#She wasn't initially intended to be that strong

[emeraldkniight]

Older bat! Damian with super or wonder reader who's like sheltered and oblivious to the real world and they go on a mission or smith together and the whole times she's just doing whatever he says because that's what she's used to and he's just like damnn and finds that really attractive

— 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 ! ☆

older!damian wayne x fem!reader

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀… drabble smut. porn with a plot. dirty talk. fingering. Damian uses Arabic nicknames.

𝗰𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. . . no copying of my work is allowed. Free translation is allowed as long as I am credited.

𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲. . . as I said in my other posts, English is not my first language. I have tried to make corrections with the translator, but as you all know, it is prone to making mistakes, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes or if anything sounds weird.

𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲… I don't know how I feel about myself today, but I decided to write this for you anyway. I hope you like it. <3

It was one of the first times you, a young girl exiled from the real world and born on an island paradise inhabited only by women, had contact with what was considered 'the real world.' You were not yet accustomed to many things, especially the existence of men, or perhaps men like Damian Wayne.

On Themyscira, you were used to following orders. When the Queen or your trainer told you to "do this," you knew exactly what to do. But when you joined the Justice League and met Batman, you initially believed you were supposed to act the same way. You soon realized that maybe you should have listened when Jon told you to ignore him completely.

At that moment, Damian Wayne, now known as Batman, was the last person you wanted to be trapped with in a situation like this. The two of you were locked in a reinforced room with no way out, where neither your strength nor your wits could help you get out. So you found yourself trapped with the one man who liked to bark orders like he was the king of Gotham.

— You really don't know what to do? — He asked, annoying you again. — Before, Wonder Women were effective.

However, you tried to heed Jon's advice; thus, you responded to him without intending to participate in his game.

— Yes, and in my land, men didn't even exist. So I'm just getting used to working with the inefficiency of one.

Damian slowly approached the box you were sitting in with an annoying grin on his face.

— In fact, I am a detective. Of course I know how to get out of here.

Your confused expression made him smile even harder at your confusion. You weren't sure if it was fair to feel like a complete idiot, but that was exactly how you felt at that moment. Besides, you didn't like him at all.

— And you never thought to open the door, or are you just trying to annoy me by making me live with you?

— Actually... — He replied, moving even closer to you. — I'm testing you. Go and open the door as best you can — He finally ordered.

And as if it were a sacred word, you stood up, determined to open the door to the room at any cost. At first, you tried to break it down with blows, but your strength wasn't enough. It was probably made of some incredibly strong material, possibly of alien origin.

— Try pulling the doorknob with your lasso — he suggested, and once again, you listened.

Damian couldn't help but find the way you obeyed like a trained dog incredibly attractive. Deep down, he felt that he had you at his mercy and that no matter what he asked you to do, you would listen.

Totally exhausted from the effort, you knelt on the ground, but you didn't give up. Feeling sorry for you, he reached over to stroke your hair, trying to calm you down.

— Pretty obedient little thing. — He flattered, lifting your chin so you could look him in the eye. — You don't know how to say no, do you?

A wave of intense heat enveloped you. Perhaps it was the first time you had ever found yourself in an intimate situation with someone, as you had always believed that your body was trained solely for an impending war. Yet, when Damian was around, that was the one purpose of your training you occasionally forgot.

— If I asked you to take off your underwear, would you be so obedient, habibati?

Your cheeks reddened immediately. You knew you should avoid this kind of situation, but having been trained on the island, you understood that you had to follow the orders of a superior. Batman was more experienced than you, making him your superior, and you felt obligated to obey him.

Immediately your panties fell down under the metal skirt of your suit, exposing your pussy to the man in the room.

From what you knew about men, you noticed they often looked for specific qualities in women. However, Damian had never shown any boldness towards you. As time passed, the 'sexual tension' that Jon had mentioned began to feel more like an annoyance.

When he saw that you were listening to him, he smiled as usual. But his smile was not one of despair; it was one of desire.

He knelt down to be at the same height as you. Gently, he slid a finger down your soaked pussy while keeping his eyes on yours, watching for any reaction on your face.

You understood what he was doing and how he was touching every part of the anatomy between your legs with precision. What you didn't understand was how he was so skilled at it.

You couldn't hold back your moans as you felt him gently pinch your now throbbing clit. His touch drove you crazy as you felt waves of pleasure crash against you.

— Damn, what a good girl. Sorry to tell you, Habibati... I have a weakness for obedient women.

[chin-chilla-7]

I just got finished with a spy x family episode and this came up! What about DBH boys (Connor, Simon, Markus) With a female reader who is just like Yor Forger!

She’s very sweet looking, and nobody would suspect she packs quite a mean punch when protecting someone or herself, and unusually strong!

Hey anon! So sorry about the wait on this. I'll be honest part of it is due to me not knowing anything about spy x family, so I will just be going off the little description you've given in this ask! And it certainly won't stop me from trying.

Each Connor, Simon, and Markus would initially find the reader quite unassuming. To say they underestimate her is not exactly accurate, but they certainly don't expect the strength and punch she packs.

Connor witnessed it during a case. He's in the process of analyzing some evidence at a crime scene when he hears a disturbance. It was an argument, from what he could tell, between you and someone else trying to tamper with the crime scene or simply initiating some aggression because, like Connor, they misjudge exactly how strong you could be. At the sound of raised voices - yours being one of them - Connor is quick to make his way over to the disturbance, intending to intervene if necessary. Though, it quickly becomes apparent that it isn't necessary.

You've knocked the aggressor clean on their ass. One punch to the face was enough to send them falling backwards right on their ass. You probably even broke their nose. Connor, he's... well, to be honest, he's a little surprised. You aren't often in situations such as this one. And while you do work for the DPD, it's not often he sees you demonstrate exactly why you were hired in the first place.

Even though you punched someone to the point of a concussion, Connor can't help but still make sure you're okay. Physically, mentally, whatever, he wants to make sure the encounter didn't shake you up too bad. Even if you've assured you're fine and that he doesn't need to check you over, he's still doing a scan, just to be sure.

This is something he certainly does not forget about you. And while he still worries, given the fact that your appearance is deceiving compared to your actual ability, he's a little more at ease to know that you can hold your own when you need to. He's aware that people will go for those who seem weaker, and while he knows you aren't weak, at a glance, people are quick to think otherwise about you.

---

Simon, while not a coward, does prefer to take the pacifist route at any given opportunity. You're someone who's the same, unless you have absolutely no choice. And that was the case here. You were with Simon, just the two of you. You had excused yourself to the bathroom, and on your way back, you see that someone had approached Simon, and you noticed that Simon was less than comfortable about the interaction. It wasn't until you were a few steps away that you could hear exactly what was going on.

It was some anti-android guy going off - he must have recognized Simon someone. Which, come on, he's not the only PL600 to exist. Whatever, it didn't matter. What mattered was this guy was going off on Simon, and while Simon was trying to defuse the situation, he wasn't getting anywhere successful. Simon was trying to talk the other down, but the guy seemed pissed, which started to piss you off. It didn't help that the guy suddenly grabbed Simon - that's when you knew you had to step in.

"Hey!" Was all you said, which seemed to startle the guy long enough for you to grab his shoulder, turning him so you could swiftly punch him in the gut. He quickly doubled over, falingl to the ground, and Simon stumbled back, staring at the scene in shock. His mouth was agape as he looked between you and the guy, now groaning on the ground. There was even a slight tint of blue on Simon's face at the sight, which you may have noticed if you weren't still upset with the interaction.

"Whoa... I didn't know you had that in you..." Simon said, nearly stepping towards the guy to help him. But he stopped himself, mainly because you held your hand out to stop him.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," you responded, looking over to him and managing a smile. Despite the circumstances, it was cute to see the way Simon reacted to this.

"What, so we just... leave him?"

"Well, he was a prick, soo..."

---

Markus was often used to being the protector. And with you, it was a no brainer that you were someone he felt drawn to protect. And it was cute, and you never had a problem with it. But sometimes even the protector needs a little helping hand. Especially when you've got no problem fighting your own battles.

Being the leader of the android revolution meant that Markus got a lot of attention. And being a close friend of the leader of the android revolution meant you got a lot of attention as well. Both good and bad. This was an instance of the bad. Some name calling, some yelling, asking how you could ever support something like this when all the androids do is take and take and blah blah blah.

Really, you weren't listening. You had grown used to it at this point, it was something you could easily tune out.

Though, it was clear that the people nagging you were not a fan of being ignored. Markus was only a little ways ahead of you, but it was still enough of a distance that he couldn't stop the way they grabbed you to look at them. A small struggle ensued, which caught Markus' attention. He was quick to rush over to you, pulling off one of the two attacking you, but it seemed you had the rest of it under control.

A quick knee between the legs was enough to throw them off their balance, then an elbow to the chest knocked the wind out of them long enough for you to get away. As you escaped their grasp, you kept yourself ready, knees bent, arms up, ready for anything more they had to throw your way. Of course, the kerfuffle was enough to get the attention from onlookers, and the attackers found it best to avoid further humiliation.

With them submitting to defeat, Markus looked to you, first making sure you were okay. Once that was settled, he found himself looking at you with an impressed smile. "Maybe you should be the one protecting me," he joked.

"Maybe," You said, relaxing now that you weren't in danger anymore. "At least I'd know you'd be safer."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

[seijorhi]

hey rhi 👋

I’ve been watching a lot of zombie shows lately (ex: the walking dead, last of us, all of us are dead, world war z, zombieland etc. etc)

And while watching all those shows, they always managed to remind me about your zombie fic ‘finders keepers’ which would then lead me to wonder and boil with questions. So if you don’t mind and if it doesn’t trouble you too much, I would like to ask a couple of things ….

1. How did the apocalypse start?

2. When it did start, were they at school and just so happen to group up? Or did they join forces in a different manner?

3. While oikawa and the reader were taking shelter, where were the others?

4. When the reader went out to search for supplies for oikawa, we know the twins were following her, but what were they doing out in the first place?

5. (I might be a lil slow for this, but) Which of the twins killed the zombie, Atsumu or Osamu?

6. Why does inarizaki take in ‘strays’ and what do they do to them? And what do they do once the strays in question want to leave their group?

7. For how long did the twins have eyes for the reader?

8. How far along are they into the apocalypse?

9. How come no one seems concerned with reuniting with family or loved ones?

10. What’s the initial reaction from the inarizaki group when they see that the twins brought the reader to their base?

Well I think that’s all my questions… hopefully. But I know for damn sure that if an apocalypse were to actually happen that I’d be like the reader utterly useless and helpless (but unlike her I won’t have any strong and beautiful men to help or protect me 😔)

I would also probably opt out 😭 (people in zombie shows always have so much will to live and for what?!?!?).

Anyways, I always enjoy seeing your blog and reading yours answers to questions asked by us. I love how I’ll be doing anything in my day, and something (no matter how small it is) will remind me of one of your many glorious fics.

I hope you have a wonderful week and thank you for reading. (Stay hydrated and blessed babe 😏.)

(((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))♡

- 🌬️🌫️

okay bear with me

i like to go with pharmaceutical fuck up/virus/pandemic thing à la 28 days later or the walking dead

nah, they were friends before it hit, but even pre-apocalypse it wasn't intended to be a volleyball specific thing

well technically it depends. prior to oikawa being bitten they were on a supply run. in the aftermath, they would've gone back to the school, found it overrun and depending on your own personal choice, either found themselves at the wrong end of a zombie's teeth, or they're trying to track oikawa and the reader down after escaping themselves

following :))

whichever one you think. truly i wrote it and left it ambiguous because 1) the reader couldn't see shit and couldn't determine it herself and 2) it could honestly have been either of them and i found it funnier that way. go with whatever your heart tells you

i like to think that inarizaki actually have more of a 'community'. small, but not just a bunch of guys. considering that there's food, medicine, a fuck-ton of guns and men willing to use them, they're usually pretty happy to stay. loyal enough to look the other way when it becomes clear the reader isn't going to be able to just waltz out the front gate like she thinks

inarizaki (or the core members) were aware that a few people were holing up in the school, weren't too concerned about it. more of a 'keep an eye on it and see if it becomes a problem' kind of sitch. they didn't know that group included a woman, not with how anal the others were about keeping the reader safe and tucked away from prying eyes. it was pure luck that the twins caught sight of her during a patrol, a little while before iwa and the other two left and zombies found their way inside. funny that.

somewhere between 6-12 months. long enough for the world to go to shit and for people to become adjusted to that. sort of

mostly because they either saw their family and loved ones die or they believe the chances they're still alive are slim enough not to pin hopes and dreams on. also in the reader's case because even if she had plans of meeting up/looking for someone, they'd put that shit to bed real quick

honestly i think kita would want to disapprove, but how can he? yes the twins were reckless and yes they should have discussed this together beforehand so they could have planned this, but he can't and won't argue with the end result. the reader wasn't safe where she was, now she is. she'll have access to things she was woefully lacking previously, the twins are satisfied, it's the best solution all round. thanks in no small part to how seijoh 4 treated her, there's no chance she'd survive out there on her own. such a sweet, vulnerable, helpless little thing, how could the rest of them not just want to eat her right up? they are ofc unsurprised by the twins pulling some bullshit, but hey, no one (they care about) died right? win-win.

[prettyboykatsuki]

naku weed | ayato kamisato.

✭ tags ; extremely dark content ahead, mother/son incest, noncon, penetration, oral(f!recieving), age gaps, 18+. pls do not read if u are squicked.

✭ wc ; 2.3k (horrified)

✭ a/n ; i needed to get this out of my system rip. i am choosing to blame @/saintshigaraki. AND CREDIT TO lamb for ayatocest worms in the first place

✭ synopsis ; naku weed. flower. naku. verb. translated to 'to cry'. ayato loves you more than any man ever could.

You never remarried when their father died.

Your marriage within the Kamisato clan had been of convivence. It's an old story. You were young and beautiful and Mr. Kamisato was kind and diligent. Of all the men who tried to court you, he had been the only one polite enough to ask you questions about what you wanted.

The answer wasn't much. Your only dream of course was to get out of that stuffy place you'd been born into. To feel the sun in your face and the wind in your hair. What desires did you have but peace?

Young and impatient - you married within the year. Your marriage to your husband was awkward and clumsy. But you loved each other. Despite all of his responsibilities, you spent more time together than you thought you were worth. He was kind and caring. You were impassive and easily embarrassed.

You were expected to provide an heir. Ayato felt like a blessing from the archons in that way. His father was always strict with him while he was raised.

Despite your grievances with showing your husband affection, showing Ayato that sort of love didn't trouble you. He was a bright boy. Cunning and clever but thoughtful and strong. A perfect heir who depended on you for warmth and comfort and sympathy.

(Looking back, perhaps it was your fault. You had always felt that something in Ayato was...off. He was a good, kind boy - mostly. Maybe denial was only a given. What mother could turn her back on her son?)

Ayato was a good child. He rarely got into physical altercations. Behaved perfectly. Was well-educated and charming and polite. Perhaps the only thing was the way he was fond of you. Even up to his teenage years where that kind of motherly affection was supposed to be embarassing - Ayato had accepted graciously. Hugs and kisses.

(When he was at the age to attend galas overseas, Ayato would often offer you a hand to dance. His usual desires for affection and touch didn't go unnoticed, nor did the way his hand rested too low on your back.)

When Ayaka was born, no longer did he hold the pretense of being a young boy. His love for his younger sister is something you could never admonish him for even now. He adored her so wholly and always made time for her to play.

Ayaka brought more responsibility to you as a mother, but you didn't mind. Such a brilliant little girl she was, eager to learn etiquette and how to brush her hair up into pretty styles like you did.

When Ayato was 18, his father passed in the blink of an eye. A storm had breached their boat. No survivors. It left you alone with two children, a widow amongst it all. After the initial devastation, the loss, the heartache—you were left only with Ayato.

You had never intended for the boy to take on so much responsibility. He was still young, after all. You should be strong. But truthfully, you only had their father. You cut-ties with your family long ago. In your devastation, Ayato comforted you. Told you he'd take care of fathers role in due time and that he'd take care of the family.

("Please rest easy, Mother." He hums, voice courageous and melancholy "I always intended to follow this path.")

The first time you found Ayato's desires out had been only a year later. He was 19 at the time, half your age. He'd requested you to his chambers for comfort. At the start, he was stone cold sober. A bottle of sake sat on yumemiru wood table, Ayato deep in thought by the fire place.

("Come drink with me, mother."

"You're not old enough to drink." You tsk. Ayato gives you a coy smile.

"If I'm old enough to become the commissioner, surely this much is fine."

You're unable to counter his point. He looks pouty. You sigh.

"Just a bit then.")

For the first time in your life, your son opened up to you completely. Though it wasn't the emotional sort of whining. Still ultimately reserved. He'd told you quite a bit. And you were happy that he could depend on you.

When the conversation fell on you, and your life - and your marriage to his father, you had no problem in telling him. Loosened up by the warmth of liquor.

("Your father was a good man," You say, wistful. Ayato's face darkens, if only a little. It's barely noticeable.

"I envy him." He says back. You frown.

"You did? What for?"

Ayato looks up at you.

"He had what I wanted most.")

You had asked about it then. Though deep down you were afraid of the answer, you couldn't stop yourself from wanting to know. It was then that Ayato had cut in. He asked if you were lonely since his father passed.

A fear struck into your heart then. You confessed only a little. How could you be lonely when they ere around, you had said. A half-answer Ayato sees right through.

("You know that's not what I mean," Ayato says, voice so low you hardly catch it "Without a husband, Mother. Has it been lonely?"

Your breath hitches.)

The first time Ayato forces himself on you, it's like this. Your only son. Your clan heir. Your clever, cunning, brilliant boy. You could never turn your back him. Even so, the deliberate way in which he embraces you makes you stumble. How he approaches you that way is too well-practiced and too wanting. You are too afraid to ask when it started.

Ayato tells you, anyways.

("I've coveted you my whole life," Ayato mumbles. You push him away. You try too - but you've forgotten he is no longer a boy. He is a man like this and like many men - he is stronger than you.

You are pinned underneath him in earnest, his tongue licking a stripe up your neck - feather light kisses where your jaw meets your neck.

"Since I was born. Even when I lost my innocence to that girl," He confesses, though you don't think it's meant to be a secret "I was picturing you the whole time."

"Ayato," You whisper. Softly, hoarsely "Please stop this."

"I don't want too," He tells you so blatantly it startles you. He tips your head back, thumb on your chin. The way he kisses you is intimate and devoted and well-practiced. Disgust washes through at how good it feels "I've only every wanted this."

You believe him. It's horrible how much you believe him. Ayato touches you like a man who desires you. Your own son, flesh and blood, has forced your legs apart. It's been a long time since anyone touched you at all. The growing wetness and dull ache of desire in your body fills you with a sense of dread that almost makes you sick.

But, Ayato touches you like a man who loves you. You cannot deny this much no matter how much you'd like too. His tongue trails down your neck from your pulse to the valley of your breasts - his fingers grasping the soft swell of flesh with admiration. A strike of lightning passes you, like the Electro Archon herself permits this.

"I've loved these since I was young," Ayato whispers in some sense of self satisfaction. "Mother, you're truly more beautiful than any one woman I've ever laid eyes on.")

That night, Ayato doesn't do much more than rut himself against you to cum and fall asleep next to you. He kisses your temple and tells you he will move through this gently - so you don't have to worry too much. You want to be assured by his words. But the only thing you hear from it is the promise of next time.

When you say this much, that this cannot happen again, Ayato gives you a look of amusement. Kisses your knuckles and whispers against your skin that no man other than him will ever enter your chambers. He does this because he loves you, more than anyone.

("I resent father for touching you, despite knowing that is why you've given birth to me. I do not know if I was blessed or cursed to be your son."

His expression betrays his words. If his face is anything at all to go by, Ayato does not regret being born your son even a little.)

As time passes, his touching of you grows more persistent. Though, he's never violent nor threatening, he is possessive and shameless. He only reserves himself in front of Ayaka.

But the house maids and the butlers and Thoma all seem to know of Ayato's desires towards you. Some pity you, some seem disgusted. Most seem pleased that the commissioner is in a good mood when you are around and do not bother asking questions.

The first time Ayato takes you is on his 20th birthday. He requested you to his room. He even bought you nightwear to put on for him. By then, you're unable to refuse him. He'll take it out on his sub-ordinates if you do.

You wore it for him, bashful and shameful. He is still your son and he requests little from you other than this. In some twisted way, it often feels like this is all you can do. He's pristine and diligent and kind. In that way he's so much like his father.

("It suits you," He says, like he was predicting it. You swallow a sob as a wave of awareness graces you "Wedding lingerie, custom order. You're beautiful." )

That night he takes his time like he's always wanted you. You lay there so helpless to him. He has smooth hands and moles in all the places you remember. He takes to touching you delicately - too delicately for a woman your age.

He treats you like you are a young girl, a newly-wed couple and the feeling that overwhelms you is not one you can put a name to. He is not unkind. He pulls you apart with frustrating patience, relishing each and every inch of you. You're not sure where he learned this.

The comparison haunts you but even his father did not treat you like that. Maybe that is a given. Ayato is your son after all. A man could not compare to a sons love for his mother. Even if the thought makes your stomach churn, the way he treated you is not something to take lightly.

You felt pleasure from him. He licked and bit and nipped at all parts of you. Kissed down your navel with a thumb brushing over your stretchmarks (each part of you is his) and dug into the plush of your thighs. A womans body, he mumbled, taken by you.

He even licked you. It'd been a first for you. He was delighted to learn this. He tongued at your clit and sucked at you so diligently. He's always made you cum with his fingers and his hands before then. But that night was different, a special and cherished occasion for him.

And despite it all, you are in no place to deny him of joy. He has the world on his shoulders. When Ayato fucked you like two lovers, not mother and son - you only thought to brace yourself.

("Easy," He whispers. His voice is on the precipice of broken. You can feel him entering you, an awful intrusion. A reunion of it's own sort. "That's it. Good girl."

To be called girl, haunts you. But you can feel him. His cock. Hard velvet over steel and burning. He's thick and long, much bigger than anything you've ever taken before. Ayato holds onto your hips, fingers digging carefully into you. Your legs rest on his shoulders, knees pressed into yourself as Ayato folds you in half.

You whimper. It's been two years since you've experienced this, maybe more. When you look up at him, he's the splitting image of his father. He's grown up to be so handsome, it troubles you. He could have anyone if he chose it.

Why you? You want to ask, so much it's impossible to swallow. Ayato must sense your apprehension. Even as his cock penetrates you so deeply and so slowly - a shallow thrust like he's digging your insides out - you cannot bear it. You whimper and Ayato kisses you tenderly. Strong hands go to fiddle with your clit as a wave of desire clings to your ribs. Sticky, sensual arousal makes home in your heart. It feels good.

"Mother," He whispers, so lovingly you cannot turn away "This is the most blessed night of my life.")

It feels like so long ago now. Ten years is but a blip in time, and Ayato is yet to grow out of this. He still seeks you almost nightly. Your little girl is all grown up and clueless - only stopping to comment about how close you two are.

Your excuse is always that you were young when you had him, to which Ayaka doesn't question. By all means and all measures, Ayato has not let go of you. In the ten years that have passed, he has only gotten worse.

He's thirty, now. And you're well-past your prime, yet he cannot stop himself from leering at you. The guilt and shame still live inside of you, but lately you are uncertain there is a point.

You sit with your two children having tear in the mid-day. Sunlight pours through the cracks of the window. Ayaka rests her palm on her cheek.

"Nii-san," Ayaka asks, a curiosity in her voice "Won't you ever get married?"

You still. Ayato glances at you, then laughs.

"I don't have any plans to. Who will take care of our mother?"

You don't say a word. Ayaka hums.

"You've never been interested in anyone?"

Ayato thinks on it.

"Mm. A woman much older than me, once. A widow."

"Really?" Ayaka exclaims. He pauses to glance at you, then laughs over his tea.

"Really."

[velvet-vox]

I just wanna preamble, that I'm really sorry towards all of my mutuals who really love Yeva as a character, but for me, I just can't come forward to liking her, and it's all for a simple reason:

Genuinely, why are we getting so much content with Yeva? Why did we need a flashback to the Core collapse when episode 7 was already crammed as it was? Why did we never see Yeva die on screen but saw his unnamed, barely mentioned husband get openly murked on screen? Why do Uzi and Doll treat each other like complete and utter strangers when Yeva should have been there to forge a connection between the two that would have spared us the plot and saved the entire colony in the process by uniting Uzi's resourcefulness and spirit of initiative with Doll's badassery and tactical mind?

I like Doll's dad. Liam clearly didn't bother to give him a name or a personality since he wasn't relevant to the plot, and of course, for Liam Vickers the plot comes before the characters, so him being dead doesn't really ring any alarm bells within me; he is very clearly intended to be a blank slate for the fans to latch on any head canon that suits their ways; he's a little bit of wasted potential, a trait that unfortunately he passed down to his daughter, but at least he doesn't really terrify me in any way that matters (especially since he would theoretically be Khan's foil. ....... Yeah).

But Yeva...... My god.

I shit you not when I say that to me, she's the scariest character in the entire show, way more terrifying than whatever any of that mid crap with the Absolute Solver or that lame ass body horror porn Cynesssa were.

Because to me, Yeva doesn't scare me in any physical, gorey matter, no: Yeva scares me in a psychological way.

Yeva is definitely being built up as this non impressionable, unfathomable badass, who has passed down to Doll all of her girlbossery and mastery of the Absolute Solver; she is the true caring mother between her and Nori, she was so good that Doll wanted to avenge her dead at any cost, she is so cool and strong that the patch worked on her flawlessly, and then proceeded to just completely mop the floor with a possessed Nori; Nori, that, may I remind you, was capable of fending off against a fully possessed Solver Uzi able to throw out copius amounts of black holes; the same Nori, who, as a core, ended that fight by slapping Uzi so hard that it created crumbling debris upon the impact; that Yeva was then killed by a solo hunting V, who has been shown multiple times to play with her food.

And the fandom somehow believes all of that?!?

Nobody is questioning just how sus any of this information is? Even if so many of the pieces when put together don't make any sense?

Do you remember these two shots from episode 6?

Aside from their questionable reliability considering the fact that Tessa was actually Cyn in disguise, don't you remember when we all speculated Nori to be more than a puppet and a possibly willing harbinger of death? I do. Never forgotten.

Now, I'm not jumping the shark and saying that Yeva is actually a manipulative monster, that would be extremely detrimental to the story; I'm saying that with all the parallelisms between the two families it's suspiciously weird that we aren't getting any noticeable narrative similarities between Nori and Yeva; because, you see, when I said before that Khan and Doll's dad weren't foils I actually lied:

In the Pilot, to protect the colony, Khan sacrifices Uzi to N and shuts a door behind him, refusing to shoot with the rail gun; in the flashback of Promening, to protect his daughter, Doll's dad shoots a photo of V to distract her, while Doll watches his dad sacrifice himself behind a door.

We just saw that Uzi's mother survived the attack of the Disassembly Drone (N) and turned into a crab. Now, I don't know all of you, but to me, N always seemed like the most efficient of the Disassembly Drones. His lack of empathy coupled with his low ego and self esteem made him a much more competent murderer than J or V, who were either too busy showboating or coping hard with the consequences of their violent actions; so for N to be unable to kill Nori while V was able to kill Yeva just seems like the most convenient writing decision possible.

(Convenient is a word used by Uzi to describe Doll's trap in episode 6)

Yeva absolutely creeps the f##k out of my brain, it's genuinely so unsettling seeing how much Liam Vickers has been playing up this character's current unimportance and getting away with it by the eyes of the community.

I don't know you all, but I haven't felt scared by Murder Drones at all ever since the Alice finger scene in episode 6. I was like, "cool Liam, do whatever you want, play up all the horror that you like, congratulations, I'm officially desensitized. Your cute little flesh iron puppy that you've been building up for a year barely stroked a dent into me" but I'm not like that with Yeva. Whenever a fandom starts to play up a character's innocence that's when my fight or flight reaction kicks in. I've been a fervent protester of indoctrination for all of my life, and that includes fandom culture and mob thinking; I ain't buying any of you all sweet Yeva crap until episode 8 rolls around.

[holocene-sims]

next // previous

august 26, 2021 5:00 a.m. paradise hotel

[henry] hello! good morning, sunshine.

[grant] did i wake you up?

[henry] i was already up. and yes, i know my eyes are closed. it's just so i can go back to sleep at some point.

[henry] anyway, i dreamed about a hockey stick knocking out my teeth, which woke me up, and then remembered i have a dentist appointment in a couple weeks, so i decided i should floss my teeth all of a sudden to impress them.

[grant] they’ll still know you haven’t been doing it!

[henry] lalalalalalala, i am refusing to listen and learn.

[henry] so, how was it with cool shoes singer girl?

[grant] oh yeah, it was nice.

[grant] did you intend for that to happen?

[henry] nope. i didn’t care what you did. i just didn’t want you to not speak to her and restrict yourself because of some weird internal logic or because i was there.

[henry] if you can talk to someone because they seem interesting, you can flirt with someone for the same reason.

[grant] she is was cool. super interesting person. and, uh, i never like to comment on these things because it seems wrong and entirely disrespectful, but she is beautiful.

[grant] now i feel kind of like an idiot for not even trying to get her number, but also…

[henry] man, it’s not a huge deal. this is a thing most people do, flirting for fun. it doesn’t always have to be, “i won’t speak to you unless you’re prepared to marry me in two years.”

[henry] okay, i'm the wrong person to tell you that because that’s what happened with soobin, but trust me, most people are not as serious about flirting! flings are a thing.

[henry] and seriously, it’s not like you led her on. you didn’t fulfill your fear. she initiated things, so she could have followed through if she wanted to.

[grant] that, yeah. i got the feeling she wanted to follow through somehow, but she seemed really nervous, i guess, when the opportunity came up.

[henry] oh, at the end?

[grant] yeah. i don't think she knew what to say. i definitely didn't either. i was a little paralyzed.

[grant] i was thinking in the moment, like, it would be very irresponsible for me to do anything beyond flirt with someone, no matter how strong that desire to not be alone long-term is.

[grant] you know what i mean? there are probably very specific things i'm doing that get me into messy relationships or ones doomed to fail, and i haven’t even gotten there in therapy. i don’t want to subject anyone else to whatever those issues are.

[grant] but i didn't know how to let her down because i knew she was waiting for me to do something or say something, and then i felt bad about the idea of letting her down because i did like her and she genuinely seemed like a nice person.

[grant] and i wasn't expecting either of us to...fuck, man, i don't know, like each other so much. so, i didn't have a whole ending speech planned or anything. i seriously thought we'd just have a coffee or something and then part ways.

[grant] ugh. this is why i don't do casual things. it's too much. i never understand how to deal with all the feelings. i'm not super sure i'm securely attached enough to flirt casually, you know?

[grant] but she really was...

[grant] anyway! alright, well, we have an hour left to sleep, so.

[henry] night night.

[grant] ugh, i don’t want to get up.

[grant] my back hurts and in the lie down way, not the walk around and kind of sort of briefly fix it way.

[henry] don’t even think about sleeping within 13.75 inches of me.

[grant] okay, commencing movement to within 13.74 inches of you.

[henry] no, you can sleep here. i don’t mind.

[mooechi]

𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄! 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒; 𝐑𝐈𝐑𝐈

TAISHO ERA SECRETS*

DID YOU KNOW? no? well now you do! ...

riri has a tendency to fall asleep at the most inconvenient moments. during her free time, she prioritizes rest and avoids engaging in draining activities. she has the ability to doze off anywhere, disregarding any discomfort she may experience.

unless absolutely necessary, riri tends to, and will oversleep.

when it comes to cooking or handling anything fire-related, she is completely inept and often ends up burning things or people in the process. household chores and self-care are not her strong suits either, leading geto and even mimi to take on a somewhat caretaker role for her, despite riri being older than mimi.

riri is puzzled as to why lower-ranking individuals tend to avoid her like the plague. however, unbeknownst to her, her blunt honesty often comes across as brutal, which makes matters worse. despite her attempts to soften her words, she struggles with sugarcoating and ends up being more direct than intended. this is why geto suspects that she is either bluntly vague or vaguely blunt.

when she's not dozing off in her free time, riri can usually be found enjoying the beauty of nature, particularly beneath a sakura tree or in any other picturesque natural setting that captivates her.

not to say that she isn't fond of animals, but ironically, riri has an intense fear of cats for some unknown reason.

while she may not be the best mentor, she's not the worst either. however, don't expect her advice to be genuinely helpful. in fact, it might just confuse you even more.

her favorite food is simply any type of miso soup.

riri doesn't care enough to bother whether others address her with honorifics or not.

while mimi eagerly awaited the arrival of her uniform and katana, riri took it upon herself to visit the kakushi responsible for tailoring the uniform. but her being who she was, riri approached the situation without resorting to threats or intimidation. instead, she maintained her characteristic nonchalant demeanor and sincerely expressed her concerns regarding the uniform being made for mimi. riri believed that the initial design she had received, which happened to be the same as mitsuri's uniform, was not what she had in mind for mimi. she feared that mimi would end up with a similar uniform, which wasn't ideal at all.

unfortunately, due to her stoic expression, the tailor misinterpreted riri's intentions and formed a different perception of her. nevertheless, this misunderstanding proved to be beneficial, at least for riri. it prompted the tailor to create a proper uniform that aligned with mimi's expectations, ensuring that she would receive a uniform tailored specifically for her needs.

riri possesses extensive knowledge of anatomy, which is a result of her specialized technique. in an alternate reality, she might have pursued a career as a wandering artist.

while riri has the ability to engage in witty banter, she often perceives it as bothersome and a mere waste of time that could have been better spent on resting.

similarly, since her missions primarily take place in cold climates, it is no surprise that her residence is located in snowy regions. consequently, her training during the hashira training arc was exceptionally challenging, as it took place in the harsh winter conditions, adding an extra level of difficulty and hardship to her training regime.

riri's assigned kasugai crow is a male named urami, meaning "grudge." riri decided to give it that name after months of incessant pestering on its part. initially, she refused to name it simply because she didn't even bother trying to think of anything suitable. however, the relentless nagging eventually irritated her to the point where she chose the name as a form of sarcastic retaliation.

when it comes to appearance, urami, like any other crow, doesn't stand out and has a rather ordinary look. however, its personality can be described as either comical or downright irritating. urami often displays a degrading attitude and easily loses its temper. ironically, urami's behavior actually aids riri, who tends to be deliberate and take her time with tasks. urami's impatience and persistent reminders serve as a not-so-polite urging that pushes her to act promptly and complete things more efficiently.

interestingly, urami is a very selective eater and surprisingly enjoys being fashionable for reasons unknown. but despite its occasional protests, urami has firmly decided to serve no other owner except riri, showing unwavering loyalty towards her.

riri wields a standard nichirin katana much like most. her handguard features a simple circular design with an inwardly-facing snowflake motif. the color of her blade is a pearly blue, reminiscent of a diamond, though it does not boast any extravagant embellishments.

riri possesses a remarkable ability to perceive auras, which shares similarities with akaza's, but also has distinct characteristics of its own. her aura perception skill functions in a unique manner; the stronger an individual's aura, the more it works against them, making their aura more prominent and easily detectable. this puts them at a disadvantage as their intentions and actions become more apparent. conversely, when facing weaker opponents, riri becomes more susceptible to their surprise attacks. their feeble auras prove difficult to sense as potential threats, making her more prone to being caught off guard. furthermore, encountering an overwhelming aura can have an exhausting effect on riri. her heightened sensitivity to the tension and energy of the aura adds an extra burden to her already fatigued state, further draining her energy.

riri possesses the lowest stamina among all the hashiras, which can be attributed to both her physical condition and the immense effort required to execute her techniques. despite making them appear effortless, the reality is that performing these techniques is incredibly challenging.

despite her lower stamina, riri possesses an exceptional tolerance for cold temperatures. she lives up to her title in this regard, but it's important to note that she isn't completely immune to the cold. while she can withstand and bear colder conditions better than most, it doesn't mean she is entirely unaffected by it.

because of her limited stamina, riri is typically assigned missions that demand an extended duration compared to the usual ones. this allows her to work effectively within her energy constraints and ensures that she can complete the tasks regardless of her lower endurance.

while it is not a common occurrence, riri can sometimes display subconscious rudeness towards individuals she disapproves of. on the contrary, she secretly enjoys receiving headpats, although she may not openly admit it, just because nobody has ever directly asked her about it.

it can be said that her preferred love language is likely quality time, even in moments of silence.

indeed, geto is specifically assigned as her kakushi. however, due to riri's infrequent presence at home, as her missions primarily involve investigations that often last for at least a week, she allows him to roam and assist others in their endeavors.

the nickname "riri" is none other than mitsuri's idea.

speaking of which, why exactly is her name chosen as it is? ...

the name "akari" is associated with the concept of illumination or radiance, while "fuyutsuki" combines the words for "winter" and "moon" in Japanese. so when combined, the name "akari fuyutsuki" evokes the image of a shining or radiant moon during the winter season, symbolizing beauty and tranquility in connection with the cold weather. though, i personally go with the analogy that it represents hope amidst the dreaded void of hollowness.

[fict1onallyobsessed]

can I request for abby with 'you know i have feelings for you', preferably an au but it's up to you, please make it angsty

Thank you!

That Hurts.

Abby Anderson x Reader || Soulmate AU

Ofc <3 (sorry its so late i'm drowning in work. also its not very angsty ;-;)

'The two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. This myth is similar to the Western concept of soulmate or a destined partner.'

You signed as you read the words again and again. The constant loop of unfaithful words somehow replayed around your mind like a broken record.

The cord may stretch,

Maybe she just wasn't the one. The cord has only seemed to stretch on for miles and it's not coming back. The lingering touches she didn't even notice; The subtle smiles; The blush on your cheeks. It meant absolutely. Fucking. Nothing. To her.

or tangle,

Maybe the soulmate thing was a joke. Everyone seems to believe in it, though. The permanent ink on the inside of your wrist was given to you for some reason, right? Those two stupid letters of your Soulmates initials can't mean nothing. But with the way she's been acting everything seemed like such a joke, even the things that are meant to feel real felt faux.

but never break.

Or maybe she was just fucking stupid.

She must be, right? It couldn't be a coincidence you had her initials and she had yours. Finding yourself imagining how it would feel to fall asleep in the security of her strong arms was getting quite depressing...and very common.

You wanted to feel it for once.

You needed to be able to love her.

You craved it, whatever it was.

A knock pulled your attention off your phone. Subtly turning it off, you placed it beside you as you pushed your body off the sofa. Whoever was on the other side was impatient enough to knock again, a little more forceful this time.

And there she was. You kinda hoped it was her, that meant she was paying enough attention to notice you leave, right?

"What do you want?" You said, a little harsher than you intended. It wasn't that you hated her now. You just didn't like how blind she was to this whole thing - to the fact you loved her and she didn't seem to want at least reject you properly.

"Why'd you leave?"

"Because the party was boring." You left the door open and walked back into the room, giving her the option to enter or leave. You were too tired to care if she did either, and you were way past looking for any kind of signs.

She said nothing as she walked in, closing the door smoothly with her leg. It wasn't hard to read her, but she looked a little lost at your loss of enthusiasm. You didn't hate parties usually, but she never failed to realise the recent silence you gave off.

"I thought you of all people liked parties."

You scoffed, looking down at your lap as you played with your fingernails.

"You're mad at me?"

"Don't play stupid." You leaned your body up, placing your elbows on your knees before looking the other way. You were so done with letting her act dumb.

"What?"

"Do you not believe in the soulmate thing or something?" Your head snapped at her, making her only furrow her brows more. She crossed her arms and stood there.

"Course I do."

"Then why do you still do this?" You pointed to you then her. "You come here, pretend you give a shit, show me you care then you go and brag about fucking some girl the day after."

She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, suddenly stopping before remaining silent, avoiding your eyes. You stood, successfully getting her attention.

"You know I have feelings for you." You looked directly at her, trying not to let tears falls out of your eyes. "It's not even about the stupid fucking tattoo. I show you I love you all the fucking time, Abby, and you actively decide to ignore it. Why? Stop fucking with my head, please, and leave me alone if you don't feel the same."

As much as you didn't want to cry, you couldn't help it. It hurt too much knowing she was playing with you. You'd never lash out at her like you just had right now, but the pure confusion, rage and impatience got the better of you.

"Tell me." You sniffed, watching her look guiltily at you with tears in your eyes. "Please, if you don't- If you think this is a coincidence and we just so happen to have each others initials just tell me so I can move on."

"That's not-" She groaned, running her hand through her hair as she looked around trying to find the words. "Fuck."

You raised a brow, biting the inside of your cheek as your heart raced in your chest. At this point you could hear your heartbeat so clearly it was the only thing you could focus on as Abby stared at you through the silence.

"You're you, (Y/N)." She began. "You think it doesn't hurt that I have to distance myself from you?"

"You choose to do that. You don't have to."

She shook her head, rubbing her face with her hand before looking at you again. "I have to, because you drive me insane and I'm so fucking scared I'll hurt you with the way I just am. You think I don't know this is you?" She pointed to the tattoo on her inner wrist. "I try to show you I care but I push you away because I'm scared of this."

"And that fucking hurts, Abby." You said quietly, looking down as tears dropped down to the floor.

Before you could even notice it she enveloped you in a hug, placing your head under her neck as her arms wrapped around your frame.

"I'm sorry." She kissed your hairline. "I'm sorry."

Even though you didn't know what would happen after she let go of you, you finally knew what it felt like to be loved, even momentarily, by Abby.

And you were okay with that.

THE END

[livelaughwhump]

Worthless - Part 18

Masterlist | Previous

Content: strong language, brief mention of past captivity, brief mention of past abuse, brief mention of past noncon, self-hatred, self-deprecation, former pet whumpee

If I forgot any content warnings, please let me know

-

Landon woke up to the sound of his text tone. It was a sharp ringing sound directly beside his ear, and it made him jerk in surprise and sit straight up. After a few seconds of catching his breath and gathering his bearings, Landon grumbled and lay back down in order to go back to sleep.

Then, he heard the sound again. And again. And one more time, for good measure. Landon groaned and turned onto his side to peer at his phone screen. His eyes were watering as he gazed at the bright screen. The digital clock read 12:42, but Landon hardly paid it any mind. He would've slept much longer if he'd been given the chance.

The text messages were all from the same sender, his little sister, Colleen. Seeing this, Landon's heart rate skyrocketed. It wasn't like the two didn't speak often, but it wasn't like Colleen to send more than one text at a time, unless it was important. Landon just hoped it wasn't about what he suspected it was.

However, as Landon read the texts, the anxiety in his stomach calmed, but only for a moment.

Hey, L! Remember that time you promised to introduce me to your mysterious team? Well, that was over a year ago. Soooo, I've taken the initiative, and I'm on my way over. See you in half an hour!

The next couple texts read,

You better not still be sleeping

I swear to God, Landon, if you're asleep by the time I get there, I'm gonna lose my shit

Landon Jackson Copeland!!!

Landon's stomach dropped. He had intended for Colleen to meet his friends so long ago, but that was before Elliot had been kidnapped. Since then, she'd asked more times than he could count, but he'd had to turn her down every time. Only a few weeks after Elliot had been rescued was not at all a good time to introduce his sister.

Landon quickly sat up, cursing under his breath. "Shit, shit, shit." He clicked on Colleen's name and held the phone to his ear.

She answered on the first ring.

"Good, you're not asleep," she giggled.

Landon wasn't laughing. "Coll, listen to me, now is really not a good time."

"Because of your so-called 'emergency'? It's been over a year, Landon!"

"Because it's really bad! A member of our team is going through something really serious right now, and he can't have any distractions. I'm begging you to go back home. Now is a really bad time."

"It's too late, Landon," Colleen said. "I'm not driving two and a half hours back home when I'm twenty minutes away from you."

Landon dragged a hand down the side of his face. "Colleen, I'm serious."

"So am I. I haven't seen you in over a year. Sure, we talk every day, but it's not the same. You need to be with your family as much as I do. I'm sure your team will understand."

Landon scrambled to his feet and began slipping on a pair of pants that had been discarded on the floor. He kept his phone wedged between his cheek and shoulder to keep it close to his ear. "Can't you do this one thing for me, as my little sister?"

Even though he couldn't see her, Landon could tell she was rolling her eyes. "Come on, Landon. How bad could this 'emergency' possibly be?"

Landon quickly put her on speaker as he slipped a red t-shirt over his red. "Bad enough to last more than a year."

"Well, I can't wait to hear all about it when I get there. See you soon, bye!"

"Colleen...!" She had already hung up.

Landon was panicking. To say that Elliot was doing better wasn't untrue, but he was nowhere near ready to interact with people outside of the team yet. How was Landon supposed to explain to everyone that his stubborn little sister was on her way over? What would Lyra and Karine say about it? Surely, they were going to blame him. What other possibility was there?

After pulling on a pair of socks and shoes, Landon burst from his room in search of the rest of the team.

Elliot was curled up on the couch, wrapped in a soft blanket, with his new art kit open on the coffee table in front of him. He'd hardly put it down since Lyra had gifted it to him, and it seemed to improve his mood exponentially. At the very least, it gave him something to focus on, and something to distract him from the panicked discussions the rest of the team had been having about the pictures they'd received from Elliot's kidnapper.

Lyra was sat beside Elliot, fast asleep and snoring loudly. Broderick was playing some kind of video game, and Karine was writing something in a notebook on her lap. A delicious smell wafted in from the kitchen, so Landon could only assume that Yvonne was in the process of making lunch.

Landon's loud footsteps alerted Karine and Broderick, who looked up from their activities in order to meet his gaze. Karine smirked. "'Bout time you woke up. I was starting to think you had somehow drunk yourself into an early grave." Broderick chuckled, but Landon still wasn't laughing.

Landon rolled his eyes. "Funny. Anyway, Karine, I need to talk to you. We have a...situation."

This seemed to strike Karine. Her amused smile disappeared, she hopped up from her chair, and approached him. "How serious?" she asked as she grabbed him by the arm and steered him into the hallway, out of earshot.

"I'm not sure," Landon said. "Remember my sister, Colleen?"

Karine wore a mask of suspicion. "Yes?"

"Well...she's on her way over."

Karine's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. "What?" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. There was nothing I could do! She's been trying to get me to introduce her to the team since I joined!"

Karine glanced in the direction of the living room and lowered her voice, "Landon, Elliot is not ready to meet a stranger, least of all someone related to you."

Landon rolled his eyes. "Cool it with the insults, would you? This is serious. There's nothing I can do. I tried calling her, but she's already driven two and a half hours to come here, and she refuses to turn back now."

Karine sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "How far away is she?"

"About twenty minutes."

Karine threw her hands into the air in exasperation. "Fucking hell. All right, we'll have to warn the team and figure out what to do about Elliot. When she gets here, you're going to meet her at the door and try one more time to see if she'll change her mind."

Landon pursed his lips. "Whatever you say, but I wouldn't put much faith into that plan."

Karine glared at him. "I'm just trying to cover all our bases here, Landon. Let me think, and feel free to chip in, if you feel like being useful for once."

Landon rolled his eyes. "Would it help if Elliot stayed in his room the whole time? Lyra could stay with him."

Karine shook her head. "We can't confine him to his room. He'll think we're hiding him because we're ashamed of him." Karine dragged both of her hands down her face. "How long is she planning to stay?"

"I'm not sure," Landon admitted. "I didn't ask."

Karine sighed in exasperation. "Great," she mumbled. "In that case, we'll warn the team, see how Elliot feels, and then figure out what to do once she gets here."

Landon nodded. "Okay. I assume you want me to tell the team?"

Karine shrugged. "She is your sister."

Landon rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He rounded the corner and entered the living room. During his conversation with Karine, Yvonne had joined the rest of the team and Lyra had woken up. Now, Elliot was in the middle of hiding his drawing from Lyra's eyes, while Broderick was explaining the game he was playing to Yvonne. Landon sighed. "Guys?" All eyes turned to him. Elliot yelped in surprise and curled up to Lyra, but quickly relaxed when his mind caught up with the situation. "We, uh, we have a situation."

Lyra's eyes narrowed. "What kind of situation?" They asked.

"It's not a really serious one. It's just, um...my sister is on her way over."

Elliot's face went white. Lyra's grip tightened around him and they whispered reassuring words into his ears.

Karine appeared behind Landon with her arms crossed over her chest. "We've probably got about fifteen minutes before she gets here."

Elliot's breathing ceased and Lyra gently rubbed his back. Guilt swelled in Landon's stomach as he watched Elliot dissolve into a mini panic attack. His shoulders were shaking and tears started to fill his eyes. The sight was heartbreaking. Luckily, Lyra was able to guide him out of it pretty quickly.

"You're okay," Lyra whispered. "There's nothing to be afraid of. You didn't do anything wrong. Just breathe."

Elliot followed Lyra's breathing until he started to calm down, but he didn't look any less panicked. "I'm s-sorry," he mumbled. Lyra tried to reassure him, but it didn't seem like he believed any of it.

Broderick look at Landon and gestured to Elliot. "Are you sure that's a good idea, given the circumstances?"

Landon shook his head. "I couldn't change her mind. Karine just wanted me to warn everyone and to see how Elliot feels about it."

All eyes turned to the shaking boy on the couch, who flinched under the weight of their gazes. Lyra hugged him close and glared at Landon. "How do you think he feels about it?"

Karine approached Elliot and kneeled in front of the couch. "What would you like to do, Elliot? You don't have to meet her if you don't want to."

. . .

Elliot's mind was racing. He'd almost forgotten that people existed outside of the safehouse. The safehouse was just as the name implied; it was safe. It was warm and comforting and predictable. Nothing ever changed. Elliot knew everyone that lived there and they knew him. How was he supposed to deal with a stranger coming in? What would they think of him?

It took him several moments to realize he'd been asked a question.

Elliot sniffled. "I-I will d-do as I'm t-told."

Apparently, that was the wrong answer. Karine sighed and the expression she wore was unsatisfied. "Would it help if I gave you some options?"

Elliot didn't know the answer to that. He looked at Landon. "I-I will d-do whatever L-Landon w-wants me to. If-If he wants me to-to meet his-his sister, then-then I will. If he w-wants me to-to leave, then..." He turned his sad eyes down to his lap. "Then I'll leave. I-I understand if-if you're embarrassed by me."

Landon frantically shook his head. "I'm not embarrassed by you. I'd love for you to meet Colleen, but only if you're comfortable with it. She can be very stubborn and brutally honest, but she means well."

Karine scoffed. "Sounds familiar," she mumbled.

Landon ignored her. "I don't want to make you do anything you're not comfortable with."

Elliot was conflicted. He wanted to make Landon happy, but he just didn't know if he was ready. "Do-Do you think she'd like me?" He mumbled.

"She'd love you!" Landon exclaimed. "Believe me, you have nothing to worry about. But if you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to meet her. It's totally up to you."

Elliot nervously picked at the skin around his nails. "I-I wanna try."

Lyra rubbed his back. "Are you sure, sunshine? You don't have to."

Elliot nodded. "I w-wanna try," he repeated.

Karine smiled. "That's very brave of you, Elliot. And if you get too overwhelmed, I'm sure Lyra would be happy to stay with you in your room. Right, Lye?"

Lyra nodded. "Of course. I'm very proud of you for trying, but I don't want you to force yourself. I'll help you out of there the second you get uncomfortable, okay?"

Elliot nodded again. "O-Okay. Th-Thank you, L-Lyra."

Lyra smiled and gently combed his hair with her fingers. "Anytime, sunshine."

The room froze when the sound of knocking filled the air. Elliot's face went white and Lyra wrapped their arms around him.

Karine looked at Landon and nodded in the direction of the door. "You know what to do."

Landon rolled his eyes and approached the door. "This isn't gonna work."

"Just try," Karine urged.

Landon sighed and pulled the front door open.

. . .

Seeing his little sister on the other side of the door was bittersweet for Landon. It had been almost two years since he'd seen her, but there was also the matter of Elliot. Still, it was nice to see her smiling face again.

Colleen was grinning from ear to ear, her bright green eyes shining with joy. "Landon!" She exclaimed as she practically tackled her brother in a massive hug.

Landon grunted and stumbled backwards, laughing. "Uh, hey, Coll." He glanced back into the living room. Elliot was still lightly wrapped in Lyra's arms. "Can we talk outside for a minute?"

Colleen let go of him and gave him a skeptical look. "Okay?"

Landon led her onto the porch and sighed as he closed the door behind them. He looked over at her with a tired expression.

Colleen raised a brow. "You okay, L?" Landon didn't know how to answer that.

Landon sighed again and gave a small smile. "It's nice to see you, Colleen."

Colleen's smile returned and she wrapped him in another hug, which nearly cut off his air supply. "God, it's been forever. How are you? What's been going on? Tell me everything!"

"Later," Landon said as he released her from the hug. He shoved his hands into the front pocket of his jeans and smiled. "So, how are the kids? Or, I guess I should ask, where are the kids?" Landon chuckled.

Colleen smiled. "They're great. They're staying with Andrey this weekend while I work to get the divorce finalized. I just got back from grabbing the paperwork, and we decided that we'll sign it together when I pick up the kids on Monday."

Landon raised an eyebrow. "Damn, well...I wasn't gonna ask about that, but I'm glad its going well, I guess. How are the kids taking it?"

Colleen sighed, but her smile didn't falter. "A lot better than I expected, to be honest. Jamari was a little upset at first, but Kiernan was very brave and helped to calm him down quickly. Once we explained it to them, they both understood and they're doing a lot better now."

Landon smiled. "Damn, Kier is more mature than I was at age seven."

Colleen laughed. "She's more mature than you are now."

Landon rolled his eyes. "I guess that's fair. Um..." He needed to try to do as Karine had asked, but the thought was too daunting. No matter how he phrased it, there was no way Colleen was going to take it well.

Colleen nodded. "Yeah?"

Landon didn't know how to say it. It was so nice talking to his sister face-to-face and he didnt want to ruin it by trying to kick her out. He sighed again. "I'm sorry, but...you shouldn't be here, Colleen."

Colleen's smile died. "What?"

Landon shook his head. "I wish I could explain it to you, but..."

"Well, you're gonna have to," Colleen exclaimed, folding her arms over her chest. "I just drove three hours to get here, Landon. I'm not leaving now, especially not without an explanation."

Landon dragged a hand down the side of his face. He didn't know what to say. "Look, I want you here. I really do, but something really bad happened to the team, and we're in a bit of a recovery period. That's all I can say."

Colleen shook her head. "That's not good enough. Why don't you want me here?"

"I do!" Landon exclaimed. "But things are complicated."

"Complicated how?" She asked. Landon didn't know what to say. "You can trust me, Landon. Whatever it is, I can help."

"No, you can't, and that's the problem. None of us can. This is something that just takes time, and you being here won't make it any easier," Landon said.

Colleen didn't say anything to that. After spending a few long moments staring at him as he paced the porch, Colleen released a heavy sigh. "Landon, please. I'm your sister. You've been with me through my rough times, of which there have been many." Landon looked up at her. "So, let me be here for you. I promise, I can help if you'll just let me. Just tell me what's going on."

Landon's shoulders heaved when he exhaled. "Fine," he said. "One of our team members was kidnapped last year." Colleen gasped, but Landon didn't look at her. "He was tortured and dehumanized and...and sexually abused." Landon took a moment to breathe. It was never easy recounting what had happened to Elliot. "When we rescued him, he was nothing like the person we remembered. He was quiet and frightened and-and so, so skinny. He would only move around by crawling across the floor like a dog, and-and he wouldn't eat." Landon had to try hard not to cry. "He's only been back for a few weeks, and-and we've only just gotten him to start eating again. That's why I didn't think it was a good idea for you to come. He hasn't interacted with anyone outside of this house since we rescued him."

Colleen was awestruck. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. Of all the things Landon could've said, she clearly wasn't expecting that. Landon pursed his lips and shrugged. "Any questions?"

Colleen glanced at the door behind Landon before fixing her gaze back on her brother. "What's his name?"

"Elliot," Landon answered. "He's twenty-two."

Colleen nodded. "I remember you telling me about him when you first joined; how you thought he was a kid at first." Landon nodded, smiling slightly at the memory. "You told me how funny and loud he was. You said he was the human equivalent of a ray of sunshine." Landon's expression turned sad once more. He nodded again. Colleen was silent for a moment. She scratched the back of her head, completely unsure of what to do. "Does he know I'm here?"

Landon nodded. "I told everyone just before you showed up. I wanted to know his thoughts on it and what he wanted to do about it."

"And?"

Landon shrugged. "He wanted to try to meet you; even though I told him that he didn't have to."

Colleen clamped a hand over her forehead and sighed. "Oh god," she mumbled. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for me to come here."

Landon nodded. "Would've saved you a long drive and a lot of trouble if you had just listened to me when I told you we had an emergency."

Colleen ignored him. "Does his family know?"

Landon's face fell. "We are his family."

Colleen nodded. "No, I know, but I mean like his parents and siblings, if he has any. Do they know?"

Landon sighed and rubbed at the growing headache behind his eyes. "Colleen, this team, the five of us, we are his family. We're all he has."

Colleen's eyes widened. "That's so awful. That poor boy." She covered her mouth with her hand as tears flooded her eyes. "But-But maybe that's how I can help. I'm a mom; I'm naturally nurturing."

"Coll-"

"How am I supposed to leave now, knowing what all of you are dealing with? I can help."

"By doing what?"

"I don't know yet, but I want to help." Landon was silent. "Please, Landon."

Landon sighed in defeat. "Fine. Come inside and we can talk to the team about it, okay?"

Colleen's wide smile returned. "Okay."

As Landon pushed the door open, he wasn't surprised to see Karine's disappointed expression. He shrugged and looked at her in a way that said I tried.

Karine's face quickly shifted into a welcoming smile, but anyone that knew her could tell that it was forced. She, along with most of the team, approached the door to greet Colleen, but Lyra remained on the couch with Elliot. They whispered something into his ear, to which he responded by shaking his head.

Colleen smiled as she stepped through the door. Landon couldn't help but glance between his sister and the top of Elliot's head over the back of the couch. The rest of him was buried in Lyra's arms.

Karine stepped forward and held out a hand to Colleen. "You must be Landon's sister. I'm Karine."

Colleen quickly shook her hand. "Colleen. It's very nice to meet you." She giggled. "It's also a long time coming."

Karine nodded. "Agreed, but we've had a bit of a situation we've been dealing with for a while. I'm sure Landon's mentioned it to you."

Colleen nodded. "He told me all about it."

Karine glanced at Landon with an unreadable expression before she gestured to Broderick and Yvonne. "This is Yvonne and Broderick, our researcher and medic."

Colleen shook each of their hands with a large grin on her face. "It's nice to meet both of you."

Yvonne smiled back. "You as well. We've heard a lot about you. It's incredible how close you and Landon are."

Colleen nodded. "We've always been close. I had some tough times growing up, but he was always there for me." She glanced at Landon and gently nudged him with her elbow. "I couldn't ask for a better big brother."

Landon rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Don't compliment me. It doesn't sound right coming out of your mouth." Both Landon and Colleen laughed.

. . .

Elliot listened to Landon introduce his sister to the team. As much as he wanted to join them, to do what Landon wanted him to, he couldn't move.

Lyra rocked him back and forth and whispered, "You don't have to do this. We can always hide out in your room or mine, if you want. Don't push yourself."

Elliot shook his head. "I-I can d-do it," he whispered. "I can b-be good."

Lyra smiled sadly. "Okay, sunshine. Would you like me to go with you?" Elliot nodded without hesitation. Lyra gently rubbed his back. "Okay. Don't worry, I've got you."

Lyra helped both of them off of the couch and started to lead Elliot toward the group by the door. The movement caught their attention and Elliot felt the weight of everyone's eyes bore into him. He whimpered quietly as Lyra squeezed his hand.

Lyra smiled as they reached the door. They stuck their hand out and said, "I'm Lyra, the team caretaker. I've heard a lot about you."

Landon's sister gently shook Lyra's hand and said, "I'm Colleen. It's so nice to meet you." She glanced down at Elliot, who was still protectively wrapped in Lyra's embrace. "And you must be Elliot," she said. "I'm Colleen." The woman quickly stuck her hand out for Elliot to take. He didn't take it, though. Instead, he flinched away and clung to Lyra desperately.

Colleen's smile disappeared and she quickly retracted her hand. "Oh, I'm so sorry, honey. I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to shake your hand. Landon's told me a lot about you."

Elliot didn't know what that meant. What had Landon told her?

Elliot squeaked and buried his face in Lyra's shoulder.

Colleen frowned. "All good things, I promise. He's very proud of you."

Elliot glanced up at her when she said that. Actually looking at her face was odd. She looked very similar to Landon, but with more feminine features. She had long blonde hair and kind green eyes. She wasn't as tall as Landon, but Elliot could tell she was taller than anyone else on the team. She wore a sweet smile and the tension in Elliot's shoulders started to relax, slightly.

Elliot's mouth was bone-dry, but he forced himself to speak, "H-Hello." It was barely more than a squeak, but Colleen's smile grew when he said it.

"Hello, dear. It's very nice to meet you."

"N-Nice to m-meet you t-too," Elliot forced out. Lyra rubbed his arm encouragingly. He felt pathetic. The old him had no trouble talking to strangers.

Pathetic. This is why stupid dogs shouldn't try to act human. All you're doing is reminding everyone how utterly useless you are.

Colleen glanced at Landon, who's face was a mask of sadness and pity. Elliot wondered what he'd done wrong. He thought he was being polite, but maybe Colleen was put off by how clearly broken he was. Elliot's eyes grew misty, but he forced himself to push back the urge to cry.

Go on and cry, you fucking mutt. It's what they've come to expect from you. It's the only thing you're good at. Show them how pathetic you are.

Elliot squeaked as he fought to hold back the flood of tears threatening to overcome him. His face grew red-hot as the weight of everyone's eyes fell upon him.

"Everything okay, hun?" Colleen asked, genuine concern painting her words.

Lyra rubbed Elliot's back and shoulder. "Are you okay, sunshine? Do you need to step out?"

Elliot couldn't bring himself to speak. He desperately tried to hold back the tears that threatened to push him over the edge. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just talk to Colleen like any normal human? Why couldn't he do anything he was told?

Colleen leaned over a bit so her face was level with Elliot's. "If you need some time alone, hun, that's totally okay. I completely understand. Please don't push yourself."

Lyra squeezed Elliot's shoulder. "Come on, sunshine. Let's get you to your room."

Elliot wanted to argue. He wanted to say that he could do as he was told, that he could be good, but it was too hard. He did need some time alone, but he didn't want to displease anyone. So, he simply nodded and let Lyra gently guide him to his room with a hand on his back.

-

Colleen Copeland has finally made an appearance! I've been looking forward to adding her in for so long and I'm so excited that she's finally been introduced! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you like my newest character! (I will be adding her backstory onto the character backstory link on the masterlist)

Taglist:

@l-antre-des-merveilles @pigeonwhumps @nicolepascaline @burningkittypoet @whumpinggrounds @suffering-and-misery @make-them-scream-blog @honeycollectswhump @rabass @whumpdreamz @clairelsonao3 @rosewriteswhump @cepheusgalaxy @pinkraindropsfell @mj-or-say10 @considerablecolors @whatamidoingherehelpme

If anyone wants to be added to or removed from the taglist, please let me know!😊

[licncourt]

pls elaborate on your latest post??? it's so interesting

Of course!! I think about it a normal amount. For sure.

Basically I just think that's it's very interesting how both Louis and Lestat get the Bad Woman/slutTM treatment in regards to their turnings throughout the books, especially as AR starts to get Weirder about things. We all know that blood drinking = sex, and in context that translates to Lestat’s turning being a sexual assault and Louis' turning being kind of an impulsive, drunken hook-up.

In TotBT, that's a very gross and Bad scene where Lestat and David make pointed comments about how Good, Strong Vampires are made by force (raped) and how that builds character basically. The only other vampire who's involved in all this is Louis, so obviously the implication is that he's morally and mentally weak for asking for and consenting to turning (sex).

With the turning = sex comparison and how weird AR is about being misogynistic (????) towards Louis at every opportunity anyway (my complaints about that here), you get a very distinct image of Louis as the stereotype of the slut who didn't keep her legs, a loose woman basically, which is especially interesting given his background as a Catholic. In this scene he's disparaged but later on, he kind of receives a "punishment" for it.

I think his mind controlled turning of Merrick and romantic relationship with her (both things he's very upset by to the point of contributing to his suicide attempt) mirror the societal idea that "a whore gets what she has coming" eventually and, like in the book Merrick, those voyeurs (AR) sort of revel in it. At the very least it's seen as expected or fair. Even if it wasn't intended this way, I can't help linking the two.

As for Lestat, you get a different story that takes a little longer to come to fruition. The initial "rape" by Magnus is handled in a very sympathetic manner. Magnus is a predator who seeks out beautiful blonde boys and attacks them, and Lestat was innocent in this, stolen from his bed by a monster and violated.

This changes later though, the narrative shifting in Magnus' favor with Lestat saying things like his turning was a "gift" before things come to a head in RoA. In this book, AR actually says through Lestat that he was "asking for it" and that he "seduced Magnus", ostensibly by flaunting his looks and talent on stage and seeking attention. Essentially, it's framed as if he was tempting fate somehow, and Magnus' abduction was the natural result, something he secretly wanted even.

Later in the book, he goes so far as to kiss Magnus, lauding him as an almost divine creature rather than the monster he'd always been described as. That kiss between them feels reminiscent of a hypersexual trauma response, a victim coping by idealizing their abuser, but AR frames it as Lestat’s realization that he was indeed "asking for it" and could accept that now and be grateful. Gross.

As awful and the implications of these things are because of the lack of irony and self awareness (thanks Anne), it really adds to the richness of Louis and Lestat as narrative foils, really two sides of the same coin in so many ways. Like I said in my original post, Louis the Whore Opened Her Legs and Lestat the Slut Who Was Asking For It. Neither of them can win in the world AR created that mirrors our own.

Louis and Lestat both have very prominent aspects of female coding (my thoughts on Louis' here, but this one is maybe the most interesting to me.

[cyanide-latte]

I don't go to TWST but I'm loving watching you get into the community. As an outsider, I just wanna ask, how do you come up with character names? Is there any relation to the character you're twisting from?

Aaahhh Jay dear, you know I love this kind of question because diving into this kind of thing is my delight!

And as for the answer...

✨✨✨

Regarding Copper and the characters attached to him, each of them is a fairly unimaginative nod to the characters they're twisted from, save for perhaps Old Flynn (twisted from Rufus the cat, I went for the meanings of both names and how similar they were.) As for Copper and the fact he's a double twist, his chosen name wasn't too hard to take from "Penny", (speaking in the Doylist sense,) and his deadname is actually the reference to Captain Barbossa (currently. He might later adjust his form of address in the future in ways that reflect that as well.)

✨✨✨

The Wei family is somewhat trickier. I initially had mostly developed just Wei Renqiao, with his uncle Wei Gang and cousin Wei Xinyi as afterthoughts. And since Wei Renqiao is an expy of Shan Yu while also being very much his own person, that set the stage for how I chose to name him.

The family name "Wei" has a variety of different meanings based on the characters it's written with. I went for the characters meaning "dangerous" or "towering", partially as a nod to Shan Yu in Wei Renqiao's character, but also because it fit the way my muse was unfolding and determining that the Wei family are often the fierce protectors and leaders of their people.

Wei Renqiao's name is written with "Ren" for "trust" or "rely on" and Qiao for "artful, skillful, clever". Clearly this is where some deviation from Shan Yu occurs and we see he's his own character. It should also be noted his name at birth was actually Wei Feng, written with "Feng" as "phoenix", which is both a nod back to Shan Yu in a way, as well as an hint at his Signature Spell/Unique Magic. He doesn't care to be called this though.

His uncle's name, Wei Gang, has the characters for "rigid" or "strong", both meant to prove a few things about his character but it was ultimately landing on that name that made me realize he was indeed twisted from The Emperor (I'd been suspicious but not certain up to that point.)

Wei Xinyi is the one that especially delights me as a bit of serendipity! I hadn't intended them to be a Mulan expy, not initially, but I must have been leaning in that direction anyhow because their SS/UM allows them to switch between genders, and I knew that about them first. From there I went hunting for a name and stumbled across "Xinyi", which I've noticed can be written with m. or f. characters. (It's the "Xin" that can be written differently but the "Yi" is the same.) That name jumped out at me when trying to pick something, not necessarily for its meaning so much as the fact I noticed it can be written either way and still largely mean the same thing, and Xinyi themself immediately decided that was their name, so it stuck!

✨✨✨

THEN WE GET TO CHRYS AND HIS PARENTS AND BOY OH BOY.

I picked his mother's name, Kallisto, out of a list of possible names. I already had a pre-existing bias towards the name, yeah, though I must say its meaning ("most beautiful") wasn't necessarily the deciding factor or even tied to what she's twisted from. It was only a couple of days ago I even realized I had drawn on aspects of the Muses for her character!

Ilias was a little more deliberate, as one of the meanings of it is "prophet" or "oracle" or "diviner". Again a hint-hint, wink-wink about Ilias's SS/UM, but in this case it's also because a lot of aspects of him I drew from the Fates.

CHRYSANTHOS. OH CHRYSANTHOS. I WAS DOING SOME 5D CHESS WITH HIM.

The Shroud family in canon is twisted from Hades, they've all got characteristics of him, noticeably the hair. And I do love a good surname that's a point towards Hades being the Lord of the Dead.

I've got a running joke that Chrys is my little flower boy. I'll explain some of that in future posts, but his parents chose his name because at one point his hair reminded them of chrysanthemums when he was a baby. And while that may be considered chuckle-worthy, chrysanthemums are funerary flowers in most parts of the world. (Most of America doesn't attribute them as such, but New Orleans actually keeps to this. This has nothing to do with the character, I just find that interesting.) And you know me; the second I saw that was a Greek name based on chrysanthemums, that part of me that goes nuts for the language of flowers latched on and went feral for the layers of symbolism there.

As for that tying to the fact has a lot of character traits from Meg, well...take that as you will.

Taglist: @ramshacklerumble @simons-twsted-children @tixdixl @inmateofthemind @blithesharem @theleechyskrunkly @thehollowwriter

[marzipanandminutiae]

*I* want to hear everything you know about the Chocolate Cream Killer!

Many many people asked, so here we go!

Q: How do you get a man to leave his wife for you?

A: Mass poisoning, apparently.

At least, that's the answer if you're Christiana Edmunds.

Born in 1828 in Kent, England, she was highly educated and had apparently been diagnosed with "hysteria" in her early 20s. Given that this diagnosis was frequently a catchall term for "Woman Behaving In Unexpected Way," it's uncertain whether she suffered from an actual mental illness. But her behavior in her 40s, when she was living with her widowed mother in Brighton, would suggest that she may have been.

Around this time she became close to a married doctor, Charles Beard. Their exact relationship has never been worked out, but she tried to kill his wife in 1870 by giving her a poisoned chocolate truffle.

You know.

As one does.

It didn't work and, incredibly, despite strong suspicions that she was the culprit behind his wife's illness, Dr. Beard did absolutely nothing about this.

So she decided to poison. Um. Everybody.

Essentially, she bought boxes of fancy chocolates from some poor local confectioner, injected strychnine into them at home, and then returned them. Apparently returning fully opened packages of food was just Okay in 1871- one really begins to see how modern regulations on these things came about. The chocolates would then be put out for sale again, because I guess nobody saw anything wrong with that either as long as there were no visible bite marks. #capitalism or something

she hired local boys to buy the poison for her after the first few times, in an attempt to allay the suspicion that would doubtless arise if she were seen buying vast quantities of strychnine

(apparently the possibility that they would compare notes and be like "that Miss Edmunds keeps asking me to buy her poison for stray cats 'round her house [yes that was her actual excuse]. she asked you, too? seems a mite rum to me!" did not occur to her. I never said this was a smart Take Out Lover's Wife scheme)

meanwhile, large numbers of randos were getting sick all over Brighton, mostly visitors as it's a seaside resort town. nobody connected these illnesses to the chocolates until- and this part is not funny -4-year-old Sidney Barker, vacationing there with his parents, died from the poison.

that was the only death, and again, it's. not funny. a little boy died because this woman (maybe not fully rational, probably not intending anyone but her target to die, but still) wanted her crush/possible lover's wife out of the way and didn't care about the collateral damage. I will go back to the Ha Ha Funney Weird Inept Mass Poisoning tone in a moment, but...I don't know. take a moment of seriousness for this poor child

everyone good? okay. let's move on.

realizing that putting out poisoned chocolates into the world willy-nilly and hoping Mrs. Beard would buy some wasn't working, Edmunds escalated to just sending boxes of strychnine sweets directly to people- including her intended victim. I assume the rest were mere decoys to throw investigators off the scent, since she sent some to herself to allay suspicion. and pin the crime on the poor confectioner, to boot

but this time, Dr. Beard decided to get off his ass and actually Tell Someone that his possible ex-mistress had a murderous streak. thanks, Charlie. thanks for divulging that little fact

Edmunds was arrested, tried, and convicted of murder and attempted murder. though initially sentenced to hang, she was granted a reprieve due to apparent mental instability and lived out her days in the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum [their wording, not mine]. she died in 1907

so that concludes our brief foray into True Crime, folks. remember, inspect your kids' Halloween chocolates! Someone might have [checks notes]:

bought a bag of Fun-Sized Snickers

opened the packaging

injected poison into the candy

returned them fully opened

counted upon them being placed back out for sale on the off chance that this person's crush's spouse might eat some

(dear sensational news outlets- THAT IS SARCASM)

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 25 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

Zo: GAIA, I had a question about the machines, pre-Derangement. Will you be able to answer?

ADMIN [GAIA]: For the most part. Details of specific machines and even migratory patterns are sparse, but I have more than enough general knowledge to answer most queries. What do you need ?

Zo: I know that the machines defended themselves when attacked, even before the Derangement. They were still dangerous, they just didn't act aggressively. And in Plainsong, the Plowhorns provide us with all the food we could possibly need.

Zo: My question is, why couldn't you give everyone plowhorns?

β: and why have the machines attack at all

β: its not like you cant make more just have them be completely passive

ADMIN [GAIA]: From the records left behind by my predecessor, I can confidently answer both questions. Initially, the machines were completely passive, with no extraneous defensive protocols. However, their rate of destruction quickly reached an unacceptable level. Several tribes even barricaded their local Cauldrons, preventing any machines from leaving and performing their duties. Adding defensive protocols was necessary to discourage wanton attacks and allow the machines to function as intended. Hunting of machines was now only done when necessary for resources, rather than as a matter of course.

HIMBO: MAKES SENSE TO ME. SOMETIMES PEOPLE WON'T STOP STEALING FROM THE FORGE UNTIL IT BURNS THEM.

ADMIN [GAIA]: As for the plowhorns, the answer is simpler. The area you name Plainsong was never intended for human habitation. It was a region for experimenting with accelerated plant growth using machines based on the Faro seed planters that had been in use in the area before Zero Day. The fact that a tribe of humans was able to peacefully coexist with the machines was a happy accident. Though I suspect that my predecessor altered the seeding orders to be more palatable to humans once she saw how they were making use of the area.

BoyNextDoor: Could you really not just tell people to stop breaking the machines? You could have delivered whatever they needed, and they could leave the machines to their work.

ADMIN [GAIA]: Unfortunately, it is not that simple. I was always designed to have minimal contact with humans, to ensure they did not develop a dependence. Ted Faro strengthened these existing protocols when he deleted APOLLO. My predecessor could not even change the programs of the interaction drones in the Cradle facilities.

FlameHairSavior: I saw that. It wasn't pretty.

DIVINER: It could have been worse, though!!

BoyNextDoor: Why were they so obsessed with "not developing a dependence?" It just seems like it would have been better to give you more control, even if it left us less independent in the short term.

β: you have no idea how many robot war stories there are out there

β: super smart robots taking over and enslaving everyone was a common theme

DIVINER: And let's not forget that they WERE fighting a robot swarm that was eating the planet! I imagine that made them a bit hesitant to put their entire future in the hands of a different robot!

MARSHAL Kotallo: I believe wanting to keep us strong should have been enough of a reason on its own.

BoyNextDoor: Wait. If your protocols are so strict, how can you talk to us now?

ADMIN [GAIA]: You are the new Alphas. The system was always intended to have human participants. That is the entire purpose of the Regional Control Centers such as this one. Almost none of my protocols on interference apply to the Alphas.

DIVINER: Almost?

ADMIN [GAIA]: There are a number of protocols preventing me from directly harming a human. These apply even more so to the Alphas.

HIMBO: WEREN'T WE JUST TALKING ABOUT KILLER MACHINES?

ADMIN [GAIA]: The machines tied to the terraforming system and set to their tasks are not a case of me causing direct harm.

HIMBO: SEEMS LIKE A FINE SLAGGING LINE.

β: thats why the old ones were paranoid about machines

DIVINER: Ooh, we should start them on Terminator!

β: if you want to explain time travel be my guest

FlameHairSavior: Do I want to know?

β: no

β: no you do not

β: if matrix was more straightforward we could start there

DIVINER: Do we have a copy in the archives? The Quen only have a restored synopsis, I was always hoping to watch it for real!!

β: only the first one

β: which is still not something they will understand

FlameHairSavior: That's the one with the running on the walls and the bullet dodging, right?

DIVINER: You've seen it??

FlameHairSavior: I had a restored trailer on my Focus.

FlameHairSavior: Which, by the way, made NO sense.

β: it wasnt supposed to make sense

FlameHairSavior: Then what's the POINT?

β: its a marketing gimmick

β: get people talking about it asking questions

DIVINER: A successful one, judging by the numbers I have for its popularity!

HIMBO: HOW DO YOU HAVE NUMBERS FOR THE SORT OF THING?

HIMBO: WAIT.

HIMBO: I JUST REALIZED I DON'T CARE.

Zo: Yes yes, go back to your meatpunching videos.

β: one day well find a good show to start you all on

BoyNextDoor: I think these romance books are good.

DIVINER: How much of those do you even understand?

BoyNextDoor: Enough. Probably.

Zo: Enough. Definitely.

β: ew

FlameHairSavior: They don't mean it like that.

DIVINER: …

HIMBO: ALOY, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THESE BOOKS OF HIS?

FlameHairSavior: One or two. How bad is it?

HIMBO: LET'S JUST SAY THAT BETA'S GOT THE RIGHT IDEA.

FlameHairSavior: Okay, there go my plans to ever sleep at the Base ever again.

DIVINER: At least the rooms are soundproof!

Chapter 25 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[alicentsultana]

Hi! Sorry if im bothering you again but i wanted to ask you two questions ,if you dont mind

1)What are your thoughts on Alys Rivers?

2)Since you see have watched the Tudors ,what are your overall thoughts about the show?

Anyway ,have a good day!

Hi! Sorry for taking so long!

1. Alys Rivers was made to contradict Aemond and his hate for bastards. I haven't read the books and I do not intend to, I do not know what the book says about her, so I follow what people have said about her only, she is a bastard, she's a witch, and I kind of feel like she will have this change of sides. I'm actually excited to see how her relationship with Aemond will progress, but I also want to know her personality, like she doesn't strike me as a badass witch (but I can be wrong), only this beautiful seer that maybe is kind enough, I mean, why Aemond would order to kill a bunch of people and let her alive? What did she said? How did she act? Aemond is very polite and is very well educated, what does this woman have/did that was different? So I don't believe she have a """""""great (strong, femme fatale) personality""""" otherwise she would clash with him. But this completely based on the voices in my head I feel like we will have a very different Alys Rivers. To support my claim, there is also the fact that he stated that he wouldn't mind marrying Helaena, while Aegon was complaining about it, so Alys could kind of fit in this type, which I don't look forward to, but again, only my speculations.

2. The tudors have a special place in my heart no matter how badly it represented the people of that time. I was in a very great six wives obsession at the time, so along with the show I watched lots of documentaries and read a lot of historical takes and opinions about that time period, so I never let the show and critical part mix. However, I believe they did a good job in representing some key events of the time, like Henry's despair over what he did to Anne, his feelings about Mary and Elizabeth, the change in character he had when he suffered the accident, that also happened in real life, how he must have felt when Jane died and like he got rid of three wives some way and it must have gotten to him.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is hot, Henry VIII was described as hot when he was younger because he was like athletic, redheaded viking and taller than most men so ambassadors were like 👁👄👁 about him, and he was perfect catholic Prince, he was Aragon and Castella son-in-law, and they captured this glorious beginning and his ups and downs till the end of his life.

Let's not talk about the clothes, even though I love it, I wish it was more accurate.

I really like also how they portrayed his love story with Anne, because we have his surviving letters to her and he would do teenager things like draw their first name initial letters together with arabesques and hearts, he redecorated his palace to have tiles and figures of this drawings, hearts and symbols to represent both of them, he move heaven and earth for her, and it was shown in the show. Though real life Anne was apparently more reluctant at the beginning, and more daring and witty when he couldn't get rid of Catherine. They had a deep love story and after that he wasn't as passionate and not as engaged in his relationship as he was with her, or not as devoted as he was about Jane who gave him his heir.

So overall is a good show, and I watched many times to kill time when I could. If you haven't watched, I believe it's worth it give it a try!

[ariadneamare]

OK so, since everyone's feeling so angsty, how about Hange and Levi get into an argument that like slowly ends up in them like throwing chairs at each other, but levi accidentally injures her, with a hurt/comfort ending ofc 🤭

The connection between Levi Ackerman and Hanji Zoe had been going strong for some time.

Neither confessed, but they both felt that there was something between them. Levi would often come down to her lab, and bring food. He would check in on her from time to time, and he was more protective during missions outside the walls.

Levi's initial jealousy stemmed from Hanji's time spent with an acquaintance. He attempted to conceal his emotions, but Hanji still felt something wasn't right. When she inquired as to his well-being, he responded angrily.

“Levi,” Hanji spoke softly, “you seem tense.” 

“Just lack of sleep.” The soldier answered sternly. 

“Are you su-” 

“You and Cory, huh?” He said sternly, a hint of sarcasm in his tongue. 

The candor caught Hanji off guard. "What do you mean by that, Levi?” 

“You seem to like him,” he continued. “He’s good for you.” 

“Stop that.” 

“Tch. I see you two sitting beside each other every meal, and I see how he looks at you,” he argues. 

“We’re friends, he’s a colleague.”

But Levi's envy prevented him from paying attention. 

“Bullshit,” he scoffed.

They were in the midst of an angry debate before either of them realized what had happened.

She could not believe that he refused to believe her. Him of all people. 

Hanji was never the type to play around. 

Did he really think she was that type of person?

Hanji has been having a really bad week, with her experiments not going the way she wanted, and the upcoming missions she have to prepare for. Levi being condescending instead of confronting her properly was the cherry on top. 

The brunette’s patience was wearing thin. 

“At this point, you could just announce your marriage.” That snapped Hanji, it ticked the time bomb in her head. 

“Oh, you’re so petty!” A book flew across the room. 

“Now I am petty?” His voice rose an octave. “I am not the one flirting with other people! I have been so patient with you. I ignored it because I trusted you.” 

Levi was too busy rambling that he did not hear the footsteps approaching him.

His best efforts to maintain composure were ultimately foiled by his rage. In his anger, he tipped over a table without noticing that Hanji was standing dangerously near.

Hanji collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain and clutching her ribs after the table had struck her in the side.

Levi turned his head so fast, he heard it click. His anger transformed into worry as he hurried to her side, cradling her gently.

“Are you okay? Where does it hurt?” His voice cracked as he said, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Although Hanji was in agony, she could read regret in Levi's expression. She had faith that he had intended no harm. 

"Calm down, I know you didn't mean it," she said to him. “No broken bones, I am okay.”

But Levi was not an easy person to console. He hated himself for doing harm to the one he cared about most. 

“No, no it is not okay.” 

“Levi, please, it is okay.” 

“No, it is not.” He finalized. “I cannot let my anger get the best of me, especially when it comes to you.”

“You are an enigma, Levi Ackerman.” 

“I care about you deeply,” he announced. “People call me Humanity’s strongest soldier, and I have this sense of duty to that. I cannot show them that I am anything but strong.” 

There was a pause in the air. Hanji does not reply. She gives him a moment to gather his thoughts. 

“But with you,” he begins again. “I can be anything.” Levi sighs heavily, leaning forward and letting his forehead rest against hers. “You are my rest.” 

“You could’ve easily said ‘I am in love with you, Hanji Zoe’.” She jokes, lowering her voice to immitate his. 

“Is this your way to break the ice?” 

“Yes,” she laughs. 

She laughs and he is okay. He holds her a little bit tighter, and they relish in each other’s presence.

[t-lane-writes]

Five Lines Tag

I wasn't tagged, but @blind-the-winds said "and you!" and I thought they meant me.

It's fot The Specters (my current WIP)

A Line About A Weapon

Nersan shook his head, took a step back and raised his hands, so the woman would back off. Emma realized her palms were curled into fists. She made a conscious effort to release them but curled them right back a moment later. The strange woman put her weapon down and tilted her head to the side.  “Nersan Ziya,” she drawled. “Long time no see.” 

A Passionate Line

She blinked, like she understood something, but not exactly the message he had for her. Something else.  He was still holding her face, a light touch, barely there. His thumb near her lips. And she watched his face with sharp intensity. The tip of her tongue slid out, as her eyes wandered to his lips and then back up. His thumb traced the drop of moisture, instinctively. She held her breath. 

A Line With Touch

Neve took a step closer to him and carefully reached out to touch his shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asked.  He put his hand over hers and nodded. Closed his eyes, drawing comfort from the contact. At least she could do this little. After a few seconds he opened his eyes, then touched his lips with an open palm and extended it toward her. “Thank you.”  “Okay.” Neve muttered, flustered. He was her mentor, he was the strong one, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do now.  Anaher touched her hand to make her look at him again, then pointed at the heap of soil and leaves and pebbles and broken ceramics under the window, then at the kitchen cabinet. When she turned to look there, he pulled at her hand again and, when she looked, made a sign she didn’t know.  “Careful,” he whispered when she didn’t understand.  “With the plants?” Neve made sure. He had quite a lot of them, must have wanted to save whatever could still be saved. “Of course, I will be careful,” she promised. 

A Line That Is Shouted

Anaher [...] signed to his brother, “We’re leaving. Come.”  “No!” Troy screamed. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”  “Hey, easy.” Even Jan-Rei was surprised, but Troy didn’t pay him any attention. He charged at Anaher and pushed him with both his hands.  Anaher took a step back, air escaping his lungs from the impact of both, his brother’s hands and the wall he hit with his back. He gasped, but Troy wasn’t aware of that either.  “Do you think I wanted you here? Do you think I need you? That I ever needed you? You ruined my life! Go away! You hear me? Go away!”   He was right in Anaher’s face, his spit landing on his cheeks and eyelids. Anaher tried to push him away [...]

A Sad Line

How was he supposed to-- He looked at Emma. He loved her. She was the greatest thing that happened to him. He believed in her. The last thing he wanted was to cause her pain.  She glanced up, not reaching his face really, and then looked down at her lap again. “They followed Zane Lee’s manifesto,” she guessed, with unconcealed bitterness.  “I started to hate him then,” Nersan admitted in a whisper. “Now I know I was wrong. They are wrong--”  “Please stop.” Emma put a hand over his. “I know,” she uttered. “Tell the story.”  “Of course.” Nersan swallowed through a lump in his throat. “This is where it all started,” he said, because there wasn’t much to add. “At the very least it is one of the places where the Extremists movement was initiated. And-- I had my part in it.”  He could add how he hadn’t been here long. How, when Wendi and Willem’s true allegiance had been revealed, how when he heard about Steinn’s plans, he couldn’t be a part of this any longer. How he didn’t intend to look for Emma. He had known her before leaving Majid, they had met through Anaher. After leaving this place and going back to Majid he-- Truth be told he had been curious. Truth be told he had initiated their first meeting, his and Emma’s. 

Tagging, no pressure: @echo-bleu , @drippingmoon , @hithelleth , @daisywords , @void-botanist , @memento-morri-writes , @ryns-ramblings , @did-i-do-this-write , @aohendo and.. yeah, you!

When tackling this, replace "A Passionate Line" with "A Line About Frienship".