#and then reveal that the reason he was put down was because he became dangerous

[gamebunny-advance]

A Random Collection of "Heart and Soul" and "DSYNC" Thoughts

Recap: "Heart and Soul" is a corny fanfic I wrote about 1010 meeting Yinu for the first time. I like it, but the ending is kinda bad.

This is, as the title says, a "random collection of thoughts," so don't expect anything too coherent. Jump around, skip stuff. Don't force yourself to try and sort this out.

--------

I think it'd be funny if 1010 referred to Yinu as "big sis" since she's technically older than them.

HaS doesn't necessarily occur in the DSYNC!AU, but I still base White's relationship with Yinu as though it had happened. In DSYNC, besides other NSR staff/public appearances, White will usually go out of his way to hide his bad mood when she's around because she's the one person he legitimately doesn't want to upset. Yinu kinda knows that something is wrong with him (try as he might to hide it, but she can usually smell the tobacco on him), but considering the last time she got involved in 1010's home situation, she got him erased, she doesn't want to pry any more than she needs to.

Sometimes I wonder how White conceptualizes his relationship with Yinu. Currently, they consider each other friends and there is a sibling-like quality to their relationship, but I wonder if that would change when she becomes an adult. In my headcanon 1010s are programmed with the inclination to flirt with basically anything that moves baring a couple of exceptions, both of which Yinu falls under: she's a child, and she's employed by NSR. Their restriction against NSR employees would bar him from flirting with her even when she becomes an adult, but the moment that either of them aren't employed by the same company, that restriction gets lifted. So I wonder if he considers that previous bond significant enough to continue to think of her as a close friend, or if it disappears the instant she meets their flirtation criteria. Perhaps by that time, their AI would be robust enough to process the nuances of their relationship.

1010 has already considered that even if he has a long "life", then all the humans in his life are going to out-grow him while he remains a 'young man' for eternity. But, what he considers more likely is that he'll be considered obsolete and *retired before Yinu even grows up.

*Although 1010 considers all previous versions of himself to be the same person, he also feels that part of him "dies" with every upgrade too. He's in a constant cycle of death and rebirth, and every MK update he gets further and further from what he originally was. Very Thesisus's ship paradox.

When I was writing the sequel, "Heartaches" there was a scene where Yinu accidentally reactivates the MKI 1010 while she visited Barracca Mansion.

I never quite explained why Neon J. felt the need to erase 1010's memories, but it was because it was considered too dangerous to allow 1010 to so blatantly disobey his Captain's orders, so that needed to be fixed as soon as possible.

It was determined that 1010's accidental harm of Yinu is what caused the sudden shift in his priorities, but the way that 1010 processes information means that it's not as easy as simply deleting a random chunk of his memory to reverse the effects. 1010's A.I. is like a giant web of connections. It *isn't easy to just cut some connections without causing another part to fail or become unstable.

*Strictly speaking, it is technically possible to comb through 1010's memories and delete very specific parts of it, but the parts are so interwoven and dense that it would take decades of manpower to search through and correctly identify even 1 minute of memories that needed to be erased without affecting other areas, which just isn't practical.

In extreme cases like the Yinu incident, the easiest thing is to *roll-back his memories, either to a previous state or do a complete reset.

*Rolling back his memories is still unideal, but the consequences of rolling back are more predictable vs. deleting something "in the middle" where the consequences will be unknown until it's already caused another problem.

Since 1010 met Yinu the same day that he malfunctioned, he wasn't able to keep any memory of her until the next time they met.

However, Neon J. also doesn't delete these malfunctioning versions of 1010 since they still provide useful research information. So, when MKI is accidentally revived, he still has memories of the incident up to getting retired, but he isn't up-to-date with anything else, so he identifies the MKIII 1010s as threats to Yinu and proceeds to destroy them while they try to get Yinu back to safety and away from him.

Neon J's tendency to use memory erasure to solve 1010's problems was also supposed to be a major point in DSYNC, where Neon J. "solves" the problem by factory resetting White and Green. If they have no memories of the past, then neither of them can have trauma about it. However, since the memories are still stored somewhere, they can still find a way to access them, even "subconsciously." This caused Green to still avoid White even though neither of them knew the real reason why. Since White can't do his job as leader if one of his subordinates keeps avoiding him, he decides to seek out the reason himself.

They are forbidden from directly accessing these memories, but there's a loophole in that they can still get the information indirectly, such as loading a bootleg (aka Garage Band 1010) with the old memories and asking them about it. Reset!White was then supposed to learn about his past abuse from the old White which is what allowed him to finally find the courage to confront Neon J. about their issues and get everyone some well deserved therapy.

[ncttytrack]

Orange blood - p.sh

Your naked body, exposed in front of him, was full of your life elixir, and if he wasn’t pathetic enough to love you, a human girl, he would’ve sucked the last drop you could offer.

Summary: You let Sunghoon use you as his personal blood bag during a full moon

Genre: SMUT, Vampire!Sungoon x reader

Words: 2,3k

Warnings: Blood kink (a lot of blood), Dom!Sunghoon, Sub!reader, Pain kink, Reader almost dying...

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

When you first started dating Sunghoon, you didn’t know he was a vampire. Even though his smile revealed his sharp fangs, his minimal sunshine exposure and the way his skin would be completely cold and pale white, it never occurred to you that he was a vampire. You never believed in mythical creatures, even as a kid having trouble believing in fairies or mermaids.

When he became your boyfriend, it didn’t take long before you knew his secret. You remember it clearly, though it was only a month ago. You and Sunghoon had just become official, the first week being magical with romantic dinner dates and movie nights, all during night time. Sunghoon used to say that it was cozier at night, which was the reason why he rarely met you during the day even after becoming your partner. Suddenly, after the first week, he would go completely silent for a full day. You tried calling him multiple times but he never answered, and a mix of being scared that he was cheating on you, or that he was in danger, made you stalk your way to his home outside the city you were currently living in.

As you walk into his house, you hear painful screams from his bedroom. Sunghoons screams made you run as fast as you could to the room, breaking in to save him from whatever that was causing him this awful pain. When you opened the door, you were met with a horrendous sight. Sunghoon was chained up against the bed frame, which he so desperately tried to break away from. His body was sweaty, drenching his clothes til they were see through, and the veins on his arms and neck were popping out. His fangs had grown twice his regular size and his eyes were beat red, now wide open, looking at you. When he saw you, his screams and cries became louder, and it wouldn't take long before the chains fell apart by his strength. As one half of him wanted to rip you apart to shreds, sucking out the last drops of blood in your body because of his painful thirst, the other half wanted you to get the hell out of here. Away from someone as dangerous as him. As he screams to you to get away from him, to leave the house before he breaks the heavy chains, you finally do. Heavy breaths are coming from your mouth, as you run away from the person you love.

Before he could explain the day after why he was in a state like that, you connected the dots. As crazy as you first thought you were, you couldn't forget those sharp teeth and his glowing eyes. The full moon turning his thrust for blood to the max, especially yours, made you realize that Sunghoon was dangerous. Even more dangerous when you realized that you would never be able to leave him, everything about him drawing your pathetic human self in.

As the next full moon crept up, Sunghoon made sure to make you stay away from him. But you can’t handle knowing what he goes through. It must be so painful, not being able to quench the thirst he so desperately needed to. That’s why he thought you sounded crazy when you came up with an idea right before the full moon .

“No, absolutely not”, Sunghoon says with a stern voice, his arms across in front of his chest. You look up at him with pleading eyes, putting your hands on his arms trying to drag them down. “No, please, I want to”. His hands grab your shoulders, leaning down to look at you eye to eye. His grip is hard, making you wince. “Do you want to give me your blood during the next full moon? That's a horrible idea y/n! What if I hurt you”.

One of your hands grabs his, and you look deep into his brown eyes. His mouth is wide open, making you able to see his fangs, already being bigger than normal for the full moon. As your curiosity grows, your hand leaves his, bringing up your hand to his mouth. He looks at you with an amused expression as you make him gape wider so you can touch his sharp fangs. Your thumb graces over his sharp teeth, making him hiss at the feeling. “I don’t care” You say as your thumb presses up towards his fang, making it bleed in his mouth. When he tastes your sweet blood on his tongue, it drives him crazy, making him grab your wrist to pull your bleeding thumb away. He gulps, looking at the red blood sliding down your thumb, reluctantly licking it up with his pink tongue. He looks down at you with heavy breaths, his cock twitching when seeing your gaping mouth at the feeling of his mouth sucking your bloody finger. He pulls away from you, walking away, not being able to handle the growing feeling in his chest. This was the first time he tasted you, but by the looks of it, it certainly wasn’t the last.

As the night came closer and closer, the moon became brighter and brighter, making Sunghoons thirst for you almost unbearable. You managed to pursue him, now sitting on his bed, wearing nothing, your skin completely exposed for Sunghoon to bite into. “Are you really ready for this y/n?” The moon shines through the window, shining light upon the two of you. He looked so beautiful, already glistening with sweat from his temptation. He examines you. Apart from him, your skin is full of life, your cheeks are red and so are your lips. Full of blood, your sweet blood that he so desperately wants to consume. Your naked body, exposed in front of him, was full of your life elixir, and if he wasn’t pathetic enough to love you, a human girl, he would’ve sucked the last drop you could offer.

You nod your head, giving him permission to taste you, to completely take over you. One of his hands comes in contact with your shoulder, as the other grabs your hair, pulling your head to the side to expose your neck. He can hear your heart beating faster and faster, which makes his thirst grow bigger and bigger. You were scared. He tries to be as calm as possible when he leans down towards your neck, close to your skin. He can smell your scent, making him gulp down the saliva forming in his mouth. What if he is unable to pull away, killing his beautiful saint of a girlfriend. The sweat is sliding down his forehead, he needs to taste your warm skin.

He began to lick your neck, feeling your tasty skin against his taste buds. The tip of his tongue licks a special spot, making you let out a small moan out of pleasure. As he hears your moan he can’t take it anymore. His sharp fangs come in contact with your skin, piercing through painfully slow, making you arch your back into Sunghoon, letting out a scream from the pain. Your hands rests on his shoulders for support, feeling secure in his vicinity. When he can fully taste your thick, sugary, blood in his mouth, he lets out a moan against your skin. Your blood tastes like sweet hot chocolate, mixed with savory oranges. He has never tasted something as sweet as you, and he doesn't know if he will be able to stop.

As his bite intensifies, so does his touch. His hands have now left your hair and shoulder, digging his filed nails into your waist. The way he pushes his nails into your skin could possibly make you bleed, and you try to handle the arousal the touch gives you. He can’t stop tasting you, and when he feels your body losing strength, making you lean more into him, he forcefully pushes himself away from you. He seems to have hit a larger artery, since you can’t stop bleeding from where he bit you. His blood glides down between your boobs, down your stomach, to your already naked core. The bleeding intensifies, and by using your hands the blood is smeared out nearly all over your body, the warm liquid painting you red.

Your body falls down on the bed, as Sunghoon hovers over you. Your skin is losing its beautiful, lifeful, color, and you grow paler with every second. What surprised you however, is how amazing it felt being bitten, making your thighs clench together when remembering the sting. Sunghoon notices this, biting his lips at the sight. “Why did you stop Hoonie?” Sunghoon can’t think clearly. His beautiful girlfriend is under him, blood smeared all over your body making you look like his personal meal for him to enjoy. He looked at the place he bit you, blood streaming down from the wound that he so wished to taste again. But he can’t bite you again, you would definitely die if he did. But he needs to taste you, to make you feel good using his fangs. “You’re too cute baby”

He leans down to kiss you passionately, his fangs making you bleed in your mouth. The more he can taste the liquid, the darker, and redder his eyes appear. The lust for you, and the desperate need to take over all of you grows inside him. When his hands come in contact with your waist for stability during the heated kiss, he feels how wet your skin is from the blood, making it almost difficult for him to hold on to your slippery body.

You feel lightheaded, almost passing out, when Sunghoon begins to kiss you from your lips, down to your neck and to your stomach. His tongue licks up your thick blood covering you, licking you clean, quenching his thirst. His tongue slides down your stomach, down to your core, licking up as much blood as possible. As his mouth comes in contact with your pussy, you let out a crying moan out of pleasure. Your hand comes in contact with his hair, wanting him to continue to pleasure you with his mouth. He does so, making out with your pussy, tasting the mix of your juices and your blood.

The flavor and your sweet moans makes him want to shove his tongue into your hole deeper, digging his nails into your thighs to keep you from closing them. “Fuck, baby you taste so good.” You feel the way his tongue comes in contact with your swollen clit sucking on it harshly, making the only sound leaving your lips being your moans and his name, chanting it over and over again the closer you get.

As you are about to cum, Sunghoon pulls away from you. Before you can complain, he pulls out his massive cock, leaking with preecum, and shoves it into you. He wastes no time waiting for you to adjust, ramming into you with inhuman speed. He tries not to cum when looking at you. Your hair is messy, and your makeup is completely ruined from all your crying. The wound is still leaking, still painting your body red with your blood. The scent of your sweet blood is filling his nostrils, making him needier, thirstier, and stronger. The way that you just lay there, letting him take over you, to completely ruin your sweet innocence. Not only that, but the way you love it drives him to complete insanity. Screaming his name, moaning from both pleasure and pain, from the wound, the sting, but also from the warmth that fills your body.

“Fuck y/n, you shoul’dve never let me do this, I’m compleatly ruining you” You don’t care. It’s almost scary how hot he is. His fangs are completely out, exposed by his open mouth letting out painful moans, and his jet-black hair is glued to his forehead because of the sweat. His lips are swollen and red from your blood, and from all the close contact with you, his body is smeared in your own blood, all the way from his mouth to his lower stomach. You always knew he looked gorgeous in red, but this look was on a whole other level. And his eyes. His eyes were glowing in the semi-dark room, truly making him look like the predator he truly is.

He knows he is about to cum, pounding deeper and harder into your now sore pussy. “Have to taste you again baby”. As he gets closer, he leans down to your neck, sucking on the open wound without piercing your skin, getting a final taste. The taste of your sweet orange-chocolate flavored blood, drives him to the edge, filling you up with his cum. His tired, heavy body leans down on yours, having to use all the strength he has to not crush your fragile figure. He loves the feeling of your pussy, the last thing he wants to do is to pull away his cock from your warm hole, hugging him just right.

But as he can feel your pulse drop, he begins to panic and pulls his cock out of you. His drawer, being prepared if his darkest fantasies ever came to life, was full of cranberry juice. He quickly hands you the juice, seeing your weak hands grabbing it, trying not to drop it. He holds it for you, seeing how you suck up all the liquid, before taking another box. When looking at you like this, sucking the juice he holds, covered in your blood he so desires, looking up at him with the sweetest smile as if he didn’t almost kill you, he knew.

He knew he was absolutely in love with you.

꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦

This fic is for everyone that voter for vampire Sunghoon 🩸💋

[veritasangel]

Sanctuary Lost

Ft. ghoap x therapist!reader - part 1

sum: just when you think their fascination with you couldn't get any worse...it does :/

contains: anypov, unhealthy boundaries, manipulative ghoap, obsessive/stalker behaviour, home invasion

wc: 2.2k

a/n: i try to write write things shorter but it's impossible for me, i swear (i'll proofread later)

The weeks after that night at the bar bled together in one dizzying whirl of confusion, blurred lines, and creeping dread. What once was a professional relationship, so carefully oiled and controlled, became something so much more insidious, and you found yourself right in the middle of just what you had sworn to avoid.

Yet, it was not just the boundaries between therapist and patient that were shattered. It was deeper; far more dangerous.

Simon started requesting more sessions: longer, more often. You tried at first to keep it within reason, within the professional limits. But he had a way of breaking down your defences, of using your empathy against you. His eyes, always so dark, intense, would bore into yours, wordlessly begging you to stay just a little longer, to listen just a little more.

And you did. Because how could you not? The way he spoke about his past, the trauma, the nightmares-it was gut-wrenching. You felt responsible for helping him, easing his suffering. But the more you gave, the more he took.

He started asking questions again, this time about your life-at first very subtly, but then with more insistence. And somewhere in the midst of all that, it went from being about his healing to about him needing you to be near him.

One night you returned home, later than usual and exhausted. It was supposed to be the one place you go to when you want to get away from work and just relax. But as you stepped inside, your heart just dropped at the sight greeting you.

Simon sat there, on your sofa, his huge frame almost dwarfing the small space. He didn't glance up upon your entrance, just kept his eyes to some faraway focal point, lost in thought. This wasn't the first time he had overstepped boundaries, but this felt different-more intrusive, more deliberate.

"Simon," you began, laying your bag down, the quake in your voice so clear. "What are you doing here?"

His eyes, at last, held yours-haunted, as if he had been fighting some demon deep within him. "I needed to see you," he said in a low, hoarse voice. "I couldn't stay away.

You stepped backward, instincts screaming that this was wrong and you should get out. "You can't just come here," you said, trying to keep your voice firm, but it shook. "This is my home, my private space."

"We were just concerned about you, is all." He says, looking down at a notepad on your table

It was then that Soap walked out of the kitchen, mug of tea in hand.

You looked at them, heart racing in your chest as the reality of your situation set slowly in. They have invaded every aspect of your life. There was no escape, no place that was yours alone. They have taken over everything.

"I want my key back," you said, trying to put some authority into your voice, but it came out weak, almost pleading. Soap chimes in, holding his other hand up to reveal a key, "It's not your key, we got our own set."

That's when you notice the notepad Simon's looking at, the one with an officer's number on it.

You felt a cold sweat break out along your spine. The hum of your pulse was in your ears; your breathing was shallow and quick. 

The image of the notepad with the officer's number on it started a spiral in your brain. You had jotted it down after one of the especially disturbing calls with Simon, thinking that you might need some backup. You'd never intended to use it, at least not until you could justify involving the authorities.

But now, seeing it in Simon's hands, knowing they'd been through your stuff, brought a sickly twist to your gut.

With that, Soap took a leisurely sip from his mug, now resting against the kitchen doorway. Never once did he look away from your eyes. His ease in your space filled you with a deep, gnawing unease. This was beyond a breach of bounds—it was a complete and utter violation of life, privacy, and autonomy.

"That officer's number," Simon said very softly, bringing your attention back to him. "What were you planning on doing with it?"

The question was factual, but the implication was anything but. You could almost smell the accusation in the air, the silent threat.

"I—" You stammered, trying to find the words. But your mind was a chaotic mess, and the weight of their stares made it impossible to think clearly.

Soap laughs, "Come on, what are they gonna do, sweetheart? They don't do shit on their best days."

It seemed like the very walls were closing in on you—not to mention the sheer weight of their words crashing upon your chest. Soap's cackling laughter boomed in your ears, a vivid accompaniment to the general air of hostility. 

Simon's stare was unrelenting; it was wordless but full of the power to break you.

You tried to steady your breathing, fighting against the panic rising in your chest. "You can't keep doing this," you said, your voice shaking. "This isn't just about helping Simon anymore. It's harassment. It's wrong."

Simon didn't change his expression, but there was a cold gratification in his eyes. "You're right," he replied softly. "This isn’t what therapy is supposed to be. But we are past that point now. It isn't just about your job or our sessions. This is personal now, can’t you see?”

Soap stepped closer and his eyes narrowed slightly. "You're the only one who's been able to keep him grounded," he added, dropping his voice down to just above a whisper. "You think you can just walk away from that responsibility? From everything you've built?

Those words hit you in the gut. They took that sense of duty and responsibility you have, twisted it, and used it as a weapon against you to make you feel guilty for getting your own life back. The logic was insidious-you second-guess yourself and your decisions and needs.

I am not his saviour," you said, trying to keep your voice as even as possible while turmoil raged in your soul. "I am a therapist, and I should help, not be controlled or threatened.

Simon's face relaxed, but there was no warmth in it. "We're not asking for anything more from you," he said softly, deceptively so. "We're merely informing you that the boundaries you once did have are no longer there. You're part of this now, either you accept it, or things get a little…difficult.”

You stood there while the walls of your own apartment closed in on you, your personal space now a battlefield of control and dominance. The freedom so quickly taken for granted was now lost, trapped in a cage made from your own compassion and their unending manipulation.

Simon stood up from the couch, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the room. "We'll give you time to get used to it," he said; his voice was modulated even and had something in it that ran a shiver down my spine.

He walks over, taking your hand as he passes you the phone number, "Or you could try and call your friendly police officer, see if he's any use. But remember, not everyone is as reliable as you might hope.

Soap spoke with a casual lightness that did not match at all the threat in his words. "Could be that he's a bit tied up at the moment," he said, an unpleasant edge in his smile. "Might not be as easy to reach as you once thought.”

Simon's fingers had lingered on yours a second more than necessary, his cold impression lingering long after he had pulled his hand back. He had held your gaze in a calculated intensity, as if to measure the effect of their words.

"We could be a great team," Simon said, with one of those tender face-cupping gestures that was downright bizarre under the circumstances. "We look out for you, you look out for us. That's how it should work, right?"

"This place is definitely big enough for three," Soap added, his voice smooth and disconcertingly casual as he came closer. He laid his hand on your waist, the touch light yet firm, a physical reminder of the closeness they imposed.

The way Soap's hand settled on you was an invasive, odd intimacy, like a claim rather than comfort. Casualness, laced with undertones of threat in his words, signalling that this was not a suggestion but a demand for a new configuration of things. The space that had always been your sanctuary, now redefined by their presence.

Simon's eyes moved from your face down to where Soap's hand was laid to rest on your waist; a faint smile played at the corners of his lips. "We're just making sure you're not alone," Simon said, his voice low and soothing, though with a hidden menace carried within. "It's easier when we all take care of eachother.”

The soothing words of Simon juxtaposed with Soap's firm grip and it caused your skin to crawl. It was as if they were giving you a false sense of security while tightening their noose around you. You felt trapped with no apparent way out of the suffocating atmosphere created by the invasive familiarity of their touch and by the heavy implication of their words.

Simon's eyes remained on your face, tracing with disturbing intensity the lines of your expression. "You’re pretty when you listen, you know?" he said, his voice dripping with condescending affection. He tipped your head, his fingers brushing skin with a practised ease that was more invasive than reassuring.

Simon's eyes were unreadable, yet a glimmer of satisfaction danced within them, an acknowledgment or verification that your discomfort was enough to testify to their power. His finger stroked your jawline delicately, yet his touch was invasive in the manner that he was mapping your fear and vulnerability.

"There's something mesmerising about seeing you like this," Simon continued, his voice rising with an edge of dark fascination. "The way your defences crumble, how easily you fall into the roles we need you to play. It's almost poetic."

You tried to muster a fraction of composure, forcing a smile off your face against the tempest inside. "I must be a pretty shit therapist if this is how you've gone," you said, trying to inject a hint of humour into your tone as a mask for the depth of your distress.

Soap's lips curled into a sardonic smile, though there was a flicker of something more calculating in his eyes. "On the contrary," he said softly, his gaze never leaving yours. "You're so good at your job, it’s why you’re here. And Simon wouldn't be able to cope without you, me either, by extension.

Simon watched you, his face blank, though there was something darkly smug about his eyes as he said, "We'll give you space to think. We understand that it's plenty to take in. Take time to adjust. We'll be around."

With that, Simon and Soap moved to the door, their presence still looming over you even as they were leaving. Soap gave you a last, unsettling smile as he followed Simon out, leaving you standing alone in the entryway. The succeeding silence was deafening; only the soft click of the door as it closed behind them managed to break it.

The wave of exhaustion and anxiety welled up inside of you. Your mind raced, trying to work through the weight of their visit and the new reality they'd placed upon you. The walls of your apartment felt like they were closing in-the space that was yours now a battleground.

You wanted to try and get some normalcy back, forget everything had ever gone this way so you quickly headed up to your bedroom. But as you opened the door, the sight stopped you dead in your tracks.

Boxes littered the floor of your room. They were filled with personal things: clothes and toiletries, and a variety of other items that didn't belong to you. These boxes sat in full view, with their names clearly marked on the sides, making your blood run cold. There was no escaping this physical reminder of an invasion-that this was somehow a new order in your life.

You sank onto the edge of your bed, feeling the weight of their intrusion settling heavily on your shoulders. The sight of the moving boxes—Simon and Soap's personal belongings—encroaching upon what once was your space was like a physical manifestation of the control they were trying to exert in your life. The walls that were protecting you a little while ago now seemed like barriers, closing in, a cage made from their demands and manipulations.

You sat there, trying to digest the invasion, when your phone buzzed on the nightstand. You flipped onto your side to grab it, looking for a distraction. Instead, you saw a new message notification from the officer's number you'd hoped to use in an emergency.

You opened the message, your fingers trembling as you read the text:

'Sleep well, love - Riley & MacTavish'

༄ m.list

© veritasangel ↣ 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴

[endless-ineffabilities]

without you, I would not be (Daemon Targaryen x f!Reader)

An outsider growing up alongside the Targaryens, the reader is like family. For Daemon, maybe even more. She gets injured one day, and his affections finally come to light.

word count: 1.6k ▪︎ masterlist

themes/warnings: protective!daemon, friends to lovers, fluff, cursing

series coming soon!

Daemon was fuming. He was a collected person by nature, content with allowing chaos to simply unfold, especially if he had a hand in it. But now and again, his fire reveals itself in acts of passion or calculated transgression. The prince, albeit admired by all, has earned quite a reputation that made him intimidating. Powerful. An alluring enigma.

And in that moment, as he rushedly strode through the hallways, he was beside himself with anger. You had been hurt.

You, the object of all of his affection. His heart’s eternal flame. Not that he ever told you this, of course.

Daemon liked keeping his desires close to his chest. He did not act upon them unless he was sure, and he’s always been sure of you. But for the first time, he was unsure of himself.

He knew what he was, impulsive and dangerous. And you… you were too good for him. Perfect.

All these years, you had grown up alongside Rhaenyra, becoming like a beloved elder sister, and a most-trusted friend and ally. Being an orphaned princess of one of the great houses of Old Valyria, the Targaryens took you under their wing. You became family, almost a Targaryen yourself.

Daemon had also become a close figure, a constant protector and somewhat more than a friend. He liked to press you, infuriate you at times, but you knew it was all out of love. Rhaenyra liked to tease you about her uncle’s apparent admiration for you, but you always pushed it aside.

Surely Daemon doesn’t see you that way. Nearly each night, he had his pick of the finest men and women in the kingdom, the paramour of all those who came and went by his quarters in the late hours. Why would he desire someone younger, someone quite inexperienced as you?

Still, you hoped. Because deny it as you might, you still saw. His lingering gaze, the way his hand gently tightens on your waist, the playful remarks. If it all confirmed what Rhaenyra insinuated, then you wanted him too.

That morning, in one of the combat exercises in the courtyard, you convinced them to let you join in. It has never been customary for princesses to engage in such activities, but you enjoyed them. You enjoyed the rush that swordplay gave you.

This was another reason why Daemon and yourself grew so close. He would train you in secret, away from prying eyes, and over the years, your improvement can mainly be attributed to him.

However, as much of a great swordswoman as you have become, you had been injured that day in the courtyard. You had taken a misstep, which resulted in Ser Criston running his sword over you arm, a long gash running down its side. The Kingsguard hurriedly took him away from you, but you commanded them to stand down. It was a mere accident, after all.

Afterward, you sat in your quarters, being tended to by the maester. Rhaenyra joined you there, too, making sure that you were alright.

“Make sure you sew that nicely,” she said, hovering over the maester, “I don’t want her stitches to suddenly come apart.”

“He knows what he’s doing, Rhae,” you said affectionately, flinching a little at the needle going through, “It should heal quickly, anyway. It wasn’t that deep.”

“We should put that Ser Criston through the ringer,” she pointed out, “Have father conduct a beheading in the next ceremony.”

“Oh yeah, it’s been quite a long time since the last beheading. We have been left wanting,” you smile, going along with it.

A moment passes, and when you see the shocked expression on the maester’s face, the both of you exploded into a fit of laughter.

This was how you and Rhaenyra always have been. Two mischievous peas in a pod. Sisters, truly, not by blood but in heart.

Suddenly the doors flew open, putting a pause on the light-hearted moment. Daemon stood there, his expression unreadable.

“Dear uncle,” Rhaenyra greeted him.

He said nothing, and walked over to you, letting his fingers gently drift across your arm.

“The state of it?” He said curtly, not even looking at the maester.

“The wound itself should be fully healed in around three weeks, my prince. Although,” the maester pauses, “the scar will stay.”

“And,” he said, slowly this time, “which incompetent fuck was responsible?” His eyes meet Rhaenyra’s.

“The great Ser Criston Cole, uncle,” she said, mirth in her eyes, “He has been temporarily dismissed from his post, but he should be back with us after a while.”

“Temporarily dismissed?", he breathed out, incredulous, “He should be permanently dismissed from living.”

You let out a laugh at that, glancing at Rhaenyra who raised her eyebrows at you, “It’s okay, Daemon. It was only an accident. I highly doubt a simple injury warrants anything more to be done. Besides, he couldn’t have done anything more to me if he tried, thanks to you.” You reassured him as he moved away, alluding to his guidance in constantly honing your skills in combat.

“I know that, my sweet girl.” He stood gazing out the window, and you realized that he hasn’t met your eyes since he stormed in. But that term of endearment that he assigned to you made you feel warm, and it always has, since he first used it some time ago.

“There,” the maester exclaimed, standing up, “all done. I will be visiting you tomorrow to examine it again, princess.”

“Thank you, maester,” you addressed him, as he bows, and promptly leaves the room.

Rhaenyra sat closer to you, and inspected the stitches herself. Seemingly satisfied, she stood up, “Alright, well, I nearly forgot I have something to attend to in… uh…”

“Now?” you questioned, as she did not mention anything before.

“Yes, didn’t I mention? My father needs me I believe,” she walked to the door, but just before reaching it, she turned to you and winked.

“Rhae,” you whispered, confusion visible on your face.

Before you could add anything, she left, bidding you and Daemon goodbye.

A long silence followed, Daemon resolute in his post by the window.

“Daemon,” you said, trying to get his attention, “what are you thinking about?”

“All they told me was that you were injured. No one bothered to tell me of the extent of said injury, or of your overall condition, or of who inflicted it upon you and how.”

He turned around to face you then, hands clasped in front of him, “That was all – ‘Princess y/n has been injured, my prince.’ That was all I got. The blubbering messenger couldn’t even answer anything I threw at him about it.”

“It’s not anyone’s fault, Daemon. I didn’t even know that you would be alerted,” you said, “I apologize if you had been inconvenienced.” You knew that Daemon had been away from King’s Landing, assigned to facilitate an alliance with one of the houses in the north.

But you didn’t know that Daemon had assigned his people to keep tabs on you, to regularly keep him informed of how you were doing. If anything of any importance were to happen, he wanted to know right away.

And now, it had, all thanks to that fucking Ser Criston. Daemon wanted to take Caraxes and order him to roast that mongrel alive. All because of a simple injury, as you had so kindly called it. He could not even justify it to himself, but he would do it.

He would do it for you.

You did not understand why Daemon seemed so livid.

“Daemon,” you tried to calm him, “it’s okay.”

“No,” he declared, voice rising, “It’s not okay.”

He slowly made his way to you, and kneels, intertwining your hands, and resting them on your legs. “Something happened to you, and I wasn’t here.”

You two had always been close, so you were not entirely taken back by his actions. But this had an unspoken gravity about it. It feels like more.

His white-golden locks fell in front of his face, as he rested his head on your knees.

“Daemon,” you ran your fingers through his hair, admiration rippling through you.

“If something worse had happened,” his grip on your hand tightened, “I don’t know what I'd do.”

Your heart swelled at that. You had the same sentiment towards him. If anything were to happen to Daemon…

“Somehow I think,” you placed a gentle hand on his chin, bringing his eyes to meet yours, “you would be okay in the end. You are a Targaryen, after all.”

He rose, and sat next to you, keeping your hands together.

“You don’t understand,” Your breath caught in your throat, as he stared at you, “Without you, I would not be.”

It was true, as you had perhaps always known.

He has always been your Daemon.

You allowed yourself to bask in the glow of the moment, until he reached for your face, and slowly, glided his thumb over your lips.

He leaned in, and your lips touched. Still at first, but falling into gentle yet needy caresses, your face tightly held in his.

The room seemed to spin, and your injury was forgotten.

There was only him, his lips dancing with yours. This was a dance with a dragon, one whom you would let engulf you completely.

You broke apart, still ever so close, and smiled warmly at each other.

A moment later, he leaned down to place a kiss on your stitches.

“Hmm,” he looked at you cunningly, “well, time to break Ser Criston’s balls.”

You let out a laugh, and his eyes light up at the sound, at the expression on your face, which he has always loved.

“My sweet girl.”

the end

[singingcicadas]

More thoughts on Cyclonus.

Nova's evaluation of him in this panel is brutally accurate. That last sentence. Ouch.

On the surface level Cyclonus appears to be portrayed as this stiff proud warrior with an austere, diehard take on his own internal code of honour and patriotism, but the more I think about it his actual character is pretty much the opposite? He doesn't have any hardfast values or stances of his own aside from shallow romanticism for the preachings of others.

His whole life is comprised of hanging onto other people. First it's Nova and his group, despite Nova and Jhiaxius looking down on him and insulting him to his face and being very forthright about the actual purpose of their mission, which Cyclonus apparently had different ideals about. Theoretically. But he didn't say anything after Nova corrected him.

Then it's Galvatron, after Galvatron backstabbed Nova. Even when Galvatron became increasingly unhinged and violent toward him and also started insulting him to his face, he still continued to follow Galvatron around because Galvatron's powerful, hope he stays on our side.

Then after he broke off from Galvatron post-Chaos Theory he joined the Lost Light, an Autobot ship, despite not liking Autobots, because it had something that he wanted: the chance to start again.

His defense for murdering all those people in Kimia is literally "he made me do it." That's all he can come up with. He even knows it's a bad excuse.

And he always corrects people when they assume he's a Decepticon. Here he directly says that he doesn't want to be a Decepticon. Why not, if he clearly admires their ideology?

One possible reason is maybe he doesn't like their ideology that much. Enough to romanticize it from a safe distance but not enough to commit to it himself (since doing that would force him to do actual introspection about his own role in what made the Decepticon ideology so appealing in the first place). Second reason's simpler: Decepticons have to wear inhibitor chips. No thanks. They're the losing side.

Once on board the Lost Light he followed Rodimus' command fine despite Rodimus accusing him of murdering Red Alert without any proof. Then after he developed a relationship with Tailgate, he put Tailgate up on a pedestal and made Tailgate the center of his universe.

But then there's also this 🔽 after he thought Tailgate dumped him:

I don't even know what he's trying to do there😂

His lack of true conviction is evident in the little things too: he thinks it's unethical for Rodimus to perform mnemosurgery on Tailgate while he's unconscious and unable to give consent but drops the subject after Rodimus distracted him with fireworks. He thinks that mutiliating an enemy's corpse is appalling but doesn't say anything when Rodimus said they were going to use Skip's corpse as a shuttle to get off Necroworld. It's Nautica who raised ethical objections, not him. He's supposed to be really religious but when the guiding hand did their big reveal at the end of Lost Light, he got nearly zero lines because of compressed screentime except to argue with Epistemus over sending Tailgate into danger.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Cyclonus is essentially a go-with-the-flow sort of person. Nothing he holds is uncompromisable. Not his ideals, not his values, not his pride, not his faith. To an extent, not even his love for Tailgate, at least not completely, because he left when Tailgate told him to leave even when he suspected that Tailgate was lying about not loving him without making more of an effort to understand why. It all depends on the person he's hanging on to at the moment. And his choice of which leader to follow is ultimately based on self-serving reasons. This pattern is first broken when he turns on Galvatron, then fully subverted after he learns to love Tailgate as a sign of character growth.

He's not an intrinsically cruel or callous person. The way he learns to love Tailgate, befriend Whirl, and being kind and supportive to everyone when Rodimus left him in charge on the Necroworld are all attestments of his better nature. Water takes the shape of the container in which it's kept; surround him with people like Galvatron and Nova and he'll be their murder machine. Put him in the company of people who's mostly decent like the Lost Light crew and he'll grow into a compassionate person and a reliable friend.

[maquet591]

We need to talk about the Watcher "fans".

These are the top comments on Shane’s IG post. Just look at the number of likes.

“Steven Lim is a greedy, manipulative evil CEO that twists his white co-founder's hands and forces the said co-founder into his will!!!” – this narrative is being prevalent in this fandom since April 19. People harassed him all across social media on every platform. People wrote nasty comments not only to his social media accounts but also to his wife and friends.

People made a Change.org hilariously dumb petitions to have him leave the CEO post.

People gleefully demonize and tear down his reputation. Twist his words out of context in to something vile. Weaponize the years old inside jokes his friends made on camera.

“This is not racism!!!” they say. “These are just the facts!!!”

No they aren’t. And here’s why:

because this

is the same as this:

Covert racism in language, or coded racism, is the deployment of common stereotypes or tropes to elucidate a racially charged idea. Rather than expressly perpetuating racist tropes, covert linguistic racism is seen as rational or "common sense", and many are not aware of its impact.

Racial stereotypes. Racial or cultural stereotyping refers to generalizing a group based on a simplified set of norms, behaviors, or characteristics.

The Yellow Peril (also the Yellow Terror, the Yellow Menace and the Yellow Specter) is a racist color metaphor that depicts the peoples of East and Southeast Asia[a] as an existential danger to the Western world.

Fu Manchu is a fictional character created by Arthur Ward, a music hall writer and journalist in London in the early 1900s. Writing under the pseudonym Sax Rohmer, Ward had absolutely no knowledge of Chinese culture or Chinese people – but his invention of a Chinese supervillain struck a chord in Victorian Britain and became a smash hit.

Fu Manchu was the original fictional Asian villain, a trope which became embedded in popular culture and Western psyche spawning spin-offs, spoofs, pop songs, video games and even consumer goods. But how damaging is Fu Manchu and how much can he tell us about modern Asian racism?

Ward wrote Fu Manchu as the personification of the so-called Yellow Peril threat: exotic, alien and inhuman, a mastermind boasting degrees from top universities. Using sinister powers to control minds, he aimed to undermine Western civilisation.

"This led to the idea that the Chinese were deceiving – they weren't being honest, they weren't revealing who they really are as people. This spawned into stories of Chinese as cheats and liars and deceitful – never giving you the truth, always fabricating."

Seven Lim being labeled as “greedy” “evil” and “manipulative” (of his white co-founder) is rooted in Anti-Asian racism. Whether people admit it or not.

Racism is not always derogatory slurs or white hoods. Racism is also casual micro-aggressions and putting people of color in the metaphorical boxes of harmful stereotypes. Racism is twisting the narrative and shaping it into a vile stereotype straight from the 19th century.

Also, let's not forget that people are happy to jump on Ryan in the similar way for the same reasons.

[cozzzynook]

I’ve been thinking of triple changer bee, hear me out now pls. I don’t have his origins nailed down yet but so far I got: he was originally forged as a seeker, but minibot style since the war was beginning and most of the resources were being taken up leaving only scraps. later, for some reason, he got a T-cog for a grounder alt mode and he refrained himself from using his flyer alt mode after. occasionally he does fly but rarely and on his own. he doesn’t have wings like other seekers do, instead his wings are extra durable armor on his frame (ex. his arms). but when he gets to earth and gains both alt modes he gets door wings because cybertronian cars don’t have doors.

why am I telling you this? because I think you’ll like it and if you have anything else to add onto this! like ships or anything, like what how do you think the bots bee’s close with would react to this small bug being a triple changer. love your writing!!

Thank you so much! Send as many asks or ramble/ideas as you like 🩷

I like this idea and him not using his seeker frame much despite being one before becoming a grounder is so cool and opens the door for me to say he was raised by the elite trine during the war and at that time sparklings were huge targets and weakness and seekers were being hunted since almost all of them joined the decepticon cause.

So Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp would teach Bee to only use his wings when with them in private so he wouldn’t be an even bigger target.

I’m putting my own spin on this saying Bee had what was considered a dysfunctional t-cog since he didn’t have typical seeker wings. Instead he had wings that resembled an actual bumblebee. His door wings would transform and fan out allowing him to take flight. His wings gave off the hum of an actual bee and he was quite fast in the air but he couldn’t reach the same feats regular seekers could but his small stature worked in his favor when it came to speed and agility.

He wasn’t used in the war since the trine didn’t want their sparkling in danger but he still wanted to prove himself and so he would sneak off to Megatron when he was old enough and the mech would give him the job of spying on the autobots.

At first Megatron only sent him to places that weren’t dangerous so he could keep the mini from actual harm since he would not have Starscream or the other two actually trying and succeeding in offlining him for endangering their sparkling.

It wasn’t until Bee had to hide in the lower bowels of autobot territory did he gather important information that later helped him become an actual spy and find a grounder t-cog that was added to his frame later on so he could blend in better.

The trine hated it but Bee was so happy he could do something and prove himself since he was so the smallest, youngest and weakest among their group.

No one really minded since he was the bitty of their ranks along with a few others but Bee did.

Bee had the typical seeker frame that was slender and no bulk with a blade in one arm and a small energy canon in the other. His carriers Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp hated the way his frame ended up looking like a femme when he fully became an adult mecha. Bee loved it but they hated it because they didn’t think any bot was worthy to look at their baby while Bee had to suffer getting spike blocked by his carriers and all the older bots who would shove the mechs his age away from him.

Bee loved his carriers but he needed a moment, just a moment, away from them.

That moment turned into him being kidnapped and taken as a “survivor” in autobot clutches.

Bee immediately commed his carriers and Megatron only to see Longarm who he knew was actually Shockwave in disguise. He managed to find a moment alone with the shape changer and reveal a hidden servo code in case the mech didn’t know who he was.

“I know exactly who you are little bee. I’ve already alerted your carriers and Lord Megatron of your location just as you have. You were smart to do so but not smart to go off on your own like that.”

“Im a grown mecha I can have a moment alone!”

He had little flicks of electricity dancing between his horns at his frustration and Shockwave didn’t make it any better when he laughed calling him a sparkling.

“That may be, but you are still a youngling at spark.”

“Ugh!”

The plan was to get Bee to a certain location so the cons could grab him but the autobots snatched Bee when Shockwave was busy at a council meeting and took him onto the command ship lead by Sentinel Prime and Jazz who has held Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bulkhead and Prowl along with Jetfire and Jetstorm.

Bee wakes up to his carriers frantic comms and Shockwaves massages along with Megatron demanding his status.

He immediately shares optic feed with his carriers out of fear because he’s never been away from them, not like this. Not since they found him at the hot spot waiting for their cna to make complete him.

He sheds a few static fluids trying to put on a brave face plate only to be completely terrified by the two mechs Jazz and Prowl sneaking up on him and asking if he was alright.

He’s not proud to admit he shrieked and swiped his claws at them before high tailing. He’s happy he at least did one thing in defense besides run but he was not proud to hide as he tried finding a data room to get coordinates to leave.

Thankfully his carriers and Megatron knew the system he was traveling and his carriers were on their way. But it would take years to get there without a transwarp, he told them as much and all three of his carriers were foaming at the mouth at the realization they had to leave him to get back home himself.

“I’ll come back to you…I promise..I’ll gather any intel that could be useful while playing my role. Any luck and I can make my way back to him on Cybertron.”

They knew who bee meant and they still didn’t like it but Bee tried to put on the front of a brave soldier and Megatron respected him enough to humor it even if he was shaking at the vocalizer.

“Please don’t forget me,” he whispered before he cut transmission off and stood.

Luck was on his side because autobots never knew his existence thanks to careful crafting and his amazing gift of espionage despite his loud mouth and colorful frame. He really was one of the best spies the cons had to offer and he trained under the best with watchful optics from his carriers.

But now he was a grown mech on his own and it was time he grew up.

“Kid, I know you’re scared but we won’t hurt ya. We just wanted ta check on ya,” Bee jumped in surprise at the sound of the older mech so close to him.

He looked behind himself to see all the mechs on board giving him a sympathetic gaze and he hated it.

He had knowledge on who each bot was in the room and the one he truly disliked was the aft head making his way towards him with a frown on his face and a pipe up his exhaust port.

“Don’t go causing any more trouble just because you’re scared civi. Got it!”

He wanted to upper cut the spikeless mech but the one named Optimus stepped forward quite literally pushing Sentinel out of the way and bending a little to speak to Bee politely.

“We should’ve had a better plan and someone friendly like Bulkhead here to greet you when you woke but we were preoccupied. I apologize for the panic we’ve caused you. Please, ask any questions you’d like and I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Please don’t bend down to talk to me I’m not a new spark I’m almost a two million years old.”

“Not a new spark my aft,” Ratchet grouched smirking.

If he didn’t remind Bee of a grandsire he’d be fuming right about now.

“I’m sorry for that,” Optimus’s helm fins moved back in embarrassment and the one named Jazz slung an arm around Prowls waist, probably conjunx judging from the familiarity, as they came a little closer.

“Names Jazz, this here’s my spark Prowler,” “—Just Prowl,” the black and gold mech cut in, “that there’s Bulkhead best space bridge tech in all cybertron, Ratchet the best medic in Cybertron, thee Optimus Prime, the twins Jetfire and Jetstorm and the loveable aft Sentinel.”

“Thats Sentinel Prime, captain of this pitiful crew and ship to you lieutenant Jazz.”

Bee could think of plenty of ways to make Sentinels offlining look like an accident but he couldn’t chance it with Ratchet here. That mech would find it and he’d be screwed.

“Where am I and why am I here?”

“We’re heading to a comrade planet and we were told to bring you along because high command couldn’t chance the cons coming after you.”

“What? Coming after me?”

What they took as fear was really Bee hurt that he couldn’t have left sooner.

“Seems some dangerous cons were skulking around to bring you back kid,” Ratchet answered for the group.

“Yeah, a real dangerous group lead by a femme named Strika,” Bulkhead spoke nervously.

“We agreed it best to bring you for your safety and we’re glad we did. An extremely dangerous mech managed to get through some of our best elite guards. He was almost…point is..young one, we’re glad we got to you and left on time.”

Optimus spoke to him in a tone that would be comforting if thats what his situation required. But as it stands he didn’t need their comfort, he needed freedom to return home and the knowledge he was so close yet ripped from it while recharging left him feeling a piece of his spark tear.

“What..what was their designation?”

They looked nervous to say but one spoke up.

“A triple changer by the name Blitzwing tore his way through. He was adamant about getting to you. He wouldn’t stop following us until we jumped through the space bridge. After that received word he was erratic before leaving.”

Bee couldn’t stop himself from dropping to the floor boards staring at nothing.

Blitzwing…

Blitzwing came for him..

He ignored his carriers embarrassing rejections of never being allowed near their sparkling.

He went out on his own to find him.

Blitzwing.

The one mech who always made him laugh and left his favorite flowers on his berth cushion every week.

The same mech who made him helm crystals by servo.

The same crystals he’d kept tucked away in his locked subspace for fear of them being taken or broken.

Blitzwing..Blitzwing came looking for him and only left because he had to.

He still felt for Bee.

And now he may never get to see the mech again.

“Blitz…”

The other’s took his response as fear but his spark cried out for the only one he wanted.

As they tried to get through him, his resolve solidified further.

He would get home.

-

[glitteringcrab]

Maybe I can use that someday

Okay. I think... I have an inkling... of what Evil Morty had in mind when he said "you are a little different though Rick" and "maybe I can use that some day".

And it might provide some insight on why he's still on the Curve.

I-I think there... could be... some basis/buildup for the following theory (I can't really say there is buildup, because it's all a matter of interpretation right now), but I gotta admit there are A LOT of "ifs" in this equation, soo... It's all just a hypothesis.

Anyway, here goes. ('tis a long post)

So when S7E5 aired out, I remember thinking: What on earth is so dangerous that Evil Morty, who single-handedly took down the Citadel of Ricks, needs help to deal with???

There are a few contestants for this pedestal:

1. A civilization outside the Curve (What the f*** is that?!?)

2. One of Rick Prime's creations. I mean, we know he didn't like to manage people any more, so it's unlikely he ruled an empire that suddenly became headless after his untimely departure, but given that he liked building, as Rick C-137 put it, "elaborate shit", and that he had "free time" it's still possible we haven't seen the last of his creations. No way he was just sitting ducks in the Omega Device v2 waiting for someone to visit. Maybe he made something that hoarded resources that Evil Morty discovered and would like to loot?

3. The weird Morty cult (eh, weak)

4. Maybe Evil Morty doesn't need help to protect himself from someone, maybe he needs help to build something. E.g. another dimensional drive, that separates him from everyone else?

5. Maybe Evil Morty didn't have anything specific in mind when he said that to Rick C-137. Maybe he just recognized the potential there. (although I cannot help feeling this is NOT what it is; that CHIN TAP. What are you thinking, Evil Morty???)

6. Oooooor....

Well... I know we all think that whoever Rick is responsible for the cables in Evil Morty's head is long dead (I mean... I've read the fanfics and seen the fanart, although "Evil Rick" typically stars in those :P)...

...But I can't shake off the feeling that he is alive and well somewhere.

Which, on first thought, doesn't make any sense:

Exhibit A: That Rick (Imma gonna call him Puppetmaster Rick) is obviously not around Evil Morty any more!

Exhibit B: Evil Morty never seemed scared while in the Citadel, just fed up, tired and miserable.

He was okay with making himself a public figure by running for president; it seems to me he wasn't particularly worried a specific Rick would recognize and go after him (and it should be relatively easy to tell apart Evil Morty if you actually know what you're looking for: you only have to scan Mortys' heads for cables).

Exhibit C: Supposing that guy really is still alive and Evil Morty really is scared of him/hates him, but for some reason was unable to kill him originally, wouldn't it be hilariously easy to kill him once he got the whole Citadel's arsenal and manpower at his disposal?

So why did I think Puppetmaster Rick is alive in the first place?

The answer is this:

The mention of this... "super weird" Rick.

When this scene played out, my first thought was that "Super weird" Rick had an unhealthy obsession with tulips or something. Or that he filled all his creations with polka dolts. Something so crazy and silly that would make any other Rick go "ugh" and decide to give him a wide breadth, no matter how clever and valuable Super Weird Rick's brain was.

After the reveal that Evil Morty was the one really talking in this scene and that he had been going after Rick C-137 specifically, I reached the conclusion that this was all made up. That the "spectrum of all Ricks" was not real, it was something that Evil Morty came up with so as to provide a non-suspicious explanation on why he's targeting Rick C-137 in case Rick C-137 escaped. (Even though, you know, Evil Morty must have filtered through which Ricks to attack somehow... a Doofus Rick who specializes in baking wouldn't be particularly useful to Evil Morty. So... it makes sense that the Spectrum of All Ricks is real...?)

And I know that in Pocket Mortys Rick Prime was the one called "weird Rick"; but is Rick Prime really weird by Evil Morty's standards? He thinks all Ricks are trash, and Rick Prime seems a huge piece of trash as well, why would he be "weird" to Evil Morty?

In fact, what kind of Rick would seem "weird" to Evil Morty?

Why, we already know the answer to that! Rick C-137 seems weird.

Of course he does. He seems overly attached to his Morty. Tells him to stay out of the Prime Fight, to keep him safe. Is motivated over avenging his wife.

Other Ricks also call Rick C-137 similar stuff.

So... Rick C-137 is a... rogue, passionate, irrational Rick... Irrational for having attachments, that is.

Wouldn't Evil Morty --if he's a clone Morty who's been passed around several uncaring Ricks, if he's been discarded countless times-- also find Rick C-137 and his... unusual attachment to one specific Morty "weird"?

And if my theory is right... Evil Morty himself has also passed through the hands of another Rick who was... let's say, overly attached to him. Like, extremely so.

Wouldn't such a Rick seem... super weird to Evil Morty?

Although, why on earth would he appear on the Spectrum of All Ricks? Do dead Ricks also appear in the spectrum? It's already a spectrum of infinite Ricks, why make it even more bloated by including dead Ricks?? Because if Puppetmaster Rick did to Evil Morty something as horrible to as the implications I describe in the above link, why on earth would Evil Morty let him live?!

WELL.

Imagine you're Evil Morty. You're the sort of person who:

puppeteered Evil Rick

did not let Evil Rick commit suicide when he couldn't take it any more (although you made him pass out, which is slightly nice?)

could not tear your eyes away from Evil Rick when he got brutally murdered.

It is implied (I think) that the reason Evil Morty did all that to Evil Rick is that (a) Evil Rick was beating him up and (b) Evil Rick "adopted" him, drunkedly promising that this relationship, however problematic, would last forever, they could be grandpa and grandson-- oh, wait, no. If you don't shut up it's back to the agency with you.

Now, supposing Puppetmaster Rick did... something... to Evil Morty... which, whatever it was, reduced his resting face from this:

to this:

and abused him so much he ended up thinking this was Not A Big Deal:

...Now, if you were Evil Morty, and the option to doom Puppetmaster Rick in a Fate Worse Than Death was available, would you kill him, or would you trap him in an eternal torture of some sort?

(this comes to mind, which is played as a joke, but you get the idea. This sort of thing is possible in the Rick and Morty universe. It could be a time loop. It could be a clone vat buried deep underground in absolute darkness. It could be a modification in Puppetmaster Rick's brain implants.)

I guess it all depends on how scared vs angry Evil Morty was of this guy. It depends on whether he grasped the first chance available to finally kill him or whether he took some extra time to make sure he got to spend the rest of his life appropriately tortured. In any case, because Evil Morty is very pragmatic and patient, I cannot see him doing such a thing unless he was absolutely sure it would last forever.

Or, maybe, if Puppetmaster Rick was an Operation Phoenix expert, killing him in a finite way was a lot more difficult than simply trapping him alive somewhere.

Or, alternatively, maybe Evil Morty had no choice on the matter. It occurred to me the other day that the first Rick we have seen Evil Morty kill with his own two hands was "Nice" Rick. Every other Rick whose death he is responsible for, he has killed indirectly; whether through the puppeteered Evil Rick, a mob of furious Mortys, his Citadel guards, hacked portal fluid that he manipulated Ricks to use (by telling them "nobody leave, everybody stay" lol) or by re-routing their Phoenix Protocol to a different vat... one that simply happened to have razor blades at the bottom. So I'm wondering if whatever implant Evil Morty has in his head "forbid" him from killing Puppetmaster Rick (or any Rick) and he was able to hack through that restriction only relatively recently. Anyway, I'm aware this particular theory is a stretch (is puppeteering Evil Rick really that different from lifting a gun yourself? I don't think so) and I don't think it needs to be true for Puppetmaster Rick still being around.

So, let's hypothesize that Evil Morty did, in fact, trap Puppermaster Rick somewhere from where he was reasonably certain Puppetmaster Rick would never be able to escape. Evil Morty went on to live in the Citadel, get further abused and neglected, abandon the hope of ever having a family, puppeteer Evil Rick, become president, ESCAPE THE CURVE. HOORAY!!!

Oops.

I know we fans have been joking about whether that reset Evil Morty as well or not, but the truth is, it would only be a minor inconvenience to him (although extremely annoying). He has his own untainted portal fluid and the rift is still open, he could easily portal either right back to where he was before or to a random spaceship, then back through the rift.

But... wouldn't that free any Ricks who happened to be trapped in various places? Including the above described (hypothetical) Puppetmaster Rick?

Of course, portal travel was still broken (and apparently Evil Morty broke it so effectively that it also trapped Rick Prime, who makes his own batches) so it's not like Puppetmaster Rick would be able to go far...

...Unless he promptly Operation Phoenixed himself to escape that way.

Or unless Evil Morty never knew what his dimension number was, so there was no need for Puppermaster Rick to run anywhere because Evil Morty would have no idea where he'd be sent to.

Anyway. If we follow that hypothetical scenario, the Puppetmaster Rick who Evil Morty went into a lot of trouble to imprison (and torture) just escaped. Evil Morty could receive some notification in his eyepatch about this change, or he could reach that conclusion by the neon green wave pulsing by.

He could have immediately portaled back to Puppetmaster Rick's prison to find him gone. Or he could have been all "NOPE! I just escaped, I refuse to deal with this anymore! I've got my revenge, and I'm free now!" and went on with his life outside the Curve.

But, uh... that wouldn't negate Puppetmaster Rick still being out there.

And Evil Morty might think it unlikely any random Citadel Rick (who just happened not to be on the Citadel at the time of its destruction) would be motivated enough investigate the Citadel's ruins, reach the conclusion that the President was responsible, and decide to go after him... (it is unlikely; why would any Rick bother to do that?)

...But wouldn't you say hypothetical Puppetmaster Rick would be motivated enough to go after his previous sidekick?

SO.

In that scenario, Evil Morty is definitely hiding.

Maybe he's taking advantage of the un-rifted Curve's "wall" properties to create a shield for his minecraft base. Maybe he's taking advantage of some other, specific property of this particular universe to strengthen his shield. Maybe he's hiding his brainwaves, blending them with the brainwaves of the Morty (or Mortys) living in this one universe. Maybe he's closely monitoring the Curve for anyone going out.

But in any case, he knows that --sooner or later-- he will probably have to deal with Puppetmaster Rick. And sure, Evil Morty has already moved mountains, and defeated this guy once, so he knows he can do it again... So I wouldn't say that Evil Morty is scared of him, per se...

...but he might be. This would be the Rick who scarred him so horribly he thought hundreds of naked tortured Mortys were small potatoes (Rick C-137, Rick Prime, and any other Rick would only try to kill him; Puppetmaster Rick would probably try to pick up from where he left off). And even if he's not scared, I'd haphazard a guess that Evil Morty is repulsed by him. He wouldn't want to meet this guy again. Unlike Rick C-137, who lived to see Rick Prime slain, Evil Morty is no longer motivated by revenge, he seeks peace. Wouldn't fighting Puppetmaster Rick again be extremely emotionally taxing, probably more so than puppeteering Evil Rick and running the Citadel were?

...and wouldn't Puppetmaster Rick be particularly dangerous for Evil Morty, because he'd know all his brain-related tricks, since he is the one who came up with them in the first place...!

...Wouldn't it be better, when that time came, to not face Puppetmaster Rick alone?

Wouldn't it better to have Rick C-137 at his side; one of the most powerful Ricks? One of the most dangerous Ricks in terms of arsenal, intelligence and capabilities, but also a Rick unmotivated to turn against Evil Morty and also a Rick enslaved to him?

(and wouldn't Evil Morty appear completely cruel and heartless and evil if he demands that Rick C-137 shoot at Puppetmaster Rick through a poor Morty who is begging them not to harm his beloved grandfather... who Evil Morty would know is not saying that out of his own free will, but of course he does not trust Rick C-137 enough to divulge this detail...? Or if he handed the recently freed Morty a gun, allowing him to kill Puppetmaster Rick and therefore also gain some sort of closure and restore his autonomy, but appearing to Rick C-137 like he is forcing the poor Morty to kill his own beloved grandpa and therefore coming off as completely unhinged?)

And I gotta say, Evil Morty DID give me the impression of being huddled in his space minecraft snowglobe. Returning to live ON (but not IN) the Curve. We weren't shown him exploring the great unknown, although he MUST have done that as well, given that he discovered that weird place with the crystal monsters. He returned home as soon as possible from that weird crystal place, and didn't even bother to remove his spacesuit when he arrived home. It seemed to me that he wanted to do as little as possible with the outside world.

Compare this with how relieved and happy he looked the first moment he escaped the Curve.

Is he just too tired? Did the novelty of freedom simply wear off, the infinite loneliness wear him down? Is his shelved-away trauma catching up to him, replacing the relief, happiness and peace he seeks with emptiness...? (all probably true)

...or did something else change as well, something that prevents him from actually feeling safe?

...So.

Like I said, a lot of "ifs".

But, if the "maybe I can use that someday" is not Evil Morty simply recognizing the potential, generally speaking, of having Rick C-137 being enslaved to him; if Evil Morty did have something specific in mind, then I'd guess that --from a story-telling perspective-- it would be something for which the foundations have already been lain in the story.

I like this theory a lot, and I like to believe that the "ifs" are close to the truth, but obviously I don't actually know that :P I'm sure that whatever the reason Evil Morty is still on the Curve, the story is going to be incredible! :D

Edit: I just stopped believing and got repulsed by my own theory lol

I really hate the idea that, after everything he's been through, Evil Morty is not Free outside the Curve. I don't mind him being huddled against the horrors of the infinite, but I hate the idea that he's still scared of Ricks, and that this fear drove him to camouflage his existence by living next to the Curve. I want to believe that the reason we were not shown him frolicking in the infinite is that he already did it and has had his fill, not that it would be dangerous for him to wander around.

I hate even more the idea that Evil Morty had chosen to resort to torturing Puppetmaster Rick all this time. I want to believe that (regardless of the atrocities he has stooped to after he decided to leave the Curve) at the moment he freed himself from Puppermaster Rick in the long past, Evil Morty was not "evil" yet. That his integrity and morals and need for freedom were originally stronger than his cruelty and hate and that he prioritized feeling safe (aka quickly killing Puppetmaster Rick to be safe once and for all) over enacting revenge (aka trapping Puppetmaster Rick in a hellish fate). That he had not sunk so low yet. Otherwise it kinda... it's like it negates the message of his story. It feels like a defeat. Like another moral battle he lost instead of one where he won his freedom back. Like another thing Puppetmaster Rick took from him.

He did not seem nervous when his shield temporarily collapsed by Rick C-137 consolidating dimensions. If he thought a specific Rick was after him, specifically, and one as particularly dangerous as Puppetmaster Rick as well, wouldn't the happenings send a million alarm bells ringing in his head? And wouldn't he be a lot more careful about leaving behind tech that could be traced back to him during the Prime fight?

Adios, theory. You were fun for a while.

Maybe it's simply like Morty said: "Nobody quits twitter". Maybe Evil Morty simply wants to use the shield properties of the Curve for his own benefit. Maybe there's some plot point or lore we weren't shown yet, which will be revealed in the future seasons. Or maybe we've all been misjudging him, and his humanity and loneliness are catching up to him, and he occasionally wants to check on how other people are doing.

Edit 2: I have... restarted believing my theory...?

First of all, Evil Morty seemed to know immediately who would be responsible for the "Curve Stability Compromised" alarm: the one Rick who knew how the Curve works, because he's the one Rick who actually made it! Plus some other Ricks appeared unable to create their own portal fluid (remember that old-man Rick who hung out with the Mortytown Locos, who was creating bootleg portal fluid, but whose "math was off"?) And since Evil Morty destroyed the Citadel, they'd be unable to go get more of it... So if Puppetmaster Rick was one of those Ricks who had to buy his own portal fluid, then ever since the destruction of the Citadel he'd be trapped, able to travel to different universes only by... rerouting himself during Operation Phoenix (an accommodation for Ricks Evil Morty obviously doesn't have in his home base). So in this scenario, Evil Morty is staying close to the Curve not so much out of fear, but more as a precaution. If Puppetmaster Rick can make his own portal fluid, of course, all bets are off.

Evil Morty should be adequately confident that his trail has vanished, gone cold by now. The last Puppetmaster Rick would have seen of him would be during season one, at best. Puppetmaster would have known him as "Morty 79⊢⊇V" (or something like that); but Evil Morty has destroyed this record and assumed a new identity. It would be very difficult to connect who he was before to the Morty President, to the Morty who escaped the Curve (and I bet only Rick C-137 and Morty Prime know some Morty escaped the Curve; unless they told other surviving Mortys). The best Puppetmaster Rick can do is search for his brainwaves or dimensional signature (which must probably be very effective), but he's not looking for "Evil Morty". He has no reason to think there is any Morty outside the Curve. He might not even be able to tell whether his old sidekick is dead or alive by now (if Evil Morty is efficient enough in hiding his presence).

So in all these scenarios, Evil Morty staying close to the Curve is a strategic decision based on caution, not one borne of panic (which I like, because I don't want Evil Morty to be scared any more).

And it just occurred to me that, if Puppetmaster Rick is still alive, he would have prepared himself for the eventuality of their encounter (same as I'm sure Evil Morty has done). He knows how Evil Morty's implant works, and its remains are still in his head. I'd bet anything he has fabricated a device or instrument or weapon to shoot at his head (much like Evil Morty's finger guns) to instantly override the implant and regain control. And Evil Morty would know that, he'd be able to tell immediately what said weapon is for. Man, their encounter would be terrifying.

[chainoftalent]

Can i ask for koiki/pg kokichi yan headcannons?

Ah my boy Koiki, who's original iteration became so specific that he split off into an oc and pregame got given the much less cool name of Koiki.

Yandere PG Kokichi/Koiki Headcanons

Pregame Kokichi will be referred to as Koiki

Koiki's not an easy person to catch the eye of, incredibly particular and somewhat secretly misanthrope, Koiki views everyone as just pawns and other game pieces for his quest to world domination. He's taken a lot of influence from the best character in Danganronpa, which he will fight about, Monaca Towa. Truly, she's everything he wants to be.

So he makes himself seem pleasant, sweet, naive even, as he peers up to you in those big round glasses in that soft woolen sweater. One would not be amiss to mistake him for a sheep, but with tongue and eyes as sharp as claws, beware the wolf in the sheep. He'll lie, cheat, steal, push down the stairs, and then blame you for all of it, because poor little bullied Class Rep Koiki could NEVER.

Though while everyone thinks they're friends with Koiki, Koiki feels nothing for them. No empathy, or pity, or sympathy, simply dominoes to line up. However, don't mistake this for a total detachment. He has his more early interests, like sweets, and especially animals. Koiki adores animals, seeing them as much more honest and understandable then people. People have all this pomp and charade and knives in backs, a dog is just a dog. Simply, effective, understandable. Truly what could a person give him that a cat or dog or bird couldn't?

With quite an ego and viewing himself as just inherently better then humanity, it's very very hard to make true attachments. Which does leave him a bit lonelier then he likes to admit. So this won't be a standard meet cute, no, this will be calculated. He'll see you around, just another pawn in his game, as he learns all your secrets. Then you break the scripts he had thought with you. You take him off guard, you call him out for a moment, or you rescue a dog from traffic, or you reveal that you were smarter then you appeared. Either way, you proved his calculations wrong.

And if there's something Koiki can't stand, it's being wrong because if he's wrong that means he's not perfect which means he's slacking, and he CANNOT have that.

So he focuses in on you, spends more time with you, trying to figure out where his calculations, his precious gears and pawns and plans, failed him.

He just can't seem to get it right though, maybe you don't want to be around him despite his charms, maybe you keep changing the rules he thinks he understands, for whatever reason he keeps failing.

Suddenly this isn't a pawn, or an actor, or just another shadow on the wall, but a person, like him, complex, complicated, alive.

He's never met another person before, just shadows and facades of what it means to be a person.

Such a rare occurance, such a thing he didn't think was possible

well....

it's certainly not boring, and he certainly isn't going to let something like that slip through his fingers. Oh no, you won't escape your new best friend so easily, and if you try, he'll make everyone hate you as the cruel cold person who spurred the sweetest kindest person in school...do you think your reputation could take that? your future? no? good, so put your hand in his, and dance this dangerous dance of dominance and conflict with him, and he won't blame you for a black eye.

[hilariousrabbit]

Critic of Stage in Playful Land - The Worst Event in Twisted Wonderland

I'm not gonna lie, I had high hopes for this event. The cards were gorgeous, I loved the new outfits, and we even got new characters! I'm quite a huge fan of the gothic circus aesthetic, so I was even more hyped for what's to come. Of course the stakes would be high for something like this, but unfortunately...the execution of this event has completely brought it down.

This is gonna be a very long and angry critic, so beware! I might be mean too!

The translation screenshots provided are from Ekala on YouTube. TW: Insensitive portrayal of human trafficking

The first part of the event felt SUPER stretched out. I understand, the main cast may have been overwhelmed with homework and losing the basketball match against NRC. But I also feel like they could have summarized this quicker? Plus, Fellow Honest also talks A LOT. I know it was supposed to be extended flattery to the point where it became suspicious, but it was taking so long to get to the main point that I quickly became bored.

The character's reasons for going were also very strange...but let's focus on the Octavinelle twins for a second. Floyd and Jade wanted to visit the amusement park specifically because it seemed suspicious. The twins are seen as a very shady duo, and having conflict with an even shadier duo (Fellow Honest and Gidel) is bound to be something that would be super interesting to watch.

Similarly as to how Idia played a crucial part in the Masquerade event, I thought they would have a larger role in this story, and I was disappointed when they just frolicked around the amusement park. They're not the type to just walk right into a dangerous territory without a plan/strategy, and it felt really weird seeing that happen. With them doing no preparations for this situation whatsoever, it feels like a waste to even state that detail in the first place. Speaking of that...I had heard some other fan theories on the role Ortho would play in this event. Some speculated that he would be representing the puppet in this event, as he isn't human. But then again, none of that ends up happening in the event because there was no thought as to how these characters would be used. My friend made an interesting point about the character choice in this event. They speculated it was just the company gathering up characters that haven't been in many events before book 7 ended, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this was the case.

When the main cast was exploring the park, it was just filler content. Nothing interesting happened, at all. They explored the park that was filled with references from the Pinocchio movie. Now if this was any other Disney film, I would be like "Yeah alright, that's from the movie. That's cool". But if you know what happens in the movie, then it might be a different story. I was deadass filled with dread when they put the references in, and I was so uncomfortable. Especially during this scene:

Also this was uncomfortable to see. Like okay...I didn't need to know that.

Anyone who watched the Pinocchio movie must have known that something bad was bound to happen (most likely some form of human trafficking). So when Fellow Honest's intentions for selling guests as wooden dolls was finally revealed, the entire story went from 0 to 100 real quick. And not in a good way. I know the previous filler was supposed to put us in their shoes, and how we as the viewer could also get distracted from the carnival's attractions. However, there should have been a better way to transition these two contrasting moods of the story. Plus, I can't help but feel like this is an unnecessarily cruel twist compared to the original movie. When it comes to more darker/sensitive topics such as human trafficking, there should be some sort of caution as to how they portray these kinds of things. I felt like this was solely added for shock value to make up for the slow pacing in the first parts of the event, and I can't help but feel really uncomfortable about this. I also REALLY don't like the possible implications of this line:

The insensitivity of the topic of human trafficking is further fueled by how the chase is played out. They needed a reason for characters to be kidnapped one by one, and I know that's usually how these types of events play out. But considering the severity of their situation, I feel very weird about it. Also, the characters are unusually calm about being sold as a literal slave? And the topic is just not dealt with seriously at all.

Important Detail: The Playful Land theme park functions as a ship, which sails away from land as soon enough guests are lured into the park. This is literally a human trafficking ship, there's no sugarcoating this.

Another part I'm upset about is how Kalim dealt with the entire situation. I'm unfortunately used to Twisted Wonderland dumbing down his character for cheap laughs but this has really gone off the rails. Ace gave him a clear reality check. They were at risk of being sold as dolls to whatever rich freak paid money for them. It was clear that Fellow Honest wouldn't converse on the subject over a fancy dinner. Honestly...I need you guys to read this for yourself.

So when Ortho came back, why in the world did Ace apologize to Kalim? Sure, what he said was harsh but it was completely true! There was a real threat to these characters and it wasn't being taken seriously.

For some reason, every time there's a chance for Kalim to develop, all of that is just completely reversed. Even if this was an issue before the event was released, I also feel like the writers forgot one very important thing...

Kalim has literally been kidnapped before! SEVERAL TIMES TOO!

He was targeted several times because he's from a rich family, they were planning to do malicious things to him for the sake of MONEY. Literally, just like Fellow Honest! He should know better than anyone else how horrifying it is to be taken away from the ones you love, and having no idea what will happen to you. But noooo instead he went full on Steven Universe on Fellow Honest! I'm not even taking the excuse that he's desensitized to it because he was putting the lives of his classmates at risk by giving this human trafficker a fucking chance. While he's not the smartest in the group, his character IS compassionate. How did he give more compassion towards this stranger he met a day ago instead of his own classmates?! How did they botch his character this badly?!

Lastly, when Fellow Honest's reasoning is stated in the story...I really have no words. He engaged in human trafficking, because his former teachers told him that he wasn't a good mage? ...I'm sorry? What the fuck kinda reasoning is that?!

He's literally committing a random act of malice because of his own personal issues. I can't even say that he was merely projecting his hatred onto students alone, as there were other guests attending the park too! I don't know how old they are, or if they're even in school anymore, so these are literally just random victims to me! It looks like the writers attempted to add a tragic backstory for this character in order to get the audience to have some sort of sympathy for him, but this just makes him look fucking stupid.

During this event, he talks about school being worthless and about how he and Gidel had a hard time surviving because they didn't get an education. Like...he chose to drop out of school. Of course that would happen! What was he expecting?

This event made an attempt to go into class dynamics and it's just...oh my god. Let's do a character comparison for a second. Ruggie grew up in a poor area, but because of that he was always on that grindset. Instead of bitching about how educated people are entitled and snobby, he takes advantage of every opportunity around him. And this includes the education at Night Raven College! He even takes financial advantage of others if necessary! He doesn't mind working for others as long as he can get something out of it.

Now let's talk about Fellow Honest's unique magic. I'm not gonna lie, I do think that concept is pretty cool! However, let's take a look at how it's implemented in the event. Now this is where I get critical of this. Having an increased amount of optimism doesn't mean being dumbed down. I'm still confused on how none of the characters were at least a little bit skeptical when walking through the park. There were red flags all across the park, free food, surprise gifts, a whole ass outfit for free, and a freaking 10 minute roller coaster! It was clearly too good to be true, so I can't understand how nobody among the main cast doubted it even for a second?

Also the reasoning why a magic-sensitive creature like Lilia didn't sense his magic before is so bullshit. I'm sorry, they just needed a reason for him to not notice this in order to make this event work.

And then when the cast started talking about how great school was for them, and even offering him admission to Night Raven College... Sorry just a moment, I just need to...

He is a literal human trafficker, and they decided to sympathize with him because of his bad school past?! WHAT???

I'm not even taking the excuse that the main cast are based off villains. HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY THAT AT ALL?!?!?! HOW???

We don't know how many people he has done this to. It's clear that this isn't the first time this amusement park has hosted customers. If this was merely his first attempt by means of survival then it might have been a different story, but he's experienced at this. There's a good chance that he has turned people into dolls before.

And then after a super prolonged chase scene and even more battles, we get to Kalim going full-on Steven Universe on Fellow Honest. Then his employer deducts his pay because of the damages in the park...and he finally had enough. He frees everyone, asks them to destroy the park, and now he's a good guy and he's gonna open a school!

...

Now I'm confused about this for a couple of reasons. So first of all, how did his opinion of schools completely do a complete 180 after talking with them for a few moments??? Change in a character doesn't occur this quickly, and we've seen this be the case with multiple characters in this game. Even if this was meant to be rushed for the sake of this being an event story, not even Rollo had a change in opinions after his event! So what was up with this?

The second reason is that Jack specifically stated in this event that his brother can't use magic but is still attending school. Magicless people DO get educated, and there's many pathways for them to choose from.

They aren't barren from society like Fellow Honest thinks they are. Take a look at the people in Epel's hometown and in Fleur city, they're pretty happy! I don't think the concept of schools for lower magic users/non-magic users is as revolutionary as they're making it out to be, and I feel like this is a super last-minute decision on the writers behalf.

Another thing is that...

Fellow Honest has NO REMORSE AT ALL for what he did.

He wanted to quit because he just didn't wanna work for the higher-ups anymore, not because he actually realized what he was doing was fucked up! Yeah sure, he might be focused on his new goal to open up a school. But is he just gonna ignore the fact that he fucking SOLD PEOPLE AS DOLLS? HUH? How am I supposed to wish him well on his newfound journey when this entire thing is just left unaddressed!

I'm also confused about another thing. Fellow Honest asked the cast to destroy the amusement park after he freed them, promising to turn the park boat around to Sage Island if they did so. This caused the boat to sink, and Ortho had to push the entire park back to shore.

They were able to get back to shore before any serious damage was done, so can anyone tell me why Fellow Honest and Gidel decided to ride off into the sunset WITH the park? It's literally sinking as they speak! So...huh? Where will they even sail to? It's pretty hard to not notice a huge ass amusement park sinking like this in the middle of the Sage Island, especially when it's right beside the port! What is going on?!

Who the hell even wrote this? I can't with this event man...

I know the lesson of this event is to realize the importance of going to school and being a good kid like in the movie. However...let's step back for a bit. The target audience for Twisted Wonderland is young adults and teenagers, and the fanbase DOES consist of these people. I don't think they need reminding of why education is a privilege...? Pinocchio was specifically made to scare little kids, so it just does not translate well to their target audience AT ALL. While I do love Twisted Wonderland, I really do feel like this is their worst event yet. I hate how almost all the characters were dumbed down to make this story work, and I don't care if it was because of Fellow Honest's unique magic. When it comes to sensitive topics, Twisted Wonderland is usually good at portraying them appropriately. So I really have no idea what happened with this event.

I think the company saw the positive reception with Rollo Flamme, and decided that this type of new character was something to be implemented yearly. Surprisingly, Fellow Honest and Gideon seem to have a large fanbase in Japan...so they probably took the popularity of these characters as their next material to work with. This could have worked out wonderfully if they were to treat this like its own story rather than a remake of the movie, but unfortunately that's not the path they decided to go with.

I have never felt this way about any other event, and the urge to write this critic was STRONG. I have no idea whether Yana wrote this, or if another employee just decided to pull some last-minute shit with this entire event. Regardless, I'm praying to god that this is merely a one-time occurrence and that the next event will be better. I think for the sake of my sanity, I need to pretend this event doesn't exist.

Thank you for reading my thoughts on this.

[xxv2axx]

Preview of my latest Merlin WIP! I'm not quite sure what I'll call it yet, but it should be a 5 + 1 fic! (I've always wanted to do one of these, so I'm really excited abt it!! ^^)

Here's the idea of the fic: Merlin is aware before the start of the show that he's immortal and is therefore a little more reckless during random daily activities than he probably should be. It's from Arthur's perspective as he continually FREAKS OUT over Merlin carelessly endangering himself without a single thought about it. (It's a 5 + 1 fic because it will be five times Arthur catches Merlin, who he doesn't realize is immortal, doing something unbelievably dangerous for apparently no reason (or just being genuinely oblivious about the situation and why what he's doing is giving Arthur heart problems) and the one time Merlin actually gets hurt (+ the consequential magic reveal when Merlin doesn't die from what appears to be a fatal injury.))

Anyways! That's the general idea of the fic! Here's the little preview for anyone who's interested!

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Arthur's new manservant was certainly...entertaining. Yes, that was probably the right word for it. The boy left quite a lasting impression on Arthur the first time he had met him, and he wouldn't be surprised if the mouth on him hadn't gotten him into trouble before.

The only problem was when Merlin wasn't bantering with Arthur, or being a general nuisance, he was incredibly stupid; and most of the time he wasn't even referring to the few occasions when Merlin simply forgot to do one of the chores Arthur had assigned to him. No, Merlin was incredibly stupid in the fact that he was completely oblivious to his surroundings most of the time, putting himself in unnecessarily dangerous situations that could have been prevented during everyday activities, and giving Arthur a partial heart attack every time it happened.

.｡*ﾟ+.*.｡1. ﾟ+..｡*ﾟ+

It had only been a couple of weeks since Uther had hired Merlin on as his manservant when he began to notice his rather...risky tendencies.

Arthur was out in the lower town with a small group of knights, wandering around on patrol the first time it had happened. It was a slow morning; not a lot happening and therefore not a lot to keep Arthur from complete boredom.

By the time it was time for their group to head back to the citadel, the sun was beating down in hot waves from overhead and it was beginning to get more crowded. Arthur felt only a little put out that the second he had to head back was when everything became busy and so much more interesting.

And yet, perhaps all hopes for something interesting to happen were not completely lost.

Just then Arthur spotted a familiar head of black hair and a scrappy neckerchief pass by on the other side of the crowd a small ways ahead of him.

Merlin seemed to be running errands for Gaius as he stopped at a few different stalls to grab different herbs for the court physician's different tinctures and medicines. Arthur also knew that anything Merlin couldn't find in the market of the lower town, he would have to scavenge for himself outside of Camelot.

As Arthur drew nearer to Merlin he watched as he paid for his items before beginning to cross the street... Right as Arthur began to hear the sound of a fast-approaching horse.

He felt his neck twitch uncomfortably as he jerked his head in the direction of the noise and noticed a large horse and carriage barrelling their way down the path; the crowd parting before them so as not to get run over. All except Merlin who stood directly in front of the rapidly approaching horse as he crossed the street while apparently remaining completely oblivious to the fact he was about to be run over.

Arthur felt his heart leap into his throat and before he knew what he was doing he was rushing away from the knights and toward Merlin. He quickly grabbed onto Merlin's arm, the man in question letting out a surprised noise, and pulled him out of the way right before he could get run over.

Arthur stood in silence for a few moments as he registered the sound of the horse clopping away; the noise of its hooves on the stone pathway getting further and further away. He felt it as his sudden rush of adrenaline began to slow, and tried to catch his breath after the sudden panic and mad dash to save Merlin's life.

"Uh..." Merlin sounded uncertain and Arthur looked at the idiot he had just saved from getting run over. "You could probably let go of my arm now."

Arthur looked down at his hand and took notice of the fact that he had yet to remove it from where he had latched onto Merlin to pull him out of the way. He felt his face begin to heat up and was quick to remove it; obviously, he needed to get to somewhere more shady with more haste than he had originally thought if he was so hot all of a sudden.

"Watch where you're going next time idiot."

Merlin simply smiled and nodded his head, seemingly, and quite confusingly to Arthur, unbothered by the whole situation. "Alright."

Arthur wasn't going to return the smile but he would admit silently to himself that he was grateful Merlin had seemed to agree with him for once without the usual bickering. It wasn't exactly something Arthur wanted to deal with again after all.

It was too bad that this wouldn't be the last time Merlin risked his life in his pure obliviousness.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

That's all for now, though I'll probably make slight changes to it as I self beta it some more later. I'll repost with the AO3 Link later when I finish it in case anyone here finds it interesting!

Thanks for sticking around and taking the time to read my writing. I appreciate it and I hope you enjoyed <3

[yjhariani]

The hostage became hostile. If it was not for Ghost, things could be a lot messier.

Once the body fell limp onto the ground, you could only look at the bite mark on the hostage’s arm. The mark that you gave him. You did not think he was going to turn into an infected bio weapon.

The bite mark on your left shoulder that you got a few months ago was pulsing. Your left hand started twitching. Either that or your whole body was shaking.

Everyone was as shocked as you were. Initially.

You were fine. You were never hostile. The only anomaly you had was that sometimes your left arm twitched and there were black veins sprouting all over your left upper arm and the left side of your neck. You took your meds already as well.

Earlier, Ghost suggested that telling the hostage about you and you threatening to infect him would make him cooperate. It did work, but he became less and less cooperative. So, you bit him. Five minutes later, he turned and started attacking the first person he saw. You.

Your infection was never a camouflage for you. It did not even have a benefit unless saying that infecting people was one. You did not even know you could do that until a few seconds ago. No one did. Not even your doctors in Research and Developments.

It should be called groundbreaking, but you saw a rifle being pointed at you. Behind the gun was Soap.

“Whoa, easy!” Gaz yelled.

“The fuck are you doing, Soap? Put that thing down!” Price added.

“This is the agreement. The moment this person shows any indication of danger, we kill them,” Soap reasoned, his voice was dark.

“What danger? They’re not threatening us,” Ghost challenged.

“Oh, yeah? Look at what just happened, Ghost, what makes you think that won’t happen to us?” Soap replied, still sounding as dark as before.

Everyone took a moment to look at you. You slowly looked around the room before returning your gaze at Soap.

It was not the first time you had a gun pointed at you. Most of the people in your base, once seeing that thing on the left side of your neck, raised their guns on you.

“You’re right,” you said. “Do it.”

“No! Are you mad?!” Gaz protested.

“Put your gun down. That’s an order!” Price said.

You could see Soap’s finger moved to the trigger. However, before he could squeeze it, someone else raised their rifle at Soap. The room went quiet.

“You got your order, Sergeant,” it was Ghost, holding his gun steady against Soap’s temple. “If you don’t lower your gun, we will have a fucking problem.”

“Why do you care, Ghost? You’re not as reasonable as you used to be?” Soap replied.

“Because I’m the husband,” Ghost stated.

If the room was quiet before, this time, the room was speechless. Even the gaze that people exchanged seemed to be lacking any meaning.

Even you. You did not expect Ghost to pull that card. You did not expect him to finally reveal that fact.

“Yeah, I said it,” Ghost nodded. “Now, lower your gun or our problem will be more than just one half-infected person in the squad.”

“Ghost, this is—”

“No,” Ghost cut you off. “Pretty sure the captain ordered Soap to put his gun down. So, fucking do it, MacTavish.”

With that said, Soap slowly lowered his gun. Once making sure that Soap would not be doing anything stupid, Ghost also lowered his gun.

Still tasting blood in your tongue, you spat it out at the ground before walking out to get yourself cleaned up.

Written based on my OC.

[e-dubbc11]

Happy Winter Sleepover! ❄️

What about Little Anna & some Winter fun!?!

“Tracking down your mittens, hats, scarves, heavy socks before heading into the cold”

“going sledding together and ending up in the snow”

& “Unexpected snowball fight” bc of course Frank needs a reason to “help” Anna win of course 😂

Hellllloooooo my lovely!! I’m really trying to keep these on the shorter side but I can’t seem to do that but more Anna Raven is never a bad thing so I hope you like this one. (More Irreplaceable is coming too) Thank you for sending this one in, I do love writing for this family ♥️

Snow Day

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Tattoo Artist Billy Russo x F! Reader; supporting character(s) Frank Castle

Warnings: All the fluff

Word Count: 1.9K-ish

Summary: Pretty self explanatory but Anna is VERY excited for her first snow day and excited she gets to play with Mom, Dad, and Uncle Frank.

Part of The Sweetest Pain Series

As always, thank you for reading!  I appreciate it so much and comments, reblogs are welcome and encouraged. Don’t be shy to tell me your favorite part. 💕💕 💕

“It’s snowing, Mommy!!” She squealed with excitement.

Anna Raven pointed her chubby little finger toward the full length windows as she stood next to you while large flakes of snow floated past your faces, some of them kissing the glass on the way down. It was falling like confetti from the silver clouds up above and she had the look of pure joy on her face.

“Yes it is, baby girl! And we’re supposed to get a lot of snow later so maybe tomorrow we can go to the park and play. Does that sound like fun?” You asked.

Anna was clapping her hands and jumping up and down; she was so excited.

“Can Daddy play too?” She asked.

Bending down to her level, you looked into her big brown eyes that were just like her father’s and with a warm smile, replied “I’m sure Daddy would love to play in the snow with us. I just hope he makes it home later because it’s starting to fall faster.”

The city down below was slowly turning into a clean blanket of white. It was always very peaceful watching the snow fall down onto the hectic streets underneath from inside your warm apartment.

The naked tree branches were frozen and snow was starting to pile up which cast twisted and knotted shadows on the ground. Frost patterns that had started to form on the windows shined as the soft warm light from inside your home lightly touched them revealing their unique patterns.

“Pretty…” Said Little Raven as she gently touched the glass with her finger, pointing at the snowflakes that were stuck to the window.

This snowstorm was reminiscent of the day Anna was born. The snow was light but it came down hard and fast; you almost didn’t make it to the hospital in time for her arrival and Billy also came dangerously close to missing his daughter being born.

Now, almost four years later, you looked down at the beautiful little girl you and Billy had brought into the world and could not wait to play with her outside on her very first snow day.

Now if you could only remember where you put all of your winter outerwear…

After only a couple of hours of worrying, Billy did make it home that night. It was late and Little Raven had already gone to sleep but he did make it home safe. His flushed frozen cheeks didn’t stop him from flashing that perfect smile at you as soon as he walked through the door.

All he wanted to do was hold you, shower, and go to bed but not before peeking in on Anna to watch her sleep for a few minutes. His client had been difficult and exhausting.

When Billy suggested he finish the tattoo another time on account of the snow, his client became testy and complained how long he had to wait the first time for an appointment. He didn’t want to wait for another one so Billy stayed to finish it and he was completely out of gas by the time he arrived home.

Another wide smile stretched across his face when you told him how excited Anna was to play in the snow tomorrow. You were excited for Billy too; this was the kind of thing that he never got to experience when he was a child but he is able to now with his own family.

Before falling asleep, Billy whispered “Oh…Frankie said they’ll be over in the morning. They already canceled school so we’re all gonna have a snow day. Sound good, sweet girl?”

“That sounds perfect, handsome.” You said.

The Next Morning

You felt like your head barely hit the pillow before you heard little feet hit the floor. Anna ran to the living room to look out the window before she came charging into your bedroom.

“Mommy! Look at all the snow!! Wake up, Daddy!” She yelled, pulling on Billy’s arm.

“Alright, little miss. We’re awake.” Billy said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and letting out an extended yawn.

“I gotta go potty.” Don’t go play without me.” Said Anna.

The two of you chuckled.

Billy gazed at you, his eyes shined like two pieces of onyx as he inched closer to give you a kiss. His long agile fingers danced up and down your arm that was sleeved as he said, “You have really nice tattoos. Your artist is really talented.”

You felt warmth rise to your cheeks and a smile stretched across your lips. “Are you flirting with me, Mr. Russo?” You asked.

“Maybe.” Said Billy, with a devilish smile on his face.

“Well you can flirt with me later, I’m sure Frank will be here soon.” You said.

Billy tossed the blanket off of his body. “You’re starting to know Frankie the way I know Frankie. And I’m pretty sure you’re right. We better get up but first I’m gonna give you one more kiss.”

As soon as Billy’s lips touched yours, you heard three loud raps at your door.

“Rise and shine, Russo’s! Let’s go!” Frank boomed from behind the front door.

You helped Little Raven in the bathroom before she ran out into the living room.

“Uncle Frankie!!!” Anna screamed. “You see all the snow!”

Frank picked her up and placed her on his hip. “I did, Little Raven. Go with Mommy and get dressed so we can go play. I’ll try and wake your dad up with some coffee.” Frank said, as Billy emerged from the bedroom, his raven colored hair was all over the place.

“I had to hunt for it but I found all the winter stuff; I’m gonna go get her ready. Time to get dressed, lieutenant.” You said. The bristles of his beard tickled your lips as you kissed him on the cheek.

“Roger that.” Billy replied, lightly smacking your ass as you walked past him.

It was still snowing a little when you arrived at the park. The air was cold; it made your breath visible as you all walked to find a decent hill to sled down. The sound of the snow beneath your feet made a slight crunching sound. Peeking out from behind the clouds, the sun shone down onto the snow covered surfaces making everything appear brighter.

It was beautiful.

Listening to Junior and Lisa laugh as they pulled Anna around on one of the sleds was music to your ears and you watched as Billy and Frank go from what you thought would be an innocent snowball toss to a full blown snowball fight; it made you laugh.

This is the family life Billy deserved to have; it’s the life you deserved to have. Lisa gave Anna a snowball that was so big she had to hold it with both hands while Frank picked her up and told her to put it down the back of her father’s coat.

With snow clinging to her eyelashes and the ends of her dark brown hair, you watched Anna play, throw snowballs, and she even helped build a snowman. She rolled a ball of snow until she couldn’t push it anymore; you helped her after that but she was so pleased with how much she did herself.

“Dad, I found a hill we can sled down…over there.” Junior pointed to a spot in the park where a lot of kids were sledding.

“That’s a little steep, isn’t it?” Frank said.

“We can do it, Dad.” Lisa said.

“I meant steep for Little Raven.” Said Frank.

“I’ll go down with her, she’ll be fine.” Billy said, looking over at you and giving you a wink.

You just smiled and said, “Well I kinda need to see this.”

Your toes were starting to get cold despite wearing the warmest socks you could find. Also, it might have been a good idea to take Billy up on the hand warmers he offered you.

Next time you would; everyone seemed to be winding down anyway and Anna would need a nap soon but you watched as they all trekked up the hill, sleds in tow, and little Raven on top of her father’s shoulders.

She looked so excited.

Billy firmly placed Anna in front of him, making sure there was no possible way she could fall out. Junior was going down by himself; Frank and Lisa were in the sled next to Billy. It looked like they were going to race to see who could get to the bottom of the hill the fastest.

You waited at the bottom of the hill for them, out of the way so you wouldn’t get run over by other people in their sleds. They pushed themselves forward and took off down the hill. Gaining speed, Junior was in the lead with Lisa and Frank catching up.

It looked as though Billy was so concerned about Anna falling off, that he got distracted and three quarters of the way down the hill, he fell off the back but Little Raven remained upright and slid almost right to you.

The smile on her face was probably the biggest smile you had ever seen her make. It took up her entire face; it was Billy’s smile.

Billy, however, was not smiling.

“Look at you! Did you have fun?” You asked Anna, scooping her up into your arms and kissing her flushed cheeks.

“Where Daddy go?” She asked.

Frank and the kids couldn’t stop laughing. Billy had snow covering his black beanie, the tips of his long dark lashes had snow stuck in them, and snow covered the back of his black jacket. You tried to control your laughter but you couldn’t.

“Well baby, Daddy fell off the sled.” You said, biting back a smile.

Billy trudged up to you with a scowl on his face. “Oh it’s sooooo funny isn’t it.” He said sarcastically.

“Daddy ok?” Little Raven asked with concern in her tiny voice.

“At least someone is concerned for my well-being.” He said as the scowl disappeared and a slight smile took its place.

“Oh come on, Bill. You fell off the back of a sled, not off a cliff.” Said Frank, still laughing.

“Yes baby, Daddy’s ok. His pride is just a little hurt, that’s all.” Said Billy.

With his lip curled into a half smile, Frank said, “Well I gotta hand it to ya, Bill. You managed to fall off without tossing Little Raven out of the sled. I don’t know if that’s skill or luck.”

“You ok, handsome?” You asked with Anna sitting on your hip.

He inched closer to you and kissed your forehead. “I’m fine, sweet girl.”

Anna let out a long yawn, the tip of her nose was cherry red, and her eyes were almost halfway closed.

“Looks like someone’s tired.” Frank said with a warm smile.

“Who wants hot chocolate?” You asked.

Junior and Lisa’s hands shot straight up in the air.

“I do! I do!” They both said in unison.

“Ok, we’ll have hot chocolate at Uncle Billy’s and Auntie y/n’s so they can put Little Raven down for a nap. Then we’ll go so they can have a nap too. Can’t give Anna a sibling without a nap, right Bill?” Frank whispered with a wink.

You playfully rolled your eyes while Billy nudged Frank’s arm.

“Real smooth, Frankie. Real smooth.”

Tag List: @wheresthesunshinesblog @rafaelakelley @idaoftheburningmind @snowkestrel @fakehappy27 @music-indie-tv @fictional-hooman @kayhi808 @munsonownsmyass @gijos @celestialams @k-marzolf @nutmeg17 @rosaleenablack @vaguekayla @qu1etwolf @danzer8705 @fireeyes-on-teller-dixon-grimes

Others that might enjoy: @itwasthereaminuteago @fluffyprettykitty @jvanilly @imagine-a-fictional-boyfriend @russosafehaven @mrsbillyrusso

If you’d like to be added (or removed from) my tag list(s) for the ever so handsome Billy Russo, just let me know and thank you again for reading! 💕💕💕 If I tagged you but you didn’t want to be, just let me know and I’ll never do it again.

[natrogersfics]

Poster by @teamromanoff Read on AO3

His wife is mad at him. That much Steve is sure about as he silently leans against the doorway of their kitchen, watching as Natasha empties her dinner plate into the trash. They’d barely said two words to each otherna over dinner, and as Natasha asked Sarah about her day, firing off one follow-up question after another, it became evident to him that that was by design. And truthfully, that’s not really even the part that bothers him. He knows that Natasha genuinely wants to know about Sarah’s day – they both do. It’s not even that she barely touched the food on her plate, though he is concerned about that, too. It’s that for days, this silence between them has persisted, and it’s shown no signs of waning.

It all began with his last assignment. Fury needed assistance with recovering stolen arms just outside of Prague, and because they had agreed after the events in Saint Petersburg that it wasn’t fair to Sarah to always have both her parents in the line of fire, Natasha had stayed back to run the op from HQ.

The mission was routine enough. In no time at all, they had apprehended the hostiles, recovered the weapons, and were in the midst of interrogating the group’s leaders back at the helicarrier when one of them revealed the bomb he had managed to conceal. In hindsight, as he thinks back to the way he had heard Natasha’s voice in his ear, telling him to stand down and let Clint take the shot from where he was positioned higher up, he realizes that she knew what he was going to do even before he did. But Natasha’s attempt to stop him was all in vain, because as the man was about to hit the detonator, he’d charged at him, knocking them both out a window and into freefall.

If he had to bet on the exact reason behind the cold shoulder Natasha’s been giving him, he’d have to put money on him completely disregarding her call. In the days since he’s recovered, she hasn’t yelled. Hasn’t lectured him about his actions. She hasn’t even explicitly told him that she’s angry with him – something she has never held back on doing in the past. And while he isn’t looking to argue, he wishes she would just unleash whatever it is that’s clearly been weighing on her lately. His wife’s wrath is something he can handle. What he’s not equipped for, however, is the lingering silence and the distance that only seems to be growing between them.

“Sarah’s down for the night,” he finally says, causing Natasha to jump slightly as his voice cuts through the silence. He winces. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

His brows furrow when she doesn’t turn to face him and only continues to work on washing their dishes from dinner. He’s stealthier than most, but it takes a lot to get past her. “Natasha, listen, I know what your order was on comms-”

“Is that what you think the problem here is?” she interjects, her back still to him. “That you were insubordinate?”

“Isn’t it?” A hint of frustration slips into his tone. “Because if it’s not, then I don’t know what-”

His words are interrupted by the clank of porcelain against the enamel as Natasha unceremoniously drops the plate into the sink. “You tackled a hostile off the carrier,” she says as she turns to him. “In flight.”

He sighs. “Natasha, I had to-”

“Like hell you did,” she says, tipping her chin up. “Clint had it!”

“No, he didn’t,” he says, earning a dagger of a glare from her. “Clint didn’t have an arrow drawn yet, Nat! There wasn’t any time!”

“You. Didn’t. Have. A. Parachute.”

“And you did?” he challenges. It’s the wrong response, he knows, watching the way her posture goes rigid. Nevertheless, he doesn’t care. Two could play this game. “When you jumped off the jet to save that hostage in Odessa weeks ago, did you have a parachute?”

“That’s not the same!” she yells, and like a reflex, they both look towards the hall leading to Sarah’s room.

“How is that not the same?” he challenges after a beat, his voice quieter now. “You put your life in danger then just as much as I did on the last one.”

“My actions didn't land me in a coma,” she volleys back. His shoulders slump at that, and he finds himself unable to argue. While he had the wherewithal to reach behind him for his shield just before the bomb went off, he was still well within the blast radius, and that’s to say nothing of the force of his fall. His week-long coma notwithstanding, there were also the burns and the bruises and the broken bones. Saying he was a little worse for wear when the team eventually located him would be putting it lightly, and he knows it. Before him, Natasha sighs. “Sarah was so scared.”

His eyes fall shut, recalling the abject horror on the little girl’s face when she first saw him in the infirmary. He had regained consciousness by then, and though some of his injuries had begun to heal, it didn’t make the state of him any less of a gruesome sight. “Natasha…”

“I was so scared.”

He looks at her then, finding the anger that had been consuming her replaced instead with complete and utter fear. The image causes his heart to constrict in his chest. Even so, he does not quite understand it. Making impulsive calls during missions is part of the job. As anyone in their line of business will attest to, sometimes, regardless of the amount of meticulous planning done beforehand, there’s simply no way around improvising in the thick of it – especially when there are innocent lives involved. He knows Natasha knows this, too. Her stunt in Odessa is only one of the millions of times he has held his breath as he watched her put her own life at risk for the sake of the greater good. He’s hated it every single time, but as they’ve both come to understand, that’s the price they pay for following their calling.

For being Avengers.

“I didn’t have a choice, Nat,” he whispers.

For a moment, he thinks she’s going to argue. But then she sighs, and he nearly does the same in relief. “Don’t you think I know that?” she scoffs. “My problem isn’t that my asset disregarded my explicit orders during an op.”

“Then what is it, Nat?” he asks. “Because you've been keeping me at arm's length and it's driving me crazy."

Guilt flashes in her expression, and she swallows. “My problem is that my asset is the best super soldier the world has ever seen,” she says, the bitterness in her tone unmistakable as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Which means that there are missions only he can complete. Dangers only he can face. Dangers that some days include taking a goddamn explosion in the chest.” She looks away. “And he also happens to be my husband…” Another sigh falls from her lips, and this time, it’s heavy. Loaded. “And the father of my children.”

If he had any fight in him, any will left to argue, her last word knocks it right out of him. “Children?”

She nods. “Helen confirmed it shortly after you left. Seven weeks, give or take.”

His gut drops at that, every mission she’s gone on in that time frame – every risk she’s taken – flashing in his mind. He takes a step towards her, his hand reaching out. “Nat-”

“Don’t,” she says as she takes a step back, and as much as it pains him, he lets his hand fall back to his side, giving her the space she clearly needs. Her voice is sullen as she adds, “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

While the desire to expand their family had overcome them both before, a deluge of tests and scans had told them that her body had gone back to the way it was before she had Sarah, the damage still very much there. But even if it were possible, ultimately, they had decided that it was too dangerous. Protecting one child who had both their serums running through her veins was difficult enough, they didn’t need to subject another one to this unconventional life they had to offer.

“Hey…” he whispers, finally closing the distance between them and pulling her into his arms. To his relief, she goes willingly, burying her face into his chest as she begins to sob. He only holds her closer, running a hand up and down her back soothingly. “I’m sorry,” he whispers into the crown of her head. “I’m so sorry.” For everything, he wants to add. For scaring her. For being the reason she’s been holding all of this in. For leaving her to comfort Sarah all on her own while he recuperated from his injuries. The list feels endless, especially in light of what he knows now. “I’m so sorry, Nat.”

“What are we going to do?” she asks, looking up at him.

He cups her face in his hands, his thumbs swiping away at the fresh batch of tears that rolls down her cheeks. He wishes he could alleviate all her fears. Tell her right here and now that they were all unfounded. That no harm was ever going to come to their family. But that would be a lie, and they both know it, and he wouldn’t dare insult her with empty promises.

“I don’t know…” he begins to say, causing her expression to crumble. He tilts her face up ever so slightly. “Hey, look at me.” Reluctantly, she lets her eyes meet his. “But we’re going to figure this out, okay?”

It takes a moment, but eventually, she nods. “You can’t die on me, Rogers.”

“I won’t,” he says, pulling her into his embrace once again. She wraps her arms tightly around him, squeezing back. He couldn’t predict the future, much less control it. But one thing he knows for sure is that there’s nothing in this world that could keep him from being by her side – by their family’s side. “I won’t.” Masterlist Read more of the In Her Eyes 'verse here

[montammil]

June of Doom Day 14 - "What were you thinking?"

| Surrender | Human Shield | Outmatched |

A little story with Nathan and Lawrence before the whole kidnapping! Tempted to make this the canon way he was kidnapped.

CW: Parental whumper, several mentions of drugs/drug addiction, infantilizing behavior, general violence, financially indebted, implied kidnapping

...

It broke Lawrence's heart watching Nathan waste his life away without even realizing it. The crowd he hung out with didn't give a shit about him; they saw the young man who would do anything to prove himself. They exploited that fact and used it against him. At just twenty years old, Nathan was getting arrested every other month for petty theft and vandalism.

And each time, Lawrence would come to the rescue to bail him out. No questions asked, no judgement passed.

He was disappointed and frustrated, sure, but in the end of the day, it gave him an excuse to show Nathan that without him, he'd be a total disaster.

Without his guidance, who knows where he'd be? Who knows if he'd still be alive or not?

But each night when Lawrence couldn't sleep, he'd think of Nathan and if he was in danger or not, since Nathan seemed like he wanted to get killed at this point.

The only reason Lawrence hadn't kidnapped him yet (although he'd use a lighter word) was because he wanted to gain Nathan's trust, just a little more. That, and he needed more time to prepare his house for his arrival.

To ease his anxiety, he put a tracker on both Nathan's phone and car keys. If there were any spikes or dips, Lawrence would know immediately and see what happened.

It's the only way he could sleep peacefully at night, knowing where Nathan was at all times.

If only Nathan could understand...if only he knew how much Lawrence loved him...then maybe things wouldn't be this bad.

Then again, Nathan had never really known love. Some nights Nathan would show up on his doorstep, drunk or high, crying about his awful childhood. Lawrence would take care of him every time. He'd hold him until the morning, calming him down as he babbled nonsense about how unloved he was as a child. That was the only time Nathan would be vulnerable with him, which made him form a love-hate relationship with Nathan's addiction.

On one hand, he loved being able to see that side of Nathan that no one else saw. On the other hand, he hated that Nathan chose drugs rather than coming to him. It should've been obvious that he didn't need to suffer alone when he had him.

Nathan never took advantage of that fact either, which baffled Lawrence to no end.

His house was open at all hours to Nathan if he needed anything; food, money, a place to stay for the night.

Anytime Lawrence offered anything, Nathan refused it, and that fueled Lawrence's hatred of Nathan's family even more. What kind of person would raise a child to act so prideful? A child who obviously needed help and was too stubborn to ask for it.

At least that gave him more reasons to keep an eye on Nathan. After all, someone had to save him from himself.

It was almost two in the morning when Lawrence got a text. Lawrence grumbled in annoyance, just about to go to bed after several hours of answering emails, when he noticed who it was from.

Nathan: hey I nned help

Lawrence checked the tracker, expecting him to be at a bar or the police station. Yet his heart dropped when it revealed he was in the middle of nowhere, just on the outskirts of town.

Panic swept through him. He didn't hesitate to get dressed and rush outside, nearly forgetting to lock the door behind him. He jumped into his car and took off down the street.

He dialed Nathan's number multiple times, but each time it went to voicemail. This didn't stop him from trying over and over again, begging him to answer. His foot pressed harder against the gas pedal. The further out of the city he drove, the more abandoned the landscape became.

Everything was likely fine, he tried reassuring himself. Nathan got into trouble all the time, so there wasn't a reason to believe it would be worse tonight.

Then why was Nathan telling him he needed help? He didn't make that kind of statement lightly. And why did he text, not call? He always called him!

Lawrence shook his head. Too many questions were forming, and the longer it took to find him, the more they built up.

At the intersection of three dirt roads, Nathan's car was parked haphazardly in the grass. There wasn't a sign of life in sight, making the dread in his stomach worsen.

The wind howled through the tall fields on either side of the road, providing the only sound Lawrence could hear.

He scanned the area with the flashlight of his phone, cursing himself for not thinking to bring one with him. But that wouldn't matter as long as he found Nathan. Nothing else mattered except for his safety. He rushed forward, calling Nathan's name with every step.

"Nathan, can you hear me?"

Nothing.

The temperature was dropping with each passing second, prompting him to bundle himself tighter. Where could Nathan have gone? Had something happened to him? He fumbled for the tracker app on his phone again. To his dismay, there was no signal to give him Nathan's location, just his car. He cursed and stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

So much for technology being reliable.

In the distance, he spotted a trail of broken blades of grass, as if someone had been dragged through them. If there was a chance it led to Nathan, he had to take it.

He grabbed his gun from the car and hurried forward, his feet sinking into the mud beneath the dead grass. It was getting harder to walk now that he had to pull his shoe out each time he took a step.

But if this brought him closer to finding Nathan, he didn't care.

Right when the path was getting harder to follow, he heard a scream. It was unmistakable that it belonged to Nathan, confirming that he really was in danger. Lawrence snapped his head in that direction and ran toward it, disregarding how hard it was to move at this point.

This was his fault. He should've found a way to get Nathan to live with him sooner, then none of this would be happening right now.

Once he neared the source of the noise, he saw it led to an abandoned construction site, which was boarded up for decades. It was common knowledge to avoid this place because of how dangerous it was to go anywhere near it.

He knew Nathan was reckless and impulsive, but not stupid. There had to be another reason for him going there.

Perhaps someone lured him there.

Tears pricked at his eyes. If someone hurt his kid, they'd die. Nathan was all he had in this world, and the thought of losing him forever was enough to break him.

"I'll pay you back, just please!" Nathan wailed. "Just give me one more week, I swear I'll make it up to you!"

Lawrence rounded the corner, freezing in horror once he saw the scene in front of him. Three men surrounded Nathan as he cried, bruised and bloody. They towered over him, leering down at him like predators to their prey. One man held a gun while the other two held bats, one of said bats covered in blood. They looked like they enjoyed tormenting the younger man, taking turns kicking him around like a ball.

His vision blurred red. Nathan whipped his head in Lawrence's direction, which alerted the three other men to do the same.

They stepped away from Nathan and backed into the shadows of the building. Lawrence leveled the gun at the closest man.

"Who the fuck are you?" the man holding the gun demanded.

He didn't have time to explain who he was or why he was here. All he had time for was revenge. He lifted his gun to pull, but the man grabbed Nathan's body and held it in front of him like a human shield.

Nathan's wide, terrified eyes locked with Lawrence's. Lawrence bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood, clenching the trigger tightly. He couldn't pull it without risking shooting Nathan instead.

"Who's this, your dad or somethin'? Coming to save his drug addict son?"

The other two laughed. Lawrence narrowed his eyes. If he could kill anyone in this world, these three would be first on his list. Nathan let out a pained gasp, trembling from the hands gripping him. Lawrence wanted nothing more than to comfort him, but that'd have to wait.

"Let him go."

They pretended to be shocked.

"Aw, sorry pops, he still owes us money, see? So we're not gonna let him leave until he pays up. Or do you want to cover the debt instead? We wouldn't mind collecting from you instead..."

Lawrence fought every urge to pull the trigger. Instead, he reached into his jacket. Their smirks widened as they watched him, amused by his compliance. Lawrence took a deep breath and pulled out a checkbook and pen and clicked it impatiently. He was thankful he always carried it on him. "How much?" he snarled.

Their greedy gazes were on the checkbook immediately.

"Nine grand," the leader answered.

Lawrence didn't hesitate to write the amount down and rip it out of the book. He waved it in the air, baiting the men to approach him. The one without the gun stepped forward, his arm outstretched. Lawrence slid the check into his palm.

His gaze never left Nathan and the man basically holding him hostage. "I did what you wanted. Give him to me."

The man inspected the check, his lips twitching into a smirk. The other two joined his side, taking the check from him to read it themselves.

"Can't believe that shit worked! Well, pop, you really saved the day," the one with the gun commented. "We just have to make sure it's actually real and then you can be on your merry way. You should probably keep better watch of what your kid gets up to. Then we won't have this problem again."

His fingers twitched against the gun. "Oh, I will." Nathan felt like shrinking when the blond's gaze flickered to him.

It didn't take long for one of the men to verify the validity of the check, grinning widely when it cleared. They had everything they needed and pushed Nathan away in the process, who stumbled as he tried to regain his footing. Lawrence pocketed the gun again and ran to him, pulling him into his arms. The younger man latched onto him.

He brushed the hair from his face, revealing the black eye, bloody nose, and busted lip he was sporting.

It made him furious knowing this was the type of people Nathan chose to be around. How many times had this happened? How many times was he too late to stop it?

Lawrence let the younger man put all his weight onto him, guiding him back to his car. Nathan limped alongside him, wiping his tears every so often.

"Y-You didn't have to do that, Lawrence...you didn't have to pay them..."

He set him down in the passenger seat. His heart clenched when Nathan whimpered at the slightest touch of being lowered onto the leather seat. Lawrence shushed him and put a hand to his cheek.

"Sweetie, I'd give anything to make sure you're safe. But honestly, what were you thinking? What did you do to owe those guys so much?" Even just the mention of them made his blood boil again. He'd find them later and kill them. No one, absolutely no one, laid a hand on Nathan like that, ever.

He sat in the driver's seat and turned on the engine to warm him up. Nathan refused to meet his gaze, staring down at his lap in shame. "I didn't mean to borrow that much...I didn't think it'd be this big of a deal...they were really nice about it at first and..." His words drifted off. Lawrence sighed and combed his blood and sweat-drenched hair back. Nathan glanced at him, a pout forming on his bruised lips.

"It's alright, you don't have to say any more. Why don't you get some sleep, okay? I'll take care of everything. We can go home, and I'll make sure those mean men never hurt you again."

"Sounds nice..." Nathan cracked a tired smile. He didn't think twice about the implications of those words. "You're always there for me when no one else is. Thanks."

"Oh, kiddo. You'll never have to be alone again."

[lustfulcat]

JEALOUSY

The main theme, the emotion that drives most of the action in Saezuru Chapter 50, is jealousy. 

Before I start rambling, I want to point out the big takeaway here: If Doumeki and Yashiro didn’t have feelings for each other then they wouldn’t be jealous. They’re jealous because they care...but hoboy that jealousy makes them both possessive and wild. And that’s why we have all kinds of action in Chapter 50.

Let’s begin with the title page; it smacks of possession, Doumeki reaching out to grasp Yashiro’s throat but not quite connecting. To me, it symbolizes Doumeki wanting to control Yashiro, hold him close, hold him down, but he can’t quite do it because Yashiro is like a feral cat. The phrase is “Everything is about to break.” And that is soooo significant for many reasons: back in chapter 25, Yashiro begged Doumeki not to break him and Doumeki said he wouldn’t - he would never break Yashiro - but he hasn’t keep his word. Because Doumeki did break Yashiro, he ruined him for all other men to the point that Yashiro is currently impotent, and his body only reacts to Doumeki. Also, “don’t break me” is Yashiro asking for Doumeki to not be so gentle because it will break down the walls Yashiro has built around his psyche, the walls that block off his childhood abuse and the torrent of emotions he’s been holding back forever. The tender way Doumeki treated him in chapter 25 put a crack in those walls but with the Hirata situation and the timeskip Yashiro was able to keep running, to try and cope the way he used to, even if it wasn’t working and the cracks began to spider out. Once Doumeki reentered his life those cracks became bigger and bigger, because Doumeki won’t let Yashiro run to others and cope. He’s possessive, he keeps manhandling Yashiro and dragging him around, not letting him be Volume One Yashiro. In Doumeki’s eyes, Yashiro hasn’t changed. He’s still lascivious, promiscuous, dealing with dangerous people and acting out.

But parts of Doumeki have changed. The fog of his family trauma and prison life has left him. He’s stronger now, the sharpness he had before the timeskip has been honed to a fine point and he now has a powerful sense of self. Like I said in my last meta, Doumeki is an asset and he’s not going to stand by and watch like he did in chapter 2, he’s going to try and control Yashiro, break his walls down, break them apart.

Chapter 50 starts off where Chapter 49 ended: with Doumeki looming over Yashiro in bed. There’s a lot of give and take. Doumeki notices marks on Yashiro’s arms that Inami left behind and we all know that Doumeki is jealous of Inami. He is insistent on taking Yashiro away from him and makes little passive aggressive remarks about Yashiro’s relationship with that scumbag. From there he seductively takes off his tie just like he did with his glove in chapter 46 (like seriously Doumeki who taught you how to striptease?) And he attempts to tie Yashiro up with it, thinking that Yashiro still likes it rough but when Yashiro halfheartedly resists thinks…maybe he wants it gentle? 

That sparks Yashiro’s memory and he recalls the time he slept in Doumeki’s lap in chapter one, thinking that he did want gentleness at some point. But, of course, Yashiro doesn’t give Doumeki a straight answer because - well - he never does so Doumeki gives him three fingers.

I’d like to point out that Yashiro – who is super impotent – comes like crazy from the fingering alone which is further proof that Doumeki does it for him. Yashiro is 90% undressed by the end but Doumeki only lost the tie and gloves DAMMIT I was hoping for a back reveal I’m still wondering if he has a tattoo. 

SIGH I guess we’ll have to wait.

I’m not sure if Nanahara shows up later or the next morning but he knocks on Yashiro’s door. When Doumeki answers it, Nanahara’s face is pure gold and he wants to know what Doumeki is doing there but gets distracted because Yashiro just casually strolls out naked into the living room like he owns the place. Um, well, technically HE DOES OWN THE PLACE but that is exactly why I love My Flawless Son. I can only hope to give exactly zero fucks like that. I especially love how he reads the paper while Nanahara is having a heart attack. Anyway, Nanahara is like WHAT DID YOU TWO DO???? They tell him they didn’t sleep together but Nanahara ain’t really buying it.

They end up talking about yakuza drama for a bit and then Nanahara, Yashiro, and Doumeki take a little drive. Their first stop is the Club Madam’s place where Kamiya is chillin (Nanahara’s face is gold here too, he should never play poker.)

Apparently, money was stolen from her business and she’s pretty sure that it’s because of Okuyama’s group. Doumeki has a suspect in mind but he isn’t letting on yet...and I wonder if it’s the woman who he visited in chapter 47. Club Madam acts very friendly and familiar with Doumeki, calling him Chikara, but as far as I know there isn’t anything between them. Doumeki always turns the women down at bars and soaplands when he’s out with Kamiya, and both Kamiya and Tsunakawa comment on it, so I think they’re friends and they provide each other with information. Now, Yashiro believes that Doumeki does have a woman from their heated interaction back in chapter 46; when asked, Doumeki gave Yashiro a sarcastic answer about it that Yashiro took seriously. So when Nanahara says something about Doumeki and Club Madam to further Yashiro’s suspicions, Yashiro gets JEALOUS.

We haven’t seen a jealous Yashiro since chapter 6, when Doumeki was hanging out with Kuga.

And why is Yashiro jealous? Because he’s in looooove.

But we all know that Yashiro still can’t process his emotions well. Especially emotions that have to do with Doumeki. So after Club Madam’s place, the four of them go out to eat like it’s some kind of double date asjlhalhs and when Doumeki mentions something about treating women gently, Yashiro mind goes back to the beginning of the chapter - where Doumeki offered to be gentle to him - and it scrambles. All confused and upset and not really knowing why or how to deal, Yashiro excuses himself to “go to the restroom” when he actually fucks off and goes to where Kido is hiding. Him and Kido used to have a thing (no surprise there) so Yashiro shows up, asks Kido to assault him in a very desperate way, and starts blowing him. It gets pretty wild but Yashiro can’t get it up, which Kido comments on like WHY ARE WE EVEN DOING THIS.

But why Kido? Yashiro could pick up any man he wanted. Most likely it was to piss off Doumeki in some misguided way of making him jealous, so he would feel how Yashiro feels, instead of, you know, TALKING THINGS OUT.  

But before Kido can even say another word, a black-gloved hand grabs the back of his shirt and Doumeki tosses him aside. It’s interesting how Doumeki knew exactly what Yashiro was up to; like I’ve been saying, he’s super sharp now. I wonder if he followed him from the restaurant and I also wonder if he heard Kido’s comment about Yashiro’s impotence asdkajdhagsk.

Yashiro looks pretty remorseful and I think he actually feels badly about what he did because Doumeki is ripping pissed. Once again, Doumeki drags Yashiro away (as he has done in several chapters now, back to the possession. And back to jealousy.) 

A sexy source on twitter told me that Yashiro’s thinking about Doumeki and his rage as: “a face i've never seen. insane strength. unconcealed anger in his voice.”

And why wouldn’t Doumeki be furious? He’s asked Yashiro not to fuck around and Yashiro is like “nope, I’m still going to try and do it with Inami and also with your group’s prisoner.” Which sooo complicates things on yakuza and emotional levels.

And as Doumeki drags Yashiro away he asks “would you be happy if I assaulted you?” because he knows that Yashiro is just randomly choosing people and he’s so tired of it. Doumeki wants to be the one. The one to possess, the one to control, the one to bring all those hidden emotions out of Yashiro - he always has. The love he felt from the moment he saw Yashiro in that doorway has only grown. It’s been over four years and he won’t leave the yakuza world because Yashiro is still in it. He won’t let Yashiro give himself to anyone anymore. And he’s pushing Yashiro until the walls crack wide open and he breaks so he can be the one to pick up the pieces.

This is the last chapter of volume 8 and Yoneda Kou usually takes a 4 month hiatus in between volumes, which is consistent with the fact that she’s not listed for the next ihrHertz in Jan 2023, so we will be waiting until March for chapter 51.

Until then, here is a song that sums up Yashiro and Doumeki’s feelings during this chapter:  Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy

Special thanks to Lyuba, gays_in_hiace, and the saezuru discord for all their insight, translations, and general awesomeness.