#and might be a bit more consistent without being so monotonous

[katrani]

2025 Books: Iliad

So I have not touched ANY level of classic poem or play since like... college? So at least 10 years. But I have always been a mythology girlie at heart- though more focused on isolated stories more than the epic interweavings or such- and Emily Wilson's translations have been getting a fair bit of buzz both in general and among some of my friends. But this is gonna be odd to review, because I don't have other translations at hand to compare it to, and this is not a story that I have a lot of basis in-

like, based on what I know of the myths and what happens in adaptations, I thought the Iliad covered, yanno, the Trojan War, with the apple selection and the kidnapping of Helen and some of the fighters trying to get out of the conscription and the chain of Patroclus to Hector to Achilles to Paris and the Trojan horse-

but nah! This story really is just focused in on like, a month? It starts with an argument between Agamemnon and Achilles and (mostly) keeps its focus on the fallout of that, and ends after Hector's death but before Achilles's.

Also it is an oral tradition story and not a written tradition one so like. The idea of character arcs and prose and symbolics is way different. But let's try!

First, the translation: So given that I am not a Greek scholar, I do not have any idea what is original/standard wording vs specific to this translation- damn does Wilson do this well. There's a big long intro going over that her approach is essentially localization over translation, that her version is longer by line count because she went with pentameter instead of hexameter because our social conscious has Shakespeare as a comparison point vs the ancient Greek poems, and she needed to just add lines to keep some of the titles in that are purely there to sell how grand the characters are.

Her translation notes are fairly detailed for where there's debate over a line's meaning or source, though I do wish for a bibliography so I could easily find some of these commentaries if I made the time to.

And her own sense of word choice within the meter is so good, starting from Achilles with his "cataclysmic wrath", to simple correlations like a priest approaching ships and "the warriors bedecked in bronze"- like obviously from the clauses "bedecked" refers to the warriors, but it's a good internal logic in the sentence where you mention ships to also use that verb, would be easy to remember.

When we get to things like the listing of ships and commanders, I told fiance that it's kind of like how the Animaniacs countries or capitols songs went, that it's pure information and you might not absorb it but it's fine to list through because of the syllable flow:

"Of the Locrians, the son of Lord Oileus was captain- Ajax the swift, known also as the lesser because he was much smaller than great Ajax the son of Telamon. The lesser Ajax was small and wore a corselet made of linen, but with the spear, he was the best of all. With him came those who lived in Opoeis, lovely Augeae, Cynus, Bessa, Scarphe, Tarphe, Calliarus, and Thronius, besides the streams of the Boagrius. Forty black ships came with him, bringing men from Locris, facing sacrosanct Euboea."

Even with my rough understanding of name pronunciations (especially in a list where I want to run through it instead of taking my time at each), saying this out loud is just fun, in a way.

Of course the downside of this is that it's easy for the words to kind of... hypnotize, I guess? When it came to the long battle scenes where I knew I did need to understand what was going on, in case a recurring character got injured or died, I often had to read them twice because the flow was too good and I didn't take in the actions themselves. Kind of like when listening to a song and suddenly you realized you lost a whole minute of it because it did its job too well.

Either way, there is just a lot of care that went into this, and I'll throw some selected quotes at the end.

Second, the story:

Heck I found this to be a mess. I literally felt like when someone tells me that a game gets good after the first ten hours. A good two thirds of this is just. Stuff happening on a battlefield, introducing names only for them to be irrelevant three stanzas later. It is frustrating that multiple characters are described as "godlike" or "shepherd of men" with no distinct reasoning for it to be used in those moments. Lion metaphors get applied to like half the characters- because the metaphors are more for actions than for the characters involved, as I understand it, but it still bugs me. Just like I know the shared adjectives are for balancing meter or making it so a performer can more easily remember which archetype of a character (so narrow down who it might be in case they forget), but that is going to bug me when I want to look at intentional parallels and shared symbols.

It kind of also felt like, with the context that a lot of these names would be known from other common stories, say, DC's Crisis plotlines? Or some tokusatsu crossover things, where we have various people here for the sake of showing them for five seconds and maybe tricking someone to get invested only for their blorbo to get killed off/rolled/pop in and pop out. I do not care about 90% of what's happening, because the story as intended has no need to do introductions or anything but I as someone separate from that audience has no basis for most of this.

It's also frustrating because the drama of Agamemnon and Achilles and Achilles abandoning the Greeks and the tragedy that comes from that is... well, the tragedy is all the deaths we get, but because the gods are also meddling and turning the fight into a back-and-forth, it feels abstracted? Like can we really blame Achilles's stubbornness for all the deaths that happen when Hera and Zeus and Poseidon and Apollo keep throwing wrenches at everything they can?

But when we do get that focus in on Patroclus and Achilles, and then Hector, man, I can understand why one of my friends calls them their "war crime blorbos". Book 15 got me eager to keep going because something was finally happening, then 16-22 had me invested. 23 kinda ruined the momentum but 24 was alright, to wrap things up.

Unless they're being directly manipulated by a god, the humans seem pretty consistent. The gods are infuriatingly confusing? Like. Hera will say she hates Zeus and will do whatever she wants against him then a page later it's "oh he's the grandest of all of us and I can't risk his wrath", or Zeus buddy just tell the other gods about your promise and then no one has to worry about going against other gods.

I did like Iris though, she's just here to run messages and tell people to get their shit together. Also like that, while Night is not apparent as a character in the way other gods (and god-adjacents) are, she is consistently noted as not to be fucked with by anyone, including Zeus.

There's some good pacing things that happen, gearing up scenes before important parts of battle, or the way that Patroclus's death is drawn out compared to others, which can give the audience hope that he might be about to dodge it somehow even though we know better.

If I do reread this at some point it's definitely going to be in a more spread-out way, when I can chart things, not all at once over a week lol. Glad I know what's covered here, and especially the stuff about Patroclus, but I don't think I'll return to this as fun reading ever.

Selected quotes (I marked a bunch more than these, but that was mostly for note-taking or interesting character portrayals, not the lines themselves. These are all stuff that I just think are good wording on their own):

They cast the anchor-stone and tied the ropes to stern, then disembarked in breaking waves.

Book 1, similar to the example above I just appreciate shared imagery- are the breaking waves the literal stuff at the coastline, or the men leaving the ships in groups?

...Do not allow forgetfulness to seize you when the honey of sleep releases you.

Book 2, i like "honey of sleep".

...All these men were now too old for war, but good in council, just as cicadas settle in the trees fill the woods with sound as sweet as lilies.

Book 3, good imagery and i got an actual laugh out of ancient Greeks also seeing cicadas as nice or nostalgic.

When two men walk together, one may see the way to profit from a situation before the other does. One man alone may think of something, but his mind moves slower. His powers of invention are too thin.

Book 10, "powers of invention are too thin", thin like worn cloth or bad armor, i just love how evocative it is.

They missed their drivers, who lay on the earth, more dearly loved by vultures than their wives.

Book 11, the first "they" is horses, but mainly it's that last bit. I viscerally reacted at that thought, it's so good at calling up a sense of sympathetic disgust.

Patriotism is the one true bird.

Book 12, this is someone disparaging an omen, but it's so strange and direct of a phrase that it's stuck at me.

"Yes, Mother, Zeus has granted me that prayer. But now what good to me is any of it? My friend Patroclus, whom I loved, is dead. I loved him more than any other comrade. I loved him like my head, my life, myself. I lost him, killed him. Hector slaughtered him,

Book 18, this is Achilles in the midst of his grief. I love both the despair and the acknowledgement that his own actions led to Patroclus's death, even if it was Hector's spear that did the final action. It's a moment of responsibility when Achilles has spent most of the story basically sulking.

...Even the wisest people are roused to rage, which trickles into you sweeter than honey, and inside your body it swells like smoke-

still Book 18, just after the above quote. Very very good understanding of the tricks anger has on people.

[zyart-jpg]

Red Flags and Racing Hearts

Pairing: Vinny Hong x Reader (Self-Insert/OC-Insert)

Tags: Reader as Jay Jo's older sister, slow burn, canon divergent

Summary: "Detached"—that’s how your peers often described you. Not unfriendly, not cold… just distant. Reserved.

You weren’t the type to laugh too loud or join in on group chats filled with emojis and inside jokes. You were firm, rules-oriented, the kind of person who always had a schedule and stuck to it. But detached didn’t mean unfeeling. Especially not when it comes to your family.

Not when it came to your younger brothers.

A/N; Might not post the chapters on tumblr consistently because it's a work on my Ao3, the link is on the title!

Edit: 19 chapters out on AO3!

It was as noisy as ever along the corridors, despite it being well into class hours.

The low hum of chatter, bursts of laughter, the occasional ringtone, and the muffled bass of music leaking from too many shared earphones bled into each other, creating a constant background buzz that was hard to ignore. Even with a snug pair of headphones over your ears, blasting a monotone lecture on thermodynamics from a professor who clearly had no passion for public speaking, the commotion still wormed its way into your awareness.

You tried to stay focused, eyes locked on the half-finished practice equation sprawled across your workbook, but voices cut through the ambient noise—clearer, sharper, laced with that distinct tone people used when gossip was just too good to keep to themselves.

“Aren’t these kids familiar?”

“Pretty sure that’s Dom Kang, right? Not surprising, honestly.”

“It’s kinda blurry, but isn’t that the student council president in the corner?”

“Look at them go! Must be nice to not have an entrance exam looming over your head.”

Your eyes flicked up. Just beyond your desk, a small crowd of students had gathered, huddled around a glowing phone screen. Some were standing on tiptoe, others craning their necks, all of them absorbed in whatever was playing on the device.

Student council president?

You tugged your headphones down to rest around your neck, letting the droning lecture fade into a low background hum. Your curiosity, reluctantly piqued, dragged your attention away from the workbook as you glanced around, trying to get a better look.

Then came the teasing jab.

“Oh, yo! Weren’t you last year’s student council president? Looks like your successor’s a bit of a delinquent, huh?”

You turned toward the voice—a guy from your class, grinning wide like he’d just dropped the punchline of a joke. A few others chuckled around him, watching your reaction as they angled the phone so you could see too. You blinked, brows tugging together in confusion. Without a word, you rose from your seat, and the group instinctively parted to let you in.

“What is it?” you asked, your tone cool and clipped—stern in a way your classmates had grown used to over the years.

One of them glanced up. “There’s this video going around—some fight that blew up overnight. Kids from Sunny High are in it. You can tell from the uniforms.”

“They’re brawling with students from Gunn Technical High, I think,” another added.

Your gaze dropped to the screen. It was shaky, probably filmed on someone’s phone in secret, the angle jumping as the cameraman tried to stay hidden. But even through the blur, your eyes locked onto one figure—familiar posture, familiar hair, and unmistakable uniform.

“That’s the student council president?” you asked flatly.

“Yeah. He’s been hanging out with those two other guys lately—Dom Kang and Minu Yoon, right? They're pretty hard to miss.”

You straightened without a word, offering a simple nod and a quiet “Thanks.” You made your way to the front of the classroom and began scribbling on the board, adjusting the schedule with quick, practiced strokes. Then you tapped the board sharply, drawing everyone’s attention.

“First period’s delayed. You’ve got thirty more minutes of homeroom and then thirty minutes of self-study. Do whatever you want, but nobody leaves campus. Understood?”

There was a collective groan, some quiet muttering, and a few lazy nods. The usual. But your gaze lingered briefly on the video still playing behind you, lips pressed into a thin line.

When lunch finally rolled around, you didn’t waste time. You walked out of your classroom and made your way toward the 2nd year wing, ignoring the occasional greeting or side-eyed glance thrown your way. You weren’t in the mood for pleasantries.

You stopped in front of Class 2-1.

“Jay Jo.”

You said his name firmly as you scanned the room from the doorway, eyes darting from face to face. But the familiar mop of black hair and bored expression was nowhere to be seen.

You turned to the nearest student. “Where is Jay?”

The kid startled, flinching a bit at your tone. “Ah, um—he was called to the principal’s office earlier... and then he left campus.”

“They were suspended,” another piped up, hesitantly. “Him and the other two. Uh... sunbae.”

You frowned, a sigh escaping your lips before you turned and walked off, pulling your phone from your pocket. You scrolled to his name, hit call, and waited.

One ring. Two. Four.

Then it stopped.

Declined.

You lowered the phone slowly, eyes narrowing as irritation bubbled beneath your skin.

“That little—” you muttered, but stopped yourself short, letting out another sigh instead. There wasn’t much you could do about it now. So you turned on your heel and headed back to your own classroom.

The incident, despite the early flare of interest and frustration, eventually faded from your mind. You had a routine—structured, demanding, and comfortingly familiar. Study guides. Review packets. Mock exams. Essay practice.

It was easier to drown in the noise of preparation than to bother thinking about the mess others left behind.

–

"Detached"—that’s how your peers often described you. Not unfriendly, not cold… just distant. Reserved.

You weren’t the type to laugh too loud or join in on group chats filled with emojis and inside jokes. You were firm, rules-oriented, the kind of person who always had a schedule and stuck to it. But detached didn’t mean unfeeling. Especially not when it comes to your family. 

Not when it came to your younger brothers.

Which is why, for the past few days, you’d been lighting up your brother’s phone with a steady stream of texts—questions, warnings, demands for an explanation about the suspension you'd heard secondhand. Not one had been read. Let alone answered.

You sighed, staring down at yet another string of “delivered” messages left untouched. With a groan, you leaned back from your tiny desk, fingers pinching the bridge of your nose as the dull ache in your head throbbed in protest. The desk was squeezed into the corner of your one-bedroom dorm room—a temporary space you’d moved into at the start of the school year to focus on college entrance prep. Cramped, quiet, and entirely functional. Just like you.

You glanced at the time, sighing as you pushed yourself up from the chair with a slow stretch, joints cracking in a way that made you grimace. Hit with a thought about how a cushion for the seat might be a worthwhile investment if you planned to keep burning the midnight oil in the same spot every day.

The headache still buzzed faintly at the edge of your skull, but you pushed it aside and moved through your usual routine—washing up, brushing back stray strands of hair into a neat bun, pulling on something clean and neutral. A short list of errands prepped into your notepad, the only real break in your otherwise monotonous schedule. You had just enough time to get them done before you have to go and sit through another lecture for dinner.

As always, no matter how messy things got, the rest of the world didn’t slow down for anyone. Not even for siblings who wouldn’t return your calls.

You’d always been naturally introverted—quiet, reserved, with a studious streak that seemed to be ingrained in you and your siblings from the start. It wasn’t that you struggled with people. Socializing had never been a real issue; you knew how to carry a conversation, how to smile when it was appropriate, how to fit in when necessary.

But keeping your distance? That was a choice.

You maintained that space not out of awkwardness or disdain, but as a way to stay focused—focused on your goals, on the expectations your parents had quietly (and not-so-quietly) carved into your life. Letting yourself get too close, too distracted, always felt like inviting trouble. And trouble was a luxury you couldn’t afford.

So while your peers formed cliques, whispered secrets, and built their chaos of friendships and heartbreaks—you stayed on the sidelines. Not quite alone. Just deliberately apart.

You murmured a quiet thank-you to the cashier before stepping out of the bookstore, a modest bag of supplies swinging lightly from one hand. With the other, you scrolled through your phone, eyes flicking over your checklist as you mentally mapped out the rest of your errands.

Your gaze drifted upward, scanning the populated mall out of habit rather than curiosity, idly searching for something—anything—that might catch your attention. Maybe, if luck was on your side, you’d stumble across something to momentarily pull you out of the study-loop you lived in.

A soft hum left your lips as a memory surfaced—your youngest brother had asked for something the last time you actually visited your family home. A plush cat, wasn’t it? You sighed quietly, debating whether you could juggle another purchase without overloading your already-packed tote. Probably not the wisest idea... but maybe.

Your thoughts were abruptly cut short by a sharp, malicious scream from somewhere nearby—just a few feet ahead. Frowning softly when your eyes caught something rather disturbing and just plain disrespectful sight.

You made your way through the slowly forming crowd, weaving past murmuring onlookers until the source of the commotion came into view.

An elderly woman was kneeling on the floor, head bowed low in apology. In front of her stood a younger woman—furious, loud, and entirely unbothered by the attention she was drawing.

“Are you fucking blind?! Watch where you're going next time!” the woman shrieked, voice cracking with hysteria as she waved a hand in exaggerated disbelief.

“I’m so sorry, please—just forgive me this once...” the older woman begged, her voice shaking, palms pressed to the floor as she tried to appease the outburst. The sight made something in you twist uncomfortably.

You sighed and stepped forward, weaving past a few more bystanders frozen in place by secondhand discomfort.

“Miss,” you called out, your voice steady but firm, worn smooth by years of leading student meetings and mediating disputes. “Please calm down.”

The woman’s head snapped in your direction, her expression twisting into something sharp and entitled.

“Mind your own business! I’m not setting foot in this place again unless this woman is fired,” she barked, venom in every word.

You kept your tone even, ignoring the flare of irritation prickling at your temple. “This seems like a minor accident. Why not handle it quietly, without putting someone on public display?” You reached down to gently help the older woman off her knees, your hand steady at her arm. “She apologized properly, did she not? and it’s not like your tights are ruined.”

The woman scoffed. “Excuse me? Who do you think you are? This woman ruined my entire day! Is this how this place treats customers?”

You stepped subtly in front of the older woman as she tried to tug you back, her hands patting your arm lightly—an unspoken plea not to make it worse. Still, you stayed where you were.

“Look, if your clothes are that important, I’ll cover the cost,” you said, voice tight but polite. “But there’s no reason to humiliate someone over an accident.”

You offered calmly, exasperated already and was about to speak up again until a voice boomed from behind—

“MOM!”

The sharp voice cut through the air like a slap, drawing every head in the crowd toward its source. A  redheaded boy—no, a teen…or a man? Whatever he is—stormed toward the scene, anger clear on his face.

You blinked, brows pulling together in confusion as a flicker of quiet alarm crept in.

Wait... mom? 

You didn’t have a moment to process what was happening before the newcomer—clearly the son—snatched up a nearby mop and slammed it against the floor.

The crack echoed through the space as the handle split in two with sharp enough edges.

The fury on his face was almost feral, barely restrained as he surged forward, one half of the broken mop still in hand.

“You crazy bitch! Shut your fucking mouth!”

You flinched, a visceral reaction to the venom in his voice, the pure, unfiltered rage radiating off of him in waves. In the chaos, you hadn’t even noticed the elderly woman slip away from your side until she threw herself between him and his target, arms outstretched.

“Vinny! Stop it—what are you doing?!” she cried, struggling to hold him back, her hands clutching at his shirt as he thrashed against her.

He wasn’t listening, still seething, his glare fixed on the woman and her equally stunned companion. His whole body buzzed with barely-contained violence, the broken mopstick still clenched like a weapon.

You stood frozen for a beat, heart hammering. The situation had escalated so fast you barely had time to catch your breath. And now, with family involved and tempers flaring past the point of no return, it felt wrong—too intrusive—to step in again.

The mother and son were locked in a heated exchange, their voices clashing in a chaotic mess of pleading and raw fury. The son—Vinny—screamed with reckless anger, his words cutting through the air without a shred of restraint or respect.

You stayed rooted where you were, the weight of the situation sinking in. What had started as a public disturbance had spiraled far beyond anything you could reasonably handle. And with no mall security or staff in sight, it was now just a crowd of silent onlookers.

It became a vicious loop: Vinny’s shouting, the woman’s arrogant retorts, more insults hurled like grenades with no regard for the emotional wreckage left behind. It didn’t seem like it would end—until it did.

A sudden shift. A gasp.

Then, the older woman staggered, her face contorting in pain before she collapsed to the ground with a choked breath and one final, desperate plea for her son to calm down.

You curse under your breath, instincts kicking in. Without thinking, you dropped your shopping bags and rushed to her side, falling to your knees beside her.

“Ma’am—!” you started, but her body had already gone stiff, her limbs trembling uncontrollably.

Vinny was at her side a second later, panic carved deep into his face.

“She’s having a seizure!” you shouted, already moving. You carefully turned her onto her side, loosening the collar of her uniform around her neck and adjusting her posture to keep her airway clear.

“Mom!”

MASTERLIST

[spidernuggets]

reader showing jason her plushie collection?

Jason Todd x Reader

"So, you don't think any of this is dumb?"

"Without a shadow of a doubt, sweetheart"

You didn't hear your front door open, though. You'd given your boyfriend, Jason, a spare key to your apartment for emergencies.

You were in your apartment, stuffing your face with chips, watching a movie on your laptop. You had your favourite stuffed animal wedged in between your arm and your cheek, laughing at the comedic one-liners that a character said.

In this case, you had your bedroom door locked because never in a million years would you show your boyfriend your plushie collection.

Most were animals, consisting of cows, bats, sharks, cats, dogs, and more. You had probably 2 or 3 Jellycat plushies, too.

Your most favourite plushie besides the animals was the small bodied, big headed Red Hood plush you found a while ago. You've seen so many Batman, Nightwing, and Robin merchandise, and you always sulked when you came to the conclusion there were no Red Hood merch.

So you took matters into your own hands.

Sure, the stitching and stuffing was a little messy, but you managed to create your own little Red Hood plushie that is currently sitting comfortably beside your laptop so it's easy to see.

Embarrassingly, you'd give it kisses here and there for nights that you worry that Jason might not come back for patrol. But luckily, he always does.

But once again, you'd never show Jason any of this. You're a grown ass adult, living your own life, you have your own place, a full-time job. Plus, your boyfriend is a 6 ft something, 200 pound something vigilante who busts crime and kicks ass.

Why the fuck would he want to date someone who owns thousands of plushies, plus their own homemade one. He'd probably be too embarrassed to be seen with someone like that.

You flinched when you heard a twist on your doorknob.

"Babe? You there?" Jason called out. You heard the slight panic in his voice. You didn't question it since the conversation both of you had about Jason always being paranoid that his occupation would lead you into danger while you're in a relationship with him.

You slammed your laptop shut, frantically looking at the plushies scattered all over your room. Shit.

"Uh- Yeah! Just a sec!" You yelled back, your voice cracking in the process.

You and Jason have been together long enough for him to know when you're panicking. He knocked again. "You okay in there, mama?"

You tripped over yourself, luckily not making much noise, as you shoved all your teddies and plushies and toys into your cramped, small closet, not having time to organise it neatly like usual.

"Yeah, yeah! Just kind of messy in here!" You say as you try to shut your closet.

You rushed to your door, unlocking it and smiling up to your boyfriend in front of you.

"Hi!" You quickly say, awkwardly leaning against your door frame.

"Hi to you too, sweetheart," he replies, looking sloghtly confused. "Why are you out of breath?"

"Oh- I.." You cleared your throat. "I didn't know you were coming over."

"Am I not allowed to?..." He asks, tilting his head to the side.

"You are! You are.. I just thought you'd be busy today."

Jason shrugged. "Hmm. So what were you doing before?"

Your shoulders relaxed as you steadied your breath. "Just watching a movie. Wanna continue with me?"

Jason smiled, kissing your forhead. "Of course, sweetheart."

As you steooed aside from the door to let Jason into your room, from the corner of your eye, you see your closet door slightly open, an ear of your bunny teddy sticking out a little bit.

As Jason went to go open your laptop, he follows your swift movements to shut your closet door.

"What was that?" He asked.

You turned to him as your eyebrows raised high in panic. "What was what?" You ask back quickly. "I was just... y'know.. closing my door. It's nothing, " you say with uncertainty.

"Babe..."

"Yeah?"

"You always have your eyebrows raised when you lie," Jason says, his voice turning monotone and serious.

Your eyebrows immediately go back down. "I- I'm not lying," you stuttered.

Jason walked towards you, stopping right in front of your closet. "Sweetheart? Can you open it up for me?" He asks, only hoping that he's being overdramatic and she has nothing to hide from him.

"Why?" You asked in a small, quiet voice.

"Well, why wouldn't you?"

"Well, there's nothing interesting in there so..."

"I thought we agreed, no secrets," Jason said, getting upset, his emotions starting to escalate. "What? Is there a guy in there?" He says, his insecurities getting the better of him. "You cheating on me? 's that why your door was locked? Why you were running around in here?" He quickly asks all at once.

Your eyes widen. "Jason!" You exclaimed. "I would never cheat on you! You know that!"

Jason takes a breath, calming down. "I... I know. 'm sorry- I'm sorry, baby, I know you wouldn't, I was just being stupid. Had a long day. Let's just watch your movie, hm?" He says, dragging himself across the room once more, sottomg on your bed, getting your movie ready.

You sighed. "No. Jason, you're right. We don't keep secrets," you say as Jason's head shoots up.

"No, no, no! I didn't mean 'it's true, I'm cheating on you', I meant..." You hesitated. You sighed once more before opening your closet, revealing the pile of plushies tumbling down to the ground.

Jason's eyebrows furrowed as he got up, inspecting the toys spread out in front of him. "What? What am I looking at? These things have drugs in them?" He asks.

You give him a confused look. "What? No. It's just my plushie collection," you claimed.

"And...?"

Both you and Jason were utterly confused.

Was he not shocked? Embarrassed at your collection?

Was this your big secret? A bunch of teddies?

"Is... Is it not stupid? Having a shit ton of plushies? Like... I'm a grown ass adult owning children's toys. You really wanna be dating someone that could bring down your... I don't know. Tough guy persona?" You ask.

And Jason laughs. "Sweetheart, what? It's not stupid. I have at least one teddy I kept since I was a kid back in the manor. And I'm sure Dick has more than you," he steps closer to you, cradling your face in his large hands, placing a kiss on your forhead. "And they seem that much to you too. Wanna introduce me to some of them?"

And that question got you eyes twinkling. You're sure you saw heaven. And Jason couldn't help but smile at your excited reaction.

So you started picking up some of your plushies, introducing them to Jason.

You were both sitting on your bed as you described how you fell in love with an octopus plushie at a charity shop until something caught the corner of Jason's eye.

"Oh my god..." he lowly says.

"What?" You ask, suddenly curious.

Jason gets up and heads to you pile of plushies, picking up the clumsily stitched Red Hood toy of him. Your face flushed in embarrassment.

"Do not!... say anything. Don't let it get to your ego, okay? No stores had any Red Hood merchandise..." You pathetically say.

Jason chuckles as he goes over to you, planting a gentle peck on your cheek. "It's cute. You're cute," he says, his index finger under your chin, moving your face towards his as he kisses your lips.

"So you don't think any of this is dumb?" You ask as you break the kiss.

UGHHh thank you for this request, Anon 🙏 This request made me haooy seeing as i have a small plushie collection of my own!!

Jason smiles. "Without a shadow of a doubt, sweetheart," he says as he pulls you in for anotber tender kiss.

[gorgenia77]

Wrong side of the bed.

Hey, this is my first fic so sorry if it’s ass 🙈. It’s pretty brief, more of a one shot thing. Might be a little bit toxic, but not really. Enjoy <3

Pairing: Seth Rollins X f/reader (no use of y/n)

-Seth and reader have a little falling out due to Seth’s grumpiness, but soon make up. 18+ SMUT.

A night that consists of skin to skin, sweet words and soft kisses are always something that made you feel infinitely close to Seth.

Being held in his arms as he gently moves your hips, kissing your jaw softly as you both pant words full affection. However. Sometimes, being chest down, with his hands roughly gripping your hips as he violently slams into you, can be just as blissful.

Sat on his knees with your thighs to the sides of his thighs, tits rubbing against the bedsheet due to his violent thrusts and a permanent imprint of his fingers on your hips, had all started from a bad day and an overreaction.

————————————♡︎———————————-

Seth had woken up, pissed. One of those unexplainable type of annoyance with little to no explanation that just made him want to scoff at anyone and everyone. He had woken up late, groggy and moody. Admittedly, he was a bit of a dick to you this morning.

“Hey Baby, good morning. I made you breakfast.”

You said with a grin as he entered your shared kitchen. A stunning plate of protein bagels and fruit set up for him.

Barely acknowledging you, he grumbled “I don’t have time” and headed to the bathroom to shower. Not even a glance at the meal you had prepared for him.

Not only had he ignored and disrespected your efforts, but he hadn’t even tried to explain he just wasn’t feeling it today. He never acted like this, he always appreciated your gestures, if had time or not. A frown appeared on your face. Does your time and effort mean nothing to him?

They eventually got in the car, Seth was driving as you looked out the window. Silence filled the car, an awkward tension lingering. He stole a few glances at you before finally breaking the silence.

“What’s wrong?” He asked in a monotone voice.

Without making eye contact, keeping your vision on the passing cars, you replied back bluntly “nothing.”

He sighed, too tired to deal with this right now. “Okay.”

You sat with a frown mimicking him “okay.”

The rest of the journey remained deathly silent.

————————————♡︎———————————

Later that day, you had both gone off to train separately. He was still in a pissy mood, for god knows what.

After working out for hours you took a break. Feeling pretty hungry, you decided to go grab some food with Roman as you’d both started lunch at the same time. Sitting down in the canteen, you both laughed and ate. Simply just two friends on lunch. Just as you had just finished your meal Seth made his way over, sitting down. You decided you still weren’t speaking to him.

“Mind if I join you” Seth asked looking between you and Roman.

Roman smiled and pushed out a chair for him “not at all man.”

You were still pissed about how rude he was early so you replied bluntly.

“I’m done, actually.”

As you stood up to leave, he grabbed your wrist. “I’ve barely seen you today, stay for a little bit?” He felt guilty about earlier. He hadn’t meant to be such an asshole. His eyes searched yours in hopes you weren’t still mad.

“Can’t. I need to get back. I’m glad you finally have time to eat though.”

With that you walked off, making Seth sigh a little. He deserved it, but you were purposely punishing him. His bad mood should never warrant you feeling unappreciated.

Roman held his hands up as Seth looked at him “Hey man, I don’t wanna know.” Seth groaned, knowing you weren’t gonna let this go easily.

————————————♡︎————————————

You had finished training for the day, but you had to wait for Seth as he was still your ride home. To kill some time, you decided you deserved a sweet treat. As you were looking around at what to get, you saw a specific type of cookie that you had Roman had been talking about at lunch earlier. These cookies were ones from your childhood, the ones you were both reminiscing about. Smiling, you grabbed them and headed back.

As you arrived, Roman and Seth had just finished their training together. You approached them. Roman smiled as you greeted them and Seth looked you up and down, trying to assess if you were still pissed at him.

“So you know how we were taking about those cookies early.” Grinning, you pulled the box from behind your back, presenting them.

“Tadah!”

Roman chuckled, taking one from the box “Ah where the hell did you find them?” He said with excitement in his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it” you chuckled, wanting to keep it a mystery. Seth however, was not chuckling. She hadn’t even greeted him. Not even offered him one.

“Can I have one?” Seth’s tone displayed that he was silently annoyed at your childish antics.

“Do you have time?” You shot back.

Seth sighed in annoyance. You was really clinging onto this. As they got to the car, he turned to you. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem? What the hell is your problem?!”

The bickering continued until you stepped into the apartment.

————————————♡︎————————————

“Im sorry alright. Jesus Christ!” Seth huffed out, holding his hands up in frustration.

Just as you were about to give out another smart ass comment he pushed you against the wall, a hand gently placed on your chest

“Im sorry. You’re mad cause I didn’t appreciate you this morning? Mhm?” His brown eyes didn’t leave yours. A hint of guilt, frustration and love sat behind them.

Looking up, you now felt small, he looked really good like this. “Yeah.”

“You’ve been pissy all day cause I didn’t give you enough attention?” He said as he unzipped your jacket slowly, his voice almost apologetic and teasing at the same time.

“You want some attention?” He asked with his brown eyes now darker than usual. You stared up at him. Oh you were in for it.

—————————————♡︎————————————

With his dick thrusting into you harshly, you could only whine. Both of you using the built up frustration from the day to feel pleasure.

“You wanna ignore me all day, hm?” He grunted, grip firm on your hips.

When nothing but a moan left your lips, a large palm graced your ass. The stinging sensation making you whine.

He pulled you up so your back was flush against his chest, his voice in your ear

“I asked you a question baby.” He growled.

“M’sorry.” Was the only words that could leave your mouth. Your head spinning as his thrusts continued to fuck you throughly.

He hummed in your ear, his hand coming around to play with your nipples before then gently rubbing your clit. “My pretty baby” he grumbled possessively, making you cry and clench around him.

————————————♡︎————————————

You laid on his chest, skin to skin as he stroked your hair. The sounds of your heavy breathing the only prominent sound in the room until Seth spoke.

“Are you okay? I wasn’t too rough was I?” He asked tenderly, holding you close against his chest.

You shook your head “No, it was good.”

With that he placed a kiss to your head.

“I’m sorry for being such an asshole earlier. I was just in one of those moods, you know. But I do appreciate when you make me breakfast. I’m sorry” he mumbled into your hair, his tone soft and sincere.

“I’ll forgive you, for now.” You smirked softly. “But only if you play with my hair.”

He chuckled, kissing you gently before rolling you to your side. “Come on then” he said as he pulled the hair tie from your hair, gently playing with it as your eyes flickered shut.

Thank you for reading!! Feedback is welcome. Also there is a desperate urgent need for more Seth fics on this app!!

[nexischillin]

Bvz OC (did this instead of sleeping)

Character’s full name: Ahira

Pronouns: It/its/itself but it tends not to care

Reason or meaning of name: The name means evil or unlucky. It heard someone call it that and decided to take that as its name

Character’s nickname: Hira

Reason for nickname: It tells people to call it that in an effort to come off as cute because being cute gets it a better reaction

Birth date: It wasn't really born. It more formed formed slowly over time

Species: Slime

Species background: Slimes aren't born. They are grown from the decomposing parts of animals and plants. As time goes one they slowly collect more and become bigger. They become more sentient by eating the brains of already sentient creatures. Slimes tend to have a white core akin to a heart that moves around in their bodies. Once you hit that, they won't be able to consume and adapt anymore.

Physical appearance

Ahira is a slime, so it doesn't have a consistent appearance due to its habit of changing into what the creatures around it find the least intimidating at the time. But it takes features from the people who have impacted it the most (think the main character of the anime To Your Eternity if you've seen it) So some of this might change based on what I add to backstory

Age: Doesn't have one but it'll say it's 23

How old does he/she appear: Mid twenties but will sometimes make itself younger to be better received by onlookers

Height: As a humanoid, 5'4 and as a slime, 2'1

Shape of face: round

Eye color: Grey, if not borrowing someone else's

Also, it can't really see using its eyes. Ahira (all slimes really) can only see vague shapes, so it has to touch something to know what it actually looks like

Skin tone: It is full on lavender. While it can change its appearance, it can't change the color of its original body outside of a bit of discoloration. Also It is slightly translucent

Body type: Lean with a little bit of 'chub' (it's really just slime that Ahira wasn't about to shape well enough)

Distinguishing marks: Visible white core in its chest

Hair color: slightly darker than it's 'skin'

Type of hair: imitates 3b

Hairstyle: doesn't really style it, but other people can if they can get over the feel

Voice: Suzuya Juuzou from Tokyo Ghoul (MY BABY)

General personality: It's learning emotions as it goes, picking up personalities here and there. The one that sticks the most is chipper and lively as that gets the best reception from onlookers. When it's by itself then it's more lax and monotone (like masking except it doesn't know it's doing it). It doesn't have a specific type of moral code and is very susceptible to suggestion. It's main goal is to learn, adapt and explore so it couldn't care less about what is good or bad. It only cares about what is stimulating or fun

Sense of humor: Doesn't really have one, but it is easily entertained

Character’s greatest joy in life: Learning and adapting

Character’s greatest fear: Being trapped somewhere where it can not learn. That is its whole purpose. If it can do that, then it is nothing

Quotes from Ahira:

"You came out of another creature, but you won't let me consume you? That's unfair"

"Pain? Are you making things up now?"

"What's wrong with eating corpses? They're very good for me"

Sorry if some of this is vague or doesn't make sense. Oh also @zeke-fanfucs thank you for the motivation to finish this, bro. It's been in my drafts for like 50 years

Last thing i swear but this is an inspo for Ahira but I think it looks more androgynous and slightly more human. Also I'm genuinely mad that it's hard to find slime in human form without it being gooner shit. GUYS PLEASE 🥲

[siblingshuffle]

Rockrtober Day 3: Virus

TW: graphic imagery (kinda…? Like allegorical blood.)

I would’ve kept this one’s scene as a script but I feel like it loses its impact without anything to make it into a story.

“Yeah!!” Bass cheered, spinning in his chair as Piano cleared the final obstacles in the stage. Refocusing, he kicked up his feet on the desk and announced, “You’re in the clear! Now, your next opponent is right up ahea—"

Bass’s ventilation backfired directly into the mic, which he quickly muted. When he finally managed to stop, he groaned, optics unfocused as he deactivated Screen Share.

-…Bass?- Piano’s monotonous voice almost sounded concerned over the comms. -Are you operational?-

But Bass didn’t answer. If he were human, he undoubtably would’ve gone pale at the sight of his hand. How had his ventilation backfired with enough force to rupture a fuel line?

-…I am returning to Light Labs if I do not receive an answer within seven seconds.-

That snapped Bass out of it. Immediately, he scrambled to unmute himself. “Uh, nothing to worry about, Pi! Just… that Proto-Dweeb wandered over to the computer. Don’t worry about it!”

The Wily twins didn’t have the Light twins’ ability to sense one another’s emotions, but Bass could’ve sworn he felt Piano’s doubt. He held his breath, waiting for her to say something.

-…You are…certain that you are unharmed?-

Bass released the breath he’d been holding. “I’m fine, idiot. Go kick ***! I’ll keep the First Draft away from the computer.”

-Understood.-

—————

LORE: Ive had a cold since Oct 1 so this is fitting lol. Anyway, during the Roboenza outbreak, the main cast of robotic protagonists ends up dropping like flies. You know, for dramatic tension and stuff. So, here’s the order in which characters fall ill.

Tempo. She got the virus first out of everyone in the main cast. Blues stopped by to see if she could hang out, only for Dr. LaLinde to reveal that she had a virus. Despite this, Blues still wanted to hang out (they both thought it was more like a computer virus than an illness, and joked about how she would make sure not to send him any downloadable content). Her symptoms worsened throughout the visit and into the next few days.

Blues. At first, he mistook his Roboenza symptoms for core-problems symptoms. He woke up feeling more tired than usual, but he doesn’t get a consistent flow of energy usually. He probably just didn’t charge well… Then, he starts feeling all warm. Oh well, maybe he’s doing a little too much & that’s why he’s overheating. But then his vision gets all grainy, and his sunglasses won’t help. Maybe he’s just malfunctioning…? Finally he ended up telling Dr. Light that he wasn’t feeling too good, at which point he collapsed and kicked off the start of the game.

Bass. This one takes place in the early-to-mid-game time period. After Wily ran off to Light Labs, Bass took over Mission Control there and Piano joined Roll and Rock in their objective. When Bass started showing symptoms, he insisted on just handling them himself… That is, until he overheated and was pulled away from the console.

Roll. This follows the same general structure as her sacrifice in the original. She gets sick while at Light Labs, and Blues (a little less lucid) gives the prototype medicine to her. (Bonus: I’m thinking he says a line about it being “his turn to make a sacrifice for her”).

Rock. While he and Roll infiltrate Wily’s castle, he collapses. Roll ends up half-carrying her twin until she can find a good spot to set him down. There’s no more medicine, so Rock is sent to Light Labs to rest. He shows up at the final battle anyway to block Wily’s escape route

Piano. Piano gets sick while infiltrating the castle from the other side. However, she’s built pretty sturdy and it feeds her ego a bit when she ends up fighting pretty well even with her symptoms.

And Rhythm might not even get sick lol

I kinda imagine Dr. LaLinde hearing about Blues getting sick after hanging out with Tempo all day & being like “Rhythm, I’m sorry, I need to keep you out of proximity with your sister”

[litmot-archived]

how do you stay so consistent with your work without getting burnout/procrastinating and still maintaining the level of your writting doesn't it get monotonous??? Any tips on how to be consistent with your work without overwhelming ones self

Sometimes it does get monotonous -- not the writing, but what is being written. I feel like I only have so many ideas about the Sakuverse characters, and although requests bring a sort of gust of fresh air into my writing because I am forced to think about a specific scenario and build a scene from there, I wonder if perhaps the way I write and the way my mind interprets these requests might get a bit repetitive.

It takes me about two hours to write a one shot; from having a (vague) idea about what to write to having the full thing proofread and edited and ready to post. I used to have the time to spare back when I was finishing school -- especially after I had finished it and was doing some other stuff while waiting for university to start -- so I wrote a lot and put it all in a queue to post daily fics for about a month while I used that time to finish my Asirel novella.

Long story short, writing, in a way, is an art of habit. Again, I used to write about one fic a day back when I was in school, because I had the time. And I believe I've said before that I sat down and just did it -- no matter if I felt motivated or not. That's the art of it, in my opinion. Just to do it, even if you don't feel like it; more often than not, at least that's the case for me, the motivation will come during the process.

As for tips, that really depends on how you write and how your creative process works. I recommend creating a writing playlist (if you can stand listening to music while writing) and only putting it on when you sit down to write. Also, try changing the font to Comic Sans? It sounds ridiculous, but I've found it to further creativity.

What I think is the most practical advice is just do it, even if you don't feel like it. If you wait forever for the muse to strike you'll never get it done. I know starting is the hardest part, and overcoming that initial fear of staring at a blank document is the true mastery of the craft.

These are big words for someone who hasn't done a lot of writing recently, part of that is because I feel a little burnt out. The Asirel novela truly took everything out of me, and although I feel the need to slowly start writing again (for context: the novella was done by the end of autumn), I also have to admit that I currently really don't have the time for it. And I could make the time, but I'm also weary of pushing myself too hard this time around.

It will probably be a long time before I could get close to anything resembling my previous publishing schedule of daily fics, and hey, that's totally alright as well.

Despite what I said about writing even if you don't feel like it, it shouldn't feel like a chore. It's a hobby and a form of art -- and if you really don't want to do it then you shouldn't push yourself out of a sense of obligation.

[wackywibrart]

☆ Oc-Tober Day 6 // PERSONALITIES

I was unsure if I really wanted to just do 1 oc, so I just decided to do multiple for it! These will consist of all my current Ring Of Satyr main gods!

Going from top left down to bottom right, we have: Lord Embry (Wrath/Pride), Liege Vampbry (Greed/Deceit), Monarch Fatebringer (Fear/Idolatry), Lady Cephabry (Lust/Envy), Cynder (Limbo/Discord), and Lord Grumbry (Gluttony/Sloth)!

Let's start from the top!!

Lord Embry (He/King) This guy is a, lack for the better words, a big brash bully. He is the ruler of the Wrath and Pride rings, and makes SURE you know he owns the place. He's incredibly egotistical and enjoys messing with people for a quick laugh. Though, if you are to piss him off, he has a temper of a bull, and will absolutely kick your ass. Deep down, though, he's a softie if you catch him in the right way.

Liege Vampbry (They/Xe) They're a stotic one, typically prefering to stay to themselves and focus on their work. They come off cold with their monotone short replies and are quick to pass off anyone attempting to be buddy buddy with them, but they are rather understanding if you are to let them know. They enjoy gardening and fostering animal souls, so if you happen to come down to their level there, you can see the hidden nerd they actually are. Officer worker by day, bio nerd by night.

Monarch Fatebringer (She/It/They) She's.... Interesting. She's a brute, a bully, in a very snarky girlbossy way. She's a bringer of death and typically overlooks a lot of things when it comes to common safety concerns. She'd probably push you off a cliff if you joked about it without a moment's hesitation! She enjoys flaunting off her power most of the time and is always confident in her actions. Additionally, she likes to get into mischeif to see where things go. Lets just say she's... definitely... a lot!

Lady Cephabry (She/They/Jewel) An ABSOLUTE sweetheart! She's all about her femininity, making sure her mane is always in tip-top shape for the perfect occassion, like parties! She's a show girl, a party girl, and loves to flaunt her style. However, she also holds a lot of love for those who she's close with. Her motherly nature makes sure all of her citizens and loved oens are well tended too and accomdated if need be. She can be a bit of a hopeless romantic around pretty ladies and enbies. Though, if you fuck up, then you fuck up, and she isn't afraid to let you know that with a stern talk!

Cynder (He/They/Xe) My persona, but also his own character! An outlier to all the others, being very much a young adult. He's a clumsy, impulsive kid constantly striving to do his best and make it out there. Not all of his decisions are the greatest as they're made on the whim, but he's always quick to try and turn it around to a potentially positive thing! He's a hard worker and may overexert himself from time to time due to his dedication. He can be stubborn, though, and may struggle on some responsibilities due to anxiety and his ADHD.

Lord Grumbry (They/Them) I've sorta described them already, but, might as well again! Grumbry is an absolute gentle giant. They're rather slow with their words and have a difficult time understand more complex operations like technology, but have fun learning stuff nonetheless. They're a sweetheart, happy to cater to those who may need an ear to listen too or just have a hug. They're difficult to annoy... though if you manage too... then... It probably won't be a good day for you. They can bite. Hard.

[bloodiedandbattered]

Agalflurgaburg

I just made a sound and typed it out. It's cool that humans can just do that. I'm sure it has been said before, even written down, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I think it's cool.

Anyway dear reader, do I have some stuff to share today! I took a little over a week to just vibe because I succeeded in my first job interview! I'm starting on the maintenance crew at a golf course that's not even a 5 minute drive away from my house. It'll only be part time for now, but I am happy to finally have a schedule of sorts!

The guy interviewing me, I'm not sure what to call him because I've not started yet, pointed out quite a few of the things I was nervous about, but he is willing to give me a shot because, "you seem like you'll actually do the work," is what he said. I'm happy to hear that I give off that vibe. This is a learning experience for me and he recognized that, saying that it's something he enjoys doing for people my age.

Now that I'm reflecting, I truly feel relieved because I wasn't putting the confidence from my posture into my words. But nobody is perfect, and I sure as hell am far from it. But that is okay. I couldn't process it during the week because my days felt suffocating despite my lack of activity. I was told not to worry about cooking this week by my mom, and I don't think she realizes it's how I decompress. I'm going to start cooking again next week, whether people want me to or not.

I'm going to cut things here to make the post overall shorter. If anyone wants to read the rest of my post I'll continue, but first some pictures from the break without context! (Turns out I can't type under pictures in mobile, so just scroll down after hitting More)

Where to begin... I guess I'll keep it shorter than I anticipated because it's almost 1 in the morning.

I want to be more social. Like I want to start pushing my boundaries. I want to get out of this comfort zone where I only let 1 person see inside. I'm physically confident in myself, but I'm not great with people. If anyone reads this I ask no matter who you are, even if it only ends up being a single conversation, send me a message. I do all sorts of things so it is likely I know at least a little about what you talk about. You'd be surprised how many topics I know of but can't express on a daily basis.

I'm kind of desiring human contact right now.

Going to just say, the pies were delicious and give no more detail because now it is over a week ago. Might make more hand pies.

Went to the aquarium on Friday last week, if you know you know. Took some nice pictures because I'm not that deep into my liking of fish, but I wanted some of that vibe that I can just remember. I use these photos as a sort of external memory that I recall be looking at it. I got scolded a bit because my parents don't enjoy the idea of taking photos on trips, but this felt like the last time I'll go to that aquarium for a long time.

I don't know if it's the music I'm listening to or the looming dread that comes early in the morning, but I'm getting a bit nihilistic right now. I have all these plans in my head, but it all feels worthless. I feel the most alive while moving my body, while cooking, while working outside. I feel stagnant when I'm in this monotonous mood. I want consistency in my life, but I think the key to living is finding the little things and not growing used to them. I don't want to grow used to something because everything has such small things to love. Especially people, there are minor flaws or attributes to people that make me want to love everyone. I don't want to grow used to people, but I want to hold on to the ability to see those small details and appreciate them.

Well... that was something...

I'll be off now, dear reader...

Goodbye for now,

Michael

[aleephonline]

How Often Should I Switch My Pet's Food?

If you are starting on the journey of pet parenthood, it will come with a menu of decisions, and one frequently pondered is the timing of switching up your pet's food. Our pets, much like us, thrive on variety. A balanced diet not only ensures they receive all the essential nutrients but also prevents them from getting bored with their meals. Imagine eating the same thing every day – it gets a bit monotonous, doesn't it? Our pets feel the same way.

So, should you stick to one tried-and-true dog food Kuwait or introduce a variety of foods? Let’s see how you can find the sweet spot for keeping your pets both satisfied and nutritionally fulfilled.

Introducing Variety Gradually

While variety is essential, abrupt changes in a pet's diet can lead to upset stomachs and cause digestive issues. To strike the right balance, consider introducing new foods gradually. Start by mixing a small amount of the new food with the old, gradually increasing the ratio over several days. This gradual transition helps their sensitive stomachs adapt to the change without causing discomfort.

Life Stage Matters

The frequency of food switching can also depend on your pet's life stage. Puppies and kittens, for example, might require more frequent changes as their nutritional needs evolve.However, senior pets may benefit from a more consistent diet tailored to their specific health requirements. Always consult your veterinarian to determine the best approach based on cat food Kuwait based on your pet's age and health status.

Signs Your Pet May Benefit from a Change

Keep an eye on your pet's behavior, coat condition, and overall well-being. If you notice changes such as dull fur, lethargy, or a lack of interest in their food, it might be a sign that they could benefit from a dietary adjustment. However, remember that sudden changes might not be the solution, and consulting your vet is key to identifying the root cause.

Balancing Consistency and Variety

While variety is essential, consistency should not be overlooked. A sudden change in diet can lead to finicky eating habits or even food aversions. Strive for a balance between providing a consistent, well-rounded diet and introducing variety gradually.

About Aleeph:

Aleeph is your go-to online store for a diverse range of top-quality pet food and pet supplies Kuwait. Experience convenience and care in one place, where every purchase is a step toward the well-being of your beloved pets.

Buy pet supplies online by visiting https://www.aleephonline.com/

Original source: https://bit.ly/3TyMs0U

[altocat]

I remember you mentioning in an ask a while back that one of Sephiroth's pet peeves is being interviewed. What sorts of interviews is he stuck doing, anyway? Does he only speak to major, reputable news outlets (like the Midgar equivalent of the New York Times) or does Shinra force him into Oprah-style sit downs too?

Sephiroth has been shoved into everything except stuff for the gossip tabloids. This includes both private interviews, televised events, and sit-downs. Shinra consistently fails to understand that the man absolutely hates interviews or any advanced media fanfare.

Most of the time, they'll put him on prominent propaganda talk shows where some inane host constantly prods and pokes and tries to get a lengthy response out of him. It never goes well, as Sephiroth maintains an unchanging monotone set of one-word responses throughout. He typically does a lot better if Genesis or Angeal are with him because he'd much rather interact with them than the cameras, often coaxing something genuine from him. Sephiroth might play fair when it comes to reputable written publications in which he can mail in a quote or two without having to directly interact. He's a bit more agreeable there and typically provides tactful responses on the war effort.

Shinra has pretty much tried everything short of directly shoving their hands up him like a dummy to get him to play nice with the media. He has his own PR team who patiently works with him to feed him the best responses. After a while, Genesis takes to following him in every single time to banter with him on camera, mostly for attention but also to get Sephiroth to engage. Shinra eventually gives up and permits it. At least having them bicker and squabble on camera appeals to the fanclub demographic. And it makes Sephiroth appear slightly more human and endearing. The alternative is just too awkward.

Host: "So enough of the war business, what we want to know is if there's a future Mrs. Sephiroth in the picture ;DDD"

Sephiroth: *Blank fathomless stare of the damned summoning demons from the netherworld as we speak*

[postwarlevi]

Single 1.5k words || Fathers Day 2022 Masterlist

"Dad I don't want to go to school today! Can't I just come to work with you?" The 8 year old whines to her father.

Levi ignores her and hands over her lunch bag. He's finishing getting her and himself ready for another weekday morning.

She gets more annoyed and stomps her foot. "Dad!"

"Izzy!" Levi finally turns at her, making her look down.

"Look, I want nothing more then to spend more time with you, but you have to go to school, and I have to go to work. That's how it is." He does not want to have this discussion again.

She sighs and nods, and Levi pulls her in for a hug. "Sorry." He mumbles. He doesn't mean to snap at her, especially for nothing.

She's a terrific kid and they get along so well. But raising a girl without her mother is difficult, and Levi still has a lot to learn.

They go through the motions every week, getting ready, saying goodbye, getting through school and work, Levi picking Isabel up from her after school program, eating dinner, talking about their day, and going to bed.

Weekends aren't exciting usually and consist of many chores, but sometimes Levi let's her go to a friends house, or brings her out for ice cream.

It's been a monotonous routine for a couple years now. Isabel loves her father and knows he tries and still has a hard time. She tries to be good for him. Levi just wants what's best for her.

In the afternoon when Levi goes to pick Isabel up she's not waiting outside like usual, so after a few minutes he shuts the car off and goes inside.

There's lots of kids still there and a few adult supervisors. "Have you seen Isabel Ackerman?" He asks one, and they direct him further inside.

"Izzy! What happened?" Levi exclaims at seeing her being bandaged around the knee with cotton and antiseptic nearby.

"I'm okay dad!" She freezes at his voice.

"Mr Ackerman. She's okay, just had a bit of a fall playing outside with-"

"Weren't you watching her?" Levi demands, all but pushing you out of the way to inspect his daughter.

"Excuse me?" You didn't expect this reaction.

"Dad! It's fine, really!" Isabel jumps off the table and shows she's in good shape. "She's taken good care of me." She says, standing in front of you almost protectively.

Levi closes his eyes and slows his breathing. "I'm sorry." He looks at you.

"It's alright." You do understand.

Isabel goes to collect her things and you explain the situation to Levi, and he apologizes again and thanks you.

Levi is surprised when they leave that Isabel hugs you like she would a good friend.

"She's one of the new adults. Knows lots about medicine and takes care of us." Izzy explains to her dad on the ride home.

"Is that why you hug her?" Levi asks, but just gets a shrug.

She's too shy to say that she's opened up to you about things Levi doesn't talk about much and it's made her feel better. She thinks saying that might make him feel worse.

The week passes and Isabel is always outside waiting after school, but she usually has you close by, and brings you to the car as well.

"Hope you had a good day Mr Ackerman." You say with a wave as Isabel gets in the car.

"Yes. Thank you, you too." He nods back.

Small talk like this is made every day. It's the most interactive Levi has been with another adult outside of work in a while.

Isabel takes notice, thinking to herself about the way you speak with her on subjects she can't talk to anyone else about. How you always help her see her fathers point of view while not minimizing her own feelings.

On her own, Isabel invites you to a school concert a few weeks later, and once in the auditorium she purposely gets you to sit by Levi before running backstage to perform.

She's very excited to see you both smiling and waving to her from your seats, sharing looks and laughing.

"I saw you talking." Isabel mentions once she and Levi are home.

"Yes, she's very nice." Levi admits. You really care about the kids, especially Isabel, who you praise most of the evening without revealing anything she's said in confidence.

The smart little third grade girl continues crafting ways to get you two talking. You sit together at more school functions, and your after school goodbyes get longer.

"Do you wanna come to the movies with us tomorrow?" Isabel asks suddenly.

Levi turns to look at her, extremely confused by this.

"Well, my afternoon is free, is you don't mind me tagging along." You say to Levi.

Isabel waits, crossing her fingers. "No, we don't mind." You agree to meet at a certain time and wave goodbye.

"Izzy, what was that?" Levi asks. "We weren't going out tomorrow." He now knows she's up to something.

"Well, I wanted to." She says as innocently as possible.

Once in the house and preparing dinner while Isabel is doing homework, Levi is still shaking his head.

"You really put me in a spot." He says once they sit down together.

"It's just a movie." She rolls her eyes.

"Are you, hoping, for something out of this?" Levi wonders.

"I just want to go to the movies tomorrow. We never go out." She's starting to get a little nervous.

Levi thinks about this, and doesn't correct her. They really don't do a lot together lately, and he's upset with himself for it. There are no excuses.

"Look, that's fine but, you should still ask me to invite someone. You don't even know if she wants to go." She put you on the spot, too.

"Yes she does." She insists.

Levi sighs, not wanting to argue.

No more is said until later when Isabel is tucked in bed. "Are you hoping this is a date?" Levi asks, sitting on the edge of the bed. He can't stop thinking about this.

"That wouldn't be so bad, right?" She doesn't think so. "Don't you like her?" She sits up in bed.

"What? Sure, I mean, she's nice."

"Well why not then?" Why not a date?

Levi takes a few moments. "You don't even know if she likes-"

He gets a shock when Isabel all but jumps out of bed and gets extremely animated with her voice and her hands.

"Yes she does! You're all we talk about!" She says in a not so inside voice.

Everything you talk about comes pouring out. Levi finds out you know quite a lot about both Izzy and him. His eyes widen as she continues.

"She likes you! I know it! She's always asking how you are! And, I like her! And, she likes me! And you laugh with her! You do! Please!"

Out of nowhere she begins to cry.

Levis heart hurts and he motions for her to come over and he holds her while she sobs. "I'm sorry." He whispers to her over and over. He needs to talk to his daughter more.

"Mom…is gone. She's gone. But SHE is here." Izzy says of you, the one who she is sure could help piece them back together.

"Honey, she can't replace your mother." Levi says softly, petting her hair.

Isabel looks up at him through her tears.

"But you're right, I do like being around her. I'm sorry if I haven't laughed a lot."

"It's okay." She pats his cheeks, making him chuckle.

He wipes her eyes with a tissue. "And, maybe she would be good for us."

They talk a little more before going to bed, and both feel better, knowing they can open up more often, and that they'll spend time doing things that aren't chores.

But Levi won't go into this without making you aware too.

The next day he sends Isabel ahead to the snack line after you greet each other.

"Izzy thinks this is a date." He gets out very quickly while blushing.

"Oh." You don't know what to do with that information.

"And um, I would be okay with that, if it's okay with you. I mean, I know she talks to you, and we have one thing in common, so, maybe there's more." He says about how much you care for his daughter.

You're confusion turns into a smile. All is out in the open.

"I'd love for this to be a date, Levi." The first time you don't say Mr Ackerman, and it almost has him stuttering.

Levi buys all the snacks and you head in, and Isabel insists on an aisle seat, making you two sit next to each other.

Isabel sneaks glances towards you during the movie, and is happy to see you both laughing, and holding hands.

You all know, this is the beginning of something wonderful.

[workinprogres5]

5 Habits to go from Founder to CEO

Over the years, I've gathered some knowledge about transitioning from a startup founder to a CEO. I started my company 7 years ago. We are now not super big (65 people), but we have learned a lot. We raised $19M in total and we are now profitable.

The transition from Founder to CEO was crucial. Your startup begins to mature and scale and you need to scale with it. It's often a challenging phase, but I've managed to summarize it into five habbits.

1. Say no to important things every day

Being able to say "no" to important tasks every day is an essential practice for a growing leader. It's a reality that as the magnitude of your company or ideas expands, so does the influx of good ideas and opportunities. However, to transform from a mere hustler to a true leader, you have to become selective. This means learning to refuse good ideas, which is crucial if you want to consistently execute the outstanding ones.

The concept that "Startups don't starve, they drown" resonates deeply because it underlines how challenging it can be to reject opportunities.

A key strategy to develop this skill is time-constraining your to-do list. Here's how you can do it:

Weekly: Formulate a weekly to-do list, including only those tasks that you're sure to complete within the week. Leave some buffer room for unexpected issues. If there's any doubt about whether you'll have time for a certain task, it should not feature on your weekly list. I use Todoist and Notion for task management.

Daily: Apply the same rule while creating your daily to-do list. Only include tasks that you're confident about accomplishing that day. If a task seems too big to fit into one day, break it down into manageable chunks.

2. Journaling

Journaling is a powerful strategy that can help an individual transition from a reactive approach to a proactive one. As founders, we often find ourselves caught up in a cycle of endless tasks, akin to chopping trees in a dense forest. However, to ensure sustainable growth, it is crucial to develop an ability to "zoom out", or to view the bigger picture.

I use The Morning Pages method, from Julia Cameron. It consists of writing each morning about anything that comes to mind. The act of writing effectively combines linear, focused thinking with the benefits of a thoughtful conversation. If you just want to journal, you can use Day One app (The free version will be enough). If you want to go a bit deeper, you can try a coaching app. I use Wave.ai and I also hired it for the managers in the company because it combines both journaling with habit building.

3. Building Robust Systems and Processes (I know, it is boring and founders hate this)

As a founder, you often need to wear multiple hats and juggle various roles. But as a CEO, it's vital to establish strong systems and processes that enable the business to function smoothly, even without your direct involvement. This includes:

Implementing project management systems.

Establishing clear lines of communication and accountability.

Designing efficient workflows and procedures.

To many founders, developing these systems might seem monotonous or even tedious. After all, the allure of envisioning the next big idea often proves more exciting. I experienced the same predicament. In response, I brought onboard a competent COO who excelled in systematizing processes. This strategy allowed me to kickstart initiatives and explore them in a flexible, less structured manner. Once an idea showed signs of gaining traction, my COO stepped in to streamline it, crafting a process that turned the fledgling idea into a consistent business operation.

4. Meditating

Meditation is about reprogramming unconscious mental processes by repeatedly performing fundamental tasks with a distinct intention. This practice can be even more crucial to leadership than acquiring a business school education. Because meditation provides the most direct route to understanding your mind's workings and thus, forms the most effective basis for transforming it.

To transition from a founder to a CEO, a significant shift in your mindset is required. This shift involves moving from a hustle mentality to precision, from acting as a superhero solving problems to consciously stepping back, thereby providing room for your team members to discover their own superpowers. It's about shifting your success indicators - from individual achievements to the triumphs of your team. This transformation might not feel comfortable initially, and your instincts, shaped by your scrappy founder phase, might resist this change.

However, with consistent practice, you can align your instincts with the stage of your company, promoting more effective leadership. This is where the value of meditation truly shines. It allows you to identify your distinct thought patterns in real time and, over time, modify them.

I use Headspace a lot, and I also encourage the employees to use it. The company pays the subscription as a perk.

5. Balancing the Macro and the Micro

As the CEO, your primary focus should be on the big picture – your company's vision and strategy. However, you also need to keep an eye on the details, as these can make or break your execution. It's all about balance:

Delegate the details but stay informed.

Prioritize strategic planning but be ready to dive into the trenches when needed.

Keep your eye on your long-term vision but adapt to short-term realities.

The transition from founder to CEO isn't about giving up what made you successful initially but augmenting it with additional skills, perspectives, and practices. It's a personal and professional evolution that can lead to greater success for both you and your business.

Every great CEO was once a founder. It's just about taking the next step.

I’d love to hear your experiences or any tips you might have for this transition.

In which step of your journey are you right now? Do you have employees already? What are your main challenges right now?

[fandom-imagines-stories]

Learning Teamwork

Josh Lyman x Reader

Words: 2184

Summary: Two colleagues that usually butt heads are forced to play nice when the President sends them to attend to a Governor's Ball in his home state.

Notes: I have so much Josh angst I wanted to write something a little fluffier that I could still capture his signature snark in. (For the purposes of this, I made up a Governor that would fit the story so if there was one discussed in the show, they aren’t in this one.) I also wrote this in two days so… bare with me.

-

If you hadn’t been in the presence of the President, you might have thrown something at him.

“If the President addresses this now, the Republicans will stop at nothing to get back at him for it.” He spoke in that smug, know-it-all tone that drove you insane.

“This is about real people, Mr. Lyman, not the little politics games that you play all day.”

“Okay, everyone, I think that’s enough.” The President’s order may have halted your argument, but you could still feel the heat rising to your cheeks as you stared Josh down. The rest of the team made a very quick exit, hoping to avoid becoming casualties in you and Josh’s on-going battle. But when the two of you started for the door, President Bartlet’s voice called you back. “Not. You. Two.”

You grimaced and turned back around, reveling a little in the fact that Josh looked just as uncomfortable as you did. One stern look from Jed Bartlet, however, was enough to diminish that.

“Is it physically impossible for the two of you to let me get through one meeting without going at each other’s throats?” He urged, his irritated gaze switching rapidly between the both of you. “Not only are you both a part of this team, you are adults for Christ sake!”

“Sorry, sir.” You gulped.

“My apologies, Mr. President.”

God, even apologizing, he had to try and sound smarter than you.

“I’m not finished yet.” The President walked around his desk and grabbed an envelope from under a pile of other papers. “The Governor of New Hampshire is hosting a ball on Saturday to celebrate something that I can’t even remember. Frankly, I think it’s because his wife enjoys parties a little too much, but who am I to judge?”

You and Josh exchanged a look that consisted more of confusion than anger.

Bartlet continued, “Well, seeing as I used to be Governor of my home state, he’s been kind enough to invite me, though I also think this is more of a way to get more Democratic backing for his next election. Nevertheless, while I am unable to attend due to this whole mess with possible terrorism, I know just the two members of my senior staff to send in my place.” He looked pointedly at both of you.

The excuses tumbled over each other as you and Josh blurted them out, desperately pleading to find something that would change his mind. You hated political gatherings in general but the idea of being forced to go with Josh? It twisted your stomach into so many knots you thought you’d throw up.

“There’s going to be political fallout from all of this and I should really be around-”

“C.J. and Toby are going to need me to-”

“Y/N could go by herself.” Josh said suddenly, making your jaw drop. That little snake. “I’m sure there are plenty of young men that’ll be thrilled to see you.”

“Says one of the White House’s most eligible bachelors.” You fired back, forgetting who you were standing in front of.

“Enough!” The President slammed the invitation down on the desk in front of the two of you. “This isn’t about who is more desirable than who. This is about you two learning how to work as a team and not biting each other’s heads off every time you’re in the same room together! Now, I am calling Governor Thompson and telling him you’re going and the two of you are going to be the picture of grace and maturity. If I hear one word of anything else, so help me god, your careers will be so buried, it’ll take years before they see the light of day.” His voice echoed through the Oval Office, rattling you down to the bone. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“Good. Now go do whatever you need to to free up next Saturday.” He sat down, putting on his glasses to look over other documents. “Oh, and find something nice to wear. Mrs. Thompson has always been a bit of a stickler with the dress code.”

With that, you were dismissed and you felt the dread settling in your chest. You were going to a ball. In New Hampshire. With Josh Lyman for a date. As you shouldered out the door together, you cast glowering looks.

“I hate you.”

“I hate you more.”

-

If the snickers from Sam and C.J. weren’t enough to drive you crazy in the week leading up to your flight, scrambling to find a dress was not something you originally had on your schedule. Even when you had found one you liked, there was the matter of rescheduling everything you had the weekend you would be gone.

At least Josh seemed to be having as difficult a time as you were. Any time you saw him in passing, he looked frantic and disheveled- which would usually bring you a small amount of joy, but for some reason, knowing you were in the same boat actually made you feel better about going with him.

“Hey.”

You looked up from the piles of work from your desk, surprised to see your unfortunate date standing in your doorway. It was the day before you were set to leave and you both had mountains of work to try and finish.

“What can I help you with, Josh?”

“I just came to say that this might not be such a bad idea.” He moved from the door to the chair, but he didn’t sit down. He just stood anxiously behind it, leaning on the back. He actually looked sincere- and a voice in the back of your head pointed out that, without his usual cloud of arrogance that always hung around him, he was actually very attractive.

No. Definitely not. You hated him.

“Which part? Going to a ridiculous dance so that Governor Thompson can get more clout with Democrats or the fact that we have to go as a bonding exercise?” Your tone was cold, even more so than usual. Call it overcorrecting for your brain’s traitorous thoughts.

“I think the President is right.” Josh’s posture changed, standing up a little straighter as his tone grew defensive. “If this is what it takes to get us to work together, then I guess we deserve it.”

“Funny, since when he first proposed the idea you suggested that I go alone.” You stood up, crossing your arms.

Josh mimicked your stance, his brow furrowing with anger. “Look, I came in here to make some kind of peace with you, and I don’t understand-”

“I know what you came here to do, Josh. You want to show me that I don’t understand Bartlet the way you do while you play some kind of martyr for going on this trip.” You leaned forward with your hands on your desk and he did the same. Your faces must have only been a few inches apart.

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

You’d never wanted to kiss Josh Lyman more than you did in that moment and couldn’t hate him more for it.

-

Your seats on the plane were right next to each other. Because of course, they were. Josh got the window seat despite your protests, sticking you in the middle between him and a rather obnoxious businessman who was speaking loudly on his phone.

“Sir, I need you to turn that off as we prepare to take off.” The flight attendant instructed.

“Yeah, just give me a second.”

“Now, sir.” Her voice was a semi-irritated monotone that left little room for any argument. The man gave her an annoyed look and ended his call. “Thank you, sir.” She continued down the aisle to berate somebody else. Without the distraction of work, he sought out a new way to pass the time- you.

“What takes you to Concord?” He leaned a little closer to you than you would have preferred, but leaning back would basically put you in Josh’s lap so you stayed put.

“My coworker and I have an event to attend.” You motioned to the seemingly oblivious man on the other side of you.

“Just coworker?” His casual expression turned into a suggestive smirk and you felt his fingers run up your knee. You jerked away from him.

“Husband, actually, so how about you keep your hands to yourself?” Josh snapped suddenly, giving Mr. Handsy a death glare. You stared at Josh with wide eyes and forced your mouth shut to keep it from gaping in shock. The man beside you must have been as surprised as you because words came out as a whispered stutter.

“Sorry, I didn’t- she said- and I thought-”

“Yeah, well you thought wrong.” He stood up. “Here, honey, why don’t you take the window seat?”

You sat there, without moving, for a few seconds before he nudged your leg with his foot and you climbed over him to get to the seat by the window. Once you were both situated, the other man got suddenly very interested in the papers from his briefcase.

You leaned over and whispered in Josh’s ear. “Honey? Really?”

“Don’t start.” Though his voice sounded irritated, there was almost a small smile playing at his lips. You shifted awkwardly, trying to keep a smirk from your own lips.

“You really didn’t have to do that.”

“Do you want the window seat or not?” Now his smile had grown into a snicker, making you laugh lightly.

“Who would have thought you were such a gentleman?”

“Well, I’m a married man now, apparently.” He teased. You rolled your eyes.

“In your dreams, Lyman.”

-

After an hour of shaking hands and dancing with the Governor’s persistent son, you were ready to knock your head against the wall until you passed out. Oddly enough, you had yet to see Josh. Mrs. Thompson invited you to come early for tea so you hadn’t arrived together. You were beginning to think he’d bailed when you saw him across the room.

Pushing your way over to him, his eyes widened when he finally saw you.

“You look amazing.” He gasped, his eyes scanning your silky blue dress before settling on your eyes. “I mean… wow.”

You felt blush tint your cheeks as a smile spread across your lips. He cleaned up pretty well himself and you found yourself checking him out for what you wished you could say was the first time ever. What could you say? The man looked good in suits.

You must have stood there, staring at each other, for a few minutes before Ned Thompson came into view. Without a second to think, you grabbed Josh’s hand.

“Dance with me.”

“What?”

“Just do it.” You yanked him with you onto the dance floor, losing sight of the Governor’s persistent son.

Josh looked around, trying to see who you seemed so desperate to avoid as the two of you began to sway to the music. “What was that about?”

You checked one more time to make sure the coast was clear. “Ned.”

“The Governor’s kid?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t he, like, ten years younger than you.”

“He’s only eight, but yes.” You rolled your eyes, annoyed by his pestering. On the bright side, he was a pretty good dancer. “If I dance with him one more time, I think he’ll propose.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Just tell him you’re married to me.” Josh smirked. “Worked the last time.” You both chuckled and continued dancing. For a while, you forgot why you were here to begin with. You were enjoying yourself more than you cared to admit. In a room full of people, the only one you wanted to dance with was the man you loved to hate.

Maybe it was the other way around.

-

You sat up in bed, sipping coffee and reading the paper while the sound of the hotel’s heater droned on. The fluffy white robe enveloped your body perfectly, but the real warmth came from the sleeping form beside you as he turned over, swinging his arm so it was around your waist and pulling you closer to him. You smiled in both amusement and complete bewilderment as to how you got here.

“I don’t think this is what the President meant by ‘teamwork’.” You noted, folding up the paper and setting it aside.

Josh peeked up at you, half his face still smooshed against the pillow.

“Goodmorning.” He greeted groggily, rubbing his eyes as he slowly sat up.

“I made you coffee.” You handed him the little Styrofoam cup and waited until he’d had enough to wake up a little more. “What are we supposed to tell him when he asks how everything went?”

He thought for a moment. “You know, we didn’t fight at all last night.” He was right. Between the ball and, well, everything after that, not a single argument was had.

You shrugged and held out your cup of coffee for a cheers. “To teamwork,” Josh smirked and tapped his cup against yours.

“To teamwork.”

[theredsuzuran]

Muzan x reader ~ Lily

This is a song fanfiction on the song Lily by Alan Walker, k-391 and Emelie hollow. This story is inspired by the Japanese legend of yamato no orochi. I might do a second part as well. It's my first ever fanfiction so please excuse my mistakes.

Warning : mention of slight gore and blood

Enjoy

Lily was a little girl

Every decade on the night of full moon the first born female child of (L/n) clan are sent as bride to a powerful demon named Akai lurking on the mountain of Akakura which was believed to be inhabited by oni from ancient times. Your great grandfather and his then pregnant wife was attacked by that demon although on their constant begging and vows of servicing to the demon he spared their lives but on one condition that was they needed to send him one girl from their household every decade on this very full moon night. Your sisters and aunts, who you never get to see were presented to that oni. You being the oldest daughter of your family was nominated as the bride this year.

Afraid of the big wide world

When you first get to know about this, you were absolutely terrified and angry of the idea to be separated from your parents and siblings in order to serve your duty as a bride to that potentially harmful demon who you knew would devour you as you never saw any of your elder sisters or aunts come back therefore it was nothing but a human sacrifice in your judgment and being a child it horrified you, often causing nightmares of the said demon. From a very tender age you were brainwashed that the outside world was a dangerous place and it consists of unknown creatures lurking around the earth's surface with the sole purpose of causing grave harm to people. Being a child you were easily convinced but as you grew older your curiosity got the best of you as well as the urge for understanding the outside world became a necessity.

She grew up within her castle walls

Now and then she tried to run

And then on the night with the setting sun

She went in the woods away

So afraid, all alone.

As a child most of the time you were confined inside the four walls of your room, you were not allowed to go out unless required. There were servants who tended you day and night. It was necessary because the child for the sacrifice should be flawless in every aspect and most importantly healthy or else great catastrophe would fell upon your family. Sometimes you wish you were a sick person. That doesn't mean you didn't try to run away from home. Every now and then you tried escaping from your residence and one time during sunset you were successful in escaping, that was for the first time you went out from your house, you ran miles and miles away, bare foot. For the first time in life you were so far away from home you never imagined this day might come. The softness of the green grass beneath your feet, the fresh air lingering in the atmosphere made your heart giddy. As you stopped running for a while you encountered the sight of a city in which there were lots of people gathering around the street, both men, women and children of your age wearing lavish clothing and accessories, you have zero social interaction skills, servents being an exception even your parents also were not available all the time, on top of that you were timid and young, this overwhelming crowd of unknown people startled you which was honestly frightening but you were determined. Therefore you brush off your worries in order to explore the city, you were happened to be in the middle of a festival, which you seem to know since your servants who served under (L/n) family often talk about such festivals obviously they are not allowed to discuss such things infront of you but somehow you managed to eavesdrop and acquire information. Festivals are truly majestic, it was way better than the stories you have heard from the maids at your residence. It was colourful, lively, cheerful, loud nothing like the world you are used to see. There were various stalls consisting of items like jewelry, cloths that are being displayed on the street, on both sides of the road. The the smell of hot dishes like yakisoba, Takoyaki and ikayaki from different stalls hitting your nostrils making your mouth watery. As you were wandering around aimlessly, admiring the lighting and beauty of the festival, you bumped into a bunch of drunk men, you quickly turned away to apologize but a man with rough demeanor pulled your arm and started throwing curses at your way which definitely made you uncomfortable as you looked around to ask for help but none of them responded or came to your aid.

"look where you walking, brat!"

"I am sorry, please forgive me" you were not accustomed to such rude behavior as your maids and servants and even your family members were gentle towards you which was likely because you came from a very wealthy family. Which was quite visible by those men by the way you dressed, expensive (f/c) kimono wrapped around your figure made with the finest silk in the country and the gold hair pin tucked in your smooth (h/c) hair.

They warned her, don't go there

There's creatures who are hiding in the dark.

"What's with the hurry miss, join us for a bit?" With that said from the other guy, your eyes widened, you tried your best not to cry, they warned me your mind started to race with the worst case scenario as you started to remind your parents word about the outside world but you came back to your senses as they yanked you down the alley. Your heartbeat increasing rapidly, sweat covering your (s/c) countenance, your mind was going blank but you snapped out from your thoughts as you noticed the man's arm closed to your face without wasting any time you bit the man harshly causing him to drop your hand, taking advantage of that situation you ran towards the opposite direction earning screams and curses from behind. You didn't try looking back but you knew they were chasing you from behind. You stumble across the way as never in your life you ran so fast and somehow manage to get into the wood. Being exhausted and breathless you collapsed onto the ground. The sound of footsteps growing lounder as they were approaching you, tears stared to form up in your face am I going to die?

"Found you kitten" one of the drunkards chasing you commented, grabbing a handful of your (h/l)(h/c) hair roughly, lifting you up from the ground, then he took out a knife from his pocket and brought that near your neck in order to create a minor cut which begun bleeding instantly. You screamed in pain but no words came out from your mouth, you felt completely defeated and tired. There was no hope. You felt as if you were going to die but you didn't want to. Yet.

Then something came creeping

It told her, don't you worry just-

Suddenly rustling of leaves and bushes were heard from afar which caught you and the rest suprised.

"Who's there?" The man holding you shouted but complete silence was observed. This pissed off the man even more and he shouted angrily this time with more intensity.

"Come out or I will kill this girl in this instance" no sooner did the words left the man's mouth than he saw you were out of his sight and standing before him was a slender pale man in his late twenties having remarkable dark curly hair and plum red eyes contrasting his features sharply. He was holding you firmly but gently in his arm.

"How did you-"

You saw his eyes glowing under the moonlight pointing directly towards those men, his glare was deadly and menacing which could make anyone fall on their knees. One of the men began to charge towards you but his attempt went futile because the man holding you kicked the man with such immense strength that he went flying over the air and died a painful death crashing loudly against the ground snapping his neck in the process. The other man in feat of pure rage tried to punch that mysterious man but his head exploded due to the pressure of that raven hair blocking his attack. The other man who watched all of that fainted. It was a gruesome scene for you to witness but you tried your best not to cry because the man infront of you just saved your life.

"Thank you mister for saving my life, I thought I was going to die if it were not you I'd be dead, I appreciate your help" your voice still shaking, you lowered your head and then look up for the first time his red orbs met your (e/c) ones. The moonlight reflected through the branches of the trees made you see his face clearly, you have not interacted with men before except your father, siblings and uncles so being closed with a man this handsome made you a little nervous. You could feel your blood rush through your cheeks. Seeing you nervous made him chuckle slightly, he gently put you down on the ground from his arm.

Follow everywhere I go

"A young girl like you should not be roaming around in the woods late at night, there are a lot of people and creatures having full intent to hurt fragile beings like yourself" he spoke to you with his calm, monotonous voice.

"Yes you are right mister and I apologize for causing you trouble but I really needed to come out" you replied with a soft hum. Which made that man curious.

"Is that so? What's your name child?"

"My name is (y/n)(l/n), and yours?"

"Muzan kibutsuji"

A perfect chance for him to devour this girl which was driving him crazy because of the aroma she was emitting, he can take full advantage of this situation, there was no way in hell this girl could protect herself as minutes ago she was cowering with fear and misery, how pathetic he thought.

"I was meaning to say this for a long time now kibutsuji san you have the most beautiful pair of eyes, it's very unique, I am glad to meet you" the sudden compliment coming from you widened his eyes. He have been living for a thousand years now both humans and his underlings alike are scared of him even his demons admire and respect him out of fear. All of them knew how ruthless, manipulative, egoistic and deceitful this man is but this girl shows her genuine gratitude towards him even though she is vulnerable and exposed. What a clueless human he thought letting her guard down to none other but the dangerous Muzan kibutsuji. There was pure innocence in her voice and glowing admiration in her eyes, gleaming with positive energy which evoked strong emotions in all his seven hearts that were stoned ever since he abandoned his humanity.

"Its dangerous for you to go back alone let me escort you home" the demon replied which you gladly accepted. For now.

Muzan held your hand tightly as the two of you began to walk out from the forest and enter the town again, talking on the way, learning about each other.

"How old are you (y/n) chan?"

"I am 13 years old, kibutsuji san"

"Muzan will be fine, (y/n)"

"Sure Muzan!" You smiled enthusiastically, you enjoyed his company as you were not allowed to have friends it made your heart flutter with an unexpected feeling of warmth. You wanted to clinge on it. Never in your life you felt so secure and content.

Top over the mountains or valley low

"Say (y/n), why did you ran away from home?" Muzan asked

"I don't want to get sacrificed to the oni" you replied with sudden drop to your voice. Muzan stopped walking and looked down at you with concern written over his face, he didn't know why he was acting this way but there was this sudden urge to keep you safe, the thought of seeing you suffer made him somewhat sick to his stomach.

"What oni?" He asked this time holding your shoulders gently, he could say you were scare to talk about this but somehow you felt at ease around him which you never felt towards anyone, you started to trust him even though you just met him.

"There has been an old tradition in my family for generations, every decade on the night of full moon the first born female child of our family is sacrificed to the oni living on the mountain of akakura for last 50 years, I am next in line that's why I was running away, I am not ready to die" you replied almost sobbing

Give you everything you've been dreaming of

Just let me in

"Once I attain the age 18, I will too be send to the oni as his bride" tears came rolling down your cheek, the demon lord can sense your terror which you were trying to hide. What a pitiful creature, I shall be your savior he thought to himself.

"You are a brave girl, I admire your inner strength (y/n)" he cupped your face with his arms, caressing your features softly brushing away the tear drop forming in your eyes.

"I don't know for how long" you replied smiling a bit. appreciating his effort to soothe your anxiety.

Everything you want in gold, I'll be the magic story you've been told

Everything was good until you heard your name coming across the other end of the street, it was two of your servants and your uncle approaching both you and Muzan. The look in your face suddenly changed to that of a drastic one, the slight flush which covered your countenance few seconds ago was gone and was replaced with a pale look similar to that of muzan's. It was evident to the demon from your expressions that it was rather unpleasant for you even though they seem to know you and by judging the looks of your uncle, he figured you two are related.

"Where have you gone milady?" One of your maid came rushing towards you, but you hid behind muzan's back averting your gaze from the maiden and your uncle. As you could feel an intense glare coming from him. Thanks to your uncle you are in great trouble now.

"My name is (u/n)(L/n), this girl's uncle, I apologize on behalf of my niece for causing you trouble" the (h/c) hair man said to muzan.

"I am Tsukihiko kibutsuji, Do not worry about that and (y/n) didn't create any disturbance" it would be a bit suspicious to you that why muzan lied to your uncle about his real name if he didn't mention he was a demon earlier when you two were conversing and he needs to hide his identity in order to survive.

"Thank you so much for your help, (L/n) family will owe you for this" he bowed to muzan showing his gratitude towards him while glancing at you with the corner of his eyes.

"You here young lady, I hope you won't run away like this you could have just asked our servants or me if you really wanted to go out that badly, you have made your mother worried sick" the man cooed directing towards you.

𝚕𝚒es you thought You'd never let me go out, you are only behaving nicely because of muzan.

"(Y/n)" the soothing voice hit your ears and you looked up to see muzan "you must go back home, as your uncle stated they must be really worried, right?"

You felt really defeated but you decided to let go of him, he already saved you from a great disaster. It would be selfish of you to ask for more but you really hoped he'd help. Before you headed back you asked turning your head back at his direction.

And you'll be safe under my control

"We will still be friends right?" Muzan was taken aback friends? He thought a genuine smile appearing on his face. He nodded at you which made you sigh with relief and then you waved goodbye to him in the hope of seeing him again someday, your first friend.

"Yes (y/n), we will meet again"

Just let me in, ooh.

[hamphobicbasil]

Could u elaborate about the dsmp story being bad? Not a rabid/brain dead fan, just genuinely curious and I enjoy reading people's rants lolol

oh you dont know the floodgates you just opened

a few things:

1. despite not liking the creators of the dsmp anymore, I don't actually hate most of them. [the ones that are particularly unsavory fall outside of this of course] so all that I'm saying i truly mean in a critical sense towards the story, its also just all purely my opinion as someone who enjoys fictional and fantasy stories and who like criticizing works to see what it does well and what it doesn't do well

2. for clarification I'm going to use the c![name] to indicate when I'm talking about the characters. Don't get me wrong, I think its annoying too but its the only way I'm gonna be able to write this thing without getting something across the wrong way yknow?

3. I stopped watching the streams after November 16th, [save for one Techno one but I closed out after a particularly bad story beat lol] and so all information coming afterward is all second hand from either me seeing people on twt talk abt it or people dming me. All i really know is up to dream's imprisonment and some stuff past that.

4. This is mostly aimed towards the "main" story, so stuff abt the badlands, eggpire, and whatnot are briefly mentioned.

anyways uh, i'll try to be brief but also include enough information to get why i feel the way i do on some stuff across

A. Performances Alright obviously these people are all streamers, so obviously they might not be the best actors, and hell no one is even asking that of them. However, when you're telling a story that's based on the audio with the visuals kinda coming to a second, it's gotta be pretty strong. I will say, some of the best actors in my opinion are Wilbur, Tommy, and Tubbo. I would include Ranboo but I never watched any of his story bits or story streams so I can't say much. Wilbur and Tommy are excellent in selling their character's emotions and feelings, when I watch the stream I don't feel like I'm watching an rp but an actual thought-out story yknow? And one of my favorite Tubbo examples was in the Hog Hunt video whenever Techno attacked him, he sounded genuinely afraid and I believed everything his character was feeling.

However, unfortunately, not everyone is gonna be that good. And I'm gonna say it; Dream and Techno have to be the worst out of the entire cast. I understand Techno's whole character is this monotoned badass, however, when really emotional moments hit I feel like he never lets that fall, and a lot of intense moments just ring hollow. And I'm sorry but Dream's attempts at being intimidating leave me laughing whenever I watch them. It feels like he watched that one scene from The Marriage with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson and said "Oh this is what good acting looks like! Just yelling." His whole "I don't give a FUCK about Spirit!" speech isn't as great as people keep making it out to be. And whenever he tries to act coy when being a villain it feels like a guy reading the script for the first time, a bit like he's trying too hard. I have more problems with his character but his portrayal certainly doesn't help.

Everyone else is fine, and I don't feel strongly either way about a lot of them.

B. The "Lore" Okay first off, I can't be the only one who thinks it's silly that people are calling the dsmp's story "lore" when it's not, it's the fucking story. Lore indicates backstory to either the world or the characters, which a lot of the streams don't really pertain to. This is a really petty section but god it's a weird pet peeve of mine.

Other than the misusage of "lore" vs "story", the actual lore and world-building of the world are so lackluster that new elements can be introduced whenever and it often feels cluttered or not well thought out at all. And here's the thing, I feel like if the writers sat down just for a few minutes to establish world rules and general history, a lot of this could be solved! but so much is made up on the spot that it starts to feel like they're grabbing at straws to keep people invested, trying to reach that next high and intense story beat without actually earning it.

C. The Egg / Eggpire This is a pretty minor note since I was only invested in the Egg storyline for a little bit, but god it's so underused that it's almost embarrassing. Bad has provided this super interesting antagonistic force that's infecting the SMP, can control people, and who one of our main character is immune to, and it's just never used or even talked about again? Now I understand if he wanted to keep it to a side storyline only, however, to introduce this borderline eldritch creature and force within the world and then never have it dealt with is so weird.

D. The Writing Oh boy this is. kinda a big one. Now I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty obvious I have a bias for the Wilbur writing over the current team [that consisting of Dream, Quackity, and Tommy mostly]. I don't this his writing is perfect by any means, the characters constantly bringing up traitors got obnoxious after a while, and writing Hamilton but in Minecraft really isn't the modern Shakespeare or anything. However, I think his exploration of characters and plot progression was a lot more thought out and well planned, like he actually had two brain cells behind the story yknow? The current team I think fails to be as emotional or even impactful, things happened too fast and my god was everything drowned in angst for so long.

Don't get me wrong, you gotta have your characters face hardships to make them reach their goal believable, but some of the shit they put the characters through just felt like too much. From c!Tubbo's constant comparison to c!Schlatt [who btw, fucking ordered his death and kept him from his friends in a nation he felt trapped in] and on a side note, i kinda really fucking dislike the "c!Schlatt dad!!" au's or the au's where c!Tubbo inherits some of Schlatt's features, it would be like c!Tommy getting a c!Dream mask after his exile, it's feels so weird yet people eat that shit up for some reason.

But god, did c!Tommy get the brunt of it all and in retrospect after his final death, it kinda feels really fucking gross. Now obviously, I'm not trusting any of these people to write decent mental health representation, but c!Tommy's PTSD and how it was explored was just degrading. [Specifically the scene in that one Techno stream where he saw the final control room from the first war, and had a flashback / panic attack where he started calling out for c!Dream. I understand this is an actual thing people with PTSD will experience, but it felt so fucking stereotypical it got on my nerves. I actually had to close out of the stream because it made me feel sick, fiction shouldn't leave you feeling that way.] And don't get me started on how they basically reused the formula from the previous arc. [Problem introduced -> Tensions rise as things start to fall apart -> Big confrontation -> Exile -> Return from Exile -> Blowing up L'Manberg, again.]

And speaking of characters-

E. Character Arcs, or the lack of them In my genuine opinion, some of these characters' arcs are so disappointing. Especially c!Tommy's. I'm not one to believe that he was a "selfish" character or anything, however, his goals were simply set on his discs and maybe c!Tubbo, he didn't have much outside that. However, L'Manberg gave him something to care about, he gave up his discs for it and he fought for it tooth and nail, I think it taught him to open up to others and trust more. It was a great character arc for him to have, seeing him still fight even after his first exile alongside c!Wilbur, to return safely to the nation that he and his found family had built.

But then his second exile happened, and I feel like all of that was undone.

c!Tommy's exile genuinely pisses me off for so many reasons. It's not that characters can't have their low points after reaching a major change or feeling like they've "completed" their arcs or anything, but it's more of the fact that it seems like he's never going to heal that feels like a spit in the face, especially to people who might have had setbacks like that before. Progress isn't linear, sometimes things happen and you get knocked back down, it can take a while to get back up, but I don't think c!Tommy's character is ever going to be allowed to get back up. From c!Dream, who pretty much was a constant abuser in his life, killing him then reviving him, and his still fractured relationship with c!Tubbo, which by the way I have a had time believing they would still be friends after all that happened, it feels like he can never get a win and it's generally kinda a shit way to treat your characters who have been abused. Of course, not all abused characters are going to get happy endings, I'm not trying to dictate that they all should, but c!Tommy deserves one and the fact that it's so obscure feels shitty.

Side note: we still don't have a canon reason to give a shit abt the discs. Like I'm sorry but without some sorta connection to the MacGuffin why should we give a shit about him getting them other than "he wants them lol". Like hell, I would even accept the classic "they were the last gifts from his parents" or something, but we still don't have a reason.

c!Tubbo also lacks a fulfilling arc as well, from someone who started out as a yes man, he has progressed a bit into having his own interests first, but besides that sometimes his character makes me so. depressed. He's easily one of the most pushed around and hated characters within the story, all for being a kid who didn't know what to do and he's in the same vein as c!Tommy; these kids can't get a break. Also, his anti-violence beliefs morphing into the "lets kill c!Techno lol!" bit was so out of place and without proper build-up it was like. what. And now he's building nukes?? god c!Tubbo makes me so sad because he's kicked around constantly and never given a chance to grow.

Another small note, I also don't really enjoy c!Techno at all. Besides the previously stated reasons of lack of emotions when they're really needed, I find his character to be weirdly pretentious. He talks as if he's constantly been betrayed and hurt but I personally, don't see it? Like, I think one of the main examples was the Pogtopia vs. Manberg war, yknow he wanted to end the government but they just reinstated it after they won = c!Techno upset. But this doesn't make sense to me because why did he think otherwise? The entire time c!Tommy had talked about taking back their nation and starting again, so the fact that c!Techno suddenly thought there would be a sudden change is, to put it bluntly, kinda fucking stupid. I don't want to say that he "plays the victim" or anything because that feels a bit harsh, but his character feels so far up his own ass that I can't enjoy him.

I have a major grip with c!Dream as well, but that's getting it's own fucking section.

F. L'Manberg This is a quick note before we get into the, forgive me for this, endgame, of this entire rant, since the next two sections are tied together. But god, L'Manberg makes me upset because it feels like they gave up on it.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that it is supposed to be c!Wilbur's "unfinished symphony", the thing that destroyed a once charismatic and widely loved man, his attempt at power that utterly ruined him. But the fact that it just got blown up in the end after everything and left to rot felt like such a waste of time. From the first war, to Pogtopia, to even c!Tommy's exile, it all felt fucking worthless in the end, and the story is actively closer to how it was when it started now more than ever. I wished it was actually allowed to exist and continue to be a peaceful place in what is a chaotic world, but no it was just snuffed out because why dedicate to this concept of finding others you can band together with and feel safe. fuck that noise apparently?

G. The Villains Now villain-wise, I'm only talking about c!Dream [during the first war], c!Schlatt, and c!Wilbur. And believe it or not, this is actually mostly positive.

Now I'm not gonna lie, c!Dream as a staring antagonist wasn't bad actually, he posed a genuine and threatening opposition to L'Manberg, even if we didn't know his real intentions or motivations as to why he was against it. He's lucky in this sense because he didn't have to be good, he had to be passable. If anything, he felt more like an anti-hero than a tyrant or traditional villain, and my god do I wish he kept this theme going forward.

Now quick disclaimer, I don't like JSchlatt as much as the next guy, he's an adult man who should know better than to joke about some sensitive topics and act the way that he does. But the one thing I'll ever give him is that damn, was he a good actor for his character.

Now here's the thing, c!Schlatt wasn't particularly deep at all. He had no real motivations behind his exile of c!Wilbur and c!Tommy other than getting competition out of the way, had no reason to act the way that he did and yknow? that's fine. The reason why he worked was from his performance alone, he was actually intimidating. When he came onto the stream and was doing his typical bad guy stuff, it was actually intense to see what he would do. Whenever he would almost catch c!Tommy back in Manberg, whenever he would begin to pressure c!Tubbo, it put you on the edge of your seat and it felt like everything would change at the drop of a pen. He's a villain to be a villain, and this works out because he's just charismatic and well put together enough to make it interesting, even without the backstory or motives.

c!Wilbur however, is much more tragic, and the best villain of the story. He essentially was the "mentor turned evil" trope and it felt terrible watching him descend into madness, unable to trust barely anyone except for c!Techno and c!Tommy. Hell, in the end I think he still cared about them both, despite losing everything. Sure, he blew up L'Manberg, but there was still a smidge of the old c!Wilbur in there made everything he did feel melancholic. His death at the hands of his father after achieving his final wish was chilling, and something I still think about.

Until yknow, Ghostbur came back way too soon to let people feel his loss as a character within that world. And then he got revived, pretty much-undoing everything that moment meant for his character lol.

And then there's the worst one:

H. Dream. I'm going to be completely honest, c!Dream is one of the main reasons why I dislike the current dsmp stuff so much. Outside of his actions as a person, the way Dream decided to write his character as this overpowered madman of the dsmp really just. destroyed any intrigue that he could've had. Perhaps this is from my growing dislike towards him, manifesting into a bias towards his character, but god I cannot fathom why people try to insist he's interesting when he has as much depth as a fucking puddle.

And here's the thing, I'm not even entirely against c!Dream being a villain, hell I think he would've been great as an anti-hero if anything. Make him sympathetic but not through c!George to get your precious "DNF" points or anything, but show him actually caring about the people within the dsmp, including c!Tommy and c!Tubbo. This would make his rival status with them just a bit more complicated, sure they're enemies, however, he doesn't want to hurt or kill them, and there's still a level of friendship there that keeps them bonded when things get super bad. This could've been super interesting to see, the first villain of the story receiving a sorta redemption arc then descending into madness as he started to fixate on being a god. This is all how I feel personally, but god do I feel like it would've been better than his current character, and hell would've worked with how he was during the Pogtopia arc, before the war that is. I'm not trying to tell Dream how to write his own character, but there are so many other ways he could've done the madman seeking to become god rather then. whatever the hell we got.

Because instead, we got this power-mad asshole who does things... because he can? And that's one of my major issues: he tries to surround his character in mystery to make him "intriguing" but it's kinda like c!Techno, it comes off as pretentious. Not only that, but you cannot keep waving around this mystery of a backstory without ever actually revealing it. I know the story isn't over, but c!Dream is effectively at his lowest point, now would be the time to reveal his backstory. But no just keep it in the dark and keep everyone guessing, that's totally fun and not at all tiring and annoying. (sarcasm, if anyone needs it)

And back to his performance, he doesn't sell this aloof, cynical and strategic warrior that has perfected the blade or some shit, he comes off as some angry guy yelling on reddit. which i don't need to tell you, isn't intimidating. It feels like he's trying to have c!Schlatt's intimidation combined with c!Wilbur's depth, but instead he's like a little brother who's trying to hard to mimic his older brother and is kinda embarrassing himself.

but other then that i dont feel too strongly abt the dsmp lol

but seriously, these are the main complaints I have abt the story tbh, I could probably talk about more but I wont because man. this is probably gonna get me in trouble if any of the hyper-dsmp fans actually read it.