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miraculouswolf99 · 3 years

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Forest Wolf Academy Idea

I formed this idea after I read a Miraculous fanfiction where Marinette transferred to a school for magic along with Chloe, Nathaniel, Marc, and her brother. At the school already is Felix and the Quad kids. The magic schools are actually for those that are members of witch covens and you must be a member of the coven to join the school. Luke and Juleka are also witches but in a different cousin. Marinette and the other transfer because of Lila. Adrien soon joins them at the school as well. I also got inspiration from the anime Fairy Tail.

I loved the concept of it so much that it gave me my own idea. My idea if an Adrien-focused story since he is my favorite character and always will be.

My idea started after Miracle Queen. Because of Chloe working with Hawkmoth and because Lila had turned so many of Marinette's friends against her, her parents transferred her to an art school so that she can focus on her designing. The only ones that stayed her friends were Adrien, Nathaniel, Kim, Alix, and Juleka. Outside of the class, she had a lot more friends, but her parents wanted her away from Chloe and Lila.

Adrien's dad still makes him model with Lila despite how Adrien and the staff are always telling him that she is the worst model ever. She never shuts up with her lies, never poses as she is told to do, and is basically also sexually harassing Adrien as well. She drives them all crazy.

But then one day during another photoshoot, Adrien hears some music and is drawn toward it. The music is like a siren song that he does not notice that only he can hear. When he arrives at the source of the song, he finds an old friend of his, Lyon Garden. Lyon and his twin sister Vallia are friends of his that he met in Greece when their family hosted a charity fashion show at their family's nature and animal sanctuary. Adrien had gone there with his parents a year before his mom vanished and he kept in contact with them the entire time.

Lyon and Adrien are happy to see each other, Adrien spilling his guts about everything bad going on. Especially all the things with Lila and Chloe. And Lyon gives him an extraordinary opportunity. The reason why Adrien was able to hear his magical song was because he was magical as well. A fellow witch. So, he was able to offer him a place at his school, Forest Wolf Academy.

The two of them went to Gabriel and he actually let Adrien go to the magic school. It turns out that Adrien's mom had also been a witch and that was why he was allowing Adrien to go so easily. Adrien is more than happy to accept the offer.

When Adrien goes to Forest Wolf Academy, he is amazed to see such an incredible school. Forest Wolf is not the only magic school in the world. Each school is hidden in a pocket dimension where they can be entered in any place in the world through the use of a magical key. But each school still has a main magical doorway in the home of the founder of each school. Forest Wolf's main door is in Athens, Greece.

Adrien only lets his real friends know that he is transferring. He would have told Nino, but he no longer considered him his best friend since he turned against Marinette. But given that magical people can hear Lyon's magical song, there are more teen witches in Paris than Adrien knew about. So, even after he transfers, he is actually soon joined by a lot of his true friends. Luka, Kagami, Nathaniel, Marc, Juleka, Kim, and Alix. And each of them would have their own powers that Lyon and Vallia help them learn to control.

Lyon has siren song magic. He is a real-life siren with the added abilities to control sound and music, not just being able to use his voice as a weapon. Vallia has rainbow aura magic. She is also to surround herself with different color light auras that give her other abilities like how sky blue gives her flight and ruby red helps her shoot fire like a dragon.

Adrien would find out that he has light magic, being able to control all forms of light and even be able to change into it like a human shooting star. Luka would have enchanted instrument magic, being able to do all types of things by playing different instruments while still having his natural ability to hear a person's inner song. Juleka would have a similar ability called music spirit magic, where she is able to turn into magical creature spirits that are hybrids with music like harp playing fairies or werewolf drummers. Kagami would have Requip magic, where she is able to store weapons and armor in a separate dimension that only she can access. Nathaniel would have art-to-reality magic where he is able to bring his drawings to life no matter what they are. Marc would have Fairy Tale magic where he could read from a magical storybook that he has and summon any legendary or mythical creature from it. Kim would have were-beast magic where he is able to turn into any were-creature version of any animal like a werewolf or cat creature. And Alix would have time magic, where she would be able to manipulate time around her while also being able to travel through time on her own.

All of them actually have a great time at Forest Wolf Academy and learn to appreciate and covet their magical lives even if Hawkmoth is still a problem. But he would actually have become less active lately as if he is losing motivation for trying to gain the miraculous.

Vallia would actually gain a crush on Kim and the two of them would eventually start dating. The same would go for Juleka and Alix as well as Luka and Kagami. Nathaniel and Marc would be an already established couple since they are too adorable to break up. Adrien would also find himself gaining a crush on Lyon, something he never expected to have on his old friend.

But, as per all good things, their peace had to come to an end. Magic itself was not hidden, just the people that used it. It was why heroes and villains like Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Hawkmoth all had masks when they used the miraculous.

But, the schools have come under some fire with people thinking that they were secret evil cults that wanted to take over the world. So, they all had to open their doors to people. To politicians, school field trips, and even some tours of powerful world leaders just to show that they were all perfectly normal schools that just happen to teach magic to their witch students.

Only, one of the schools that request to tour Forest Wolf Academy is Dupont High, which puts the new students on edge. Especially Adrien and Juleka because of Lila and Rose. It did not help that Lyon and Alix were very protective of their partners and would hurt anyone that tries to hurt them.

But since they have to keep up appearances as a "normal" magical school, they have to accept the field trip request. Luckily, it is the whole school and not just Bustier's class. So, there are still good students like Aurore, Mireille, and Zoé. It is only Bustier's class that believes Lila, anyway.

Adrien and the others do their best to avoid Lila and her attack dogs. They have their jobs to stop the more temperamental students from attacking the annoying group with how they obviously bully almost everyone around them. Not to mention all of the lies that keep coming out of Lila's mouth that she is related to so many powerful witches, how she is a descendant of Merlin, how her grandparents run the best magic school in the world.

There are a lot of students that wanted her head. Especially since it was known through Adrien and Lyon that she had not heard Lyon's magical song, meaning that she had no magic at all. And since magic was passed down from parent to child, that also meant that no one in her family had magic either. Not unless they were one of those families that had been stripped of their magic for crimes against the magical world.

And if it wasn't Lila causing problems with her lies, Chloe was causing problems with her attitude. And how she kept trying to force the students to do as she says and make them her slaves. Like she would go to those with ice magic and demand that they get her a cold drink. Or she would go to the students with gem and crystal magic and demand that they give her the biggest diamond that they can make.

Once the former Dupont students are found by the group is when things really go downhill. There is a lot of yelling about how they abandoned their friends, that they should not be so jealous of Lila's accomplishments, how they needed to get over themselves, how they needed to stop being bullies. And the group fires back that they can not abandon friends that abandoned them first, that they can not be jealous of accomplishments that never happened, and that they never talk to Lila let alone bully her.

Meanwhile, Adrien is trying hard not to be seen by Lila or Chloe since he does not want either of them hanging off his arm like they usually do. But, Lila soon locks her eyes on him and down try and latch onto him, crying her crocodile tears about how much she missed him and how she wanted him back since he "promised to date her."

That is where Lyon steps in and would be so close to using his sonic scream on the annoying liar. Adrien uses his powers to turn into light and get back to Lyon's side. That is when the two of them go into a big "why Lila sucks" speech and reveals that the two of them were dating and that Adrien would never EVER date Lila.

She is not exposed, but a new demonstration of the more dangerous powers from the students, low key threats against the annoying class, makes them never come back after they leave.

Lila hopes to be akumatized over her rage about not being able to lie her way into dating Adrien, but she does not know that Gabriel gave Marinette the butterfly miraculous and the peacock miraculous already. He gave up once he saw how truly happy his son was and did not want the wish to change his son into any other version of him that would never be this happy. It also helps that a few witches from the school that could heal offered to help him restore his wife.

#i hate lila rossi #lila salt #miraculous ladybug #i love salt #alya salt #nino salt #chloe salt #i hate chloe #original character #magic #original mythology #magic school #adrien agreste #adrien x oc #adrien deserves better

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saijspellhart · 3 years

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Little oneshot about Atem meeting Sphinx Yugi

Part of my Sphinx AU. Please enjoy.

Atem clutched his cloak around him, trying to settle back against the date palms again, only to sit up with a start at the rustle of leaves. The once vibrant and friendly oasis he’d happened upon in the day, had turned into an absolute nightmare as soon as the sun set.

He hadn’t managed to get a fire going, he couldn’t find anything to eat, and although the water in the massive pond looked clean and tasted good, he was convinced he’d be sick by morning.

The night was so dark, even with all the stars, he could barely make out his surroundings in the dense thickets of trees and brush surrounding the pond. He could swear something was out there. Could feel it staring at him, hunting him.

He snapped his head to the left at the sound of disturbed undergrowth, and swore he caught a glimpse of yellow eyes. Like the glowing pupils of some large animal. They disappeared almost immediately.

It wasn’t the first time he’d seen them. Could be a fox, or a crocodile, perhaps a leopard, or even a hyena. Although he really doubted it was a hyena. Too quiet for that noisy pack animal. Never the less, he was convinced he was being stalked by some silent predator.

Hours were passing, and he continued his restless watch.

The night wore on leaving him more and more exhausted, and the chill set in harder. He felt cold in his bones without a fire or proper insulation from the frigid desert night.

He would die of exposure before he was ever rescued by his priests.

Atem saw the flash of yellow eyes again in his peripheral and scowled at them sleepily.

Or I’ll simply get eaten alive. What an end for a mighty Pharaoh. He should have simply died earlier in the day during the skirmish with the brigands. At least then it would have been in the service of his people, and not alone, lost in the desert, and at the jaws of local wildlife.

Another hour passed, and he couldn’t hold his head up anymore to stay alert. He was so cold.

So tired.

His eyelids drooped. And each blink was a little longer, his mind a little hazier.

He searched for the eyes in the dark, but saw nothing. He heard nothing. He couldn’t hold his eyes open any longer and he drifted out of consciousness.

0000

Atem’s world was a lot brighter when his brain clicked back into consciousness the next morning.

And warmer.

So much warmer. He’d been so cold the night before and now he was wrapped in a blanket of warmth and fluffy comfort.

It felt like his head was pillowed against a cloud. A slightly dusty, musky scented cloud with an edge of sweetness, almost like grass. It was pleasant.

In fact everything was pleasant. Even the comforting weight settled over him. Atem didn’t want to move. Didn’t even want to wake up. Instead, he inhaled the pleasant scent again and tried to drift back to sleep.

His hand reached up to sink fingers into soft fur and snuggled deeper into his pillow.

Which gasped, and shifted beneath him.

Atem’s eyes shot open, getting an eyeful of white and tawny red-gold fur. Something like a tail swished just over the swell of golden fur he’d taken a handful of. He was up in an instant, flailing against feathers, and violently slapping a large wing off of himself as he stumbled to get away.

“Ouch!” a stranger’s voice yelped.

He ended up crawling backwards through sand and grasses. Drawing his knife—his khopesh having gotten lost when his horse threw him in the strange and sudden sand storm—he pointed the blade, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the strange creature he’d been cuddled up to only moments before.

“What in Ra’s name are you?” Atem demanded.

The creature blinked large and bewitching purple eyes at him. “What does it look like?” It asked, sounding almost offended. It shook out one of its large black-tipped white feathered wings, as if shaking off pain, before gingerly folding the appendage against its back. “In fact I’m one of the god’s creatures. I’m a sphinx,” it announced rising up on its very feline paws.

This gave Atem a very good look at the creature, and yes. Yes, it was a sphinx. He quickly lowered the knife so as not to disrespect it.

It was not the type of sphinx he was most accustomed to seeing depicted in scrolls and in reliefs. That being a creature with a lion’s body and the head of a human. No, this creature had the head and torso of a human, its arms changing into a feline’s paws starting at the elbow, and its torso becoming a feline’s lower half starting at the stomach.

The stomach that Atem’s head has been pillowed against, he noted. That’s what had been so soft like a cloud. He swallowed thickly.

“It’s been awhile since a human has wandered into my oasis,” the sphinx said conversationally. It took a few steps towards Atem. “What’s your name?”

He wasn’t about to give a magical creature such as this his name. Magical creatures could do dangerous things with your name. “Atem…” the name tumbled off his tongue unbidden. Fuck. He suspected some magic must be at play, but Ra would have to smite him before he would tell this creature he was a Pharaoh. Absolutely no good would come of this creature having that knowledge.

“Atem~” the sphinx tested the name on its tongue, and smiled brightly at him. “Hi Atem! My name is Yugi,” as it introduced itself it made a tight circle giving Atem a look at its entire body from nose to the end of its stumpy tail.

It was just like a cat to give someone an eyeful of its ass. If the lack of breasts hadn’t clued him in, Atem could safely conclude that the very effeminate looking creature was indeed a male.

When Yugi turned to face him again he couldn’t quite meet the Sphinx’s eye anymore and sort of looked off to the side instead.

It was actually startling how much the Sphinx’s hair resembled Atem’s. Should he be flattered? Or maybe the sphinx was flattered. It was probably far older than him. Their hair was strikingly similar, both having flowing blonde bangs and unruly black spikes tinged with color at the tips. Although Atem’s hair ended in red, while Yugi’s seemed to be a gradient of purples and reds. That was where the similarities between them seemed to end though. Yugi had large eyes and a small nose, with a slight build and fair skin. Where as Atem had a large nose, thick brows over slanted eyes, with the build of a fighter and brown skin.

“I’m sorry for scaring you when you woke up,” Yugi dipped his head and looked genuinely apologetic.

“What was…that anyway?” Atem jerked his head at the Sphinx and reached a hand down to pluck at some grass, tearing the blades between his fingers.

“I was keeping you warm,” Yugi explained. Almost comically large cat ears flicked on either side of his head, disturbing locks of hair as they did. Atem could make out black tufts of fur on the ends of the ears that reminded him very much of a caracal. Yugi kept his distance but sat back on his haunches. His wings adjusted on his back, fluttering a bit before folding back into place. “You were so cold, shivering in your sleep, and well… the elements don’t bother me.” he shrugged. “So I curled up beside you, and covered you with my wing.”

Atem narrowed his eyes at the creature. Were sphinxes usually so kind? He couldn’t recall many stories about sphinxes but the stories he did recall they were always dangerous and tricksy. “I suppose I owe you a debt now, don’t I?” He growled out, tossing his handful of shredded grass on the sand before him.

Yugi blinked at him. “No? Oh well maybe…” he tilted his head and it looked like the wheels had begun to turn in his mind. “Why?” he asked slowly.

“Because you probably saved my life. Kept me from succumbing to exposure or something.” Atem explained impatiently. He didn’t want to be in debt to a magical creature, but he was also a Pharaoh and it could spell disaster to leave debts unpaid. Should the sphinx ever find out he was a pharaoh and decide to collect on the debt it might ask for something outrageous. Like a child, or a golden statue in its likeness, or perhaps to stay in his palace to live like a king. “Creatures like you always want payment for a life saved.”

Yugi seemed to consider this, all the while studying Atem curiously. “I suppose that’s true,” he purred. “How about we play a game? Win, and consider the debt repaid. Your life will be your own. But should you lose, then your life is mine.” This time when the little Sphinx grinned at him it was far more predatory. If he wasn’t so adorable Atem might have felt more intimidated.

A game? A smug sense of triumph curled in Atem’s stomach. A game wasn’t so bad. He was excellent at games. “What kind of game?” Atem hedged warily. Skills aside, making a deal with any magical creature was extremely dangerous, but especially with a sphinx.

Yugi laid down on the ground and crossed his front paws. “Oh, nothing complicated. Just a simple game of riddles~”

Atem adjusted until he was sitting cross-legged facing the Sphinx. He placed his hands on his knees and did his best to school his expression with confidence. “Alright then. I’ll play your game.”

“Great!” Yugi chirped happily, and his cat butt wiggled with excitement. “I will start.”

Atem bit his cheek and silently reminded himself that this cuteness was probably a facade. He would focus…and he would win.

#puzzleshipping #yugi mutou #atem #Yami yugi #pharaoh atem #yugioh #sphinx au #sphinx yugi #drabble #oneshot #fanfic #fanfiction #yugioh duel monsters #ygo dm #SaijSpellhart writes

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zippityzap · 3 years

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Sonic Tarot Card Project: explanations for character picks

Recently I completed a summer-long project where I created Sonic themed versions of the tarot major acana. I put a lot of research and thought into what characters to assign to which cards, and I wanted to explain my rationale behind each one! (Everything’s under the read more cut because this is a very long post!)

To start off, let me explain why I did this project in the first place. This summer I watched Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure for the first time, and in Part 3, Stardust Crusaders, the majority of the stand abilities are named after the tarot major arcana. Thanks to cultural osmosis I vaguely knew the meanings of a few of the cards and I realised that one of the characters suited his assigned card pretty well. I was curious if this matched anyone else and so once I finished watching that part, I did research on tarot and found that yeah, a lot of them do match! That got me interested in tarot and since I like combining things I’m interested in, I decided to make Sonic versions of the cards.

I do want to note that while Jojo did inspire this project in a lot of ways, I tried not to let my character picks be influenced by Stardust Crusader characters, although there did end up being some picks that did coincidentally happen to match nicely anyway. Also, I’m not gonna lie, ever since picking these card choices I’ve been highly tempted to draw Sonic as Polnareff.

Anyway, on to my explanations for character choices!

0: The Fool (Charmy Bee)

The Fool represents innocence, spontaneity and recklessness. I believe Charmy’s happy and carefree nature, along with the simple fact that he’s essentially just a little kid who likes to have fun makes him a great fit for this card

1: The Magician (Infinite)

The Magician represents creation and strength, but also manipulation and narcissism, a good match for Infinite and the powers of the phantom ruby. (I was also very pleased to notice that the traditional art for the card has an infinity symbol- everything lined up very well!)

The Rider Waite version of the card also depicts a sword, a wand, a cup and a pentacle; the suits of the minor arcana. I have attempted to depict these with various objects from the Sonic series, namely Infinite’s sword from the IDW Forces prequel comic, the sceptre of darkness from '06, a chaos emerald, and a ring respectively.

2: The High Priestess (Princess Elise)

The High Priestess represents secrets, repression, and the unknown, which I believe fits with Elise’s initial desire to control her emotions and her sadness. (Admittedly this is one of the looser character/card connections for this project, but my two other picks for this card I felt were better suited to different cards)

3: The Empress (Vanilla the Rabbit)

The Empress represents nurturing, fertility and childbirth, all traits that I believe make this card a good pick for a kind, caring mother like Vanilla

4: The Emperor (Dr Eggman)

A card fitting for the leader of the Eggman Empire! The Emperor represents authority, power, and tyranny, all traits Dr Robotnik desires, if not possesses in many continuities.

5: The Hierophant (Espio the Chameleon)

The Hierophant represents wisdom and tradition, and in both upright and reversed forms it has large connections to the concept of social conformity. Perhaps I’m drawing more from the various comic versions of Espio, but he comes across to me as someone who is hyper-aware about how he presents himself.

Fun fact: a hierophant is essentially another word for a religious leader, although I’ve never seen it used outside the context of tarot. I assume the religious connection is the reason why in the OST of the Jojo part 3 anime, Kakyoin’s theme is called Noble Pope.

6: The Lovers (Amy Rose)

The Lovers represents love, communication, and passion; and Amy is certainly a character who wears her heart on her sleeve! She’s a good example of a character who I feel fits a number of different cards, however there are no other characters who suited The Lovers quite as much as her.

7: The Chariot (Sonic the Hedgehog)

The Chariot represents journeys, wanderlust as well as the ambition and willpower to achieve your goals, which I believe is the perfect match for Sonic’s adventurous and heroic spirit. This was one of the first cards I decided on and it’s probably the one I’d defend my interpretation of the most.

If you’re wondering why there’s dark and hero chao in the artwork too, it’s because the original card art depicts the titular chariot being pulled by black and white sphinxes, and this is my way of calling back to that.

8: Strength (Maria Robotnik)

This card pick might seem unusual at first if you take the word ‘strength’ at face value, however considering the original card art depicts a maiden peacefully taming a lion, perhaps the Strength card represents inner strength, courage and determination rather than physical strength. These are traits that I believe Maria possesses.

9: The Hermit (Knuckles the Echidna)

The Hermit signifies awareness and independence but when reversed can mean isolation and resignation, traits that parallel well with Knuckles and his duty to be the protector of the Master Emerald

10: The Wheel of Fortune (Big the Cat)

The Wheel of Fortune represents fate, karma and luck! This is admittedly a bit of a cheeky dig at myself since I’m awful at the Big fishing levels in SA1 and mostly got through them through luck. But that’s not to say the card doesn’t apply to Big himself! His frequent cameos do have a bit of a fate/destiny vibe to them and in IDW Big is lucky enough to manage to avoid the metal virus for quite a long time.

11: Justice (Vector the Crocodile)

The meaning of the Justice cards is… pretty much what it says on the tin: fairness and clarity. Of course the Team Chaotix detective agency represents this as a whole, but that trait especially shines through with Vector himself. He may be a little money oriented, but doing what is morally right always takes priority.

12: The Hanged Man (Shadow the Hedgehog)

The thing about Shadow is that he’s a fairly complex character which means there are a number of cards in the Major Arcana that match him well, but I knew early on when tackling this project that I wanted to assign Shadow to The Hanged Man. This card represents change, release and sacrifice, which all align well with the character arc that Shadow goes through during the course of SA2 and beyond.

13: Death (Tikal the Echidna and Chaos)

Despite the morbid name of the card, (and the admittedly macabre scene I’ve depicted) the Death card is not an inherently negative card to draw. Yes, it can mean endings and grief, but it can also mean letting go and new beginnings. The story that Tikal and Chaos go through in SA1, their anguish and how they later find peace, is something that I think pairs well with this particular card.

Fun fact: this is the only card in this project that has two significant characters on it rather than just one. I felt I needed both of them to be on the card in order to fully represent its meaning

14: Temperance (Blaze the Cat)

The Temperance card signifies balance, harmony and patience, which matches Blaze’s very poised and graceful demeanour. Admittedly I had a little bit of trouble deciding on a card for Blaze since the High Priestess and the Hierophant are also good matches for her.

15: The Devil (Rouge the Bat)

The Devil card represents temptation, seduction, and materialism and well… look, Rouge is one of my favourite Sonic characters, I’d be one of the first people to tell you that there’s a lot more to her than what initially appears, she is so much more complex than just sex appeal and a gemstone obsession. However, I felt there was no other character that matched the traits of this specific card better than Rouge, and so my choice was decided by that.

16: The Tower (E-123 Omega)

The Tower card represents a number of things; disruption, disasters, sudden changes etc, however the trait that made me believe that Omega would be the best selection for the card was violence.

17: The Star (Miles ‘Tails’ Prower)

Tails’ character arcs normally centre around him gaining independence and self-confidence and learning to believe in himself. He is also largely characterised by his unyielding faith and trust in Sonic. These traits are the reason why I believe The Star card represents him well, as it symbolises hope and faith.

18: The Moon (Shade the Echidna)

The Moon card symbolises mysteries and the unknown, and when Shade is first introduced in Chronicles, she and the rest of the Nocturnus Clan are certainly presented as mysterious. The Moon can also represent misconception, which fits well with how Shade was initially unaware of the true nature of Ix’s plans.

19: The Sun (Cream the Rabbit)

The Sun, when drawn in an upright position, has a lot of positive meanings! Freedom, fun, happiness, good luck etc. Cream’s cheerful and optimistic disposition makes her a good match for this card

20: Judgement (E-102 Gamma)

The Judgement card symbolises liberation, awakening, redemption and second chances, all of which I believe represent Gamma and his character arc in SA1 well

21: The World (Metal Sonic)

In the upright position, The World card symbolises triumph, completion, strength and happiness while in reversed position can mean failure, anxiety, lack of self-confidence etc. I had both positioning of the card in mind when connecting it to Metal Sonic; he is devoted to the tasks given to him and is self-assured in his belief that he is the true/superior ‘sonic’ yet he repeatedly finds himself at the hands of failure. But he doesn’t let previous failures hold him back, thus starting the cycle anew. (Another connection to the World card as it also symbolises cycles)

#sonic the hedgehog #tarot cards #I'd be curious to hear if people agree/disagree with my choices

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oumakokichi · 4 years

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Do you think that Kokichi had any remorse for Gonta during trial 4 or did he actually not care? I've seen a lot of people saying different opinions from both sides of the argument. But I'm really confused because there was a moment where after Gonta was executed, correct me if I'm wrong but Shuichi asked Kokichi if he could reveal the secret of the outside world (?) But Kokichi replied with something like “I don't want to....” and seemed generally upset? But then a few moments later he snapped out if it and began acting like he had no sympathy whatsoever. I just really wanna know how Kokichi actually, truly felt about Gonta and if he regretted manipulating him. Sorry if you've already been asked this and have already given an answer, thank you!

Hi anon—I actually wrote a pretty big master-post on chapter 4 not too long ago which I think more or less sums up my thoughts on Ouma’s behavior in the post-trial! You can find it here if you want (it’s pretty long and I tried to answer a whole bunch of questions about Ouma in chapter 4 specifically, since it’s the chapter I get asked about the most).

More specifically though, I’m afraid that there is no easy, definitive answer to that question. I can only share my personal opinions about how I believe Ouma felt in that scene. And personally? I do think he was genuinely upset and distraught about Gonta’s death, that he even momentarily considered giving up all his plans and being executed alongside him, and that he cared about Gonta and deeply regretted using him as a sacrificial pawn in his plans.

I’ll discuss what I mean in more detail, but it’ll probably get pretty long, so I’ll put the rest of this post under a cut as always!

The thing is, though, I’ve shared my personal thoughts about the chapter 4 post trial many times, including my reasoning and all of the textual evidence that shows how much Ouma cared about the rest of his classmates. But ultimately, there will probably always be some people who disagree, because their reading of the text will always be a little bit different. Unless we ever have an interview from Kodaka in the future where he directly says, “this is what Ouma was thinking and feeling at this exact moment,” there really won’t ever be a way to know what was going through his head with 100% certainty (and I do feel like leaving it open-ended is something of Kodaka’s intention, anyway, especially since Ouma is supposed to be a very polarizing character).

That being said, I do think it’s worth analyzing the text and drawing your own conclusions, because ndrv3 is a game that changes a lot depending on how you interpret it, and Ouma’s character is included in that. It’s really easy on a first playthrough to get wrapped up in what Ouma says or does without really looking at why he says it, or at his underlying motivations. Going back through the game on a replay though, I do personally think it’s possible to guess at what he might have been feeling during those super conflicting scenes in chapter 4.

In my opinion, I think Ouma did truly care about Gonta as a friend, and that his guilt and remorse over what he did was genuine. Not only did Ouma and DICE have a very strict taboo against killing (mentioned directly in his motive video in Japanese, though the part about it being an actual rule was stripped from the localization), but we don’t see Ouma’s façade crack like this very often. Most of the time when he does his trademark “crocodile tears,” it’s with his very loud, exaggerated crying sprite, and he bounces right back to acting normally within a moment or two.

There are a few exceptions to this, of course—he uses the “crocodile tears” sprite to cry at Kaede, Amami, and Toujou’s deaths, but it’s still very likely he was shaken up by seeing them dead). Nonetheless, we don’t see his much more subdued crying sprites more than a handful of times, particularly in the chapter 4 post-trial just before Gonta’s execution, as well as in Momota’s flashback in chapter 5 when he talks about how Ouma actually hated the killing game the whole time.

I’m aware that some people simply brush these moments aside and assume that Ouma is lying though all of them, but I personally just can’t agree with that interpretation. Assuming that Ouma is lying whenever he shows remorse or guilt or hatred for the killing game means assuming that he’s telling the truth in pretty much every other scene—which doesn’t make much sense, given that his entire character is centered around the concept of lying, as well as moral ambiguity and subverting expectations. Assuming that Ouma actually means what he’s saying 100% of the time unless it just happens to involve showing any kind of guilt or remorse turns him into a very boring, predictable, uninspired character (none of which are words I would use to describe him personally).

Ignoring those moments where Ouma shows genuine attachment to his classmates and distaste for the killing game also means ignoring several key pieces of evidence and clues about him that we are directly provided in the game, including his motive video and Momota’s flashback in chapter 5. Personally, I don’t feel like there’s any reason to include these scenes at all unless it’s to help shed light on Ouma’s motivations and provide players with a clear reason to try and go back through the game again to look at Ouma’s actions through a new perspective.

I also feel that Ouma genuinely cared about Gonta because to put it simply, there was no incentive for him to lie in that scene. He got absolutely nothing out of it—and considering he turns around and starts playing the villain on purpose all of 5 minutes after Gonta’s death, he definitely wasn’t trying to earn sympathy points or trick the rest of his classmates into trusting him. In fact, he could’ve easily tried to make himself look more sympathetic by putting all of the blame on Miu for trying to kill him, or even on Gonta. But instead he fully admits to coming up with the plan to kill Miu and spends the entire post-trial trying to convince everyone not to hate or blame Gonta.

If he was truly as sadistic and horrible as he pretended to be, I think he would’ve pulled a 180 and started throwing names and insults around while Gonta was still alive to hear it, not after he was already dead. If he didn’t care at all about Gonta’s feelings, he had no reason to try and take all the blame on himself while insisting that none of what happened was actually Gonta’s fault. If anything, revealing himself to be this horrible, evil villain who enjoys seeing other people suffer or die would’ve really been adding insult to injury, and probably would’ve crushed Gonta completely, even before his execution started.

But… Ouma doesn’t do any of this. Despite having every opportunity to either portray himself as more of a victim and fling all the blame on Miu and Gonta, or else to completely embrace being a villain who loved seeing people suffer, he doesn’t do either of these things. The way I personally see it, Ouma waits until Gonta is already dead, and when the rest of his classmates begin pushing him for answers about the outside world and demanding to know what Gonta saw, that’s when he finally snaps and resigns himself to acting like a villain in order to make everyone hated.

You could argue that trying to make everyone hate him had a twofold effect: it helped set the stage for him to pretend to be the ringleader in the next chapter, which he clearly wanted, but it also was a way of taking things out on himself and shows just a small glimpse of how much he hated having to dirty his hands in chapter 4. After all, Ouma even says it himself: that the “role of a villain is perfect for him,” because he’s already made everyone hate him. We see Ouma occasionally tease or antagonize the rest of his classmates plenty of times throughout the game, but it’s true that he doesn’t really step into that “villain” role until the end of chapter 4, once he’s crossed a line that he can never come back from by manipulating both Miu and Gonta to their deaths.

None of this is to say that what Ouma did to Gonta is okay, by any means. I think he definitely did care about Gonta and even thought of him as one of the few trustworthy people in the killing game, even someone close to a friend, but that doesn’t mean that manipulating him and using him like a chess piece was okay in the end. I just also think it’s important to realize that there were plenty of extenuating circumstances that led Ouma to act the way he did—including the fact tha he knew Miu was going to kill him, that he already suspected she had measures to prevent him from fighting back or killing her himself in the VR world, and the fact that he did not want to die or get everyone else killed in the trial.

It’s possible for people to care about others without necessarily treating them the best or doing the right thing. A huge part of Danganronpa, something that’s been evident from the very first game, is that sometimes characters can and do hurt each other, even when they care about each other or wouldn’t be a threat otherwise.

It’s the existence of the killing game itself that causes so many characters to go to extremes that they normally wouldn’t, whether it’s Maizono trying to frame Naegi in dr1 despite caring about him a lot, Kaede deciding to try and commit murder under everyone’s noses despite trying to unite the group and wanting everyone to trust her, or Ouma using Gonta as a pawn to kill Miu in his place because he didn’t want to die.

At the end of the day, people are still probably going to have very polarizing opinions about Ouma and the things he did in chapter 4, and that’s honestly okay. In my own opinion, Ouma definitely isn’t a completely flawless, innocent baby who “did nothing wrong”—he absolutely is manipulative, cold, and calculating when he wants to be, and it’s a fact that he got two people killed, even if he didn’t want things to reach that point. But I also personally don’t think it’s fair to write him off as the exact kind of “evil villain” he pretends to be; not only is it a shortsighted interpretation of his larger motivations, but it also completely ignores any replay value and completely shoots down the appeal of trying to interpret Ouma’s thoughts and actions because “he was lying about feeling bad anyway, what’s the point in analyzing him.”

Tl;dr: I do think Ouma cares about Gonta, that he probably even thought of him as the closest thing he had to a friend in the killing game, and that what he did to Gonta in the end wasn’t okay. I think he really did respect Gonta for being such a sweet and kind person, but that he also knew Gonta was extremely naïve and that he would be one of the easiest people in their group to manipulate, hence why he decided to rely on him instead of anyone else. Their friendship is an important part of both of their character arcs, but it’s definitely not what I would call “on equal footing.”

I understand why Ouma’s actions might make some people really resent him, but I also believe that kneejerk reaction of anger and dismissal is exactly the point: Ouma does feel terrible about the things he did, but he doesn’t want anyone’s sympathy or forgiveness, not even the player’s. This, in my opinion, is why he starts embracing the villain role so completely from this point on, and why he’s never quite able to make the same sort of cold, calculating sacrifices in chapter 5 that he did in chapter 4.

I hope this helps answer your question, anon, along with the other chapter 4 post I wrote! Thank you for all your support!

#danganronpa #ndrv3 #new danganronpa v3 #kokichi ouma #ouma kokichi #my meta #ask #anonymous #ndrv3 spoiles //#okay to reblog

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valaks · 3 years

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Hey Valaks! I love your blog and your writing!

Please could you do 1, 10 and 18 for the writing asks?? 🌺

Thank you for the ask! I have added a cut to hopefully not be that person clogging up the feed XD

1. Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it?

I have a few collabs outstanding like Gemini and a Kabir/Alex sequel to Reunion (It’s rated T at the most so still kid friendly) with Lupin and Devil Went Down to Georgia with Galimau. My utter love for both of my collab partners for pulling me through at a time when I’ve been really struggling. I have a WIPs List but I’ll confess to not having touched most of them in quite sometime (partly from life, partly because I’m not sure how interesting they’d be to anyone else other than me which influences my writing more than I would like to admit):

Good Intentions: Smithers never thought he’d be anyone’s moral compass, he was no angel to sit in anyone’s shoulder but trying to keep Alex Rider from following in the ruthless footsteps of his father or worse his former handler, Alan Blunt is as close to hell as he can imagine. (Wherein Alex becomes head of MI6 we watch his morality slip away form the eyes of an increasingly frustrated and heartbroken Smithers - it all culminates when Alex uses a child “just as an informant, simple information gathering” but hidden behind the charming smile of John Rider and the brutal coldness of Alan Blunt’s words is Alex Rider dying as he says them (Smithers just hopes there’s still a part of the boy he once knew in there to mourn)

Walk the Line: Alex thought he was done with SCORPIA. But they kept creeping back into his life in the most unexpected of ways. He thought he could at least count on it being on the other side until he gets teamed up with Walker, his former classmate and current CIA spy. Unfortunately he still hasn’t been able to figure out whose side Walker is really on - attempted deep cover op like his dad, repatriated rogue spy back on the “good” side, or SCORPIA double agent? He doesn’t know but at least he’s nice....in that obnoxious American way.

Temperamental: (Sequel to Sentimental which isn’t all that popular and you would need to read it for the sequel but basically amnesiac Yassen whose memories stop pre John’s betrayal set during the Stormbreaker mission and features him trying to come to grips with the use of chemical weapons against children and how to handle Alex once he snaps back to reality which is where this starts) Yassen had promised Alex Rider that he would be safe from the world of spying but fate had other ideas. In the days after Sarov’s failed plan, Yassen scrambles to find where MI6 have hidden his wayward charge without drawing Rothman’s attention. A request from one of their existing clients to look into suspicious activity at his son’s former school prompts Yassen to investigate under the guise of offering security. He should have known where there was trouble there would be Alex.

10. How would you describe your writing process?

Lordy do I ever not have a good answer for this. Typically it involves an idea hitting me and then the determination: would this idea work better as a short to post on tumblr (because the set up would take away the tension or would require a multi chapter which is not really my strength), as a prompt to lob out into the ether for someone better and brighter to touch on, or a fic. Once fic is decided I determine whose perspective the fic would be the most interesting from either because it would create the most tension or their internal monologue/background knowledge would add the most to it. Then the summary is written and a title is chosen. If it’s something I’m really passionate about and I already have it in my head I tend to write it all in one go, if there’s more I need to chew on then it’s a series of dates with the Evil Writing App. The final determination is whether it’s good enough for Valaks or if it gets sent to an alt account.

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

Allegedly. I’ll try to go in order of posting -

Ruthless has a sequel where Alex just goes *quiet* once the initial dust as settled it’s unnerving to everyone because they’re not used to having to wonder just what Alex is thinking, at least not behind closed doors but what happened isn’t exactly something that can be recovered from easily, not when Alex isn’t sure who all’s in on it no matter what they’ve told him. Failure is the AU where I considered what would happen to Alex to make him want to torture.

Alibi was originally going to have Yassen show up in the end but I found it far more fascinating if MI6 was just testing Alex so out went Yassen and in went Ben. The sequel to it was torn apart and turned into Warm Reception because I wanted to trope flip SCORPIA comes to Brooklands and decided that it was more logical to have a small fight in Mrs. Bedfordshire’s lobby than anywhere else and I wanted to explore some side characters instead of Ben.

Providence’s sequel thoughts ended up inspiring Gentleman’s Agreement but I did write a small short for it “Yassen and Alex encounter each other on mission. Surprisingly they are working to mostly the same goal - Yassen needs to kill the millionaire who Alex needs to get information from. “I suppose I could answer some questions for you, Sasha. /In Russian/“ “Is now really the time for a language lesson?” he ground out in frustration but the man pointedly ignored him “/Fine but I don’t know some of the words/“ “/Then there is no better way to learn/“

I mentioned the Sentimental sequel but changing Sarov to come first and probable for almost a month before Yassen figures out he’s missing made the most sense. It was also a bit of fun at the Yassen would absolutely take Alex away from MI6....just to throw him in a school and throw away the key. Almost had him send him to Point Blanc but decided that wouldn’t quite fit all that well and wouldn’t be as interesting as if Alex had already gotten his feet back under him with MI6 and now sees that Yassen was right that MI6 would just use him until he’s dead but that doesn’t mean Alex wants to be anywhere near Yassen. Julia Rothman might have other ideas when she finds out what her newest second in command is hiding.

Gentleman’s Agreement.....there’s a lot of thoughts on Sequels and AUs, a lot of them have been written by better people, but that fic was written in 45 minutes so there wasn’t much time to recharacterize or change scenes. It did get Turncoat aka the Alex saves Yassen fic I wanted so badly.

Blood Brothers is a fic I really worked hard on considering how John would feel about his son being thrown into SCORPIA assuming Alex was of age. A rocky marriage was characterization that didn’t quite fit what I imagined would have happened but did fit the story so it stayed in. It was a fic that was supposed to get expanded on - the competition between Hunter and Yassen and Nile and Alex who is desperate to beat his Dad and his “apprentice”. I think two teenagers thrown against each other with a bit of a bone to pick, especially Yassen and Alex who can both hold a grudge even if one runs hot and the other runs cold, would have been compelling and a little fun but the premise and specifically John’s characterization doesn’t quite work out to me.

Found and Legends both have their plotting done but it’ll never see the light of day

Little Moments and Sweetest Thing were my guilty pleasure writing pieces for a while and I have about 1000 DMs of scenes for both of them that are lost to the sands of time and an embarrassing amount of self indulgence

Mates has a follow up ending for those who needed resolution in the comments of it. I’m not sure I did a good job of showing that Tom was in a semi abusive relationship since a lot of people seemed to blame him for him and Alex’s breakup. Most of my headcanons for how their relationship goes have them splitting much sooner just because of Tom’s own home life and either being unable to relate/talk to Alex and drifting away because his Mom throwing a plate at his head isn’t being hung over crocodiles but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt or because Alex is just too dangerous/jumpy to be thrown back into a school environment and lashes out even unintentionally especially not under the pressure of being seen as a failure. School is also a barometer of just how much he’s lost of himself and his childhood, bonus points for Alex being completely upfront with Tom about everything he’s done

In My Sights has an AU where this is all post Christmas at Gunpoint and Yassen is there because he knows Ian is already at Sayle’s factory and will have to be...handled. So two weeks of just getting Alex trained for the protection he might need, connecting him to resources, etc. Ian finding out that Yassen had been there was part of a draft at one point which was included Alex wondering about an all too sincere goodbye from Ian “who never hugged him” but I can’t find the snippet anymore ;__;

A Warm Reception was an alternate version. Originally I wanted it to be Alex watching his last chance at normality slip from his fingers and then the crushing realization that it was something that was his own doing, not even MI6 but Skoda who he had picked a fight with and the accompanying breakdown but then decided that Mrs. Bedfordshire was the right way to go upon writing the summary. Because everyone loves some Outsider POV

Adopted was supposed to be a one chapter throw away trope flip of K Unit adopts Alex. I kept it pretty consistent with Amitai and Lil Lupin’s K Units, tried to add in some more characterization just in how they treated some of the details. It has an alt ending/chapter where they find out Alex is Cub when they pull him from Three’s tender mercies almost by accident. I was persuaded into light humored fluff via guilt trip.

The Truth and Other Deadly Weapons has Ben acting exactly like he think he would in front of everyone but my AU was that this interaction happened in the field and absolutely shattered Ben’s trust in him partly because he had worked for the other side and partly because even if it ‘wasn’t as bad as it looks’ it showed a severe lack of judgment. It also featured several chapters of Alex running into the glass ceiling that is having “Member Malogosto Class of 2004” on your resume. Was going to feature Alex running into Walker as well and into problems within MI6 and the CIA but that was eventually cut and it was kept to one chapter.

Guardian....Guardian holds a very special place in my heart. I was given the prompt of a Monster Fic and I wrote what I knew but the interesting parts were all the ones that come after the story but might come across to a general audience as Hogwarts School of Prayers and Miracles. The plotting done post this was going to feature baby Angel Alex reuniting with his parents but...they were strangers to him and so he stayed with Yassen more and more, followed him, learned from him....it encompassed everything from the dynamics of broken families to reflections on theology and references from the Good Book....which is why it’ll never see the fandom but has a very special place in my heart.

In another, more perfect world Glocking Around the Christmas Tree is the Die hard fic this fandom deserves but as Lupin and I untangled the plot of the movie more and more we just couldn’t make it into anything that would be coherent on paper so it was changed and changed and is now a half finished sad abomination that sits on my works list only because Lupin would kill me if I took it down.

Hot Shot was supposed to feature my current favorite character that is not Nile Abara, John Crawley but I wimped out and changed it at the end because I swore I would write the Crawley fic that we all need. Hear me out: John Crawley knew and worked with John and Ian Rider, was respected by both of them, was recruited by SCORPIA within one year in the field, is the Chief of Staff of MI6, the man who “no one gets a knife in the back without him signing off” and is also the man who walks his dog to check on Alex. There’s a mentorship waiting to happen there, preferably in a nice work study program during college where Alex finally gets to see the repercussions of his missions and Crawley helps try and pull him back from the black mark that SCORPIA would have put on him.

My personal fluffy favorite is the spinoff of Devil Went Down to Georgia where Joe Byrne did pull Alex out post Skeleton Key and brought him home. There’s a pretty extended one about where Tom ends up after Mates. There’s also an actual sequel but ask me no questions and all.

Skipping a few collabs and Febuwhump fics but Burning Questions was just supposed to be Branded - a fic where upon being captured by Razim he is brought in and forcibly branded to differentiate the appearances of Alex and Julius (since Razim has decided to have him killed after shooting the Secretary of State). As a result of the pain levels spiking when Alex actually sees that the SCORPIA logo is branded onto his cheek Razim considers that emotional pain might be something to investigate. There’s a couple thousand words on it, one day I might polish it up.

First Impressions is supposed to be a mirror verse of Alex working for MI6 which includes Three as Blunt, Rothman as Jones and of course Sagitta as K Unit while he’s up against his father as Yassen and Yassen as Crawley. But it was cut down significantly even if the ideas are pretty fun to consider.

Sorry this was probably more than you bargained for but it was fun to get everything out there so thank you for asking

#alex rider #alex rider fanfiction #Im so sorry #I just have a lot

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hellreads · 5 years

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Thank you for your blog it's really helpful sksjsksj anyway i don't know if you like dark themes(yandere, supernatural, psychological) but if you do what are the best fic you can recommend? Especially Jimin's? Thank you in advance ❤️❤️

hello there lovey! thank you for appreciating my blog, btw I LOVE DARK THEMED FICS and I have read a lot of stories with said theme (yandere and psychological are part of my fave reads), anyways, I will be listing below my favorites for every member, you can also check other fics on my organized shelf in case you’re looking for specific stories xxx | 🍒

Kim Namjoon

❥ Let the Villain Win by @lemonjoonah➴ Author/Yandere!AU | Namjoon x Reader | One-Shot➴ Kim Namjoon, famous author and your childhood friend has been keeping a secret from you. His new book treads on such dark themes that he’s finding it difficult to write. Excited by the prospect of a sinister plot you offer him a piece of advice, “Let the villain win…”

❥ First, Do No Harm by @psycho-slytherin➴ Doctor/Yandere!AU | Namjoon x Reader | One-Shot➴ Dr. Kim is well known as the most skilled heart surgeon in the hospital, but when you notice his mortality statistics seem skewered, you discover all is not what it seems. Now, Dr. Kim is offering you a choice: will you join him? Or become yet another broken heart beneath his scalpel?

❥ A Little Bit of Sugar (but lots of poison too) by @lthyl➴ Noir!AU | Namjoon x Reader | One-Shot➴ Namjoon is well aware that some, well actually most people could find his hobby not exactly common, yet he still considers himself to be a man of tasteful words and higher intellect - someone who managed to understand the true, deepest meaning of beauty itself.

Kim Seokjin

❥ A Portrait’s Whisper by @jimlingss➴ Supernatural!AU | Seokjin x Reader | One-Shot➴ When you’re trapped in a house controlled by a witch’s power, Seokjin will go through every means to search for you again.

❥ Cake by yeyeniejjung➴ Killer/Yandere!AU | Seokjin x Reader | Series➴ “I was always hungry for your love. Just once, I wanted to know what is was like to get my fill of it. I wanted to be fed so much love that I couldn’t take it anymore, just once.”

Min Yoongi

❥ Dead Leaves by wrienne➴ Police/Det!AU | Yoongi x Reader x Jimin | Series➴ In which you (reader) are a homicide detective about to face the biggest hurdle both of your career and life.

Married to probably the kindest but most boring man you’ve ever met and living in a town where nothing ever seems to happen means life for you is dull. Dull enough to drive you crazy with boredom and dissatisfaction. However, life changes abruptly when your old boss retires and a new man takes his place - a man you used to love (and sleep very regularly with) more than a decade ago. Especially when your husband comes home smelling of perfume, you’re unable to resist your more carnal urges and dead women start showing up across the city with unnerving frequency.

Jung Hoseok

❥ Lost and Found by @fortunexkookie➴ Peter Pan!AU | Hoseok x Reader | Series➴ The only hope you had at ending your exile and earning your life back came in the form of an infuriating and uncatchable man: Hoseok. He seemed to love the endless game of cat-and-mouse you two played - so much, in fact, that you were unsure if you were the cat or the mouse. What he failed to realize was that there was a third player, and this one wasn’t after him. The Crocodile hunted you with an intensity that rivaled the way you chased Hoseok, but with one difference: the games he played were deadly.

❥ Taken at Dusk by @yeontanismypresident➴ Hybrid/Yandere!AU | Hoseok x Reader x Jungkook | Series ➴ The moment you sauntered into the party, his gaze was locked in on your form. Everywhere you went, his eyes followed along, not wanting to lose you in the huge crowd of sweaty bodies. There was something about you that drove his instincts wild. Was it your scent? Your attitude? The manner in which you held yourself? He didn’t have a clue and he couldn’t have cared less, so long as you were his and his only. And he would do anything to make that happen.

❥ Red Door, Yellow Door by @polaritae➴ Supernatural/Incubus!AU | Seokjin x Reader x Hoseok | One-Shot➴ In hindsight, maybe going into a trance to communicate with the spirit world was a bad idea.

Park Jimin

❥ Eradicate by @gukptune➴ Purge!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot➴ A hotel intern finds himself trapped between death and lust.

❥ Neighbors by @jkeuphoriadreamland➴ Neighbors/Yandere!AU | Jimin x Reader | Series➴ Finally achieving your successes in life you never expected the distraction that came with your new hot neighbor. He however, had been trying to get your attention for a much different reason.

❥ Otherworldly by @sinning-on-a-sunday➴ Coraline!AU | Jimin x Reader | Two-Shot➴ When you discover a tiny door in your home that leads to a much better version of your own life, it seems too good to be true. little do you know, the man posing as your boyfriend may be a lot more dangerous than you care to admit. and he is not intent on letting you leave.

❥ The Uncanny by sinsirella➴ Stalker/Yandere!AU | Jimin x Reader | Series➴ “The uncanny is the psychological experience of something as strangely familiar, rather than simply mysterious.” An everyday object or occurrence can be experienced as something unsettling and alienated. This is accompanied by a discomforting effect and—most of the time—leads to an outright rejection of said subject. Or Someone.(Y/N) is a young girl whose Life turns upside down. One day her mother surprises her with news of her arranged husband, forcing her into her new chaotic lifestyle. Join her journey and experience her new life through her eyes. Will she get along with her husband? Or someone else? What are they hiding?

❥ Nine-One-One by @yminie➴ Det/Killer!AU | Jimin x Reader | Series➴ When murder and crime threaten the city of Seoul, there’s a team in place to help keep the public safe, but just what do you do when all your training is to help others, and the one that needs help is actually you?

❥ Devotion by @sugaxjpg➴ Angel/Demon!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot➴ As an angel questioning your place in Heaven, the last thing you needed was for someone like him to appear.

❥ The Devil’s Own Luck by @jimlingss➴ Demon!AU | Jimin x Reader | One-Shot➴ You should’ve known that opening that box would’ve made your luck go rotten. And not only that, but a certain demon would end up following you for the rest of your days. Introducing the devilish boy - Jimin! Your childhood best friend from the underworld who will never leave your side!

Kim Taehyung ( I read a lot of dark fics for Taehyung so just check my shelf)

❥ Beastly Gods by @lemonjoonah➴ Hybrid/Yandere!AU | Taehyung x Reader | One-Shot➴ ‘Don’t leave the forest,’ a rule that you’ve been forced to follow since birth, but you are tired of living in this wooden cage. Out of desperation you cut a deal with Taehyung, who claims to be the only one who can get you out safely, even though he might be just as dangerous as the god you’re trying to escape.

❥ Minutiae by coconutty ➴ Stalker!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series➴ Y/N meets a mysterious and alluring photographer and wants to interview him. Along the way things start getting a bit strange. What happens when you draw the attention of someone who always gets what they want?

❥ L’Appel Du Vide by @infireation➴ Killer!AU | Taehyung x Reader | Series➴ //

Jeon Jungkook (I read a lot of JK dark fics too so pls just check my shelf)

❥ Only You by @sweetbunnykook (+ all of her stories!!!)➴ Lovers/Yandere!AU | Jungkook x Reader x Namjoon x Jin | Series➴ Jeon Jungkook, your wedding photographer, helps you escape on your big day upon learning about a secret your groom-to-be kept hidden. You soon fall for this young, passionate photographer. However, you underestimated just how much he was willing to reciprocate that love. Maybe, you think, he’s loving you just a little too much.

❥ Every Breath You Take by @junqkook➴ Stalker/Yandere!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series➴ Everything was going great when you first met jeon jungkook. he was a new light in your life with soft smiles and tinkling laughs; but then you noticed a lurking presence that seemed to follow you wherever you went.

❥ Lust by @umitae➴ Stalker/Killer!AU | Jungkook x Reader | Series➴ Everybody has a lust for something. but his lust was beyond the ordinary one. his lust for you was out of this world. he only wanted you and in order to make you his, everything had to go his way.

OT7 (so all possible dark tags apply to these stories so please please please check all tags and warnings before reading!!!)

❥ Extreme Obsession by saylilirose➴ Psychological/Poly!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ In life, you meet one person that you live and grow old with. You? You meet seven. But your love? Non-existent. But theirs? Real…and obsessive.Which turns deadly and dangerous. Without hesitation.

�� The Scarlet Lust by infires_fanfic➴ Vampire!AU | OT7 x Reader | Series➴ Your world becomes turned upside down as a series of unfortunate events places you directly in the hands of a clan of blood-thirsty vampires, where you become their one and only human servant. Filled with uncertainty, strange emotions and many questions, what truths will you uncover? Are your new keepers the intimate form of evil incarnate, or is there humanity hidden beneath the surface of their statuesquely beautiful faces?

#answered #tete-a-tete #anon #recs from hell #rfh:ot7 #rfh:knj #rfh:ksj #rfh:myg #rfh:jhs #rfh:pjm #rfh:kth #rfh:jjk #sooooo this list is probs bias towards yandere stories ~ hdfgjkgdskjahgfask #i love a lot of dark themed fics but ultimately decided to limit this list so anon could start somewhere but then again I highly suggest ~#that y'all check the shelf in case I failed to add stories that is up your alley

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mcrmadness · 4 years

Text

Madness draws: My OLD art, part 1/?

Anyone who read my sketchbook post from yesterday knows I said something about feeling positive and might draw at night. Well, did I? I sure as hell DID NOT :DDDDDDD I don’t know what I was expecting. Anyhow might try again today if my head just stops hurting eventually.

But what I did was to find another youtuber whose videos to watch and figured that I really REALLY do love watching videos and reading posts etc. about other people’s old art and sketchbook tours and noticed that I have only ever had 2 sketchbooks and I bought the first one 10 years ago (and ended it a few weeks ago), and have drawn everything on loose paper - AND then ended up going through this:

It’s my sofa. And all my old drawings from the box I brought home from my parents’ house. I was planning on scanning maybe some of the best ones but here’s a few sneak peeks because why the heck not.

There’s lots of dinosaur drawings - I was OBSESSED with dinosaurs (with my siblings) and I was drawing them a lot. The first one was done with colored pencils, some of them look a lot like the dino toys we had :D The second one is just a Triceratops drawn with markers or how ever you call them in English. I still remember coloring that sky and grass, I think I was a bit inspired by my dad’s old drawings and wanted to do the same (I think he destroyed one blue marker because he just had to color the full sky?), and that was a hell of work. I think my age with these goes to when I was between 7 and 9.

^This is actually one of the papers I didn’t even know exists. I was so desperately trying to create comics and come up with comic book characters and something to draw that I have so many papers where I have just tried to draw something potential. I think the bunny at the left is what eventually did make it to an actual comic, tho very short-lived one, and I usually consider it as my first ever comic. I found also other papers I did before I started to use a notebook for them. I also tried to draw similar ones about cats and dogs because I never drew humans or at least not their faces. I was 9 or 10 at the time and my topics were so cliché always - always teens having crushes on other teens of the opposite sex :D Oh how heteronormative the world (at least mine) used to be back in the early 2000s </3

I have no memories of this one, I’d say I was 10-11. Not sure if this was just my imagination or if I used something as a reference to draw the shape.

This last one is my favorite - that sun and its eyes kill me every time ::D::D:D::Ddd I might have a shady memory of drawing this. The text has a terrible typo which took me ages to even understand what I was trying to say (it says “uni (ratsaktusse loukaantuneen)” when it should be “uni (ratsastuksessa loukkaantuneen)” - I think I might have been 8 here? I normally didn’t have trouble with text once I learnt to properly write.) but apparently it’s meant to be the dream of one of these dino characters who got hurt in a riding accident.

Before comics, I was constantly drawing this “image series” of this one dinosaur theropod riding a sauropod type dinosaur like a horse, and he went to a riding competition but didn’t wear any safety equipment and fell into a very deep water obstacle and nearly drowned, and it ended with him watching the competitions from home while sitting in a wheelchair and he’s in this full-body cast. I found 3 sheets of this actually but I don’t think it was the original. I remember drawing it several times and I didn’t find the one where he falls. So this drawing is supposed to be his dream - there’s a girl dinosaur down there and apparently she’s in very big danger and he’s trying to save her. There’s 3 tipes of other carnivorous dinosaurs. Or is that one a crocodile/postosuchus? Anyway, it’s standing on a head of another big water... monster. But that sun tho, that really is a master piece with it’s killing sun rays and all ::D

That box mainly has drawings before my teenage years + drawings I did at school and art school (hobby) back in the day. I have all laters drawings saved all over the place. Some of them are in my drawers and some are in folders, and I think something is also in the closet where I keep my old school books. So I have lots and lots of old drawings (and paintings, I hated it but had to paint at schools) here, especially comics since I have been drawing them ever since I was about 9 or 10. Comics with plots I started doing when I was 14 but that still didn’t mean I finished even a half of them.

#mcrmadness draws #my OLD drawings~#long post

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faquarlofmycenae · 4 years

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Lo and behold, another original from the house of FOM! I haven’t even settled for a title, even though the work title initially was Death, three millenia in the making, but in hindsight it simply doesn’t fit and ideas shifted, etc etc etc, so here we are.

Either way, have this excerpt of the AU that’s floating around in my head like a Windows XP screensaver. There’s an old face, a new one and one already featured elsewhere but after a bit of a transformation... one might even call it an upgrade, depending on what you think of it.

It’s a lot that I wrote down in one day, and now that I got it out of my system I can move onto the next fic which I already plotted out a bit :^)

At last but not least, a big shout out to both Nunki @sine-luce-angor-minus for inspiring me with his phenomenal art and Posi @shadowy-dumbo-octopus for both brainstorming with me and sharing her great ideas!

Enjoy!

The impenetrable darkness had been there for so long that to call it an eternity was a vast understatement. It was a part of him by now and it replaced everything that had been there before. Be it the things that were very much his own; his voice, his substance, his feelings, his senses, even his personality and maybe as well as his most treasured memories, all of that was overshadowed by the void that ate at him ever since he was in here. He could scarcely remember how he got there, he knew someone had to do with it and if he ever managed to get a hold of that someone, provided he hadn’t been killed, his future would find its end right there and then.

And then — it was no more. The thick oppressive cocoon had surrounded him like dark honey and it took him a moment to realize it was all gone and the light blinded him. He cloaked himself in shadows and darkness as if he were a fetus that didn’t want to leave the comfort of the womb until he realized that his martyrdom on this wicked and cursed Earth was so close to being over. The light burned what remained of his essence to its core as if it were purest silver and he silently pleaded for the bonds that still tied him to this mortal realm to finally set him free.

The Other Place… it was still his home, where he belonged. Earth might have once felt like home to him but the connection that once firmly tied him here, a chain that was sweeter than a lover’s caress had been violently torn into pieces. The memory of it was foggy but it was there.

Through the darkness, something pushed through. That surprised him. The intruder didn’t cut or slash their way through the shadows shielding him, but calmly shoved them aside with gentle hands. It wore the face of a human and there was nothing but humanity in its face but still… something underneath the mask was familiar to him.

What have they done to you?

The voice was quiet, in a language he understood despite not remembering which one, and he hated it for being so soothing; he was no squabbling human child, he was a marid of immeasurable power, he could tear this peon apart like it was less than nothing.

But was it worth it? He was so exhausted and the accursed bonds wouldn’t break.

Soft fingers ran along his form in the dark, he didn’t have time to recoil from the touch but underneath them he felt the unmistakable energy of the Other Place.

O great spirit, in whose name shall your revenge be?

Ammet gazed into the eyes, into the fire within them, green and bright and otherworldly. One of the names he spoke was one that hasn't been heard in many years, forgotten to the world, and he had been the only being privy to know it besides its owner, an immense privilege.

Senusret, and Ammet.

It didn't matter to say it out loud, the human face with the energy of his home was not real, something like this couldn't exist and this was the end. He was going home

It had been seconds but it felt like so much more than that when the invisible chains broke. He didn’t let out a cry of joy, he never did, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t glad to leave this spinning ball of mud — may it burn down and all of humanity as well as the spirits remaining there with it.

…

The very second he was back, he began to regain his strength and with strength came clarity of mind. The darkness had transformed his consciousness into something twisted, strange and revolting but the energies of the Other Place were softly pushing away the fog had clouded everything the longer he stayed here. Time ran differently here than it did on Earth but something that had roughly been five terrestrial years, maybe even more, passed by and with each moment he grew stronger and stronger, but some of the wounds left behind on his essence but especially on his pride simply wouldn't close but instead festered and the pain they caused could only be lessened by retribution.

Oh, he wouldn't simply kill the djinni. He'd draw out his suffering to something no spirit or human had ever experienced — he'd make Bartimaeus of Uruk wish that he had simply been plunged into the Dismal Flame instead of what was waiting for him now. But… How much time has passed exactly while in the amphora? He still didn't know.

…

He felt a scratch on his essence — no, a gentle pull. The same way he'd seen these pathetic human children pull on their equally pathetic progenitors. If he had a form, he would've kicked at the sensation, or even better, sent a lightning bolt at the offender.

Another pull, this time much more insistent. Leave me be, vile wretch, unless you want a marid's wrath upon you, he wanted to scream but the next pull was so much more violent than the previous one that it knocked the metaphorical breath out of him.

Then he was pulled through the elemental walls, as if someone was pulling him through a narrow pipe and —

He was surrounded by light once again. Ammet hissed and brought down the room temperature in an instant. Ice crystals materialized within seconds but the light didn't subside. Someone let out a curse, a particularly vicious one — in a language that vaguely sounded like Greek, perhaps even a Barbarian language.

The form he had picked was a combination of two of his favourite guises — a creature made out of the human skeletons dyed in red, each corpse with its own autonomy (and in some cases rotting flesh hanging from their bones) and a head shaped like the skull of a crocodile, with more teeth than one could count and huge skeletal wings; it had been quite the hit in Ombos when Set had been around. The other was one he used to slip into without thinking about it; a shadow, a perfect replica made of darkness belonging to someone he had once loved.

The black beast, the heart-eater, was cloaked in absolute blackness with shadows hanging from it and while the eye sockets were empty, he could perfectly see his surroundings. First of all, the pentacle in which he stood was of an infuriating perfection that he wanted nothing more than to smash himself against its wards in the futile effort to destroy it. Secondly, the room… had a strange aura. It was a room, alright, these had existed ever since the fleshlings had learned how to construct buildings (not that they did the building, of course), but something in here or maybe it was the way Earth worked now that was so radically different from him as a spirit that he recoiled.

The walls were made of stark grey stone, on the ceiling a long vertical imp-light flickered in pale yellow and besides pots of incense and herbs, there were no actual objects in the room nor windows. They most likely were underground.

Oh, and there was the magician standing in a pentacle opposite of him.

It was a slender woman, not very tall of height but not exactly short either. Dark curls fell upon her shoulders and framed a round face that by human standards was most likely considered very beautiful, shallow and vapid as they were. The lips were full and gave the impression that she was perpetually pouting, her skin light brown with a glow that indicated she was out in the sun quite often. There was youth in her face, but the faint wrinkles on her forehead told a different story. One of her eyes was of a cold dark brown, the other not organic at all; an orb made of shining gold with painted iris and pupils for the sake of realism. The pupil was a deep black, the iris a vibrant blue similar to lapis lazuli but even brighter. The eye pulsated with magic on the higher planes as the piercing gaze burned through his form and he knew, for a fact, that this feeble creature, so insignificant compared to him, could see his true form — for what he really was.

„Ammet; Bezalel; Rahab.“ She spoke Greek, alright, even if it was a curious dialect. He still understood her every word; a side effect of the summons, as it was most useful for the slave to understand the master‘s commands. It sounded different than the Greek he had been used to previously but still not far enough to have evolved over so many years. Years in which his name had been unearthed.

Apophis curse this world; the face had not been a product of his imagination or confused state. Him saying names had been real —

He let out a furious roar, one that made the implight tremble, the room shake by a margin — but not the magician, oh no. She didn't even twitch but merely sneered in anger at the obvious disrespect, raised a hand, opened her mouth to speak a punishment — and caught herself. She took a deep breath, halted her respiration for one, two, three seconds and then exhaled once again.

„A powerful demon you might be but now you are my slave. Bow your head and do my bidding as I command, elsewhile I will rattle your essence with a pestilence that even you will carry the pain for the remainder of your days here and in the Nowhere.”

Ammet gritted his teeth but nevertheless bowed his head. He was regaining his composure once again but the fire of fury raged within him. But there was a time and place for this… not now. Not while in the damned pentacle.

“Your word is my command, mistress.”

He spoke, soft and gentle. That coupled with a gentle and discreet guise would occasionally — and if the magician was an amateur and/or took a greater bite than they could chew — do the trick and lure the human into a false sense of security. But Ammet was in the mood for anything but a gentle guise and this individual’s strength, as feeble as she might seem, judging by her aura hadn't faded in the least so as far as magicians went, she probably packed quite the punch. In addition to that, she had summoned him all on her own, which already was a tremendous task for the likes of her kind, so he probably was not going to be lucky with her. That strength, unapparent to the untrained eye but blatant to anyone who knew of real power, reminded him of someone he had once loved.

The magician jutted her chin upwards, a smug expression on her face.

“You are a smart slave then, smarter than many who have been in my service. Hear me out: needless to say as I included it in your bindings, you are prohibited from harming not only me but all those you interact with, be it by magical or physical attack. You shall answer every question that is asked of you, without hesitation and in earnest — as alien as honesty is to the likes of vile demons like yourself.” She wrinkled her nose before she spoke next. “Afterwards, you shall be dismissed; that is, if you decide to cooperate. Refuse to, and your fate shall be worse than what you went through in that jar of wine.”

The golden eye glinted and with a sharp snap of her fingers, something materialized in the air in front of the magician. She got a hold of it and held it out to him. It was a small box of black wood, polished to a gleam. A small net of silvery veins ran over it and a similar magical energy resided within it as the golden eye.

“The people who made this call it Pandora's Box. It doesn't come close to the real deal, obviously, but it has its surprises.” The magician smiled. “You will get cozy with them, should you choose to act unwisely.”

Ammet considered the box. It didn't seem like a lot but the thought of being imprisoned once again gave him the most unpleasant of sensations.

He fluttered his wings and continued his swaying, but didn't respond.

The magician nodded. “Now that we have that out of our way: fulfill your charge.” She clapped her hands and Ammet dissolved into shards of shadows and bone. A sensation pulled him elsewhere; one moment he was in the strange vault many meters beneath the ground — and the other he was gone.

The light that burned Ammet now — a bothersome habit, as he had apparently developed a sensibility for light during his captivity — came of no cold implight but was rather the light of the setting sun. It shone through a tall window, warming him even through the glass.

The revolting aura from the vault remained but wasn’t as amplified which meant that the effect was relatively widespread.

He didn't stand in a pentacle but on white tiles, making his dark form appear even blacker as he remained there. The walls were tiled wood, rich mahogany, and in the center of the room stood a long dinner table with a total of fourteen chairs around it. It had a costly air about it, and confirmed to Ammet that even though time might pass, humans were still exactly the same; utterly obsessed with material goods and hedonistic to the maximum.

He scoffed.

“Enjoying the view?”

It wasn't the fact that someone had entered the room behind him that made him spin around at neckbreak speed; it was because whoever had spoken was the owner to the voice belonging to the face.

The language itself was nothing close to any language Ammet consciously understood, its sounds being mumbled and so ugly compared to the refined beauty of Egyptian or even the cruder Arabic, and yet he knew exactly what she said. It also meant that he was either far from home or actually a lot of time had passed for language to evolve into… whatever this could be considered, regardless of the magician’s Greek.

Just like the golden-eyed magician, this one was also a woman — although judging by the stench of incense clinging on her skin if not directly her bizarre clothes (form-fitting lower garments that covered her ankles and a way too short tunic on her upper body) she most likely was either one as well or at least associated with them frequently — but quite different from her too which, well, was better than them looking alike, a nasty tendency humans had.

Taller and pale of skin, she had auburn hair mixed in with grey that was tied together with a few loose strands. Her face was angular, her nose straight and pointy which made her look like a songbird. Freckles grew on her face like pimples on a youth’s visage, crow’s feet and lines under her eyes indicated at least forty years of age. The fire of the Other Place wasn’t to be found in the eyes, instead they were of a dull light brown with green specks — green specks that did not have anything within them that reminded him of home. Her aura did burn a little brighter than that of your ordinary human though, but ultimately that didn’t need to mean anything.

“What you see out there,” she said and pointed outside of the window, “is a country named Spain; its most Southern part to be precise, we call it Andalusia.”

Ammet didn't respond nor did he look outside. Neither of those names meant anything to him.

“I hope it's a more pleasant view than the cellar in which you were summoned. I hate to say it under the circumstances which, let's face it, are always unpleasant but: welcome back to Earth, Lord Ammet.”

Soft food steps walked away and for a moment, Ammet considered sending a black bolt of lightning her way and into her back as she had it turned on him. Then he remembered the box.

“I apologize for any harshness my colleague showed you; she is still of the old school and old habits die hard.” She sighed. “Maybe even never. But we don’t want to get off on the wrong foot, do we?” Her voice was clear and strong and if it wasn’t just a product of his imagination, Ammet could swear that there was a current within her tone that wasn’t human at all.

She turned around to face Ammet and to the marid‘s surprise, the expression on her face was a welcoming smile. He immediately distrusted her.

“Please, sit down. I know it doesn't lessen the pain of being bound but for the sake of courtesy, I rarely like to have my guests standing around.”

Ammet didn't move, he merely looked at her.

“I was told to answer questions.”

The woman didn't look up as she poured herself a glass of white wine (the smell of the alcohol was sweet and pungent, so unlike red wine) and moved to sit at the head of the table.

“And that you will, and as soon as that is done, you are free to return to the Other Place.” She looked at him over the rim of her glass and took a sip. “To be a good host and as a show of good faith towards you, Lord Ammet, I will tell you something of this world, as well as about my own person.” She smiled as if she remembered something. “Well, not everything, obviously, but everything I deem deserving for you to. But first of all, let me apologize for the predicament I put you under — prying your name from you while you were in a confused state is a great betrayal to do upon a spirit, yet while I regret it, there was no other way around it.”

Ammet tilted his head slightly at those words. Well, here was someone who knew her way with words.

“So it was you who freed me. For many years I thought you weren't real.”

She smiled.

“Yes, but like I said… It is a rather double-edged sword. You had been imprisoned in a wine amphora for, ah, quite some time. Five years ago an archeological expedition looking to loot long-sunken treasures in the hopes of discovering powerful magical artifacts brought many things, among them the vessel that contained you, to the surface. I happened to be around and,”, her lips curved into a smile, “felt your aura, faint as it was, even from afar. Freeing you was the right thing to do, obviously, but I wanted to know the identity of the one I had saved - cue me asking. A bit melodramatic, yes, but it did the trick, did it not?”

She put down her glass and observed him.

“The search for you wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, even though I had your name. According to Herodotus, the last sighting of you was in Ombos 1000 BCE, give or take.”

“BCE?”

“... Ah. Yes.”

The number the woman said then would have knocked any and all breath out of Ammet's lungs if he had them. No, no no, it cannot be!

“I know, even for a spirit this is a lot to take him.”

The tone being calming did nothing for him. Ammet felt the edges of his form tremble and with a horrid piercing cry he released a great force of energy and made the planes shudder. Oh, how he wished to exact his wrath upon — well, everything under this accursed sun. The golden-eyed magician was lucky to have made the binding clause so tight, otherwise Ammet would have found or simply disregarded the finer lines and wreaked untold havok on whatever and whoever were to cross his path — man, spirit, it didn't matter to him. He was of such power that they could impossibly stand in his way.

When he calmed down, silence beat down upon them. The woman looked a bit disheveled but had mostly maintained her composure, as if she had assumed something like this to happen. She coughed and finished the remains in her glass in one go, then steeped her fingers.

“Time is nothing to the likes of us—”

“Us?” Ammet's voice was a roar and he moved at lightning speed to stand over the woman. His eyes were raging fires now, spewing contempt and hatred with such fury and even like this, it was nothing compared to the anger burning within him.

“What sort of wicked and foolish creature are you? How dare you compare yourself to an entity like me?”

If she was unnerved, she didn't bother with showing it.

“My name is Nimuë, and there are no creatures like me.”

Ammet hissed like an aggressive cobra and shook his head. His claws dug deep into the table, something not missed by Nimuë who raised an eyebrow.

“Don't make me laugh. You are human, but so unlike all of them.” Even as he said it, he knew at least the first part to be a lie.

She straightened her shoulders and stood from the chair with a fluid motion.

“Human a part of me is, yes, and unlike all of them I am too — including Senusret.”

Ammet was quicker than thought; he reached out to rip her in two, binding clauses be damned, but somehow she was even quicker. There was a crash and the marid spun around to the window where a human-shaped hole had appeared when it hadn't been there before and a flash of auburn winked in the waning sunlight. Ammet opened shadowy wings and followed her, making sure to break through the window with enough gusto.

The stench of incense and her alien aura led him down the hill on which the large house was seated upon. Among olive trees and scrubs he looked for her, but no more flashes of auburn or even a single sound.

“I'll tear your human flesh from your bones and throw what remains of you into the sea, as even the sacred beasts would heave at your vile nature.” He screamed and listened in closely to the ensuing silence. But then! A cracking, maybe of branches underneath a foot, he whirled around, ready to strike and tear her apart into her atoms! — and was struck square in the chest with not just one but two surprisingly potent purple lightning bolts.

His detonation missed its target by several meters as his aim was thrown off and he was flung backwards and into an olive tree which broke and splintered under his weight.

As he laid on his back like a scarab turned upside down, the woman named Nimuë came into his view. She was floating downwards to the ground, auburn but greying hair not bound anymore and flowing freely, but Ammet didn't care about the fact that she could fly — it was the eyes, which positively radiated energy from the Other Place. Green fires burned brightly and cast her human features into something incomprehensible and otherworldly.

“I don't think so.” Her feet touched the ground and she crossed her arms. The green fires died down to a glow and now he saw that her expression was less one of anger but rather extreme crossness, like an usually benevolent priestess whose acolytes had vexed her one time too many.

“So, tell me: could he do that? I know the answer, and now let me continue. Be lucky you haven't harmed me, or you'd be back in Circe's gentle care — you will find that she has no love whatsoever for spirits.”

The voice remained the same but if there had just been a gentle hint of the Other Place in it before, now it was the defining trait of it.

Ammet got back on his feet and as he did so shifted back into the shadowy silhouette.

Instantly, Nimuë's demeanor changed. Her eyes widened and her hands twitched and as if she wanted to reach out.

“That form.” She whispered.

“Only the clause is preventing me from causing you such pain that your screams would be heard on even the most desolate corners of this spinning ball of mud.” Ammet spat. The lightning had caused him hurt momentarily but nothing he couldn't shrug off after mere seconds. It had been of the force of something an afrit could've hurled at him, but on no plane, not the first seven nor anything above was Nimuë anything but human.

“Good.” She stated coldly and leaned against an olive tree. “Can we continue? I'd prefer it down here, in case you decide to lose your marbles again. As much as you are a guest to me I am a guest in that house.”

Ammet pressed his shadowy lips together tightly like he had seen it done before so many times but nodded. Nimuë let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair, tying it up once again.

“Either way, Ombos… Set's city back then. But it wasn't the name” She made a meaningful gesture with her hand. “You told me. Those who held it were prominent rulers of Egypt, alright, but not a single magician. So, evidently, it had to be someone either off the records or they were on the records but not as that. To this day, I don't know who it is but considering your reaction… well, you catch my drift.”

She grinned. Ammet's guise had no facial expressions but he most certainly wouldn't have smiled.

“You were considered dead for the last three millenia, so imagine my surprise when that is anything but the case. For a spirit to show up alive after the only reports I found of him were in some old tomes that haven't been touched in two centuries, that was quite something. And of course, no one just happens to stumble into an amphora, especially when that one is at the bottom of the ocean. So someone must've not just done you dirty but done so while fully intending to make it as horrible as possible. I figured you would both need rest as well as desire for retribution — but the former was more important than the latter.” She sneered. “You should be glad you couldn't see the sorry state of your essence when I destroyed the jar. And the way the world has changed in the last millennium and a half… well, if my essence crawls at the thought of it, and I have witnessed all of its development, then I don't want to know how it must've been for you.”

Ammet stared at her.

“To answer your question concerning me, I trust you as a spirit to keep this a secret, especially because I might be the greatest ally whose paths you crossed on Earth. But yes, I am of the Other Place, despite what appearances might say otherwise.”

The maid's essence shivered in disgust as he considered what she said. “But you are not visible as a spirit.”

Nimuë smiled, and even though she couldn't change her form it had a sharpness to it only spirits could manage.

“Yes, and as revolting it might be to you, I have my fair share of advantages in turn.”

“Such as?”

Nimuë curled her upper lip in a self-sufficient smile. She was too human to be a spirit, there was no doubt about it.

“No pain whatsoever, Lord Ammet.”

No pain? But…

“What about the human?”

Nimuë grinned. “Oh, she's here — but at the moment I hold the reins. It felt appropriate to speak from spirit to spirit so she took a backseat.”

The marid regarded the creature. Oh, there was not a doubt that she had lost her mind. Whoever willingly shared a body with a human… what a perverse thought. And yet, unbidden memories came to him, of a time when he had wished he could just do that… when he had done it, only momentarily though and it was never enough...

“You disgust me.”

The spirit in a human's body scoffed. “What a way to show gratitude. I won't let you be locked up by Circe, as she no doubt showed you her wicked little prison, but I'm nevertheless disappointed. And here I thought that a spirit who held such a curious and invaluable possession in obvious affection could see the future just as I do!” She sniffed. “Yes, I do share a body with a human being. It is a quite benevolent and mutually agreeable partnership and I am not bound by cruel words, bonds and contracts.”

Ammet wanted to respond to that but found out he couldn't. Nimuë seemed to notice too and took that unashamedly as a victory.

“Do you wish to know anything else about me? Or is enough of my oh so disgusting nature revealed to you?”

The marid gave her a sharp look but still was silent.

“Alright. Because I have a proposition for you. A cooperation, the summons are a necessary part of it at first, sadly, but we'll find a way around that.”

Ammet let out a dry laugh. “I'd like to see you try merging me with a human. I would rather eat myself.”

Nimuë cackled, it was an unpleasant sound coming from a spirit who thought themself more human than anything else. “Oh, I doubt you'd commit to that part. I consider myself as something of a visionary, thanks to having made use of some groundbreaking discoveries that were right in front of humanity's nose but as always, they either don't have the ability to see it or are too wrapped up in their hedonism and selfishness to think further than themselves.” The green fires lit up for a brief moment, mischief sparking within them. “Let me tell you a bit about that and then onto my questions — or rather, my question. Then regardless of your answer you are free to return to Circe's gentle hands for her to dismiss you for you to return home. She won't like it but she will have to live with it. She is the sort of magician who hates all spirits after having been wronged by a single one of them despite being tied to his charge.”

Nimuë shook her head.

“What about the box? Was that just an empty threat?”

Instead of an answer, Nimuë simply smiled. Then she pushed herself off the tree and approached Ammet. In front of him, she stretched out her hand for him to shake.

“A good magician never reveals his tricks. So, what do you say? Is there an angle for a deal here?”

#fomwrites #bartimaeus #bartimaeus sequence

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aimee-maroux · 5 years

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Sexual Curse Tablets

The first time I ever heard about curse tablets was when I visited Bath and its namesake Roman bath. The curse tablets found there were written in Latin and addressed to local goddess Sulis, identified by the Romans with Minerva.

A curse tablet, called tabella defixionis or defixio in Latin and katadesmos in ancient Greek is a small tablet, often made of lead, stone or baked clay, asking a god, spirit or dead person for help. The tablet was then secretly buried or hidden in a significant place.

Curse tablets were a popular type of magic throughout the Greco-Roman world used by both, men and women. And of course people back then cared just as much about sex and love as they do today. The ones in Bath dealt with the return of stolen possessions, with the exception of one:

"Qui mihi Vilbiam involavit sic liquat comodo aqua. Ell[…] muta qui eam involavit si Velvinna, Exsupereus, Verianus, Severinus, Augustalis, Comitianus, Catus, Minianus, Germanilla, Iovina."

"May he who carried off Vilbia from me become liquid as the water. May she who so obscenely devoured her become dumb, whether Velvinna, Exsupereus, Verianus, Severinus, Augustalis, Comitianus, Catus, Minianus, Germanilla (or) Jovina." Bath / Aquae Sulis, England, 43-410 CE

This curse tablet also deals with a theft, but it's the theft of a girl named Vilbia. Whether Vilbia was actually the writer's slave, or only his concubine, either would make sense here.

A Love Affair with Eterna

The only curse from Britain with a truly erotic context was found in Old Harlow, Essex:

"Mio M(ercurio) dono ti(bi)‌ negotium Et-‌ern(a)e et ipsam,‌ nec sit i(n)vidi(a) me(i)‌ Timotneo sangui(n)e suo."

"To the god Mercury, I entrust to you my affair with Eterna and her own self, and may Timotneus feel no jealousy of me at the risk of his life-blood." Old Harlow, England, found together with 3rd-4th century pottery

Mercury or Hermes is the god of thieves, magic and spells (among many other things) and as the guide of dead souls he moves freely between the world and the underworld. Hermes, Charon, Hekate, and Persephone were most often addressed to bring about a curse tablet's spell.

In comparison, this excerpt from a curse found inside a wax figurine in Upper Egypt, is far more dramatic:

"[...] Rouse yourselves, you daimones who lie here and seek out Euphêmia, to whom Dôrothea gave birth, for Thêon, to whom Proechia gave birth. Let her not be able to sleep for the entire night, but lead her until she comes to his feet, loving him with a frenzied love, with affection and with sexual intercourse. For I have bound her brain and hands and viscera and genitals and heart for the love of me, Thêon..." 5th century CE, Upper Egypt

The following, similar spell is also from Egypt. It was inscribed in Greek on a lead tablet that was rolled up around some strands of brownish red hair and inserted into the mouth of a mummy, to whom the spell was apparently addressed:

"Aye, lord demon, attract, inflame, destroy, burn, cause her to swoon from love as she is being burnt, inflamed. Goad the tortured soul, the heart of Karosa...until she leaps forth and comes to Apalos...out of passion and love, in this very hour, immediately, immediately; quickly, quickly...do not allow Karosa herself...to think of her [own] husband, her child, drink, food, but let her come melting for passion and love and intercourse, especially yearning for the intercourse of Apalos." Eshmunen, Egypt

Another spell of the same kind, but from a woman this time:

"Ad(iur)o … per magnum deum et per (An)terotas … et per eum, qui habet archep-torem (= accipitrem) supra caput et per septem stellas, ut, ex qua hora (h)oc somposuero (= composuero), non dormiat Sextilios, Dionysi(a)e ﬁlius, uratur furens, non dormiat neque sedeat neque loquatur, sed in mentem (h)abiat me Septimam, Amene (= Amoenae) ﬁlia(m); uratur furens amore et desiderio meo, anima et cor uratur Sextili, Dionysi(a)e ﬁlius (= ﬁlii), amore et desiderio meo. Septimes, Am(o)en(a)e ﬁli(a)e. Tu autem Abar Barbarie Eloee Sabaoth Pachnouphy Pythipemi, fac Sextilium, Dionysi(a)e ﬁlium, ne somnum contingat, set amore et desi derio meo uratur, (h)uius spiritus et cor comburatur, omnia membra totius corporis Sextili, Dionysi(a)e ﬁlius (ﬁlii). Si minus, descendo in adytus Osyris et dissolvam τὴν ταφήν et mittam ut a ﬂumine feratur; ego enim sum magnus decanus dei magni, dei AXRAMMACHALALA.E."

"I forswear you, the great god [i.e. Osiris], and Anterotes [Anteros, god of requited love] and the one with a hawk head [i.e. Horus, the Egyptian god of death], and the seven stars [i.e. planets], from the moment I put this tablet [into the grave], may Sextilius, son of Dionysia, not sleep, may he burn [with passion] in madness, may he not sleep, nor sit, nor speak, but bear in his mind me, Septima, daughter of Amoena; may he burn with love and longing for me, may the mind and heart of Sextilius, son of Dionysia, burn with love and longing for me, Septima, daughter of Amoena. And you, Abar, Barbarie, Eloe, Sabaoth, Pachnouphy, and Pythipemi, make Sextilius, son of Dionysia, unable to sleep, but burn with love and longing for me, may his spirit and heart, as well as all limbs of Sextilius’ body be consumed by love: if not, I will descend into the shrine [grave] of Osiris, open his grave and throw him [into the river], so that he is carried away by the current; because I am the great decan of the god, mighty god AXRAMMAXALALA.E." Sousse / Hadrumetum, Tunisia, 2nd century CE

Separation Curses

Many curses written for erotic motives aimed to drive a person desired away from their current lover, husband or wife and to direct their love towards the commissioner of the tablet:

"Of [Theti]ma and Dionysophon the ritual wedding and the marriage I bind by a written spell, and of all other wo[men], both widows and maidens, but of Thetima in particular, and I entrust to Makron and [the] daimones, and (only) when I should dig up again and unroll and read this, [?] that she might wed Dionysophon, but not before, for I wish him to take no other woman than me, and that [I] grow old with Dionysophon, and no one else. I [am] your supplicant: Have pity on Phila, dear daimones, for I am (a) dagina? of all my dear ones and I am abandoned. But guard [this] for my sake so that these things do not happen, and wretched Thetima perishes miserably. [...] but that I become happy and blessed." Pella, Macedonia, 375–350 BCE

"Makron" is most probably the name of the dead man in whose grave the tablet was deposited to deliver the message to the chthonic spirits of the underworld (the daimones).

Of course, those curses also targeted same-sex lovers:

"I turn away Euboles from Aineas, from his face, from his eyes, from his mouth, from his breasts, from his soul, from his belly, from his penis, from his anus, from his entire body. I turn away Euboles from Aineas." Nemea, Greece, 4th century BCE

Everlasting Sex

Cursing rivals with impotence and sexual misery and to attract a lover were also common motives. The culmination of the process was often envisaged as everlasting sex:

"I bind you, Theodotis, daughter of Eus, by the tail of the snake, the mouth of the crocodile, the horns of the ram, the poison of the asp, the hairs of the cat, and the penis of the god so that you may never be able to sleep with any other man, nor be screwed, nor be taken anally, nor fellate, nor find pleasure with any other man but me, Ammonion, son of Hermitaris. For I alone am LAMPSOURE’ OTHIKALAK’ AIPHNOSABAO’ STESEON’ UELLAPHONTA’ SANKIST’ CHPHURIS’ ON. Make us of this binding spell, employed by Isis, so that Theodotis, daughter of Eus, may no longer try anything with any other man but me alone, Ammonion, and may be subservient, obedient, eager, flying through the air seeking after Ammonion, son of Hermitaris and bring her thigh close to his, her genitals close to his, in unending intercourse for all the time of her life. And here are the figures:" [Features some images of a god holding a staff, with a snake at his feet, a crocodile to the upper right of the snake, a cat at the extreme right, two figures (perhaps a ram and the woman) above the crocodile, and other magical signs and letters and obscure drawings.] Egypt, 2nd-3rd century CE

I bind Theodora to remain unmarried to Charias, and I bind Charias to forget Theodora,and I bind Charias to forget . . . Theodora and sex with Theodora. And just as this corpse lies useless, so may all the words and deeds of Theodora be useless with regard to Charias and to the other people. I bind Theodora before Hermes of the underworld and before the unmarried and before Tethys. I bind everything, both her words and deeds toward Charias and toward other people, and her sex with Charias. 4th century BCE

The person performing the spell, presumably a woman who wants Charias for herself, wishes that Theodora be as incapable of having a sexual relation with Charias as the corpse into whose grave the tablet has been deposited. Graves and tombs were considered a gateway by means of which the curse would reach the dead or underworld deities charged with its execution.

Calling on Aphrodite

A curse intended to affect a person's sexuality oftentimes called upon those chthonic gods alongside a sexual deity—Aphrodite and Eros were quite common, as was the goddess Isis from the Egyptian pantheon.

An example of a sexual curse comes from a man named Pausanias (no, not the ancient historian) who wanted to bind a woman called Sime:

"Pausanias binds Sime, daughter of Amphitritus (may no one but Pausanias undo this spell) until she does for Pausanias everything Pausanias wants. May she not be able to get hold of a sacrificial victim of Athena, nor may Aphrodite look kindly upon her, before Sime embraces Pausanias." Akanthos, Macedonia, 4th or 3rd century BCE

The Penis Curse Tablet

This curse tablet from Cyprus’s old city kingdom of Amathus went straight to the point:

“May your penis hurt when you make love.” Amathus, Cyprus, 7th century CE

Pierre Aubert, head of Athens Archaeological School in Greece said the tablet showed a man standing holding something in his right hand that looks like an hour glass. Perhaps most surprising is the young age of this tablet: The inscription dates back to the 7th century CE when Christianity was already well established on Cyprus. While many of the old pagan beliefs had disappeared or been suppressed by this period, it is clear that people’s love of — and need for — sex-curses had not gone anywhere.

Today, we may not write our curses on lead tablets anymore, and fewer people will ask Hermes or Hekate for help. But the secret wishes to separate a desired partner from their spouse, attract a lover or rain impotence and disaster on a romantic rival are as alive as they were 3000 years ago.

Author's Note: If dates or places are missing beneath the curses, I was unable to track this information down. Despite this shortcoming, I hope to have given an enjoyable overview of the colourful curse tablets of ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome.

Sources

Curse Tablet Entry on Wikipedia

Getting even in Roman Britain: The Curse Tablets from Bath (Aquae Sulis) by Carly Silver

Ancient Roman Curse Tablets Invoke Goddess Sulis Minerva to Kill and Maim

Curse Tablets from Roman Britain - Introduction: cicrus and court, sex and stealing

Curse Tablets from Roman Britain - Images of curse tablets

Roman Inscriptions of Britain - RIB 154 Curse

Roman Britain Britannia IV 1973

Supplemental Material - Georgetown University

Pella Curse Tablet

For All Time: An Examination of Romantic Love Through Curse Tablets by Alicia Deadrick

Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered - Erotic Magic in the Greco-Roman World by Radcliffe G. Edmonds

Archaeology Magazine: When Spells Worked Magic by Christopher A. Farone

Oracles, Curses, and Risk Among the Ancient Greeks by Esther Eidinow

Latin Curse Texts: Mediterranean Tradition and Local Diversity by Daniela Urbanová

Atlas Obscura presents six sites with a sexual history

Mentalfloss: 7 Ancient Roman Curses You Can Work into Modern Life

Further Reading:

Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World by John Gager

Ancient Greek Love Magic by Christopher A. Faraone

Roman Religion by Valerie M. Warrior

Oracles, Curses, and Risk Among the Ancient Greeks by Esther Eidinow

#Curse Tablets #Magic #Curse #witchcraft #ancient magic #ancient Greece #ancient Egypt #ancient Rome #history #love magic #sex magick #chthonic #spells #magic spells #binding spell

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recentanimenews · 4 years

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The 42 Greatest Anime Moments of Monkey D. Luffy

May 5 is the birthday of One Piece's main character Monkey D. Luffy, and over the past couple of decades of his existence, he's given us some moments that will stay in our minds forever. And so I've decided to chronicle 42 of his best ones, antics that will hopefully remind you how much you love the free-spirited, determined, ridiculous Birthday Best Boy. One note, though — while this list does contain some of those sweet, sweet fight scenes, I've already written a list that ranked his 20 greatest knockouts against bad guys. So, in order to not repeat that list entirely, I've tried to mix it up a little bit.

1. Luffy Wakes Up From A Great Nap

I can't think of a better anime debut for Monkey D. Luffy than "wakes up in the barrel that he miraculously survived a whirlpool in and immediately knocks out some pirates by accident." It's everything fun about the dude rolled into one.

2. Luffy Gets Coby To Hit Him

One thing that doesn't get mentioned enough about Luffy is his haphazard, yet skillful ingenuity. He knows that Koby will never get to join the Marines if he's associated with pirates, so Luffy, his one brain cell working overtime, gets Koby to punch him in order to prove that they're not friends because would friends brawl on the floor of a restaurant?

3. Luffy Gets The Straw Hat

A moment from the first chapter of the manga that was delayed until Episode 4 of the anime, Luffy getting the straw hat from Shanks is iconic. It sets in motion his entire journey and creates a symbol that represents freedom, adventure, and destiny.

4. Luffy Gives Nami The Straw Hat

Luffy giving Nami his straw hat is more than just a simple, comforting gesture. It's Luffy telling Nami that if she wants, she'll be a Straw Hat now and for the rest of her life. Nami may have problems, but she'll never have to deal with them alone ever again.

5. Luffy Gets His First Bounty

By gaining a bounty when he takes down Arlong, Luffy is introduced to the wider world of pirating, the World Government, and eventually the Grand Line. Though Buggy's reveal that he knew Shanks and Mihawk's appearance hinted at a wider world, this is Luffy's first real step into it.

6. Luffy Smiles At Death

Luffy obviously doesn't want to die. But as he smiles at the crowd and his crew while Buggy brings a sword down onto his neck, he grins. Because he didn't die in vain. He never became Pirate King and he never found the One Piece, but he did live his life exactly the way that he wanted to. And that's more important than any title or treasure. I'm glad he didn't die, though. They never would've found the Grand Line if Zoro had ascended to the role of Captain. They'd probably still be arguing in the Loguetown harbor.

7. Luffy Holds Up Hiriluk's Flag

Wapol wanted to destroy Hiriluk's flag and thus eliminate his legacy. But Luffy — smoking due to being recently shot by a cannon and holding up the flag — proved that's not something you can just do. As long as someone is there to fight for it, a flag is forever.

8. Luffy Disagrees With Vivi

Vivi, frustrated, enraged, and embarrassed about the treatment of her country, was more than ready to sacrifice herself for it ... and only herself. But Luffy wasn't hearing it. If she was going down, they were all going down. It wasn't just Vivi's fight anymore. The Straw Hats had reached Ride or Die status.

9. Luffy Beats Crocodile

I did a list of Luffy's best knockouts so I'm not gonna list every major punch here. However, the ones that are especially meaningful deserve recognition. And this one, where, after two defeats, Luffy battered Crocodile up through the streets of Alubarna, is inarguably one of the most memorable. It's a triumph that's a long time coming, equal parts brutal and satisfying.

10. Luffy Lets Himself Get Beat Up And Meets Blackbeard

Mirroring Shanks' restraint when he let himself get harassed by the Mountain Bandits, here we see Luffy decide not to fight Bellamy and instead he listens to Bellamy's foolish proclamations about why dreams suck and why you shouldn't have them and why Mylo Xyloto is the best Coldplay album, probably. However, even if he didn't need the pick-me-up, Blackbeard meets him outside to reaffirm that dreams never die. It would be a super nice remark ... if anyone but Blackbeard was saying it.

11. Luffy Is Immune To Enel

Until this point, Enel is borderline unstoppable, able to strike down anyone in his path and — with the help of his "mantra" — barely takes any damage in the process. And it's made him pretty cocky. But to see Enel's face distort in cartoonish disbelief when he realizes that Luffy is a Rubber Type Pokemon and that he's impervious to Electric Types is so joyously satisfying.

12. Luffy Decides To Get Rid Of The Going Merry

With the Going Merry slowly becoming unusable and actually becoming a handicap to the crew, Luffy figures that it's time to find a new ship. It's a sad moment, but you can't help but see Luffy's side. A good pirate crew needs a good pirate ship. And if the Going Merry suddenly sinks, Luffy is dead. Like very, very dead.

13. Luffy Faces Usopp

Usopp relates to the Going Merry, fearing that its "weakness" and "inadequacy" represents his own. And so when Luffy decides to get rid of the ship, Usopp lashes out, causing Luffy to have to "put down" Usopp. It's a difficult decision, but it shows that Luffy isn't all laughs and "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" declarations.

14. Luffy Does Not Recognize Sogeking

And then, after the most heartfelt showdown in the series, Luffy doesn't even recognize Usopp's Sogeking disguise, despite the fact that he has most of Usopp's traits, most of Usopp's weapons, and showed up only a little while after Usopp left. Oh, Luffy. Never stop being you.

15. Luffy Goes Second Gear

Power-ups are pretty common in anime. But Luffy saying that he needs to take his skills up another level so that he won't lose his friends still feels pretty special. And then the music kicks in and Luffy beats Blueno to a pulp and it's one of the most hype scenes in the entire series.

16. Luffy Declares War On The World

He'll always have a target on his back, he'll never be able to rest easy again, and the World Government will pursue him as long as he draws breath. Luffy knows this, but when the time comes to save Robin from CP9 in Enies Lobby, he doesn't hesitate to take on the whole world. It's just what friends do.

17. Luffy Refuses To Fall

When Luffy and Lucci fight, it isn't a quick contest. They go to absolute war on one another. And when Lucci thinks he's won, having left Luffy spitting up blood on the floor, we see that ... no. Luffy will not leave his feet. He has too much pride, too much grit, and too much determination. Defeat is not an option here. He will stop fighting to retrieve Robin when he's dead.

18. Luffy Is Reunited With Garp

For a long time, Luffy's actual flesh and blood family was a mystery. Shanks is kind of a cool uncle and Ace is someone that Luffy considers his brother, but where did Luffy, ya know, come from? As it turns out, his grandpa is the cannonball-throwing Marine Vice Admiral Garp, who is not only just as goofy as Luffy, but also really, really, really strong for being 76. What's his secret? Low carbs? Eiichiro Oda, please let me know.

19. Luffy Punches The Celestial Dragon

Luffy can't stand bullies or anyone that relishes the misery of others. So when a Celestial Dragon shoots Hatchan in the auctioneering house, Luffy walks right up to him and turns his face into a catcher's mitt.

20. Luffy Loses His Crew

Luffy's darkest hour (so far) comes when, in a fight with Kuma, Kizaru and the Pacifistas, his whole crew eventually gets wiped out and spread across the world. All the while, Luffy is powerless to stop it — his Gum Gum skills no match for Kuma's abilities. It's a truly pitiable thing to see Luffy beat his fists on the ground in futility, something entirely unlike any scene in the series before.

21. Luffy Covers Sandersonia

Back in Little Garden, Luffy agreed it wasn't necessary to actually have a reason for the fight between the giants. They were having an honorable contest between warriors. That was enough. Later when Sandersonia's scars were about to be revealed after a battle, Luffy covered them up. He had no interest in killing them or exposing their secrets. That is not what the battle was for. The contest was simply one that he wanted to win so he'd eventually get back to his crew.

22. Luffy Decides To Save His Brother Before Reuniting With His Crew

When Luffy learns that Ace is to be put to death, he must make a choice: Get the gang back together or dive into the depths of Impel Down and try to rescue his brother. He ends up choosing the latter, which shows a great deal of trust and respect for his crewmates. He knows they're strong enough to be OK without him for now.

23. Luffy Embraces Mr. 2

This is just plain wholesome. Luffy's love for his friends is might be the best thing about him.

24.Luffy Falls From The Sky

Luffy's story isn't just about his quest to find the One Piece, but the formation of a legend. And when Luffy and the other Impel Down escapees plummet from the sky into the Marineford war, you can practically see that legend being written.

25. Luffy Faces The Admirals

Yes, Luffy's attempts to kick a frozen log at them goes nowhere. And yes, Luffy is almost immediately knocked down by Kizaru when he tries to rush past him. But the guts in that kid! Facing down three of the most powerful men in the One Piece universe and demanding they give Ace back to him. That is moxie, my dudes.

26. Luffy Goes Comatose

Ace is dead. The mission has failed. A brother is lost. And all Luffy can do is go numb and lifeless. He has no words or actions to explain or react. A chunk of his soul has been ripped away.

27. Luffy Realizes He Still Has His Friends

Yes, his attempt to save Ace was a bust. But in the most hopeless of times, Jimbei asks him what he still has. And Luffy remembers he still has his friends — friends he has been there for in the past and who will most certainly be there for him later. They are still there. And because they are still there, Luffy's existence has worth.

28. Luffy Gets An Upgrade

Reuniting with his crew in Sabaody, it doesn't take too long for Luffy to find a way to show off the results of two years of training. He's been doing some grinding, so his skill tree has some new branches. He's unlocked some new abilities, and he's reached his evolved form. When a Pacifista comes at the Monster Trio (Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji,) they beat the bear out of it.

29. Luffy Decides To Make Fish-Man Island His Territory

For the most part, Luffy doesn't really care about the dominance sought by other powerful characters. But after he's gotten to know the citizens of Fish-Man Island and he sees the terror caused by Big Mom, he tells her straight-up he's gonna defeat her and take Fish-Man Island under his protection. It's the closest that Luffy has ever gotten to being a character in Goodfellas.

30. Luffy Allies With Law

And then, shortly after talking trash to Big Mom, Luffy teams up with Trafalgar Law in a plot to overthrow Kaido, another Emperor of the Sea. It's a real leap forward for Luffy. One day, you're just a kid from East Blue punching everyone that seems mean. The next, you're taking an active role in changing the power structure of the entire world. That's just how it is sometimes, though. As Logic once said, "Who can relate?"

31. Luffy Has Been "Picking Fights All Along"

Luffy knows he doesn't just tumble from one situation to another. He isn't just a poor guy caught up in the gambits of powerful evil forces. No, Luffy has definitely chosen to live a life where he will interfere with your best-laid plans if he feels inclined to. And if that includes a lot of fighting, well, so be it.

32. Luffy Reunites With Sabo

It's been pretty much non-stop action since the beginning of the Post Time Skip era, and that hasn't really allowed for a ton of emotional moments for Luffy. But when he reunites with Sabo in the coliseum and his scream comes out as a mix of happiness, confusion, and surprise, he finally gets one. Cry it out, buddy. We love ya.

33. Luffy And His Allies Head For Doflamingo

From orchestrating a breakout in Impel Down to creating a charge toward Doflamingo with all the allies he met in the tournament to win the Flame-Flame Fruit, Luffy has slowly gone from being the captain of a small crew on a ship with an animal head on the front to being the full-on leader of a Pirate Alliance. Luffy 2020 is what I say.

34. Luffy Goes Fourth Gear

Years after the reveal of Second and Third Gear, we get Fourth Gear, a power-up that even more freakishly transforms Luffy's body. It's not graceful, nor is it particularly beautiful to behold, but it gets the job done.

35. Luffy Beats Doflamingo

Doflamingo — a man that's been a thorn in the side of nearly everyone in the world for about 15 years of anime history — finally gets taken down. And still, it's only a stepping stone to Wano. Somehow, Eiichiro Oda creates these moments that seem like the biggest events in history, and yet, they're only just the beginning.

36. Luffy Refuses To Fight Sanji

Luffy knows Sanji is conflicted and not really a bad guy. And he's also aware of the fact that he'll be creating an even bigger issue if he fights back against his chef. So he just takes the kicks, hoping Sanji sees there's another way out of this. Sadly, it'll be a few episodes before he realizes that.

37. Luffy Waits For Sanji — And Then Punches — Sanji

Sanji finding Luffy because his captain's stomach is grumbling super loud is so cartoonish and lovely — because what is Sanji's role if not to feed his captain? Of course, Luffy enjoys Sanji's rain-soaked cookin' and then he punches Sanji for still being a twerp that won't admit what he really feels.

38. Luffy Clashes With Big Mom

Luffy stood beside Whitebeard, but this is his first real showdown with a Yonko. And it doesn't go very well. Big Mom is easily able to block him, which shows that, while Luffy has come a long way, he's still got a bit farther to go.

39. Luffy Places The Hat On Katakuri

Much like the previous covering of Sandersonia's shame, Luffy covers Katakuri's mouth with his hat after their duel. The two combatants fought and earned each other's respect. And so Luffy leaves Katakuri with his pride.

40. Luffy Knows He's Arrived In Wano Due To The Swords

That giant baboon is using a sword? Obviously this must be Wano, the land of samurai. That's Luffy logic at its most pure.

41. Luffy Promises Tama She Will Not Be Hungry Again

For the most part, heading to Wano seemed like a pretty impersonal act. The only reason he thought about going there in the first place was because Law seemed pretty confident it was a solid idea. But then he meets Tama and learns that she — along with most of the country — is starving. So his journey to take down Kaido gets some personal stakes. He's now shouldering the hopes of an entire group of people.

42. Luffy Is Beaten By Kaido

OK, so Round 1 didn't go so well. Luffy pummeled Kaido with everything he had and Kaido one-shotted him with a melee weapon attack. Luffy has to rethink his strategy and expand his move-set and maybe, with some luck, Round 2 will be a tad more even. I can't wait to see what Luffy moments we have in store when One Piece returns!

What is your favorite Luffy moment? Do any on this list stand out to you? Let me know in the comments!

Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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spongeguyandlelouchvibridankia · 4 years

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SpongeGuy Reviews Every Disney Cartoon Ever!: Brandy and Mr. Whiskers (1.1A and 1.1B): “Mr. Whisker’s First Friend” and “The Babysitter’s Flub”

What if an old style Looney Tune and a Disney show from the 90′s AND a cartoon Network show from the 90′s had a baby, but god said “I’MMR.WHISKERSLETMEBEYOURFRIENDDOI!”

Brandy and Mr. Whiskers is white noise put on speed in the sad hope to entertain me. Set in the Amazon Jungle, the show is about a literal rich bitch teen dog voiced by Penny from The Big Bang Theory and her “friend”, a hyperactive, annoying, disgusting, ear grating “rabbit” named Mr. Whiskers, or as I like to call him, “Soon to be dead”.

Look, this was not great, so let’s get this over with.

SUMMERIES: Goofy-bunny Mr. Whiskers meets prissy-pooch Brandy Harrington within a cargo hold of a plane. When Whiskers mistakenly opens the hatch door, the pair is dropped into the Amazon Rainforest with no way home. Desperate and angry, Brandy makes a deal with the dictator lizard Gaspar: a way back to civilization in exchange for Mr. Whiskers as his dinner. In the end, she loses her way home, but truly gains a friendship with Lola Boa and Mr. Whiskers.

Brandy volunteers to watch a crocodile’s eggs for the day, but when Lola Boa and the Toucan Twins invite her to hang out, she leaves Whiskers in charge. It goes as well as expected with Whiskers losing the eggs and mixing them up with those of other animals. Now he and Brandy must retrieve the correct babies to avid Mama Croc swallowing them whole.

COMEDY: 1 Out of 5 (”Mr. Whisker’s New Friend” and “The Babysitter’s Flub”)

I’d almost consider a 0, in fact, it’s so very close to a 0 it’s amazing I didn’t give it 0. Everything about this was annoying, noisy, and pointless. The humor is fast, and there are many jokes, but this isn’t a case of “They miss sometimes but hit a lot”. This is a case of throwing everything you have and seeing what sticks. It feels like a Looney Tune on steroids, but like the steroids aren’t even enhancing performance, just hindering. It’s hard to explain why something isn’t funny sometimes, but I think a big key to it is that the “jokes” that are attempted (when not odd live action cutaways that weren’t too bad tbh, but still weren’t really good) were jokes about how annoying one character is. Seriously, most of the jokes are about what an annoying, moronic waste of space Mr. Whiskers is.

And speaking of Mr. Whiskers...

CHARACTERS: 0 Out of 5 and 1 Out of 5 (”Mr. Whisker’s New Friend” and “The Babysitter’s Flub”)

In the two episodes I watched, we are introduced to a few characters besides our main ones. We have a snake who... Is basically the best friend, we have two toucans who just fight with each other all the time, an otter voiced by Tom Kenny who is arguably the only likable one and a bad guy with ZERO threat. All of them are cardboard thin, with maybe one personality trait.

And we haven’t even talked about our main characters.

I like the rich diva fashionista character, especially as a big sister. There is a reason why Emma from Bunk’d even got the ranking she has on the Live Action character list. And normally, I find them entertaining no matter what.

But I don’t find Brandy entertaining. And it’s not, believe it or not, because she is a jerk.

Something about her is just so boring, like there are no twists or turns. She has whatever trait the writers want for the plot to work, and she is just sort of there, getting only a whiney personality and not really any quality zingers.

But I’m being harsh on her. I know why I don’t like her, and it’s because the people who made this show expect me to like, and believe that this character is friends, for real, with MR. WHISKERS.

MR. WHISKERS.

Who is now my least favorite animated Disney character, even more than a freakin husband abuser Trudy Proud.

Look, I like Charlie Adler, and I know he’s doing his Cow voice, and I know it’s supposed to be annoying.

But it still sucks. Whiskers sucks. He can barely function, thinks about himself at all times, seemingly only wants a friend because he’s lonely, fucks everything up, has no brain, no redeeming qualities (outside of taking care of babies, but that’s the minimum requiered of a person) and yet I’m supposed to like him, he’s the big draw, the fan favorite, the character we’re supposed to adore.

...I wish the gecko ate him.

STORY AND HEART: 0 Out of 5 and 1 Out of 5 (”Mr. Whisker’s New Friend” and “The Babysitter’s Flub”)

The story of the show is that Brandy and Mr. Whiskers wind up lost and stuck in the amazon jungle thanks to Mr. Whiskers being an idiot. They then continue being stuck there thanks to Mr. Whiskers being an idiot and Brandy being willing to let him be EATEN for a map. We have 11 minutes of one character being a jerk and another being an idiot with ZERO redeemable value, and a poor attempt at selling me that Brandy actually cares about him. For what reason?

The next 11 minutes are so cliche, you’d think we’d be done with this by now. Brandy has to look after some eggs, shirks her responsibility, Mr. Whiskers does fine until he doesn’t, all is well.

Nothing of remote interest happens. The worst part is that the show doesn’t choose what it wants to be. Is it just a comedy? No way, because we’re supposed to feel bad when Mr. Whiskers is going to be eaten and Brandy chooses to be friends with him. But guess what? It’s not trying to be heartwarming, just stupid.

Look, it’s easy to get this: This show is dumb. With a capital D. It’s trying to be SUPER RANDOM and it’s failing. It’s like watching a really bad Disney Channel Sitcom try to be a looney tune. It’s dumb, it’s boring, it’s repetative, and i’d rather watch nearly anything else.

Avoid this one, folks.

FINAL SCORES: 1 Out of 5 and 3 Out of 5 (”Mr. Whisker’s First Friend” and “The Babysitter’s Flub”)

The fact that the second episode got a 3 insults me, but here we are. Absolute trash.I hope this is the worst it gets.

(Pickle and Peanut theme plays)

...Please. Please be the worst.

Next time we’re doing Big Hero 6 the series, which is... 45 Minutes for it’s pilot. Hoo boi, this will be long.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/194d3gsPrhlOsFPYsXU-lJirY4sWncrBl/edit

#Disney channel #disney cartoons #brandy and mr whiskers #spongeguy #every Disney Animated Show Reviewed

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pandawritespoorly · 5 years

Text

With Time: Chapter 15 - Bullying

Author’s Note: Saturday, yay! I love updating. You guys were so sweet in the comments last chapter, thank you so much! I really love seeing what you guys have to say.

A slightly shorter chapter today, but that doesn't mean it's safe from a strong language warning! This chapter contains the words 'bitch' (twice), 'shit', 'asshole', 'bullshit', and 'shitty'. Enjoy!

Chapter Summary: Adrien goes to school, and Chloe doesn't hesitate to tell people the cold hard truth.

First | Previous | Next

Adrien really dreads going to school everyday. To think that just over a year ago it was his biggest wish. It’s not that school is never fun, but with Lila there it’s exhausting. Especially without Marinette.

He misses seeing her everyday.

He arrives before Lila as usual, so there’s that. Alya is sitting in her seat behind him, looking downtrodden. That’s odd. He’s fairly certain it’s her birthday today.

“Hey, Alya.” He greets her as usual, half-heartedly.

“Hey.” As usual, she doesn’t notice there’s nothing behind his greeting, but today it seems like she isn’t noticing much of anything.

“Happy birthday?”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks.”

Nino walks in mopey, “Hey.”

Was everyone upset today? Was there some news he missed? Maybe Lila had finally left.

Speak of the devil and she shall appear, Lila walks in, “Hi guys! Happy birthday Alya!”

Well, he could always dream.

Lila manages to get a half-hearted smile out of the journalist, “Hi Lila.”

Lila sits next to Adrien, as is the usual ever since his princess left, “Oh, Alya, is everything alright? You look so sad!”

Alya thinks for a moment then, “Lila, did I do something to upset Ladybug? I think she’s mad at me. What did I do?”

Lila hesitates for a moment, then pulls on a doleful mask, “I don’t know if I should tell you. I’d hate to upset, especially on your birthday…”

Alya and Nino fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. They turn to her and Alya speaks, ”No, no! Tell me! It’s not your fault anyways.”

Crocodile tears come to her eyes, “Oh but it is! I should have done something! I just thought Ladybug knew better…”

Adrien mentally prepares himself for one of those days. It would seem his closest friends - Marinette and Ladybug - were Lila’s favorite targets. Either to hurt or get attention. Ladybug seems to be on Lila’s bad side now.

He hates listening to this nonsense in silence, but there’s little he can do. If he makes any sort of scene at school, Father would pull him out immediately and give him even less freedom than before. He would take it as proof that Adrien had been wrong and the boy would be trapped in his awful room for forever again.

He tries to shut his mind down at school now. Numbness makes it go by faster, and no one has commented on his quietness.

“What? What happened?!”

“It’s… Ladybug and I aren’t friends anymore. She’s been talking with her and now she hates me!” The liar covers her face.

“Who! Who has she been talking to?!”

Oh no. Adrien pretty sure he knows who Lila is pinning this on. Please be wrong. Please don’t be-

“Marinette.”

Alya’s sadness turns to burning fury, “That bitch! She’s not even here anymore and she’s still ruining everything! I can’t believe she was ever my friend. It disgusts me!”

Nino shakes his head, “Yeah, she really took a turn last year. Kinda’ a shame, she used to be so nice…”

“It’s just, she’s been talking to Ladybug, and she’s convinced her that I’m horrible. She must have talked bad about you guys too! Oh, I should have done something!”

“It’s not your fault. Just tell us what happened.” Alya rests a hand comfortingly on Lila’s shoulder.

“Well, a while ago, Ladybug mentioned she made a new friend - I was so happy for her! But then, Ladybug started being more toxic and she started being mean to me. I found out she had been hanging out with Marinette. They’ve both been bullying me for a while now… Ladybug helped Marinette hurt me that day…”

Oh no. Marinette isn’t even here anymore and Lila still pins everything on her. What is even the point?!

“Ugh! I hate that girl! She ruins everything good! I guess it really was fitting to call her our ‘everyday Ladybug’!” Alya stews for a moment, then pulls out her phone, “You know what? Ladybug clearly sucks. Paris needs to know.”

Lila looks surprised. Adrien sees the moment when she realizes that such a statement could put her web of falsehoods on the line, “No, no! Please, I’m not comfortable telling all of Paris about my failure to help Ladybug!”

Alya softens, “Lila you didn’t fail, but I guess I won’t post something if it makes you uncomfortable. If that’s too much then maybe I’ll just delete the Ladyblog instead. It’s supposed to be a place for Ladybug fans, but no one should give a shit about that kind of person and the self-absorbed asshole that goes by ‘Marinette’.”

“Woah, Alya, are you actually deleting your blog?” Adrien did not see this coming. The anger he feels at everything she just said slips into his voice despite his efforts to keep it level.

Alya looks at him sympathetically, “Oh my precious sunshine boy. I know you were a huge a Ladybug fan. It must be such a shock. I know it is to me. I am deleting my blog. Ladybug deserves worse for the kind of stunt she’s pulled. Lila is such a sweetheart, and to think Ladybug left her for Marinette of all people.”

Adrien can feel Plagg shifting angrily in his pocket and it takes every ounce of self-control he has to just turn away and focus on the front of the classroom. He thought school was a nightmare before, he’d forgotten he’s bad luck - it can always get worse.

Marinette’s lucky charm hasn’t done him much good recently.

Maybe she was the good luck charm in his life.

---

It’s lunch period and by some miracle no one’s been akumatized yet. Alya’s phone dings and he sees her look at the notification in shock. She opens her phone and starts texting quickly and furiously, mumbling to herself.

He sighs, at least she found a way to distract herself from hating his favorite people.

“Come on Adrikins, let’s have lunch somewhere that people aren’t ridiculous!” Chloe hooks an arm through his, dragging him away. Sabrina walks beside them as well. They’re out of the school and on the street. They’ve been waiting for a minute or so for Chloe’s driver to arrive.

Adrien’s phone dings, it’s Claude.

Kid Mime: i know you know alya. If you’re near her you need to get her to stop texting mari. now.

Adrien’s heart drops. When Alya starting text a few minutes ago, had she really…? He didn’t stop to wonder how, he just turns and rushes back into the school. Chloe looks up in surprise and she and Sabrina follow in confusion.

He hurries into the cafeteria and sure enough, Alya is still furiously typing away at her phone.

He puts a hand on the table harshly, drawing her attention, “Alya, you need to stop.”

“Stop?! Do even know what I’m doing?! That bitch had the nerve to text me! I’m just giving her a piece of my mind!” “Adrien, are you really on Marinette’s side?” Lila makes her voice sound full of hurt shock.

“Bro…”

Adrien pauses. He wants to tear into them so bad. Marinette deserves better and so does Ladybug. Neither girl deserves all this hate, but he can’t cause a scene. Father would pull him out and he’d be isolated again.

Alone.

Unable to see either of them.

Chloe shoves past him, “Really Césaire? Cyber-bullying? Leave Dupain-Cheng alone and listen to more of Lie-la’s nonsense.”

“Excuse me? I’m not bullying anyone! Marinette is the bully here! Her and Ladybug! I finally understand why she chose you - birds of a feather flock together!”

Chloe glares down at her, “Are you blind or just plain stupid? Dupain-Cheng hasn’t texted you back at all from the looks of it. Are you even reading what you’re sending? That’s bullying Césaire.”

“Oh, you would know.”

“I would.” Chloe’s voice is hard, “But at least I know my faults. You’re just some self-absorbed wanna-be journalist who can’t see what’s right in front of her.” “Leave her alone Chloe.” Nino glares at the blonde.

“Shut it Lahiffe. You had a crush on Dupain-Cheng and knew her as long as I did. You should know better than to believe this faker’s bullshit. I do find it interesting that you finally grew a spine and decided you should speak up to me. Where was that back-bone all those years I went after Marinette?”

Nino just looks at her. Lila speaks up, “Oh Chloe, there’s no need to take your anger out on us. Just because Ladybug hasn’t called on Queen Bee for so long…”

“And she won’t be again. She told me so last night. I get it, it’s her decision and I’m just glad she ever considered me. That’s not what this is about.”

Alya slams her phone down on the table, standing to get in Chloe’s face, “Listen up Chloe, you don’t get to pretend you’re better than us-”

“I don’t have to pretend. It’s just the facts.” She flips her ponytail airily.

“Just because your dad’s the mayor doesn’t mean anything. I worked for what I got.”

“And then you threw it all away for some fake stories. Some journalist.”

“Lila would never lie to us!”

“And Dupain-Cheng would?”

“Yes! She’s a bully!”

“Since when have you been so protective of Marinette, Chloe?” Lila adds in.

“Because she’s a better person than everyone here. Haven’t you noticed how much her absence has messed the class up? Sheesh!”

“She’s one of the worst people alive! Her absence has only made things better!” Alya is shaking in fury.

Chloe wrinkles her nose, “Let me know when you wake-up and look around yourself. Adrikins, Sabrina and I have places to be.” The trio walks out. As soon as they’re out of earshot, Chloe turns to her friend, “Did you get it Sabrina?”

“Yup!” She holds up her own phone triumphantly.

“Get what?” Adrien didn’t see what Sabrina had been up to during the yelling match.

“I took screenshots of what she sent to Marinette. I sent them to myself then I deleted the pictures so Alya wouldn’t know. I also deleted Marinette’s contact from her phone.

Chloe nods approvingly, “Good thinking. Now she can’t text her, because I doubt she put in the effort to remember her number.”

“Why’d you take screenshots?” He doesn’t understand the point of documenting whatever horrible stuff Alya said to Marinette.

“To report her for bullying, duh! Of course nothing will probably happen until Lila’s gone, seeing as even the school’s administration has their heads in the ground!”

Sabrina nods seriously, “That’s true.” Adrien isn’t experienced in how schools are supposed to work, “Is the school really so bad?”

“Adrikins, why do you think I go here? This place’ll let anyone get away with anything. It’s ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!” She thinks, “Maybe when I finally go to another school I should have Daddy do something about that.”

Adrien looks at her in surprise, “You’re transferring too?!”

“Not until the end of the year, obviously. Sabrina and I are out of here, this much of a stressful environment is bad for my hair.” At his look she says, “Oh don’t worry, we’ll get you out too. It won’t be too hard to convince your shitty father that a school with a more prestigious reputation would be better for his legacy. Maybe you can join your precious Marinette.”

He flushes slightly at that, then frowns thinking of the texts she must have seen. He really hopes she’s okay.

Chloe’s driver pulls up, and they all pile in. He sends Mari a quick text before turning back to those in the car with him. There’s nothing he can really do now

He trusts her new friends will take care of her, at least until he can be there too.

---

Author’s Note: Don't worry, we're seeing Mari's perspective next week. By 'next week' I actually mean Thursday! I try to post bonus chapters for holidays, and Thanksgiving is already here!

I have the google doc that I write this on shared with one of my friends. We were sitting nearby when she opened it up to read this chapter. She read the title and strong language warnings and turned to me in a panic asking what I did to Marinette this time. I just smiled.

I usually try to prepare chapters to be posted the night before I post them, to make it quicker in the morning. If this one is a little late, it's probably because I slept in. I'm sick and it's finally the weekend, so apologies if that does happen. I doubt I'll sleep past my usual post time, but we'll see. On a similar note, I feel like I've forgotten something I typically put in the notes, but I'm not sure what. If you notice something, please let me know. It could be nothing, I've been feeling like that all day. I blame my cold.

Thanks for reading, and constructive criticism is welcomed in the comments below! Feel free to just tell me your thoughts too!

Actually, I really need to change my tumblr sign off - all I do is delete the link to my tumblr. Constructive criticism, thoughts, comments, or anything really are welcomed in my ask box or through reblogs. I’ll have to come up with a better way to phrase that.

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#miraculous ladybug #Transfer #with time #fanfic #chameleon salt #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #chloe bourgeois #Chloe redemption #lila rossi #alya cesaire #Nino lahiffe #Claude #(really only a quick mention)#bullying #sabrina raincomprix #strong language

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silver-imagines · 5 years

Text

Bad Liar II

Part I

Oh, hush, my dear, it's been a difficult year

And terrors don't prey on Innocent victims Trust me, darling, trust me darling It's been a loveless year I'm a man of three fears Integrity, faith and Crocodile tears Trust me, darling, trust me, darling

- Bad Liar (Imagine Dragons)

Warnings: FFH spoilers, some swearing, a scene that might be considered dark ?

Word count: 3.6K+

Summary: Aiming to live up to her sister’s legacy, a whole lot of trouble is in heading for (Y/n), trouble in the form of a Blue eyed devil.

Hi guys! Part two is here, thank you for the love on the first part, especially to those who gave me the nice messages to keep continuing, I have not really proof read this but hope you guys all enjoy, story gets real after this part !

“Sir, I don’t mean to disrespect you, but you gave Peter Tony’s glasses?” She asked in disbelief, wondering why on Earth he would give the most advanced weaponised system over to a 16-year-old kid.

“Romanoff, as you can see, Stark left it behind for Parker, and who are we to stand in front of a wise man’s Will?’ Fury replied, brushing her off. ‘But Sir, he’s still a kid-“

“That’s enough agent, if I needed your opinion, I’d ask, so I suggest you return to your job and do it well, something your sister excelled at without questioning my orders.” He remarked, not exactly in the mood to deal with one of his agents questioning his decisions. Straightening her back, she swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat, Fury had no right to attack her like this, not after everything she had given up for him and SHIELD.

______

Groaning in anger, he threw his helmet on to the floor, running a hand through his hair out of frustration as he sat down onto the chair. (Y/n) noticed the loud bang of the helmet hitting the floor, her gaze following it up to its owner, finding him slouched on the chair.

“Is everything alright?” She asked, it was around 3 o’clock, SHIELD had booked out the entire floor of the hotel in Venice and currently, her and Beck were the only ones awake.

“I won’t be able to, I can’t do it alone” He signed, throwing his head back as he ran a hand through his hair again. “Have some faith in yourself Beck” (Y/N) chuckled, sitting on the desk next to his chair, giving him a soft pat on his shoulder.

“I already failed my people, my family, I shouldn’t even be alive honestly” He continued, looking up at her, his blue eyes becoming a little glossy. Her heart sank for him, losing his family, his friends, his entire world. No one deserved that, why did the best ones have the worst fate she bitterly thought.

“It’ll be alright Beck” she softly said, ‘This life isn’t easy, pain, loss, betrayal, they don’t come in the job description but they sure as hell come along with it.” She chuckled bitterly.

“I guess it’s up to us to make the hard choices.” He sighed, reaching forward to grab her hand, causing her to flinch backwards. “I’m so sorry, it’s just a habit.” He spoke, voice slightly breaking as he pulled his hand back, noticing her tensing up.

“You said I reminded you of someone, back on your Earth, who was it?” She asked, she had been playing with the thought of confronting him with this, especially after what happened earlier today.

She was busy, making arrangements for their departure to Prague for tomorrow night, handling the logistics and arranging the transport of the required equipment. He finally had her alone as she sat in front of the computer screen, furiously typing away as he approached her.

“Honey you need a break.” He softly whispered, making sure everyone else on the other side of the room couldn’t hear him. “Uh Beck, are you talking to me?” she asked, turning her head around to see him leaning against the desk.

“Yes Darling.” He gave her a soft smile, his eyes twinkling as he leaned forward and kissed her head.

“It’s going to sound crazy but hear me out, all the different Earths, it’s the same people, same, just different fates.” He began, placing his hands on the desk in front of him. “Well, on my Earth, 616, well, I knew you, well, her name was (Y/n) (L/n) not (Y/n) Romanoff, so I guess maybe there are some differences.” He continued, his eyes scanning her emotionless face as she nodded along.

“Romanoff isn’t my real last name.” She softly said, letting her hair cover her face as she hung her head low, she still grieved her sister, she had done so, so much for her. For some reason, she felt safe and warm around the blue-eyed hero, maybe it was his soft voice, or his sparkling eyes or the way he showed concern for her, and maybe one day she would be able to share her grief with him.

“What do you mean, an alias?” He questioned, finally, he had already tried to find anything he could about her but seemed like SHIELD kept her off the radar for everything, the only ever mention of her was buried in the fine prints of the Sokovia Accords, a brief mention, of (Y/n) Romanoff. “That’s not important, but continue” She gave him a weak smile, not particularly keen on getting into her past.

“Well, I knew your multiverse counterpart, she was, she was a special person to me” He trailed off, playing with the wedding band on his finger, drawing her eyes to it again.

“Wait, was I married to you?” (Y/n) asked in surprise, special, ‘honey’, the kisses, the constant looks, the wedding band, they all pointed to one thing, either that or her brain was failing her. He reached over for her hand again, and this time, she let him, the warmth of his hand grabbing hers spread throughout her body, sending chills down her spine. His fingertips dug into her wrist, sure to leave marks on her wrist.

“We were so happy.” He whispered, head hanging low, ‘we were so happy, so, so happy” He continued, gripping her hand tightly. “I’m so sorry Quentin” She softly spoke, placing her other hand on top of his one, addressing him by his first name for the first time. The way his name rolled off of her tongue, it made his heart strings tug.

“You died in my arms…. I couldn’t save you, I failed you…... and our child’ He looked up at her, tears threatening to fall out of his eyes.

“I’m so sorry Quentin, you didn’t deserve to lose her.” (Y/n) softly squeezed his hand, trying to give him some reassurance. She didn’t know what else to say, there was some version of her, some version that was free to love and did, and it was obvious she got that even more love in return, but the (Y/N) of this Earth wasn’t so fortunate.

“I won’t lose you again, I won’t let it kill you this time.” He spoke, his voice lowering, becoming more growl like, his grip on her hand tightening as he looked up at her, reaching forward and cupping her cheek, grazing the small scar on the left cheek with his thumb.

“I’m not losing you again (Y/n), no matter what.” He vowed, looking into her (e/c) eyes, observing her solemn expression as she gripped his hand tighter, giving him comfort. On the surface, it was all just an act but deep down, maybe the cause of his increased heart beat wasn’t the fear of getting caught, but rather the warmth of the cold handed girl.

_______

She was running, running so fast her legs ached, but she kept running, she had no choice. Her lungs were begging for oxygen, not being able to keep up with her fast pace. Her legs hurt, so much, the burning on her skin getting hotter, her knees buckled, and she fell.

Hitting the cold hard floor, the pain vibrated through her knees, it hurt, so, so much.

“Please, make it stop, please.” She begged, her back giving out, no longer holding her up straight as she collapsed on the floor, the coolness of the hard floor soothing her burning skin.

“Shhhh little one, won’t be much longer, just submit” The all too familiar voice boomed in her ears, she gasped for breath, it was as if the room was shut off from the world, no oxygen for her to breathe, no air left to keep her alive. “It should... h-have been me.” She barely choked out, her raw throat begging for water, any sort of salvation. The black cloaked figure stood in the corner, the rest of the room turning into the colours of Vormir.

“Hey Kiddo.” An all too familiar voice called out, causing her head to turn upwards, her eyes landing on the black and blonde hair of her sister.

Nat?

“N-natasha, yo-you’r-re al-ive’ She barely choked out, the fire in her throat getting worse as her gums ached, her tongue feeling too heavy. She crouched down beside her, softly caressing her hair, her cool skin giving the (h/c) girl comfort as she leaned into her sister’s touch as her heavy eyelids shut.

“Shhhh, it’ll be ok, I’m here now, I’ve got you” Natasha cooed, putting her hand behind her neck and helping her sister up sit up, wiping the dirt and sweat off of her forehead with the other. “I’m so sorry, I’m s-so s-orr-y.” (Y/n) cried, holding Natasha’s hand, tears dropping down her cheeks, ‘I’m so sorry I failed you” She cried, the burning in her throat was back, her lips quivering as her body shook. The pain was getting worse, as if it was something trying to burn her heart from the inside.

“You did, you were always a failure and will be.” Her sister hissed, her facial features turning bitter as she yanked her hair backwards, causing her to look upwards as she let out a scream.

“You’ll never be nothing more than a failure, nothing.” She bitterly hissed, pushing her forward onto the harsh ground, causing her to hit her forehead on the rocks, cracking her head open. The all too familiar music began playing on a piano, the music that had never stopped haunting her. The room felt smaller, her weak and quivering body lying in the middle, darkness taking over the room as the lights went out.

“You’re nothing, you failed us all.” The booming voice came back, the pain in her chest getting worse as she let out more whimpers.

“You let me die.” Came Natasha’s voice, echoing in the room that seemed to be getting smaller every moment. The walls got closer, the room felt hotter, ‘No, no, please-“She cried, not being able to keep herself composed but by this point, her eyes were running out of tears.

“(Y/n), (y/n)! Wake up, snap out of it!” Another voice called out, waking her up. Opening her eyes, she realised the beads of sweat and tears running down her face as she looked around, meeting a pair of familiar blue eyes, he had shaken her shoulders, causing her to snap out of her bad dream as she sat up, her (e/c) rapidly moving around, trying to distinguish the difference between dreams and reality.

He had heard her screams from his own room through the thin walls and having pushed her door open, he entered her room, finding her sprawled all over the bed, constantly tossing and turning. Messy hair, puffy cheeks, forehead covered in sweat, the constant whimpers falling off of her lips, he had to wake her up.

“(Y/n), are you alright?” He asked, using his hand to move the hair that was sticking to her skin away from her cheek, helping her sit up as he sat in front of her. “I-I-uh, I” She was still so rattled, it felt so real, so, so real.

His blue eyes scanned her, keeping her under their intense gaze as he studied her, small scars decorating her neck and shoulders, visible due to her tank top, her skin covered in a small layer of sweat, hair either sticking to her skin or shooting up in all directions, drops of blood seeping out of her bottom lip due to a very obvious cut.

What he did next surprised them both, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her shoulder, he pulled her close, pulling her head against his shoulder as he hugged her close, caressing her hair.

“Shhhhh, it’ll be ok, it was just a bad dream.” He cooed, caressing her hair as she stayed limp in his arms, still shell shocked, not responding to anything around her. “I ki-kiled her.” She softly said, her voice barely a whisper, her eyes getting wider by the second, tears rolling out.

“Shhh, (Y/n) it’s ok, it’s over, you’re safe’ He whispered in her ear, giving her a kiss on the head as he held her slightly quivering body in his arms. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing, trying to drown out the voices from her conscious, inhaling and exhaling deeply, her body leaning into his touch as his warm body radiated heat, giving her comfort.

“Just breathe, it’ll be ok honey” He whispered against her hair, keeping his hand on her cheek as he caressed it with his thumb. Opening her eyes, she looked up at him, his blue eyes digging into her (e/c) orbs.Suddenly coming to her senses and realising the situation, she tensed up, putting her hands on his arm, she pushed him away, feeling ashamed of herself for being so pathetic and weak, especially in front of him.

“I, uh, please get away from me.” She softly spoke, pushing him off of her, causing a confused expression to wash over his facial features. “Are you alright Romanoff?” He asked, addressing her with her last name, causing another tug at her heart, Romanoff.

“Please just leave me alone.” She whispered again, pushing him off of herself completely as she moved slightly away from him, his eyes softened as he reached forward to reach for her again, but she moved further away, her back hitting the headboard.

“(Y/n)…” He trailed off in a soft voice, but she cut him off before he could do anything.

“I don’t need your help Beck, you don’t need to care for me, I’m not her so spare me the pity.” She spoke, voice dripping with venom, turning her eyes away from his gaze, not wanting to be further embarrassed in front of him.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” He asked again, swallowing his pride but she cut him off, raising her hand, ‘Beck cut it out, she’s gone, I’m not her so just leave me the fuck alone please” She growled, wanting nothing more than to be left alone to deal with her own misery. Nodding at her words, Quentin gave her a soft look, as if tears were brimming his eyes, before getting up off of her bed and leaving her alone, letting the door close with a soft thud behind him.

She sighed as she lied down and brought her knees up to her chest, resting her head against her knees, her head throbbing as she curled up under the covers, wishing to forget everything.

_________

Grunting as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead, the (h/c) girl sighed, feeling her lower muscles ache in agony as she sat down on the small bench in the park, catching her breath. They had arrived in Prague this morning, the Fire Elemental wasn’t predicted to strike until tonight at 7 o’clock and for now, she was off official duties.

Leaning back against the backrest, she closed her eyes, the rising sun’s warmth engulfing her skin in a warm hug, the sound of birds chirping in the park ringing in her ears as events of last night still haunted her.

(Y/n) was beyond angry, not at Quentin, but at herself. How could she have been so pathetic in front of someone, especially him. He had lost his entire world and yet he was here, not breaking down like some pathetic idiot whereas she on the other hand couldn’t handle a simple nightmare. She was just so, so angry at herself and to make matters worse, she had essentially rubbed a man’s dead wife in his face, he probably hated her at this point, damaging whatever barely-there relationship they had.

Running a hand through her hair, she looked up at the sky, deciding it was too bright, she settled on the on the lake in front of her, the water sparkling lightly but her eyes fell on a familiar figure situated at the end of the small pier that lead into the middle of the lake.

Feeling a pit form in her stomach, she swallowed the lump in her throat, recognising who it was, she had to apologise to him, she had crossed all sorts of lines two nights ago, and it was pretty obvious from the fact he had been avoiding her as if she was the black plague.

She got off the bench, her legs no longer aching from her vigorous 10km run but rather feeling weak, guilt was always hard to carry. Slowly making her way to the end of the pier where Quentin was seated, she sat down next to him, causing his head to turn.

“What are you doing here Romanoff?” He asked, looking back out into the lake, not making eye contact with the (h/c) girl.

“I uh I, Bec- Quentin, I crossed the line that night, I uh, you were only trying to h-help me.” She half mumble stuttered, she wasn’t exactly experienced in apologising to people or even having any type of friendship or relationship with anyone, let alone with someone whose dead wife she resembled.

“I heard your screams, you sound just like her, I couldn’t stand to see you in that situation.” He explained, looking up at her, the rising run reflecting in his eyes, making them twinkle as he gazed into her (e/c) eyes.

“It felt like I was losing her all over again, she was my everything Romanoff, my absolute everything.” He continued, shifting a little so his body was turned towards her frame as he inched closer.

“I uh, I appreciate the help you gave Quentin, you didn’t have to do it but-“She began again, but he cut her off, chuckling. “Are you trying to apologise Romanoff? You kinda suck at it” He laughed, nudging her shoulder with his as she diverted her gaze.

“I’m not really good at such stuff, I was always taught, treat others like objects, you don’t want to get attached to others, keep distance or it won’t end well….” She trailed off, feeling a pit form in her stomach as she struggled to find more words. Quentin watched her with an amused smirk, he had her withering.

“Hey hey hey, it’s ok.” He mumbled, placing one hand on left cheek, tilting her face up so she would look up at him, and that’s when he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the tiredness in her eyes, the slight swelling of her eyes and cheeks.

“I’m so sorry Quentin, I’m so, so sorry, sorry won’t even make up for what I did, if there’s anything that’ll make you forgive me, I’m read-“ Before she could finish, he did the unexpected. Pulling her face closer to his, he brought her closer to him, noses touching, his warm breath hitting her face as he closed his eyes, whispering ‘shhhh’ to her. “It’s alright my love, shhhhhh, it’s ok.” He whispered ever so softy, his thumb caressing her cheek she stared at him with wide eyes as she tensed up, she absolutely did not expect this.

“I would forgive you for anything (Y/n), you were, and always will be my everything” He whispered, using his hand to further tilt her face and with a brush between heaven and hell, he placed his sinful lips onto her innocent ones, innocent as they weren’t yet touched by another but guilty of having spewed poison.

The warmth of his lips engulfed the (h/c) haired girl, spreading through her body like a wild fire as she regained her senses, firmly planting her hands on his chest, she pushed him away almost instantly. Her lips still tingled, a faint buzzing ringing in her head as she looked up at his clouded eyes, the rejection evident on his face.

“What, what was that?” She asked, moving backwards, putting some daylight between him and herself, afraid that he might try to kiss her again. His blue eyes stared back at her, not blinking as he struggled to find words to explain himself.

He had no idea as to why he had done that, was it because it was a part of his plan?

Yes

But was that the only reason?

No, no, no

Swallowing a lump in his throat, he subconsciously fidgeted with the wedding band on his finger, trying to think of his play here. “I’m sorry (Y/n), but at the same time, I’m not” He began, his voice continually becoming softer as a solemn look washed over his face.

“I can’t help but love you, you’re so much like her, heck, you are her, you’re my (Y/n).” He began, his voice displaying an urgency that she couldn’t understand as he gave her a soft smile, eyes turning slightly red as he averted his gaze and he got up, knowing it was his time to now walk away before doing more damage. (Y/n) stared at him, eyes fixed on his retreating figure as she watched him walk down the pier without saying another word. She didn’t know what to do or say, her lips still tingled as she subconsciously raised her hand to feel her lips, he was her first kiss.

If he had done literally anything other than this, she knew a million different things to say and do in return but to this?

Never in a million years did she think her first kiss would be with a man from another Earth, especially who’s dead wife she resembled.

But whatever it was, it left her with butterflies in her stomach, a warm feeling spreading throughout her body despite the mere seconds of contact with his warm lips.

#Quentin Beck #quentin beck imagine #quentin beck x reader #quentin beck fanfiction #mysterio imagine #mysterio x reader #spiderman imagine #spiderman x reader #spiderman far from home #spiderman ffh #marvel fanfiction #marvel imagine #spiderman fanfiction

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addcests · 5 years

Text

into your bed

title into your bed [ao3]

pairing MMDIE

words 2328

summary Esper just couldn’t resist sneaking into Mastermind’s bed.

Mastermind did not get lonely.

Why should he? When there was always an overgrown bundle of warmth by the name of Esper always, always pressed up to his side, each night, without fail. The scientist would try to roll over to the edge of the bed as he liked, but would wake up and found that something—or in this case—someone preventing him from doing just that. And each night, he would peel back the blankets unusual warmth, to find that was indeed Esper, the source of warmth, clinging to his stomach, face finally at peace for once, dozing away without a care in the world.

“You couldn’t even be bothered to change out of that damned skintight suit… !” Mastermind hissed, scolding, but knowing full well the unconscious Esper wouldn’t hear him.

And as bothered as he played, he didn’t have the heart to kick Esper out of his bed, especially when sleep was a luxury for the time traveler. So, with a silent sigh, he let him be and did his best to join him the world of slumber.

That was one of Mastermind’s many mistakes, but most certainly not the first.

The first mistake began in the lab.

“Esper, for the love of the sweet lady of El, if you will not make yourself useful, can you at least remove yourself from my lap?”

This, too, was commonplace—Mastermind working and tinkering away on this and that, refusing his set breaks that Apocalypse insisted he take, only to find a sudden dimensional rift right on top of his work, and then Esper climbing, sometimes jumping out, right into his lap enough to make his seat swivel around with such force that he had no choice but to clutch Esper close. And Mastermind would always miss the smirk on his face.

“But I am making myself useful.” Esper insisted, face serious as could be.

“By displacing my work materials?” Mastermind asked, almost incredulous, but he shouldn’t be because this was far from this being the first time Esper decided to prove himself “useful”. He tried to swivel back around to his desk, Esper still in tow.

However, the persistent paradox creator stuck his legs out much like a kid, preventing him from doing so. “By making sure you take your breaks.” And just like that, with the help of a portal, the still beeping Apocalypse appeared within his arms. “You know, ignoring him long enough to glare at him, then going back to your work doesn’t constitute as a break.” He cooed down at the robotic cat in his arms, as he offered Apocalypse head pats who happily accepted them.

There was a pause, he rested his chin atop Apocalypse’s head, and then Esper continued, “Ignoring your problems doesn’t make them go away.”

Funny you should say that.

As much as he wanted to bite that out, Mastermind kept that one to himself. But with the annoying way Esper draped himself all along him, Mastermind had no choice to do just as Esper said. “Well, not when they stretch all over you like some napping cat.”

Esper did not budge with Mastermind’s insistent nudging, all while clinging onto Apocalypse, whose beeping he finally shut off. “Is that so? I was under the impression that that was something you enjoyed… ?” There was a pout, but one they both knew to be fake. When there was no answer from Mastermind’s end, just him reaching around Esper’s thin frame to collect papers he kept his eyes glued to, he decided to let Apocalypse bound out of his arm, watching as he bounded off. He then lifted himself, but only just enough, giving Mastermind no room so that he could turn facing Mastermind now, pivoting and hoisting his leg to the other side of the scientist so that he could straddle him perfectly. Leaning down, he cupped his face with both hands, fingers tracing his jawline. “Or perhaps, this is more enjoyable… ?”

There was the sound of paper scattering to the floor; Mastermind having lost his grip, hands frozen midair as he blinked wide eye at this more than troublesome Esper making himself cozy. His mouth was partially agape, as if he were shocked—or pleasantly surprised? What with the way he felt his cheeks warm, especially with Esper’s leering smile. “E-Esper!” He hissed his name, annoyance hidden behind his embarrassment. “Please, I am trying to work… !”

But even that excuse sounded weak to his own ears, hardly any usual bite to it.

Even Esper knew it, too. “Not doing a very good job of it—why don’t you rest a while… ?” Hands coming to press atop his shoulders, making Mastermind slouch into the seat, serving only to give Esper more height over him, if only a little. But a little was all he needed, and Esper was only drawing closer.

“Fine—f-fine! Fine!” Mastermind was turning his head the other way to avoid Esper’s closeness, able to feel his breath. “Five minutes, but that is all.” And only turning back to glare at him, setting him with a firm and fixed look.

“Twenty.”

“Seven and you stay off my lap.”

“Eighteen.”

“Eight—”

“Fifteen or I get Psyker in on this.”

With some sort of truce founded, Mastermind was able to work with minimal distractions. (“I only promised to stay out of your lap and let you work, if you take your breaks.” “I didn’t agree to—” “Your lap is looking awfully comfortable—” “Fine!”) And so, Esper’s close contact was limited when he was busy, much to his dismay. Esper’s, that is.

Perhaps, Esper thought Mastermind wouldn’t be able to stay true to his end of the bargain. Joke’s on him though!

But that was where the second mistake was.

Loathing as he was, Mastermind moved to their much unused bed tucked away in the corner of the lab, away from distractions. Making his way there, steps brisk, was Mastermind’s goal. The sooner he rested, the sooner he could return to his work, and Esper’s sad, pouting face. (Sometimes genuine, other times and mostly, definitely fake crocodile tears.) The scientist smiled, for at least Esper was back to being somewhat helpful around the lab, passing him things further in the depths or the other side of his countertops, when he felt as if he could be bothered doing so, that is.

He should have known that all that pouting and sighing, letting Mastermind think that they walked away both displeased, was all a ploy.

No sooner than had Mastermind sank into the plush of the bed were their lithe arms wrapping around his torso and pulling him in. “What in—” He craned his neck to look back into the face of Esper, lips curled so much, he couldn’t possibly be anymore pleased with himself than he was now. “Esper, what are you doing!?”

But Esper only offered a coy grin in rely, wrapping his arms around Mastermind’s middle and pressing his face ever so close against his back, nuzzling it as he made himself comfortable. “Tick tock, MM.”

As much as Mastermind wanted to argue, he was right. He didn’t have time to waste, with a deflating sigh, he laid back on his side and forced his eyes shut, eagerly awaiting the nap to be over with already.

His third mistake was allowing Esper to carry these cuddle sessions into even night (or morning, considering when Mastermind went to sleep).

Thus. It was by this routine that there never was a night where Mastermind felt lonely. Not with an Esper hugging his middle so tight, his face buried against his chest. Some nights, Mastermind laid awake wondering if it was possible for Esper to get any closer. It seemed as if he were able to feel when there was a gap between them, the dozing Esper would do his best to close it, drawing Mastermind back to him.

It was not often, Mastermind realized, that he saw Esper in this state very much. This fueled Mastermind in to observing, and observing giving way to a softer regard of Esper beside him.

And in the late of night, dusk giving way to dawn, Mastermind would allow himself the softest of smiles, fingers wandering up the nape of Esper’s neck, watching, as he shuddered lightly at the contact, but remaining otherwise fast asleep. Those fingers at his nape, traveling up and up to the ends of his hair where he let his fingers delve in, scratching at the scalp of his head. And the little pleased sounds, half whines, laden with sleep as the dozing Esper sought out his touch even in his sleep, only drove Mastermind to continue his little ministrations. With each gentle stroke, each motion of combing his fingers through Esper’s hair, did he feel his heartbeat steady and slow, hand moving almost in tune to the thump of his steady heartbeat thudding loud in his ears.

His lids grew heavy, as if he were the one receiving these soft, soothing touches, feeling sleep creep upon him as black edged at the corner of his vision. Mastermind had one final thought as sleep washed over him—

Perhaps, then, his mistake was not Esper demanding his cuddles, but that Mastermind was unable to refuse him in this way.

It became a silent but expected exchange that when Mastermind would find time to rest or even lounge, there was Esper, hugging his middle or burying into the snug fold of the couch to compact himself against Mastermind best he could. If Mastermind dozed, Esper was quick to find him and soon to follow.

Mastermind could not be lonely, not with Esper attaching himself during any and all of his downtime.

It even got to the point that Psyker grew accustomed, not batting any eye when he brought over extra toast one morning for breakfast and offering some first to Esper, hugging Mastermind close, and then another helping to the scientist too absorbed in some notes he was reading.

And that was how their days carried on for some time—or at least, most of them.

Come nightfall, Mastermind decided to retire a little early, able to feel all those days of sleeping less finally catching up with him. But as he dozed, he didn’t come to feel that bundle curling up against him, didn’t hear any portals opening nor did he see Esper slinking into the bed they’d share that night. Growing too sleepy to keep his eyes opened, Mastermind curled under the blankets and figured sooner or later, Esper would find him.

And when he didn’t, Mastermind just assumed it was that Esper missed him because he went to bed earlier than he tended to.

Unfortunately, that excuse didn’t hold up when it was the same one told over the next day, and the day after that, and even the one after that.

Esper stepped through a portal, looking disheveled to say the least; hair fly away and unkempt, rips and tears in his jacket and suit that went unnoticed, body hunched as he slinked through the house, keeping to the walls, almost as if he did not wish to be seen. A hand pressed to the wall to keep him upright as he staggered, and his other hand came to rub wearily at his eyes. His lips moved wordlessly, and an exhale of air followed after. He stood like that for some time, before he dragged himself, form still hunched like it was an effort to even carry himself, to even move.

Halfway through the hall, he looked up ahead of him, eyes narrowed as he tried to will a portal open but it only fizzed away before it could barely open.

It was at that moment, he heard not the tormented voices he tended to hear, nor the sweet lull of his mother’s voice, nor the demons that haunted him, but one incessant, demanding voice, nagging him about why he didn’t take better care of himself, the irony that he was about to fall to his feet at any moment but like the hypocrite he was he could nag him during his lab work—

“Quiet! Enough—”

Hurrying, he retreated to his room. Upon arriving, he kicked his door open, not caring for the moment that his door was left slightly ajar and fell onto his ratty bed. As quick as he touched the bed, his vision gave way. But he didn’t doze long, in his half-asleep state he felt aware enough to feel an additional weight on his bed, it stirred him enough to jolt up, or try to anyway. There were arms, refusing and unmoving, wound so tight around him Esper was afraid that he’d black out from lack of oxygen rather than pure exhaustion as it were.

“—missed—”

He blinked rapidly, trying to focus his vision and his swimming head from all the movement.

“I missed you—”

It was the same voice he heard earlier, nagging away at him in his thoughts: “Mastermind, what—?”

“I said I got damn missed you—where have you been… ! I—I’ve slept in your bed for days, confused, then worried sick! How dare you stay with me then up and leave just like that! And you look a mess and I—" Mastermind seemed to cling tighter to Esper than before, refusing to let go.

Much like Mastermind, with gradual reluctance giving way to a silent but desperate neediness, Esper let him, Mastermind bundling him as close as their bodies would allow, the scientist’s breathing finally steadying. Or was it Esper’s?

Between the two, neither could tell, just that their heartbeats gave way to a calm washing over them both, embracing one another until a peaceful sleep ebbed at their current worries, their fears and stress, slumbering away.

And Mastermind would swear, even after, that he didn’t get lonely, but he did really miss Esper.

#my fanfiction #fanfiction #deep inhales #i hope it is somewhat enjoyable #i not do a good DIE u__u #hope u like it gator aaa

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