#especially prisma but others too

[startistdoodles]

first DMB gets a pet snail, now he gets a baby... well, congratulations on parenthood I guess?

Well that's assuming he will even be allowed to keep the baby. But yes, welcome to parenthood DMB

[midnightsnowfight]

Gift for @startistdoodles

I've really loved your AU, it's so interesting and mysterious whilst being so fun!

I especially love Prisma's character too.

I was going to draw her quite a while ago but never managed to get round to it, but finally I've done it in a span of roughly 2 hours :D

Edit: The lil square gradient in the corner was supposed to be the background, but me being me I forgot that background comes first ^^'

So when I tried to put the gradient in the back, it was showing other things in front which I didn't even know where there. But at least it's known what I was going for :')

[thedo0zyslider]

I Love You (I'm Not Supposed Too) - Chapter Six: Secrets Kept No More - 4k Words

Fwhip finally finds out what Jimmy wanted to say all those months ago.

A03 Link

The next few days in the Ocean Empire were pretty routine. And boring. Every day is almost the same, save for a few moments when he and Jimmy would either sneak away together, or they got too tired of each other's presence and retreated to their chambers for a few hours. Other than that, they would wake up, and head to the Cod Empire to do whatever needed done. Helping a whole group of people properly establish themselves was a lot of work, work Fwhip hadn’t signed up for. But he helped anyways, because there was nothing else to do, not really.

The work was pretty standard, all things considered. They helped people get back on their feet, did boring government stuff Fwhip always zoned out on, like he did at home, built things, helped with the farms, and sometimes they were even put on babysitting duty. Though the half dragon wasn’t very trusted in that department for a few obvious reasons. Mainly the bigotry and his usual impulsiveness, but he didn’t mind. Fwhip was never a big fan of kids anyways. And then, at the end of the day, when the little tasks were done, they headed back to the Prisma Palace for dinner and whatever the Ocean Queen wanted them to do. If she wanted anything.

The half dragon is given a guest room, one with a giant, plush bed and a lot of decor on the wall. Merfolk liked to line their homes with shell and other such trinkets, as he’d come to notice, and the guest rooms were no exception. Just like the rest of the palace, his room was also very pink and blue and white. Fwhip thinks he could go his whole life without seeing this color palette ever again, and be perfectly content.

One morning, maybe a week or so into the trip, the future Count awakens earlier than normal. He doesn’t know why, but he does know the sun is streaming through his room’s window; meaning he should get out of bed pretty soon. He has a feeling the queen doesn’t take lightly to oversleepers, even if he had helped carry loads of stone and wood and whatnot around the swamp all yesterday and probably needed the extra rest. But whatever, her house, her rules, the ginger supposed.

He dresses in his normal attire, minus the black coat. He hates taking it off, but less layers means he won’t get as sweaty. Especially since he does manual labor most of the day, or a lot of walking. Fwhip was used to extreme heat in the forge, not the humidity of a swamp in the summertime. Also, it’s just less fabric to get all muddy and gross. His poor boots though will need to be deep cleaned when he’s home, all the shoes he brought with him will. It feels like there’s water permanently in the leather nowadays, even when there’s not.

But that’s not the focus right now. The focus is getting ready and then getting breakfast. Ocean cuisine was a little….unusual for his tastes, but he did like a few of the dishes. Disturbing meals including both salmon and cod aside. Thankfully those weren’t usually served at breakfast, so he could avoid them until dinner or lunch time most days. Usually .

Fwhip steps out of his door a few minutes later, right after he finishes his morning routine…..and realizes he doesn't have a clue where the dining hall would be in this gigantic place. He ate there for dinner the previous night, but this place is so huge compared to the Manor. He has no idea how to even get back there, despite having a small tour when he arrived. Also, it would feel very awkward walking in without Jimmy.

He mumbles something to himself, grumpy from another bad night of sleep. It was hard to get any rest with waves constantly roaring all night long. His sleep deprivation, which was worse than normal, was probably making the whole trip more unpleasant than it actually was. The Ocean and its Empire were quite pretty, one had to admit, and the half dragon was sure he’d enjoy it more if it would let him sleep .

The ginger walks down to Jimmy’s room as he grumbles, the only place in the Palace he’s somewhat sure of the location of. That and his guest room. Mostly because they are in close proximity to each other, likely done on purpose, and because they’re the two most important rooms he passes every evening. He thinks he’s figured out where the library (the above water one) is though. He thinks.

He finds the Prince’s room, with less struggle than he had a few days ago. Fwhip only turned the wrong corner a few times! Yesterday he’d done that like, six or seven, so, progress! And while he’s never really…..knocked on Jimmy’s door, he knows the other is awake around this time. The cod had woken him up from a restless sleep far too often, enough that was decently familiar with the others' general sleep shedulce. Visiting him real quick would be fine , especially if he got breakfast at the end of it.

Fwhip opens the door, and he really, really should've knocked. He opens the door to a shirtless Jimmy, presumably in the middle of changing, and it takes the half dragon a good minute of shocked staring to realize that a binder is covering his chest. Jimmy whips his head around to face him, some kind of fear clearly in his gaze. The future Count kinda wants to punch himself for being so stupid.

Once he has that realization, the half dragon feels himself start to fumble out of embarrassment. “Oh, shit , sorry —I didn’t know you were-" He stumbles over his words, feeling a blush start to creep up his face. He politely keeps his gaze on the floor, his hand searching for the doorknob once again. The young prince is not having any of this, and the half dragon can’t really blame him.

“Just leave, okay!?” The cod snaps at him, and Fwhip listens to this guy for what has to be one of the first times ever. He ducks his head back out as soon as he finds the knob again, closing the door behind him with a rather loud slam. Silently, he slides down against the nearest wall, and resists the urge to scream into his own hands. That had been mortifying for him, making that big of a mistake. He can’t even imagine how Jimmy must feel right now, being seen like that. Being seen in what has to be some kind of vulnerable moment, by someone he certainly doesn’t want to be vulnerable with.

He sits there, slumped against the wall for a few minutes; hands running over his face and through his now messy hair. The future Count isn't really sure what to do after…. that . Mainly there are just a lot of things going through Fwhip's head as he sits there. He's pretty flustered, not ever intending to do that, and is sure a fierce blush is currently coating his face. Part of him knows it might be better that he leaves, because Jimmy will very understandably be scared to next confront him. The other part doesn't feel right just leaving. He feels like he needs to apologize. No, Fwhip wants to apologize. He feels bad, which certainly is a new emotion around the young cod.

The castle is still quiet, and it seems their little encounter hadn't disturbed anyone, thank god. Fwhip didn't want their screaming to accidentally out Jimmy to anyone else, for he had already heard some terms the staff used towards the prince. No servants have even begun moving towards the hall yet, and no footsteps can be heard in the distance. The Ocean Empire has rather quiet mornings, as opposed to the Grimlands rather loud and explosive ones. Which is good right now, he supposes. A quiet castle gives you more time to regain your bearings.

There is some shuffling by the door, and the doorknob starts to turn once again. Fwhip, still pretty stricken by the whole ordeal despite his best efforts, looks up in surprise. His suitor doesn't emerge instantly, taking his time to fully leave his bedroom. But when he does, the sight only makes the half dragon feel even more guilty.

Jimmy slowly shuffles out, his bedroom door being shut quietly behind him. Probably not to disturb anyone else in any nearby rooms, if there are any. He's finished changing, now wearing a green tunic. Not a skintight one like merfolk usually wore, but one that was clearly meant for a bigger person. One clearly meant to hide things, Fwhip would now notice. He suspects it isn’t the first time Jimmy has denied his species traditional attire in front of him, and probably won't be the last. The cod's face is red, his eyes puffy, and a weak frown painting his face. Fwhip feels a sinking feeling in his stomach at the thought of Jimmy crying because of him and his dumb mistake.

"Are you okay?" He asks, meeting the others' gaze tentatively. The future Count has no idea if the other is angry at him and, for once, wouldn't blame him if he was.

"I'm fine." Jimmy says, and it is clearly a lie. He's shaking, and leaning on the wall for support. Like he'll collapse and break down if he doesn't do so. It's not hard to believe that he will, either.

"You're shaking, and your eyes are red." Fwhip points out, scanning over the blonde's face. He's been crying his eyes out, that much is clear. So much so that if Lizzie were to walk by, she'd probably punch the future Count on the spot.

"Why do you care?" The cod asks, slumping down next to him. He's even surprised Jimmy wants to sit next to him after that, but he lets it happen anyway. They sit a few inches apart, not enough to touch, but not far enough to feel fully awkward. It's just enough space for the time being.

"Because I'm not stupid. I know what I just did." Fwhip says, feeling a frown stretching onto his face the longer this conversation goes on. He doesn't like the tone the other has, whatever it is. It's upsetting.

Jimmy forces a smile, and lets out a broken sounding laugh. “Well, didn’t want you to see my boobs. But you were gonna one day I guess, since the mar-”

“Don’t.” Fwhip cuts him off, running a hand over his face again. “Please don’t joke about….any of that stuff, okay? Not a good time.” It will come to concern Fwhip slightly, the kind of self hating jokes Jimmy makes about the marriage and himself. Because he'll make more in the future, and the half dragon will have to knock the habit out of him he supposes. “Also, not really our thing.”

“Sorry. Sorry. I know, bad joke. I’m just…a little upset.” The cod mumbles, hanging his head a bit. Not in shame, just lingering embarrassment. Fwhip feels a wrong sort of feeling settling in his stomach, and frowns. “And yeah…that’s not our thing.”

“I know….you’re probably upset.” He says, wholly sincere with Jimmy. Probably for like, the second time ever if he’s being honest. Because he would hate himself if he was anything but sincere under today’s circumstances. They were far too serious for his usual attitude. "Sorry about walking in without knocking or anything…I won’t do it again."

Jimmy takes a moment to respond, the back of his head hitting the wall with a dull thunking sound. "It's fine, really. You were gonna find out eventually. Probably. I just wanted it to be under…different circumstances is all."

Fwhip hums, and wraps his tail around his legs. It had been awkwardly laying on the floor before now, and it was…..strangely comforting to wrap it around himself. Even though he wasn't the one who needed comfort right now. "Sorry about that too."

"Not the worst thing in the world." Jimmy hums, watching his movement. He seems like he's zoning out a little bit, his mind wandering elsewhere. To other things and other trains of thoughts, more troubling ones probably.

"I kinda already knew. Thought I should mention that." Fwhip hums, glancing away to stare at the wall. He doesn't want to see Jimmy’s face when he responds, whatever that response may be.

"Oh?" Is all the cod responds with. He sounds…curious, and only that. Thankfully. Fwhip didn't know if the other would've been angered by that or whatever.

He glances back at Jimmy when he explains it, and is met with a look of slight curiosity. Which is fair, to Jimmy’s credit, he passes very well. Fwhip is just very good at noticing details. “When they told us about the marriage, our parents called you a princess and stuff. And the staff have been too. I just didn't want to assume anything, y'know?"

"Yeah, my mom's probably the reason for that. I didn't take them for… that type of person." The blonde nods, taking the others' explanation into consideration for a moment. The ginger would pay so much money to know what's running through his head right now.

"No, they're not like that." Fwhip confirms, briefly thinking back on his parents. Despite whatever way they might have failed him and his sister before, they had always been nothing but supportive of their children's identities. One of the few good qualities they both shared, if they shared any at all. "I could mention it to them….?"

The offer is said tentatively, but Jimmy looks so incredibly relieved at hearing it. "Please." He says, and Fwhip nods. He cannot help but wonder what hell this boy has been living through for so long, to be so relieved when even the most basic decency is shown to him.

“Sorry about how we left things, when you were forgotten at the manor. By the way.” The half dragon adds, somehow remembering to say sorry for that. Take that , memory issues. “I was just….I was starting to guess and didn’t know how to ask you.”

“It’s okay..” Jimmy says, trying to crack a smile. It's weaker than he would probably like it to be, but it's a start. Fwhip grins back, and neither of them have anything more to say. Not immediately, at least.

“You don’t…have a problem with it do you?” Jimmy nearly whispers the question into the silence. They've been sitting in quiet for a few minutes, and Fwhip had grown content to stare at the Palace's prismarine walls until one of them decided to move again.

Fwhip tilts his head to the side curiously, a little scared of what the other is about to ask. “With what?”

“With me being….with me having girl stuff. And you having to marry that. ” Jimmy spits out some of the words with such venom, that Fwhip is shocked by it. He feels a surprising wave of pity wash over him, for this boy he hates so much, and it's the first time ever he has to stop himself from hugging the young cod.

“No, I don’t. Why the hell would I?” He says, like it is the easiest thing to say. Because it is. To the blonde it's something he never expected to hear.

“Oh…” Jimmy sounds…..so genuinely surprised at his answer. “It’s just…some people would. Some people do. ”

“Those people suck.” His answer is spit out in an instance, full of more passion than he thought was possible. Those people do suck. They suck a lot .

“Yeah.” Jimmy agrees meekly, hesitantly slumping down and resting his head on the half dragon's shoulder. Fwhip lets him do so, not caring that a merfolk is touching him right now. He needs it a lot right now, he figures.

They sit in the silence for a few seconds once more, in the white and blue hallway of the Prisma Palace. Two people who should, and do, hate each other, but aren't really acting like it. They haven't had the energy to act like it for a while, Fwhip thinks, with how shit everything is. How the world constantly throws terrible things at the both of them and expects the boys to just cope . That's what it feels like, anyways.

Maybe it'll be better when they're older.

"You do know you're not the only one of us who's like that, don't you?" Fwhip mumbles, his cheek now resting against the blonde's head. He doesn't know how long they've been in the hallway, but the palace hasn't started its normal routine yet. So he guesses it can't have been too long. Maybe one of the maids or cooks will find them, and ask why in the bloody hell two royals are sitting in a dirty hallway, cuddling.

Jimmy gets a little excited, as told by his tail smacking the wall a few times before he realizes it's moving. "No…?"

"Well, Xornorth’s nonbinary, and Sausage is pretty gender nonconforming.” Fwhip says, trying to remember everyone who's come out so far. He doesn't know all their labels, if some people have any, but he tries his best to get them right. “And Shrub isn't entirely a girl."

"Oh…I didn't know that." Jimmy hums, sounding happier than he had before. The half dragon briefly wonders if, when the thirteen of them are together again, that a labels debrief would make some people feel more included.

"None of us are straight either, I don’t think." Fwhip might’ve not been up to date on all the labels, but he was pretty sure of that fact. That their whole group were all horribly not straight in some way, some more obviously than others.

Jimmy lets out an amused snort at that. "Of course." That's the right phrase for it really, of course . Of course all the royal children are queer as hell. Of course most of their parents suck too. How else would it be with their little group?

"Why're you being so nice to me over this?" The cod adds on after a moment, cautious, and has every right to be so.

Fwhip resists the urge to roll his eyes, and spits out the honest truth. He really wonders if Jimmy thought that lowly of him before, say, maybe twenty to thirty minutes ago. The half dragon wouldn’t be surprised if he did, not after everything. "I don't like you and I think you're annoying as hell, but I'm not cruel ."

"Thanks for that, I guess." Jimmy mumbles, sounding shocked and surprised again. Fwhip hears that tone, he’s heard it too many times today, and truly starts to wish the world would be kinder to this poor fishboy. Sans himself and his very justified hatred, of course.

"Don't thank me for treating you like a human being." The half dragon snorts, and fixes Jimmy with a look . He’s pretty sure the meaning of it goes right over the blonde’s head, too. The utter idiot “And we have that truce, remember? No being assholes ‘till we’re hitched?”

“Yeah…the truce. Almost forgot about that.” Jimmy mumbles, sounding a little thoughtful once again. Maybe he’s been full of thoughts this whole time, and Fwhip’s just shit at noticing. Or he’s running out of words to describe the cod, because they have never interacted like this before. He has a very limited vocabulary when it comes to describing Jimmy. Today he is running out of words he hasn’t used, and also adding new ones. “We’re not good at following it, are we?” Jimmy keeps talking, and Fwhip barely hears him, lost in his own thoughts it seems. He hated how easy that was to do.

(Adding new ones like sad , and mistreated , and stressed , and traumatized and a whole bunch of other words he has no more room for in the half dragon’s never ending whirlwind of a mind.)

“No, but I like to think we’ve gotten better.” He mumbles out a response, taking a few precious seconds to clear his head. They’ve certainly gotten better, or at least more tolerable of each other’s presence, because Fwhip isn’t pinning Jimmy into a wall and holding him hard enough to bruise anymore. They had to have gotten better, because his mental health hasn’t. Both of their have probably gotten worse over the years, actually.

“We have to be. Because they’re all buying it. Every single one of them.” Jimmy says, and it’s the most confident he’s sounded in a while, and will sound all day. He also sounds more than a little scared, and Fwhip can’t help but share the sentiment a bit.

“Good. Good.” He mumbles, and doesn’t want to admit that he feels some of the same fear. They are going along with this whole thing out of fear, it’s the whole reason why they’re even sitting here in the first place. Fear of judgment, of failure of duty, of disappointment. Of what their parents would say. Even if they don’t really talk about it, both of them know that’s what’s happening. Body language always says a lot more than both the boys wish it would.

Jimmy changes the topic back to their earlier, less daunting one. It seems a lot still weighs on his mind, which is to be expected with a situation and life like this. "I want to get…the surgery for it, but, ah.…my mum won't let me.."

"Well, maybe you can get it before the wedding….?" Fwhip threw out the suggestion lightly, and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. Before the wedding was a vague timeframe. Realistically, that could be as soon as they’re both legal adults, or within the next five years. But it was a time frame that they could aim for, and that was better than nothing. And if Jimmy's mom wouldn’t let him get that surgery, than Fwhip would be the one throwing him in front of the healers instead, shitty parents be damned.

He’d really had enough of shitty parents recently.

"Hmph, maybe…" Jimmy mumbles. He hopes the sound in the other’s voice is hope, faux or real. They need some positive emotions right now, he’s already feeling emotionally drained from the guilt and the shame and whatnot. It’s not even seven in the morning, either.

“The truce extends to that too, by the way.” Fwhip adds, nudging the others shoulder with his own. He feels a grin start to bloom on his face. One of his shit-eating ones that always makes Gem groan and Sausage mirror it.

The cod gives him a confused look, his face scrunching up with the feeling. He’s not despondent anymore, so that’s a win for Team Fwhip! Sadly the only win today, but he might get some more as the hours wear on, especially if he keeps this attitude up. “Whaddya mean?”

“That means if someone’s being a transphobe, I get to deck them in the face. Even when we're married.” Fwhip explains, his grin getting larger. He does one of his normal hand gestures as he speaks, like he does with all his other explanations. Jimmy, well accustomed to the half dragon’s quirks, pays it no mind.

“Even my mum?” Jimmy asks, and sounds a little stupid when he does.

Fwhip nods, and feels tension unknot itself and leave the cod’s body from where they’re still pressed together. “Even your mom.”

“Heh, thanks.” Jimmy giggles, eventually having to muffle the laughter with his hand after a few minutes. Aannddd that’s two wins for team Fwhip, all within a minute or so of the last one. He better savor these — and this rare companionship with Jimmy — while the moment allows and before their normal bickering starts up once again.

“Again, don’t thank me.” Fwhip shrugs again, his tail finally uncurling from around himself. He doesn’t need any comforting measures, not immediately anyways. The tense and upset mood from earlier is long gone, now replaced with something lighter, even if both the royal’s hearts are still heavy with a lot of things.

“Force of habit, being polite is.” The cod says, his own tail swishing dully against the floor. It’s good to see he’s cheered up, and not crying anymore. And also not having to think about all the terrible treatment he receives. It’s good.

“So I’ve noticed.” Fwhip snorts, watching as the other starts to stand up. Jimmy gives all his limbs a stretch, since they’re still probably stiff from the night’s rest, and then holds a hand down to the other boy. The half dragon takes it without any complaint, or grumbles under his breath about having to touch a fish. Jimmy just helps him up, and it's probably the most simple yet complex interaction they’ve ever had. To date, anyways.

The Prince then starts to move down the hallway, past his door to where Fwhip thinks the dining hall is. The dining hall and a million other passageways and rooms he can’t remember. Dumb castles and their dumb, beautiful architecture. “Let’s go get breakfast, or something.”

“And where are we going after that?” The ginger follows behind, already mentally preparing himself for another six or more hours of helping the dumb cod people out. Him and Jimmy might be cool for today, but that doesn’t mean he suddenly likes all that mud and grime the swamp carries. Jimmy hums, sounding a little cheeky, and like he has his own shit-eating grin now smeared across his face. “Well, mom never said we had to be in the Cod Empire today. I was just scheduled there for three days this week…”

“So we’re getting a free day?” Fwhip thinks everything about him visibly lights up, from his voice to his demeanor. The mere thought of a free day, of finally being able to hide in his guest room, or the castle’s library, or wherever this dumb kingdom invented stuff, was enough to make his tail wag slightly. Anything, literally anything , but the horrible swamps and gross water again was going to make him beam.

“Basically, yeah.” Jimmy confirms, turning a corner without even thinking. Fwhip envy's everyone who has the dumb Palace mapped out already, and doesn’t struggle getting around. So he basically envies everyone who lives there.

“Finally, time away from you.” The ginger huffs, gloved hands being shoved in his coat pockets. He tries to commit the winding corridors to memory again, and hopes it goes a little better this time.

“Finally.” Jimmy agrees, right as they reach the dining hall for breakfast. Either they walked really fast for some reason, or Fwhip’s memory of the place truly is horrible. He never thought it was that close to the bedrooms. But hey, they’re not serving fried salmon for breakfast again today, so as long as that keeps happening, he won’t complain about the proximity to food. Especially if a free day follows after it. He rarely ever gets free days, here or at home There’s always something, some project or dumb responsibility thing, to do. But now he’s finally getting one after what has to be months , maybe even years.

Maybe his stay in the Ocean won’t be so bad after all.

[moonlight-tmd]

I know it's not true in TFA (maybe?) but like, I love how in a lot of canons, Earth *is* Unicron like how Cybertron is Primus. What if that like, was true in your god-sparkling au and Prisma just got the weirdest message from Unis about how the baby came to visit him out of the blue?

Omg that is so cute.

Well, i thought about the actual bots being spirits of the planets i guess. Unis being Unicron's(earth) persona while Prisma is Primus'(cybertron).

It reminds me of the Michael Bay movies(which i love btw, but only the first 3. Also Bumblebee movie)- except in this Unicron and Primus don't wana destroy one another(too much).

The Crack AU can be based off of that actually. While the Spirits(Unis and Prisma) take a long time to materialize and visit Bee, he can just go open a tiny space rift to slip thru and speak with his Creators in their home dimension- aka the place with no time that he grew up in, i imagine it's like a big mansion-like house on floating islands in amidst some inaccessible galaxy. Like, everything is constantly switching between obeying or defying laws of physics n such. It's literal chaos intertwined with harmony. It's so bizzare yet perfectly balanced.

As for the message to Primus- he'll be both confused and concerned. Prisma/Primus never liked organic things much but he made an exception for Unicron/Unis. He admits the humans are alright but he's also worried cuz Bee seems to like Unicron(Earth) more than Cybertron(Primus). He assumes it makes sense considering Cybertron raised him so now he wants to live his adult life by his other Creator. At least (most of) his values are aligned with his...

I imagine Papa Unicron is making the best he can when Bee is on Earth, influencing the things(surroundings and stuff)to go his way n all. It doesn't always work but it's still most of the time. Also humans like him.

When Bee crashes on Earth with his crew he does realize where he is- or rather who he is with. He feels the energy from the planet itself. It's also the reason he went on a trip around shortly after the crash. He went around and spoke to Unicron/Earth, which earned him a voice in his helm telling him stuff- just like on Cybertron he had Primus' voice in his helm and his favors.

Unicron is very happy that Bee visited, but the moment the Allspark shows up on his surface then he's like "oh shit" more so when he sees that it's shattered. Primus will kill him...

Then Unis shows up and- ya know what, yeah. Now this ask makes sense. Bee just disappears for a really long time and everyone is so worried and then this giant mining dump truck pulls over at the plant and Bee is on top of it waving. And everyone is flabbergasted to learn that this is Bee's Creator. Especially since it's barely been a month since they crashed and just made themselves home in the plant.

[sweetberryworld]

Saw some of the 40th anniversary My little pony toys at Prisma today 😮 . If i had more money at the moment i would of bought one of them, but for now i had to pass. I'm planning on buying one of these in the future though.

I hope we get some of the other anniversary stuff too at some point. Especially the Celestial/Fancy swirl ponies.

The price (25,90) is in euros in case anyone is wondering what currency this is.

[sicsidsimp666]

MAGGOTS! MAGGOTS! LOOK LOOK! ITS A CARE PACKAGE FROM @dysphorie

Okay so like I am so sorry for this being so late! This came in the mail forever ago! I've just been so busy! BUT MY FRIEND ORDERED @dysphorie 's SLIPKNOT COLORING BOOK! So in the picture above the ONLY thing she paid for was the coloring book BUT LOOK AT ALL THE GOODIES THAT CAME WITH!!!

Here is a picture of just specifically EXTRA ITEMS!!! And hang tight I'm going to go through a review of everything! But I just want to say thank you so much @dysphorie for putting all this effort into her order for my birthday gift! It was already going to be spectacular when she ordered it, but when I actually got it I was blown away by the level of care everything was packaged and the personalization of everything sent!

So obviously the most anticipated item first: the coloring book and colored pencils. WOW THE QUALITY OF THE PAPER IS AMAZING. SO THICK AND DELICIOUS AND CAN TAKE MY SHADING LAYERS FROM MY PRISMAS!!! WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!! Every picture is unique, and there are varying styles in the book that make it so fun and interesting. It never gets dull as you go through the pages. It is also true to it’s name that it is an activity book, there are some draw in your own stuff, and other activity book games with areas to color, too on the same page (because if you are like me, drawing your own things stresses you out so there are other things to do on those pages). Overall you can tell the level of care that @dysphorie put into this true work of art is noticeable to even those who aren’t Slipknot crazed (as proven by my boyfriend who likes the band, but isn’t crazy like me. But he thought the book was just so cool and was envious that I said I am the only person who gets to touch it because I am a perfectionist and I can not WAIT to spend hours on each page). The colored pencils were a very nice touch! I will not be deceitful, I have been an artist for a long time so I have my own colored pencils that I use that are for blending and that I like. HOWEVER THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS INCLUDED FOR FREE THAT DID NOT HAVE TO BE INCLUDED!!! And is great for those who might not have their own preferred colored pencils. Or if you have your own, guess what you got a free pack of colored pencils that you can use some other way!!! 

On to: THE FUCKING EXTRA SID PINS THAT JUST MADE MY HEART MELT. Okay so if you don’t already know Toad loves Sid, and then you put Sid on a little thing that I can touch, wear, and hang up, it very much so pleases the little crow brain Toad has. They are currently hanging up in my room because I am scared to death of it falling off somewhere. So I can just stair at the little rat for hours. JUST TO CLARIFY AGAIN, I DID NOT PAY FOR THE PINS @dysphorie INCLUDED THOSE FOR FREE. And the fact that they were all Sid ones (except one Slipknot band logo one) proves that she knows her people in her fandom and goes the extra mile to send them their favorite of the nine screaming men.  

Next: the stickers!!! We love stickers. Especially FREE stickers. And it gets even better when they are FUN stickers. So I got two very cool Bone Sugar stickers, which if you ever catch Toad in the wild they are on my laptop so then you can know that you have caught Toad in the wild. @dysphorie also gave me a swaggy tooth sticker which I very much like because its a great conversation piece and very much so a work of art. AND TWO FREE JIM STICKERS UNBELIVABLE. JUST ABSOLUTLY TOO GOOD TO BELEIVE! But none the less, they are there. One in color, that is so pretty, a soft fluffy Jimbo. And another a black and white sticker of the print she sent me, which is the next item. 

FREE JIM PRINT AND VERY COOL COFFIN PRINT OF ORIGINAL ART: Okay so this was just the cherry on top of this birthday order, because this is art. That was given to me for free. Many of us have forgotten the value that art holds with modern society, and I am not going to yell at those who have forgotten it, but I am going to ask that they take an opportunity to consider that someone in the world had to spend time to create it. With nothing promised, they carved out of their timeline precious hours that they are not going to get back. As we all know, everyone dies, everyone has a time limit so to speak, so the fact that someone created something for others to enjoy by giving up something that not even money can buy makes it art. And that is what makes art something so profound from so many angles. So I want to say thank you personally @dysphorie for letting me have the pleasure of enjoying art that you created with minutes of your own life. Both prints are very high quality paper, and are stiff so they came to me in great condition. They are also now both hanging up on my walls next to the Slipknot stickers and album picture from the We Are Not Your Kind vinyl. Very much so completes the look. 

The final thing, but certainly not the least THE FREE FUCKING GOOGLY EYES: Oh holy fuck how this breathed life back into me. It is something small. It is something that most people would ask why? But for Toad I said, “holy fuck I want to put these on my boyfriend’s nipples.” And I did. and then we died for laughter. So much joy from such a tiny item. So 10/10. 

Overall this was way more than I expected to get, and I can not express enough how much I love it and how much joy it brought me. I would highly, highly, recommend buying from @dysphorie. This is not the first time I have purchased something from her, and just like the last times, I am so happy that I did! 

[chiro-asuta-vulpes]

Game anon back! 🎮

What is some of your favourite troupes?

Which oc do you wish to see more of from your mutuals?

Which oc of yours do you wish to have more content of?

Current fixation?

OH! Hello, Game Anon😄👋 this was my first to receive an ask from you dear one, I shall gladly answer your questions. Staaaarrttiiinnggg Noooowwww☺️

For your first question about favorite troupes?📝

--- Hmmm, I do love AU stuffs and reading other peps' AUs especially my mutuals AU's all of it are so very well written, detailed, planned, the stories they do are indeed intriguing, interesting and inspiring makes me wanna know more about it, read and curious about it too! Another about this, i like AUs, Genderswaps, Fantasies, Secret Siblings, Robots, Royalty, Canon Divergence, Demons, Warriors, Guardians, Crossovers, Au Collabs, AND MANY MANY MORREEE!

MY MOSTLY FAVORITE IS a Shy Boi and Cute Boi getting along and slowly falling for one another😌

Next question, which of ocs of my mutuals i wish to see more?✨

--- @caffeine-n-artwork I want to see more of your Oni Brothers, Techno Monster/s, Guardian of Dreams, The Skies Brothers both humans and bots, Evening Star, Legends of Zelda Au, Hero of Sounds, Forest Deities Au, moorreee Logan, and Lo. Again I love them they're stunning, detailed and exquisite designs, lastly theyre clothing it suits them so much, THEYYYY ALL deserves moreeeee LOVEEE and SUPPORTT! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Lo! AND I WANT TO GET TO KNOW MORE LORE, FACTS, STORIES AND STUFFS OF ALL YOUR OCS🤩✨

--- @aesopsbaby I want to see more of yourrrr amazing stunning and fancy cute boissss Meztli, Nathan, Sylvester and Cupid!! they're design and clothing really suits them so much, their persona is perfect and their story is amazingggg very well planned and interesting too! I cant wait to get to know more about them, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Ace! ALSSSOOOO MORREEE FACTS AND INFO ABOUT YOUR AMAZING OCS I WANT TO GET TO MORE ABOUTTT THEM!☺️

--- @boiling-potato I want to see more of this amazing lovely pretty friendly clumsy Oc of yours, Inky! Shes so adorable and cute! very delicate, whichever AU or any, INKY deserves moreeeee LOOOVEEEEE and gimme more of her, facts, stories, art, i wanna get to know more about this lovely gurl, KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK, Blue! INKKKYYYY IS A SWEET LIL BEAAAANNN SNOWWYYY WOULD HUG HEERRR ALL DAY!🥰

--- @hayden0666 I want to see and get more ideas, info, stories, and tons more about GUMMMDRROPPPP I MISS THAT LIL FUNNY GREMLIN RASCAL, Snowy's lil best friend! I hope if we have more time let's talk more ABOUT YOUR SWEET TROUBLEMAKER BABY BOI, sis! THEY DESERVE MOREEEE LOOOVEEEE & SUPPORT!🤗

--- @invader-jet-tcj mooooreee JESTER, CARD, FLIPPY AND YOUR OTHER OCSSS info, stories, facts and art art pllsssss! THEY AREEE SSOOOO AMAZING AND I MISS SEEING THEM AROUND HERE Tumblr! Weeee Miss YOUUUU JESTER AND CARD! YOUUUUU GUYYYSSSS DESERVE MMOOOREEEE LOVEEEE AND SUPPPOORTT!😄

--- @alcohol1maid moooreeeee KEMI UMIIII PLSSSS SHES SOOOO FREAKING ADORABLE THIS CUTE BEAN DESERVES MOOOREEEE HUGGGSSS ANDDDD LOVEESSS! SHESSSS SOO PRECIOUS🤗

--- @just-a-normal-jsab-ask-blog I would love to see and get know more about 8 BIT SHESSSS SOOOO FRIENDLY AND AMAZING, SHES SOOOO VERY APPROACHABLE AND CUUUUTTTEEEE! SHES SWEETTT SOOOO PRECIOUS! SHE DESERVES MORE LLOOOVVEEE!😊

--- @mimiocto ALL YOUR OCS AREEEE SOOOOO FREAKIIIINGGGG CUTEEEE AND VERYYYY ADORABLE SUUUCHHHH SWEET LIL BEANS THEY DESERVE MORE LOOOVEEEE SUPPPOOORRTTT AND PROTECTION!🥺

Which of my OCS I wish to have more content of?

--- Well I want to make more contents focusing on my main 5 OCS: Snowy, Winter, Ivy, Viola and Prisma. Such as making each of they're artworks, designs, stories, facts, and etc.

--- Hmmm also I'm hoping to get to show you guys more of our new AU content I made with some of my mutuals here. Relating my OCS and they're ocs with different roles and fascinating stories.

Current Fixation?

My current fixation at the moment is making and planning about the Forest Deities Au, my main OCS solo art, stories, draft art, reference sheets, outfit lists, redesigning, redover? and many many more

I also make fanarts and stuffs well that depends on my time, like I said I make fanarts for fun and I make my mutuals ocs fanarts as a form of appreciation and love of my mutuals ocs, it takes a lot of time for me to finish them sooooo yeaaaa☺️

THATS ALL FOR NOW GAME ANON THANK YOU SO MUCH WITH THIS WONDERFUL ASK I HAVE ANSWERING THEM💙🤍✨ I WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR NEXT ASKS! AND THANKS FOR READING! YOU ALL HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WONDERFUL DAAAYYYYY!!!🥰

[strangefellows]

Gilles de Rais, William Shakespeare, Jack the Ripper, Solomon, Nero Claudius, Kid Gil, Abigail Williams. Revenge for my 5k answer to yours.

First impression

Gilles: WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK OH SHIT OH SHIT THAT'S BAD--

Will: ..............yeah, okay, I want to deck him and that probably tracks

Jack: WHY IS JACK A BABEY-- oh. OH. BABEY.

Solomon: [brb incoherent screaming because Plot Reveal]

Nero: LMAO why does she look like Artoria?

Kid Gil: WHY IS GIL BABY WHY IS BABY GIL NICE WHAT IS HAPPENING WHAT IS HAPPENING HE'S SO CUTE AUGH

Abigail: I have Concerns about this girl and this chapter. CONCERNS. But also FUCK SHE'S ADORABLE

Impression now

Gilles: Die Bitch Die. I don't like him, does anyone? He's a fairly boring Saber and Caster? Oh, you know, the child murder and eldritch monsters and all that.

Will: I'm going to beat that man senseless (affectionate), what a genius (derogatory). I'll probably have more thoughts again after Apocrypha - jesus I have to finish that shit - but for now I'm gonna punch him.

Jack: AN ACTUAL MURDERBABY THAT IS MY CHILD, I LOVE HER, I LOVE HER SO MUCH.

Solomon: [incoherent screams turn into sobs] COME HOME

Nero: She's absolutely a delight! Her appearance will trick you into thinking she's a boring Saberface but no, she's wonderful, she's awful, she loves herself and is so confident, what a girl. What an emperor.

Kid Gil: Well that's the 10yo form of my Fate husband, of course I love him. I have...mixed feelings about him that I'll talk about later, but generally speaking I adore this little brat.

Abigail: DAUGHTER DAUGHTER ELDRITCH DAUGHTER I love her so much and I wish I could pull her but she's very rare and I have others to save for. She's still absolutely babey though and a good naughty girl.

Favorite moment

Gilles: NONE, DIE. But no in all seriousness, there's a bit in the Shimousa (or Salem?) manga where he talks to Dantes for a little, and that was actually kind of an interesting thing.

Will: None yet lmfao sorry bitch. Okay no wait, him and Hans fucking. Writing the Solomon and Sheba play while shitfaced ass drunk just to make us all suffer, but also thank you I love you that made my day even as I cried.

Jack: I REALLY NEED TO FUCKING FINISH APOCRYPHA. But in FGO, idk, she's just very sweet and baby in the events somehow and I love that all the time.

Solomon: IDK MAN THE REAL ONE WAS ONLY HERE FOR FIVE MINUTES BEFORE HE MCFUCKING DIED. I'm not counting that speech in Temple because it's too sad to be my favorite even if it was amazing. I'm cheating and pretending the Chaldean has at least a little of him in there and saying when he saves our ass from Kirsch that time in Atlantis and then is just like UGH DON'T LOOK AT ME at Fujimaru, like I AM LOOKING DISREPSECTFULLY SIR SORRY

Nero: She's a delight in Septem, but like, so many of her scenes in Extra slap extremely hard, I love her roast of Gawain especially, as does a lot of her my room scenes with Hakuno.

Kid Gil: Not gonna lie, I remember the scene in the Prisma*Illya manga where he absolutely mcfucking nukes someone for using Enkidu and I loved that very much.

Abigail: PANKEKI PANKEKI KURONEKO PANKEKI-- but also, her appearance in the Summercamp event was very sweet and funny.

Idea for a story

Gilles: I would not want to write a story about him XD but frankly, it might be interesting to explore the fact that we've more or less proven the child [redacted] and murder accusations were false, vs the evil psycho persona he's kinda shoved into by the Throne even so.

Will: FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS AND TALK TO OBERON. But no, there could be some fun stuff with his NP if it does what I've heard it does in universe.

Jack: Babey Girl, go have some cute fun with your friends, have a nice day, no murder :)

Solomon: I WILL DRAG YOU HOME BY YOUR VOLUMINOUS HAIR YOU DUMB MAGE GET BACK HERE I AM BEGGING YOU. But also what if Certain People were discovered early is always fun.

Nero: I want to see her and the other Extra+CCC cast actually interact more, BB kind of cockblocked that in the SE.RA.PH Event lmao. Musings on Hakuno vs Fujimaru?

Kid Gil: Exploring the headcanons I'm gonna mention below, or maybe just let him maul his older self for once, that'd be hilarious.

Abigail: A Day in the Life of An Eldritch Child Wandering Around the Chthulu Mythos with Cats and Her Adopted Uncle.

Unpopular opinion

Gilles: .....idk man

Will: IS HE POPULAR? IS HE NOT? IS WANTING TO SUPLEX HIM INTO THE FLOOR POPULAR OR NOT IDK MAN

Jack: She looks FINE you guys.

Solomon: IDK? He's SO at least 50% of the Chaldean I'm CONVINCED OF THIS FACE OKAY, I'M COPING.

Nero: I'm not really sure? I hear some people aren't really a fan of her in FGO compared to Extra, but I think she's fine?

Kid Gil: I'm not sure if having mixed feelings about him is popular or not, to be honest?

Abigail: IDK XD

Favorite relationship

Gilles: N/A do not approach any Jeanne

Will: Him and Hans are fucking hysterical, to be honest, but I'd love interactions with him and Oberon. Just for the lols.

Jack: Her and the other littles in Chaldea and Amakusa is absolutely fucking precious.

Solomon: [lies down] Sheba....Fujimaru....Mash..........

Nero: Her and Hakuno to be quite fucking honest. But also her and Lizzie is hysterical.

Kid Gil: shrug emojis into the distance, actually

Abigail: Her and Lavinia, her and Fujimaru.

Favorite headcanon

Gilles: I do not think about him XD

Will: Hm....I'm not sure, I can't think of any XD He and Hans drunk write way too often for everyone's own good. Hans wouldn't even drunk, but Will MAYYYY be coerced into writing fanfic for people.

Jack: She really, really likes raspberry jam. Strawberry is also okay, but raspberry is her favorite. Put it on everything.

Solomon: UHHHHHHHHHH he's at least in part the Chaldean. He's not a generally good person as Solomon, he's very terse and grumpy. Let him live. He's tired.

Nero: Despite the whole Gilfest/Nerofest rivalry, Nero WILL hang out and drink with Gil sometimes, they get very loud and obnoxious (and they'll talk about Hakuno sometimes).

Kid Gil: This is implied in some My Room dialogue and probably in Hollow Ataraxia which I haven't read, but I do definitely double down on the idea that Kid Gil isn't actually what Gil was like as a child, but the what the Gil we know in the present day would be like if he were a child. That's Kid Gil, not Gil as a kid. And he's very aware of this, and he wonders quite a bit about what he was ACTUALLY like.

Abigail: In my 'verse, she is one of the only people aware of the fact that my Fujimaru is running in a reset timeline, as the first one was a terminal bad end my Fujimaru's little brother - the Master at the time - reset to let his sister have a try. She's extra protective of my Fujimaru for his sake, because Big Brother wouldn't want anything to happen to his big sister.

[lovingempress]

To review- not only have I finally gotten my beloved Sparrow to Bond 10 (a momentous task to be sure), I yet again cement my title as Onee-san in other games 😭 (I’d say “kid attractor” but that just sounds so wrong out of context). Enterprising friends may note that I have NP4 of the new Archer Summer Prisma Ilya (still not too sure how to feel about that, especially since I also somehow got Kiara-san out of it as well). I also, somehow, got a STHENO of all characters while pulling in July 4th, as well as - not one, but TWO Saber Lilys from the friendship banner of all things???! I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU COULD GET 4 STAR SERVANTS FROM THE FRIENDSHIP BANNER- HELLO???!

*coughs into fist* In other gaming news, I have to say- the gacha system in Twisted Wonderland isn’t bad so far! I got a Birthday Leona during that event, and the beginning gacha reroll is incredibly forgiving (though I was too lazy to actually try it out- I just kept what I started off with LOL). However, with this new event... Fam, my luck is generally terrible (especially my gacha luck, as Genshin can tell), so forgive me for yelling but HOW DID I GET TWO ORTHOS IN ONE PULL??? HELLO??? Screaming sobbing shaking- I just wanted a Stargazer Gear Deuceeeeeeeeeeee ORZ

*sighs* well, Ortho is also cute, and I did get two Idias from the 10 pull before, so maybe I should have expected that he would want to join his big brother, huh… though I have to say, damn Idia is kinda cute! The sweater paws are just so adorable, and his Lab (?) SR card really gives off unexpected sex appeal

[featherburnt]

➥ Til the Hurt is Gone: Bloodfeather

Title: A Lead Part #: 17 Pairing: Hawks x m!OC Word Count: 10,176  Tags: Blood, vague medical setting, poor medical treatment, government negligence, i have no understanding of how concussions work or even how Hawks would know that, mentions of prostitution, mentions of human trafficking, and more i’m sure

Summary: For three years, the hero Hellhound has been hunting, infiltrating groups of villains and probing for information in his search for one named Sonata, the former hero Prisma. A U.A. graduate, he should know better. He should be protecting civilians, hunting down villains when ordered, but his heart lingers on the pains of old memories, the hot desire for retribution burning in his chest. On one fateful night, when the enemy is locked in his sights, a man with vermillion wings snuffs the flames seated in his palms, using his words to burrow under his skin like a fowl little bug. What will he do then? Will he continue his hunt, or will boiling blood finally cool?

Gripped by apathy and doubt, Hawks receives a phone call from someone unexpected - and happens to come across someone else that makes him nervous.

As always, minors do not interact.

Two Days Later, 3:00PM

     Hawks stood by the sink, idly washing the steadily drying blood from his hands while Hellhound slept, detached and apprehensive.

     It’d been nearly two full days since the mock battle with Tarot, and Hellhound had yet to show any signs of regaining consciousness. Hawks had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on him, monitoring his injuries and changing his flesh-and-blood addled bandages when needed, when the time had been afforded to him. He’d kept busy in between check-ins with the infirmary, poking his head into his agency in Fukuoka and putting in a few calls, doing favors, doing work, digging through archives and the odd How-To to help put some things into perspective, connect some dots, and scrounge for information on Kioku Nusumi and her allies, but it’d been scarce at best. The circumstances he’d found himself in since he agreed to sit down with Nogitsune for the first time required an exercise in common sense, especially given that no one involved seemed to have any; Emotions ran too high on one hand, and the demand for secrecy - or, at least, ambiguity - left far too many questions unanswered on the other. Of course, much more had come to mind than puzzling out the Director’s true intentions or the threat that was looming over them, but he hadn’t much wanted to dwell on his own sentiments, having not been as discerning as he should’ve been, too invested in a kindred spirit.

     Even if that’s what it meant to be a hero, to invest oneself in the safety, protection, and betterment of others’ lives, he was toeing a dangerous line.

     He closed his eyes, digging flakes of blood out from between the creases in his palms and rinsing them away under the steady flow of water, his thoughts circling his mind like vultures starved for carrion - only, Hellhound was the proverbial carcass, where all his thoughts had been stemming from for nearly a week. 

     It was both a monumental pain in the ass and cause of genuine concern to so quickly be thoroughly entangled in Nogitsune’s mess and the Director’s plans, to the point any direct action he took would affect the outcome in some way, however major or minor, and sentimentality and kinship was assuredly affecting him now. His influence over Hellhound was perhaps minimal, but he’d already begun to see small differences in his demeanor, watching as whatever hopeful words he could spare in the moment seeded and took root. For every bit of fear and anger burning within Hellhound, there was a small, quiet, stubborn effort to keep moving forward that ran adjacent to his baseline persistence, and while Hawks couldn’t rightly take credit for it, he knew it was in part thanks to his encouragement that Hellhound was able to face the Director - and Tarot - at all. To be of use, to be helpful, to do what he could in too tight a spot– He was grateful to have been able to do anything to lessen the burden, if only because there’d not been anyone to do the same for him, and there was a bothersome sort of irony in that, to not want to deal with any of this at all and yet diving in head-first anyway. 

     Despite this one win, however, Hawks had directly contributed to Hellhound’s suffering, forsaking him as he begged for help the only way he knew how; Silently and with fear in his eyes.

     There were still a great number of things that needed to be done, but the most important had been taken care of - keeping Hellhound, at the very least, alive. What came next would invariably change everything, or it wouldn’t, or it would in a way that wouldn’t be immediately obvious, provided Hellhound awakened. Before, Hawks had been certain informing him of his failure to kill Prisma would only further deteriorate his mental and emotional state, teetering on the deciding line, but, now, after having made his calls and seen that the truth really and truly mattered most to Hellhound, he would tell him the moment he woke. Both his and Nogitsune’s lives hung in the balance, after all, and nothing could be done about the Commission, their relationship, Prisma, or anything else unless the truth had been revealed and an appropriately united front could be amassed. 

      Provided Hellhound came to.

     He heaved a sigh, opening his eyes to glance down at his hands, the suds collecting around his fingers reddish with the wash of blood as he scrubbed and scrubbed, picking at what was caked under his fingernails. 

     But Nogitsune’s lack of interference where he’d made a promise to do so had only further muddied the circumstances; The tenderness of Hellhound’s heart and oppressive weight crushing his mind were unbearably obvious and difficult to see, and there weren’t enough people who cared about the effects of what they inflicted upon him - or anyone else. Nogitsune could be placed into both categories, as one who cared but not enough. It was clear to anyone with a pair of eyes that his intentions were obscured, his actions never matching his words, and perhaps it was naive to think he would act appropriately in the first place, or follow through on the loud proclamations he swore. It seemed, to Hawks, that Nogitsune wanted, desperately, to play an active role in Hellhound’s life - to help - but he was a complicated man, in the end. Would acting, would intervening, have helped Hellhound in the long- or short-run? Doing so had proven little more than a means of anchoring him to the falsehoods spun by the Commission, irrevocably entangled him in a line of work, organization, and series of events that’d only brought him harm. By the time anything could be done about the Commission, Hellhound would never be the same person again, either a shadow or triumphant representation of himself, but a ghost nevertheless. Trauma, pain, betrayal, and extreme physical injury changed people; Why would he be any different?

     And why should Nogitsune’s willful betrayal at every turn be forgiven? He’d broken to pieces every one of Hellhound’s boundaries by abandoning him to his fate, tacitly setting him up for failure in the hopes he would find a way to succeed, lying to him about numerous vital aspects of his life in the horrifically vain hopes that he was protecting him. Wasn’t he stubborn enough? Wasn’t he strong enough? Hadn’t Nogitsune drug him through the mud enough times for him to know , right off, that he could do it himself without that which was most important to him? Did Nogitsune not see that, after his mother’s death, their friendship was one of the few things Hellhound still had…? And, now, even in the beginning, they were reaping the fruits of his labor - with Hellhound unconscious and slipping evermore into reaches few could bring him back from.

     Hawks picked at his cuticles, pressing his fingers into his calloused palms beneath the stream, gently clenching his fist as he washed around his wrists and lower forearms.

     Maybe it was hypocritical of him, to criticize Nogitsune - he was never blameless in all this, not from the start.

     It’d taken hours, when he’d gotten Hellhound to the empty infirmary, to clean his wounds and even longer to stop the bleeding, underprepared and short on time, and since, it had only become marginally less difficult to replace his bandages. He’d been careful, however, keeping his hands clean every step of the way as a pair of nitrile gloves had been, somehow, entirely impossible to locate. 

     There must’ve been a shortage - probably - but even if that had been the case, for there to be no spare gloves anywhere he'd looked didn't bode well. 

     Luckily, however, none of Hellhound’s injuries had shown any signs of infection, which was a miracle unto itself when taking into account the sheer amount of filth and debris in the water with which Tarot assaulted him and especially that Hawks' hands had been bare, though the possibility yet remained. But Hawks had been careful there, too, to wash it all away. His burns hadn’t been as severe as the ones he incurred during the fight with Bat Wing, but Tarot had done a number on him and seeing him more broken, more defeated than ever in so brief a passage of time brought to heel Hawks’ own faint hopefulness. He was worried, wordlessly watching over him while he slept, going through everything that’d led up to that point in his head, but what pricked at him most was the possibility Hellhound might not wake up.

     When he’d gotten him to the infirmary and finally had the chance to survey the damage properly, Hellhound’s head had been split open in a few troubling spots - most notably, his temples and the back of his skull - and while Hawks had no expert knowledge on head trauma, it was clear that the damage had been great. It was enough to knock him out and keep him out of commission for a few days now, which could only mean he’d suffered a severe concussion or worse on top of his numerous other injuries. It didn’t much matter the type of injury it was, however, because, either way, he hadn’t woken, didn’t show any signs of waking, and the damage done to his brain was enough to keep him in this unresponsive, sleeping state. Gashes caused by repeated impact against tile and stone, fractures, smaller and decidedly negligible cuts here and there, bruises, swelling–

      Did Tarot intend to leave him with permanent injuries…? If he couldn’t kill him, he was going to do everything he could to sabotage any possible progress, and head injuries like these–

     It was by some impossible miracle by the grace of some merciful god that he was able to keep the worst of it from worsening, holding shock at bay, but his usefulness here was nearing its end.

     Hawks rinsed and shook the water from his hands, absently reaching for a small handful of paper towels to finish, and, then, he stepped away from the sink, turning on his heel and looking thoughtfully upon Hellhound’s unconscious form. He tentatively approached the side of the bed, sliding on his costume gloves as he made his way around the other beds and side tables, tossing the wad of paper towels aside. A bitter expression spread across his face and he made no move to conceal it. 

     He should’ve done more, should’ve intervened more deterministically, but he hadn’t - couldn’t . The risks posed were more than a mere roadblock and if he’d more obviously broken the rules, the consequences would’ve been swiftly realized. Where Hellhound may have been subjected to torture, imprisoned, or forced to watch Nogitsune die, Hawks would’ve likely been entreated to the same or worse. Maybe his own mother would’ve been taken, murdered– 

     He forced himself to lay that thought to rest for the time being, a hand rising to settle on the guard rail lining Hellhound’s bed. 

     He couldn’t have done more, but he wished the circumstances allowed him the room, and even if it was effectively out of his hands, it was his turn to take the blame for Hellhound’s continued victimization. A precedent had been set and he’d done nothing to change it, thinking it best to bide his time so he might learn, gather information, build his strength until the moment to strike had come - and how idiotic a choice it was to make. What'd generally always been a sound strategy had spectacularly failed, blowing up in his face like a prejudicial bomb. Hellhound yet again suffered most, now bedridden and comatose, due to the incompetence of all those around him - Hawks included.

     Even the best of them all made bad fucking judgement calls. 

      I owe you an apology, pup…

     He looked Hellhound over, scanning his body for any injuries he may have missed, but nothing stuck out to him. Every bruise he had was now darker, particularly the ones around his swollen eyes and nose - which had already been awful in the first place - blackish purple in color. His burgundy hair stuck to him in a knotted mess, unnaturally parted in some areas due to his head injuries, but Hawks was sure to keep his hair out of his face with a cool, damp cloth wrapped around a cold pack on his forehead to help prevent any spikes in his temperature. He placed a number of cold packs around his body, too, and further insulated them with bundles of ice in spots already prone to heightened temperatures in the hopes it might help to minimize any differences in temperature. It was dangerous to leave him without any form of regulation and he’d seen as much with his own eyes not once, but twice now. 

     Hellhound contained within him a wealth of power and it seemed to shift and change right before Hawks’ eyes every time it was used, but for as vast and flashy a well it was, it’d been noticeably weaker during the mock battle than before, when they’d crossed paths with Bat Wing. Brilliant and beautiful, even strangely relieving in its own right, but no matter how brightly his flame burned, it was predicated on a foundation of panic. Hellhound could level a city block under the right conditions; Had he been so shaken, so rattled, with fear of Tarot that even after transforming into that horrible, skinless, monstrous beast and using his flames to fly across the training field, he couldn’t actually go beyond? Tarot intimidated him into muting his own quirk, frantically diluting his power out of sheer, seemingly unlimited fear, and only righteous anger had been his saving grace. Yet, still, somehow it was like watching a completely different person fight - a weaker, less discerning man.

     But, still, he fought and won regardless of his fears, and, to Hawks, that spoke highly of his strength, even if he’d wound up in another hospital bed in the end. It meant his strength could falter but would never truly fade, that the rawness of his emotions had been both a blessing and a curse.

     If only he’d never been forced into this position.

     Hawks took a small, miniscule comfort in knowing that Hellhound hadn’t lied about his supposed ability to fly, however new and infantile it was.

     He furrowed his brow, allowing his gaze to travel along the narrow slopes of Hellhound’s cheeks to the swell of his scarred and split lips, absently counting every freckle and knick dappling his coppery skin. Lengths of long, chunky burgundy pooled all around him, mussed and filthy, and he thought it complimented the many other aspects of his physical attributes; As injured and dirty as he was, he could still be handsome, and, in some ways, that made Hawks all the more bitter - not that he really cared about looks to any tangible capacity. It was simply a shame that Hellhound should be entreated to so much pain, to countless old wounds getting ripped open over and over again, and to be handsome even still. 

     Pain wasn’t supposed to be beautiful, and it wasn’t, yet here he was, sleeping soundly in the gloom where the sunlight could not reach him.

     Suddenly, his cell phone began to buzz, vibrating noisily in his jacket pocket and jarring him from his tumultuous stupor. He let it continue, prolonging the inevitable as he apprehensively stared down at Hellhound, but, then, he answered, only briefly checking the caller ID. A restricted number scrolled across the screen.

     He didn’t dare utter a word, listening to the quiet feedback crackling in his ear.

     “Hawks, sweetheart.” A woman’s voice came through, uniquely sultry in tone, and decidedly firm, commanding, powerful despite its sensuous lilt. Though he hadn’t been able to get ahold of her since his first meeting with Nogitsune, he knew, instantly, that it was none other than Crovita herself.

     “Sorry, who is this? How’d you get this number? Don’tcha know it’s rude to call people when they’re at work?” he said playfully, furrowing his brow and tightening his grip around the guard rail, his words not betraying how he felt in truth. He tried to keep his voice low to respect Hellhound’s rest, but he would leave before too long. He had much to do before the day was out.

     “You’re cute, but not that cute,” Crovita purred plainly, unamused. “We need to talk, darling. Lend an ear, won’t you? It’ll only be a moment.”

     She was being uncharacteristically pleasant , but he knew the truth. She was not to be trifled with and, in some instances, she’d been more frightening than he’d cared to admit - and that only covered what he’d heard through rumors .

     “What’s it gonna cost me, Crovita? Ya never wanna talk unless there’s somethin’ in it for you. What’s the play? Whadda ya want?”

     “All I want to know is how Hellhound is faring. Is he all right? Tarot didn’t hurt him too badly, did he? He’s been through quite enough, my dear, and I won’t be pleased if anything’s happened to him that cannot be reversed.” Her tone steadily dipped, more serious now.

     “How’d ya find out about Tarot?” he asked, already knowing the answer. Either she spoke to Nogitsune or Tarot himself, or managed to successfully undermine the many security protocols  put into place by the Commission - one of the two, maybe even both. Slowly, he released the guard rail and took a step backward, away from the bed, his gaze lingering on the bruises around Hellhound’s eyes and the long, burgundy lashes framing them for a few spare moments until he finally turned away. 

     “I have my sources, sweetheart, as you have yours. Will you tell me, please? I’ll give you what information I have on Kioku Nusumi in return, since you’ll be… assisting Hellhound. I’m afraid it won’t be as comprehensive as either of us would like it to be, however, but you’ll make do. You’re good at that.”

     “Ya sure it’s wise to talk about it over the phone? Ya never know who might be eavesdropping, y’know, and the Commission’s awfully nosy.” 

     He guessed she knew about Kioku Nusumi in much the same manner as the latter or perhaps due to some amount of experience, and he would oblige her, of course, and not only because she was willing to trade information for something so plain as a status report. Playing her game would yield results, that was true, but there was something tugging at the man in him, not the hero, an urge borne of sentimentality - respect for the good-natured concern Crovita so rarely displayed. That was reason enough for him, in the moment; He could afford to ask questions and be a mite liberal…

     “Don’t be silly, dear. My line is encrypted and the Commission won’t bother with me. There’s a reason I called you now and not before or later.”

     “Clever girl, aren’tcha? Sometimes I forget you have all your fingers in all the right pies.” He paused, walking toward the infirmary’s door, intending to leave, something small and quiet stalling him once more. For the briefest moment, he took one last look at the unconscious hero, pity and worry twisting his guts. “Hellhound’s been unconscious for a couple of days now, ever since the fight. Somehow, nothin’s broken, but he took a few blows to the head. He’s most likely got a grade-four concussion. Took a while to stop the bleeding, but he’s been taken care of; It’s just gonna take some time for him to wake up.” Stepping into the hallway, he shut the door behind him and leaned against the wall across from it, unperturbed by the diminished size of his wings. He’d flown back and forth between his agency in Fukuoka and Commission HQ in Shizuoka; It was no wonder his wings were small, almost unnoticeable really, but that was neither here nor there. “He’ll be okay. You know - better than I do - that he’s too stubborn to let something like this keep him down.”

     She sighed deeply and grumbled something to herself he couldn’t quite discern, but he had a hunch nonetheless. 

     He wanted to believe what he was saying, too, that Hellhound would get back up again with all the same fiery tenacity he’d shown since their first meeting.

     “And– Tarot?”

     He wrinkled his nose in disgust. He didn’t stop himself.

     “Hellhound sure took a beating from him, but turned it back around ten-fold. Didn’t stop until he was knocked out and even then, he was on edge– Tarot’s broken in more places - seriously, turned that guy into a human pretzel - I’ll put it that way.”

     “...I see. Hellhound prevailed.” She fell silent for a time; She was employed at the Foxfire Agency when both Tarot and Hellhound were there. She knew a great deal more about their relationship, no doubt thinking about it now. A sigh came through the speaker, as if she’d released a breath she’d been holding for many years, then, “That’s good. I’m relieved to hear it.”

     Hawks jammed his free hand into his pocket, wondering why she really called him, what she wanted from him. She was never the type to make phone calls out of the blue, so it’d always been difficult getting ahold of her and staying in contact; Her numbers always changed or were often restricted and she was better at covering her tracks than even the best of the best, keeping a few hackers in close and amicable proximity. Scrambling or encrypting data or any communicative function was child’s play for her. The Lady of the Underground, dark and terrible as any villain but as virtuous and focused as any hero besides, kept herself out of the limelight and everyone else at a distance for the sole purpose of handling the shadier aspects of heroism without interruption nor elevated risk. Having an understanding of how the world worked beyond rigid morality was as important as it was inconvenient for societal narratives, diametrically opposing the Hero Public Safety Commission’s public motto, in an effort to limit or dampen drug and human trafficking directly and at a high rate of success. She didn’t have the time to entertain conversations about bygone eras or long lost friends when waiting on a deal to go through with the foul and unrepentant dregs of society; Saving the victims of would-be traffickers from a short lifetime of forced drug dependency, rape, torture, experimentation, and other crimes was her chief M.O. The rest could and would often fall by the wayside. 

     So, what did she have to say? What did she know about Kioku Nusumi, Tarot, and Hellhound? Nogitsune? What did she really want to know: every last detail, or a brief summary? And what of the Director? What did she already know? What was she digging for exactly, and would it be a profitable exchange? What did she have to offer that would lighten both his and Hellhound’s load…?

      Maybe I’m being a bit too cautious here.

     “He put up one hell of a fight, Crovita, hard as it was for him… It was difficult to watch,” he continued plainly, through tight lips. “But, maybe it was good for him to confront Tarot, even if the circumstances are wholly unethical… There’s nothin’ saying he’ll be okay after this, less sayin’ he’ll make a full recovery, but he’ll have one less thing haunting him. That’s for sure.”

      Presumptuous, maybe…

     “Perhaps, my dear, perhaps,” she said smoothly, the faint clinking of glass and metal worming through his phone’s feedback, high-pitched static on the same frequency. “It sounds like you had a direct hand in treating his injuries. “Whisking him away like a thief in the night to the nearest hospital for care wasn’t an option?”

      You’ve got eyes everywhere, huh? Seems like Hellhound wasn’t dead or missing so much as his appearances went unreported, ignored even. Sounds like you pulled some strings, Crovita, if you’re letting this slip now, and with your network of informants and hackers, I’m willing to bet you knew Hellhound was alive all along. Helping him, too, in your own unique, hands-off sort of way; Maybe working with Nogitsune all the while…

     Does everyone from Foxfire operate like this? Two for two, now.

     He glanced at the ceiling tiles above, ignoring the fluorescent tubal lighting outright. Having even one of his suspicions confirmed was enough; He wasn’t going to call her out on it.

     “Nah, you know how the Director is. Wheeling Hellhound into a hospital the same day he’s released from one would ruffle too many feathers. Had to stay in-house with this one. Trouble is, there wasn’t any staff in the infirmary when I brought him and no one’s turned up since, so I’ve had to stitch him up and swap everything out on my own. The Director’s keeping everything concerning him hush-hush, for the most part, so it’s not surprising.” He drew his gaze from above and shot it down both ends of the empty hallway, swallowing thinly. “Frustrating, though. It’s like they want him to fail–”

     “Sabotage, subtle or bold, friend or foe. The Commission has always had a penchant for simultaneously putting all their eggs in one basket and promptly dropping it into the abyss.” She clicked her tongue and sucked in a breath. “I appreciate your honesty.”

     She didn’t want to hear any more; He could take the hint. 

      “Lying to you doesn’t exactly seem like it would help the situation any, an’ I’ve gotta feeling Hellhound would have a bit of a problem with me refusing to play ball - with an old friend he probably owes his life to.”

      “You’re catching on quickly, darling,” Crovita cooed, the hints of a smile filtering into her voice. “But I digress. You’ve done as I asked. In return, I’ll tell you anything you wish to know  about Kioku Nusumi - for Hellhound’s sake.”

      Perfect. He already knew just what to ask.

     “How did you find out he was assigned to her case?” A suspicious tone threatened to leak into his words, hanging on the trail of his sentence by little more than a thread. “Your timing’s just a little too convenient, even a little suspicious.”

     “Oh, sweetie, was I being too obvious?” she chuckled, almost mockingly. She’d dropped hints deliberately after all, then. “CCTV cameras and computers are a simple thing to hack into, and I wanted to see Hellhound’s press release for myself. It was by chance I saw one Hatsukawa Teiko cavorting with that fiendish little twit, and again, later, that twit with Tarot, when you and Nogitsune’d been occupied with other things. It seems both had information she was willing to risk capture to acquire and her gamble quite paid off, though I believe her schmoozing with Miss Hatsukawa had been purely to… sever a particular line of communication, the results of which only Hellhound will be able to discern.”

     She didn’t answer his question directly. If she learned Hellhound had been assigned to hunting down Kioku Nusumi, it couldn’t have been through a simple hack; Kill orders were classified, completely redacted, and filed away on paper. Who did she talk to before she ever bothered to call him?

     …Nogitsune.

     “Ballsy, I’ll give her that,” he said, deciding to drop his previous question if Crovita was unwilling to answer it in truth. Besides, it wasn’t entirely out of the question that she should know in any way, if she’d been monitoring Hellhound herself and maintaining a relationship with Nogitsune. Still, that implied she’d been relying upon the Kitsune Hero for anything, and if Hawks had known anything at all about her, it was that she was prideful. “Any idea what she was looking for?”

     “Nothing immediately obvious, but Tarot handed her a thumbdrive. What that thumbdrive contains, I’m unsure, but considering she’s Prisma’s right-hand woman and the second-in-command of their little ‘organization’ - the Red Letter; such a dreadfully unoriginal name - it’s clear her intentions were to get inside information. Tarot’s unafraid of the consequences of having and using that gaping hole of a mouth of his, especially if it means he may gain something from it in the end," she posited, allowing a thinly veiled warning to slip. How charitable of her, though he’d no doubts she’d done so on purpose. “Perhaps she was after information on both Hellhound and Bat Wing, or any others they might seek. If that’s true, then their group potentially aims to free one of their own and capture one of ours, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they’re planning something else more damaging than simply that,” Crovita continued, half-musing to herself, a questionable lilt rolling off her tongue as if she were playing coy. “Any day now, they’ll likely make a move and use the resulting commotion to their advantage. It would be best to prepare for that, dear.”

      That’s what I was thinking, too. Gathering intel precludes action. This might be far from their primary objective, but it will be the second time they’ve made a move in less than a week, which means they’re getting bolder - ready to move on to something bigger.

     “What’s on that drive’s gotta be patrols, personnel rosters, schedules, locations, security codes– If any changes are made to what they already know, they’ll get suspicious, turn tail and run. We can’t give them that opportunity, but we can’t hand Bat Wing or Hellhound to them on a silver platter either.”

     “True, if simplistic, but you may have to allow them to escape. The Red Letter won’t suffer another loss so easily. Cowardice - fleeing to safety in order to fight another day - is a viable course of action for them to take, but there will be other opportunities, if you should fail. Every action they’ve taken has sent ripples through the underground, sweetheart, and I can feel them from here. They won’t stop until they have what they want, and what they want - I assume you know - is to usher in a world where only the strong may survive at the expense of the weak, to accelerate and capitalize on the supposed eventuality of the Quirk Singularity Theory. They seem to believe in an extreme form of accelerated darwinism.The details concerning their ideology and how they plan to… excise the cancer of weakness they believe is crippling our society are in their published manifesto,‘ Garden World’ - I recommend picking up a copy. It was released quietly in limited supply alongside Destro’s autobiography, so it largely flew under the radar, only gathering the more studious villains to their side by chance while Destro’s flew off the shelves.”

     Hawks screwed his eyes shut, yanking his hand free of his pocket if only to briefly rub and pinch at the bridge of his nose, beneath his visor. He pried his cellphone from his ear and tilted his head backward and to the side, stretching the muscles in his neck and grimacing all the while. 

     The more he knew, the more involved he was, the more irritating, the more distressing, the circumstances became.

     He pressed his cellphone to his ear once more. Crovita still had plenty to say.

     "However, their vetting and determination processes are extremely thorough, with their focus on quality over quantity. Simply reading their manifesto means little to them if their target audience cannot… walk the walk, so to speak. They only accept those who possess multiple quirks into their ranks, with only one exception to the rule, but even she will outlive her usefulness. Kioku Nusumi - Kanetsuki Utako - was chosen for her intelligence, codependency, and, most importantly, her quirk. She's proven herself quite the worthwhile investment, too, darling, with her ability to add, remove, and scramble one's memories. Her history of involvement and direct employ by the Shie Kanetsuki played heavily into her consideration. Despite her lack of combat prowess and limited scope, she is formidable, and any other villain she's gotten her hands on is wrapped snugly around her finger - and all it takes is her touch. Crossing her is effectively identical to signing your own death warrant, or losing the core of your being to someone who would otherwise dispose of it. "

     He already knew that much. Although–

     "Wait a sec– You said she was chosen to join the Red Letter, in part, for her codependency , implying she's reliant upon something or someone within it. That’s too easy a weakness to exploit."

     "She's just as much a puppet as she is a puppeteer, my dear,” Crovita said, almost somberly. “Prisma keeps her on a long, loose leash, and in exchange for this illusion of freedom, she uses her quirk to brainwash and destroy both friend and foe alike. He plucked her from the clutches of her yakuza family and, now, preys on her need to love and be loved, using her as assuredly as they had. It's tragic, really, that a capable and intelligent woman like that twit should be wasted on the likes of that beast."

     "She’s not someone Hellhound will want to–”

     “Under no circumstances is he to follow that kill order, Hawks. Kioku Nusumi is a villain, yes, and she may even deserve much of what she suffers or has suffered, but she is also a victim of circumstance and in harm’s way at all times. There is a possibility that she may be swayed to surrender. Moreover, executing a member of the Red Letter would only serve to make a martyr of her, thereby emboldening them and pushing yet more to join their side of villainy.”

     “Then we agree.”

     “Quite right, dear. Hellhound may be reckless and idiotic, but he’s no killer and he shouldn’t be forced to be. Still, in the event he succumbs to the heat of his quirk, please, intervene. Nogitsune’s failures cannot be propagated by anyone else, or we will lose Hellhound. Not to villainy, but to death. He can only work with people he trusts implicitly, and if he can’t trust a soul on our side, what hope is there for him? Foster what little trust he’s given to you and let it mean something. To suffer his loss a second time will not bode well with myself nor the other former members of Foxfire, especially if that loss proves permanent.”

      “You’re starting to sound like a gentler version of the Director, like if the Director actually had a heart,” he teased, but there was little meaning behind it, pushing himself off of the wall he’d been leaning against to give his meager wings some room to flex and breathe. 

     Crovita scoffed loudly, as if snorting and sneering and half-screeching like an offended bird. She was a harpy, after all. She spat, “Oh, darling, if I didn’t think cursing was beneath me, I’d rip you to shreds with words alone.”

     He chuckled half-heartedly but said nothing more about it, his mood steadily beginning to change. 

     Another lecture about Hellhound had been altogether unnecessary and he resented that she felt the need to do so, but, at the same time, he understood completely. She was his friend, perhaps his mentor at one time or another, but she was also buried deep in the underbelly of hero society, entrenched in the fight against human trafficking. She couldn’t speak to him herself lest she drag him into that world alongside her, couldn’t impart any wisdom nor information - he was entirely beyond her reach despite being within her line of sight; Her lecture wasn’t about anything more than her fear for his life in any circumstance, and Hawks couldn’t fault her for that.

     People were complex, emotional creatures at the best and worst of times, and she was no different. Neither am I…

     “Thanks for the info, Crovita,” he said soberly. “We’ve got a few leads now.”

     “Not so fast. Before I close this call, there’s something else, dear,” she replied, every bit of irritation in her tone now lost, replaced by something aged and tired. “It would be increasingly beneficial if you both had more help; While you each have your strengths and weaknesses, neither of you can make up for them all, so you will need an extra set of hands - or even two. I suggest you contact Black Knight and Lightbringer, for this will not be an easy undertaking and, as I understand it, Stargazer will also be involved in time– Their approximate locations are in the same city. Tomigaya, Shibuya, to be precise.”

     “Already tried Black Knight. He hasn’t returned any of my calls and I’ve been trying for a week now. ‘Sides, he’s retired–”

     She cut him off quickly. Again.

     “Not technically, dear. Abandoning one’s post is quite a different thing, but I digress. A man like him cannot stay idle for long and, in truth, he’s been quite busy with an…unconventional case, I’ll put it that way. One that would be rather scandalous in today’s sociopolitical climate. There’s an American immigrant by the name of Fait Miris - a young, gay immigrant - currently stuck in a horrific set of circumstances all his own, both legally and criminally, and Black Knight has taken a keen interest in his case. Perhaps you could lend him a hand.”

     “Give a little, get a little. I get what you’re saying. What’s so special about this case? The way you’re dancing around it, it sounds like it’s more unsavory than merely being non-standard.” It sounds like you’re hinting at something worse than this guy being a gay immigrant. Sex worker, maybe?

     “Oh, this boy is special, darling, and for more than one reason. Faith, as he’s called in most circles, is not only pursued by Black Knight, but he’s also Hellhound’s only living relative. His older brother, in fact. He is entirely unknown to Hellhound and, as I think of him now, perhaps if he knew of him, the potentiality that he might allow himself to be killed could be eliminated.”

     “Why doesn’t he know about him?”

     “He’s a prostitute–”

     Thought so.

      “--and has kept himself from contacting Hellhound directly to kindle a familial bond because he knows exactly how that would appear to on-lookers, the media, and the government alike. As much as he’d like to, he simply won’t allow it; Preserving Hellhound’s reputation is decidedly an incredibly important brotherly goal for him to take on, dear. Anything else is simply none of our business.”

     Hawks thought about what might await him on the other end of that, what Black Knight could really be investigating - or if Crovita’d been using such language to imply something else . In which case, he hadn’t much cared; It’s not as if he wasn’t also in a relatively precarious position with his own sexuality, but, more than that, assuming it was an intimate relationship in the first place was presumptuous however expected. Black Knight was a discerning man who rarely erred in interpersonal judgments, and this extended well into his hero work, proving just how seriously he took it. Helping people came at an already unfathomable cost at times, and while he wasn't cartoonishly overpowered like so many others, he applied his reasoning and 'boots on the ground' approach to nearly all situations, often a first responder to even the best and worst of catastrophic events. 

     There was no reason for Hawks to assume anything. It was kind of Black Knight to lend a hand to someone in need, speaking volumes of his deep-seated principles. That’s what made him a hero, even after he’d retired, isn’t it?

     Whatever ended up being the case, the give a little, get a little principle would suffice for the moment; Hawks couldn’t begrudge a man making a positive difference in his own way, especially as it pertained to that which no one was willing to talk about outright.

     “I’ll see what I can do,” he said, casting sidelong glances down either end of the hallway. No one had come to bother him and there’d been no cameras in this particular hall - a rare stroke of luck he wasn’t willing to snub. “It’d be worth looking into, at least.”

     Crovita let out a pleased coo, purring like a dove on a cool spring morning - which, while specific as hell, was as accurate as it got. “I’ll keep my eyes open and forward you any information I receive that might be useful to you, dear, but that will be the extent of my help. You understand, of course.”

     “Totally get it, Crovita. This was more than enough. Getting a head start will be more helpful than you know,” he offered graciously, tipping his head back to breathe a hushed breath. “Thanks, again.”     And just like that, the line was abruptly cut, the frequency skipping a few beats before fizzling into static and, finally, silence.

     He stashed his phone away in his pocket, hoping Crovita would keep her word, but with all she’d told him, he now knew where to look properly instead of trying to grasp at straws. He didn’t know everything and couldn’t always get every little detail of every little thing - it’s unrealistic to think anyone could - but he would be able to piece together that much more of the puzzle even with Hellhound’s incapacitation. Before he could begin, however, he was going to check the evening-shift roster for Commission employees once again - and pray to whatever gods still in existence that someone in the medical field was scheduled; He’d be satisfied with a phlebotomist, at this point, but Hellhound needed better care than that, especially with how severe his injuries had been. And, if he’d been so worried about his head injuries, then he’d better act with haste.

     With a, somehow, renewed sense of purpose, Hawks shirked the restless, detached sort of anxiety that’d been pricking at him, weighing him down. There was no use in allowing himself to dwell on the harsh realities of the situation when he’d already accepted them, frustrated, apprehensive, and troubled as he’d been. Hellhound was depending on him, whether either of them wanted this to be true or not, and it was then, in that moment, that Hawks realized just how far-reaching his influence on their circumstances really was. While teamwork was decidedly something he’d wanted to work on with him and use to strengthen their slow-burn friendship, it would be that friendship that ultimately decided whether or not Hellhound would pull through the rest of all this. He hated that more than he could rightly say–

     What if he failed him? He’d already dropped the ball twice, and even if he hadn’t betrayed Hellhound, he certainly hadn’t helped him out of the unreasonably painful battles he’d been forced to fight up to this point, emotionally or physically. He was wanted by the enemy, wanted by their allies, and spit on by both, and his position between them all was precarious already; One wrong move, one more misstep, and would the worst not come? Would he not have failed yet another hero, another man, another person - Especially when given even a shred of information that may yet turn the tide for them? He didn’t have the option to stumble and fall here.

     He stood upright and straightened himself, swallowing thickly.

     If he could make use of what little remained of his wings to get to Shibuya, then he could potentially recruit Black Knight and Lightbringer. The way Crovita talked about the two made it seem as if they retained a promising amount of loyalty toward Hellhound, but what he knew of either one clashed with that implication; It didn’t have anything to do with him in specific, however, as both were incredibly distrustful on principle. Perhaps Nogitsune was to thank for that, but, as it were, he couldn’t afford not to try, even if Black Knight had denied him thus far. Lightbringer was loud and angrier than any of the former Foxfire members as far as he knew, but he was soft of heart in a similar fashion to Hellhound, so swaying him first might prove more fruitful than the latter hero. With him in tow, he’d have better luck convincing Black Knight to lend a hand, provided he delivered on a bit of quid-pro-quo himself.

     For now, that would have to be the plan.

     Hawks immediately vacated the hallway without giving the situation any further thought, keeping his steps even but quick so as not to arouse any suspicion from anyone else wandering the halls of this wing of Commission headquarters; He knew meeting Black Knight and Lightbringer and speaking with them directly would yield far better results than lingering outside the infirmary and making phone calls ever would, but he couldn’t afford to alert the Commission to his intentions in the meantime. If Crovita had hacked Commission security as he suspected, they would surely be on an elevated alert and behaving outside of expectation could result in forestalling and needless distractions.

     Time was short, and he still had Hellhound to consider. Ensuring medical staff would be in - and finding a way to convince them to visit the infirmary and monitor Hellhound; Bribery, perhaps? - was imperative; He needed to be certain he would awaken soon and that the worst of his injuries possibly weren’t as bad as he’d thought… Knowing better and hoping for the reverse could be forgiven, right? 

     Regardless, as he now stood before an elevator, eyeing the dully glowing button he’d pressed on approach, he knew his personal feelings were irrelevant. It was a hero’s duty to help those who needed it and where things stood now, with Hellhound incapacitated and the Commission ordering him to train to kill in the midst of a mission, threats looming over everyone’s heads they would follow through on, he hadn’t much confidence he’d be effective in his endeavor to do just that. He’d seen worse things, done maybe equally as horrible, and though he understood that change never came easy and there were simply going to be many circumstances where he could do nothing , he never could get used to it. But if he ever wanted to see an end to this seemingly endless cycle, he had to play the long game. Trouble is, he’s running out of time, and he’d begun to feel pressed, hurried. Wouldn’t anyone ? Even so, as much as he wanted to give himself even a little leeway, it wasn’t right for him to give himself any excuses. Harsh a conclusion though it may have been, he had principles and the will to maintain them through even the worst of circumstances - he’d better start acting like it.

     Hellhound wasn’t the only one who ought to be brave, hopeful. Even pretending to be could be helpful to weather what storms may come, and that would just have to be enough.

     As the elevator skidded along its track, quietly squealing and grinding, Hawks eyed the plain red numbers blinking between floors; It was altogether a short trip and, he thought, he may as well have taken the stairs. The infirmary was a small, contained area in the HQ building, appearing as just another office on the surface, hardly standing out from the others. He’d thought it was by design, as the methodology surrounding it had long been established as a pattern.

     The silvery doors of the elevator opened slowly; He waited until they were fully ajar  before slipping between them and out onto the next floor, intending to narrow down on the daily infirmary staffing and see who got stuck with the evening shift. As simple as that’d sounded, there were other locations within the building that provided some form of medical care and each had differing schedules, but none had been assigned to this wing for the last two days. Hopefully, someone would finally show up for a shift and the work week could begin. 

     With light, relaxed steps, he continued down a short series of hallways, a right followed by a left before a long bay of half-shaded windows with planters beset with faux flowers and elephant-ear ferns and plain wooden seating lining them in opposite to a small medical office. The glass door was frosted and set in mahogany-painted steel, framed by other windows - This part of the building faced the courtyard below; He could see it more clearly this time, all the littlest details more sharply defined, trees of varying species and carefully arranged flowerbeds dotting a neatly manicured lawn all arranged according to curving walkways and stairways, a medium-sized koi pond somewhere near the middle. It was almost pretty in its minimalist simplicity. A passing glance had been enough, however, and he veered toward the frosted glass door, effortlessly easing into the entryway and approaching the chart nearest the front desk. 

     He scanned the room, gaze accounting for all the usual things being in all the usual places but honing in on what disrupted that mundanity, a plain canvas tote bag with a black parka draped over it; A single All Might charm and deep blue puffball had been clipped to the bag’s straps just dangling off the counter of the front desk. Faintly, he heard the whirring and gurgling of an older model coffee pot - he was grateful for the quietude.

     Only a single person had been written into the schedule for this day, and he was grateful for that, too , though he was surprised to see whose name it was, shocked that fortune would be his for the taking, as apprehensive as he was.

     Sumoyo Furie had always been a medically focused agent, but he struck his claim within Commission ranks when he’d proven himself to them; Frequent recovery field missions before, during, and after both major and minor operations tended to do that. His skill set varied greatly, though he specialized in trauma care, orthopedics, and short-term physical therapy, but none of that is what made him great; He was a man of precious few words, his mouth practically sewn shut. The trivialities of human connection hadn’t seemed to ever interest him, and such was how he made his living, offering his silence and vaguely detailed medical prowess in trade for what appeared to satisfy his needs; A worthwhile business arrangement for him, it seemed. The Commission didn’t call upon him unless they aimed to maintain complete secrecy, so it was clear to him they’d known something was up, wanting to deal with Hellhound quickly and quietly. Furie wasn’t here to kill him, he knew that; That wasn’t his job anymore.

     Furia retired under the hero name Euphony years ago, just after All Might’s biggest battle with All For One, and hadn’t done any traditional or classified hero work since. Slipping into HQ for an evening shift as a nurse didn’t count. 

     Hawks peered around the corner down a short hall where a handful of patient rooms could be seen in direct opposition to another desk and series of break rooms and offices, archival, supply, biohazard storage and janitorial rooms, too. The coffee machine had still been gurgling, drops of water plipping to the bottom of the glass coffee pot. Furies was still busying himself with his coffee, but he no doubt knew Hawks had wandered in. If he had not come out to greet him, then perhaps he ought not bother him at all; He wouldn’t talk anyway, and Hawks could trust that Hellhound would have his wounds seen to appropriately. 

     They weren’t going to kill him, not when they’d invested so much time into him already. 

     Or, so he hoped.

     Maybe he should greet Furie, let him know someone had their eyes on the situation. Just in case, just in case . Just to satisfy the irrationality gnawing at his brain.

     Casually, he stepped away from the day’s schedule and swaggered down the hall to stand in the doorway of the small break room, his eyes quickly finding the slender, delicate, yet still uniquely masculine Furie with a pair of mugs set before him on the counter, both white. His wild snowy hair had grown since the last Hawks had seen him, strands of messy white dusting the spot between his sloping shoulders, uninterrupted by the strange, knitted material of his high-collar. He wore shades of dark and light purple amid black and white accents, all fabrics of varying textures and patterns; A pair of tactical harem pants outfitted with numerous pockets, strapping, and more, and a sleeveless, high-collared shirt to match, along with a pair of calf-high boots. The black jacket at the desk must’ve somehow brought his outfit together, but it was odd nonetheless, perhaps fitting Furie’s half-hearted stoicism. An eccentricity.

     There he stood, nursing the empty mugs. 

     “How’s it hangin’, Euphony? Never thought I’d see ya here again. How long’s it been, five years?” Hawks said with no small amount of suspicious friendliness - deliberate , of course - all the while tapping his knuckles against the doorframe.  

     A lone violet eye found him, acknowledging his presence, but not a word was spoken in turn.

     “Which one are you here for: Tarot, or Hellhound?” he pressed, his signature grin easing across his face. It didn’t touch his eyes.

     Furie chuckled to himself as the gurgling of the coffee machine suddenly morphed into loud sputtering before just as quickly falling silent, signaling the brew cycle had completed. Slender fingers slipped around the pot’s handle and he carefully poured its contents into each mug sitting on the counter, leaving the rest for later. Beside the coffee machine was a bowl filled with sugar packets - both real and artificial - and stir sticks all haphazardly thrown together, and with minimal effort had he stolen two of each, tearing open and emptying the packets into one of the mugs and stirring. 

     He looped both hands around one of the mugs, crossing his fingers, and brought it to his lips in one long, intentionally slow movement, breathing in the steamy waft of roasted coffee and sugar blending together. He sipped tentatively, cautiously, and turned to face Hawks in full, leaning against the counter.

     It was disconcerting, unnerving even, how delicately poised he’d been - his posture curved and lazy yet somehow elegant all the same - and how pretty. White lashes hung heavily over a pair of hazy violet, long and fluttering, somehow accentuating the statuesque, alabaster qualities of his skin, unblemished and fair. He was well-kept and clearly took pride in his appearance, wielding it as a weapon at the best and worst of times; Hawks shuddered to think how effective it may have been when paired with his quirk, a soothing lullaby to put one to sleep and a dreamy visage to hammer in the final nail. 

     “Nogitsune,” he said, his voice a smooth, low-toned offering of appeasement, no more and certainly no less. A meager smile pulled at the corners of his lips and he took another sip from his mug, eyeing Hawks with a vague knowing and amusement lurking in his violet gaze.

     “Tarot, then,” Hawks replied flatly, a hand raising to cup the nape of his neck, his grin twisting awkwardly. It hadn’t meant anything. 

     If Furie was looking for Nogitsune, however, then Hawks had failed to pick up on a detail or two. What, exactly, he wasn’t sure, but how much further could the plot thicken anyway? How much was Nogitsune actually involved in and why was the retired Euphony attempting to hunt him down, parading as an evening nurse? Was he there to convince him to do something? It seemed pointless; Nogitsune was stubborn and arrogant enough that nothing really worked, not even being part and parcel to the near-torture of his dearest friend, so what was the point here? Sure, the Commission played a definitive part in this, but it was the specifics that muddled things all the more.

     “No,” Furie muttered sweetly, his smile brightening around the lip of his mug as he took yet another, now careful, sip.

     “You’re not gonna tell me anything, are you? A’right, a’right, that’s fine, but do me a favor anyway, wouldja?” He had to keep things moving, even if he wasn’t sure he could rightly trust Furie’s placement here nor the utter lack of information however expected. “Check up on Hellhound when you’re done with Nogitsune. Tarot, too. Both of ‘em are in rough shape, but with your skill set, they’ll get off on a better foot.”

      Even bastards like him deserve their second chances.

     “Relax.”

     He narrowed his eyes, gold clashing with violet.

     “He’s got a concussion and will remain unconscious unless something can be done about it,” he retorted, ironing out his grin and emphasizing, playfully, with his free hand. “Can’t leave him, or even Tarot, to bedrest when we’ve all got work to do, yanno?”

     Furie’s smile steadily shifted downward into a flat line, but he said nothing more, not that he’d really said anything to begin with.

     Hawks rolled his shoulders, palms upturned in a combination of mock ignorance and surrender, his grin unwavering. Silence stretched between them for a time, but before long, he turned on his heel and shrugged once more, flexing his diminutive wings. “Just do whatcha can, yeah? Anyway, I’m outta here. If anything happens, let the Director know–”

     “Hawks.”

     He turned his head, hoping Furie might have something more substantial to add. “Huh?”

     “He’ll be fine,” the former hero begrudgingly muttered, an uneven lilt to his words. He almost, almost sounded like Crovita and Hawks had to wonder if they, too, had spoken - if he'd meant it.

     “S’all I’m asking for,” and he abandoned Furie altogether, making a hasty escape from the doorway, intent upon disappearing before anything more could be said. 

     With his mission accomplished, he could focus on pursuing the leads Crovita had graciously afforded him, but in his heart of hearts, he knew he wouldn’t be able to shed the worry pricking at his heart. Furie’s appearance at HQ was suspicious at best and provided sustenance for an ill-defined sense of foreboding at worst, considering his prior line of work, but Hawks had to find some miniscule shred of hope that the circumstances wouldn’t worsen in his absence. For as many questions as had arisen, fewer answers could be given, but he didn’t have time to dwell on any of it; At least one thing remained true: that there wouldn’t have been any point in conscripting Hellhound as Nogitsune’s penance if Furie had come to kill him. As a possibility, he wrote it off, crossed it off the list, and wondered if he was meant to apply pressure instead. For what, he didn’t know, but if Nogitsune was his admitted target, then his intentions lied elsewhere indeed. Nogitsune could’ve been keeping something secret, as he always was, but how could something so ordinary call for Furie’s interference? Did they know each other on some level, or had the Commission suspected Nogitsune’s resistance to forward, helpful action a direct failure to follow orders? Was his life to be cut even shorter than before, or were they trying to avoid any further complications? What was happening here?

     Hawks left the medical offices quickly, once more maintaining a swift but altogether normal gait for himself, deciding it best to temporarily set his thoughts aside. Whatever the case, he had to move on and affix his attention to the tasks at hand, reluctant though he may have been. Continuing on his path to the elevator, he paid no mind to the few agents now wandering the halls, only half-heartedly greeting them as he went.

     Hellhound would be fine, right? But, Nogitsune–

     He pursed his lips.

      Right. 

     Lightbringer and Black Knight come first, now. I gotta get to them sooner rather than later… I think my wings will get me to Shibuya, but the return trip’ll be a different story. Worst case, I can request a ride, give Jeanist a call. We are friends, after all. He’ll understand, provided he doesn’t have his hands full with any villains - or interns.

     He stepped into the nearest elevator, the one he’d arrived on, and pressed the button that would take him to the ground level, finding a small amount of comfort in having something, anything, planned out. Leaving Hellhound’s side for the hundredth time wasn’t what he’d wanted, but in the interest of keeping him safe for the time being and progressing in the case against Kioku Nusumi, he had to. Prisma couldn’t be allowed to put his plans into action, whatever they may be, and if Hellhound was to oversee this case with Hawks as his so-called babysitter, then Hawks had to get his ass in gear. 

     To help, to lend his expertise and strength to the cause… To keep another hero, man, person alive, to put a villain away and give them the second chance they so sorely needed with the promise of time served– To deliver on promises made, to hold true to his principles as a hero and aid others in their work, hold true to their own principles– Now was the time. 

      Now was the time.

     Hellhound would survive another few hours without him.

[startistdoodles]

Prisma, your thoughts on Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dede fighting in Smash? Also, have you ever made any friends on the Smash Ultimate roster? If so, who is he/she/them?

Prisma thinks Smash is an....interesting sport, but nonetheless it seems like her friends always have a great time, and she likes to participate too on occasion just for fun. It's nice to get out there and meet new people and do some friendly sparring.

She gets along very well with a lot of the other female characters, especially the princesses. They welcomed her with open arms <3

She and Samus also get along too, and often team up in matches. They are a force to be reckoned with.

[capriciouswriter207]

Scott almost teared up when he walked into the Cod Empire.

He could feel the stares. He was used to them – even now, after such a long time, Scott’s presence in the swamp was treated as something special and rare. Scott had made it no secret that he preferred his own home, as would anyone, but the swamp always had a certain charm to it. Its people always hospitable, its climate calm and persistent, its alliance and friendship true and steadfast. Many traits Scott found in their leader as well.

He couldn’t stand the sight. Not today. Not ever again, maybe.

He wanted to home. He wanted to return to the cold, to curl up in his bed and cry his eyes out until every last drop had been cried and his cheeks were stained with frosted over tears. He wanted his heart to freeze over so he wouldn’t have to feel this terrible. He wanted his heart to beat harder and faster than ever before to combat this hollow sensation in his chest.

He wanted to leave and not bring any harm to this beautiful swamp. The cold already tickled his fingers, a layer of frost appearing on nearby vegetation as his mind pulled into a certain direction.

Scott flew away. He didn’t want to cover the swamp in a layer of magical snow and frost. These people had not done anything to deserve this.

He had to pass over the Ocean Empire; a sprawling domain teeming with life. The larger than life lilypads provided shelter, home and work, for those citizens who needed to breathe air and the Prisma Palace shone bright in the noon sun. And, on one of the walkways between two towers, he spotted a familiar large figure with blue skin and pink hair.

Lizzie.

Scott found himself descending. His instincts yelled at him to fly faster, to leave before she saw him, before he could get away.

She ought to know. This was not something he could run or fly away from. He would incur her wrath either way, and it would only get worse the longer she was kept oblivious. Whether he spoke or stayed silent, they would both lose. They had already lost.

Lizzie seemed surprised to see Scott touch down on the white walkway, and confused that he didn’t accompany it with a cheerful hello, or with her brother by his side. A painfully empty space beside him.

“Scott!” she could barely hide her confusion. “I thought you said you wouldn’t be back for a while. Where’s Jimmy?”

Jimmy.

Scott avoided her gaze. The words not only stuck in his throat, but tangled in his mind. The inability to speak, though necessary – that hollowness creeping up again and spreading – his cold, cold hands trembling as he rubbed them together – furiously blinking away oncoming tears and trying not to freeze anything.

And her warm touch. Even through his mantel, he could feel her hand on his shoulder, a gentle presence. He looked up into her concerned gaze and wondered how she could support him like that.

“Where is Jimmy?”

He’s still there.

They’d decided to travel around. See the world a little, beyond their medium-sized corner in it. They were so excited, Jimmy especially. He never really traveled outside of official business. He’d never gone as far west beyond Pixandria’s borders. Scott had made some friends they could visit. It was going to be great.

He’s still there.

It was great. Truly, it was. Absolutely wonderful. They even joked about having to live out in the wilderness when they got lost. Maybe they laughed a little too loudly. Maybe they stared too deeply into each other’s eyes to see the arrows coming. Maybe Scott thought he could still make a difference by flying Jimmy out of harm’s way and ignoring the arrows lodged into his lover’s back, the same way he ignored all of his problems.

He’s still there.

“I’m sorry.”

Scott wasn’t sure what he was sorry for. That he proposed to Jimmy. That he suggested checking out that wilderness. That he could not save her brother nor return his body to her.

His legs were weak. They were crushed under his guilt and sorrow and he fell to his knees. His hands turned to fists, ice spreading from where he sat. He didn’t care, couldn’t care, not while he let loose what he’d tried to contain ever since he saw the life slip from Jimmy’s once so lively eyes. His mind pulled him back to that moment, over and over and over again, a moment he’d never forget. A memory that would come uninvited every time he closed his eyes, until his smile had faded and Scott could only remember those god-awful empty eyes and already cold touch and how his ghost tried to call him back to the remnants of a body he could not return home.

He’s still there.

And Lizzie held him and mourned with him.

[artnerd1123]

Four more expression meme ships, tho these are just ones I wanted to do on my own ^^ I really like how these turned out! And look at all these dorks I love them so much 

 Still doing stuff for this expression meme if y'all wanna suggest more UT/NMF cast ppls!

[chemicalpink]

Hey!! I luv you blog. You're my favourite reader out of all on the Tumblr prediction community. I really wish if u can do a reading on what true luv means to BTS members or in other words how do they define luv.

OHHH this one seems so interesting of course I can do it love! Let us see what the cards have to say (I lowkey want to expose brat JK once again)

Also OMG that's so sweet thank you for supporting my work and loving it!!!

Disclaimer: This reading is based on my experience and knowledge of astrology, it is not meant to be the absolute truth, as BTS are real people, and tarot can only capture so much about multidimensional humans that have had past experiences and cultural approaches amongst other things, it does not have to resonate with you since this is in no way related to anyone reading it (unless you are a member of BTS in which case, get out of here lol ) This is just for entertainment purposes.

A/N: the topic is what is love for each member, so not necessarily will we be talking about romantic love on this one. It does not include lovce language necessarily either.

Seokjin

Okay, so I'll be mixing the outcomes of both oracles and tarot for this to make more sense as a whole reading. Seems like to Jin, relationships have always been fitted with some type of imbalance, whether it be aloof partners or him not being able to give as much as his partners have needed (the lovers rx) so for him, love is giving relationships a chance, going into it knowing that the relationship will need work. Inherently romantic, for him, love is being able to take the next step and commit fully, provide happiness and a sense of stability (10oC) there's also a lot of honesty involved in his perception of love, having open communication, settle things beforehand, and being able to stay true to the promises (KingoS)

Yoongi

As usual, Yoongi's readings are always explosive and there's a lot to unpack, this seems too intimate so I'll try to keep it light. My heart goes out to this man, he has healed and come a long way. So to him, love has always been about denial, about being unable to learn from past mistakes even when he sees them approaching at a fast pace (Judgemennt rx) which means that love means learning to forgive, release the past and being able to just experience more love in the present. We know Yoongi to be the type to defy status quo and whatnot but when it comes to love, he's very textbook-like in his loving, there's a longing for home, a longing for a soul more than a person and a need for spiritual love that runs so deep, this man wants a traditional love story and he might give bratty JK a run for his money on the one and only topic, he just doesn't show it as much (probably cause he has a lot of bagagge to works through but that's a whole other topic) (the hierophant). To him, love is knowing when the feelings have changed, when love has ran out and it's time to wlak away. (KnightoC rx)

Hoseok

Okay, listen, to each their own, and I personally feel Hobi on so many levels, he doesn't really have a solid definition of love, it seems like he doesn't really have it consolidated inside his head as something he's actively searching for (romantic love at least) so bear with me on this one. For one part, we've got how flirting and quick stuff is his type of thing, like some type of grounding experiences that he holds close to his heart, even tho there is not much depth to them, he just- he knows what he's got and is able to work with it real good. Cute enough, brotherly love is VERY present on the cards, he values more highly the connection he has with the members as signs of protection, loyalty, safety, and trust (KingoP) . He's very much aware that he's got things to work on before he even so much as begins to think about love as some more important part of his life (QoW rx) nonetheless, if he were to describe love in his terms, freedom would play a big part of it, which makes sense given the flirty card that came up in the beginning (PoW)

Namjoon

I am so ready to read for this guy. And I knew I had a reason to be so excited, we've got all major arcana and a need to include him to a wall of shame what's up with these men trying to battle JK. Seems like Joon has had to make adjustments in regards of his love life, which starts adaptability as a must for him in regards of what love means, which unfortunately not many of his relationships have had enough of for him to really feel like it was the love he defines as (the tower rx) Patience and diligence is a big thing on his definition of love, being able to venture and have doors opening for him, having people be patient with him as he slowly but surely gets it inside his head that he is deserving of the love he's being given (temperance) Listen- there's a soulmate card here, some part of him has come to believe that there's really a soul plan for his love life, one that apparently he's beginning to remember and search for, one that he believes with love he will feel complete. (the world)

Jimin

My sweet little Libra man. I have a rough idea of how this reading will go but let us see. Okay, so it looks like Jimin is one hell of a man that has come a long way in terms of his definition of love. He's been kind of letting go of his own precepts on the matter and has begun to trust where he's led in the matter, although seems like this growth has been nothing short on painful and from past experiences (6oS) He's obviously got a lot more to learn and we can't really assure that the next lessons won't be painful but as he is right now, he's come to absolutely treasure the good and sweet moments he's got with the people he cares, as short as they are (the hermit rx) Of course we couldn't miss on him being a truly romantic and very idealistic on the matter in true Libra fashion and we love that for him, especially when all of this is paired up with being able to free himself and take back control of the way that he himself wants to define love as in his life.

Taehyung

Oh god, I'm scared for this one. There is... a lot to unpack here, as in- when it comes to defining love, Tae has his own particular way of doing so. Then again, there seems to be a lot of traditional intakes on his definition of love, commitment being the first and foremost of them, being so sure about yourself that you want to take the next step in a relationship, that is mainly what love means to him (10oC) Even more os to an extent of integrating as one, finishing each other sentences type of way, may I even point out a friends to lovers type of thing. Yeah this man's definition of love is family, whether it is love within the members and himself, he values so much the way that they feel like family, in romantic terms, it would be his s/o being the one to bear his children (the empress) this idea of love he has also seemed very much rooted on himself, and it seems to me like its something that he refuses to let go of, even if he would have to fight for it or move mountains in order to get it (death rx)

Jungkook

WE'RE HERE. The star of the show, istg Jeon Jungkook if you make me look like a clown on this one I'll fight you. For a second there the cards refused to come out until they exploded. OKAY let's see. We've also got different types of love on this one. For one part, we've got his insight on romantic love, which to him, it's about being separated yet staying optimistic about it, while knowing there's a higher power behind the love story he longs for. Somehow he has yet to work on the part where he truly feels deserving of said love journey, also taking each new opportunity that he has within reach to prove to himself that he's worthy of the love he dreams about (aceoP) And yep it does follow the same line, there's a lot of daydreaming involved in his definition of love, of being faced with a lot of choices and a search of purpose that he has become to nurture more as of lately (7oC) On the other hand, his definition of love also includes a lot of motherly and fatherly love, along with brotherly love, seeing it as something more palpable and closer to him than what he feels romantic love is. A deep love that gets him through life. (the emperor)

Decks Used: The Romance Angels Oracle, The Starseed Oracle, The Prisma Visions Tarot

[alix-in-july]

So between my surgery and my daughter being sick, we've been watching way too much Netflix this past week. #momoftheyear. And most of it has been Sofia the First.

Sofia is a huge Lion Badger. Like almost all my friends haha. She listens to her intuition and talks about following her heart a lot. Many times in the show, she's trying to convince others do to the right thing. Whichhh leads me to her secondary because the right thing to do is usually helping people. It is a children's show, after all. She's a huge Badger. She works hard at learning all the princess stuff and is always helping people, making new friends, and being a peacemaker. The climax of the show is literally her friends and family standing in a big circle to help cast a spell to save her.

Prince James is a Double Lion. He has his gloryhound moments about being the future king (sorry bro) and a knight. And he charges into everything and is adaptable, unlike Amber who freaks out when things aren't going to plan.

Princess Amber is tricky. I want to say Snake Primary who gradually begins to adopt Sofia's morality. While she's upset about everyone being so welcoming to Sofia, she's especially upset when James says he likes Sofia better than he likes her. She doesn't really care about fairness and I can't see her as an idealist. She's a Bird secondary. She hates hard work, doesn't feel bad cheating to win a contest, likes planning parties, and her tools are her fashion and knowledge of how to be a royal. On a camping trip, she comes prepared by bringing a ton of outfits and leaving behind the actual camping equipment, but manages to use her dresses to build a tent.

Queen Miranda: I want to say she's a Double Badger but to be honest she doesn't really do that much in the series aside from helping Sofia figure out the right thing to do. I could also see paragon Lion Badger.

King Roland: Badger primary. He's very concerned with making sure things are fair and doesn't judge people by their rank. I want to say Lion secondary because he's stubborn and easily tricked because he takes things at face value.

Aunt Tilly: Lion Bird. She's always looking for adventure to the point of giving up the throne and she has a bag of magic tricks.

Cedric the Sorcerer: He seems burned at the beginning of the series due to everyone treating him like a joke. I'm going with Snake Bird with a Snake secondary model. Classic villain sorting. No wonder I like him haha.

Wormwood: Yes, we are doing the bird! He's not a Snake Primary because he easily betrays Cedric once Cedric stops being evil. I'd say Bird Primary (haaa). His secondary is a bit harder but I think I'm going to go with Lion. He's absolutely crap at lying and jumps right into helping Prisma and then Vor once he leaves Cedric.

We've seen the entire series twice over and I hope we don't watch it a third time lol.

Princess Sophia: Lion Badger

Prince James: Double Lion

Princess Amber: Snake Bird

Queen Miranda: Double Badger or maybe Lion Badger

King Roland: Badger Lion

Aunt Tilly: Lion Bird

Cedric the Sorcerer: Snake Bird with Snake model

Wormwood: Bird Lion

[lordelmelloi2]

Over the years I’ve learned to try very hard to put aside my initial PTSD responses when I see people liking characters that I Don’t Like who I *know* have done horrific things either in legend, or history, or in lore etc... because not every fate fan can know absolutely everything. Even the most obvious villains somehow have people repping them and saying they’re actually good people for this-or-that reason. Fate series has a lot of characters and a lot of them are servants and a lot of those servants are historical figures or figures in legend and mythology that have committed crimes such as sold people as slaves, committed rape, abused their family/friends/partners, brutally murdered innocent people, colonized and commit genocide, and so on and so forth. 

You can’t really expect everybody to know absolutely every single crime someone’s committed, and there are so many servants in fate that are so far distanced from their original counterparts that it’s more accurate to say that you’ve summoned an idealized “image” of them rather than the real one. When I say this I think about characters whose less than savory pasts have basically been annulled such as Nero, Napoleon or Iskandar. They carry aspects of their original historic selves but are not a 1:1 copy of said self. And the in-universe explanation to this is that the Throne of Heroes can summon an image of a person that has been influenced by how they’ve been perceived and talked about, especially in later legends and mythos created around said character. Again, Iskandar is a good example because his existence as Dhul Qarnayn in the Quran is directly referenced in his materials despite him having no Islamic narrative of him and his insistence on using the Hellenic Pantheon when referencing his divinity.  

The same goes for mainstream fate series characters. Kiritsugu is a good example of this. Not everybody reads materials or finds out ages or anything like that, so the other aspects of his character could be ignored or so for any-which reason. But for those who do look in the lore we find out that he groomed Maiya since he rescued her as a young teen, specifically because we find out when he rescued Maiya that she was just a young teen. We find out that in his escapades of doing his “save the majority and kill the minority” bullshit that he has injured or killed innocent people and yet still continued on. It’s still possible to like him as a flawed character without romanticizing the sheer bullshit he does. A lot of fans of his foil, Kirei, are well aware of Kirei’s own history of abusing others intentionally and yet simultaneously consider his rearing as a child soldier that rewired his mental illness to such that he literally only has a reward response to hurting others. Whether you believe Kirei had a basement full of orphans in each canon or not, his treatment of Rin left her emotionally scarred and unable to process her own emotions without fear of backlash or someone taking advantage of her. But despite that, there are also people who believe that Kirei did nothing wrong, and that he was simply doing his best. That’s an important dialectic to understand, yes, but it’s important to note that when your best is hurting others or yourself, it’s really not enough and you have to do better. 

And then there’s Romani’s Law. Romani’s Law came as a response to the out-of-character writing in the Prisma Illya event where Romani Archaman, an otherwise decent person, said some things that were plainly disgusting. This kind of law has been utilized in the treatment of other characters when they were either written by other authors who have less of a grasp of said character or when there were throwaway lines that were disgusting. An out-of-FGO example of this is with Aoko Aozaki’s characterization in joke materials in Tsukihime as a sh*tacon. Anyone who has read what’s there of Mahoutsukai no Yoru can tell you that Aoko is a normal person who isn’t interested in children like that. And yet the authors still insert that joke with her -- why is that? 

The pervasiveness of the otaku industry’s problems with normalizing pedophilia material is apparent. But that’s not what this is overall about -- I would say that many people tend to pick-and-choose which characters they like based off of the overall gist of the character. Regardless of what the character has done, most people tend to ignore the unsavory things and apply a sort of Romani’s Law of pretending to not see it in order to continue. This is fair and valid, but I want to add that it’s not appropriate to do that when others point it out. 

When someone brings up that a character has issues relating to either industry normalization of pedophilia, or perhaps they’ve done things in history/legend/lore that are factually wrong things and repeated that behavior (i.e. no one-off stuff), or their overall characterization has aspects that are considered harmful to others, the best thing to do is to listen to the complaints. Examine why you’ve been able to ignore these traits. Is it an issue with inconsistent lore, inconsistent authors, or something bigger than that? Is the character a truly bad person, or were they written by an author that is using them as a temporary mouthpiece? Was it a one-off statement, or a pattern of behavior they tend to have? Has this information been redacted in later characterizations or writing? 

It is up to you to determine what your next step of action. No one is saying you have to stop liking a character or enjoying their writing, especially if it tackles subjects you do not see normally approached. But you should at the least keep it tucked in the back of your mind that there may be reasons why others dislike this character or have a stress reaction when they engage with the characters content. Understanding others’ concerns in good faith and thinking about it is a good idea and helps sharpen your senses and also helps you understand the author’s intentions and communicated ideas when they write these characters. This trains your brain to be able to better understand text and writing in turn, which can sharpen your own skills in those subjects and heighten your enjoyment of media, too. 

TL;DR -- you can like who you like, but be mindful of others who may have reasons for disliking them, either because it’s in history, legend, mythos, or in other bits of lore not commonly known. Approach others in good faith when they try to discuss this and don’t brush it off just because you like them, because that may hinder your ability to understand the intent behind an author’s writing.