#GUESS WHAT THE EMOTIONAL CORE OF THE ENTIRE THING WAS

[oswildin]

Ahhhh I literally had a post in my drafts about this— I hope you don’t mind me adding on and delving into the ‘Loki has always been different’ part you mentioned. I completely agree with you OP about his relationships with those within the TVA/series.

As an autistic individual myself, I see Loki’s Jotun heritage as a metaphor for a broader range of experiences and not only about the obvious context - which isn’t an uncommon thing in media texts. But Loki clearly spent a lot of his life feeling ‘different’ and not understanding why as OP mentioned. Similarly, neurodivergent people tend to feel the same way and can empathise with that sensation. I know that as an autistic person, I often feel like ‘the odd one out’ and have done all my life and it irked me that no one could tell me why I felt that way.

I remember sobbing when Loki learnt the truth, that he wasn’t being ‘dramatic’ or ‘delusional’ when he felt he wasn’t receiving the same treatment as Thor from Odin. Also, in no way am I trying to take this character or scene away from anyone who may have actually experienced a similar thing with being adopted or having an unhealthy relationship with a parent/relative (trust me, I know what that’s like which is why I also relate to Loki but anyway—). But I think Loki’s story is so universal when it comes to his struggles and fears. It makes him a character a lot of people can relate to for different reasons.

“You know it all makes sense now…”

I think we’ve all had that moment ourselves, especially when we’ve gotten a diagnosis or researched about neurodivergence and come to the conclusion we may be on the spectrum. Things click into place… It’s Loki’s raw emotion that also draws us in. The confusion, the shock, the anger, the heartbreak… Loki learnt that he wasn’t ‘imagining things’, that his internalised thoughts had been more grounded in reality than he had maybe ever expected. It’s something many autistic people also experience, that cycle of grief to acceptance.

Loki, at his core, is a character who often feels misunderstood or mischaracterised by those around him. He plays into the roles thrust upon him to appease others, to be what he thinks others see him as. I have often felt misunderstood in my life, and I also struggle with telling people who I am, naturally falling into roles within different environments and groups that I felt “needed filling”. If you were to ask me to describe myself, I likely would give very limited, stock sounding answers: “I’m funny I guess, I think I’m kind, approachable…?”

That’s something Loki also struggles with:

“What makes a Loki a Loki?”

“Independence. Authority. Style.”

Loki doesn’t seem to know who he is without others around him. He doesn’t know where he fits in without others around him. He always had the role of ‘living in Thor’s shadow’, the ‘second son’, ‘the trickster’ with his family and he became something else entirely with the TVA fam, and when he lost that he found himself asking: “Without them, where do I belong?” His relationships with the TVA fam were different in a sense that he felt like he met others like him, as OP mentioned: displaced, manipulated/lied to, striving for purpose in their own ways.

Loki is palatable to neurodivergent audiences because his story is so relatable. There are moments where we can see ourselves in him. We can relate to his struggles with identity, his feeling of not being enough or equal, his experiences with being misjudged or misunderstood, the internal and external expectations he faces… There’s so much about his character that resonates to me.

(MCU) Loki and Autism.

Alright so, I want to talk about Loki and his autistic coding. Now I won't give much credit to the russo brothers since they made it very clear they don't particularly like Loki as an individual or character..

Anyway, Loki has always been different from the other asgardians. He never had friends of his own, he didn't have people he could really connect with, he was just different.

But that's not all that I want to talk about- I feel like his powers specifically his illusions come into play in this as well. Also his lying.

Okay, so, we know that autistic individuals tend to mask to fit in with society because they're not really accepted if they don't. (Society sucks.) Loki is never really accepted as himself- if he is faking being someone/thing else and people don't yet know of him/his intentions he's more accepted. I feel like it's a form of masking. Playing a role to be accepted. He lies his way through life, uses illusions to mask his true intentions and desires, his true self.. yet people can tell something is slightly off..

He still can't really fit in. Until he meets people like him such as Mobius. He can find connection through similarities although not voiced out loud. (Yes, I believe Mobius is autistic. With Loki and Jet Skis being his special interests) There's just that connection that they have- even at the start when they were enemies and trying to manipulate each other, they had some sort of connection. (Just my opinion though)

[lloydfrontera]

if i think too long about the ending making lloyd leave the home he worked so hard to save behind along with the new found family he sacrificed his life for so he can move to a place he has no emotional connection to where he only knows two people (one of which is actually following him from the aforementioned home) in order to make him get a standard "have a wife and children" 'happy' ending i start wanting to bite people not gonna lie

[daz4i]

as i'm getting in a better shape these days i can now even more confidently say that anyone who tells me that exercise is a quick way to feel better is fucking lyinggggg that shit sucks so hard. it no longer makes me feel like i'm gonna break after 2 minutes but it's still just bad. not a single positive aspect of it (emotion wise)

[dollarbils]

tell me i’m your only fan | b.eilish

billie eilish x fem!reader

context. your most active fan on onlyfans soon piqued your interest as she became something much more.

warnings. phone sex, ofstar!reader, (i probably made up half of the features on onlyfans)

request masterlist

regardless of the public opinion, you quite liked your job. you’d made the switch to onlyfans just recently, finding it a much more comfortable platform, and most importantly: much more profitable.

most of your ‘fans’ so to say were the regular dynamic of people you’d expect. rich, older men with nothing better to spend all their money on. but curiously, a huge part of your audience was women. in particular one woman. your favourite, you’d call her. she’d been subscribed for about a month now, consistently watching your uploads and streams. often taking the spotlight as well, sending gifts and paying large amounts of money for personalised content. but what seriously did it for you, was when she bought your entire wish list five minutes after you’d published it, requesting a special ‘unboxing’ of everything she’d bought you.

naturally, it didn’t take long for you to start talking. it was difficult to remember she was one of your fans, your conversations straying far away from anything you’d ever talked to a fan about. she seemed to care about you, take interest in your personal life. and once you’d gotten wrapped up, it was almost too easy to get attached.

“god just keep speaking, baby.” her voice was almost a whine, as she relished in your soft laughter and emotive expression.

“how are you always turned on?” you remarked somewhat as a joke, knowing it was true though.

“i’m talking to the woman i jerk off to, i think it’s justified.” she never failed to be bold, often taking you by surprise.

“well you’ll find my recent uploads have been the outcome of what some would call a ‘muse’. you’re quite sexy yourself, babe.” she groaned and it went straight to your core, the familiar pulse settling in.

“jesus. it’s like your tryna make be bust a nut in my pants right now.” the masculinity to her words only made them more filthy, urging you to rile her up some more.

“i won’t deny it.” she chuckled, a momentary pause before she sighed.

“i bet you tell that to all of them, huh? your fans, they all think they got lucky, that your reserved for them.” her words stung quite a bit, knowing the truth was far from it.

“hardly, it was pretty stupid of me to give you my number. i’d take it as a sign that you did get lucky.” she almost scoffed at your words.

“i’m going to need to cut back on the glazing if your gonna act like this.” she was serious now, testing the waters before committing.

“oh yeah? tell me what’s so wrong with my behaviour.” a low sound from the back of her throat revealed the success of your words. clearly it was turning her on.

“you’re really testing me, baby. you can’t even imagine what i’d do if i was there with you right now.” you felt a pool in your underwear forming, liking how this was going.

“please, tell me.” her breath hitched, her confidence faltering slightly. but when she spoke again you’d never have questioned her confidence.

“i’d treat you like what you are. a fucking slut.” her filthy words only turned you on more, your skin tingling at the sound of her heavy breaths through the phone speaker.

“oh yeah? and what are you gonna do about it? you’re not here, you cant stop me from doing anything.” she chuckled, a mocking tone following.

“oh please angel, it’s cute you think so. i bet your hand is doing some filthy things as we speak. am i turning you on, baby?” your hand stopped at your lower stomach in an act of a sort of shame, your breaths quickening.

“i’m guessing the silence means i’m right. don’t deny yourself babe, touch yourself for me.” you couldn’t help but follow her demands, seeking your own pleasure along with your submission.

“fuck.” she laughed softly, again, enjoying the vocal effect she was having on you.

“you’re gonna kill me angel.” a smile formed on your lips, as you continued pumping your own fingers into your heat.

“tell me i’m your only fan.” her words were seductive, a plea to recognise her as more than a fan.

“you’re my favourite fan.” your reply seemed to satisfy her as she sunk deeper into her mattress, the sheets ruffling through the phone as she bit back a moan.

“are you close?” she mumbled, evidently riddled with her own sweat release.

“fuck, y-yeah.” you stuttered, the heat of the moment taking over, fogging up your senses.

“i like that title, favourite fan. sure seems well deserved, doesn’t it.”

“more than well deserved.” you huffed, slightly out of breath as you chuckled into the phone.

part 2

[memorizingthedigitsofpi]

I've been doing some introspection to try to figure out why I have such an intensely strong emotional reaction when someone takes a post with a hopeful or positive message and reblogs it with negativity.

I've blocked a lot of tumblr users for calling an OP stupid for being optimistic or hopeful. You know, people who are just being mean and hateful because it's edgy or cool or whatever. I think that's a reasonable reaction and a way to keep toxicity out of my feed.

But I've also blocked folks who read a post about being kinder to oneself and they respond to that with, "That's okay for other people, but I'm not allowed." They don't usually use those exact words of course, but that's the message. And that message cuts me to my core every single time I read it. Blocking those people isn't about avoiding trolls. It's about protecting myself from being hurt.

Because that's the thing. It hurts to see that and feel helpless. To see someone being so cruel to themselves and know there's nothing I can do to show them they don't have to be.

I'll write a post about how oneshots are amazing, or I'll see one talking all about how doodle art is so expressive and charming etc. and I'll see in my notes or in the reblogs a lot of people agreeing and a lot of people appreciating someone sharing that point of view.

But I'll also see a lot of people who say things like, "Maybe so, but my writing still stucks." or "Sure, OTHER PEOPLE's doodles are cool but mine are dumb."

When I see that, I just want to tell them they're wrong. That the post applies to them too. That they're allowed to love themselves, and they don't have to wait until they're better or perfect to do it.

Except you can't just roll up into a stranger's ask box and say, "I don't know you and I've never read your writing or seen your art, and the only piece of you I've seen are one set of tags on one post on this entire website, but you're wrong."

I think part of the reason why it hurts so much to see that is the feeling of wanting to help and knowing that I can't. But I think another part of the hurt comes from recognizing that feeling and remembering what it was like to be stuck believing my own lies about myself.

I don't think those things anymore. Or if I do, it's pretty rare. But every time I see those comments the pain wells up inside of me and brings back that feeling of hopelessness I had once upon a time. The feeling of shame that went along with it. The guilt and the anger and the frustration and the desperate need for someone to tell me I was really okay.

I wish I could do that for all of you out there who need someone like that right now. I wish you'd believe me if I tried. But I guess, for now at least, I'll just wish that when you see those posts that you let yourself believe them. Let yourself apply them to you too. Just for a little while.

[a-very-tired-jew]

Oh, that explains why I'm getting hate today. STA made a post about me. They must be really upset that a forensic scientist posting reasonable and measured takes, explaining how forensic science works, using their experience as a colloquially known "death expert" to debunk things, calling out propaganda, calling out antisemitism, and using their years of experience as a professor and scientist to address misinformation is undermining their entire grift.

But that's STA's MO. They have to lie about the content of a blog they don't like to villainize it. Especially if that blog isn't a massive vitriolic cesspit that instead offers nuanced takes and doesn't take radical accelerationist positions that are supported by appeals to emotion. For STA, if you come back to my blog, remember how you pretended to be an Israeli then got caught using a bad translator that used niqqud and put out stuff that modern Hebrew speakers said was wrong? Remember how you then retconned your backstory to being an Israeli-ex pat who moved to CT because of the war? Which still didn't explain why you couldn't actually write Hebrew like someone who grew up in Israel? So you then retconned again to someone whose family moved when they were a teen to CT? And that another retcon still didn't explain how you failed at faking speaking Hebrew so badly? Then when people checked with the CT communities and no one could verify an Israeli ex-pat family according to your backstory you retconned to just being "ethnically Jewish"?

Remember how you pretended to be a "Zionist" but were just pushing stereotypical Kahanist rhetoric to try and get Zionists to agree with you, and when jumblr called you out you then became a raging antisemite and got your original blog deactivated by staff? You remember that, right?

I guess your grift is going well since you're sending people my way, but I'm loving that they have to make throwaways to send me hate. Have fun with that.

And for anyone coming to my blog to spread said hate and attack me, a big red warning sign that an account is not run by an actual Jew is if they call other Jews they disagree with Nazis. We have words for that kind of person, Nazi is not one of them because the core of Nazism requires antisemitism. Only a Jew-faker who has a history of Jew faking and got their original blog nuked by staff would call a Jew a Nazi.

Notice how they don't call out Christian Zionists and focus solely on calling Jews the "real" Nazis? Yeah...that should be your first and only moment to realize stoptheantisemitism isn't who or what they say they are.

Unfortunately I know none of this will be accepted by their fan base and that respective circle of antisemites. But hey, one can hope. Right?

(Also, for clarity; the receipts are out there but the original blog that had them deactivated for personal reasons. Some of them are easily found whereas others are not. We, meaning jumblr, didn't screenshot and catalogue everything during their initial blog because we didn't think that the grift would be this bad. Personally, I yell at myself for not following proper forensic practice and take screenshots for evidence sake. I hate using personal experiences as anecdotal evidence, but that's where we are at. We're in a they said/they said situation. Which is why this is still going on)

[meydang]

cute wings

(sfw)

Nameless!Sunday x Nameless!reader

Based on Sunday's ultimate animation and my own headcanons about halovian's lore.

.

.

.

"So what was that move you whip out earlier? The one with the vines and everything!" You said, clearly impressed while sitting down on one of the couch.

"Have you been hiding the other two pair of wings or do they only come out when you do that last move?" You asked eagerly when Sunday enter the parlor car, the both of you having just gotten back from your trailblazing expidition together. Your eyes following him as he joins you on the couch, with sparks of curiosity in it.

It hasn't been that long since Sunday joined the Astral express, but he could definitely say that it's been enough for him to start opening up to all the nameless and vice versa.

"Ah, are you refering to my supporting spell?" This is the case especially for you, with your seemingly endless energy and desire to learn about everything, it's only a matter of time before you start flooding him with all these question about anything that piqued your interest.

"For halovians, our wings are like a representation of our emotion and power, similar to that of our halo." Sunday pause for a moment, you guessed to try and think of an answer that will satisfy your question.

"To put it simply, take that fight we just won earlier for example, I was using my power to aid us, the wings that appeared were due to my strong emotion and use of power at the moment." He turned to look at you as you nod multiple times, trying to grasp your head around the new information like a lost puppy trying to figure out where it is.

You do that quite often - something Sunday has took notice and find endearing.

Cute, he think.

"Sooo... does that mean the wings can only come out when you are in a state like that?" You finally said after some time. "Aw pity, I was hoping you could make them appear anytime you know, I think they are really adorable!" You said what you were thinking with all honesty, completely oblivious to the fact that your last comment caught the halovian off guard and flustered to his core, hints of red dusting his cheeks.

"Th-that is not entirely correct, I can make them visible if I want to, but I'll need to be in a state of strong emotion or focus on my power in that case." Sunday tries to brush of your compliment about his wings with his answer, but before he could given it anymore thoughts, you have already came up with an idea.

Sunday jolts slightly as you prop your chin onto his shoulder, your face display a smug expression, looking up at him with your hand on top of his own.

"Wait, if I'm correct... Then I'll just have to make you feel emotions strong enough for your cute wings to come out, right?"

Huh? What did you just say? What are you planning? How did- what? There is a million things going through Sunday's head right now and the fact that your gaze are still fixed on him while this is happening does not help at all. Sunday doesn't know what is worse, the way he got insanely flustered just by a few compliments or you being extremely close to him right now.

"Well...? Aren't you gonna say anything?" He heard you said in the slowest and most teasing way possible, as if to get even more reaction from him. Before he could even answer, you stood up and move infront of him.

"Sunday." you said while bending down to face him, your hands on your knees and face tilting down at him with an adoring smile.

Huh?

"Yes?" He managed to say, his head spinning to guess what are you planning to say next.

"Although it hadn't been long since you join the express, you have been adapting and trying your best to keep up with the crew really well." Sunday can feel his cheeks burning with every sweet words uttered from your mouth. You on the other hand, are determined to get his marvelous wings to come out.

"You have done a great job as a nameless... Don't you think so too?" You continue, still looking down at him but leaned in a bit closer, too close for Sunday to maintain his composure. If he still has any, that is.

"Ah, th-thank you. That's very kind of you to say." As his wings move to cover his face, he can here an audible 'aww' coming from you which caught him by surprise. Resulting in him moving them to his side again, for a better view of what was happening.

"It worked!" Opening his eyes, Sunday sees you smiling and gushing over his wings - ah, right, his other wings that have appeared due to him being oh so flustered just by your simple remarks.

"May I touch them?" You asked, your gaze gentle, yet still intense that it makes Sunday gulp nervously as his face turn even more red.

"Yes, you may." Sunday doesn't know why he gave you permission, as if you being in such close proximity to him wasn't enough to get his heart pounding. Especially with the fact that his wings are actually pretty sensitive.

With a happy grin, you reach out to glide over the feathers with the back of your hand, not missing how doing it make Sunday shudders a bit.

"Oh, sorry!" You retrieve your hand after noticing.

"No no, it's fine... please continue." He assured, not wanting you to feel bad. Even if he doesn't exactly want you to keep thumbing his wings like this... purely because it's making him all embarrassed and a blushing mess.

"You know... what I said earlier about you joining the express. I wasn't just teasing you, I actually meant it." You reach out for his wings again, this time with a soft smile, making sure he knows you are being sincere.

Sunday made a dumbfounded expression, or atleast you think he is, his face shows a mix of gratitude and confusion as he stare at you.

"I am grateful that you hold me on such high regards, though... I do not believe I have made any significant contribution to the express, more less better than all of you." Sunday answered truthfully. How could you say all these good things about him when he doesn't deserve any of it? How are you still able to welcome him with open arm? After all his mistakes, after the grand pursuit of a dream paradise through such manipulative methods, and-

"Sunday!"

He blinked,

Once,

Twice,

"Hey, are you okay? You just zoned out for a moment." You move your hands from his wings to his shoulder, sitting down next to him again, tone worried.

"Sorry... I was just deep in thought. Were you saying something?" He quickly apologized, feeling bad for making you worried. Yet again another reason he doesn't deserve your praises, Sunday blames himself.

"I said stop thinking bad about yourself. Don't ever say anything like that... nobody is perfect, everyone has their own flaws and values. You just have to not let your doubts get to you." You turned Sunday towards your direction a bit, so that he's looking at you in the eyes.

"Hm, promise me you'll never think negatively about yourself again." You said firmly, waiting for him.

"I-I promise." With an exhale Sunday replied to you, smilling. "Thank you."

You smile back "There we go, now that's my little angle~"

!?

This is the second time you have caught him off guard in this conversation. Little angle? At this point he swear you will be the death of him eventually, Sunday think as you suddenly lit up.

"Well, let's lighten things up a bit..." you said, pulling out your phone. "Say cheeseeee" what are y-

Snap

Just like that, a picture of Sunday smilling sheepishly and flapping his wings was sent to the astral express family group chat. Earning you a panic, embarrassed Sunday and the multiple 'aww's from the trailblazer and March.

_

The Astral Express Family

You: (picture)

You: I found a happy bird on the express today~

March: aww

Trailblazer: wow! Six wings!

Trailblazer: aww

Sunday: ...

_

[cobaltperun]

Darkest Part (3) - Remedy

Astrid Deetz x female Reader

Summary: You will never, in life or afterlife, if such a thing exists, meet anyone as infuriating, rage inducing, entitled, or frankly awful, as Astrid fucking Deetz. There isn’t a single thing you’d like more than to never be around her, but as your luck would have it, you just can’t stay away from her.

Masterlist / First part / Previous Part / Next part

Word count: 5.2k

-Dance with the enemy-

He was dead. Her grandfather, the only person that was even a slightly bit normal in her entire family, was gone, yet she showed almost no emotions other than something that could be described as ‘bummer’. Sure, she felt sorrow and pain, it would be disturbing if she didn’t, but it was all beneath the rage, beneath the lack of understanding and support. And all of that was beneath the feeling of betrayal she felt whenever she was reminded of her mother's ridiculous bullshit powers.

Once upon a time you called her a typical teen angry at the world, you ended it at that, but Astrid knew you left out a big part. A spoiled brat given everything on a silver platter, that's what she got from your words, that's how she interpreted them, and it pissed her off. You had the guts to act like you knew anything about her.

That wasn't who she was.

If she could say so herself, she wasn't spoiled, and she was well aware off all the luxuries and privileges she had. There was just so much anger within her, so much anger at the family that didn't understand her that didn't try to connect with her. The same family that refused to believe that no matter how she was raised, no matter how much money she had, no matter how easy her life was or how difficult it could have been, that she would have turned out the same way she was now. That she would have the love for nature, and the desire to protect the planet. That she would see beyond just herself and her generation. That everything her father taught and passed down to her was the core of who she was. That those ideals would drive her no matter how she grew up and the only person that understood that about her was long gone and the mother that apparently could see and talk to ghosts could not see him.

So, yes, Astrid really was angry, but not at the world as you said it. Just at her family.

Deep down perhaps once or twice she may have thought that she appeared to be too cold and distant on the outside. The divorce of her parents followed by the loss of her father, and the distance between her and her mother and all the therapy she was forced to go to made her closed off and defensive, and she simply couldn’t deny it. Why should she show what she felt when there was no one trying to understand her? What was the point of showing weakness when it could easily be exploited, like what happened with her mother when Rory met her. “Let's just get this over with,” she said, annoyed and angry that her mother manipulated the principle into making her leave the school when there was something important to her going on.

“Astrid!” her mother called after her she was already on her way to the car.

She could see Rory and someone else in the car; and while that annoyed her because she didn’t want to spend the time with her mother’s boyfriend, she guessed there were worse things that could happen to her. For example, being in the car with you. That would make this day even worse. “Save your breath,” she didn't have the patience to listen to her mother right now, instead she just opened the doors to get in the back seat with Delia and there you were.

Her absolute worst nightmare just turned into reality.

Someone kill her.

She should have just turned around right then and there. She should have said to hell with going to the funeral or she should have found another way to get there. Maybe by an airplane, or by bus, or anything really, as long as she didn't have to spend hours upon hours with you right next to her because of course Delia wasn't going to sit between you.

“Why is this pinnacle of human ignorance here?!” Astrid demanded angrily, looking both at her mother and grandmother with unmatched fury. How could they do this to her? They both knew how much she hated you!

“Good to see you too, Chihuahua,” and there it was, your infuriating voice addressing her with that ridiculous nickname that had no basis in reality that you refused to replace or put any effort in. You were so unimaginative you just picked the first dog that came to mind and decided she was just like that dog. And no, the irony that it was an angry tiny dog that she herself considered to be made up purely out of spite was not lost on her.

“Fucking Barnacle,” Astrid spat as her mother just shrugged and pointed at Delia. At least her mother looked like she felt a miniscule amount of guilt over this.

“You do know I need my assistant, don't you? Doing all of this without Charles is already a nightmare, I can't do it without my assistant as well! Oh, Charles why did you have to leave me?! Charles! Oh, Charles!” Delia was screaming once again, calling out her grandfather's name at the top of her lungs and for once Astrid figured even you were better than being even more embarrassed by her family, so, she got in the car, just to escape the judging and mocking looks of the other students.

From the corner of her eye she could see you opened your mouth before her mother and Delia could get back into the car. ‘Oh, no, what now?’ Astrid could tell you were trying to tell her something and worst of all she could see that you were struggling to get it out of your mouth. Considering that, chances were it wasn't an insult hurling her way because you definitely didn't have issues saying those to her. Luckily, from the looks of it, you've changed your mind and chose to remain silent.

Rory turned around with that infuriating grin on his face. “Astrid, it's so good to see you again!” Rory exclaimed with that fake smile of his trying to get her to accept him or whatever. He’s been trying to make her believe he was actually in love with her mother and not just using her some time, but she was she wasn't about to fall for those tricks. Instead, Astrid just glared at him, finding a bit of satisfaction in the way he just turned back around.

~X~

You really thought spending an entire drive from Astrid’s school to Winter River was the worst thing that could ever happen to you. You were wrong.

You were a hundred percent absolutely wrong.

Risking your life was a lot worse.

This was going to be the end of you, there was no way around it. Delia was going to be responsible for your untimely demise. Why? Because it was up to you to put the shroud over the house because why the fuck not?!

You stared at the large house at the top of the hill overlooking the entire Winter River. And you had to get on the roof of it. Great.

Just great.

You turned to Delia, sending her a pleading look and hoping against hope that she would see reason. “Are you sure there is no one else who can do this?” your fear of heights aside, this was ridiculously reckless. You had no experience climbing houses, walking on roofs or placing these shrouds, it would be nothing short of a miracle if you didn't fall to your death

“Can't believe I'm saying this, but for once I agree with her,” who could have guessed Astrid Deetz actually agreed with you. She probably just didn't want to see another human die. “I mean if she falls it will be really difficult to cover up.”

You should have known that was her reasoning, you really should have known Astrid’s worry had nothing to do with you but the inconveniences that would put them in. “Geez, thanks a lot Chihuahua,” you said mockingly and turned to Lydia, you were still naively hoping at least she would see reason in this, but the woman had just lost her father and was not exactly thinking of how reckless of an employer her step mother was.

“Oh, Y/N will be fine! She's my assistant she can handle it, just have Rory hold the ladder,” most of the other time you would be beaming from the praise, but today things were different. Delia just brushed your concerns off, and you were just becoming aware of how little care the family had collectively. Well, if it really was true that Lydia could see ghosts and talk to them maybe she just got desensitized to the entire life and death situation and Delia being who she was just took it easy. In her head she could solve it all. She knew the people, she had the money, the entire building the family had gifted the school Astrid was enrolled in was enough of proof of that.

“Great, off I go now. Hopefully not to die,” you sighed and picked up as much shroud as you believed you could reasonably carry to the roof and resigned yourself to whatever was going to happen. “I am not being paid enough for this bullshit,” no money was worth this, but here you were, unable to back out.

“Well, she does have a point,” Lydia finally spoke up and it wasn't regarding your life but your pay. Were you suddenly feeling really bitter? No, no, you could never. When the one most concerned for you was Astrid you really had to question the life choices that led you to this situation.

You glanced back at Delia, who was now in deep thought. “Yes, I suppose she can get all raise considering all the extra work she’s doing.”

Well at least he would be paid more for risking your fucking life!

“I can't watch this I'm going inside,” you did not care one bit that Astrid couldn't watch you doing this. You still figured that was for the best. You didn't want to give to her satisfaction of seeing you fall from however tall the roof was.

“If I die I'm haunting this entire family,” you promised under your breath and looked at the Rory who was holding the ladder for you. “I'd like to come back down just so you know, and in one piece,” why did you need to clarify that? Well, you were talking to Rory, so it didn’t hurt to be more specific.

“Trust me I don't want any part in this either, but it's for Charles, we must do it!” of course he would say that. It wasn't him risking his neck because, apparently, he was the only one strong enough to hold the ladder in place so he couldn't go up the ladder. It just had to be you. Granted, if you really had to choose, you would rather avoid holding the ladder up while someone else was climbing it.

‘I really should have gotten that life insurance,’ you thought bitterly as you began climbing the ladder.

~X~

Social media was, in fact, not enough of a distraction for Astrid at the moment. Not even texting other students about the conference was helping her keep her mind off what was happening outside. Especially when a shroud dropped from the roof near the window of the room she was in and she had to move to another room.

No. She wasn’t worried.

She was just curious about what was going on outside. It was too silent, and no one was screaming so nothing happened, she was sure of that. Absolutely nothing happened.

Astrid finally, after an hour of being glued to her phone, looked through the window and saw a black shroud covering it on the outside. She looked at it, wondering if you were done. No matter how much she hated you this was still Delia being reckless as fuck. There was no other way to put it. Why couldn't they just hire a company that worked on doing these kinds of things? Just because you were her assistant didn't mean you had to fall from the roof.

Not that Astrid would ever admit she was worried about you. She wasn't. Really. She just couldn't watch, so she went inside to wait it out. How was Delia even going to explain to your family if something happened to you? Like: ‘I'm sorry. I didn't hire the professionals, so I sent your daughter to the roof and now, well… Accept my condolences?’  

Astrid bit her lip, doing her best not to be conscious of how worried she really was. She should have stopped you, said to hell with this hatred between you and acted like proper human being.

And then there was a scream. A bone chilling, loud, echoing scream and Astrid ran out not really sure what she was going to see once she was outside. “What happened?!” she demanded as she rushed outside and looked at her mother expecting an explanation. Her heart sank as she saw Delia crying and you weren't there. “What? No, don’t-“ her legs felt like they would crumble under her weight. This wasn’t happening. She didn't hear any anything, she didn't hear a loud noise, she didn't hear a thud, but there was a chance it still happened and she just didn't hear it. “She- she didn’t-“ she was at the loss of her words, speechless and affected a lot more than she thought she would be.

“She didn’t what, Chihuahua?” her eyes widened when she heard that nickname, and that stupid voice.

Astrid spun around, anger coursing through her veins as she glared at you. “Nothing!” she yelled and rushed back inside completely aware of the extremely puzzled look on your face.

“I'm not that easy to get rid of! I am a Barnacle!” you yelled after her once you realized that you were the ‘she’ she was asking about.

You looked perfectly fine.

You really were a Barnacle.

How dare you make her worry?

Stupid.

Asshole.

“Fuck you,” she cursed under her breath.

~X~

The funeral went about as on brand as it could for the Deetz family. A choir singing, a fin shaped tombstone, an imaginative text engraved upon it and plenty of colorful personalities, most of them dressed in black attending the funeral. Whenever you had the chance to closely look at the family you always had the feeling of absurdity surrounding you, they never truly conformed to the general norms but nothing showed that as much as this funeral.

You stood by the side observing, just taking the scene in as people began mingling around talking to one another. You didn’t know these people and they didn’t know you, neither of you felt the need to strike up a conversation in circumstances such as these. As the priest approached Delia and Rory the feeling of grief was mixed in with something else, something you couldn't quite tap into. You couldn't quite call it absurd or nonchalant but there was something about the way everyone acted that gave you this strange feeling. The last time you went to the funeral people cried, but the Deetz family took the loss proudly, not shedding a tear and leaving that for a more private moment. As for the others, well, you understood why most of the people here didn't cry. These people knew Charles but weren't quite close to him.

You glanced to the side where Astrid was sitting alone, somber-looking, serious, almost engulfed by that large coat she was wearing as if shielding herself from everything she was feeling. For a moment you could see that mask she used to wear cracking, just a hint of pain etching itself upon her face before she, as if she could feel your eyes on her, put the mask back on. You chose not to intrude, instead mixing into the crowd not quite intending to strike up a conversation but also not intending to avoid it.

The only thing you actually wanted to do was just to give Astrid some space. You knew deep down that even if she did look a bit worried when she thought you fell off the roof and met your untimely demise that the hatred between the two of you was still that strong. And that meant that you were not the person she would ever open up to or be vulnerable in front of.

And that suited you perfectly well because you did not need another Deetz woman driving you insane right now and that doubled for Astrid because damn was she still annoying. Damn Chihuahua.

The sound of someone approaching you from behind made you turn around just as Delia was coming up to you. She opened her purse and began looking for something. “I just forgot, we have to pack everything. Y/N, can you be a dear and go buy some boxes?” she handed you 100 bucks before you could even answer, but you figured anything was better than staying here surrounded by people you didn't know and not really knowing what to do with yourself.

“Of course, I'll come back as soon as possible,” you told her, taking the money and resisting the urge to run to the city.

~X~

You weren't lying to yourself, or overthinking things. You really didn't belong here, you didn't know anyone, no one from your family came from here, you just happened to work for Delia and thus were obligated to come and help her with the funeral. Still, you couldn't deny the place had a certain charm to it, there was something peaceful and calm about it something you couldn't quite explain with words alone.

It felt like Winter River was somewhat stuck in the past, like it wasn't keeping up with the rest of the world while still being welcoming to strangers. The man at the shop was welcoming, kind and helpful as you explained what you needed the boxes for and directed you toward the part of the store where you would find everything you need. From that point you could handle everything yourself.

It was kind of funny how used you were to this particular part of helping Delia. You have gotten quite an experience with packing things between working for Delia and your work at the library, packing wasn't something you were unfamiliar with. You came back to the house coming from the back and doing your best to avoid the crowds that gather in front of it because for whatever unexplainable reason you simply didn't do well with the crowds. Especially if you had to just walk through them and you figured it wasn't the best look to just walk through them with bags of tapes and other supplies as well as a bunch of boxes neatly packed underneath your arm. What you definitely didn't expect was to see Astrid storming off from the front of the building, getting on a bicycle and furiously riding off.

“Chihuahua!” you called out to her, not because you were worried or you cared to know where she was going, but because she didn't look like she should be driving off by herself. In fact, you swore you could see a single tear falling from her eye which was probably a mistake because Astrid did not cry. Yeah, it was definitely just you seeing things. You've been seeing things you couldn't quite explain lately, so maybe this was one of them too.

She didn’t turn back, or even slow down, she just left without even reacting. Not even yelling at you, and that was unsettling.

You put the boxes at the side of the house and placed the bag on top of them, and then went to search for Delia only to turn the corner and see a… celebration? “What the hell just happened here?” you muttered to yourself. Why were people suddenly celebrating like someone just got engaged or announced they were pregnant or something as ridiculously out of touch with reality and current situation as that. This was supposed to be a funeral and now it didn’t feel one bit like one.

You approach Delia and you were sure she could see you were puzzled. How couldn't you be? When you left graveyard things were somber, people talked but it was quiet and reserved, you could feel the grief in the air and now it was like you stepped into a parallel dimension where everyone wore black to celebration. It was like you were suddenly in the Addams family universe, well, Astrid did kinda give off the Wednesday vibe.

That was a strange thought.

“Did I miss something?” you asked almost fearful of the answer because if you didn't step into a parallel universe then you could probably guess that this was Rory’s doing. Somehow. How he would manage to do that was beyond you but if anyone could do it, then it was him.

“Turns out we'll be organizing a wedding in two days,” wait, what? “Lydia just accepted Rory’s proposal,” Delia explained as if she couldn't believe it herself and your jaw dropped prompting her to just nod and shrug.

What the fuck? Lydia was… She was burying her own father!

You turned to look at Lydia still puzzled by her decision. Rory you could understand he was an inconsiderate asshole of a man that manipulated everyone and everything in his favor just so he could gain something, prone to exploiting vulnerable people- oh, that's what happens. “And let me guess, Chihuahua was here right when it happened,” maybe you weren't seeing things, maybe she really was crying.

Delia pointed toward the porch as subtly as she could. “Right there,” yeah, that explained everything.

For once you felt sorry for the girl.

You probably should just go back home because this was not a healthy realization to have. You actually felt sorry for Astrid, you must be going crazy. “I'll, uh, started packing things, you know just the small stuff that whoever wants to buy the house won’t notice or care about,” anything really, just so you didn’t have to come to terms with feeling empathy for Astrid Deetz.

“Thanks, I'll be meeting you later to take some photos so get the equipment ready, please,” Delia said ‘please’ the world really was ending, or she really was that affected by Lydia’s decision.

~X~

A few hours later, when all the crowd was gone, you finished setting up the equipment for taking photos for Delia. You one again caught yourself thinking you were in the most absurd situation you could possibly be in as Delia began explaining to you exactly what she wanted you to do.

“So, what I want is that primal scream filled with grief! The scream of pain captured at the exact moment where it reaches the pinnacle, I want it to be guttural, to be raw emotion, the pure anguish and uncontrollable. To create the image of a deep wound inflicted upon the very heart of the one screaming and the one observing the work of art. I want to capture that visceral feeling of remorse, to show it as beautiful and ugly at the same time!” she explained passionately and you could feel your heart racing.

How were you supposed to be behind the camera, responsible for capturing that? You would be lying if you said you didn't understand the thoughts behind the idea or that it didn't sound inspiring, but how were you supposed to capture that? You just got into this business as Delia's assistant months ago and now this was thrown upon you? This responsibility? Capturing something so specific?

At this point you actually would have taken climbing on the roof again instead of doing this because it just felt so daunting and above your skill level.

“Sure, I'll help you with that,” and instead of saying how you felt went and agreed like a dumbass.

Well Alex did have a habit of saying you were a hell of a people pleaser, as long as those people weren't Astrid that is.

“Great, let's start!” Delia was surprisingly excited about doing this, but you supposed the artist within her overpowered the grieving widow. She sat down in front of the camera and give you a moment to get into position. You stood behind the camera, checked the lighting once more, did the test photo to make sure everything was fine and it was because you learned how to do it damn well.

“OK. I'm ready whenever you are,” you gave her a thumbs up and she took several deep breaths, getting in touch with several feelings within her, letting that gried come out and show itself and she screamed. She screamed so loud and with so much pain and though you struggled, you captured the moment. Deep down you probably just realized that this was her way of releasing the grief that was consuming her. So, you pushed away all the doubts in your skills and all the other ways you were reconsidering your position as her assistant and just silently took part in the process of Delia handling her grief and emotions that came along with it.

That is until the rest of the Deetz family and Rory, well you guessed he now was a part of the family as well, came running due to hearing Delia screaming. You choose to keep busy by going through the photos and picking out those that looked the most like what Delia described to you earlier and let Delia explain the situation to her family. that is until Astrid Charles to address you.

“I thought Barnacle finally snapped and tried to murder someone,” she commented and you saw the smirk appearing on her face when you took the bait like the fool you were.

“Don’t worry, if I start murdering people, I’m starting with you, Deetz,” you grumbled, not in any way serious, but you were fairly annoyed by that comment.

“There are three of us here, you might want to be more specific?” Lydia asked completely out of blue and you resisted the urge to look at her and raise and eyebrow at the clear failed attempt to play ignorant of the way things were between you and Astrid.

“The chihuahua,” you still clarified.

“That fits two of them,” Delia did not just challenge you there.

Fine, you could play this game. “The pain in my ass,” you added, surely that would do it.

“Two again, try harder,” Lydia knew well enough Delia meant ‘chihuahua’ fit her as well as Astrid, so she was just getting back at Delia. And stating that Delia was, indeed, also a pain in your ass.

That was on you for not noticing your mistake. “The one who thinks Rory is annoying,”

“Still at two,” Lydia once more countered and you were running out of things that described Astrid.

“Mommy issues?” you tried, now getting a bit desperate as you watched the amusement on Delia and Lydia’s faces and the pure look of annoyance on Astrid’s. At least that was a good thing. Any day you made Astrid annoyed was a win in your book.

Delia glanced at Lydia and Astrid and nodded. “Hmm, definitely two.”

“The one that hates me,” you would do everything in your power to never say Astrid’s name.

“Hm, for your sake I’ll say that’s at one,” Delia took pity on you.

Wait a second… “What’s that supposed to mean?!” you demanded, certain that only Astrid hated you. Did Lydia hate you? Or Delia? But you worked for Delia and you barely talked with Lydia. Well, you did hate her daughter so… That made sense?

“Nothing!” Astrid screamed so loudly you nearly jumped out of your skin.

“Fucking Chihuahua,” you cursed under your breath and went to pack things from any other room, as long as Astrid wasn’t there. Or Rory, you really didn’t want to be in the same room as him either.

~X~

If there was one thing that kind of made Lydia nervous it was the realization that her daughter had grown up and that she should probably be getting ready for the inevitable moment where Astrid comes out to her. And not preparing in the: ‘What do I do?! My child is gay!’ way but rather in the: ‘What do I do?! My child is now an adult and is falling in love and getting into a relationship and she is going to start dating and might get her heart broken and might find the right person right away or might never find the right person!’ way. And that’s not even considering all the other things that could go right or wrong and she was already panicking and overthinking it and she really needed something to calm her down.

If Rory just didn’t throw her pills away.

“Something needs to happen to just to end this charade those two have going on,” and Delia was not helping with her comments because even as few times as Lydia saw you and Astrid interacting she could tell it wasn't really that black and white between you two and Astrid's reaction to you being in danger, which was still reckless on Delia's part, only strengthened that belief. What was she going to do?! You were a good kid; she couldn't deny that. You were hardworking, you weren't spoiled and from what she heard from Delia you actually shared some of Astrid’s core beliefs, but she was still a mother, and she was still worried about her precious daughter getting her heart broken.

“They are too stubborn at this point,” at least she could take some solace in that. It would probably happen at some point and you and Astrid would probably settle your differences and start seeing each other for what you really were and not just the initial impression you made it one another. But from the looks of it, it was still somewhat far off and so Lydia hoped she had at least some time to prepare. More than anything, she hoped that you would first be friends instead of jumping right into a relationship after apparently hating one another. She sighed and went to pick up a box Rory brought along. There was still so much to do, especially with the wedding coming and all the cleaning and packing would help her get her mind off of her daughter's love life.

Delia actually laughed. “You're right, unless something life threatening happens to either of them I don't think they are going to make any real progress anytime soon,” she was joking of course but just the idea of something like that happening to Astrid really didn't sit well with Lydia.

“Please don't joke like that,” Lydia pleaded, sighing again and looked up the stairs her daughter went. “I should probably go and check up on Astrid,” she decided, especially knowing what was in the attic and especially since she was seeing him again.

Taglist: @alexkolax @osnapitzmel1 @bee-keeping @nebthetautora @lololauser

@nwestra @rroyale-109 @gemz5 @social-pomegranate @mirage018

@the-thing-withfeathers @hello-mtf @leafanonsforest @jaxon-nathaniel-drake

Masterlist / First part / Previous Part / Next part

[daydreamerhabitz]

All my controversial/unpopular personal opinions about Arcane in general because I haven't gotten over it yet and don't care if the hype is already over.

• Ekko's character had so much potential and was completely butchered/wasted;

• That being said, Timebomb is such a terrible ship that they needed a whole au to justify it instead of actually trying to explore the whole dumpster fire that is canon Jinx and Ekko's dynamic. Might be because I'm gay for Jinx, but I felt nauseous watching that episode. It was a waste of time;

• Vi. Poor Vi. What they did to you in season 2 was horrible. Season 1 Vi would have never joined the enforcers and I say that having been a league player before watching Arcane (Yes, I liked torturing myself). They established such a beautiful character, only to completely ignore her core values and personality for the sake of the narrative. That's not good writing. I saw someone once mention that it would have been interesting if Vi had been forced to join them and gosh, it would have been such a blast! It could have been a way to further introduce Caitlyn's descent into dictatorship, show more of Vi's inner struggles and maybe we could have seen Vi being a sort of double agent for the firelights... Vi deserved way better than what she got;

• CaitVi was cute in season 1, but terrible in season 2. I stopped shipping it entirely;

• Caitlyn's whole villain/dictator arc ended too quickly and she needed a better redemption. Or not. Make her worse before she gets slowly better;

• Sevika, Ekko, Mel.... Aka, all the beautiful characters of color of the show who had interesting stories to tell, but were reduced to shells of they could have been. Seriously. The whole black rose arc was so confusing and felt so rushed. The firelights? What firelights, they completely forgot about them until it was time for the music video/final battle. Sevika being given a council seat felt like an attempt to make up for how she was put aside for the sake of a bad written narrative;

• The firelights would have never teamed up with Jinx. I love my girl but they had beef with her. She murdered thousands of them for gods' sake!

• Speaking of her. Jinx, love of my life, my wife.... I'm a psychology student, so I'm aware mental illnesses are very subjective to person and cannot be precisely predicted. Many people found her characterization off in season 2 and indeed, it was very different, but not completely impossible in my view. However, by the way it was written, it made a lot of people interpret it as it suddenly healed by Isha or Silco's death, which is... well, unrealistic. A child's presence could be an emotional anchor and getting out of a toxic environment helps a lot, but it certainly doesn't make your all mental health issues almost 100% disappear. Anyways, like all things in season 2, it could have been written better. Killing her off in the end also sent a terrible message and felt like a stab in the back to the many mentally ill viewers who related to her;

• Isha, adorable baby, but she was just a narrative tool. I knew she was going die the moment I saw her;

• Speaking of narrative tools, so was Maddie. They put her there so we'd be focused on hating her instead of noticing how problematic CaitVi got;

• Ekko and Heimerdinger should have had some conflict with each other. You're telling me that Ekko, my baby boy, would completely ignore the fact that the furr ball had a part to play in Zaun's terrible living by turning a blind eye to it? Nuh Uh!

• Arcane should have had more seasons or more episodes because it needed more time to tie together all the elements introduced in season 1;

• CaitVi's sex scene in the prison cell was disgusting. There, I said it. (And don't go calling me homophobic because guess what? I'm one of them queers!) Vi just failed in trying to get her sister back for like the hundredth time and is probably worried sick because Jinx was clearly suicidal, plus she's IN A CELL, a place where she spent years being tortured in, and then the writers go off and make her go "Oh yes, sex." Even if she did it for the sake of coping, how can I think it's okay for Caitlyn to come onto Vi, who's clearly in a vulnerable position? This was the nail in the coffin for me;

• The whole "hextech is evil because magic is evil and corrupted and blah blah blah' is lazy. LAAAAZY. Instead, talk about how any scientific discovery, any tool, magic or not, can be harmful if used incorrectly. ACTUALLY, use the whole original league lore where the crystal thingies were actually the souls from those bugs I forgot the name of and make a parallel of how Piltover's progress was built on the blood and detriment of the people of Zaun;

• Jesus Magic Herald Viktor was great, but Machine Herald Viktor will be missed;

Anyways, I think have more of these, but my head stopped working right now. So byeee!

[help-itrappedmyself]

Summoning Game Show Part 6

Masterpost

“You had me going for a bit there, but that was pretty good.” Danny admits, clearing the screen away. “How come you know so much about space?”

“Learned some of it in school.” Red replies, hand coming up to rub the back of his head. “I do some work in the sciences now, engineering, and I’ve actually had to go to space a few times for the gig.” The hand lowers as he shrugs. “ Plus, I just like to know things.”

Danny has stars in his eyes now. “You’ve been to space?”

“Oh. Well yeah, I’ve had a few missions. Miss Martian has a ship that the team took.”

Danny’s expression light up even more and Red looks back at his brothers in confusion. “You know a Martian?” It was whispered in awe, Red could barely hear it, but he nods in response. 

They stand there for a minute, Danny just staring at Red in some mix of amazement and awe before he shakes himself out of it. 

“Right! Well, that’s awesome.” Danny nods to himself and then forcibly turns to face the screen and changes the subject. “Last thing then! You get a letter for the puzzle!” 

The puzzle appeared on the screen again with a wave of Danny’s hand.

“ I would like H, please.” Red Robin states.

“What a fantastic guess, there are three H’s!” Danny is trying to resign himself to the fact that he’ll actually have to deal with being King after this. Red was super smart, he doesn’t think he’s going to get out of it at this point.

“Alright, that’s all the letters you will be getting. Before you take a guess at the answer, I am required to tell you that it is a Proper Noun. Please decide who among you will be solving the puzzle.

Red turns to face his brothers but they all just wave him off, motioning for him to go for it. “That’s me, I guess.” He shrugs, turning back to Danny.

Danny nods “Okay, all you have to do in order to meet the Ghost King is solve two puzzles! First the word puzzle, you have 30 seconds.”

A timer starts counting down on the top left of the screen. 

Red mouths words to himself for 10 seconds, then asks, “High King Phantom?” 

More confetti appears on the screen as the solved puzzle appears.

Danny makes a weird face. “That’s correct!” 

There is a lot of clapping and laughing coming from the ghosts in the stands, but it stops when Danny shoots them a glare.

“Alright, last thing.” The podiums disappear and Red steps back towards his family. “The king has been here the whole time, and you will get your meeting with him, as soon as you identify him. You have one guess.” 

Hood, Robin, and Nightwing all turn to each other to start whispering, but Red just tilts his head at Danny.

“Well, It’s you isn’t it?” Red asks and his brothers all turn back to stare at him. Danny tilts his head in response. “Well you were the first one here, so you’re the only one that’s been here the entire time. And you’ve been running the show, everyone has listened to you. Also, your shirt has a P on it, inside the D, but I figure that if the D stands for Danny, then the P would have to be Phantom.” 

Danny just leans back and groans.

When Danny straightens back as his outfit starts to change, he gains a crown and a cape, his ears turn more pointed and he has fangs now. “So what did you want with me? Is it healthcare? Because we do have a doctor that Hood could see.”

“A doctor?” Hood questions.

“Oh geez you don’t even know do you?” Danny starts rubbing his forehead. “Well, you’ve got to get that taken care of, it’s stunting your core development.”

“ Get what taken care of?”

Danny sputters. “The ectoplasm?!” He waves his arms in Hood’s direction. “It's so old and stagnant and worn out and your core isn’t old enough to make its own ectoplasm yet, so you should really supplement until your core finishes.”

Danny can see that none of them know what he’s talking about and he just shakes his head. “I can’t believe you don’t even know. Haven’t there been mood changes, random bursts of emotions, followed by sluggishness? Aren’t you tired?” 

Now everyone is looking at Hood who grumbles. “Well, yeah. But that’s been happening since I died.”

Danny nods as if that makes perfect sense and Dick really would like an explanation. Red and Robin are also just nodding, having noticed the mood swings themselves.

“Relatable, but condolences. Anyways, we could help with that, but I take it that wasn’t why you tried to summon me, so what did you actually want?”

“Nothing that is more important than Hood’s health, if you can help him.” Nightwing interjects.

“Oh. Well, technically you won, so you have the right to an audience to at least ask for whatever else you wanted.” Danny turns and waves in the direction of the stand, motioning someone down. “But If Hood would like to forfeit his right to the audience, he could have a checkup with Frostbite while we meet?”

Hood nods. “I’ll do that. This… Frostbite will be able to explain?” 

“Probably better than I could!” Danny says cheerily as he turns to the Yeti heading towards them. “Frostbite, Hood here needs a checkup, if you could help him correct the malnutrition so his core can grow.” 

Frostbite nods, “You can come with me, Sir.” 

“Bring him back here when you guys are done!” Danny shouts after them as Frostbite leads Hood away. “Now, you guys can come follow me and we’ll sit and talk.”

[livings-easy]

I feel like no one ever writes about ardra nakshatra which is unfortunate. Learning about vedic astrology helped me understand my western chart more deeply. My cancer stellium resonated but some things just didn’t add up; learning that I have ardra nakshatra recontextualized those things entirely.

So here’s some observations as an ardra sun, moon, and saturn. I also have mars in shatabhista, so I’m a pretty rahuvian individual:

—Never been scared of thunderstorms. Ever. Ardras ruler, Rudra, rules thunderstorms

—I struggled a lot with envy growing up and still do. I often wish I was someone other than myself. In particular, I envy other people’s physical appearance and material wealth.

—One thing I rarely envy is other peoples intelligence lol

—extreme sensitivity to the point of delicacy; rejection feels like dying

—nervousness and anxiety; health anxiety and death anxiety especially. I’ve gone entire years without feeling at ease

—depressive tendencies; suicidal feelings tied to a deep sense of self loathing

—hormonal issues; I have pmdd and my period causes intense mental turmoil every month.

—I am prone to outbursts

—I often feel ignored/overlooked

—I struggle with materialism and consumerism. And it comes in waves. I would buy things for the rush and deeply regret it. Sometimes I get into a mood where I want no belongings at all; I feel weighed down by them

—AT THE SAME TIME I deeply love my things. I curate things very specifically for my liking and I use whatever I have into the ground

—I love making money

—lack of interest in romance or sex. I was watching Vic DiCara’s video on ardra and he mentioned that it is not a sensual or seductive sign, it is more cerebral. I have no experience what so ever in those realms.

—I find it so difficult to care about things I don’t care about; i can’t even feign it. My friends tell me it’s obvious when idgaf about something

—in that same vein, I am known for being under reactive, showing little emotion, acting apathetic in my everyday life

—people tell me they consider me funny but it’s not intentional on my part; to quote some former roommates: “you’re funny because you try not to be” “you have a way about you, it’s funny to just watch you exist”

—I DO intentionally try to be witty and it usually lands. Usually.

—Interest in natural science; I LOVED taking evolution in college it was my absolute favorite bio class.

—I love and am fascinated by animals and not just the stereotypically cute ones, although I do love those too. I unironically watch baby animal videos to calm down after a hard day. I don’t understand how some people can just ignore animals; if an animal is in the room I want to interact with it

—AT THE SAME TIME I understand that there is a disconnect between animals and humans; animals are great because they are truly wild. I’m not necessarily against hunting or meat eating because I understand everything has its place

—personally, I was a vegetarian for many years

—I have always liked jungle aesthetics

—basic, norm core fashion but still a notable element.

—Claire nakti said in her Gemini fashion video that Ardra likes men’s button up shirts…guess what I wear all the time

—i love to exercise and move my body: I NEED to do it

[harryslittlefreakk]

bite me

welcome to the first post of fictober 🍁🎃 this month will be all about witchy, spooky, cozy blurbs - enjoy!!!

summary: vamprry realises that halloween means he can mark his girl without anyone suspecting a thing 🧛

warnings: violence (i guess? biting), mentions of blood, hints of smut

wordcount: 1.1k

a/n: this was SO FUN to write!! ive never played around with the spooky/supernatural in writing so please let me know how i did!

fictober masterlist | main masterlist

“My sweet girl.”

You turned at the sound of Harry’s voice, the low rumble starting a fire in your core. You knew what you’d see when your eyes met his.

The room was dimly lit, the moon casting silver beams across his face as you backed into the wall in front of him. His veins pulsed against the gentle skin of his neck, his eyes dark and glimmering with a blood-red shine.

His nose twitched as he looked at you hungrily, his body edging towards you as though your scent was physically drawing him in.

You studied him for a moment, your heart racing as he stared back at you. Your hand reached out to take his, your touch hesitant as his fingers gripped your hand with an unrelenting force.

“Let me in, Harry,” you whispered, sucking in a deep breath as you waited for his movement.

He’d let you in before, entwining your minds until you saw the world from his eyes, experienced yourself through his body. It was the only way you could see his reality, and you loved it.

To loom over yourself in bed, feeling the arousal that you caused flooding through his body, feel the pleasure of you both as he fucked you, coming together as one joint entity.

To hear the blood pounding in his ears, his heart hammering and pulse racing as he sunk his teeth into the neck of someone who’d never know how intimately they were handled by him.

Your chest grew tight, your lungs feeling as though they were crumpling in the depths your chest - and then you were standing a foot away, watching yourself hold the hand of the body you were in.

Your scent was intoxicating, more potent than ever. Harry’s throat burned, the familiar ache that came when he hadn’t fed for too long. He tried to focus on your voice, the softness of whatever you were saying, but every word seemed distant, blurred by the pounding of his heartbeat.

You raised a hand to your - his - throat as he swallowed hard, his jaw tightening. The hunger, the need was clawing at him, consuming him. He loved you, more than anything, and he’d promised himself he would never hurt you. But right now, all he wanted was to taste you.

“We have the party tonight,” you murmured, your voice coming from somewhere close and yet so far away. Your lips didn’t move, but the girl in front of you was speaking with your voice. “And neither of us have costumes. You could go as a vampire,” the mouth in front of you was morphing into a mischievous smile. “And I could go as your victim.”

Harry’s heart raced, a mix of shock, desire, and fear coursing through him as your words sunk in. He hadn’t ever expected you to offer yourself up as his prey. The thought of feeding on you, of sinking his fangs into you soft skin, terrified him - but it also excited him, in a way that made his entire body ache.

“I don’t want to lose control,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “I don’t want to risk it.”

Your blood was hot through your body, your core tight as you felt Harry’s brain ticking through the emotions. He was hungry, so hungry, so fuelled by desire that though he voiced them, he was barely even considering the implications.

He dropped your hand, and you found yourself back inside your own mind, shut out from Harry’s body. He didn’t want you to feel whatever he did. The adrenaline pumped through you, bouncing between every wall and surface under your skin. It was an arousal stronger than you’d ever felt before, a desire that coursed through you with an intensity that made you ache.

You moved closer, your breath warm on his cheek. “I trust you.”

His hands trembled as they cupped your face, staring into your eyes. Slowly, you tilted your head, exposing your neck to him, the pale skin beckoning, the rhythmic thrum of your pulse a siren’s call. He could feel the sharpness of his fangs, aching to break free, to taste the life that flowed through your veins.

For a moment, he hesitated, his instincts warring with his conscience. But then you whispered his name, soft and reassuring, and he couldn’t hold back any longer. With a gentle breath, he pressed his lips to your neck, his fangs piercing your skin in one swift, tender motion.

A sharp sting bloomed at the side of your neck, but it was quickly followed by a pulse of warmth, almost like the pain melted into something sweeter, deeper.

Your breath caught, chest tightening with the rush of adrenaline that surged through her veins. It was intoxicating - the heat of his breath on your neck, the way his body pressed close to yours. The initial shock of the bite quickly gave way to a strange, electric thrill, sending waves of tingling pleasure coursing down your spine. Your heartbeat pounded in your ears, fast and heavy, and each thud seemed to sync with the slow pull of blood leaving your body.

Your fingers curled into his shirt, gripping tightly, not out of fear, but out of the urge to be even closer to Harry. You weren’t afraid. The tiny niggling worry that the moment would terrify you, would transform your relationship into prey and predator, gave way to a pride that swelled in your chest. Pride that you could give him this, that you could be the one to quench the thirst that he had held back for so long.

Your body buzzed with the sensation, a soft warmth spreading through your limbs as Harry fed. Each pull of his mouth felt rhythmic, like a connection beyond words. Your vision blurred slightly at the edges, a soft dizziness creeping in, heightening your other senses as. You were more aware of the closeness between your bodies, of the way he trembled slightly as he fought for control.

The faint tug of Harry’s lips against your neck slowed, his tender kisses replacing his teeth, and as he finally pulled away, you exhaled a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding.

You were light, your mind slipping into a strange, euphoric haze as the adrenaline mingled with your desire. A gentle exhaustion washed over you, but your heart beat steady and strong. You tilted your head slightly, catching his gaze as he looked at you, concern and affection in his eyes.

“I’m okay,” you whispered, your voice breathy but sure. Harry pulled you close, your head buried in his chest, his heart still pounding steadily. His thumb grazed over the bite, the blood already starting to dry onto your skin, his chin still warm with the last drops.

“That’s one hell of a Halloween costume,” he whispered, a gentle laugh lacing his words.

omg so fun!!!!

taglist: @angeldavis777 @softestqueeen @jerseygirlinca @palmettogal508 @drewsephrry @austiebuttbutt @indigo24hughes @peterparkerbae @im-an-overthinker @daphnesutton @loveableidioticweirdo @tenaciousperfectionunknown @swag13r @ashleighsss @tswiftsgf @chesthairrry @nikkisimps @hannah9921 @lilfreakjez @prettygurl-2009 @s-h-e-l-b-e-e @indierockgirrl @cicicavill7 @cohnfusedarling @ell0ra-br3kk3r @stylesfever @stylesbrock @harry-nialllover @triski73 @meetmeintheemeraldpool @harryshousewitnessprotection @danaehldy @fairytale07 @storyschanging @wannaliveinparadise @mrs-anna-styles211994 @mema10 @fangirl509east @devilsqueen722

[skeletonh0e]

yay you do write for males! That’s awesome :) most of the time the x reader girlies only write for girls (which is totally fair it’s not like it’s easy and stuff ya know- cause of the lack of…well let’s just say…haha penis.)

could I request the skeleton huzz’s reaction to an SO that died in lien of duty? We need a significant amount of angst on this blog. There is a lack for sadness

gender neutral

As I said I mainly struggle with the nsfw element cuz bro

What even are dicks

But anyway, guess it is high time for some angst ain't it? For this ask I went with the reader being a part of the royal guard and a monster but the exact species isn't stated

Tw: Unhealthy coping mechanisms (Fell, Horror, Lust & Fresh), Revenge (Horror & Fresh), and a general one for grief / mental breakdowns

The boys cope with lost

Classic Sans:

Man full blown shuts down

Boy does not cope with emotions well, especially with such extremely negative emotions at that. So for the past few days man just straight up disappears

He keeps contact with Papyrus but no one else sees Sans for awhile and it's concerning

He is not the type to have loud dramatic break downs but tears are shed, he weeps silently and in ragged breaths. And he's just....nearly completely unresponsive otherwise

It's a good thing Pap is there, man probably wouldn't even be eating otherwise

He'll pull himself up eventually, he does later do the traditional ritual of sprinkling your dust on your favorite items and keeping any keep sakes from your relationship though doesn't make any type of big deal about it in the sense it's not public

Bro keeps his mourning private

Once he's out and moving again he'll be the same but noticeably more somber, quiet and generally somber.

Especially anytime he passes some of the places you two used to hang out a lot at

I like to think he does have a conversation with Undyne later, talking about what happened and how you're both dealing with it. It's a bittersweet moment for the two of them, with Undyne assuring him that your death is not in vain and your memory will always live on

The captain of the royal guard also grieves for you

He'll move on, he'll be fine, he'll accept what happened and he'll cope if not for his brother's sake alone, but anytime your death is a sore spot and there's not a day that goes by when he doesn't miss you

Underswap Sans:

The shell shock is apparent

The moment Alphys hands him your pile of dust and explains what happens, he is utterly shook to his core

And then....he laughs....?

Blue: "Hahaha ha! okay....this is a really messed up joke? did my brother put you up to this? didn't know he could be so mean! Y/N! my beloved? come out! you know better than to scare me like this!"

But you don't come out, Alphys doesn't laugh, his brother just looks....disheartened

He's clinging onto denial so hard but the evidence to the countary is staring him right in the face

And then he starts to cry, borderline break down before he let's out broken messy sobs

Papyrus scoops him up and takes him home, deciding to stay beside him for the rest of the day

He's genuinely lost at what to do, what can he do from here, this wasn't supposed to happen, how can it happen?

Depression hits him hard and he's not really up for much of anything, lays around clinging onto your things and just cries for the next couple of days

He'll piece himself back together slowly with the help of Papyrus, probably gets back to own habits slowly but....

Does he even want to join the royal guard anymore? All it does is remind him of you now and well....

Maybe doesn't abandon the dream entirely but doesn't seem up to the task much

For being someone so magnificent he wasn't able to help you, to save you, would you be alive if he was actually good enough?

Maybe he's not such a magnificent hero after all, but he'll try to become one. For you. Because that's what you deserved.

Underfell Sans:

His default reaction is anger and boo howdy does it come through here

Undyne arrives, tells him and he's silent for a solid minute. And then he's PISSED

He explodes at her, the fuck do you mean his partner is dead!? What kind of captain is she!? Talks about how great she is and then let's one of her best soldiers die!? Where the fuck was she!?

The verbal lashing is brutal and frankly hard to watch

Undyne: "I did everything I could!"

Red: "well it clearly wasn't good was it!?"

It looks like a fight might break down but he eventually just storms off, bitter and angry still. And he's not just angry at Undyne he's angry at you for staying in such a risky job and not protecting yourself better, he's angry at whoever fucking killed you, he's angry at himself for not being there, he's just....angry

And then he's sad.

He'll cry behind closed doors then and only then, otherwise he's doing everything in his power to make sure no one knows his suffering

Grumpier and snapper than usual, especially if anyone dares to bring up your name around him

He is....drinking a lot, A LOT more than usual and if it weren't for his brother he might be dead of alcohol poisoning himself. It's bad. And it stays that way for awhile.

Papyrus and the many residents of Snowdin genuinely fear he won't recover or ever quit be the same again, Papyrus even offers that the two of them avenge you somehow hoping to get him back to normal somehow but....he doesn't even humor the idea

It won't bring you back....what's the point?

Horrortale Sans:

Hoo boy

You being a part of the royal guard had always been a point of contention in your relationship but one that was manageable, and he doesn't really like Queen Undyne for several reasons. The moment he heard you were dead?

There was no question about it, something in that man snapped, whoever is responsible is dead and that in that mind that isn't just whoever killed you but all the royal guard then Undyne herself

He's never been that mentally stable, he doesn't have a lot of things that bring him joy anymore, but you managed to do so in this god forsaken place and he is out for blood. No one can talk him out of it, not even his brother, maybe you could have but

You aren't here anymore are you?

Even if he dies or gets hurt in the battle he really does not care, he went completely feral and honestly he's hurting so much....joining you in death does sound a bit appealing....

He lives though, now just having a pile of dust to his name....

He didn't even get to say good bye.

Everyone stays wary of him for awhile, he seems almost catatonic or zombie like, being around but not entirely there in a sense

He's quick to kill people more than usual, snappier, less patient and has even been seen violently slamming his head against the wall at certain times

Constantly flip flopping between "it should have been me" or "we should have never got together" or even just going "nah i'm fine i even forgot who i was upset about" when it's the furthermost thing from the truth

Man will never truly recover and it's something everyone comes to learn

Underlust Sans:

I haven't finished my epic lore post for how I write his universe but TLDR for rn, the royal guard does exist and it's mostly normal! Hell, he frequently services them and it was probably how you two met

He loved boasting about how his partner was part of such a cool job and loved being eye candy on your arm while you walked around in your armor

Yeah, it's all fun and games until you don't arrive home one night....he already gets a bad feeling but once there's a knock on the door and it's just Undyne there.....oh no

Tries not to cry, tries to keep it together but before he knows it there's runny mascara running down his face and he quickly turns into an emotional mess

This can't be happening, it can't be happening, it isn't happening, it's a bad dream and he'll wake up in your arms then you'll both make some dumb jokes

He does cry himself to sleep, he does wake up, but you're not there

He tries to just carry on per usual, he does his job, he does his typical stuff but it's painfully clear he's barely holding it together

While working with a client, they happened to call him the same nickname you frequently used and he cannot stop himself from breaking down in front of them

He is....excused and given some time off, even if he doesn't want it

Definitely getting drunk as well as....trying some other substances, anything to get his mind off what happened...thankfully doesn't get hooked, Papyrus intervenes before it can get that far but fuck man

This is why he rarely does romantic shit with anyone, it always ends bad, always does and now....

He's frequently found hugging your pillow, wearing your clothes, and clinging to what little he has left of you like a sad cat. Desperately sniffing them for even the faintest hint of your scent

He just wants you back

Fresh Sans:

You're.....gone?

Fresh has always had a weird relationship to death, he fears it and does anything to survive....but like...he's never been close enough to anyone to consider how it'll happen to others or if he did he never cared about them

You though? He cared about you, really cared about you and you're gone. He's never experienced this level of grief before

He's just frozen for a bit, looking at a pile of your dust and the Undyne from your universe doesn't know how to respond much as Fresh just stands there, she gently gos to place a hand on his shoulder then he not only grabs it but proceeds to violently twist her arm

"w h y d i d y o u l e t t h i s h a p p e n ?"

It's easy to forget that underneath all that silliness Fresh is a terrifying creature capable of doing some fucked up things, but rest assured no one in your world forgot that today

He laid that entire universe to ruin, giving Error a good run for his money, man went completely fucking insane. Laughing, crying, screaming and doing shit straight of a nightmare, nothing is left.

Some of the other Sanses tried to stop him but there was barely anything they could do, they just barely managed to awkwardly brag him away once he's done raging and he breaks down finally

At the end....he just....cries....

He's not seen for awhile and when he is seen, he's....normal? Acting like nothing happened and just doesn't acknowledge when your name is said

He's fine :)

Grief is tearing him apart from the inside but he just lives in a state of deliberate ignorance, pretending to forget

But he remembers everything

[ablogofloveandtrash]

Ok but...

Are we not going to talk about how affected Damon can get when it comes to acceptance and validation? All throughout the segment where Damon had to choose to take back his accusation on Diana with logic or emotions, that throughout the entire thing, the main takeaway was how Diana's actions towards him got to him. The Pathos route shows his internal conflict more but even if the player goes with the logos route, the game still finds a way to show that Damon's emotions do affect him and his judgement. When he sees Diana and hears her cry, his empathic side comes out and part of him begins to feel conflicted on his initial accusation. The others are scared, frightened or angry at Diana, but in the midst of the chaos, Damon begins to feel for Diana. He seems to be aware that Diana was the cause of his inner turmoil yet is unsure of the reason.

Currently I think part of the reason may be simple. It's that Damon has known and felt Diana's kindness before the trial. For in the brief moments they spoke in Daily Life, Damon quietly takes in his thoughts when Diana gave him and Eva the benefit of the doubt. At this point, Damon was probably going on the assumption that the others, especially Wolfgang were not going to be welcoming to him, especially after no one seemed to initially accept his words and mostly deemed that Damon just thought he was 'better' than everyone else. So seeing that Diana still wants to include the two that were casted out and isolated from the rest, Damon adheres to it. To some extent it almost seemed like he is rather drawn to this kindness on a subconscious level. As though he is rather unused to how Diana acts around him, with the way she playfully flirts with him in the first free time event. As he seems speechless whenever Diana expresses joy or excitement even for the little things, when she asks him a few questions in both free time events. Damon clearly has not spoken to many others around him and his lack of sociability is present. But it also shows how sensitive and reactive he is in the situations he is in with Diana involved.

Screen shot below shows his visible reaction to Diana's. He just said 'Sure, I guess.' Provided how excited she looked it makes relative sense that Damon didn't expect someone to find so much delight in his response. But despite how much Damon tries to not express himself as much as Diana does, as he tries to act calm and cool, he does quite the opposite. Reacting to when Diana jokes that Damon could work on his tie. Provoking a reaction out of him. Parts of it even dives on what I could guess as a lack of self esteem for Damon. Because even though he's a loner and doesn't quite wear his heart on his sleeve, he finished the first event feeling overwhelmed. I believe this is due out of him not being used to such flattering company that he didn't quite know how to process it. And provided the way he said it, does seem to establish that Damon at his core really shows that he is lonely and has a sense of self loathing.

Damon almost seems to take in those words like it's some sort of mockery towards him. Like as if, he views self-help as a pointless thing that serves to make fun of him. It rather makes me pity Damon when I saw this. Yet even though he felt exhausted, he seems to feel flattered and touched by her attempts to comfort him. Something he continues to process to the next free time event, when he confronts her on her attempts to please and flatter him. And because of his curiosity and lack of knowledge around kindness, he always finds himself thinking about it. Becoming drawn to it, like something in him deeply yearns for. But his mind fights Damon on it, as he is caught up in the killing game. Because in the game, becoming too trusting with others could make him an easy target. He is suspicious of her behaviour in the second event and even into the night before the first body discovery.

Because as much Damon deep inside wants to be cared for and accepted, he still cannot fully trust her kindness. Yet he is still left thinking about it, as he ignored Tozu's announcements and lets his thoughts stew until he returned to Kai's dorm. This was the last major interaction between him and Diana, up until the trial. And as we circle back to the trial, that is where we see Damon's feelings come to light. before the non-stop debate Damon becomes conflicted about his logic and his feelings. Though he has yet to fully know and trust Diana, a part of him didn't seem to want to give up the sliver of kindness that he's finally recieving. In a game of uncertainty, fear and death. Diana's kindness almost feels like a shelter in Damon's heart. He doesn't want to lose hold of it, nor does he want to be met with the disappointment that Diana could have actually killed Wolfgang. From the way he reacts in the moment, it almost seems like Damon had emotionally craved for something like Diana's unconditional kindness. Even when suspicion was still on Diana, Damon seemed restless about the accusation until he can fully assure that Diana was innocent and that she did not commit the murder. Even after suspicion on Diana starts to clear, that Damon remains vigilant. He isn't as quick to jump to a culprit but he internally reminds himself that while Diana could have thrown the car battery, later into the trial, that it is only a possibility as of now. It is not the truth as of yet.

It's almost certain that Damon has grown attached to Diana, or the kindness she offers him outside of the trial. Perhaps it is from being deliberately isolated is what causes him to become drawn to her. Her concern and affection. For even if it was or wasn't genuine, Damon desperately craved it. These thoughts persist, regardless if you played logos and pathos. But subtly hints more on Damon's emotions if the logos route is played. Yet either way, he recognizes that it's because of Diana, Damon's judgement was affected by her. She's already left an impact on him that he doesn't fully comprehend.

He goes hard on himself for caring so much about how Diana felt, and how much her feelings affects him, that the pathos route doubles down on. His attraction is something he seems to be attempting to push away, even though it is unlikely that his attraction won't go away for the time being. Even if the future may look grim, and that Diana has plans to follow in Wolfgang's footsteps, it's not going to deter Damon from having such profound feelings and attachment. It really makes any possible interactions all the more intriguing with their opposing personalities and views. Yet the two could grow closer in ways we've yet to expect. As with Damon is now left raw and vulnerable from his losses at the end of the chapter, he's even more at the mercy of his emotions rather than not. More so with the way Diana is making him feel. She sees the good in others and because of her influence slowly brings out the good in Damon. Even if he's unsure of it, or ready to acknowledge it, she too could help Damon change for the better. Perhaps if she became a rival, it is to challenge his character and his heart. It's an intriguing take to the rival role if the game goes in that direction.

[dami-anne-damn]

Spoilers Ahead for Cookie Run Kingdom!!

(All images below belong to and are credited to Devsisters, the developers of Cookie Run Kingdom.)

So I’ve been reading through all of the transcripts from the official leaks shown in the Carnival of Shadows and I think that it gave us an interesting little look into Silent Salt Cookie (and others but I really wanna focus on Silent Salt for a moment—) and what to expect from their update! I’ve gotta tell you guys, I’m thrilled to bits!

As we saw from their concept art, The Beast Cookies we know now were once supposed to be bug themed (very Hollow Knight core, but I digress—)! This was sorta kept in mind for a couple of them moving forward, for example Mystic Flour’s ‘cocooning’ (since her beta design was based off of an empty silk cocoon). Now, I have a pet theory for how this could potentially affect Silent Salt’s portrayal and how their Soul Jam might affect the cookies around them.

Looking into Silent Salt Cookie’s beta design we can see that they are based on an ant and their followers an ant colony. I think this ties in very well with what Silent Salt used to represent, Solidarity (Solidarity being defined as “Collective unity or agreement among individuals” and what is more unified than a literal colony! I think it’s very clever on Devsister’s part to think about going this direction~!)

Taking a look at what stayed and what went when Devsisters finalized their design, I think we could make some pretty good educated guesses on how they are going to be characterized in their episode.

In the translation it states that their original inspiration was a mix between a “Black Knight” and a “Funeral Veil”, something we can see clearly influencing both designs very heavily (and wonderfully might I add).

In specifics, a ‘Black Knight’ is a character archetype used within literature to describe a figure (usually a villain) who hides their intentions and identity behind their armor. This is done intentionally as to not reveal any of their motivates to their enemies. (They also take note to hide whom they serve.)

Where the ‘Black Knight’ is more of an archetype, the ‘Funeral Veil’ is definitely meant to be more symbolic. More specifically, used to symbolize the act of veiling one’s emotions of deep grief.

With those definitions in mind, I am willing to make the assumption that Silent Salt Cookie is going to be a silent griever. Someone who regrets the past and cannot let go of their pain, perhaps they had kept a secret for years, a terrible and dreadful memory that caused not only their downfall but also, their friends downfall.

(Sound familiar? Eh? Eh? Parallels anyone?!)

But moving on, reading the translation further it is revealed to say the following “An ant burrow is full of servants. They take care of the burrow and do various tasks. It’s a lot of people, but they are connected by a silent spirit.” This one line was the catalyst to this entire post, and I truly think this line of text reveals so much characterization and context for Silent Salt’s powers it’s unbelievable.

I am going to make the inference (based on the lines above) that Silent Salt Cookie will possess some form of telepathic implantation and hypnotic sway over their followers, and will control them much in the same way a queen ant would her colony (but with less pheromones and more mind control~!) and will be terrifying~!

Each person under their control will still be alive in a sense, but they will no longer be an individual. They will become part of a hivemind, servants tending to the will of the silent spirit that guides their very thoughts and feelings. They would all be silent, for they have no thoughts of their own to share anymore. No differing opinions, no fighting, no fear, it’s the textbook definition of complete and total Solidarity…

Except it can’t be…this ‘Solidarity’ lacks its sister, Freedom. So it can only be described as one thing…Silence.

Anyways, that’s all. Thanks for listening to my rambling. I shall now take my leave! Until next time!

(Bows and exits through a closet.)

(Also, this image is awesome. And you needed to see it!)

[ineedhaikyu]

Inspirational Drabble

Summary: The match between Inarizaki and Karasuno is about to start! The crowd was buzzing with excitement, ready to cheer their hearts out for their favorite team. As everyone prepared themselves, one person couldn't help but torment himself. Luckily, Asahi didn't have to drown in his self-deprecating thoughts as someone became a lifeline.

Word Count: 2.8K

Warnings: Spoilers from the manga, especially chapters 248 and 249! A lot of fluff. Inspired by the picture above!

Asahi tried his best to breathe as normal as he could. He had to stay calm, not just for his sake but for his team’s sake. All of their hard work paved their way all the way to Nationals.

Out of habit, Asahi traced the kanji of person (人) on his palm before swallowing it. It might look like a silly routine but it helped. Though for some reason, he wasn't as nervous as he usually was. They're playing against Inarizaki, one of the top favorites to win this whole thing.

Yet, here he was hoping to catch another glimpse of his opponents before the match officially started. Specifically, the girl that brought a storm of warm emotions inside his stomach. (L/N) (Y/N), Inarizaki's manager, the girl he met just yesterday but already made her way into his fast beating heart.

The eagerness to see her again began this morning when he woke up in the very shirt she gifted him. It wasn't just the fabric that kept him warm but the feelings he had for (Y/N) as well. It almost seemed to good to be true but once he replayed the conversations and read their texts from yesterday, Asahi could honestly believe that (Y/N) wasn't just his dream girl... She's the girl he wanted to be with.

But would she go for someone like him?

He hoped so and if not... Well, a guy could dream, right?

"On a different topic entirely," Suga began as everyone finished changing into their alternate uniforms. "I saw a girl carrying an Atsumu fan earlier. Is he an idol now?!"

"Actually, he pretty much is for high school volleyball. The Inarizaki team garners a different kind of popularity than Itachiyama." Coach Ukai explained. "They have a solid core of talent and a wide array of spectacular, crowd-pleaser plays. That makes them the ultimate contenders."

"We do see them getting interviewed on TV a lot too." Suga pointed out.

Asahi confirmed with a nod. "(Y/N) mentioned yesterday how they're always being interviewed by multiple reporters and journalists."

"Oh?" Suga smirked up at him. "Was this on your date yesterday?"

"N-No. We were just talking." He defended though he couldn't do anything to hide the stutter in his voice. "She even told me she once got interviewed."

"Woah, really? That's cool! I guess that's the advantage that comes with being a part of a high class powerhouse school. I mean, have you seen their cheering section? It's huge."

"And that means no one here... Not a single person in this whole crowd, thinks we have a chance."

To his and Suga's surprise, it was Daichi who voiced this sad fact. Asahi wondered if he was in an alternate dimension. Ever since last night, his friend has been wound up.

"Gah! Daichi, what's gotten into you?!" Suga shouted. "Pull it together, man!"

Asahi was just about to say something similar when he saw Daichi lips turn into a smile. His eyes gleamed with determination as he said, "Now I'm fired up!"

The two third-years sighed in relief, knowing they had nothing to worry about as their captain was back to normal.

"It's about time you snapped back to yourself, Daichi." Suga commented.

Asahi nodded in agreement. "Yeah. You've been awfully quiet since last night. Meek, even."

"H-Hey! I-I was focusing."

~

The moment Daichi opened the doors to the main arena everyone was blown away at the sheer intensity the crowd produced. The lights of the gym shined like mini suns above his head. The gleam of the laminated floor looked untouched, almost spotless. It was enticing, begging to be played on.

Then there was the crowd. Asahi can easily see their supporters standing behind their signature black banner, sporting their signature orange colors. It was a welcoming sight.

The warm reassuring feeling quickly left his body when he looked at Inarizaki's section. They had triple the amount of fans Karasuno had, not to mention they even had cheerleaders and a marching band. It almost made Shiratorizawa cheer section tiny in comparison.

Asahi clenched his fist tightly and took another deep breath to calm down his nerves. Though the Inarizaki's marching band wasn't helping his case at all.

Suddenly, the crowd cheered loudly and Asahi took this as a sign that their opponents have made their appearance. Which means-

(Y/N) walked next to Inarizaki's coach, looking unbothered by the amount of fans cheering for her team. The smile on her face was enough to calm his nerves from her intimidating teammates. Even from the other side of the court, his eyes met with her (E/C) ones. The connection was instant as they smiled at one another.

"Aran!!"

"Atsumu!!"

"Osamu!!"

"Okay." DU-DUM! "Let's go." Daichi's voice could barely be heard over the marching band's drums.

So he tried again. "I said, let's-" WAAAA!!

This time it was the cheerleaders' collective cheering.

Asahi watched as Daichi grew frustrated with the crowd's interference. So much so that the captain yelled from the top of his lungs, "LET'S!! GO!!"

"Yeah!!"

~

Official Warm-Ups

(Y/N) felt her heart lurch against her chest when she saw Asahi again. She felt a bit silly with how happy Karasuno's ace makes her, especially when they spoke to each other just a few minutes ago.

She shook those thoughts from her head. Now was not the time to daydream about Asahi.

'Focus! Your team needs you!' Thought her brain. 'Don’t get distracted!'

'But Asahi's so cute. He’s such a gentle giant.' Her heart argued. 'Omg, his biceps look amazing! Just imagine having those strong arms wrapped around you and having him lean down to kiss-'

'STOP! Now is NOT the time to think about that! At least, wait till AFTER the match is over.' Her brain tried to reason.

'Fine…' Her heart relented to her brain’s demand but it only took one more glance before crumbling once again. 'Those broad shoulders though… Asahi is literally hot guy status.'

“(Y/N)!”

“Yes, Coach?”

“It’s the twins' turn to warm-up and you know how superstitious they are. You know what to do, right?"

"Yes, sir."

She caught the ball with ease and made her way to where Atsumu and Osamu were waiting for her.

Ever since the Miya twins joined the club, they began a silly little routine of her tossing the ball for Atsumu to set to his brother. The first time was during the twins' first appearance playing for Inarizaki. Usually, the coach or assistant coach would do the tosses during warm-ups, but at the time they were occupied which led her to do the toss for them. Atsumu was perfect with his set and Osamu effortlessly spiked the ball. From then on, they demanded, Atsumu more than Osamu, for her to toss for them in future warm-ups, claiming she had the lucky touch.

(Y/N) smiled to herself at the memory. She didn't believe in luck but she went along with it. For two years, she tossed them the ball in each official warm-up and now that this was her last year with them... Well, they weren't going to change tradition now.

"You guys ready?" She asked them, tossing the volleyball up and down.

"Heck yeah!" Atsumu answered excitedly. He held up his hand for her to high-five. "No way are we going to lose."

(Y/N) laughed as her hand connected with his. She turned her attention on Osamu, the small pout on his lips was enough to know what was on his mind.

"The faster we win the match, the quicker we can go out to eat. I'll even treat you to dessert. How does that sound, 'Samu?"

With the promise of food, the twin straightened up and high-fived her. His eyes sparkled with joy. "Let's show these guys what Nationals is all about."

With both twins looking eager to start, (Y/N) stepped back and stood next to the net as the twins also went to their positions. Without meaning to, she looked over at Karasuno's players and internally smirked when all eyes were waiting to see the twins in action.

After counting to three, (Y/N) tossed the ball in a beautiful arch as it made its way to Atsumu's waiting hands. Not surprisingly, the ball was set perfectly for Osamu to spike strongly.

"Nice kill!" She told them, her chest swelling with pride.

"One more!" Osamu called out.

(Y/N) raised a brow and was about to ask why when she saw both twins sharing a look.

"Alright, last one!"

Tossing the ball one more time, (Y/N) watched as the twins jumped in unison and her smile grew when she witnessed Osamu displaying his setting skills for Atsumu to spike.

"Ha! Ha! Super body and soul switch time delayed spike!"

'If only they could find a better name for that move...'

Despite the move they just did wasn't a delayed spike, it still made the crowd go crazy, screaming several compliments.

After the twins waved to their fans, they made their way to her.

"How was that, (Y/N)-senpai?! It looked cool, didn't it?!" Atsumu bombarded, looking for her praise more than anything (as if the crowd's praises weren't enough for him).

"Amazing as always, Miyas!" She complimented them as she clapped both of their shoulders before making them lean down to her level. "What's your reason for doing that move?"

Atsumu looked smug while Osamu answered her. "We have to prove the other team what we're all about."

"Uh-huh..." (Y/N) raised a brow looking unconvinced with his answer. "Now give me the real reason."

The twins looked at each other and (Y/N) wondered if twin telepathy was real because a few seconds later Atsumu sighed before replying, "To intimidate that crush of yours. He kept starin' at you when you weren't lookin'. It's creepy."

Osamu lifted his head for a second before crouching back down. "He's still starin'."

"Oh my god, you guys. I appreciate you caring for me but focus on what's important, okay? Right now, in your eyes, Asahi is your opponent so just view him as that and nothing more."

And with that, (Y/N) gave the twins another pat on their shoulders before making her way to the bench. Unbeknownst to her, the twins didn't take her advice to heart. Instead, they focused on something else.

"Did ya notice how she's on a first name basis with that guy, 'Tsumu?"

The twin nodded as he placed his hands on his hips, his eyes narrowing on Karasuno's #3 from across the net. "They literally met yesterday, 'Samu! How did that samurai guy make an impression on our manager?!"

Osamu shrugged his shoulders because the answer was a mystery to him as well. "You're just jealous that (Y/N) likes him."

Atsumu whipped his head to glare at his brother. "AM NOT!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

Osamu sighed, not wanting to continue this argument. "Whatever. We still have to beat them."

"Without question. If he can't beat us then he has no right to even talk to (Y/N)-senpai." Atsumu declared.

"Agreed."

The twins took one more look at Karasuno's ace, making a mental note to pay special attention on the guy… and crush him.

~

National Spring Volleyball Tournament, Round 2

Hyogo Prefecture Rep: Inarizaki High School (3rd Appearance Straight, 31 Appearances Overall)

Versus

Miyagi Prefecture Rep: Karasuno High School (1st Appearance in 5 Years, 9th Appearance Overall)

~

It was time. Both teams stood on either side of the court, every member held a sense of seriousness as they tried to make themselves as imposing as possible.

At the sound of the referee's whistle, every emotion seemed to jump to another level. Asahi's hands fidgeted anxiously. Call it paranoia but he felt like he was wearing a large target. It looked like everyone wearing a black Inarizaki uniform were glaring daggers at him. He hoped it was just his imagination.

Then there was (Y/N) by the sidelines. Even from afar, he could see the excitement in her eyes. She looked so angelic with that smile of hers. He felt a wave of relief when he recalled how much support she gave him the day before.

"I’m not saying you should just get over yourself because we all have experienced some level of negative emotion in our lives, right? And it’s not as easy as turning a page in a book. Trust me I know. So believe me when I say this, it’s okay to express those feelings. Maybe one day, you’ll find solace in someone."

Asahi felt his spirits lifted when he thought about (Y/N)'s words. Solace... She didn't know it but that was what she became to him. Her words gave her comfort and alleviated all the strangling roots of anxiety that surrounded him. He smiled to himself at the memory. It was enough to fall for her all over again.

After mentally counting to three, both members of the Karasuno and Inarizaki team bowed down to each other and yelled, "Here's to a good game!"

Asahi's feet moved automatically to where the coaches were standing. His heart was still beating like crazy. His nerves were still going crazy because in a few seconds they were about to play a high caliber team that were the people's favorite to win this whole thing.

That's when Takeda-sensei came to the rescue and provided the much needed words of wisdom. Asahi listened as his head coach spoke, "You know... Two months ago, during the qualifier finals, no one thought we could beat Shiratorizawa either." A bright smile accompanied as he continued, "What say we surprise everyone again!"

"YEAH!!" They shouted in unison with Hinata and Nishinoya jumping with joy.

It was time for the announcer's to present to the crowd the starting lineup. Asahi took a deep breath as he waited for his name to be announced. Not wanting to look any more nervous that he actually is (and to hide away his fidgety hands), Asahi crossed his arms and tried to look brave.

Physically, he looked intimidating. Mentally... Well, it went something like this:

'Daichi's right. Nobody's paying any attention to us. I don't have to be nervous. Nope. Nuh-uh. I'm not nervous at all. Nobody's looking at me. That means I effectively don't even exist!'

With a furrowed brow, Asahi quickly shook his head at the thought.

'Wait, no. Now that I think about it, that was going too far. Heck, it was pretty sad!'

And of course his friends noticed how quiet he became.

"Asahi. Get over here." Daichi called, his voice full of authority and masking the slight anxiety he had. He didn't need his ace player to go down the rabbit hole before the match even started.

Suga couldn't help but laugh as he said, "I don't have to be a mind reader to know there's something laughable on your mind right now."

Daichi narrowed his eyes at Asahi. "Whatever you're thinking, stop it! That's an order!"

It was scary how frightening Daichi can get.

"I-I wasn't thinking a-anything bad." He defended through stutters. "At least... Not anymore."

Before Daichi could reprimand his ace, Suga cuts in with a slap on his shoulder and said, "Hey, don't make it obvious but (Y/N)-san has her eyes on you."

All the thoughts from a moment ago disappeared instantly at the idea of his crush paying attention to him. It gave him a new sense of motivation to play the best that he could. Volleyball was something he was good at, like really good, and (Y/N) took notice of his skills from yesterday's match. If he could impress her even more then maybe... He has a chance.

"Let's win this match and then win some more!" Asahi declared as he made his way to his assigned position. His aura was slowly but surely glowing with confidence.

Daichi and Suga sighed in relief as their ace finally looked mentally ready to play.

"Tell me the truth, Suga, was (Y/N)-san actually looking at Asahi when he wasn't looking?" Daichi asked his vice-captain.

Suga grinned. "Come on, Daichi. Just like I don't have to be a mind reader with Asahi, I don't need to be a psychic with (Y/N)-san. Those two are perfect for each other. Just you wait, a confession is going to happen in the future. Mark my words."

Daichi could only sigh at his friend's words but he didn't say anything against Suga's prediction. Even he could see the effects the pretty Inarizaki manager has on his gentle giant of an ace. He wouldn't be surprised if they kept in touch after all of this is over.

~

Little did anyone know, this wasn't going to be the last day for Inarizaki's manager to be a part of their lives, especially in Asahi's.

~

Next: Chapter Four