#damn if it isn't an easy one to exploit

[shingekicornwrites]

Something I kept thinking throughout the fic was how disillusioned Izuku's seems to be with Heroics and Heroes in Bad Miracles. Not in the sense that he doesn't want to be a hero or anything, but more in the sense that it seemed like it's become something more of a JOB to him now. I found the therapy session in the latest chapter really interesting because it made me realize "hey maybe he's not OVER IT as much as he's just being challenged to get out of the Kill Yourself For the Cause mindset"

Izuku is still just as passionate about heroics as he ever was.

However, it's also a job and the funniest thing about jobs is that you start getting extremely nonchalant about the wildest shit because you deal with it daily. For all that he's farming the SHIT out of his dopamine levels with his meticulously crafted schedule to maximize his own productivity, he's also very much gotten used to certain parts of the work to the point he can treat it as a completely uneventful part of his day, like seeing a sale on eggs at the store.

On top of that. Yeah. The therapy has done a large part in keeping him from actively killing himself doing that job. Before Hinata he still wasn't the best at managing his work/life balance but it's hard to be a workaholic when you're keenly aware of the 12 year old who lives in your house and shouldn't be left alone all night because you want to restructure all of your analysis files to better organize the long cases vs cold cases. Having a kid is more effective than Dr. Aruhara ever was at making him clock out on time and run home. This strategy would not work on any other workaholic but between the resentment for his deadbeat father and his own empathy making him a huge crybaby it works wonders for him.

[hwnglx]

a request from a sweet anon, i thought i'd look into it briefly.

the problematic realities of the kpop industry

based on tarot. i don't know these idols personally. energies are always changing. everything i state is for entertainment purposes only, alleged and NOT straight fact. pls take it with a grain of salt!

so, an immediate significant factor here, is that the kpop industry broken down, is basically a transaction between the company and an artist. worthy to note however, is that this is not a healthy dynamic.

the company absolutely puts themselves way above the artist, period. especially at first, (as trainees or at debut) they have the money and the means, they provide the artists with the path to their dreams.

they look like the givers, and the artists are the takers; though the artists give so much more of value to the company. all material things aside, many of them pay with their self esteem, with their inner light, with their power. i don't mean to exaggerate this, but the sole nature of the kpop industry is very exploitative, and it can easily steal the light within people, especially if they enter it in an already insecure state.

this probably isn't surprising to many people, but the hierarchy and power imbalances are enormous. the companies are the powerful and dominant people, and artists are essentially.. their puppets, if i'm gonna be direct.

there absolutely are artists who manage to break free from that crazy difference in power however, that'd be the blackpink's, the bts', and perhaps the stray kids' of the industry. artists who haven't been able to generate a substantial amount of revenue yet, and therefore haven't brought in enough money to balance out the huge investments that were made; those are the artists the company feels immense power over. i keep seeing them as this huge hand, and the artists are tiny, way underneath.

the kpop industry is all “look pretty on the outside, hide away, conceal or fix whatever's ugly”

spirit gave me this image of a very beautifully wrapped package that seems very nice when you look at it externally, but once you look into it, it's rotten.

that could represent the industry because it absolutely looks glamorous and desirable on the outside; but what's going on inside the industry, doesn't live up to that, at all.

it could also represent many artists, who are essentially forced to put on an amazing show, present themselves in the nicest way possible, seem very confident, content, almost like you wanna be them. but sadly, a lot of them aren't nearly as happy on the inside.

whenever i look into this, i always get worried for the minors. tbh, it's way too easy for the industry to take advantage of impressionable, young and clueless people who only have one goal in sight; which is to debut and get famous. it's almost like this glimmering trophy in their eyes, and that's all they see. (perhaps even purposefully put into their sight from their parents) companies know that, so they make it seem like they're the ones who can make their dreams come true.

spirit especially made me think of contracts, and how they can be very exploitative, without the ones signing them truly realizing. but once you're in it, it can be very hard to get out of. the parents of these kids who sign onto becoming a trainee to these greedy and money-hungry companies, aren't normal in my eyes. i will say that. these children (like new jeans) be fighting legal wars they shouldn't even be involved in.

companies don't really give a damn about their artists' health. if any of them ever loudly claim to, it's all a marketing strategy to gain approval from the public. again, public image is the #1 most important thing to them; the way they appear to the audience, rather than what they truly are. as long as people believe they take care of their artists, that's enough for them.

a lot of mental health problems for idols. whether it's anxiety, depression, eating disorders.. it's immensely normalized. like that's what this occupation comes with. they're made to believe they can't have problems. a lot of guilt-tripping and manipulative tactics from the companies' side. almost like you owe them your hard work, because they put so much into you.

i also see a lot of monitoring and controlling going on, especially in terms of idols' social medias and their phones. not sure if all of them are aware of how far the monitoring actually goes. i also see potential for there to be blackmailing. people have evidence and proof of things in their hands, that they should not have access to.

this is something i've seen being talked about a few times, and it is true. companies have this exact vision (i especially thought of sm here) of what they want their artists to be; how they want them to come across, speak, dress, what variety shows they go on, what type of interviews they do, which creative direction they go into, and another significant factor; how much they grow.

there is this fear, that the artist outgrows the company. it's almost like, of course they do want the artists to shine, duh.. since it brings in money for them. but, they can not be shining too brightly. because what does that mean? they won't be dependent on the company anymore, and might be confident enough and have sufficient means to go their individual ways. companies for sure get petty as hell when an artist leaves.

last thing i will say; a lot of this “we all are a family who love and support each other” narrative that's being spread from these companies, whether it's hybe, sm, jyp, whatever. that's all a show. it's all much more business-oriented than it looks, and much more competitive. many artists feel the need to prove themselves to their companies, so they can get competitive, even when they're from the establishment.

[the-fandom-is-now-my-life]

Hi ! I wanted to say I love your work a lot, especially those stories about Tokyo Debunker characters going to the future !! Would you mind doing one with Sho please ?

A bun in the oven

Cw: Hyde slips a future potion into Sho's drink without him knowing, reader described as pregnant

Wc: 1,2K

Notes: if there is something in the new chapter that contradicts anything in here, no it doesn't (haven't gotten around to reading it jiji)

For some reason this doesn't read like I wanted it to but it's kind of cute sigh

Sometimes muscle memory takes over when Sho cooks, zoning out and looking at nothing while cutting vegetables or mixing batter, more than once freaking Leo out at his zombie like state.

It just came so naturally after spending so much time in his hobby, mincing garlic, salting water and reducing the sauce. It isn't until he dips his chopsticks in his mouth that he snaps back.

An horrible itching and burning inside his mouth waking him from his trance. He quickly throws aside the offending chopsticks and hurries to the sink to fill a glass of water.

Without a care, he throws his head as he chugs the water faster than he ever shotgunned a beer. Not even caring to wipe the droplets slipping from his lips to his chin and down his neck.

There is only one reason he would cook something like that, he thinks, god-damned Leo and his hellish spicy things. He always tells him that he won't taste anything but the chili oil and jalapeno but he just rolls his eyes and tells him to do as told.

That damned brat, how can he even eat this bullshit without losing his tongue? Maybe he lost his sense of taste after chewing on his special artifact so much, he insists it doesn't taste like anything but some anomalous chemical in it must have ruined his tongue.

Footsteps sound behind him but Sho doesn't pay it too much mind, must be leo, he thinks while swishing water inside his mouth and spitting it out. The last time he spits it out he is lucky it didn't go up his nose at the unexpected hug. Arms wrapping around his waist and someone's head resting on his shoulder.

A soft voice talks just behind him, the sweetness dripping from it too real to be Leo's “Thanks for cooking for me, love, I know you hate spicy with your whole soul after Hyde tricked you” was that…? If Leo was pulling his leg again he swears to God he will never tell him anything ever. Just one time he tells Leo he likes to spend time with you -maybe a little too much to be like friends- and he has never known peace since. Whenever Leo gets slightly bored his little crush is something so easy to exploit, teasing about white day's gifts, sending him photos of couple's discounts at stores, links to rings with obnoxious remarks like ‘Better hope they have cheap taste’ or ‘your food truck better be making some good revenue otherwise I see it hard. I'm not lending you even one yen’

Ripping him away from his thoughts, the muscles under his skin tremble and shudder as if an electric current went through them as your lips fall just beneath the angle of his scapula, an almost mockingly honest ‘mhwa’ follows as you get away. Luckily you didn't do it as he was pouring the blistering oil in the bowl or when he was cutting the garlic, Sho is sure he would have spilled oil all over himself or sliced his finger open.

“Whatever. It should be ready” he mumbles as he drags the cutting board and pot where the oil was boiled to the sink to scrub them.

Without a peep you grab the bowl and walk off to the kitchen island.

“So how was the truck today?”

“Hyde was hanging around all day and wanted to watch how I did everything, such a nuisance.”

“Like a little kid! Maybe that is why he was so happy at having a nephew, he wanted someone close to his maturity!”

Letting out a small laugh to let you know he heard you, his mind starts chewing and begins to understand what you said. ‘nephew’ stands particularly up, he is Hyde's only sibling, so that would mean… no, there is no way, is it?

And for once, he turns around to see you, not dressed in school uniform and loafers with tidy and neat hair but rather you are on the stool wearing a t-shirt he has been thinking about buying for a few days and your hair on a messy bun. But that is seen as normal over your hand, spotting a ring over the sage's ring, resting over a very noticeably pregnant stomach.

Oh, fuck, it wasn't a prank, that fucking masked creep truly got that damned potion. That is why he was so fucking annoying to get him to share a drink. He should have known it wasn't from the goodness of his heart. Was he getting back at him from when he stole his beers? Immature bastard.

“Huh? Is something wrong” lazily you lean back and look at him wondering.

“... No, not at all”

Leaving the dishes halfway done, he sits on the stool next to yours and stealing glances at you

“baby, he is kicking, have a feel” without giving him a second to pull away his hand lies flat against your swollen stomach, and soon is greeted by a harsh kick from the depths of your body “he is kicking like crazy”

“Are you sure it isn't because… he hates spicy” it takes him a second to not call that an ‘It’. He does like you, maybe enough to have a serious relationship and not just mess around like he always does but it's a wide jump from the ring around your fingers and having a fully fledged family.

“If that was why then your son shouldn't make me crave spicy food!”

“Are we sure it's not Leo's?” He jokes, unsure how to continue the conversation, and gets a smack in the arm while you laugh “hey, I think it's a fair enough q-” suddenly another smack lands on him but this time it's harsher and directly on his face, accompanied by such and annoying voice.

“Shohei-kun~~” his brother is hunched over him and slapping his face, there isn't much worry on his face as annoyance, as if him being out of it because of something he slipped in his drink “finally~♪ I would have thought ghouls have a higher tolerance to potions but doesn't seem like it”

Sho’s hands fly to Hyde's collar, or so he thought, his body must still be halfway asleep given how easily he dodged his grasp.

“No need to get so aggressive so soon! I just wanted you to tell me how your future was going to be but I doubt you are speaking, right?” Wobbly kneeling up Sho only is capable of snarling a string of curses making his brother, who rolls his eyes and helps him up on a chair.

“You should get better in a few minutes, how about you tell me all about your little dream when I come back~?” And hurriedly he rushes out of his own office to dodge a book thrown by his little brother.

Sighing into his arms, it seems that the only way to calm his stomach and stop his head from spinning was closing his eyes and anchoring himself to the desk. Stupid Hyde and his stupid potions.

Cracking his left eye slightly at the buzzing of his phone, he is faced by the only text he couldn't stomach to answer right now. Even a text from Leo or Hyde would be better.

Senpai: Sho, are you fine? I couldn't find you at recess

Senpai: call me when you see this, don't make me worried!!

He should call you but how could he look at you in the eye after that “damned masked freak”.

[artpigeons]

So the newest trend I'm noticing on tiktok is that cooking videos (the types that are just shots of food being cooked, especially boxed lunch type food) have started to plaster on the caption 'making a survival meal for my husband's 12 hour night shift' or something to that effect

and like

damn. like the aesthetic isn't even upper class trad wife old money whatever anymore, it's trad wife married to an exploited coal miner???? like i know you all don't have partners that work 10 or 12 hour shifts, but at the same time what's the point of talking about it or commenting, because you'll immediately get hit with "it's not that deep, it's not that serious, it's just a caption and a trend"

but also... at what point can we actually acknowledge that it is that deep. it is that serious.

you have to be a clean girl, old money, mob wife, tradwife, make nara smith food from scratch in a ballgown with a baby on your arm, tripod all set up so you can film yourself, make sure to look perfect and beautiful and thin and white with a big bright toothpaste-commercial mormon smile and have that no-makeup makeup/hair look that takes an hour to achieve, post how you're cooking for your husband's 12 hour night shift at the business factory, pretend you're not either the main breadwinner with your video revenue or trying to be because that doesn't fit in the tradwife recession aesthetic and it's just not that deep

or you could go the other route and be an 'OF girl', make videos about how you tried to fuck a hundred guys in one day, bounce in a bikini for jack doherty or any given tate wannabe you can find who'll pimp you out and make even more money when he goes on podcasts demeaning you for it, because what other option is there, but it's really not that deep, it's empowering isn't it? it's her own choice, she can just quit, it's easy money and views right? she's a boss babe, it's not that serious

girl dinner, because girls can't cook for themselves. girl math, those silly girls can't count, they just be shopping! do you have a pink girlie job or a blue girlie job? haha just the feminine urge to Create! i'm just a girl!

your body is an Aesthetic to be consumed, whether directly through public sex work or indirectly through the 'old fashioned values' schtick. your mind? no one has any need for that. you're just a girl.

most of the world is being drowned in fascism that is in huge parts focused on rolling back women's rights, but it's not that deep. you can just be a tradwife or bounce for the boys. it's not that deep. it's not that deep.

[air--so--sweet]

So, Aidan Gallagher was the last cast member to wrap on season 4, and he wrapped several days after everyone else which I've been presuming means we're getting some apocalypse flashbacks but I've just had another idea.

We see Lila and Five travelling to what looks like the original apocalypse, what if they see young Five in the apocalypse? I think it could be really interesting as I don't think any of the other characters fully appreciate what he went through (well, Luther appreciates what it feels like to live in total solitude). Especially when he came back looking exactly like he did when he ran away, but with an adult consciousness instead of a teenage one. It makes it very easy to forget he got stranded and had to learn how to survive in an apocalyptic wasteland as a literal child. While grieving everyone and everything he has ever known.

And I think for Lila to be the character to witness that, as someone who has quite an antagonistic, but also incredibly loving relationship with Five (I was going to say though neither would admit it, but actually I feel both of them had dropped almost all pretense of hating each other at the end of season 3. I don't know if either would verbally express love for each other but in the same way I don't know if either would verbally express love for anyone) would be incredibly affecting. Especially as, unlike his siblings, she never knew teenage Five, she has always known him as an adult who looks like a teenager. I feel like for Lila to witness firsthand the brutality Five experienced alone in the apocalypse, and to realise he was really just a child, especially now that she has a child herself...well I think it would be truly upsetting for her but also giver he a deeper understanding of Five and just how important his family is to him (and family is what Lila desires and values most in the world too).

But also, it will make her realise how similar Five's experience was to her own. Because both were caused to suffer at a young age by the Handler, Lila by having her parents murdered, Five by being left in the apocalypse for 45 years when she could have plucked him out at any point, and then exploited for her own gains with little to no care given to how it sould affect them. Five says The Handler made it so he couldn't belong anywhere, that she made him a killer; she more or less did the same thing to Lila.

Most theories I write are just 'Oh this would be cool if it happened' or 'Look at this ridiculous idea I had', but, now I've imagined it, I'll be really disappointed if we don't see Lila and Five witness younger Five in the apocalypse. Damn...

Also, while writing this it occurred to me that, if the scene where Lila is crying is in the subway, which is looks like it is, maybe she isn't crying because something happened her daughter or Diego (as most of us presumed), maybe it's related to her seeing something The Handler did in another timeline. Or maybe it's just the emotional impact of seeing The Handler in the flesh again, knowing Lila loved her and saw her as her mother, and The Handler was happy to murder Lila in cold blood when she realised she couldn't manipulate her anymore. That's bound to fuck you up. (To be be clear, because I think how I phrased this suggests we'll definitely see The Handler again, I have no idea if we will or won't but with the hopping of timelines it's a possibility.)

Or maybe Lila sees what The Handler took from her, what life would have been like if she grew up with her parents. Or again, the effect of just getting to see her parents alive and in the flesh. A train always stops in the same places, it can't just change course or route like any other vehicle. Maybe the subway allows you to move between timelines/time travel but only as an observer. You can't change or effect any events and therefore can't interact with anyone as a result. Imagine the pain of seeing your parents you thought you'd never see alive again and not bring able to interact with them in any way. Or maybe she has to witness their murder again knowing she can't do anything to stop it. It would be a really interesting parallel from their relationship in season 2 to have Five comforting Lila over the death of her parents.

[rosenclaws]

For the ask game... I have 3 (I'm greedy).

1. "Beneath Starlight" with Old Man Logan

2. "When Summer Ends" with 70s Logan

3. "Don't Look at Me" with Worst Logan

ooo okay okay i love these!!

Beneath Starlight

This is a sweet Old Man Logan fic where he takes you out to a small spot in the desert where the light can't ruin the sky. He feels bad because he's been so busy and he's not the kindest man. He lashes out and drinks too much and hates himself so much that he knows he's not easy to live with. So he decides to do something nice for you. He drives you out to this place and lays out a blanket. He brought snacks and spends the whole night sitting with you as you stare at the sky. You point out each constellation and he listens. He also tells you that he remembers when they sent those damn rockets to space. He watched it on TV at a bar and he shuddered at the idea of that. Ain't no way people are meant to be up there.

2. When Summer Ends

OO okay so this screams summer fling with 70's Logan. Imagine he's hired to look after you an up and coming actress. Summer in LA is hot and Logan hates the crowds almost as much as he despises being muscle for some stuck up actress. But slowly the two of you fall in love as you're out promoting your latest film. Logan protects you from annoying fans, creepy costars, and your own father who's hell bent on exploiting you for ever penny he can. Logan helps you find your own way, making a name for yourself without sacrificing your integrity. He also punches your dad at some point. But he can't stay forever. He knows that people aren't kind to his sort of people and to be plastered on every paper isn't good. When the summer is over he knows he has to leave you but he promises that he'll always keep an eye out. You two share one last night together before he disappears, running like he always does. He keeps his promise. He sees all your movies, watches your interviews, reads the articles. He's so proud of you. Maybe one day he'll come back to you but for now he's happy watching you be a star.

3. Don't Look at Me

Oo okay so. You were Logan's close back in his world but his constant ego and negativity soured your friendship. On a mission his ego got too big and he made a costly mistake that lead to you going missing. Logan was distraught. He was so angry at himself, so ashamed for what he'd done that he stopped caring. He drank more and rolled his eyes when the team asked for help. He was an X-men but he really didn't care anymore. Then everything happens and he ends up in the void where lurking in the shadows of the hide out was you. It was for sure the you from his timeline. Logan felt like he was going to puke. He avoids you like the plague. Putting up his walls as he doesn't even spare you a glance. You end up confronting him. How dare he pretend he's too good for you after what he did. He breaks down and ends up pouring his heart out. Yelling about how much of a coward he is. How he is at fault for everything and he hates himself so much for it. He wishes it was him, that if he didn't have his stupid healing he would be long gone by now. He just falls apart. He never believed in the man he could be and you tell him that this is his chance to change that. Start by making amends with you, show you that he's changed. That he truly cares he will try and not fall back on his old habits. He'd ask if things would ever go back to how they were and you say no but that doesn't mean it won't be okay. That you two won't be okay.

send me the title of a made up fic (with the character of your choice) and I'll tell you what the plot would be/write a blurb from it!

[sarasade]

It's been pretty interesting to follow the

"Why Didn't Viren Get Redeemed vs Viren Got What Was Coming To Him"

discussion after The Dragon Prince's 6th season got released.

Hot Take

I think Viren got redeemed.

Because to me Viren humbling himself and acknowledging the hurt he has caused was redeeming. His conversation with Soren was the main event. His rather heroic death was only the cherry on top of the character development cake that has been baking since s4.

I think Viren dying wasn't as significant as what he did before that and how he tried to provide Soren with some kind of comfort and closure, you know, as a parent should, before going. Viren's redemption wasn't just him dying for Katolis but acknowledging his wrongdoings and trying to salvage what he could.

That was pretty redeeming for me at least. Viren did the right thing even when he knew there wouldn't be any reward for it. Even if he couldn't stop Aaravos from destroying Katolis or manipulating Claudia even after his death. Like, man, I kinda feel for the guy.

I think it has always pretty easy to feel sympathy for Viren. Viren wants to matter and wants to be important. However, his grandiosity, as psychologists would call it, keeps him from creating genuine connections with others. His friends, wife and children are only there to prop up his ego or get rejected if they fail to live up to his expectations. It's also pretty damn tragic that Viren opens up about his deep insecurities to Aaravos of all people. Someone who was the most likely person in the world to exploit these insecurities for his own gain.

Viren had to taste his own medicide but I don't think TDP says that's an objectively good thing per se or that we should enjoy this sort of revenge fantasy uncritically. Viren is still portrayed rather sympathetically and of course there is the part about his actions affecting others and the world in unpredictable ways. It's still a tragedy because Viren's actions and personal problems have caused so much collateral damage. The Why behind Aaravos exploiting Viren and Claudia is part of that tragedy, too. There are no winners here. In a way Viren is a victim of his own narcissistic tendencies, too.

This isn't just about the final episodes of Viren's arc. To me it's essential to ask What was Viren's biggest sin he should be redeemed or punished for? Depending on your answer you may have a relatively different reading of s6 story development compared to mine.

To me it's not a specific action he took but his whole worldview. Viren is a fictional character (duh!) so his story isn't exactly literal but metaphorical, a representation of certain values and morals real people and society holds. In s3 TDP draws a pretty straightforward, though brief, comparison between Viren and reactionary right-wing ideologues. It's not exactly subtle.

It's just one way TDP goes to show how toxic and abusive Viren's core values are. that gets reflected both in Viren's personal life aka how he treated Lissa, Soren and even Harrow and Claudia (last two more indirectly). Since he also had a ton of political power as a high mage and briefly as a king we see what he did with that power. It's a pretty clear take on people who dehumanise others, fetishise power and see all living things as something to exploit. TDP explores that both philosophically and psychologically through Viren. Dark magic encapsulates this philosophy well since using magical creatures like tools or objects is essential for it to work.

Also also- I don't really get why people see redemption or atonement as something black and white. It's not bad or anything but Redeeming Yourself For Your Sins is a very Christian concept and Christianity isn't the only way to understand villain story arcs. Like I wish there could be more discussion about WHY redemption is the main analytical framework we impose on villains when villainous characters have a ton of variety anyway.

I don't really have anything to complain about Viren's death itself and I'm not surprised that he ended up dying (for real this time). Aaravos seemed like someone who'd turn against Viren the moment he stopped being useful to him so Viren's life has been hanging by a thread since s4. Viren was the best part of TDP and every scene he's been in had been a delight, well expect the s5 dream sequence because it was too long-winded and obvious, anyway, I'm sorry to see him go and I look forward writing AU fix-it fics where he and Aaravos are married and run a hot brown morning potion shop with all their four totally not dead children. RIP Viren. You lived like a messy bitch and died like a messy bitch. Iconic.

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Listen in my defence Garp is a Dilf or a Gilf depending on the time line XD 

Maybe Garp (or Sanji if writing Garp makes you uncomfortable) S , K , I , W , H

Congratulations! You got six letters because I accidentally did V instead of W at first!

Also I will write for any character from One Piece (barring child characters given that this alphabet is inherently more mature) so long as I've gotten to them in the show, so you don't have to worry about me not wanting to write for a certain character. Like I would write for Blackbeard if someone requested him.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Given Garp's insane strength, it would be very easy for him to hurt you even just accidentally. He never sets out to hurt you. With his power and his connections, there's no real need for violence. However, if you catch him in a bad mood and really push your luck, he might grab you too tight and effortlessly break your arm. He realizes what he's done the second he hears the snap and immediately regrets it. You'll be hauled off to see a doctor immediately and he spends the next month spoiling you in an attempt to make you forget about what happened. All that being said, upsetting him to this point is borderline impossible, so this is very unlikely to happen.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

All that he wants is someone to have by his side for the rest of his life. Ideally, someone that isn't going to raise his blood pressure like the rest of his family does. He just wants to be able to relax and have fun with his darling in his down time. You guys are going to get married, but it'll likely be no more than a marriage certificate unless you really push for a wedding. He's too old and set in his ways to care that much about ceremonies and "superficial shit", as he puts it.

Don't worry about children. This man has adult grandchildren. He's good. He really does not want to be starting over with a baby at his age. Not to mention the fact that everyone in his family is a damn criminal. He does not want to see another descendant on a wanted poster before his deathbed, thank you very much.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

Presuming that you two have a significant age gap, Garp is usually mistaken for being your father. He isn't a particularly romantic man (no one in this family is), so very little about his behavior would make people think that you're a couple. In public, he'll be walking beside you, but usually isn't touching you beyond brief touches to get your attention. He's talking loudly (usually lightheartedly complaining about his family) and making dumb jokes.

In private, he's a bit more affectionate, but most of the time it's in an annoying way. He's like a young boy that thinks the only way to get his crush's attention is by being a nuisance. Except you're married and he's in his seventies. He'll be pranking you and going out of his way to do things that'll get a rise out of you. He can be normally affectionate with quick kisses on the cheek before he leaves the home, or by picking you up in a hug and spinning you around.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

Desperation for a normal family member combined with his devil-may-care attitude. If he finds someone that he likes well enough to pursue a relationship with, why shouldn't he go after them just as strongly as he would a pirate? What's so wrong about him wanting to have some company on lonely nights? He's a marine. He's a good man. You'll come around and learn to appreciate this arrangement.

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

You have three options with Garp:

1: If he isn't bringing you with him on his ship while he's working, you have all of that time to make a break for it. It might be tricky giving the marine base he keeps you at the slip, but it's much easier than trying to run away from him directly. These escapes will be short lived. Maybe a week into your freedom, Garp will rock up wearing a hawaiian shirt and carrying a suitcase while asking why you went on vacation without him.

2: You have three step-grandchildren that would be eager to get involved. You don't even need to convince them that you're here against your will. All you have to do is ask if they want to piss off their grandfather and they'll be on their way to wherever you are to begin the game of darling-keep-away.

3: Assuming there's a big age gap here... you could also just wait him out. Sure, it'll probably take a couple of decades for him to finally kick the bucket. He isn't the type of yandere to kill his darling so he can "take them with him", so you'll still have the rest of your life left. It'll be easy to afford a therapist for everything you went through after you cash in on your late husband's pension and life insurance policy, so at least you have that to look forward to.

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

As discussed in H, yes, but it's accidental. He genuinely has no desire to harm his darling. His attitude is too carefree and lax with you to become violent without several other extreme factors being at play.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman-Part 18

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternative Universe : Military School

Words : 5k

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Sunday, November 15; 1:00 PM - Park.

This morning, I woke up in the arms of Joan, who was still fast asleep. My head hurt so much that I was glad I hadn't been woken up by his cries. I quickly realized I had a hangover. I had to text Mapi to understand how I ended up in my bed without her. Usually, we go home together. She replied an hour later, telling me about my exploits from the previous night with Bronze. I felt guilty immediately. She's going to give me hell when I return to Manchester. I'm already mentally preparing myself, knowing she won't go easy on me. To change my mind, I suggested going to the park with Joan before I left. He jumped for joy. I told my mom, who didn’t even react. We're even more at odds than before. This atmosphere made me eat and leave for the park right after. Here I am, sitting on a bench watching Joan play with kids hIS age in the playground. I'm happy to give him one last good moment. He often looks at me to wave, and I happily wave back. I jump when I feel two hands rather roughly placed on my shoulders.

- BOO!

- Oh damn, Maria !

She bursts out laughing as she sits down next to me. I immediately relax, letting out a sigh of relief.

- You're crazy!

- I can't help it if you still get scared so easily, she giggles. I love scaring you every time!

I roll my eyes in amusement. And they call me a child. Bronze would change her mind if she knew Mapi.

- How are you feeling since yesterday? she asks seriously. Is your headache gone?

- Yeah, after three pills and a good cold shower, I say, making her laugh.

She may be my best friend, but she's the first to make fun of me. She's the type who would laugh before asking if I'm okay if I fell. She calms down, and I smile when she waves to Joan in the distance.

- Your flight is at three, right?

- Yeah, I sighed.

- Joan's going to miss you, you know.

- I know... He asked me if she could fit in my suitcase this morning. I laughed a lot.

- I bet, she chuckles. He could probably fit, too, I'm sure.

- Probably, yes.

I smile, watching my brother. I'm going to miss him so much if he only knew. If I could, I’d take him with me. I sincerely hope he'll stop misbehaving while I'm gone.

- Excited to go back?

- Not really, given what's waiting for me...

- That bad? she laughs.

- Bronze is really mad at me. She texted me this morning, telling me not to message her all day and that we'll talk face-to-face tonight.

- Ouch. She seemed nice when I talked to her yesterday.

She's not laughing this time. She must have understood that I'm not at my best. Bronze trusted me, and now I've let her down again. I always mess up. What was I thinking, calling her in the middle of a party? Even drunk, I should have known better.

- You like your supervisor a lot, huh?

- What makes you say that? I asked, intrigued.

- It's obvious. You're practically biting your nails with guilt, she smiles in amusement. You're singing a different tune than your first days when you called me crying, saying you hated her.

- Well, I was being rebellious in the beginning, I chuckled. We’ve moved past that. I realized she just wanted to help me.

- Yeah, but I don't know, I feel there's something more. Isn't there?

- You're probably right... Things have been different between us since my detox... I admitted.

- Different how?

- I don't know, I sighed, leaning back against the bench. It's just... different. She was nice, even though she didn't pity me.

- What aren’t you telling me? she raises an eyebrow.

She noticed I'm hesitating to continue. I look at her for a moment, biting my lip.

- I-I don't know... I had a low point after my detox, I finally confided. She was there, having spent a week taking care of me... I don't know what came over me, but I just broke down. I needed to tell her how I felt about everything that happened.

- And did you?

I nodded timidly. I feel guilty knowing it took me three months to confide in Mapi. It took me barely half that time to do it with Bronze, whom I barely know. In the end, I don't really know her. I don't know anything about her or her life. I still wonder why I feel the need to confide in her.

- Hey, I don't blame you if that's what's worrying you, she said, placing her hand on my knee. Maybe she's the one you need. Well, she corrected herself seeing my expression. I mean, if you feel comfortable with her, go for it. She only wants what's best for you; it's obvious. Just look at how she reacted last night and the blackmail she makes with you.

- They're deals, I corrected her. Deals that I agree to after negotiation... I know they're for my own good and effective. The thing is, she’s never judged me, never pitied me. Even when I was weak... She always treated me as if I were the same, and I feel heard.

- Can I ask you a question?

- Of course.

- Do you have a relationship with her?

- What? I exclaimed. Of course not! What makes you think that?

- Maybe the fact that you called her "baby" last night.

- I did what? I screamed.

Oh my God. I'm in even deeper trouble than I thought. Mapi can't help but burst out laughing at my distraught face. I start to wonder if she's playing a cruel joke on me. That idea quickly fades when she speaks again.

- OK, I guess you're not lying given your reaction. You're not dating her then, you promise? I wouldn't mind, you know!

- No! Are you crazy?! Never in a million years! I'd never even think of it! She'd probably punish me just for thinking that! Oh damn... I say, sinking into the bench. She's going to kill me...

- Why? It's not that dramatic. But if she does, I'd like to see it! It's not every day you see Ona Batlle being put in her place!

- Believe me, she's the first to manage it, I sighed. I'm in big trouble. I should never have gone to that party, I groaned, running my hand over my face. I told you it was a bad idea!

- Hey, don't blame me! It was just a party where you had fun, that's all. You didn’t mess up. I didn’t even have to refuse drugs; you did it yourself! Plus, you got at least three numbers.

- Hmm... It was a good party, but it's not worth it. You don't know my supervisor!

- Relax! I'm sure you'll handle the situation. She doesn't seem that bad. She was worried about you. Besides, she wasn't here to keep an eye on you. Maybe it made her anxious?

- That's exactly why she's going to yell at me! I promised her I wouldn’t do anything wrong.

- You didn't do anything wrong, she rolled her eyes. Well, how about we change the subject, huh? I can see this is killing you, she chuckled.

She's probably right. She doesn't give me a choice and starts talking about stories from last night and her girlfriend. As for me, I talk a lot about my new friends and the camp. Joan interrupts us, reminding me of the time. Saying goodbye to Mapi is painful. I miss her more than she lets on. It's going to be hard to hold on until the next holiday. I especially feel that Bronze will make it harder for me to go out. I'm already depressed just thinking about it. I have only myself to blame. I ponder all this on the way back. I barely have time to stop by the house before heading to the airport. Joan insisted on coming with me. I didn’t see any reason to refuse since Hector would be there. I know he'll take good care of him. When we're there, he enjoys helping me check in my bags. It's only when we head to the boarding gate that he starts to realize what's happening. Especially when the intercom announces the imminent departure of my flight.

- I don't want you to leave, he cries, tears streaming down his face. It was way too short.

- I'll be back soon, don’t worry.

- Next weekend?

- We'll see... I can't promise anything, I grimaced. Oh, I almost forgot.

He looks at me intently while I rummage through my backpack. I pull out a big brown teddy bear. His eyes light up. When I saw it in a shop window in Manchester, I immediately thought of him. I had to get it for him. I silently thank Bronze for making me go out last week. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to bring him anything.

- Is this for me?

- Of course, I handed it to him. So you can sleep with it and think of me every time you see it. It will remind you that I’m thinking of you and that I'm never far away.

- Thank youuu!

I barely have time to crouch to her level before his little arms wrap tightly around me. I smile, feeling the teddy bear between us. He clings tightly to it when we part.

- It smells like you!

- That's normal. It’s been in my stuff for a week, I chuckled.

The intercom brings me back to reality. I sigh in annoyance. The silver lining is that Joan's tears have stopped, replaced by a big smile.

- I'll be waiting patiently for you.

- You better! No more mischief, you promised me.

We pinky swear, and I kiss his forehead. I ruffle his hair while saying goodbye to Hector. I walk towards the flight attendants to hand them my ticket. I’m one of the last to board, so there isn't much of a line. I barely have time to settle in before the plane takes off a few minutes later. I put my headphones on and close my eyes, thinking about everything that happened this weekend. I’m dreading this return. I really don't feel good about it. I reach the point where I can hardly fall asleep.

Sunday, November 15; 6:10 PM - Manchester Airport.

The plane just landed. The flight attendant had to wake me up when it was time to fasten my seatbelt. I managed to sleep a little, thanks to my calming music. She joked that she might become my personal flight attendant if I keep flying like this. I get the feeling she likes me, and it's mutual. After all, we’re both young. She’s also very beautiful, exactly my type. Her blue eyes stand out perfectly with her dark hair. I smile at her and say we’ll see each other next time, which seems to please her. I grab my bag from under my seat and exit the plane. I take the initiative to turn off and put away my headphones. Bronze is picking me up, and I know she doesn't like seeing me with those things on my head. I hope she hasn't changed her mind. The last thing I need is for her to send a taxi because of what I did. If not, I'll have to face her right away, but at least it will be over. I'm relieved when I see her in the arrivals hall. It's the second time I’ve seen her in regular clothes. She’s wearing jeans, a sweater, and a jacket over it. I cringe when I see her arms crossed. It looks like she's not hiding her anger this time. I take a deep breath before walking over. I hold back a smile because I’m still happy to see her again.

- Hi, Bronze... I say timidly.

She only gives me a nod in response. I think I'm getting off easy. She could have completely ignored me. We collect my suitcase without saying a word. I don't dare force a conversation, so I wait patiently for her to speak. Maybe I would have preferred a taxi after all. We reach her car, and she opens the trunk for me. I put my suitcase in, and then we sit in the front. I said I would wait for her to start, but this silence is unbearable. I'd rather she let out her anger than ignore me.

- Bronze... I'm sorry for what I did.

- You're such a damn fool! she snaps.

I lower my head, staying silent. At least it’s clear. She's mad. Without warning, she suddenly swerves to the side of the road. Luckily, my seatbelt holds me back, or I would have gone through the windshield. She stops the car and turns sharply towards me.

- You're such an idiot, Ona, she yells without giving me a chance to respond. You just came out of detox, and here you are starting again! Was the first time not enough for you?! What will it take for you to understand how serious this is?!

- I'm fine! I shout back. Why are you overreacting so much?! You're not my mom, my girlfriend, or even just a friend as far as I know! Even my mom doesn't care where I spent my evening, so why do you care so much?!

- Do you even think? she scolds, raising her voice even more. You called me at three in the morning from Barcelona, completely wasted. Damn it, Ona! Can’t you imagine how worried I was for a single second?! You called me in a terrible state while I was stuck across the country, unable to do anything! I asked you one thing. Just one thing! Not to go to places like that, and you did it!

- No, I retort. You asked me not to touch illegal substances, which I didn't! Even while drunk, I refused everything!

- And you feel proud of that?! Just for what you told me, I should ban you from leaving the camp for a month! I was so wrong about you, she finishes, lowering her voice. I thought you were more responsible and mature, but I guess not.

I close my eyes to absorb those last words that sting. I've been called immature twice in two days. I jump when she vents her anger by hitting the steering wheel violently. I didn't think it would affect her so much. She's right. I'm just a reckless kid. I never should have worried her like that. Nothing would have happened if I hadn't had her number.

- I'm really sorry, Bronze... You're right, it was immature of me. Mapi convinced me to go to meet her girlfriend... I just had a few drinks, I promise. I never intended to worry you. I shouldn't have called you while partying. I found out this morning what I did from Mapi and immediately regretted it. I didn't want to disappoint you. Not you.

I don't dare look at her. I needed to get that off my chest. I nervously play with my fingers, waiting for her response. I'm afraid she'll hold this against me for a long time. I’d hate myself if I lose her trust. She sighs heavily, running a hand through her hair.

- Yes, you were immature, she agrees. I never thought you’d do something like this after the last time ended so badly. However, I also need to apologize. I shouldn't have overreacted like that. You're right; we're not that close, but I'm still your supervisor, and that doesn’t stop me from worrying about you.

- No, you don't have to apologize. It's my fault, and it’s your job to correct me... I appreciate you worrying about me like this. You're not mad at me anymore? I bite my lip.

- Oh, I'm still mad. If it were up to me, I'd keep you grounded all Monday to teach you a lesson. You're lucky I don’t have a valid reason to report to the administration.

I suppress a smile. I wasn't entirely wrong when I told Mapi I’d probably have to do extra laps. I finally dare to look at her for the first time since we got in the car. She's looking at me too. I’m sure she hasn't taken her eyes off me since the beginning.

- What can I do to make it up to you?

- What can you do? she repeats, raising an eyebrow. Stay away from parties for a start. As for the rest, we'll see, I'm thinking.

- You can't be serious? You're not really going to stop me from going out, are you?! I've never been grounded in my life!

- Well, there's a first time for everything.

- I'm twenty, Bronze! Parties are what people my age do! What do you think your other students do on weekends, huh?

- You're not like the other students, Ona. You’re my student, under my responsibility. Besides, you just came out of detox, and I'm sure you were around drugs all night.

Take that. I bite my lip to stop myself from confirming her suspicion. I deserve this. I think I’m getting off easy. I'm sure she was a hair’s breadth away from restricting my outings. The only thing holding her back is our deal.

- Am I wrong?

- Excuse me?

- Am I wrong? she repeats sternly.

- No, I whisper. But I didn't touch anything, I promise.

- I wonder how you managed to hold out in just two weeks. I want you to promise me something.

- Promise what?

- No more parties... Please.

- Fine, no more parties, I roll my eyes. You explain that to my best friend.

- No problem, I’ll tell her myself if I have to.

I raise an eyebrow. She really will do anything to get her way. Now I'm banned from partying. Even when she's thousands of miles away, she'll have an influence on me. Just thinking about it frustrates me, but I know she's doing it for my sake.

- Are you hungry?

- Are you asking me if I'm hungry?

- Let's go eat.

She doesn't have to ask me twice! She changes direction once we’re back on the road. She doesn't ask my opinion on where to go, but I trust her. In the end, I’m not doing too badly after this confrontation. She could have forbidden me from leaving Manchester if she wanted. The meal goes smoothly. We talk about our weekends without going into details. She just confirmed that she saw her ex to return her things and spent both evenings with friends. She asked me to detail mine, so I told her about my afternoons with Joan and my night out. I avoided talking about my mother, not wanting to go into details. Our little evening ends around nine o'clock. She dropped me off at the street corner near the camp so I could walk back alone, to avoid being seen arriving together. I wished her good night then.

I hurry back to the school, feeling the cold. I forgot how much warmer it was in Barcelona. I'm relieved when I reach the dormitory. The place is far from warm, yet I feel more at home here than in my own house. I must be abnormal. I take my time climbing the stairs now that I'm warm. I struggle a bit to carry my suitcase. It's always a hassle to get it up the stairs. I stop at the entrance of my room, thinking about what's about to happen, and it doesn't take long. As soon as I step inside, Alexia literally jumps on me. I lose my balance, unintentionally taking both of us down, narrowly avoiding my suitcase.

- You're crazy, I laugh.

- I missed you so much! I thought you’d never come back.

I giggle when she helps me get up. She helps me bring my things into the room. She is already in her pajamas. Then again, I didn't come back early tonight. I ask her how she is while I start putting my things away in the closet. If I don’t do it now, I never will, knowing myself.

“Did you have a good weekend?” she asks me.

“Great! Joan didn't want to let me go at the airport; it was almost painful... And you?”

“Yeah, awesome! I finally got to see my girlfriend”

I stop dead in my tracks. Girlfriend ? She’s never mentioned a girlfriend. I furrow my brows and slowly turn to face her. She bites her lip to stifle a smile.

“Your what? Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

“Uh... yeah, girlfriend.”

“Wait, wait... You talk to me all day long and you've never mentioned this?!”

“Sorry,” she chuckles, “but it’s a bit complicated...”

“Complicated?”

I furrow my brows again. She seems very nervous, but I don't see why she would be. It’s normal to have a girlfriend, right?

“I think you have the right to know now... First, I want to apologize for not telling you sooner, but I couldn’t... not until I knew if I could trust you.”

“Why? It’s not a state secret as far as I know.”

“Yes, it’s true. Sorry, but you'll understand if you let me talk.”

Just when I thought I was going to have a quiet evening after Bronze, I was wrong. I sigh as I put the sweater I had in my hands away. Since it seems to be an important subject, I prefer to sit comfortably on my bed to talk.

“Alright, go ahead. I’m all ears.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be? You have the right to keep things from me. You don't have to tell me now if you don’t want to.”

“No, I want to. I trust you.”

I smile. It's a pleasure when someone tells you that. After all, we’ve known each other for a month and a half, and I've never betrayed any of her secrets so far.

“Go ahead then. I'm listening.”

“Well... First, it’s been two years since Alba and I have been here,” she begins, to which I nod. “I’m dating someone from the school... or rather someone who used to be here, but probably not in the way you think.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the story you heard about an instructor and a student? The one you mentioned one night with Leah after your punishments?”

She already has my attention. I nod to show I remember.

“Both were expelled, right?”

“Not exactly...”

“What do you mean? Wait, don't tell me it was you?!”

Her silence says it all. I'm stunned. Alexia broke such a serious rule? What’s going on! This is impossible. She’s such a model student... Yet the fact that she bites her lip in front of me makes it clear that it might be true.

“Okay, assuming it was you... why are you still here then?”

“It’s quite simple,” she sighs. “They knew who the instructor was... but not the student. They just knew it was someone from this room, since... since she came here a lot during our breaks.”

“I don't even want to know what you did here.”

I grimace in disgust, making her laugh. Now I’m imagining her with a complete stranger whose face I don’t even know. I’m still waiting for more explanations.

“I had another roommate before you, Luna. A reckless one like you. She absolutely wanted to leave to live her life with her boyfriend, unlike me who had my sister and best friends here... So Luna got blamed instead to be able to leave. My girlfriend, on the other hand, couldn’t escape being expelled.”

“Wow... I didn’t expect that!”

“You’re not upset?”

“Why would I be upset? You do what you want,” I say with a smile. “Are you still with her then?”

“Well, I don't know. You never know, and yes, of course, we’re still together!”

“Didn’t Alba take it badly, the whole thing?”

“She doesn’t know... If she did, I’d be in big trouble,” she giggles.

I've noticed that Alba is very overprotective of her. I don’t even know how she puts up with it. I would have set her straight by now if I were in her place. I think she loves her too much to do that. She’s her sister, and she’s always taken care of her, after all.

“But how did you manage to see her if Alba doesn’t know?”

“I pretended to visit a friend to come back here.”

“I see. Well, tell me everything now while I finish putting my things away. What's her name?”

She smiles broadly. Her stress has subsided. She probably didn’t expect me to be this interested. I really like Alexia. I told her I was her friend, and now is the time to show it. I get up and continue to unpack my suitcase while she starts her monologue. I learn a few things, like her name. Her name is Jennifer. She’s tall, muscular, and tattooed. According to her, she’s the perfect girl. I almost want to call her Aphrodite given the way she describes and compliments her. I thought she was exaggerating until she showed me a photo of them. I realize she’s really handsome for her type, and the nickname I was thinking of giving her fits perfectly. She tells me about their beginnings, explaining that she was the one who made the first move by trying to get her attention in any way she could. She even flirted with her. She resisted for a long time before giving in to temptation. When she finishes, and so do I, I rush to take a shower quickly before curfew. Luckily for me, I manage to turn off the light a few minutes before ten.

“Thanks for not judging me, Ona.”

“I will never judge you Ale. Goodnight, Alexia.”

I turn over in bed to face away from her. I try to fall asleep, but my mind is too occupied with what she just told me. Luckily for me, fatigue gets the better of me.

[ponyrepress]

Another thing with Mithrun is that he's like. An interesting case of truly wanting nothing. Nothing other than revenge. And wanting nothing is something that's often met with "you have to want something" and disbelief regarding complete neutrality. But a: thanks to The Incident everything that once was there is residual & b: it kinda reads as an active-ish self denial of the possibility of wanting anything other than a clear cut goal and ending point (killing the demon and a subconscious and unspoken Lights Out).

Caring is a difficult thing to do when you've been flayed alive and nothing brings you proper pleasure anymore. Caring requires energy for one and for two the risk of the metaphorical knife being twisted all the more into your heart should anything go wrong (again). All care that Mithrun displays separate from glimpses with his Canary unit, brother, & Kabru branch off from the Main Goal of ending the demon with the other dungeon lords (or people at the time targetted by the Winged Lion) and implied world at large. He cuts to the chase with Thistle when it comes to Delgal's fate, genuinely tries to warn Marcille twice, and then trust Laios, who all of a decent chunk of chapters ago decided the best thing to do with him was to kill him, to kill the demon.

But what this all amounts to is I think part of Mithrun's entire Deal is electing to throw all of his metaphorical emotional commitment chips to defeating the demon and calling it a life. When you're a shattered reflection of who you used to be, why try to fix it if it's only going to get all the more broken? If it's hard and damn near impossible to care about anything, just find the one thing that keeps you going and white knuckle it until it and you are both all said and done. And this is another part of why the ending of chapter 94 hits like a brick to the base of the skull.

"As troubling as it may be sometimes." It isn't easy to want, to hunger, to let yourself sink your teeth into something after all that's been touched by your wishes has died a bloody death as a result of simply wanting something in the first place and someone being present to take advantage of that want. But you can't win life by somewhat abstaining from an unavoidable result of it, by sentencing yourself to use all you're good for and expire when that perceived worth is gone. You have to bite the bullet, swallow the emotional vulnerability, and accept the hands that are offered to you. Because not everybody sees you as someone to exploit and dispose of when you've outlived your "purpose." Because some people will care about you regardless.

[toastedpotatoes]

i doubt @/writing-prompt-s will show this prompt (they tend to only pick the most-upvoted reddit ones) so i'm making a whole new post for this :)

prompt: [WP] An inexperienced dark mage curses a knight, and adds this to the curse: "The cure will come when you are stabbed by your wife, your first spouse!" Both the knight and the mage are stumped about what to do next when it comes out the knight's only spouse is a man.

"Can't you just undo it?" Goren was not panicking yet—not while another solution was still a possibility—but it was a close thing. If worst came to worst, he could probably stab the mage and be done with it. Killing the curse-maker would undo the curse, right?

Unfortunately, chivalry existed, which meant that he had to be reasonable while some idiot with a magic book panicked instead. He sighed and tried not to shiver in his newly-damp tunic.

"It shouldn't have taken in the first place," the aforementioned idiot mumbled, absentmindedly tossing the words at him as he flipped hopelessly through the aforementioned magic book. Finding nothing (the ink on the pages had soaked and bled into the illegible), he continued. "Cure conditions have to be possible for the curse to take effect. Well, um. Usually."

"You didn't answer my question," Goren said. Were all mages this difficult? "Can you undo it?"

"The thing about cure conditions is that there's only one of them."

"So?"

"So no, I can't undo it."

Damn it all.

"Why'd you decide on cursing me with damp clothes, anyway?" Mages these days had no theater, no flair, no passion for the art. Nowadays it was all "mildly inconvenient" this and "slightly worse" that.

"I didn't mean to," the mage said, glaring at his sodden book. "I was really going for something like 'feeling like you're drowning whenever you take a bath', you know, but, um. I must've gotten a declension wrong. Or one of the verb conjugations. Or—"

"So you messed up a curse so badly that it somehow managed to violate one of the crucial principles of curses?" Goren asked incredulously, cutting off what was likely an incoming rant about the complexities of spell language.

"Um, yes." The mage thought for a moment, then inexplicably brightened. "Oh, but this would make a great topic for a paper! If only I could remember exactly what I said..."

"Stop thinking about papers!" he cried. How long did he have to keep being reasonable until he could stab him? "You really can't do anything about it?"

"If a certain someone's horse hadn't stepped in that puddle and soaked my spellbook through, maybe I might've actually been able to!" the mage snapped. "That book was years of work! Of research!"

Maybe he could give him some credit for theater after all, the way his arms were flailing. "Well, you should've waterproofed it or something."

"Waterproofed—I deal in curses! Not second-rate—"

Time to cut off another rant. "There isn't a convenient loophole, or something you can exploit, or—"

"No!" The mage thought a moment. "I mean, you could try to shift the common definition of 'wife', but that would take years, if not decades, and—"

"Anything else?"

"I guess you could find some way to switch your husband's gender, have her stab you, switch her back?"

"Great!" He paused. "How do I do that?"

"I don't know!"

"Isn't one of the most famous curses switching someone's—"

"That only changes their body, idiot!" the mage interrupted, gesticulating wildly with the hand not holding the book. "Their mind is still the same! And I don't know enough about brains to try and tamper with that stuff!"

Of course nothing was ever easy. Goren sighed and wriggled about in his now-perpetually-clammy tunic. "So then what?"

The mage seemed to entertain several increasingly terrible ideas before sighing loudly. "I suppose I could go with you."

"Really?"

"Yes," he said, though he looked extremely annoyed about it. "I can't exactly go back to my studies, thanks to my spellbook being ruined."

"And?"

He sighed. "And this could make a very respectable paper topic."

Of course it would.

He held out a hand. "I'm Goren."

The mage shook it. His hand was damp. Like everything else at the moment. "Writt."

"I don't suppose you'd want to get up on the horse?"

"God, no."

They had walked a considerable distance of about six steps when Writt asked, "Say, what's your husband's name?"

"Yasel."

Writt stumbled and glared at him, looking like he was biting back a curse—which kind, Goren didn't know. He made a valiant attempt at taking a deep breath. "Your husband is the prince?"

"Yep."

A pained groan. "Oh, damn it all to hell."

[ckret2]

An example of what the Death Valley compound is like: a conversation from like 20ish chapters ahead between a couple of cultists:

####

"I've got a potential recruit. Lots of potential. Could be a real leader someday—she's a natural fit for our new world. She's got a few strings, but I'm working on helping her untie them."

Strings was the term Mary had come up with and spread to the other Death Valley girls for petty mortal concerns that could tangle and tie you up, dragging you away from true spiritual growth and preparation for a better, liberated world. Your childhood religious beliefs were a string. The misguided ideas about morality you learned from the secular world were a string. Your job was a string. Your spouse was a string. Your family was a lot of strings. The intervention where your friends sat you down and told you they were worried about how much you'd changed lately and they were afraid you'd joined some kind of cult was a string.

"How old is she?"

"Thirteen."

"Oh, wow—younger than I expected. That's great, kids are more open-minded. Though if she decides to join, it'll be hard to get her away from her family without a kidnapping charge..."

"Ugh, you don't need to remind me. I remember how we almost lost Karen and Jennifer. The legal system in this country is a mess." They had needed to call upon Bill to torture that divorce court judge with nightmares for weeks before he caved and awarded sole custody of Jennifer to her mother so they could move to the Death Valley compound together. "But I got her phone number and email."

"Good work. It's a pity we don't have enough gals up here to really put the pressure on her, she sounds like an easy recruit."

"We can bring her in the slow way."

####

Like... they are talking about brainwashing, about socially isolating a target from their other support groups, about exploiting a kid's naivety and vulnerability... spun in a way that sounds like it's okay, the way they're doing it, for the purposes they're doing it for. A child isn't "vulnerable," they're "open-minded"! Gotta get 'em while they're young.

One of the speakers is part of the cult's leadership, but the other is just a rank-and-file cultist. Every one of the cultists had something like this done to them, and every one of them has been trained to recruit more cultists the same way. And they do it because they've been trained to think it's for the target's good. After all, they all went through it, and they're better for it. Right? Aren't they?

So do you think they know they're a cult? They know damn well what they're doing. They just think it's right.

Cults aren't divided into "the leaders who are in on the joke and know it's all a scam" and "the hapless followers who are ignorant to the reality of their situation." The followers are in leadership positions too, which means they KNOW how they recruit and control followers, and they go with it anyway. In some cults even the supreme leader believes their own hype.

[thelikesoffinn]

Hello! I keep browsing the tavstarion tag and asks from you blog keep coming up, and every time they do I enjoy the hells out of reading them. All the Astarion asks got me thinking though, and as I'm in the process of writing a fic, I figured I'd ask your thoughts (out of curiosity).

First thing's first: I understand Astarion's trauma responses are very... prickly, for lack of a better word. My question is how you think he would deal with a Tav who has a very people-pleasing response. For example, focusing entirely on anyone else's problems and completely neglecting their own, or only being able to say "no" when in such acute distress that they physically cannot give any more.

The second part (because I am guessing his response, based on how he's reacted in-game and also from reading your analyses) is how he might react to learning that that people-pleasing response is because of trauma they went through, either in their teens or young adulthood. How might that recontextualize some of his earlier assumptions? Do you think he would have any mixed feelings?

I wanted to write a Tav that's internal and solitary, who thinks they're "over" the trauma that happened to them. I thought the dynamic of someone who's been coping for years and has distance in comparison to Astarion who literally only just got out of his situation was interesting.

Hiya dear!

I'm happy you like the asks, haha, although I must admit hearing that they're very noticeable amongst the Tavstarion things is making me self conscious! 🫠

When it comes to people pleasing - or fawning, as it's also called - I think we can all sort of guess how Astarion would react. The boy isn't secretive about his displeasure regarding all things "noble" and I'm sure that, at first, the respect he holds for your Tav will be very low.

The thing is: When we see someone whose initial response is to fawn, we don't automatically default to trauma. Most people are far more likely to just view them as a really good and kind person or, especially in work settings, as a suck up. It takes time to realise that, hey, maybe Jeff from accounting actually just can't say no.

I don't think it will be different with Astarion. (In fact, out of all the companions, Wyll might actually be the most likely to notice that your Tav is having a hard time saying no.)

Depending on your Tav's general attitude, Astarion might default them to yet another kind hearted do-gooder that runs around the world with childish naïveté and that? That is a sitting duck.

To act 1 Astarion, kindness relates to weakness.

And weakness is something he can exploit easily.

As we all know, Astarion craves safety, which is why he latches onto Tav to begin with. And if Tav's someone who others listen to AND who seems easy to manipulate? Fuck yeah. That's an in if he's ever seen one.

If Tav is prone to saying yes to anything and prone to avoiding conflict, he won't even need to do much to get them to do his bidding. The right words, some puppy dog eyes and a hint at what he wants done, and they'll go and do it without protest. Add a couple of compliments, and he'll have them wrapped around his finger. That is exactly what he needs to be safe, and he'll not be shy of making use of it.

And I think it would be somewhat amusing to him, to see Tav try that hard to make everyone happy because he, quite plainly, doesn't get it. He doesn't understand why someone would care that much about others because to him, his own survival and happiness is what matters the most. Everyone else be damned if necessary.

(Just a tad bit presumptuous, seeing as he himself tends to salute and follow orders at the cost of his own personal boundaries if the person he deems the leader demands it - i.e. the Araj Oblodra bite - but let's let the poor guy have his delusions.)

Once he grows closer to Tav, his former amusement will likely quickly turn to frustration. In Act 3, we learn that Astarion is extremely loyal and, apparently, rather protective.

Part of why he insists on ascending for so long is not just for him - he wants to be able to protect Tav, and he thinks his spawn self is not enough to accomplish that. (This is highlighted by the fact that romanced Astarion is much more insistent on ascending than one you're only friendly with.)

Tav is important to him. They're his person and watching them bend over backwards for everybody and their mothers prostitute before thinking of themselves is probably not going to sit well with him.

He doesn't care about other people, but he cares about them, so he wants them taken care of.

BUT Astarion is not versed in the art of caring for others, not the best at communicating - he's trying, we can see that over the course of the game, but it'a process that takes time - and he is very prone to frustration, so I wouldn't be surprised to see his worry mostly expressed through sniding remarks, sarcasm and arguments.

Once he realises WHY Tav is the way they are...well, that is a bit difficult to pinpoint down, because it has a lot to do with his own mental state at the time. How he views himself and his trauma will reflect on how he views them.

An act 1 Astarion who is still very raw, very afraid and very much in pain might be somewhat disgusted and deny the very obvious similarities between the two of them.

Tav was hurt. People had hurt them and yet they're still trying to appease everyone. They're always doing whatever anyone asks of them without hesistation, even when they clearly shouldn't. How much of a pushover can one person be? Don't they have any self respect? It's pathetic.

It sounds cruel - it is cruel - but, in th end, he's not truly talking to Tav here. He probably sees part of himself, the part that jumped when Cazador said so, the part that listened to every order just so that he wouldn't have to suffer. He sees the part of him that grovelled, the part that gave up.

The part he hates the most.

(Fun fact: My least favourite state of healing to work with, because clients can actually be really difficult during that time.)

A more stable Astarion, however, could actually reevaluate a lot of Tavs behaviour. He might see them less as a naive child and more for what they are: Someone, who's trying to live.

They don't want to get hurt again, so they try to not offend anyone. They'd rather be stressed and tired and overworked than suffering again. They're not uselessly kind, they're not stupidly selfless - they're scared.

What he does with his body, they do with acts of service. They're protecting themselves in the only way they know how.

That realisation could somewhat mellow him and, most prominently, it can give him a sense of community.

It's a bit difficult to explain, but people who have experienced abuse and are now in the process of healing might start to experience a sense of community with those who had similar fates. Not in the sense of: "Let me bare my soul and dump my trauma onto you now - so when I was 12, my dad..." but in a very specific, comfortable way.

It creates a sense of understanding, if you will.

It means that the other person understands, even when you don't say anything. You don't need to fight; to explain yourself - they understand. They might not understand all of you, but they understand enough not to let it cloud their judgement. You'll be alright and they understand.

So Astarion won't need to tell Tav every little thing, he won't need to explain every reaction, every misbehaviour, every slip up. He won't need to fight for his right to be quiet, sad, angry or sulky.

He won't need to explain because even if he doesn't, they'll know that he has his reasons, and they'll be there when he's ready to talk.

Anyway! Those two options are really just a few of all the reactions he could potentially have, because, as I said, it's so hugely dependant on where he is mentally and how he views Tav, himself, his past, etc... It's really difficult to narrow down properly.

The dynamic you have chosen is really, really bursting with potential - both for drama and healing - and I hope it's as fun and rewarding to write as I imagine! ✨️

[fanmoose12]

prompts: reversal au Hange is the thug from underground

Three years.

For three years, Levi has been Erwin's faithful soldier, following his every order, bringing to life his every wish. Not once had he refused to, not once had he even considered his desicions as unreasonable.

Until... until, Levi found himself in the biggest shithole of them all, the deepest pit, the darkest corner of their already dark, grim world - the Underground. And if only, oh, if only, they came here just for a quick visit, a short outing to observe the horrible decay and abhorrent state of this place. But no - no, no, no, nothing is ever so easy with Erwin, of course not. The man always has some kind of damned agenda - a vision, as he himself calls it. And, of course, that agenda usually involves Levi and a mission he has to complete to make Erwin's wishes come to life.

None of them are all that pleasant, but, at least, they are important. In that easy, straighforward way that makes Levi feel like he's doing the right thing. That even if just a little, but he helps to make their world better, their future - a bit less grimmer.

But for the life of him, he cannot understand what Erwin's new obsession has to do with any of it. He cannot fathom how some thug from this dark and gloomy place can help them in their mission of defeating titans.

He tried asking Erwin about it, tried demanding an explanation from him, but the man is as brilliant as he is evasive, so all Levi got was a cryptic 'you'll see' and a smile, full of anticipation.

He's never questioned Erwin's methods before, though, and he's not going to start now, so Levi stops pushing and agrees to carry out the mission, trusting Erwin to, as always, see what he cannot.

And that's ultimately how he finds himself in the damned Underground, chasing some pesky four-eyed thief across the poor-lit, dirty streets. That four-eyes is good, Levi can't help but think, quick and graceful and so skilled with ODM-gear that they'd probably put the bigger part of Scouts to shame. It's no wonder that MPs couldn't catch them.

It begs the question, though - if they're that good, could they really learn it all by themself? If they truly did, then maybe Erwin isn't as mad as Levi thought him to be. If they themself figured out what most recruits spend three years perfecting, maybe they'll indeed proof to be a valuable asset to the Scouts.

Maybe, it's not a wild goose chase after all.

But his musings are brought to an abrupt end, when the thug takes a turn, changing their route. Levi shakes his head, puts it back into the chase, and even then he very nearly collides with a wall, managing to evade it by the force of sheer luck.

Damn it, he can't help but think again, they're good. And not only that - unlike Levi, who feels like he's lost in a maze of dark, nearly identical roads, they very clearly have the advantage of knowing the streets they roam through. And to top it all off, the four-eyed thug is insuferably cocky. Catching his eyes for a second, they show him a wide grin, and then trick him once again by exploiting that one second of lapse in Levi's attention and using the cables not to propel themself forward, like all normal people do, but backwards and fly right over his head.

Levi grits his teeth, a quick curse escaping out of his mouth. He's fed up with that four-eyes and their attitude. It's past time he put an end to this charade.

In a move that can't be called neither graceful, nor honorable, Levi changes tactics and instead of trying to force four-eyes into a dead end and surrender, he simply charges at them, throwing them off their rhythm. The maneuver ends with both of them losing their coordination and falling straight to the ground, but no matter how painful the fall is, Levi doesn't let it deter him. He gets to his feet right away and approaches four-eyes, ready to accept their surrender. Except-

Except they don't seem willing to grant him one. If anything, surrender appears to be the last thing on their mind. Four-eyes whips out a knife and begins advancing towards Levi with a glint in their eyes so determined that Levi subconsciously takes a step back.

He chastises himself for that action instantly. Sure, four-eyes may appear scary, and, maybe, their knowledge of how to use the ODM gear is slightly above the average, but Levi is a scout, he' faced countless enemies, far bigger and that much more deadlier than some scrawny thug that is dressed rugs.

However, they turn out to be much more faster than Levi expected and have him on his back before he can even make his move. Then, to make the matters so much worse, they press a knife to his throat and smirk down at him.

"Not that brave and mighty now, are we?" they ask in a deep, nearly velvety voice that definitely has no effect on Levi. No, none whatsoever. He just didn't imagine their voice to be so... attractive. And neither did he imagine that their eyes are so pretty from this close.

He grunts and shakes his head, forcing those silly thoughts away, then grabs the hand that holds a knife and twists it until four-eyes yelps and drops it.

Levi doesn't waste another moment and pushes his elbow into their face, hitting their jaw. Four-eyes nearly falls off him, but catches themself at the very last moment.

For that, Levi kicks them once again.

Yet, despite or, maybe, in spite of it, four-eyes still doesn't yield.

They grab Levi by the collar of his shirt, yanking roughly at it, but, luckily, before the two of them start tossing in a dirt like a pair of naughty children, Erwin appears on the scene .

His arrival startles four-eyes, allowing Levi to finally gain the upper hand, push their arms behind their back and slap handcuffs onto their wrists.

Levi stands up, with as much dignity as he can muster at the moment, considering that he's covered in dust in sand. He gives a nod to Erwin, pointedly ignoring the burning hatred reflected in the lenses of four-eyes' glasses.

Erwin approaches them, thankfully - not commenting on either of their appearences.

"Hange Zoe, right?" he asks four-eyes with a warm and surprisingly genuine smile. He kneels next to them, not once taking his eyes off them. Levi can't quite understand if Erwin is as wary of them as he rightfully should be, or if he's simply that fascinated by them. "You're the one, who broke into MP's compound, right?"

"So what?" Hange retorts sharply, jerking their head to the side to push the fallen bangs out of their face. "You've come here to arrest me? Since when MPs send Scouts to do their job for them?"

"You've got quite creative back then," Erwin remarks, as though he hasn't heard a single word they've said. "Or so I've heard. I've also heard that you didn't steal food or money - although both were in abundance there. You've stolen books instead. Most of them about the outside world. I can't help but wonder why."

"And what's in it for you?"

"For me?" Erwin shakes his head. "Not much. But for you - I offer a chance to not just read about our world in the books, but to see it with your own eyes."

Levi clicks his tongue, when he sees four-eyes' mouth fall open in a silent gasp. They stare at Erwin with wide, full of wonder eyes. There is no trace of hatred or even animosity left inside them. Levi would have found that sudden change irritating, if - unfortunately - he wasn't just as susceptible to Erwin's charms.

Erwin gives him a sign, and although Levi is quite wary to follow carry out the silent command, he does it all the same. He takes off the handcuffs and as soon as he does, Erwin offers his hand to Hange, with same disturbingly kind smile plastered on his face.

"I'm Erwin Smith," he says smoothly. "Care to join the Scouts?"

Hange hesitates, but only for a moment. And then they clasp Erwin's hand, mirroring his smile with one of their own.

___

Hange fits right in in Survey Corps.

Although lacking the most essential skill of wielding the twin blades and unable to effectively take down even the titan dummy, they work relentlessly to get better. And at pretty much everything else - they excel. During their first training, they prove once again just how good they are at using ODM gear, they're great in individual sparrings too, even if they do tend to use a few dirty tricks that most Scouts don't know how to parry, and they turn to be absolutely brilliant when it comes to theoretical aspects of their line of work. Erwin himself lectures them, and when he's too busy to, Mike or Nanaba take it upon themselves. And all of them agree that Hange is as smart as they come.

That doesn't seem to be enough for them, however, as Levi spots them with their nose buried in a book with nearly worrying frequency.

And when they do not train or study, they occupy themself with exploring the world around them. They appear to be completely smitten with their new reality - in mornings, they wander around the woods or examine the nearby garden, and at nights Levi sees them climb up on a roof to stare at the night sky with an utter bliss written all over their face.

It seems that Hange enjoys their new life to the fullest. The only thing that brings them grievance, the one aspect they appear to be struggling with is their relationships with other soldiers. They get along just fine with members of Erwin's inner circle - Nanaba and Mike seem to already adore them, Erwin is no less delighted by their company, even shares his plans and asks for their input, and Levi, although, reluctant and doubtful at first, can't help but respect the newest addition to their regiment.

The others, though - the others do everything in their power to show their distain for Hange and the place they've come from. They scoff and wince when Hange passes them by, they call them names - sometimes just behind their back, but more often than not - directly to their face. Some of the younger recruits even try pulling pranks on Hange a few times - all of them excessively cruel, in Levi's opinion.

He does his best to intervene and makes all participants clean the stables for a week, if not more, even though Hange never actually falls victim to the vicious jokes.

Hange themself tries to repay the animosity directed at them with unbridled friendliness and kindness. They laugh all insults off, dismiss each of Erwin's attempt to interfere, they do their best to appear completely unaffacted by how others treat them.

Even so, Levi sees right through their facade. He sees their fists that tremble from anger, he sees the strained smile and tears that sometimes appear in the corner of Hange's eyes.

He feels bad for them, they don't at all deserve this hatred. Their past is less than perfect, sure, and they probably did some bad things in the past, but bad actions are not always done by bad people. Despite their so very unpleasant first meeting, Hange still strikes Levi as a good person. One, who perhaps, made a few bad choices, but one, who did not do it out of greed or wickedness, but out of pure need to survive. Levi - or anyone else - can't possibly hold them accountable for that.

Besides, they are not a thug from the Underground anymore, they're a Scout, fighting for the better future alongside other soldiers, and they do their best to do what they can to get better, stronger.

Isn't it a proof that they're inherently good? Why others cannot see what he does? What Levi can do to change their minds?

An opportunity to do so arises when he catches three recruits corner Hange in the backyard. And, naturally, as soon as Levi sees it, he hurries to the rescue.

His fists clench tightly, when one of the recruits, the tallest and most dumb-looking one gets in Hange's face and starts shouting at them. And his anger spikes further when he notices the infuriating smirks on the faces of his friends.

Levi hurries his step, but halts, when Hange grips one of the guys by the arm and twists it until he cries out and falls to his knees.

The gleeful expressions are gone in an instant, fear resurfacing instead, and the fools scutter, as soon as Hange lets go of their friend.

Levi stares at four-eyes, impressed in spite of himself. The guy was twice their size, and yet, they had no trouble in overpowering him. They didn't as much as break a sweat.

It momentarily makes him wonder - was Hange holding back during their first meeting?

He means to leave the scene, now that his assistant is evidently no longer needed - although, it hardly seems like it was actually needed in the first place, but Hange catches him look at them, waves a hand at him, and Levi is forced to take a step forward, instead of backwards like he was meaning to. After all, should he attempt to flee now, he'd look an ever bigger creep.

As he approaches, Hange gives him a smile, so unlike the one they've given him during their first meeting - this one is far more cheerful, devoid of all sharp edges.

"Enjoyed the show?" they ask, leaning slightly forward to look into his eyes.

"I really hope that guy didn't piss himself just now. I'm in charge of the laundry this week."

"Ah, sorry!" Hange chuckles. "And thanks."

Levi tilts his head quizzically. "For what? Doing your laundry?"

"For wanting to deal with them yourself. That was your intention, right?"

Levi neither confirms, nor denies, decides to ignore the question entirely. Hange has already figured the answer after all.

"You should never do something like that again," he says, not unkindly. "Disputes among recruits is not something Shadis approves of."

"But what if someone is a real asshole?"

Levi allows himself a tiny smirk. "Then, when teaching them a lesson, make sure no one's there to witness it."

Hange hums, their face pensive for a moment, before it breaks out in a radiant smile. "Thanks for the advice!" they smack him amicably on a shoulder. "That was very nice of you."

"I'm not-" Levi tries to argue, but Hange carries on right over him. "You're really kind, I appreciate it."

"I'm not kind," Levi denies with a scowl on his face. "I'm just... decent."

"Well, you tried to protect me, and that's after I've pressed a knife to your throat. From where I come from, that's called kindness."

Levi scoffs. "You're the one to talk then. You had a knife to my throat, and yet you didn't hurt me. That was kind. And a bit stupid," he adds, forcing a chuckle out of Hange.

"Well, I'm sure you too could do much more than just kick me. Your fist probably could smash my head in two. And yet you didn't even bruise me. So..."

"We're both stupid?"

Hange laughs once again. "Maybe," they agree with a slight nod. "And that's precisely why... we should be friend!"

Before he can reply or even react to that what they've just said, Hange wraps an arm around his shoulders with a giddy smile on their face. Looking at it, Levi can't find it in himself to push them away.

Let them have this moment, he thinks, surely, they deserve so much more than just a brief bit of happiness.

"I'll think about it," he replies to their offer, doing his best to hide all fondness from his voice. "But only after you take a bath."

"Aww," Hange whines in a way that must sound absolutely pathetic, and yet - Levi finds it kind of adorable instead. "Do I smell so bad?"

"Even worse," he says dryly, but despite his tone and his no doubt mean words, Hange doesn't appear at all slighted. If anything, they look even more cheerful than before.

"Fine then!" they exclaim just a bit too loudly. "If a bath is what I have to go through to earn your friendship, I'll do it. But! You have to walk me there."

Again, Levi doesn't deny them, despite hanging out with a weirdo not being a part of his plan for the evening.

Another bath sounds good, after all, especially after a day spent on the training grounds. And a new friend - that sounds even better.

[ahleezeruinavt]

Old people are like: Well kids these days don't want to work! No- it's not that. It's that almost every entry level job that isn't fast food or retail requires almost 3-4 years of experience in the industry, and almost every internship that would give me "industry experience" requires me to be in college (something I do not have the money for). Every single job I've looked at- even simple ones- are asking for 3+ years of experience in the industry or a degree. Every internship I've looked at requires me to be enrolled in college.

People don't just sit around and go "lol i don't want to work!" it's that even jobs that would be working as a SECRETARY are requiring years of experience before we can even get our foot in the doors. It's frustrating but everything ends up boiling down to how old people refuse to look at the fact that the reason it was SO EASY for them to get jobs when they were kids was because they could exploit you, and they knew that if you were fired another kid would walk in looking for a job too. Now pricing for anything is SO HIGH that no one can buy anything.

When buying a car I was told 7-9 year leases were becoming the normal. People can't even buy houses because prices have gone up too damn much due to people being exceedingly greedy and buying 4 houses and renting them out, making money while they sit on their asses all day. Rent for apartments where I am is about $1300 / month for ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS! It's absolutely ridiculous and people have their heads so far up their own asses that they want to ignore it and blame it on how "this generation wants to be paid $15 and doesn't accept the pricing that comes with it!" No! That's just inching us towards the minimum wage that we SHOULD be at given inflation! Other people raise the prices because they don't want the "undeserving" minimum wage workers who won't "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" to afford anything! To the people who are making all the money we aren't worth anything because we won't "just get a better job". Not to mention anyone that wants to do remote work is seen as lazy because we don't want to spend money on the $4.50 a gallon gas that we're gonna be paying to commute to and from work! Remote work has proven to be great for disabled people and people who do not want to waste that money on gas, but of course it's labeled as "lazy" because its convenient for those that would actually benefit from it. But god forbid companies realize that they don't NEED the office space of a sky scraper when people are comfortable working from the safety and comfort of their own home.

[miralyk]

Sorry about the ranting. And sorry that this isn't really a question either, I know it's called an ask box. I've never done this before...

Honestly the racism and bs you've had to deal with sucks. And I am so damn pissed about it since your art and all of your creative vibes are sooo freaking good. Like Tron is so niche yes absolutely and it makes me so mad that because of some stupid people that it is going to get just that much more niche without you, if you do decide to leave.

I've been holding my tongue since not everyone wants to hear comments on their rants and struggles. Hell I know lots of the time I dislike it when I want to rant and rave then someone comes in with a comment. So if you feel that way too please just delete this and ignore me. But I really wanted to let you know and I honestly couldn't hold myself back any longer.

You're art and all of the things you've created are so amazing and wonderful. Im so sorry that you feel like you haven't accomplished much and that you are discouraged from creating more. Art made with the intention of expressing your love for something is true art and I wouldn't call you a fool for that.

I can't change your mind or your heart but I want you to know. That I think you are super, like super heckin cool and powerful for what you have done, for what you've had to put up with and experience, and for what you will accomplish even if it isn't on here.

I know it doesn't mean much coming from a faceless stranger online but I care about you and I care about your art. Trust me there would be a loss if you left. But if deleting your social media is what is best for you and your health then do what you need to do. Please for your health and well-being do whatever you need to. Your adoring fans can and will wait for you even if you decide to never come back.

From a fellow genderqueer southeast Asian who has been inspired by you from the first time I saw your art. Thank you for all that you've done.

End of Line.

aaaaa i apologize for the time it took for me to get around to answering this, this has... a lot i'm processing (don't worry, in a good way!!), it means a lot especially with everything going on, and i just want to do my best, be my best, and continuously improve

yes, it's always discouraging being exploited disrespectfully (especially with the whole orientalist "you're not an 'easy' person to use however i'd like?? shut up and do what i demand" treatment) and get backlash when making one's voice known, but on the other side of the coin, it's comforting even on a personal level that not just what i draw, but who i am and what i talk about as a person, are respected and there's people who empathize and have solidarity too,, these mean a lot to me, and i'm happy to hear what you're saying!

always aspiring to be better and contribute to happy/good things and this is kind to read, thank you, end of line ♡