#yes i'm just throwing content about my guardians out there

[faithinthelambau]

Belongs to Another

Narinder stood at the side of the festivities, watching as the flock took turns dancing around the bonfire. An old tradition to finish out the cooler season before the first warmth, where young families would teach steps to their children, friends formed lines of perfect synchronization, and lovers would come together hand in hand as a sweet confession. He'd witnessed many festivals like this one. Even participated when he was a new crownling under Shamura's watchful eyes.

But this was the first time he had his own flock to host without any aid from his elder siblings. And it was also the first time he himself did not dance with the congregation. But that was fine by him. He was content to observe passively, taking note of all the gentle smiles and bright laughter.

Though he wished someone else would go join them.

"Why not join the dance, Marrock?" he asked. "You do not need to stand at my side."

The dark mauve wolf shook his head. "No. I don't dance. And what's more, I'm meant to act as Guardian. That means I watch. And I wait. And I jump in at the first sign of danger."

"Perhaps, but you're still mortal," Narinder countered. "You do not live a very long life. You should enjoy it."

Marrock shrugged. "I'll live longer than you might think. It has been decided, after all."

Narinder nodded slowly. He'd heard before from the wolf about the prophecy. How Pep, though still inexperienced, would someday join the pantheon of Crown Bearers. And that Marrock would be there by their side. Even so, the two chose to join his sect, and worshiped him as though there was not a looming end to their arrangement. Loyal almost to a fault.

But he didn't mind. He was still a fledgling getting on his own two feet. Even if it were temporary, Narinder was grateful to have them there.

"Indeed. It has been decided, I suppose...." He glanced at the dancers, holding back a laugh as Doris practically began to throw Pep into the air only to catch them. Pep laughed, staggering when their feet returned to the ground, only to be pulled along again. "They look like they're having fun, don't they?"

"....yes. They do."

Narinder glanced at Marrock, raising a brow at the soft expression. "You should tell them."

"Tell them what?" Marrock asked.

"You fancy them, don't you, Marrock?" He nodded toward the duo. "Pepromene."

"I...." Marrock glanced away. "It's....complicated."

"Complicated," Narinder hummed. "You two have been inseparable since the day you met, right? When did it start feeling complicated?"

Marrock didn't say anything at first, simply reaching up and scratching at his left ear. Then, as the songs began to shift, he let out a sigh of defeat. "In truth...I always felt that way about them. From first seeing Pepromene, I felt something in my heart just....grow. We became friends well before Evie told me of my future. Even if I never learned of it, I would have followed them anywhere. The prophecy is simply..... a reassurance. That I am not in fact without purpose. That my place is by Pepromene's side." He chuckled softly. "I would do anything for them. They...they're my reason for living. I truly love them. Most desperately, in fact."

"Then you should tell them."

"I cannot."

"And why ever not?"

Marrock looked back to the dancers, and Narinder saw the wolf's eyes gleam with pitiful acceptance.

"Their heart belongs to another," Marrock stated simply. "And as long as that person is who they care for most in the world, I cannot step between them."

Narinder looked over at the the duo, ears twitching anxiously. "Doris and Pepromene? I mean...I can see why, but-"

To this, Marrock laughed. "No, no. It isn't Doris. Doris does not feel that way towards Pep. And Pep sees Doris more as a big sister."

"Then who, man?" Narinder demanded. "Who has Pepromene's heart and dares keep it from your reach?"

"It matters not," Marrock assured. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, my Lord. But you needn't trouble yourself." He stood tall, his shoulders finally relaxing. "As long as Pep is happy, that is all that matters."

Narinder's tail sharply wagged back and forth. He certainly did not think this was fair at all to one of his most faithful.

Later, when the festival was done and all went to bed, he made note to finish mastering the mind-reading spell Kallamar had taught him. He would fix this, even if it killed him.

[kharonite]

Consolidated thoughts on my portrayal of Shockwave, or "That One Mech With Joshua Valienté Syndrome (Sorry For The Obscure Long Earth Reference)".

Foreword: I don't like IDW all that much (specifically, I don't like JRO's writing), I don't care for IDW Shockwave as a character and therefore I take zero inspiration from him specifically, though you can probably draw parallels between traits he shares with other canonical instalments. My favorite Shockwaves are the original G1, TFA and Aligned, so mine is a (kind of awkward, as I haven't written him long enough for him to really come into his own yet) mishmash of all three.

I love rambling! I never shut up! I'll shove the rest under a cut to save everyone's dashes. If you like borderline nonsensical word salad, I hope you enjoy.

Part One: Unloneliness And Underworld Kaonites.

Underworld Kaonites are my invention, so I'm obligated to throw a short tangent about them in here. Yes, I know Shockwave is (in some canons) from Tarn. Mine is from Kaon. Who give a shit.

Cybertron is a planet with layers. Like an onion, if an onion were more spread out, with space between the layers. From the mantle of the stratosphere to the depths of the planetary core, every layer of the planet houses some form of civilization (housed, before the War wiped most of them out); and, inevitably, there was some cultural divide between "surface dwellers" and "those weird subterranean guys". To lift an excerpt from my own writing: "Underworld Kaonites possess their own subculture and social aptitudes, differing from that of surface dwellers; they are calm, implacable mechanisms that lack investment in personal connections and instead focus on the collective progression of their society. They don’t yield much in the way of emotional response, and seem entirely dispassionate."

Worldbuilding, yay. Underworld Kaonites were the toughest underground residents of them all, thanks to just how inhospitable their territories were by comparison. They lived in close-knit clans, but every single one of them was equally as content alone as they were around others. Their social bonds were built on necessity. New ideas had to benefit the many, or they were not good ideas. They did not mourn their dead, they recycled them. While the surface dwellers looked to the stars, the Underworld Kaonites looked deeper into Cybertron itself, reading tectonic movements and spidering energon veins and the pulses of life thrown out by the Well with as much significance as the surface dwellers tracked the movement of celestial bodies.

Rarely did any of them migrate to the surface, but Shockwave did; and he found himself surrounded by mechanisms that looked, acted and thought completely differently from what he was familiar with. And he started having ideas.

Part Two: Logical Loyalty, And The Re-evaluation Of.

Shockwave did not love Megatron. He loved a vision of domination and unification and perfect social cohesion, and Megatron was, for a time, someone who embodied that vision. At this point Shockwave was already a pretty prideful mech, utterly self-obsessed with his vast intellect, but it was logical to kneel. So, he knelt, and he played the role of fanatical follower.

And then Megatron left, and Shockwave clung to his vision and convinced himself it would still come to pass for as long as he could. He failed to account for the variable that is chaos. Following the exodus and his promotion to Guardian, he experienced endless mutinies from the remaining Decepticons that were supposed to obey him, but decided they were better off doing whatever they wanted, got beat up by Elita-1 over and over, was energy-starved and wounded, and decided this whole "being completely helpless" thing wasn't for him. Megatron had likely died off in space somewhere, Cybertron was also dead, and Shockwave fell back on that one fundamental goal he had been raised to believe was the most important of all—survival.

And he was very, very good at surviving.

Part Three: The World Within A World.

Shockwave returned to the Underworld, and started to build.

Others followed him, inevitably, but they were surface dwellers, and either died in the depths or fled back to the light. Shockwave continued to build, but most importantly, he began to dismantle. Anything constituting infrastructure, he uprooted, tore apart and reinvented. When he was done with all that, he proceeded to reinvent himself.

Physically, yes, but mentally as well. He straddled the cultural divide between subterranean and surface dweller; a limitless collective of practices and beliefs cemented in unfeeling logic. He had laid the foundations for a prosperous future, but it was not a future he intended to inherit alone. So what if he could live forever? There was no satisfaction in being purely self-serving. He wanted his far-reaching influence to shape the lives of others. In other words, Shockwave fancied himself a god.

And in the Underworld, at the top of a food chain he'd manufactured himself, maybe he was. He decided what lived and what died. He maintained a perfect ecological balance, down to each and every atom of each and every specimen of flora and fauna, the landscape they lived off, the energon that sustained them. He'd seeded a biosphere thousands of leagues in circumference, shaped it over the millennia, and now it thrived in the palm of his hand. If he closed his fist, it would all cease to exist. It was on a relatively small scale, yes, but what higher power could he obtain?

Then the War, which he had dismissed as a priority, suddenly ended, Cybertron was restored, and Shockwave was thrown headfirst into another phase of uncertainty. Chaos had returned to haunt him again.

Part Four: That One Mech With Joshua Valienté Syndrome.

Shockwave enjoys being alone. He enjoys being around other people, too. He has no preference either way. He doesn't need friendship, he doesn't feel empathy, he just wants to observe and maybe continue playing at being god on an increasingly broader scale. If he can snatch up a few allies to bolster his standing, that's all well and good, but he is the embodiment of self-sufficiency. He regards people like he regards a particularly interesting bug, which is less of an insult when you realize just how much he loves bugs.

To be clear: his apparent social ineptitude is, for the most part, an act. He understands people just fine; getting them to explain their beliefs and actions is just something he likes to do because it gives him more data to work with. Others seem to tolerate him more, even trust him, when he fumbles social norms, so that's what he does. He doesn't want to appear as a threat, so he acts non-threatening.

This isn't to say he knows everything; he is, on occasion, kind of a dumbass that relies too heavily on patterns of behavior to make predictions, and he is a very proud individual who can be riled with the right insult. Certain mechs (coughRatchetcough) seem to draw this flaw out more than others. Consequently, it's these individuals that fascinate him the most.

His ultimate, over-arching goal is exactly as he explained here: progress for the sake of progress. This is reflected in his relationship with his son, Predaking, who for this blog's divergent canon he created for no other reason than he could. Does he love his son? Maybe, probably, kinda. As everything is with Shockwave, it's complicated.

(My) Shockwave is not evil. He is not good. He performs acts that can be considered either, depending on who you ask. Ultimately, he serves only one master: pure logic. But what is logic? A miserable narrative crutch to justify making a character irredeemably evil. But enough talk, have at you!

Part Five: Jesus Christ, I'm Still Typing, Anyway How About That Logic, Huh?

There are two forms of logic, which Wikipedia is going to help me explain as loosely as possible, because I'm stupid: formal logic and informal logic.

Formal logic is the academic, mathematical, science-y one. Informal logic concerns itself with everyday events, discourse, and criticism. Canonical portrayals of Shockwave's "logic" are often kind of fucking dumb in an unfun way, so I have chosen to disregard them and invent my own take. He embodies all forms of logic, scientific or otherwise. Logic is simply fundamental to the way the world works, and how society is influenced, and he takes advantage of a deep understanding of it. He's the logic-inator, baby.

"I loved it when Shockwave said "it's logic-ing time" and logic'd all over those guys."—Some Guy, Probably.

Part Six: Don't Look At This Post's Wordcount. Please.

I love Shockwave. I hope you guys will love my take on Shockwave, too, even if it's nonsensical in parts and kind of dumb in others. Transformers is an inherently goofy franchise, and I love goofy shit, so this blog isn't going to be serious all the time because that just sucks the fun out of it. If you read to this point, hey, thanks!

Just like Cybertron, and onions, Shockwave has layers. Over time, I expect they'll become more apparent. Maybe they'll start peeling and he'll become someone very different. Who knows.

[dendrophalaen]

can we talk about baldur's gate i've been dying to talk about baldur's gate

(spoilers below, mostly about act 3 and the ending)

i'm sure these points have already been discussed MANY times and by people who are better at articulating their words than i am. BUT I GOTTA TALK ABOUT THIS STUPID GAME CONSUMING MY MIND (brain worms (real) (tadpole) (not clickbait))

very rambly

i am a cut content truther

i did not play Early Access but bring daisy back!! i think she is more interesting than what the guardian became

daisy can still be the manifestation of the tadpole and the guardian is there to steer you away from its influence. plus down by the river gets to make sense again

obviously the guardian is the emperor, who does have an interest in convincing you to embrace the tadpole powers in canon HOWEVER. in my silly little fanon, the emperor wants you sane and/or manipulatable enough to work with him to defeat the elder brain, so he would discourage the use of the tadpole

why would he NEED tav to be a mind flayer too? 🤨 like buddy what if i'm a STRONGER rogue illithid than you are and i ruin your plans?

there should've been actual consequences for consuming tadpoles/using the powers (even with the emperor's/orpheus' protection) → as in: you start to lose control and your sense of self because you are accelerating ceremorphosis

not sure how that would work game mechanics-wise, but it gives more weight to the dilemma of choosing to use the tadpole or not than just "raaa i am upholding my morals and values i want to stay 100% non-illithid raaaa" (which i think is a valid reason but feels a bit flimsy)

speaking of orpheus, i think he should've had a more active role earlier on in the story than being reserved for the very very end, whether that be actually being freed from his prison or just a way for tav to interact with him

just some way of getting to know him better instead of just taking voss' and lae'zel's word for his character (i guess taking the gamble on if orpheus is trustworthy IS part of the story and my tav was stupid enough to do that, but i feel like there are many companions/other tavs who would rather make a more informed decision) lol

emperor... what a guy (it/he)

it would've been so funny to play up his straight man/Only Sane Man role, especially for a tav who is easily distracted off doing side-quests

no fun allowed (emperor) vs yes fun allowed (daisy)

anyway he is SO frustrating like he says he's Special and not like other mind flayers because he still has his personality, but at the same time he says "i can't help it i'm a mind flayer"

WELL WHICH IS IT (this may be the point. to cast doubts over trusting his words. i am still allowed to hate it though)

was balduran already an asshole. is that why his personality stayed

ooohhh OOOOOHHH BALDURAN/ANSUR. WHY DO THEY GOTTA BE DIVORCED OLD MEN (affectionate)

dear ansur.... i'll always be your balduran....

I WOULD TREAT ANSUR RIGHT

(← dragonborn tav)

let me ride this undead dragon into battle just to kick the emperor's ass

SPEAKING OF kicking the emperor's ass, i hate how freeing orpheus makes the emperor throw a tantrum about trust and join the netherbrain

mfer i can trust you WHILE ALSO disliking the idea of imprisoning and exploiting a whole ass PERSON

YOU SAW WHAT I DID FOR NIGHTSONG

i've seen people speculate that it's because the emperor believes he has a higher chance of survival by siding with the netherbrain and willingly allows himself to be dominated by it

but i think it is so. stupid 😭 cmon man it can't just be two binary choices for you (get killed by orpheus vs join the netherbrain) i'm sure there's a secret third option we can work out

it would've made more sense to just have a fight in the astral plane right then and there over the netherstones (but he wouldn't initiate an unnecessary battle where he would be outnumbered lmao)

plus that choice/ending should've factored in more of what your relationship with the emperor was (making overall positive/cooperative choices over the course of the game → chance of convincing the emperor to stay on your side or something)

IT'S JUST SO SUDDEN

i had more things to say but i forgot them all. the emperor scrampled my brain and i would let him do it again

also i'm still early in act 1 in my dark urge playthrough, so i do not have thoughts on how durge aspects fit in with everything yet :]

i love this game i like to think about it

[doolallymagpie]

nyx: *has literally always been lowkey obsessed with seizing the winnower’s power and turning it against IT*

hypatia: *has never once been concerned before*

nyx: *actually does it*

hypatia: *panicked beeping* i never thought you were actuALLY GONNA DO IT!!! WHAT THE FUCK?!

cal and merlin, simultaneously: you’ve known each other for years, how is that a surprise?

[missingn000]

i just finally got around to reading your immaculate spy x family fic (which i was saving reading for when i could get maximum enjoyment from it) and then got caught up on the latest phantom guardian chapter (we love tonal whiplash <3) aND BOTH WERE GREAT AS USUAL

loid teaching yor to slow dance in their living room before confessing his love to her? yeah yeah, that’s cool, just gonna fundamentally shift what i consider the epitome of romance, it’s all good. also also also, your descriptive writing???? i wanna eat it, im absorbing it into my bloodstream (affectionate). also all of your writing for their kiss was just, so fantastic. my asexual ass has never been so invested in a kiss before lmao. (also the scene of anya crying and loid trying to comfort her but ultimately failing because she knows his true intentions was fucking gut wrenching in the best way omg my heart)

and then y’know. the phantom guardian. delightful and agonizing as always. the shoko/nanami and yuki/toji content? immaculate, showstopping, 11/10. toji and gojo being sent to tengen’s place? screaming, dying, panicking (but also their father and son dynamic ;-; they fambly). THINKING OF RIKO WHEN SEEING MAKI AND THEN CALLING SUGURU????? agony, panic, morbid curiosity. suguru and mahito? dead, dying, throwing up. LAWYER MAN???? fascinated, hooked, oh god he has airpods in he doesn’t know he’s about to get roped into insanity. all this to say another stunning, and very on brand chapter to add to this masterwork of a fanfic. also i love your writing so damn much it lives rent free in my head and rattles around like a maraca <3 thank you for blessing us with your writing and i hope you’re doing alright and have a lovely day!!

HI YOU ARE SO KIND I'M GOING TO MELT 😭❤️️ i'm so pleased you liked my sxf fic!! i was really proud of how that one turned out...writing for a series for the first time is always tough and it's so encouraging to hear you liked all those moments between loid, anya, and yor. also, i TOTALLY get what you mean, my ace ass is over here cheering these two on for the kiss of their life. kiss scenes are so hard to write, dude. what comes to me way more naturally is people beating each other up /lh

regarding tpg, yup we're back at it with the tonal whiplash xD (i say as if there isn't some form of tonal whiplash in like every chapter...in 32, too). YES THE LAWYERMAN IS HERE! i cracked up at "oh god he has airpods in he doesn’t know he’s about to get roped into insanity." he truly has no idea what he's in for, this poor guy.

seriously, this message made my day. thank you for this lovely ask, and i hope YOU are having a great day too!!

[shijiujun]

hey so uh, it's 110% Not Your Job, but can i ask for like a crash course on these chinese bl series that are everywhere around me but i don't know them. like i'm familiar with the untamed or however many names it has but i'm seeing two or three more???? help please if you can thank you

hello!! oh no worries, i happened to be looking for a distraction too so this was timely hahaha although it’s a pretty broad question since there are so many new live adaptations coming out (and some which have already come out which are featured as bromances), but let me see if I can like round this up for you a little. 

*i may be giving you a bit more than you need or like irrelevant stuff, but i guess i’m bound to hit something hahaha

Okay so the chinese BL series you’re talking about is The Untamed, and since you said you’re familiar I won’t get into it in detail, BUT just for like flow’s sake:

The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling) is based on the danmei (BL) novel written by MXTX, called Mo Dao Zu Shi (and yes however many like English translations to this title there is), or MDZS for short. You watched the live-action, and there’s like a lot of other versions of it e.g. the anime, the chibi anime, audio dramas etc. etc. the list goes on. In case you still haven’t seen any of those, just glance through this masterpost made by @the-social-recluse​ - In any case, right now everything is sort of already out EXCEPT:

MDZSQ - chibi donghua, cutest shit you’ll ever see

More MDZS merch 

Some teasers from MDZS mobile game which has been one year and developing

Now moving on to other BL series floating around so frequently - MDZS is the second book that MXTX wrote. So there’s SVSSS (The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving-System), which is also called lovingly by others in the fandom by Scumbag System/Villain in short, this is MXTX’s first danmei novel. Right now if you’ve seen this on Tumblr, it’s the anime (donghua) version - 10 episodes only for Season 1, available on WeTV with subs, finished airing like a few weeks ago. Translations of the novel are definitely out in full somewhere.

An absolute mess, but an organized one

Tried to do a manhua but failed

Everyone thought the donghua wouldn’t air on time either (it has a history of dropping development halfway) but it did

Would probably be the most entertaining if ever dealt with a live-action

And then there’s arguably, the most beloved child out of all three novels (at least right this moment) - TGCF (Tian Guan Ci Fu, or Heaven Official’s Blessing). This is the third and so far last (???) danmei novel MXTX has written, main pairing invented love. Strawhat-wearing scrap collector smiley angel with devoted kid-turned-adult-turned-ghost-king who follows smiley angel for like many years because he loves him. Anyway, if you’re seeing this, once again on Tumblr a lot, it’s the donghua version you’re seeing. Still airing, I think we’re midway through the whole season, the yelling starts Saturday (Asia time zone) and then extends into Sunday, sometimes Monday.

There’s like a god-tier Eng translation in full for TGCF by Suika

There is a manhua for this as well, only like 45 chapters in, but the time Jan/Feb 2021 rolls around, the donghua would have overtaken the manhua progress on the storyline HAHAHA

Apparently the director/production team who did CQL/The Untamed managed to get the rights to filming its live-action, but heh nothing much about that just yet aside from casting rumours and fans worrying that the casting will be done wrongly and also that they won’t be able to do justice to the story.

Alright now that we’ve more or less cleared MXTX and what everyone is hyping over (for good reason), let’s move on to the other CHINESE BL stuff you could be seeing (although I feel like you might not actually be asking about this), and these will all be live-actions (I’m also only clearing SOME of this year’s stuff, so none from before 2020, don’t ask me why I didn’t leave Guardian or SCI up here):

✨✨✨ Already aired, done and dusted or maybe ongoing, just ones I see on my dash and notifs so I definitely am biased ✨✨✨

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (Cheng Hua’s Fourteenth Year) - Many episodes, much bromance, base novel is gay af, but live action is cute af. Read more here and full translation is not yet done I think

My Roommate is a Detective - THIS IS A SPECIAL MENTION. NOT BL. Doesn’t even have like a book to go along with it, it’s just I’ve seen people getting into this again and creating content, so idk, imma just leave this here. It ain’t BL but it got the most glaring BL-esque relationship I’ve ever seen in my life. You’ll get what I mean if you watch it

The Lost Tomb Reboot - AGAIN another special mention, because many handsome young-ish men who you know, head into tombs, much bromance. Based on a huge series of novels, totally not BL, but as always with like a lot of men put into one story, ships happen. This year as well, in case you’ve seen it floating around

✨✨✨  Upcoming Chinese BL live-action adaptations, confirmed + casting + filming. You may have seen some of these because like posters were recently released etc. - As far as I know these are all slated for 2021 ✨✨✨

Faraway Wanderers (Tian Ya Ke) - A danmei novel by Priest, filming wrapped up, should be airing soon. Leads are pretty cute, although I’m sure they’ll turn this bromance. One of the male leads is known for a lot of period web dramas, and Gong Jun, the other male lead, is known for more contemporary modern dramas, but damn Gong Jun’s jawline

Winner is King (Sha Po Lang) - Another danmei novel by Priest, filming wrapped up recently as well if I recall? Posters recently released, and this is arguably Priest’s most famous and popular danmei

Immortality (Hao Yi Xing) - A super popular danmei novel called 2ha or The White Husky and His White Cat Shizun by Meat Bun. Filming also... wrapped? I think, because posters came out the next day and everyone from Earth to Pluto went mad, definitely one you should look out for next year spring i think, but I’m pretty sure there’s gonna be a hell lot more teasers, posters etc. coming up and then half of danmei Tumblr will probably go into cardiac arrest

The Society of Four Leaves (Zhang Gong An) - Ehhhh I think this hasn’t yet been filmed but casting was recently confirmed (contentiously).  Concept posters are up though. This technically isn’t classified officially as a BL. There are no CPs officially in the novel, but apparently it’s very like idk flirty etc., also slated for next year

*There are a few more by Priest, e.g. Liu Yao, but no concrete news that I’ve seen (by now like at least 60% of her danmeis either have a live-action contract or a donghua contract or both lmao)

✨✨✨  Upcoming Chinese BL donghua adaptations (2021-ish). All by Priest✨✨✨

*Throwing this in just as a by the way thing, because these are also recent news (these two weeks). There might be more but I haven’t seen anything yet personally :D

Imperfection (Can Ci PIn) - Space AU, the novel won like two national literary awards if I recall like last year? Anyway a brief trailer recently came out last week I think, and main lead is handsome af, and once again it’s space and space wars so it’s pretty cool

Silent Reading (Mo Du Zhe) - Novel is called Mo Du, and honestly I think the donghua has been like teasing fans for like idk years, but it looks like we’re finally getting to the donghua as the team previewed the first ep like... two weeks ago live to an audience? Modern crime thriller thing, there’s a masterpost going on Tumblr

Lie Huo Jiao Chou - Another Priest fan favourite, a historical + modern danmei combination. Much angst from what I’ve seen, but donghua teaser looked good also, released also last week

---

anyway hopefully some part of this or at least one part answers your question? if not, just send me another ask or like, DM me hahahaha

[tinyboxxtink]

"Clueless" *Part 1*

So I got an ask that had an idea that was as follows (copy/pasted from actual ask):

"y/n is a college grad student and she goes to a friends party, y/n doesn't wanna get drunk so she sneaks into the kitchen and pours her drink out, that's where we meet ADA Barba, who is y/n's friends stepbrother, (THE FRIEND'S BROTHER NOT Y/N). Anyway, y/n is SUPER into Barba, but will Barba be into her as well? Will he finally make a move OR will he forever shoves his feelings back in and lie saying its the age gap? We will never know."

So I LOVE that they clarified that it was the FRIEND'S STEP BROTHER, not the reader's. However, that got me thinking the movie Clueless.

[If you don't know it, at the end the girl realizes she's in love with her ex stepbrother and they get together.]

Yes I realize he's NOT the stepbrother of the reader, I didn't make it like that don't panic. But the name stuck in my head because you know, he's "Clueless" to her feelings about him, and vice versa.

Also I threw an actual line commenting on the movie to tie in.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the beginning and I really hope the anon likes it. I'm not ENTIRELY sure where this is gonna go, but I have some idea. I hope you guys like it. Please like it.

ALSO ALSO totally picturing "Ariel" as "Cher" now. Help.

Tagging the usual's, let me know if you hate this and wanna be taken off. Or if you wanna be added! Especially the anon who asked for this!!! I'm about to message some of you that keep liking it and hiding, you know who you are. AHEM AHEM @garturbo

@milkshqke

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@wanniiieeee

@gibbs274

@lolliepopsicle

@aprildecker-blog

@objection-argumentative

@word-scribbless

Part 2 Here

You walked into the kitchen of your best friend Ariel’s South Hampton beach house, looking for the sink. Well, it wasn’t so much “hers”, as her mother’s. Well, her mother’s husband’s house. At the moment, anyway.

You were stuck in the middle of a rager she had decided to throw as a “Celebration” of graduating from Harvard. “Graduating” being going there for four years about half the time, and husband #2 paying for some kind of paper that had some authority saying she had some kind of formal education.

You really were clueless to how Ariel’s world worked; you were just there for the ride. You were her roommate freshman year, and she “adopted” you as her “project”. She had given you a “makeover”, introduced you to all kinds of new people, constantly bought you things, paid for your food and your books, though she didn’t see the point in having them.

You went along with it all because well, to be honest you needed her. You had barely made it into Harvard with an academic scholarship, and that ONLY covered tuition for four years. And at any point in those four years your GPA dropped below a 3.7, your scholarship would be kaput. If you hadn’t met Ariel, you probably would have to have gotten three jobs just to pay for food and books, and then stress yourself so far you would’ve been a mess.

She was your guardian angel.

But now here you were, graduated and free, and yet still after your ceremony Ariel had IMMEDIATELY found you and dragged you to a private airport, where you flew to The Hamptons, and somehow the house had filled with people you had never seen in your life; and you were pretty sure Ariel didn’t know them-- then again, Ariel seemed to know EVERYONE.

Anyway, back to the present situation. You walked around the trashed kitchen looking for the sink so you could pour out some concoction Ariel had gotten from a random guy; you were convinced it had been roofied. Of course, she chased after you.

“Y/N!!!! Don’t waste alcohol!!!!!!” She screeched, running after you frantically.

“Yeah, wouldn’t want that,” You suddenly heard a man’s voice from behind you. It was sudden, and right behind you so it scared you, causing you to slosh the contents on whoever it was. You focused your gaze to see a man considerably older than you would believe would be attending a party like this, dressed in a dark blue polo and jeans. He stepped back in disgust as you gasped in fear.

“Oh my god, Oh my god I am SO sorry--” You immediately grabbed a hand towel from the counter and started dabbing at the quickly forming stain.

“Oh my GOD, don’t even apologize to him Y/N,” You heard Ariel’s drunken angry voice behind you.

“Lovely to see you too, Ariel,” The man rolled his eyes, grabbing more paper towels and dabbing his shirt with water.

“I’m so sorry, really I--” You kept trying to apologize, but Ariel stomped over and took the towel from you.

“Don’t help him,” She scoffed, tossing the towel across the room. You looked at her in disbelief.

“Please don’t be her dad, PLEASE don’t be her dad….” You mentally prayed to yourself. He was far too handsome to be her dad, right?

“What are you even doing here, Captain Buzzkill?” Ariel snapped. “You literally have NO claim on this house,”

“Your mother got an alert that someone had broken into this house, and asked me to check on it,” The man replied calmly, shaking his shirt to dry it.

“Why call YOU? Your dad didn’t own this house, and he was married to my mom for like five seconds!”

“Technically you don’t own this house either, Ah-riel,” He smirked while using the “Sebastian from the Little Mermaid” pronunciation of her name,

“I have more claim on it than YOU, Rafe,”

Rafe? Was that even a name? And claiming? What were they talking about?

“And because I’m the only reliable guy she has right now, since husband #4 took off,” He chuckled. “Plus, I’m the closest, and--”

“She doesn’t want to deal with me,” Ariel finished his sentence. You could swear you saw her face drop to a hint of sadness, but it was almost instantly covered by her annoyed scowl.

“So...he’s your step brother?” You finally asked her after a minute of trying to figure out the convoluted family tree in your head.

“EX Stepbrother,” Ariel rolled her eyes.

“Rafael Barba,” The man extended his hand to you.

“Y/N….” You smiled, shaking his hand.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Ariel stepped between you and broke the hand contact.

“....This isn’t like some, weird ‘Clueless’ situation, where you two are actually in love with each other or something?” You raised an eyebrow at Ariel. They both immediately began to squash that question.

“Absolutely NOT,”

“Oh my god FUCK no!” They both said instantaneously.

“First of all, Paul Rudd was only like what, three years older than Cher? Not THIRTY,” Ariel made a gagging noise.

“I’m NOT--” He immediately jumped on her comment. “I am NOT 30 years older than her,” He added quickly, as if he wanted you to know he was not that old.

“Second of all, he was PAUL RUDD, not-- this,” Ariel giggled in amusement, like thinking Rafael was attractive was the most idiotic thing in the world. You tried not to act offended.

“Listen, Boston Barbie--”

“Um excuse YOU, Professor Pompous, we all graduated from the same school,” Ariel gestured between the three of you. “So don’t act like you’re better than us,”

“Oh right, except I got in on an academic scholarship, and you got in by the ‘Mommy and Daddy #2 Foundation’ scholarship,” He smirked.

“Oh hey me too!” You suddenly chimed in with a smile. “...I mean, the academic scholarship, not the--” You trailed off nervously, feeling your cheeks turn red. You usually weren’t so chatty with people you had JUST met, especially not older handsome guys with green eyes like emeralds.

“Really?” He gave you an actual genuine smile. “...Then why are you hanging out with her?”

“EXCUSE you, I saved her from four years of social hell,” She wrapped a protective arm around you. “I fed her, I clothed her, I got her into ALL the best parties--”

“So she’s YOUR Barbie?” Barba crossed his arms with a smirk.

“Hey!” You snapped at him but immediately threw a hand over your mouth. You were never so bold. To your relief, his expression softened into apologetic.

“I’m so sorry, that was supposed to be a dig on her, not you, Y/N--”

“Oh WHATEVER,” Ariel spoke over him again with a snide tone. “Don’t act like a nice guy now, Counselor Crabby,”

He was a lawyer too? You were quickly beginning to have more in common with Rafael than your own best friend.

“Oh you’re a lawyer too?” You asked again at the risk of being mocked again. Instead, Rafael’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Yeah, I’m the ADA of New York City,” He replied with a bright smile. Thank god Ariel had a hold on you, you felt your knees go weak.

“Really? Oh wow, I’m going to NYU Law in the fall I’d love to--” You started to ramble on about academic inquiries, something you were fluent in over social gatherings.

“Alright, that’s enough ‘book speak’, you two,” Ariel waved her hands in between you and Rafael like she was dissolving some hold you had on each other.

“Actually, Ariel--” You looked at her with your big doe eyes. “Wouldn’t you rather get back to-- whoever that is?” You nodded at a very chiseled blonde haired himbo staring at Ariel.

“...And leave you here with “Assistant Dick Attorney” here?” Ariel eyed the two of you. “I’m sure he has a self imposed curfew, don’t you grandpa?”

“And leave you unsupervised to add property damage to the house? I don’t think so,” Rafael shook his head, and to your delight looked surprisingly eager to talk with you alone.

“Pffffftt….whatever,” Ariel shrugged with a roll of her eyes. “Y/N looks like she’s got a bookworm boner for you anyway,” She winked at you as you gasped in horror.

“ARIEL,” You almost screamed. You quickly looked at Rafael with a horrified look on your face.

“She’s-- I’m not-- That’s--” Words were usually your thing, but the absolute terror of social anxiety was running rampant through your brain leaving no room for anything else. Rafael rolled his eyes and stepped between you and Ariel, almost like he was protecting you.

“I know this may be a foreign concept to you, Ah-riel. But a guy and a girl can have an actual conversation WITHOUT thinking about sex,”

He didn’t miss a beat, didn’t flinch or stutter. He was cool and calm, his words were smooth like a silver tongued snake. Maybe HE wasn’t thinking about sex-- however for the first time in almost four years, you DEFINITELY were.

“Uh huh,” Ariel gave you a knowing smile. “Sure, whatever you say-- BRO,” She rolled her eyes and walked back into the living room with her Himbo.

“...And she’s your ‘best friend?” Rafael gave you a look.

“It’s a...long story,” You shrugged, knowing the nature of you and Ariel’s friendship would need a diagram to explain.

“Well, I’ve got time,” He smiled, nodding to the sliding back door of the kitchen. Your eyes widened, your cheeks turned pink for the 10000th time. Was he-- did he-- don’t question it, just GO.

“Y-Yeah sure!” You nodded nervously while twirling your hair.

He smiled and turned to walk out the door, making sure you were following him.

This night suddenly got interesting,....

[jujutsu-headcanons]

Yes to Yuji wrecking Mahito! Just so much yes my boy needs to avenge those wrongfully killed!

See I wanted Geto to be on my shit list (as I'm not normally a bad guy lover) but I swear he wore me down reading the manga. Plus he's just so pretty he makes my brain all static noises 😳 Not to mention that backstory between him and Gojo like YES give me all the drama I need buried drama 🤩

Totally agree on the Mai thing. See I wanted to hate Todo too bc of well him beating on Megumi but the moment him and Yuji were just like "Big Dumb Meat Heads" together I threw that out the window! Those two together are *chefs kiss* Absolutely stupendous I never get tired of them 👌👌👌

Mai on the other hand is just crawling more and more under my skin. Like why you gotta be like that gurl? You wanna go in the crusty corner with Mahito? Cuz you gotta crusty attitude that needs fixing like yesterday 😐

Literary brain tells me it wants more drama/character growth between Megumi and Toji. But my useless overly big heart wants to punch Toji and protect Megumi at all costs bc he just showed up on the screen like the kool aid man and burst right into my heart and I shan't forgive Megumi for that but now I will die for him so ¯\_( ツ)_/¯

But I'm not the only one who lowkey fantasizes about self inserty type day dreams??? Like every day all day I got my thoughts flowing into 500 different lil oneshots I'm too chicken to post anywhere bc I havent written anything in a while and I feel I'm rusty. But your idea! YOUR IDEA WOO BOI- I'm not even a Gojo fanatic (like I adore him but my heart dick thudded elsewhere RIP) but that scene you described of straddling him just to rip his blindfold off in the heat of an arguement that's clearly deadly to either party- Just to see him on the brink of tears fighting back every emotion to slate his composure to cocky/uncaring. Only to have it obviously failing, and the metaphorical reality around you both crumbling along with Gojo's emotional state- Oh God I would read that crap outta something like that. It fills me with the angst and I thrive on it daily *heavy breathing* You should think about posting more of your original content too! Self inserty or not bc that sounds down right brilliant on so many levels

💛anon

Bro I can't help but feel had for Gojo. That shit must have hurted. Like he looked so calm and collected when it all happened but was he really? His best friend potential lover went feral and murdered an entire village AND his family then he tried to kill his first years once and now AGAIN what is happening. Did you see the look on Gojo's face when Yaga told him he went rogue? That was a face of hurt and betrayal he couldn't even begin to understand at the young age of... What was it, 17? 18? He was practically a little itty bitty baby compared to now. I haven't read the prequel yet don't laugh at me but I've heard it hurts so much worse having to face Getou back then AND now. Stupid brain worms, stop fucking around.

I wanted to hate Todo too hut before he even turned good I couldn't. I have a thing for big buff boys who have zero brains and too much brawns I'm looking at you Metal Bat, Captain Ōbi I just wanna adopt/marry them because in all reality they're trying their best. I'm really glad Todo exists and has his big brother delusion because honestly I think that's something Yuji needs, especially in the current arc. Yuji needs as much support as he can get.

PFFFT CRUST CORNER I cannot with you omg they do need to sit on the time out chair for s bit and think about what they've done lmaooo

DID YOU CALL TOJI ZENIN- FUSHIGURO THE FUCKING KOOL AID MAN AHAHAHHHSH oh my god i hate this so fucking much or were you calling Megumi the koolaid man bc really each one is absurd n e wayz I dunno bro I rlly can't wait until Megs wakes up post Shibuya arc and actually has time to process what the fuck happened to him back then. I really want to know if he can connect the dots by himself and realize holy shit that was the source of my daddy issues right there in the flesh and how he reacts to him being a curse and all that. There's so many ways that can go too it's scary to think about.

Low key unrelated but I have a theory that Gojo can see everything from his little cube prison and knows what's going on. Its probably because of the six eyes, or because he's just fucking Gojo, or even because Geto seems kinda sadistic and would do something like that. But I can imagine him watching Megs and Toji fight and it absolutely destroying him. For starters, Gojo killed him .... Right? Wtf is he doing back? What? Second don't commit suicide in front of your kid oh my god Toji what (I'm probably just salty because of a past experience, but also, calm down Toji oh my god) and third I can see it hurting Gojo because in a way it feels like he's been trying to protect Megumi. Its obvious Gojo has this attachment to Megumi, and maybe it's because they've known each other so long, but I don't think Gojo is prepared to deal with the aftermath. Does he have to tell him, if Megs doesn't put the pieces together? Will he have to knock some sense into him to actually tell him? Because he DID try to tell Megs once before and he avoided it like the plague. Its also gotta hurt when you feel like someone's dad and you witness them have a bad interaction with their other dad.

Throw in his daughter being on the brink of death, his other son being emotionally demolished, his second year kids lost in the void and not even his void, his best friend locked him in a box, his other best friend exploded, etc. I think Gojo I pretty distraught even if he doesn't show it

Bro okay my brain is riddled with ideas like this and 90% of them are always angst. Idk where tf they come from half the time but they exist and I hate it. They're always self inserts too.

So I actually read this ask last night, but due to personal reasons I didn't reply to it now, and I actually started experimenting writing out this scenario. I had to stop when I wrote the line "Approximately one year after the first finger was consumed, Itadori Yūji was formally executed. At three minutes to midnight, Sukuna Ryomen was expelled from his body, destroying the vessel along with it. The executioner was none other than the teenager's teacher and mentor Gojo Satoru. When Y/N awoke to this news, they attacked on sight."

Oh god I made myself so sad with that line

And i do really want to post some of my fics, like I did with Nobara Meeting Sukuna For The First Time. However, I only posted that because it was short and simple lmao it was basically just a meme I didn't even run it though grammarly like I do with the headcanons.

I like sticking to the headcanons as of right now because I feel like grammar didn't exist when I make those. I can spell things wrong and leave off punctuation and word then like I'm a third grader just learning English and no one will laugh lmao. Fanfics kinda stress me out because i want them to be perfect. I also have a hard time with fight scenes and transitioning and it's s mess.

I REALLY want to write out my Guardian Angel! Junpei AU because I think it's so cute. Just the idea that this boy is assigned to fight against fate and the higher ups and keep Yuji alive despite him being an idiot and a target is cute to me. Like I just canon him being the plantonic equivalent of in love with this boy and he feels like he rlly owes it to Yuji for trying to save him it's the LEAST he can do. Plus I need the mental imagine if Junpei annoying reader-chan into finding Yuji because "they play a pivotal role in Yuji's future" just for the "pivotal role" to literally be playing therapist and just being there for him and being a medium between Junpei and Yuji because guardian angels aren't allowed to reveal themselves to the person they're guarding but also/// he might risk his wings being stripped just to talk to Yuji one more time////

Okay I'm going to stop now

But yea, maybe if I have time and create little mini works like Nobara Meeting Sukuna For the First Time I'll def post them! I'll work on casually making them longer and soon I'll be confident to posts longer ones. But until then I hope just the headcanons at alright ;-;

[bittybattybunny]

I need more fluff before angst steals the show!!! Of all the food Hattie's shared with him, what is Snatcher's favorite? Do Snatcher and Hattie ever swim together? Has Hattie cried in front of Snatcher (and how did he respond)? Does Hattie enlist Snatcher's help to build the BIGGEST, most impressive sandcastles? Thank you for all the wonderful content for this AU, I'm LOVING IT

Oh don’t worry! It actually takes a bit before we even hit the angst in the au! I just like teasing about it because I’m living for the reactions. The fic is actually like 70% fluff with 25% angst and 5% suffering. There’s just some BIG angst moments that will hit. So don’t worry much when i’m being a lil gremlin with the angst! I just like writing it. (gods if you want angst you should hear what I’ve done to my oc Kai. Poor girl doesn't catch a break)

I just find a bit of angst makes the fluff sweeter.

also im gonna be wordy so---

okay in order!!!

Snatcher’s favorite so far has been the spicy chips she brought him! He loves spicy foods that burn his mouth to hell and back because he’s never got to experience that in the ocean eating raw kill, nor as a prince because they worried for his health (his guard would sneak him snacks sometimes; and even taught him to cook) when he becomes human; she introduces him to hot sauce and he never goes back. Poor Eclipse hates spicy food and he keeps cooking it and its suffering. He adores spicy hot Doritos and flaming hot Cheetos.

Yes all the time! Hattie loves swimming with him as he will let her rest on him when she gets tired. he also takes her to places most people cant get to because the sharks and such prevent entry! He scares sharks away just by swimming near them so he’s the best safety! He helps her find lots of cool seashells and such and even cleans them out if they have something living in it still! He even eventually helps her mother get used to the water so all three of them go swimming! (well, Hattie will swim with Snatcher, Eclipse kinda just, hangs onto him afraid of sinking.)

She has! A few times. Actually I was just writing a scene with her crying with him but that relates to a big angst so I won’t share that.

But she’s cried from falling on the dock, he freaked out and had to check her over. He did his best to wipe her tears however he was covered in salt water and made it worse. She wound up laughing in the end from his frantic attempts to comfort. She’s also cried when she was lonely as her mother had to stay at the doctor’s longer than normal and he wrapped around her until she fell asleep. When he’s able to be human again, she’s cried during thunderstorms, and he lets her curl up with him. This isn’t for a number of chapters still obvs since it’s human snatcher but have some dadtcher:

   “I already did!” She beamed, running over in game to show him. Her mother’s blue and grey house was surrounded by black roses. “I put black ones for now. But I really want to get blue roses someday.” She grinned ear to ear, gasping and dropping her controller as the lights went out with lightning. She crawled into the poor man’s lap pulling the blanket close.

    “It’s just a storm.” He said but, he kept his voice low and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close, “It will pass. You’re mom will come home, we’ll all go for a swim or something.” 

    “Can i just. Stay here for a little bit?” She whimpered as she clung to his shirt. She buried her head under his chin, tears on her eyes, “Please, snatcher?”

    He sighed, “Well, Clearly I’m not throwing you outside.” He got up, holding her, “God, how does your mother swing you around without breaking a sweat all the time?” He groaned. Carrying her to the kitchen, “Does Eclipse keep candles around?”

    Hattie shook her head from in the blanket, holding fast, “Mom doesn’t like fire.”

    He stared at her, “She doesn’t like fire. She hates water. Does your mother like anything other than you and raw meat?” He sighed, “Then is there some.. Other power lights? Something without the main lights?” 

    “I think we have flashlights in the closet.” She recalled, “But mom keeps them with her work gear mostly.”

    Giving a curt nod, he made way to the closet setting her down so he could rummage. Ropes. Climbing Gear. Shovels. Was that tnt? He stopped and turned to the blanket claude girl squinting, “Kid I didn’t ask because it’s never been on my head. What. DOES your mother do exactly?”

    She clung to him as thunder snapped and shook her head, “Mom’s a dog trainer!” She beamed through her tears, “She helps train service dogs and police dogs!” She grinned.

    He held up the, what he assumed was an explosive casing, “You don’t need a bomb for a dog. I don’t think?” He paused, he wasn’t even sure. He never trained a dog. They didn’t even really do that when he was a human. Well hunting dogs. But that was a family thing.

    “It could be stuff from when she and Grampa DJ go out.” She thought on it, she had the blanket half over Snatcher as he felt through the closet, “They go off on adventures and come back all dirty, but I like when they do, because mom won’t have to work for a long time and I can hang out with her! Sometimes she brings me cool stuff.” 

    “That so?” they must be doing something dangerous, feeling in the dark he looked to the child, “So what’s a flashlight look like?”

    “It’s the little thing I keep on my shoulder when I’m diving.” She stated.

    “Got it.” He felt around finding it and handing it to her, “Okay do the magic.”

    Taking the flashlight she clicked it on right into his eyes, illuminating the gold colors. He hissed, revealing his fangs and covered his face with his hands, “KID!” He growled.

    “Sorry!” she aimed it away and used a hand to hold his shirt, “Can we go back to the couch…”

    Rubbing his poor eyes, he got up holding her hand. Walking past the dead tv, he grabbed her switch from the dock, and picked up her discarded controller.He set them on the side table before grabbing her and falling back on the couch with her on his lap.

“I’m playing now.” He stated, putting the controllers on the main console. He set off on the island, to mainly fix Hattie’s flower power.

She rested against his chest, holding the light so it was aimed at the ceiling bouncing it off the white walls, “I worked hard.” The rain pittered outside as her voice trailed off. Soon enough as he kept one arm around her, the other focused on the game, she fell asleep. He sighed and pulled the blanket over her more. he gave her head a light kiss as he held her close. Thunder rolling outside.

It’s more like she builds the biggest impressive sand castles on him. he’ll just be napping on the beach and she’ll start piling sand on his chest and then he’s stuck there because he doesn’t want to ruin her hard work!

Ahhh thank you!!!! I’m really enjoying creating the content!!!! It’s been a while since i actually had this much fun just. doing this kinda thing. I don’t think I’ve really been this excited and worked up since gods i think when i first create Bells and Whistles (it used to be a fancomic for Summer wars, but I wound up pulling it away and it’s all it’s own standalone. I’m planning to tackle that after I finish Little Contractor and The Moon Guardian and the Lost Prince)

Like seriously this had been keeping me sane while I try not to panic at work everyday. Gotta love being super prone to panic attacks...

But it’s been a blast, plus I’m able to do something I love that I’m not super confident in! (I’m pretty shy about my writing; but everyone's been so nice and it’s uplifting and makes me want to write more)

Also it’s like really good for me art wise. I’ve gotten way better at posing and hands and such with all the sketches I do (plus the comic I’m doing for Eclipse and Snatcher) it’s so much fun!!!

Also i love reading comments and tags.

Yes im reading every tag you guys add. all of them.

Sorry i got a little wordy--! :’3c

[rox-the-proxy]

In you, I found Recovery. By you I found Sanctuary

A result of wanting to give writing Riku a shot. Not sure it came out that great but hey! It exists now. So enjoy!

When he found his body while roaming in the realm of Darkness with Terra and king Mickey, Riku had no idea what to think. He didn't even know how to react. So he by nature called the over two over, upon seeing the state he seemed to be in, it had been the King to suggest they take him back. Terra had been hesitant at first, so had Riku. However there was something about this situation that warranted them to take him back. So they did and when they arrive back at Mysterious Tower with the other Guardians of Light minus Sora who was still missing; it had been Aqua to instantly know what was wrong with the unresponsive raven haired male.

His heart wasn't there. It wasn't in the body, much like Ventus had been. Vanitas it seemed after losing a second time to Ventus, had faded away but his body had some how survived and his heart, well, that was anyone's guess. At first they believed maybe it had faded away, but that wouldn't be the case if his body was left behind. So clearly there was something more to this. Or so Riku believed, Aqua had also been the first one to say to leave him be, to not bother searching for the boy's missing heart. After all, he had made his decision to remain sided with the seekers of Darkness. He pushed away the opportunity to side with them. And in her eyes, there was no forgiving what he had done.

Riku knew she was in her own right. She didn't have to forgive him, she wasn't obligated to. Everything Vanitas had done to them back then warranted nothing but hate, but Riku also knew that part of the other Keyblade Master wanted to help the raven. She had seen what this slumber did to Ventus. It took a long time for him to get back onto a regular sleeping pattern and his fear of sleeping ran deep. Riku also knew how scary it was to be trapped somewhere all alone with seemingly no way to get out to get back home. Wherever Vanitas' heart was, he was probably scared. Either way, with no actual idea as to where his fractured, broken heart was, the best they could do was keep watch over his body.

That's when the dreams started. At first Riku would wake up in the dead of night in a cold sweat. He couldn't recall what had startled him to wake up in such a manner. The first two times it happened, he didn't pay to much mind to it. Hell even the third time he paid no mind to it. It was the many times afterwards that he decided to start writing down what he could remember from those dreams. At first it was hazy, he couldn't remember anything. From there he started to recall faintly hearing something- someone. That's when the fear started, he could start to feel emotions that were not his own, fears, pain, sorrow, anger and so many other emotions that just weren't logical for him to feel. Then, he started seeing someone, someone sitting on the ground with their knees pulled to their chest, or laying curled up on the ground. The emotions were coming from them, and Riku could never reach them before he found himself waking up.

He never once spoke a word about this to the others.

The more he remembered, the more he was actually able to write down. By the third week of these dreams happening he could finally see who that someone was. And when he finally saw and heard them, he found himself again waking up in a cold sweat, shocked and feeling lost.

How did Vanitas' Heart end up in his own?

Again, he didn't dare speak a word to this to anyone else. Not yet anyway. After that day, Riku made it a sort of.... personal mission to try and talk to the other boy. At first it was difficult, Vanitas would lash out, spitting our hard words and even going as far as trying to attack him. Promising him that once the chance was given he'd take over this body and take back what was rightfully his. Those days Riku wouldn't sleep. As time passed, Vanitas mellowed out, yes he would still hiss out hard words and attack him, but his threats of taking over his body had lessen and became empty. Little by little, Riku was able to remember more and more about his encounters with the raven. Until finally, he could remember every last detail. When he was finally able to sit next to the other boy and have a conversation with him, that's when he finally was able to ask;

"How did you get here?"

"I wish I knew."

Those words shocked the silver haired male to his core. Vanitas had no idea how he ended up here and didn't seem like he even wanted to be. On some days, he would find the raven curled on his side, choking on a tar like substance that seemed to spill from his mouth. Other days he would find him asleep, resting even if it was clear it wasn't a peaceful sleep. On good days, he would find Vanitas laying in his back, eyes closed in content as he waited patiently for Riku ro arrive once he fell into sleep. Riku liked these days the best. It was on these days he got to see a more or less playful side of Vanitas that reminded him so much of Sora. On those days, they would have friendly spars that would usually end up with Vanitas sitting on him with a proud grin, or Riku pinning him down and allowing his fingers to dance up and down Vanitas' sides as loud bouts of laughter and giggles escaped him.

Then there were his bad days, the days were Riku would show up, and Vanitas would want nothing to do with him. Where the golden eyed male would screen and shout that he was just some tool, the days where he would say he wasn't Sora that he wasn't some replacement. On those days he said the most foul and harsh things about himself that when Riku would wake up, he could practically feel his own eyes sting with the tears and the pain that Vanitas was more then likely feeling. On those days, Riku would skip out on training with the other Guardians Of Light and spend it on Destiny Islands. These days usually didn't last very long, Riku would never blame Vanitas for his out bursts of anger. The raven would show remorse for his words, for his actions. On the nights he would go see the raven after those episodes he was met with the sight him hugging his knees to his chest, trying to make himself look as small as possible.

"He did something to me...when he brought me back. I-i don't know what he did, but he did something to me and now I'm like this."

Riku thought so as well. Vanitas didn't seem like he would follow Xehanort's orders a second time, not after the first time. He was a wild card, a spirit that couldn't be tamed by someone like that old coot. Whatever that man had done, it threw all of Vanitas' already unstable being off whatever Balance he had managed to get. And whatever he had done, it was causing this instability of his emotions. And it scared Vanitas to his very core.

"I can't....I can't return to my body like this. I'd do more harm then good. I-i can't. They already want me dead. If I go back-"

"I'll protect you."

He wasn't sure what made him say that- no, that was a lie, he knew exactly why he said. Vanitas was strong, he didn't exactly need Riku to protect him, but he would need help, he would still need time to recover. It was just a matter of convincing the golden eyed boy to go back to his body. As of now, his heart was still damaged and badly. Riku could feel it, he could see it I the way Vanitas acted and carried himself. But he couldn't force him to go back either, not if he felt he wasn't ready.

"But...I don't deserve it."

Those words hurt a lot more then what Riku haf expected. The look on Vanitas' face only made the pain dig itself deeper. Vanitas truly believed that he didn't deserve a third chance at life, that he didn't deserve to be looked after and protected. He had said so himself many times before, but it never hurt like it did now. Maybe it was because a few weeks ago he wasn't as close to Vanitas as he was now, or maybe because he understood what it was like to feel as if there was no atoning for what he had done in the past. Either way, Riku found himself embracing the other boy tightly.

"Yes you do. It wasn't your fault you spent your life alone with Xehanort. You can make up for what you've done, just...take the leap. I'll be there to catch you."

He didn't think those words would affect Vanitas as much as it had. Soon Riku found himself being embraced back just as tightly, he could feel the tremors coming from the smaller male. The way Vanitas was clinging to him was as if he was afraid he would disappear and never return. He could feel tears soaking his shoulder, Riku couldn't help but smile as he rubbed the other's back. The next set of words that followed had him both excited and nervous.

"I want to go back."

The following morning was the first time Riku ever spoke to the others about the past two months and Vanitas' heart in his own. Aqua hadn't been pleased to hear where Vanitas was and wasn't happy that Riku hadn't told them right away. Ventus seemed relived that Vanitas hadn't completely faded away. Lea was indifferent, and Riku couldn't blame him, Kairi seemed... hesitant about voicing an opinion, but eventually she seemed to be willing to go along witj whatever plan Riku had. The others, though unsure also agreed. For hours they spent getting things ready, from Land Of Departure they took his body and traveled to Radiant Garden. The process of extracting Vanitas' heart wasn't anything spectacular like he had first believed.

But when his heart finally returned to his own body, Vanitas' eyes had sprung open before he was desperately gasping for air. It was like chaos erupted in the room when he rolled off the bed and was throwing up that tar like substance, wounds that Riku knew he didn't have back in his heart whenever he saw him were now open and seeping that same substance. Unversed tried to form only to melt back into his body or only to have Vanitas himself force them back down. Aqua had looked ready to strike the raven down, and would have had Riku not rushed to his side and pushed his dark colored locks away from his face.

"That's it, just let it out, don't fight it. I'm here now."

That night anyone could cut the tension in the air like it was a stick of butter. It was thick it lead to many of them deciding to retire to their rooms early for the evening. Riku soon found himself sitting by his bed, watching the slow rise and fall of Vanitas' chest as he slept. For once he looked peaceful. The following days, it took a lot of patience to handle the golden eyed male, from his random bouts of feeling sick, to then moments he seemed to lose control of his Unversed. Many times Aqua had made it clear she would strike him down if Ventus got hurt by one of the many creatures of Darkness Vanitas created. On those days, Riku kept himself and Vanitas up in his room.

It took about another Month for Vanitas to more or less regain some sort of stability that allowed him to sit outside and watch the others train. He was weary around the Guardians, wouldn't actively seeking out to start any sort of conversation with them. The one time he did it had been with Kairi and Ventus, and that encounter lead to him nearly attacking Kairi bas she had accidentally called him Sora. Something she hadn't meant to do, but did anyway. Riku had been shocked when it was Ventus to talked down his darker half. Kairi had apologized, and so did Vanitas, but he didn't try to start conversations with her again after that.

"In you, I found recovery. My heart had been so shattered and broken after Ventus and Sora had defeated me again. I truly believed that would be the end, I wouldn't be suffering anymore and I wouldn't be used for the sake of other people's desires." Vanitas spoke that night while he laid curled up against his side, head resting on his shoulder with Riku's arm resting over his waist. His fingers drawing random patterns on his lower back. "But then I woke up in your heart. I don't know how I ended up there and it took a long time for you to notice I was even there. But the darkness in you helped my heart heal at least enough to maintain itself again."

Riku smiled a bit at his words, he watched as Vanitas placed his hand over his heart. Vanitas seemed to be mulling over what words he wanted to say next, Riku said nothing. He knew that if he did, Vanitas would just lose his training thought and come up with something else. So he waited patiently, continuing to draw those random patterns on the other boy's lower back. He lowered his head, nuzzling his face against the dark colored locks.

"By you, I found Sanctuary. There was never such a thing as a safe place for me. Not because I had people after me, no. Never that. I was my own worst enemy, I was a threat to myself. I would be the cause of the my own downfall. Even in your heart I was a risk to myself more then I was a risk to you or anyone else," Vanitas sighed, closing his eyes as he pressed the palm of his hand over Riku's heart, his eyes closing. He didn't look troubled, he didn't feel sick or upset. He felt...at peace, safe, warm and content. "That's different now, because by you it's like a safe Haven. It's not....perfect. but it's my piece of sanctuary."

Smiling fondly, Riku moved his arm so his hand was now resting over Vanitas' smaller hand. They both stayed like that, silent and content. Riku only moved to press soft kisses to the top of the other male's head or to his face. The words didn't need to be spoken, because Riku knew, he could feel exactly what Vanitas wanted to say just by the simple action of placing a kiss to where his hand was resting.

"Thank you."

[magicalgirlagency]

Okay, so I've seen a couple of posts you've made about repurposing different characters for your magical girl lore and i was curious about the story these guys are all for? The details you give are really interesting to me and I'm always down for more magical girl/boy content so I was hoping I could learn a little bit more about it?

It’s good to know that you enjoy my brainstorms!

Okay, so its premise is about a universe that was abruptly reset after two goddesses have bent the rules; one goddess BARELY changed things and contribuited to a hurtful cycle, and the other one went insane and changed everything to fit her selfish and petty ideals (does that description rings a bell to you…?)

In this new universe, magic is everywhere and everyone can see it; but only those who are considered worthy can properly use it. The Magical Guardians (or Magis, for short) are humans blessed with superpowers, assigned with the task of protecting Earth from an ancient outworldly threat, the Incubators (yes, I have no qualms in making my hatred towards MadoMagi public)

The Incubators’ goals are still the same: to gather energy through acts of entropy. However, they seem to have evolved and adapted as the time went by (let’s not forget that they have been around Earth since the beginning of the times in the original series). Their cute critter forms is now nothing but a disguise to fool innocent people and steal their energy; when a Magi discovers a Incubator, the alien transforms into a unusual looking monster. Their monster forms tends to vary; they can look like cartoony inanimate objects (like the monsters in PreCure), feral mutants (like the corrupted Gems in Steven Universe), or weird humanoid monsters (like the several monsters from 90′s Sailor Moon).

The aliens’ target are still young women; however, they are very bigoted in their perception of what makes one a woman (in other words, if you are trans, genderqueer or whatever else, they won’t target you).

The Higher Beings thought they have been gone for good when they reseted everything, but it seems that they were wrong. Afraid that history may repeat itself again, they decide to train and recruit pure-hearted and heroic humans to fight them.

The Magis can be anyone you know, no matter the age, sexuality or nationality. They are given the options to start their training at a early age or late if they want (as you can see, they work on the same vein of a Pokémon Trainer). There is also types of Magis, known as Lumi, that are born with magic within them; these types are very rare, though.

Some work in groups, some work alone. Some have mascots, some don’t. Some are young, some are old. To identify a Magi, you must look closely in their eyes; if you see stars in them, you’ve successfully spotted a Magi.

Most Magis are young women fighting to earn their space in a hurtful sexist society, and male Magis (vulgarly known as Magical Boys) are rare due sexism and humiliation, but they surely exist.

Their standard henshin speech is “Magia Transform”, and once the Magi says this, they are magically scanned into their magical persona (think of the scanning halo in the transformation sequence in P&SwG).

They are equipped with a magical compact that act as communicators, radar and GPS, and disguise materialization, and their standard powers are crystalomancy, light projection/molding and ribbon materializing (think of Happiness Charge PreCure and DC’s Green Lantern).

A Magi is trained into magic and/or fighting; some are fighters, some are entertainers, but they don’t falter from their original duties of kind-hearted helpers. They can be whatever they want to be (a warrior, a witch, a robot, a fortuneteller, a ninja, and many other aesthetics), and mascots can graduate into Magis themselves as well (like how some PreCure fairies and mascots can become Magical Girls themselves).

Planet Earth is stage to many stories, with diverse protagonists; however, the main character of the show is a young woman born surrounded by mystical energies and her unusual yet magical friends (I’m still in doubt on how many teammates the main crew should have, though…), who have decided on building a business dedicated on helping others with their magic, no matter how big or how small the task may be.

The Magis have a hub world where they can be assigned to their missions, or simply just hang out, named Wondaria. This magic dimension is a solarpunk society, constantly evolving for the good of their inhabitants (it has become a haven to safety to Earth’s minorities, as of late). Being a Magi is a job that pays in this world, too.

In the heart of Wondaria, there is the city of Artemundo, where is located the Magi Headquarters (a.k.a The Gaia Division), where Magis are sent to their missions through Warp Pads (in the same vein as Crash Bandicoot and Steven Universe). After the job is finished, the earthlings are paid with small crystals known as Credits (or Creds, for short). They can be converted into regular money for one’s convenience, too.

The plot thickens as a rebellious runaway princess comes into the scene, who has traveled through many dimensions and wants to implant a system to expand the magic dimension of Wondaria into multiversal heights by pin-pointing other dimensions and meeting ever-growing casts of non-Magi heroes, and create bonds with amicable monsters, making them allies to the Magis and protectors to the humans.

My story is basically a product of spite and self-indulgence; I wanted to throw loads of shades and jabs at edgy Magical Girl stories (specially at MadoMagi and Raising Project). Other inspirations include OK KO, Kids Next Door, Kingdom Hearts, Pokémon, Super Smash Bros., Happiness Charge PreCure, Boku no Hero Academia, Little Witch Academia, and Jump Force (scheduled to be released in February 2019).

I also want to subvert some tropes in the Magical Girl genre, and some other non-MG series. I want to do the job that Steven Universe and Voltron have failed to do.

I want a story about breaking the norm, unwavering optimism and righteous anger, having zero shame in self-indulgency, defying fate, second chances to those who truly deserve it, gradual healing, self-discovery, love in every form and aspect other than just romantic, proper development and growth, fun and exciting adventures with zero consequences and punishments for wanting to be heroes, and misfits and underdogs getting their happy endings.

I mean, I would make it if my skills weren’t so limited. If someone wants to make a collab with me, hit me up anytime.

[generous-dimensions]

Hi! I'm not sure what twp is all about, but I like the content I see! Do you have any recommendations of where to start?

YES I DO THANK U FOR COMING TO ME ABT THIS they’re my number 1 interest at the moment

to sum it up, twrp (tupperware remix party) is an electronic rock band from toronto, outer space, the 1980′s, and the future consisting of 4 alien dudes who just want to make the world a better place

from left to right, here’s havve hogan (the drummer), commander meouch (the bassist), doctor sung (synths and vocals and nunchucks), and lord phobos (guitar)

in an interview in 2015, this is the backstory they gave and seems to be the most consistent, but they also like to throw in other random info that conflicts this so??

“"Doctor Sung was born around the time of the Big Bang. His parents died of boredom when he was just a small child, leaving him orphaned in the first Ice Age. Billions of years later, upon earning the 69th degree of his black belt in keytar (a keyboard that one straps around the neck and shoulder in the manner of a guitar), he had an epiphany and discovered his life’s purpose: to release humanity from the clutches of boredom through epic rock music.To achieve this purpose, Sung carefully selected his band-mates from various corners of the multiverse. He chose the name “Tupper Ware Remix Party” because he liked the sound of those noises which, at the time, held no meaning for him.

Sung discovered drummer Havve Hogan unconscious in a cave during the Mesozoic period. Sung sensed a powerful energy field around this sinister, Frankenstein-like creature with red LEDs for eyes and, after numerous botched attempts to resuscitate the brutish cyborg, he met with success when he installed an 808 drum machine where Hogan’s heart had been.Conducting anthropological surveys in the Paleolithic period, Sung observed a troublesome tendency in Hogan – to maim and murder early Homo sapiens in the plains as they hunted antelope and buffalo. However, his ability to hold down perfect time had endeared him so profoundly to Sung that the doctor excused his murderous behaviour. 

While Hogan was recruited from the past, slap-bassist Commander Meouch and shred-guitarist Lord Phobos were located in a distant and complicated future. Meouch – a space pirate with a humanoid body and the head of a lion – was born in the more provincial reaches of the galaxy and made his fortune smuggling funk (apparently a controlled quantity in the future) to star systems that had been historically square.

One such solar system was home to Lord Phobos, a philosophical rocketeer. Phobos’s people had evolved over many millennia, their culture reaching a universal high-water mark of scientific and intellectual discovery. When Meouch arrived on the scene with his smuggled funk, Phobos’s world collapsed into a flaming orgy of chaos. Swearing revenge on Meouch, Phobos pursued his ship and was on the verge of destroying it when Sung sprang through a nearby wormhole and corralled them both. 

Having modified Meouch’s ship for time travel, the trio travelled backwards to retrieve Havve Hogan and then forward to Earth in the year 2007 (roughly one millennium before Meouch or Phobos were born), an era that Sung’s calculations had indicated would be ripe for TWRP to thrive."

there are 5 eps (albums?) currently available on spotify/youtube/bandcamp, which are the device, 2nite, believe in your dreams, guardians of the zone, and ladyworld which are all incredibly amazing and i love them

they also have an instagram, twitter, and a facebook page i believe! 

twrp also typically opens for and plays alongside the comedy band ninja sex party and they’ve done a few songs together! right now they’re actually touring together, with the next leg kicking off in august (i think) and twrp is touring for most of this summer

personally i like them so much because the music is so fun and upbeat, and they have incredible designs, dedication, and love for what they do!! also, their stage presence is AMAZING and their shows are a blast. if that sounds like something you’d like, please feel free to ask me any questions and check them out!!!

[cannibalisticshadows]

can you write a scene with mr. gold and regina? fluffyness? i'm an evil queen fan

Mr. Gold’s Personal Assistant - Chapter 5

(Six days ago [the day after Mr. Gold employed Belle])

~.~

A beautiful, middle-aged woman lounged back in her luxuriously black office chair. Her impeccably kept eyebrows knitted together in a vexed manner, honeyed brown eyes glaring at the document before her.

To Whom It May Concern:

I, Mr. Gold, take full ownership of all legal documents, notes, bonds, titles, and such-and-suches of Storybrooke, Maine. A debt-swap deal has taken place upon the primacies of Miss Isabelle French’s home, witness by Maurice Moe French and Gaston Rose. Our contract states that I, Mr. Gold, shall fix the corruption and bankruptcy brought about by Ogre Loan & Co.. In exchange I have taken Miss French as my permanent personal assistant.

R. Gold

“Damn him,” she cursed, sliding a document off to the side. “Damn that imp.”

“Damn him indeed, dearie.”

The woman’s breath hitched in surprise as she spun around, eyes widening in shock. “If you think you can just come in here—“

“Or you’ll do what, Your Majesty?” her uninvited guest tittered, emerged from the shadows of her private office. Instantly, the woman relaxed with a soft sigh of relief and slumped back against her chair. Damn him, again!

Regina Mills, Storybrooke’s “queenly” mayor, scowled at the imp who sauntered before her desk, smiling puckishly. He had not changed since the last time she saw him last week – svelte and wiry, the crocodile-skinned mage stood with all the arrogance and confidence of a haughty royal; though, the thick dragon-leather he sported around in spoke of something much darker than royalty. The mayor watched as the mid-afternoon light, filtering in through the window behind her, cast a grayish hue and golden glittery-ness to the imp’s complexion once the sunlight hit him just right.

Her lips thinned into a tight smile. “Rumplestiltskin.”

“Regina,” the imp trilled, his more-or-less hidden burr slipping out a tad. “So lovely to see you again. How is wee Henry?”

The mayor’s lightly vexed expression turned into an eye roll at the mention of her son. She pushed her chair back and stood up elegantly. “He’s fine. You did see him last week,” she sniffed. “So, Rumple. Wish to explain this?” Regina held up the fancily written document and waved it around.

“Hmm? Means what it means, dearie.”

Scowling harder, Regina set the paper back and walked to her make-shift bar where she fussed over a crystal decanter containing a fine mead. “I thought I made it very clear that I don’t need your help.”

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. “Well, clearly you do, dearie. Some slip of a girl had to be the one to tell me of your and the town’s insolvent. Trying to keep my very existence a secret didn’t work out so well in the end, aye?”

The woman clenched her jaw. Regina could feel the imp moving around the room, no doubt watching her like a hawk; she could hear the scrunching of his leather garb, creaking thickly. Although greatly disturbed by his sudden arrival, Regina couldn’t say that she found his presence in itself disturbing – she was beyond used to it, after all. She saw the imp every damn week. But it pissed her off that he suddenly thought it all fine and dandy to abruptly take over as town landlord.

“Why don’t you go die in a hole?” she barked with remarkable poise for such poisonous words.

Gawking, the imp mimed a gesture of hurt and touched his heart. In a shrill voice, Rumpelstiltskin said, “Tsk! I thought I raised you better than that – trying to shoo me away so soon? Not even one kiss for Daddy?”

“Daddy?” Regina echoed crossly as she poured a glass of mead for them. “You are not my father.”

Tutting, he uses the snarky quip, “But Henry calls me Grandpa!”

Once again, Regina growls and miraculously manages to not strangle the imp. Instead, she walks over and hands him a tumbler of mead. Rumpelstiltskin happily takes the offering and then insolently sprawls himself on Regina’s sleek black couch. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at him before she gracefully seated herself down in her personal armchair. Daintily sipping her own drink while she glowered at the imp who was busy studying her black and white office, with its forest-in-winter printed walls and a magnificent horse sculpture atop the mantelshelf, and a small steady fire going in the grate.

When Rumpelstiltskin’s reptilian eyes finally landed on her, Regina straightened her back and glared over the crystal rim of her tumbler. She lowered it to her lap. “Why are you going around making deals in my town, Rumple? Where did the urge to play landlord all of a sudden come from?”

He sniffed. “You know my game, Regina. When someone wants to deal, we deal. I haven’t approached anyone who hasn’t summoned me first. You have little Miss French to thank for that.”

“This, this French girl – that’s the librarian, isn’t it? Henry loves her, you know. Keeping her all to yourself will make my son quite upset,” she said, crossing her long legs clothed in a suave suit pants.

The imp swirled the contents of his tumbler before speaking again. “I am well aware she’s the librarian. But, and I’ll say this again,” Rumpelstiltskin smirked, “she summoned me.”

Regina furrowed her brows and stiffened. “How the hell did she even get the means for that? Have you—“ she paused with a dark thought. “Is Henry involved in this?”

“Hehe, no, missy. Henry hasn’t a clue and has loyally kept his mouth shut. But not everyone is oblivious to my existence, you know! It was so cute of you to convince everyone that I’m just a dusty old fable to scare children into not misbehaving.”

“Do you want something? Or does butting in my territory amuse the living hell out of you and you simply have nothing better to do? I told you – don’t need your help.”

Shaking his head in a childish manner, the imp countered, “I’m not butting in anywhere, and I’m not, per se, helpingyou. I’m helping Miss French. She made the deal with me. She paid the price fair and square.”

“This is my town, Rumpelstiltskin. I’ll do what I damn well please,” the woman declared disdainfully. “You had absolutely no right to get yourself involved in my business.” Standing up, Regina put away their empty tumblers with her temper flaring.

“Well, it’s all done now. Might as well get used to it.”

“Whatever. Where are you squatting down, anyway? So far only the florist and his daughter’s fiancé have reported your arrival.”

“The pawnshop…” Rumpelstiltskin begun to frown seriously as he watched her move about. After a painful moment of silence, he finally asked, “Why do you prefer the ogres over me, dearie? You know me; Henry trusts me. I taught you everything you know – I even changed your diapers, for Hades’ sake! What’d I do to become dead to you like your dear mumsy?”

Upon the mention of her mother, Regina gripped the tumbler so tight that it shattered. Snapping, she shouted, “Don’t you dare talk about my mother!”

The imp shot up, glaring. “You are being quite the brat today. Here I am, coming to you so nicely and all that, both of us knowing full and well that I can fix your town from bankruptcy, yet all you do is whine about it like a spoiled and hapless bairn!”

“How dare you speak to me like I’m a child! I’m the mayor of this town, not you!”

“I’m ah no’ wantin’ to be mayor!” he groaned, “I’m saving your godforsaken hide so it doesn’t get thrown in prison, or better yet, into an ogre’s belly! What in gods’ name is your problem!?”

Regina, still fuming, stormed across the office with the imp at her heels. “All you ever do is nag me down, and I refuse to be inferior to you in my own town!”

“Inferior?” Rumpelstiltskin echoed her, snarling as the woman snatched a sheet of paper out of a drawer. “I was your sole guardian for the better part of your wretched childhood. A little respect would be much appreciated!”

“Oh, get off your high horse!” Regina shouted back, plucking a fountain pen from her desk before roughly dropping herself down in the chair. Rumpelstiltskin hovered behind her as she furiously began to scribble something down. “I am not a little girl anymore. I am a grown woman, a mother, and a mayor, and I will not put up with you flaunting about in the spotlight with me in your shadow—“ abruptly pausing, Regina muttered quietly, “I suppose you’ll be using barter with most of your tenants? Considering everyone are my peasants.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you—And I don’t want you mucking up my plans, damn it! Stay to your business, and I’ll stay to mine! I swear to the seven layers of hell, Rumple, if you so much as put one boot in my space again—“

“Yes, yes, yes, you’ll throw your reign of terror and all. It taks a lang spoon to sup with a fifer, dearie.”

“—Disrespect me one more time, Rumple. I dare you, I dare you!”

“Dare!”

Regina growled in fury, writing at an alarming rate, before violently jotting her signature down. Rudely offering the pen up, she shoves the freshly written document toward Rumpelstiltskin who does the same, blotching the paper from the force of his writing. The imp snatched the paper up and tucked it into his waistcoat’s inner pocket.

It was a document stating that the mayor consented for Mr. Gold to be the new landlord.

“Yir the most infuriating besom Ah knae’,” Rumpelstiltskin quipped with a thick Scottish accent.

“Good. If there’s another, send her my way. We’ll start a club.”

“Pfft. Good to see you too, Regina,” The imp rolled his eyes as he prepped to magick himself away. Pausing, he turned back toward the mayor. “Did you really risk getting eaten by repo ogres just so ye’ could avoid dealing with me, or are all those Friday dinners with you and Henry hallucinations? Your nae’ trying very hard to avoid me, if that’s the case.”

“No. I wanted to do my job without your judgment. Would you have ever let me live my neediness down had I been the one to tell you about the bankruptcy?”

“Probably not.”

“Mhmm. Thought so.”