#a community I did not even know existed...fascinating

[justsomestuffreally]

I think the Batkids reaction to a Bruce who isn't de-aged to 8 but rather 29 (pre-Jason death, post his adoption) would be fascinating. 

Their reaction would vary wildly:

Dick: Oh. Bruce is soft again. Bruce calls them ‘chum’ and ‘buddy’ and gives head pats for no reason. He still isn’t perfect, his communication skills are still a work in progress, but compared to his future self? Without actively dying Dick is hugged plenty. Bruce asks him to go to the zoo, unrelated to any case, just to spend time together. Dick is hit with more nostalgia and longing for the past than he knows what to do with.

Also notable: his dad is younger than him. That is something. Second, holy existential crisis Batman, his dad is younger than him and already one adult and one teenage kid??? Dick is not ready to feel this old yet. Third, Dick has absolutely no idea how Bruce managed to stay patient through his no-pants years. He is going to thank reason every day from now on that Damian wears full protection.

Jason: After his death and League he clung to an image of Bruce. One many tried to beat out of him, but he still kept it somewhere close to his heart, buried deep enough even he couldn’t see it. When he came back Bruce wasn’t like this idea of him. How stupid of him to believe the mind of a traumatized kid. Trying to create one good thing before the kid drew his last breath. Making up memories that never even existed.

But they did. Every smile and hug and even his words reflect the image tugged safely against his still-beating heart. His dad very clearly, very deeply loves him. Which is so much worse. Because he can understand why a Bruce, who never cared, didn’t kill the Joker. But he cares. So why the fuck did he not kill the Joker?

Tim: The reason he joined the family, the reason why he became Robin in the first place was because he saw a problem when Bruce started self-destructing and thought ‘Someone needs to fix that!’. Therefore he went and collected Dick, who didn’t seem keen on fixing it. So, the job fell to him to fix it.

He thought he did a good job, he thought he fixed the problem. Except now he sees who Bruce was, and he knows he failed. Their Bruce is less soft, less affectionate, less like he was before. Batman needs a Robin and Tim didn’t manage to be good enough of one to save him. 

[Or: Tim has a guilt complex a hundred miles wide and blames himself for things that aren’t his fault part 52]

Steph: Jason and she are very similar. Both come from the Narrows, both have a mother addicted to drugs and a shitty father. The differences start when Steph keeps waiting on the roof of their apartment for Batman to whisk her away, while Jason tries to steal the tires of the Batmobile and is taken in.

When Steph started out as Spoiler Bruce tried to keep her off the field, and obviously this one would too (even if he would probably be less paranoid about it), but she knows this Bruce would have also taken her in. This Bruce would be the father she always wished for when she sat on their roof and couldn’t see any stars. 

And she didn’t get to have this because Jason went ahead and died. (Of course, she knows she isn’t fair to the guy. Dying isn’t fun… And she knows the only reason she lived is because he died. When Batman rescued her from Black Mask she was in such terrible shape that Leslie managed to convince the World’s Greatest Detective that she died. If Jason hadn’t died Bruce wouldn’t have been as paranoid, wouldn’t have noticed her missing so soon, wouldn’t have been as urgent in his response. Would have been just a minute slower, a minute which would have killed her. Just as it had Jason.)

For her, this Bruce is a distorted mirror into a past which never was. 

Cass: This Bruce and B are not the same person. They don’t move the same. In a fight, this Bruce is younger, faster, stronger. Doesn’t compensate for a previously broken spine. Less experienced. Still one of the most experienced she knows, but less. 

He still moves differently, outside a fight, less pain. More likely to engage in physical affection, more likely to hug and pat and talk. He talks more than B. B knows what she means without words. This Bruce doesn’t.

She likes this Bruce, warmth, and softness. But not as much as B. He knows what she means, when she wants a hug, when she tells him ‘I love you’ without words. B doesn’t need words. This Bruce doesn’t know her, doesn’t communicate like her. She wants B back.

Damian: At first, when this version of his father seemed uncanny and oddly familiar, he assumed it to be due to the stories of his mother. After all, she always told him tales about his father. He simply did not have the frame of reference to understand the kindness she spoke of. Clearly, the clash between the ideals of the League and the ones of his father causes these feelings, just as they did when he first entered the manor.

He presumed this to be the case until one day on patrol Batman laid a hand on his shoulder and told him he did a good job after no particularly impressive fight and he nearly called him ‘Grayson’. Because the stories of his mother may have painted the picture of this version of his father, however, it wasn’t what made it familiar; no, he knew this kindness. These hugs and compliments one would bestow upon a child. Compliments which, despite the indignity, still warm him. Because Grayson learned how to be a… caregiver from his father.

His father used to be like Grayson, used to be until his grief hardened him. Damian could have had this. Damian could have a brother and father who would- But he doesn’t because of Todd. He loathes Todd. Loathes him for ruining the life he could have had.

Why did he die anyway? Damian certainly wouldn’t have a problem escaping bonds created by the Joker, Damian would have disarmed the bomb in time, Damian would have never thrown this life away like he did.

[Or: Damian is a child who was raised by assassins and has unreasonable standards for fighting abilities and also is a child who needs to focus his rage on someone.]

Duke: He was neither there before Jason died nor in the aftermath [according to my math he was around 4 when Jason died] he joined the family when Jason was already back for 4 years or so. He mostly skipped all the drama. For him, Bruce is the way Bruce is because he is Bruce. It’s weird to see him so different, to see how grief shaped parts of Bruce which Duke assumed were just Bruce things.

He’s glad this Bruce is brighter, or not because it just highlights how much that light will dim? Who knows, certainly not him. 

What he does know is that, with their Bruce, he has a distance which, with his parents still alive, he appreciates. With this Bruce, he can understand why Dick struggled so much whether he wants to be his ward or son, how he doesn’t want to replace his parents but still have this Bruce as a dad. It definitely explained the ted talk Dick tried to give him after Bruce officially took him in as a ward.

He likes this Bruce well enough, but he doesn’t necessarily want him to stay this way. Yes, their Bruce is less happy, less open but he did heal, he did grow. Duke met a Bruce who tried to learn from his mistakes, learned to communicate better, and learned when to pull and when to push. For Tim, Damian, Dick, and certainly Jason there is too much baggage, too much history in their relationships, it’s difficult for them to ever move past- anything really.

Sure, when Dick and Bruce are on the same page they are essentially invincible but then the past catches up again and they don’t talk to each other for months. And honestly? Apart from Cass, Duke’s pretty sure he has one of the best relationships with Bruce simply because he got to know him at a better time.

Duke doesn’t mind this Bruce. But their Bruce loved Jason, cared for him so deeply the scars still show to this day. And he still chooses to open up again even if just a bit by bit. Even if just Duke can see it. He is used to being the only one that can see.

And maybe knowing this care extends to him, this love even grief can’t shake? Maybe it makes him feel just a little bit safer, a little bit warmer, a little bit brighter.

[lotuzies]

𝜗𝜚 STUFF I MANIFESTED — proving it's easy

⭑.ᐟ bts concert

this was probably the first thing i've ever manifested while being aware of loa! this was in 2019, way before it was even popular on tiktok, the community was all on youtube and amino (rip). this also goes to show that: yes, you can indeed manifest with limiting beliefs! all i did was listen to a bunch of subliminals & affirm every time i could. the circumstances were against me, family was short on money, bts wasn't coming to the country near me, and still, little 11yo me went to paris for her first concert ever :)

⭑.ᐟ missing school

lmao all the time, however i do mostly not having a specific class (mostly p.e.). also i should add i don't really use any methods for my manifestations, i just choose the desire and decide it's done.

⭑.ᐟ stopping the rain

all the time too! it's a 10 minute walk every morning from my house to the bus stop, of COURSE i'll stop the rain so my hair doesn't get messed up. or yesterday, it was raining VIOLENTLY (it's literally spring wth) but me and my mom had to go run some errands, so i stopped it.

⭑.ᐟ iphone 15

my iphone 11 was on it's deathbed, specially the battery that had already been changed and it started malfunctioning again. when the iphone 15's came out, i fell in love with the baby blue one, the color is so gorgeous and i liked the new dynamic island. last year, my mom said she'd buy me a new phone for my birthday, on our way to the store she mentioned that she was going to buy the iphone 14. i simply nodded, knowing i'm the creator of this reality and i literally get to choose what i want, i kept affirming i'd get my iphone 15. cut to: the store employee told us that the iphone 14 in blue was not available, but the price for the 15 was just more ninety euros, making my mom oblige. now i'm writing this post from my beautiful baby blue iphone 15 :)

can u tell i really wanted a blue phone

⭑.ᐟ waist

i was so incredibly insecure while growing up, and developed a weird obsession with a tiny waist. it's worth mentioning that i was a naturally chubby kid too. i did the same thing i always do, choose the desire and decide it's done, no method, no nothing. now i have a naturally small waist with no work outs or weight lost diets.

⭑.ᐟ going viral

ever since i was little i've always been fascinated by creating content, (aka i was a gacha kid). i've had many many many tiktok accounts, and all of them went viral a moment or another. my current one has 20k followers and videos with over 400k views, one of them with 1 million views and another with 2.5 million.

⭑.ᐟ crushes & love

i really liked a boy around 2020-ish, so i used a bunch of subliminals, backfired because he ended up being so shitty and annoying. (also we were kids lol). my current boyfriend though, i used loa not only to attract him but also to make our relationship healthy (it was a shitshow in the beginning oh god). however i remember i used to affirm "everyone falls for me" or something, my dm's started filling up, and one of my closest girl friends fell for me, resulting in a friendship breakup. it was really cool for my self esteem that used to be non existent, but now i'm taken so it's whatever.

final notes: these are the ones i remember from the top of my head, i hope i could motivate you all since some of these were done with little to no loass knowledge and a massive amount of limiting beliefs!! no method either, just my mind! happy manifesting <3

[hypertechnica]

exploring unexplained darkner lore: WHEN does a darkner gain consciousness, exactly?

alternate title: WOODY THEORY IS ACTUALLY RELEVANT BUT NOT IN THE WAY WE THOUGHT??? MAYBE???

there are so many unanswered questions regarding how darkners and dark worlds “work” and i’m really fascinated by the worldbuilding put out so far - but we still don’t really know what the deal is, not really.

the way ralsei explains dark worlds in chapter 3 basically tells us what we already know, but explicitly - darkners are objects in the light world. they’re not “real” and derive “purpose” from being needed by lightners (which is a whole can of worms.)

as evidenced by lancer’s “all gone!” reaction to susie asking where his dark world went in chapter 2, sealing dark fountains DOES effectively destroy the world, but not necessarily the people inside it (if you decide to recruit them.) there’s an obvious ethical dilemma here that’s been on people’s minds since chapter 1 came out. to me, the biggest question is:

does the dark world always exist, inaccessible to lightners, or is it physically created and destroyed on the same day? are the fountains portals or creators?

the repeated phrase “the unending pillar of darkness that gives my body form” (ralsei’s unused manual)/“the dark fountain that gives the world form” (tv time credits) (there might be more instances im forgetting idk) does imply the latter, as well as the descriptions of “creating fountains” “making dark worlds” as opposed to, say, “opening doors” to them.

but the concept of time here is… weird. darkners consistently refer to the past, every dark world we enter has history, darkners even speak of people from other dark worlds! and the histories always parallel what happened to their corresponding object and space in the light world. chaos king is bitter and hates lightners because they abandoned him and everyone else - because they’re toys left in an abandoned classroom. cyber city doesn’t have this problem because they’re situated in a computer library regularly used by lightners, but queen is struggling with the internet outage. kris’ living room is… a child of divorce. and chapter 4? man i don’t even know. the darkners in the church are so cryptic i haven’t been able to analyse it properly.

so if darkners remember their lives as objects, were they always alive, or were they created by the fountains and “implanted” with those memories? are they even “real” memories?

chapter 3 raises the most questions regarding this. tenna KNOWS kris, watched them grow up. ramb comments on how kris and their friends used to play make believe WITH THE SAME OBJECTS we know now - im failing to remember the line but i know it mentioned how queen and king were at war! and in chapter 4 it’s revealed that dark worlds are warped by the mind that creates them. this raises so many questions - are all objects in the light world sentient and able to communicate with each other, just invisible to lightners? or are objects “summoned” into consciousness with memories of their lives automatically created for them?

and that made me fucking realize. ARE DARKNERS LIKE THE TOYS IN FUCKING TOY STORY???? THINK ABOUT IT. TGINK ANBOUT IT

tenna’s past with spamton is a huge indicator of this - they were business partners, right? and they had a falling out because of a mutual misunderstanding involving the mysterious person calling spamton and making him a Big Shot. well, how the hell did spamton know tenna, if they’re from different dark worlds?

in what i’m fairly certain is game tenna’s last piece of dialogue in the sword route, he says “they never should have brought that computer home…”

spamton knows tenna and mike before tenna’s dark world is created. they communicated and had a relationship before ANY of the dark worlds were created if we take “1997” as the literal year of spamton being a big shot. all because the dreemurs brought a computer home, allowing tenna to meet spamton… now, you could argue that this is because the prophecy is controlling everything, but we already see ways in which the prophecy has been contradicted, so i’m uncertain if the prophecy has THAT strong of a hold on the world. (if that ages bad in the next ten years womp womp)

AND. although we don’t know if this is every object or just objects that have previously been animated via fountains, but tenna shows signs of sentience even in the light world!!! y’all know the line of dialogue with mettaton where he plays a “salacious music video”!!!! look!!!!! THE OBJECTS ARE SENTIENT ITS FUCKING TOY STORY

DARKNERS EITHER LITERALLY LIVE AS SENTIENT OBJECTS (LIKE TOY STORY, THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER, ETC) OR IN A MORE ETHEREAL SENSE LIVE ON A SEPARATE PLANE OF EXISTENCE AS DARKNERS BUT CAN ONLY DIRECTLY INTERACT W LIGHTNERS WHEN A FOUNTAIN GIVES THEM ANTHROPOMORPHIC FORM

WAITER! MORE WOODY THEORY PLEASE gets shot 57 times

[deconstructthesoup]

Have I already posted something like this? Yes. Am I gonna do this anyway? Also yes.

*clears throat*

Reasons why you should read the How To Train Your Dragon books if you haven't already (regardless of whether or not you're a fan of the movies)

The drawings throughout the books can range from being silly little doodles one moment to unforgettable portrayals of some of the most intense scenes in fiction you'll ever read.

Toothless is A Baby (and a bit of an asshole, but in the same way that a cat is an asshole).

Hiccup can verbally communicate with dragons, and the dragon language is canonically composed out of absolute nonsense

Fishlegs is ten times more important to the story due to being Hiccup's best friend, and he also has an incredibly lovely arc of his own.

Speaking of arcs, Hiccup's arc throughout the series is a beautiful portrayal of a misfit becoming a hero in his own way and advocating for the rejection of all of the flawed ideals that his ancestors put into place.

Seriously, this is a book series about choosing to be intelligent, imaginative, and empathetic in a society that wants you to be the opposite of all of that.

While Astrid is great, Camicazi---the character who was probably her jumping-off point, since they both have a dragon named Stormfly---is a feral gremlin of a girl who we should all aspire to be (also, as far as I can recall, there's never any hints of there being something romantic between her and Hiccup, or her and Fishlegs---it's just a great platonic friendship between the three of them, which is a win for me personally).

Alvin the fucking Treacherous. This, to me, is something that the movies absolutely should've added, because he is one of the best goddamn villains... ever. I genuinely cannot think of any other piece of media that shows the main antagonist developing side-by-side alongside the hero, becoming a worse and worse threat as the story gets darker and the stakes get higher, but my god did it rewire my mind as a kid... and for spoilers, that's all I'll say about it!

The dragon designs are the. Most. Fun. Every single kind of dragon in this series is unique, memorable, and more often than not, really hammers in the fact that "dragon" is a word that encompasses a vast number of traits---really, it just means a creature that's weird and somewhat reptillian, and these books take that concept and run. With. It.

THE LORE AND FORESHADOWING IS FUCKING LEGENDARY. If I go into any detail, I will spoil so much, but let it be known that if you're writing a story, and you want to work in foreshadowing and big reveals in both a mystery and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it fashion, these books are a masterclass in how to do it. Loose threads that you don't even know existed will be woven in right when you least expect it.

Honestly... I don't think it's too much of a stretch to compare How To Train Your Dragon to Adventure Time, because their way of storytelling is similar in all the best ways. Yes, at first, it leans more on the comedic side of things, but as you delve further into the story, it unfolds into a truly fascinating epic about growing up and what it means to be a hero... and it also gets very, very dark. I'm not exaggerating when I say that some parts of the later books gave me nightmares, and I loved every second of it.

Big fucking kaiju sea dragons with eyes that shoot lightning what more could you WANT

[theprettynosferatu]

I Have Lost My Goddamn Mind

Or

The Dreaded Belle Delphine Post

Part the First: A Most Unnecessary Introduction

I cannot explain why, exactly, I started thinking about Belle Delphine. It's not lust, and it's not outrage I feel, nor is it some strange longing. If anything, what I feel is more akin to professional admiration.

Many did it before her, and many will do it after. But I struggle to imagine someone doing it smarter than her.

You know her, even if only as a half-forgotten tidbit about "that girl that sold her bathwater". But her influence cannot be denied. She emerged almost fully formed as the platonic ideal of the "egirl"; so much so that it's hard to separate how much of that aesthetic preceded her and how much is inspired by her, or her many, many imitators. At the time it seemed like she had been always there, lurking in dreams and the secret fantasies of so many.

We all know she is a person. A human like us. But it felt like we summoned her, brought her from beyond space and into our mortal world with our desires.

The truth is far less esoteric: Belle Delphine does not exist.

She never has.

She is a character. Fiction, in the way that all online personas are, to a degree, fictional- only more so. She is product and art. She is the creation not of a woman but, in fact, a couple. And it was brilliant.

So why don't we hear about her like we used to? Well, to figure that out, we need to understand why it worked to begin with.

Part the Second: Deniable Hentai

It's truly fascinating to read what was said about Belle Delphine before she did outright porn. She was written about in Rolling Stone, in Insider, in the Spectator... mainstream publications tried to make heads or tails of her. They called what she made "performance art", or "surreal erotica", or "sexy trolling". She said she was just goofing around.

That was a lie.

She was never random. She was never just silly. She was calculated, pointing at something without fully going in on it, going right up to the line in a way that felt alien to many, but all too familiar to her target audience.

She was referencing not real porn, but Hentai.

The octopus is not a lol so random choice. It hints at that age old hentai chestnut of tentacle sex.

The face, which we now all recognize as ahegao, is not just a sexy, goofy face. It's an expression used in hentai- more concretely, in the kind of hentai where the lovely lead breaks and the pleasure is too much to bear, so dignity goes away.

Her many "troll" videos of her eating, among other things, photos of men points towards vore, a kink mostly explored in hentai.

Make no mistake: she was making porn. Without taking her clothes off, without ever stating it, giving herself just enough room to pass it off as "goofing around", her work would be read, by the right people, the people in certain kink communities, as porn. Secret porn. Stealth porn.

And they would eat it up.

The longer she kept her clothes on, the more ravenous the desire for her to cross the line, to become what the audience knew she was hinting at. The more she didn't do porn, the more the anticipation grew.

The need for her grew to the point that people paid for her bathwater.

Sidenote: it was never her bathwater in reality. But the concept is where kink lives.

She started a pornhub account. She posted no "porn" on it. She titled the videos in a way that could be read as porn, or as trolling. The joke was obvious: the video titled "Pewdiepie goes DEEP inside Belle Delphine" was just her eating a picture of the famous YouTuber. Funny gag. But also, for part of the audience, another hentai reference.

And so it came to pass that a 20 year old girl edged the internet. For months. And months.

But where could she go from there? How much could she tease being living hentai without showing a single nipple? How to keep the gag from growing old?

Part the Third: The Disappearance of Belle Delphine

And then she was gone.

The content mills churned. They spat out theory after theory. That she had been arrested (thanks to a fake mugshot provided by Delphine herself). That she had experienced a mental breakdown. That she had been kidnapped.

She just... vanished. And the public, the drama channels, the social media users did all the work for her. How to keep the buzz going? Simply stop.

And yes, she left her patreon in the dark and in the dirt. I said she was smart. I never said she was ethical.

The truth, it would later turn out, was that the vanishing was planned. As rest, yes, but also as a way to fan the flames for the endgame. How can the public miss you if you won't go away?

And so, she waited. She saw the aesthetic she brought to the masses become a genre of "girl". She saw the theories and the hit pieces and she... waited. And waited.

And just as the public began to forget her, to move on, she entered her final act. She did the one thing she knew she could not come back from- but it didn't matter. It had been the plan all along.

She returned and made porn.

Part the Fourth: The Death of Belle Delphine

When she returned, brand new onlyfans in her arsenal, Belle Delphine was murdered by her creator.

She made a ton of money. Her onlyfans exploded. Chances are she has enough money, at age 25, to never work again.

But the OF came with promotion. And so she went on podcasts and did the one thing that could destroy Belle Delphine: reveal her fictional nature.

It's bizarre to listen to those interviews. There she is, speaking about Belle Delphine in the third person. Speaking not as the character but the creator. Revealing she had been in a relationship all along. Explaining why she vanished. How everything had been planned out from the very start.

The show was over. The thin line that let people believe that maybe, perhaps there was something real behind the bizarre sex icon disintegrated.

She was a sex worker, playing a very carefully constructed character. She was a person. She was no longer a personification of a million hentai-fueled fantasies. She worked hard. She was smart.

She was brilliant. But human.

Her audience never truly wanted "human".

She still makes a lot of money. She is still working, like so many other sex workers. She is now an icon, an inspiration, the popularizer of an entire aesthetic. But she is, in a way, in the past tense.

She's not even 30 yet. And she's in the past, in our memories more than our feeds.

Now let's not weep for the rich girl. She played her hand masterfully. She held back, teased, gestured towards porn in a way that made it so people couldn't call it porn, while being porn all along. She had a plan, entered the endgame, cashed in.

Is she a good person? I have no idea. Has she acted ethically? Not always. Is she a villain? I doubt it.

But god damn it, she did it.

And she did it smarter than anyone else.

[bewitched-hours]

Hi again, i hope you don't mind me requesting a polyship, if so can i please ask for a...

Yan! Alien! Paycheck x Astronomer! Human! Reader

Maybe some Angst and Fluff in the end.

Plot: where the reader is lonely at home and has a pet cat and works as a scientist of discovering and looking out for stuff in outer space.

But one night, a ufo crashes down containing alien chance and elliot, so the reader helps them fix their ship and not tell anyone about their existence.

they return back to their planet, but in another day they both decide to bring the reader along as a thank you, but they both want them to stay so they tried to but refuses and tries to escape but is knocked out.

and the reader turns into a alien too along with their cat because of Chance's gun and Elliot's Pizza.

I am not sure if this is extreme, so yeah its okay if you don't want to.

Bye! Ty!

I love polyship asks! Especially ones like this! Also, I'm gonna assume you're talking about their Alien skins but if that wasn't what you wanted I'm sorry- Also also- I was genuinely confused on the "reader turns into a alien too along with their cat because of Chance's gun and Elliot's Pizza" bit so I decided to change it, so sorry again-

Reader's pronouns are She/They!

You truly were too kind for your own good...

Ever since you were a child, you had such an odd fascination with the galaxy, it's why you became an astronomer.

You were practically working overtime on your studies day in and day out. Most were pretty concerned but you brushed them off, considering you still had your cat, Gubby, at home.

Was it weird to name her Gubby? Yeah. But do you regret it? Not in the slightest.

And Gubby was always such a loving companion, even reminding you to take care of yourself through habits you formed with her early on.

You had initially found her behind your workplace, crying in pain with a twisted leg. And you spared no expense in helping her get better.

It was in your nature to care for others, no matter if they were human or not.

So really, who were you to be blamed when you've had actual aliens crash in your yard and were so quick to help them out?

You may not have understood them but they looked pretty adorable with their outfits. One reminded you of a pizza place you used to visit as a kid that always had a space vibe. The other reminded you more of old-timey mafia movies which was pretty funny but you tried your best to communicate with them while you had worked on their otherworldly technology.

It was the most interesting time of your life but you decided not to tell anyone about it. Ever.

You knew humanity wasn't ready to receive them. You would take this to your grave before allowing any of those old sci-fi movies to turn into reality.

Little did you know that they had been watching you ever since...

Your routines, habits, even your social circles...

And they were preparing their plan for quite some time...

You awoke in the middle of the night to noises outside your bedroom door. Grumbling, you figured it was just Gubby trying to get in.

"Doggy door, Gubby..." You called out with a tired sigh as you rolled over to continue sleeping.

... But then you noticed Gubby staring at the door in alarm...

... Laying right next to you...

Meaning whatever you heard...

You had little time to panic as the door to your bedroom had already opened and two shadowy figures quickly held onto you and Gubby, making sure not a sound slipped out as a strange liquid was forced into your mouth.

You didn't even have to swallow it for it to take effect. It tasted sweet but your body quickly went weak despite your efforts to fight whoever was holding onto you...

By the time you've awaken again, you found yourself inhaling a strange scent. It was similar to air but felt thicker in your lungs and somehow reminded you of... Apple pie??

Groaning, you tried to get ahold of your senses and weakly glanced around.

The room felt strangely sci-fi. Some unusual geometry, decorations that you've never seen from any store...

And Gubby was right beside you, albeit looking a little different.

She had strange markings all over her fur, making you worry. Did you have those markings too? You couldn't entirely tell without a mirror while you were still tied up in some weird fabric blanket.

Luckily, you wouldn't be without answers for long when you heard the doors open. As expected, they opened just like those sliding doors in alien movies...

The ones where... People end up... On different plan-

Oh you've gotta be kidding...

"You're finally awake! I was worried the transmutant wouldn't accept humans as compatible vessels..." Hold on now-

Not only were you kidnapped by the same two aliens that you had helped just a few months prior... But now you could understand them...?

... You definitely had those markings like Gubby's...

"Well, you're probably really confused and we're sorry we had to take you so suddenly but luckily you're okay! I'm Elliot, you can call him Chance." The two began their introduction with you still as confused as ever. "We've been... Observing-"

"Elliot, we can't talk our way outta this so let my charm carry us both~" Chance suddenly piped up and began untying you as he cleared his throat.

"Yes, we've been stalking you. We were fascinated with your kindness and secrecy and since we couldn't understand humans, we decided to develop a transmutant liquid with which we could help you become more like us and show you a life you could've only dreamt of~" He made it sound almost heavenly to your ears...

"Although, we know better than to interfere with pack bonds so we decided to bring along your pet and help you feel less lonely when we aren't home." Elliot seemed nervous. But you couldn't be sure anymore since you weren't even talking or being human anymore...

Attempting to keep calm, you picked up Gubby and were relieved when she began purring in your arms. You were both covered in a strange substance that felt more like skin than your actual skin but she still recognized your scent... Clever kitty...

"Wait, so I can't even go out or explore?" You asked, thinking about what your options even were anymore. You weren't human anymore so trying to return home would be useless, especially with your entire language being changed. You couldn't speak 'normally' even if you wanted to.

The two of them shook their head, Elliot seeming more nervous about it while Chance just grinned. "Not for a long time! We gotta make sure you stay safe like you did for us and that requires waiting for you to be fully turned. We've luckily got different schedules so you'll be able to spend time with at least one of us anytime!"

... He sounded a little too excited there... You had a lot to learn about expressions with... Whatever this Alien race called itself...

Regardless, you decided to just sigh and nod, seeming to be received positively by them both as they held you in a group hug. "Then from today on, you'll be our mate until we can officially make you ours!"

You were what-

Anything you'd like to request/ask? Check out my pinned post first and I'll be happy to write up whatever you want!

[greenandsorrow]

Hi! How are you? Could you write the alphabet to yandere salesman sfw?pleasee

Hey anon! I'm doing great rn (after a month of creative hiatus, personal & family struggles, procrastinating uni projects, etc), I found my will to live again & it's partially because I love summer! I live in Greece, so I get the premium experience, but don't let that make you think Mykonos summer either 😅

SFW SALESMAN ALPHABET

~Yandere edition~

A = Affection

He's subtle.

You won't catch him smothering you in public affection, but everything he does is for you ...gifts, favors, well-timed "coincidences". His affection is layered beneath polite smiles and measured glances that linger a little too long.

B = Blood

He doesn't get messy if he can help it. Blood is conspicuous. But if someone threatens you? They'll disappear without a drop spilled.

His violence is clinical, silent and never traced back.

C = Communication

The kind of man who shows up when you least expect it, always knowing exactly what to say. He actually listens more than he talks. Every word you say is stored away like treasure -he'll use it to charm or manipulate when needed.

D = Devotion

Unshakable.

Eternal.

You may think you're just a fleeting fascination -but to him, you're the only game worth playing. His devotion is silent and terrifying, like a noose you didn't know was already around your neck.

E = Effort

He's strategic. You'll receive tailored job offers, bumped into by "chance" at cafes, surprise gifts in your mailbox.

He won't just love you -he'll fucking engineer your life so you can't imagine existing without him.

F = Fear

He doesn't want you to fear him… but he wouldn't mind it either.

Fear makes people obedient. If you're a little scared, at least it means you're paying attention.

G = Games

Everything is a game.

From psychological chess to manipulation, he thrives on.... You guessed it. Strategy. You'll never know if he's being genuine -or if you're already part of something much larger.

H = Hell

He'd easily walk through hell to keep you safe.

But he'd also drag others into hell without blinking if they got in the way. For him, morality bends around you like gravity.

I = Intimacy

Nothing too forward.

Just enough to make you wonder... "Did he mean that touch? That stare? That compliment?" He likes to keep you unsteady. Intimacy is a slow burn -until you're the one begging for closeness.

J = Jealousy

Sharp and controlled.

He'll smile through his white teeth while someone flirts with you, then have that person blacklisted, evicted, or quietly vanish.

He doesn't raise his voice. He raises consequences.

K = Kidnapping

Only if necessary.

If you keep resisting, if the world won't let you be together -then yes. He'll make you disappear into comfort, luxury, and him.

You won't suffer. He'll make sure of it.

L = Love Letters

Handwritten notes.

Cryptic riddles.

Ddakji folded with messages inside.

His confessions are veiled but unmistakably sincere.

M = Manipulation

Master of it.

He won't guilt trip you. He'll re-route your whole life until choosing him feels like your idea. He doesn't break wills -he remodels them.

N = Neediness

On the surface? Calm, composed, professional.

But beneath it all, he's starving for your attention. The moment you pull away, he feels it like withdrawal.

You're his addiction.

O = Obsession

You aren't just someone he likes.

You're the variable.

The great unknown he wants to understand and possess. He tracks your patterns, habits, even your silences. You're the equation of his life.

P = Protection

You'll never feel unsafe -because you aren't. He watches everything. If someone even thinks about hurting you, or even sabotaging you, they won't get the chance to act.

Q = Quirks

He always carries red and blue ddakji, even if he's not playing. Sometimes he leaves them for you.

A token. A warning. A dare.

And he always adjusts his tie before speaking to you, even if it's already perfect.

It's less about neatness and more about control.

R = Rage

It's rare and silent.

No yelling. Just a shift in atmosphere. Eyes colder. Voice lower. When he's angry, it feels like the world is suddenly dangerous in a way you can't describe.

S = Stalking

Of course.

He has cameras, microphones and eyes everywhere. You don't notice it, not until he casually mentions something he shouldn't know.

T = Touch

Light, polite, deliberate.

A hand on your lower back. Brushing fingers as he hands you something. When he finally lets himself truly touch you, it'll be after he's ensured you won't pull away.

U = Uncanny

There's something about him that feels off, even when he's being charming.

The too-perfect smile, the way he never seems caught off-guard. Like he's always ten steps ahead.

V = Violence

He prefers psychological warfare.

But if it must be done, as previously mentioned, he's surgical. Efficient. Cold.

You'll never see it, but you'll feel its absence, like someone neatly erased from your life. Maybe that waiter that always smiled too much while taking your order.

W = Weakness

You.

He's built himself to be untouchable, but you… you're his flaw. He'd give up the game for you.

Or worse-

He'd rewrite the rules of his life around you.

X = Xoxo (hugs & kisses)

Rare and restrained.

He doesn't kiss in public. But in private? Slow. Possessive. Like he's claiming you, like you're a victory.

Y = Yearning

Constant.

Quiet.

Torturous.

He's always thinking of you. Planning and imagining. His yearning bleeds into everything he does -it's the only real thing left in his world.

Z = Zen

His calm is unnerving.

Even when furious, he never loses control. He believes the world is chaos and that you're the only variable worth anchoring to.

You are his peace, even if he's your storm.

Hope you liked it and I'm so sorry for the huge ass delay! I kept the reader neutral bc you didn't specify a gender.

Squid Game masterlist

Support your struggling uni student! Ty! PayPalLink ♥️

[juicykvnture]

SPRING BREAKERS (2)

Jason Todd x fem!Reader x Roy Harper | Challengers AU

Tags: AFAB reader, somno (brief), PiV, thigh fucking, threesome, Jason’s a loser, Roy’s a perv, Reader’s a menace.

a/n: I don’t have a single respectable thing to say.

wc: 3k

part 1 | masterlist

You hate the Stanford dorms more than anything in the whole world, especially in the heat.

All these thousands of dollars poured into your college every single year, only for every single AC unit in the building to be unusable.

“I’m literally going to die.” Roy all but whines as he stares up at the ceiling, fanning his face with a random copy of Vogue he found somewhere in your closet.

“Roy, do me a favour, yeah?” You lift your head from the pillow, reaching over to give the busted fan on your nightstand a solid whack so it keeps spinning, then another one for good measure.

“Mhm?”

“Go slam your head into that wall over there.”

He’s dazed for a moment, his brain working overtime to figure out what you could possibly want from him before he blinks, his lips curling into a small, almost childish pout.

“What did I ever do to you?” He frowns like an idiot, strands of his red hair clinging to his forehead.

“Live, breathe, exist in the same vicinity as me, perhaps?”

What? He asked, you answered.

“You’re lying. You love me.” He grins up at the ceiling, waving the magazine around in his hand before attempting to swat your thigh with it.

Unfortunately, he underestimated how dizzy the heat makes him, resulting in it landing on the floor.

“I can assure you, she doesn’t.” Jason mutters, standing in the doorway of your bathroom, water dripping down his neck and rolling down his bare chest from dunking his face in the sink in a desperate effort to cool off.

“We’re just her boy toys, no? Destined to end up somewhere in a landfill like the rest of ‘em.” He remarks dryly, but you’ve learned to read his expressions and what they mean, he’s just slightly amused judging by the way his eyebrows are slightly raised.

Scoffing, you sit up as you fan your face with your hand, peering over at him through your lashes.

“You make me sound like a bitch.”

Silence.

Jason’s eyes are anywhere but yours, deciding to focus on the fan on your bedside table and how unpredictably it moves, spinning in one direction, and then the other before stopping completely.

A lot like you, he thinks.

Did he seriously just compare you to a fucking busted-up fan?

Roy isn’t saying anything either, now suddenly extremely fascinated by the seam running across your pillow in his lap, dragging his fingers over it.

Okay, maybe you deserved that?

You haven’t brought up what happened last week, like at all. But fuck, if they’re blaming you for this then it’s just hypocritical.

They were literally both there. You’re all somewhat functional adults, yet all three of you are dancing around this.

It seems you’ve all decided to park that thought for now. It’s the hottest day of the year so far and you’re more focused on trying not to literally evaporate on the spot.

Still, this week has been different. You’re spending more time together which is a miracle considering how much of a headache both of them are. Jason has the communication skills of a plank of wood and Roy is so painfully ridiculous you wonder how he’s even made it into adulthood.

The glances linger now, they’re not fleeting like they used to be. Jason is now able to handle a conversation with you for just about 15 seconds at a time, which is great compared to the one or two syllables you used to be able to force out of him.

Roy is still Roy, just more shameless, a feat you didn’t even know was achievable by human standards. His tennis mightn’t be good enough for the Olympics but if there were awards for being the biggest manwhore, he’d know all about having balls in his court.

You haven’t gotten your shirt back either, it’s the only sort of cotton house shirt that wasn’t some kind of overpriced, polyester piece of shit like the ones you wear on the court.

He claims he lost it but knowing Roy, it’s probably shoved under his mattress or something like the freak he is. You grimace at the possibility of him jerking off into it. Your poor T-shirt.

As some weird kind of compensation, he offered you one of his instead. You were hesitant but you needed something breathable in this kind of weather.

Jason blinks for a moment, stepping out of the doorway to stare at what you’re wearing.

I TOLD YA

Bold, black lettering, printed across your tits.

“How’d you get my shirt? I’ve been looking for it.”

You glance down at yourself, then at Jason, and then over at Roy in confusion.

Okay, well you may be on the verge of a heatstroke but even in this state, you all know that items of clothing don’t tend to magically duplicate themselves.

“Roy gave it to me? It’s his shirt..” you trail off, glancing between the two of them once more.

Jason’s hands fall by his sides, staring at Roy.

“How? I have the exact same one and haven’t been able to find it since-“

He pauses, resting his hands on his hips.

Glancing between the two of them, you’re confused for a moment, fidgeting with the hem of it as the three of you work to find the true origins and rightful owner of the shirt you’re currently wearing.

And just like that, it all falls into place, Jason running a hand through his hair.

“Dude.”

If Jason’s shirt has somehow been in Roy’s custody this long.. you’re nearly sure it has gone through the same fate as your one at some point.

Oh!

“Roy you fucking freak.” You mumble into your pillow, reaching out to flip it so the cold side presses against your face.

He just curls his lips into an awkward, somewhat apologetic smile, offering a shrug.

“Jesus, I washed it before I gave it to you, okay?”

Yeah, as if that makes this any better.

“That doesn’t make this any better for me, you fucking degenerate!” Jason groans into his hand, his cheeks flushing from equal parts grave embarrassment and the sweltering heat in your dorm.

“No no no, Jay, you don’t get to call me the degenerate, not after what happened last week-”

Silence, again.

Rolling your eyes you give the fan another solid whack, glancing between them with raised eyebrows.

“Oh, so you two have zero problems jerking eachother off every fucking night, but facing last week is a stretch too far?” You let out an irritated scoff, only to be interrupted by Jason sputtering, throwing his hands up in surrender, his eyes fixed on the floor.

“He did it in his bed, okay? I did it in my bed. We did it together, but like opposites sides of the room..”

He’s rambling, over-explaining.

Roy makes a dismissive gesture of his hand with every syllable he utters, unable to hold back a smirk.

“No, Jason. If my memory serves me right, I can recall you getting up and-“

“Confront your crippling feelings at another time. My head hurts, kay?” You cut them off, letting your face hit the pillow again.

You’re not sure what time it is, you don’t care to check. All you know for sure is the fact you’re still boiling out of your skin and you swear the fan on the side table has been stuck like that since you fell asleep, it sputters awkwardly every couple minutes but judging by the sweat dripping down your neck, it’s useless.

“..stop moving.” You hear a mumble muffled by the pillows, not entirely sure if it’s Jason or Roy talking. You’re too tired to ask, too lazy to lift your head, and too hot to think.

“You’re fuckin’ sweatin’ all over me.” You grumble under your breath, the heavy bodies draped over you on either side making the whole space even warmer.

None of them move, and you hear no response either.

“Jason?” You whisper-yell, only to be met with a sleepy grumble into your neck, his arm draped over your torso.

Right, so it’s Roy who’s complaining then? You’re not entirely sure, though. That must be who’s back you’re facing at the moment.

It seems Roy’s grumble was a one-off and he’s gone back to sleep, thank god, you’ve had enough of his whining for the day.

You shift slightly, attempting to push them off of you, even if it’s just by an inch, only so you can breathe better.

Jason’s having absolutely none of it. Not after Roy cockblocked him last week. He’s not letting that happen this time. No fucking way.

“No, come back,” he breathes against your neck, his fingers curling into the fabric of your (his? Roy’s?) shirt, pushing it up and out of this way.

You’ve heard him say those exact words before. The night all of you refuse to acknowledge.

That goes straight over your head though, your face pushed into your pillow until you feel hands sliding up from your hips to your stomach, fingers pressing into your ribs.

“The fuck?” Your mutter is barely audible, unable to bring yourself to open your eyes.

Jason’s breathing is unsteady, trying to keep himself quiet by pushing his face into your neck, your skin heating up even more.

One of his hands slides back down to your hips, fumbling with the waistband of your underwear to pull it down your thighs, a small, frustrated whine soon following, his sounds muffled by your shoulder.

“Shit, you’re so pretty,”

He swallows, his cock throbbing in his sweatpants as he pushes himself against you, pressing himself against your ass. It’s like he needs to be as close to you as he physically can, despite the heat. He really does.

“M’sorry, fuck m’so sorry..”

His mumbles into your neck are barely coherent, pressing a trail of sleepy, haphazard kisses down the back of your neck, his shaky hand now going to fumble with his waistband, tugging at the drawstrings while he pushes his face into your shoulder in a desperate effort to keep himself quiet.

Your tired little mumbles are so sweet he swears he could just die (or cum) on the spot. You’re so sweet like this. As much as he secretly loves when you make fun of him or boss him around, what he’s feeling for you now is just indescribable.

He almost has a heart attack when he feels you moving, his breathing shaky as he stares at the back of your head through half-lidded eyes.

No, No, No

You’re going to hate him. He’s ruined everything. He feels like he could cry, but he wouldn’t even have a fucking excuse to explain himself other than his almost pitiful need for you.

Shit. He’s done it. He’s definitely fucked up now and you’re gonna know he’s a fucking creep and you’re gonna turn around any second and yell at him and-

He blinks in disbelief, feeling your hand resting over his to stop the fact he’s still fucking around aimlessly with the flimsy cotton, trying to get your panties down your thighs.

And when he feels your hand slide down lower, pulling your underwear to the side - he swears he can’t breathe.

“Thank you, thank you - fuck - thank you,” He’s panting in your ear like a mantra, his hips stuttering as he attempts to line himself up against you, his pre-cum already leaking down your thighs.

Jason seems to be hell-bent on keeping his face hidden in your shoulder, where he attempts helplessly to stifle his own sounds. He’s spooning you in a tangled mess of limbs and bedsheets, in an almost laughable attempt to restrain himself.

He can't fuck you like he wants to, unfortunately, and that kills him inside. Of course, Roy just fucking has to be here huh?

“Fuck,”

Just the thought of it has his grip on your hips tightening.

Don’t get him wrong, he loves Roy, really. But come on, the fact they’re literally fucking inseparable from the court - to sharing a dorm - to literally bending over backwards for the same woman is ridiculous.

“Shit,” he half-whispers, half-whines into your ear with a shaky thrust of his hips. “I don’t give a fuck if he wakes up, serves him right for givin’ me blue balls this whole fuckin’ time.”

He’s lying, he cares.

He’d probably cry out of embarrassment for the fact Roy could see him as weak, sobbing over pussy like last time.

God, he cares so much what that guy thinks. It’s almost laughable.

But he cares what you think more.

Besides, that’s like the most you’ve ever heard him talk in one go. He sounds like he just learned what swearing is.

“Jason,” Your grip on your pillow tightens, reaching your other hand back to the nape of his neck, giving his hair a tug, “S-shut. Up.”

You manage to open your eyes, your half-lidded gaze landing on the back of Roy’s head, trying to keep yourself and Jason quiet.

Roy is quiet. Eerily quiet.

Now, those are two words that simply shouldn’t belong in the same sentence.

He hasn’t moved an inch in a while you swear you're getting wetter by the second. You can tell Jason can feel it too, panting into your shoulder like a bitch.

You’re tempted to just roll your eyes and somehow find a way to move this to the couch or something, part of you feels bad that you’re making Jason hold back like this. Another part of you wants to ignore Roy, tell Jason to hurry up and make you cum so you can forget about all of this even happening.

Then you hear it.

A quiet creak from the far side of the mattress.

Your eyes narrow, now locked on Roy’s back in front of you, the muscles rippling under his skin as he moves.

The thought of it makes you tense, Jason can feel it too, you’re moving your hips back against him, your hand going to hold his as he ruts against you, his teeth sinking into the back of your neck.

Roy sighs, loudly. Loud enough to have your eyes fully open along with Jason trying not to cry into your neck, shaking with need and rambling under his breath about how badly he just needs to fuck you harder.

“Harper,” Your words leave you before your brain even registers them, Jason hiding his face in your hair.

“Uh-huh?” Roy swallows, internally praying to every single deity to ever exist that you’re not about to ask him to-

“Turn around,”

He’s silent when your words hit his ears, echoing through his otherwise empty skull before he jolts, his shorts halfway down his thighs with his hand wrapped around himself, pushing his face into your other shoulder.

When words finally find him, he’s biting down on your collarbone, a stark contrast to Jason’s messy kisses as he tries to hold himself back.

“You two aren’t fucking subtle.” Roy’s words leave his mouth in a rasp, lifting one of your thighs up so he has a better angle for himself, his chest now presses against yours.

“I could feel your fucking eyes on the back of my head,” He swallows, his fingers digging into the flesh of your thigh, moving to slot himself between them.

“And don’t get me fucking started on Jay over here.” He scoffs, fumbling with the drawstring of his shorts to push them down his thighs.

Jason’s trying to hide his face in your neck, but it’s clearly not working, considering the way he throbs inside you when Roy’s eyes lock onto his.

It’s a weird mixture of shame and sheer desperation, his arm locking around your torso like you’re his only shield from his own embarrassment.

You can hear Roy pant out a shaky laugh, running a hand over his sweat-slicked hair to tuck it out of his eyes, his form keeping you boxed against Jason.

It’s like you’re walking in on something again, even when Jason is literally balls deep inside you.

“Fuck,” he lets out a shaky breath, pressing himself into your thighs while Jason’s hips are trembling, trying to keep himself together as he fucks you from behind.

Roy tilts his head to kiss you, his breathing laboured as his pierced tongue brushes against yours, his half-lidded eyes aren’t on you though.

They’re locked on Jason, unwavering.

He pulls his lips away from yours, staring at Jason through his half lidded gaze before your pushing his face down into your neck, biting lightly at your skin as he pushes himself into your thighs, pulling one of your legs over his hip.

“He’s obsessed with you, yknow that? And you think I’m the perv.”

“Roy, can you just shut the fuck up?” Jason’s voice cracks, his grip on you tightening with an all but desperate thrust of his hips, hiding his face in your hair again.

“What? Am I hurting your feelings jaybird? Embarrassing you in front of a pretty girl?” Roy sneers, his teeth gleaming under the dim streetlight coming in through the cracked blinds, his grin not leaving his face for a second.

It wouldn’t be the first time. Roy making him embarrassed, that is.

“No, no, he’s lying, fuck- I swear he’s lying.” Jason’s words are more of a plea than anything else, trying to act like he’s normal about all of this, as if he hasn’t been rotting his brain.

“See why the fuck would I lie about that?” Roy murmurs, his one going to your waist as he thrusts himself into the gap between your thighs, his other reaching over your shoulder to pull Jason in by the neck do his chin rests on your shoulder, pressing his thumb against his bottom lip.

Right in front of my salad?

You let your head fall back against Jason’s shoulder, his shaky pants muffled by the nape of your neck as you push yourself back against him.

Your lashes flutter slightly as you stare at Roy, leaning your head against Jason’s now.

“The longer you spend running your mouth about him, the longer you’ll be making it up to him.”

a/n: yeah.

asks + reqs open, thank you for reading my heinous brainrot ily bye

Jason Todd m.list

[misstycloud]

Yandere merman x reader x best friend

———————————————————————

Imagine a darling finding out she’s half-mermaid.

She lives in a small fishing village way out in he country. It’s the kind of town no one ever leaves. You’re born, grow up, and die there. Whole generations of families have lived there since long before.

Her parents are normal folks; father’s sailor and mother’s a stay-at-home wife. But since darlings family is so much like others’, she doesn’t understand why she’s so different. Her mother often jokes about how her first word was ‘sea’ and how she’d find her standing in her crib, staring out the window at the waves crashing into the cliffs.

Darling has been in a constant battle with herself her whole life. Since as long as she can remember she’s had a gripping fascination with the ocean. She can’t help it! Every night when everyone else laid sound-asleep in their beds, did she lie awake and fantasize about sneaking out and disappearing under the dark waves. No matter how hard she tried shutting these thoughts away, they always came back to haunt her.

While her mother thought is was cute and not a problem, it couldn’t be anything more. Her mother didn’t understand- as sweeet as she was. It probably stemmed from her being too busy with darlings younger siblings and doing chores, that she didn’t think of how the village spoke of her daughter. They call her strange and speak of what a waste of beauty on someone like her; she’s no good and you can’t marry her. Her mother didn’t know about how the rest of the kids teased darling. They pulled her her and pushed he on the ground. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence for her to find her school books wet with sea water, since she ‘likes it so much’. The teachers didn’t care either.

The only solace darling can find is in her best friend. He always defended her agaisnt her bullies- which was practically everyone- and stayed by her side, even when he could become affected too. Darling feels he’s too good to her. The times she felt so alone, he was there to comfort her when her confidence was at its lowest. He held her when she cried and patted her back, whispering into her ear about how sweet and beautiful she is.

Then, by chance one day, she meets a merman. She is surprised- merfolk only exists in stories after all! The merman is so inhumanly beautiful. With long hair cascading down his back and a long fish tail. His tail looked very strong, he was no doubt an excellent swimmer. At first she is scared of him, she runs away-ignoring his shouts for her to come back- and keeps to herself in her room. Her family is worried and wonders if something is wrong, but she tells them it’s nothing and that she’s just a little tired. In her room, darling thinks about the merman. How is it possible for him to exist? Was she hallucinating and perhaps he wasn’t real? Are there other mythological creatures out there? After overcoming her initial fear and hesitance, she decides to go back to the beach.

The merman was still there. She dares ask how he can talk and he responds with, “My people don’t speak the way you do, but I have taught myself the language of humans. That’s how I am communicating with you.”

She asks him more questions, all of which he answers truthfully. Or, well, she hoped he wasn’t trying to deceive her. Darling even gained the courage of asking whether the stories of merfolk feastin on human flesh is true, and when the merman confirms it’s indeed true, she backs up. When he notices her alarmed state, he hurriedly add that he would never eat her.

It’s then he hits her with the most shocking reveal of her life. Apparently, he senses mer- blood in her vains.

“….n-no, that can’t be. You must be sensing wrong- I’m human..!”

He sighs. “Merfolk are very intuitive. We always recognise our own kind.”

He reveals that he suspect her of being half- merfolk since the scent of mer is strong on her. Darling thinks it’s laughable, both her parents are perfectly human. It can’t be. Like, she’d notice if one of her parents was a mythological creature with a fish tail as a lower half.

The merman tells her of old stories among his people, of mers who reproduced with humans- whether its be willingly or the human had kidnapped them. The children would always be different. On the surface they appeared like any other human, but on the inside there would constantly be a longing to return to their orgins- the ocean. Darling is conflicted. On one hand she can’t believe what she’s hearing, however, the description of the half- bloods fit her too well.

That night she confronts her father while he’s getting off work. He breaks instantly. She is shocked to discover that her father had an affair with a mermaid whilst being married to her mother. He had discovered her while fishing in an unpopular area and took her with him. He sobs that he couldn’t help it, the mermaid was so enchanting he couldn’t control himself. When the mermaid fell pregnant, he was so scared of what his wife would say when she found out, but when the child came out human, he was puzzled but relieved at the same time. He brought the baby home and played it off as finding it abondoned by the docks.

Darling can’t believe it. Her father was practically a monster. She recalled the tales of kidnapped merfolk held against their will, by the merman. She couldn’t imagine what her birth mother must’ve gone through. Her father begs her not to tell her mother because it would destroy the happy family they’d built.

In the end, she chooses to keep the secret for the time being. The right thing was to tell her mother, but it was also true that it would ruin everything and she didn’t want her younger siblings to grow up in a broken family. The only thing she wanted was for her father to leave her alone and never speak to her unless absolutely necessary. He agreed.

She begins spending all her time by the beach, in the company of the merman. She wondered what his name was, and to her bewilderment, he shrugged and said he didn’t have one. So she decides to give him one herself, Aqualor. It seemed merfolk-y enough. Luckily, the merman didn’t object and smiled instead, accepting the name.

Her best friend is worried though. He can never seem to even catch a glimpse of the love of his life anymore. Where was she? Now that they’d both grown into adults, it became harder to see each other; he had to work to support himself(and her, in the future). He felt horrible about it, but in all honesty he was a little glad the rest of the village didn’t take to her. If they did, surely she would have been taken away from him. Even if she didn’t know it, she was incredibly beautiful. It was impossible for him not to be a little biased, but she truly was the most wonderful thing he’d laid his eyes on. He could only imagine how it’d be if people actually treated her like she looked.

While her best friend felt the separation anxiety, darling count be happier. Finally she had someone who understood her fully. There was someone to relate to when she explained the urge to dive deep beneath the waves and disappear, and how pleasant water felt on her skin. Aqualor understood everything perfectly.

Her best memory was of her first swim with Aqualor. She’d been somewhat sacred in he beginning. Despite her desperate longing for the ocean, she’d never been in it much. It was quite ironic. He’d been so patient with her, never pushing or getting annoyed. He waited until she was more comfortable venturing out in the openness. Now they swam together every day, laughing and playing. Of course, Aqualor was the superior swim more out of the two of them, but darling likes to think she isn’t so shabby herself.

This is how she thought the rest of her life would be like; she and Aqualor enjoying each others company from morning to evening, while she returns home to the village every night. She didn’t have a job- no one would hire her anyway- so why not have fun with your friend? It wouldn’t be the best life, but it’d be peaceful and easy.

However, the ‘easy’ disappeared when Aqualor asked if she’d like to join him in the sea permanently.

“What? What do you mean?” She tilted her head in confusion.

The merman flipped his tail in the shallow water- his upper body was on the sand while the rest of him remained in the water. “Would you not like to come with me? We already spend so much time together, so it would hardly be any different.”

“Yeah, but I can’t just leave. I have to stay with my family.” She glanced back up and could see the tiniest snippet of houses, the village.

“You mean the father who has committed sins, a mother who doesn’t care for your feelings and siblings who forget your existence?” He harshly pointed out. His words stung.

“They’re far from perfect, I know that. But still, I can’t just vanish- I don’t even think I can survive out there!”

He grabbed her hand, his were wet and slightly webbed. It didn’t bother her though.

“Of course you can. Remember your heritage? Besides, I will be there and guide you through it. I will protect you, I will hunt for you. It will just be you and me, happy and content. Doesn’t it sound lovely?”

She went quiet and looked away, unsure.

He continued, “You alway tell me of how the humans treat you. They scorn you and say hateful words about you. That is because you are above them.” He smiled. “You do not belong here- you are mer! You should be with your people.”

“But even if I have mer-blood, I’m still human, look at me.” She stretched out her legs, flexing them and empathising their difference.

“You may have the appearance of a human, you soul, however, it is of a mermaid. You long to be free and to live the life you’ve always meant to live. They can’t keep you here in this…” his voice trailed off to disgust “cage.”

Darling sat and listened to Aqualor’s ramblings. Did he have a point? It’s not like anyone would miss her really. Her friend, yes, but he has so much else to live for. He’s not strange and everyone thinks well of him. He’ll be successful.

“So, what do you say, my coral? Will you join me?”

[gay-dorito-dust]

Got a request, Nina Mazursky x reader.

This is more like a meet cute fic then anything else.

Nina didn’t have a bad bone in her body, this was a fact you knew all too well as fighting was seemingly never in her blood, she was the sweetest soul you had ever gotten to know despite the shit she had to put up with. This was none the more evident when you first met her after accidentally bumping into her and yet she felt the need to apologise first as though it was her own fault.

‘Hey I’m the one who bumped into you sweetheart, you shouldn’t have to apologise.’ You tell her after helping her up from the floor, checking her over with your eyes to make sure she wasn’t hiding any injuries from you out of a need to not be a burden.

It was obvious that your words had some effect on her as she averts her gaze from you and rubs her arm almost sheepishly, she was cute you had to admit, like really cute that you couldn’t help but find her smile and the way her eyes locked onto you after awhile something you wanted to see more of.

‘Even if that is so that won’t stop me from saying forty regardless.’ She replies with a chuckle and you couldn’t help but find yourself more at ease with her then you have with the other monsters, whom have been nothing but pricks every since you came, Nina however made everything seem less shitty then it actually was but you guessed that was just her natural charm and not apart of her appearance whatsoever.

‘Then I guess I’ll have make sure you will never have to say sorry for anything that isn’t your fault,’ you tell her with a shrug, ‘it nice to meet someone who’s not a total dickhead here, it’s refreshing to say the least but I’m sorry but don’t think I caught your name.’ You add as Nina’s smile only grows form a skittish one to a full blow pleasant one.

‘Nina. Nina Mazursky.’ She introduced herself and you found yourself liking the way her name suited her as perfectly as a glove.

‘Well it’s lovely to meet you Nina.’ You said before introducing yourself to her afterwards and hearing your name come from her mouth had never made your own name sound even more appealing then it did coming from your own. The way she said your name was soft, warm and inviting until the snarling from the others. You could tell she was something else indeed and you couldn’t wait to see what other surprises were in store for your budding relationship with the beautiful woman before you.

‘It was lovely meeting you too.’ Nina replies as a calm silence befell you both as you stared at one another, taking in each other and all the intricate details of the others features that you found fascinating about the other, completely unbothered by the lack of conversation as not everything had to be communicated through words when looks and glances exist. And if anyone else saw what was happening they would see tender smiles, hands clasped to one another for a second too longer to be normal and a sense of comfort and a blossoming companionship between the two of you.

You could feel that something more was bound to happen between the two of you, but you’d wait and see what happens rather than go into something headfirst blindly. But something more was bound to happen and until then you’d gladly stand by her side until you could figure out what that could possibly be, even if you did have an inkling in the back of your head, but you had a lot of time to see whether that inkling would be proven true or false.

[elodieunderglass]

Re: your tags on the fungus and petrochemicals:

Excuse me, bramble wine? That sounds absolutely divine, how lucky you are! I hope you enjoyed it (and that I get to make/taste this one day)

(In reference to this post: https://www.tumblr.com/elodieunderglass/757191605386084352/oh-heavens-im-sorry-i-dont-remember-this-at I had to apologise for not being especially coherent in my response to an extraordinarily kind and friendly person as I was several days into a group camping, and had touched too much grass to be coherent, setting aside the bramble wine.)

The camping expedition consisted of seven+ families with children who all know each other extremely well and are growing up in a feral pack together that averages about 30 members. The pack forms at the conjunction of any five children, and therefore often exists in multiple places at once; a mini version can be assembled from as few as two of the core families, but when you have seven of the core, the pack becomes its own entity. For example, exhibiting a fascinating reflection of the hunting behavior of ancestral humans, ten of them together once managed to stalk, hunt and bring down a dragon costume performer at a local festival and sit on it in a few seconds when the adults weren’t looking. They had the light of the hunt in their eyes and they were GOING to have that dragon. Anyway this is not conducive to clear and accurate science communication at the best of times, especially since the usual reason that the pack manages to slip the leash is because the grownups are ordering pints.

For this camping expedition there was one family I didn’t know, but they live on a boat and we could vibe. They were the ones who brought the bramble wine. They were the people who sometimes evolve into Whiskey Hamishes. The bramble wine was made from foraged blackberries, and had been stored in a box on the roof of the boat (so essentially: outside) since 2019. The bottles were covered in rotten leaves and spiderwebs. This is not how you usually treat wine. Even home-brew. Even hedgerow. This is a recipe for converting free materials into as much alcohol as possible without interference.

The wine itself was similar to dark port, very heavy and thick, headachy around the edges. The alcohol percentage was estimated in the double digits. It is hard to explain but the dark black-purple color had no red in it. It was like ink.

Then, after coming into your campsite and kicking most of the party around lightly, it kissed you on the mouth one last time with a mouthful of blackberries and wandered off.

I’ve never had a hangover (hobbit liver) but I didn’t spend much time in dalliance with it. a lot of dads were pretty flat the next morning, but, to be completely fair to them, they DID rouse themselves to take the kids swimming in the river, where they (the dads) laid around recovering like beautiful crocodiles. Thus, all they had to do was lie in the cool mud while children rolled over them like puppies.

Bramble wine!

[forsaken-headcanons]

HELLO IT IS I, BIRD ANON!! I am so back. And by "I am so back", I mean "It's headcanon time". Yeah. That's all. Let us begin!!

• (Sign language headcanon. For this to make sense, imagine that Taph uses American Sign Language. That or the sign language that Robloxians use is essentially American Sign Language) So when Taph was learning sign language, due to being very familiar with the English grammar structure, he had to take some time to try to memorize the grammar structure of the sign language that he uses. Although he's much quicker and fluid when signing, when he originally started learning, his movements were much more rigid and slow. He also signed more with the verbal grammar that Robloxians are familiar with, although by the time he gets forsakened, it would be very hard to tell.

• Speaking of sign language, headcanon that Elliot learned it in order to communicate with his customers. He's definitely not fluid in it, but he's not bad either. Might have to repeat a sign or two here and there, but he can hold his own in a conversation for the most part. He wants to be prepared for anything that a customer signs to him.

• Taph has tiny wings near his face that he cares for immensely. He often does his best to make sure that they look neat, and will spend time in-between rounds taking care of them. If he trusts a survivor enough, he'll ask them to help. This does not happen often, the second part of this.

• Guest 1337 has a bunch of scars. He has a few small scars on his knees from when he was playing on the playground with Matt and Daisy, but they've basically faded with age. He has another from the bullies, this one being on an elbow, but that, too, has faded with time. The most prominent are definitely scars from war, with some of these scars being from the grenade explosion.

• Noob and Chance have talked about their respective pets before (Noob talking about Tac, Chance talking about Spade). I think this would've started when the two were gradually opening up about things that they missed. Focusing on home can be something that makes a survivor feel upset, yes, but sometimes, remembering home gives someone the motivation to continue on. The topic of pets came up, and boom.

• Speaking of which. When naming the bunny, Chance grabbed an entire deck, shuffled it, and blindly picked a card, with the pip of the chosen card being what the name would be (I think that's the correct term). An ace of spades was chosen, and Spade's name was decide.

• Spade mention. Anyways Chance would definitely spoil Spade, thank you for listening. That's all for the pets today.

• C00lkidd likes lollipops. I don't know if this is already canon, but this is canon in my heart. I got this from one skin that exists. I forget the name of it right now, I'm tired and my brain isn't functioning much right now.

• You know the pigeon Taph meme. Yeah. I might make an entire thing dedicated to that (look at me, about to live up to my anon name lol). But that is not today. So pigeons often sleep in higher areas, examples being their nests, branches, or ledges. So during rounds, Taph will often be found in the more higher-elevated areas of maps. Out of rounds, Taph has been spotted in a tree before. Absolutely terrified Noob, who had been the one to find him. Noob didn't even know he was there! They were heading back to the main cabin and saw Taph just sitting there, on a branch that somehow did not collapse.

• Due to Azure's fascination with plants, Two Time is quite familiar with them. This does extend to their meanings and symbolism, honestly. Sure, they're not as good as Azure, but it's better than nothing.

• I feel like Taph would have a really bad burn scar from back when he originally started his job. I think that he would've gotten it during an accidental explosion. He wasn't far enough, and he got caught in the blast. He was fine, somehow, but did walk away with the physical scars. Ever since, Taph became extremely careful with making sure nothing exploded before it was supposed to, since he didn't want to risk a worse fate. And when he got forsakened, this habit lasted for a while, but now he's willing to throw that habit away if he means he gets to survive a few extra seconds.

• The Spectre will rarely change how the rounds work, but that doesn't mean that the Spectre never does. Maybe an extra killer is added, maybe cooldowns are nerfed, maybe friendly fire gets turned on. These rounds are always extra hectic. Always. The first time a survivor experiences these rounds, they're thrown in for a loop. So are the other killers, honestly. Everyone is in for a surprise.

• 1x1x1x1 knows how to cook eggs. Specifically eggs. And she can do them in like. Many ways too. Scrambled, deviled, sunny-side, etc. etc.

• If C00lkidd were to survive enough to be able to drive, he would not be a safe driver. If you know defensive driving, he would not be the one defensively driving. He'd be the reason people have to defensively drive. Terrifying to be a passenger for, but you'd get there in one piece. Hopefully. For the most part. The only thing that would not be alright would be your emotions. Maybe not so bad as he got better, but at the start? Oh. Oh no. (Honestly, I think I can throw something that my brother did here. He was driving with my dad sitting in the front passenger seat to supervise, and he wasn't allowed to drive over 15 miles. That was my dad's rule since it was his first time driving. My brother randomly went thirty just for giggles. I think C00lkidd would do that.)

Thank you all for reading. I am going to sleep and then watch the House Finches and American Robins nesting outside of my house. The baby house finches are so little... I love them. I've known them for less than a week. Earlier today their heads were all popping out of the nest, all curious-like, and I wanted to cry from happiness.

oh these are great oml. taph learning asl lore real?!?! elliot learning sign language for his customers is so sweet! 1x1x1x1 is LIVING up to its name istg, they're an egg connoisseur (is that how you use the word). c00lkidd not being a safe driver is so real LMFAO

putting this in a separate paragraph to say that the hc of how spade's name was chosen is so creative?? hehe. ours now /silly

AWEE YOU HAVE BIRDS RESTING OUTSIDE?? birb... they sound adorable ngl ! yoinking your hcs while you're distracted mwahahaha

[silversodas]

I Am FASCINATED To Know How Welcome Home Works Afrer The Julie Update!!

Man, there is so much to unpack with this update that I didn’t know what to focus on first. So for now I will talk about how I think the world works so far, because damn I gotta hand it to Clown he is withholding just enough information where I am not coming to a clear conclusion but it’s making me want to know more.

But first the big question, do I think there are puppeteers? YES! I believe the puppets and puppeteers are separate people as implied in the Poppy update.

When Poppy gets trapped in her house she has a panic attack, then we hear voices that sound so much like Frank and Sally, but not quiet. Asking her why she didn’t just open the door. Who we think is Poppy even has to question where she is for a second. And she is then like “oh yes, I could have gotten out couldn’t I?”

So what do I think happened? Well, have you ever watched the show Stranger Things? If you have you are probably familiar with the concept of an Upside Down. Stranger Things did not invent the concept of upside downs, they just gave them a name, technically. That’s what the world of Home is, it is an Upside Down of the Play Fellow’s studio. It does not exist in our world, but it does have windows via technicolor screens with its newest viable window being the internet.

The world of Home being an Upside Down is probably how the phrase As Above, So Below comes in. As Above, So Below actually refers to Mind and Body. It means the state of your mind affects your life. It actually has nothing to do with Hell, As Above is Heaven (the mind) and So Below is Earth (the self)

And that ties into Julie’s second voice or her real voice. Do I think the deeper voice is her Puppeteer’s voice? Yes and No. it’s hard to explain, I do believe that it’s her Puppeteer’s voice, but those are Julie’s thoughts and that is Julie talking when her voice changes. So what do I think is happening? It’s…hard to say..I feel like I need more information

But what I think so far is, Play Fellow is actually a group of friends/found Family who are part of the queer community and are differently abled. Each character was based off of a different puppeteer, Wally being based off of the main creator and linch pin of the operation. I think that’s why these characters clash more than flow together, each one was created by a different person.

Julie being her Puppeteers reflection, her untreated anxiety is bleeding through. As Above (play fellow) So Below (Home). I think Play Fellow is made up of people who have been through a lot and Welcome Home was that something that was away from the rest of the world that couldn’t really be bothered with them. But we know that Welcome Home was restricted in some ways.

But again I NEED MORE INFORMATION!!! Because I still have no idea what the monsters in the dark are, I get the feeling that Play Fellow, or at least its main creator, utilized the Upside Down Home place, but I have no idea how! I am getting the idea that Home is in between being real and fake at the same time though. But characters like Sally not understanding the items that Howdy sold her were not food, but Howdy understanding what the iteams actually are, are making me draw a blank. But I look forward to the next lore dump so I can put more pieces together

[strawberryhotlips]

༆THE LAST WOMAN ON EARTH ☢︎︎- ➪enhypen ot7 x fem reader

SYNOPSIS: Moving to South Korea at just 20 years old to study medicine was something that made you extremely proud. You had so many plans for the future, but it seems that fate doesn't want the same for you. Overnight, a virus that affects only women spreads throughout the world, causing all the women in the world to die in a matter of weeks. You were the only one left standing, the problem? Nobody knew, only you. As time passed, you managed to survive this post-apocalyptic world, where you had to hide from men because if someone knew that a woman still existed, everything would go to hell for you. You didn't expect seven strangers to break into your house in the middle of the night and you didn't expect what was going to happen next either.

Word count: 2300

Pairing: enhypen! x fem!reader

Genre: Suspense, death, dystopian, post-apocalyptic world, angst, too much drama, slow burn, smut as the chapters go by (mdni), fluff, possessiveness, jealousy, fights, toxicity, lots of love (I know, it sounds contradictory) enhypen x femreader, polyamory, enhypen are complete losers for the reader in the best way, strangers to lovers and other things that may happen later

Warnings!⚠️: Death, loss of loved ones, use of weapons, depression and anxiety problems, mentions of suicide, survival, vulgar and sometimes offensive language, graphic descriptions of traumatic events. If you are sensitive, don't read it for your own good.

Status: ongoing (16-01-2025 -)

Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction, everything came out of my head, the personality of the characters are not real and do not represent them in real life in any way, any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental. Everyone is of legal age in this universe. English is not my first language so you will probably find spelling mistakes.

Hi everyone! This is the first chapter, hope you like it and enjoy reading it as much as i do! There's too much drama in this first chapter, but things will go slowly, i promise the boys will appear in the second chapter!

CHAPTER I: "Disaster"

more under the cut ☟︎︎

A life full of plans ahead; studies, work, travel...really! you had many projects that you loved to talk about with your friends, your family and even your coworkers and they all told you the same fucking thing “stop dreaming, put your feet on the ground and be real” Yeah, it was hard to receive those comments and that the only person who trusted you, was yourself. But everyone had to shut their mouths when you started to achieve your goals, little by little, but you did it, from finishing high school with the best GPA to getting into the prestigious university in Seoul, South Korea. It was literally on the other side of the world, but it was your dream since you were a child. The culture of the country fascinated you, as well as the language and the people; everything seemed wonderful to you. 

You managed to get a job to be able to pay for everything you needed to travel and study there, you managed to learn some Korean until you had an intermediate level, enough to be able to communicate. You aspired to great things, your ambition was unstoppable. You wanted to be a surgeon, because honestly you loved the whole world of medicine. So after two long years of hard work, many arguments with your family and too many tears, there you were, on the other side of the world at the age of 20 in a new continent, in a totally different country and with a sense of pride in your chest that no one could take away from you because you had achieved all this on your own. Your excitement for starting a new stage in your life was indescribable, it had cost you a lot, but you had made it. “fuck 'em all” you thought with a proud smile as you looked around the campus of your new university. But unfortunately your excitement could not last more than a month until everything went to hell.

You hadn't even had time to react when overnight a virus that affected only women was declared a state of alert all over the world. The curfew was instant and desperate, you couldn't get back to your family and you were terrified. You tried to reach your parents, but there was no answer every time you picked up your phone and waited for your mother's familiar voice to ring on the other end of the line. It got worse when the news said that the main people affected were women between 40 and 60 years old, who were the first to disappear from the earth like dominoes, falling one by one without any hope, your mother among them, and that was only the first two weeks. The world's population rate had dropped by leaps and bounds and the news now showed only hopeless men totally broken by the losses of their wives, mothers and sisters. The next thing you knew, the virus began to attack the girls and your heart broke as you remembered your two younger sisters who had sadly also been taken by the virus. Fuck, it hurt so much it was unbearable, your heart was getting small in your chest trying to process the reality of the death of the people who were closest to you, the people you loved the most. 

Fear and anxiety had begun to consume you in the worst way when you began to see with your own eyes how the women who were at the university with you began to die, fuck, you remembered your best friends who were left on the other side of the world and you had no fucking idea why, but nothing happened to you, nothing . Nerves swirled in your stomach and your head constantly told you that you were going to be the next woman to be affected by the virus, but as the days passed, you could only see women around you dying, but nothing happened to you and you could not understand why, clearly you came to the conclusion that you were immune to the virus, but ... why? that question haunted your head day and night as time continued to pass. You had hoped to find more women like you, you couldn't be the only one, right? but that thought went to shit when a man on the news finally confirmed what you feared the most; after two months there was no trace of women in the world, you were the last one and that was a real disaster. A terrifying and real disaster. 

Even knowing that there were no more women left on earth, men from all over the world set out to search every corner of the planet to find at least a trace of a woman that kept them hopeful. When you learned of the arduous search (or rather hunt) they were going to undertake, fear consumed you and the stark reality that you were the only woman left and that no one but you knew it was settling in your mind with force. Naturally your survival instinct kicked in, you were not only the last woman but you were now wanted by every man in the world who still had hope. You were afraid, very fucking afraid and there was too much pressure on you. There were men who went looking for women with the intention of doing good and helping them, but you knew there were many other men with bad intentions who just wanted to fuck them or turn them over to science like lab rats and it fucking chilled your bones. Because there were no more women to look for, you were the last one. With your nerves and anxiety on edge, you decided to escape, to move, you couldn't just sit on the university campus waiting for them to find you; “Movement is life” you reminded yourself as you deftly escaped into a forest in Seoul that was only a few blocks away from the campus. You were sneaky and fast, you were able to do it easily. You carried a backpack light enough to escape under any threat but heavy enough to survive, because yes, now you weren't living, you were surviving. 

You spent day and night hiding there, looking for someplace with a roof that would give you at least the feeling of being a little safer. The nights in the forest were cold and it was hard to sleep. You just knew you had to be prepared to face anything, but damn, you were far from it. There were many nights you cried inconsolably, desperate and terrified, asking yourself why you of all women. But finally, after wandering the woods for weeks, life was a little kinder to you and led you to stumble upon a huge house in the middle of the woods, you took your precautions, made sure it was uninhabited and when you were finally able to confirm your theory that it was abandoned, a spark of relief bubbled in your chest as you felt you could be safe in that place. 

____

Four bloody years had passed since the virus had impacted the earth killing women of all ages, except you, who for some reason, were undeniably immune, you were already 24 years old. What was now your home kept you safe, you were surprised to find a basement with food reserves to survive for years, plus you had also made your own vegetable garden at the back of the house, to ensure you had even more reserves. They hadn't been able to find you and the relentless search to find some woman hadn't lasted long. Only a year after it had all started, the authorities declared that it was now a post-apocalyptic world, with no turning back. In a way you were relieved to know that the search had stopped, but on the other hand you were terrified at the thought of a man's world. Although the suicide rate had risen ridiculously in the last four years, many men who had suffered losses and many others who found no hope in a world without women, decided to give up. Crime had also increased, many men were still obsessed with the issue of finding a woman alive and that led them to kill each other. It was a much more dangerous and chaotic world than it used to be and it was not only you who was looking to survive, there were many men who also feared being killed. 

You had tried to communicate with your father, but he never answered the phone, which led you to conclude that he was one of those men who had decided to give up, you don't blame him, he probably thought you had died too, but damn, it really hurt too much. You had also thought about giving up several times in these years that had passed, living in constant fear had affected your mental health a lot taking you to the precipice many times, the loneliness was clouding your mind and the idea of being like this for the rest of your life generated an emptiness in your chest that made you want to die, but other nights of more lucidity you couldn't help but sit and wonder if there was still hope for this world, if you decided yes, then the responsibility of repopulating the world fell on your shoulders knowing that you were the only person who could get pregnant and you had to be willing to face it.  So you decided that maybe, and only maybe, it was worth taking the risk and finding a man who would be willing to fight by your side. And with that idea in mind was how you had managed to stay mostly sane all these years, you never lost your mobility, you took care to exercise daily in case you had to fight for your life so you could stay strong and healthy, right now that was your priority. 

Surprisingly, despite living in a post-apocalyptic world, services were still functioning. There was electricity, water, gas and even the internet. You were sure that everything was run by men who still had a spark of hope in this world. And that brought you to where you were now: sitting comfortably on the couch in what you had made your living room. You were a little bored, watching the TV that still worked well after all these years. You actually often wondered who the hell in their right mind would leave a house with all the amenities no matter what. To be honest you were a little depressed, there was nothing to watch and you wouldn't risk turning up the volume either, you just flipped through the channels in silence.

Your gaze was lost for a moment, leaving your mind free to act, you remembered the date: December 1st, a tear of pure sadness slipped down your cheek, it was your mother's birthday and it was four years since the last time you saw her, smiling and cheerful, alive. The winter in Seoul was stormy, the cold was seeping into your bones as you tried with all your might not to make yourself a little bun and cry. You had forced yourself to harden your emotions over the years, there was no room for the weak in a world like this, but you missed her fucking too much, her advice, her hugs and you even missed arguing with her. You couldn't help it, every time her birthday came around, you found yourself crying miserably. By the time you realized it, you were sobbing lightly as your mind replayed memories of her like a movie. Your throat stung and your chest ached, a ragged sigh left your lips as you forced yourself to stop, wiping away the tears abruptly and instantly a yawn left your body in pure exhaustion, your eyes darted to the watch on your left wrist; 01:30a.m “fuck...” your voice was slightly cracked. The hours had flown by, that explained your tiredness. You turned off the TV and got up from the couch, while your head was only thinking about getting to your bed and being able to rest, the emotional exhaustion was making your body ache more than it should. You took the gun that you always carried with you in case of emergencies, ‘cause you never knew what could happen, and climbed the stairs slowly to reach the second floor with great regret in every movement. You entered what was your room after walking down the hallway and without turning around too much you curled up under the sheets wanting to forget for a moment everything horrible that had happened. The moment your head touched the pillow, you fell fast asleep hoping to wake up the next day and that it was all a bad dream. 

But that wasn’t what woke you up. You opened your eyes a little disoriented, it was still night, your senses alert and your hand gripping the gun at your side tightly almost by reflex. You focused on the loud noise you heard outside and after a few seconds, a sigh of relief went through you when you realized it was rain, a big storm actually. You sighed again to calm your racing heartbeat and turned over in bed, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds as the heaviness in your eyes from sleep was causing them to close again as was the tightness of your hand around your gun. It wasn't that you reacted at all when a loud noise on the first floor made you startle and sit up suddenly in your bed, all trace of sleep had disappeared from your body giving way to extreme alertness....

fuck….that was definitely not the rain. 

CHAPTER II: "Loneliness"

[genericpuff]

So I watched ChattyMia's Lore Olympus video which was great and everyone should watch it. It seems most people who do series reviews of the Lore Olympus don't like the comic for obvious reasons. Then I was reminded by the end that the comic is expecting a TV series which is in development hell. It made me think that Rachel might be better off not having a Lore Olympus TV show. Most praise for the series died awhile ago as the story became an utter mess. If it did get a TV show, people will see the early red flags like the age gap, the treatment of Minthe, trying to excuse cheating, Hades horrible behavior to workers, nymphs being discriminated with no pushback, etc. If some of them read the comic for spoilers they would later see the other big red flags of the series. Excusing slave labor, Persephone threatening the lower class, Hera getting with Echo a 'trash nypmh' as she once called Minthe, Apollo gets community service, the continued mistreatment of Demeter etc. Which I feel will cause everyone to go 'wtf is this series? 50 Shades of Grey mixed with Keeping Up with the Kardashians?'. Then you have to wonder if some of them will do a deep dive and find the stuff about Rachel's tie to Lolita. It would be especially bad if a bigger content creator talked about it. And we already know Rachel doesn't handle criticism the best (i.e. the struggle street tweet, the Minthe cosplay situation or even the merch). So I could only imagine how much worse it would be for her if Lore Olympus got a TV show and more eyes got drawn to it and her. It would no longer be just confided to the web comics fanbase but the much larger TV one. Unless Rachel seriously considered rewriting the TV script (or rekindling it lol) I don't see how a TV adaptation of her show would be good press for her.

Yess I've seen that video, it's great! She did a great job summarizing a lot of the biggest core issues with LO's story and art without getting too lost in the sauce (though god knows the rabbithole of LO's issues runs INCREDIBLY deep in an equally fascinating and "oh god what the fuck did I just read' kind of way), her video editing was very entertaining and her Persephone cosplay was a great touch 😎

That said, regarding the thought of "most people who do series reviews of LO don't like the comic", there is an amount of bias we have to acknowledge there - there's often a lot more to say in the negative rather than the positive. By extension, people who simply enjoy LO and don't participate much in the online discussion surrounding it or the discourse concerning it are less likely to make 2 hour videos analyzing it. So while the popular opinion of LO has shifted more towards a negative point of view, that doesn't mean that fans of the comic don't exist - it's just that most of those fans are blissfully enjoying the comic and can only sum it up as "it's very pretty and the plot is great", whereas many people who didn't enjoy it are more likely to voice their opinions as to why in far more explicit detail (though on the flipside of that, it also goes to show that there's a lot more to analyze in LO's flaws than its strengths - it's ironic that the fans often don't have much to say beyond "it's cute" or "I relate to Persephone" and anything further than that is relegated to pure headcanon pieced together by assumption and best guesses to make up for Rachel's lack of writing).

All that aside though, regarding the TV adaption, at this point it's less a matter of reception and more a matter of relevancy. The perfect time to release or at least show us proof of the LO TV show was years ago, when the comic was at its peak between 2020-2021. The second best time was at last year's NYCC when Rachel was a headlining guest. The fact they still had nothing to show for it at this year's NYCC, with Rachel nowhere to be seen and instead focusing more on the Freaking Romance adaption with Snailords filling the role as their featured guest (an equally if not even more problematic creator), is astounding, but unsurprising.

To me, LO feels like a real life case of "Tortoise and the Hare". Back at the start of it all, in 2017-2018, it was doing what no other comic on the platform was doing, presenting us a retelling of the Hades and Persephone story - which was very popular on Tumblr at the time - through a modern setting and with art that was incredibly unique for the platform. That, paired with WT's aggressive marketing, propelled it far ahead every other comic on the platform, creating a gap so massive that even the comics in second place on the trending tabs still weren't even close to LO's lead in terms of stats and money.

But then it got complacent. Quality of the comic's writing and art dropped, it was becoming increasingly obvious that LO had become no more than a marketing grift akin to the likes of Harry Potter - easily turned into books, t-shirts, socks, coloring books, figures, etc. - and that gave way to an increase of criticism towards it, criticism that had always somewhat existed even as far back as its days on Tumblr, but was now amplified by the existing ongoing proof that LO was never all it was cracked up to be.

Now, at best they shill $200+ figurine pre-orders, but the show is nowhere to be seen and, with the comic now finished and locked behind Daily Pass, its relevancy is dying out. "Rachel Smythe Presents" still has nothing to show for itself, Rachel's IG and Twitter seem to be purely for merch-pushing by the Inklore team, and Rachel has, at best, two new series that she suddenly announced but, in her words, don't even have anything written or planned for them yet beyond the taglines that were thrown together for her socials.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Greek myth retelling industry is in a renaissance. Hades is still a massively popular game, with its sequel now in early access; Epic: The Musical has been making waves on Spotify and TikTok far exceeding that of LO's in terms of audience reach, and even has more to show for itself in the way of official animations than LO ever has; and now Kaos has recently launched its first season after being in production since 2018 - yes, you read that right, it got commissioned around the exact same time LO became an Originals series which suggests the idea for it was already floating around and being pitched prior to LO - and, frankly, has beaten LO at its own game by achieving everything LO set out to do - weaving a Greek epic-style story in a modern setting, balancing romance with prophecies and world-ending stakes. It took a while, but Kaos made it past the finishing line, while LO has been dragging itself behind it, still making empty promises that a TV show is "still in the works" and "coming soon", with not a single thing to show for itself.

LO may have gotten a head start in being the "sleek, modern, sexy Greek myth retelling" by the virtue of being a weekly webtoon, but slow and steady wins the race - the productions that have taken their time cooking in the oven are now coming out as beautiful and delicious as we, the guests at the table, were told would be, while LO is simply the short-term gratification junk food that bombards us with gimmicks but sits like a rock in our stomachs and leaves us unfulfilled and wishing for a better meal.

Those better meals are here now and they were absolutely worth the wait.

[sonic-takeover]

Eggman maybe you should start focusing more on being a dad or something dude. Unless you mean G.U.N. you're not even allowed to "destroy your enemies" anymore since your son considers them family, y'know besides Shadow also literally being part of your family and he's dating the one you consider your "arch nemesis" or whatever. :P

Well yes, true...but that's what I made Metal to do! It was his purpose up until recently. I never expected this kind of development. I suppose it would be beneficial to learn more.. Hm.. *He slowly turns in his chair to look at Metal, who's watching Amy nap on his chest* ..... My boy.

*Metal turns to look at him, not making a sound*

You have seemed discontented with our... Relationship. How I treat your emotions. I'm opening the conversation for you to talk to me about them. Anything! It's whatever you feel like sharing with your old man. *He steeples his fingers, watching him*

..... I am deeply in love. *Metal is speaking quietly* I have experienced feelings. Feelings like sadness. Regret. Happiness. Fun. I have been flustered and I have yearned. Missed. I have laughed, father.

Laughed, you say?

Yes. You programmed me to experience anger. Vengeance. But I am capable of so much more. I wish to marry Amy Rose in the future.

*Eggman sits up a bit* What? Marry? Why?

Yes. I love her. For the first time in my existence... I am able to forsee a potential future for myself. One that I want. One that does not involve the defeat of my copy, Sonic.

.... Fascinating.

*Metal stares at him. He's very quiet, as if disappointed* .... I suppose it is. *He turns his head back to watching Amy*

.. Son?

*Metal ignores him*

...... Metal. I am not good at communicating my emotions. The.. tender ones, at least. Have you ever seen me act in any way romantic with Stone?

.... No.

Well I do, in my own way. But it takes work for me to show it in a way that he understands. It's unnatural for me. So... This is new, too. I care. I do! I'm just bad at showing it.

*Metal stays quiet for a moment, then looks back over at him* Thank you.

Hm. Anyway.. *he leans his chin on his hands* Tell me more about your little girlfriend! When did you know you were in love?

When we were in battle, long ago. She had an opportunity to harm me, but she did not. She spared me. She looked at me like I was alive. No one had looked at me like that before.

Love at first sight, huh?

Not first sight. But in that moment, it felt that way. I waited for years until she became emotionally available. I am glad I waited. It was worth it.

I understand that. I'm happy for you, my boy. Both of you.

*Metal nods and looks back at Amy. His fans hum as he regulates his temperature for her*