#I am a shark. if I stop moving I will die.

[essektheylyss]

I definitely could've watched this series at a reasonable pace but instead I watched five episodes of acoc today and have four episodes left to watch tomorrow and I will be finishing it all by 4pm, goddammit.

[leadendeath]

have u ever hurt urself from stimming while happy

[lilac-melody]

I hate nights like tonight

[setaripendragon]

So I'm still on this daemon AU kick, and I can't stop thinking.

What are the limits?

It's generally accepted that a daemon is an animal representation of the soul, right? So, you know, we've got birds and mammals and reptiles and insects.

But what about fish?

Obviously there's an issue here of, you know, environment, and if your soul literally can't survive in the air while you literally can't survive in the water, there's a problem.

But, hey, if it's small enough, you could have a little fishbowl for your daemon to live in. Hamster ball, but filled with water, rolling along at your heels. Fishtank on wheels that get tricked out like dudebros soup up their car. And maybe, if you're from a particularly sea-faring culture/lifestyle a water-bound mammal like a dolphin or an orca could make sense. And then there's things like sharks, which have so much symbolism attached to them that it seems a real shame to have to rule them out. (Someone who's particularly driven or ambitious having a daemon that would literally die if it stopped moving is a bit of symbolism I'm going a bit feral for, tbh.)

I think we have to rule out the deep sea creatures, unfortunately. Fishbowls and/or living on a boat wouldn't really solve the problem of pressure, and someone with a blobfish daemon would, uh... be in trouble.

And if we're talking about things that can't survive in the same atmosphere as humans, what about internal parasites? Like flatworms. I think it's safe to say that having your daemon parasitizing your intestine kind of defeats the purpose of having an external manifestation of your soul, but... There are species of flatworm that aren't parasites, so... do we just rule out all flatworms, or are the non-parasitic ones okay?

And speaking of flatworms, what about size? I've read some fun stories that deal with the issues that might come from having, say, an elephant daemon. It's not quite as dramatic as the issues of having an aquatic daemon, but actually, similar adjustments would have to be made to your living situation to cope. But, of course, it could be done and I don't think anyone's trying to rule out animals on account of how big they are, but I think it's safe to say that microscopic daemons are out for the same reason that internal parasites have to be.

There's a nice solid rule I can settle on; a daemon has to be a visible animal.

And, in point of fact, I think it's safe to say it has to be an animal. We can rule out trees and plants and even fungi.

So what about coral?

It's an animal, and if we are allowing for some aquatic daemons, then should coral be an option? Or are its vibes too plant-like to qualify? Do we rule out sessile animals like we ruled out microscopic ones? As much as I find the idea of a coral daemon absolutely hilarious, I am going to come down on the side of animals that are too much like plants are a no.

So a daemon has to be a visible, mobile animal.

But what about the ones that only move very slowly? I don't think we're ruling out sloths, but in the continuing vein of torturing myself considering various aquatic daemons, there's starfish and sea urchins and hell, even most bivalves can move at least a little, right? (Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't done that research yet.) And there's a lot of fun symbolsim to be had, there, I think.

And what about extinct creatures?

I think it's safe to say that mythical creatures are a no-go, unless this is a 'verse where those animals are real, (oh, boy wouldn't that confuse people in a world like HP where most people think dragons and unicorns aren't real, but people still wander around with dragon and unicorn daemons) so we can ammend our rule to visible, mobile, real animals, but could we go so far as extant?

If yes, that would have interesting world-building implications. Where's the cut-off point? Can we rule out dinosaurs because we don't/didn't have enough information for a daemon to settle into a form that wouldn't be technically mythical? But then, what about animals that go extinct within human history? What about all the people who had mammoth daemons or dodo daemons as those animals were dying out.

Would conservationists study daemon statistics to see if an animal has really gone extinct? Would an animal's extinct status get over-turned when a kid's daemon settled into that form? Honestly, I like this enough that I've convinced myself that, at least barring some very unique circumstances, extinct animals are not allowed.

So, it has to be a visible, mobile, extant animal. That can exist in proximity to humans.

Oh, and should probably add; visible, mobile, extant, and non-sapient.

You can't have a human daemon, or an elf or a dwarf or a fairy daemon even if they exist in that world, and if this is a 'verse with dragons who're more than just exotic magical animals, you can't have a dragon daemon. (Obviously, if your fairies are more like magical bugs than tiny people, then fairies would be a valid daemon.)

...I'm still on the fence about whether a daemon should have to be air-breathing or not. That kind of rule would still leave marine mammals available for the fun world-building of how people adapt to that kind of handicap. (...Do you think people with aquatic daemons would be considered disabled? Oooh, what about people with really big daemons? I mean, presuming such a thing is comparatively rare, people probably wouldn't be building schools with a mind to allowing elephants or giraffes to wander the corridors.)

Disclaimer! This is for my own creative process, and not intended to limit anyone else's creative flair. And, honestly, I'd love to hear other people's takes on what does and doesn't qualify for a daemon.

[a-998h]

Welcome to Hell

Hello @bloobewy, I hope you enjoy this!

TW: reader does "die" at some point but doesn't stay dead technically Reader also gets stabbed in the hand

Clicking Keep Reading means you've read and understand the trigger warning.

I missed the bus, great, I say with as much sarcasm as possible. It was hot, and my body was already a natural heater, and school is draining. Lucky me, the house isn't to far from the school, so walking is still an option. To make the walk less unbearable, I put on my favorite playlist.

After 10 minutes of walking, I reach a crosswalk. Pushing the button, I wait for the sign to change. Once the sign goes from hand to person, I step onto the crosswalk. Having already checked left and right, I thought I would be fine.

I didn't hear it... and that damn truck didn't see me either. I didn't hear anything, but I felt everything. The music cut off, and my body was in so much pain. Why, why is everything fading? I can hear sirens, and begging, and people. Blood... I see and smell blood. I try to turn my head, but I can't. I can't move at all.

"What's happening?" I mumble.

Soon, my vision goes black and I hear a voice. It's a woman's voice, full of warmth and authority.

"Your time has come child, we cannot wait to meet you," I hear her say.

The voices of the people becomes more muffled, and the pain starts to go away. The darkness takes over my vision until I can't see anything. I don't feel the pain, or roughness of the road. I feel nothing at all, like I'm floating. There is nothing in my view but inky darkness, so... This must be how I die. This isn't an isekai, so I'm not gonna go to a fantasy world, I'm just going to die.

I was so bad, fighting, yelling, and being a jerk to people who want to help me. Now, dad is gonna lost his only when they didn't even make it to adulthood.

"I'm sorry dad... I'm so sorry," I say in my head.

It's not fair, first mom abandoned me and dad and now I'm gonna die. Why couldn't I just make it to adulthood? Whatever, I can't change things now. I just wish I had another chance. I see my tears floating in the inky darkness. I don't know why I'm crying, but it feels well deserved right now. As I cry, my eyes closed and I finally feel at peace.

I hear a whistling near my ears, and the feeling of wind? My eyes shot open and I see myself falling. The sky above me is red, and is that a clock tower with an hourglass in it?

it's clear I'm going to crash into the ground of a city, but I have no idea where the fuck I am. Things are in ruins, and I don't seem to be stopping. I scream in fear as I pulpit towards the ground, I just died and I have no idea where the fuck I am!

"Is that a blimp with a ray gun?" I ask myself as I see steampunk blimp of supervillain proportions blast at the ground.

There is a loud smack sound as I hit the ground, and I'm, surprisingly, not in pain. I look myself over, and something is wrong with my hands. They're stained red, not like gloves or splatter, but it's like an ombre.

"Well that's not normal, and where the fuck am I?" I ask myself.

Standing up I rush towards a shop window, and look at my reflection? It has my hair color and style, skin color, eye color, height, but it has a pair of white wings , my hands have the ombre of red, and there is a pair of jagged horns like a four horned ram on my head. I back away from the window and start walking in a random direction.

No one here looks normal, so look like anthropomorphic animals, full animals, of a mix of human and object. Thees people range in size and shape, like normal, but they clearly don't look normal. Walking past the werid people here, a few give me looks that range from confusion, to fear, to cruel. Trying to ignore seems to be my best hope. As I keep walking, I see a bunch of people who look like different types of sharks. They spot me, and I hear them mumbling, before getting close to me.

They introduce themselves and immediately invade my personal space. They keep talking about an extermination, which confuses and worries me. One wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer, to him. Scared, I try to get away but they won't let me. Well, I'm probably doomed. Swinging my head around, I mange to hit the two shark guys near me in the face. Using th distraction, I run for my life as I hear them yelling after me.

Looking for a place to hide, I duck into a crowd in front of a shop window. It's showing a pale skinned blond woman in a pale red suit jacket, wearing a bowtie with yellow eyes. Next to her is a second pale skinned blonde woman with a creepy smile, soulless red eyes, and shoulder pads. Creepy smile lady calls suit lady, Charlotte, to which suit lady corrects it to Charlie. As I watch, something Charlie says catches my attention.

"As princess of Hell," I hear Charlie say.

Hell, holy shit I'm in fucking Hell! I can't pull my eyes away from the screen, but I have a hard time paying attention to what Charlie is saying. She keeps singing about something called, the Happy Hotel, and how it'll be a place to rehab sinners. Sounds crazy to me, but I'm not the princess of Hell. As people laugh at her idea, I feel a bit more hopeful.

"Seems like the safest place here," I mutter to myself.

This Happy Hotel seems cool, but I have no idea where it is. I scan the screen looking for an address but I can't find one. Annoyed I do my best to avoid people. Looking up at the red sky, I see the clock tower and a large hill with a building on top. I figured the building on the hill is the Happy Hotel. I hear noises from the TV, but I dont care at this point. I just want a safe place to be, but this is Hell so safe isn't really an option. Walking towards the hill some crazy looking dog frankstein's monster woman grabs me.

"Hand over your wallet!" She demands.

I have no wallet to speak of, so I tell her I can't. I'm so close to a safe haven and now I'm being mugged, this day gets worse by the hour. She keeps demanding my non existent wallet, and I keep telling her I don't fucking have a wallet to give her! She starts foaming at the mouth, and I see her brandish a knife. Backing away, I pray she doesn't do anything. But, they go unanswered as she stabs me in the hand before stomping away.

I walk the rest of the way, my shirt covered in blood as I use my shirt to try and stop the bleeding. Reaching the hotel, the sign says Hazbin Hotel but I could care less what it's called. Knocking on the door, I'm greeted with a grayish-lavender skinned lady wearing a bright red hair bow We stare at each other for a bit.

"Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel, my name is Vaggie and you are?" She asks.

"Y/N, my name is Y/N," I tell her.

I swear I see an unknown emotion flashing across her face. She opens the door wider, and I walk in and sit on the couch.

She looks at my hand and offers to bandage it up. I thank her and she tells me it's not a problem. Once she's done, I hear an excited squeal. Turning towards the noise I see Charlie, minus her jacket, looking at me with a smile. She introduces herself and asks If I'm going to stay at the hotel. I nod and say that was my plan. Her smile grows as she asks me my name and how old I am since I looked young. When I tell her I'm a teenager, her smile drops. She looks at me, then kneels down to hug me. I tell her it's ok, and she seems to get slightly better. Grabbing my uninjured hand she points to the other demons and tells me their names.

"Over there is Angel Dust, he's another guest," she says, pointing to a fluffy spider demon.

Said demon looks at me, waves and tries to flirt. Charlie scolds him and says to not flirt with me as I'm a child. He looks at me and laughs, complimenting me for, "a good fucking joke." I tell him it's not a joke and he asks how a kid ended up in Hell. I say I was hit by a truck, and that seems to satisfy him.

"Oh, and this is our bartender Husk!" Charlie exclaims as she gestures to a cat demon in suspenders and a top hat.

I wave to him and he just gives me and unamused look as he drinks from what's probably a bottle of some kind of alcohol. Charlie then gestures to a short red haired woman in an equally red poodle skirt running after a roach with a comically large sewing needle.

"That's our housekeeper Niffty," Charlie says.

I just watch Niffty try to stab the roach, not wanting to end up stabbed agian because I interrupted the werid housekeeper. I turn my head and see a tall man dressed all in red, he has deer ears and a staff the looks like an old fashioned mircophone. I nervously wave to him, and he walks over. Charlie gestures to him and say he's Alastor, the hotel's facilities manager. He gives off an aura of authority and power that sacred me. He holds his hand out, silently askign for a handshake, I follow the silent order.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear. This run down hotel will surely feel more like home with your youthful energy," Alastor says, his voice sounding like it's coming from a radio.

Charlie looks back at me, still with a warm smile on her face, and grabs my shoulders. She promises me that I'll love it at the hotel, and that I'll get to Heaven in no time. I shrug and nervously say thank you, this makes her smile more, if it's even possible. Holding my hands she looks me straight in the eyes. Something feels deranged about her, but I don't know how to place it. All I know is, I'm stuck in Hell with it's princess and her friends. But, I could be worse off than here.

"You're going to love it here! Welcome to Hell, Y/N!" Charlie joyously says.

[jadeleechsupportgroup]

Envenomate

azul's diet includes salad dressing and the blood of his enemies.

azul x reader

cw: mild blood, biting

also on ao3

gift for @boundlessentity 🐙🧡

1

“I learned some cool stuff in bio today.”

Azul glances up at you as he takes a bite of his salad. “Hm?” He has too many manners to talk with his mouth full.

You have a habit of eating much faster than him. Probably why you get the hiccups so often. But hey, food is meant to be enjoyed. “Yeah, like, all octopi have venom in their spit.”

He chuckles and dabs at his mouth with a napkin, then takes a sip of water. “‘Octopi’ is not a word.”

You scoff at him. “That’s your takeaway? First of all, language snobbery is classist. Second, I will die before I use ‘octopuses’ as a noun on purpose. I will accept ‘octopods’ as a compromise but it’s on thin ice.”

He merely smiles into his glass of wine. “What else did you learn?”

“Uhhhh.” You glance up at the ceiling like the air overhead holds the answers. “You don’t actually have tentacles, just arms?”

“Correct. I do, in fact, have arms.”

“Shut up. Also you could get eaten by a shark.”

“So could you.” He spears the last few leaves of arugula on his fork and swirls them through the lemon pepper vinaigrette. One of Vil’s recipes that probably cost him one of his eight (ten?) arms. “This does not sound like a terribly informative class.”

“Can we go back to the poisonous spit?”

“Venomous.”

“Whatever. Does your therapist tell you you deflect this much?” You take the last two pieces of bread and load them up with olive oil and salt.

“I am merely ensuring you do not commit false information to memory.” He repeats the napkin-and-water-sip ritual. “For something to be poisonous means that it causes damage by being ingested, inhaled, absorbed, things of that nature. Eating a puffer fish, for example.” His eyes take on a different cast as he gazes at you, though he rests his chin atop his hands with his elbows on the table, a tiny concession to the side of himself with fewer manners. “Venom, in contrast, is injected into the victim, as it must enter the bloodstream to work. Merely touching it poses no danger, assuming no other toxins with adverse effects are present, or the surface is not already compromised.”

You just sort of blink at him. “Is it, um…like…has it touched me?” One hand hovers over your mouth as your fight-or-flight response helps you vividly imagine what it would be like for your face to go numb with a deadly neurotoxin. He wouldn’t do that.

Though the hunger in his expression suggests otherwise. You really wish he would quit this diet nonsense.

“Perhaps.” Another laugh ripples out of him. The sound makes it feel like you’re underwater even though you’re in the dining room. “What would you do if I said yes?”

You have the abrupt, terrifying mental image of him climbing onto the table and crawling towards you, knocking all the plates to the floor, licking his lips and holding you captive with too many arms, watching you squirm until he bites you and you can’t move anymore.

Then his face lightens and he laughs cheerfully. “I am joking, my love. Besides…you would have noticed.” Another smile, another sip of wine and then water. Vil said it helps to cleanse the palate of any lingering acidity to preserve one's smile.

How reassuring. “This diet is messing with your head.” You aim your bread at him. “You need more protein.”

He has taken to running one finger around the rim of the wine glass, sending a whine through the air. “Perhaps you are right.”

You wish he would stop looking at you like you’re the protein.

Dating Azul Ashengrotto should have been frightening for reasons that mostly did not involve the man himself.

His line of work, somewhat. His clientele, certainly. But him? He had always treated you differently. Protective. Gentle. Sweet, even, though nobody would believe you for it. What he saw in you must have been special, because you had nothing to offer that would be of any measurable value in return. And not once has he roped you into a client’s contract or put you in danger.

The hell with it. You stand and go around to his side of the table to give him your favorite kind of hug, where you drape your arms over his shoulders from behind and bury your face in his luxuriant hair. He hums contentedly and lays one hand over the point where your arms cross, near what you are pretty sure is the space between his second and third hearts. His other hand finds your hair in return.

“You smell nice,” you mumble.

“You are much too kind.” He turns around in his chair enough to look at you, close enough to kiss but not actually doing it. His eyes drop to your mouth before moving back to meet your gaze. “And much, much too good for me.”

At least he does finally kiss you after all. And it doesn’t even taste like salad dressing.

{1} | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

[d20brainrot5]

I've seen a few people point out that it doesn't really make sense for the Sirens to be able to drown

Given the Sirens in Epic are likely the mermaid version as opposed to the bird women, it doesn't add up that creatures who live in the sea could drown.

However, I am here to make this part so much worse for the Sirens and make Odysseus seem all the more monstrous.

So you know lobsters? (This relates, I promise)

Lobsters are actually functionally immortal, with the main requirements for them to live being to molt, eat, don't get eaten, and breath.

However, in the wild, Lobsters will usually encounter many health threats, such as barnacles, which hinder their ability to do one or more of those things. Most commonly, the inability to molt is the cause of death in lobsters.

They aren't really immortal, as the older they get, the harder is is for them to molt. They lose the energy to molt properly, and end up just sitting on the ocean floor until they die.

Now, as far as we know, Sirens don't need to molt. So what does this have to do with anything?

Well, most aquatic creatures have similar requirements for life: Eat, breath, and don't get eaten.

Now what happens if said creature can't move?

You may know that sharks can't stop moving or they won't be able to breathe. They need the movement to help cycle oxygen through their gills, or else they will die.

And you may have heard about sea creatures who lost the energy to move and died, seemingly by drowning. Now, animals who breathe under water can't exactly drown like humans can, but they can end up unable to move, unable to hunt, and therefore, unable to eat.

What does this mean?

Well, Odysseus tells the crew to cut off the siren's tails, effectively destroying any movement they have. Since they can no longer swim, they can't hunt, or out-swim predators.

Additionally, they are likely still bleeding out when they are thrown back into the water, which will either kill them by blood loss, or it will attract a predator to kill them.

Tl;dr: the sirens won't technically drown. What they will do, is bleed out, starve, or be eaten by a predator.

And Odysseus does this to them seemingly without remorse.

[paingoes]

Destroyer is afk

(Masterlist)

another sherbet colored update. i really love simulating internet speech in writing i think its so fun

(Content: death mention, past trauma, self loathing, comfort??)

=======================

no posts in a month its over

they got him omg </3

Did indy fucking die?

RIP INDY

ndhakdvsnnd: can you guys stop saying that im dead  ndhakdvsnnd: also no more leaks until further notice. stop asking.

sunspot: Hey you don’t have to talk to us if you don’t want to but can you please give us some indication you’re still alive? 

sunspot: We’re really worried.

katkittykat: omg look at this video :3

katkittykat: have u ever seen a shark move like that in all ur life that shit is so crazy

katkittykat: hey where have u been lololol

katkittykat: are u mad at me :c

katkittykat: if its somethin i did can we talk abt it ??? 

katkittykat: okk ur making me nervous 

katkittykat: OH SHIT UR BACK

katkittykat: WTF

ndhakdvsnnd: hey sorry 

katkittykat: bro where did u go!!!! D:

ndhakdvsnnd: had to travel somewhere i couldnt bring my laptop

katkittykat: im rlly glad ur ok! 

ndhakdvsnnd: do you want me to send you the next batch

katkittykat: uhh yea only if ur up to it. whenever ur ready :3c

ndhakdvsnnd: i can do it now

katkittykat: ty sweetness

katkittykat: sunny wants u to answer him lol hes having an aneurysm xD

ndhakdvsnnd: okay

ndhakdvsnnd: hi

sunspot: Hey! 

ndhakdvsnnd: kitty said you wanted to talk to me

sunspot: Yes I wanted to know if you were okay because we hadn’t heard from you in a while

ndhakdvsnnd: obviously

sunspot: ?

sunspot: Why is that obvious?

ndhakdvsnnd: how would i be typing if i wasnt okay

sunspot: That doesn’t even make sense ?

sunspot: I assumed if you were offline for a month it was because you were either upset or in danger

ndhakdvsnnd: maybe i just have a day job to worry about

sunspot: In that case it would’ve been nice to receive some kind of warning so we wouldnt think you were hurt 

ndhakdvsnnd: i didnt have time

sunspot: You didn’t have time to type one sentence?

ndhakdvsnnd: okay im sorry

sunspot: Look I’m not trying to lecture you Im just saying we were concerned and I wanted to make sure you were alright.

ndhakdvsnnd: okay

sunspot: Everything’s really okay then? Nothing happened?

ndhakdvsnnd: i dont want to talk about it

sunspot: Alright.

sunspot: You know we care about you right?

ndhakdvsnnd: i didnt send a warning because i didnt know i was leaving until the last minute i didnt go by choice

ndhakdvsnnd: thanks for attacking me over it as soon as i got back though 

sunspot: Does it seem like I’m attacking you? 

ndhakdvsnnd: yes kind of

sunspot: I’m sorry then. I didn’t mean to.

ndhakdvsnnd: okay

sunspot: Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?

ndhakdvsnnd: i am just sad okay i am already getting yelled at all the time  i dont need to get it from you too 

ndhakdvsnnd: sorry this is stupid ill shut up

sunspot: No it’s okay! If you’re upset you can tell me that’s what I was messaging you about in the first place I had the feeling something was wrong

ndhakdvsnnd: are you sure

sunspot: Yes positive

ndhakdvsnnd: i just dont like feeling like everyone is disappointed or mad at me all the time i dont know 

ndhakdvsnnd: it would be one thing if i deserved it but i dont know i have been really really trying lately and it doesnt work and it makes me feel bad

ndhakdvsnnd: but i kind of deserve to feel bad so i dont know 

ndhakdvsnnd: im tired

sunspot: Why do you think you deserve to feel bad?

ndhakdvsnnd: a lot of reasons 

sunspot: I don’t think you deserve it.

ndhakdvsnnd: you dont know me though

ndhakdvsnnd: you wouldnt like me if you knew me 

sunspot: Well what I do know about you now is that you are risking your life and sanity to provide us information to help people.

sunspot: Just based on that I don’t think you deserve to feel so bad about yourself.

sunspot: I think the people you’re around are probably really hard on you and its affecting the way you see yourself.

ndhakdvsnnd: im sorry

sunspot: Why are you saying that?

ndhakdvsnnd: i dont know

ndhakdvsnnd: is it okay if i go to bed now 

sunspot: Goodnight! We can talk later if you’re up for it?

ndhakdvsnnd: okay gn

[halliescomut]

Love Sea Ep 2 Watch Along

I am a couple days late because migraines suck, but I'm finally sitting down to watch ep 2. I'm gonna try to gives some first inpressions here, but we'll see how we go.

-Opening shot and I accidentally caught crew in the back of the boat. Hehe...whoops. Can't always catch that.

-When he says "what this man's sex taste like" does he mean literally or figuratively??? Like...I'm just not sure if it's wonky translation, or ???

-Okay, but the way Mut put's their legs together, but keeps their torso's apart....like touching, but not invading Rak's space....that's kinda hot.

-I do come from a seafood family, literally my maternal grandparents ran a seafood restaurant for over a decade, but I'm not a seafood person, so I kinda feel like the food stuff is going over my head.

-Like...I knew it was gonna happen, but I'm still blushing so hard. That eye contact is DANGEROUS.

-Peat's muscles!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!

-Literally Rak is so cranky that he hurt himself and cut off sexy time. His grumpy face.

I love Mook so much. I would die for her, she's so precious.

Are those generic baby shark bandaids??

I love how quickly Rak takes advantage of the loophole Mut presents him with. He immediately is like "you are correct, this is not my bed, let's bang!" (Also I fucking loved this line in the trailer. It's quippy, it's clever, Fort delivers it so well. Perfection.)

I mean...if your gonna engage in sexy time on the beach...oral would be your best option, so....

Jesus with the leg over the shoulder....goddamn.

Those hips are moving quite a lot Rak, be careful with Mut, you don't want to break him.

The mouth wipe.....I'm dying. I will say the timing was a bit fast there at the end, but like...legit portrayal of oral, and not just vaguely refering to it is new in Thai BL, so props for that. (Also it was one of my bingo squares. Yay me.)

I was predicting the whole "I'm inspired, we gotta go back to my room right now", but that did not stop it from being funny as hell.

Is Tongrak basically Mame's self-insert?? I just thought about this, bc they used the MMY logo for the fake website, probably just so they didn't have to bother with getting a non-copywritten one, or pay to use a real one, but like I just thought about this, since he's a writer who writes Y-Series, and part of what P'Vie does (I'm pretty sure) is make them into shows.... fascinating to consider.

We do see the cover for The Boy Next World, both the BN one and the orignal manga-style one...interesting.... As well as the cover for Love Director, which is one of the novels directly related to the LITA side of the Mame-verse....also interesting.

Rak's fake insta is hot. I tell you what, Mame shows got their issues, but costuming is pretty much always on point.

Okay so P'Vie is an actress...still involved with Rak's shows, but not the director I guess.

I really do get distract by how pretty Peat's eyes are.

Okay, Though he was just showering, but then I saw the motion... the blushing begins again. (Look I know I've written smut, and I watch BL, but I'm still Ace, so a lot of times my reaction is very Edwardian noble lady. I'm sorry!)

No, but I paused it to write that last sentence and the look on Rak's face!!!!

Rak is very bite-y. It suits his character, really. I Like it.

That was....very athletic.

I have thoughts about the sex scene. I'll save those for the 'Thoughts' post though.

I do think it's funny that Rak is so disturbed because the sex was good. That's funny.

Side note, I know this is an adult show, it includes a lot of adult themes, but somehow the Hallmark Movie-ness of Mame's shows makes it feel very weird when people cuss. Like, it feels odd for Rak to say Fuck there. It somehow just gives the vibe of 'see how grown-up we are with the cussing'. IDK if that makes sense, or if anyone else feels that way.

Mook's reaction to the forehead kiss is so cute, but P'Vie's got two episodes to get her act together, or I'm gonna start to dislike her.

I still don't remember the name of Mut's friend (I'm sorry) but I do think he's very funny. The actor is doing a very good job.

I know IRL, I would hate the entitledness/possessive-ness of Rak, but that was kind hot.

I love how amused Mut is by Rak. It's one of the things that feels like Fort peeking through tbh.

Oops...none of us did consider that a considerably long motorbike ride the day after some pretty vigorous back door sex may not be the best idea. But also, I feel like this is part of why prep/aftercare is important, and they (meaning BLs) should focus on it more. Like it's wouldn't fix everything, but it would help.

Oh, I really do like Mut's friend...who's name is Palm....I will try to remember.

I doubt this was Mame's intention, but I do appreciate the discussion of how franchised tourism can be harmful to local residents.

Sweet Mut so shy about taking genuine compliments. That's so cute.

Oh I'm familiar with that kind of manufactured flippancy when it comes to speaking about family ties that have been broken.... there be trauma there mateys.

God I have a lot of incomplete thoughts about this scene. I'm gonna have to rewatch and break it down later.

Oh, Rak is 100% a self-insert.

I do wonder when we're gonna get more info regarding that first thought about escaping though. It feels like Rak is trying to keep things surface level, but is accidentally revealing more than he intends.

I respect the attempt to get info out of Kom. I also respect Connor for not giving any.

I'm excited for the diving and underwater shots, but Rak--why the fuck are you wearing a small fortune in high-end designer jewelery for that?? like, leave that shit in your room dude.

Also, I've officially decided I love Palm and his doofus-energy. I will now protect him with my life.

God Bless Wetsuits! Amen!!

Sir what the fuck are you doing???? If this were a different couple I'd say Rak is well on his way to a spanking.

But also, this is so pretty,

Flashback!!! Yes, another bingo box, but also...why do drama parents always break up directly in front of their kids?

There's a metaphor happening about not diving alone and the flashbacks and reconciling his traumas in relation to love/trusting men (in a romantic way)....my brain is too stupid to make a cohesive explanation, but it's there.

I love the way Mut just looks at Rak... like it's fascinating how much Fort is able to portray with his gaze. I thought that during LITA, but it's confirmed here. Because, yes the longing/loving gaze is alive and well, but you can see the concern, the confusion, even the questioning that's happening. It's wild.

Well that's all for the episode. I'll probably rewatch tomorrow and thry to organize my thoughts into something vaguely cohesive, but no promises. Despite the very swift jump into the sex, we got a lot of insight today, into to both of them really.

[blue-b-bro]

Izzy and the candles

(kinda about Izzy's arc)

So I’ve finally sat down and looked closely into the candle scenes and after analyzing them, I’ve came to the conclusion, that they’re about the state of Izzy’s feeling towards Ed, how he deals with them. (if you have other ideas please share)

Let’s look at the scenes, shall we? (it's Izzy's POV, not what I think about his actions)

S1e3:

- He's not interested in meeting. - What? - 🕯️I explicitly told him… Blackbeard desired his company.

- But does he know who I am?

- Seemed to, yeah.🕯️ - And still, he said no. - You can "go suck eggs in hell" was his response, I believe. - Fascinating.

Why at that moment? Well, I think he didn’t lie, or at least he didn’t think he did. So he’s not punishing himself or anything. It’s about the whole conflict in s1: Izzy desires Ed’s company, wants Ed to desire his company. Izzy thinks, he knows Ed, but it turns out, he doesn’t know him so well.

He’s burning his hand by getting too close, just like his possessiveness ultimately only hurts him and Ed in the process. His feelings are so intense it’s actually destructive.

S1e7:

“🕯️Bonnet comes along, and he's like, "Oh, Oh, Blackbeard, I really love... I love the way you dress. I love the way your hair, your beard, and all that." I tell ya, I would've ripped his fuckin' head off. And I would have had him, too, I would have had him…🕯️”

And what is he doing just after that? Making a deal with the English. Proving that his selfish desire only makes it worse for both of them: Ed leaves him, Izzy made him work for the king.

S2e5:

Now, we need context. After Ed’s visit in s2e2 Izzy realized, that his selfish actions harmed not only him, but actually Ed too. That he was actively helping Ed kill himself, that Ed expected him, to just go with the plan, because he was his boss. That he was a bad first mate, because he almost killed his captain instead of protecting him, and that his way of love was bad, because it made Ed so miserable. So he metaphorically killed his old self (by trying to actually do it), stopped Ed, freed from his orders, and saved the crew.

He kept it mostly together until the crew was saved by Stede and then, there was nothing for him to do, no use for him. He may have did that big gesture to become his new self, but that didn’t erase his regrets. He felt responsible for Ed’s state, felt it was his fault for not doing his job, for making Ed hate him, for being useless, everything mixed in one miserable mess. He expected the crew to just let him die from overdrinking, because why would they care? They’re safe now, they have Stede. When the crew made him the new leg, he decided to give himself a second chance, stops drinking and tries to find a way to be of use (see? He didn’t get over it at all)

In e5, right after Ed’s apology (“And whatever that nasty, dark stuff was that brought us here, it's in the past. Which is all I want to say, at the end of the day, is we're trying to move the culture forward.”) he starts whittling the shark. The whole episode is about moving on, but Izzy doesn’t do that. He just buries his feelings deeper.

“Well, this is a pirate ship and I'm a pirate, so, yeah. I'm good with it.” He tells himself that that’s how it is, just like Archie said: “They get away with it and we move on”. Izzy doesn’t expect any apology, doesn’t think he deserves any, but he’s still hurt, he’s still unmoored, without any clear direction in life.

- So this is where all my candles went. And you've used the good ones. - Yep. I'm having to relearn the basics with one leg. [🕯️] - The basics? I think my basics might be a bit more basic than your basics. Actually, it recently occurred to me that... - That you know nothing? That you're a shitty Captain, yeah? - I don't know about that. But Blackbeard did say he credited you with a lot of his skills. - Yeah, well, Blackbeard says a lot of things. But what did he say about me specifically? - Well, specifically, he said you taught him everything he knows. Made him the Captain he is today. Perhaps I could learn at the feet of one of the greats. - Foot. - Oh, yes, foot. Sorry. - Ya know, maybe I could teach even you a thing or two.

“I'm having to relearn the basics with one leg.” He’s basically saying he’s starting anew. He decided to forget the past, to kill his feelings for Ed, all that hurt and sorrow and guilt, just move on.

“Don't know what you're talkin' about. A shark did this. Dangling my legs over the side of the ship. Served me right, too.” It was all his own fault, so he doesn’t need any apology. It was to be expected, so there’s no need to feel hurt or betrayed.

S2e8:

Izzy was telling himself it was his fault he got treated like that by Ed, it was just how pirate’s life worked, everything's fine, but at the same time Stede was happy, grateful and nice to him all episode, showing him, that no, it doesn’t have to work like that, it didn’t have to work like that. His relationship with Ed didn’t have to look like it looked, he could have had better relationship with Ed, if only he let him.

In e6 he’s drinking again.

they both know it’s not about the weather. it’s about Ed’s feelings, Ed feeling it was all too nice and something has to go bad eventually. And Izzy’s on his new track, trying to keep Ed in this better place, the one he so desperately tried to get him out of in s1. He now knows his relationship with Ed and Ed’s life was so miserable because of him, and he tries to fix it, to help Ed get rid of bad habits.

Izzy probably didn’t know how to respond, having mixed feelings about it since he was all about how it was his own fault and Ed apologizing actually contradicts it, forcing Izzy to acknowledge his suffering that he so strongly tried to repress.

“Turn the poison into positivity” it’s kinda like a response to s1e5 where Izzy was opposed/shocked by open culture on the Revenge and now, knowing his old ways were wrong he actually stops, asks what’s that about and tries himself. Izzy sings about looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses, and I think it’s about him wishing Ed and Stede well.

Izzy decided to focus on helping Ed and Stede in their relationship. He realized he was the reason for Ed’s unhappiness, it was him, who made him worse by trying to keep him to himself, and so his own feelings don't matter. His feelings for Ed don't matter, his love doesn't matter, and that’s why he’s all helpful, but at the same time looks tired. After Ed leaves Stede, Izzy finds him at the bar, (always with Stede when Ed isn’t around). He tells him he thinks they’re good for each other, comforts Stede, is ok with talking about their feelings for Ed. He tries to protect Stede from his auto destructive behavior post breakup (not just going along, like with Ed).

Now we’re at e8 finally:

- 🕯️Can't believe I have an audience with the great Israel Hands. That's absolutely astounding. I've always thought you were underrated. I mean, it's absurd, isn't it? Isn't it? That Blackbeard, he gets all this praise, when you are quite clearly the brains of this operation?🕯️ (playing with fire in a safe way, calm) - Ya don't know the first thing about piracy, do ya? - Don't I? - It's not about glory. It's not about gettin' what you want. It's about belonging to something when the world has told you you're nothin'. It's about finding the family to kill for when yours are long dead. It's about letting go of ego for something larger. The crew.

“when you are quite clearly the brains of this operation” Izzy feels responsible for all the bad things that happened to Ed, for his unhappiness. He wanted to follow and serve Blackbeard, not to replace him. He and Ed created Blackbeard, why would he want to have something that was already his? When Blackbeard got all the praise, Izzy was proud. The only praises he needed was those from Ed. (I don't mean he didn't care about being respected by others but appreciated)

“It's not about glory. It's not about gettin' what you want. It's about belonging to something when the world has told you you're nothin'. It's about finding the family to kill for when yours are long dead. It's about letting go of ego for something larger. The crew.”

It’s about Izzy abandoning his selfish desire to be with Ed, to have Ed’s full attention, to have his love, and focusing about caring for others, for his family (Ed and the crew), about their happiness.

And you know what? I think it could’ve been Izzy’s idea to go with Ricky, to be on the front line. That’s very like him and I don’t see other reason for it. The crew is protective of Izzy, it wouldn’t be their idea.

- Ed, I'm sorry. I've been terrible to you. - No, I'm sorry. - No. - What are you apologizing for? I should be the one who's apologizing. - I fed your darkness… Blackbeard. For years, I egged him on, even though I knew you'd outgrown him, but the truth is… I needed him. Blackbeard... it was us. You, me.

I’m happy he said that, I’m happy they finally talked. I’m happy Izzy finally said out laud how unwell he is inside.

bonus:

(⚠️ here comes finale criticism, you’ve been warned ⚠️)

But him dying there was as if Ed died in e5! Oh, he realized his mistakes and started to fix them, but still is very messed up inside. That’s Ed in e5-6. And somehow he got to live after apologizing to Fang, hmm? Yeah, it was very in character for Izzy to get himself killed for Ed, to apologize for his great crimes of *checks hand* misunderstanding, being confused and selfish and being in love with Ed. Understandable. Ed can realize he’s actually worthy of love and forgiveness, but Izzy isn’t? Izzy would agree, but that’s not the point. He wasn’t on the arc towards healing. He was on the arc of realizing how bad of an influence he was and then dying . He was marinating that thought since s2e2. How fun.

Like, yeah, he realized he was selfish and fixed his wrongdoings. But he also thought he was worthless and, ekhem, defiled his captain with his love, wait where did I hear that...

[klbwriting]

Combining Two Worlds

Chapter 13: The Best Laid Plans

Fandom: DCEU

Pairing: Ormxfemale!Reader

Warnings: torture, language, its a bit rough

Summary: Ludo reveals how monstrous he is

Notes: One more chapter after this! Then I have another Orm fic coming that might be a little more chill and more surface related

Orm woke in an unfamiliar room, head killing him. He remembered having a drink with Ludo, Arthur went to get more, and then the explosion. He tried to move, looking around and struggling against the chains holding him to the floor. The room wasn't very big, it was familiar still. He looked out the window and frowned. It was one of the old homes that were damaged when Arthur had first returned and the guards had chased him out of the city. He remembered that they had needed to section off this part of the city, it was too damaged to be repaired. He struggled again, pulling at his restraints with all his strength.

"They were forged to hold Atlantians in case of madness, I don't think you'll escape," Ludo said, coming into the room. He held a communicator, setting it on the floor in front of Orm. "I'm having another delivered to your family right now, I want them to watch what happens next, what happens if I don't get what I want." Orm growled at the boy, yanking again at the restraints. Ludo ignored him, going to a table nearby and looking at the contents. Knives, picks, energy pulses, torture devices when in the wrong hands.

"This is madness, you're parents wanted to rule, this is proof of your crimes, there will be witnesses and your family will be banished again," Orm said, trying to reason with the boy. He was met with a punch to the face, drawing blood. He was wearing a glove lined with spikes.

"I don't care if my parents want to rule! I want you all to die! I will kill all of you, one by one, and then I will be the only one left as king," he snarled. "My parents aren't coming back from Xebel, I made sure of that." Orm looked confused, ignoring the gash on his head from the spikes. Ludo smiled, lips curling back and exposing his teeth so he looked like a shark. "No one thought to check the engine in their transport. A few miles outside the city it blew, and now no one controls me anymore. I can do whatever I want now. And what I want is to watch the look on your sweet wife's face while I'm cutting you."

"They will find me, you won't escape this unscathed," Orm said, for the first time feeling fear. This boy was unhinged, and Orm had no idea what he actually was going to do. He looked around at his surroundings more, settling himself on the floor, hoping to find something he could use to undo his chains. He thought he felt a nail on the floor when the communicator came to life and there was Lydia, Y/N, and Mera. Y/N let out a shocked cry, noticing the blood dripping from his head.

"Yes, he looks good bloody doesn't he?" Ludo said, coming into frame. "Now, I assume you have guards around, maybe even some nobles to watch this? Well, you just put them on a list they don't want to be on. Anyone wishing to not be killed slowly and painfully should leave the room. Except you bitches, even if you left I would kill you."

"Ludo, what are you doing?" Lydia asked, looking sad for her brother. Ludo smiled at her, the only bit of caring in him was for his big sister.

"I am doing what our parent should have," he said. "You know what they did to us. This asshole's father had us banished, and not just banished, but imprisoned."

"Yes, but he was a child at the time, he isn't the person who did this," Mera said. Ludo glared at her.

"The blood of that bastard runs through his veins, and may not be his true brother, but I'll kill him anyway. I swore when we escaped that prison that I would not be confined like that again. Then the moment we get here I am put in something a step above a cell..."

"I wouldn't call a royal suite a step above a cell..." Mera grumbled. Ludo stopped speaking. He left the view of the communicator and came back with a pick used to pull barnacles off buildings. He grabbed Orm's face and slide the pick down his cheek, drawing blood. Y/N let out another cry, but this one of fury.

"Don't touch him you bastard!" she yelled, wanting to climb through the water and strangle the little urchin.

"You shut up you half-breed slut," he shot back. "I will not be spoken to like that from a worthless, surface dwelling, bitch. Speak out again and I will start removing pieces of his flesh until his bones show through." Y/N growled but didn't say anything. "Good, you can be trained. Anyway," he wiped the pick on a cloth and set it aside for the time being.

"Ludo, please, this isn't you," Lydia begged. She didn't want to see her brother become this monster. Ludo shook his head.

"My own sister standing there with our enemies, what have you become? We were going to come back here and take over," he said.

"I never wanted to rule, I just wanted to be safe and loved, just like you," she answered. Ludo laughed and shook his head.

"See, that's your problem, you're older than me but you never grew up. I did, I know what matters and what matters is blood. Preferably spilt blood, our enemies blood running out of their bodies," he said, grabbing a knife and shoving it into Orm's shoulder, twisting it. Orm couldn't hold back the pained shout that echoed around the room. Y/N put a hand over her mouth, stumbling back. Atlanna came onto the screen and caught, holding her up.

"Please stop this! What do you want?" Mera demanded. Ludo sighed.

"I want him to die. I was going to do this slowly...what the...?" the communicator cut out just as Ludo turned, the knife raised again.

"Orm!" Y/N cried, moving to grab the device. She shook it and threw it across the room. She had never felt this kind of devastation before. Her entire world was narrowing, she saw dots in front of her eyes, and felt pain racking her body. Atlanna frowned.

"We need to get her to the doctor," she said. "The stress...the baby." Y/N didn't hear anything else as she passed out.

[boldlyspeedydreamerreturns]

Another fic request!

This one took a little while, I finally got it done. I always considered Crimson x Alessio a joke ship. Give the raging homophobe a boyfriend haha. But this was a fun request to do. Hope you all enjoy a little hurt/comfort from the mob boys

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Another day, another gang war. That's life in the greed ring, at least for those in this particular lifestyle. Crimson was pinned behind a rusted out truck during a nasty shoot out. Alessio right beside him. Given the circumstances, nobody batted an eye at the mob boss tucked close into the side of his bodyguard. It was an easy way to keep him safe after all. The shots finally stopped as the enemy reloaded. This gave them a chance to move. Alessio took the lead, keeping Crimson on his right, out of the line of fire. They moved quickly, almost out of the yard when shots rang out again. Crimson was suddenly shoved behind a concrete barricade. He had closed his eyes to keep from getting too much debris in them, but felt Alessio covering him with his own larger body. The two were pressed tight against each other in the small space. Crimson’s head was so close to Alessio’s chest he could practically hear the shark demon’s racing heart beat.

“Al…” The mob boss began, but was quickly silenced by a hand coming up and covering his mouth.

“Hold on, boss. Something doesn't feel right.” The shark slowly peeked his head out from the barricade, only to be met with more fire. He quickly pulled back.

“Shit, they've got us pinned down.” He removed his hand from Crimson's mouth.

“Al, you're lucky this is a dire situation, otherwise you'd be dead for pulling that shit.” The imp glared at his bodyguard.

“Sorry boss. We need to figure out another way to get to the gate. It's the only way out of here.” The two looked around, trying to figure out another route. Crimson's eyes landed on a small opening on the other side of the barricade.

“There's a hole on the other side there. If we can move some of that rubble we should be able to get through.” The imp ducked under the shark’s arm and moved towards the hole. Alessio stayed behind him, keeping a distance in case he needed to turn around and fight.

Crimson moved the rubble out of the way, but he knew the opening would still be too small for Alessio to get through. He tried to think, they both needed to get out. Suddenly there was a large explosion from the other side of the barricade, making it all shake. Crimson nearly fell over from the shock of the explosion. Alessio caught him, keeping the imp upright. He stayed there for a moment, taking a breath before pulling himself away.

“We're almost out of time, Al. We need to move now, but the hole’s too small. I can get through, but you…”

“Go.”

“What?”

“Boss, go. You need to get back to the mansion. I'll find another way, but you need to go while you can.” Crimson looked at Alessio in shock for a moment, then he glared at the shark.

“Are you fucking stupid? No way in hell am I leaving without you.”

“You don't have a choice this time, boss.”

“The fuck do you mean I…” Before he could finish Alessio picked Crimson up by his sides and shoved him through the opening. The imp stood up on the other side.

“Get back to the mansion. You'll be safe there. I'll be fine.”

“Alessio don't you dare…” But it was too late. Alessio moved the rubble back in front of the opening so Crimson couldn't get back through. The imp cursed under his breath, but ran away.

It didn't take long for him to get back to his mansion where the rest of his men already were. The ones that didn't die anyways. The others noticed their boss was banged up and bloody, so one of them brought him a first aid kit. Crimson took it, but wouldn't let any of them touch him, patching himself up alone. Only Alessio had ever been allowed to touch him. Another shark stepped forward.

“Hey boss, where's Al? Wasn't he with you?” Crimson didn't respond right away, finishing the patch job before speaking.

“We were pinned down. There was a way out, but it was small. Al didn't fit, so he had me go through the opening and said he'd find another way. He should be back soon…” The last part didn't sound as confident as he wanted. The others shared worried glances.

It was another four hours. Crimson paced the room so much he could have put a hole in the floor. His mind was racing. He didn't know what else to do. He wanted to go back and look for Al, but it was too risky. Al would be fine right? He was always fine. He was Crimson's bodyguard for a reason. He was strong, and loyal, and brave, and…he would always come back, no matter what. The imp’s breathing got faster as he felt his legs becoming heavy, but he kept pacing, worried if he stopped moving, he'd lose his cool. But soon he heard the sound of the front door opening. He rushed over just in time to see Alessio barely managing to drag himself inside.

“Al!” He hurried over to the shark demon just as he collapsed. The others quickly joined Crimson, lifting Alessio and quickly bringing him in, putting him down on the couch.

“Don't just fucking stand there you clowns, someone call the doctor. You two, stop the bleeding as much as possible. We'll patch him up and keep him breathing until they get here. Hurry!” The other sharks hustled around the imp, doing everything in their power to keep Alessio alive. Crimson sat on the couch, putting Alessio’s head in his lap. He turned the shark's face to look at him.

“Don't you fucking dare close your eyes Al. The doc’ll be here soon. Just keep looking at me, alright. You're gonna be fine. You're fine. Just keep looking. You need to keep looking at me.” Alessio seemed to hear him. The shark kept looking Crimson in the eye. A barely noticeable smile came to his face as the imp stroked his head. The others moved in a flurry around them, but Crimson tuned them out, focusing completely on Alessio.

Soon enough the doctor arrived and Alessio was whisked away to one of the upstairs rooms. Specifically to Crimson's own bedroom.

“My bed is bigger, he'll have more space to work.” That was Crimson's reasoning, at least to his men.

The doctor kept everyone except his assistant out of the room while they worked, which didn't sit right with Crimson. Two more hours passed. He was pacing again. Right outside the door. He twitched and looked up at every painful sound he heard coming from the room. He'd told the rest of his goons to head home for the night, so nobody could see the panic and fear that crossed his face every time he heard Alessio scream or groan in pain. Finally, the doctor opened the door again, allowing Crimson inside. He stepped in to see Alessio under the covers. What parts of him that were sticking out were mostly covered in bandages. The doctor turned to Crimson.

“Thankfully nothing important was seriously damaged. He should make a full recovery in about two weeks, so long as he stays on bed rest.” Alessio groaned at the words, which almost made Crimson chuckle, but he kept it in.

“Thanks doc, I'll make sure he doesn't do anything else stupid for a while.” The doctor nodded. The two left, closing the door behind them. So now, Crimson and Alessio were alone.

Crimson walked over to the bed. His legs felt heavy again. He crawled up onto the large bed next to Alessio. The shark shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable, but couldn't.

“Boss…”

“You idiot.” Alessio looked over at Crimson. His eyes widening when he saw the tears spilling down the imp's cheeks.

“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING!? WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? WE COULD’VE FOUND ANOTHER WAY!” All the worry and fear Crimson had been feeling couldn't be held in any longer. He laid down on Alessio's lap, sobbing. Alessio knew he was the one and only person who could ever see Crimson this way.

“I needed to get you out. I made sure you were safe…”

“AND YOU ALMOST GOT YOURSELF KILLED IN THE PROCESS! DON'T YOU GET IT! I COULD HAVE…I…I could have…” His sobbing made it difficult to speak anymore. He curled up against Alessio. The shark demon moved his arms to wrap around the imp, wincing a bit as he was still in a lot of pain.

“I could have lost you. I almost did. What the fuck would I do then, huh?” Alessio gently ran a hand through Crimson's tousled hair.

“You would have found a new bodyguard.”

“Fuck off, you know that's not what I mean.” They both stopped talking for a minute. Crimson's sobs had quieted to sniffling. Alessio continued to run his hand through Crimson's hair.

“I'm sorry, Crim. But…I'm still your bodyguard. And no matter what…else we have behind closed doors, it's still my job to protect you.” Crimson sat up and glared at Alessio.

“And just how the fuck are you supposed to protect me when you're six feet under? Look at you! You can't protect me like this, you can't even stand up! “ A pang of guilt rang in Alessio's chest when he looked into Crimson's eyes again. They were slightly swollen from crying so hard, and behind the anger was a mixture of sadness and relief.

“Just…please. Please don't do that again. I can't lose you too, Al. You're all I've got left.” Alessio leaned down, placing a quick, gentle kiss on Crimson's forehead.

“You're right, Crim. I'm no use to anyone like this, especially you. It was stupid. Forgive me?” Crimson sat there, trying not to think about the blush coming to his cheeks. He finally smiled. He rested against Alessio again, careful not to put his full weight on him. He reached up and gave a peck to Alessio's jaw.

“Alright, I'll forgive you this time. But like I said, don't ever do something that stupid again. I…I need you here with me.”

“I promise, Crim. I'll always be here for you.”

The two smiled at each other. Alessio leaned down again so he could properly kiss Crimson on the lips. The kiss was tender and warm, not something you'd expect from a mob boss and his bodyguard. When they parted, Crimson let out a weak yawn. The stress and emotion of the day finally catching up with him. Alessio chuckled lightly.

“Come on now, we both need our rest. I'll let Hank know in the morning he'll need to take over bodyguard duty for a little while.” Crimson nodded.

He got up and changed into his pajamas before crawling back into bed and curling up under the covers, tucked against Alessio's side. The shark wrapped a protective arm around the imp, allowing himself to lay down fully. Crimson turned off the light before returning to his place beside Alessio.

“Goodnight Alessio….I…I love you.” Alessio smiled, though Crimson couldn't see it.

“I love you too, Crim. Always. Goodnight.” With that, the two finally allowed themselves to drift off to sleep.

Crimson awoke at some point in the darkness from a nightmare, but calmed when he felt Alessio's strong protective arm around him and his soft snoring next to the imp's head. Crimson smiled to himself. In that moment, in the darkness, he felt truly safe. A rare feeling in his line of work, and while he'd never admit it, one he deeply loved, just like the shark that provided it.

[jurkin-off2ur-mom]

Kipo: Well, needless to say. Uh-oh Spaghetti-os.

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Jamack: I have yet to encounter a problem where a sword didn't factor into the solution at least in some way.

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Yumyan: If you get bitten by a shark, bite it back. You'll still probably die but the shark will be like "lol what"

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Dave: My ultimate goal is to punch God in the eye, just to spite him one last time.

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Kipo: I’m sick and tired of being called 'mortal' like, you don’t know that. Neither do I. I have never died even ONCE. Nothing has been proven yet. Stop making assumptions. It’s rude.

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Leo: I don’t even use tubberware anymore. 
Song: What are you saying? Say it again. 
Leo: Tubberware. 
Song: Say it again. Slow. 
Leo: Tubberware. 
Song: Slow, very slow - actually, say the first syllable. 
Leo: Tub. 
Song: Wrong. 
Leo: What do you mean, wrong? 
Song: I thought I caught that. You’re saying tub. It’s P. 
Leo: What are you talking about? 
Song: Tupperware. Tupper. 
Leo: It’s tupper! 
Song: It’s tupper, always has been, always will be. 
Leo: I thought it was tubberware because it kind of looks like a tub.

—————————

Leo: honk. 
Song: WHAT. 
Leo: HONK. 
Song: WHAT DOES HONK MEAN THIS TIME YOU WHIMSICAL PIECE OF SHIT?????

—————————

Song: I'm like Heinz Doofenshmirtz because I, too, like being petty, signing off-key, and over-sharing my deepest traumas for no discernible reason. 
Leo: Not to mention that you think of yourself as eveil but are, at best, a minor inconvenience.

—————————

Dave, seeing a bee on Benson’s arm: Uh oh... 
Dave, rolling up a newspaper: Benson, stay still... 
Dave, Using the newspaper as a megaphone: THERES A FUCKING BEE ON YOU

—————————

Dave: No, I don't want to talk about physics! I don't know anything about the laws of physics because they are hard and boring. I simply would like them to behave in a way that is most convenient to ME and MY LIFE! Is that really asking too much? 
Kipo: Yes, as a matter of fact, it is! 
Dave: Well, guess what? Science is stupid bullshit!! 
Kipo: You take that back!!! 
Dave: No. Magic is awesome. Science blows. The end.

—————————

Scarlemagne: My goal is not to be the best, but to inspire someone enough to one day surpass me. 
Leo: YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT EVERY TIME YOU BEAT ME AT CONNECT FOUR!

—————————

Kipo: Why do you think I don’t like you? I do. I would kill for you. 
Kipo: Ask me to kill for you. *turns mega*
Scarlemagne: ...First of all, calm down-

—————————

Scarlemagne: Don't go to the kitchen. 
Leo: Why? 
Scarlemagne: I saw a spider. 
Leo: Well, did you kill it? 
Scarlemagne: It has 8 arms and I only have 2, it's not fair...

—————————

Dave: Help! I’m drowning! 
Benson: Calm down. We’re only in six feet of water! 
Dave: NOT ALL OF US ARE TALL!

—————————

Scarlemagne: Looked up my symptoms on WebMD and it turns out I have an ancient ancestral curse that has been passed down my bloodline for generations. 
Kipo: ...? 
Scarlemagne: Okay, fine. It was a hereditary mental illness. I just wanted to sound cool so I made something up. Are you mad at me?

—————————

Kipo: I am going to need you to swear- 
wolf: Fuck. 
Kipo: 
kipo: ...swear as in promise.

—————————

Scarlemagne: Am I going to far? 
Leo: No, no, no. You went too far about 7 hours ago. Now you’re going to prison.

—————————

Wolf: Tony Hawks moving castle. 
Wolf: I can't remember the name of it, fuck. 
Kipo: Howl? 
Wolf: aaaauuuuuuuooooo??? 
Kipo: ...
Wolf: Oh.

—————————

Kipo: What do you call quantums of electromagnetic radiation that don’t get along? 
Wolf: What did you just say- 
Kipo: Foetons! *Laughs* 
Wolf: Wh-what?

—————————

Benson: What are y’all’s favorite things to wake up to?

Kipo: Breakfast in bed!

Dave: Emails from AO3!

Wolf: My favorite thing to wake up to is not waking up at all.

Wolf: The screams of my enemies are a close second though.

[zoroara]

Okay, something very important you are about to learn about me: I am obsessive about many things. One of these happens to be swords and sword fighting, among a few other weapon types but mostly those two. (Also hilariously sharks also are one of these things. Some how neither of these were influenced by khr being a VERY long standing thing.) This post is going to be aggressively long.

And I'll save you guys with a read more. But, in essence what I'm going to be doing here if I'm going to be plainly looking at the three swordsmen, Yamamoto, Squalo and Genkishi's swords, weaknesses and strengths as well as things like battle techniques and generally what you would actually want to do in a fight with those swords. For simplicities sake I'm not going to be factoring in things like Squalo's gunpowder bombs, or flames(which affects a lot of genkishi's fighting sorry dude) and generally things like that. Note there is going to barely be a structure and I'll be writing whatever tangent I happen to think of so like. Good luck. But maybe this'll be interesting for writing.

Now with that clarification out of the way let's dig into the meat here.

Okay obviously we're starting with Yamamoto himself.

So, Katana or well standard Katana as there are several classes of Katana. Are about 24 - 31 inches long(or approx 60 - 78 cm long) his blade is a bit longer than this at which point it becomes something known as the "O Katana" set instead of the standard, they're typically used two handed which Yamamoto does use it as a good potion of the time. They're fairly straight blades, and an important factor to note, folding a sword increases it's sharpness, but can make it more brittle and generally depending on the way it's been folded can affect the whole blade to not be capable of blocking hits well, Katana generally are best used when you have clear ways of attacking, though they can be used to block obviously, you'll want to more change the trajectory of the other blade using the curve of yours more than full stop block something you can do more with European blades.

Things I want to point out in the battle this is used before we move on to the irregular swords.

Yamamoto, while I understand doesn't know much about swords, here's the thing. Though it is a common trope, it you were to hit someone with the back of a blade in a position that does not in fact flex, which i want to note European swords do on the flat of the blade, which will come up later on squalo's section. Hitting someone with the flat, and the back will do fundamentally different things. Yamamoto basically turned his sword into a blunt weapon, if that HAD hit squalo, while it wouldn't have killed him, it WOULD likely break bone and cause internal bleeding the same way taking any pure blunt metal object being swung by a baseball player WOULD DO. WHICH BEING HONEST MIGHT JUST KILL THE MAN ANYWAY.(if Squalo of course, could die. God finds him too funny to let him die)

What gets me here in particular is Squalo's reaction to this. The thing is, this is absolutely not an invalid way of holding a sword. In fact, usually in armor that restricts movements you may adapt techniques that are slightly altered, a lot of ways to hold other weapons can be transferred to a sword, and have been. This way would give the same momentum and range of movement as a swing from a baseball bat, and in fact the only thing strange about this is actually the foot stance, for Squalo to gawk at this, he is either in-experienced with more armoured opponents, or has not encountered that large of a variety of sword technique as others claim he has

(it should be noted he never makes the claims himself except with Shigure Soen Ryu everything we learn about him is from other people. Squalo actually doesn't gloat about his accomplishments and in the manga the only time he calls out what attack he's using is in rainbow arc when he's using his special box weapon move with his exec squad. most of what he says is degrading the opponent or taunts. Patting himself on the back is more of a Levi move-).

Also fun fact about Shigure Soen Ryu, the 6th form is never seen in the series. All we know is that it's a defensive technique. Also how lucky is it they were fighting in a water based arena, half these moves would not go well otherwise-

Now! Moving on, as I cannot possibly tell you shit about swords made of pure flame. I'll be talking about the blades they're originally based on.

So these "swords" are actually known as Tantō they're basically small daggers about 6 - 12 inches (approx 15 to 30cm) in that were often carried with a longer sword like the Tachi and the katana as a support to the free hand, generally with the idea that if you have a hand that's empty you're either protecting it or using something. you typically never want your whole body face your opponent. something too many of these idiots do. For obvious reasons you want to minimize the space your opponent has to hit. That's why when you see a lot of sword fighting, even with big heavy blades, most of the time the stand their sides more predominantly facing their opponent than straight on.

Anyway, moving on the the Necklace of Rain version X! It's honestly a shame we barely get to see any actual moves outside of the flame stuff.

Here's something interesting! When dual wielding blades, it's best to actually have two different sized ones, this way you'll be making certain strikes faster and slower, among other things will make it easier to avoid hitting your blades together. You typically do not want to bring your swords in a place where they would meet in a strike, like X motions commonly made in this series, unless they're different sizes or you have enough control to slightly delay one blade more than the other. Otherwise they will clash and depending where the strike would have started, completely prevent the attack!

Other fun fact, this was a common technique with Samurai(one of the reasons it was common however was due to a Japanese law I'm not getting into here. It was not just because of the benefits to it.) Daishō, is typically depicted with a Wakizashi or a Tantō, however the technique itself is with any long blade and a short blade. Given that Yamamoto was already given four Tantō, I'm almost certain despite the length this was intended to be a Wakizashi.

Now, I could absolutely not tell you why one of them has those gaps though. Well other than the obvious "it looks cool" They could potentially be used as gaps like in other blades to catch weapons and disarm opponents, though, these gaps are very big and would more than likely sacrifice the structural integrity of the sword more than they would be useful. If they are smaller they may see more use in that way.

Other interesting fact, there ARE Serrated Katana blades, but. Well they're against the Geneva convention, but also they don't exist in history and is more of a modern thing that was made for """"fun"""". The reason they don't exist in history is because Serrated blades would get caught in the flesh and would be very hard to get out of an opponent... which is also why they're against the Geneva convention.

Now, We'll move onto Squalo, who because unlike this Section of swords, which the Katana, O Katana, Wakizashi look very similar just in different sizes and the Tantō were pretty much as shown(though you'll find prettier pictures of them), I'm going to have to bring up images of what I'm talking about because no one is going to know what the FUCK I'm Saying.

First off, drives me nuts by the way. As you'll soon find out, neither of Squalo's swords is a Spatha. I do not know WHY this is on the wiki, I do not know it's source, I do not know where this information is from nor who identified his sword as such. If it was a decision by Amano themself to call it a Spatha, it is incorrect. As you've seen above, swords just being different sizes alone despite the rest being almost the exact same makes them different swords, with different names. Additionally when you take this over to European blades, there's also a ton of different guards, hilts, shape, whether the blade is flat or not etc to take into account when identifying a blade.

So automatically, whatever sword Squalo has attached to his arm is not a fucking Spatha if it's referring to this.

Now we'll compare the blade's shape, which as you can see, Spatha actually prefer a round to their edge.

A fairly close shape to this can be argued that maybe it's a 16 or a 13 blade and he just removed it's hilt,pommel and guard. HOWEVER, we know this blade almost reaches Squalo's ankle when he's standing full height. It's REALLY long, as you can see, the 16 and 13 are more on the shorter end of these blades. and they certainly aren't thin enough. The shorter end of these blades before it goes into GladII range is about as long as his calf. These blades are also evidently thicker than what Squalo has generally.

Also Spatha have grooves like this in the sword which isn't depicted in the overall shape, they have these though can be found with only one they're typically more ornamental or smooth if they have these sorts, they're very flat blades so it's not for the shape. Squalo's blade tends to be more than a flat sheet while it's swung sideways.

This thing is custom made to hell and back and cannot exactly be considered exactly one type of sword other than "Vaguely European". However, if I were to tell you what sword he may have taken for a base I would hand you the Italian Arming sword

Very long, clear sharp end, has the correct thickness to the blade among other things. He still would have definitely lengthened it to something that generally you would two hand. Which says something about the body strength Squalo has in his arm. Because let me tell you, it does not matter if you can lift 10 pounds easily. If that is distributed over a long length it gets harder and harder to wield and control. Usual physics stuff you know? If you're writing Squalo remember this dude is fucking shredded to carry a sword that's technically a type of long sword with only one fucking arm and swinging it around as if it's not even there. Now that's a man you don't want to arm wrestle. (well for other reasons than just that but really. Generally you do not want this man within arms reach. He will kill you.)

Now for his other sword that is FOR SURE not a Spatha.(I'm sorry this drove me fucking nuts for the longest time, you have to deal with this too if you want sword facts.) We only see like three panels and OH MY GOD CAN I NOT USE THE FIRST FOR SWORD IDENTIFICATION.

NO SWORD IS FUCKING BUILT LIKE THIS. YOU DO NOT BUILD A SWORD LIKE THIS. ALL THE WEIGHT OF IT IS AT THE END AND THIS IS GOING TO KILL YOUR ARM MORE THAN YOUR OPPONENT. SUPERBI FUCKING SQUALO DO YOU WANT CARPAL TUNNEL? THIS IS HOW YOU GET FUCKING CARPAL TUNNEL(maybe that's why he was fine with cutting off his left arm, but then again then he goes and uses the same blade with his right arm, so if so he learned nothing)

Aside from the VERY obvious blade issue, Spatha do not have hilts pommels or even guards like this, all of them are very kind of, no guard, and shorter hilts, rounded pommels. You absolutely could not get a less Spatha like sword.

Next, the ones where I could maybe get a proper identification off of it.

Since Amano kind of fucks up his sword in long shots this gives a clearer look at what this is. In the 2nd image it's as thin as a rapier. But I can tell from the length of the hilt this sword in combination to it's blade length is made to be able to switch between two and one hand, one for power the other for reach depending on how you hold it.

This type of sword uh, funny enough is known as a Bastard Sword. This is a category of sword and not a specific type of sword mind you. As is Long sword and other such things. However the categorizing is kind of messy because of different languages using the same word both using the term in the same way and also not. However know now a-days that's how we refer to them, as you can see though

The only difference is in size and shape is it's kind of prettier.

But generally both swords follow more arming sword/bastard sword shape and size

Now lemme explain to you why Squalo kneecapped himself by changing swords.

Already I told you the versatility of how these swords will allow you more power and range. But did you know, many of these swords at the time, would purposefully have a dull area you can grab with your hands for even MORE versatility? Essentially if you got stuck in let's say a cramped hallway, you're fighting near allies, or even your opponent is too close to you or even they're wearing armour, you'd be able to wield it like a dagger and give yourself more focused attacks and precision, that you could do better with less risk(this was great at getting into armour gaps). which is something he cannot do now stuck to only wide swings and stabs.

You think that's a pretty bad deficit already? How about the fact he can't change hands, meaning he can't feint opponents with fake swings as easily, that if his opponent is on the wrong side of him he needs to adjust his entire body instead of just switching hands? Normally that isn't a special problem, but Squalo is logically an ambidextrous sword user from the work he put in before getting his prosthetic! So it's a special waste of an advantage. This needing to adjust his whole body leaves him usually facing his opponent full on by accident too.

Not only that either! You know how I said there's a ton of ways to use a sword and even holding it "Strangely" is a valid way to use them? A technique used against armoured opponents is to use these not sharp areas on the sword and basically use the flexible sword as a flail hitting a knight on top of the head with the pommel. I have seen it used and it DENTS armour. and the person inside usually gets stunned hard enough that within a few seconds they'll need to sit down. Imagine what it would do to an unprotected human skull. So saying that a sword was useless against an armoured opponent is very incorrect. Thankfully for Squalo, he doesn't have to fight those.

But regardless on that part, the inability to have the versatility of all of the above makes it seriously impressive that he's even kept his title so long. Man should have lost it ages ago. But then again, in X-Fiamma it was made clear that the Executives weren't allowed to do anything important at least mission wise until Xanxus got back so maybe he also wasn't allowed to got slaughter other swordsman. Maybe the 101 he killed in future arc was to get the blood lust of 8 years out and that's why he's a little more focused.

I do want to point out something here

This? This is Squalo fucking showing off. and you may not know JUST how much he's showing off here. You see, when you're sword fighting, dodging is the LAST option you want to do. This is because of the fact your brain has an order of operations. Because you know it may send signals quickly but it still has travel time. The LAST thing that will get a message is your feet.

So it is safer and better to block, parry, counter. Dodging also can not only get you injured, it allows your opponent to chase. Because you've moved, you can be pushed backwards further and be controlled that way. Squalo doing this is a taunt in of itself because he should KNOW these things more than anyone else here.

Since Squalo's blade stays the exact same. I'll now just move onto Genkishi's four swords.

So immediately you'll notice, it's our old friend the bastard sword! Meaning while Genkishi doesn't use these techniques I mentioned above he'll be able to if you ever happen to write him.

However! It does appear his Sword is a little thicker than Squalo's in some panels, and with how he moves them it is VERY stiff, so he wouldn't be able to use them as a flail but as a club instead. Still though, pretty damn effective against an armoured opponent.

Also this is very silly. For reasons that should be obvious, this wouldn't do shit. Unfortunately despite his very interesting techniques, my notes on his fighting style end here too many illusions <:). I'd love to expand more.

Also if you have any questions!! I'd love to answer them, absolutely obsessed with this kind of this so not only thanks for sticking with me here, but asking any question will probably get you a very long explanation.

Also the reason I didn't go into sword techniques much, just know we actually have no idea the maximum number of certain techniques for the blade there are, just there's "best ways of practice" and certain moves you'll occasionally see, but most of it is working on the fly. Just for the Katana alone there would be an estimate of 1000+. Insane that Squalo thinks he's seen them all.

[neptoons1998]

A Deal

Summary: Riri Williams, a brilliant young scientist, made a deal with Namor, the sea god, to bring back the queen in exchange for something she would regret. Riri is conflicted because she knows that the deal will cause more bloodshed.

a/n: I love the twisted tales especially the princess Tiana version so it's based on that. and I wanted to push myself to 3k words for a one-shot. and now I am stuck on what to do next, please send some advice. This took me forever sorry for the wait!

Tag gang: @lppriceisright @blacksapphhicmaddonna @mal-urameshi @s0lam33y

Riri was watching the news, which was rare for a young woman to do. She couldn’t help herself, Shuri was in the news company with her mother. It was spring break, and Riri took her chance to escape MIT and return to the windy city. Riri played with her spoon around her cereal bowl as the news anchor continued talking about the small nation and their talks on building a better relationship with the outside world. 

So he did keep his part of the deal Riri thought as she continued to watch. It was a little unsettling to see the once-dead queen moving and talking like what happened to her never happened.  Shuri looks stiff as she always does in front of the camera. Riri recalled how the princess never thought she would get a chance at the throne. 

Riri turned her attention to her phone. As if that would stop her mind from thinking about Shuri. Riri looked at the shark teeth bracelet wrapped around her wrist. Could she have bargained for a better deal? Should’ve she said no? Could she live with the fact many warriors would have to die because of her mistake? The thoughts rolled in her head as she remembered that night.

Riri couldn’t sleep, who could when the Queen sacrificed to save Riri’s? The scientist walked around the once busy city, now quiet to show respect for the fallen Queen. Everything was flooded except for the high building. The small mom-and-pop shops were quickly swallowed by Namor and his powers. Now thinking back Riri relaized how stupid she was adventuring out in the night without a Dora by her side. Riri was led by the guilt that she caused the queen’s death. Even though no one had said it was her fault, not even the princess. Is that what I’m good for coming in and ruining people’s lives? Riri thought as she forced herself not to think about the incident. The screaming, the stickness of blood, nor the cold nights where Riri would crept out from her bedroom as she watched from the staircase the small girl  could see her mother trying and failing to quiet her cries. Riri’s feet found herself near a small cove. She didn’t know why, but she was draw to it, like moth is to a flame.

“I knew that would bring you out,” Riri body froze, not daring to move. She had to be in a nightmare she would wake up to find she was in her chambers. Yes, riri thought this is all a bad nightmare. The more Riri looked the more Namor became. Her mind couldn’t lie to herself, Namor was there and he was very much real.

“Very bold of you to come to the scene of the crime,” Riri spoke. Even though her body shook in fear her mouth couldn’t help but bite. The sea god just stared at her, like a cat would with a scared mouse. He was playing with until he was ready to eat her, “Not really. Only foolish people would come to the scene of the crime. Thinking that they would be safe from the suspect, no?”

Riri grit her teeth. She had nothing to say to him. She had no advantage and maybe it was her pride, but she would be damn if she let him see how scared she was before she was killed. 

“I could kill you right now afterall,” He spoke, “No one would miss you. And I finally get to do what I want.”  Riri could only stare at him. She will not go out like a scared child, not like before. 

“Or we could make a deal,” Namor stated. 

“Why would I make a deal with you?” Riri growled out. Her heart slammed against her chest, but she continued to act like the god could not kill her in a second flat.Namor for his part was somewhat pleased the young girl didn’t beg and plea for him not to kill her. 

“Because I have a deal that would make us both very happy, scientist,” He said. Like any scientist Riri wanted to know, her protection and preservation be damned. 

“I’m listening,” Riri whispered still rooted in upon the hill. Riri wasn’t stupid enough to go closer inside the cove where Namor stood. 

“I can bring the Queen back to life and not kill you,” Namor said. Riri narrows her eyes at him. Namor was unfazed, his jade jewelry sparkled underneath the moonlight. 

“That's impossible, “ Riri said. Once someone is dead they stay dead. That’s the principle of biology organisms have to die. Namor’s eyes stared back to Riri’s soul, “You of all people should by now that what’s impossible can be possible, scientist.”

Riri bit her lip at the mere thought of bringing Queen Ramonda back to life did sound impossible. What other choice did Riri have? Shuri was all but working herself to death and planning to kill Namor her enemy. Who knows how much bloodshed,  all because of me, Riri thought. 

“What do you want from me?” Riri asked. Riri would do anything to stop the hurt that Shuri was experiencing. Namor smirked, he knew Riri’s weak spot for the princess. He didn’t think the scientist would break so fast to protect her. 

 Namor said, “Take this.”

Riri examined the shark tooth bracelet, “I’ll call you when I’m ready to take in my favor.” 

Riri took a deep breath as if she was just woke up from a nightmare. The cercal in her mouth now tasted like mushy ash. It took everything in her not to vomit, but everything was back to normal. 

Now Riri was back in Chicago for summer break. Her mother and Sharon refused to let Riri stay cooped up in MIT, As Riri sat in front of the TV in her Chicago home, cereal in hand, the devastating news of Queen Ramonda's passing sent shockwaves through her. The announcement echoed in the silence of the room, each word heavy with sorrow and disbelief. Queen Ramonda, a symbol of strength and wisdom, gone in the blink of an eye. And there was a god that was laughing at Riri’s fate. 

A lump formed in Riri's throat as she struggled to process the news. How could this happen? It felt like a cruel twist of fate, a nightmare unfolding before her eyes. And the realization that Wakanda would be closed off, enveloped in mourning.

Oh Shuri. Riri thought as she couldn’t image what the woman was doing now. Losing your whole family, that can change a person. 

H-how could this happen ? So it was all for nothing? Riri quickly ran out the house to the nearst sea port. Riri was angry-no pissed off- she was if being Namor little plaything that would make anything for him as along Queen Ramonda lives or rather lived. 

“Namor,” Riri growled out to the sea. Riri waited until the Sea God came to her. 

“What is it?” Namor asked as his eyes gazed down at Riri. 

 "The queen is dead, was it you who killed her?" Riri's voice was barely a whisper, disbelief coloring her words as she searched Namor's expression for any hint of deceit. If anything he looked like a cat who was playing with his food. Letting his poor prey think they are free before he took bite. 

Namor's demeanor remained unchanged, his gaze steady upon Riri. "No, it wasn't me," he reiterated, his tone devoid of emotion. "But rest assured, her death serves our interests nonetheless."

Riri's mind raced with a flurry of thoughts, trying to make sense of Namor's words. So it was really a simple sickness? No big bad that took out the Queen. 

The uncertainty gnawed at Riri's insides, leaving her feeling more lost and confused than ever before. Namor came closer to her, “Even the Queen has died. I’m not done with our deal little scientist.” 

Riri's heart sank as Namor's words cut through the fog of her confusion. Despite the relief that it wasn't some nefarious plot that took Queen Ramonda's life, the weight of Namor's reminder about their deal weighed heavily on her.

Even in the midst of mourning, even with the uncertainty of Queen Ramonda's passing, Namor's agenda remained unchanged. His reminder was like a cold slap in the face, a stark reminder of the dangerous game she had unwittingly become a part of.

With a steely resolve, Riri squared her shoulders and met Namor's gaze head-on. "I don't know what you expect from me," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil raging within her. "But I won't be your pawn any longer. I won't let you use me to further your own agenda."

Namor's expression remained unreadable, his gaze piercing as he studied her. "We shall see," he replied cryptically, before turning and disappearing into the depths of the sea.

As Riri watched him go, still feeling a sense of lost but she knew she need find a way to get out this stupid deal or die trying. 

“You should do this,” Sharon exclaimed as she pulled her phone closer to Riri’s face. Riri almost becoming crossed eyes by her sister’s phone so close her face. Riri pulled herself back as she read the message, it seemed like the outreached are looking for the windy city’s brightest to help learn and develop technology that would help the city out. Would that put Shuri in more danger? Riri thought as she looked at the post. Would Namor get wind of this? Would he back out of the deal they made last summer ago? Riri knew how petty that mermaid can be always changing at the last second. 

Riri scrunched her face like she was in pain, “I’m not so sure, Sharon.”

Sharon, not understanding what her sister had gone through last summer. Sharon might not be as smart as her sister but she knew something happened. Sharon could remember how happy and bright eyed Riri was once was accepted to MIT. Riri all but stuffed her three suitcases with all her stuff. Overjoyed with the fact she was going to her dream school. But ever since coming back to Chicago. It was like Riri reverted back to when the incident of them losing their father and Riri’s only best friend, Natalie.

“Com’on,” Sharon started, “What happened to girl that liked to prove everyone wrong?”

It was as if Riri strung herself even smaller. What happen to my sister Sharon thought as the pair fell into silence. Riri could only give a small smile. Not wanting to burden her younger sister on what happens when you prove the wrong people wrong. It has consequence and sometimes those consequence people get hurt. 

“I think you should apply,” Sharon said taking her sister’s hand, “It’ll get you out the house plus you’ll make friends.”

Riri bit her lip, conflicted by her desires and her sense of duty. She knew her sister was trying to help, but the pull to see Shuri in person was overwhelming. The more she thought about it, the more she found herself creating loopholes in her reasoning. Maybe she could just go once, she reasoned with herself, just to see Shuri, and then drop out from the program. 

But deep down, Riri knew that wasn't the right path. She had worked so hard to earn her place in the program, and abandoning it would be a betrayal of her own potential. Yet, the allure of meeting Shuri again, even though the princess wouldn’t remember her.  As she sat there, torn between her desires and her responsibilities, Riri's mind raced with possibilities. What if she could find a way to balance both? Could she attend the program and still manage to meet Shuri without jeopardizing the Queen’s life?

Lost in thought, Riri didn't notice her sister watching her intently, waiting for her to make a decision. Finally, with a determined look in her eyes, Riri made up her mind. She would find a way to meet Shuri, but she would do it on her terms, without sacrificing her commitment to the program.

With renewed resolve, Riri stood up, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. Her chest pounded with the desire to Shuri again, “Okay I’ll give it a try.”

Sharon squealed as she placed her full body on her sister’s, “You’ll get I just know it.”

It turns out it was the application was easy, well at least for Riri’s case anyway. She was one of the lucky twelve that would help improve in outreach program. Riri thought she would be fine with sneaking glances of Shuri. The princess placed herself on the second level where some of the applicants that had a focus on medical field, while the lower levels where engineering happen. Riri not wanting to look like a stalker continued her focus on metal skeleton of the robots she and her partner was working on.

Shuri couldn't shake off the strange feeling that she had met Riri before, despite not recalling any specific encounter. Which would be impossible after all this was the “first” outing as the princess. 

“What are you looking at?” Aneka asked as she watched the princess gaze down over the small balcony. Shuri quickly backed away from the bar, “Nothing.”

Aneka ever the quick learner, “Ah, that’s why, huh?” The warrior’s eyes glanced at Riri, who was deep into her work. 

“Why don’t you talk to her?” Aneka asked. Shuri gave scoffed as if she could walk up to the young woman and say what exactly? Shuri’s anxiety shot up at the mere thought of the scenario. 

“Yeesh,”Aneka commented, “Its that bad huh? I know I’ll help.”

Shuri shook her head,”You really don’t have to do that, Aneka.”

“Of course I do,” Aneka said. “As older gay. It’s like passing down the torch.”

Shuri sighed what else did she have to lose? “Ok fine.”

“Great,” Aneka said as she lightly pushed the princess to walk down the straits. Shuri quickly regretted her decision as she walked closer to Riri. What made matters worse was the fact Aneka quickly left the princess along with Riri. 

“Um,” Riri started  as she watched Shuri looking at her. “Can I help you, your highest? That’s what I call you right?”

Shuri was panicking her mouth decided it would be a great time to not make any noise whatsoever. Shuri continued to stare at her, causing Riri to feel uneasy. 

“Ok, well,” Riri said as she gathered her stuff. “It was great seeing you, your grace? So I’ll just leave.”

Shuri could only groan as she watched the beauty walk away from her. Why am I so weird? Shuri thought as she continued to watch Riri move to a different side of the building. 

After a couple of tries, Shuri was able to gather the courage to follow Riri out to the park that lay before the outreach center. 

“You can come closer y’know,” Riri stated to her as she watched Shuri sit beside her. Shuri’s throat decided to  shut down. She looked into Riri's doe eyes, she found herself drawn to her in a way she couldn't quite explain.

"So?" Riri started, breaking the silence. She hadn't planned on meeting the princess again, especially considering the trouble she had caused her in the past.

"Do you come here often?" Shuri blurted out, immediately regretting her choice of words. She mentally scolded herself for such a clumsy attempt at conversation with the captivating woman in front of her.

Riri smirked at Shuri's awkwardness. "You mean the park?"

Shuri shuffled her feet, feeling a flush of embarrassment. Smooth, very smooth, Shuri, she thought to herself.

"Amongst other things," Shuri replied, trying to recover from her stumble.Riri couldn't help but chuckle at Shuri's endearing attempt at flirting. Despite the princess's slip-ups, there was something charming about her earnestness. Maybe, Riri thought, this encounter wouldn't be as awkward as she had feared.

As their conversation continued, Riri found herself opening up to Shuri in a way she hadn't anticipated. Despite her initial reservations, there was something about Shuri that put her at ease, allowing her to let down her guard and just be herself. As they talked, Riri couldn't help but notice how Shuri's demeanor softened, her rigid facade giving way to genuine warmth and interest. It was as if they were two puzzle pieces finally finding their perfect fit, their connection growing stronger with each passing moment.

Before they knew it, hours had flown by, the park growing dimmer as the sun began to set on the horizon. Yet, neither Riri nor Shuri seemed to notice, lost in their own little world of conversation and laughter. As they bid each other goodbye, Riri couldn't shake off the feeling of excitement bubbling inside her. Meeting Shuri had been everything she had hoped for and more, filling her with a sense of purpose and possibility she hadn't felt in a long time.

As Namor watched Riri and Shuri from a distance, his mind churned with schemes and strategies. He knew he needed to assert his dominance and remind Riri of the consequences of defying him. But he also understood the delicate balance he had to maintain, especially considering the potential repercussions of his actions on Wakanda and its people.

Kidnapping Shuri was out of the question. Not only would it risk sparking a civil war and exposing his underwater kingdom to the surface world, but it would also only further solidify Riri's determination to oppose him. No, Namor needed a more subtle approach, one that would strike fear into Riri's heart without causing irreparable harm.

As he pondered his next move, Namor's gaze hardened with determination. He needed to remind Riri of his power and authority, to show her that defying him would only lead to pain and suffering. And he knew just the way to do it. With a grim smile, Namor disappeared beneath the waves, his mind already formulating a plan to make Riri regret ever crossing him. For the young scientist would soon learn that challenging a deity was a grave mistake, one that would come with dire consequences. 

                          The fate of both Riri and Shuri hung precariously in the balance.

"So how was it?" Aneka asked as she watched the princess coming back to the lab. Shuri felt like she was on cloud nine. Even though it wasn't a date, Shuri couldn't help but think about Riri's face and the way her laughter had filled the air.

"It was... amazing," Shuri replied, unable to contain the smile that spread across her face. "I don't know, there's just something about her."

Aneka raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of her lips. "Oh, I see. So, was it love at first sight then?"

Shuri could feel her body flushed  at the suggestion, quickly shaking her head. "No, no, it wasn't like that. It's just... she's different, you know? There's a spark, a connection."

Aneka chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad to see you happy, Shuri. You deserve it."

Shuri's smile widened at her friend's words, grateful for the support. "Thanks, Aneka. You're the best."

As they returned to their work, Shuri couldn't shake off the feeling of excitement that bubbled inside her. Meeting Riri had been unexpected, but it felt like the beginning of something special. And as she immersed herself in her research, Shuri found herself eagerly anticipating their next encounter.

Meanwhile, Riri couldn't stop thinking about her time with Shuri at the park. The memory of their conversation and laughter filled her mind, bringing a warmth to her heart that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Meeting Shuri again had reignited a spark within her, a desire to explore and connect with someone who understood her in a way no one else did. But amidst the excitement, there was also a twinge of guilt that nagged at Riri's conscience. She couldn't forget the deal she had made with Namor, the sea God's ominous presence looming over her like a dark cloud.

As Riri wrestled with her conflicting emotions, a knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced up to see her sister standing in the doorway with a curious expression on her face.

"Hey, Riri, you okay?" Sharon asked, concern lacing her voice. "You seem kind of out of it."

Riri forced a smile, pushing aside her worries for the moment. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking about stuff."

Sharon nodded understandingly, stepping into the room and plopping down on the bed beside Riri. "Well, if you ever need to talk about anything, you know I'm here for you, right?"

Riri felt a surge of gratitude for her sister's unwavering support. "Thanks, Sharon. I really appreciate it."

As they chatted about their classes and upcoming projects, Riri couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of her mind. She knew she couldn't ignore the deal she had made with Namor, but she also couldn't bear the thought of causing any more harm to Shuri or her people.

Lost in her thoughts, Riri barely noticed when her bracelet tighten around her wrist. That could only mean one thing, Namor was calling her. Panic rose in Riri’s chest, what did he want now? I improve  the sun for his people. What more could he want from me? Riri thought as the shark bracelet almost cut off her circulation. Riri could only sigh fully understanding that she would never be free from him until she died. 

“I’m going for a bit. I’ll be right back,” Riri said as she ran out of the house. She had to go to a special meeting with a Sea God. The seaport smelt like dead fish and salt. Riri walked across the boardwalk. Now she has to wait for him, for some reason, Namor gets a sick enjoyment of letting Riri sit with her thoughts. The mermaid would pop out of nowhere scaring the young woman. 

"Riri?" The young woman turned her head to Shuri. The princess was wearing a battle suit with the same face of shock at seeing her. 

"Shuri?" Riri exclaimed, her heart racing with dread, where was Namor? Riri thought the young woman couldn’t see the deity anywhere. "What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Shuri stated as she came closer to Riri. “It isn’t safe here. You need to leave.”

“Leave?” Riri repeated. “If anyone needs to leave is you? You can’t be seen here!”

Before Riri could say anything else to Shuri, a huge crash of water poured down on them. Riri gave out a short yelp. As the water wrapped around her ankles, Riri twisted and turned. Riri’s nail tried to grip onto something that would stop the water from taking her under.

“SHURI!” Riri cried out as she swallowed the water. 

[queer-whatchamacallit]

I just rewatched 1x02 of The Bear, and took notes to get deeper into these fucked up silly guy’s heads, so here we go!!

Tw: workplace abuse, intentional emeto

The staff at EMP wear white tops, black pants, and a blue apron which Carm continued after his switch to The Beef

With both the “why?” bit and “Do you like working with fucking idiots?” “I’ll do better,” the only accepted response is that a mistake was made and it was their fault

“Do you like working with fucking idiots?” “I’ll do better.” “Say ‘yes Chef’” both serve to paint Carm as a fucking idiot and to show Chef as always deserving his respect

There’s a constant flip flop between absolutely tearing Carm to shreds and making him feel like dirt beneath Chef’s shoe for the problem that occurred and making sure he’s keeping work flowing at a rate and quality that’s acceptable to Chef (which it never will be)

I’m sure you’ve seen the “Chef saying ‘you should be dead’ was off screen so you can’t tell if it was actually Chef or if that was in Carmy’s head,” and I lean more toward the latter. I know it’s plausible (which is really fucked up), but I just like the narrative possibilities for Carm starting to hear Chef’s voice. It sounds different too. It’s whispered, but Chef had to be careful about who heard that one more than everything else, so idk

His eyes are kinda hazy through the whole thing, and when it’s over, he stalls for a second before blinking hard and brushing it off. He still sounds kind of off-kilter after though.

There’s a time skip I never noticed before where one moment, he’s desperately calling hands, and the next, they’re cleaning up after service. Maybe unintentional but maybe slipping in a little of that s1 unreality and showing that Carmy misses time sometimes

Marcus just loves messing with Richie, first his cologne and second “DeVry, we’re serious about success!!” and he’s so real for that

SYDNEY: [mocking laughter] <333

Carm doesn’t actually clean the floors with a toothbrush, he had a rag which feels… weird. His floor-cleaning toothbrush is such a staple in fics

He walks to and from work

On his coffee table, he has an ash tray, a mason jar of water, and some clutter I couldn’t make out

“YOU KILLED MICHAEL” on the order tickets is an interesting one. I’d probably tie this most easily to the train of thought that he wasn’t there, but he could have helped, and if he never left, Michael would still be alive. Maybe he thinks the pressure of having to deal with him as a kid contributed or that his success as a high end chef made Mike feel like shit by comparison, but idk, there’s a lot of ways you could go here

“That’s um… a lot of words.” We have a work day here and reading about managing his business is not fast and exciting and Carmy is a little blood-sniffing shark, if he stops moving, he’ll die. Fr kinda love him for this but am pissed at him for just shoving it back to Syd

“Is my hair on fire?” I had to look up a definition, but Carmy’s starting to wonder if he’s just totally fucked and if The Beef can make it out of this. It’s interesting to see him so unsure of whether he’s going to make it. “Not yet, no, but you need help,” just feels nice. It’s both sugar-coated and completely accurate

I love Ebra for just listening to T rant about how much she hates Syd, and later, he just fuckin rocks it when Syd calls orders out. Ebra’s one of my favs <33

Syd with her journal shows the first signs of her impatience and Richie interrupting her with the inspector I think finally flipped the switch of her just absolutely despising him

Them getting a C and seeing everyone go through the 5 stages of grief is so funny omg

Syd breaking up fights and stubborn idiot-proofing by getting the right caulk was so hot girl of her

“Fak, fix that fuckin sound.” I want to know what made the difference between this and the “I don’t mind it” alarm during the s2 Cicero meeting

“He’s a baby. Don’t get Carmen into trouble, y’know? I was a baby too once, Sydney. Nobody gave a fuck.” This is pretty self explanatory, but… yeah ouch

Carm’s willing to vent to Jimmy about work with the slightest encouragement. Might point to them having a closer relationship, or maybe Carm would vent about work to whoever will listen

“I asked you where you’ve been.” So he hasn’t seen Cicero or his mom since moving back, and I feel like him and Nat had at least texted or called before 1x01 but probably not seen each other, could be wrong on that though. So he just dove headfirst into the restaurant the second he got back to Chicago, and hasn’t even talked to the family he’s been self-isolating from for the past 5 years

I love Carm’s phone password being 11111

Edit: I’m watching this ep yet again, and the flowers on the table in the scene with Pete are the same from his cooking show dream in 1x08!!! Maybe tying in that he feels like his slow breakdown is being seen by everyone he knows, not just those connected just by cooking. Or maybe it’s connecting his conversation with Sugar to how he was also struggling especially hard at the time of the dream, but then, I feel like it would be in Sugar’s kitchen when they’re talking about it. Idk but I love this detail a lot

Sugar doesn’t seem to treat Pete super great :’(. She kinda pushes him away after he hands her the phone, and he instantly assumes that she’s telling him to shut the fuck up. She is the sibling trying hardest to change and be healthier, but she did indeed inherit that Berzatto temper and fast pace to the point of rudeness

Carm’s “Did you hear I apologized? :D” is so funny to me

Carm will vent to Sugar when something happens that’s more in the mental side of things. He wants to be casual about it, doesn’t want to think too hard into how deeply fucked he is, but he needed to talk to someone about almost setting his apartment on fire

Apparently he sleep cooks “sometimes,” and that wasn’t the only time

We know that the breathing difficulties started “sometime in New York maybe?” and I feel like crying out of nowhere is a little more recent, but the nightmares could’ve started at any time, or maybe he was saying New York for all 3, who knows

“I don’t want to bother you.” When considering who to tell what, he does consider his perceived burden on the other person

“I was throwing up every day before work… kinda dug it.” This quote has naturally festered in my brain for the past couple months because it says so much about him. He experiences stress nausea and maybe it became an intentional way of gaining control and consistency in an environment that fought so hard to make him feel faceless and powerless. It shows how far he is willing to go for this. He’ll do whatever it takes, including making himself vomit from anxiety. In his mind, it helps him become a better chef. Could also illustrate his likely connection between perfection and suffering. He kinda dug it. He felt like that self-destruction was necessary for him to excel. I could go on all day

He stayed there because “People loved the food. It felt good.” Here’s his stated motivation. His actual motivation is some messed up combination of that and lot of stuff he talks about in his Al-Anon speech: the excitement of being that good at something for once, just keeping going, hoping that one day, Mikey would acknowledge how good he was at it. People loving the food was confirmation that he was really fucking good at this. More than anything though, he wanted Mike to love the food

When the health inspector reveals that a pack of cigarettes was left by the stove, it doesn’t cross his mind that it was him. He was the CDC at EMP, he wouldn’t make a mistake like that, but he did, and now, this is just reinforcing how fucked everything’s gotten, especially himself. He’s just the type of person who leaves cigarettes by stovetops now

And yeah, that’s 1x02 - Hands all good and done!! Again, I don’t know how far I’ll get with these, but they’re very fun