#you don’t get to treat me however you want with no consequences actually.

[arcane-vagabond]

Personally, I think if someone comes into my inbox being nasty and mean, I should be able to match their energy.

I’m tired of this expectation and notion that being kind and understanding to mean people is the “mature” thing to do. Hell no you’re not going to walk all over me, I’m coming back at you with blood. Y’all are way too comfortable being mean anyway, so let’s give that energy back since you wanna give it so bad.

[evelynvipah]

It’s very telling with this fandom that you all believe Vi should be Jinx’s caretaker and ignore her own needs, and desires for the sake of chasing after a person who just doesn’t want to be helped. In addition, shielding her from the consequences of her own actions.

Vi has spent all of season 1 basically ignoring all of the horrific shit Jinx has done because she’s only ever wanted her sister back. When she found out Jinx was murdering people, ripping families apart, and intentionally harming her as well through Caitlyn(which is a whole thing in its own that I’ve already spoken about), what did she do? She literally promised Jinx that they could leave it all behind and run away together. Does that sound like Vi didn’t care or accept Jinx because I’m getting the opposite?

Jinx has never actually seen Vi as her own individual person. I’d actually go as far as to say she sees her more as a possession. Think about her issues with Caitlyn, they go farther than her just being an enforcer. She sees Vi as someone that should only prioritize and look to her for every thing. No one wants to speak about how Jinx treats Vi in the most despicable ways because y’all are either still hellbent in believing Vi “abandoned” her and chose Caitlyn over her, which is simply not true, or have your own issues with parentified individuals in your lives. And when Vi gets to her breaking point with the girl, as she should considering she’s killed the mother of the woman she loves, it’s a problem.

Vi became an enforcer to avoid a full scale invasion of Zaun that was going to do more damage than what came from the decades—centuries of hatred already. she became an enforcer to prevent Caitlyn from losing herself even more, and be there to subdue and stop Jinx. Now personally, from what we’ve seen in the show, I don’t believe Vi was ever truly on board with killing Jinx. However, with hearing Caitlyn say either one of them was going to come back in a box, yeah she was going to step in to be there and prevent the situation from escalating. She is torn between the two people in her life that she loves so deeply and feels an immense responsibility for. It’s important to realize that Vi is not going to be perfect. Her choices are not always going to satisfy everyone because it’s simply impossible.

And skipping to the infamous prison scene, logic really seems to be out the door with you people. Vi, even gravely injured and coming off of being on death’s doorstep rushes to Jinx side, once again trying to help the girl and convince her that she can be good—do good. Hell, if Jinx asked Vi would’ve at least considered leaving Piltover and Zaun all together after the war if possible (who knows really beside Vi, but we’ve seen the lengths Vi is willing to go for Jinx). What does Jinx do? She severs the string connecting Vi and her because she knows Vi would never stop fighting for her. “You’re never gonna give up on me,” is what she says before LOCKING Vi in the cell and leaving. Once again, it’s forgotten that all Vi knows about Jinx is that she’s a runner, she leaves when things get too rough. There was no way Vi was going to be one hundred percent certain of her sister’s intentions and even if she was, what was she supposed to do? Search high and low in Zaun for Jinx knowing that when she doesn’t want to be found she won’t be? Ridiculous.

Jinx told her to go to Caitlyn, stop being responsible for her, and for once choose herself and she did. And I won’t sit here and let people say that Vi didn’t deserve it because if it’s one thing she deserves, it is to be loved and cared for.

[nekropsii]

ALPHA TROLLS RANKED BY HOW WRONG THE FANDOM AT LARGE IS ABOUT THEM:

This is a personal challenge, based entirely on my own experience and perspective, and also ranked from Most to Least Correct. I was bored, and thought this might be fun.

Putting this under a cut, because it's long as hell.

MEULIN LEIJON

People get her mostly correct, from what I’ve seen… Most of the time, fan content of Meulin is absolutely recognizable as Meulin, but her pride in her deafness + joy of learning new ways to interact with the world through/due to her disability is always removed, and I do not often see people tackle the Toxic Positivity aspect of her character. That seems less like character assassination, though, and more like a combination of people not actually playing through the Openbounds, people not being able to fathom disabled people (especially those who gained a disability later in life rather than being born disabled) being happy, and general fandom distaste for the idea of touching anything uncomfortable, especially when that uncomfortable topic is highly mundane, normalized, and potentially applicable to them or their loved ones. Meulin’s toxic positivity was, of course, commentary on Tumblr’s ecosystem at the time, so… It was much harder to touch back then.

ARANEA SERKET

People tend to get her general, broad strokes personality right, but unfortunately she gets treated pretty roughly for the crime of Being A Serket. People refuse to understand her motivations, and she often gets demonized for what she was doing around/during [S] Game Over, even though that was something she’d gotten pushed to and also was cool as fuck to watch. God forbid a woman do anything.

DAMARA MEGIDO

People are right about the racism, 100%. It is completely despicable, hard to look at, and extremely blatant. She does, however, have character outside of that. No, it isn’t “whore”, it’s more like “angry, dysfunctional abuse victim”, and she’s genuinely a very interesting and tragic character. But, again, people are right about the racism, so she gets to be placed way up here.

MEENAH PEIXES

She is such a chaotic little bastard. I love her. I really do. Please understand that she genuinely does not understand the concept of consequences. This girl didn’t have a Lusus, she didn’t have parents, it was functionally illegal to tell her “No, you can’t do that.” That would fuck up literally anyone’s moral compass. That’s not me hand waving away all the fucked up and bad shit she’s done, we all know what she did, but people tend to forget this aspect of her character and it pains me deeply, because it is a very genuinely interesting concept that I want to see more of. She’s capable of regret, we’ve seen her feel it, I just don’t think foresight is her forte. No one raised her to consider consequences, or help her experience them in a healthy way, because nobody raised her period.

Also, her ass is not butch, she is the girliest girl in the entire comic. She is about hot pink and glitter and kiss marks and unicorns and cute little puns and you will respect that. She is not masculine. Her ass is not masculine nor is she butch. Let her be her hyper-feminine self.

LATULA PYROPE

Please for the love of god there is more to her character than “Gamer Girl” and “Mituna’s Girlfriend”. You are falling for her fucking ruse. Please. Please. Please recognize that her entire character is about internalized misogyny, and being forced to overcompensate for misogyny in gaming circles as a gamer who happens to be a woman. Please. I’m begging.

KURLOZ MAKARA

His character is not that deep, it’s mostly just a string of events he is mysteriously, inexplicably involved with. The Makaras are extremely Function Over Form- their characters practically do not exist, they're mostly just plot devices that exist to push the story along. I'm sorry to Makara fans. You just invented a guy in your mind and decided he was real. He is also not that soft, though, and his relationships with both Meulin AND Mituna are not healthy. Hard to stop people from ascribing cutesy squishy lovey dynamics to random men who happened to have looked at each other once, though. Some people truly haven't graduated from 2012.

HORUSS ZAHHAK

I am begging people to consider that maybe the biggest issue here is not that he is “Bad Otherkin/Therian Representation” and is in fact maybe the fact that Hussie was actually making fun of Systems when he was writing Horuss. Because Horuss is canonically a system. He uses the word system. He uses the word switching. He uses the word host. He literally talks about his Plurality at length in extremely upfront, plain terms. I don’t know how him being “Bad Otherkin Representation” was and still is the main discourse about him. It makes me insane. That is a commentary that truly writes itself. Talk about having your priorities out of wack, honestly...

PORRIM MARYAM

No, she is not a MRA, she’s just a regular feminist who happens to live on a different planet with different politics and social hierarchies from Our Real World Earth’s USA. Whatever argument you’re about to pull out of your ass to say that she sucks is bad. She already explained what she meant by that, in more detail, very clearly, and she was right. Half the time she’s literally just giving you factual information about what Beforus was like, and literal plot synopses. She isn’t saying anything insane. She’s literally normal. I don’t know why people cannot handle or process this. Porrim has not ever said anything controversial. If you disagree with this you’re either misconstruing her on purpose or you fell for Kankri’s bait, and that’s just fucking sad at that point.

Also, she’s more than a sex object, and her tits are not huge. Honestly, half the shit she was saying was just “I am more than my sex life”, and so many people took that and made her main character trait her sex life. Just pathetic.

RUFIOH NITRAM

This man is a fucking war criminal and I will stop at nothing until he is behind bars for his crimes against Damara. Raging misogynist. Total fucking cunt. Just the worst. If I talk any more about this, this part will be 1,000 paragraphs long. But also, I’m begging people to recognize his relationship with disability, too. He was similar to Meulin in the sense that he didn’t mind his disability, and his biggest gripe with it was the way that Horuss tried to “fix” it… Which is an interesting way to expand upon how Beforus’s culling system is not only very explicitly ableist, but mimicking real world systemic ableism. I also want people to recognize that Hussie is actively having a conversation about the reclamation of slurs with Rufioh’s character, and how not letting people reclaim such language is doing nothing but giving the word power against them while stripping away their own personal agency. Rufioh’s a complicated guy, and he’s interesting and also the worst, and I am really tired of how he gets watered down to nothing but “Pretty Boy Victim Of His Inexplicably Psycho Ex”.

MITUNA CAPTOR

Holy Fucking Shit, You Guys Are Ableist.

KANKRI VANTAS

To this day I see people saying he was just Hussie making fun of SJWs. To this day. To this day people think Hussie was trying to make Every Tumblr Leftist look bad, and that he hates them Because They Are Leftists. When will people recognize him as a bootlicker to the oppressive class and the violently bigoted. When will people recognize that. When will people recognize that this is more of a commentary on the legitimate real flaws of Tumblr’s politics at the time. When. When.

When will people stop portraying him as a lovey-dovey Catholic Whore. I’m going to stab my fucking eyes out and then kill everyone in this building. Me when it's based and cool to ship an aroace character with a sexual predator. I GUESS.

CRONUS AMPORA

I say this with every ounce of sincerity I can possibly muster as a person: What the literal actual fuck.

[top-vi]

the contrast of rhaenyra's and alicent's experiences with motherhood is so fascinating

I’ve always argued the storyline of being wary of motherhood and childbirth would’ve worked better with Alicent than Rhaenyra.

Alicent doesn’t get to choose who the father of her children is, she doesn’t have access to contraceptives nor can she refuse Viserys when he calls for her.

The themes of forced motherhood and the consequences of this would work so much better with women like Alicent: struggling to love children forced on you, not understanding why you’re not overcome with maternal affection, suffering from undiagnosed postpartum depression etc.

With Rhaenyra it just doesn’t work because unlike Alicent she can choose her children’s father and she can decide when she wants to be pregnant. In the books she has three back to back pregnancies and then stops for 4 years, whilst in the show she has Joffrey eight years after Luke which means she intentionally had a third child. Either way it all comes down to Rhaenyra having bodily autonomy; if she didn’t want to be pregnant she wouldn’t be pregnant.

Also having Rhaenyra be the one who expresses her wish to not have children honestly feels more sexist because the writers are implying not wanting to be a mother isn’t normal, so once Rhaenyra gives birth to Jace she realises the error of her ways and happily has five more. This implication doesn’t sit well with me.

so i wasn’t fair to you anon, and i’ve let this sit in my inbox since may. the reason for this is because i wanted to see how alicent and rhaenyra’s relationships to their children were developed, explained, and expanded on in season two.

regarding alicent and her children:

i think we officially got your wish anon (mine too). while some people may be unhappy with her arc in season 2, alicent has always had a deep-seated love-hate relationship with her children. i’d argue that in season one we also got glimpses into the just…visceral revulsion that she cannot shake when she looks at her children, aegon in particular. but in season two i think she’s truly confronted, in a noticeable tangible way, with the facts of her sons.

obviously, i wish we’d been able to see more of this kind of dynamic back in season one, especially with a younger alicent. however, there are season constraints and we can only see so much in ten episodes (side note: 8-10 episode seasons with a two year wait in between is a rant for another time, but know i’m not being like “yay season constraints!”).

the problem with alicent’s arc and struggle is that so fucking much of it is internal. it is so incredibly hard to show on screen and i find the way its been done so far admirable. up until luke’s death, alicent is lying to herself over and over every day about her relationship to her children, aemond and aegon particularly. once the war starts i believe the tower of lies she’s told herself (this is morally correct, i’m just doing my duty, i was treated well, i’m protecting my children like any mother should) start to crumble. i hate so much that we never got her reaction to aemond killing luke for this reason.

also, to a certain extent she may not ever truly come to grips with her trauma. there are no words for what she went through—marital rape was not a concept then. it still manifests, obviously, but i think we can tell with her repeated insistence that viserys was a decent husband and man [loud incorrect buzzer] that she still thinks she’s the one who’s done something wrong. i’ll be interested to see if the writers ever actually have alicent come to grips with the fact that viserys was, in fact, not a good person or king. personally, i don’t believe they will, but we can always hope.

anyways, all this is to say that: i do believe the themes of forced motherhood and its lifelong consequences are well done and explored with alicent (thus far). people will disagree, perhaps even you, but her eventual rejection of aegon and aemond; her desperate, almost chaotic protection of helaena; her ideas about daeron; all of it really speaks to the struggle she’s had and is going through as their mother.

regarding rhaenyra and her children:

this is more difficult that alicent lol

before i get into my gripes with her story, i do want to push back just a little bit on the idea that rhaenyra truly has bodily autonomy. regardless of when or with whom she gets pregnant, she’s still expected to get pregnant and have children. while its unfortunately not explored, she does need to produce heirs.

now. i agree with you for the most part. rhaenyra’s relationships to her children really make no sense. the only one that’s fleshed out is jace, and while that is interesting in the “she’s doing to him exactly what viserys did to her,” it is not complex internally (in the same way alicent’s is). i also personally see joffery as an oops baby, but who really knows. i don’t even know how to explain her children with daemon. they were plot necessary i guess lmfao

the problem with rhaenyra and her children is that almost all of the critical moments in their relationships happen off screen during the time jump. its a structural tv show problem and it brings up these kinds of issues when looking deeper into the relationships she would actually have. i think the writers did a good job this season of making the internal conflict and intrapersonal strife within team black better, but this is just one of those things thats never going to be explored. in this sense we’ll never really know her true feelings or the development that could’ve happened—which is a massive shame.

my personal headcanon (so take with a grain of salt and don’t come for me), is that rhaenyra isn’t against the idea of children as a teenager, she’s against the childbirth. i believe this both because of the horrors of watching her mother’s repeated miscarriages and eventual death while in childbirth, and her consistent refrain of the desire to be a man. i think she wants, to her core, freedom and, as a woman, having a child requires much more sacrifice than having a child as a man.

i don’t personally see the change from not wanting children to totally wanting children as misogynistic, but i don’t blame you for seeing it that way because of the utter lack of canon explanation for it. again, i wasn’t really fair to you keeping this until season two was finished, but i think both alicent and rhaenyra’s relationships to motherhood were developed well.

[spacerockfloater]

You know what?

I get it, ok? I understand the concept of Rhysand being a morally grey character. I understand that SJM wanted him to be an anti-hero of sorts. I would be totally okay with him doing everything that he did and standing by his actions if he simply said “The only thing that concerns me is myself, my circle and my people. I’m here to protect my interests first and everything else second. I am no hero, I am just someone who puts himself and his sphere first. I am a selfish person and I’m totally okay with that. I do not need anyone’s approval.” I still wouldn’t be his biggest fan, because I do not tend to admire self serving people, but I would totally understand him. In fact, I might have done the same thing. I guess you can never know for sure what your reaction to something would be unless you actually end up in that situation. I get that the average person would protect themselves (themselves = them and their loved ones) but I do believe that admiration should be saved for people who go against the norm. People who actually put their foot down, say no, protest, fight back, risk their lives, experience loss for a greater good. That’s why I admire Khalias, Tarquin, Helion, Tamlin etc. Because they stood up to Amarantha while knowing the consequences of their actions. I wouldn’t admire Rhysand, but I’d support him if he just owned up to his shit and said “Yup, I’m your average person, I don’t care if I come off as the bad guy!”.

But he does not! He wants everyone to applaud him and thank him and feel like they owe him and appreciate him and and and and… Jesus Christ man, you did the bare minimum and you did it all when you had nothing to lose! Thank you so much that you convinced that frigid bitch to murder two dozens of children instead of me and my family, of course I am now forever in your debt! Relax. You were able to talk Amarantha out of directly harming the other High Lords only after you harmed others to gain her favour and you saved the High Lords only because it served you better to keep them alive instead of some irrelevant children fae. I’m sure that your people should be thanking you because you did it all for them after all, but count me the fuck out of it.

Last but not least: ACOTAR Feyre was, obviously, a hero. She was a morally good character. She sacrificed herself for people she didn’t even know. I’m not gonna debate that. I actually loved her in the first book. However, I think she went through a drastic change after her metamorphosis. Her “human heart” is actually no longer human to say the least. I’m not even gonna elaborate on how she became this cruel, unforgiving person that only cared about how people treated her, or how disrespectful she is towards other people like Tarquin because Rhysand made her feel entitled to do so, or how she is responsible for the destruction of two courts that simply seemed like collateral damage if it meant that she would get her revenge on Tamlin. I’m simply going to say that logically speaking, since Feyre stands 100% besides Rhys and everything he did and supports him, she’s also a morally grey person AT BEST, though I do tend to think of both of them as villains because after all, the very definition of a villain is “someone defined by their acts of selfishness, evilness, arrogance, cruelty, and cunning” and like, come on, this screams Feysand.

The term morally grey is so overused. Someone who’s selfish and cunning and cares mostly about themselves is, at least partially, a bad person. A morally grey character is at least half a villain. When did we actually start to equate anti heros with heros?

[starsreminisce]

Everybody knows, without a doubt, that if Lucien just met Elain and was generally polite to her and then she got the mating bond with Azriel, he would NEVER be sneaking around trying to have sex with her in private. He would NEVER challenge Azriel for a fight to the death. Even if Elain was being distant with Azriel, he wouldn’t get involved because a mating bond tops everything.

The funny thing is that Lucien has addressed this specific scenario with someone who is mated, Feyre.

Every second was the ringing of my death knell. I’d primed everything to fall; I’d long since stopped feeling any sort of guilt or doubt about my plan. Not with Alis now safely away. And yet—and yet— “You don’t act that way with Feyre.” A silk-wrapped threat. “You’re mistaken.” “Am I?” Twigs and leaves crunched, as if she was circling him. “You put your hands all over her.” I had done my job too well, provoked her jealousy too much with every instance I’d found ways to get Lucien to touch me in her presence, in Tamlin’s presence. “Do not touch me,” he growled.

Yes, Feyre described Lucien as having lost interest in female company now that he is mated. However, he never treated Feyre as anything more than a friend despite who she was with. Even when he was comforting her during her "nightmare" and how he treated her afterward.

I hauled myself into the canvas tent when the fire was dying out, the space barely big enough for Lucien and me to sleep shoulder to shoulder. His red hair gleamed in the faint firelight a moment later as he shoved through the flaps and swore. “Maybe I should sleep out there.” I rolled my eyes. “Please.” A wary, considering glance as he knelt and removed his boots. “You know Tamlin can be … sensitive about things.”

Lucien stayed platonic toward Feyre, even when there were implications that there could be more, which Feyre used to her advantage in ACOWAR as part of her plan to destroy the Spring Court. Since we don't have Lucien's POV, it's clear that he could see the glamoured tattoo on Feyre's other arm, yet he kept a respectable distance while still attempting to repair their friendship.

Elain doesn't want a mate. Her whole arc is going to be a man vs. fate conflict.

And who better suits her to navigate this than someone who had no reason to believe he had a mate versus someone who had waited 500 years for the bond to snap?

It would make for a better rejection story if Elain and Az were mated and Elain rejected it, as both of them actually had something to gain from it. Azriel could move past the idolization of having a mate, realizing it's not what it's cracked up to be, and focus on someone who is much better suited for him. Elain could end up with someone who loves being out in the sun as much as she does, who would enjoy attending social events, and who has wandered into courts, making friends with the sons of other High Lords.

SJM did envision a world where Lucien and Elain were not mated, and she said Elain was the one who surprised her.

SJM could have kept Lucien as a close friend of Feyre's, as she did with Dorian and Chaol to Aelin or Bryce with Flynn, Ithan, and Tharion. Perhaps every scenario she thought of had Lucien and Elain drawn toward each other, or every scenario ended with Lucien and Elain together regardless of who their initial mates were, so she decided to mate them from the beginning.

And every book after that shows the devastation and consequences of not being with their mate, particularly in the face of uncertain death.

[astro-tag-9]

Why the signs won’t date you

Aries - won’t date you because they have other options, and want to feel them all out first before picking one. What’s the fun in picking out a flavor before you’ve had a few others to compare it to? Or maybe you just bore them. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Taurus - not sure if they’ve ever not dated somebody that’s interested in them. However if a Taurus rejects you, it’s probably because you don’t make them feel needed enough. They love a good damsel in distress.

Gemini - you took them hanging out and talking to you everyday as interest? Honey. They love everybody, they weren’t treating you special, they treat everybody in their life that way. Truth is they were just never that into you.

Cancer - you’re too strong willed for their mind games. Don’t get me wrong, cancers LOVE a strong partner, however if they aren’t able to easily manipulate you in certain situations, they don’t want you. Cancers know who will and will not put up with their BS, and don’t like to be with somebody who won’t bend to what they want.

Leo - Leo doesn’t want you because they don’t think you can take care of them. Leo’s like to have fun without thinking of the consequences until they are cornered with them. They want a partner that will handle all of the responsibilities for them so that they don’t have to. If you seem too weak, not responsible, or no path in life, Leo doesn’t want youuu.

Virgo - as simple as it is, they’re picky. They either still love their high school sweetheart and nobody has compared to them, or you just do not fit the plan they have for themselves in their life right now. Try not to take it too personally. Virgos really have to make sure falling in love makes sense before they just do it.

Libra - Libra actually already has had 2 other people ask them out today alone, and it got way too overwhelming for them. I’m just joking. If a Libra doesn’t want to date you, it’s because they don’t believe you. They don’t think your words match your actions or they think you’re untruthful about something. When a Libra is sus about you, they don’t want much of it.

Scorpio - similar to Virgos and Geminis, Scorpios are just very picky. They want the whole 9 yards and then some. Very all or nothing. Scorpio simply isn’t finding themself obsessed with you, therefore they’re not really that into you. They’re probably still in love with their ex, so anybody else is really just a waste of time anyway. Sorry they made you fall in love 🤷🏼‍♀️

Sagittarius - Sagittarius won’t date you because they are having too much fun being not exclusive at the moment. Somebody stole their spark before, and they don’t want it to go away. If a Sagittarius won’t be committed to you, it’s probably because they think you’re either too controlling, too emotional, or not fun enough.

Capricorn - they got too many other things going on B! Can’t you see how stressed they are not worrying about a relationship? Capricorn’s wear a lot of weight in general trying to be there for everyone in their life. If they aren’t committing to you, it’s probably because they feel like their plate is already maxed out at the moment. You need patience to be with them so the good ones will wait them out and the weak ones will leave.

Aquarius - Aquarius was never really looking for a relationship anyway, don’t you listen to them? They can only do non-exclusive, no strings, no labels, long distance and low maintenance relationships. They have so much to do that they don’t have time for the little 1:1 dates. Aquarius can just be bad at dating. Try asking them to marry them instead next time.

Pisces - They kinda still like their ex but also know they’re better than their ex, and also kinda like somebody else, but is also talking to two other people…they just don’t know! They can’t pick or decide. Maybe you should just tell them you’re dating instead, they hate telling people no.

[tsams-simps-and-co-corner]

FLIRTY Mechanic Reader making very bad passes/pick-up lines at their crush and doubling down even worse when they succeed/fail! Requesting for:

-Ekleipsis

-Lord Eclipse

-Mono

-Solar

Should’ve know the first request on here would be about the Eclipses lol. But TY SM for requesting!! I don’t really consider AGAB as gender but I see what you meant, anyways

Eclipse x Flirty (but bad at it) Fem!Reader

💥Ekleipsis🌑

•“Can you take me to the hospital? I just broke my leg falling for you.” •*slow turn* •You know, having one of Fazbear’s mechanics be on his side was just fine this very second. •After a few seconds of unbroken eye contact, you went at it again but somehow worse. •He reminds himself to play nice with his cru cover. •“I’m going to check if Lunar is playing in traffic. Don’t follow me.” •You laugh a bit as he walks off. •Why does he have to reciprocate your stupid fucking feelings?

🌟Lord Eclipse💥

•Lord is used to people literally worshiping him. He’s used songs of praise and prayers. He’s used to reverence and revere. •All things the phase, “If you were a Transformer you'd be Optimus Fine” is not. •If any of his servants where nearby, they would have been absolutely horrified by your words and what their consequences would be. •However, he just gave you an unamused look, hoping that it would end it. •Instead you doubled down. •How did it get worse then “Optimus Fine?” •He supposes this is his own fault, as he always let you get away with more then anyone else. •But he grits his teeth and bares your onslaught of terrible pick up lines. •He can’t be too mad at the only person who repeating the same words of worship he’s heard for over a thousand years and treats him like an actual friend.

🔧Solar🔥

•You two were fixing up some stuff around the Plex and trying to make small talk. •Until you hit your coworker with “I'm not so good at holding conversations… is it OK if I hold your hand instead?” •His stunned silence made his fans speeding fans for obvious. •“… That was terrible…” •He looked away, obviously a lil flustered by your stupid pickup line. •You were surprised that it actually worked, when a truly evil idea crossed your mind. •You followed it up with even worse lines to see of they worked. •And they did. •Solar could decide if he wanted to confess to you or shrivel up and die. •“If I hold you hand after this will you stop?” •He said it in a playful and annoyed tone. •Your turn to be flustered. •“… Sure…” •Mission accomplished(…?)

🌙Mono☀️

•“Do you drink a lot of Sprite? Because you look so-da-licious!” •Now where’s Lunar when you need him? •He just wanted have this body checked after coming back from death (again) and you pull this. •He had hoped ignoring it would have stopped, but you just kept going as if you thought he didn’t hear you the first time. •And even worse somehow. •Why do you do this? •Why do you think this will work? •Why do you think he’d be a good partner? He’s not the original or he’s not any better then him. •But as weird as you were, it was nice having someone around. •So he let you have your fun as you checked him. •You didn’t find anything wrong, the one thing out of the ordinary were his fans going on overtime, but he shut down any attempts to look into it

[theambitiouswoman]

Do you do any cosmetic procedures? Do you think any of them, helped you in some way? I talk like “pretty privilege” has helped you?

I am trying a position as a flight attendant, I’ve worked in a luxury hotel for almost a year, have customer service experience, I talk 3 languages, have lived aboard for two years and worked. But I’ve tried, and they denied me twice. So I think I just need to do procedures, like lip fillers so I can look more pretty and feel a little more good with myself and more confident. Consequently, I will feel confident and get the job. Does it make sense?

First of all, I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been denied the flight attendant position—it sounds like you have an incredible background with so much to offer! I am sure it’s also a very competitive position to get into?!

Before I go on, I don’t want you or anyone reading this to think they have to look a certain way to get things in life.

I am not against plastic surgery. I think getting a lot of plastic surgery can be unhealthy for sure, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with fixing an insecurity you may have especially if it will make you feel better about yourself.

Procedures like lip fillers or other enhancements can help you feel more confident and prettier, yes. Little tweaks really do go along way. You don’t need them to be pretty!!!!!! But the tweaks can definitely make a difference. However, they should be a personal choice—not something you feel pressured to do because of societal standards.

It’s true that appearance can sometimes play a role in industries like aviation or hospitality, where presentation is a factor. But it’s not everything. You clearly have experience, have you ran through the interviews in your mind and thought about your responses? I would personally go online and look for girls who are flight attendants and see what they say about their job and how they got it. I actually follow one girl, I will find her and send to you via message.

Your thought process makes sense: if you feel more confident, you’ll project that during interviews, and confidence is magnetic.

Is pretty privilege real? Yes. Do people treat you better? Yes. Do you have to look a certain way to benefit from it? Absolutely not. However, you do need to put effort into your appearance and presence. Brush your hair, keep your nails polished, and wear clothes that fit well and make you feel confident. When you feel good in what you’re wearing, it shows. A great attitude and a genuine smile can go a long way because people are naturally drawn to confidence. Pretty privilege isn’t about meeting a specific standard of beauty—it’s about presenting yourself in a polished, intentional way that reflects confidence. Honestly a lot of girls underestimate how much more attractive they can look just by doing little things like switching up their hair style or even just blowdrying their hair. Especially hair.

Start with the basics: healthy skin, neat hair, and a scent that leaves a good impression. Speak clearly and warmly, stand tall, and make eye contact to exude confidence. Fitness and good posture also play a role, as they enhance how you carry yourself. Highlight your best features and embrace your unique vibe, whether it’s your sense of humor, elegance, charm, creativity etc

Beyond appearance, kindness, intelligence, and charm are incredibly attractive. People remember how you make them feel so radiate warmth & empathy. Ultimately, pretty privilege is about how you carry yourself and the energy you bring, not just about looking perfect. Confidence, individuality and a polished presence are what truly make you stand out.

At the end of the day, you deserve to feel your most confident and beautiful self. Do what makes you happy, I commend your dedication to presenting yourself in a way that aligns with your goals and makes you feel good.

[leona-hawthorne]

hi, you don’t have to respond at all (there would be no point because i won’t be using tumblr anymore after today, and i wouldn’t be able to see it anyways, but i also understand if you don’t read this and immediately delete it. either way, i won’t know.)

i just wanted to let you know that it really hurt my feelings when i found out you blocked me on my second blog even though i followed your rules and told you i am in my mid twenties. i wasn’t even following you on my second blog, nor have i ever liked or interacted with your posts on my second one. so to receive another block on my second blog where i hadn’t broken any rules left me completely shocked, hurt and confused, and made me feel completely awful as a fan.

i’m already very anxious and depressed and don’t interact with people very much, so it took a lot to gather the courage and message one of my favorite writers to apologize for any wrongdoing on my part because i hadn’t realized my mistake at the time. i was incredibly nervous and scared and immensely grateful that you cared enough to respond. 

and then for me to be completely understanding, kind, take accountability, follow your rules, accept the consequences of my wrongdoing on my main blog, and wish you a good day and you wish me a good day in return, only for you to go out of your way to block me on my second blog after a really nice conversation, felt like our conversation was fake and it made me feel really shitty and more stupid than i already feel. 

you are absolutely 1000% completely entitled to your choice, and i learned my lesson because it was my fault for not realizing i should be putting my age in my blog description, because im new to tumblr & again, im dumb. 

but i just wanted to let you know that sometimes certain actions can come across as a bit mean, and the way i was treated felt like you were purposely icing me out from being a fan of your blog. 

you’re really a wonderful writer and i enjoyed the stories that i was able to read on your blog in the little time that i spent on here. i wish you the best and happy holidays. 

hi anon,

thank you for taking the time to share your feelings with me. i want to start by saying that i’m genuinely sorry if my actions made you feel hurt or unwelcome. i understand that this situation has been upsetting for you, and i never intended to make you feel that way.

i want to clarify a couple of things. when i initially blocked your second blog, it was not done out of malice, but because i felt it was consistent with the boundaries i’ve set for my own comfort on this platform. my decision there was based on the fact that i wasn’t confident in your age initially, and i felt it was better to err on the side of caution. it wasn’t personal, nor was it intended to make you feel unwelcome or excluded.

after reflecting and discussing the situation, i actually unblocked both of your blogs not even an hour later because i wanted to reach out, apologize for any misunderstanding, and perhaps get to know you better. however, by that point, you had already blocked me back, so i was unable to contact you privately.

i get that this situation hurt you, and it’s okay to feel sad about being blocked—it happens to everyone at some point online. but the way you expressed those feelings came across as a bit much. it’s not fair to expect me to carry the weight of how this affected you, especially when i’ve tried my best to act respectfully and protect my own boundaries.

if you do see this, please know that i would have preferred to handle this privately, but since i can’t contact you any other way, i have no choice but to respond here. if you see this and still wish to continue the conversation, please reach out to me privately and maturely rather than through my inbox.

i understand that you’re new to tumblr and that this has been a learning experience, and i appreciate your willingness to take accountability for the initial misunderstanding. however, it’s also important to recognize that sending such a lengthy message in my inbox—particularly when it seems designed to invoke guilt—is a lot to process emotionally on my end as well. it's overwhelming. i’m a person too, and like you, i try my best to navigate these interactions with kindness and fairness. i can’t always predict how my actions might affect someone emotionally, but i do my best to act in a way that feels right for me.

i’m not perfect, and i don’t always handle every situation right, but this is just tumblr. i’m just one random writer on the internet, and being blocked or unblocked by me shouldn’t have this much power over your happiness or self-worth.

with that said, if you truly are leaving tumblr, i wish you nothing but the best moving forward. i hope you find peace and happiness wherever you choose to spend your time next. happy holidays, and take care.

[jenyifer]

August September LGBTQIA book list.

Now quick disclaimer: I moved during this time. Very stressful. So maybe that’s why I have so many dropped and disliked books. I’m going to give these quick reviews in a specific order of would recommend to mehhh only if you are that type of person. I don’t give spoilers this is just a taste. I am lesbian who is 30 so that also colors my perception of these stories. Only going to include pics of the top 5 to drag you in for easy screenshotting.

Okay Let’s go.

1. Somewhere Beyond the Sea by Tj Klune 🏳️‍🌈👨🏼‍🍼👬🔥🏡⛓️‍💥 okay once again when I take over the world House in the Cerulean Sea and Somewhere Beyond the Sea will be required reading I didn’t think the follow up book to one of the best books in the modern age about feel good found family foster family could get any better. But I was proven wrong. The sequel gives you all you need. You can tell the author felt the pain of our world as he wrote this but the children and characters give those stories life. I cried I laughed. There is nothing quite like it.

2. The Spirit Bares It’s Teeth by Andrew Joseph White 🏳️‍⚧️���😱🩸👁️🐰 You know what I am putting this one as 2 because despite it making me have countless panic attacks because I’m not fond of… gore? Horror? I adored this book still thinking about it. The romance is 10/10 T4T. I adored the mystery and intrigue. The main character is autistic and very anxiety ridden I can’t describe to you how this book will change you. Although approach with caution.

3. The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Vol2. 🏳️‍🌈🐟🤴🏻🤣 mild 🌶️ on a completely different note the “IS THAT MAN IN LOVE WITH A FISH” is a treat that always surprises me with the amount I love it. Maybe I am trash crazy but I find this funny easy to read and in this second book we got even more time with the fish and his prince actually in human shape. The miscommunication trope is strong with this one but so is consent and romance. Idk I just fucking love it. I want the prince to become emperor with his fishy lover haha.

4. The Name Bearer by Natalia Hernandez 💃💐🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍👩💜💜 Okay quick disclaimer here the book is an classic style fantasy journey it is slow. However I really loved how beautifully thought out the universe was it’s a latinx woman forward book. The romance is not the point but it feels very natural which I appreciate. Main character might even be ace spec. There are great side characters. I really love the apprentice wizard but WARRIOR NUNS!!! Hehehe also things seem to be not what they seem which is always cool. I’d definitely suggest this to any fantasy lover.

5. Grandmaster of Demon Cultivation the comic vol 1-3 🏳️‍🌈👬🪄🪦💀🫏necromancer evil wizard is reincarnated into his nephew’s body years after his death. Or is he evil? Or is he 🏳️‍🌈? Hahah yes he is. Anyways in the present he’s finding the consequences of his actions while his…. Love interest is going to make sure nothing happens to this version of him. You slowly get the past. I find the comic is the easiest way to consume this fantasy story. Yes there is anime, book, and a Netflix series and a new Japanese manga is being released but I like this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

6. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire 💜🪦🚪 about a school for those who come back from other universes and long to go back. Main Character is probably ace spec. Very interesting fantasy book for someone who consumed a lot of fantasy as a child. Thought it was also very thoughtful book. I had fun it’s not super surprising or new ground but I enjoyed it for a quick read.

7. Spell Bound by FT Lukens 🏳️‍🌈🐈‍⬛🧙‍♀️🧑‍💻 well it’s YA. Out of the other FT Lukens books I semi enjoyed this one. The characters are still dumb as rocks and the setting could use some more fleshing. But it’s okay. For a fun quick read that semi reminds you of urban fantasy? It’s good. The side ship found family was a little forced but I enjoyed the side characters.

8. Psalm for the wild built 💜🍵🤖🏕️ it’s a chill cozy book for people who are over worked. I’d say if you want scifi it’s not. It’s closer to fantasy. Very short and preachy.

9. Casefile Compendium vol2 by Meatbun 🏳️‍🌈🩸🌶️🚩🔍🐉🥼 Danmei Murder mystery modern times age gap. Does have 2 chapters of non consent and absolutely off the wall opinions about the medical industry.

10. Otherworldly by FT Lukens 🧚‍♂️🏳️‍🌈🥶❄️ YA familiar escapes fairy world finds a skeptical person decides they’ll def fall in love and make a deal. I listened to 50% the characters are intensely idiotic and just…. So so so blind. I couldn’t do it. The skeptic is a person who moved to the city for their family but they do stuff for their family without really caring for them I’m just not buying it. The familiar is infact a psychopath or so low iq he doesn’t care to live or feel or observe anything in 5 years. So so so stupid. Omg.

I had several DNF

I made my parents listen to Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell in my mission to make my parents less homophobic. My mom enjoyed it. My dad said it was way too gay. 😩 man I wish it was way too gay.

What am I reading next? Hummm idk yet. Suggestions are always appreciated!!!

[flowersandbirdsflyingfree]

ive read a couple of your recent posts about postal dudes, and im literally just thrilled with them! i would also like to participate in such an initiative.

i am a very tall girl, which is why i have a small complex. i have dark skin and a rather elongated face and the corners of my eyes are lowered, so many people tell me that i look like a borzaya x) i have long hair about up to my buttocks, they are blonde dyed. i have a pair of piercings – a nose wing and a bridge. i have dark eyes. i rarely do makeup, and if i do, i usually paint my lips black and put black eyeliner on my eyes.

speaking of clothing style, i prefer something ordinary, i cant name a specific style, for example, some kind of black t-shirt and jeans extended from the knees, something like 80s fashion lol.

by nature, i can hardly describe myself, but i have a low awareness of responsibility for my actions due to a diagnosed antisocial personality disorder. i also quite like sarcastic jokes and banter, i am pleased when my jokes are understood and not offended. i dont see any special criteria for my partner, i just would be pleased if he sincerely loved me and didnt look at anyone other than me, unfortunately, due to unsuccessful experiences in the past, i sometimes get a feeling of jealousy.

I also love Tarantino movies and my favorite band the prodigy

HELLO!! I’m so happy you could join in! I’m actually having fun myself because Postal is forever engraved into my brain!!!

I match you with:

Postal 2 Dude

Well, for starters, a lot of your interests match with his! Dude likes Tarantino films as well. His favorite if he had to choose would probably be Pulp Fiction. His favorite movie of all time, however, is Brian De Palma’s Scarface. Movie night dates are a great way for you to bond. Plus, he doesn’t have to stress if he puts something on that will push the envelope in terms of content

Your fashion sense sort of matches Dude’s so you guys look like you’re twinning! I think he likes 80s fashion. And he definitely thinks your blonde hair is really pretty. You know he finds every bit of you to be beautiful the way he gazes on with deep affection.

Dude feels like your struggles are very similar to his. He too tends to just act first, think later. It’s not fun to live with the consequences. But he lets you know you aren’t taking on life alone. He’s a ride or die kind of person. He won’t waste his time with people who aren’t in the long haul and by God you’re his partner in crime.

He knows how it feels to be betrayed. Hell, most of these jackasses are out to eat you alive! In his philosophy at least. Rest assured, if you earn the Dude’s trust, his loyalty is stronger than tungsten. “I can’t believe someone who lose a babe like you. You don’t have to worry about me going anywhere, dear.” Also… imagine his situation. His ex-wife left him for a Jewish mad cow demon. He gets it.

Despite his usually abrasive personality, he loves you. And he will show it in the best way he can. Banter is a love language, so the fact you can keep up with his sarcasm is good. Nothing offends him because he believes everyone should get roasted in some way. This includes being offensive to strangers on purpose for rage-bait. How else do you handle the daily grind?

He’s big on acts of service too. Do you want him to pick something up at the drive-thru? He’ll get you a treat. Is there an annoying errand you dread doing? Put it on his yoke and let him do it. You’re worth all the effort.

Another love language is definitely quality time. He’ll have his arm around you wherever you two go. You can blast The Prodigy while night driving around and seeing where the night takes you both. Maybe you two could go for a diner date, or maybe you’ll just kiss under the desert stars. Or maybe cause trouble at one of Uncle Dave’s parties. Anything’s fair game!

I can also imagine you guys going to a Best Buy in the mall and cranking the most obnoxious music on high blare with the test speakers. You high tail out of there before you get kicked out. Dude’s final trouble is grabbing the intercom phone and yelling “Mike Hunt to the register! Mike Hunt!”

Life is rough but you make it so much better. Over time, he loosens his tense nature. You’ve helped him tremendously with that. He will be all tough in façade but he truly is grateful you can handle him and his bullshit. Dude can’t believe you showed him he can even feel real love. All he wants is to be by your side. Just you, Champ and maybe Uncle Dave. That’s all he’ll ever need.

[prismonautic]

baneful witchcraft — to cast, or to not cast?

imma start posting more things that aren’t JUST spells, i need some things to fill in my blog between projects 😅 so let’s discuss this my loves.

well, if you want to get a scale of how necessary (or unnecessary) your baneful witchcraft should be, imagine the interactions you had + are about to do as physical actions.

rule of thumb: if it’s not something that you’d do to someone in real life, it’s probably best you don’t try to do it astrally either.

if you not about it, don’t go looking for that type of smoke.

for example:

say that there was a really rude customer you’ve had, and they’re some stranger that you (hopefully) don’t see again. are you going to:

A) be petty and ensure that they have a hard time getting what they want because they were that mean to you?

B) punch them in the face, drag them off of the premises, and walk away?

C) find their address, kidnap them, and skin them alive in your basement?

if you’re someone who chose A — you’ve retaliated in the form of jinxing.

something quick and petty that allows you to get your lick back, but nothing long-term that implicates both of y’all for a hard time. this is comparable to a jinx, light baneful work. they’re pretty easy to cast, pretty easy to break. not that serious unless you dealing with someone who REALLY takes offense to that and will snap back harder on you.

if you’re someone who chose B — you’ve retaliated in the form of a hex.

i hope that you’re someone who fantasized about doing that instead of actually carrying it out in real life. if you actually carry this out in real life, i pray you got someone to bail you out. i understand the sentiment because there are times where i’ve wanted to beat the shit out of customers who were being vile to me, but it’s not worth any of the potential consequences if you chose the wrong person!

if you’re someone who chose C — you’ve retaliated in the form of a curse.

and … you should probably not be wielding baneful witchcraft because this is the definition of fuck around and find out + it’s REALLY not that serious. transmute some of that hatred into some abundance for you baby, that energy could go towards much better things actually worth your time.

if you chose this option for some reason, you need to get better at picking your battles and directing your energy towards better things — plus, i don’t think that interaction warrants the amount of innocent lives you’ll affect by gravely harming that person. you’re also setting yourself up for some pretty bad retaliation from other forces too.

so like… while i’m all for baneful works, i’m NOT for throwing it around lightly! again, treating baneful works like they’re candy to toss around is an amazing way to fuck around and find out.

additional closing notes

it’s unlikely that you’ll find yourself in a situation where you need to use a vile curse. if you have to resort to that after everything else failed to work, i’m sorry for what you went through and i hope you get the retribution you deserve.

hexes, it’s likely you’ll have some long-term situations that warrant them!

just make sure there’s a kill-switch in the spell (eg. if someone stops their gossiping for three months, the hex will automatically break). not a good idea to make a hex long-lasting no matter what conditions — extending the duration with no outlet basically makes it a curse.

jinxes, i personally rarely cast because i prefer to calm down and direct my energy to somewhere else.

i don’t like immediately resorting to malice. however, i find that they’re pretty good in teaching quick lessons for repeated annoyances. got an annoying neighbor that won’t stay out of your business? a witch could just jinx them to have enough problems around their own house that they only worry about their own business. quick, a little meanspirited, but you not straight up assaulting them for being a nuisance.

if you have the power, make sure to use it responsibly + avoid fucking around too much if you don’t want to find out! if you want to fuck around, at least cover your ass enough to do it.

end of the blog!

fly away my oneironauts !!!

[animeisforanimation]

The Apothecary Diaries vs SpyXFamily

What to even compare here you ask? Well.

“A bunch of snakes”.

In my mother tongue, that’s a phrase to describe a group of female coworkers. Although snakes actually bundle up to procreate (which makes the simile kinda queer lol), this is meant to express the idea that women have zero comradely and are always ready to bite each other or spit metaphorical poison.

And we see these unpleasant squabbles in both stories, but the way it’s shown is drastically different.

-

In “diaries” these relationship are the consequence of the way these women live: in a constant struggle for the power male (namely Emperor’s) attention can give them. And the stiles are as high as they get: all these women are no more than political assets and beautiful decorations for the court. Their lives depend of how well they play by the rules of the palace.

Plus class segregation is a thing.

So, it’s clear why maids of higher rank and of a different, even opposing mistress, would treat the main character poorly.

Moreover, these very interpersonal conflicts are the main focus, if even say appeal of a show like that. It’s a game of thrones kind of story. And the way Maomao reacts is adding to the story: she understands, she’s irritated and even worried for her social stance and very life - but can’t actually do anything and this tells us so much about her!

And when she snaps it’s not some personal gripe, but the anger of a doctor, whose patient is actively being killed by mundane ignorance.

“Spy family”, however, is a totally different beast. It’s a comedy. Light-hearted, told mainly through perspective of a child. It generally ignores serious topics but in the rare monologues of the westerners (credit where credits due: the handlers words to a young terrorist were heart-wrenching).

So, when we see these women belittle Yor, in s1 even jokingly (?!) threatening to send her to the secret police, try to humiliate and physically harm her - and then Yor gets them perplexed by her naivety and smiles and asking their help it reads as… also comedy? Except it’s not funny at all.

One can argue, that they are supposed to represent the inner turmoil of the society, inability to trust people - it is Cold War after all. But because of the way Yor reacts - with smiles and seemingly genuine childlike honesty, and especially because of that episode when one of them helps Yor Learn to cook - I just don’t see that.

It is a joke to the creator. Haha, funny ladies funnily bully their coworkers. Ah, women.

And it is horrifying because such people are monsters.

One may remember Les Miserables and the horrible fate of Fantine, brought on her by the “virtuous” women around her.

I live in a country with a history of delations. I live in a time I’m afraid one may call the police about my beliefs. It’s a constant creeping horror, not a comedy beat.

The other thing is context.

In “The diary” there’s a lot of time for Maomao to talk with different people, a lot of them are women, most of them help her, some don’t. And so when a problem arrives, the antagonism is between people who happen to be women.

In “Spy family” Yor almost never deal with other women, even their neighbors mainly talk to and about her husband (don’t even get me started in that nightmare of a lady spy obsessed with the male lead). And so these moments with her coworkers ring not just ill-used for comedy, but also kinda misogynistic.

-

There are nuance, of course. Difference of genre conventions and the amount of time and attention characters have - but none of it changes the fact that when I say bullying in “The apothecary diaries”, I was intrigued and wanted to see how the story will play out. Seeing it - again and again! - as a joke in Spy Family makes me grit my teeth and think of ditching the show for good.

[melodyalanaroster]

The Golden Heart’s Regret and His New White Light

Alana sat beneath a tree in the Sweet Amouris High Courtyard while reading Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett when Rosalaya appeared before her. “Alana?” She asked. “Yes?”  Alana inquired as she closed her book and looked up at Rosa. Rosalaya looked at her very seriously. “Someone wants to talk to you.” Alana’s heart instantly began to pound with anticipation. “Please be Nathaniel... Please be Nathaniel...” She thought. Rosa stepped aside and revealed a very remorseful and nervous looking blonde boy. “I’ll leave you two alone. Try not to rip each other apart this time!” Rosa winked as she walked away.

“Rosa is quite confident... Its hard to say “no” to her.” Nathaniel laughed. Alana looked at him very seriously, stood up, and dusted herself off. “Let me guess... She forced you to come see me, didn’t she?” She sternly asked. “Let’s just say that she encouraged me quite a bit.” He replied. “If you’re coming to me simply out of obligation, then I’d rather you not.” She sharply stated. “I would have come on my own, eventually. I think that I owe you an... Apology.” He blushed. “Damn, I didn’t see that coming.” The voice in Alana’s head piped up. “What you did must not have been easy. You must have needed lots of courage and lots of... Support from the ones you love. And, I refused to admit it. I’m sorry... Are you still mad?” He apologized. Alana looked down and thought for a couple of minutes. “I understand if you don’t want to forgive me, right away, for what I said to you... But please, promise me you will think about it...” He pleaded. After thinking for a couple of minutes, Alana looked back up at him and stared deep into his golden eyes. “I have been thinking about it... For several days now... I have actually been hoping that you might come and apologize to me... But, before I give you my answer as to whether or not I will forgive you, I’d like to make a few things clear. You were horrible. You didn’t just patronize me and belittle me. You knew why I was doing what I did and you were still a monster to me for it. I don’t like being called an idiot Nathaniel... Let alone being treated like an insect... And you did both....” She began. “Alana...” He sadly sighed. “Honestly? I shouldn’t forgive you for what you did! I really shouldn’t! However, I am going to forgive you. Nathaniel Jacott, in your darkest moment, you lashed out and treated those who care about you like they were less than the feces in the sewers. But, I understand where I might have been out of line. You begged me to not go to Social Services... And I did anyway. That does not absolve you... At all. But, I care enough about you to look past that and hope that those actions were simply out of pain and despair. I forgive you.” She explained as she took his hand. “Are you sure?” He asked. “Yes! You beautiful idiot! I just explained that I care enough about you to not only do all of that, but forgive you in spite of how you acted!” She blurted out as tears came to her eyes. Nathaniel looked at her for a minute as wave after wave of relief crashed into him, consuming his body language. “I’m so relieved... I was terrified that you wouldn’t wanna talk to me after... After all of this...” He sighed. “Well...  Are things getting better for you now? Is your dad facing consequences?” She asked. “I don’t live with my parents anymore. Castiel suggested that I become legally independent. I hate having to say it, but... His idea was a great one.” Nathaniel explained. “So you got emancipated? That’s amazing! I’m just glad he didn’t have you do something illegal!” Alana cheered. “At the same time, its logical that this solution came from him. Even if... I still don’t understand why he helped me.” He added. “Maybe because, even though he is a huge jackass, there is at least a little bit of good in him? Or, maybe there’s the chance that even he doesn’t know why he helped you?” She shrugged. “It’s possible, yes.” He chuckled. “In any case... He did the right thing. So, what were the parameters of your emancipation?” She asked. “My parents had to give their accord to a judge.” He began. “And they just caved? Just like that?” She interrupted. “I didn’t really leave them a choice. If they didn’t give their accord, I had decided to tell Social Services everything. In the end, everyone got out unharmed...” He explained. “I suppose that is a good compromise...” Alana shrugged. “That’s the deal, yeah. They pay my apartment and costs. I also told my dad that he had better not express his anger on Amber. I couldn’t tolerate that and would have to intervene for good.” He continued. “I get that. No one deserves that abuse.” She nodded. “Well.... I never thought I would get to this point, but I threatened my parents. And now, I live alone.” He sighed. “Did you find a place in town?” She asked. “Yes. It’s modest, but pretty nice.” Nathaniel smiled. “Well... Can I come over one day?” She smirked. “Oh, uh... Yeah, why not... One day...” He stuttered.

★

It didn’t take long for things to get back to normal around Sweet Amoris High School since Nathaniel’s return. However, Alana instantly began noticing the man making a few changes about himself. He began acting more relaxed and open towards people. He changed his clothes to a pair of white button pants, and long sleeved, blue, v neck shirt. He even got his hair cut a bit shorter. The new shirt he had begun wearing also revealed that, in his spare time, Nathaniel had begun to work out, as his muscles were starting to become more prominent. “Damn it girl! You need to stop staring at his tits!” the voice in Alana’s head ordered when she watched him passing out papers in History Class one day. “I’m not!” She thought back.

News of his emancipation and the events surrounding it spread through the school like wildfire, however, Nathaniel took it with his head held high. It took all of Alana’s strength to keep herself from running up to Melody and gloating about it. But, that didn’t stop Sam from popping off to the girl when she had heard her making snarky comments at Alana’s expense. “Hey, at least my sister DID something! You would have just let it continue!” Sam shot. “Sam... Don’t bother, she’s not worth it.” Alana sighed as she shot Melody a look that said “I told you so.”. 

To say that Amber was not okay with the events that had transpired was a severe understatement. Her little gaggle of flying monkeys continued to support her, but even Sam could tell that it wasn’t enough. Each time Alana would look at Amber and see her continued distress towards the situation, a tsunami of regret and pity crashed into her. “Don’t feel sorry for that wretch! She needs to work through this just like everyone else does!” Sam scoffed when Alana expressed her guilt towards Amber’s pain. At one point, Alana even tried to talk to Amber, but Amber refused to listen to her. “Leave me alone Alana! Haven’t you done enough?!” Amber yelled. “But Amber... I’m sorry... I...” Alana blubbered. “No, you’re not sorry! You ruined my family!” Amber cut her off. “Amber...” Alana gasped. “You’d better watch your back from here on out. Because, the second I get a chance to “return the favor”, I’m taking it!” Amber snarled as she walked off.

★

"Nathaniel! You’ve changed your look! I’m happy to see you’re doing better!” Lynne cheered as she opened the door and found him standing before her. “Ah, yes... Thank you Ms. Roster.” Nathaniel nervously smiled. “Mels is home... Would you like to come in?” Lynne offered. “May I?” He asked. “Sure! Melody! Nathaniel is here!” Lynne called as she let him into the apartment. “Coming!” Alana called. Minutes later, she entered the living room wearing a pair of black Sailor Moon shorts, a black sports bra, and a black Sailor Moon tank top. “Hey!” She smiled. “H-Hey Alana...” Nathaniel blushed. “What’s up? Did you wanna hang out with Sylvester? Study? Or did Armin get you into anime and videogames?” She mused. “Well... We do have a history test this Friday.” He smiled. “But you don’t have your books. Good thing I have mine!” She cheered as she began walking towards her bedroom. “Come on!” She cooed when she looked back him. “Keep the door open!” Lynne called. “Alright mom!” Alana called back.

“He’s in your room... Hot as fuck... Here to study... But has no books.... If your mom wasn’t here...” The voice in her head began to huff. “Stop it!” She thought back. “So... Hey... At school, you mentioned that you wanted to talk to me about something... What’s up with that?” She blushed as she sat on her bed and turned on some music. Nathaniel sat down in Alana’s desk chair and faced her. “Now that I live on my own, I’m allowed to do things that I wasn’t able to do when I lived with my parents...” He started. “You mean... Like having a girl over to your place and making her scream out in pleasure so much that the neighbors call in a noise complaint?” The voice in her head instantly popped off. “Stop it! He doesn’t think of me like that!” Alana angrily thought back. “Oh? And what are you wanting to do that you couldn’t do before?” She nervously asked. “I’d like to adopt a cat.” He smiled. “Fantastic! But, I guess that means you won’t wanna come visit Sylvester anymore... Right?” Alana chuckled. “Of course not! I always wanna come see this little guy...” Nathaniel cooed as the tuxedo cat entered the room and hopped up in his lap. “I know... I was just joking! I think you should get yourself a furry friend! You already know you’re great with them!” Alana mused. “I’m glad you think that... Because I was wondering... Would you like to go to the Pet Shop with me? I heard they’re having an adoption event soon.” He blushed. “Sure! I’d love to!” She cheered. “Great! We’ll go this weekend!” He beamed.

A couple of hours later, Lynne knocked on the cracked door. “Mels? Nathaniel?” She politely asked. The pair looked up from Alana’s computer. “Yes, mom?” Alana inquired. “What are you two looking at?” Lynne pondered out loud. “Cat trees! Nath is getting a kitty soon!” Alana beamed. “Good for you Nathaniel! I’m happy that you’re able to be your true self now!” Lynne cheered. “Thanks Ms. Roster.” Nathaniel grinned. “Well, dinner is ready. Come on kids. There’s a place at the table for you Nathaniel.” Lynne smiled. “Are you sure? I can go home if I need to.” Nathaniel nervously asked. “Nonsense! You’re not leaving this home without a full belly!” Lynne insisted as she headed towards the kitchen. “Come on. Best not to argue with her... That’s Sam’s and my job.” Alana shrugged. “Alright.” Nathaniel chuckled. 

★

As the week passed, Alana couldn’t help but get more and more excited for the Pet Shop’s adoption event. “It’s like a date!” The voice in her head cheered. “Its NOT a date!” She thought back. “But its like one!” The voice in her head snapped back. Nathaniel had begun to come over to the apartment almost every day with the excuse of “wanting to continue researching what he needed for a cat”. It got to the point to where Lynne had started to call Nathaniel Alana’s boyfriend whenever he wasn’t around... Much to Alana’s embarrassment.

“Come on Mels! If he won’t ask you out, then you need to ask him out!” Sam insisted. “Sam! Nath and I still aren’t over what happened with his father. If anything, it’s going to take time for our friendship to heal from that!” Alana spat. “The way he’s always over here, it seems like the friendship is more than healing.” Lynne cooed as she sat the food down on the table. “See! Mom sees it! As it is, Mels, you have a harem! Viktor wants you back. Castiel is always sniffing around you. Armin looks for excuses to hang out and play Pokémon And now Nathaniel spends an awful lot of time in your room with you “researching”. At some point, you’re gonna need to pick one of them.” Sam explained. “Viktor KNOWS we can’t be together. Castiel, Armin and I are all JUST FRIENDS... As for Nathaniel, if we WERE to get together, it wouldn’t be appropriate for it to happen while he’s first starting out away from his father!” Alana shot back. “Viktor will most likely end up in an arranged marriage with Severina because of their fathers....” Lynne muttered. “And that is complete crap! They should be allowed to find love!” Sam boomed. “Its part of the aristocracy, girls. If our family were to ever take the titles that the Astier clan offers us each year, we’d be forced to live by at least a few of their rules...” Lynne explained. “Anywho... Mels, you can’t always wait for the guy to ask you out! Ask Nathaniel out! We all now you’ve been undressing him with your eyes ever since he changed his clothes and started bulking up.” Sam cheered. “Give your sister time, Sam! Not everyone can pick the guy and tell him to “get in there”, like you did!” Lynne chuckled.

★

When the day of the Adoption Event finally arrived, Alana woke up and got ready for the day very early. Sylvester was not happy being woken up by Alana getting out of bed. The tuxedo cat stretched his body out as long as he could, let out a long yawn and looked at her with a face that said “There had better be a good reason why you have disturbed my slumber.”. “Oh, calm down Sylvester... Today is the day that I help Nathaniel go pick out his own little furry friend!” Alana beamed. “Is Nathaniel going to be joining us for breakfast?” Lynne asked as she passed by Alana’s bedroom door and saw her texting on her bed. “He won’t be. He and I are going to the café for lunch, then to the event.” Alana replied.

Right as she finished doing her homework for the weekend, there was a knock on the door. “Always timely, that boy.” Lynne chuckled as Alana dashed from her room. “Isn’t it great?” Alana quickly cooed. She straightened herself and rapidly looked in a small mirror before opening the door. “Hey Alana! You ready?” Nathaniel asked. “Yeah!” Alana beamed. She turned to her mom. “I’ll be back later! Don’t wait up!” She cheered. “Just keep your phone on you and be safe! Let me know if you need anything!” Lynne called. “I will!” Alana called back as the door closed behind her. “Thank you for coming with me for this. I really appreciate it.” Nathaniel smiled as they began their walk to the Café. “Of course! I’m happy that you invited me!” She cheered. “This is feeling very much like a date!” The voice in her head piped up. “Its not!” She thought back. “But what if it was? It’d be so romantic!” The voice in her head mused. “Even if he did like me, its too early for us to date. He JUST got away from his father!” She sharply thought back. “So... I know its been a few days since we had that talk... But, are you sure you’ve forgiven me?” Nathaniel asked. Alana was instantly caught off guard. “Why are you bringing that up now?” She nervously blurted out. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since then... And this is the first time we’ve been fully alone without anyone listening in to our conversation.” He sighed. “Ah...” Alana replied. “So, have you thought about it?” He inquired, a little pain in his voice. “I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t... Yes, I’ve thought about it... And I stand by what I said then. You messed up big time, but you did it out of a place of agony and were lashing out. And, ever since then, we’ve made an effort to make it up to each other. So, yes, I’m sure that I’ve forgiven you.” She smiled. Nathaniel became relaxed and grinned. “I appreciate that.” He blushed as they continued walking.

The Pet Store was a relatively large shop in the small shopping district. Each set of animals had their own section. When they walked towards the cats, they passed a very large spider in a container. “Keep your eyes on me, Alana. I’ve got you.” Nathaniel ordered when he felt her cling to him out of fear. “T-thank y-you.” She stuttered as she followed his orders. Despite her best efforts, her body continued to tense up as fear of the arachnid overcame her instincts. Suddenly, she felt him take her hands off of his arm and slide his hand to her back. “You cover your back when your phobia gets triggered, right?” He soothingly inquired. “Y-yes.” She nervously nodded. “Its okay, we’re almost to the cats.” He cooed. The Cat Section of the store was at the very back and had a room with a large plastic window to the kennels for each kitty that they had up for adoption. Alana’s body began to relax at the sight of the little felines. “Cats are better.” She sighed. “Yeah, they are.” Nathaniel smiled. “I don’t understand why people even keep spiders as pets... They may have their uses in nature, but they are horrifying...” Alana muttered. “I’m sure there are people out there who say the same thing about cats. Some people like spiders enough to keep them as pets.” Nathaniel quietly shrugged.

A little white kitten in one of the cages looked right at Nathaniel, perked it’s ears up and walked right to the front where it could see him more. “Ah, hello little one.” Nathaniel cooed as he walked over to the cage and petted the kitten through one of the holes in the plastic. “Is this her? The kitten you’ve been visiting lately?” Alana asked. “Yes it is. Alana, this is Blanche. She’s the one we’re here to see. Blanche, this is dear friend Alana. She’s the girl I told you about.” He motioned between the kitten and Alana as he made the introductions. “Ah! Young man! You’re back! Are you here to visit, or are you here to finally take little Blanche home?” The store manager asked. She was a middle aged woman with tan skin, dark hair and dark eyes. “I’m finally here to take her home! I’ve got everything ready at my apartment and its time for me to bring her to her forever home.” Nathaniel beamed. “Do you have a carrier?” The manager asked. A wave of realization crashed into him. I knew I was forgetting something! No, I don’t. Do you have any for purchase?” Nathaniel facepalmed. “We do! If you two will come with me. We have a wide variety of carriers.” The manager explained as she motioned for the two of them to follow her. Nathaniel began looking at each and every pet carrier very closely, a little bit of panic started to slowly make it’s way into his eyes. Suddenly, Alana could hear her mother’s voice in her head. “I added a bit of extra money to your card, sweetie. Get something nice for Nathaniel and his new furry friend as a gift from the family!” Lynne’s voice cooed. She took out her phone and looked up her bank account. Lynne had added a lot of extra gold to her account. “A bit excessive, isn’t it mom?” She thought. Alana looked at the pet carriers, noticed one that looked familiar and walked over to it. “This looks like the newest version of the one we have for Sylvester.” She commented. “Its out of my price range.” Nathaniel sighed when he looked at the tag. “Don’t worry about it. Its on me.” Alana grinned. She turned back to Nathaniel, then to the manager. “Do you have a machine to make pet tags for collars?” She asked. “Yes, we do. It’s over by the registers.” The manager replied. “Fantastic! Get little Blanche ready for Nathaniel to take her home. I will be right back.” Alana commanded.

As she walked towards the register, a sparkly blue collar caught her eye from a shelf near the tag machine. “Obviously I’m getting that.” She thought to herself. The tags could be personalized on the front and back and were on display at the registers. A little blue heart caught her eye, so she instinctively put it on register belt with the rest of her purchases. “Adopting a new friend today?” The cashier asked. “My friend is, its his first.” She mused. “That cute blonde guy that walked in earlier?” The cashier asked. “Yeah.” Alana nodded. “Honestly thought you two were a couple, the way you guys hung onto each other when you walked in.” The cashier commented. “Ah, well... We’re just friends...” Alana blushed. “I know its not my place to say this, but you guys would make a cute couple. Go for it.” The cashier grinned as he scanned the last item. “Yeah... People say that a lot...” Alana rushed as she looked at the screen. “Oh dear... That’s under budget... My mom sent me a specific amount to spend on him this time... Are there any cushions for pet carriers around here?” She nervously observed. “Yeah, let me get one for you real quick.” The cashier smiled as he ran off. Seconds later, they had returned, scanned the cushion and put it in the carrier. “There we go.” Alana smiled. “Your mom gave you money to spend on this guy? Sounds like your family really likes him.” The cashier commented. “Look, I’m not sure if he likes me like that... And I’m not gonna pressure him, okay?” Alana nervously huffed. “I here ya. Don’t worry. Just know, I’m rooting for ya!” He cheered. “Okay, so how do I use the machine?” She asked. “Your friend just has to take the tag and the receipt to the machine, scan the receipt and it’ll walk ya right through the next steps.” He explained. “Okay, thank you.” Alana smiled as she quickly ran back to Nathaniel’s side.

“Alana! What took you so long? Are you okay?” Nathaniel worriedly asked. “Sorry! I might have gotten a little carried away!” Alana beamed as she handed the carrier, collar and tag to him. “I’m keeping the receipt until you need to personalize the tag.” She smiled. “Alana! This is so sweet! You didn’t have to!” Tears began to come to Nathaniel’s eyes as he took the purchases. “Nonsense! Oh, and its not just from me... Mom wanted me to make sure to get you something from the family.” She explained. “Thank you, you and your family! This means the world to me!” He cheered. “Well, I think its time to take little Blanche home, don’t you think?” The manager delightedly cooed. “Yes, I think so!” Nathaniel nodded. “Now, the adoption package comes with a few of the essentials. A small litter box, small bags of litter and food, and a handful of toys” The manager explained as she pulled out a large cardboard box with a handle.

Nathaniel finished the adoption process in utter bliss. Alana couldn’t help but feel a TWANG in her heart as she watched him. “Yeahhh.... You’ve forgiven him.” The voice in her head piped up. “Yeah, I have.” She thought back. “I should be disappointed in you... But, you’re a teenage girl and he’s a hot guy...” The voice replied. “A hot guy who is really smart and sweet and who just adopted a cute little kitten.” She thought back. “Welp... So much for Nathaniel continuing to see Metal Melody.... Then again, I should have realized that the second you let him into your room without kicking his ass...” The voice sighed. “I can’t spend the rest of high school being pissed at him.” She thought back. “Yeah you can... But I know you’re not gonna...” The voice sighed. “Alana, I can’t thank you enough for this!” Nathaniel cheered as he rejoined her side. “There is no thanking me! Its what friends are for!” She cooed.

When Alana finally happily stumbled through the front door of the apartment later that evening, both Lynne and Sam were waiting for her in the living room. “Someone had a great time!” Lynne snickered. “Awe, did our little Mels get more than time with her golden boy?!” Sam smirked. “You guys aren’t funny! And, by the way, he was very appreciative of the stuff we got him!” Alana shot as she did her best to hide the blush that had begun taking over her face. “How appreciative? Did he finally kiss you? Did he take you back to his apartment and give you more than a kiss?!” Sam sneered. “Okay Sam, I think you’ve gone too far... They haven’t even gone on their first actual date yet.” Lynne rolled her eyes as she turned back to Alana. “I am happy that you two have made up, and that he appreciated everything. Its good to see that boy is doing better.” She cooed. “I am too...” Alana sighed. “Now, both of you, go to bed. You’ve got school in the morning.” Lynne ordered.

★

“Mels! Your prince charming is here! He wants to walk to school with you!” Sam called as she stood at the open door. “Sam!” Nathaniel nervously hissed. “Oh calm down! We all know that you and my sister are “just friends”.” Sam laughed. “And on that note... Hey Nathaniel! Let’s go before my mom jumps in on the teasing!” Alana smiled as she rushed towards the door with her bags in hand. “I won’t be teasing any of you until later today! I’ve got a book signing to take care of!” Lynne beamed. “Wait, what? A “Lynne Roster Book Signing” without her two biggest trophies?!” Sam cackled. “You two go to school, I can do this by myself.” Lynne assured. “Are you sure Mom?” Alana asked. “Yes! Now go! You don’t wanna be late!” Lynne barked. “Alright, love you! Let us know how things go!” Alana mused as she left the apartment.

When they got to school, everyone noticed the four of them arriving together. “Almost as if Nathaniel and Alana are dating!” one of the students mused. “Nonsense! She just helped him get away from his father, they’re probably just walking together as friends!” another student commented. “As if Nathaniel would date Alana! Spreading those lies about him and his family the way she did!” Melody scoffed. “You actually think Alana is spreading lies about Nathaniel’s family?” Sharon asked. “Of course! I think she did it to get closer to him!” Melody huffed. “Then you’re more of an idiot than he is.” Castiel shot as he walked past her. “And you’re in on the lie, Castiel!” Melody called after him. “Come on Melody, we know you have a thing for Nathaniel. But slandering Alana is beneath you.” Iris lightly scolded. “I mean... He did get emancipated from his family with Castiel’s help. I don’t think Nathaniel would have done that for no reason...” Kim pointed out. “Oh, come on! If Nathaniel was actually being abused by his father, surely he would have told someone!” Melody argued. “Awe, is the little brat just pissed off that she’s not the one who helped Nathaniel?” Sam sneered as she walked up to the group. “Its none of your business, Samantha!” Melody spat. “Really? You’re the one talking shit about my sister.... All because the boy you like is paying attention to her and not you! Oh, and its “Sam” to you, not “Samantha”. Keep that in mind!” Sam taunted. “Sam...” Iris started. “Of course you would protect your sister! I’d almost say it’s honorable, but your family is anything but!” Melody scoffed. Sam took a couple of steps towards the girl, a devilish grin spreading across her face. “First of all, the only person in this school who is allowed to give my sister shit is ME. Not you. Not Amber. Not Amber’s gaggle of bumbling idiots. ME. Secondly, I don’t remember reading anything in our nation’s history books about your family. But I know for a fact that there is an entire chapter on The Roster Clan. Not only is there an entire chapter in the history books dedicated to us, but Weathering hosts a festival thanking our family for founding the city each year and has done so for centuries. The Astier Clan has been BEGGING us to accept the titles and nobility that they’ve been wanting to present us since Astaria’s inception. In fact, over the years, it became a tradition for a member of our clan to go to the capital each year on Founding Day to formally decline the titles. Not only that, but almost every generation of the Astier Clan has tried to get us to marry into their family and have us join our nation’s royalty. In closing, if you wanna talk shit about me, that’s fine. If you wanna talk shit about my family, you will learn your place! If you wish to talk shit about my sister, you will keep her name out of your mouth. If you refuse to abide by this warning... I promise you that I will escalate things. And no amount of “good PR” will save you from that embarrassment! Am I clear?” Sam warned. “Is that a threat?!” Melody asked, a hint of fear making itself clear in her voice. “Its a warning and a promise. Now, AM I CLEAR?!” Sam snarled. “Crystal.” Melody spat. “Good. Later ladies!” Sam smiled as she walked off. “Sam is such a bitch!” Melody spat when she noticed that Sam was out of earshot. “You were spreading lies about her sister and then you insulted their family! You’re lucky that she didn’t beat you up!” Sharon snapped. “Yeah... Melody, that was out of line... You should really be thankful that all Sam did was give you a warning and a history lesson.” Iris sighed. “Come on Kim, you’re not on Sam’s side here... Are you?” Melody sputtered. “I think you were both out of line. But, you really shouldn’t have done that. All Alana wanted to do was help Nathaniel and you let your jealousy get the better of you. As it is, he turned you down and this isn’t how a friend would want to be treated.” Kim reprimanded.

“Everyone thinks we’re dating now.” Alana muttered as she and Nathaniel sat down to lunch. “Would that really be a bad thing?” He quietly responded. “What?!” Alana gasped, her face quickly turning a deep shade of red. “N-Nothing! I m-mean... We’re not. W-We’re just f-friends.” Nathaniel blushed as he nervously stuttered. “I mean, its not like you two act like more than friends or anything.” Sam laughed as she and Ken took their seats at the table. “I wouldn’t mind it. Although, I kinda think Alana would be good with Armin.” Alexy chuckled. “You just want Alana as your sister-in-law!” Rosalaya rolled her eyes. “Yeah! Alana and I are just friends!” Armin nervously scoffed. “Isn’t Castiel in love with her?” Ken asked. “You noticed it too? I think he is, he just doesn’t wanna admit it.” Rosa commented. “As it is, I think Viktor is still holding out hope that he can, one day, override his family’s orders and get back with my sister rather than potentially be stuck in an arranged marriage with Severina.” Sam stated. “What?!” Nathaniel gasped. “Yeah, we’ve told you guys that our mom is best friends with Aunt Verity and Aunt Cosima. Well, while Aunt Cosima was alive, Viktor and Severina were more free to do what they wanted. Which meant that Viktor and my sister were in a cute little relationship for several years when we were all kids. Viktor promised that he would, one day, “break the spell” and return to Mels’ side. Even though his mom tried to tell him that it wasn’t gonna happen. We’re not, formally, aristocracy, and we have no intention of becoming part of that system. But, it was cute while it lasted. Viktor was even responsible for Mels’ first kiss. You should have seen their faces when mom took a picture of them reenacting the famous “Spider-Man Kiss” at one point.” Sam explained. “Oh my god! That’s soo cute!” Rosa and Alexy mused in unison. “Viktor was even dressed as Spider-Man!” Sam gushed. “Alana, I didn’t know you were someone’s Mary Jane at some point! Why have you never mentioned this?” Armin inquired. “It was years ago! Aunt Cosima died not long after the photo was taken. Viktor and Rini were shipped off to boarding school and now their dads have that agreement to breed them like they’re prize winning horses. I am free to be with anyone else... And I would appreciate it if my friends and sister didn’t take part in a shipping war over who I’m gonna end up with!” Alana blurted out. “Well, my money is on Armin!” Alexy piped up. “Honestly, I see Alana with Nathaniel or Castiel. But, I wouldn’t mind seeing her end up with Lysander! I NEED a good sister-in-law!” Rosa cheered. “Its gonna come down to Nathaniel or Castiel.” Sam nodded. “You people do realize that whoever I want to be with also has to want to be with me, right? Now, quit making bets on my love life!” Alana huffed as she got up from the table, grabbed her stuff, tossed the remainder of her food in the trash, and ran to the restroom.

★

Several days later, Nathaniel, Armin, Alexy, and Kentin were gathered in the hall. “Are we interrupting a special “boys club” meeting?” Sam asked as she and Alana walked up to them. “Hey girls! We’re talking about our little trip to the Pet Shop last night!” Alexy mused. “That’s what you guys did last night?! I thought ya’ll were just hanging out!” Sam exclaimed. “We were at first... But then Ken adopted a little German Sheppard puppy and my brother got a ferret!” Alexy cheered. “Alexy! I was gonna surprise her with Cookie tonight!” Ken hissed. “Oh, my bad!” Alexy gasped. “You named your puppy Cookie? I thought your dad didn’t want a dog?” Sam asked. “He’s got strict requirements for me to keep her. As long as I keep up with them, she’s mine.” Ken clarified. “You got a ferret?” Alana asked Armin. “Yeah, I named him Rocket.” Armin smiled. “Let me guess, Guardians of the Galaxy?” Alana raised an eyebrow. “Yep! Mainly because I can’t, legally, have a raccoon as a pet!” Armin looked so proud as he spoke. “Raccoons are gross anyway!” Alexy spat. “No they’re not! They’re cute little trash pandas!” Alana chimed in. “See! Alana likes them!” Armin stuck his tongue out. “Did you go with them?” Alana asked as she turned to Nathaniel. “Yeah. I wanted to get more supplies for Blanche. It was really fun!” Nathaniel mused. 

As the day went on, the school became filled with more and more chatter. “Something is changing.” Alana commented. “Peggy, do you know?” Rosa asked as Peggy rushed past them in the hallway. “Know what?” Peggy inquired. “Why everyone is talking more about something new.” Alana clarified. “No. You might ask Sharon. I’ve been forced to cover more of what the sports clubs are doing and the Tennis Club is currently on their practice field.” Peggy replied as she rushed off. “You’d think that that little “future paparazzo” would know if something was up.” Alana commented. “I know, it’s weird.” Rosalaya shrugged.

“Hey, Sharon, what’s going on? I heard the principal make an announcement, but I couldn’t hear it clearly.” Alana asked when she came upon Sharon in one of the classrooms. “Oh, we’re getting a new Science Teacher.” Sharon replied. “So, Mrs. Cooper isn’t coming back? I know she had the baby not long after I got here.” Alana questioned. “Nope! Turns out her husband recently got a promotion at his job and now he can afford to take care of them on only one income. She’s gonna stay with the baby until the kid is old enough to go to school and then she might come back to teaching.” Sharon explained. “Good for her. I’m happy that she has the ability to spend that time with her kid.” Alana mused. “Its a shame really. Such a bright and brilliant woman falling to the institution of motherhood.” Sharon commented. “Not gonna lie, you sound like Cruella de Vil.” Alana chuckled. “She had a point in that movie.” Sharon smiled. “Do you think that the new teacher will be a good one? The substitutes have been kind of sub par lately.” Alana asked. “I hope so. I hope that, whoever we get, will be someone smart enough to not fall in line with the path that society set before them. Someone brilliant, and hopefully a little snarky.” Sharon articulated.

The day went on as normally as it could. The halls of Sweet Amouris filled with the chatter concerning the new science teacher. Amber continued to avoid Alana like the plague. However, since the conversation about everyone wanting to see Alana with various boys took place, she couldn’t help but keep her mind on what everyone said. “Rosa and Sam already know that I like Nathaniel! Why is my love life up for debate!” She thought. “Because its something mundane that takes their minds off of the daily bullshit.” The voice in her head piped up. “Nathaniel asked if us being together would really be a bad thing...” She thought. “If he does like you back, then you should just wait for him to make his move. He knows you’re there if you need him.” The voice in her head responded. “I really wanna kiss him...” She thought. “No, you wanna do a lot more than kiss him...” The voice in her head replied. “Okay... But we are NOWHERE NEAR that point.” She thought. “But one day you might be!” The voice in her head clapped back.

Later that night, her usual dreams of being a Sailor Scout were interrupted by a vision of Nathaniel managing to climb through her window, kissing her passionately and whispering very spicy sentiments into her ear with his low, gruff voice. She could feel his hot breath on her throat as he spoke. “I want you My Melody.” He growled. “I want you too, Nathaniel” She sighed. “If this is a dream, please let me enjoy it for a good while!” She thought.

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This was going to be a combination of Episodes 24 & 25.... But it turned into just Episode 24....

Mrs. Cooper is a reference to The Big Bang Theory.

The movie referenced by Sharon and Alana in the last section is the live action 101 Dalmatians that stars Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil.

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

I hate SJM and the Rhysand writing but Feyre was pretty decent overall. What were the very dumb incidents?

Basically she makes a lot of poor choices that I might forgive in isolation for plot convenience, but they compound on each other. A lot of it is just bad character writing, her motivations often don’t line up with her actions or feel particularly grounded in anything, so it ends up reading like she’s just dumb.

The very premise of the first book hinges on her recognizing the wolf she kills in the beginning as fae (and even being warned about it beforehand!) but doing it anyway and thinking there will be no consequences. This is the main one I could roll with but my girl literally never thinks of consequences.

The driving conflict of the first book, until the Under the Mountain one woman Hunger Games segment, is basically just trying to come up with the most lukewarm reasons for her to escape Tamlin’s court possible— but without skirting into anything that would demand real emotional urgency bc… that would actually be interesting and keep some tension going, and we hate good pacing in this series.

Feyre has a deepseated need to take care of her shitty family, not out of any actual emotional attachment, but because of a promise she made to her dead mother— who she doesn’t seem to care about very much at all??? She’s technically fulfilling this promise by sticking around the fairytale castle, because it’s been well established that as long as she stays Tamlin will ensure they’re cared for. But she… has to go watch over them herself, I guess?

Her wanting to a) escape captivity and b) be allowed to see her damn family is very understandable! I would not begrudge her this! However the book really goes out of its way to make it absolutely clear she doesn’t feel any particular attachment to her cruel family— and it actually draws a connection between the fae belittling her and how Nesta treats her. It seems like she would be happy never to see them again, if not for the promise that… is already being fulfilled? Meanwhile, the fact that she is, in fact, a fucking prisoner is just not really given much weight. Past the initial scene where this is laid out she has no real, emotional qualms with captivity, to the point where that itself feels like a bizarre naivety. So… what is driving her? Unclear!

However she’ll just keep trying to run away, recklessly, and never with any real planning, but also not in a panic. Meanwhile, she gets warned multiple times to be careful of dangerous fae on the grounds but keeps walking into trouble anyway. There’s the entire fucking Calanmai sequence where she’s warned multiple times that going out would be particularly dangerous for her… and then she does it anyway. twice lmao. The second time is even more egregious because she already got caught once and had to be rescued!! But no, she needs to casually wander the halls, so sex pollen-ed Tamlin can pin her up against a wall and we can get a weird charged scene between them.

I do really want to stress that my problem isn’t that she didn’t like sit down and shut up and do everything the male characters told her to do. But she’s never doing anything to a fucking purpose or even from a set of consistent values or emotional state. She just does whatever!

I’ll give her a free pass for most of the rest of the first book, but things only get fucking worse from ACOMAF on. SJM’s idea of character growth seems to be rash decision making with no thought behind it. Feyre’s often stubborn for like… no reason? 70% of that entire fucking book is “I hate Rhysand but I like Rhysand. I wonder why he’s being nice to me 🤔🤔” Like can you please rub two brain cells together and come to a goddamn conclusion!

(Meanwhile he is not nice to her! He’s actively being awful but I guess he invented feminism! But that’s just insane SJM bias so I won’t put that at Feyre’s feet lol)

Also every single politicking scene with her made me viscerally cringe because the choices were all so dumb. That bit where they’re trying to win over all the High Lords to band together against Hybern or whatever his name was, and she decides to go completely off script and iirc undermine their original talking points? And it’s like go girl give us nothing! Woo girlboss moment!

I think I reread the first book back in 2019? But I haven’t reread any of the others literally since ACOWAR came out, so my memory is admittedly fuzzy. But I remember finding her endlessly frustrating as a protagonist. A lot of it was just writer limitation but it does end up reflecting on her too.

I still laugh remembering the ACOMAF cliffhanger, as if she’s going to go in and do so much spying but her idea of sowing discord in Tamlin’s court is… mildly negging Ianthe? Please 😭😭😭