#because i realized it doesn't make sense for him to have had a surname in his previous life

[weretoad-art]

i made a spiky boi

now i just need to figure out the rest of his tattoos....

[anneangel]

Then Sherlock says: "The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning. I never make exceptions. An exception disproves the rule".

Also Sherlock:

"Watson, you have never yet recognised my merits as a housekeeper" (says after preparing the dinner with his own hands).

"Look here, Watson, you look regularly done. Lie down there on the sofa and see if I can put you to sleep" (says Sherlock after picking up the violin and knocking Watson into unconsciousness sleeping, by playing impromptu for him).

"Except yourself I have none friend. And I do not encourage visitors." (says Sherlock, after Watson inquired whether any of Holmes' friends were knocking on the door given that Mrs Hudson was away, and it was too blustery a day for unscheduled client visits. The only other person Sherlock called a friend before Watson, that I can remember, was Victor Trevor. And they weren't close after Holmes solved the mystery involving his friend's father. As seen in that sentence, Watson is Sherlock Holmes only current friend).

"Watson, It's an ugly dangerous business, and the more I see of it the less I like it. Yes my dear friend, you may laugh, but I give you my word that I shall be very glad to have you back safe and sound in Baker Street once more." (Say Sherlock, worried about sending Watson on a case alone).

"My dear friend, you have been invaluable to me in this as in many other cases, and I beg that you will forgive me if I have seemed to play a trick upon you. In truth, it was partly for your own sake that I did it, and it was my appreciation of the danger which you ran which led me to come and examine the matter for myself" (Says Sherlock kindly, after sensing Watson's displeasure, anger and sadness at the thought that Holmes did not trust him enough).

"You're not hurt, Watson? For God's sake, say that you are not hurt!" (says worried about an injury to Watson leg).

"By the Lord, it is as well for you. If you had killed Watson, you would not have got out of this room alive" (says in a threatening tone to the man who injured Watson).

"I feared as much. I really cannot congratulate you." (says Sherlock with a most dismal groan, when Watson tells will marry with Mary. Watson is so hurt by Holmes' tone that he asks why Holmes doesn't approve of the marriage! To which Holmes responds with: "love is an emotional thing, and whatever is emotional is opposed to that true cold reason which I place above all things. I should never marry myself, lest I bias my judgment." But a good reader realizes that this is not an adequate answer to the Watson question! Holmes swerved! And remember, that's because Holmes tried to discourage Watson, claiming throughout the case that womens are not a reliable option) Lmao!!

"Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action which I can recall in our association. I was alone" (says Sherlock needy lamenting Watson's absence by his side for one of his cases).

And, Sherlock Holmes only refers to Watson by his surnames, as was the decorum of the time, but he also uses the possessive pronoun "mine" a lot when addressing Watson. See: "my dear friend", "my dear doctor", "my boy", "my dear fellow", "my dear friend".

Sherlock also says in many cases that he has John Watson as a trusted man. He also drags Watson to concerts, outings and Turkish baths, enjoys Watson's praise, and even allows and encourages Watson to write about cases (although he says he doesn't like it, he never asked Watson to stop and even motivated him to do so), Holmes also seems to enjoy having Watson around him in Baker, cases or non-professional situations too.

John Watson can now, officially, change his name to "Holmes Exception". Lmao.

[andreal831]

I feel guilty: In some ways, I feel Hayley and the Mikaelsons set up Hope to fail. Now, with canon included, I think Hope did find her way - but ironically feel like her story should have been "Klaus, Hayley, and Elijah are what the remaining family tied to Hope but with the three dead - Hope is on her own, and having to navigate a world where she loves her dad but everyone is just as entitled to hate him and come into conflict with that". (Sorry, that's a long one). Basically because of how morally dubious the TVD gang (+ Dorian) could be - it makes sense that they know to separate Klaus's actions from Hope - but what about those who did not have that luxury and only remember a monster that was Klaus? I would use Tyler's story, but in a vague gesture: Hope needs to earn someone's trust after her father (or other relatives) brutalized them and has no way to defend or justify it. Essentially getting someone's trust for her as "Only Hope" and not the surname she's connected to. Or the more common arc, Hope realizing just because she loves her family doesn't mean she can overwrite the centuries of cruel history they left behind.

I'm not saying the Mikaelsons didn't love Hope, but Hope is unique (not just as a tribrid but the only living blood relative who hasn't been alive for a millennia) and had pressure on her that shouldn't be there. Hayley loved her, but should have warned her that living in a town that still had - living - people her dad fought with and hurt should have taken precedence over keeping a torch lit for their relationship. Klaus had his chance to be someone in this world, now Hope has to live in it and make something of herself - in his name or by herself.

(Sorry if this comes off anti. While I have anti thoughts and do like Hope, I think she could have stood to have a better characterized arc.)

I'll start by prefacing this and say that I haven't seen much of Legacies, I only know a lot of the show from edits.

But I agree that the show did a pretty terrible job with really diving into the cycle of trauma and pressures that were put on Hope since before she was even born. They were so focused on making Klaus redeemable and centering Hope around Klaus that they didn't allow for her character to have the development she needed.

I really like what I know about Hope's character and I even look past the wild hoops the writers had to jump through to make her existence possible. But for a show that centered around a magical, miracle baby, they sidelined her character a lot. The writers were so focused on setting up Legacies that they forgot to give the characters the development that was necessary for it to get there.

People love to say that Klaus broke the cycle of abuse with Hope, but he didn't. It just manifested in a different way. He never physically harmed her, but he neglected, abandoned, and emotionally harmed her repeatedly. This trauma is something that Hope doesn't even get to work through.

Hope at 7 years old seems more or less well adjusted. I think Hayley did a good job protecting her from everything. She missed her family in an abstract way because she didn't truly understand what she was missing. She had Hayley and Mary. Klaus allowing himself to be captured and held prisoner was the best thing he ever did for Hope. She was able to live for seven years safe and loved. I may get hate for it, but Hope was better off living as a Marshall away from the Mikaelsons.

I don't necessarily think Hayley was wrong for letting Hope grow up believing the best in her family. At that point, Hope was very isolated. She deserved to have a childhood without it being taken away by the Mikaelsons. But I do think Hayley should have had more conversations with her as she got older, especially if she was going to a school where it was likely to come up.

As soon as she is back with the Mikaelsons, her life once again revolved around what she can do for Klaus. I'm not saying they all didn't love Hope, but she was never allowed to just exist. The fact that she used to keep points when she was "good" or "bad" shows just how much she felt it. She had to be perfect because if she wasn't, she wouldn't be worth their sacrifice or Klaus might slip back into a terrible person.

I've talked about it before, but sending Hope to the Salvatore School made no sense to me. She was safer in New Orleans. She had her mother's pack, he vampires would protect her for Josh and Marcel, Vincent wouldn't let anything happen to her, and she had her mother. Hayley sending her daughter away to boarding school for most of the year made zero sense. I watched the first few episodes of Legacies before TO and I genuinely thought they all died when she was a child because of how she acted with Alaric and the twins. She desperately wanted a family, something Hayley had done a great job providing in the past, but sending her away to school made Hope feel neglected. She was already being neglected by Klaus, she didn't need to feel abandoned by both parents.

And, as you said, she is sent to a school that is run by a man who hates her father, in a town full of people who hate her whole family. She had to listen to people talking about how awful they were, and it was all warranted, which makes it worse for her. She didn't get to attempt to process that on her own. She had to do it while constantly being compared to her family. Alaric was always using it as a way to punish her. The adults clearly were not mature enough to separate Hope from what her family did and they had no business being in charge of her.

The entire terrible legacy of the Mikaelsons was put on Hope's shoulder and the show just ignored that trauma because if they didn't, they would have to admit that Klaus wasn't redeemed, everyone just moved on. So then the people who didn't just move on look like the bad guys. Alaric had every right to hate Klaus, Tyler would have every right to hate both of Hayley and Klaus. They don't owe the Mikaelsons anything, but it is also not fair that Hope has to take the brunt of their anger because Klaus died and got away with literal murder. Hope was a child and shouldn't have had to work to prove herself. She deserved love and support and understanding, like every other child. She deserved to have the space and support to sort out her feelings toward her family, the good and the bad. She deserved to yell at Klaus for abandoning her, to be angry at Elijah for putting that pressure on her, to be angry at her aunts and uncles for abandoning her after her parents died. She deserved to figure out who she was outside of the legacy of pain and torment her family left behind, but as far as I can tell, she is never given that time. All of this would have given her character more depth. Coming to the realization that her family were terrible people but she still loved them is a hard pill to swallow, but it was something she needed to come to terms with. Glorifying Klaus and erasing Hayley, did very little for her development except to play on Klaus' popularity for views.

I love the Mikaelsons but each and every one of them were terrible at being family and terrible people. Hope suffered because of this.

Thanks for the ask! Sorry if I just went on a tangent and didn't fully answer your question.

[runabout-river]

Where does the Fushiguro name come from?

As seen in the last episode, Megumi not being named Zenin but Fushiguro is something of great importance to Toji. For Megumi too but unlike his father, he didn't grow up as a Zenin and consequently lacks the bad associations (the curse?) with that name.

There is a bit of a debate though from which mother the name comes from.

Dialogue in Hidden Inventory points to Tsumiki's mother.

We know that Kong Shiu had visited Toji when Megumi was an infant, so that dialogue about marrying and changing his surname could only be about Tsumiki's mother, but

Gege has called Megumi's mother things like "Fushimama" or "Mamaguro", pointing towards her as the originator of the name, and also

Having the name connected to Megumi's own mother instead of his stepmother makes more sense in the narrative as Tsumiki's mother is a non-entity in the story

After thinking about this for a while, I've come to the conclusion that "Fushiguro" really does come from Toji's second wife and Tsumiki's mother. But we need an explanation for this:

Calling Megumi's mother "Mamaguro" isn't so strange when you consider that Gege only refers to Megumi as Fushiguro just like nearly everyone else in the manga.

With that in mind, it makes sense that "Fushimama" and the like is only a portmanteau of "Fushiguro's Mother". It's not meant to infer what her surname was, just what her son's name is.

Still, it doesn't feel like Tsumiki's mother should have given that name to Megumi because of how unimportant she is in the story. There are 66 works on Ao3 about her and in every single one of those fics including mine she's an OC because there is nothing to her character.

On the other hand, Megumi's mother is extremely important for Toji and for Megumi's past. So how can we reconcile this? What did Gege think when he set these relationships up? Let me tell you, I only came up with that answer while thinking of making this post and it changed my conclusion of it.

The Fushiguro name doesn't have maternal weight in the narrative but a sisterly one.

The name is not about Tsumiki's mother or Megumi's mother, it's about Tsumiki.

Yes, Tsumiki wasn't much more than a prop for Megumi's story until now and it would be extremely disappointing if that doesn't change in the future but Tsumiki can very well still have an important role to play.

Megumi's story isn't over yet and when the manga goes back to him and his struggles, Tsumiki will be the first person he thinks about. Maybe her presence will only return in Megumi's mind or in flashbacks or the theory that Tsumiki's soul is currently residing in Sukuna's new weapon is true and she will be an active character.

But in the end, Megumi and the narrative will reaffirm that Megumi left the Zenin name and the Zenin clan and their curse behind. When Megumi talked to Toji, he simply answered him with his name without thinking much of it.

But when he'll come back to fight Sukuna, "Fushiguro" will carry the weight of Megumi's and Tsumiki's love for each other and maybe even Toji's if Megumi realizes just who that man was and what kind of role he had played in his childhood.

[clonerightsagenda]

In honor of my nth W359 relisten, here is the breakdown of how I accidentally independently headcanoned most of the characters as Catholic:

Eiffel: He was born in Boston, where Catholics are the largest religious population. I've been told the Lord's Prayer he mumbles is the Protestant version, but that prayer is used a lot in Alcoholics Anonymous, which is probably where he's remembering it from. Perhaps his issues with authority stem in part from having to go to Catholic school.

Minkowski: Her father's surname is Jewish, while her mother is French, where the dominant religion is Catholicism. I envision her as growing up in a mixed household (which I believe is also the case for her VA) but she leans harder into celebrating Christian holidays on the station as part of her attempt to assimilate into white bread apple pie Americanism. After the events of the show I like to think she reconnects more with her Jewish heritage, especially as she could relate to the theme of so many holidays being 'they tried to kill us, they failed, let's eat'.

Hera: Hera quotes St. Augustine, quotes the Bible to Maxwell in Memoria, and says "amen" during the funeral despite never being exposed to religious services. Conclusion? She had Catholicism installed in her to nerf her. Why? Because Pryce is also Catholic. More on that later.

Lovelace: I hc Lovelace as having a Puerto Rican mom. Puerto Rico is heavily Catholic. (Her dad is probably Protestant, but when it came to parents from different denominations choosing which to raise their kid(s) in, my mom won for us, so I shall assume her mom won as well. It's possible she also went to a private Catholic school. She may not have considered herself very religious at the start of her mission, but I think about her leaning on hopes of an afterlife when her crewmates start dying as a scrap of comfort.... only to be forced to contemplate the state of her soul later.

Cutter: It was at this point that I realized I was hcing a whole bunch of the characters as Catholic and decided to lean into it. Luckily for me, he's from Carmel-by-the-sea, which is in fact fairly Catholic due to the presence of a historic Catholic mission. (Did I know this because of a probably Buffy-inspired YA paranormal series I read in high school? Maybe.)

Pryce: Again, was leaning into it at this point, but also it makes sense. She was raised in an orphanage, and a lot of those institutions were run by religious organizations. How many of her problems can be traced back to being raised by nuns. She quotes the Bible to position herself as divine. Why Catholicism specifically? The cannibalism. It's all coming together.

Non-Catholics (Hilbert + the Midwestern Corporate Hit Squad):

Hilbert: Grew up in the USSR. Likely not religious.

Maxwell: Her father was a pastor in Montana, where the biggest Christian denomination is Evangelical. Likely ex-Evangelical. Sorry that happened to you Alana.

Jacobi: His name is Jewish, which is supported by his disdain for office holiday parties and ordering Chinese food on Christmas. Catholics are the dominant religious group in Milwaukee though so he gets to the station and goes ah not this shit again.

Kepler: I do not care about him and thus have not spent much time thinking about him, but probably not religious. When he is trying to turn everyone against Lovelace, he doesn't appeal to religious language while dehumanizing her. There are quite a lot of Catholics in Chicago though so he is also used to them.

What's funny about this is I'm not even Catholic. I did not start out doing this on purpose. Somehow Wolf 359 is a more Catholic podcast than Greater Boston, set in Boston, where the character who talks about religion the most is a Protestant.

[julietasgf]

Ma's family not liking Strabo from the start is so valid, they must have had foresight or something! But it's sad that her family wouldn't take her back if she chose to leave Strabo :( Like yeah maybe she realized too late he was too bad of a person to stay with, but hey better late than never? I see that you have plans to write something from Strabo's pov and I am so so excited for that! But oof with Ma not having a good relationship with her parents, when I first read her character study, I did notice the line about her father not taking her dreams seriously, but ouch her dad just seems plain rude and mean. Like who makes fun of their kid unprompted in front of a stranger? But an even bigger ouch to her mom and sisters being too afraid of the father to say anything against him, it seems like Ma has just been surrounded by bad/iffy men all her life :( Do you hc Ma to have any brothers? Would having a brother have mellowed out Ma's father? also how many sisters do you hc Ma to have? But if Ma had a strained relationship with her father, why did she name her son after him? Unless by naming Sejanus after his grandfather, you meant he was named after his paternal grandfather? The hcs about Strabo and his half-siblings are a super big ouch, especially for his poor siblings. Him resenting his half-siblings while they loved him and looked up to him...my heart.... I get Strabo being angered by his stepmother wanting to inherit the factory especially since he was the one to do all the hard work of maintaining it, but taking it out on his younger siblings....that is not it especially since I'm assuming Strabo is way older than them? If his dad remarried when he was 5 or 6, there's probably like a 7+ year age gap between Strabo and his half-siblings? I totally get saying hurtful, cruel things in the heat of moment (i'm sure we've all been there before...) but then Strabo was in his late teens when the fallout happened, so that means his younger half-siblings were like 12 or younger when that explosive rift happened? If there's like a decade age gap between Strabo and his younger siblings, I'm just imagining an 18/19 year old Strabo yelling at and saying cruel things to like an 8/9 year old....yeah that's not a good look for him but has he ever been a good person?? So after taking over the factory, that's it with his family? Did he ever bother to keep up with them from afar? Like maybe he didn't keep in touch with them, but did he hear about them in passing, like them getting married or having kids? Does he even know what his niece(s) or nephew(s) on his side of the family look like? I saw in another one of your answers that maybe D2 would vote in one of Sejanus's paternal cousins for the First Quarter Quell and I'm just... *insert so many crying emojis* Like WHY, it's not their fault their uncle was a total scumbag and betrayed their district. They may have his blood and surname, but they're basically estranged from Strabo and his family! Strabo doesn't even like them and they probably don't like him either! But also wouldn't Strabo's nieces and nephews be too old for the Reaping by the time of the 25th hunger games? But also omg Sejanus never knowing his paternal cousins, something to think about because he never once met them even in passing? Or were those cousins born after he moved to the Capitol since there likely would be a pretty large age gap between Strabo and his half-siblings? If I were Strabo's half-siblings, I would change my surname so fast after the news of Strabo betraying D2 spread. Plinth who? Never met that man in my life!

hello anon!! again, I'm going to answer both asks in one post, I hope that's okay by you :))

I just know that strabo went to meet her parents and they sensed something very, very off with him, they just couldn't put their finger on it. I feel so bad for her, that her family completely rejected her :( ma made mistakes, but I do think she's more of a victim to everything, and she got caught up in strabo's schemings and horrible decisions.

I'M SO EXCITED TO POST IT ACTUALLY, I already started writing and hopefully, it'll get ready by the weekend; the name is carcará, which I searched up and translates to crested caracara in english, and the one shot is very much inspired by an old song in br pt with the same name. specifically, there's a part in the chorus that goes like "carcará, it hunts, it kills, it eats, carcará won't starve" and I think it sums up most of what I intend to share hehe

ma's dad is... very much not the best. maybe this is something to write about later (specifically because I'm a sucker for generational bad stuff that just keeps happening again and again). she left her parents' home thinking strabo is better because he is gentle to her, but it's mostly a golden cage. I think ma didn't have any brother, just sisters!!! 3 of them (I promise when I thought of this was not bc of little women help). it's a bit hard to say, it could go either way: a big brother protecting the sisters from the rude comments and overall rude behavior or either he would team up with their dad, and I really think there's no inbetween ☠️ she named sejanus after his paternal grandfather, I'm so sorry, I left it too vague and just noticed now lmao 😭

when thinking about strabo's family, what only played in my head is that part of the plagues from the prince of the egypt that goes like "you who I called brother", and I JUST COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABT IT. I imagine the half-siblings to be twins and the age gap to be around 11 years; so when the fall out happens, both of them are 8. now, I understand perfectly him being pissed of about the factory. but he says fucked up shit to these kids, he's genuinely just pouring out pure hate and fury and pented up anger to two children who pretty much adored him. and then he left home, too bitter and too angry and leaving behind two children who not only were heartbroken, but were feeling betrayed, because they were supposed to be a team, they were supposed to stick together.

strabo is too proud, after saying the stuff he did I hardly think he would even try to come back, but from time to time I think he would pass around his old house to look from afar, would see them living their lives far away from him, but talking directly? nah. I doubt it. it would be a blow on his ego. he'd rather get shot.

UGHHHHH I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABT THIS QUARTER QUELL 😭😭😭😭😭 IT'S LIVING IN MY LIFE RENT FREE. I would feel SO bad for these kids, having to pay for the sins of a man they never met, they don't even know. about the age, I made some math to be sure; I imagine sejanus to be born when his parents were around 33, 34. let's say 34 to have a more precise number. that would make strabo's half-siblings 23. let's say, then, that they had more than one kid, and the last one when they were around idk 38. by the first quarter quell, that kid (that poor, poor kid) would be 18.

(it was their last year, it was almost enough to escape, they were so lucky until now.)

((you know what, I'm going insane with this possibilty, I would do anything for a suzanne collins' book about this specific quarter quell just to know about each district's tribute and why they got voted on))

some of his cousins were born before, I think, and he really never met them (maybe he saw them on the streets, but his ma grabbed his hand and started walking faster, and he didn't even know that these were his cousins, his blood). LMAOOOO I would do the same tbh 😭 not only change my last name, I would change my name and dye my hair and buy contacts just to make sure no one would recognize we're related

I can totally see it and it's pretty much what I would've done tbf 😭 here we usually have two surnames, our mom's last name and our dad's, and it's pretty much to you whose last name are you going to use (I literally only use my mom's last name at least). I think they would keep the surname after the whole fight, bc at that point, plinth was not only strabo's surname, it was their father's surname too. but then the rebellion comes, and they are being associated with HIM, and it's just... terrible. people see the name plinth and automatically think about the guns killing brothers, sisters, daughters, sons. it's ruining their lives and they children's. but even if they change their surname, and try to move on.... it's almost impossible to not see the resemblance between them and the guy on the capitol propaganda regarding district loyalty. and plus, this is more of a hc of mine, but D2 is proud. they remember things and they keep them with them. it's not really fault of strabo's siblings or their children, but I could easily see the D2 population taking out their pain and grief on them, specially after the plinths move out and are deemed complete traitors. but you're right, it's all extremely sad and tragic. in the end, blood is thicker than water... specially in the worst situations like this :(

(also, I almost forgot to say, I think he had two little brothers!!)

AND OMG I LOVE YOUR HC 😭 AAAAAA I'M HEARTBROKEN RIGHT NOW. imagine if his sibling who's a doctor started doing it bc he thinks what strabo is doing, selling guns (before the rebellion, he solt it to the capitol, but only for the peacekeepers), made him feel guilty with his surname on these bullets, and then he starts to help ppl to make up for it. and you know what? it works! plinth is not a surname associated totally with pain and blood anymore. but then the rebellion comes, and this sibling wants to help to take care of the wounded, but they won't even let him enter the hospital bc he's a plinth nonethless. and after the war, he tries, tries his best to help people and make up for this horrible guilt on his chest, but it's not enough bc it's not like before anymore. now, excuse me for a while, I'm going to cry in a corner. hopefully, at least one of the half-siblings is happy and fine with their kids, that's what they deserve.

aaaaaaa tysm!!! 🥹 if suzanne collins ever wrote a book like fire & blood (grrm, the game of thrones' author, wrote it about the whole history of the country westeros) but about the districts and their culture and their habits, I would buy it without thinking twice, and I'm so serious about it. but for now I'll have to be happy with writing hcs abt D2 and the plinth family, I love my beloved dysfunctional guys, they're very much seventeen/family jewels by marina coded <33 LMAOO I also came to the fandom bc of snowjanus, but then got too invested on the worldbuilding and the plinths bc they're too interesting 😭 it really is a pipeline

thank you again anon for the asks and for letting me talk non-stop about these stuff!!! <3

[nettleandelder]

“I've done nothing wrong, I intend nothing wrong. I am innocent!"

"Half the evil in this world occurs while decent people stand by and do nothing wrong. It's not enough to refrain from evil, Trell. People have to attempt to do right, even if they believe they cannot succeed."

"Even when it's stupid to try?" he asked with savage sarcasm.

"Especially then," she replied sweetly. "That's how it's done, Trell. You break your heart against this stony world. You fling yourself at it, on the side of good, and you do not ask the cost. That's how you do it."

"Do what?" he demanded, truly angry now. "Get myself killed? For the sake of being a hero?"

"Perhaps," she conceded. "Perhaps that. But it is definitely how you redeem yourself. How you become a hero." She cocked her head and eyed him appraisingly. "Don't tell me vou've never wanted to be the hero."

“I’ve never wanted to be the hero," he defied her. Paragon was still cursing someone defiantly. He sounded drunken and rambling. Brashen turned his head, to stare at the ship. The yellow glow of firelight danced on his chopped face. What did this woman expect of him? There was nothing he could do to help the ship, nothing he could do to help any-one. "All I ever wanted to do was live my own life. And I'm having damn little success at that." She laughed low.

"Only because you keep standing back from it. And turning aside from it. And avoiding it." She shook her head. "Trell, Trell. Open your eyes. This horrible mess is your life. There is no sense in waiting for it to get better. Stop putting it off and live it." She laughed again.

Her eyes and voice seemed to go afar. "Everyone thinks that courage is about facing death without flinching. But almost anyone can do that. Almost anyone can hold their breath and not scream for as long as it takes to die. True courage is facing life without flinching. I don't mean the times when the right path is hard, but glorious at the end. I'm talking about enduring the boredom, and the messiness, and the in convenience of doing what is right." She cocked her head and considered him. "I think you can do that, Trell”

“Stop calling me that," he hissed. His surname was like salt in a wound. She suddenly gripped his wrist. "No. You stop. Stop thinking you're the son your father disowned. You're not who he expected you to be; that doesn't mean you aren't some. body. Nor are you perfect. Stop using every mistake vou make as an excuse to fail completely."

He jerked his wrist free of her grip. "Who are you, to speak to me of these things? What are you, to even know these things?" With chagrin, he finally realized the only possible source of her knowledge. Althea had been talking about him. How much had she told Amber? He looked in her face and knew. Althea had told her everything. Everything. He turned and walked swiftly away from her. He wished the darkness could completely swallow him.

"Brashen? Brashen!" She hissed out the call.

He kept walking.

"Where will you go, Trell?" It was a hoarse cry in the darkness. "Where will you go to get away from yourself?"

Mad ship Pg. 329-330

[chaoticacademicdemon]

Series Agogé, personal proyect

Chapter 1.2: “Aike”

On my way to the Agogé

I can assume that it is one to measure our intellectual capacity, another for Evepyoc and the one we just did for physical fitness. Although it doesn't make much sense for it to be like that, since releasing a record doesn't measure almost nothing, I suppose the director will have something in mind, after all she's obsessed with making it fair for everyone.

We go to where the group was attacked by my record that is leaving when we arrived. Here the ground is no longer grass, but well-kept stones with very beautiful shapes. And then I look at my next big enemy, an Evepyoc meter. I knew there must be one here but I didn't want to believe it, now I know I'm definitely lost. Focused on my own disaster, I feel the small current of air that forms a gray owl flying over our group. Obviously they had to spy somehow.

The guy next to me accidentally nudges me, apologizes, and starts biting his nails. His English level was not the best judging from his response. This blond boy is going to end up making me even more nervous if he continues like this. I look at him to get his attention and when he turns around I give him the mythical thumbs up to encourage him. He looks like he's calmed down a bit, better.

The instructor calls me up front and I do what I've already done thousands of times. Although I first ask what the limit is, to which he answers 700 E. Please get me out of here now, now I'm going to break a measuring instrument, how can my day get so bad? But like a Band-Aid, I'll rip it off quick.I place my hand on the orb and it begins to levitate, heat up, change color multiple times until it reaches the height of my shoulders and glows with a blinding white light. After less than 5 seconds, to my luck, it breaks up into thousands of little crystals, still with small unsynchronized waves of that white light.

And with that I'm off, that's it, I run to my spot at the end of my group. We are like 24 people more or less, they are not exactly few but it does not give me as much anxiety as before. The second round of disbelief doesn't affect me as much anymore, so I just stare at the ground until we're led to the next test. I got a 100 as expected and the blond boy a 78, he didn't have much to worry about, although it's normal to get nervous.

In this test we enter a room, surely the main classroom. There's another group doing the test so we sit on the opposite wall. Evelynn sits on my right side, while on my left is a guy who gave me a bad feeling. The tables are high, comfortable and the seats lightly padded, it must be great to teach here. The blackboard is huge too, and our monitor looks like chalk with the difference in size and its white uniform. While the exams are being delivered to us, I realize that the other monitor is not there.

I thank you for the exam and the pens that you are distributing and I write my name in the corresponding section. I see "name" and I write it in full, without realizing that it says "surname" below, a good way to start the exam, and without a tipex on top.Then out of the corner of my eye I watch our monitor walk away and walk out the door. I have no idea what they want us to do, although I can assume they will see that people are honest and don't copy each other.

The exam was relatively simple, a question with several sections of arithmetic, a commentary on a guided historical text, counting the main ideas of a given poetry and to which style it belongs and an exercise made up of 3 questions on general knowledge, I call them that way because they do not I know very well in what matter to classify them. The questions were "Which macronutrient consumes the greatest number of calories when digested?", "In what year did Christopher Columbus discover America?" and “Who is the God of Greek agriculture?”. I answered all the exercises, even the last trick question. The Goddess of agriculture is Demeter, but she has been named masculine to confuse.

Looking at my exam, I realize that if I really do everything right on the exam, I will have a perfect score on the tests. I review the exam and look specifically at one question, the date of the discovery of America. I change it to the year 1492, I'm pretty sure it's in the year 1469 although I'm terrible at dates. The one on my left looks at my test and, confused, he hands me his test that he says 1942 on. Dude, I think you've got the date off by a few hundred years.

I look at the date, look at my exam again, and leave it as it is. I give him a thumbs up but when he points to my exam and his for me to copy I turn my head telling him no. In an hour and a half we finished the exam. The monitor from the other group comes in to get them out and tells us that we still have 20 minutes left. Bored, I put my head in my hands and start to close my eyes when Evelynn lightly touches my shoulder with hers with a wide smile. If what she's trying to do is cheer me up, she's more than succeeded. We play tic tac toe at the table and wait until our monitor comes back and takes us to the square again.

I just realized what an idiot I've been, if they leave us in a room this big without supervision, it was certain that they were watching us on a camera. It didn't even occur to me to look at the ceiling to know where they were. I hope we don't get penalized for scratching the tables or playing on the exam.

Then the results pop up on my phone that had been blocked all this time, and my legs feel weak. 600/300. Impossible.

I click on the "elaborate in the results" tab and see all the perfect tests and next to it a 100 bonus on each one for completing the "secret task". You must be kidding me. Then the director sends the classification list and I appear first. I'm ahead of a guy with an exact 300 points, well now that I look at it it's three people with perfect scores. They're going to think I'm a genius or something. I am class α, and I have the 600 points that I just earned.My heart is going to break from how fast it beats. And then people start talking and I hear my name being called over and over again accompanied by my nickname, “the contractor”. I don't want to be here, I don't want this attention.

On top of that, my sister, whom I don't even know, she's here too. Nice family reunion. Oh no, I look at the list again and she is the third person with 300 points. Why does this happen to me? Running, I follow the instructions of the monitors that indicate that we take our luggage and go to the area of ​​residences. My sister is going to be in my class, my mother's second daughter, the one who made her leave my father with me and run away with his lover. Anyway, my family history is very convoluted. This day was going to come whether he wanted it or not. Now what matters is finding a good room with a common kitchen and gym and calming down with hot tea and a good movie.

.

.

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(Ty so much for reading. Any suggestions or corrections are wellcome, english is my second language)

[ofescapisms]

(Maddison Jaizani) [THE CREDULOUS]. Please welcome [MYLENE KARIMI (SHE/HER)] to Huntsville, WV. They are an [27]-year-old [VISITOR] who lives in [THE COMMUNE]. You may see them around working as a [ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive.

Background (emotional abuse tw) :

DOB March 2

Mylene was born in Las Vegas to a single mom who got pregnant after a one night stand, and the woman quickly realized she had zero interest in being a mother.

Myles grew up very secluded. Her mother had a variety of cons she used on men in order to keep living a lavish lifestyle, and although she had no interest in her daughter, she still felt possessive of the girl and always made sure Mylene knew she was completely dependent on her mother.

Technically, she was homeschooled. But in reality Mylene did her best to teach herself and be her own parent since she had none she could rely on. She never had the chance to make friends her age because her mother's constant criticisms and emotional abuse made her too shy and unsure of herself to approach others.

She became passionate for books, using them as an escape from her misery. She became a dreamer, often sitting at home just making up a better life for herself in her head.

When she was seventeen, Mylene finally got the courage to escape her mother after finding her birth certificate hidden away in her mother's things. She saw her father's name for the first time, and started planning to run off when she turned 18 and going on a mission to find him.

The day she turned 18, she grabbed a handful of expensive jewelry her mother loved and ran off while her mother was out. She pawned off the jewelry and used the money to buy as cheap a car as she could find, then set off to find her father.

She had never heard of Huntsville before, but she had to pass through the national forest on her trip and wound up at the fork in the road, having to take the path to the town she then would never leave.

It all felt like a strange story she would read about in a book rather than her actual life, but she slowly accepted that she had to stay in town. From the moment she arrived, she used her father's surname instead of the one she grew up with, the one bright side of all this was she was sure to never see her mother now.

As someone who had spent a lifetime craving family, she was easily drawn to the commune and once she started working at the library, she truly felt a sense of peace she had never known before.

Facts/connection ideas:

Mylene is a Gatherer

She can be shy but is always warm and welcoming, so I would love to have some close connections within the commune!

Myles doesn't quite understand the rules keeping her away from people from town, and is the type to want to befriend everyone she can. Because of this, I'd love some connections with people from town that she might have to keep on the down low to not get in trouble with the commune.

[kirstynbot]

Media Focus: Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan

When Gaku Kuze's "Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan" anime adaptation was announced back in 2019, we were all blissfully unaware of what 2020 had in store for us. After some production issues that prevented the series from airing as planned in 2020, Life Lessons... finally premiered in 2021. It's comedic how coincidental the themes of this series fit with our own world.

To sum the show and overall premise up, Life Lessons... centers around Omota Uramichi (surname first), a 31 year-old ex-gymnast turned children's television show host. Each episode follows the life of Uramichi-Oniisan on set and outside of work, showcasing a duality that many adults find themselves mimicking.

At its core, this show is a painfully funny expression of how many adults feel as they reach their 30s, facing the soul-sucking abyss known as "reality". I think there's a tasteful and a tasteless way to approach morbid humor, and this show is definitely the former.

Uramichi-Oniisan's bleak outlook on life is often paired in contrast with curious and rambunctious children. He isn't completely transparent with his feelings about life in front of the kids, but sometimes, they pick up on his mindset and he grimly agrees with them. Despite his downtrodden work life, he cares deeply about the children and wants to preserve as much of their youthfulness as possible. The supporting cast on this show are great as well. Some characters induce Uramichi-Oniisan's bottled rage to show itself, and some make him realize that they too are also hiding a part of themselves.

I enjoy this show for a few reasons, but relatability is the biggest reason. I'm now a thirty-something year-old woman who shakes my fist at the cult of capitalism from my own rented porch, and I share the same sentiments as the main character. From jokes about back pain and hangovers to sucking up personal feelings in order to get through work, this show feels like it was written by a millennial for a millennial (though I have yet to confirm if this is true since my search turned up nothing on the author's age). Uramichi-Oniisan feels very human, and I feel a sense of hope for him. I hope he continuously finds happiness even when he's at his most cynical.

Another reason why I enjoy this show is for the art style. I think the studio did a great job helping bring the characters to life. Their unique characteristics are defined as well. My favorite character design has to be Kikaku Hanbee. You deserve your flowers for this character alone, Gaku Kuze. I see the outfits you draw these characters in.

I do want to call out that there is only one woman character in the main cast of this show, Tadano Utano. While I appreciate that she isn't being set up with any of the other introduced characters (ever, I hope), it would be nice to not see her as the only woman in this series, and also to have a character story that isn't centered around her love life.

I implore every millennial or older to watch this show, because it really does encapsulate the lived experience of someone who's been on this earth for a few decades and has gone through some shit. Dark humor doesn't take away the heaviness of emotions, but it's nice that each character perseveres through their hardship. In a time where we constantly experience misery, its important to recognize our negative feelings and not let them hold us back from living.

I'll end this with the best ending theme of 2021, "Dream On" by Mamoru Miyano. This song was a perfect ending to each episode because it felt like that breath of fresh air taken after it stops raining.

[erikiara80]

Hi, apparently new ''leaks'' for auditions have been released, one of them involves a Bob audition leak, not sure if you have seen it. I've heard some people saying that the audition used an alias for Bob's name too, apparently, he's named 'Bil Olsen' which is supposed to stand for 'Bob'. I've also seen some people theorizing that the character named Betty can be actually Bob's sister because Betty's surname is supposed to be Olsen too. We also know that the play's description mentioned Bob having a (young) sister so Bob's sister will be featured in the play too. I think there is a very likely possibility that Betty (the one who speaks to 'George' in the play) can be Bob's sister. My theory is George is Henry (feel free to disagree) and Betty had a crush on him, and something bad will happen to Betty (possibly death tbh), and it will result in something bigger.

Ciao, anon

Yes, I've seen it! I like the actor, he's good. Can't wait to see Bob in action. I knew he was our Dustin in the 50s and would use his radio to solve mysteries. Like Dustin in S3. I read the theory that Betty could be his sister. She said she was abandoned, so yeah, she could be his sister and bipoc. It would be an interesting way to connect these characters. I like it and I hope it's true. And I agree with you. I think it's possible that something bad will happen to her.

I was thinking. Bob is a kind person, so one would think that he would try to be close to his sibling, but he was a kid (who was bullied at school) and if this father Olsen told Betty that her mother was a monster, it makes sense that she doesn't feel welcome in that family. That's an awful thing to say. I already hate that guy.

No problem, I too think that George is Henry. We know he's discovering his powers, in the teaser we see him and the girl in the church, so it makes sense. And the actor reminds me of young Henry. I don't think "George" is a new character. It can't be Ted, because he's older. I doubt he's Scott Clarke. And I doubt it's Lonnie, because showing that Lonnie has powers would be a huge spoiler about Will's story. And Will isn't even in the prequel. Two years before S5 every person who watches the show would realize that his abduction wasn't random, that Vecna must have plans for him, and El needs him to defeat Vecna.

That's why I think there will be surprises about Henry and the other characters but nothing that could ruin the plot twists about Will or El or the other kids. But we'll see!

Thanks for the ask!

[thiswomanshouldbewriting]

I think in S2 Edward will realize around the end of episode 1 (the end of episode 2 at most) that his Blackbeard act cannot last. Right at this moment he'll be reached by the news of Stede's "death" nd it's gonna be the tipping point for him; he'll fake his own death (further proof that he has joint custody of one single braincell with Stede) and go on his solo adventure, trying to make sense of himself and his life.

Cut to Stede, currently travelling under the pseudonym of captain Edwards and who is still chasing Ed, his ship and his crew. He finds the Revenge, reunites with Frenchie and Jim, but learns of Ed's "death". He is devastated, and for the first time he and Izzy actually share a meaningful moment of mourning (it doesn't last. They soon fight over who gets the ship and, obviously, Izzy ends up having to leave).

The central part of the season is split between Stede and his crew getting themselves into all sorts of troubles (fuckeries, scamming, robbing, probably friendly and un-friendly encounters with other pirates) and Ed going on his journey of self discovery, seeing what his life could be like without the burden of Blackbeard on his shoulders. Eventually, he decides he needs closure with Stede, so he sets out to find his hometown, where he's buried. He does, of course, but as he cries over Stede's grave (which is conveniently located on the beach where Stede got married) Mary walks by. She is, of course, quite startled, and asks Ed who he is.

"Edward," he says "Edward Bonnet*"

Mary of course nearly has a stroke because Edward -> Ed -> he uses Stede's surname -> did my fucking idiot husband marry this man BEFORE realizing it was love???

And then of course she also realizes that Edward clearly does not know that the death was fake, so she's about to tell him that Stede is alive and well when Stede, through the sheer power of his gaydar and his necessity for drama, appears on the beach (he had decided to come visit his kids and ask Mary for advice).

Cue the emotional reunion that soon turns super sappy and romantic, with Mary rolling her eyes in the background because Oh God they are so fucking stupid.

*I stole the idea right from the Titanic, I know.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

White Lies (Pt. 19 of 21)

Pairing: Keanu Reeves X Reader

Word count: 1.8 K

Summary: Keanu found the girl almost dead, in the wrecks of what was once her car. While she was in surgery, stuck in a coma, he gathered the best doctors of New York to attend to her. They told him she is likely to have some kind of brain damage, what may lead to memory loss. And this possibility added up wit the fact that she's pregnant, made the council come up with an odd idea. They asked Keanu to pretend to be her husband, since the stress of finding out everything that happened could put the baby in danger. He reluctantly agreed, but only if she does has some kind of memory loss. He still goes she'll wake up soon, with her memories intact.

But when you finally wake up, there's nothing inside. You're quick to find your head is empty, void, like a blank canvas. The only thing that brings you some relief, that makes you feel less lonely is the mention of a husband. And you can't wait to meet him, because you know you can't deal with this by yourself.

<- Previous part (18)

Next part (20)->

{Keanu Reeves Masterlist}

{John Wick Masterlist}

×

Keep You Warm

Smiling at Liam's little giggles, you keep hiding your face behind a pillow before pulling it away. The silly play has Liam laughing for minutes now, lying on his belly, holding his head up. You and Keanu are on your bed, with the baby in between the two of you.

“Where's the baby?” You ask, pillow covering your face. “There he is!” Pushing it away, you let him see your face again, and another giggle warms your heart. Liam is always happier when you and Keanu are together.

He turns his head away, to Keanu, before laying his head down. “He's tired.”

“God, I am tired.” Whining a little, you turn to lay on your back, looking at the ceiling. “I didn't get any sleep tonight.”

“Why?”

“Thinking a lot.” You decide to tell him, and you're sure it's quite obvious what you've been thinking about.

“You need to rest, beautiful.” Reaching out his hand, Keanu touches your cheek, and you don't push him away anymore. Or flinch. Or feel uncomfortable. You're slowly growing closer again, and it's happening through the last few weeks.

“I know but now...” Pushing yourself up, you sigh. “Laura wants to go shopping so I must accompany her.” Despite having no trouble looking after Liam 24/7, Keanu is still working less than usual, always from home, making sure you have time for yourself. “Will you be alright with Liam?”

“Sure. Go and buy something nice for you.”

“I don't need anything, Ke.” Getting off the bed, you blow Liam a kiss when he turns to look at you. “I'm still using your credit card so I'll only buy stuff I need.” Your job is still secure, thanks to your very awkward relationship with Keanu Reeves, but your doctors still haven't allowed you to go back. The headaches still happen, and some migraines have you basically knocked down in bed all day, in the dark, hoping it'll pass soon. So for now, Keanu is paying for everything you need.

“I'm telling you to buy something. See it as a gift.”

You can't help but smile as you make your way to the bathroom. “I won't spend your money for no reason.”

“And that's why I enjoy going to the mall with you.” He complains, and you can feel the eye roll. You know what he means. Keanu always manages to convince you to buy anything he sees you admiring for too long.

“I'll buy ice cream, maybe. Or a burger. God, it's been so long since I ate fast food.” The diet is still being followed, but today you'll drop it for a few hours.

“Don't go too crazy.” He warns as you peek your head into the bedroom, toothbrush in hand. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Shrugging your shoulders, you giggle. Keanu won't let you do anything the doctors say would be bad. He's still quite overprotective, and you find it very cute... But there's no way you'll let him know that.

Half an hour later you're off, kissing Liam's cheek and waving at Keanu as you get inside the cab. Hanging out with Laura, when she's shopping specifically, takes hours. So you not only get the ice cream and the burger, but you also have dinner at a restaurant at the mall.

You get back home too late, after ten, so you shower and feed Liam before rocking him to sleep. He's already sleeping in his bedroom and the only bad part is that you have to walk all the way there when he wakes up during the night. But other than that, he's adapting pretty well. After making sure he's on deep sleep, you leave him, carrying the baby monitor with you downstairs where you watch some TV. Laura said something that had you thinking.

She and Keanu have developed a friendship thanks to you, and whenever he doesn't know what to do when you're involved, he calls Laura. And she said he called her someday last week, asking if he was moving too slow or too fast with you. You don't think it's fast at all, he pretty much fell into the same thing he did when you first got here. Allowing you to set the pace, never pushing it, always putting you first.

You find it sweet that he calls her for help, since Laura knows you very well, from before and after the accident. She always tells you though, when he calls and tries her best to put you both on the right path. The one that leads to what you had before. Being together, only this time it would be real.

Taking a deep breath, you can't take the cold anymore, so you turn the TV off and head upstairs, tiptoeing. Rubbing both your arms, you shiver as you walk through the hell. A sudden clicking noise startles you, and your eyes immediately move to Keanu's bedroom, finding him by the door. “Hey.”

“Is everything alright?” Always worried.

“Yes. I was watching TV.” Shyly, you make your way over him, standing before the man. You'll never get used to how tall he is, and you can never ignore how much you like being so smaller compared to him. “But it's really cold.” You manage to say, nervously giggling because you shouldn't think these things. Not anymore. And not until whatever this is, gets a name. “Look.” In a quick motion, meaning to annoy him a little, you sneak both your hands under his shirt, touching his abdomen. Keanu flinches a little, a low chuckle leaving his lips.

But then you realize what you just did, how you have your hands against his body. Blushing and looking down, you clear your throat. “Sorry.” You whisper, starting to take your hands off Keanu when he grabs both your wrists, forcing you to stop.

“Wait until your hands are warm.” His voice is so low you have to pay attention to bring sense to his words.

You really shouldn't... But you can feel the heat irradiating from his skin, and you're so damn close it feels like you're a magnet, being pulled towards him.

And so you move, stepping forward, hands sliding from his abdomen all the way to his back, your fingertips taking in the sensation of touching his skin again. Then you're hugging him, head on his chest as his strong arms hold you close, tightly against his body as if he's scared you could run away at any moment.

You should, but you won't. Being this close to Keanu is inebriating, like an addiction, and you've been self-restraining for far too long. You need his touch, his body. Him.

Eyes closed, you stand on your toes, moving so your face is close to his. When his lips brush on yours, it feels like fireworks start exploding on your stomach, and you know you won't be able to step back now. And when he softly starts pulling you inside, you have no choice but to follow him.

But when he moves away a little, to close the door, you snap, falling back to reality. “I can't, Ke... I can't.” You mutter, holding his arm as he comes to stand before you again. “I thought we were married back then, and we're not so... I just can't until...” Until what? Would Keanu make it real? A real marriage, give you his surname. So you'd be truly his, and he'd be yours?

“We don't have to.” He caresses your cheek with the back of his hand. “Just stay here. Let me keep you warm.”

His voice has power over you, so you nod, letting him guide you to the bed, where you climb on after putting the baby monitor on the nightstand. But your eyes are searching for his lips in the dark, longing to at least look at them, as the memories of the many kisses come back, from the first, next to his new bike, to the very last, in Liam's birth.

“Ke...” You whisper, pleading.

“What?” He remains seated, as you sit on your legs, the darkness hiding your heated cheeks.

“Kiss me.” You beg, feeling some tears filling your eyes. You love Keanu, and it hurts to keep this distance. “Like before. Just... Just kiss me as if none of this mess ever happened. As if we belong to each other.”

Keanu doesn't wait for you to say anything else, he just moves, big hands delicately pulling your legs until they're laying over his. Then, his lips come crashing down on yours, and by the fast pace, the need and heat, you can tell he was suffering too, longing for this moment.

Wrapping your arms around his neck, you part your lips a little more, allowing him to deepen the kiss. You forgot how amazing he tastes, and you know now that you won't be able to go through long periods without kissing him. It's like a matter of life and death. Like a bare necessity.

When you pull away to breathe, Keanu lies down and you do the same, facing each other. His arms don't let you go, keeping you as close as possible. “We do belong to each other.” He says, softly rubbing the small of your back. “At least I do, (Y/N), you have my whole heart, it's yours.”

“I love you, Ke. You know I do and everything I want is to leave the past behind. I forgive you.” Grabbing a fist full of the soft fabric of his shirt, you feel some tears rolling down. “I forgive you.”

“Be my wife, (Y/N).” He bursts out, and it makes you look into his eyes. “I love you, (Y/N). I want what we had to be real.”

“Yes.” You mutter, more tears rolling down. “I want to be your wife, Ke.” Kissing him again, you only stop when Liam's soft cries reach your ears.

“Someone's hungry,” Keanu says, already getting off the bed. “I'll bring him here.”

“Alright.” Moving into a seated position, you smile to yourself.

This isn't how you thought the night would end, but it's far better than anything you could've imagined.

It doesn't take long until Keanu is back, giving you Liam as you pull down your shirt and bra. You can't help but smile at how respectfully Keanu averts his eyes. Liam quickly starts sucking, eyes shutting close. “Ke, I... I will tell Liam about Daniel, but... You know you're his father, right?” You decide to say it because it's true. Daniel couldn't be here, and Keanu has been taking care of both you and Liam since the beginning. And you know he'll keep doing so. “I want you to be his father. I know he's not yours, but–”

“I love him as if he's my own.” He cuts you off, moving closer and caressing Liam's cheek. “And I'll take care of both of you, for the rest of my life.”

Smiling, you pull him close, kissing him once again.

For the first time since this mess began, you feel at ease. Truly happy. And Laura was right. It's far better to let things go and chose what makes your heart happy. And you're glad you had it in you to finally step and make this decision.

×

@multific @inumorph @aestheticallywinchester @bvbwestfall @liviiii98 @allie1804-fan @gian-giannina @playboygeniusphilanthropist @partypoison00 @mariafetamina @fortheloveoffanfic @trin303 @june-harris

[setriete]

This is a story of my OC of Wick - Colin. Sorry for mistakes, I'm not good at translation. It contains violent moments, so be careful

____________________

I was guilty.

I ... was an idiot, a dumbass, and a fool. Or even worse. Doesn't change the essence.

I've never had friends. Everyone was running away from me and my character. Nobody wanted to accept me as I was. This is probably why everyone hated me. This is probably why I only did what I did to others. It was my mistake ...

I moved to this town quite recently, but already managed to acquire enemies. Once I quarreled with a younger boy so hard that I pushed him and he fell. And he never got up. I got scared and ran away. Everyone took it for an accident, and I was silent. Of course, who wants to be labeled as a murderer? So I pretended to have nothing to do with it. For the time being it was scary, until everything more or less settled down. I already began to believe that this event would pass me by and would not hurt me, even though I felt guilty.

But one day ... I was caught by a group or rather a gang of teenagers my age or a year or two older. Of course I asked what they wanted from me. One of them came close to me until the others let me escape.

- It's you ... you are to blame ...

It turned out that it was the older brother of that boy. He fell into a coma, but one day he woke up for a short time. His relative was alone in the ward and did not even have time to call the doctors, and he could not figure it out. All he asked was, "Who did it?" The boy said my name and surname. And he fell asleep again.

It's my fault. I tried to apologize somehow. I honestly did not know that he had a brother, and could not know that he would want to take revenge on me ... I did not know.

- I don't care what you didn't know, do you hear, you ?! He may die, and all because of you !!

His voice ... he was so angry, so loud ... so full of pain. I understood that he felt angry. But I didn't think it would turn out like this! I tried to get through somehow, but to no avail. I was dragged towards the forest, to the gate. There were legends about this place in our city. The fire, the loss of five children, ghosts ... I was overtaken by horror, but I did not believe it, I considered it just horror stories.

I would like to escape, albeit shamefully, but escape my punishment. Yes, I was a coward. I felt that something bad was in store for me. But I could not imagine that it was so much.

We went through the gate, he walked in front and led the others. They dragged me like a sack, not caring that I stumbled literally at every step. They did everything he said: they pushed me to the ground and surrounded me. Now the path to freedom was closed. What were they going to do? Usually, in such cases, the victim will be hit. Well, I thought I was just going to get beat up properly, and that's it. Perhaps I would have earned myself a fracture or something, went to the hospital, but I would have survived ...

How naive I was.

- Hey, give them back!

- Oh, no, no, why do you need them?

He tore the watch off my hand. The watch my father gave me. Shit! I tried to resist, but leg flew straight into my chest. And more ... more ... in the back ... in the shoulder ...

It seems ... they broke ... my rib ...

- Well, how do you like now? Not really, is it?

They really started beating me. And mostly not the leader himself, but others. Specifically, I did nothing to them, but since I crossed the road to him, I crossed them too. And at that time he himself stood and watched. With a grin, he liked it ... and the others laughed at my pain-distorted mine.

... Then I got punched in the face, already from the leader. I wheezed, screamed, whimpered, tried to say something, but they wouldn't let me do it. Then stones were used. I was a target, to my then happiness, not for long. But all the same he could not get up and almost rested his forehead against the grass. My vision was dulled from bruises and gushing blood, I was distracted by the torment in my body, by the pain in my chest. It was very difficult to breathe. I thought they would stop there and just leave.

I somehow raised myself and looked at him. He looked at me from top to bottom predatory, but in his eyes that sense of victory was not visible. What else did they want from me? ...

It was as if he saw this question in my eyes and ... pulled out a twisted rope from behind his back. It was strong and long in appearance. Whether intuitively, but then I quickly understood everything. My eyes widened in fear, I fell on my back, trying to somehow defend myself, crawl away, and convulsively shook my head.

`` N-no, wait ...

I was so ... pathetic. What was I hoping for? A light punishment? This does not happen, only I realized it late.

But I didn't want to die! I knew that they would not let me go, but continue to beg for mercy.

They just grabbed me by the arms and dragged me somewhere again. Now I know how people who are led to the scaffold feel.

- No, no, no! Please no!

- Shut up!

I kicked and shouted, over and over, but it was useless against them. They just tied me up and hit me again for prevention.

And they turned out to be enterprising. They even made a loop in advance for lynching, so as not to fool around in the forest. Unfortunately...

I ... don't remember ... don't remember. I was suddenly lifted into the air, and just as abruptly, this air disappeared from my lungs. The broken rib hurt even more than when I was beaten. I coughed, tried to inhale, opening my mouth wide, convulsively jerking my legs and arms, trying to pull the noose off my neck. But the neck seems to have broken instead.

It took me a long time to pass out.

But I still remember his last phrase:

- Dead shoes are useless.

I woke up at night. It was dark, only the stars shone in the black sky, and the silhouettes of the trees were frightening. I had no shoes on. I looked around. No one around. They're gone? I'm in hell? Or not?

There was a noose around my neck ... oh, right, they hanged me. But why am I here? Surprisingly, the injuries I received did not hurt and did not cause torment, even a broken neck did not make itself felt. I didn't even breathe!

Have I become a ghost?

I didn't know what to do next, and just looked around. Where should I go? What to do? I still stood and stood in one place ...

Until I heard some noise nearby. I already had nothing to lose, and I went for it. I couldn’t know WHO I’m getting to know. I couldn’t have known that those stories about the spirits of missing children were true. I didn't think they would accept me into their ranks. I didn't think I would become another prisoner of this damn place. But you know ... I’m not alone now. Yes, I hated my killers, but I ... I guess I deserve it. And even if I became no better than them, but someone much worse, I did not think that I would have ... friends?

... Yes, perhaps friends.

[lucysarah-c]

From where did you get the idea for Holy Ground?

Hello dear! how are you? I hope you're doing great <3 Oh my, where do I even start? haha, I'm so bad at summaries so deal with me. I guess I could say the idea came from me wanting to write anything that I've never read before in AoT fandom. I used to read a lot about stories that took place during specific arcs of attack on titan and I always felt like I knew what was going to happen because I know the main events that happen in the arcs. Also, I think that Levi's transition from a famous thug from the underground and becoming a captain must have been really difficult for him and that's not something that happens from one day to another. The Levi from the spin-off is so impulsive, strong-headed, kinda bratty. That's a young Levi in his early twenties, way less experienced and way bolder than the Levi in his early thirties from the anime. So that gave me the period of time I wanted the story to take place, right after Levi joined the scouts, Isabel and Farlan are gone sadly and he doesn't have any responsibility yet. We know nothing from that time so I could do whatever I wanted haha It was important for me that Isabel and Farlan were gone because I wanted a heartbroken and lonely Levi. Even he can feel lost and the reader was kinda going to be the person who guided him to this new world. Then I had this sentence in my mind "Join me down this memory rail" so I decided it was a story I wanted someone to tell other people (the reader in this case. In the beginning, it was going to be Levi, Hange and the reader on a fireplace while they were hiding from the inner police but I decided that Levi would NEVER sit down to tell about his personal life). The story is heavily inspired by the song "holy ground" by Taylor Swift. The song has this "We blocked the noise with the sound of I need you and for the first time I had something to lose". That's how I wanted them to fall for each other, both of them in their loneliness will rely on each other to keep going and in that way, they will find "their holy ground" in each other. Then, once again, I wanted to write about topics that I think a lot about snk's world but I rarely find them. Which are how discriminatory and misogyny their society probably is, more like the political side of the military and stuff like that. So that was when Erwin came into the picture. Erwin is the kind of guy your parents want you to bring home and Levi is the kind of guy your parents tell you to be away from lol. This is kinda cliché but I love it. The reader is a girl with a "fine pedigree" and she's kinda like the "Krista" from her time, Erwin is the man everybody wants and Levi is a thug without a past, without a surname who is poor as shit. So the love affair is how the reader realized that Levi could give her something that Erwin could never and how she decided to date him.

Plus, I love those kinds of stories that told you the ending from the beginning so when you finish reading them, you go back to the start and are like "fuck! it was right in front of me!". So *wink* be aware that there are a lot of hidden messages here and there.

I hope all this make sense somehow! Thank you very much for this question! I adore this kind of stuff, I could ramble about this for hours!

[sunseteyes]

prompt: bookshop (prompts are by @jojosmilktea)

word count: 825 words | themes: bookshop seller!reader, gen!reader, just pure fluff yall no worries !!

tags: @kingtamakimurder (i knew u were waiting for sanemi so i hope this helps from ur stress even a bit🥺) @kacchanori @chickynn @todominica @sparkleswritings @brinthie @patricia-ceballos @giyuus-wife @bitchtrynafck @astrxrism @animatedarchives @deephasoceanmagic @strawberrysalwa @kawaiinishii @moonlightaangel @mrs-kuroojinguji @meliorist-midoriya @pandabobachan

rv: i thought i wouldn’t be able to edit this because i’ve had a rough day today but hey i just realized how nice this scenario was and maybe if alot likes it i may make a part 2 perhaps? 👀 who knows?

✒︎ something new

there's a teenager that always seemed to visit the bookshop at the same time as your shift.

it wasn't really surprising. your shift starts from the afternoon and students often are out from their school by the time you go to work. however, it was not as if all the students nowadays would be interested in buying and checking out books every day—all except this specific teen that you never even expected to be of a bookworm the first time you say him.

"hey, i'm talking to you."

your chin lifts to the sight of a man—seemingly not much older than you, his spiky white hair and the scars evident on his face immediately catching your attention. however, you've never seen him before, that's why you found it rather curious on how you deemed him to be weirdly familiar on your eyes.

"yes? is there something you need, sir?" you answered, offering him a welcoming smile despite the tone that he used on you beforehand, already used to the way people speak that it didn't bother you anymore. it was one of the traits that you obtained as a salesperson for over the years. you've been a part-time cafe waiter for a few months while you were in college, and you also used to sell with your own online shop that you eventually closed down because you weren't feeling it anymore. aside from that, being a bookseller meant that you'd encounter many children, teenagers, and older customers that have various personalities unlike those of the middle aged people. this kind of attitude doesn't faze you anymore.

the man grunts as he fishes out a piece of paper from his pocket and places it on the counter with no sense of care, looking away from you immediately before saying, "find these for me." with a grumbled voice.

by that moment, you knew that he was merely doing what seemed to be an order from another person, someone close to him perhaps. usually, teenage or adult men visits the bookstore just because they were willing to buy their partners' favorite books as gifts for their birthday, chistmas, valentines, or anniversaries. this is nothing new to you either.

however, as soon as you were picking the books that were neatly written on the list given to you by the white haired man, you suddenly had a hint of why he seemed to be familiar to you.

he looked more like the teenage boy who was your regular customer.

the resemblance and even ambience says it all—the way their toughness coincides with each other and gives off a tough presence or facade.

"here they are." you beamed at the man when you came back to the counter, where he was patiently waiting for his order. he was silent and he wasn't looking your way that's why you took that moment to verify your guesses by trying to compare the teenage boy on your mind to the man; his facial features, his build, his height. the teen was obviously taller than this man but it seemed that he was the older one. despite the huge difference in their hair color and skin complexion, you just had a gut feeling that your assumptions were right. plus, the name on his identification card specifies that he has the same surname as the teenage boy that you know of.

"what're you staring at?" his snaps you out of your reverie, clearly noticing the way you were scanning him. you internally panicked as you thought of a way to prevent him from thinking that you were checking him out, so you opted to tell the truth. actually, ask about it.

"are you perhaps, genya's brother?"

he didn't seem appalled or bothered by your question and merely answered with, "yeah, what about it? do you know him?"

"yes, he does often come by here to buy the same genre as these books." you say, smiling at the books that you were placing on a paper bag for him to carry on his way home.

"thank you for your purchase, sir. can you greet genya too for me?" you turn your smile to him, giving him one of your brightest, feeling satisfied with how you have guessed their relation to each other, pride spreading on your chest in a positive way, lighting up your entire mood for possibly the rest of the afternoon.

he narrows his eyes at you for a moment before nodding and taking off, the paper bag on his hand as he walks out of the bookstore.

your mind drifts off into his name then, repeating it inside of your head.

sanemi. he does seem like a grumpy person at first, but maybe—since genya used to be like that too at first, he wasn't the person who he appears to be.

another thing to look forward to you guess. maybe you'll get to meet him again soon, who knows?

rv: ok wtf i just realized my last words in my note earlier is the same as my last words here ok that’s weird