#I'm so normal and trustworthy (lying)

[tftomfoolery]

If, for purely hypothetical reasons, one were to make a PowerPoint on transformers reproduction to torture teach their friends about it. What would you include?

[jae-bummer]

Erasing Boundaries

Request: Hi I hope you're well~~I'd really like to see no.12 with Bang Chan from the prompt list. 👀 I'd also like to say that I've been a long time follower and I really love reading your works! Thank you for putting the time and effort!! <3

Prompt:

12) When your bias tries to delicately friendzone you, they realize you just wanted to be friends in the first place. Shortly after, they realize they’re the ones falling for you.

Pairing: Stray Kids Bang Chan x Reader

Genre: Fluff

.

"We're just friends."

"You're a trustworthy person, Chan," Lee Know muttered from his spot on the studio couch. "So I don't understand why you're lying to me right now."

"I'm not lying!" Chan said, spinning around in his office chair. "I really don't have feelings for Y/N."

"Right," Lee Know muttered. "Because instead of multiple feelings, you have one feeling, and it is love."

"Seriously?" Chan groaned, flopping his head back. "Why are you even saying this?"

"You follow them around like a lovesick puppy," Lee Know sighed, pulling out his phone. "Don't think I haven't noticed."

"I feel insulted," Chan pouted. "I am not lovesick, nor am I a puppy."

"A lovesick wolf then."

Chan groaned again as he spun away from his younger member.

After a moment of silence, he turned back around. "Do you think Y/N has feelings for me?"

"Probably," Lee Know hummed, not bothering to look up. "But I thought you didn't have feelings for them."

"I don't!" Chan gasped. "Maybe...maybe I should talk to them."

"And confess? Good idea."

"No!" Chan chuckled. "To just confirm that we're friends and nothing more than that."

"Are you sure you really want to create that boundary?" Lee Know asked with lifted brows. "You're friend zoning yourself."

"I'm friend zoning, Y/N," Chan nodded. "This idea that we like each other romantically must have come from how they interact with me. I know I haven't been flirting."

"I'm sorry," Lee Know sighed. "Are you finally having a mental break? Or are we living two incredibly different lives?"

"I think you're seeing what you want to see," Chan nodded finitely.

"Hello, pot?" Lee Know laughed. "This is kettle. You're black."

"I can't be in a relationship right now," Chan sighed, switching tactics. "We've got too much going on."

"There are far too many arguments I can make," Lee Know muttered. "And frankly I'm exhausted."

"Good," Chan grinned. "I'll let you know how the talk goes."

"Please, don't."

..

"Why was your text so ominous?" you asked, plopping across Chan's bed. Taking a long sip from your frozen coffee, you looked up to see him pacing back and forth in front of you.

"Ominous?" he muttered. "It wasn't ominous. I just asked you to come over."

"You said we-" you cleared your throat, trying to pitch your voice deeper to match Chan's tone. ""needed to talk.""

"Well, it wasn't so much of a need as it is a want," he sighed, finally stopping and sitting down beside you.

You narrowed your eyes at your friend, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. Normally he had at least a hundred things swirling around up there, but today seemed to have a hundred and one.

"You're kind of starting to freak me out," you grumbled, sitting up from your lounging position to better look at him.

"No need," he said quickly. "I just...I wanted to make sure something was clear between us."

"Okay..." you trailed off.

"We're friends, yeah?"

"If we weren't, I'd consider the past year to be a cruel joke," you teased, but instantly stopped as Chan's face remained solemn.

"Chris?" you squeaked. "We are friends...right?"

"Of course, we are!" he gasped, moving to squeeze your knee, but stopping short. Taking a moment to compose himself, he finally swiveled toward you. ""Y/N, you're one of my people."

Your heart gave a small flip. Chan was one of your people too. As someone you could always go to for advice or comfort, he reminded you of the type of guy who was your older sibling's friend that you always had a childhood crush on. You reconciled long ago that someone like him was out of your league, or at least that was your perception of it.

"And as one of my people, I want you to know how important you are to me."

"Chris," you hummed, holding your hand up in the air. "This is awfully sentimental for a Thursday afternoon."

"Right," he winced. "I'll save you my speech that I definitely didn't take an hour figuring out last night."

Your eyes grew wide.

"Joking," he chuckled unconvincingly.

You would find out later that he, in fact, was not joking.

"Long story short," he continued, unable to meet your eyes. "We're friends."

"Yep."

"Just. Friends." he said, emphasizing each word.

"Hearing you loud and clear," you nodded, still unsure what the climax of the conversation would be.

"Good, good," he nodded, reaching toward the drink you had brought him. "So, how was your day?"

"Wait, I'm sorry," you coughed. "Was that it?"

"Well, yeah," he said, furrowing his brow. "Why?"

"I legitimately had anxiety on my way over here," you gasped. "And it was simply for you to tell me something I already knew?"

"You had anxiety?" Chan pouted, his expression soft. "That wasn't my intention at all! It's just that the members kept hinting to me that they thought we were involved, and I wanted to make sure the record was set straight with everyone and-"

"Take a breath, Chris," you sighed. You patted him lightly on the shoulder. "I may have had anxiety, but I also am relieved to know it was over something so silly. I know we're friends."

"We are," he nodded. "You're the Patrick to my SpongeBob, the-"

"Wait, why do I have to be Patrick?" you muttered.

"Because you live under a rock and can't open a jar on your own," he grinned.

"Ah, right," you teased. "And you're SpongeBob because you never stay hydrated and have an unhealthy fixation with your job."

"Low blow, Y/N."

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

...

"I messed up."

"You're right," Lee Know hummed. "We should have given Hyunjin up for adoption years ago. Should I start looking for the closest fire station?"

"That is not what I meant," Chan muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I messed up with Y/N. Bad."

"Please," Lee Know said quietly. "Please tell me you did not do what I think you did."

"I made it clear how we are thoroughly, only friends," Chan winced.

Lee Know inhaled deeply through his nose before holding it and letting it out through his mouth.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Chan whispered.

"Give me a minute," Lee Know grumbled. "My therapist taught me to focus on my breathing when I wanted to get violent."

"Minho," Chan deadpanned.

"Yes, I know, you're my hyung, and I shouldn't speak to you this way, but damnit, man!"

"I know!" Chan cried. "I messed up."

"As you keep saying!" Lee Know sighed. "Now how are you going to fix it?"

"Fix it?" Chan chirped. "I shouldn't just wallow in my misery?"

"Let's try this," Lee Know said slowly. "If the roles here were reversed, what would you tell me?"

Chan scrunched up his face. "Well, I guess I'd tell you that it's okay to make mistakes and this wasn't a serious one. No one is going to die, except you, maybe of embarrassment. You can try to clear your conscience and confess, or just really make a go at trying to be only friends."

"And that's when I would say...?"

"Full steam ahead, let's make an ass out of ourselves," Chan chuckled.

"Correct," Lee Know grinned. "So let Y/N know how you feel. How you really feel."

"One problem," Chan sighed. "In the process of me friend zoning them, I'm pretty sure they friend zoned me twice as hard."

"What do you mean?"

"They said they knew all along we were only friends."

"Do you think just maybe," Lee Know said, tilting his head. "They were following your lead?"

"I mean...maybe?"

"Well," Lee Know grinned. "Time to find out."

...

"Christopher Bang!" you gasped, flying through the front door of the dorm. "I swear on every star in the sky, and EVEN the one's on Felix's cheeks, that if you summon me again with a "we need to talk" text, I'm going to end you!"

"I don't have much tact when I'm nervous," Chan admitted from the living room sofa. He cringed as he looked up at you. "You look nice today."

"I don't want compliments!" you huffed. "I want an explanation!"

"Okay, and you deserve one," he said calmly. "But first, may I interest you in a beverage?"

"Stop stalling."

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. Pushing himself up from the cushions, he came to stand in front of you. It looked like he hadn't slept in days (which wasn't entirely uncommon) but it seemed to really be wearing on him more than usual. "Our conversation yesterday-"

"Wasn't much of a conversation," you finished. "More like just stating the obvious but continue."

"Whatever it was," Chan sighed. "I was wrong."

"You were...wrong?"

"Yes."

You bit your lower lip, not failing to notice the way it drew Chan's eyes. "So are you saying we're not friends?"

"We are," he said quickly. "But from my perspective, that isn't the full truth."

You waited, unsure of what that could possibly mean.

"I told you yesterday that you were one of my people," he said softly. "But that wasn't entirely accurate. If I was being truthful, with you and myself, I would have said you're my person."

Lifting your brows, you tried not to stagger back. Was he actually about to tell you that he had feelings for you? After you had resolved yourself to live with the shadow of unrequited love?

"I care about you in ways that a normal friend wouldn't," he continued. His voice remained quiet, but he had moved closer. "And I understand if you only see me in that brotherly way, that's okay. I get it, but I drove myself nuts last night playing over our conversation. It was a mistake to try to draw a boundary in our relationship, especially when I honestly wanted to erase any we did have."

"Chris-"

"I'm a mess," he whispered. "I'm stubborn and obsessive and make so many mistakes. I'm tired and worn out...but if you can accept all of that...I'll try to be the best version of myself for you."

You stayed quiet, only able to blink up at him as you processed this new information. It felt as if someone was blowing a balloon in your chest, and it was destined to pop at any moment.

"But also, no pressure," he said quickly. "I'd rather be your friend than nothing at all."

"Silly boy," you said softly, only mildly concerned that you would spook him if you came at the situation too enthusiastically. Crossing the small amount of space between the two of you, you stuck out your bottom lip. "I see the best version of you every day. It's just that some days, your best is going to look different depending on what you have to give. Every trait you listed as a weakness has a strength to it. You're stubborn, but that makes you determined. You're obsessive, but you're committed. And with every mistake you make, you learn. It's okay to recognize the flaws in yourself, but you have to recognize the other side of all that. I care about every side of you, Chris. Every day, some days, whatever you're willing to give...I'm going to take."

You could see Chan's eyes go glassy. "You have no idea how much I needed to hear that."

"Good," you smiled. "So yes, I care about you in a more than friend way."

You gave yourself a mental high five. Suddenly, the unattainable childhood crush knew you existed, and wanted you back. How often does that happen?

"I don't deserve you," he hummed, cautiously pulling you into his chest. Wrapping his strong arms around you, he gave a loving squeeze. "But I'm glad you think I do."

Kissing him playfully on the underside of his jaw, you laughed. "Shut up, SpongeBob."

[goldxnfemme]

I think I need more time to put in digestible, palatable and "non offensive" words my feelings about people's performative allyship.

For starters, the fact that I (and other poc in general) have to make myself nice, non threatening and overly concerned with my wording just to get a chance to be heard about whatever is absolute bullshit, but it keeps fucking happening lol

The funny thing is, at the end of the day, most of the time, it ultimately doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if I'm diplomatic, which most of the time I am, overly so in my opinion, it doesn't matter if I'm nice, kind, respectful, careful, consistent, trustworthy in my track record, when put against a white person's argument, in my and other poc's experiences, throughout our whole lives, the white person will be listened to much more than us, a lot of the time we won't even be given a chance.

Saying you support intersectionality and in any situation the white person is the first one you run to, you check on, idk you know...

It's pretty fucking frustrating. And I think most of the time people don't notice that they do that, especially because it's so deeply rooted in them, which really doesn't fucking excuse it, but I guess sometimes folks aren't aware of how they're conditioned to contribute and reinforce white supremacy, and they simply don't examine their actions enough because thinking you're doing the right thing is enough instead of analysing your behaviours, right? 🙃

Having to make ourselves palatable just to have a chance to be heard is exhausting. Because either we're the overly dramatic and aggressive poc or the lying poc or the creates problems and starts fights poc or the too loud poc like y'all keep falling for the stereotypes, not even falling for, jumping eagerly to stereotypes, there's no way we can win.

It's rare for me to see poc being taken seriously as people would a white person in the same position, without someone finding a way to invalidate or overly scrutinise their point. Because scrutiny intensely comes for people of colour and people in multiple marginalised groups, it has never been a neutral tool.

And as a society, we've definitely normalized that and have gotten too comfortable with not even considering questioning it.

Idk how to end this, I'm just tired and tired of saying "do better" too, because at some point, it feels like begging. People of colour shouldn't have to be reminding you of this all the time, seriously.

[blukiar]

For the sake of others

(I notice my rb answer doesn't show up on the og post, neither in the tags so I'm gonna make it a separate post for the sake of Anon and any other persons curious to know about the situation)

Now first and foremost - this post is NOT to address the situation itself as I HATE drama but I HATE being apart of it MORE. This is about an earlier situation that I think people should be aware of. Trust is key, and misinformation destroys that.

(For the nevermore situation I recommend reading this Red FIRST, then navigate to the others as there are a COUPLE responses from several different folks so Idk who to link. In the end it is up to you to decide who you support/who you believe is in the wrong. Personally, BOTH are in the wrong)

Now to the point of this post: I'm keeping the name in because it's not a personal acc, and the person behind it has announced stepping away from the fandom entirely. REGARDLESS DO NOT GO HARASSING THEM NO ONE DESERVES HARASSMENT!

Earlier today upon checking my dash I saw this and immediately got upset about it because this is unacceptable. On a normal day I'd just roll my eyes and scroll away from drama related posts but THIS one grind my gears so much that I HAD to confront OP on it. What happened next made me even more disappointed as this acc was literally the only nevermore content acc that I follow on tumblr...

About an hour after confrontation, I checked back to the post only to find that my comment was removed/hidden by OP as shown below

It's funny how they and a couple others are calling out how Red tries to silence folks speaking out on the situation by deleting comments and leaving out stuff etc, etc, YET they are no different...

All I asked is why they blatantly lied to Anon about the situation? Knowing FULLY well that's NOT what happened. The least you could have done was to direct Anon to RnF page/or to the accusers posts to read the response to the situation and have them formulate their OWN opinions and conclusions to it. But instead they chose lie to Anon and hide/remove my comment.

Now I get it, OP didn't have to answer me, they're NOT obligated to, they could have ignored me or even block me! They have the freedom to do so, who am I to get angry for that? YET they chose to silence me. The same thing they accuse Red of doing, for a simple question?? Wow...

Then OP proceeded to add "evidence" to their earlier summary that, mind you, DOES NOT support their earlier claim here. It's just screenshots of Red talking about the Crimson situation, you know, about the 1 single individual - OP's summary made it sound like it's the ENTIRE moderation team that are groomers and that Red allowed it

The point here is that OP lied and silenced me for calling them out on lying to someone who was unaware and genuinely trusted them to tell a truthful rundown of the situation

And honestly, I wish OP well, I hope they take the time to take a breath and reflect. I wish them a blessed day/night and I hope that Anon gets the truthful information they need cause this is just disappointing...

Again this post was made for the sake of those unaware of the situation and is just looking for a TRUSTWORTHY and a non bias source to go by. For that I think it's best to read Red's response first to get the gest of it then navigate to the others and make your own conclusions.

Thanks for Reading, and sorry for ruining your day with this nonsense.

[unetherian]

I need a person (or creature)irl who could understand me in my species dysphoria and my alterhumanity.

Someone who could love me completely.

Everyone who likes me irl only likes the human part of me. But probably not the animal part of me. So I can't love them completely, because I feel like I'm lying to them by hiding this very important part of myself from them. I have the impression that they like another person, a normal girl who likes drawing and nature. But they can't know that I'm non-binary. They can't know that I experience animal experiments on a daily basis. That I don't identify as human on a non-physical level. That I have depression because of my species dysphoria. They don't even know I created this Tumblr account.

Sometimes I tell myself it's good to hide this identity, to not be vulnerable (yes, I hate being vulnerable) -and even, being mysterious and keeping this quite incredible secret, I really like it.

But some days...it's different.

I would really like to have a trustworthy person irl with who I can talk without being constantly afraid of growling when I talk about someone I hate, to purr when I feel comfortable with him/her/it/them/[insert pronoun], to talk about my unusual experiences and feelings.

I don't know how to find this person (or creature).

I just know that if I show my theriantropy to anyone irl, I'm going to get in trouble.

And it can end badly.

Very bad.

Thanks for reading, I know this isn't really the kind of content you read for positivity, but I really need to express how I feel.

[respectthepetty]

Pit Babe Colors Ep. 5

Because I have asks in my inbox about the color coding in Pit Babe even though I don't want to watch it, I'm challenging myself with this show and seeing how good my color skills really are. I'm doing my normal thing of watching it double-speed on mute, but now, I'm going to take off the captions.

How could I forget we were in "Disco Inferno" at the end of the last episode?! Babe looks just as confused as I am that Charles ran his ass out on that track. Where are the professionals? Medics, where u b?

Nice to see everyone wearing blue just in time to prove they did not sabotage the car.

Get your grubby paws off of Barbie, you color faker!

Because I hate Charles, everything he does just comes off very creepy. Like he is trying to have Babe all to himself, like a creepy collector of precious superpower kids, but he only wants Babe.

It's Whiny Winifred in the red Chicago Bulls jacket being annoying per usual.

I don't care what is being said. Whiny Winifred did not sabotage that car. He isn't smart enough for that. But I'm very curious what Kim's superpower is because he is constantly seen as the bigger presence in their arguments. He may be small, but he is mighty.

TRUST NONE OF THEM, ALAN! As usual, Charles conveniently arrives to save the day even though Dean saw Jeffrey messing with the car. This is mine and Dean's villain origin story. (Sonic, get your colors together, kid!)

Alan, don't save him! He don't want to be saved! He can see the future, but couldn't see himself getting caught? Go back to superpower school, Jeffrey! YOU SUCK!

I should be on Jeffrey's side because he is driving a blue vehicle, but he had to put "Home" into the GPS, and I can't trust a boy who doesn't know how to get back to the apartment he shares with Charlie . . . SINCE HE ISN'T GOING THERE! I guess you really are going back to superpower school since you are probably headed to Big Red's house, you LIAR!

Couldn't be bothered to wear blue for two episodes, and now you got nothing but blue, huh, Waymond? Odd choice, sir.

Charles is everywhere at all times. I think Waymond can control emotions, which is why he touches Babe, but I think Charles is mind controlling Babe. He is always in Babe's bubble! Back tf up, bruh.

And we're back to black because you are devoid of emotions since you are controlling everyone else's. I see you and Charles for the superpower manipulators you are.

Kimberly, in a garage full of blues, I only trust your red ass. Kimlock Holmes is gonna solve this case because that's what Kims do!

Are you conflicted now, Jeffrey? In the red and the blue because you know you fucked up and hurt Alan with your lies?

Pete is wearing blue. I trust this pretty man with my life.

I have believed that superpowers come from the hands for two episodes now. Waymond is always touching Babe then Babe looks happier. Charles is always touching Babe, then Babe concedes. So Peter not immediately taking Waymond's hand gives me faith that Peter KNOWS what is up because I think he has superpowers too!

Kenta, you do not have superpowers which is why he treats you like this. Kimberly is gonna love the fuck out of you though. All you have to do is murder your boss.

Did Big Red do this to you? MURDER YOUR SHITTY BOSS! You don't need a superpower for that. I'm rooting for you, hon.

My man has the blue blazer and the blue drink. He is proving his loyalty, and I couldn't love him more. This is how you prove you're trustworthy. You ease into the color. Unlike the Treacherous Trio: Charles, Jeffrey, and Waymond.

Barbie, I need you to pay attention. That hand on your arm is controlling you. Your powers are gone because Charles is fucking with your brain so he can take your racing spot. Don't let that lying bastard touch you!

WHY ARE YOU LETTING HIM TOUCH YOU?! I know he is controlling your mind, but you gotta stop letting him touch you. Go two days without his touch and see how much clearer you'll start thing. You took him to you and Way's spot. I'm insulted for Way because this was sacred, yet Charles gets everything he wants . . . *mind control*

Alan, you wear a lot of green, and I love you for that. You are not in this red vs. blue bullshit. You are in a league of your own. I don't think you have superpowers, but if you did, it would be stealing hearts because I'm ready to lay my life down on the line for you, sir. You're perfect.

Sonic REFUSES to get his shit together. WEAR BLUE ALREADY, DAMN! But also, Decanus is not pleased with whatever is happening. Villain Era loading.

This scene would be adorable if Charles wasn't a lying pos.

Decanus, I know you are going to be with Whiny Winifred, so I'm gonna just call this game, and say you lose.

Wait, A SECRET THIRD OPTION?! Kim Possible, is that you player?!

Decanus, you are getting pushed by Alan next week, so I know you done fucked up. Sonic, still be doing wild color things next week too.

Alan, do not suck up to that child. He may be wearing blue in that moment, but his heart is red and not in the good way.

I still ONLY trust Alan, but he is falling for that lying kid, so he might slip in rankings next week, but Kimlock Holmes and Pete the Magic Dragon did no wrong this week, so my trust remains intact for them. I cannot wait until Kenta gets an ounce of love from Kimberly and it turns his entire life around (KILL YOUR SHITTY BOSS!).

Barbie is being mentally and emotionally controlled by Charles and Waymond, so here's hoping this show gets kinky, ties people's hands up, and sees just how powerful they are without the gift of touch.

Couldn't emotionally manipulate Peter, now could you, Waymond?

What is your superpower?

[vincite-noctem]

A/N: Typed this on my phone, because Jonathan Crane is bbg and I had a random idea that grew into a short little story thing. It's written in third person because I'm trying the style out for myself. The MC knows of Jonathan's business as Scarecrow and the toxin.

Summary: She is the second in command of Arkham, working side by side with Jonathan Crane. When Rachel Daws doubts Crane's diagnose of Falcone's insanity, she asks Y/n for a second professional opinion on the matter. She may not be corrupted by Falcone, but other, arguably higher forces impact her honesty in the matter...

Warnings: mention of blood, lying to authorities, Jonny is a bit of an idiot because he can't figure out that r! has feelings for him.

words: 1430

A dull knock resonates from the wooden door to Jonathan Crane's office. He stares angrily at the frosted glass pane and the silhouette of the person vaguely visible through it.

"What could be important enough to get on my nerves with at this late hour? Make it quick, I don't have all the time in the world."

The door opens, and through the thin crack slips a female figure, clearly recognizable by the usual dark garb she tends to wear - black turtleneck shirt and gray slacks. In her hand she holds a small medical kit.

"You don't have to take your frustration out on me," she says snappishly and takes a seat in the chair opposite his office chair, the med kit on her lap.

"Y/n, what's your concern?" he asks, his questioning gaze fixed on the small black bag on her lap. "I've got a lot to do, and really no time for any little games."

She sighs. "Daws asked me to do a second diagnosis on Falcone. She doesn't trust you, but she thinks me trustworthy enough because I'm one of the few people he hasn't bought into yet. She also wants a blood test to make sure you didn't drug him," she explains quietly.

"So, what is that supposed to tell me now? My second-in-command is going to rat me out to the authorities and take my place, and I'll spend the rest of my days in the pokey-"

"No." she interrupts him, "Just listen to me first. I need you to draw my blood." She sets the first-aid kit on the table.

"Why should I draw your blood?" He doesn't seem to fully grasp her train of thought.

"So I can switch up the samples. I'll take Falcone's sample later in the presence of Daws, and then evaluate it down in the lab. I'll switch the two samples, and run the tests on my own blood. You know your toxin would show up on the lab results, we determined that weeks ago. There are no substances in my blood, I have no pre-existing conditions that would show up in the results, everything looks completely normal. If I give her those lab results, plus the diagnosis of his mental illness, then she can't present anything else to the court and he stays here."

At the end of her brief monologue, she rolls up the long sleeve of her black shirt and holds out her arm to him, the pale skin of the crook of her arm turned upward.

Jonathan looks at her closely, his blue eyes sparkling insistently behind the narrow lenses of his glasses.

"And what do you get out of Falcone staying here? Why are you helping him?"

She shakes her head vigorously. "You need to understand me. I'm doing this for you, Jonathan. If his blood test is clean and my diagnosis is the same as yours, it will spare your reputation and save you from discredit and jail. So, take my blood now, I have an appointment with Daws in ten minutes."

She pushes the first aid kit further in his direction. He caves and reaches for it, pulls the sterile gloves over his hands, and disinfects the crook of her arm before carefully sticking the needle into her vein. Y/n watches intently as the ruby red liquid drips into the test tube until it reaches the fill line and Jonathan pulls the needle out under pressure. He closes the tube and she sticks the label with Falcone's name on it before carefully sliding it into her pocket. She pulls the sleeve of her shirt back down to hide the puncture site and stands up.

"Fine. I'll be on my way, it would be counterproductive if someone sees me coming out of your office," she mumbles and turns to leave. She is already standing at the door with the handle in her hand when he finally says something again.

"Why are you doing this, Y/n?"

As she looks back at him over her shoulder, their gazes meet. She is unable to hide anything from the intense blue of his eyes - at least she thought so until now. Her voice is soft as she answers.

"You have no idea, huh? You're an intelligent man, Jonathan. Think."

With these words, she leaves his office and quickly darts away like a shadow, towards a completely different wing of Arkham. Covering Tracks. Jonathan quickly disposes of the medical kit, dropping it into the bottom drawer of the small cabinet next to his desk. All the while, his thoughts run a mile a minute. What is Y/n's motive in this? What does she get out of helping him in this situation, what advantage does it have for her?

Y/n, meanwhile, is punctual as a stopwatch when she arrives outside the cell Falcone is situated in at the moment. Rachel Daws is already there, briefcase in her hand, staring through the smudged window into the interior. Y/n puts on her therapeutic smile, the one that earned her the reputation as Arkham's soft psychiatrist, the kind young goody two shoes, who has no other thoughts than helping the poor patients in her care. How deceiving a smile can be, she thinks.

"Ms. Daws, I suppose you'll come into the room with me? Or do you prefer to wait out here?"

The prosecutor shakes her head and says in the weighty tone she seems to automatically adopt while executing her legal business, "No no, I stayed here to monitor the whole thing. I'll come with you."

Y/n just nods sympathetically and opens the heavy steel door with the sleek key card. She thanks herself for the nerves of steel she had developed from working at Arkham Asylum. If she didn't have them, her hands would surely be shaking like aspen leaves with nervousness. She takes the blood from Falcone with practiced movements, sticks the label on the test tube and puts it in her pocket. Daws immediately protests and asks to personally bring the sample forward for safekeeping on the way down to the lab. Y/n, who had already expected this, hands her the test tube - the wrong one, of course, having already mixed up the two samples in her bag without Daws noticing.

"Of course. I beg your pardon Ms. Daws, it's a force of habit," she says placatingly.

The two women make their way downstairs to the lab, where Y/n examines the sample under Rachel Daws' watchful eye and evaluates the results. Fifteen minutes later, she hands the results to the prosecutor in writing. All the values of the test are completely normal, nothing indicates that Falcone is under the influence of any substance.

"Ms. Daws, under these circumstances, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do but declare Falcone mentally incompetent. I am sorry. I will fax the report in writing to your office tonight." The psychiatrist says, and sincere displeasure resonates in her voice. Of course she wants to see Falcone behind bars, the man is a smug pig and an absolute monster. Except that in this case, however, Jonathan's career directly hangs in the balance, and if she has to choose one of those things, it's without a doubt Jonathan. The frustration on the young prosecutor's face is clearly visible as she resignedly accepts the lab results and lets them disappear into her files.

"Thank you anyway, Dr. L/n." she says quietly, and turns to leave with a nod.

"I hope they can still charge him with enough than he's going to Blackgate." Y/n calls after her. She's unsure if the lawyer hears her, because she doesn't get any more replies. Alone in the lab, she sighs and leans against the table, her head hanging back and her eyes closed against the cold light of the old fluorescent tubes.

Shortly after, she begins to clean the work surface and equipment, wiping them down with saline solution and then disinfecting them first with ethanol, then with hydrogen peroxide, and placing them on one of the numerous perforated trays to drain. The door behind her opens, and she feels a familiar, inquisitive look at her back.

"Why did you do this, y/n? Why are you risking all this for me? You know who I am, what I do. Why?"

[callsignfate]

Personal Exile Pt. 3

(No note here today, if you're wondering why posts have been slower check out 'Ack - long authors note' Tw: talk of murder and death, you are ex military, fem reader, tension.)

Part One/ Part Two/ Part Three/ Part Four/

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

Endless tasks and countless sleepless nights defined your life under Valeria's command. You had come to know her as the tireless leader who seemed to work without rest. Her office was a constant scene of focused activity, her desk serving as her unyielding command center.

Having worked under Valeria for several months, you knew that your personal debt to her had been repaid in full. The men you had once injured had not only recovered but had seamlessly reintegrated into their roles. Although they still harbored reservations about you, you had little interest in winning their favor.

Your responsibilities often involved safeguarding Valeria's men or her valuable products. Officially, you were a member of the Las Almas cartel, but mentally, you refused to acknowledge the depths to which you had descended from your previous military life.

The financial reward was substantial, affording you a life of comfort and luxury wherever you chose to reside in Las Almas. Valeria's treatment of you had improved over time, frequently giving you the flexibility to accept or decline assignments she deemed you trustworthy enough to handle. The hours were unconventional, with Valeria moving at her discretion, whether in the glaring daylight or the shadowy hours of night.

Valeria was a formidable leader who ran a tight ship with minimal room for error. She possessed an uncanny ability to understand the strengths and weaknesses of her men, including yourself. Your sharp tongue and defiant attitude had grown on her, and she recognized your deadly capabilities, evident in her eyes each time you reported a successful mission. She knew she was fortunate to have someone molded and trained to fit her exact needs.

In time, your loyalty had solidified, allowing you to ascend within her inner circle, participating in endless meetings to plan the next move. Valeria's role was to issue orders, seldom involving herself in operations beyond the occasional check-in to ensure things were progressing smoothly.

Returning from yet another uneventful mission, you entered her office without bothering to knock, a practice you had abandoned long ago, and Valeria didn't seem to mind. She remained absorbed in her paperwork as you entered.

"Successful, I already know," she muttered, before sighing and sitting up in her chair, flashing her signature smile.

"Why do I even report to you if you already know?" you countered with playful annoyance, though a scowl crept across your face.

"If you didn't, I'd rarely see you. It's harder to ensure you're not lying or injured," her tone matched the small glare she directed your way.

"Awe, you care if I'm injured? The cartel leader has a heart?" you quipped, scoffing as you casually glanced over the piles of papers on her desk before meeting her gaze with a smirk.

"You can't do what I need you to if you're injured, and I know you'd hide it or lie about it," she returned with a casual shrug before returning her attention to her work.

"Always working. Does El Sin Nombre ever take a break? Or sleep, even?" you inquired, observing her as she continued to write with precision.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," she muttered after finishing her writing, shooting you a playful glare while stifling a snicker. "You're just going to stand there and watch me work?"

"Isn't that what you do to me? It's almost a nice change of pace, if only your work wasn't so boring," you retorted with an eye roll.

"I'm sorry my work isn't entertaining. I'm not here to amuse you," she replied, her annoyance showing through her slightly furrowed brows.

"Are you not? I thought that was the entire point of me being here—to entertain you," you quipped sarcastically, with a dry laugh.

"Go do whatever you normally do," she dismissed you with a passive wave, her attention returning to her papers.

"I'm not tired," you countered casually. "I'd usually sleep or find something else to do."

"So you decided this time to stand in my office and annoy me?" she muttered something in Spanish, her tone more amused than irritated. You had learned to recognize when she was done with someone, having seen her chew people up and spit them out over the past few months.

"Well, I would sit, but standing gives me an edge so I can run if you get truly annoyed," you joked.

She snapped back at you in Spanish, her words not fully understood by you, though her tone conveyed playful irritation and rested on her face as a hint of annoyance.

"If I understood what you had said, I might have cared, but I didn't, so I don't."

"You should learn Spanish. More people would like you then."

"I don't need to be liked. It's not my job to care what your little pawns think of me. They can say whatever they want; I have no interest in their opinions."

"Oh, don't worry, they like you. They find our conversations interesting to listen to. They find you beautiful, yet dangerous, like a snake ready to strike at any moment. They watch you in awe when you speak back to me, as a child would to her mother when she doesn't get what she wants."

"I only do it to spite you," you said with a cocky tone and a smirk.

"I'm well aware of that," she replied, her dominant smile and confident tone unwavering.

"Are you? Yet you say nothing about it?" you teased, almost certain of her response.

"I find it refreshing to be spoken back to," she admitted, shrugging and playfully narrowing her eyes at you.

"Only by me?" you inquired, mimicking her tone.

"Don't feel special," she retorted, maintaining her playful yet cocky demeanor.

"Oh, I don't. Speaking to you is like speaking to the most irritatingly cocky and dominant woman I've ever met," you playfully said.

"Thank you," she responded with a small, arrogant chuckle and a smile.

"Glad you knew that was a compliment."

"No compliments back?" you asked, teasing her again as you folded your arms over your chest.

"You get the compliment of being near me, working for me, and me dealing with your mouth every day," she replied, moving a few papers out of her way.

"Is that so?" you countered once more, your defiant tone and bratty attitude firmly in place.

"It is," she confirmed, picking up a small stack of papers and organizing them before placing them into a file folder.

"Interesting. I'd tell you to find a way to shut me up, but we both know it would be short-lived," you remarked.

She hummed in response, playing with the pen in her hands as she leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. She appeared amused by your banter, her phone ringing to break the moment, causing her smile to fade as she waved you away with a more serious expression.

Exiting Valeria's office, you slipped away swiftly and without a word. Her demeanor had shifted dramatically, and you recognized that look well. It was a face of unadulterated power and dominance, a stark reminder of her position as the leader of the Las Almas cartel.

You had learned that when Valeria's expression turned serious and her eyes hardened, it was best to make yourself scarce. Whoever was on the other end of that phone call had clearly stirred her displeasure, and you had no desire to be present when her authority was asserted in its full force.

As you moved through the dimly lit corridors of the compound, you couldn't help but wonder about the nature of the call and the actions that would inevitably follow. In a world where power was the ultimate currency, you had become accustomed to witnessing the ruthless decisions that defined Valeria's leadership. For now, though, you would continue with your own tasks, leaving her to navigate the intricate web of alliances and conflicts that surrounded her cartel.

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Francis Drake Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors.

Drake: "Hey, Mitsuki. Did you tame everyone in this mansion with your blood?"

Mitsuki: "Huh?"

I simply stared back at Drake, not understanding the meaning of his words.

Drake: "I've heard about your situation and the people in this mansion from Comte. After talking to them, I realized they're not bad guys."

Drake: "But I just don't get it."

Mitsuki: "What do you mean?"

Drake: "Because they're vampires, right? No matter how you look at it, they're different from humans."

(Ah...)

Drake: "They're creatures driven by the urge to drink blood and capable of taking lives like beasts."

Drake: "Well, it seems I'm a half, too. But..."

Drake: "It's hard to imagine that vampires and humans live together under the same roof and get along well without one side having control in the background."

(He's right. I've been living with everyone for a long time and forgot, but vampires are objects of fear in normal senses.)

They fed on human blood and posed a threat to their lives.

Drake: "At first, I thought you were just being used as prey, and the butler might have been silenced."

Drake: "Vampires are said to prefer the blood of young women, but the people here seem to treat you well."

Drake: "There's also the possibility that you're controlling the vampires in exchange for your blood, like a queen bee."

The carefree and nonchalant demeanor he had just moments ago was replaced by a sharp gaze, sending a slight shiver down my spine.

(So he was thinking about that behind that smile.)

It felt like I caught a glimpse of his wariness.

But I guess it was only natural to be that cautious when he suddenly arrived at a mansion full of vampires.

(But...)

Mitsuki: "I've never been bitten by a vampire, and I've never given blood to anyone."

Mitsuki: "There's no one-sided dominance going on. We're just living and supporting each other."

Drake: ".........."

Mitsuki: "You may have concerns, but please trust us. Everyone here is trustworthy."

I conveyed my feelings, hoping he would take off his armor-like caution.

Drake: "Trust, huh? People can easily betray you. You never really know what someone's thinking deep down."

(Huh?)

Drake: "Well, that's what I think."

Drake: "But if you're saying it like that, it's probably true. You don't seem like you'd be good at lying."

Drake's smile returned, and I let out a sigh of relief.

(I'm glad. Maybe his guard has loosened a bit.)

Drake: "Sorry for saying weird things."

Mitsuki: "No, it's okay. I'm just surprised you thought I was controlling everyone."

Drake: "Yeah? Even without the blood, those guys might still like you enough to be willing to change their fates, little fawn."

His almost sinister smile from up close caused me to catch my breath.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

Sebastian: "Excuse me. Is Mitsuki still here?"

Drake: "She's here. We were just flirting."

Mitsuki: "Drake, don't say that!"

Drake: "Haha! Sorry, sorry. Well then, goodnight, little fawn."

I left the room and found Sebastian waiting outside.

Sebastian: "If you don't mind me asking, what kind of flirting did Drake do to you?"

Mitsuki: "No, it's not like that. We were just having a serious conversation."

(But I feel like I touched on his true feelings just a bit.)

(Come to think of it, we were a little bit close.)

Sebastian: "You got close enough for your cheeks to blush."

Mitsuki: "Don't you dare write that in your diary!"

I stopped Sebastian from taking out his diary and briefly explained my conversation with Drake.

After hearing my story, Sebastian's expression showed a hint of surprise.

Sebastian: "I thought you guys were having a friendly chat, but to think he was considering such things..."

Sebastian: "I guess it's only natural that he has a composed side, considering he originally led naval forces into battle."

(That's true, but...)

------------Flashback------------

Drake: "Trust, huh? People can easily betray you. You never really know what someone's thinking deep down."

---------Flashback Ends---------

His voice at that moment felt cold, as if he didn't want to believe me.

(19th-century Paris was relatively peaceful without any conflicts. I wish he could become even more at ease in this mansion.)

I hoped for that, remembering the cold voice that lingered in my ears.

After that, Drake fully joined our everyday lives, spending more time with everyone at the mansion and even going to the mall.

Comte: "It's not good for you to keep using the guest room, so I'll prepare a room for you, Drake."

Comte: "Is there anything you need? Just let me know, and I'll get everything for you."

Drake: "Oh, in that case, I'll make a request."

Drake: "How about a luxurious chandelier? And a top-quality fur carpet? And..."

(T-They are all expensive stuff!)

Leonardo: "Are you thinking of selling them?"

Drake: "Oops. You caught me."

The next day, while observing a match between Drake and Jean一

Jean: "Hah!"

Drake: "Whoa! My turn!"

Jean: "You're quite good, Drake. It's a different kind of challenge compared to Napoleon."

Drake: "It's fun, but I never thought that the Maid of Orleans was a guy with incredible swordsmanship."

Mitsuki: "I think everyone would be shocked by that revelation about Jean."

Mozart: "Discrepancies between what is known and the truth are common throughout history."

Jean: "Drake, I'll make some marorons for you later to thank you for the training."

Mitsuki & Mozart: "!!"

Drake: "Marorons? I don't know what that is, but I look forward to it."

Mozart: "I'll warn you, Drake. Jean is the most terrifying when he's in the kitchen."

Then, on another night, when I brought tea to the parlor room一

Arthur: "Checkmate."

Drake: "What the?"

Drake: "Did I lose again? I thought I had a chance of winning at some point."

They were playing chess, and Drake seemed to be on a losing streak.

Arthur: "You're relying too much on brute force. Chess is a game of strategy."

Drake: "If it were a battle at sea, I'd send a flaming ship charging in."

Isaac: "It's scary how a pirate thinks."

Dazai: "Ahaha! Looks like Drake lost to his fellow countryman by a long shot."

At Dazai's words, I suddenly realized...

Mitsuki: "Aside from Drake and Shakespeare, you and Arthur were from England too, right?"

Isaac: "Yeah. Although the time periods we lived in were completely different."

Arthur: "I lived during the glorious era of Queen Victoria."

Arthur said that proudly, and Drake blinked curiously.

Drake: "Arthur, do you admire the queen?"

Mitsuki: "Well, he named his dog Victoria."

Arthur: "Yes. Although, when I found out later that he was a male, I felt frustrated because he was so cute."

Arthur: "Anyway, Queen Victoria was charming and beloved by the people. Wasn't Queen Elizabeth the same?"

Arthur: "England prospered during the reign of the queens because of their great achievements."

Drake: "........."

Drake: "Well, she was certainly a cunning queen. She thoroughly eliminated any threats to England in the shadows."

Drake: "I was used like a pawn, too."

Drake chuckled sarcastically and shrugged his shoulders.

(It doesn't seem like he admires her as much as Arthur does.)

According to the history book I read before, it stated that the queen favored him. But considering she sent him to war, there might have been hardships that didn't make it into history.

Drake: "Anyway, let me have a rematch from earlier. Arm wrestling this time."

Arthur: "OK! I accept. Isaac here will be the referee."

Isaac: "Why me!?"

Drake: "Alright, let's do it, Isaac!"

Dazai: "Go, Ai-chan."

After those fun few days, a week had gone by since Drake showed up.

Under the clear blue sky, while taking down the laundry, I reminisced about the events with the other residents over the past few days.

(It looks like he became close with everyone. I guess I didn't need to worry.)

Since Drake and I had met, there had been an atmosphere of mutual wariness. But that wasn't the case now.

(I'm glad Drake already feels at home here.)

Feeling relieved, I suddenly remembered the time when I first came to the mansion.

(Back when I first came here, I was eager to return to my original world as soon as possible.)

(I wonder if Drake ever misses his homeland.)

Lost in these thoughts, a gust of wind suddenly blew through.

Mitsuki: "Ah, my handkerchief!"

The handkerchief I had placed on top of the laundry got blown away, and I hurriedly chased after it.

Then, a bird swooped in from somewhere and skillfully caught the handkerchief with its feet.

The bird's entire body was red, with hints of green and other colors mixed into its feathers, creating a vivid display of colors.

(That's a parrot, right? I feel like I've seen it somewhere before.)

The familiar parrot gracefully circled the sky, seemingly enjoying itself.

As I followed its movements with my eyes, the parrot suddenly let go of the handkerchief, and the person it was hovering near raised a hand and caught it.

Drake: "Is this what you dropped, little fawn?"

The parrot perched on Drake's shoulder.

Mitsuki: "Thank you for helping with the laundry."

Drake: "It's no big deal."

He helped me carry most of the laundry, leaving only the sheets to be delivered to his room.

Drake: "Well then, welcome aboard my ship."

He opened the door to his room.

Mitsuki: "Sorry for the intrusion. Wow, your room looks like this now!"

His room, which I entered for the first time, had a different atmosphere compared to my room and everyone else's.

Drake: "I asked Comte to make it as comfortable as a ship's cabin, and this is what I ended up with."

Mitsuki: "A cabin, huh? It suits you."

As I looked around the room with great interest, the parrot perched on Drake's shoulder, flapped its wings, and moved to the deer antlers hanging on the wall.

Mitsuki: "I guess that bird is your pet? Thank you for picking up my handkerchief."

Drake: "Glad my partner could be of service. I guess he wanted to look good in front of a lady since he's a male."

Mitsuki: "Hehe. You looked quite dashing, Mr. Parrot. Um, what's its name?"

Parrot: "Draco, Draco!"

Mitsuki: "Wow, it talked!?"

Drake: "Yeah, he can talk. His name is Draco."

Mitsuki: "Does the name have any special meaning?"

Drake: "In the past, I was called El Draque by my enemies."

Drake: "He somehow picked it up and started squawking 'Draco, Draco,' so I just made it his name."

Mitsuki: "El Draque...?"

Drake: "It means demon."

(Is that because his opponents feared him?)

It was kind of hard to imagine since he said it so casually, but I guess he was really that scary to end up with a nickname like that.

(And he boldly used that as his pet's name.)

Drake: "Draco, meet Mitsuki, the little fawn. Get along, okay?"

Draco: "Fawn, fawn!"

(Hehe. Regardless of the meaning, Draco is already an important partner's name for him.)

Mitsuki: "By the way, there's something I've been wanting to ask. Why do you always call me little fawn?"

Drake: "Hm? Because when we first met, you were trembling in my arms like a fawn."

Drake: "Also, the name of the ship I used to sail on was the Golden Hind, which means golden female deer."

Drake: "So, it somehow felt fitting."

(So that's why. Maybe it just resonated with him in his own way.)

When I think about it that way, it feels like something special.

Drake: "You didn't like it?"

Mitsuki: "I don't mind. I'm glad you answered my question!”

Drake: "That's good, then. To be honest, you were trembling back then because I scared you."

Drake: "By the way, Fawn, can you take your hand out?"

I extended my hand as instructed, and he placed beautiful red-feathered earrings on my palm.

Mitsuki: "Wow, it's cute."

Drake: "Take it. I made it using one of Draco's feathers. Don't worry, I properly washed it."

Mitsuki: "Can I really have this? You even made it by hand."

I tilted my head in surprise at the sudden gift.

Drake: "Remember how I scared you and accused you of taming vampires?"

Drake: "I realized I've been giving you a hard time, so consider this my apology gift."

(Even though he had his reasons at the time, he still cared about how I felt.)

His feelings, along with the earrings, reach my heart without delay.

Mitsuki: "I'm so happy. Thank you, Mr. Drake!"

Drake: "Great. Now that we've made up, I have a suggestion."

Drake: "How about we drop the formalities? I mean, I'm calling you by your first name freely."

Mitsuki: "Then, Drake."

Drake: "Hmm, that's okay, but why not try calling me by my first name?"

(Huh?)

Mitsuki: "Francis?"

Drake: "Perfect. I like it, Mitsuki."

(Suddenly calling each other by first names feels a bit embarrassing.)

He playfully deepened his smile.

Drake: "Come on, try calling me by my first name more, Mitsuki."

Mitsuki: "What!? You're teasing me, right?"

Drake: "Come on, of course not."

Mitsuki: "Don't tease me, Francis."

Drake: "You don't have to be so reserved. Just call me normally."

Mitsuki: "Geez. Francis!"

Drake: "Haha! Well done. You're so straightforward."

He laughed out loud at my somewhat embarrassed and half-shouted words.

(It feels like he's playfully manipulating me.)

But why did I feel ticklish even though it seemed like I was being rolled around in the palm of his hand?

Mitsuki: "Well, calling you by your first name alone is a little embarrassing, so I'll stick with Drake."

Drake: "Back to formal language, huh?"

Mitsuki: "Let me call you Drake."

Drake: "I wanted it to feel special, but okay, call me whatever you like."

He seemed satisfied and nodded with a smile.

Feeling my cheeks blush, I directed my gaze back to the earrings in my palm.

Mitsuki: "Can I try wearing this now?"

Drake: "Of course."

Drake: "It's difficult to put it on without a mirror, so sit on the chair. I'll do it for you."

I sat down as prompted, and he brushed my hair behind my ear.

Mitsuki: "Ahh..."

His finger brushed against my earlobe, causing my body to twitch involuntarily.

Drake: "Did that tickle?"

Mitsuki: "Just a little."

Drake: "Is this your weak spot?"

He playfully leaned closer to my ear, his voice and breath tickling me.

Mitsuki: "H-Hey, stop fooling around..."

Drake: "Sorry, sorry. I got carried away there. But bear with it a little longer."

Drake gently touched my earlobe and inserted the earring.

Drake: "Now, the other side."

(It feels strange to have someone put earrings on me.)

(I didn't realize my ears were this sensitive until now.)

Maybe I was feeling more sensitive because of his playful teasing earlier.

Coming to that conclusion, I held back the trembling sensation that almost overwhelmed me.

Drake: "Okay, there you go, Mitsuki."

I looked at my reflection in the window since we didn't have a mirror and saw vibrant feathers swaying on both of my ears.

Mitsuki: "Wow, it's beautiful. Thank you so much, Drake. And Draco, too."

Draco: "Fawn and Draco, together!"

Mitsuki: "That's right, we have matching feathers."

As we exchanged words, Drake suddenly turned serious.

Drake: "Just to make sure, you're not in a romantic relationship with anyone in the mansion, are you?"

I vigorously shook my head, startled by the sudden question.

Mitsuki: "Absolutely not! Everyone in the mansion is like a roommate and a friend to me. I don't have that kind of relationship with anyone."

Drake: "Heh?"

Drake: "Well, I was just worried because I gave you a gift. I didn't want it to create any misunderstandings if you had a boyfriend."

Drake: "If that's not a concern, I don't need to hold back. It suits you well, little fawn."

(........)

He took a step closer and placed his large hand on my head.

My heart was beating like crazy as I felt his gentle hand and gaze.

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

[dangerous-advantage]

throughout usagi yojimbo, there is this running theme of fatherhood, with usagi generally enjoying interactions with kids. if possible, he tends to seek them out (this is just as adorable as it sounds, btw)

as somebody who has long been iffy about the subject of kids/kid fics and media with a big focus on this, i'm surprised to find just how much i like sakai's exploration on the subject.

so, i've decided to delve into (a part of) why i think this works so well for me. for this, i'm focusing on UY issue #54: the return of the lone goat and kid.

(beware spoilers <3)

(caption: a cropped image of the cover of usagi yojimbo issue #54.)

within this issue, we witness the return of the lone goat and kid, betrayed samurai turned legendary assasin mercenary, with his young son, gorogoro.

i immediately liked these characters when first reading, not only because of the general badassery that they tend to exude, but also because they are very autistic-coded (/pos /lh), and gorogoro is depicted as non-verbal.

(note: he could be very young, but i'm fairly certain he just prefers not to talk, and saves his words for very specific occasions. either way, i love him a normal amount totally definitely /j.)

seeing their return was a welcome surprise, and though usagi and yagi are very autistic when interacting (/pos), usagi's soft-spot for kids plays a big part in their relationship, having saved gorogoro from falling to his death the last time they crossed paths.

even more welcome of a surprise was the plot and focus on gorogoro and usagi's relationship. i love to see usagi allowed to just... hang out with kids. you can tell he really enjoys doing it w/out the story putting a huge emphasis on that fact, which is part of why i enjoy it so much.

(the kid in question.)

now, to break this all down nice and simply, sakai's comics are generally so well done that i think you could just read the comic yourself and glean the same idea, probably in a better, more meaningful way than i can explain it.

but i've already committed, so here we go.

when we first meet gorogoro, he's being chased by a bunch of henchmen who intend to use him as bait for the capture of his father (being a very, very, very wanted man. er, goat.)

usagi stumbles upon him being threatened by one of the few other rabbits in this series and proceeds to suplex him after his hat is ruined. after that, we get the first good-parent-role-model-usagi moment:

(usagi participates in 10 out of 10 parenting/responsible adult behavior. to avoid writing this out ten million more times, i will simply be referring to this phenomenon as usagi being 'father material.')

he (re)introduced himself, puts himself in the (well-earned) position of "trustworthy adult" and then tries to figure out where tf yagi is. gorogoro, of course, does not speak, but instead of pushing him for an answer, he comes up with a conclusion and offers a solution.

usagi: "i guess you two have been seperated, huh. well, it's dangerous in these woods. there could be more of those guys around."

usagi: "there's a town not far away. your father will have an easier time finding you there."

he then invites gorogoro to come with him, saying he can escort him to the town. gorogoro seems unconvinced.

this might be the point where a lesser protagonist would try and convince/force the kid to come with them, or even manipulate them in some way (i.e. offering false promises/reassurances or just straight up lying.)

usagi, however, is not a lesser protagonist.

(several more panels of father material usagi content.)

quick side tangent: you could argue this is somewhat irresponsible, but i disagree.

usagi has met yagi and gorogoro before, and he knows that gorogoro is a smart kid. he doesn't have the full story for why gorogoro is here. for all he knows, gorogoro is on his way to meet up with his father somewhere farther on in the forest.

the point is: he doesn't try and make a decision for gorogoro or try and coax/force him into making one. he instead treats him like an equal and offers him the choice of whether to follow him or not.

when gorogoro doesn't seem to actively seek his help, he walks away, giving gorogoro full reins of his decision while also respecting an unspoken boundary that gorogoro has made.

(though, to be fair, he did assume gorogoro would follow him-- an assumption that paid off.)

("i see you decided to come along after all.")

what's important here isn't that his guess paid off, it's that he allowed gorogoro to make the decision. not to mention, he still hasn't quite figured out how to best work with gorogoro, as is showcased in the following panels:

(usagi participates in ableism /j /lh /not serious)

usagi is shown to be "good at kids." he gets along with them, and they tend to like him in turn. but that's not just an innate talent (though aptitude to kids does play a big part of it.)

he invests in positive relationships by treating children not as we often see/think of in parent-child or adult-child platonic relationships, but by treating them like equals. simply, he offers them the same respect he would offer anyone else.

which is so fucking important.

anyway, they get to the town and go to an inn inside, where usagi buys gorogoro food. once again, he exhibits king and father material attributes.

gorogoro doesn't look interested in eating the food. this is the exchange that follows:

and then:

(the 'king shit' in question)

now. let's break this down.

usagi offers food, but gorogoro is distrustful. he employs a tactic that may have worked on other children to try and convince/reassure gorogoro that eating it is fine. gorogoro is, in fact, unconvinced.

then, instead of getting irritated, or continuing to try and (unsuccessfully) convince gorogoro the food is convinced, he uses what he's observed about gorogoro/what he knows about gogoro's life to understand what he is actually saying.

he does not force him. he doesn't get annoyed. when he calls him 'weird,' it feels less like an insult and more like a neutral observation, one that he then uses to better work with/communicate with gorogoro.

('does [he] know kids or what,' indeed.)

in the space of two pages, usagi was able to figure out how to better work with gorogoro, not by changing gorogoro, but by changing his methods.

his outlook is not the one we see depicted in much of modern media-- "the parent is always right, and the child must do as they are told."

instead, it introduces a sense of respect, and therefore trust, into their dynamic. i thought i could only get something this good from roald dahl's matilda, but of course, i should've known to never doubt stan sakai /lh

this of course, isn't the end (but we are close!). a bunch of plot stuff happens, and in the search to reuinte gorogoro with his father, usagi ends up on a bridge, with enemies after gorogoro's head (and associated reward) flanking either side of it.

gorogoro, while still maintaining his distance/boundaries, shows that he trusts usagi by running behind him when threatened.

not only that, when usagi orders him to stay behind him (for reasons of protection,) he does so and continues to do so. because usagi has earned his trust, he feels comfortable entrusting usagi with his safety, where he was less comfortable doing so at the beginning.

(the bridge show-down, with the addition of usagi's killer clapback of a line. 10/10, i laughed.)

there's only one other moment i want to mention, but despite how small of a detail it is, it's what got me thinking about this whole thing.

after usagi realizes he's been flanked on either side and will need to fight his way out in order to keep gorogoro safe, this exchange happens:

one of the very first things usagi must have noticed is the silent boundary that gorogoro put up, one that he's been maintaining this entire time. he prefers space-- i.e., he would rather not be touched, at least not without permission.

in this scene, a lesser protagonist would have snatched gorogoro up by the arm, let loose some feral battle cry, and then rushed all seven henchmen using only one arm.

usagi is not a lesser protagonist.

he takes a moment, however small, to communicate his intentions to gorogoro. "i need to carry you" doubling as a silent question: can i carry you?

while he probably would have had to either way, usagi already built up trust between himself and gorogoro. so, gorogoro obliges.

and then usagi single-handedly (literally!) fights his way through seven guys.

ok, well, that's not quite true-- yagi, the 'lone goat' of the duo (more like G.O.A.T -- yes, i have been waiting for a time to make that godawful pun, and no, this is not an appropriate time, but i had to make it. you don't understand /j /nsrs) shows up on the other side pushing gorogoro's cart, and also contributes to the slaughter.

which leads to this epic, two-page panel:

(its so good ITS SO GOOD--)

after this, the story is wrapped up, the kid is returned to his goat, and usagi and the lone goat and kid go their separate ways (for now.)

as you can probably guess, this depiction of platonic child/adult relationships is very, very important to me, not only because i feel we need more of this in the general media, but also to me, specifically, as a member of the neurodivergent community.

seeing a character that i genuinely like respecting the unspoken boundaries of a nonverbal child character means a lot to me. whether he meant it to be interpreted this way or not, it really feels like we get to see an autistic character having different needs/wants and not being shamed for that by the narrative.

this is only one aspect of what makes usagi yojimbo so great, but it showcases some of the many details that sakai uses to create a well-paced, interesting, and engaging narrative.

gone are the annoying, one-dimensional kid characters and the terrible tropes that usually follow them. instead, sakai treats the children in his characters the same way that usagi treats them: as people, characters that have motivations and reasons and that deserve time and respect as well.

as i stated before, i have long shied away from kid-related stories, especially those with younger kids. but lemme tell you. UY has won me over.

i would happily pay away my livelihood to read 700 more panels with usagi toting around a 6-month-old while he talks about conspiracies with the town inspector (see: usagi yojimbo issue [blank]: [name]), or usagi letting the kid of the family he's staying with admire his blades [insert comic here.]

sakai just gets kids, and now when i'm faced with the question of: is this an example of positive parenting/guidance?, i just ask myself, "would usagi do that?"

and it answers my question.

bonus: usagi and yagi being absolutely not in any way incredibly autistic at each other during The Exchange.

(note: their smiles in that end panel make it all worth it, i think.)

[your-fave-adopted-you]

Hello!

First of all, I'm grateful to you for creating this blog and starting to share your creativity. The wonderful stories about NRC guardians are what we all needed.

I would also like to make a request. Guardians with a physically weak, but at the same time hardworking and obsessed with studying MC. Perhaps they were seriously ill and as a result, one day the MC loses consciousness right during the lesson.

Thank you for considering my request.

Yes. Excellent request anon. A very good way to start!

Guardian! School staff react to Mc passing out mid- lesson

characters : Dire Crowley, Divus Crewel, Mozus Trein, Ashton Vargas.

Gn pronouns were used.

CW: Crowley

Context : Mc is just a normal human in a world full of magic, monsters and stressful stuff in general(Crowley, for example) . With overblots and schoolwork [no one had previously prepared them for] around the corner, they are always giving their absolute best! even if sometimes is at cost of their own health.

One day, after pulling all nighters one day after the other for a whole week, their body finally gives up mid-lesson, an hour prior to a very important exam.

Dire Crowley

He got a call straight from the infirmary, apparently you were lying unconscious next to two worried classmates that insisted on being there until you woke up.

this man has never ever in his life rushed so fast to anyone's aid.

still there he is.

The school nurse approaches him and tells him you had a little temperature but you would be fine with rest.

he basically kicks out your classmates.

At first acts like you're in a coma.

after a while he calms down a little.

does NOT MOVE A MUSCLE until you do so.

fuck his work you're more important.

He kinda expected you to be fragile but didn't think you would overwork yourself to that point.

when you open your eyes you nearly pass out again from sheer fright.

this man was looking straight at you, not moving, not talking.

you weren't sure if he was breathing.

ofc the moment he notices your eyes are open he starts crying and screaming about how worried he was.

It's literally just been 5 minutes dude

lectures you about being so reckless.

also don't worry about that exam. you can take it tomorrow. Your health comes first.

Divus Crewel

He was giving a lecture about what kind of spells generated a bigger amount of blot than others when suddenly-

"THUD"

yeah it was your head falling against your desk.

"Sensei! i think they're dead."

Crewel was too stunned to speak.

calmly, he stops the lecture and tells the class president to keep an eye while he gets you to the infirmary.

Deep inside, he's panicking.

when you two get there, the nurse tells him that you already seem to have been ill for days but you seemingly didn't care and just kept on going.

He's PISSED because he didn't notice earlier.

stays there for a while and only leaves when he sees that you're fully conscious.

he will have someone watching over you in the meantime.

someone trustworthy, but not from your class (remember there's an exam next hour-) so, someone like Trey, Jamil, Jack, maybe Leona-

hear me out, Leona may not be the most responsible out of the four but he wasn't gonna do much in class either way.

Depends on what year your in, honestly.

Trein finally brings the exam sheets and when I tell you, Crewel SPRINTS out of the room.

how can someone move so fast while wearing all that-

He will scold the SHIT out of you for being so irresponsible with your health.

ofc you can do the exam next day, he already spoke to Mr.Trein about the issue.

"You are one stubborn pup did you know that?"

Mozus Trein

A very similar situation to Crewel's honestly.

once you hit your head against the desk and didn't respond, your classmates started to freak out.

Unfazed, he asks someone strong to carry you to the infirmary, and someone he knows will make sure you'll be okay.

he's quite calm.

when Crewel enters the class with the exam sheets, he excuses himself and goes immediately to the infirmary.

he brings the cat too.

when the nurse tells him what happened and in which condition you're currently in, he just nods attentively.

it doesn't matter if it takes you hours or just a couple minutes to feel better, he will be by your side.

he knew full well about your weak constitution, and that you were overworking yourself.

still, he didn't want to stop you, after all you were responsible for both your grades and your health.

don't take the wrong idea, he's MAD WORRIED

he also knows that won't solve anything.

the cat is laying on top of you, purring, trying to ease the pain in his own way.

you try to explain yourself but the old man just stays silent.

"You know, in my years of teaching, I've seen a couple of students who were just like you."

"reckless and stupid?" you ask.

"Too hardworking for their own good."

he pauses and takes a deep breath, his tone, unlike the others, is oddly gentle and comforting.

"You know better than anyone what's best for you."

"Well, seems like this time... i didn't." you reply.

"But you do know now, right?"

you nod.

you will take the exam next week, alongside those who have failed today.

it will give you time to recover and study just a little bit more.

You will be okay.

Ashton Vargas

It's never a good idea to ride a broom while sleep deprived and probably with a tiny fever.

everyone stops dead in their tracks when they hear someone has fallen to the ground.

Thank the great seven you weren't flying high.

still you got a good few scratches.

Everyone is PANICKING. you're facing THE GROUND and NOT MOVING.

Mr.Ashton sends everyone inside.

they can study in the meantime.

No more sports today, sorry, this shit is serious.

you come to your senses while he's carrying you. yep. you're so embarrassed you pretend to be unconscious a little more.

In the infirmary, the nurse tells your guardian that you don't have anything broken from the fall

but

you seem to have a fever that has only worsened since you got there.

He's so worried omg

you're a regular, non magical human.

you're fragile!!! even when he does his best training you and making sure you have the BEST diet!!

you seemed a little off today, yes, but he didn't know you were THAT exhausted!!

poor man.

waits by your side while the fever goes down, lets some worried classmates check how your doing, but doesn't let them stay for long.

oh shit right you had an exam today

don't worry, your super cool dad is here to save the day!

he just sends an email to Trein telling him what happened.

you will do the exam once you get out of the infirmary, you studied so hard, you would be pissed if all of this was for nothing.

oh! the fever is gone? thank god!

He thinks he had played it cool the whole time, but anyone can tell, the whole time he was looking at you like if you were about to break.

he wants to train you to be like iron, but no matter what, he can't help but see you as a piece of thin glass.

the moment the nurse checks you and says that you're good to go, you jump out of bed to go find Mr.Trein, leaving Ashton behind.

"...A diamond." he mutters to himself, while watching you leave the door.

[exoticalmonde]

Part II. Hortus de Escapismo Dr. Evealia's Reaction

Well, first of all, my snake sandwich gets his skin before anything else happens.

Second, SPOILERS up ahead about the entire Hortus de Escapismo event, including the story, art and the full blow of my tears.

I think this is covering HE-1 through HE-4.

God in the basement has spoken and it says that something is wrong. A totally normal day in Laterano where your robotic diety is getting haywired from the inside. Surely this isn't going to be another cliffhanger where we never learn about whatever the hell this is since I may or may have not... skipped... Guiding Ahead story-wise.

Transcribed: [Raise your head and stand by my side, Saint Federico Giallo, the first Chosen of Laterano who does not come from the ranks of the popes.]

AYO IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING WE GET TO SEE HIM BECOME A SAINT???

The reason for that is that Pope Yvangelista XI got the threat responce from the MachineTM, but how does he plan to stop that, whatever it is, from happening if he just... baptises everybody? I agree with that other knight a moment ago, this sounds like a bad idea if that's the procedure for every account. Of course, we know Executor is the perfect personification of clean-cut justice, so how could it go wrong?

---

Transcribed: [Eating]

Ah.

---

Transcribed: [ Delfina: You always have that gun with you. You got it from your dad, right? I thought it doesn't work anymore.

Fortuna: It doesn't. Maybe it's a parts problem. And I don't know how to use a gun myself...]

Can we just very shortly mention the meaning of their names? Delfina is Dolphin and Fortuna is Good Fate; Luck, but Delfina keeps calling Fortuna just Tuna. So they're Dolphin and Tuna.

---

I absolutely need everybody to keep in mind that this is a fragment of a city that drifted away from the main city 60 or so years ago and got stranded. This is a city on wheels in the middle of ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY NOWHERE. And it's winter. These guys here are going to perish.

---

... Great. Wonderful. Bleed me to death why don't you?

Where are they even come from? Are those Iberian beasts that are prowling the streets? Is it just a random angry wolf that's evolved in some bizzare way from the wastes and stalks people? Do they have any way to defend themselves against those canonically?

---

Can i insert a spoiler from the me that played this on my own for the second time? These are useless. It says that they can help relax the panicking residents but it left me with the impression it was meant to do it somewhat passively.

Not even a smitherine. If anybody tells you they do, they're lying. 20 DP for a resident whose bar raises faster than DP regenerates on 70% of the maps is a terrible introduction into the overall gameplay.

Maybe I was bad, but it's so... Not meant to force me to replay the tutorial twice, you know? Not this one at least.

---

It does remain a funny act though. They run from statue to statue looking for something to pray to. How... futile. At least I don't have to defend them from enemies.

---

The maps are gorgeous though... I love what they're doing for everything after spending way too long in chapters 4-8 looking at literally nothing. I enjoy this a LOT.

---

Raimund huh?

I'm not a nun but I'd be on my knees for you in a second. Lord have mercy on you or whatever.

---

BABABABABABABABY BIRDS LITTLE FLOOFERS WHAT ARE YOU WHY ARE YOU SO CUTE EXPLAIN YOUR SMOLLNESS!!!

---

I love them so much... I hope the children are not doomed by the narrative.

---

Oh I like Gerald as well... Him and Reimund are such father figure/son figure I hope to see more interaction between them. He seems pretty trustworthy though. Like, seriously just cares about his people and considering so far we saw a peace between Sarkaz and Sankta that has never been in the outside world... you know he has authority that matters.

---

PFFHAHAHAHAHAHAHA LEMUEN IS SUCH A MIPY YOURE A GOOD BEAN

---

Me: "Don't you love it when people in the story talk about plans they have previously made in such a way that doesnt tell me anything just so they can agree upon actions and or warn each other of consequences to actions without ever mentioning what they are and then I end up not understanding a single thing when the story ends, like… Isn't it fun?" Pinkie: "Ok, Fiametta." Me: "No, I'm being serious this is all over Arknights, I hate it." Pinkie: "I really can't tell if you're sarcastic right now, but this is really why Fiametta is so pissed." Me: "Well, call me spicy chicken." Pinkie: "Call me a Fat Duck then, because I'm about to go off."

---

HA! Throwback to Guiding Ahead. Very nice.

---

Transcribed: [The average conversation between the two of you is about as entertaining as 'What did you eat last night?' 'Dinner.']

THEY DO TALK LIKE THAT THOUGH HEFHFNAHGOINAGN

---

Transcribed: [

Spuria: Federico, how much do I have to pay you for a few extra words? You name the price, and I'll send the bill to His Holiness.

Federico: I have never considered this question.]

They have the funniest banters and Federico probably doesn't even understand that it's happening, this is simultaniously the funniest and saddest outcome to any conversation ever.

---

...

...

Transcribed: [The dim light finally illuminates the girl's face, revealing spotty traces of blood, as well as the black horns protruding from her forehead.

Sankta blood drips onto the chapel's floorboards, giving off a dull sound. It is a deafening sound, one that opens all eyes wide.

The patron firearm used for prayer finally slips from the hands that were clutching it tightly.]

Oh... My... Fortuna...

---

Transcribed: [

Twisted Monster: (Indescipherable howling)

Lemuen: Nuh-uh, just because I'm physically handicapped doesn't mean you can pick on me, visitor!]

I love Lemuen, she is the best bright pink-haired girl ever.

---

Oya, welcome to Rhodes Island, uh-- *nervously looking around as there is not a single Sankta on my ship* -- feel... feel uh-- at home... Not Laterano home uh--- Sarkaz are not allowed there haha, but uh-- Just take... I mean your room is down the hall, di- mm dinner is at seven o'clock.

[manofmanymons]

Based on your post, how do you think the non-corrupt versions of Plutomon and BoltBoutamon differ in personality? Assuming the parnters just digivolved to those forms.

Post in question :)

I feel like their vibes are shit if Aoi and Kaito had to question their trustworthiness, but I also like to think that they're being honest when they say they can trust them.

Maybe it's like a Lamortmon situation where it's still 100% Labramon and Dracmon, and they're still loyal to their partners, but it's just a version of them running off emotion and instinct. They're a bit hard to control, prone to taking things too far and needing their partners or other friends to snap them out of it, and probably have no filter, but they're still them.

NGL now I'm kind thinking of them through the lens of like,,,them being representative of the parts of themselves that Aoi and Kaito normally try to keep hidden. So I also like to think they'd both be a lot more selfish than Labramon or Dracmon would ever be.

I LIKE TO THINK THEY HAVE THE SORT OF VIBE WHERE EVEN WHEN THEY'RE BEING COMPLETELY HONEST, THEY SOUND LIKE THEY'RE LYING. Like every word of Plutomon's mouth sounds manipulative and Boltboutamon permanently sounds like a villain who's trying too hard to convince you they aren't a villain you know what I mean? Like either of them says anything and the kids are like "I can't explain why but I have The Ick"

Neither of them are doing it on purpose, those are just their voices.

Also I'm like basing this entirely on the fact that when he evolves he just screams bloody murder instead of saying his name but like it's fun for me to think that with OG Harmony Route Boltboutamon it was mostly Piedmon talking, so NG+ Boltboutamon wouldn't talk much. Who needs words when you have murder instinct alfkdja

This wasn't the question but now I'm thinking about their dynamics with their partners. Bc I feel like the kiddos would both feel a little uneasy about the manifestations of their souls taking on THOSE forms. As if all the worst, icky little parts of them that they try very hard to bury are just...out on full display for all their friends to see. And it takes a bit of work for them to fully accept these versions of their partners. Especially for Aoi like even a version of Plutomon that isn't literally her, is still Labramon and therefore still a reflection of herself, and I think having someone say her innermost thoughts out loud to her face would feel Not Very Good.

On the bright side, Kaito has a pirate partner just like Miu.

And even though this ALSO wasn't the question, I would think that NG+ Wendigomon would work in a similar way.

[mjulianwrites]

Sorry for the amount of these. Helios 1, Renan 4 just because I think it’s funny, Mona 5, Darcy 13, Preston 15, Sylvie 16

1. How does your OC feel about their full name?

his deadname? bad bad very bad. hated it. his first chosen name (perseus farrington)? he liked it quite a bit, and went by it for most of his teenage/adult life. wasn't a huge fan of having the farrington family name but he also never thought about it much because there wasn't another option. his current name (helios saturnini)? 1000/10, he got to pick a new name to match his cool new dad and he loves it, double points for ditching his mom's surname, triple points for making the church and the rest of the royals so mad.

4. How do they act around a crush?

DSGHSDGHSDHGSDGHSDG i mean we all know renan is the living embodiment of the 🥺 emoji but he at least used to be a LITTLE cool around cyrus early on. he was trying to keep his cool and kiiind of failing but that was when he was in his suave little rake era so it sort of worked. making out with the heir apparent on a dare is regrettably a bit swag.

5. Do they have a “tell” for when they’re lying?

hmm, sometimes. mostly when the lie is of the "i'm fine and not experiencing life-threatening health events shut UP mom" variety. in that case mona gets extra nasty and snappish with people and her family members can tell something's up. when she has her shit fully together she's very difficult to read, but austra can still almost always tell.

13. Do they make strong/frequent eye contact when they talk to someone?

yes but not to an unusual degree. darcy's just very polite and socially capable so they make. idk. the normal polite amount of eye contact. maybe less with prince cyrus cause they know he doesn't like it (but then again, maybe more with prince cyrus if they want to get him slightly off his game)

15. Are their greatest flaw and their greatest strength related and in what way? (ie very caring and helpful but a doormat, or very observant and shrewd but often paranoid)

oh for sure. preston's greatest strength (or one of them at least) is his whole golden boy persona. he comes off as very talented and respectable and charming and trustworthy and that makes people like him and also lets him get away with shit. but it also leads to his horrible horrible fixation on being perfect -- which is twofold, actually, because he oscillates between "i'm a perfect person so nothing i'm doing is wrong" and "i have to be a perfect person so if i make a tiny mistake or anything is my fault i'll explode." and it makes him soooooooooo much worse.

16. How has their childhood affected the way they view an aspect of their life (people, education, society, themselves, etc)?

so sylvie's parents were in. a pretty shitty marriage because her dad is pretty shitty. and when she was a kid her mom started having an affair with this other man who turned out to be Even Worse and ended up spiralling into addiction and eventually dying. and this in turn caused her dad to become insanely fucking overprotective and controlling and paranoid that she would go down a similarly bad path. so from a young age she's been VERY focused on having her shit together. around everyone but especially around her dad. and she has a fake relationship with a boring respectable guy her dad approves of so he won't lose his mind about her getting herself in trouble with other people. which is fine. this can only go well.

[ink-fireplace-coffee]

3, 9, 17, 20, 26, 46, and 50 for any OC of your choice?

Hey nonny! Thanks for asking <3

I'm gonna answer these ones for Elaine

3. How competent would your oc be in a survival situation? Would they be better off on their own or in a group?

She is called the Blood Witch, which says something alright. Still I do not think that would be very helpful is some situations.

She would prefer to be on her own, but would get roped into being in a group for her sake and the other's

9. How easily does your oc trust others? Any particular reason why? How trustworthy are they themselves?

None at all. She doesn't like to trust people if she can avoid it. Trusting them leads to being comfortable around them, which makes it easier to get backstabbed.

I'd say you can trust Elaine as long as your goals align with hers.

17. How polite is your oc? Do they know how to act in a formal situation? How would they *actually* act in a formal situation?

Oh, the Da Ville's have instrcuted her well. She knows how to act in a formal situation and would act accordingly as long as she is not feeling threatened, bothered or insulted.

20. Does your oc have any favourite games to pass the time? What other hobbies do they have?

She's not a fan of boardgames except from her daily chess games with Crawford. Aside from that, Elaine recently took up embroidery (cause why wouldn't you dilute your pent up anger by stabbing something a hundred of times and make sth pretty out of it). She also mantains herself fit by doing martial arts like karate.

26. How does your oc sleep? Do they move around a lot? What position does your oc normally sleep in? What are their typical bedding arrangements like?

Elaine has a lot of nightmares and sleep terrors, making her wake up at least twice or more times a night. She trashes around and moves a lot (it's not uncommon for help to wake up on the floor). She usually prefer to have little bedding (a sheet and if its cold a blanket) cause her legs get tangled around them a lot

46. Does your oc lie a lot, or is the truth very important to them? What is their reaction to other people lying to them?

Oh, no, truth is not really important. Elaine knows people lie to her all the time, so why should she play by the rules?

She would feel batrayed, but not show it

50. How attentive is your oc? How perceptive are they? How easily do they get distracted?

Very much so. Hates to get distracted, which she does from time to time, specially if there's a lot going on at the same time.

100 OC Questions Ask Game!

[ransomnoteworthy]

Honesty might be the best policy, and it's a good thing in relationships in general, but something I'm struggling with is the Pirates of the Caribbean honesty twist, about how: "a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid"

Cause someone in my life was THE honest person. Told me the truth, no matter what, never in a mean way, just... They're the one person who will always always give you the actual truth if you asked. Even if it hurt them to admit the truth, they were always so brave and scrupulously honest. And I hadn't realized I'd built a whole corner of my life on that fact, as if, because they'd been painfully honest for literally 10 years they'd stay honest forever. But they've started lying, and I'm gaslighting myself trying not to believe it, because it's like the sun isn't rising anymore, it's like I woke up in a different life, all because this one person I trusted almost more than my own mind to show me the truth of the world isn't trustworthy anymore.

I have friends who exaggerate, family who omit and whitewash things. That's normal, we all do it, and within limits it's unremarkable, unimportant. But this one person lying to my face is crumbling my entire worldview. I can't put them in the same category as everyone else and ignore white lies and minor falsehoods. I can't bear to even look at them now, seeing only my own disappointment and heartbreak now that I've found this unshakeable truth in my life isn't reliable anymore. If we met, now, as is, I'm sure I would love them and appreciate them for who they are. I'm sure I would. I would never expect perfect truth from anyone, except that I had learned and been conditioned to get capital-t-Truth from them, and now, I can't let that go, I don't know how.

But the simple fact that they were once my guiding star, somehow means they can't ever step out of that place and stay in my sky like just another light. I don't know how to relate to them in this new world, this new horrible version of reality where gravity's reversed and I can't find solid ground anymore.