight of you wearing the article. A deep blush rushed to her cheeks and she tried to stifle a snicker, “Safe-word: ‘waffles’, right?”

Waffles; a parallel to the name of your dog - Pancakes - which Yachi thought was so cute and fun but you - for obvious reasons - felt uncomfortable with her, in any case, screaming your dogs name in bed. So, you changed the word to Waffles. 

You hummed in agreement, sending her one last kind smile before a mischievous grin made it’s way onto your face. “Bend over.” You demanded, glancing down to look at the massive piece of shmeat erect on your vagina; you’d by lying if you said it didn’t make you at least the slightest bit uneasy - but you had to push through, for Yachi! 

Saeko Tanaka

at this point, you were used to Saeko whipping out the weirdest shit and using it during intercourse

if anything, a strap-on was pretty vanilla and conventional compared to the other things Saeko has used with you

which include (but not limited to): a wooden spoon, a candle, a TV remote, an Xbox controller, a whisk, ice-cubes in the shape of people, a needle,  lego brick(s), a sandal, a guitar, a broom, a lava-lamp, a ketchup bottle, a hairbrush, a straightener, multiple bottles of shampoo (since she only uses the tiny bottles that she steals from hotels), her gear stick, a D20 and a pack of instant noodles. 

so obviously you were pleasantly surprised when Saeko actually went out and bought a real sex toy instead of just using one of her make-shift ones. 

“Only the best for you, princess!” 

oh, and this goes without saying, she’s a top

it’s not that you’re a bottom though because you are from it as you’ve attempted to top her on multiple occasions 

but it just never goes your way so no matter how dominant and/or persistent you are, you always end up receiving 

not that you have a problem with it but- when I say she goes hard, she goes hard

literally she’ll stop whatever she is going if you seem even remotely horny and as soon as you give her consent to go further, it’s game over for you, honey

also, she is very much an exhibitionist so she really doesn’t care if she’s being to loud while her brother/his friends are over

in short, when you saw that bright pink toy lying on her bed sheet especially for you - it didn’t take long for you to realise that you should probably pre-book a few days off from work because you won’t be able to walk for the next week- 

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

“Shut up, babe.” Saeko hissed at you, a evil smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, “They’re studying downstairs.”- not that she cared, she just enjoyed seeing you frustrated. So she couldn’t help but laugh at how much of  a mess you were, sweat matting your hair to your forehead, your ass cheeks red from Saeko’s unmerciful palm, your leg twitching as you approached your orgasm and your mouth full of lewd moans being forced shut as Saeko insisted that you quiet down.

Saeko leaned in to whisper suggestive threats into your ear, “If I hear another sound leave that pretty little mouth of your’s, you’ll be punished later.” The tingle of her hot breath against your skin and the implications of what she said just aroused you even more, forcing you to repress your whines..for now.

Honestly, you seriously didn’t know if you could do it as surely, Saeko wasn’t aware of how differently it hit when she used a proper toy - or perhaps she just felt that cruel today. The optimum amount of pleasure you thought she was capable of bringing you was somehow doubled due to the mix of factors: her using a real toy designed to endue pleasure, the impressive balance of attention between your clit and ass, her erotic threats and the fact she was seriously going feral back there.

You were already close but her harsh groping of your ass, licking her fingers to provide the slightest bit of lubricant before sticking 3 digits straight into your strained, dripping cunt while her other hand tightened it’s grip on the back of your neck - all that was enough to tip you over the edge.

You thought you’d be able to ask for permission or at least give a warning before you came but your throbbing clit along with Saeko’s tip violently slamming against your g-spot left you unable to do so, while you attempt sounded a bit like, “I’m gonna- I-” followed by an involuntary, loud moan.

“Don’t you dare-” Saeko snapped teasingly, but obviously unprepared for how loud your moan would actually be - so rather than covering your mouth with her hand, for her own entertainment she slammed into your g-spot once more, this time with more force - leading to you choking on your own noise.

Saeko was used to leaving you out of breath and tired, so while your lay there with your ass up, trying to catch your breath; she took this opportunity to take off the strap (but left it dangling out your pussy since she wasn’t sure if you wanted her to take it out or not) and went to get some aloe-vera for your bright red ass and dark purple bruises on your neck.

“Geez, your pretty lil’ pussy could barely handle that. Maybe we should stick to the ketchup bottles.” She joked, squirting the aloe-vera onto her hands and gently gliding her hands across your lower back.

[facelessxchurch]

When you say "perhaps even Mevolent" what do you mean? I'm just struggling to see why, if released, he would align himself with Skulduggery instead of disintegrating him on the spot and then going outside to prostrate himself before the Faceless Ones and sing his devotion, unless you think that he maybe has this graceful/angelic conception of the FOs in his head but that he would turn against them if he saw them for himself, for what they really are?

Yeah, I think Mev has a misconception of the Faceless Ones.

Tho frankly, in phase 1, the Faceless Ones were these blood-thirsty, world ending deities and their followers seem to be aware of their cruelty, calling them their Dark Lords and Masters. And in book 1, chapter 15, Serpine talks about them like this with Skul.

"Let me ask you a question. Let's pretend, just for a moment, that we live in your world, where things are crazy and the Faceless Ones are real. When you call them, what do you hope to gain? A pat on the head?" "How my lords and masters will reward me for my servitude is up to them. I would never presume to guess." "The door is closed, Nefarian. Just us two guys in here, chatting. What's in it for you?" Serpine leaned in. "I get to be by their side when they raze this world, when they expunge the stain of humanity. And when it's over, I get to bask in their terrible glory."

Doesn't sound very merciful and loving, now does it?

It's only in phase 2 that they talk about them being kind, loving and merciful and through Malice's future they are kinda proven right since the Faceless Ones seem content just eating moral souls while the mages get to live as the upper class in their FO ruled utopia.

I fucking hate how the FO and the church changed between phase 1 and 2.

I think Mev would turn against them if it was the phase 1 FO and they started attacking him like they attacked the Diablerie. And he'd turn against the phase 2 FO bc they would be favouring Valkyrie and Creed over him even though he was serving them so loyally for centuries. He killed his master for them, united the church for them, fought a war for them, ruled his Dimension the way he thought the wanted him to. He had devoted his entire life to them and what's his reward? They chose the brother in law he despises so much over him. They chose this girl that had been fighting them, even managing to kill some of them, for most of her life, and yet she is standing where he should be standing as the earthly Voice of the Faceless Ones. In his eyes his Gods are siding with the villains.

In both cases Mevolent would turn against the Faceless Ones bc he's feeling betrayed by them.

I also love the thought of many losing their faith bc Valkyrie/Darquesse has FO blood and they know her, fought her, hate her and how could their perfect Gods produce descendants like that? And it's their hatred for Valkyrie/Darquesse that causes them to tur their back on the FO.

[xthelastknownsurvivorx]

Hamilton!firstprince au

(cross posted from twitter with a couple of edits b/c i couldn’t make them there)

in which i loosely follow the plot of hamilton except its firstprince and alex and henry get a happy ending. inspired by the striking similarities i noted between our favorite first son and his namesake hamilton in the broadway musical

the similarities:

both have/will have a political career

both often talk too much/don't mind their words

both began as lawyers

both extremely motivated but overwork themselves (“nonstop” +  “you have a fire under ur ass for no good goddamn reason)

both had some sort of sex scandal that impacted their career plans

hamilton speculated to be bi

the story

the setup of the colonized country alex lives in is similar to the usa vs england but fictional bc alexs race would have limited his opportunities in america's early years

idk names for either of these countries so its now the colony and the motherland

alex + his mom live alone in the poorer southern part of the colony

but his dad + june live elsewhere + they dont rly contact e/o (tho they do know of e/o’s existence)

june becomes a journalist who writes important pieces abt independence

when alex comes of age his mom reveals she used to be part of the rebellion

thats actually why his dad left to raise june bc it was too dangerous

his parents met in the rebellion but oscar left first for june while ellen stayed until she realized she was pregnant w alex

ellen still has some rebel contacts but she mostly sheltered alex to keep him safe

now tho alex decides to join too + the rebellion sends him up north to the capital for an education bc he's smart + they need people like that

he attends uni + meets like-minded people there

tension grows btwn the colony in the motherland, and alex + his friends write/speak out often and this goes on throughout their schooling

they’re also troublemakers in general too, much to the annoyance of the motherland soldiers stationed in the capital to prevent rebellion

henry is one of those soldiers

he's from a noble family in the motherland but was sent overseas as the sort of black sheep of the family due to his sexuality

the idea was to let him be in charge in the colony + reestablish a reputation there w/o embarrassing the main family back home

henry hates his job + feels bad for the colonists but still does what he's told anyway

alex + fhis riends like to bug motherland soldiers for fun

nothing  enough to put their lives in danger too much (although yes that too esp when drunk)

henry becomes a favorite target of alex's bc he's awfully stoic + statue like + on the way to uni - overall fun to antagonize 

there's also the fact that alex is angry at all the soldiers for oppressing the colony + holding up the motherland monarchs tyranny (but also alex just is the type to fight literally everything and anything) 

it becomes almost a daily ritual for them to argue 

henry wonders why this colonist keeps on picking a fight w him but soon almost looks forward to it

many of the other soldiers know or speculate why henry is in the colony but none make the effort to get to know him; some even call him arrogant or undeserving of his position

alex doesn't 

of course alex also doesn't know him

and alex hates him

but he doesn't whisper behind henry's back

henry comes to read some of the essays alex publishes speaking out against the monarchy + also hears alex speak to crowd in the square

alex is a talented + charismatic public speaker

henry finds himself growing increasingly sympathetic to the colonists cause

at the same time he and the other soldiers are order to be stricter and dole out more punishments

the others gleefully do so which makes henry concerned about alex's safety bc alex often seems to have no self-preservation skills

henry asks alex for a word when he's alone 

“am I in trouble?” “no but you bloody will be if u keep going on like this” 

“this is serious” “so am I” “you can't go around saying things so openly you'll get yourself killed”

alex tries to leave at this point “I think I'll be ok” but henry shoves him against the nearest wall 

“listen to me! stop acting like this is a game! ur putting ur sodding life in danger! I dont bloody care what ur opinions r but why must u declare them around enemy soldiers? how is this helpful 2 ur cause? u cant fight if ur dead” 

“you'd b surprised how effective martyrs are” 

cue enraged henry noises 

alexs gaze turns hard “listen i  appreciate/the advice” he says sarcastically “but I dont need an enemy telling me what to do. I can take care of myself” 

there's a stirring in alexs chest after he removes henry's hand and stalks off that he's pretty sure is anger

like it can't be anything else 

while alex is trying to convince himself of that, the tensions boil over + soon the two sides are on the brink of war then the fighting starts

henry + alex don't talk much for a while bc they're both busy on their sides preparing

school is on hold during the war so alex + his friends are looking to serve + bring glory to their names 

alex esp is recognized for his intelligence + becomes the recognized general rafael lunas secretary

luna is the george washington figure in this case who is impressed by alex wants him as his right-hand man

alex is disappointed his role is not on the battlefield bc he knows he has a good tactical mind + he could change the tide of a losing war + gain honor and status thru it, which would put him in a good position to be elected in the future

as secretary, alex is in charge of a lot of important correspondence eg for more supplies + men, so the motherland soldiers figure ambushing him off the battlefield would make things hard for the colonists

henry overhears this plan + immediately worries for alex's safety but he's cornered by another soldier to talk strategy + misses the chance to take out the men then

henry manages to catch that they're going to attack alex at night when he leaves + henry arrives just in time to kill them in a panic

alex hears the gunshot + yells “drop ur weapon”, drawing his own gun

henry obviously does + alex inspects the scene he keeps a gun fixed on henry

“what's going on?” he asks, eyeing henry w/ suspicion

henry explains everything + looks positively terrified bc he just betrayed his side even tho the motherland and his family has treated him like shit since he came out but still. 

becoming an outright traitor is not something henry ever planned + leaving behind everything he's ever known w no hope of ever going back is terrifying

but he also doesn't regret protecting alex

alex questions henry but can quickly tell henry is sincere + is telling the truth

henry explains his change of heart + they have a heartfelt moment in/just outside luna's office.

alex almost died + henry just switched sides, emotions are running high and they escalate into a kiss. the moon is out + it's all very romantic but they don't admit their feelings yet

soon after they go to luna, explain the situation + talk w the other generals/people in charge

henry is sent away on an assignment + is watched closely at first but he proves his loyalty quickly

henry and alex write letters back + forth that turn into love letters 

besides managing correspondence for luna, some of alexs ideas of sneak attacks/stealing supplies help turn the tide of the war andhe also writes to other countries for foreign aid

eventually the colonists win in this huge up start that no one anticipated bc the motherland is known as the most powerful country in the world

he + henry reunite in the capital of once the war is over

alex finishes up his studies + practices law + soon is chosen to be part of the new lawmaking body

things are going pretty well for alex w his legal + political success and his relationship with henry

they dont live together but theyre dating tho no one else knows

alex pretends to be single instead + says he doesn't want to be tied down

it works while he's still in his early 20s but as he gets closer to 30, people start to find it strange + tell him he needs to settle

being married to his work is also not a valid excuse anymore

it turns out alex made quite a few political enemies due to his strong opinions that he always vocalises + can be unwilling to compromise on

they don't like his ideas or more often hate him and hence his ideas too

they look for some dirt on him bc atm he has lunas support which has a lot of sway + decide they need to find out why he hasn't married

they manage to find out about henry + threaten to tell the public

alex is obviously distraught re the consequences personally + politically

so alex and henry discuss what to do 

henry is willing to put alexs political career 1st but firmly explains their relationship can't continue if that's the case

henry gave up his whole life + any possibility of going back to his family so he's not willing to be someone's dirty little secret  

alex doesn't know what to do so he goes to consult luna who he's become very close with over the years

luna is not quite old enough to be his father but he's like an uncle + he always calls alex “kid”, much to alex's annoyance

but alex knows he'll have some good advice

alex + luna end up having a long conversation

like washington luna has always been very vocal abt his regrets re his naivety + desire for glory back in his youth

hes always said that this was his greatest regret in life. but then he tells alex like he had another great regret in life- letting go of the love of his life

alex is surprised bc luna's never mentioned anyone special

“who is she?” 

“he” luna corrects “he was my best friend. we had something a relationship but it was short-lived bc I decided I wanted to join the military + attain glory. i thought thats what i wanted in life. turns out that stuff is meaningless w/o anyone to share it w. nor did I even achieve it. perhaps i did accomplish some things but now in my retirement I have no one by my side. i have found that life is meaningless without love and family.  

“i tried to find my friend to reconnect after all these years even as simply friends but he died in the war. alex, I see many similarities between us. don't make the same mistake that I did, alexander. glory + lasting legacy mean nothing if you're alone in the end

“if you make choices that are motivated by love and family you will be a lot happier”

alex takes his advice even though he kind of hates sort of giving up to his enemies

he decides to choose henry and his own happiness over politics bc in the end he's done a lot of good work and that much is enough

also his enemies probably would try to blackmail him throughout his career if he was doing something against their interests

so he + henry leave the capital and move uptown and the two of them have a quiet retirement + engage in philanthropy for the rest of their lives

separately they've amassed a decent amount of money - henry kept a portion of his inheritance despite being unofficially disowned and alex made a lot of money as a lawyer and then politician

as it turns out alex still has a tangential role in politics when some of his former allies go to him for advice

all in all, alex happy with his final decision to be with henry and step away from politics

the two of them live happy and full lives together

[msuhana]

heeyoo everyone ! i’m ume ( 21+, she/her, pst! ) and this is my first muse here ! i’ve been eyeing this place for a while but only got enough time recently to really be able to join so i’m supes excited to be here !!! anyway enough with the ice-breaker-esque intro, this is hana  🖤  ( yves fc ) and she’s quite the pain in the ass bc she has quite the longest stick in her ass lmfao! her profile is right here, but it’s ridiculously long ( not that this isn’t ridiculously long but wtv ) so if you don’t want to get a headache .... mb read the below deets first ? i’d reaaaaaaaally love to plot with everyone, i’d much prefer it over twitter (@nagisasgf) or via discord ( feel free to ask! ) rather than tumblr dms, if possible. but if you’d also like to plot, feel free to like this and i’ll zoom by for some one on one time ! 🤪🤪🤪

TW WARNINGS CHILD ABUSE, VIOLENCE, BLOOD, NSFW

meet cho hana 

again, cho hana: 21 y/o ( 11/11/98 ), toseong senior majoring in transfiguration, minor in herbology

she’s also in these clubs: chess club (co-president), debate club, and herbology club!

her mother chose her clubs and her major, hana chose her minor and the herbology club

born and raised in seoul, south korea! she’s also a mahoutokoro graduate

she was a ‘accident’, her father is severely out of the picture to the point that hana doesn’t even know his name / whereabouts or questions about him because her mother never told her about him at all and hana just accepted it ( aka her mother has a very tight reign on hana’s life )

speaking of her mother, her mother is a famed auror who fell from grace when she got pregnant with hana

because of her pregnancy with hana, she had to retire early and thus dedicated her entire life making sure hana didn’t make the same mistakes she did and was just as smart, talented and envied as ahyoung had been

this makes for a very restrained childhood, where all hana knew was studying, studying and more studying

also if it isn’t obvious, hana has serious mommy issues to the point that she’s disillusioned herself into thinking everything is okay when it’s not

( TW FOR CHILD ABUSE )

whenever her mother was displeased with something, she’d physically abuse hana -- it began when hana would get things wrong, if she didn’t get the right grades or failed to make the top of her class but then it started to extend to embarrassing her mother by saying or doing the wrong things

( END TW )

it’s pretty bad because hana thinks, still, if she works hard enough she can somehow gain her mother’s love 

ever since she was young, hana was conditioned to strive for the best, because she was ‘cho ahyoung’s daughter’ she could do it, to the point that it not only inflated hana’s ego, it also really fucked up her self-esteem and how she she’s her own self-worth

a lot of people think she’s a ‘genius’ or ‘prodigy’ because of her academic history but she’s literally the opposite, she works way too hard for her grades but her mother wants her to pretend she’s a genius because she thinks it’s embarrassing that her own daughter isn’t a natural-born genius like she is

i, hana

this bitch has Big Tsun vibes if you know it you know it 🤪

like she’ll geniunely care but she’s also HEAVES BIG SIGH BC ???? WHY ??? WHAT ARE THESE FEELINGS ???

she’s such a priss, and she knows it -- that’s why i say she has a stick up her ass bc she does

she’s definitely not a wild card, she’s very by the book, rules and all, sure -- she tries not to fault people if they’re not the same as her but if you go out of your way to be stupid, you’ll be getting an ear-full

probably the most put-together person you know, organized, meticulous, looks like she has her life all together? yeah that’s cho hana

her outfits of choice are hot librarian chic, if you must know -- yes, she owns sweater vests and layers her clothes, and yes she thinks they’re sexy

she’s not mean, but she’s also not unreasonably nice off the gate ???? she’s just really civil and mutual ??? mostly she’ll fake smile at you but in her head she’s like ‘i’m with stupid’ 

no, but if you’re really dumb / do something really dumb she’ll call you out on it without filter

she’s a very type-A personality, but she wasn’t always like this. if anything, she was made to be this way and it kind of stuck. she carries around a planner ( no, not those bullet journal crap ) an actual planner with real dates, a to-do list and scheduled sessions written for almost every minute of every day. if she loses this, she’ll practically shut down

hana doesn’t love control, she needs it -- if anything, without it, she can get a little antsy, so much that it kind of fucks with her fragile ego ( you can thank her mother for the need to be in control bc her mother literally controls every aspect of her life )

if she’s upset, she’ll probably grin through it before quickly excusing herself to go throw vases at the walls or tear flowers to shreds in the greenhouse

if you need someone to critically tear down your confidence and dish reality’s terrible news to you, hana’s probably the person you need

you can probably find hana in 3 places if she’s not in her dorm: studying in the library, crying in the greenhouse, or smoking at the pool of universe

she’s praised as some kind of genius or prodigy, but hana thinks it’s more of an insult than a compliment because she's neither. she won’t deny it but you can probably instantly see the way her demeanor changes towards you when you call her either of those things

this bitch should go on jeopardy with all the useless information she keeps on hand from all her studying, tbh. like she’d be leading a normal conversation with her friends, and if it’s remotely related, she’d randomly insert it into the conversation as if it was something normal like asking about the weather.

not one to go out looking for trouble, but much like a vulture – she follows it. perhaps it’s her desire to be praised, to feel needed, whatever – but in her group of friends, could probably be seen as the moral compass, if not, the person who’s cleaning up everyone’s messes ( or holding their hair while they puke their guts out )

needed connects

childhood friends who know how hana’s mom is, and all the stress she puts on her ( but not the bad things that happen at home ) and try to help her through her issues but hana’s like ‘no, it’s not your problem, it’s okay’ but this friend won’t give up because they hate to see hana so stressed and sad and frustrated and just want the best for her!!!!

give her friends who want to loosen her up because she’s literally so fuCKING RIGID, she needs to live a little but hana is literally like fuck that shit i need to study my ass off or else i’ll lose my place ( but really she’d probably not lose her place, she’s just delusional )

ppl she can actually break down in front of bc she feels stress keeping up w everyone’s expectations of who she is and she’s kind of SIck of pretending to be this Perfect Person but she keeps it up bc it’s better than hearing the nasty things about her

give me a good tension-filled rivals plot, this bitch is honestly so hyper-competitive it’s ridiculous, we’d just love someone to go ‘chill tf out you bitch, but oh yeah look how i steal rank 1 from you’

TOSEONG SENIOR PREFECT LOCKED ! so, hana worked extra hard junior year in order to get senior prefect ( or even head girl ) but since she got neither, hana is a) pissed and b) bitter because now she has her mother breathing down her neck for not getting either positions, but her mother’s wrath adds even more : ) unnecessary : ) stress and that stress : ) gets unreasonably taken out on that toseong senior prefect

exes who couldn’t keep up with her -- hana always puts her relationships second to her academic priorities and it comes to a point where she’ll put studying/getting ahead before hanging out with her significant other, and it has always been this way ; she’s also just never able to properly put her feelings into proper words so she’s always just ... Repressed 

someone give her a love where she ALMOST threw everything away for but at the last minute didn’t -- OR BETTER YET she was so ready to do it but the s/o was like Sike! and she was left devastated and her already vulnerable feelings got even worse to the point that she closed herself off

HERBOLOGY CLUB MEMBER LOCKED ! ( could be a junior year or above! ) hana wasn’t always in the herbology club, but she joined her sophomore year after a brush of fate. after getting really bad results on her DADA exam, and fearing what her mother would say/do, she finds solace in the greenhouse ( she’s been there several times bc of her minor and finds it empty at certain hours ) and begins ripping up the plants. your muse can find hana and scold her / console her / etc. but somehow the interaction ends with your muse convincing hana to join the herbology club 

( TW NSFW )

someone pls fuck her against a bookcase, just a thought

rivals but fwb ( can also be paired with the connect from above! )

( END TW )

hana secretly smokes. she doesn’t fault anyone who does, hana just thinks it’s a bad habit for herself and if her mother knew, she knew she’d never hear the end of it. so, enter your muse either they found her while they themselves were looking for a smoke or just happened upon her -- either way they found out hana smokes and it can end in either a ) hana doesn’t give a shit and ends up having smoking dates with them or b ) hana fucking fears for her life and exchanges something in order for you to keep your mouth shut

( TW ABUSE, VIOLENCE )

PRE-ESTABLISHED FRIENDS PLOT REQ ! but your muse mistakenly walks in on hana and her mother in the middle of a heated argument. you finally see hana being the submissive person you Don’t know her to be and in the nick of time you see her mother slap the shit out of her. you try to talk to hana but don’t know what to say -- shockingly enough -- you don’t need to say anything because hana just breaks down and it kind of just makes sense. from there, your muse will probably be the only person hana goes to about her mommy issues, especially when hana’s mom makes her ‘surprise’ visits to campus to check up on her

( END TW )

hana isn’t a bad drinker, if anything -- she’s pretty good at keeping her alcohol in check. however, you aren’t -- so here she is, holding your hair, holding your arm, or helping you back to your dorm room. either way, she’s here to take care of you and in the morning, lecture you for your almost alcohol intoxication scare

as top of her class, hana isn’t unfamiliar to tutoring others, if anything, a lot of her professors actually ask her to do so -- pairing her with several of their students at one time. maybe you’re one of the students she tutors?

someone who envies how well hana does in school, and is constantly praised for it -- maybe hates her for it? idk -- something spicy i guess or going so far to say how easily it comes to hana and kind of undermines the hard work hana actually does and hana either takes it or blows up at them for it bc that shit is annoying as fuck

toseong house cute plots bc hana isn’t really all that cute but like she tries ... she wants affection but won’t go out of her way to ask for it??? bitch has problems i swear

toseong house not so cute plots ( could also be relevant to any not from toseong ) who are just sick of hana’s genius bullcrap and want to take her down a notch !!!!! my ass heavily wanting this bc who doesn’t love a muse in pain / agony ; could also apply as a rivals / hate plot idk 

( TW BLOOD )

HEALING MAJORS LOCKED ! your muse catches hana in the middle of her rage episodes. she unceremoniously is wreaking havoc somewhere and ends up breaking glass to the point that she ends up bleeding. your muse chances upon her -- sees that she’s bleeding and offers to patch her up. whether or not she fesses up to why she ended up this way, can be determined!

( END TW )

[abrahamshipwreck]

Ever amazing ever fabulous Ryker @hustleboness tagged me for my Top 10 Niche Interests. Going to have to whittle that down to jus 10 I guess!

Uncanny Valley. Dolls, mannequins, automatons/animatronics. Puppets. I love them all. I love even Reborn dolls and realistic sex dolls for the reason that I just find them so fascinating. Movement in the motionless. The amount of detail and craftsmanship and skill and love that goes into making them. Cant get enough! ADDITIONAL -Rankin Bass studios. Started off with the stop motion films. Guess this is a bonus one but ties in to no. 1.

Clowns. Clowns are funny, all they want to do is make people laugh, make them happy. Its such a pure form of entertainment and the culture surrounding professional clowns is amazing. I wanted to be a professional clown for a long time but I dont have the physical skill for it. I eat up clowncore like curcus peanuts.

Taxidermy. I guess this goes hand in hand with the Uncanny Valley- life in the lifeless. A creature that was once alive is given new energy with the skill and care of one person. Even rogue taxidermy fascinates me. The world of taxidermy has opened up so much since the advent of the internet and once closed trade secrets are open for all to learn from.

Cryptozoology. My ultra niche is probably the canidae- Beast of Gevaudan is my bread and butter to be honest. This leaks into Ufology but not to such a strong degree. Someday I want to go to the Bigfoot Convention in Kentucky, visit famous sites of Cryptid sightings, Roswell for the UFO convention. Places I can info dump and get new perspectives from.

Conspiracy theories. Miss me with that Illuminati reptoid shit an give me Princess Diana assassinations, government cover ups, I dodge the thinly veiled Anti-Semetic shit and dig for the real good ones.

Possums. I just love these funky lil dudes,m8

Extreme Survivalism. Even as a kid (I attribute a good hunk of this to "the Hatchet" and some childrens book about a kid making his own culture around a strange plant I cant recall the name to for this) I always wanted to do the whole "throw me out into the woods and see if I die". Im too chicken for it, but the thought of full self reliance and being separated from the world has fascinated me.

Americana Gothic. From Southwest desert bars seemingly abandoned by time to folkish beliefs of the hollers of Appalachia, this is an aesthetic I hold dear. No idea why.

Bonnebell Chapsticks (Lipsmackers). Still hands down the best flavors and I still hate that they frequently retire old flavors to repackage as Disney TsumTsum or some bullshit. Been collecting on and off since I was a wee lil kid and is still an addiction of mine.

90s Childhood Nostalgia/SFW Age Regression. Perhaps its because of some mental illness but I love collecting things I recall from childhood and getting use from them. Old Aladdin thermoses, backpacks of 90s Disney cartoons, Garfield school supplies, even things meant for very young children. Does this count as Age Regression? No idea, but it brings me great comfort to feel and use. Even things meant for children for myself and probably is a big reason I am afraid to gain weight because many of these things have small weight limits/sizes. This is the only thing I was hesitant to list given how toxic the community can be. Watch as I lose a ton of followers. But there you have it.

I have plenty more but these I feel fit more in the "weird niche" catagory than things like Horror or Musical Instruments or werewolves. We aint here to list the obvious.

I tag whoever wants to do it. Too scared to tag people bc of no 10 LOL

[cherubchoirs]

my personal take on yaldabaoth is that they're a program not like literally but like that they were made to do a specific task, functions they need to follow they themselves are not evil anymore then a computer is they can be used to do evil stuff by bad people (in this case shido) the public was manipulated into thinking they had no choice or didn't want control and so was yalda just did what they were designed to do (1/2?)

yes absolutely this is very similar to how i view the character!! yaldabaoth is seriously like a computer to me - he runs on his parameters, his actions are dictated by logical calculations, and he does what he was essentially made to do and nothing else really. i won’t get too deep into it here as i have an entire meta i’m writing up for him right now, but i will say that yaldabaoth does nothing outside of his constraints - i’ve been doing a lot of analyzing of him and even the scene most people say is arbitrary and petty - the scene where he informs joker he’s lost the game - is actually logical and is driven by the win-lose scenario he came up with (i will say it is unfair given that the game was rigged, but it was not a decision yaldabaoth made based on being a sore loser, it’s 100% legitimate to him). yaldabaoth was made by humanity to be their administrator because, as he says, making decisions is too painful, and he was created to bring peace to these humans - and the most efficient way of doing so is by stripping the public of their free will. he doesn’t think like humans nor does he value the same things they do. to him, this is just the most elegant solution as it would rid humanity of their deviance and their anxiety, which is what he has been tasked with. i do feel yaldabaoth experiences some level of emotion, but again it is tied to his “programming” - he hates humanity for creating him for this purpose and he hates then that some humans push back against it because it makes them difficult and indecisive. he certainly also has an ego on him lmao but he was granted godhood by humanity and he really does feel like all those supercomputers in sci-fi that gain sentience - they can only run off their parameters, but those parameters indicate they are far superior to humans. tbh i have a very hard time saying whether or not he returned the bond joker formed with him tho. a part of me sort of agrees, that yaldabaoth is a very different being that can’t really form a proper relationship with anyone and so the confidant was truly one-sided. but also, when offering his deal, it’s clear that yaldabaoth holds joker in a higher regard than other humans and so perhaps that’s sort of his own way of bonding. it probably isn’t similar to human emotion and like i said before, i doubt yaldabaoth himself would really understand it, but he may have a certain attachment to joker through that confidant. obviously that’s all totally up for interpretation tho, and my stance is more bc i play with the idea in my bad end au lol but very much agree on these character points and they’re something i’ll be covering in my meta!!

[astorxa]

Merlin’s beard, what is ( ASTORIA GREENGRASS ) doing out at this hour? For a ( PUREBLOOD ) who is ( 16 ) years old, ( SHE ) really ought to know better. You know, I hear that they’re aligned with ( THE NEUTRALS ), but that could be just a rumor. I do know that they’re ( QUESTIONING ) and a ( SLYTHERIN ) student though. They’re very ( + DIPLOMATIC ) and ( + INTELLIGENT ) but also quite ( - ALOOF ) and ( - OVERTHINKING ), which could be why they remind of ( USING DISTRACTIONS TO PASS THE TIME, SWEEPING YOUR HAND ACROSS A RACK OF EXPENSIVE DRESSES, THE YEARNING FOR MORE, A KNOWLEDGE UNQUENCHED ). Some people say they’re the spitting image of ( SYDNEY PARK ), but I’ve never heard of them. 

CHARACTER INSPO: Astrid Leong ( Crazy Rich Asians ), Leila Keating ( All American ), Nancy Wheeler ( Stranger Things ), Laurel Castillo ( HTGAWM ), Peyton Charles ( iZombie ), Celeste Wright ( Big Little Lies ).

EXTRAS: pinterest 

ABOUT:

It was a particularly cold day in October, upon a house on a hill in Kent, Astoria Greengrass was born quietly, in the late evening. Even then, she came out of the womb easily without much fuss, the labor was short, she cried once and then not at all. Even from a young age, she displayed the traits of a perfect daughter -- quiet, non questioning ( outwardly ), intelligent, stoic, curious but not too curious ( yet ), poised, obedient. Halloween was just around the corner and the Greengrass’ showed off their new daughter at their annual O’Hallows Eve event, only a little over a week old, she was the apple of their eye. It was like she came into the world to be perfect, seemingly serene, lovely, good. The Greengrass’ while frustrated they couldn’t have any sons, settled for daughters who would make the family name a shining example in the Wizarding World and would make good matches when the time came, they just had to be groomed to get there. It didn’t take much grooming for Astoria to play the part, to become the part, to excel at it like she was born to do so -- much to their pleasure.

She was also kind, inquisitive, sneaky, knowing the more she obeyed the less they’d watch her. At a young age, even though she was younger than many of the pureblood children she hung out with, she was the maternal, caring, quiet, warm presence many of them lacked. A quiet warmth among them, trying to give them the love that none of them got by simply being there, being by their side. If you needed something, go to Astoria. If you wanted something done or needed someone to back you up and legitimize your hijinks, go to Astoria. The only time she deigned to stand up against the adults was in defense of her fellow purebloods, as she felt a camaraderie as well as a responsibility for them she couldn’t really explain. Perhaps, it was the fact that they all had similar upbringings, that they were all practically indoctrinated into a society after the First War that was dying. The Greengrass’s were a dying breed and she easily took on the role of diplomat, of perfect dutiful daughter. She didn’t know anything else even though she longed to.

By the time Astoria was 11, she knew society well. Praised in Witch Weekly as ‘One to Watch’, she made subtle waves within society, going back to her mother’s home in Singapore frequently to further integrate with Pureblood society internationally. The name Astoria Greengrass was known in Pureblood circles and by the time she sixteen, she was fairly popular within them. A perfect socialite, a perfect daughter, a perfect diplomat, she’d been groomed since birth and fit into the role perfectly.

EXCEPT. She wondered. In between the traveling, her parents started to be less lenient with her due to her just being the daughter they didn’t need to worry about ( not that they were the most attentive parents in the first place )  -- she slipped in between the cracks and saw a world that was more than what she was given. The hate they raised her with she realized was fear, which was then countered by her need to know, her curiosity that was once unthreatening, propelled her into muggle cities, into muggle books, muggle music. Of course, she never talked about it, with anyone. But she knew. In her mind, there was so much more than what she had and the longing for it started. A life long love affair with knowledge, never quenched but always thirsty, was born.

That’s when the distractions, the hobbies of sketching, drawing, baking, cooking, reading, became needs. Her mind reeled, her mind saw so much more and realized how her family was on the wrong side of history. Sure, she could enjoy the perks of living, she could enjoy her name & her reputation, the money, the privilege she had of being pureblood, but the morality of it all started to weigh on her heavily. The older she got, the more she read about the dead during the First War. The people her family had helped slaughtered ( at least, they were neutral/DE leaning -- by proxy their blood was on her hands ). The people her Ministry parents had let slide, the people who came in and out of their home who were objectively bad people. She baked, though she wasn’t the best. She painted, she sketched, she made clothing designs of ornate dresses, some of which were brought to fruition and many of which were actually worn by Astoria. Witch Weekly asked her when her clothing line was coming out and Astoria became motivated to actually make one. Not due to desire, but due to the guilt of her life weighing down on her more and more -- instead of doing something about it, standing up to her family, Merlin forbid betraying them, she fell deeper down the rabbit hole of her life. They wanted a clothing line of evening gowns? Astoria would deliver. Brands wanted her to wear their clothing? She did and made them her own. Astoria got better and better at living a life that she felt horrible living because what other option did she have?

Astoria was a true hatstall between Slytherin and Ravenclaw.  He saw she was a wonderer, someone who had an unsatisfied need to learn about everything, that she would soar if she was to be an eagle. The hat kept trying to convince her that Ravenclaw was where she belonged, after all she read books, practically soaked up knowledge like a dry sponge & valued it extremely — but being away from her family? Away from the big sister she loved with all her heart and soul, the people she grew up with? Astoria was a Greengrass, but more importantly she held her value of family above anything else. After a few minutes, the hat saw this, it realized that maybe she did belong in Slytherin after all and let her go. Green robes adorned her, and she joined the House of Snakes with a superficial smile. Because underneath all of that, she was nervous, that maybe she had made a mistake. This was something that she often wondered but was able to push it away for years, happy that she was with the people she loved.

The Hat wasn’t wrong in the end, Astoria Greengrass belonged in Slytherin even if she was a Ravenclaw. She didn’t just belong there because of her last name or her company, but because of cowardice born from self-preservation and the deep need to be loyal to her family, to be by her sister’s side, though not prominent in all Slytherin wizards, was in her veins. Doing the right thing seemed much worse than betrayal, saying something against what she was taught was practically betrayal, so she kept her mouth glued shut. Astoria seemingly turned a blind eye to the budding war around her ( even though that was very much not the case, which was worse ), following her sister dutifully as a Greengrass as a socialite, even if she would’ve rather been home reading many of the books she had collected ( even if some where muggle and not allowed, she hid them under her bed & floorboards ). At 16 almost 17 years old, she’s more conflicted but down the rabbit hole than ever -- a small line of designer gowns under her belt, Witch Weekly’s endless love & praise being named Witch Weekly’s Jr. Socialite Of The Year -- something that weighs heavy on her. Her parents are pleased but Astoria is finding it harder and harder to adorn herself with beautiful clothing and look in the mirror like she isn’t as guilty as the Death Eaters by simply standing idly by. "The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. " Astoria thinks about this quote. Often.

Underneath the grace and demure demeanor is not someone you want to piss off. With a sharp tongue and a sharper mind, Astoria could easily tear someone down, pick someone apart, so observant and very wry, but she doesn’t. She doesn’t need to and realized at a young age that she would gain more with being adored & loved than being feared -- but it doesn’t mean she can’t. This distinction is important.  She bites her tongue, she swallows the blood, but it doesn’t mean she can’t draw it if necessary.

EXTRA FACTZ:

alright i’m gonna stop bc i usually write long intros and i’m trying to learn the art of brevity

ISFJ & libra

has a cat named asteria because she thought it was funny tbh

patronus: swan

none of that blood curse BS bc cursed child isnt valid in my house!!!!!!

boggart: her sister’s dead body which signifies letting her family down and the person she loves most down, losing her family as well

if u didn’t already know daphne is everything to her

plays piano and violin

loves the stars and star jewelry, she does kinda like astrology too

questions her gender v v deep down, doesn’t really acknowledge or talk about it and doesn’t feel there’s room to

knows she aint straight though and is cool with it

buy the stars by marina and the diamonds is her SONG

always looking good. always looking fresh. she dresses up that uniform with so much jewelry, she looks GOOD AT ALL TIMES and is always wearing some sort of jewelry. designer everything on hogsmeade weekends. like ur girl is looking fresh 2 DEATH

it’s astoria or ria, even then only a few people can call her ria. it’s astoria or bust lol! none of that tori shit!

is something of a wine expert?? she’s real posh tbh. she went to italy (1) time and was like wow i am cultivating a Love of Wine and has done so

[gigglyirwin]

not sure if we're still talking ash and younger gf but a thought popped into my head: gf is the type of 18 year old that rlly enjoys social media- like snap and insta stories about her day and her meals and activities and a lot of them include ash. i have a feeling she would get a lot of shitty comments about how she's using ash for fame bcos of this and it starts to get to her so she stops and ash immediately notices and it breaks his heart when he learns the reason why

hello i didn’t need to be hurt today thank you. I feel like she would be that kind of person and Ash would love it so much, he’d definitely have post notifications on for her on instagram and he’d always check snap even if they were sitting in the same room together and he watched her make the snapchat. I feel like that’s how people get a first suspicion that she might be seeing ash and when it’s confirmed she is (or perhaps after the one picture of her sitting on his lap is leaked) she gains so many followers but then she always gains the “fans” that decide to hate on her and say things like she’s using ash for followers and make comments like “when you two break up you’re going to lose all your followers” and it kills her bc she’s never thought using him and she does really love him and she worries ashton will see it and think the same thing so maybe she doesn’t post anything on social media for a day and doesn’t even like tweets or instagram photos for a whole day and i see it being when Ash is on tour and he immediately calls her and asks her whats wrong and if she’s okay and when she tells him people have been making comments about her using him for attention, he’d comfort her and assure her he doesn’t think she is and then i bet he’d jump on twitter himself and shut them down with a single tweet.

[clodiuspulcher]

I’m new to roman history, and I barley know the name Clodius; could you tell me more about him?

Publius Clodius Pulcher is a freak, a demon, a Pretty Boy, a man of Contradictions, a wild tribune of the plebs who sincerely believed the Laws did not Apply To Him, and my favorite Roman Politician bar none who epitomizes Roman Politics to the extent that I’d think he was a parody of a Roman senator, a fake person, the Discworld version, except he was REAL. Born to the Esteemed Patrician Claudius Pulcher Family, in 92-91 BC, Clodius Pulcher was the youngest of 3 sons (and had some older sisters too, most notably the notorious Clodia Metelli who aided and abetted his political career w/ considerable financial/other support) and deviated Wildly from the staunch conservatism of his oldest brother Appius Claudius Pulcher (PS: he’s a freak too and I need to do a whole post on ACP cos. 54 because WOW). They served in the third Mithridatic war under Lucullus together when Clodius was in his early 20s but Clodius didn’t get as high a position as his older brother and started a mutiny. Lucullus naturally removed him, Clodius then commanded a naval fleet and was almost immediately captured by pirates. They tried to ransom him to king Ptolemy because Clodius kept talking up how ~important he was (a Claudius Pulcher! A nobelman! A patrician from one of Rome’s richest and most famous families!) but Ptolemy didn’t care and Clodius had to wait until the threat of Pompey coerced the pirates to let him go. These early military incidents basically set the tone for Clodius’s entire life and political career, and I think they really Tell you what kind of person Clodius was. This is what we’re working with here.Clodius is best known for two things: radical populism and gang wars, and the bona dea scandal.  The latter is what his arch Enemy Cicero tends to harp on because it’s absolutely insane: basically Clodius snuck into a women’s-only religious festival dressed as a woman, and was discovered because his voice was deep, and they kicked him out and had to re-do everything and he was tried for sacrilege etc. Plutarch/Cicero/Etc. claim this is because he wanted to sleep w/ Caesar’s wife but I Doubt that (and so does the author of the Clodius Bio: honestly I think this is ‘no one had ever told him no and he genuinely did not think the Law applied to him because status/wealth/etc). And Actually this is connected to the populism because when he was tried for sacrilege he positioned himself/his friends as ‘fighting against the senate’s overweening power / returning power to the hands of the people’ because the bill the senate promulgated to try him for sacrilege had the senate select the jury and that was the hill Clodius and his followers chose to die on. Then he dragged Cicero into it and Cicero had to defend himself and destroyed his alibi and Clodius only got off by bribing the jury and it was a mess and Clodius hated Cicero from then on even though he started it. wild. My Latin Professor described Clodius as a ‘dyed in the wool populist’ which is Not Untrue, since to be fair he’d had a Populist Streak since his army days (he was called ‘the soldiers’ friend’ because of the Lucullus mutiny debacle). it was PROBABLY a selfishly motivated populism, though, (and again: from the beginning Clodius’s populism was motivated by personal gain , he started the mutiny because he was mad at his own ‘slighted’ status) although I have to wonder if Clodius was Sincere to any degree…. but that’s my Thoughts. Continuing on the Shocking and Radical road, Clodius tried several different arcane laws to become a plebeian but eventually teamed up with the first triumvirate to be adopted by a plebeian family ~59. He didn’t change his name though, aside from the “Claudius->Clodius” thing that some people debate is even a significant difference (Cicero makes a distinction though when speaking of Clodius vs. his brother so). As tribune in 58, Clodius did some legitimate good: he passed laws restoring forbidden collegia and creating those that hadn’t ever existed, allowing the poorest some measure of involvement and status, and of course he passed a grain dole law which distributed free grain to the same class. He also helped the function of the senate actually- he passed a law wherein anyone who was removed from the senatorial lists by the censors had a chance to defend themselves, and formalized the process by which political actions could be hindered by bad omens (no more of Bibulus trying to stop politics from happening because of Auguries). However Clodius also used his political power and stalwart supporters to literally attack personal enemies (namely Cicero) whom he managed to get exiled based, again, on that purely personal vendetta stemming from the Bona Dea scandal. He passed a law that was like “Anyone (named Cicero) who executed Roman citizens without trial (during the Catilinarian conspiracy and is named Cicero) is exiled… bye.” Clodius’s Legitimate gangs of adherents helped with this and he intimidated politicians like Pompey as well when he needed to. This devolved into ah. gang wars between supporters of Clodius and T. Annius Milo’s (a political rival) gladiators/slaves whom he bought/trained to combat them, and in the midst of the chaos Cicero was recalled from exile when popular favor swung his way. Eventually Clodius was murdered in 52 BC by Milo’s slaves along the Appian way, the street his ancestor Appius Claudius built… Yet he remained a Stalwart (though selfish!) Populist to the end- Indeed, during his last campaign (for the praetorship) he vocally promoted supporting/improving the status of freedmen! Clodius! The loyalty his supporters felt for him speaks to the efficacy and importance of his tribuneship and political image to the dispossessed, disenchanted class of urban poor and his ability to recognize and respond to this crisis is impressive considering how many senators absolutely refused to do the former much less the latter. Any good that might have come out of his policies though is of course obscured in the historical record by the absolute wild and Violent shit Clodius got up to, and also by the fact that our main source, and our only contemporary source on Clodius is…. Cicero.This post is already getting Long and I haven’t touched on a lot of things like the Pro Caelio debacle, the importance of Clodia, the exact and detailed drama between Clodius/Caesar/Pompey/Cicero/Cato etc etc etc, the extent to which Clodius Bent Or Ignored laws and customs of adoption / other plebeian transfer methods, the importance of the tribuneship and Clodius’s relationship to the legacy of tribunes like Tiberius Gracchus or Saturninus BUT! I do want to say a few more things. First, Clodius also married ~62, when he came back from the East, Fulvia, whom is my favorite historical figure perhaps ever to live on earth. She was instrumental in rebuilding his image after the bona dea scandal, she was by his side so often than in the trial for his aforementioned violent murder, Cicero claimed that Clodius must have been planning something because Fulvia wasn’t there when he was killed, and she was ALWAYS with him otherwise. Fulvia dragged Clodius’s body through the streets of Rome and likely helped incite the riot of Clodian supporters that ended in the burning down of the senate-house. Thus she established herself as the heir of Clodius’s legacy, the inheritor of Clodian politics and political support, which she provided for her future marriage connections. She made sure Clodius didn’t die in vain by compelling her next two husbands, Gaius Scribonius Curio and one Mark Antony, who were associates of Clodius, to take more populist stances w/ their legislature and was especially heavily involved in Antony’s career. AND she got revenge on Cicero in the End according to Cassius Dio (She was also a much more effective military commander than Clodius ever was and I bet he was proud)To cut this off now, check out my Clodius Tag where I lose my whole mind about Clodius and his politics every week or so. I have a lot of Classics Opinions but my Clodius Opinions are the most well-formed and I’d hope the most informed as well. However please don’t ask me Super specific questions until the 28th because I’ve been in an Etruscan Art void for my archaeology class and I left my Clodius BIography at home and won’t be back til then. Also I Run @clodiussuggestion so you can ask Clodius Him Self. 

[enygmass]

As the former collections manager of an Edgar Allan Poe museum, I can't resist. "Berenice," with dealer's choice of characters.

Me @ myself: damn

[Um ok this got a bit long, like 1941 words long, but it’s Scriddler and I hope you’re ok w that bc I gotta get back to writing my boys. Well. I guess you can say mentions of Scriddler, but nothing solid. Also a bit dark on the relationship part.]

Berenice: loss, fixation, memory.

[ But as, in ethics, evil is a consequence of good, so, in fact, out of joy is sorrow born. ]

                                                                1              

Often when one enters a career that binds them to work until the early hours of the morning, when the sun is tentatively peering its head up from the horizon and the city lights are fading away as an indicator to the people to wake up, they know better than to get expectations. When this career further includes activities that many would deem dangerous, or immoral, these expectations are further to be limited. The only expectation a criminal can have is the expectation that they will be inevitably caught. They cannot even anticipate success; if you do, you gain a large ego, and this is how you collapse.

Jonathan knew of a man who had begun to anticipate his success. Yes, he knew of this man quite intimately; he had spoken through bars to him and had been forced to share showers. Often when you share showers with someone that’s about the time you stop trying to be shy around each-other. There is nothing sacred when you’re both inmates at the exact same institution. Even when you try to hold your tongue from others, the walls whispered for you.

His first memory of this man was their initial encounter, not in Arkham, but crossing paths at a bookstore long before they became what they were now. He had been vibrant but irritable, turning the corners without looking and practically causing Jonathan to lose the stack of important novels that he intended to take home and hunch over for the evening. He had offered no apology and nor had Jonathan. They had exchanged a mutual blank stare as Jonathan readjusted the stack and pushed his glasses up, before they moved past each other and to their intended locations. He had failed to see him coming, but what he had not failed was to note the novel the man held in his hand as he passed; ‘The Fall of the Human Intellect’ by A. Parthasarathy. Both controversial and conceptual. A unique taste.

The second memory of the man was quite a time later, long after Jonathan had grown settled into the routine of chemicals and testing versus educating and grading. Late evening hours had become his equivalent of day time, and he had found himself frequenting renown locations of Underworld dwellers to generate some sort of interest in funding what he desired to create. He had a name by then; The Scarecrow was no longer associated with the figure in the cornfield. By now, people were thinking of gaseous substances and their rooted terror when the name was uttered. This was how he had found himself located at the Iceberg Lounge. If there was one man who liked things that could benefit him, it was Oswald Cobblepot.

Oswald Cobblepot, however, was preoccupied with another client and Jonathan had been subsequently forced to sit outside on some excuse of a chair to wait. He had discarded his now typical attire for something more casual, but a briefcase was gripped in his hand. Some things never change when you move from Professor to Rogue. The sound of the door opening, followed by the chatter of two men of which one he knew, had broken away the train of thought in return for attentiveness. There had been no anticipation, however, of seeing who he saw with Cobblepot that night. In fact, the last time Jonathan had recalled seeing him, they had nearly collided with one another at a dingy bookstore on the corner of Cherry Street. The man had recognized him as well, given the sly smile that had broken upon his face mere seconds after exiting the room.  

The approach had been long and tedious, and when he had finally stopped in front of Jonathan, he had extended a hand as if it were a right.

“I don’t think we ever formally said hello. I’m Edward Nygma, but you might know me as The Riddler.”

Jonathan had stared at the hand for a moment before taking it. Edward had spoken with a self-confidence that was admirable, but perhaps a bit too obvious. If anything to Jonathan – a trained psychologist – it had felt superficial.

“Jonathan Crane, but you might know me as The Scarecrow.”

That had been the instigator of what was to become one of the tensest affairs Jonathan had ever had to formally deal with. He and Edward clashed personality-wise. Edward was extroverted, excitable, egotistical, and exhausting. Jonathan felt more inclined as an introverted, impassive, indecipherable individual. They had shared similar traits, however. Both were passionate about their work, both knew intellect served above all else, both were masterful at complex plans, and both hated the bat enough that they could tolerate working with one another for more than one evening. Perhaps that was where a majority of their toxicity began to form.

Jonathan had become fixated on the way Edward Nygma’s mind worked, and he had acknowledged this to himself. He had become fixated on his thought process, on what drove him, on what set Edward Nygma off to become The Riddler. Jonathan had known for a fact he was always fated to become The Scarecorw; childhood neglect and rejection from peers created a perfect recipe for a psychotic break. Edward Nygma, on the other hand, seemed far too composed for him to become The Riddler. This had made him something of a fascination; like a regular citizen listening to a convicted killer recount in grotesque detail their crimes, Jonathan had felt himself becoming more and more interested each time Edward opening his mouth to speak. When they had worked together in close confinement, within the cells of Arkham, Edward had opened his mouth a lot.

“Jeremiah can’t properly grasp the concept of what I’m telling him. I, personally, prefer Leland; at least she made an active effort to solve my riddles rather than telling me over and over how ‘this is unhealthy behavior’.”

They had been eating lunch, in their usual spot located away from most of the inmates. Often, they were joined by a few stragglers; Hatter, on occasion Harley although she spent the most time in her cell, and once in a while Harvey when he had nowhere else to be. This time they had been alone, however.

“It is unhealthy. It’s compulsive, and most of the time it’s the reason you end up here.” Jonathan had only been half minding the conversation, deterring the rest of his attention to the two guards who had been staring them down from the entrance. Each time they had leaned close to whisper to one another, Jonathan had been sure to look directly at them.

“I’m aware of that, Jonathan, and if I could control it I would. Jeremiah Arkham will last one more session with me before he ships me off to Young, or Thompkins, and I know this.” Jonathan had drawn one slender finger across the corner of his mouth, all while staring down the two guards still.

“How do you know so confidently?” He had still only half been listening at that point.

“Because I always know. I always know the outcome of these things. These Doctors, they’re like clockwork – they like their set systems, and when you twist one bolt just out of place, they send you over to the next Doctor instead. They don’t like to feel like they’re out of control.” Now he had looked to Edward, only to be met with a stern expression and a self-assured gaze. Edward had been hunched over his plate at that point, and Jonathan had known that Edward Nygma was exactly the mind he wanted to pry at.  

Those moments had felt like eons ago.

Time changed, as did life along with it, and many years had passed since Jonathan had looked at those two guards in Arkham. They hadn’t done what he thought they would that evening, something he was relieved about. Men in positions of power could be ruthless; there were experiments to prove such things.

Time had also changed his standpoint with Edward. Although he had continued to study the man, falsifying their friendship to gain insight into his workings like some lab rat under scrutiny, becoming too involved with a subject often led to things getting far too personal. Yes, he had come to know this man quite intimately, surpassing the boundaries of physical contact to something even he was uncomfortable with. Perhaps this had been what had created the rift between them, the toxicity that had begun to form those years before. The toxicity that had eventually overflowed and created burns that would likely not heal for a long time now.

Edward had left two years ago, likely to catch bigger fish than what was lurking in Gotham City.

Too many people in this city now, all stealing or creating their own gimmicks. It isn’t as it should be.

His logic was sound, his thought process clear, but Jonathan had offered no insight. He had sat quietly with his back facing Edward as he spoke, only half listening as he had in Arkham, and using the rest of his attention to focus at the task at hand. Their conversations no longer held the interest they once did.

Metropolis is pointless, and I don’t feel like getting massacred by some Demi-God. Maybe there’s some other town nearby.

Edward had always talked, even when Jonathan had wanted him not to. The Iceberg Lounge, on heists, at dinner, in the bedroom, always talking, always saying what was on his mind.

What I’m trying to say here, Jonathan, is that we should go. Everyone else is moving on and we’re practically the last ones left. Are you even listening to me?

Jonathan had offered a sound of half-acknowledgment. Recollection of what had occurred next was vague, but he recalled a few other phrases being thrown about, before the sound of Edwards boots moving up the basement steps echoed out and faded to obscurity. Then there was sound no more. Sound no more, except for what was made by the beakers and the chemicals bubbling away.

After that, he had not seen Edward. Fall faded to winter – a peaceful one without the disruption -  and winter to spring, which also passed with no disruption. Spring faded to summer, and to fall once more until a full year had passed since that discussion in the basement. Still no Edward. No letters, no messages, an absolute dead-air.

Jonathan had not minded. He had been accustomed to this for many years and had decided it was for the better. Research could be accomplished more successfully without the interruption of hands on your back, or lips on your neck, or fierce yelling in your ear about the stupidity of some vigilante. Although he did find himself reminiscing perhaps a bit too longingly on his relationship with Edward, memories he promptly pulled himself out of, the one thing that couldn’t be argued was that he could finally complete his work.  

The only expectation a criminal can have is the expectation that they will be inevitably caught. A criminal should not expect to be able to maintain successful relationships especially if they are in the same career as you. They should not expect joy or a feeling of completion to be gained from such relationships. They should not expect success, they should not expect fame, and above all, they should not expect for happiness to be derived from the immoral path they elected to follow.

They cannot even anticipate success. But Jonathan had known a man who had anticipated his success – and wondered if he had achieved it yet.

[clonerightsagenda]

Your commentary is so interesting, I love your AU and how much thought you put into it! Could you talk about Vriska's first scene (with Aranea and Meenah) or her arc in general, and/or about Play the Rain? Thank you!

Oh sweet, more opportunities to talk about myself. I am enjoying these more than I should.

This is another set that I can already tell will get long, so I’ll break ‘em up. Vriska’s arc in TLC is kind of a Big Thing, so let’s start out with her first scene with Aranea and Meenah, and I’ll work my way through the rest as I have time.

On this blog, I refer to GO!Vriska as the superior one, but in canon she still has a long ways to go. She has figured out that her other self is an asshole, and she’s got an inkling that her earlier behavior was not 100% excellent, but she stalls out there, possibly a victim of dreambubble inertia, possibly a victim of bad writing. I don’t really consider a character going ‘huh, maybe my past behavior was somewhat unsavory’ sufficient as a ‘redemption arc’. You need to do something about it. So a big focus when it came to TLC!Vriska was making sure she actually took action, and part of that involved lighting a fire under her ass. Unfortunately for Meenah and Aranea, they were the kindling.

The scene starts with Vriska and Meenah hanging out in the bubbles, watched over by Andrew Hussie, who is quickly replaced by our author self-inserts as part of the running gag and also because a grown man spying on two teenage girls dating has become increasingly creepy to me as I get older. I disapprove of Gill's overly aggressive tactics though, as you can tell from my tiny avatar. This was in early days, when I was convinced we were going to get a cease and desist letter at any moment. Now I figure no one cares.

In the conversation, I tried to highlight GO!Vriska's insecurities. Throughout the comic, Vriska adopts different personas as a survival tactic. I'll talk shit on her because she does terrible things that I feel the narrative never properly addresses, but it's not that I don't get why. She tries to play up the Mindfang thing to survive Alternia and her lusus. Later, she emulates Meenah to gain her approval, especially when her confidence is lowered by her pir8 expedition falling through and her one human ally dissing her. The fact that there's a significant age gap in this relationship doesn't help. I also find that creepy. Dancestors are like 19 right? 19/13 is Too Much, kids. I don't care how long both of them have been in the afterlife; brain chemistry remains a factor. Anyway, in their scene together, they're both falling victim to the tendency for dreambubbles to sap dreamers' energy, and Vriska's getting increasingly anxious because she feels Meenah's losing interest in her.

Then, Aranea shows up. Now, I detest her, but again, I can at least attempt to empathize. She's been dead for a long time, and rather like alt!Calliope, has had her perceptions of people skewed so she views them more as characters. (With her plans of healing the timeline, she kinda was trying to be a Muse of Space, anyway.) She hated being sidelined, and so she tried to do something about it. Allegedly her intent was good, but it quickly warped into a self-interested attempt to have her way no matter what the cost, doubling down on cruelties like mind control and murder whenever people put up a fight. Approaching the kids and offering her assistance with an explanation of her plan might've worked out fine, especially as they were scattered and looking for leadership. Instead, she went in guns a-blazing and paid the price.

On page 381, we get the hell out of there because we know what's coming, and that's pretty much the end of the self-insert gag. For the best.

As in canon, we use Aranea as a way for Vriska to see her behavior reflected back. It's less dramatic than seeing an alternate version of herself, of course, but it still prompts her to think about some of the mistakes she's made. It's less threatening when you're criticizing someone else. Still, she immediately backtracks and says they can come up with a new plan, eager to remain part of this crowd and maintain the most recent identity she has constructed.

ARANEA: Dancestor, consider this your next and most important lesson in 8eing a Serket.

We just had to lay the irony on thick here. 

In canon, as I mentioned earlier, Lord English remains a sort of shadowy, not wildly intimidating enemy. He shows up with a bang in Caliborn:Enter, but after that you mostly get the vibe that he has to be defeated because he's the narrative's assigned big bad rather than because anyone has personal stakes. After all that buildup, most of the cast doesn't even confront him, and his demise is never clearly shown. Sort of anticlimactic. We wanted to re-establish him as a threat, which is difficult in a comic where it's almost impossible to kill someone properly. This scene, and the one with the puppet strings earlier, are our attempts to add a semi-horrorish vibe to the comic and go hey, this guy? He's a big deal. Plus, it's a fitting reference to the f8 Mindfang doomed Redglare to. Panel 391 is a direct reference. Aranea considers everyone else merely background characters, and the background characters kill her.

She does have one last... I hesitate to say "redemption" spot, but she does help free Meenah and Vriska when it's clear she's fucked. Whether that is out of genuine good nature or a desire to have one last impact on the story, you decide.

Then, Meenah saves Vriska, only to run out of time to escape the bubble herself. It's not an intentional heroic sacrifice (she would've followed if she could) but the Thief of Life does "give" life one time before getting doublekilled herself. This led to concerned musing on my part in the google doc that we ended up heroic sacrificing both Thieves. What sort of message were we sending about the class? That still bothers me a little, because I don't want to suggest the only way to balance out initial selfishness is to give yourself entirely. You should never be called upon to destroy yourself to prove your worth. Perhaps there was a better way to handle that, I don't know. To be fair, canon was laying the implications on pretty thick that Meenah was seeking a fight to the death against English, and so that's sort of a subversion of that (putting prudence before glory), but again. YMMV.

Despite me being the one to plan both sections, I wasn't thrilled about wiping out Meenah and Aranea not long after wiping out alt Calliope and doomed Roxy. I felt like we were really burning through the girl characters and I didn't want to give a bad impression. (We killed loads of dudes in Cherubquest, but then most of them come back.) Part of it is that we wanted to clear the dancestors off the board bc we didn't have the time or inclination to work with them properly, and Aranea and Meenah were the only ones with enough story weight that we felt they needed a bigger exit. It also seemed like a suitable ending for Aranea - she tried to take over the story, and instead she gets wiped out of it entirely. Though, to be fair, her influence did make an impact, so I guess she sort of got what she wanted after all. Also, there were in-universe reasons for most of those deaths. Doomed Roxy had to die as per the deal with Nix. Lord English was looking for Calliope(s) to kill. And there's no way he'd let Aranea's attempt to defy his alpha timeline slide. Meenah was more a casualty of us trying to get rid of dancestors/freeing Vriska's piece up on the board. Still, like I said, not wild about it, but I can’t see any other route I would have taken plotting-wise. 

Ok, that's what I've got for this scene. I'll do more on the rest of Vriska's arc and Play the Rain later, I have to pace myself and also I have meetings.