#but like we don’t have confirmed proof that anyone was coming to the shows knowingly sick do we so why fight fake demons

[insomniacwritersblog]

the friendships between the five girls in murder most unladylike are really important and here's why

this will contain SPOILERS for all nine books in the mmu series, so read at your own risk

*cracks knuckles* i don't actually crack my knuckles, but this is probably gonna be long, so settle in

ever since once upon a crime came out i've been back on my mmu bullshit, and i was thinking about how good and important the friendships between daisy, hazel, kitty, beanie and lavinia are, and how much they all support each other, which is so important. here's why

kitty: i'm starting with kitty, because out of all of them, she has the most solid support unit in her family. she has a nice middle class life, with a nice family. her parents also seem to have a pretty solid and healthy relationship (in top marks for murder, we find out her mother is pregnant, and given that kitty and her sister are already in their teens, this indicates that their parents have a pretty healthy sexual relationship; obviously pregnancy can happen easy, but i hope you get the point). anyway. in jolly foul play, kitty's younger sister "runs away", which kitty is worried about given that her sister had been involving herself in the fallout of the murder and the gossip about the older pupils at the school. the rest of her friends help find her sister. i can't think of many other instances where the murder cases get personal for kitty, but when she needs her friends, they're there for her. another note, kitty is really protective and close with beanie, and has beanie stay with her during the christmas holidays while her parents are away because beanie's mother is ill (this is in the case of the missing bunbreak which is a short story - also! - kitty gets beanie a dictaphone because beanie isn't so good at writing stuff up)

beanie: out of all of them, beanie is the one that seems to value her friends the most, and this really shows. most obviously is in jolly foul play, when beanie knowingly puts herself between her friends and the girl they just discovered is the murderer. beanie. who originally has this nickname because she is physically small. she ends up in the school hospital afterwards, but she was able to protect her friends. beanie's friends are also very protective of her, probably because she is so loveable, which we see in top marks for murder. remember when her dad shows up by himself, and beanie is freaked out because she had recently seen a man strangle/attempting to strangle a woman in the woods? she goes running off, and her friends go after her and hug her and reassure her. good stuff.

lavinia: lavinia as a character is complicated, but here we go. she is very much the "gruff character with a heart of gold" character, but it feels pretty reasonable. in the very first paragraph of the first book, it is mentioned that lavinia comes from a "broken home" i.e. her parents are divorced. i think we find this out even before we find out hazel is chinese. so yeah, given that divorce was pretty uncommon in the 30s, escpecially among wealthier people, i think this affected lavinia pretty hard, and as a result of the fallout from her parents' marriage, she decided she didn't need anyone (this is my interpretation, take it or leave it, but i have proof. it's mentioned that lavinia has older brothers, so i think even when she was a child growing up, lavinia didn't have the experience of parents who loved her and each other, that their marriage was on the rocks for a while, and eventually they decided to just end with divorce, damn the repurcussions, damn the fact that it will be a talking point at their daughter's school). she also doesn't have a significant best friend, which must feel kind of lonely in her dorm because kitty and beanie are best friends, as are daisy and hazel. but she's not entirely a lone wolf, even if it seems like it at first. daisy and hazel's first case is finding lavinia's tie, because lavinia asked them for help. when daisy inducts lavinia into the detective society in the fourth book, it's because lavinia asked to be part of it, and even though she mocks daisy's solemn rituals, hazel notes that she seems pleased to be part of it. when daisy and hazel come back to school at the start of the book, lavinia makes a "we didn't really miss you" comment, but hazel can tell she doesn't mean it. hazel also notes that lavinia seems pleased when the others tell her and daisy about lavinia being good at tennis; this contrasts with the tennis exhibition scene later in the book when her father's fiancée is cheering her on. essentially, lavinia's rejection of parental figures means that she probably values her friends all the more, and the support they give her. a couple of instances of her being a good friend to the others that stick out as well: in jolly foul play, when kitty's sister binny is found, and binny says she is hungry, lavinia is the one to give her some chocolate. lavinia also decides to crash at kitty's during the christmas holidays rather than spend them with her father and his fiancée. this has got too long, let's move on.

daisy: a bit like lavinia, daisy can be a bit mean to/reject others, which i think comes down to her confidence and self-assurance. these are great personality traits, don't get me wrong, but there can be downsides to them. for example, in jolly foul play, daisy feels less self-assured about her friendship with hazel because hazel and alexander have started to write to each other after meeting on the orient express (i'd also point out that this is at a time when daisy probably needs support more than ever because she and her family are probably still dealing with the aftermath of the murder and murder trial, which was probably quite a big deal). at one point, hazel sees daisy making lists and writing notes about the murder, the things that hazel usually does during an investigation. we can put this rejection of friendship with hazel down to daisy's insecurity. even earlier in the series is arsenic for tea, where i can think of two significant moments. firstly, daisy and hazel see her mother secretly making out with a man that is not daisy's father. rough, which is why afterwards hazel comforts her. the second instance is when daisy and hazel overhear a conversation between the butler and daisy's father, and without complete context, it seems to confirm that daisy's father is the murderer. at first daisy won't acknowledge it, and hazel has to practically put the words in her mouth, which is a pretty tense and emotional moment. it's not really an argument, but hazel has to force her best friend to confront the fact that her father may have committed a murder, which again ties into her self-assurance. in the first book, hazel writes about the honourable daisy wells; popular, pretty, clever, the daughter of a lord. she is storybook perfect, but in the second book, we see that things aren't as perfect as they seem. daisy finds out her mother's infidelity, and later fears that the father she adores may be a murderer. her self-assurance about that everything in her life is golden begins to falter, and so she relies on herself and her friends to work through the murder case. daisy is also a good friend though, especially to hazel. yes, she can be mean and teasing sometimes, but ultimately she is a good friend. when hazel's grandfather dies in a spoonful of murder, the first thing we hear daisy say about it is "i guess i'm coming to hong kong then". hazel needed daisy and daisy is there for her. daisy comforts hazel through grief over her loss, jealousy about her new baby brother, and guilt about the subsequent kidnapping and murder that takes place. and in death sets sail? daisy saves the life of hazel's youngest sister may. literally, because may is maybe seven or eight, and probably can't swim. hazel and her family and everyone else is panicking, but daisy kind of just runs straight into the situation, never mind the danger, she has to save hazel's sister. and she does. also a couple of things to note about this scene, when daisy turns to look back just before she goes overboard, hazel wonders if it was because amina was watching, and daisy wanted to impress her. but hazel also hears daisy say her name just before she goes overboard. in that scene, through all the stress daisy was thinking about hazel, her friend, and saving her friend's little sister.

hazel: finally, we come to hazel. out of all of them, maybe even more than beanie, i would say that hazel values her friends the most. for the obvious reason, her family lives on another continent, and therefore it's important to have some strong connection with the people she does have near to her. at first it's just kind of necessity? when she first comes to deepdean, hazel is shy and no-one really talks to her, and she is pretty much just a sort of curiosity, very much the "other". it is after daisy watches hazel's failed experiment in fitting in with the other girls, and realises how she is clever and observant and puts on an act for others (which hazel also recognises in daisy), that daisy decides that they're going to be friends. it's also my theory that this then leads to kitty, beanie and lavinia befriending her a bit more. while they probably weren't unkind or r*cist to her, they probably let the "otherness" of hazel's ethnicity and nationality act as a barrier to properly getting to know her, which was probably exacerbated by the fact that hazel is quite introverted (compared to amina for example, who is very outgoing and lively, which meant that everyone at deepdean immediately loved her - there is something to be said about the fact that people probably didn't regard amina with the same amount of "otherness" because if they can have a asian pupil at their school, why not an african one?). hazel is also a kind person, which makes her a good friend to the others. near the end of death sets sail, she helps look for the cook's brooch which had been a gift from daisy, and later comforts kitty about not having a boyfriend. but hazel also relies on her friends, and they support her. when hazel's grandfather dies and her father wants her to come home, she insists on having daisy with her. kitty tells hazel about the fact that alexander is clearly pining for her. in the first book when everyone is discussing the teacher that has gone missing (because she's been murdered) beanie brings up a rumour that the teacher is "an agent for the East" then panics and apologises to hazel (something hazel notes that only beanie would think to do). there are other facets of hazel and her friendships, that i could explore, but i am tired and this has gone on long enough.

if you have reached the end, congratulations. hopefully you enjoyed this essay length ramble about female friendships in the murder most unladylike series

[ibijau]

Futures Past pt8 / On AO3

Meng Yao's future is dealt with.

To say that Lan Qiren was disappointed in his nephew for helping Nie Huaisang escape into Yunping City would have been an understatement. It was made quite clear to Lan Xichen that he would face punishment of his own for this misbehaviour. Real punishment, too, not just copying texts as had become standards for small infractions. Still, Lan Qiren listened to that tale of a corrupt merchant scamming people with fake manuals, which greatly irritated him, and thus forced sect leader Huang to care as well and deal with it immediately.

It was wrong to think maliciously of anyone without proof, and even more so if the person was an elder. Yet as they all walked toward the market Lan Xichen couldn’t shake the feeling that had he been alone when news of that crooked merchant reached him, Huang Quiling might not have cared enough to do anything about it. After all, he hadn’t asked Lan Xichen for any details about this business, and instead appeared intent on continuing his conversation with Jiang Fengmian about borders and trade.

Lives were on the line, Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao’s futures depended on this day, and nobody cared. 

They didn't care because they couldn't know, of course, but logic wasn't helping Lan Xichen's ever growing anxiety. He only calmed down when they all reached the place where the others were waiting, and found that everyone of any importance was still where he had left them. 

While Lan Xichen was gone, things had changed a little in the market. Most of the earlier crowd had dispersed, tired of waiting for more entertainment, and the market street was almost back to normal. Those few curious folks who remained were trying to inconspicuously listen in as Nie Huaisang chatted with, or rather at poor Meng Shi. The unfortunate woman looked deeply uncomfortable, but didn't dare openly disrespect the young master who had confirmed her son's potential for cultivation by walking away.

She couldn't leave yet, anyway, not until she'd gotten her money back for those fake cultivation manuals. From what Lan Xichen could see, Jiang Cheng and Meng Yao were taking care of that, the two of them counting money with that crooked merchant. Here and there Meng Yao would glance at Nie Huaisang, as if something he said attracted his attention, but each time Jiang Cheng brought his attention back to the task at hand.

When Lan Xichen and his elders came close enough to hear, the distress made sense: Nie Huaisang, after all this time, was still discussing the many failings of Jin Guangshan. Lan Xichen wished he were surprised, but there really was that much gossip going around about that man. Most people just didn't usually discuss all of it at once out of respect for a sect leader.

“And then, da-ge said that Jin zongzhu brought in dancers,” Nie Huaisang was saying to a rapt audience, insensitive to the discomfort of Meng Shi next to him. “Da-ge said it was getting embarrassing to watch when Jin Furen arrived, and she made such a scene because apparently her husband had promised to consult her about all the entertainments at the banquet but he brought the dancers without tell her. So then, she… oh, already?”

Nie Huaisang, so cheerful while telling his story, turned a little pale at the sight of Lan Qiren. He looked around for something to hide him from his teacher’s angry glare, and had to settle for slipping behind poor Meng Shi. Lan Xichen refrained from rolling his eyes, and directed his elders' attention where it was actually needed. 

“Here is the man,” Lan Xichen announced, motioning toward the merchant. “He has been selling fake cultivation manuals to people.”

“Fake talismans as well,” Jiang Cheng said, lifting a few before crumbling them in his hand. “And he has been doing this for a while. How long, did you say?”

“We started buying from him last year,” Meng Yao explained with a polite bow toward the older cultivators. “But he started coming to the market the year before that, and already offered the same wares. We assumed he had received permission to sell those items, since...”

Meng Yao trailed off, glancing toward sect leader Huang before bowing deeper as if in apology.

Strictly speaking, no sect could be expected to be aware of and to deal with every crook that operated in their territory, so Huang Quiling couldn't be blamed for that situation. At the same time, it would be considered shameful for any sect to have someone selling fakes in its own hometown of all places, and for so long. It spoke of unreliability on their part if people would rather go to a nobody on the market, or else it meant that they priced their services much too high for common people. It also meant they didn't care about commoners, who surely had to have complained about that merchant before. Either way, it wasn't a good look for Huang Quiling, and he would have to act properly to clean this stain on his reputation.

But instead of scolding the merchant or threatening him, Huang Quiling only had eyes for Meng Shi, who was glaring at him defiantly.

“So it's you again,” sect leader Huang muttered. “Meng Shi! Haven’t I told you to stop bothering cultivators?” he turned to the other two sect leaders and gave a small apologetic bow. “I’m sorry that your boys got caught up in this. Meng Shi is just a local whore who’s convinced herself that her bastard has what it takes to be a cultivator. Completely delusional, the boy will never amount to anything. You can't judge that merchant's wares just because the bastard of a whore didn't become an immortal from reading it. I'm unsure the boy can even read.”

Meng Shi, proud as a queen until then, went pale. Lan Xichen felt her shock and horror as if they were his own. He turned to glance at his uncle, worried he might side with Huang Quiling, but to his relief Lan Qiren instead appeared annoyed at the sect leader. It was probably only the coarse language that he disapproved of, and the public nature of this confrontation which he must feel stained all their reputations, yet Lan Xichen felt emboldened anyway.

“Huang zongzhu, have you tested Meng gongzi?” he asked. “We checked on him, and found he has potential.”

“What would mere boys know about these things?” Huang Quiling snapped at him. “Which one of you tested him?”

Lan Xichen hesitated, and glanced at the other boys. He hadn’t come anywhere near Meng Yao yet, and couldn’t lie about that. But if he said it was Nie Huaisang who had checked on Meng Yao, and after his horrible performance at the Night Hunt the day before, it wouldn’t be much of an endorsement. Lan Xichen himself only trusted Nie Huaisang’s assessment because he knew from that other future what sort of cultivation genius Meng Yao was.

“I’m the one who checked on him,” Jiang Cheng boldly lied. Or perhaps he really had checked, dubious as well of Nie Huaisang's assessment, because he continued: “For someone not born from gentry, his potential is not to be dismissed. It might be on par with Yunmeng Jiang's first disciple, if he were just taught properly.”

Huang Quiling, so disdainful a moment before, lost all of his confidence. He glanced at Jiang Fengmian whose face showed no particular expression, except perhaps mild curiosity now that Wei Wuxian had been mentioned. Lan Xichen wasn't sure what to make of that. He hadn’t often been near Jiang Fengmian except at the occasional discussion conference, and of course in the other future they had never gotten to work together as sect leaders. According to gossip, Jiang Fengmian was something of a pushover, who loved quiet and peace more than he cared about justice, but on occasion he could show strength of character if the mood hit him.

"What does his skill matter, with a mother like that?" Huang Quiling claimed, refusing to admit defeat. "No self respecting sect would knowingly take in the son of a whore. It'd be like teaching a pig to walk on two legs, dressing it in silk, and calling it human."

"People ought to be judged on their actions rather than their origins," Lan Xichen retorted, which caused sect leader Huang to glare at him with bulging eyes, his face dark with a rage so strong it robbed him of his words. Even without looking, Lan Xichen knew that his uncle too had to be shocked, that there would be hell to pay for this later. But then, if he was going to be punished, he might as well go all the way. "Just because you don't have the talent to teach someone,” he said, “don't assume a skilled teacher can't do it either."

Huang Quiling looked on the verge of having a Qi deviation, gaping and frothing at the mere boy who dared to insult him so openly. He wasn't the only one to stare, either. Nie Huaisang, the Jiangs, the Mengs, and above all Lan Qiren were looking at Lan Xichen as if he'd suddenly grown a second head.

A very rude second head, at that.

Lan Xichen just couldn't help it. Back in that awful future, the man he would have become had also been enraged and saddened at the unfairness of the world, particularly with regards to Meng Yao. If people hadn't judged him so harshly for something he had no control over, if instead they had taken notice of his skill, of his hard working personality, of his determination…

In that future, Lan Xichen had never dared to speak up, believing in the virtues of inaction and of leading by example, the way he'd been taught to behave. So far in this current life his attempts at being more active hadn't really worked so well, only ensuring that Nie Huaisang made a terrible friend in Su She and started hating Lan Xichen much earlier, but maybe this time, just maybe...

“Lan-xiansheng, your nephew is rather opinionated for a boy his age,” Huang Quiling complained. “I have heard a great deal how well behaved the young heir to Gusu Lan is, but it appears some reputations are undeserved.”

“My nephew will be dealt with,” Lan Qiren calmly replied, which dampened Lan Xichen's moment of rebellion more than anger could have. “And he will present excuses to you. Right now, Xichen.”

“But Lan gongzi's right!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed, coming out from his hiding place being Meng Shi. Under Lan Qiren's glare he shivered, but didn't give up. “I mean, he's right at least to ask if Meng gongzi was tested,” he mumbled. “And he's right to say it's not fair if nobody will teach him just because of his family! I've read our histories, you know. I know people didn't want to teach some butcher any cultivation because it's unclean work, and now we're a big sect. Isn't it the same? And it's not just us, right?”

His eyes darted toward Jiang Fengmian, who smiled at the unsaid accusation.

The official history said that Yunmeng Jiang had been founded by a group of rogue cultivators. They had tired of wandering, and established themselves in a small port which soon thrived thanks to their presence and influence. As far as founding stories went, it was a very respectable one.

The less official story was that their founder had been the leader of a band of thieves who had picked up a trick or two and figured that cultivation paid better than robbery. Lan Xichen had never been interested enough in the subject to do any research, but he had a cousin with a taste for history who swore that annals from that period corroborated the second version more than the first. If so, it wasn't much better than being descended from a prostitute, though enough time had passed that it didn't matter so much anymore.

“I see my nephew won't be the only one who needs to be dealt with,” Lan Qiren remarked in an icy voice. Nie Huaisang, having used up all of his courage in standing up to his teacher, hid again behind Meng Shi, trying to make himself small.

“Boys must stand for something, it's what youth is for,” Jiang Fengmian replied with good humour, before gesturing toward Meng Yao. “Come here, boy. Let's see what all the fuss is about.”

“Jiang zongzhu, you're not serious!” Huang Quiling exploded. “That boy is just...”

“I'm only curious. If his proximity is intolerable, then perhaps you might help my son check those manuals to see if they are real or fake. Jiang Cheng, help Huang zongzhu while we deal with this side of the problem.”

Huang Quiling went pale from rage at being ordered around in that manner, but with Yunmeng Jiang the larger and more respectable sect, he still obeyed. He stomped toward the merchant's stall in a manner Lan Xichen found lacking in the dignity to be expected of a sect leader. Meng Yao, for his part, hesitated to obey Jiang Fengmian's order until Jiang Cheng pushed him forward. Huang Quiling radiated hatred when Meng Yao passed by him on his way to the other sect leaders. He looked as if he might have tried something, or said some other insults, but Meng Yao wisely made sure to leave as much space as possible between the two of them, which wasn't easy in a crowded market street.

“Come closer, child,” Jiang Fengmian requested when Meng Yao hesitantly stopped a few steps away from him. “I am going to put my hand on you to check your meridians. It might feel a little odd... but if my son tested you, you know that already, hm?”

Meng Yao nervously nodded glancing back toward his mother who smiled encouragingly. He only shivered a little when Jiang Fengmian put one hand over his heart, and even less so when Lan Qiren did the same after being invited to do so by Jiang Fengmian.

“I suppose the children have a point,” Lan Qiren conceded, his expression turning somewhat warmer. “How old are you, boy?”

“I'm sixteen, Lan-xiansheng.”

Instantly, Lan Qiren's expression darkened again.

“Too old then. If you'd been two or three years younger... and even then it would have been difficult. It's best to start young.”

Meng Yao's shoulders slumped down at the news, while all of Lan Xichen's hopes were crushed. He knew that his sect preferred younger disciples, though he suspected it had less to do with actual cultivation, and more with the fact that children took to discipline better than teenagers. Still, he had hoped that Meng Yao, with his potential... but Lan Qiren's word was final in these matters, with only their sect leader having a right to contradict him. Meng Yao couldn't be brought into Gusu Lan.

Which meant another option would have to be considered.

With dread curling in his guts and a choking sensation tightening his throat, Lan Xichen looked at Nie Huaisang still half hidden behind Meng Shi, and found the other boy staring right back at him. Nie Huaisang no longer appeared as furious at him as he had been before, but that might have been because he was preparing his own move, ready to ruin all of Lan Xichen's efforts. Nie Huaisang opened his mouth, surely to offer again that Meng Yao be sent to Qinghe, but missed his chance to speak.

“Yunmeng Jiang has never looked down on older disciples,” Jiang Fengmian said with a pleasant smile. “It can be a challenge to learn cultivation with a late start, but anyone who cannot take a challenge has no place teaching in the Lotus Pier. Sixteen... it could be worse. One of my own shidi was in his thirties when he joined us, and still did well enough for himself.”

Lan Xichen shivered, his body tensing further at this proposition.

Perhaps it was because he knew already, but the resemblance between Meng Yao and his father, between him and his half-brother also, was quite striking to him. It was possible that Jiang Fengmian hadn’t noticed, but unlikely when he often dealt with Jin Guangshan. Even if he really saw nothing, his wife was well known to be a very close friend to Madam Jin. There was no way Madam Yu wouldn’t notice that their newest disciple resembled Jin Guangshan, and since she was said to be a tyrant and the true ruler of Yunmeng Jiang…

“Are you sure this is wise?” Lan Qiren asked. “Even if that boy can be taught, his family…”

“His mother taught him well enough that he would take the defence of a stranger even in a fight he couldn’t win,” Jiang Fengmian said. “Or so your nephew said before. A good heart is what matters.”

“But half of Yunping City could be his father,” Huang Quiling argued, who'd paid more attention to their conversation than to the cultivation manuals he was meant to inspect. “From the lowest beggar to any drunk merchant with too much money to waste.”

“His father is a cultivator,” Meng Shi said, striding to come at her son's side. “He said he would return for A-Yao, but…” She glanced at Nie Huaisang who had followed her to hide again behind her. He had shared so much gossip earlier, it would have been hard for her to keep her hopes up. She sighed. “I only want for my son to live up to his potential. If he can be a cultivator, then that’s... good enough.”

“Is your son under any contractual obligation?” Jiang Fengmian asked.

“He's not,” Meng Shi vehemently decried. “He's free.”

“That will make things easier. If that is fine with you, I will accompany you two to your place of residence. We can talk about certain details while your son packs, and then he will come to Yunmeng with me. Would that satisfy you?”

Meng Shi, speechless, could only bow deeply before her son's new master. Meng Yao did the same a few times, before hugging his mother, both of them too stunned by this good fortune to even smile. As they held each other's hands tightly, Jiang Fengmian gave his son a few things to do while he was busy.

Huang Quiling too appeared quite stunned by this turn of events, and a good deal less pleased than the Mengs, but he wisely kept quiet about it. Lan Qiren's refusal to teach Meng Yao on account of his age would save Huang Quiling some face, since he could now pretend he had the same issue, but it wouldn't surprise Lan Xichen is the relationship because Yunmeng Jiang and Yunping Huang remained tense for a while.

Lan Xichen couldn't quite feel sorry for it. He didn't like people who thought they were allowed to be rude to their inferiors, and hoped that sect leader Huang would learn something from this experience.

Then, having given his son instructions, Jiang Fengmian walked back to Lan Qiren to bid him goodbye, explaining he expected his schedule for the day to be so changed that they might as well separate for good right then. Lan Qiren agreed, but frowned as he glanced toward Meng Yao.

“That boy's father, with his looks...” he said in a voice low enough the Mengs might not hear, but still clear enough for a cultivator's ears.

Eavesdropping was forbidden, but Lan Xichen found he couldn't help himself. Neither could Nie Huaisang, who leaned toward the two men to hear better.

“Probably. I'll have his mother confirm it,” Jiang Fengmian said in a similar tone. “but it won't change things. Even if my wife doesn't like it, I would be a fool to pass a chance to teach a boy of such potential. And Jin zongzhu would never admit any relation, so it'll all be fine.”

Lan Xichen let out a deep breath, relieved that things had worked out so well after all. He would have preferred to have Meng Yao in the Cloud Recesses, where he could have watched him closely and made sure he didn't go again down the same path as before, but the Lotus Pier wasn't an awful option either. They'd managed to turn someone like Wei Wuxian into an honest enough man, so they might know how to deal with Meng Yao as well.

Even when Lan Qiren reminded his nephew and Nie Huaisang that they would both be harshly punished for their bad behaviour, Lan Xichen found that he didn't mind, not when there was a good chance they had saved Nie Mingjue's life.

[bloodfromthethorn]

Interrogation

A Musketeers angst fic as a Christmas present to myself. Inspired entirely by @why-this-kolaveri-machi‘s recent ficlet

As Richelieu’s manipulations went, even d’Artagnan had to admit this was a masterstroke. A combination of a few careful rumours, paying off a handful of mercenaries to stage an attack, and the oh-so-careful planting of evidence in his dorm room and suddenly d’Artagnan found himself surrounded by armed Red Guards in the middle of the street with no help in sight. Even when Treville had shown up, shouting something about the King’s orders and the authority of the Musketeers, the outcome had still been a swift, terrifying march to the Bastille and a series of freezing cold nights in a cell with no word from anyone.

In short, d’Artagnan was having a bad week.

The one positive of this whole awful affair was that apparently Treville still held enough sway with Louis to ensure his interrogation would be handled by the Musketeers rather than the Red Guard – keeping any dirty laundry in house, as it were – so he was probably faring better than he otherwise might. At the same time, it meant he found himself faced with the three men he would previously have said he trusted most in the world and being forced to look them in the eye as they questioned every decision he had ever made with open suspicion on their faces.

He shifted in his chair for the third time in as many minutes, wishing he could at least have his hands unbound so he could shake out the stiffness that had taken root. “I’ve told you,” he said again, weary, “I have no idea who Reynard is.”

“There are eyewitnesses who swear to have seen you meeting with him on multiple occasions.” Athos’ voice was stone cold, level and emotionless. Aramis and Porthos had at least had the grace to believe d’Artagnan in the beginning, before the evidence started piling up against him, but it was clear that their de facto leader had harboured no such hopes from the moment the chains were closed around d’Artagnan’s wrists. Richelieu had called him a traitor, and Athos had taken him at his word.

“Then they’re lying. I don’t know anyone called Reynard.”

“Did you know he was under the employ of the Spanish army when you met with him?”

“I never met with him,” he stressed, knowing it would make no difference. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise half a second before the cane in Aramis’ hand flicked against his shoulder; more of a warning than an actual blow, but enough to sting all the same. He hissed. “It’s the truth. I don’t know how to prove it to you.”

“When did you last visit the Rue de la Lièvre?”

He thought for a moment, long enough for Aramis’ cane to come to rest lightly against his shoulder blade. “About a month ago,” he said eventually. “Not long after I arrived in Paris. I was exploring.”

"Exploring? Why?"

It was obvious Athos had immediately assumed he was doing something nefarious, but the truth was simply that Porthos had suggested he get to know his new environment should any more trouble come knocking at his door. It had been good advice and he'd happily done as he was bid - somehow he didn't think that explanation would help.

"I was new to the city. I'd never been to Paris before. I wanted to learn more about it since it looked like I'd be staying."

Instead of shooting off another question, Athos took a moment to lean back in his chair to examine him, his eyes sharp and unreadable. d'Artagnan, half starved and gradually freezing to death, stared balefully back, too wrung out and exhausted to even offer up any malice at the speed with which his so-called friends had turned on him. He wanted nothing more than for this to be over, no matter what the outcome might be.

Behind Athos, leaning casually against the wall with a dark expression heavy on his brow, Porthos opted for a different approach. "d'Artagnan, you haven't eaten in three days. I can see you shivering from here. If you tell us what we need to know then we can help you - get you some food and blankets. Maybe even get you out of here altogether. Reynard isn't worth your loyalty. Let us help."

The act was good, very good. It might even have been believable if it hadn't been greatly overshadowed by Athos' presence looming large and the fact that yesterday, the cane had been in Porthos' hand. 

Still, it was as good an opening as any.

"If I knew the answers to your questions, I would tell you. I am loyal to France. I would never betray my King." 

I would never betray the Musketeers hung cold in the back of his throat, but invoking their name had historically not gone well during these little chats and d'Artagnan was good at learning from his mistakes. He swallowed it down.

"The first time I heard the name Reynard was when you asked me about him. I have never been to Spain. I have never knowingly had any contact with anyone associated with the Spanish army. I would never betray my country."

He was breathing too quickly, he realised with a start. He forced himself to take a deep breath and cursed himself when it shook. The cane brushed over the back of his neck.

Athos leant forward again with something unshakeable in his eyes. "Before your arrest, you were apprenticed with the Musketeers."

It wasn't a question, but he paused so d'Artagnan nodded.

"You had been with the regiment for about a month."

"Yes."

"Why did you join them?"

Despite his crippling exhaustion, he found the energy to feel a sudden surge of irritation. "It wasn't to uncover state secrets if that's what you're getting at."

The cane snapped sharply against his back with a thundering crack of sound. He cursed breathlessly, writhing until the pain ebbed enough to bite out a better answer. "I needed work and it seemed like a good fit. They were honourable men."

If Athos took issue with his use of the past tense, he didn't show it. "You agreed to risk your life in service of the King for so small a reason?"

"Athos," he breathed out, still shuddering with pain, "You know why I joined."

He had the gall to laugh at that. "It has become very clear that anything we thought we knew of you cannot be trusted. Answer the question."

It was the response he'd expected, but it still hurt to hear. Unbidden, he remembered how Aramis and Porthos had immediately and unflinchingly brushed aside his accusations against Athos when he had first met them, the ardency with which they held their ground against a tidal wave of suspicion. He'd had no misconceptions about his worth relative to their friend of many years, but their willingness to believe the worst of him still managed to catch him off guard. 

"I had nowhere else to go. My family is gone and I didn't want to resign myself to a lifetime of farming. The only other skill I have any claim to possess is swordcraft." Although given that one of the guards had broken his finger on his first night here and he hadn't been able to set it right by himself, it was perfectly possible he'd never hold a sword right again. Not that he had any real hope of getting out of prison alive at all. 

"You could have been a mercenary. I hear the pay's better."

"I wanted to serve my country."

"Which country is that?"

He sighed, deeply and with feeling, only to gasp in another breath when the cane came down again. He hissed through his teeth and pretended like tears weren't beading at the corner of his eyes. "France."

Athos hummed to himself. “It is very uncommon for apprentice Musketeers to be allowed the seniority you were by virtue of your relationship with us. Did you intentionally manipulate us to gain greater access to the King?”

He forced himself not to flinch and shook his head slowly. These questions were pointless - no one was going to believe a word he said anyway, even if he’d had the answers they were looking for. “No. I didn’t know anything about you when I met you. If I had, I probably wouldn’t have tried to kill you.”

"Why did you come to Paris?"

Not liking where this was going, d'Artagnan's answer was monotone. "My Father was hoping to petition the King for relaxing the taxes in Gascony. We'd had a few bad harvests in a row and people didn't have the money to pay them."

"Did you petition the King?"

"No. After my Father died, I abandoned his mission. I continued on to Paris in search of the man that killed him."

"Me."

"You."

There was a weighted, vicious pause, then, "Do you have any proof that your Father really did perish on that trip?"

The fury that overcame d'Artagnan was so sudden and so blinding that his muscles were trying to launch him out of his chair before his brain could remind him he was tied down. As it was, Aramis' hand caught him by the throat and slammed him back into his seat before he could do anything more than rock it violently forward. "Stay down," he hissed sharply, but softened the threat by turning to Athos and saying, "Porthos and I can confirm that, at least. We spoke to the innkeeper, saw the grave. His story's true."

The marksman's hand stayed curled around d'Artagnan's neck for several strained breaths, evidently a threat. As it was, d'Artagnan did nothing but try to breathe through the searing anger and crippling grief that had torn right through his centre. To be called a traitor was one thing, to question his Father's memory was altogether another. 

This was not the time or place to break apart, but d'Artagnan could feel the fault lines threatening to tear open. 

"d'Artagnan," Athos started, then hesitated. It was the first sign of uncertainty he'd displayed all day. "We just need to know what information you passed to Reynard, that's all. Tell us that and we can be done here."

He sounded earnest and that somehow hurt more, to know that Athos still cared just enough to not want to watch him starving to death, but too little to actually believe anything he said. d'Artagnan wished he had the strength to laugh. "That's easy enough," he said instead of trying to convince them any longer, "I told him nothing."

Porthos sighed heavily, pushing off from the wall to bring himself level with Athos, looming over the table like a dread spectre. "What is it you're protecting? What's more important to you than your own life?"

d'Artagnan briefly fought a losing battle against the urge to let his chin drop to his chest, his eyes slipping closed under the weight of his own exhaustion. When he spoke, even he could hear how defeated he sounded. "I'm not protecting anything. I don't know any Reynard, and whoever's claiming I do is probably who you're really looking for. If I could prove it to you, I would."

Athos' lips thinned, visibly unconvinced. d'Artagnan flinched a beat before the cane flicked against the meat of his arm and cursed loudly at the sting. "It's the truth," he bit out, letting the frustration shine through. "I don't know the answers you're looking for."

"d'Artagnan, there are four different people willing to swear that you met with Reynard on multiple occasions and we found missives with his name hidden in your room, along with more money than you could ever have made from your farm. Do you really expect us to believe you don't know anything about the Spanish plot?"

If he'd had anything to drink in the last two days, he would have wept with his own frustration. "I know you won't believe me. It's still the truth."

In the corner of his eye he saw the cane twitch, but Athos waved Aramis down before the blow could land. He pushed away from the table with a heavy sigh. "We're getting nowhere today. Let's see if another night here helps to jog your memory."

There was a certain relief in that, free from the threat of the cane and the judgement in his friends' eyes, but it meant another night cold and hungry with no respite. He barely resisted the urge to groan.

"He needs water," Aramis put in quietly. "He'll last without food for another few days but he has to drink if we want him able to talk."

Athos nodded easily, accepting his ruling. "Speak to the guards, make sure it happens." With that he was gone, sweeping out of the room without another glance at the young man he would once have called brother and leaving a thoroughly defeated d'Artagnan to be frogmarched back to his cell by Aramis and Porthos in silence.

His promised water didn't appear for another few hours, when a guard he'd never seen before dumped a bucket in the corner of his cell with a thump. Sunken down on his little patch of straw against the far wall, d'Artagnan didn't react even when the guard cursed his name and spat on the floor beside him, taking care to slam his door with enough force to shake the room. It was one of the least offensive encounters d'Artagnan had had since his arrest; that awareness in and of itself was almost enough to put him off drinking the water after all. As it was, he eventually decided that tomorrow's interrogation would be even more tortuous if he was critically dehydrated at the same time, and he hadn't quite reached the stage of trying to kill himself.

Just as he had for the last however many nights, d'Artagnan spent his time curled tightly in a shivering ball in the corner of his cell, desperately trying to ward off the pervasive chill that swept beneath his door. One of the few benefits of his previous occupation was that the guards were sufficiently wary of him to not trust him with a windowed cell, so he at least didn't have to try to cope with wind and rain pouring into his tiny little portion of Hell, but it was far from comfortable. Frozen stiff and hopeless, he didn't sleep a wink.

The Musketeers were back at dawn, dragging him from his semi-aware fugue state and back into his gloomy little interrogation chamber without fanfare.

"Sleep well?" Aramis asked snidely as he bound his hands firmly back in place. d'Artagnan didn't bother to respond.

Even though he wasn't the one who spent the night freezing in a cell, Athos somehow managed to look even more drawn than d'Artagnan did when he settled himself down across from him. He slid a piece of paper across the table towards him without a word, his face pale and tight. 

A glance at the parchment showed a long passage of text with a signature scrawled at the bottom, followed by a very official looking seal. Unable to reach for it and far too weary to try to interpret the scratchy handwriting at a distance, d’Artagnan just returned his gaze to Athos and waited for the inevitable question. 

“Do you know what this is?”

“No.”

“Do you recognise the handwriting?”

In an attempt to not anger Athos in the first few minutes of the day, he obliged him by casting a more searching glance over the page, but came away none the wiser. “No.”

“Do you recognise the seal?”

“Red Guard. Richelieu, maybe.”

The cane, back in Aramis’ hand, grazed against his collarbone. “Cardinal Richelieu.”

It was a testament to d’Artagnan’s sheer strength of will and his desire to not make things worse for himself than they already were that he was able to restrain himself from hissing, Like you give a damn. Instead, he clenched his jaw, and kept silent. 

Seemingly satisfied, Athos withdrew the paper to look at it himself. “This is the sworn statement of Gaspard Vincent - a resident on the Rue de la Lièvre."

"One of my witnesses," d'Artagnan said lowly, starting to connect the dots.

Athos hummed in agreement. "He claimed that he had hosted you and Reynard on several occasions, under threat of retribution should he reach out to the authorities."

"Claimed?"

There was a long, still pause during which d'Artagnan doggedly crushed the hope threatening to spark to life in his chest. Eventually Athos sighed. “He recanted his testimony yesterday morning. Twelve hours later, he reconfirmed his original statement.”

There was no doubt something meaningful there, but d’Artagnan was starving and exhausted and he had absolutely no desire to play Athos’ games. “Meaning?”

The cane rested carefully against his shoulder, a gentle caution to watch his tone. That he hadn’t already received a blow was… unusual. “It means we have reason to doubt his word.”

“Why did he reconfirm?” There was a telling pause. “You think someone threatened him, don’t you? You’re just trying to work out which way the intimidation went.”

“I suppose you’re going to tell us that he only testified against you because he was being threatened?”

d’Artagnan couldn’t help momentarily raising his eyes to the heavens as though to plead for strength. “I’ve been telling you that for five days.”

“Buying off one witness wouldn’t explain everything else. We found evidence of treason in your room d’Artagnan.”

“You really think someone with the power to make a handful of witnesses appear on command couldn’t get into my room? I wasn’t even there the day I was arrested.” The cane snapped harshly against the meat of his back, but he forced himself to keep his voice level. With bruises layered over bruises, he found it faintly remarkable he could still feel the pain at all. “I spent that entire night in The Wren, watching your back when you decided to drown yourself in a wine bottle. Do you really think it’s an impossibility that someone snuck into the house when I wasn’t there?”

He heard the cane whistle through the air, but Athos flicked a hand up and the strike never came. d’Artagnan breathed out slowly. “You were in The Wren,” Athos confirmed quietly, his eyes far away and distant as though he was only just now realising this fact. “I remember you being there.”

If his hands had been free, he thought he might be tearing his hair out in frustration. “Why on Earth does that make any difference?”

When no immediate response was forthcoming, Porthos inched forwards to fill the silence. “It makes a difference because another witness claimed you met with Reynard that night.”

d'Artagnan blinked, breathed, then surprised himself by laughing sharply. "Of course they did."

"I-" Athos started, then halted uncertainly. He threw a wild look in Aramis' direction, clearly thrown. If he hadn't already known, d'Artagnan would need no more evidence that Athos had entirely forgotten about his presence in the inn that evening. 

Porthos' hand landed on his shoulder, steadying. "We need to talk to that witness. No sense hammering d'Artagnan any more today if we're not sure about those statements."

For something that seemed as though it should have been a thrilling redemption, their session ended with remarkably little fanfare after that. Athos and Porthos disappeared before Aramis had even got him untied, and it was clear the marksman had absolutely no intention of offering him any further information. He had a vague sense that the man thought they had already said too much.

d'Artagnan knew that pressing for answers was futile and as likely to backfire on him as help, but all he could see was Athos' lost expression when he'd realised a second witness had been caught lying. Despite everything, he found himself turning to Aramis just before his hands came free. "Did he hesitate? When Richelieu called for my head, and I was arrested- Did he hesitate?"

His voice sounded raw to his own ears, and maybe that was why Aramis didn't immediately lash out. The tears shining bright in his eyes might also have had something to do with it.

"We all did."

There was nothing he could say to that that wouldn't hurt them both. He walked back to his cell in silence.

What followed was an awful lot of nothing. He heard nothing more from the Musketeers for three full days, but his outlook did brighten substantially when his now-daily bucket of water was joined by a hunk of bread and cheese, and a small collection of blankets was quietly deposited in his chilly corner. It wasn't comfortable by a long shot, but it was miles better than what he'd had and it was a strong sign his future might hold something more substantial than a slow, miserable death and an unmourned grave. 

With so little contact with the outside world, he had no real idea what to expect when a guard appeared in his doorway and ushered him out without an explanation. For all his new-found comforts, he still wore the weight of days without food and water, spattered with bruises and aching in ways he hadn't known possible, so when he was led through a door into the sunlight he could do little more than blink, half-blind and confused. The guards flanking him retreated in silence and it was only after he watched them leave that he turned his head to see Athos, Porthos, and Aramis standing before him.

All three of them looked unsure of themselves, clutching their hats to their chests and watching him warily. 

"What's going on?" He rasped, though he was starting to catch on quickly. He’d initially assumed he had been led into an inner courtyard for whatever reason, but as his eyes adjusted to the light it became clear he was standing in the square that fronted the prison. Well beyond the Musketeers, he could see the bustle of people going about their business like always. The guards wouldn’t have left him here, Musketeers or no, unless they no longer felt the need to keep him contained. 

After an uncertain heartbeat, Athos stepped forward. “Your name has been cleared. The King has issued a pardon, and an apology for your treatment.” He hesitated, then added softly, “We need to apologise too.”

d’Artagnan considered that for a moment. He thought about every bruise he could feel prickling against his skin, every harsh word, every sleepless night, took a deep breath and held it. When he felt steady enough, he met Athos’ eye. “I’m free to go?”

“Yes.” He untucked a bundle from beneath his arm and held it out carefully - d’Artagnan’s sword and pistol. “The rest of your belongings have been returned to your lodgings.”

He had to force himself not to recoil at Athos’ nearness, but he reached out to reclaim his weapons all the same, tucking the belt back around himself like an old friend. He half-wanted to scorn the offering, but it was his Father’s sword and no amount of spite was worth losing it now; the moment it was back in its rightful place, he felt strength starting to leech back into his bones.

“d’Artagnan,” Aramis started, sounding wrecked, only to cut himself off when his eyes snapped to the marksman’s. 

He looked around the three of them for a moment, taking in their guilt, then made a careful sidestep and walked straight for the main gate without a word. None of them tried to stop him, but he heard at least one of them suck in a sharp breath as he marched forcefully past him; he tried very hard not to take any satisfaction from finally, finally having the upper hand. 

As cornered as it had made him feel, his friends’ ambush had served one purpose: he knew where he needed to go to collect his things. A quick stop during which he was viciously grateful his landlord and lady weren’t home, and he was free to put the garrison and its Musketeers at his back and start walking. 

He was gone from Paris by nightfall. 

On AO3 here

[babyboyoonie]

Are you still taking requests? If so, can you do one where the members get jealous of another idol getting touchy with yoongi. Thank you ❤️

it’s funny, I was just talking about it with a friend earlier :’)) it’ll be my pleasure darling ♥ I’m sorry it took so much time…I’m a bit of a crackhead and went to google which BTS’s member is close with which idol fjkv some interactions are real, some aren’t, only gifs and Naver’s articles know the truth >D or youtube too… huh, this got a bit long but well, hope you’ll enjoy~

Things are like that: amidst conspiracies and theories and relationships ending abruptly…Idols rarely hate each other. What’s the point? They all know how hard it is to simply enter the world of entertainment, there’s no time for petty wars and baseless hate. They know how it is, and as a result, it shouldn’t be surprising that some of them build unexpected friendships.

Jin knows that. They all do. And so, from times to times, he does leave the house to hang out with his little squad. Ken ditches VIXX for a while to join them, and so do Sandeul from B1A4 and Hani from EXID. It’s all fine, all food and laughs and relaxing moments in an otherwise cut-throat industry.

It’s all good, until one day Jin drags Yoongi in one of those meetings. There—there’s nothing wrong with doing that. Sometimes other people join them too, so Jin figured out—why not invite his cute little dongsaeng?

Hah. That was the problem. Yoongi was—Yoongi was too cute.

He can barely pay attention to Hani’s fierce argument as she murders one of her dumplings with her chopsticks. Because Ken’s too close to Yoongi, and he’s not really sure he likes the way the other man looks at his little one. His smile is too big, too interested, the way he listens attentively to Yoongi’s adorable rambling is too…too much. It might be curiosity, he tries to tell himself. After all, only a close circle of people knew how adorable Yoongi really was behind his usual resting bitch face. Still. It’s—no, this is definitely not curiosity. Jin fucking saw this look before. Accidentally caught it in his reflection, when Yoongi joyfully ate the food he prepared. Too much interest, too much fondness, too much—

Oh hell no.

Ken gently swifts at the corner of Yoongi’s mouth, where a little bit of sauce had lent. He brings it slowly to his mouth, eyes intense in Yoongi’s, and Jin is not gonna have it.

He brings his boy close to him immediately, startling a gasp from a pink-in-the-face Yoongi and a knowing look by Sandeul. Yoongi turns questioning eyes toward him, flustered, but Jin only tightens his grip around the boy’s shoulders. Because Ken is smirking at him, eyebrows rising. He knows.

That doesn’t stop his friend from flirting with Yoongi for the rest of their night out. And Sandeul and Hani they—they kind of just start talking about ships while giggling on their side. Jin needed new friends. Preferably ones that didn’t poke fun at him for his obvious jealousy and some that didn’t flirt with his love interest.

Damn it.

Namjoon and Jackson like to poke fun at each other, but they’re great friends, promises. They really are. Even though Jackson low-key bullies him in such a fun-loving way, he ends up speechless or yelling an off-camera “shUT UP OH MY GOD” while the other man rolls around in laughter.

They’re great friends. Namjoon knows the respect he has for Jackson goes both ways, and that they’ll always have each other’s back. This connection—it grows until eventually, people find out. Until eventually, both of the group’s members mingle, and, and. Something happens. People talk about his supposed genius brain, but really, Namjoon finds himself pretty dumb for not seeing this coming.

Yoongi’s as much of a tease as Jackson is. It’s never mean, never harmful, and actually—it can be described as adorable. And while Jackson absolutely purposeful, Yoongi’s oblivious to the things he does. To the way he makes people feel. The thing is, Namjoon’s pretty dumb here. He’s dumb because one-day Yoongi catches Jackson’s eye and, and it goes from bad to worst then. Yoongi actually fucking flirts back.

Well. He probably doesn’t, if the oblivious looks he throws Namjoon when the man grumbles is anything to go by. It’s—exhibit a, Jackson’s talking, and Yoongi’ll sneak behind him and smile like an absolute sweetheart when Jackson’ll finally notice him. It was always fucking cute, okay, but Namjoon was most definitely not happy with it.

He loses it one Thursday, when they’re backstage with the other members of Got7. Namjoon thinks he’s a pretty chill guy. He doesn’t get jealous. Unless…Unless Yoongi’s involved. And this time, Yoongi’s definitely involved.

He snaps the pencil he had in hand, gaping. Jackson is—touching Yoongi. It’s light, just a slight caress on the younger boy’s head. But his hand lingers on a pale cheek, falls slowly on Yoongi’s jaw as he smiles softly.

Namjoon’s by their side in four, long strides, and tugging a confused Yoongi under his arm. He doesn’t say anything, only giving a look to Jackson. There’s a beat, two, while they look at each other in an indecipherable silence; and Yoongi fidgets more and more, restless, while Namjoon fumes silently. And Jackson? Jackson ends up laughing.

Jackson’s not backing off. “I’ll call you, cutie-hyung,” he whispers lowly to Yoongi, taking some steps back.

Namjoon gapes, tightening his hold over Yoongi who pouts, surely getting annoyed at being kept out of the loop. He doesn’t know that he is the said loop. “No you’re not—hey, stop laughing!”

“What the fuck is going on?” Yoongi asks, scowling. And Namjoon wants to cry. This man is going to give him gray hair.

So. Zhou Mi. Hoseok’s not jealous. Not at all. He respects this hyung like he respects all of them, and Hoseok doesn’t mind hanging out with the man if Yoongi asks him to. He’s more the type to have fun with Ravi, as he found a liking to the VIXX’s members but. If it’s for Yoongi, then it’s fine.

What’s not fine, is how close Yoongi is to this old man.

…Okay, Zhou Mi’s not that old, but Hoseok is feeling quite petty right now. He’s still not jealous, absolutely not. Though he’s pretty sure anyone would be upset, if they were in his situation. Those two, they’re close. People are aware of their vague connection, but they don’t know the extent of it. They’re close, and it fucking sucks, because sometimes Hoseok feels like the other man’s stealing his best friend.

Yoongi, he—he likes this hyung so much he goes and visits him at one in the morning. Who the fuck does that? And he’s never back until late the following day, Hoseok drives himself crazy with the thoughts of what those two are up to, there.

There’s being close, and there’s being too close. Hoseok thinks Zhou Mi and his Yoongi are too fucking close. I’m not jealous, he repeats to himself, forcing a smile on his lips as he watches Yoongi waves animatedly with his hands while speaking. There’s a giant grin on the little man’s lips, and he speaks a lot, fast, a proof that he’s comfortable. Hoseok finds it cute. Can’t really bring himself to appreciate it, though, because this smile is turned to the other man sitting close—too close—on Yoongi’s right.

I’m not jealous, he swears, again and again. Goes to repeat it for the hundredth time when Zhou Mi’s hand falls on Yoongi’s thigh, and squeezes. Yoongi doesn’t look fazed in the least, as if it had happened before.

Hoseok sees red.

He gets up hurriedly, taking Yoongi’s wrist and hoisting him on his feet, smile decidedly gone. “We’re going.”

Zhou Mi’s eyes narrow before he smirks knowingly. “So soon…?”

Hoseok has a lot of respect for this man. But right now? An insult is on the tip of his tongue. He glares at the man and takes their coats to go, not slowing down even as Yoongi splutters apologies to their host. He only stops when they wait for the lift, and Yoongi tugs at his arm, confused. “We just got there fifteen minutes ago…”

“We have a lot of things to do, baby, come on.”

“Baby? Hoseok what the fuck—”

Fuck this. Hoseok’s a jealous man, alright.

While hanging out with Suho and Baekhyun, Taeyhung’s vague suspicions are sadly confirmed. Oh, it has nothing to do with the two guys themselves. Taehyung liked them quite a lot, just like the numerous people he met in the bathroom and formed unlikely friendships with. No, no, Suho and Baekyun were pretty great guys.

Chanyeol surely was, too, but Taehyung was a bit—a lot—biased, in this instant.

Shopping was something he did often, Suho and Baekhyun quite liked it too and it had become a ritual. But Yoongi was free this day; wouldn’t lock himself up in his studio for hours to no end. So, because Taehyung’s strong like that—and Yoongi’s kind of super soft for them—he convinced his little hyung to come and Join them. He just…Hadn’t expected to see Chanyeol there. Not that Taehyung had a problem with him. Taehyung likes everyone, unless they piss him off, and even then he doesn’t show it.

No, the problem is that…There had been a spark in Yoongi’s eyes. A spark Taehyung knew better than anyone. It was a little bit dreamy, kinda starry and very, very obvious. That was the spark of the crush. The celebrity crush. Yoongi didn’t show any other outward sign of it, but Taehyung knew him. He was a shy little one, though he hid it behind impulsive moves he liked to pretend were controlled. Which weren’t.

The funny thing is that it’s Chanyeol that does the impulsivity, this time. Goes straight to hug Yoongi and—and Yoongi hugs back, too enthusiastically for Taehyung’s taste.

And then, Chanyeol’s hold only tightens. Taehyung swears he’s not just being overprotective but he thinks the embrace doesn’t look like friendship at all. He knows when someone’s after his man, he has six other cases at home.

Nobody could fault him for being all over Yoongi during the rest of their shopping hangout, okay, anyone would be. Even if Suho and Baekhyun give him weird looks in the middle of their chattering, he only keeps his eyes on the man obviously interested in his little one.

Yoongi blushes and softly calls Taehyung silly for pointing out his totally obvious crush. But Taehyung’s far from convinced. Especially not with the way Chanyeol’s hands lingered on Yoongi’s skin whenever he had the chance too.

So he kind of just—

“Ow—Taehyung did you fucking bite me?!”

He did. Clean and efficient, gently cocking Yoongi’s head to expose his neck, and bite. On broad daylight, for everyone to see.

Sue him, for wanting to mark his territory in front of the potential competition. That’s more of a Jungkook thing but hey—who the hell did you think the brat took this habit from? Taehyung’s calm in appearance, but that doesn’t mean he’ll stand there quietly while someone obviously flirts with his love-interest in front of his nose.

He makes sure that Chanyeol knows it, bites his lip to not bolt out of there with his little hyung under his arm as the other man only smiles back calmly.

Yoongi’s his. Gorgeous celebrity crushes be damned.

“I’m going to throw them in the trash.”

“Wha—Jimin, no!”

“Jimin, yes.”

Yoongi takes some steps back, clutching the packages against his chest. His eyebrows are cutely furrowed and the expression he probably wants to be stern, comes out a simply adorable. He can do rude, he can do careless, but he can’t and never will be able to do angry. He’s just that soft. This would be the time Jimin’ll pull out a pleading and angelic expression; and Yoongi would melt and give in. But right now, the situation’s dire. Those packages…Jimin’s going to burn them the moment Yoongi looks away. He knows the name of the expeditor. The betrayal’s real.

He wasn’t even aware that Sungwoon knew Yoongi—Well, that he was interested in Yoongi.

It’s his fault, he thinks, as Yoongi walks slowly around the table, looking every bit like a cute little hunted animal. It’s adorable, too adorable, and Jimin may or may not have ranted about it to the group chat he had with his friends outside of Bangtan.

Now all those friends keep tags on his little hyung and constantly asks him about it. He blocked them at the “Do you have pics?” from Kai, because no way is he going to give more fuel to the newfound realization that BTS’s ‘savage’ Min Yoongi is actually the world’s biggest marshmallow. His hyung totally is, but guys start to crush on him from out of nowhere and Jimin is 100% jealous. He has no shame in admitting it.

So, from now on, he makes sure to not bring his hyung along to their meetings. Rare as they are, he refuses to have to put up with his friends shamelessly flirting with his cute, oblivious hyung. Yoongi doesn’t even notice their advances, but that doesn’t deter them. Which results in an exhausted Jimin because he as to keep an eye open for those that gets too close.

The doorbell rings. And there. His mistake lays in not catching Yoongi before the older man dashes away, yelling something about getting it and Jimin better not following him. As if. Jimin totally does.

But he’s not fast enough. Because when he arrives, Yoongi’s packages are on the floor; and Yoongi himself, is dwarfed into Sungwoon’s bear-hug.

And really, he doesn’t care if his reaction is immature. He sees his hyung in another man’s arms—which, where the fuck are Sungwoo’s hands touching—and instantly snatches him from the vicious grip, satoori deep in the curses on his lips as he hugs his little hyung to his chest and takes some steps back.

“Back off,” he says petulantly, not moving an inch even while Yoongi trashes in his hold. His hyung’s cute when he puts on a fight, but now’s not the time.

Sungwoon, this traitor, pretends to think for a total of two seconds, before he grins, big and mischievous. “Nope.”

Jimin’s going to commit murder.

“Let me go—wait, what the fuck are you trying to do when someone’s here—Jimin, no!”

The ex. Jungkook doesn’t know about the others, but it’s a very sensitive subject to him. More precisely, Yoongi’s ex.

It’s not like his hyung has dated many people before, but those he did, well, they had fallen hard for him. Which was understandable, okay, biased as Jungkook was, he swore that his hyung had the world’s greatest personality and the whole universe’s cutest smile. He—he rubbed Jungkook hair for him to go to sleep even when he himself was clearly sleepy, and he was just—so…sweet…and gorgeous…And. Too many things for Jungkook to be able to list in a whole day.

The point was, Yoongi was freaking great, and his exes were always lurking somewhere, waiting to pounce.

But there’s this one ex. Who doesn’t act like an ex at all.

Jungkook’s absolutely convinced that Kihyun still has feelings for his hyung. Yoongi doesn’t believe him when he whines at him so, but Jungkook knows the truth. Knows there’s something more than simple friendship like Yoongi says. He’s perfectly aware of this trait of his personality, the quiet and simmering jealousy when someone gets too close to his hyung. But this? This?

Anyone could see that. It’s in the way Kihyun looks at Yoongi. Patient and incredibly soft while Yoongi rambles about this and that. Laughs even though Yoongi didn’t even say anything funny—he knows this because that’s his thing. The hopelessly love-sick gaze and fond eyes because Min Yoongi’s just that adorable.

Honestly, Jungkook thinks he’s being pretty fucking understanding right now. A saint’s patience. He refrains from doing anything reckless, Kihyun is one of Yoongi’s dearest friends after all. Even if the other clearly still has feelings for his hyung. He should be rewarded and crowned king of patience. Because there’s no way another guy would have stayed calm while Kihyun just—went and did things like hugging Yoongi around the waist and nuzzling his neck.

Yep. He’s fine. Totally.

Not.

He doesn’t say anything. The grip on the cushion by his side gets a bit too tight every time those two make contact but. He’s okay. Keeps the jealousy at bay, doesn’t act like a brat.

But at one point, he loses it.

At one point, just when he thinks his patience can’t be more tested, Kihyun does shit like that. Who exactly kisses their ex snug on the cheek and lingers here for God knows how long while pretending it’s platonic? Who in hell—

He snaps. “Right in front of my fucking salad.”

“…What?” Yoongi blinks at him, not perturbed in the least. He’s too oblivious, Jungkook wants to scream.

“Nothing, hyung, I’m—I’m going to kiss you now.”

“Kook wha—hmph” Jungkook doesn’t let him say one more word. Tugs the smaller man into his lap and grips his neck before kissing him square on the lips. Yoongi lets out a noise of surprise, of protest, maybe; but Jungkook nibbles on his lower lip just the way he likes it, and the little man turns putty in his arms. Opens his mouth for Jungkook to kiss him deeper, ravages him until cherries don’t have anything on the red of his cheeks and adorable little noises escape him.

Yoongi’s—kind of just breathless after that. Stares blankly at Jungkook, before his gaze falls on the ground, flushing even harder. Jungkook hugs him tight to his chest, and throws a smug look at the other, disgruntled man in front of them.

Kihyun may have known his hyung the longest, but right now, Yoongi’s his and his alone.

[madewithonerib]

When Your Thoughts Attack | Steven Furtick [Elevation Church]

Odds are, if you really think about the way you feel, you can always find a thought that started it. If you're feeling insecure, did you compare yourself to someone else first? If you're frustrated, did you catch a thought of offense?

This one hurts: “What happened was I caught a thought of offense then I reaped an attitude of frustration.

   I got offended the other day because I saw GOD blessing somebody that    HE wasn’t supposed to bless.

     Did you ever watch GOD just do something awesome for the wrong person?      HE didn’t consult you.

   So I found myself feeling insecure.

   >> The reason, I felt insecure in myself, is because I caught a thought of           offense about somebody else. Here’s what happens:

you become a victim of your own judgement

when you judge others that way, you judge you that way

so don’t be surprised when the judgement comes upon you

Psalm 50:6 | And the heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.

Hebrews 12:23 | in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the judge of all men, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,

Psalm 96:13 | before the LORD, for He is coming--He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.

         The less y’all are saying Amen, the more I know I’m preaching.

1.] I realized the thought I hold onto, never knew I could catch a thought, & I      trace sometimes the weakness of my faith by asking:

         “Where did that thought come from?”

     It’s important where it came from: because where it comes from      >>> determines where it leads to [GOD vs. devil].

1a] My issue is when I say I hear from GOD, I don’t hear HIM out loud.

          “I’m not mad at you, unless you start using it to manipulate ppl by            making up stuff that GOD told you. Cause GOD has 3-way calling, &            HE can tell us both, so don’t tell me GOD spoke something to you that            I’m not in agreement with, & try to get me to do something you want to            do by saying ‘GOD told you to’ -- especially if you heard from GOD to quit            your job, because you just tired of dealing with frustrated people.            I don’t know if that’s GOD or you’re just tired & need to get some sleep &            have a better attitude when you show up.

     >> When you say GOD spoke to you: How do you know?

       Great question, because I don’t hear GOD at an auditory level.        So when I say I heard GOD speak to me, that can be misleading.

When Peter said, “JESUS spoke to me.” It was literal. I was fishing one night, I hadn’t caught anything, I was frustrated..    Luke 5:4 | When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon,    “Put out into deep water & let down your nets for a catch.” Then Peter thought: At first I was frustrated cause I thought, YOU’re a carpenter & I’m a fishermen--YOU do your job & I’ll do mine. >> YOU wanted my boat to preach from, I didn’t know YOU would try to drive it. But [watch this, Luke 5:5] because YOU say so, I will let down the nets.

GOD was showing me, that before Peter caught the fish, Peter caught a thought. But I don’t hear GOD out loud like that.. Before there was a seed, there was a thought/decision: (to obey/ignore GOD’s command)    Psalm 50:16-17 | To the wicked, however, God says, “What right    have you to recite My statutes & to bear My covenant on your lips?    For you hate My instruction & cast My words behind you.    1 Samuel 15:22 | ..Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice,    & attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.    Psalm 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a    broken & a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

     So I connect with GOD (not in an auditory/sensory level);      >> I connect with GOD on the level of thought.

1b] This would be fine if HE was the only one who spoke by planting thoughts.       But I got this other joker, they call him the devil but when I say the devil       tempts me or the devil discourages me.

     I’m not talking about a guy in a hat/costume, or thing on our shoulder <flick>

     >> When he attacks, the devil approaches us with a thought.      The enemy is always speaking against what GOD told us.

     ISSUE: We’ve got two-voices in our head; & we’re caught between a thought.

     Case in point: GOD encourages us to do good, to stay in faith/humility/truth.

Psalm 45:4 | In your splendor ride forth in victory on behalf of truth & humility & justice; may your right hand show your awesome deeds.

Hebrews 11:6 | And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists & that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  

GOD encourages us, your greatest years are still ahead of you (eternal reward/royal priesthood) The devil discourages us, “you’re washed up, you’ve already done all the good things you’re going to do. You better ride it out because it won’t be there much longer.” The devil twists spiritual truths, so we’ll be apt to see & accept it as confirmation to pursue temporal fleshly desires (sin/self/independence/pride/wealth/rebellion/destruction).    To do GOD’s work, you need to accumulate a bank roll.    To get others to accept GOD, first earn their admiration/respect. Those are lies, designed to twist GOD’s truth & fulfill selfish wants. Imitate Christ’s Humility: Serve others, prioritize GOD/things of GOD

Philippians 2:1-11 | Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection & compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit & purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place & gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven & on earth & under the earth, & every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 12:9-16 | Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

GOD reminds us of the truth, go ahead & step into it & believe for it. The devil deceives us into doubting GOD’s faithfulness. What the devil does best is short-sightedness, blurr the truth, get us to focus on immediate pay-off & shame.    >> Amplify the pain to push us away from GOD, or    >> Link empty promises w/ sin, to lure us towards disobedience.    Hebrews 12:2 | Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author &    perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the    cross, scorning its shame, & sat down at the right hand of the    throne of God. These are clearly the same tactics he deployed on JESUS in the desert (twisting GOD’s promises, then giving empty promises) & on the way to the cross (magnifying the pain & shame). This is why he’s called the father of lies, everything is a lie.

Luke 1:37 | For no word from God will ever fail.

Jeremiah 32:17 | “Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens & the earth by Your great power & outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!

   It is night & day, all creation can only give what we’re full of.

   The devil is full of fear & death, so those are the things he will fill our lives with    if we’re foolish enough to forsake GOD, fail to renew our minds in HIS truths, &    give into the fear/doubt/desires of this world.

Romans 10:17 | Consequently, faith comes by hearing, & hearing by the word of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:4-6 | So while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life. And God has prepared us for this very purpose & has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come. Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.

Psalm 50:23 | Those who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, & to those who rights their way, I will show the salvation of God.”

Those who have changed their course of life.

Those who glorify GOD, gives GOD honour which HE prize & requires; and not those who loads GOD’s altar with a multitude of sacrifices.    We glorify GOD most in obedience, as living proof of HIS goodness &    transformative work on our old nature (bent on selfish ambition).    We obey GOD when we love one another, & praise HIM continually by    acknowledging HIM as our source & seeking HIS guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 | Trust in the LORD with all your heart, & lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, & He will make your paths straight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 | For we walk by faith, not by sight. WHY? Did GOD have to say all these things? Why are we encouraged not to fear a zillion times over in the entire Bible??? Our immediate payoff is not pleasure, persecution is on the forecast for all believers who want to follow CHRIST. But what follows that is support from GOD’s Holy Spirit (more of HIM, less of us). It’s backwards, opposite to how we expect encouragement/growth to take place. We want a constant stream of positive encouragement for good behaviour, but GOD wants increasing good works & glorification of HIS Name through our dependence on HIM & higher esteem for HIS invisible attributes.    All these life giving results occur upon death, when we knowingly:     1.] love/serve others who hate us,     2.] refrain from fighting for our rights (praise GOD for eternal hope), &     3.] continue to emulate & obey GOD, humbly killing off any desire for prestige/power.

John 15:18 | If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.

Matthew 10:22 | You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

Luke 22:42 | ‘Not My Will, But Thine, Be Done’

   JESUS did not die for nothing, HE looked on us & saw our deep need for HIM.

Matthew 9:36 | When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed & helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

   Don’t get caught up by the emotion, test that what you’re hearing measures up    with the doctrine of CHRIST. HE suffered & promised HE’ll never leave us     nor forsake us in the pain of following after HIM.

   This world is passing, don’t let immediate pain push you away from chasing    after GOD. HE has a plan & it is for the good of your eternal soul.           ___________________________________________________________

   >> Caleb & the other spies warn against entering the promised land         [Numbers 13-14]; this is the proverbial the Kingdom of GOD.

   Modern day Caleb does the same.

I got this thought that runs through my head all the time, that says it doesn’t matter..I could be doing anything.

Whenever you’re trying to do something...this idea pops up (it doesn’t matter)

“You’re not enough,” this thought attacks everyone, professional athletes too

When we think we’re not enough, we doubt GOD’s provisions. The disciples even told JESUS, there’s not enough food to go around, YOU need to send them away [Matthew 15:33; James 2:16]

How many times have we sent away something that GOD put in our life? Because we caught a thought from the wrong source

They wandered around the desert for 40 years [Joshua 5:6].     Joshua 5:6 | For the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40     years until all the nation's men of war who came out of Egypt     had died off because they did not obey the LORD. Not because of their enemy, but because of their thought/decision. [Philippians 4:8; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Proverbs 4:23; Colossians 3:2; Ephesians 4:22-24; Acts 17:10-11]

Philippians 4:8 | Finally, fellow believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.

Romans 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test & approve what is the good, pleasing, & perfect will of God.

2 Corinthians 10:5 | We tear down arguments, & every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; & we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Proverbs 4:23 | Guard your heart w/ all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

Colossians 3:2 | Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Ephesians 4:22-24 | to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; & to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness & holiness.

Acts 17:10-11 | As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul & Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message w/ great eagerness & examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

          ___________________________________________________________

1c] Then even when things are going good!

      I get this thought & I don’t know where it comes from..!?       I don’t think it’s GOD, it’s hard to tell sometimes.

      It all starts with a thought.       [James 1:14-15; Mark 7:20-22; Genesis 4:7; Colossians 3:5-6; 1 John 3:4.]

James 1:14-15 | But each one is tempted when by their own evil desires s/he is lured away & enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; & sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Mark 7:20-22 | He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, & foolishness.

Genesis 4:7 | If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”

Colossians 3:5-6 | Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, & greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

1 John 3:4 | Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.

      Even when it’s going good, it won’t last. Then you sabotage the gift, you       don’t feel secure because even while it’s happening you don’t think it’s real.

      [Proverbs 23:7; Matthew 5:28; 1 Peter 1:13; James 4:7; 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:15; Colossians 3:23.]

Proverbs 23:7 | for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat & drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not w/ you.

Matthew 5:28 | But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery w/ her in his heart.

1 Peter 1:13 | Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

James 4:7 | Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, & he will flee from you.

James 4:1-3 | What causes conflicts & quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war w/in you? You crave what you do not have; you kill & covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel & fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask w/ wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

2 Timothy 2:15 | Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.

Colossians 3:23 | Whatever you do, work at it w/ your whole being, for the Lord & not for men,

     I’m not sure where it comes from, but I know where it takes me.

     When I look back on the seasons of my life, when I was so deep in depression.      Oh yeah, & I know the Bible verses, I know ‘em better than you.      Let’s have a quoting contest: Rejoice in the LORD always [Philippians 4:4]

         Well you can say it as many times as you want Paul, but I’m sad right now.          And I can’t find my way out, so now I’m fighting on the level of my feelings.

         But watch this, before it became a feeling, it was a thought. 

     Look even Paul, it wasn’t like Moses was a bad leader, even Paul had to fight      against opposing voices & thought systems that undermine the essence of       the grace of GOD & the gospel.

     Even in the churches that he started.

     Even in Corinth, he would write to them & what would happen to them was      they would be led astray (deceived) by the power of suggestion.

     >> He uses the example: Like Eve was deceived by the serpent.      Did GOD really say? See how he introduces doubt into potential/possibilities of faith?      Causing her to focus on what is not available rather than focus on what is.

     Paul is concerned because there are these spies at the Church of Corinth, &      they’re leading the Christians astray.

     They’re doing it by the power of thought, they’re introducing the thought that      you need something other than CHRIST to justify you.

        [Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17]

Ephesians 2:8-9 | For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, & this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

2 Corinthians 5:21 | God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 15:57 | But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:8 | But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 3:16-17 | For God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

     He says I fear that you have been led astray from a pure devotion to CHRIST.

     [Jeremiah 17:9; Psalm 69:5; Revelation 1:1-20; 1 John 1:8-10; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 Peter 2:24; James 5:16; Hebrews 10:26; 1 John 5:17]

Jeremiah 17:9 | The heart is deceitful above all things & beyond cure—who can understand it?

Psalm 69:5 | You know my folly, O God, & my guilt is not hidden from You.

Revelation 1:1-20 | This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God & the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, & blessed are those who hear & obey what is written in it, because the time is near. John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace & peace to you from Him who is & was & is to come, & from the seven Spirits before His throne, & from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, & the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us & has released us from our sins by His blood, who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God & Father—to Him be the glory & power forever & ever! Amen. Behold, He is coming w/ the clouds, & every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha & the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is & was & is to come—the Almighty. I, John, your brother & partner in the tribulation & kingdom & perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God & my testimony about Jesus. On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, & I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see & send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, & Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking w/ me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, & among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, w/ a golden sash around His chest. The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, & His eyes were like a blazing fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, & His voice was like the roar of many waters. He held in His right hand seven stars, & a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me & said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First & the Last, the Living One. I was dead, & behold, now I am alive forever & ever! And I hold the keys of Death & of Hades. Therefore write down the things you have seen, & the things that are, & the things that will happen after this. This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand & of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, & the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

1 John 1:8-10 | If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, & the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, & His word is not in us.

1 Peter 4:8 | Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 2:24 | He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin & live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”

James 5:16 | Therefore confess your sins to each other & pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail.

Hebrews 10:26 | If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice for sins remains,

1 John 5:17 | All unrighteousness is sin, yet there is sin that does not lead to death.

     Pure is the right word. It’s that uncontaminated state that we access occasionally.      Where you know GOD’s got this & that everything is going to be alright.

     >> You ever just felt that & you had no reason to & you didn’t even have the fact to back it up?

What happens is the enemy deceived you; he can’t take what GOD gave you. You know that right?

I need to make sure you know that: he can’t take what GOD gave you.      Romans 11:29 | For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable But if he can get you to catch a thought that opposes it, he can keep you so weak that you will not walk into it.

...

you reap what you sow, proverb:  you eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions [Oxford].

Galatians 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

1 Peter 3:9 | Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 Corinthians 6:9-12 | Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ & by the Spirit of our God. “Everything is permissible for me,” but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me,” but I will not be mastered by anything.

Psalm 50:23 | He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rights his way, I will show the salvation of God.”

[snapedefender]

also i’ve gotten messages about this, but like.... the fanon theory that part (note: PART) of snape’s treatment of the kids is because he’s a spy and it’s necessary for him to be harsh with anti-voldemort children (such as, say, harry, the bwl, or hermione, a muggleborn, or neville, a known light supporter) or risk being potentially accused of being a sympathizer and being killed.... is a valid one and isn’t being used to “excuse” snape’s behavior towards the kids. 

first, on its validity - i think it’s a fairly safe point to make that most of snape’s life is centered on his spy work. he is a spy first, a teacher second. it’s also safe to say that the children of death eaters at hogwarts, knowingly or not, are going to be reporting on snape’s behavior. he knows that. he also knows that voldemort’s going to be coming back and he also knows that he’s probably under suspicion due to his closeness with dumbledore and by getting out of any real punishment for his time with the death eaters - there’s a reason bellatrix is so suspicious of him, y’all. so it’s entirely possible that ANY show of sympathy or, indeed, indifference on snape’s part will be construed as support for the light or, at the very least, dissent from the dark. and, we also must remember, that voldemort is edging into insanity when he comes back - he won’t need “reasonable” proof to condemn snape. and if snape is caught or suspected, he’ll be killed. or, maybe, tortured and then killed.

so keeping all this in mind, let’s take into account that almost all of snape’s worst actions - his treatment of neville, his taunts toward harry and hermione - occur in front of children of known death eaters (most notably draco malfoy). let’s also take into account that snape’s treatment of harry when they’re alone during their occlumency lessons - the only amount of time we see them really alone at length - are remarkably light on insults. snape sneers a couple of times, but considering his treatment of harry in public spaces, it’s practically cavalier. he also defends hermione against a slur when completely alone - and that’s the only time we really see him completely alone, not being watched. 

we can’t say for sure, of course, since we never get into snape’s head or get any confirmation via his dialogue. but taking all these facts together, it’s a fair analysis of the situation to say that part (read: PART) of snape’s treatment of the students could stem from his spying persona.

i don’t think - and i really don’t think anyone should put this forward either - that ALL of snape’s treatment of the students stems from this persona. i think it’s entirely probable that snape also treats his students terribly because he genuinely dislikes them, because he’s petty, because he hated their parents, because he’s a shitty teacher. all of these reasons (and more) can go into snape’s treatment. that’s the joy of complex, multi-dimensional characters - they get to have a myriad of reasons for doing things.

saying that part (read: PART) of snape’s treatment might be based in a false mask doesn’t mean i condone it or that i think it’s justified. i don’t. i don’t know how much more point-blank i can be about the fact i don’t think snape’s treatment of the students is justified because i’ve said it multiple times, i have it in my faq, and yet i still repeatedly get accused of it. examining motivations isn’t trying to make excuses. examining why a character might do something is part of character analysis and doesn’t necessarily correlate to justifying why a character might do something. 

the theory has merit. i think it’s a good explanation for why snape’s treatment of the students can differ when he’s alone with them versus when he’s in public with them. i also like it because it drives home how much of snape’s life is tied up in his spying and, also, the tightrope walk he has to do to keep himself alive and in a position to give something to the cause. i don’t think it’s the only reason for his treatment and it wouldn’t justify his treatment even if it was.

[marvelandponder]

Better Question: Is Dr. Wolf Right?

Some time ago @drwolf001 posted a theory that Sunburst could in fact be a young Starswirl the Bearded. This was in response to a trailer for the season 7 premiere that has since been given more context, but the idea was so fun that it stuck with me. Given that we’ve already had some crazy time travel adventures, we know for a fact this sort of story is possible.

Time Travel Logic

Starswirl’s time spell is the sort that loops. As in, if someone uses the spell, their interference in the past is what leads to the present they came from.

This is called a causal loop (or temporal causality loop which just sounds cooler). It’s where an event is the cause for another event, which itself is the cause for the original event. Yeah... loop is a good word.

We’ve even seen it in action. In It’s About Time, we see Twilight worrying too much because of future Twilight, only to find out that was the problem she went back in time to warn herself about. A causal loop. In this case, a self-fulfilling prophecy (which is a type of causal loop).

But, even in The Cutie Remark, we’re working with the same rules.

It’s thanks to something called the Novikov Self-Consistency Principle. Back in the 1980s, a physicist named Ivan Novikov came up with a bunch of fancy physics principles that (for our purposes) basically boiled down to a simple conclusion: you can’t change the past.

These two ideas go hand in hand in the MLP universe, when you think about it, so here are our hard and fast rules for time travel:

Causal Loop: If you go back in time, your going back is what causes the present you came from (which causes you to go back in time, to cause the present, etc.)

Self-Consistency Principal: You logically cannot change the past that leads to anything except the present you came from

The Butterfly Effect: In the event you do create a change that doesn’t lead to the present you came from, any small change can branch out to have untold consequences temporarily; BUT, don’t worry: because of the self-consistency principle, you logically have to eventually fix things, otherwise you couldn’t have come back in time in the first place (you would be a different person in the first place, different memories)

So, Starlight, Twilight, and Spike eventually standing to the side and not interfering with the past was inevitable in order for them to be who they are. The fact that Starlight’s version of the spell continually brought them back to the past until they got it right seems to indicate that to me.

Starlight also specified that she used the map’s magic to go to any time and place she wants (for as long as she wants, they could apparently exist there “for all eternity”), so in terms of the actual time travel spell itself, she isn’t operating under different rules. Meaning, she hasn’t changed the whole causal loop thing---they still go back in time and reenact what would lead them to the present they came from, it’s just a bigger loop, thanks to some more powerful magic.

So, a character getting trapped back in time and going on to live the rest of their days there is entirely possible. It just means they were supposed to, because it’s another loop. A much bigger loop.

But, beyond all that time travel mumbo-jumbo, we obviously don’t have anything close to confirmation for the Sunburst goes back in time to live out his days as Starswirl theory. It’s theoretically possible in this world, but possible isn’t proof.

But, let’s say, hypothetically, the writers wanted to go down this path. I for one would like to know how they could do it.

Perhaps this is better suited for a fanfiction than an analysis series (and by all means, please go write stories based off of this theory). All the same, let’s treat this as a how it could be done sort of thing, to build on this theory with what’s already established in-universe.

To do that, we’ll need to gather some “evidence” (and again, I use the word with the spirit of fun in mind, there’s nothing conclusive). The first is the time travel spell itself.

Clue #1: The Disappearing Time-Travel Spell

At the conclusion of The Cutie Remark, we see the nearly ripped time-travel scroll get... somehow mysteriously sucked away.

Now, Starlight said she was the one who designed the spell to take them back to the Rainboom again and again, so this may also be her doing, but it’s unclear what exactly is being done.

It seems to have some kind of shock-wave out, which I guess implies they’re out of the time-loop now, but that doesn’t explain where the scroll ended up.

All we know is the same time portal Twilight, Spike, and Starlight came out of seems to suck the spell up with it. But, not without first taking some magic from the map, which was what allowed the spell to be so powerful.

I’m not sure if that would enchant the parchment itself, giving it the same immense power to travel to any time for as long as the pony using it wants.

But the fact that it disappeared into a time portal, even if it appeared to be the same one they were ejected from, seems like something the writers left for whenever they need it.

Where did it end up? Was it supposed to do that, and if so why? We didn’t see anyone’s magic lifting it toward to portal, but was someone on the other side of that portal waiting? Does someone have the spell now (or better yet, will they)?

Clue #2: Starswirl “never understood friendship like [Twilight]”

In the past, we’ve seen supplementary material portray Starswirl in a variety of different ways. From Celestia and Luna’s point of view in the Journal of the Two Sisters, to his own in Legends of Magic, to a 3rd person, more objectively told story in the Reflections arc.

But in the show, what little we know of him comes from and in relation to Twilight. In particular, a line that always stuck with me.

That he was unable to complete his cutie mark restoration spell because he didn’t understand friendship. At least, not like Twi.

Which is a bit saddening, given that he mentored Luna and Celestia. Luna did end up feeling isolated, so perhaps Starswirl’s lack of expertise in friendship played a role in that.

It seems he was still focused on teaching them magic and writing his many spells. Even if he loved them as students, which I suspect he did given his B-canon portrayals, he evidently didn’t do enough to save them from their fate.

Does Sunburst not understand friendship? He and Starlight have reunited now, but then again, you certainly couldn’t say he’s an expert in friendship (and in the same way Twilight focused on her studies, Sunburst did focus heavily on the study of magic instead of, say, visiting Starlight). He’s still studying magic in the Crystal Empire so he might very well still be a borderline shut-in.

Now that he’s Flurry Heart’s magic adviser, perhaps that’s starting to slowly change. Then again, if Starswirl could not understand friendship and still be Celestia and Luna’s mentor, couldn’t Sunburst theoretically also miss some crucial understanding about friendship while looking after Flurry Heart?

Clue #3: Sunburst’s Talents with Magic Theory and Starswirl’s 200+ Spells

Here’s one of the more compelling coincidences.

Sunburst can’t perform any of the magic theory he’s been studying his whole life, but he’s a damn fine magic theorist. I might even wager a guess that Starlight’s habit of combining spells comes from Sunburst, as that’s something he’s been shown to do in The Crystalling Part 2.

We know for a fact that Starswirl was the “father of the anmiomorphic spell,” “the most important conjurer of the preclassical era,” and that he “created more than 200 spells”... but we don’t actually know if he could perform any of that magic himself.

Now that’s a stretch, but when you think about it, it holds true for just about everything we know about the things Starswirl’s done. Even when Starswirl banished the Sirens to the Equestria Girls dimension, it wasn’t like he made those portals with his own magic, he found them (at least, according to the Reflections arc).

And in Legends of Magic, he seems to know combat magic, but then again, he makes his escape off-screen, so we never see him cast much of anything.

For all we know, Starswirl might be a great wizard, maybe the greatest, but not necessarily a powerful one. His talent lies in writing spells.

Clue #4: Very Important Wizard

Okay, this one’s just neat from a story-telling perspective. We’ve been introduced to Sunburst as someone whose insecure about not being a very important wizard. That’s how we know him, a resourceful but ultimately powerless magician.

If, in fact, he were to turn out to be the most important wizard of them all, even despite his lack of natural talent for magic, that’s just... wonderful, don’t you think? That he found ways to be influential in the magic world despite the handicap of not being able to use magic?

He became the most important wizard of all time, even despite his problems performing magic himself.

Clue # 5: A... Changing Appearance?

Starswirl actually doesn’t have a consistent eye-colour or look at the moment. We’ve seen him with gold eyes, grey, and even purple.

And, most recently blue, in Legends of Magic.

I suppose if we were explaining how Sunburst could turn into Starswirl, his entire coat would have to grey completely (if we’re going with the depictions of Starswirl with a white or grey coat). A pony’s coat can grey in real life, so perhaps it’s possible in this world. Or we could guess that Sunburst would knowingly disguise himself as what he knows Starswirl to look like via some kind of spell, if he had a reason to assume that role.

Speaking of purely cosmetic similarities, I would also like to mention that in a manner of speaking, “Starswirl” and “Sunburst” are kiiiinda synonymous with each other. In the same way the Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, and Starlight Glimmer are supposed to parallel each other, it’s roughly the same name.

A sun is of course a star, and both a burst and swirl suggest an outward projection.

Another neat coincidence, I guess. Just like the fact that both of them wear capes and grow beards.

That’s what we’re left with when theory crafting something like this. Coincidences that can help us imagine fantastical fanfiction, but can��t ultimately take us any closer to knowing who Starswirl the Bearded actually was, whether Sunburst or just pony of a long-gone era.

One thing that still intrigues me, though, is that according to the comics, Starswirl didn’t die. He went missing.

And there are elements in play like his mysteriously vanishing time spell scroll that are available for the MLP staff to act on whenever they so choose.

So, perhaps we’ll never know who Starswirl was, outside of B-canon and the legends we’ve been told thus far. Or, maybe we’ll get to learn who he is someday, and some or all of this will come into play. Who knows? This pony has both a past and a future that’s shrouded in mystery. So much so that this theory is only one of many, and will continue to be until we meet again.

And until that day, I hope to share many more theories together.

MLP content? Sure, I’ve got some of that! Here’s my editorials and my reviews! I’d of course recommend checking out Dr. Wolf on Youtube. And for the heck of it, here’s the last three things I’ve done:

Fluttershy Leans In Review, Forever Filly Review, and New Fluttershy Editorial

Year of the Pony

Special Thanks to...

Original Theory by Dr. Wolf Sunburst Vector by ChainChomp2 Starswirl Cave Background by MysteryMelt

I’m a huge fan of Dr. Wolf, so I loved building off his ideas! If you somehow never have, you’ll thank yourself for checking out his channel. I’d also recommend checking out these talented vector artists! Without their hard work and willingness to share it, I wouldn’t be able to make the headers.

Gotta Get Back, Back to the Past

[oumakokichi]

not meta really, but do you have any headcanons for what the v3 kids were like personalitywise before the brainwashing?? we see a little of them in the prologue but it's very vague, and i haven't seen any headcanons aside from my own so i'm interested in seeing what you think

I have a few, yes! Coming up with headcanons for what theywere like beforehand is really fun in my opinion. I know a lot of people wereupset by the twist because they felt like either they “never really got to knowthe real characters,” or else that the characters we see in-game had theirpersonalities “completely made opposite” from how they were beforehand, but I don’treally feel like that was the case.

I’ve gone over it in a few posts, but I’m pretty sure thatwith most of the characters, their core personalities were definitely leftintact. Ouma was an exception to the rule, and Tsumugi attempted to twist himfurther than anyone else, specifically because she wanted him to be the bad guyin her game—a perfectly manipulated, amenable pawn of despair to her plans soshe could set herself and everyone else up to be “Hope” and Ouma would be “Despair.”But as for the others, who weren’t supposed to be cast into a villainous rolefrom the start, there really wasn’t any need for her to try to twist them thatfar, and I think a lot of their basic interests, hobbies, inclinations, etc.are all very similar to how we see them behave in-game.

The fact that their given likes and dislikes don’t alwaysmatch up perfectly with their given talents is proof of this. Despite thebrainwashing and the fake talents, their actual personalities, and the thingsthey either like or don’t like, are still theirs.Angie, for instance, really doesn’t like moisture—aninteresting thing to note, considering in-game she’s portrayed as being from amost likely tropical island, and is an artist who works with paints and ink, noless. And Tenko’s likes include nunchakus, which have absolutely nothing to dowith aikido but sound very fitting for someone who perhaps before entering thegames was just interested in martial arts in general.

What I think was changed about them for the game per se wasmostly what they wanted out of the game directly. Tsumugi is an otaku at heart;she’s very open about this, really. Even once she’s been outed as themastermind, it’s very clear that she views absolutely everything through a lensof fiction, and this includes wanting certain “tropes” or “genre twists”applied to various characters within the game. This means that she’s reallyjust going to find it boring if she gives them all what they want directly whenthey audition.

And so characters like Saihara, who ask to be a “cooldetective who can get away with closed room murder tricks,” are “subverted” byher instead, and given a backstory based on insecurity, tragedy, and the fearof ruining everyone’s lives with the very thing that a detective seeks most:the truth. But at heart, Saihara is clearly the same person. He wants to be adetective, he enjoys mysteries. He has a natural curiosity about the worldaround him and he likes doing armchair detective reasoning more than anything.He loves novels—and it’s easy to tell in hindsight that he really loved the DRnovels all along.

I’ve talked before about how even seeing that some of the characterssigned up for the audition willingly or knowingly while talking about killingpeople doesn’t necessarily mean that they were a horrible person or a bully. Itall depends on what society is actually like in the ndrv3 universe—and everythingwe know about the outside world and how society must have rebuilt itself afterthose catastrophes suggests that it’s awful. If the killing game reality showhas been going for 53 seasons and is a deeply engrained pastime andentertainment hobby, that’s not something that would ever occur in a normal society. It sounds much moreHunger Games-like to me, where the idea that this is “normal” and that thesekids (kids without talent) “deserve it” is so inherently beaten into societythat it goes unquestioned, even by the kids who sign up for it themselves.

Therefore even for characters like Momota, who was shownsaying on his tape that he wanted to kill people and win the game for money, it’simportant to remember that Tsumugi wanted to use those audition tapes for shockvalue. In my opinion, she wanted to use the tapes to create the impression thatthe survivors were all drastically different people than who they used to beback when they auditioned, because that would be the thing that would breaktheir spirits and convince them that they were little more than “fictionalexistences.”

In any case, a character like Momota, who was actually sickfrom before, would have more reason than most to enter a killing gamewillingly. He was already going to die anyway, and knew he had nothing to lose,and the idea of winning a game so clearly meant for entertainment and prestigeand “looking cool” was probably appealing under those circumstances.

My headcanons for most of the characters is that theyprobably acted very similarly, but with a few subversions. Tenko, for instance,I could easily see being the same very excitable, very easy-to-read emotionalsort of person. I think she must have really had a love for watching martialarts, but didn’t really know a lot about them, and that explains why she wasgiven a title like SHSL Aikido Specialist when she really just thinks nunchakuslook cool. But she was still a person who wants to “be strong” and wants to “protectothers”; she just didn’t always know how to go about it the best way, just asshe doesn’t always know how to do so with Himiko.

Kaede is fairly similar. The Kaede we see in her ownaudition tape describes herself as a cynic and someone who can’t really trustothers easily. Considering the bleakness of the outside world and society inndrv3, and what we see of Kaede’s flashbacks to being kidnapped in theprologue, this fits pretty well. But also she undeniably wanted to be a leaderfrom the start. She wanted to be someone who could trust others, and inspirethem, and serve as a hopeful, reliable sort of figure. This means that even ifshe felt actually putting it into practice might have been impossible for her,because of how cynical she was, she still had those feelings there all along.Kaede would never have made for the “perfect protagonist” figure that she wasif she hadn’t had that kind of potential in her all along.

Miu I definitely see as having been extremely similar to howshe is in-game. Most likely she went into her audition specifically asking tobe some “high and mighty inventor,” and she wanted to be able to invent supercool stuff all the time and have everyone think she was awesome and incredible.But since Miu is ultimately a character who’s almost all bark and no bite, andwho backs down quickly when given the same treatment she tries to force onto others,even in-game she retains this sort of quality, and her genius inventing abilitiesare still subverted by the fact that she really lacks basic common sense abouta lot of other things.

In the prologue, we see her saying things like “Why’re youtalking like someone who’s got talent?!”, implying that talent clearly existsin ndrv3 society and that those without it are regarded pretty lowly, or likethey shouldn’t be giving their opinions about things. And this is definitelyhow the Miu we see in-game acts a lot, so it follows her thought process.

You probably get the idea—most of the characters I thinkfollow this sort of pattern where how they would behave or talk to others isreally similar, except that perhaps they were slightly more or less excitableor confident or jaded. And that’s pretty normal, actually, in my opinion.Rather than thinking of them as entirely separate from their in-game selves,with most of them it feels a lot more like comparing the same person but withfive or ten years of experience in-between, because experience can also changea person and how they think without changing who they are at their core.

With Ouma…the question is a little more complicated, becauseOuma’s situation was more complicated. He was given the most messed up talentout of the bunch, because Tsumugi wanted him to be her pawn more than anything.We don’t see much of him in the prologue to compare to, either—he has exactlyone speaking line, and all we can really glean is that he looks really, reallynervous, and that he has never heard of himself (or the others) having any “sealedtalents” which the Monokumerz keep talking about.

Tsumugi confirms that his DICE group actually existed, andthat they did “laughably small crimes,” meaning that they most likely wentaround pulling pranks and maybe petty theft at most. I’d say this confirms thatOuma has definitely always been mischievous at least, but certainlywell-intentioned.

If my own theory that ndrv3’s society in general is basedaround those with SHSL Talents in the real world perpetuating fiction like DRand running the killing game show in order to take things out on those withouttalent is true, then I would bet Ouma and his DICE group were probably a realpain in the ass. A group of kids running around and pulling pranks andgenerally making these very talented people at the top of society in thissituation where talent is everything and it’s all up to “survival of thefittest” must have seemed like a real slap in the face, moreso if the wholepoint of DICE was that “no one ever got hurt or killed.”

My own headcanon (meaning no one has to agree with it) isthat Ouma looks so shocked and nervous in the prologue precisely because he’dbeen getting away with all these kinds of pranks and jokes before, andeverything seemed like a game and everything was going fine—up until he thoughthe “got caught.” Then suddenly he realized that he was in really hot water and that something definitely wasn’t right aboutthe situation he was in.

His personality being “imbued with despair” even feels alittle more intentionally like a punishment than anything that’s given to theother characters. If he and his DICE group had been making a point of playingthese pranks, getting away with these harmless crimes in order to point andlaugh at a talent-based society that was based around slaughtering off thosewithout talent because really, these super-talented people are not as smart asthey think they are, well…that’s a subversive message.

And it would make sense that Tsumugi and the producers wouldwant to make sure that he was the villain, and that he was given thispersonality and role based around the idea of “hurting others” and “getting offto human suffering,” because that’s what she wanted him to be. That’s whatJunko was, after all. But it speaks a lot to Ouma’s core values as a person,that even when that’s something he was twisted into and to some degree,something he did believe he’d become, he still maintained his hatred forkilling and suffering. He knew thingswere off about the killing game, and about his own memories and talent becauseof how much dissonance there was between what he could remember and the disgusthe actually felt when he saw human suffering.

Anyway, these arejust my headcanons! This got a bit long but it was really fun to talk about. Iknow a lot of people are still tripped up by the misinformation that thecharacters’ personalities are all “completely opposite” from how they werebefore, but knowing that that’s not really the case gives a lot more room forspeculation and ideas based on what we do see of them in-game, and I find itreally fun.

[uniteordie-usa]

Once Again, Reading Beyond the Headlines Reveals Another Smear Attempt

http://uniteordiemedia.com/once-again-reading-beyond-the-headlines-reveals-another-smear-attempt/ https://uniteordiemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Fake-News-600x464.jpg Once Again, Reading Beyond the Headlines Reveals Another Smear Attempt The bottom line here is that the only incremental news is that Manafort knowingly or unknowingly came into contact with Russian intelligence officials during his business dealings but no election-collusion was discovered.

Once again, reading beyond the headline reveals this is just another bold-faced attempt by the former establishment to undermine and discredit the Trump administration.

The establishment takes advantage of the fact that most people only read headlines and listen to sound bites but anyone reading deeper into this will see that they’ve made no solid accusations and have little proof, if any, of actual lawbreaking or collusion.

Once again, just like with the previous attempts, you’ll see that they don’t go to a full investigation because that would reveal the accusation are baseless.

NYTimes Reports Trump Aides’ “Repeated Contact” With Russian Intel Officials, Admits No Collusion Discovered | Zero Hedge

The New York Times appears to be resurrecting an old story with a new angle to keep the ‘blame the Russians’ narrative alive. Following FISA court approval (to spy on Trump’s campaign), intercepted calls reportedly show “repeated contact” between Trump advisor Paul Manafort and senior Russian intelligence officials… but reveal no collusion.

Intercepted phone calls and phone records show that several aides and allies to President Trump’s campaign were in repeated contact with senior Russian intelligence officials, according to the New York Times. As The Hill explains,

Current and former officials that spoke with the Times would not give many details, and it’s not clear exactly who, both from the U.S. and Russia, were part of the conversations or what they talked about, including if discussions centered on Trump himself.

Officials told the publication that they have seen no evidence of collusion in regards to hacking or the election.

Three of the four current and former officials who spoke with the Times said the contacts were discovered during the same time that U.S. intelligence agencies were investigating Russia’s extensive hacking campaign, later determined to be aimed at helping Trump win the White House.

The Times’ sources said Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, was picked up on the calls. Manafort left the campaign after several months as reports swirled about his business ties in Russia and the Ukraine.

The officials would not name any other Trump aides or supporters captured in the conversations.

As a reminder, it was not just Paul Manafort that was involved in FBI probes, but Tony Podesta – the brother of Hillary Clinton’s campaign director John Podesta – who had set up secret meetings with Ukraine officials.

Manafort, who has not been charged with any crimes, exclaims To Britain’s Telegraph that “this is absurb,”

 “I have no idea what this is referring to. I have never knowingly spoken to Russian intelligence officers, and I have never been involved with anything to do with the Russian government or the Putin administration or any other issues under investigation today.”

Mr. Manafort added, “It’s not like these people wear badges that say, ‘I’m a Russian intelligence officer.’”

Several of Mr. Trump’s associates, like Mr. Manafort, have done business in Russia, and it is not unusual for American businessmen to come in contact with foreign intelligence officials, sometimes unwittingly, in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where the spy services are deeply embedded in society. Law enforcement officials did not say to what extent the contacts may have been about business.

Finally, buried deep in The New York Times’ story – which is sure to run the narrative during tomorrow’s media cycle (and already is a hot topic of conjecture on CNN) – the author admits, rather sheepishly that…

 The intelligence agencies then sought to learn whether the Trump campaign was colluding with the Russians on the hacking or other efforts to influence the election.

The officials interviewed in recent weeks said that, so far, they had seen no evidence of such cooperation.

Which confirms what The FBI said back in November. *  *  * The bottom line here is that the only incremental news is that Manafort knowingly or unknowingly came into contact with Russian intelligence officials during his business dealings but no election-collusion was discovered. We leave it to Ari Fleischer to sum it all up perfectly…

Read More: www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-14/nytimes-reports-trump-aides-repeated-contact-russian-intel-officials-admits-no-collu