#I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I REMEMBER THE TITLE CORRECTLY

[brightsuzaku]

An Ode to the Suddenly-Remembered Formative Blorbos of my Life

Or maybe it's just a long post nobody will read! A very long time ago, when I was 11 or 12, and a tiny angry misanthropic child, I read a story on either fanfiction.net or on its own website an original story about a girl and her friend, a spaceship guy named I think Libra 279.

You know stories that take you away somewhere else in an adventure? The transportative power of the written word? And how that helps you?

And also is the reason you keep looking for more science fiction with "spaceships being fully-realized major characters" for like half your life?

I cannot search for this story anymore. It had original art, either drawn by the author or submitted by another fan. It had its own web page. It was a labor of love by its author.

It existed in my earliest memories online, and woe! I bestow it upon you!

Amidst the chaos of my moving from one state to another at that age (which interrupted so many routines and I somehow dropped off reading both Animorphs AND Diadem and got into manga), I also lost track of Libra and that story, which had gone into hiatus.

The characters were beginning to see the presence of danger bigger than they were, with connections to Libra's own horrific past (which he mostly suppressed) called the Zodiac Chasers. We'd already met Leo, and Leo was an asshole, if I remember correctly.

And now I don't know if anyone else remembers this story, but it's like 90% the reason WHY I am like this now. Whoever wrote this story, I hope you're doing well, I hope you're still doing cool things, I hope you know you have shaped and changed my entire life when I was like 12.

[ao3commentoftheday]

I've been writing fics for a long time and I remember a time when even the smallest of fics and stories used to get a lot of engagement from their readers, even back in the days of fanfiction net and ye old forum fics. These days, one's lucky if someone leaves a kudos, let alone a simple comment. Did something about fandoms change? Did it become more consumer like?

Personal opinion? It's not just a fandom thing. It's a "web 3.0" (or whatever we're calling the modern internet) thing.

Today's internet is set up for maximum scrolling and minimal effort. Tiktok is an incredibly popular platform, in large part because there is zero thought that needs to go into watching on it. Youtube requires viewers to read the video title, look at the thumbnail, and make a decision. Tiktok just serves it right up for you.

Other social media sites are attempting to follow suit, easing the path of consumption to keep those eyeballs in place so the ads (and therefore the money) can flow. Everything from news sites with click bait links at the bottom of a story to online stores with "people who viewed this item also looked at this" - the entire internet is set up to keep people moving from one thing to the next without stopping.

AO3 isn't social media. It isn't news. It isn't shopping. There's no algorithm pushing content. There's no "you liked this story? here's another one just like it!" message when you reach the end of the fic.

But people get into certain habits. Just like people who are used to Wattpad use the word "books" instead of "fics" when they start reading on AO3, people who are used to watching a thing and then scrolling on are in the habit of seeing a thing and then moving on.

It will depend on your fandom, of course. And how popular a particular ship or trope is. My last fandom was full of people who'd started out in the LJ or FFN eras of fic, or the early days of AO3 and maybe that's why commenting was so common. Or maybe it was because the early fans in that fandom created a culture where commenting and kudosing was seen as just... what you do.

I don't really think of it as being connected to age at all. I see it more as being connected to comforts and habits. But it's also connected to expectations, community, culture of that particular corner of fandom in particular. These days, I hear a lot of the discussion and recs and squee happens in discord servers instead of on the fics themselves. And that might be because that's where the community is.

I also wonder (with no basis beyond my own gut) whether that period of several years where there was rant after rant here on tumblr about how to comment "correctly" might have made people comment less. I know that if I hadn't been in the habit already, seeing the anger addressed at commenters in some of those posts would have made me decide that I wasn't brave enough to risk it in case I did something wrong.

It's a simple question with no simple answers, but here's half a dozen thoughts I have in my head at any given time. I hope it gives you some insight? Or at least some things to consider.

[obessedwithfictionalmen]

Small space

John Egan X Female! Reader

Summary: Bucky found himself locked in a closet, with a woman...

Warning: claustrophobia/ mention of alcohol/ use of Y/n/ Swearing/

Word count: 800 words

A/n: I don't have claustrophobia, so I hope I don't mess up :)

She should’ve been more concerned when they asked her to go in a storage closet, but she wanted to help, so she followed Major Egan into the small closet. She drank a little bit before she went into the closet. The 100th were having a party for someone 25th mission. She couldn’t remember who it was, but she was focused on the fact that she was now in a small closet, with Major Egan.

‘’Shit, we’re stuck’’ he said, trying to open the door when he took what he needed. ‘’Are you serious?’’ she laughed nervously. When he nodded, she put her hands on her forehead and kept laughing nervously. ‘’Is this a bad time to tell you I’m claustrophobic’’ she looked at the Major, trying to focus on her breathing. ‘’Claustropho… what?’’ he said, confused about the word she used. ‘’Afraid of small spaces, Major’’ she breathed.

He noticed her on the base before, but he never paid attention to her. He knew her name, because when he heard it, he thought it was a beautiful name. He looked at her, not knowing what to do. If he understood her correctly, she feared small spaces, so for her, being in this closet was terrifying for her. She felt like the walls were closing on her, she was breathing in and out, but she was so scared.

‘’Are, uh, are you okay?’’ he asked. They were so close to each other, he felt her quick breathing, he could even feel her shake. ‘’Not really’’ she whispered. He felt bad for dragging her into the closet. ‘’What can I do to help?’’ he asked, genuinely caring for her well being. ‘’Hug me, hearing someone’s heartbeat helps usually’’ she muttered.

So, he got closer to her, hugging her. Y/n pressed her head on his chest, focusing on his heartbeat. She was still shaking, but after a couple of minutes, she was able to calm down. She matched his breathing, it was soothing. She felt calm, for a split second, she forgot about the small storage closet. His head was resting on hers; he felt her body calming. He noticed how she breathed at the same time as him.

‘’You feel better?’’ he whispered, not wanting to talk too loud and stress her. ‘’Yeah, but I’ll feel better once we’re out of here’’ she smiled. He smiled and looked at her. ‘’We’re going to get out of here, I promise.’’ He said, creating eye contact with her. ‘’Thank you for helping me, Major.’’ She blushed. ‘’It’s normal, I’m sorry for dragging you into this’’ he apologized. ‘’You didn’t know what was going to happen’’ she tried to see the positive side, to try and not make the Major feel bad.

The door opened; it was a couple. ‘’It’s already in use’’ the men said. ‘’Please don’t close the door! We were stuck!’’ Y/n exclaims. She got out of the closet as quick as she could, not even waiting for the Major. She looked around as she practically ran outside. ‘’Ah! Space, I’ve missed you!’’ she exclaims. Bucky, who followed her outside, laughed at her happiness of being outside. She turned around to face the Major. She smiled to him as she took a deep breath of fresh air. ‘’That was fun, Major, but let’s not do it again, ever.’’ She shook his hand as she giggled. ‘’I didn’t think it was that bad…’’ he stopped, asking unofficially for her title. ‘’Y/n, just Y/n. Red Cross volunteer’’ she smiled. ‘’Y/n’’ he completed his sentence.

Weeks passed since they both got stuck in the closet, he tried to visit her, but since he was busy with mission, he didn’t have much time. ‘’Y/n! Good morning!’’ he smiled, entering the room. Y/n looked at him, smiling to his never-ending enthusiasm. ‘’Good morning, Major’’ she smiled as she handed him his usual coffee. ‘’You know you’re my favorite part of the day!’’ he said, meaning every word. ‘’Why’s that?’’ she asked, genuinely curious. ‘’Your smile, it’s like the sun, shining brightly every time look at it’’ he said, looking at her.

She blushed and hid behind her cup of coffee, smiling again. ‘’See, how could my day go wrong with that smile’’ he said, making her blush even more. She bites her lip; she didn’t know what to say. ‘’Do you want a donut with your coffee, Major?’’ she asked him. He shook his head as he smirked, proud of the effect his words had on her. ‘’I’ll see you later, Major’’ she smiled when she saw the red light, indicating a mission lighting up. ‘’See you later, sunshine’’ the nickname rolled off his tongue. It surprised her, but she still smiled at him, watching him leave the room. Sunshine, that was her new nickname…

[felikatze]

THE ISLANDER EUPHRASIE THEORY: THE CRACK HEADCANON THAT RUINED ME FOREVER

HI. you might know me as the kingphie divorce guy. or as the guy who wrote the 6k ludonarrative essay. Today i am going to introduce to YOU @the-bitter-ocean's fantabulous ISLANDER EUPHRASIE THEORY!!!

DISCLAIMER

This post contains SPOILERS for ALL of In Stars and Time. INCLUDING THE ACT 6 SECRET!!

You have been warned.

ALSO!!!!

The original headcanon/theory is VERY MUCH Ocean's fantastic work! I am merely rehashing all the arguments for it that have been laid out across various chats into one cohesive thing people can look at. Also citations! Who doesn't love those.

WHAT IS IT?

Well, it's quite simple. It's the theory that Euphrasie, love of my life and Head Housemaiden of Dormont, is from the forgotten island, same as Siffrin and the King.

(Yes, this is why divorce AU exists.)

WHY DO YOU EVEN BELIEVE THIS?

Quite a lot of reasons, actually.

It's really funny

Let us begin with: the basics.

SUPERFLOUS AESTHETIC DETAIL

HAIR COLOR

This is Euphrasie. She's very pretty. I love her.

You might notice several things about her, like her fantabulous white hair.

Well. What other characters have white hair?

You have guessed correctly. The ONLY OTHER white haired characters with actual artwork are Siffrin and the King, both from The Island The World Forgot. Thus we can assume that it's a typical hair color for islanders. Makes it stand out very much that Euphie also has it.

(What about the beautiful one- sh sh sh he's blonde. He's blonde.) (Well, actually, considering that they are the only one who acknowledges that Vaugardians are also weird, what if he's from the island as well? Checkmate atheists.)

EYELASHES

Correct. Eyelashes.

Going back to our portrait of Euphie, she is drawn with precisely three eyelashes. Why is this notable? Because Siffrin and Loop are.

So much so, that being drawn with three eyelashes, is specifically an element of foreshadowing to Loop's true identity.

(squints at character portraits) literally no characters besides Siffrin, Loop, and Euphrasie have eyelashes? Oh my god. What? Nobody has eyelashes? What the fuck? (okay, some moments later: Mirabelle has eyelashes in some battle artwork, but these three are the only ones specifically with eyelashes in dialogue portraits, which is still incredibly odd.)

SPEAKING HABITS

Hey, so, you know when you talk to people in Dormont, a lot of the NPCS will have a nametag that just says "[something] One" right? Daydreaming One, Castle-Loving One, Beautiful One?

And I've seen people wonder, are these titles? Nicknames?

And I bring you this: Siffrin addresses these people with these epithets in his head, because they have no fucking clue what anyone's name is.

So Siffrin just naturally lapses into this style of nicknaming strangers.

Which two other people also do.

Bright one... ...... Do you remember? Traveling one! Are you done talking with your companions? Yes, wonderful, wonderful!

Funny little tidbit that these three characters all speak alike isn't it :)

Okay. With aesthetics out of the way, let's move onto the next tier of this iceberg:

THE MECHANICS OF FORGETTING AND BEING FORGOTTEN

I realize in the process of writing that we must outline the nature of the curse. What gets forgotten and what gets to stay?

The particularity that's important to us right now is: what people get forgotten?

All evidence points toward this: an entire person is only forgotten if they were physically present on the island when it vanished.

I'm pulling up two example cases to prove it: Siffrin and the Daydreaming One.

The thing with Siffrin is: we know he witnessed the exact moment the island vanished. And, very notably, Siffrin was in a boat.

You can get the dialogue that proves this only in ACT 2 in a secret room most people don't find on their first playthroughs, which is both very funny and very evil. Here's the dialogue.

Siffrin: "I ran away from home once!" [...] Siffrin: "And so I took our boat! Got to the beach, rowed away from the shore a bit. I was going to come back right away, I just wanted to scare my parents a bit!" [...]

Siffrin: "I started to row back towards the shore... And then, I... I... ..." Isabeau: ... Sif? Siffrin: (Woah! What?) "Um, yes?" Isabeau: Um... You were telling us how you ran away from home? Siffrin: "I... was?" Odile: You... Were. Bonnie: DID YOU FORGET WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WHILE TALKING ABOUT IT?!?

Siffrin is from the island, but was not physically present when it disappeared. This resulted in Siffrin forgetting their entire identity, including given name and spoken/written language.

Additionally, this is confirmed via Word of God to be the exact moment the island disappeared, so here's proof I'm not reading into it:

Shoutout to bibliomaniac's insane google spreadsheet for the easily searchable screenshot. god bless. Brinny, ily.

On the other hand, with the Daydreaming One, we have proof of a person who is not originally from the island, but was physically on it at the time of disappearance.

Siffrin: "Don't you have a sister?" Daydreaming One: I... I don't? I just said I'm an only child, silly!

(For her to forget someone like her sister, so easily... Her sister must've traveled to...)

Secondly, we know that remnants of the island were not completely forgotten immediately.

Memory faded gradually, starting with the ability to still speak and think about it with accompanying headaches, until it ramped up in intensity and everything is simply gone.

The Sparkling Diary in the library is more or less proof. Memory of the island was gone, but... people still remembered that they forgot something. People still knew what they were talking about, (an island north of Vaugarde), just without the specifics.

"Urgh. Also, Dad noticed no one can say the name of the island north of here anymore?" "I tried to say it yesterday and I got like the WEIRDEST headache for HOURS."

And Odile also remarks the following

Odile: We also know that people could remember that country clearly, before.

This will be relevant later. Moving on.

CONTRIVANCES

THE HOUSE'S OBSERVATORY

SO. The House of Change of Dormont has this funny little room on the third floor. It's an observatory. To look at stars with. When entering this room for the first time, Mirabelle says this:

Mirabelle: What...? Was there a room like this in the House? Y-yeah, I remember! Someone was working here... Studying... They looked like... ... Um... Sorry, I can't remember.

This reveals to us several things:

This room is innate to the House, and not brought here by the King's weird redecorating

Someone from the House was using it for study

All memory of who or what was studying and being studied was erased alongside the island's existence

Of course we can say, "yo, what if Euphrasie was using this room and just forgot?" but that is. a headcanon. I ADMIT! It is a stipulation

However, I find the general presence of the Island written all over the House incredibly interesting.

Inside the Observatory, there's a pile of papers with messy handwriting. You can't read these in until ACT 4. Even in ACT 4, you can't read them. But you do learn what's written on them.

(A pile of papers.) (It looks like someone was trying to write your country's name.)

Inside the observatory is also a globe. Upon repeated interaction in... act 4, i think, you get this:

(You see a spot on the globe where the paint has started wearing out, like someone kept dragging their finger on it.) (You drag your finger there too.) (Erased. You almost want to look for lightless paint.)

BOOKS

During the various quests to discover the truth of the loops, you run into a lot of books, written in the forgotten language. Now, Dormont is not close to the island. Dormont is not close to the coast.

Bambouche is. That's why Bonnie has heard about the island before and knows it was a big deal - they lived really close to it.

Bonnie (and then1): I think, I think my village was really close to it!!! My sister said it was all everyone could talk about for weeks!!! Mirabelle (anxious1): That's so frightening... I'm glad that whatever happened, she didn't get caught up in it!

As we can see in this map, Dormont is in the southern half of the country, and very centrally at that, meaning it has basically maximum distance from all waters and ports. So why does this landlocked small town have so many books in this language?

These aren't just dry books, either. In Dormont's library, there's actually a translated version of volume 2 of The Cursing of Chateau Castle.

(You take the book out again.) (You can read its title, now...) (Your heart is beating, badump, badump, badump.) (It's...) (... A translated copy of "The Cursing of Château Castle", issue #2.) (You start laughing.)

CONCLUSION OF THIS SECTION

Islanders lived in Dormont. Maybe even multiple! We've established that whoever is in Dormont when it vanished would not simply disapper, instead

they forgot where they're from.

One day, the islanders in Dormont could no longer remember being anywhere but Dormont. Being anything but Vaugardian. The observatory fell into disuse, as the person studying there gradually forgot what they used it for, even as they desparately tried to hold onto it, boring holes into the globe, and scribbling its name over and over until its unintelligible.

And, in all likelihood, eventually that knowledge was just gone forever. They simply became part of Dormont, none the wiser to their own history.

Books slipped into cracks. Rooms fell into disuse. Nobody remembered to clean out the remnants.

Now. The real cinch of this.

Why, in particular, do I think Euphrasie is one of them?

Answer me this, then.

How does Euphie know what Wish Craft is?

1. How could she read it?

Euphrasie knew specifically that Wish Craft exists, when all books on it are written in a language nobody can read.

The book in the storage room? The diary in the room behind the star door? The book in the secret library? None of them are legible.

There are no legible records of Wish Craft.

2. What about the Favor Tree?

Euphrasie knew specifically that Wish Craft is related to the Favor Tree. It's also a Vaugardian practice to make requests of the Favor Tree, but they're just that - requests. Nobody thinks they actually have power.

Only Euphrasie does. She thinks it's the key to defeating the King.

(This is... A list of people who wished to save Vaugarde!!!) (You look around her desk, trying to find out more.) (Why would she record the people who wished to save Vaugarde?) (... There!!!) (It's a little notebook, jammed between random boring paperwork...) (In it, the Head Housemaiden talks about Wish Craft... How in the days before the King attacked, she noticed everyone was wishing to the Favor Tree for the same thing:) (To save Vaugarde.) (And she started wondering if this wish could be the key to the King's defeat, somehow...) (So the Head Housemaiden knew about Wish Craft!!!)

Except, when Isabeau talks about it...

Isabeau: Well, it's just a random big tree. But when you're a believer of the House of Change, the biggest tree in a certain place is called a Favor Tree! It's like, it’s the tree with the most power, so you can ask it things? As a favor?

He struggles a little to explain it. Almost, as though the tradition came from some other culture, imported into Vaugarde, and no one can definetely remember where it came from.

To note, here, is that the Favor Tree is hugely associated with Loop, and wishes in general. Wishing on a Favor Tree is such a hugely powerful ritual when executed correctly, that it caused the entire timeloops.

And I'm not even gonna break out citations to prove that Wish Craft is associated with the island. Come on. You know that. You played the game. It's required to beat the game.

If you haven't beaten the game, what the fuck are you doing here. Go back and play it, baka.

3. Something's breaking, failing, rotting

At the end of ACT 4, when Siffrin confronts Euphrasie about her knowledge of Wish Craft, Euphrasie is distinctly aware of this: the people of Vaugarde are wishing wrong.

It's true. All of Vaugarde wished to the Favor Tree, wished for us to be saved. We wished for a savior. A way for us to win against the King. And Wish Craft gave us the means to do it, didn't it? Made sure it'd work? [...] But... But something went wrong, didn't it? Something goes wrong, every time!!! [...] The only answer I can find... Is it's because we did it wrong. I don't know what happened But we must've done it wrong!!! None of us in Vaugarde knew the exact ritual, but-- But we must have done it so wrong, it broke, and it doesn't answer to us at all anymore!!! [...] I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!!!

There's only one person who knew how to make a Wish correctly. And he made it by sheer instinct. Something they could not place even if they tried. Just... a forgotten ritual, dredged back up by muscle memory. Something he's probably been doing since he's a little kid, something that's so backed into their habits they use Wish Craft to carve figurines out of wood.

To end, I leave you with this. Dialogue you get when you try to talk to Euphrasie again, before you talked to everybody else.

If you talk to me... REALLY talk to me... It's all over. What "it" is, I have no idea... I know... I can feel that... I couldn't change whatever comes next, even if I wanted to. But I know it is the will of the Change God. Or, no, perhaps... The will of something even bigger... ... Something will end, once you talk to me.

There is a way for Euphrasie to know all of this. To know Wish Craft exists, to be aware she's doing it wrong, but not knowing, remembering quite enough to get it right.

If she knew it all beforehand already.

[tinygenderfluid]

You know what's kinda insane to me?

The fact that Ash Ketchum isn't famous in the pokemon universe, like in-universe.

You mean to tell me that a ten-year-old going region to region, meeting multiple legendaries and solving insane problems with his recognizable as fuck pikachu isn't atleast twitter famous? Not even considered a cryptic that when people say that they met him, he beat their asses in a pokebattle, then continued to also beat a legendary/an evil league/team rocket, that people online don't go: "oooh another region/world wide incident that can go on the conspiracy board, time to put new red threads between this major world-impscting event and the fact that this kid might me god."

I mean, he atleast should be famous in Kalos from the jumping-off-the-Prism-tower-fiasco alone but he also sorta stopped an artificial apocalypse set up by an evil pokemon league using an unidentified legendary and a previously long lost mega-evolution form from a starter pokemon. (It's been a while since I watched the anime, don't get on my ass).

I mean, pokemon champions are kind of considered famous because people recognise them in-universe right? Shouldn't someone online have recognised him from hanging out with so many champions alone? You mean to tell me that if some random ten-year old started showing up in news articles with famous people even if he was just in the background, no one in the entire world would make a reddit post saying 'hey look at this funny coincidence, this kid has been spotted with 5 champions or something' ????????

Buzzfeed unsolved episodes have been made about less.

I get it that he wouldn't become well known from the mewtwo incident - because mewtwo erased the memories of everyone involved if I remember correctly - but you mean to tell me no one remembered him from the three legendary kanto birds and Lugia (saved the world), Entei, Celebi, Latio and Latias and literally every other movie? Sure, say those aren't cannon. WHAT ABOUT THE TIME HE LITERALLY GOT KIDNAPPED BY A THOUGHT TO BE EXTINCT POKEMON IN THE FIRST SEASON?? THAT DINO-ASS FLYING POKEMON THAT FORCED CHARMELEON TO EVOLVE INTO CHARIZARD SO THEY COULD FIGHT IT? HE'S NOT ATLEAST INFAMOUS IN KANTO FOR THAT??

Also you can't tell me that there are a lot of ten-year old who fight in multiple major pokemon leagues in contention for the title of regional pokemon champion.

There has to atleast be one autistic 5-year old and their mother in the pokemon world who know all about Ash Ketchum because his adventures are low-key insane.

[bookshelfdreams]

do it. gimme the Izzy straight-coded meta 👀

I feel like I need to preface this by saying that Actually, Izzy Is Straightcoded would be the inflammatory clickbait title I'd give this if it were written to draw traffic & ad revenue to my shitty website. So don't take that term too seriously.

There has been a lot of ink spilled about Izzy thinking he's in a story where one can only be subtextually queer. Some even by yours truly, but the more I think about it, the less sense it makes. What would be the purpose of queercoding Izzy?

In general, villains* aren't queercoded to show that men being attracted to other men is bad. It's often the outcome; but it's not why the trope exists. It exists because cishet people tend to be (and are encouraged to be) profoundly uncomfortable with gender nonconformity, and so, making a character gnc becomes a quick and easy way to make him appear twisted and untrustworthy. If he** can't even obey the fundamental rules of his own gender (rules that are inherent and unchangeable!) what other rules does he disobey?

Or: If a man is insufficiently masculine, he can't be trusted to have morals. The villain isn't gnc because that's an evil trait to have; rather, the gender nonconformity is a symptom of his evilness. Being evil is what enables him to embrace his feminine side, and embracing his feminine side is what others him and marks him as a villain.

This only really works when he's contrasted with a hero (or heroine) who is Doing Gender Correctly. The villain is foul to highlight how good the hero is. The Hero will be honest and straightforward, brave, physically powerful; the Queercoded Villain treacherous, cowardly, and physically weak. The hero is a Proper Man, a Good Person. The villain an Improper Man, and therefore, a Bad Person.

Of course ofmd fundamentally rejects this. The shorthand wouldn't work, because ofmd simply doesn't think effeminacy is creepy. It's uninterested in moralizing self-expression; it just lets people be how they are. There's a wide range of expressions of masculinity on this show, and none of it is inherently bad. People are allowed to be hypermasculine, flamboyant, and anything inbetween, can express their gender in whatever manner they want, and it's all fine - as long as they are authentic about it. Be however you are, but be yourself, and this is what Izzy fails at. The repression marks him as a villain. The strict adherence to what he thinks a Real Man Pirate ought to be like. He's very preoccupied with enforcing a traditional (and toxic) masculinity on himself and others. It's no coincidence the characters he antagonizes the most - Stede and Lucius - are also the most effeminate ones. And I know, I know anglophones have a much more casual relationship to twat and cunt, those don't nearly feel as uncomfortable for y'all as they do for me, so I don't want to assign too much significance here, but he is the only character who constantly uses this kind of language, and also the one who uses the most gender&sexuality based slurs (as far as I remember).

All of this while being clearly, obviously queer himself! I do not feel like I need to explain this; his flustered reaction when Lucius asks him if he's ever been sketched speaks for itself. The fact that he meets Stede and immediately slices his shirt off of him, speaks for itself. And so on.

Izzy isn't straightcoded in the sense that the story wants us to believe he's exclusively attracted to women. Much like a queercoded villain doesn't need to be shown to be attracted to men (and can even be shown to be attracted exclusively to women!) to still be queercoded. He's straightcoded in the sense that he's a stand-in for restrictive and toxic gender roles that society enforces on people. He buys into the idea that there's a way of Doing Gender Wrong, and this is presented as a tragic character flaw. Something he has to overcome to be able to do the thing that actually marks a hero in this show: express himself authentically.

Part of why I found his death so moving is because it enables him to set right the toxicity he spread. His rehabilitation arc was about himself; about finally allowing himself to be, accepting love, accepting community. His death was about taking responsibility. About fully recognizing the hurt he caused. Looking death in the face enables him to finally abandon the last shreds of that toxicity, to apologize and be granted forgiveness. In the end, he was not beyond saving, and the harm he has done will be healed.

*Izzy is introduced as an antagonist to both Stede and the central romance of this romcom. I'm not gonna debate this; if you disagree, fine, but you clearly have such a fundamentally wrong different view of the show that it's pointless for us to try and convince each other.

**of course Queercoded Female Villains exist s well, but they are a whole different can of worms and less relevant to this discussion

[lawlietscaramels]

My personal headcanon is that “L” is his middle name. Given how the other names are formatted on fan wiki (I don't have htr13 so I am assuming they translated correctly), “Lawliet” is his last name.

I have never seen that Watari gave him a last name and even if it's canon I refuse to accept that — if he's reportedly giving a child a letter for a name, why would he bother with a surname? So, there must be some record of L's parents, or he himself remembers them (I have a whole different set of headcanons for L's parents but whatever. another time).

Given this, there must exist some record of L. It was probably later destroyed, but either there is a record of his first name or he himself remembers it. I don't know, I knew my own name at 5...

So then, when did L become “A nameless orphan”? Of course, when he came to Wammy's. There are so many problems with this institution and one is that it strips its children of an identity. “____ L Lawliet” had to die for “L the detective” to be born. Even not knowing he would be a detective at that point, he had to be some great genius, a saviour, and our saviours are a symbol. They are no longer allowed to be a person.

Would a genius agree to that?

A child would.

The other problem with Wammy's – if you lose your parents, your guiding figures in socialisation and life, at such a young age, then who replaces them? A scientist who sees children as projects? If that's the case, it's unfortunate, but you will still follow them because you've lost your parents and he is here to take you in.

I wonder if L was taught to forget his name.

I wonder if he forgot L was himself, too. Let it become those around him, every genius worthy of the title he thought wasn't his.

I wonder.

　★━━─・‥…━━━☆

𝖎𝖋 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖎𝖐𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖙 ˏˋ⋆˖⁺˖⁀➷ 𝖕𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖇𝖑𝖔𝖌 + 𝖋𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

Note: Request by @alexagirlie! thank you so much, I loved this one. I wrote this while listening to my Organica playlist and I was feeeelinggg it, I even added some song titles again. Anyway, hope you like it!

Warnings: fluff/smut. 18+!!

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x you (f)

summary: You met a hot DJ at a rave, but aren't all DJ's just rude fuckboys?

wordcount: 4,1k

Masterlist

'Got a request, pretty?'

The music was loud and the venue was packed: Gisela had taken you to your first ever rave and, so far, you loved it. The beats were good, the bass was vibrating through your entire body, and the laser lights made everything in the old warehouse look as if you were high, but you weren't.

'You know you can request songs too?' Gisela yelled in your ear as she danced.

'Really?' you yelled back, happily, because the music was good, but you had no idea how to move to the current song.

'Yeah! Just go to the DJ!' she shouted and gave you a little shove.

She went off dancing without you, while you had been shoved into a man who was on his way to the DJ booth.

'Sorry!' you yelled as the man turned around at the sudden push in his back.

You stared up at the guy and froze, you had never seen a man as handsome as him. He was tall and very well built, and he smelled nice too. He had a few scars on his gorgeous face and his dark hair was braided on top and halfway to his sides, whereas the lower half was shaved and the braids were tied back into a small ponytail. He wore dark clothes and a bronze Mjölner necklace. He had a tattoo on his neck, which you thought was really hot, and the hint of eyeliner around his eyes made him even more attractive.

'Don't worry about it,' the incredibly handsome man smiled.

You stared at each other for a few seconds.

'You a DJ?' you asked as you saw the black headphones around his neck.

'Yeah, I play in about twenty minutes,' he said, looking you up and down.

Then he held his hand out. You took it, and he pulled you closer.

'I'm Sihtric,' he said in your ear. He leaned back to look at you for a short moment, and then leaned back in again, 'what's your name, pretty?'

You giggled and yelled your name in his ear, while he still held your hand and kept you close.

'Nice to meet you!' Sihtric smiled. 'Hey, I gotta set up my stuff,' he said, 'why don't you come and request a tune later?'

'I was just about to do that actually,' you said and looked up at the current DJ.

'Nah,' Sihtric shook his head with a sly smile, 'request it when I'm up there, yeah?'

'Maybe,' you shrugged.

'I promise I'll play it,' Sihtric winked and finally let go of your hand.

You watched the insanely handsome man turn around and continue his way to the booth.

You had no idea DJ's were that good looking. His toned biceps were impressive, he had a bright and sweet smile, as well as a flirty look in his eyes when he spoke to you. You were smitten, but you also knew he was probably a fuckboy. Everyone knows DJ's get a lot of ladies, but you did feel a little flattered when he eyed you up as he was setting up his gear. 

While you met the hot DJ, your friend Gisela had met a handsome guy herself. He was named Uhtred, or something, you weren't sure if you heard it correctly as the music was still way too loud. Regardless, you felt a little awkward as your friend and her new hunky rave partner only had eyes for each other, so you told her you'd be near the bar. 

You ordered yourself a drink and spotted Sihtric across the bar, leaning up on his elbows as he was checking a few cables under the only normal white light in the entire venue. Your eyes were glued to him, you didn't even notice the bartender already placed your drink in front of you seconds ago, and you locked eyes with Sihtric when he looked up. He gave you a half smile and cocked his head up slightly, greeting you. You were surprised he seemed to remember you and, even if it was only like ten minutes ago, you clearly left an impression. You grinned when you saw he made his way over to you.

'Hey,' Sihtric said, and loosely circled his arm around your waist.

'Hey,' you smiled, leaning in a little bit more than you probably should, but you liked his attention.

'You alone here, pretty?'

Oh, there we go, you thought. He was going to try and get in your pants now. And as hot as he was, you wouldn't even mind, but you weren't the type of girl who did one night stands. But he didn't have to know that, yet…

'No, I'm with a friend,' you said, 'but she found a guy to dance with, so…' you shrugged.

'Ah,' Sihtric chuckled in your ear, and it made your knees weak, 'I understand,' he said.

You smiled at each other for a moment and he checked his watch.

'I still have a few minutes,' he said, his hand resting on your lower back, 'wanna dance?'

This guy was really asking you to dance? You couldn't believe it, and you gladly accepted.

Sihtric took your hand and led you into the warm crowd. The whole place was basically a dancefloor, but the vibes were better in the middle of the crowd than near the bar. Sihtric turned to face you and pulled you a little closer, then he spun you around and both his big, warm hands settled on your hips. You pressed your back against his chest, and he pulled your buttocks against his groin, which you both didn't mind at all. He guided your body along with his to the deep house beat, and you enjoyed it for as long as it lasted. 

Unfortunately, after just one song he told you he had to get up to the booth, as he was about to play.

'Don't forget to request that song,' Sihtric winked again and kissed your hand, then disappeared into the crowd.

You were happy to see, and hear, that Sihtric played music you enjoyed and could easily move to, unlike the crazy beats the previous DJ had played. He started his set with Afters, by Gettoblasters, and it set the whole dance floor on fire when that full beat kicked in after about a minute. You still had no idea where Gisela was, so you just entertained yourself and watched Sihtric move his body smoothly to the beats he knew all too well, and you immediately missed the way his body had felt against yours only moments ago.

Sihtric's eyes easily found you in the crazy coloured, crowded room, and he gave you a sweet yet cheeky smile. You both enjoyed the sight of each other becoming one with the music, and he only reluctantly broke eye contact because he had to focus on his equipment as he mixed in a new song when Afters ended. He smoothly transitioned the beat to Other Side by Azzecca, and once again the venue was on fire. You couldn't find a single person who was not moving their body. 

Then you suddenly spotted Gisela, who was grinding up against that Uhtred guy, and you laughed as you rolled your eyes. You wouldn't see her again tonight you figured, so you decided to go and request your song. Sihtric didn't see you approach as he was focused on messing with the beat on his synthesiser, creating that build up to the anticipated bass drop. And it did wonders. You neared the booth as Sihtric leaned into his synth, carefully mixing the song smoothly into Pogo by Gry Bagøien, one of the songs you actually wanted to request. And you just started laughing. Sihtric looked up and saw you in front of him. He smiled sweetly as he bit down on his lip, and beckoned you to come on up to the side of the booth.

Sihtric crouched down to match your height, as the booth was up on a knee high platform, and he leaned in as he pushed his headphones down to rest around his neck.

'Got a request, pretty?' he smiled.

'Yeah, but you're already playing it,' you chuckled.

'No way,' Sihtric laughed, 'got another one?'

'Hmm, maybe,' you smiled, 'how about Fo Free?'

'By OMNOM?' Sihtric asked, 'yeah I can fix that for you. You gotta give me a moment, I have to search for it.'

'Sure, no rush,' you said, and you wanted to back off again to let him do his thing.

'Why don't you come up here?' he quickly asked, pointing back into the DJ booth.

'Really?' you frowned, 'why?'

'To keep me some company,' he smiled.

You stared at the DJ, and a sudden white light flashed fast across his face, revealing his mismatched eyes.

'Hey,' you smiled, 'your… your eyes-'

'Heterochromia,' Sihtric said, and held his hand out.

You knew you would probably regret this later, as you thought he was really cute, for a fuckboy of course, but it's not like you had someone else to keep you company right now. You took his hand and Sihtric pulled you up on the platform, and with his arm loosely circled around your waist, he pulled you with him to his DJ mixer panels. He added your requested song once he found it, keeping his promise he'd play it. 

'Wanna learn something?' Sihtric smiled. 

You gave him a quick nod, and he moved you gently to stand in front of him. Sihtric pressed his chest against your back and snuck his arms under yours, resting his chin upon your shoulder as he leaned in, looking down at his panels.

'Watch,' he said, his lips grazed your ear when he spoke.

You watched his hands and the way his tattooed fingers twisted a few buttons, and you heard the song slowly transition into another banger; Purpose by T-Puse. You looked back over your shoulder and smiled at him. Goddamn, he was really sexy, you thought. And as if he could read your thoughts, Sihtric gave you a cheeky smile. 

He kept his chin on your shoulder, but instead of leaning over you, he leaned back. His knees slightly bent so his crotch area was lined up with your buttocks, and he pulled you in when the beat dropped, pressing your body firmly against his as he wrapped his strong arm around your waist, keeping his free hand on his mixing panel. Sihtric effortlessly moved you smoothly along with his warm body to the pleasant beat, leaning the side of his face against yours. You felt his hot breath on your neck, the bass underneath your feet, and you suddenly felt both his hands slide down your sides, only to settle on your hips so he could control your movements along with his even better. And despite the loud music, you heard his soft laugh in your ear.

'You're really sexy,' he husked, 'are you taken, pretty?'

You felt lightheaded at the entire moment. The music, the flashing lights, the feeling of Sihtric's body against yours, his low, calm voice in your ear as his lips grazed your skin with each word he spoke. You could just faint in his arms right now.

'I- I'm not taken, no,' you managed to say, to which Sihtric hummed satisfyingly, and the sound sent a pleasant shiver down your spine. 

Fuck, you thought, you shouldn't develop a crush on this guy… chances of him being a decent dude are very slim.

'Wanna come home with me after my set?' he suddenly asked.

You shouldn't.

'Maybe,' you answered, 'but… I- I… I don't know what you expect, but if it's a one night stand, you got the wrong girl-' 

'Who said anything about only spending one night together?'

You looked back over your shoulder again, and Sihtric smiled sweetly at you. Could he really be a decent guy? But before you could say another word, he took your hands and brought them up to the mixer panels.

'Your song is up next,' he said, 'remember what I did?'

'Yeah,' you nodded, pointing at two buttons, 'those two, right?' 

'Mhm,' Sihtric hummed loud enough for you to hear, 'mix your song into this one, darling.'

'But what if I fuck it up?' you laughed.

Sihtric placed his hands carefully on yours, 'You won't,' he said, 'I'll help you, doll.'

You smiled when he helped you turn the buttons at a steady pace, and you heard the first beats of your favourite tune slowly fade in, before it fully took over the room.

'Yeah, that's it, babe,' Sihtric breathed in your ear, and you felt dizzy at his words.

He then pulled you flush against his body, your back once again firmly pressed against his broad chest, making you dance with him once more as the beat dropped, hard. And you allowed yourself to just get lost in the moment. You felt his hands trail down to your hips again, and you brought your own hands up, resting loosely behind you on the back of his neck, keeping him just as close as he kept you.

'So how about that offer?' Sihtric asked as you danced.

'Going home with you?'

'Yeah?'

'I'm not sure, Sihtric…'

He was quick to spin you around, and pulled you close again as he faced you. He towered over you and positioned one leg between your thighs, one hand on your waist and his other cupped your cheek. He stared deeply into your eyes with that sweet smile on his face as you both kept moving in sync with the music.

'It doesn't have to be a one night stand,' Sihtric said and licked his lips, 'you probably don't believe me, but I'm not like that either.'

You stared up at him, you weren't sure about what to say. Sihtric seemed so sincere, but you were still a little hesitant.

'I promise,' Sihtric smiled and leaned in, bringing his lips back to your ear, 'I will treat you like the goddess that you are. I will make you feel really good, baby.'

He pulled back to look at you, and he found your wide eyes locked on him. Sihtric smiled, tracing the outline of your lips with his thumb, and he leaned in again.

'I will make you feel really fucking good,' he chuckled in your ear, and then pecked your cheek.

Sihtric looked back at his equipment, mixing another song as your request was almost over. And when a new beat started to play, he looked back at you again.

'Just think about it,' Sihtric said, 'no pressure, okay?' he smiled and brushed his fingers over your cheek.

'I… maybe,' you stammered.

'Look, my set is another half hour,' he said, 'if you like, we could meet up after I pack my stuff. But again, no pressure, okay?'

'I'll think about… but I'll have to tell my friend if I decide to go with you,' you said.

You had thought over Sihtric's offer, and deemed yourself insane for not just going with him and seeing where it leads to. After you told Gisela about your plan, she wished you a good night, as she was already leaving with that guy Uhtred. You both promised to stay in touch, sharing your live locations before you left, and agreed that if something felt off, you'd call each other right away.

Sihtric drove you back to his house, and if he really was a fuckboy, he was doing an Oscar-worthy job of not acting like one. He was very polite, kind and gentle, as well as funny and relaxed. And a flirt.

At his place, he made you some tea as you talked in the kitchen, genuinely getting to know each other a little. You both were fascinated with each other as well as quickly developing some kind of romantic feelings.

'I have to ask,' you said as Sihtric led you to his bedroom, 'you pick up a lot of girls at raves?'

'I don't, actually,' he said, a little embarrassed, 'my friends do, but I- I can't just be intimate with someone, or even kiss someone if I feel no real attraction.'

'So you feel a real attraction?' you grinned.

'I do, lady,' Sihtric smiled as he gently pushed you to sit down on his bed, 'and,' he licked his lips, 'I'd like to thank you for keeping me company during my set.'

'Oh, really?' you laughed softly, a little shyly even when his hands unbuttoned your jeans slowly.

He was so attractive, it drove you insane. You were completely against one night stands, but to be fair, if he'd never call you again after tonight, you couldn't even be mad. To be railed by this guy was simply a blessing, you thought.

'Yeah,' Sihtric chuckled, and he took off your jeans and panties in the politest way possible.

Then he took off his shirt, and you felt soaking wet upon the sight of his body. This guy was insanely good looking. How the fuck did you end up in his bed? You had no idea.

'So… how will you thank me?' you smiled.

SIhtric leaned in and took your face in his hands, nuzzling your nose softly. And you heard another light chuckle from him.

'I will thank you,' he whispered, 'by pleasing you all night,' he sighed, and softly pecked your lips.

Sihtric looked at you and slowly licked his lips as he smiled. His eyes trailed down to your lips and he pulled you in for another kiss. He kissed you so soft and sweet, whereas you thought he would be rough and simply use you for his own pleasure, but it was the complete opposite so far. And you allowed yourself to enjoy his tenderness. Sihtric started to kiss you a little longer, carefully parting your lips along with his, and he slowly licked into your mouth as his lips were pressed onto yours. You enjoyed the taste of the red fruity tea in your mouth, which lingered on his lips as well ever since he drank it before he took you to his bedroom. If he would've kissed you all night like this, that already would be a very welcoming thank you gesture, and your head was already spinning. You sank deeper into his kiss while he took your hands and brought them up to his body, wanting to feel your touch. And you loved the feeling of his muscles underneath your hands while he kissed you.

Then Sihtric suddenly dragged his lips down your chin and onto your neck.

'Are you comfortable taking your shirt off for me, pretty?' he whispered in your ear.

You quickly took your shirt off and pulled the handsome man back to you. His lips pecked your shoulders while gently pushing your bra strap to the side. His big, warm hands guided his way further down your body, which he followed with his soft lips, leaving wet kisses until he reached your belly button.

Sihtric kneeled down in front of his bed and looked up at you with dark, but soft eyes.

'Lay down for me?' he asked.

And as you laid down with a grin on your face, you felt how Sihtric picked up your left leg. He carefully kissed his way up from your ankle to your thigh, before he brought your leg up over his bare shoulder. And he did the same to your right leg. You bit down on your lip as you smiled when you felt his lips, and the pleasant tickles of his facial hair, moving closer to your core. Your heart skipped a beat when he pressed a soft kiss onto your wet folds, and a sudden moan escaped you.

Sihtric hummed and licked his lips, tasting your juices on his tongue already, to which he smiled. He pulled you a little closer and hooked his arms around your thighs, holding you a firm but pleasant grip.

'Relax for me, doll,' Sihtric whispered, and he kissed your wet slit again, a little longer this time.

He was simply driving you insane right now, and you squirmed at the pleasant feeling.

'Just relax,' Sihtric hummed, and you felt his lips down on you again, followed by a firm drag of his tongue between your folds.

'Oh, god,' you breathed, once again squirming in his grip.

'Relax,' he cooed, 'let me treat you well.'

Sihtric ran his tongue over you again, and once more, and he softly kissed your core when he felt you tense up again. He gave you a few seconds, allowing you to try and relax again, before he lapped his lips around you, flicking his tongue against your pussy. The feeling was incredible and you moaned at each stroke of his tongue, which only made Sihtric devour you more.

'You taste really fucking good,' he chuckled softly as he needed some air.

'Yeah?' you giggled.

'Mhm,' Sihtric hummed, pressing soft kisses on your inner thigh.

'Well, you feel really fucking good,' you smiled.

'I do?' Sihtric smiled sweetly at you when you pushed yourself up on your elbows to look at him.

You nodded with a cheeky smile, to which Sihtric winked and told you to lay down again. He quickly brought his lips back to you. He kissed, licked and sucked you so good. He hummed occasionally, which nearly pushed you over your edge each time you heard it and felt it against your folds. And when you finally came, Sihtric drank you in with a soft groan. 

But instead of stopping, he kept you in his pleasant grip, and he continued to devour your oversensitive pussy with his lips and tongue.

'Oh, fuck!' you moaned, slightly jerking as the feeling was overwhelming.

'I wasn't done, doll,' Sihtric chuckled, 'relax for me,' he husked, 'you taste so good, so sweet,' he sighed, 'I'm going to eat you out all night.'

The overwhelming feeling of his lips and tongue soon became pleasant again. Sihtric knew what he was doing, licking you in such a way it pushed you to your edge, but just before you could finish, he stopped using his tongue and pressed soft kisses onto you. He kept edging you for nearly an hour, and you moaned hard when he finally allowed you to finish for a second time.

'God, Sihtric,' you said out of breath, 'I… I-,' your head was spinning as Sihtric kept going once again.

You felt your own juices, along with his saliva, run down your skin, soaking his bed, but Sihtric didn't care. He loved this, he loved to please a woman. And he hoped to please you so good, you'd want to see him again, hopefully during the day, for a lunch date or something of the likes.

Sihtric chuckled against your folds again, and he slowly slid two digits inside you as he kept using his tongue on you.

'Oh… god,' you moaned loudly.

Your hands found his hair and you pulled his braids, which caused him to let out a deep moan. Your body was trembling at the sensations. You had no idea you could come twice in one night, let alone maybe even a third time. You were overstimulated, and the feeling was overwhelming, but you loved it at the same time.

'Relax,' Sihtric cooed again, 'I know you got one more for me,' he smiled, 'give me one more, baby,' he whispered before he brought his mouth back down onto you again, moving his tongue along with his fingers.

'Oh my fucking god,' you murmured, your hands grabbed onto his bedsheet, and tears rolled down your face as you smiled out of breath.

'Come on,' Sihtric husked in between soft kitty licks, 'let me taste you once more, darling.' 

And with an almost animalistic growl, while your back was arched, you came for a third time, on his fingers and tongue. Sihtric dragged out your high, and when he pulled out his fingers, you fell back onto his bed, completely exhausted. 

He licked his fingers clean, then quickly grabbed his shirt.He wiped his face with a satisfied smile and climbed on his bed, laying down next to you. He rolled you on your side, and you looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

'Was that good for you?' Sihtric asked sweetly with his soft voice.

'Y-yeah,' you sighed with a tired smile, 'r…really good.'

'Good,' Sihtric smiled, and he cupped your cheek, kissing your lips softly, 'because it was really good for me too.'

He looked at you, his eyes scanning your beauty. He knew he had fallen in love with you earlier that night already, and he simply couldn't deny that anymore to himself.

'Will you stay the night?' Sihtric asked, tracing your face with his fingertips, 'I'd like to take you on a proper date tomorrow.'

You: how was your night?

Gisela: I think I may have a boyfriend now…

Gisela: yours?

You: I officially have a boyfriend now…

taglist: @clairacassidy @finanmoghra @uunotheangel @hb8301 @bathedinheat @neonhairspray @anaeve @bubblyabs @travelingmypassion @sylas-the-grim @bubbles-for-all-of-us @andakth @bel-bottoms @willowbrookesblog @lady-targaryens-world @skyofficialxx @diosademuerte @elle4404 @alexagirlie @sweetxime @solango @gemini-mama @cheyennep3107 @little-diable @jennifer0305 @drwstarkeyy

[ghost-proofbaby]

HI MY LOVE. 🩷🩷

Steddie — Electric Touch (even though we don’t know the vibe, but like…the title was giving)

electric touch (steddie's version)

warnings: use of shock therapy toys (i don't know what else to call those), use of a flogger, blindfold, and leather cuffs (reader is restrained to bed), mentions of a riding crop and nipple clamps, teasing, talk of safe words, talk of overstimulation, overall sexual themes. overuse of nicknames (it's me, what did you guys expect?), minors DNI.

wc: 1.1k+

a/n: hello my luna!!! okay. i know for a fact this song will not have this vibe. i know. but... electric touch? i'm supposed to receive a steddie request with fuckin electric touch and not take this sinful route? c'moooon. i already know this filth is getting me blacklisted by t*ylor n*tion lmao.

“What’s… that?” you question with a hesitant glance between the two boys, watching their smirks widen as Steve ruffles through a bag. 

“Oh,” Eddie answers for the both of them, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We just thought we’d try something new tonight.” 

You weren’t in the position to argue with them. They’d already arranged you at their mercy – each wrist and each ankle locked to the four posts of the bed, spreading you wide for them to do as they please. 

“Something new?” you squeak, trying to turn your head to get a better look of whatever toys Steve was retrieving. Eddie is quick to step directly into your line of sight for the other boy though, crouching down so that all you could see is him and his smug face, “What are you idiots about to-”

“Now, now,” Eddie tsks, shaking his head. He’d put his hair up in a bun, and the moment you’d watched him pull back those messy curls, you’d known he meant business tonight, “Is that how you’re supposed to be speaking to us right now, baby doll? C’mon. Play nice.” 

You purse your lips, daring him with a solid stare before you obey, “Can I please know what new toys you two bought?” 

He reaches out a palm, and against your better judgment, you lean into it, “There’s those stellar manners. I’m so proud of you.” 

“Quick playing with her, Munson,” Steve calls as he finally tosses the empty bag to the side. 

“Oh, but it’s so fun,” he murmurs, “Just playing with our little toy before we get to absolutely devour her.” 

“That’s not very polite,” you choke out, wrists pulling on their binds automatically with the need to just reach out and touch your boys. Whether it be your hands messing up their hair, palms against their stubble as you pulled them in for a searing kiss, running your fingertips over their bare torsos – you just needed to feel them. 

Eddie shrugs playfully, “I never said I play well with others.” 

He stands suddenly, and the distance only makes your chest ache worse. They’d had their fill of teasing, you had thought, leading up to this moment. Mouths all over you, a petal pathway of bruises leading from the back of your knees and over the dips of your hips, all the way up to the jugular of your throat. You couldn’t see, but you knew Eddie had left teeth imprints somewhere along the way, on your shoulder if you were remembering correctly, from all the times he’d bitten into your flesh to hear you cry out his name. 

And Steve had been no better. In fact, he’d been worse. Fingers had danced along the inside of your thighs in subtle circles, never reaching where you needed him most. He’d been the one to secure your wrists, and when you’d winced and started to complain about the tightness, he’d only grinned devilishly as he tightened the leather strap further. Went so far as to press chaste kisses to your inner wrist pulse points, reveling in the way your heart was already racing for them. 

Steve subtly passes something to Eddie, keeping whatever fabric was in his fist out of sight until it was in Eddie’s grasp, before he leveled you, “You remember your safe words, sweetness?” 

“Bandana,” you blandly reply, purposefully saying the wrong word out of spite. 

It makes Steve nearly sneer. Eddie is unphased, though, approaching you with a clenched fist behind his back before he leans down to bring his face closer to yours.

“Not even close,” he breathes out, lips close enough to brush over your cheek, “Try again and be good for Stevie.” 

You try to fight the shudder that runs down your spine as you tilt your head, looking Steve specifically in the eyes as your bratty act begins to falter, “Green, yellow, red. Now, please, for the love of God-“

“Don’t think he’s the one you’ll be worshiping tonight,” Eddie butts in, not deterring you as he had hoped as you continue to direct your words at Steve.

“-Touch me.” 

Eddie brings his fist between you two and let’s it slowly unfurl, finally letting you see the silky black fabric he had been holding onto. 

A blindfold.

“As you wish,” Steve says, and you get one quick glimpse of the toy in his hand — a flogger, “Put it on her, Munson. It’s time to play.” 

Your breathing only quickens as your vision is taken from you, feeling Eddie’s rough fingertips linger against your cheeks before his touch has vanished completely.

You hear a buzz in the distance, before Steve steps closer. His expensive cologne is dizzying, even from a distance. Something sweet, something fresh, something deceiving. 

He’s going to fucking ruin you.

“Color?” he asks of you, and you can feel one of his fingertips reach out to touch you, staring at your navel before it’s featherlight touches trail up between your breasts.

“Green,” you sight out, voice already quivering. 

“Good. Now, remember those toys you were eyeing the last time we took you to the shop?” 

Oh. Fuck. “I remember.” 

A new line of toys — all based on electric currents. Meant to shock the recipient. Whips, floggers, nipple clamps, riding crops. All charged to inflict pain amongst the pleasure.

“Good girl,” Steve continues to taunts. The buzzing grows louder now, right along with the thrumming in your chest, “Remember — yellow for slow down, red for stop. Understood?”

A hard swallow. “Understood.” 

“Excellent,” his touch retreats just as he reaches the hollow of your neck, pausing to press in to accentuate his praise before he’s back to keeping his hands to himself, “Now, I think I’d like to play a game, honey. I want to see just how many times me and Munson can make you cum before we even lay a hand on you. Sounds absolutely electrifying, right?” 

You only hum in response. And you aren’t prepared when suddenly, several leather straps smack against your thigh, the normal sharp pain of it overcome with a shock that has your entire body jumping and your already hot cunt clenching around air.

“Use your words,” Steve’s low voice commands.

He doesn’t have to ask you twice.

“Y-Yes sir! Yes, please, fuck, I-“ you can’t get out a proper sentence, skin still tingling where he’d whipped you. 

“Look at you,” Steve chuckles lowly. This time, the leather drags softly over your torso, still shocking you along its path, leaving a molten want and need rolling in your lower abdomen, “Haven’t even started yet, and you can’t even speak. We’re going to have so much fun, honey.”

Eddie’s voice calls out from where in the room, “Who’s playing with her now, Harrington?” 

“My bad,” he doesn’t even apologize — he’s not the slightest bit sorry, “What do you say, Munson? You up for the challenge?”

Your legs are already shaking. Thighs quivering as they stay spread wide, the cool air of the room against your exposed heat sending shockwaves up your spine. Your mind spins, and you question for a moment how you’ll survive this night.

“I say it’s time to play, big boy.”

[lurkinglurkerwholurks]

If the Sky Comes Falling Down (For You)

First posted: January 25, 2019

Focuses on: Jason Todd and his various siblings

Favorite bookmark: "A variety of permutations and flavors of Robin h/c featuring Jason! The Baskin Robins of BatFam h/c, if you will."

Second favorite bookmark: "and so, step by step, the prodigal stray coaxes himself home."

Tier: #3 in hits & kudos & subscriptions, #4 in comment threads, #2 in bookmarks

This is my “behind the scenes” series where I indulge myself horribly by annotating my fics. Link to the fic itself above. Individual chapter notations below the cuts.

Chapter One

First, to note, the title came last and is from "Hey Brother" by Avicii because it was already on my BatFam playlist and gave me strong sibling feels, so it worked!

Okay if I remember correctly, this fic came about because 1) I had jotted down story ideas, all surrounding Jason, that were all just a bit too similar for me to feel comfortable doing them as one-offs, and 2) it was late 2018 when I start writing so I was deep in 5+1 IronDad fics.

This fic was so deeply indulgent from start to finish, which I think might be why people liked it so much? Like, if you're into the tropes into this fic, you're really into them. It scratches the itch just right, because it's my itch and I wrote it for me.

The plan was to do like I did for my other multi-chapter fics (except Nature and Nurture, RIP me) and write it all out before posting anything, so I could be sure that I would actually finish. I don't have that kind of self-restraint anymore. But it was a fun challenge to figure out what should happen to whom and in what order.

Jason didn’t sleep much anymore. He’d always been a rough sleeper, his years spent in low-security public housing and then on the street grinding away at his ability to rest with ease. He slept lightly, his consciousness skimming just below the surface, ready to spring awake at the softest noise.

As I've said before, sometimes I have an idea for a fic but then, when trying to start it, a sentence pops up immediately as my opener. That's always a wild ride because sometimes it seems to have nothing at all to do with where I want to go, so then I have to backtrack and figure out but why tho????

Moving to the Manor had helped some, after he’d assured himself that no one was going to scratch at his door or steal his shoes. The cold mornings had been the best, spent curled under a mound of the softest blankets imaginable atop a mattress so perfectly contoured to his bones that it’d felt like floating on the surface of a pool. He’d slept, truly slept, at the Manor.

I like the idea of, even at Jason's most toxic and vitriolic, the Manor itself still representing safety and comfort. Maybe sometimes he would twist it into stifling or grossly indulgent, but I think deep in his stomach he would know that distortion was a lie. The Manor was safer than anywhere else, even with his mom.

Those days of rest were long gone. The Pit had done a number on his brain—intensifying and altering his emotions, erasing some old habits and dialing up others, leaving dark chasms where memories should be.

I've seen other fics play with the idea of the trauma of Jason's injuries, death, resurrection, and the Pit all combining to some degree or another to swiss-cheese his brain (a phrase I lovingly borrow from Quantum Leap.) And that of course leaves a bunch of really fun room to play with—how much does Jason know he's missing vs. how much is gone or totally distorted without him even being aware? (Again, another thing I tease out in various fics like N&N.)

It was like someone had jammed a stick in his skull and given his brain a good stir. Or maybe that was just the crowbar. Ha.

I made myself snicker with that one. It's so voiceily Jason but also that ha is so guttural and specific in my head, you all will never know.

He was making progress with his budding criminal empire—splashy progress, as displayed on the crusting cuffs of his sleeves and the splattered toes of his boots, but also more subtle progress, too. The subtle form was harder, so much harder, but he knew its changes would be more permanent, in the long run. Splashy got people talking. Subtle got them bowing.

Jason! Todd! Is! No! Thug! He is smart and cunning and uses violence to make an impact and that's that on that.

And though he’d heard her speak before in the careful neutral of the middle-class, the sounds being beat out of her now were Crime Alley crooked.

I like the idea of Steph and Jason growing up in the same neighborhood. It's not a hill I'd die on, but it makes for some interesting fic.

The girl put up a good fight. She was rough, no finesse, no real training. All knuckles and elbows and feet and knees. He spotted some of the Bat basics pop up in the way she ducked and spun, but she wasn’t lithe like Nightwing or crafty like the Replacement. She was a brawler. And she was losing.

She is who he might have been, without Bruce and Alfred and Dick. A decent fighter, stubborn, willing to brawl it out, but ultimately destined to lose.

It sucked in an abstract way, the way it sucked that someone was going hungry halfway around the world, the way it sucked when a stranger missed his bus. It sucked, but it wasn’t Jason’s problem, and he couldn’t really bring himself to care. B needed to learn to pick up his toys.

Starting with Steph made the most sense to me. She wasn't (and isn't) a member I know super well, with so much of her canon backstory being things I have no interest in, and she's part of the Family but in that awkward "we're maybe siblings but also I have a mom and also I dated one of you too??" ways, so she's got a little bit of distance, for me as a writer and also Jason. She doesn't have the emotional heat of the others. He doesn't hate her, just what she represents. He also doesn't care what happens to her, except—

The knife glinted in the amber streetlight and cast a shadow across the yellow emblem on her chest.

She's not Batman. She's not a Robin. She's Batgirl. And that's a different thing entirely.

Jason knew what they saw when they looked at him. He was big now, broad-shouldered and massive in a way he had only ever dreamed of being as a scrawny, malnourished street kid. His helmet was blood-red and gleaming, its angles sculpted to subtly suggest a skull. And his clothes were still stained with actual blood. He was an Alley myth, a nightmare with more bite than the Bat, because he wasn’t afraid to do real damage. He was death.

Jason Peter Todd is scary smart, and he knows how to make the exact impact he wants.

“I don’t know you, but I know your colors. You’re Ibanescu’s boys.”

I had to google Gotham crime families. I know literally nothing other than the name.

It was one thing to let her get the snot beat out of her. And even if someone else had taken a shot at her, he wouldn’t have minded. But he couldn’t. Not in that suit.

:3

“It’s not about you,” Jason repeated, his voice gravelly and rough. He pointed toward the yellow symbol on her chest, the symbol that, in the world he’d left, the world he remembered, belonged to someone else. “I owe her a debt. And now it’s paid.” Jason was a murderer. A thief. A criminal. A drug lord. He had no illusions as to his own goodness anymore, no hope for redemption or grace. But he had his values, the few precious things that he would not allow. One of those, it seemed, was watch a man restrain and stab a Batgirl while he did nothing.

Someday I'll write more about that. The partner and friend and maybe mentor who was still reeling from trauma and hadn't yet found her way when Jason was snuffed out of existence.

Jason was tired, but the night was just beginning.

So that's where it starts. Jason tired, literally caked with dried blood, stepping in not because of love or hate or curiosity or concern but because he felt he owed a debt to someone else and that debt instead landed on the person in front of him.

[radicaldadood]

It's Not Fair

Pairing: Bayverse!Raph x GN!Reader (platonic), a hint of Bayverse!Leo x Reader (established relationship)

Summary: The bros had a fight. It's nothing unusual. Except this time you decided to show Raph his equal.

Genre: angst with good ending. Sibling love.

Masterlist

"Well if you just listen for once this wouldn't have happened! How many times do you need me to remind you, huh?"

Leo's voice boomed as they all stepped into the lair. Making you flinch, you quickly looked towards their way. Again? You thought worriedly.

You love the brothers. You care deeply for them like your own family. Usually April would be the one who breaks up the fight and it mostly ends up with them retiring to their rooms. But when she's not around you'd take her place. God knows how the situation is handled when none of you are around. Cough cough. The ha'shi.

You marched your step and hurried yourself to the brothers but damned your tiny legs they were too fast. You saw Leo already went to the meditation room. For obvious reasons to keep his mind busy. You saw Donnie making his way to his lab as always to keep himself distracted as well. You know he often got his mind troubled just by witnessing his older brothers fight.

Let's not forget Mikey. Poor guy, he wished he could help but his title stopped him from having that ability. Unlike his brothers, he just slumped himself somewhere in the main room. You just asked him if he's okay and he'd hesitantly reply in return although you already know the full answer to that. You just gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder and went on your way to search for Raph.

Speaking of which, he was the first to vanish. If you remember correctly he stormed off like a kid having diarrhea. But joke aside though, he was obviously pissed. You don't know what came over you to go check up on Raph first but your instinct is never wrong when it comes to these guys.

When you arrived at his door you knocked on it a couple times. You didn't get any response so you knocked again. "Just shoved it back up your ass, Leo! I don't wanna hear it." You heard Raph's muffled growl from the inside. "It's me." You said softly, enough for him to hear you.

Silence filled the air when you heard shuffles in his room before hearing the door being unlocked. You turned the knot and stepped inside. His room was not in the best condition, though you took notice that he's the second to have the cleanest room after Leo.

"What do you want?" He asked annoyingly. He had his back/shell facing you while sitting on his messy bed. "Just wanna check on you, big guy." He scoffed, "Yea? Why don't you check on your boyfriend there? Bet he needs all the attention from his partner right now to suck all his inner demons." You shrugged as you made your way to him, "He can take care of himself." "And I can't?" He cut you off, looking at you from his shoulder.

You stopped your track, keeping his question hanging then he turned back around. You bit your lips trying to think of any comforting words to say to him. He may be the toughest, the biggest brother but you are sure that he's the most sensitive among his brothers. He always kept his emotions guarded. Keeping the reputation he'd say. And you can't exactly argue, it is quite true if you were him.

You sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping your distance to give him as much as space he needs.

"Listen I," you started. "I know I'm not the best at words but I'll try my best to keep you from going on edge." You paused and took a deep breath, "I know you and your brothers had each other's differences but you guys always manage to keep everything in line even when times are tough. I know you had your differences with Leo and it's always gotta be with him ain't it?"

You paused again, cocking your head a bit to search for any kind of disapproval from him. He didn't move so you continue, "I'm not trying to say that he's right all the time, of course not. He makes mistakes too. He cares about his brothers. All he ever wanted is to just keep you guys safe and I'm sure you are too. Y'know, you're not so different from him if you think about it." You smiled when you pointed it out.

You can feel Raph silently disagreeing with your statement so you quickly added, "You guys are like the strongest when it comes to being the brawn. You two had the same sense of humour and sarcasm." You made motions with your hands as you speak to avert the dullness in your speech. "You ever realized when you guys would split up he would choose to partner up with you instead like all the time? He prefers teaming up with you 'cause you guys are the 'A Team', my guy." tilting your head at him as you said those words coyly.

"He needed both brain and brawn. He got the brawn sure but you got extra muscles, that's why he's the brain half the time too. He would've chosen Donnie but he didn't. 'Cause he needed that balance. Balance is key. You guys are like the yin and yang, you know I'm saying?"

Now fully turning to him, not asking for him to return the action. You put your hand on his back/shell. "What I'm trying to say is, you guys are inseparable. All of you. You guys needed each other. I know things not always how you wanted it to be but we'll figure this out together. We always do. Siblings fight, they argue. That's normal. And then the next day you guys will be cool like nothing happens after tea time." You patted his back/shell in comfort as you let out a heavy exhale.

"I just want you to know that, whenever things get heavy, especially for you, don't act like I only care about Leo's well being. You're part of him too. I have to make that count. It's not fair to just let him steal all the attentions and comforts away while he gets to be at peace and you guys don't. Ain't that right?" You give him another pat before hearing a sniff coming from him.

"R-raph?" You stood up from the bed to get a clear look at him. He quickly turned away from you. Practically begging for you to not see him in that state. "H-hey, what's wrong? I'm sorry dude, I didn't mean to.."

He hated being like this, being vulnerable, especially in front of you. His brothers already saw his flaws; he didn't need you to see them too. Who else is going to see him as the tough guy when he already broke down to you? He hated this. Fighting with his brothers and he gets sensitive and then you manage to crack his shell. He hated that.

"No, ding-dong. It's just some stupid dusts in my eyes. It's nasty, go away!" He used his hands to shoo you away. You silently chuckled and passed him the tissue box you fetched from at the corner of his room. He wastes no time grasping it with his giant hand, quickly wiping his tears and blowing his nose.

You helped him by throwing the dirty tissues to the small bin, tidying up his bed and placing his comic books back to its place. You two stayed like this for a while, enjoying each other's silence after he had calmed down.

"You good now, Raph?" You put your hand on his shoulder and give it a comforting stroke. He nodded, "Y-yea. Guess so.." as he had a hard time trying to make eye contact with you. You responded with an assuring nod. "Hey, uh…thanks. For... whatever that was." He rubbed his neck as he said so. You pulled a soft smile. A thanks is always enough for you. You know how hard it is for him to actually admit stuff like that out loud and you appreciate his effort. "Anytime bud. Anytime."

[badlydrawndavekat]

hey internet (ALTERNATIVELY TITLED: GOD FUCKING DAMNIT DAVE.)

CG: WELCOME TO THE BLOG YOU TUMBLR DEGENERATES. CG: THIS IS AN ASK AND ROLEPLAY BLOG DEDICATED TO DAVE AND KARKAT. SO YEAH, THE ASKBOX IS OPEN, JUST DON'T BE WEIRD. TG: hey tumblr girls TG: this was actually my idea im just dragging karkat along kicking and screaming TG: wait dude you arent holding the phone right CG: I AM HOLDING IT CORRECTLY DOUCHENOZZLE. TG: why do you gotta hold it up so high like its your tinder pfp TG: yeah definitely going to pull all the chicks with that flattering angle CG: I AM SO FUCKING CLOSE TO DELETING THIS BLOG YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW. TG: wait nononono karkat how are we going to be the best influencer couple if we cant run an ask blog TG: dont you wanna tell the other straight influencer couples to take a hike TG: because they dont stand a chance against team davekat CG: THAT DOES SOUND VERY TEMPTING YES. CG: NOW PLEASE SHUT YOUR MOUTHHOLE BEFORE THIS INTRO GETS TOO LONG. CG: THIS ACCOUNT IS ONLY RUN BY ONE PERSON (THAT'S FUCKING SAD) AND YOU CAN REFER TO HIM AS MOD KV. CG: HE'S THE ONE THAT WILL BE DRAWING ALL THE SHITTY ART. TG: honestly this intro post is gonna be the highest quality art here CG: YEAH EXACTLY. CG: DON'T BE AFRAID TO DROP ME OR DAVE AN ASK, JUST REMEMBER TO SPECIFY WHO IT'S FOR. OR REQUEST SOME SHITTY (SAFE FOR WORK) DAVEKAT DRAWING I DON'T KNOW. CG: AGAIN, THIS BLOG IS RUN BY ONE PERSON SO NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE ANSWERED. TG: karkat bet me 20 boonbucks that this blog isnt gonna last a month TG: im gonna be proving him so fucking wrong

[snaxewhisper]

I don't have a title for this but it's regarding whether Noé will or will not drink Vanitas blood

I'm sure most people in the case study of Vanitas fandom have agreed on the fact that Noé will, most likely, drink Vanitas blood before he will inevitably die. This short post is just me stating "evidence" regarding the matter.

So, as we all know, Vanitas does not want Noé to drink his blood because he is an archiviste. Makes sense. Besides the fact that it's to keep Vanitas mysterious in general, he himself has stated in an extra chapter (they were discussing the Birthdays of the main cast) that he does not like such information to be revealed to strangers, if I remember correctly. Now, I know that Noé and Vanitas are far from strangers, but it's Vanitas we are talking about here, come on.

Now, I know that in some animanga it's just an artistic choice to have the characters speak about the present as if it's the past, but Mochijun never does something without a reason behind it. So far, I think there have been three occasions where Noé spoke in past tense (of which I only have screenshots of two of them.)

Number one:

the first chapter. It is revealed that Noé will kill Vanitas, but it spoken about as if it happened in the past. Now I know, artistic choice, but hold on.

Number two:

In chapter eleven (I think??) It happened again. Noé is talking about Vanitas passing.

What I am trying to get at, is that the whole story of case study of Vanitas is portrayed from Noé's point of view and it only (or mostly) contains scenes where Noé was present. Except for a few scenes with domi and flashbacks of Vanitas past. Now what do the two of them have in common based on this post? Both are the people Noé has drank or will drink the blood of.

Dominique is obvious and Vanitas just makes sense.

Maybe during Vanitas's "dying breath", Noé thought of what jean-jacques said here

and wanted to remember Vani as best as he could, not wanting to forget him but also wanting to understand him, even (or especially) after his passing.

Or Vanitas thought about it and, deep down, wanted someone to remember his story. The complete story.

Now Imagine Vanitas in Noés arms, slowly dying (maybe bleeding out), Noé viewing Vani's memories and during Vanitas dying breath, Noé whisper his real name. Damn now I made myself sad.

So yea, that's about it I think?? I know this is all pretty obvious, but I still wanted to get it out of my system. Also, I apologize for any grammar mistakes or language errors, it is the middle of the night and english is not my native language.

[floralembarrassment]

So the people have SPOKEN (you know who you are @starman-o7 & @copeing-through-marauders) and because @softgaygothdude made me cry y'all are getting more!

Problems... (2/4)

Regulus took each step slowly, listening to see if he could hear Effie and Monty. He didn't want to eavesdrop, he just wanted to make sure he wasn't interrupting anything important. When he took the last few steps and became visible to the kitchen, he was addressed with a warmth he still wasn't used to.

"Regulus! Come down for a bedtime cuppa have you?" Monty asked as he set the kettle down from which he had just poured for himself.

He looked around the kitchen. Monty leaning against the counter as he fixed up his tea, and Effie was sitting at the table. "Umm, yeah I uh yes please. Thank you." Regulus stuttered quietly, out his eyes lingered on Euphemia.

"Well help yourself," Monty said clearly reading that he wasn't the one Regulus had come down to see. He kissed Effie on the head, "I'll just be heading up to bed darling, I'll see you up there."

Monty smiled at Regulus, who offered a small one back, and he walked up the stairs leaving Regulus alone with Effie. She stood and tipped her head to the kettle, "want me to make it for you, yeah?" She offered but had already started moving to do so.

"Oh you don't have to-"

"It's nothing dear, you have a seat." She said and Regulus did as he was told.

He sat quietly while she made two cups, and Regulus smiled when he watched her make his the way he liked it without even having to ask. When she sat back down, placing a cup each in front of the them, she titled her head and asked in her softest motherly voice, "something on your mind Regulus? Do you need anything?"

Regulus looked down into his tea, hands fiddling around the cup. "Umm, well now that you mention it, I um I'm really sorry but I need some some things for the bathroom..." he couldn't help stumbling over his words. His courage was gone and he was all nerves again.

"Oh of course sweetheart," Effie said. "We can get you anything you need. James mentioned you liked a certain shampoo but I bet we guessed wrong didn't we?"

She was all smiles and ready to solve any problem Regulus had. He couldn't believe it nor did he believe he deserved it. But remembering Sirius' words that she would feel bad if she couldn't take care of him, and while it might be missing the point that he was still going to act in a way to please a maternal figure, he was doing his best.

"No no you did guess correctly. No everything has been great really, it's just that um I was wondering if you had any um any..." and lowering his voice to whisper and leaning in he finished, "any tampons?"

After getting it out, he took a deep breath and looked up at Effie who had a slightly confused looked on her face. "We absolutely can get you some," she said a bit slowly, but still willing to give Regulus anything.

"Don't you want to know why?" Regulus said in shock.

"Only if you want to tell me dear," she said her smile and her eyes were soft, and Regulus couldn't help the tears that slid down his cheeks because he finally found a nice place to land.

Effie opened her arms in a question, and normally Regulus would shy away but right now he was happy to be comforted in a way he didn't know he could ever need.

"So you know that I'm trans?" Regulus whispered into Euphemia's shoulder.

She pulled back and looked at Regulus in the eyes. "I know you as Regulus, a wonderfully smart and thoughtful young man who is much kinder than he believes himself to be," Effie replied.

"So you don't care?" Regulus asked, again allowing his shock to be his courage.

"I only care that you are being taken care off and aren't doing anything dangerous," she explained sitting back down.

Regulus peered at her. He wasn't sure what she meant.

"Regulus I want you to listen to me, if there are things you want help with so you can be who you are, Monty and I will help you get the right care, okay?" She said, somehow simultaneously stern and supportive.

Regulus nodded, and realized he actually believed her. She patted his hand.

"Now, we are going to get you whatever products you need. There's a shop just up the street we can go together so you can tell me which ones you like, alright?" She said, and Regulus smiled.

"Thank you Effie, honestly." Regulus replied.

"Oh sweetheart this is nothing to thank me over. Actually I should be thanking you, because we are also going to get some treats and I have been dying for some chocolates," she said as she grabbed her keys and they walked out to the car.

[thewertsearch]

TG: cant they just TG: tell us what direction its in TG: point a spaceship that way TG: blast off to adventure TT: No. TT: The geometry of the Furthest Ring is too complex. TT: Remember, its spacetime is labyrinthine. TT: In fact, it's not really accurate to call it spacetime at all. TT: Since it is outside the domain of any created universe, where those properties have become instantiated and stabilized.

Time and space are properties of reality - and if I'm understanding Rose correctly, The Furthest Ring is more like the raw material for reality. There's 'stuff' out there that could become reality, if processed correctly - and perhaps that's what Skaia is really doing, when you strip away the smoke and mirrors.

TG: i can kind of get that time is messed up there TG: with like loops and causality paradoxes and shit like that TG: being the knight of time here TG: not really sure why navigating the space would be a problem though

Sounds like what they really need is to get Jade in on this, too - but they can't, because Jade would take one look at this plan and scream.

TG: i thought you werent supposed to know shit about either TG: seeing as youre the seer whatever that means TT: I think it means I'm supposed to know shit about the big picture. TT: Which includes tidbits like that. TT: But the insides of my shoes stay free from the grit of the minutia.

Is Seer an analytical class about knowing shit, with Light relating to the idea of 'the big picture'? Or does Light symbolize knowledge, with Seer as the 'big picture' class?

Or, does 'knowing about the big picture' solely relate to the Seer class, with her Aspect instead influencing how she does that, and she just isn't mentioning how her Aspect ties into it, if at all?

Props to Hussie for managing to drop Title lore in the most maddeningly ambiguous way possible. I can't even be mad - this is the kind of evasive exposition we've come to expect from Act 5 Rose. I don't even think she's trying to be vague here - it's automatic at this point.

TG: ok you fly to it TG: then what TT: That depends on if John is successful.

she's still s-tier tho

TG: ok cool what is it TT: Can you promise you won't tell him? TT: It would probably make him more nervous than he needs to be if he knew. TG: ok i wont say anything TG: just tell me TT: It's a bomb.

Oh my god. She's really going to bomb the Green Sun, isn't she? She-

...well, alright, let's hear the actual plan, first. Then we can freak out.

TT: It is set to detonate precisely when the reckoning ends. TT: This is how long we have to put this plan into motion. TG: what the hell is a bomb doing in there TT: It could be a feature of any session not meant to bear fruit. TT: A means to wipe out a null session rather than leaving it lingering in paradox space for eternity. TT: Or it could be a mutation specific to our session. TT: I really don't know.

Difficult to say. The trolls didn't have one - but then again, they did create their universe, even if they didn't get to officially 'win'.

It's literally called the Tumor, which makes it sound aberrant - but it's a little unclear where that name came from. Rose's research includes Horrorterror intel, so that could be their term for it, or a translation of that term from Horrorspeak.

I think Sburb would garbage-collect failed sessions like this, though. They wouldn't be the first thing it obliterated in the name of cosmic progeny.

This all started with a countdown, and then an explosion.

Maybe to Skaia, it only makes sense that it end with one, too.

[alhaithamhabibi]

( the continuation... yeah i know ineed a better title. It's mainly unedited and turns out my dialogue needs a little work but i'm excited to improve on it for this series. i do plan to come back in the near future and actually work on it in more detail! so once again, take you for your kind words and encouragement to keep me writing more! )

as the wedding procession began and the rings were exchanged, he still had that rigid face and cold manners. he didn't even look at you. and it disgusted you that you fell in love with him in your past life. there was nothing left to redeem him. and it made it much easier for you.

so you played the dutiful bride during the vows, even as you briefly pecked his lips and looked at the cheerful crowd with a charming smile. you still had some dignity left. and you know dion didn't like what you did base on his subtle expressions.

and as the reception party was held, you could feel all eyes on you and dion. some of his family and yours, coming to congratulate and gush about how you both make such a perfect pair. they may smile now and throw around such pretty words but you knew very that in the end, it was they who contributed to your ending. how revolting, you thought smiling so sweetly as you silently took in their empty praises, i'll certainly look forward to their deaths.

in the corner of your eyes, you noticed the head of the agriche household striding arrogantly towards you and dion. your heart clenched as you remember the words of the patriarch when you begged him to save your son, who was all but dying in your arms. tsk, to think that you stepped into this household foolishly without knowing its rules, he lit up a cigarette with a scowl as you desperately tried to stop the bleeding wounds on your child's body, i could see why he took that woman into his bed. she'll be a better wife than you, giving birth to stronger children worthy of the name agriche than this pathetic excuse of a human.

you forced yourself out of those haunting memories and bowed down as lante stopped in front of you and your husband. he didn't even acknowledge you, not to your and anyone's surprise. with merely just a look shared between both men, they left for the other room and you couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief. you need to get used to it but it was rather suffocating in their presence. distinctly, you could the music begin to play.

if you remembered the events correctly, lante was to leave right after his talk with dion. however dion also left you alone without a word to you, leaving you to handle a crowd of hungry predators wanting to devour scandalous gossip.

and if that's what they wanted, you eyed as one of dion's older brothers made his way toward you, you should deliver it well. unlike your last wedding, you will not let yourself be forgotten. you will not be know as dion's neglected wife. let them remember your name since it will be you who will drag them to hell.

you accepted the first dance from his nameless easily forgettable brother, as you took his hand. if it wasn't before, now all eyes are on you. after all, you just ignored the tradition of the husband and wife's first dance by dancing with his brother instead. and it seems the male in front of you also had his agenda as he smirked cockily behind you.

you don't have to turn around to know who it was. especially when it felt like your back was being burned through. hm, you were sure he left around this time, you were puzzled by a certain change, but still, you took advantage of it as you smiled oh so innocently at him as you were twirled around.

it's your fault, husband, you subtly pushed yourself closer to his brother, i'm just returning you the favor. in the past, you loathed the whispers around you. but now, it felt like angels harmonizing beautifully. it's still aimed at you but now you could hear dion's name being dragged out right behind yours. whether it was about another rival in the family or the way he left his wife temporarily only to be snatched up, he'll have to deal with this himself.

and you know dion was certainly fuming internally. he expected a wife who would listen to him and never create a fuss. but you'll never be like that girl again.

finally, the song finished to your relief. just as you were about to leave, your dance partner dared to bring your hand onto his lips. great, now you were gonna have to take an extra long bath after this, you groaned internally, who let men have the audacity to do this? and it happened all too quickly.

the sound of a sword being unsheathed next to you, the blood staining your hands and your wedding dress, and a head rolling away somewhere. distantly, you could hear the guest's fearful screams and someone throwing up the contents of their stomach. it was chaos all around you and yet, you couldn't move an inch. your eyes still staring at the spot your dance partner formerly stood. and now there was merely a headless body.

and the very same man who had just sliced off the head cleanly had only calmly walked over the body, just in front of you. you couldn't look at him as fear forced your body to stay still.

my wife, dion placed his first two fingers on your chin so that you may look up to him. yet even then, you refused to as you looked past his shoulder. your eyes on the ceiling with such an empty gaze, refusing to satisfy him. let this be a warning of the consequences if you keep continuing these sorts of actions.

his words only added gasoline to the burning flames for hatred and revenge.