#I seemed ungrateful and angry which I'm not

[missscarletrosesett]

Can I ask for Yandere Tokito twins hc? If not just Yandere Muichiro! Thanks if you do

Summary: Yandere Tokito twins and Yandere Muichiro Hcs.

Warnings: Mentions of blood, death, emotional abuse, obsessive and possessive behaviour, and forms of manipulation.

Note: Here’s another overdue one. I'm sorry it took so long. I hope you don't mind if I did both.

Tokito twins

(In this they both live and Muichiro keeps his memories)

You three are childhood friends and have a very close bond. You were the glue that held them together.

Your guys’ parents think you three were so cute together. I mean who wouldn't?

Whenever they would squabble, it would always somehow end up with you getting in the middle of them while trying to calm them down.

Mainly Yuichiro.

Time skip to when the demon finds the cabin and attacks you and the twins.

Yuichiro jumped in front of Muichiro in order to protect him, but that resulted him in the loss of his arm.

While you? You just sat that petrified of the scene in front of you.

After help arrived things seemed to get better.

With the help of your care and the Ubuyashiki’s, Yuichiro was going to live.

After Yuichiro made a full and healthy recovery, he decided it was best to stay on the sidelines. (As much as he hated it) and watched as Muichiro trained his hardest to become a Demon Slayer.

You and Yuichiro cheered him on from the sidelines.

Not long after that Muichiro became a Hashira.

Speaking of Yuichiro and Muichiro. You've noticed that they've become more possessive over you, and never let you stray far from their sight.

At first, you thought it seemed from the worry of losing you because you three thought of each other as family.

Oh how wrong you were.

At first, it started out as wholesome worry.

Then it turned into guilt-tripping, restriction to the outside world, and more.

They would try and coax you with small little acts of affection and gifts, trying to make you see there was no reason to go outside.

Simple but sweet things.

Do not get me started if they catch you trying to escape.

If Yuichiro catches you trying to escape, he will drag you back with him and start emotionally abusing you.

He would call you unflattering names, calling you ungrateful and so on.

He would leave you alone for days without the proper care and nutrients you needed to live.

Then he would come back and start acting all sweet with you.

If Muichiro found you trying to escape, at first he’ll gently try to coax you into no trying to escape, but if that doesn't work, it'll get harder than it already needs to be.

He’ll threaten you and yell at you much like Yuichiro, even giving you the silent treatment.

But he won't even last a few hours before begging for your forgiveness.

Poor baby

He can't stand the thought of you being scared or angry with him.

If you do somehow manage to escape, it won't be very far

The farthest you'll get is maybe close to a small town, before being dragged back by most likely Muichiro.

That's when you realized you were never going to leave their line of sight.

“Come on, let's get you home, where it's safe.”

Muichiro

We all love him, but he is ruthless as a yandere.

RUTHLESS.

Same scenario as for the twins, you were childhood friends with the twins.

After the Demon attacked you guys, you and Muichiro were the only survivors, having Yuichiro sacrifice his life in order to protect you two.

Muichiro experienced Memory loss but for some strange reason he remembered you

You were happy that your best friend remembered you, of course, but you couldn't shake the feeling that he changed somehow.

He felt different, and not the good kind.

After he became a Hashira, he invited you to his estate, which you happily accepted.

As time went on, you noticed that your visits became longer and longer, sometimes even you having to stay the night, until you couldn't even step foot outside his estate.

You couldn't even remember what the outside world looked like.

He would act like his old-normal self around you, but if you ever did something he didn't like or approve of, he would revert to his cold-hearted, ruthless self.

And if you try escaping, good luck, getting caught will be your worst nightmare

He couldn't care how much begging and pleasing you were doing. He would drill it into your head.

You would stay by his side, like old times.

He would achieve his goal no matter what, even if he has to spill your own blood.

“Why do you insist on escaping? How troublesome. Seems like you still haven't learned.”

[bloofinntoona]

Open Arms

Word Count: 1.8k

Themes: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, A bit steamy at the end, fluff if you squint

Summary: (SPOILER FOR HOGWARTS LEGACY ENDING) Seb and you apologized after he lashed out on you working with goblins.

Author's Note: I wanted to say thank you for the love I’ve gotten from my first story. I had this one in mind for a while, so I went on a writing storm. Hope you like it!

You have never seen Sebastian Sallow this angry before. His thick eyebrows knitted, blazing eyes burning through your skull. "A friendly goblin? You know goblins cursed my sister to shut her up." Sebastian spat.

It was hard to breath and think straight when the tension between the two students were unbearably thick. "Sebastian, not all goblins-"

"Have you forgotten the mine we just went through? Feldcroft?" Obviously not, there were still dirt and spider web tangled all over your robes.

"No, Seb. I haven't. You're not listening to me!" You basically pleading at this point.

"Why would I listen to someone so ignorant?" He muttered.

"Take a breath for a moment. You don't know what you're saying!"

"Oh, I know precisely what I'm saying. Unbelievable." With that sentence, Sebastian stomped away from the Undercroft.

You didn't consider yourself soft, yet you felt the tears welling up in your eyes, cheeks burning up in anger. Thank Merlin that Sebastian has left the room as you screamed your frustation out. You didn't care even if Sebastian heard you. The way he scolded you made it seemed like you were daft, which in reality was far from that. You had the weight of the world on your shoulder, with Ranrok and Rookwood chasing after you — it's not like you've asked for this either. You would rather enjoy your youth studying normal magic like normal wizards. The keepers didn't help with providing concrete answers anyways, you had to go through tenous puzzles just to uncover pieces of information about your newfound ability to see ancient magic.

On top of that, you had grown fond of your peers in Hogwarts. You have the brilliant Natty, caring Poppy, cheeky Ominis, and smart Amit. But none of them came close to Sebastian Sallow. If anybody asked, you would deny that it was love at first sight. But you couldn't forget the way he showed you 'a proper Hogwarts welcome' in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The fact that he covered you from detention also gave butterflies in your stomach. You took the Cruciatus Curse in the Slytherin's tomb, convincing yourself that you did it because you were in debt. In truth, you hated seeing the boy hurt. You wholeheartedly understand his desperation. Sebastian was clinging to the last member of his family. That was why you couldn't stop him from learning the Dark Arts. You thought you'd do the same in his position.

You sniffled, wiping your face using your sleeves.

It was hard enough to be in the same room with Sebastian, but what ticked you off more was that he pretended that everything was okay with other people. He helped Samantha with her potions, grabbed a book for Poppy, and even sneaked a Fwooper Feather for Garreth. You dismissed the twinge of jealousy that you felt. After all, you didn't even know if Sebastian still considered you as friends. Friends don't ignore each other for a week straight.

You quickly collected your stack of books and rushed to the library. Sitting down at one of the study table on the second floor, you burried your head in the Charms homework that you were assigned to. No use in mooning over the ungrateful Sebastian Sallow.

A red glow appeared in the corner of the page. You turned your head to the side to see Ominis, pointing his wand in your direction. "Thought we'd revise together." He smiled.

"O-oh, sure! please join me." You got up and pulled a chair for the blonde boy, guiding him to a spot in front of you.

Often times you'd wonder why Ominis and Sebastian were best of friends. Sebastian was brash, while Ominis always exuded a calming energy. Despite being a part of House Gaunt, Ominis was a gentle soul. You thought he would hate you after Sebastian showed you the Undercroft, but he quickly resolved it and considered you as a friend.

You were scribbling an essay about the usage of Silencing charm before Ominis cleared his throat, catching your attention. "Are you cross with Sebastian?"

You sighed, dipping your quill in the ink. "I think he is the one who is cross with me."

"I can sense that," he let out a light chuckle, "can't hide his emotions, that boy."

"Who cares anyways... He's better off without me." You kept writing down meaningless words before frustration took over as you slammed your quill. "Ominis, I had to do it. I was thrown into this world without any proper knowledge. I had to take any help that I can get. And I wanted to help Seb, I truly do!"

Ominis nodded, setting his palm on top of yours. "Look, I am thankful that you wanted to help Sebastian. He's my closest friend and the closest thing I have to a family," he paused, "Sebastian... is very vocal about his thoughts. I often remind him to properly think before speaking."

The Slytherin boy's face turned sour, he lowered his tone, "... and I told you about the consequences of using Dark Arts. It will corrupt you." He squeezed your hand, "He doesn't hate you. I can promise you that. The path that he is currently taking is corrupting him."

You nodded, flashing a weak smile. "Thank you, Ominis."

"You're welcome. Now, where were we?"

Threading through the hall back to your dormitory at night, you saw a shadow heading underneath the stairs. Soon after, you heard a faint click. Must be the undercroft, you'd wager. You debated for a while, yet you found yourself walking towards the clock. Raising your wand, the clock turned and opened the door towards the hidden room. You slowly walked downstairs, peeping through the gate.

There he was, Sebastian Sallow. Hair tussled, robes discarded on the empty barrel. He was wearing his shirt, the green Slytherin tie loosely tied around his neck. Sebastian rolled his sleeves as he gripped his wand and pointed it toward the battle dummy. “Incendio! Confringo! Bombarda!” shouted the boy. Fire and sparks flew everywhere, burning the wooden doll. He went for a while, releasing the pent-up anger he felt inside. Sebastian kept on going until his voice was coarse, out of breath. He backed against the nearest wall, slumping his body down.

“Sebastian?” you called up. His immediately perked up, seeing you shuffled closer to him. His breath hitched, looking away as he twirled his wand between his fingers.

The silence was awkward. You decided to break the ice, “I-“ “I wanted-“ he said at the same time. “Look, I-“ The two said in unison again. Sebastian cracked a chuckle as you giggled, feeling relieved that things are looking up.

“Let me start then,” he sighed, “I apologize for my behaviour before. You were right. I was being rude to you.” Sebastian patted the spot next to him. You obliged as you sat down. “You have been very helpful since the first time I’ve asked you to see Anne. You cheered me up when I was feeling distraught, you explored dodgy caves, and battled enemies for me,” he smiled softly, “Again, I am sorry. Not having you by my side is a torture for me.”

Warmth crept up your cheeks, thanking the universe that the Undercroft was dark enough so Sebastian couldn’t see how red your face was. “Sebastian…”

“Anne’s condition worsen by the day,” he held his wand, a faint glow flickered at the end, “I lost both of my parents. I knew from the start that my uncle didn’t like me. He called me, my father’s son, like it was a bad thing. I can’t imagine losing Anne too… I won’t have anyone else-“

Before he could finish his story, you wrapped your arms around his body, pulling him close to you. You could feel his body stiffen at first. It didn’t take long until Sebastian snaked his arms around your waist, his head resting on your chest. You rested your head on top of his, coarse strands of brunette hair tickling your chin. The smell of pines, ash, and smoke filled your nose. Sebastian closed his eyes, savouring the moment. He couldn’t remember when was the last time somebody held him so tender, so gentle. The boy started to sniffle, soft whimpers and cried escaped his lips. You didn’t care about the damp spot on your shirt, all you wanted was to assure that Sebastian that he had you, and he would always have you. You stroked his head as he held you tighter than ever.

As you heard his cries died down, reduced into small hiccups and sighs, you softly whispered, “Sebastian, I’m sorry too. I should have told you about my plans. I was scared of telling others about my secrets. I felt like I had to carry this burden myself even though you always offered to help me,” you trailed, “I hated seeing you sad. I wanted to help.”

Sebastian nodded before pulling back. Both students giggled as they saw how puffy their faces were. You cupped Sebastian’s face, wiping away his tears. “Are we okay?” you asked. He flashed a gentle smile as he rested his forehead against yours, “of course we are. Thank you.”

Everything was a blur as you felt warmth against your lips. Sebastian had closed the gap between the two of you, gently grasping your hands. Your mind went blank -- It was your first kiss. You pulled back, his half-lidded eyes searching for yours. You leaned in again, your arms found their way back around his neck. He tilted his head to the side, deepening the kiss. Giggles escaped your lips as you bumped your nose against his. Well, your knowledge of courting was as limited as the romance books stashed in the corner of the library. Deep down, you were comforted seeing how clumsy Sebastian was too.

Sebastian slowly lifted your body, your legs now straddling his waist. His calloused hands ghosted over your legs, slipping underneath your skirt. You gasped, head spinning as you felt his hands eased their way under the curvature of your bottom, fingers slipping under your undergarment. He took this chance to swipe his tongue inside, exploring your mouth. The kiss was messy, but there was an endearing charm to it.

It was too much – your hand frantically roamed around his body before finding their rest on his hair, pulling it gently. Sebastian groaned into the kiss, which sent shivers down your spine. Your waist instinctively grinded against his, finding friction to ease the growing desire bubbling in your body. You whined as he pulled back, producing a string of saliva between the two. Sebastian’s face was flushed, eyes looking at you hungrily. He dived in again, lips trailing from your forehead, nose, lips, and down to your neck. He softly nibbed your skin, earning a mewl from you. “You’re mine.” He grunted, admiring the small red hickey now adoring the side of your neck.

Before you could continue, you both heard the bells tolling. Sebastian snorted and rested his head on your shoulder. You laughed, hugging him close. “We better get going.” You felt Sebastian pulled your sleeve as you stood up.

“Promise me,” Sebastian muttered, “promise me you will always be there for me.”

“I promise.”

[zannenilsson]

AITA for using a lookalike of my son's activist girlfriend to incite a small uprising so I could stop my employees from organizing?

I (53M) am a hardworking business executive and single father. I had to raise my son (21M) alone after his mother died giving birth to him. Admittedly I kind of threw myself into work after my wife died so I wasn't there a lot when he was growing up, but I used the money I made to make sure he got everything he needed to thrive. I take care of all his expenses so he doesn't have to work all the time the way I do, so he just hangs out with his friends all day.

Now, my son never asks questions about how I actually make all this money; he's well-educated but has never been really curious. So I was very confused when he burst into my office the other day totally freaking out and crying and asking about my employees' working conditions. Once he calmed down I found out that he saw an industrial accident - which I hadn't even been told about - caused by one of my workers' negligence.

Naturally I was confused because he's never been to the machine rooms where my low-level employees work, and when I pressed him he said he was looking for "this cute activist worker girl" who he saw while hanging out with his friends. And I don't know what she said to him that made such a big impression - knowing him she was probably just very attractive - but he kept talking about how he had to find her and help her make things better for my workers because they were really just like him.

I tried to explain that no, he was not "just like" one of the unwashed and uneducated workers in my machine rooms, and that they were where they belonged, just like him. For some reason this upset him even more and he ran out of my office again. He disappeared for a while after that.

Meanwhile, I finally got more details about the accident and found out a bunch of the dead workers had these weird identical sketches on pieces of paper in their pockets. My foreman had no idea what they were, so I consulted my Former Close Friend (51M) about it. (We had a falling out over my late wife before my son was born, long story, but I pay his bills because he's the smartest person I know and in exchange he helps me out with unsolvable problems.)

Long story short, turns out the sketches were maps of the city's old catacombs system. FCF showed me that my workers have been using them to illegally gather there after their shifts and listen to the same activist girl my son was obsessed with (19?F) give these weird sermons about how some rich person will help them peacefully organize and improve their living and working conditions.

As I've already said, I provide the best working conditions I can for my employees. I also provide them all with free housing. Yes, the housing is underground, but it's safe, clean, and easily accessible - in other words, much better than the upper-city slums they and their families would probably live in otherwise. So not only was this girl making them ungrateful for everything I'd given them, but she was clearly manipulating my son to help her do it.

Admittedly I'm not proud of what happened next, but I was angry and scared for my son. So I asked FCF to help me swap the girl with an advanced lifelike robot he'd built (long story, don't ask), show my son how duplicitous she really was, and lead the workers into the violent uprising they clearly wanted so I could remove that element from my workforce once and for all. FCF agreed and took care of everything.

Once we got the robot girl in place everything started going downhill for some reason. My son suddenly reappeared, saw me with her, had a nervous breakdown which I hired doctors to see him through, then he disappeared again. I tried to follow up with FCF to see what the robot's progress has been but he seems to be avoiding me. The uprising seems to be going as planned since the power in the whole city just went out, but without any intel I can't stop it. And now suddenly the man I hired to find my son turned up to say my son's been sucked into the uprising somehow and it's spiralling out of control. When I asked if my son was okay, he said a lot of people will be asking me the same question about their sons tomorrow, implying that this whole thing is MY fault.

So I have to know: AITA?

UPDATE: I finally tracked down FCF and overheard him telling the activist girl (who he kidnapped, for some reason?) that the robot is actually carrying out some secret revenge plan he had against me, which apparently involves DESTROYING THE ENTIRE CITY and KILLING MY SON. So I broke in, let the girl out, and beat him to death. I'm going to fix this.

UPDATE 2: The robot has been neutralized, but the workers' city flooded in the uprising and the workers are pissed.

UPDATE 3: The good news is, I found my son. The bad news is, FCF isn't dead and is now FIGHTING MY SON ON TOP OF THE CATHEDRAL. HELP.

FINAL UPDATE: FCF is dead. My son is okay and helped me reconcile with the workers, who seem to think it was all the robot's fault. Thank you to everyone who responded to this and helped me realize I'm NTA, and it was in fact FCF who was TA.

[recreationalfanfics]

I love your writing, can you possibly do Yandere Loki and maybe Aphrodite with an Asexual Reader who’s not physically attracted by them, rather they tell them how they’re very ‘Ugly/Unattractive’ because of their personality (I’m Ace myself) how do you think they’ll react to Reader calling Thrud ‘Beautiful’ and the ‘True Maiden/Beauty in Heaven’ because Reader likes Thrud for her personality (I think it would be funny since I believe Loki knows he’s attractive, same for Aphrodite but to the extreme, and I definitely would find it hilarious for them to be knocked down a peg or two because Reader isn’t afraid to call them out on their bullshit and tell them they’re Ugly)

I ADORE Thrud, she’s so beautiful 😭 (She’s so pretty and cute, like HOW can anyone THINK she’s a monster??)

NO, YOU'RE SO RIGHT ABOUT THIS AND TY FOR THE THRUD REQUEST. LIKE, LOKI DEF KNOWS HE'S PRETTY BUT I KNOW WHERE MY LOYALTIES LIE AND HAS TO KNOW HIS PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO THRUD.

Yandere! Aphrodite + Yandere! Loki w an Ace! Darling who likes Thrud Better

Yandere! Aphrodite:

- As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, she is entitled to some degree to think that she's attractive so why wouldn't you fall for her?

- Despite how many times you try to tell her you're uncomfortable with it, she will try to seduce you but stops when you push her away or genuinely seem upset with her attempts.

- She either assumes that you're shy or that you are simply playing hard to get, which she enjoys for a while. You know Kokomi Teruhashi from Saiki K who simply can not accept the fact Saiki isn't interested in her? Literally how she acts.

- When you try to tell you aren't attracted to her, she doesn't really listen which finally causes you to snap and tell her that she's ugly. She laughs in your face and coos about how her darling has such an odd sense of humor.

- "No, I'm not joking! You may be pretty on the outside but I could never love anyone whose as ugly as you. Especially someone who can't respect my boundaries and choices!"

- And she is shocked for a bit...but then she is PISSED. YOU UNGRATEFUL WHELP, ARE YOU NOT AWARE OF HOW MANY MORTALS AND GODS WOULD LOVE TO BE IN YOUR SHOES!? TO BE ADORED BY HER THE WAY SHE ADORES YOU!

- She gets angry and yells at you. You knew she wouldn't be happy to hear it and her lashing out at you only proved your point about how truly ugly she was. You backed away from her as she tried to walk towards you, trying to grab you, but she was stopped by someone who stood between you two.

- "Hey! Leave them alone."

- "YOU FOOLISH VALKYRIE, YOU DARE STAND AGAINST A GODDESS!?"

- "If she's taking out her anger on a mortal she's been HARASSING since Ragnarok started, then yes!"

- She glares from Thrud, to you, to Thrud again. Then she turns around and walks off, trying to pick up the dignity she had as a Goddess after being brutally rejected by you. She sulks and rages and mopes for a few days, after all, HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY THINK SHE WAS UGLY!?

- When she's finally in her right state of mind, she tries to approach you again. Maybe she can apologize and change your mind about her! After all, she will admit that looking back she has been a bit touchy but she's so in love with you! Maybe if you saw that then you'd accept her. Oh, and there you are- Wait, why are you with Thrud??

- It turns out that while she was in heartbreak, you and the most muscular Valkyrie sister had grown quite close. Thrud protecting you from other God's, letting you sit on her shoulder and laughing as you talked about how much taller you felt. You looked so happy around her, why didn't you look that happy with Aphrodite!?

- Then you called her the True Beauty of Heaven and Aphrodite is once again sent into an outrage.

- HER? A BEAUTY? MEANWHILE, APHRODITE WAS UGLY!? THAT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE, (Y/N)!? HOW COULD YOU BE SO CRUEL TO HER!?

- From here, she honestly will do anything to keep you away from Thrud. She'll try to act nicer to you but she doesn't have the patience to keep it up for long, maybe she'll stage a little accident where Thrud can't save you but she can, or maybe...she'll just take you away♡

- It's your own fault for this, you know! She tried to love you gently but you simply wanted to be ungrateful.

Yandere! Loki:

- This man knows he's drop dead gorgeous and while it isn't the SOLE reason why he acts like a horrible God, he still thinks that because of his looks and "cute" antics that you'd at least fall for him.

- He is a bit more respectful of your boundaries than Aphrodite is...like, when it comes to seduction and stuff, he wouldn't really do much of that. I'll give him that much but that doesn't mean he doesn't make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

- You can feel his eyes burning into you, he doesn't really care enough to hide his prescence and he thinks its cute the way you glare at him and try to move away from him, as if he isn't gonna follow you♡

- He knows how you feel about him already. You've even called him Ugly or Unattractive for his personality before and his response is usually just him chuckling and telling you why you expected any different, after all, he is the God of Deciet and Mischief♡

- Lately, he hasn't seen you around as often and it's honestly been affecting his mood. He's more irritable and he's seething when he tries to look for you and you're not as your usual spots. He even broke into your room, expecting to scare you and catch you off gaurd.

- Only to see that a lot of your possessions where gone, which confused and frustrated him even more. Then he hears some other gods talking about you and how you were now living with one of the Valkyries, to which Loki grabbed them and threatened to kill them himself if they didn't tell him everything.

- You changed sides...You couldn't stand him so much that you changed sides and were now roommates with one of the Valkyries, he wasn't sure how he felt. Of course he was angry but he also couldn't really blame you. That didn't mean he had to like it, of course.

- Not only that but it was Thrud who had let you stay with her, noticing how uneasy and paranoid you were because of Loki and vowing to protect you from him. Yeah, maybe he liked to make you miserable and isolated and by his side but he highly doubted you needed protection from him.

- Although protection was such a laughable word considering the fact that despite Thrud's muscular and giant build, he was more than confident all it would take was a simple flick of his wrist to end her.

- So he goes over to the Human's side to grab you and drag you back to him, everyone avoiding him as he walked to the Valkyrie's quarters with a dark and heavy aura that radiated with anger and bloodlust.

- He didn't have to walk too far since he heard you in the garden...talking with Thrud. He stormed over to you, yet he stopped in his tracks when he heard what you said to her.

- "Thrud, you truly are the most beautiful person in heaven." You sighed, making Thrud flustered but she smiled and shyly thanked you for the compliment.

- He...he feels something weird. It's in his chest. It feels like an ache of some sort? The word echoes in his mind as he clenches his chest and stares at the ground. He already knew he was attractive, even when you did call him ugly, and it didn't bother him. So why...Why does that hurt so much now? Beautiful. Why does he feel cold when he sees how joyful Thrud looks when you tell her that.

- That moment of sorrow passed by quickly and he's already enraged but he just walks over and hugs you from behind. Thrud gets up to try and hurt him but he just puts a blade on your neck and is all: "Thrud! What an unpleasant surprise! I'm sorry but we really must be going now! C'mon, (Y/n)!~ I've missed you terribly!" and Thrud is helpless because she doesn't know if he'll actually hurt you but when she tries to follow after, you just give her a sad smile of defeat...which breaks her heart.

- When he drags you back, he throws you roughly against the wall and pins you to it, using one arm to cage you and the other to roughly seize your chin. He looks at you, nothing short of furious but seeing how terrified you are of him at that moment, it makes him smile. So, he gently asks in a soft tone that lacked affection and tenderness, "Tell me I'm beautiful, (Y/n)."

- "...You're beautiful." You answer him, your eyes filled with terror. The smile on his face grows at your words, even if he forced you to say them, and he just pinches your cheek lovingly: "Oh, you're too cute to stay mad at~ Lucky you."

[pascaloverx]

Sweet Love

Summary: You're an up-and-coming writer, congratulations. To protect your beloved job, you're willing to do anything. Even strike a deal with the devil, better known as your sister's neighbor. You and Dean Winchester don't really see eye to eye, but in a moment of desperation, you agree to collaborate with him for a greater good.

Author's Notes: Many characters do not belong to me but to the Supernatural Universe (2005-2020). I hope you enjoy the fanfic's story. The fanfic will contain strong language and adult content. Dear readers, I'm here to let you know that if you enjoy this fic, please engage with it. Comments and likes are welcome. I appreciate everyone who follows this fanfic. Anyway, enjoy this chapter.

chapter six chapter eight

CHAPTER SEVEN

The following month felt almost like a dream. You and Dean officially together, without having to pretend to casually bump into each other as good neighbors. Sam seems to be adjusting to your relationship. But he seems to enjoy the time he spends alone when Dean is with you at your sister's apartment. The good news is that you'll be moving soon. Your new book is going to be released, and with the money you've already earned, you'll be able to buy your own apartment.

"I'm not ready to say goodbye to the comfort of being able to see you without much effort. Maybe you should come live with me. I can kick Sam out with just one command from you," Dean says while still cuddling with you. You spent the night together yesterday and decided to sleep snuggled up.

"I don't want to start our relationship by making your brother angry with me. Not to mention that I'll still be close by. My sister lives here," you say, turning slightly and giving Winchester a kiss on the cheek. You don't even finish saying this when you hear a noise at the door. It can only mean one thing: your sister is back.

"Is anyone home?" your sister yells, and you immediately get out of bed, running to find your missing clothes and Dean's. It's not that you won't admit you're with him, you just don't want to admit it like this.

"I'm in the bedroom, just give me a moment to greet you," you shout back, finishing getting dressed. As you're about to leave the room and reach for Dean's hand, he pulls back. You look at him, puzzled.

"I'd better hide here and leave later. Trust me, you don't want to tell your sister about us like this," Dean says, stepping away, which you find suspicious. It's one thing that they don't get along, but acting as if he's ashamed to be seen as your boyfriend makes you uncomfortable.

"I thought us dating meant we were going to make it official to everyone. Including my sister. Unless there's something different about telling my sister that we're together," you say a little irritated. Your sister calls your name and you feel you should go. Dean seems like he has something to say to you but you just close the door and go to where your sister is.

"My little sister! I've missed you so much. I'm dying to hear all the news, what happened while I was working away. I want to know everything," your sister says, hugging you tightly after setting down her bags.

"I should have come back earlier. You didn't even tell me you were coming. Such an ungrateful sister," you say as you hug your sister.

"My boss allowed me to come home for a few days, but I have to go back soon. There's an investigative story in Bulgaria that they'll need me for. And how's it been staying here without me? Dealing with Winchester up front been keeping you up at night?" She speaks and you widen your eyes in surprise at the question. Maybe she suspects something, but you don't want to give anything away.

"Actually, he's been much calmer. Almost like a changed man. Sam's even visiting him. Maybe later we can all meet up," you say, deflecting the conversation while hinting at Dean possibly changing. However, by pretending he's not in your room and omitting that you're dating, you're starting to feel like Dean's little dirty secret—which might suggest he hasn't changed after all.

"My sweet sister, always believing in the best of people. From my own experience, believe me, he's unlikely to change. Although when he was dating Castiel, it seemed like he had changed. I think maybe Castiel was the love of his life," your sister says, and you feel the weight of her words almost immediately. Firstly, what does she mean by "from my own experience"? And the fact that she thinks Castiel might have been Dean's great love confirms your worst fear—that you might be Dean's second choice because he can no longer have Castiel.

"By 'from my own experience,' do you mean because you've witnessed several of Dean's relationships?" you ask, trying not to show how a wrong answer could make this one of the weirdest mornings of your life.

"I never mentioned it to you? Dean and I had a brief relationship. That's why I always insisted you stay away from him. Actually, it was a bit before you came to live with me and he got involved with Castiel. It was fun, but he would never have taken me seriously. I always thought it made sense that he dumped me because he'd found the love of his life. But maybe it was never meant to be me and him. Or him and Castiel. Who knows, right? So, want to eat out? I'm starving." Your sister says this, and you look at her, almost crying. But you have to pretend you're not feeling anything. How could she never have told you? And him? What kind of messed-up morning is this?

"I'll grab my bag and a coat. Meet you downstairs?" you say, trying to hold back the tears.

"Alright. I'll wait for you downstairs. I'll be the girl almost dying of hunger," your sister says, giving you a kiss on the cheek before leaving.

"You can come out now," you say loudly so Dean can hear. Fortunately, your sister is a good reporter, but when she's hungry, she can't think straight. Otherwise, she would have noticed that my coat and bag are in the living room.

"I can explain," he says, appearing quickly in front of you. Obviously, he had been listening to your conversation.

"Just like you could have explained before I found out from my sister. Is that why you didn't want her to know about us? Because you slept with my sister before meeting the supposed love of your life?" Your voice rises, a mix of anger and sadness. A blend of disillusionment with the feeling that you shouldn't be reacting this way.

"It's not fair for you to be mad about the comment on Castiel being the love of my life. I didn't make it. But I understand it's fair for you to be angry that I didn't tell you. At first, I thought it was irrelevant, and then we were already into each other; how could I tell you that I'd been with your sister?" Dean says, and you have no reaction. It's like you can't process what he's saying.

"Don't worry, Dean. I don't blame you for any of this. The fault is mine, the illusion is mine. Now, please go." You speak in a low voice. Dean seems to understand that you really don't want to discuss this now.

"Are you breaking up with me?" Dean asks, approaching you. Looking at him seems to make you even sadder.

"I'm asking for some time; please respect that if you can. If not, you can consider it a breakup. Whatever makes you feel better," you say, looking at him with teary eyes. Dean looks sad, maybe even disappointed.

"I may be an idiot, but I'm not giving up on you," he says, looking into your eyes. Then he leaves, leaving a kind of emptiness in you. But now isn't the time to dwell on it, as your sister will soon become suspicious. You compose yourself, grab your bag and coat, and leave.

[maluuustrawberry]

"My biggest treasure"

(Tulio X Fem! Reader X Miguel)

(The Road to El Dorado fanfiction)

{Part 4}

{Part 1} // {Part 2} // {Part 3}

A/N: Hiii my readers! Did you miss me? Lol. I haven't forgotten about the fic, if you want to give me ideas I'm accepting. I'm still planning how I'm going to fit Chel into the story, I hope you like it. Byeee.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

~ {Pov} You:

Lucky the sea didn't get too rough with that rain. After a few hours the rain stopped, we were very tired and cold, and I saw that the boys were trying hard to stay awake:

“You can go to sleep, while you sleep I'll keep watch to see if we find dry land...” I said with my knees in front of me in an attempt to hide my breasts, after all, I'm not wearing anything underneath.

“Are you sure you can, Y/n?” Miguel asked.

“I'm not going to sleep.” Tulio said to me. “I don't trust you.”

“And what does that have to do with trust, Tulio?” I asked in a bored tone, I'd had enough of this.

“I don't know, maybe you're planning something against me while I'm asleep.” Tulio sat up and I rolled my eyes. Miguel was tired of our fights and had snuggled down to sleep next to Altivo.

“Oh Sure, while you sleep I'll stick my sword right in your a...”

“Y/n...” Miguel scolded me and closed his eyes. “Well, you decide if you're going to stay awake or not. Good night.”

“Night...” Tulio and I said in a chorus.

I watched Miguel get ready for bed, after which Tulio and I looked at each other as if to say, "I'm going to kill you."

*****

The night was going well, I mean almost well, if it hadn't been for the cold and Tulio being awake next to me, but I ignored his presence. I kept thinking about who had saved me when I was in the sea... The last thing I heard was Tulio telling Miguel to tie the rope around Altivo to turn the boat around, Miguel was busy to save me. It couldn't have been Tulio, he hates me, why did he take it upon himself to save me?

“It was you, wasn't it?” I broke the silence, asking quietly and almost in a whisper.

“What?” He was confused. Oh please... it seems like this man doesn't reason!

“Who saved me, asshole!”

“Now you decide to ask me that?” Tulio asked.

“For God's sake, I can bring this up any time...” I run my hands over my scalp, I'm losing patience with this little thief. I can be all sorts of things; proud, lying to get my own money, poor, boring... But one thing I'm not is ungrateful. I sighed, took my hands out of my hair and finally said; “Thank you...” I mumbled.

~ {Pov} Tulio:

I couldn't help but be surprised by her thanking me, but I tried to disguise it by keeping a serious expression, scratching the back of my neck and avoiding facing her. I thought she was too proud for that, especially because she hated me, so I guess I was a little happy:

“You're welcome... next time I won't do it again.” I said. “Then think again before you get clumsy.”

I saw the woman roll her eyes and sigh, and I laughed a little because I couldn't resist teasing her at every opportunity. At least she wasn't ungrateful and recognized what I'd done:

“You haven't seen much, have you?” She asked shyly, what is she talking about?

I noticed that the woman was still hugging her legs in front of her wet body, I saw that her bodice was thrown over the side of the boat, her face flushed and her expression of shame, so I connected the dots:

“I've seen a bit, it's not much, but...” I approached her, getting close to her face. “I think I have to see it again to be sure of what I'm talking about...”

I gave her a mischievous smile and looked her up and down, her face flushed even more with embarrassment, but the angry expression was still on her face:

“You pervert!”

Suddenly she kicked me and I fell back into the sea, the noise of the water waking Miguel and Altivo, I hadn't expected this attitude from her. I was about to dry off and got wet again because of that idiot:

“You Witch!” I complained as I swam back to the boat.

“Just be thankful it wasn't a punch in the nose.” She said as she watched me climb back into the boat.

“Hey! what happened?...” Miguel asked.

“Nothing!” We spoke at the same time and Miguel raised both hands in redemption.

“Okay?...” He said and lay back down next to Altivo.

“I hope we get to dry land soon before I kill you!” She said as she approached me, pointing in my face and looking into my eyes, why did that give me a chill in my stomach?

“I can't wait for this...” I noticed that she was standing up and I couldn't resist looking at her body, marked by her wet white clothes, which were almost transparent. I don't think she noticed me looking. “After all, I don't know how much longer I can put up with you on this trip.”

“Okay, it's not going to work for you two to stay up.” Miguel commented patiently and sat down. “Tulio, you go to sleep and I'll stay up with Y/n.”

“Okay, but only because you're watching too.” I said as I lay down, of course I said that last part to annoy her.

“Oh your...” And she fell right in.

“For God's sake, that's enough!” Miguel interrupted before she could swear at me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

~ {Pov} You:

Miguel and I stayed up tonight and Tulio was asleep, it wasn't awkwardly quiet so Miguel started talking to me:

“I'm sorry about Tulio's behavior, he's a bit difficult sometimes.”

“It's okay, you don't have to apologize.” I said and immediately a question came to mind. “Why did you decide to take me on this trip with you? You didn't even know me properly.” I saw him laugh a little.

“Well, you have a curious way, Y/n. We have the same goals and you also know a lot about El Dorado from what I've seen in your diary.” He pointed to the object in my pocket. “I thought we could help each other, and I confess I was also curious about a woman who can read and write... How did this happen? Why do you want to find this town?”

“My father was obsessed with trying to find El Dorado and wrote everything down in his diary. He was the one who taught me to read and influenced me to find this city too.”

“Interesting... Why did you decide to dress up as a man for work?”

“My story's a bit complicated...” when I said that, he gave me that little smile. “What?”

“I'm waiting for you to tell me.” His smile soon faded to a worried expression. “I mean, if you're comfortable... I think it would be good to get to know each other better, since we're going on a long trip together... Be friends, you know?”

I stayed silent for a few seconds and then let out a small laugh, it's amazing how Miguel can get close to people and make them open up so easily, he seems like such a good person, even though he's a thief, it's no wonder he's Tulio's best friend. I took a deep breath and began:

“Well I... It was my father who taught me to read when I was six years old. My mother died of the black plague when I was still a baby and I lived with my father all my childhood...”

“I'm sorry for what you've been through.” Miguel commented. “I didn't know it was such a delicate subject...”

“No, it's fine. You're the first person I've ever told about my old life and what happens to me.” I said and gave him a small smile. “Anyway, I spent my childhood living with my father, he was a great man, he started working on a ship when I was eight and every time he went on a long trip I stayed at home alone, he always told me the stories of El Dorado and told me about the city, he wanted me to do research with him too, that's why he taught me to read. Until one day, when I was twelve, he was going on another trip and gave me his diary. I thought that was strange, because he always took his diary on trips, it seemed like a...”

“A farewell?...” Miguel asked and I nodded, took a deep breath so as not to cry in front of him and then continued.

“He went on that trip and never came back. Probably the ship sank or something...” I sighed. “The neighbor heard about it and put me in an orphanage, I finished learning to read on the sly there and ran away. When I left there I was sure I didn't want to depend on anyone or get attached to anyone, I was afraid of losing someone again, like my father, so I decided to fend for myself... Dressing up as a man and earning my own money by working, since women aren't allowed to work...”

I finished my story and Miguel looked at me impressed, but with pity too. Then he did something I didn't expect and hadn't received for years... He put his arm around my shoulder and gave me a little hug, I didn't know how to react to that and finally receiving affection after so many years was something... Strange, but so good and welcoming:

“You've been through a lot, Y/n...” I was so relieved to have someone to talk to, I laid my head on his chest and relaxed. “We're going to find El Dorado, but even if that city doesn't exist, I'd love our friendship to continue.”

“Thanks, Miguel.” We separated from the hug, I really needed that... So I asked him too. “What about you? Why do you want to find this city so badly?” He laughed.

“Well, of course it's because of the gold and riches.” I understand completely, I'm tired of being a poor wretch. “Tulio and I are tired of just gambling and stealing, we can change our lives with all that gold... I think the girls will like me better this way too.”

The blond put his arms around his neck and lay back on the boat while looking up at the sky. I couldn't believe he'd said that, I couldn't resist laughing at what he'd just said, he didn't seem to understand why I was laughing, and after I'd calmed down I asked:

“Miguel, do you really think you're going to attract someone with your money?”

“Of course, that's what women like, isn't it?”

“No, Miguel.” I laughed and then told him. “I mean, of course there are women who like it, but they're just interested. Look, do you want some advice? Money doesn't attract love, it only attracts interest.”

I moved closer to him and put my hand on his chest:

“What really counts in a person is this... Is it better to find someone who loves you for who you are? Or someone who loves you just for the money?”

He gave a small, warm smile at what I said, my father always taught me about this and ever since I was little he gave me this advice:

“Thanks, Y/n... I think that if it wasn't for you, Túlio and I would be lost and out of our minds.” We both laughed at what he said. “Hey, you can go to sleep if you want, you've done a lot for us.”

“I really am quite tired.” I laughed and snuggled down, lying next to Altivo who was asleep. “Good night, Miguel and... Think about what I told you.”

“Good night.” He laughed a little. “I'll think about it.”

I was exhausted, and as I lay down next to Altivo and snuggled down to sleep, it didn't take long for my eyes to get heavy and fall asleep. It looks like I'm going to have a lot going on with the two of them...

To be continued...

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for essentially getting kidnapped by my family and not being happy about it?

So last summer, I (22,it/its) got a small back injury,it wasn't a big deal,it just meant that sometimes I couldn't lift things and it hurt(it is currently healed)the other thing is that as a base I am a person who does not enjoy going out,much less in the summer heat,my parents kept trying to convince me to go stay at a summer house with my cousin and my younger brother,and I kept refusing.

One day,my mother asked me to help my cousin move a few things, my cousin's father owns a small business that he (my cousin)usually helps with sometimes, so I didn't think this was wierd ,I was annoyed because my back wasn't feeling particularly well that day,but I relented because refusing didn't seem much of an option.

Fast forward a few hours ,And the sun had set, at the time I had started to suspect that something was a miss,but I pushed the the thought out of my mind, because it seems too unlikely, however once we reached the summer house (which again, should've really tipped me off,but I suppose I thought my family was better than this)my younger brother pulled out a backpack of my clothes and explained that they had orchestrated the whole thing with my mother, basically getting me to come with them under the guise of helping them with stuff,and grabbing a backpack without me knowing,just so I would stay over.

At that moment I felt incredibly angry,I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I felt completely disconnected from them,I spent that night in turmoil.

I stayed the next day ,then came back home on the day after,my mother chastised me for coming back , and I told her that I felt completely disrespected because they ignored my back and my repeated refusal.she replied by saying that I'm ungrateful.

It hasn't come up again ever since,and I don't think much about it either,but it still annoys me,am I the asshole?

What are these acronyms?

[spacedlexi]

Hi Lexi

What do you think of partially blinded Vi? You never seem to draw her that way, and I kind of just wanted to know what do you think of it as a certified Vi lover.

I personally think that while something like this can be "cool" (as in, being beneficial to the character design), it's handled quite poor for Vi and it just looks a bit... ungrateful. Simply doesn't look good, doesn't fit her personality or character (am I missing something?) and it doesn't seem to fit or suit her...unlike Kenny's iconic eyepatch. To me, it has become a pivotal thing in his design to a degree in which Kenny with both eyes seems a bit odd looking. I see it as a symbol which stands for Ken being a martyr and all he's lost and sacrificed. He is all about family and helping those he loved, his loved ones truly were the "apple of his eye". It all makes sense, doesn't it?

But for Vi, it's excatly the opposite. I'm just so sorry to see her like this. 😭😭😭 I don't think it makes sense in any way. Louis losing his tongue because he's so talkative and "won't shut up" does kind of make sense, but I cant help but see Violet losing sight as kind of lazy writing. "We need something bad happening to her!!! suffer the children!!!'- the writers exclaimed.

i think vi losing her eyesight is incredibly impactful on her character and i honestly dont understand why some people say its lazy writing. especially since it was foreshadowed multiple times. vi losing her eyesight i think is even more impactful on her character than louis losing his tongue because at least louis still has his music to express himself and uplift spirits through (and its not like he cant communicate At All. his note still makes clem laugh). the reason i dont draw blind vi very often is because of how sad it is to me. for multiple reasons

violets whole thing is wanting to be able to protect the people she cares about, and feels immense grief and guilt about the times she feels shes failed them (thinks if she had been there with the twins that day that she couldve done something to save them. feels she failed everyone taken by the raiders. is scared of failing clem too "if something happened to you because of me? i cant lose you too. i wont". its why she cant leave minnie after shooting her. and a kidnapped vi attacks clem because she doesnt want anyone else to get hurt. hell it even ties back to her grandma and feeling guilty about not doing anything for her)

so for her to lose her eyesight? she took pride in her ability to fight and now she cant do that anymore. cant protect the people she loves. and as someone who started the season as an isolated loner, it forces her to rely on those around her for help, stripping her of her independence (and her independence is what allowed her to stand up against the group for clem when it came to the marlon situation in ep2). a blinded vi is forced into accepting community, whereas a saved violet accepts it on her own. her and clem turn ericsons into the home violet could never see it as

the other reason blind vi makes me so sad is that it is Directly a result of clems actions. kidnapped vi had nothing and wanted nothing to do with the bomb, and yet shes the ONLY ONE who gets hurt by it. clem choosing to let vi be taken means clem both breaks her heart, and then burns out her eyes. louis and his tongue is between him and lilly and was a choice THEY each made outside of clems direct influence (even if it was clem who inspired him to speak up, it is ultimately his choice to keep talking, and lilly hurts him for it. its sad he gets punished for a character moment, but clem had no direct hand in him losing his tongue. its why hes not angry to see her in the cell. he doesnt blame clem for what happened), but the way vi is feeling in that cell is DIRECTLY due to clems actions. vi feels like clem abandoned her after she had put herself on the line for her multiple times. she always had clems back but clem didnt have hers. clem is the one who planted the bomb and vi gets caught in the blast. clem hurts her emotionally And physically. and vi apologizes for getting upset (she tries to apologize on the beach too before theyre forced out in the cart, so she felt wrong for those actions immediately even tho they were understandable. lilly and minnie used her moment of weakness to get in her head. she just wanted everyone to be safe)

kidnapped blinded vi is just so incredibly sad to me, especially when you compare her to a fully realized violet. a violet who has come into herself, has confidence, has opened up, has stopped pushing people away out of fear and lets herself love again. shes a leader. a fighter. a protector. and those are all things a blinded violet loses

neither vi losing her eyes or louis losing his tongue is supposed to add anything to their characters. its about what theyve lost. both of them have important parts of their identity stripped away from them after being taken by the delta. its supposed to be sad. heartbreaking. regrettable. unfortunate. they have not gained anything by their time at the delta, only lost important parts of themselves to it

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 9

*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

----------

Disclaimer:

This post discusses an episode in which the chronology of the anime differs significantly compared to the manga: in the manga, Yor's "bullet-in-the-butt" date with Loid occurs much earlier, sometime after Yuri's first visit but before Bond's introduction. This makes it their first date in the manga, before their date at the bar. The anime changed it to much later in the series, even altering it slightly so Bond is included. Since I'm prioritizing the manga chronology for this post series, I will be basing my analysis on that.

---

Twilight and Yor's first date episode is where we see the extent of what I mentioned before where Twilight has become much more prone to lose his cool when it comes to his (fake) family versus anyone else. He misinterprets Yor's scowl and immediate retreat to her room as her being upset with him. He doesn't even hide his shocked expression as he panics about how he's been asking too much of her lately and that's why she's upset.

As one dating activity after another fails, he frets about how his plan was a failure and he should have done more research. All his reactions in this chapter go back to another thing I mentioned before where he rarely blames others when things in his missions go wrong, especially when it comes to Yor and Anya. Rather than be angry at Yor for being seemingly unappreciative of all the fun activities he put together, he instead blames himself! (which is actually something Yor would do…maybe her imposter syndrome is rubbing off on him!)

This is one reason why Twilight and Yor stand out as a couple – they never display any ill will towards each other. For most other (future) couples, especially in anime/manga, at least one of them is often very brashly in denial about their feelings for the other, to the point of always bantering with or even openly insulting them…a standard example of "you always hurt the one you love." Of course, one could argue that the reason Twilight and Yor are always nice to each other is because it's in their own best interests to remain a (fake) happy family. But as I discussed before, even if Twilight has to constantly lie to others to get what he wants, there's no reason he'd have to lie in his own thoughts. And yet, in all these cases – when drunk Yor almost beat him up at the castle, when her training resulted in Anya getting a tonitrus, and now, when she's seemingly ungrateful for all the nice places he took her to for their date, he still doesn't get upset with her.

Has he been like this with other women he's faked relationships with? At this point in the series, we've only gotten a short glimpse of one of these relationships in the very first episode. But in that case, he's certainly not against insulting his fake partner if he feels it's justified, since we see him passive aggressively tell Karen off before breaking up with her. Of course, this could only be because he no longer needed Karen and so he didn't have to hide his dislike for her anymore. It's hard to say exactly how Twilight's relationship with Yor compares to other women, but what can be said is that he seems more likely to lose his composure when Yor or Anya are in distress than anything else on his missions.

Similar to the Berlint Aqualand visit, this chapter is peak Spy x Family humor where Twilight, Yor, and/or other characters around them have to hide something, so they lie about it, which causes others to humorously misinterpret their actions, which then causes them to misinterpret their misinterpretation…and all the while Anya knows exactly what's going on and thinks they're oh so silly (but she'll do everything she can to help them keep up their silly facade!) In Twilight's case, he wrongly thinks Yor is upset with him and he has to cheer her up. But on Yor's side, she thinks it's a learning experience where Loid is trying to teach her how to be a proper wife to keep up their charade.

Considering all that we know about Yor and her low self-image, it makes sense that she would never think he would ask her on a date because he genuinely liked her. As always, she only sees herself as a means to someone else's end. On the other hand, if Yor had asked Twilight out, he would probably assume that she had feelings for him. But, as we'll see later on during their date at the bar, due to him being the way he is, his reaction to that knowledge would be completely amiss.

When Yor has a reprieve from her injury, she's able to finally express her appreciation to Loid for all he did that night. She admits that she never had much time for fun since she was always busy taking care of Yuri, so doing all these activities with him meant a lot to her. We then get another "softly emphasized" scene (more so in the manga) from Loid's POV of her smiling sincerely at him as she tells him she'd like to go on a date again sometime. He smiles back and says he'd like that too.

Does he truly feel that way, or is he just saying that because he knows it's what she wants to hear? Like many other similar instances, it's debatable if Twilight is speaking what he truly feels or because it's "for the mission." But as I've mentioned before, Endo does give us subtle hints when he wants to show that Twilight is genuinely feeling something about what's going on around him, whether it's by adding an extra panel that focuses on his expression changing, or in this case, giving us a "softly emphasized" scene of another character from his perspective, along with a "..." in his dialogue before he responds. But whether "for the mission" was the only driver behind Twilight's response or not, it's clear at this point in the series that spending time with Yor is not something he dislikes (especially if he doesn't think she's upset with him the whole time!) Also, despite his comment about not understanding women in the last scene, he obviously hasn't given up on his dating abilities, since he'll ask Yor on another date not too long later.

Continue to Part 10 ->

<- Return to Part 8

[cheesebread-loves-ships]

Deltarune Au: No Return!

— This is based (BUT NOT ENTIRELY) on the theory where Ralsei knows the player's existence

— The plot may eventually change

— They/them pronouns for Kris (although I may sometimes use masculine pronouns because my English is poor and I don't really know how these non-binary pronouns are used or under what situations)

I've seen that there are people who get angry when a character's pronouns are not respected and I'm really scared! XD

— THIS IS A SHORT SUMMARY, REALLY SHORT

----------

Kris once asked Ralsei to help them get rid of "That which torments them so much" when they realized that Ralsei knew certain things. And he agreed after considering the request (getting into trouble with things beyond their understanding and that were daunting or dangerous in the process)

Finally, after a long time, they both achieved it through a kind of negotiation with someone they can barely remember, and all it took was a small promise between those two boys to finish.

Then, for Kris it was a complete relief and even too good to be true, because when they woke up everything they ever wanted was there, they are living it

For Ralsei it didn't seem so bad at first and he even thought that very little had changed. Then he realized the real trouble he got himself into, but there was no point in regretting anything anymore, there was no way back.

The prince only hoped that Kris would keep his part of the deal and not forget him (although Ralsei knows that could easily happen)

But they were friends though, true? Who would be so [ ungrateful ] DUMB to forget THEIR friend?

I realize I drew Ralsei a lot, now it's time for the rest >:) (physically less than 1% have changed their appearance at all, actually)

[moviesstoriesandbooks]

To people who don't know what happened :

Basically another chat got leaked between what seems to be Build and someone else , where he's seen asking for money multiple times , and cursing people who exposed his old problematic tweets on twitter , being homophobic (as a joke 🙁) and other things among many.

As any sane person would think , i also had doubts about the authenticity of the texts and all , but then everyone basically unfollowed him on Instagram and build also tweeted an apology.

Apology confirms that those are genuine right??

He genuinely badmouthed his costars who were there working their asses off for a show that got cancelled once and had to begin production again.

Like , he does not seem like a good coworker , all things considered. And he's so much trouble to the company as a whole , which has pretty ungrateful fans following it's artists.

(idk some tweets just make me go , it's a tough industry . They're atleast still getting work from a show that's been done airing for a year and with no hope of season 2 . They can't create work , but they're still doing very well for a smallass company)

I initially read his fans' responses which were along the lines of "if your texts with your bestie leaks then will you be safe?"

And although that's a very .... Erm ... creative way to view things , I don't think that's barely enough here.

He was badmouthing basically apo , jeff and barcode, and nodt and mile(?) I'm unclear on the details. I get that you may be angry at your coworkers , there may be squabbles but that's not what this was about?? Jeffbarcode were accused of being boc's favourites (??????) and had more pictures taken than everyone else(??????????????) They had like 15 mins of screentime. What is this man on about?

I just straight up don't trust this man anymore.

I don't care about his story. He's so much trouble than he's worth and every day there's something up with him.

[bethanydelleman]

AITA for not participating in a play?

u/AnOceanAway

I am not really sure if I'm right and I don't know who to ask.

I (F18) was informally adopted by my uncle's family, though he is away right now. All of my cousins want to put on a play while he is gone, which I find disrespectful. I didn't say anything against it to anyone, but when they asked me to participate I just couldn't. I'm worried my uncle will be angry and also I'm terrified of acting. I have really bad stagefright, even with just my family (though there are some friends of my cousins here too).

When I said I didn't want to, my aunt said I was being ungrateful for everything that the family has done for me. I went upstairs to my room and saw all the things people have bought me since I've lived here and now I'm thinking I should have said yes. After all, I owe them all so much. Infinity obliged. If they hadn't decided to bring me up I wouldn't have all the advantages that I've been given. I really should be more grateful.

My one cousin said I could decide for myself, but the others say I'm ruining everything. AITA for not wanting to be in the play?

Edit: My parents are alive, they just have a lot of kids so my uncle took me in at 10.

Top Comments:

u/GlitterTrashcan

NTA It's your choice if you want to be in the play or not, you aren't their slave.

If your uncle took responsibility for raising you, then he is obligated to buy you things. No one can ask for compensation from a child for being alive. You didn't chose to be born and I doubt you chose to go to your uncle's house.

The fact that you feel guilty for saying no is worrying honestly. Your fear of being ungrateful sounds like brainwashing.

u/BunnyBunBun

OP are you okay? I don't understand how you could think you were the AH in this situation. Is there anyone else you can move in with? Can you go back home?

NTA by the way.

u/RocksAndMountains

No amount of gratitude or family responsibility should make you act against your principles. If you need someone to deliver a scathing rebuke or flat refusal, I'm your girl. I have way more experience than I should.

I know you are a rational creature speaking the truth from your heart, but sometimes people really seem to have trouble listening.

Edit: forgot the rating, NTA

AITA Jane Austen Masterpost

[knackfandomarchive]

My eyes and brain hurt so instead of watching Knack 2, I'm mostly listening to it.

So far, I noticed that Knack's spooky choir when he uses his powers in the first game is swapped out for something else in the second.

Then I switched to the Latin American Spanish dub, for Reasons.

Lucas sounds like a nerd.

Knack's voice is still very deep, but softer. I'm not sure how to describe it.

"Holaa~" I'm DEAD lmao!

Lucas is very not-a-jerk in this one. I'm surprised and delighted. "Ya estás listo, Knack?" is asked in a very friendly manner. His next phrase is some variation of hurry up, Knack, I want to leave/play, but the tone doesn't carry any scorn that I can hear. He just really wants to get going and is maybe distracted. He only starts getting impatient with "¡Vamos, Knack!" At which point Knack is already on his way.

Ryder sounds mostly the same? In terms of his Adventurous Hero archetype. His voice is a bit deeper and lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.

Lucas is still absolutely capable of making fun of the Doctor.

And Ryder is still capable of sounding like a poor meow meow. "Frí-í-o-o-o!" (Cold)

I am fairly happy with the portrayal of Lucas's character so far. He still acts childish because that part of the script is unavoidable, but tone of voice makes all the difference. In contrast in the English dub he seems angry and ungrateful.

The channel I'm watching was recommended by someone on Instagram. It's called Emu2k9. There are no subtitles, so it's a good idea to have some knowledge of Spanish. Sadly, I am stupid and my Spanish teacher was crazy.

Now at the request of my sibling I'm watching a French dub movie that cuts out a lot of stuff. Lucas speaks very softly. Knack's voice is so funny he sounds like a Martian sometimes. Or like he's the personification of gravel. Or an old man.

Xander sounds Exactly the Same.

[muninnhuginn]

Ohh, I really like your analysis of the last skip&loafer chapter. It's not shown in the scanlation, but in the japanese version there is also a little comment at the end which reads something a long the lines of "there is nothing wrong with these feelings" and i love how it reflects the idea that there is nothing wrong with enjoying your interests, no matter how silly they may seem, but also that there is nothing wrong with feeling angry about not being treated well. Kazakami wasn't ungrateful for being upset over his possessions being thrown away, it's an understandable reaction... I am really looking forward the school festival arc and how it will expand on kazakami, takamine and kanechika trio! I wonder if we will get some shima, yasaka and kazakami parallels too

Thank you! And aww, that's so sweet with the end note. I guess it's something that's threaded throughout the series in general in terms of people enforcing roles and not needing to fit them, but there's just something nice about it being said "outright", you know?

But yeah, I think the whole thing with his hobbies being dismissed is wildly relatable. The fact that he'd still been trying his hardest to study for third year and abandoning everything else just makes it worse. Because he'd kept this one hobby for himself and he couldn't even have that. And his parents clearly didn't comprehend that his hobby *was* important to him. The bit where his mum referred to the figures as "dolls" just rubbed it in, because if you spend any time whatsoever with anyone into that side of things, you would not be mucking up on basic terminology? It's not any kind of obscure trivia like the handedness. It's super basic, but his mum couldn't be bothered to even learn that.

Same @ the final year trio. If there's going to be any kind of breakthrough with them, it pretty much has to be during the culture festival, I think. Just because timing-wise, that's the big opportunity that's left before they leave. And getting the Kazakami chapter has made me more sure of that, because now we have some solid pieces of info on all three of them. (Though ngl, I'd love a Kanechika focus chapter during/before that. We've received plenty of pieces on him breadcrumbed throughout the series (too forceful, genuinely passionate about stage not just acting, but he puts himself out there in a way none of the other characters are really able to and he has had to work to reach a semblance of "cringe is free" - it's not effortless), but I don't think we've had a chapter that full-on focuses on him in the same way as we have the other two?)

I hadn't been thinking of Yasaka but yee definitely. She has parallels with both Mitsumi (as a contrast. that line about "never having to worry about being loved" (paraphrasing) still rings in my head) and Mika and Shima (as a compare) and I'm sort of guessing her thread may appear more with the Ujie subplot. But Yasaka basically takes Shima and inverts his approach in a lot of ways (appeasing other people, not trusting in being liked for oneself, but she's more active than passive in her manipulation of social situations), so given Shima and Kazakami are now shown to be remarkably similar, it follows that Yasaka would also be an interesting comparison point.

Sorry, most of this is just rambling, but tl;dr yes to all the above. The series truly is parallels all the way down and the way that societal roles colours everything, but the series itself says you don't have to conform to that is so reassuring. I know personally, Nao-chan's worries about having missed the boat on experiencing life really hit

[that-birdy-chick]

/2 and to be aware that you'll have some people jumping down your throat trying to explain away terrible writing choices with 'uwu poor steve has sooo much trauma uwu, you don't understand him' and proceed to write a giant block of meta full of hcs and personal interpretations and projection while trampling over your (a real, flesh and blood human being's) very valid feelings of frustration with the way the characters are written in this tv series, just to 'protect'(???) steve (fictional character!). also hilariously forgetting (or just ignoring) that the character of danny also has metric tons of trauma and none of it gets addressed. there's a pretty good reason why s6-10 are seen as 'character assassination' of danny and are the reason some authors left the fandom. sure, there's some nice mcdano moments! and storylines! but it's a quality rollercoaster there are some things that happen that i lovelovelove and others that make me want to hit my head on my desk so hard (the 'charlie will hate you' thing, everyone being ungrateful/dismissive, and in s8, and in s9 and in s10). the producers+writers for some reason cannot make them feel as close as they were in the first 5 seasons and that's just so sad man. they had a great thing going and they dropped the ball so hard. I really recommend rewatching the the first seasons right after ending the series to see the contrast, not just in writing choices but how the actors themselves are trying their best and still seem to be so -done- with everything which is absolutely tied to those links in my first ask; plus alex wanting to be done by s5 and leave, and scott also being done by s5, but staying (even if in lesser capacity, check his imdb: starting from s6 onward he disappears for 4-6 episodes (for his fam and his acting career))

i reiterate, i just writing this to say it valid to feel happy/glad/frustrated/angry/have negative feelings about the show, and nobody should make you feel like they are not or try to explain away questionable stuff like it's your fault you don't 'get it' (while making things up and not taking into account the unfortunate happening in behind the scenes).

hope you enjoy what's left of the series! love to see your thoughts on the episodes!!! (and mcdannno 👀)

Hey anon!

thank you so much for the advice and your kind words!

Seeing as I'm still pretty new to the fandom and that I've been nothing but warned about the last seasons, the heads up is very appreciated!

So far people leaving their own interpretation of Steves character and the overall writing under my posts hasn't really bothered me,

Honestly, I really like to hear other people's perspectives on these things

so long as everyone stays mostly respectful or doesn't get outright nasty towards me as a person, I'm fine with it

Maybe that will change overtime when I'm not quite as new to the fandom anymore but right now, I find it mostly interesting what others have to say

Still thank you tho <3

It's always nice to have people looking out for the new guys <3

About the stuff you mentioned with Danny and 'character assissination' I have to agree 100%

as much as I've started to like s7 the longer I keep watching the more the cracks start to show again,

with both Danny and steve being uncharacteristically nasty at times again towards each other and also this overall feeling that they're just not quite as close as they used to be?

Don't get me wrong it's still miles better than s5 and don't even get me started on s6

But with everything you just told me, that was apparently going on behind the scenes, I guess it's no wonder?

Still I keep my fingers crossed that once I've made it to the end it might not be quite as bad as I've heard?

Maybe it's just false hope because s7 has done a pretty good job emulating the vibe of the earlier seasons so far

Right now I'm at the episode where max is leaving and I have to say it genuinely made me teary eyed to see him go and knowing that he won't be the only character this season to leave for good doesn't make it very easier to keep going,

even if I really dig this more light hearted and at times somber vibe this season.

I also really liked how everyone got a very heartfelt speech about who they are to max and I felt they did a very good job keeping it equal

Sorry, this got a little out of hand also hope you're okay with me sharing this with the rest of the fandom

I just wanted to show my gratitude and share my overall feelings on the show so far

Thanks a lot again and hopefully this wasn't to long a reply<3

[iviarellereads]

Network Effect, Chapter 9

(Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Murderbot Diaries, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

In which Murderbot can't help but be a little happy to help screw over a corporation.

After twenty-seven minutes and twelve seconds,(1) Ratthi tapped on the hatch and sent me the feed message: Can I come in and talk to you? I sent back, Do you have my jacket?

Murderbot has been keyword-monitoring its surveillance, so it doesn't have to listen to everyone actively, and it knows nobody's in mortal danger without it. Well, unless Art murdered them all, but it keeps trying to poke MB in the feed, and it probably wouldn't keep calling MB ungrateful and and "a sulky dumbass" in MB's words, not Art's, if it had murdered all its humans.

Ratthi says he has it, and MB says he can come in. He asks if Amena can come too. MB leans back on the wall.

MB's been messing with Art, trying its patience, and cleaning the leaked fluids off itself. It didn't have a shower, though, because showers feel good and it wants to stay angry.(2) It almost rejected the Art-branded shirt that "fell" from the recycler, but it needs a shirt.(3)

MB doesn't want to upset Amena, so it says yes, she can come too. They enter, just the two, and MB warns them that Art can hear anything you say onboard it, anywhere. Ratthi says he's used to that, and doesn't say it's about MB, but it knows.

Ratthi asks about MB's relationship with Art. MB gets grossed out and defensive at the first implication of a sexual one, and is no less horrified at the idea of friendship. MB felt Art stop pinging it when the humans started talking, so it knows Art's listening. Ratthi asks if MB has made many bot friends, and MB thinks of Miki,(4) but says no, not friends like humans make. Ratthi is skeptical, saying Art seems to think it is, but MB says Art lies and is mean.

The lights flicker, imperceptible to human eyes, but visible to MB's. It knows Art heard that.(5)

Amena asks why MB keeps calling it Art, when its name is Perihelion. MB says it stands for Asshole Research Transport, an anagram. Amena says that's not what anagram means, but MB dismisses it as human pedantics.

Ratthi says it's possible that, while both MB and Art have relationships with humans, they don't seem to be sure how to have one with each other. MB gets grossed out at relationship again, and Ratthi says, other than friendship, what other word is there?

I had no idea. I did a quick search on my archives and pulled out the first result. “Mutual administrative assistance?” The lights fluctuated again, in what I could tell was a really sarcastic way. I yelled, “I know what you’re doing, ART, stop trying to communicate with me!”(6)

Ratthi informs MB that, if it hasn't been paying attention, they've come to an agreement with Art to get its crew back, in exchange for assistance returning to Preservation after. MB points out they're just doing what Art wants. Ratthi says there's not another good choice out here. Even if they sent a distress beacon, any response will put everyone in trouble, especially Art and its crew and their university. MB points out several ways it's even worse and more exploitative, that they'd have to pay out the nose just to get rescued.

Amena is aghast, Ratthi says he hates the Rim, and MB agrees, sarcastically, and notes that it's realized something it should have seen sooner.(7) Amena asks if MB would be okay, as a construct, but they have a short discussion about how Mensah technically owns it, under Rim law, and Amena is her legal representative in this. Ratthi confirms, if corporates show up, Amena has to assert ownership of MB. She's disgusted. MB says it doesn't like it either.

At any rate, Ratthi says Art still has repairs to do, and everyone has plans and preparations to make, and asks if MB will come out of the bathroom now. MB says it will, because it knows Art is lying.

This time when the lights fluctuated, it wasn’t sarcastic.

The humans have shifted around, but still have their video call active to the control room. Overse asks if they're all ready now. Ratthi says not quite, and MB says Art didn't come here for a distress call. Thiago is suspicious, and Arada asks if MB wants to jeopardize the deal they made with Art. MB says it absolutely needs to bring this up now.

Overse asks how MB knows, and MB says it's a research and teaching vessel, but all the educational spaces are out of use, the lab inactive, and no cargo module attached. MB asks what Art was doing when it received the distress call. Art asks if this is MB being helpful. No, MB says, this is quite the opposite. It's being held against its will and it will make its keeper regret it.(8)

Arada asks if MB wants to go back in the bathroom for a while and think about what it's doing. MB says it's done thinking, Art snarks about that being obvious. MB asks again what Art was doing.

Across the room, Eletra is asking Overse and Ratthi why they're letting their SecUnit do this. Overse almost says MB is independent, but Ratthi stops her and says merely that MB is usually more responsible.

Thiago, surprisingly, agrees with MB that it's a valid question. MB interprets this as the sensible humans abandoning it. Art says it's none of MB's business. MB argues Art made this its business when Art told the hostiles to kidnap MB. Art suggests MB can put itself out the airlock if it's unhappy with its situation.

The humans, for their part, are trying desperately to wave for MB's attention as Art makes this incredibly threatening statement. Only, this is what MB wanted. It says Art is upsetting Amena. MB noticed earlier that Art's tone with Amena is totally different from with the adults, and Art is fundamentally an educational vessel.

And before this when I was stupid and we were still friends(9) it had talked about human adolescents in an indulgent way.

Amena takes a breath, and before she can object, MB asks her privately in the feed to be honest. So, she says the grey people and being shot at scared the crap out of her, and she really would like to know what's actually going on.

After a long silence, Art says it has to violate its crew's NDA to answer. MB says Art kidnapped itself and its humans, that violated MB's contract with them. Art says it will consider it, then shows MB that it's talking only to it and its humans, cutting Eletra out.

In this more private channel, Art says that if any of them reveal what it's about to say to the corporate, it will kill her. MB isn't particularly attached to her, but it doesn't want anyone dying near its humans and traumatizing them more. So it's not opposed when Arada speaks for them and agrees. Aloud, Arada asks if they can use Art's cabins to clean up, so they don't accidentally indicate anything to Eletra. On the public channel, Art graciously invites them in.

Ratthi and Overse get Eletra settled in one of the rooms the grey people didn't get their growth medium scent all over, and supplies so she can take care of her business and might not feel a need to wander. MB posts a drone scout, just in case.

MB's humans go to the galley, far enough away that Eletra won't hear them even in the corridor before MB spots her moving. The humans are eating and drinking something warm Thiago made them. MB is pacing.

Finally, Arada asks if Art is ready to answer MB's questions. Art gives a lengthy explanation that amounts to, its crew sometimes acts on behalf of anti-corporate organizations,(10) and were on a data-collection mission to the abandoned colony. Amena notes the similarity to how Preservation's great-grandparents' colony had been abandoned. Art notes that sometimes, colonies cut off from the corporates can survive.

This colony had previously failed, but no data existed on why. One of Art's crew, Iris, had found some newsfeed archives about the takeover of the corporation that had controlled the second colony. Some employees were in a firefight, and deleted the database before the hostile takeover was completed. Iris made a note that it's possible, though unlikely, that they were trying to protect or conceal the colony.

After all the humans have read the article and notes, Art says its crew's mission was to see the colony's status, and if active, make contact and offer assistance against corporates, such as by evacuating the inhabitants. Amena asks why, surely if the colony survived, the other corporations would have no jurisdiction. Overse says no, another could easily, and legally, move in and take over. Amena is horrified, but Thiago says that's how the Corporate Rim is.

Ratthi asks what Art and its crew do, in these cases.

ART said, The University has the means to produce the colony’s original charter documents, which often contain clauses specifying that if the originating corporate body has ceased operations, then ownership of the planet is ceded to the colonists or their issue or successors living on the original site.

MB asks if that means the university forges the documents to free the colonies, and Art refuses to acknowledge the question, which probably means yes. MB has no qualms with the method of sticking it to the corporates, even if it's still angry at Art.

Art continues, in very passive voice, that a contract is facilitated between the colony and an independent transfer station, and once the station is established in the system, the colony is relatively safe from corporate ravaging.

Arada says Eletra said there were two corporate ships, and asks if Art was here before them. It was, and was forced to fire on a Barish-Estranza ship by those holding its crew hostage. It doesn't know what happened to the vessel or the crew. Ratthi asks if Art knows why the grey people would have brought Eletra and Ras aboard, but it really has no clue. The rest happened as it already described.

Overse suggests they put together a timeline. MB is about to say it has one, when Art provides its own. MB is annoyed, privately, that Art left out the point where it told the gray people MB was a weapon they could use.(11)

Amena says before things got weird, Ras tried to tell her about the colony reclamation, but Eletra cut him off. Thiago wonders whether the gray people came from the newer colony, or the original one, if they're remnant-contaminated, or if they were manipulated genetically by their corporation.

Discussion moves to the language they used, which has at least three pre-Corporation Rim languages involved, and their tech, which is also pretty ancient. Thiago says most of the alien contamination incidents happened before the Rim, though everything's suppressed so it's hard to know much detail about any of it.

Ratthi brings it back around to Thiago's question again. Art says evidence points to them being from inside the system.

MB takes the opportunity to point out Art's memory archive issues, and that it can't be sure who or what was aboard it before. Arada tries to interrupt, but Art says MB's earlier statement that Art lies a lot was untrue, but it cannot reveal information that would be against its crew's interests unless the circumstances call for it. Arada says they understand, and MB is looking out for their interests.

Art demands an apology. MB makes obscene gestures at the ceiling, since the humans are treating the ceiling like Art anyway. Art says that was unnecessary.

In a low voice, Ratthi commented to Overse, “Anyone who thinks machine intelligences don’t have emotions needs to be in this very uncomfortable room right now.”(12) ART was suddenly in my feed, on a private channel. I did what I had to do. You should understand that. I said aloud, “I’m not talking to you on the feed! You’re not my client and you’re not my—” I couldn’t say it, not anymore.(13) All the humans were staring at me. I wanted to face the wall but that felt like giving in.

Out of nowhere, MB has views all over the ship. It snarls at Art to stop being nice to it.

Amena takes MB's side and says maybe Art needs to give MB some time to process. MB, however, is suspicious and asks if Art is talking to Amena privately. Amena winces, and MB yells at Art to stop talking to its human(14) behind its back.

Privately, MB acknowledges that it isn't being at all logical, even if it felt like it was at the time.(15)

Arada says it's time to stop this unproductive arguing. Art needs to stop pressuring MB, she understands it's upset about its crew but MB is upset too. So, if it can give them any other information about this colony, it would be appreciated. Until then, she and Overse will get some data on the alien remnant on the engine, and see if they can help fix things faster. She assigns Ratthi and Thiago to med-scan-autopsy the dead Targets, and translate what they were saying in MB's recordings, to help narrow down who they were. She also asks Amena to talk to Eletra again, see if she can get her to open up.

Finally, she asks MB to figure out what caused Art's first reinitialization process, and how the Targets boarded, so they can prevent it happening again. She asks if Art is alright with all this, and it says an ominous, "For now."(16)

=====

(1) You know, bravo to everyone (but Art) on their restraint. (2) God if that ain't the mood sometimes. It's not quite "I don't deserve nice things" but it's a close cousin to that feeling, you know? (3) I love the implication that Art deliberately withheld the jacket, could have pushed it through but didn't, so MB would have to talk to a human sooner or later to get it back. (4) Precious cinnamon roll Miki who could kill you to defend its human friends but would rather make you a friend too if it could. Taken from us too soon, but a good reminder to MB that friendship is possible for bots. I think that's part of why it let itself open up so much to Mensah after. (5) Telltale upper-corner message: Perihelion will remember this. (6) Those poor humans having to deal with MB acting so unhinged. (7) This is where it figures out Art was lying about the distress, in case you missed it like I did on my first pass. (8) One of the classic blunders. Don't take a stubborn asshole who lives for chaos, prisoner. (9) So much for never having been friends. MB can't help but admit the truth sideways a lot of the time. I love picking up on its little slips, don't you? (10) Comrade Perihelion! No wonder it wasn't opposed to helping MB all those weeks ago. (11) Anything to avoid the conclusion it knows is inevitable: it cares for Art's crew, just for the sake of their being innocent humans, and it's going to help rescue them eventually. Otherwise this wouldn't be a book. (12) [quiet snicker] (13) You know it is still your friend, though. It betrayed you, because it knew you would be able to handle the betrayal. It didn't mean for MB's humans to get involved. I think Art even expresses, in its own way, that it feels bad for their involvement. It's not like Art is withholding supplies or passage back to Preservation, as long as it gets its crew back first. And, it may see them as an asset, more people means less danger individually, means better chance of success. (14) Amena is particularly MB's human here. It's not worried about Art talking to the others, but it doesn't want Art influencing Amena while it's still angry at Art. They're just so… human. (15) This really extra feels like an observation after the fact, versus most of MB's asides where it could have been the uncensored train of thought it was barreling down at the time. Thus, my use of a touch of past tense. (I'm capable, it just doesn't feel natural.) (16) Ominous in that it implies Art will change its mind sooner or later. Do you think so? Or is it just sulking at being dressed down like that by a human?