#crap this book predicted the future

[ladydaybreaker]

Small rant

Spoilers for Ad Astra ahead.

Since What Friends Are For has started the Absolute End arc I knew that I was gonna go canon divergent. Because how the heckin' heck could I have predicted what we had in the show?!

So I thought I'd just put an author's note at the beginning of the arc and put it right before the chapter starts in bold and I'd be ok. Did that with the Mass Destruction arc and we were fine! Should be ok, yeah?

Oh. Oh no. Ohhhhh nonononno.

I've...gotten a lot of reviews demanding to do what canon did in regards to Uzi (and that they're gonna be depressed if I don't) and they hate the idea that I introduced a second option to deal with the Solver (the killswitch Virus). Or that they liked canon better (which is fine) because they had a certain character a-okay alive but I didn't (less fine). Or the "Um. Actually. This happened." (which reeeeeeally pissed me off not gonna lie because I did say I was going canon divergent. Specially since I started my future AU before ep7's release (I'm sorry guys I couldn't wait. I wanted to write soft fluffy things and let my favorites heal...). And there was no way I could have predicted what they did in ep8.

I'm...not gonna lie I'm a bit heartbroken because I have...this massive plan that I've spent months working on. That I've been drawing up and bouncing off ideas for with other writers...and I didn't want to throw it away. So I stuck to my guns. And then I have people who say they're going to be upset because I don't stick to canon? The heck? It's kinda disheartening because...I mean...it feels you guys don't trust me to deliver a good story. Especially when I've been doing this for multiple books now. And it really really hurts.

Spoilers for Ad Astra below.

I'm not doing the "Eldritch Goddess" Uzi. I never planned for anything like that and while I'm stoked that they kept Cyn alive in some form...that's not what I had planned for Ad Astra.

V is still remaining dead. I felt that her sacrifice means more this way. Does that mean she stays dead? No. Backups are a thing...but she's not gonna ride in on a Sentinel and beat the crap out of whatever is there. Sorry to disappoint. There are other characters who are going to be doing things though that she originally did in the episode.

There will be a different antagonist to fight than J. J's on the side of the heroes here. But that doesn't mean the Solver's going to fight alone.

Nori is going to have a little bit of a bigger screen time. As is Khan. Lizzy and Thad as well but not as much as the prior two.

J and Tessa will have very big roles to play alongside N and Uzi.

There will be a reason why there is no Absolute Solver Uzi. But the Solver will be destroyed.

There will be a new character making a cameo...one that has made appearances before but mia ciel is a little camera shy.

There will be some old faces that haven't been seen in person for a few books. At least...not completely.

I hate that I had to do this. I really do. But I'm just...so angry and so hurt. Because I want to make a good story for you guys. I really do. But you guys apparently don't trust me.

[penguinmerchant]

Death and the Prince

My next binding! This one is based off of @arahir​‘s lovely work, Death and the Prince. All of arahir’s stuff is great, but I chose to do this one because my (graphic designer) boyfriend offered to make the cover for me. And boy is it a cool cover.

Once I saw how ridiculous it was I also let him know he was going to be weeding it as well, which was a (predictably) terrible experience for everyone involved. He also designed some of the interior chapter headers, which turned out pretty neat. There’s a different one for each character.

(the text isn’t printed blurry, it just looks like it on my camera for whatever reason)

And here are the beautiful endpapers. I love buying golden marbledy papers, can you tell?

More info about the binding process under the cut.

This binding was a little more fraught with errors than my previous one (terrible weeding job of the fiddly cover aside) as I accidentally forgot to trim the covers before putting the cloth on. Which I’m pretty sure I only did because I messed up the spine and it came out super wonky, large on one side and small on the other, and I had to rip all that out and do it again and I got stressed out by the whole thing. Whoops.

I’m so sorry, beautiful duo cloth. At least I was forced to buy a crap ton of you due to Talas’ insane shipping (I had to make the shipping costs worth it!) so I still have a bunch left over. Maybe I’ll try and make a text block that will fit in there. The dimensions are almost 5x7, which is a respectable size for a book, it just doesn’t fit as well in my hand as much as the 4.5 x 6.75 one does. Ah, who am I kidding, they’re almost the same. I’ll make it work.

Anyway, this was a pretty easy bind except for the above nonsense, only 4 signatures which got sewn up pretty quickly. I used the 7mm gutter space again because I wanted the spine to be prevalent since it would have text on it, and I think it turned out looking great for such a small book. Bookcloth is duo (again, I love you duo) in grape, which is a lovely red/purple color that shifts in the light. End papers are marbled jute from Mulberry Papers. Cover is HTV and Cricut and was such a dumb idea for such a fiddly little design. I might try printing on cloth next time and using the toner reactive foil because this was just the hugest pain. But even with all the little problems it had it ended up looking great.

Look at it on my shelf there! So cute! (Also check out my first printing hardback copy of Goblin Emperor, that was the find of a century at $7.99, also that paper cut version of Emma on the end, also very cheap, I love you Half Price Books and your dumb pricing system)

Arahir if you see this thank you so much for all your great writing! Everything you write is incredible, there will probably be more bindings of yours in the future because I love everything you do. If anyone has any questions about the binding process please let me know! I’m still very new at binding and trying to get better so any criticism or help is welcome.

[controversial-blorbo-bracket]

Anti-Snape propaganda: his whole reasoning for opposing wizard fascism was ‘oh no, my tragically unrequited crush (who hates me because I called her a slur when she was trying to help me and cruelly married a man who bullied me in highschool) might be in danger!’ If Lily was a Pureblood, he would have no reason not to stay a Death Eater. He’s the one who puts her life in danger in the first place, while spying for the mass-murdering blood supremacist, and he only feels regret and switches sides when it affects him personally.

(In addition, it’s highly insinuated that there was more to the end of the friendship than Snape calling Lily a slur, although, you know, that’s reason enough. She mentions that he’s already hanging out with future death eaters who make her uncomfortable, which definitely presents the possibility he’s already entrenched in the gross racist views whether or not he likes her personally).

This is the quote where he goes to Dumbledore:

“The — the prophecy . . . the prediction . . . Trelawney . . .”

“Ah, yes. How much did you relay to Lord Voldemort?”

“Everything — everything I heard! That is why — it is for that reason — he thinks it means Lily Evans!”

“The prophecy did not refer to a woman. It spoke of a boy born at the end of July —”

“You know what I mean! He thinks it means her son, he is going to hunt her down — kill them all —”

“If she means so much to you, surely Lord Voldemort will spare her? Could you not ask for mercy for the mother, in exchange for the son?”

“I have — I have asked him —”

“You disgust me.”

Yeah, he was totally cool with trading away the lives of his high school bully and his supposed true love’s newborn baby (who she died for! But he cares so much about her happiness, right?) as long as he got to keep Lily Potter like a muggleborn pet. Because let’s be honest, muggleborns weren’t considered equals by the Death Eaters, and I can’t imagine the woman who sacrificed herself to save her child’s life would be super fine with just letting her family be slaughtered in exchange for ‘mercy.’ How would he deal with her horrified trauma? Would he be keeping her under lock and key, or…? I think it’s reasonable to assume some pretty fucked-up implications for the whole ‘I asked the Dark Lord’ comment.

Also, lots of people justify his creepy sadman act (where he used his academic authority to bully the abused orphan who dared to be related to his highschool bully) by saying he was abused and bullied himself, like that doesn’t make it worse? He knows what that’s like, and he inflicts that pain on others, while remaining constantly self-pitying. Additionally, as though his motivation for actively trying to make the eleven year old orphan’s life miserable wasn’t stupid enough, Harry is absolutely not the only one he treats this way. He torments a ton of Gryffindors over the years, so either he just enjoys preying on the weak, like Neville (who in no way resembles James Potter, and whose family life was ruined in part due to the prophecy Snape revealed), or he’s taken his childhood bullying trauma to the next level by assigning it to a quarter of the school population! I’m not saying getting bullied isn’t terrible. It’s very traumatising in some instances and I do feel sympathy for his experiences. But Snape is not a sympathetic figure or hero to bullied children, he’s just a hypocritical self-pitying incel who wilfully plays straight into the circle of generational trauma. If anything, the fact that Harry didn’t grow up to bully children who reminded him of Snape makes him the true champion here.

Sorry, this is stupidly long. I guess I have a lot of repressed rage about the TERFiest of books and how much crap I’ve heard justifying poor writing in the past.

[amagicdoctor]

(I don’t know a whole deal about Destiny’s relationship with Rogue/Kurt)

Okay I can actually answer this one!

Destiny is Rogue's other adoptive mother and has raised her for just as long as Mystique did until her death: She's the reason Rogue was even found and adopted by Mystique in the first place as she can predict where and when specific mutants would be at. As such, she considers Rogue as much of her daughter as if they were blood, to the point of having her part of her will, inheriting both her future diaries and an island from her. Not only that but Destiny went above and beyond looking out for Rogue by predicting her demise years before she herself died and finding THE solution across many timelines that would've kept her alive even if it was at the cost of worsening Rogue's relationship with Mystique with the first nearly killing the latter (Messiah Complex). She predicted the fall of the X-Men in the 80's and was only ever worried about Rogue's possible death, no one else's.

Destiny couldn't give less of a crap about Nightcrawler if she wanted to. I mean this in every way, shape or form. Even if she had raised him alongside Mystique like she did with Rogue, she wouldn't care if he were to die or try preventing that outcome. I am not exaggerating, there was a What-if comic book called "Children in the attic" about Nightcrawler and Rogue being raised together by Destiny and Mystique and it ended with Nightcrawler dying pathetically for the stupidest, most preventable reason imaginable, something Destiny saw coming from the start yet did nothing as a member of her family to stop it. When Nightcrawler first died in 616, the only precog who somewhat predicted his demise was Blindfold, as Destiny never even mentioning either his death or return to life in her diaries seeing how Mystique didn't expect either of those things happening to Kurt. Destiny used her powers to recruit the Brotherhood members but never considered recruiting Nightcrawler back he was alone, on the run, hated by humanity and in grave danger before Professor X came into the scene. Prior to Krakoa, so before 2019, her interactions with him were very few and she never actually directly addressed his person, it was more of her addressing the X-Men team in general.

Oh my God, thank you for this summary! I'm learning about Destiny for the first time in this Krakoa era and she seems really cool!! (It actually got really insane in SOS but she was great in that too)

Crazy as hell though she would match Mystique's energy for Kurt, they really are made for each other 🤪

[pandorasboxofhorrors]

2022: #1-Monkey Business

I remember when I was a tiny tot being brought to theatres to watch films. I was not quite sure what this movie-going experience was all about, at first. Then, around age six, I hypothesized that these films were instructional, warnings to assist and prepare people for the rigors of the realities of the future. There were films about ships sinking with Shelley Winters plummeting. Some movies were about skyscrapers on fire and Robert Wagner dashing through the fire with a wet towel on his head. There were movies featuring earthquakes, and other disasters to warn us so we could be ready. This made sense to my growing, bubbling, and ripening brain. Fiction films as instructional tools to prepare one for the future.

There were oodles of crime films warning us what to avoid, like Death Wish and Dirty Harry. Mad Max and A Clockwork Orange warned us about future mass crime and violent psychos. Films like Soylent Green warned about the future food supply, and that film was coincidentally set in 2022. There are even films about pandemics, environmental disaster, and much of what we have experienced over the last few years. Well, all the zombie film warnings have not come to reality since zombies have never walked this Earth, but we all know how to kill them! The ultimate threat of artificial intelligence is constantly popping up, from Terminator to Westworld to Tron. We have been well trained by movies how to deal with alien invasions, like War the Worlds, Invaders From Mars, and many more. One film that most accurately predicts the future for me is the film Brazil, from body modifications to terrorism.

But one film series has not come true and has no future anticipated date, if or when it ever will come true. I watched these many films as a child, and I was sure that these films would come true in some way because there were so many of them. The Planet of the Apes. I was sure I would be living with ape-men by the year 2020. There were five original films, a tv series, a cartoon, books, comic books, action figures, Halloween costumes, and I even had Planet of the Apes cups and bowls. It had to come true! I counted on it, and as a small child, I knew I would have monkey friends when I was older. Some kids wanted flying cars when they grew up, and I was looking forward to living on the planet of the apes. I wistfully wondered about whether I would need special furniture for these future monkey friends. Would I need in my home hanging chairs, ropes, and hanging banana trees? Would the apes outnumber humans, and would I have to conform to their furniture? And, most importantly, would I need to eat bananas?

I have never eaten a banana. I am not sure if you peel them or unpeel them. They have peels, so taking the peel off must be unpeeling, right? I have no idea, I have never taken that nasty thing off a banana. Possibly having never eaten a banana is somehow unconsciously connected to never having monkey friends… Well, I have slipped on a banana peel before…. I used to slip bananas down the back of the shirt of a next door neighbor when he drifted asleep on his porch at night, and Bardo thought it was funny. But that is my extent of experience with bananas. I am a banana virgin, and I am not ashamed of that. Anyways, do you supposed to do something with those banana peels or just throw them away?

And where are the monkey men? Will we ever get them? I was sure those Planet of the Apes films were preparing us for future monkey men! Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s a primary letdown of being an adult human being: there are no monkey men, we have no monkey friends, no coconut parties. It’s just depressing. After all this crap we have to put up with, environmental disasters, political insanity, and a pandemic, can’t we just have monkey men now? We all deserve millions of monkey men on this planet, a plethora of primates, an abundance of apes, a surfeit of simians, and most definitely a cornucopia of Corneliuses!

I know there are some who share similar views. I worked with a college researcher who had a childhood crush on Chaka from The Land of the Lost. Chaka was a fur covered small apelike protohuman, not exactly sexy, nothing like a sleek sleestak. And there was an evening when a friend of a friend visited me at my apartment many years ago. I was warned that she was eccentric, slightly off kilter. She wandered into my kitchen unescorted to retrieve a beverage, and was gone a long time. When she returned, she was wearing a full body monkey suit she had recovered and donned from a closet. She also had consumed a large bottle of alcohol in that short time, so when she returned to my living room, she sat on the floor, sitting upright wearing the ape suit including the full head covering. She slumped forward and the ape lady barely moved for three hours. Her life signs were periodically checked, until she suddenly recovered and transformed back into a human and quickly left.

If I only knew in my life that would be the closest I ever came to having the monkey men over for a party, I would have taken photos. Monkey men where are you? You are not here yet in 2022, weepers! I will not be daunted, crushed, broken, or left without hope of a monkey man future! It will happen! One day. Until then, I will have to eck an existence off of old videos of Ernie Kovacs’ The Nairobi Trio and repeated viewings of the original Planet of the Apes films. So the waiting continues…

[cru5h-cascades]

(folks who followed me for Serafina series crap y'all might want to read this!)

Bridge to Terabithia.

So I had to read this book for 6th grade and I vividly remember what's up with this book (probaly because I frequently watch the movie but also because the unit we had for the book was interesting, especially towards the end of the unit!). I have LOTS of thoughts about this book, especially for the last parts of it, and the movie adaption from 2007.

Yup. This is another semi book rant.

First off, the positives. I liked this book as a kid. Not because I related to it, but because of the events of the book and how the kids in my grade reacted to Leslie's death. Personally, I kind of saw it coming. If I recall correctly, I think I might've figured it out by reading the back of my copy of the book somehow (it was the 40th anniversay edition copy, like the one pictured above). The day after I read the part where Leslie died, I blabbed this to some of my fellow classmates because I was so suprised I was right (I suprisingly have a good track record when it comes to predicting stuff in books I have to read in class!) and then soon enough My entire 6th grade class found out about the death of this fictional girl we were reading about. It was just interesting to see the story unfold! Like at one moment it's pretty nice, you know kids just usin' their imagination and finding creative ways to survive school as social outcasts but then BAM one of them dies and the other kid just kind of loses himself I guess.

With the book's sequence of events comes my gripes with the book. Case in point: how Jess goes on living after Leslie's death. Here's some stuff that Jess does after Leslie dies.

Blaming his teacher who took him to a field trip outside of school hours (more on that in a bit because I got stuff about to say about that) for Leslie's death because she never asked if Jess wanted to bring Leslie DESPITE THE FACT Jess did think about bringing Leslie with them but never said anything.

Punching a kid because he was mocking him about his friend dying.

Dump the art supplied Leslie gave him into the river she drowned in (without any concern for the local wildlife and marine life, might I add)

All of this presumably over a short amount of time and once he makes the bridge he's all a-okay??? BRO IF YOU'RE ACTING LIKE THIS CLEARLY YOU'RE NOT OKAY. I vividly remember this from 6th grade but we had what my 6th grade teacher called a socratic semenar about if the way Jess is coping with this loss is okay or not.

Unanimously, we all agreed that kid needs help. Ain't no way a bridge can solve your problems, lil' man.

Now, it isn't specified how long it's been from Leslie's death to the end of the book. But nowhere is it specified that Jess got some time off school to process all of this or anything like that and the movie doesn't do anything to clarify that, which leads me to assume that all of this happens over the course of a week or so. Give the kid a breather. My. God.

The 2007 movie isn't any better, either.

Same story beats. The bridge fixes everything for Jess again. My. God.

I haven't re-read the book recently, but for some reason I think Jess' dad is a bit more of a dick in the flick? I dunno. Hell, maybe some of this post is me confusing some stuff from the movie for stuff that came from the book. But damn. The oppertunity to fix the book's weaker points was right there but nah.

If there's another adaptation of Bridge to Terabithia in the future, I hope that it shows Jess really recovering from Leslie's death. Make it clear how long it is between Leslie's death and the end of the story. Let Jess get help. Something. Just handle the effects of how the death of a friend might affect a child better. Actually show the healing process and don't resolve everything by having Jess build the bridge. Build up to that point. Jess' previous negative coping mechanisims can stay but at least show some positive ones afterwards. Show him growing as a person.

So that's my lil rant about Bridge to Terabithia and how it handles mental health. These are just my opinions, so take it easy on me. If I ever make that post about the Spiderwick Chronicles I promise it's not gonna be a rant 'cause I loved those books (at least the og ones, anyways) and I don't have a lot of negative stuff to say about them (again, at least the og books).

[straycatboogie]

2022/12/03 English

BGM: 佐野元春 "Christmas Time in Blue"

I look back at what books I have read in 2022. In the beginning, I read books about brain science a lot and tried to think about where my consciousness even if I am just an amateur. Meanwhile, I read the ideologue Shunsuke Tsurumi and thought about the opinions which come from my ordinary citizen life. And I read Kazushi Hosaka, Haruki Murakami, Yoshio Kataoka, and Koutarou Sawaki. Recently I am interested in John Irving. I find that the direction of the books I want to read goes conservative. I even can say that I am certainly getting older.

I reflect on my current myself and think that this is the person I really wanted to be. Indeed, I couldn't become a celeb or famous one, but I find that I have built this by reading many books and watching many movies now. I have come here to become myself now... or everything I have had to face was the process to come here. If I think like this, I feel I can find the meaning of life. I learned English literature, I met Haruki Murakami's book, and watched a lot of movies. Everything was the way to reach here...

At the workplace, I am an outsider as usual, or I can describe myself as a heresy. From them, the action I am doing might be just the claim and nonsense saying I am autistic. It might be correct from their side. How can I solve this deep and desperate gap? This must be the one I should think about. I never want to think that being born as an autistic person was a mistake or error. Following Osamu Hashimoto's point of view, I want to make a revolution from the life I got as a loser lottery to life as a winning lottery. That might be the life I have to live.

This evening I watched "The Noel Diary" on Netflix, but I was not impressed. A banal human drama. Indeed, this must sound like a tricky saying, I won't say those banal dramas must be crap. The ones I can predict the future story might have its delicacy generally. Then what is the bad point of this drama? I say that this is not "rhythmical". How do the characters think and what mysteries does this story have? This drama doesn't have such an important moment to think about them. Everything is just flat and doesn't have waves. It goes too smoothly so doesn't leave anything in my mind.

[rileymarie]

Fahrenheit 451 Quotes

“Let you alone! That's all very well, but how can I leave myself alone? We need not to be let alone. We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real?” And then he shut up, for he remembered last week and the two white stones staring up at the ceiling and the pump-snake with the probing eye and the two soap-faced men with the cigarettes moving in their mouths when they talked. But that was another Mildred, that was a Mildred so deep inside this one, and so bothered, really bothered, that the two women had never met. He turned away.

Once, books appealed to a few people, here, there, everywhere. They could afford to be different. The world was roomy. But then the world got full of eyes and elbows and mouths. Double, triple, quadruple population. Films and radios, magazines, books levelled down to a sort of paste pudding norm, do you follow me?”

Do you see? Out of the nursery into the college and back to the nursery; there's your intellectual pattern for the past five centuries or more.

Politics? One column, two sentences, a headline! Then, in mid-air, all vanishes! Whirl man's mind around about so fast under the pumping hands of publishers, exploiters, broadcasters, that the centrifuge flings off all unnecessary, time-wasting thought!”

School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually neglected, finally almost completely ignored. Life is immediate, the job counts, pleasure lies all about after work. Why learn anything save pressing buttons, pulling switches, fitting nuts and bolts?”

More cartoons in books. More pictures. The mind drinks less and less. Impatience.

Surely you remember the boy in your own school class who was exceptionally 'bright,' did most of the reciting and answering while the others sat like so many leaden idols, hating him. And wasn't it this bright boy you selected for beatings and tortures after hours? Of course it was. We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal.

Coloured people don't like Little Black Sambo. Burn it. White people don't feel good about Uncle Tom's Cabin. Burn it. Someone's written a book on tobacco and cancer of the lungs? The cigarette people are weeping? Burn the book. Serenity, Montag. Peace, Montag. Take your fight outside. Better yet, into the incinerator.

You can't rid yourselves of all the odd ducks in just a few years. The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school. That's why we've lowered the kindergarten age year after year until now we're almost snatching them from the cradle.

If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war. If the Government is inefficient, top-heavy, and tax-mad, better it be all those than that people worry over it.

Cram them full of non-combustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information. Then they'll feel they're thinking, they'll get a sense of motion without moving. And they'll be happy, because facts of that sort don't change. Don't give them any slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy. Any man who can take a TV wall apart and put it back together again, and most men can nowadays, is happier than any man who tries to slide-rule, measure, and equate the universe, which just won't be measured or equated without making man feel bestial and lonely.

And the second?” “Leisure.” “Oh, but we've plenty of off-hours.” “Off-hours, yes. But time to think? If you're not driving a hundred miles an hour, at a clip where you can't think of anything else but the danger, then you're playing some game or sitting in some room where you can't argue with the fourwall televisor. Why? The televisor is 'real.' It is immediate, it has dimension. It tells you what to think and blasts it in. It must be, right. It seems so right. It rushes you on so quickly to its own conclusions your mind hasn't time to protest, 'What nonsense!'”

“Jesus God,” said Montag. “Every hour so many damn things in the sky! How in hell did those bombers get up there every single second of our lives! Why doesn't someone want to talk about it? We've started and won two atomic wars since 1960. Is it because we're having so much fun at home we've forgotten the world? Is it because we're so rich and the rest of the world's so poor and we just don't care if they are? I've heard rumours; the world is starving, but we're well-fed. Is it true, the world works hard and we play? Is that why we're hated so much?

Lord, how they've changed it — in our 'parlours' these days. Christ is one of the 'family' now. I often wonder it God recognizes His own son the way we've dressed him up, or is it dressed him down? He's a regular peppermint stick now, all sugar-crystal and saccharine when he isn't making veiled references to certain commercial products that every worshipper absolutely needs.”

The same infinite detail and awareness could be projected through the radios and televisors, but are not. No, no, it's not books at all you're looking for! Take it where you can find it, in old phonograph records, old motion pictures, and in old friends; look for it in nature and look for it in yourself. Books were only one type of receptacle where we stored a lot of things we were afraid we might forget. There is nothing magical in them at all. The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us.

"Number one: Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores. It has features. This book can go under the microscope. You'd find life under the glass, streaming past in infinite profusion. The more pores, the more truthfully recorded details of life per square inch you can get on a sheet of paper, the more 'literary' you are. That's my definition, anyway. Telling detail. Fresh detail. The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies.

“So now do you see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life. The comfortable people want only wax moon faces, poreless, hairless, expressionless.

Only if the third necessary thing could be given us. Number one, as I said, quality of information. Number two: leisure to digest it. And number three: the right to carry out actions based on what we learn from the inter-action of the first two.

They're Caesar's praetorian guard, whispering as the parade roars down the avenue, 'Remember, Caesar, thou art mortal.' Most of us can't rush around, talking to everyone, know all the cities of the world, we haven't time, money or that many friends. The things you're looking for, Montag, are in the world, but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine per cent of them is in a book.

Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore.”

The old man nodded. “Those who don't build must burn. It's as old as history and juvenile delinquents.”

[loki-is-my-god-of-mischief]

You Idiot! (Young!Remus x Male!Reader)

A/N:   So, this is a sort of prequel to 'Took You Long Enough'.

This is set in the third year of the marauder era, so

no one is an animagi yet. I looked up what the diver

symbolises and I have changed the 'lover' description

to 'someone close to you'. 

Took You Long Enough

______________________________________________________________

Reader POV

I hate divination. It's so pointless. I mean who would want to spoil their own or someone else's future by practically telling them what happens. UGH! Half the stuff that people 'predict' don't even come true.

"What do you see Mr Malfoy?"

"Huh?" Yes, well done me. You just proved to the whole class you excellent range of vocabulary.

"In your teacup Mr Malfoy, what do you see."

"Oh...um..." Why does the stupid professor choose me out of everyone? "I suppose I can see someone diving?"

"Here let me see" The professor says whilst gesturing for me to show the cup. I hand over my teacup and the professor nods. "Yes, well done. There is a Diver in your teacup. Can anyone tell me what a Diver symbolises?" The professor asks the class. A know-it-all Ravenclaw sticks their hand up.

"I can professor." They open their divination book. "It says in here that a Diver symbolises 'A great and unexpected piece of news which will lead to a fortunate discovery, it also reveals deception from someone close to you.' ooh someone is lying to you Malfoy" They reply with a snicker.

I immediately settle a glare on Sirius. "What do you have planned now Siri, some prank no doubt" He looks affronted.

"Why do you assume it's me when they mention deception. I swear (Y/N), for once, it isn't me." Even though he has lied in situations like this before, I know he is telling the truth. It's in his eyes. But then, who is lying to me. Probably no one since divination is a load of crap. All of a sudden there was a load bang behind the Professor. I look toward them and see them covered in purple paint. Sirius bursts out laughing "Haha, shouldn't your stupid tea leaves have warned you about that professor. Haha that was a good one, right (Y/N)?" He laughs hysterically whilst looking at me.

"You have something to do with this Mr Malfoy? Why am I not surprised?"

"No, I swear. I had no ide-"

"Enough! You and Mr Black have detention for the remainder of this week-" I suppose it can't any worse. "-With Argus Filch. Class Dismissed." I turn a viscous glare to Sirius.

"What? How was I supposed to know he would blame you for this too?” I suppose he's right there but I'm still angry he got me detention with Filch.

______________________________________________________________

Remus POV

Classes are over now and I'm waiting with James and Peter in the Common room for Sirius and (Y/N). When they walk in Sirius looks guilty and (Y/N) looks angry. "What did you do now Sirius? Why is (Y/N) angry with you?"

"Because Remus. Sirius decided to pull a prank on the Divination's Professor and get the blame on me too so now we both have detention with Filch." He states angrily. Ouch. Not with Filch. I can see James and Peter grimace from beside me. They probably had the same thoughts as me.

"Don't worry (Y/N), It can't be that bad." James says trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh yeah? Did I forget to mention it's detention for the rest of the week." we both grimace again. So, it is bad.

"It will be alright (Y/N), you'll see." I state smiling, he is going to love what I have planned.

"Yeah, sure. Let's just get this over with Sirius." He mutters angrily whilst marching out of the common room, Sirius following behind like a dog with its tail between its legs. James looks at me weirdly for a second. "What do you have planned Remus?"

"Oh, just a little surprise for Sirius, is all."

______________________________________________________________

Still Remus POV

It's time for (Y/N) and Sirius' detention to finish. I spent all this time asking what Sirius had done to get the detention, then the rest of the time setting up my surprise for Sirius. The door opens and out walks Filch then (Y/N). Filch marches away, glad to have been done with them and I make my way over to (Y/N). "Where's Siri?"

"Finishing cleaning, he'll be out in a minute. What are you doing here?"

"You'll see, and might I just say...You'll love me for it." At least I can dream.

"O..Kay?" Just then the door opens again and Sirius walks out. I then use wand without them seeing and then Sirius is drenched in Yellow and Black paint. "UGH!...What they hell!"

"Okay...haha...I...believe you...Remus haha...when you said...love you for it haha." (Y/N) barely gets out around his laughter. Seeing him laugh so hard and Sirius covered in paint causes me to laugh too.

"What the hell Remus?" Sirius shouts at me.

"I figured you should act a bit more Hufflepuff and tell the Divination Professor that (Y/N) had nothing to do with your prank. So, I thought I would get you started by giving you a total colour make-over." I reply still laughing slightly.

"As much as I hate being covered in paint...you’re right. I'll tell him tomorrow, promise."

"You better! and thanks Remus." (Y/N) says smiling.

______________________________________________________________

Next Day Reader POV

I can't believe that Sirius actually got me off the detention. Well, I guess I have Remus to thank for that. God that was so funny, Sirius still has some yellow paint stuck in that god forsaken birds nest he calls hair. Speaking of thanking Remus, why is he in the common room all alone. "Hey Remus, what are you doing here alone?" I say whilst watching him jump.

"Hey (Y/N) didn't see you there. I guess I kinda got lost in thought and didn't realise everyone had left."

"And Sirius, James and Peter just left you down here. Those ungrateful sons of witches." How dare they!

"It's alright, I appreciated the time to think." He smiles, God I love that smile. Remus is always so thoughtful to others. Even yesterday, he pranked Sirius just because he had got me detention.

"Would you mind some company?" I ask.

"I would appreciate it, thanks." He replies, still with that smile.

"I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me yesterday. If it wasn't for you I would still have detention."

"So, you don't have it anymore?"

"Nope, Professor let me off once Sirius explained it was all him."

"That's good." We sit there in comfortable silence for a while until I notice he is starting to look sad and withdrawn.

______________________________________________________________

Remus POV

I'm glad he doesn't have detention anymore. I hate it when he is angry or sad for that matter. He is such a rare, beautiful, carefree person that I don't want him to ever be upset. It is wrong when he is upset. *sigh* I shouldn't even be thinking this. He is an amazing person that I love so much and what am I?...A monster. That's what. He would never even give me the time of day if he knew. I'm probably putting him in danger right now just being his friend. No. I have to tell him, then maybe he will leave me alone. It would kill me...but he would be safe.

"Remus?" I'm brought out of my thoughts by his wondrous voice. "Are you ok?"

"I have something I have to tell you...You’re probably not going to like it."

"Remus...You’re worrying me."

"(Y/N)...I'm....I'm a monster....A hideous beast. I'm a werewolf." I say not looking at him anymore.

"What?" He says so quietly that if I wasn't a werewolf I wouldn't have heard it. Although, If I wasn't a werewolf we wouldn't be having this conversation.

"I know you probably hate me right now, and you want nothing more than to see me dead. That's totally fine, I would too If I were you an-"

"You Idiot!" I was started by his interruption.

"Huh?"

"How dare you!" I knew it, but still hearing him hate me is still painful.

"How dare you assume that I would hate you!" I kno-...wait...what?

"What?"

"I don't hate you. You’re my best friend, I don't care if you’re a werewolf. And If I hear you call yourself a monster or a hideous beast again I will hit you so hard that your head will still be ringing a year later. You are none of those things Remus." He states fiercely. With the look in those (E/C) eyes, I can tell he believes everything he said and I shouldn't even think about arguing with him.

"You don't hate me?" I have to be sure. I don't want this to be some cruel trick.

"Of course, I don't. You’re never going to get rid of me Remus, we are stuck together. Marauders forever remember?"

"Yeah...I could have sworn you were going to hate me though. Don't tell the others though. I want to do it, eventually."

"Sure, but why not now."

"They will probably hate me." "I repeat my earlier words Remus, 'You Idiot!" He says with a laugh. I soon join in.

[flowerwrites06]

bow to you IV — jjk

Pairing(s): King!Jungkook x Queen!OC (Name: Belle)

Rating: G | PG | M | R 18+

Type: Drabble | Oneshot | Two Parter | Series

Genre: Royal AU | Marriage AU

Word Count: 5.6k 

Tags & Warnings: infidelity, cheating, lots of crying and screaming, marital problems, royal marriage troubles, a crap ton of back and forth fighting,  jungkook is something else dude, ANGST, coarse language, mild violence, sexual content (both explicit and non-explicit), toxic dynamics 

Authors Note: this is a bit longer than the usual chapter length but I hope you like the new update my screwed up royal couple. Send in your thoughts as always! 

Wintery wisps of breeze made the ivory fur lining on her red cloak shiver. The unpredictable weather sent aches to her body, making it irritating to stand on the stone grounds of the entrance courtyard of the palace. Belle peered from the brim of her red parasol. She saw the violet and silver palanquin arrive, the carriers’ pants dirtied by the residue of storm on the ground.

Jungkook stood proud in his gold and black clothing, sweat forming pearlets on his neck and temple from the humidity. They’d been deeply silent and distant between each formal event but there were some marital duties they had perform. Particularly, their marriage anniversary. People came together for this anniversary as a holiday and some royals even visited to relax and retreat in the great palace. This year, King Taehyung came for a visit.

The palanquin paused and two servants with black robes placed a rug to give their King a clean path. Lilac curtains drawn, Taehyung stepped out with an extravagant aubergine robe. Brown and curly hair, glowing tan skin and a smile that brightened the greyness of the day. His charming aura spread like hypnotic perfume as her ladies blushed in his presence and tried not to jump in excitement.

Taehyung greeted Jungkook with his arms wide open. “Jungkook.” He pulled him in for a hug.

“I’m glad you could make it to the ceremony.” Jungkook patted his back.

“Of course. Congratulations on seven years of marriage.” Taehyungs’ gaze flickered from Jungkook to Belle, eyes immediately softened. “My lady.” He gave a deep bow. “You’re looking beautiful as always.”

“Thank you, Taehyung.” Belle smiled.

Jungkook habitually placed a hand on the small of her back, rubbing up and down at a slow pace. “I hope your journey was comfortable.”

Taehyung placed his arms behind his back with that same smile, brown eyes glinting in all its beauty. “I feel bad for my servants for having to walk through thick layers of mud.” He gestured to the ones in black robes.

Jungkook hummed, slamming a heavy hand on Taehyungs’ shoulder after detaching from her. “Come, I need to show you around.”

Belle took a deep breath from the congestion in her chest. She had a feeling of what he was going to show the King. Like he’d been showing off to his subjects and nobles. All the beauties of the town in his grasp, decorated in jewels and silks. Staring up at the men, she noticed Taehyungs’ eyes on her. She tried to give him a forced smile but even the charming prince sent a look of suspicion.

***

The green one was pregnant. Before they could move onto any other celebrations, Jungkook had already disappeared off to his harem building while Belle sat in her tea room. Peach tea and one of her favourite poetry books rested on the red wood table. Rain began pitter pattering again, casting sparkles of dew on the nearby blossoms peeking through the circular window.

Usually Jungkook would sit with her here while they spoke about their future. So many plans. So many dreams of where they would be in years to come. Niether of them predicted this. Or maybe Jungkook did and he chose not to tell her.

Of all the emotions swirling through her head, tightening in her chest and pushing her to wailing, this felt new. A deep and lasting sense of melancholy. Jungkook was reveling in his joy of expecting a child with another woman while she sat here—feeling numb.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty.” Taehyungs’ voice pulled her back to reality. He closed the door behind him. “I thought you could use some company.” Unlike the sparkly charm he gave people in public, here he offered a genuine smile; soft and caring.

Although that could’ve also been staged, Belle didn’t know how to be sure anymore. She tightened her robe closer to her body. Her formal red attire replaced with a comfortable honey dress that pooled around her as she sat on the wooden platform. “Shouldn’t you be with the King? He must want you to join in his festivities.” She traced her finger on the brim of her cup.

Taehyung walked to the table and sat on the other side of the table with an audible sigh. “I think Jungkook has enough attention on me right now.”

Belle tried to attempt a smile but her mental exhaustion only pushed her further down. “He got what he wanted. I heard one of the others showed pregnancy signs too.” She absentmindedly traced her finger pad on the top of the book. “He’s getting his heirs.” Her voice nearly cracked.

Taehyung rested back against the window, long fingers tapping on the wood. “What’s the book about?”

“It’s a collection of poems about two friends who run away together.” Belle smiled to herself. “My mother really liked it. One of them was a writer and the other a singer so they would tell romantic tales at every tavern they visited. It’s only towards the end that we realize the writer was writing out her feelings to the singer and the singer was personally serenading the writer.”

Taehyung chuckled softly. “Oblivious artists.” He rubbed his bottom lips with a ringed finger. “It’s a beautiful story though.”

“I used to dream about love stories like this when I was younger.” Sadness glazed over Belle’s eyes, the dull throb in her chest returning. “Now it’s all I have left to hold onto love.” She caressed the wet stains on the pages of the book from her tears, still leaving a patch on the surface after a while.

“I’m sure Jungkook loves you.” Taehyungs’ voice lowered in a loving murmur.

Belle held in a scoff. If there was love, it definitely didn’t show in his last kiss on her lips. Nor did it show in the irritated look he gives her. If there was love, it was giving her the most pain she’d ever felt since her third miscarriage. This king wouldn’t want to hear all of that so she succumbed to keeping her smile. “I’m sure he does love me. Within the Kings’ logic.”

Steam thinned from her current teacup so she downed most of the liquid, eyes flickered to the window. The peace blossoms lost most of its flowers, warning her of the coming winter.

“I don’t say that to belittle your feelings, Your Majesty.” Taehyung leaned forward. His long arms took up most of the table, fingers lingering near her book and hand. “What the King is doing isn’t right-minded. I haven’t quite reached the point of monarch madness where I think that way.”

“Maybe you need to get married to reach it.” Belle failed to hold back the nudge of frustration that crept up her spine.

Taehyung merely chuckled, scratching his temple. “I suppose I deserved that.” His thumb shyly brushed against the back of her hand. “My honest opinion of you would get me into trouble with the King, my lady. Forgive me if I don’t speak too many comforts. But if I were married to you and this were our marriage anniversary—I’d be just like I am now, sitting with you and enjoying your presence.”

Shy thumb transformed into a confident caress to the back of her hand. Belle hated that she felt comforted by the touch. It’d been so long since she received any kind of touch that wasn’t just her maidens putting on her clothes or helping to bathe her. This was a willing caress, bringing warmth deeper beyond her skin into her chest and stomach.

“It doesn’t seem like you fear Jungkook too much.”

Taehyung smirked, sneaking his fingers in between hers like an interwoven basket. “Maybe I like comforting you more than I fear the King.”

Belle didn’t know how it was impossible. The dull throbbing was replaced with that overwhelming warmth, reaching up to burn her cheeks.

“My lady…” One of the maidens burst through the doors. Before Taehyung could pull his hand away, the maidens’ large eyes already plastered on them. The young girl tried her best not to look shocked by it but the flush of her cheeks gave her away more than words. “We must ready you for the banquet, my Queen.” She bowed. “Please come with me.”

“I’ll leave you to it, my lady.” Taehyung got up to his feet and bowed, darkened eyes pierced into her without blinking before he walked away.

The maiden reddened even more as the King passed and exited the room.

All the while, Belle felt unbearable heat under her skin.

***

The banquet never lost its extravagance even though the marriage did. Gold and red tapestries, shimmering trinkets hanging on every inch of the room, the finest wines swirling the air and every dress more glamorous than the next.

Belle was adorned in another red dress, golden headdress fastened on her head with two red ribbons hanging down to her shoulders. Her maidens had to constantly fix her dress so it wouldn’t get caught on the throne.

Jungkook sat next to her with his own black and red ensemble. He stopped wearing his crown from frequent headaches. The shadows under his eyes had darkened more than she expected. After hearing news of the pregnancy, Jungkook grew more silent than ever before, barely looking at her when they situated themselves in the banquet room. His jawline looked sharper from lack of proper meals but the muscles from excessive training grew ever prominent. If he wasn’t trying to put heirs in his concubines or dealing with court matters, he was out on the training grounds for hours.

Belle wondered if he ever slept anymore.

Unable to take the silence any longer, Belle mustered herself to speak. “Is she well?” she asked. Even in her frustration she tried not to refer to the concubine as the green one.

“Who?”

“The mother of your child.”

Jungkook shifted like his back was itching terribly all of a sudden. “She’s well.” His vocabulary shortened every time she spoke to him.

“Why do you look so upset then?” Belle tilted her head. A bad decision when her headdress tried to pull her down to the table.

Dark eyes flickered towards her, unreadable yet firm at the same time. His calloused hand held onto hers, interweaving their fingers so Belle couldn’t pull out of the grasp. “Can we not talk about this during our anniversary?”

“You were just—gone for the whole day.” Belle looked ahead to the grand hall with its jade floors and gold pillars. She caught a glimpse of Taehyung speaking to a group of giggling noble ladies, his arms clasped behind his back politely. “I expected you to be elated.” The moment Taehyungs’ eyes landed on her, she felt the burn on her cheeks again.

Softened gaze, he gave an acknowledged nod and smile.

It was near shameful how much those miniscule actions meant to her and the liveliness of her heart. Belle forced herself to look down on her plate decorated with moon cakes.

“From what I heard, you weren’t completely alone on our anniversary either.” Jungkooks’ rasped voice pulled her attention back towards him. The deepened shadows under his eyes and the glazed look from alcohol rushing through his bloodstream made him look terrifying. His rough hand tightened around hers.

“Would it ease your ego if I was alone today?” That look could’ve scared anyone else in this room but not her. Though the grip of his hand began forcing her rings to dug into her skin. “You’re hurting my hand, Jungkook.” Belle spoke the words like they were secret whispers to a lover.

Jungkook released her hand and took another generous swig of his wine. Like an actor changing his roles abruptly, he gave a large grin to the crowd. “King Taehyung!”

Taehyung raised his brows, polite smile ghosted on his face as Jungkook jumped up to his feet and walked towards him.

“I would like to thank you for coming to the celebration of my love.” Jungkook pressed his palms to his own chest.

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Belle felt anxiety pricking at the back of her mind. The eyes of the court were on them though, she had to maintain an air of happiness and joy. This was meant to be a happy day.

“You know…” Jungkook cleared his throat. “My wife and I met during war. She gave my kingdom aid and personally came into my tent and said—you’re going to win this war and come back to me.” He wiggled a finger at Taehyung who listened politely. “If it wasn’t for her, my kingdom and I would probably have never survived that final battle. She’s the reason for my second chance at life when most princes would’ve lost their lives.” The people in the court murmured in awe.

“I was the youngest in my family out of twelve children, nobody thought I’d make it to kingship. Not until I won that war and gained an alliance from one of the most powerful kingdoms.” He turned on his heel, piercing those darkened, unreadable eyes on Belle. “All because of her. My sun and moon. My sea and stars.”

Of all the cruel things he could’ve done in the past few weeks, this was the worst of them. He spoke of their story like he still knew what it meant to them. But it laced with a bitterness only she could recognize. Jungkook was confronting her through fluff and illusion. Stuffing everyone’s eyes with comfortable cotton so even the ladies who had heard gossip of the tea room stared at her in slight contempt.

Belle felt tears blur her eyes. How dare he use that story—the memories she held precious to her heart—in this way? Like a pawn in his chess game.

“Taehyung.” Jungkook slapped his back playfully. “You’re a strong man, aren’t you?”

“I’d like to think so.” Taehyung chuckled nervously.

“How would you like a friendly wager? Hm? An arm wrestle.” Jungkook walked back to the table and placed his cup.

“What’s the wager?”

“If you win, you get to have one of my concubines.” Jungkook smirked, resting his arm over Taehyungs’ shoulder and forcing him to bend down. He spoke in a lower tone so the other nobles couldn’t quite hear them. “If I win…you stay the hell away from my wife and leave this kingdom with half the limbs you came with.”

Anxiety burst in her belly like acid eating through her stomach, the nape of her neck burning hot until she could feel sweat forming on her back. “Jungkook…” she muttered under her breath.

“What do you say, your Majesty?” Jungkook pretended not to hear her. “It’s a wager?”

Taehyung took a deep breath, fingers shaking as he tried to get into a comfortable standing position. “Your Majesty, I meant no offense…”

Jungkook hummed. “I’m sure you didn’t.” He patted his back. “Set up a table for me and his Majesty! And a chair closer for the Queen.”

All her years of training to be quaint and hide her emotions melted into the searing pain in her stomach. The maidens helped her stand to her feet while a servant placed her chair near a wooden table. She had to grip onto one of the maidens hand to keep herself steady as she finally dropped to the velvet seat.

It didn’t help that Taehyung couldn’t suppress his panic in his long fingers, trembling and struggling to be contained.

Jungkook took off his robe and rolled up the sleeves of his undershirt. She could feel his gaze on her but refused to look him in the eye. Right now more than ever, Belle felt a strange sensation of dread from his presence. And perhaps a bit of genuine sadness.

His calloused hand came down to caress her cheek causing her breathing to slow. He leaned down and touched his lips to her ear. “Keep your smile, my heart. People are watching.” Jungkook ended the eerie statement with a kiss on her cheek.

Belle pretended to smile as if he’d spoken something sweet.

Jungkook walked towards the wooden table, resting his elbow and relaxing his fingers. Taehyung hesitated but eventually garnered enough courage to grab onto his hand. A council member sounded out the beginning of the arm wrestle match while the ladies of the court gathered to the side they took. Even though it seemed that Taehyungs’ confidence would help his win, nothing beat Jungkooks’ strength.

Belle spent most of her life admiring that strength. Today it felt like a bad dream recurring another night.

Jungkook pushed Taehyungs’ arm down like it was a small bag of flour though there was no satisfied smirk on his face. The court roared in applause at their Kings’ victory. None of them really heard the true terms of the arm wrestle. Taehyung, on the other hand, curled up within himself at his chair unable to move a muscle.

His kingdom was a small one, nearly forgettable. Jungkook could easily take him out of the picture and no one would tell the difference. The way he stared at Taehyung made it clear how much of an insect he was compared to him and Belle couldn’t help but feel nauseated.

Did she cause this? The King needed heirs which is why he had the harem. What was her reason? She wanted the attention. She wanted to be seen and pull someones’ interest again. Despite Jungkooks’ disloyalty, the people would still admire his reason more than her own.

Trembling hands hid underneath her floral embroidered sleeves as Belle tried to gather her thoughts. She had to stop this somehow.

***

Jungkook didn’t stop drinking. He must’ve been on his fifteenth glass when his guards dragged Taehyung out onto one of the gazebos. All the other members of courts were either drifted to sleep or too drunk to care about what was happening. Taehyungs’ own servants and guards were nowhere to be found.

Belle resorted to taking most of her clothes off in her bed chambers and changed into a flowing crème dress with a robe for warmth. Her maidens kept calling out to her, chasing after her to stay in her bed chambers but most of the sound was blocked out by the drumming of her heart. Maybe it wasn’t her fault that Taehyung tried to seep through her vulnerability into her affection but it didn’t excuse his torture.

She sprinted towards the gazebo lit up with lanterns, whisking past a drunken couple laughing away while the lady tried to hold up her headdress.

When Belle arrived, Taehyungs’ body whipped to the side from a punch. Jungkooks’ back could’ve exuded steam from the heat of his anger but his movements were sloppy from the excessive drinking. A terrified servant kept holding a tray filled with new alcohol for the King to consume.

“Jungkook!” Belle stood in front of him before he could raise his fist again.

Hair covered most of his infuriated eyes, sweat thickly layered over his skin and the pungent scent of alcohol wafted from his aura. “You’re defending him now.”

“He’s a King in his own right, you can’t just start swinging punches at him.” She reached out and pushed his pulsating arm down.

“I won the wrestling match fair and square,” Jungkook slurred. Darkened eyes trailed up and down her form as he cupped her cheek with his injured fist. “I’m fighting for your honor, see?”

“You don’t need to fight for my honor. He’s supposed to be our political ally.”

“He’s nothing.” Jungkook emphasized for Taehyung particularly as he buried his hands knuckle deep into her hair, blood sticking to her curls. “He was going to take advantage of you. Don’t you know that?”

Belle pressed her lips together, pushing his hand away. “I can handle myself just fine. Besides I don’t think there’s much of my honor left thanks to you.” Of all the people who could think to protect her honor was the man who flaunted his mistresses in her face like they were his kingly duty.

Jungkook scoffed, sending a sharp glare to Taehyung like he was ready to swing his fists again. But he didn’t move a muscle. “Take him away. And ensure he gets a physician on him.”

Like a dead animal, the guards dragged Taehyung out of the gazebo, leaving Belle and Jungkook alone again. Save for the servant who tried to take deep breaths to calm their anxiety.

“Would you have fucked him?” Jungkook padded to the tray of alcohol.

Belle gritted her teeth to calm some of the anger slowly brewing in her stomach. “I’m not you. Either way, what business is it to you now? We’re officially separated whether you like it or not.”

“Whether I like it or not—” Jungkook chuckled. “Is that right?” He smirked her way. “So me fucking my concubines is no big issue now. I can even make one of them my wife. It would legitimize Lula. I could even have multiple wives, some Kings do that.” He swung his cup around, carelessly letting the liquid pour over his hand without a care.

Belle almost wanted to laugh herself at the display before her. “How beautifully you can lie to those people in the court. Using the story that’s most precious to me to your advantage.”

Jungkook smile soured into a ghost of a frown. “That story is precious to me too, Belle.” He pointed the cup at her. “Don’t take that away from me too.”

“Yes, of course. You can have everything.” Belle shook her head. “While I can’t even speak to another person. I don’t know if you realize but maybe I just wanted someone to talk to, not sleep with.”

“That’s not what he wanted.”

“Even I know that’s not the reason you made this whole scene.” Belle let out a small chuckle, cheeks now burning in frustration than anything else. “You don’t want me to move away from you. You want everything together and neatly organized like your little dollhouse, don’t you?”

“So what if I do? Are you saying you really want to stray away from me?” Jungkook winced. “Why do the whole non-political separation then? Leave the whole kingdom completely if it deeply hurts you that much.” He roughly gestured outside of the gazebo.

She felt something eat into her stomach again, a sharp pain that forced her knees to tremble. “I stayed because I care about this kingdom.” Belle pursed her shaking lips together. “But perhaps you’re right. If I am so disgusted by your behaviour then I should distance myself properly.”

Jungkooks’ rough stance flickered in and out of its strength. His jawline was so tight that it may cracked a few teeth but his flexed arms softened, legs slowly losing its attack stance to a relaxed stand. “You wouldn’t do that.”

“You can tell yourself whatever you please, your Majesty.” Belle smiled, a strange venom on her tongue when she spoke that title. “As for me, I think I’ve had my fill of whatever one could call this relation between us. You have your legitimized heir ready for you and I’m sure many more to come.” She nodded behind him as her vision started to blur. If this final resort had ever arrived at their doorstep, Belle believed she would have the resolve to be emotionless. Yet her heart still squeezed. Still yearned like it was the first fight they were having. Some naïve part of her still wanted to wait it out and hope nothing else would come up or go wrong between them.

“Belle, I’m being serious. Stop it.” Jungkooks’ voice deepened and steadied like all the alcohol drained out of his body through the words he spoke.

“So am I.” Belles’ throat clogged most of her words. Her fingers tightened in fists to calm her frustrations but the trembling only transferred down to her knees. “Stop trying to treat my heart like it’s a child on a tantrum. For once, look me in the eye and listen to what I have to say seriously.” She blinked, letting a rebellious tear fall down her cheek. “I have had it. If you want a quiet, tolerant queen who will let you do whatever you want then marry one of those coloured dresses.” She waved her hand. “It’s not going to be me. Ever.”

Belle turned on her heel and walked back to her chambers.

***

“You’re leaving, Your Majesty?” One of the maidens asked her in a meek voice. Some of the younger ones had terrified looks on their faces. If Belle left then they would have to care for the concubines who were known not to be kind.

There were too many things pulling her to stay here and too many things pushing her to get out. Belle needed to clear her head. Away from the nightly noises and tainted memories. She needed to go back home where she was able to be herself. Her palace was left maintained by her servants and taken care of by her closest council member. Yet another part of her—the one who was a mature, seasoned Queen—didn’t want to accept defeat or submission. That Queen built this kingdom from war with her beloved King. Both their blood, sweat and tears seeped into the infrastructure of their new buildings and healthy lifestyle of their people. Would she truly crumble here? End her story here?

“I’m so sorry…I tried to stay here and be alright with it.” Belle tried to attempt a smile. She thought the non-political alliance would work and it could be the end of it. Belle and Jungkook could live in a distance. But the moment Belle tried to steer away, he’d come back and try to take it away from her.

Another maiden tried to protest with a breath until the door slammed open, almost breaking the hinges. The maidens yelped and backed away from the furious and steaming King that stomped inside, albeit with a bit of a stumble in his step.

“Get out,” Jungkook ordered. “Out!” His voice boomed across the room making the maidens scurry outside like a crowd of insects before one of them closed the door.

Belle sat on the side of her bed, fingers clasped together. “What’re you—”

“No!” He lifted a shaky finger, bloodshot eyes pierced on her. “You listen to me.”

Belle held his gaze in defiance.

“If you leave this kingdom then whatever I’ve done means nothing. Do you understand?” Jungkook tried to lower his voice but it sounded strained. “I didn’t want to wake up another morning or middle of the night seeing you crying and bleeding and holding our dead baby in your arms. I didn’t want to see you in pain another day of my life. Do you not understand that?!”

Her heart dropped to her stomach.

“You know how I felt when I found out Lula was pregnant? Huh?” Jungkook dropped to his knees and grabbed onto her dress. “How do you think I felt? You tell me.”

Belle stammered as the thick waft of alcohol hit her nostrils. “Happy?”

“Nothing.” Jungkook chuckled like a man on the brink of madness. “I felt absolutely nothing. She looked like a stranger who just happened to be pregnant. Do you know how that makes me feel?” Shaking hands held onto hers. “I gave up our marriage and you to do all this. Only to have no reaction whatsoever to a woman carrying my own child.”

“Jungkook, if you’re trying to make this into—”

“I’m not trying to do anything! That’s the point!” Jungkook gripped onto her hands for dear life before pressing his lips against them to keep himself quiet. “I really wasn’t trying to hurt you, I really truly wasn’t. I mean I was angry seeing you with Taehyung but—it’s that I want you to be unhappy.” He opened up one of Belle’s palms and pressed it against his hot cheek. “I need heirs…but I need you.” A light sob passed his lips as he rubbed Belles’ stomach with his other hand. “I need to have my heirs with you. Nurtured by you. Even mourned by you but it needs to be you.”

All her resolve crumbled into a weakened sob; parts of her mind screamed at her to pull away but another part didn’t want to listen. The part that was desperate to feel this connection again, to see Jungkook show some kind of vulnerability towards her after so long—triumphed over everything else.

Jungkook placed a kiss on the underside of her palm, then her clothed thigh as his other hand gripped onto the curve of her waist. “Let me stay here for tonight.”

“Jungkook…” Belle shook her head.

“No, please.” He buried his tear stricken face against her dress. “Please.” Sniffling, Jungkook lifted his head and held onto a piece of Belles’ hair. “Allow me the night of our anniversary—to be your husband again.”

Warmth travelled down her spine and spread across her chest; her stomach ran wild with butterflies like they were having their first night together. One night. One night to live in a pretty lie that feels comfortable and familiar. That Queen part of her screamed out again nudging her to bring back her place in the kingdom. She was not a simple wife. She wasn’t going to run away and live in a fantasy world as a princess, not her. “Can you grant me something in return for this night?”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Jungkooks’ lips as he pressed her hand to his chest, making her feel his rushing heartbeat. “Anything.”

“I will take care of and instruct the concubines personally.” Belle felt a bitter taste in her mouth from her coming nausea. “They will not belong to you nor will they be allowed to marry you. Their children will be tutored in lessons I choose and they will also marry whomever I choose.” She desperately tried to keep a sturdy voice but it kept shaking at the very thought of having to interact with those women. But this was the only way to gain some control without breaking a political alliance. It wasn’t just Jungkooks’ kingdom anymore. It was her home too. No damned harem and unstable King was going to take her away from her. With a hardened determination, she fixated her eyes on Jungkook with not a flinch of her fingers or a twitch of her eyes. “Taking care of heirs and pleasing the King is my duty…return my duty back to me.”

Jungkook examined her expression, trying to understand why she had to make this declaration. Belle suspected that she would reinstate their marriage but she knew they had gone too far for a re-marriage to be appropriate. This was the only way to maintain the alliance and keep the King in check.

“Are you sure about this?” He asked.

Belle gulped down the lump in her throat. “I am.”

“I’ll make the preparations tomorrow. I promise.” Jungkook smiled, cupping her cheek and pressed his forehead against hers. “Oh my love, I’ll do anything you want…so long as you stay with me.”

Except get rid of the concubines and heal this marriage, Belle bit down her comment. Gentle touches became desperate, Jungkooks’ rough hand felt down her neck and chest, trying to get every inch of her. Without warning, his lips latched onto the curves of her breasts, kissing up to the side of her neck until he bit onto a patch of skin. His breathing was hot and heavy.

Every kiss was sloppier than the next, every movement more clumsy as the alcohol took over most of his energy. This wasn’t the first time Jungkook touched her when he was drunk but before it was different. They were filled with true passion and not suppressed tension towards each other.

Jungkook now was impatient as he pushed her onto her back and lifted her dress to bunch at her hips. Belle couldn’t help but admit that she wanted more of it. She’d been deprived of his touch for so long that even this clumsy act of kissing her jawline and perching between her legs was enough to make her stomach warm. She needed this badly. Pulling off her neck, Jungkook hovered over her properly, black hair falling over his face.

“Talk to me,” he whispered. Fingers caressed the hem of her chest, forcing him to stumble down on his elbow. “Tell me how it feels.” He kissed her collarbone; his wandering fingers pulled down the fabric to show more glimpses of her breasts. Eyes then fixated on her to wait for her answer.

Belle smiled and nodded. “It feels good.”

Jungkook hummed, taking one of her breasts into his mouth. A wave of pleasure after so long being untouched, flourished through her body, awakening dormant nerves. He sucked on each breast like it was his last meal. Frantically, his right hand moved to undo his pants, already hard and blushing at the tip.

Belle felt her walls stretch before she could see it in the hidden mess of their clothing. She spread her legs and encased around his hips, feeling his length bury deep inside her until her core pulsated to welcome it.

Jungkook had both elbows resting on either side of her, sweat-layered foreheads pressed together as the heat grew unbearable. Though there was no more patience left to take their clothes off when he began grinding into her. Hard, slow thrusts. Moving his entire shaft fully inside until it was completely swallowed and barely pulling out, ensuring that the feeling of him would linger.

Belle gripped onto his back, pulling at the fabric as the warmth tugged at her lower belly. It wasn’t like it used to be. She knew it wasn’t the same. But a stubborn part of her sank the thought, taking in the pleasures of the night however she could. This night would be the start of her journey to control.

< prev | next > 

[superhero--imagines]

Etsy Store Here l Ko-Fi l Commission Info

Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here!/ Playlist Here!

* Alright so here are the facts as you know them

* Gojo’s a goddamn player and a homewrecker

* The boy probably has half of Tokyo after him

* Not that you can blame them, that pretty face had you fooled at first too

* The second fact, it that for whatever reason, Gojo Satoru has chosen to play house with a future hopeful sorcerer named Megumi Fushiguro

* Which, through forces outside your control, you have become involved with as well

* And the last fact, was that as soon as this no longer interested him or benefited him in any way, Gojo Satoru would abandon the situation entirely and act like it never happened

* So-

* “(Y/N/N), you look nice today, did you do something new with your hair?” Gojo sings

* - pray tell, why is the school prince is currently sitting on top of your desk, looking at you with those heart eyes

* “Oi what do you think you’re doing?” You ask, a vein threatening to pop on your forehead

* “I’m flirting with you~” he sings, only leaning closer with that all-too-pleased smile

* “I’m pretty sure this is bullying” you reply

* Ever since you’ve started pseudo-parenting Megumi and Tsumiki, Gojo’s been doing crap like this,

* Sometimes he tries to feed you at lunch,

* “Open wide (Y/N/N)~” He’ll sing as he holds out a piece of sushi towards you on some chopsticks

* Only for Megumi to eat it instead

* “Why do you look so sad papa, I thought you said I was your pride and joy”

* other times he’s holding doors open for you

* “Ah here let me-“

* You watch as he walks across from you and opens the door to a random void shrine

* You look at him before sighing and opening your own door to the library

* The other day you mentioned how you didn’t get to try the limited edition Sakura Pepsi and came back to your dorm with a bottle on your desk

* Which would be cute- if the bottle wasn’t half-empty with a note that he’d that said

* “Sorry, I got thirsty on the way back”

* Seriously he’s the worst- and yet,

* You turned away from Megumi and Gojo bickering, hoping he didn’t notice how flustered you were,

* you hid your laugh behind your hand as Gojo jogs to catch up with you, saying he was just trying to predict your needs-

* And you held the half-full bottle of Sakura Pepsi to your chest, keeping it on your window sill

* Because you love him-

* Even though you know he’s just doing all these things to entertain himself instead of out of genuine affection

* Even though these feeling will do nothing but hurt you

* You still love him

* He makes your life feel exciting and fun

* And more than that, underneath that moronic playboy exterior, is a gentle, lonely heart

* A heart that will run away as soon as it knows how you feel about it

* So you mask your budding feelings as best as you can

* Because the only thing you imagine is more painful than knowing your feelings won’t be returned-

* Is not having Gojo Satoru in your life at all

* So you do your best to pretend like nothing has changed

* You act just as indifferent as you always have-

* “Here-“ you push your dessert in Gojo’s direction. “You like sweets right?”

* His smile is so radiant you almost have to shield your eyes

* Well, mostly indifferent anyway

* Not that the self-absorbed moronic prince has seemed to notice anyway

* Too busy focusing on the scrumptious piece of cake in front of him

* Still Gojo isn’t one to be underestimated, he looks to you with a twinkle in his eyes

* “Let’s share it!”

* So far he’s tried twice to have an indirect kiss with you, and he’s missed twice

* He even threw away those chopsticks when Megumi ate that piece of sushi in frustration

* But you know what they say, third times the charm

* You look at Gojo with a raised eyebrow, gaze flicking between the cake and his face

* What, did he imbue some cursed energy so it would explode when you tried to take a bite

* “No thanks”

* Cue Gojo crying as he eats his cake

* He’s really been doing his best lately to earnestly pursue you

* But for some reason, you just don’t get it

* “I like you,” Gojo says as you’re walking side by side on your way back to the dorm after visiting Megumi

* You look back at him, and Gojo feels a blush start to fan across his face

* He finally did it! He finally confessed to you

* And his heart is drumming away in his chest

* You don’t seem to understand the monumental significance of what just occurred because what your mind heard was

* “I {really} like {teasing} you”

* You sigh, your heart skipped a beat, for a second you almost got your hopes up

* There’s no way lady killer Gojo Satoru would ever pick you to be one of his lovers, and if he did it would just be so you could be apart of his personal harem

* “Ok”

* And then you turn around and walk away

* Gojo can’t help but feel like this is retribution for all the times one of his romantic partners has said ‘I love you’

* And he responded with:

* “Why would you do that to yourself?”

* Or

* “Cool”

* At first he thinks it’s a straight-up rejection, but he figures out pretty fast that you just didn’t get it when you keep acting the same as you always have around him

* But don’t get it wrong babe, none of this deters Gojo in the slightest

* “Why are you looking at me like that?” You ask

* You’re both in the library, but only one of you is actually studying

* Gojo’s been staring at you with an oddly fixated gaze

* Honestly it’s got you feeling an uncomfortable heat spreading from your face to your neck

* “I’m not giving up you know”

* Giving up on what?!?

* What’s going on right now!!?

* But Gojo doesn’t offer any more insight choosing instead to finally bother reading the book in his hands

* What a weird guy

* You look down to your own book

* You feel the heat linger on your face and neck

* It’s because he’s always saying crap like that, that you’ve caught feelings for him

* Well whatever, everything fades right? Eventually, Gojo will probably lose interest in you-

* He’s part of a clan do you imagine they’ll find a nice girl from a respectable family for him to marry

* They’ll probably have a few kids who’ll be next in line to succeed him

* And by then he’ll be in such a prominent position that you’ll never see him again

* He’ll just be a memory

* Some boy you had a youthful unrequited love with

* The thought makes your heart clench but-

* “It’s for the best,” you tell yourself

* You’re going in completely opposite directions in life, you couldn’t possibly home for anything more than what you have

* After all your luck probably ran out the second you saw his face

* The most beautiful man you’ll ever see

* “I bet he would be one of those handsome grandpas when he gets older” you snort

* The kind that charms and flirts with young men and women just because he knows the effect he has on them.

* You still can’t believe you fell in love with someone like that

* “What a pain” you mumble to yourself, falling back on your bed

* You feel uncertain, afraid of the future even.

* Maybe a snack will help

* It’s the middle of the night, way past the time you were supposed to go to bed when you see him in the kitchen

* Great the last person you wanted to run into

* He’s just standing there in front of the fridge with the door open

* He hasn’t even turned around to say hi or anything

* “Oi Baka prince if you leave the door open like that every-“

* You stop mid-word, you only need one look at his face to know something is wrong

* It’s not all that uncommon for him to do something like this-

* See the thing is, Gojo knows he’s strong enough that he will get to choose when he dies- he’s not bound by the same pain the other sorcerers are, but-

* Well, he’s still going to die

* No matter how much he thinks he’s like god, no matter how powerful he is,

* He’s still going to die

* And growing up with the power he’s had and the mindset that he’s the strongest

* The realization can be pretty crippling

* He so afraid of the uncertainty that brings that most times he can’t move

* The worst part is it’s never when he’s actively thinking about death, or even when he’s on the job

* It’s always at times like this when he’s just woken up and is oddly hungry and he’ll remember

* “Oh, I’m going to die aren’t I?”

* And then it’s like he’s frozen solid

* What is it he usually tells the victims that enter his domain?

* “Funny how when you can do everything, you find you can’t do anything”

* Usually he manages to unfreeze after some unspecified amount of time, getting through it on his own

* But this time, when he finally escapes from the domain of his inner mind he’s covered in a layer of sweat just like always-

* But he’s not sure why he sprawled across the floor

* Not until his head shifts a little, only to see your face looming over him

* Omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg

* He’s resting his head in your lap!!!

* Honestly this has been a fantasy of his for a while, to have his head in your lap while looking at the cherry blossoms, and you feed him chocolates and a gentle wind caresses your face

* BUT NOT LIKE THIS

* “Feeling better?” You ask

* Gojo thinks he might combust, he moves to sit up but winces

* He’s got the worst headache, these little episodes of his do typically end with a migraine

* Your hand feels nice and cold as it rests against his forehead

* “Rest a little longer, we’re not in any hurry”

* Aaaaand now he’s screaming on the inside again

* “Sorry about this” he mumbles, and you can’t help but smile

* It’s oddly endearing to see a shy Gojo Satoru

* “I bet your lovers would kill me if they saw knew you were showing me such a cute side” you’re half-joking when you say it, but you’re also half-serious

* It gives your Ego a little boost to know you’ve seen a side of him that most of his lovers probably haven’t

* You doubt the mighty Gojo Satoru ever allows himself to be this vulnerable, not even while he’s in the throes of passion

* So that same earnest look on his face startles you

* “I don’t have any other lovers”

* You snort

* “Sure, and I definitely didn’t steal Geto’s pudding that he was saving”

* “I’m being serious”

* Gojo sighs, here he is feeling awfully vulnerable and you still seem denser than a rock

* Do you think he would let anyone other than you see him like this

* “When are you going to realize that if it’s not you then it’s just no good?”

* Your heart is drumming in your ears, and you wonder if he can hear it

* Your mind is telling you to pull back, that this is way too good to be true, that this will only hurt you,

* You should get away while you still have a chance

* But instead something in you persists and you say:

* “Why do you think that is”

* Gojo’s hand reaches up, twirling a strand of your hair around his finger, those clear blue eyes looking straight into yours

* Your breath stutters in your chest

* You always have been weak for those eyes

* His pink lips curl up into a smile

* “Because I love you”

* And before you know what you’re doing your bending down, pressing your lips against his

* “I love you too”

Bonus:

* “You can see through it right?” You ask

* Gojo fidgets with the blindfold, honestly he was hoping for a much kinkier reason than replacing his scuffed sunglasses when you gave him the blindfold

* “It’s a little darker, but that’s not a bad thing.”

* His hair is out of his face too which is nice

* But-

* “What’s with the sudden gift?”

* It’s not exactly out of character for you to get the people you care about something, but this seems a little outside of your usual MO

* “I just felt like it” You mumble

* Now that his eyes are covered up you think he might attract a little less attention, and all his former flings probably won’t be able to recognize him

* Your eyes drift to his uniform, even in the gross pantsuit you can still tell he’s got a pretty nice body,

* But you’ll have to adjust

* Gojo sees right through your nonchalant answer, smiling that wolfish grin

* “Aw was my sweetie scared I was going to leave them?” He coos, moving ever so close

* You only turn away your face

* Gojo only grins wider

* “Honey~ you should know by now if it’s not you then I’m not interested” he sings in your ear

[absolutepokemontrash]

MC’s Half Demon and They Look Awfully Familiar Part 4

(The side characters strike again!)

Part 1 Part 2 Lessons 1-5 Part 2.5 Group Retreat Lessons 10-12 Part 3

L!MC= Lucifer’s kid | M!MC= Mammon’s kid | A!MC=Asmo’s kid

Let’s get right to it!

The Uncle That Hardcore Simps For His Spouse In the Most Wholesome Way (Diavolo)

Gasp! More half-demon kids? Oh my! Maybe if he tried again next year a kid of his own would pop down! Hang on- he hadn’t slept with a human in almost a century... dang. No kids for him...

...maybe...

Remember when I said Diavolo would try to do those stereotypical dad (tm) things and be hip with the kids? Yeah he keeps doing that.

The number of broken windows related to wayward baseballs goes up 150%. At least that’s how they all figured out that M!MC is nearsighted like their dad!

M!MC had developed a bit of a habit of telling Diavolo about cool human stuff and making the Crown Prince even more interested in the human world than normal.

You may be thinking “what’s so bad about that?” well, the number of yo-yos at RAD went up so high that Lucifer had to ban them.

Belphie and Satan, being the rebels they are, became yo-yo masters specifically to spite Lucifer.

It was sort of like the fidget spinners craze if you were in school for that.

Oh, hi Lord Diavolo. What’s a fidget spinner? It’s this- I should stop talking...

Since no one learned their lesson from the previous incident, Diavolo threw another BBQ.

“Why are we doing this again?” L!MC asked to no one in particular.

“Don’t worry, L!MC. I’ve taken every precaution possible to make sure that what happened last time doesn’t happen again.” Diavolo said and continued in his crusade to cover the entire pathway with sidewalk chalk doodles.

L!MC, Luke, Diavolo, M!MC, Belphie, and A!MC were all busily drawing a wide variety of doodles and drawings with chalk while the other guests milled around nearby. A!MC was in the middle of drawing quite the nice looking Cerberus chibi, while M!MC and Belphie were drawing a lot of stick figures. L!MC and Luke had just finished a wonderful drawing of... an alpaca? Giraffe? Thing...? Hell, even they didn’t know what it was.

Diavolo looked over at M!MC’s stick figure army with a big smile on his face. “So what are all of them doing? It looks like that one’s flying!”

You could practically hear the Addam’s Family theme play as M!MC and Belphie looked at each other and grinned.

“Oh Belphie was just talking about L!MC’s flying lesson fails and I felt that an artist’s rendition was needed.” M!MC explained, he began to point out certain doodles. “Here’s L!MC getting up off the ground, then there’s them actually flying, and this is them falling in the fountain.”

L!MC looked over at the chalk and glared at M!MC. “It’s generous to call that an artist’s rendition. It looks like crap.”

“And what did you draw?” Belphie smirked at the alpaca-giraffe-thing, Luke protectively covered up the drawing (side note, Luke was wearing white and playing with sidewalk chalk, by the end of the day he looked like a walking pride flag).

“None of your business!” Luke huffed.

“And what about that one?” Diavolo seemed completely oblivious to the hostility brewing between the two groups, A!MC was completely used to this and walked away to grab a drink.

“Ah, good eye, Lord Diavolo!” M!MC chirped. “This is a drawing of the time L!MC almost burned down your kitchen.”

Diavolo laughed and gave M!MC a few pats on the head. “Very accurate!”

“You’re so lucky I followed the rules and didn’t bring a water gun...” L!MC growled as they slowly reached for their backpack.

“Yeah... lucky. Real lucky...” M!MC nodded as they tried to casually reach for their bag, Belphie followed suit.

“I’m so glad we all followed the rules.” Luke smiled, his own hand inching towards his bag.

There was a brief moment of stillness before the four of them whipped out their water guns and pointed them at each other.

“This BBQ ain’t big enough for the both of us!” M!MC’s terrible cowboy impression aside, their gun was poised to shoot directly at Luke and L!MC’s alpaca-giraffe-thing.

“Everyone, I know this is a human world tradition but-”

Belphie silenced Diavolo by pointing his water gun at him. “Sh, don’t talk unless you have a water gun as well.”

Deciding not to smite Belphie for treason, Diavolo pulled his own water gun out of his shirt. “Okay, what now?”

“Now, we’re in a standoff...” L!MC glowered at M!MC, the air was practically crackling with hostility...

Until a burst of flames got everyone to whirl around to see A!MC with hairspray and a lighter.

“No water guns! I refuse to go home shivering and covered in grass again!”

Crisis averted. Everyone went to go fail at throwing beanbags into a hole instead of shooting each other.

That was probably for the best... Belphie filled everyone’s water guns with paint.

The Uncle That Does All the Cooking for Family Dinners (Barbatos)

Remember how I said that Barbs liked smol Lucifer? Yea, he likes smol Asmo too. Smol Asmo is willing to admit that they don’t know how to use an oven and is willing to learn.

M!MC is formally banned from being within 50 feet of the kitchen. It’s for the best.

A!MC often tries to get Barbatos to look into the possible futures so they can see if they can avoid messing anything up and A!MC is just so adorable that Barbatos actually thinks about it.

He still says no every single time.

“Could you at least tell me if I have the possibility of doing something embarrassing in the near future?”

“My apologies, A!MC, but no.”

“P-please?”

“The answer remains the same.”

A!MC sighed and went back to helping chop vegetables. Under Barbatos’ tutelage, A!MC’s cooking ability had increased tenfold, they could now make as many burgers as they wanted without worrying about burning down the kitchen.

Pitying the anxious half-demon, Barbatos sighed. “I cannot confirm nor deny a future where your outfit gets ruined.”

A!MC perked up. “H-huh?”

“I cannot confirm nor deny a future where your outfit gets ruined.”

Quickly understanding what Barbatos was trying to do, A!MC quickly nodded and spent the rest of the cooking time carefully taking note of their surroundings.

“Hey! What’re you guys doin’?” M!MC had managed to get in... damn! Everyone must have been putting their best efforts in keeping Solomon away from the kitchen and forgot about M!MC...

“We’re just finishing up, M!MC,” Barbatos had on his ‘oh no...’ smile. “We don’t need any help.”

“Really? You guys sure?”

“Why are you so interested?” A!MC asked.

“Lucifer said that idle hands are the devil’s playthings and that I should go look for something productive to do.” M!MC huffed. “Very ironic phrase.”

“F-fine, I guess you can...” A!MC searched for the least destructive task they could give. “Take the utensils and set the table.”

M!MC gave them a mock salute and grabbed the utensils, as they turned to leave, they knocked a large bowl of chopped fruit over, sending the fruit pieces flying.

Remembering Barbatos’ prediction, A!MC didn’t bother to try and stop the fruit from falling, they only grabbed the nearest big plate they could find and shielded their outfit from harm. The fruit splattered harmlessly against the shield.

“Whoops... my bad. You alright, A!MC?” M!MC asked as A!MC inspected their outfit.

“Y-yes actually...” A!MC turned to Barbatos, who was already getting the cleaning supplies.

“Thank you!” A!MC whispered.

Barbatos smiled and nodded. “You’re very welcome, A!MC.”

Barbatos now has two sorta-children. A!MC and Luke!

M!MC means well, I swear! He just shouldn’t be allowed in a cooking environment!

The Cousin That Your Mom Points at and Goes “Look at Him, He Helps With the Dishes, Be More Like Him.” (Simeon)

Oh man... time for some more embarrassing stories.

“Asmo was the most adorable child, it’s a shame he was such a troublemaker...”

“Really? My dad?”

“What about mine?”

“I think you can guess.”

I cannot comment on Simeon’s help with flying lessons because I refuse to Headcanon what Simeon’s wings look like until canon gives us a GLIMMER. LIKE SERIOUSLY SOLMARE IM CURIOUS-

I have a feeling the children were quite curious as well.

“What do you think his wings look like?” M!MC asked A!MC as the two peered around the corner of one of the hallways in Purgatory Hall.

“I bet they’re super nice. But besides that...” A!MC leaned over and squinted. “Why is Simeon writing with a pen and pencil? He’s writing a book... shouldn’t he use a computer?”

“Bold of you to assume he knows how to use a computer.” M!MC snickered.

A!MC frowned. “Don’t be mean... I’m sure he knows how...”

Simeon picked up his DDD and took a picture of his face, seemingly by accident, with the flash on, causing him to drop the phone in surprise.

“Probably...”

The two surveyed their angel friend like two wildlife documenters, here we see, the Simeon, not in his natural habitat, surrounded by confusing technology...

“Do you think if we scare him his wings might pop out in surprise?” M!MC wondered aloud, A!MC shrugged.

“Maybe... but I don’t think we should bother him...” A!MC whispered. “He looks busy.”

“What are you two doing?”

It took literally every bit of willpower for the two half demons to not scream in absolute terror at the sudden interruption.

Ah... it was just Solomon... in an apron... Solomon... in cooking clothes...

Oh no.

“Spying on Simeon?” Solomon asked.

“N-no...” A!MC giggled nervously. “Just crouching casually in this hallway...”

“...smooth, A!MC.” M!MC rolled their eyes.

“Well, it’s great that you two are here, I made lunch!”

A!MC and M!MC looked at each other in pure horror, they needed to get out of there!

“Uh- um... we’d love to but...” M!MC looked around frantically before just pointing at a random spot behind Solomon. “LOOK! A DISTRACTION!”

A!MC and M!MC ran out of there as fast as their legs could carry them. Finding out if Simeon had wings was not worth being poisoned. Not at all...

Good ol’ Simeon... Mr. Cristopher Peugeot on the other hand- M!MC had some questions for him.

“TSL is literally the most popular book series ever, does that mean you’re completely loaded?”

“Oh, no I’m not, I don’t have any use for human world money in the Celestial Realm. All the profits go to charity.”

“...Dude really?”

“That’s nice of you, Simeon!”

“You didn’t keep any of it..?”

Wait... Who the Hell Are You..? (Solomon)

So A!MC basically has three dads; Fabulous-dad, butler-dad, and wizard-dad!

“So you just... have capes lying around?”

“Yes, would you like a cape?”

“Okay if they don’t take the cape I want it.”

Solomon shows up to RAD with his nails painted different wacky styles every week, courtesy of A!MC.

Though- the unholy combination that is M!MC and Solomon is feared by all.

“Road work ahead?”

“Uh, yeah I sure hope it does.”

Solomon and M!MC’s rampant quoting of vines elicited another glare from Lucifer.

Despite Solomon having literally been alive since the seven rulers of hell were angels, he had kept up with pop culture fairly decently. Decently enough that M!MC had someone that wasn’t Levi to bounce memes off.

“Pff...” M!MC suppressed a laugh at a seemingly normal water bottle advertisement. “Enslaved moisture.”

“I’m not going crazy, right Simeon? You’re hearing this too?” Lucifer tiredly turned to the angel, who shook his head.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Solomon quacked at M!MC earlier and they lost their minds laughing about it.” Simeon shrugged, unbothered by the sorcerer and the half demon’s rampant meme-ing behind them.

Lucifer on the other hand, was quite bothered. Incredibly bothered, if you will. “If you two don’t shut up right now I’m going to-”

“Quick! We must abscond!” Solomon turned and heelied away, followed by M!MC. The shoes that Mammon bought to replace the ones lost during the casino incident were apparently heelies as well...

The day was saved when a rock jammed one of Solomon’s wheels and he slammed face first into the concrete. Yikes... that had to hurt.

A!MC had fun glow in the dark bandaids for Solomon to patch up his face. Even though he he could heal himself with magic, he let A!MC do what they wanted because they were just too adorable to say no to.

Asmo has pictures

The Cousin Squad (tm)

(Luke, L!MC, A!MC, and M!MC)

Ah yes, the bab squad. The most adorable group in the Devildom. Surrender your candy immediately or face destruction.

M!MC teases the crap out of Luke, and A!MC tries to stop it, but L!MC is the one who manages to actually make M!MC stop.

Only L!MC gets to pick on the smol angel. GOT IT?!

A!MC and Luke are already baking buddies because of butler-dad so they get along swimmingly.

Poor Luke’s the victim of many of M!MC’s shenanigans.

Luke: Are you sure this is safe, M!MC?

M!MC (about to put mentos into the bottle of coke Luke is holding): No.

L!MC and A!MC get along really well, being honest, everyone loves A!MC.

A!MC makes sure L!MC gets some sleep because they don’t want their cousin picking up on Lucifer’s habit of living off of coffee and coffee alone. L!MC doesn’t get it but they’re very grateful anyway.

M!MC and A!MC were friends from the start. Well... M!MC decided they were friends right from the start and A!MC did not have the ability to fight the power of friendship.

M!MC: You are being befriended. Please do not resist.

Since M!MC is great and amazing like their pop, they took it upon themselves to be the friend that speaks up when A!MC is too nervous to do so.

M!MC and L!MC? Lucifer and Mammon 2 electric boogaloo. Sorta.

L!MC and M!MC bicker all the time but the babs bounce back from their fights way easier.

One minute they’re at each other’s throats and the next they’re showing each other memes.

“There’s no escaping this.”

Lucifer stood between M!MC and the door... their one way ticket to freedom...

“You need to go to the dentist.”

The entire HOL plus the Purgatory Hall crew were getting ready to go visit the dentist to get their teeth cleaned. It was the time of the year that Mammon dreaded most... and his child felt the same way.

“My teeth are fine! Lemme stay home! I’ll hold down the fort with dad!” M!MC smiled and nodded as enthusiastically as they could, but even the most unobservant person couldn’t miss the sweat beading on their forehead.

“Beel.” Lucifer snapped his fingers and before M!MC could do anything Beel had thrown them over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Don’t worry M!MC, the dentist isn’t that scary.” Beel tried to assure them. By the way M!MC was still kicking and screaming, they were not convinced.

“Y-yeah kiddo, suck it up! Don’t be a baby! I’m just gonna take my car there-”

“MAAAAAAMOOOON?!”

“YIKES!”

Lucifer had the important task of keeping a hold of Mammon as the very large group made their way to the dentist’s office.

A devious little idea popped into L!MC’s head as they all sat down in the waiting room. They began to hum a familiar little tune.

“She said be a deeeentiiiist~ a dentist!” L!MC sang to M!MC, who’s attempts to escape increased tenfold after hearing the song.

A!MC began to hum along, not seeming to notice the commotion going on next to them.

“Son be a deeentiiiiiist~ people will pay you for causing them PAIN! She said be a deeentiiiiiist~”

Belphie perked up and smiled deviously as he realized what L!MC was doing, he began to sing along as well. The three were a veritable choir of terror to poor M!MC. Mammon did not understand his child’s terror and was more unnerved by what a great team Belphie and L!MC made.

Satan rolled his eyes and tried to focus on his book, Asmo was absorbed in his magazine, Levi was having a very in depth conversation with the fish in the aquarium, Simeon and Solomon chatted about school, and Luke was stuck watching the train wreck go down.

Thankfully, it was halted by Lucifer. “L!MC, A!MC, Belphegor, stop tormenting M!MC with show tunes.”

“You would have made a good dentist in another life, Lucifer,” Belphie cooed. “You know what they say, the only difference between a dentist and a sadist is that one has newer magazines.”

Asmo grimaced at his magazine. “Is it the sadist? Because I’m reading a magazine from 1843...”

The conversation was interrupted by one of the dental hygienists coming into the waiting room and saying that Mammon was up first. The Avatar of Greed’s final escape attempt was foiled by Satan (not even looking up from his book) clotheslining him.

Thirty minutes later, Mammon emerged from the forbidden dentist room, with the look of trauma in his eyes and eating a lollipop.

One by one, the group went in, A!MC took it upon themselves to try and make the rapidly panicking Luke feel better.

“It won’t be too scary, in the human world dentists are usually very nice.” A!MC smiled encouragingly.

“I-I’m sure that’s true but...” Luke looked around. “We aren’t in the human world...”

Asmo skipped back in and flashed a blinding grin to the group. “Absolutely perfect, no flaws! It’s your turn, A!MC!”

“If you die I get to say I told ya so!” M!MC shouted as A!MC walked into the dentist’s room.

They did not in fact, die because of the dentist. A!MC walked out and gave a thumbs up. “The dentist said they had never seen a kid with such perfect teeth.”

“That’s my baby!” Asmo chirped.

“M!MC, you’re up.” A!MC and Beel had to practically drag the poor kid out of the room and into the dentist area of doom.

“GO BE A DEEEEEENTIIIIIIST!” Belphie and L!MC shouted one last time as the doors shut. Wow, what dickheads...

Mammon probably would have tried to save his poor little bugger, but he was in the middle an impromptu therapy session with Simeon over the scary scraping dentist knife thingie.

Beel was the last to go, and he walked out of the dentist’s room with his face covered in blood, the dentist walked out after him, missing a hand.

“You tasted like toothpaste.” Beel sighed. “Not good.”

“Don’t worry,” The dentist said to Luke, who looked like he was about to pass out. “My hand will grow back in about four to five minutes.”

Luke, still terrified, nodded. L!MC patted him on the shoulder.

“Anyway, almost all of you are fine, but I have to recommend M!MC to the orthodontist.” The dentist flipped through their notepad one-handed. “Their secondary set of fangs are coming out crooked and need to be corrected with braces immediately.”

M!MC sat calmly for a moment, then attempted to sprint out the door. “NO NO NO NO NO!” One of the dental hygienists grabbed them by the back of their shirt and halted their escape.

“Sucks to be you.” L!MC smirked.

“And L!MC needs to fix their cross bite, braces are a strong possibility.”

The colour drained from L!MC’s face as the news dawned upon them. “Pardon, but what exactly are you talking about..?”

“Your top jaw and bottom jaw aren’t properly lined up.” The dentist explained. “It will lead to problems later if it’s not fixed now.”

Lucifer rubbed his temples and sighed. “L!MC, if you try and run away I swear...”

L!MC stiffened and shook their head. “I’m not some coward, I’m not running away. Just... what exactly are you going to do to my mouth?”

The dentist pulled up a few pictures of the braces and explained what would be done. L!MC nodded, and turned to their father with a big smile on their face.

“It won’t be so bad, mind if I go to the bathroom before I get the mold for my teeth made?”

Lucifer nodded and almost audibly sighed in relief. He basked in the glory of having a child that wasn’t afraid of the dentist and faced their fears like an adult-

L!MC sprinted past the dentist’s office, they had busted out of the bathroom window.

“...Beel.”

“Yep.”

A few minutes later, Beel returned with a completely irate L!MC who was screaming their demands to be put down and be allowed to run for the hills. Taking advantage of the distraction, M!MC ran for the door again, only for Belphie to tap them on the forehead.

M!MC collapsed into a snoring heap on the floor.

“FATHER! DON’T MAKE ME DO THIS!” L!MC practically screamed as they tried to wrestle themselves out of Beel’s bear hug.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “L!MC, calm yourself down. It’s just braces.”

“AS EVERYONE HERE AS MY WITNESSES I’LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS! NEVER!”

The half-demons in need of braces were dragged right back into the dentist’s area... poor fools.

“They’ll be okay... right?” Luke asked.

“Of course they will be. It’s just braces.” Simeon patted Luke on the head. “They’ll both be fine.”

The scream that came from down the hall right after Simeon said that did not reassure anyone.

“Hey,” Mammon piped up. “How much do braces cost?”

“From what I know about dental procedures,” Satan rubbed his chin. “A few thousand Grimm.”

“Mammon if you try and run for that door I will cut your credit card into a thousand pieces.” Lucifer growled.

Overall, it was a fairly average trip to the dentist. 0/10 would not recommend. A few weeks later L!MC and M!MC were fitted with their mouth prisons- I mean braces, and the two cousins bonded over their horrific mouth pain...

Seriously- braces suck.

——————————————

So! Those are the headcanons! Four and a half whole parts... phew... To all the people who enjoyed this series, thank you so so much for reading! You guys have been so super nice!

Fret not, I plan on writing more for this universe! From what I know about season 2 of Obey Me things will get... interesting. Stay tuned for more! Or don’t, I can’t force you.

...or can I?

[wanderingpages]

hey peach sorry for the rant but i literally feel like killing myself rn (not metaphorically but in every sense of the word)

1 so my parents believe in numerology and astrology crap but i dont and like there was this prophet who kind of predicted my future when i was born that i'd become a really good IAS officer (its a civil servant job in India) and like that position is everything that people here hope for

2 im not on good terms with my dad currently and my parents (both) hv always been like 'study study study' in the past year my % went from 97 to 91 and they were literally so disappointed but pretended they were fine and it makes me feel so fuckin guilty about myself. Due to studies they havent even given me a mobile and im in freshman year of high school

3 now my % is going down and my dad asked an astrologer and that stupid mf said smthng about my moon and that i should calm my temper and always have a good relationship w my parents or else my career will go down in the drain

4 my mom came up to me and said to amend things and shit and i said i wont talk unnecessarily w him only important talks and do what he asks me other than that dont expect anything else and then she said i need to work on my temper and shit (i agree im a short tempered person but i swear on my fucking books that I HAVE CHANGED A LOT THE LAST I SCREAMED WAS LIKE HALF A YEAR AGO) and my mom practically was asking me to become emotionless and im still crying while im writing this but i cant talk to them cuz i dont want to have a good relationship w them they just dont understand

5 i dont like them cuz they prefer me over my bro, give me extra attention and shit, always have high expectations from me and it's fucking exhausting! I HATE THAT SOME FUCKIN PROPHECY RUINED MY FUTURE AND ME

6 i actually want to do college abroad but my parents were like i wont be able to become an officer in india if i'll study out of country but they dont fucking understand I DONT WANT TO BECOME THAT I AM NOT INTERESTED IN IT i just want to die i cant take there shit anymore 😭

im sorry i just needed to say all this to someone at least.

Oh my god I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I know it’s easier said than done but this is your life, not your parents’. If you want to go abroad to study then do it. Please take care of yourself and not do anything too drastic. I’d say try to have a calm conversation with your parents, explain what you want to do and why. They may not be happy about it, but they’ll eventually get over it.

[burningcollectionsandwich]

my guesses/theories on what might happen in “slappy in dreamland”

As I mentioned in a previous post, thanks to the book “judy and the beast”, I had access to the first 3 and a half chapters of “slappy in dreamland” (theyre really good, its really interesting). Ive come up with some guesses on what might happen in “slappy in dreamland”, of course I have no idea whats actually gonna happen, the only information about the plot I have is the chapters and what on the wiki page, these are just my theories

If you don’t want any spoilers, feel free to skip this post

My guesses/theories are:

·         Its all a dream – like the ending of “slappys nightmare” (I flipping love that book), Richard is gonna wake up and discovers that everything was just a dream, until he receives slappy as a birthday present. I like this idea to be honest because then it would be confirmed that slappy does have the power to access dreams, either that or Richard can predict the future, both of them are possible in the world of goosebumps.

·         We’ll find out what scares slappy the most – I really hope we flipping see this man. Like, even though slappy is the most popular monster in goosebumps, he barely know anything about the guy when you think about it, we only get a few bits of information about his past, only one book each of each of his siblings/father and even that doesn’t reveal much, hell what the hell happened to him before he was found in the dumpster in the first “night of the living dummy” book, see what I mean?. I desperately want to know more about slappy (its why I love the book “slappys nightmare” so much, we literally get the perspective of slappy, its awesome) because he has to be one of the most interesting characters ive ever read about. we already know some of his fears, like hes terrified of termites, fire and his own death (all of them are understandable), but what if we learn of a new fear he has that we don’t know about, how interesting would that be?

·         Slappy becomes an experiment - *spoiler for the first chapters of “slappy in dreamland”*, so literally on the last page of the first couple of chapters, they hook slappy up to a sleep machine as a joke, until they discover that he has fully functioning brain waves, which causes everyone to freak out because… well slappys a puppet, hes not supposed to have brain waves, and then the chapter ends there (the suspense is killing me and this is literally at the beginning of chapter 3). This honestly makes me believe that the mother might actually experiment on slappy, like hooking him up to different devices to see if hes actually alive (which we all know he is but they don’t know) or something like that. I kinda like this idea because from the start ive always had the thought “what would happen if he was caught by scientists or something”. This one actually leads to my next theory

·         Its slappys dream – I would be very happy if this is the case because of my love for “slappys nightmare”, and given we’ve been tricked into believing that a dream was real in the goosebumps series, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was the case

·         Slappy manipulates the machinery – in my guess above, I mentioned that they had hooked slappy up to machines and found out he had fully functioning brainwaves, I honestly believe that this might actually grant slappy the ability to go into peoples dreams as a lot of other people are connected by the same machine. What if Richard and his cousin got connected to this machine, which allows slappy to access theyre dreams as well. I dunno I feel like I can explain this one better

·         Slappy’s memories – dear god I really want to see some of slappy’s memories then it can give us some information about his past. Holy crap, what if we saw some memories of his siblings? That would be AWESOME! We could get more information on franz as well

·         BATTLE! – dude imagine if we get a dream battle like in gravity falls, that would be cool

thats all i got really, i might think of some more later. do you guys have any guesses/theories? if so please let me know, im really interested

random add: i just had the random thought of slappy first accessing this power, and hes just floating there in someones dream like “.....where the flipping heck am i?”, and crashing into a cloud or something. i dunno, it made me laugh

[nikethestatue]

Hey, love your blog!

So, I’ve seen a lot of talk of how Azriel’s bonus chapter won’t impact the main story much, since it’s not something every reader would have had access to, but if Elriel is the next book then how is SJM going to go around it? It’s huge in terms of their relationship progression and not something I can see neither of them mentioning or thinking about again.

Hi,

Thank you!

So it's a really good question, and I've thought about it, and I will try to explain it the way I see it.

The easiest thing is to bring the other 2 bonus chapters as examples--Wings and Embers, which is Nessian centric and the Feysand one.

So, we know that some of us have analyzed the crap out of the Az POV, but stepping back and thinking rationally about it, just as a reader, did anything actually HAPPEN in the chapter? The most obvious thing is the 'almost'-kiss (the almost is significant) and Rhys's prohibition. I'll go to Gwyn's part a bit later on.

So we have a gift exchange and an almost kiss. There is no actual kiss. So the chapter does not 'validate' Elriel beyond thoughts. Azriel's thoughts mainly. That's almost identical to the Nessian bonus chapter. Cassian has all sorts of lusty thoughts about Nesta, she confirms her virginity to him and then the 'almost' kiss. Then she knees him in the balls. In that chapter, the feelings are validated, but not technically acted upon. Just like in Az's chapter. SO--did Wings and Embers change anything in subsequent books? NO. The feelings were obviously expanded upon (as they will be in the Elriel book), Nesta's virginity was touched upon again, and the tension between Nessian continued.

The Feysand bonus is similar in that while Feyre and Rhys find out about their baby and lay a bit of ground work for the future (Elain's story), the chapter doesn't impact anything significantly, because again, in the actual book we find out about the baby as well.

These chapters give a bit of an expanded view into things, but they ultimately don't 'change' anything. That's why (and that's not because of my own personal preferences) a new love interest is not going to be introduced, set up or confirmed in a bonus chapter.

Again, thinking rationally about the Gwyn part of the chapter. Az helps her with her training and ribbon cutting (exactly the same that he's been doing the entire book. There is no revelation about his/hers feelings or anything like that). We find out he sings--obviously that will be in the next book to some extent, since we'll be explained the nature of the shadows and why he is called a 'shadowSINGER'. Would it be in the next book regardless of the bonus chapter? Obviously. The ONLY curious thing about that part of the chapter is the shadow reaction/dancing/singing. Since SJM has been hinting at some strange power that's connected to Gwyn's voice/singing throughout the book, again, it's a confirmation of that power. Whatever she is (lightsinger, siren, some kind of singing enchantress, etc.) will be confirmed in subsequent books.

Lastly the Blood Duel--we are explained what it is and how and why it make take place. I suspect that in some way, SJM will re-introduce the concept again, possibly as a side story, because I personally dont think it will be an Az/Lucien thing. It might be a an Eris/Mor/Beron thing or LOA/Helion/Beron or something along those lines. Both Lucien and Az are too important to the story to bother with the BD with them as the protagonists.

Bottom line is, nothing that happened in Az's POV, or any previous bonus chapters had any impact on the stories. It's an expansion, but not a driver. If you didn't read the POV, and just knew what happened in the books, would it change anything very drastically in your understanding of the plot? We basically had 3 months post-Solstice in the books. So what did we see? No, we did NOT see Gwyn or Az pining for each other. Az was doing his work, chasing after Eris, not giving too many thoughts about Gwyn during the Blood Rite. Gwyn was in the Blood Rite, she survived it, she has not mentioned Az ONCE in any romantic capacity post-Solstice. Nothing has been confirmed about Elriel at this point, as it's been throughout ACOSF, which is understandable since it's a Nesta and Cassian book.

The books are the books. That's where most of the info is. You can't base your whole understanding or predictions on a bonus chapter. It's a bonus, not even an epilogue or a prologue for the next book.

(hope this makes sense. Sorry it's so long)

[annethepancake]

Sherlock rant

I recently rewatched BBC Sherlock for Rupert Graves, and aside from the lack of Lestrade appreciation I have a lot of problems with this series. Here are my thoughts:

1. It was all a blur

My second first impression of the show: I don't remember anything but the characters. And some characters I just blatantly forgot, like Mary. And I loved Mary on my second watch! I really forgot that at one point John actually got married and I don't even remember when I watched the show for the first time. I can still recall most of HIMYM's events and I hated that series.

2. It’s overall not a detective/crime show

Watching Sherlock for the second time, I mostly turned off my brain and just let it play in the background because (1) there's hardly anything for me to solve with the characters, most clues are taken by Sherlock off-screen anyway (especially after season 2), (2) they focus way too much on the quirks of the characters that make it almost like a sitcom that got dragged on for way too long. A crime/detective show shouldn't allow me to turn off my brain.

3. The characters just kinda fall flat

Exploring the depth of human emotions is not a bad approach to a modernized version of anything, I’m not trying to pretend I’m better than someone who gets sentimental over fictional character (if you know my blog at all, you know I am not), but at least write good characters. Sherlock is hardly a multi-faceted person; in fact, he’s kinda like the Wattpad teen fic main character sometimes. He physically fights off some terrorists with a machete to save the damsel in distress? He gets high off his tits but still got everything right all the time? John is just kinda there for most of the cases. Jim is a poorly written antagonist. Irene is a lesbian but gets the hot for our main character, surprise surprise. The only interesting characters to me are the ones who act like normal people: Molly, Greg and Mary. They are the multi-faceted characters, ones who I can actually relate to without feeling inferior to them in any way. Write characters like them, stop trying to be smart about it and stop writing Wattpad fanfictions for Sir Conan Doyle’s original works.

I get that they try to make Sherlock more like a human with emotions, making him quirky and arrogant, then make him quirky and more likable. It’s hardly a convincing character development though. He’s given over-powered deduction skills, so edgy, so high and mighty all the time. When he is finally written as vulnerable, turns out he has plans for that too. I would love to see him get it wrong once and maybe get humbled by that mistake, but getting Mary shot and killed is hardly even his fault, he is only doing his job. And killing off Mary is overall a bad idea anyway.

4. They treated the fandom like shit

I was absolutely disgusted at the start of season 3 when the showrunners just straight up shat on their fans. I wasn't there with the fandom during the wait between season 2 and 3, but I believe it was a pretty long wait (2 years, I could barely wait 2 years for my comfort series, and they have like 10 episodes per season), and they were presented with the first actual mystery of the series: How did Sherlock survive the fall? After years of waiting and having fun theorizing, they were met with a mockumentary about them, starring the most hated character of the protagonist and the fans. Those are the people who actually cared about the show for god's sake. The fact that the showrunners treated fans like crap and there's still an active fandom for the show appalled me.

Now not only The Empty Hearse bugs me, but the entire show does as well.

Allow me to digress.

Doki Doki Literature Club is a great example of audience engagement done right (Sorry for using this example I’m not actually that invested in the other franchises). After the success of the first game, the story provoked so many fans into solving the mysteries of the characters, some of them went really, really far. And that’s because of the actual mysteries that the development team took effort to plant into the plot. There is actual pay-off for painstakingly following the clues; as far as I know, only two (2!) people in the world have come close to solving the mystery of the first game (or they actually did). The game developers value their fans and their intelligence enough to have planted those clues where they did, and it’s a genuine exchange between the fans and the creators. Now even though you haven’t actually played the game, when you hear of the name and you’re only kinda familiar with gaming (like me), you’ll probably know what it is. What started as a mere open-source game by an indie developer became a sensation which left millions of fans begging for more.

Looking back at Sherlock, there are tons of logical flaws for a self-proclaimed crime series, virtually no clues for the audience to solve crimes along with their favorite detective, and when there was actually a mystery (Sherlock jumped off the building), they plainly showed him alive and well minutes later. Do we really need to see things spelled on screen to know what’s going on? Are we supposed to accept that Sherlock Holmes is an all-knowing future-predicting genius now too? Not a great sign of respecting the audience there.

So far, the only thing left that’s interesting about this series is the characters’ dynamic. Which brings me to the next criticism I have for the show.

5. The plague that infested mainstream media

Why is there still an active fandom? Queerbaiting and targeted marketing.

Community marketing is proven to be one of the best marketing methods there is, if not the best, to lengthen the lifespan of a product or service. The way they do that for shows and films and video games is usually by planting seeds of possible lores and history inside the content. Look at Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, they are franchises that ran for multiple years with a ton of history and world building that provokes fans’ imagination.

Sherlock - well, Sherlock has sexually ambiguous men.

Sherlock has a formula for success. It was an adaptation of the most iconic detective novel in the world, funded by one of the biggest TV networks in the UK and possibly the world (don’t quote me on this). Making this series means you can appeal to such a wide group of audience even before airing. Adding in the quirky smart men who live together, you’ve basically guaranteed a prime-time show with millions of loyal fans all over the world.

Fans are not stupid, and queer people don't just find queerness everywhere they go. They know a gay subtext when they see one. Sherlock came back from the literal death for John, pretty gay if you ask me.

This show is very much not just about some guys being dudes solving crimes, they have relationship that’s deeper than friendship, and definitely not platonic. They deliberately wrote a sexually ambiguous Sherlock Holmes from the get-go - literally from the very first episode, then capitalized off of the targeted demographic, never a pay-off for their anticipation. Martin Freeman said in interviews that he could recognize Sherlock fans, them being generally women from 16 - 25. No shit Sherlock, this show targets them and capitalizes off of them, being quirky and gay as hell, of course the fanbase is generally 16 - 25 and female.

Sherlock queerbaited the fandom for years for the sake of marketing and there’s never a pay-off, nor was there any recognition to the community, and to add to all that bigotry, queercoding pretty much all of the villains? Why was a show aired in the 2010′s allowed to do this? Why did Mark Gatiss, an openly gay man, a writer of the show, allow this to happen? Why are millions of fans all over the world allowing all this to go on?!

6. Conclusion

Now I haven’t read the books yet, so I’m not at all qualified to criticize the adaptation quality of the TV series; I’m just talking about the TV series on its own. Despite my criticism, I think the first two seasons did quite okay. There are quite a few nice cases there, I like The Blind Banker and The Hound of Baskerville. They did those well because the focus was on the cases themselves, and the connection between John and Sherlock was only in the background. I, like many other fans, like to figure things out on my own, to read between the lines, and to not have things spelled out for me. With the next seasons bombarded with Sherlock and John bonding it seriously felt like mere fan service for me and even though I wasn’t there when the show was on, I still felt like I was robbed and my interest in the show was abused.

Sherlock is undoubtedly super influential in pop culture even now. It has to have done something right to be in that spot (capitalizing off loyal fans?). I’m not writing this rant to change someone’s mind about the series, by all means, I’m still gonna love the hell out of Gavin Lestrade, and absolutely lose my mind over Mary Watson. So do take my words with a grain of salt, I’m just disappointed that one of the most influential shows there is is just short of my expectations.